Emily carried all the bags of snacks while her friends laughed and talked with each other, still excluding Emily. She didn't try to join in. She knew they didn't like to listen to her talk, nor did they care to hear her thoughts.
Finally, they made a stop at Stephanie's boyfriend's house. His dad owned the tack shop and he lived right above the shop. As he came out of the store, Emily noticed he was carrying a large bag. She groaned and knew what was coming up next. The bag was tossed at her while Brian, Stephanie's boyfriend, went to give his girlfriend a kiss.
"You look like a pack mule," Clara chuckled to Emily and shoved her slightly as Emily tried to get the heavy bag onto her shoulders.
"You guys wanna picnic off the trail?" Brian suggested. "I know an awesome secluded place by the cliffs."
"Cliffs?" Emily asked. "I don't think I can make it up the cliffs…"
"Shut up, bitch," Brian rolled his eyes, "No one asked you. Just carry the stuff like a good little lackey and maybe I'll let you take a drink of my water that I packed."
Emily nodded her head and did as she was told. Mustering up all her strength, she did her best to keep up with her friends as they stopped by their boyfriends' houses to pick them up, and then headed out of town and onto the path.
By the time they reached a wooded area, Emily was struggling to take her steps and was desperate for a break.
"C'mon, weakling," Clara gave Emily a good shove, "The hike's not that bad."
"We bought all the snacks at the store," Emily lifted the bag of goodies and drinks, "What did you pack, Brian?"
"Rocks," Brian chuckled and high fived some of the boys. When Emily gave him a horrified look he just shrugged, "What if we want to make a fire pit?"
"You planned on going to the cliffs. There will be rocks there."
"This is funnier," Brian and the rest of the group laughed. Emily just sighed. As they continued on their way, she put the bags down and reached for the water bottle at the side of the backpack. She needed a drink.
"Put that back," Steve, Clara's boyfriend, ripped the bottle from Emily's hand and then dumped it on the ground. "We didn't say you could drink."
"But I…"
"That was Brian's water. You don't drink it without permission, got it?"
Emily nodded her head, "Got it."
"Good. Now keep moving. We don't have all day."
-Samurai-
Serena dropped the mirror. She had seen enough. She wanted to get up from her spot in the bushes and run after those kids for being so mean to her little sister. Emily had spoken so highly of them the night before at the dinner table, and this was how they repaid her? They forced her to buy and carry everything and refused to let her sit down and take a drink when it was obvious she needed one.
"Don't move. You're interfering isn't going to help," Storm insisted. "These kids treated her like dirt long before you left. They won't stop now."
"I'll make sure they do."
"Serena, there's no point," Storm shook her head, "If you choose this life, you'll be headed back to the Shiba House in a couple of days. If you interfere, life's just going to be worse for her when you're gone. Just keep watching."
"I…"
"Keep watching. Trust me. I don't want you making the wrong decision."
The mirror was shaking in her grasp, and Serena did her best to focus on the events as they unfolded while staying calm.
-Samurai-
Emily finally reached the cliff side and fell forward, letting the weight of the bag overpower her. Instead of being thanked for carrying everything up to the secluded picnic spot, her friends just took the snacks and drinks from her and went to find a place to eat and have fun.
Emily removed the bag from her back and crawled over to the edge of the cliff. She looked down and could see her entire town and the surrounding farms. From here, she could even see her house. She sighed longingly, wishing she could be home with Serena and her friends. The Samurai all seemed very nice.
Suddenly, Emily felt like she was falling off the cliff.
"Scared you!" Brian had grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her to make her think she was falling. Emily screamed and closed her eyes. When she realized it was just a joke, she turned around and looked at Brian angrily, "Don't do that!"
"You're funny when you're scared," Brian then pulled her up roughly and was practically dragging her back to the others.
-Samurai-
Serena was watching in the mirror, so completely horrified by the way Emily's friends were treating her. Emily wasn't a part of their group like she had claimed to be over dinner the night before. She was just there for their enjoyment.
