Blue Bay Harbor, July 23rd, 2008
In a quiet neighborhood in Blue Bay Harbor, California, a well-muscled man with short, spiked black hair and a teenage girl with brown wavy hair stood on the front porch of a yellow, two story house with a well-kept flower garden blooming in the front. A black jeep sat parked in the driveway. With the number of brown boxes surrounding the pair, one might think they were moving in.
"Well, kiddo, that's the last box." the man said, gently adding the last box one to the pile. "I have to go now, or I'm going to miss my flight." 15-year old, Madison Grace Oliver, better known as Maddy, threw herself at her father, who enveloped her with a tight hug.
"I wouldn't be bummed if you did." The dark-haired girl mumbled as he released her. "Do you have to go?"
"I'll be back before you know it. I promise." Maddy withheld a sigh but nodded obediently. Her dad never broke a promise. "Be good for Nani, alright?" He added, as he headed down the porch steps to the jeep. The teen nodded forlornly as he slid in and started the engine. Her fingers idly twisted her silver necklace. The light danced across the purple gem that was set in the center.
"I love you, Dad. Be careful!" Maddy called. Her father waved in reply, and put the Jeep into motion, pulling smoothly out of the driveway. An older woman with short, snowy white hair emerged from the cheery looking house, and wrapped a comforting arm around the brunette's shoulders, waving with her free arm. The brunette waved as hard as she could, and with a farewell honk of the horn, the Jeep turned the corner and disappeared from sight. Maddy looked at the jumble of boxes around her and sighed. A frown tugged at her normally smiling mouth, and her light blue eyes were watering. Her grandmother, known to one and all as Nani, squeezed her shoulders.
"C'mon, Mads, let's get these boxes inside. Tori's picking you up soon, isn't she?" Nani asked, trying to bring her granddaughter out of her funk. Maddy perked up at the reminder.
"Yep! We're going to hit the beach, and then she's giving me a ride to class after." The brunette said eagerly. Of course, she wasn't referring to a normal high-school class. Few people had that sort of enthusiasm for actual school, and Maddy never did.
"First day. Are you excited?"
"I'm literally going to ninja school. I'm beyond excited!" Maddy exclaimed, in a quieter voice. It was a relief that she wouldn't have to hide where she was going all the time. Attending the Wind Ninja Academy was a tradition on her mom's side of the family, and it was one of the only things that she was actually looking forward to in her extended stay in Blue Bay Harbor.
xxxComesBeforeThunderxxx
Maddy dropped the last box with a resounding thud. She winced at the noise. I hope there wasn't anything important in there. She thought sheepishly. Labeling the boxes hadn't seemed that important when she had been packing stuff up from her bedroom in Los Angeles. Speaking of her bedroom…the brunette slowly spun around, taking in her room for the foreseeable future. The walls were lavender, contrasting nicely with the white trim and white lofted bed, as well as the dark wooden floors.
Her gray and white chevron bedspread was already spread out over the bed, courtesy of Nani, and her purple patterned sheets peeked out from beneath it. The wall adjacent to the bed had a large window that looked out into Nani's backyard, and into her friend Tori Hanson's, whose family lived around the block. Their backyard also had a small yellow shed that held her motocross bike and her surfboard, along with Nani's gardening equipment. White curtains hung at the window, and they fluttered in the light breeze.
The dark-haired girl smiled, albeit a little sadly. She loved the room, but she couldn't help but miss home. Quiet Blue Bay was pretty different from the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles. Maybe it'll get better when I'm unpacked? Maddy reasoned hopefully. The teenager looked over the piles of boxes she had stacked rather haphazardly around the space, wondering where to start. She groaned.
"Why did I think that labeling them was a waste of time?"
xxxComesBeforeThunderxxx
"Aha!" Maddy crowed as she tugged her swimsuit out of a box. She had dug through half a dozen boxes before she found the correct one, and even her swimsuit had been buried under a bunch of her gymnastics gear. Her grips that she used on the uneven bars had left an unfortunate coating of white chalk dust across her black swim shorts. Maddy shook it a couple times, and the cascade of white dust that came off the swim shorts decided to find a new home on her legs. Her tankini top was thankfully already mostly white, so it didn't show.
Once she had it on, however, Maddy wished she would have just gotten a new suit. She had forgotten how dorky it looked. The last time she'd worn it had been when she'd visited Blue Bay last summer, and it was definitely a little too childish for comfort. Her braided hair and small stature didn't help. Maddy had just turned fifteen, and she was exactly five feet tall. Her small size was perfect for gymnastics, but outside of that, it was just plain annoying.
After fruitlessly fiddling with her suit for a little longer, Maddy gave up. She glanced at the wall clock, and her blue eyes nearly doubled in size. I'm so gonna be late! She paused only long enough to snag her backpack before she ran, thundering down the stairs, through the kitchen, and out the back door. The porch door banged against the house as the gymnast hurried out to the shed.
"Maddy, slow down!" Nani's voice wafted out through the back door after her.
"Sorry!" Maddy yelled back as she yanked open the door to the gardening shed. She stepped into the musty coolness, squinting in the semi-dark as she looked for her secondhand surfboard. The blue and white board exactly where she had left it: leaning against her motocross bike. The surf board was honestly one of the few things that she owned that wasn't in her favorite color purple, and it was definitely because it had formerly been Tori's. Her older friend had some sort of weird affinity for the color blue, but maybe it was a water ninja thing.
In much less of a rush this time, Maddy closed the door to the shed and returned to the house, trying to avoid hitting anything with the unwieldy board. Nani met her at the back door.
"Here's your water bottle." Nani offered it to her, and Maddy slid it into the side pocket of her backpack. A honk echoed from the front side of the house. She peeked through the house and out the front window, and she spotted the familiar blue and white van idling at the curb.
"Thanks Nani!" Maddy exclaimed and bounced down the steps, heading for the gate that would let her around to the front of the house. "I gotta go, I'll see you later!" She missed the fond look her grandmother wore as she watched her go.
"Have fun, I'll see you when you get hom-" Nani's goodbye was cut off by the wooden gate slamming behind the gymnast. Maddy practically flew across the yard to where her blonde friend was waiting for her.
"Hey stranger!" Tori Hanson called cheerfully as she rolled down the window. "Throw your board in the back!"
"Hi!" Maddy exclaimed gleefully, hugging Tori as soon as she climbed into the van. "I'm so glad to see you, I can't believe it's been seven months!"
"I still can't believe you actually get to stay here with us for a while! I know the guys are pumped to see you." Tori said as she shifted her van into drive. "I think Dustin's especially excited to have somebody to go ride motocross with that can actually keep up with him." It was true. Maddy loved Shane and Tori but gifted with motocross they were not.
