"Guys! Rangers! Help!"
Abandoning her book, Kali rushed out of the library and over to Claire and the dragon's egg. The others followed her. "What is it? What's wrong?" she asked.
"You've got to see this," said Claire, rubbing her hands excitedly.
Kali glanced around at the others as they all stared at the egg. It lay on its side, unmoving. Like it had done for the past three weeks.
"Uh, I don't -" Nick started but Claire cut him off.
"Shhh!" the apprentice said.
Kali bit her lip to keep from laughing and Nick nudged her, clearly unimpressed.
Suddenly the egg rattled and Claire let out an excited squeal. She turned and grabbed Xander by the front of his shirt, shaking him in her excitement. "See? See?" she asked, jumping up and down.
"I did," Xander said, grinning. "It moved. It moved."
"This is so great. This is so great," Chip repeated. "I'm so excited. What does it mean?"
Kali snorted. "It probably means it's going to hatch," she said.
"So, does anyone know how to hatch a dragon egg?" Maddie asked.
The team shared confused looks. Despite all the reading they had done learning their new lifestyle as witches and wizards, neither of them had come across a guide to opening a dragon's egg.
"Kali is the one that spends most of her time in the Root core library," said Vida. "You're telling me you haven't seen a book on dragons?"
Kali shrugged. "I'm not exactly researching Magical Creatures," she said.
"So you admit that you are researching something?"
"Of course I am," said Kali, rolling her eyes. "That's no big secret. If you had asked, I would have told you. Can we get back to the dragon now?"
"Udonna will know," said Chip.
Claire grabbed Chip by the front of his uniform and started to shake him. "Udonna isn't here!" she yelled.
"I know where we can find info," said Maddie, wandering away from the group and leaving the others to pry Chip out of Claire's hands. She walked behind the Xenotome and pulled a book from the bookcase. "1001 things you want to know about dragons."
Kali turned to Vida. "That's why I haven't seen a book on dragons," she said. "It's not even in the Root core library."
Vida grinned. "What does it say about hatching them, sis?" she asked Maddie.
Maddie flipped to the first chapter and pursed her lips. "Ah. To hatch a dragon egg, set the egg upright and proceed to bludgeon it with a sledgehammer until open."
"Excellent," Vida grinned. "I'll get the hammer."
"Oh, no, you don't," said Claire, protectively shielding the egg.
Vida spun around as a knocking sound echoed from the Root core entrance.
"When did we get a door?" Nick asked, heading out to investigate.
"Doesn't the dragon head function as a door?" Kali asked, following.
Outside, clutching his cheek, was Phineas.
"It's only Phineas," said Nick. "You all right?" he added as Phineas moaned in pain.
"Do I look like I'm all right?" Phineas snapped. "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 echoing throughout my mouth? Do I ever ask four questions in a row? Five, if you count this one."
Kali rolled her eyes. "You have a toothache?" she asked.
"Aha, bingo!" said Phineas, pointing at her. "Can someone please help me before my head explodes?"
"Wait, wait, wait. Let me see that?" said Nick, tilting Phineas' head back. "Say 'Ahhh'."
"Ahhh," said Phineas.
Nick waved his hand in front of his face at the stench coming from Phineas' mouth. "Aren't there any dentists in the woods?" he asked.
"Ahh. Yes, no, uh... what's a dentist?" Phineas asked.
"Someone you go to when your tooth hurts," said Kali.
"Well, uh, ooh! There's the boulder roller. Yeah, he's this little gnome, and he ties one end of a vine to your bad tooth and then the other to a 500-pound boulder. Hence the title 'Boulder Roller'," Phineas explained.
Kali and Nick shared uneasy looks.
"He then rolls the boulder over a cliff. Voila! Bad tooth removed," said Phineas, almost happily.
Kali clutched her stomach and turned away in disgust, "I think I'm going to be sick," she murmured. She hated the dentist, but the idea of a boulder roller made it seem more pleasant.
