Disclaimer: NO!
A/N: Here's the next chapter! Bet you guys couldn't wait to find out whom that Kudan belonged to, huh?
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Sky stared at the large Kudan in pure shock and the first word that came out of his lips was, "Bridge?"
The Kudan gave him no response but simply turned back to the gigantic Kudan that was firing the beams and this time, let out a powerful beam of it's own which tore through the Kudan with ease.
Whoa, Sky thought, still in awe of what was now definitely Bridge's Kudan. His own Kudan helped him get a safe distance away from the fight, but still close enough for him to spot the feather if it appeared.
Bridge's Kudan spread it's enormous wings and took slight, bombarding it's opponent with bolts of lightning. The other Kudan hurled a ball of fire at it and it barely dodged. The second blast would have hit it if it were not for Kurogane's Kudan knocking it back.
"Whose Kudan is that?" Kurogane growled as jumped to where Sky was with Fai.
"It's Bridge's..." Sky sad in awe.
"The unconscious boy?" Kurogane said incredously, "No way!"
"Are you sure?" Fai frowned.
"I wasn't sure myself, but then I saw it's eyes...the same as Bridge's," Sky nodded and smiled.
"They say the Kudan comes out when the owner is in danger. You don't think..." Kurogane left the sentence and Sky began to take on a more worried look.
"If Bridge-kun were indeed in trouble, the Kudan would be protecting him, not us," Fai smiled, "it would seem Bridge-kun sent his Kudan to save someone he cares deeply about in danger."
Sky chuckled, "That sounds like Bridge alright."
The Kudan took a strong hit which sent it reeling back, but in no time, it was back in action, hitting the Kudan in the side with it's tail. Masayoshi's Kudan growled and punched the other Kudan, knocking it to the ground.
"He's in trouble!" Kurogane growled, but Sky shook his head.
"Bridge is stronger than that. I know he is," the Blue Ranger made no motion to help and he was proven right when the dragon got up again and head-butted it's opponent hard enough to knock it back.
"Pretty strong Kudan, considering it's owner is comatose," Kurogane said with a hint of surprise.
"Kudan's depend upon the strength of their owner's character. Bridge might not be very strong physically, but he's got the strongest, biggest heart I've ever seen," Sky said with pride.
"Sounds like a person worth fighting for," Fai said and glanced at Kurogane, who nodded back. The two sent their own Kudans into the fray with Sky and soon, the battle was rapidly escalating.
Dodging the next blast, all four Kudans –Bridge, Kurogane, Fai and Sky –prepared to launch a greater attack. A multi-colored beam consisting of thunder, water, fire and wind surged forward and blew a gaping hole through the Kudan. Sky saw something glitter in it's chest before the hole sealed up again.
"The feather is in it's chest!" Sky yelled, "I'm going for it!"
"BE careful Sky-kun!" Fai yelled.
"You mess up even one step and you're dead," Kurogane advised.
"I'll be fine!" Sky yelled and, taking a stand on his Kudan's back, flew to Masayoshi's Kudan.
"Good luck..." Kurogane murmured and returned his attention to the battle at hand.
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Sky made his way in front of the Kudan without it noticing, since it was busy fending off the attacks of the others. He looked at the chest and, sure enough, the feather was barely visible, hidden deep inside the Kudan.
"Sky-kun!" a frightened voice called out to him and he looked to the side to see Masayoshi looking at him fearfully.
"You remember when I said that I was looking for something?" Sky asked, "I have found it, but it is in your Kudan. I need to get it back."
"You mean this?" Masayoshi pointed at the feather and Sky nodded, "If you come too close, my Kudan will kill you!"
"I have to get it," Sky was adamant.
"You don't understand, he's completely out of my control! I can't stop him!" Masayoshi yelled.
"You have to try. Either way, I must get that back," Sky went back a little before flying forward, plunging into the Kudan's chest, the flames of his Kudan providing some space for him to move. Sky was quickly nearing the feather when-
Masayoshi cried out in pain as he felt what his Kudan experienced and suddenly, flames sprouted out of the hole where Sky was and the were not his Kudan's.
