Preface: After my character's initial debut in Sailor Moon Defenders, I tried finding out how I can expand the character's growth a bit more. It took a couple of years, but eventually, I ended up coming up with this story.
For Context: This story coincides with the Defenders of the Earth series. Inspired by Marzena's story "Defenders of the Earth: This is Their Story", I created these chapters which would be set during certain points of the series, and the Defenders will be making at least one appearance during the story, hence the crossover.
Disclaimer: See Chapter one!
Plot: (Episode: "Homeland") Rick and Kshin are back on speaking terms and have a heart to heart conversation on why things went sour between them, and Richie and Tori prepare to return to Seacouver.
Home, Friends & Family
"Where are you going, Mac?" Richie asked.
"Scotland," Duncan answered as he was gathering his backpack and sword.
"Where you came from, right?" Tori asked, "Your home?"
Duncan nodded, "Yeah."
"Do you need us to come with you?" Richie asked.
"No," Duncan shook his head, "This is something I have to do alone."
Tori and Richie looked at each other. They both knew that he meant it. Scotland was Duncan's home a long time ago, and his family lived there too.
"Is there anything we can do for you?" Richie proceeded to ask as they both preferred not to get into details why Duncan was going to visit his home country.
"You can wish me luck," Duncan answered before he asked, "Do you have a hometown you two can go to?"
"As a matter of fact," Tori replied, "I am wanting to visit Uncle Flash and the others in Central City to check in on what they're doing."
"And I'll be with Tori for support too," Richie added.
"That's good," Duncan nodded.
Moments later, Richie left the barge and Tori followed moments later.
"I wonder why Mac is heading to his home country after so long," Richie spoke up as they were walking.
"I think it's a personal matter," Tori answered, "and it's best we don't get into his business."
-Defenders-Chronicles-Highlander-
Tori pulled the second of her fight gloves on. She wriggled her fingers, then made a fist.
Jedda stood across from her in the ring. Both of them were wearing sports bras and shorts.
It was supposed to be a normal day. She'd never expected a clash like this. She and Jedda simply took a walk to the gym - a place where all the IUA agents trained. Someone invited them to step in the ring, to see who would win in an actual match.
Tori declined. Jedda had too. Both of them stressed they had nothing to prove.
Just as Tor was turning to head back home, she heard a remark that got under her skin:
"Tori sits around at that desk all day," the man commented. "She's not like the rest of her family."
She'd stopped in her tracks as the words sank in. What did he mean? She couldn't fight? It irked her when anybody drew that conclusion. She was the 'brains' of the Gordon clan, but she had been trained on the battlefield too. When it came to holding her own in a scrap, her level wasn't far behind April's or Rick's. She might even be their equal now.
"You know what?" she'd said, turning to Jedda. "Why don't we show these chaps how it's done?"
Jedda squirmed a bit. "You sure about that?" She gritted her teeth. "It's fine if we have a little light contact...but I honestly don't want to hurt you, Tor."
Tori recoiled, her lips opening. Even Jedda viewed her as a delicate flower. The girl thought she'd have to hold back in the match.
Tori sneered a tad. "By all means..." she'd uttered. "Hurt me, Jedda."
So here they were, about to square off.
The referee asked if both of them were all set.
Jedda made a nod.
Tori did too. She noticed her opponent looking sterner now. Jedda's bare feet were bouncing off of the mat. Her fists appeared firm as they hung at her sides.
Tori paused a moment, calming herself. She tightened her legs, then flexed her toes.
The striped man clapped, stepping aside.
Jedda strode forth, fists held high.
Tori, of course, had studied her foe - and many other people at that desk of hers. Jedda only knew one way to attack. Hard. Vicious. Swift. Quick.
It wasn't that Jedda was a nasty girl. She was the opposite type, in fact. She wanted a fight to be done with fast. She didn't like the thought of prolonging the pain. So Jedda would start with a dangerous strike. She'd try to put Tori straight down for the count.
Tori raised her hands, guarding her head.
That was when she knew she'd made a big mistake.
Immediately, Jedda swung a leg right at Tori's side. The well-thrown kick dug into her gut.
Tori inhaled, twitching in pain. She bent at the waist, clutching the spot.
Jedda threw a punch at the side of her head.
Tori raised an arm, shielding herself. She grabbed Jedda's wrist and struck the girl with her knee.
