Hello lovelies, this is the last prewritten chapter I have where I am adding the A/N after writing the story so I will hopefully have an A/N in the fourth chapter that flows a little bit better than this one. I don't really have much to say here so I will simply get on with the quote then the story.
"Making memories with friends is not a waste of time. It's a lifetime moment that you will surely treasure when old age comes."
-Anonymous
ooo0 Ninja of the Stars 0ooo
Belle's internal clock went off right on time at five thirty the next morning. Because she woke up on her own, she felt well rested and lazily sat up in her bed to stretch her arms up above her head and work out the kinks in her arms and upper back. The blanket she had used as her bedspread fell down to around her waist to reveal that Belle had not worn any pajamas to sleep. Truthfully, Belle prefered not to wear anything to bed. The only time that she wore any type of pajamas was when she was around people who weren't her mother, Aunt Udonna, or Clare. Once all the knots were out of her shoulders, she slipped from her bed and continued with getting the kinks out of her whole back and her legs by utilizing some of the stretches she used to warm up before her morning workouts. Satisfied that they were all gone, Belle went over to her dresser and pulled out an all white outfit that she could work out in that consisted of a white sports bra, a pair of white underwear, and a pair of white short shorts with white ankle socks and white skechers. After she was dressed, her hair was swept up into a high ponytail while her ipod was placed in a holster on her arm along with her wand disguised as a pen and her morpher was secure on her left wrist. She gave herself another once over, so that she could make sure that she had everything, before she headed outside of Ninja Ops. The whole house was silent as Belle slipped past the hallway until she was through the computer room and up the staircase to the outside world. She then ninja streaked through the forest until she reached the city. For about forty-five minutes she ran around the town then worked out her cardio and the muscles in her legs. For another forty-five minutes Belle went to a park where she worked on her upper body strength by chin ups with her palms facing her body then turned so that her knees held her up so that she could perform some crunches. By now her whole body had a nice tingle and burn going on with only a slight sweating on her skin to let her know that she had had a successful workout. Most people who had been jogging by while Belle was using the bar had slowed down a bit so that they could catch a glimpse of her. All the while she had been working out, Belle had been focused on the music that was playing through the headphones that she had connected to her ipod that had her only focused on her workout routine. Headstrong by Trapt was playing in her ears as she ninja streaked back to Ninja Ops where no one was quite awake yet. Well, Sensei Watanabe probably was awake but had not yet emerged from his room. Maybe I should make breakfast for all of us, Belle thought when she saw the kitchen. I bet everyone could use some warm food to start the day. Just like that Belle started up a whirlwind in the kitchen, making coffee as well as omelettes and chocolate croissants. In favor of hearing the comforting sizzling sounds, Belle turned off her ipod and tucked her headphones into her bra. A small smile lit her face while she cooked and used her magic to set the table at the same time. Within minutes the table was set so all Belle had to focus on was taking the croissants out to cool and to finish up the last omelette. When it was done, Belle found she still had some time so she cooked up some sausages as well. Just as Belle was placing the full plates on the table, Cam came shuffling into the kitchen scrubbing his face that was free of his glasses.
"Morning Ron," Belle greeted the man softly when she saw that he wasn't quite a morning person.
"Good morning Anna," Cam yawned as he sat down at the kitchen table.
"Breakfast smells good."
Belle watched in amusement at the face Cam made slumped in his chair due to the early time versus how she had seen him yesterday. We can't all be morning people, Belle reasoned in her mind.
"How do you like your coffee?" she asked him as she walked over to the coffee maker.
"One creamer and a spoonful of sugar."
Belle was quick to fix him his coffee and slip it in front of him.
"Here you go."
"Thank you."
"Is Sensei Watanabe going to eat breakfast?"
"Most likely a little bit later," Cam mused after taking a grateful sip of his coffee.
"He spends a few hours meditating in the morning."
"Then I'll set aside his food for him to eat later."
As Belle went about setting Sensei Watanabe's food to the side, Cam started eating his breakfast. After having nothing but his usual quick and easy bachelor breakfasts made him appreciate the home cooked meals Belle made for him. It had been years since he had had it.
"What are you thinking about doing today?" Cam asked Belle when she began to eat her own food.
"I'm thinking about going to the beach. I want to find a good place for when my friends come to visit."
"When are your friends coming up to visit?"
"I'm not sure," Belle let out in thought.
"They haven't told me a definite date and time yet. I want to say that they'll come up towards the weekend because of school."
Cam let out a noise of agreement while he ate one of his chocolate croissants.
"These are amazing Anna, where did you learn to make this?"
"My mom. Before I lived in Briarwood, I lived in New Orleans. When I was little, before I was old enough to go to school, Mom would have me in the kitchen with her and she would teach me how to cook. It was our mother daughter bonding time."
"That sounds cool Anna," Cam smiled.
"It's nice that you have something like that with your mom."
The two sat in silence as they both began eating until Cam remembered something that he had wanted to tell Belle.
"So Anna, I think I want to have that movie night again."
This brightened up Belle's face instantly.
"Really?"
"Yeah. I had fun and it expands my interaction with people since I can't really leave here that much."
"Aww, I'm your main source for human interaction," Belle cooed playfully.
"I'm honored."
This caused a smirk to appear on Cam's lips.
"Yeah, yeah. Next time we should watch a comedy."
"I have the perfect movie," Belle gushed.
"I'm so glad that I packed more movies than just Underworld to bring with me."
Cam couldn't help but feel a warmth in his heart when he saw how happy he had just made Belle. Growing up, he had never had close friends so he had never had these types of interactions with others. Granted Belle was two to three years younger than him. If he was to have had a friend, Cam thought that Belle would be exactly what he was looking for.
"Are you finished with your plate?" Belle spoke up that brought Cam out of his thoughts. Cam looked down at his plate and saw that it was empty.
"Yeah."
Belle was quick to take his empty plate and refill his cup with his prefered coffee.
"Thanks."
"No problem," Belle smiled while she rinsed the dishes then placed them in the dishwasher.
"When did you wake up?" Cam voiced when he realized what Belle had been wearing a workout outfit.
"Five thirty."
"What have you been doing since then?"
"Running and some work-outs in the park."
"You really take training seriously," Cam commented with a raised eyebrow at Belle's answer.
"Oh, it's not just for training. I dabble in sports so I want to keep myself in shape."
"What types of sports?"
"I dance ballet, hip hop, waltz, and latin dances. I snowboard, rollerskate, and occasionally skateboard."
"Are you wanting to do something with your dancing?"
