Chapter 10: Hideo's Past
A/N: Revised Chapter
A sob made Tashiko open her eyes. She woke to find herself standing beside a bed in a hospital.
Where am I?, she thought, glancing around the hospital room. Her eyes fell on..herself!
Tashiko opened her eyes wide, seeing herself standing beside the bed, along with a few others whom she couldn't recognize. Their faces were hazy and obscured their identities. She looked at the blonde haired woman who laid in bed, her face also hazy. A man walked in, his face obscured and grabbed the woman's hand. Tashiko didn't know what was going on, until she heard a voice speak, "A new life should always bring joy to the world, right?"
Tashiko spun around to the source of the voice, only to find a beautiful young woman in her twenties standing behind her. She had long blonde hair that was tied in a ponytail that reached her waist, with parted bangs that hugged her cheeks. Her skin was a fair white and her lips wore red lipstick. She wore a red flowered kimono that reached all the way to her feet. What caught Tashiko's attention the most, was the red ribbon tied in her hair. "Who are you?" Tashiko asked, taking a step back. She didn't know this stranger but at the same time she felt like she knew this person. "I am your guardian," the woman answered with a warm smile. "Guardian?" Tashiko echoed. The stranger extended her hand. "Come with me, Tashiko. I will show you, what you seek."
Tashiko looked into the green eyes of her Guardian, the radiant glow that emitted off this beautiful stranger. Tashiko hesitated and took her Guardian's hand who led her away from the scene, but close enough to hear the conversation.
"She was beat badly," stated the doctor as he glanced at the woman. "How badly?" the man beside the blonde woman asked. "You have to be strong," the doctor stated, staring at the man. "I'm afraid she lost her child." "NO!" the man screamed, launching himself towards the doctor. "Stop it!" one of the other men yelled, grabbing the other man and pulled him away from the doctor. Suddenly the woman in the bed gasped awake. "You're okay!" the man exclaimed, running towards her and grabbed her hand. "My love," she whispered, looking at her boyfriend. "I'm glad you're okay," her boyfriend answered. She touched her stomach, when she noticed something weird. "My... where's my baby? Where's my baby?!" she cried out in panic. She tried to get off the bed, but the people surrounding her pushed her back down. "Where's my baby?!" "I'm sorry," one of the people whispered. "Your baby...is gone." "What? That's...that's not true!" the blonde haired woman exclaimed, looking at the people around her.
"It's not true!"
The scene vanished making Tashiko gaze at the blonde haired woman beside her. "I was supposed to be there, to protect them, but I failed long before I met them," she stated. "You knew them?" Tashiko asked, looking back to where the memory once was. The woman nodded sadly before giving Tashiko a warm smile. "And so did you." "I did?" Tashiko said, her eyes going wide.
Suddenly the two of them appeared at a park, where the blonde haired woman and the dark haired man were walking in the park.
They were having the time of their lives. He held his lover's hand lovingly, seeing her beautiful brown eyes light up. He adored her laughter; it was like sweet music to his ears. A roar of a Nighlok interrupted them, attacking his lover. He called out his girlfriend's name as the nighlok threw her a few feet into the air. She landed in the ground where she got to her feet, only for the Nighlok to slam a punch into her stomach. She coughed up blood and collapsed into her knees. He yelled her name again, but his lover didn't get up. Instead, she laid there, unmoving. He roared out in anger as a red light bathed him, turning him into the monster he dreaded. He fought the other Nighlok like a vicious animal tearing him apart before hearing his name being called. He glanced at the woman who was looking at him with horror stricken eyes. "Wha-what have you become?" she whispered. She got to her feet, despite her broken rib and shook her head. "You've...you're a...Nighlok…" "Wait!" he called but the woman spun around and fled the area. The half-Nighlok collapsed into his knees, screaming in anguish. All his sadness transformed into a yellow accented staff with a crystal ball on top of it.
Tashiko began to notice that the crystal ball was familiar.
The heartbroken Nighlok grabbed the staff and got to his feet. "I am no longer a human. I lost everything. I've become hideous. I've become..."
"Hideo," Tashiko gasped noticing that everything she had witnessed, was Hideo's transformation as a Nighlok!
Jayden couldn't sleep anymore and noticed two hours had passed. He sat up, noticing that the Gold ranger was gone. He assumed he had taken his shift in caring for the Green Ranger, seeing Kevin sleeping in his make-shift bed again. Jayden threw off the covers and began to walk down the hallway, hoping to find Tashiko.
He wanted to talk to her. He needed to talk to her.
