Disclaimer: I don't own anything

Okay, lads and lassies, I present to you another chapter. One more clue is uncovered to the mystery of this story. Although some things are introduced in this chapter, I must advise you not to make any assumptions quite yet. I promised twists and turns in this story, and they definitely will be coming. Remember: I like to do the unpredictable…

And thank you to the reviewers

Titanium Gold: The chick with the blaster is an important link to the upcoming plight of the rangers…keep her in the back of your mind. Concerning the use of original characters, you do know that I must use them for the sake of this story, right? Unfortunately, the orphan of fire can't be an already existing character. Rest assured, I think I have developed the original characters I am using so that they are dynamic enough to keep interest.

Justin Jack: I do regret to inform you that the orphan of fire will definitely not be Tommy and Kimberly's son. One reason is that even if the Golden Couple had conceived a child, the child would only be about thirteen or fourteen as opposed to the sixteen or seventeen year-old I am looking for. But good try. Another thing is you can be certain that Tommy is in no way, shape, or form involved in the prophecy. I am using the dragon as the guardian spirit of the "child of flame" because dragons obviously are linked to fire. Another clever guess, though.

Jenna Summers: Keep that in mind…

Chapter 2

A New Fire Ignites

The clamoring of the alarm jarred Conner from his blissful peace. From the mounds of crimson sheets, a muscular arm snaked out, banging the button that silenced the steady beeping. Groaning as he hefted himself from his warm cocoon, Conner cursed the early morning as he stumbled to his bathroom.

Following the aroma of bacon and eggs, Conner made his way down the stairs to the kitchen. Kissing his mother, Lynn McKnight, on the cheek upon entrance, he helped himself to the pitcher of orange juice on the island counter, chugging down the liquid.

"So what's on your agenda today, honey?" Lynn questioned her son, tossing him a napkin before he could wipe his mouth with the back of his hand.

Deftly catching the flung offering, Conner shrugged, "The gang's doing the ritual family outings today so I figured since you're working, I was going to go down to Blue Bay Harbor and hang out with Eric. Then we're gonna meet up with everyone at Hayley's to catch up." Glancing down at his communicator, Conner straightened from his lean on the counter, "Speaking of which, I gotta get going." Slipping a black cap onto his head, Conner grabbed a travel mug from the cupboard, proceeding to pour coffee into the container. As her son rushed by her, Lynn glanced up from her tea,

"You're not going to get something to eat?"

Gesturing to a biscuit clutched in his hand, Conner sandwiched a few strips of bacon and an egg in between. Kissing his mother goodbye, he straightened to his full six-two height and grinned charmingly.

"I'm taking it to-go."

Slipping the essentials into his pocket, Conner made his way to the door, food, drink, and keys in hand.

"Oh, Conner?"

Wheeling around, he poked his head back through the doorway, his sunglasses-covered eyes peeking expectantly back at his mother, "Yeah?"

"I want you and Eric back home before six. I invited Kira and the Fords out for dinner and reservations are scheduled at seven-thirty."

Letting out a slight sigh of frustration, Conner cringed and rolled his eyes, "Yes, mother."

xxx

The Ninja Storm rangers gathered in Ninja Ops before classes, lounging around. The group glanced up as Eric breezed in, the red Dino ranger in his normal state of disarray. The younger McKnight twin gave a preoccupied nod to his colleagues in greeting before making a beeline straight to the locker containing his things. Rifling through its contents, Eric emerged, triumphantly clutching an expensive-looking red sweater. Dustin stared at the red ranger, his lips turned upward in amusement.

"Dude, what are you doing?"

Eric turned his attention to the earth ninja, tossing him the sweater, "Does that smell clean to you?"

Taking a slight whiff of the garment, Dustin wrinkled his nose, "Not really."

His brow creasing in thought, Eric snapped his fingers, "Hey, Hunter, do you have that really good-smelling cologne?"

The thunder ranger regarded the air master with suspicion, "Yeah. It's in my bag."

Retrieving the bottle from Hunter's duffle bag, Eric placed the sweater on the ground, coating the garment with the scented liquid. Straightening with satisfaction, Eric gestured to Tori.

"Ms. Bradley, a sprinkle, if you please."

Chuckling, Tori grinned, "Warm or cold?"

Checking the label on the sweater, Eric squinted slightly, "Cold, please."

Tori called up a stream of water, thoroughly dousing the sweater. Concentrating his powers, Eric directed the gust of warm wind to the garment on the ground. After a few minutes, he stood straight, presenting the dry sweater and tossing it to Dustin.

