A/N: And... here we go! The next chapters will be about Jayden's life as the Red Samurai ranger. Most will be 'missing moments' from the episodes that I choose to focus on. In addition, my second favorite romance, which is from this season will start to develop.

A/N: Along with month and year, I'll put the episode I'm focusing on. This chapter covers Origins Pt 1&2 to Day Off.

Again, I just want to thank everyone who has reviewed, and, or followed this story. It means a lot to me, since I thought my writing had diminished in some way. Please continue to read, as there will be more in store.

Xxxxx

Chapter 10- The Beginning

February 2011
Origins Pt. 1
Shiba House- Jayden's Room
Panorama City, CA

For the past month, Moogers, foot soldiers of the Netherworld, had been seeping through the cracks causing the gap sensor to go off in the Shiba House. The buzzing sound would alert Jayden, the now Red Samurai ranger. Ji would activate the water map, and the location of the attack was clearly seen. Jayden would head to that part of the city and fight the evil. By himself, he was doing a great job, protecting innocent civilians. He utilized his Spin Sword with swift movements, and when more foot soldiers came his way. To increase fire power, he would grab his Spin Disc. The Moogers perished into smithereens. Underneath his helmet, he often smirked at his victory.

A one man force was all that was needed. Ji's words from earlier meant nothing to him.

"There are four others, who have trained for these dark days. They await the call to join you and fight as Samurai rangers."

He accepted his duty, a simple stand in for his sister, Lauren, a long time ago. How could he be leader? His sister was the true 18th Shiba Head. These were her subordinates. The raging war had just began, and if the Nighlocks, with two forms, came into the picture, his lone Lionzord wouldn't be able to stand a chance. He actually knew that.

Jayden exhaled his breath. His eyes wandered to the picture of him and his dad from when he just began to train. The fatherly love and pride was expressed crystal clear. He wished he still had his dad's guidance. Sadly, that was long gone.

"I'm going to make you proud," Mathew's son boldly declared.

He exited his room, overhearing Ji on the phone. He ignored his Mentor's activity, and he went outside to sit on the steps. He always enjoyed his folding zord. The Red Lion would undo itself, and they playfully interacted—like the Dove and Red Lion from his dreams. He shook his head of those thoughts. For the past year, the dreams had subsided. The illusory animals hadn't crossed paths. He was thankful he's been able to get a full night's rest, but his thoughts stayed. He wondered why they suddenly stopped.

Honestly, over the course of a year, he was actually looking forward to occurrences that would happen at night. The dreams were obviously symbolic, so he wanted them to happen. He would make sense of it. After all, he was older, wiser. And the Red Lion and the Dove were such great friends. Something he hadn't been able to experience, himself, since Antonio.

Jarred out his thoughts, Mentor rushed to tell him the time had finally come. Ignore the apprehensiveness and lead the other Samurai rangers into battle was the his Mentor's wish. Ji then struck a chord with Jayden.

"Just remember your father's words, as he left for his final battlle," Mentor reminded him as he rose to his feet. He implored Jayden's ocean colored eyes, and he wanted his pupil to finally fulfill his destiny. It's what his dad would've wanted.

"This is to be yours. One day, the great responsibility of being the Red ranger will fall to you. Remember, protect the world from evil, stand by your allies, and never run from a battle."

The scene replayed in front of him. His dad's teammates urgently running to protect the world, his dad releasing the zord to him, and then he was off—for his final battle. "You're right Ji," he consequently agreed. "I'll never forget his last words. I must not fail. I am the Red ranger," he confidently finished.

Ji nodded with pride. He shot arrows in the air. These arrows were special and would call upon the requested ranger. The first one gone was Green, followed by Pink, then Yellow and Blue. The Red ranger trailed Ji's footsteps, and they were back in the house. Opening a secret compartment, Mentor revealed the rest of the Samuraizers. Jayden scooped them up and placed the phones into his red bag. He traveled to the front of the house, grabbed his Samuraizer, and he drew the symbol for 'horse'. He climbed the beautiful, white beast with red accents, and he quickly galloped to meet the team, disregarding they were Lauren's followers.

As the gates closed, Ji sighed. "He's fulfilling what his dad has asked of him," he said, happiness evident in his voice. He went to the inside of the home and called the same person as before. "Ike, did Kevin make the right choice?"

''Of course he did. He's accepted his duty to aid the Red ranger, and I knew he would abandon his goal of swimming," he truthfully replied. "How is Jayden taking this?"

"He's been hesitant. The stress has piled on him, and I know he's worried because this isn't really his obligation."