"Yeah," Belle smiled softly.
"I think I want to be a choreographer. I have been taking dance since I could walk along with my ninja training. It's something that I just couldn't imagine giving up."
"I understand," Cam admitted with a small nod of his head.
" The Academy is all I know so I will probably stay on to help train the students."
"I have a feeling you'll be a great teacher Ron."
There was a comfortable silence that settled between them.
"Now if you'll excuse me, my shower is calling me."
Cam laughed at Belle's words while he motioned for her to go. Belle flashed a smile on her way back to her room. She went through a quick shower then she put on the revealing white bikini that Xander had been against and Vida had encouraged. The reason Xander had been so against it was that the top was strapless that hugged her large chest and showed off her cleavage and the bottoms accented her round butt while showing off her hips. Over that she tied a silver fading into gold sarong at her left hip and slipped on a pair of gold and silver sandals. Her hair was then plaited into a messy braid with a pair of white sunglasses that she placed in her hair as a headband. The last thing she needed was her purse that had her wallet, a brush, and gum. With everything she should need, she ventured out of her room and headed to the entrance of Ninja Ops.
"Hey Anna, let me know-,"Cam called out to her when he saw her head towards the staircase out of the corner of his eye, but stopped mid-sentence when he saw her outfit.
"What?" Belle asked when she heard him call out.
"I just wanted to make sure you let me know when you need tutoring for your online classes," Cam said after the surprise of Belle's outfit wore off.
"I will. I was thinking of starting it either today or tomorrow, but I will make sure to come to you if I have any questions."
Satisfied with her answer, Cam gave a nod and Belle took that as her cue to leave Ninja Ops.
When Belle arrived at the beach, she saw that there were a lot of people there, but it was not overly crowded like she had suspected. She even took some time to stand at the entrance and admire the new scenery. While she loved the forests of home, there was a certain beauty about the sounds of the lapping waves and the smell of the salty sea air that softly bley through her hair. Now I see why a lot of people want to live close to beaches, Belle thought to herself as she walked further towards the water. As she walked, she tried to look for a good place to set her things down, but it seemed luck was on her side when she saw that Shane and Tori had already found a place amongst the groups of people.
"Shane!Tori!" she shouted over to her fellow rangers.
"Anna!" Tori returned with a bright smile and a wave to the younger ranger.
Shane simply waved with a small smile as he was still sore over the loss in training yesterday.
"What brings you here?"
"I wanted to come check the beach out," Belle explained. "I wanted to try my hand at surfing and to scope out when my friends from Briarwood and I have to get here when they come up in a few days."
"Your friends are coming up?" Shane echoed in disbelief. "You're not going to bring them to Ninja Ops are you?"
Belle's face fell into a deadpan expression while Tori looked to Belle conflicted with her thoughts. She too was skeptical of the younger ranger's decision, but she wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt as well.
"Of course," Belle said sarcastically with an eyeroll. "Once they get here that will be the first place we go to. I can't wait for them to see the super secret place in the forest."
At Belle's words, Shane pushed forward until his chest was almost pressed against Belle's forehead. Belle in turn stared up into Shane's dark eyes to dare him to try something. Tori had to admit that Belle had some guts to stand up to someone who was twice her size with such fire.
"You wouldn't dare," Shane seethed.
"I was being sarcastic dumbass," Belle told him evenly. "I know just how important keeping what we do a secret. Do you really think I'd be that stupid?"
There was a palpable tension in the air between the two rangers that made Tori uneasy.
"So Anna, you said you wanted to surf," Tori spoke up while sliding in between the two rangers.
"Have you ever surfed before?"
"No, but I've snowboarded," she admitted. "Is that similar?"
"Sort of," Tori winced slightly. "Do you know how to paddle out and stand up?"
"Yes."
"Then let's go. You can use that white surfboard."
"Can I put my purse and shoes with your stuff?"
"Yeah, Shane can watch it for you."
There was almost a noise of protest coming from Shane but a warning look from Tori shut him up. Belle gave one last glare at Shane before she walked over to where Tori had her things and deposited her sarong, sunglasses, shoes, and purse. Now that she was free of her things, Belle pulled the surfboard free of the sand and secured the ankle band around her right ankle. With a wave towards the ocean, Tori led the younger ranger out to the clear water. Tori went out waist deep in the water then hopped on top of her board with Belle quickly following suit. Belle didn't need instruction after that as she paddled out deeper into the water along with Tori. As Belle paddled out, she tuned into the force of the water around her like her mother had taught her. Through this method, Belle was able to sense a really big wave that was coming through farther back into the water. That's my goal, Belle thought to herself while she swam past Tori.
"Anna!" Tori protested but Belle was too invested in catching that wave.
She knew she could make it and ride it. Once she was where she felt she needed to be, she turned her board to face the shoreline. There was serene silence save for the gentle movements of the water as Belle waited for her wave. Belle then rose to stand on her board just as her wave rose from the rest of the water. This put Belle right under the top of the wave, surfing across the body. This is kind of like snowboarding, Belle realized with excitement as she moved her board in a flip to land on the crest of the wave. Tori couldn't believe that a beginner would be able to complete such a feat while other males besides Shane on the shore were watching Belle's form with interest as she twisted and turned to execute the flip. There was one guy who wasn't looking at Belle. He was looking at Tori with a sense of awe at how she maneuvered through her waves. Belle then moved about the water until she was riding the same wave as Tori.
"That was amazing for a beginner," Tori grinned over to her fellow female ranger.
"Thanks Tori. Once you get on that wave, it's almost exactly like snowboarding."
"Who did you go snowboarding with?"
"My Mom and my friends. We'd have fun snowboarding in the day and then at night we'd settle inside to watch a movie and drink some hot cocoa."
"That sounds like fun," Tori commented as their wave came to an end.
"Yeah...Wanna go again?"
ooo0ooo
Roughly four hours later, Tori and Belle made it back to the sand to call it quits. "I've never surfed for so long before," Tori laughed in a slightly breathless tone. "Thanks for that Anna."
"No problem."
Both put their boards in the sand and were approached by different people. Shane went over to talk to Tori while a really cute surfer boy with beach blond waves and sea glass eyes came to Belle.
"Hey," he greeted her with a dimpled smile. Belle couldn't help it, but those dimples made her melt a little. They kind of reminded her of Xander's.
"Hey."
"You were great out there," he complimented.
"Thanks. I'm Annabelle, but everyone calls me Anna."
"Nice to meet'cha. I'm Dax."
