The Passion of Conner.
Kaylee's ears were bleeding. "They're beyond old married couple fighting now!" she whined, walking alongside Ethan. It had been a week since Kira and Conner had made up on Kira's birthday, agreeing to try their best at being more comfortable with the whole 'simple' thing.
Well, in Kaylee's opinion, 'their best' sucked. A lot.
And it was evidently putting strain on the both of them. And strain on Conner's brain meant he made rash and sometimes stupid decisions. Like right now.
"There she is," Conner grinned, stepping inside the school doors with Kaylee and Ethan. Due to the positively radiant smile on his face, they were expecting to look down the hall in his line of sight and see Kira—today was one of their good days.
Instead, they spotted a brunette girl putting up posters on lockers.
"Huh?" Kaylee frowned. "Did Kira dye her hair?"
"No," Conner lifted his chin proudly. "Her name is Krista Prebble."
"I know, she's in my math class," Kaylee's face soured. "That was sarcasm. As in—why are you ogling another girl when you're head over heels for Kira sarcasm."
"I am not head over—" Kaylee's glare stopped whatever lie he'd been about to cast. "Fine. I am. But because lucky me fell for the most stubborn chick on the planet, I don't have a chance in hell…"
"That's not tr—okay it is," it was her turn to stop short. "So then Krista is…what? A fling? A distraction?"
"Simple," he stated, and it was then that Kaylee understood. This wasn't just about taking his mind off Kira; this was about proving he was better at this than her.
"You might wanna have a reality check just this once," Ethan chuckled.
"Dude, don't be a hater," Conner wrapped an arm around him, grinning chauvinistically. "Just because I got the magic…"
"I agree with Ethan on this one, Siegfried," Kaylee spoke up. "Not only is this just a ploy to get your mind off Kira, but I'm in Krista's math class and she…she's pretty deep. And you're…"
"Not deep?" Ethan finished.
"I didn't wanna say it."
"You guys are supposed to back me up! Remember?"
"Hello, best friend of Kira!" Kaylee waved. "Remember?"
"Where's the love?" Conner frowned, before shaking his head. "Look, I've had my talk with Kira. I've tried, but this whole simple thing…isn't that simple."
"And this is?" Ethan inquired.
"Yep," Conner patted him on the arm. "Now observe."
He walked off, leaving the two there and heading for Krista. She was pinning up "Save the Tree" posters on a bulletin board.
"Krista, right?" he smirked, and she nodded, barely looking at him.
"Yep, that's me," she turned away, heading to pin up another poster.
"Wait!" he made her pause. She turned to face him. "I wanted to ask you about…um…your poster."
"Smooth," Kaylee commented, standing with Ethan. Sighing, the brunette passed him a copy.
"So, there's a tree that needs saving?"
"Yeah, behind the school. It's over one hundred years old and…Randall wants to tear it out to make a new parking lot!"
"That seems like such injustice."
"It's a crime against nature!"
"Environmentalist," Kaylee 'hmm-ed', looking to Ethan. "Seems familiar. Bet ya ten bucks she's also vegetarian."
"Or that her middle name is Emily," he added.
"You know Kira's middle name?" Kaylee asked, in awe. "You are Mr. Computer Genius!"
"This tree has been in our ecosystem longer than any of us have even been here! Dozens of creatures depend on it."
"Where do I sign up?" Conner inquired, causing Kaylee and Ethan to choke on their own spit a little ways down the hall, eyes wide.
"Really? You wanna help?"
"Yeah, just tell me what to do."
xX-The-Passion-Of-Conner-Xx
"Isn't this exciting?!" Cassidy exclaimed, waltzing down the hill towards the old tree, followed by Devin and his trusty camera. "A real protest in our own backyard!"
"Yeah, it's such a great cause!" he nodded, watching the enthusiastic line of people holding up posters and boards that objected to cutting down the tree.
"Cause, schmauze!" she laughed. "I just wanna make the news!"
Krista stopped in front of them, holding a huge "LET THE TREE LIVE" sign and began shouting to rally the other protesters. "Okay, guys, let's g—"
"Excuse me, you're blocking my light!" Cassidy whined, wrenching the brunette out of her way.
"Cassidy, this is no place for posers. If you're not here for the tree, then move on!" Krista snapped.
"Whatever, I'll just give my publicity to someone who appreciates it!" As Krista bitterly stalked off, Cassidy found her camera man with her eyes. "Devin, come on!"
However, he was already deeply engrossed in being strapped to the tree with a handful of large, thick, ropes, and therefore did not notice her calling to him. "C'mon, guys, tie me up real good! This is a symbol of my bond with nature!"
"Ugh," Cassidy rolled her eyes and groaned, before being rudely shoved aside by Randall, clipboard and megaphone in hand.
"Get those men working! I have a permit!" she shouted angrily into the megaphone, watching as Krista, protest board in hand, stepped up before the demolition machine. A man was just firing it up. Then, he noticed the brunette stood before him, defiant to the bone.
"Hey, I got my orders!" he yelled out the window, waving them off with his hand.
"We're not moving!" Krista countered.
"I can't stand teenagers!" he muttered, getting out. Accidentally, his leg brushed against the crane lever, and it activated, dropping the large piece of the structure down at a fast pace. It was headed right for the girl!
"Krista!" Conner yelled, emerging from the crowd of protesters where he'd been with Ethan, and rushing forward—using a bit of super speed—to push her out of the way, falling onto the ground beside her. Taking deep breaths, they both rose onto their elbows "You okay?"
"Yeah…," she smiled, grateful despite their earlier argument about him using this as an excuse to get close to her. "How did you…?"
