A/N: Sophia is now Dayu. Just to make that clear to everyone, and she will still be known as Sophia.

A/N #2: In Super Sentai Shinkenger, Japanese version of Power Rangers Samurai, Dayu, human name Usuyuki, was obsessively in love with a man named, Shinza. and set fire, as a very scorned woman, to Shinza and his fiancee, as well as, everyone in attendance at the engagement party. While Shinza was burning to death, he still reached for his fiancee's hand, which infuriated Usuyuki. Her corrupted soul caused her to incarnate into Dayu, and Shinza's soul became the Harmonium that she always carried around. That idea inspired me to make Dayu become Sophia's Harmonium. Even in the instrument, she can speak and her voice, so to say, will be italicized.

A/N #3: Takes place immediately after the next chapter.

A/N #4: I apologize for not updating this story until now. I wasn't feeling inspired, and I was dealing with medical issues once more. I will try to update more frequently.

Chapter 29- The Mend

Xxxxx

Sanzu River

Due to the darkness, known as nightfall, no one was able to view the drastic changes that were yielded from the curse transfer. The body and makeup—lips and nails, which were mostly blue, was now cloaked with obsidian, the eyes planted on top of her head, that appeared to be imitation canary diamonds morphed into rich emeralds, and the reddish accents, such as her hair and armor, were pure white. The Harmonium changed too. It was no longer a ragged item that came from the depths of the Sanzu River, but an opulent, beautifully carved instrument with a silver pick.

Dayu, like other times, failed horribly. She thought an innocent teen was going to be her saving grace, and she could finally become reunited with her love and his family. Her husband warned her to let things be, yet, she selfishly chose not to listen. She was so sick of living a life drowned in torment and so envious of him. She did the most desperate thing she could do and grabbed the closest person to her. That person was Sophia. Dayu held the teen so close to her, inhaling her essence, and utilized all the might she had left. As Sophia became entrapped in the female Nighlock's anatomy, her human soul bonded to the Harmonium.

See what happened due to impatience!

In addition, there was more to a curse from Serrator than the naked eye could see.

Often, Serrator's curses preyed on human emotions and multiplied them to the tenth degree. For example, Julian. His rage and hunger for blood boiled over, once he became Urumasa. Even as a sword, he was enticed by the search for the ultimate duel, furthering his thirst, which culminated in him always trying to enhance the spell on his human, son or not. Another example was Deker, or, most importantly, the person that carried out the curse until the end, Cole. He even became a willing participant when battling the rangers, especially Jayden. Death became his goal and his reality. And finally, there was Dayu. She accepted her fate, kidnapping brides, wreaking havoc on those around her, and making brash decisions like turning an innocent person into a Nighlock.

Additionally, Serrator's curses were not to be bestowed on a person who was in their youth.

The mix of Serrator's dark magic and Sophia's puberty was going to produce a mix no one was prepared for.

Octoroo was on the ship, thinking Dayu was going to return. Instead, he was met by Sophia. If it was possible, his eyes would've flung from its holders. "Oh ah ooh," he announced. Due to her fearless and vile presence, he nervously backed into a corner of the ship. "You aren't Dayu..." His cudgel rose up, as a form of defense, and he was about to shoot her with his mysticism but was stopped by her nicely manicured hand.

"Of course I'm not her," she sneered at the shorter Nighlock. She slithered around him, reveling about how he was cowering beneath her. She used her fingers to tickle his octopus legs playfully. "If you must know, she's in this thing." She held up her newly acquired item.

"Da-Da-Dayu... is in that," Octoroo stuttered anxiously, while examining the nicely crafted instrument in her hand. It was almost too pretty for words, in his opinion. His eyes went back to the newcomer. "Who are you then?"

"Me," she questioned casually but with a hint of arrogance. "I'm their worst nightmare," she foretold, as if she was so sure of herself. She was already scheming up several ways to defeat the Power Rangers. Her mind was telling her they had to pay, and she was the one to make sure they did. She walked around the ship, claiming this haven to be rightfully hers already. She faced the monster with the tentacles for a face. "You can call me Sophia," she ordered, and then she spoke further. "You aren't the commander of this ship, right?"

