A/N: Guess whose back?! Sorry for not updating but you can expect a new chapter soon! Thank you to everyone who is still reading despite my lack of updating. This is a completely original chapter so please be nice lol. Enjoy!
Chapter 21: Family Ties
Aria trudged out of Rootcore to find Udonna and the others outside. Daggeron was telling the rangers of his battle with Imperious while the rangers were battling Koragg.
"Oh Baya, there you are" Daggeron smiled
"Aria," she corrected "I think I'm gonna go home for a little."
"Wait what?" Nick asked
"I've got a lot on my plate right now. Plus, I need to talk to Hunter and Blake about…" she motioned between the two of them
The Xenotome had given her more than she asked for. She had debated on whether or not she should tell the rest of the team or even her friends down in Blue Bay but decided against it. She knew her friends would do anything to help her but, in this case, there is no other way…there was no point in bringing it up to them. She just wanted to go home for a little bit before the final battle.
"Things have been quiet around here lately" she reasoned "But things aren't over until the Master is destroyed. I just need to be home right now"
"Of course, Aria," Udonna said "I'll help you gather your things"
"No you d-" she tried but the older sorceress was already walking back into Rootcore.
Aria followed her birth mother into her room and began packing some of her things into her bag. She knew her time with these rangers was far from over. Something was coming and they were going to need her. She was not moving back to Blue Bay, but she was going to be there for a while.
Udonna broke the silence "I am assuming the Xenotome showed you everything…"
"Yes…"
"Aria I am sorry I did not tell you everything. But you must know that prophecies are always up for interpretation. You know nothing is ever as it seems" she tried
"Right…" the younger Mystic said quietly "If anything comes up let me know and I'll be there"
"Thank you, Aria, now go home" she smiled
Aria nodded in understanding and walked out the door.
"Wait, you forgot this…" Udonna called, she held up the silver necklace
Aria looked at it for a second, took it from Udonna's hand and stared down at it before holding it out again. "It belongs to you Udonna, I couldn't"
"Baya," she argued "I know times are confusing now but you are my daughter. This ring did belong to me, but now it is yours." She then took the silver ring from the chain and placed it on her left index finger. "Take your time but know that you will always have a place here."
"Thank you Udonn…mom"
Udonna's smile wider than ever before. She held her daughter in her arms before letting her walk out of the door. Udonna had both of her children but her family was still incomplete. Her children still didn't have their father and she didn't have her husband. However, she was hopeful. If she was able to find both of her children, she was certain that she would be able to find her husband. And nothing was going to stop her.
-Reefside-
-Thunder Academy-
Aria streaked to the Thunder Academy eager to get back to a sense of normality. Or at least as normal life as a ninja-mystic-power ranger could be. She had already called her brothers in a family meeting. Luckily Blake was able to take time off to come back to Reefside for a little.
Arriving to the Academy she was greeted by familiar feeling of electricity in the air was comforting to the Black Thunder Ninja
"Ri!" Hunter called, behind him were a group of students, their leather uniforms striped with white. Newbies.
"Look at you," she teased "Hunter Bradley, Head Sensei showing the newbies around"
"And this is Aria Bradley, my baby sister" the former Crimson ranger sighed.
"I'm not a baby any more bro. And remember I can still kick your ass"
Hunter laughed at his little sister as his students behind him snickered
"You'll learn all about our adventures soon enough" he says
"Damn you really forgot about the middle child, didn't you?" Blake called over from the entrance
Hunter motioned to one of the other senseis to take over, "You're training starts now, welcome to the Thunder Academy." The new students cheered as they were led down the stone path to the training grounds
The three siblings hugged and greeted each other with excitement.
"Who would've thought that our big brother would be running the Academy" Blake laughed
"Is it really so hard to believe?" Hunter sighed, running a hand down his face
"Dude, when we finally got colour assigned you made a giant slip-n-slide in the court-yard that night to celebrate. You were on locker room duty for two years. You would've been expelled if it weren't for the fact that we lived here" Blake reminded
"Bro and that one time you were caught with-"
"Ok, ok I get it" he interrupted, not wanting to remember the embarrassing things he did when he was younger "You called a family meeting right?"
Aria's smile faltered a little, unsure of how her brothers will react "Right, let's go somewhere private yeah?"
Hunter lead them through the academy before arriving to what appeared to be his room on site.
"Is everything alright?" he asked, always the protective older brother
Aria fiddled with the ring on her finger "I'm just gonna say it…I, er, found my birth parents."
