A/N: ForestFireSong here! Have I mentioned I hate writing in present tense? Well, I do. Also, maybe it'd be easier to do 1st person… Anyway, here you go, hope you enjoy the angst- er, story!

Sealand's eyes are fixed on the spot where Latvia disappeared. The spot that used to hold his best friend (albeit in the grasp of a villain) but is now void of anything but Lily on her knees, whispering hopelessly to herself, and Casey seemingly comforting her.

Sealand, meanwhile, is simply standing there. He can't move, and not just because of the injury he sustained when he was thrown into the car hood, although that does hinder him a bit. (But he's made of iron and steel, isn't he? It's strange, right then he feels like the wind could blow him away right then…) He's not moving because of shock, of grief setting in when realization hits him. Latvia's gone. Not dead, probably, (hopefully) but gone, taken by some monster.

And he couldn't do anything about it.

He knows that his friend isn't completely helpless. Being immortal is certainly helpful in situations such as these (unless, of course, the monsters decided to utterly destroy the country of Latvia; in which case he would die) but that doesn't take away from the fact that they can harm him. Latvia has definitely sustained pain; more than most people would imagine, but it's not that he would want to go through anything like that.

And maybe part of the reason Sealand can't move is because his best friend is gone.

There's a tap on his shoulder. Slowly, in the style of one who has just recently frozen in place because of some traumatic incident, he turns his head to see who it is.

It's Theo. With a slightly uncomfortable look on his face, as if he's not sure how to handle situations like this, the blue Ranger asks awkwardly, "Are you okay? That must've hurt…"

Sealand realizes he's asking about when he got thrown into the car. His body does hurt, but it'll heal itself soon enough, and is probably already healing at the moment. So he answers, "Yeah…I'm fine."

In reality, he doesn't feel fine. The whimsy of meeting the Power Rangers in real life has faded, to be replaced by the fear he feels in face of the bleakness of the situation. With Latvia gone, taken by a monster, and knowing that something similar had probably happened to Canada, Finland, and Sweden, Sealand is not in the best state of mind at the moment.

But it wouldn't do to tell Theo that. Sealand wants to appear mature, able to handle the situation. And he definitely doesn't want to cry, because he hardly ever cries. And when he does, they're rarely serious tears, just silly ones over trivial matters. He'd be as lost as any of the Rangers if he really cried now.

"That's good," Theo says. He's not smiling- who would be smiling in these circumstances?- nor does he induce any feeling of security like Lily, but Sealand feels a little better just having someone there, who's actually worried about his well being.

"Now, let's go get the others. It's probably best that we leave and try to figure out what to do back at JKP." Theo's in control now, making plans, utilizing his practical mind, which is easier than figure out what to do with the completely lost micronation in front of him. It is a sad sight and he wishes he knew how to help, but that was much more Lily's thing than his. Speaking of the yellow Ranger, it's also a priority that they help her.

Sealand nods numbly. For a moment his mind yelled that they had to stay there in case Latvia came back, but that's obviously not happening. And it'll definitely be easier to plan the next course of action from Jungle Karma pizza.

"…It'll be okay," Theo adds after a moment's pause before beginning to walk. As Sealand follows him, he notices almost the same words forming on Casey's lips to Lily. It doesn't appear to be helping her much.

But really, how much help is 'it'll be okay'? Without a guarantee, words just feel empty and fake, no matter how sincere the speaker originally was. Sealand nods anyway, an acknowledgement of the help Theo was trying to offer.

They approach Lily and Casey. Now Dom is there too, simply standing apart with a sympathetic expression. RJ has apparently gone around looking to see if there are any monsters remaining.

But they've got their prize, so there's no reason they would be. RJ just does it anyway.

Casey looks up. "Hey," he says, evidently exhausted from the fight. His greeting doesn't garner a response, from Sealand or Theo. Theo immediately heads for Lily, kneeling down next to her. She's on her knees, head hanging, the picture of defeat.

Sealand, meanwhile, doesn't trust himself to open his mouth, but doesn't want to leave the red Ranger hanging. "Hi…" he says. It sounds weak, even to him, but Casey doesn't comment on it, only rising to his feet and running a hand through his hair.

Sealand crouches on the other side of Lily, whom Theo was consoling. She still has her helmet on, unlike all the other Rangers and he wonders if she's crying. She's not saying anything just listening to Theo's comforting words.