"I hope I still can, he's busting out faster lap times all the time." Maddy laughed. "But who cares about motocross right now, we have waves calling our name!"
xxxComesBeforeThunderxxx
Several hours of surfing later, Maddy and Tori were sitting impatiently in the van at the edge of the city park. They were waiting on Shane and Dustin to show up so they could all head to the Wind Ninja Academy for classes. The gymnast was sitting cross-legged in the front passenger passenger seat, drumming her fingers on the door. Maddy was notorious for never being able to sit still.
"Where are they?" Tori wondered aloud, glancing at the clock for the third time in less than a minute. The usually cool and collected water ninja was tapping the steering wheel impatiently. "If they don't hurry up, we're going to be late. We have to be there in twenty minutes." Maddy's fidgeting increased at the pronouncement, but she switched from drumming her fingers on the door to twisting her silver necklace around her index finger
"Will I get kicked out if we're late on my first day?" Maddy asked worriedly, without looking over at Tori. "Actually, scratch that, will I get kicked if I'm awful at being a ninja? Still and silent is so not my thing."
"Madison Grace, relax. You're going to do fine." Tori reassured her, and Maddy stuck her tongue out at her for the use of her full name. "The teachers are all really nice, you'll see. At least, you'll see if the boys decide to show up." As if on cue, a figure in red popped up right next to the open driver's side window.
"Boo!" Shane Clarke shouted. Tori hadn't even flinched, but he had managed to make Maddy jump. It was a secret she was prepared to take to the grave. Her friend wasn't in need of an ego boost. ""Did I scare ya?" The air ninja asked with a mischievous grin, and Tori rolled her eyes.
"Dream on." The water ninja laughed as Shane pulled open the passenger door and hopped into the back seat. He immediately leaned forwards to talk to the girls through the gap between the seats.
"Welcome back Maddy! Excited to become an air ninja?"
"Um, who said she was going to be an air ninja?" Tori protested immediately before Maddy could respond. Shane and Maddy both laughed, slapping hands in a friendly greeting. "Nice try."
"Alright, alright. Are you excited for the Academy in general, then?" Shane rephrased.
"I'm going to top secret ninja school with you guys, of course I'm excited!" Maddy said confidently, expertly hiding any trace of nerves. Tori
"I'm going to top secret ninja school with you guys. I'm definitely pumped!" The gymnast said confidently, any traces of nerves gone. She suddenly spied another figure, this one in yellow, sprinting towards the van. Tori and Shane did as well.
"Aaannnnddd, here comes Dustin, last as usual." Tori lamented, already starting the van as Dustin clambered in, still clad in his yellow and white motocross gear. Judging by the dirt on his clothes, he had just come from the motocross track.
"Dude, welcome back!"
"Good to be back, Dustin." Maddy laughed at his enthusiasm. "How was it today?"
"You've wouldn't believe how perfect the track is." Dustin exclaimed, immediately jumping on to her train of thought. "Like, it's muddy, but not too wet, y'know?" The gymnast nodded in understanding. Over the years, Dustin had continually dragged her out to the track with him until she finally learned to love it.
"Hopefully it's just as nice when we go tomorrow." Maddy said gleefully. "I'm about to die from motocross withdrawals." Sure, she could have gone out riding in Los Angeles, but it just wasn't as fun without her earth ninja friend. Not to mention guys weren't super accepting of female riders. At least in Blue Bay, everyone was used to her riding periodically. Tori sighed as she looked at the clock once again.
"Ok guys, I can't understand how you manage to be late every single time. I couldn't do that if I planned it!" Tori said.
"Maybe that's because you're the reliable one." Shane pointed out thoughtfully, as the road they were on began to become much more rural. Maddy was eagerly watching out the window. She'd never been to this area before.
"What's that supposed to mean, the reliable one?" Tori asked curiously, sparing a backwards glance in the mirror at him. Shane contemplated it for a moment.
"Well, in every group, there are different types of people." Shane began slowly, and the earth ninja's brown eyes lit up.
"Totally true. Think about, like, the Power Rangers!" Dustin said, excited he had been able to come up with a good, solid comparison. Maddy's lips twitched. He had no idea.
"Exactly!" Shane said, glad that someone was backing him up. Tori rolled her eyes.
"The Power Rangers? You've got to be joking." Tori snorted.
"No, like, there's always like, the mellow, reflective dude." Dustin said thoughtfully, contemplating his words. "And then, there's the energetic one, which of course, would be Maddy." The dark-haired teen continued, and Maddy nodded in agreement. He wasn't wrong. "Then there's the risk taker, the adrenaline guy. Which, of course, would be me." Shane added, puffing out his chest in pride. Everyone except Shane rolled their eyes at his statement.
"Yeah right. Tori, you're just the logical one!" Dustin exclaimed. Tori shook her head.
"You guys need to lay off the comic books. Power Rangers? Whatever!" The water ninja exclaimed.
"We have something more important to discuss." Shane said importantly, and Maddy turned to look at him.
"And that is?"
"What element you're gonna be!" Shane exclaimed, and both Tori and Dustin got excited. Maddy felt the butterflies start in her stomach. She had forgotten about that.
"As an earth ninja, I know an earth ninja. Maddy's gonna be an earth ninja." Dustin said eagerly.
"Have you seen her surf? She's a born water ninja." Tori said confidently.
"Have you seen her ride?" Dustin emphasized, brushing his brown hair out of his face.
"Children, children, settle down." Shane said, putting his hands up like a referee. "Arguing like this is pointless. Because we all know she's going to be an air ninja." That set everyone off again, until it was reduced to shouting "Air!" "Water!" and "Earth!" by the current ninjas while Maddy laughed.
"There's only one way to settle this. Maddy, what do you think you're going to be?" Shane asked like a game show host. Maddy considered the question.
"If I have to guess..."
"You do." The other three exclaimed in unison.
"Then I go with air, final answer." Tori and Dustin started yelling their protests over Shane's gloating, and Maddy was laughing too hard to reply.
xxxComesBeforeThunderxxx
The van finally pulled to a stop in the middle of the woods, and the argument finally wound down with the declaration that the losers had to buy ice cream for the winners. Maddy looked around, as the butterflies in her stomach started fluttering again.
"Are we here? Because I don't see a super-secret Ninja Academy anywhere around here." Maddy said hesitantly. The others started getting out of the van, clearly not sharing her reservations about the creepy forest.
"Just follow me, and we'll be there soon." Tori reassured her. Maddy got out of the van and followed them into the woods.
"You trust us, don't you?" Dustin asked. Maddy raised an eyebrow as she easily ducked under a low-hanging branch.
"I trust Tori. Not so sure about you and Shane after what happened at the skate park."
"Aww, come on! That was like, three years ago!" He complained. Maddy simply stuck her tongue out at him. The small group continued deeper into the woods. It was darker here, the thick canopy of leaves blotting out the direct sunlight.
