Hi, this is the very first fan fiction I ever wrote – and it is a story that's been bugging me for eternity, so please read and review! :-)

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Power Rangers SPD or its characters.

Chapter one

I wasn't my mothers' first child. My brother, Felix, was her first child. While my mother, Sasha, was carrying my brother she was worried. In our clan, any child was forced to help collect fruit and fight as soon as they could totter around on their tiny feet (in your years that'd be about 4 years old). Hence, if they happened to meet a snake or a dangerous animal out there, they'd be too small to defend themselves. It was a dark time for our clan and many children died. So, to get my brother away from that risk, she gave birth in the jungle, where the leader of our clan would never ever find him. As a baby, he never went back to the clan. When he was four, my mum found out she was expecting me. I was born in the jungle too, for the same reasons, and I was named Kat and raised with my brother.

At the time, Sasha was a good mother. I say that, but all she really did was feed us. She let us explore around the den, but it was Felix who taught me how to talk in our own language – our star, being on the outskirts of the Andromeda Galaxy was not English speaking at all, or even Spanish, French or Japanese speaking – and also to walk, run, climb trees, pick fruit and fight.

He would take me out into the forest – though they were not forests as you would know them. Felle's forests were completely gorgeous, vibrant and colourful. The dark green grass was softer than feathers under our bare feet, littered with stunning purple, red, orange, blue and white flowers, which were so big, some of the petals were bigger than your head. In the autumn, crisp golden leaves were also scattered around the forest floor, from the strong dark, broad-trunked trees; and in the summer the leaves would grow again, a rich dark green this time, coming off of the long, thick branches that grew overhead, often as high as two thousand feet. The branches themselves were strong enough to take our weight, and we used to climb them without them even bending. Sometimes we'd make it right to the top and look out over the huge expanse of forest.

Not all the trees were like that, admittedly, some were lower and less strong, like palm trees but slightly bigger. Likewise, there were a lot of big plants. In our language, we called them 'Karribiasse' plants though the humans would probably describe them as 'really tall vines with main stems as thick as tree trunks which makes it very sturdy, with leaves longer and wider than the average persons body'. These leaves were very smooth, and given the Karribiasse plant grew mainly in groups of 5 or more, the leaves served as a good way of quickly exiting the high branches of the forest. How? Well, as a slide. We jumped onto the nearest leaf, and slid down it onto the next leaf etc etc until we reached the bottom.

I was born with a gift for knowing the answers to and facts behind everything we did and saw. I could look at the sky at night and tell my small family why the stars were never in the same position, and why the sun rose in the East and set in the west (we had a sun too but we called it our 'Ammídě'), why plants leaves were green and why they grew as they did, and why the soil and grass and water was all so balanced. I knew everything there was to know about the planet I lived on, and the plants and people that grew there.

My mother had predicted well what my brothers' strength would be, and did everything she could to enhance his abilities. He was a very natural healer, knowing a lot about the way in which our body worked and could identify most injuries just by looking at us. Felix quickly became familiar with all the herbs that grew around our den and what he could use them for. I got taught some basic first aid too, but he mainly helped me to develop my personal skills. By the time I was two, and he was six, we knew and understood every last word that there was in our language, we could walk, run, climb, fetch fruit and fight very very well. All three of us were confident that Felix could cure us of any injury or illness and even save our lives. Sasha said our abilities were strengths given to us by our 'reeiwua' (ancestors – pronounced ree-wa) and that one day we should journey to the edge of the mountains, where their spirits live, and thank them, but not yet. Life was great.

One of my best memories of childhood is when my mother taught Felix how to make a bow and fledge an arrow, which we used for killing overhead prey, like birds, or fast animals like the deer. I'd stretch out in the comfort of some shady trees and watch them, hour after hour as he carved away at the wood he himself had cut down and glossed repetitively. After about a month the bow began to take shape, and Sasha brought back some strong material – probably a hair or something from one of the great deer that roamed (and which we killed for food) around our forest – but I cannot remember. Felix hung it and dried it, and when the time came, attached it to his bow. It was the most brilliant bow I've ever seen, so strong and sturdy. I saw how Sasha was proud of him. I expected her to teach me one day, but she never did. Instead, Felix spent a lot of time making me my own bow and a few arrows. I felt so proud to hold it and he taught me how to shoot. My first kill was a bird of some sort, and ever since then I fledged my arrows with its feathers.

