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.
Note: The first scene is a flashback, a very important one, just so you're not confused.
~PRS~REDO~PRS~REDO~PRS~REDO~PRS~REDO~PRS~REDO~
"With Master Xandred fully revived, the Rangers must use their trump card: the Seal. But Xandred has a special surprise of his own."
Better Together
Power Rangers: Samurai REDO
Season 2, Episode 19: The Sealing Symbol
Keller Forest, Panorama City, California
October 13, 2006
"What do you mean 'retreat'?!" Robtish yelled out, as Lauren's head spun with pain from Fiera's attacks. "We have them right where we want them!"
It was five to three, but they were losing. In fact, their loss was all but assured at this point, unless the others could find a way to counterattack somehow.
"'Retreat' means 'an act of moving back or withdrawing'," Deker calmly replied, and Robtish immediately growled, knowing that Deker was acting as if he was an idiot.
But that was unlikely, seeing as how Deker and Robtish had beaten Serena, Matthew, Daniel, and Blake soundly and within an inch from death.
"I know that!" Robtish shot back. "I'm asking why!"
And Fiera's fire attacks had severely weakened Lauren to the exact same point, and she was wondering why Fiera hadn't finished her off already.
"Because our part of the mission is over, and none of them are worthy enough for Uramasa. Fiera can take it from here," Deker was still calm and collected, which Lauren had to commend him for, even if she did not like how he had a name for his sword. "Besides, you're running out of water."
Deker then left through a gap, and Lauren prayed that the other two would quickly follow.
A pain in Robtish's side proved Deker's last point correct, and Lauren felt hopeful as Robtish growled in frustration, "Well, your part of the mission is done, coward, but mine isn't!"
Lauren watched in utter horror as Robtish used his remaining water, not to retreat like Deker had, but to use his weapon and stab each of her teammates through the heart, thereby ruining any chance they had to survive now in one simple, psychotic move.
Even though Robtish had indeed retreated through a gap after this, Lauren was shaking now from witnessing such an event firsthand. This couldn't be happening...
Lauren Shiba was the last Samurai Ranger.
"N-No..." she whimpered. "S-Serena...Daniel...Matthew...B-Blake...sound off, *please*..."
This was just a nightmare or a prank, a really mean prank. No, they were fine. No one was dying. The Nighlock had not found their hiding spot. They were still playing their after-dinner volleyball game, and Serena and Matthew were kicking butt like they always did. Everything was fine.
No, it wasn't. The pain Lauren was experiencing, physical and emotional both, was proving to her that this was indeed reality. Everything was far from fine.
Everything had gone so horribly wrong, despite their best efforts.
Fiera had remained, and Lauren at this point was begging for death, but the Nighlock still had not made any move to finish her off.
"N-Nighlock," Lauren sniffed back the tears. She was still alive, and as long as she was, there was still hope for the human race, "w-what do you want from us?"
Fiera scoffed, "That's a stupid question. Why else we attack you specifically?"
~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~
Southern Marina, Panorama City, California
November 5, 2015
Xandred laughed as he took one step forward, tightening his sword in his hand, "You look shocked, Rangers, but I don't blame you. Now, with my renewed power, nothing can stop me!"
All seven Rangers took a step back with each step Xandred took forward, no matter where they were, or if they were morphed or not. They were not ready for this. None of them were.
Lauren's head began to spin with memories of her old team's final moments...
Xandred turned his attention to the other Nighlock here, "Dayu, that was the most beautiful song I've ever heard you play. Thanks to you, I am back and the Sanzu River is surging!"
"But the song wasn't for you," Dayu collapsed onto her knees. "It was for Deker. The three centuries of misery that I have suffered have finally come to an end, but I am grateful that I was able to repay my debt to you."
Mia became confused when Xandred held Dayu closer to him, "You should've embraced it, the Nighlock life."
Dayu tiredly objected, "But I never felt like a true Nighlock...There's no way I ever could...My heart was, and always will be, human..."
Emily couldn't ignore the feeling that she had to do something, but her fear of Master Xandred, and the memory of Jayden being defeated by his hand, was preventing her from moving.
"Forgive me, Dayu," Xandred's words turned sour, "but I cannot allow you to join Deker just yet. You can serve me one last purpose."
He started squeezing her tight, and as Dayu was running out of breath, Emily couldn't understand why she was feeling the same way. What was he doing to her?
Mia watched as the Furry Wart fell from Dayu's grasp.