"My Kudan is sprouting fire!" Masayoshi yelled. Sky winced at the burning pain but continued to surge forward, determined to reach the feather.
"Stop it! You'll kill Sky-kun!" Masayoshi yelled at his Kudan, but it didn't respond. He screamed out in greater pain as Sky continued to go deeper, now barely a foot away from the feather, his skin burning.
"Masayoshi-kun!" Sky yelled at him as he fell to his knees, hands clutching at his chest.
"Take it!" Masayoshi yelled back, forcing his eyes to open. He locked eyes with Sky, who looked shocked.
"That's what you've been looking for, right? That's what you've been fighting for. Take it!" Masayoshi clenched his fist, tears coming from his eyes, "IF IT BURNS ME, LET ME BURN!"
Sky smiled slightly and surged forward once again, just managing to close his fingers around the feather.
The Kudan suddenly shrank, both dropping Masayoshi and releasing Sky from the death grip of it's flames. He landed on the back of Bridge's Kudan and meanwhile, rain began to fall over the area, dousing the flames.
Shogo grinned as his Kudan continued to rain on them, "Least I could do was keep the place from catching fire."
Sky landed in a crouch on the ground, his fingers tightly clutching onto the feather. Fai and Kurogane landed next to him and he grinned at them, opening his fist to show them the feather. They nodded at him, Kurogane with a smirk and Fai with a smile, and Sky locked eyes with the blue-green dragon behind them. It faded away as Sky closed his eyes.
"His memory...I managed to get one back."
Sky ran to Sorata's house, not caring that it was raining heavily or that every step brought along a fresh wave of pain. His mind was only on Bridge.
"Hey, how'd it go?" Sprata grinned and then blinked at Sky's appearance, "And why do you look like a burnt cider?"
"I got a feather!" Sky yelled as he ran in. He quickly made his way to Bridge's bedside and knelt next to him. He took a deep breath and placed the feather on Bridge's chest, watching as it was absorbed.
"With this feather, please wake up, Bridge," Sky murmured, taking Bridge's hand in his.
A minute later, Bridge let out a soft moan, his eyes fluttering open as he began to slowly wake up.
"BRIDGE!" Sky said joyfully, seeing Bridge awake for the first tme since the incident at the ruins.
Bridge looked at him for a few seconds, blinked and then frowned slightly at the face grinning at him, "I'm sorry...but who are you?"
Whatever joy Sky had experienced from seeing Bridge awake and hearing his voice again evaporated as he heard those words. He let Bridge's hand slip from his grasp to his side, but the Green Ranger was intently searching his face, trying to get some familiarity.
Sky clenched his fists for a second, fighting the urge to burst into tears and then put on a forced smile, not wanting to confuse Bridge more, "I'm Sky Tate...and you are Bridge Carson."
Bridge nodded slightly, sitting up with a little difficulty. He put one hand to his forehead, letting out a sigh, "I don't remember anything."
"If you would so kind as to listen, I'll tell you everything," Sky said with a hint of sarcasm. Bridge looked at him and he went on, "You are Bridge Carson, SPD Red Ranger," Bridge nodded, having a vague collection of being a Red Ranger, "You have lost your memories and are on a quest to retrieve them. They have been scattered to different dimensions in the form of feathers due to an accident and you only have two right now."
"So, I have to retrieve my memories?" Bridge said slowly and Sky nodded. The Green Ranger thought for a second longer, "I have to do this by myself?"
Sky gave him a small smile, "No. You have . . . traveling companions."
Bridge frowned at him, "Are you one of them?"
Sky wanted to say that he was so much more than that, but he simply said, "Yes."
"you're doing this for a complete stranger?" Bridge asked, disbelievingly.
And that was another knife in Sky's heart, the thought of Bridge thinking they were strangers was becoming to much to bear, but he knew he couldn't cry now, "I am."