"How could this happen? The Emily I know would never…"
"The Emily you know had some Samurai training, and a sister to run home to," Storm said. "With you fit as a fiddle, your father didn't want to push Emily into the Samurai life. She trained a little bit, but spending time with her friends turned out to be more important for her. Mainly because if she doesn't do as they say, they punish her."
"And my parents let this happen?"
"They have no idea," Storm shook her head.
Serena dropped her head in her hands and sighed. This was not what she wanted at all. She couldn't believe just how badly messed up this life was, but what really troubled her was what it all meant. It seemed that a happy life for Serena meant a terrible life for Emily.
"I suggest you start making your way up to the cliffs now," Storm put her paw on the mirror and it disappeared. Serena looked a little confused.
"You said I couldn't interfere."
"You might have to," Storm headed out of the bushes, "C'mon, Serena, we can make it there in time."
-Samurai-
"Alright, Emily," Stephanie tied a rope around Emily's waist as she explained the rules of the game they were going to play. Emily was trembling as she looked around at her friends. She never liked the games they asked her to play. When Stephanie was sure the knot was tied properly she pointed to another ledge along the side of the mountains, where a yellow flower was sitting, "You're going to climb across the mountain to get that flower, and then you're going to bring it back."
Emily gulped and looked out at the view. It was a long way down and despite her earth Samurai background, Emily was not a skilled rock climber.
"You'll be fine," Brian pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and then gave it to Emily. She looked at it, even more horrified. She knew what this handkerchief meant. "C'mon, babe. We don't have all day."
Emily winced when he used the word babe. Though she had spoken highly of him the night before, she hated her relationship with Brian. He was Stephanie's boyfriend, but he loved to mess around with Emily, sometimes while Stephanie would watch. It was a twisted relationship the three found themselves in, and the only person who didn't enjoy every minute of it was Emily. In fact, she hated the relationship.
"C'mon, bitch," Brian grabbed Emily roughly as she hesitated with the blindfold and then he ripped it out of her hands and put it over her eyes for her. He tied a tight knot and then turned Emily around, giving her a slap on the cheek, "You do as I say, got it?"
Now blind, Emily nodded her head and answered with a weak yes. Then she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Stop being such a little chicken. You do this, and you'll be friends with us. We promise."
"We'll guide you to the other side," Brian's voice assured her and then Emily was suddenly lifted off the ground and carried over to the side of the mountain. Her arms were then grabbed roughly and her hands were placed on a little ledge that would hold up her weight. "On three, you start climbing sideways. If you fall, the rope will catch you, see?"
Emily felt someone pulling on the rope on her waist and she nodded her head. Really, there was nothing else she could do at this point. She was blindfolded, so she had no idea where she was going, and even if she did take the blindfold off to try and run, they basically had her on a leash.
She wiggled her nose and ears a little bit, moving the blindfold until she could see out the bottom. It wasn't much, but at least she could tell where she was putting her feet. Her hands, though, she would have to do by feel.
"Move your left hand out, there you go," for once, Emily realized her friends weren't misleading her. The last time they blindfolded her and made her follow directions she found herself constantly walking into things while they laughed. This time, they seemed to actually be helping her get across. She was still scared, but maybe they were actually going to start being a little nicer to her. Maybe she had earned her spot amongst them.
Before she knew it, she saw grass which indicated she had made it onto the other ledge. Her friends guided her to the flower, and from what little she could see out the bottom of the blindfold, she managed to find it, grab it, and pluck it from the ground.
Now it was just a matter of getting back to safety. With help from her friends, she found her way back to the mountain side and started to make her way back. Halfway through, though, the directions from her friends stopped. Emily waited a couple of seconds, and then a couple of minutes, but they were no longer helping her. Instead, she could hear them laughing.
