A/N: Enjoy the chapter! Sorry you guys had to wait so long.
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.
The original Shinkenger counterpart to this chapter is one of my favorite episodes of Shinkenger. Also, none of the things I wrote in this chapter came out of nowhere. This one was planned out long before I started writing Chapter 1.
~PRS~REDO~PRS~REDO~PRS~REDO~PRS~REDO~PRS~REDO~
"Ji's assignment about forgiveness was only the tip of the iceberg. Emily had a feeling the assignment would weigh heavily on Antonio, and she was right."
Better Together
Power Rangers: Samurai REDO
Season 2, Episode 10: Set in Stone
Junk Ship, Sanzu River, Netherworld
April 4, 2015
Serrator poured more medicine into Xandred's bowl. As the Master drank it, a Nighlock stopped right in front of them.
"Who are you?" Xandred asked, as both he and Serrator turned to face him.
Octoroo quickly stepped in, "Don't worry. I summoned him." He then turned to the Nighlock, "I should've expected you to come so quick. You are the fastest Nighlock I know."
Serrator stood up, "Octoroo, what is going on here?"
"I can't let you take all the credit, now can I?" Octoroo replied. "Meet Action Commander Sharkjaw, the fastest Nighlock in existence."
"That's right," Sharkjaw replied, proving himself to be...rather hyperactive. "And no one will stop me from ripping those Rangers apart!"
"I summoned him," Octoroo explained, "because I thought that his skillset would make him a worthy opponent for the Rangers."
"Good thinking, Octoroo," Xandred cut in, before Serrator could. "Send him out."
"Very well," Serrator said, turning his back to them. "Let us see how he does, and then we'll talk."
Sharkjaw bowed to Xandred, "I will not let you down, Master."
~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
Emily and Kevin were pretty evenly matched. In fact, all the Rangers were, since today was a training day. The round ended with a win to Kevin, and Mike and Mia were about to start, before Emily noticed something (or someone) missing.
"Hey, where's Antonio?" she asked. Her question made the others halt in their current actions and survey the scene as well.
Surprisingly, Ji was the one who spoke up, "I gave him a special assignment today."
"'Special'?" Mike asked.
"Yes," Ji replied. "A lesson in forgiveness."
"Did you send him...alone?" Emily quietly asked, her voice notifying the others that she was either on the verge of crying or about to blow a gasket (probably both).
She was getting the feeling that Ji had made a mistake by letting Antonio go alone, especially if this 'special assignment' was about learning how to forgive someone who had done you wrong.
And this feeling wasn't just coming from her: it was also coming from Lee.
"He asked to be alone," Ji admitted. "I would've gone with him myself, but he told me that he preferred that no one else meddle."
"I'm sorry," Emily shot back, politely, before anybody else could speak, "but meddling is my job."
She then turned around to leave the property, but she was stopped by the sound of the Gap Sensor going off.
~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~
Sunset Plaza, Panorama City, California
"Zip, Zip, Zip!" Sharkjaw cried out as he destroyed a building just by spinning. He then traveled to another building, destroying that one too, before he noticed five of the Rangers leap onto the battlefield, completely morphed.
The five Rangers were on edge, their hands on their sheathed Swords, since they didn't see anything when they normally would have.
"Ji said the Gap Sensor went off...right here," Mia said, cautiously.
"Yeah, but where is it?" Kevin added.
"Stay sharp," Jayden calmly ordered. "He's around here somewhere."
As soon as he said that, Sharkjaw exploded a third building, this time right next to where the Rangers where. The falling rubble created a shock wave that sent them flying back and a cloud of dust that blocked their vision.
"Zip, Zip, Zip!" He cried, before coming to a halt, before laughing.
"How did he destroy that building?" Kevin asked, as Mike and Mia both got up to a kneeling position. "We didn't even see him approaching!"
Emily placed a calm hand on Kevin's shoulder, "We need to stop him before he destroys another one."
Jayden said nothing, only observing the enemy. He was getting the feeling that this Nighlock was no 'fragile speedster'.
