Mia gently touched her fingers to the half-open door of the room, which she had promised herself never to go near. Her lips formed an involuntary smile as they met the reflection of the red ranger in the mirror. Even with his hair wet with sweat and a fierce expression, the heir of the Shiba clan always made her heart race. Although she had first seen him on a white horse with flowing hair, the young samurai was fully aware that Jayden was not like the charming princes from the stories she loved so much. Instead of a ball, he had invited her to fight monsters; their hands met during spear training and not during a slow dance. Instead of a shining ring, she had received a morpher with thousands of symbol powers to be practiced and perfected.
Since she was little, Mia knew that at some point she would need to assume her position as the pink samurai ranger of the eighteenth generation, willing to sacrifice her own life for the salvation of all the land. In order to make the burden easier, she fought bravely to leave these useless fantasies aside. However, when Jayden appeared, the young woman could no longer suppress them. How many sleepless nights had she lost imagining a world without Nighloks with the young Shiba by her side? How many times while he taught her a fighting move during training did she catch herself trying to guess what his lips would taste like? His mysterious air seemed to call her in a whisper, inviting her to finally end the loneliness that had haunted her since she had arrived at that house. The other rangers were incredible and had become her great friends. Still, Mia missed something more, someone with whom she could share her sorrows or who would surprise her with flowers in the middle of the afternoon. Who knows, maybe Jayden could fill that void? Seeing him there, in his suit, she could finally see an eighteen-year-old boy, charming, with feelings, qualities, and flaws, who like anyone, wants to be loved. But who was she kidding? Jayden would never see her that way; in his eyes, she would never be more than a simple intruder in his world, after all, the team leader had made it clear on several occasions how much better off he would be alone. At times, when she lost herself in those hypnotic blue eyes, the young woman had the sensation that they were crying for help, however, when facing the red helmet, those same sparkling eyes seemed to be miles away.
— So? Waiting for the groom? Emily's sweet voice pulled her from her thoughts.
— What? — Mia felt her cheeks burn.
— No need to be embarrassed, I know exactly why you're here! — Emily's innocent smile, instead of calming her, only made her more nervous this time.
— I'm just here to…
— I know, you want to see if Jayden can convince the mentor to let you keep that dress, but you're too embarrassed to ask, right?
Mia hoped the yellow ranger hadn't heard her sigh of relief.
— Yeah, exactly, you know how much I want to wear one of these for real someday… — the heir of the pink samurai symbol didn't hide the sadness in her voice.
That morning, she had had a glimpse of what it would be like to have her dream come true. A week ago, the team had received reports of brides kidnapped during ceremonies. All the witnesses interviewed reported having seen terrifying monsters with sharp teeth. Moogers without a doubt. Mia was tired of knowing that the goal of the monsters from the underworld was to make humans suffer to the point that their tears overflowed the Sanzu River, making it possible for them to stay on Earth permanently. However, ruining the most special day of a woman's life who had dreamed of that moment her whole life seemed too cruel even for those demonic beings. She couldn't even imagine the suffering of the poor brides when their dream was turned into a nightmare. For this reason, the pink ranger swore to herself that she would do everything in her power to save them, not only because it was her duty as a samurai, but because in a way she understood the extent of the pain, after all, her dream had also been kidnapped, not by Moogers but by her family's samurai heritage.
Thus, she had the idea to lure the monsters into a trap through a fake wedding: When they appeared to kidnap the bride, they would end up kidnapping a samurai ranger instead, a samurai ranger who could reveal to her teammates the location of the captivity.
Logically, she had the best of intentions, but she couldn't avoid a shiver of happiness upon entering the store and coming across a beautiful white dress.
“Focus Mia, you're not really getting married, this is just a mission, think of the poor brides in trouble you swore to save.” She repeated to herself.
To make matters worse, upon returning to the Shiba house days ago, she discovered who the fake groom would be…
Upon entering side by side with Jayden in the church while her friends watched them full of happiness, she allowed herself to imagine for a second that all of that was not an act. However, reality knocked on the door when they received the news that the trap had not worked and the cursed Nighloks had made a new victim.
