Episode 23: Broken Dreams

Episode 23 (Base 17): Broken Dreams
Centuries ago in Japan, Nighlok monsters invaded Japan, but samurai warriors defeated them with power symbols passed down from parent to child. Today the evil Nighlok have risen once again and plan to flood the Earth. Luckily a new generation of heroes stand in their way they are the Power Rangers Samurai.

At the Shiba House Jayden, Emily, Serena, Mike, and Kevin were practicing their sword play. Jayden practiced his form freely as the others all used a practice dummy.

'I-I can't! P-Please Jayden,' Vixen's eyes pull back to slits as they tinted redder and redder. 'Please before my soul is consumed by this evil...s-save me.'

'Nicole! Fight it!'

'I am! It's the only reason your all still standing,' her voice warbling as her face turned to a sneer, 'But I can't hold on much longer.'

Jayden nodded as he charged forward, closing the distance in and instant as his kick sent the Gokai Galleon Buster into the air. Both scrambling to catch it on its descent.

'Riiiiiising Striiiiike!'

“Dude, dude,” Mike's words drawing Jayden back to the present, “You just stopped...it was like you were a million miles away...you okay?”

“It's nothing.”

“Hey look you did what you had to do, no one blames you,” Kevin added with concern as he looked to Mike, “Right Mike?”

Now it was Mikes turn to look spacy, “W-What?”

“Kevin said you don't hold him accountable for that fight...” Serena began only for her voice to get softer, “...w-with Vixen.”

“Yeah! No!” Mike sighed, “I mean I don't blame you. You did what had to be done. What she wanted done.”

'Did I,' Jayden wonders, 'Did I really do the right thing...destroying Vixen...N-Nicole...'

“You can talk to us Jayden, we're here for you,” Emily said next as she began walking over to him, the others just a step behind.

“Hey guys,” Mia calls out as she emerges from Shiba House in casual clothes with a large bag over her shoulder.

“Have you finally decided to join us for practice,” Kevin jokes, getting a laugh from all but Jayden.

“Oh no I told Mentor I was cooking dinner tonight,” her voice getting softer, “I-I wanted to try one of Nicole's recipes...”

The silence filling the group as they stood there.

“Good luck,” Serena finally spoke lightening the mood, “I'm sure she would love that.”

Catching the line Kevin was next to speak, raising the mood, “What's the special occasion?”

“Antonio's been working so hard perfecting the Black Box I wanted to do something special.”

And the mood began to lift.

“That sounds like a great idea, need another pair of arms?”

“That would be great, thanks Serena!”

turning for the door she jogged in, “Just let me get changed...”

But as she was jogging in there was a burst of smoke and Lauren fell out of the smoke the sealed box tumbling from her hands just as Jayden quickly caught her.

“Lauren!”
“You're back!”

“Come on let's get her inside,” Kevin jogs over to help lift her.

Xandred huffs as he drinks his medicine, “What a waste.”

“Oh ah oh what has you so grumpy Master?”

“We manage to get rid of one Ranger and no one knows about it. This should be a celebration, a way to strike fear in to the humans hearts and the only ones who saw Vixen's defeat was those blasted Rangers.”

Octoroo muses as he strokes his tentacles, “I might have an idea for that Master. Rhinosnorus.”

“Rhinosnorus?” Xandred growls curiously.

“Yes! Yes! Not only can he destroy the dreams of the humans but he can spread the destruction of one of the Rangers into their nightmares!”

“Ha! I like it!”

Spike paused his gaze draw to the rings displayed at a jewelry store as he and Bulk walked along the street.

“Spike? What is it?”

“I was really hoping to get a ring and propose to her Uncle Bulk,” Spike says sadly.

“I know you did Spike,” Bulk pats his back consolingly, her voice softer, “But the Rangers had no choice the Nighlok had taken control of Nicole and they had to destroy her to save her soul...she's in a better place now.”

Another person stopped as they passed by Bulk and Spike curiously, “N-Nicole? The Silver Ranger is dead?”

Bulk laughed nervously as Spike lowered his head, “Y-Yeah, the Nighlok had turned her evil. At least the Samurai Rangers were able to save her soul.”

The woman stood in shock, mouth agap, “I-I can't believe she's gone...I m-mean she was a Power Ranger. Power Ranger's aren’t supposed to die.”

“Y-Yeah well maybe it's best we don't spread the word, don't want to cause a panic,” Bulk cautious.

“I-I suppose...It's just...I feels wrong...you know...she died protecting us...we should build a memorial or something...it's the least we can do.”