"Or, you know, you go over the cliff with the boulder," Phineas added. "Either way, the pain is gone." He pressed a finger to his cheek and then howled again. "Ow! Oh-ho-ho! I did it again!" he shoved past the two rangers, stopping only as they pulled him back.
Kali shook her head and turned to Nick. "As much as I don't want to see the inside of a Dentist's office, we got to get him to one," she said.
Nick nodded. "I'll go get the others," he said.
~X~
Phineas craned his head as he tried to take in as much of the city as he possibly could. He'd never been so far out of the woods before unless he had too. "It's all so tall and shiny," he grinned at Vida, as she walked beside him. He stepped off the curb and was yanked back by Maddie.
A horn blared as a car sped past.
"You can't just go stepping off the curb in front of cars," said Xander.
"Oh, thank you," said Phineas, grabbing Xander in a hug. "I -- I didn't know. New in town and all."
Kali chuckled and shook her head.
"Wow. Lot of these car things," said Phineas as a truck sped past. "Ooh! Ooh! Can you eat them?!" he tried to run off, but was pulled back again by Vida and Maddie.
"Help me!"
Kali looked around and groaned as LeeLee ran up the street towards them. "What did she do now? Snap a nail?" she asked.
The others laughed.
"Easy, Kali," Maddie soothed gently.
"Got to find a Power Ranger," LeeLee said, stopping beside the team. "Monsters! Beach cave!"
"Hey, LeeLee, LeeLee," said Nick, drawing her attention. "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?" he winked at his friends.
LeeLee stomped her foot in irritation. "You can never find those costumed freaks when you need them!" she whined, shoving the friends aside, she stormed away.
"Hey, watch it!" Kali growled as LeeLee's shove nearly sent her stumbling into traffic.
"Ooh. Pushy, I like that," said Phineas.
"Who she calling a costumed freak?" Vida asked, punching her fist into her hand.
"Sounds like there's trouble at the beach cave," said Chip, placing a comforting hand on Vida's shoulder. "I wonder why the crystal ball didn't pick it up?"
Phineas hovered over Chip's shoulder. "Hi, uh, over here. Remember me? Yeah, the one with the tooth," he said, trying not to sound obvious.
"Oh, right," said Maddie. "Someone should stay behind and take him to the dentist. Any volunteers?"
"Not me. I hate the dentist," said Kali, shaking her head.
Nick grinned and nodded. "Yeah, last time she went she kicked me in the stomach as I tried to get her out of the car," he said.
"I apologised for that," Kali defended. "Besides, you and Joe tricked me. At least you didn't get punched in the head."
Nick grimaced.
Unfortunately, neither of the others seemed to want to stick around and take Phineas either. The troblin sighed. "No, don't all jump at once," he said, looking sad. "I'm sure I'll be fine."
"Oh, Phineas," said Vida, patting his arm.
"Come on. One of us has to stay," said Xander.
"Thanks for volunteering," said Kali, offering him a pointed look.
"Uh, I -" Xander started to protest.
"Hey, guys."
The team looked around to see Toby approaching.
"I just had an idea," Xander grinned. He turned to Toby and folded his arms. "Hey, boss."
"Oh boy," Kali muttered.
~X~
"There is it!" Nick announced as he and others arrived at the beach and found a small squadron of Hidiacs outside the mouth of a cave.
"I would hardly call this a global alert," said Chip.
"They also don't seem to be doing any damage," said Kali. "Why are they even here?"
"Maybe there's someone inside?" Xander suggested. "Like Koragg or Necrolai? They're out here to stop us from getting in."
Kali relented. That was a plausible theory.
The Hidiacs snarled and raised their weapons before charging the team.
"Let's get them!" said Nick, leading his team forward.
The battle was short-lived and Kali whined as the last of the Hidiacs fell. "Well, that was pointless," she said. "Maybe we should check it out, just to be safe?" she nodded at the cave.
