Again, sorry for taking so long. Life always seems to get in the way. But, anyhoo, Here's the last chapter of this leg of my JF journey. :) Hope this was worth the headache the glitch caused. ;) J/K
Disclaimer: As always...Me...Power Rangers..Ain't happenin'! :P
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Camille gave a smug little smirk as she stared down the oblivious cheetah and eagle. There was a plan in place and it was up to her to provide a convincing diversion. Pacing back and forth, she began to speak.
"Really. Aren't you two the slightest bit tired of always playing hero?" The crafty chameleon asked.
"Aren't you the slightest bit tired of dressing like it's Halloween every day?" Lily shot back making Camille shudder with hatred.
"You-you've been hanging around that panther woman too long! She's starting to rub off on you!" Camille hissed through clenched teeth. "But if that sarcastic tapeworm pulls this off, she'll be out of my hair for good!" She mused sadistically.
Lily and Keenan smirked at Camille's comment. Since meeting the lady vet, their witty banter has improved dramatically, much to the chagrin of a certain multicolored lizard.
"Now, how about you prove to us that you have a brain larger than a walnut and leave?" Keenan retorted eluding to her prehistoric ancestors.
Once again, Camille looked as if she'd pop every vein in her forehead as the eagle took another jab regarding her age. Shaking it off, momentarily, she gave the two rangers a smile that looked completely fake on her.
"Hmmm, I have a better idea, you walking feather duster. Why don't you see how long you can hold off my rinshi? Attack!"
As the hopping menaces bounded towards the pair of rangers, they prepared to stand their ground. They remembered that with all the hospital personnel chased off by the attack, RJ and Gwen were alone and defenseless so it was up to the two of them to stave off any further assault until Casey and Theo got back from their quest.
"Lily, I can hold off the rinshi. You take care of Camille." Keenan suggested.
"You got it!" Lily agreed as she held her bo loosely. "You know what? I think it's time I brought out the heavy artillery. Jungle Mace!"
Camille taunted the cheetah ranger by feigning boredom with a fake yawn.
"How appropriate. A ball and chain for a ball and chain." Camille scoffed as she changed into her green armor.
"That's your best comeback? You're slipping!" Lily scoffed in disbelief as she charged head first swinging her teal and black mace.
Despite Camille blocking and dodging every advance with her twirling sais, the yellow ranger proved that she was Master Phant's best pupil by using his favorite weapon to perfection as Keenan wailed on the rinshi with his twin katanas. But unknown to either ranger, as they fought valiantly, Velociviper used his ninja stealth to sneak into the now nearly vacant hospital. Once inside, he spied a discarded uniform and clipboard on the floor.
"Hmmm, thisssss could come in handy." He hissed as he grabbed the items and slithered into the elevator. "Next ssssstop...the death of the black ranger." He thought with malicious intent.
Back at the temple...
Both young rangers looked on in awe as they stood at the opening of what they would soon discover would be the largest maze either of them would ever see. On the surface, it looked harmless enough, but they remembered the warning of Master Buzz:
"The two of you will navigate through our temple to retrieve the antidote that lies in the center chamber. But I must warn you, the way is treacherous."
Treacherous or not, a very good friend's life depended on them succeeding. Little did Casey know that the maze itself wouldn't be their only obstacle.
"I think it's safe to say that this is the largest ant farm in the world." Theo joked as he stared at the opening. "But, this should be easy. Mom and dad used to take me and my brother through park mazes all the time when we were kids."
Casey just looked on knowing this is was no...pardon the pun...walk in the park. This promised to be one of their toughest challenges yet and Theo was treating it like child's play. Worse yet, the blue ranger acted as if he had no interest in anything Casey had to say, but that didn't mean the tiger wouldn't try.
"Theo, we can't treat this so lightly. This is gonna be tough; we have to trust out instincts and work together if we're gonna survive this." Casey warned as both boys started to tread cautiously through the first turn of the maze.
Theo just rolled his eyes and sighed. So Casey was chosen as leader...that didn't mean everything that came out of his mouth was right. He's made plenty of mistakes during his tenure and Theo believed that he should take the lead on this.
"I know, Case. So, trust me when I say I can get us through this maze in record time." Theo sighed as he took a few steps in front of the taller tiger.
Casey sensed the same tension from the jaguar that he felt all day and it concerned him greatly. Something like this could put their entire mission in jeopardy and he wanted to find out what was going through Theo's mind. He was going to try to get the jaguar to open again but he was brought out of his thoughts when he heard suspicious grinding and saw movement from the walls in front of him.
"Theo, look out!" The tiger shouted.
Reacting quickly, he pulled Theo backwards as the walls slammed together with the intention of making a ranger sandwich out of one or both felines.
"Man that was close!" Casey thought as he released the breath he held in. How could Theo do something so reckless? They could have been flattened! For the second time since embarking on this quest, Casey grabbed Theo's shoulder, stopping the blue ranger from advancing any further.
"This is exactly what I'm talking about, Theo! I know you feel like you need to take the lead on this, but we still have to work together. For Gwen." Casey cajoled. "Please."
By this time, the red ranger wasn't just worried about the friend who was bedridden in a hospital, he was concerned for the friend who was standing beside him in person, but not in spirit. Theo exhaled sharply. If it wasn't for the fact Gwen needed them to retrieve this antidote, he probably wouldn't be doing this right now.
"Okay, fine! Let's just get this over with, okay?" Theo asked annoyed as he jerked his shoulder form Casey's grasp.
