A/N: I want to thank everyone for their reviews and support. I also should warn you that the end of this chapter gets pretty dark so don't read it if that kind of stuff gets to you. There is a minor character death in this chapter as well.

Crumbling Earth 3

By Saturday morning Emily had fallen into a routine much like she had had at Shiba House. She got up in the morning and made breakfast, which was eaten in Serena's room so she could visit with her. Then she tended to her morning chores, weeding the garden, milking the cows and gathering the eggs among other things. By the time she was done with that, she would barely have time to shower, change into her uniform and make lunch for her and Serena before she went to work.

Emily gently nudged the door to her sister's room open with her elbow. Since she had arrived the week before Serena had yet to leave her bed for anything but to go to the bathroom, and then it was back to bed. When Emily was weeding the garden or something like it that didn't occupy her mind as well as her body she would alter between missing Mike and the rest of the Samurai, mostly Mike, and worrying about Serena. Serena was the only living relative she had no parents, no grandparents, aunts, uncles, or cousins, it was just the two of them, and Emily knew that Serena was downplaying her condition. She was weak and was hardly eating.

"What's that look about Em?" Serena asked her voice barely coming out as a soft whisper, talking took too much energy.

"Just thinking," Emily admitted, "About my friends, wondering what they are up to, especially Mike, this is the longest that we've been away from each other since we met."

"He's a good friend, I could tell from your letters," Serena managed to croak out.

Emily frowned, "I'm worried about you too," she admitted, "You're a lot sicker than you were when I left."

Serena grabbed Emily's hand in her hands. Emily took the thin hand and shook her head, it was so white and cold it could have been made out of snow, it looked as fragile as a snowflake, "Don't worry about me," Serena pleaded, "You are working too hard and worrying too much. You need to go to the party tonight and loosen up some. You're only eighteen you shouldn't have the weight of the world on your shoulders."

Serena dropped back down into her pillows, the conversation had tired her completely out. Emily went to offer her a drink, only to discover that Serena had fallen asleep. Emily shook her head, tucked her blankets in and set her plate of food on the nightstand for her when she woke up.

…

Colby showed up at the Diner around one o'clock with a group of friends that Emily recognized from the football team. She was serving another table so she told them, "I'll be with you in a minute."

As she left, Colby elbowed his friend, "See, she's the one I was talking about, she just got back from boarding school and thinks she's so cool, but I know that she's really still Crybaby Stevenson."

Emily heard this, she was certain that Samurai could hear a pin drop in a noisy room, but paid no mind about it, she didn't let what a monster said to get to her why should she let a bunch of boys bother her. If they got too out of hand, or start harassing her Joe would just kick them out. She saw him do it before.

Finally, she made her way over to their table, "Hello boys, can I get you something to drink?"

After the boys had ordered Colby asked Emily, "So are you coming to the party tonight?"

Emily shrugged, "Probably, Serena wants me to go out and have some fun, though it won't be the same without Mike, maybe when Mike come to visit, I can host the party and show you how we threw parties at school."

"Let me guess it involved ice cream sandwiches and confetti," Colby said and a baby voice, "Huh, only babies call that a party."

Emily wrinkled her nose, why couldn't Mike come, he always helped her put things in perspective and was just tough looking enough that the boys wouldn't want to cross him.

…

The rest of her shift went smoothly and she went home, did her evening chores and cooked dinner for the two of them.

As she entered Serena's room she frowned, Serena was asleep; she always tried to be awake when she got home from work so that they could talk. The fact that her plate of food from lunch was still untouched told her that she had slept all afternoon.

Emily set the tray of food at the foot of the bed and gently shook Serena awake, "Serena, I'm home and I made dinner."

"Oh," Serena said glancing at the food, she wasn't hungry and she felt too weak to sit up, "I'm not hungry at the moment, but I want to hear about your friends at Shiba House, what was Jayden like?"

Serena listened as Emily talked, yes, Emily would be taken care of, Jayden was a good leader who wouldn't leave one of his own out on his own, of course, Mike wouldn't let him leave her behind and Mia always seem to know how to listen and Antonio could make her laugh. Yes, she didn't need to worry about Emily, she had her friends. Emily will survive once she was gone.

Emily simply was talking about Shiba house and everything they did together when she looked down at Serena, she had fallen asleep again, she shook her head, she was so weak, what would she do without her. She smiled sadly, straightening her yellow comforter and whispered, "Goodnight Serena."

…

Emily arrived at the party about eight o clock, right as it was starting. She found it odd that so many kids she didn't know had come to a welcome home party for her. Then again maybe the party had been planned and invitations sent out when Colby had invited her, as a way to welcome her home. She ran her hand down the front of the yellow sundress that Mia had picked out during their last shopping spree together. Oh, she missed her, she even missed the smell of her cooking and how they always knew dinner was ready when she was cooking when the smoke alarm went off. She loved how she could talk to her about her crush on Mike and not be embarrassed. Or how they could go shopping for hours and not buy a single thing and enjoy the experience.

Colby let out a low whistle when she entered the house, "Look at you, dressed up like a City folk and making all us country blocks look shabby. No wonder you're sister's about to lose the farm, how much did that dress cost, a hundred bucks."

"It only cost ten at the discount store that I got it at," Emily replied coldly, she had been careful about how much she spent.

Just then a gaggle of cheerleaders surrounded her, "I love the dress," one said while another one demanded to know where she got it.