"Allow me to introduce myself!" a cheery voice came from behind him and Sky turned to see Fai, Kurogane and Mokona enter the room.
"I am Fai. D. Flowright," the wizard gave a bow, "the grumpy man there is Kurogane and this ehre is Mokona!"
Mokona jumped down from his perch on Kurogane's head to Bridge's lap and held out a paw, "I'm Mokona Modoki, but you can say Mokona!"
Bridge stared at the little white creature before letting out one of his familiar giggles as he shook Mokona's paw with two of his fingers. Sky looked at the expression on Bridge's face and sighed, though he had a small smile on his face. Bridge looked as though he were barely awake, his eyes were half-lidded and he was smiling tiredly, but he still had the aura of warmth around him and Sky could still see the same Bridge he had known on that smile.
While Bridge was playing with Mokona, Sky stepped out in the pouring rain and stood ramrod straight, staring at the ground, letting out the tears he had kept bottled in. He had been so caught up in the joy of retrieving a feather and seeing Bridge awake, he had forgotten the price he had paid to see him awake again.
Bridge would never know him. He would never know the Schuyler Tate he had spent most of his life with. He would never know the person who had first accepted him as who he was. He would never know the person who loved him more than life itself. Sky broke down completely outside, standing straight in the rain, the water mingling with his tears.
From inside the house, Kurogane and Fai were staring at him through the window. "When Bridge-kun asked him who he was, I was sure he would cry," Fai stated.
Kurogane snorted, thought he knew how much those words had affected the younger man, "He has to be strong so that he's not the one crying in the end."
While they were talking, Bridge turned his attention from Mokona for a second and stared at his hand, While I was asleep, I wonder if someone was holding my hand? he thought. It felt so . . . comforting, he smiled, holding it to his cheek, just to feel the warmth of that comforting, unknown presence.
Two silhouettes covered Sky and the dragon and phoenix sheltered him from the rain as the wolf stared up at him sadly. Sky didn't even acknowledge them, still thinking about the events of the last few minutes.
Fai's words rang in the silence, "I think a special strength is required to cry when you should."
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"Thank you for putting up with us," Sky smiled as he shook Sorata's hand. The travelers had decided set out once Sky had healed from the battle and were now standing outside Sorata's home, saying their goodbyes.
"We'll miss you guys," Arashi smiled.
"Thank you for taking care of me," Bridge bowed.
"It was our pleasure," Sorata grinned.
"Sky-kun!" Masayoshi yelled as he ran up to the Blue Ranger. He held up a pair of goggles, "Shogo-san made me a member of his team!"
"God for you!" Sky grinned and then clapped him on the shoulder, "Maybe we'll meet again. Until then, take care of yourself."
Masayoshi nodded, teary-eyed and Sky looked over where Bridge was laughing at something Fai said to him. The Green Ranger had immediately formed a friendship with Fai and Mokona after receiving assurance from Sky that they were friends. Bridge still slept most of the time, but he was regaining strength and energy quickly.
Mokona suddenly jumped out of Bridge's arms and wings sprouted from it's back as an ancient symbol appeared on the ground below the travelers. Bridge immediately inched closer to Sky and Mokona's mouth opened wide, swallowing them, taking them to their next destination.
As they fell through the dark abyss, Sky saw a red sphere emerge from him and smiled at the familiar eyes.Thank you, he thought as he saw his Kudan leave him and then felt Bridge's hand in his own. He turned to look at him and saw the look of fear in his eyes.
"I'm scared," he muttered and Sky simply tightened his grip on Bridge's hand and gave him a reassuring smile.
Bridge smiled back and then they turned their gaze towards the end of the abyss, where a brand new world and, maybe, a brand new feather were waiting for them.
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And this is where the journey ends! Don't worry, this is not the end of the story! There are still more feathers and more worlds!
In the next chapter, they are disposed in a new world where the Ryanban and his son are creating chaos. What is the power the Ryanban possesses and who is that familiar girl? Find out next time!