My Best Friend

Chap 5 "Bringing Jayden Back"

Mia's POV
"Mike," I replied putting my hand on his shoulder. "Calm down."
"You can't stop him," Mentor Ji replied. "No one can."
"Ji, you've been my guiding light," Jayden calmly stated. "Thank you for everything." Mentor joined us. "Mike, Emily, Mia, Antonio, Kevin, it's been an honor to fight by your side."
"I'm going with you," Kevin replies stopping Jayden.
"You're a Samurai Ranger. I'm counting on you to stay," Jayden said as he looked at Kevin. "And fight by my sister's side. I know you'll make her as proud of you as you've made me."
"Jayden, you can't leave," I replied stopping him. He turned to look at me. "You don't get it."
"Mia, I'm counting on you to show Lauren the ropes," Jayden nodded. "Everything we've trained for the last three months. It's your turn."
"Jayden," I nodded.
"Goodbye," Jayden replied.
"This can't be happening," I sighed.
"Mia," Mike called after me as I ran inside. I stopped in the living room and sat down. Tears running down my face. I felt someone sit next to me and they pulled me into a hug. "Mia, shhh."
"Mike," I whispered. Everyone joined us. "It was Jayden who brought us together."
"Somehow fighting alongside him made me a stronger warrior," Emily sighed.
"So what are we supposed to do?" Mike asked. "Just forget about him like he never existed?"
"Of course not," Lauren nodded.
"Mike, you remember what Jayden said," Kevin reminded us all. "We gave a duty as Samurai."
"Well, he's my best friend and, technically, I'm not a true Samurai like all you are," Antonio replied. "So, I'm going after him."
"Antonio," I nodded as he left.
"I'm sorry, Lauren, I'm sure you're a great Samurai, but it's just not the same without Jayden," Mike replied.
"That's it," I had enough. I stood up and faced everybody. "We have to respect Hayden's wishes and that's exactly what I'm going to do."
"That's where you're stronger than me," Kevin nodded. "I can see why he had you teach Lauren the things he taught you."
"Let's all get some sleep," I nodded. "We need to be well rested and wrap our head around the fact that Jayden's gone."
"I'm going after him too," Mentor joined us. "Take care of each other, Mia."
"Yes Mentor," I nodded. "Let's all go to bed." I got to my room and basically cried myself to sleep. I woke up the next morning and got dressed in white denim shorts, a pink crop top tee, and a white denim jacket with the sleeves cut off. "He's really gone." I met up with Lauren and Emily in the dojo. "Let's go to the common room." We walked to the common room. "Antonio." Emily and I ran over to help him. Lauren didn't lift a finger. "You're injured."
"I'm great," Antonio replied, weakly. "Just worries about Jayden."
Emily and I made Antonio lay down on the two cushion seats we put together. "Let me go get some ice," Emily replied.
As soon as Emily left, Mike and Kevin ran into the room. "Relax buddy," Mike replied pulling up another cushion seat to support Antonio's back. "We got you."
Kevin grabbed a pillow. "Ow, ow," Antonio replied. "A little easier on the care giving, okay?" Mike grabbed the blanket and put it over Antonio as Kevin put the pillow under Antonio's head. I tried to make Antonio lay down. Emily came back with two ice packs and put it on his face. "Ow!"
"Relax Antonio," I replied. "You're resisting. Stop resisting."
"Are you okay?" Lauren asked. "What happened?"
We stopped what we were doing and looked toward Lauren. "Mentor!" we exclaimed.
"Huh?" Antonio questioned. Mike grabbed the blanket, Emily got the ice, Kevin grabbed the cushion seat that was supporting Antonio's back, & I grabbed the pillow. All that caused Antonio to do a backwards somersault and land face down. "OWWWW!!!"
We had the same set up for Mentor. "Did you find my brother?" Lauren asked.
"Yes," Mentor Ji replied as he looked at Lauren. "He's fighting Dekker."
"Jayden's fighting Dekker?" Kevin asked.
"Dekker?" I asked. "Dekker Dekker? The guy who's half nighlok, half human?" Mentor nodded. "He shouldn't be battling alone."
"Mia!" Mike called after me as I ran out of the house.
I kept running. I got to the woods and I saw Jayden. I jumped. "Go go Samurai!" I stated. I morphed and jumped in front of Jayden who was on the ground.
"Mia, this is my fight," Jayden replied.
"Your fights are my fights, Jayden," I replied holding my sword in front of me.
"That's where she's wrong," Mike replied as the others joined me. "We fight as a team."
"Leave now Dekker," Lauren replied. "Or you'll regret staying." Dekker left and we all demorphed.
"Jayden," I replied turning to look at him. I held out my hand and pulled him up. " We're stronger together," I nodded. "We're stronger with you."
"Just for that, I'll go back with you guys," Jayden nodded.
I smiled and we went back to the Shiba house to practice. Mentor paired Mike and I together. "Ready?" I asked. Mike nodded. I took him down in fifteen seconds. "Oh no. Are you okay?" Mike got up. "Did you hurt yourself? Let me see."
I tried to lift up his shirt from the back and he stopped me. "No thanks, I'm fine," Mike said walking away. He started running. "I'm fine."
"Okay," I said as he went into the common room. I grabbed a plate and put the two bags of frozen peas on it. I went to the common room and out the plate on the floor. "Mike." I grabbed a bag and handed it to Mike but he didn't take it. "Here you go."
"Frozen peas?" Mike asked as Emily and Kevin joined us.
"It's like an ice pack," I smiled. "I was accident prone as a kid and it always healed me right up." I smiled. "Let me."