A/N: So little divert back to the series story, but don't worry more drama to follow, however as we all know life doesn't stop just cause we're having a crisis ;)

Chapter 21

Evie was chasing her breakfast around the plate. She could hear Mike and Emily training in the dojo, knowing Kevin was watching over them.
A hand lands on her shoulder and she jumps.
"Hey it's just me," soothes Jayden.
"Sorry," says Evie shaking herself.
"How you feeling?" asks Jayden.
"Better," assures Evie, though how she'd feel after she told Jayden was another matter.
"This afternoon, could we maybe go out, just us?"
Jayden nods, "Of course we can, what's up?"
"I just want some time out of the house, just us, spur of the moment," answers Evie quickly.
"Okay," nods Jayden dropping a kiss on the top of her head before grabbing a banana.
"Hey E, come on, it's the big sale," beams Mia appearing in the doorway.
Evie nods faking a smile, "I'll see you later," she says kissing Jayden cheek as she stands up.
"Uh, uh, finish first," says Jayden grabbing her arm and handing her plate to her.
Evie sighs and takes it finishing it off her food before handing it back.
"Thank you," he smiles.
Evie just nods and moves into her room to grab her jacket and her boots.
"You're going shopping?" comes Mike's voice.
Evie turns, "We've had it planned for a while now."
"You need to tell him," reminds Mike dropping his voice.
"And I will, later, we're going out once we're done shopping. I'll tell him then," assures Evie. "But right now, I just need to do something normal."
"Well in that case have fun."
Evie nods and walks out, "Ready?" she asks looking at Mia.
"Just waiting on Em," replies Mia.
Emily appears a few minutes later and they head out.

They flick through the clothes racks, Mia and Emily piling up on clothes, while Evie grabs a few things.
"This is cute," smiles Mia as she looks at something.
"Look at this one," beams Emily.
"Evie this is so you," says Mia as she pulls out a dress.
"I'm repeatedly told I have too many clothes," replies Evie.
"Yeah but you could wear this for Jayden's birthday, and then whatever goes underneath it is up to you," smirks Mia.
"Try it on at least," urges Emily.
Evie takes it and adds it to the other things she was holding.
"Come on let's try them on" smiles Mia.
Evie smiles getting caught up in the moment as they each try on their different outfits, giggles and poses exchanged at each one.

They emerge in the final ones Evie in the black dress, Mia in a pink skirt and top, but it was Emily's outfit that caught their attention. She'd gone for a white shirt, camo trousers, aviators and boots.
"Is this a tough look or what," smiles Emily.
"Damn Em, pair it with the jacket I gave you and you're a regular badass," nods Evie.
Emily looks at Mia then.
"It's interesting, but nah," says Mia.
"But what?" asks Emily. "I'm trying to be tough, like you and the others," says Emily as she turns and punches at the mirror.
"Em, you're tough but in your own way," replies Mia patting her shoulder before walking back to the changing room.
Emily thinks back to what Kevin had said earlier, how she was too nice and she needed to toughen up.
Evie sees the pensive look and hugs Emily, "you can be whatever you want, but don't change who you are to do it Em, we love you the way you are."
"But if you want to try something new, go for it," she adds before disappearing back to change.

They change back into their own clothes, and take their purchases to the cash register, neither noticing Spike and Bulk in the corner.
As they walk out of the shop, unaware Mia had dropped her purse.
Evie's samuraiser goes, and she pulls it out.
"Okay, we'll be there," she nods, "Come on ladies, a Nighlok has appeared, we'll dump these in the trunk before we go," she adds as they race off stopping to drop their bags at the car before joining the others.

As they head towards the area where the Nighlok had been spotted they see people looking absolutely manic as they scarf down food.
"What's going on here?" asks Mike.
"They've all become you," retorts Kevin.
"Hey Nighlok, pick on someone else!" shouts Jayden.
"Well looks who's come to dinner," laughs the Nighlok.
"What did you do to them?" demands Evie.
"My black dirt creates an appetite for self-destruction. Now these dummies will eat and eat and eat," cackles the Nighlok.
"This ends now," decides Jayden.

The seven of them morph and the Nighlok sends moogers at them.
"Bring it on," smirks Evie as they charge forwards and attack the moogers.
"You moogers hungry, lemme serve this up for you," says Mike as he turns and continues to attack, but he sees Emily having a little trouble and dashes over taking out the mooger for her.
"Hey Em, how you holding up?" asks Mike.
"Fine," replies Emily as she continues her attacks with zealous. "I have to prove I'm as tough as the others," she decides and turns when she hears the Nighlok laughing. "And this is my chance," she says as she leaps up landing in front of the Nighlok and trying to attack.
"Emily what are you doing?" demands Mia as she sees her.
"Oh come on no, not today," mutters Evie.
Emily launches her attack but the Nighlok grabs her sword with ease, "Let's see how this grabs you," he laughs as he pushes her sword aside and launches a series of attacks at her that send her rolling across the ground.
"How about a game?" smirks the Nighlok, "dodgeball" he laughs as he sends the blasts at Emily. She's unable to block them and she forcibly demorphs and falls to the floor.