Despite feeling bad for the poor woman, Mia had enjoyed the sensation of having her dream fulfilled, even if only for an instant.
— I know! So you don't need to be embarrassed. — Emily's voice once again brought her back to reality.
Mia sighed, if only her friend knew…
— It's okay Emy, I have to return the dress anyway, it's rented, remember?
— If you know that, why are you here at Jayden's door staring at him so anxiously?
Sweet and innocent Emily hadn't been able to notice how much her body had shivered the moment her arm met Jayden's in that church. The yellow ranger probably also hadn't been able to notice how much her friend's eyes had searched Jayden's for some clue that he might feel the same when they shared the altar. How could she blame her? Emily had lived on a farm her whole life and the only person who could give her advice of that kind had fallen ill before she came of age. As if that weren't enough, the young blonde carried the burden of replacing her sister in the arduous mission of becoming a Power Ranger. Therefore, it would be very selfish to bother her with her love illusions.
— Yeah, you're right, I think deep down I was hoping to be able to keep that dress… — she limited herself to answering.
— Ah Mia, I understand, I mean, I also want to get married someday. – The youngest of the team rubbed her hands awkwardly.
Mia gave a small smile, after all, she knew a certain green ranger who wouldn't think twice about fulfilling that wish. Luckily for the heir of the earth symbol, of the team, Mike was laid-back, open, and not afraid to show his feelings in public, unlike Jayden.
— And you will! I'm sure! You're such a sweet and kind girl. By the way, I don't doubt that some boys might admire you more than you imagine…
Emily widened her eyes in response.
— What do you mean?
Mia couldn't hold back her laughter; the fact that her friend still hadn't noticed Mike's true feelings for her wouldn't surprise her, however, she had hopes that the blonde would mature and at the right moment be ready to live this great love, and when that time came, Mia would be by her side to advise her in the best way.
Realizing that she wouldn't be able to extract any information from her friend, the yellow ranger withdrew. Mia was about to do the same when a firm male voice that she would recognize from thousands of miles away pronounced her name.
The aspiring cook walked to the red ranger's room, with her head down, because if she fell into the mistake of getting lost in those blue eyes, she might not find her way back.
— I'm ashamed to admit this, but I don't know how to undo a tie knot. — Jayden admitted in a whisper before continuing. – Since you're here, could you help me? – Mia crossed her arms in an attempt to hold back the laughter that nevertheless insisted on escaping her lips.
In a moment of carelessness, she stared at the perplexed expression of the red ranger.
A knot formed in her throat.
— I'm sorry Jayden, I didn't mean to…
— It's okay, as a samurai in training I didn't have many opportunities to wear a suit.
“A pity, he looks even more stunning in one.” she thought.
— I just want you to know that I wasn't spying on you or anything like that, I mean, not that I never thought about it… you know, because of your great leadership skills.
Jayden widened his eyes in confusion, making the girl swallow dryly.
— Yeah… I better help you with this right away. Her voice came out trembling as she closed the distance between them.
— May I? — She asked, pointing to the tie with her eyes.
Jayden nodded.
Mia's trembling fingers tingled the moment they felt the thick fabric of the accessory around Jayden's neck. Only a few centimeters prevented her from feeling the radiant strands of his hair, or from pulling him to herself and joining their lips… What was she thinking? He had only asked for help, as a leader, not as a man. The realization made her chest ache.
— It must have been hard, being in Dayu's hands, even if only for a few moments.
Mia allowed herself to look at him again before smiling.
— Well, yes, but I never doubted that you, I mean, you all would save me! — She hurried to correct herself.
During the entire time she was in that cursed captivity, under Dayu's control, Jayden didn't leave her mind even for an instant, could he be worried? Would he defend her as if he were her true groom if necessary? How far would the young samurai be willing to go to save her?
Would he risk his own life? These were questions that should remain forever locked in her mind, for the good of the mission.
— I would never let anything happen to you! the ranger exclaimed, but he was as quick as Mia to complete. — and neither to the others, we are a team.
— Of course — Mia made sure to put a fake smile on her face. What was she expecting, after all? A