"When this plan was concocted, I didn't believe he would rise to the challenge," Ike was amazed by Jayden surpassing all these hurdles. "After all, he isn't even a descendent."

"Right," Mentor thickly said. Somehow, some way Jayden did acquire a serious amount of power. He believed the power transcended Lauren's. "I haven't been able to tell him. After all these years, I still can't reveal something that monstrous."

"Ji, you are your own person, and you've spent such a great deal of time with Jayden. Daisuke means well, but you know better," Ike wanted to help the torn Mentor. "Jayden has a lot on his plate already. The thought of knowing the family he's had, isn't really his, would crush him and his spirits. You wouldn't be able to live with yourself if you did that to him."

"He should know though."

"You are right. He should, but you'll figure out when the time is right," Kevin's father sincerely comforted. "Thank you, Ji. Please watch after my son and give him my best wishes," he ended the phone call. The next time he would talk to his son or Mentor would be when this fight was done.

Ji securely placed his bronzed phone in a hidden crevice of his outfit. He walked to a particular shelf. There was the last family picture to be taken. Mathew with his ash brown hair, strong, blue eyes, wide, Kool Aid smile, cradling Jayden and Lauren against him. And then, he looked at Nina. The beautiful woman with blonde waves, expressive brown eyes, and exuding the essence of a strong a mother. Lauren had this youthful and joyous glow to her, and her long, blonde, straight hair laid perfectly. This was Jayden's only family.

He took the photo down. No one was to see this.

Xxxxx

The Next Day
Origins Pt. 2
Shiba House
Panorama City, CA

"Mike, clean that glitter up," Mentor reprimanded firmly, and he went to grab a broom and pan. He handed them over, he covered his chest with his arms as he watched. The fun and games were over. "When you said you learned a new symbol, I thought it would help to defeat the Nighlock, not party with the Nighlock."

"I-I," Mike, Green Samurai ranger, stuttered over his words. He went to clean the mess he made. Earlier, he was having trouble drawing a forest related kanji symbol, but he was surely able whip up some 'fun'.

"That's a good one," Kevin, Ike's son and Blue Samurai ranger, eagerly sucked up to Mentor Ji with a fake, wide grin. Mentor shook his head. "Uh, right," the Blue ranger sheepishly bowed his head down.

They've already been in two battles. Yesterday, Jayden went to downtown, and he informed Kevin, Mike, Mia, and Emily, Samurai rangers to be, of the choice they had to make. They were to only fight because they wanted to, not because this was dictated by their families. Ultimately, they had to abandon their lives outside of the Shiba compound. All readily agreed. About a hundred Moogers came their way, and they plowed through. The quintet even used their rightful weapons, entered their zords and they defeated their first Nighlock, Tooya.

Not even an hour ago, they were engaged in a heated battle with their second Nighlock, Scorpionic. This fight was slightly different, as they formed the Samurai Megazord. Nonetheless, they were victorious. Now, they were back at the Shiba House. Their quarters for their duration as rangers.

Emily smiled, though she was still resentful of earlier. She definitely felt to be the weakest link on this team. After all, Serena, her older sister, was to be the Yellow Samurai ranger. She took in her surroundings, and she watched the cute, Green ranger. She went to help him. "Here," she grabbed the dustpan. "I'll hold this, and you can sweep all of that into here," she told him with a smile.

Mike accepted her help. He flashed a million dollar grin. "Thanks, Emily," he noticed the bubbly blonde at once, and he was anxious to get to know her more.

"It's no problem," she replied, and she noted he was staring at her, a few seconds longer than needed. She blushed, and she nervously tucked a tendril of hair behind her ear.

Kevin glanced at all the books. "Wow," he murmured under this breath. "This is amazing," he went to read one.

Meanwhile, Mia walked to her room. She was still in awe of everything in front of her. Her fingers swept the intricate, Japanese carvings. Her eyes surveyed everything in this spacious, one story home. Her body arrived at a bookcase, and she picked up a picture. She gently caressed the photo, and she placed it back on the mantle. She turned, and there was her leader.

"Ah," she yelped in surprise. Her chest elevated up and down. "You scared me."

"I'm sorry," Jayden sincerely apologized. "You were unaccounted for all of a sudden, and I, um, we, were wondering where you had gone."

"Oh, I see, I was just heading to my room," was her response; she nervously smiled, while playing with her fingers. "I had been meaning to tell you, you have a nice home."

"Thanks," he said his gratitude, and he peered over her shoulder. He saw the photograph she was staring at. He walked over to the framed item. "I was kind of hoping Ji would put away the embarrassing pictures."

