Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers

Chapter 13 – Future Unknown

A month had passed since the Dino Rangers teamed up with the Ninja Rangers and it seemed that their lives had truly returned to normal as Sensei had said. Eric had taken a two week leave from the Wind Ninja Academy, granted to him only because he was not his usual self when he'd gone to Sensei with the request, but rather much quieter and more serious. He returned home to Reefside where he spent most of his time with Connor, knowing his brother needed him. Connor had talked about everything that had happened since last September, the events, the feelings, everything, but only on a cursory level. Even with Kira, whom he couldn't hide anything from as they had yet to reach the point in their bond that they could hide things like Tommy and Kim could, he'd only ever opened up enough to let her know that that was what he was feeling. But Eric was his twin. He'd made a passing reference to Fred and George from Harry Potter but the truth was that he and Eric were very much like the Weasley twins. They'd seen each other at their best and their worst, they knew each other better then they knew themselves, from the time they were in the womb right up until Eric went to the Wind Ninja Academy, they'd shared everything and done everything together. He was the one person whom Connor would allow to see a total melt down, and though he did not have a melt down when they'd had their discussion about him and Kira, Connor had still opened up about his feelings more to his brother then anyone else.

He knew that there were certain things he couldn't tell Eric, such as the existence of the prophecy, and he'd told him that right from the beginning. But, without going into detail about what or why, he'd told Eric about how an ancient power had bound them together, the abilities they were granted, like having real telepathy, how their lives were tied together, and how one of them could not live without the other. He'd glossed over Kira's near death and their time on Phaedos, saying just enough for Eric to understand he was absolutely serious, while allowing room for assumptions, such as the fact that it went both ways and Connor could not live without Kira, instead of it just being one sided. Though, Connor realized, The Great Power may not decide to kill him if Kira no longer loved him or if she died, but there was a good chance he'd try to end it, for he realized he didn't want to live without her, and that realization scared him; bringing on a whole new discussion with his twin about how he could have such feelings for a kid he'd known for less then a year.

Eric, for his part, proved that he could be mature and wasn't always, or entirely, the airhead Connor had made him out to be. He'd held his brother and let him cry, yell, rant and rage and had also reciprocated those gestures when necessary. By the end of Eric's two weeks in Reefside Connor felt better then he had in awhile, he'd thought about Kira's near death that he'd gotten over it all and hadn't actually realized how bad he was still feeling until he'd seen his twin. And knowing you didn't really get time off ninja training until you graduated, he promised to infiltrate the Academy if he needed Eric or if Eric needed him; a fact that was made easier to communicate via a communicator Kira had given Eric, courtesy of Alpha.

-C/K-

After Eric's departure things calmed down and returned to normal, and even stayed that way for awhile, changing only as April began to come to a close. The first change came on a personal level with acceptance letters from colleges and universities being sent out. Ethan made it into MIT and Trent into all father-approved colleges, though also, unknown to Anton, had been accepted into an art school in New York. Connor was the only one who had not even applied to any colleges, telling his parents that he wanted to take a year off to focus on his soccer, though his fellow Rangers knew it was because he couldn't leave Kira. Connor was at a loss as to what to do the following year. Hayley had graciously offered him Trent's job once he went to college, and Tommy was sure Alpha could use some help, or that any of the other Rangers could find something for him to do. Connor was flattered that they'd all go to such lengths to help him out, but that didn't really solve his problem. He was at the point in his life where he had to start thinking about his future, and the only sure thing was that Kira would be in it. But in terms of school or a job, none of the options presented to him had any long-term possibilities. He had a mate he had to wait on to grow up, but in eight years when Kira would be the age he was now, he'd be twenty-six and hoped to at least be on track for his future by then, instead of just starting off and holding shot-term jobs for the next eight years.