The others nodded and Nick led them into the cave. He stopped mid-way in as the light from the beach vanished and they were left in total darkness. "Everybody stop!" he called, but not before they all crashed into him. "I can't see where I'm going."
"Will this help? Magi Staff!" said Chip, holding up his wand. The ornament at the top ignited and a bright light filled the cavern.
"Chip, you are a -- FROG!" Maddie yelled, flailing her arms around. She turned and tripped over a rock, crashing into Nick and Xander and knocking them to the ground.
Despite the seriousness of Maddie being scared, Kali couldn't help but laugh. "You can't be afraid of a little frog," she said.
"You're afraid of the dentist!" Maddie retorted.
"Touché," said Kali, still grinning.
"And, to answer your question, I'm not afraid of frogs," said Maddie. "I'm petrified. Ugly, slimy..." she shuddered.
"Speaking of ugly, what's that?" Vida asked, spotting a stone statue near the back of the cave.
Xander scrambled towards it on his hands and knees. "It looks like a mummy," he said.
"Hey, hey, over here. There's something else," said Nick, running past the mummy and falling to his knees in the sand beside a blue and gold lamp.
"Is that the Mystic Force crest?" Kali asked, kneeling beside her friend. She brushed some sand from the side of the lamp but stopped as the ground started to shake.
"Everybody hang on!" Nick yelled.
"Onto what?" Kali snapped as she struggled to stay standing. She yelped and hit the sand with a thump.
Soon the shaking stopped and the Rangers looked around as a bang echoed from somewhere nearby.
Vida took a deep breath and looked around. "It stopped," she said.
"Yeah, that was weird," said Nick, standing up. He held his hand out to Kali and pulled her up.
"Tell me I'm not the only one that heard a bang," said Kali, brushing the sand from her legs.
Xander shook his head. "I heard it, too," he said. "Where did it come from?"
"I know the answer to your question."
The team turned to see Necrolai standing at the mouth of the cave.
"Like we'd believe anything you say," said Kali, clenching her fists.
"Believe what you want, Ranger," said Necrolai, tossing her veil over her shoulder. "But, if that loud bang hadn't have happened, I wouldn't be in here. Thank you for destroying the force field. Now give me what I came for!"
Nick clutched the lamp close to his chest. "No, you're not getting this lamp," he said.
"I'm not?" Necrolai laughed. She raced forward, cut through the team, and grabbed Nick's shoulders. "You can keep your lamp." She tossed him aside and blocked a blow from Kali. She shoved the black ranger aside and scooped up the mummy statue.
Laughing, Necrolai blasted the Rangers with white mist. When the air cleared, she was gone.
"Where is she?" Nick gasped, sitting up.
"She's gone," said Chip.
"And she took the mummy," Maddie sighed.
Vida shook her head. "I got a bad feeling we'll see that thing again," she said, turning back to Nick and Kali.
"Yeah, maybe, but at least she didn't get the lamp," said Nick, looking down at the object still in his possession.
"Let's get out of here," said Kali, helping Nick to his feet.
The others agreed and headed for the exit.
~X~
Once back at Root core the team gathered around the lamp, trying to decipher what it was exactly. It was the mystic force symbol on the front, but there seemed to be no other identifying marks or instructions to let them know how to use it.
Bracing herself against the table beside Nick, Kali picked up a rag and started to brush off more of the sand.
"What are you doing?" Maddie asked.
"Looking to see if there are any writings," said Kali. She nudged Nick. "You remember that gem that Molly found at the beach last year? When we got it home and cleaned it up, some ridges looked like they had writing on them?"
Nick nodded. "We never did decipher them, though," he said.
"No. But it could be a similar situation here," said Kali. "If this is a long lost treasure of the Mystics, maybe there are instructions in the ancient language beneath all the grime."