"Zip, Zip, Zip!" Sharkjaw cried as the cloud from the rubble began to dissipate.
The five Rangers immediately stood up and drew their Swords, as Jayden said, "It's time for you to zip it, Nighlock!"
"Beware, Samurai Rangers!" Sharkjaw announced, "I am Action Commander Sharkjaw! I'm like a force of nature, a twister, and a shark bite all wrapped in one! And I'm ready for fun!"
"Let's go!" Jayden said, before they could charge, they heard Antonio's voice call out to them.
"Hold up!" They all turned to face him.
"You're late, Antonio!" Kevin said.
"Sorry about that," their Gold Ranger replied. "But I'm here now." He turned around to face the Nighlock. "Hey, Sharkjaw! Let's hurry up and get this over with, shall we?" He unsheathed his sword a bit before resheathing it, and then he charged.
He and the Nighlock clashed, them being pretty even, before Sharkjaw said, "Sorry, Goldie, but I'm one fish you won't filet!"
He then pushed Antonio back, sending him flying.
"Antonio!" Emily called out, as she and the others ran up to him, standing in front of him to protect him.
She and Mia hooked up their Power Disks to their Spin Swords, "Spin Swords!"
"Airwave Strike!"
"Seismic Quake!"
The two attacks hit Sharkjaw dead on and sent him flying backwards. But he got up as quickly as he went down, "It's time to take you losers for a spin! Tornado warning!" As he spun around, he cried out, "Zip, Zip, Zip!"
"Hold on!" Jayden called out to his team as the Nighlock came racing towards them. His instincts before were proven right in this moment, as when Sharkjaw hit them, it felt like his hands were made of sharp knives.
He was not an enemy that deserved to be scoffed at.
The six Rangers were knocked down, and Sharkjaw reversed course, coming back for another attack.
Mike quickly got up, however, "No, you don't!", and blocked him with his Spin Sword.
It was a difficult struggle, and when Mike was sent to the ground and sliding back to the others, he found himself grateful that he was still alive after that.
Even if his Sword was cut in half instead.
Sharkjaw stopped his spinning, "You see, Rangers? I'm too good for you!"
"We need to get closer," Antonio advised. "His speed is his only defense mechanism."
"I'd love to see you losers try!" Sharkjaw shot back before spinning again. "Zip, Zip, Zip!"
"Leave him to me!" Antonio said before charging in again.
But Jayden called back, "Antonio, wait! He's too quick!" But the Gold Ranger was gone.
"You won't get past me!" Antonio unsheathed his Barracuda Blade and used it to block Sharkjaw's spinning, like Mike did.
But the Nighlock easily shoved him aside.
As Antonio lay down on the ground, writhing in pain, Sharkjaw stopped spinning. his red fur quickly turning gray.
"You got lucky, Rangers!" the Nighlock told them. "I'm drying out! Later, losers!" He left through a gap in the pavement beneath him with a "Zip, Zip, Zip!"
The five Rangers waited for a moment, before Emily and Mike both ran towards Antonio, as he got up from his spot on the floor.
"Antonio, you okay?" Emily asked him.
"Don't worry, I'm fine," Antonio replied, before the Light Zord entered the scene.
"Boss!" The Rangers all turned to him. "He's here! Let's go!"
Antonio hung his head, but grabbed LZ's handle when it was offered. The others could only watch as LZ led Antonio away, presumable to wherever he was before this.
Emily was getting that feeling again, that feeling that he shouldn't be facing whatever he was facing alone.
She moved to run after him, but Mike quickly stopped her by a simple hand on her shoulder, "Wait, Em! Ji told us not to get involved."
Emily hung her head, her fists tightening, "I'm sorry, but I can't ignore a friend in trouble."
She then ran off after Antonio. Mike made a move to follow her, to stop her, but he stopped when Jayden calmly, quietly ordered, "Let her."
Because he also had the same feeling as she did: that Antonio being alone right now was a big mistake.
~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
Sharkjaw sighed in relief as Octoroo poured some Sanzu River water on him, "Oh, that feels so much better."