"Guess its part of being an old jock," he smirked, causing her to laugh. On the safe side of the barriers, behind the machines, Dr. Oliver approached Randall, worried.
"I think we need to talk before someone gets hurt."
"We'll talk…," she grinned slowly, a sinister look in her eyes. "There is nothing you can say that will make me change my mind. But…we'll have a chat." An almost-sincere smile graced her lips, before she completely dead-panned. "Then we'll resume this tomorrow."
She raised the megaphone to her lips, and Tommy had just enough of a window to cover his ears, cringing. "EVERYBODY OUTTA HERE! GO ON! SHOO!"
Through the throng of the fleeing crowd, Conner easily found Krista, and caught up to her on a pathway just off school grounds. "Hey, I want to apologize!" he told her. "I should never have said what I did."
"I don't get you…sometimes you seem really nice," she sighed, looking over at him. "Other times you're just a total jerk."
He grinned, thinking that she reminded him of Kira even more. He wasn't sure whether that was a good thing, but at the moment, he didn't care. "Thanks."
"Just tell me one thing," Krista began. "Which is the real Conner McKnight?"
"That's why I came back. To show you," he sighed. "Look, I know what people say about me. But, there's a lot more going on in my life."
"That tree is really important to me. I can't spend time with someone who can't take my passion seriously."
"I promise," he smiled sweetly. "As long as I'm around, nothing will happen to that tree."
Mirroring his smile, she thanked him, allowing him to wrap his arm around her shoulders. What neither realized, was that across the street, two girls their age were watching the scene unfold, guitar cases in hand—and one was struggling not to drop.
xX-The-Passion-Of-Conner-Xx
Of course, they have to be here too…Kira thought bitterly as she and Kaylee entered Cyberspace, finding Krista and Conner seated at a table together, sharing a plate of fries. They were completely apart from Trent and Ethan, who took residence on the couch, talking.
Slowly, the girls made their way over, dropping their guitars off by the stage first. Trent and Ethan moved apart to make space, Kira sitting beside the White Ranger, and Kaylee beside the Blue. It was obvious Krista and Conner's presence was annoying Kira, but they couldn't do anything about it.
"Trent and I could refuse service and kick her out," Kaylee offered, seeing as they worked there.
"Hayley'd slaughter you," Ethan reminded her, and she frowned.
"Party-pooper."
All other ideas were drowned out Devin stormed in, rushing to find Cassidy, who stood at the counter, chatting with Hayley. He grabbed her shoulders, shaking her urgently. "Where are the Power Rangers? I have to find them!"
"Hello? Haven't you been paying attention?" she snapped, rolling her eyes. He had gotten the attention of the four Rangers on the couch, though. Conner was lost in his own flirtatious world however, and didn't hear him.
"Yeah, but this time it's serious! I was attacked by that freak Zeltrax!"
"Um…I know Devin's a little," Kaylee made a motion of her hand flying over her head, "but, this is…Emo Ken went poof!"
"He's looking for the Rangers," Devin went on hurriedly. "And it gets worse."
"How could it get worse?" Cassidy chuckled, walking away from him slowly. From her tone—she didn't believe a word of it.
"Well he stole the tree!"
"What?" Krista and Conner whirled around, exiting the little bubble world they'd been in, just the two of them. Eyes wide, Krista rose to her feet, worried.
"Where are you going?" Conner asked.
"Didn't you hear what Devin just said? I have to go there right away!"
"Krista, that's probably not a good idea," he stated, standing up.
"Okay, if you're too afraid to go with me—"
"No, I mean it's too dangerous! You let someone who knows what they're doing handle it!"
Krista didn't even dignify him with a response. She merely glared at him, shaking her head in disappointment before taking off. He went to follow her but the other Rangers walked up, stopping him.
"Dude, you know where we have to go," Ethan stated, and Conner sighed, watching the doors swing shut behind the tree-hugger. His eyes wandered to Kira next, and he was met with a cold gaze and crossed arms. Kaylee smiled over the Yellow Ranger's in an 'I-told-you-so' manner.
"Yeah, I know," the Red Ranger nodded, and it made Kaylee wonder whether he was replying to Ethan or to her. As a group they moved out, signaling to Hayley that they had Ranger business. Watching them through the back door, she sighed, looking at the flow of customers around her.
"Why didn't I hire normal kids?"
xX-The-Passion-Of-Conner-Xx
"Zeltrax is back?" Trent contemplated aloud, standing with the other Rangers back at base. "How's that even possible?"
Kaylee looked in her pockets and then in Kira's, leaning over to whisper: "You don't think he found my gem of souls and used it to like, not die, do you?"
Kira shushed her, looking at Dr. O, who sat across from them in his computer chair. "What does he want with a tree?"
"I think I can answer both those questions," Tommy stated, turning around and typing away at his keyboard. "Hayley was looking in to it earlier." On the screen, video feed of the clearest blue-green water appeared, swirling and bubbling in a small pool, created in the large hole the old tree had left. "She thinks it must be growing over a life-force spring."
"You mean a fountain of youth?" Ethan questioned, astonished.
"Those are real?" Conner blinked.
"You know what that is?" Kaylee laughed, looking up at him. He glared back.
"Apparently this one is," Tommy stated, bringing their attention back to him.
"So that's what kept the tree alive so long," Kira reasoned, causing Dr. O to nod.
"Not only that—the sap…it's been nourished for years by the spring's waters, it must have amazing powers of its own."
"That must be what Zeltrax is after," Trent pointed out.
"I'd be willing to bet he's not the only one."
