Mia was sitting in the kitchen, having just served up some breakfast for her and the others. She sighed as she looked around.
"Does anyone know where Emily is?" She asked them. Kevin just shrugged.
"I haven't seen her." He admitted. "I guess she just wants some time by herself."
"Yeah, she was really upset about Mike leaving." Mia recalled, taking a seat and beginning to play with her oatmeal. "I still can't believe Mentor Ji sent him away."
"I can't believe Mike questioned him like that." Kevin answered, looking to her seriously. "He messed up..."
"But was lecturing him and sending him away really the best way to deal with it?" Mia asked him. "He was really upset about the Beetle Disk. I get the feeling he wanted it really badly. I almost feel bad for taking it from him."
Just then, the Gap Sensor's alarm sounded, informing them that the Nighlock had returned. Mia, Kevin and Jayden's Samuraizers all bleeped.
"It looks like we have work to do." He announced as they got up from the table.
"So much for breakfast." Kevin groaned, shoving his bowl away, knowing that by the time they got back, it would be a soggy mess with no crunch left. It was far from the first time that meals had been interrupted by Nighlock battles, and as much as he never complained, the fact was microwaved leftovers and soggy oatmeal just weren't as good as freshly prepared food.
"Wait, what about Emily?" Mia asked them.
"Her Samuraizer will contact her." Jayden told them. "She'll have to meet us out there."
"I fear that may be a problem." Mentor Ji interrupted them, walking into the room and presenting a Samuraizer to the Red Ranger. He had to presume it was Emily's since Mentor Ji still had Mike's.
"She left?" Kevin asked. "You don't think she...?"
"Emily would never do that, no matter how upset she was." Mia cut him off before Kevin could ask. She would never allow anyone to suggest that of her room-mate. Emily was self-conscious, sure, but she was no coward. She would never abandon her duty.
"I found it on the grass outside when I went to meditate." Mentor Ji told them. "There was also some blood..."
"Then wherever she went, she didn't go by choice." Jayden surmised.
The alarm sounded again, reminding them of the battle going on in the city. Jayden looked up to the flashing light and sighed.
"We need to find Emily..."
"It'll have to wait." Jayden replied. "That Nighlock isn't going to wait."
"But, without Emily or Mike, what are we meant to do?" Kevin asked him. "Unless you forgot, the megazord will kind of be missing an arm and a leg."
"We still have Mike's bear zord." Jayden reminded them. "We'll have to make do as best we can without Emily. Worst case scenario, I guess we get a crash course in using the new Battle Wing."
"Why did you have to mention crashing?" Mia muttered as they ran from the room, reluctantly going to face the Nighlock with only half a team.
Emily came to yet again, finding herself still tied up. Her hands were bound tightly in front of her body, the other end tied around a tree. She held her hands to the side of her head, which was throbbing as a result of her captor's attacks.
As she looked around, she noticed the smell of a campfire, and saw that one was lit a little way from her in a pit lined with stones. If the fire was still lit, then it seemed natural to presume that he was somewhere nearby.
She noticed a stream a little way from her, and saw sunlight glistening off it. She had been gone overnight. She was sure by now her friends had to notice she was missing.
It was then that she saw him, by the edge of the stream, performing a sword kata. Stripped to the waist, she could see his impressive, toned physique, clearly forged through years of combat training. Living in such close quarters with the guys, she knew that they were all in great shape, but this was something else. Every muscle was taught, and defined. Many scars etched into his torso stood as further testament to his the fact that his form had been gained in combat as opposed to in a gym.
She recognised some of what he was doing as he swung his red and white serrated blade in precise arcs, cleaving the air with precision, but he clearly knew a lot more than she had been taught. She could see that his technique was as flawless as Kevin's and his intensity and will were as strong as Jayden's by the way he threw himself into his routine. He had taken her prisoner easily, and she was not keen on the idea of facing him alone. He wanted to fight Jayden, and by the looks of things, she wasn't sure if it wouldn't be more of a match than she would have thought.
She reached inside her blouse, pulling out her Ape Folding Zord, activating it. She set it down on the ground, and held her hands to it. The stranger was so caught up in his practice he never noticed her setting it to the task of working against her bonds.
She grimaced as the Zord's tiny claws sliced into the ropes, scratching her a little as it did so. The ropes were tied far too tightly for her to try and just work them free. As the last strand finally burst, she quickly unravelled the ropes and tossed them aside. Just as she was about to leave, taking the opportunity to sneak away, the blade of the sword appeared over her shoulder, the edge resting against her cheek.