"It's too bad you dried out," Octoroo told him. "You had the Rangers on the run. Now." He popped the Nighlock on the head with his ladel. "Go, get 'em!"
"Yes, sir! This time, no one will stop me!" Sharkjaw said before falling backwards off the ship and into the River below.
"He should really 'zip' it," Xandred commented, "but he did well. Better than any other Action Commander we've had recently."
Serrator wisely chose not to say anything, though he was displeased that Xandred approved of this.
~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~
Cool Bean Café, Panorama City, California
It was at Angela's coffee shop that Emily traced Antonio's trail back too. She noticed Light Zord hiding in the bushes, as his appearance obviously would have made him stand out.
"What's going on?" Emily quietly asked the lantern.
"Emily? What are you doing here?" LZ asked, whispering.
"I was worried," she whispered back. "Same as you."
LZ said nothing, signaling that she was right on the mark, and the two turned back to watch Antonio meet whoever he was meeting right now.
Antonio turned away from Angela, who had just told him where to find this person, with a soft, "Thanks."
"Good luck," Angela told him, somehow sensing that this was not a conversation that he wanted to have.
Antonio could only nod back at her, and he slowly walked over to one of the outdoor tables, where a man that had very similar features to Antonio (only older) sat, reading a rather large-looking book.
"André Vazquez?" Antonio's voice was quiet, weary, and very anxious.
The man looked up from his book, "Hello. You must be Antonio. My son, and..." He held up a white envelope, "the person who sent me this."
So, Antonio invited him? Emily pondered to herself. That explained why he was willing to let LZ guide him back, despite not wanting to do this.
"I am," Antonio replied, apprehensive.
Obviously noting that he had to do most of the talking right now, André continued, "Please, sit down. I have a feeling this is going to be a long talk."
"Me too," Antonio said, before he sat down across from the man.
"Let's discuss your letter first," André said. "So...Lisa...is dead?"
"Yeah, Mom's dead," Antonio explained. "She died ten, almost eleven, years ago in a car crash. I've been staying with my friend Jayden ever since."
"I see..." the man said. "I was kind of glad when I got your letter, son. And that you've got a friend like this Jayden."
Antonio suddenly snapped, "Jayden was more of a father to me than you ever were." He then immediately froze, telling Emily and his father both (without words) that he didn't mean to say it like that.
But his father waved his hand, "No, no, it's fine, son. I deserve that. I told your mom that I was going out for a walk, and that I'd be back in three days."
"You're a decade late," Antonio cut in.
"I am," André admitted, "and I know that a simple apology won't cut it."
"Why'd you leave?" Antonio asked, letting his emotions flow out of his system through his choice of words. "Why were Mom and I not good enough?"
"That's not why I left," André quickly said.
"Okay, let's say I believe you," Antonio replied. "How's your other family?"
"Everyone is fine." André was quiet, before he said, "Look, Antonio. Whether you decide to believe me or not, I just wanted to thank you for reaching out to me. I've always wondered how you and Lisa were doing, and thanks to you, I know now."
Antonio's next choice of words were soft and quiet, "Do you remember the night the thunder shook the apartment? I was five and I thought that the lightning was so bright, I thought the world was on fire."
"What?" André asked, confused.
Antonio continued as if the man hadn't said a word, "I'm hiding under my covers, crying, when you come flying into the room and peek under the covers and decide to make it a game. You said that we were in Alaska, looking for gold. And you said the lightning was the Northern Lights. The Aurora Borealis. You made that entire night an adventure until the storm passed. And I woke up the next morning and it was a sunny day. Don't you remember that?"
"No, son, I don't," André replied. "Because I left before you were born."
"I know," Antonio revealed. "The storm really did happen, but you didn't. Mom did. It was Mom that came in. She made it Alaska and I wasn't scared at all."
And André wasn't there, because he had another family to take care of.
Emily surprised them both by coming out of her hiding place, asking the man, "Where were you?"
"Pardon?" André asked, a little startled at this stranger's sudden appearance and demanding question.
