Disclaimer: I don't own the power rangers (sob).
Note: More slash so don't read if this thing offends you.
We all have Shadows.
Confrontations.
"Tori what are you doing here?" Dustin called out surprised at the fact that he wasn't the first on the beach.
"Couldn't sleep. What about you?" she replied
"The same." He said sitting next to the blond. "So, what's wrong?" he questioned moving closer to her.
"Well would you believe that I have a twin brother." She told the dark haired man. "I only just found out, and it's bugging the hell out of me. I don't even know who it is."
"Well if you don't know who it is then what does it matter?" he stated pulling her into a hug.
"That's just it! I want to know, I want to be able to speak to him." She said melting into Dustin's embrace. "I could've already met him and I wouldn't even know." The Blue Ranger looked up at the Yellow Ranger. "So what bout you?"
"I was thinking about Arc." He said shifting slightly in the sand. "And then I started thinking about Hunter."
"Well at least it wasn't your usual trail of thought." Tori piped in a big grin on her face.
"What?" Dustin said letting go of Tori.
"Dustin, the last four times I found you were because you'd been thinking about him." She said grabbing him and pulling him into a hug. "So what were you thinking about Arc and Hunter?" Quickly changing the subject before he did go back to usual thoughts.
"It's only been a couple of days since I met Arc and I already feel like I've known him for years." Dustin continued placing his head into Tori's lap. "I've never felt like that about a person before. I know I can be very trusting but this is different. Isn't it?"
"Dustin, it is different. There are people that sometimes you just naturally click with, everything becomes like second nature." She began to stroke his hair. "It's like me and you, you wouldn't go to Shane and talk like this because it would be awkward, even though you've known him just as long and trust him."
"Okay, I'll admit that you're right there. But it makes me feel worse about the way I treated him the other day." Dustin told her sitting up again.
"Dustin you just have to remember it is a new friendship and that it could still fail."
"OH, way to make me feel better."
"I just mean that you can't rush things, and you can't push him away to hard 'cos he might not come back."
"I understand." Dustin said leaning back letting the sea breeze sooth him. Tori did the same and the two of them sat in silence for a few minuets.
"So what about Hunter?" Tori pushed trying not to sound to eager.
"What about Hunter?" Came a third voice from behind them making them jump.
"Blake, you do realize that it's rude to eavesdrop." Tori snapped.
"I didn't mean to, I just heard you mention Hunter. I wasn't expecting anyone to be here." The Navy Ranger said. "I don't normally come here when I can't sleep but I had a fallout with Hunter, and I didn't want to go to my usual spot."
"What happened between you and Hunter?" Dustin asked.
"It was silly really. We just hand a disagreement over Arc." Blake confessed.
"Blake..." Tori got up and went over to him. "You just need to give Arc a chance." She gave the shorter man a hug.
"The problem isn't Arc... I caught them having a tickle fight..." He paused to take in the reactions of his friends. "I've just never seen Hunter act like that. He's known the guy for ten minuets and he already does stuff with him that he rarely did with me."
"Look as much as I like you both, I'm going to find somewhere else to think." Dustin said leaving.
"Dustin. If you want to be alone don't go to the track. Hunter will most likely be there." Blake called out after him.
-
"Hey Cam, I just had the best idea." Shane burst into ninja ops.
"Does it involve Arc in any way?" Cam spun round and raised an eyebrow.
"How'd you guess. I thought that if I scared Arc off Dustin, we wouldn't have to worry about him being anything." Shane told Cam looking as if he'd won the lottery.
"Shane the only snag with that is..." Cam paused waiting to see if Shane could figure it out. "How are you going to scare him off?"
"Oh man I hadn't thought about that." Shane confessed looking as if he'd just had his prize taken away.
"It's a good idea Shane, but I was thinking about what Tori said. If Arc is just a normal guy or good alien then it could end up hurting Dustin." Cam said to the Red Ranger. "Even if he's an evil one it would hurt Dustin less if we didn't do anything."
"I thought you'd understand!" Shane burst out. "You just want to let things unfold."
"Shane how do you think Dustin would feel if he found out we went behind his back. In his eye's we'd be no better than the monster by betraying his trust."
"Maybe you can just sit back but I can't!" The Red Ranger yelled before storming out of ninja ops.
"Shane!" Cam called out after the other man. Did I do the right thing? I shouldn't have let him go.
"Cam, why was Shane in such a rush?" The Blue Ranger asked walking down the steps into ninja ops.
"He's going to scare Arc off." Replied the Green Ranger a look of disappointment on his face.
"That's not the only thing bothering you is it?" Tori asked.