Jedda inched back, wincing a bit. She caught Tori with a palm thrust to the chin.
Tori fell away and stumbled into a corner. She wasn't as hurt as she appeared to be.
Jedda rushed forth, unleashing a fury. Punch after punch started landing on Tor. Some of them were low. Others were high. Most were halted by Tori's arms.
Jedda swung twenty or thirty blows, desperately attempting to finish the fight. She started to wheeze as the strikes slowed down.
She threw another ten, then paused to breathe...
She threw ten more - and stumbled a tad. Her gaze was weary as she staggered about.
Tori peeked out from behind her arms.
Jedda punched again.
Tori's guard rose. The strike was weak as it hit her wrists - weak enough for Tori to finally respond. All of a sudden, she clamped her hands behind Jedda's neck, then threw another knee right into her gut.
Jedda gasped a little.
Tori repeated, striking and striking with both of her knees. She threw a stiff right, then a hard left, then grunted as she lifted her right once more.
Jedda was tough. She wouldn't go down.
Tori pushed her back. She swung a high kick.
And then, at last, the other girl fell.
The ref stepped in. He started to count as Jedda coughed on the mat. "...7...8...9...10! The winner - Victoria Gordon."
Tori raised her arms as the crowd went wild. A few people started to chant her name.
She walked to Jedda, helping her up. "Good match," she said.
Jedda gave her a hug. "Good match," she repeated.
She looked at the crowd. Richie was cheering. Tori made a wink, and Richie winked back.
-Defenders-Chronicles-Highlander-
Rick closed his book and sighed. He closed his book. It was Senior Year of High School, and he was looking forward to closing that chapter for good once he, Jedda and LJ graduated. April was going to be graduating the academy too. For right now, it was a matter of talking with Kshin.
Suddenly, he heard a knock on the door.
"Rick? It's Tori."
Rick perked up, "Come in."
The door opened, and Tori came walking in, "Do you mind if I talk to you a minute?"
"Sure," Rick nodded.
Tori sat on the side on the bed, and he joined her.
"How have you been doing?" Tori asked.
"I'm doing just fine," Rick nodded, "Although, I'm not sure what April is going to do after she graduates the academy..."
"Now hold on there, cuz," Tori replied, "April mentioned to me before she returned to the academy the morning after Kalas was defeated that she was considering returning to the Defenders full time after she graduates the academy."
"Oh," Rick nodded, "that validates that."
Tori nodded, "What about you?"
"LJ, Jedda and I are getting prepared for life after high school," Rick answered, "and as far as I know, we'll still be Defenders, but I'm not sure. Nothing is final."
"I agree there," Tori chided before she gave him a gentle pat on the back, "The future is full of surprises."
There was a pause of silence as they looked on in the room.
"So, are you going to have that talk with Kshin?" Tori asked.
"I was thinking on that," Rick answered.
"Thinking on that?"
"Yeah," Rick appeared apprehensive, "I'm not sure if he would understand my perspective on the situation, and I'm not sure if he'd understand mine."
"Well, Rick," Tori looked her cousin in the eye, "you won't know until you try."
Rick looked up, "You're right."
"I know I am," Tori retorted.
"It's now or never," Rick declared, "and it better be now."
"You got that right," Tori quipped.
With that, they both stood up from the bed and left the room. After that, the cousins went their separate ways. For Rick, it was time to have a heart to heart talk with Kshin.
-Defenders-Chronicles-Highlander-
Tori sighed as she walked down the hall. She hoped that Rick would listen to what she had to say, and talk to Kshin about the situation. She sensed the Buzz, then looked up and saw Richie.
"Hey, Tor," Richie greeted his girlfriend, "you doing okay?"
"Yeah," Tori nodded, "I'm just fine. I just had a talk with Rick."
"How did that go?" Richie asked.
"Hopefully he will finally talk to Kshin," Tori answered, "and have that heart to heart conversation as his therapist told him to."
"What exactly happened anyway?" Richie asked.
"Kshin made a stupid mistake during a family trip at a carnival," Tori explained, "he was duped by a corrupt magician into giving Mandrake some bottle for a present, and it turned out to be a potion which made uncle Flash as well as Mandrake, Phantom and Lothar shrink to three inches."
