Updated FINALLY! ^_^ Enjoy!

Tensaispira: textures? On their faces? Ha ha ha!

Fiery-ice: Study? Sorry, but I don't recognize that word. ^_^

Tiran: Thank you!

Krappkarmin: Risk his life? Man to man combat?? Whoa, you must be one action-freak!

Crazy4u: Hey, I updated! What a shock… ha ha!

Rapt142: Scare me off? How can you when I'm probably more loony that you are?

Kka: Whatcha think I will?

Reika Zelon: Ha ha! Glad I made you chortle! More is here, so enjoy!

Unchained: You're right… *winces* I better watch what I write, man! Thanks for telling me! *muah!* ^_^

Patty g: Your bro's a bully? *pales* I better not get on the bad side of you!!

Lady Artemis: He's delaying it just to make Rui nervous …. I think. ???

sLL: Yeah, I don't have time to read many fics too – heck, I don't even have time to write chapters for my own!! Talent for turning even predictable plot into the best chappies by the way I write? Ho ho ho! *gives sLL an invisible chocolate* ^_-

enigma_girl17: Believe me, Rui will NEVER admit she desperately needs him! Ha ha! Enjoy the story, gal!

Stefified: I love you too! Ha ha! ^_^

"Too long," Takeshi muttered uneasily as he continued pressing a damp tissue to his bleeding nose. "They're taking too long. What's the matter with them?"

            "Oh well, they're probably still having fun tearing the place up," his friend assured, already tucking into a piece of sandwich. "You know how they are. Barbaric."

            "I don't think so," Takeshi disagreed, stepping down from the stone he was standing on. "I really don't think so." He looked around the camp where only six of them were left. "Maybe I shouldn't have left them there by themselves."

            "You're making too much of a big deal, Takeshi," another piped up. "What's there to worry about? You saw the state of the war when we left. But hey, since you're so anxious, maybe you'd like me to check on them?"

            Takeshi thought about it, staring down at his mud-splattered boots. "Yeah, I don't see why not –" he stopped abruptly, eyes suddenly roaming the surrounding area, a finger raised in alarm.

            "Takeshi?"

            He listened again, but then shook his head. "Sorry. Nothing. It was nothing." He listened again. "No, I don't think you should go. I want you to stay here."

            "Why?"

            "Because I told you to." He bent down to peer under the bushes. "And because there's so little of us here. Move Rui and her two underlings to the back of the camp."

            "Why?"

            "Just do what I say," he snapped back testily, "and shut up. Now!"

            "Jack and Jill went UP the hill to find a pail of waaaaterrr…" Rui sang half-heartedly, squishing her boots again the mud all around her. "Jack fell down and broke his arm and Jane came tumbling aaafterrr."

            Then Sakuragi joined in. "YEAH! One more time! JACK AND JILL WENT UP THE HILL –"

            Rui checked back the groan. "Never mind, Sakuragi. I'm already finished."

            " – TO FIND A PAIL OF WATER!" He continued nevertheless. "JACK –"

            "FELL DOWN," Kiyota crooned out of nowhere, "AND BROKE HIS ARM –"

            "AND JANE CAME TUMBLING AFTER!" they finished together, looking at each other almost affectionately. Then: "Ugh."

            "Stupid monkey."

"Singing amateur."

"If it wasn't for you –"

            "Don't you dare say it's my fault –"

            "Well, if you hadn't –"

            "Listen, idiot, I was –"

            Rui dropped her head weakly onto her knees. "Twinkle twinkle little star," she murmured sadly as the two exchanged insults – again – with her in the middle of their squabbling mouths and flying saliva. "How I wonder what you – Damn it, Takeshi," she huffed crossly as the person she was damning came in view. "How long are you going to keep us here?"

            "Not long," he replied, a cold look on his face. "Not long at all."

            Rui smirked. "Is it just me, or are you just a tiny bit nervous?"

            He glared at her. "It's just you."

            "Aah."

            "Don't be so smug," he told her, with a slight cock of the head. "As a matter of fact, I can already see your friends trudging over here in single files. Maybe you'd like to welcome them?"

            Rui's face flickered slightly, but she kept the smile in place. They were surrendering – yeah, well, as expected anyway. "Hmm."

            Sakuragi growled. "No way! We never surrender! This is MY team we're talking about here! Anybody surrendering will get a HELL OF A HEAD BUTT FROM ME!" He stomped his foot in aggression.

            Kiyota's eyes were looking up at the sky in hopelessness. "Since when was it your team?" He leaned forward and thumped Sakuragi's head with his own green one. "Knock, knock. Reminder alert! Reminder alert! We are here, tied up and eating mud. They are there, standing and eating sandwiches. HELLO? We've lost, idiotic monkey!"

            Sakuragi thought about it, a serious frown on his face. He turned to Kiyota. "Egg sandwiches, or tuna?"

            Silence.

            Kiyota ignored him. "Hey, Takeki!"

            Takeshi bristled at the name. "It's Take-SHI, you twit."