Bulk was getting nervous now, “M-Maybe later, we don't want people to panic you know. That just makes the Nighlok stronger, and that will only make things harder on the other Rangers.”

The woman nods wandering off, “I suppose.”

At the shopping district a crack glowed as Rhinosnorus arrived just as Bulk and Spike did  and released a stream of smoke from his hand that caused most of the people there to pass out, Bulk and Spike being two who managed to avoid it.

“Ha ha this is too easy,” Rhinosnorus taunted as he wadded among the sleeping masses chasing after some fleeing civilians, “with that Pirate Ranger down for the count no one can stop me!”

“What did he just say?”
“Nicole is gone?”

The hesitation of his revelation giving Rhinosnorus more then enough time to gas the remaining civilians causing them to collapse.

Rhinosnorus laughs as he looks around, leveling his gaze at Spike who looked about for a weapon to defend himself, “Now who's next.”

Until a bench was smashed across his head.

“What!”

“Spike! Run!” Bulk called out as he punched Rhinosnorus in the face and immediately regretted it.

“Nighty! Night Fatso!” Rhinosnorus chided as he lifted his had to smoke Bulk.

Bulk smiled nervously as he tried to run, “Maybe attacking the monster wasn't the best idea.”

“You think?!”

But as he launched the smoke Spike pounced knocking Rhinosnorus over and getting a face full of the smoke instead.

“You were lucky,” Rhinosnorus taunted as he rolled off Spike and to his feet, “But your friend won't wake up, none of them will, until I want them to.”

“The Ranger will stop you!” Bulk shouts running to Spike side.

“They can try, but they will have to catch me first!”

And with that Rhinosnorus opened a portal into a nearby victim and leap in, vanishing. Looking around at all the victims around him Bulk did the only reasonable thing.

He threw Spike over his shoulder and ran as fast as he could.

“The Gap Sensor!” Ji called out just as the Rangers had put Lauren to sleep and turned to run for the door.

Emily pausing as she looked back to her sister, “S-Sorry,” and turned her Samuraizer over to her.

She shook her head, “Go if you want, I've still rusty and no where near your level.”

Emily smiled at her sister's vote of confidence, “Tha-”

But was cut short as Bulk rushed through the door short of breath and carrying Spike in his arms, “P-Power Rangers, h-help. A Nighlok att-”

“Power Rangers?” Jayden looked nervously and confused to the others, “N-No you have it all wrong we-”

“Spike and I saw you morph, we saw the fight with Vixen. Please you have to help, Spike.”

Ji immediately took charge as Emily and Mia took Spike and lead the others off toward the recovery ward to set him down in a bed to rest, “Tell us what happened Bulk.”

Bulk nodded and related the recent events.

“Honey, I'm home!” a familiar Black Ranger snorts as he steps through the door of the house, removing his helmet and hanging it on a coat hanger to reveal...

“Spike!” Nicole rushed in dressed in a red apron and matching sun dress as her wedding ring catches some light from a window and sparkles to plan a kiss on his cheek, “How was work?”

Spike smiles confidently as he returns the kiss, “Oh you know, just a couple dozen Moogers, nothing the Rangers and I couldn't handle.”

“Oh you poor baby,” Nicole coos as she sits in at a dinner table and sets out a roasted turkey.

Spike smiles, “I love you Nicole.”

“I love you two Spike, I'm so lucky I have up Rangering before something really bad happened to me to live with a great man like you who can protect the city just as good as I ever could.”

“I wonder what he's dreaming about,” Emily muses, looking down at the wide grin on Spike's face.

“It doesn't matter,” Ji comes over with a book open to a section on Rhinosnorus, “We need to find a way into the dream world to stop Rhinosnorus. If left to his own devices he's gouge on their dreams and if he isn't stopped his victims will never wake up.”

“S-Spike,” Bulks voice trembled.

“I'll use my symbol power to open a portal,” Jayden says confidently, “I don't know how much it will take, but I can do it.”

“I want to help!”

“Bulk I don't think that's a good idea, this is a real fight.”

“Please,” Bulk pleads, “Spike is my responsibility, my family, I need to protect him.”

“Bulk this is-”

But Jayden is cut off as Kevin hands his Sammurizer over to Bulk, “Here.”

Bulk smiles taking it reverently, “Thanks Kevin!”

“Yeah well,” he smiles nervously, “Your a water user like me, it had to be me after all, now get in there and show that Nighlok who's boss.”

“I doubt I'll be able to keep the portal open for very long, jump in as soon as it materializes, I'll be righr behind you.”

“Got it!”

