A/N: I'M NOT DEAD! I'M SORRY THIS IS SO LATE! My computer died on me and I just got it back! Nevertheless, enjoy this long-awaited chapter.
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.
Special Note: Pay attention to the dates, as some scenes will be flashbacks while other scenes take place in the present day.
~PRS~REDO~PRS~REDO~PRS~REDO~PRS~REDO~PRS~
"With Jayden gone, the Rangers struggle to stay afloat without him. But there's only person who can bring him back."
Better Together
Power Rangers: Samurai REDO
Season 1, Episode 12: Seeing Red
Shiba House, Gianni Forest, Panorama City, California
September 23, 2004
"It'll be alright, Jay," a thirteen-and-a-half-year-old Lauren gently told her eleven-year-old little brother, as Daniel and Blake continued to pack the trunk of the team's van (Ji had gotten it for them, and only the three guys could drive, due to the two girls still being underage) with the luggage belonging to them and their three other teammates.
"I know," Jayden replied. "I just don't understand why you can't stay here. And don't talk to me like I'm a kid. You only have two years on me."
Lauren laughed her brother's typical behavior, before she sobered up and explained, "Sorry, Jay. We have to leave. The Nighlock have gotten stronger now that we have a secret weapon that can beat them once and for all."
"Why not use it now then?" Antonio, age twelve, asked.
"Because it needs to be used a certain way, and we haven't been given that chance, yet," Lauren said, without saying what she thought was too much. "So, we have to go into hiding until we get that chance."
"Oh..." Jayden was quiet as he processed that. "Okay."
"I'll be back," Lauren said, steel and fire in her voice.
"You promise?" Antonio asked (Lauren not forgetting that he had a crush on her).
"I swear," Lauren promised. "Cross my heart."
Jayden and Antonio both seemed to be pleased (or content, at least) with that answer.
"How long will you be gone?" Jayden quietly asked.
"Not long," Lauren said. "In fact, I'll be back before you three know it." Three, referring to Jayden, Antonio, and Ji (the latter of whom was standing behind the two boys, gentle yet comforting hands on their shoulders).
"Okay."
That was all Jayden could get out before Lauren left with her four teammates.
It was only two and a half years later, in 2001, after the trio came across a heavily-damaged, out-cold Lion Zord, that Jayden realized he never got to say goodbye to Lauren.
~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
June 10, 2014
Robtish asked, raising his sword over Jayden's helmeted head, "Any last words, Red?"
The rage within Jayden flared up again. "Don't call Lauren weak!"
Kevin thought about that, and Jayden's obsession with avenging his sister. He must have really loved her.
"I'll take that as my invitation to kill you now," Robtish said. "See ya, Red!"
Something inside Kevin snapped when he saw Emily rush forward without a second thought. He immediately chased after her, already knowing what she was about to do.
She was about to sacrifice herself for him.
"Emily, no!"
"Double Slash!"
Jayden glanced up just in time to see Emily suddenly rush into view, Kevin following soon after, seemingly trying to stop her, only for both of them to get hit full blast, with Emily (once again) taking the brunt of the attack.
Kevin was aware of was dropping to his knees, him and Emily having been de-morphed, as their weapons dropped to the ground with a clang, before the two face-planted into the dirt and gravel below, Emily already out cold and Kevin barely hanging on to consciousness.
The last thing he heard was Mike's voice, "Don't worry, Kev, you'll be okay," before he came face-to-face with darkness.
Kevin's eyes snapped open. Drenched in cold sweat, Kevin sat up, despite the sharp pain in his chest and shoulders.
"Hey, Kevin, you okay?" he heard a familiar voice whisper from his left. He snapped his head in that direction, and breathed a heavy sigh of relief when he saw that it was only Antonio (in his pajamas and obviously tired), his eyes filled with concern and the willingness to help.
Kevin took a moment to get his breathing back to normal, "Y-Yeah. I'm fine. I just..."
"Had a nightmare?"
Kevin nodded.
"It's gonna be okay, amigo," Antonio replied, quietly (obviously trying not to wake up Emily), before holding up a small glass of warm milk. "Mia mentioned this was the best way to get you to fall asleep after a nightmare. You need it."
"Thank you," Kevin said, before downing the entire glass in five seconds.
As soon as he hit his pillow, Kevin fell back into the realm of asleep, without dreams this time.
~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~
Pier 8, Panorama City, California
June 11, 2014
Jayden stood on the empty pier, his arms leaning against the railing overlooking the ocean.
Yesterday, he had done the one thing he had vowed he would never do, the thing that he had promised would not happen.
He let his anger and need for revenge get the better of him and dictate his actions.
'I'm sorry, guys,' Jayden mentally apologized. 'I'm sorry for only seeing red. I'm sorry, Emily, for forcing you to hurt yourself just to snap me back to reality. I don't know how to make it up to you, so I'll be gone until I can figure that out.'
He glanced down at the little lion keychain Antonio and Emily had gotten him not too long ago, the day when all six of them went to Rainbow's End.
