Mike and Emily – A Very Fine Line

This story is from the point of view of Emily. Mike and Emily have always been friends… tottering on the verge of being something more. What will happen to her relationship with Mike when a Nighlock comes whose specialty is heartbreak? Will their friendship and blossoming romance survive?

I was sleeping when the Gap sensor went off. It was a rather rude awakening, and it had been quite a nice dream too. I groaned and pulled myself out of bed.

"Come on Em! Hurry it up! This'll be golden!" yelled Antonio. I couldn't resist smiling to myself. No matter what time of time of day… he was always ready to go. I wished that I could say the same thing about Mike. I rushed into his room clapping and shouting and making the biggest racket that I possibly could. It was no use… Trying to wake Mike was like trying to wake the dead. I tickled him, jumped on the bed, shouted into his ear… nothing worked. I finally went to my last resort. "Mike. If you don't get up right now, I'll tell Mia that you're feeling sick and that you specifically requested her chicken and brussel sprout soup with EXTRA syrup. He shot out of that bed like a bullet. "Wait for me guys!" he yelled. I rolled my eyes. Typical Mike…

When we got the sight of the Nighlock attack, all seemed calm. There was no noise at all. Then suddenly… there was hysterical wailing; a sure sign that the Nighlock was nearby. After following the noise, I saw a woman laying on the ground wailing and a Nighlock leaning over with a look of pure dark glee upon his heart shaped face, which had a long thick gash across it. "What did you do her? " Jayden asked accusingly. The Nighlock's twisted smile spread halfway across his face. "Nothing." He replied innocently. "I merely told her the truth." I shuddered remembering Negatron, the Nighlock whose insults could cause both intense physical and emotional pain. "Well we're onto you!" Mike shouted. "We know you're game, and your words can't hurt us. "

"Oh really?" the Nighlock smirked. "You see… I don't think you'll agree after…" Mike had already started to charge towards him, but in a flash, the Nighlock was behind him. "She'll never love you. " He whispered harshly. In one moment the fight went out of Mike's face like an extinguished candle and he touched his heart looking down puzzled. "Yesssss. You know whom I'm talking about… What are you to her? You are nothing. NOTHING." Mike clutched his chest and gasped in wheezing breaths as if each word was another hit to the chest and physically pained him. I narrowed my eyes confused. Who could this monster be talking about that was causing Mike so much pain? Did he have a secret girlfriend that I didn't know about? "Why would she even look at YOU when she can have whatever ranger she wants? Who would choose you over him…" He gestured to Jayden at this who was standing there looking dumbfounded. "Yesssss. HE is the fearless leader; the dark and mysterious one. And what are you? You are the joker, the goofball, and she will NEVER even look at you."

"YOU'RE HURTING HIM!" I sobbed. "LET HIM GO! LET HIM GO YOU BIG BULLY!"

"Stop. " Mike moaned. "Please."

"Fine." The Nighlock grinned evilly. In a flash he was beside me. "What about you sweetheart? What is it that you love most in the world?" I gasped. "I…"

Mike was trembling now. "No. Not her. Anyone but her. Please." Ignoring him, the Nighlock cupped his hands as if he had something trapped in there. My curiosity getting the better of me, I took a few cautious steps forward. A ball of light manifested in front of me swirling around rapidly. I caught small fragments of images in there. I saw my sister lying in bed coughing, myself practicing with the sword, playing the flute, Antonio preparing his grilled sea bass, Mia comforting me and tending to my wounds after a battle, Kevin putting his arm around me protectively in a big brother like fashion, Jayden smiling at me and telling me how proud he was of me, Mike rumpling my hair affectionately, my sister smiling at me her eyes shining with tears telling me how I was the true Samurai of the family. In a trance-like haze I stepped forward, drawn to it like iron to a magnet. "Yessssssss." The Nighlock crooned in my ear. "That's it. Goooooood. YESSSSSSSSSSSSS." I reached out with trembling fingers to touch it. Suddenly a shout pierced my unconsciousness and shattered my trance.

"Emily! NO!" I felt Mike's arms go around me as he pushed me out of the way. I opened my eyes just in time to see Mike get hit with the ball of light in my place, his eyes wide with surprise. His mouth opened as if he were about to tell me something and them there was a flash and Mike's face went blank.

Mike fell to the ground at this and out of instinct I rushed towards him. This could not go on any longer. I was not going to see him reduced to a sobbing mess like that woman. The Nighlock chuckled. "Gooooooood." He hissed. And then in a flash he was gone.

"Mike." I shook him desperately. "MIKE!" I shouted. My hands shook. This was all my fault. If I just hadn't – Suddenly his eyelids fluttered open.

"Mike." I whispered, "Are- are you okay?" I watched his eye blink rapidly trying to take in the scene before him. I held his head in my lap, afraid to breathe. Then suddenly, a look I had never seen before crossed Mike's face. He looked at me with a mixture of pure hatred and disgust.

"Get off me you miserable excuse for a Samurai!" he snarled at me. I tried to smooth his hair back from his face. "Mike. What are you-? He leaped off of me as if I were toxic. Smoothing out the rumples in his clothing, he surveyed the rest of the rangers with a sneer pasted on his usually jovial face.

"To think I was ever friends with this gang of losers. " He snorted. "His eyes focused in on Kevin like a missile programmed for its target. "All you do is nag and complain that I'm not working hard enough. Just because you're upset that you will never get to be in the Olympics now doesn't mean that you need to make everyone's life as miserable as your own pathetic wasted one." He spun around now on Mia. "And you. You think you're so perfect in every which way don't you? Well would you like to know the reason that you have such a good bond with Dayu? One day you are going to be just like her. A lonely old monster, never to be married, for who would ever love you. Oh and another thing… YOU CAN'T COOK!"

"Mike, dude, calm down…" Antonio started. "You don't even deserve to be here!" Mike cried spinning on him. "Do you think that a game you used to play with Jayden when you were kids will make up for your complete incompetence and lack of experience?

"Mike! That's enough!" Jayden shouted in his commanding voice. "I'm just getting started." Mike snarled. "You just think you are so great don't you? Well I have a news flash for you buddy! You're not as good as your father and he DIED trying to master that sealing symbol, so when your time comes where will you be?" He spun around satisfied as if he actually relished causing pain to his fellow rangers. The others meanwhile were looking at him with a mixture of hurt and confusion. Mia looked as if she were about to cry.

"Mike." I whispered putting a hand on his shoulder. "What has happened to you?" He shrugged off my hand in revulsion. "You." He whispered. "And to think that I once…" He shook his head decisively. "Well not anymore." He spun on me his eyes blazing with a pure and fiery hatred. "I hate you Emily. I don't think I've ever despised a living creature as much as I despise you right now. You are nothing but a weak and stupid girl who will never be as good as her sister and I hope that she makes a miraculous recovery just so you can be shipped back out to wherever the heck you came from and continue with your dull and boring life AS FAR FROM ME AS POSSIBLE!" On this last insult he turned and sped away leaving me in the dust with nothing but a confused and broken heart.

STAY TUNED FOR MORE.

What happens next when the rangers go about trying to cure Mike? Will some bottled up feelings be put out in the open? And will someone take it two far?