The others watched as Kali brushed the last of the sand away and then leaned forward, blowing lightly at the dust stuck in the nooks of the lid. The lamp didn't look any better now that it had been cleaned up, but it did start to shake and rattle.
"Whoa, what did you do?" Chip asked, pulling back. There was a small pop and a stream of grey smoke streamed from the lamp, depositing a giant cat behind the Rangers.
"I'm the great genie, Jenji!" the cat exclaimed. "I grant you one wish." He bowed.
"A genie?" Xander repeated.
"Got a problem with that?" Jenji asked, pulling up his fists.
"No, no," said Xander.
"Good. I hate violence," said Jenji. "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."
Chip grinned. "A real live Genie. I've always wanted one of those," he said.
"Why am I not surprised," Kali teased.
"One wish. Don't take all day," Jenji prompted them. "Got a lot of other things to do, like sit in a cave for another eighteen years!"
Vida quirked an eyebrow at the cat. "Are you blaming us?" she asked.
"Oh, so now it's blame the big cat," Jenji retorted.
"So one wish, right?" Xander asked.
"Airplanes, Balloons, Cats, DVDs -- not pirated, Elephants, Ferns, Gold, Houses, Igloos, Jade, Kites, Limes, Moats, Necklaces, Opals, Polo Ponies, Quills, Roast Beef, Six Silver Saddles, Texas, Underwear, Vases, Whales, Xyiophones, Yaks and Zippers." Jeni took a deep breath. "'A' to 'Z' -- anything your heart desires."
"Maybe we should wish for a moat for Chip," said Kali, grinning at the yellow ranger. "Maybe it'll even have real Saltwater crocodiles, this time."
Chip laughed and nudged her. "I do have an idea, though," he said, pushing through the others and facing Jenji. "With just one wish. I wish... for ten wishes, for each of us."
"Granted," Jenji said. "Like nobody's ever asked for that before."
The others cheered.
"All right, all right, time to get serious," said Xander, jumping down the steps. "I wish for 100 diamonds."
Jenji examined Xander's hands. "You haven't washed lately, have you?" he asked, staring at a fleck of dirt on Xander's fingernails.
"Nothing happened!" Xander exclaimed when no diamonds appeared.
"Of course not. You only had one wish," said Jenji. "Carrot top wished for ten wishes for each of you. I granted that thereby and henceforth nullifying any further wishes. It's in the Genie contract."
Kali folded her arms over her stomach and leaned back against the railing. "Maybe next time, you should lead with the genie contract," she said.
"Oh! Is that a dragon's egg 'cause I'm hungry," Jenji exclaimed, spotting Claire and the unhatched Fireheart.
"Yes, it is," said Claire, happily.
"Can someone say omelette?" Jenji asked.
"Does you-know-who know that you brought home a stray cat?" Claire asked, looking at the Rangers.
"Don't worry. I don't think we're going to keep it," said Nick.
Jenji swooped down and leaned over the egg. "It's about to hatch. Better keep it warm," he said. "Somebody sit on it. It's uncomfortable, but it's the only way."
"Oh, boy," Claire sighed, looking down at the egg.
~X~
Kali held Claire's hands as she swung her leg over the dragon's egg and sat down carefully. "You sure you want to do this?" she asked. "We can find another way of keeping the egg warm if you're not."
Claire shook her head but gripped Kali's fingers a little tighter as the egg moved beneath her.
"Good, good," said Jenji. "Now, the important thing is you can't get off the egg until it hatches, okay?"
"How long will that take?" Claire asked.
"Well, it ranges. It could be a few minutes, a couple of days, sometimes a month. Anything up to thirty to forty years."
Claire's face dropped and her eyes widened as she looked back at Kali.
"Don't listen to him," said Kali, as the others laughed. "If it's going to take that long, we'll find something else."
Deciding to trust Kali over Jenji, Claire relaxed.
