The silence was deafening. Everyone's face was etched with surprise. I got weird looks from passers-by as I held Jax under my knees. Strangely, it didn't bother me. It usually did. Guess that was how much I wanted to teach Jax a lesson.

"Green ranger, huh?" I asked, barely breaking a sweat to hold him back. Though it gave me a strange sense of satisfaction, it also upsetted me. He couldn't even push me off, how is he gonna fight the nighlok?

"Let me go," he spoke, his words muffled by the ground.

I stood up and brushed off and straightened my clothes. Jax looked pissed.

"How about we start over," I said, slightly clapping my hands together. "I'm Bloom Shiba. I'm not usually like this."

"So you are the red ranger?" Cole asked, his tone filled with doubt. It was weird to talk to him eye to eye, considering I had to lift my head to look at him.

"Yes, I am," I said, trying to re-ensure myself. 

"And as a red ranger," I continued. "I'm supposed to give some disclaimers. So, here it goes."

The team exchanged bewildered looks with each other. Their faces already screamed, she is crazy. Well, considering my interaction with Jax, their reaction is completely valid.

When I was about to continue, my morpher rang. I grunted in irritation as I fished out my morpher. "Yes?" I answered. Jayden spoke. "Nighlok attack at the 9th street. You need to leave now with your team."

"I'm not done debriefing," I said as a matter of fact. The team exchanged glances again. Yep, it's official. They think I'm crazy.

"What did you do for the past ten minutes?" He accused.

"Fine, I'll do it quick. Just... cut the call," I said and slammed the morpher shut.

"Ok, this is going to be quick," I said. "I'm the red ranger and you'll be following my lead. That's my first disclaimer," I said, shooting a look at Jax.

"Second, you'll have to stay at the Shiba house until all the crazy is over," I said. Guess this, everyone expected.

"Third, you can attend school– once it starts– but you won't be able to participate in any after school activities. Clubs, sports, nothing."

"You're asking us to stay put in our senior year?" I heard jax grumble.

"You guys are in your senior year?" I asked, bewildered. Lia gave me a weird look and mouthed a yeah. I shook my head. "Anyway," I continued. "This is the rules as for now. I could talk to the mentor and see if we can change things a little, but, I don't want to give you guys any false hope. So, it still stands."

Before they could speak, I continued, "being a ranger needs full commitment. You can't just walk in and walk out. If you are ready for all this and more, let me know. Else, I bid you good day."

Everyone got into a deep thought. Lia and Jax got into a deep conversation. Cole looked like he was stuck in between a tug-of-war. Rose looked like she was about to say something when my morpher rang again. 

"Jay?" I answered.

"Next time you teleport a bag," he said, strangely calm. "Make sure you don't have anything in it that you might need."

As I processed his words, my bag appeared beside me, its bulky state now gone. I took the bag and saw what's inside. The other's morphers, of course. "Thanks," I muttered.

"Fine, hurry!" He urged me. "The nighlok isn't going to wait forever!"

Cutting the call, I looked at the team once more. Taking in a deep breath, I started, "there's a nighlok attack. At the 9th street. If you are ready, the morphers are right in the bag. I'm leaving. It's completely your choice on weather or not to follow me."

Without allowing them a moment to speak, I took off running. 

Lia Stewart

Everything happened so quickly that I'm literally left stranded. So, I'm supposed to fight nighloks as a ranger, my boyfriend just got whooped by the red ranger because he couldn't keep his mouth shut and my estranged friend happens to be that red ranger. Am I missing something?

I've always seen Bloom running around, in and out of the class, always detached from school work or social activities and I always thought that she was going through something but this? I didn't expect her to be a power ranger, let alone red ranger.

And the fact that she didn't realize I was a year ahead of her? Blew my mind! And her leaving us stranded like this didn't really ease the tension. But, to be honest, I have no right to speak, considering I didn't even know her last name. But, in my defense, she never brought it up!

"I'm leaving!" Jax suddenly proclaimed. "I'm not fighting along with that obnoxious idiot!"

"Don't call her that!" I said, hitting his arm. This has become my permanent job.

"Oh! You're still taking her side after what she did?!" He snapped.

"You deserved that! Accept it!" I snapped back. "And besides, you can't just leave! We're supposed to protect the world!"

"I didn't sign up for this," he grumbled to my face, baring his teeth. Most would've gotten scared of it, but I know him. I truly know him.

