A/N: Really sorry about the tardiness. Enjoy the 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 versions.
Mild Trigger Warning! Self-harm is not mentioned (I made sure of that), but depression is. So if that hits rather close to home for you, then be careful when reading this (it's very mild, but still).
~PRS~REDO~PRS~REDO~PRS~REDO~PRS~REDO~PRS~REDO~
"Souleater knew what pure happiness felt like. So did Emily. But unlike the Nighlock, Emily actually wanted people to keep theirs."
Better Together
Power Rangers: Samurai REDO
Season 1, Episode 18: Heart of Yellow
Junk Ship, Sanzu River, Netherworld
August 16, 2014
"We need a new strategy," Octoroo said. "We could let Master Xandred's power increase, but it has the potential to destroy the human world as well as the Netherworld, maybe even us. That's why we let him sleep. If he unconciously lets it happen, it won't be as destructive."
A Nighlock boarded the boat, "I'm finally awake now! Where's all the human joy?"
"Buzz off, Souleater," Octoroo retorted. "We didn't summon you. You have not once raised the River. You're useless."
"I don't steal human happiness because you tell me too!" Souleater shot back. "I do it because I enjoy it!"
Octoroo sighed, "See, this is what happens when Xandred isn't around to control things. We get treasonous lowlives like him."
"Not much we can do about it except raise the River in Master Xandred's absence," Dayu replied.
"I mean to tell you this earlier," Octoroo said. "I looked out of a Gap and saw General Gut."
"Gut?" Dayu asked. "You sure he's still alive after what the Grand Shogun did to him?"
"Positive," Octoroo replied as he walked away. "Don't know if he plans to show his face around here, but for now, pretend I didn't say anything."
"Right," Dayu said, before strumming her Harmonium.
~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, Panorama City, California
"Let's go to the movies, Mom!" A teenage girl said.
"You sure? A week ago you didn't want to," her mother replied.
"I'm sure," the girl said. "I feel so much better now."
The two moved toward the movie theater, but a bright flash of pink stopped the girl dead in her tracks. The mother watched as her daughter sat down against a wall, all traced of her precious smile now gone.
"Hey! What's wrong?" The mother called before looking around. She saw more people sulking just like her daughter was (like a bride, a little boy, and a brand new mother).
Souleater laughed in glee. "Yes~! The purest happiness is always the sweetest!"
That's when people in the area noticed his presence, and immediately started running away.
Souleater stumbled after them. "Come back! I won't hurt you! I just want your happiness!" He glanced up in time to see six fully morphed Samurai Rangers leap into the fray.
"Alright, what's your ploy this time, Nighlock?" Jayden asked.
"Ah! The Samurai Rangers! You guys bore me except for the yellow one!" He turned around and walked away.
"You're going down either way!" Mike said.
"Marauders!" Souleater announced. The mentioned foot soldiers came out of gaps and the Rangers charged.
The Rangers all split up to fight a small, separate group. When his group was all gone, Antonio was right next to Souleater.
"Nighlock!"
Souleater shrugged him off. "I'm off to get more pure happiness! Later, Samurai losers!"
Souleater escaped through a gap, and Antonio rushed after him only to be stopped by more Marauders. But Antonio made quick work of them, before rushing over to the Gap Souleater had escaped through.
"He's gone!" Antonio groaned as the others joined him.
"What did he mean by 'pure happiness'?" Mia asked.
"We need to talk to the victims," Jayden said. "Split up."
He was right. Souleater may have been gone for now, but his victims were still being affected by whatever he did to them.
Emily (still morphed) ran up to the teenage girl, who sitting on a nearby bench (and the girl's mother was sitting next to her). "Hey, are you okay?"
"No," she replied. "I feel like I've lost all ability to feel joy."
Her mother sniffed. "Why her? She just found happiness after being depressed for so long, and now she's back to being depressed again. Her therapist said her mental health was stabilizing! She was doing fine!"
Emily was quiet, digesting that. She knew what that was like, to be happy after spending so long being in a deep pit with no way out. She was that way after she first received word of Serena's disappearance, and it continued until she moved to Panorama City and met the other Rangers (with the added insult of being bullied twenty-four seven). She only found out the real definition of happiness when she met Jayden, Kevin, Mike, Mia, and Antonio. She would hate for that to be taken away from her.
She sympathized with the people who were trying to find their happiness, and she despised the people who took other people's happiness away from them and thought they could get away with it. And she knew her mom could sympathize with the family members that observed the people who trying to find their happiness.
