The sunset had been particularly beautiful and the two of them had enjoyed it. They had ended up getting some take-away and bringing it back to the Academy grounds and eating it in a secluded area - a compromise that they had ended up reaching after some good natured give and take between the two of them. They had found a secluded spot in the Academy grounds that was overlooking the valley where the Academy was located on the mountain. Dressed in warm clothes they had sat on some rocks, eating and talking about nothing in particular. After the sun had set, they made their way back to the academy buildings. They had spoken to Sensei Palan when they had returned earlier and they had agreed to stay out of the way of most of the academy's students, to avoid any more incidents like the night before and early in the morning. Making their way inside, the two of them met Sensei Palan on the way to their rooms.
"Ah, Sensei Bradley, Sensei Watanabe. I was just on my way to see you." He glanced at their warm clothes and gave them a smile. "I see you have been outside enjoying our lovely autumn weather. How are you finding our fair country?" Cam fell into step beside the older man and gave him a warm smile.
"What we've seen so far is beautiful. Once this is all sorted out, Hunter and I are hoping to spend a few days traveling around and seeing the sights if possible." Sensei Palan nodded.
"I'm glad. The world has only just recently begun discovering how beautiful our fair country is." Hunter gave a soft laugh.
"You can thank Peter Jackson for that Sensei." Sensei Palan gave them the most un-sensei like grin they had ever seen.
"That he has. Some of our students were even lucky enough to be extras in those magnificent movies. You know that there is a tour you can go on?" Cam smiled.
"Yes Sensei, we were hoping we'd have time before we go home." Sensei Palan smiled as they reached their rooms.
"I hope you do." The Sensei reached into his robes and took out a piece of paper. "Sensei Laglia and I have spoken and this is the list of spell ingredients we need to obtain. The ones crossed off are ones that I have on hand already, but a few will have to be gathered. Luckily for us they are obtainable here in New Zealand." He handed the list to Cam and Hunter looked over his friend's shoulder. "Tomorrow I will be sending out a couple of teams of students and teachers to obtain these items. I would like you both to go with one of the groups," he held up his hand to stop them from saying anything, especially since Hunter's head jerked up and his mouth opened to retort. "The group I am sending you with is made up of the most tolerant and skilled students I have. They know this area that you need to go to like the back of their hands, and will be invaluable guides. But, I don't have the teachers to spare to go with them, as they are needed to teach and gather the other ingredients. Would you please do the honor of escorting these students?" Cam exchanged a glance with Hunter who shrugged and Cam nodded.
"We'd be honored to Sensei Palan."
"Thank you Cameron, Hunter. I will leave you to your rest now. I will see you both after morning meditation." He bowed his head slightly and left them to it. Sighing, Cam opened his door and entered his room, not really surprised that Hunter followed him in. Hunter closed the door and sat down on the edge of the bed, watching Cam as he opened his back pack and began digging around.
"What are you looking for?"
"This." Cam answered absently as he withdrew a laptop from his backpack. Hunter raised an eyebrow and looked at it.
"You brought Cyber Cam and the laptop with you?" Cam gave a tiny smile as he sat down on the floor cross-legged and opened the laptop, sitting it on the small table.
"No, this is my spare laptop. The laptop linked with the main frame and Cyber Cam is back at the Academy. But I'm going to use it to run a few tests and scenarios through it."
"Something's still bothering you about this whole mess isn't it?"
"Yeah, it is. Something just doesn't add up." Hunter looked at his friend curiously as he undid the warm jacket he was wearing.
"It's really bugging you that you can't work this out isn't it." Cam gave a small nod, his fingers already flying over the keys; his hand not really hampered that much by the bandage on it.
"Yes it is. Those seals should be lasting another thousand or so years." Cam looked up and stared off in the distance. "The recent opening of the Abyss shouldn't have that much effect." Hunter took his jacket off, having warmed up now that they were back inside, Cam was still in his jacket but Hunter knew from past experience that Cam would ignore his physical needs when he was working on something. A thought struck him as he pushed up his sleeves slightly.
"Do you think Lothor or Mesagog did something when the Abyss opened again? Perhaps strengthened the evil somehow that was leaking out?" Cam looked at Hunter and suddenly gave him a warm smile.
"Hunter that's brilliant. Why didn't I think of that! Thank you!" Cam's eyes were full of excitement and his tone was warm. Hunter blushed slightly under his friend's scrutiny.