Dayu had been listening intently. "What are you going to to do," she asked in a state of panic.

"Shut up," Sophia snarled at the musical instrument, as she rose it to eye level. To her, the trapped woman's voice played like nails on a chalkboard. She was also ready to find a way to put a nuzzle on her. "Is this how it's going to be?"

"Are you going to fight me," Dayu snorted sarcastically. "Get me out of here!"

"Is that Dayu," Octoroo questioned in surprise. Though he was already told she was sequestered in there, he was still in shock. He wondered if he had enough power to get her out of there. He felt some pity towards Dayu. Her life was already miserable, and, now, she was probably even more miserable, since she was resorted to living inside of an instrument.

"OCTOROO!"

"Dayu," he desperately called for her, and he tried to get take hold of the instrument. Octoroo hoped he could conjure some magic to make her come back.

Sophia's cat like reflexes presented itself. She hungrily stalked the puny sidekick's worthless moves, internally laughing at him. This was like a game of cat and mouse. There was no hope for him at all. If this was her only obstacle to taking the command of this ship and the occupants, on or surrounding the ship, then she was going to easily prevail. At 13 years old, malicious magic fueling her pubescent body, no authority figure to dictate what she had to do, since she was the damn authority figure, she was ready to make the people in this world bow to her!

Consequences were nonexistent.

"You aren't thinking what I believe you are thinking," hissed Sophia like a snake, as she antagonistically towered over him.

Octoroo gulped in fear, his body bent so far back he appeared to be floating. "No, no," he yelped in a high pitched voice. As the newcomer to this ship rose her body upright, he, in sync with her, slowly rose his. Defeated, he remained in his spot, as she moved to a crate. Not just any crate, but Master Xandred's favorite crate. "Hey, thats-".

She already knew the words that were fixing to exit his mouth. She rose her finger quite hastily, green swirls of energy ejected and excruciatingly stung her subordinate. She watched in delight. As the deformed creature of the sea violently thrashed around, the Moogers aboard shook in fright. The Furry Warts didn't dare fall and made sure they were not heard. They wouldn't want to be subjected to the same punishment as him. She began to stroke her weapon's strings sinfully.

"Now, how should I attack those rangers," she malevolently asked. She, then, began to laugh evilly.

Octoroo attempted to stand up, but Sophia's unforgiving torture began. He was continuously shocked by her.

Dayu overheard the gurgling noises that were emitted from Ocotoroo and the laugh of her new owner. It made her cringe. Despair was clearly evident, though it was not seen. She didn't think thinsg through, and she was beginning to feel remorseful for what she had done. She hoped it wasn't too late to save Sophia. Even more, she hoped that the rangers, the one that she had been battling with for so long, were coming up with a plan to save this poor, young girl. Sophia didn't deserve this fate, but then again neither did she.

Xxxxx

Oliver Rental House
Panorama City, CA

In a daze, the distraught Oliver family was escorted back to their home by the Samurai rangers. The events of just an hour ago replayed in their head like a torture show. They couldn't believe what happened and felt guilt because Sophia's abduction/transformation was literally a few feet away from them. Tommy and Kim, as the parents, swore they failed their daughter. They were not able to protect her.

With Cole back to his true self, he vied to get his life back on track. The first step to normalcy was to be with his kids. Alyssa decided they should head back to Turtle Cove, so they could give the Oliver family some space. Husband and wife deeply apologized to their friends and reminded them they were only a phone call away. They left Panorama City with heavy hearts, and they prayed that the Oliver family would, for once, catch a break.

The Samurai rangers were at a loss for words. So much occurred tonight. First of all, they found out Jayden was adopted. Second, his parents were two of the 'Originals', and those two had contributed so much to a legacy they were humbled to be apart of. Third, Jayden and Mia were about to parents. Fourth, there was no way to forget that their leader, true leader, was killed, and then brought back to life. If that wasn't enough, the true leader's little sister was about to be their enemy. What a family reunion, they sarcastically thought.

