Title: Snowmen and Magic Sticks
Disclaimer: I own many AP test prep books but nothing from this.
Warnings: none, no slash either, at least I don't think I will...AUish SENSEI WATANABE IS HUMAN
AN: Look at my attention span… Oh well, I've always wanted to do one of these stories but felt like it was a little over used, but it was a perfect way to get away from studying. Well this is all I can give for now, I still have my AP Chem and AP English test then nothing until June for the Subject exams and finals, kinda nothing.
---
Cam got separated from Hunter. He had to get back to the crimson ranger but he wasn't sure that he could. He got the feeling that the Kelzacs were forcing him into a corner and he didn't have any chance to back out.
There were too many of them for him to even consider jumping out. If he took the time he would get cut in half.
Three of them attacked him at once; although he blocked two hits the third one slammed into his stomach, forcing his stomach into his chest. The other two as well as a fourth grabbed him the moment he started to double over.
Cam thrashed against them but it was no use. A fifth Kelzac joined their group and together they flung Cam into the monster. Who, in Cam's opinion, reminded him of a brown snowman with only the body and head.
Cam used the momentum the Kelzacs gave him and bounced off the monster, compelling it back a step.
The snowman gave him no pleasantries, which surprised Cam. Most of Lothar's creatures had a penchant for rambling.
It attacked him head on and Cam narrowly avoided it. It turned swiftly belying its stout appearance and smashed his staff into Cam's chest. The blow sent Cam crashing into the ground.
He jumped back up, ignoring the pain shooting through his side just as a bright orange light shot at him.
The energy hit him. Fire and ice then oddly nothing as it rushed into his veins and consumed his soul.
---
Hunter desperately tired to get into the center. He wasn't sure when they had managed to separate him from Cam but he wasn't going to let anything happen to the samurai.
He kicked down his last Kelzac and searched for Cam. He spotted the green ranger as he staggered up and orange light blasted into him.
Hunter called out but he knew his voice was lost in Cam's scream. He dashed forward and jumped into the orange light, in front of the demorphed samurai, hoping to shield Cam from its effects.
Flames ran through him and frost crept into his heart, flowing out and dulling the fire. The pain lasted a century then darkness filled him.
---
"If we destroyed the monster, how come Cam and Hunter are like that?" Dustin questioned as they sat around Ninja Ops.
"Just because the monster fell into the canyon means that it's dead." Tori replied.
"So what does that mean for Hunter and Cam?"
"I don't know." Shane supplied tiredly. "But, it's not terrible, it's not like they're permanently going to be like that."
Blake glared at him, "There has to be a way to get them back to normal." Then he lowered his voice respectably, "Sensei Watanabe, have you ever seen anything like this?"
"I have heard rumors of this," Sensei answered, "But I thought they were just rumors."
"You can help them, right?" Blake questioned worriedly.
"I shall try my best." Sensei returned to the scroll that he had been studying, "You should rest, all of you."
---
Something was poking him, annoying the hell out of him. All he wanted to do was sleep, so Cam groaned and rolled over, hoping that the intruder would get the hint.
"Hey," a voice broke through his sleep filled haze and Cam groaned louder, "wake up."
"Go 'way." Cam mumbled as he snuggled into the pillow.
A hand shook his shoulder, "Come on, wake up."
Cam opened his eyes to find a boy a few years older than him trying to get him to sit up.
"Hi," the blonde smiled, "I'm Hunter. Who are you?"
"Cam," he answered sleepily and gave the boy a puzzled look, waiting for him to explain.
The boy pointed at another bed against the opposite wall. "I woke up here." Hunter explained, "I thought you could tell me."
Cam shrugged and scrunched up his face.
Hunter seemed to accept the answer then wondered aloud, "Where are we?"
Cam thought for a moment and supposed that it was all right since he was all ready here, "Ninja Ops."
"Oh, ok." Hunter scratched his head and glanced around the almost bare room, "Do you want to play?"
"Play what?" Cam asked. He knew Ninja Ops was no place for games but the boy interested him.
Hunter grinned, "Hide and seek!"
Cam smiled, he knew the best hiding spots, "Only if I get to hide first."
Hunter's smile dropped a little but nonetheless agreed.
Hunter squeezed his eyes shut and covered them with his hands. "One, two, thwee…"
Cam wiggled out of the covers and jumped off the bed.
---
"How old do you think they are?" Tori asked as they went to check on Hunter and Cam.
"Hunter's about five or six," Blade scratched his head, "We met when he was eight, so there isn't that much of a difference, but he looked a lot taller then."
Tori smiled, "Sensei says Cam's about four, but he can't be sure either."