"What?!" Richie exclaimed in surprise.
"Yeah," Tori nodded, "and they would have continued to shrink until they were no more. Initially after the trip, even though their dads were back to normal, Rick, Jedda and LJ avoided Kshin like a plague for awhile."
"I don't blame them," Richie replied, "given that those were their dads and all."
"Rick started avoiding Kshin again recently after the events with Prince Krotan and Suramog on Mongo," Tori continued, "Jedda suspected it had something to do with the events prior, exacerbated with having to stay behind with him and the thought to be extinct Zuffoids while the rest of the Defenders dealt with Suramog."
"I hope they get that resolved," Richie replied.
"Me too," Tori nodded in agreement, "it's not healthy for someone to hold a grudge for so long."
"We should be going," Richie suddenly spoke up.
"Why's that?" Tori asked.
Richie shown her a pair of tickets, "We're going to Scotland to meet up with MacLeod."
"Seriously, Richie?!" Tori exclaimed in disbelief, "Mac said he didn't want us coming!"
"He didn't want us to help in his affairs," Richie corrected her, "Dawson said he had it taken care of, and told me what it was all about."
He proceeded to explain to Tori about Duncan needing to get justice for his father, and explained about the immortal Kanwulf, the man responsible for his father's death.
"I'm glad Mac got that taken care of," Tori replied with sympathy, "I'm glad his father can finally rest in peace."
"Me too," Richie nodded.
"What about the Defenders?" Tori asked.
"Don't worry about a thing, Tori," Flash answered as he entered the room with Mandrake and Lothar in tow.
"Flash is right, my dear," Mandrake added, "Joe Dawson told us about everything, and I paid for the tickets to Scotland for you two."
Tori's eyes widened in surprise, "Are you sure?!"
"Yes," Lothar answered, "We are very sure. MacLeod is an important ally to us, and so are you guys."
"You should go and give MacLeod a bit of support," Flash suggested.
Richie and Tori looked at each other, deciding to make their way to give MacLeod a surprise.
-Defenders-Chronicles-Highlander-
Rick sighed as he knocked on the door to Kshin's room.
"Yes?" Kshin answered.
"Kshin, it's Rick. Can I come in?" Rick called out.
"Sure."
He was surprised how quick Kshin was willing to let him in his room. Rick sighed as he opened the door and he saw Kshin reading a book.
"What are you reading there?" Rick asked.
"Something for school," Kshin answered.
Rick nodded before asking as he closed the door behind him, "Mind if we have an important talk?"
Kshin looked up at him as he closed his book, "I guess. I'm not due to finish that book until a couple of weeks anyway."
Rick couldn't help but to chuckle, Typical Kshin.
Kshin took a seat on the edge of his bed, "So, what is it you wanted to talk to me about?"
"First off," Rick apologized, "I wanted to apologize for how cold I've been towards you lately. I guess it was stupid of me to get mad because I had to stay behind to watch you and the Zuffoids while the others got to fight Suramog."
"Definitely," Kshin chuckled before he stated, "We did aid the Zuffoids in singing to defeat Suramog, but it turned out to be Ming, for some odd reason."
"Yeah," Rick chuckled in turn, "When you think about it, we did contribute to helping out in that category. Besides, I guess somebody had to get you out of Mongo in case something went wrong. I guess I was irrational thinking when I said you could defend yourself."
"I can defend myself," Kshin replied, "but the way you said it, it was kind of hurtful, and it made me feel that you didn't want to be with me."
"I'm sorry," Rick shook his head sadly. He felt bad for making him feel that way. He was just a kid after all, "Do you want to know what happened that made me act that way?"
"Sure," Kshin glanced up, his curiosity piqued.
"I had the carnival incident on my mind," Rick said, "but it's more than what Jedda, LJ and I shown you when we first avoided you after what happened."
He noticed Kshin was remorseful upon that incident being brought up. The poor kid had sincere remorse for what he did, so it was high time to let it go, "What do you mean by that, Rick?"
"Well, as you know we almost lost our dads that day," Rick explained, "while Jedda still has her mother, and LJ still has his mother, if something did happen that day..."
"You would have lost both of your parents?" Kshin asked, remorse in his voice.
"Yeah. I guess I had been harboring a grudge over this for way too long," Rick answered, "my therapist told me trauma like that takes time to heal, and it isn't healthy to hold a grudge like I have been."
