A/N: I hereby present to you all my own version (yes, another one) of Power Rangers: Samurai. It does have a much darker theme to it than Saban's version (which I do not hate, as you can obviously tell by my other PR stories). There were some flaws, yes, and I'm still going to use some terms you are familiar with.
Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers Samurai or Samurai Sentai Shinkenger. I just own most of the plot and the characters and things you don't recognize from the original version.
I AM SO SORRY THIS IS LATE!
~PRS~REDO~PRS~REDO~PRS~REDO~PRS~REDO~PRS~
"None of them were willing to fight one of their own, in a fight to the death, but it had to be done."
Better Together
Power Rangers: Samurai REDO
Season 1, Episode 9: True Blue
Junk Ship, Sanzu River, Netherworld
May 28, 2014
"What are you doing here, Deker?" Xandred asked, quietly (meaning either he was calm or he was on the verge of blowing a gasket, though considering the current situation, he was probably the latter). "You are no longer welcome here. Or did you forget that?"
"Or do you expect a reward for saving Dayu?" Octoroo added.
"Are you kidding me?!" Dayu shrieked. "I had everything under control!"
"I do not expect a reward," Deker calmly replied, in his Nighlock form. "Nor have I forgotten my dishonorable discharge. I have come to ask you about your plans for dealing with the Rangers."
"I don't need your help!" Xandred cried out.
"Yes, you clearly have everything under control," Deker replied with sarcasm, before sobering up. "I just need to make sure my plans don't interfere with yours."
"Your plans?" Octoroo asked.
"Yes, I plan on fighting the Red Ranger," Deker confirmed. "I need to make sure our plans don't clash."
"Do whatever you want," Xandred ordered. "I don't care. I have a headache."
"I see you're still suffering from the Grand Shoguns' six-part Seal from four hundred years ago, the Seal that trapped you down here," Deker commented. "Go on and take your medicine, Master Xandred. You need it."
"Are you calling me weak?!" Xandred was enraged.
"Not at all," Deker calmly answered as he headed towards the exit. "Just stating a fact."
"Eh-HEM!" A new Nighlock boarded the Junk Ship. "The real star of the show has arrived! Forget Deker!"
"Action Commander Madimot! What are you doing here?" Octoroo asked. "Get lost." He caught a glimpse of Deker leaving the ship. "Deker, wait, come back!"
"We don't need him," Madimot said. "I'm the baddest of the bad of the Sanzu!"
"Buzz off," Dayu cut in. "You're nothing but talk."
"Let's see what you say when you look outside." Madimot slammed his whip on the ground, creating a large crack sound in the air.
Dayu and Octoroo looked outside the windows of the Junk Ship.
"No way! Is that–?"
~B~E~T~T~E~R~~T~O~G~E~T~H~E~R~~~P~O~W~E~R~~R~A~N~G~E~R~S~~S~A~M~U~R~A~I~~R~E~D~O~
Spiral Forest State Park, Panorama City, California
Antonio had his phone out, constantly looking down at it and the contents on the screen, as he led Jayden and Emily through the local state park at Spiral Forest.
Emily really had no idea how she got looped into this. Antonio and Jayden were just talking at breakfast this morning about something secretive before taking Emily to the side and asking her to come with them. Not really having anything to do today, as Ji had declared it a free day (which meant no training and that the Rangers could do whatever they wanted today), Emily had agreed, but not once did they tell her what they were up to (and Emily was too afraid to ask).
And now here they were. And Emily was getting very tense and slightly agitated at the fact that she knew nothing about why they needed her.
"I'm not complaining about you guys taking me with you," Emily began, assuming this was the correct time to ask them why she was brought here, "but why exactly are we here? Assuming we're here for a reason..."
"We are," Antonio replied. "Last night, there was a large energy surge that originated in this forest with a energy signature matching the lost Tiger Zord."
"And we brought you with us because it's indicated to be buried underground," Jayden added. "Your Symbol Power over Earth might come in handy if we need to dig it out."
"Oh, okay," was Emily's response. Everything made a lot more sense now. "But is there a reason for being so secretive about it?"
"We've gotten false readings in the past," Jayden was the one who answered this question, "and not just for the Tiger Zord. If these readings are also false, then we won't get the others' hopes up for nothing."
"We haven't even told Ji yet," Antonio added. "You're the only one who knows aside from us, Em."
