Author's Note: 4/1/12 - I am truly sorry for all the grammatical errors in my last chapter. The idea came to me last night when I was watching PRS with my two nephews. My muse just came through and I was so excited that I hit submit before I even proof-read it starting chapter. If you are not familiar with my writing style, then you might not know that really I am a perfectionist when it comes to presenting my story chapters. It usually takes me weeks, months, and in some cases years to update because of my drafting process. I draft and redraft and continue the cycle over again. Anyway on with the story.
Chapter 4
Tawni didn't answer Tommy instead she was guided to her room by Jayden. She had vaguely heard him say that she needed to rest and he'd come back and explain the situation to the Eldest Power Ranger.
Jayden was silent the whole trip to her room. Tawni could feel the anger coming off him in waves.
Her face was throbbing and she could only imagine the image Jayden saw before him as he assisted her to her bed.
Jayden scrutinized Tawni's face, as he went to move a piece hair out of her face, Tawni flinched away.
"I will kill that bastard," Jayden gritted through his teeth.
"No," Tawni said in a voice that would probably be classified as a stage whisper. "Jayden don't."
"What were you doing alone with that guy," Jayden demanded.
"I was breaking up with him," she answered. She rested her head on his shoulder. "I had been avoiding him since I came back from Japan and I finally grabbed the courage to end things. It didn't go as well as I thought it would."
"What happened to the girl, who threw daggers at my head just for implying that she was too materialistic to be a Samurai?" Jayden inquired.
Tawni gave a strangled chuckle as she tucked the re-escaped strand of hair. She looked up into his eyes and grinned. "You challenged my femininity and in my defense you were the one who had daggers laying around in plain sight."
Jayden didn't have a comment for her statement. "How is it that you are training to protect the world from Mutant Aliens but you can not take a stand against a human?"
Tawni looked down into her lap and sighed, "I was thrown off and unprepared alright? He knows all of my moves Jay. He studies under Dad. He was my sparring partner during warm-ups at tournaments and he could counter all my techniques. He's taller than I am and stronger as well."
"No matter how strong you think he is...you are stronger Tawni Hart Oliver-Shiba," he murmured while grasping her hands into his, a move that made her look into his eyes. "You have a power that flows through your veins so strong, you have yet to understand their fullest capacity. You are the daughter of the two greatest Power Rangers in history. They have gone through so many trials and tribulations that it changed their genes, genes you inherited. You just need to find the tools to tap into them."
This wasn't exactly the kind of conversation that she had imagined having with Jayden when they reunited.
"That is why Ji and I brought the team here. We are here to help you tap into that power."
"No!" Irritated now by the admission of the young man sitting next to her, she forgot that her face was bruising and fell back angrily to her bed on her back. "You were suppose to give me time to get ready for your arrival! Not just show up and throw me off course!" She voiced trying very hard not to cause a scene because Jayden's team had no idea what was really going on between the two of them.
"You had a run in with one of The Society's former enemies today," he countered mastering an air of indifference. Clearly in Leader Mode now which annoyed Tawni.
"How did you know about that?" She questioned through clenched teeth.
"We had Gap Sensors installed all around the City before your return," Jayden answered.
Tawni stood up and jumped on to the floor. "Really Jay! Gap sensors in my City! I thought they were to detect Nighlok only. Not outer space aliens! The Angel Grove Rangers have means to track down these sort of threats! I have access to them or have you forgotten that I am an all powerful Oliver!"
Jayden stood up with an amused smirk on his face, "You're talking about that pile of rubble on the mountain on the edge of the City. That's not operable anymore sweetheart..."
"Don't get conceded Mister. That pile of rubble is more resourceful then you think. This isn't about a defenseless City. This is about the fact that you don't trust me! Using the "You have powers you have yet to tap into," excuse isn't flying with me."
"I...trust...fine I don't trust you to be alone."
"I'm not alone! I have my parents and other family members!"
"They're not active. You are."
"Oh please, I'm Auxiliary not active. Thank you for the ego boost," she snapped. Her temper was boiling and the building started to shake.
