Tori and the guys left the following morning and returned to their
lives in Blue Bay Harbor. Hunter returned to the Thunder Academy and Shane,
Dustin, Tori, and Cam went back to their duties at the Wind Academy.
Two months passed and the guys were all beginning to see a bit of a change in Tori. She seemed happier than she had before, and they were enjoying the change. It was true- Tori felt a lot better than she had in a while.
Blake was doing something he loved, and even though they were apart, she knew he was happy and he knew that she was as well. Everything in their lives was going perfectly...
An urgent call from Hunter came to Blake's new house in London where he had been for the past month. "BLAKE! PHONE!" Charlie called to him. Blake ran to his room, thinking it was Tori, he put on his best, seductive voice.
"Hello?" he asked.
"Bro, that's just freaky...don't ever do that again," Hunter said.
"Oh, my bad...what's going on? You sound kind of down."
"We have a bit of a...situation here...Sensei...he's, not doing too well." Blake felt his entire body go numb.
"What's wrong with him?"
"Well, Leeann seems to think that he may have been exposed to some...bad ninja karma or something like that."
"How the hell did that happen?"
"He went on a retreat to recharge his inner ninja and was attacked by...well, something. We're not sure what." Blake sunk onto his bed and put his head in his hands. Sensei Amino was like a father to him...this couldn't be happening...
"What can we do?" Blake asked.
"Well, we were kind of hoping you could get here and we could talk about it- you me, Leeann- the family you know?" Blake chewed his fingernail. He had been contemplating the decision on whether or not to renew his contract with Factory Blue. He had signed to a development deal, and was given the option after a year to decide.
He still had the option of racing with the backing of FOXY, but he wouldn't be able to race with Factory Blue anymore...
He knew he was making the right choice. He would be returning home to Tori... He thought for one more moment and made up his mind. "I'll catch the first flight."
(((((((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))))))
Tori sat on the steps of the temple with Cam as they waited for Shane and Dustin to get out of their classes. Hunter had informed them of what was going on, and everyone agreed to do whatever they could to help the Thunder Academy.
"Cam? Could something like this happen to Sensei too?" she asked nervously. "I mean, he was there too and-"
"Tori, dad's fine. Sensei Amino just got caught in a bad situation, and we're going to get him out of it."
Tori leaned on him and sighed. She was happy that Blake was coming home, but she was instantly saddened because of the reason for his return. Sensei Amino raised him and Hunter...she didn't even want to think about what would happen if Sensei Wantanabe were ever put in this situation.
"Hey guys- we're ready if you are," Shane said. Tori went to stand, but suddenly felt dizzy and had to sit again.
"Tor? You alright?" Dustin asked. Tori shook her head.
"Yeah- I'm fine." She stood again, this time slowly and stood with the others. She had been felling a little uneasy as of late, but she figured her nerves were out of whack because of everything that was going on.
"Alright then- let's go," Shane said. They ninja streaked to the Thunder Academy and landed in front of a large rock face.
"Well, this is it," Cam said. They stepped to the wall and entered through the portal.
(((((((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))))))
Blake was sitting next to Sensei Amino's bed. He had arrived very early that morning and kept a constant vigil. Hunter and Leeann had dismissed classes until further notice and had filled Blake in on what was going on. Sensei's brow would sweat periodically at times and Leeann explained that he was fighting demons inside himself.
"What can we do Leeann...we can't loose him...he's not ready to go," Blake said softly. Leeann knelt by him and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"There is one thing that we may be able to do, but I won't speak of it until I have confirmed my thoughts with Cam." She patted his shoulder and disappeared, leaving Blake and her father.
Hunter walked outside the living quarters and over to the main grounds where he found the wind rangers and the samurai walking towards him.
Tori gave him a small hug. "How is he?" she asked. Hunter led them into the living quarters where Leeann was sitting with a pile of scrolls in front of her.
"He's only getting worse," Hunter said as he sat next to Leeann. Cam sat across from them and Shane, Dustin, and Tori found places to sit as well.
"What can we do to help?" Shane asked.
"There is only one option that we've found..." Leeann explained. She unfolded a very old looking map and pointed to The Mountain of Lost Ninjas. "There is an ancient spring that has been hidden away for centuries deep within the mountain."
"The Healing Spring," Dustin said. Everyone stared at him in amazement. "What? I AM a teacher now. I need to know this stuff too." They all smiled a little and Leeann continued.