"But you almost lost both of your parents that day," Kshin interjected.
"Yes, that is true," Rick replied, "but I still have my sister April, my aunts Janet and Abby, and my cousins Tori and Sara."
He sighed before saying, "Look, I'm just wanting to put the bridge under the water with what happened, and let you know, I've forgiven you."
Kshin looked up, hopeful, "Really?"
"Really," Rick replied with a gentle smile, "I forgive you. Besides, I can't keep holding a grudge forever."
"Oh, Rick," Kshin hugged his friend, who hugged him return.
-Defenders-Chronicles-Highlander-
Joe sighed as he looked around his hotel room.
"Anyone home?"
He turned to see Richie and Tori.
"Richie, Tori," Joe greeted his friends, "it's good to see you two. When did you two get here?"
"Not too long ago," Richie answered.
"Mandrake got us the tickets," Tori chimed in.
"Too bad we are fixing to return to Seacouver," Joe stated.
"Isn't that a shame?" Richie replied.
"Where is MacLeod?" Tori asked.
-Defenders-Chronicles-Highlander-
Duncan began to walk away from the castle ruins after finishing performing kata. He was glad to have finally taken Kanwulf's head. His father was finally at peace, and it was finally finished. He did what he needed to do while he was in Scotland, not only avenging his father, but returning the bracelet to
Duncan was startled upon sensing the Buzz. He turned to see Tori and Richie.
"What are you two doing here?" Duncan asked, "You do realize I am about to head back to Seacouver?"
"We know," Richie nodded.
"We just came to congratulate you on bringing your father to justice," Tori added.
"Dawson told you?" Duncan asked.
"Yes," Richie answered, "He told us."
Duncan sighed, and rolled his eyes, annoyed with this, but there wasn't much he couldn't do about it, and he couldn't leave his student or his girlfriend stranded in his country of origin of all places. It wouldn't be right.
"I'll get your tickets to Seacouver as well," Duncan told his friends, "There's no way in hell I'm going to leave you two stranded in Scotland just after you arrive."
"Thanks, Mac," Richie smiled.
"Thanks you," Duncan chimed in.
"For what?" Tori asked.
Duncan proceeded to hug both Richie and Tori at the same time. They in turn hugged him as well, "Thank you for being good friends."
Author's Note: This chapter is dedicated to the loving memories of the Defenders of the Earth voice actors who are no longer with us: Ron Feinberg (voice of Ming the Merciless, who passed away on 29 January 2005), Buster Jones (voice of Lothar, who passed away on 12 September 2014), Peter Mark Richman (voice of the Phantom, who passed away on 14 January 2021) and Peter Renaday (voice of Mandrake the Magician, who most recently passed away on 8 September 2024). They may be gone, but their legacies will forever live on.
Behold! The beginning of the Season 4 arc, and we've started off with quite a bang. There's more to come in this roller coaster ride of a season.
Author's Commentary
Tori pulled the second of her fight gloves on. She wriggled her fingers, then made a fist.
Jedda stood across from her in the ring. Both of them were wearing sports bras and shorts.
It was supposed to be a normal day. She'd never expected a clash like this. She and Jedda simply took a walk to the gym - a place where all the IUA agents trained. Someone invited them to step in the ring, to see who would win in an actual match.
Tori declined. Jedda had too. Both of them stressed they had nothing to prove.
Just as Tor was turning to head back home, she heard a remark that got under her skin:
"Tori sits around at that desk all day," the man commented. "She's not like the rest of her family."
She'd stopped in her tracks as the words sank in. What did he mean? She couldn't fight? It irked her when anybody drew that conclusion. She was the 'brains' of the Gordon clan, but she had been trained on the battlefield too. When it came to holding her own in a scrap, her level wasn't far behind April's or Rick's. She might even be their equal now.
"You know what?" she'd said, turning to Jedda. "Why don't we show these chaps how it's done?"
Jedda squirmed a bit. "You sure about that?" She gritted her teeth. "It's fine if we have a little light contact...but I honestly don't want to hurt you, Tor."
Tori recoiled, her lips opening. Even Jedda viewed her as a delicate flower. The girl thought she'd have to hold back in the match.
Tori sneered a tad. "By all means..." she'd uttered. "Hurt me, Jedda."