"This place always creeps me out." Shane said, looking around apprehensively, and Maddy shivered a little. She wouldn't admit it, but she agreed with her friend. It was pretty spooky.
"I hear that, bro." Dustin agreed, rubbing his arms despite the warm temperature. Tori, ever the realist, was unimpressed.
"You guys are SO lame." Tori said, rolling her eyes at the boy's words as she forged ahead. After trekking through the underbrush for a few minutes, they came to a large tree. "Up and over, Maddy." Maddy had to jump to grasp the branch, and dangled there for a few seconds, before pulling herself up. Practically nature's equivalent of the uneven bars.
"Nice work, short stack!" Shane called from below, and she glared down at him. Resisting the urge to add a flip for added style, the gymnast easily leapt down from the tree branch, neatly sticking the landing. Maddy wasn't prepared for the beautiful waterfall that awaited her on the other side.
"Cool." Maddy breathed, simply taking it all in. Tori and Shane climbed over as well, unsurprised by the waterfall.
"Dustin, would you come on?" Tori asked impatiently. "We're already late as it is!"
"I'm right here!" Dustin replied, jumping down from the tree and landing nimbly beside them.
"Sure is quiet out here." Shane said, looking around the clearing.
"Yeah, a little too quiet." Dustin agreed. Some leaves rustled off to their left, and he jumped as a bird flew past. Maddy shivered again.
"You guys are going to jinx us by saying stuff like that." Maddy protested. She suddenly noticed another cluster of leaves twitch slightly in the nonexistent breeze. "Ok no wait, I'm actually freaked out."
Suddenly, a group of people in black Ninja garb appeared, knocking Tori, Shane, and Dustin to the ground. Maddy squeaked in surprise and ran back to help them up. Their opponents all landed gracefully in front of the four.
"Is this some kinda hazing thing?" Maddy commented nervously, watching the ninjas in black. They all had yellow, red, and blue colored piping to accentuate their uniforms, as well as a black and red circular crest just below their left shoulders. "If so, not cool!"
With a nod to each other, Tori, Shane and Dustin ripped their clothes to reveal their own Ninja gear. As the fight began, Maddy was left gaping in shock.
"How is that even possible?!" Maddy protested, more confused at the logistics of that than anything else she'd seen so far. Considering that everyone except Dustin had been in shorts and t-shirts, it should be scientifically impossible for them to do that. Judging by the special powers all the ninjas seemed to be using, maybe that was the least of her worries. It was amazing to watch ninjas fight and use powers, but less amazing as her friends basically got their butts handed to them. The victorious ninjas herded her friends back together, and Maddy hesitantly stepped forward to join them.
"Let go of me man." Dustin complained, trying to pull his arm out of the grasp of the other ninjas. Maddy breathed a sigh of sympathy for her friends. Tori was soaking wet and shivering, Shane's uniform had been ripped to shreds in several places, and Dustin was covered in dirt, dust, and leaves, his already unruly hair out of control. Suddenly, a hawk's call echoed in the distance. "Aw, man."
"What? Do you have some secret bird fear?" Maddy asked, feeling like she was missing something. Before Dustin had a chance to answer, the hawk Maddy had heard landed before them. Her jaw dropped as it transformed into a man in a white, tan, brown and blue outfit.The Wind Academy is basically Hogwarts crossed over with ninja school!He was definitely solemn-faced as he looked at her friends.
"That's enough for today." The man said calmly, and Maddy snapped her jaw shut. All the attacking ninjas bowed, before disappearing in a burst of light. Yep. The Wind Academy is Hogwarts for ninjas. Maddy decided, before turning her attention back to the man as he began speaking again.
"Tori. Shane. Dustin." He said sternly. "I am very disappointed. I will expect a visit from you so we can discuss your lack of commitment to your ninja training." Lecture apparently finished, he walked across the lake into and disappeared into the waterfall that had captivated Maddy's attention. Tori, Shane, Dustin, and Maddy were left standing there by themselves.
"What was that?! Who was that?!" Maddy spluttered, staring after the man. "How did he-"
"That's Sensei Watanabe. Don't worry, you'll get used to it." Tori said, patting her confused friend on the shoulder.
"Well, that wasn't so bad." Dustin said cheerfully, unfazed by their sensei's harsh words. Tori and Shane glared at the teen in the yellow accented Ninja suit, and then turned to enter the Wind Academy. As Tori and Shane easily walked across the pond and went through the waterfall, Maddy just stood on the bank, unsure of what to do. Dustin noticed the soon to be ninja in training's dilemma, and he came to her rescue.
"Just like, walk across it like it's normal ground." The earth ninja explained. "Trust me, you won't fall in."
"If you say so..." Maddy said, hesitantly putting one foot out on the water. "Whoa!" She exclaimed as she was able to walk straight across the water. "Dude this is so cool!" Dustin simply laughed and followed her. The two teens disappeared into the waterfall. They emerged on the other side, and Maddy was amazed by the beauty of the area. A tall, ancient Japanese style building stood sentinel over the groups of students trained on the plateau below. They were surrounded by forests, but smaller trees dotted the main grounds of the Academy. It made for an impressive sight.
"You know what, guys?" Dustin said, hurrying forward to walk next to Tori and Shane, pulling Maddy along with him, "You can blame it all on me!" he exclaimed, but his planned backfired when Tori retaliated with "Don't worry, we will." Maddy trailed a pace behind them, not sure what to do or say. Sensei approached them, and the older trio stopped and bowed, Maddy clumsily imitating them a split second later.
"You have been students at the Wind Ninja Academy for nearly a year, and yet you fail to see the importance of punctuality. I suggest that you find a way to fix that tomorrow, or I will have no choice but to expel you." Sensei said sternly, however, there was definite regret in his eyes.
"Wait, you can't!" Shane said, shocked at the possible consequence, with Tori and Dustin looking equally horrified. Maddy frowned in sympathy. She didn't want to go to ninja school all by herself, not to mention how miserable her friends would be if they got expelled.
"You all have great potential. It would be a shame to waste it. Now go. You must have other studies. " Sensei dismissed the three ninjas, who bowed, headed off towards the larger building. Dustin turned back to offer Maddy an encouraging grin and a thumbs up.
"Madison, welcome to the Wind Ninja Academy. I assume your grandmother has explained to you as to what you will be doing here?" Sensei Watanabe asked kindly, apparently much less concerned about her tardiness than her friends.
"Mostly, yes sir."
"Good. Please come with me, so we can better ascertain what element you will be studying." Sensei turned and began to walk towards the training grounds, with Maddy following him, when they were stopped by an irritated looking older boy wearing a green button up shirt with khakis and glasses.