"The Healing Spring's water is said to take away all hurts that may inflict the soul of a person."
"And you think that by getting some of it's water we can remove the evil from Sensei?" Hunter asked.
"Yes Hunter. If we get it in time. My father's soul is fading and will soon be consumed. We must do this as fast as possible."
Hunter stood. "Then let's do it," he said. Cam picked up the map and looked over it again.
"It's not that easy Hunter. It says here that only a pure ninja can retrieve the water from the protector of the spring," Cam said.
"A pure ninja?" Shane asked.
"A ninja who comes from two others of the same element," Tori uttered softly. All eyes were on her...besides Leeann and Cam, she was the only one born to two ninjas... and Leeann's mother had been a Samurai, as had Cam's...
"Well then Blake and I can go and-"Hunter began.
"As much as I hate to say this, bro, we can't..." Blake said as he came out of Sensei's room. He walked over to Tori and held her gently. He kissed her cheek and turned to the others slowly. "It's a biological thing Hunter...you know that."
Hunter sank into his chair, defeated. "Is there nothing else we can do?" Hunter asked. Leann shook her head.
"Only Tori can enter the cavern where the spring is and retrieve it's contents safely."
"It makes sense...I am the resident water ninja around here," she said, trying to lighten the mood. The others looked to her and smiled.
"I'm going with you," Blake said. He turned to Tori and looked into her crystal blue eyes. "There's no way I'm losing you again."
"Me too," Hunter said.
"And me," Shane said.
"I'm in," Dustin said rising.
Tori looked to Cam who stood up and nodded his head. "We're all in this together."
Leeann felt tears sting her eyes. She knew she had to stay with her father. "Thank you...all of you for helping my father." Hunter went over and embraced her.
"He's our family Lee- and so are they," he said motioning to the others. She smiled and kissed his cheek.
"You will need to set out first thing in the morning if you are to return before the end of the day tomorrow." She looked out and saw stars coming out in the sky. "Hunter and Blake will show you your quarters for the evening...Cam? I need your help if you don't mind?" Cam stayed behind while Hunter led Shane and Dustin to the guest rooms.
Blake was holding Tori's hand as he led her down to his room. He closed the door behind him and Tori sat on his bed. Blake looked over and gave her a small smile. He was trying so hard not to loose his composure, but it was no use. He sank to the ground and let a few tears loose.
Tori saw him on the floor and was at his side instantly. She held him in her arms and felt him hold her as if for dear life. Blake held her close to him and didn't care that she saw him cry. Her fingers wove through his hair and she gently caressed his back, whispering soothing words to him.
After some time, Blake pulled himself together and removed his head from Tori's shoulder. "I'm sorry," he said softly. "I don't know what's wrong with me."
"It's okay. We're all worried." She kissed his cheek.
"It's not just Sensei I'm worried about," he said caressing her cheek. Tori closed her eyes and leaned into his palm. Blake leaned in and tasted her sweet lips for the first time in what seemed like ages.
They stayed like that for a few moments until Blake picked himself off the ground and helped Tori up. Tori stumbled a little, but Blake caught her. "Whoa- got up a little too fast," she said as he sat her on the bed. Tori laid back and rested her head on the soft pillows. Blake smiled and curled up with her.
"Thank you for being here...for doing this for him," he said. Tori turned her head and kissed him again.
"I'll always be here for you Blake." Blake held her to him and took in her warmth against his body. He kissed her temple and snuggled his head against hers.
"Tor- I'm not going back," he said softly. Tori looked up to him wide eyed. "I mean it. I guess this just made me realize that I've been away from my family way too long."
"You're really going to give all of that up?" she asked.
"Racing is something I do Tor, it's not who I am. I can still race, but I can be home with you too."
Tori was about to lean in and kiss him, but her stomach suddenly began to rumble and she felt nauseous. "Oh god," she said as she stood up. "Where's the bathroom?" Blake sat up and pointed to a door on the other side of his room. Tori was up and running before he could blink.
He carefully walked over to the door and saw her retching into the toilet. Tori was struggling to hold her hair back, and she felt someone take it for her. Blake was holding her hair and rubbing her back. "Tori, you alright?" he asked sympathetically. Tori felt her stomach settle and she leaned back into his arms.
"Yeah...nerves I guess," she said as she closed her eyes. Blake kissed her cheek and brought her back to bed. They settled in and Tori cuddled close to him. "Thank you," she whispered. Blake smiled and closed his eyes as he held her to him.