"Emily..." Antonio muttered.
Tears in her eyes, Emily pressed again, "During that storm, where were you?" She was referring to Antonio's story, and she was glad when the man quickly understood that.
"I wasn't there," André replied, looking down at his lap.
"How could you not be there?" Emily angrily asked, though her body was still tranquil. "He's your son!"
"Because sometimes people do selfish things, and there's nothing anybody can do to stop them," Antonio told her, though looking hard at his father while he said this. "Sometimes, you can let it go, but sometimes, you can't." He turned around, facing only Emily, unshed tears in his own eyes now, and quietly said, "Ji said I'd feel better if I did. Guess he was wrong about that one, huh?"
Emily said nothing as Antonio walked away from the scene, before following him shortly after.
André hung his head as LZ followed the duo back to the Shiba House.
~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
Antonio sat in the kitchen, depressed. The others were trying their best to cheer him up, but nothing was really working.
Emily, meanwhile, had cornered Ji.
"Why did you give him that assignment?" she asked. "It only brought him pain and misery."
"The assignment," Ji revealed, "was never about forgiving his father. I wanted them to talk, so he could learn that some things are beyond his control."
Emily immediately paused, realizing and understanding what Ji was trying to say. He watched as her face lit up, seemingly because she just had an epiphany, "Of course. So he misunderstood?"
Ji nodded. "Judging by the look on your face, I assume that you understand the assignment." Emily could only nod. "In that case, I leave Antonio's wellbeing to you."
Emily smiled, her inner fire of determination guiding her next steps, all the way.
~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~
Emily entered the kitchen in time to hear Jayden tell the others, "It's okay. If Antonio doesn't want to talk about it, he doesn't have to."
She announced her arrival by asking, "Antonio, do you want to talk about it?"
He connected her eyes with his own. Whether it was because he knew he could trust her, or it was because her eyes were the windows to her kind, pure-hearted soul, or it was something else (or someone else) within her, the others were surprised when he started talking.
"About two months ago, I received a letter in the mail," he explained. "From my father, to my mother. It wasn't mean for my eyes, but seeing as how my mom couldn't read it," because she was dead, "I felt like I had to read it for her." He tried to sigh away his anxiety (it only partially helped), and Jayden placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, a gesture that helped him continue, "Big mistake. The information that letter held was never meant to reach me. I didn't bring it up until now, because I needed time to process it all."
He was quiet for a while after this, leading Jayden to ask, "What was in the letter, Antonio?"
He continued, "My father left before I was born because he wasn't ready to have a child yet. He wanted some time to himself to come to terms with this, and he said that he planned to return, but he never did, because he found someone else, and now he has a brand new family that he's happy with."
"Antonio," Mike quickly cut in, as tears began lining the Gold Ranger's eyes, "we will never leave you."
"We'll always be here for you," Mia promised.
Antonio sniffed, "Thanks. Ji told me that if I got closure, then I'd feel better. But he's wrong. I don't feel better at all, and I can't forgive him, no matter what anybody says."
Emily then spoke up, relaying what Ji told her, "I think that's because you didn't actually get closure at all."
"What do you mean?" Kevin asked.
"Antonio," Emily said, "forgiveness will always be harder than it looks."
"I tried, Em," he replied. "I made it crystal clear." He then recited from his letter, "'What you did makes me have a lot of angry feelings inside of me. I don't want to be angry anymore. Why did you leave? Did I do something? Please, help me understand what I did.'" Jayden tightened his comforting grip in the silence that immediately followed.
Emily used this to her advantage, and continued, "Did he help you understand what you did wrong?"
"No..." Antonio trailed off this time.
"Why not?" Emily asked.
"I guess I never gave him the chance to explain," Antonio said.
It was in this moment that Jayden understood the point Emily was trying to make, as he said, "Sounds to me like you need to give him that chance. A conversation is a two-way street, after all. Both of you deserve to be heard."
Antonio was quiet as he pondered over those words. After a short while, he said, "Alright. I'll meet him again tomorrow. But only if one of you comes with me."