Kevin and Emily were knocked out by Robtish's Double Slash, Mike and Mia were taken out by Deker, and Antonio and Ji probably had their hands full with taking care of the other four. What had happened...he would never let that happen again.
~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
March 12, 2008
Two years after the incident, Lion opened his mechanical eyes to three familiar faces, two of which had matured a bit since he last saw them.
Ji, Jayden, and Antonio...
But they weren't facing him. Ji was reading a book, while Jayden and Antonio were playing a game of chess (that Jayden was winning).
"Where am I?" Lion asked.
Immediately, all three heads snapped towards the little Zord.
"Lion!" Ji cried out in relief. "You're alright!"
"You're at the Shiba House," Jayden replied. "You came here from the safe house in Keller Forest two years ago. Remember?"
Oh yeah...
Two years...That meant that Lauren would've been seventeen now, whereas Jayden was now fifteen, and Antonio sixteen, in high school already.
Then, he panicked. Because something happened at the Keller Forest house to make him come here.
"What happened?" Ji asked. "Where's Lauren and the others?"
"That's why I'm here, actually," Lion slowly replied. "To tell you guys that something happened."
"We know," Antonio answered. "We figured that out ourselves. We're asking what happened."
"The team was ambushed," Lion revealed. "I don't know how and I can't remember why, but...no one survived. They told us Zords to run away after it was evident they wouldn't make it...in order for us to avoid capture. Swordfish, Beetle, Tiger, and Octo...have they come back yet?"
Ji shook his head.
"So...I'm the only one?"
All three nodded.
"I'm sorry..." Lion muttered in guilt.
Lion was alone. All alone. He was the only Zord that had returned to the only people who already knew the truth and who could continue on the fight.
But he could survive this. He had too. His original owner, the Red Shogun, had programmed in Lion the same drive and determination that he himself had. Hence why Lion was drawn to people that had that same fire, so to speak.
And that fire seemed to run within the Shiba family. First Lauren, and now Jayden...
"The Nighlock are still out there," Lion reminded them of the enemy.
"We know," Antonio said. "But the Gap Sensor hasn't gone off in two years. Not for anything big, at least." Marauders were the only enemies appeared, and they were easy to take down without morphing.
"They'll be back," Lion said. "And when they do, we need to be ready." He paused before revealing a secret he hadn't even told Lauren yet. "Dragon, Turtle, Bear, and Ape have all returned to Panorama City."
Ji's head snapped up at this. "The Core Five...is this it? The ultimate reunion?"
"Looks like it," Lion said, hoping the three would find comfort in this. "Bear is, in fact, tailing someone right now. Looks like he already has someone specific in mind. Turtle and Dragon are generally observing everyone, while Ape is resting after having just gotten here."
"What about you?" Antonio asked. "Have you got someone new in mind? Or will you have to go out and observe too?"
"Actually, I have," Lion revealed, before turning to the person who had gotten quiet ever since Lion revealed the news about Lauren and her team. "Jayden Alexander Shiba. You have great fire in you. Would you be willing to carry the baton as the new Red Samurai Ranger?"
Jayden was surprised at this. There was a pause.
"Could you...give me some time to think about it?" Jayden asked.
"Of course."
Lion understood why. The boy needed time to grieve. He had just lost his sister, who he hadn't seen for about four years now.
He needed to grieve now before the fire consumed him later.
~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
June 11, 2014
Mike was in the recovery room that morning with a bowl of cereal in hand, Antonio was sitting in a chair between Kevin and Emily's beds, while Mia sat on the edge of Emily's bed, careful not to tostle Emily while she was still in pain. A mild smile on his face, Mike saw Kevin sitting up in his bed, drawing in his sketchbook.
"You know, once upon a time," Mike began, "a Samurai once told me that breakfast is the most important meal of the day."
Kevin, with a bit of a struggle, finally swung his legs over the side of the bed, as he held his sketchbook in hand. "I told you that."
"Uh-huh," Mike was unimpressed at Kevin's hypocrisy. "Well, the last time I had a sick day, I played video games with my brother, drank ginger-ale, and ate chicken soup."
Kevin rolled his eyes. "I'll eat one I finish this."
"Finish what?" Antonio asked, after swallowing a bite of his toast.
"Since I'm laid up, I can't get any training in," Kevin replied. "So since I have the time now, I've decided to help you out, Antonio, and try to come up with possible Megazord combinations. Like the one I'm doing now, the Samurai Battlewing and the Megazord." He showed the others his sketchbook.
"Wow," Antonio complemented. "If you want, I can put the finishing touches on it."
"Really?" Kevin asked, sounding hopeful.
"Yeah," Antonio replied. "I have to see if it's possible anyways. You know, to make sure the Zords won't get destroyed if we try it."
"Thanks," Kevin said, handing over his sketchbook to their tech wizard.
"No problemo," Antonio said, opening up the sketchbook to the page Kevin mentioned. "Now eat your breakfast, Waterboy."
"'Waterboy'?" Kevin angrily turned to Mike. "Why did you teach him that nickname, Mike?"