"Shall we stop obsessing over you for a moment," I heard Cole snap and suddenly, I was aware that we had audience.

"I'm not completely in on this either, especially with the no after extra curricular thing, but she needs our help! We can't just let her fight on her own! It's our duty too!" He spoke. 

"Cole's right!" Rose proclaimed. "She doesn't seem like a very easy going person but that doesn't mean we shouldn't help her. That is what we're trained for"

I looked at Jax's face. It was sure that he wasn't convinced yet. I felt torn between Jax and Bloom. I know Bloom currently needs my help more than Jax does, but, I would feel better if he stayed by my side in the battle field.

"I believe I was chosen for a reason," Rose suddenly voiced out. "I'm going to fight with her."

With that, she picked up a morpher from the bag. Looking at all of us one last time, with no words, she took off running.

Cole looked like he was fighting an internal battle, his face bringing up expressions of that of pain. The action was subtle but loud when he took out his folding zord and glanced at it. With a deep breath, he said, "Whether I like it or not, I am a samurai. And a samurai never backs out from a fight."

He too picked up a morpher and ran off, but not before glaring at Jax one last time.

I looked at Jax again, this time a little too desperate. "Jax," I called him, holding his arms and pulling at it slightly, as if that would automatically pull him to my decision. "We have to fight too. We have to help them!"

He shook his head vehemently. "I'm not fighting with her," he repeated, his voice low but full of determination. 

"Jax, why do you even hate her?" I asked, my voice pleading. "She did nothing wrong but stand up for herself."

"I can't be risked seen with her," he breathed out, the real reason finally out in the open.

"You'll be morphed most of the time," I said, my voice now thoughtful. "No one can know that's you."

He shook his head again. "I'll have to stay at the Shiba house. With her. There is certainly no way of explanation when I walk home with her. I'll also have to give up after school band practice. It's just too much to ask for," he said, his eyes swirling with pent up emotions.

"Jax, please. I need you," I told, sounding more desperate than I ever had. He didn't reply. All I got was a sharp head turn in the opposite direction.

Finally, I decided. "I'm going to fight," I said. "Whether you like it or not. And if you really care about me, join me. If not, I don't care."

With that, I too took out my morpher and dashed towards the 9th street. 

The area was already filled with moogers and standing in center was the nighlok. His sight brought unexpressable feelings in me. The most hideous creature I have ever seen, indeed.

Cole and Rose, already morphed, were taking care of the moogers, while Bloom, morphed in her red ranger suit was fighting against the nighlok, alone. Her movements mesmerized me for a second. The way she slashed, the way she flipped in the air, the way she did a delicate dance around the creature... just mesmerizing. 

Breaking myself from the daze, I clutched my new morpher tighter. This is it. This is what I was training for. 

I really hope I get my symbol right...

"Go go samurai!" I drew my symbol, just like I had done plenty of times in the easel at home, and... I morphed. A new sense of energy coursed through me. I felt so powerful, like I could do anything. 

That confidence got a little too overboard because my legs dragged me straight to the nighlok.

Stupid... stupid... turn back... just fight the moogers...

I slashed at the nighlok, catching him by surprise. Bloom's head turned towards me. Though I wasn't able to see her expression, I knew she was relieved. I half expected her to speak out some ridiculous retort like she usually does when she wants to evade something but, she surprised me by telling, "thank you."

The emotion behind her voice was heartwarming. I watched her turn around her head, assessing the battle scene, lingering around each ranger a second longer. Jax was still not here. Sighing, she focused back on the nighlok who just regained his balance.

Looking at me, she asked, "ready?" Though I didn't feel like it, I said, "yes."

Like partners in dance, we moved with such fluidity, hitting and stabbing at the nighlok. But it was clear the nighlok was much more powerful than us. I could feel the power draining out of me.

Bloom looked drained too, but she looked more pissed than tired. With one strong swing, she sent him stumbling back, making him more upset. "You won't escape me arch nemesis!" The nighlok screamed.

Before I could process his words, Bloom screamed back, "for heaven's sake! Stop calling me arch nemesis! I don't even know you!"

But clearly, the nighlok didn't listen. He came back towards us with a force while yelling, "I'll destroy you arch nemesis!"

Bloom sighed and looked like she was ready to brace for the impact. I followed suit, considering I was in his path too. 

The impact was harder than I expected. It sent us flying back and left us stranded in the very heat of the battle. The moogers surrounded us in minutes. I got to my feet immediately. Bloom didn't. 

