"10:15 to Ocean Bay is now boarding."
I stood up and adjusted my t-shirt before turning to look at my Dad, brother, boyfriend and best friend.
"That's me." I smiled.
"Have a safe trip honey and call me when you get there. Oh and have fun and remember…you never know what you'll learn." Dad said hugging me first. I wanted to ask him what he meant but Ethan was in front of me.
"Bring me back something awesome! Just kidding…have fun sis." he said and hugged me.
"I don't know how I'll handle these boys without you Iz. Have a good trip." Tasha smiled as she hugged me.
Finally Nathan stepped up and wrapped me in a tight hug, "Just come back happy okay Beautiful?" he smiled and bent down and pressed a kiss that lingered so long that Dad had to clear his throat.
"Bye guys. I love you!" I smiled and boarded the plane.
Taking my seat I pulled out my iPod and relaxed back for the hour and a half long flight. Uncle Dustin really lived in Blue Bay Harbor but they didn't have an airport so I had to fly into Ocean Bay. When we landed I nearly ran off the plane.
Standing amongst the crowd I looked around for my Uncle. I could never find him in the crowd. Glancing at my watch I hoped that he wasn't late. It wouldn't be unusual for him.
Standing on tiptoe I searched over the heads of the people around me, trying to see if I could spot him. Suddenly I felt someone tap me on the shoulder and my instincts kicked in before I could stop them. I grabbed onto and flipped the person over my shoulder. It wasn't until I looked down at them that I stopped to look at who it was.
"Oh shit! Uncle Dustin! Are you okay?!" I asked and crouched down beside him.
"Yeah…I'm fine…just a little bruised." he gasped as he tried to catch his breath.
"I am so sorry." I said giving him a weak smile.
"No reason to be sorry…shouldn't have snuck up on you. It's my fault. Now help me up." he said.
I stood up and pulled him into a standing position.
"Thanks." he said and cracked his back.
"Sorry again." I replied.
He smiled, "Eh…I've had worse done to me."
"Still sorry." I said.
"Say that again and you won't get a hug." he said.
"Not saying it." I replied quickly.
"Good now come here and give me a hug kid." he replied and held his arms out.
I ran over and threw my arms around his neck and he hugged me. Uncle Dustin was about 10 years younger than my Mom but they looked a lot alike. Both had dark curly hair and matching smiles. However she had lighter skin while his was more tan betraying the fact that my Grandmother had been Caucasian and my Grandfather Brazilian. Being around him was like being around my mom again. It made me happy.
"Damn I missed you!" he smiled pulling back a few moments later.
"Missed you too. I'm so sorry that I couldn't come last summer. I just couldn't resist Karate camp you know?" I replied.
"I totally get it. Man…you're almost as tall as me now you realize that? What happened to my little niece?" he asked.
"I'm 17. It happens." I laughed.
"Anyhow lets get going. There's tons of stuff to do today." he smiled.
We got my suitcase and he tossed in the back of his car before we climbed in.
"So can I ask you a question?"
"You just did." I replied.
He rolled his eyes, "Another one?"
"And again…" I laughed.
"Do you want to walk all the way to my apartment?" he laughed.
"No. What's your question?"
"This is first time I think I've ever seen you in something OTHER than the color pink. What's the deal? Did you grow out of it or something?" he asked.
"Oh. Yeah I just decided to try other colors for a while." I replied.
"Well I hope that you don't hate pink or you're really going to hate the surprise I have for you in the backseat." he replied.
"Surprise?! How could I hate ANYTHING about a surprise? Can I have it now?!" I asked.
"Yeah it's behind my seat." he replied.
I dove in-between the seats and grabbed the huge black and white bag that had 'Storm Chargers' written across it. Looking inside I grinned as I pulled out a whole set of Motocross gear.
"No way! You got me all new stuff?!" I asked.
"Had to…last time you were here your stuff almost didn't fit. Figured it was time to get you a new outfit. Kelly picked out most of it after I gave her your sizes which I got from your Dad." Uncle Dustin said.
Everything inside was Pink and I couldn't help but love it. Uncle Dustin loved Motocross and was really good at it. He had been teaching me about it since I was 8. I wasn't nearly as good as him but I could at least make it around the track.
"So we're going to the track?" I asked.
"Thought it might be fun. Then we can drive into Blue Bay Harbor and meet up with the others. They don't know you're coming so it should be a fun surprise." he smiled.
"I'm totally down." I replied and we headed for the track.
We reached the track and I headed for the changing rooms. I pulled off my clothes and changed into the Motocross gear. Once I was dressed I headed to find Uncle Dustin.
"You ready to do this?" he asked smiling at me when I walked up.