Mike shrugged. "Because it's funny."
"It's not funny. It's embarrassing."
"That's why it's funny." Mike turned to Mia, who was quiet with a sad look on her face. "What's up with you?"
"Jayden's still not back," was Mia's solemn reply.
"Don't worry about it, amigos," Antonio tried to cheer them up. "He'll be back. He left far too much behind to leave forever. Trust me."
Mike nodded, before turning to Emily, who had been awake since the other three came in to wake her and Kevin up for breakfast, but had not stirred until now. "How are you feeling, Em?"
Her soft voice replied, "I've been better."
"Good morning, Rangers!" And there was Ji, who had just walked into the room. "Hi, Emily! Hope you're feeling better!" The said girl sent him a gentle smile as she sat up in her bed.
"You can cut with the happy-happy act, Mentor," Antonio interrupted. "They know something's up."
The look of Ji's face was apologetic. "I'm sorry, but Mike and Mia are the only available Rangers right now, which means that they need to be on their guards in case that Gap Sensor goes off."
Ji left and the other four resumed their breakfast, and Emily tried to join them, to ensure that everything was alright. But she couldn't stop thinking about her nightmare.
She may be no longer ignoring the forest house, but her visions were obviously not done with her.
Jayden needed help. She needed to go over and save him. If she didn't go over and help him, the wolves currently mauling him would eat him alive. She needed to go over there right now and help him. But she couldn't. She was stuck.
The scene then changed, and Emily quickly noted that it felt less like a dream and more like a memory. She could tell because she was seeing this from her own perspective:
She was on her family's ranch, watching the sunset (but not in reality, but more like in her heart), when a small ball of light came floating towards her.
"Hello?" Her eight-year-old self called to it.
"Hello. I was cold, but then I felt your warmth," came the voice of a girl, as old as Serena (but it wasn't Serena). Emily gently held the ball of light, the soul, in her little hands. "Your sister talked about you a lot. And she was not wrong. You are indeed a kind soul, and I'm glad she mentioned you." Emily was patient as she listened to the older girl speak. "Thank you for giving me this second chance."
"N-No problem," Emily paused. She didn't know who this person was, or why they were just a soul, or how they knew Serena, but she felt, in her heart, that they were broken and needed to be fixed, and they thought Emily was the right person to fix them. "Why are you sad?"
"Because I just lost my best friends," the older girl's voice wavered, as if she were crying. "And I won't see my family again for a long time. Do you mind...if I stay here...with you?"
Emily gently smiled. "Sure, if that'll make you feel better."
"Thank you..."
Emily then guided the soul to her chest, where her heart was, and allowed the soul to enter her own body. "Stay for as long as you need to."
Emily, in the present day, wondered why she was remembering that now. It wasn't a dream. It felt too real. Not to mention, back then, she didn't mind who that soul belonged to, but now, she was curious.
Had they left? Or were they still there?
Were they still broken? Or had they recovered and were waiting for Emily to stumble across their body, so she could return their soul to them?
One thing was for certain: she had no intention of making them leave. Not yet anyways. At least, until she could get some answers.
But until then, she would focus on helping Jayden first.
Jayden needed her more than this person did at the moment.
The other four knew something was plaguing Emily's mind, but for her convenience, they chose not to say anything until she was comfortable talking about it with them.
~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~
Junk Ship, Sanzu River, Netherworld
"What do you mean the Rangers are still alive?!" Octoroo cried. Xandred was finally down for his nap, and it was Octoroo's turn to let his temper show.
"Here we go," Dayu muttered.
"I got three of them!" Robtish explained. "I was about to get the other two, but the Rangers had help!"
"'Help'?" Octoroo asked. "What do you mean? A new Ranger?"
"No!" Robtish revealed. "Deker!"
"Well, we're doomed," Dayu said. "Master Xandred is gonna throw a fit when he finds out that Deker has sided himself with the Rangers."
"Deker's helping the Rangers now?" Xandred chose that time to wake up from his nap (because of course he did). He then got angry, "Did I tell you or did I tell you?!"
"You told us," Dayu answered.
"EXACTLY!"
~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~
Deker walked down the River bank when he sensed something. "Someone's coming."
Marauders appeared from the ground in flashes of red. He was right.
"Mmph," Deker said. "So, Xandred has sent his foot soldiers to challenge me. He still continues to underestimate me." Deker drew his sword and destroyed all the Marauders in one circular strike.
Xandred suddenly popped up from under the water.
"I've lost my patience with you, Deker!"
The two immediately clashed, Xandred purely on the offensive and Deker mainly for self-defense.
"I knew you weren't to be trusted!" Xandred berated him. "Leave it to a half-human like you to side with the Rangers!"
"I know you want the Rangers destroyed," Deker shot back, pleading with his former boss to see reason, despite knowing that was impossible. "But I can't let you! One of them is tied to my destiny, and until I find out which one, I cannot let you go through with your plans!"
Xandred gave Deker a solid kick to the gut, forcing Deker to fall back into the water.