In a flash of bright violet, Dayu was gone, in her place only a decorative kimono remained. When the kimono fell, the Furry Wart whimpered as Xandred's wounds from his previous fight with the Rangers were immediately healed.
"W-What just happened?" Mike asked, clearly in shock. "D-Did he kill her?"
Xandred turned back to the four Rangers in front of him, and they immediately raised their Swords in defense, "Now, where is the Ranger who survived and thinks they have a secret weapon against me?! I have a few words for them!"
"Right here!" Lauren called. Xandred and the other four Rangers turned to see her and Antonio standing on the nearest cliff, out of the Megazord and overseeing the quarry. "And what a coincidence! I have a few words for you too! Written words, that is!"
Serena, Matthew, Blake, and Daniel would be avenged.
Xandred scoffed, much like how Fiera did that day, "And what do you think you can do, little girl?! Today is the beginning of the end for you Rangers!"
"The only thing ending is you!" Lauren cried, as she and Antonio tensed up, ready for Xandred to attack them.
Xandred swiped his sword at them, and a slash of fire came rushing towards them, "You're a fool!"
Lauren immediately felt Antonio push her out of the way, and once she was safely on the ground, behind some boulders, she turned back and breathed a sigh of relief when seeing that he had followed her here.
"You okay?" he asked.
She nodded, "A bit shaken, but not stirred."
"Lauren!" Mia called, and she and Antonio turned to see the other four join them behind the boulders.
Lauren wished her brother was with them, but she understood that he had to stay and finish off the remaining Marauders.
"I'm fine, guys," she reassured them. "Now, listen up, because I'm only going to say this once. This is it. I'm ready to use the Seal against Xandred, but since I'm the only one writing it, it will take a while to complete. So I need you all to keep him occupied until it's done."
"Got it!" Kevin replied.
Lauren held out the Black Box, "Emily, you take the Black Box," and the Dino Bite Disk, "and Mike, you take the Dino Bite Disk. You guys will need all the edge you can get."
"Right," Emily agreed as she and Mike took the respectful items, before turning to the other four, "Let's go."
The five got up just as Xandred came towards them. "Well, well, well," he said, before holding out his hand, and the five were immediately engulfed in an explosion.
When it disappeared, Emily was standing there in Super Mode, Mike in Dino Rage Mode, and the other three in Havoc Mode. Lauren had also disappeared, presumably to a higher plane and out of sight, out of mind.
Emily held up the Shogun Disk and inserted it into the Black Box, "Shogun Mode: Power of the Ancestors!" Everyone except Mike and Jayden (for obvious reasons) all gained gold armor over their spandex, with Emily hoping that it would keep them all alive for a little bit longer.
Granted, it was meant for the Megazords, but it would be just as powerful on the ground, maybe even a little more.
"Let's go!" Emily gave the order, and the others followed her into the fight.
She and Mike struck Xandred first, before all five surrounded him and hit him simultaneously.
But they didn't hit anything, as Xandred had leapt out of the way at the last second.
"What?!" Kevin cried out in surprise.
Xandred used his incredible speed to teleport across the field, hitting the five twice, before leaping into the air and blasting them with blue lightning.
As the Rangers fell against some rocks, Xandred landed in front of them and laughed, "I have no business with you, small fish!" He then turned to where Lauren had appeared, on top of a nearby cliff, "But you! Your Seal will be useless!"
As he walked towards Lauren, the other five began to panic, with caused their adrenaline to surge, allowing them to get back to their feet.
Kevin and Mike grabbed Xandred from behind, halting his progression towards Lauren, and the Nighlock did not like this, "Get off me!" He shoved the two Rangers off before blocked Antonio's attack and slashing him across the chest. Mia and Emily quickly checked to see if he was okay before charging in together.
Lauren, meanwhile, took a deep breath to ease her anxiety away as she opened her Samuraizer and folded it, activating the brush.
"Here goes," she breathed, as the five down below all fell to the ground.
She began by writing the Green Ranger's portion, the left half of the 'gate' kanji, fire bursting from every stroke she made.
~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 couldn't take his eyes off of the Gap Sensor map, fear and anxiety filling his every being as he watched the red dot that was Xandred move around that field.
Sure, there was always a chance that the Rangers, his kids, would never make it back alive, but this time was different. The Nighlock they were fighting was Xandred himself.
This time, their odds and chances at survival were very slim.