But then something happened that changed all that. I was about 6 1/2 and Felix was 10 - able to do all he needed to ensure his survival in the clan. He was forest wise and tough. Sasha approached us. "Felix! Come!" She ordered. At first, Felix looked unsure at leaving me. He didn't know where he was going or how long he would be away – Sasha also took him to show him more of the world around us, and they were often gone for days. But Sasha called him again, sterner this time, and Felix gave me a quick hug before running after Sasha. I watched them until they were out of sight. Then I began to amuse myself with the dust on the den floor.

I stayed up till long past sunset and eventually, almost 24 hours later, Sasha returned alone. I sank to the floor, crying, wailing for my brother. Sasha quickly assured me he was not dead, he just could not leave the place he'd been taken to, dropped food by me and waited long enough to see me eat it. Then she left. Over time, my mothers visits became less frequent and finally she stopped coming all together. I was confused, but okay. Still a little heart broken about my brother but I could look after myself….

But when I hit 10 and a half, I began to get lonely. So, early one morning, I set off in search for my brother – and the place my mother had taken him, where he was forbidden to leave. For two days and two nights I searched, and it seemed like I was going round in circles. In fact it was not until the third day I found what I'd been looking for. I heard it before I saw it: the sound of many people, varying in age, going about their regular daily duties. I followed the sound closely until I was staring across a river. On the other side was land, an island actually. The river I was on the wrong side of surrounded a little village, made up of lots of little huts surrounding two bigger huts that had nice silk patterned cloth draped over them. I stared into the river, and I could just see the stepping-stones that would allow me to climb across into the camp. The whole island was fenced off by strong wooden fences, reinforced with spikes and carved barbed wire, but there was a gate so I would be able to get through. I hopped swiftly over the stones and landed on the sandy banks. Many faces turned and many pairs of eyes stared. They were all wearing similar rags to me. Then there came whispers but I ignored them, and seeing Felix I ran to greet him. A silver haired, grey-eyed male jumped in front of me, blocking me to the left, growling in anger. Felix looked alarmed as another male, brown haired this time, strutted up to block me on my right. For a moment there was silence; I prepared to die.

But suddenly a voice spoke out, "What's all the commotion about?" The voice stepped forwards. Another man, who was tall with a bony face and cold grey eyes with long, black hair. "Ice, Snake? What's going on?"

"A trespasser we believe," hissed the first male – Ice. "Give the word Scrouge and we'll shred her."

Scrouge looked thoughtful. "No."

"But Scrouge!" Ice protested.

Scrouge ignored him, turning to me, "Who are you? Where do you come from? If you're a spy, I swear, I'll…"

"I'm Kat, sir," I replied, boldly interrupting him.

"YOUR FULL NAME!" Snapped Snake, the brown haired one.

I was confused. I'd only been called one name my whole life!

"Kat Manx?" I suggested. Snake growled and thrust his head closer to mine. I cast an anxious glance at Felix. Did I even have a full name? Felix nodded. 'Katherine' he mouthed at me.

"Katherine." I announced. "Katherine Manx. I belong here, I think. I was abandoned, a while ago, while I was young. I haven't seen my family for a while."

"If you're origins are here, tell me, who is your mother?" From the look in Scrouge's eyes I suspected that he already knew who my mother was.

I looked around, but I couldn't find Sasha in the crowd. She wasn't here, though she knew I was here – she had to. My mother didn't care. "Sasha is my mother!" I hissed, fed up with the way Scrouge was looking at me.

Scrouge growled at me, "Much against my pride, Katherine, I'm going to choose to believe you and let you stay here. But only if you prove yourself, and do everything a normal clan mate would have to do: collect fruit, fight and help to slay any danger to our clan. Felix, as she claims to be your sister…"

"She is." Felix interrupted humbly.

"…show her where she can sleep." Scrouge flicked his ears towards one of the huts that seemed secluded from all the rest, and left.

XXX

Okay so, first chapter! Slightly long, probably the longest in the story but please review! Reviews make me happy, but no flames please!