Emily nodded in understanding, "Very well. I promise to keep it secret."
"Thank you," Antonio said, before leading them deeper into the forest.
After a while of walking through the forest, Antonio spoke up, looking up from his phone, "these are the coordinates of the Energy surge. It's the real Tiger Zord underneath the ground, alright."
"Ah, if only you had gotten here sooner, Rangers," the trio immediately stood on guard when they heard a voice not belonging to any of them.
Their gazes wandered with caution until Jayden found the source, "Nighlock!"
"That's Action Commander Madimot to you!" The Nighlock sounded insulted. When he finished his complaint, he lifted his shield and threw a couple of blasts from it at them.
The three managed to successfully avoid the blast by rolling off to the side (Antonio being ushered by Jayden), Jayden and Emily morphing on the way.
"Go, Go Samurai!"
Their Spin Swords unsheathed and ready to attack, Jayden turned to Antonio. "Take the other civilians and get yourselves somewhere safe. We'll call you when it's safe to come out, okay?"
Antonio was rather hesitant in following his best friend's order, but he did so anyway without any complaining whatsoever.
He just didn't feel comfortable with sitting back and watching from the sidelines anymore.
But Jayden was his best friend and had been since kindergarten, and Antonio knew that Jayden only thought about what was best for people (especially for the people he cared about), and Antonio trusted him with his life (especially since he was one of those people).
He would never doubt Jayden. Not on his life.
When Antonio disappeared within the trees, Jayden was able to breathe a soft sigh of relief. He wished he could tell Emily to get to safety as well, but she was a Ranger, like him.
Not to mention, she was also stubborn to a fault.
Just like him.
Both Rangers attacked Madimot at the same time. The Nighlock used his shield to send a blast their way, but the two were easily able to dodge it.
"You know, two against one isn't fair," Madimot complained.
As soon as he said that, three more Samurai Rangers, in Green, Blue, and Pink landed in front of the Red and Yellow Rangers.
"And...it just got worse," the Nighlock face-palmed. "I forgot there were five of you..."
"You two okay?" Mia asked Jayden and Emily.
"Yeah, we're fine," Emily replied. "We need to drive this creep away pronto."
"Why?" Mike asked, half joking. "Is there a secret treasure buried here?"
"Actually, there is," Jayden answered, completely serious. "In the form of the Tiger Zord."
"Don't get cocky yet, Rangers!" Madimot threatened, and the five Rangers stood in usual formation, ready to fight. "I still have a few aces up my sleeve! I am the baddest of the bad in the entire Netherworld!"
"Yeah?" Mike asked. "Let's see if you can back up all that talk."
"Back up? That's a great idea!" Madimot exclaimed, before calling out, "Tiger Zord!"
There was a large rumbling sound before the ground underneath them shook and trembled, and then out climbed a white mechanical tiger.
"It's the Tiger Zord!" Jayden exclaimed.
"I guess I didn't have to dig it out, after all," Emily commented, her eyes on the drills it had for all four of its legs.
"You remember the tragedy that took place many years ago that caused all the auxiliary zords to run away in fear?" Madimot asked, beginning his explanation. "Well, your Tiger Zord here fell into a crevice. I saved him, and made him my pet kitty. Or pet Tiggy, I should say."
Madimot slammed his whip onto the ground, and the Tiger Zord opened its mouth and blasted fire in the Rangers' direction. The five jumped out of the way just in time, just barely managing to avoid the Tiger Zord's attack.
"J-Jayden?" Mia shakily called out, "a-are you sure that's our Tiger Zord?"
Jayden lowered his eyes. "I can feel the Symbol Power over Snow flowing within that Zord. Yeah...I'm sure..."
Emily turned to him, "But why would it attack us if it's one of our own?"
"I'm not sure," Jayden replied.
"Maybe it's being controlled or it's been brainwashed or something?" Mike suggested (trying to be helpful).
"Possibly," was Jayden's response, "but I should remind you that the Zords are sentient beings, like us."
"So, it's possible that he's attacking us...by choice?" Kevin broke down Jayden's explanation.
"The Tiger Zord is actually a female," Jayden corrected, "but yes, it's possible."
"You done gossiping yet, Rangers?" Madimot asked, tapping his foot in clear and utter impatience. "If you want answers on how the Tiger Zord was turned against you, just watch. I have plenty of ammo to make a Ranger puppet. Who wants it?!"