            "Yeah, hey, SHI! You're going to have to stick your winning hopes up that red nose of yours!" Kiyota yelled out. ("Yeah!" Rui nodded fervently) "Because our captain's not one to give up! As a matter of fact, he is right there, planning a SURPRISE ATTACK on you! Hah!"

            Takeshi blinked. "Your captain –" but was interrupted by a cry from inside the forest.

            "WHAT THE HELL, KIYOTA?? Did you have to alert them??"

            "Shit, now they know."

            "Great, just great. Darn it, Fujima, they know."

            Takeshi's friends were scrambling for catapults and rocks.

            "Oh, what the heck?" came Fujima's sigh. "One, two thr-"

            "YEAAAAH! CHAAAARGE!!" normal-coloured faces erupted from bushes, tree trunks, huge leaves and even an underground hole. "EAT OUR BUTT!"

            "Hey! I thought Fujima said no sexual suggestions!"

            "Well, okay, EAT MY SHOE!"

            Rui watched, mouth agape. "Whoa," her held breath exploded out.  "Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Seven of her team members were there, pounding almost gleefully on the shocked blue enemy. "Yeah! Hit 'em!" She caught a sight. "MINAMI! Here! I'm herrrrrr –grrrrrumph!" She produced several other alien sounds as the same dirty wet cloth covered her mouth. She looked up to see Takeshi hurriedly trying to drag her to her feet. "Whumph whuumyph!" She swung a leg to kick, but Takeshi then reached out to touch her neck, and with a flick of the fingers, jammed her veins temporarily.

            Rui passed out.

            Fujima had his arm ready to punch at his opponent when something else got in the way and smacked the blue enemy to insensibility. Fujima looked around with a groan. "That was MY victim."

            His fellow ranger smirked apologetically. "Sorry. Couldn't resist." He flashed the catapult he'd stolen. "Neat, eh?"

            "Yeah, not bad." Another one had roused himself out of unconsciousness and lunged. "Ah, this is mine." Splack! One rotten egg well used. The enemy Ranger fell clutching at the gooey liquid oozing from between his eyes.

            "Aaargh! YUCK! Shit, man!"

            "Couldn't agree more," Fujima said sympathetically. "Loser. Get him tied up and dump him along with the others." He stepped back as others did the work.

            "This is no fun," Kiyota came up to him, sulking. "I didn't even get a chance."

            Fujima looked at him slyly. "I'm sure you've had enough fun by now. Blew your chances from the very start. I made the three of you unsuspected spies by pretending to foolishly fall into the enemy's laps, expecting a full report of the campsite from either one of you, and what do you do? Paint yourselves with colours and join the hostage party."

            Kiyota's lips swelled up as he prepared for self-defence. "THAT was that red-head idiot, Sakuragi's fault!! He was –"

            "I heard my name," Sakuragi called out from across the campsite. "Did you say my name? ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT ME?? DARN IT, MONKEY! HOW DARE YOU USE THE GENIUS' NAME AS IF IT'S PUBLIC PROPERTY??"

            Kiyota snorted. "I wouldn't use it even if it was, idiot! The name is terrible enough without its owner adding to it!"

            "WHAT???"

            Fujima scratched his head. "Where's Rui?"

            Kiyota was already stomping over to confront Sakuragi. "I dunno," he said crossly, hair flying as he marched towards Sakuragi with gritted teeth.

            "Is she dead?"

            "Hah! The only person I want to see dead is HIM!" Kiyota pointed furiously at his grinning nemesis. "COME ON, SAKURAGI! Let's deal with this man-to-man!!"

            "NO PROBLEM!"

            The brawl started almost immediately.

            A comrade sighed pensively as he watched the struggling boys battle each other out. "That looks even more fun," he complained. "Seriously, Fujima, taking on only four of them is so boring."

            Fujima looked at one enemy Ranger who was still attempting to reach for his catapult metres away on the ground. "But you have to admit their fighting spirit is amazing. Honourable, even." His eyes finished their quiet scan of the surrounding. "All right, where on earth is my supposed vice commander?"

            "Huh? Wasn't she here just a minute ago?" one questioned.

            "I thought I saw Sakuragi free her?" another piped up.

            "You must've made a mistake. Sakuragi doesn't free anybody. He only gets them into trouble."

            "Oh yeah. You're right."

            "So?"

            "She must be somewhere around."

            "Yeah, I know. Where?"

            "You don't suppose she… disappeared, do you?"

            "Hah. Just as much as I suppose you're not wearing undies."

            "HOW DID YOU KNOW?"     

            "WHAT??? I'm right???"

            "HEY, everybody! Footsteps! FRESH!"

            Some stopped arguing and rushed for the voice. But a majority others felt compelled to continue the word war. Fujima almost tripped in the slimy mud, but managed to avoid falling flat on his face. No need to be so hasty. Relax. "What? Where? Who? How? When?"

            The Ranger who was questioned so rapidly blinked at him. "Uh…" she shook her head. "Never mind. Three pairs of shoes. Southeast. One of them seemed to have been dragged."

