Power Ranger Ninja Storm, Heather Ray [best classic romance novels txt] 📗

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"We won't hurt you, either," he adds, almost as an afterthought. "We're not about revenge. The fight is over between us, Hunter. Now comes the hard part."

He then turns toward the ocean. Curious, I follow his gaze, and my muscles relax with relief when I see a Megazord approaching.

"Looks like our ride is here," Shane notes with a nod. "You can hitch a ride with us; stick with your brother. If you want, of course."

It takes me a moment to shake off my surprise at the offer. "I find it hard to believe you're rolling out the red carpet."

Shane snorts. "I thought you were crazy ten minutes ago, and believe me, that hasn't changed. I think we're safer if we just leave you here; but Dustin and Tori think differently, and a good leader listens to his teammates."

That comment gets a rise out of me. Not the "crazy" part; I'd know Shane was lying if he claimed his opinion of me had miraculously changed… but his last phrase stung. "Are you lecturing me?"

He shrugs. "Not particularly."

Silence hovers between us, until the colossal Zord is close enough to wade waist deep in the waves.

"I'll bring her aground manually," Shane announces. "It'll make it easier for us to load Blake."

He lifts his wrist and morphs, immediately leaping into the air to take a seat in the cockpit for a precise landing. I watch him sail through the air, carried by his element, until he disappears into the primary-colored Zord.

Frowning, I make my way back to the others. Tori has resumed CPR, as Dustin rises from the sand, dusting off his black uniform.

"How is he?" I manage to ask. I try not to wince at the forlorn look on the Yellow Ranger's face.

"He's still not breathing on his own, but we're not giving up," he insists. Then, I practically jump from my boots when he places a hand on my shoulder. "Listen, we'll need you to carry him into the Megazord as soon as Shane lands."

My eyes slide from Dustin's hand on my shoulder, to his shallow grin. And I make one more decision.

"Agreed." I step back five paces, raise my morpher, and dissolve my morph.

Dustin stares at me for several seconds, eyes almost comically wide with shock. I don't know what my face looks like; if it's possible for red-rimmed eyes or a furrowed brow to communicate what I feel like right now, knowing my brother's life is hanging by a thread. But I know I feel like I'm on display, my misery revealed…my mask is gone.

But it's only fair. They're not hiding from me.

After his surprise wears off, Dustin's face changes. There's no mockery in his eyes, or gloating, or even a trace of satisfaction. If anything, he seems…nervous

.

So I wait. For what exactly, I don't know.

He bites his lip, and runs his fingers through his hair. Yes, definitely nervous. "Look Dude, I know I don't know you that well…but I know you well enough." I raise my eyebrow, as he frowns in confusion. "I don't think that made sense. Anyway, what I mean is, I know you didn't mean to hurt your brother. It was an accident; any idiot can see that. And soon he'll be fit as a fiddle, and this mess will be behind us. So, don't beat yourself up about it. Okay?"

I would've thought it impossible, but Dustin's earnest smile and hopeful gaze actually are enough to lift my spirits a little.

The ground quakes as the Megazord approaches, and Dustin peers up at the giant machine. "Let's make tracks. The sooner we get to Ninja Ops, the better."

Part Fifteen: Direction

The battle is over, and the Thunder brothers stand at a crossroads.

Author's Note:

Ladies and gentlemen, we're coming down to the wire! This penultimate installment is told in Blake's voice.

Chapter Twenty-One

Dizziness and an odd sense of exhaustion keep me swimming in darkness. I can hear voices, but for some reason I can't make out who they are, or what they're saying. They seem so far away, echoing weirdly, like at the end of a long tunnel.

I feel like ignoring them… but I know there's something important I was doing before I fell asleep. Something I was worried about. Something was happening.

I know I need to wake up, so I strain myself. Push through this thick darkness...

"So you're finally conscious. Now, maybe things will quiet down around here."

I blink stupidly, staring at the absolute last face in the world I expect to see. Maybe I'm hallucinating; I wait a few seconds for the fog to settle, but Cam is still standing above me, his gaze impassive as he turns his attention to his keyboard.

Huh?

"Where…?" I cough at the dryness in my throat. It feels like I haven't spoken in about a week. "Where am I?"