"I'm just kidding," Jenji said. "Ooh, more eggs," he added as the crystal ball chimed, showing the team trouble downtown.
"Evil doesn't sleep. We have to go," said Nick.
Kali looked up at Claire. "You going to be okay?" she asked, slowly letting go of the apprentice.
Claire nodded and balanced herself accordingly on the egg.
"Okay. Well have fun, play safe. I'll be gone by the time you get back," said Jenji, watching as they headed towards the exit.
Nick doubled back and picked up the lamp. "Unh-Unh. No way," he said. "You owe us wishes."
"What about the contract?" Jenji asked, nervously.
"That's why we're putting you back in the lamp," said Kali. "I don't know much about genies or their magic, but what I do know is once they go back into their lamp, their contract becomes valid again."
Nick grinned. "You heard her," he told Jenji. "Get back in the lamp. You're coming with us."
"Fine, but you should know that when it comes to fighting..." Jenji broke off as Nick opened the lid and he was sucked inside. He popped back up after the lamp was closed. "I'm just a kitten." He chuckled.
Once satisfied, Nick returned to his friends only to get jerked away as Jenji tried to escape, this time from inside his lamp.
"I think I forgot my keys," Jenji said, his voice echoing. "Or someone should keep an eye on -- Do you want me to sit on the egg?"
Kali pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. This cat was more trouble than he was worth.
~X~
Nick continued to struggle with the lamp from Root core to the scene of the evil surge. Jenji was intent on making a break for it and kept tugging the Red Ranger in the opposite direction.
"You sure you don't want me to have him?" Kali asked, turning to her best friend.
"No. No. I'm okay," said Nick.
"Whoa, look at that," said Vida, looking up at the large black storm cloud. It was emitting yellow lightning and thunder crashed violently. "I've never seen anything like it."
"Okay, well, this was fun," said Jenji, sticking his head out of the lamp. "What say we run home, grab a pillow, get under the covers, and hide?"
"Why don't you just shush and let us deal with this?" Kali said, closing the lid.
The storm cloud parted and the mummy statue from the cave appeared. Only this time, he was much taller and more realistic.
"At last, the Power Rangers," he said. "Let me introduce myself. I am the destroyer of your world. I am imperious, dark wizard of the underworld."
"Don't call yourself a wizard," said Nick. "Wizards use their magic to help people."
"Your witch, Udonna, has misled you, Red Wizard," said Imperious. "Magic is for fulfilling all your desires. Come to my world and learn what real power is."
"I think I speak for all of us when I say thanks, but no thanks," said Kali.
Imperious paused and stared at Kali. He cocked his head to the side and gave her the once over, causing a chill to run down Kali's spine. "You seem familiar," he cooed. "Your magical signature... I've seen it before."
"I have no idea what you're talking about," said Kali. "But, I can guarantee that you will soon be 'all-too familiar' with my magical signature."
Imperious held out his fan tilted it vertical and blasted the team with sparks of dark magic. He laughed as they landed in a heap on the floor. "Maybe you're right, black ranger," he said, leering at Kali. "Maybe I'm not familiar with you. Your predecessor would've seen that coming."
Kali growled and pushed herself to her knees.
"I just remembered," said Nick, sitting up. "We've got a genie in here who owes us some wishes. I'll rub it and get Jenji to help us." He rubbed the side of the lamp and Jenji popped out of the top.
"Sorry, I've just granted my wish -- to leave," said Jenji. He pulled from Nick's grasp and tottered away behind a bench to hide.
"Some genie you are," Nick called after him.
"Forget him," said Kali, standing up and facing Imperious. "We can do this ourselves -- Magi Staff, Sword mode!"
Without waiting for the others, Kali rushed at Imperious and took a swipe at him with her blade. The sword cut through the air as Imperious disappeared and reappeared to Kali's left.