Ever since he felt that weird sensation, he hadn't felt it again until he saw Tashiko. He wondered if she knew anything to why she was emitting that weird sensation. He noticed that the others were beginning to feel it to. Kevin, who said he felt that his injuries didn't hurt that much, once Tashiko touched him. The others hadn't said anything. At least not yet, Jayden thought. He stopped at a door, where he was beginning to feel that sensation once more. He knocked, hoping he wasn't disturbing her.
"Tashiko, can we talk?"
"I can't believe it," Tashiko gasped, pacing around. "I was right! He was half-nighlok!" The blonde haired woman perked and scanned behind her. "I hear someone calling out your name." She turned back to Tashiko and let go of Tashiko's hand. "It's time for me to go." Tashiko glanced at her and said, "Do you really have too? I have so many questions to ask you. Will I ever see you again?" The blonde haired woman gave Tashiko a warm smile. "Do not fret, my child. All your questions will be answered soon enough. For now, this is goodbye."
Tashiko frowned in worry, not wanting the blonde haired woman to go. The blonde haired woman bent down and kissed her Tashiko's forehead tenderly and Tashiko felt a blanket of warmth fall on top of her. "My Raikou-Hime, soon this nightmare will be over. All will be revealed in it's time." She began to fade away making Tashiko ask her, "What's your name?"
"Kaisoko-Hime," the woman replied before disappearing completely.
Tashiko gasped awake, sitting up. That was two dreams in one night. She touched her head before hearing the blonde woman's words echo her mind.
Kaisoko-Hime.
Tashiko smiled, hoping she would meet the blonde haired woman once again before hearing a knock. "Tashiko, can we talk?" came a voice, whom she recognized as Jayden, the Red ranger. Tashiko threw off her blankets and walked towards the door, opening it. "Uh, sure," Tashiko nodded. Jayden walked in as Tashiko closed the door behind him. "What's up?" She walked towards her bed and sat in it, petting the place beside her, beckoning him to sit beside her. Jayden hesitated but reluctantly sat beside her.
"I-I wanted..I mean.." Jayden rubbed the back of his head nervously, not knowing how to start the conversation without scaring her or weirding her out. Tashiko noticed he was having trouble in telling her something, so she decided to start first. She let herself fall into the bed and said, "Jayden, I've been meaning to ask you. Why did you say 'it's you' when we met yesterday?" Jayden glanced at her, looking relieved she started the conversation before turning away from her.
She watched him rub his head again out of nervousness and said, "Sorry. Did I make you feel uncomfortable?" "No, no, it's fine," Jayden replied, looking back at her. "It was something that happened earlier." "What was it?" Tashiko asked, propping her head up. Jayden looked into her curious hazel eyes and bit his lip. He didn't know whether to tell her about all the dreams he had with the rangers and her. But he felt like if he did tell her, she wouldn't believe him.
"No, just..forget it."
Jayden got off the bed and walked towards the door. He reached for the doorknob but Tashiko grabbed it before he could. "Please, tell me. You came to me for a reason," Tashiko told him. Jayden looked at her, seeing her face filled with determination. "Please, tell me," Tashiko begged. Jayden sighed, knowing he couldn't tell her no and said, "Fine. I'll tell you why I said, it's you before. But promise me you won't laugh or freak out." "I promise!" Tashiko nodded. They walked back towards the bed as Jayden sighed and began to tell her.
"Lately, I've been having dreams," Jayden began. "Dreams, that I guess, show the future of my team. Dreams, that show my team dying and the future destroyed. Master Xandred had taken over the world and the only rangers left was Emily, a Purple Ranger and me." Tashiko was noticing that what Jayden was describing was familiar, like if she heard it...or dreamt it!
"It all feels like everything is lost and hopeless. Every night I see Master Xandred slashing at Emily, killing her. And…." Jayden touched his chest, remembering Master Xandred's sword through his chest. "The Nighlok killing you, stabbing you through the heart," Tashiko murmured. Jayden glanced at her and said, "How did you know that?" "I've seen that dream too," Tashiko replied, touching her chest. "I've seen how Master Xandred stabs you through the chest, killing you."
Jayden's heart began to race. Was she really dreaming she same thing as him? But why? What was going on?
"What happened next?" Jayden asked her. "Do you remember?" "Yes," Tashiko nodded. "The Red ranger tells this girl something. She's beside this bright light. She tells him she doesn't want to go, but she disappears into it." Jayden couldn't believe his ears. It was the exact same dream. They were having the same dream!
"I think, the girl we are seeing, is you," Jayden stated, making Tashiko's hazel eyes go wide. "Me? I-I can't be a ranger! I-I do dream as being this Purple ranger but it, it can't be possible! I should be able to remember this, but I don't! These are just dreams." "They're memories," Jayden told her. "Probably your memories." "I might have lost my memory, but I refuse to believe I'm a ranger!" Tashiko stated. "It's preposterous! What if I'm dreaming the Purple rangers dreams? What if the girl that escaped is someone else trying to find a way to find you? What if she's sending me her dreams to interpret?"