“Hang in there little buddy, help's coming,” Bulk nods as Jayden opens his Sammurizer and begins to write the symbol, his body trembling from the effort

“Symbol Power – Portal!”

Jayden's face was a mask of effort as he struggled to open the gateway, “Almost...”

And then the symbol flew over Spike, turning violet as the portal opened, “Go now!”

Bulk and Mike needed no prodding as they leap into the portal and vanished into Spikes Dreamscape.

“Come on Mia we're next!”

But as Mia nodded and the two girls moved to act Jayden dropped to his knees breathing hard and the portal collapsed.

“Jayden!” Mia quickly caught him even though he didn't have far to fall. “I got you.”

“Sorry guys,” Jayden panted, “I couldn't hold it open any longer.”

“That's alright,” Serena stepped up beginning to draw the symbol, “I may be rusty but I still have powered to spare. Emily, Mia, jump in as soon as I get it open.”

“Right!”

“Uncle Bulk!”  Spike snorted as Bulk and Mike dropped into the dining room, “What are you doing here!”

“More guests?” Nicole turned smiling at them as she helped Bulk get up from the floor, while looking disappointingly at Spike, “why didn't you tell me we were having guests, dear.”

“Nicole!?”
“Dear!?” Mike looked angrily to Spike, “Why is Nicole calling you dear and acting so lovy dovy?”

Nicole chuckles as she seats the two, “Because he's my husband of course Mike, stop being so silly!”

As she flashed her wedding band to Mike he looked confused, and a bit angry, to Spike and Bulk even as Bulk was getting to his feet.

“Come on Mike we need to find that Nighlok, not get hung up on Spike's fantasies.”

“Nighlok?!” Spike shot to his feet his helmet magically in his hands in an instant, “There's a Nighlok around?”

“Yeah and we need to find it!” Mike said heading for the door, “not play house with Dream! Nicole.”

Bulk was right behind him, but surprisingly so was Spike, “If there’s trouble you can count on me to help! I am the Black Ranger after all!”

“I...wha...what?” Mike stood there dumbfounded as Spike slipped on his helmet and ran out, Bulk taking out the Sammurizer and running after.

“Go! Go! Samurai!”

And morphing into the Blue Ranger, Mike turning back to Nicole as she stood in the hall, “Aren't you going to join them?”

“Oh er r-right!”

Before charging out and morphing himself, Nicole following to the door and waving, “Be careful! I'll keep dinner warm!”

“Stop right there Nighlok!” The Blue Ranger called as the trio confronted Rhinosnorus in a park.

“What Rangers!? How did you get into my dream world I didn't put you to sleep!”

“We're crashing your slumber party!” Green exclaims.

“That right we're giving you a dose of reality,” Blue (Bulk) added in next.

“Your dreaming!” Rhinosnorus countered as he charged them.

Aside the others Spike Summoned his own Spin Sword as the three engaged Rhinosnorus but he parried their attacks and caused massive sparks with ever strike he dealt even as the Rangers managed to knock him down.

“Nice try,” Rhinosnorus gloated as he got back to his feet, “but you're on my turn now and here we play by my rules!”

“Ta da!” with a little dance the ground began to shake under the three as a block of ground tore into the air under them, turned upside down and then crushed them under it.

And then suddenly the rangers were in the city.

“Ah my butt,” Green groaned as they got their feed back under them only for Rhinosnorus to appear behind them laughing.

“In this world I always win, I can do anything I dream up!”

With another dance a huge bolder appeared and rolled toward the Rangers, “You could say, I'm on a roll!”

As Blue and Green go to their feet to run Black stood his ground, and cleaved the boulder in twine, “It wont be so easy Nighlok.”

“Whoa!”
“Spike!”

“If this is a dream then I'm the hero and your the villain!”

Black rushed forward in a flash cutting Rhinosnorus deep with his Spin Sword who dropped to his knees.

“And the heroes always win in my dreams! For I am Spike Skullovich...the Black Ranger!”

“What a snooze!” Rhinosnorus quickly gets back to his feet as he runs off, “I'm out of here.”

The door of a cozy shack opened as Decker in a tux carried an unknown woman in a white dress over the threshold, Samurai's Pink transfixed on what she could see from the windows outside.

“We need to find the others Mia,” Yellow said softly.

“I know,” she answered with a whisper, “but that's Decker isn't it?”

“What?” Yellow turning to see what Pink was seeing, “That is...”

“I have a wedding gift for you,” the woman smiled as she was set down and they shared a kiss before she moved off to a dresser and took out a familiar white sword.

“For my braaaave Samurai.”