But he trusted them. He trusted them to understand that surviving meant nothing if there was nothing to survive for. He trusted them to have each other's backs. He trusted them to protect Lauren until she completed that Seal.
They entrusted their very lives to each other every time they stepped outside of this house, and this was one fight they could not afford to lose.
He could only hope that he had done all he could to help prepare them for this day.
~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~
Southern Marina, Panorama City, California
Lauren had completed the Green Ranger's portion and now the Pink Ranger's portion. The 'gate' kanji was now completed. She then moved on to the Blue Ranger's portion, the 'sub' kanji.
Meanwhile, Xandred was pushing Mike hard, making him back up, with Emily and Antonio trying to help him break free before he ran out of ground to stand up, before he was cornered.
Mia and Antonio attacked Xandred, who merely ducked, but it gave Mike to chance to scurry away to safety. Xandred then struck Mia in the chest, and as she fell, he struck down Antonio, and began to step on him once the Gold Ranger was on the ground.
"You shouldn't have gotten in my way!" Xandred told him, raising his sword as the other four got to their feet. But Xandred yelled a shockwave at them, forcing them back and preventing them from aiding their friend. He turned back to Antonio, "Now, as for you-!"
But he was cut off by a "Boss!" and a flying lantern hitting his chest several times, before Xandred easily swatted the annoyance away.
The Light Zord fell at Antonio's feet, and he gently cradled it in his arms as the other four joined him, "LZ!" He then stood up, the Light Zord and its baton in his hands, "Come on!"
The five charged back in together.
Xandred side-stepped Antonio, before blocking Mia, and then blocking and holding down Emily by her sword, "Out of my way, you pests!"
Underneath her helmet, Emily smirked, because Xandred was the one failing to take out of said pests. None of them were dead yet.
Lauren was just about finished with the two 'sword' kanjis, Yellow and Gold's parts respectively, as Jayden finally finished off the rest of the Marauders, before running towards the site. His team needed him.
"Super Spin Sword!" Emily called, charging up her attack.
"Dino Sword!" Mike called, before he and Emily attacked together.
Xandred easily struck it down, like he did the last time, before sending a slice of fire at them. As they hit the ground, he scoffed, "Pathetic."
Lauren was putting the final touches on the seal now, writing out the Red Ranger's part, the 'flame' kanji. Just four more simple stokes.
"I told you already, little girl," Xandred said to Lauren, "that your Seal will be useless."
"That's what you think," Lauren muttered, as she continued to write.
Jayden arrived just in time to see her write the last two strokes.
Xandred sliced some fire at her, but she flipped the Seal, effectively blocking the attack. The Seal then rushed towards him and forced him to the cliffside behind him. He struggled against it for a couple of seconds, before he was engulfed in a huge explosion.
The five Rangers down below all cheered, as Jayden breathed a sigh of relief. She did it, finally.
Lauren sank to her knees, her body weak from the strain but her heart filled with joy. She glanced at her Samuraizer, still in brush mode, specifically at the keychain attacked to it, and whispered, "Serena, Matthew, Blake, Daniel...don't worry. You guys can rest easy now."
But an unwanted memory chose that moment to return.
*"That's a stupid question. Why else we attack you specifically?"
And it kept playing, over and over again. And each time it repeated, her smile began to chip away into a scared frown.
Because the wolves had only attacked them for one thing.
"W-Wait!" Lauren managed to get out. Her voice and entire body was shaking, in fear and disappointment in herself.
She should've remembered sooner.
"Lauren?" Jayden asked, from across an adjacent cliff nearby. He and the other five were glancing at her in concern. "What's wrong?"
"T-That missing piece...I think I just r-remembered..."
And they had gone into hiding for that very thing.
The other six were confused, but they didn't get a chance to ask what she meant, because in that moment, Xandred's voice boomed out from the cloud of fire surrounding him, "I told you that your Seal was useless, little girl!" He managed to dissipate all the flames with one swipe of his sword, as he walked towards them, "You should've listened to me!"
Jayden immediately noticed something on Xandred's chest, a white patch that wasn't there before.
Emily started shaking her head, "No, no! This isn't possible!"
"I don't get it," Mike commented. "What happened?"
"Because F-Fiera..." Lauren explained, though she could barely hear herself think, much less speak. She was still in shock of what she had forgotten, of the memory that had just returned to her, but she forced herself to stand back up. "She got it...she got her hands on the Seal that night..."
