Conner was the first to move being on top of the pile. He scrambled
backward pulling Ethan with him. Ethan rolled to his left as Conner got to
his feet. Both of them were desperately apologizing. With a groan, Shane
shook soda out of his face and sat up giving Dustin some space to move.
"Dustin, I'm so sorry...I couldn't catch it." Tori explained with a mournful expression.
"...never saw you guys there, I was just trying to get back to the blanket." Ethan babbled. He reached over and retrieved the empty soda cup. He passed it back to the girl with Kira, and for the first time got a good look at her face. "Sorry..." he managed to squeak out before he stopped in shock.
At the same time, Conner was reaching to give the guy in red a hand up. "...all my fault, I wasn't looking..." Conner apologized frantically. Shane grasped they boy's right hand with his own and let himself be pulled to his feet. He was about to say something when he looked at the boy's face. Whatever he'd meant to say was replaced by "Eric?"
Conner stepped back in surprise. For the second time in two minutes, most of the group was frozen in shock. From his position on the ground, Dustin looked at the group around him – clearly, he was missing something. He swung around and looked at the girl standing behind Tori as if to say *you know what's gotten into them?* She stared at him with an expression of dawning recognition on her face.
Conner was the first to recover. "Not Eric...Conner. Eric's my brother." He shared a look with Ethan and Kira. There was something going on here that Conner was just not getting. It was on the edge of his awareness, but it seemed Ethan and Kira had already figured it out. "Do you know him?"
Ethan was practically dancing with excitement. He moved around Shane and threw an arm around Conner's shoulders. He spoke in a conspiratorial whisper when he replied, "They know him because they were his *teachers*." Conner rewarded him with a blank look.
Kira tried to help. "*Ninja* teachers." She raised her eyebrows and looked significantly at the others.
"Oh. OH!" Conner's face lit up with understanding. The primary color wardrobe of the three others finally sunk in and he made the connection.
Dustin scrambled to his feet and stood by Tori and Kira, facing the trio of other boys. It struck him how similarly Shane and Conner were dressed; then he realized he was standing next to a girl dressed primarily in yellow. Jumping to a huge conclusion he exclaimed, "Dude! I know who you guys are!" Dustin stared to laugh. "I *knew* this would happen!"
Conner, Ethan and Kira wore matching expressions of panic and started to look around to see if they were drawing any attention.
Shane looked over at Dustin. "What, bro?" Dustin just continued to laugh and shaking his head as if to say, "yes, I told you so." Shane exchanged a look with Tori who'd been making the same color connections Conner and Dustin had.
"No way..." Shane stated in disbelief.
"It was so worth being covered in grape soda to run into you guys...totally!" Dustin, completely disregarding his soda covered shirt reached over to pull Kira into a one-armed hug. She had to laugh at his enthusiasm – he was just like he'd been on Dr. O.'s tape.
"Listen," Conner intervened, "This is really not the best place to have a discussion like this." Shane nodded in agreement.
"And we probably want to let you guys shower before you start attracting bees." Tori added.
"Hey! I have a gig tonight...at the Cyber Café. You guys could meet us there and we could talk." Kira blurted out. Then suddenly she felt self- conscious. "I'm Kira, by the way."
"I can find it." Tori assured Kira. She reached out her hand in greeting. "I'm Tori." The rest of the introductions were made, and plans were made to meet later in the evening.
It seemed to take all of Shane and Tori's combined effort to get Dustin moving in spite of his grape-flavored essence. He was so excited at the prospect of hanging out with another group of Rangers he just couldn't think straight. And he kept trying to talk about it without talking about it or using the word "Ranger". Tori was afraid he would choke because he was trying so hard to speak in "code".
The Dino Thunder Rangers watched the retreating backs of the Wind Ninjas. "This is so cool!" Ethan whispered excitedly. "Actually getting to talk to another set of Rangers. It's sick!"
"It's cool, right?" Conner asked as he started to pick up his towel. "I mean...we can talk with them...Dr. O. won't be mad, will he?"