"Impulsive, reckless, maybe you are more like your predecessor than originally thought," said Imperious. He pressed his finger to Kali's helmet and blasted her backwards into a stone wall.
Kali groaned and curled up into a ball.
"Now you're going to have to deal with Xander! Magi Staff, vine power!" Xander commanded, summoning vines from the nearby woodland and sending them towards Imperious. They wrapped tightly around the Mummy, who struggled feebly.
"You got me. Help me. Help!" Imperious mocked as he was raised into the air. "Majura!" he muttered, and the vines shattered, releasing him. "You should be doing your magic at children's parties!" he laughed, floating back to the ground. He pointed his fan at Xander and thick vines wrapped around his torso. "Ennacio!"
Xander cried out as the vines sparked and exploded, leaving him on the ground, breathless.
"Next," Imperious said, turning to Vida.
"Let's see how you handle tornado power," Vida said, holding up her Magi Staff. She disappeared in a blur of fast-paced, twisting winds and raced towards Imperious.
"Boombasa!" Imperious yelled, spinning himself into his black tornado and colliding with Vida. He knocked her out of the sky.
"Hey, you better cool it!" Maddie yelled, coming to her sister's defence. She pointed her staff at Imperious and unleashed a torrent of water.
"Entoa!" Imperious said, lazily. He cut through the water and sent it spinning back at Maddie.
"Try and stop this," Chip yelled, running in. "Hyah!" He trusted his staff into the air and unleashed a bolt of lightning on Imperious from above.
Imperious captured the bolt in his fan, leaving Chip stunned.
"But, how?" Chip asked.
"I have stronger magic, that's how," Imperious answered. "Olaffo!" he chanted, unleashing Chip's attack on him.
The yellow ranger groaned as he sparked and then exploded.
"That's enough!" Nick shouted, running in. "Magi Staff! Power of the Phoenix!" He shot into the air and as flames encased his body, he soared towards Imperious.
Imperious held up his fan, freezing Nick in mid-air and extinguishing his flames. He then attacked, slashing at Nick with the tip of his fan and knocking him out of the air.
"No, Nick!" Kali yelled, racing over to her friend. She helped him into a sitting position and then stood to face Imperious as the others crowded around them.
Imperious scoffed as he faced them. "I was misled into thinking that you would be a more powerful adversary," he said. "Udonna has not chosen wisely." A dark seal appeared beneath him, and he started to grow. "But now I will show you real power."
"You think you're the only one with a titan form?" Kali asked, looking up. "Let us show you ours. Ready, guys?"
The others nodded and took out their morphers.
"Galwit Mysto Priofior!"
Despite creating the two Titan Megazords, the Rangers realised that they didn't even reach Imperious' knee, and Kali's Megazord only reached to just above the knee.
"Pathetic," Imperious laughed, swiftly kicking the others away. He turned his attention to Kali. "A little better, but still not enough to beat me."
Kali growled.
"Come on!" Nick yelled, summoning the Megazords sabre. They flew into the air and cast their spell seal.
"Oh, look -- a flea," Imperious said, swatting the Megazord aside with his fan.
Kali snarled and stepped forward, unleashing a howl into the air. "You're working my last good nerve," she said. "Mystic Spell Seal! Hellhound Fury!" She summoned her sabre and lifted it above her head, the blade ignited with black and red flickering flames which she unleashed on Imperious.
He laughed as they hit his chest, barely making a dent. "I'm growing bored with this annoyance," he said, swatting her aside with the back of his hand. "Mutrafento!" he said, holding his fan vertically in the air.
Lightning crashed down from the skies and electrified the two Megazords.
Kali breathed sharply as she pushed herself back into her seat, and her Megazord got back to her feet.
"We're not down yet," said Nick as the Titan Megazord also stood.
"Titan Megazord -- full power!"
