I don't own PRNS or any of the characters, nor do I make any money from this work of fiction.
Pairings: Hunter/Cam (although they end up fighting in this chapter…), Blake/Tori
Summary: Several important decisions are made, and the test of Cam's merit is drawing closer and closer. Can he stand up to an unmorphed Thunder Ranger?
Notes: Another very important chapter (not that the past say, four chapters, haven't been important too…). But relatively speaking, this chapter and the next one are BIG chapters. Several things that you've probably been waiting for since the beginning of this story will happen. What are those things? Read on and see…
The Choices We Make
Chapter Twelve: The Birth of a Team
"…I have to fight one of the Thunder Rangers," answered Cam.
"What?!" exclaimed Tori, barely remembering to keep her voice down. "How are you supposed to compete with a Thunder Ranger!?"
"That's not fair, you don't have their power!" protested Shane.
"He won't be morphed," Cam told them, "And I don't have to win, but I do have to last at least an hour. It's a matter of endurance. We don't have Wind Rangers, so Sensei Omino technically has leverage over us right now. We're not on equal ground. This was his way of validating his decision in the eyes of his colleagues."
"Are you sure about this, dude?" asked Dustin.
"I have to if I want this partnership," said Cam simply, "And I'm willing to do whatever it takes. The Wind Academy can't do this by itself, guys. We've barely been winning battles recently, and Lothor really put a dent in our forces yesterday. We need their help, and I get the feeling that they can't do it on their own, either, or Sensei Omino wouldn't have even entertained the idea of a partnership."
"This sucks," muttered Shane.
"It could have been worse," pointed out Cam, "Sensei Omino could have refused to recognize my position as headmaster because of the circumstances surrounding my appointment. At least we have a shot this way."
He sounded more confident than he felt, and they all knew it.
Meanwhile, two less-than-pleased Thunder Rangers were talking to Sensei Omino.
"Who was their leader?" asked Hunter immediately, as soon as the door to the office was shut. It certainly hadn't been the elderly sensei he'd been expecting. The guy was only his age—a few years older, tops. What was he doing representing the Wind Academy?
"His name is Cameron Watanabe," Sensei Omino told them. "He is Kanoi Watanabe's son, and the interim headmaster of the Wind Academy."
"What element?" asked Blake curiously.
"That is where the strangeness of the situation begins," said Sensei Omino, obviously in deep thought. "He is not a ninja."
"…Excuse me?" said Blake in disbelief. "He's not a ninja? How is he leading the Wind Ninja Academy if he isn't a ninja, Sensei?"
Sensei Omino sighed. "Kanoi Watanabe has always been…unorthodox, to say the least," he told them. "According to what Cameron told me, Kanoi fell into a coma after Lothor attacked their school. His last words instated Cameron as the headmaster of the school, and granted him the responsibility of choosing the Wind Power Rangers."
"Which is why they haven't appeared yet," stated Hunter. "He hasn't chosen them."
Sensei Omino merely nodded.
"Why would the other sensei back up that decision?" asked Blake, puzzled. "I mean, it doesn't really look good, having a non-ninja lead a ninja academy. How is he supposed to know what to do? How can he judge ninjas worthy of Ranger powers?"
"The other sensei have signed a document stating that they recognize Cameron's position," Sensei Omino told them. "They must have their reasons. From our conversation I could tell that he is indeed an intelligent, capable person. Whether or not he is a valid choice for headmaster, however, remains to be seen."
"Did he want something?" asked Hunter suspiciously. "Why did he come here?"
"Lest you forget, you and Blake interfered with a Wind Academy battle," Sensei Omino told him sternly. "He had every right to come here and ask for an explanation. Our discussion also led to the possibility of a partnership between our academy and theirs."
"What? Sensei, we don't need their help!" protested Blake.
"That is not for you to decide," said Sensei Omino sharply.
"You can't think that the rest of the Thunder Academy will support an alliance with a school that's led by a novice and doesn't even have their own Ranger team," pointed out Hunter.