"We've got to go help Emily" realises Mia.
Just as the Nighlok prepares to blast Emily Kevin and Mia jump in front of her taking the hits from the sand instead, both fall to the floor and de-morph as the sand takes effect.
"I'm starving," realises Kevin.
"so thirsty," agrees Mia.
"Mia, Kevin," cries Emily trying to pull herself up. "They've been hit!" she yells.
"Cover Emily," orders Jayden looking at Antonio and Mike who both race towards Emily.
"Haha, I love playing dirty tricks," smirks the Nighlok as he sends the sand at Mike and Antonio, hitting them both and they begin to experience the effects immediately.
Jayden and Evie leap in front of Emily, "We got you" assures Jayden.
Evie goes to draw a blocking symbol but the Nighlok hits them first both Evie and Jayden inhaling the sand but the Nighlok began to dry out, making it not as effective.
"Damn, I'm out of dirt, you lucked out. I'll recharge and get you properly," warns the Nighlok as he disappears through the gap.
Jayden and Evie both groan as they feel the sand starting to work and they drop to the floor, de-morphing as well.
Emily looks at her team pulling herself to her feet, "I've got to fix this."

Emily and Ji watch as Mike, Kevin, Mia and Antonio try to scarf every food in sight.
Jayden and Evie were uncomfortable but a lot less effected given the limited dose they'd had. Evie was simply munching on her pack of giant strawberry laces.
"This is crazy" says Ji.
"And it's all my fault" sighs Emily, "they took the hits because I was trying to prove I was tough."
Antonio tries to grab one of Evie's strawberry laces from her, she plants her foot in his chest sending him back against the counter sharply.
Ji tries to wrestle some of the food off of the others, Jayden starting to eat a giant pack of chips he'd stolen from Evie's room as they watched the carnage unfold.

A moment later the doorbell goes. "what now?" asks Ji.
He heads out to get it and opens it to see Spike and Bulk stood there.
"Sorry, we're not interested in buying anything today," says Ji trying to close the door but Bulk sticks his foot out to stop it closing completely letting out a squeak as it hits his leg.
Ji opens the door again with a huff.
"Is Mia home?" asks Spike.
"Mia?" asks Ji in surprise, "She isn't here right now," he replies until a commotion from the kitchen gets his attention.
Kevin and Jayden were wrestling over the bag of chips, Mike and Antonio were arguing over a watermelon, and Evie was defending her strawberry laces with teeth bared and her still unaffected kicking abilities.
"Uh can you wait right here, I'll be back," says Ji as he hurries back to the kitchen.
Spike and Bulk however follow him in and start poking around, their eyes widening in awe as they realise what everything is.
"It's a dojo," gasps Bulk.
"Mia must come here to train," realises Spike.
"Maybe they'll train us," he adds excitedly.

Ji however races into the kitchen in time to find Kevin eating a bag of plain flour.
"Kevin no," he calls trying to wrestle it from him, but Mike joins in and Ji ends up wearing most of it.
"Hey I was going to eat that," whines Mike.
"I'm going to change," sighs Ji, "and Evie stop kicking Antonio" he adds as she takes another swipe at him, unlike the others still in control enough to fight with her samurai skills rather than just blind kicking.
He walks out of the kitchen in time to see Spike and Bulk in the dojo.
"What's going on here?" he demands.
Bulk and Spike both jump at his appearance.
"Well, sir, the door happened to swing open after you left. And well sir, we want to sign up," explains Bulk.
Ji sighs and tries to brush the flour off of him.
"For training, we're samurai, in training," continues Bulk.
"There's no training today," replies Ji wanting to get rid of these two idiots so he could deal with his rangers.
"We'll work hard," pleads Bulk.
"We never give up, never" promises Spike.
"Ever," adds Bulk.
An idea springs into Ji's mind then, usually he'd ask Evie to handle this, she was capable of running something with the brutal efficiency of a drill sergeant when she felt like it. But right now, he only had one fully functioning ranger.
"Wait there," he orders as he turns and hurries off and back into the kitchen where Emily was trying to get food out of Mike's hands.

"Emily, you need to get rid of those two out there," explains Ji. "They think is a dojo, and that they want to be samurai."
Emily peers inside the dojo, "Oh no its Spike and his Uncle Bulk, guess that ranger obsession continues."
Emily then glances at Evie, an idea forming in her mind. She might not be tough in the conventional sense, but maybe all she needed to do was channel someone who was. "I have an idea, leave this to me."