'A Ranger puppet'? Jayden asked himself.
Madimot's face began to glow purple, before he let the energy fire. Jayden immediately went for the two girls.
"Get down!" He ordered, pulling Mia and Emily down with him.
The purple energy ball was headed straight for Mike, who was taking a while to process what Madimot just said to focus on Jayden's order. "What?"
"Look out!" Kevin exclaimed, before pushing Mike to the ground, and letting himself get hit by the energy ball instead.
Kevin, still morphed, immediately fell to his knees, holding his head in pain.
"Kevin!" Mike asked, immediately getting up from his safe spot on the ground to rush over and see if his teammate was okay. "Are you okay? What happened?"
Kevin turned his helmeted head toward Mike slowly before curling up his gloved fist and giving the Green Samurai a fierce uppercut, which Mike could feel through his helmet. The Green Ranger stumbled backwards and fell to his knees, holding his cheek in pain.
"Ow, what was that for?" Mike exclaimed.
As Mia ran over to Mike's side, Jayden and Emily cautiously watched Kevin as he slowly stood up.
"Kevin?" Emily asked.
"He's in some kind of trance," Jayden quietly replied.
"Do you see now Rangers?" Madimot asked, appearing quite happy with the current circumstances. "These two aren't doing this by choice. My powers force them to see the real world, but twisted in their own worst nightmares. Forced reverse perspective, you could say." Emily stood up and made to run at Madimot in anger, but she felt Jayden hold her back just as fast by grabbing her shoulder. "Blue and Tiggy here no longer recognize you four as their allies, but rather, as their enemies." Madimot slammed his whip into the ground. "Blue, attack!"
Kevin pulled his Spin Sword and immediately swung at Mike and Mia, and the two immediately (though shocked) moved out of the way.
"Kevin, stop this!" Emily cried out, as Kevin struck Mia's shoulder.
"It's no use! He won't listen to anyone but me!" Madimot replied.
"We'll see about that!" Jayden yelled, jumping over Kevin's attack aimed at him.
When he landed, he anticipated Madimot's incoming attack and pulled out his Samuraizer.
"A renegade, huh? One Red Ranger puppet coming right up!" Madimot fired another energy ball at him.
"Symbol Power: Resist!" Jayden wrote the appropriate symbol, happy that his Symbol Power easily deflected Madimot's spell, and put his Samuraizer away before then turning to his Sword to do all the talking instead. Madimot's shield, however, interrupted him.
"Havoc Mode, Engage!" Emily called out, morphing into the said mode before pulling out her weapon. "Spiral Earth Drill: Energize!" Her drill was surrounded with yellow-colored energy, and Emily jumped, aiming her drill at Kevin.
But the Blue Ranger saw it coming and easily deflected it with his Diamond Wave Trident.
The combined energy caused both Havoc Modes to disengage and both Rangers to stumble backward, and Emily to fall to her knees, almost out of breath.
Kevin then turned to his Dragon Disk and hooked it up to his Spin Sword and spun it. "Spin Sword: Dragon Splash."
Kevin's voice was emotionless as his attack too much for Emily, Mia, and Mike to handle, forcing the three to dis-engage their default morph as well.
"Yes, yes, yes!" Madimot cried in utter glee, his shield and Jayden's sword still in a fierce struggle for the 'loudest voice'. "Good work, Blue!"
Jayden's head immediately snapped over to the scene Madimot was addressing. He saw (in complete horror) an brainwashed Kevin standing over his three de-morphed teammates (whom he easily overpowered).
"NO!" Jayden cried, before pushing Madimot, then jumping up and landing in front of the other three, ready to protect them.
"I'm sorry, Jay," he heard Emily weakly call out. "I can't fight him. There's no way."
That's when he made the choice.
"That's alright, Em," Jayden replied, pulling out his Lion Disk. "Spin Sword: Blazing Fury!"
But Jayden's attack didn't do so much damage as it provided an effective cover for the four's escape, because when the fire went out, the four Rangers were gone.
"Cowards!" Madimot called after them. "But I'll let it slide this time, because I'm drying out. Blue, go wait with Tiggy until I return."
"As you wish, Master," spoke Kevin's unemotional voice as he sheathed his Sword.