Slight silence then lapsed between the two as Belle took out her braid to wring out her hair and subtly dry her hair a little with magic while her fingers combed through her locks.
"How come I haven't seen you around that much?" Dax asked. "Are you not from around here?"
"I'm from Briarwood."
"The Forest City," Dax breathed out in recognition that served to amuse Belle to no end.
"Is it true that the people who go in the forest never come back?"
"Maybe it is and maybe it isn't," Belle smirked after she had just finished braiding her hair and drying her bathing suit. A laugh came from Dax that had him moving closer to Belle.
"Say, do you wanna go grab some lunch?" he offered. "I know this great-,"
"Sorry dude," Tori interjected, sliding in to stand next to Belle. "All of her time is taken."
"Oh, really?" Dax questioned while his eyes rested solely on Belle to get an answer from her.
"She has plans with us," Shane joined in with a steely voice.
The two males had a stare down that had Dax backing up.
"I guess I'll see you around Anna," Dax let out with a small smile directed at Belle while he glared at the other two.
"What was that about?" Belle questioned as she watched Dax walk away.
"What were you thinking?!" Shane exploded at the multi-colored hair girl.
"That guy is bad news."
"Well how the hell am I supposed to know that?" Belle snapped back after experiencing the scolding.
"Hey Anna, why don't we go grab some lunch," Tori offered when she saw the tension between her leader and new teammate.
"I would love that Tori."
The two female rangers then linked arms after Belle had put her things back on and climbed into Tori's van.
"I hate that you and Shane had to fight, but I thank you for taking his attention off of me," Tori sighed.
"I felt like I was going to strangle him."
"Why?"
"Okay, so there was this super cute surfer hottie was asking about me and Shane let him leave. He couldn't believe that I would have wanted to meet him and talk to him."
"It's alright Tori," Belle said. "Now you've got a girl to talk with. Let it all out."
About forty-five minutes later, found Belle and Tori at Storm Chargers where Dustin was working and Shane was hanging out. Tori went up to the counter to talk to the boys while Belle drifted over to the skateboard section with a shopping bag already in her hand. She had found Maddie's present so she just needed to find Xander's.
"Hey Shorty," Dustin called over to Belle from the counter.
"Hey Géant," Belle returned absentmindedly while she looked over the different boards they had. Hmm, Xander likes green so maybe this green Taurus board will work. Her focus was on that board until she saw a green Slytherin board. I must get that one, she decided. She went to reach up and grab the board, but she was too short to get it down. God damn it, she exclaimed in her mind while she glared up at the board with her hands on her hips. I'm getting you down if it's the last thing I do. Her legs coiled up in preparation to jump up to try to grab it when a tan hand reached up to get it down for her. Belle instantly recognized the hand as belonging to Shane and turned around with a raised eyebrow.
"Here," he said gruffly as he held out the board.
"Thanks," Belle drawled out in uncertainty, taking the board from him. Shane said nothing else so Belle turned away to grab some green wheels that would go with the green on the bottom of the board, green knee and elbow pads, and a green helmet that had silver writing on the sides. Hmm, I can change the writing on the helmet later, Belle thought as she walked over to the counter.
"Yeah. Yeah, I know, but….You're like, not a girl girl," Belle heard Dustin say when she came up to the counter. Really, Belle groaned in her head.
"You're like a guy girl," Shane threw in thinking he was helping.
"Yeah," Dustin agreed readily.
"My advice to you," piped up a woman with red hair. "Stop trying to make it better, cause it's only getting worse."
She then turned to Tori.
"This just came in for you."
Tori didn't hide her confusion as she took the offered envelope and questioned its origin.
"What's it say?" Dustin questioned, hopping up onto the counter to peer over Tori's shoulder.
"Girl Sport magazine saw me and this girl with purple hair surfing this morning and wants us for a photoshoot," Tori explained.
"Anna, the purple haired girl must be you. We don't see very many people with your hair color."
"It's galaxy colored," Belle pouted.
"It's about the articles 'Beauties of the Beach'," Tori continued while reading the invitation.
"Isn't that the one that has like, these incredibly gorgeous girls?" Shane asked that had both girls stiffening.
"Yeah," Tori confirmed testily.
"So?" Belle challenged with a raised eyebrow.
The boys were wise to shut up lest they get hit or chewed out by the girls.
"Okay, we'll just go back to silent mode," Dustin told them, sliding back down from the counter.
It was then that Dustin noticed the haul that Belle had placed on the counter. He gave her an apologetic look as he rang up her purchases.
"Who's getting the sweet gear?" Shane ventured, eyeing the board and wheels with envy.
"My friend Xander's birthday is coming up," Belle beamed. "He loves to skate and Harry Potter is kind of our thing so I thought it was perfect."
"Lucky guy," Dustin commented with a low whistle. "These aren't exactly cheap."
"I wouldn't say that," Belle smiled gently. "I would say I'm the lucky person to have a friend like him."
All three older rangers were surprised at Belle's small smile. They hadn't seen a smile like that on her face before and it warmed their hearts. She really did look her age with the way her skin seemed to glow from within along with her smile. All three rangers made a pact to themselves a promise to look out for the youngest of them so that she could keep that smile. Dustin was the only one to do anything by smiling back at her and ruffling her hair.
"Dustin!" Belle protested while she tried in vain to bat his hand away.
"Aww, is he your boyfriend?" he teased her.
"W-What?! No!" Belle blushed hotly.
"Are you sure?"
"This is why I'm glad I have no older brothers," Belle grumbled to herself.
"Don't say that Shorty. From now on, I'll be your big brother."
"Why me?"
ooo0ooo
Minutes later Belle arrived back at Ninja Ops and dropped her gifts off in her room before she put on an actual outfit over her bikini. She had taken photos already of her at the beach and of her surfing so she sent them all to Xander, Vida, Maddie, and Chip. Her outfit was made up of a pair of white jean shorts, a black shirt with silver writing that read 'I speak fluent sarcasm', and a pair of white converse. As for her hair, she left it down to frame her body. Now that she had her outfit on, she padded out to the computer room with her laptop, notebooks, and pen in hand where Cam was busy at work on the computer. Belle sat her things down at the table before she made her way over to Cam.
"Hey Ron," Belle greeted him, coming up behind him with her hands on his shoulders.
"Hey Anna," Cam sighed as he leaned his head down and rubbed the bridge of his nose. When he did this, Belle could feel the tense muscles all around his shoulders.
"How long have you been working at the computer?" Belle voiced skeptically.