"I don't know why you put up with them." The Asian teen said, obviously annoyed with Tori, Shane, and Dustin's lack of commitment. Maddy frowned. What gave him the right to talk about her friends like that?She opened her mouth to defend them, but Sensei beat her to it.
"Well then, Cameron, that's why I am the Sensei, and you're the sensei's son." Her mouth snapped shut. Getting into an argument with her new sensei's son probably wasn't the best way to start her career here. "I would also like you to meet Madison Oliver. Madison, this is my son Cameron."
"Hi." Maddy offered, idly twisting her necklace around her right index again. She was hesitant to say much or risk a caustic judgement from the irritated boy. Unlike when he was talking about her friends, he smiled, nodding in welcome.
"Nice to meet you." Cam said warmly. Ok. Maybe he just didn't like Tori, Shane, and Dustin? Sensei suddenly looked up, and walked a few paces away, frowning up at the clear blue sky. Cam and Maddy both noticed his actions.
"What's wrong, Dad?" The older boy asked curiously, and Sensei didn't respond, still staring intently upwards. Maddy would be lying if she said the eerie silence didn't unnerve her.
xxxComesBeforeThunderxxx
At the end of the class day, they had agreed to meet back at Tori's van. Maddy's tests for the day had wrapped up fairly early, and she was currently balanced in a handstand waiting for the older trio to return. She hoped they were hurrying. The sky had steadily been getting darker, and despite enjoying a good thunderstorm, Maddy wasn't in the mood to get soaking wet. As if they had heard her, her three friends emerged from the brush.
"What did you get?" Was the first thing out of Shane's mouth as soon as he saw her, eagerly quickening his pace.
"Yeah, what is it?" Dustin echoed eagerly. "Earth, right?"
"Hi, yes, I had a great day, thanks for asking." The curly haired teen remarked, as she unfolded herself from her handstand. She was deliberately avoiding the question, and they all knew it.
"Ok, that's good, now spill. What are you?" Tori was just as excited as the boys were.
"Well, it's kind of complicated." Maddy said. "Like, I don't know what to think."
"What's wrong? Do you hate what you got?" Tori asked kindly.
"They're all really cool, we were just messing with you." Dustin added, and Shane nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, I know, I just..." They all waited in eager anticipation. "I didn't get anything." Maddy confessed. "They said I didn't show an aptitude for any of them."
xxxComesBeforeThunderxxx
Maddy hurriedly cut through Tori's backyard to get home, dropping her board off in the shed as she went. The clouds were low and dark, and it looked like it was about to start pouring. As she was walking up the steps, she saw a flicker of lightning in the distance. The light of the kitchen was warm and welcoming, and Nani glanced back when she heard the screen door slam shut.
"Hi sweetheart, how was your first day?" Nani asked, turning the temperature on the stove down and turning to face her granddaughter. Maddy gave her a bit of a forced smile, as she plopped her bag down on a barstool, and slid onto the one next to it.
"The waterfall and the school grounds areso cool!" The gymnast recounted. "Everything is super pretty. The woods are kinda spooky though." Nani laughed at her latter comment.
"Oh, I'm glad they still have the waterfall. I loved seeing it when I was getting tutored there."
"Sensei Watanabe and his son were nice. I didn't really get to talk to anyone else except the teachers." Maddy said, her happiness a little more forced that time. "I was getting tested most of the day."
"Did you find out what your element is? You'll have a friend no matter where you go." Nani encouraged her, and Maddy internally winced. Unless they were late again tomorrow.
"No. They said I didn't really show an aptitude in any of the categories." Nani looked surprised, and a little concerned. "They want to do further testing tomorrow. But I did get a training uniform." Maddy added quickly. She half-hoped that Nani would drop it, but she also hoped her grandma would have some words of wisdom about it. Nani was good at that. "It's the same as the other uniforms, just with white instead of any of the colors because I don't know which element I am yet." Maddy explained.
"Makes sense." Nani said thoughtfully. "I'm sorry you didn't find out today. Sometimes it takes a little longer."
"Really?" Maddy asked, a glimmer of hope shining in her heart. Maybe I won't be a ninja school dropout! Nani smiled.
"Really." She leaned forward, a conspiratorial glimmer in her blue eyes that were so similar to hers. "It took my tutors almost a week to help me figure out what I was." The brunette laughed, relief coursing through her.
"I was worried it was just me." Maddy admitted as she began setting the table for dinner.
"Oh no. I bounced back between air and water, before finally ending up with air." Thunder rumbled again outside, closer this time. Nani glanced out the window over the sink. "Huh. I didn't know it was supposed to storm tonight." Maddy shrugged in response as she went to the fridge to get the milk out.
"Me neither. I thought I saw some lightning earlier, thought." Maddy added, glancing out the screen door. She missed the expression on her grandmother's face at the pronouncement.
"Lightning." Nani murmured under her breath, and then glanced at her granddaughter. Maddy looked back at her strangely as she took as seat at the table.
"Nani? Did you say something?" Maddy asked curiously.
"No, dear. Just an old woman talking to herself." She joked. They sat down to dinner, and Maddy chattered on about her day. As Maddy talked, Nani couldn't help but wonder about Maddy's element. Perhaps there was a different reason that Maddy didn't show an aptitude for air, water, or earth.
xxxComesBeforeThunderxxx
The next day, the weather had cleared up completely, and it was back to being typical California: sunny and warm. Maddy, Tori and Shane all headed to Storm Chargers to wait for Dustin's shift to finish. Maddy led the way into the extreme sports store, pushing her 125-motocross bike in front of her. It had been several months since she'd been able to ride it last, and the purple and gray bike was in desperate need of a tune up from Dustin. Tori and Shane made a beeline for the comfy burgundy couches near the TV, while she carefully wheeled her bike past the racks of extreme sports equipment, and into the shop in the back of the store.
"Hey Maddy, welcome back!" Kelly called from her spot at the register. "Looking forward to seeing you back at the track!"
"Thanks, Kelly!" Maddy replied with a grin. Dustin was currently working on a similar bike, amidst several ticking clocks. She nudged the kickstand down with her foot and left her bike by the wall.
"Dustin? What's with all the random clocks?" The gymnast asked curiously, picking one up. The boy in question slid out from under the bike he was working on, grease smeared across his hands.
"Well, after yesterday, I rigged all these clocks to go off at 3." Dustin explained, gesturing to the devices scattered around the room. "So we won't be late."
"Smart." The gymnast nodded, setting the clock down. It continued ticking merrily away. Letting Dustin go back to work, Maddy began to browse the store as she waited. She had just picked up a nice pair of motocross gloves when a shrill ringing split the relatively calm atmosphere. Maddy about jumped a mile.
"Dustin!" Tori called shutting off the TV and springing from the couch, Shane following suit. Maddy slid the gloves back on the rack. Hopefully she'd be able to return for them later.
