Volcano Storm Chapter 23

Tori practically burst into hut, throwing her arms around Alexis. After recovering from shock, Alexis gladly hugged her back. "Good to see you too cuz." Alexis joked.

"You have no idea how mad I am at you right now." Tori said when she pulled away, but she was laughing.

"Would this be mad for leaving the middle of a battle to chase down a dragon which had previously tried to kill me, or mad for getting injured and falling into sleeping spell mode?"

"I haven't decided yet." The girls laughed together. Looking around Tori was surprised she hadn't noticed Hunter before. He was sitting on the bed behind Alexis, leaning nonchalantly against the wall. He had a smile that Tori had only seen a couple times before. The normally brooding Crimson ranger seemed, quite plainly happy. Not victorious, or amused. Just, happy. By the fire, Josh was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, with an expression that didn't convey he was upset, rather that he was defeated.

Blake entered behind Tori, waiting as the cousins joked. HE saw his brother behind the red-head, and a raised an eyebrow to send a message, 'what?'

Hunter got up from his seat. Alexis opened her mouth, but he squeezed her shoulder and smiled at her. Blake caught the confusion that flashed across Tori's face at the gesture. Hunter walked to Blake and motioned to exit the hut. The brothers continued until they were out of hearing distance.

"Dude, what happened?" Blake asked.

"You wouldn't believe me."

"Try me."

"Man, it's crazy." The look Hunter had made Blake believe him. "I was arguing with Josh, and next thing I'm learning is that she is stuck asleep, so I go into her head to wake her up. And in there, she's stuck in her own personnel fantasy, which includes being with me. But she's so different there. She was sensitive, soft. Anyway, I basically convince her to take control of her own life and not be run by her brother or her school, and then next thing I know, we're back in the real world and she's kissing me in front of her brother."

Blake took all this in. "Woah." was what he managed to say.

"Like I said, crazy."

"So, she kissed you?"

"Yeah."

"In front of her brother, who hates you?"

"Yep."

"And, did you like it?"

"Dude, I kissed her back."

"..."

"Hey, I told you wouldn't believe it."

"So are you guys together now or something?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe." Hunter saw his brothers expression, "What is it?"

"Bro, she's..." Blake didn't finish.

"I know what your thinking. She's a Volcano, I'm a Thunder. I've gotten it from Josh already, multiple times. But Blake, I really like her." Hunter admitted to his brother. "Everything she did before was out of loyalty to her school. The place where she was raised and trained and grew. I understand why she did what she did better than anyone." The boys remained still, each going over what was happening.

"I'll be honest, Alexis has a lot of things to make up for." Blake said. "But frankly.. I like her. She's nice and funny and devoted. I liked her when we knew her before and I've seen the things we liked about her still here now. And, she makes you happy. She's good for you. So bro, if you want to be with her," he clapped his brother on the back, "I'm happy for you."

"Um, do you maybe want to explain something?" Tori asked once Hunter and Blake had left.

"Not particularly."

"I maybe blonde 'Lexis, but I'm not dumb. Just how did things work out between you and Hunter?" Tori interrogated.

"You see, that is kind of complicated."

"Would you answer the freaking.."

"Hey!" a new voice said. Tori and Alexis turned to the new arrivals, Dustin, Danny, and Shane. Dustin strode over to Alexis.

"Glad to see your alright." he said, tossing his hand towards her. She caught it and smiled as she tightened her grip.

"I'm good."

"Man girl, you had us worried." Shane told her.

Alexis smiled sheepishly. "Sorry about that."

"You get used to it." Danny told Shane and Dustin. "She's always doing stupid stuff."

"HEY!" She was waved off.

"So this sleep disorder thing, is it kind of like those spells in princess movies?" Dustin asked.

Alexis laughed. "Um, yes, except, no magic or evil witches were involved, I can't be woken by a kiss, I am totally quiet and peaceful, and I can't go a hundred years without eating anything."

"Well, we're all glad your okay." Shane informed her.

