The door swung open, a gust of wind throwing it against the wall as cold air rushed through. Laughter and voices jumping back and forth drowned out the tinkle of chimes while the group jostled its way in. The boisterous teens could have been anyone, but their faces were instantly recognizable.

The girls made for the back of the cafe, joined hands swinging nonchalantly between them. The boys trailed along behind, the distance between them growing as the blonde one drew his long-haired companion into a very public display of affection. Although the recipient returned the kiss with enthusiasm, he was obviously flustered when he pushed the blonde away.

Smug and loving every minute of it, the one pulled the other forward to join their group at the counter. An argument broke out on arrival, good-natured and inconsequential though it might have been, and all of the boys found themselves relegated to a secondary capacity. As half the group made their way out into the cafe proper, everyone else lowered their gazes or turned away in a mostly futile effort to pretend their attention was elsewhere.

The door banged open again, and this time the chimes were clearly audible as the newest patron paused to search the room with her eyes. Settling on the figure by the window, she skirted the path that would have brought her to the counter and made her way over to the two-person table. "Exciting night," she offered breathlessly, dropping into the empty seat.

"If you're media," the table's occupant agreed, giving the camera around the other woman's neck a pointed look. "You follow them?"

"They're off duty." Unwinding her hood and rubbing her hands together briskly, she eyed the single tea on the table. "Just happened to be walking down the same road, that's all. You want that?"

She pushed the tea across the table without a word, watching long fingers engulf the mug gratefully. It was a cold night, this close to spring. She had seen the Rangers--some of them, at least--shivering their way down the sidewalk for several minutes before they entered the cafe. The Power apparently granted little immunity to chill.

The mug clattered back to the table along with an appreciative sigh and a cold-induced sniffle. "That's the stuff. So did I miss anything?"

"Just a kiss and an argument over their order."

The group had been reunited by now, clustering around a table on the other side of the room with some rearrangement of chairs and what appeared to be a great deal of... elbowing. They had no compunction about getting in each other's faces, and they seemed completely unaware of the effect their presence had on the rest of the cafe. She almost felt sorry for the girl who had gone over to wait on them.

"Really? Who kissed? That's what I get for trying to be subtle; I miss all the good stuff!"

Transfixed by the impossibility of violet sparkles appearing out of nowhere, she barely heard the words. The others didn't look awed in the slightest; magic was part of their daily lives, after all. The original Rangers were more preoccupied with each other, and the newest one was ribbing them mercilessly. Only the girls were paying any attention to the lightshow, and even to them it seemed an idle interest, like someone drumming their fingers on a hard surface to pass the time.

"They're so casual," she murmured, wondering if they had any idea how supernatural their lives looked to the rest of the world. They took it all in stride, as though they were just typical teenagers getting a bite to eat before hitting the town.

"They're so young," the woman across from her corrected. "It still throws me when I see them in person. They're children! My son is older than they are, and god forbid he do his own laundry, let alone save the world."

She smiled a little, watching as the server returned with their drinks. They drew her into their group without a second's hesitation, introducing themselves and chatting her up as though she was having dinner with them. How many people would do that? Young or old, prestigious or not--how many people went out of their way for a stranger they might never see again?

There was more to these "children" then just the Power. They were certainly smart, skilled, and charismatic, but on top of that... they meant well. They fought for a better world, not just with weapons and battleships, but with their words, their actions--their belief that the world was better, already.

With their very presence, they reminded her that life was magic. One didn't have to be part of a superpowered fighting force to make a difference. It could be done with something as simple as a smile.