"I guess that's our cue. Bye Kelly!" Maddy said called and followed Tori and Shane as they headed out the door.
"Yo, heads up!" Dustin said, as he slid around a customer, making a mad dash for the door. The red headed owner of the store stared at her mechanic.
"You're not leaving me here to clean up shop!" Kelly said incredulously.
"Have I ever told you what a cool boss you are? Bye Kelly!" Dustin called over his shoulder as he hurried past. Kelly rolled her eyes and started cleaning up, all the while wondering why her young employee was always disappearing.
xxxComesBeforeThunderxxx
"These strange atmospheric conditions have the weather service baffled." The radio broadcaster announced as they drove, and Maddy looked out her window. It didn't look that bad, just like it might storm a little. Lightning flickered across the sky.
"Are we on time?" Dustin asked nervously as they drove down the highway.
"No, early." Tori said in disbelief, staring at the clock on the radio. 3:09 glowed back at them.
"Is early a new concept for you guys?" Maddy asked, smirking. Tori whacked her lightly on the arm.
"You're one to talk, Miss Chronically Late." Maddy couldn't deny that but stuck her tongue out at her blonde friend. They continued driving, getting to the rougher part of the mountain roads, when they came across an elderly couple standing next to their car, which was spewing steam.
"Hey, it looks like they need help!" The water ninja said, already slowing down.
"No way Tori. We can't." Shane protested, as she parked behind them.
"We can't just leave them here, something could happen to them." Maddy pointed out logically, already unbuckling her seatbelt.
"Two minutes, man." Dustin assured him as he slid out of the car as well. Thunder rumbled ominously overhead. Shane called after them "Well, I know that if we're late, something will definitely happen to us. And it won't involve fun and fabulous prizes!"
xxxComesBeforeThunderxxx
The four teens raced through the woods, anxious to get to the academy on time. They leapt over the tree, and hurried across the waterfall, and into the woods on the other side. As soon as they cleared the treeline, they froze. Something was horribly wrong. Maddy could only stare upwards in horror at the dark hole that split the storm clouds, screaming wind emanating from it. Shane was the first one to react.
"What's going on?" He shouted over the roaring wind that threatened to flatten them. A particularly strong gust caused Maddy to stumble backwards, nearly crashing into Dustin. The earth ninja steadied her so she didn't wind up on her butt. The gymnast's small size certainly wasn't doing her any favors.
"Something's attacking the school!" Dustin yelled back. It certainly looked like it. The wind was only increasing in intensity, and there wasn't another person in sight.
"What could do something like this?" Maddy gasped, staring at the nearly destroyed grounds. The banners and outbuildings that had once stood so proudly around the well-kept grounds were shredded, the buildings collapsing before their eyes.
"Look out!" Tori shrieked, as the main building of the school was sucked into the air, vanishing into the dark hole. The four friends immediately hit the deck, covering their heads as debris whipped towards them. Is this what a tornado is like? Maddy wondered frantically. She was glad she was wearing her thick training uniform rather than her shorts and tshirt from earlier.
After what seemed like hours, but was probably only a minute or two, the winds died down. An eerie silence fell over the decimated grounds as they stood up.
"It's...gone." Maddy whispered, unable to comprehend what she was seeing. "Everything!"
"Ok, I, I'm thinking, earthquake." Dustin stuttered, shocked from what they had just witnessed.
"When was the last time you heard about an earthquake sucking buildings and people into the sky?!" Shane asked his friend incredulously. Dustin just shrugged blankly. The four remaining ninjas (Well, three and a half ninjas) ran down the hill to where their school had once stood. They made their way onto the decimated training grounds, which were covered in towering heaps of wood and concrete. The banners that had once signified air, earth, and water were ripped to pieces. The final banner that had held the Wind Ninja Academy crest was burning, flames quietly crackling as it consumed it.
"Who would do something like this?" Tori asked softly.
"Better question, how could they do something like this?!" Maddy demanded of nobody in particular. "There has to be something that can explain this, right?" Nobody had an answer, but Dustin squeezed her shoulder comfortingly.
"Are we the only students left?" Shane wondered. The four kept walking, and Maddy suddenly spied the debris shifting.
"What's that?" She squeaked, and they all froze, hoping it wasn't one of whatever had managed to destroy the school. Maddy's arms were up in a defensive position, but she knew if it was something that could destroy an entire ninja school, any martial arts her dad taught her as a kid probably wouldn't help her. The heap shifted a little more, but instead of a monster, Cam Watanabe appeared. His glasses were bent, and he was coughing.
"It's Cam! Help me get him out!" Shane ordered. All tackling different parts of the pile, they were able to get the hole big enough to allow Cam to crawl out.
"It's ok, we got you." Tori said soothingly, helping him to stand up. Clearly uncomfortable with Tori's sympathy, Cam stepped back a half step as he dusted off his clothes and glasses.
"Are you ok?" Maddy asked anxiously, spying a cut on his forehead. "What happened to you?"
"I'll be fine." Cam said, brushing off their concern. "We've got bigger things to-" They were all sent sprawling into the grass as a bright bolt that could only be described as a laser beam nailed the grass inches from where they were standing.
"Well, we won't be fine for long if we stay out here!" Dustin yelled over the explosion. As if on cue, more bolts started raining down.
"C'mon guys, this way!" Cam yelled, and he took off running. Maddy ran after him, closely followed by the others. The older teen ran to an area free of rubble, tugging on something. It turned out to be a trap door. The older teen slid inside, and without hesitation, Maddy climbed in too. She figured a creepy cave was better than being shot at. Tori was the last one to climb in and slammed the trap door shut behind her. Maddy looked around. it wasn't a really a cave like she had thought. Instead, they were standing at the top of a flight of smooth stone stairs. Cam walked confidently down the steps, and they hesitantly watched him.
"Cam, what is this place?" Shane asked, looking around. The older teen spared a glance over his shoulder at them.
"Just follow me!" Cam ordered, as they all walked down the stairs. He touched a silver box on the wall and coalesced into rainbow colors as light ran over his hand. A handprint scanner? What kind of cave was this? Maddy wondered silently. Her question was answered as she heard a soft rumbling. The cave began to change, and the cave became a room, with a large computer at one end, a table in the middle surrounded by several cushions of varied colors, and a library of scrolls to the left of the doors. It gave off a total sci-fi vibe.
"Holy cow…." Maddy breathed, eyes wide as she took it all in. Or maybe a Batman vibe, because it was a secret high-tech cave.
"No way…." Shane was in just as much shock as Maddy.
"It's amazing!" Tori exclaimed excitedly, the only teen, other than Cam, who could form a coherent sentence.
"Dude…" Dustin was in even more shock than Shane and Maddy.
"Don't ask any questions, I can't answer them." Cam said curtly, taking a seat at the chair in front of the large computer.