Souleater would pay for this.
"It's not your fault," Emily spoke from the heart, because her being depressed was not her mother's fault. The victim's mother looked up at the Yellow Samurai through tear-filled eyes. "The Nighlock took her happiness away, and you can bet that we Rangers will do all we can to get it back. Just stay by her side until then. Okay?"
The mother nodded, crying, "Right. Thank you."
"No problem."
~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
"I think his motive is self-explanatory," Mike said before eating a sushi (the six were eating dinner while having their meeting).
"Yeah," Mia agreed. "Take people's happiness away, and they have no choice but to be sad. It's a perfect plan for raising the Sanzu River."
Antonio showed them his tablet, which showed them a schematic of Souleater's staff (it was two-sided; one side had a cube-shaped ornament, while the other had a bulb-shaped ornament), "The Gap Sensor data says that the happiness can be returned by destroying his staff. Specifically, the bulb ornament. The cube ornament is purely for offense."
"Good," Mike replied. "So we have a way to beat him."
There was a lot more it than that, Emily thought. Fortunately, she wasn't the only one who knew that.
"But why did Souleater say he was only after 'pure happiness', though?" Kevin asked. "What does that mean?"
"It means 'happiness after depression'," Emily replied. The others turned to her and quickly noted how her face matched the victims (expressionless face and dead behind the eyes, like she had no capacity to feel emotion). Her expression then changed to determination. "I volunteer as bait."
"What?!"
"No!"
Amongst the chaos, she heard Jayden calmly asked, "Are you sure, Em?"
"Souleater said I was a target, and I know why," Emily replied, "which means he's sure to come after me." She looked Jayden dead in the eye. "I know what I'm doing."
Jayden remembered Emily's birthday, when her spirit was stolen. They were willing to become Nighlocks just to ensure that she would live. None of them would be able to stand her dying on them, no matter how she went.
But he also remembered what she just said about 'pure happiness', how she looked, how she sounded when she said it. She looked just like the victims did. She was a target for a reason.
And if Lion Zord hadn't chosen him as the next Red Samurai Ranger when he did, Jayden might have been a target too.
"We know that, Em," Kevin replied as Jayden thought to himself. "And you know we trust you." They just didn't want her to be placed in such imminent danger. "We just don't want you to go alone."
Emily's face fell. They had a point.
"She won't be alone," Jayden suddenly spoke up, and all eyes turned to him (Emily's eyes filled with hope and gratitude). "Because I'll be going with her." I won't let anything happen to her, he vowed. "The rest of you stay here, like normal," he continued.
"Thank you, Jay," Em said, sending him a grateful smile. He nodded in understanding.
"Okay," Mike agreed. "I assume you have a plan, Em."
"I sure do," Emily replied before turning to Jayden. "Jayden?"
"Yeah?" She may have had a plan, but nothing could have prepared him for what she asked him next.
"Will you marry me?"
Jayden's face immediately turned red, meeting her question of obvious and understandable confusion. The rational part of his mind (which was reminding him that this was her plan) was being drowned out by the emotional part (which was reminding him that Emily was his crush, yes, but this was too far forward for him).
The others barely containing their laughter weren't helping either.
~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~
Chapel Hill Church, Panorama City, California
August 17, 2014
The next morning, Jayden and Emily were in the church, all dressed up (Emily in the spare dress she got from Elizabeth the last time they staged a fake wedding) and ready to fight Souleater when (or if) he showed his face.
But he was still nervous. The first time they did this, it was easy, because Jayden hadn't deduced that his affection for Emily came from his crush on her. This time, he was well aware that he had a crush on her, so a fake wedding, despite the fact that they had done this before, was a lot more awkward.
So as Emily was walking down the aisle, her veil down and carrying a bouquet of flowers (daisies, her favorite flowers), Jayden pulled out his Samuraizer for one last boost of courage.
"Guys, are you sure this is okay?" He asked.
"Absolutely," Antonio answered.
"Just make sure you two look happy," Mike advised.
"Yeah, Souleater won't show up otherwise," Kevin reminded them.
"I know," Jayden replied. "Just...How do we do that?"
It was quiet for a brief moment before Mia answered, "Give each other a little kiss."
He heard the four laughing as they hung up.
"Mia!" Jayden wanted to yell at them for only escalating his nervousness, but Emily had reached him by now.
And boy did she look beautiful (of course, she always did, but why did she always look her absolute best whenever he was nervous?).
He lifted up her veil when she stood in front of him, and one look at her face told him that she was nervous too.
