By Angel Mouse
You know, when I think about it, it's strange really. I mean, a lot stranger than normal I mean. Well, strange for a kid who grew up in a secret ninja academy, whose father is currently a guinea pig, who tries to keep up with five super powered super heroes who think nothing of trashing all my hard work and then ragging on me if they have nothing better to do, which sometimes they don't. Yeah it is strange really. Some days I find myself wondering where I would be if things hadn't turned out the way they did. I would have been away at university and dad would have been left running the Wind Academy. Shane, Tori and Dustin would have been thrown out because of tardiness and we'd have never met the Thunder brothers. And I think that's what I would have missed the most. I mean, the Thunder brothers are a constant source of irritation for me. They take delight in trashing their mega zord at every opportunity. They have taken an almost childlike glee in hanging around Ops when they aren't out riding their bikes, or Blake's flirting with Tori, or Hunter's engaging in one of his who's the better red or crimson ranger spats with Shane. Or having them sparring in Ops when I'm trying to work. It's really distracting most of the time. But, somehow, I think that once it's all over and things are back to normal, I'm going to miss them all. As I said, strange really.
But what I think I'm going to miss the most is those Thunder brothers. Being an only child is something I've never regretted, but seeing how close those two are, makes me sometimes wonder. Even though they are adopted, I've never seen a pair of people so close. In all but genetics, they are brothers. They fight as one and are closer than any people I've ever known. Which is strange really, I mean, not that they aren't close. That's to be expected since they've gone through so much. The strange thing is how good friends I've become with them. Blake not so much, I think that he's a little in awe of me because I run everything in Ops and spend most of my time fixing their zords. I just think him, like most of them; have very little in common with me, which is something I regret sometimes. But Hunter is another matter. He's closer to me in age than the others. He also seems to be a lot deeper than he lets on to the others.
I think I'm going to miss him more than I realise. This past year has been crazy to say the least and that craziness has brought us closer together. The three wind rangers barely had anything to do with me before the attack, well Tori was always polite and friendly but that's just Tori. But the others didn't really relate to me, and still don't much. Even after everything we've been through. Shane is a leader through and through, and still thinks of me as the guy that fixes everything. Even after I got my powers, he still barely treats me with respect sometimes. And that's starting to get a little more than annoying; it's starting to get downright hurtful. Dustin, what can you say about Dustin? I like the goofy guy, much to my surprise. He's got such a huge and kind heart, so trusting, that you can't help not like him. Even Marah liked him, or seemed to. I think my cousin does, deep down in a weird kind of space alien ninja way. It'll be interesting to see how that all ends up once we've gotten everything back to normal. As for Tori, she's always been the smart, sensitive perceptive one out of the bunch of them. I can totally understand what Blake sees in her. Not that I've had those type of thoughts about her, she's a very good friend and one that has always been there for everyone.
But Hunter and I, now that's a weird friendship. As I said, he's closet to me in age out of all the rangers, he's certainly seen a lot his life and he's only had Blake to cling on to. Blake has been his entire life, I can tell that by just the way he does the over protective big brother routine. But now he's got the other rangers, he's learning to relax a little bit and let them occasionally watch over Blake as well. But that doesn't stop the big brother routine, not by a long shot. But as he's gotten closer to the other rangers I've noticed that he's starting to include us in the whole over protective role. It's something that's such a part of who he is I guess it's hard for him to let go, to realise that we care about Blake and him as well. But I think I understand where that all stems from. Loosing their parents at such a young age and then being raised at a Ninja Academy isn't easy. I should know. And when Tori told me what had happened in the cave of souls it made me feel a bit closer to them. Even after what they had put me and my Dad through. As I said, strange really.
So, here I am, sitting in front of my computer, once more racing against time to repair the Thunder zords so they can go help the others defeat what's becoming referred to locally as the monster of the week. Amazing the things you over hear in the supermarket. The two of them are pacing back and forth behind me, feeding off each other's energy like I don't know what. Honestly, they are driving me to distraction. If this wasn't such delicate work and could be left to the auto repair systems I'd be out there in the Samurai star mega zord fighting along side the others. But no, they had to trash their mega zord in the one spot which needs supervision to fix. I swear, once this monsters destroyed I'm going to sit these two guys down and give them my patented 'What one does not do in one's Mega Zord' lecture I have to give one of them all at least once a week. Perhaps this time it'll stick. But knowing my luck, it won't.
As I said, it's strange really. But no stranger than my life has become in the last few months. And I think I am going to miss it when it's over.
It's strange really, what you get used to.