Author's Note: Ladies and gentlemen, we're coming down to the wire! This penultimate installment is told in Blake's voice. © October 2005.

Blues

Part Fifteen: Direction

Dizziness and an odd sense of exhaustion keep me swimming in darkness. I can hear voices, but for some reason I can't make out who they are, or what they're saying. They seem so far away, echoing weirdly, like at the end of a long tunnel.

I feel like ignoring them… but I know there's something important I was doing before I fell asleep. Something I was worried about. Something was happening.

I know I need to wake up, so I strain myself. Push through this thick darkness...

"So you're finally conscious. Now, maybe things will quiet down around here."

I blink stupidly, staring at the absolute last face in the world I expect to see. Maybe I'm hallucinating; I wait a few seconds for the fog to settle, but Cam is still standing above me, his gaze impassive as he turns his attention to his keyboard.

Huh?

"Where…?" I cough at the dryness in my throat. It feels like I haven't spoken in about a week. "Where am I?"

He doesn't look directly at me, too busy reading something on a computer screen. "And here I thought you've been in Ninja Ops often enough to recognize it."

"Huh?" I frown, chewing on that for a moment. How did I get here…?

"Cam," a stern voice from out of nowhere comments, "perhaps, instead of confusing Blake, we should focus our efforts on his assessment?"

Squinting, I can just make out the little guinea pig standing atop the keyboard. He somersaults to the edge of a table right beside my head. I stare, almost cross-eyed, at the twitching little nose.

"What do you remember, Blake?"

For some reason I can't name, I wince.

"Relax, Blake," he instructs, "The battle is over, and you are safe. Breathe slowly, and focus only on your breathing. Don't ask yourself questions. Let your mind clear… concentrate on simply breathing, and your mind will clear."

Despite his appearance, there's no doubt he's a Ninja master. Closing my eyes I follow his guidance. Taking slow, deliberate breaths, I sink into myself, letting the elusive shadows in my mind take shape without forcing them.

My eyes fly open as my disorientation clears, and everything falls into place.

"Where's everyone else?" I try to get up, but the weird numbness in my limbs makes my movements clumsy and awkward. "What happened to…"

My eyes are drawn to the corner behind me. "…Hunter?"

"For once, you're aware of your surroundings," my brother comments, stepping into the relative light.

Sensei Watanabe turns back to the computer where his son is stationed. "Now would be a good time to start that Zord diagnostic that's been pending."

Cam nods, and the two discreetly pass through the shoji doors, leaving my brother and me in an uncomfortable silence.

Finally, Hunter speaks. "Are you okay?"

He doesn't meet my eyes, bowing his head and turning aside to find a stool to sit on. The sight of him, slouched over and pale, reminds me of when he had a bad flu a few years ago. Completely worn out... that's the only way to describe it, though a virus isn't what caused it this time. It was disturbing then, and it's disturbing now.

I've only seen him look like this a handful of times in my life.

"Hunter, I'm fine," I'm quick to assure him. "Are you okay?"

His lips twist into a grimace so angry, I feel the urge to back away. Before all this, I never thought I could ever be afraid of Hunter... but everything that happened on Vertical Island is too fresh.

"What happened to you, Hunter?"

"I went to Lothor's ship," he mutters, his head still bowed. "When you went to find Tori, I met with Choobo."

I sigh, dragging myself up to face him as directly as possible. I figured as much, but it still irks me to hear him say it. "Why didn't you wait for me? I could've-"

"You could've been killed. I'm more sure of that now than I was before I left!"

I glare at him a few moments before he lifts his hand. "Blake, it's got nothing to do with your skills. I walked into a trap, and Lothor knocked me down a few pegs." He absently rubbed his chest, his grimace deepening. "One more Ranger wouldn't have made a difference. Lothor might have decided he only needed to brainwash one of us to take out the Winds."

"Brainwash?"

"Yeah. Somehow, Lothor blocked out weeks of memories; everything from when we kidnapped Sensei Watanabe to that moment. Finding the Gem of Lost Souls, seeing our parents, learning the truth about their murder... all gone."

I nod my head, digesting that information. It certainly sheds some light onto Hunter's actions, but it doesn't explain everything… and it doesn't even touch what's really bothering me.

"Erasing some memories isn't enough to make the two of us enemies, Hunter." My lips curl in distaste as soon as the words leave my mouth, but there's no other way to put it. "Why didn't you trust me?"

