Is Love For Real?

Chapter Sixteen – Reunion

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Power Rangers, Ninja Storm, and I'm not making any money from this fic

Replies to reviews:

YellowCrimsonforever: Here's the next chapter . Thanks for reviewing, and I'm glad you liked it

garnetred: Yeah, they can . Thanks for reviewing, and I'm glad you liked it

pyke: Towards the beginning of this story, either you or someone with the same name reviewed the first chapter. And reviews always help me to continue with something (Roses and Thorns…), and not give up on it. Thanks for reviewing anyways, and I'm glad you liked it

SapphireRayne: Well, now you can see if you were right . Thanks for reviewing

BlueAngel07: Thanks for reviewing, and I'm glad you liked it

CamFan4Ever: Here's the final chapter . Thanks for reviewing

Ok, just like Roses and Thorns, I'd like to thank everyone who's read and reviewed this fic. You guys are so great! –Hugs everyone- I didn't have the same sort of problems with this fic as I had with Roses and Thorns (aside from being really worried that I was writing the characters all wrong…) but you guys still helped me and gave me the encouragement I needed to complete this! Thank you so much

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Dustin came to, he realised that he was in the rec. room, kneeling next to the bed, his head rested on his folded arms.

The yellow wind ranger raised his head, and saw that Hunter was lying on the bed he was leaning on. The crimson thunder ranger was lying still, pale with his eyes closed. But, as the yellow wind ranger watched, colour flooded Hunter's face, and his eyes flickered open.

"Hunter!" Dustin cried, scrambling to his feet and hugging the other tightly.

After a few moments, Dustin felt Hunter's arms slip around him and cradle him gently.

"What are we doing back here?" the crimson thunder ranger wondered out loud. "Shouldn't we have ended up in the Cavern of Lost Souls?"

"Well, your body was here," Dustin pointed out. "I guess my body kind of went with me into the spirit world."

"What actually happened in the spirit world?" Hunter questioned. "The last thing I remember is being on the other side of that fire pit ravine. For the rest of the time, I was in the Cavern."

Dustin blinked. "Wait… You were actually there?" Does that mean that the others were there as well?

Hunter nodded slowly. "One minute in the Cavern, the next on the other side of a ravine filled with fire." He hesitated, then added, "I almost had a heart attack when that rope bridge got burnt through, and you nearly fell and got incinerated."

"Yeah, it was just as well I was holding onto the side," Dustin grinned. "I was basically doing these tests based on the elements… You know, earth, fire, wind, and water. Oh, and thunder."

Hunter blinked. "So, pretty much the elements of us Power Rangers, except fire in the place of Samurai, which isn't technically an element?"

Dustin nodded. "I had to help out each of the others as well," he replied. "I didn't think that they were really there. But if you were…"

Hunter nodded slowly. "What about that girl-cat?" he asked. "What was the deal with her?"

"Well, when I was younger, I rescued a cat who got stuck in a trap," Dustin explained. "I looked after her until she was better, but then she disappeared. I never really thought about her again. It kind of hit me hard to have her just run away like that, apparently not even grateful for me helping her."

"You think that the cat in the spirit world was the same one you rescued?" Hunter frowned.

Dustin nodded. "Uh-uh," he said. "Where do you think the others are? Did they go to the Cavern of Lost Souls?"

Hunter nodded. "They did come there," he answered. "I managed to get Blake to see me, though, and I think they came back here."

"I'll go check." Dustin straightened, and made his way to the door of the rec. room.

"I'll come with you." Hunter swung his legs off the bed and onto the floor. A wave of dizziness swept over him for a moment. He sat still until it faded, then stood up.

Dustin felt a little relieved that Hunter was going with him. He didn't think there was going to be a row about what he had done to Hunter… But he wanted to be on the safe side.

As the yellow wind ranger reached for the handle of the door, the crimson thunder ranger touched his arm.

"It's all right," Hunter told Dustin in a low voice. "It's going to be all right. You righted the wrong you did. You were able to bring me back."

Dustin smiled weakly at Hunter, appreciating the effort the other was making to help him feel better. Then, taking a deep breath, Dustin pushed open the door, and walked into the main area of NinjaOps, closely followed by Hunter.

Cam was the first one to spot them. The green samurai ranger, for once, wasn't looking at his computer screen. He was actually facing the door to the rec. room, while the others were talking. Shane, Tori, and Blake quickly spotted Hunter and Dustin, though.

"Hunter!" Blake yelled, running over to his brother. The Bradley brothers hugged.

"I thought you two might end up back here," Cam commented to Dustin.

"So, are you going to tell us what happened?" Shane wanted to know.

The yellow wind ranger summarised everything that had happened, from him entering the spirit world to he and Hunter returning to NinjaOps. He brought up Alessa because leaving her out wasn't an option.

"But… We weren't actually there," Tori said. "Only Hunter was."

"I think it was probably easier to actually use Hunter's spirit rather than Dustin's memories of him," Cam responded. "After all, Hunter was the reason why Dustin went there in the first place."

The crimson thunder ranger slid his arm around Dustin, and gave the yellow wind ranger a gentle one-armed hug.

"I'm glad Dustin was there to help me out."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Read and review, please!

Yay, it's over! Hm… Why do my endings always end up rushed? -- Oh, well