~B~E~T~T~E~R~~T~O~G~E~T~H~E~R~~~P~O~W~E~R~~R~A~N~G~E~R~S~~S~A~M~U~R~A~I~~R~E~D~O~
Shiba House, Gianni Forest, Panorama City, California
"This is bad," Ji said with completely honesty that evening (it was dinnertime, but nobody was hungry). "The records say that there is no proven way to completely drive out Madimot's mind spell."
"Thank you, Ji, for your brutal honesty," Jayden quietly replied, currently sitting on one of the cushioned chairs, his hands folded like he was thinking. "But that's not really something the others need to hear right now." He motioned to Mike, Mia, and Emily on the other side of the room, nursing their own and each others' wounds, given to them by Kevin.
"I could have stopped him," came Emily's quiet voice. "Our Havoc Modes clashing was enough to catch Kevin off-guard, but I...I couldn't..."
Emily trailed off, and Jayden (gently) picked up where she left off, "It's alright, Em. No one blames you. Why don't you all go to bed and rest? You need it."
Mike was gentle in leading in Mia and Emily back to their rooms. Antonio then turned to Jayden, and asked, "You have a plan, don't you?"
"Go to bed, Antonio," Jayden repeated, and that was all he said.
Antonio felt a little hurt about this. (Did Jayden really fully trust him? Or was the Red Ranger trying to protect him and the others?) But he obeyed his best friend.
As soon as Antonio was gone, Ji spoke up this time, "Will you tell me your plan, or will you just tell me to go to bed as well?"
"Cut the sarcasm, Ji," Jayden's voice was no longer gentle. This time, it was stoic and sounded a little angry. "This is serious."
"Very well. What is your plan?" Ji asked as Jayden stood up.
"During the fight, there was one moment where my Symbol Power was able to block Madimot's spell completely," Jayden confessed, beginning his explanation. "If I infuse the Resist Symbol within a blank disk, that should drive the Nighlock's spell out of both Kevin and the Tiger Zord. What do you think?"
"It's not about what I think," Ji replied, solemnly. "It's about the risks involved."
"I know it's dangerous," Jayden began before his great-uncle cut him off.
"You're damn right it's dangerous! Infusing that much Symbol Power into someone or something could kill Kevin or damage the Tiger Zord beyond repair, maybe even both! It could also kill you if it backfires!"
"Keep your voice down, Ji," Jayden quietly retorted. "The others are still asleep. But what other choice do I have? Using the Disk means I have a chance of freeing them while also keeping them alive. Without the Disk, I free them both but at the cost of their own lives, the other four's delicate emotional states, and my own sanity. Either way, I'll have to fight two of my closest allies."
Ji took a deep breath after Jayden finished his rant. "I know, and I'm very sorry for getting cross with you. I was just trying to remind you of the dangers that come with this."
"I know, but you can't change my mind," Jayden said.
"Jayden," Ji tried to say.
"No, Ji, this isn't up for debate," Jayden calmly interrupted. "There comes a time where the leader must make the decision for everyone. This is one of them."
And Ji could only watch as his great-nephew left the room.
~B~E~T~T~E~R~~T~O~G~E~T~H~E~R~~~P~O~W~E~R~~R~A~N~G~E~R~S~~S~A~M~U~R~A~I~~R~E~D~O~
Shiba House, Gianni Forest, Panorama City, California
May 29, 2014
That next morning, Emily woke up from a terrifying nightmare about a house flooding that felt all too real. But this time, it wasn't about the forest house.
It was the Shiba House itself.
Emily curled up into a ball, her hazel eyes glistening with tears.
It was just a dream, just a nightmare. It wasn't real. It was just a figment of her imagination.
Her train of thought was derailed by the Gap Sensor going off.
Her nightmare, however real it felt, could wait.
Mike and Mia met her at the Gap Sensor map table, and Ji and Antonio were there also. But...
"Johnson and Miller Construction Site," Ji conveyed.
"Where's Jayden?" Mike asked.
"You just missed him," Antonio replied. "As soon as the Gap Sensor went off, he was halfway out the door."
"He was ready, wasn't he?" Mia asked.
"Yes," Ji responded, with hesitation. "Jayden has a plan. He was up all night working on it."
"He's planning on fighting Kevin, isn't he?" Mike asked. Antonio glanced up in interest.
Ji's silence answered all their questions.
"Are you kidding me? He's acting like he has no choice!" Mike shouted out in protest.
"Because he doesn't, Mike."