"It's not polite to leave without saying goodbye." He told her. "Especially since I'm making breakfast."
Emily stood stock still as she looked at the blade in terror. He moved closer, giving her a little smile. "Perhaps we can talk some more...aaargh!"
He let out a scream as the Ape Folding Zord hooked into his ankle with its claws. Emily took the moment's distraction as the sword dropped from the side of her face to smash him in the face with her elbow. Dekker staggered away, dropping Urumasa as the Ape Zord leapt onto his hand, burying its claws into the back of it. Emily reached down, snatching up the blade, but let out a howl of agony and threw it aside. The handle increased in temperature dramatically at her touch, burning her painfully. She held her hands in pain as she glared at Dekker.
"Urumasa is no ordinary sword." Dekker told her as he ripped the Ape Folding Zord from the back of his hand, throwing it to the ground. "It is a jealous being, with only one master."
Emily ran forward, throwing punches and kicks in Dekker's direction, but he dodged and blocked almost all of them. She managed to get in a couple of shots, staggering him, but nothing decisive. He finally managed to catch a kick, throwing her to the ground dismissively.
"You have spirit." He complimented her. "You have to know you can't possibly beat me, and yet you keep trying anyway."
Emily ran forward, but this time was caught on the receiving end of a hard kick to the stomach, before Dekker pulled her in, holding her against him as a strong arm wrapped around her throat, squeezing hard.
"Do you yield?" He asked her. "I could snap your neck, you know I could."
Emily struggled a little, but feeling her strength leaving her, she reluctantly nodded. Dekker just shoved her to the ground, before picking up Urumasa.
"Your friends are battling the Nighlock from the other day as we speak." He informed her, pointing East. "They are about three miles in that direction."
"I don't understand." She replied. "You're letting me go?"
"Lord Xandred's war is none of my concern." He told her. "All I live for is finding challenging opponents."
That comment stung a little. She knew he was fixated on Jayden, but there was a subtle undertone to what he had said. He was looking for challenging opponents. He was letting her go because she was beneath him, not worthy of finishing off.
"The curse of immortality has led to me facing some of the greatest warriors in history, and all have fallen to Urumasa." He told her. "Tell the Red Ranger that we will meet someday soon for the greatest duel in history. I am simply to pick the time and place."
"Why?" Emily asked him.
"What is the point of living forever if not to test oneself?" He asked her. "I want him to prepare himself. I wish to have the greatest duel of all time. Go and tell him that I'll be waiting."
Emily got up and ran off, snatching up the Ape Folding Zord as she went.
On the Greyhound, on the freeway back into town, Mike was taking a nap, but was interrupted as he heard a few horns blaring. As he looked around, he realised that the traffic was locked up, and the coach wasn't going anywhere.
"Perfect." He muttered, frustrated by the fact that he was going to be delayed in returning to the academy. He was keenly aware of the fact that the Nighlock was still on the loose as a result of him failing to utilise the Beetle Disk. He hadn't known what to expect when he was sent away to train under Cam, but he was keenly aware of the fact that even though he had gotten through it a lot more quickly than he had expected, he had still been gone just short of two days.
He then heard something nearby. One of the other passengers had a portable TV with her.
"All roads into the city have been closed as a result of yet another monster attack!" The news announcer stated over the broadcast. "What you're seeing is a live feed from the site of the battle, where the Power Rangers are doing battle. However, it seems they are short-handed."
Mike knew what they meant, he wasn't there. He was stuck on this coach.
"Only three of the Rangers have shown up to the battle." The reporter continued. Mike just got up and rushed over, snatching the TV.
"Hey!" The woman protested. Mike just ignored her complaint though; he wanted to know what they meant. As he observed the battle, he noticed that only Kevin, Mia and Jayden were there. Emily was missing. He handed the TV back to the annoyed woman and grabbed his bag from the overhead container, before activating the emergency exit at the back and rushing out across the freeway, weaving in and out of traffic.
"Hey, you can't just get off here!" The driver screamed out the window. He shook his head in disbelief. "Kids today, they're always in such a rush to get everywhere."
He closed the door before heading back to the drivers' seat, taking a deep breath. "Anyone would think it was life or death or something."
Over at the battle site, the Nighlock was keeping the remaining three Rangers busy with his attacks. Their suits protected them from the debilitating misery caused by his rain attacks, but that didn't mean that they were any less devastating.
He raised high into the air, flying high above them. Kevin called out his Hydro Bow, realising that right now, he was the only one who could reach him. Jayden and Mia were still recovering on the ground from an attack.
