I have always assumed that Blake and Hunter were only adopted brothers, not real brothers. This story is going by that. If I have made a mistake I am sorry, but just so no one gets confused, in this story they are NO relation. Right. That's that. On with the next chapter...


Blake got home to find Hunter surrounded by his stuff with his head in his hands.

"Hey." he said softly. "You need a hand?"

Hunter nodded, then turned his head away. When he looked at his brother, Blake noticed his eyes were slightly red, as if he had been crying. In the years that Blake had lived with Hunter, he had never ever known him to cry.

With a small sigh he squatted down next to him.

"I'm sorry, about before. Yelling at you in Storm Chargers." Hunter said quietly.

"Don't worry about it. I was out of line."

Blake looked around at the mess Hunter had made. "Well, you've got a lot of stuff to pack. We better get started."

"I'm not taking everything. Is it ok if I leave some stuff here?"

"Sure. You'll want most of it though, right?"

Hunter didn't answer. The two of them got to work. The first mystery came when Blake went to pack Hunters scrapbook. It was a book that he had been adding too ever since they were little at the Thunder Ninja Academy together. Blake knew it was precious to him as it had photos of their adopted parents in it so assumed it would be going with him. To his surprise, Hunter said he wanted to leave it with Blake. When Blake asked him why, he simply replied that 'it would be safer', but wouldn't explain any further than that. In fact, Hunter refused to take with him anything that Blake knew was important to him, even his precious bike:

"You're gonna take your bike with you, right?"

"No" Hunter had said quietly.

"But… why?"

"I don't know if the house will have room for it." Hunter had quickly explained. "When I know, then I'll have it brought over."

Blake nodded, but was still puzzled. What Hunter said was sensible (that in itself was a surprise!), but Blake knew that most houses would have room for a bike. Even now, when they lived in a tiny apartment, Hunter refused to be parted from his bike. It was in the garage shared by all the people in their apartment block. Surely it would be safer in a private garage. But, no, Hunter was insisting on leaving it here.

Finally they were finished. The small apartment, which was usually a mess with their stuff, looked even smaller and barer. Hunter had put all the stuff he wasn't taking into his old room – all that was left was Blake's.

"Well, that's that." Blake said. "End of an era."

"I'm sorry, bro. About everything. I wish I didn't have to, but, they're my parents…"

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Hunter looked away. "I can't explain. Please, don't ask me to."

"Ok, fine, whatever. But you owe me an explanation."

Hunter smiled. "One day, I promise. Just, not now."

And that was that. No more was said. Blake lay awake for ages, puzzling over Hunter's behaviour. In his room neat door, Hunter was also awake, but for other reasons. He was dreading the morning.


His parents arrived early. Blake was still in bed and Hunter didn't want to wake him so he quietly gathered his stuff and left a note, before walking out of the door. Phil was waiting in a car outside.

"Is that it?" he said in a way of greeting.

"Everything." was Hunter's calm reply.

Once everything was loaded into the car, Phil wasted no time in driving off. It was as if he couldn't wait to be gone. Hunter, in the back seat, gazed back as his old apartment block faded into the numerous streets. He wished he was still there.

"Stop moping." came Phil's rough voice from the front seat. "God, he is an ungrateful sod that son of yours." he added to Hunter's mum.

Hunter lowered his head. He didn't dare to look up. Finally, the car journey came to an end.

"We're home, Hunter sweetie." his mum said with a smile.

Hunter looked up that they were on the outskirts of Blue Bay, not far from the dirt bike track or the mountains in which the Wind Ninja Academy was situated. The house looked huge. He just stared at it.

"Well?" his mother said, looking worried. "What do you think?"

"It's alright." he made himself say.

"We'll get your stuff in and get you settled into your new room, then we'll have something to eat and… talk. It's been a long time." she gushed.

She was just how Hunter remembered her. Maggie was warm and sincere, yet nervous, wanting everything to be perfect, and ignoring what she didn't want to know about. Nothing seemed to have changed. Phil was still here, and Maggie was clearly forgetting everything that had happened before. Maybe it would be different this time, Hunter thought. Maybe Phil had changed. Of course he had, otherwise they wouldn't be here. So why did he still tremble at the thought of being in the same room as Phil? He'd put all that behind him, or tried to. The fear, the panic attacks, the nightmares…

"Are you ok, honey? Maggie asked, concern of her face.

Hunter forced himself to smile. It would be different this time. "I'm fine."

"Good. I've got you some pancakes with maple syrup. They're your favourite." With that she was off into the house, leaving Hunter and Phil to get the bags. Hunter didn't try to tell her that pancakes with maple syrup had been his favourite - when he was five. He hadn't had any in years.


Back at Ninja Ops the other rangers had met up for a training session.

"Where are Hunter and Blake?" Sensei asked as they entered.

"We don't…" Shane began, but was cut off as Blake ran into Ninja Ops, out of breath.

"Sorry I'm late." he gasped.

"You ran all the way here?" Tori asked.

He nodded.

"Where's Hunter?" Cam asked.

"I don't know." he said, catching his breath. "I woke up this morning and he'd already gone."

"Without saying goodbye?" Shane said incredulously. All the rangers knew how close Hunter and Blake were, just like real brothers. "That's not like Hunter."

Blake smiled grimly, "That's not the only out of character thing he's done. I mean, he even left his bike with me. And it's not as if the house hasn't got room for it; that being the excuse he gave for leaving it. I checked it out this morning; he left me his address with the note. It's huge! And closer to the dirt track than our apartment is. It doesn't make sense."

"Excuse me." Sensei said politely. "Would someone care to explain to me what's going on?"

"And me." Cam added.

"Hunters real parents, well, his mother and step-father, turned up at Storm Chargers yesterday." Blake said. "Wanting him to move in with them."

"I see." said Sensei. "And obviously Hunter has never mentioned them before…?"

"No!" Blake exploded. "As far as I was concerned they were dead. He never talked about them. Ever! He had me believe they were dead. I can't believe he was lying to me for all those years."

"He probably had good reason." Cam said. "If he was abandoned by them…it might have been too painful."

"This is Hunter." Dustin said sarcastically. "The original Mr 'I'm not scared of anything' – remember."

"That's a joke." said Blake.

"Well, have you ever known him to be scared of anything?"

"Yes. Every night." came Blake's calm reply. "He's petrified of the dark. As long as I've known him - that's since he was 12 - he won't sleep with the light off. When I first knew him he wouldn't even sleep. He used to try everything to stay awake and when he did fall asleep he had terrible nightmares. He never talked about them but I used to hear him screaming in his sleep. He hasn't had any for years though."

Everyone stared at Blake in surprise. Hunter had always appeared to them as unafraid of everything – he was known as the 'dark and brooding one' of the group. To hear that he was afraid of the dark came as a shock.

"Don't look so surprised." Blake added. "Everyone's afraid of something, even Hunter. Just, don't tell him I told you, ok. It's not something he's proud of."

"We wouldn't dream of it." Tori spoke for them all.

"I know it's hard for you to take in, Blake." Sensei said, "That someone you've known for a long time hasn't been completely honest, but I'm sure Hunter has his reasons. In time perhaps he will be able to tell you. Hunter isn't the best person with words and, as you say, he never talks about his past. Maybe he just hasn't been able to explain himself to you, but I'm sure one day he will. Until then however, we have a training session to get on with."

Everyone groaned but got to work. Blake only joined in half-heartedly. He was wondering how Hunter was getting on…