I don't own Power Rangers or Cross Ange; those belong to their creators. This is for fun, not profit.

Chapter 22: Song of the Dragon

(Days prior)

After they manage to get away from the destroyed cabin while avoiding the police and search parties from the NMB, Tony and Hilda manage to arrive at a beach which was isolated.

They set up a camp to rest for a bit as they were heating up some tea in a metal kettle above a fire.

After it was heated, Tony picked up the kettle and poured into two cups for himself and Hilda before he gave one of them to her.

"Here."

Hilda didn't say anything before she took the cup and drank some of it.

"How is it?" Tony asked.

"It's alright." Hilda said before she took another sip.

"So you're willing to put up with the tough act to the very end." Tony said.

"Funny. I could say the same about you. You're acting nonchalant after losing a friend." Hilda said before she had a smug smile on her face. "Oh, wait. Or that you never considered a friend at all. Because that would be rich."

Hilda then saw Tony lowering his head and saw the sadness in his eyes, which showed Hilda that Steve meant a lot to him and soon realized she may have gone too far.

Hilda clicks her tongue and rubs the back of her head.

"Look…I didn't mean it like that." Hilda told him.

"It's fine…But you should know, he was more than a friend. He was my brother, and someone I was proud to fight alongside with." He said.

Hilda looks at her tea and remembers Zola. She may have let Zola have her way to survive, but deep down, Hilda was still saddened about her death. She then spoke to Tony.

"I still don't get it. Why would that guy or even you go so far to sacrifice yourselves for nothing. Once you die you'll lose everything, that was something…something my old captain once taught me." Hilda said.

"Well…It's mostly because of his family." Tony said.

"He had a family?" Hilda asked. Tony nodded.

"Yeah. He had a wife and a daughter. I know you still have fresh wounds, but Steve's daughter was a Norma." Tony told her and Hilda was a bit surprised by this.

"What? Do you honestly expect me to believe that?" Hilda questions him.

"Actually, no. I just figured you wanted to hear the story. After his daughter was born, he and his wife ran away with her so they could live with her. For a few years they were able…but the police and the NMB found them. They tried to escape but they managed to set up an ambush, when Steve tried to fight back, his wife and daughter were killed in the crossfire."

Hilda was a bit surprised to learn this while also feeling a bit jealous by this.

"I…I had no idea." Hilda said.

"Yeah. Basically every human in the Underground had similar stories." Tony told her.

"Then what's your story? What made you join this Underground in the first place?" Hilda asked.

"Do you really want to know? It's just an old cliche sob story." Tony told her.

"You know my story. It's only fair that you share your own." Hilda said with a narrow look.

Tony thought about it before he rubbed the back of his neck and looked at the campfire.

"Well…I guess there's no denying that. Like you, I also lived in the Enderant Union." Tony closes his eyes and remembers memories of his past.

(Flashback)

A ten-year-old Tony is seen standing in the living room of his family home.

He turns to his father who was speaking to several political members to earn their trust and support.

"I was the son of a politician, one who was very popular and was climbing through the ranks. In fact, lots of people thought he would be the next president of our nation. So I live a comfortable and prestigious lifestyle." Tony explained.

"That's nice. I bet you were really happy and had the best life." Hilda said with a hint of contempt.

"Yeah…If only that was true." Tony sighed.

"What do you mean?" Hilda asked.

"My father isn't exactly what you'll call parent of the year. All he cares about is his work and finding ways to rise up in the world. So he rarely spend any time with me, even when he's home"

The young Tony tries to reach out and call out to his father, but he ignores him and Tony is left saddened by this.

Tony then turns to his mother who would often talk to her friends while drinking but ignores her son.

"And my mother wasn't any different. She would often talk with her friends to brag about her husband's rank and success. So I was basically a stranger in my own home and even towards my own family."

In order to cope with the loneliness, Tony would often explore outside and see new things.

"But I decided to bear with it. To cope with my loneliness, I often go outside to explore and see new things. That's when I met her."

When he was exploring a nearby forest, Tony had arrived at a river and that's when he spotted a girl across the otherside from where was standing.

She had brown hair and gray eyes. She was wearing a blue dress and brown shoes.

The girl was feeding a baby fox she had befriended.

"Her name was Yuna. We sort of met by chance, but the two of us became fast friends."

"And let me guess, she was a Norma?" Hilda asked. Tony sighed.

"Yeah."

As the young Tony stares at her, he steps on a branch and the girl hears as she turns to him.

After that, they introduced one another and became fast friends.