"You think I care about your worthless plans?!"
"Why are you getting so upset? I asked you for permission, and you said you didn't care!"
"I changed my mind!"
Deker pushed Xandred off of him and prepared to deliver a strong enough blow so he could escape. "I have no interest in battling you."
"Very wise of you, but I'm not letting you escape anymore!" Xandred wrapped his Netherworld Bonds around Deker and sent Marauders to strike those Bonds, effectively injuring Deker.
"You will not stop me!" To retaliate, Deker chose to morph back into his human form. The force broke apart the bonds, freeing him and destroying the four Marauders surrounding him. Deker collapsed, exhausted, half his body submerged in the water below. "Say what you like about my half-human state," Deker spat, "but it keeps me from being a prisoner in this Netherworld like you."
Xandred could only watch as Deker dove beneath the waves, successfully making his escape.
Back on the ship, Octoroo and Dayu had been watching the entire time.
Octoroo groaned, "Master Xandred almost had him!"
"It was his own fault for underestimating Deker," Dayu replied. "He was a former General for a reason."
"True," Octoroo said. "But the Master won't listen to reason. You know that." Dayu sighed in agreement. They both knew that all too well. Octoroo turned to Robtish. "And look at you sitting on your rump! Get back out there and take out the Rangers!"
"Consider them gone!"
~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
Mike and Mia had nothing else to do. It was a fairly quiet, yet beautiful day, and they were healthy enough, so they chose to spar. They didn't bother changing out of their casual clothes.
Mike, however, was lost in thought. And it was noticeable to Mia.
"Mike, you okay?" She asked.
"What?" He snapped back to reality. "Oh, yeah. Fine. I'm just...remembering how crappy I felt when David got hurt just because he was hanging with me."
"I know how you feel," Mia sympathized, as the two sat on the bench nearby, lowering their practice swords. "When we were tryin to rescue those brides, and you guys were caught in that explosion, I remember how crappy I felt."
Mike was quiet. He didn't know that was still weighing on her. "Mia, it's okay. We're okay. Those were just clones."
"I know that now, but at the time, the fear and the guilt..."
"...were genuine," Mike finished for her.
"Yeah." Mia paused. "But, anyways, my point is that we've all had that kind of experience at some point. But it's how we respond to it that tells other people who we really are."
"Right, so with that in mind, Mia," Mike asked, "what kind of person does that make Jayden?"
"A person who values honor as well as his friends," came Antonio's voice, rather unexpectedly.
There stood Antonio and Kevin, both in casual clothes, having been listening for most of the time. Mike and Mia didn't even hear the door open.
Mia immediately stood up when she saw Kevin, "Kevin, should you be up and about already?"
"Probably not," at least he was honest, "but I'll be fine. It's Emily I'm worried about."
"Don't be," came Emily's voice, unexpectedly as well. "I'm fine." She walked past the others, towards the front gate.
"Wait, Em!" Kevin called. "Where are you going?"
"To find Jayden and talk some sense into him," was her answer.
"In your condition?" Mike asked. "Why?"
The Lion Zord appeared on Emily's shoulder, "Because I asked her too."
"Lion?" Mia asked, the other four surprised to see Jayden's Zord talking with them. "I thought we couldn't hear you."
"Under normal circumstances, that would be correct. But nothing about our current situation is normal," Lion answered.
"What do you mean by that?" Kevin asked, slightly confused. "I mean, yeah, Jayden's missing, but-"
Mike, in that moment, remembered what Ji had told him a couple weeks ago. "-It's because proximity between a Ranger and their Zord affects the health of both."
Mia immediately turned to Antonio. "Is that true?" Antonio nodded. "Why weren't we told this?"
"Sorry," Antonio apologized, "it doesn't usually come up."
"And now, Jayden could be dying, and so could Lion!" Kevin said.
"A one to three day separation won't kill either of us," Lion quickly jumped in before the others had a panic attack. "You only have to worry if it's been at least a week."
"Look, Lion," Mia spoke up, "why do you need Emily with you? Are you that sick?" Are you sick to the point where you can't go by yourself? was her unspoken, yet obvious question.
"Yes and no," was Lion's response. "I just can't empathize with Jayden as well as Emily can."
"What's not to understand?" Kevin asked. "We got hurt and he ran away because he felt guilty."
It was quiet as Emily finally spoke up, "It's a lot deeper than that..." It's obvious that the others were still confused. "Let's try this. Have any of you ever lost someone close to you? Mia?"
Mia said, "My grandmother. She died two years ago of liver failure."
"Did you get to say goodbye?" Emily asked.
"Yeah. Why?"
"I'll get to that. Kevin?"
"My mom is in the military," Kevin replied, "if that counts."
"But she's still alive, right?" Emily asked. Kevin nodded. "Mike?"
"My mom divorced my dad after he walked out on us," came his pained answer.
"Did you get to say goodbye?"
"I didn't want to."
"Okay," Emily said. "Fair enough. Antonio?"