"How about now?"

Sniffing, Dustin nodded, one eyebrow arched up, "Not bad, McKnight. But what's all this for?"

Eric rolled his eyes, hefting out a sigh, "Conner called. He's on his way over, and our mom invited Kira and the Fords out for dinner at Pasta Bello."

Shane whistled, "Whew, that place is not cheap, and reservations are hard to come by."

Eric smirked, "Not when your son is plastered on every other magazine in the country. Mom wanted to welcome us all back home and subsequently get the gossip on the healthy relationship Conner and Kira share."

Cam grinned, "Speaking of our Chosen One, how do you think he's gonna feel about our little surprise?"

Eric shook his head, chuckling, "You don't think he doesn't already know?"

Cam snorted, glancing at the air ninja in incredulity, "Oh, c'mon, how could he possible know? It's a once-in-a-lifetime thing, and, nobody expected it to happen two years ago."

Eric held up his hands in surrender, "Hey, all I'm saying is we're talking about the guy who progressed further in a couple of months than all of us progressed in a couple of years. Don't underestimate him. We all made that mistake two years ago."

Shane nodded in agreement, "Sure, but I doubt, he'll think of this one."

xxx

Conner drove through the forests of Blue Bay Harbor on his way to the Wind Ninja Academy. Parking in a secluded area, he made his way across the mossy landscaping to the waterfall entrance. Pausing before the gushing waters, Conner reminisced how just two years ago, he had entered the same access way as a student, and now, he was stepping through the threshold, considered to be one of the most powerful masters ever. Treading across the rocks to the platform, a thunder and an earth ninja emerged, their features masked, blocking his progress.

"Password?"

"Air, water, and earth as one."

The students moved aside, allowing Conner to enter. As the fire ninja slipped beneath the waterfall, his street clothes vanished, leaving him in his teaching uniform, styled differently than his colleagues. The heavier material was trimmed with his ranger colors of crimson and gold, the emblem below the high collar depicted a fire crest, his spirit of the phoenix in the center. Instead of falling loosely around his arm guards, his sleeves drew tight, clinched just below the elbow, and while the original uniforms' outer vest sloped down, the points extending to either side of the central stripe, Conner's traveled straight down to the top of his abdominal muscles before curving downwards and out toward his ribcage.

"Sensei Conner?"

Conner redirected his attention as the thunder ninja addressed him, "Hm?"

"I've been instructed to tell you to go to the clearing."

Conner acknowledged the message with a smile and a nod, shifting to depart. As he took his first step, the earth ninja piped up from his position.

"Aren't you going to ask what for, Sensei?"

Smiling inwardly at the young student's eagerness, recognizing him as one of Dustin's best, Conner replied with a shake of his head, "No, Ian, it's okay. I already know."

xxx

Conner approached the center of the clearing, suspiciously empty. Suppressing a grin, he closed his eyes, reaching out, his senses confirming his intuition. In a movement barely perceptible to the naked eye, Conner leaped upward, silently landing on a branch overlooking his former position, his body shadowed by the overhanging leaves. Using his telekinesis, Conner snapped a small twig on the ground. At the sound, a brief moment passed before a bevy of ninja's swarmed from all sides, charging in a flurry of motion. All movement and sound faded as they found the ground devoid of their target. Swiveling their heads, shooting their fellows curious glances in confusion, one air ninja voiced the question the group had all been wondering.

"Where did he go?"

Silently, Conner floated down from his elevated position, landing feather light on the student's oblivious shoulders. Balancing effortlessly on the air ninja's shoulder blades, Conner tapped the unsuspecting boy on the head. Reveling in the shocked expression on the teen's face, Conner grinned innocently.

"Looking for me?"

Conner flipped backwards as the boy flailed, attempting to swat the sensei off his back. The fire master rotated his head from side to side, surveying the multitude of the various uniformed students he was up against. Bringing his right fist together with an open palm, Conner presented his hands to the masses in a customary salute of respect before settling into a fighting stance, beckoning to his adversaries.

"Bring it on."