"Exactly!" Xandred confirmed Lauren's words, to the shock of the other six. "And when Fiera returned a few days ago, she conveyed it to Octoroo, and he was able to determine that the Seal only worked on pure Nighlock. So, I absorbed Dayu's human side, and she saved me. This white patch is all that remains of her, and with it, I am no longer a pure Nighlock. With it, I am immune to your pathetic Seal."
"Y-You absorbed Dayu?" Mia asked.
"I also no longer need Sanzu River water either," Xandred continued, as if Mia had never spoken.
"How do we stop him now?" Kevin asked.
"You can't!" Xandred scoffed, before sending blasts at them.
Jayden saw them all become engulfed in an explosion with a similar size to the one the Seal enveloped Xandred in. Then he watched as Xandred sent out a shockwave that caused Lauren to stumble and fall off the cliff and onto the ground below, behind the other five, but they wouldn't be able to protect her now, not when they themselves were also down.
The moment Lauren de-morphed, revealing her pained, tear-filled face to the world, was the moment Jayden jumped in.
He didn't speak a single word, only staring Xandred down, as Lauren watched him write a kanji and activate it.
"Symbol Power: Teleport!"
Xandred watched as smoke fill his vision and when it had all faded, the Rangers were no longer there.
"Fine, I'll deal with you Rangers later," he said, despite him being the only one there.
He turned back to the ocean and picked up the kimono Dayu had left behind. As he slung it over his shoulder, the Furry Wart that was resting on it fell onto the rocks below.
"Dayu...Dayu...come back..." it whimpered, before it was stepped on by Xandred.
Xandred was none the wiser as he slipped through a gap and back to his ship.
~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
Jayden was the least injured of all the seven, which made sense because he had only fought off Marauders and escorted innocent civilians away from the danger.
But this didn't make him feel good. He was able to get them all out of harm's way, but they had to fight Xandred off without him, and that him feel bad, guilty almost.
That's why, when a recovering Kevin told him, "Thank you, Jayden, for your quick actions. Without it, we probably would've died," Jayden didn't take the praise.
Instead, he said, "Xandred will most likely come back to finish us off soon. Rest, while you guys still can."
It's been five hours since Xandred had become immune to the Seal, and it was evening now. Everyone had taken showers, gotten their injuries patched up, and changed into cleaner clothes (and Emily found it interesting, if not sad, that everyone had chosen darker colors). They were now hanging out in the meeting room and inner dojo, all in various places as the lights remained low.
"But how can we beat him now?" Antonio asked. "He may be too powerful to stop."
Upon hearing this, Kevin punched the nearest punching bag in frustration, "We almost had him!"
"We'll figure something out," Mia replied, her voice hard, like she was about to cry (to be honest, she was; she had caused this, after all). "We always do. We have to."
"I just feel bad for Lauren," Emily softly cut in. "She poured her blood, sweat, and tears into that Seal, only for it to be useless in the end."
"And all of this just means that what they gave up," Mike added, "Lauren, Serena, Matthew, Daniel, and Blake...their sacrifices have now gone to waste."
Which included their lives, was the unspoken line floating around in the air that everyone was aware of. But no one said it, because Emily would've started crying, and if she did, then everyone else would have too.
But no tears fell in this moment.
Instead, Emily started to stand up, "Then, let's make sure their sacrifices aren't in vain. We're still here, still alive, still able to fight. It will take everything we have, but we can beat him. Because I believe in us."
"You're right," Mike agreed, a smile slowly coming back to his face. He too began to stand up. "The Seal didn't work, and now we have no choice but to beat him the old fashioned way."
"You're not afraid of dying?" Antonio asked, but he too got to his feet.
"That's a risk we always take," was all Emily said.
"That's true," Mia replied, as she stood up straight, no longer leaning against the wall. "Besides, as long as Xandred stays down, then dying seems like a pretty good price to pay for victory."
Kevin finally let himself smile, "Yeah. This is something we have to do. Because if we fall, the entire world falls with us."
"I guess I don't have to ask you all if you're ready for this, then," Jayden cut in.
"As long as all seven of us stick together," Antonio softly replied, "I'm ready for anything."
The others smiled at him, letting him know they agreed with him.
~B~E~T~T~E~R~~T~O~G~E~T~H~E~R~~P~O~W~E~R~~R~A~N~G~E~R~S~~S~A~M~U~R~A~I~~R~E~D~O~
Lauren was sitting outside on a bench, staring up into the sky, as the setting sun painted the sky with beautiful shades of orange and purple. In her hands was the Bull Disk.
