Saving Happiness- takes place post Mystic Force. Couples in summery, please read and review!

Disclaimer: I own nothing. As per usual.

CHAPTER 1

The motor purred with contentment, mirroring exactly what Nick felt the moment he pulled up beside the Briarwood sign. He waved to his parents as they left for Rootcore, took off his helmet, and he pulled out his morpher.

"Xander here, what's up?" the Australian accent was clear even over the phone.

"Hey Xander, guess what I'm looking at!" Nick laughed, gazing out at the city.

"Nick!" his voice grew faint, "Guys its Nick!!"

"I kind of expected Maddie to pick up." Nick admitted carefully, trying not to sound disappointed.

"She's with a customer, how ya doing Nick?" Vida chimed through.

"Nick! Can't wait to see you!" Chip called out.

"Can't wait to see you too, I'll be there in a little while." Nick gazed over the familiar city, memories assailing him.

"Nick?" a shy voice crept into his ear.

"Maddie!" he tried to sound calm, failing miserably.

"Nick! I'm so happy you're back!" Maddie opened her mouth to say something else when suddenly another voice cut through.

"Rangers, there's trouble in the city!" Udonna sounded surprised.

"Hey Udonna!" Maddie sounded happy; "We'll head over there right away." She hesitated, "How fast can you get here Nick?"

"I'm 25 miles from the city, you'll have that baddie packaged and ready to mail by the time I get there!" Nick felt almost disappointed.

"We'll call you if we need you, meet you at Rootcore?"

"I'll be there." Nick said disconnecting. He sighed, than aimed his bike into the woods. He had really hoped that he and Maddie wouldn't be interrupted by ranger duties now that he was back. Wasn't there some new ranger team that was supposed to be handling all of these things now? He parked his bike, deciding to come back and get it later; he wanted to get to Rootcore now to watch the battle in the globe. He placed his hand on the nearest tree, imagining Rootcore in his mind. The familiar swirl swept through his body and he was there.

"Home." He murmured, smiling to himself as he swept through the dragon's mouth.

"Bowen." Leanbow acknowledged, his eyes glued to the golden bubble in the middle of the table.

"They are being attacked by another Ranger." Udonna said, standing next to her husband.

"What?" Nick cried, walking over. His eyes widened as he watched the Rangers being thrown back by the unseen foe.

"Nick!" Clare cried walking out and giving him a quick hug, before she too was awed by the sight in the bubble.

"A Red Ranger!" Daggeron cried, as Udonna's face fell. The Red Ranger stormed into view. The helmet design was simple, just a black visor shaped like a mask to hide the eyes, and a silver ventilation shaft just below that. What shocked everyone however, was the red skirt and slight bulge on the Ranger's chest. The Red Ranger attacking Nick's friends was a girl.

--

Xander kicked and punched along with all of his friends, but even if one of them did land a hit it didn't faze the Red Ranger in the least. She was just too fast for them.

"Power of the Lightning!" Chip cried calling on his element to strike down upon the Red Ranger. Xander heard her chuckle, than suddenly he, Maddie, and Vida were standing right where she used to be.

"No!" Chip cried as his lightning struck his friends, throwing them to the ground, "you'll pay for that!" he cried turning towards her. She sliced him with her sword, sending sparks shooting out from his protective costume. Chip felt his energy drain with every blow, finally falling to the ground, even as his friends struggled to get up and save him. "You're going down!" he gasped; trying to sound like he wasn't beaten, but they both knew the truth.

"I've barely started! And you? You're the one that hurt your own team!" The Red Ranger snapped, grabbing him by the collar. "Where's your Red Ranger, too afraid to play with me? I know he's back." She threw him to the ground, casting a transportation spell around him, "Fetch him." He sank through the ground, hearing his friends calling his name. He felt himself falling, his morph evaporating as he hit the ground of Rootcore.

"Chip!" Strong hands helped him to sit up. He looked into Nick's eyes, fighting not to black out.

"Nick!" he stammered, glancing up at Udonna and Leanbow, "She said she wanted to fight you… said she was going to take what she needed from us, we couldn't stop her."

"What does she want from us?" Leanbow asked as Nick stood up.

"Don't know." Chip gulped, his eyes rolling back, he went limp.

"Chip!" Nick cried.

"Get to the others!" Clare shouted, running to get water, "Hurry!" Nick nodded, morphing through sheer willpower as he ran for his racer. The next thing he knew he was in the air, completely tuning out his mother and father's cries to be careful. The trees flew past him as he flew faster than the wind. Briarwood finally came into view, he aimed towards the middle of the city, hoping and praying he wasn't too late. Why hadn't he just gone to begin with? Than maybe Chip wouldn't be hurt and his friends wouldn't be in such great danger.

"Hang on guys!" he murmured. Urging his racer to go faster. He felt it before he saw it, a huge ball of heat that penetrated through his armor. The explosion was truly amazing, and all he could hear was his own voice shouting Maddie's name as he was thrown from his racer to the ground below.