"I didn't know about it at first. But as time went on we became the best of friends. Along the way, I met her parents."

Yuna then introduced Tony to her parents and they greeted him with open arms.

"They all live in the outskirts of the town and live a simple life. But it didn't matter to them since they were happy and loved each other. After they were able to trust me, they told me that Juna was a Norma."

Yuna's parents told the young Tony how their daughter was a Norma.

"I was shocked of course, but at the same time was in awe. Despite being a Norma, her parents love and accept her…Something I've never experienced before. That's when I promised I would be their secret." Tony sighed in sadness. "But…fate can be cruel sometimes."

Tony heads to Yuna's home to play together but that's when he saw that the police had arrived and carried the crying Juna to their car while her parents begged them to give her back.

"The police were able to find them."

The police throw Yuna in their car and that's when she sees Tony as she cries out to him.

"I couldn't just stand by and do nothing. I had to try to save her. But I was just a powerless kid back then and I didn't have any real power."

Tony was about to move in with the attempt to save her but the police easily stopped him. Tony was then forced to watch them leave with Yuna as he continued to reach out to her before they pushed him to the ground.

"Since I was a child back then, they didn't punish me for any crimes. But my parents were another story."

After Yuna was taken away, the police brought Tony to his home where his parents were yelling at him for befriending a Norma and how he kept that fact a secret.

"I still remember my parents yelling at me. On how I ruined their reputation, acting like they're the victims. That's when I talk back to them."

"Fine…Then let everyone think the worst about us. At least that way, we'll go through the same pain as Yuna's family." Tony told them.

That only enrages his father as he punches his son sending him to the floor and then imprisoned Tony to his room.

"Not long after that, my father had me locked up in my home. That's when he used his connections to help cover up this incident. And to make sure I won't cause him any trouble, he sent me to study abroad in the Galia Empire."

After packing up his things, a young Tony walks out of his house and sees the car that was going to take him to his new school. Reluctantly, Tony was about to enter the car but not before his father grabbed onto his shoulder and whispered in his ear.

"Just as I was about to leave…my father whispered this to my ear. If you have any intention of saving your 'friend' don't. I already have her taken care of along with her family, so there's no point in doing anything."

Tony became devastated and heartbroken by this before his father pushed him into the car in disgust.

After the door closes and the car drives on the road, Tony begins to cry in anguish.

(End of flashback)

"Then a few years after that, by some chance encounter I met the man known as Clint who would become the leader of the Underground, and I joined soon after."

Tony sighed as he leaned back with a hand on his eyes.

"And there you have it. My life's story."

Hilda was left stunned to learn his story. It wasn't on the same level as what her mother did, but like Hilda, Tony was also betrayed by his parents when he needed them.

It made her realize that they were more alike than she initially believed.

Tony then saw the look on her face and smiled at her.

"What? Did I finally break through to that hardhead of yours?" Tony asked.

Hilda flinches and turns away from him.

"What?! No…of course not." Hilda mutters before she takes a sip of her tea and Tony chuckles. Hilda then said something to him. "But…thanks…for everything."

Tony smiles once again.

"There's no need to thank me. I was just happy to help." Tony said before he finished the rest of his tea and put out the fire. "Anyway we should get moving. We don't want to be late once we meet up with Tusk and the Strike Team."

"Fine. But I still want to know who Tusk is." Hilda said before she begins to drink the rest of her tea as well.

(Play: Believe in Nexus by Masaaki Endoh)

(Instrumental) (As the song starts, two Earths appear one at a time before they collide against each other creating a flash of light which blinded the screen.)

(Sono te nobashi te mabayui ashita o tsukamitore! Mugen no sora hamatake Believe in Nexus!) (Five of the Nexus Zords had appeared as the Racer, Wolf, and Dozer Zords were racing on a large road while the Chopper and Falcon Zords were flying above them before they turned into a flash of light and flew into the vast open sky before the story's title appeared on screen.)

(Araburu kono shoudo daremino tomiranai!) (The Nexus Rangers were standing on a hill as they looked at the town where the Children of Aura resides as some of them in DRAGON form flew above them as they watched them in awe.)

(Hiri asa mi kirikou o taka maru kono Heart Beat!) (Then it changes to a split screen with Salamandinay looking at her Enryugo as it was still incomplete, and Ange who was in her room in Arzenal as she was seated on her bed while looking at her ring, before it changes to Embryo and behind him was Kurt who was holding his Lion Knuckle Morpher.)