That was the straw that broke the camel's back...or tiger's back in this case. Theo's attitude was wearing thin on the red ranger's nerves and Casey didn't feel like dealing with that and the fact that Gwen could be dying as they argued needlessly. The blue ranger's childish attitude was becoming a major hindrance and Casey was fed up. Not being able to take it anymore, he grabbed Theo by the arms and forcibly turned him so that they were face to face.
"Theo! What's the matter with you!?" Casey asked emphatically. They were running out of time and if they didn't nip this in the bud, Gwen was a goner. "Just talk to me. Is it work?" Casey asked.
"No." Theo answered quietly as he shook his head.
"Is it the fact that Gwen and Keenan are part of the team now?" The tiger asked.
"No." The jaguar answered.
"Is it Lily or RJ...or Fran?" Casey posed to Theo.
"No." Theo answered louder.
All three times Theo answered 'no', he looked the tiger in the eye. So, by process of elimination, Casey asked the question that had been plaguing his thoughts for weeks now.
"Is it me?" Casey asked quietly almost knowing the answer before it was even said.
Theo stood there trying to look at anything that wasn't Casey's face right now. He was fidgeting and couldn't look his friend in the eye for if he did, Casey would know the truth. But in a way, the tiger did know. Theo's body language told him all he need to know before the jaguar could utter a single word.
"No...yeah...look, I don't know!" Theo stammered.
The fact that Theo felt uncomfortable talking about his problems hurt the red ranger more than he realized. Sure, they had a rocky start, from the time Casey was chosen as a guardian at the last minute to when he was spending so much time with Lily that Theo became so jealous...jealous? Could that be it? But how? Casey already made it clear that he and Lily were nothing more than friends. That issue was resolved...wasn't it? Casey had to know.
"Theo, we're friends. We shouldn't kept secrets from each other. If something's wrong, you have to tell me...please." Casey pleaded.
Theo shivered visibly. He was a shaken bottle of champagne and the pressure building inside was dangerously close to popping his cork. Unable to keep it inside any longer, Theo let it all out.
"You want to know what's wrong with me? I'm jealous, okay!?" Theo shouted unintentionally.
The young Asian's eyes widened as he finally revealed the source of his recent attitude adjustment. He felt ashamed and broke away from his friend's grasp only to trigger a trap door that he almost fell through.
"Watch it!" Casey shouted as he grabbed Theo before he fell in. Making sure he had a firm grip, he pushed Theo against the wall and prodded again. "Jealous? Of what?"
Theo tried to pull away, but Casey wasn't about to let him blindly walk into another booby trap. Seeing that he had no choice, he looked his friend in the eye and sighed.
"Of you." He answered.
Casey was taken aback. He was the source of Theo's distress. Loosening his grip a bit, he continued to pump Theo for more answers.
"I don't understand. Why are you jealous of me?" The red tiger wondered aloud.
Theo felt small; not physically, but emotionally. If he told Casey the whole story, he was afraid that the slightly older ranger would think he was acting like a whiny brat. But, considering the gravity of the situation, he took that chance. Taking a deep breath, he started his explanation.
"When Master Mao chose me, Lily and Jarrod to be the guardians of Dai Shi's box, I thought for sure that he'd make me the leader seeing as I had the most experience at the Academy. But when RJ chose you that day he went to that fishing contest, something in me just...snapped." Theo began. "I felt like I was being shoved aside. Like nothing I did was good enough."
Casey listened and the penny was starting to drop.
"Like when Master Mao chose me to replace Jarrod and join you guys?" Casey tentatively asked.
Theo just nodded meekly. For the first time since being inducted int Pai Zhuq, the jaguar felt lower than a cub...he felt like he was a newborn kitten. After hearing Theo's words, he understood what he was going through.
"Theo, do you really think you were the only one who felt jealous? What about the day RJ gave us our morphers and we went into battle for the first time? I was jealous because I couldn't morph on my first try like you and Lily did. And I really felt out of place when he handed us our training weapons. I have to say, the look you gave me when I hit myself with the nunchucks...not encouraging." Casey began as the memories flooded in. "I feel like that everyday because you and Lily are so far ahead of me in our training. A lot of times I wanted to give up because I thought I'd never be able to catch up. Theo, I know I'm not the best fighter like you, or the fastest like Lily or as wise as RJ...but I keep working hard to improve and I think that's what RJ saw in me when he chose me as leader."
When he saw Theo look at him, he felt the need to keep going.
"Before you say anything, I'm not trying to say you don't work hard, too. What I'm trying to say is that we're not that different from each other. I want to prove that RJ didn't make a mistake in making me leader...but I can't do that without your help. We're a team...and I'd like to think we're friends, too. And, Theo, if you just put your trust in me, I promise I won't let the team down. So, how about it?" The red ranger asked as he extended his hand to the blue jaguar.
As Casey finished his rousing speech, Theo finally understood. Casey also felt jealous, but he didn't let it consume his as Theo did. And he realized something else. Being a great fighter was one thing, but that alone didn't make a good leader. It was the combination of strength, intelligence and the heart to stick by your team that made an effective leader...And Casey exhibited all those qualities. Feeling renewed, Theo looked at his friend, and this time, he had a smile.
"Let's do this...for Gwen." He replied as the two rangers shook hands.
Feeling energized by their newly formed bond, the two rangers run through the maze like mice following the scent of cheese thanks to Theo's childhood experience and Casey's instincts which came in handy with the booby traps. After dodging traps that could have come from an Indiana Jones movie, the rangers were drawing closer to the center of the maze where the antidote was housed.
"Theo, duck!" Casey shouted as he pulled Theo to the ground.
The red tiger noticed small holes opening in the walls and sensing danger, he pulled Theo down in the nick of time before poison tipped darts shot out. Looking up at the now dart laden walls, Theo exhaled sharply.