So here they were, about to square off.
The referee asked if both of them were all set.
Jedda made a nod.
Tori did too. She noticed her opponent looking sterner now. Jedda's bare feet were bouncing off of the mat. Her fists appeared firm as they hung at her sides.
Tori paused a moment, calming herself. She tightened her legs, then flexed her toes.
The striped man clapped, stepping aside.
Jedda strode forth, fists held high.
Tori, of course, had studied her foe - and many other people at that desk of hers. Jedda only knew one way to attack. Hard. Vicious. Swift. Quick.
It wasn't that Jedda was a nasty girl. She was the opposite type, in fact. She wanted a fight to be done with fast. She didn't like the thought of prolonging the pain. So Jedda would start with a dangerous strike. She'd try to put Tori straight down for the count.
Tori raised her hands, guarding her head.
That was when she knew she'd made a big mistake.
Immediately, Jedda swung a leg right at Tori's side. The well-thrown kick dug into her gut.
Tori inhaled, twitching in pain. She bent at the waist, clutching the spot.
Jedda threw a punch at the side of her head.
Tori raised an arm, shielding herself. She grabbed Jedda's wrist and struck the girl with her knee.
Jedda inched back, wincing a bit. She caught Tori with a palm thrust to the chin.
Tori fell away and stumbled into a corner. She wasn't as hurt as she appeared to be.
Jedda rushed forth, unleashing a fury. Punch after punch started landing on Tor. Some of them were low. Others were high. Most were halted by Tori's arms.
Jedda swung twenty or thirty blows, desperately attempting to finish the fight. She started to wheeze as the strikes slowed down.
She threw another ten, then paused to breathe...
She threw ten more - and stumbled a tad. Her gaze was weary as she staggered about.
Tori peeked out from behind her arms.
Jedda punched again.
Tori's guard rose. The strike was weak as it hit her wrists - weak enough for Tori to finally respond. All of a sudden, she clamped her hands behind Jedda's neck, then threw another knee right into her gut.
Jedda gasped a little.
Tori repeated, striking and striking with both of her knees. She threw a stiff right, then a hard left, then grunted as she lifted her right once more.
Jedda was tough. She wouldn't go down.
Tori pushed her back. She swung a high kick.
And then, at last, the other girl fell.
The ref stepped in. He started to count as Jedda coughed on the mat. "...7...8...9...10! The winner - Victoria Gordon."
Tori raised her arms as the crowd went wild. A few people started to chant her name.
She walked to Jedda, helping her up. "Good match," she said.
Jedda gave her a hug. "Good match," she repeated.
She looked at the crowd. Richie was cheering. Tori made a wink, and Richie winked back.
This scene was written by James5. I found this to be a fun interaction between two strong women, and to show their strengths. I wasn't sure if I was going to place it here or during the two part Season 3 finale. Ultimately, I chose this chapter since Tori and Richie would be staying in Central City for a little bit while after Duncan defeated Kalas while Duncan and Joe were in Scotland, with the former dealing with the person responsible for his father's death, Kanwulf.
Rick sighed as he knocked on the door to Kshin's room.
"Yes?" Kshin answered.
"Kshin, it's Rick. Can I come in?" Rick called out.
"Sure."
He was surprised how quick Kshin was willing to let him in his room. Rick sighed as he opened the door and he saw Kshin reading a book.
"What are you reading there?" Rick asked.
"Something for school," Kshin answered.
Rick nodded before asking as he closed the door behind him, "Mind if we have an important talk?"
Kshin looked up at him as he closed his book, "I guess. I'm not due to finish that book until a couple of weeks anyway."
Rick couldn't help but to chuckle, Typical Kshin.
Kshin took a seat on the edge of his bed, "So, what is it you wanted to talk to me about?"
"First off," Rick apologized, "I wanted to apologize for how cold I've been towards you lately. I guess it was stupid of me to get mad because I had to stay behind to watch you and the Zuffoids while the others got to fight Suramog."
"Definitely," Kshin chuckled before he stated, "We did aid the Zuffoids in singing to defeat Suramog, but it turned out to be Ming, for some odd reason."
"Yeah," Rick chuckled in turn, "When you think about it, we did contribute to helping out in that category. Besides, I guess somebody had to get you out of Mongo in case something went wrong. I guess I was irrational thinking when I said you could defend yourself."