"Perhaps because you're too close to the problem maybe? A fresh perspective, or thinking outside the box I think it's called these days, is what you needed." Cam's hands were literally a blur as he typed that fast. Cam nodded in response to Hunter's words, his eyes now glued to the laptop's screen.
"You could be right you know. Thanks Hunter, I appreciate it." Hunter shrugged, blushing slightly, Cam didn't give praise lightly and that was the second time today he'd praised Hunter's thinking.
"So, do you know how long it's going to take to work out what's going on?"
"Don't know. Depends on how long it'll take me to program the laptop with that scenario." Hunter studied him a few minutes and then sprang to his feet.
"Back in a minute." Cam just grunted absently, not really noticing that he was gone, as he was that engrossed in his work. About twenty minutes later though he was startled by Hunter placing a tray down on the table next to the small computer. He jumped slightly and was annoyed at himself as he saw Hunter smirk at him.
"Never thought I'd be able to sneak up on you Cam." Cam scowled which caused Hunter to smirk even more.
"You didn't sneak up on me. You just startled me is all." Hunter gave a soft laugh as he knelt down opposite Cam and began to pour them both some tea.
"Admit it Cam, when you get engrossed in something you forget the rest of the world exists." Cam flushed slightly as he accepted the mug of tea from Hunter.
"Yeah well." Hunter just smirked more as he looked at Cam over his mug.
"Did you find anything?" Cam nodded, blowing softly on his tea to cool it down slightly.
"Yes. You were right. When the Abyss re-opened, it released such a concentrated burst of evil energy that places like this was greatly affected. I think that perhaps Lothor used such a massive burst of evil energy to open it and escape, that it the effect was worse than it normally would have been." Hunter frowned slightly.
"You mean places that were protecting things of great evil power?"
"Yes. So, instead of having barely an impact like it should of, it's had a massive impact and caused the seals to weaken so much that they are practically transparent so to speak." Hunter thought about that a moment, wrapping his hands around the mug as he studied Cam for a few moments and then he spoke softly.
"So, you think this'll work?" Hunter gestured with the mug to the paper with the spell ingredients on it. Cam shrugged, absently picking up a biscuit off the plate Hunter had brought along with the tea.
"I'm pretty sure it will. But it's going to take a lot of energy and also luck." He began to munch on the biscuit and a silence fell between them, each lost for the moment in their own thoughts. The silence wasn't uncomfortable by any means, and both of them found that it was actually soothing in a way. Finally though Hunter broke the silence as he finished his tea and sat his mug down.
"Well, I don't know about you Cam, but it's been a long day. Are you finished with that?" Hunter gestured to the mug and Cam glanced down, realizing he had finished the tea without even noticing that he had.
"Oh yeah, thanks Hunter." Hunter gave him a tiny smile and a shrug.
"Not a problem. I'll take this back to the kitchen and then turn in for the night. You are going to get some sleep now?" Cam glanced at the laptop and then nodded, looking at Hunter as he packed the tray up and then stood, picking it up.
"Yeah, this is going to have to run for a few hours, so I'll get some sleep." Hunter gave a soft snort as he headed towards the door.
"Like that'll happen. I know you too well Cam. I'll get up in two or three hours and you'll still be sitting in front of that dam thing, waiting for it to finish doing what ever it is you're having it do." Cam saw the mirth in Hunter's eyes and picked up a cushion to throw at him. Hunter just grinned at him as he opened the door.
"Get out of here Hunter!" Hunter laughed as he began to disappear through the door. "Hey Hunter, thanks for the tea."
"Any time Cam. Good night." Cam watched him go and sighing, he glanced at the computer again. It would be hours before he got an answer so deciding to prove Hunter wrong, he got ready for bed. He just wished his mind would settle down so he could get good night's sleep. If it wasn't giving him images of fights with Ice and Fire Ninjas, it was going over the time he and Hunter had spent together today. Finally after a while, Cam finally managed to calm his mind and slip into the world of dreams.
"Got it." They dragged the student back up the cliff and the five of them gathered around him, staring down at the small, fragile looking plant that was resting in the palm of his hand. Cam took the list out of his pocket and glanced at it.
"Great, that's the last of it." Hunter grinned in relief at finally finishing.
"Great. We can take this along with the last few things to the Senseis and get this show on the road." The student handed the plant to Hunter who placed in the bag he was carrying. The three students that were with them looked at him and he glanced at Cam. Cam gave him a slight nod and Hunter then smiled at the students. They had been really helpful and polite this morning, and he had found he enjoyed interacting with them.