He doesn't look directly at me, too busy reading something on a computer screen. "And here I thought you've been in Ninja Ops often enough to recognize it."

"Huh?" I frown, chewing on that for a moment. How did I get here…?

"Cam," a stern voice from out of nowhere comments, "perhaps, instead of confusing Blake, we should focus our efforts on his assessment?"

Squinting, I can just make out the little guinea pig standing atop the keyboard. He somersaults to the edge of a table right beside my head. I stare, almost cross-eyed, at the twitching little nose.

"What do you remember, Blake?"

For some reason I can't name, I wince.

"Relax, Blake," he instructs, "The battle is over, and you are safe. Breathe slowly, and focus only on your breathing. Don't ask yourself questions. Let your mind clear…concentrate on simply breathing, and your mind will clear."

Despite his appearance, there's no doubt he's a Ninja master. Closing my eyes I follow his guidance. Taking slow, deliberate breaths, I sink into myself, letting the elusive shadows in my mind take shape without forcing them.

My eyes fly open as my disorientation clears, and everything falls into place.

"Where's everyone else?" I try to get up, but the weird numbness in my limbs makes my movements clumsy and awkward. "What happened to…"

My eyes are drawn to the corner behind me. "…Hunter?"

"For once, you're aware of your surroundings," my brother comments, stepping into the relative light.

Sensei Watanabe turns back to the computer where his son is stationed. "Now would be a good time to start that Zord diagnostic that's been pending."

Cam nods, and the two discreetly pass through the shoji doors, leaving my brother and me in an uncomfortable silence.

Finally, Hunter speaks. "Are you okay?"

He doesn't meet my eyes, bowing his head and turning aside to find a stool to sit on. The sight of him, slouched over and pale, reminds me of when he had a bad flu a few years ago. Completely worn out...that's the only way to describe it, though a virus isn't what caused it this time. It was disturbing then, and it's disturbing now.

I've only seen him look like this a handful of times in my life.

"Hunter, I'm fine," I'm quick to assure him. "Are you

okay?"

His lips twist into a grimace so angry, I feel the urge to back away. Before all this, I never thought I could ever be afraid of Hunter...but everything that happened on Vertical Island is too fresh.

"What happened to you, Hunter?"

"I went to Lothor's ship," he mutters, his head still bowed. "When you went to find Tori, I met with Choobo."

I sigh, dragging myself up to face him as directly as possible. I figured as much, but it still irks me to hear him say it. "Why didn't you wait for me? I could've --"

"You could've been killed. I'm more sure of that now than I was before I left!"

I glare at him a few moments before he lifts his hand. "Blake, it's got nothing to do with your skills. I walked into a trap, and Lothor knocked me down a few pegs." He absently rubbed his chest, his grimace deepening. "One more Ranger wouldn't have made a difference. Lothor might have decided he only needed to brainwash one of us to take out the Winds."

"Brainwash?"

"Yeah. Somehow, Lothor blocked out weeks of memories; everything from when we kidnapped Sensei Watanabe to that moment. Finding the Gem of Lost Souls, seeing our parents, learning the truth about their murder...all gone."

I nod my head, digesting that information. It certainly sheds some light onto Hunter's actions, but it doesn't explain everything…and it doesn't even touch what's really bothering me.

"Erasing some memories isn't enough to make the two of us enemies, Hunter." My lips curl in distaste as soon as the words leave my mouth, but there's no other way to put it. "Why didn't you trust me?"

Frankly, I'd expected him to deny it. Insist that Lothor's spell influenced his personality as well as his memories. It would've been easier, to label that chuckling monster as 'Hunter under an evil spell,'

and leave it at that.

Instead, he remains silent, bracing his elbows on his knees. "Remember that… talk we had at the Thunder Academy? Right before we were supposed to meet with Choobo?"

It was hard to forget. Watching Hunter throw a fit, yelling at me for being distracted, reminding me over and over that I had to get my priorities straight, admitting…

"Any distraction on this mission is going to get you killed

. I'm not

losing you, too."

…admitting he was afraid. When he's afraid, he lashes out. And nothing scares him more than the thought of losing someone he cares about.

"Yeah, I remember," I manage to respond.

He leans forward, as if staring at the stone floor. "I didn't trust you, Bro. I didn't trust you to take care of yourself. I was convinced the Wind