"Whew! Way too close for comfort. Thanks, Case." The blue ranger replied in thanks.
"No problem. You'd do the same for me." The tiger replied with a grin as he turned the corner.
As he did, Theo's dormant instincts started to kick in. He remembered a rule about following one wall when going through a maze and from what they just experienced, he figured out that Casey was going the wrong way...
"Casey, wait!" He shouted as he ran after his friend.
Casey turned to face Theo, unaware of the danger he was walking headfirst into. Before he could answer, Theo grabbed the red tiger's wrists and violently pulled him out of the hallway. A split second after he did, metal spikes rose from the floor making a sound that reminded both rangers of a sword being pulled from its scabbard. Casey looked behind him and saw the crisis that had been averted...barely. If he had taken one more step, he would have been skewered.
"Thanks, man. You saved my skin." Casey replied
"Just returning the favor." Theo said as he helped his friend up. "Hey, while we were keeping each other from getting killed, I think I saw a door up ahead. We're almost to the center of the maze."
"Which means the worst is yet to come. We better watch our backs." Casey warned as Theo fully agreed.
Both rangers treaded cautiously through the last few twists and turns, their eyes looking in all directions for any signs of danger until they reach the innermost chamber. Staring back at them were two solid gold doors with the images of a queen bee and her hive engraved on the left door and of a queen ant and her colony on the right.
"That's it. The next maze I go through is gonna be the one on those kids' menu placemats!" Theo joked as he inhaled deeply.
Casey let out a chuckle as he agreed wholeheartedly. After today, he never wanted to hear the word 'maze' again.
"Hey, one day, we'll look back on this and laugh." Casey quipped. But that comment just made Theo glare daggers at him and it made the red tiger chuckle nervously. "I never said when." He replied in defense.
The golden doors slowly creaked open to reveal a polished marble altar and perched atop it was a glimmering crystal vial containing a clear liquid.
"There it is. The antidote!" Casey rejoiced.
"Awesome! Let's grab it and get outta here!" Theo suggested.
As both boys took a step towards the altar, a deafening roar echoed from the depths of the chamber making both rangers jump.
"What was that?" Casey asked, his head whipping around frantically.
"If this were a video game, I'd say...the boss." Theo answered in a low tone.
Back at Ocean Bluff Memorial Hospital...
RJ stood at the window as his student and new friend did battle with Camille and her latest horde of Rinshi. He had no idea that every member of the hospital staff had hightailed it out of the building leaving him, Gwen and the other helpless patients alone. What was worse, he was unaware of the danger that was slinking their way.
"Lily and Keenan are holding their own out there. I just hope Casey and Theo get back here in time with the antidote. But don't worry; once they do, we'll have you up and around in no time, Gwen..." He started trying to keep a positive attitude.
Just then, he heard the machines beeping loudly. He turned around sharply and what he saw sent him into a state of panic. Gwen's entire body was convulsing violently and she was having difficulty breathing.
"No...Gwen!" RJ ran to her side and grabbed her hand.
He was horrified when he found it was cold and clammy to the touch. The machines monitored her erratic heartbeat and breathing patterns and the sounds they made did nothing to calm the Pai Zhuq master. RJ grabbed the call button next to Gwen's bed and pushed it repeatedly, unaware that the doctors, nurses and even the orderlies and candy stripers had all evacuated the hospital during Camille's attack. Desperate to hold on to their connection, RJ held Gwen's hand to his cheek as his left hand went to hers.
"Please...don't leave me. I don't know what I'd do without you." He whispered as his green eyes filled with tears. She was slipping away. "Hang on, Gwen...for me."
The last few words of his plea echoed in his mind as they reminded him of when he was the one fighting for his life and Gwen stood by him. As a stray tear fell from his eyes, a black aura surrounded the panther ranger making RJ worry even more. But his anxiety was quelled quickly when he noticed her breathing return to normal and her heartbeat slowing to its regular pace. Her shaking had also ceased as the ebony shroud encased her body.
"Gwen." He breathed her name. Judging by the color of the aura, he assumed that it was her panther spirit helping her fight the venom until Casey and Theo returned. "Don't scare me like that." He whispered as he wiped the tears from his eyes. He was thankful that she was okay for the moment, but he was still worried for her. "I'll always be here for you." He said as he stroked her hair.
Outside, Keenan had taken care of the rinshi and was now on his way to help Lily. Not like she needed it. The cheetah was just finishing up her battle when her mace lands squarely in Camille's midsection knocking her into a car and out of her armor.
"Miserable cat! I may have lost this battle, rangers. But in a few moments, Dai Shi will win the war!" Camille grunted as she struggled to get up.
"What are you talking about, Camille?" Lily asked in anger.
"Why don't you ask me after the funeral!"
With that, Camille vanished leaving a bewildered yellow and silver ranger to ponder her words. The silver ranger replayed the battle in his mind and noticed that something wasn't clicking. It was as if something was missing...or someone. In an instant, Keenan put the pieces together and came to a horrifying conclusion.
"Oh, man! Lily, where was Velociviper in all this?" The eagle asked in a panic.
Lily looked towards the front door and immediately went into a full sprint.
"He's after Gwen! Fly like an Eagle, Keenan!" Lily shouted as she and the eagle in question ran inside an elevator and hit the floor number their friend was on.
Just outside her room, a lone doctor was standing with clipboard in hand. Or that was the persona he was going for. Thanks to his ninja mastery of disguise, Velociviper took the form of a human perfectly. As he peered through the small window, he saw RJ holding his target's hand.