(Bi chinai sou o natato sekawaerai!) (Then it changes showing an army of Xedroids and behind them were Prince Crimson, General Swartz, and Cyber.)

(Koko de oarasatakunai Go For It!) (Next the screen changes to the Rangers commencing their Morphin Sequence as they Morph into their suits before their helmets appeared.)

(Tachiagare kodoku ni obiekuru e naide!) (The screen changes showing a fleet of Xe-Fighters and an army of Xe-Bots charging forward to attack, then changes to the Nexus Rangers loading their Zord Cards into their Morphers as they soon appear, and the Rangers jump into them.)

(Nakama ma batte irukoto mou ichido omoidase!) (In his cockpit, the Nexus Red Ranger inserts his Battle Mode Card into his Morpher and his Racer Zord changes into the said mode.)

(Kowaku wa naisa akirame wa shinai donna tsugoi yatsu ni mo make wa shinai itsudatte o kino yuuki de Believe In Nexus!) (Then each of the Nexus Zord launch respective attacks on their enemies before the Kaiser Sphere in the sky. Then the Zords combine forming the Nexus Prime Megazord, and then energy appears around the Megazord before it flies at the Kaiser Sphere to attack and when it collides against the Sphere a large flash of light appears blinding the screen. Then it changes to both Earths before the Nexus Rangers along with the villain leaders appeared as they faced each other.)

(Days later)

After traveling across the sea, Tony and Hilda soon arrived on a certain island which was the meet up point that was set up between the Underground and Arzenal.

There, Tony reunited with Tusk and the Strike Team which consisted of rouge humans like Tony along with some Norma. Hilda also had a reunion with Ange and Momoka. When Ange asked if she met her mother again, she vaguely answered yes, but the expression on her face told Ange what she needed to know.

After some introductions, Tusk had brought Ange, Hilda, and Momoka to Arzenal but not before Tony promised that he'll meet Hilda again.

Shortly after Tusk left, the first one to greet them was Commander Jill and shortly after they met, Jill punched Ange in the stomach with her metal fist knocking her out.

Both Ange and Hilda awakened in a cell and standing in front of it were the members of their squad.

Their captain told them the punishment of their desertion, they spent one week in solitary confinement but all their assets were now confiscated including Ange's Villkiss.

When Ersha asks why they would leave, Salia confirms that Ange and even Hilda weren't like them. That's when Hilda's friends Rosalie and Chris asked why she didn't talk to them, Hilda admitted she never thought of them as friends but only used them to make her life here less miserable.

That's when Chris spat on her face in disgust and told her she bought back Zola's things and that Hilda isn't allowed near them. They soon left while leaving Ange and Hilda alone in their cell.

During their time, both Ange and Hilda were able to bond in their cell and promised that they would pay the world back by destroying it.

Now three days have passed. Both Hilda and Ange were sleeping in their cell, and the first one to wake up was Hilda.

She sat up and took a moment to stretch out her back as it was sore from sleeping on this uncomfortable board of wood that was supposed to be a bed.

"Man…and this is supposed to be a bed." Hilda mutters before noticing that her hair was starting to smell. "Well…I suppose I hadn't showered in a while."

Despite her situation, Hilda then remembers Tony's promise to her.

"I guess this is goodbye?" She asked.

"For now, but don't worry. We'll see each other again, it's a promise." Tony said with a smile on his face.

Hilda sighed as she placed a hand on her face.

"Honestly…why do I have to think about him in a time like this?" Hilda mutters to herself.

(Present time)

In the true Earth, Shin, Chiaki along with the rest of Salamandinay's engineering team were now standing on a launching platform and on the starting end was the Enryugo, Salamandinay's personal Ryuu-Shin-Ki.

After weeks of hard work, all three Ryuu-Shin-Kis are now complete.

Each Ryuu-Shin-Ki are equipped with a blade attachment on their right arms that can fold back and forth while having a beam sub-machine gun on their left arms. They also have two pairs of wings and are equipped with a beam rifle.

While Kaname and Naga's machines were similar in design, Salamandinay had a bit of a unique look to it.

The Enryugo has a bladed V-fin on its head while having a tail-whip on the back and has a golden frame underneath its red armor. Its beam rifle, the Decayed Particle Convergence Cannon, codename Seiran, has an Anti-Armor Bayonet called the Shinden, making it ideal for close to long range combat.

They already tested out Kaname and Naga's Ryuu-Shin-Ki, now it was time for the Enryugo's test flight and battle performance.