The fire master stepped to the left, brushing a blow to the side. Using his momentum, he continued the clockwise turn, whipping his right foot around in a tornado kick. Cart wheeling through the air, he avoided a sweep to his legs and ducked down as a fist whistled over his head. Sweeping his head beneath the attack towards his right, Conner straightened to catch a strike on his left forearm. Felling his opponent with a swift right cross, Conner stayed in his crouched position, delivering a left uppercut to the gut, doubling over another potential attacker. Following the blow, he brought his left knee up to send his challenger to the ground. The inferno ranger rolled over a crouched student and backed away as a tall brunette boy attempted wild swings, eager to be the one to fell the famed sensei. The fire ninja back flipped onto a log stretched over a moat, still being pursued. Conner ducked underneath a hit striking back with a cross body punches to his attackers on either side. Blocking another attempt from his left, he sent his opponent crashing into the murky waters of the moat with another right cross, and directing his attention to the right, Conner fell his final pursuer, whipping off a back knuckle followed by a mule kick.

Conner continued until only four challengers were left standing. Catching the training sword tossed in his direction, the fire ninja waited for the advance. As the first attack came, Conner brought the sword down, thwarting the slash. Raising his hands, he blocked an overhead chop, the collision of the two weapons echoing in the brisk morning air. Swinging around to his right, he crossed swords with one attacker before throwing the blade end over his head to ward off another attack. Rapid swipes and slashes in brisk succession swiftly took his opponents of their feet, and before they could recover, Conner made a throwing motion towards the ground, vanishing behind a smoke screen. Just as quickly, all eyes snapped skyward, remembering the last occurrence.

"Oh, now that's just an insult to my intelligence to think I'd use the same escape route twice."

The four last ones standing shifted to the head of the group, and looking behind their students, found Conner leaning up against a tree, his arms crossed, and one eyebrow quirked skyward, his features twisted in amusement. As he hefted himself up into a standing position, the ninja students around him snapped to attention, bowing the fire master.

"At ease." Conner strode quickly to his friends, enveloping each one of them in an affectionate embrace. Breaking from the group, Shane addressed their students waiting idly by.

"Thank you for helping us to welcome back Sensei Conner. You are all dismissed until training begins."

As the students dispersed, their masters walked along the clearing. Dustin clapped a hand on Conner's shoulder.

"Good to have you back, dude."

Conner scoffed, turning an expression of mock irritation to the earth ninja, "I noticed when I was greeted with a life-sized poster of my cover on Teen People."

Tori giggled, "Oh, c'mon, Conner. You have to admit it was pretty funny."

The fire ninja rolled his eyes, "Yeah, I guess if you enjoy seeing my half-naked, dripping wet body leering at you from afar."

Shane chuckled, "I'm sure a few of your female admirers liked the close-up of that famed six-pack of yours."

"Yeah, Conner," Hunter cajoled, slapping their leader on the back, "and we all got to see how hopelessly devoted to Kira you are."

Tori grinned, playing along with her husband, "Seriously, I didn't know you had her name tattooed on your chest."

"Hey, c'mon, now," Conner growled, shooting the thunder ranger a glare, "At least a tattoo is manly. I'm not the one who had his masculinity disgraced when his little brother had to wipe his nose as the bride was saying her vows."

Hunter threw up his hands, bracing his palms in a gesture of surrender, "Okay, okay, touché to that." Glancing at the fire ranger, Hunter raised a blonde eyebrow.

"But can you blame us? You have to know your celebrity status has skyrocketed since the second title. We had to have a little fun with the dude People magazine named 'Sexiest Man Alive.'"

Conner nodded his head, relenting, one hand tiredly rubbing the back of his neck, "Yeah, it has gotten crazy. There's been a lot of interest from the press. I can't seem to stay away from the tabloids."

Tori flicked an amused gaze over to the inferno ranger, "I'll say. We all got a kick out of that picture they took of Eric and Tally in your, 'adulterous weekend getaway with your mistress.'"

Conner groaned at the memory, "Oh, God, don't remind me. I took so much crap from Kira, and I had so much to explain to the public after that one. Apparently, it's completely unfathomable that I have a twin brother." The fire master paused.

"Speaking of which, where is my deadbeat brother?" Sighing inwardly, Conner reacted as his senses kicked in, sending his twin brother flying over his shoulder. Bending over, Conner smirked, narrowing his eyes playfully at the air master gasping for breath on the tattered forest floor.

"Ah, there he is."

Eric wheezed, his chest heaving from lack of breath as he gasped out, "Good to see you too, bro." Hauling himself to his feet, Eric engulfed Conner in an exuberant embrace.