"I don't even remember," he admitted. Belle clucked her tongue at him and stepped back from his chair.
"Before you even think of doing anything else with that computer," Belle began. "You are going to lay on the couch so that I can get rid of your tense muscles. You're only hurting yourself by being so tense."
"But-,"
"Up bup bup," Belle scolded lightly with a waggle of her finger. "The couch."
Cam had a stare down with Belle to see if she was being serious while Belle had her eyebrows raised to show she was completely serious. With a sigh Cam rose from his chair and followed Belle into the living room and laid down on his stomach.
"What I'm going to need you to do is relax," Belle told Cam from beside him.
"I am relaxed."
"You suck at relaxing Cam."
"Fuck you."
"C'mon. It's just going to hurt if you don't."
He gave a deep sigh but nonetheless tried his best to relax. When he was relaxed enough for Belle's tastes, she began softly yet sternly massaging along Cam's neck and shoulders. She left no muscle or tissue forgotten as she moved her way down his back.
"Oh my god Anna," Cam groaned happily. "You have magic hands."
Belle had to try her hardest not to laugh or giggle at his reaction but she was failing horribly.
"You're childish Belle."
"What do you expect? I'm fifteen."
"It's kind of hard to remember when you act like someone twice your age."
Both said nothing as Belle moved on to work on Cam's lower back.
"You have to start giving yourself a break," Belle scolded him after a comfortable silence.
"Hmm…"
"Are you falling asleep?"
"No…"
An amused noise left Belle when she stopped giving Cam's back a massage.
"Why'd you stop?" Cam asked groggily, lifting his head up from the couch.
"Because you'll be mad at yourself later for falling asleep."
"Good point," Cam sighed.
A groan left his lips as he sat up on the couch and leaned back against the couch.
"C'mon Ron, let's get you back out to your computer."
Cam was reluctant but he followed Belle back out to the supercomputer. He retook his seat while Belle opened up her laptop and signed into her virtual classroom to work on her school work. The two then began to work in silence with Belle turning to Cam for clarification if she couldn't figure something out. He was patient with her and made sure to explain until she knew how to answer or solve the problem. They worked steadily through their work until Belle happened to look at the time on her laptop. She gave a yelp of shock then hastened to pack up her things. When Cam heard the yelp from Belle, he turned in his chair with a raised eyebrow to watch her scramble.
"Are you ok Anna?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," Belle assured him, all of her things in her arms now.
"Girl Sport magazine wants to do an article on Tori and I for "Beauties of the Beach" and I have to meet her for it."
This made Cam stop what he was doing and turn to face Belle.
"What does that entail exactly?"
"I don't know. Maybe it's Tori and I in bathing suits taking pictures."
While Cam couldn't help but appreciate the thought of Belle in a revealing bathing suit like she had worn earlier that day, he stopped himself when he reminded himself that Belle was a minor. It would have been wrong to think of her that way even though he wanted to.
"Can you do that since you're a minor?"
Belle simply gave a shrug in reply since she herself didn't know if it was legal for her to do it without her mother's permission before she stepped forward to give Cam a hug around his shoulders.
"See ya Ron."
Belle ran to her room to drop off her stuff in her room and plug in her laptop before she ran through Ninja Ops then ninja streaked once she was out of the front door. When she was near where the invitation had said for the two to be, Belle simply walked over to Tori who was looking at her watch.
"You were almost late," Tori told Belle when she saw her.
"Sorry. I was doing homework and Cam was helping me with questions I didn't understand."
"What grade are you in?"
"Eleventh."
"How does that work?"
"My mom put me in school early."
The two continued towards a trailer that they saw, but Belle sensed two presences watching them from the nearby cliffs. They are definitely not friendly, she thought to herself. She very subtly cast an illusion spell on herself that would make it impossible for someone to recognize her if they were to see her again by either her appearance or her voice. Belle wanted to cast it on Tori, but she was too late. Tori was already at the door of the trailer.
"Hello!" Belle called out when she saw no one was around.
"Anybody here?!" Tori added.
It seemed their shouts was enough to draw out the two people who were inside the trailer.
"I'm going to leave you with them," Belle whispered to Tori.
"I'm a minor so I can't do this without my mother's permission, I think, but that doesn't mean that I can't look around."
Tori rolled her eyes at the younger ranger as she slipped over to the clothes rack.
"Hello," two horribly dressed women greeted. One had pink hair and was dressed in white while the other had brown hair whose main color was lime green.
"Hi," Tori returned uneasily.
"I'm Tori and that is my friend Anna over there. She can't participate in the photoshoot because she's a minor."
"Too bad," pouted the woman with pink hair.
"No matter," the other dismissed with a wave of her hand. "We still have you."
And with those words Tori was pulled into the trailer while Belle still looked through the clothes on the rack. Hmm, they're not that bad, Belle decided. But shouldn't a high end magazine like this have better clothes and a classier shooting place than this? Belle's eyes narrowed in suspicion but kept it to herself until she could let Tori know without alerting the two women who were the supposed representatives from Girl Sport.
"Perfect," the woman with brown hair cheered when Tori came out wearing some kind of monstrosity.
When Belle saw the outfit she fell into a state of shock.
"Tori, you look like you belong in the 60s."
"It's that bad?" Tori questioned. "I knew this wasn't really me."
"We've seen what's you okay," the one in white interjected with a scoff. "Just smile for the camera alright."
Warning bells went off in Belle's mind when a weird, huge camera was brought out.
"Tori, we should get out of here," Belle suggested with an urgent whisper.
"Why? I haven't even gotten my picture taken yet."
"I have a bad feeling about this."
It was when the pink haired one pulled something out that Tori finally realized what this was.
"I should have known it was you two," Tori seethed. "Bad hair, bad clothes, and too much make-up."
"You really think it's too much?" the more innocent of the two questioned. "I mean I have deep pores."
"Marah," the pink one scolded while pressing a button on a weird device. "Kelzaks!"
And just like that weird black, red, and silver soldiers zapped into existence.
"Attack!"
The two girls quickly fell into fighting stances and took the foot soldiers head on. Due to Belle wearing her own clothes, she tore through them relentlessly while Tori was slowed down slightly due to her weird wardrobe.
"Wish you would have listened to me?" Belle threw over to Tori while she executed a split kick to two Kelzaks who had tried to rush her.
"Now is not the time Anna!"
Even though both were fighting so hard, the number of Kelzaks grew and grew until both were seized.
"Let go of me you fuckfaces!" Belle barked at the Kelzaks who held her while she tried in vain to try to kick or punch them.