Then there's a lapse in Theo's words, and Sealand can hear Lily talk, whether it be to herself or to Theo or both.

"I should've protected him…" she says, her voice only slightly higher than a whisper. "I even told him I'd protect him, and yet, I didn't…"

Sealand's throat closes up, alerting him to the onslaught of tears he knows he'll have to block. It was never Lily's job to protect Latvia, even if she had taken it upon herself. Latvia should've protected himself, but even if he hadn't, Sealand would've done it, like always.

"Sealand?" Sealand opens his eyes, not even aware that he had been squeezing them shut.

"Yeah?" he says, proud that his voice doesn't even crack.

"Are you okay?"

Physically, Sealand knows he's fine. Emotionally, though, he feels like a wreck. But as with Theo, he decides to hide that, and, not doing such a good job this time, answers, "I'm fine."

"That's good…" Lily responds. Sealand can't see her eyes through her helmet, but she sounds exhausted. Then she removes her helmet and he notices the tear tracks on her cheeks; not too many, but enough to tell him that she'd been crying.

Then she rises from her kneeling position and briefly rests a hand on Sealand's shoulder. It's supposed to be comforting, Sealand knows, but despite being adept at that before Latvia was taken, Sealand knows Lily can't exactly comfort anyone now. So he turns the tables on her, and, in what seems to be a faux-positive voice to her, says, "We'll get him back."
Lily smiles at him, and Sealand feels relief that she can at least do that, because he doesn't feel that he can. "Let's just go back to JKP," she tells him, still with a note of hopelessness in her voice but aside from that, looking, if slightly, cheered.

Theo gets up too, and stands on one side of Lily, Dom walking next to him. Casey goes on Lily's other side, an entourage of support for the somewhat shell-shocked yellow ranger, despite her beginning to feel better. RJ comes back from searching for any more monsters, and after talking quietly to Casey, stands on the other side of the red ranger.

Unfreezing himself, Sealand runs over to stand by RJ. The purple wolf ranger looks at him sympathetically without saying anything, and Sealand is forcibly reminded of earlier that morning when he fought RJ and almost won, when they had no idea of what was to come next.

When they return to Jungle Karma Pizza, Fran is just opening it up. She looks at the beaten, worn rangers and seems to contemplate asking them what happened, but instead continues working as they head upstairs, although she does continue shooting them worried looks, particularly at Dom.

The six of them trudge upstairs, stopping at the very place they had trained in that morning.

Sealand plunks down on the ground as the rest of the rangers settle themselves amongst the room, RJ in his chair. As Sealand predicted, the wounds he sustained from being thrown into the car are healing, and all he feels is a slight headache and tiredness. He shakes that away in prospect of listening to what the rangers are planning to do.

Actually, that's a variation of that is the first thing spoken in the room. "So what are we going to do?" asks Dom.

Glances are passed amongst the Jungle Fury rangers. "Well…" Casey begins. Then he stops. The rangers all look at each other again, as if mentally communicating a plan. That's when Sealand speaks up.

"We have to find the place where everyone's been taken."

Immediately, all eyes in the room are on him. Sealand remembers attempt at World Meetings, before he was chased out, trying to garner this much attention, but usually ending up without anyone listening. Now the stage is set, and he has an audience.

"Well…" he begins awkwardly, much as Casey had. "Latvia's not the first of the nations to be taken, and if we assume that they're all together, and then we need to find out where that is- probably the base of Grizzaka and that lot…"

He waits for someone to speak up, and Theo is the first to do so. "You mean Latvia wasn't the only nation to be taken?"

Realizing that he and Latvia only told Lily, Sealand explains to the rest of the rangers about calling Sweden and Finland and Norway's concern at their disappearance, as well as America searching for Canada.

"How can you be sure that those are connected?" Theo asks, slightly skeptical.

"Maybe they're not," Sealand replies, trying not to feel defensive. "But it's the best lead we have, and since we saw Latvia get taken directly- why not?"

Theo looks fairly contented with that answer.

"So, um…where is this base?" asks Sealand, losing confidence over his lack of information.

"We're not sure." Casey answers. "It's hard to track the Overlords. Although if we'd have to guess, they'd be wherever Dai Shi is, as they serve him."