"Guys?" she called and thought of letting go with one hand to take off the blindfold, choosing to be punished for disobeying them instead of taking a risk and falling to her death, but before her hand to leave its spot on the wall, Emily realized how stupid it would be to let go. Here she was, dangling off the side of a mountain high above her town. If she made one mistake and slipped, she was dead. Letting go would be the stupidest thing she could do.
Actually, climbing the side of the mountain was the stupidest thing she could do.
Blind, stuck, and completely helpless, Emily started to cry for her friends to knock it off and help her back, but they only started laughing louder. The name calling started: loser, cry baby, pathetic, ugly, stupid, anything they thought would hurt.
Emily sniffed as the tears soaked the blindfold and dripped down her cheeks. She didn't want to go back to her friends, but she didn't want to stay on the side of the mountain forever. Very hesitantly, she lifted her foot from the tiny ledge it had been standing on, and she tried to find another one more to the right – closer to safety. She felt a little spot in the wall that stuck out and thought it was safe to rest her foot there, but the very tiny ledge couldn't even support her weight. As soon as she tried, it broke off and fell down the side of the mountain. Emily almost went with it, but she held on tight to the rocks and crevasses that she was already grabbing.
She was sure she was going to die now. A part of her just wanted to call it quits and let go of the side of the mountain. Without her friends, there was no way she was going to make it back safely. She wasn't even sure they were holding onto the rope attached to her waist. Knowing them and their tricks, they had probably let go a long time ago.
"Be careful, Emily," Steve's voice shouted. "C'mon, come back."
"I can't," Emily hugged the side of the mountain and cried to her friends, "I'm too scared."
"Chicken shit," Brian muttered and the girls all laughed.
"Help me! Please!"
"Stop being such a baby," another girl, Alexandra, shouted to Emily. "You made it there, you can make it back. Just keep…"
"Go, go Samurai!"
Emily's friends all shielded their eyes as a bright yellow light blinded them. Already blindfolded, Emily didn't need to hide her eyes, but she heard the cry and both hoped and feared it was Serena coming to her rescue.
When the light dimmed, the kids turned around and saw the yellow Ranger stepping out of the woods. They couldn't see her expression behind her helmet, but Serena was pissed.
"No way!" Brian cried out and Emily knew he would be excited. Though the Samurai protected Panorama City many, many miles away, everyone knew who they were and what they did. Since they had first shown up, Brian had been a huge fan, hoping to one day see them in action for real. At the same time, he had the biggest crush on the yellow Ranger, in spite of the fact that he had never seen her face.
Serena just pushed her way past all of them and hurried to the side of the mountain. She looked down; recognizing this as the spot her and her mother would sometimes come to train. It was a long way down.
Then, off to the side, hanging for her life was Emily. Serena was livid to see what her friends had tricked her into doing, and even worst, what Emily had gotten herself into. Time and time again, Serena had warned Emily to stay away from people who just wanted to hurt her.
"You were Emily's protection," Storm said to Serena, "When you left, the best thing Emily could do was try to become one of them. If you can't beat them, join them."
"Emily," Serena called out, hoping not to startle her sister with her voice. One wrong move, and not even the yellow Ranger could save her.
"You… you know her name?" Stephanie asked. She too was a fan of the Rangers and was completely wide-eyed that there was one standing right in front of her. "What's my name? Do you know my name?"
"Sit down and shut up," Serena pointed to the ground and screamed. The teens all jumped and then fell to the ground. Now they could tell Serena was pissed. Serena looked back out at her sister once her friends were all seated, "What the hell are you doing out there Emily?"
"I'm sorry," Emily whimpered.
Serena shook her head and pulled out her Samuraizer. Then she looked down at Storm, "Make sure none of Emily's friends leave."
Storm gave a nod and then marched over to the teenagers, circling them while giving them intense stares. The kids all gulped, finally realizing they were in big trouble.
