small a/n: due to the inclusion of my character, I'm adding a fourth faction to the wind ninja academy! that faction being fire and their color being violet (purple). Just a small change to the canon i thought I'd mention before continuing on! Also, the first chapter will be longer than most ill write as this includes some preface too!
"Deep in the mountains, secret ninja academies train our future protectors.
Ancient scrolls told of four, who would be chosen above the others.
Four who will become...POWER RANGERS, NINJA STORM."
HOUSE OF ROMANOV / ROMANOV CLAN
DOVE CAMERON as ROXANNA 'ROXY' ROMANOVA
CHARLIZE THERON AS TATIANA ROMANOVA
"It won't be for long, sweetheart. You'll just be staying here for a few weeks."
A tall woman with honey blonde curls looked down at her small daughter, feigning a smile to give the little girl some sort of comfort despite the circumstances.
The mother and daughter duo stood at the entrance to the Wind Ninja Academy, hidden deep within the forest of Blue Bay Harbor, California. Few knew about the academy nestled in the mountains of the seaport town, however those that did know of it's whereabouts sought it out for knowledge and training. However, the mother sought it out for protection.
Tatiana Romanova gripped her daughter's pale little hand in her own tan one, swallowing hard as she tried to keep her composure. She couldn't let her sweet Roxanna see her weak, not now of all times.
"But Mommy! I don't wanna stay here!" The little girl whined, pulling on her mother's hand in an attempt to lead her away from the ninja school, "I wanna go with you!" Tatiana half expected her daughter to throw herself on the ground and start a tantrum in front of Kanoi Watnabe. However, the young Roxanna seemed more focused on trying to pull her mother away from the building than starting a scene in front of the strange man in front of her.
"Roxanna!" Tatiana snapped at her daughter, frustration growing as she brought her daughter towards Sensei Watanabe. She inhaled deeply before speaking in a calmer voice to Roxanna, "Sensei Watanabe is an old friend of Mommy's he's going to watch after you while I go help Jayden's daddy and more of Mommy's friends."
Roxanna opened her mouth to protest her mother's leaving more, but to Tatiana's thanks, the sensei of the Wind Ninja Academy spoke up, bringing attention to himself.
"Roxanna," Sensei Watanabe brought himself down to the level of the little blonde girl, "I have a son, Cameron, who's about your age. He lives here with me. You'll have someone to play with while you stay here." He offered the little girl a warm smile, trying to soothe her to make this transition easier for her.
"I'll have someone to play with?" Roxanna asked, questioning the older man to make sure he wasn't lying to her to get her away from her mother.
Sensei nodded, "Yes, he's asleep now, but in the morning you two can play all you want."
Emerald eye's twinkled at Sensei Watanabe's proposal. Roxanna looked up at her mother, now calmer and seemingly ready to be taken in by the Wind Ninja Academy teacher. Children- they could be so easy yet so difficult to please. Tatiana would miss that aspect of her daughter while she was away in Panorama City.
How Tatiana hoped she would live to see her daughter again.
"Are you ready to let Sensei take you inside, Roxanna?" Tatiana asked, holding her breath.
Roxanna noddes, curls bouncing around her head as she did so, "Yes, Mommy."
Mommy. God, Tatiana could never get used to hearing Roxanna call her that. No matter how many times she did, it still brought Tatiana such joy to hear her daughter acknowledge her.
With Roxanna calmer, Tatiana crouched down to the little girls level. Lithe fingers ran through pale blonde curls, twisting the hair around as Tatiana pressed her lips together in a firm line. She had never wanted it to come to this. She didn't want to leave her daughter, but she knew Roxanna couldn't be left in the hand of that monster.
Kanoi Watanabe was the only one she trusted to take care of her daughter. Her daughter's future would be safe and secured with his guidance.
"Roxanna, just remember that I love you," The older blonde pulled her young daughter in for a hug, tears stinging her eyes. Yet, she refused to cry before her former teacher and her sweet daughter, "I love you so much."
Pulling away from her daughter, Tatiana wiped her eyes before gently nudging Roxanna into the arms of Sensei Watanabe. With a strained smile, she began to walk away from the two, her heart breaking with each step as Roxanna's figure became smaller and smaller.
As she reached the edge of the academy grounds, Tatiana called out to her daughter on last time.
"I'll be back for you soon!"
...But she never was.
PRESENT DAY
WIND NINJA ACADEMY,
BLUE BAY HARBOR.
"Roxanna!"