As he fired a volley of energy arrows from the Swordfish Disk, he cursed the Nighlock for his agility as he missed with all of them. He too ended up on the ground as a result of the Nighlock's counter.
"What more can we do?" Mia shrieked.
"We have to keep trying." Jayden replied, trying to get up, only to falter.
"Maybe I can help with that!" Mike announced as he ran onto the scene. He is chest burned from the long run from the coach, but he had to keep going. Jayden reached to his belt, grabbing Mike's Samuraizer.
"Here!" He called out, throwing it into the air. Mike caught it, and activated it, morphing as he went. He called out his Forest Spear, continuing to run.
"You must be joking!" The Nighlock shrieked in laughter. "You'll never be able to reach me up here with that toothpick!"
Mike remembered the lesson Cam had taught him. The Forest found a way to grow and survive, regardless of what challenges faced it. The Forest was the very epitome of life, growing around or through any obstacle in its way, finding ways to adapt. The Nighlock had made a grave error in underestimating him. He rammed the tip of the spear into the ground, catapulting himself into the air. He converted it back into his spin sword, activating the green disk.
"Leaf storm!" He called out, blasting the Nighlock and sending him tumbling from the air. As he landed, he exploded, ending his first life. Mike landed back on the ground, turning to face the others as they got back up, coming to greet him.
"You're back!" Mia called out.
"You totally bushwhacked him." Kevin complimented him.
"I caught him by surprise." Mike replied. "When you take on the forest, you need to keep on your toes."
Just then, Emily arrived, completely out of breath, and looking more than a little dishevelled as a result of her captivity. She doubled over to catch her breath as the others came over to check on her.
"Emily, where were you?" Mike asked, holding her tightly. "What happened?"
"I'll explain later." She told them, taking her Samuraizer from Jayden. "It looks like its round 2."
Forming into the Megazord as the Nighlock grew to massive size, the Rangers noticed that the umbrella that allowed him to fly had also regenerated.
"It's only a matter of time before he takes flight again." Jayden told them. "It looks like we're going to have to bust out the new hardware sooner than expected."
"Just a minute." Mia sighed, taking out the Beetle Disk. She looked to it for a moment. She loved knowing that Mentor Ji had so much faith in her, granting her the Beetle Disk and trusting her with the newest weapon. However, she had seen Mike's mastery over his symbol power for herself. He might not be the most powerful, but he had come a long way, and he had a creativity and lateral thinking that she didn't. She admired him for that. She presented it to him. "Here Mike, you take it."
"Mia?" He asked her.
"I've seen your symbol power first hand." She told him. "You'd make better use of it than I would."
"Are you sure?" He asked. She just nodded.
"I agree." Jayden said, smiling a little. He was proud of Mike for coming through his challenge, but also of Mia. He knew her well enough to have an idea what she was thinking. Humility was an important trait, and Mia was always willing to put her own glory and prestige on hold.
"Emily and I will cover you while you get ready." She told them. "Go."
"Thanks Mia." Mike answered, taking the disk form her and mounting it on his control panel. "I won't let you down."
Later in the day, after destroying the Nighlock, the Rangers all returned to the Academy. Mentor Ji was standing, waiting on their return. Mike came before him, pulling out the scroll Cam had given him.
"Just like you asked." Mike told him. "It wasn't easy."
"Cam is a strong opponent." Mentor Ji agreed. "His mother went to the Wind Ninja academy many years ago to further her training. She was one of the greatest Samurai that ever lived."
"I can believe it." Mike agreed.
"So what did you learn?" Mentor Ji asked him. Mike took a deep breath.
"The Forest is the very essence of life." He told him. "It finds a way to grow, and to thrive, even if it isn't the way everyone wants it to."
He then turned to the others.
"I also learned that it doesn't do that on its own." He told them. He went to Mia. "It lives in balance with the air."
He went next to Kevin.
"It gains its life from water." He continued, before heading to Jayden. "It takes life from the heat of the sun."
Finally, he stood before Emily, and took her hands softly in his, looking into her eyes.
"And it gains its strength from the earth." He told her. He looked back to Mentor Ji. "What I did was selfish, and we can't afford that. It's a team effort."
"And with the team to support you, you'll get the strength you need." Mia assured him. "That's why I decided you were the best person to wield the Beetle Disk."
"It sounds like you learned a lot from Cam." Mentor Ji sighed, as he put his cane aside. "I must apologise too Mike."
"You?" Kevin asked. "Why?"
"Like you said, the Forest does not always grow the way we want. Sometimes it must find another way." He told him. "I should have started with you from basics, right at the beginning. I can see that now."
"But..."
