Chapter Eight
A gentle breeze blew through the tops of the trees that surrounded the waterfall. Jasmine stood in the woods, her hands extended in front of her, and three wooden torches ten feet away. Her normally serene face was screwed up in concentration and her eyes held a far away and thoughtful look. With a low growl she sent three small sparks from her hands. They flew a foot then fell to the ground.
"Concentrate Jasmine." Sensei said. He stood on a stump next to the young woman. They had been training for over an hour, and the puny sparks were all that the tired girl could come up with.
"I'm trying Sensei, honestly I am, I just can't seem to get the fire to come like it did this afternoon." Jasmine said with a sigh as she sat beside the rodent.
"Do not give up just yet Jasmine. You will soon learn to harness your abilities." The guinea pig replied comfortingly. Jasmine gave him a small smile and picked at the fallen leaves on the ground beneath her.
After she had awaken from her nap, Jasmine and Sensei had headed out to the woods to practice with her new powers. Sensei had said it was necessary that Jasmine know how to use them and make sure that the use of them earlier had not been coincidence. The young woman still did now know why the medallion around her neck had caused her to have these powers, and she was uncertain that she even wanted them. The one thing that she was certain of, was that if the powers were real, then she would use them to save Kirstin.
"How's it coming out here?" Cam's voice sounded behind them.
"Not very well." Jasmine said turning to face him.
"Take a break Jasmine, perhaps we have been pushing too hard." Sensei said, "We will try again tomorrow."
"Sure Sensei." Jasmine replied with a small smile as the rodent left. She turned back to Cam who was smiling softly at her. Jasmine took the moment of silence to study the green Samurai's face.
His eyes held a look that she had never before seen. They stared into hers with a new intensity that wasn't there when she had first met him. They were soft, yet held a sharp intensity that pierced her very soul. It almost seemed like he was trying to read what was going on in her mind, trying to commune with her heart. It was too much for the young woman to take, and Jasmine was forced to look away.
"So, where are the others?" she asked, trying to hide how uncomfortable she was.
"They're inside." Cam replied, his voice almost seemed hurt.
""Well then, I guess that's where we should be." Jasmine began to brush pass Cam when he suddenly grabbed hold of her arm. She looked up at him startled, raw heat coursing through her body. Cam opened his mouth as if to say something then quickly shut it and released her arm. Jasmine looked down at the ground dejected and continued to walk away.
~*~*~
"You STUPID IDIOT!" Cam berated himself once Jasmine had left, "You just let her walk away." He hit his forehead with the palm of his hand repeatedly.
"You keep doing that and you're gonna lose some serious brain cells." Cam turned quickly. Hunter stood behind him with a smirk on his face.
"So now are you ready for my help?" the crimson Thunder Ranger asked.
"I don't need your help." Cam snapped at him.
"From the looks of things, I'd say you do." Hunter walked over to him, "First things first, you gotta loosen up around her. Girls don't like guys who are uptight. Second, don't be afraid to tell her how you feel. That's what's so funny about you, you're not afraid to take on an evil space alien, but you can't talk to a girl. Third,"
"I think I get the general idea." Cam cut him off, "now if you'll excuse me I have to go buy some guinea pig food." Cam hurried past Hunter. He knew that everything the blonde had said was true and that he would have to use the tips that he gave him, but that didn't mean that Cam had to tell him that to his face.
~*~*~
Jasmine fell back on her bed with a sigh. Why had her heart sped up when she was staring into his eyes, why had she had trouble forming a coherent thought? She knew that Cam liked her, but did she truly like him? Her head hurt from all the thoughts running through it.
"You alright Jazz?" Tori asked poking her head into the guest bedroom of the small apartment.
"Just fine." Jasmine replied unconvincingly as she rolled onto her stomach and buried her head in the soft pillow.
"Sounds like you're having boy troubles." Tori sat on the bed beside Jasmine who grunted a reply into the pillow. The blue Ranger laughed and pulled on her friend's arm, "Come on, we're going out for a little girl time to get your mind off whoever this guy is."
~*~*~
The shopping plaza was bustling with people as Jasmine and Tori navigated its many stores. Their arms were loaded down with bags, and their mouths were constantly moving as they talked about everything and anything they could think of.
"Hey Jazz, that hottie over there is TOTALLY checkin' you out." Tori teased as they passed a group of guys their age. A couple of the guys whistled at them and Jasmine rolled her eyes.
"They are SO immature." She said as the group started following them.
