Disclaimer: Power Rangers and all related materials is copyright of BVE. This fanfiction is my original work and may not be reproduced without permission. I can be contacted at Randelm@hotmail.com.
(01.31.04)
Streaks of the Sun
Prelude
Vows
The high mountain air was thin. A black clad figure kneeled upon the bare rock before a sheer precipice, and breathed slowly. Her black silk uniform was slashed with a deep rose color. Like the pink of the sunset before her. It was because of the pink clouds that she wore the color in fact. The Setting Sun ninja Academy had been one of the schools sworn to protect the planet. Oaths sworn to the powerful Ninja Master Ninjakon, student of the Morphin Master Ninjor. Those vows had been broken when she was just a little girl and she and her sister had been taken into the dark void of space where their parents forged an alliance with the dark Ninja Master, Lothor.
Kapri suppressed a sigh. She focused her mind before the tears could form and continued her meditation on the past.
She and her sister had been raised in the dark ninja arts, though they had also been spoiled beyond all reason. Their mother had been the adopted daughter of Lothor making the powerful man their uncle. Their Uncle Lothor became a man feared and respected even though he was from what many villains referred to as the backwater mudball called earth. He and their parents used their new powers to crate an army of drones and amass much dark power. None would harm or say 'no' to his little nieces.
Eventually, the girls began to hear stories about their barely remembered home planet. About how no villain could take it and those who had tried were among the best. Their parents had suggested to Lothor that they return to Earth before someone else had claimed it as their own. But Uncle Lothor had been confident that Earth would repel all enemies. The time to strike had not yet come. By the time he finally was ready to strike, ther parents had settled on a small planet in the outer reaches of the galaxy. They had set themselves up as the rulers of that planet and no longer had any desire for Earth. They had also grown weary of their daughters.
A single tear slid down from under the dark hood she had pulled up to hide her face.
Lothor set out for Earth with his nieces in tow. On the way to Earth, Marah had once come running to Kapri in her bubbly manner and shown her the remnants of their parent's former school. One of the several small schools founded by the Terran students of Ninjakon. Orange and Pink, the colors of the clouds at sunset. The powers of the time between day and night, the fire of the sun and the mist of the clouds. These were the powers of nature that her parents had given up for the powers of dankness. For the powers offered by Lothor. The powers that perhaps were still in use on a small planet far away. The powers that she herself had begun to use under their tutelage and in the service of her Uncle. On some days the memories of what she had done, what she had tried to do... it was too much to bear.
She looked out to the horizon as the sky faded from pink and orange, to deepest blue and eventually star speckled black. For a moment, the empty air below the cliff face looked far to inviting.
Kapri had told her sister to hide the relics and never speak of them again. They were dark ninjas now. They had better act the part. All Kapri had ever wanted in those days was to be appreciated, to be praised for doing something right. She had been spoiled, but she hadn't been stupid. She hand known what they were doing was considered wrong by most standards. At the time it had seemed to be the only way to receive the love of her uncle.
The three of them, Lothor, Marah, and herself had devised a plan to gain the trust of several powerful villains during the siege of Earth. They were to play up the part of spoiled little girls so as to seem less effective. Lothor himself affected an air of unconcern with the general failure of his constant attacks. Not until the time was right did he unleash the power of his resurrected soldiers. Of course, things hadn't come out quite as planned.
It hadn't taken long for Kapri and her sister to seek the sanctuary of Uncle Kanoi and his students. The very heros they had tried to destroy. Of course the good guys had taken them in. Forgiveness is what heros do.
But it wasn't enough. Not yet. There was something she had to do. Something to redeem herself in her own eyes.
"What are you doing up here?" It was Marah, clad in her black silk slashed with orange. Kapri did not turn to face her sister.
"Thinking about the past."
"Oh."
Kapri spoke quickly, before she could change her mind. "I'm leaving. I'm going to see mom and dad."
"What? Why?" Marah gasped.
"To see if they've realized they were wrong. And if they haven't... to make them."
"Oh," Marah said again. Kapri marveled at everything her sister could make that little word hold. Marah sat down next to her sister and stared at the horizon. "Yeah, I'd thought about maybe doing something similar."
Kapri cast about for something innocuous to say. "Did you see the sunset tonight?"
Marah nodded. "Yeah, Dustin and I-"
Kapri looked at her sister incredulously, "You watched the sunset with Dustin?"
Marah blushed. "Well you see..."
"I knew it! You are totally into him!" The two laughed a little.
"Maybe I am."
"Maybe?"
"Alright, alright... give me a brake, would ya?"
"Hmm," was all Kapri said in reply.
They fell silent as the air got colder and their thoughts returned to their parents.
"When do you want to leave?" asked Marah.
"As soon as possible. We'll talk to Uncle Kanoi tomorrow. Firs thing in the morning."
Marah nodded. Together, they stood and returned to the Wind Academy dojo.