From their side, Shane grinned as the warning gong sounded, "Okay Mary-Kate and Ashley, let's get going. Classes are gonna start."

xxx

Conner stood at the head of the line, facing the legions of students. His amber gaze swept over the masses, surveying the students of the various elements, recognizing some more than others, some fidgeting nervously, others standing confidently.

As his stare shifted to the thunder section, the majority of the students ramrod straight in attention, Conner smiled. He thought Hunter was slightly crazy for taking a position at the Wind Ninja Academy, resigning as the head instructor at the Thunder Academy. Conner knew that thunder students didn't have the greatest relationships with their counterpart elements. They were always aggressive and upfront, much like their fighting styles. The thunder ninja tended to be fierce and explosive, sometimes failing to think before acting, and the inferno ranger was curious to see how it all was going to play out. But, the many students that followed Hunter from the Thunder Academy had adjusted well to their new surroundings. Conner grinned, catching the thunder master sneak a glance at his wife. Love made some people do some crazy things.

Turning his attention to the water section, he saw that many of Tori and Tally's students were relaxed and calm, listening to Shane with a completely serene disposition. Many students underestimated the water element, believing it to be a weak facet to be placed in. But Conner begged to differ. Water was possibly the most destructive of elements, bringing life in one second and devastation in the next. Any ninja in their right mind was smart not to cross a water ninja.

His gaze then reverted to the samurai section. Like instructor, all of the students were extremely intelligent and different from the rest of the elements. Not many students were clothed in the green regalia of the samurai, and other than the element of fire, it was the most difficult to place. The qualities of the samurai were exact and precise, not allowing many to fit under the category, and the students standing before Cam exuded a certain aura that differed from their companions.

The next element in line was the earth ninjas, many of them fidgeting in impatience. Conner had once observed that the ninjas in the particular elements tended to have the characteristics of their instructors, and Dustin was the least professional of the team. He taught in a rather unorthodox style, but nonetheless, he had produced some of the most dedicated ninjas. Earth ninjas were always well grounded in the fundamentals of their craft, the least flashy of the elements but the most efficient in combat. Conner couldn't help but let out a snort as Dustin attempted to make his students laugh, contorting his face into humorous positions.

The last element was the air ninjas. Conner contained his smirk as the group of air students stood stiffly at attention, their faces seriously gazing up as Shane spoke, listening in rapt attention, setting a standard for the rest of the students, proudly sporting their uniforms trimmed in red. Conner knew the implication in the color; it was the color he himself had worn before the power of fire had chosen him to don the crimson and gold. The air ninjas were always the leaders, making sure they set an example for their counterparts, and just like Shane, they tended to have a slight impatience with incompetence.

"…and, lastly, we welcome back Sensei Conner McKnight, our fire master, who will be running hand-to-hand combat training with Sensei Hunter."

Conner smiled as the whispers and gestures broke out between the students, all of whom were aware of his celebrity status as well as his exploits as the Chosen Ranger two years prior, a feat his teammates were eager to recap to their students.

"You all have your schedules, please proceed to the lesson you are assigned to today. Dismissed!"

xxx

"Block, block, duck, counter. Good!" Conner nodded approvingly at the pair working under his supervision while Hunter made the rounds.

"But next time, Shawn," Conner instructed, taking a position besides the water student, "Instead of using a cross as your counterpunch, you might have wanted to try an uppercut." Conner gestured to Shawn's samurai partner, "Kelsey, go through that same combination, but freeze after the roundhouse." Quickly going through the motions, Conner instructed Shawn as he moved.

"Your counterpunch was a good one, don't get me wrong. But from your crouched position, you're able to start your uppercut with the full weight of your body behind it as opposed to taking your time to stand up straight with a cross. Standing up kind of takes away the power behind the punch," Conner spoke as he demonstrated.

As Shawn took his place before his partner to begin their sparring, a grin spread across Conner's face as the water student found the opportunity to execute a perfect uppercut.

"Feels good, doesn't it?" Conner shifted his gaze to Hunter who appeared at his side, "When they do it right."

The fire ninja chuckled shrugging his shoulders in agreement, "Yeah, it does."

"You seem to be popular," The crimson ninja surveyed the training area, amused as the female population of their students allowed their eyes to fleetingly flicker over to the pair of masters, "It hurts to be such a disappointment when I come over."

Conner raised an eyebrow at his companion, "Dude, you're married."

Hunter grinned mischievously, "Yeah, well, it soothes the ego crash since all out male students drool over Tori."

"Get outta here!"

