SEALED PART 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers in any way shape or form.

It was yet another dawn at the ranger house. The rangers were in the outdoor training area. The sun hanging above brought heat down on the team which added to their training in a difficult way. Mike and Emily sparred with one another while Kevin and Mia did the same. Antonio did some tech training of his own, sitting on a bench fidgeting with his Gold Morpher.

Jayden was busy stick fighting with the training dummy. The katana in his hands landed hard blow after blow on the opponent before him. Like he had been a lot lately, he was deep in thought. It was as if he wasn't even there. Something was weighing heavily on his mind. As he trained, he heard Deker's voice ring in his mind.

"You act all righteous when you've been lying to your friends all along."

Remembering these words fueled Jayden to hit the dummy even harder. He screamed 'Hyahs' over and over with each strike that landed. Each hit was more intense than the one before. He paused for a brief moment and glanced at the dummy. Xandred's face appeared and taunted the red ranger. It was all in his mind but to him, it couldn't of felt more real. He felt a gasp leave his lungs when the lord of the Nighlok appeared.

"Go ahead and seal me away, Red Ranger! I'll be happy knowing that my defeat means yours as well!"

Jayden felt his arms shake in pure fury. He let out a loud roar, that made himself call attention to the other rangers. The team quickly halted what they were doing and turned worriedly to their leader. But Jayden just continued to whack the dummy with every ounce of strength he had in him. He hit it so hard that it began to crack and break from the force. However, this still wasn't enough to make Jayden let up.

Immediately Kevin dropped his own katana stick and ran over to his friend's side. He grabbed onto Jayden's arms from behind and attempted to restrain him.

"Jayden!" he called out to him. "Calm down! It's just a prop!"

But it was as if the others weren't even near him. Despite Kevin's clinging onto him, he still wailed on the dummy. Kevin quickly turned to the rest of the team. "Guys, help me out here!" he yelled to them, feeling his grip loosening.

Mia ran up to them and pulled out her Samuraizer a fast as she could. "Symbol Power—stop!" she shouted, drawing a pink symbol into the air and sending onto Jayden. It was as if someone had pressed pause. He froze mid-swing.

Kevin slowly let go of Jayden and took a few cautious steps backwards. A beat later, the red ranger resumed in his movements. He fell forward onto the obliterated dummy, weary and panting from his outburst. He looked at what damage he had caused in horror, then back to his friends.

Mike looked at Jayden with wide eyes. "Jayden…bro, what was that?" he asked.

Jayden just sighed and stood there a moment. He wanted to tell him what the real problem was, but he couldn't put a burden like that on his friends. He had never felt so conflicted in his life. His eyes remained wide in fear as he peered back at the dummy. He shook his head a few times before answering.

"I'm…I'm sorry but…I need some time alone." He told them in a dark voice, pushing himself up to stand, then quickly walking away from the other rangers.

Emily walked up to the badly damaged dummy and picked up a piece of it that had broken off. "Something isn't right…" she said slowly. "We need to go after him." She added.

Antonio stood, still stunned by what he had just witnessed. "But…he said that he wanted to be alone." He reminded them.

"Something horrible is on his mind." Mia added.

Kevin looked at all the damage with concern. "From the look of things he's struggling bad with something."

Mike shook his head. "Something is torturing that guy. It's obvious there's something he's hiding from us." He said.

"And we need to find out what it is…" Emily interjected. "…and fast."

Kevin nodded at her. "I hate to go against our leader's wishes, but that's what being a team is all about. Let's go find him." He said, the others nodding in agreement and running after Jayden.

XXX

Meanwhile, at the Sanzu River, Xandred sat weakly against the floor of the rocking boat. The rising and falling of the water made his head pound even harder. He guzzled his medicine to try and relieve his pain. Dayu was busy plucking the strings of her harmonium, deep in thought herself.

"Octoroo!" Xandred shouted in a loud roar. "You had better have a powerful new monster for me after that pathetic monstrosity with Scorp!"

Octoroo just turned to his master slowly, trying to not worsen his anger any further. "Ooh-ahh-ooh! I sure do!"he answered. With that, he waved his arm in one swift motion. No monster appeared from the river like they usually did. Instead, a black mist blew throughout the boat.

Dayu let out a loud gasp, feeling something foreign enter her body and dropped her harmonium in the process. Her eyes flashed red briefly and she turned an dropped three Moogers like they were paper targets. A few seconds later, the mist exited her body and she hit her knees, looking at the monster that had now materialized before her.

"You were…" Dayu gasped. "…in my body." After catching her breath, she winced and reached for her harmonium.

"Indeed." Octoroo answered proudly. "Meet Poe, a Nighlok that can enter the body of anyone he wishes." He explained.

Poe wasn't even a true monster, he looked like a purple flame with deep black eyes and floated in midair.

"So you're saying he can posses the Red Ranger and learn that Sealing Symbol for us?" Xandred asked, already completely satisfied with this new Nighlok.

Dayu stood up weakly, her body still reeling from Poe controlling her. "But…Master Xandred…you said you would let Deker handle the Red Ranger."

Xandred just growled angrily. "I don't care what Deker thinks! I follow no one's orders but my own!" he screamed. "Now, go get him!" he ordered the flame-like spirit.

Poe answered in his deep, hissing voice. "On my way." He said, floating eerily out of the ship, off to claim his victim.