"Hmm. I can kill two birds with one stone. Thisss is going to be fun." He thought sinisterly.
Grabbing the doorknob, he slowly turned it and walked into his 'patient's' room.
"Excuse me, sir, but I was informed of the machines going off in here and I would like to check out the patient." The disguised serpent ordered as he bit back the urge to hiss.
"Oh, of course, doctor." RJ replied as he released Gwen's hand but did not leave her side.
When he saw that RJ was making no motion to leave, he had to resort to drastic measures. Seeing as how his main target was incapacitated at the moment, the sly reptile had no qualms about eliminating her temporary bodyguard.
"I apologize, sir. What I meant to say was I'm here to help the patient..." At that point, he ripped off his disguise and morphed into his true form. "Check out!" He finished with a hiss.
RJ leapt from his chair and took a defensive stance in front of the bedridden black ranger.
"You always make a habit of attacking helpless prey?" RJ spat.
"Well, I wouldn't be a snake if I didn't take advantage of a situation such as thisss." The serpent replied. "Now, why don't you be a good boy and sssstep away from the black cat? I have a job to finish!"
"Over my dead body!" RJ challenged, his resolve strengthening. "You want her..." He maneuvered his arms into fighting position. "...you're gonna have to go through me!"
Velociviper laughed. Never in his existence has anyone stood up to him in such a manner. The situation was all but hopeless for the Pai Zhuq master, yet he was willing to lay down his life for this...woman. It truly was laughable to him.
"My dear boy...is that ssssupposed to be a threat?" The ninja snake asked.
"No...that's a promise." RJ whispered.
"Fine. If you want to wassste your life on this ranger, who am I to stop you?"
Before RJ could come back with a snappy remark, he was fighting for his life and Gwen's against the speed that gave Velociviper his name. The pizza chef used his body to block every reach the reptile made for the panther ranger. Velociviper was inwardly impressed at the lengths RJ was going to go through to protect her, but he still believed that they were all for naught. As the Pai Zhuq master grabbed his opponent's arms, Velociviper used body to constrict around RJ's lithe body and started to literally squeeze the breath out of him. As the ranger mentor's skin turned a bluish tinge as he gasped for air, Velociviper pulled him close to his face.
"I commend your effortssss, but I'm afraid you're going to be joining your lovely kitten in the Spirit World...Pai ZZZZhuq!" Just as RJ was about to black out...
"Liberate the Eagle!"
The screech of Keenan's animal spirit resonated throughout the room as its talons latched onto the snake's coiled body and unwrapped him from around RJ. The tall master's form fell to the floor, coughing and gasping in every breath of precious oxygen until his color returned while Velociviper scrambled towards the opposite wall as if he was...afraid. Only Keenan noticed this and figured that this nugget of information could be useful later on.
"RJ! Are you alright?" Lily asked as she ran to her master.
Slowly being helped up by the yellow ranger, RJ scanned the room to see that reinforcements came just when he needed them.
"Lily...Keenan...Am I glad to see you, guys." RJ said as he kept breathing deeply.
"Looks like we got here just in time." Keenan observed as he stood in front of his sister.
"Yesssss. In time for your demise!" The snake hissed violently.
In a bold move, he opened his mouth wide and his fangs shout out bullet-like projectiles making the rangers dodge in all directions.
"I hope Casey and Theo get here soon. I don't know how much longer we can keep this up." Lily replied as she regrouped with her teammates.
Back at the temple maze...
Casey and Theo gathered their courage and entered the inner chamber of the maze which held the antidote...and whatever was guarding it.
"Keep focused, Theo. We don't know what we're gonna be up against." Casey warned.
Theo nodded in agreement as both rangers took their stances. They waited with bated breath to see what creature has been charged with the responsibility of guarding the temple's most prized treasure. In the darkness that blanketed the back of the chamber, two glowing yellow eyes set their sites on the red and blue rangers as the rest of its body revealed itself. In mere moments, Casey and Theo were face to face with their final challenge...a hulking feline creature who seemed to stand as tall as a basketball hoop and whose coat was a mixture of black and orange stripes and spots on a yellow field.
"No way. It's a hybrid of our animal spirits!" Casey observed.
Theo's gaze traveled up the large cat and the blue jaguar felt smaller than ever.
"We have to fight that!?" Theo asked. "Nobody believes in doing things the easy way anymore!"
"Doesn't matter. We have to beat him and fast. There's no telling how much time Gwen has left." Casey replied in an authoritative tone.
He and Theo took their shades from their pockets and put them on.
"Ready?" The tiger asked.
"Ready." The jaguar answered.
"Jungle Beast! Spirit Unleashed!"
Both rangers transform and immediately call for their primary weapons.
"Jungle Chucks!"
"Jungle Tonfa!"
Casey charges the large feline first, twirling the nunchucks in his hand making them sing. But, the creature seemed to absorb every blow and easily beats the red tiger back into the chamber wall. Theo, seeing his chance, took his turn against the hybrid with his tonfa only to meet with the same results...him kissing brick and mortar next to a slumped over Casey.
"That thing's too strong!" Theo groaned.
Casey was inclined to agree...after his eyes stopped making him see four creatures instead of one. Once his vision righted itself, Casey replayed their first run at the monster in his head and figured out what went wrong.
"Theo, we're going about this all wrong. We keep fighting it one-on-one. I may have a plan for us to take him down, but it won't work unless you trust me." Casey commented as he turned to his friend. "Do you?"
"No question, Case. I got your back!" Theo agreed as both rangers stood up. They bodies were battered, but as long as they still had energy left, they were gonna fight.