"There's always a choice!" Mia stepped forward, backing up Mike the entire way.
"He told me to pass a message onto you all," Ji cut in, before reciting, word for word, "'This isn't up for debate. There comes a time where the leader must make the decision for everyone. This is one of them.' Have faith in your leader."
"ENOUGH!" Emily yelled out, quiet up until this point. She ordered, "Even if Jayden let us debate this, we don't have the time to do so! Our job, no matter how we feel in any situation, is to protect those who cannot protect themselves! So, let's just go out there and do our jobs while Jayden finds a way to free Kevin."
Emily then ran out of the House, intent on doing just that.
Mia turned to Mike. "She's right, you know. Protecting the innocent always comes first."
'I don't care if you guys want to reveal your identites or not,' Emily had once told them. 'What I do care about is if you let your reasons for hiding your faces get in the way of protecting all those who stand in harm's way, forced to or not.'
Mike didn't say anything. He only followed Mia out the door, unable to debate the truth in Emily's words.
~B~E~T~T~E~R~~T~O~G~E~T~H~E~R~~~P~O~W~E~R~~R~A~N~G~E~R~S~~S~A~M~U~R~A~I~~R~E~D~O~
Johnson and Miller Contruction Site, Panorama City, California
Madimot was waiting for him when Jayden arrived at the site the Gap Sensor indicated. So was Kevin.
Jayden was stoic and silent on the outside, but on the inside, he was screaming.
He didn't want to do this.
"It's about time, Red Ranger," Madimot exclaimed.
"Wake up, Kevin, please," he whispered.
"Sorry, Red," Madimot replied. "Not gonna happen. Now, make this fight count. Or I'll make Blue turn on himself."
Jayden heard footsteps run up from behind him.
"Jayden," he heard Mike say. "We're here to help!" He, Mia, and Emily held up their Samuraizers.
"No!" Jayden's reply was immediate. "I can't put anyone else at risk because of this!"
"But-!" Mia began to protest.
"NO!" Jayden's shout sounded desperate (Emily realized).
Emily lowered her eyes and her Samuraizer, and Jayden heard her say, "Mike, Mia, stand down."
"Emily, are you insane?" Mike asked.
"Stand. Down." was all she said before turning back to watch the fight.
"Thank you, Emily," Jayden quietly said before turning back to Madimot and Kevin. "You want a show, Nighlock? Fine. I'll give you the show of your life."
"Oh, damn. I wish I brought some popcorn," Madimot sounded a little down because of this, as he lept up on top of a peice of machinery.
"Samuraizer! Go, Go, Samurai!"
As Jayden morphed in a flash of red, Kevin drew his sword.
"Don't worry," Emily spoke up, sounding calm and sure. "He won't hurt Kevin. He's only doing this because he has to."
She heard Mia sniff. "I hope you're right."
Red and Blue circled around each other slowly, before Jayden stopped and lowered into a fighting stance, his sword slung over his shoulder.
Then, they both charged at each other, swords clashing, their feet dancing around each other.
Only when Jayden stumbled over a simple Dragon Splash attack, did any of the four audience members react to this current fight going on.
"What are you thinking, Shiba?! That's Kevin!" Mike yelled out.
"Kevin, stop this!" Mia cried. "You're fighting Jayden, someone you've known and respected for a while now! You can't do this!"
Emily's heart clenched in pain, the flooding Shiba House coming to mind (but this time, she could actually see flames begin to appear and take form as they dance in sync with the water), but she did not make a single peep.
"You three, shut your pie holes!" Madimot cried out, using his sheild to blast the other three Rangers and sending them to the ground.
The trio stirred and struggled to get up, when they heard boots walking towards and then between them, and a stranger's voice saying, "Looks like we have a winner."
"Shut up," Emily replied, her voice dark and angry. "Jayden's not losing."
"Who the hell are you?" Mike asked, as the trio finally got to their feet and were able to get a good look at the strange man who was talking to them (he was a man with long black hair with goatee wearing all black clothing and a white long-sleeved coat).
"It doesn't matter who I am," the man said. "What matters is who's winning."
"I said, shut up," Emily repeated, angrier than the first time she said this. "Jayden is not losing."
"Of course he isn't," the man agreed with her, surprisingly all three of them. "It's the man in blue who is losing."
"How can you tell?" Mike asked.