This was something new to Tawni but she couldn't seem to care.
Earthquake! Earthquake! They heard from downstairs. The conversation was clearly over and Tawni only became angrier as she sent imaginary daggers at her husband's head!
The two ran down the stairs and into the living room to see Antonio and Mike cowering underneath a door jam. Tommy and Kimberly seemed to be unfazed by the occurrence. They proceeded to walk around the debris and straight to their daughter.
"Excuse us Jayden," Tommy said politely and looked down at his daughter. "Time for a walk darling," he whispered in her ear, trying not to make everyone else in the room suspicious.
Kimberly wrapped Tawni in her arms as she escorted her daughter out of the house. As the three older Olivers left the house... the quaking gently eased off.
"What just happened," Emily asked not one in particular.
"Someone just angered the leader of The Trio," Kevin answered glaring at Jayden. "What exactly happened up there Jayden," he demanded of his Leader.
"I inadvertently accused her of being unable to defend her City," Jayden answered.
"Why would you do that," Mia asked in a moment of unusual anger.
Jayden shrugged his shoulders and walked to the kitchen.
"What happened in your room," Kimberly asked quietly while Tommy kept making sure their perimeter was clear.
"That insensitive, no good, insufferable …."
Tommy chuckled as he understood where this line of grumbling was headed. His daughter was in the middle of her first marital argument. Once he was sure that they were clear he turned towards his daughter and wife. At this point Tawni's body was very visibly shaking and turning red, he looked down to see flames start forming at her hands.
"You need to calm down sweetheart," Tommy said as though he were talking to an infant.
This wasn't the first instance that both Tommy and Kimberly had ever witnessed anyone have a power manifestation beyond their control. They always found that talking to them more calmly then you should always helped.
Tommy looked to Kimberly and both nodded. Both took their daughter's hand and instantaneously all three were being teleported to the "rubble" of the Command Center.
Tawni struggled to get out of the bonds of her parents hands. Next thing she knew as she was struggling was the feeling of being suspended in air and crash landing in an unknown environment.
"The way you are feeling can be used to your benefit sweetheart," Kimberly assured her daughter. "See that training apparatus over there," she continued pointing to a human form training apparatus.
"Use your anger to mentally envision that fire in your hands becoming fire orbs," Tommy took over for Kimberly. "Envision yourself throwing those fire orbs at that apparatus."
Tawni listened to her parents words, as she closed her eyes and envisioned everything they said. As she was doing this her temper seemed to diminish.
"Open your eyes," Kimberly commanded.
Tawni did just that. She saw the fire orbs form before her eyes and she thrust her hands out one after the other aiming for the apparatus. The fire orbs flew from her hands and landed at the apparatus' chest.
Tawni gasped in shock. She couldn't believe that she was capable of such a destructive power.
"You've gone through more today than most can take mentally. These manifestations are going to become a more common occurrence. You need to keep your mind at peace at all times unless you are engaged in a battle," Tommy went into instructor mode.
Tawni closed her eyes and took a deep breath before opening again. She looked at her father and nodded.
"You've been through more than your share of events but there will be more coming your way." Tommy continued, "Maybe we need to send for Uncle Andros and Aunt Ashley, get you on a Nasada shuttle for Aquitar..."
Tawni's eyes widened Aquitar that only meant one thing Uncle Billy. "I can't go to Aquitar Dad. I'm married," she whispered viciously, "In case you have forgotten Angel Grove has now become ground zero for the baddies again."
"Only your family knows you are married. As far as school is concerned you are still a minor and an Oliver. You will go where your Mother and I send you. Earth's relaxation techniques will not help keep your mind at peace. You need Aunt Cestria and Uncle Billy's help and he will support us by agreeing this is what you need."
Squaring her shoulders and holding her head high, Tawni looked her father in the eye, "I'm an Oliver by birth and Ranger by design. I do not back down from a fight or a challenge. I am not running away from this!" Tawni.