She walks into the dojo having changed her outfit for the one like she'd bought today, having raided Mia's closet, pulling on the sunglasses and quickly creating a wig to make herself less recognisable.
"Attention!" she calls.
Spike and Bulk both scramble forwards stopping in front of her.
"So you two, want to be samurai?" asks Emily in the same commanding voice as she straightens up their postures.
"Get down and give me 500 push-ups," she orders.
They don't move immediately and Emily turns, "Now!" she snaps channelling Evie when she wanted something done and done quickly.
"Is there a problem?" she demands.
They both drop down and start doing the push ups, "ma'am, no ma'am," they whimper as they begin, both struggling immensely.
Emily watches them for a few moments before walking back out, now she had them distracted she could split her time between them and her team.
Walking out she leaned against the wall with a smile, "I knew I could be tough" she says as she pulls off the wig.
She then spends the next hour or so trying to keep her team from eating stuff they shouldn't, and keeping Spike and Bulk busy.
Ji eventually sets everyone eating watermelon and other fruits to try and make it healthy. Evie and Jayden both still being less effected, but Evie was being even more defensive of her food than usual. And Mike, Kevin and Antonio had been on the receiving end of her kicks, even Jayden had gotten caught by one.

Suddenly the gap sensor resounds and both Jayden and Evie turn, "Got to go" they say as Evie vaults off the counter and Jayden grabs a cookie before they race out of the house.
"But you're not okay!" yells Ji unable to stop them given the other four were on him trying to get at more food.
"The dirt barely got us," assures Jayden as he and Evie stop at the map.
"Emily!" shouts Ji.
She sees Jayden and Evie and both look at Bulk and Spike in surprise before shrugging and running out.
After ensuring that Bulk and Spike were taken care of Emily runs after them.

Jayden and Evie arrive the quarry and both morph as they see the Nighlok.
"They're all too busy eating to stop me," gloats the Nighlok having not spotted Evie and Jayden.
"Wrong!" shouts Jayden as they launch their attacks.
"You forgot to finish the job," agrees Evie.
"You again," cries the Nighlok trying to block their attacks.
"That's right," answers Jayden as the two attack together.
"Back for seconds huh?" asks the Nighlok.
"Oh yeah, takes more than a handful of dirt to stop us," smirks Evie as she spins blocking the Nighloks sword and allowing Jayden to slice across him. But the Nighlok recovers and knocks Evie aside, managing to get a hit in on Jayden as well.
"I'm coming guys!" shouts Emily as she throws off her wig and glasses.
She pulls out her samuraiser to morph only to realise she'd grabbed lipstick instead, huffing she chucked it aside and grabbed her samuraiser, morphing quickly.
Jayden and Evie are both thrown backwards at that moment and the Nighlok prepares to hit them with his bombs.

Emily leaps in front of them deflecting the attacks.
"I don't think so," she says.
"Emily," smiles Evie as she sees her.
"I know you're not fully recovered, so I'm here to step up."
"Oh this'll be a piece of cake," smirks the Nighlok.
Emily counters the Nighlok as he attacks but he was strong and knocks her back.
Rolling out of the way she sees him about to hit her with the sand.
"Wall!" she shouts as she draws the symbol she'd learnt from Evie when practising her splits move and the sand bounces off harmlessly before the wall disappears.
She redoubles her attacks, but once again he proved too strong and sent her flying backwards.
Jayden and Evie manage to pull themselves to their feet but both could tell they weren't near their usual level.
"Hey Em," calls Jayden as he pulls out the black box.
"I'm not giving up," she assures.
"We know, show him what you got," nods Evie as Jayden throws the black box to her.
"The black box, really?" asks Emily.
"Kick his ass," says Evie and Emily can just tell she's smiling under her helmet.
Emily turns to the Nighlok then just as he sends more bombs at her, "super samurai mode," she calls and as the smoke clears she's ready with the power up.

"Time to shut your mouth," she warns.
"Make me," retorts the Nighlok as he sends another attack at her.
She dodges them with ease and before the Nighlok can launch another, Emily sends her own.
"Super primate cyclone," she activates as she starts to spin, slashing across the Nighlok who's unable to it her.
"It's your turn to bite it!" she shouts as she lands and deals the final blow.
"No!" he cries as he goes up in smoke.
"Thanks for hanging tough Em," says Jayden.
"I knew you could handle it," smiles Evie resting her hand on Emily's shoulder as the Nighlok grows to his megamonster size.

They turn in time to see the other zords arriving.
"We got your back," says Mia.
"We're with you," nods Kevin.
"Time for him to eat dirt," agrees Mike.
"Take it away Em," smiles Jayden.
"Super samurai combination," calls Emily and the megazord forms, the seven of them appearing in the cockpit of the samurai gigazord.
The Nighlok gets in a few good hits, until Emily takes the initiative and launches the ape zord at him blinding him so the others can attack, and within moments he's ash.
"Samurai rangers, victory is ours," smiles Emily reappearing in the main cockpit.
"With most of the credit going to you," replies Evie.
"Yeah three cheers of Em," nods Antonio.

At that moment Emily remembers Spike and Bulk, "Oh no, I'll see you guys back at the house I got to do something," she says dashing past them.
"What's the hurry?" asks Mike.
"Explain later," she calls before racing back to the house and find Spike and Bulk completely exhausted and very scared of Emily.
Spike soon hands over Mia's wallet and the two leg it upon Emily's threat of being harder on them tomorrow.