Chapter 38: The Truth
A/N: Revised Chapter
The rangers rushed through the forest, following the Red ranger who was frantically searching for the Gold and Purple ranger.
Mike scanned the area, before skidding the ground, feeling the plants weakened. "Mike?" Emily asked, finding Mike staggering to stand. "The plants," Mike stated, touching his head as the rangers glanced at him. "There, there's some dark residue hovering on them." "Where?" Hideo asked worriedly. "Over here," Mike pointed to the right of them.
"Let's go then!" Kevin told the rangers, who nodded.
The rangers continued to run before abruptly stopping.
"No," Hideo gasped out, shaking his head in horror.
"Maria!" Jayden yelled out, rushing towards the Purple ranger, who was leaning against a tree. The other rangers exchanged confused glances before following their Red ranger.
The Red ranger skidded the floor and carefully touched the Purple ranger, who was unresponsive. "Maria?" Jayden whispered, his green eyes wide in horror. Hideo approached him and brushed away Maria's bangs.
Her face was burned from what looked like Sanzu River water and blood streamed down the sides of her mouth. A stab wound was in her chest, blood soaking through her purple qipao shirt.
"Why isn't she healing?" Jayden asked Hideo, who clenched his fists in anger.
The other rangers approached them, their faces horror stricken. Despite being uneasy with the Purple Samurai, even she didn't deserve this. "She's so much like Tashiko," Mike whispered. Emily kneeled down beside Jayden and grabbed her hand. She was cold to the touch and was barely breathing. "Why isn't she healing?" Emily murmured, looking at the rangers. "Was it because Lyall was hurt?" She remembered how the Wolf Zord was injured while they fought.
"Ami must have stabbed her, with that...sword," Hideo spat, looking at the sword that the Red ranger had in his hands. "The black Spinsword," Serena nodded, taking the sword from the Red ranger's hands. "It must have been bathed in Sanzu water," Hideo noted. "That's the Purple ranger's weakness. She cannot heal being poisoned with Sanzu water."
"The burned marks in her face do tell she was poisoned," Mia declared, kneeling down as well. "Is she dead?" Emily asked, tears brimming her eyes. "She doesn't have much time," Mia told them. "I'm afraid that I can't heal this," Hideo told them. "My magic can only do so much."
"But I know what can," Jayden declared, picking up the Purple ranger. He turned to Hideo and declared, "We have to go to Iyashinomizu."
"Iyashinomizu?" Kevin echoed confused.
"Maria prohibited anyone else from entering Iyashinomizu," Hideo protested. "Maria right now is in danger and I can't leave my rangers here either," Jayden replied.
Hideo looked at the rangers before letting out a sigh. "Fine, but if she get's mad, it'll be your fault."
Jayden gave a nod before Hideo waved his staff around, teleporting the rangers to Iyashinomizu.
At the shores of the Sanzu River, Ami threw a mooger sword in the air before catching it. She watched as Serrator spoke to the other Nighlok about being the new Master of Nighloks. She wasn't interested in his boasting and opted to be in the shore instead.
"Growing impatient?" came a voice, making her turn around to find Dayu walking towards her. Uragiri turned away from her and spat, "What are you doing here?"
"Can't a woman go for a walk?"
Dayu's snarky response made Ami curl her lip upwards. "What Uragiri? Are you bored now that you finally killed your nemesis?" Dayu cockily replied. "Or are you unsatisfied?"
Ami stopped throwing the mooger sword in the air and glanced at the half-nighlok. "Why are you caring so much on how I feel?" Dayu strummed her harmonium and gave her a smirk. "I don't. I just find it amusing that you look angrier than usual, especially that now you 'killed' your nemesis."
Ami tightened her grip on the mooger sword and growled, "Are you doubting that I killed her?" "I didn't say that," Dayu scoffed, a smile creeping on her face. "Do you?"
The half-nighlok broke the mooger sword in her grip before storming away from Dayu, who only giggled. "Oh Uragiri, you still don't have the strength to kill her. What a shame."
Jayden waded into the water with the Purple ranger in his arms, while the other rangers watched silently.
"I don't get it," Kevin murmured to the other rangers. "Why is Jayden caring so much for the person who took him away from us?"
"We don't know his side yet," Serena replied to him. "We don't know what happened." "I doubt Tashiko would want to harm him," Emily continued. "She might have approached this the wrong way," Mia sighed, looking at the rangers. "But we don't know the reasons why."
The Red ranger watched as the Purple ranger floated in the healing waters before sighing. "I know what you must be thinking the worst of her."
The rangers looked at the Red ranger confused.
"She didn't harm me," Jayden began, looking at the Purple ranger. "She saved me. After the battle of Xandred, she brought me here, to Iyashinomizu. The waters here, healed me from the brink of death."