"Why did you save me?" she asked, despite the fact that there was no one here with her.
Well, no human being. But there was a Zord.
Bull picked up on the tone she used. She sound so hopeless, so pessimistic, "Don't feel so down on yourself, My Lady. The fact that you mastered all six parts of the Seal, let alone one, is a big achievement in and of itself."
"But it's all for nothing..." she trailed off. She felt like a failure.
"You're not a failure," Bull replied through the Disk in her hands. "Sealing you-know-who away has never been your only goal in life."
She didn't reply, giving neither a denial nor an agreement. She didn't believe him, but she couldn't deny that she did have other goals.
Goals like visiting Japan. Goals like finding new hobbies to enjoy. Goals like hanging out with her brother and new friends. Goals like confessing to Antonio her feelings for him.
So Bull was right. Her entire life did not orbit around Sealing Xandred away. She had other things to live for. But, she still felt like a failure.
It was her fault that her old team was dead. It was her fault that she didn't remember that missing piece in time. She didn't deserve to be here.
Her train of self-destructive thought was derailed when she heard the front door open behind her. When she heard Jayden ask, "Lauren?", she did not turn around.
She only asked, "Are the others okay?"
"They were in a dark place for a while, but they managed to get out of it," Jayden replied, before sitting down next to her. "They're ready for whatever comes next."
"Good," and she meant it. "I'm glad that one of us, at least, is ready to take Xandred on. Even though it's useless."
"It's not," Jayden immediately replied, before turning his gaze to his elder sister. "You're not a failure, Lauren. You only just got here, but you're already an invaluable member of the team." When she turned to him, surprised to hear this, he continued, "They won't go into battle unless they know that you still have hope."
"They're not...disappointed...in me?" she asked.
"Not at all," he offered a smile. "Just worried. You've hit rock bottom, and they're hoping you start reaching for the stars."
Lauren managed a smile, "Can I assume you feel the same way?"
He answered her question with one of his own, "Was there ever any doubt?"
Jayden smiled when she giggled. That's all they wanted.
As Jayden stood up, Lauren asked, "You were never this optimistic before."
He shrugged, "I guess that's what happens when you let your friends influence you. Ours just happen to be the best." He turned to the house, intending on going back inside, "Whatever he's telling you," he nodded to the Disk in her hands, "you better take it to heart. Something tells me he's being honest."
Lauren watched him enter the house with a smile on her face, before she turned back to the sky, where the first star of the night had just appeared.
"Why did you save me?" she repeated her initial question, but this time, her tone was far from hopeless. This time, it was more along the lines of curiosity.
This time, Bull gave her a straight answer, "Because you have incredible inner strength. Even when you've hit rock bottom, you always manage to eventually find a way out. And this time is no different." Lauren felt herself ease up at that answer. He continued, "Just remember, My Lady, you are never alone."
"I know," she replied, not taking her eyes off of that star. "Jayden and the others will always be there to help me."
"I didn't mean just them," Bull revealed.
Now intrigued, she turned her eyes down to the Disk in her hands, "What? What do you mean?"
~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
"This was the best day ever!" Octoroo gleefully watched as the River surged with bright bolts of white energy below the surface. "Thanks to Dayu, the Sanzu River is finally about to overflow!" He turned to Xandred as the latter walked up to him. "And since you absorbed her humanity, now you won't have to worry about drying out or about that Seal! This will be an easy victory!"
"Indeed," Xandred said, before throwing Dayu's kimono into the water.
"Of course," Octoroo continued, now sadly, "I will miss her dearly. She was great company. But her sacrifice will bring us our greatest victory." He paused when Xandred remained quiet. "Um, Master? Would you like to say a few words to honor her memory?"
"She served her purpose," was all Xandred said, before turning around and walking away.
~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
It was another hour before Lauren called for a team meeting. It was nighttime now, and the room was still dark, except for a lone light overhead the gap sensor table. Lauren was sitting at the head of the table, with Ji at her side. Jayden, Emily, and Mike were on one side, with Kevin, Mia, and Antonio on the other.
"I'm handing the Red Ranger position back to Jayden," Lauren began, as she handed the Lion Zord back to him. "But I will still fight with you with all."
"You will?" Mike asked, his voice hopeful.