"Sure, bud," Mike said, remembering his meeting with his own father. It felt like so long ago. Now, he, David, and his mom were all on amiable terms with Alejandro, and it was starting to feel like they were a family again. Broken, but a family nonetheless. "Which one of us?"
"It doesn't matter to me," Antonio replied, absentmindedly playing with his fish-hook necklace (the one Angela had made).
Jayden, however, made the choice for him, and immediately turned to Emily, "Em, you got this?"
Emily smiled and nodded.
Jayden returned her smile with one of his own, "Good. If either of you need anything at all, don't be afraid to call the rest of us."
Antonio sent them all a smile (small, but still a real smile), "Thanks, guys. For everything."
~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~
Cool Bean Café, Panorama City, California
April 5, 2015
"Hi, son," André was sitting in the same spot as he was the day before.
"Hi, Dad," Antonio replied.
"I'm grateful you decided to give me another chance," André confessed, as the two sat down at the same table they sat at yesterday. Emily, meanwhile, kept standing, with enough distance to give them privacy, but not too far away, because Antonio was counting on her being there.
"I'm grateful that you decided to stay," Antonio politely shot back. "I thought you would've left last night."
"I couldn't do that. Not again. I can't get your letter out of my head," André told him, the white envelope still in his hand. "Because it says that you don't want to be angry anymore."
"I don't..." Antonio felt a tightness in the back of his throat, and he tried his best to will himself not to cry.
"This was never your fault, Antonio," André explained, grateful that his son had given him a chance to speak this time. "It was all on me. I couldn't provide comfort for you in a lightning storm, and I was no good for you or Lisa on a sunny day, either. Back then, I blew every paycheck on useless comforts instead of providing food for the refrigerator. I really felt like I wasn't good enough for your mother. In the process of trying to save our marriage, Lisa told me that she was pregnant, and those feelings of not being good enough just multiplied. I mean, I wasn't good enough for my own wife. How could I be good enough for my own baby? So, I left in a last ditch effort to get my head screwed on straight. I planned on coming back."
André Vazquez didn't leave because his wife and son weren't good enough, Emily realized. He left because he thought that he wasn't good enough for them.
"After the three days were up, I kept my promise," André revealed. "I did come back, but circumstances that day forced me to realize that your mother had probably already moved on. That was when I left."
"She never did," Antonio replied. "Mom never dated anybody in the years I grew up with her. She was always waiting for you."
André said nothing, but Emily could, by the expression on his face, that he felt guilty that he never came back around the second time. Maybe then, they could've avoided this mess.
Antonio continued, "You're there for your new family, aren't you?"
André nodded, "I'm always there for them."
"What did they do that Mom and I didn't do?"
"You two never did anything, Antonio," André pressed. "I told you. Everything was my fault, not yours. Never yours. You were just a little egg when I found out about your existence. I was who I was. And there was nothing you did or could have done. I just-" He paused, thinking about his wording, "I wasn't ready for you or anyone. But I like to think I've changed. I found a job, and I've managed to keep it. I'm also there for my family, always, because I know better than to make the same mistake twice. I came back to tell you that I am grateful for what you wrote. And I am sorry for what I did. I'm glad you're okay."
"You found a job?" Antonio asked.
"I did."
"Your job was to stay," Antonio told him. "Thank you for telling me your side. Ji thinks if I forgive you, it'll bring me peace. And he's usually right about these things, but I don't see how he's right about this one. And I can't forgive you." He repeated, "Your job was to stay. You don't think I had it in me to allow my father to grow? I'm happy I wrote to you and heard what you had to say. And it makes me feel better knowing that I had nothing to do with what you did. I always thought that this was my fault somehow, but it's not. I didn't do anything." Emily smiled as Antonio got up from his chair.
"I'm sorry I wasn't there," André said. "You turned out to be a really great, really strong person. And you don't have to forgive me. To be honest, I still haven't forgiven myself. So, please, don't punish yourself because of my mistakes. That's all I want you to take away from this meeting."
