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 thirty-six. Sorry for the long delay.

Trent and Cole

by

Eileen (Psycho Tangerine)

"Oh come on, Lady! I'm sure your Auntie would love one of my specially designed cards!" called Trent as yet another would-be customer stomped out of his store in a huff. Trent disconsolately put the card of Rudolph machine-gunning down the other reindeer back on the shelf. So far, only a handful of high school and college kids had bought his comic created holiday cards. Trent thought and then grinned to himself. Perhaps a card with a Dominatrix Mrs. Claus would attract the public. He eagerly sat down to work.

"Grrrrrroooeeeeeeeerrrooooooooohhhhhiiiiissssssssssmoooooooooooeeeekkkk!!!!" came a cacophony through the wall.

"What the?" exclaimed a startled Trent.

"GRRRRRROOOEEEEEEEOOOOIIIISSSSSSSSSSMOOOOOOOOOOOEEEEKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!"

The sudden noise caused Trent to draw a big black line through shackled Santa's face. "That does it!" He headed out of his shop in the mall.

"Awww, come on," pleaded Cole as he held out the glittery red dress. "Don't you want to look pretty for Santa Claus?" The warthog grunted and ran away, passing a duck waddling in pink boots and a python biting at a string of garland wrapped around its body. "Hey! You!" Cole called to a mountain goat that was chewing on something. "You're supposed to wear the tiara, not eat it!"

"Hey!" cried Trent as he opened the store door. "Can you please knock off the racket? I'm trying to create..." he froze at the sight of all the animals wandering around loose. "This stuff wasn't here this morning. Where did these animals come from?" He jumped away as a fox sniffed at his feet. "And what kind of pet store is this?"

"Uh, an exotic one?" lied Cole. A lion roared as it stepped into view.

"Whoa!" cried Trent as he jumped behind the other man. "Are you some kind of escaped lunatic?"

Cole leaned towards the lion and whispered something to him. The animal turned around and headed into a back room. He came back out with a cup of hot coffee, which he put at Trent's feet. "Thanks," said Cole. "That should calm him a bit. Now go and pick out the tie you want to wear."

Trent just stood there gaping. "Did that lion just...wait how did he make this coffee? He doesn't have hands."

"Don't be silly, of course he didn't make it," scoffed Cole.

"Aha!"

"That's the baboon's job."

Trent stared at the other man. "Anyway you really can't have these animals here. It's dangerous. Not to mention disruptive. I'm an artist, you know."

"Are you now?" asked Cole as he tied a bonnet on a koala bear. "Hey, maybe you could do a portrait of my friends here in their Christmas finery."

"Really?" asked Trent, momentarily forgetting his objections at the thought of making some money. "I could quote you my rates. Of course, it may cost a bit extra if they try to eat the equipment...or me."

"I'm sure they'd be willing to share their treats with you," said Cole. A leopard in fishnet stocking snarled. "Hey! What did I tell you about sharing?" scolded Cole. The animal put its face under its paws in shame.

"As I said, they don't belong here," stated Trent who had snapped back to reality at the thought of being given left over kibbles and bits instead of cash. "Why aren't these animals in the zoo where they belong?"

Cole's eyes suddenly filled with tears. "You…you expect them to stay locked up? And at Christmas time? Have you no heart? These poor defenseless animals deserve happiness. They deserve peace, and love, and understanding, and mansions, and Cadillacs, and…." He continued his speech, unaware of the tiger that had strolled by and begun to chase Trent around the store.

"No, much better to let them roam around and eat people!" cried Trent as he desperately leapt over a chair.

"Hey! Stop that!" ordered Cole. The tiger immediately stopped his pursuit. "No snacks between meals!"

"That does it!" exclaimed a still shaking Trent. "Those animals are dangerous and belong in the zoo! I'm calling Animal Control." He turned to leave, only to find a polar bear blocking the door.

"You're not going anywhere," announced Cole, with an odd gleam in his eyes. You're staying right here and helping me give these sweet animals the happiest Christmas ever."

"And if I refuse?" asked Trent nervously. The polar bear roared and Trent jumped back…into a cage that he hadn't noticed before. A monkey in a top hat and bow tie slammed the door shut. "Hey!" called Trent as he shook the locked door. He groaned as he heard the mall-wide announcement that the mall was now closed.

"You'll stay in there until you learn the cruelty these animals face." Cole was now carefully concentrating on getting the zebra's false eyelashes on correctly.

"What cruelty?" asked Trent. "They get three meals a day and healthcare there. And they don't get hunted when they're in a zoo."

But Cole ignored him. "Once my little darlings are all ready you can make a nice portrait of them."

"With what?" asked Trent. He yelped as an elephant's beaded trunk stuck through an opening in the top and dropped an easel and several paint cans, one of which splattered paint on him. With a curse, Trent tried to climb through the opening but the elephant had slammed it closed again. "How the hell did you fit him in this store anyway?"

"Yesiree," said Cole as he put purple socks on a moose. "You guys are looking really sharp. Soon Santa will see how great you are and deliver his gifts to you rather than those snotty brats!"

Trent sighed as he wiped the pink paint off his face. "Santa? What kind of nut job are you? And why are these animals listening to you?"

Cole continued to ignore Trent. "No, Santa never bothered to visit us in the jungle," Cole ranted to his 'friends.' "All the toys went to the humans. But we'll show them. We'll get all the toys this time!"

Trent thought for a minute and then grabbed a paintbrush. A few minutes later he turned the picture he had quickly sketched around.

The animals stared at the caricature of themselves in the silly outfits. Outraged, they turned on Cole.

"Hey! No! Stop that! Is this how you pay me for saving you? No! Don't do that! HEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLPPPPP!"

Once the animals were finished, they crashed through the wall and ran out of the mall and back to the zoo.

As he waited for the mall to re-open, Trent spent the rest of the night painting a nice portrait of a trussed-up Cole who was now donning all of the silly articles of clothing.

A/N: I had actually started this during Christmas vacation. Then I got busy with real life. Thus the holiday theme.