"Better ignore them, they might try to start trouble." Tori said with a trace of worry in her voice.
"We can kick their butts." Jasmine said, but still she kept walking and ignored the five following them.
It took awhile, but the girls finally ditched their 'stalkers' when they slipped into the women's restroom. They stood against the wall laughing at the looks on the five guys when they discovered where the girls were going. Tori poked her head out the door after a couple minutes.
"Alright," she said, " coast clear." With a relieved sigh Jasmine followed Tori out of the bathroom.
"Well we know that they're persistent." Jasmine said with a small chuckle. The two walked to the food court and sat down at an empty table with ice cream cones in hand.
"This has been fun, I'm glad you made me come Tori." Jasmine said with a smile.
"Well that w3as the whole point," Tori replied, "and I'm glad that you're having fun. Now, what do you say to a movie?"
"I say lead the way." They laughed together and headed over to the movie theater.
~*~*~
"So what you need is a whole new wardrobe." Hunter said. The five male Power Rangers stood in the middle of the shopping plaza on a mission. Dustin and Shane had been filled in on Cam's feelings for Jasmine and now the whole group was going to help Cam get the girl.
"What's wrong with my clothes?" Cam looked down at what he was wearing.
"Nothing dude," Dustin said putting a reassuring arm around the green Ranger's shoulders, "We're just gonna find you something more hip and cool."
"Um...you guys, are they supposed to be here?" Shane asked pointing in front of him. The other guys looked where the red Ranger was looking and saw their two female companions coming out of the movie theater.
"We better get out of sight." Hunter said pushing Cam into the nearest store.
"What? Why?" Cam asked.
""Dude it's NOT cool to have a girl thinking that you're following her." hunter said, "Now duck." The Rangers ducked behind a clothes rack just as Jasmine and Tori passed by.
"Coast clear." Blake said looked up and around.
"This is stupid you guys." Cam said, "You do know that they won't think we're following them if they see us right."
"Well we don't want to take any chances." Hunter reasoned with him, "Now we have some serious shopping to do, so let's get started."
~*~*~
Well I FINALLY updated, I hope that you guys liked his chapter. Please don't forget to review. After all, reviews are what keep the chapters coming, so if you like this, even the least bit, you'll review.
A gentle breeze blew through the tops of the trees that surrounded the waterfall. Jasmine stood in the woods, her hands extended in front of her, and three wooden torches ten feet away. Her normally serene face was screwed up in concentration and her eyes held a far away and thoughtful look. With a low growl she sent three small sparks from her hands. They flew a foot then fell to the ground.
"Concentrate Jasmine." Sensei said. He stood on a stump next to the young woman. They had been training for over an hour, and the puny sparks were all that the tired girl could come up with.
"I'm trying Sensei, honestly I am, I just can't seem to get the fire to come like it did this afternoon." Jasmine said with a sigh as she sat beside the rodent.
"Do not give up just yet Jasmine. You will soon learn to harness your abilities." The guinea pig replied comfortingly. Jasmine gave him a small smile and picked at the fallen leaves on the ground beneath her.
After she had awaken from her nap, Jasmine and Sensei had headed out to the woods to practice with her new powers. Sensei had said it was necessary that Jasmine know how to use them and make sure that the use of them earlier had not been coincidence. The young woman still did now know why the medallion around her neck had caused her to have these powers, and she was uncertain that she even wanted them. The one thing that she was certain of, was that if the powers were real, then she would use them to save Kirstin.
"How's it coming out here?" Cam's voice sounded behind them.
"Not very well." Jasmine said turning to face him.
"Take a break Jasmine, perhaps we have been pushing too hard." Sensei said, "We will try again tomorrow."
"Sure Sensei." Jasmine replied with a small smile as the rodent left. She turned back to Cam who was smiling softly at her. Jasmine took the moment of silence to study the green Samurai's face.
His eyes held a look that she had never before seen. They stared into hers with a new intensity that wasn't there when she had first met him. They were soft, yet held a sharp intensity that pierced her very soul. It almost seemed like he was trying to read what was going on in her mind, trying to commune with her heart. It was too much for the young woman to take, and Jasmine was forced to look away.
"So, where are the others?" she asked, trying to hide how uncomfortable she was.
"They're inside." Cam replied, his voice almost seemed hurt.
""Well then, I guess that's where we should be." Jasmine began to brush pass Cam when he suddenly grabbed hold of her arm. She looked up at him startled, raw heat coursing through her body. Cam opened his mouth as if to say something then quickly shut it and released her arm. Jasmine looked down at the ground dejected and continued to walk away.