"Because he's fighting as if he's trying to win a training point rather than a real duel," the man replied, not taking his eyes off the said fight, his words perfectly in sync with Jayden and Kevin's actions. "It's a lot different when you're fighting for survival. You fight with instinct. You have to watch your target like a hawk. It's easy to get tired in a long battle when there's no one around to say stop."
Jayden and Kevin's swords clashed once more before Jayden sent a kick to the latter's chest, effectively knocking the brainwashed Ranger to the ground. Kevin quickly got up and pointed his sword at Jayden.
"The Red Ranger has a good stance," the man continued, referring to Jayden having his sword slung over his shoulder. "It reduces arm fatigue. He'll stay strong." Emily then was able to take note of Kevin's shaking arms. They were trembling due to exhaustion. "And when Blue goes for the point, that's when he'll strike."
"Resist..." Emily muttered, noticing the kanji on the white disk Jayden had hooked up to his sword. "That's why he's fighting Kevin," Emily realizes. "Jayden's looking for an opening, because he has to get in a close enough position to use the Disk. To free Kevin."
"Exactly," the man confirmed. "That's the difference between these two. That's why the man in Red is the one who's winning."
"Brace yourself, Kevin," Jayden warned right before Kevin charged at him. Jayden was easily able to block him, before spinning the resist Disk, surrounding his sword with fire and his entire body with a red aura. He himself spun around to disarm Kevin and before landing the decisive blow on Kevin's torso.
The five people watching the fight watched a red lightning shot through Kevin's body, before the Resist Symbol flashed and a black ball of energy escaped from Kevin and dissipated not long after.
"What happened?!" Madimot shrieked, as Kevin de-morphed and fell to the ground, his brain fuzzy.
The man stayed behind as Mia, Mike, and Emily ran forward to help their newly healed friend. "I was right in choosing the Red Ranger as my opponent for my sword Uramasa," was all he said before he simply walked away from the scene.
Kevin woke up to Mia's face (which was blurry at first, but soon cleared up as he got his head and brain cells back under his control).
"Kevin, are you okay?" She was asking him.
"Give him some air, Mia," Mike was saying.
Kevin coughed once. "Yeah, I'm fine now. W-What happened?"
"Jayden saved you from Madimot's mind control," Emily spoke up, her voice sounding distant and somewhat distracted.
Mia and Mike helped Kevin sit up, as the latter asked, "Yeah, I do remember Madimot having some control over my mind. How'd Jayden set me free?"
"That's a good question, actually!" Madimot screeched. "Red Ranger, answer the question!"
Jayden finally spoke up, causing the other Rangers (plus Madimot) to get a good look at him (and understand why Emily was so distant: she was starstruck).
Jayden was in a Ranger suit exactly like the one in the sketch from the book Ji had shown them.
He had unlocked Havoc Mode.
Jayden held up the Resist Disk. "The records we have on you claim there is no absolute way to drive out your mind control completely. But when we came into contact in that forest, I was made aware that there was a way. The Resist Symbol, which shielded me from the spell you fired at me. That's when I realized that I could use it to free Kevin. And now that I know it works, I can use it to free the Tiger Zord too."
"WHAT?!" Madimot shrieked, as Jayden turned to his team.
"I'm sorry, all of you, for placing you in this situation," the Red Ranger gently told his team. "I especially apologize to you, Kevin."
"Me?"
"I had to fight you in order to get in a close enough position to use the Disk," Jayden explained, a tight knot in his throat from the mere thought of this. "Not to mention, infusing you with that much Symbol Power could have killed you, and even me, if it backfired."
That was how he got his Havoc Mode, Emily realized. He was willing to use a dangerous method to free Kevin if it meant keeping the world safe and the team together.
Emily smiled.
"I forgive you, Jayden," replied Kevin, with complete and utter honesty. "And thank you. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to fight someone who isn't on my team."
"Then, let's go for it," Emily stepped up, taking the lead again, she and the other three in formation (Emily, Kevin, Mia, Mike). "Samuraizers!"
"Go, Go, Samurai!"
In a bright of their four respective colors, the other Rangers stood, morphed and ready to fight.
"Tiger Zord!" Madimot screeched. "Crush them!"
They felt the rumble again as the Tiger Zord dug his way from the underground to join the fight.
Jayden unhooked the Lion Zord from his belt. "You guys go and deal with Madimot. I'll deal with the Tiger Zord."