"But why keep hidden here for so long?" Kevin declared. "A call wouldn't have hurt!" Jayden flinched at the Blue ranger's accusation, knowing he had every right to.
"You worried us to death," Serena told him. "We were worried you were dead." "You were in a very bad shape and you didn't tell us you were alive at least," Mia murmured.
"I apologize for that," Jayden replied, turning to face the rangers. "Ever since that fight, I was afraid.."
"Don't you think we were afraid as well?" Emily shakingly replied. "We were terrified. We had just witnessed a horrible beating by Xandred's hand. We thought we were all going to die!"
The Red ranger glanced at the Yellow ranger but turned away, not being able to bear the tears that were rolling down her cheeks. He noticed the harm his friends had suffered for his cowardice and whispered, "I'm so sorry. I was afraid, that you wouldn't see me as your leader. I couldn't even protect you!"
"I failed horribly as the Red ranger," Jayden continued.
"Then we failed horribly as your followers," Mia told him. "We were beaten to the ground while you continued to stand and fight. We laid on the ground, helplessly, while you fought for your life. We have failed as well."
The Pink ranger stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Even though our confidence wavered, we never gave up in trying to find you. We knew that you were still alive. We never once gave up on that thought because we know our leader would always come through."
The Red ranger looked at Mia, who had tears in her eyes as well and smiled. "She was right. I was a fool in thinking you would give up on me."
"How can we give up in our leader?" Kevin stated, crossing his arms across his chest. Jayden smiled at this, seeing how the rangers still saw him as their leader and their friend. "Just don't ever do that again," Serena told him, lightly punching him in the shoulder. "If you ever lose your confidence, confide to us."
Jayden rubbed his shoulder and nodded, "Noted."
The rangers laughed, relief flooding their bodies before going silent, seeing the Purple ranger.
"So what's her story?" Mike asked the Red ranger. "It's Tashiko right?" Mia pointed out, making Jayden nod. "Yes, she remembers who she is," the Red ranger sighed.
"Who is she? I mean we know she's the Purple ranger," Mike continued. "She's from the future," Hideo interrupted, making the rangers forget he was there. The half-nighlok got to his feet and walked towards the rangers. "So am I."
"Wait," Serena shook her head in disbelief. "You and the Purple ranger are from the future?" "How's that even possible?" Emily added, her eyes wide. "The Purple ranger could manipulate time, remember?" Mike told her. "That's how she probably made it here to the past." "That is correct," Hideo nodded, feeling uneasy in agreeing with his 'past' self.
"Why are you here then?" Kevin asked, raising an eyebrow. He still felt uneasy with the Purple samurai and didn't know if he could trust her just yet.
Hideo glanced at the Purple ranger, who was still unconscious. "I wanted Maria to tell you this, but it looks like this may not be the case." He looked at the rangers and beckoned them to sit on the ground with him. The rangers complied, sitting in a circle and looked at the half-nighlok who clenched his staff tightly.
"Maria and I come from the year 2020, eight years into the future," Hideo began. "Where the ruling of Master Xandred, led to the destruction of the human race." The rangers eyes went wide in horror and exchanged quick glances at each other. "The rangers had fought hard for eight long years, but failed horribly. The last ranger standing, was Maria."
"Oh my," Mia gasped, covering her mouth in horror. "We failed?" Kevin spat, his fists clenching in anger. Emily felt tears welling up in her eyes and hugged Serena for comfort.
"Maria came into the past in the purpose of preventing all of your deaths by Xandred's hands," Hideo continued. "She and I, come from a different timeline, our Jayden destroyed, the moment we left."
Jayden raised his Samuraizer and wrote the kanji for destruction. "Dead...End," Jayden whispered, stroking the air with quick red strokes. He spun the kanji around, throwing it at the fading portal before he let out his last breath.
"Maria had through the portal she had created by orders of Future Jayden," Hideo declared. "He had given her permission to break the Purple Shogun's rule." "To travel back in time," Kevin nodded in understanding.
Jayden grabbed Maria's shoulders as she hesitated to create the portal. "Maria, you have to do this!" he ordered her. "But, the Purple Shogun's rules!" Maria yelled at him, her hazel eyes wide in shock. "I give you permission to break them!" Jayden declared. "You have to go back in time! You have to save us from this destruction. You have to lead us into the right path! We have to win the battle against Xandred! We have to save humanity!"
"If she had to do all of this, why make up Tashiko?" Serena asked puzzled. "Why lie to us?" Mike grumbled, crossing his arms across his chest. "She didn't lie to you," Hideo replied. "That was my fault. When I crossed the portal with her, she didn't know I had come with. She fell off a cliff and hit her head and in act of desperation, I sealed her memories in my crystal ball. I couldn't risk her losing the information she had brought to you all."
"That's when Aaron and Cody found her," Jayden murmured. "She didn't know who she was…" "Exactly," Hideo nodded. "I left here there in purpose, I knew Aaron would find her."