One afternoon not long after Ethan and Trent had received their acceptance letters, Connor, who had admittedly been moping for the last few days, got a call from his mate through their bond practically demanding that he change into his soccer clothes and meet her at Reefside Stadium. Unsure why, Connor did as asked, arriving at the stadium to see a banner for open tryouts for the Reefside Flames. They were a part of the minor league, which was essentially a stepping stone to the major league as that's where most of their players got drafted from. Being a part of the Reefside Flames, if he was that lucky, meant traveling around California, and occasionally out of state, for games, though only if his team made it far enough during the season, and more importantly, proclaiming to the professional league that you were serious about soccer. It was an option Connor had not thought of for the simple reason that open tryouts were rarely held, and most players were drafted from yet another under-league, a league Connor was not a part of. But if he did make the team, it could be the solution he'd been looking for. It meant he'd be able to stay close to Kira, for he'd be living and training in Reefside, only leaving for away games which meant no more then a couple days separation at a time, while still being able to play the game he loved. Kira saw through their bond the moment he'd reached that conclusion and smiled at him. Making this team solved a big problem, so really he had to make the team, plain and simple, and Kira was giving him her full support. When Connor had reached the point where his options were to give up on soccer or kidnap Kira and take her with him wherever he went, he'd basically given up on his dream, but Kira hadn't. Without caring who was nearby, Connor went over to Kira's side and pulled her into a hug, holding her close.

"Thank you." He murmured, his hug being reciprocated.

"You mean the world to me too, Connor." She murmured back. "I won't let you give up on your dream. Not for anything, and especially not for me." Pulling back, Kira tried to hold back tears that threatened to fall at the overwhelming feelings going through them both. "Now get in there and make the team. You are not to leave until you do, do you understand me?" Connor laughed at her mock sternness. "I mean it Connor. Give it your all." Connor nodded as he ran into the stadium, preparing to do exactly as his mate had instructed and make the team.

-C/K-

The next three days were wrought with tryouts and re-tryouts. Connor spent nearly all of those three days on the pitch, skipping three days of school in the process, though luckily with the permission of his parents whom he'd had to beg for a couple hours and bring home proof that the smartest kid in school, Ethan, as well as one of his teachers, Tommy, had agreed to tutor him and help with anything he'd miss; though truthfully since it was only three days Connor didn't know why they were so up in arms about him missing, it wasn't like losing three days was going to stop him from graduating. But, gain their approval he did, which meant Randall could do nothing, for they'd gone through the proper channels; a fact that greatly pleased three of her students and one of her teachers. Battles during this time had been fought by four Rangers unless absolutely necessary, for Connor was under strict orders from Kira not to leave the pitch unless it truly got to the point where Mesogog would win if he didn't. Thankfully things never got that bad and Connor didn't miss a single tryout. Finally, on the fourth day after the first tryout, the coach was to post the list of those who had made the team and Connor was anxiously driving to the stadium to find out if he was one of them.

"Ok, so the second I know if he made it or not, we either take that banner down," Kira said, pointing to the one that read 'Congratulations Connor!' "And write nothing on the cake, or we leave the banner and write congratulations Connor on the cake. Got it?" To say Kira was nervous would be an understatement. She was just as worried as Connor, but had still been able to put together, not a party per se, but a celebration, or a condolence gathering if he didn't make the team. Everyone was there, Eric included, having been teleported in especially for Connor; Tommy hadn't really given Sensei a choice, but he'd promised to have him back by nightfall and not to make it a regular occurrence, and since classes at the Academy were over for the day, Sensei didn't complain. He and the Ninja Rangers were starting to see what every other team before them had, that they were part of the Power Ranger Family, which not only included Rangers but mentors and tech advisors, as well as a select few who were particularly close to one of the aforementioned Rangers, mentors or tech advisors, and that this family was all up in each other's lives and there was no escaping. As the gang waited for the answer from Connor, two unexpected visitors arrived the Oliver house.

"Trini, come in." Tommy said after Trini had already let herself in. "Is Jase-"

"Don't you dare say his name in my presence." She growled and Tommy immediately backed off. The only thing that scared him more then an almost full term Trini was a seven-month pregnant Kim, and the only thing that scared him more then that was when the two of them got together.

"You know you getting pregnant eleven years ago has really inconvenienced me, Kim." Trini said as she walked into the kitchen where everyone was gathered, did a double take at the one she thought to be Connor before remembering Kim had told her Connor had a twin and this must be him. Eric, who had been closest to the door, jumped up and offered Trini his seat, but she waved him off as she headed directly to her goddaughter. "Not that I'd ever wish you didn't exist." She murmured to Kira lovingly, having pulled her into a hug. For her part, Kira was completely clueless as to why her mom's pregnancy would inconvenience Trini eleven years after the fact, but she figured she'd find out in a moment.

"What's Jase done now?" Kim asked, not looking up from where she was mixing a bowl of icing for Connor's cake. Over the last few months Trini had come to her in annoyance at things Jason had done and after months of it, plus the twenty-seven years she'd lived with the guy, Kim was practically immune to Jason's stupidity.