As the Titan Megazord took to the sky, Kali's Hellhound geared up for a fireball finish. She reared back on her hind legs and blasted a massive burning ball of flames at Imperious
"It is time to end this," said Imperious. He held up his fan, parallel to his shoulder and absorbed the fireballs energy. It disappeared before even touching him.
Kali yelled in annoyance.
"Woah! Woah! Woah! Wh-Woah!" Jenji yelled as he shot out of his lamp and into the air, he was the size of Imperious when he finally stopped growing.
"Wait, what?" Kali asked, blinking and looking up. "Yeah! Go Jenji!" she cheered.
"What's this?" Imperious question, curiously.
"All right, who's your daddy now, mummy?" Jenji taunted, clasping his hands around the titan Megazord. When he opened them, much to Kali's surprise, the others were gone. Jenji laughed and clasped his hands together again. "What's in my hands?" he said.
"Foolish cat," Imperious snarled.
"Wrong -- Power Rangers!" Jenji said, releasing the Megazord from his grasp. They soared straight into Imperious' face and attacked him with their sabre. "Oh, being big is good!"
Imperious stumbled, clutching his face. He sneered as he stood up. "You were lucky," he said. "Take this." He thrust his fan out at Jenji but the attack spiralled inward, attacking its master instead.
"Take what?" Jenji asked, cocking his head to the side.
"My magic is still weak from my time in the cave," Imperious said, more to himself than anyone else. "I need to recharge." He looked up at the team. "My apologies for not destroying you as promised, Rangers. But I will."
"Keep dreaming," Kali swore.
Imperious glared down at her before turning away, his cloak billowing out behind him. "Luthaar!" he chanted, disappearing down into a dark seal.
"Yeah, well, you're a bigger 'Luthaar'," Jenji teased. "Peace out, Mummy."
Kali laughed.
~X~
That afternoon, the rangers stood outside Root core as Chip and Vida went inside to get Udonna. They were excited to tell her what they had found in the cave, and introduce her to Jenji.
"Can't you just tell me the surprise?" Udonna asked as Chip and Vida covered her eyes and led her outside. She was curious, to say the least, but the teams' excitement was making her smile.
"No," Vida laughed. "That defeats the purpose. Now, keep your eyes closed until we say you can open them."
"All right, we hope you like pets because we have a new cat," said Maddie. "Open your eyes."
Udonna dropped her arms and then grinned as they saw Jenji.
"It's me. I'm the cat," Jenji laughed.
"Jenji!" Udonna laughed, hugging the cat tightly.
"Udonna, you haven't aged a day," Jenji said, hugging her back.
"I think we can keep him," said Xander.
Kali shook her head. "Whatever makes you think that, String bean?" she asked, nudging him.
Xander swatted her shoulder.
"I've missed you so much," Udonna said, holding Jenji at arms length. "Where have you been?"
"Well, let me tell you -" Jenji started, but Udonna's grip tightened around his arms, and her face turned seriously grave.
"Daggeron," Udonna interrupted. "Bowen... Do you know where Bowen is?"
"No, you see --"
Jenji was cut off a second time as Claire's voice echoed from inside Root core. "Somebody help me!" she yelled.
"Claire!" Kali yelled, ducking into the dragon's mouth and running into Root core.
The others followed her, quickly.
Claire wobbled dangerously as the egg rattled and shook beneath her. It lurched forward and Claire was thrown off, straight in Kali's arms. The pair stumbled but stayed standing as the others gathered around.
Cracks appeared in the egg, spiralling out from the middle and towards the tip. Half of it shattered, followed the second, and a baby dragon sat in the middle of the shell. The dragon cooed as it stretched its wings.
"What a waste of a perfectly good omelette," Jenji whined.
"Oh!" Kali gasped. "He's beautiful!"
The Dragon looked up at the humans and singled Claire out of the lot. It cocked his head to the side, fluttered its wings, and stretched its claws. "Mama," it cooed.
Claire's excited smile dropped while the others laughed, and Kali squeezed her in a side-hug.