Both Marah and her sister glared at Belle for her comment.
"We were going to be nice and let you go," the pink haired one told her evenly. "But now you're going to share the same fate as the blue."
"I'd like to see you try," Belle growled.
The group of Kelzaks that held Tori then dragged her in front of the camera. Belle knew that she couldn't shake off the Kelzaks physically, but she could do it with her magic. But I can't break Aunt Udonna's and Mom's trust, she debated. They said never, ever to reveal what I could do to mortals. But are Power Rangers mortals, Belle mused to herself. While Belle was debating to herself, the two sisters took it upon themselves to hit Tori with a beam from the camera.
"Tori!" Belle cried out in alarm causing a ripple of white gold energy to fly from her body that knocked all of the Kelzaks that held her ten feet away from her, disintegrating before they even hit the ground.
"Anna?" Tori questioned from beside a duplicate that had come from the ray of the camera.
She didn't get to say anything else because she was trapped inside while the double was free.
"How did you do that?" the pink haired sister voiced after she had gotten over her shock.
"None of your business," Belle ground out through grit teeth.
"Uncle is going to love this," Marah squealed. "We could use her."
"Like hell you will," Belle retorted. "See ya."
In a burst of white gold sparkles, Belle teleported herself back to Ninja Ops. When her feet landed on the floor of the computer room, Belle dropped down to her knees. God damn it, she cursed in her mind. I revealed myself to the enemy and I still wasn't able to save Tori.
"Anna?" Cam called out when he saw the girl appear out of nowhere with the white gold sparkles.
"Where did you-,"
"Sorry Ron, I have something to do," Belle interrupted him, pulling a mass of white gold magic to her hands and focusing on Tori.
Cam watched on in awe and shock over what he was witnessing happen right in front of him. According to her magic, Belle could tell that Tori was now out of the camera and was heading into the city. She must be going after the fake, Belle thought. I should go help. She shot off a bit of her magic to make the real Tori glow, even if Belle was the only one to see, so that she could tell them apart. We really need to work on our teamwork. Belle then let her magic die and changed her clothes for her ninja uniform.
"Anna, what the hell is going on?" Cam demanded when he saw that Belle wasn't giving him any answers.
"I'll explain later. Right now Tori needs me."
No other words could be spoken after that because Belle had teleported out of the room.
When Belle arrived on the scene, the real Tori and her evil twin were fighting each other. Shane and Dustin on the other hand were standing beside Tori's abandoned van looking very confused.
"Dude, we've gotta help her," Shane insisted, going to step forward to help Tori but was stopped by Dustin's fist to his chest.
"Wait, which her?"
"That her," Belle supplied as she pointed to the one she could see had her magic covering her form.
"Wait, how-," Shane tried to question but was ultimately ignored when Belle charged forward to help Tori.
However, Belle was stopped short by a large red monster dropping to the ground in front of her. Cursing wildly under her breath, Belle backflipped out of the way towards the two male rangers so that she wouldn't get crushed.
"Tori is busy I heard you say, so the Copybot has come to brighten your day!"
What the fuck, ran through all of the rangers' minds, except for Tori's, when the words came from the monster's mouth.
"What is this guy's deal," Belle grumbled.
"You guys thinking what I'm thinking?" Dustin asked the two other rangers who were by his side.
"Readin' your mind bro," Shane agreed. Belle only smirked.
"NINJA STORM!"
"COSMIC STORM!"
"RANGER FROM!"
The boys leapt forward to attack from the front with their ninjato swords drawn sending a slash down the Copybot's front. Belle, on the other hand, snuck to the back with her tanto blade that rested on the small of her back when the monster curved backwards from the frontal attack to give another slash from behind. Once the attack was finished, Belle flipped back to the boys' side while Tori ran over to their sides due to her fight ending with her once evil clone. Belle was the first one to react by taking Tori by her upper arms and looking into Tori's gray eyes from behind her helmet visor.
"Are you alright Tori?" she fussed with a firm edge in her tone. "Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine Anna," Tori assured her. "It's gonna take a lot more to bring me down."
"Good," Belle sighed in relief.
"Wait, how do we know she's the real Tori," Dustin interjected, his eyes showing his hesitance.
Belle wasn't sure she should tell her partners just yet about her powers and was debating on what to say when Tori beat her to the punch.
"Dustin, your real name is Waldo. And Shane, you're afraid of spiders."
"You're afraid of spiders?" Dustin laughed. Shane looked ready to snap back but Belle swiftly cut in.
"You two can have your pissing contest later," she told them in a strong voice. "Right now we have something much more important to focus on."
"Anna is right," Tori agreed after she had transformed to join the group.
They all fell into fighting stances with their ninjato drawn when the Copycat called for Kelzaks to join the fight. Each ninja then engaged in their own shadow ninja battle to take care of the Kelzaks that were terrorizing them.
"So you beat the Kelzaks, whoop de doo," Copybot drawled. "You rangers will pay by the time I'm through."
"Oh shut the fuck up," Belle groaned in annoyance. "Your rhyming is getting annoying."
"Anna," Dustin scolded the White Gold Ranger.
"Lie and say that it isn't annoying."
While the two were talking, the Copybot had taken the advantage to slash against their chest that knocked them to the ground with their protective lights flickering over their suits. A grunt fell from Belle and rolled with the attack to hop back to her feet while the others let out a cry of pain but quickly rose to their feet along with Belle.
"It's over for you Red, Yellow, White Gold, and Blue."
This made Belle grit her teeth in aggravation. Oh, she was going to enjoy taking him down.
"That's what you think," Shane threw back while he led the Yellow and Blue rangers in an attack on the Copybot while White Gold kept a wary eye out for anything else.
Just as the three made to hit the monster with their blades, Copybot seemed to dissolve into thin air.
"Woah," Dustin breathed out. "Where'd he-,"
"Over there!" Belle exclaimed when the monster appeared once again in a ripple of space.
"Rangers get up and fight if you have the might. Copybot magic for you is so tragic."
"I've got some magic for you," Tori retorted.
The Red, Yellow, and White Gold Rangers stood back from the fight and watched Tori lead the Copybot into her own domain of water that ended with the Copybot flying then skidding on the ground. The rangers saw that as their opportunity to take the monster out.
"Hawk Blaster!"
"Sonic Fin!"
"Lion Hammer!"
"Wolf Fans!"
"Let's put it together," Shane called out to Tori and Dustin.
"Storm Striker! Ready! Aim! Fire!"
"Shining Slicer!"