"I am aware. That is why Cameron and I have come to an agreement," Sensei Omino told them. "He has already decided on the Wind Rangers—he only needs to confirm the decision in his mind. The Academy has given him until Monday to make the official announcement. As for his status, that is why he will be fighting one of you."
"Sensei, there's no way someone without formal training could beat a Ranger," observed Blake.
"You will be unmorphed, and Cameron seemed quite sure that he could hold his ground," Sensei Omino explained. "He does not have to win, but he must not lose within the duration of an hour."
"What happens either way?" asked Hunter, crossing his arms.
"If he can hold his own against one of you, then I will enter into a partnership with the Wind Academy," answered Sensei Omino. "If he fails, then we will take the lead in the fight against Lothor, and work independently of the Wind Academy."
"Which one of us is going to fight him?" questioned Hunter.
"That I will leave to you to decide," replied Sensei Omino simply, looking at them.
Blake and Hunter glanced silently at each other, conversing with their eyes.
"I'll do it," said Blake, after a moment. "When?"
"Tomorrow afternoon. They are staying here until then. Treat them with respect," said Sensei Omino, looking at them with a knowing gaze. "You are dismissed."
Hunter glanced at his brother as they left the building and headed for their room. "You ready for this, bro?" he asked.
"No doubt," replied Blake simply.
They spent the rest of the day training. Cam sparred with Shane, Tori, and Dustin in turn, and then had them tag-team him. By nightfall they were all tired and headed for their rooms. Cam was with Tori, and Shane and Dustin shared. But the tension was thick, and in the end they gave up all pretenses of being comfortable and met up in one room.
"I'm drained, but I can't sleep yet," said Shane, sighing. "This whole thing has got me majorly wound up."
"There's a TV," suggested Tori. "Maybe we can watch a movie?"
"Yeah, these suites are pretty nice," added Dustin. The four of them shared a bathroom, and on either side were two bedrooms and a small sitting area with a couch.
So they watched a movie, and unwound enough for sleep to overtake them. Tori and Dustin fell asleep on the couch, Shane crashed on the floor, and Cam barely made it to a bed before his eyes shut. He felt…better, having the other three in the room with him. His last thought as he drifted off was that he didn't feel nearly as lonely as usual.
He woke up first the next morning and got ready before he roused the others. While they got ready, he headed down to the fields and surveyed the area he would be fighting in. It was the same as the Wind Academy—a ring with a padded mat, and plenty of room around it for spectators. Not so different, after all—except for the fact that he had never been the one in the ring before.
By the time he wandered back the others were fully awake and waiting.
"You should eat a few hours before the fight," pointed out Tori.
So off to the mess hall it was. There were other students milling around now, and it became apparent that the Thunder Academy's gossip mill was just as quick as the Wind Academy's. People stopped and stared at them as they headed for the cafeteria, whispering to each other and pointing.
"What's up with them?" muttered Shane, disgruntled.
"We're from another Academy. They must know what's going on," pointed out Tori.
"I feel like we're in a fishbowl, y'know?" said Dustin, glancing around.
"Ignore it," advised Cam, as they walked into the cafeteria. He had gotten used to people staring at him wherever he went.
They took a seat in the corner of the cafeteria and were eating undisturbed until a small group of Thunder ninjas approached them.
"What are you doing here?" sneered one.
"It's a cafeteria, so my guess?" said Shane, gesturing to his tray. "Eating."
"You don't belong in Thunder Academy territory," said another.
"We're here in peace," pointed Tori, exasperated. "Why do you all keep giving us such a hard time?" First the two ninjas that had shown them to Sensei Omino, now these guys—what was their problem?
"Yeah, Lothor is everyone's enemy," pointed out Dustin. "We're looking to fight him, not you guys."
"Who said you had a choice?" asked yet another, as they surrounded their table.
"Hey, just back off, okay?" said Shane, as the four of them pushed back their chairs and stood. "We haven't done anything to you."
"Make us," taunted another, as they pressed forward.