"Great. Since he's so big, we have to attack his legs. Bring him down to our size. I'll distract him and you can use your stealth to attack him from behind." Casey whispered.
"Good call, Case. Ready when you are." Theo whispered back.
Casey and Theo charged the gargantuan feline again only to be knocked away in different directions. Seeing his chance, Casey stood in front of the monster and began to taunt him as best as he could.
"Hey! When was the last time you gave yourself a tongue bath? You're starting to stink up the place!" He shouted. Okay, nobody said the taunts would be gems, but it was all he could come up with. To his surprise, the large cat was actually taking offense to his insults. With a snarl, the monster took a swing at Casey, but this time, the tiger ranger evaded it easily.
"He's falling for it." He thought in amusement. "And what's with your feet? They're so big, you could stamp out forest fires!" He laughed. He was starting to have fun with it as the huge cat kept trying to connect with his swipes and lunges.
"And don't get me started on your fur. Spots and stripes? Can we say 'fashion victim'? Whoever created you must have been color blind!" He laughed as he kept faking out the large cat. "Man, I gotta remember to tell Gwen. She's gonna get a kick outta this." He thought.
Apparently that last jab was the breaking point for the hybrid. It was the Master Buzz and Master Arthro who created him and Casey might as well have disrespected them with his words. With a thunderous growl, the large feline mix raised its paws to slam down upon Casey when he shouted...
"Theo, now!"
"Right! Jungle Fans!"
The blue jaguar used the skills taught to him by Master Swoop and buzzed around the monster's legs, taking swipes at them with each pass. With every slice the blades made as they came in contact with the monster's body, he let out a pained roar as he struggled to keep from toppling.
"He won't be able to stand for long. Finish him off!" Theo shouted as he joined his teammate.
Casey looked towards his friend and put his hand on his shoulder.
"This is a team effort. Let's both finish him." Casey suggested.
Feeling a newfound confidence, Theo nodded as he and Casey stood side by side.
"You got it! Call to the beast inside! Unleash the Jaguar!"
"Call to the beast inside! Free the Tiger!"
Shimmering blue and red energy formed into their respective spirit animals but this summoning was different. The glowing felines fused into their own tiger/jaguar hybrid and attacked the temple guardian. Relentless in its slashing and gouging, the ranger merger of cats proved to be superior as the large beast exploded in defeat. Both Casey and They cheered as they acknowledged their hard fought victory.
"Yeah! We did it!" Theo shouted happily.
"Did you see when our spirits merged? That was awesome!" Casey replied. "I never knew they could do that!"
As they celebrated, the saffron and crimson auras of Master Buzz and Master Arthro appeared before them as their physical forms materialized.
"Well done, rangers." Master Buzz commended with a soft smile.
"You have passed the test with flying colors." Master Arthro smirked as his pun was noticed by all.
"Yeah, beating that huge cat was tough." Theo mentioned, but deep down, he knew that the hybrid wasn't the test they were referring to.
"Now, Theo. Was that all you took away from this test?" The Bee master asked with a raised eyebrow.
Theo gave a smirk back to the female insect before he spoke.
"No, Master. You said that this temple focused on trust." Theo replied.
"Exactly. And do you know why the Bee and Ant spirits were charged with guarding this temple?" Master Arthro asked wondering if the two cubs really did learn anything.
Casey and Theo did have to admit that they did wonder why two animals as small as a bee and an ant would be picked for such a large task...wait...that was the answer.
"I think I understand. It's because, in nature, bees and ants have to work together to survive." Casey began.
Once Theo heard Casey's words, he, too, understood why they were given such an arduous task.
"I get it. Everyone on a team has to trust in each other; the leader and the other members. If there's an issue with even one, everything falls apart." Theo finished.
Master Buzz chuckled as Master Arthro nodded proudly. Countless others have failed and it pleased both masters to find two who understand the true power of the Ancient Temple.
"Precisely. I could tell something was bothering you, young jaguar, and that you felt you couldn't confide in your leader...your friend. To defeat Dai Shi, there can't be any doubts regarding trust within your team. The slightest bit of insecurity can cost you your lives..." The Bee Master began.
"And the fate of the world. That's why we gave you the test." Master Arthro finished in a serious tone.
"Thank you, Masters." Both rangers bowed showing their masters the respect they deserve.
"I'm pleased to say that you have earned the antidote." Master Buzz took the crystal vial and handed it to Theo with a smile. "Now go and save your friend."
"And show Dai Shi what happens when you mess with the Pai Zhuq!" Master Arthro added with a hearty laugh.
"We will! And thank you again!" Both rangers shouted.
"Wait, since you're in a hurry..."
Master Buzz and Master Arthro grinned as they both bowed. Casey and Theo's bodies turned into energy as they flew out of the maze and zoomed back towards the hospital.
"I have no doubt that they'll defeat Dai Shi." Master Arthro quipped as his comrade nodded.
Back at the hospital...
Keenan and Lily used their weapons to deflect Velociviper's fang bullets as RJ fought off the snake's attempts to reach Gwen.
"You're not touching my sister!" Keenan shouted as he kicked the reptile away from her hospital bed.
"I don't know why you're wasting sssso much energy in trying to protect her. My venom's in it's final stages and your precious panther is about to succumb to it any second. Nothing you do can ssssave her now!" Velociviper hissed as he relished the fact that the Fury rangers could be minus one member soon.
"Wanna bet?!"
Casey's voice rang out in the room as he and Theo appeared seemingly out of thin air.
"Casey! Theo! You made it!" Lily shouted in relief. "I just hope it's in time." She thought.