Serena called for her team on the Samuraizer and explained she needed their help. Getting Emily to safety was going to be risky, and it was best to have all the Samurai and all the elements at her disposal. Once the others promised they were on their way, Serena looked out at her sister sadly. Aside from the trembling, Emily was paralyzed in fear, and rightfully so. She still had a long way back.
"Just hold on, Emy," Serena called, "I'll get you down."
"Help me," Emily whimpered. Serena looked down and then out at the wall she would have to climb to reach her sister. By herself, there was no way she was getting Emily back.
It didn't take long for the Samurai to come. When they emerged from the trees, the kids were all in complete awe, but a stern bark from Storm reminded them this wasn't a meet and greet. This was serious business.
"How did she get all the way out there?" the green Ranger asked the yellow while he looked around for something that would help. He noticed that at the top of the wall was another flat surface, and near the edge of that surface was a tree. Whipping out his Samuraizer, her traced a symbol and shot it up at the tree. It was high up, but the symbol reached and suddenly the branches grew out. They went down along the side of the mountain until they reached Emily. Two wrapped around her arms, two more around her legs, and a fifth around her body. They would hold her in place so she wouldn't fall.
Serena looked around for something else to do. At this point, Mike could easily get the branches to lift Emily up onto solid ground, but then she would be about a hundred feet above everyone else, and completely alone. Without Emily around to push him to improve, there was only so much Mike could do with his symbol power. Having branches pick Emily up and lift her sideways was not something he could master by goofing off.
Then Serena had an idea and looked to Mia. It seemed the pink Ranger already knew what to do and she traced a symbol. The wind around Emily picked up by blowing upwards. Now, if by some misfortune Mike's branches all snapped and Emily fell, Mia's wind would keep her suspended in midair long enough for the Samurai to come up with another plan.
Although they needed another plan now. Emily was no longer in danger of falling, but getting her back with her feet on solid ground was the real goal.
"I was never sick!" Serena suddenly cried out as another idea hit her. Due to her illness, she had fallen a little behind in her training. In this world, however, she had spent her entire life mastering her symbol power. Unlike Mike, who had less power here, she had more.
Willing the side of the mountain to move, Serena traced a symbol into the rock and then started to push it back, almost as if the mountain had been cut with Urumasa and she wanted to push the top right off. She moved the mountain just enough to create a path.
Emily's rock wall had been pulled away from her, but thanks to Mia's wind and Mike's branches, she was suspended in mid-air right by the path Serena had made. The earth Samurai ran out to her little sister and the very first thing she did was removed the blindfold.
Emily's eyes were closed. She was panicked. Serena looked over to the kids and then to her sister. She didn't care anymore. She ripped off her helmet and then touched her sister's face.
"Emily, it's me. I'm not going to let anything happen to you. Look at me."
Emily opened one eye and saw her sister's face. Very hesitantly she nodded her head.
"You moved the mountain?"
"Of course I did," Serena smiled. She grabbed the branches around her sister and with all her strength, she pulled her sister towards her. Kevin ran over to help and Mia changed the winds so they were pushing against Emily's back. When the three of them had Emily suspended over the path, Jayden set fire to the branches, forcing them to break and Emily dropped. Serena was quick to snatch her; terrified that she would bounce and fall off the side of the mountain and all this work would be for nothing.
The branches around Emily were still holding her tight, but they were no longer limiting her movements. Emily threw her arms around Serena and held on tightly, as if letting go of Serena meant she would fall down the side of the mountain. Serena didn't want to let go either and lifted her sister up in her arms and carried her back to the others. For some strange reason, Emily was much lighter in this universe than in the last.
As Serena reached the others, she dropped to her knees and just hugged her sister while Emily cried. This allowed Emily's friends to get a clear look at her face. All at once, they gasped.
"Serena?"
Serena ignored them completely. Her identity was supposed to remain a secret, but not at the cost of her sister's safety. If she went back to the Shiba House, Ji would be furious, but Serena didn't care. She hugged her sister close and rocked her until Emily's sobs were finally calmed.