Disclaimer: Power Rangers does not belong to me, nor does the song used in this chapter.

A/N: Now that my writer's block has been smashed, I just can not stop working on this story! Suggested listening track for the second part of this chapter: "On Fire" by Switchfoot


Ch. 12: Up in Flames

Takes place the same night as the previous chapter

"FIRE!" shrieked Kapri as flames shot up from the pan in which Hunter was preparing bananas over an open gas stove.

"I thought you said cover the bananas in oil!" yelled Hunter in a panic as the pan aflame clattered to the floor.

"I said cover the bananas in FOIL!" screamed Kapri as the smoke alarm started to sound and the emergency sprinklers began to douse them both with water. Running around like chickens with their heads cut off, Hunter and Kapri's kitchen catastrophe was soon extinguished by a blast of water. The two looked up to discover the face of their rescuer.

"Shane!" cried Hunter bawling, throwing her arms around the former red Ninja Ranger. "You are officially the best boyfriend ever."

Shane burst out laughing, Hunter continued crying and Kapri gave both boys baffled looks. "A bad date rescue act we used to pull," explained Shane to Kapri. "Don't ask. What happened in here anyway?"

"Banana brain here covered the fruit in bottle of oil," said Kapri exasperated as she pulled Hunter off Shane. "Everyone knows not to hold objects covered in fuel over an open flame!"

"So Hunter, I guess Kapri's not the only one who makes stupid mistakes," teased Shane.

"At least my mistakes don't stink like cow dung!" retorted Hunter.

"Yeah, but they smell just as much!" shot back Kapri, crinkling her noses at the putrid smell of the burned fruit.

"You got me there, Cowgirl!" laughed Hunter, winking at Kapri flirtatiously. "At least I put one girl in a good mood tonight."

"What do you mean?" asked Shane.

"Tori's still really upset over the whole Blake situation," revealed Hunter. "He's not taking any of her calls. I told her to try writing Blake an e-mail."

"Good call, dude," said Shane, heading for the door. "I think I'll go check up on Tor and see how's she's doing. I'll see you kitchen klutzes later."

"Am I really a klutz?" pouted Hunter.

"Don't take it so hard," reassured Kapri, patting Hunter kindly on the back. "Remember, I knocked over a whole rack of dirt bikes in Storm Chargers once!"

"What the heck happened here!" they heard at that moment Cam wail. "You two bozos practically burn down the kitchen, and who's Sensei going to blame? Me, OF COURSE! How much can one guy take?" Cam pleaded, raising his palms and turning his eyes heavenward.

"We'll go tell my uncle about it," assured Kapri. "No worries, Cuz!"

"Well, actually you've got one worry, Cam" cut in Hunter. "Your fly's undone."

Cam face grew as red as Kelly's hair as he quickly reached down and zipped up his pants.

"Cam the bad boy," mused Kapri out loud as Cam dashed out of the kitchen. "I never thought I'd see the day."

"What are you talking about?" asked Hunter oblivious. "Where was Cam tonight anyway?"

"I think I have an idea," chuckled Kapri.. "But first let's go tell Sensei he doesn't need to send the Water Ninja students over here to put out a fire!"

"Bad time?" Tori heard a deep, husky male voice ask.

"Never for you, Shane," smiled Tori.

"I ran into Hunter with Kapri in the kitchen," said Shane, coming into Tori's room. "He told me he talked to you about the Blake situation tonight. You doing ok, Tor?"

"Yeah, well I think I've taken some steps tonight to at least clear some things up," said Tori wryly, thinking of her heartfelt e-mail to Blake.

"You know a very wise girl told me once," began Shane with distant, misty look in his eyes, "You are my destiny, and I am yours."

"Shane, are you trying to say you're in love with me?" joked Tori dryly.

