Kanoi chose to remove himself from the main section of the lab, finding a spot off to the side, but with a vantage point of the whole room. The main computer bank was off to his right; the "seating area" currently occupied by the Dino Rangers was off to his left. The entrance from Dr. Oliver's residence to the lab was directly before him. Kanoi settled himself in a meditative pose on the floor, knowing that his former students and Rangers would be hesitant to approach him unless there was a dire emergency.
As adamantly as he would to refuse to admit it, the evening's activities had taken a lot out of him. He hadn't been called upon to use this level of ninja skills since his battle with Lothor. And though Cam might see through the serene facade, he would not say anything to undermine his father's projection of confidence and competency. Kanoi needed to rejuvenate himself in spite of the massive outpouring of energy Conner had contributed to the dream construct.
The Rangers, while engaged in other pursuits, would most likely respect his desire to be alone as long as he appeared to be meditating But the need to gather his resources was not the only reason Kanoi had removed himself from the main group. Kanoi was also using the time as an opportunity to observe the Rangers. He needed to see how they interacted; get a feel for how they worked together. So when he rejoined the group to help formulate a plan of action, he would have a little understanding of how best to organize the attack.
Kanoi deliberately cultivated the impression of knowing more than he did – he let the others chalk it up to his age and experience. In reality, much of his "knowledge" came from knowing his students well, and allowing them to work to their strengths. It made no sense for him to attempt to do anything computer related; Cam was far more suited to those tasks; Kanoi was not. His strength lay in his ability to "see" where the talents of others would be put to the best use, and to guide them in the growth of their skills.
With this in mind, Kanoi discreetly turned his attention to the Dino Rangers. Ethan had settled on the floor, leaning against the couch where Conner lay sleeping. He unpacked his backpack, scattering the contents in a rough semi-circle around him. He had disengaged his laptop from the bag and was busy connecting wires to it. Kira joined him on the floor facing the couch, but she was more interested in Conner than Ethan's laptop.
While untangling the power cords that had been knotted in his backpack, Ethan kept up a low-tone monologue. He was not speaking loudly, but with only a little effort, Kanoi could hear the Dino Ranger's conversation.
"A snow day...in June. This is so sick! Fire alarms...why didn't I ever think of that? The sprinklers were good, but if I could pull this off I'd go down in the hacker Hall of Fame!"
Kanoi was a little disturbed by the obsessive tone in Ethan's voice and thought that he might have to intervene, when the "heart" of the group did it for him.
Without taking her attention from Conner even to look in Ethan's direction, Kira asked, "Do you think we can help him?" She let the question hang there knowing that Ethan would need a moment to switch gears. But she was patient; she knew he would come around.
"What? Who?" Ethan asked distractedly. His eyes were still glued to his computer screen.
Kira inched forward until her knee bumped Ethan's leg, disturbing the balance of the computer on his lap. He was about to snap at her until he saw the expression on her face. She was still deeply worried about Conner, no matter that Sensei Kanoi had reassured them that he was going to be okay. Ethan flushed guiltily. His excitement over the "snow day" had overcome his concern for his teammate. He turned his attention to Conner.
Conner was still unconscious and hadn't moved from the position Hunter had placed him on the couch. He lay on his back, his long legs hanging over the arm of the couch closest to Ethan. And though Ethan couldn't really explain it, it didn't look to him as though Conner was having a restful sleep. A glance at Kira was all he needed to confirm that this was what had been bothering her all along.
"Do you think we can do for Conner what Shane and Tori did for Dustin...or something like it? I mean, I know we're not ninjas but, we're our own triangle, right?" Kira asked hopefully.
Ethan shifted the laptop carefully to the floor and turned to face Kira. "I don't see why not. We are Rangers, and the Dino gems are connected. We are our own triangle...but what does that make Dr. O.?" Ethan's voice trailed off as he examined that train of thought. Kira shifted so she was facing Ethan, and crossed her legs until they were sitting knee to knee. Kira snaked her hand under Conner's right arm until she had wrapped it around his wrist. Ethan simply reached out and laid his right hand on the hand Kira was holding. Then they reached out their free hands to each other.
A moment passed, and then Ethan asked. "What are we supposed to do?"
"I think we just need to think of Conner and lend him our strength," was Kira's response. She squeezed Ethan's hand in encouragement, then closed her eyes. Ethan mimicked her actions and fell silent.
Kanoi looked on with pride. The Dino Rangers showed considerable resilience in the face of the many challenges they had encountered in the past day. And the fact that they were so quick to absorb the things they had learned from himself and the Wind Ninjas and apply it to their own lives was nothing short of amazing. I suppose that is why those who are Rangers are so young...they are the most adaptable, they do it as naturally as breathing.