"Oh, look, it's Krista," Kira said bitterly, and everyone turned to see the brunette on the screen, approaching the former place of the old tree and the large pool left behind. Conner's eyes widened and he turned toe, taking off towards the exit. Normally, Kira was always the one to follow first, but she stood her ground, arms crossed, looking mighty pissed.
Kaylee, Ethan and Trent exchanged nervous glances, and it was Tommy who got up to follow the Red Ranger, patting Kira on the shoulder as he passed. He raced after Conner, stopping him in the hall just before the exit. "You okay?"
"I dunno…," he sighed, running a hand through his brown hair. Kira had told the Black Ranger before that it was a sign the young soccer star was nervous, distressed. "Sometimes I wonder if I'm cut out for this superhero stuff."
"Still having doubts?"
"It's just when…you see someone like Krista, who believes so strongly in what she's doing or…Kira, who works so hard to convey her thoughts and tell others about the good things in life…and nothing can stop them, that, I don't know if I have that in me," Conner explained.
"You sure this is just about the superhero business?" Tommy questioned, raising an eyebrow that meant he knew what lay beneath the surface.
"Not entirely…"
He was being so brutally honest that his mentor had to chuckle. "You crack me up, you know that?"
"Glad you think my girl trouble is funny…"
"It's not that…it's just…you remind me so much of myself when I was your age. I had this ability, and raw emotion, but it took me a while to get the confidence to believe in myself…and what I was truly capable of."
"I've got confidence," Conner smirked.
"Cockiness and confidence are two different things," Tommy went on, smiling. "There's a whole world you haven't even tapped into yet! Beyond Triassic Powers and Super Dino Mode. But you gotta believe you deserve it, not to mention clear your head." He offered him support, placing a hand on his shoulder. "And when you do, you'll be blown away by what you can do."
"Guys!" Kira's voice broke them from their almost father-son moment and they rushed back, fear clouding their thoughts.
"What's up?" Tommy questioned. "Is it Zeltrax?"
"No," Kaylee wrinkled her nose, regarding the computer screen. "But it looks like some of his friends are throwing him a 'welcome back' party."
"We can handle the Triptoids," Conner stated, looking at his teammates.
"You sure you won't be distracted?" Kira muttered, unresolved tension running between their gaze. Conner opened his mouth to bite back, but Dr. O interrupted whatever dispute was about to ensue.
"Trent, stay here in case Zeltrax comes back."
"You got it," the White Ranger nodded, stepping up to the controls while the other four stood back, ready to morph.
"Ready?" Conner shouted, bringing up his morpher.
"Ready! DINO THUNDER, POWER UP! HA!"
xX-The-Passion-Of-Conner-Xx
"You're so predictable!" Elsa sneered as the Rangers arrived on scene, standing before a swarm of Triptoids. "I knew I could count on you to show up!"
"Guys…are you seeing double like me?" Kaylee frowned, noticing the White Ranger standing beside Elsa. "Or…has Trent gone evil again and no one informed me?"
"There's no way," Kira protested, and Conner glared at her through his mask. Giving him a warning look, she muttered: "Don't start."
Elsa grinned in such a way that told them she knew much more than she'd ever tell, before raising an arm and shrieking at the top of her lungs. "ATTACK!"
The Triptoids screeched, rushing forward. Readying themselves, the four Rangers met them, Red, Yellow, Blue and Green mixing in with the black and white Triptoids until even their brightness was overcome.
Sparks flew everywhere as the Triptoids unleashed their attacks, slicing and slashing at the Rangers. Conner was separated first, slamming into a rock as Triptoids surrounded him, taking their shots at him one after another.
Ethan leapt up into the air, beginning his somersault—but it was quickly halted when a Triptoid swung his sword upwards, slamming it into the Blue Ranger's stomach. Sparks erupted from the contact and Ethan yelped, meeting the pavement.
Kira attempted to twirl around one Triptoid, but failed with two others attacked her, twirling her in a painful shower of sparks. Kaylee was right alongside her, having tried to teleport in but failing when a Triptoid had grabbed her from behind, slamming their sword across her back.
"Forgot about me?" Tommy ran in then, morphed, Brachio Staff in hand. He ran into the swarm of Triptoids, yelling.
"What's gotten into these guys?!" Conner cried, shocked by not only their enthusiasm but also by their sudden strength. Apparently today was full of shocks. "They're on fire!"
"Maybe they had coffee!" Kaylee suggested. "Lots and lots and LOTS of coffee!"
"How about some decaf?!" Tommy exclaimed, grabbing one Triptoid in a headlock and then slapping him on the chest, right on the triangular symbol. Bright yellow lightning began to run up and down the Triptoid's body, causing it to pulse and seizure until it screamed, falling backwards.
"What are you doing?" Kira inquired, held between two enemies.
"Use your Dino Gem power," he explained, swinging his arm around another and shocking it. "It creates an energy that will deactivate the Triptoids!"
Conner was the first to follow suit, using the arm where his Dino Gem was and slamming it into the Triptoid's chest. Electricity pulsed out from there, electrocuting the white-clad enemy and flooring it. Ethan, Kira and Kaylee also did the same, destroying their opponents.
The Green Ranger giggled, wriggling her fingers after electrocuting yet another Triptoid. She made sure the boys were out of earshot, leaning closer to Kira. "I feel like the Thunder Rangers!"
"Shocking, isn't it?" Kira chuckled, causing Kaylee's laughter to worsen with such a corny joke.
Thinking quickly, Conner looked at his teammates, seeing that they were only taking one the Triptoids one by one with their Dino Gems. An idea struck him, and he grinned. "Guys, max your gem powers with Super Dino Mode!"
