Not once in my life did I ever think I would write a story for Power Rangers. I mean, I loved it when I was a kid, but I fell out of it after a certain point in Mighty Morphin, and I never watched any of the seasons after that. While Power Rangers still held a special place in my heart growing up, I never really was as interested in it as I had been as a kid.

Long story short, when I really got back into Power Rangers recently (thanks in part to a lot of different things), I fell into it hard. At the moment, I'm determined to watch all the seasons...someday...hopefully. It'll happen.

It's weird, though, because the three seasons I started out with in my quest to watch all of them were Mighty Morphin (just to refresh my memory on it), Ninja Storm, and (Super) Samurai. NS because I've discovered how much I like Cam, and (S)S because it's currently on so it's easy to follow. I've finished NS and am all caught up with (S)S, and then developed this idea because I read too much into random trivia facts on the Morphing Grid.

So yeah. This is my first Power Rangers fic, as well as an introduction to an idea I'm hoping to make a small series out of. Hope you all enjoy!

Kindred Spirits

After all this time, Cam had nearly forgotten how crazy the life of a Power Ranger could be.

Not that his life had ever been completely normal. Living and working at a ninja academy, and preparing to assist a new team of Rangers to protect the world from an evil space ninja rather removed any semblance of an ordinary life.

Even the time he spent as a Ranger hadn't been too difficult for him. He and his father had lived at Ninja Ops, monitoring for any attacks from their enemy. It hadn't been as demanding on him as it had been for the others, who knew people and did things outside of their Ranger duties.

But it had been years since he'd served as a Ranger, and he had almost forgotten what it was like; how a seemingly typical day of sightseeing in a city he was visiting could be disrupted by a sudden monster attack. And while he did miss a lot of things about being a Power Ranger, a distraction like that certainly wasn't one of them.

Just his luck then, that a group of demonic monsters – Moogers, were they? – happened to be attacking the Panorama City park as he was passing through it.

Around him people fled in a panic, scrambling as fast as they could to get away from the horde of dangerous creatures. And as he stood there, the impulse to jump in and fight, to distract the monsters while the people escaped, was just as strong as it had been years ago. But unlike then, this time he hesitated, studying the large inhuman creatures brandishing serrated-blade swords.

As much as he wanted to do something, he wasn't sure if he should get involved. It had been so long since his time as a Ranger; he didn't have the Power protecting him and enhancing his strength as he did before. In his current state, a blow from one of those swords by the demons would be severely damaging…possibly even fatal.

Yet despite all his reasoning, as he watched a young boy trip while trying to flee from the approaching Moogers, Cam discovered that old habits really die hard.

Charging forward, he tore off his backpack as he jumped between one of the Moogers and the boy, blocking the descending sword with the green bag. Immediately he could feel the force of the monster as they struggled against each other, trying to overpower the other. He winced slightly, realizing it was really a one-sided battle; these things were much stronger than Kelzacks had been…though part of him wondered if that was really true, or if it was only because of his lack of connection to the Power.

Pushing the thoughts aside, he glanced back at the fallen boy. "Quick, get out of here!" he ordered.

The kid didn't need to be told twice as he quickly clambered to his feet, making a quick dash out of the park. But as Cam watched the boy leave, making sure he got away safely, he noticed a figure suddenly stumble upon the scene. Judging from the blue and gray sweats, Cam could only assume that this person, a young male, had just come while out on a jog.

"Hey, look out!" the figure suddenly called.

Snapping back to attention, Cam barely managed to dodge as another Mooger jumped forward and thrust its sword at him. With a quick sidestep, he pulled his backpack away and dodged the second monster, causing the first Mooger to stagger forward under the momentum of its own strength and crash into the other. They became entangled with each other, and he spun kicked them to the ground, pulling his backpack over his shoulders before flipping back and away from more of the charging creatures.

When he landed on his feet, he was met by the guy from earlier, and for a moment he was surprised the other hadn't left. "What do you think you're doing?" the guy demanded. "Don't you know those things are dangerous?"

Closer up, Cam was able to get a better look at him; from what he could tell, the African-American was most likely a teenager. "No, really?" he finally retorted. "And here I thought they were pretty friendly."

The teen's eyes narrowed slightly, his lips drawn in a tight frown. "You shouldn't stay here. You don't know what you're dealing with."

"I don't see you leaving," Cam couldn't help but shoot back. He quickly got the feeling, though, that this guy probably wouldn't be going any time soon. The brief exchange reminded him too much of one he and Hunter once had with three well-meaning but reckless teens, who got in over their heads when they tried to help fight off some Kelzacks. Only this time, he was the one involved in something too big for him to handle.

And if that was the case, then this person…

"You better get out of here," the guy said, watching as the Moogers continued their approach. "Get to someplace safe."