"I can defend myself," Kshin replied, "but the way you said it, it was kind of hurtful, and it made me feel that you didn't want to be with me."
"I'm sorry," Rick shook his head sadly. He felt bad for making him feel that way. He was just a kid after all, "Do you want to know what happened that made me act that way?"
"Sure," Kshin glanced up, his curiosity piqued.
"I had the carnival incident on my mind," Rick said, "but it's more than what Jedda, LJ and I shown you when we first avoided you after what happened."
He noticed Kshin was remorseful upon that incident being brought up. The poor kid had sincere remorse for what he did, so it was high time to let it go, "What do you mean by that, Rick?"
"Well, as you know we almost lost our dads that day," Rick explained, "while Jedda still has her mother, and LJ still has his mother, if something did happen that day..."
"You would have lost both of your parents?" Kshin asked, remorse in his voice.
"Yeah. I guess I had been harboring a grudge over this for way too long," Rick answered, "my therapist told me trauma like that takes time to heal, and it isn't healthy to hold a grudge like I have been."
"But you almost lost both of your parents that day," Kshin interjected.
"Yes, that is true," Rick replied, "but I still have my sister April, my aunts Janet and Abby, and my cousins Tori and Sara."
He sighed before saying, "Look, I'm just wanting to put the bridge under the water with what happened, and let you know, I've forgiven you."
Kshin looked up, hopeful, "Really?"
"Really," Rick replied with a gentle smile, "I forgive you. Besides, I can't keep holding a grudge forever."
"Oh, Rick," Kshin hugged his friend, who hugged him return.
To address a few things: First off, I'm not sure if Rick would necessarily act this way after he had to stay behind with Kshin and the Zuffoids in "The Prince Dethroned", but I've figured this might be a proper scenario, given what Rick went through, and what Kshin did in "The Carnival of Dr. Kalihari".
On a side note, I was listening to "Home" by Daughtry while writing this scene to show the interaction with Kshin and Rick making amends, which was long overdue. It was also something I needed to get off my chest because I hated what Kshin did to the adults in "The Carnival of Dr. Kalihari", even if it wasn't intentional. Consider this a therapeutic kind of scene, what would Rick say to Kshin if the show gave us the chance to see that option to explore how he was feeling at that time? Hope that makes sense as I was trying to explain that the best I could.
Duncan began to walk away from the castle ruins after finishing performing kata. He was glad to have finally taken Kanwulf's head. His father was finally at peace, and it was finally finished. He did what he needed to do while he was in Scotland, not only avenging his father, but returning the bracelet to
Duncan was startled upon sensing the Buzz. He turned to see Tori and Richie.
"What are you two doing here?" Duncan asked, "You do realize I am about to head back to Seacouver?"
"We know," Richie nodded.
"We just came to congratulate you on bringing your father to justice," Tori added.
"Dawson told you?" Duncan asked.
"Yes," Richie answered, "He told us."
Duncan sighed, and rolled his eyes, annoyed with this, but there wasn't much he couldn't do about it, and he couldn't leave his student or his girlfriend stranded in his country of origin of all places. It wouldn't be right.
"I'll get your tickets to Seacouver as well," Duncan told his friends, "There's no way in hell I'm going to leave you two stranded in Scotland just after you arrive."
"Thanks, Mac," Richie smiled.
"Thanks you," Duncan chimed in.
"For what?" Tori asked.
Duncan proceeded to hug both Richie and Tori at the same time. They in turn hugged him as well, "Thank you for being good friends."
Fellow Highlander fan Roland Cain suggested Tori go with Duncan and Joe to Scotland, covering the "Homeland" episode. I assumed he was implying Tori in the comment of my YT video of the Season 3 recap video. It's not a bad idea, don't get me wrong, but it wouldn't have made sense for either of them to be in the episode. Don't forget things are different in this canon compared to what happened in the actual canon.
Therefore, I came up with a compromise to make things work out to where Tori and Richie visit Mac in Scotland while they are not in the actual episode. I could also hear "Bonny Portmore" while Duncan was hugging Richie and Tori, and thanking them for being good friends in my mind while writing this scene.
Yeah, this scene and the scene prior with Joe, Richie and Tori are set after the events of "Homeland". I hope I summarized the episode right.