Exchanging glances, they nodded. "Okay." Together, they channeled their strength and power, summoning their Dino Gem abilities. "SUPER DINO MODE!"
The cries of their dinosaurs rang out in the empty parking lot: Tyrannosaur, Pterodactyl, Spinosaur, Triceratops and Brachiosaur, and the Triptoids responded with painful shrieks of agony, lighting up with bright electrical waves.
"What's going on?" The mysterious White Ranger clone inquired, but Elsa looked just as confused as he sounded. The lights around the foot soldiers worsened, until in one bright flash they were all gone, leaving five solitary Rangers in the parking lot. "Impossible!"
"Yeah!"
"Sweet!"
"Awesome!"
"Zwop!"
"You've been deserted," Tommy announced, smirking as he stood with the four excited Rangers. Elsa seemed to bristle against his enthusiasm.
"You might have beaten the Triptoids, but my master will have eternal life as soon as I get that tree!" she cackled.
"You mean like the freaky clone, who somehow came back to life?" Kaylee muttered.
"The likes of your pathetic Red Ranger weren't enough to defeat me!" the clone taunted proudly. "It's why there's only room for Ranger, and it'll be me! As soon as I get that tree, you're all finished!"
"Too late!" a warped voice stated, and they were all blown off their feet by a wave of white energy, sparks flying everywhere. "You're all too late!"
"What now?" Conner frowned, looking up.
There was a weird teleporting sound (certainly not as cool as zwop) and in came Zeltrax—or at least it sort of looked like him. He seemed bigger now, with thicker armor. Red-themed armor. His legs, arms and chest covered in sharp spikes, not to mention his helmet, and two large green orbs adorned his helmet and chest-piece. In addition, his sword had been transformed into a spiked spear.
"Zeltrax?" Elsa gasped, eyes wide, and he turned towards her.
"Yes, Elsa, I have returned," he spoke. "And better than ever."
"Aww, Emo Barbie and Ken Shakespeare style!" Kaylee giggled, nudging Kira.
"Yeah, except Ken totally got an upgrade," Kira pointed out.
"And I am not alone," Zeltrax added, causing everyone to turn towards the edge of the parking lot, off near the clearing, where a large wormhole opened, allowing a huge monstrous tree to emerge—Deadwood.
"Krista's tree!"
"You know, it's a part of nature, so she can't really own it," Kaylee stated matter-of-factly, but Conner went on ignoring her. Deadwood roared, shaking the ground beneath their feet.
"Whoa, who's in charge here?" Ethan frowned, looking from Zeltrax and the tree monster, to the White Ranger clone and Elsa.
"I am," Zeltrax growled, glancing towards Elsa. "And no one will stop me."
"I don't have time for this," she sneered, stepping back behind the White Ranger clone. "Destroy them all."
"Of course," he half-bowed, watching her teleport out in a flash of purple, her shriek dying out as it disappeared. Another screech was heard overhead, and the Rangers looked up to see the Dragozord, flying in alongside the Stegazord.
"Hey, Trent won't be very happy to know you're stealing his toys!" Kaylee yelled, hoping that he wasn't smart enough to summon the Cephalazord and Ankylozord they'd gotten back when Conner had supposedly killed him in Triassic mode.
"Your White Ranger is a disgrace," the clone hissed. "He doesn't deserve to be part of the same Morphing Grid as us, and once I'm finished with you, I'll erase him from it as well, allowing me to be the only Dino Ranger."
He leapt up into the sky, meeting the Dragozord and going inside, where it joined with the Stegazord and formed the Dino Stegazord.
"You're mean!" Kaylee shouted after him, pouting.
"He's evil," Kira reminded her, matter-of-factly.
"I'll take care of Zeltrax," Tommy spoke up then, looking at the four Rangers, who, from the safety of masks, rolled their eyes. Hello, that's what he always did! "You guys know what to do." Again—duh.
Roars echoed across the sky as the Tyrannozord, Pterazord, Spinozord and Tricerazord were called forth, followed by the lumbering Brachiozord. They formed up quickly, creating the Thundersaurus Megazord, it's four core Rangers inside.
Conner then summoned his Triassic Shield, and the three raised their Dino Gems, tendrils of yellow, green and blue energy surging forth into it. However, they did not offer all of it, since they very well couldn't power down in the Megazord while it needed them.
From there, they controlled the Thundersaurus Megazord while Conner teleported out, joining the Mezodon Rover as it transformed into the Mezodon Megazord. It took on Trent and the Dino Stegazord while the other three and the Thundersaurus took on Deadwood.
"Whoa…," Kaylee giggled. "This is the most Zords I've ever seen in one battle—EVER! THIS IS AWESOME!"
But their attack was short-lived, as Deadwood roared fiercely and floored both good Megazords—apparently it could sense its own evil kind.
"That's one tough tree!" Conner groaned, and Kaylee's voice came in over the com-link.
"Maybe that's a sign, y'know—no tree, no tree-hugger?" she mused.
"Shut up."
xX-The-Passion-Of-Conner-Xx
"Conner—" Dr. O began into his morpher, only to be interrupted as Zeltrax slammed his hand over the com-link, gripping Tommy's arm tight.
"I don't think so," he hissed, pointing his spear at Tommy's throat as he tried to free his arm. But his advantage was short-lived, as a series of energy arrows barreled into him, forcing him back a few feet, sparks flying.
The White Ranger came up to stand between them, Drago Sword in hand. "Think again, Zeltrax," Trent countered.