Shin along with Chiaki were standing outside while checking the Enryugo's systems and Salamandinay did the same inside of its cockpit.

"Alright. Flight and power systems are all good. Double check systems." Shin said.

Salamandinay types on the multiple screens to check her machine's systems.

"Double checking. Systems are indeed in perfect condition." Salamandinay said.

The other Nexus Rangers along with Kaname and Naga were watching from afar.

"Something tells me that she's deeply excited to use this machine." Claire said and Dean nodded in agreement.

"I was thinking the same thing." He said.

"What did you expect? Those machines are Lady Salamandinay's life work and the Enryugo is without a doubt her greatest masterpiece." Kaname said.

"I suppose that makes sense." Dean said.

After the systems check, Salamandinay was now ready to take the Enryugo to its first flight as its cockpit closed and the screens and main camera turned on. Shin and Chiaki then move to the rest of their friends.

"All right, we're now ready for the Enryugo's first maiden flight." Shin said before he put on a pair of headphones that were designed to be soundproof and to act as a communication device.

The others then put on their own headphones. Shin spoke to Salamandinay.

"We'll begin the takeoff, in three…two…" Shin said as the Enryugo's engines lit up and were ready to go. "One…Launch!"

The Enryugo launched forward and soon flew in the sky with the Rangers and their allies watching.

"Okay, how are you looking up there?" Shin asked through his headphones.

Salamandinay skillfully made the Enryugo do some barrel rolls before it made a lap around the island.

"Everything is responding as expected. No issues so far." Salamandinay responded.

"All right. Then let's begin the mobility test." Shin said before he types on his tablet.

With that, holographic rings appeared around Arzenal in different flight paths with the smaller rings towards the midway point to make it a bit tricky and maneuverable.

Salamandinay studies the course and smiles.

"Very well then. Let's begin!" Salamandinay then flew into the course as she moved through the rings.

Despite the sharp turns and narrowed tunnels Salamandinay was able to skillfully clear the course with ease.

Shin was a bit surprised by this before he and the others checked her time.

00:48:07

Aaron whistles to see that.

"Dang. In only 48 seconds." Aaron said.

"Yeah. Very impressive." Alisa said.

That's when Salamandinay appeared in Shin's tablet.

"I'm a bit disappointed, Shin. I expected a better challenge than that." Salamandinay said and Shin smiled.

"A challenge huh? Then let's begin the next test. Activate Battle Mode." Shin told her.

"Understood. Activating Battle Mode now." Salamandinay said as she uses her gem to mentally command the Enryugo to change to its own Battle Mode.

Dean watches that with his binoculars.

"You know I'm still surprised you and Salamandinay agree to name it Battle Mode." Dean said.

"Yeah. Looking back at it, destroyer mode for the Ragna-mail didn't set well with me. Besides, this is more reminiscent of the Racer Zord." Shin said.

Claire had a sly smile to hear that and wondered if there's another reason besides that before she eyed her cousin.

"What?" Dean asked.

"Nothing." Claire said.

"Now to begin the target test." Shin said before he uses his tablet to bring out targets for the Enryugo.

The Enryugo uses its beam gun to fire upon some of the targets before Salamandinay uses its armblade to slash through other targets, the Enryugo then brought out its beam rifle to fire at the remaining targets and she didn't miss a single target.

The Nexus Rangers and the others were deeply amazed.

"Now that was impressive." Dean said.

"Not bad. But let's see how she'll handle moving targets." Shin said before he activates another training scenario with his tablet.

Movable targets appeared around the Enryugo and they were designed to fire at it.

The targets then fired at the red Ryuu-Shin-Ki, Salamandinay smirks as she elegant and skillfully avoided their attacks and counters by first firing with her beam gun and hitting some with the blade of her beam rifle.

She then fired with the Enryugo's beam rifle destroying several of the mobile targets and fired another shot at a different group before attacking another group of targets with her machine's armblade.

Salamandinay soon destroyed the rest of the targets with both blades followed by a powerful blast from her beam rifle.

After that, the words 'Battle Mode Training Scenario - Complete' appeared on Shin's tablet while he and his team were once again amazed.

"Dang…That was even more impressive." Dean said.

"I'd say. It was like she piloted that machine for years." Alisa said.

"Yes. The princess has always been talented like that." Kaname said.

"Now let's see how she did." Shin said.

With a swipe from his finger, Shin brought out a holographic screen from his tablet in front of him and the others.

It showed Kaname and Naga's time, accessory rating and the maximum targets they manage to hit.

Naga's Record.

