Heart of Innocence

A ranger has the Heart of Innocence; and with it the power of immortal life... A power that a new evil is desperate to get their hands on...

Chapter Four

"Alright guys! That's it for today! I want you all to do some more practice for tomorrow's session, and to meditate for at least an hour on how you could've improved your performance today." As the group of leather students turned to leave, some of them grumbling, the blonde woman called back to them "And I'll know if you haven't!"

The grumbling students groaned louder but a few of the others laughed as the group dispersed, leaving the teacher to pack up her belongings on her own. She steadily packed up the batons and cloths into a sturdy leather bag, her long hair falling into her face several times. Just as she was about to pick up the bag and leave the woman froze, her entire body still, listening.

The wind echoed nearby, the trees rustled in the breeze and the sounds of a waterfall could be heard not far away but the woman didn't respond to any of these sounds. She just remains absolutely stock still until she heard the smallest of sounds, a light whimper.

And then she was moving, streaking faster than she had ever done before, arriving at a scene that would have made any normal person baulk. A hooded man, dressed top to bottom in black material, was holding a brown-haired woman by the throat, her feet dangling motionless a few inches off the ground. In his right hand he held a long twisted knife, with a metallic black handle and blood-red ruby encrusted hilt. The knife was pressed into the brunette's chest, just below where her heart was.

"Hey!"

Tori didn't wait for her shout to register or for the guy to try to back off; she just slammed straight into him, in full ninja streak, knocking him backwards from Marah. The man screeched, a mixture of a high pitch cry and a raspy growl, letting loose a scream the chilled Tori to the core. As he returned to his feet, Tori regained her composure, standing in-between this man and Marah, who hadn't moved or made a sound since she was dropped to the ground.

"Do not get in my way girl." His voice rasped, moving slowly closer to Tori.

Tori backed up a step, but only to get into fighting stance, as she raised her fists she replied "I'm not gonna let you hurt my friend. And besides you really don't wanna fight me."

"I do not care who I have to fight. I will get the heart!"

With his last word the man sprang forwards. Tori tensed, ready to defend herself when his blow came but it never did. The man was pushed backwards again by three coloured blurs.

"You need to leave. Now." Shane said as he came to stand next to Tori, Dustin and Cam on her other side.



The man let out a creature-like growl and screamed "This is not over!" before he vanished in a gust of wind that knocked all four ninja rangers over.

"Who was that? What did he want?" Cam asked as he got to his feet.

"Did he hurt you?" Shane asked as he helped Tori to her feet.

"Marah!" Dustin scrabbled to his feet and threw himself next to the still form of the ninja student, Tori, Cam and Shane not but a second behind.

"What happened?" Shane asked, his voice harsh and insistent. "Tori?"

"I don't know." Tori stared down at the still form of her friend "I just got here and I saw him holding her up off the ground-"

"Cam, she's hurt! Look she's bleeding." Dustin pointed to her chest from where he cradled Marah's head in his arms.

"-and he had a knife to her chest." Tori finished " I thought I knocked him back when I pushed him away from her." Her voice getting smaller as she spoke, watching as Cam checked for other injuries.

"This wasn't your fault." Shane said gently "It was the madman who was trying to hurt her. Did he say what he wanted?"

"She's so cold." Dustin whispered worriedly, stroking Marah's cheek lightly "It's not right for a person to be this cold."

"I can't tell the extent of her injuries here, we need to get her back to Ninja Ops. Now." Cam moved to scoop Marah's legs whilst Dustin shifted to get a better hold on Marah's shoulders without jilting her too much. The two of them left, carefully cradling Marah between them. Shane turned to follow, stopping a few feet away when he realised that Tori was standing still, with no look of going to move after them.

"Tor?"

"I just remembered... what he said..."

"Tori?" Shane moved closer to his friend, reaching out to touch her shoulder gently.

"He said he wanted her heart."