"I don't remember my dad, but I lost my mom to the same car crash that killed Jayden's parents," came Antonio's answer.
"But you knew what happened to them, right?"
Antonio nodded, "Yeah. Where are you getting at?"
Mike was quick to connect the dots. "Lauren and Serena..."
"Oh."
"Kevin and Serena both disappeared without a trace–" Kevin started.
"–no one knew where they had gone–" Mia picked up.
"–and you never got to say goodbye to them," Antonio finished.
Lion confirmed, "Yes. That is why."
"Well, Em," Antonio spoke up, after a moment of silence, "if it has to be you...we won't stand in your way."
"But you shouldn't have to go alone," Mike offered.
Emily gave them all a grateful smile, and all together, they headed out into the city to find their missing sixth person.
~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
March 13, 2008
A few days after the red Zord's offer, Jayden found Lion sitting outside on the bench.
"Lion?" The Zord turned to the fifteen-year-old.
"You have come to a decision?"
"Yes. I accept your offer," Jayden said, before vowing, "The Nighlock are still out there, and someone has to stop them. I swear that justice will come before revenge."
"Good," Lion nodded his approval. "Repeat those words every day, even when you're tired of doing so, because protecting the innocent will always come before personal involvement. Besides, the best way to avenge Lauren and her team is to defeat the Nighlock army for them, to ensure that their sacrifices were not in vain."
"Right," Jayden's eyes lowered in determination, and for a moment, Lion was reminded of the Red Shogun.
And he felt some hope return. Perhaps, this team would be the one that would turn the tables in their favor.
~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~
Harbor Village Park, Panorama City, California
June 11, 2014
Jayden was overlooking the ocean (again) when he heard the sound of a little kid crying. He turned around and saw a little boy with tears running down his face.
Jayden's heart went out to him, and so, he quickly jogged over to the boy and knelt in front of him, his voice soft as he asked, "Hey, little guy. What's wrong?"
The boy sniffed. "My daddy had to move away for a job, and me and my mommy miss him."
Jayden offered a kind smile. "What's your name?"
"James." James...that was his father's name.
"Well, James, do you mind if I show you a little trick?" Jayden asked. James nodded, sitting up, as Jayden got off his knees and instead sat down next to the boy on the bench. Jayden took a piece of paper from his bag, and began to fold it. "This is a family tradition, one that my dad passed on to me. It's nothing special. You just talk about some personal stuff, like stuff that's bothering you, while you fold paper airplanes." Jayden held up the airplane he just made. "And then you let it fly away, taking everything that's bothering you with it."
Jayden and James watch as Jayden's airplane flew away, off into the sky.
"Wow..."
"Yeah, and if it's still bothering you," Jayden added, "you pick it up and throw it again."
"And long do you throw it?" James asked.
"As many times as it takes for you to feel better."
"You love your dad, too?" James asked, and Jayden nodded.
"Yeah, and my mom as well. They're not here anymore, but that's okay," Jayden said, his hand squeezing around the little lion keychain attached to his bag. "Because I have friends who help me."
"I wish I had friends..."
Once again, Jayden sympathized with him. For the longest time, Antonio was his only friend. And before he met Antonio, he had no friends.
Now, to add to Antonio and his energy, he also had Kevin and his loyalty, Mia and her spunk, Mike and his playfulness, and Emily and her kindness.
Maybe after this...he would go home. Because he couldn't live without any of them. Robtish's attack yesterday and now this little journey had made him very aware of that.
"Don't say that," Jayden said.
"Why not? It's true."
"It's not true, because you have the Power Rangers. They're friends with everyone. And you also have me."
The tears of sorrow were replaced with tears of joy as James smiled. "Yeah! Thank you, Mister...um..."
"Jayden. Just Jayden."
"Right. Thank you, Jayden," and Jayden returned James' hug.
Three minutes later, the entire park was filled with paper airplanes. Everyone else at that park had picked up on them pretty quickly, thanks to James, who started telling his classmates about it. And pretty soon, the teacher and other civilians that were there started getting on the bandwagon too.
Jayden finally felt at peace. This was how the world was supposed to be. No Nighlock. No fear. No fights. Just everyone being nice to and supporting each other. Everyone becoming friends...real friends...
This was the kind of peace that the Rangers fought to protect, and Jayden refused to let these people, these kids, down.
The moment was ruined by Marauders appearing from the gaps. The airplanes were quickly replaced by screams of terror.
"Man, I love a day in the park!"
Robtish was back...
He didn't have his Samuraizer or the Lion Zord on him, but that didn't mean he would run. He couldn't. Because then, who would protect these kids?
Jayden dropped his bag and immediately sent a punch to the nearest Marauder, as the teacher called out to her kids to gather together.
His stomach dropped when he saw James run over to get his airplane, which was caught under Robtish's foot.
"Aww, is that for me?"
James pouted as he held his airplane close to his chest and slowly started backing away.
Jayden immediately sent a flying kick to Robtish's chest, sending the Nighlock onto the ground. Jayden took this chance to pick up James and carry him to safety.