"No, dude, I'm serious!" Hunter protested at the dubious look on Conner's face. He shot the inferno ninja a condescending glance, "You honestly think these kids like agility training?"

The fire ninja shook his head, falling silent as the moment of mirth ended, a thoughtful look crossing his prominent features. Hunter recognized the appearance on Conner's face, an expression that had been common two years ago, and he turned concerned eyes to the younger man beside him.

"Okay, dude, you gonna tell me what's on your mind?"

Conner hesitated, allowing the thoughts to sort out in his disarrayed mind before speaking, the fire ranger choosing his words carefully.

"What if I told you this summer won't be like the last?"
A pair of blonde eyebrows shot skyward, and Hunter shrugged, "Then I'd say don't get yourself killed."

"So you'd be cool with it?"

Hunter glanced down at the broad white gold band encircling his left ring finger, twisting it around the digit before shrugging, his sapphire eyes glancing upward at the inferno ranger.

"It wouldn't matter whether or not I was okay with it. It's our duty as rangers to save the world when our help is needed." Hunter met Conner's stare directly, his silvery cobalt spheres fixed on Conner's amber orbs in an unwavering gaze.

"Conner, you're our leader. So if you need us to suit up, we will."

Conner fell silent again, pondering Hunter's words. He knew that the team would be there for him if he needed them, they had all shown him that devotion two years ago when they had all fought for their lives and the universe. A year had passed, and he knew their faith still held solid. It was a new summer, and another evil was sure to rear its ugly head. With the constant visits from Caleb, the inferno ranger had a sinking sensation that two years ago was certain to recur again.

xxx

"Pull!"

Wrenching downward on a handle, a young air student sent a clay disc whistling out in the training area's extensive grounds. His eyes never leaving the projectile, Conner conjured a blazing fireball in his palm with a flick of his wrist. The ninja reared back, heaving the sphere of flame to its destination, smirking in triumph as the ball of fire collided with its target, incinerating the cylinder.

"Nice shot, Sensei."

Conner grinned, walking over to the fifteen year-old air student, clapping a hand on the younger boy's shoulder.

"Thanks, Owen." Conner tilted his head at the teen, whom he had taken a liking to and was a favorite of Shane and Eric.

"What do you think, a little too much to the left?"

Owen smirked, a mischievous look glinting in his dark eyes as he shifted a glance to the fire master whom he admired deeply, "Ah, I denno, Sensei. Looked a little to the right to me."

Conner chuckled appreciatively, affectionately giving the younger boy a shove, "Smartass. You've been hanging around my brother too long."

"Conner!"

As the sound of his name alerted his attention, Conner turned to find Shane striding towards him. As Owen straightened from his bow, Conner dismissed the student with a gentle jerk of his head. Turning back to Shane, Conner grinned.

"Hey, Shane."

The air master shook his head in a gesture of exasperation, "I should've never shown you that catapult if I'd have known what mass destruction you would have caused."

Conner glanced back at the many discs reduced to a pile of ashes littering the training grounds. With a wave of his hand, the debris collected together to form a single pile. Reverting his stare back to the air master, Conner's face adopted a look of pure innocence.

"Mass destruction, me?" Laughing at Shane's slightly disgruntled face, Conner grinned, "So, I've been meaning to ask you, what am I going to do during elemental training? Do you and the air students need some control practice, or am I the human target for Tally and Tori?"

Shane paused, stumbling for words. Before his mind could form a coherent sentence, the warning gong sounded, calling all ninja students to gather at the platform. Shane's lips tightened in a grimace.

"See me after we finish."

xxx

Standing at the platform, Conner teetered anxiously on the balls of his feet, his curiosity eating away at his ability to concentrate. His eyes kept flickering over to where Shane stood, his curiosity weeding away at his composure. The moment Eric formally dismissed their students, Conner rushed straight to Shane.

"Okay, so what's up?"

The red ranger grinned at the soccer star's eagerness, gesturing with a wave of his hand, "Follow me." Conner's brow furrowed as the air ninja led him down the platforms steps to the lower training area. One single student stood in wait as the pair approached. He was tall, a brunette boy no older than seventeen, a haughty confidence shining in his dark hazel eyes, the brown of the irises almost swallowing up the hints of green flecking the spheres. Conner gazed curiously down at the boy who fell two inches short of the fire master's six-two frame.

Shane jerked his head at the boy, "Conner, this is Leyton Hawthorne."