"You look really nice, Em."
Her face turned red, "Thanks. You too."
The two suddenly smelled the foul stench of Sanzu River water. Souleater was here. They had to lure him in close enough to catch him off-guard.
"He's here," he whispered.
"I know," Emily whispered back. "We have to lure him in." She paused. "Kiss me."
Souleater peered in through the doors to see the happy couple about to kiss. Just an inch closer and they'd be at their happiest.
Just a little more...
There!
Souleater burst through the doors, fully intending on stealing the bride's happiness (as it was so amazingly pure).
But he was caught off-guard by the groom saying, "Now!"
And Souleater soon found two Spin Swords on either side of his head (having been thrown at him), and the happy couple was now glaring at him.
That was when he realized he was actually facing two Samurai Rangers.
"Ha! Nice try, Rangers!"
Jayden and Emily were powerless as they ran after Souleater, who was easily able to escape.
"Dammit!" Jayden muttered.
"That didn't go well," Emily commented.
"We need to lure him closer," Jayden said (they seriously needed long-range weapons). They didn't even get close to him, much less his staff.
"Right. I have another idea," Emily said, before leaning into Jayden's ear and whispering her next plan to him.
~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
Souleater was stalking the park now. He thought he could get more pure happiness from kids at the park, but he found something else even more interesting.
A cheerleader cheering up a disappointed fan.
The two were sitting on a bench, and he overheard the cheerleader say, "Cheer up! There's always next year!"
"They were doing so well," the fan (a male that look suspiciously like the groom from earlier) replied. "I feel bad for them, though. Those athletes worked all year for this. We're never going to get that championship are we? We've been chasing it for two decades now."
"They were doing well," the cheerleader agreed. "But the important part is to get up and try again. Besides, we were much closer this year than last year. Last year, we lost every game, remember?"
"I do," the fan chuckled half-heartedly. "What an improvement, right?"
"Right," she giggled, and he chuckled with her.
And Souleater thought, these two really like each other.
"It's gonna be okay," she continued. "If you want, I can perform the dance I would have done if we did win."
"Sure."
The cheerleader got up, smoothed out her yellow pleated skirt, and started her routine. There was no music, but she was dancing like a pro, as if she had done it for years.
And she was happy. This was something she loved doing, or she was doing this for someone she loved. Or both. She was the perfect target.
Now was his chance!
He jumped out at the two, "There's no escape! I've come for your happiness!"
But the cheerleader wasn't scared at all.
Emily immediately made a move for the Nighlock's staff, and she succeeded in grabbing it. The only problem was that Souleater was still holding onto it.
The two briefly struggled before Souleater overpowered her.
"Nice try, Rangers~!" He called out as he successfully escaped once again.
Jayden lowered his Samuraizer (he had pulled it out to help Emily). They couldn't keep this up. Fooling Souleater with disguises wasn't going to work forever. They needed to get him next time, or all of their hard work was going to go out the window.
"Em," he began.
"We need to get him," she immediately replied.
"Yes, we do," Jayden said. "But we need to be patient." Splitface had a time limit, but they could take their time with Souleater.
"What do you have mind?" Emily asked, ashamed that neither of her plans worked.
It was Jayden's turn to leave over and whisper his plan in her ear.
~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~
City Square, Panorama City, California
Souleater was in the city now. He was running out of targets, which meant he was almost done in his mission to raise the Sanzu River. He just needed to get that Yellow Ranger and then he'd be done.
But there was (yet another) scene that caught his eye.
It was of a rich lady (who very nicely dressed) and her butler.
"Is it true?" Her butler asked her.
"Yes, my fiancé wants to fire you," the (blonde) lady replied, a hint of heavy sadness in her voice. "He thinks we're too close."
"We did grow up together," her butler said. "Of course we'd be close."
"I know. I've told him that, but he just gets jealous so easily," the lady added. "If he sees anyone as a threat to his happiness, he seeks to get rid of them."
"If he scares you that much, then cut him off," her butler advised.
"I can't," the lady replied, sounded incredibly stressed. "Arranged marriage. My family needs the money."
"You have to do something," he gently shot back. "His happiness is not more deserving than yours. You deserve happiness too. Tell me something that makes you happy."
"You." Her butler looked mildly surprised, as her response was immediate. "You're my best friend. I don't want to be alone, never seeing you again. I won't. I won't let my fiancé fire you!" The last part she said with such conviction that her butler moved in to tightly embrace her.
As she hugged him back, he whispered, "You won't lose me."