Kira bit her lip thoughtfully. What Dr. O. would think had never crossed her mind. **I guess we'll just find out when he meets them for himself.**
"Dustin, I'm so sorry...I couldn't catch it." Tori explained with a mournful expression.
"...never saw you guys there, I was just trying to get back to the blanket." Ethan babbled. He reached over and retrieved the empty soda cup. He passed it back to the girl with Kira, and for the first time got a good look at her face. "Sorry..." he managed to squeak out before he stopped in shock.
At the same time, Conner was reaching to give the guy in red a hand up. "...all my fault, I wasn't looking..." Conner apologized frantically. Shane grasped they boy's right hand with his own and let himself be pulled to his feet. He was about to say something when he looked at the boy's face. Whatever he'd meant to say was replaced by "Eric?"
Conner stepped back in surprise. For the second time in two minutes, most of the group was frozen in shock. From his position on the ground, Dustin looked at the group around him – clearly, he was missing something. He swung around and looked at the girl standing behind Tori as if to say *you know what's gotten into them?* She stared at him with an expression of dawning recognition on her face.
Conner was the first to recover. "Not Eric...Conner. Eric's my brother." He shared a look with Ethan and Kira. There was something going on here that Conner was just not getting. It was on the edge of his awareness, but it seemed Ethan and Kira had already figured it out. "Do you know him?"
Ethan was practically dancing with excitement. He moved around Shane and threw an arm around Conner's shoulders. He spoke in a conspiratorial whisper when he replied, "They know him because they were his *teachers*." Conner rewarded him with a blank look.
Kira tried to help. "*Ninja* teachers." She raised her eyebrows and looked significantly at the others.
"Oh. OH!" Conner's face lit up with understanding. The primary color wardrobe of the three others finally sunk in and he made the connection.
Dustin scrambled to his feet and stood by Tori and Kira, facing the trio of other boys. It struck him how similarly Shane and Conner were dressed; then he realized he was standing next to a girl dressed primarily in yellow. Jumping to a huge conclusion he exclaimed, "Dude! I know who you guys are!" Dustin stared to laugh. "I *knew* this would happen!"
Conner, Ethan and Kira wore matching expressions of panic and started to look around to see if they were drawing any attention.
Shane looked over at Dustin. "What, bro?" Dustin just continued to laugh and shaking his head as if to say, "yes, I told you so." Shane exchanged a look with Tori who'd been making the same color connections Conner and Dustin had.
"No way..." Shane stated in disbelief.
"It was so worth being covered in grape soda to run into you guys...totally!" Dustin, completely disregarding his soda covered shirt reached over to pull Kira into a one-armed hug. She had to laugh at his enthusiasm – he was just like he'd been on Dr. O.'s tape.
"Listen," Conner intervened, "This is really not the best place to have a discussion like this." Shane nodded in agreement.
"And we probably want to let you guys shower before you start attracting bees." Tori added.
"Hey! I have a gig tonight...at the Cyber Café. You guys could meet us there and we could talk." Kira blurted out. Then suddenly she felt self- conscious. "I'm Kira, by the way."
"I can find it." Tori assured Kira. She reached out her hand in greeting. "I'm Tori." The rest of the introductions were made, and plans were made to meet later in the evening.
It seemed to take all of Shane and Tori's combined effort to get Dustin moving in spite of his grape-flavored essence. He was so excited at the prospect of hanging out with another group of Rangers he just couldn't think straight. And he kept trying to talk about it without talking about it or using the word "Ranger". Tori was afraid he would choke because he was trying so hard to speak in "code".
The Dino Thunder Rangers watched the retreating backs of the Wind Ninjas. "This is so cool!" Ethan whispered excitedly. "Actually getting to talk to another set of Rangers. It's sick!"
"It's cool, right?" Conner asked as he started to pick up his towel. "I mean...we can talk with them...Dr. O. won't be mad, will he?"
Kira bit her lip thoughtfully. What Dr. O. would think had never crossed her mind. **I guess we'll just find out when he meets them for himself.**