He could see her running through the forest, clutching the injury in her stomach. Her arm and clothes were soaked in blood and could see her staggering as she ran. "Wait!" Hideo yelled at the young woman. "I can heal you!" He saw her turn around, noticing him running after her. She let out a gasp before collapsing into the ground, moaning in pain. She began to cough before turning back to him and yelled, "Get away from me!"
Hideo was about to reach her but she had gotten to her feet once more, running away from him. "Wait! Maria! Stop!" he yelled once more. "I said get away!" Maria shouted at him, before Hideo noticed her foot getting tangled on a tree root. She was flung down hill, a scream erupting from her mouth as she began to fall. Hideo skidded towards the edge and yelled, "NO!"
He watched her land on the ground tumbling down the hill with horrified eyes. He extended his silver wings and floated towards the ground. He ran to find the raven haired woman had stopped at the bottom, blood streaking a large rock she had hit on her way down.
Hideo quickly approached her, seeing that her eyes were half-way closed. She slowly turned to glance at him before her eyes rolled to the back of her head. "Dammit!" Hideo spat, grabbing his head, wondering what he could do. He heard a faint noise and glanced around, before finding a faint light in the distance.
It was the Guardian's home.
He looked at the raven haired woman before yelling, "Help!"
"HELP!"
Hideo continued to yell, his voice getting raspier before hearing a voice echoing him back. "Where are you?" Aaron yelled back. Hideo noticed the Guardian walking towards them and looked at the Purple ranger. "I am sorry, Maria. But I cannot let them discover your mission until better terms." He placed the crystal ball on her forehead, a white light engulfing the glass ball. Streams of color appeared on the crystal, making the half-nighlok get to his feet, seeing her memories on his scepter.
He heard footsteps before changing into his human form, running away from the scene. "Hey!" he heard Aaron yell, but was cut off, when he noticed the young woman by his feet.
"But how did she suddenly remember everything?" Mia asked curiously. "I shattered the crystal ball on my scepter when I saw you all fighting Xandred," Hideo pointed out. He summoned his scepter, showing them the shattered glass. "I thought it was the right time for her to really appear."
The rangers remained silent, all the information Hideo had told them beginning to sink in.
"What caused the future to go to shit?" Serena inquired, glancing at Hideo. "I mean, something bad must have happened to make you two go back into the past." "Yeah, what happened to future us?" Mike nodded. "I don't think it's a good idea for you all to know," Hideo stated. "The future is fluctuating all the time. What might have happened to us, might not happen to you."
The rangers didn't seem satisfied by that answer but decided not to push it any further. "Besides, I cannot tell you full details, as I don't know much about time travel. Maria would answer those questions," Hideo pointed out. "But what I can show you is this."
The half-nighlok got to his feet and waved his scepter around. He slammed it on the ground, the whole cave displaying a show of red light. The rangers eyes went wide in horror, seeing what Hideo was showing them.
"Is that Panorama City?" Kevin gasped out, seeing the destroyed city.
The tall buildings that towered upon the city, where collapsed. Red rivers of Sanzu water, eroded the ground and flooded most of the city. The grassy fields that covered parts of Panorama City parks, were replaced by a musky, crimson colored dirt. The sun had turned into a burning white star and the skies glowed red like blood. Nighloks and Moogers walked around freely, replacing the humans that had ceased to exist. Fires covered the areas that were not flooded by Sanzu waters, burning away what was left of the human civilization.
"This is Panorama City," Hideo told them. "December 10, 2020, the day Xandred conquered the world. The day where the last three rangers fought their last battle till the end."
The rangers were in shock, the girls were in tears while the men clenched their fists in anger. "This is terrible," Serena muttered. "Where is everyone?" Kevin asked, looking at Hideo. "The rest of the humans lived underground but the Xandred's second coming caused most of the Overworld to be uninhabitable for humans to live on."
"How did this happen?" Emily whispered, tears flowing down her cheeks. "Various deaths contributed to this destruction," Hideo replied to her.
"I can't believe our efforts in the future, ended to be this…" Kevin told the others. Hideo made the memory disappear and glanced at the rangers. "Maria has the hope this timeline will be the one to succeed. You all hold the keys to lead humanity to a better, safer future. The power, for victory."
The rangers exchanged glances, determination flooding into their bodies. "Hideo is right," Jayden told the rangers. "We have the power to change our future. We have the power for victory." He extended his hand towards the other rangers and declared, "Maria has put our trust in us to change the future and save humanity. We will save the world from the Nighlok."
Kevin placed his hand on top of the Red rangers, followed by the Pink ranger's. The Green and Yellow rangers also placed their hands on top of theirs. The White ranger placed her hand last and yelled, "Rangers together!"
"Samurai Forever!"