The fire ninja took in the young teen before him, and Leyton stared defiantly back, a conceited arrogance glinting in the dark orbs. As Conner's amber eyes studied the young student, his honed senses perked, sending a slight flicker through his body. Taking a note of the sensation and turning to Shane, a contemplative look shadowing his features, Conner quirked an eyebrow, the gesticulation radiating with understanding.

"Lemme guess, this kid's a Pyro."

Shooting his leader a slightly incredulous look, Shane shook his head, "So much for a surprise. I have no idea how he knew, but Eric warned me you already had a sense of it."

Conner silenced the air master with a halting look Shane recognized as the one meaning the fire ninja meant business, "How long?"

His brow furrowing in suspicion, Shane shrugged, "I denno, a little over three months, I think."

The time frame registered in Conner's conscious, and Conner shook his head, mindful of the message he had received the few days prior.

Shane clapped a hand on the inferno ranger's shoulders, "Okay, I'll leave you two to business. Everything you need is in that bag. Conner…" As the air master locked eyes with Conner, Shane gave a nod to the soccer star, the unspoken message passed from leader to teammate.

Watching Shane depart, Conner turned back to his student looking over the teen clothed in the uniform of crimson and gold, "Leyton Hawthorne. Any relation to Dean Hawthorne, that biomechanics guru?"

A smirk tinged the corner of Leyton's mouth as the boy visibly puffed up, "Yeah. He's my dad."

The display of egotism struck a slight chord in the soccer star. He knew he, himself, had been an arrogant prat in high-school and had since toned down his ego, but this kid was sparking something Conner couldn't quite identify in his instinct. Shaking away the sensation of apprehension, the fire master nodded.

"Alright, let's get down to business. Who's been teaching you?"

Leyton shrugged with indifference, "Sensei Kanoi."

"And what have you covered so far?"

"Just the basic stuff," Leyton snorted with a disdainful toss of his head, "Lighting the little things, matches, candles, and so on."

Conner nodded, "Okay then let's start with that." The bag positioned at the edge of the training mat flew to his hand with a gentle beckoning of his hand, and reaching into the nylon depths, he produced a crimson candle. Motioning for Leyton to kneel, Conner placed the candle before his student with a simple instruction.

"Now light it."

An expression of intense concentration twisted Leyton's face as he struggled to perform his task, all of his energy focused on the crimson wax before him. A moment passed before the wick jutting from the waxy surface flared, sparked with flame, and Leyton's eyes opened, the fire student smirking triumphantly at his master.

Observing the success, Conner's face twisted thoughtfully, "Not bad."

Standing up straight, Leyton bristled, "'Not bad?'" The fire student echoed with contempt, "I had the candle lit in, like, two seconds."

Conner raised an eyebrow, staring silently down at the haughty young man. His honey spheres studied the indignant boy before him.

"Yeah, that's true. But you also had to concentrate all your energy into lighting the candle. Something as simple as that should be done as second nature." Calling the crimson cylinder of wax to him, Conner demonstrated his point while continuing to instruct Leyton.

"The bigger things like quelling a blaze, fireballs, streams, and protective shields all require an immense amount of concentration to perform." As Conner spoke, the flame lighting the candle flared, rising to different heights, swirling into different patterns.

"So until you can conjure fire just like that," Conner snapped his fingers for emphasis, prompting the blaze to extinguish from the candle, lighting the empty air above his fingertips, "We're sticking to the basics." Conner motioned for Leyton to kneel before him once again.

"Let's try this again."

xxx

The doors to Hayley's Cyberspace Café flew open to reveal Conner and Eric McKnight. As the legions of soccer fans flocked to the UCLA phenomenon, Eric grinned, shaking his head as he made his way to the table where Ethan, Trent, Dr. Oliver, and Kira already sat. Hugs and hellos were exchanged as the group settled back down into their chairs. Ethan smirked, lowering himself into his seat.

"Well, it's nice to know Conner's not letting this go to his head."

Kira snorted, flicking her mane of hair over her shoulder, "Oh, c'mon, you all know what would happen if he did."

Trent waggled his eyebrows, "Is it attuned to something we did last spring break?"

A look of amusement bloomed over Ethan's face, "You mean like covering him in glue and feathers and tying him up to the tree in front of the hotel?"

Tommy's eyebrows shot skyward, "You guys actually did that?"

Eric grinned, "What? He was being an ass that day, and it was only for about fifteen minutes."

