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.

Get settled, everybody! We're in the endgame now!

In this chapter, we find out who Lee really is. Someone got it right, but at the time, I couldn't tell them that, because Spoilers.

Also, just so you're not confused: Emily's vision in the first scene you're about to read is a continuation of her Misty visions from 1x11 (AKA: Test of the Leader).

~PRS~REDO~PRS~REDO~PRS~REDO~PRS~REDO~PRS~REDO~

"Emily receives a particularly disturbing vision that takes the Rangers on a fateful journey, where the third and final wolf awaits."

Better Together

Power Rangers: Samurai REDO

Season 2, Episode 16: Fighting Fire with Fire

Shiba House, Gianni Forest, Panorama City, California

November 3, 2015

Misty closed the box, concealing the light, before peeking out of the opening in her hiding tree. The wolves had passed on, so she was safe.

For now, at least.

Her bruised knee and hurt ankle were healing, thanks to Sirena's song from beyond the grave helping her. Misty smiled at the thought that her older sister, although passed on from this world, was still helping her whenever and wherever she could.

But her journey was not over yet. She had a feeling that this chest that held the light was just part of a greater story. She had to keep digging.

So Misty turned to the back of the tree and started feeling for a trap door, a section of leaves or branches that led somewhere else, anything that would prove her theory correct. When she knocked on something hollow, that's when she knew she was right. She quickly felt around the hollow area and soon found the outline of a trap door. She opened it, and gold light immediately filled the hollowed out tree trunk.

A secret passage.

It was tall enough for someone to crawl through it, though not walk up right on two feet, and it was only wide enough for only one person.

Misty followed the tunnel carefully. It was a rather lengthy path, but she knew whatever she found on the other sidde would be worth all the effort in the end. When she reached the end of the tunnel, she found a horde of gold, diamonds, and treasure chests in a large, underground chamber.

This was it. This was the treasure horde that was stolen from her village's safe, the very thing that the wolves were guarding like pirates, despite them unaware of where they had left it, or that it even existed. The wolves just knew that it was something to protect from other parties, especially the ones they had stolen it all from.

But before Misty was able to start thinking of a plan to retrieve it all, smoke suddenly started to fill the chamber. She hastily crawled back to the tree trunk she was hiding in, and peeked out, and gasped at what she saw.

A forest fire.

It had just started, but the flames were spreading fast, and she knew she had to do something.

She just wasn't sure what to do.

Emily loudly gasped as she woke up from her nightmare, awakening in a cold sweat, unnerved at what she had just seen.

It had been a while since her visions appeared, since her clairvoyancy actively called her out by giving her a nightmare she couldn't ignore.

Emily carefully got out of bed, trying her best to be silent and not wake up anybody else, since her alarm clock said it was only 2:41 AM. She headed towards the kitchen to figure out what her nightmare was trying to tell her.

Unable to go back to sleep after what she saw, she decided to make herself some hot tea. It started going cold, however, soon after she decided to go through Lauren, Serena, Blake, Matthew, and Daniel's belongings that she and her team had managed to salvage from the Keller Forest House.

Cold chai tea was essentially undrinkable to her, but she didn't really care, because going through the five labeled crates they normally kept in the guest room was giving her ideas that allowed her to slowly decipher the meaning of the Keller safehouse.

She was still off by 8:45 AM, and she was alerted to this new time because the sun had risen and the others were getting up now, but at least, now she had a solid feeling on what they needed to do now.

Mia and Antonio were the first to enter the kitchen. "Oh, hey, Em," Mia greeted. "It's been a while since we've seen you in the kitchen before us."

"You okay? You sleep well?" Antonio asked, as Kevin and Mike entered the room.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Emily said.

Mike was quick to note the crates, "You feeling nostalgic?"

Emily wasn't sure how to answer that, "Um...not really..."

Jayden walked through the kitchen door frame, and unlike the others, he immediately knew what was up, "What did your visions tell you this time, Em?"

Emily was grateful that she didn't have to wait for Jayden to notice. He always automatically did, and he wasn't afraid to ask her what was wrong.

So she held nothing back, "We need to protect the Keller Forest House today. Something tells me that someone is going to attack it."

"Who?" Kevin asked. "The Nighlock?"

"Probably."

Jayden's faith and trust in Emily shone through in what he said next, "Alright, Em." He turned to the others, and said, "Everybody get ready for a day-long mission. I know today's a scheduled free day, but we need to be ready for anything."

"Right!" Emily smiled when the other four all spoke at once.

~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

Dayu cleared her throat as she took her first step back on the Ship, still holding her Furry Wart companion, "I'm back."

"Ah, Dayu! How wonderful it is to see you again!" Octoroo greeted her. "Welcome back!"

Suddenly a group of Furry Warts sprung down from the ceiling, chanting, "Welcome! Welcome!"

Dayu let slip a small smile, as Octoroo rushed forward to greet, but tripped. He caught himself, before stomping on the floor, making the Furry Warts disappear back into the ceiling, "Why did it take you so long? I've had no one to trade insults with for a long time!"

"I see that Master Xandred is still recovering at the bottom of the River," Dayu noted, as she took a look around at the familiar cabin. "Sorry it took me so long. I needed to think." She stood by the window, looking at her repaired Harmonium. "But I'm back, because I promised the Master I would return. He fixed my Harmonium, and in return, I swore my loyalty to him."

"Dayu, I will repair your Harmonium, but you must return to the Ship and swear allegiance only to me."

"I've wandered alone long enough. I swear."

"Then, we have a deal."

Octoroo was cheerful as he replied, "The best thing for the Master right now is misery. It's our job to cause as much of it as possible so he can return. The only problem with its progress is that I'm falling short of ideas, especially after the defeat of Puppetmaster the other day."

"The last time we were stuck on ideas," Dayu recalled, "we called on one of our trump cards."

"Robtish?"

"Exactly," Dayu continued. "He was, as the Rangers call them, one of the three wolves. And remember, Deker was in charge of that particular mission, so he's the second. What about the third one?"

A lightbulb went off in Octoroo's brain, "Of course! The third 'wolf' is one of our most dangerous Nighlock, due to how closely she can hurt a specific type of Ranger!" He then went to the window and called out, "Fiera!"

Immediately, a splash occured and out from the water jumped the said Nighlock. She landed on the deck of the Ship, and her first words were, "Excellent timing! I just woke up after a long, much-needed nap."

