disclaimer: I don't own the power rangers. Also I don't own Zeri, Saryn, Aura and Cetaci and any other ranger from Aquintar, I read their names on Starhawk's website and thought they were kool.
timeline: Nine years after 'Better Late Than Never'.
summary: Something has it's eyes set on ranger children. Every ranger is scared of losing his or her family, especially Andros.
the-power-of-love; Sorry, soon became late this time. The reason is given in the A/N at the end of the chapter.
Jeanka; Here's some action and Brian's back, kinda. I'm not going to say more, it will give away what happens.
Fantasywriter13; Sorry, I made you wait. As I said, the reason is in the A/N at the end of this chapter.
gobball; I'm glad you like it. Please tell me what you think of this chapter.
TF Princess; Well, here's the next update. Hope you didn't die waiting, I know it's been too long. I agree 'Finding Nemo' rocks.
Protecting The Next Generation
Chapter 13
The sun was shining brightly and Ashley looked at the little boy in Kim's arms, a sad smile appearing on her face. She missed Brian dearly. Keith sat on his father's lap looking at his brother.
"Jace." He smiled, pointing at the baby.
"Yes, that's Jace." Tommy laughed.
Her hand was squeezed slightly and she looked to her side. Andros looked at her. Ashley placed her head on his shoulder and Andros wrapped an arm around her.
Not far from the group of adults Paige sat on the branch of a tree with her back against the trunk, one foot was placed on the branch, the other was dangling beside it. The branch was just high enough so she was hidden between the leafs, unless you stood beneath the tree and that was exactly where Armin stood.
"Paige?" He asked.
Paige looked down and gestured to her brother to come up. Armin quickly climbed up and sat on a branch close to Paige.
"What's up?" Paige asked.
"Miss Brian too?"
"I want him back, Armin. Why can't they find him?"
"I don't know."
"Where are the others?" Paige wanted to know, referring to the other children not present outside.
"Zeri is keeping them busy with help of the three musketeers."
Paige snorted, but didn't reply. Minutes passed quietly. Suddenly cries of surprise cut through the silence.
"Kim, get Keith and Jace inside, we'll handle this." Tommy's voice yelled.
"Trini, take Tom and go with Kim." Jason ordered.
Through the leafs Armin and Paige could see figures move between blurry green, blue and red figures. They looked each others in the eyes for a quick second before jumping down and getting caught in the middle of a fight.
The blurry figures turned out to be the enemy. The red figures seemed to be made out of fire, the green out of plants and the blue out of water. They were almost immediately surrounded.
"I guess we'll have to fight." Armin grumbled.
"You watch my back, I'll watch yours." Paige shot back.
"Deal."
They were about to attack when Rocky screamed.
"Ouch! That's hot."
"What's going on?!" Dustin's voice cried from above them.
He seemed to be trapped vines that were growing out of the ground and had wrapped themselves around him and trying to chocked him.
"Dustin!" Sean called, but was caught by the same kind of vines.
A blue monster attacked Tori with a beam of water, but Tori used her ninja powers to deflect it.
"How do you stop these guys?" Zack yelled, dodging a punch and countered with one of his own.
One of the blue monsters was about to get the better of Ashley, but Andros noticed and threw a green one at it. The moment the two monsters touched the blue one seemed to be pulled into the green one.
"What just happened?" Zhane asked, having seen it happen.
"I don't know." Andros replied.
Quick thinking made Ashley act almost automatically. She grabbed the green monster that just absorbed her attacker and swung it to a red one attacking Cassie. When these two touched the green one caught fire and was turned into a pile of ashes.
"I don't get it." Zhane said, watching the red monster turn his attention to Ashley instead of Cassie. "What's happening when they touch."
"I do get it." Andros replied, catching on to Ashley's conclusion. "We don't defeat them. They defeat each other."
"How?" Tommy demanded, taking on a green monster not far from the two.
"Plants absorb water, fire sets fire to plants and water extinguishes fire."
"You don't have to tell me that, I already know."
"Did it also occurred to you the blue monsters resemble water, red resemble fire and green resemble plants?" Andros shot back as he and Zhane threw a blue and red monster against each other, successfully getting rid of the red one.
"No."
"Well, now you know."
After finding out how to defeat the monsters it wasn't long before only one of each colour was left. Armin, Hunter and Kira threw them to she same spot and they touched simultaneously, causing them to disappear.
All rangers were relieved it was over and regrouped to see if everyone was okay. Dustin and Sean had a few red marks from where the vines had gripped them and Rocky's knuckles were a bit burned from hitting a flaming fire-monster, but the other rangers were practically unharmed.
Not far from the adult rangers Armin and Paige celebrated when Hypnopotamus appeared and grabbed them. Paige had just been in time to scream and alert the adults, but they could only watch helplessly as Hypnopotamus teleported away.
Donnchadh's HQ
Hypnopotamus appeared with Armin and Paige in a death grip so they couldn't escape. Donnchadh laughed evilly.
"Three down, two to go and KO35 if mine. Put them with the other."
"As you wish my Lord." Hypnopotamus bowed and left the room, still not letting go of Armin and Paige.
After going down so many winding stairs Armin and Paige were feeling nauseous, they finally arrived in what appeared to be the prison. A hyena like monster with a smirk on his face stood guard.
"I've got two guests to join the other." Hypnopotamus said.
The hyena let out a sick laugh and lead them to a cell. He opened the door and Hypnopotamus threw the two 'guests' in. The door slammed shut behind Armin and Paige and they heard the two monsters leave.
"Armin? Paige?" A quiet voice asked.
"BRIAN!" The twin spun around and hugged their little brother the moment they saw him.
"God, we missed you." Paige exclaimed.
"You don't know how worried we were." Armin agreed.
"What happened?"
"We got caught after a fight. I guess we let out guard down." Armin sighed.
Brian wrapped his small arms around his brother's neck.
"It's not your fault, Armin."
Armin looked at his brother and smiled.
"Your right, it's not."
The sick laugh from the hyena cut through the air again.
"Stupid hyena. Can't he shut up or something?" Paige grumbled.
"Sir Laughalot." Brian replied.
"What?" Paige asked, looking at her brother strangely.
"Sir Laughalot. That's his name."
Armin snorted.
"Hypnopotamus the hippopotamus. Sir Laughalot the hyena. What's next? Goldie the goldfish?"
Brian and Paige sniggered and a smile appeared on Armin's face.
"What?" He asked innocently, causing the other two to laugh.
It didn't take long for Armin to give in to the urge and join. There was enough time to think of ways to escape and feel miserable. Right now he was just glad he wasn't separated from his twin and, in a way, they had Brian back.
A/N: Hope you liked it. Sorry it took me so long to update, but school is murder and I bought the Sims 2 the day it came out. Man, I never knew a computer game could be so addicting. Please review, but I would like to keep my head where it is, so don't bite it of.