AN: Thank you to everyone who has been keeping up with these little side stories. Remember ideas are always welcome. Here's a little ficlet about the Knight Rangers. Enjoy!
ZzZzZ
"What are we, their slaves?"
"They get to push us around because we're the youngest."
"Will you two stop complaining? This is why they're treating us like kids."
Kale shot a glare of annoyance at his white clad teammate. Nick just glared right back at him. Valin sighed used his hand grips attached to his rope to pull himself further up the side of the zord they were supposed to be cleaning. Below him he could hear his two teammates start to bicker. Kale and Nick were two peas in a pod, but when they got irritated no one was safe not even each other. He just wanted to stay out of it. The sooner they got Rez's zord cleaned the sooner he could go to bed.
"I'm tired of you flapping your damn mouth all the time!" Kale yelled.
"I'm tired of you period!" Nick retorted.
"What kind of comeback is that?"
"What kind of comeback is that?" Nick mocked.
"BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP!"
Kale and Nick fell silent as they both stared at Valin with wide eyes. Having the usually reserved Green Ranger scream at them was shocking. It was enough to make them realize something was really wrong with their friend. Instantly their argument was forgotten as both boys pulled themselves up to be level with their teammate. Valin was angrily scrubbing at the zord and seemed to be trying to ignore them. Nick and Kale exchanged a worried look at his unusual behavior.
"Valin, are you okay?" Kale asked gently.
The green clad teenager remained silent. His green eyes stared determinedly at the blue metal in front of him.
"Valin?"
"Leave me alone." Valin snapped.
Nick and Kale exchanged another look. Nick gently prodded his friend in the side. "What's wrong?"
"What do you care? All you two want to do is argue." Valin snapped.
Before either of his teammates could say anything Valin unclamped the hand grips and allowed himself to free fall toward the ground. A few feet from the ground he used the hand grips to slow his descent and his feet gently touched the ground. Moving quickly he removed his harness equipment and stormed out of the zord bay. Nick and Kale exchanged another surprised glance before doing the same thing. They made a beeline straight for the door and bumped into a purple clad figure.
"Sorry Max." Nick apologized, helping the older ranger to his feet.
Max brushed himself off and gave his teammates a critical look. "What have you boys been up to in the zord bay? If you tampered with any programming--."
"And risk your wrath? We're smarter than that." Kale said. "Rez had us cleaning the zords."
Max started laughing. Nick and Kale exchanged a confused look, which only made Max laugh harder. The purple clad young man quickly slipped into the zord bay before they could ask him why he was laughing. They didn't need to know that the techdroids automatically cleaned the zords after every battle.
The two befuddled rangers shook off their confusion and hurried toward the lift. Unfortunately, Valin was already long gone, which meant they had a pretty big base to search to find him. They took the lift to the next level up, the medical level. There were all sorts of private recovery rooms and research rooms to check as well as the infirmary and ICU. Valin could hide anywhere on the level. Luck was on their side, just as they stepped off the lift a yellow clad woman walked out of one of the research rooms.
"Sanda!" Nick called.
The blond woman stopped and turned her attention to her teammates. "Nick, Kale what's wrong? Are you hurt?"
"No, we're searching for Valin." Kale replied.
Nick grimaced. "We kinda upset him."
"Upset Valin? What did you do bring up his sister?" Sanda demanded. "I don't know why you would look on this level for him. Valin knows better than to play around on this level. Unlike two other boys I know."
"You have no proof of anything you've accused us of doing." Nick said with an innocent smile. "We wouldn't mess around down here either."
"And I suppose there are more immature boys on this base that would find it funny to draw inappropriate pictures on my presentation slides?"
Kale snickered at the memory as Nick grabbed him by the back of his uniform and hauled him backward into the lift. Sanda shook her head and continued down the hall to her office as the two boys went to the next level. The training level had simulators, an arena for competitive sessions, two workout rooms, a pool, and a two locker rooms. More places for Valin to hide. Nick was beginning to realize what a chore lay in store for them. Valin could hide anywhere and if he didn't want to be found they wouldn't find him. Of course, that wouldn't stop them from looking.
"Valin!" Kale shouted into the hallway. He grunted as Nick smacked the back of his head. "Hey!"
"He's not going to answer if he doesn't want to be found dumbass." Nick chided.
Kale growled, his purple eyes flashed. "Don't call me a dumbass! And don't hit me!"
"Then don't do stupid things and I won't!"
"I'll show you stupid things!"
"Boys!"
Nick and Kale jumped and spun at the booming voice. A gray clad young man and a red clad woman were watching them with disapproving looks.
"Kora, Greg, have you seen Valin?" Kale asked, trying to ignore the looks he was being given.
"No." Kora said and then stepped back through a door into the arena.
Greg shook his head. "You boys should stop arguing. You'll regret it one day."
"We're just looking for Valin, not a lecture." Kale snapped.
"Maybe you need a lesson instead." Greg retorted, his own temper flaring.
"Greg, leave the boys to their own problems." Kora called from within the room. "Our training is more important."
Greg gave his younger teammates another disapproving glare before he disappeared through the door too. A little disheartened the teenagers stepped back onto the lift and went up to the next level. They only paused briefly at the command level. There was no way Valin would be insane enough to hide on the command level. They were restricted from stepping foot there without one of the older rangers with them.