"Thanks." Alexis said before being interrupted by a loud growl emmitted from her stomach. Her hand flew to her belly, before laughing from embarrassment. "Oh yeah, and, I'm kind of ravenous after I wake up. I think I could literally eat a cow." Everyone laughed at the little red-head.

"Well how about one of those things. A uh, manke, or matne, or whatever." Dustin suggested.

"Yeah, come on, we'll take you to get some food."

"Sounds great." Alexis smiled, hopping up to follow the red, orange, and amber ninjas out. "Coming Tor?"

"Be there in a second." Tori waited until the others had disappeared, before turning to the fireplace. "You know, you really got to stop with the whole, silently brooding thing. It makes you way to forgettable."

"Thanks cuz, I'll keep that in mind." Josh replied sarcastically.

"Oh don't be petty."

"Who said anything about petty?"

"By not saying anything, you."

"I'm not being petty."

"Oh really? So, tell me, what just happened?"

Josh sighed heavily, looking away. "Alexis told me I was too controlling. And she basically said she wasn't going to listen to me anymore. And then, she chose to be with that Thunder."

"Hunter."

"I know his name."

"So say it. Josh, you are never going to be able to accept this if you don't start seeing him as a person rather than a ninja."

"Maybe I don't want to accept it."

"And there in lies your eternal struggle." Josh looked at his cousin confused at what she meant. For her part, Tori did well at this conversation. Unlike everyone else, she didn't lose her temper."

"Josh, your sister had a choice. No matter how much everyone tried, she was the only one who could make that choice and she did. You won't be able to change that. So you can either accept it or lose her."

"I've lost too much already."

"So you already know what you need to do."

"But Tori," Josh told her, "look at Alexis. She hates dealing with emotions versus common sense. She'll get hurt."

"Josh, compare Alexis and me, would you say we're about the same, mental strength wise?"

"Yeah, I guess, I mean, differently but I guess yes."

"Imagine my and Alexis' places had been switched, what would you do?"

"I'd be acting protective of you like I'm being for her."

"But think about it. I'm a Power Ranger, Josh. I've grown from a bad student to a really good ninja. I fight bad guys and I save the world and all while I'm the only girl on the team. Do I need protecting?"

"Well no."

"So why would Alexis?" Tori's question left a stunned Josh speechless. He continously went over it in his mind. Alexis was just as strong as Tori, and she'd had far more training than Tori, yet Tori obviously didn't need anyone looking after her. But Alexis was his sister. But, what would it be like if she wasn't? But she was..

"Gah, Tori, your making my brain hurt." He finally said. Tori looked at him pointedly. "Okay fine, I'll talk to Alexis, work something out." the look remained. "and I'll be civil to the Th...Hunter." Tori's smile turned smug.

"Josh, you really are a good brother."

"Dumb rangers, stupid fault, mess theirs."

"Oh lord, could you please shut up." Kapri responded. Ash-a-Trops had been muttering similar tangents for about half an hour, and it was really getting on Kapri's nerves. Marah sighed as she handed Kapri a piece of fruit.

"I like him better when he couldn't talk." She told her sister.

"Me too." Kapri said, rolling her eyes as she took a bite of fruit. "Marah, why'd you save the yellow ranger?"

Marah shrugged. "I don't really know. I mean, I guess it just seemed wrong." she seemed finished but suddenly changed her mind, and in a hurry continued, "We fight him for months and then something that didn't have to put any effort into taking him down gets the glory? Not very fair."

"Guess your right. So, what now?"

Marah shrugged again. "We wait to get off this island."

"Don't wait, we get those rangers out now!" Ash-a-Trops suddenly exclaimed.

"Huh?"

"I think he said," Kapri clarified, "Screw waiting, we need to take out the rangers now."

"How?" Marah asked incredulously. But the alien had already disappeared. "Where did he go?"

"Ugh." Kapri said, rising to her feet, "Come on, he probably went back to the village."

"Come on? Why do we have follow him, if he wants to get himself killed, I say let him."