She let out a small laugh. "You were cute as a clown," she complimented kindly. "I was a clown for Halloween also. Must be something with the Samurai rangers' moms." She watched Jayden's pained expression form. "I'm so sorry, Jayden. I didn't know," she was able to come to a conclusion. His mother was no longer on this Earth.

Jayden ducked his head down. "It's alright; I don't think everyone knows," he figured and shrugged his shoulders.

He looked at Mia, Pink Samurai ranger with a set of serene brown pools. She's done well. She quickly accepted what was expected of her, she maneuvered her Sky Fan with precision, and she commanded her Turtlezord with much power. Not to mention, her beauty was lethal. His breath was knocked out of him, from the moment he saw her. At first, he thought this was because he hadn't been around a female. The onset of puberty had passed a long time ago, but the raging hormones were still intensely present in his body. Emily was a nice girl, in his opinion, but Mia—there was something different about her.

The Red ranger already felt he overstepped his boundaries, so he was about to walk away, but she stopped him.

"You know, I don't know what it's like to lose a parent, let alone both, but if they did see how you were today, I know they would be proud," she sincerely comforted, and she walked up to him. He faced her, and she implored his sapphires. She was amazed by his strength. Her mom told her the story of the final battle and how their leader didn't survive. All her life, she's wondered what her leader was going to be like. Now, she was about to find out. "Thank you for leading us into battle. I'm proud to serve by you."

He slightly flinched under the unfamiliar feeling of a woman's touch; one that wasn't his mom's or sister's. He slowly grew accustomed though. "Um," he cleared the sudden dryness in his throat. "Thank you for being here."

"What are you two doing," Mike slyly asked from the doorway to this private section of the house. He had a Grinch like grin formed on his.

"Nothing," Mia's cheeks were flushed, at this point. She immediately parted from Jayden. "What's up?"

"Mentor wants everyone to come and eat dinner. He's going to finally go over the house rules," the Green ranger answered, as his eyes bounced between Jayden and Mia.

"Right, dinner," Mia walked towards the kitchen area. A place where she felt like she could express herself.

As she walked away, Jayden closely watched her movements. He salivated at the way her hips swayed.

Mike looked over to his leader. He chuckled. "Pick your mouth up," he sarcastically advised, "if you don't, then this house will become and flooded, and you'll be the one cleaning up the mess." He headed back to the kitchen.

Jayden snapped out of his not so platonic thoughts of his teammate. Things couldn't go farther than friendship. He couldn't fall, or have a crush on her. He knew that would be one of the rules. He took his seat next to a safe person, Kevin.

The five rangers and Ji were sitting around a rectangular table. Ji cooked a hearty meal consisting of brown rice, stir fry vegetables, and seasoned tilapia. Each had color coordinated plates, silverware, and cups. They all respectfully bowed to one another, and they dug into their meal.

"This is great," Mike obnoxiously chomped on his food. "Ji, you sure know how to cook."

Kevin rolled his eyes. "Mike, be respectful," he asserted lightly, as he strategically analyzed his plate. He was unsure of where to start first. He decided to eat the vegetables.

"Ji, if it's not too much to ask for, I'd like to cook breakfast tomorrow," Mia politely offered, after she fully chewed her food and swallowed. "I want to pull my weight around here."

"That sounds perfect," Mentor nodded, and he smiled at her. "Anyone else care to cook around here?"

"Na, I'd rather eat," the Green ranger continued the relationship with his dinner. "Is there going to be dessert after this?"

Mentor tossed a deadly look at Mike, which caused him to cower.

"This meal is truly wonderful," Emily complimented the chef. "Usually, I'm used to eating red meat, which is harvested at my house."

"Is that a country thing," Mike wondered.

"Mike, be nice," Mia gently admonished, as she cut into her fish. "So, Kevin, how are you liking the meal," she kept watch, as he cut his fish into eight uniform pieces.

"Oh, it's great, it's wonderful, it's delicious," the Blue ranger enthusiastically stated, as he lined the food up next.

"You've haven't taken a bite yet," Mentor noted, as he kept watching Kevin separate his food.

Kevin took a nicely proportioned bite. "It's very good," he sheepishly stated around a mouth full of carbohydrates, protein, and vegetables. "Mia, what do you plan on cooking for tomorrow?"

The Pink ranger thought for a bit. "Hm, I don't know. I'll have to think about it, so it's a surprise," she answered.