"You got it!" He heard from Mike and Mia. Kevin only nodded and ran off to join them.
Emily said, "Good luck!" before joining them.
"Thanks, Em. Samuraizer! Lion Folding Zord, Ready!" When his Sword was placed in the slot at his side, Jayden faced forward, where the Tiger Zord was. "I really hate putting another ally in harm's way, but there is no other choice."
"Then, let's do it," he heard Lion tell him. "The sooner you use that Disk, the sooner you can end this fight."
"You're right," Jayden admitted. "Alright, then, Lion, let's prove you're King of the concrete jungle."
Jayden motioned Lion to run forward. Tiger did the same. The two clashed and sparks flew. Jayden struggled to keep his ground.
"I'm sorry, Tiger. There's no choice," he repeated as the two mechanical cats parted and backed off from each other. "This is for the greater good."
He motioned Lion to jump and knock Tiger onto her side, before Lion knocked her back.
Once Jayden saw Tiger's red eyes turn off, he chose that moment to act. He jumped out of Lion's cockpit and into Tiger's, where he placed his Sword into the slot, the Resist Disk hooked up to it.
"Come on," he quietly pleaded, as the Resist Disk's power began to seep its way into Tiger's circuits. "Please, work."
Jayden immediately breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the Resist Disk flash white once before turning into the new Tiger Disk.
As Kevin struck the Nighlock across the shoulder, Emily halted when she saw Tiger's red eyes turn back on and regain her footing after seeing a dark cloud rise up out of the zord and dissipate.
"Yes!" She cheered. "He did it! The Tiger Zord's back on our side!" She felt the other three Rangers gather around her.
"Oh, no!" Madimot cried. "Now, they've turned Tiggy against me, too!"
"Face it, Nighlock!" Kevin said, as the four held up their respective colored Power Disks.
"Show's over," Emily finished, as the four hooked up the mentioned Disks to their Swords.
"I think not!" Madimot held up his shield and threw a blast at them, surrounding them all with an explosion.
But the four jumped forward out the explosion, catching the Nighlock off-guard. "Spin Sword: Four Element Strike!"
Mia struck him first, then Mike, then Emily, and finally Kevin landed the final blow.
"No fair! You teamed up on me!" Madimot cried, hurting all over.
The four Rangers faced the other direction, saying, "Now, that's teamwork!" as Madimot's first life ended in an explosion.
"Great job, you guys!" Jayden called, feeling an extreme sense of pride for his team, as Madimot grew into a giant.
"Now, you've got a big problem!" He sounded angry as he then stared into the face of the healed Tiger Zord. "Bad kitty! You're a bad boy!"
"The Tiger Zord is female," Jayden reminded. He said nothing else, only correcting the Nighlock's mistake.
Tiger charged forward, running right through the blasts Madimot threw at them. Madimot stumbled backwards as Tiger's claws scratched him.
"It's time to get your claws dirty, girl," Jayden said, as he motioned Tiger to turn around.
"It's payback time!" He heard Tiger say, as she lowered all four of her legs, her spinning claws loosing up the dirt underneath her. When she got to Madimot, she scratched with her claws once more, saying, "This fault is all yours, Nighlock!" as she turned around again and flew away.
Madimot quickly realized why Tiger had said such a thing, as the dirt underneath him was so loose, it came apart and caused him to sink, trapping him in the so-mentioned 'fault'. "What is this?!"
"Nice job, Tiger," Jayden said. "Now, it's time to team up! Emily!"
"Roger that!" Emily replied, she and the other three watching this fight happen.
"Samuraizers!"
"Dragon Folding Zord!"
"Turtle Folding Zord!"
"Bear Folding Zord!"
"Ape Folding Zord!"
"Ready! Zords Combine! Samurai Megazord, We Are United!"
The Megazord and the Tiger Zord now stood side by side. Jayden unsheathed his Sword and spun the Tiger Disk. "Samurai Artillery!" The Tiger Zord roared as it shifted its parts in order for it to fit onto the Megazord.
"Tiger Drill Megazord, Armed for Battle!" All five called out, standing in their usual formation with Jayden in the middle (also still in Havoc Mode).
As Madimot finally got free of all the dirt trapping him, the Megazord unsheathed its sword.
The sword clashed with Madimot's shield multiple times, but the Rangers found that they couldn't get through it.
"Your Megazord is useless!" Madimot yelled with glee. "My shield is the real deal!"