"You can spend all day trying to push a door that's meant to be pulled." Mentor Ji interrupted him, giving a knowing glance to Jayden. "All that happens is you either never open the door, or you break it. Neither of which is useful."
"I guess I can live with that." Mike replied, offering his hand for a fist-bump. Mentor Ji accepted the peace offering with a smile.
"Now, we have another issue to discuss." Mentor Ji told them, turning to Emily. "What happened to you?"
"I was kidnapped." She told them, taking the sketch Mentor Ji had made of Dekker. "It was him."
"Our mystery man?" Mia asked her. She had gotten the first aid kit as she took the first opportunity to treat Emily's fresh injuries. She inspected the burns on her hands and rope burns on her wrists, getting some ointment.
"He wanted to talk to me." She told them. "He wanted information."
"What about?" Jayden asked her.
"You." She answered as Mia started to rub ointment into her burns. "He wanted me to tell him everything I could about you."
"Why?" Kevin asked her.
"He said he wants to fight you." Emily informed him. "I didn't tell him anything, I promise..."
"Wait, why did he want to fight Jayden?" Mike asked her.
"I don't know, I didn't really understand it. I was spending so much time trying to escape." She told them. "He kept saying something about wanting to face strong opponents, and wanting to have the greatest duel in history..."
Mike just held her as she tailed off. It was clear that whatever had happened to her, she had gone through a lot. It was hard to imagine what it was like for her.
"Did he hurt you?" Mike asked her. She shook her head.
"It's nothing serious. When I was trying to escape, he fought me." She told them. "He's good, seriously, scarily good. He could have taken me out if he wanted, but he just let me go. If he hadn't, I don't know what would have happened."
"He let you go?" Kevin asked her. She just nodded in response.
"What happened to your hands?" Mia asked her. "These burns look pretty sore."
"It was from his sword. I got a hold of it, but it burned me." She informed them. It jogged her memory of the fight as Mia bound her hand in bandages. "It was weird; he said something about it only having one master, like it burned me because I'm not the person meant to wield it."
"So it seems to have some kind of mystical qualities." Mentor Ji said, stroking his chin thoughtfully.
"Yeah, it glowed, and it burned me when I tried to use it." She told them. "Also, he said something about being immortal."
"Immortal?" Mentor Ji asked her.
"Yeah, but the strange thing is he called it a curse." She informed them. "Also, he named the sword."
"That's a little scary serial killer." Mike commented.
"Actually at one time naming a sword was pretty common among Samurai." Mentor Ji told him. "It was a way of honouring the spirit of the sword."
"What did he call it?" Jayden asked her.
"I can't remember, it was something beginning with U." She told him. "Urasam...Umaras..."
"Perhaps it is a mystery for another time." Mentor Ji announced. "In the mean time, you've all had a hard day. I would suggest that perhaps we could all do with a rest."
"Well, my folks sent me some cash recently." Mike announced. "So, since I'm not broke, how about we all go do something?"
"Rainbow corners?" Emily asked hopefully. She had loved it the last time they went to the theme park. Jayden just shrugged.
"That sounds like a plan." He announced. As the others went to get changed and cleaned up, Jayden approached Mentor Ji.
"Is everything alright?" He asked his mentor.
"I'm not sure." He told the Red Ranger. "Go and have fun."
Jayden had a feeling that Mentor Ji wasn't telling him everything, but he had a feeling that if that wasn't the case, there was probably a good reason.
As he left to get ready, Mentor Ji thought hard about what he had heard. The curse of Immortality, the sword...from the sounds of what Emily had said, it was possible that The Cursed Warrior had returned. The legend of Urumasa had carved a bloody path across the pages of history. He hoped he was wrong, because if he wasn't, then Jayden was going to face the greatest test he would ever face.
Meanwhile, in her room, Emily was getting ready slowly, as she thought about what had happened. She still didn't know who the guy was, he had never even told her his name, but she couldn't help thinking about him. He had taken her with little effort, and in their battle, he had bested her with little effort.
She didn't know anything about him, or why in particular he wanted to harm Jayden. He was aware of Lord Xandred, he had told her that much, but then he had also said that he had no interest in his war. His agenda against Jayden was completely his own.
"Emily." Mike called her from the door. "We're about to go."
"I'm just coming." She told him, gathering up her jacket and throwing it on. As Mike put his arm around her, leading her from her room, she just hoped that the theme park was enough to take her mind off the mystery warrior. She was with Mike, the guy who made her heart skip a beat whenever he touched her, so why then was she only able to think about the man who had kidnapped her?
Fin.