Antonio nodded, "Okay." He paused again, as he realized something, "Wow."
"What?"
"I've been angry for so long," Antonio confessed. "But I'm not angry anymore. Thank you for coming. And I hope you get home okay."
He then walked away, leading Emily away from the Café. As he did, he told her, "Thanks, Em."
Emily let out a small giggle, "You're welcome, but I didn't say a word. That was all you."
"I felt stronger this time," he explained, "because I knew you were there, and I knew that you'd have my back in case things went south."
She let her smile grow a little wider, as she repeated, this time with more genuine feeling, "You're welcome."
Antonio took a deep breath, "But Ji's still wrong. He wanted me to forgive him, but I didn't. I couldn't do it."
"Forgiving your father was never the intention of the assignment, Antonio," Emily revealed.
"What do you mean?" he asked her, unshed tears in his eyes.
"I told you last night," she reminded him, "that forgiveness will never come easily. But life is a long time, and I do hope that you get there one day, but that's never what Ji intended for you to learn."
"Then, what did Ji want from me?" he asked.
"Antonio..." she stopped him by coming to a halt right in front of him, facing him. She placed her hands on both of his shoulders. "Did you forgive yourself?"
'I can't get your letter out of my head, because it says that you don't want to be angry anymore.'
'You two never did anything, Antonio. I told you. Everything was my fault, not yours. Never yours.'
'And you don't have to forgive me. To be honest, I still haven't forgiven myself. So, please, don't punish yourself because of my mistakes. That's all I want you to take away from this meeting.'
Emily could see the gears turning in Antonio's head as he realized that his father was being completely honest behind all of his words. Despite not knowing that was Ji's assignment, the man also wanted Antonio to forgive himself, and only himself.
André Vazquez was flawed, yes, but he was not a selfish person.
Ji's lesson here was important, and rather hard to grasp the concept of for some people: sometimes, things are beyond your control, and you can't do anything about it. Sometimes, you just have to let things go, for your own good if not for anybody else.
Emily supported Antonio as he wrapped her in a hug, letting the tears finally fall.
It may have been a weird sight to strangers around them, seeing a guy leaning on a girl way shorter than him, but she didn't care.
After a while, Antonio released her from the hug, sniffing and wiping the excess tears away, before he reached into his shirt and pulled out the fish-hook necklace (made by Angela).
"Do you remember when you got me this?" he asked her.
Emily nodded, "Of course. I noticed that you were eyeing it. I had to buy it, otherwise we both would've regretted it."
"True, and I'm glad you did," Antonio said, holding the necklace up. "But I never told you why I was eyeing it." Emily shook her head, and he continued, "I only took up fishing after I moved in with Ji and Jayden. When we were there at that Sale, that was around the time after I read the letter. Seeing it there, and learning that it was made with such care and compassion, reminded me of you guys."
"Us?" Emily repeated.
"Yeah," Antonio replied with a smile, a real one. "Whatever happens between me and my father from now on doesn't matter, because you guys are all the family I'll ever need."
It wasn't a sad sentiment. It was happy, cheerful. Hopeful. When he said it, he meant it.
In that moment, Emily also felt gratitude emminating from Lee.
The moment was, unfortunately, ruined by an explosion in the distance.
Emily gasped as Antonio muttered, "Nighlock!"
~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
Sharkjaw stopped spinning, having just destroyed three more buildings in the process, before he was hit with a couple of black Power Disks. He groaned in disappointment when he turned around to see the six Rangers there, waiting for him to notice them, Antonio holding the Light Zord.
"Fun time's over, Nighlock," Jayden said.
"Time for justice!" LZ said.
"Like you guys can defeat me!" Sharkjaw laughed. "I can't be stopped!"
"We're the unstoppable ones!" Emily said, before leading the morph. "Samuraizers!"
"Go, Go, Samurai!"
"Go, Gold Samurai!"
Morphing in a flash of multi-colored light, they finished with, "Rangers Together, Samurai Forever!"