Frankly, I'd expected him to deny it. Insist that Lothor's spell influenced his personality as well as his memories. It would've been easier, to label that chuckling monster as 'Hunter under an evil spell,' and leave it at that.

Instead, he remains silent, bracing his elbows on his knees. "Remember that… talk we had at the Thunder Academy? Right before we were supposed to meet with Choobo?"

It was hard to forget. Watching Hunter throw a fit, yelling at me for being distracted, reminding me over and over that I had to get my priorities straight, admitting…

"Any distraction on this mission is going to get you killed. I'm not losing you, too."

…admitting he was afraid. When he's afraid, he lashes out. And nothing scares him more than the thought of losing someone he cares about.

"Yeah, I remember," I manage to respond.

He leans forward, as if staring at the stone floor. "I didn't trust you, Bro. I didn't trust you to take care of yourself. I was convinced the Wind Rangers had turned you against me... as if they were using you the way Lothor was using me. I was determined to get you away from them, break their influence… and I was willing to do whatever it took."

His fists clench. "I played right into Lothor's hands. So long as you were with the Wind Rangers, I knew you'd get caught in the crosshairs. So I had no choice but to follow Lothor's orders. If I didn't, he'd send a general that didn't give a damn whether or not a Thunder Ranger was tossed into the body count."

I frown at his callous tone. "Body count? We never tried to kill the Winds when we fought them together. What was with the sudden excessive force?"

"Before we found out the truth, I personally didn't really care one way or another about the Winds," he admits. "Lothor couldn't get me to get my hands bloody, but on the other hand, no way would I help the Winds unless I owed them something."

He raised his head, his eyes narrowing. "When I thought the Winds had manipulated you, I decided they were more than only a minor nuisance. They became a threat in my eyes, and that meant more decisive action."

His choice of words sent a shudder up my spine, and I quickly looked around, feeling very distinctly the absence of the three Wind Rangers. "What happened after I passed out?"

Hunter glances at me. "You didn't 'pass out,' you idiot. You electrocuted yourself. You'd think a Thunder Ninja would know better than to touch a fully charged Thunder Staff bare-handed!"

I roll my eyes at the little sermon, and my brother actually cracks a smile. "The Winds saved your life. There's no other way to say it. They saw you needed help, and they stepped in. And they even reached out to me, the jerk that caused most of the trouble, and offered me a ride back to the more normal parts of the globe. After we arrived at Ninja Ops and got you stabilized, Sensei Watanabe managed to clear the suggestive magic that was blocking my memories."

He takes a deep breath, nodding slowly. "You were right, Blake; I have been underestimating the Winds. They're honorable, they definitely have their strengths, and I know we can count them as allies."

I smile widely, punching my brother in the arm. "See? I'm an excellent judge of character!"

"Or, you have a weakness for cute ninja girls, and you just happen to have been right about this one."

I try not to laugh, feeling the renewed soreness in my chest. "Where is Tori, anyway?"

When he doesn't answer, I look up and blink at the teasing smirk on my big brother's face.

Even though he didn't actually say anything, I can just imagine what he's thinking. "You brought her up!" I defend weakly.

Hunter laughs, and for the first time in weeks it isn't a cruel, mocking chuckle. It's great to hear sincere humor in his voice again... even if it's at my expense. "Watanabe sent the Winds out for some exercise. They've been cooped up in here for days, and they're far too hyper to sit still. Hopefully a ten-mile jog will burn up some energy."

He claps my shoulder. "Think you can walk yet? Cam can probably check on their progress, if you're curious."

I refuse to admit it to Hunter, but I am anxious to see Tori. I brace my arm with his as I slide onto the floor, testing my footing.

"Yeah, I can walk," I decide, taking a few careful steps. Hunter releases me, and side-by-side we enter the control room of Ninja Ops, where Cam is sitting before a large computer monitor, watching three forms in black maneuver through the dense trees of the surrounding forest.

"It is good to see you've recovered, Blake," Sensei comments from the console.

"Thanks for all your help, Sensei, Cam," I reply with a respectful bow.

"It is the least we can do for our allies. However, the question remains: how formal shall our alliance become?"

I blink, turning to my brother. Hunter's eyebrow slowly rises; it's clear the question came as a surprise to him.

"During your brief stay, I have considered your ambitions," Sensei reveals. "You both have seen firsthand the result of maintaining your own crusade against the dark ninja. Lothor's powers are too great to be trifled with."

I wince somewhat guiltily, and Hunter bows his head.