"I'm just worried that he, No we, might hurt Dustin and not just because of that." Came the response she received. "I don't know how much longer he plans on hiding our relationship. Look you figured it out and so has my father, how long will it be before Dustin guesses?"
"We have to stop Shane before he does something stupid." Tori said definitively.
"Hi guys." Dustin's voice came from the entrance. "What do we have to stop Shane doing?"
"I'll tell you on the way." The Blue Ranger told him as she dragged him back the way he came. "Cam you stay here and I'll call you if we need help." She called over her shoulder almost as an after thought.
-
"Hey Arc!" Hunter called from the counter. "Your boards ready, and dude is that one cool design."
"That's great. Guess I'll have to pay up." He said back walking up to the counter pulling his wallet out. "So you still up for later?" he asked as Hunter processed the transaction.
"Of course I can't wait." Hunter replied taking the money off Arc. He pushed some more buttons on the till and the cash drawer sprang open. "I get off in ten so if you don't mind waiting we could go and grab a bite to eat first." He handed Arc the change and receipt.
"That's cool so where's this board."
Hunter ducked into the back room before appearing with the board. "Here you go." He said handing over the board.
"Thanks." Arc said carrying the board over to the door.
"So you going to tell me what the design means?" Hunter asked following Arc.
Blake peered round the door to the stock room and watched as Hunter opened the door for Arc. The two men walked though and he saw Hunter put an arm around Arc's shoulder.
Hunter held the board as Arc opened the door to his van. "The design is kind of a Ying yang thing." He explained to Hunter as he loaded the board into his van.
"What you mean like balance in everything?" Hunter studied the design of the two intertwined dragons one black one white.
"Kind of. Balance is the wrong word. Each dragon represents light and dark, good and evil. It shows how one cannot exist without the other and how there is always a constant struggle between the two forces."
He had just shut the door to his van when he heard a voice from behind him that he didn't recognize. "Are you Arc?"
"Yeah." He replied turning to see who asked. "Why?" He found himself pinned up against the van, a hand firmly gripping on his collar and a very angry person staring at him.
"Shane what are you doing." Hunter was trying to pry Shane off Arc. He finally managed to push Shane back far enough so he could stand between the two men. "What's going on?"
"This doesn't concern you Hunter get out of my way!" bellowed Shane shoving Hunter to the ground. "As for you!" He snapped turning his attention to Arc. "Leave Dustin alone!"
Arc ignored Shane and instead went and helped Hunter up.
Shane outraged by Arc's actions grabbed him and slammed him into the van. "Don't ever ignore me. You hear, leave Dustin alone!"
"Or you'll what?" Arc spat in defiance. "I think Dustin's old enough to make his own decisions."
All the shouting had gathered quite a crowd. Even Blake had heard the commotion and come to see what was happening. "Shane, don't be such a fool!" he called but kept his distance.
Again Hunter tried to hold Shane back. "Shane, stop this now!"
Just then Tori and Dustin pulled up in her van. Dustin jumped out and rushed to the other's aid. Tori went over to see to Arc. "Are you alright?" She asked helping him to stand.
"Shane..." Dustin said hold him back with Hunter.
Shane calmed down at the sound if Dustin's voice. "Can't you see he's no good for you?" he asked Dustin breaking free from the others grip.
It was Dustin's turn to get angry. "What's wrong Shane? Jealous, Cam not enough for you? I can't believe that I ever had feelings for you." He took a deep breath before he continued. "It's so pathetic! You spend your time avoiding me, only to go ballistic when I find a new friend. Well guess what I don't want anything to do with you so you can just stay away from me and my friends!" Dustin then marched off leaving a lot of people bewildered.
Tori went to go after him but found herself being pulled back. "I'll go." Arc told her before running after Dustin.
She turned to Shane. "You've really done it this time." She too then went after Dustin.
Blake went over to see if Hunter was ok. "You're not hurt are you?"
"Why didn't you help?" was all Hunter said back.
"What..."
"Why didn't you help?" Hunter repeated. "Why did you just stand there?"
"Hunter..."
"You're no better than Shane! You don't like Arc so you'd just let him be beaten up." He then went off after the others.
"Hunter wait..." Blake called after him but his brother didn't listen.
-
"This is better than we had planned. Who would have thought one person could come between the rangers."
"Maybe we should thank that man. With the rangers divided we can claim the crystal unopposed."
"Miasmus you must not get ahead of yourself, we still have to find where it is hidden."
"Venator I know where it is." Miasmus told his partner. "But Lothor could be a problem."
"Lothor won't be a problem much longer." Venator replied a smirk gracing his face. "Those rangers are so dumb, thinking you work for Lothor. So the evil space alien disguise worked then did it?"