"Unfortunately for you, no," laughed Shane as Tori gave an impish face. "What I mean is that you and Blake both know that you're meant to be together. What you two are going through now is just a rough wave in the whole ocean of your vast love for each other," explained Shane, trying to put it aquatic terms for his surfer girl friend

"Corny," remarked Tori as Shane's face turned the shade of his former Ninja color. "But thanks, too," said Tori, genuinely grateful.

"You just know when someone's the love of your life," said Shane to himself quietly, glancing out the window to the star-filled night sky.

"Shane, she'll be with you forever," said Tori gently, not having to say out loud who she knew her best friend was thinking of.

Tori and Shane exchanged mutually sympathetic stares, each knowing the other's romantic situation was so different yet that the emotions of heartbreak they both experienced were so similar. Suddenly, Tori realized she had been selfish thinking she was the only one in the world crossed in love.

"What can I do to make my best boy feel better?" asked Tori, wanting to be of comfort to her friends for a change.

"Well, I am kinda hungry for a late night snack," replied Shane. "You wanna go grab a triple cheese burger, Tor?"

"How is a triple cheese burger a snack?" asked Tori incredulously. "No thanks. You go have your burger with a side of heart attack."

"Well can you at least help me out with my early death by lending me your car?" begged Shane. "Pretty please with a cherry on top and sprinkles and whipped cream and hot fudge and…"

"Alright, alright," laughed Tori, tossing Shane the keys to her vintage, blue van. "Just bring my baby back in one piece."

"Don't you care about me?" pouted Shane playfully as he headed for the door.

"You can go crash into a tree for all a care!" joked Tori. "Just as long as it's not in my van!"

As Shane walked outside toward Tori's car, he saw Marah and Dustin frolicking in a field under the starry sky. Both chasing after fireflies frantically, the lovebirds collided into each other and tumbled to the ground. Shane smiled as Dustin quickly started smooching Marah all over her face, causing his girlfriend to burst into a fit of giggles.

"Some people are so lucky in love," thought Shane to himself bittersweetly. While Shane knew he had been fortunate enough to meet the girl he was destined for, destiny itself had dealt him the bad hand of never allowing them to be together on earth. Sighing heartbrokenly as he drove away from the Academy in Tori's rickety van, Shane turned on the radio to hear Switchfoot's new single "On Fire."

"Give me one more time around.
Give me one more chance to see.
Give me everything you are.
Give me one more chance to be... near you."

Shane had stopped weeks ago going on those stupid blind dates. There was only one woman he wanted to be near, and while she was still so close to his heart, in body she couldn't be farther away. The worst part was Shane had no idea how to get over her. Coincidently at that moment, Shane saw an unusually bright star shoot through the sky. The shooting star felt almost like a kiss from his beloved up in heaven, and Shane felt himself crying inside.

"You are the hope I have for change."
You are the only chance I'll take.

A blaring horn snapped Shane's attention back to the road where he saw himself a split second away from a head-on collision with another car. Realizing he had drifted in his lane, Shane wretched the wheel in the opposite direction and narrowly missed the other car. Yet Tori's old van couldn't handle the sudden motion and started to spin around in circles out of control. Shane looked on helplessly at Tori's van slammed straight into a large tree, causing the vehicle's engine to burst into roaring flames.

"And I'm on fire
When you're near me."

Seeing the raging fire, Shane tried to exit the van before the vehicle exploded. Unfortunately, a heavy tree branch had fallen hard on the van's roof. Shane to his horror realized his entire body was sandwiched between the steering wheel and dented metal roof now only centimeters above him. He tried frantically to move, but the warped roof left him nowhere to go.

"I'm on fire
When you speak."

"I'm going to die," thought Shane desperately, his body aching in pain. His vision blurring from the smoke, Shane felt the fire inches away from his face. Then all he saw was a blinding white light, completely engulfing his vision and strangely filling his body with reassuring warmth.

"Skyla, I'll see you soon," murmured Shane, the face of his beloved the last image in his mind before he faded away.

"I'm on fire
Burning at these mysteries..."