"For eight years, apparently," Octoroo commented as Fiera walked closer to him. "We've got a job for you. A very important one."

Fiera, however, quick to notice the third Nighlock with them, "Ah, Dayu. I didn't think they'd let you back on this Ship. What's the matter? Couldn't make any friends on earth, just like here?"

But Dayu was cold-hearted in her answer, and she immediately held up her Harmonium's blade to Fiera's neck, "Listen, birdbrain, no matter where I go, I'm still a Nighlok. Rather than testing my patience with your taunts, why don't you try something challenging? Help us take down the Rangers."

Fiera was quiet, afraid of testing Dayu any further. Dayu definitely deserved her General status. Fiera accepted, "Count me in."

As Dayu sheathed her blade, Octoroo nodded in pride, "Nicely played, Dayu." He then addressed Fiera, saying, "But taking down the Rangers, I'm afraid, will be your second priority, Fiera. You primary mission is something much more important, concerning a certain mission. I understand that, on that night, you were tasked with retreiving something from the Rangers, but before you could give us a status report, you fell into hibernation in order to rehydrate and heal from the injuries you sustained during that fight. Did you get it or not?"

Fiera was still quiet, understanding what Octoroo was trying to say, before she quietly answered, "I-...I'm not entirely sure. I just woke up, so those memories are very fuzzy. To be honest, I can't remember what I was tasked to retreive or if I was successful or not."

"Then let's return to the mission site," Octoroo offered. "It might jog your memory."

"I hope it does," Fiera said.

Dayu added, "So do I. That piece of information is very important to us. It might just be what revives Master Xandred."

~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~

Keller Forest, Panorama City, California

Despite the six Rangers managing to clear out the Keller Forest House completely, aside from furniture and such, they were looking for any clues they missed the first time, purely out of habit. They had been doing this since they arrived at 9:55 AM, and it was currently 1:32 PM.

In the midst of looking, Kevin turned to Jayden, who was holding Lauren's journal, "Can you read the last entry aloud for us?"

"You sure?" Jayden asked. "It's rather personal. All of the others were strictly objective, but the last one is filled with emotion that Lauren rarely shows throughout the rest of the journal."

Antonio recalled how Jayden and Emily were the only two who sensed Vulpes spying on all of them through his magical mirror. While Emily was obviously a clairvoyant, Antonio knew that Jayden always had the ability to sense the supernatural. Maybe it was genetic, and that meant Lauren knew something was wrong on the last page.

Apparently, Kevin was thinking the same thing, because he told Jayden, "I understand, and you know I respect the privacy of others, but it could tell us something important, and you haven't read it aloud yet."

With good reason, Antonio mentally added. He knew Lauren like the back of his hand, and the only rival he had in that regard was Jayden himself. "Go for it, Jay," he softly said. "Kevin's right."

Jayden took a deep breath, "Alright", and started to read, "'October 13, 2006. Matthew, the ever superstituous one, believes that Friday the 13th is bad luck. Blake and Daniel don't believe anything bad will happen today, but Serena and I do. I'm not sure how Serena feels, but I can't get rid of this feeling that a storm is about roll our way. Maybe I inherited my father's ability to sense the supernatural, or maybe it's just my leader's intuition. Whatever it is, I'm scared.

Sounds counterintuitive considering I'm the leader, but I'm only fifteen years old. So it does make sense for someone my age.

But we'll get through it. I know we will. My team is all older than eighteen, older than I am, and I trust them to know when to stow away their fear and face down the challenge with extreme courage. I'm glad they're ignoring me right now, in favor of their after-dinner volleyball game, because what I'm about to say cannot get past this page. I'm just not good at openly showing my emotions, so the following words will be embarrassing if I ever had to speak them aloud.

Blake Stone: I appreciate you and your logic, how you always to bring a sense of organization to the chaos, whether you mean to or not. Keep your private library up and running, and don't be afraid to educate the children of today. And don't worry so much about the future. When this is over, you can go home and propose to your girlfriend, Ashley. She's very lucky to have you. And yes, I will be there at your wedding. Thank you for being the team brains.

Daniel Martinez: I know being away from your family is taxing on you, but I appreciate you always making sure that the rest of us are healthy and well taken care of. Don't be afraid to take care of yourself every now and then, because that's just as important. When this is over, you will be free to go on to college and pursue your dream of being an actor. I will be there at all of your future shows. Thank you for being the team dad.

Matthew Hodges: Many underestimate you because you're always cracking jokes, but you're one of our greatest allies. Not only are you a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield, but your jokes never fail to get a smile out of the rest of us. I hope that you one day manage to find someone your soulmate and a family who won't constantly drag you down. When this is over, you can publish your many stories and poems, and become a successful author. I will buy each and every one of your books. Thank you for being the team jokester.

Serena Shields: I don't know what I'd do without you. You're the one I look up to, the one I turn to whenever I get lost, and we are so much alike. You always know whenever I'm thinking about my brother, because you get the same look whenever you think about your sister. Don't laugh, but I think you may even be my woman crush. When this is over, you can back to your family and pursue your dream in fashion design, as long as you don't mind if I visit every now and then. Thank you for being my second-in-command.

And finally to Jayden, Antonio, and Ji: Don't worry, I'll hopefully be home in a couple of weeks. I love you all so much-'" Jayden was quiet as he finished. "And that's where her writing cuts off. Presumably when the three wolves showed up."

"She must have been really scared," Antonio softly noted, "if she felt the need to get her feelings out like that." His eyes met Jayden's, the latter of whom nodded at Antonio's observation.

The other four were also rather quiet, which didn't sit well with Jayden normally. Mostly because they were not a quiet group. But he appreciated their silence of respect in Lauren's honor.

Kevin was the first person brave enough to break the sad tension in the air, "Despite the fact that Lauren felt that something bad was about to transpire, she and her team was still caught off-guard. And I think I understand why. Throughout her journal, Lauren doesn't outright mention any Nighlock following them. She even says a few times that they haven't seen a Nighlock in their forest, only in the city where they usually attack. So their skills were never rusty. They were preparing for an ambush, and previous evidence found here in this house has proven that they had their own Gap Sensor."

"And our own digging into the logs," Antonio cut in, "found that the Gap Sensor here did go off on October 13, 2006, at approximately 7:38 PM."

"So that explains why Lauren's writing in the last entry just trails off," Mia realized. "That must've been when the Gap Sensor went off."

"Yeah," Mike said. "But if they were preparing for anything, even going so far as to move away into complete isolation...then why did they still lose?"