Tommy shook his head as a moment later, Conner sidled up to the table. After greeting all of them, he slumped down in the chair between his brother and Kira, rearing back to cover his face with his cap.

"Aw, what's the matter, Jockboy? Fame too heavy for you to handle?" Ethan chided from across the inferno ranger.

Too exhausted to unleash his wit, let alone respond, Conner waved a hand to his brother, gesturing to the air ninja to explain.

Laughing good-naturedly, Eric diverted his attention to his teammates, "Well, it turns out that another lucky soul enjoys causing civic disruption with incineration." The air master clapped a hand on his brother's shoulder, eliciting a deep groan, "Conner's got himself a student."

Four pairs of eyes snapped to the fire master, whose head bobbed up and down from beneath his hat in confirmation. Eric grinned.

"And apparently, it didn't go so well."

Once again, Conner nodded from his prone position. Removing his cap from his line of vision, he hauled himself up into a sitting position.

"Understatement of the century."

Tommy gazed out in concern at his former student, "Why do you say that. Is there something wrong with him?"

Conner shrugged helplessly, "I don't know, Dr. O…I mean, Tommy," Conner hastily amended at the reproachful look his ex-teacher gave him, "He's arrogant…even more than me," The fire master directed at the scoff his teammates were beginning to vocalize.

"He's stand-offish, cocky," Conner ran his hands through his hands, "Something's just off."

From across from him, Tommy nodded in understanding, "I know, it's hard, Conner, believe me. But you can't just write him off on first impressions and the first meeting." His dark eyes locked with the younger man.

"Trust me, if I had followed my first impressions with you guys, none of you would have been rangers." Shouts of indignation filled the black Dino ranger's ears, and he held his hands up in defense, "Now, hang on a minute before you jump on me. What I meant by that is that I didn't know if you all were going to be able to pull this off. You were all so different and clashed constantly. Think about how many fights and arguments I had to break up. I didn't know if you could become a team."

Tommy smiled in pride at his teammates, the teens he had mentored, "But you all proved me wrong. You found a way to compromise and unite. You embraced the discrepancies in one another, cared about one another." Tommy glanced at the younger McKnight twin, "You allowed Eric to join you and adopted him as one of the team."

Tommy chuckled, "You hated each other in the beginning and now look at you. Two of you are involved, you all consider each other like family, and you survived death." The black ranger met each teen's gaze directly, "A good thirty to forty states separate you during the school year, and you all still manage to stay close." Tommy reverted his gaze to the one chosen by the power of fire.

"So, Conner, give him a chance. You don't know what he could be capable of."

Conner nodded, taking his mentor's words to heart, "Yeah, I'll try. Thanks, Tommy."

Hayley appeared at their table, grinning down at the group. Placing the various drinks in front of the team, she turned to the McKnight twins.

"Hey, Eric, Conner, the usual for you guys?"

Forcing out a smile, Conner nodded, "Yeah, Hayley, thanks. How's Billy?"

At the mention of her fellow genius and new fiancée, the redhead visibly flushed, her cheeks turning a delicate shade of pink, "He's well. He's developing a new molecular theory, and he's really enjoying his work at Reefside High."

Conner smiled, reveling in the Hayley's happiness, "That's great, Hayley. I'm happy for you."

Nodding in gratitude, the owner retreated, promising to return with their orders, and Kira gently nudged her boyfriend.

"So, who's the kid?"

Conner groaned, the sound rumbling deeply in his throat, one hand snaking up to rub the back of his neck in fatigue, "Leyton Hawthorne."

With the name, Trent jerked straighter, his forehead creasing in curiosity, "Of Hawthorne Biomechanics?"

Conner nodded, "That's the one. You know him?"

Trent shrugged, "Our fathers run in the same circles, attend the same society functions. Given that most of the people who attend those kinds of parties had their mid-life crisis the last time the Red Sox won the World Series – and I don't mean 2004 – we ended up talking a lot. Turns out we have some things in common."

"Like?" Ethan ventured.

"We're both adopted, for one."

Kira played with the straw in her peach smoothie, "What happened to his parents?"

Trent shook his head, "I have no idea. He mentioned something about not knowing his real parents, but what I do know is that Dean Hawthorne isn't Leyton's biological father."

Ethan snorted, "Wow, talk about luck of the draw. Hawthorne's worth billions."

Trent gave a flippant toss of his head, "Yeah, he is. I didn't end up liking Leyton that much. The kid's a jackass."

"Well said," Conner agreed, slapping Trent on the arm.