"Definitely! I haven't been on a bike in FOREVER!" I replied.
Uncle Dustin had the bikes there for us already so we climbed on and hit the track. The feeling of zooming around the track was epic. It was almost better than morphing. ALMOST.
After a few laps around the track we pulled off to the side.
"Quick race then a snack?" he asked.
"Totally!" I smiled and before he could say 'go' I took off.
I may have gotten a head start but I didn't keep it. Soon we were riding neck and neck. We kept the pace until we crossed the finish line.
"Dude!" I heard someone yell as we pulled off the track.
A moment later two of Uncle Dustin's friends, Hunter and Blake came walking up in their gear.
"Hey!" Uncle Dustin said as he pulled off his helmet.
"So who's the new guy?" Blake asked.
"And why did you hold back?" Hunter added.
"Uh…how about we start with the fact that she's not a dude." Uncle Dustin laughed and I pulled off my helmet.
"Whoa…who's the hottie?" Hunter smirked.
I looked at Uncle Dustin and burst out laughing at the look on his face. His eyebrows were so high that I couldn't see them under his hair and his eyes looked like they were going to pop out of his head.
Blake and Hunter looked at one another before Blake spoke up.
"What…is she your girlfriend or something bro?" he asked.
"Try his niece." I smiled.
"Whoa! Izzy? When did you grow up?!" Hunter asked.
"Sometime around my 16th or 17th birthday?" I replied.
"Wow. I just…I'm sorry Dustin. If I'd known I wouldn't have hit on her." Hunter said holding his hands up in defense.
"It's cool man. Anyhow we were just going to grab something to eat. Wanna join us?" he asked.
"Totally." Blake smiled.
We put the bikes back in the truck and headed to the food stand. Uncle Dustin got me and him both shakes and we sat down at one of the tables to drink them. I pulled off my jersey and sat cross legged on top of the table.
"Why are you sitting on the table?" Uncle Dustin asked.
I shrugged, "Felt like it."
He laughed and sipped his drink.
Hunter and Blake joined us and sat at the table.
"So Izzy…what's been up with you? We haven't seen you in forever." Hunter said
"Well Dad and I moved to Angel Grove and I found out that I have a half brother named Ethan that not even my Dad knew about." I replied.
"Whoa really?" Blake asked.
"Yeah. His mom is Dad's old girlfriend. He was born like 8 months before me. I had a hard time dealing with the fact at first but I'm okay with it now. We're a lot alike." I replied.
Both Blake and Hunter looked at Uncle Dustin, obviously doing the math. Uncle Dustin just shrugged.
"Andrea knew about it. They weren't married yet. Stuff happens." He replied.
"Anything else happen?" Hunter asked.
"You have no clue." I thought to myself but shook my head instead.
We finished our shakes and decided to change and head into town to meet up with Shane, Tori and Cam who were spending the day at the beach.
"Man what do you have in here? Rocks?" Hunter asked as he hauled my suitcase into the back of Uncle Dustin's car.
"No…just clothes." I replied.
"Jesus." he replied and closed the trunk.
We drove into and parked before heading to Storm Chasers. We walked inside and found Shane, Tori and Cam hanging out in the back.
"Guess who's in town!" Uncle Dustin said as we walked in.
All three looked up and it took a second but Tori recognized me.
"Oh my god! Izzy!" she grinned and hugged me.
"Hey Tori." I smiled and hugged her back before hugging Cam and Shane.
"Why didn't you tell us that she was coming to town?" Cam asked.
"It was on short notice. Her Dad called me up and said that she needed a vacation and wanted to know if she could stay here for a couple of weeks. So I picked her up from the airport this morning." Uncle Dustin said putting his arm around me.
"What's going on that's so bad that you needed a vacation from it at 17?" Shane asked.
"Long story and I really would rather not go into it." I replied with a sigh.
"No problem. However if you ever want to talk we're here." Tori smiled.
"Thanks." I smiled.
I filled them in on everything before heading to get some lunch. Tori wasn't exactly a girly girl but when I mentioned I had a boyfriend she wanted every detail and I was happy to oblige. Uncle Dustin tuned me out, not keen on hearing the details of my love life.
Once we ate we headed back to Uncle Dustin's apartment and I put my things in his guest room.
"So I was thinking that tonight we just stay in and we can talk." he suggested.
"Talk? About what?" I asked.
He shrugged, "Your Dad said that you were having some issues and I figured that if you needed to talk I would be here."
"No offence Uncle Dustin but I came here to get away from my problems, not talk about them. Besides…I doubt that you could help me. Some of this stuff I really doubt that you would understand." I replied.
"C'mon Izzy…there's never been anything that we haven't been able to talk about." he said.