Sharkjaw groaned, "You guys are gonna get it! I'll tear and grind you all apart!"
"Let's go!" Jayden announced, and the Rangers charged. Jayden leapt up and got the first strike, the others quickly following.
After a quick back a forth, Emily blocked Sharkjaw's strike, before she and Antonio (holding LZ) both got in a solid hit together, sending him to the ground.
Sharkjaw quickly got back on his feet, "You Rangers are making me spinning mad! Zip, Zip, Zip!"
He got all six Rangers in one spin. Lightning shooting throughout their bodies, they all fell to the ground. He stopped to survey his handiwork.
"That's how it's done!"
Mike and Mia quickly got up, as Mia said, "Not this again!"
"Jayden, what do we do?" Kevin asked his friend beside him.
"We can't do anything until we can stop that spinning," Jayden replied, raising his sword in defense.
"But how?" Light Zord asked.
Meanwhile the wheels in Emily's head were turning. "Jayden!" She called, causing the others to turn to her. "I need to borrow the Black Box for a second! Please!" She added as she bowed, while kneeling on the ground on both knees.
"Looks like you have a plan," Jayden said, before tossing it to her. "Go for it."
Emily caught it perfectly and nodded. "I won't let you down! Super Samurai Mode!" She now donned a white jacket, with the Super crest on the back. Hooking the Super Disk to her Spin Sword, unsheathing it, she hooked on the Black Box. "Super Samurai Yellow! Ready!"
"Wearing that won't change anything!" Sharkjaw taunted. "Zip, Zip, Zip!" He spun around again, and Emily charged as well.
"We'll see about that!" She yelled. "Super Primate Cyclone!" Emily met him halfway, both her and Sharkjaw spinning around, very quickly. It was hard to keep up with them. It was then that her plan finally hit the other Rangers.
Emily was spinning just like Sharkjaw.
"Emily can do it too!" Kevin exclaimed. Actually, it was an ability she always had.
Emily and Sharkjaw clashed multiple times, but neither of them ever gave up. The spinning did not stop.
"You're just bluffing, Yellow Ranger!" Sharkjaw was stubborn.
But Antonio rushed forward to the front of the group. "No, she's not! If she spins the same speed as you..."
Emily finished his sentence just as she finally found an opening in Sharkjaw's defense. "That means I can stop you! There!" And she struck the Nighlock right in the chest.
Sharkjaw collapsed to the ground, and Emily stopped spinning, returning to normal speed in a whirlwind.
"That hurt!"
"Good! It was supposed to!" she shot back.
Jayden explained to the others, "Not a bad idea." They turned to face him, and continued, "Emily could already spin, but the Black Box gave her more speed. Only in Super Mode could she really stop him."
Antonio tossed the Light Zord and his baton into the air, before running towards the injured Sharkjaw. Kevin caught the Zord, and Mike the baton, before either could hit the ground, as LZ said, "Boss, where are you going?!"
"Time to put my own spin on things," Antonio said, as he hooked up his red Power Disk to his Blade. "Barracuda Blade: Light's Barrage!"
Gold lightning came from Sharkjaw as Antonio landed, sheathing his Blade. He turned around to Emily, "Now's your chance, Em! Get him!"
"Right! Ape Disk! Super Spin Sword: Super Seismic Quake!"
With Antonio and Emily's backs to him, the others watched as Sharkjaw's first life had finally ended. The two turned around and when they saw Sharkjaw defeated, Antonio held out his hand to give Emily a high five.
"Yes, we did it!"
"Thank goodness that's over!" Emily gave his hand a light tap, as the others also celebrated.
But then came the Mega Monster. "You guys think it's over?!"
"Emily!" was all Jayden had to say.
"On it!" She quickly placed Super Combination Disk into the Box. "Super Samurai Combination!"
"Light Zord: Transformation!" LZ also joined the fray.
"Claw Armor Megazord, We Are United!"
"Shogun Mode: Power of the Ancestors!" Emily activated said Disk, and now the six Rangers all gained gold armor over their spandex, ready to fight the enlargened Sharkjaw.