With their combined attacks, the monster dissolved into nothing.
"Yeah!" Shane and Dustin cheered while they high-fived each other.
"It's not over yet," Tori told them, looking up into the sky.
"You've got to be kidding me," Belle huffed when she saw the five story tall monster.
"You get used to it," Tori sighed before she put her morpher up to her mouth.
"On it. Anna, I was able to find your Wolf Zord."
Ooh, Belle thought with sparkles in her eyes. She loves wolves and for one birthday, she wished she could have had a pet wolf. However, due to laws it was illegal. True to Cam's word, a large white, silver, and gold metallic wolf came bounding up beside Dustin's yellow robotic lion, Shane's red metal hawk, and Tori's blue dolphin machine. When she had gotten over the joy she had at having a wolf zord, she looked up in confusion at what she was supposed to do. She watched the others jump up into their zords then quickly followed suit. As soon as she was in her cockpit, her instinct kicked in and she morphed it into its own megazord. The Wind Rangers were close behind her in forming their megazord.
"Hey, over here!" Copybot called out. "Give this a try, come forth and multiply!"
Copybot was quick to multiply himself and try to attack the two zords. Given that Belle's zord was smaller and more lithe than the Wind Rangers, she was able to maneuver her zord out of the way of the attacks and return some of her own. It was when she called her own weapons that the Wind Rangers called Cam for help.
"I've got something for you," Cam announced to the Wind Rangers.
"I like to call it the Megazord Lightning Mode. You control it by using your inner power, but remember, it only lasts sixty seconds."
"Well hurry up, get your asses over here and use it," Belle ground out while she fought through the mini army of Copybots surrounding her.
No one corrected her language this time as the Wind Rangers hastened to activate the Lightning Mode. With their combined efforts, they were able to destroy all of the copies leaving only the original last few minutes the Wind Rangers had in Lightning Mode, they worked with Belle to weaken Copybot. While the rangers had to power down, Belle kept attacking Copybot to give the others the time to get their attack ready.
"Power Discs! Lock and Drop!"
"Serpent Sword!"
"One to the power of three! Megazord Triple Strike!"
Belle quickly dodged out of the way and watched with satisfaction when Copybot was taken down.
"Finally," Belle sighed with relief. "Now I don't have to deal with the rhyming anymore."
"Dad wants all of you back at Ninja Ops," Cam told them over the com.
"We'll be right there," Shane promised. The four rangers then left their zords for a more secluded spot then walked over to Tori's van.
"Hey Anna," Tori began as she started her van. "What was the energy I saw you use earlier?"
Seeing as though the boys weren't with them earlier, they could only turn to look at Anna in confusion.
"I'll explain when we get to Ninja Ops," Belle told them softly. "What I have to say should only be heard by us, Ron, and Sensei Watanabe."
They grew quiet at Belle's words and wisely kept all of their questions to themselves and waited for the time when they could ask them.
ooo0ooo
It didn't take long for the quartet to reach Ninja Ops where Cam and Sensei Watanabe were waiting for them.
"Annabelle, I believe you have something to tell us," Sensei Watanabe started with his calm voice.
"Yes, yes I do," Belle admitted.
"The energy I used to blast the Kelzaks, appear out of nowhere, and manipulated earlier was magic. I'm a sorceress."
Everyone acted out their disbelief differently. Cam gave her a look that said "are you serious", Dustin broke out into laughter, Shane shook his head, and Tori looked at her skeptically. Sensei Watanabe was the only one not to react to the news.
"That was a good joke Shorty," Dustin chuckled. "Now seriously, how did you do that?"
Belle let out an exasperated sigh as she pulled out the light brown stick with a white gold star on top.
"It's true," she insisted. "I can show you. Which one of you would be okay with me doing something?"
"I'll do it," Cam offered.
"Levitatus Milanda."
With a wave of her wand, gold and silver sparkles surrounded Cam until he was floating up off the ground. Eyebrows rose up in surprise as Cam's body floated through the air following Belle's wand. Cam on the other hand was sort of freaking out.
"How are you doing this?! I know I'm not wearing any wires!"
"It's magic," Belle called up to him. "I'm using a spell."
Carefully and slowly she lowered Cam back to the ground and stopped the spell.
"That is so awesome!" Dustin gushed when he realized that Belle was telling the truth.
"Did you go to school for it."
"No," Belle smiled fondly up at her new big brother-like figure.
"My mom and my aunt are both master sorceresses. I'm just a novice."
"That blast you did was something that a novice did?" Tori questioned in disbelief.
"Well, when a sorceress lets her emotions rule her, they can unleash large amounts of magic in their bodies. Most of the time the bursts are wild and uncontrolled. The only reason that happened earlier is because all I could think about was escaping the Kelzaks and saving you. I am very protective of my friends and family so that was a lapse in my control."
"Can you control it normally?" Shane butted in with no tact.
"Considering the fact that you haven't known of it till now says a lot," Belle sassed back.
Cam was the first one to walk over to Belle's side to place a hand on her shoulder.
"Do you ride a broom?" Dustin asked eagerly.
"Yes," Belle chuckled. "I can show you if you'd like."
All Dustin did was vigorously nod his head as an answer.
"Mysto Aerotan."
In a spray of gold and silver sparkles Belle's broomstick appeared in her right hand. Sounds of excitement and awe left Dustin's lips as he stared at the broom.
"Can I touch it?"
Belle simply handed over the broom that Dustin held like it was made of delicate glass.
"That was the motorcycle that I rode into town on," Belle commented offhandedly while Dustin was looking over every detail.
"No way," Dustin breathed out. "Can I ride it?"
"I'm afraid you need to be a caster to ride it, but I can take you for a ride."
"I want a ride," Tori requested with a smile.
"Okay, okay. How about I give everyone a ride? Sensei?"
"Go have fun," he encouraged with a small smile."It will give your teammates time to get to know you."
"Follow me guys."
The three rangers were the first up the stairs.
"You too Ron," Belle directed to Cam when she saw he wasn't following her.
"But I have coding to do," he offered as an excuse.
"Cameron Watanabe, I will drag your butt out here if I need to," Belle threatened. "You need breaks from your computer."
"Go with them Cam," Sensei Watanabe told his son. "Socialize with your friends."
Satisfied with Sensei's answer, Belle took a hold of Cam's wrist and pulled him up the stairs after her.
Dustin still held on to Belle's broom when Belle walked over to the group, but he handed it over when she came to stand beside him. She quickly straddled her broom and turned to Dustin.
