Mommy Dearest Chapter 12

[solarbaby614]

Title: Mommy Dearest
Author: Solarbaby
Disclaimer: All I own is the plot.
Words: 1522
Summary: Dai Shi gets beat up and Scorpina and her daughters realized there’s something wrong with Casey.
Spoilers: Nope.
Notes: Dedicated to Kiki, who kicked me repeatedly until I finished this chapter. If not for her, this wouldn’t be out for weeks. (It's also unbetaed 'cause she fell asleep on me last night)


Chapter 12


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“The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude.” -Oprah Winfrey

“I think it’s time you’ve met my son.”

Dai Shi watched as the assassin entered his throne room, intrigued. She moved with fluid grace, seeming less agitated than she had been the day before. He wondered, quietly, what exactly her son would be like. Hopefully he wouldn’t end up being as insane as her youngest child.

“We’ve met.”

He froze at the familiar voice. Leaning against the door frame was a figure dressed in black pants and a blood red shirt, black wrist guards taking up most of his lower arm. “Red ranger.” He growled.

Casey smirked and stepped forward into the room. His mother grinned his way, faltering momentarily as she noticed the ice in his stare. “Camille, Jarro—Oh, wait. It’s Dai Shi now. I forgot.” He gave a shrug, waving off his miss as unimportant.

“What is the meaning of this?” Dai Shi swept off of his chair and stomped toward them, stopping only when Scorpina sent a look his way. Casey frowned at her. Stopping Dai Shi was clearly not what he wanted his mother to do.

“I thought you wanted to meet my son.”

“Impossible!”

A figure came up on Casey’s right. “I think we’d know.” Dallina stepped slightly in front of her brother, not liking the looks Dai Shi was sending their way.

“Big brother.” Sorani, coming up on Casey’s left, leaned up and planted a kiss on his left cheek before cuddling up against his side. An arm was thrown over her shoulder and she grinned. Green glinted from the corner of her eye. Frowning, she realized that the ring was, in fact, glowing.

Casey shot his baby sister a look annoyance as she grabbed his hand and brought it closer to her face.

A thoughtful look crossed her face as she realized that there were in fact symbols inscribed under the green stone.

“He’s a power ranger!” Dai Shi growled at them, sending the question towards their mother.

Scorpina shrugged. “And you’re a parasite.”

Sorani glanced up from the ring at her mother’s words. She let out a giggle as Dai Shi’s face turned a deep shade of red that faded to an even darker purple. “Kill the body, kill the mind. Eat the soul that’s left behind. Because he has none of his own and his heart is made of stone.” She recited in a sing-song voice. Her attention returned back to the ring.

“You gotta problem, Jarrod. Take it up with me.” Casey smirked at him, tingling with the thought of a fight.

“I am not Jarrod!” He made a move toward the red ranger, stopping only went Sorani made a strangled noise and jerked away from her brother.

She backed away from him with wide eyes. It had taken her a while, but she did recognize the symbols imbedded in the ring.

“Sorani?”

Her mother’s voice caught her attention and before anyone said anything further, she turned and bolted out the door.

“What’s her problem?”

“Casey!”

“What?!”

Dai Shi made a move to go past, but was stopped as a hand wrapped around his throat and tossed him back. He didn’t even have a chance to look up before he found himself pinned to the wall with the hand back around his throat. The hand tightened and Dai Shi had to struggle to breath.

He attempted to pry the hand loose, but the grip was iron tight. Nailed began to dig into his throat and he could feel blood begin to trickle down his neck.

“Casey. Casey!”

Casey released Dai Shi, who immediately collapsed to the floor, gasping. Glinting gold eyes glared down at him. Dai Shi groaned in pain as a foot came into contact with his ribcage. “Yes?” He looked over at his big sister, who was watching him with something akin to disbelief.

“What is the matter with you?”

“Whatever.” He rolled his eyes and headed to the door, waving over his shoulder at the man who was struggling to get up. “Later, Jarrod.”

Casey practically bounced out of the room, licking Dai Shi’s smeared blood from his fingers.

oOoOoOoOo

“Mother.”

Scorpina ignored her eldest’s call, wanting to avoid the questions.

“Mother!”

The voice was getting closer so she hurried her steps.

“Mom!”

