Disclaimer: My first venture into the Power Ranger Fandom. I do not own Power Rangers other than my OC's. There will be slash in here. You get to guess whom! There is also the element of time travel and there will be flashback chapters (just as a warning if things get confusing). Obviously I have no BETA so I apologize for any grammatical mistakes in advance. WARNING: SLASH (BOYXBOY) in this fic. Griffin will be traveling back in time to when the Thunder and Wind Rangers have already become a Team and Cam has already gained his Samurai Powers.
Power Rangers Ninja Storm: Hurricane Chronicles
QUICK RECAP
Griffin and Ryan talk
Focus on five strangers
Katie and Jen (Time Force duh!) have a conversation
Power Rangers Ninja Storm: Hurricane Chronicles
I DO NOT OWN "Be My Escape" by Relient K!!
Power Rangers Ninja Storm: Hurricane Chronicles
Hunter was growing worried. It wasn't like Dustin to leave without being explicit with where he was going, even with him being a big of an airhead most of the time. Deep down Hunter knew that Dustin was relatively safe somewhere else, but it still didn't rest well on the Crimson Ranger's mind.
I've given up on giving up slowly, I'm blending in so
You won't even know me apart from this whole world that shares my fate
Dustin never really tried to be himself. He put so much effort and energy into perfecting a persona of happiness, innocence, and stupidity to find people who truly cared for him.
This one last bullet you mention is my one last shot at redemption
because I know to live you must give your life away
He was growing truly worried about how easily Dustin would throw away his life to protect the lives of his loved ones.
And I've been housing all this doubt and insecurity and
I've been locked inside that house all the while You hold the key
And I've been dying to get out and that might be the death of me
Dustin still was distant and hesitant to the love and affection that Hunter attempted to shower him with. Both were adjusting to being involved with another male, but Dustin remained defensive and distant despite Hunter's efforts.
And even though, there's no way in knowing where to go, promise I'm going because
I gotta get outta here
Little did Hunter know, but there were bigger things going on besides the Evil Rangers possessing the Mythic Morphers. Dustin was gone, but deep down Hunter knew it was not forever.
I'm stuck inside this rut that I fell into by mistake
Dustin allowed himself to get into the situation he was in. He hid his emotions and masked them in a feigned persona of childish antics and innocence.
I gotta get outta here
And I'm begging You, I'm begging You, I'm begging You to be my escape.
Hunter and Dustin truly needed each other as an escape from the harsh reality of their daily lives. Having non-platonic life justified their existence and renewed their purpose in life.
I'm giving up on doing this alone now
Cause I've failed and I'm ready to be shown how
He's told me the way and I'm trying to get there
Dustin knew he had to do this on his own. Hunter did not want to doubt his boyfriend, but knew that they should be doing whatever Dustin was doing as a team. He had learned time and time again that teamwork is what leads to success.
And this life sentence that I'm serving
I admit that I'm every bit deserving
But the beauty of grace is that it makes life not fair
Everyone is dealt a different hand, with some better than others. The grass is not always greener on the other side.
Cause I've been housing all this doubt and insecurity and
I've been locked inside that house all the while You hold the key
And I've been dying to get out and that might be the death of me
Sometimes you don't even know people you know for your entire life. Sometimes it takes a stranger to bring down all your walls and let your true self shine.
And even though, there's no way in knowing where to go, promise I'm going because
I gotta get outta here
When enough's enough, one must leave to sort things out. Stress does not bode well with Ranger Responsibilities. That is exactly what Dustin has done in a way…
Cause I'm afraid that this complacency is something I can't shake
I gotta get outta here
And I'm begging You, I'm begging You, I'm begging You to be my escape.
Opposites attract. True happiness is finding your soul mate and living the best possible life together.
I am a hostage to my own humanity
Self detained and forced to live in this mess I've made
And all I'm asking is for You to do what You can with me
But I can't ask You to give what You already gave
Creating a false persona of constant happiness and stupidity is no easy task. Keeping up with appearances is not as easy it seems. Being a broody dark individual or a constant naïve airhead on a daily basis is no easy task. Not even for a seasoned actor.
Cause I've been housing all this doubt and insecurity and
I've been locked inside that house all the while you hold the key
And I've been dying to get out and that might be the death of me
And even though, there's no way in knowing where to go, promise I'm going because
I've gotta get outta here
Hunter and Dustin were made for each other. Their strengths and weaknesses complimented each other. They practically undressed each other with their eyes every time they were in the same room (well to the untrained eye—i.e. anyone that is not a Yaoi fan girl like Tori or gay with almost perfect gaydar like Cam).
I'm stuck inside this rut that I fell into by mistake
I've gotta get outta here
Expectations and standards to live by are suffocating and intoxicating. Sometimes one must break free and live solely for oneself.
