Narrator:
It's been a long time since the rangers have seen Dani and to be frank, they were beginning to work that there have been no signs of her.
Especially now that Deker, her father, wants a final duel with Jayden.
~~~~~~~
"You can't just fight Deker!" Kevin shouted, "Think of the consequences. We don't fight just to fight."
"Deker threatened to harm innocents if I didn't fight him. Kevin. This must happen." Jayden tried to explain, without getting frustrated with his friend. "Think about this Jayden. What about Dani? There's no way she'll ever come back if this happens." "WE DONT EVEN KNOW WHERE DANI IS! SHE COULD HAVE SKIPPED TOWN BY NOW EM! I'm sorry. Look Dani made her choice, and it's my fault that she's gone."
"If we find her, maybe she can help us with Deker." Emily suggested, with hope in her eyes yet slight sorrow in her voice. "He said to come alone, not to bring his daughter into this. This is for the better, Dani could be unstable if she found out." Jayden told her. "Since when do we let a Nighlok dictate how we battle?!" Kevin shouts, "I know now that Deker wont stop until Jayden duels him. We have to let him go." Mia said. She looked straight ahead, remembering her encounter with Dayu. "Mia. How could you say that?" Kevin asked her softly before he continues, "Jayden isn't just our leader. He's also the only one who has the sealing power. Jayden, you're the key to stopping the Nighlok." "Kev's right, we shouldn't risk it. Maybe Dani could stop this, she might have a way to stop her father. Before it's too late." "This discussion is over." Jayden said firmly, before leaving the room.
After a tense moment of silence, Mia finally spoke up. "I don't know if she would help. Dani didn't seem all too keen on being around us-" Mia was, surprisingly, cut off by mentor "But she would do anything for family. Deker, no matter how much we hate it, Is her last living family. She would do anything to protect him or save him. Even if it meant giving up her life force." With that, Mentor Ji took his leave, biding them all goodnight before going to check on Jayden.
The remaining rangers sat back in guilt and worry. After hearing what mentor said, they could only hope that Dani would convince her father to give them more time. They could only wonder if she would try to save Deker, going against them in the process. Kevin, distressed on how to save someone who he considers family.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dani POV:
I finally did it.
With the help of all six of my Zords, mothers journals, and the Monks of the Tengen Gates, I have figured out to break the spell placed on my father.
I'm travelling him from the Garden of Sleeping Stars, where only my natural and half of my Nighlok abilities work. I hope I get there in time, before father does anything too rash. I know I can save him.
I know I can save dad.
I know I can.
He's worth it.
What happens to me doesn't matter.
I just hope i'm not too late....
The whispers of the rangers shadows all ways keep me updated, all will be over soon. If I can just make it on time...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Narrator:
Mentor pours tea for Mike, Emily, Mia, and Antonio. "Why are we so worried? Jayden can be anyone." "Yeah." Emily agreed softly with her golden companion. "All I know, is that Deker needs to be dealt with. With or without Dani. Hesitating would be a mistake." "I'm afraid Mia is right." Mentor Ji started, "There is no other choice but to fight Deker. We cannot let our feelings towards Daniela cloud that judgement. We just have to have faith that Jayden is prepared for this battle."
"Yeah."
"Okay."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"This shall be the final night of my curse. Tomorrow, I shall wield my sword, Uramasa, In the Ultimate Duel." Deker said, standing in Nighlok form under the moonlight. I just wish I had more time with My beautiful daughter before I must go and risk it all.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next morning:
Jayden stepped outside of the Shiba house to see his team lined up outside, waiting for him. "Good luck Jayden." The yellow ranger told him in her soft voice. You could almost hear the love she had for him pour out into the sentence. He stopped in his tracks before Mike spoke up next, "You can do this Bro." Holding up a fist, the two boys fist bumped. Antonio put his hand on the shoulder of one of his oldest friends, "You're the best. I've known that since we we're kids, and it's no different today." "Dani's always been better though." Jayden replied cracking a small smile to his brother-figure. "Do what needs to be done." Mia spoke next before the gap sensor went off.
"Jayden what do we do now." Jayden asked for Kevin to lead the team until he came back. They took off.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~''
Dani is on her way, with still a long way to go. The shadows told her today was the day of the duel. She is too weak from being in the Garden of Sleeping Stars. The Magic and abilities she learned for her fathers safety began to take a toll on her, but she knew she had to get there. So she kept going.
But an exhausted hero can only go so fast.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Deker stood, waiting, as Jayden approached. "It took you long enough. Still I knew you'd come, just like me you need this battle. I do hope you haven't informed my daughter of our duel." Ignoring the last of what the hybrid said, "No. I'm nothing like you. The only thing I need is to stop you from hurting anyone else." Deker nodded slowly, before grabbing Uramasa, "All that matters is that you're here." He then switched forms, causing Jayden to morph and grab his sword. "At last the time has come." "Yes for you to fall! It's not too late Deker, we don't have to do this. Think of Dani!" "You still don't understand. I have no choice but to fight to the glorious end. My daughter has no say in this." "Then you leave me no choice."
