Title: Fish That Whisper, Birds That Question
Fandom: Mahou Sentai Magiranger/Power Rangers Ninja Storm
Rating: PG
Summary: Turns out Cam had more relatives than he'd ever originally thought.
Author's Notes: Yes, I know it ends abruptly, but I'm keeping it open for continuance. Also, this is comes entirely from watching PRNS and thinking over much...and then posting a Fandom Secret about it and getting essentially challenged to write it. I enjoy it though, as this is one of my favorite genres: the really bad crossover with massive expository explanations of shit. Title is a translation of some lines from the ridiculous Swedish song "Fiskar som viskar". I can't take myself or this seriously anymore.
Ozu Miyuki smiled as she heard the sounds of her family going about their daily lives in the rooms below her in the Ozu family home. When the battle with Infershia ended a year ago, the members of their small clan had begun to go their own ways, though they still centered themselves on the Ozu house.
Now, though, the entire family was home, and Miyuki couldn't help but take this time alone, in the room she shared with Isamu, to think on missing family members. Her eyes strayed to a photograph on her vanity. It showed two young women laughing beside a waterfall, each with an arm held protectively over barely-bulging abdomens. Miyuki smiled sadly as she took in the carefree expressions and sighed. A little nervously, she gripped the phone and slip of aged paper a little tighter in her hands, glanced at the number again, and began to dial. Perhaps it was time to bring together a family that love and an ocean had separated.
*******
Kanoi Watanabe smiled softly as his son staggered into the kitchen of their apartments at the Wind Ninja Academy. He handed the young man a mug of coffee, with which Cam gratefully sank into his chair at the table and took a deep breath. The two men sat in silence, enjoying the early morning stillness. When he sense Cam was awake enough, Kanoi cleared his throat.
"Cameron," he said, looking at his son from across the table, "I realize that we have talked much about my side of the family in recent years." Kanoi paused and, after receiving an affirming nod from Cam, continued. "However, I realize that I have been remiss in informing you of connections on your mother's side of the family."
"Mom's side? You mean that I have more relatives that I've never met?" Cam snorted cynically. "Are any of them evil megalomaniacs too?"
Kanoi tried not to let his smile show. "Only your uncle-by-marriage, and that was because he was imprisoned and brainwashed for several years, if I have the story straight." Cam's shell-shocked expression made his father chuckle. "Don't worry, you'll get to meet them all in a few days. And Miyuki, that is, your mother's sister, is surprising her family with the trip, so you will not be the only one caught unprepared."
Cameron sighed and put his head in his hands. "And just how many cousins do I have that I've never been told about?" he asked wearily.
"Five," came the reply from across the table. "The younger girl is married, and her husband will be along as well, though I think the oldest and youngest boys both have steady girlfriends." Cam stared at his father unblinkingly, then got up for more coffee.
*******
"Dude, Cam, finding out about family you didn't know you had is usually pretty cool," Hunter assured his friend. The head teachers of the Wind and Thunder Ninja Academies were having their bi-weekly lunch date, wherein they usually discussed ninja-type business. Today, however, was entirely about much more pressing personal matters.
"Like when you and Blake found Kapri pretending to be your adoptive grandmother?" Cam's sarcasm had a biting edge, as it tended to when he was stressed, Hunter noted even as he winced at the memory.
"Considering that we really did get to meet her after that whole mess was taken care of, and she was pretty kick-ass." The blonde Bradley brother grinned unabashedly at his fellow head teacher and former Ranger.
"That may be true, but there are seven of them, and only one of me!" Cam paused for a moment, considering. "Two of us, if you count Dad. Still, those aren't ideal odds."
Hunter smirked. "So what, dude, you want the rest of us there for backup?" Then he stopped to reconsider his words. "You know, it could work. I mean, I'm just a streak away, Tori, Dustin, and Shane freakin' work with you, and Blake's in the off-season for the next couple of months - and I know he'll be around with Tori anyway." He held his hands up in a shrug. "Why the hell not? We're all like family anyway."
"Sure," said Cam, agreeing, for the moment, with Hunter's reasoning, "but how well do any of you know Japanese?"
*******
Ozu Kai looked around the beach for his erstwhile cousin. Mother had said that not only would it be Uncle Kanoi and Cousin Cam, but also Cam's close friends as well. He frowned a bit, knowing that Makito and Tsubasa weren't too happy with that news, but his expression brightened when he spotted an appropriately large group of young people supervised by one older man.
"Found them!" Kai exclaimed, pointing. Houka ran up next to him and grinned widely.
"Oh, some of them look so cute!" she sighed. Kai rolled his eyes and exchanged warning looks with his brothers and brother-in-law. They'd have to keep an eye on Houka.
Mother took the lead then, shading her eyes as she approached what seemed to Kai to be far too many people to be just Cousin Cam and his close friends. Father was close behind her, followed by Houka, with the rest of the siblings trailing slightly behind.
The lone adult of the American group spotted them and waved as he stood to greet the Ozu family. "Miyuki, Isamu," he greeted them, "it has been far too long." The man gave a hug to Mother and nodded to Father, Kai saw, as the younger people came up behind both sets of adults.
"It's good to see you too, Kanoi," Mother replied with a smile and an inquiring look at the small army behind her brother-in-law. Kanoi caught the look and chuckled.
"Introductions then. First, my son Cameron," he said, indicating the serious young man next to him. Mother held up a hand to stall further introductions for the moment and nodded to Makito, who subtly took out his Magiphone and cast a spell with the whispered utterance, "Maaji Magiro." A soft light enveloped both parties, and Mother smiled.
"Now we should all be able to understand each other with no problems," she said quietly, smiling. "I'll explain just what happened later." The Americans, though skeptical, accepted it for the moment. Kanoi raised an eyebrow, but continued anyway.
"As I was saying, this is Cam. Next to him are my nieces from my estranged brother's side of the family, Marah and Kapri." Two girls, one with long brown hair and the other's pale blond hair looked slightly pink at the edges, grinned and waved. "Shane, Dustin, and Tori are teachers at the school with us, as well as good friends of Cam's." At this, a tall young man with darker skin and hair, a shorter young man with curly brown hair, and a blonde girl nodded, though the shorter boy and the girl both smiled as well. Finally, Kanoi indicated a pair of young men who contrasted greatly, though there was a similar air about them. One was tall and blonde while the other was shorter, with dark hair and well-tanned skin. "Hunter is head teacher at the Thunder Academy, while Blake races professional motocross."
Kai was slightly in awe of the people in front of him, studying them so intently that he never heard Mother begin to introduce the family.
*******
Miyuki started the introductions on her side. "Isamu you already know," she said to Kanoi, but looking to the group with him continued, "my husband. Our oldest, Makito," she said, indicating the tallest of her children. One of the girls, with brown-ish hair, grinned in anticipation. Her mother smiled at her. "Houka," she said, "our oldest daughter. And Urara, our second daughter, and her husband Hikaru." The other girl acknowledged them shyly while her husband smiled widely at the group. "Finally, our younger two sons, Tsubasa and Kai." The more sullen-looking one scowled while the youngest boy smiled and nudged his brother.
Kanoi smiled and bowed to them. "It is a pleasure to meet all of you. Please, have a seat and we can start our picnic."
The group settled in a haphazard fashion on the blankets, and Tori led the way in doling out the food so that Shane, Dustin, and Hunter wouldn't gorge themselves in front of the guests. It was Marah who asked the first question.
"Um," she began nervously, turning to Makito as she spoke. "What was that thing you did with your phone earlier?"