In turn Decker turned to present a guitar to which the woman smiled, “Your the best thing to happen to me since I found myself thrown into this time, Dayu.”

“Dayu?” The ranger whispered in shock to each other as the scene shifted suddenly, the woman waking  to the house in flames.

“Cole!” Dayu called out as the scene shifted again.

They were outside now, Dayu cradling a coughing Decker/Cole prone on the ground as their home burned behind them.

“Please!” Dayu begged, “Someone hear my call!”

And in a burst of smoke he appeared, a Nighlok none of the Rangers had ever seen before.

“I can save him...for a price.”

“Please!”

“No!”
“Don't!”

But when the Rangers tried to approach an invisible wall stopped them.

“Simply trade your humanity for an eternity in the Netherworld.”

Decker's grip and breaths growing shallow.

“Make up your mind, he's fading fast!”

“I accept.”

“Then move away from him.”

Dayu dis as told, backing up to the well as she clutched her guitar and the Nighlok cast a spell on Cole.

“You have made your choice.”

Decker began to stir.

“He shall live. But as a cursed half human/half Nighlok, with no memory of you.”

“What, no,” Dayu gasped in shock as the Nighlok vanished, “You tricked me!”

And then Decker sat up, rising to his feet as a violet fire enveloped him, transforming him into his Nighlok form and then he vanished before Dayu's eyes.

Turning away from the fire and the memories Dayu's form too changed to her Nighlok form as he guitar became her Harmonium.

'Dayu,' Pink pounded on the wall, as Dayu cried, 'No wonder you're so tormented.'

And then suddenly Rhinosnorus appeared knocking over Pink and Yellow and shattering the barrier with Green, Blue and Black on his tail, “Dayu?”

Her tear drying as she looked with disgust to Rhinosnorus, “What are you doing here?”

He laughed nervously, “Guess I got you in my sleep spell. Never mind!”

Dayu went rigid as a portal opened from her, “You're my way out.”

“Wait!”
“Stop!”

“And you Ranger's aren’t following me!”

Suddenly Rhinosnorus pulled Nicole in from nowhere.

“Not while I have the Black Ranger's dream as a hostage.”

And leaps through.

“Nicole!” Black dropped to his knees demorphing.

“Don't worry Spike,” Green gives a thumbs up before jumping through, “We'll save your dream!”

Followed in short by Blue, Yellow, and Pink.

“Stop right there!” Rhinosnorus emerged from the dream world back into the city, Emerging from a collapsed Dayu in the shopping district, his grip still like a vice on Dream! Nicole, “One step closer and the dream girl gets it.”

The Rangers all stop, as Yellow looks confused to the boys, “Nicole, but how?”

“She's from Spike's dream, if he destroys her Spike might never wake up,” Blue cautions, afraid to move.

“But we can't do nothing, he'll eat Nicole for sure if we let him go,” Green cautioned as Rhinosnorus began to back away with her, a red crack glowing behind him that he inched toward.

“See ya rangers!”

Rhinosnorus turned to dive into the crack with Dream! Nicole in tow.

“NO!”
“Wait!”
“Stop!”

Suddenly Rhinosnorus roared out in pain as his mist blower flew into the air and then exploded and Suddenly Dream! Nicole rolled away as she was enveloped in a white light.

“No my mist blower,” Rhinosnorus howled as he got some distance from Nicole, “Without it all my snack will start to wake up!”

“You picked the wrong girl to mess with!” She called out as the transformation completed and she slotted a key into a wrist mounted Gokai Touch as a familiar cannon took shape and blasted Rhinosnorus back.

“I'm not just any girl!” She exclaimed as Rhinosnorus fled for the crack alone, “I am Nicole Skullovich...the White Ranger!”

“Whoa that was amazing Nicole!” Green laughed as everyone started to stir, including Dayu.

“Rangers!”

“Dayu!”

Looking over the 5 rangers she quickly fled to a crack.

“Well that was fun,” Nicole laughs as she demorphed dusting her hands, “Been a while Rangers. But I have a husband to get back too. I'll see you guys around.” Dream! Nicole saluted before she vanished in a streak of light.

“Oh boy,” Green took a deep breath, “Well things just got complicated.”

Blue and the Girls nodded before Blue suddenly looked off to the side and charged off, “Spike!”

Spike yawned as he awoke with a smile, “Morning Uncle Bulk.”

Around him were the unmorphed Rangers, Jayden and Serena looking exhausted.

“R-Rang-” he started to ask but caught himself.

“It's ok Spike, we know you know,” Ji explains, “Are you alright?”