And I'm begging You, I'm begging You, I'm begging
You to be my escape.
Finding each other was the first step in finding happiness for the two Rangers. Both were without love for so long that they didn't realize what was between them for quite some time.
I fought You for so long
I should have let You in
Dustin realized how wrong he was now. Hunter was never an emotional person, but he made great efforts to fill Dustin in on things. The Crimson Ranger was becoming more comfortable doing so with each passing day. Dustin on the other hand did not have the heart to do so. He was so used to being broken and underestimated that he was afraid Hunter would leave if he told his boyfriend the truth.
Oh how we regret those things we do
And all I was trying to do was save my own skin
But so were You
So were You
It was too late now to regret these mistakes. Hunter was far away for now. Dustin was on a mission to find himself and to aid Griffin. He owed it to his student, but he owed it even more to his student's father, the Yellow Ranger's boyfriend.
Power Rangers Ninja Storm: Hurricane Chronicles
Victoria "Tori" Hanson was confused about her best friend's disappearance. While no one truly knew Dustin, she assumed that she knew him quite well in her naïve thoughts especially in comparison to the rest of their teammates. Unfortunately she couldn't be further from the truth. Her "lovable goofy little brother" was the class clown type of persona for attention. Deep down he was more serious and intelligent than anyone would expect. She may have the Power of Water, but her skills with reading emotions (the domain of Water) is severely lacking. She was not as attentive as everyone believes.
Power Rangers Ninja Storm: Hurricane Chronicles
Shane Clarke was still facing a bout of shock to even let the resignation of the Yellow Ranger to phase him. Sometimes just being there is enough, other times just being there is suffocating. Between his two best friends, Dustin felt that he had to put up his front more against Shane compared to Tori. While the Blue Ranger could possibly see the rationale behind his exploits, he knew better than to think the Red Ranger would accept any of it. He was not as cool as everyone knew him to be.
Power Rangers Ninja Storm: Hurricane Chronicles
Blake Bradley was only concerned due to his brother's relationship with the Earth Ranger and Tori being said Ranger's best friend. He genuinely thought Dustin was as dumb as he acted. Sure the kid could race, but that was just about all he thought the Yellow Ranger was capable of. Most of the time he put Dustin's accomplishments under good luck rather than hard work and dedication. He was not as insightful as everyone thought he was.
Power Rangers Ninja Storm: Hurricane Chronicles
Cameron Watanabe was thrilled in a sense. He had an opportunity to swoop in and take advantage of a shaken and vulnerable Hunter. He never knew Dustin before their Ranger days other than from afar and the occasional run in while trying to contact his father. As Rangers he held the least amount of faith in Dustin's abilities and didn't think there would be any improvement. He was the one most likely to want to coddle Dustin as a Ranger. He was not as all knowing as everyone portrayed him as being.
Power Rangers Ninja Storm: Hurricane Chronicles
Hunter Bradley was not as big of a mess as everyone expected. Sure he could be dark and brooding at times, but he still had a big heart. He may not have been the most emotional or compassionate individual on the team, but he saw things the others were never capable of witnessing. He didn't realize everything at first, but once the sexual tension dissipated a bit, everything became clear. Their relationship would always be strained, but they truly understood each other. He was not as emo and aloof as everyone saw him being.
Power Rangers Ninja Storm: Hurricane Chronicles
Sensei Watanabe was aware of many things. His special interest in the Yellow Ranger was partially due to his failings with his brother Kiya. His brother too was once an Earth Ninja at the Wind Academy. From the beginning he could sense a great potential for the Yellow Ranger, the only problem was he did not have the refined skills to unleash it. That is where Sensei Watanabe came into the picture. Dustin was definitely not the most punctual person, but special one-on-one training with his Sensei did not help the matter any more. He was not as insensitive as he came off.
Power Rangers Ninja Storm: Hurricane Chronicles
Griffin Bradley came to the past with little knowledge of the Rangers beyond his father and to a much lesser degree his Aunt and Uncle. But from the beginning he made every attempt to boost the Yellow Ranger's confidence. He knew off the bat there was much more than meets the eye when it concerned Dustin Brooks. His apprenticeship proved that. He was not as uninformed as everyone assumed him to be.
Power Rangers Ninja Storm: Hurricane Chronicles
Author's Note
I wrote this during the middle of a thunderstorm outside in the rain. It was an interesting experience with the rain flooding my back patio in a matter of two minutes. Not flooding like the Midwest right now. More like 3-4 inches deep in a matter of no time. It was freaking scary. So after cleaning up and stuff I decided this would not be song-fic only for the chapter.
I used it as a bit of a breather from every going on in the story. There is a lot going on and a sappy moment is something I thought would work well. Dustin's reason for leaving will be introduce very very soon.
-Griffin