And so the battle began: (Bold-Jayden Underline-Deker)
"You have to do better than that."
"I'm just getting started."
"Excellent. Your instincts are superb. You are indeed proving to be my equal. I was right to choose you Red Ranger."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm almost there. Dani thought, Almost there.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Deker and Jayden make it to the top of a cliff.
"You are truly a worthy opponent, but now I shall defeat you and bring this to an end."
"You're right about one thing...... It's time for this to end. Forgive me Dani."
Deker stabbed Jayden in the arm, causing him to drop his sword, into his opposite hand. Trying to slashing Deker across his torso, but not before Dani jumped in the middle, getting injured and not completely stopping the strong attack on her father. As Deker was distracted by his daughter, Jayden aimed at him again before slicing Uramasa clean in half. "A master move-" Deker said walking towards the edge, "-you let me wound you, so you'd get close enough to finish me. Well fought Red Ranger. You have honored me and freed me from my torment. Thank you. Tell Daniela, I'm sorry and that I love her. I left something behind for her." And with that Deker fell off the cliff.
Jayden collapsed, holding his arm, and the broken piece of Uramasa. "I- I won." The rest of the team came running to him, "JAYDEN!" Emily yelled out to her future lover. "Jayden! Are you alright?" "yeah." He said drowsily. "And Deker? Is he?" "Gone, but..." "But?" Mike asked, seeing that Jayden was staring right at him and Antonio. "But Dani was here. She jumped infront of my attack. She went tumbling down the hill, towards the beach." Antonio and Mike look to each other in worry, then the others. "Go," Kevin told them. "We'll be here with Jayden when you get her back." Em followed up.
The two ran down to Dani, who was covered in what looked to be ancient, yet revealing clothes, and a cloak. They picked her up as the others helped Jayden down the hill. "Let's get you both home." Kevin said, as Mike nodded in agreement.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They arrived to the Shiba house and after awhile they got ready for dinner outside. Dani then woke up, put on her new style of clothing from her journey/training, and headed out of the infirmary.
(The first picture is her clothes and jewelry plus the Necklace from Mike. The second picture is the markings across her face, ice blue color of her eyes when she uses magic, and hair style. The blue is also the shade of the cloak she is wearing.)
Dani:
I finished getting myself together, collecting all of my things before I see part of my fathers sword. That alone told me my greatest fear bringing tears to my eyes. I took deep breathes and remembered the talk I had with my father before this all happened. I know he was better, now that he was free from his curse but it hurt to be alone once again. I dried my face, and put on the stoic mask that I have perfected during my time away from the Samurai Power Rangers and make my way to the exit.
"You guys. I just want to say I'm sorry." Everyone looked to Jayden as I look from the doorway, no one noticing me yet. "I know I had to duel Deker to stop him from hurting people, but I also think something in me wanted to fight him. To prove myself worthy of being your leader, The Red Ranger." "No Jayden, he forced your hand." Emily countered. "You did what you had to do." Mike told him. "Maybe, but there's still much to do. And I promise I won't ever jeopardize our mission again."
Kevin sighed, "Deker is gone, but Master Xandred is still out there and until he's defeated no one is safe." Mentor took out the Black Box with Pride. I smile knowing they are coming far. "As Rangers, It's our responsibility to save the world from the Nighlok. I'm just grateful we don't have to do it alone." Everyone began to smile, "RANGERS TOGETHER, SAMURAI FOREVER!" Putting their fists in the middle.
I step out completely, "I must admit." They all turn to look at me in shock, "That was quite touching, very sweet." "Dani!" "You're okay!" Jayden then looked to her, "Dani I-" "Stop. It's alright, I couldn't save my father in time. That's not your fault. Right now, taking down Master Xandred is top priority." "You mean, you'll fight with us again?" Emily asked with hope shining in her eyes.
"Yes. My father made it clear that I make amends after the duel. After my training in the Garden of Sleeping Stars, I know now that... you need me. Seems you've been having a little trouble without me hmm." I said smugly. "Of course we did. You're an amazing warrior, and we're sorry for trying to outcast you." Mia said genuinely regretful. "It's alright." "Amiga, come eat. You must be hungry from your journey." "Antonio is right, Daniela. Sit and Eat. Symbol power and Nighlok magic does not work there, which would surely drain you." "Alright Ji. I'll stay for dinner-"
I was cut off by Mike. He pulled me into the chair next to him, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. "You'll stay the night. We need to make sure no permanent damages happened after taking that attack for your dad." I look at the boy with a sigh, "Oh alright fine." He smiled at me and I smiled back, before we broke eye contact when someone cleared their throat. We turned to look at the culprit, Emily, with a knowing smile on both her and Mia's faces. "So what's going on with you too?" I go to answer before Mike pulls me closer and says, "We're taking it slow." Looking down at me with a grin, I return it before answering back to the girls still making eye contact with the Green Ranger. "Yeah. Taking it slow."
Everyone else smiled at that and the rest of our day continued happily, making me slowly forget about the pain of losing my father, my last family. Don't worry father we will meet again one day. I love you, forever.
Word Count: 2128
Finished this chapter:) Enjoy!!