"You understand that we share a common foe. Only if we combine our powers can we eliminate the threat that hangs over our planet."

My eyes widen as the meaning of Sensei's statement sinks in. "Wait... you want us to join forces with you? After everything that happened?"

I didn't think it was possible for a guinea pig to smile, but now I see it. "You were blinded by hatred and rage over the deaths of your parents, and Lothor manipulated those destructive feelings to his own advantage. Now, you have both seen how easily such feelings can corrupt even the most noble of ninja. I hope that this lesson has been taken to heart, Thunder Rangers."

Absolutely. It's amazing, looking back, just how gullible we were to believe anything Lothor said. I guess we just wanted so much to cut loose on the bastard that took our parents that, when Lothor pointed his finger at Watanabe, we didn't ask too many questions. We just went running, weapons drawn. To hell with the big picture. Collateral damage didn't matter. We had blinders on... all we could see was our goal.

It disgusts me, now. That's not the kind of person I want to be.

"Lothor will pay for killing our parents." I look up, and notice the fierce glint in Hunter's eyes.

But Sensei doesn't seem phased by Hunter's pent-up anger. "Lothor has committed many atrocities, and justice must be served. He had wronged me and my family, as well as yours."

That comments piques my curiosity. His tone is too regretful... I'm convinced he's not just talking about being turned into a rodent.

"Still, we all must do our best to separate ourselves from our personal pain, and discern the true scope of the threat. Lothor is a danger to the entire planet. If he is not stopped, how many more families will be torn apart?"

It's a question I personally don't want to contemplate.

"And to protect himself, Lothor has preemptively stripped the planet of most of its ninja defenses, leaving only a handful of capable warriors left. Would it not be wise for us to work together, unite our strength, and strive as one to defend this planet?"

"Defense isn't my style," Hunter insists. "If you sit here and just wait for Lothor's every move, you'll never get anywhere!"

"A wise ninja bides his time, and cautiously waits for the opportune moment to strike," Sensei responds sagely. "We defend now, because we have much to lose. I well know that my Rangers will not succeed in a direct attack against all of Lothor's army. Neither will you."

"He's got a point, Hunter," I comment, feeling my brother tense beside me. "We know we're no match for Lothor's forces. Not now, anyway..."

"You have much yet to learn, to fully utilize the powers given you," Sensei continues. "So do my Wind Rangers. I would be honored to continue your training, help you advance your skills, until Amano can complete your formal instruction."

I turn to Hunter, my eyes wide with silent excitement. A chance to continue formal training... that'll definitely help us both master these powers! True, he's a Wind Ninja, so I doubt he can really teach us much about advanced Thunder techniques, but that doesn't mean we can't learn something different. Something to make us more well-rounded ninja.

Hunter watches me for a long moment. "I guess I don't even need to ask for your opinion."

"We can't do this alone, Hunter," I remind him. "And we owe it to the Thunder Academy, and our parents, to be the best Rangers we can be."

He looks away from me, lifting his head toward the ceiling. But I'm sure he doesn't see etched stone. I wonder what he's looking for, what he's thinking as his eyes narrow, his fists clench.

I can guess, though. I can think of one person floating high over our heads in his spaceship, that always seems to be forefront on my brother's mind.

That's the first thing that needs to change.

"Hunter?"

He closes his eyes, and releases a long, steady breath. "I hear you, Blake, I hear you."

He then turns back to Sensei Watanabe, and folds into a deep, formal bow. "We accept your invitation... Sensei."

My excitement is restrained to only a broad smile as I mimic the formal bow to my new instructor.

Then, when we rise, I grab my brother in a fierce bear hug. "Thanks, Bro."

"Yeah, yeah," Hunter sighs, as he always does, but this time he returns the hug a bit more tightly than usual. "Just... don't get too worked up. Don't want you to have another heart attack."

I pull away, looking around Ninja Ops with new curiosity. When will we train with that cool wall-mounted armory? What ninja legends are contained on those ancient scrolls?

It's been a long while since I've felt like I'm really on track. Since I've had a purpose and direction that wasn't so closely tied with niggling guilt.

There's just one thing I have to take care of. One sore spot that needs attention.

"Hey Cam? Where are the Winds now?"

Cam looks up from whatever he was doing, and presses a few keys on his console. "Tori's two miles away, and Shane and Dustin are about half a mile behind her. They'll be getting back to the waterfall any minute now."

Perfect.

To Be Concluded...