"I'll never forgive you losers for ruining my fun!" Sharkjaw cried out. Light Zord threw a Disk at him. "Zip, Zip, Zip!" But he repelled it by spinning again.
"I see the spinning is back!" LZ commented, before he stepped in front of the Claw Amor Megazord. The said Megazord collapsed backward onto the ground when it wass hit.
"This is bad," Kevin couldn't help but warn.
Sharkjaw was about to attack again, "Is that it?! Is that all you Rangers can do?!" he laughed, but it was stopped by a bright flash of light.
"Flashing Strike!" It was Light Zord. He had Sharkjaw in somewhat of a death grip, and he had him from behind. He turned to the Megazord. "Hurry, you guys! I can't hold on for long!"
"Don't worry LZ," Emily reassured him, and them all, "We've got this. Ultimate Samurai Combination!"
"Samurai Ultrazord, We Are United!"
Sharkjaw laughed, beleiving he still had the advantage. "You still can't win! Zip, Zip, Zip!" He hit LZ away from him before resuming his spinning.
"Go!"
But the strength and sheilding the Ultrazord had repelled Sharkjaw easily, and he was the one who fell to the ground this time.
"And now for the grand finale," Emily said.
"Symbol Power: Ultimate Combination!"
The Ultrazord powered up with all eleven Zords, all eleven elements.
"Katana Power: Final Kanji Strike!"
And Sharkjaw saw no more.
"Samurai Rangers, Victory is Ours," Emily informed the others.
~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
The others exited the House just as Antonio finished serving up what he made for dinner.
"Hey, bud, it's smells really good," Mike said.
"Thank you," Antonio smiled, as he set the last two plates down.
"What's the special occassion?" Mia asked.
"I just wanted to thank you guys, all of you, for helping me," Antonio confessed. "It means a lot."
"We're a team, Antonio," Jayden softly told him. "Practically family. Of course we're going to have your back."
"Yeah," Kevin agreed. "We just wish that you hadn't initially told us that you wanted to face this alone. It's always okay to ask for help."
"I know. You're right," Antonio replied. "To be honest, I wish I hadn't said that either. But I know I can always count on you guys to meddle in before it's too late."
He gave Emily a knowing look when he said. She just smiled.
"I'm just glad that you're alright, Antonio," Ji said. "Now, where did you learn to cook this well?"
"Mom did," Antonio answered. "It was her job, after all, and she was really good at it. Did you know that she once taught blind kids to cook?"
"Really?" Kevin asked with a smile, as they all began to eat.
"She did," Antonio continued. "And they just picked it right up. Granted, she was also really good with kids, but it is quite a feat for someone in her field."
"It is," Mia agreed. "Do you think you could teach me some cooking tips?"
"Absolutely!"
As Antonio continued to talk about his mom, Emily felt Lee stir, more than she ever did before this.
Did Lee know Antonio?
~PRS~REDO~PRS~REDO~PRS~REDO~PRS~REDO~PRS~REDO~
Original Shinkenger Episode: Act 36
Original PRS Episode: Clash of the Red Rangers (only the first half)
Inspiration: Girl Meets World's "Girl Meets The Forgiveness Project"
Note: Sorry y'all had to wait so long for Super Samurai Yellow. But she's here now! On one hand, I wish they had adapted the entire episode, but on the other, I'm glad they didn't. They only adapted the fight, which allowed me the freedom to flex my creative muscles more and add some original content in. I'm really proud of how this episode turned out. Also, yes, this chapter just gave you all a big hint as to who Lee really is.
Here's the moral of this chapter again, because it really is important: Sometimes, things are beyond your control, and you can't do anything about it. Sometimes, you just have to let things go, for your own good if not for anybody else.
Please, take care of yourselves. Self care is important and should never be a bad thing.
Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please review and tell me what you think!
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 2, Episode 11: "Sticky Situation"
"Kevin and Mike must work in sync to defeat a Nighlok after it binds them together. Meanwhile, the auxiliary zords are out on a secret mission."