"Thanks, Trent," Tommy nodded, and Trent zipped off to battle Zeltrax, giving him a window of opportunity. He brought forth his morpher, channeling into the com-link again. "Conner, combine all the Zords to form the Triceramax Megazord!"
"Of course!" he nodded, the controls for the Mezodon Megazord flashing all the colors of the auxiliary Zords—except maroon for the Stegazord, of course, because it was being controlled by the White Ranger clone. From over the hills came the Cephalazord, Ankylozord, and Parasaurzord.
"ORANGE COMPADRE!"
"Just the person I needed to speak with," Conner spoke into the com-link. "Kaylee, think you could do some Dino Whispering and get the Dragonzord over here to join up?"
"But…but Green Buddy is supposed to make the pwetty Dragon Megazord with Trent's Zord once the clone stops hogging it!"
"Yeah, and as soon he gets them back, I can use the Stegazord with the rest of the Auxiliary Zords…but right now I'm down one."
There was a silence on the other line, and for a moment Conner thought she was childishly ignoring him, but when the pounding roar of the Dragonzord broke the air—he knew she'd responded. "Thanks, Kayl."
The massive green Zord lumbered into view, and merged with the other Zords as they arrived, becoming one hulking leg of the Triceramax Megazord, while the Parasaurzord became the other. (Kaylee would later giggle about the mismatched green legs). The Ankylozord and Cephalazord became the powerful arms, while the Mezodon Rover completed the rest.
"Sweet!" Ethan looked on in awe.
"Now that's a Zord!" Kira grinned.
"It's half-mine," Kaylee stated proudly, making the other two chuckle.
"You're going down, tree," Conner's voice came in over the com-link, confident and daring. They watched as the clone and his Dino Stegazord stepped forward, only to be slashed by the Triceramax's axe, falling back. Deadwood was next, taking a direct hit from the tail of the Ankylozord arm. "Turbo Fire!"
The Triceramax pointed the Cephalazord arm forward, charging a massive laser. It fired off several blasts, pounding into Deadwood and the Dino Stegazord. The latter teleported out, leaving Kaylee to cluck like a chicken in his wake. Deadwood sparked dangerously; blue lightning coursing through its body. Suddenly, it roared, exploding in a shower of energy and sparks. Branches fell, littering the parking lot around the White and Black Rangers and Zeltrax.
"My tree!" Zeltrax yelled.
"Oh yeah!" Conner pumped his fist into the air triumphantly, the Triceramax Megazord standing ominously beside the Thundersaurus Megazord. On the ground below, Zeltrax took out Trent with a move of his spear, followed by Tommy, and stepped back, just as the other Rangers came in, the four standing protectively before the other two.
"You played right into my hands," Zeltrax stated, picking up a large piece of the tree. "Eternal life is mine!" With that, he blasted the Rangers one final time, right off their feet, before teleporting away in a bright flash of dark red and purple.
"What a nut," Ethan muttered, standing up with the others. They powered down.
"Yeah, I mean, it's only a tree," Kaylee chuckled, but this seemed to strike Conner more.
"Tree…I gotta call Krista!" he blurted out, taking off as fast as he could without using his powers. The Yellow Ranger watched him leave, a twinge of sadness striking her stubborn heart. She crossed her arms, determined not to care.
However, Kaylee wouldn't allow it.
"I know just what you need!" she grinned, taking Kira's arm and beginning to pull her away.
xX-The-Passion-Of-Conner-Xx
"Shoppers?" Kira frowned, staring at the building before her. "Kaylee, if you're planning on dragging me in there to get anti-depressants, I'm going to kill you."
"Kira, shh, they might hear you say such things and take you seriously!" she pointed towards the police station attached to the end of the small strip-mall. Before Kira could protest any longer, the blonde dragged her inside.
The Yellow Ranger had always figured that taking Kaylee into a candy store would be brutal—she had never opted to replace 'candy store' with 'Shopper's Drug Mart' but was now seriously considering it. The Green Ranger was buzzing around the store, giggling at everything she possibly could, sticking to the stuffed animal and toy aisles.
Trying to make the best of their visit, Kira decided to at least pick up a little something she knew she'd need soon enough, say in two weeks, when Kaylee turned eighteen. She had already begun planning the celebrations with Dustin and Tori, whom Sensei had promised a day off to. They'd be waiting at Cyberspace, having decorated everything, for when Kira, Kaylee, Trent, Conner and Ethan returned from their museum fieldtrip that morning—museum fieldtrip, boring, but the rest of the day off? Promising.
The only thing she was missing was a card.
And she was just reaching for a funny one with a duck on it when something poked her in the side. She turned; eyes narrowed, and found a sheepishly grinning Kaylee there, holding two large plush roses in her hand. One was blue and the other was yellow. They were glittery, the tops covered in a thin layer of plastic.
"En guarde!" Kaylee giggled, holding the yellow one towards Kira. Hesitantly, she took it, knowing no good could come of this. Seconds later, the blue one came hurtling towards her at the hands of a giggling teen.
She blocked it with the yellow rose, and then it was on. The two girls were off, dueling with plastic plush roses, with no one around to stop them. The cashier—a woman in her late 40's—watched on, smiling.
Several minutes later, they declared a tie, having inflicted 'too many wounds to count' on one another, and put away the roses in the bin Kaylee had gotten them from. Both girls were smiling, and Kira had to admit this hadn't been such a bad idea after all.
"Told ya," Kaylee nodded, skipping off down an aisle towards some stuffed animals and toys. She stopped in front of what looked like plates, and picked up three, grinning. She turned towards Kira, holding up the first. I LOVE YOU.