Green eyes snapped open at the sound of her name- her full name being used to call her. The blonde groaned, sitting up from her spot underneath the maple tree. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Roxanna- or as she preferred to be called, Roxy, caught sight of a familiar figure adorned in green.
Cameron, ugh.
Roxy closed her eyes once more, falling back under the shade provided by the thick leaves. She did not want to have to deal with another of his lectures interrupting her nap time.
Unfortunately for the short girl, upon getting close to her, Cameron abruptly yanked the smaller girl up to her feet. Now alert, Roxy couldn't help but glare at the boy she considered her brother. Her very annoying, condescending, occasionally helpful, older brother.
"You've got a lot of nerve waking me up, Cam."
Cameron gave a sigh, releasing Roxy from his grasp as he brought his fingers on the bridge of his nose. "Well, maybe I wouldn't have to wake you up if you didn't sleep through training."
Shit. She was in so much trouble with Sensei.
Roxy groaned in frustration, brushing off some dirt that had collected onto her violet accented uniform. She really was in for it now. The only lectures worse than Cam's were that of Kanoi Watanbe's: the sensei of the Wind Ninja Academy. Despite living in the ninja academy for several years now, Roxanna never got used to her sensei sitting her down to lecture her on yet another ninja proverb.
"Dad wanted me to come find you, he said he had something to discuss with you." Cameron motioned for the shorter girl to follow him. "He already finished talking to those three so don't expect him to be in a good mood today."
'Those three' as Cam called them, were Dustin, Tori, and Shane. Like Roxanna, they were undergoing training at the academy to become ninja's. Though the three's training had started a year ago, Roxy heard Sensei say how they had the potential- whatever the hell that meant. Yet, Tori, Shane, and Dustin had developed several bad habits that made Sensei question their commitment to their ninja training. Despite being teengaers like herself, Sensei left little room for excuses when it came to a lack of devotion to the school.
Roxy couldn't help but feel sympathy for the three. The academy could wear you down no matter how long you had been enrolled. Take her for example; despite having trained under Sensei's for more than five years now, part of Roxy still didn't quite adapt to the ninja lifestyle beaten into her.
"Roxanna."
The calling of her full name brought Roxy out of her thoughts and back to reality. Cam and her had reached the entrance to the main training grounds of the academy. Waiting for them on a stone bench was Sensei Kanoi Watanbe.
His expression left nothing to be interpreted by Roxy. Like always, Sensei his facial expressions are calm and composed. Even his words never wavered off his tranquill speech pattern. Yet how he spoke her name commanded her attention and revealed his authority.
She stood alert, ready for whatever consequence he deemed necessary for her absence in today's training. Sensei stood up from his spot on the bench, gesturing to her to walk with him. "Thank you, Cam. That will be all," is all he said, dismissing his son as he took Roxy's arm and linked it with his.
The teacher and student walked in silence for some time then; through the training grounds and around the parameter of the academy. As the silence grew longer, the anxiety in Roxy grew larger. She was waiting for Sensei to deal her punishment, but today he seemed to prolong telling her whatever chore he'd have her do to make up for sleep during lessons.
"Roxanna." He finally spoke as they came to a stop. The two now stood at the short wall that stopped the academy grounds from spilling over into the forest below. From here, you could see all the greenery that surrounded the school. "Years ago, when you were just a girl, I promised your mother that I would guide you on your path. And over these years, I have come to think of you as more than a student, but family."
Roxy couldn't help but crack a smile at her sensei's sentiment. Though her blood family was lost to her, the Watanabe's had taken her in as one of their own. And while Cam was forbidden to become a ninja by a promise, Sensei had pushed Roxy where he was forbidden to push his own son. He had his own promise to her mother to fulfill, or so he had told her many times before.
"However," The sweet sentiment was broken at Sensei's interruption, "your recent behavior has made that promise difficult to fulfill." He squeezed her hand tight, turning to her to meet Roxy with his dark eyed gaze. "I see you've become frustrated with your routine, but what I do is to ensure you achieve your full potential. Just like Shane, Dustin, and Tori,"
Roxy tried not to grit her teeth. Frustrated didn't even begin to cover half of what she felt. She was living the same routine over and over again, day after day; stuck on the academy grounds, only allowed out every so often and never by herself. It was suffocating.
"You won't face consequences for your absence. However, I would like for you to reflect on your behavior these next days. When you feel you've reflected enough, we can continue our discussion." Sensei said, and with that, he released his hold on her and simply walked away from her, leaving the blonde to herself.