"But how will you do that if you can't morph?" Kevin asked, confused and slightly concerned.
Lauren merely raised an eyebrow, "I never said that. I just said that I am no longer the Red Ranger." Before anyone could make any other sound, Lauren held up a Folding Zord in the shape of a crown, with the kanji for 'king' on it.
Everyone immediately had smiles break out on their faces, with Mia asking, "Is that...?"
"It is," Lauren confirmed. "The Bull Zord has chosen his first Ranger."
And that Ranger was Lauren Shiba herself.
"Congratulations!" Mike smiled.
"Thank you. Now, stay calm, everyone. As the new Crimson Ranger, I am still the leader of this team." Lauren continued, before her facial expression and vocal tone sobered up. "Tomorrow, Xandred must be stopped. The Seal is now useless, but we still have another trump card to play. Bull has told me that Swordfish, Beetle, Tiger, and Octo have also found new Rangers."
Seriousness turned into surprise.
"Really? Who?" Antonio asked.
Lauren shrugged, "I have no idea. He won't tell me. But I believe it is for the best, because I have a plan, and I need the element of surprise in order to make it work. The six of you need to keep all Nighlocks away from me until I return with our four new Rangers."
"Leave it to us," Jayden calmly said, and the other five nodded as well. He then began to speak, "Like we agreed earlier, brute force is now our only method of defeating Xandred."
"And it won't be easy," Kevin cut in.
Jayden agreed, "It will be far from easy. But we can do it. Did anyone notice that white patch on his chest?"
Antonio spoke up, "I did, and I was curious, so I did some research. According to the Gap Sensor, it's where he absorbed Dayu's humanity, but that area is now far weaker than the rest of his body."
"Exactly," Jayden said, before continuing, "The Seal didn't work. We accept that. But it definitely weakened him. Dayu's human essence may have saved him, but it also created a weak spot that we can exploit."
"Of course!" Mike said. "If we can hit that spot with a strong enough blow, it may be enough to destroy him."
Kevin made a good point, "But do we have enough strength and power for that kind of blow?"
"Yes, you do," Lauren replied, before pulling out a crimson colored disk with a strange, fire-like kanji on it, the light above glinting off of it in a rather mysterious way as she handed it to Jayden. "Thanks to the Bull Zord's ability to temporarily control other Symbol Powers, I have made this Crimson Fire Disk, loaded with the Symbol Power of both Fire and Lightning. It should be strong enough to at least injure him, and to give me enough time to create a disk that holds all eleven Symbol Powers at once."
"Are you okay?" Antonio asked her. "It didn't take took much out of you, did it? Because when I programmed the black box, I almost passed out more than once."
"Maybe I'm just tougher than you," she suggested sweetly.
The others looked down to hide their smiles, and Mike whispered a "Burn!" at Antonio's frozen, shocked expression. But Antonio then smiled and winked at her, to which she responded by giggling.
Lauren then sobered up, finishing with, "It will be a tough fight, no doubt, but we're a strong team. And I believe that, together, we can accomplish anything."
The other six all responded by smiling and nodding enthusiastically.
Ji was only hoping that they wouldn't die, but he didn't say that out loud. He only told them, "Good luck."
Their nods in return eased him considerably.
~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~
Panorama City, California
November 6, 2015
It was a normal morning, at least to those that remained unaware of what had transpired the day before. Whether it was getting a hot dog for breakfast, or talking on the phone with a friend, playing the guitar just for the heck of it, or hanging out with significant other, everyone just went about their normal day.
At least until the world began to turn red.
Every single gap began to peak open, giving off a strange slurping sound that made people stop what they were doing and look around in confusion.
People began to run towards higher ground as the red toxic liquid leaking from the gaps creeped towards them.
But that was useless when the gaps higher up in the business buildings broke like a dam, releasing red blood-like water upon the city below.
The flooding only stopped when the Junk Ship emerged from a gap. Xandred and Octoroo had finally escaped from the Netherworld.
"We've escaped!" Octoroo exclaimed. "That itself is a victory worth celebrating!"
But Xandred disagreed, "I will only claim victory when those Rangers crawl to me and beg for mercy!"
~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 Gap Sensor blared as all eight occupants rushed to the map table. Ji activated said map as soon as he got there, to see where the attack was.
But there were red dots everywhere.
"What?" Ji asked as he narrowed in on a spot. The red dots glared up at them from many different sections of the map. "This looks like an invasion."