Jayden ate in silence. He listened to the conversations, but he wasn't exactly ready to be an active participant. It was a little overwhelming to be around this many people at one time. At the Tengen Gate, he felt comfortable, almost protected by the Elder Guardian, Senior and Junior guardians. In his own home, the feeling of this being a safe haven dissolved. After swallowing another bite, he took a very good look at his fellow rangers: Mike, the class clown, Emily, the all American girl, Kevin, the geek, Mia, the popular girl, and him, the social outcast. All different, but all were vying for the same goal.

Mentor Ji's eyes stalked Jayden, and he wasn't happy with what he saw. Part of him was disappointed with his pupil being so unsociable. The other teens were having fun, interacting with each other. And there was Jayden only eating.

"Did you see how I used my Forest Spear," Mike cockily stated, so he could bring the attention back to him. "I had no clue that thing was so powerful."

"You did a wonderful job," Emily thoughtfully piped up. She stared at Mike with twinkles in her eyes. Then, she awkwardly looked at the people in front of her. With embarrassment, she forced a chuckle and paid more attention to her food.

"Mike, there's more to being a Samurai ranger than just using a weapon," the Blue ranger informed, as he placed his utensils down. "Discipline is definitely involved."

"Why don't we go over the rules of the house," Mentor interjected, and he looked at everyone. Once he got their attention, he relayed what's expected and to come. "I have my own room, as does Jayden. Mia and Emily will be in the room on the east side, and Mike and Kevin will be in the room on the west side. Every morning, we will wake up at 6:00 AM, that will give all of you a chance to be take a shower, eat a breakfast, and prepare yourself for the day. Mia, you understand you would to wake up a bit earlier, so you could prepare breakfast and get ready, right?"

"Yes, I understand, Mentor," she replied.

Mentor nodded, and he continued. "At 7:00 AM, we will start training. We will train throughout the day, have lunch at 12:00 PM, dinner at 6:00 PM, and we will always be on high alert when the Nighlocks enter this world. Be there for one another, never attempt a battle on your own, and always keep your identities a secret. Also, no fraternization," he demanded.

"Fraterni-what," Mike questioned in an incredulous tone.

"He doesn't want any of us dating," Kevin clarified for the Green ranger exasperatedly. He wondered if his kid was born on a different planet.

Mia rose her hand.

"Yes, Mia," Mentor beckoned.

"Do you mean each other, or anyone else that doesn't live this life," she shyly questioned, hoping to not hint to anything.

"Both," Mentor enforced. "There are some penalties if no one follows these rules. An extra hour of training, cleaning around the house, and maybe even your Samuraizer will be taken away. I believe all of you can follow what I have preset."

"What does-" Mike was stopped.

"Laid out, said, talked about," Kevin answered the unasked question.

"Hey, how did you know," Mike sang with a smile. He bit into a carrot, as he looked at his new teammate. "You must be the smart guy."

Mia and Emily laughed at the two males.

"Alright, get some rest," Mentor ordered. "Training in the morning," he got out of his seat, and he went to clear the table.

Mike, Emily, Jayden, and Kevin left to go to their rooms. Mia decided to stay, and she went to help Mentor. Ji smiled at the extra help. It wasn't needed, but he didn't mind either. They cleaned in silence, finally Mia spoke.

"Mentor, do you have any containers," she wondered.

"Yes, they're right there," he pointed to the cabinet behind her. "Do you like it here?"

"Yes, I do. This place is very nice, and I like everyone already," she replied, while putting the uneaten food in storage containers, "so far. I think we are all different, but will be a family, something that Jayden needs."

He stopped dead in his tracks upon hearing her words. What exactly did she know? He needed to find out. "Uh, if you don't mind me asking, what do you mean by that?"

She placed the filled containers in the refrigerator. "Both of his parents are deceased. He's dedicated his life to learning about what it is to be a Samurai ranger, just like the rest of us. But, it seems he had to give up a lot more to continue his dad's legacy."

"He's not the only one," Mentor said and elaborated further. "Mike was set to graduate high school, go to college, but he stayed true to his roots. Literally. Kevin was going to the Olympics for swimming, but he chose his dad's footsteps. And I'm sure Emily is following what her mom wanted, though she doesn't have to. And you," he watched, as she stopped and faced him, "you are your mother's main caretaker. You worked at the child development center only when you had free time, which was hardly ever because your mom needs you."

"Yes..." Mia's voice trailed off. Her mother was severely hurt in the final battle with Master Xandred close to 15 years ago, and the memories of her mom's recovery was still relevant. She shook her head. This wasn't about her. "Jayden's probably endured a lot more training, and I'm sure its always been you two. Always dealing with each other, staying in this mansion together, and well, I just want you and him to know, you two aren't alone anymore."