"He's become Tommy!" She cried. "The Tommy that existed when you were pregnant before. I can't believe it took me eight months to figure it out! I knew there was something about Jason that was pissing me off, just like there was something about Tommy that pissed you off, and I finally clued in as to what it was. I didn't get why Tommy pissed you off, but now I do cause they're exactly the same! The protectiveness, treating me like a china doll who can't do anything for herself just because she's carrying a baby, the assumption he knows what's best…everything he's learned about being around a pregnant woman, and how to treat a pregnant woman, he's learned from Tommy!" During the Original Yellow Ranger's rant, the three teenage boys had quietly retreated to the safety of the doorway behind their teacher and his best friend, whom had joined Tommy sometime during Trini's rant, with the option of escape to the living room, Dino Lab, or outside should the girls' attention be turned in their direction; in situations like this it was best to have multiple exit strategies.

"That sounds about right." Kim muttered, remembering Tommy from back then. Although there were many similarities between Tommy during Kim's first pregnancy and this one, she couldn't deny he was less intense this time round and didn't piss her off as often. "But maybe it's a first child thing. Tommy isn't quite as annoying this time round."

"Maybe." She grudgingly admitted. "Could be a Ranger thing too. I'll have to remember to ask Ashley what Andros was like."

"Good idea." Kira said, being the only one who hadn't retreated. "In the meantime, would you like some ice cream Aunt Trini?"

"Yes. Yes I would." Trini said, finally sitting down. Kira went over to the freezer and read Trini her options.

"We have chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, Neapolitan, and yes I know that's a combination of the other three but we've got them individually too. Then there's butterscotch ripple, chocolate chip cookie dough, and mint chocolate chip." While Kira listed the flavours of ice cream they had, the boys eyebrows, save for Tommy's, raised inch by inch at each flavour she named.

"You have that much ice cream in the house?!" Jason asked incredulously and Tommy shot his own incredulous look at Jason for asking such a question.

"Ok…ignoring the fact that there's a pregnant Kim in this house, and we all remember how much she craved ice cream last time she was pregnant, something that hasn't changed this time round, there's Kira in this house. Kira, the child who's favourite philosophy, no matter how much she learns of life, is that everything is better with ice cream. Put Kira and a pregnant Kim together and I dare you to tell me we have too much ice cream."

"You have too much ice cream." A voice behind them said. Everyone turned to see Connor who'd arrived just in time to hear Tommy's statement.

"Connor!" Kira cried rushing forward, unable to believe that he'd gotten here without her knowing.

"Teleported." He answered her.

"And...?" she asked hesitantly, both too nervous to search the bond for the answer, and also wanting to hear it from him.

"I made the team!" He said after several tense moments. Kira's cry of joy sounded both throughout the room and through their minds as she launched herself at Connor. He caught her and held her close; both were extremely happy that he'd made the team, as it was one step closer to his dream, and also feeling relieved for it solved a problem that had hit the two hard.

"Congratulations man." Said Ethan and Trent as they came over.

"Proud of you bro."

"Eric!" Connor said happily, upon seeing his brother.

"Oh!" Kira cried, releasing her grip from around Connor's neck and prompting him to let her down. "This was supposed to be a surprise! We had a cake and everything…"

"It's still a surprise." Connor said consoling her, though she wasn't truly upset.

"Well you'll just have to wait for the cake then." Kira said, checking to see that her mom was nearly done with the icing before going back to work on getting her aunt some ice cream.

"And while I wait Dr. O can explain why your philosophy on life is about ice cream." Connor said with amusement as he took a seat next to Trini.

"That's really not necessary." Kira said before she could stop herself and realize that saying that basically sealed her fate.

"Oh I think it is." Both Tommy and Jason said.

"You see," Tommy started. "Kira's been obsessed with ice cream since the first time she tasted it, which I believe was her first birthday."

"And when we say obsessed, we mean obsessed." Jason continued.

"The first time after she was born that either Kim or I went away for any real length of time Kim was going to Paris for a week to visit her step-family. Kira and I drive her and her parents out to LAX, and as we're saying goodbye she starts crying. And doesn't stop crying until we get back to the Youth Centre in Angel Grove, which is a two-hour drive from L.A. I walk in with a bawling child and Ernie brings over some ice cream to cheer her up. The second the ice cream is set in front of her, crying stops." Tommy snapped his fingers to emphasis his point, earning a laugh from everyone but his daughter.