"And we brought a present. The gift shop was closed so we had to go somewhere else to find this." The blue ranger joked as he flashed the crystal vial they obtained from the temple. Velociviper's serpentine eyes nearly popped out when he saw the object.
"What!? How!? How did you get that?" He stammered.
"How else? Teamwork." Casey replied as he ave the vial to RJ. "Give her the antidote, RJ. We'll keep the snake busy!"
"Right!" Replied the Pai Zhuq master.
As the four remaining rangers battled with Velociviper, RJ found a sterile needle and used it to inject the antidote into Gwen's arm. "Please, Gwen. Wake up." He begged silently.
A few moments went by and nothing seemed to change until he noticed the dark aura surrounding her body start to fade. The bronze hue was returning to her skin as the machines registered her temperature. It, her pulse and her breathing were normal, much to RJ's relief. After another moment passed, Gwen slowly lifted her body into a sitting position as she stretched and shook the cobwebs from her head.
"Oh, man! Did anyone get the license number of the truck that hit me?" The black ranger asked. Hearing her smart remarks, her friends knew that she was okay. Nobody was happier than a certain pizza chef.
"Gwen, you're back!" RJ shouted happily.
Without hesitation, he flung his arms around Gwen and gave her the tightest hug ever. Smiling from the warmth radiating from RJ's lithe form, Gwen wrapped her arms around the pizza chef and returned the hug. After a minute, Gwen started patting RJ on the back rapidly.
"Air!!!" She gasped in a raspy voice.
RJ immediately released the panther from his bear hug and blushed.
"Oh, sorry. I'm just glad you're alright." RJ apologized with a sheepish grin. "I thought I'd lost you." He whispered.
Sparks rushed through her body when she heard him.
"You don't get rid of a prize like me that easily." She smirked as she stroked his stubble-coated cheek. "And since I just used up my sick leave time for the year..." She started as she got out of her bed and took her shades from the bedside drawer. "Time to go back to work!"
Placing her black shades on her face, RJ craned his neck to see if he could catch a glimpse of Gwen's posterior. He was aware of the notorious gowns that left the back view open for all to see.
"This one zips in the back." Gwen quipped making RJ groan. Chuckling, she tapped the left side and shouted.
"Jungle Beast! Spirit Unleashed!"
In a flash, she transforms into her panther uniform. Her head lowered as she eyed the enemy her friends were fighting.
"Velociviper! It's time to show you what cats really do to snakes! Jungle Sais!" She snarled as the eyes of her helmet flashed yellow.
The sinewy serpent ninja saw that his venom had been neutralized and now he was facing down five rangers. Not liking his odds, he decided that discretion was the better part of valor.
"I won't be defeated by the likessss of you!" He hissed as he launched himself through the second story window.
As RJ and the rangers rushed to watch him jump down to the street, Gwen just shook her head.
"To paraphrase Scorpion from Mortal Kombat...Get back here!" The black panther shouted as she jumped through first, followed by the other rangers.
Velociviper lands perfectly on the blacktop in the parking lot and thinks he's safe...that is until he hears the sound of five rangers land behind him.
"Not so fast!" Casey shouted as he stood firm with his team. "With the strength of a tiger! Jungle Fury Red Ranger!"
"With the speed of a cheetah! Jungle Fury Yellow Ranger!"
"With the stealth of a jaguar! Jungle Fury Blue Ranger!"
"With the silence of a panther! Jungle Fury Black Ranger!"
"With the flight of an eagle! Jungle Fury Silver Ranger!"
"We summon the animal spirits from within! Power Rangers Jungle Fury!"
"Let's not waste any more time!" Casey ordered as he, Lily and Theo took their positions and shouted... "Claw Cannon!"
The primary rangers held their hands out as the multicolored cannon appeared. Taking their stance, Casey looked to Gwen and Keenan who stood on either side while Lily and Theo charged the weapon.
"Gwen, Keenan. Call for your spirits when I give you the signal. Trust me...this is gonna be cool." The tiger ordered.
"I'm game!" The siblings shouted as the prepared themselves.
Casey nodded as the cannon was fully charged and ready to aim..
"Powered by animal spirits...Fire!" The red, blue and yellow rangers called out as Casey pushed the plunger into the cannon.
"Call to the beast inside! Release the Panther!" Gwen recited.
"Call to the beast inside! Liberate the Eagle!" Keenan shouted.
The fiery ball of energy that launched out of the cannon was combined with the black and silver spirits of the sibling rangers to form a volatile force that collided with Velociviper. Camille watched as Carnisoar's henchman exploded in a ball of fire.
"Yes! He's toast!" Lily cheered. Too bad it was premature as the serpent ninja returned, larger than life. "Spoke too soon."
"Let's do this, guys!" Casey ordered as the fivesome shouted.
"Animal Spirits! Unite as one!" The five spirits emerged from their bodies and formed their ultimate weapon. "Primal Fury Megazord!"
As Camille sneered, she felt a familiar tickle in the back of her throat as Flit forced his way to the outside world.
"This promises to be a monumental match, ladies and gentleman!" The diminutive fly announced as he buzzed around his host's head.
"Oh, Flit! Do you ever give it a rest?" She asked in an annoyed tone.
Ignoring her gumbling, the tiny fly continued his color commentary.
"The rangers are up against a slippery snake today. Velociviper almost succeeded in taking out the lovely Black Ranger!" Flit announced as hearts formed in his eyes.
Camille noticed this and it took everything in her power to not lose her lunch.
"I don't know why you're so smitten. She isn't that cute." The chameleon complained as she rolled her eyes and folded her arms.
"Is that jealousy I hear in your voice, Camille?" The small insect asked in a giddy tone. "Green is not your color." He giggled.