"Are you alright?" I asked, worry coating my voice. Why would she lie down if she wasn't hurt?

"Yeah," she said nonchalantly. "Just don't feel like getting up."

"What?!" I asked before I could stop myself. Cole and Rose were by our side in a blink of an eye.

"The moogers are too much," Rose exclaimed, involuntarily forming a circle with me and Cole. 

"And the nighlok doesn't seem to be breaking a sweat either," Cole added, his guard up. Bloom leisurely stood up and brushed her suit. "Yeah, I've been fighting that idiot of a nighlok from morning," she confessed and suddenly I understood the depth of the situation we were in. This was real life, not some video game. We were literally in midst of life or death situation. 

"The nighlok has a lot of power to be faced by a single ranger," she added while slashing at a mooger who approached our way, completely nonchalant. "So, maybe we can all fight against him together," Cole said, his attention devoid of the surroundings. A narrow strike missed him as Bloom pushed him out of the way and slashed the mooger.

"Maybe," she said. Another slash.

"These moogers are getting overwhelming! We can't all approach the nighlok without getting through them," Rose added. All these information only added the sense of dread within me. My mind shut down and no rational thought emerged.

"Well, we could—" Cole started, only to be pushed aside by Bloom to hit another mooger straight down his middle. 

"I'm sorry, these moogers are driving me insane," she said and took out her disk. "Everyone duck," she said, taking us a minute to process.

"Duck?" Rose asked confused.

"Duck... crouch down... get down...," she tried to explain, adding in actions. We exchanged looks with each other and finally coming to a silent agreement, we got on our knees.

"Spin sword! Blazing strike!" She yelled after spinning her disk on the sword. One long whirlpool motion and the moogers went up in flames. 

"That's better," she said, placing her sword back in her holder. "You were saying," she turned towards Cole.

He was clearly awestruck just as I was,finding it hard to find words. Finally, we all stood up, still a bit dazed but slowly regaining our consciousness. 

"Why can't you just do that to the nighlok?" Cole asked. "Yeah, that was awesome!" Rose added.

"You already tried that, didn't you?" I asked. She slowly nodded her head. "As I said," she said in a low voice. "Too powerful for a single ranger."

"Well now we have a clear picture," Cole exclaimed, his mind visibly shifting gears. "We all use this power at the same time!"

"A quadruple slash," Bloom said in deep thought. "Not as strong as quintuple slash, but it might work."

Quintuple... five.. five rangers... we couldn't do the quintuple slash because Jax wasn't here. I can't believe—

"Make it quintuple," I heard a voice from behind, and my heart squealed in joy. Jax is here! He's really here! Wow, I could just hug him!

"I'm doing this only for you," he said and I found a completely morphed Jax beside me. I nodded, unable to find any words to express my gratitude. 

"Don't make me regret it," he said, now looking at Bloom. Sighing deeply, she said, "that's not in my hands." He grunted in frustration, yet stayed anyway. 

All of us standing together now, we were ready to face the nighlok head on with a new found energy.

"Rangers together! Samurai forever!" We proclaimed together, our voice clearly sending a tremor down the nighloks body.

We are going to put on a one hella fight!

__________

SNIPPET FROM MY NEW STORY, "THE WEIGHT OF THE UNIVERSE":

Suddenly, the surrounding becomes dark, filled with black clouds all around. A heavy wind blows my hair onto my face. Shyam sits up and says, "this is weird." Yes, it definitely is weird. There is no way that blue skies with pure white clouds have become a wild storm in a matter of minutes.

I look around to find an explanation, and without realizing, my legs have started to buckle. "Shyam," I'm calling him in a desperate voice. I'm breathing really hard and I have no idea what's going on. I feel a thousand, no, a million times heavier than I was before. So heavy that the gravity is pulling me down to the ground and making me stick to it. Shyam is trying to lift me up, but fails terribly. "Janani, what's wrong? Why are you not able to move?" he muses desperately. I wish I knew. I wish I knew what's wrong with me, but I don't. I feel so heavy that it is a surprise I haven't crumbled under the pressure.

What happens next is something completely unfathomable to me. Never in a million years would I have believed that something like this could be real. Something so mysterious. So... fictional.

A portal has opened...

Check out the new book f you liked the snippet. Story link in the comments and you can also access it through my profile. 

Thanks for reading...

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