Time: 01:38:42

Accuracy: 91%

Targets: 82/100

Kaname's Record.

Time: 01:36:33

Accuracy: 88%

Targets: 87/100

Then Salamandinay's record appeared above them.

Time: 00:57:26

Accuracy: 100%

Targets: 100/100

Seeing that amazed the Nexus Rangers and their allies. Shin whistles.

"Got all the targets in less than a minute. Not bad." Shin said.

The Enryugo landed close to them and after the cockpit opened, Salamandinay jumped down to join them as she accepted a towel from a member of her engineering team and used it to clean up some sweat.

"Well how did I do?" Salamandinay asked.

"You completely exceeded my expectations." Shin answered before Salamandinay looked at her score and smiled.

"I suppose that's to be expected." She said.

"Yeah. But you're going to start the next phase of your plan, right?" Dean asked.

Salamandinay had a sad look on her face before nodding.

"Yes. The council had made their decision. We are to launch an attack on the other Arzenal in two days from now." She told them.

The Nexus Rangers were understanding about that, but at the same time, they also have mixed feelings for it.

"So it's finally happening?" Alisa said.

"That figures…" Aaron mutters while rubbing the back of his head.

"Yes. Believe me, I'm not pleased about this either. But we still need to do a test firing with the Enryugo's Discord Phasers. Not to mention it would be our best chance in weakening Embryo's defenses." Salamandinay told them.

"And there's really no other way around it?" Claire asked, and Salamandinay nodded.

"I'm afraid there isn't." Salamandinay said. "I know this is difficult for all of you, given your positions, so I won't force you to assist us. But…"

"We can't interfere in that either, right?" Dean asked.

"Yes. I'm sorry." Salamandinay nodded.

The Nexus Rangers thought about it before they nodded to each other and Dean spoke to her first.

"Like I said before, the Ryuu-Shin-Ki were built by you and your people. So, the responsibility of using them is up to you and not us." Dean said.

Salamandinay and her subordinates were surprised to hear that.

"Yeah, Dean's right. We didn't get involved in the D-War when it began, so there's no reason we should involve ourselves with this." Claire said.

"I quite agree. I may have helped with their completion, but the Ryuu-Shin-Ki is still your creation. So, I see no reason why I should protest about it now." Shin said.

"That's why, you have my word that we won't interfere in your mission." Dean said.

"Dean…everyone…" Salamandinay smiled before she bowed her head in gratitude. "Thank you. And I promise, after this mission, no more incident lives will be lost."

"No reason to take it that far. But you're welcome nonetheless." Dean said before Salamanadinay raised her head. "But you wouldn't mind if we sent a type of warning, would you?"

"What kind of warning?" Salamandinay asked before the Nexus Rangers explained.

(Two days later)

In Embryo's world, one of Arzenal's teachers had arrived in her personal classroom to get things ready for her class.

She yawned her hand.

"Another day and another morning…" She said before she noticed a note on her desk.

Curious about that, she picks up and opens and sees there was a message written inside.

'Your home will come under attack by over thousands of DRAGONs. Once it happens, gather has many children and non-combat personnel you can gather. The alarm will sound off in three…two…one.'

At first, she thought it was a joke but that's when she heard the alarm going off which showed it was indeed true.

(Meanwhile)

In the Hub, the Nexus Rangers, Pixel and Misty were in the command room as they watched over the Arzenal in Embryo's Earth.

"Glad that Salamandinay agreed to let us send those notes when we did." Claire said.

The day before the attack, the Nexus Rangers had infiltrated Arzenal in the night and left warnings to every teacher on the island.

"It may not be much but at least those kids will have a chance of getting to safety." Dean said.

Aaron spoke to Misty.

"Are you sure you want to watch, Misty? It's not going to be pretty." Aaron told her and Misty shook her head.

"It's alright. My father may have disowned me, but as a member of the Rosenblum family, I have a responsibility to see this through to the end." Misty said. Aaron smiles.

"Once a princess, always a princess." Aaron said and Misty shyly turned away from him.

They soon saw a singularity appearing above Arzenal and flying though it were over thousands of Schoone-Class DRAGONs.

"And so it begins." Dean said.

Several CIWS weapons appeared to shoot at them while several Para-mail launched to battle the other DRAGONs.

Both sides were on even ground until they heard Salamandinay singing.

"Kaze ni toban el ragna Sadame to chigiri kawashite. Kaze ni yukan el ragna Todorokishi tsubasa."

The Nexus Rangers along with Pixel and Misty were deeply mesmerized by that.