Camille just snorted as she turned her attention to the match between a now towering serpent and the Primal Fury Megazord. Both titans exchanged blows throughout the battle until Velociviper decided to take things to another level.
"Well, rangers, how about we wrap things up?" The ninja snake hissed as his body coiled around the Megazord pinning its arms to its sides.
"Oh, my! Velociviper puts the squeeze on the megazord and it looks like a tight fit for the rangers. The rest of the megazord looks like its about to match the jaguar!" Flit quipped as he watched the robot's predicament.
"Ugh! I can't breathe!" Lily gasped as she and the other rangers struggled. As with the megazord, their arms were pinned to their sides.
"It's too tight!" Keenan added.
"I just got out of the hospital and he's trying to put me back in!" Gwen groaned as she felt her ribs constrict under the pressure.
Casey and Theo remembered the important lesson they learned from their adventure in the maze and decided to apply it in this situation.
"Hang in there, guys!" The blue ranger encouraged.
"We can break this! Everyone concentrate!" Casey rallied.
All five rangers gathered their strength and slowly extended their arms. Within seconds, Velociviper unraveled from around the megazord as the rangers managed to break his hold over them.
"What a move by the rangers! Through sheer will, they uncoiled the slithering serpent from around their body! Now, he looks like a broken slinky!" The flittering fly remarked with a chuckle.
As Velociviper tried to regroup, Keenan remembered how the snake acted when he called his eagle to save RJ.
"Hey, guys. When I called my eagle to rescue RJ from that slimeball snake, I noticed that he looked scared out of his mind." Keenan whispered to the others.
Upon hearing this, Gwen remembered a small factoid that would prove useful.
"Keenan, if I remember right, some species of eagle eat snakes...don't they?" The black ranger asked as she tilted her head.
"Yup. And I'm about due for a snack!" Keenan replied with an evil laugh.
The red, yellow and blue rangers ping ponged back and forth as the siblings talked. They knew the two were hatching a plan but when they heard Keenan let out such an evil laugh, something told them that this was gonna be good.
"You guys don't mind if I play with my food, do you?" Keenan asked as he wrung his hands.
The other four rangers passed glances among each other and then Casey spoke up.
"Go right ahead, man." Casey allowed.
Keenan just let out a sinister laugh as his eagle disengaged from the rest of the megazord. Remembering how Velociviper acted in Gwen's hospital room, he figured he was going to have some fun tormenting this particular monster. Back inside the megazord, the others reflected on the silver ranger's change in behavior.
"Okay, who else thinks Keenan's laugh was kinda spooky?" Lily asked as everyone raised their hands. "But, then again, it was kinda hot, too." She thought as she smirked under her helmet.
While the others waited, Keenan used his eagle zord to bombard Velociviper by buzzing past him. All the while, the eagle was playing the crazed psychopath to the hilt.
"Hey, remember me?" Keenan shouted to Velociviper. "I'm ba-ack!" He cackled.
Just seeing the eagle dive bombing him relentlessly sent the ninja snake into a fit of panic. He may have been a minion of Carnisoar, but that didn't dilute his inert fear of those that dined on his kind.
"N-no! Leave me alone you psycho!" Velociviper screamed as he tried to duck another divebomb from the silver zord.
"Now, why would I do something like that? I'm hungry and...you're on the menu!" Keenan quipped with another sinister laugh.
Flit and Camille both looked on in stunned silence. Unfortunately for Camille, Flit's silence didn't last long.
"Looks like the rangers have a strategy in mind...and if I didn't know better, I'd say the eagle has a little evil in him somewhere. I mean, come on! How can you laugh like that and be a good guy?" Flit asked during his play-by-play making Camille look at him weirdly. "Shut up, Camille."
Velociviper kept flailing as he tried to escape Keenan's terror only to be picked p and carried into the sky by the threatening eagle.
"P-please! Let me go!" The ninja snake begged as he was taken higher and higher.
"Mmmmm...okay." Keenan agreed a little too quickly.
As the silver eagle flung the hapless snake into the air, the zord soared down to reattach to the back of the megazord.
"Okay, let's deliver the knockout blow!" Keenan egged on.
"I don't know about you, but I'm getting goose bumps. The rangers look ready to end this battle!" Flit buzzed as he flew around Camille's scowling face.
"Time to stick a fork in this!" Casey chimed in as they took their runner's stance.
"Jungle Stampede!"
"Yes! Yes!! My favorite move!" Flit cheered happily.
Velociviper was screaming his forked tongue out as he plummeted to earth and into the path of the barrage of megazords. After each clone made explosive contact with the ninja, Velociviper turned an ashen gray before shattering into a million pieces.
"Whoo! That rocked!" Gwen shouted as she high fived her friends.
"Nice teamwork, guys!" Casey replied.
"Wow! What a display of teamwork by the rangers! Now, all they have to wonder about is if that snake really tasted like the chicken he proved to be!?" Flit remarked as Camille used her tongue to swallow him whole.
"I haven't been this glad to see the rangers win since Bai Lai and Carden's demise." Camille smirked as she vanished.
Back at the JKP loft...
It was an hour after their win against Velociviper and Gwen remembered how she had to go back to the hospital and pretend to be cured. She figured it wouldn't bode well for their secret identities if she, as a patient, disappeared during the battle. Once she was legally discharged, the black ranger and company returned to the loft where she was again surrounded by the ones who cared about her the most. Gwen struggled to remember what happened to her.
"Yikes. Can someone tell me what happened while I was out? And what happened to me anyway? Last thing I remember was being in the big cat compound examining Tahj." Gwen asked as she rubbed her head.