"Okay kids. Sensei Watanabe and I appreciate your help this morning. You're to return to the Academy now while we go and meet with your Sensei." The three students nodded and stepping back as one, they bowed and moments later streaked away. Cam put the list away as Hunter slung the bag over his shoulder.
"You handled them well this morning." Hunter just smiled at him as he adjusted the bag until it was comfortable.
"Thanks. It's strange but the same you know?" Cam just grinned and shook his head.
"Not really but I'll take your word for it. So, you ready to do this?" Hunter nodded and then paused, reaching out with his hand on Cam's arm and looking at his friend, his eyes serious.
"Yeah. This is going to be difficult, isn't it Cam?" Cam stared into Hunter's blue eyes and then gave a tiny soft sigh.
"Yes, really difficult." Hunter nodded and gave Cam a tiny, warm smile.
"That's okay. As long as I know you're nearby and we're in this mess together, that's good enough for me. Shall we?" Cam returned the smile and nodded.
"Let's." They suddenly blurred as they streaked away, heading for the rendezvous with the others.
Everything was set and the atmosphere was tense. Sensei Palan and Sensei Laglia were standing opposite each other in the clearing that was exactly equal distance between the two academy sites. Both of them had scrolls in their hands and between them, a small fire blazed, a pot bubbling away, filling the clearing with a sweet scent. All the gathered spell ingredients had been thrown into the pot and they were now ready to perform the spell. Cam and Hunter stood to one side, ready as well. Cam stood by Sensei Laglia and Hunter by Sensei Palan. Behind the two Senseis were their teachers and head students. There had been some tense moment between the head students of both academies, and it wasn't helped by the arrival of Cam and Hunter, what they saw as outside interference. But a sharp word from both Senseis' had stopped anything major from happening. Nodding to Cam that they were ready the two Senseis closed their eyes, ready to receive the energy from their teachers and students.
"Alright everyone. Focus your energy and your thoughts. Send it to your Sensei. Focus on him, think of him. Give it your best shot." The Ninja teachers and students all closed their eyes, concentrating. Cam and Hunter then closed their eyes as well, their hands out in front of them as they began to concentrate and send their energy to the two Sensei's. The Senseis had barely begun to chant the incantation when suddenly the ground began to shake beneath them. The tremors began to increase in strength and but the Senseis kept chanting the incantation.
Suddenly, the earth heaved beneath them, throwing them in all different directions. The two Sensei's were bowled over, knocking Sensei Palan out cold. Cam and Hunter were thrown backwards and ended up at the edge of the clearing they were in. Shaking his head, Hunter struggled to his knees, wincing at his protesting muscles. He looked around to see Cam standing, but clinging to a tree, his eyes closed. Hunter pulled himself up to stand beside him, grabbing onto the same tree to stop the spinning in his head.
"Are you okay?" Cam took a shuddering breath and opened his eyes.
"Yeah. You?"
"If my head could stop spinning, I'll be great."
"I hear you there." Cam went to say something but his attention was drawn to the centre of the clearing. "Hunter. Look." Hunter looked over and swore softly under his breath.
"Well, there goes the neighborhood." Cam snorted as he removed his hand from the tree and took a step forward.
"I hear that." Hunter moved to stand beside him as they studied the scene before them. The Fire and Ice Ninjas were struggling to their feet and then stopping, staring at the centre of the clearing. The earth had been blown out from the inside, dirt and rocks were now strewn everywhere. The dust was slowly clearing as the assembled Ninjas began to get back to their feet. Suddenly, laughter could be heard across the stillness that encompassed the clearing. It wasn't a good laugh, it was viscious sounding and sent shivers up the spines of all those in the clearing. The dust finally cleared and standing on top of the pile of earth was a figure.
He was about six feet tall, well muscled with strong features. What caught Cam and Hunter's attention was that his eyes were totally black. He was also covered in tattoos from head to toe and his long, stringy looking black hair was hanging down his back. He was wearing a traditional Maori grass skirt and there was a manic gleam to his eyes. He looked around at the Ninjas now on their feet, staring at him. He threw back his head and laughed again, looking around at them all.
"Fools! I am finally free and now you will all pay!" Hunter and Cam exchanged worried glances and then looked back at the figure before them all. Sensei Laglia looked up from where he was holding Sensei Palan's unconscious form. He looked worried and stunned. Without really thinking things through he raised his voice and issued a fatal order.
"Ninjas, attack!"
Catch an ALL NEW Power Rangers Ninja Storm, NEXT WEEK!!