"So that's the song she chose." Dean said.

"It sounds so beautiful." Claire said.

"Kaze ni yukan el ragna Todorokishi tsubasa."

They soon saw the three Ryuu-Shin-Kis appearing from the singularity. The Enryugo's armor had turned gold.

"Hoshi ni toban el ragna Banri wo koete kanata e. Hoshi ni yukan el ranga Setsuna...Eikyuu wo."

The Enryugo's shoulders opened up to reveal its Discord Phasers and fired a wave of energy at several Para-mail erasing them entirely and it soon hit Arzenal, creating a bright flash of light.

Shin averted his eyes before Dean placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You shouldn't look away. This is a burden we all have to carry. We owe it to them to keep watching until the end." Dean told him and Shin sighed.

"I know. You don't have to tell me." Shin mutters before the light dies down and half of Arzenal is now destroyed.

In their cell, both Ange and Hilda were still alive after the blast.

"What was that?" Ange asked.

"How should I know…" Hilda said before a dying DRAGON smashed through the wall of their cell and even smashed through the bars. "Actually, nevermind."

"Lady Angelise!" Momoka calls out from the hallway.

"Momoka!" Ange said before she and Hilda headed to the door.

"Open." Momoka uses her Mana to open the doors.

"You're a lifesaver." Ange told her loyal maid.

"Oh, no. It was my pleasure…" Momoka said before she pinches her nose to block out odor from Ange and Hilda. "But perhaps you should freshen up first?"

"Oh, right. I need a shower." Ange said and Hilda exclaimed at her.

"Do you think we have time for that?!"

Before a roar close by and saw that another DRAGON had smashed through the cells and looked at them.

"Run?" Hilda said.

"Run!" Ange nodded before they ran away, and the DRAGON chased after them.

As they were running in the hallway, someone appeared in front of them and aimed a gun at them which made the trio stop before he spoke to them.

"Get down!"

Ange, Hilda and Momoka jump to the floor as their savior fires at the DRAGON in the head multiple times until it eventually drops to the ground.

"You three, okay?" He asked while lowering his gun.

The trio looked up and saw it was Tony armed with a magnum gun with a rifle on his back.

"Mr. McCloud!" Momoka said.

"Tony…You're here." Hilda said a bit surprised before she and the others stood up.

"How?" Ange asked.

"I was on my way to speak with Commander Jill until everything went to…" Tony said before he smelled something that forced him to wave in front of his nose. "Aah…what is that sme…"

Both Ange and Hilda sharply glared at him, Tony understood the message and waved his hand.

"Sorry. Nevermind." He said.

In her cockpit, Salamandinay sighed a bit of relief, showing that she was nervous to fire the Discord Phasers for the first time.

Naga then spoke to her through their communications.

"Princess, are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Just feeling a bit relieved." Salamandinay took a moment to check the Enryugo's systems. "The Enryugo's systems are still running at optimal levels. Connections between the Quantum Spatial Drive and the Discord Phasers are still stable. I need to give Shin my thanks again when we get back."

Kaname then spoke to her next.

"Princess, reinforcements are approaching."

Salamandinay sees them as well and sees that one of them was riding a certain white Para-mail but knows it was something more than that.

"Very interesting." Salamandinay said.

In the Hub, the Nexus Rangers and their allies saw members of First Company launch on their Para-mail to assist the surviving members of Second and Third Companies.

"Seems like they still have some firepower left." Dean said.

"But against a Ragna-mail type, I highly…" Shin said before he saw the same white Para-mail he saw when he and his team first sneaked onto Arzenal. "Wait…that machine…"

"What about it?" Claire asked.

"Pixel, can you do a scan of that machine and compare it with the Ragna-mail?" Shin requested; Pixel nodded.

"You got it." Pixel uses her keyboard to scan the white Para-mail.

It was slightly modified; it was a match from one of Embryo's Ragna-mail which surprised the Nexus Rangers and Pixel.

"It's one of the Ragna-mail?!" Alisa said.

"No way…" Claire said.

"So that's a Ragna-mail?" Misty asked.

"Yeah. There's no mistaking it." Aaron nodded.

"It must be the one that was stolen. But who's piloting it?" Shin said.

The Ragna-mail known as Villkiss headed towards the Enryugo to battle it but the Nexus Rangers saw it was moving sluggish and the pilot wasn't able to use its full speed.

The Ragna-mail avoided an incoming attack from a DRAGON, the pilot avoided it and managed to do a semi-transformation to kick it away but now was spinning out of control.

