~If we go down,

We all go down together!

If we go down, down, down,

We all go down together!

We are wrong 'til it's right,

Falling all as one tonight!

If we go down, down down,

We all go down together!~

That night the four teens sat around the table. Dustin and Shane both trying to ball pieces of paper up and toss them at each other. Tori was the only one focusing on her work and Tara was quietly eating as she just watched them all. "Dustin, Shane….guys you're almost done with this piece of work. Finish it up then you can go back to playing." Tara said with a roll of her eyes, seeing Tori smirking at the two getting scolded.

Shane threw a paper ball towards the brunette's bowl of food, but before it would go in she swatted it back at him. It hit right in the middle of his forehead and he pouted. "Shouldn't you be doing homework too?" He asked in a pout, crossing his arms as he sulked.

Tara chuckled and shook her head. "I graduated 2 years ago remember? You guys were sophomores at the time. Just think, this is your last year, and you only have like 4 months left. Get through it and then you will never have to do homework again." She reasoned, leaning back in her chair.

Tori nodded her head before she finished the last of her homework. "Speaking of finished work. Tara, could you double check this for me?" She asked, feeling two sets of eyes staring at her with scowls; she just stuck her tongue out in response.

Tara looked over the work nodding her head every once in awhile. She was about to put down a note on the paper before shaking her head and giving it back. "Looks good to me. I don't see why I need to recheck your work all the time, you seem to have it mastered." She said with a laugh, noticing Shane and Dustin sharing glances between each other.

She arched an eyebrow and leaned her arms on the table, looking at the two expectantly. "Shane….Dustin….let me see." She said softly, watching as they slowly brought their arms up to cover their work.

Tara sighed and shook her head before she flicked her eyes between the two, making sure they weren't going to give up their holds on the papers. She shrugged innocently and leaned back in her chair again, closing her eyes a moment. The sudden sounds of yelling and papers flying made her sit back upright and take the papers from them, glancing over them quickly. She let out a puff of air before giving them back.

Tori gave her a questioning look before the older teen nodded her head and smirked. "You guys are doing well. Just finish up the last bit and you can call it a night I promise. I don't get why you do this, you're both smarter than you let on." She said with a sigh, shaking her head.

The two groaned. "But it's Friday night….can't we finish this later?" Shane asked with a frown, looking at the brunette.

Tara shrugged and gave a small bite to her lip. "Well….I don't see why not…" She sighed softly, giving in to the puppy eyes both boys were giving her.

Shane jumped up and ran to the living room where he set up the new tv Tara had just brought in before getting called to Storm Chargers to fix Dustin's bike again. Dustin hugged his sister tight before rushing into the room after his friend. They both flopped onto the floor and turned on the tv, not bothering to do anything else while they watched the sports channel like they do at the shop.

Tori looked at Tara and scrunched her face together. "Why are you helping us with homework? We still have like a week left until school starts again." The blonde said, resting her head in the palm of her hand leaned against the table.

Tara looked at the girl blankly. "Do you really think those two will get their work done in a week? Now that I think about it, I may have to hide my keys from you three. Dustin still lives with Mom and Dad, you still have to deal with your parents, and I don't even want Shane here without you around seeing as he might try and sneak through everything again." She paled and shook her head in pain.

Tori laughed at the girl and shook her head a moment before the two stood up to move towards the guys. "You're so right." The blonde said when she spotted to two guys fighting over the remote.

Tara rolled her eyes and crawled in between the two, snatching the remote from her brother and sprawling out over both guys, her head resting in Dustin's lap while her legs flopped over Shane. Not even half an hour later the four teens fell asleep on the ground.

xXx

The next day found three teens doing what they do best; surfing, skateboarding, and motocross. The fourth teen however, was doing something completely different from her normal schedule. Instead of being at her job at Storm Chargers, or dancing around the studio her boss had helped her find and fix up, she was looking at a grand piano next door. She sat on the stool and glanced around the room in mild surprise. How had she not seen it before? She'd been down at this studio long enough she should've spotted it sooner.

She sighed and let her fingers glide across the keys, thinking back to her mother teaching her the basics of piano. But of course her mind couldn't focus on that with ringing going on in the back of her head. She stood up from the seat, a look of sadness crossing her face just a moment. She then turned away from it and headed out the door towards her bike, a dual dirt/road bike. It only took her a few seconds before she was speeding down the road towards her ninja school. She'd promised Cam she'd get there early to talk to him about a few accommodations she'd like to think of for when she possibly move into the temple.

She hummed under her breath to herself as she sped down the roads, only glancing around her when she thought someone was going to swerve into her, or there were pedestrians around she should've stopped for. She was a careful driver, honestly; but sometimes her mind could just wander without her wanting it to. Something her father always commented on and hinted she should try fixing. Tara sighed as she thought about her adopted parents. She loved them, unconditionally no doubt, but sometimes what they wanted for her was so absurd she wondered how she was able to put up with them for so long before feeling the need to move out.

Tara stopped suddenly when she nearly hit a tree. "Whoa!" She yelped in surprise, stopping as her front tire barely tapped the trunk.

She blinked at the tree for a second or two before shaking her head and lifting her leg up off the bike. She hid it behind the tree and moved towards the waterfall, getting the feeling someone was watching her. Shrugging off the feeling, she made it through the portal and looked around her for a moment, hearing shouting and screaming. Wait, screaming?!

Her eyes widened and she ducked behind another tree, looking around everywhere to assess what was going on. Her eyes narrowed at seeing people walking around like they own the place, but she bit her lip in worry as she saw her sensei battling someone. It scared her when she saw the magic the stranger was using. Dark Magic; something she was hoping she'd never see in her life.