Blake and Hunter were stunned. Of course, when they were younger each of them had gone through a phase of wanting to find who their biological parents were but the three of them all came to the same conclusion: The family they had now was all they needed.
"How? Who?" Blake questioned. Hunter sat down on the edge of his dresser, unsure on how to feel. Both brothers were questioning how to feel at the moment. They were happy for their baby sister finding her biological family but that might mean that she would want to be with them. But they knew Ari wouldn't be like that…would she?
"Er, well…turns out…I've actually known them for a while…remember Udonna?"
"What?"
"You're kidding…" Hunter said quietly "How do you know?"
Aria held up her hand and showed the familiar ring sitting on it "Turns out, this has been in her – my family for generations. It's supposed to guide those who are lost. That's why it would glow whenever I was close to them…"
"Them?"
"Right…" Aria breathed and began pacing the floor "Well…turns out I've actually been fighting along side my brother, twin brother, against our dad all while being mentored by our mother…"
"Rewind…." Blake held up a hand "Brother?"
"Twin brother?" Hunter added
"Yeah…it's uh Nick actually…" she looked down at the floor remembering how insane this whole scenario was "And uh…my dad was actually the bad guy for a while, then he became good, and then he uh, well he disappeared again…his real name was Leanbow but you guys probably know him as Koragg…"
"Dude…" Hunter breathed "That's…"
"A lot" Blake finished
"Bro trust me I know" she sighed and leaned against the wall behind her. silence filled the room; her brothers were trying to figure out her new family tree and Aria was patiently waiting for her them to say something.
Hunter broke the silence "So…er…what's your actual name then?"
Blake face palmed at the blonde's question "Dude…"
Aria laughed a little "It's fine Blake, apparently my name's Baya"
"Baya?" Hunter repeated, trying to cover his laughter at the sound of this unfamiliar name
"Hey, it's better than Bowen" Aria argued "That's Nick's birth name"
"So, should we be calling you that now?" Blake asked quietly
"As far as I am concerned my name is still Aria Bradley and I am still your sister." Aria reassured, she walked closer to her brothers
"What about Nick? And Udonna and L-"
"Blake, I am still your baby sister okay?" Aria said calmly, looking between the Crimson and Navy ninjas "Yes I have a biological brother-"
"A twin brother…" Hunter interrupted
"Hunter shut up," she fired back "Yes, Nick is my twin but guess what dumbass, that changes nothing. Udonna and Leanbow change nothing between us and mom and dad. Remember what they used to tell us?"
Her brothers were silent
"Blood and DNA isn't what makes a family, it's love" she recited "Now tease me all you want but I love you guys, you are my brothers, and that will never change. I'm still your annoying ass little sister"
"Don't go soft on us now dude" Hunter laughed pushing his sister head
"Says the dude who was just moping two seconds earlier"
The three Bradley children were then laughing and joking as if a bombshell wasn't just dropped on them. Aria was thankful for this; she knew her brothers would have been happy for her but now she was sure that her relationship with her big brothers wouldn't change. Ever
Obviously, she felt guilty withholding the other information she's learned but they didn't need to worry about her.
"So, when are you heading back?" Hunter asked
"Well, good news for you guys. Your little sister is gonna be here for a while. Things are pretty quiet in Briarwood right now and I've been missing the track."
"And someone else" Blake laughed
"Says you Blake, remember bro Tori tells me everything"
His face flushed red as his siblings laughed at his embarrassment
"C'mon, lets head over to Ops"
-Blue Bay Harbor-
-Ninja Ops-
With all seven rangers present it began to feel like old times. Aria hade explained everything she told to her brothers and was met with the same questions. After explanations galore the six ninjas, plus one samurai, began giving life updates. After a while however they were all getting restless. Together they raced to the quarry where a majority of their battles were held. There they sparred and the moto riders all raced up and down the beach. Obviously, Blake won every round, but Aria still came pretty close.
"Still got it" Aria grinned as she removed her helmet
"Yeah cause I let you pass me up" Hunter argued shaking his hair from his face
"Oh, so you've been letting me beat you for the past ten years?"
"Dudeeee" Dustin laughed and high fived his girlfriend "Burnnnn"
With a roll of his eyes he chased after his little sister. Aria ran away laughing and for the first time in a while she didn't have a care in the world. No prophecy and no crazy family tree. She was just a normal nineteen year old girl hanging out with her friends – her family.
A/N: Thanks for reading! REVIEW/ FOLLOW XOXOX