As soon as he set the boy down with his classmates, Jayden gave another kick to the Marauder that had followed them and was now behind him. The kids screamed as the Marauder fell down.
He aimed a kick at one before rounding on another and punching it in the chest. When one got him from behind, he whirled around and struck that one down before being knocked to the ground, a pain coming from his chest.
"What unfair odds!" Robtish taunted. "I almost feel guilty! Not! Finish him, Marauders. Chop, chop!"
It was over. He couldn't get up. He had no way of fighting back even if he could get up. He was going to die here.
"Jayden!"
Past the Marauders, Jayden saw his team, Kevin, Mia, Mike, and Emily, all of whom had pulled out their Spin Swords. Mia led an attack on one group of Marauders who were going after kids, all of whom were hiding behind a cluster of trees with their teacher, until Antonio ushered them to a safer place to hide. Mike and Kevin led an attack on a group of Marauders who were going after the other civilians. And Emily...
She went after the group attacking Jayden, striking them down they were nothing. He had never been happier to see her in his entire life (and he was sure that would change in the future, since, you know, they were Power Rangers).
"Jayden, listen to me," Emily knelt in front of him, her Sword still in hand, striking down Marauders that dared to come close to the duo. "You're not alone. You're not the only one who wants answers about what happened. You're not the only one who misses their sister. And you're definitely not the only one who never got to say goodbye to them."
Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Mike flip one over, judo-style.
"This isn't a private game, Jay! We all need to play!" Mike called before catching another Marauder by surprise.
Mia covered a kid, blocking a Marauder's attack from behind. "Your mission is our mission! We won't let you do this alone!" She turned to the kid. "Run! It's too dangerous here!" The kid nodded as they quickly ran away from the scene.
Kevin continued, as he, Mike, and Mia gathered together. "We're all in this together, man! We're a team! Like it or lump it!" The trio attacked all together.
It was Emily who spoke up next, as Jayden slowly got up into a kneeling position, so he could talk to Emily face to face. "They're right, Jayden. They all are. Antonio feels the same way. We've all lost someone, we all have something we still need closure on, and we all make mistakes that have hefty prices. But it's how you respond to those mistakes, to those losses, to those mysteries, that tell others who you really are."
Jayden looked down at what Emily had just given to him.
The Lion Zord and his Samuraizer.
"We care about you, Jayden, and we know you care about us," Emily continued. "Why else would you have left?"
What the others had said had touched him. They were all willing to forgive him and help him with his own problems. Because that's what friends do for each other.
"Em..." he finally found the courage to speak. "I hurt you."
But what Emily said next really caught him off guard.
"No, you didn't hurt me, Jay. Robtish did," she gently replied, with one of her signature comforting smiles. "Besides, we all trust you to get back up, Jayden. You know that. We just don't want you to die on us."
This gave him courage, hope, the strength he needed to get back up, ready to fight and defend this world with his team, his friends. "Thanks, guys...I'm glad you showed up," Jayden confessed, as he tearfully allowed Emily to wrap him in a much-needed hug.
'You must be brave, Jayden,' his father's words echoed in his mind, as he folded a paper airplane for his son. 'One day, you'll live out your own life, and make your own choices. You'll make mistakes, but I know that you'll rise to the challenge, and with the right friends, you'll soar to victory.'
"And I won't die, Em. Just promise that you guys won't die on me."
"Don't worry, man! We're tougher than we look!" He heard Mike shout back. Jayden smiled as he and Emily stood back up together. Jayden then remembered Ji's own words.
'One Samurai is strong, but a team is unbeatable!'
"I don't like putting you all in danger, but someone has to stop the Nighlock..." All four of his teammates, no, his friends, ran to him, all five of them standing in usual formation. "And I'm glad it's us!"
"Samuraizers! Go, Go, Samurai! Havoc Mode, Engage!" All Robtish saw was a flash of rainbow-colored light, and then there stood the five Rangers, all morphed, in Havoc Mode form, but with their Spin Swords in hand.
Jayden began the rollcall, "Samurai Fire, Havoc Mode Red!"
"Samurai Water, Havoc Mode Blue!"
"Samurai Wind, Havoc Mode Pink!"
"Samurai Forest, Havoc Mode Green!"
"Samurai Earth, Havoc Mode Yellow!"
"Rangers Together–" Jayden called.
"Samurai Forever!" The five finished together.
For some off reason, this battle cry felt stronger, deep in their hearts, than the others before it. It was like their bond had tightened just by morphing together.
"Oh, good, I can destroy you all together. Might as well go out as a team," Robtish taunted. "Marauders!"
"Spin Swords: Quintuple Slash!"
When he saw that all of his foot soldiers had been destroyed, Robtish got scared, and he ran. He looked behind him and ran faster when he realized that the Rangers were following him.
In the nearby parking garage, the Rangers finally stopped when Robtish did.
"You know, following me here wasn't wise!" The Nighlock taunted.
