Title: Rain of Descending Ash
Author: Dingo
Disclaimer: I'm not rich enough to have these characters belong to me. All hail Saban. All hail AFI, who can be credited with the title - via album Sing the Sorrow and song Paper Airplanes (makeshift wings).
Summary: Somewhere after Something About Beevil, Hunter tracks down Dustin.
"It's always bad to swallow your sorrows."
Dustin dropped his head. "Leave me alone, Hunter."
The blonde sat down next to him, one leg folded under him while one foot dangled into thin air. "Sorry, can't do that," he said easily. "Talk, pretty-boy."
The Yellow Wind Ninja didn't bother looking up towards his friend, instead gazing away into the distant horizon where the angry waves of the ocean met the cool blue of the sky. He dropped a few pebbles to the rocks below, but just before they hit, water swamped the area below with a crash.
Hunter crossed his arms across his chest. "Waiting, Dust."
"You can wait for a little longer," Dustin answered in a tone that Hunter frowned at. Admittedly, he hadn't known Dustin for as long as, say, Tori, but he still knew that sad, bitter voice wasn't supposed to be in Dustin's vocal cord range.
Hunter was silent for a few moments. Dustin sighed.
"That was a fairly strong hint to leave me alone," he informed Hunter.
"My mother always said I was bad at picking up hints," Hunter commented idly.
When a few more minutes passed and Hunter hadn't moved an inch except to settle himself more comfortably on the ledge, Dustin sent him an annoyed glare. "I would like to be alone, please."
Hunter shrugged, unconcerned. "And I'd like to factory ride. Maybe soon - not now."
Dustin turned his attention back to the raging ocean, resigned to the fact that his quiet solitude was now to be non-existent.
They sat in silence for quite a time longer, disturbed by nothing but the wind and birds, the waves starting to splash their legs as the tide rose.
"I'm sorry, bro," Hunter suddenly spoke, nearly scaring Dustin off his perch to the rapidly rising water below.
"Don't do that!" Dustin exclaimed.
"Sorry."
Dustin sent him a curious glance. "For what?"
"For startling you."
"No, before that."
Hunter changed his gaze from the horizon to the hands clasped in his lap. "For what I said back at Ops."
Dustin couldn't help letting that tone back into his voice. "When you said it was my choice to trust Marah?"
"When I implied you were being stupid in choosing that device over the city," Hunter added.
"You were right," Dustin smirked self-mockingly.
Hunter shook his head. "You were right."
"Um, hello? Marah turned on me."
The blonde glanced over at Dustin, who had returned to throwing rocks at the water. "Were you watching the fight at Ops?" he asked abruptly.
"Yeah," Dustin muttered, throwing a lump of dirt gently up to arc above the water. In a momentary display of control, the dirt hovered above the water, slowly breaking apart in midair before Dustin allowed it to trickle onto the surface of the water. "So?"
"So...I was right there. I saw her eyes, and they did look sincere."
"Whoopdidoo," Dustin mocked, waving a finger in the air. "She fooled someone else, too."
Hunter was silent. "Do you remember," he began quietly, watching the sky as it ever so slowly darkened, signalling that evening was approaching, "-when Tori brought Blake to Ninja Ops?"
"I heard about it, yeah," Dustin said, picking at his fingernails.
"Blake and I were able to enter Ninja Ops. We overpowered Cam. We kidnapped your Sensei," Hunter stressed. "Is that Tori's fault?"
"Of course not, man!" Dustin exclaimed, jumping to Tori's defence. "She just – oh." He sighed, quickly drawing the similarity. "Fine. It's not my fault."
Hunter stood, brushing off his pants. He patted Dustin on the back, but his voice held a little sorrow. "Just remember that. It's the evil guy's fault."
Dustin glanced up at him, but the sun setting behind Hunter made his eyes water. "Thanks, dude," he said quietly.
Hunter simply nodded, walking off behind Dustin.
The Yellow Wind Ranger sighed, then dropped his handful of rocks into the water below.
Marah watched from afar, tears in her eyes, as she finally realized what she'd done.