Is Love For Real?

Chapter Seven - The Cavern of Lost Souls

Disclaimer: No, I still don't own anything from Power Rangers, Ninja Storm

RedFox: -Glances at the author- At least while she's on a sugar high, she's happy

DarkCat: -Nods-

DarkAngel: Well, it means that she's not thinking about how much torture she can put the characters through, and how many different unhappy endings she can come up with

Replies to reviews:

mysterious-muse: Because it'll be really difficult to bring Hunter back , of course. They only have about six days to do it... In some ways, it may have been easier if he was really dead. It would have been easier to bring him back to life then

CamFan4Ever: Hey, your reviews keep really cheering me up . It really lifts my spirits to open my inbox and find a good review in it. (And that goes for all other reviewers as well)

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Dustin stared at Cam. "Um, dude, we've already been over this," he reminded Cam. "Hunter is definitely dead. If he wasn't, then he would be responding to us."

"He can't respond to us," Cam explained. "His spirit is no longer inside his body."

"Which is, like, another way of saying that he's dead," Dustin said, thinking, Why is Cam still bringing this up? I feel bad enough as it is.

"Not necessarily," Cam replied. "As I said earlier, I was looking through the Ninja Scrolls, and what you've just told me ties in with something I read about in one of the scrolls."

"What is it?" Dustin wanted to know.

"I think that I'd better get the others here first," Cam answered. "It's kind of something that I don't want to repeat innumerable times."

"Well, dude, you wouldn't be repeating it that many times," Dustin commented. "There's only, like, six of us altogether... And there are two of us, and Hunter is... dead." Dustin widened his eyes in an attempt to stop himself from crying at remembering that. It didn't work very well, though.

"Dustin, innumerable isn't a number," Cam explained.

Dustin blinked. "It isn't?"

Cam sighed. "Never mind," he muttered. "Anyway, I think that Blake should know about this as well."

"You're probably right," Dustin admitted. He gave a soft sigh. "I just feel so... helpless at the moment. I want to do something. I don't want to just sit around here doing nothing."

Cam hesitated for a long moment. Then, he sighed. "All right," he muttered. "I'll tell you. But, Dustin, promise that you won't go off and do anything stupid. At least, not on your own."

What could be bothering Cam that much? Dustin wondered even as he nodded. "All right," he said. "I promise." Naturally, he didn't stop to think that maybe it wasn't such a good idea to promise something before he even knew the details.

"All right." Cam nodded. "Let me just go and get the Ninja Scroll that has the information in. I want to be sure that I don't get anything of it wrong or miss anything out."And he left the room.

Dustin looked down at Hunter's lifeless form. "Don't worry, Hunter," he told the body of the crimson thunder ranger, hoping against hope that Hunter would be able to hear him, wherever his spirit was now. "We'll get you back to life," he added. "After all, Cam's the best at this kind of stuff."

"You know, talking to yourself is the first sign of madness," Cam commented, entering the room again, carrying a scroll.

Dustin rolled his eyes. "I know," he replied. "And answering yourself is the second. Actually, I was kind of hoping that Hunter's spirit might be hovering around here... Where do these spirits go if they're separated from their bodies anyway?"

"I don't know," Cam admitted, unfolding the scroll. "This scroll isn't exactly clear on the details. And father wasn't much help. I don't think that this sort of thing has happened very often."

"Well, no, it wouldn't have," Dustin mumbled. "Those Ninja Scrolls are never helpful when we really need them to be."

Cam looked at Dustin, but didn't say anything. To be honest, he understood what Dustin was going through. Hunter was his friend as well. And, though Dustin had been a lot closer to Hunter, Cam still felt his loss keenly.

Cam finally let himself imagine life without Hunter forever, and winced. That was not something which would be good. Dustin would probably be miserable for days. Or perhaps even longer.

Actually, maybe it would be a good idea if Dustin did go off and do something stupid, Cam thought to himself. He might be able to work out something that I haven't been able to. Cam resisted the urge to smack himself in the forehead. I'm starting to sound like Shane. Dustin doing something stupid would not be a good idea. Dustin's Dustin, and he's more likely to mess something up than do something right.

"Cam, I'm, like, waiting here," Dustin commented. "We don't have all day, you know. There's probably a time limit on this, after all."

Cam raised his eyebrows at Dustin's use of the word 'we'. Was he already identifying himself with Hunter? And, if he was, if the crimson thunder ranger died, what would that actually do to Dustin? Of course, Dustin could just be referring to Cam in using the 'we'.