Spike sat up easily and was about to speak when his stomach rumbled, and he flustered, “Guess I'm a little hungry.”

“No wonder,” Mike laughs, “You saved our asses in the dream wor-”

But they were once more interrupted by the doorbell.

Rising from her own rest Lauren reflexively answered it, “N-Nicole?”

“Lauren? Was it?” Dream! Nicole asked confused.

“Y-Yes,” she responded equally confused as the Rangers, Bulk, Spike, and Ji started to file into the hall behind Lauren, “W-What can I do for you?”

“I was looking for my husband, he wasn't at home,” she answered casually, then looked a bit reflective. “Oddly enough dinner was ready either...strange.”

“You're....husband?” Lauren looked even more confused as Spike came into view.

“Honey!” Dream! Nicole laughed, pushing past Lauren to wrap her arms around Spike planting a passionate kiss on his lips, “I thought I'd find you here with the Ranger when you weren’t at home.”

“N-Nicole?” Spike looks confused, “at home?”

“Yes,” she laughed taking his hand and dragging him toward the door, “Now come on silly. I don't know what happened to dinner but it won't take long to make another.”

She paused to look back at the others, “Why do you all join us. Since I have to make it over again might as well make it a feast.”

“Nicole,” Mike finally spoke up before the others, “we need to talk, there's some things you need to hear.”

Tilting her head curiously at Mike she looked confused, “Like what?”

“Like the fact your not real for one.” Ji said flatly.

“What are you talking about Ji,” Dream! Nicole laughed patting her chest, “See real, all of it. Always have been, always will be.”

“No Nicole,” Jayden spoke up, “Your a dream made manifest.”

“Jayden?” Dream! Nicole looked to him confused, “What are you saying?”

“The real Nicole died,” Kevin says bluntly, “we all saw it.”

One by one each of the Rangers nodded, save Lauren who looked on confused, then wide eyed, “Nicole's dead?!”

“Everyone sit down,” Ji spoke up as he turned back to the main meeting area, “We'll explain everything.”

Meanwhile in a dark temple a black mist rose as a Rinshi warrior rose from the ground and the mysterious figure paced around it, “Finally, I have found you.”

The figure reached for a fox shaped emblem on a podium and affixed it to the warriors brow transforming it to its powered up form, before it took on a new form, one in the shape of a fox.

“Where am I?”

“Just relax, coming back from the dead isn't easy, and it will be some time before you are strong enough to leave these grounds.”

“Who are you?” The Rinshi tilted it's head curiously as the figure stepped into the light.

“A friend.”

“Daishi!?!”

“This is all so much to take in,” Dream! Nicole looked even more confused, “I don't feel like a dream. I feel real.”

“And yet you are not,” Ji explained, “And what's more we don't know how long you can remain in this world.”

“Or even if it's save to do so.”

“Jayden?”

“She is still part of Spike's dream. Things may be ok now but who's to say if she were to be destroyed it wouldn't effect Spike the same way as having his dreams eaten by that Nighlok.”

“Well you don't have to worry about that Jayden,” Dream! Nicole held Spike close, “I'm a happily retired married woman.”

'If the real Nicole is dead does that mean the one we have been fighting beside is this dream clone?'

“Lauren?”

“What?” she looks confused as her name breaks her out of her musing.

“Do you have any thoughts on the issue?”

'If this is the Nicole we met I must insure she lives to see her future.'

Lauren's gaze shifting to Dream! Nicole, “I say let this Nicole go back home with Spike, it's the safest place for both of them until we can figure things out.”

“Agreed.”

Dream! Nicole giving Spike a kiss on the cheek with a laugh as she gets to her feet, “In that case I better get home and make dinner.”

“Why don't you join me in the kitchen instead of running to the other side of town.”

“Honey?” Dream! Nicole looked to Spike for his opinion, “How about it?”

Spike smiled dreamily, “Anything you want dear.”

She smiles clapping her hands as Mia guides her off to the kitchen giggling, “Wonderful honey! Oh it's soooo nice to be able to cook for all the Rangers again!”

“All the Rangers,” Spike says solemnly.

“Yes all the Rangers,” Jayden smiles.

“Jayden?”

“Well seeing as these two already know our secrets and have been training all this time I see no reason why both Bulk and Spike shouldn't join us here at the Shiba House...” he pauses looking to the kitchen and then to Nicole's old room, “Not just to protect Nicole under our Symbol Power barrier but also to finish their training to become the next generation of Samurai Rangers!”

“R-Really?!”

“Yes Bulk, Spike, really,” Jayden said standing, “welcome to the Power Rangers!”