And she said it with such conviction and he said with such care that Souleater knew that their emotions were real.
And he chose this time to act. He swung his staff up in the air.
But the rich lady caught it without looking. She turned back to face, a solid glare on her face, and Souleater mentally berated himself for being so naive and idiotic.
Of course the two were the Rangers that had been chasing him all day.
But their emotions had felt so real, unlike the last two times, where there was obviously some acting involved now that he thought about it.
Emily kicked off her flats, her bare feet giving her more traction. It was a tug-o-war by now, with her and Souleater both fighting over the staff (but while the Nighlock wanted to save it, she wanted to destroy it). Jayden saw the impasse that was possible, so he rushed into the fray, ready to give Emily the upper hand, but the Nighlock, after a short struggle with him, threw the Red Ranger aside.
Seeing this, Emily panicked and pulled against Souleater even harder (with the Nighlock wondering where she got the sudden strength from).
But then suddenly, Emily slipped, and Souleater went down with her. But he felt a kick in his back, which sent him flying through the air.
Souleater got back up, bystanders watching this fight go down. "That's it! I'm going to unleash the full power of my staff!" But nothing happened. "What? Where-Where's my staff?"
"Yes!" she heard some civilian shout, and he looked back at the Yellow Ranger (still unmorphed).
She was holding his staff, which she briefly tossed into the air to get a better grip on. "Face it, Nighlock. You've lost, because this is going to make me very happy."
The klutz move was faked!
"Noooo!" Souleater cried out as Emily slammed his staff on the ground, breaking the bulb ornament into a million pieces.
Emily smiled and watched as numerous pink hearts escape from their confines and traveled back to the person they belonged to.
Souleater picked his staff back up. "I may not be able to steal happiness anymore, but I can still cause misery! You're all going down!"
He charged but was immediately stopped by miniature fish being thrown at him and causing small explosions. He looked around him as the other four Rangers (all fully morphed) surrounded him, swords drawn.
"Not if we have anything to say about it!" The Gold Ranger said. "You Nighlock jerk!"
"You're not getting away this time!" The Green Ranger said, before all four charged in.
"We'll see about that!"
Jayden watched as the other four briefly struggled against the Nighlock, before leading him to an area less populated (which meant less people likely to get hurt).
The civilians around them took this as their cue to hide until it was safe to come out.
Jayden turned to Emily, "Nice job, Em. You did good."
"Thanks, Jay," she replied, before pausing, and then looking at him right in the eyes. "You know I was being truthful. You really do make me happy."
He smiled, "You make me happy too, Em."
They stood there for a moment, just smiling at each other, before realizing that Souleater was still very much alive.
"Let's go."
"Right! Samuraizers!"
"Go, Go, Samurai!"
~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~
Antonio blocked a strike from the Nighlock's staff before landing a strike of his own. The other three joined him as the Nighlock got back on his feet, his body smoking.
"Take this!" Souleater fired purple-colored blasts from his staff, which hit all four Rangers dead on. Now it was their turn to be on the ground. "You guys aren't my targets! So go away!"
"How is he still so strong?" Kevin asked, he and Mia getting on their knees.
"We just have to beat him harder," Antonio said, he and Mike also rising.
"Any last words?" Souleater asked.
Just then, Jayden and Emily (both morphed) jumped in and delivered a dual staggering blow to the Nighlock before landing in front of their four now-recovered friends.
"So we're late," Jayden said.
"Nevermind, dude, we're just glad you're here," Mike replied, all six of them focusing their attention back on the Nighlock.
"You will pay, pesky Yellow brat!"
Emily stepped forward. "Leave him to me!" And she charged. But Souleater managed to dodge or block every single one of her attacks. Emily swung around for another attack, but the Nighlock caught her by surprise and struck her in the stomach when she came back around, causing her fly backwards.
But before she hit the ground, someone caught her by the waist and quickly, yet gently, set her back down on the ground. Emily quickly looked up just in time to see Jayden turn to Souleater and fight him single-handedly with his Spin Sword, his other arm around her shoulders.
Jayden finally got him in the shoulder, three times, knocking Souleater back down to the ground, giving Jayden the chance to finally get him and Emily up. Watching Souleater get up, Jayden said, "Finish him off, Em."
"With pleasure," she replied and hooked her Ape Disk to her hilt and spun it. "Spin Sword: Primate Cyclone!"