Cam bristled slightly, resenting the implication that he couldn't help…that he would only be in the way. Still, he knew this wasn't really his fight even if he did have his powers. Without them, there was only more of a chance of putting himself at risk.

More than that, though, he knew that if this person was one of them, then the guy wouldn't morph if Cam remained. This team also followed the rule of keeping their identities a secret, just as his team had. They couldn't let civilians see them and discover who they were. And Cam knew that he couldn't risk staying if it put the teen at risk of impeding his strength during a fight.

He could tell the guy about his own connection to the Rangers, he supposed. But there wasn't enough time for that. And he figured it would make for an interesting surprise later, at any rate.

Looking over the teen once more, Cam then nodded. "Fine. I'll leave it up to you then, Blue."

He had to admit to the smug feeling he had when the teen turned back to him, shock and confusion in his expression. But Cam didn't answer as he hurried out of the park.

As he left, though, he noticed a group of other teens running in the opposite direction, heading towards the park. And among them was the person he had come to see, the reason for his visit in the first place. None of them seemed to notice him, though, as they rushed to join the one he knew was their teammate.

Cam smiled a little as he continued on his way. He was tempted to stay and watch, to see them in action, but decided it might be better to head to the house before they returned.

"A guy?" Emily repeated as she and the other Rangers looked at Kevin for clarification.

"Yeah…" Kevin replied slowly. "When I got to the park during my morning jog, I saw a guy already there, fighting the Moogers."

"No way," Mike remarked. "That's just not possible."

Kevin shook his head, in slight disbelief himself. "Well, he did. And he seemed to be holding his own pretty well."

The team glanced at each other, exchanging uncertain expressions. There weren't many people in the city strong enough to take on a Mooger…certainly not an ordinary person. Anyone who was powerful enough could be troublesome, depending on their intentions.

"There's something else, too." They looked back at the blue-clad teen, watching him rub the back of his neck in discomfort. "I think…I think that guy knew I was a Power Ranger."

"What?" Mia asked, voicing everyone's startled thoughts. "How could he?"

"I don't know!" Kevin replied, a bit defensive. "I hadn't even morphed yet! But…what he said before he left…Just the way he said it made me feel like he knew."

"This could be a problem," Jayden stated, a thoughtful look crossing his face. "If this guy is a threat, we should try to find him."

The group paused at the gate of the Shiba house, waiting for it to open before stepping onto the grounds. "What did this guy look like, Kevin?" Antonio wondered.

"Well, he – " Kevin suddenly froze mid-step, his eyes widening as he looked to the house. "Th…There! That's the guy!"

The others' attention snapped forward as they followed Kevin's gaze, finding a young man dressed in a green-and-white collared shirt and jeans, sitting on the house steps. The figure looked up from the book in his hands, his almond eyes blinking in surprise from behind round-rimmed glasses as he looked back at them.

"Huh…" the stranger spoke. "That was quick."

Her breath catching in her throat, Mia's eyes widened as they met the figure's gaze. She stiffened, even as the others quickly dropped into defensive stances, preparing for a fight that she knew wouldn't come.

"Who are you?" Jayden demanded. "What are you doing here?"

The young man didn't seem fazed or worried by the others' combative positions; in fact, as Mia studied the all-too-familiar face, she noticed he seemed to have expected it. Putting his book away in his green backpack, he leisurely rose to his feet and descended the steps. "Well," he finally replied, pushing his glasses farther up his nose, "Mentor Ji said it was all right if I waited out here."

Startled, the other teens relaxed, albeit only slightly, at the mention of their mentor. "Ji?" Jayden repeated, uncertainty softening his tone.

"Yeah." The young man folded his arms across his chest, a curious expression spreading over his face. "I have to admit, though, I kind of thought you guys would be gone longer."

"It was just a Mooger attack," Mia explained. She could feel her friends' surprised eyes on her as she stepped forward, but she ignored them for the moment to keep her focus on the person before them. "Moogers are sometimes sent out to cause trouble on Earth and buy some time until a bigger Nighlock comes up with a worse plan to fill the Sanzu River."

The green-clad man nodded in understanding. "I see…" Then he smiled. "Not that I'm complaining, I guess. It just means you'll be less busy for now, right?"

"Right." Unable to hold back her excitement any longer, Mia rushed toward him and threw her arms around him in a tight embrace.

"I can't believe it!" she exclaimed, her smile widening as she felt him hug her back. "It's so good to see you, Cam!"

"Good to see you, too," he replied. Though his tone was more subdued than her own, she could easily hear how pleased he really was as well.

Pulling back slightly, she looked up at him with a curious tilt of her head. "But what are you doing here?"

His brow rose in question, and he smirked. "What else do you think I'd be doing here?" he countered.

She met his playful look with one of her own. "Well, I'm just surprised that you actually left the academy."