Kanoi focused on his own breathing for a few moments. His own meditation brought to mind how they had begun their group meditation earlier. It had surprised him how flexible the Dino Rangers had been and how willing they'd been to listen to him. Conner in particular was unexpected. Never in all his years as a student and then a teacher at the Wind Ninja Academy had Kanoi experienced what had happened with Conner. The boy was a complete novice at meditation, yet had been able to utterly open his mind to Kanoi and hand over control. Most people had a natural defensiveness against allowing others to see their minds that exposed; it took months, sometimes years to develop a rapport strong enough to support the level of sharing that Conner instinctively assumed. He was a puzzle.
Allowing his attention to drift while maintaining his meditative pose, Kanoi turned his attention to the other Rangers in the lab. Instinctively the Rangers had paired off, each finding the place where he was most needed. Cam was working untiringly at the bank of computers, listening to directions given by Haley who was talking on the phone and typing simultaneously. Kanoi felt a surge of pride for his son. Though he had feared losing Cam in the fight against Lothor, it was clear that he was always meant to be a Ranger.
Shane and Hunter had found a place to sit in a niche near the house entrance to the lab. Hunter instinctively stayed physically close to Shane giving support to a fellow red and "body" type Ranger. In the past, Shane might have misinterpreted Hunter's proximity as a challenge, but now he knew better. He was grateful for Hunter's support, and better for it. They spoke in low tones – Shane outlining what had occurred in the attack on the beach; Hunter asking probing questions about the enemy they had faced, in order to prepare for the eventual fight. Kanoi was pleased to hear Shane share with Hunter about Ranger "types". It wasn't that far in the past when Shane wouldn't have been so forthcoming with the Crimson Ranger. Kanoi was glad to see the level of trust the two Rangers now shared.
Tori and Blake had found a place for themselves as well. Though the Dino Rangers occupied most of the "seating area", the two former blue Rangers had dragged a well worn and supremely comfortable loveseat off to the side and settled themselves on it. In spite of the circumstances, Tori looked the happiest Kanoi had seen her in quite some time. The knowledge that Dustin was safe, and the comfort of Blake's arms was all that she needed at the moment to be totally content.
The two rangers sat quietly for a while, enjoying each other's company. Tori had curled up, cradled in Blake's arms and leaning against his chest. It didn't surprise Kanoi that Blake was the first to speak, after all, he was the "heart" of his own triangle. "I've missed you so much, Tor." He spoke softly into her hair as he absently played with the long strands wrapped around his fingers.
Tori snuggled closer. "I've missed you too. More than you know."
Blake sighed deeply. "Do you think we can get Cam to teleport me home on the weekends or something? I can't believe we never thought of that before." He paused as he considered what to say, but Kanoi didn't miss Tori's misty eyes as Blake equated her with home. "This seeing you every couple of months and chatting in instant messages is killing me. It's not enough. I need you, Tori, not your picture or screen name."
Kanoi was glad to hear Blake express himself so forthrightly. Tori tended to mull over and dissect their relationship. Without seeing him for so long, she tended to allow uncertainties to creep into her thinking. Not that she ever doubted Blake's faithfulness to her, but she did allow herself to wonder if his exciting life of racing made her placid life of teaching unappealing to return to. Though Blake reassured her repeatedly in e-mail and on the phone, it just wasn't the same as hearing it from him in person.
"Cam did say that the teleporter works best with former Rangers. Since it won't work with the general public, why let it go to waste?" She grinned delighted, pondering the possibility of seeing Blake much more often. Then she pushed away from him so she could sit up and look him in the face. Kanoi saw her hesitate – not because she didn't want to express how she was feeling, but because it did not come as easily to her as it did to Blake.
Tori slid her hand into Blake's, and gazed at his face as she spoke as if she was trying to memorize it. "I need you too, Blake. I've missed you so terribly." Tori's eyes filled with tears, "I love having you here...but I hate the fact that it's this horrible emergency that's brought you home."
"I know, Tor." Blake responded immediately, scooting closer to her to wrap her in a gentle embrace. "But now that we know we can teleport...well we'll just sic Hunter on Cam until he has no choice but to give in to our every demand."
Tori chuckled into Blake's shoulder. The image of Hunter hounding Cam around Ninja Ops struck her as exceedingly funny. Her laugh made Blake start to laugh as well, and he continued. "Can you just see it? Cam will write up a schedule...'be at the coordinates by six o'clock Blue Bay Harbor time...I don't care what time it is in you're part of the world. Do you think I'm going to get up at 2:00am just to be your travel agent?'"
Blake's dead on impersonation of Cam had Tori giggling uncontrollably. Kanoi had to admit to himself that Blake had Cam's "voice" down just right. Blake joined in with Tori's laughter, and when their giddiness ebbed, they looked at each other again. Blake gently touched Tori's face, she leaned into his touch. "We'll make this work, Tor. We'll make it better. I promise." As he sealed his vow with a kiss, Kanoi turned his attention away, allowing for as much privacy as the two could get in such an open room.
Though the time he had taken for meditation and observation was not long, Kanoi felt much more centered and grounded than he had just a short time ago. Cam's call of "Here they come!" got his attention. As three beams of red, yellow and black light lit the center of the lab, Kanoi climbed to his feet to meet the new arrivals.
TBC