"Look at them all!" Mike breathed.
"I've never seen so many go off all at once before," Mia exclaimed, and Emily nodded in agreement. Those red dots looked harmless while on the table, but everyone was panicking because they all knew that those dots symbolized so much more than that.
"The Sanzu River is now flooding into our world," Ji conveyed, sitting down in a chair. The seven all turned their heads toward him, terrified. As much as they were prepared for this to happen now that Xandred was free to leave the Netherworld, it was still a shock to finally witness it happen. Ji continued, "Looks like this is it. The final battle has begun."
"It's time to make our stand," Jayden said, glancing up at his team, before looking directly at Emily.
"Let's go," she said, and he nodded.
"Good luck," Lauren said, and they nodded at her, before Emily was the first one out the door, with Jayden taking the rear.
~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~
Parkside Trails, Panorama City, California
This was not a sight you wanted to wake up to.
The Rangers (in their training uniforms) were standing on the edge of a cliff, overlooking what used to be Parkside Trails. Below them, in the quarry below, were hundreds and hundres of Marauders, with the flooded city behind, the Junk Ship sailing those waters like it was taking a victory lap.
Emily turned her head to look at the others, and she noted that they were all taking deep breaths to calm and prepare themselves for this.
"Geez," the Light Zord, in Antonio's grasp, said. "Look at them all."
"Are you guys ready?" Jayden asked, his entire being steeled up and ready. "Because now, there is no turning back. This is a fight to the death."
"Oh, we're ready, alright," Mike said. "We have to be. We're humanity's last hope."
"We've been preparing for this day for the past two years," Kevin reminded them, "and the teams before us as well for the past four centuries. Yes, we're ready."
"Good," Jayden replied.
"We can do this," Mia eased their nerves. "All we have to really do is survive until Lauren comes back."
Just then, squeals and roars started echoing from the quarry below. The Rangers glanced down to see the army of Marauders looking at them and rearing up to attack.
"Well, there's no way we can turn back now," Antonio pointed. "They've spotted us."
"Let's do this," Jayden ordered, as he took out his Samuraizer, the other five quickly following his example.
"Go, Go, Samurai!"
"Go, Gold Samurai!"
After morphing in a flash of multi-colored light, they leapt down from the cliff and landed on the ground of the quarry below them.
The six began to walk forward, their Swords in hand, ready to fight. "Rangers Together, Samurai Forever!" they cried in unison, before breaking out into a run.
Each of them took on a different section, but unlike the previous times, these groups were larger than normal.
"Be careful!" Jayden told his team, as he knocked out two at once. "Who knows how much stronger they are now?"
"They're not stronger at all!" Emily called out, chopping down one before blocking the attack of a second. "Just more annoying!"
"Then let's get rid of them once and for all!" Kevin slashed his sword into one and rolled away to deflect another.
"Sounds like a plan to me!" Mike agreed, grabbing one and throwing it down onto the ground.
"Still, be careful!" Mia said, fighting her own hoard of Marauders.
"Always am, amiga!" Antonio replied, as he cracked on his group with his Barracuda Blade.
The six continued to fight for a few more minutes until they were distracted by a familiar, booming voice, "Rangers!"
Xandred jumped down from his ship, landing on the ground in front of them.
"The hour of your destruction is at hand!" He raised his sword, ready to attack. "Prepare to meet your doom!"
"Take your best shot, Xandred," Jayden challenged, as the six regrouped, just like they planned.
"We plan to," Xandred threatened, and an unspoken cue produced many more Marauders, who then stood in front of him, blocking and protecting him, until the army was at least ten Marauders thick.
It wasn't going to be that easy. They all knew that. They had to be ready for anything.
"There it is," Jayden pointed out. "The white patch." He took out the Crimson Fire Disk and looked at it hard for a moment. "We may only get one shot at this, so we have to make it count. Super Samurai Mode!" He placed the Disk into the Black Box and morphed into Super Mode in a flash of white.
"Roger that," Emily said, before ordering, "Flanking positions!" The other four followed her orders as she called them out, "Mia and I in the front, Mike and Kevin in the rear. Antonio, watch our backs."
"I'm on it!" Antonio replied, as he got into position.
"Right," Kevin answered, getting his Sword ready.
"Ready!" Mia signalled.
"I'm in position," Mike said.
"We'll shield you from all sides," Emily addressed Jayden. "Don't worry about us. You just focus on hitting that spot."