"The disguise may have worked but it did limit my power. Can't I just go in my natural form?" Miasmus moaned.
"And have the rangers realize that we're not even space aliens." Venator rebuked Miasmus. "We need to get the rangers to lure Lothor out so we can dispose of him ourselves."
"So shall we go claim our prize?"
"And while we're at it shall we get rid of Lothor? I heard he was running short of help."
-
Dustin hadn't gotten far when Arc managed to catch up to him. "Dustin, wait up!" he said as he caught the other man by the wrist. "What was all that about?"
"Nothing."
"You had better not be telling me I was beat up for nothing. Dustin why did he want me to leave you alone?"
"He was probably just jealous." Dustin replied trying to break free from Arc's grip.
"Is that what you want? For me to leave you alone." Arc said letting go of Dustin's wrist.
"I don't know?" Dustin replied breaking down onto tears. "This is all to much."
"Hush. It'll be okay." Arc tried to comfort him. "I didn't want to cause any trouble." He pulled Dustin into a hug. Dustin stopped crying as he melted into the embrace.
"We know you didn't." The sound of a third voice made both men jump.
"Tori. How long have you been stood there? And with Hunter." Arc asked looking at the two of them.
"Long enough. This isn't your fault its been building for a while." Tori told Arc.
"It is though. If I hadn't gone to storm chargers for my board then no of this would have happened." Arc let go of Dustin when he realized he was still holding him.
"So Dustin when did you find out about Shane and Cam?" Tori asked moving over to Dustin.
"Earlier, I heard when Cam was telling you." He replied fighting back a second wave of tears.
"So you heard? I'm so sorry you had to find out that way." She said hugging him.
"I think I'd better go before I make things any worse." Arc turned to leave.
Dustin still crying reached out and grabbed Arc's arm. "Don't go! I don't want you to leave me alone." He sobbed. "I still want to be your friend, if you'll have me."
"Of course we can still be friends." Arc smiled at Dustin.
"Even... now you... know that I'm..." Dustin managed in between sobs.
"It doesn't matter." Arc cut in. "You're still the same Dustin aren't you. A bit goofy, black haired, brown eyed, motocross mad and a loyal friend." He went and gave the man a second hug. He then looked up and saw Hunter stood there with his arms crossed. "What's up with you?"
"Nothing." Hunter replied acting cool.
"You aren't fooling anyone but yourself." Arc released Dustin and went over and put an arm round Hunter. "Did you really think that I'd forgotten what you did." He then hugged the other man catching him by surprise. "Hunter you protected me, someone you've only known a short while. It would've been a lot easier for you just to stand back and watch."
"It was just instinct. Besides I feel like I'm a completely different person around you." Hunter gave up trying to fight the hug. "I just blew it with Blake." For the first time he allowed himself to cry in front of other people.
"Look." Arc wiped away Hunter's tears. "Instead of dwelling on what just happened let's go get something to eat. My shout." Both Hunter and Dustin brightened up at the sound of a free lunch.
"You'd better be a millionaire, those two could eat for America." Tori looked at Arc.
-
"Shane that was a very irresponsible thing you did. I am very disappointed in your actions. Have I not taught you better than that." The guinea pig ninja master told his pupil. "And Blake I'm sure that sensei Omino has taught you better as well." The sensei shook his head in disappointment. "Your actions my have given Lothor the chance to strike an easy decisive blow." The small rodent began pacing across the table.
"Sensei there's something that this guy's hiding." Shane protested waving his hands in the air.
"Even so, that is still no excuse for your actions. You must remember that you become an easy target if your emotions get the better of you." The ninja master shot Shane a warning glance.
"You're right sensei." Blake confessed. "We have let our emotions get the better of us and I'm sorry." He bowed to the guinea pig.
"Well I'm not!" Shane spat. "You always told us to stand by our convictions and I'm not going to back down now."
"That is your decision. Just remember that actions always have consequences..." Sensei rebuked Shane but was interrupted when and alarm went off.
"Uh guy's, Miasmus is back and this time he's brought a friend." Cam called out after running over to so console.
"So let's go then." Shane ordered.
"Shane we need the others. Miasmus beat us easily on his own the three of us don't stand a chance against two of them." Cam replied but found his wrist grabbed when he went to open the communication channel.
"We don't need them." Shane hissed. "Besides they're probably with Arc anyway."
"Shane Cam's right. Regardless of how you feel we do need their help." Blake put in removing Shane's hand from Cam's wrist.
"Did you not hear what I told you." The guinea pig said. "Now go I will call the other's."