"I love you too," the Yellow Ranger chuckled, replying to the message written on the plate. Kaylee giggled, putting it back on the shelf and showing the next one. HUG ME.
Playing along, Kira smiled, stepping forward to hug her friend. When she stepped back, the plate had been put aside and the third one was facing her, held by a blonde barely containing her laughter. KISS ME.
The glare the Ptera Ranger directed at her was enough for her to put the plate at the bottom of the pile, almost afraid of it now. She then acted unfazed, continuing to skip down the aisle. She glanced to the left and stopped dead in her tracks, mouth agape. Her hand motioned towards Kira, slowly waving her forward. Shaking her head, amused, Kira joined her.
"What is it now?"
The blonde reached forward, picking up a DVD off the rack, and turned it towards Kira, her mischievous smile growing as she tried to contain her laughter. Kira's eyes widened at first when she read the title, and she grabbed it from Kaylee, reading the back. Slowly, she too began to smile, holding back ripples of laughter.
It then became too much and together, they unleashed a fit of giggles that filled the aisle, and probably the store, trying very hard not to fall over. "We are SO buying this!" Kaylee stated, grabbing it back from Kira and holding it under her arm. "I mean, did you see their outfits?"
"They look like life-size plastic action figures," Kira pointed out.
"Yeah, Ninjas do not dress like that! No way!" Kaylee shook her head vigorously, defending her former school. "And seriously. Ape, Crane and Frog? The Hell?"
"What the zwop were they thinking?" Kira suggested through her laughter, causing Kaylee to smile even wider and hope a few times at the use of her own language. She picked up a stuffed Frog from the shelf beside her, eliciting more laughter.
"Egg salad!" she nodded, confident enough to know Kira knew what that meant—exactly.
As happy and giggly as they were, it all ended when two brunets entered the store, in the midst of a fit of laughter themselves. Kira's smile fell, and Kaylee was glad she'd taken back the DVD, because she was quite sure the dirty blonde would've dropped it then.
Anger bubbled beneath the surface as she watched the two, his arm around her. Doom came to the stuffed Frog in her hands, as she began to twist its neck quite strongly. Kaylee noticed this, and her eyes widened. "No, not Adam!" she exclaimed, snatching it from her best friend's hands before any more harm could come to it. Her cries drew the attention of those who'd just come into the store, and Kira's eyes met Conner's for a moment.
He almost wanted to wave them over, but the look in Kira's eyes stopped him. Unfortunately, Krista noticed them as well, and smiling, she dragged him over with her. "Kira, Kaylee, hi," she greeted. "What are you two doing here?"
"Leaving," Kira snapped, brushing past the duo and leaving the store, allowing the door to slam shut behind her. Conner and Kaylee cringed, and Krista was left to stare after her, puzzled by her frosty behavior. The look the other two exchanged meant they knew egg salad what was up.
xX-The-Passion-Of-Conner-Xx
There was nothing left anymore. Nothing more than a giant gaping hole, filled with murky waters, swirling dangerously.
Kira stared at the former resting place of the old tree, almost sympathetically, and cursed how her brain teasingly remarked that this place was much like her heart at the moment. She was mad—no way should she feel this way.
They had agreed nothing would come of this chemistry between them, and she was getting tired of the feelings that contradicted that. She was mad at herself, if anything, for letting it show. For letting him get to her the way he was.
"Stupid Conner," she muttered, fists clenching.
"On the contrary," a warped voice reached her ears, and she turned to see Zeltrax there, large piece of the tree held under his arm. "If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be here right now, carrying out my plan."
"Zeltrax," Kira's eyes narrowed at the man. "Haven't you done enough damage today?"
"I'm just getting started," he chuckled, and without warning, his free hand found her throat, holding her a good foot above ground. "Now, get out of my way."
He threw her to the ground beside the pit, kicking one of the yellow and black fences out of his path. Stepping up, he tossed the branch into the hole, watching as it fell into the murky fluid. Seconds later, streams of energy flooded forth, wrapping around Zeltrax and empowering him.
"If you wanted to dress in glitter and parade around, you could've just asked," Kira stated from behind him, now morphed. "I'd totally have talked to Cassidy for you."
"Meddling fool," he spat, summoning his spear to his hand. "You shall have the honor of being the first Power Ranger I eliminate."
"How flattering," Kira hissed, Petra Grips in hand. After a beat, she charged forward, daggers making a whistling sound as they ripped through the air, headed for Zeltrax's head. He chuckled, waiting until the last moment to lash out with his spear at incredible speeds.
He struck her in the side, managing to tear through the fabric of her suit, and Kira cried out, crumbling. She rolled as best she could, trying to push herself back to her feet, but the next blow caught her on the helmet and it was too much.
Apparently, drinking from the magical pool where the tree had once been had not only revitalized Zeltrax, but given him strength and speed beyond his normal abilities. Not to mention Kira was already emotionally drained.
She forced herself up, bringing up a Ptera Grip just in time to block another swing, this time aimed at her head. She swung the other yellow weapon sideways, raking Zeltrax's stomach with sparks. He roared, dodging to the left of her next swipe and stabbing forward with his spear. It slammed into her shoulder, eliciting a spray of sparks, before he swung in the opposite direction, this time slicing at her side.
More sparks and more pain. But it wasn't the end.
He spun, summoning all the strength he could into one final swing, and caught her dead-centre, somewhere between her chest and stomach. She gasped, feeling the pain flare out from that spot like trickling water, and she dropped her Ptera Grips.
Holding her stomach, she fell backwards, powering down. Her heart was pounding in her ears, and she could barely hear the sound of Zeltrax's angry footsteps coming towards her. "I've decided against finishing you, Yellow Ranger. You'll be coming with me—a warning to anyone who crosses me."