The next and last level would be the toughest to search. There were bedrooms for both the rangers and staff but also for emergency cases. Along with that there was the mess hall, the more private rec. room, the mediation room, and the kitchen. So many places for Valin to hide. The task almost seemed impossible.
"Man, I never realized how big this place is." Kale groaned. "Valin could be anywhere."
"Yeah and it's our job to find him."
"Why? He obviously doesn't want to be found." Kale argued.
Nick rolled his eyes. "Are you that thick headed? Of course he wants us to find him. He wants to see that we really care about him enough to hunt him down and find out what's wrong with him."
"Stop insulting me." Kale snapped. "What's your damn problem anyway? You've been at my throat all day."
"Oh and you haven't been at mine?"
"Are you two suddenly five year olds in teenage bodies? Cause it sounds to me like a few bad tempered children are throwing temper tantrums."
Kale turned and glared at his silver clad brother. "Don't start with me Zac, I'm not in the damn mood."
"Okay, I know that today's battle was really tough and you both go your asses kicked more than you like, but you bad attitudes aren't helping things around here." Zac ground out between clenched teeth. "I don't think you should find Valin until you've pulled your heads out of your asses."
Kale glared after his brother and started to follow, but Nick grabbed his shoulder. Kale jerked away from his touch and turned to glare at him. Nick instantly glared back and the tension between them grew.
"What is your damn problem today?" Nick snarled.
"You are apparently." Kale growled back.
There was a flash of hurt in Nick's eyes that cut straight through Kale's anger. "I am? Well, if I'm your problem I'll just remove myself from your presence and your day can get better."
"Nick, I'm sorry." Kale said, grabbing his friend's shoulder as the older teen turned to leave. "That monster today just wound me up and I haven't been able to relax."
"Hit a nerve when it said you were nothing without your brother, huh?"
"And I bet you haven't gotten over the crack about your zord looking like a glorified snowman."
"And Valin...oh god, how blind could we be?" Nick groaned.
"Pretty blind."
Nick and Kale jumped for the hundredth time that night and turned to see Rez walking toward them. He didn't look disapproving like the others. There was the same serene air of peace around him as there always was. His silver-green eyes were calm and his long black hair pulled back, completing the picture of serenity.
"Laizers hit some sore points on all of us today, but none worse than Valin. The comments about Aurias struck him deeply and I had hoped that you two were good enough friends to see past your own bruised egos to see that he was hurting." Rez said, his deep voice echoing in the lonely hall. "When you are ready to comfort him your hearts will lead you to him."
With that Rez followed in Zac's footsteps though much calmer. Nick and Kale exchanged guilty looks.
"And to think I called you dumbass when that title belongs to both of us." Nick said.
"I think self absorbed jerks fits too." Kale mused. He rubbed a hand over his face and sighed. "Okay, if you were an upset green ranger where would you go?"
The two stared at each other thoughtfully. They needed to find their friend and quickly. The answer struck them simultaneously.
"The Aviary!"
As one the two Knight Rangers darted down the hall. Their footfalls were exactly in sync with each other. They didn't even pause to turn into a room, but they did come to a pretty abrupt halt when they entered. The room had several different glass housings for many separate varieties of birds. The room had been a guest bathroom, but one of the previous Green Knight Rangers had turned it into an aviary and for some reason every Green Ranger after that was attracted to it. As expected Valin was curled up on one of the little couches, tears glistening on his cheeks.
"Oh Valin." Kale murmured sadly.
The young Green Ranger sat up when he heard them enter and rubbed at his face as if trying to hide his tears. Kale moved swiftly to his friend's side and pulled the slightly younger teen into a comforting embrace. Valin didn't try to pull away, if anything he snuggled closer and let himself really cry. Nick moved to sit on Valin's other side and put a hand on the younger teen's shoulder.
"I'm sorry Valin, I should have seen past my own wounded pride to realize that what that monster said hurt you deeply." Nick said.
Kale tightened his arms. "I'm sorry too. What kind of friend am I to not see when my best friend is hurting?"
"I tried to hide it." Valin offered. "I didn't want anyone to think I was weak."
"You're not weak Valin and we would never think that." Nick replied. "You've been through some truly terrifying situations and come out of it still strong."
"And what that monster said about Aurias isn't true at all." Kale added. "Aurias was never meant to be the Green Ranger. She wouldn't make a better Green Ranger and we definitely don't want her on the team."
"And you had no power over her killing your father. You couldn't have stopped her."
"I...I should be upset that my father was killed by my older sister...but..." Valin shook his head with a sniffle. "But the oldest child is supposed to get the Ranger power. Rightfully the power should have been hers."
"What your family tradition dictates and what the power says are two different things." Kale said. "Your family tradition said it should have been Aurias who got the Green Ranger powers. But it was the power talking to your father, choosing youthat got you the power instead. The power chose you Valin, not her. Remember that."
"That means a lot to hear you say." Valin murmured. "I'm sorry I yelled at you guys earlier."
"No, we're sorry for being self righteous, self absorbed, half-witted morons." Nick replied, leaning down to join the group hug.
"But we promise never to do that again. From now on we look out for each other first and ourselves second." Kale said.
"No one will ever suffer in silence again."