Mentor softened at her kind words. He was really beginning to like Mia, and he believed she was the heart of this team. Her friendly aura, being motherly, she was a true Pink. "So, he told you," he asked.

Mia shook her head. "Not exactly. I was looking at an old picture, spoke of my mom, and he had this look on his face. I just assumed, but he confirmed," she responded, and she went to wipe down the, now, empty table.

"Mia, why don't you rest. I'm sure you had a long day," Mentor offered to take over. She nodded and left the kitchen. He finished cleaning, and then he was off to bed.

Xxxxx

The Next Day
The Team Unites
Bulk's Quarter's
Panorama City, CA

Bulk sat at his table. It was one quarter of the size his dining room table was back in Angel Grove. He sighed, a little sad. Honestly, he was homesick. He'd been in this city for the past year and a half. Unlike the lifestyle he lived in his hometown, he lived a really measly life in his place.

There was a reason though.

Tommy, his hotel partner, requested several people to do a recon mission in search for his and Kim's son. They had some promising leads, which produced about a dozen cities like: Cincinnati, Detroit, New York City, Miami, Atlanta, Houston, Seattle, Las Vegas, Nashville, New Orleans, Chicago, and here, Panorama City. Bulk chose to stay a little closer to home, so Panorama City was it for him. The picturesque town definitely appealed to him because he was near the calming ocean. Not only that, but he got to witness ranger related activity.

Bulk invested himself in this mission. He was a little too into it. He had no access to his expanse bank accounts, so he could blend in more. He would arise suspicion if he rolled into town with his Bentley. He hardly made contact with his wife because he didn't want her to be apart of this plan, or anywhere near the danger. He remembered his infamous encounter with Goldar. He shuddered at the thought of almost being tossed off the rocky mountain. He moved her to Australia, so she could be with her family. Barely, he made contact with his friends and partners, especially Skull and Tommy. He really didn't have any updates anyways. He took this seriously for the most part.

Yet, here he was with Skull's teenage son, Spike. He looked over at his nephew. He was snoring loudly. Back in Angel Grove, Spike was having some issues, engaging in the same tormenting behavior as his Dad. Although, he seemed as innocent as a baby, that was actually far from the truth. He was sent to live with his Uncle Bulk for a couple of reasons. First of all, he needed to become wiser and little more respectful. Second, his Uncle Bulk was going to teach him a thing or two about the Samurai rangers apparently.

This was one of the few times he broke character. He used his phone to call Tommy.

"Hey-a boss," Bulk expectantly greeted lowly.

"What did you say?"

Farkas rolled his eyes. "Hey, boss," he repeated a little more loudly. He forgot he was in the comforts of a garage that doubled as his apartment and training facility.

"Hey, Bulk, you have any updates?"

"No, none, but I will say the Samurai rangers are doing a great job at protecting the city I am in."

"So, the next reunion we will have Samurai?"

"Yeah," Bulk released a chuckle, and he thought about some things. "Have you been able to check on Erica," he asked about his wife.

"She misses you like crazy, you know."

"And I miss her with all my heart."

"You can home anytime. You've been gone for over a year, close to two if you think about it. No one else has had success with this, and I feel responsible we lost someone in the process," the dread in Tommy's voice crept.

"It wasn't your fault," Bulk relayed to Tommy. "No one would've thought that would've happened."

"I have to say I'm sorry for even thinking about sending you guys off to random cities to search for him," Tommy truthfully apologized with guilt weighing on his body. He knew this was crazy, but he didn't know what else to do.

Bulk accepted this awhile ago. "Tommy, there's nothing for you to apologize about. And tell Skull, I'll keep his son safe. We'll be fine," he assured with confidence. "I just want to repay you and Kim and everyone else for keeping the streets of Angel Grove safe. I know we were probably pain in your guys' butts all throughout high school."

"Tell me about it," Tommy quipped, but he thought of the maturity these two had acquired. He also forgot Spike had just arrived there."You make me proud though. I'm proud to be business partners with the two of you, and to be honest, Skull's raised a decent son. Yeah, Spike has gone wayward, but with your help, I'm sure his attitude will change."

"Thank you, Tommy," he warmly acknowledged. "I'll call if anything develops."

"Thanks, bye, Bulk."

"Bye," Bulk hung his phone up and looked at the time. It was rather late. They had Samurai training in the morning. He found a comfortable spot, and he fell asleep.