"Oh, sorry," Cam muttered, realising that he was getting caught up in his own thoughts again.

"Hurry up!" Dustin told him.

"Right." Cam glanced down at the scroll. Chances were, if he just read out what it said, Dustin would get really confused. It was probably better just to summarise the main points. After all, Dustin was right. There was a time limit on it.

"It basically says here that, even while a Ninja is incapacitated, it's possible for them to protect the ones they care about," Cam explained. "It involves them separating their spirit from their body. While in spirit form, they cannot actually be harmed. But it's quite difficult for them to return to their body again."

"How long do we have to bring Hunter back?" Dustin demanded.

Cam met Dustin's gaze. "A week from when the Ninja separates their spirit from their body," he answered.

"Um, dude, that means that we have, like, six days to bring him back."

"Actually, it's nearer to five," Cam admitted. Then wished that he hadn't actually said anything.

"Oh, that's even worse!" Dustin snapped. "What else does it say, Cam? Tell me!"

"I really think that we should wait for the others before I say anything else..." Cam began.

"And what good would that do?" Dustin demanded. "It would just mean that we have even less time to bring Hunter back! Now tell me what else the scroll says!" Dustin clenched and unclenched his fists, fighting the urge to hit something, anything. He couldn't believe that Hunter was so near death, but that was way better than him actually being dead.

"Well, it says that someone has to go to the Cavern of Lost Souls..." Cam's voice trailed off as Dustin shot off at Ninja Speed, and he sighed. "Oh, great," he muttered. "Typical Dustin. He didn't even give me a chance to finish!"

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Dustin came to a halt just outside the entrance to the Cavern of Lost Souls. Then, he hesitated.

What if there are loads of spirits inside? Dustin wondered. What if they try and attack me like they did on the mountain of Lost Ninjas? What if Hunter's not there?

Dustin felt scared. Maybe Cam had been right. Maybe he should have waited for the others.

No! Dustin told himself. The longer we wait, the more chance there is of Hunter actually dying!

Dustin took a deep breath, and slowly walked into the Cavern of Lost Souls.

Dustin instantly felt like he was being watched, but he couldn't see anything. He didn't know if that made him feel relieved or not.

After a few moments, Dustin found himself in the area where Blake and Hunter had been about to smash the energy shield around Sensei. That thought caused a flash of pain to stab at him.

Dustin glanced around. He couldn't see anything... But that didn't mean that nothing was there.

"Hunter, are you here?" Dustin called softly, feeling a little silly talking to the air.

There was silence.

Dustin sighed softly, feeling his eyes beginning to water again. He didn't bother dashing them away this time. "Hunter, I'm sorry for what I did," he whispered. "I know that your spirit got separated from your body because you were protecting me from that monster thingy of Lothor's... And I didn't deserve your protection or your sacrifice."

There was still silence.

Dustin glanced back the way he had come. Maybe he should go and get Blake to try... Hunter's brother might have more luck than he did.

"You know, you did deserve it, actually," Hunter's voice said softly from behind Dustin.

Dustin looked behind him, then squeaked a little, and took a step back. "Hunter! Is it really you?!"

Hunter raised his eyebrows, then looked himself over. "Well, it certainly feels like me."

"Hunter, I'm really sorry for beating you up," Dustin said a little unsteadily.

Hunter met Dustin's gaze, and smiled, though it was a little sad. "Hey, bro, it's all right," he replied. "I've already forgiven you."

"You're not dead, you know," Dustin told Hunter. "Cam found a Ninja Scroll with information about what had happened to you in it."

"Really? What did it say?" Hunter asked.

"Um, well, apparently someone's supposed to go the Cavern of Lost Souls..."

"Let me guess." Hunter folded his arms, though his eyes were laughing. "You shot here before Cam could finish."

"Um, yeah," Dustin admitted. "Sorry," he mumbled.

Hunter walked over to the yellow wind ranger, and placed his hands on either side of Dustin's face, though neither could actually feel the contact. Hunter then leaned forward so that his forehead would be resting against Dustin's.

"Don't think about it," Hunter murmured. He went still for a moment, and then nodded. "Yeah, I get it," he said, apparently to the air.

"What is it?" Dustin wanted to know.

"You have to go through the door behind me," Hunter explained to Dustin.

Dustin stared at the crimson thunder ranger, wondering if Hunter had lost his mind. "Dude, there's no door behind you," he said slowly.

"Oh, isn't there?" Hunter moved aside, revealing a door that had been cut into the rock behind him.

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