A hand was placed on her shoulder and spun her around. Scorpina immediately came face to face with Dallina. The look on her daughter’s face was bafflement, almost panic.

“Mom, what is going on? What was Sorani going on about? What’s wrong with Casey?” Dallina’s voice rose at the end.

Scorpina knew her daughter had to be worried. Judging from Sorani’s reaction, she was beginning to feel twinges of it herself. “Your sister worries. Nothing’s wrong.”

“Nothing’s wrong.” Lina repeated. “Nothing’s wrong! Mom, nothing is right. I may not know what exactly is going on, but I know Casey and Sorani. Sorani was completely and totally freaked. Sorani doesn’t get freaked, she does the freaking. And Casey? Don’t tell me that you haven’t noticed that there was something wrong with Casey. He’s been on edge since he woke up, erratic. Until just then with Dai Shi, then he was downright scary.” She groaned, let out a harsh breath and ran a hand through her hair. Nothing pissed her off more than being kept in the dark. “What’s going on?”

Her mother gave Dallina a calculating look before nodding. “I didn’t know it would affect him this way. It wasn’t supposed to.”

“What wasn’t supposed to?”

“I gave your brother a brizza ring.”

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Dai Shi lost his balance, even with Camille’s help, and fell to the floor with a crash as a loud voice echoed throughout the temple.

“YOU DID WHAT?!”

oOoOoOoOo

Casey knew someone was in his room before he’d even reached the door. The presence felt only vaguely familiar and he felt a faint stirring under his skin, the feel of a tiger wishing to be released. He pushed the feeling aside as he pushed open the door.

A tall figure jumped away from what he assumed was supposed to be a crude attempt at a desk. He didn’t know who exactly had furnished this place but they had about as much taste as a broke college student.

The figure turned to face him. It was a male, Casey guessed (he’d been wrong before), taller than him by at least a foot and his skin was tinted a silver-ish blue. Casey took another guess and figured he wasn’t human. His skin matched well with the dark blue body suit that he was wearing. There was a familiar silver insignia on the right arm.

“One of Dark Specter’s old goons, I assume.”

This comment only seemed to amuse the man. “You would assume correctly.”

Casey approached him, cautiously, eyeing the long wooden box that he knew hadn’t been sitting on the desk when he’d left the room. He proceeded to circle the man, who seemed to preen under the scrutiny.

“I am called Tyrlin.”

“Yeah, you were one of Dark Specter’s generals.” He nodded, hazy memories working their way to the surface as he stopped in front of him.

Tyrlin echoed his nod with one of his own. “And, like your mother, one of the last dark survivors of Zordon’s energy wave. I was in the Farnon region when it struck. The energy had dissipated before it could reach us.”

“Us?” He asked, curiously.

“Yes, a few dozen of us were setting up a new outpost. We were lucky.”

“Fascinating.” Casey commented, dryly. “But why are you here?”

“I’m here to see that you take your rightful place. And I’ve brought something to return to you.” Tyrlin pushed the box towards him, frowning when he didn’t immediately take it. “Aren’t you going to open it?”

“Haven’t you ever heard of the saying, ‘Beware of Greeks baring gifts’?” Casey eyed the box once again.

“Beware of who?”

The blue skinned creatures seemed so genuinely clueless that Casey couldn’t help but give a snort. “Never mind.” He lifted the lid and froze. Almost reverently, he picked the sword up from its silk cushioning. It was similar in design to his mothers, laced with protection spells that had probably faded. Red stone was inlaid in the hilt and Casey watched with glee as they darkened when his hand touched them. It had been a gift from Astronema. “I thought this was destroyed when the Dark Fortress was captured.”

“We scavenge some of the stuff from the wreckage.” Pride filled Trylin as he watched the assassin’s son play with his returned toy. “We wish to return the empire to its former glory.”

Casey glanced back up at him. “What are you talking about? Dark Specter’s empire is gone.”

“Many are, yes. But there are those of us who would willingly follow you if you decide to take you’re rightful place.”

“That’s the second time you’ve said ‘rightful place’.” Irritation laced his voice. “What rightful place?”

Tyrlin blinked, seeming truly startled by the question. “Your rightful place.” When Casey didn’t seem to understand anymore than he did before, Tyrlin frowned and continued. “As Prince of Darkness, of course.”

“Huh?”