The stranger was yelling at her sensei. "Where is she?! Where's the new teacher you called for?!" He was shouting.

She was about to step from the tree when Watanabe glared at his opponent. "With her quick skills and smart mind she should be far away from here, hiding from the likes of YOU. I will never tell you where she is. You will never find her!" He shouted back.

Tara put a hand to her mouth in surprise; the stranger was looking for her, but why? Was it because of her powers? Or was it because he didn't want the temple to make a stand with new ninjas? Either way, Watanabe was right about her being smart she should've known she wasn't going to fight them. He called upon her because he knew something like this was going and she would be damned if this evil stranger was going to take her away before she even got the chance to start rebuilding the place anew.

xXx

She heard the three talking and before she could think she ran in their direction. "Dustin!" She cried, slamming into him and clinging to his shoulders like her life depended on it.

The three teens blinks in surprise, the yellow clad ninja blinking down at his sister in surprise and worry. "T-Tara?! What's wrong? Are you okay?" He gulped, worry over her wellbeing taking over the confusion he was feeling.

She gasped while looking up at the other two, taking them into the hug and clinging to them all. "Th-The school…..It's gone, even all the students….I thought-I-Jesus I'm glad you were late today." She whimpered, pulling the three closer to her.

Shane broke free of the hug with a frown. What was wrong with the school? What was she talking about? Tara looked so freaked out when she ran at them. He walked towards the edge, looking at where the school was supposed to have been, Tori standing right beside him. Dustin walked after the two but looked down at Tara for a moment, "come on Sis...I'm not leaving you." He whispered quietly, wincing at how her grip on him tightened.

The two walked towards the others, Dustin's arm wrapped around his sister's shoulders in comfort; she looked so terrified and she was never terrified of anything. Tara practically hid in his side when they got closer to the cliff, seeing nothing but emptiness. Dustin's arm tightened in his surprise and he blinked while looking around. "Wha-Was it an earthquake?" He asked as he watched the last bits of their school disappear in the sky.

Shane looked at him incredulously. "Have you ever heard of an earthquake that pulls building into the sky?" He replied sarcastically.

The earth ninja shrugged and the four slowly walked down towards the ruins of their school. Dustin keeping his arm wrapped around his sister was a feat in itself when he had to maneuver around objects in their path. "Tare….I have to let got for a bit, just until we get down to the school." He said softly, slowly releasing his grip on her.

She made a small cry in alarm as he walked down the hill. Even she didn't know why she was acting the way she was, but it must've had something to do with watching not only her students (as weird as it was still thinking that) up into the sky. Or maybe it was listening to Sensei talk to this 'Lothor' guy about not ever letting him reach her. Either way, she didn't want to leave any of the three alone, least of all her brother.

Dustin looked up at Tara and held his arms out to her with a frown. She looked so small and fragile, nothing like she normally did. He thought it must've had something to do with what she saw before she found them. Tara watched him for only a moment before she practically jumped back to his side, clinging to him again. "I'm sorry…" She whispered while tightening her grip on his uniform.

He wrapped his arm back around her and the two followed after their friends, who stopped a little ways ahead to watch the two. Tori tried pulling the older girl off her brother, but Tara flinched away and blinked at them for a moment, slowly unraveling from Dustin's side. She gave a shaky breath and nodded her head for the four to continue, slowly making their way through the rubble. The more Tara walked on her own, the more anger she felt towards who did this. Her anger got to the point where she was clenching and unclenching her fists, the fire she was controlling swirling around her arms.

Tara was about to walk towards where the temple used to be itself when she heard rocks moving. She heard coughing and turn to the rubble where someone was peeking their head out. Her eyes widened and she ran towards them, pulling rocks off them as quick as she could. "Guys over here! It's Cam!" She called in a higher than normal pitch; yeah, she was definitely terrified.

The four teens helped get the guy out of the rocks before he collapsed against the eldest. Looking completely beaten and worn. Tara wrapped an arm around his shoulders and pulled him into a standing position, a frown and look of worry looking straight back at his tired self. He leaned against her for support and groaned, about ready to explain what happened before something crashed behind them.

Tara's eyes widened in fear, but not for herself. "Cam where's that one entrance your father told me about?" She asked quickly, looking at where he pointed.

The five suddenly started running towards where she knew was the entrance. Her breathing quickened in her haste and she continued looking back behind her, making sure the three were still there. She was afraid, definitely, but it wasn't for herself. She was afraid for the continued running until Cam collapsed on the ground and gripped a chain, looking up at Tara. She immediately yanked it open and gently pushed Cam inside, making sure he was safely inside before pushing Tori, then Shane, then finally Dusin.

She followed after and quickly shut the door behind her, finding a way to lock it in case Lothor came back down to Earth to find them again. She sighed and collapsed onto the stairs in her sudden energy depletion. She could hear the others shoutings of awe and smiled softly to herself. She'd been down in the lair a few times; Sensei's orders. Wait, Sensei! Her eyes widened and she bolted up with a small cry. The others immediately looking at her wide eyed.

Tara looked at the four and bit on the inside of her lip. "Wh-where's Sensei?" She asked quietly, watching the others look at each other.

Dustin immediately went towards his sister and wrapped an arm around her waist, guiding her further into the room where he gently set her on a cushion in the middle of the room. She was about to ask Cam specifically when she heard the familiar and unmistakable voice of her Sensei Watanabe.

~We are giants,

We are bigger than the monster.

Every second we are taking back the power

On the run,

'til we get a fucking answer.

Try to hold us down,

BUT WE'RE ONLY GETTING STRONGER~