Emily POV:

We were in the middle of a battle against a particularly tough nighlock, and we seemed to be winning. He was drying out and we were exhausted, but we still put everything we had into the fight. We thought it was over, we had won, so we began celebrating, but he came back, mad as ever. With a vengeance.

He grabbed onto an unsuspecting Mike from behind and tossed him onto the ground. Hard. I screamed, afraid for my friend. We had been through so much together and I would hate to see him hurt. I cared too much about him.

Mike got up, ready for battle, when he was struck down again. I went to help him up, and Mike thanked me with his signature smile. The smile that melted my heart. The nighlock's smile, however grew even larger than it already was, as if he had seen something important. He released even more moogers and the four other rangers went to fend them off. Mike and I both rushed the nighlock and put up a pretty good fight, before he got the better hand and struck me down. He didn't seem to care though, as he walked away from me to face a recovering Mike. Mike stood up defiantly and he was joined by Jayden and Antonio, while Kevin and Mia came over to help me up. The nighlock's grin grew even larger as he spoke.

"So, you think you've outsmarted me? You think you'll win because you're a team? You're hard work and friendship conquers all? Newsflash, this is reality!" And with that he threw a dagger from his hand, right into Mike's heart.

This dagger dissolved on contact, but Mike clutched at his chest like he had actually been hit. My heart poured out to him, writhing around in pain on the ground, while Antonio and Jayden kneeled next to him, trying to help in any way they could. The nighlock spoke again.

"That was for the mentor who will never love you like a son. The mentor who despises the way you act. The mentor who could care less about you." Mike clutched harder at his chest and gasped for breaths. Jayden tried to calm him down.

"Mike, that's not true. Nothing he said was true. Mentor cares about you so much. Don't listen to him."

"And why shouldn't he?" The nighlock roared as he threw another dagger. Jayden and Mike both flinching and reaching for their hearts as it struck Mike's. "That one was for the leader whose flame will forever burn brighter and fiercer than yours. The leader who has never believed in you. The leader whose only belief is that you were worthless, an unneeded addition to the team."

"Mike, don't listen to him." Jayden said through gritted teeth. "It's nothing but lies. It's all lies"

"Oh, but it isn't!" The nighlock hissed with glee, as another dagger was plunged through Mike's heart. In an instant, Jayden released his grip on his heart and was replaced with Antonio, grasping at nothing but air. "This is for the friend who will always shine brighter than you, no matter what you do. He is the new and improved you, more valuable in every way. The friend who will do whatever it takes to make sure he drowns you out." Mike's face dropped and he looked over to Antonio with a strained expression.

"Amigo, that's not the truth at all. You're one of mi mejor amigos." Antonio said pleadingly. "Please don't believe him."

"Mike, don't feed into it! You're better than him!" Mia yelled from her spot next to me, and once again the nighlock released a dagger aimed straight at Mike's heart, but this time Mike powered down and seemed to be close to unconsciousness. Antonio ran over to his green friend and tried to comfort him. Mia fell to her knees as she clutched her heart, much like the others.

"And this is for the friend who feels you are her charity case. She pities you because you are so pathetic. She knows you are weak, and she feels bad, but not enough to care about you." Mike's struggle against the nighlock significantly lessened, as if he believed the words were true, and he was accepting them.

"Mike, don't give up. None of it's true. You are so strong!" Kevin yelled from his spot on the ground, next to a groaning Mia.

"You rangers just keep testing me!" The nighlock yelled as another dagger was thrown, Kevin, this time falling onto the pavement, clutching his heart with his hands. Mike was breathing very slowly now, out of routine, like it was a struggle. "And that one was for the friend who you say is important, but who really doesn't care about you. The friend who calls you weak and pathetic behind your back. The friend who tried to replace you on the team."

I gasped and looked over at a gasping Kevin, whose face was riddled with shock and pain. Mike looked over at Kevin, tears welling in his eyes.

"Kevin…" He managed to say, sadness clouding his voice.

"Mike, it's all a lie. I never said or did any of those things. You can't believe it. You just can't…" Kevin said, in a blur. But Mike seemed to not only believe it, but accept it.

"Mike, please don't give up... He's torturing you with lies…." I said softly to my best friend.

"Oh. and one final thing…" The nighlock hissed evilly, plunging a final dagger in Mike's heart, "This is for the girl who could never love you back." And the nighlock began to twist his hand, as hard as he could, until all you could hear was a crack.

My insides started to twist as I fell to the ground, my chest abundant with pain, but I could only see Mike's face. The way it dropped. The way he stopped breathing. The way his eyes extinguished. The way the fight flew out of his face. The way that he gave up, finally succumbing to the darkness. But why? Who didn't love him back? Masked by my confusion, I didn't see the nighlock move away.

"That should do it!" The nighlock laughed and all of the pain that was once in my body disappeared. I stood up and ran over the where the others were now standing, next to Mike.

"What did you do to him…" Mia hissed.

"What did I do? Ha, more like what you did!" The nighlock responded.

"What?" I asked breathlessly.

"I merely told him the truth. And sometimes, the truth hurts…"

"Truth my ass," Mia said angrily as she charged the nighlock, slashing him across the stomach. "All you said was lies."

"Yet, he believed me." The nighlock said as he recovered.

"You have about five seconds to explain what you did before I show you reality..." Jayden roared, raising his sword.

"Jayden…" Kevin started.

"No Kevin, we need to know how to fix Mike before we can destroy him." Jayden whispered to the blue ranger bluntly. Then, all of a sudden, the nighlock threw something into the air. Antonio caught it and began to examine it.

"It's a clock…" Antonio began. "Shaped like a heart… but the sections are made up of our colors… I don't get it."

"That, goldie, is your friend's heart. Broken beyond repair."

"But…" I started, tears stinging my eyes.

"That is all I say." The nighlock said simply as he slid into the gap, leaving only a faint red glow. Jayden and Kevin charged forward, but it was no use, he was gone. We all powered down, and ran over to Mike. Seeing him lying there, helpless, made me feel so terrible, and I stood up to take a walk, where Mia nodded to the others that she was following. Mike looked so pained, like all he had in the world was stolen away from him. Like it was shattered.

I tried to restrain the tears that were now pouring down my face. He looked so destroyed. The guy that made me smile, laugh, and feel beautiful was now so broken. So shattered. He was so happy. How could this happen? How could he be so devastated like that? So hurt? I fell to the ground and started to sob.

"It's all going to be alright…" Mia cooed as I leaned into her shoulder, crying.

"Mia... his heart is broken, how can it be okay?" I asked, pushing away my tears.

"Because Mike is the strongest person I know."

A/N: Please Review! Even if it's just a smiley face! They really help!