"Dude, is this like, some big secret?" Shane asked curiously.
"Yes Shane, it is "some big secret"." Cam said, shooting an annoyed glance back over his shoulder at the air ninja. Ok, so maybe Cam wasn't irritated by her friends themselves so much as he was by their...well, themness.
"And there are times when secrets must be revealed, Cam." A voice said from the back of the secret lair. A small motor habitat rolled into view, and there was a guinea pig on it, dressed in clothes like Sensei's. Maddy did a double take.
"Am I the only one who just heard a guinea pig TALK?!" Maddy squeaked. This has to be some insane dream. She thought in disbelief.
"Whoa, the big rat sounds just like Sensei!" Shane said incredulously.
"Nah, dude, I know what a guinea pig looks like." The brunette pointed out. "Remember Bubbles?"
"I still can't believe you named your guinea pig Bubbles." The air ninja snickered, completely forgetting the discussion at hand. The gymnast shot him a glare.
"I was eight, and The Powerpuff Girls were cool!"
"Guys!" Tori shouted over their bickering. "Maybe argue about that later?" Both Maddy and Shane sheepishly nodded.
"Dude, he's dressed like him too…" Dustin trailed off, squinting at the guinea pig. The earth ninja had been studying the animal the entire time they had been bickering.
"Madison was correct. My father is not a rat. He's a guinea pig." Jaws dropped, Tori, Shane, Maddy, and Dustin exchanged shocked glances.
"You're joking, right?" Maddy asked disbelievingly, shaking her head insistently. Her brown pony tail swung with the movement.
"Did he just explain why, and I, phew, missed it?" Dustin asked, waving a hand over his head for emphasis. The Earth Ninja was totally lost, but at this point, who wasn't?
"He's stuck." Cam said calmly and slowly, so everyone could comprehend what he just said.
"Stuck?" Shane repeated blankly. The Asian teen sighed, obviously irritated that none of them were getting it.
"Yes Shane. Stuck. Observe." The guinea pig that was apparently Sensei ninja flipped over to the computer, and in the process, knocked a startled Dustin on his butt. Maddy giggled in spite of herself and pulled her friend up off the floor. "This is Lothor. He was once a great ninja but was banished when his hunger for power turned him to the dark side."
"Very Star Wars." Maddy said under her breath.What, is he going to end up being someone's father?
"When our energy shields collided, I was transformed into what you see before you. Lothor has returned with an evil army, and they will do anything to take our planet as their own. They must be stopped." Sensei continued, and the earth ninja raised his eyebrows.
"Who would be dumb enough to stop them?" Dustin asked incredulously, and Tori, Shane, and Maddy shared a glance.
"An excellent question, Dustin. The morphers, Cam." Sensei said, and Maddy's blue eyes went wide.Morphers? As in, Power Ranger morphers?!
"Father, you're not serious." Cam protested.
"Cam, we have no choice." Sensei said seriously to his son.
"But these guys? I mean, them? They're, well, they're…" Cam trailed off, and from his tone, the sentence hadn't been going anywhere good.
"We're what?" Tori asked, clearly picking up on it. Maddy crossed her arms defensively. She may have only had like, a day of ninja school, but she wasn't a complete idiot.
"I don't like how this is sounding. Do you?" Shane asked Maddy and Dustin.
"I don't know dude, I'm kinda lost." Dustin said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.
"Now, Cam." Sensei said sternly, and Cam knew he was fighting a losing battle. The teen sighed and walked over to the wall, grabbing a box. It looked very old, but the polished wood still gleamed under the lights of the cave. Intricate designs had been carefully etched into the sides, and Maddy squinted at it. They almost looked like Japanese kanji. Cam carried the box gently, tipping them all off to the fact that there wasn't just another old scroll in there. With a sigh, he slowly opened it to reveal four black devices with gold accents and three red buttons. Maddy recognized the symbols for water, air, and earth, but the symbol on the last device was unfamiliar. "These are your Power Ranger Wind Morphers." Sensei informed them, and they all gaped at him.
"Yeah right." Tori said in disbelief, staring at the four devices in the box.
"Is this some new ninja school prank? Because you totally got me." Maddy added. Sure, she knew Power Rangers were real, but this had to be some kind of mistake. She couldn't double dip on Rangerhood, could she? Her friends were unaware of her thoughts, and were much more eager.
"YES! See, I knew it dude! I was right!" Dustin shouted with glee. He and Shane slapped high fives, before the earth ninja gently picked up his corresponding morpher and slid it onto his wrist. It fit perfectly. "Power Rangers are real!"
"No way!" Tori was laughing now, excited. She instinctively picked up the gold and black device with the water symbol on it, mimicking Dustin's actions.
"Man, this is awesome!" Shane said, as he slid his own morpher onto his wrist. Maddy hesitantly picked up the remaining morpher in the case. It was the same as her friends, except the disk was purple with a white animal silhouette.
"What's this one, then?" Maddy asked, holding it out as her friends crowded around to look. She hadn't put it on yet, wary of being exposed as the wrong person for the morpher.
"That is the symbol of the Lightning Ninja." Sensei explained. "The power of lightning is rare indeed, and it has been many years since we last had someone at the Wind Ninja Academy with that gift."
"Really?" Maddy said eagerly, worries forgotten for the moment. She slid the morpher onto her wrist. It was the perfect size, as though it had been made for her. The newly-minted lightning ninja gasped as the white areas on her uniform glowed brightly before becoming a bright purple.
"That's sick." Shane said, grinning and slapping a high five with his younger friend. Maddy felt all warm inside, like a missing puzzle piece inside her had finally been put into place. Sensei cleared his throat, and they all looked at him.
"Dustin, child of the Earth, true to your heart, you will embody the powers of the Yellow Wind Ranger."
"Maddy, energetic and unpredictable as lightning, you will control the powers of the Purple Wind Ranger."
"Tori, Fluid and graceful like the water, you will become the Blue Wind Ranger."
"Shane, reaching for the stars, you will use the powers of the Red Wind Ranger. You will now all be known as the Wind Power Rangers, Defenders of Earth!" Sensei proclaimed. They all stood there in an almost reverent silence, as the words sank in.
"So, what does this thing do?" Shane asked, breaking the solemn silence as he fiddled with his morpher.
"Yeah, where's the switch?" Tori wondered, turning hers over. Maddy just spun the little disc around on hers, seeing how fast she could get it to go.
"Does it have any cool games?" Dustin asked, and the gymnast elbowed him.
"Dude, I'm pretty sure these are for monster fighting, not for gaming!"
"Ladies and Gentlemen, the defenders of Earth!" Cam muttered sarcastically under his breath, as the clueless rangers bickered. The large computer console at the other end of the room suddenly flashed red and began beeping loudly.