"I trust you," Jayden replied. Emily could hear the reluctance in his voice, knowing that he was still afraid of placing them into danger, whether he would face it himself or not.
But he had to, this time. This time, the entire world was counting on them.
"Now!" he cried, and the six charged towards Xandred together.
They chopped through all the Marauders, dodging, deflecting, and hitting all at once as the Marauders keep on coming. Antonio held the Lightzord through all of this, delving out powerful hits of his own against Marauders and Spitfangs. The group continued on into another throng of Marauders and managed to defeat them all quickly.
"Foolish Rangers," Xandred taunted as he watched them fight. "Marching onward right into their doom!"
Mia and Emily quickly double-slashed the last Marauder, and as it fell beheind them, Mia called out, "All clear!"
"Go for it!" Emily added, as the two girls rolled out of the way.
Mike, Kevin, and Jayden continued running, as Xandred sent a blast their way. Mike and Kevin got in front of Jayden to take the hit, which hit them hard and sent them tumbling to the ground. Jayden continued on, unprotected but determined.
Xandred swung his sword, but Jayden jumped over it and turned, deflecting another hit, before shoving his enemy's arm away.
"Super Spin Sword: Super Blazing Fury!" Jayden called as he stuck his Spin Sword deep into the white patch on Xandred's chest, and the Nighlock immediately cried out in pain.
The other five waited with bated breath. Did it work? Is he done for? Is it over?
"I knew this would be your weak spot!" Jayden declared vehemently, shoving his Sword into Xandred even harder.
But Xandred simply grabbed his Sword and started to pull on it, "Not a bad strategy..."
"What?" Jayden looked up and started to understand what had happened.
Not enough power, after all.
"But you won't defeat me that easily," Xandred finished, before throwing Jayden away from him.
Jayden landed in front of his team, his Sword still in hand.
"Jayden, you okay?" Emily asked, a hand on his shoulder.
"Impossible!" Kevin exclaimed, as Xandred stood there, still relatively unscathed.
"You really thought that you could destroy me?" He pointed at them, leaving the Rangers to wonder what it would take to beat him.
"This isn't over, Xandred," Jayden said, as he got to his knees.
But the Black Box malfunctioned, glowing orange for a moment, before the Disk that was inside fell to the ground, shattering on impact.
"No!" Mia cried.
The Crimson Fire Disk was laying on the ground, broken and now useless. That's the last thing they needed!
"Ha!" Xandred laughed. "Your one chance of victory now lies shattered on the ground!"
He then sent a forceful blast at them, causing the six Rangers to take a few steps backward, with the Light Zord flying out of Antonio's hand and hitting the ground hard.
"Flames of the Netherworld!" Xandred yelled, and they came jumping at the Rangers, exploding before their feet.
The six were hit by the flames immediately, and de-morphed from the pain. Xandred cackled as they all fell to the ground at his feet, the dry grass blowing in the evil breeze. They tried to get back up, but their bones felt like stone, pain pressing in on all sides.
What now?
"Well, I'm waiting," Xandred said. "Beg me to spare you, you worthless Rangers."
"No matter what you do to us," Jayden was the only one that spoke, "we will never bow to you!"
"Even now, your spirit can't be broken," Xandred was disappointed. He was hoping that that would be it, that he could claim victory just like that.
But no, the Rangers had to be defiant until the end, huh?
He scoffed, "Perhaps, you just lack the proper incentive. Perhaps seeing the other Red Ranger on the brink of death will change your minds."
Jayden tried to get up, or to warn Lauren, but his body wouldn't let him.
All he and his team could do was pass out as Xandred walked away.
TO BE CONTINUED...
~PRS~REDO~PRS~REDO~PRS~REDO~PRS~REDO~PRS~REDO~
Original Shinkenger Episode: Acts 48 & 49
Original PRS Episode: The Sealing Symbol
Note: The parts of the Sealing Symbol being assigned to the core six is based off of the Seal shown in the Shinkenger VS Goseiger movie.
Also, Lauren is technically still a female Red Ranger, because crimson is another shade of Red (just look at Shane and Hunter). Hopefully, you guys all like where I took her arc. She still has an important role to play, but is given more agency to do it, instead of staying on the sidelines.
And Emily being Dayu's foil will return in the next chapter, I promise.
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 20: "Extreme Prejudice"
"The Samurai Rangers, both old and new, face off against Master Xandred for the last time."