"Okay, something's not right here. A Ragna-mail should do better than that." Alisa said.

"Is it possible…Is the pilot missing a ring?" Shin theorized.

"A ring?" Misty said in confusion.

"It's the key device that lets one pilot a Ragna-mail. I should know because I designed that system. Without that, one could only operate a Ragna-mail's performance rate less than 30%." Shin explained.

"Seems like a 25 to me." Dean said.

The pilot of Villkiss attempted to fire at the Enryugo while charging at it but Salamandinay skillfully avoided her attacks, and it was almost like she was playing with the pilot instead of fighting her.

"Damn…Salamandinay doesn't know how to hold back." Aaron said.

Finally having enough, the Enryugo kicks the Ragna-mail, sending it falling to the ocean.

"You were saying?" Claire asked.

"I guess I spoke too soon." Aaron shrugged.

That's when they saw a red Para-mail following the Villkiss and flying above it, and they could've sworn that they saw someone jumping between both machines and landed on Villkiss.

"Did they…?" Alisa said, Dean nodded.

"It appears so." The Red Ranger said.

Just as the Villkiss was about to fall into the ocean, it was able to recover and fly up in the sky.

That's when the Ragna-mail changes into its Destroyer Mode and battles Salamandinay's Enryugo.

Both combatants circled each other as they fired at each other while skillfully avoided the other's bullets before they clashed and blocked blades.

As both the Ryuu-Shin-Ki and the Ragna-mail battle each other, the Nexus Rangers and their friends were deeply amazed by this.

"Guess it found its second wind." Claire said.

"Damn…Even I'm having trouble keeping up with them." Dean said.

"Amazing…" Alisa said.

The Enryugo fires its beam rifle at Villkiss and the Ragna-mail avoids the two lock blades once again before Villkiss is able to push the blade aside and kicks the Ryuu-Shin-Ki back.

Salamandinay was able to recover and stop, she then holsters her machine's beam rifle as she begins singing her song once again.

"Kaze ni toban el ragna Sadame to chigiri kawashite."

The Enryugo soon turned gold and was ready to unleash its ultimate attack once again.

"She's going to use the cannons again?" Aaron said.

"Well, it seems only appropriate since she's up against an equal opponent. But her chances of surviving are almost zero." Shin said.

That's when they heard the pilot of Villkiss singing a song as well.

"Hajimari no hikari. Kirali...kirali. Owari no hikari. Lulala lila."

Hearing that surprised the Nexus Rangers and Pixel as they recognized that song.

"Wait, is that…?" Dean said.

"It is. It's Embryo's song." Shin said.

As both pilots continue to sing their respective songs, the Villkiss turns gold as well and opens its shoulders revealing its Discord Phasers.

Both Salamandinay and Ange's songs begin to overlap each other but surprisingly both songs were almost in perfect harmony.

Then both machines fired their wave of space-time energy, and their attacks clashed against each other creating a bright light that forced the Nexus Rangers and their allies to shield their eyes.

As she was singing, Ange was a type of trance before she opened her eyes and saw she was in a different space in time. Appearing in front of her machine was the Enryugo.

"How does a false person, such as you, know the True Star Song?"

Salamandinay opened her machine's cockpit and stood up revealing herself to Ange which surprised her.

After triggering Villkiss' canopy to open, Ange stood up and spoke to her.

"Tell me who you are? And what's that song?"

That's when the pair saw a carousel of images and visions appearing before them. It showed different versions of Salamandinay and Ange living different lives.

One showed them living in a prehistoric Earth fighting dinosaurs.

One as gladiators fighting in a colosseum.

One with Salamandinay as a soldier in a warzone and Ange, with long hair, as a medic giving her flowers.

One as classmates with Salamandinay transferring to Ange's class.

One as enemies and another as race car drivers and rivals. One even as lovers.

There were even images of Ange's present that were unfamiliar to her. One showed her flying Villkiss with a tall skinny boy with long spiky blue hair done in a long braid, with a Para-mail that resembles a wyvern.

One had a tall but muscular man with blonde hair that was swept back, who was arm in arm with Hilda. Except this Hilda had a ponytail instead of her usually pigtails and she looks happier and in more peace, than Ange has ever seen.

One had a boy with spiky black hair and blue eyes who arrived on Arzenal with a machine that resembles Tusk's but was greatly injured.

Ange saw one vision of a massive wall that could almost reach the sky and saw her fighting a man with a red bottle and using it along with a blue bottle and a belt to transform into an armored warrior with red and blue armor.