Jayden was quiet as he replied, "They underestimated the strength of their opponents."

The room went quiet as the current team of Rangers digested that, before Antonio broke the silence with, "That's true. The Nighlock today have mostly attacked us one at a time. And each Nighlock we've encountered so far, except for one obviously," he was referring to Master Xandred, "has been destroyed. But three at once...must've been devasting for them."

For the first time since they arrived here at 9:55 AM, Emily finally spoke aloud, "That's why we need to be prepared now."

"Do you know who's about to attack this House, Em?" Mike asked, rather curious about what her vision had told her this morning.

Unfortuantely, Emily shook her head, "Sorry, no. I can only warn you to watch out for fire."

Why did the other five feel that Emily's cryptic warning held more meaning that they thought it did?

~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~

"So this new team as a Red Ranger too?" Fiera asked, the trio at their destination, in the middle of a forest.

"Yes," Octoroo said, "That's who your target is." He then held up a strong of stones. "You remember these?"

"Ah, yes," Fiera said, taking it from Octoroo. "My Fire Flashers! You fixed them!"

"And enhanced them," Dayu added.

"Indeed, they have been strengthened with fire made from Sanzu River water," Octoroo explained. "That will allow your hits to effect the Red Ranger even more than before. This time, your target will go down with three hits instead of seven like last time."

"So they work the same way?" Fiera asked, as she the Fire Flashers into her hand once again.

"Of course," Octoroo said. "Thanks to your ability to make the fire within people burn from within, you are a very special, very dangerous opponent for the Rangers. Now, have you remembered?"

Fiera took a moment to think, before smiling, "Yes, actually, I have."

~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~

"A fire monster?" Mia asked. "It can't be Eleflame. He was destroyed a long time ago."

"Probably a new Nighlock whose strength scares Emily," Antonio commented, "due to her clairvoyancy going out of its way to warn her."

Emily shook her head again, "That's not what I was warned about. It's the same feeling I got from Robtish the moment I first saw him."

"What do you mean?" Mia asked.

But before Emily could grace that question with an answer, she suddenly hunched over, holding her head in pain. The others calling her name in worry were drowned out by Misty the Water Guardian once again.

Misty covered her nose and mouth to protect herself from the flame and smoke. She was still frantically looking around, wondering how she could put out the fire by herself. That's when she remembered her own powers.

Water! She needed to find water!

But just as she stepped out of her hiding tree, one of the three wolves suddenly emerged from the flames with a growl that sounded almost like an evil laugh.

Misty could only watch as the silhouette of the wolf began to morph into a humanoid crow monster. As soon as she laid her eyes on it, Misty knew that nothing would ever be the same again, even if she managed to defeat this monster or not.

Emily snapped back to reality with a loud gasp. But this time, she ignored the cold sweat soaking her face, neck, and the inside of her hair, as well as the others still asking if she was okay, and immediately ran to the door.

"Emily! What's going on?!" Mia asked.

"The third wolf is here!" was all Emily needed to say, not only for the other five to follow her, but for them to also, finally understand her feeling.

Robtish was one of the three wolves, the first one they faced, and she had once admitted to feeling the same thing after Jayden revealed Deker as the second.

The Nighlock about to attack this safehouse was the third wolf, becoming back for another round.

~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~

The others chased after Emily, trusting that she knew where to go. The six finally stopped at a nearby temple, where a group of Marauders stood around a female, crow-looking Nighlock.

"Hello, Rangers!" the Nighlock cheerfully greeted as the six heroes stood in their usual formation. "I suppose you're looking for your third 'wolf'. Am I wrong?"

Emily sneered, a glare solidly resting on her face, "I knew it."

The Nighlock chose to laugh, and instead of denying it, admitting, "Well, congratulations, Rangers! You've found your third wolf: me! My name is Fiera, pleasure to meet you all. But I must warn you before we start fighting: just because you've found all the puzzle pieces doesn't mean you Rangers will actually solve the puzzle now. There's still a mystery or two left to solve. Are you up to the challenge?"

The other five Rangers' glares matched Emily's perfectly. Mike replied, "I guess we're about to find out!"

Just then, Jayden's Samuraizer went off. The Red Ranger picked it up, and answered, "Yes?"

It was Ji, like they all knew it'd be, "Nighlock very near your location."

Jayden calmly responded, "We know. Emily sensed the Nighlock's prescence before the Gap Sensor did."

"Good," Ji replied, with a sigh of relief. "I just didn't you want you guys to be ambushed like..." he trailed off, but he didn't need to continue for any of them to understand.

"We'll be fine," Jayden said, before hanging up. He then addressed his team, "Remember that Fiera's our last chance to get answers, but don't be afraid to hold back if she's too close to defeating you."

"Right! Samuraizers!"

"Samurai Morpher!"

"Go, Go, Samurai!"

"Go, Gold Samurai!"

The six Rangers all morphed simultaneously in a multi-colored flash. They then unsheathed their Swords and charged forward, with the Marauders meeting them halfway, like they normally did. Fiera chose to watch them fight the Marauders from a nearby ledge.

"Interesting. So that's how they fight," Fiera observed, "by watching each other's backs. Their teamwork has been strengthened by the bond they all share. That will make taking down Red all the more sweet, because once he goes down, so will the other five."

As she teleported in a flurry of blue feathers, the fight against the Marauders raged on. The Rangers led them all deeper into the forest.

"Muy feo!" Antonio commented, as he swung his Blade around. "These guys get uglier every time I see them!"

"Why're you so surprised?" Mike quipped back. "Marauders have cornered the market on ugly! It's what they do best!"

"Stay focused!" Jayden warned. "I have a feeling they're just a distraction!"

"You too, huh?" Emily asked, not too far away from.

"We'll be fine!" Kevin chose to be optimistic. "Just pick your targets!"

A female saying, "I know I've picked mine!" made Jayden immediately turn around, only for a blue-colored fireball to hit him right in the left shoulder.

He stumbled to the ground, but found himself able to stand up immediately after. But just as he started to wonder what that was, a pain suddenly formed in his left shoulder like a bomb, and its shockwaves spread throughout the rest of his body, sending him back to his knees.

"What was that?!" Kevin asked, he and the other four still fighting the Marauders.

"He's hurt!" Mia told the others.

"You okay?" Mike asked.

"Hold on!" Emily urged him.

"What's that smoke?" Like Kevin, Antonio was intriqued by the attack Fiera had used.