"Fast forward about a year. Justin's upset cause his father was away on his birthday. We lead him into the Youth Centre where we were gonna hold a surprise party and an almost three year old Kira looks up into his tear stained face, a spoonful of ice cream halfway to her mouth, and she puts it back." Said Jason. "Then she toddles over with her bowl of ice cream, holds it out to him and says 'be happy.' " More laughter ensued, though this time accompanied by some aws. Unimpressed with her family, Kira rolls her eyes and handed Trini her ice cream while sitting down with her own.

"Hey give me a bite." Connor said reaching for ice cream only to have his hand smacked with her spoon.

"Ow!"

"You make fun of my ice cream, you don't get any." She growled with narrowed eyes, daring him to try again. Seeing she was serious, Connor wisely backed off.

-C/K-

The beginning of May brought on the next big change for the Rangers, this one far worse then the last as it had potentially fatal consequences. Mesogog had created a machine that could fossilize any living thing. Aside from encasing people in amber, the Rangers could not for the life of them figure out why Mesogog would create such a machine. He wanted to restore Earth to its prehistoric roots, and while fossils often tended to be old, encasing people in amber wasn't going to help accomplish his goal. Of course, whatever twisted thought process Mesogog had, which truthfully the Rangers did not want to know about, the fact remained that his machine could cause a significant amount of damage. Both luckily, and unluckily, he decided to test it out on the Rangers, which meant that when Tommy got encased in amber they were down one Ranger, but Tommy had also saved some civilian from the same fate. A fate they quickly discovered was not going to be easily undone.

Kira's anger over her father's imprisonment caused her to take on Zeltrax, and the machine, on her own. With her Super Dino Mode she would have succeeded, however, Connor naturally could not let her face a high ranking minion alone, especially with the machine still functioning, and even more especially after what he'd seen Tommy's imprisonment do to Kimberly; he was terrified Kira too would be encased in amber. With his fear and Kira's anger Zeltrax didn't stand a chance, and Connor didn't even need to go Triassic to push the villain back and destroy the machine. Once that battle was over, the two returned to the Dino Lab where a near frantic Kira joined a fully frantic Kimberly.

"Mom, mom calm down." She said, her anxiousness rising seeing how distraught her nearly eight month pregnant mother get getting. "Think of the baby." Kira said forcefully, grabbing her mother and making her sit in the chair Trent and Ethan had been attempting to get her into since they brought Tommy back. Although still distraught, the reminder of her baby had the desired effect and Kim sat down, taking a few deep breaths. When she had calmed down some, Kim gasped and snapped her head in Tommy's direction.

"He's alive." She breathed, causing everyone to breathe that much easier. "He's…he's not even hurt. I can feel him, I can hear him. He says you'll be having a chat about going after high up minions on your own when he's free." Kira let out a humourless, yet relieved laugh.

"So Dr. O's aware in there?" Ethan double-checked. Kim nodded.

"Though only really through our bond. He's like in stasis. His heart and brain are functioning, which is keeping him alive, but nothing else works. He can't move, can't see, can't feel his arms or legs. But he knows what we're saying, and he can see and feel through our bond. He's seeing through my eyes."

"Ok, so Dr. O's alive." Said Trent, as he and the other Rangers finally de-morphed. "But for how long? Where the hell is Hayley when you need her?"

"Shoving people out of the Cyberspace cause someone didn't show for their shift and left me without any backup." Came Hayley's voice as she came down the stairs, did a double take seeing Tommy in amber, then immediately rushed to the computers and began getting a scanner ready. "Not that I can really blame you since Mesogog attacked." Seconds later her scanner was ready and she was running it over the amber, then plugging it into the computer and bringing up the results.

"Well?" asked Kira.

"As far as I can tell, he's basically immortal so long as he's in that amber." Hayley said. "It's kind of like how you and Tommy explained Zordon's time warp." She directed to Kim. "His brain and heart are working, so he's alive, but any other bodily functions, like breathing or aging, are rendered unnecessary by the amber."

"So he's safe in there until we find a way to free him." Kim confirmed.

"Oh I'd say he's more then safe, cause as far as I can tell…there's nothing on this planet that can penetrate that amber." Hayley's words were not entirely reassuring, for while they knew it meant that Tommy would live, it also meant that they may never be able to free him. For over twenty-four hours Hayley, along with Ethan's help, searched but came up with nothing. Finally Kim did the only thing she could think of that might work. She called Alpha. Their robotic friend teleported in within seconds of her call, bringing with him Eltarian, and other intergalactic, technology, which hopefully would be the missing key as earthbound technology wasn't working.