Cam frowned in what she guessed was supposed to be a glare, but he only managed a mock-pout. "I can just go back if you want…"

Mia laughed, knowing she could get away with teasing him. "I'm glad you're here," she stated, though they both knew the reassurance wasn't necessary. "I just wish you would've told me you were coming!"

He shrugged. "I wanted to surprise you. I did tell Ji I was visiting, though."

A puzzled frown crossed her lips as she blinked. "When did you ever meet Mentor Ji?"

"Well, I never actually met him…unless you count an hour ago when I arrived." Cam ran a hand through his dark hair as he seemed to consider his words. "When Terry told me about his visit here, though, I figured it'd be better to check if it was all right before coming."

Thinking about what her brother said of when he first arrived, and the awkward initial interaction with Ji, Mia giggled a bit. "Good thinking. But anyway, now that you're here, I can't wait to introduce you to my friends!"

So saying, Mia glanced back towards her friends, noticing that none of them had moved from where they stood. She motioned for them to come closer, but the whole group hesitated before slowly making their way over. Knowing she would have to meet them halfway, Mia took Cam's hand and led him to the other teens.

"Cam, these are my friends," Mia said, indicating the still-wary group. She motioned to each person as she spoke their names; "This is Jayden, Mike, Emily, Kevin, and Antonio."

Turning to the others, she presented the young Asian man beside her. "Guys, this is my cousin, Cameron."

"Call me 'Cam'," he said as he reached out and shook Jayden's hand. "It's nice to meet you all."

Jayden nodded but said nothing, studying the slightly older male with critical eyes. "So your Mia's cousin?"

"Well, technically we're second cousins," Cam replied with a shrug. "But family's family, right?"

Jayden's frown deepened, and Mia caught the guarded look the leader shared with Kevin. She quickly understood their concern; while important and inevitable it was for their immediate family to know about their circumstances and location, members of their extended family were usually not informed of all – or any, if possible – the information concerning their double lives. It was mostly a safety precaution; both for the family members themselves, and because the less people who knew the Rangers' identities, the better.

Still, the rule about keeping their identities a secret applied except in extenuating circumstances. And considering the entire situation with her cousin, she had no fear that their secret was well-kept.

"Guys, it's okay," she tried to pacify her friends, specifically Jayden and Kevin who seemed the most worried. "Cam actually helped with a lot of my Samurai training when I was growing up."

The news seemed to startle her fellow Rangers. "Really?" Kevin asked.

Mia nodded. "Yeah. To tell the truth, Cam is – " Her words stopped short as she turned to her cousin, noting the confused expression on his face. "What?"

Cam was silent for a moment, scrutinizing the teens as intently as Jayden had with him just moments ago. Finally he turned back to Mia and said, "I thought there were only five Samurai Rangers. Why are there six of you?"

The group tensed, but before they could think of any response, Mia answered in a tone too casual for their comfort, "Well originally, there were just five Rangers. But Antonio joined the team because he managed to build his own Samurai Morpher."

Cam glanced at the Mexican youth, a look of interest crossing his features. "Impressive…"

Despite the strange situation, Antonio beamed at the appreciation of his abilities. "Gracias, amigo."

"So you do know who we are," Jayden said suddenly, getting back to the matter before they could stray too far off topic.

The young man's brow rose slightly. "Well, it's not hard to figure out. Knowing Mia, why she came here…" Cam waved his hand about, indicating the Shiba property. "It's pretty obvious who you all are just by association."

Kevin stepped forward, his eyes locked with Cam's. "But you figured out who I was before you found out that I knew Mia, didn't you?"

Cam pushed his glasses up. "I had a feeling."

"But how? What gave it away?" A slight edge of panic crept into Kevin's tone as he worried about exposing their secret.

"Relax," Cam said, holding up his hands. "It wasn't like you did anything really noticeable. Like I said, it was just a feeling."

Kevin frowned, doubtful. "You called me, 'Blue'."

At that, Cam smirked a little. "Well, color-coding always makes things convenient." Instead of answering the perplexed looks, he became serious again as he tried to think of a way to ease their minds. "Look, these kinds of things are just easier to notice when you know what to look for."

The other teens still didn't seem to understand, and Cam and Mia both sighed softly. Glancing at her cousin, and with his approving nod, the pink Ranger stepped toward her friends once more.

"We don't have anything to worry about," she said to ease their lingering apprehension. "The reason Cam knows about all of this is because he's used to this kind of thing. He understands our situation better than most people would…because he was once a Power Ranger, too."

A wave of shock surged through the teens as the revelation echoed in their minds. "What?"

Mia nodded, smiling as she looked towards her cousin. "In fact, Cam was known as the Samurai Ranger on his team."

Still trying to process this information, the astonished group's eyes shot towards the green-clad young man. In response, Cam simply slipped his hands into his jean pockets and shrugged as he quipped, "Surprise…"