"It feels like my insides are burning up," Jayden muttered to himself.

Fiera laughed, "Well, let me get you even more fired up!" She then shot more fireballs at him, but Jayden quickly got to his feet and ran to someplace else, where there was cover, blocking the shots with his Sword.

Fiera didn't lay off her shots even after he managed to hide behind a tree, allowing himself to rest his shoulder and try to massage the pain away. But the wound wouldn't stop burning.

He peered from behind the tree, to see if Fiera was still there.

She wasn't.

"Where is she?" Jayden asked.

"Right here!" Fiera gleefully said, and Jayden turned around, only to receive another fireball in the chest.

He stumbled to the ground, and just like before, it took a second or two for the pain to surge throughout his body. But just because this was his second hit didn't mean the pain lessened any. It still hurt a lot.

Kevin struck down the Marauder he was fighting, saying, "She's singling out Jayden for some reason! Hang on!"

"Too late!" Fiera fired another shot at Jayden, only for it to be blocked by Kevin. He was hit solidly in the chest, but Jayden was quick to note that the pain didn't surge for Kevin, like it did for him. "How dare you, Blue Ranger?! That would've finished him!"

Kevin held his protective stance in front of Jayden, unfazed by Fiera's shots. Sure, they still looked like they hurt (they were fireballs, after all), but there was no surge of pain that knocked Kevin over.

"Kevin, be careful!" Jayden warned, placing a hand on Kevin's steady shoulder. "Those blasts are powerful!"

"Actually, I feel just fine," Kevin said, as Jayden used his Sword to get to his feet.

The Red Ranger swung his Sword down at Fiera, only for her to teleport before the blade could reach her.

Kevin ran over to Jayden after he fell to his knees, and continued to protect his friend's backside. "Those blasts didn't effect me much, Jay. I'm barely scratched and I can still stand up straight, unlike you. So don't push it." Kevin turned to the other four, "We can block her shots, Rangers!"

Jayden immediately turned his head around, alarmed at what Kevin was insinuating.

Fiera appeared in a flurry of blue feathers, in a different direction than where Kevin was facing, and shot at them, only for her hits to land on Mike and Mia first, but they landed on Kevin, Antonio, and Emily. Jayden was the last one hit, and he fell to the ground, bracing himself for the surge, which didn't fail to arrive.

"Jayden!" Emily cried out.

"Why is that just happening to him?" Mia asked. "Why aren't we effected too?!"

"Because the Red Ranger's Symbol Power is over Fire," Fiera replied, standing in front of them in a different direction. "Therefore, his body is filled with fire energy. My hits ignite that energy and burn him from the inside out. The rest of you are filled with energy that is not fire, so you're not effected." She teleported again as she finished, "Understand?"

Antonio did understand something, but it was something else, "So, that's what Emily meant earlier by 'watch out for fire'."

"Apparently," Emily's voice wavered, but confirmed his realization.

Fiera's disembodied voice, from seemingly nowhere, scoffed, "How can you 'watch out' when you can't even see me?!"

"We need to protect Jayden!" Kevin said, and he and the other four immediately stood around their Red Ranger, their backs to him.

"Right!"

Fiera began teleporting in and out like crazy, firing one shot as she went to another place. "Now, you see me! Now, you don't!"

She hit Kevin first, then Mia. The next two shots hit Antonio and Emily, before the next one hit Mike.

This is what Jayden was afraid of. "Guys! Stop taking hits for me!" He managed to get to his knees and tried to get Mike's attention.

"We're a team, you moron!" Mike told him, as he gently pushed Jayden back down to the ground. "Besides, her hits aren't that strong for us."

"He's right, Jayden," came Emily's calm and soothing voice, before she turned back around to keep an eye out for Fiera. "We care for you, a lot, and we know you'd do the same thing for any one of us."

She had a point, Jayden admitted. He would be a human shield for them. It had happened a few times before.

"She's right," Antonio added. "The six of us are a team until the end! If she wants you, she'll have to get through us first."

This cool down allowed Jayden to think, not just of his own team that were all loyal to a freakin' fault, but also of Lauren.

There was a strong possibility that Fiera went after Lauren with the same type of a attack. What if Lauren wasn't strong enough? What if Fiera succeeded in taking Lauren out? Lauren was the Red Ranger before him after all, and Fiera was the third wolf.

That familiar inner fire roared out like a lion, once again, demanding retribution.

He had to find out whether this was the Nighlock that his older sister fell to or not.

"Give up, Rangers!" Fiera appeared in front of Antonio. "I'm too strong for you!"

She then fired multiple shots at once, this time not stopping until the five Rangers surrounding Jayden were all on the ground, whimpering in pain and trying to stand back up.

"Please, you guys have to stop," Jayden desperately begged them. "Because she won't until we're all dead."

He had to protect them, he decided as his hand tightened into a determined fist.

He could feel very nasty bruises and some internal bleeding when he finally stood. He could feel just how much trouble he was in, but if this was his last moments, he needed this to be a swansong if anything.

And his swansong would be protecting the others.

He stumbled forward, addressing the nowhere-to-be-seen Fiera, "You want me, Nighlock? Then fight me! Not them! Super Samurai Mode!"

A flash of white later, Jayden was in Super Mode.

Fiera appeared on his right and fired another shot at him, "Nice vest! Too bad it won't help!" she disappeared as the blast hit his chest. When the surge arrived, Jayden knew she had a point.

Super Samurai Mode wasn't a good enough barrier for her shots. They still hurt, but the Black Box did give him a some protection and more speed.

Because Jayden didn't fall to his knees after this recent hit. He instead ran to his left, taunting, "Catch me if you can, Nighlock!"

"A game of tag, huh?" Fiera asked. "He's a fun prey!" The other five Rangers could only watch as she teleported away once again.

"Why won't he listen?" Kevin asked in frustration, as they all got back to their feet.

"Because he cares way too much about us to simply give up on ensuring our safety," Emily quietly explained. "Remember our fight with Xandred? The same thing happened then too."

Antonio silently agreed by not arguing with that, only saying, "We still have to help him!" He and Kevin led the group, with Mike and Mia soon following, and Emily in the back.

But the Yellow Ranger stopped when her heart skipped a beat, and was replaced with another's.

Lee's.

The other four had stopped, and she realized this when Mia asked, "You okay, Em?"

"I think Lee's waking up," she told them. "You guys go on ahead and help Jayden. There's something I still need to do."