"You're welcome Blondie...go to sleep. We have a big day tomorrow."
Two months passed and the guys were all beginning to see a bit of a change in Tori. She seemed happier than she had before, and they were enjoying the change. It was true- Tori felt a lot better than she had in a while.
Blake was doing something he loved, and even though they were apart, she knew he was happy and he knew that she was as well. Everything in their lives was going perfectly...
An urgent call from Hunter came to Blake's new house in London where he had been for the past month. "BLAKE! PHONE!" Charlie called to him. Blake ran to his room, thinking it was Tori, he put on his best, seductive voice.
"Hello?" he asked.
"Bro, that's just freaky...don't ever do that again," Hunter said.
"Oh, my bad...what's going on? You sound kind of down."
"We have a bit of a...situation here...Sensei...he's, not doing too well." Blake felt his entire body go numb.
"What's wrong with him?"
"Well, Leeann seems to think that he may have been exposed to some...bad ninja karma or something like that."
"How the hell did that happen?"
"He went on a retreat to recharge his inner ninja and was attacked by...well, something. We're not sure what." Blake sunk onto his bed and put his head in his hands. Sensei Amino was like a father to him...this couldn't be happening...
"What can we do?" Blake asked.
"Well, we were kind of hoping you could get here and we could talk about it- you me, Leeann- the family you know?" Blake chewed his fingernail. He had been contemplating the decision on whether or not to renew his contract with Factory Blue. He had signed to a development deal, and was given the option after a year to decide.
He still had the option of racing with the backing of FOXY, but he wouldn't be able to race with Factory Blue anymore...
He knew he was making the right choice. He would be returning home to Tori... He thought for one more moment and made up his mind. "I'll catch the first flight."
(((((((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))))))
Tori sat on the steps of the temple with Cam as they waited for Shane and Dustin to get out of their classes. Hunter had informed them of what was going on, and everyone agreed to do whatever they could to help the Thunder Academy.
"Cam? Could something like this happen to Sensei too?" she asked nervously. "I mean, he was there too and-"
"Tori, dad's fine. Sensei Amino just got caught in a bad situation, and we're going to get him out of it."
Tori leaned on him and sighed. She was happy that Blake was coming home, but she was instantly saddened because of the reason for his return. Sensei Amino raised him and Hunter...she didn't even want to think about what would happen if Sensei Wantanabe were ever put in this situation.
"Hey guys- we're ready if you are," Shane said. Tori went to stand, but suddenly felt dizzy and had to sit again.
"Tor? You alright?" Dustin asked. Tori shook her head.
"Yeah- I'm fine." She stood again, this time slowly and stood with the others. She had been felling a little uneasy as of late, but she figured her nerves were out of whack because of everything that was going on.
"Alright then- let's go," Shane said. They ninja streaked to the Thunder Academy and landed in front of a large rock face.
"Well, this is it," Cam said. They stepped to the wall and entered through the portal.
(((((((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))))))
Blake was sitting next to Sensei Amino's bed. He had arrived very early that morning and kept a constant vigil. Hunter and Leeann had dismissed classes until further notice and had filled Blake in on what was going on. Sensei's brow would sweat periodically at times and Leeann explained that he was fighting demons inside himself.
"What can we do Leeann...we can't loose him...he's not ready to go," Blake said softly. Leeann knelt by him and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"There is one thing that we may be able to do, but I won't speak of it until I have confirmed my thoughts with Cam." She patted his shoulder and disappeared, leaving Blake and her father.
Hunter walked outside the living quarters and over to the main grounds where he found the wind rangers and the samurai walking towards him.
Tori gave him a small hug. "How is he?" she asked. Hunter led them into the living quarters where Leeann was sitting with a pile of scrolls in front of her.
"He's only getting worse," Hunter said as he sat next to Leeann. Cam sat across from them and Shane, Dustin, and Tori found places to sit as well.
"What can we do to help?" Shane asked.
"There is only one option that we've found..." Leeann explained. She unfolded a very old looking map and pointed to The Mountain of Lost Ninjas. "There is an ancient spring that has been hidden away for centuries deep within the mountain."
"The Healing Spring," Dustin said. Everyone stared at him in amazement. "What? I AM a teacher now. I need to know this stuff too." They all smiled a little and Leeann continued.
"The Healing Spring's water is said to take away all hurts that may inflict the soul of a person."