"You must go; Lothor's army is attacking!" They all shared a nervous glance. In their excitement of being the newest Power Rangers, they had overlooked the fact that Power Rangers actually have to go out and fight aliens. "You can call on your powers by saying "Ninja Storm, Ranger form." Sensei instructed.
"Ninja Storm, Ranger Form. Mmm. Catchy." Maddy said, repeating the phrase and storing it away.
"C'mon, let's hit it!" Shane said, calling their attention back to the task at hand. They all raced out of the room, ready to take on their first bad guy.
xxxComesBeforeThunderxxx
"Keep your eyes open!" the monster shouted to the Kelzaks as they wandered about below the cliff. He was quite the creation, with a blue face with a yellow eye stripe, and black and white striped...horns sticking out the top of his head. Combine that with a greenish-colored suit of armor with gold accents, and it created one majorly ugly monster.
"Hey, looking for us?" Shane called to the monster as the newest Power Rangers arrived on the cliff above them.
"It's them!" the monster shouted, alerting the red and black foot soldiers he had with him. Shane dramatically raised his arm to morph.
"Ninja Storm," Shane paused, thinking. "What was it again?"
"Ninja Storm, Ranger form."" Dustin and Maddy said at the same time, and then they grinned at each other.
"Nah, I don't think so." Shane argued, looking down at his morpher as if it would magically give him the answer.
"Well, it was something form." Tori pointed out.
"It's Ranger Form!" Cam's voice crackled out of the speakers on the morphers, and the lightning and earth ninjas high fived.
"Watch and learn, guys!' Dustin called to his friends as he and Maddy prepared to morph. They looked at each other and nodded.
"Ninja Storm! Ranger form, HA!" They shouted together, before instinctively hitting the spinning disc attached to the morpher. Everything suddenly shifted around Maddy. Rather than standing in the quarry, she stood high atop a mountain, lightning flickering all around her. It felt like someone had supercharged her as power and energy coursed through her veins as her suit formed around her.
"Power of Lightning!" Maddy declared. When everything shifted back to real-time, she looked down at herself. "Whoa!" Instead of her ninja uniform, she wore an electric purple sleeveless tunic with a black and gold belt, and a silver bodysuit underneath. Her boots were the same shade as her tunic, and she had white gloves protecting her hands. The same silhouette from her morpher was on the front of her uniform in white. Feeling a weight across her back, she tugged on it, and off came a real sword. It was amazing. Dustin's uniform was similar to hers, but in yellow without a skirt. It was topped off by a yellow helmet and a similar sword strapped across his back.
"This is the absolute coolest!" The purple ranger yelled, spinning around.
"Yeah baby, yeah! Haha, guess nobody's laughing at the comic book geek now, are they?" Dustin laughed, and he and Maddy high-fived triumphantly. Shane and Tori looked at each other, amazed, before nodding.
"Ninja Storm, Ranger Form, HA!" They both shouted in unison, disappearing in a burst of light, before reappearing clad in their suits.
"Power of Air!" Shane called.
"Power of Water!" Tori cried. Their suits were the same as Maddy and Dustin's, but in their own respective colors. They all instinctively struck a fighting pose, Maddy using the martial arts she had learned when she was younger.
"HI-YAH!" the four teens shouted as they ran at the Kelzaks, drawing their swords.
"Attack!" the monster ordered the foot soldiers. The Kelzaks began their attack, and the ninjas split up to take on the Kelzaks.
xxxComesBeforeThunderxxx
Maddy found that she really liked using her sword. It was balanced a little differently than the ones she usually trained with, but she had adapted quickly. As her arms grew tired, however (who knew a real sword was heavier than a training one?), she sheathed it and shifted into a hand-to-hand style, heavily incorporating her gymnastics skills. Maddy had never been more grateful to her dad for teaching her the basics of self-defense as she kicked another red-and-black foot soldier.
Unfortunately, the remaining Kelzaks had started surrounding her, backing her up against the sheer stone cliff. There wasn't enough room to use her sword, and her hand to hand wasn't going to be enough. Maddy suddenly remembered what one of the instructors had taught her when she had been tested for her element. Visualize yourself connecting to your element, and it will respond. Here goes nothing.Maddy flung a hand into the air, screwing her eyes shut as she concentrated.
"Lightning strike!" The lightning ninja shouted, and about jumped a mile as a hail of purple lightning bolts rained from the sky all around her. The remaining Kelzaks were decimated by the unrelenting hail of electricity, and Maddy could only gape at the scorched earth left behind. "I think I visualized too hard." The lightning ninja mumbled, before looking for her friends. Thankfully, Tori, Shane, and Dustin had dispatched their foot soldiers as well, and they all met in the middle of the quarry.
"Wind!" Shane shouted
"Power!" Tori yelled.
"Rangers!" Dustin hollered.
"Rock!" Maddy cheered. The oversized monster laughed, drawing their attention once again.
"You were fine against Kelzaks, but you really didn't think that was all we had, did you?" The monster asked. He shot lasers at the teens and send them flying high into the air. Shane hit his belt in mid-air, and a red hang-glider suddenly appeared.
"Hey guys, check it out!" The red ranger called, and Maddy immediately hit her belt, laughing as hers sprang to life as well. Dustin and Tori flew up next to them. The air ninja definitely got the hang of the devices before the rest of them, and immediately nudged his hang-glider into a nose dive. He snagged the monster off the ground and took him for a ride before Shane dropped him back to Earth. The other Rangers took that as their cue to rejoin him.
"Nice one, Shane!" Tori said, as they all jumped off their hang gliders and landed easily, aided by their suits. Maddy was feeling particularly cheerful and threw in a flip or two on the way down.
"That's it!" the monster said angrily, as he stood back up. He was positively bristling with anger.
"What's wrong? Are you tired of getting your butt kicked?" Maddy asked innocently.
"Do you wanna go home and cry to Lothor?" Tori asked, just as sweetly.
"Why you little-" the blue being began, but he never got to finish his sentence as the Wind Rangers leapt into action, slicing and dicing with their Ninja Swords. Despite the damage it caused, it didn't seem to pack enough punch.
"Rangers, if you summon your special weapons, it should help!" Cam informed them through the comm systems.
"Lightning Rod, fully charged!" Maddy called, activating her weapon retrieval system. She grinned as the staff materialized in her hands. It was purple with white accents carved into it, and the ends were tipped with gold. It was beautifully powerful and thrumming with energy.
"Sonic Fin, Sound off!" Tori shouted.
"Hawk Blaster, powered up!" Shane hollered.
"Lion Hammer, ready to roar!" Dustin yelled.
"Ready!" The four teens cried in unison.
"Beat this, blue dude!" Dustin slammed his Lion Hammer to the ground. The Lion Hammer shook the ground below the monster's feet, and the monster was thrown into the air, and slammed back into the ground a second later.