Thinking quickly, she flipped open a small latch on her Dino Gem bracelet, making sure Zeltrax wasn't watching.
She then pressed the button it had been covering, and hoped for the best as Zeltrax grabbed her arm roughly, hauling her to her feet. "Let's go." In a painful flash of dark red and purple, they were gone.
xX-The-Passion-Of-Conner-Xx
Beep, Beep. Beep, Beep.
Simultaneous red and green flashes went off in the tiny Shopper's Drug Mart, and Conner and Kaylee exchanged glances from over the birthday card stand. Krista was standing at the CD display a little ways off, and didn't hear it. They took a few steps further away from her, ducking into another aisle, and Kaylee brought up her Dino Gem bracelet.
"Dr. O, you there?" she whispered. When he acknowledged her call, she continued. "This freaky flashing and beeping got anything to do with you?"
"Other than the fact that Hayley and I installed it, no. It's the distress beacon. Someone just activated it…the computer shows it was somewhere near your school at first, but now it's moved to a rocky area on the outskirts of the beach."
"Who is it?" Conner asked, fear clouding his voice. Kaylee's hands were shaking slightly, and he had to guess that she too was thinking the same.
"Kira."
They exchanged glances, speechless. Kaylee was the first to compose herself. "I'll distract tree-girl, you go."
"But—"
"Conner," the blonde warned, sounding quite serious. "Remind me why Kira's off on her own, steaming mad, just asking for trouble?"
With a defeated sigh, he muttered his own name, and nodded, headed for the door.
xX-The-Passion-Of-Conner-Xx
When Kira's mind returned to a conscious state, she found herself staring straight down the side of a cliff, watching as rocks and pebbles rolled by. Her ribs ached, but the fear stretching into her mind was drowning it out. If she hadn't been afraid of heights before, she definitely was now.
She felt herself move and realized that Zeltrax still held her in one arm, slowly pulling her up the cliffside with him. How they had gotten here or when was beyond her, because teleporting had caused her to lose consciousness. She could tell, however, that some form of battle had taken place on the rocky beach below during her loss of consciousness.
"That's it, lead him to me," Zeltrax whispered, and Kira scanned the area, wondering who he spoke of. It was then she noticed the red figure making his way, holding one arm like it was injured. Easily, things fell into place in her mind.
The distress beacon had worked, and made its way to the others. Conner, apparently, had found her at some point, and battled Zeltrax on the beach below to get her back. He'd been injured and Zeltrax had booked it, taking Kira with him.
She watched as he fell to his knees, having a hard time continuing. From the corner of her eye she saw a laser powering up from the edge of his spear, and it took all of her energy to summon her voice, working against the pain in her ribs. "Conner!" she screamed, but the warning came too late. A thick beam of energy shot out from Zeltrax's spear, hitting Conner square in the chest as he looked up, responding to his name.
He was thrown clean off his feet, landing in a heap. "No!" she exclaimed, her voice raspy.
Below, Conner groaned, on his knees. Tommy's words echoed in his mind. There's a whole world you haven't tapped into yet. But you gotta believe you deserve it, not to mention clear your head. When you do, you'll be blown away by what you can do.
He grabbed fistfuls of dirt in his frustration, hearing Kira's scream in his ears. He had hurt her by pursuing Krista too soon after their resolution to keep things simple. He'd been frustrated, angry with her, and himself, taunted by their ever-present chemistry, and had needed a distraction. It had been the wrong move, and he'd known it at the time, just as clearly as he knew it now. He had pushed her to this point, and had only himself to blame for Zeltrax attacking and taking her.
But there was no way in hell he was letting it go on any longer. No way was he screwing up any further. He was gonna make this right, no matter what. He was getting Kira back, he was fixing things, and he was going to beat Zeltrax senseless for this, or else he wasn't the Red—
His fingers began to tingle, and for a moment he wondered if he'd gone clean through his spandex and hit dirt, but then it spread, reaching into the furthest corners of his body, flooding him with courage and power.
He frowned, crawling to his feet, and looked down at his hands, watching as they seemed to glow a golden-red. He felt strength calling to him, and taking a deep breath, he screamed. He screamed away frustration, pain, anger, sadness, and anything else, focusing only on his connection to his Tyrannosaur.
His eyes found Kira again, and he screamed louder, the roar of a Tyrannosaur echoing in the clearing. A bright flash of light circled around him, resembling fire, and melded into his suit. He felt energy lift within him and when he looked over his suit next; it looked like he'd gone Triassic all on his own, with some added yellow on the spikes on his arms that weren't normally there.
"Alright!" he grinned, looking down at his morpher, which had taken the shape of a mix between his Tyrannosaur and the Mezodon Rover, creating a fearsome beast. "Battelizer, power up!"
A great streak of flame belted forth from his morpher, arching high into the air above him and then circling around him. It had the head of a dragon, and roared, headed straight for him, where it twisting around his chest several times, solidifying into thick and fiery armor. His right fist covered in armor in the shape of the Mezodon Rover, his left in the shape of the Tyranno.
"Nice trick, but you're too late," Zeltrax sneered.
"Try me!" Conner dared.
"With pleasure," he retorted, outstretching the arm that held the exhausted and injured Yellow Ranger—and dropping her. Kira screamed, the wind whipping around her. She had enough energy within her to turn mid-air and unleash a Ptera Scream. It was pitiful, just a few yellow sound waves, but it was enough to dislodge the rocks Zeltrax was holding on to. He fell just like her, a little higher, but no one was there to catch him.