"And you think that by getting some of it's water we can remove the evil from Sensei?" Hunter asked.
"Yes Hunter. If we get it in time. My father's soul is fading and will soon be consumed. We must do this as fast as possible."
Hunter stood. "Then let's do it," he said. Cam picked up the map and looked over it again.
"It's not that easy Hunter. It says here that only a pure ninja can retrieve the water from the protector of the spring," Cam said.
"A pure ninja?" Shane asked.
"A ninja who comes from two others of the same element," Tori uttered softly. All eyes were on her...besides Leeann and Cam, she was the only one born to two ninjas... and Leeann's mother had been a Samurai, as had Cam's...
"Well then Blake and I can go and-"Hunter began.
"As much as I hate to say this, bro, we can't..." Blake said as he came out of Sensei's room. He walked over to Tori and held her gently. He kissed her cheek and turned to the others slowly. "It's a biological thing Hunter...you know that."
Hunter sank into his chair, defeated. "Is there nothing else we can do?" Hunter asked. Leann shook her head.
"Only Tori can enter the cavern where the spring is and retrieve it's contents safely."
"It makes sense...I am the resident water ninja around here," she said, trying to lighten the mood. The others looked to her and smiled.
"I'm going with you," Blake said. He turned to Tori and looked into her crystal blue eyes. "There's no way I'm losing you again."
"Me too," Hunter said.
"And me," Shane said.
"I'm in," Dustin said rising.
Tori looked to Cam who stood up and nodded his head. "We're all in this together."
Leeann felt tears sting her eyes. She knew she had to stay with her father. "Thank you...all of you for helping my father." Hunter went over and embraced her.
"He's our family Lee- and so are they," he said motioning to the others. She smiled and kissed his cheek.
"You will need to set out first thing in the morning if you are to return before the end of the day tomorrow." She looked out and saw stars coming out in the sky. "Hunter and Blake will show you your quarters for the evening...Cam? I need your help if you don't mind?" Cam stayed behind while Hunter led Shane and Dustin to the guest rooms.
Blake was holding Tori's hand as he led her down to his room. He closed the door behind him and Tori sat on his bed. Blake looked over and gave her a small smile. He was trying so hard not to loose his composure, but it was no use. He sank to the ground and let a few tears loose.
Tori saw him on the floor and was at his side instantly. She held him in her arms and felt him hold her as if for dear life. Blake held her close to him and didn't care that she saw him cry. Her fingers wove through his hair and she gently caressed his back, whispering soothing words to him.
After some time, Blake pulled himself together and removed his head from Tori's shoulder. "I'm sorry," he said softly. "I don't know what's wrong with me."
"It's okay. We're all worried." She kissed his cheek.
"It's not just Sensei I'm worried about," he said caressing her cheek. Tori closed her eyes and leaned into his palm. Blake leaned in and tasted her sweet lips for the first time in what seemed like ages.
They stayed like that for a few moments until Blake picked himself off the ground and helped Tori up. Tori stumbled a little, but Blake caught her. "Whoa- got up a little too fast," she said as he sat her on the bed. Tori laid back and rested her head on the soft pillows. Blake smiled and curled up with her.
"Thank you for being here...for doing this for him," he said. Tori turned her head and kissed him again.
"I'll always be here for you Blake." Blake held her to him and took in her warmth against his body. He kissed her temple and snuggled his head against hers.
"Tor- I'm not going back," he said softly. Tori looked up to him wide eyed. "I mean it. I guess this just made me realize that I've been away from my family way too long."
"You're really going to give all of that up?" she asked.
"Racing is something I do Tor, it's not who I am. I can still race, but I can be home with you too."
Tori was about to lean in and kiss him, but her stomach suddenly began to rumble and she felt nauseous. "Oh god," she said as she stood up. "Where's the bathroom?" Blake sat up and pointed to a door on the other side of his room. Tori was up and running before he could blink.
He carefully walked over to the door and saw her retching into the toilet. Tori was struggling to hold her hair back, and she felt someone take it for her. Blake was holding her hair and rubbing her back. "Tori, you alright?" he asked sympathetically. Tori felt her stomach settle and she leaned back into his arms.
"Yeah...nerves I guess," she said as she closed her eyes. Blake kissed her cheek and brought her back to bed. They settled in and Tori cuddled close to him. "Thank you," she whispered. Blake smiled and closed his eyes as he held her to him.
"You're welcome Blondie...go to sleep. We have a big day tomorrow."