--

"Maddie!" "Sis!" Vida and Xander shouted as the smoke cleared, but the Blue Mystic Mermaid had seemingly disappeared in the explosion. Vida and Xander were on opposite sides of the Red Ranger, who was still floating in the air above them.

"Vida!" She sang, spinning her sword and creating a tornado, "Let's see how you handle your element!" The swirl of air reached out towards the pink ranger, lifting her off the ground.

"No!" Xander shouted, calling upon the earth. Vines reached out, pulling Vida back to the ground and encasing her in a small barrier of vines, ensuring that the Red Ranger couldn't get to her. The tornado whistled harmlessly over the earth-fort.

"Smart move." The Red Ranger whistled, floating back to the ground and gazing in at the pink ranger through the vines. Vida took the opportunity to lean back and rest her aching muscles. "Very smart."

"Yeah, well, now you can't get her." Xander said, breathing heavily.

"Yes, but I can get you."

"Xander!" Vida cried as he raised his magi-staff and charged the Red Ranger.

"You have been found guilty!" The Red Ranger said in that horrible sing-songy voice. Than he was sucked into the small card she was holding.

"No!" Vida shrieked as she fought against the vines around her.

"One down one to go." The Red Ranger mumbled, tucking the card away.

"I don't think so!" The Blue Ranger cried, creating a burst of sparks as she connected her Magi-staff with the Red ranger's back.

"Sis!" Vida cried, hacking through the protective vines.

"Just hang on!" Maddie cried, as the Ranger turned on her, infuriated.

"Where's Red?" she taunted, swiping at Maddie with her sword.

"Maddie!" Nick cried jumping off the racer and running towards her and Vida. Maddie looked towards him, distracted, and the Red Ranger caught her with a sword stroke.

"No!" Vida yelled

"Maddie!" the cry was ripped from Nick's heart as she fell to the ground.

"Guilty." The Red Ranger said, sucking her into yet another small little card. Nick's sword came down; meeting with her's in a burst of sparks. They fought for seemingly hours until Vida finally freed herself, and ran towards the battle.

"I'm afraid I don't have time for you." The Red Ranger finally said, calmly initiating another small explosion in front of her, throwing both Vida and Nick back.

"If you want your friends back, go back to Rootcore. Dr. Tommy Oliver and many other rangers, both future and former, will want to talk to you. Meet me back here when you have them. I'll tell you the time and place you can fight for your loved ones." She snapped her fingers, disappearing through another transport spell.

"No!" Nick shouted, diving towards the purple seal, but he found only pavement.

"Maddie!" he cried again, slamming his fists against the concrete. He sat there for a moment, than out of the corner of his eye he saw Vida struggling to stand up.

"V." he called, getting up and walking over to her.

"She took Xander and my sister." Vida replied, sounding shocked. Nick helped her stand, supporting much of her weight. "We have to get back to Rootcore, and find this Tommy Oliver."

"And those other Rangers." Nick agreed, as they limped toward Nick's racer.

--

"Chip!" Vida cried when they walked into Rootcore, she stumbled toward where he was lying on the bed that Udonna set him on.

"Is he going to be all right?" Nick asked, gazing at his fallen friend.

"She has placed a spell on him." Udonna answered, gripping her husband's hand.

"It's a healing sleep, he will not wake for a few days." Leanbow looked at his son, "The spell was set even as she fought him, as he grew weaker and weaker."

"So what? She's saying 'so sorry I beat the crap out of you!?' She took Xander and Maddie!" Nick yelled, turning on his father.

"Your father is not making excuses for her," Daggeron intervened, "He was simply stating a fact."

"The fact is we may not have much time!" Vida snapped, whipping around to limp toward the Xenotome.

"What are you doing?" Clare asked, coming up beside her to help her up the stairs. Vida shrugged her off.

"Maybe the Xenotome will have something on Tommy Oliver." Vida replied, grimacing in pain.

"Doctor Oliver?" Udonna asked, "What does he have to do with anything?"

"The Red Ranger told us that he had something to do with this." Nick supplied

"Who's he?" Clare asked, blinking.

"Many call him the greatest power ranger of all." Udonna replied, walking toward the bookshelf and pulling out a dusty volume, she flipped it open, "He was the original Green Ranger, original White Ranger, the Red Zeo and Turbo Ranger, and the Black Dino Ranger."

"We have to find him." Vida said firmly, "He's the only lead we have."

"It says he's currently a teacher in Reefside." Udonna looked up, "A science teacher."

"Let's go visit the good Doctor." Nick said heading toward the red door with his broom.

"I'm with you there!" Vida replied following him.

"You are both very weak-" Udonna started, but Leanbow interrupted her with a look.

"Be careful." He said, putting his arm around the white sorceress.