The memory of Keenan's frantic phone call was one they all wanted to forget, but since Gwen had no recollection of those events, they had to recount them for her sake.
"Well, turns out that during your battle with Camille, Velociviper managed to poison you." Lily started.
"And Casey and Theo were sent to get the antidote to save you." Keenan finished. As were the others, he was happy to have Gwen back and healthy.
"Wow, I had no idea. I can just imagine what you had to go through to get it." Gwen replied.
"No, you can't." Casey and Theo answered in stereo making everyone laugh.
"But, we'd do it again." Casey replied with a smile.
Gwen smiled at the red tiger and turned to face the tall form of RJ who was the happiest out of everyone to have Gwen back.
"And, RJ, the nurses told me that while I was in the hospital, you never left my side. Well, they said you left once, but it was only for a little while." She said with a smile as she figured that one time he left was to help the rangers find a cure for her.
RJ chuckled softly as he heard Gwen's praise. There wasn't a thing in the world he wouldn't do for her and he knew the feeling was mutual. In his heart, he held another feeling he hoped was mutual. Lily giggled at the scene and decided to see if she could make one, if not both, lovebirds blush.
"You should have seen him fight off Velociviper when he tried to finish you off. RJ wouldn't let him get anywhere near you." Lily smirked as RJ playfully glared at her.
"Really?" Gwen asked with piqued interest.
"Well, of course. I wasn't about to let anything happen to you." RJ replied with his trademark swagger.
"You're just my knight in shining armor, aren't you?" She smirked as she stood on her tiptoes to place a soft kiss on his left cheek. She let it linger for a second as she wanted to enjoy the feeling of his stubble against her soft lips. RJ mirrored Gwen's earlier move by gently placing his fingers on the spot where her lips once were. A warm smile graced his face as his heart warmed.
"Getting warmer." He thought happily.
Keenan hooted as Lily giggled at the couple. Casey and Theo took this opportunity to rib the would-be lovebirds and milk their accomplishment in the maze for all it's worth.
"Now, hold on. Casey and I risked our lives to get that antidote for you." Theo smirked playfully.
"Yeah, where's our kiss?" The red ranger chimed in with a chuckle.
The black ranger saw through the boys' ploy and decided to throw them a curve ball they wouldn't forget.
"You know what? You two are absolutely right." The panther smiled as she saw the shocked expressions on their faces.
"We are?" Theo asked as his voice cracked like a 12-year-old just hitting puberty. His unplanned octave change made everyone laugh as the jaguar cleared his throat. "I-I mean, we are?"
Gwen giggled and shook her head. Standing in between the red and blue rangers, Gwen first gave Theo a kiss on hi cheek, then gave one to Casey.
"You guys saved my life. I can't thank you enough for that." She replied with a smile.
Both boys had a goofy grin on their faces as the black ranger went back to stand next to RJ. Everything was explained...well, almost everything.
"Hey, Gwen. I forgot to tell you this, but while you were incapacitated, you had this weird black aura around you." Lily brought up. "I wonder where it came from?
"I was wondering the same thing. The only thing I can guess is that it was her panther spirit protecting her." RJ assumed. "It's the only thing that makes any sense."
Gwen thought about her comatose state and seemed to remember a feeling of calm despite her dire situation.
"A black aura, huh? I guess we'll never know." Gwen shrugged as she looked at her watch. "It's getting late and we better get back to the animals. From what Keenan told me, they were worried when I passed out." Gwen smiled as she hugged her friends one at a time. Keenan basically had to tear her away from RJ when their hug was bordering on ten minutes.
Back at the animal hospital, both head vets returned to the scene of the crime as they resumed the checkups of the big cats. As Gwen examined the cheetah cubs, the story about the black aura stuck in her mind.
"Bro, I may not know what happened with this black aura they say was around me, but I do know this much. It wasn't my animal spirit. So, where did it come from?" She asked.
Keenan took a moment to mull over his sister's words. He figured she could recognize her spirit and if she said the black aura wasn't it, then what was it?
"I wish I knew what to tell you, sis. Maybe it kicked in when it sensed you needed it." Keenan thought aloud.
"Maybe..." Gwen stalled but soon brushed it off.
As the siblings worked, Gwen turned her attention to her faithful pet panther, Kiva. As she scanned the feline's lustrous ebony fur, she then looked into her saffron eyes and a pang of realization hit her. Gwen walked to the black cat who gracefully swished her tail back and forth, knelt down to her level and gently hugged her beloved pet.
"Thank you." She whispered as Kiva purred and nuzzled against Gwen's shoulder.
Back at Dai Shi's lair...
Dai Shi was livid. Another failure at the hands of the rangers and he wasn't about to let Camille off with just a slap on the wrist.
"Camille! Your failures are getting old!" Dai Shi bellowed as he stared down his most trusted general.
"Your petty feud with the black ranger is costing us victories! And what's worse, your incompetence cost me one of my best wariors! What do you have to say in your defense?" Carnisoar snapped as he waited for Camille to answer.
"I'm sorry for failing you, my lords. It won't happen again." Camille replied as she bowed low. But in her black heart, she was happy the rangers won this round as she hid the smirk that crept onto her face. "Taking the blame just to get rid of that lecherous snake was a small price to pay. But it's a price I'm not planning on paying a second time." She thought maliciously.
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End of When Blue Turns Green
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And so ends another episode of my JF series featuring everyone's favorite panther and eagle! :) As I like to say...read, review and pass it on! And keep watching for my next chapter of Love Across Time and be on the lookout for the next JF installment...Worse Than Her Bite. May the Power Protect you! :)