-
The other's had just finish lunch and as Tori had predicted, Dustin and Hunter had each eaten almost three times as much as the other two put together. Her communicator went off and she excused herself from the table. She went round the corner and raised her arm to her mouth. "Yeah." She asked in a hushed voice.
"The other rangers need your help." The sensei's voice came across.
"Okay I'm on to it." She replied and dropped her arm back down. She then headed back round the corner to get Dustin and Hunter. "You guy's we really need to be going."
"If it's for what I think then forget about it." Dustin replied leaning on the table.
"I'm with him." Hunter leaned back on the chair and stretched out his arms.
"Look I don't know what this is about, but I don't want to get you in anymore trouble." Arc told them when Tori gave him a pleading glance.
"Well maybe they should have thought about that before they went and hurt our feelings." Dustin said not moving and fighting all of Tori's attempts to get him to.
"Tori if you want to go then go but I'm not." Said Hunter resisting her efforts as well.
"Fine guy's." She gave up. "If I really need you then I'll call." She turned her back and marched off.
"Really you should go." Arc insisted looking after Tori. "I don't mind."
"On another subject. How's the family hunt going?" Hunter deflected. "Had any luck tracking them down?"
"Well, seen as you asked so nicely. I did get a copy of my birth certificate though the post this morning." Arc said not wanting to push things too far. "And guess what?" he paused for suspense. "My real name isn't Arc. It's not even Arcalide. It's Tobias."
"Tobias what? You've got to have a last name." Hunter cut in sounding critical.
"Hanson." Arc replied uneasily.
Dustin sat bolt upright at the sound of the last name. "Hanson... Hanson... I've heard that name before... wait it's Tori's last name." Dustin managed.
"Yeah so, there must be tons of Hanson's in the blue bay area." Hunter cut in again.
"Not as many as you'd think bro." Dustin replied. "I once forgot her number so I had to look it up. There were only two other listings under that name. One was like a seventy-year-old guy and the other was a twenty-year-old woman. Besides Tori did tell me that she had a twin brother who was adopted."
"Okay hold up there Dustin. Did Tori say the name of her brother?" Arc questioned.
"Er... no." he replied looking disheartened.
"That doesn't mean I'm not related to her... It also doesn't mean I am. The only people who would know for sure would be her parents." Arc told Dustin trying not to sound to hopeful. "And we let her walk off."
"Well she did kind of have to go and fight a monster and all dude." Dustin said before he realized whom he'd said it to.
"You decided to stay here while she fights monsters?" Arc said surprise on his face.
"Well done." Hunter muttered kicking Dustin under the table. "What he meant..."
"Hunter I'm not that dumb. Just trust me. I promise I won't tell a soul what was said." Arc cut in. "Look regardless of your feeling's if your friends need help fighting I suggest you go. Besides we can't really continue without Tori anyway. Shouldn't you really leave the fighting to the power rangers though."
"I guess so." Hunter said relieved that Arc hadn't quite figured it out. "Why don't we go after Tori and make sure she's safe. Then we can convince her to leave the fighting to the power rangers." Hunter grabbed Dustin and dragged him away. "We'll catch up with you later at storm chargers." He called pulling Dustin along behind him.
-
The battle wasn't at all going in the rangers' favor. Against all efforts Miasmus and Venator were pushing the rangers closer to the cave. Dustin and Hunter arrived just as Miasmus was throwing Tori into Blake. "Better late than never." The Yellow Ranger quipped.
"You might as well not have come." Shane shot back taking a hit from Venator.
"Dustin you help us and Hunter go get the crystal." Cam ordered ducking an attack from Miasmus.
"Where is this crystal?" The Crimson Ranger asked shooting at Venator with his crimson blaster.
"In the cave!" Cam shouted charging at Venator sword raised.
"I'm on it." Hunter called as he ran to the cave. "Do you think you can hold them off?"
"We'll try." Tori called getting to her feet after another onslaught from Miasmus.
Hunter entered the cave and looked around. The cave was large and completely empty with no crystal in sight. He carefully made his way to the center of the cave waiting for something to happen.
"Who goes there?" A voice echoed around the stone cavern. Hunter looked to see where the voice had come from but he was alone. "What business do you have here?" The disembodied voice echoed again.
"I am the Crimson Thunder Ranger and I have come for the crystal of life." Hunter replied trying to sound intimidating. "Where is it?"
"The crystal is safe. No one shall have it." Again the voice echoed.
"Come out and fight me coward. I will beat the answer out of you! Hunter called losing his patience knowing his friends were still fighting.
"Very well." Hunter turned to see a pool of shadow form not far from him. "Do you really think you can best me?" A hand emerged from the pool, then another followed. "Your all talk." The head and body came rising up and the shadow seemed to shrink. Before Hunter now stood a ranger, wearing black with a chest shield covering his upper torso.