"Oh, just a little boutique in the city that I shopped at while I was there," Emily told them, rolling her eyes, the boutique had been a local secret if Mia hadn't lived around there as a kid they probably wouldn't know about it.

Just then someone cranked up the music to a song that was mostly comprised of foul language. Emily shook her head, even Mike, the rebel of the team didn't listen to that type of music. Emily bit her lip, if Mike was here he would ask them to change the music, and if Kevin and Jayden were here the stereos would stand in temporarily for a practice dummy.

She smiled at the thought of her friends. If she closes her eyes she could pretend that the stench of the beer from all the underage drinking could be the smell of Mia baking cookies for their victory celebration while the rest of the team slurps on ice cream from whatever ice cream truck they happened to pass on the way home.

"Let me guess," Colby asked, "You don't dance."

Emily shook her head, "I can dance, just not to this type of music, something with cleaner lyrics."

Colby nodded, before going to the stereo and changing the station.

After that Emily decided that if she was here she might as well dance, although she was well aware that none of her dance partners were as good as her favorite dance partner. She sighed she missed Mike terribly.

Everyone was impressed with her dance moves, not that she let it get to her head. She was a complete amateur when compared with Mike.

…

Around eleven Emily grabbed the white denim jacket that Mike had given her for her birthday and was about to head out the door when Marie stopped her, "Where are you going, the party's just getting good."

Emily didn't understand how the party was just getting good, most everybody was drunk by now, which was one of the reasons she wanted to head home. Samurai Rangers didn't drink, even Mike and Antonio didn't do it and Emily wasn't planning on starting now.

"I was just heading home, Serena hasn't been feeling good recently and I want to check on her," Emily explained, she had a strange feeling of urgency as if something bad was about to happen and she felt like she needed to check on Serena.

Marie snorted, "You didn't care about checking on her while you were away at boarding school," she pointed out, "Come on, you've been dancing really hard, at least get a drink before you go."

Emily nodded her head, to be honest, she was thirsty but she didn't want anything that had been spiked, alcohol did not go well with superpowers flowing through the blood, "Nothing alcoholic please, I don't drink."

Marie smiled sweetly, "I think there's some Coke in the kitchen," Marie said, dragging her into the kitchen.

Emily accepted a red solo cup filled with Coke from Colby with a quick thank you, "Just one drink, then I need to get back to Serena."

Colby smiled, "Let's see how you feel after you have a drink."

… A/N: Heads up this is when it gets dark…

Emily sat the cup down and groaned, the loud music was giving her a headache and she was feeling kind of funny like she had when that nighlock had stolen her soul. She was even starting to sweat.

"Are you feeling okay, you look kind of pale," Marie asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine, the music is just too loud," Emily said.

Colby placed a hand on her back, "Why don't you go up to a bedroom until you start feeling better."

Emily started to protest but her knees started to buckle so she allowed Colby to take her upstairs and to one of the bedrooms.

Colby pushed her down on the bed as the world started to spin around her. The last thing she remembered as she blacked out was Colby climbing on top of her, and telling Marie, "Get my friends, the fun is just starting."

"NO!" she called out as she tried to struggle against him, he hit her head as hard as he could and she ended up blacking out.

…

Emily woke up slowly feeling groggy, her head pounding as if she had been hit in the head by some nighlock with super strength, she was confused, where was she and how did she get there. Suddenly memories began to flow through her mind, feeling weird, going upstairs to lie down and Colby pinning her down.

She sat up straight and quickly pulled her clothes on that she found in a pile at the foot of the bed, she shivered, this couldn't be happening. She was a Samurai, a Power Ranger, a Super Hero, she couldn't have just been raped, she couldn't have. She was the one that was supposed to do the saving. She shouldn't have to be the Damsel in Distress.

She hugged herself tightly as she skirted people who were all passed out in random positions. She really wished Mike was here, then none of this would have happened. He wouldn't want her anymore, she was used and she was pathetic. She was supposed to be saving the world from nighlocks and she can't save herself from a mere human.

Outside it was raining and Emily was disappointed to find out that the farm's truck had been blocked in, and from the state of things inside, the owner of the car probably wasn't in a fit state to move it. She'll have to come get it in the morning.

…

There were three miles to her house and it was cold, wet, and dark, but she was hysterical and the walk gave her time to calm down some.

By the time she entered the house the grandfather clock was striking two in the morning. She leaned against the door for some time trying to compose herself. She couldn't handle this, she didn't know what to do. She needed Serena, she always knows what to do.

She walked upstairs and opened the door to her sister's room and turning on the lights. Serena was super still under her blankets. Emily frowned, Serena usually would wake up if she turn the lights on, even if it was only for a second.

She walked over to her and grabbed Serena's hand, planning to wake her up, she wouldn't tell her about the attack, she would just tell her that she was home. She frowned, her hand was like ice, she went to tuck it under the blanket when she realized how stiff the arm was. She gasped, letting Serena's hand fall and let out an earsplitting scream that she was sure could be heard at the Shiba House and then she crumpled to the ground, it couldn't be, she couldn't be. She needed Serena now more than ever and now she was dead.

…

A/N: Okay so I've wanted to write about this kind of stuff for a while and I understand if you don't like it, but don't flame me just cause you don't like my plotline. So Emily goes to the party only to get attacked and to come home to find her sister dead.