Xxxxx

February 2011
Farmer's Market
Day Off
Panorama City, CA

Mike had been skateboarding down the main street of the city. He was having fun, enjoying the breeze, and taking a personal break from Samurai training. He was supposed to be training with his fellow rangers, but grabbing his skateboard was definitely more appealing.

The past couple of days have really been an eye opener for the Green Samurai ranger. Unlike his best friends Reece and Mathew, who were very carefree, able to wake up when they wanted to and play video games from the sun up to the sun down, his new set of friends, more like teammates as of right now, were disciplined, took the training very seriously, and he felt a little inadequate. Mia's symbol power surpassed his own, Kevin knew the ins and outs of this lifestyle, and even though Emily wasn't supposed to be the Yellow Samurai ranger, she really did know how to move her Spin Sword around. Jayden, he was another story. It was obvious to Mike no one was on his level, not even Kevin.

His mind was brought back to Emily, the petite, cute, blonde, who was so friendly. She helped to clean up the mess he made. She didn't complain at all when waking up at dawn. Not to mention, she had very nice things to say about Mia's cooking, though the others wanted to vomit in their mouths at the atrocious concoctions. In his book, she was a trooper. Mentor's rules were clear though, and he couldn't date her as of right now, but that didn't mean he couldn't get to know her more, or possibly take her on a date after the fight was over.

Whenever that was.

He weaved in between people, who were out on this glorious day. He kicked his right foot to gain more momentum. Then, he slid his skateboard down a stair rail, then flip kicked his board to continue riding down a concrete perimeter. He smiled as he nailed some astonishing tricks.

Then, in the corner of his eye, he saw his Mentor.

"Oh sh-" he yelled, as he lost his balance and crashed on the uneven pavement. He coughed at the impact.

Bystanders gasped in horror, and some even went to help the young man. They hoped he was okay.

After the 'birdies flew away', Mike was able to refocus his eyes. He kicked his body up and brightly smiled that he was alright. "Yeah, I meant to do that," he was lighthearted about the manner. He, then, began to move his feet, so he wouldn't encounter a certain person.

"Stop, right there," Mentor's voice rang, and he was once again, let down by his Green Samurai.

"Aw, man," Mike literally kicked dirt. He gulped, trying to keep the lurking dread in his stomach at bay. He took hesitant steps towards the older gentleman. He wasn't sure whether to run, or to accept he was caught.

For the fourth time, Mentor firmly crossed his arms over his chest, ignoring the heavy grocery bags in each hand. Already, Mike's made a few mistakes. He really hadn't been practicing like the others, he wasn't taking his obligation seriously, he placed his close friends in danger, and even went to fight by himself. Mike marched to the own beat of his drum, unfortunately if he wasn't careful, his team would suffer consequences.

"I-I, I," once again Mike didn't know how to get himself out of this. "Uh, I was, I, uh, I wanted to check on you," he hoped Mentor would believe that outlandish lie. When he saw Mentor wasn't budging, he gave in. "Alright, the place felt stuffy. I came here because I wanted fresh air. There's been a lot going on, and I have to admit, I'm really not used to this life."

"I'm not mad," Mentor admitted, which caused Mike to be surprised. "You're right. The place was feeling a little crowded. Not to mention, whatever Mia cooked yesterday stained my pots!"

Mike grabbed his stomach. "At least you didn't have to eat it. Kevin's had a little stomach problem, since then," he clued Ji in.

Mentor promptly agreed. The first morning Mia was supposed to cook breakfast, she actually slept in. She felt so bad, but he cut her some slack and informed he would prepare breakfast. And honestly, he was glad she was late in waking up. The first time she did cook, which was Kevin's meal, was a definite disaster. "Well, just to let you know I'm cooking from now on," he informed, which Mike almost did a happy dance for. "Listen, Master Xandred has been attacking quite frequently, and you've all been so successful. Why don't you all take the day off?"

"Really," Mike's green eyes widened at the request.

Ji nodded. "I still have to pick up a few things, and I trust this is much needed. Go ahead and tell others," he ordered.

Mike dropped his skateboard, got on it, and he immediately left with much style.

Mentor watched the Green ranger leave. He had to remind himself there did need to be a balance. Most of the time, he didn't agree with Mike. But, this was one of those rare moments, he supposed.

Xxxxx

Later that Night
Shiba House- Outdoor Practice Yard

The battle at Rainbow's End, the local amusement park, had taken a considerable toll on the newly formed Samurai rangers. Some day off, most of them thought.