"Batter up!" Maddy called as charged. The monster tried to run, but the purple ranger easily caught up, slamming him hard across the back. It jolted him with purple electricity, before sending him flying back towards the other rangers. Maddy grinned beneath her helmet.
"Home run!" She cheered, pumping a fist in the air.
"Ready for a workout? And one, and two, and work those abs, work it! Annddd, down!" Tori used her Sonic Fin to pull the monster up off the ground. She made him spin head over heels, before sending him facedown into the dirt.
"Is it hot out here, or is it just you?" Shane asked as he blasted the monster with flames from his Hawk Blaster. The monster shrieked in horror as he was roasted.
"Let's put em' together, guys!" Dustin said, as soon as they finished testing their special weapons on the monster. They all folded and fit together perfectly, forming a larger gun for them to use.
"Storm Striker!" They called together.
"I'm soo scared." The monster snarled sarcastically.
"Bro, you should be!" Maddy said with a laugh.
"Ready?" Dustin asked.
"Aim!" Tori yelled.
"Fire!" Shane shouted. "Later, dude." Shane added with a grin as the freaky monster exploded in an orange fireball. They all cheered. As silence fell over the battlefield, the reality of what they had just done really started to sink in.We just saved the whole city, and maybe even the world.
"That just happened right?" Maddy was the first to find her voice. "Like, we just beat up an alien?"
"I'm pretty sure it did." Tori said hesitantly, her eyes still fixed on the last spot the blue monster had stood before they used their Storm Striker.
"Now that..." The yellow ranger was fumbling for the best word. "That was awesome!" Dustin exclaimed. His exuberant broke the almost somber mood, and Maddy let out a triumphant whoop. Tori and Shane both started yelling as well as they traded high fives.
xxxComesBeforeThunderxxx
The four teens were all still congratulating each other after the battle had been finished. Maddy was grinning so widely she thought her face would split in half. She couldn't even remember the last time she'd been so giddy.
"Oh, no, that was you, Miss Fluid and Graceful." Shane complimented Tori as they all reentered the newly dubbed Ninja Ops, still morphed but with their helmets in hand.
"Yeah, but let's not forget Mr. Child of the Earth with that amazing move with ground teleporting! " Tori complimented Dustin.
"Hey, hey, hey, we also have Miss Energetic and Unpredictable with that crazy lightning strike thing!" Dustin added eagerly, high-fiving the grinning purple ranger.
"And Mr. Reaching for the Stars, with that awesome flamethrower!" Maddy said excitedly, as she grinned at Shane.
"You did well, Rangers. But the battle has only begun. Lothor won't stop until the planet is in his grasp. You will have to keep fighting until he is destroyed. Your job has only just begun, Power Rangers." Sensei said, adding an air of solemnity to the otherwise joyous occasion. Despite his words, Maddy wasn't afraid. With Tori, Shane, and Dustin by her side, nothing could stop her! "Now that your job has begun, there are three rules you must abide by. Never reveal your identity to anyone, never use your powers for personal gain, and never escalate a fight without being provoked." Sensei instructed.
"Yes Sensei." Tori, Shane, Maddy and Dustin said seriously in unison, bowing.
"Good job, guys." Cam said grudgingly as he worked on something at the computer. Maybe he would come around to the idea of them being Power Rangers in time. And speaking of time...
"Oh man, what time is it?" Maddy asked suddenly, frantically looking around for a clock. Tori glanced at her watch.
"Five after, why?" Tori asked. Dustin stared at them in disbelief.
"Déjà vu." The earth ninja muttered, running his hand through his already messy hair. The girls had no idea that they were replaying the exact conversation Kelly and Dustin had had earlier.
"Yeah, 5 after what?" Maddy asked anxiously, demorphing fully.
"5 after 5." Tori elaborated, and the lightning ninja paled.
"Crap!" Maddy exclaimed. "I was supposed to be home at 5, Nani's gonna kill me!" Maddy exclaimed, and she took off running for the door. "Bye Sensei, bye Cam!" She called over her shoulder as she scurried up the stairs. Tori started laughing.
"What's so funny?" Dustin asked confusedly, looking at the water ninja.
"Maddy forgot I was her ride home." Tori said, laughing. "And your guys' too. We better hit it, our own parents will be wondering where we are." The teens left, calling out their goodbyes as they left. Their voices got quieter, until they were finally gone. The door closed with a thud behind them, leaving Ops in peaceful silence.
"Do you really think they have what it takes, Father?" Cam asked seriously, breaking the quiet.
"I know they do, Cam."
xxxComesBeforeThunderxxx
Thanks to the unfortunate distance between Ninja Ops and Blue Bay, Maddy wasn't even close to making it home in time. She sprinted up the stairs and through the door at 5:23. She heard the news on in the living room, and the lightning ninja hurried through the doorway to find her grandmother watching the news.
"Nani, I can explain." Maddy said breathlessly as she rushed into the living room. Nani muted the TV, standing up from the couch.
"Let's hear it." Nani was generally pretty laid back, but she was a stickler when it came to punctuality. She was constantly trying to break her granddaughter's bad habit of tardiness.
"I was at ninja school-" Maddy began, and Nani chuckled against her will.
"The Wind Ninja Academy." The white-haired woman corrected her, and Maddy smiled sheepishly.
"Sorry. I was at the Academy, and something came up right before we were supposed to leave." Maddy said nervously. "Dustin forgot his, uh, backpack at the training grounds and he had to run back and grab it." It wasn't entirely a lie. Dustin had forgotten his backpack at the training grounds on her first day at the Academy. Maddy hoped Nani wouldn't ask anything else, or she was going to run out of answers to her questions very quickly.
"Just call me and let me know next time, ok?" Nani admonished her gently, and Maddy almost wilted in relief. Her grandmother wasn't actually angry, just worried she hadn't called. The lightning ninja caught sight of the TV in the background and stiffened again. The sound was off, but a video of the Rangers' fight was airing, and the anchors were both chattering animatedly. Oh no. "Why don't you go get cleaned up while I make dinner?"
"Perfect!" Maddy agreed immediately, eager to put distance between herself and any mention of Power Rangers. As quickly as she dared, Maddy went upstairs to her room. The newly-minted purple ranger practically slammed the door to her room shut, sliding down the closed side to rest on the floor. She dropped her bag next to her, pulling her morpher out. She turned it over slowly in her hands. The gold and purple glinted cheerily in the light, and a slow grin began to steal across Maddy's face.
"Maybe Blue Bay won't be so boring after all."
xxxComesBeforeThunderxxx
And there's the first rewritten chapter done! I hope you all enjoyed it. I dropped a few (kinda obvious) hints in there as to what will be happening in future stories. If you have any questions feel free to PM me!
Thanks for reading, and please review! :)
~Weathergirl17248