Title: Crimson Mirth.
Character(s): Hunter.
Challenge: "Laughing reverses the urge to cry."
Dedication: my sister, Z. (mystic-nightmares)
xxx
Hunter gazed across the ocean; the sun was slowly setting, casting a deep orange glow across the beach. With a sigh the Crimson Ranger slowly strolled along the sand, thoughts swimming around in his head. He had left the celebration early, whilst the others carried on celebrating Lothor's defeat, he needed to get away. So he did, and here he was, strolling alone on the beach.
"Hunter!"
Hunter stopped and turned to face the ocean, waiting until his ex-team mate was closing the gap between them. "Thought you'd be with the others."
Tori shrugged half-heartedly, "needed the fresh air."
Hunter glanced down at the surfer then back at the sea, "you gonna miss him…?"
Tori furrowed her brow and nodded slightly, "well… yeah, but he'll keep in touch."
"It's not the same though, is it? I mean, there's a difference between him staying and always being here to talk to, or to hang out with, then travelling around the world and being contactable only through paper and a telephone."
Tori stared at the Thunder Ninja in bewilderment; she was probably the only Ranger he hadn't snapped at, until now. She opened her mouth to speak but Hunter cut in again.
"All our lives, I was there for him. And now, he's upping and leaving, leaving me behind. In all the years we've been brothers, we've gone everywhere together, did everything together. We were a team, nothing could separate us."
"Everyone has to say goodbye at some point."
"But it shouldn't be so soon!" Hunter snapped, turning on his heel, he resumed his track along the beach.
Tori bit her lip and followed, "Hunter, he'll still be there. And anyway, with you as Head Teacher at the Thunder Academy, you'll be so bogged down in work, you won't have time to miss him."
The logic was there, Hunter could admit that much, but her words ran through his head. The more he thought about it, the more he knew that Tori was right, everyone has to say goodbye, and it was Hunter's turn to say goodbye. Taking a deep breath, Hunter averted his gaze to the dark sky.
"It's ok to cry, Hunter," Tori's voice floated from behind him.
"I don't cry."
"Ok, then laugh."
Hunter looked down at the Water Ninja, a bemused expression in his eyes, "what?"
Tori simply shrugged and stood beside him, "well, laughing reverses the urge to cry."
Hunter resisted the urge to roll his eyes, "I'm not going to laugh."
"God! Do you do anything? You don't cry, you don't laugh. Is dark and broody all you do?"
Instead of replying, Hunter broke out into a grin, shortly followed by a faint chuckle. Moments later the silence through the beach was filled in by Hunter's mirth. Tori watched him, holding back her own laugher as Hunter dropped onto a knee in fits of amusement.
"Dude, what are they doing?"
Blake glanced behind him as Dustin walked up, "I don't know… one minute Hunter was shouting and stuff…"
"And now he's laughing."
"Well, Hunter always was the nuttier one of us."