"You sure?" Kevin asked. When Emily nodded, he turned to the others, "Alright, let's go!"

When the four were out of sight, and Emily was all alone, she was free to talk to soul hidden within her own. "Lee, are you alright?"

"My brother's in danger, from the same enemy that injured me," Lee replied. "Please, Emily. I need to protect him."

The disembodied soul was pleading the same way that Jayden was just now. Lee was emotional and desperate, and it was shown through her voice when she spoke.

Emily then remembered how Lee stirred when Antonio was confronting his father and talking about his mother. Lee was worried about him, before feeling gratitude at Emily's assistance.

But Lee was waking up now, because Jayden was in danger of dying. And if Jayden was Lee's brother, then...

"L-Lauren...?" Emily shakily asked.

Lee did feel rather nostalgic whenever Emily's eyes lay on Jayden or Antonio.

"Yes, it's me. I remember my own name now," Lee-no, Lauren-replied softly. "I need to help my brother."

Jayden was right. Lauren's soul had taken refuge in Emily's. All those years ago.

Emily then recalled how Dr. K's soul was able to act like a beacon and a GPS for her body, how Dr. K, hiding within Emily, was able to lead the others to where her body was.

It was then that Emily finally understood what this morning's vision was trying to tell her.

"Don't worry," Emily reassured the elder female. "I know just how to put you back together." She then ran off to the Keller safehouse, as she felt Lauren's gratitude take over her worry and concern, and Emily could feel her own hope surging.

The Rangers still had one last trump card to play.

~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 was still morphed when she re-entered the Keller house, letting Lauren's soul and body pull each other closer, like a magnet.

"Where to next?" she asked aloud, not caring if anyone heard her, since she was supposed to be alone.

Lauren felt the pull strongest near the fireplace. Emily led the elder's soul take over her body, and watched as Lauren pulled out a regular, black-covered book out of the shelf, and the fireplace suddenly moved backward and then off to the side, revealing a secret passage.

"Down there?" Emily asked again, and she felt Lauren's soul pulling her body down the steps.

As she reached the bottom of the steps, her grip on her Spin Sword tightened, ready for any enemies she may encounter here. What she was faced with was a hallway (not very long), lined with even more boxes and crates filled with, not personal belongings but rather, tools. The door at the end of the hallway was where Emily felt that magnetic pull the strongest, which Lauren told her was the boiler room.

Emily jiggled the door, only to find it locked. But she spun her Ape Disk attached to her Sword.

"Spin Sword: Seismic Quake!"

The yellow-colored energy slash broke the lock, allowing Emily to open the door.

Whatever was inside the room was bright and Emily immediately de-morphed upon feeling a sudden release of her soul. Lauren was leaving her, after so long. What was inside was Lauren's body, in stasis, though having aged through all these years.

As she blacked out, she heard Lauren whisper, "Thank you, Emily. 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~

Jayden stumbled back to the temple area, making his final stand at the center of the courtyard, the Super Firebull Bazooka in hand and ready to be fired. It had the rest of his energy put into it. Jayden was ready to give this all he had. As long as the others were safe, he could face his own demise.

He trusted them to find a good Red Ranger to take his place, and he trusted Emily to lead them to victory if he did die here.

"So, you've chosen self-sacrifice?" came Fiera's disembodied voice, before she appeared in front of him. "How noble and pitiful at the same time." She teleported away again, leaving Jayden to wonder where she'd strike from next.

"Jayden, watch out!" he heard Kevin call out. To Jayden's surprise, none of the others stepped in to help or interrupt. This, he appreciated. It was them he was trying to protect, after all, and he couldn't do that if they were making it difficult.

"Say goodbye, Red Ranger!" Fiera said, before appeared behind him, high up. She fired one final shot.

Jayden let it hit him in the back, before he turned around and fired the Bazooka, "Fire Strike!" He felt himself de-morph and hit the ground the second he pulled the trigger.

But he breathed a sigh of relief when the fire-blazen bull hit Fiera dead on. The Nighlock hit the ground and whined, "No! This wasn't part of the plan!"

The others (sans Emily, for some reason; all of them still morphed) rushed over to him the moment Fiera's first life ended.

Antonio helped him sit up, "You okay, amigo?"

Jayden's voice was soft and quiet, and also slightly slurred, as he replied, "Yeah, I'm fine."

Off on the sidelines, both of them hidden from view, Dayu observed, "The Red Ranger is clearly tougher than he looks. We both guessed it would take her three shots to finish him off. That was at least five."

"And he's not dead yet," Octoroo added. "But he is injured, and that's good enough for us."

"It is?" Dayu asked as she turned to face him, a quizzical look on her face.

"It is," Octoroo replied. "Because whether Fiera survives this encounter or the Rangers defeat her, like they always do, we have what we need, after so long. Fiera remembers what she was sent to retrieve, as well as the level of her success, and told us everything. The Rangers may win this battle, but we Nighlock will win the war."

Dayu understood where he was getting at and followed him through a Gap back to the Ship.

"Hang in there, Jayden," Kevin said. "We'll bring you home soon."

"I know you will." Even though his speech was slurred, indicating that he still had injuries, Jayden's voice clearly showed his trust and faith in his team, his friends.

"There's no way you survived that, Red Ranger!" came Fiera's booming voice above them, as she grew into her second life.

Jayden held out the Black Box to Kevin, "You lead the rest, Kevin."

"Right," Kevin nodded, taking the Box, as Antonio set Jayden against a nearby pillar.

"Just say here, Jay," the Latino calmly said. "We'll be back before you know it." Jayden smiled as Antonio then stood up and ran to join the others.

"Super Samurai Mode!" he watched as Kevin went Super. "Let's do this! Super Samurai Combination!"

"Claw Armor Megazord, We Are United!"

"Shogun Mode: Power of the Ancestors!" Kevin activated said disk, with only Mia, Mike, and Antonio with him.

"And united you fall!" Fiera cried, before charging at them.

She struck the Megazord three times, but when the Rangers tried to hit her back, she simply teleported away.

"Just face it, Rangers!" came her voice from behind them. "You will never keep up with me!" The Megazord turned around and saw her wiggle a finger at them. "It's no use!"

She teleported again, multiple times, striking at them every time she did so.

"Brace for impact!" Kevin said, as the cockpit startling sparkling with energy, which was never a good sign.

Just then, the force of her attacks caused the Megazord to fall apart into its six pieces.

