Disclaimer: Just to keep it simple: A. I don't own Power Rangers. B. I just make fun of them; so don't get upset if I mock your favorite. C. Please review. I don't mind constructive criticism. D. Thanks to Writer's Guide to the Universe and Power Rangers Central for providing a lot of the information that I need.

If you haven't done so, please read the first hundred and fifty stories in "When Rangers Meet," "More of When Rangers Meet," and "Headquarters Where Rangers Meet."

This is story number twenty-one. It was requested by Dagmar Buse.

Kendrix and Rose

by

Eileen (Psycho Tangerine)

"Hi, Hydrangea! Hi, Azalea!" called Kendrix as she entered the greenhouse. "Guess what? I get to go on Terra Venture! And Commander Stanton says I get to bring all of you along." She didn't realize that the Commander was hoping to keep her busy so that she wouldn't drive the rest of his crew crazy with her extreme cheeriness.

Kendrix had her own plans. She was going to do whatever she could to prove that she was smarter than anyone on the space colony. "Maybe I'll discover some animal robots or a new life form. Maybe I'll rescue the whole city from certain doom as it is attacked by giant insect aliens," she squealed excitedly before continuing her rounds.

"Hi, Philodendron! Hi, Gardenia! Hi, Marigold! Hi, Fern! Hi...uh..."

"Rose."

"Hi, Rose! Hi, Delphinium! Hi, Venus Fly trap! Hi, Poison Ivy! Hi...Hi, Rose?!" Kenrix stopped her greetings. "Wait, I don't have any roses. The Commander's allergic." She didn't know that Stanton had developed a fear of the flowers after reading a letter from Professor Phenomenous who claimed roses to be nothing but evil aliens bent on breaking through the outer layer of the space colony with their thorns and letting in their evil space spore cousins.

"Hi!" called the little girl who had been standing and watching Kendrix. "I'm Rose. Who are you? What are you doing?"

Kendrix turned and looked at Rose. "I'm Kendrix. What are you doing here? This area is restricted to GSA personnel only. Maybe I should help you find your mom."

"No, that's all right," said Rose. "I was just seeing who the competition was." She crossed her arms. "I see I have no need to worry after all."

"Competition? What competition?" asked Kendrix as she began repotting one of the azaleas. "Oh, wait, you must mean the races they're holding in Angel Grove park. It's about two miles down the road. If you hurry, you can..."

"If I wanted to be in the park, I wouldn't be here," said Rose. "And I don't do races. That's for little kids." She just didn't understand all the brouhaha over some local guy winning the California racing cup. Probably someone not bright enough to actually go to College and get a PhD. She was certain that she'd never hang around with a dumb race car driver.

"Well, I don't know what you're talking about, then," sighed Kendrix as she pulled the azalea out of its pot. The pot accidentally flew off and bumped Rose on the arm.

"Ow!" yelled Rose. "Watch it!"

"Oh!" cried Kendrix. "I'm so sorry! Did I hurt you?"

"No, it's okay. It's just a..."

Kendrix was examining one of the plant's roots which had been bent. "Oh, you poor thing! Let me get you a band aid."

Rose stared in disbelief as the young woman wrapped a band aid to the root and then kissed the 'boo boo.' "Yes, I will win this hands down. There's no way they'll put a lunatic like you in charge."

"I still don't know what you're talking about," commented Kendrix as she gently placed the azalea into a larger pot. "And your insults are upsetting the pansies."

Rose sighed. "I'm talking about the contest to pick the head scientist at GSA." She handed Kendrix the brochure. "I already signed up."

Kendrix studied the brochure. "Are you a genius? Can you compete again other scientists? Sign up for the 'Terra Venture Science Competition.' First prize is a date with High Commander Renier. Second prize is the position of Head Scientist on Terra Venture." She looked at Rose for a few seconds. "Oh, I get it...hahaha nice little prank."

"I don't do immature pranks," retorted Rose.

"Let me guess. You were going to get me to leave to sign up for this so-called 'contest' so that you could mess up my plants, right?"

"I just told you I don't..."