Spinning around, her Spin Sword glowing with yellow energy, Emily struck the Nighlock not once but multiple times while she spun in a whirlwind before he was knocked to the ground again. Emily stepped backwards, holding her Ape Disk, all the way back to Jayden, whose Fire Smasher was in Cannon Blast Mode. Inserting her disk in its proper place, the cannon was finally ready.
Souleater noticed this. "W-What?! No, don't!"
"Never," Emily said, she and Jayden pulling the trigger.
"Five-Disk Tiger Cannon! Fire Strike!"
With that, Souleater's first form was defeated.
Emily turned to Jayden, and underneath her mask, sent him a smile, one of appreciation and admiration. And despite the fact that he knew Emily could not see it (because of his mask), Jayden gave her his own smile, one that said that he was proud of her.
In a flash of fire, Souleater went Mega. "But that's not all, Rangers! Now, I'm bigger than you!"
Jayden sheathed his sword as Souleater called for Flying Marauders.
"Activate Folding Zords! Zords Combine! Battlewing Megazord: We Are United!"
Only Antonio and Emily had gone Havoc Mode (so she was in the middle), with Emily controlling Tiger, Kevin controlling Swordfish, and Mike controlling Beetle.
"Summon Clawzord!" Antonio jumped into Claw's cockpit.
While the others took care of the Flying Marauders, Antonio cornered Souleater. "Don't worry about them, Nighlock. Clawzord is your opponent."
Clawzord jabbed at Souleater, making him stumble, before the Nighlock jumped on top of Claw and grabbed ahold of his tail.
"We'll see about that, Nighlock!" Antonio said, pulling out his Morpher. "Claw is not the only Zord I have control over. Summon Octozord! Octo Ink Cloud!"
Octozord's black mist cloud blinded Souleater, making him stumble and release the Clawzord.
"Alright, Claw and Octo," Antonio said. "You both said this was possible! I trust you! Clawzord Transformation! Claw Battlezord: North! Ready!"
The Clawzord combination with Octozord was a complete success.
"Combining won't help you!" Souleater cried out.
Clawzord raised his Octo Spear, as did Souleater and his staff. Both clashed, while the Battlewing Megazord continued to wail of the Flying Marauders. Claw won the clash.
"It's over for you, Nighlock!" Antonio said. "Katana Power: Octo Spear Charge!"
And that was the end of Souleater's second life.
Meanwhile, all Flying Marauders had been destroyed as well.
"Yes!" Antonio jumped for joy.
"Samurai Rangers!" Jayden began.
"Victory is Ours!" Emily finished.
~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~
Garden Variety Grocery Store, Panorama City
Jayden and Emily were at the grocery store, buying some ingredients for tonight's dinner (burgers), one of which included ice cream (since they haven't had it in a while).
"That was good acting earlier, Em," Jayden said, as they stood in the check-out line (which was longer than they would've liked).
"Actually, I wasn't really acting," Emily confessed. "I was imagining myself in all of those situations and acting according to how I felt about it. And Serena was a cheerleader, and she taught me all of the moves."
"Oh, so you're kind of an expert." Emily shrugged (she was far from being an expert). "I wasn't necessarily acting either."
"Really?"
"Really," Jayden explained. "I was acting on sincere emotions I was feeling in that moment. Trust me, I'm a bad actor. You can tell when I'm acting."
Emily giggled, "Noted."
In that moment, Emily learned something. Sometimes, you had to be depressed to truly appreciate happiness.
If Serena hadn't gone missing, she wouldn't have had the incentive to come down to Panorama City in the first place, much less meet Jayden, Kevin, Mia, Mike, and Antonio (and Ji).
And in that moment, Emily knew that, no matter what happened to Serena (whether she was dead or alive), Emily would be fine as long as she still had the Rangers.
Because they (especially Jayden) were her happiness now.
And she wouldn't trade that for the world.
~PRS~REDO~PRS~REDO~PRS~REDO~PRS~REDO~PRS~REDO~
Original Shinkenger Episode: Act 22
Original PRS Episode: N/A (I wish, though.)
Inspiration: Gokaiger 29/Super Megaforce: "United As One"
Note: Hope you enjoyed this chapter. It was definitely one of my favorites to write (Jemily ship is sailing~). Bride/Groom disguise I added just for fun, but the Butler/Rich Lady one is a reference to "Lord Butler" and the Cheerleader/Fan one is a reference to Brittany Pirtle's experience as a cheerleader. Next chapter is the belated Halloween Special.
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 18.5: "Nighlock on Parade"
"Skyla's Halloween Party is interrupted by a Nighlock who just wants to watch the world burn. Literally."