~*~*~
"You STUPID IDIOT!" Cam berated himself once Jasmine had left, "You just let her walk away." He hit his forehead with the palm of his hand repeatedly.
"You keep doing that and you're gonna lose some serious brain cells." Cam turned quickly. Hunter stood behind him with a smirk on his face.
"So now are you ready for my help?" the crimson Thunder Ranger asked.
"I don't need your help." Cam snapped at him.
"From the looks of things, I'd say you do." Hunter walked over to him, "First things first, you gotta loosen up around her. Girls don't like guys who are uptight. Second, don't be afraid to tell her how you feel. That's what's so funny about you, you're not afraid to take on an evil space alien, but you can't talk to a girl. Third,"
"I think I get the general idea." Cam cut him off, "now if you'll excuse me I have to go buy some guinea pig food." Cam hurried past Hunter. He knew that everything the blonde had said was true and that he would have to use the tips that he gave him, but that didn't mean that Cam had to tell him that to his face.
~*~*~
Jasmine fell back on her bed with a sigh. Why had her heart sped up when she was staring into his eyes, why had she had trouble forming a coherent thought? She knew that Cam liked her, but did she truly like him? Her head hurt from all the thoughts running through it.
"You alright Jazz?" Tori asked poking her head into the guest bedroom of the small apartment.
"Just fine." Jasmine replied unconvincingly as she rolled onto her stomach and buried her head in the soft pillow.
"Sounds like you're having boy troubles." Tori sat on the bed beside Jasmine who grunted a reply into the pillow. The blue Ranger laughed and pulled on her friend's arm, "Come on, we're going out for a little girl time to get your mind off whoever this guy is."
~*~*~
The shopping plaza was bustling with people as Jasmine and Tori navigated its many stores. Their arms were loaded down with bags, and their mouths were constantly moving as they talked about everything and anything they could think of.
"Hey Jazz, that hottie over there is TOTALLY checkin' you out." Tori teased as they passed a group of guys their age. A couple of the guys whistled at them and Jasmine rolled her eyes.
"They are SO immature." She said as the group started following them.
"Better ignore them, they might try to start trouble." Tori said with a trace of worry in her voice.
"We can kick their butts." Jasmine said, but still she kept walking and ignored the five following them.
It took awhile, but the girls finally ditched their 'stalkers' when they slipped into the women's restroom. They stood against the wall laughing at the looks on the five guys when they discovered where the girls were going. Tori poked her head out the door after a couple minutes.
"Alright," she said, " coast clear." With a relieved sigh Jasmine followed Tori out of the bathroom.
"Well we know that they're persistent." Jasmine said with a small chuckle. The two walked to the food court and sat down at an empty table with ice cream cones in hand.
"This has been fun, I'm glad you made me come Tori." Jasmine said with a smile.
"Well that w3as the whole point," Tori replied, "and I'm glad that you're having fun. Now, what do you say to a movie?"
"I say lead the way." They laughed together and headed over to the movie theater.
~*~*~
"So what you need is a whole new wardrobe." Hunter said. The five male Power Rangers stood in the middle of the shopping plaza on a mission. Dustin and Shane had been filled in on Cam's feelings for Jasmine and now the whole group was going to help Cam get the girl.
"What's wrong with my clothes?" Cam looked down at what he was wearing.
"Nothing dude," Dustin said putting a reassuring arm around the green Ranger's shoulders, "We're just gonna find you something more hip and cool."
"Um...you guys, are they supposed to be here?" Shane asked pointing in front of him. The other guys looked where the red Ranger was looking and saw their two female companions coming out of the movie theater.
"We better get out of sight." Hunter said pushing Cam into the nearest store.
"What? Why?" Cam asked.
""Dude it's NOT cool to have a girl thinking that you're following her." hunter said, "Now duck." The Rangers ducked behind a clothes rack just as Jasmine and Tori passed by.
"Coast clear." Blake said looked up and around.
"This is stupid you guys." Cam said, "You do know that they won't think we're following them if they see us right."
"Well we don't want to take any chances." Hunter reasoned with him, "Now we have some serious shopping to do, so let's get started."
~*~*~
Well I FINALLY updated, I hope that you guys liked his chapter. Please don't forget to review. After all, reviews are what keep the chapters coming, so if you like this, even the least bit, you'll review.