"And Jarrod," Lily says darkly, while Sealand remembers the information about the evil spirit and the fallen student who had accidentally released him and as a result, got his body taken over.

"Besides, why do the Overlords- or to an extent, Dai Shi, want the nations anyway?" Theo asks, and all the rangers nod in agreement to this (with the exception of RJ, who is merely watching all of them with an unfathomable look on his face).

Sealand realizes that they're all looking at him and shakes his head, trying to find an answer himself. "I'm not sure…" he admits. "Since the nations are pretty much the world, this is an indirect way to take over the world, and even then, he could probably end a large part of the world if he has enough nations and manages to treat them bad enough…"

He thinks over what he just said, and feels a strange sense of paranoia at the thought of what Dai Shi and his minions could do to the nations they captured. Typically what the actual nation does and what happens to it affects its avatar, and not in reverse. However, it's possible to severely cripple a nation's avatar and affect the actual nation by using the right methods, or even start a war.

It's a scary thought to think a Power Rangers entity has gone international in his plans of world dominance.

Besides, some of us have inhuman powers…Dai Shi may want to harness that. As he thinks that, Sealand feels a flash of hope. We're powerful…Dai Shi can't take us down that easily! Even England has magic and once had an empire that the sun never set upon. And Latvia himself can fight. This situation isn't hopeless!

The rangers seem appeased with the answers. "Okay." Casey says. "Those sound plausible."

"But as for what to do…" Theo continues.

"First, we should find out wherever their base is," Lily states. She seems to be recovering, because she looks more energized by the making of plans. "And then we have to charge it, get in and defeat the Overlords, Dai Shi, and hordes of Rinshi, all while getting the nations out, who can presumably help us, and then be on our way!"

"Easier said than done," Dom remarks mildly.

Theo, however, gets right into strategizing mode. "Okay, once we find the place, how are we going to defeat everyone in there? We barely lasted against Grizzaka, and this time around, against all of them plus the Rinshi, well…it was a disaster." He ends it without specifying any further.
"We need more backup." Casey agrees. "All we have is the five of us, and Sealand-" even though being with the rangers has been less than satisfactory, to say the least, Sealand feels a twinge of pleasure at being acknowledged- "and that can't be enough."

The rangers are all stumped, or at least as far as Sealand can tell. If they're plagued by attacks like they have been the last few days, then they definitely won't be strong enough to launch an attack on their overpowered enemies. They need help…

Even RJ appears to be thinking over the subject. Sealand strains his mind, trying to think of where help might be- until he sees the obvious answer.

"I've got it!" he exclaims. Once again, all of the rangers look over at him. Sealand feels a flare of excitement at his plan.

"I'll just call in some of my micronation friends!" he declares. All of the rangers stare at him, and then at each other, which Sealand feels is or is becoming a common occurrence.

"There're more of you?" Dom finally asks, although he looks like he's laughing.

"And did you say micronations?" adds Theo.

"Yes!" Sealand answers to both. "I've got some mirconation friends who'll probably be happy to help, although Liechtenstein can come too, if she wants. The plus side is that since we're not actual nations-" Despite its advantage, Sealand doesn't feel any less bitter saying that- "aside from Liechtenstein, we probably won't be targeted by Dai Shi."

Lily is smiling at him, and Sealand feels slightly better. "I think that's a really good idea," she says.

"It does make sense." Casey agrees. "And we need all the backup we can get."

Dom is still laughing, or at least grinning. "I'll never get all this nation-micronation stuff," he exclaims. "But it sounds like it'll work, so let's go for it!"

Theo nods, looking grudgingly impressed. "Who knew there were other micronations here to offer their service…" he says.

RJ merely nods, and everyone else takes that as a confirmation, and Sealand takes out his cell phone (remembering using it the night before to call Sweden and Finland; he decides to call Norway again after phoning the micronations to see if he'd found out more) in preparation of calling his friends.

"How far away is the farthest one?" Lily asks curiously. Sealand thinks for a moment.

"Um…Hutt River and Wy are in Australia." He decides that to be as far as his friends are spread.

"I've never heard of either of those places." Casey says.

"Don't worry!" Sealand tells him, feeling cheerful with the fact that they've got a plan, or at least part of one, that'll get Latvia and Sweden and Finland back, and straighten everything out. "You've probably never heard of any of the others, either!" He raises the phone to his ear to begin the calls.