They had just gotten back to Ninja OPs when Cam stopped. He felt for Tsukasa pulse again and felt it fading. He couldn't do anything but watch.
Hunter fell to his knees beside her. He, too, felt a loss, jsut as Cam felt it.
Tsukasa's eyes were closing slowly, her blood running cold. Just moments ago, she'd sent the six Rangers back after they gave her their farwells.
--- flashback ---
Tsukasa held fast to Hunter, her smile returning to her face, where it usually lay. She held up the stone. "Perhaps you should take this back with you, Brian." She had given it to the Navy Thunder Ranger. Brian revealed to be Tori and Blake's only son. He was twins with Tirian, the Blue Wind Ranger. Both took on the black hair and smile of their father, but the features of their mother shone brightly along the lines of their faces.
The Green Samurai Ranger turned out to be a female warrior named Camryn, who perfered Cam and disclosed on her last name. She looked strikingly like Tsukasa.
The Red and Yellow Wind Rangers were Steven of Wind and Drake of Earth. Steven was Shane's only child, and Drake was Dustin's only daughter. Both looked like spitting images of their father's, and no mother resembalence at all.
The Crimson Thunder Ranger was Haru, a kid that had taken on Hunter's place while Hunter was in hiding. He did look somewhat like Kapri, but had yellowy brown hair and sterling green eyes.
Tsukasa opened a portal as they all waved goodbye, taking the stone with them. Each of them bowed to their respective predecessors in turn and stepped through the portal.
Just as it was closing, Tsukasa suddenly turned whiter than fresh snow and blood came out of her faster than ever.
--- end flashback ---
Tsukasa's voice suddenly resounded off the walls, but apparently she'd frozen the others. Hunter stood up and saw Cammeron was also able to move. With a soft snort, Tsukasa appeared.
She was wearing a long white kimono with a white over kimono. She gave off a faint glow as everything became black as night and her eyes and hair seemed to vanish into it's abyss. She smiled at them both and held out her hands. 'Perhaps I can show you what I should have realized before I came here.' She opened her closed fists and her palms were revealed to hold two identical stones. One crane perched upon a lonely rock gazed out at them. With a soft click, they opened.
One was a mirror, the other was a strange rock. There was a gold vein running down the center with several silver and copper veins twisting around each other. She held up the mirror first. It shone softly and there, in the reflection was a faimly, a portrait of a faimly together, holding each other close and laughing before the picture was shot.
"You never had a family to be near you." Cam's eyes wandered over it and found that it was indeed him and the Green Samurai Ranger, Camryn. There was Tsukasa in the middle being craddled between them.
'Yes. Never have I felt welcome in a family like a family of friends.'
She lowered it as a small crack formed in the top of the mirror. She raised the stone and slowly, ever so cautiously, the gold vein began to split and revealed a portrait of Hunter and her. It was an oil painting. They were wearing wedding bands on their left hands and were still dressed in their wedding cloths.
Hunter's eyes widened. "A love of your own."
She nodded. 'Yes. These are the reasons I was drawn to you two so closely. You both made me feel welcome.' She closed the two objects and held them close to her heart as a single tear fell onto her white hands. 'I just wanted to know love and family, the two things I'd never known. I wish you could have stopped Lothor. But now that my furture no longer exsists, I must dissappear.'
"But how will any of us forget someone like you!" Hunter grabbed Tsukasa's hands and held fast.
'Easy. I will supress the memories of me. No one will have to remember me. They'll just have to forget what I've done.' She untangled one hand and touched Hunter's face. 'One thing I learned when I was here with you both was that it's best to hold your own in a fight than rely on others.' She smiled warmly at them and leaned forward. 'But I will miss it when I do remember. Just don't forget this one thing...' She looked over at Cam and her smile softened even more. '...In life, a trial is simply a test of will-power and strength. A battle is simply a trial and error, a victory is a needle in the haystack. To be the winner of a war is the trophy upon the stand.' She kissed Cam on the cheek and Hunter upon his lips. With a giggle, she waved and the brilliance of the room reappeared.
---
Cam woke at the low table in Ninja OPs with blood on his shirt. Hunter woke moments later. With a startled yelp, he jumped backwards at the sight of his cloths and hands. He stood up and stared down at Cam.
Around them, Tori, Blake, Shane, and Dustin were getting up, all unsure how they'd gotten to be lying down. Tori and Blake gave strangled yelps at the sight of Hunter, covered in blood. Shane and Dustin ran over to catch Cam, who'd fallen asleep again.
"Why am I covered in blood?" Hunter looked down at his cloths again. "Oh well, just gotta wash it all over again."
"You never was cloths, Hunter." Blake pointed out.
"Oh..." Hunter smiled and scratched his head. "Yeah, I forgot about that."