"Hop on Géant."
Dustin wasted no time hopping on behind Belle and wrapping his arms around her waist.
"Hold on."
And like that they shot off into the sky with a 'whoop' coming from Dustin. Belle zoomed through the sky with Dustin and performed a few aerial tricks that had him cheering. Too soon for Dustin, his time came to an end which meant that Tori was next. Her ride wasn't as adventurous as Dustin's for Tori's own comfort seeing as though she was made for the water, not the air. However, Shane's turn was way more adventurous than Dustin's. Given that Shane was made for the air, Belle pushed her broom so fast that she was a blur in the sky. Shane made noises of joy from behind Belle, but for the most part he was soaking up the feeling of being in the sky and feeling the wind blow against his face.
"You know Shane," Belle spoke up during their ride. "Whenever you want a ride, all you have to do is ask and we can go riding."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"Look, Anna...I wanna talk to you about how I've been acting lately."
Belle kept quiet so that Shane could get what he needed to say out.
"I shouldn't have been ripping on you for being young and not knowing how to keep a secret when you were able to keep you being a witch-,"
"Sorceress."
"You being a sorceress," he amended with an eye roll.
"From all of us. If it wouldn't have been for that incident today, you could have kept that secret. You're really mature for a fifteen year old."
"Thank you Shane. It means a lot that you'd apologize."
The two flew in silence until Belle had a thought.
"You're not going to turn into another big brother are you?"
"Oh big time Sabrina."
Belle's face deadpanned at the nickname.
"Haha Shane. Very funny."
"I think so."
That is where Shane's turn ended and Cam's began.
"Still having trouble grasping this?" Belle asked Cam as they flew.
"Yes," Cam admitted, his arms squeezing Belle's waist a bit. "Before today, I thought things like sorceresses were only fairy tales."
"Almost all of it is real," Belle told him. "Feel free to ask me though."
"Trolls?"
"Yep."
"Unicorns?"
"Yep."
"Vampires?"
"Oh yeah. Nasty beings too when they're stuck in bloodlust. And just a bite from a vampire won't turn you. You have to drain the person of blood, give them your blood, and then go to ground. You'll know if it works if the person claws their way out of the ground."
"Werewolves?"
"Yes, though they're not like the wolfman. They actually become wolves. They can change at will but they are most compelled during a full moon."
"Mermaids?"
"Yes."
"Fairies?"
"Yes."
"Leprechauns?"
"Probably in Ireland. I've never left the U.S. before."
Cam then fell silent as he let all of the information sink in.
"How long does a sorceress live for?"
"Hmm, we do live longer than a mortal lifespan if we are not killed," Belle mused. "We would probably die at a ripe age of 160, if we don't choose to take restorative potions to live longer than that."
Cam's eyes widened at the number that Belle gave him.
"So you would definitely outlive all of us."
"There is a high possibility, but let's not dwell on that. We should live in the moment."
Not long after that, Cam's turn ended but Belle did not dismount from her broom.
"I'm going to go on a ride by myself," Belle told the group. "Riding always helps me sleep easier."
"Don't get back too late," Cam warned her.
"I won't Ron," she smiled. "I'll be back quicker than a pegacorn."
With that promise, Belle took back off into the sky and flew off in no particular direction.
On the outskirts of Blue Bay Harbor in the opposite direction of Ninja Ops, Belle landed amongst the trees of the forest. Ahh, it feels so good to be flying again, she thought to herself while she ran her fingers along the bark of the trees. Up above, the stars twinkled softly that seemed to fill Belle with power. During this increase of power, Belle could feel her prophetic instinct pop up. She needed to take off her morpher and hide it. Well that's odd, she mused but listened to it anyway. Being a person who had the magic of the stars, she was well versed in fortune telling through the stars. Come her sixteenth birthday, her mother says that she would start receiving prophetic dreams as well. As she walked along the trail in the forest, she caught sight of a man sitting on a log. What could he be doing out here, Belle pondered to herself while she made her way over to him.
"Hello," she called out hesitantly lest she spook him.
That didn't work because he was at once up from the log and in a fighting stance she recognized as belonging to the Thunder Ninja Academy. She kept recognition of his style a secret but raised an eyebrow at his jumpiness.
"Who are you and what are you doing here?" the man demanded, green blue eyes guarded.
Belle took a moment to assess his physical features before she answered. Nape length golden brown hair was messy around his face while he was dressed in a crimson t-shirt and a pair of black pants. She couldn't help but admire the toned muscles that she saw from the edges of his t-shirt sleeves.
"I am Annabelle Dervereaux, but you can call me Anna," Belle offered with a small smile.
"As for what I'm doing here, I didn't know you needed permission to walk through a forest."
As soon as the words left Belle's lips, the man's eyes flew around Belle's form and stopped at two spots specifically. One of which no one would expect. The first spot was her left wrist where her morpher would have been if she had kept it on and then on her hair. Belle was used to that one.
"What's your name Hot Stuff?"
The man looked pleasantly taken aback by Belle's nickname for him, but once the compliment sunk in a cocky smirk settled on his lips.
"Hunter Bradley. What brings you here in the middle of the night?"
"Enjoying the view," Belle winked through the double meaning in her words.
"Do you like what you see?"
"Oh definitely. The trees are absolutely gorgeous this time of year."
Hunter's face fell at Belle's words, but he picked up his smile again when he saw the twinkle in her eye.
"What brings you here?"
"Nothing," he said way too quickly. "Just wanted to be alone with my thoughts."
The last part Belle could tell was the truth but she didn't comment on his earlier comment.
"That was all you were going to do out here?" Belle voiced. "Sit out here by your lonesome and stare into the darkness?"
"That sounds sad when you say it like that," Hunter grumbled in slight embarrassment.
"Then how about this? I stay here until you head back to your house and you won't be alone," Belle offered. "We don't have to talk if you don't want to. I'm completely content just sitting here in silence."
"That sounds good," Hunter agreed as he moved to sit back down on the grassy ground.
"Great," Belle beamed. "But I'm using your lap as a pillow."