Jayden shook his head. "I believe you're the Purple ranger. I just know it."
Hideo watched the Sanzu water lap at his feet as he meditated near the shore. Suddenly a crack made him open his eyes as he glanced at his crystal ball. He noticed a small crack had appeared in the glass ball and his eyes went wide. What is this? He thought as he waved his hand over the glass. An image of Jayden and Tashiko appeared. Both of them were talking intently. Hideo's yellow eyes glowed in anger. The Red ranger is meddling in my plans. He needs to stay out of Tashiko's and my business. Hideo got to his feet and made his way towards a crack. She cannot know her true self.
Not yet.
The Rangers had woken to find Kevin making breakfast with Aaron and Emily. "Are you feeling better know, Em?" Kevin asked the Yellow ranger who was mixing some eggs. He had noticed her injuries were gone, surprising the ranger. "Emotional wise or physical wise?" Emily asked, glancing at Kevin with a raised eyebrow. Kevin sighed. "Both?"
Emily smiled and nodded. "My injuries are fine. See, they're even gone! Mia and I apologized to each other and everything worked out. I'm still worried about Mike." "I think everyone is," Aaron interrupted as he grabbed some places. "I'm going to take these to the dinner table."
At the dinner table almost all the rangers were sitting, with the exception of Jayden and Tashiko. Cody smiled as his father placed a plate of pancakes in front of him. "Thanks!" Cody stated as he poured syrup on them. "Where's Jayden?" Antonio asked through his mouthful. Mia shrugged. "Kevin said he was gone when he woke up." Antonio frowned and said, "I wonder where he is."
Jayden blinked his eyes open and yawned. He stretched before noticing he wasn't in the living room. He had fallen asleep in Tashiko's bed. They were talking and arguing about her being the Purple ranger, they probably passed out. "Are you done in squishing me?" came a muffled voice. Jayden jumped out of bed, seeing Tashiko under the blankets. She popped out of them, her hair in a mess as she pouted. "You kept turning and kept squishing me more." "Sorry!" Jayden stated sheepishly. He noticed he hadn't had a bad dream.
His sleep was actually...dreamless.
That's odd, he thought as Tashiko got off the bed and grabbed a brush, brushing her jet-black hair. Suddenly she froze and went stiff. Jayden glanced at her worriedly, and said, "Are you…." "I sense…" she whispered making Jayden really worry. "Sense what? Another Nighlok?" "PANCAKES!" Tashiko gasped, bolting out of the room. Jayden blinked a few times before chuckling. He shook his head in disbelief before leaving out the room.
The others were eating breakfast before a knock interrupted them. Aaron got to his feet, opening the door to find Mentor Ji standing. "Ji, come in," Aaron told the other man who made his way inside. "Mentor!" the other Rangers greeted the old man. "Join us!" Antonio told him, gesturing to sit down at the table with them. "Thanks, but no thanks," Mentor replied politely. "Aaron, I need to talk to you." Aaron gave a grave nod and left the dining room and into his studio.
"Are you alright, Aaron?" Ji asked. "Kevin told me all about the incident." "I'm fine, so is Cody," Aaron replied, taking a seat before rubbing his face. "Your Green ranger…" Mentor Ji sighed. "I know. Mind if I see-" "I smelled pancakes!" said a voice as a young teen came skipping through the hall. Mentor Ji eyed the young teen wide eyed as the girl turned to glance at Ji.
Is that!
The teen continued to skip down the hall towards the dining room. "Is that…" Mentor Ji began, glancing at Aaron. "The young teen I found in the forest? Yeah, that's her," Aaron replied. Ji watched her from the hallway. "Do you think she's the one?" Aaron asked. "From what I've felt, that power emitting off her, I think she is," Ji replied before taking out an arrow from his kimono. "But, that conflicts with this." He offered the letter attached to the arrow to Aaron. "What is this?" Aaron asked, opening the letter, that was written in Japanese. "What...what in.." "A Purple ranger is coming to the Shiba house," Ji stated. "You mean, we were wrong?" Aaron gasped in disbelief. "If Tashiko isn't what we think she is...what is she?" "I don't know," Ji answered. "And that's what worries me."
"Do you know when the Purple ranger is coming?" Aaron inquired. "The letter doesn't really give an exact date." "I believe in these coming weeks," Ji replied. "It might be even hours, she might be here already."
They went silent, trying to weigh out what went wrong in their theory. "Aaron, you wouldn't mind if I took Tashiko with me, will you?" Ji asked. "No," Aaron shook his head. "But I don't know if she's willing to go with you." "Believe me, she will," Ji stated, glancing at Jayden who was talking to Tashiko.