"Marah, lets go." Kapri ordered. Her younger sister sighed in defeat as she broke into a run, following her sister to their highly probable doom.

The rangers had been sitting around a fire pit, eating their fill, when a familiar inhuman roar came from the woods. Standing immediateley, they were just in time to see their alien foe break from the trees.

"I'm gonna pummel you Rangers down!" it yelled.

"Not this clown again." Tori remarked.

Everyone got ready for the oncoming battle.

"Aw man, can't we get a break." a feminine voice said. Kapri and Marah had just cleared the forest, and were looking tiredly at the eight ninjas.

"You two are just in time for the party." Shane called.

Marah's eyes rolled to the back of her head and she said something to her sister.

"Enough talk, time to fight." Ash-a-Trops said. His body began to shake and erupt.

However, before any fighting could be done, a blood red portal opened in the sky. Out of it came dozens of spheres.

"Kelzaks!" Tori warned. Sure enough once they were close enough the turned into Lothor's minions.

"Alright, now that they called in the back up, we can get started." Ash-a-Trops said. However, as soon as he finished speaking, he quickly flew into the air, though not of his own free will. Marah and Kapri were also lifted, and the rangers could just make out the last thing Kapri said. "I think Uncle wants us back." Then, just as quickly as it appeared, the portal above them vanished, leaving the swarm of kelzaks behind.

"Okay, what?" Alexis said, before being attacked. All the ninjas, rangers and not, began combatting the kelzaks.

"If Lothor took his monster back, he's probably attacking Earth." Shane said.

"Then Cam should be opening a way for us to get back soon." Blake yelled.

"What about them?" Josh said as he motioned to a kelzak before kicking it onto its back.

"We take these guys down." Alexis said. And so began another fight, with every kelzack against a ninja. The fight didn't last long though, because another, smaller, portal, this one green and on the ground opened.

"It's Cam!" someone yelled. Of course, Cam himself wasn't there, but it was his work.

"Time to go." Hunter said. Tori, he was already closest, charged through the remaining kelzacks in her path and to the portal, followed by Danny and Dustin. Blake was the next to finish his opponents, and he followed through. Shane and Hunter were fighting together, and with a double strike were able to finish. Shane had gone through, and Hunter turned to see Alexis and Josh still fighting. "The portals closing." he warned. Alexis noticed him a threw a quick smile.

"I'm right behind you." she called to him. He smiled back as he went through. Alexis kept her word, and she and Josh headed to the swirling green just as it began to close. Unfortunately, in the mess a kelzak had been forgotten.

Josh was the only won who saw it. A minion, armed and ready, aimed straight for Alexis. Instincts took over. "Alexis, MOVE!" he yelled, pushing her forward, while simultaneously spinning to block the kelzacks attack. Shocked by the applied force, Alexis fell forward into the portal. This time she saw the portal differently, as she was not exerting so much energy to pass through. It appeared as a large tunnel, moving her on its own, with views of both ends. She looked back in horror at the closing end, where her brother had just vanquished the monster that was going to attack her. But as he turned back towards her, the portal closed, leaving him behind.

Alexis fell ungracefully into Ninja Ops. She took no notice of those around, but instead focused on where the portal had been. "JOSH!"

A/N- NOOOOOOOOOOOOO JOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSHHHHHH! Aw man, leaving him behindmad em sad.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYBODY! That's one of the reasons this chapters shorter, it's Christmas Eve, I've bee a bit occupied. I'm so excited for Christmas tomorrow, hopefully im getting an Ipod to replace the one my siblings lost so I'll be able to write fast again(YAY)

Also, I hat to write a chapter an bring attention to the AMAZING cover HunterBradley did for me. I just love it so much, if you want to see the full image there is a link on her page. Alright everyone, I must go, there is dinner, church, and Miracle on 34th Street to attend to, but remember VOTE ON MY PAGE FOR THE VOLCANO/THUNDER FEUD and READ AND REVIEW.

Merry Christmas

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Special Thanks

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