Kendrix's face suddenly hardened. "Who put you up to it? It was that jerk, Kai, wasn't it? Just because he'd rather run around and act like a loon rather than take things seriously." She sighed. "I swear, Stanton's plans to give him a crash course in how to act like a proper soldier will never work."

Rose smiled. "Sure, if you want to believe that, go ahead. But don't complain when I'm ordering you around next week." She pointed to the signature on the bottom of the brochure. "I've got a nice experiment in mind that involves stinkweed, leeches, and skunk spray."

"The High Commander's signature! You mean this really is a contest?" blurted Kendrix. "But why would they let you sign up? You're just a child. You're not even old enough to be in the GSA."

Rose rolled her eyes. "I know that. That's why I signed on as a midget. I even made up a driver's liscence for myself." She held out a card for Kendrix to see.

"Rose OldPerson, age 34." Kendrix rolled her eyes. "Oh, yeah that will really fool them. What a genius," she said sarcastically.

"Thank you. My Baby Genius program teacher told dad that I was as smart as some super genius kid they had years ago. Billy something or other. But that doesn't matter because from what I heard he seems to have disappeared off the face of the Earth."

"Oh you must mean my cousin. He keeps sending me letters saying he's up on some water planet doing some fish girl. My guess is that his dad finally managed to put him away."

"O...kay," replied Rose. "Anyway, when I win, you can become my personal slave. Maybe I'll let you test all the chemicals and stuff that I put together." She looked curiously at Kendrix. "How do you feel about getting blown up?"

"Are you crazy?" retorted Kendrix.

"I've got some ideas on how to save a person's energy so it stays here rather than go to an afterlife. Kind of like making a ghost." Rose pulled several sheets of paper out of her pocket. "I'm sure I have the formula correct. But I need someone to test it for me." She had camped out for the past two weeks at the local nursing home before being dragged home by her dad.

"You...you...you're scaring me," squeaked Kendrix. "No one in their right mind would want to work with you. Who'd want to be a stupid ghost anyway?"

"People who are too cheap to buy Halloween costumes? People who like the idea of haunting their enemies into an early grave? People who...uhhhh...I don't know. It sounded like a great idea at the moment." She crumpled the paper and tossed it into a nearby trashcan. "Oh well, I've got other ideas."

"Hmmm...I wonder if I can get into my cousin's garage?" mused Kendrix. "He's got all these odd inventions, actually claimed to use them to help the Power Rangers." She shook her head dismissing the thought. "He also claimed that his old VW bug could fly." Kendrix wasn't yet aware that her cousin was currently being sued by Zordon's estate for making these claims to her.

"Maybe you should just display one of your pretty plants instead," suggested Rose.

"Oooooh!" squealed Kendrix. "Do you really think so? I could show them my azalea...or my philodendrons...or my hyacinths...or my...poison sumac... or my carnations... or my..."

"As if they want to see a boring plant," yawned Rose.

Kendrix paused and stared at her plants and flowers. "Now look what you did, you upset them! I'm sorry guys! She's doesn't know any better. She's just a stupid kid!" Kendrix rummaged under one of the tables for something. "Look, I've got you guys a new fun watering can!"

Rose frowned and crossed her arms. "What do you mean 'stupid kid?' I'll have you know that I'm a hundred, no a thousand times smarter than...PIRATE!!" the little girl screamed as she saw the novelty watering can Kendrix was now using. It was in the shape of a pirate's head. "Evil pirate!!" She had developed a deep fear of swashbucklers ever since being forced to watch Peter Pan fifty-eight times in a row by her own sadistic cousin. The only thing that eventually calmed her was remembering that she would never meet or be a real pirate.

Rose ran out of the greenhouse. "We're being invaded! Call out the army! Call out the Navy! Call out the...what...no, Daddy! Don't take me home! No! I don't want another grounding! No! I'll miss the contest!"

Kendrix smiled as she heard Rose being dragged away. "So, Begonia, I think you'll do for this contest...really? You think so?" She dove into the trash can and took out Rose's notes. "Yeah, you're right, one never knows when one will need to become a ghost."

AN: Not a great ending. But I hope it was okay at least. And yes, I made up the California Racing cup because I'm too lazy to look up the names of real races.