Bloom Shiba

I walk through the bustling crowd deaf to my ears. All faces blend together and blur into one big mess. I've never been this tired or nervous before. The fight with the nighlok drained every ounce of energy within me and currently, I'm nothing but a walking corpse. 

After a very fleeting battle with exhaustion, I reached my locker and started packing my bag again. Cheering and squealing of goodbyes rang from all the directions, but none enough to distract me. My hands had a mind of its own, but clearly not a good one because it moved a little too slowly than intended. 

My morpher rang, and my hand was half way to it when I heard her. "Hey Bloom!"

I turn towards Lia, hiding the morpher deeper into my bag. "Hey!" I try to put on a smile but her reaction told me enough that she saw me through the facade. 

"Is everything alright?" Her voice filled with worry and genuine concern. I nod my head, unable to find my words. Her mouth went agape, disbelief written all over her face. But her head shook slightly and a deep breath left her mouth, and just like that, she asked, "any plans for the holidays?"

"Just... home," I said and for the first time, understanding how exhausted I sounded. 

"OK," she said curtly and lingered a little longer, her legs swinging front and back. My morpher rang again, this time, I deliberately cut the call. Lia's eyes found the movement, but she didn't prive on it. Instead, her eyes met mine again, suddenly making me feel just how much of a bad friend I am. 

"Just," she started, hesitating on her next words. "Just know that I'm here, if you need to talk."

I nodded my head, feeling the warmth of her words spread through me. I know I may never talk to her, but the knowledge that she was there for me was all I needed to hear.

In midst of my retrospection, I caught her glancing at her watch, as if she had somewhere to be.

"If you need to be somewhere," I said, genuine concerns in my voice. "Go ahead. I'll be fine."

An apologetic look found her face. "I'm sorry," she said. "I just promised Jax I'll meet with him by three and time's ticking. But we'll catch up later?"

"Sure," I said in a daze, my mind still swirling on the realization that it was almost three and I'm not done yet. Giving me a curt nod, I watch her leave, her steps a long stride and completely determined. 

Once it was clear she wasn't going to turn back, I quickly reached into my bag, making a mess since I pushed it a little too far inside, and reached out my morpher. It was Ji. It was usually Jayden who called me and, considering Ji called me... I don't know. I just hope he doesn't start lashing at me.

The call went through, and two rings sounded and he picked up the call. "Bloom! Where are you?" His voice came out immediately, more urgent than I have expected. "Still in school, Ji," I said, my voice hoarse.

"I've already sent the arrows," he said. "I've mentioned that you would meet them at the shopping plaza, near the tree with the Shiba symbol on it."

"There's a tree with a Shiba symbol on it?" I asked, realizing just how unfit I am to be a red ranger, let alone lead a team. I could hear Ji sigh on the other side, probably the same thing going on in his mind too.

"Just go," he said. "You'll know which one when you get there." 

I didn't know how I would just magically know something, but for now, all I could do was believe his words. "Why are you still on the phone?" His sudden voice startled me. "You need to go. Now!"

Now?! The erratic sounds of my heartbeat echoed throughout my body. My throat seemed to dry and my voice betrayed me.

"I– I'm not done packing..." I stumbled, my mind going on an overdrive and acting dumb at the same time. 

"Well hurry!" He insisted. "The other rangers would be there sharp by three!"

Cutting the call, I quickly shove my things into my bag and then... just stood there. I can't really just take my bag to meet my team, can I? Its bloating with things and it is just embarrassing. After a few more debates, I convince myself to teleport it back to the Shiba house. Finding a quiet spot, a.k.a. the janitor's room, I use my symbol power to teleport it to the Shiba house and told a silent prayer for it to reach its destination.

I glanced at the watch and it was already 2:58... just two minutes for me to reach the spot. I tried my best to walk casually until I stepped out of the school's entrance. And then, I bolted. My legs pushed at the ground, willing myself to go faster and faster. I was running out of breath and my muscles started to ache, but I didn't mind. I don't know why I put so much effort when I for sure knew I would be late.

3:05 and I reached the shopping plaza. A record time! My eyes scanned for the tree with the Shiba symbol. I really don't know how Ji expected me to find it. All the trees looked the same to me. But slowly, my eyes landed on a group of teenagers near a tree, lingering with this aura of uncertainty. I'm not sure if the tree has the symbol, but something told me it was them.

I ran again and stood right in front of them, catching my breath while bracing myself, clearly startling them. "Bloom?" I heard a familiar voice. My head jerked up on her voice. 

"Lia?"

My eyes scanned the rest of the team and... Jax.

I peeked around the team to look at the tree behind them. It had the Shiba family crest, alright.

Straightening myself and trying to not sound out of breath, I said, "Sorry for the delay."

"You are not forgiven," Jax said, his audacity! "As the red ranger, I expel you from the team," he said and all I could do was chuckle.

"You're the red ranger," a girl asked, uncertainty clear in her voice. I took my leisure time to look at my to be team. There was Lia and Jax, idiot. And then, a pale Asian  girl with jet black hair, the one who spoke, was looking keenly at Jax, waiting for an answer. Her eyes shone with innocence. My heart ached when I realized she would soon how to shed the innocence skin. There was another boy, really tall, his hair cut to his scalp, his skin dark. He was looking at Jax from top to bottom, clearly wondering if he should take his word.

"Yes," Jax answered but I am not going to elaborate until she leaves," he said his fingers dripping with venom as he pointed at me. All I did was chuckle more. Lia pulled at his arms, murmuring for him to stop, telling him that he is taking it way too far.

I looked at everyone and said, "well, I am clearly a ranger, and the red ranger over here doesn't want me to join the team, let alone hear me speak, so... I am not going to tell which ranger I am. How about you guys start introducing yourselves  and we'll find out which ranger I am, shall we?"

"I told you to leave," he growled and Lia shot him a glaring look and stepped forward. All I did was stare at everyone with amusement. I was actually having fun. Shocker.

"Lia," she said, looking at the other two. "Yellow ranger."

Yellow ranger. Suits her...

The guy looked at Jax, then at me, then Lia, and said, "I'm Nicholas. You can call me Cole," he said, determination etched on his face. "I'm the blue ranger."

I nodded my head. Jax's face grew ever so irritated. The girl was the last to talk, and I felt Lia stepping forward with curiosity. She was clearly expecting something.

"I'm Rose," the girl spoke. "The pink ranger.

I smiled. Jax's reaction pulled my eyes to him. The gears in his mind was starting to shift.

"So," I said, and his eyes fell on me which had something like fear in it. "Yellow," I said pointing at Lia, gradually shifting my fingers as I called out, one by one. "Blue, pink, and..."

My hands landed to Jax, "red."

Acting as if calculating, I circled my fingers throughout the team and finally landed at me with my face scrunched up in thought, "That would make me the green ranger. Am I right..., Jax?"

I could see Jax's chest heave, Lia's eyes bulge and Rose and Cole stand with utter confusion. I smiled at Jax, my head tilted slightly. "You're lying," he whispered.

"I'm lying?" I asked, all my pent up anger starting to bubble within me.

With a swift move, he launched his fist at me. Is this guy crazy?

I held his wrist, twisted his arm and pinned him down to the floor with my leg. Jax screamed in pain and Lia gasped. I looked at all the faces of  my team, slowly, scanning them. A look of horror now evident on everyone.

With my free hand, I reached into my jacket and pulled out my lion zord.

"Bloom Shiba," I said. "Red ranger."

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