Her hand's balled into fist's, knuckles turning white. Part of Roxy just wished he'd told her to go wax the dojo floors rather than tell her to reflect. What did that even mean anyway?
Roxy's face twisted in frustration, letting out a heavy sigh. Walking back towards the outdoor training grounds, she kicked up dirt and rock, letting out her irritation. Just what did he want her to reflect on? Her desire to be indepent? To break from her routine? Wasn't her strive for independence and passion the reason for Sensei placing her into Fire?
"Someone's upset."
Looking up from her stomped ground, Roxy met eyes with Shane Clarke. Adorned in his academy uniform, he stood besides his two close friends, Tori and Dustin. The trio of friends had seen the pouting girl have her temper tantrum in the dirt and all seemed a bit amused by it too.
Since their arrival to the academy, Roxy had taken a liking to the three. Dustin, Tori, and Shane, had enrolled together at the same time and Roxy had been assigned to be their student mentor at the first month of their training. In that month, Roxy was told stories of what life was like for those outside the academy. Now, a year after they had come to the academy, Roxy formed a relationship with the trio where they all felt formality wasn't needed.
"Sensei?" Tori asked, offering the girl a sympathetic smile as Roxy approached the primary color accented group.
Roxy nodded at the darker blonde, letting out an exasperated sigh, "Let's just say I would have cleaned all the academy windows and walls if it meant I didn't have to face him," the three grimaced, imagining just what Sensei said to her to make the girl say such extremes, "I heard from Cam you three didn't have a good talk with him either."
Dustin threw back his head and let out a loud groan, "Man, if we don't get our act together, Sensei said he'd expel us!" Roxy's doe eyes widened at the thought of such an extreme. Dustin, noting her reaction, then exclaimed, "I know, right?! Like, dude was so intense."
"Even if you guys are late...that's extreme," Roxy said, grimacing. Explusin was never a pretty thing and students who were expelled left on rocky grounds. It was never a pretty sight.
Shane nodded in agreement with Roxy, crossing his arms tight over his chest, "Yeah, well let's just hope tomorrow it doesn't happen. Getting expelled from ninja school doesn't look great on a college transcript."
"Yeah, a college transcript…" Roxy's voice trailed off. She'd never gone to a public school before and there seemed little chance she'd attend college come next year. Along with training, Roxy had been homeschooled with Cam; her entire life revolving around the Wind Ninja Academy grounds.
"Hey! Least we can blow off some steam tomorrow before training!" Dustin then exclaimed, clasping Tori and Shane's shoulders, "Dirt biking, surfing, skateboarding! Whole Saturday morning to not do ninja school stuff!"
"God, I wish." Roxy muttered. The most free time she got was Sunday movie nights.
However, noticing her sudden change in mood, Tori decided to speak up with an idea she knew both her and Roxy would get in trouble for if Sensei found out, "Hey, why don't you come surfing with me tomorrow morning before training? We can meet up at the beach and then you can drive with the three of us to training when it's time."
Roxy raised a dark blonde brow at the water ninja. Was the Victoria Hanson suggesting she sneak off the grounds for the morning? Guess miracles really could happen. Roxy thought over her proposal for only a moment before nodding in agreement, she'd give anything for a day away. And if Cam tried to snitch on her, she'd just make him do her chores for the week.
"Deal!" Roxy exclaimed, a grin breaking out across her pink mouth.
"Alright! Looks like Roxy's finally breaking the rules!" Shane said with a laugh, giving the girl a light nudge in the ribs.
The pale girl propped her hands on her hips in defiance, crinkling her nose in response to Shane's comment, "Hey! I break the rules all the time! The ninja rules." The four erupted into laughter at her comment, Roxy now joining Shane, Tori, and Dustin as they began to walk towards the archives for their daily weapons studies.
As Roxy walked alongside the three, excitement bubbled in her chest. Even if it was just for the morning, she'd be free from the suffocating grip of her enforced routine. It would be her with the three she considered her friends, having a normal Saturday. Maybe she'd even feel like a regular teen for once- God she hoped she would.
Yet little did Roxy know that she'd soon be wishing for the days of her daily routine, as in the sky above, darkness began to loom over the Earth, signaling that a storm was coming- and it was setting its sights on the ninja academies.
a/n: and thats the conclusion of the first chapter! i plan to have more by later tonight if you enjoyed the story, leave a comment or two maybe and hit that favorite or follow button too! it would make my day! additionally, i wrote this at 2am so if theres any mistakes or errors in writing please KINDLY let me know. thank you for reading the first chapter!