"No, you leaving the Sanzu River wasn't wise!" Jayden calmly shot back. "My team and I can handle anything you through at us." Kevin and Emily were strong enough to get back up after taking a hit for him, as were Mike and Mia after taking a hit from Deker. They could do this. Together.
And they all attacked together, not as five separate beings, but as one. When one would attack, the others were pause, and when that Ranger stepped back, someone else would attack, and the cycle would repeat itself, over and over again, until, Jayden struck Robtish in the chest.
The attack sent Robtish to the ground, but he got up, saying, "Let's see how your team deals with this."
Jayden said quietly to his team all around him. "He'll start with a shockwave, and then watch for his slash attack. Defend against those and we'll be fine. I've got a surprise of my own. Ready?"
"Yeah!"
"Sonic Shockwave!" Robtish called out.
"Windstorm Arrow!"
"Spiral Earth Drill: Energize!"
The two girls combined weapons to form a sort of pink-and-yellow-colored shield to defend against the shockwave. After the shockwave dispersed, the two girls stepped back to give Kevin and Mike some spotlight.
"Double Slash!" Robtish called out, swinging his sword to create the slashes.
"Diamond Wave Trident!"
"Forest Hammer!"
The blue-and-green-colored shield was enough to defend against the slashes. Kevin and Mike then rolled out of the way to reveal Jayden's surprise.
When Robtish restored his bearings, a cannon was pointed straight at him. "Five-Disk Tiger Cannon! Lend me your disks!"
Red, Blue, Pink, Green, and finally Yellow.
"Fire Strike!"
Robtish's first form flew backwards, smashing into some concrete, and was never seen again.
Jayden immediately turned to his team and asked, "Are you guys okay?"
"Yep!"
"That was epic, man," Mike said.
Then there was a booming voice above them, as Robtish returned in a swirl of fire.
"You Rangers are going to pay for this!" Desperaino cried out in rage.
The Rangers unhooked their Zords from their belts. "Samuraizers!"
"Lion Folding Zord!"
"Dragon Folding Zord!"
"Turtle Folding Zord!"
"Bear Folding Zord!"
"Ape Folding Zord!"
"Ready! Zords Combine! Samurai Megazord, We Are United!"
The Rangers unsheathed their Swords, and the Megazord did the same.
"You really think I'm scared of you now?!" Robtish asked, before calling out, "Flying Marauders!"
Giant Marauders flew out of the gaps, but the different here is that they had literally flown, as in they had wings.
The five Rangers gasped at the sight. Mike said everyone's sentiment at this the best, "They fly now too?!"
Having the aerial advantage was not fair. The Marauders kept hitting the Megazord with laser beams that came from their staffs. And since they were grounded, the Rangers could not fight back, and they were in so much pain that when Robtish came at them from in front of them, they couldn't lift their sword then either.
The Rangers forced the Megazord to hide behind a building to recover while they thought of a plan.
"We have to get this Megazord stable!" Jayden said, all five Rangers kneeling on their stands.
"Oh, I know!" Mike said, snapping his fingers. "The Samurai Battlewing could take out these flying rats!"
"Or how about combining the Battlewing with the Megazord?" Kevin suggested.
"Is that possible?" Jayden asked.
"Antonio would know," Kevin replied. "He's got my blueprints."
As if on cue, Jayden's Samuraizer went off. "Antonio?" He asked as he picked up, putting Antonio on speaker phone.
"Glad to hear your voice again, amigo," Antonio said. "But we can save that for later. Right now, I think you guys were talking about me, because my ears are burning. Good news, Kev! I had to make a few adjustments, but that idea of yours is absolutely possible and ready to test. Just follow the instructions I just sent you and you'll be good to go!"
All five Samuraizers went off, indicating that they received Antonio's instructions.
"We got them, Antonio," Jayden said. "Thank you!"
"No problemo. I'm rooting for you guys," Antonio said, before he hung up.
"Alright, let's do this," Jayden said. "Kevin, why don't you lead this one?"
"Of course, Jay," Kevin said.
The Megazord came out from behind their cover, the sword sheathed but ready to fight.
"First we need the Samurai Battlewing. Summon Swordfish Zord!" Kevin called.
"Summon Tiger Zord!" Emily called
"Summon Beetle Zord!" Mia called.
"Zords Combine! Samurai Battlewing! We Are United!"
The Battlewing sent out a large burst of energy that forced Robtish back as it flew forward, before flying up.
"Air Strike Combination!" The Rangers called, drawing the Symbol that Antonio had drawn for them. And the Zords themselves did all the work from there.
"Battlewing Megazord! We Are United!"
Just like in the Battlewing cockpit, in this one, the stands were directly in front of them and the Swords were inserted and used like joysticks.
"Wow! We really did it!" Mike said. "I guess what you were doing was better than playing video games, Kevin."
"I'm definitely impressed!" Jayden complemented. Kevin hung his head as if hiding his blush.
"Thanks."
"Focus!" Emily brought their attention back to Robtish. They could celebrate later.
Robtish got his bearings as the Megazord lifted up and began to fly. "Woah, what is happening?"
"Hey, Fish Faces!" Kevin said. "Here's something new!"