"Well?" Kim asked her old friend after he'd barely begun to run some tests.

"Be patient, Kimberly." Alpha responded. "I know you are worried, I too am worried seeing him like this, but getting yourself worked up will help no one, especially your unborn child." Kim laughed at that.

"That's exactly what Tommy just said."

"He is most certainly correct." Silence resigned for a few minutes until one of the machines Alpha had teleported in beeped, giving the Eltarian robot the results.

"Aye yai yai! Hayley is correct, there is nothing on this planet that can penetrate the amber, not even in the Command Centre."

"So we're back to square one." Kira muttered.

"Not exactly." Alpha countered. "While we do not have the necessary technology on hand, the Command Centre's mainframe has been able to determine the technology needed."

"And?"

"We must contact Aquitar immediately."

"Aquitar?" Connor asked for himself and the other two confused teens.

"An aquatic planet in the Centaurius galaxy." Kira answered. "It is home to a race of peaceful, humanoid water-dwellers who can't survive long outside of the pure water of their planet. It is also home to the Aquitian Power Rangers; the first non-terran team of Rangers, and the second or third team of Rangers to ever exist."

"Second or third?" Asked Trent. "You don't know?"

"Aquitar is in a different galaxy and a different orbit then Earth." Kim continued. "Time passes differently then here. We met the Aquitian Rangers shortly after we became the Zeo Rangers, but they had already been Rangers for awhile by then. So depending on the time difference, they either became Rangers just before, or just after, we got our Zeo powers."

"So we're gonna get to meet aliens?" Ethan asked all excited.

"Don't call them aliens." Kim admonished. "Remember, to them we're the aliens. But yes you'll get to meet them, or at least see one of them on the Viewing Globe in the Command Centre, I don't know if they'll actually come to Earth."

"Aurico came for the 'Red Mission.' " Kira reminded her mother, this was a term the three boys were familiar with, having heard this story.

"Yeah but the entire planet's survival counted on stopping Venjix. This is just one person, who can technically live forever while in there."

"They're our friends mom. I can't see them not doing all they can to help us." And Kira was certainly right. The Rangers teleported back to the Command Centre with Alpha who immediately opened a communications channel with Aquitar. Delphine answered the call and upon hearing Tommy was in trouble, she immediately said she and Cestro would arrive on Earth momentarily. Kim took the time to call Billy, knowing that on problems like this they worked best together. Billy arrived just after the Aquitian Rangers and greeted his two old friends before getting down to work. With the readings Alpha had taken, the three of them were able to come up with a laser, powered by the pure water of Aquitar, which should free Tommy.

"Couldn't we just dump some of the pure water on the amber if that's what's going to free him?" Trent quietly asked Kira, not wanting to offend the Aquitians.

"No, their pure water is the power source, but it's not the cure, so to speak. Their using their pure water is like us using electricity. Alone it's not enough, you need more." Kind of grasping the concept, Trent leaned back and watched along with the others as Cestro turned the laser on and aimed it at the amber. Alpha's calculations had been dead on and the Aquitian technology, backed by their pure water, was enough to smash the amber.

"Tommy!" Kim cried rushing towards her husband. Billy, seeing Kim meant to support him, rushed ahead of her and held Tommy up, keeping all of the Black Ranger's weight off his tiny, heavily pregnant wife. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine." He said as the haze cleared and he regained his bearings. Hearing that, Kira ran forward and hugged her dad, glad to feel that any weakness from being encased in the amber was fast leaving him.

"Cestro, Delphine, thank you."

"What are friends for?" Cestro asked with a smile, the phrase still being a favourite of the Aquitian Rangers' when dealing with their Terran counterparts.

"Billy, Alpha, Hayley, you too."

"I think we're all just glad you're ok Tommy." Billy answered, Alpha and Hayley nodding their heads.

"Would you mind letting me de-morph?" He asked his two girls who were still attached to him. Mother and daughter stepped back, waiting for the flash of light that usually accompanied a Ranger's cry of 'power down.' Usually.

"Power down!" Tommy tried again, with no success. "Well…seems not all our problems are over."

A/N - Beginning of Fighting Spirit, conclusion of which will come in the next chapter!

Review please!