I sighed, "I know. I guess I could try. But you can't judge me okay?"
He nodded, "No problem. I'll go put on a movie." he replied and went to the living room.
I unpacked a few of my things before joining him. I kicked off my shoes and pulled my knees up. He had picked X-Men which I had seen a billion times. Somehow I think he knew this and that was why he had turned it on. I was less likely to pay attention.
"Alright. Time to spill. What's up?" he asked.
"Uncle Dustin before I start I should tell you something. You probably won't believe me when I tell you but I swear it's real." I said looking at him.
He grinned at me and what he said next made my jaw drop.
"If this is about you being the Pink Ranger I already know all about that. So tell me something new."
"H-HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT?!" I asked gaping at him.
He sighed and smiled even bigger if it was possible, "Your Dad told me months ago. Right after you and your team saved him and his friends."
"He told you!? He told me he didn't tell you!" I replied.
"Maybe not on that last call he didn't." he said.
"But WHY would he tell you? That's not information one just shares with family. It's not like a graduation or a birth announcement." I replied.
"No but it is information you share with a fellow Ranger." he replied.
"Fellow-what are you talking about? You're not a Ranger Uncle Dustin." I replied.
"No…not anymore. But I used to be. So did Tori, Shane, Blake, Hunter and Cam. We were the Wind Rangers." Uncle Dustin said.
"Jesus Christ! Is everyone in my family a Ranger?! Dad, You, my brother, my Dad's girlfriend who also happens to be my brother's mother? Was Mom a Ranger of some kind too?!" I asked.
"No. But she was Ninja though. One with the Power of Air. She gave that up though when she met your Dad. They were just friends at first but she knew that she was going to marry him so she gave up being a Ninja. She hid everything from him. At least until he came out and told her that he had a history too. They were a great match." he sighed.
"So Mom was a Ninja and you were a Power Ranger. Any other people that have powers on my family tree? Superman, Wonder Woman? And why did no one ever tell me this?"
"It was to keep you safe Izzy. None of us ever thought that you would end up being a Ranger as well. When we found out that you were going to be a Ranger your Dad and I talked and we decided that we'd keep this secret quiet for a while. When the time was right we'd let you know." Uncle Dustin said.
"So the time is right now?" I asked.
He shrugged, "Can you imagine a better one?"
"I guess not but now you have to fill me in on everything. How did you end up a Ranger?" I asked.
For the next half hour Uncle Dustin told me about how he became a Power Ranger. How he was a student the Wind Ninja Academy who was at the bottom of his class and in being late one day he ended up a Power Ranger. He explained how Hunter and Blake had joined the team then how Cam had come in to be the final member and how they'd stopped Lothor.
"Wow." I sighed.
"Yeah. It's a lot but it was so cool when it was happening. And now I get to teach kids who want to be just like me! How awesome is that?!" he asked.
"It's pretty awesome Uncle Dustin." I smiled.
"So now fill me in on what you've been doing with your team." he said.
My stories took another hour and by the time it was done the movie was long over.
"Wow…so that's what you're dealing with. The aftermath of having to give up your powers." he replied.
I nodded, "I know it sounds stupid but like I felt like I've lost something big."
"Well you did. After we had our powers taken from us it was weird. We were teaching at the Academy but we still had to greave. That's what you've gotta do. I say you chill out with all of us until it's time for you to go home. Forget about everything back in Angel Grove. Just be here with us. Go riding with me, Hunter and Blake, hang out at the Academy, do whatever girls do with Tori. We'll show you a good time and when you go back you'll be back to the old Izzy. Sound like a plan kid?" he asked.
"Totally. I can completely do that but on one condition." I replied.
"And what's that?" he asked.
"I want you to tell me more about Mom before she met Dad. When she was a Ninja." I replied.
"I can do that." he smiled.
I grinned and hugged Uncle Dustin. This vacation was going to be just what I needed.
So happy to have gotten this up! Thank you to Pandapanda-chan for giving me the idea to branch out a little with Izzy's mom because it was the idea behind this chapter! I decided to kinda combine 2 of my favorite seasons together and make one big Power Ranger bloodline!! I know it's a little random to have Dustin be her Uncle but I thought out of all of the Ninja Storm Rangers he'd be the coolest uncle to have so there you go.
While I was writing I was simultaneously watching Power Rangers Ninja Storm on Netflix and I noticed something. Has anyone ever noticed that at the end of the last episode of the season, 'Storm Before The Calm ', that one of the 3 new students who are late is CONNER from DINO THUNDER? I was watching it and I had to go back and pause it but it's the same guy! I mean I doubt it's actually supposed to be Conner but I still thought it was funny.
Anyhow thank you for reading my little note and thanks for reading!