As the chatter continued, Conner leaned back to survey his friends. They all seemed so happy, oblivious to the knowingly dangerous mission that lay in their immediate future. His gaze shifted from his brother to Kira. He had to warn them about this summer, resolving to do it after dinner tonight.

xxx

"We were so excited when Kira got that internship with Amplified Records," Kate Ford gushed, turning a beaming gaze to her daughter. "They gave her such a great deal concerning her demo. It was so much better than that awful deal Tone Records gave her."

Lynn McKnight chuckled, taking a sip of her wine, "Ah, yes. I remember that incident. Conner came home that day utterly furious, spewing expletives about how some producer made Kira change her image." Lynn shot her oldest son a sly smirk.

"I believe his exact words were," Lynn paused, deepening her voice to mimic Conner's growling baritone, "'Why the hell would they want to change something so obviously amazing in the first place?'"

Eric snorted into his pasta, hastily concealing the sound as a cough. In comparison to the younger twin, Kira threw her head back, giggling profusely, sneaking a glance at her exceptionally mortified boyfriend, his face flushing a deep crimson and his features contorting into a horrified expression, as he stared at his mother.

"Mom!"

Lynn McKnight treated her son with a reproachful look, "Well, don't be embarrassed, sweetie. You do have Kira's name tattooed on your chest."

"Mother!" Conner's throat vibrated in a groan as the inferno ranger buried his face in his hands, the sleeves of his crimson dress-shirt contrasting nicely with the bright red of the tips of his ears poking through the unruly tufts of his brown hair.

"Conner Nathaniel McKnight, stop being such a drama king!" Lynn scolded, brushing off her son's audible groans with a dismissive wave of her hand before engaging Darren and Kate Ford back into conversation.

As Conner slowly recovered from his wonderful trip down memory lane, his face slowly regressing back to its normal tanned shade, he fell silent, playing with the little remains of his dinner. From across her boyfriend, Kira caught Conner's notable quiet as he shifted his fork around his plate. Her concerned hazel gaze drifted up to lock on a pair of identical honey-colored irises as Eric also noticed Conner's state of muteness. Kira's blonde eyebrow cock in the unvoiced question, and Eric allowed his shoulders to lift in a barely perceptible shrug, leaving the two rangers to stare in apprehension at their contemplative leader.

xxx

Conner stayed silent as the Mustang cruised down the streets of downtown Reefside. Both Kira and Eric exchanged confused glances as Conner drove on, seemingly leading them away from the gaudy brightness of the city center to the outskirts of Reefside. Pulling the car to rest against to a railing overlooking the city, Conner hauled himself onto the hood, leaning back against the windshield, motioning for Eric and Kira to join him, As the petite yellow ranger settled between his legs, lounging back against his chest, Eric scooted up beside him.

Conner glanced out at the evening sky, the stars and lights illuminating Reefside's night life and the warm summer breeze ruffling his tousled locks. From her position, Kira felt his chest heave in a lethargic sigh.

"I don't think this summer will be like the last."

In his arms, Kira visible stiffened, her diminutive frame tensing in his embrace, and Eric's brow furrowed as the Dino ranger stared at his older sibling.

"How do you know?"

Conner rolled his eyes, "Let's just say an overly pesky phoenix told me." Releasing the breath he held in a long exhale, he nervously ran a hand through his hair.

"Look, I'm not going to force you guys to - "

"No." The simple word halted Conner as he stared down at Kira, the first words she had spoken since dinner, Shifting in his hold, she stared defiantly back at her boyfriend, her hazel orbs tinged with a reluctant acceptance.

"The moment we took the Dino Gems, the day you acknowledged you were the Chosen Ranger, we made a promise that whenever the world was in trouble, we would be there to help it."

Kira stared passionately into the twin amber spheres of the McKnight brothers, "If you need us to fight Conner, we will."

Conner nodded tightly, his mouth curving in a small smile of gratitude as they all climbed off the hood of his car. He was comforted with the fact that the team had his back. But the trepidation still nagged. With all former ranger missions, there was always something at stake, and something always had to be surrendered. With that in mind, what would be the price of victory this time?

Coming Up:

Dreams hold the key to the future

Where there is one, there is always another

What's the best way to let out frustration for a ninja?

Cryptic enough for you guys? You know, I don't know if I've left you guys with enough suspense. Maybe it's time to throw the first curveball…Yeah, that seems about fitting. Stay tuned and keep the challenges coming…

Roxie