Sometime during the rides she had given the rangers earlier, her hair had fallen out of her braid so that her silky galaxy colored strands were free to float around her. Belle was careful to move her hair so that it spilled out away from her when she settled down so that she wouldn't be lying on her hair. One wrong move and she would be yanking it. Hunter on the other hand looked uncomfortable with the turn of events yet he said nothing in complaint against Belle using his lap. Once Belle was comfortable, she folded her hands on her stomach and began humming to herself while she looked up at the sky. Hunter's train of thought went back to what he was thinking earlier as his hand subconsciously sought out Belle's hair to run his hands through. We have to find the rangers and befriend them, he thought in determination. We have to get on their good side so that we can get revenge for our school and...for our parents. Belle, who was completely oblivious to Hunter's thoughts, simply enjoyed Hunter's playing with her hair. Ah, this feels so nice, she sighed in her mind. While Hunter thought more about his plans, his eyes took in Belle's appearance. Her face, which was heart shaped, was a flawless tawny color that seemed to glow in the starlight set in with wide chocolate brown eyes framed by full dark lashes, a small upturned nose, high cheekbones, and full lips with the bottom lip being slightly fuller. Framing her whole face was her galaxy colored hair that was an almost perfect imitation of the cosmos. From her face came a slender neck that went to petite shoulders that was the beginning of slender, toned arms as well as an impressive chest for her petite frame. Connected to her bust was a trim waist that led down to wide hips and long, shapely legs topped off with average sized feet. To Hunter, in that moment, Belle looked like a warrior goddess in mortal form.
"How are you so toned?" Hunter asked quietly.
"I dance," Belle answered easily. "People may not think it, but dancing takes a lot out of a person."
"Hmm."
"What do you do?"
"I motorcross. My brother Blake and I are going to the track tomorrow."
"Maybe I'll see you there," Belle commented with a small smile.
"I'd like that," Hunter smiled right back and he meant that. While Hunter had just met the petite teenager, she was able to radiate a sense of peace that no one besides his mother had given him with her presence alone. With the turmoil of feelings and thoughts that had plagued the young man for a few months now had receded a bit while he was sitting with her that took a little bit of the weight on his shoulders off. Just from her laying her head on his lap while humming without saying a word had calmed down his racing thoughts so that he could objectively and logically think of a strategy. Her presence made him think that he was safely tucked back in his childhood home with his parents.
"You know," he began without really thinking. "I've never met someone who could make me so calm."
As soon as the words left him, Hunter was cursing himself out in his mind. Why the hell would you admit this to someone you don't even know?! Whatever happened to being a secretive ninja?!
"Do you want to make a habit of these visits then?" Belle voiced which cut through his inner storm like a warm beam of light.
"Can we do that?"
"Sure. We can do this every night if you want at the same time."
Hunter wanted to question the decision given he hardly knew her and wanted to know how she could get past her parents, but he kept quiet because he really wanted to get to know this unusual girl who was using him as a pillow.
"Does this mean that you're going back home?"
"Yeah," Hunter sighed sadly as he sat up and quickly rose to his feet with Belle in his arms.
"Ah!" Belle let out a shout of surprise as she clutched to Hunter's neck and chest so that she wouldn't fall to the ground. "How tall are you?!"
"6'1". How tall are you?"
"5'0"."
"You're tiny," Hunter laughed.
"Have you ever heard the saying 'dynamite come in small packages'?" Belle retorted testily.
"A little one with fire," he chuckled. "I like it. From now on, you're Little Firecracker."
"Yeah, yeah. Can you put me down now?"
Hunter still chuckled to himself as he sat Belle down on her feet.
"Sure thing...Little Firecracker."
Belle grumbled to herself while running a hand through her hair.
"I guess I'll see you...CB."
"CB?" Hunter echoed in confusion.
"Cocky Bastard," Belle threw over her shoulder as she walked back the way she came.
His laughter could be heard fading away the farther Belle moved from the little clearing. Belle made sure Hunter couldn't see her then slipped into a tree to arrive at Ninja Ops through a tree that was close. Man am I thankful for tree travel, Belle thought herself as she let herself into Ninja Ops. She had just made it to the bottom step on the stairs when she saw a sight that warmed her heart. Cam, in his pajamas, sat in his computer chair with his head resting on his arms. It seemed that Cam had tried to stay up for her to make sure she got home alright but had fallen asleep instead. A small chuckle left Belle as she moved closer to him. His glasses were gone and his face was smooshed into his arms. Feeling bad about making him stay up so late, Belle put a hand on his shoulder and teleported them to outside his room. She hadn't been in his room yet so trying to teleport him in would have been disastrous. So for the little space from outside his room to inside, Belle put one of Cam's arms around her shoulders and levitated them both into his room where Belle lay him down in bed and covered him up. All around her, Belle could see influences of Japanese samurai throughout the room. It fits, she thought. I could never see him as a ninja.
"Anna," Cam piped up groggily, his voice thick with sleep.
"Hey Ron," Belle whispered back.
"What are you doing in my dream?" his tired brain tried to reason.
"It's not a dream," Belle told him. "You were sleeping at the computer so I brought you to your room."
"Ah. How was your flight?"
"Great."
Cam gave a hum to convey his happiness that she had fun and Belle thought it was cute how Cam was trying to stay awake for her.
"I'll let you get back to sleep Ron and I'll see you in the morning."
Belle leaned down to give Cam a kiss on the cheek that turned into her lips on his when Cam had turned to face her. Belle's eyes widened at the action while Cam's brain couldn't quite figure out what had happened. Belle only let her lips rest there for a second then pulled away and hastily made her way to the door.
"Night Ron."
"Night Anna," Cam sleepily called after her only to fall back asleep.
Belle quickly backed out of Cam's door and shut the door softly behind her. What the fuck just happened, Belle thought to herself as she leaned against the outside of Cam's bedroom door. She leaned against the door so that she could gather her thoughts enough so that she could shuffle back into her room and burrow herself under blankets. It took a few minutes, but she managed to slip off to sleep.
ooo0 Ninja of the Stars 0ooo
So, we have Belle sharing with the rangers again about her magic. How did you guys think that changes were in the chapter? I don't think I changed much about it, but I feel like it was enough to make the story a little bit more palatable. As for the ending of this chapter, I didn't quite like the way I had it in the beginning so I tweaked it a bit. I feel like this is better than what I had going on. To me, Hunter and Belle have the more intense, initial attraction while Cam and Belle have a more of a comfortable, gradual attraction. That's my opinion and I would love to hear what you guys think of the relationships in the story whether it be from the old version or if it is from the revised version. I also would like to hear what you guys think will become of Belle's love life by the end of this story. Is she going to end up with Cam or Hunter? Will she choose neither? There are also other options to answer the question, but I want to see how you guys will answer. That was all I had for this A/N, so I will leave it at that and get on with the outro. If you have and questions or comments, feel free to shoot me a pm or to leave a review. Remember, reviews are magic!
-White Wolf