Jayden saw all of this go down, and he couldn't help but worry. He wanted to help, but there was no way his body would let him right now. Not after all the adrenaline had disappeared now that he was no longer morphed.

But then out of the corner of his eye, he saw a familiar, now older-looking blonde, carrying a younger blonde, Emily, bridal style.

The stranger set Emily down next to him, and he immediately noticed that Emily was out cold. He turned back to the stranger, the blurriness of his vision preventing him from seeing their face.

But he smiled, because he didn't need to see their face to know who they were. He could tell just by how they walked

"Don't worry, little brother," the stranger said, their voice sounded rather far away due to how terrible shape his body was in. "I'll take it from here."

As Emily's unconscious head leaned against his injured shoulder, Jayden saw the stranger take out an old-school morpher, much like the one that Ji had created so long ago, and morph with it in a bright red light.

Jayden smiled, trusting the stranger completely, as he blacked out.

Meanwhile, all six Zords went into Defense Mode, as Fiera laughed, "You see, Rangers? No one can stand up to me!" She then fired more shots at each of the Zords, causing their (now individual) cockpits to shake from the repeated impacts.

What should they do now? Kevin wondered. He was waiting for any ideas from the others, even Jayden or Emily.

Just then, Kevin saw the Lion Zord assume its Offense Mode and leap out of the smoke to pounce on Fiera.

"What?" Kevin heard Antonio exclaim. "That can't be Jayden, can it?"

"It's not," he heard Mia reply. "He's still on the ground where we left him." The four all breifly turned to see Jayden indeed where they left him, this time with Emily laying down next to him.

"Then what's going on?" he heard Mike ask. "Who's in the Lion Zord?"

In the Lion Zord's cockpit, the female Red Ranger smiled underneath her helmet. "Hello, Lion. It's nice to see you again, after so long."

Lion roared aloud in response. He definitely had the same feeling she did.

Female Red turned back to the front, where Fiera was showing on her display, "I highly doubt you remember me, Fiera, but I'm here to make you disappear!"

Lion charged forward.

"Think again!" Fiera cried out, before sending more blasts at Lion.

The Zord merely dodged the attacks, before female Red motioned Lion to breathe a heavy stream of fire at their opponent.

But this fire attack was stronger than Jayden's fire had ever been, Kevin noticed. This fire lingered, even turning into what looked like rope or chains that held Fiera in place.

"Wow, she's awesome!" Mike exclaimed over the comm, as Fiera was finally weakened enough for a final attack.

"Time to end this," female Red said, holding her Spin Sword out in front of her. She was quiet for a moment, and the other four could hear her whisper over the comm, "Serena... Matthew... Blake... Daniel... this one's for you. Lion Folding Zord: Pentagonal Fury!"

Lion roared out his rage, before hitting Fiera with a pretty strong fire attack, before landing on the other side of the Nighlock. The other four watched as Fiera exploded once more, for the last time.

"Samurai Rangers, Victory is Ours," female Red said, officially ending the battle.

She paused when she heard Antonio asked, "Whoever you are, thank you for the help. But...who are you?"

"Later," she quietly replied, her heart beating due to his familiarity. "Jayden comes first."

~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 finally came back to reality via someone gently shaking her. "Em? You awake?" She opened her eyes to see a heavily injured Jayden.

"Did you see her?" was the first thing that came to mind.

It was a weird question to ask, but Jayden understood her reasons for asking. He smiled, replying, "Yeah, I did. Thank you."

Before she could reply, the other four (now de-morphed) ran up to them.

As he and Kevin knelt beside Jayden, Antonio asked, "You two okay?"

Jayden let the two help him stand up, as he said, "Yeah, we're fine. Thank you."

Meanwhile, Mike and Mia had knelt next to Emily, and Mike was asking her, "What happened to you, Em?"

"It's a long story," she answered. "I'll you later, I promise."

"Come on, guys," Kevin spoke up. "Let's go home."

All six nodded, and Emily let Mike and Mia help her to her feet, but she refused to walk anywhere.

"What's wrong, Em?" Mia asked.

Emily didn't respond. She only turned around to look behind them. The other five followed her gaze just in time to see a red pair of shiny boots land where they were looking now.

All six of them watched as the female Red Ranger that had helped them defeat Fiera just now stood there for a second or two, before de-morphing in a flash of red.

Immediately, Antonio recognized her from his memories, and the other three from the photos Jayden had showed them.

She had aged while she was gone (or whatever happened to her), as her she was now twenty-three, still two years older than her brother.

Lauren Shiba...

Antonio felt his breath leave him, all the feelings and affection he felt for the girl always a year older than him come back in one split second as soon as he laid eyes on her.

"L-Lauren?" he whispered. "Is that really you?"

Lauren slipped a smile at him, making him smile back, before she turned to Jayden, who also returned her happy grin. She then slowly walked forward to her brother, gently stroking his bruised cheek, before envloping him in a tight hug. Kevin and Antonio both released Jayden's arms from around their shoulders so he could return his sister's hug (which he did).

Without their support, Jayden was now solely leaning into his sister to keep him standing, but she accepted this burden without a single word.

Lauren reluctantly broke the hug as she sniffed back tears, "Wow, you're so much taller than me now." Jayden's smile only got wider when she turned to Antonio. "Both of you." When Antonio tried to wipe away a stray tear, Lauren turned to the other four, "I'm sorry to the rest of you for the awkwardness. I'm not the best social butterfly."

Kevin let slip a smile, "That's fine. But we should remind you that, according to the police, you are either missing or dead."

"It's a long story," Lauren immediately replied. "And I don't know where to start."

"It's alright," Mia sent Lauren a calming smile that immediately comforted her. "You don't have to tell us right now."

"She's right," Emily said, and Jayden and Antonio both immediately noted how Lauren considerably softened up when Emily addressed her. "We're about to head back to the Shiba House. You should join us. There's someone else who will be glad to see you."

Lauren nodded, her smile now warm, as she remembered Ji.

"Right," Lauren was still socially awkward, but she was notably loosening up the more kindness she got from the others.

"You obviously already know Antonio and Jayden," Mike introduced everyone to her. "That's Emily, of course. I'm Mike, that's Kevin, and she's Mia." The mentioned people politely waved or nodded when their name was called. "Lauren Shiba, welcome back to the Samurai Rangers."

Lauren's face was now red, and she ducked her head in order to avoid any eye contact, "Thank you all for your kindness and hospitality. I wasn't expecting so much of it."