            Fujima looked at the southeast direction. "That," he muttered, "would be Rui."

            The Ranger looked anxiously at him. "You don't think they have some sort of a Plan B or Plan C, do you?"

            "If they have, then so do we." Fujima turned back to his 'troops'. "All of you get back to our camp. I may be wrong, but the other team's probably got some other stuff up their sleeves. They've got Rui."

            Bottles of water taken out to celebrate were quickly lowered.

            "Rikani, stay here. Abi, come with me. The rest of you – you know what to do."

            "Roger!" they chorused. Then – "Hey, anybody got some extra eggs left?"

            "No, Kiyota."

            He groaned. "I NEVER have fun!"

            "Just throw yourself." Fujima advised. "Frankly speaking, I myself would run for my life at the sight – and smell – of you." He clapped his hands firmly. "ALL RIGHT! Get back to work! We've got somebody's butt to save here!"

            "Trust you to think of that body part."

            Fujima shot a look at the guilty Ranger. "Shut up."

            All grinned at him.

            Rui woke up just as she was hauled across a huge rock. She hissed viciously when one sharp edge scraped her leg. The cloth was taken out of her mouth, now tied to her wrists. "Aaah, aah, ouch! Bulldoze it! What the hell do you think you're doing??"

            "Awake," Takeshi grunted. "Good. She was getting rather burdensome."

            His friend shrugged nervously, eyes darting for any sign of tailing enemies. "I don't know what you got in that head of yours, Takeshi, but I trust you, so you better make sure it's something good."

            "Yeah, yeah. Shut up." Takeshi crouched down, fingers roughly lifting Rui's sullen chin up. "You've got some answering to do, missy."

            She glowered at him, still cursing over the bleeding leg. "Only those I feel like answering."

            He ignored that. "Since when did you have a new captain? And how come I didn't know about it?"

            "Because you're too stupid."

            The flash of temper was clearly seen in his eyes. Rather mercilessly, and for a moment forgetting his manners, Takeshi grabbed her collar and jerked her up. "Listen, smart ass, I'm no longer in the mood to tolerate your big mouth. I'm troubled and I'm desperate, and I'm uncontrollable. You might want to watch yourself."

            "That's rather hard to do," Rui told him, slightly pleased at the rare sight of Takeshi Takanuru flustered. "I can't detach my eyes from my body, you see, and I only have a view of 180 degrees."

            Takeshi gritted his teeth, looking as though he was about to launch into violence. But then he smiled wryly and started to laugh. "That mouth," he muttered. "Always was my favourite part of you."

            Rui smirked. "Harbouring a crush on me all these years, haven't you? Face-off, Takeshi. You can win all the Ranger trophies they can make, and the answer is still no. But wait a minute. You've lost this time, haven't you? I think my new captain's made sure of that. So why don't you keep the bet we made and stay out of my way now, as promised? And I think there was something about buying me a bike in the agreement?"

            He listened patiently, a small, uncertain smile on his face. When she finished, he took a slow breath. "Like I said," he murmured slowly. "That mouth always was my favourite part of you." Saying that, he leaned forward and viciously kissed her on the mentioned part. Rui's protests came out sounding like another language.

            His friend fidgeted uncomfortably, disturbed by the view. "Hey, Takeshi, this is incest, man. She's like, your stepsister or something."

            Takeshi paused, clamping a firm hand on Rui's smart mouth with a smirk. "Stepsister, sure. Not related by blood, though, are we, Rui?" Rui's eyes narrowed dangerously. "She hates it," he told his friend, "She hates it when I touch her. Which is why I do it."

            His friend winced a bit. "I'm not going to watch this." So saying, he trudged off to the other end of the clearing.

            Takeshi managed to chuckle, but then yelled out in pain when Rui sank her teeth into his palm. "Aargh! Damn it!" Fanning his hand in the air, he glared at his cursing stepsister. "That's something else you're going to pay for!"

            Rui snarled at him. "I've got my hands tied, you have the advantage." She gave a haughty look. "Try me."

             Fujima had dropped off Abi ten metres behind, close enough to hear any signs of trouble, far enough to get help unnoticed. Alone now, and miserably crouching under some spiky branches, he crawled forward and barely hissed when one thorn sank deeply into his thigh. Damn it. Rui better appreciate this.       

            He could hear scuffles being carried out somewhere ahead, wondered what was going on. He assured himself it wouldn't be anything serious. All participants were aware that the Ranger camp was all just fun and training, so at the very least, he could be sure Rui wouldn't be found dead and bloody.      

            He leaped out with what was supposed to be a mighty roar, only it sputtered out like a dying train engine at the sight of Takeshi in a very weird position with Rui. Eyes wide, he almost lost his footing and narrowly avoided a collision with the same rock that had bloodied Rui. "What on earth –" he started, and then his throat swelled up. "ARE YOU DOING WHAT I THINK YOU'RE DOING??"

Hey! An actual long chapter!! *am astounded with self* This is to make up for the long delay. He he!