When Mike informed Kevin, Mia, and Emily that Ji gave them the day off from training, the girls were excited. Of course Kevin being the disciplined Samurai he was, wanted to stay and train. Eventually, everyone convinced him to go. The Yellow ranger wanted to go to the amusement park, since she had never been, much to the surprise of her teammates. They decided that was their destination for the day.

Jayden, in his training gear, came out of his quarters, and he was told about the day off, they were going to Rainbow's End. He simply nodded they have fun—without him. The Red ranger stayed behind, so he could focus all of his symbol power on a new disc. The Beetle disc was one of the few power discs still in existence. He was given this disc by Daisuke, but he never did pay much attention to the circular item, until now. The attacks from Master Xandred were slowly increasing to harder ones, and with this, they'd have more power to defeat the Nighlocks.

There was a sudden attack at the amusement park. A Nighlock, by the name of Dreadhead, arrived to bring terror to the attendees. Protecting the citizens, the Blue, Pink, Yellow, and Green ranger morphed to combat the evil. Unfortunately, nothing they did seemed to phase the monster. Dreadhead taunted, beat, shot at the rangers. He was almost successful in destroying them, but Jayden arrived. He, too, had his own difficulty, but when all of the rangers gathered their symbol power, they weakened the Nighlock for a little. The monster recovered, hellbent on destroying them once and for all. And it was about to happen, if he wasn't beginning to dry out.

Back home, the rangers spoke of the battle. Nothing they did was causing the Nighlock to back down. If anything, Dreadhead reveled in their attacks. They weren't sure what their next move was. Suddenly, Emily questioned Jayden's bruise on his face. He hadn't been fighting the evil for long. That's when he revealed the Beetle disc. Secretly, he had been working on it. Mike became angry; his leader wasn't able to use the new power. Mia watched helplessly, while Kevin came to Jayden's defense.

Mentor silenced them all; they should eat dinner and head to bed. Rest was much needed by this setback.

Jayden was hesitant in the battle earlier, he admitted.

"My team... the whole world is depending on me..." he grunted as he was beginning to stand. He needed to reclaim his Fire Smasher. "I can do this; I must do this," he struggled to say between gritted teeth. For the past two hours, he'd been working on doubling his symbol power, so the Beetle would come to life. The burns on his hands were foretelling he's been failing horribly.

Again, he concentrated on increasing the fire.

Ji watched, hopeful and confident, Jayden was going to be successful. His young pupil wouldn't dare give up on this. He watched, the flames amassing around the Fire Smasher, but Ji couldn't stomach the torture Jayden was putting himself thorugh. He escaped back to the house. Jayden would have to learn this on his own.

"Arhhh," Jayden screamed at the top of his lungs. He could feel his veins protruding from his neck at the strength of this go around. Sweat framed his face, he ignored the blood seeping from his knuckles. He was going to make this happen. Once more, he powerfully swung his weapon.

Finally, the disc came to life.

Jayden collapsed on his knees. His Fire Smasher fell to the ground. His eyes were rolling back and forth, his breaths were accelerated, but he was successful. This literally took all his energy though. Ultimately, his eyes went to the back of his head, his chest forcefully came in contact with the pebbled ground, and at the side of his mouth, bubbles formed.

"Ehhh," breathlessly released from his mouth.

His body became cloaked in Red.

(Jayden's State of Mind)

The dove frantically cawed. The poor thing had been traveling for what seemed like forever. The familial animal hadn't been seen in such a long time. The dove was so worried, as the objective of this search hadn't been sought.

Suddenly, in the distance, there it was—the Red Lion. Cloaked in a deep, crimson red like blood, asleep on the ground.

There was the King of the Jungle!

The dove literally dove down and eagerly pecked at the unconscious Red Lion. No movement was produced. The dove cried and desperately wanted the Red Lion to come to life once more, so they could play. The paws, they were injured, like it was in battle with another lion. Again, the bird tried to wake the other up.

There was no movement.

The dove flew on the Lion's nose, fluttered its wings, trying once more to make the Lion come alive, but to no avail. The dove cried, hurt by this development.

"Jayden..." the Dove finally spoke, and the pitch was so delicate and soothing it sounded like an Angel.

"Jayden..." the bird repeated. "Jayden..."

"JAYDEN!"

(End of Jayden's State of Mind)

Xxxxx

10 Minutes Later
Oliver Residence-Sophia's Room
Reefside, CA

Sophia, with shallow breaths, rose out of bed. Her rounded, doe eyes scanned her room. Nothing was out of the ordinary, at least, not in reality. She delicately climbed out of bed, and she walked to the bathroom. She splashed her face with water. After she was done with her bathroom activity, she looked down the hall and checked on her baby brother, Tristan, who was about two and a half. He was sound a sleep. She furrowed her brows, and she slightly opened the door to her parent's room. They, too, were in a deep siesta.