"Come on," Jayden finally spoke up. "Let's go home."

Kevin and Antonio continued to support Jayden all the way home, but Lauren carried a still-weakened Emily via piggy-back all the way 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

Ji cried tears of joy when he and Lauren reunited, and the other five chose to give the Shiba siblings and Ji some time to themselves as Jayden was situated and healed in the recovery room.

The other five decided to stay in the kitchen and cook dinner for Lauren as a 'Welcome Back' party (or dinner, because it seemed like parties were not her thing). During this, Emily was slowly recovering, and she had told the others the entire story, just as she promised.

"So, Jayden was right?" Antonio asked. "Lauren's soul was hiding within yours?" Emily nodded. "How long?"

"Since that fateful night, I assume," Emily explained. "To be honest, I can't remember the exact date, but it's been at least eight years."

Mike recapped Emily's story of the Keller House's basement, "So, you found Lauren's body, in stasis, in the basement of the Keller safehouse," Emily nodded, "and you finding it today allowed Lauren to be revived."

Emily nodded again, "Mm-hmm. That's what this morning's vision was trying to tell me."

Mia worriedly asked, "But why do you feel so weak now?"

Emily gently smiled, "Because Lauren's been with me for so long, my soul feels...rather empty now. It's trying to find a way to fill in the gap she left, and get used to being by myself again. K didn't have that effect because she was only with me for three days at the most, but Lauren..."

Emily trailed off, but the others knew what she meant. "It's okay to feel that way," Mike said. "I'm guessing you and Lauren became platonic soulmates during your time together, and losing someone you bonded with is tough to get over."

"Agreed," Kevin said. "Even if your circumstances are more unusual than anybody else's." Emily let slip a smile at this.

"Of course you'll heal, Em," Antonio cut in. "You have friends like us to help you."

Emily giggled, letting her smile speak all the words she wants to say.

The oven's timer suddenly went off, and Kevin turned it off as Mia pulled their dinner out of the oven.

"Voila~!" Mia exclaimed as she set the dish on the counter. "My grandma's famous homemade garlic chicken and wild rice."

"Smells good, Mia," Antonio complimented her. "Lauren's definitely going to love it."

"You sure?" Mia asked.

"Of course I do, amiga," the Gold Ranger answered. "I know Lauren like the back of my own hand. Even if she doesn't like it, she'll still appreciate the fact that you cooked it specifically for her. Trust me, she's way too polite to wave that off."

Mike turned to Emily, "Time to go have dinner. You feel like joining us, Em?"

"Of course!" She then stood, slowly but eventually, before grabbing the caesar salad Kevin tossed, as Mike grabbed the bread, Kevin grabbed the lemonade Emily herself made, and Antonio grabbed the plates, napkins, cups and utensils.

"Let's go," Mia said, letting Kevin lead 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~

Ji had left to get more ginger for the tea. It was his own specialty, as if most often relaxed the person injured enough for them to have no issues falling asleep.

"I'm so glad to have you back, Lauren," Ji quietly told her with a smile. Lauren smiled back, before turning back to Jayden, who was all bandaged up and sipping down the tea. Seeing this, Ji decided to give the two their space.

"I'm so proud of you, little brother," Lauren said. "You've grown into a strong person."

"You were the one who tore up the battlefield today," Jayden shot back after swallowing his last sip of the tea. "You were amazing, and it made me realize that I've never actually seen you fight."

Lauren took the cup from him and set it on the bedside table. Her smile faded, before she quietly said, "I'm sorry for leaving you alone all this time..."

Jayden didn't like seeing his sister so sad and down, so he offered a smile to try to cheer her up, "It's alright, Lauren. I'm fine now. I have a new family, and I trust them with my life."

Lauren's smile returned, "Of course. Your teammates." Jayden softly nodded. "I hope I can become part of the family too. I mean, I've watched you all through Emily's eyes the entire time, but I always felt like I wasn't truly apart of the group."

"Because you weren't there physically," Jayden realized, and she nodded. "I understand that. But don't worry. I have no doubt they already think of you as family." Lauren giggled. "Speaking of the others, can you do me a favor?"

"Of course," she agreed. "What is it?"

"Lead the team for me."

Lauren started shaking her head, "Oh, I don't think I can. I don't want to overstep my boundaries."

"You won't," Jayden reassured her. "And it's just until I recover. Besides, you don't have to be the one to lead. Emily will most likely take up that job in my stead, like she usually does. I'd just feel more comfortable if the team was complete."

She understood that. Jayden's team was a lot like hers in that regard: both she and Jayden didn't feel comfortable leaving the team all by themselves unless they were sure that all links were at their strongest. Leaving the team one short tended to worry them both.

So she nodded, "Of course, Jayden. Consider it done."

He breathed a sigh of relief, "Thanks, Sis." But her smile faded when he said, "The others will probably ask what happened that night, and about the Seal, so you might want to prepare yourself for that."

"I know," her voice was quiet when she finally spoke after a short bout of silence. "I've been preparing myself this entire time, but...I just can't steel myself up enough."

It was in this moment that Jayden realized something that made him sad. Even though Lauren was now fully grown physically, she was still only fifteen years old mentally. Her body was done growing, but her brain and heart didn't get that chance.

He offered a small smile, "Don't worry. They won't push."

"I know," Lauren replied, a tiny grin on her face. "But it's still difficult."

Just as he was about to offer some advice, a knock came to the door.

"Come in," Lauren said, and the door opened to reveal Antonio in front of the others, who were all holding items necessary for dinner.

"Hello, Shiba's," the siblings' shared childhood friend greeted them. "You two need a minute or are you hungry enough to stomach our prescence?"

Both Jayden and Lauren smiled at Antonio's attempt at a joke, and Jayden let his sister be the one to tell him, "Come on in, you guys. I am rather hungry and it smells delicious."

"Thank you," Mia said, as she placed the still-warm dish on a nearby table. "I made it myself."

"Really?" Lauren asked, her face slightly red. "I can't wait to try it."

The five newcomers sat around the two siblings, with Antonio making sure he sat next to Lauren, and the other three letting Emily sit next to Jayden. After all the food was served, the seven began to eat it, as an unofficial meeting began.

Jayden addressed the others, "Lauren will be leading the team in my place for a while. So get comfortable with her and help her whenever she needs it."

"Right!"

"Don't worry, Jay," Mike said. "We'll be fine. You just rest."