Conner used the Battelizer's Super Stretch ability, extending his arms with his super speed and watching long before she hit the ground. He retracted his arms, bringing Kira to him, and kneeled as he set her down, worry filling his voice. "Are you alright, Kira? Did he hurt you? I'm sorry, I really am. I never should've pushed your buttons like I did. Krista was a distraction, proof that I could do this better than you. You know how competitive I am. I didn't mean it, honestly."
"Whoa, slow down there Jockboy," she smiled, hissing in pain as she moved her ribs. "I'm fine now, and that's what matters."
"He hurt you, didn't he? I hurt you," he sighed, shaking his head.
"Do not start beating yourself up over this," she scolded, patting him on the arm as she struggled to stand. He helped her up, and she smiled, motioning towards Zeltrax, who was angrily, headed their way. "Beat him up."
"Deal," he nodded, and she pushed herself away, headed for cover. Conner stood up straight, adopting a fighting pose as Zeltrax neared. "Zeltrax! Don't go away mad, just go away!"
He pointed the Mezodon arm towards him, firing up a huge laser. Zeltrax had only a moment to react, leaping up and out of the way before the beam hit the ground, blowing dirt and rocks everywhere. He bolted after him, a red flash, just as the other Rangers arrived, finding Kira.
"You okay?" Kaylee asked, kneeling beside her friend. The unmorphed Yellow Ranger nodded, and they watched as Conner leapt after Zeltrax, twisting out of the man's way as he tried to spear him. Conner summoned power into his right first and turned, gaining momentum, and smashed into Zeltrax's chest, sending him flying in a burst of red and gold sparks.
He kept the momentum and power going as Zeltrax rose to his feet and slammed his fist into the ground, creating a ripple effect of fire that ripped through his opponent. A very frustrated Zeltrax powered up his spear, causing it to gain a freakish blood red glow around the edges.
Twirling it above his head, he unleashed a series of slashes towards Conner, sending waves of red energy out. The Red Ranger jumped out of the path of them, winding up behind Zeltrax. He grabbed his arms, flinging him into the air. He kicked off, following the flailing Zeltrax. He spun through the air, gaining yet again momentum and power, until he came level to the man, delivering a powerful kick in the chest.
He fell right off the cliff, arms still flailing, but it wasn't over. Conner dove after him; landing on the rocky clearing below, watching as Zeltrax plummeted into the ground, creating a crater of sparks. "Had enough?"
"Never!" Zeltrax hissed, rising again.
"You asked for it!" Conner smirked, bringing the Tyranno and Mezodon fists together to create a dragon-like orb. It glowed fiercely as he pulled his hands away, causing them to spin at inhuman speeds. "Dragon Wheel!"
It covered in layers of flame and took off towards Zeltrax, slashing at him again and again, the fiery dragon taking bite after bite. "Cannons!" Conner cried, and his armor shifted until huge cannons appeared on his shoulder plates. "Fire!"
He leapt into the air, unleashing a huge funnel of fire and cannon blast that pelted into Zeltrax until he couldn't take it anymore—the excess energy overloading him. He sparked and twitched, ultimately exploding.
As the smoke cleared, Conner heard his teammates cheering as they came up to him. Despite her weak state, Kira hugged him when he powered down. "Thank you," she whispered into his shirt, and all the bad words and pain between them was forgotten—for now.
"This is only a minor set-back," they heard Zeltrax growl, and they looked up to see him stumble into view, battered and beaten—but back in his original armor. "It's not over yet!" In a flash of purple, he was gone.
xX-The-Passion-Of-Conner-Xx
"Man, those suits are SAD!" Kaylee giggled, sitting on the Cyberspace couch that evening, watching the Might Morphin' Power Rangers: The Movie DVD. "You were right, Kira, totally plastic action figures."
But the Yellow Ranger wasn't paying attention; every few minutes she'd throw furtive glances at the door, tuning out the movie, as well as Kaylee, Ethan, Trent, Hayley and Tommy. They all knew why—she was waiting for Conner. When they'd all declared they were headed for Cyberspace to watch Kaylee's new purchase, Conner had politely excused himself, saying he had something to take care of. AKA—he'd gone to see Krista.
"Kira? Come on; enjoy the plastic people with me! And Adam, the Frog!" she grinned, bringing up the plush Frog she'd bought along with the DVD at Shoppers.
"I don't think it's working," Ethan told her sympathetically, leaning over and placing a hand on the Green Ranger's arm. She pouted, crossing her arms. But the pout vanished and her finger flicked the pause button as the door jingled, a Red Ranger walking in.
Smiling proudly, he walked over, eyes only for Kira. "I'm done. No more distractions, no more trying to prove I'm better at this then you," he stated, not caring that the others were present. "Making things simple also means taking it slow. So no more tree-girl or anyone else, until we're both totally comfortable with this decision."
As the Yellow Ranger beside her smiled warmly, Kaylee silently cheered for joy—not only was there no more tree-girl, but her plans to bring the duo together were back on track!
"I'm not going to stand around and deal with you being hurt over me being a dumbass and—why is there some form of dead cat on your head, Dr. O?" His eyes had found the TV, where the image of a teenage Tommy Oliver was paused, mid-sentence, his long hair falling down past his shoulders.
"That's my hair!" Tommy scolded, causing Conner to burst into a fit of laughter. He fell onto the couch beside Kira, unable to control his amusement. Tommy glared.
And it was enough to make the tension in the room fly away, and Kaylee, seeing that the Red Ranger was comfortably installed beside the recovering Yellow Ranger, pressed Play, allowing them to continue their history lesson—and their making fun of Tommy.