She went downstairs and made sure not to make a peep. She immediately went to the kitchen, and she took out the milk. She poured a glassful, placed the cup in the microwave to warm it up slightly, and she began to drink in silence.

Tommy groggily came the down the steps. He was still half asleep, but he heard his daughter's movements; he was almost positive it was her shuffling around. "Morning," he yawned.

"Oh shi-, dad," Sophia almost dropped her glass. "You scared me!"

"Shh, Tristan is still sleeping," he spuriously moved his hands around to tell her to be quiet. Their newest son still had an issue sleeping through the night. "What are you doing awake?"

"I awoke, from, uh, a dream."

"The same one you've been having," he earnestly asked, as he went to prepare a cup of coffee. It was close to four in the morning. He didn't see the point in going to bed when he had work in a just a couple of hours.

Sophia nodded. "The Dove, the Red Lion, what does it all mean," she questioned.

At this point, Sophia was about 12 years old. Her dreams began when she was little. She never spoke of them, until recently. She explained to her parents about the recurring stars: a dove and a lion, and how they would interact so playfully. It was quite mind boggling to her, but lately, she was enjoying them. For the most part, they were actually tame, unlike the beginning and this most recent one.

Tommy and Kim searched the ranger archives. They insisted their daughter tapped into Ninjetti powers. It was bound to happen, but the Red Lion stumped the parents. Kim confronted Leo Corbett of the Lost Galaxy rangers. She asked if he was connecting with her daughter at night. He was denied that was happening. Of course, he wasn't connecting with Sophia in that way. Tommy asked Cole, who wielded the Red Lion zord while in the Wild Force era, if he was having these dreams too. He adamantly said 'no' plus he was a little frightened if Tommy thought he was having some pedophiliac urges or something.

"We've tried looking for something, Sophia," Tommy honestly replied. When he had his own dreams, he went to the reservation. He wouldn't let her do something of that caliber. She was far too young to do her own journey. "Did anything new happen," he opened a container of cinnamon rolls and began to heat some up.

Sophia sat at the table. "The lion, it was hurt... it looked like it was dead," she described with such hurt in her voice. She looked at her dad, who came to sit across from her. "No matter what the dove did, the lion just didn't want to budge," her eyes hinted to a the painful scene that flashed back.

Tommy comforted his daughter. "Honey, these dreams did go away for a little bit." He was about to cut into the ooey, gooey, cinnamon roll, but he looked at her seriously. "What happened to the lion?"

"Jayden," was all she responded with in a zombie like state. "Jayden... Jayden."

"What?!" Tommy couldn't believe his daughter's answer. He acted as if he had seen a ghost. His daughter hit very, very close to his heart. Had she found out? Did she know where he was? "Jayden," he repeated, utterly surprised by the name that exited her mouth.

"Does that name mean something to you," she queried earnestly. She glanced at her strong dad, who appeared weak in the knees all of a sudden.

She knew both of her parents were Power Rangers. Actually, she knew the adults closest to her were, except for a handful.

As far as her dad was concerned, it would be hard not to notice. Her dad built this technological base underground, which would often occupy his time. In addition, Auntie Kira, Uncle Conner, Eathan, and eventually Trent, would be at her house for long hours. Obviously, they weren't exactly studying with their science teacher. And, he was encased in amber for a long period of time. He actually missed an important gymnastics meet of hers because of that particular situation. Once he was free and won the battle with his former selves, he took her to Disneyland and got her anything she asked for. That was her dad: protector, provider, teacher, and, well, she adored her dad with all her heart plus more.

So, to see him look like this, she knew something was up.

Tommy and Kim hadn't revealed the truth. Yet, they knew they had to explain some time. That's why they always sent her to Kim's mom and step-dad or Tommy's adopted parents when they were on the hunt for him. Both wanted to wait until he was by their side. Looked like that wasn't going to happen any time soon.

"Dad," Sophia cautiously asked, trying to release him from his trance like stupor. "That name. It must mean something to you," she fished for some information.

He figured now was the best time. His wife would understand.

"Soph, let's start at the beginning..." he finally had to tell her the truth.

Special Thanks to: RaptorZeroOne- Thank you for reminding me that Leo Corbett from Power Rangers: Lost Galaxy also had a Red Lion Zord