Salamandinay also saw a vision of herself meeting and befriending a man who transforms with a strange device and a red belt, becoming a white armored warrior with a black cloak. It even showed her kissing that said man.

Suddenly the alarm from Salamandinay's Enryugo starts to ring, and she smiles at Ange in resignation.

"It appears we've run out of time." Salamandinay said before she sat back down and closed her machine's cockpit.

"Wait!" Ange calls out before the Enryugo backs away and Salamandinay gives her some parting words.

"Within Aura there is truth."

With that the space around them disappeared.

With that Ange was now back in the real world as the three Ryuu-Shin-Ki and the remaining DRAGONs retreated back to the singularity before it closed.

Ange was now left with questions.

After returning to their own world, Salamandinay along with Kaname and Naga had arrived in the Nexus Hub.

They were now watching footage of Salamandinay's battle against the stolen Ragna-mail Villkiss.

"Huh. To think we were that close to Ragna-mail during our infiltration." Dean said.

"I quite agree. But it goes to show you how resourceful the Norma. I can't help but be surprised that they kept it hidden for so long." Salamandinay said.

Shin sighed while rubbing his fingers on his eyes as he felt a bit disappointed in himself.

"But still, I can't believe I let a simple change in color scheme throw me off." Shin mutters and Claire patted him on the back.

"There, there. It's alright." Claire said to comfort him.

The others chuckle before Salamandinay coughs in her hand to gain their attention.

"But perhaps we should see this as a blessing in disguise. This proves that the Ryuu-Shin-Ki are an equal match against the Ragna-mail." Salamandinay said.

"Yeah, I agree." Shin said.

"Which also means that we're one step closer in freeing Aura." Salamandinay said.

"That's good to hear and all. But I'm still curious about what happened with that flash of light." Dean said.

"Yeah. You said you were in a different space, and you saw visions of yourself along with that Angelise girl, right?" Claire asked. Salamandinay nodded.

"Yes. It was truly odd but yet amazing. Those visions were completely new to me, and lives I never experienced before." Salamandinay said.

Still curious about that, four of the Nexus Rangers and Salamandinay's crew turned to Shin.

"Well Shin, do you have any thoughts about it?" Dean asked.

The Blue Ranger hummed while rubbing his hand on his chin.

"This is only a theory. But it may have been possible that you were in a type of space time distortion, created by the clash of energies between both Discord Phasers. And based around what you said, those visions must've been a nexus event." Shin concluded.

"A nexus event?" Salamandinay said.

"Nexus events are any events that cause a branch in the timeline leading to the creation of multiple timelines from that point to another. For instance, any action we do will cause a different event, creating a new timeline or in most cases another reality. It's one of the theories that created the multiverse." Shin explained.

"I see. Interesting." Salamandinay said.

"So, what you're saying is, those visions Salamandinay saw with Angelise were actually parallel versions of themselves from different Earths." Dean said, and Shin nodded while snapping his fingers.

"Exactly. Like the Grid itself, the multiverse is filled with infinite possibilities. For instance, in our world, Salamandinay is a princess here. But on another Earth, she could be a world-renowned archeologist or an award-winning scientist. Or she would live a simple life as an ordinary student or maybe become a famous pop idol." Shin said.

"After hearing that song of hers, I could see that last one happening." Claire commented.

"What is a pop idol?" Salamandinay asked, Dean placed a hand on his shoulder and whispered to her ear.

"I'll explain in a later time." Dean said.

Dean then looks at the images and videos of the destroyed Arzenal along with the Villkiss.

"Still though, I can't help but wonder what Embryo's move is going to be." Dean said.

"Yeah. Especially since someone had unlocked a Ragna-mail's true power." Shin said.

"Whatever it may be, I'm certain we have nothing to worry about." Salamandinay said, getting their attention. "As long as we work together, we'll overcome anything. The five of you had shown that to me more than once."

The Nexus Rangers and the others smiled and nodded in agreement.

"Yeah. You're right about that." Dean said.

"Alright! Then how about we have a feast to celebrate?" Claire suggested.

"That would be nice." Salamandinay said and the others agreed.

"Then let's get ready. Pixel." Dean said and Pixel nodded.

"Already ahead of you." Pixel said before she uses her computer to get things ready.

Despite the bloody battle, the Nexus Rangers and their allies have high hopes for the future, in their goal of defeating Embryo and freeing Aura.

To be continued...It's Never Too Late

There you have it, hope you like it. Review to tell me what you think of the story.