Author's Note: Whee! Lookit all the pretty reviews!

Oh, and just FYI: it's taRAN, as opposed to TAra.

Blacknightwolf04: Wow, that's a long screen name. (laughs) Thank you! I hope the rest of the story lives up to it.

Funky: you've read me before, haven't you? You should have some idea who Taran is...

footychick: soon enough for you?

Pyran Menace: Truuuuuuuuuuuuuuueeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

dancer1: Thanks! Ihope you like.

Anyone who didn't review: Why not?

2: Then she freaked out all my friends

"Storm Chargers." Taran read as they approached the store.

"Some of the guys work here." Cam told her.

"The rest of them just hang out and make our lives harder." Hunter brushed past her as he spoke, pushing open the door and holding it for Cam.

"Thanks." Cam caught it and gestured Taran in. She looked around interestedly, taking in the equipment and clothes hanging around.

"Dustin!" Cam called. "Where are Shane and Tori?"

"Yeah, hi." Blake said pointedly, and Cam waved distractedly at him.

"Tori's not here." Dustin told him.

"OK, what about Shane?"

"Um, he's out back."

"Can you go get him please?" Cam asked.

"What's going on?" Blake asked, leaning against the counter next to Hunter.

"You'll like this." Hunter told him. "See this girl? She powers the Wind Morphers."

"She what?" Blake folded his arms, staring at her.

"Never mind." she told him, watching as Shane and Dustin came back in.

"What?"

"Guys." Cam spoke loudly enough to drown out Hunter and Blake's discussion. "Meet Taran. Taran, Dustin and Shane."

"And Blake." Blake said pointedly.

"She doesn't care about you, you're not a Wind Ninja." Hunter said, grinning.

"What?" Shane asked.

"Nothing." Cam said, slightly desperately.

"Earth and Air. So where's Water?" Taran asked him.

"Not here."

Shane was frowning. "Cam, what's going on?"

Cam sighed, taking off his glasses and rubbing his face. "You just had to, didn't you?"

He was addressing Taran, who was looking as innocent as possible. "He started it." She gestured to Hunter.

"OK, how old are you?" Dustin asked.

"Uh…" She looked at Cam.

"Younger." he supplied.

"Than what?" she asked, frowning.

"Us." he said very deliberately.

"Oh. Right. Yes." She nodded, looking back at Dustin. "I'm younger than you."

"Uh…right." Dustin scratched his head. "Cam, is she, like…" he trailed off, gesturing vaguely.

"No. Just very annoying." He caught her arm and pushed her towards the couch in the corner of the shop. "Sit." he told her firmly. Turning back to look at the others, he took a deep breath and, very quickly, said, "Taran powers your three morphers and she's just come to see you and then she'll be leaving."

"What?" Shane asked.

"That's pretty much how he told me." Hunter said to Blake.

"If she powers them, who powers us?" Blake answered.

"Sky of Wonder, Power of Thunder. Nothing to do with me." Taran told them, before looking at Shane and Dustin. "Hi."

"You said that already." Cam muttered.

"That was before they knew who I was." she retorted airily.

"Dude, I still don't know who you are." Dustin told her.

"Let's start with, I'm not a dude. And continue with, you need to practise your ninja earth thing some more. I'm getting tired of picking up your slack."

Blake snickered, Dustin flushed, and Cam straightened. "Taran, that's not fair."

"You're right." she said contritely. "I'm sorry." She bowed somewhat awkwardly to Dustin, straightening to add, "You're very good at it. Much better than some people I know."

She glanced at Cam on the last bit, and he protested, "You can't compare me with Dustin."

"Why not?" she asked innocently.

"Because I'm a samurai, not a ninja."

"Yeah, I can never keep those straight." Taran said, waving a hand dismissively.

Cam leaned over her, bracing himself with one hand on the arm of the couch. "Taran, you're loopy. Stop talking."

"Am I? Shit!" She waved a hand again. "I'll be good."

Cam turned away from her, rubbing his nose again. "Never mind. Satisfied?"

She nodded, apparently taking the no-talking thing seriously, and he glanced at Shane. "Where's Tori?"

"The beach." Shane said.

"Where else?" Blake added.

"Fine. Come on, Taran."

She jumped out of the seat obediently, still not speaking.

"Where are you going?" Shane asked.

"To the beach to see Tori." He gestured to Taran, who hopped over Dustin's feet to get to the door.

"He's trying to get rid of me." she confided to him as she passed.

"Loopy." Cam said without looking at her, and she flinched and turned away.

"Why do you keep saying that?" Dustin asked.

"It's a sort of in joke. Come on, Taran."

Hunter followed behind them, and Cam stopped and turned back. "What are you doing?"

"You think you're getting off that easy?" Hunter asked, grinning. "We all want to see this."

"We do?" Dustin asked.

"Oh for…fine. We'll just wait here for her then."

Taran frowned. "We're not leaving?"

"Stop doing that! I know you're not that loopy."

She grinned suddenly. "More fun that way. Come on, Cam, sit down and relax for five seconds, would you?"

Suiting action to word, she sat back down between Shane and Dustin. Neither seemed inclined to move over for her until she very deliberately wriggled.

Cam watched, frowning, and then glanced at Hunter and Blake. "Taran, are you…"

"Not deliberately." She glanced from one to another of them. "Looks like, though."

"Can you turn it off?" Cam hissed.

"Doesn't work that way." She leaned forward, concentrating, and a minute later looked back up. "Better?"

Cam looked around the other Rangers, all of whom were blinking. "Yeah."

"What just happened?" Shane demanded, pushing away from Taran to stand next to Cam.

Cam winced. "Taran…accidentally hypnotised you?"

"Hypnotised us." Hunter repeated. "How do you accidentally hypnotise someone?"

"It's not exactly hypnotising." Taran offered. "Just…crap. There's no word for it. It's not dangerous or anything."

"Not dangerous?" Hunter repeated disbelievingly.

"It's not like I Love Lothor. Not the same as he was doing. It wouldn't impair your judgement or anything. You just…sort of enjoy being around me more." She shrugged. "Not dangerous, and it wears off."

"How'd you do it?" Dustin asked interestedly.

"It's not something I do. It just happens."

"But it didn't happen to Cam." Dustin continued.

"Because he's known me much longer. It wears off after a while."

"Taran." Cam said warningly.

"Grow up, Watanabe." she returned. "They're big boys and girls, they can handle it."

"I told you…"

He cut himself off as all their morphers went off simultaneously. "Go for Shane." Shane said quietly.

"Lothor's sent an alien to the plaza." Cybercam told them. "Tori's on her own, and there's civilians around."

"On our way." Shane said quickly.

"You stay here." Cam told Taran.

"Nope. Coming to help."

"Taran…"

"Cam, you deal with the aliens, all right? I'll deal with the civilians. You don't have time to argue this with me."

"She's right, dude, we've got to go." Dustin agreed.

"Fine. Just don't…"

"Get in the way?" she filled in dryly.

"Get hurt, I was going to say." He turned and looked at Shane.

"Ready guys?" the Red Ranger asked.

"Ninja/Samuri/Thunder form! Ranger storm!"