The Megazord flew straight at the flying Marauders with incredible speed.
"I can't believe we're actually flying!" Emily said.
"Better believe it, Em," Kevin replied.
"Nice work, Kev," Jayden said. "Antonio too."
"This is so sweet!" Mike couldn't contain his excitement.
"Sure is!" Mia agreed with Mike.
"Fly, my pretties!" Robtish ordered, and all the Marauders in the sky flew at them, firing shot and shot at them, but their new aerial advantage made the Rangers practically invincible as they easily dodged it, not once wavering.
"Marauders on our tail!" Jayden ordered. "Pull up!"
The Megazord flew up and back at the Marauders it was flying away from.
"Here we go!" Mike said. "Excuse us! Coming through!"
Their sword pierced two Marauders, before they stopped and struck down two more.
"Alright!" Mia cheered, as the Marauders they struck down exploded in a ball of fire.
The Megazord flew around a skyscraper to meet more Marauders that hadn't met their doom yet.
"Bye, bye, birdies!" Emily waved at them.
After destroying five more Marauders, one of the remaining ones called for the others to retreat.
"Oh, no, you don't!" Kevin said, and the Megazord did a charging strike attack and destroyed the rest.
The Megazord landed back down near Robtish.
"Aw, and here I thought you'd flown the coop!" Robtish taunted.
"Looks like we saved the worst for last," Jayden said.
"Fine! I'll just do this myself!" Robtish cried, before charging in with his sword in hand, but a quick strike of the Rangers' sword disarmed him.
"Let's fly up so we can take him down!" Kevin suggested, before the Rangers motioned the Megazord to start flying again.
"Follow my lead," Jayden said, as they unsheathed their Swords from their stands.
The Rangers spun their respective Disks, charging up the Megazord for the final blow. "Katana Power: Super Aerial Strike!"
One downward slash later and Robtish was gone for good.
"Samurai Rangers, Victory is Ours!" Jayden said, as the Rangers celebrated.
~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
Ji paced on the front porch. All six of them were gone. There was a Nighlock attack (he knew because he saw the Megazord fight), but the Gap Sensor had gone off while they were gone.
Now he was worried if they wouldn't actually come back.
The front gate opened, and he was met with six youth.
"Jayden! You're back! All of you are!" Ji sighed in relief. "I was beginning to worry that something had happened."
'I was worried that everyone left because of me,' went unspoken yet obvious to the six youngsters.
"Well, worry no more, Ji," Jayden said, as he and Ji shared a hug. "We're back. And we're not going anywhere."
"Good," Ji said before suggesting, "I think you all deserve some fun today."
"Yeah!" The Rangers all celebrated this, as everyone went inside, most of them to clean up and get into fresher clothes.
"Hey, let's go to the movies!" Antonio said.
"Oh, a romantic comedy!" Mia suggested.
Mike objected. "Fat chance unless it has zombies in it!"
But Jayden stayed outside, and Ji and Antonio were quick to notice.
"Jay, you okay?" Antonio asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Jayden replied. "I feel a lot better knowing that they don't hate me for letting my anger control me."
"Don't worry about that," Antonio said, giving Jayden a comforting side hug. "For now, let's just worry about whether or not Mike and Mia are actually going kill each other over a movie."
Jayden chuckled. "You know what's weird?"
"No, what?" Antonio asked.
"It just feels like Lauren isn't really gone," Jayden revealed. "You know, like she's here with us, and I don't mean the 'in my heart' stuff. I mean...physically. Like she's just gone inside with the others."
"Do you think...?" Antonio wondered. "Nah, that's unlikely."
"What is?" Jayden asked, as the two boys started walking towards the door.
"Unlikely that her spirit is here, following us. Y'know, like some type of guardian angel."
"Maybe."
Ji took note of that entire conversation, but after careful thought, he had noticed that both teams shared similarities.
Jayden and Lauren were both the determined leader whose presence was always comforting to their teammates.
Blake and Kevin were both the stoic lancer, whose logic never failed to bring a sense of organization to the chaos.
Daniel and Mia were both the team parent, whose caring nature always ensured that everyone was well taken care of.
Matthew and Mike were both the class clown that never failed to get their teammates to crack a smile but took underestimation to a whole new level.
And Serena and Emily were both the kindness-filled heart that kept everyone's heads on straight, the one teammate that the leader could not stand to live without.
And Ji was comforted by this. It's when he knew that everything was going to be alright.
They had stumbled, but had gotten back up again.
~PRS~REDO~PRS~REDO~PRS~REDO~PRS~REDO~PRS~
Original Shinkenger Episode: Act 12
Original PRS Episode: Jayden's Challenge
Note: There you go! More lore for you all! Enjoy picking apart this chapter and theorizing for the next! Next chapter should be out very shortly. Also, the end scene conversation between Jayden and Antonio: keep that in mind. It's very important.
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 13: "Nobody in Particular"
"This Nighlock was dangerous; because in the blink of an eye, he could make everyone in your entire world forget about you."