"Clearly you don't back down for a fight. The proof is on your face. Just what exactly happened to you before you came home today," Kimberly asked in her angry mother's voice. Instinctually she crossed her arms over her chest. "Dad said you had a run in with Goldar but you walked away from it without a scratch."
Tawni took in a deep breath before finally beginning to tell her parents what Jeremy really did. "I finally bit the bullet and broke up with Jeremy but apparently he didn't like that idea. He struck me, before I could recover from the shock Jay and his team showed up."
Tears started glistening in Tawni's eyes, out of the three Oliver siblings she did not usually show the emotional weakness of tears. She always hated how her sisters used the emotion as a weapon to get what they wanted. The events of the day had finally taken their toll on her young body.
Karen and Kerry walked into their home from their martial arts classes to see their house full of debris and strangers. Both dropped their duffle bags and immediately went into attack mode. Karen being the older of the two went on to demand what was going on. "Who the heck are you and what are you people doing in my house?"
The young black male walked up to them with his hands up in surrender, "We're friends of Tawni. We just moved here from Japan," he finished.
Kerry let her guard down and tapped Karen in the shoulder, "These are Jayden's guys," she whispered to her sister.
"Where's my parents and Tawni," Karen acting like she didn't hear her sister asked suspiciously. "You still didn't answer my question. Who are you people?"
Jayden decided to end the questioning by walking back from the Kitchen. When he arrived in the foyer he saw Karen relax.
"Well look at you two all grown up," he said with a smile as his two sister-in-laws ran up to him to hug him.
The five other teenagers gasped at how Jayden didn't tense in the embrace. He wasn't one for open affection and that was because of his upbringing. "Guys, these two house protectors are Tawni's younger sisters. Karen and Kerry."
Each girl gave a wave at their prospective name.
"Girls, these are my friends, Antonio, Kevin, Mike, Mia and Emily," Jayden introduced while giving pointed looks to his team. Although the girls had an idea that these people were his guys they still weren't allowed to have in-depth knowledge of Ranger existence. He hadn't been able to warn them that Karen and Kerry knew nothing of significance when it came to Ranger Business.
"So where's Mom, Dad and Tawni," Kerry asked Jayden seeing as though the other five people weren't giving out information.
"They went for a walk to see why Tawni was so upset," Jayden lied.
"OMG it's so great to finally meet the rest of the Trio," Emily spoke. The comment made the youngest of the Samurais get an elbow to the ribs. "Ow!"
"The Trio? What's she talking about?" Karen asked looking at Jayden.
"I talk about you and your sisters a lot," Jayden shrugged. "My friends have taken to give you and your sisters the nickname The Trio," he answered giving Emily a glare. Leave it to his most naïve team mate to almost ruin the grand design of the Power Ranger Society.
"Yes, exactly what I meant," Emily said with a smile as she rubbed her ribs, then glared at Kevin.
"Jayden is always talking about how he had to watch you guys when you were younger, sort of like an older brother," Kevin explained some more. "The Oliver Trio always getting into situations they weren't suppose to be in."
Antonio laughed at the image of a recent story Jayden had gone on to describe.
"I'm going to kill that bastard for hurting you like this," Tommy snarled.
"Dad, I'm fine and Jayden took care of the situation. Jeremy is going to think twice before he comes face to face with me again. If he does decide to pull the not so smart move of cornering me again, then I will be ready for it." Tawni consoled her father. "You guys should go home Kay and Kerr should both be home by now and they will probably try to attack the six power rangers sitting in our living room wondering where the three of us went. I'm going to practice here for awhile."
Tommy and Kimberly both nodded as they dematerialized in a teleportation beam.
As soon as her parents were out of sight, Tawni started replaying the events of the day in her mind, "I'll show Ji and Jay who can protect this City." She grumbled while going through the motions of her skill. "Jeremy better stay away from me, if he knows whats good for him..." As she said her last word, a fire orb the size of her torso formed in the cup of her hands, pushing away from her body, the orb set the training apparatus on fire. The object was incinerated in a matter of seconds.