But he was caught off guard by the Megazord striking him with the four drills attached to it (from the Tiger Zord's four legs).
Madimot threw more blasts at him from his shield, but the Megazord charged right through it.
"He's right, though," Mike told his team. "We need something else to break his shield."
"The Tiger Drill can do it, no problem," Jayden said. "But she says she needs some extra drill power. Em?"
"On it," Emily caught his drift. "Havoc Mode, Activate!" Once she was morphed into the said mode (the five still in usual formation), the others made the Megazord sheath its sword (though they didn't do so themselves). "Tiger!"
All Emily had to do was call out. Tiger immediately responded, "I'm ready! Sync your Spiral Drill with mine and all together, we can nail him for good!"
"Right! Spiral Earth Drill: Energize!" Emily called out, her Drill perfectly in sync with Tiger's.
"Katana Power: Tiger Drill Charge!" The Rangers thrust their Swords forward (and Emily her Drill), as the combined power finally broke Madimot's shield and ended him for good.
"Samurai Rangers, Victory is Ours!" Jayden announced.
"Welcome back, Tiger!" Emily exclaimed.
"Thank you," she heard Tiger reply. "It's good to be back."
Underneath their Havoc Mode helmets, both Jayden and Emily (the only ones who could hear her) smiled.
~B~E~T~T~E~R~~T~O~G~E~T~H~E~R~~~P~O~W~E~R~~R~A~N~G~E~R~S~~S~A~M~U~R~A~I~~R~E~D~O~
Shiba House, Gianni Forest, Panorama City, California
As Antonio watched the others as they played a game with their respective folding zords, Kevin sat off to the side, Jayden next to him.
When Mia cheered for her "doubles six, yeah, whoo!", Kevin turned to her before turning away and sadly confessing, "You know, after today, I don't really feel like playing."
"That's understandable," Jayden admitted. "But you shouldn't isolate yourself. It wasn't your fault."
"I could have killed you, or Mia, or Mike, or Emily! Or even all four of you!" Kevin exclaimed, causing the other four teen occupants of the Shiba House (plus the other three Folding Zords) to pay attention to the duo's conversation more than their game.
"It wasn't your fault," Jayden repeated, fully aware of everyone paying attention to them. "Besides, I had to fight against a fellow Ranger too. But unlike you, I actually control over my actions and my thoughts. The Resist Disk being the only choice I could make in that instance was a partial lie. I could've also just...killed you without using the Disk, but that would have made all of us suffer. I didn't want to make that choice. I couldn't. Either way, I had to fight you, Kevin. And sometimes, we have to do things we don't want to do, and things we're not comfortable with, in order to do what's right. None of us are safe from it."
Emily was quiet for a minute as the six processed this, no one able to convince themselves that it was false (because it was all true and they knew it), before speaking up with a small sweet smile across her face. "He's right, Kev." He and Jayden glanced at her. "So, don't beat yourself up for it. You too, Jayden. That's an order." Jayden was unable to stop the smile that appeared when she said that last line. "Besides, all of us are broken in some way. None of us are perfect. We have all have things that we regret. Okay?"
Kevin then smiled and nodded.
"Good. Now, both of you, come on and join us," Emily said, feeling a new warmth in her heart as all six came together, physically and emotionally.
As Emily suggested a new game, one that included Antonio, Jayden was unable and unwilling to convince himself that Emily was wrong.
Because she was right. The whole way.
His team wasn't perfect. They were all flawed and broken in many different ways.
But so was he.
And he wouldn't change that for the world.
His team was broken, but it was good.
Yep, still good.
TO BE CONTINUED...
~PRS~REDO~PRS~REDO~PRS~REDO~PRS~REDO~PRS~
Original Shinkenger Episode: Act 9
Original PRS Episode: I've Got a Spell on Blue
Note: Jayden's Havoc Mode rollcall (though it didn't happen in this chapter; I'm imagining) is similar to Kyoryu/Dino Charge Red's. And yes, the Zords have genders too. Lion, Dragon, Bear, and Beetle are all male. Turtle, Ape, Tiger, and Swordfish are all female.
A/N: Do review, please. If you guys have any ideas you want me to consider adding, please PM me. A preview for the next chapter:
Season 1, Episode 10: "Under the Weather"
"All Mike wanted was someone to tell him he was good enough, but the only one who could help him was the one he fought with the most."