They stopped in front of the door.
"Do you think they'll remember us?" Blake asked uncertainly.
Tori shrugged and turned the opened the door, "We'll find out soon enough."
They found a little blonde boy in an oversized crimson t-shirt crawling on the floor and looking under the furniture. He jumped up immediately when they entered.
"Hi," he greeted shyly, "When will mommy be back?"
Blake looked at his brother, "Umm…we don't know."
His brother didn't remember him. He had hoped they would still retain their memory but he supposed that wouldn't have made much sense. Still, he didn't want his brother to go through the pain of losing his biological mother once more.
"Who are you?" Hunter asked.
"I'm Blake and that's Tori."
The little boy nodded and dropped to the floor then started to look around again.
"What are you doing?" Blake asked curiously.
"Playing, where's Cam?" he crawled under his bed, "Next time, I get to hide first."
Tori glanced around the room, "We'll help you look for him."
"Hey!" a muffled voice called out indignantly, "No cheating!"
"Cam?" Tori didn't see the samurai anywhere, "Where are you?"
"That's not how you play!" the voice sounded again letting Blake follow it towards the closet.
"Cam," Blake opened the closet door and moved a few boxes around.
A little green blur flew pass him, Blake reached out a second too late but Tori was able to grab him and she swung him onto her hip.
"Where do you think you're going?" Tori asked the squirming boy.
Blake had never seen this side of Cam. The little boy looked to be a ball of energy as he continued to wiggle in Tori's hold until she was forced to set him down. He bounced around the room stopped next to Hunter.
"Why are you here?" Cam boldly asked Blake as the little boy studied his Thunder ninja uniform. "Are you visiting?"
"Uh…" Blake was at a loss.
"He is." Tori answered.
"Why is Hunter here?" Cam's massive green shirt hung off his shoulder the collar almost past his elbow.
"Umm…he's with me." Blake answered still unsure.
Hunter shot him a confused look and loudly whispered to Cam, "I don't know him."
"Who are you?" Cam asked him directly.
Blake searched Tori's face for the answer, when he didn't find it he turned back to Cam. "I'm his…"
"He's his brother." Tori answered.
Hunter's eyes grew in surprise and told Cam, "I don't have a brother."
"Was he always this shy?" Tori whispered.
"Not with me," Blake answered, "But with everyone else…yeah."
"Ninjas don't lie." Cam told Hunter confidently.
Hunter nodded skeptically and looked Blake in the eyes, "If you're my brother, what's my full name?"
"Hunter Ashley Dillon." Before the Bradley's Blake added silently.
"Ashley?" Cam practically shouted, "But that's a girl's name!"
Hunter blushed furiously and scowled at Cam, "It was my grandpa's name!"
"Don't make me separate you two." Tori warned.
Cam giggled as Hunter kept glaring. Cam spontaneously hugged Hunter and then turned around, "Where's DK?"
"Umm…" Tori answered uncertainly, "Who's DK?"
"DK!" Cam insisted as if they should know.
When he didn't get an answer he pulled the covers off his bed and checked under the pillows, he was about to do the same to Hunter's bed when Tori caught him in a hug, "We'll find it later, are you hungry?"
"Can we have MacDonald's?" Cam pleaded, his attitude inflating incredibly.
Tori nodded and let the little boy go as Cam pumped his fist in the air, the shirt falling completely off his shoulder, changing his shirt into a toga.
"And then," Tori continued, "We're going to go shopping for some clothes that actually fit."
"What happened to my clothes?" Cam asked.
"We don't know." Tori answered slowly, "Let's go eat."
Tori and Blake lead the way out and Cam ran ahead of them, and then noticed that Hunter was still in the room. He rushed back to the doorway, "Come on, Ashley! Hurry up!"
Cam yelped and caught up with Blake and Tori, using them as a human barrier against a pursuing Hunter.
"Cameron," Sensei stood at the end of the hall, "What did I tell you about running in the house?"
Cam abruptly stopped and smiled widely at his father, "Sorry, dad, I forgot."
Sensei Watanabe sighed, "No, you did not."
Cam grinned wildly and ran up the corridor, jumping into his fathers' arms.
Sensei Watanabe lifted him easily but Cam stilled suddenly, "You look different."
Sensei fondly kissed his son's forehead, "Do you want lunch?"
Cam took the subject change and rambled on in a mix of Japanese and English about the toy he wanted in his Happy Meal.
Hunter stood solemnly next to Tori and Blake couldn't help the way his heart throbbed for his brother. He circled around and put his hand on Hunter's little shoulder, "You know, they have these new Mighty Kids Meals there, do you want to try them?"