"I don't intend on losing." The Crimson Ranger pulled out his blaster and opened fire on the other ranger.
The shots bounced off an energy dome that had formed around the other man. "Is that the best you can do?" The stranger mocked before rushing at Hunter. He grabbed the Crimson Ranger by the throat and lifted him clear of the ground. "Why do you want the crystal so bad?" the Crimson Ranger was then thrown clear across the cave and hit the stone wall opposite before falling to the floor.
Just then Dustin flew in though the cave entrance and landed near Hunter. "Did you really think you could stop me?" Venator marched in holding Tori in one arm and Blake in the other. "Oh another one." He laughed when he saw the other ranger. "Make it easy on yourself and just let us take the crystal."
"Never!" Called the man and ran at Venator. He jumped at the last moment placed a foot on Venator's chest and back flipped kicking him in the face with the other foot. Recoiling from the impact Venator dropped the two rangers he was holding. "No one is taking the crystal! I'll stop you all." The unknown ranger yelled taking up a fighting stance. Two shadows split from his own and made copies of him but devoid of any color, they were like solid shadows.
Miasmus burst in throwing Shane to the floor. "I grow tired of this. Lets finish them off." He declared as Cam hobbled in and went to Shane.
In the cave stood three groups of people, the rangers, Venator and Miasmus, and the other ranger with his shadows. What followed could only be described as mayhem. The thunder rangers went after one of the shadows with Cam, the wind rangers charged Miasmus, and the other shadow began an assault on Venator. While all of the fighting was going on the other ranger hung back and watched.
Miasmus was easily beating the wind rangers. He ducked a punch from Shane, grabbed the Red Rangers arm and hurled him into Tori. He then charged an energy blast and shot it at Dustin knocking him into the wall. Dustin slumped to the floor unable to move much.
The thunder rangers and Cam were having their butts kicked by the shadow. It was too quick for them to keep up with. When occasionally they did get a hit in their weapons would pass right though it. Venator was not fairing any better with the other shadow until he realized that energy blasts could affect it. Hurling several at the thing it finally dissipated. He then turned to where the other shadow fought and shot another volley. This caused it to dissipate and also hit the rangers knocking them down.
This is when the other ranger decided to step in. drawing two pistols he began shooting Venator in the back. After the first shots hit Venator turned around and began using his arm as a shield. The ranger ran at him jumped and kicked off his shoulders to gain more height. He flipped and twisted then shot at Venator several more times before landing. He replaced the pistols on his thighs then drew two daggers out of them. He charged though the group of combatants cutting down anyone standing.
Dustin fell hard and Venator seeing this opportunity charged an energy sphere. "Good bye ranger." He laughed and hurled the ball at the immobile ranger.
"Dustin, no!" Tori cried jumping in the way of the attack. The blast hit her in the chest with so much force that she demorphed as she fell to the ground unconscious.
"Tori!" Dustin yelled crawling over to where she lay. "Please be okay." He sobbed opening the visor on his helmet and pulling her body as close as he could.
"Oh how upsetting." Miasmus joked. "We can arrange for you to meet her."
"You'll pay." The unknown ranger muttered and began charging energy. He unleashed the attack that caused a ring of dark energy spheres to travel out from him. The balls impacted with the two villains bringing them to their knees but passed harmlessly though the rangers.
"You may have won this time." Venator said as he and Miasmus teleported away. "But we'll be back."
The rangers all gathered around Tori and Dustin. "Is she going to be alright?" Blake asked looking down at the girl he loved.
"I think that blast caused and energy drain effect." Cam replied as he checked over his friend's wounds. "It seems to be draining her life force quite rapidly."
"What does that mean?" Shane asked looking bewildered.
"It means that we don't have much time to do anything..." Cam looked down trailing off and the rest of the rangers under stood.
"Let me look after her." The mysterious ranger stepped forward. "This is my fault."
"What can you do?" Dustin looked up.
"It's to complicated to explain. You said that time was a problem. Well what if I took her somewhere time doesn't function normally?" The man replied.
"Why would you do that?" Shane asked standing up.
"Just trust me. You don't want to lose your friend and I can help."
"Why should we..." Shane started but Hunter put an arm on his shoulder.
"Just let him." Hunter interrupted pulling Shane away. The other rangers didn't argue and backed off as well letting the man at Tori.
"I'll take good care of her I promise." He said as he sank into the shadow beneath him holding the Blue Ranger.
-
To be continued...
Note: I need reviews to keep me motivated. So please review so I finish the story.