"Dude, seriously. Personal space, ever heard of it?" asked Dustin, as he backed up.
"Ever heard of a backbone?" asked one, shoving forward slightly. Tori stumbled and Shane stepped up, crossing his arms.
"You're gonna back off," he said seriously.
"And if we don't?" asked one.
"Then we'll fight you. But you're going to be the ones to make it come to that, not us," said Shane, Tori and Dustin nodding in agreement. "So go ahead, try it. Or you can wait a couple hours and see our head teacher wipe the floor with one of your Rangers in a legit battle instead of trying to mess with us."
"We'll see who beats whom," snapped the ninja, as they shoved past them. "Watch your backs, losers."
"How friendly," muttered Shane, as they sat back down.
"We just can't catch a break, dude," complained Dustin.
"Are you three finished?" asked Cam, catching their attention. His decision was made.
"Yeah. Those guys made me lose my appetite," said Tori.
The four of them stepped outside and Cam led them to a quiet area, away from all of the students.
"I've got something to give you guys," he told them, as the ocean breeze blew past him. He was sure now, more than ever.
"What is it, Cam?" asked Tori, sensing his serious mood.
Cam opened the holder that had been by his side for more than a month. "These," he told them, pulling out the morphers and handing them to their new owners. Air for Shane, water for Tori, and earth for Dustin.
"…Why us?" asked Dustin.
"Because you didn't ask for it," said Cam, meeting their gazes. "You didn't hound me for the power, you didn't try to tell me that you should be the chosen ones—in fact, you said it shouldn't be. You may not be the strongest, or the wisest…but that's not everything there is to being a ninja. You were willing to ask for help, willing to commit and to learn and to sacrifice your lives for other people. That's what a Ranger is to me. And you passed the test."
"Wait a sec. That cafeteria thing…" trailed off Shane, catching on.
"A test," confirmed Cam. "The final one. I asked Sensei Omino to set it up. You were in hostile territory. I wanted to see what you would do, if you would force confrontation. You didn't, and you passed. It was the final factor."
"And you said you weren't sensei-like," said Tori, smiling even as she held her morpher reverently in her hands.
"…You're not serious," protested Shane half-heartedly, still stunned.
"I'm serious. You guys have come a long way since the first attack," Cam told them. "You completely turned your commitment around, you've proven yourselves to me and to the Wind Academy. I'd trust you with my life…and I'm trusting you with the lives of others. You're the Wind Rangers."
A pause, and he added, "And if I lose today…you'll be needed more than ever."
"Cam…" trailed off Tori. "Are you sure?"
Cam gave them a shrug and a half-smile. "People say that I'm too inexperienced to do what I've done," he replied. "I believe in the three of you. So? Will you take up the duty?"
The three of them glanced at each other, and without speaking they fastened the morphers to their wrists in unison.
"You can count on us, dude," Dustin told him, before adding, "And I know this is like, serious, but can I just say that this is so sweet! We'rePower Rangers!"
"Yeah," said Cam, as the morphers glowed slightly. "You are."
He let them revel in the moment for a little before getting back to business. "The activation command is 'Ninja Storm, Ranger form.' Don't forget it," he told them.
"Thanks, Cam," said Shane sincerely. "Like Dustin said, we're not gonna let you down."
"And you're not going to let us down," added Tori.
Cam really hoped she was right. But looking at them, the three new Wind Rangers, Cam felt a sense of calm settle over him. One of the biggest weights he'd been carrying had now been released. Yes, there would be fallout to deal with. The Academy would be in an uproar, and the sensei would be furious…but it was his decision, and he knew that his father would approve if he were awake to see it.
They had earned their honor. And now it was time for him to earn his.
And we have Wind Rangers! There will be plenty of consequences to this chapter to deal with later, but right now Cam is more focused on the fight ahead. Choosing the Rangers is a big burden off his back, and although we all know he made the right choice, he may question that later on (and by 'may,' I mean 'will,' of course). Thanks for your encouragement and reviews so far--they really keep me motivated!