"Absolutely," Antonio said. "Although, I am hurt, because you know from past experiences that you can trust us to handle ourselves against a Nighlock just fine, yet you don't trust us now."

Lauren giggled, because it was clearly a joke, while Jayden merely smiled before explaining, "I'd just feel better if there were six of you, instead of five. Besides, Lauren could use some training, to get used to fighting again."

"Don't worry about a thing, Jayden," Kevin reassured. "We'll be just fine."

Meanwhile, Mike noticed Lauren's Morpher on the bed and he picked up, "Wow, this is cool." Lauren saw her Morpher in his hand, and she was clearly uncomfortable as he studied it, "Where'd you get this?"

Lauren quickly, though gently, took it from his hands, "Ji's childhood friend was the Red Ranger before me, and they used it in their final battle. Now, I use it to ensure that all the past teams are honored."

Mike's smile had faded at her words, "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so insensitive."

She shot him a gentle smile, "Don't worry about it. You didn't know."

Mia noticed how uncomfortable the air had gotten, and decided to change the subject, "I'm so glad we have another girl on the team. Hey, you, me, and Emily should have a girls' day out sometime!"

Lauren offered her a smile, "Sounds like fun. I haven't had one in a long time."

Kevin also decided to change the subject, but this time, it was different than Mia's, "It's okay if you don't know or remember anything, Lauren, but we are curious as to what happened with the other four."

Lauren's smile immediately fell, and the mood changed with it. Jayden saw Emily's eyes widen with fright, and he knew that she was afraid of the answer Lauren was about to give, if she decided to say it aloud. Despite this being what Emily had arrived in Panorama City for, there was still a part of the Yellow Ranger that didn't want to accept reality.

Antonio, Mike, and Mia also saw Emily's fear, but also Lauren's as well, and while Mike and Mia turned to glare at Kevin for bringing up such a sore subject, Antonio turned to Lauren, quickly saying, "You don't have to answer that if you don't want to, Lauren. Please, take your time and answer when you are ready, not us."

"No," Lauren's answer surprised them. "The truth needs to come out, and their families deserve closure. All four of them...Matthew, Blake, Daniel, and Serena...they all died to ensure that I survived. I'm sorry..." she whispered.

The room was tense and quiet, so Emily getting up from her seat without a word or a smile on her face and leaving the room was seen by everybody.

The front door opened and closed, so Emily was now outside, but the recovery room's window was open (to let in fresh air), so Jayden still braced himself for the inevitable sounds.

Sure enough, Emily soon began to cry, and not just tears falling. Actual sobs and heaving that indicated her having a breakdown, the type of crying that told the others just how sad Emily was.

"Em..." Mike was the first to break the silence, but his voice was still quiet. He was obviously concerned, as well as sympathetic, and so was everybody else.

"She's finally been forced to accept reality," Antonio added, just as silent.

"It's unfair, isn't it?" Jayden asked. It was a rhetorical question, sounding more like a statement than an actual question. "Her sister's gone, but mine's still alive." It was then that the others realized this was a statement that Jayden directed at himself, as if he was blaming himself for not trying harder to save Serena or something like that.

"Should we...go after her?" Mia asked, clearly wanting to help.

Jayden made a move to get up, despite the obvious pain he was in, but Lauren stopped him. He looked up into her crystal blue eyes, and immediately saw the guilt within them.

"Leave her to me," Lauren quietly told them, before standing up and leaving the room.

~B~E~T~T~E~R~~T~O~G~E~T~H~E~R~~P~O~W~E~R~~R~A~N~G~E~R~S~~S~A~M~U~R~A~I~~R~E~D~O~

Emily's legs had given out the second her tears had begun to fall. She was sitting next to the wall, letting the tears soak her face, not once letting up.

She knew this day would come eventually, but part of her still didn't want to believe it. That stubborn part grew when she saw Lauren return with her very own eyes, something she helped make happen.

That's probably what made everything so devastating when Lauren finally forced her to face the truth, even if the elder wasn't aware of what she had done.

Emily sniffed before pulling out her phone. She brought up her mom's contact page, but her thumb paused right before pressing the call button. She couldn't do it, not right now. She was too upset right now, and she feared that if she did pressed that green button, all her mom would hear would be sobs and incoherent mumbling.

So she dropped her cellphone on the ground, deciding to just ride this out instead of forcing herself to feel better. It would ultimately be the best choice for everybody.

She sniffed just as she felt another prescence with her. She turned and saw, through her tear-filled eyes, Lauren sit down next to her.

Lauren said absolutely nothing, even though guilt was evident on her face, and wrapped the younger female in a huge.

It was strange how, sometimes, no words were needed. Emily wasn't the only one who had lost Serena. Lauren did too.

Serena was Lauren's second in command, and best friend. The relationship the two had closely mirror Emily's relationship with Jayden. Faith and trust wrapped up into one person you could call your best friend no matter what state you or the world were in.

Besides, Lauren obviously thought very highly of her own team. She thought of them all as family, so it was clear that their deaths would weigh on her so heavily.

But it wasn't Lauren's fault. Nor was it Emily's.

Emily leaned into Lauren's embrace, her heart no longer hurting, but starting the long journey towards healing.

TO BE CONTINUED...

~PRS~REDO~PRS~REDO~PRS~REDO~PRS~REDO~PRS~REDO~

Original Shinkenger Episode: Act 44

Original PRS Episode: Fighting Fire with Fire

Note: The episode still ends on a bittersweet note, but this time, it's centered around Emily, and not Jayden. Now, for three important details you all need to know:

First off: Lauren's role here is essentially the same as the one she had in canon (with some changes), except this time, there's no deception of her very existence (remember, in this story, the others already know who she is; they're just surprised that she's still alive) and she's not disrespected like she was in canon. I promise you all that I will write Lauren as human-like as possible (with an actual arc and development) while still doing her character justice (she is the first female Red Ranger, after all).

Second: If you guessed that Lee was actually Lauren, tell me in your review as well as when you figured it out. I want to see how many people accurately theorized it (and when) before the revelation this chapter.

Third: You'll see what Fiera was supposed to remember (and did) in a later chapter. It's important to the story, I swear. I'm just leaving it as a mystery for now.

Also, (not) sorry Tanba for not giving you a counterpart, but there's no room for you in this story.

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 17: "Missing Link"

"As Emily tries to deal with the loss of her sister, Lauren deals with a problem of her own and Octoroo makes a dangerous sacrifice."