Jayden sat in a recliner. His elbows resting on his thighs while his chin laid on his knuckles. He stared straight ahead, his blue eyes concentrating on a picture of his little sister, aged three. In that particular picture, her hair cascaded down perfectly, her doe eyes were so bright and filled with joy, and she looked absolutely adorable in her pink and white dress. That was the opposite of what she had become recently. His blood boiled with anger and hatred. No, it wasn't against Dayu. It was against himself. He should've believed her when she proclaimed with such conviction they were related. While she was straining her vocal chords to get her point across, instead of leaving her that day in the hospital, he should of stayed and listened to her. Maybe she wouldn't be in that cold, musty ship on the Sanzu River. She would be there, with him and the rest of their family, building a relationship.

He had to do something.

ANYTHING, to fix this.

Mia carefully watched her boyfriend. She's been officially dating him for six months, but she's known him for a year longer. She knew that face that was plastered on him. She shook her head angrily, causing tears to brim her eyes, which was fueled even more by her pregnancy hormones. "DON'T DO IT," she irately blurted.

The occupants of the living room faced her suddenly with a questioning look.

"Are you okay," Emily asked, concerned for her best friend. She got out of her seat and placed a comforting hand on Mia.

"He... he wants to go there," the Pink ranger admitted with so much hurt evident in her voice. "You remember what Mentor said. No human can survive there."

Kim wiped her eyes and under her nose, while her ears perked up. "There, where's there," she questioned seriously. "What human can't survive where?!"

"Jayden, you can't be serious," Mike hoped. He looked between Mia, Emily, and Kevin. It wasn't intentional to ignore Jayden's mom, but he knew what his fellow teammate was insinuating to, and it was very alarming to him. This was similar to the day of Emily's birthday. He remembered he would've became a Nighlock, so he could enter the Sanzu River and take on Splitface himself. Thankfully, Antonio intervened.

"That would be crazy of you. You can't do that. Think about Mia, the child she is carrying, and the fact you just became reconnected with your birth parents and little brother, and oh yeah, did you forget just two hours ago you were laying in a pool of your own blood just mere seconds away from crossing over, if you know what I mean," Kevin urgently pointed out.

Sophia's brother heard them, but their words just went in one ear and out the other. "I have to save her," he calmly countered.

"What are all of you talking about," Kim asked, as she stared them all down. She watched as she had her distressed, possible daughter in law being comforted by a petite female donning yellow, a teen in green that seemed to forget she was present, another teen in blue that spoke like he was an authority figure, and her very angry son. "I want answers now!"

In the nick of time, Tommy descended down the stairs. He had been trying to put Tristan to sleep, since it was way past his bedtime. That was a feat in itself, since Tris knew something was amiss. However, he was successful. As he arrived back to the living room, he was able to catch a little bit of his wife's voice elevating. He needed to diffuse whatever was going on. "What's wrong?" He looked at every one of them.

"Jayden wants to go to the Sanzu River," Mike answered without thinking about the repercussions.

"WHAT," Falcon and Crane yelled in unison. They ended up facing one another and sighed. Their son was a little too much like their dad.

"Mike," Jayden bellowed with ferocity, as his eyes flashed green. He shook his head in misery. "They didn't need to know what I wanted to do." He ascended to his feet, was about to walk out, but was stopped.

"That's a lie," his mom shot back, as her hand went straight to his chest. "You may be a Power Ranger, but don't be a stupid one." She rolled her eyes, and she pushed him to sit back down in his seat. She had a suspecting feeling the Sanzu River was like the Lord Zedd and Rita's Lunar Palace. Unlike the Lunar Palace, the Sanzu River wasn't a place for humans. "Tell me about this Sanzu River and where is it located?!"

After Tommy and Kim's suspicions were confirmed, Tommy opened his mouth. "No, you are not going to the Sanzu River," he commanded. His son's eyes were filled with daggers, but he was firm on his stance. As of right now, he's lost one child. He wasn't willing to lose another one due to foolishness."Do you want to die again?!"

"I need to make things right," Jayden defied with his illogical thinking. "Us sitting here is not doing anything! Look, as of right now, Sophia is surviving in the Sanzu River because she's technically a Nighlock, but, if I can sustain my morph, then I can get her out." His parents still shook their head. He huffed under his breath. If anything, his parents should allow him to go. If anything, they should side with him not his friends.

"But you have a child on the way," Emily reminded placidly, since she didn't want to further arouse the crazy emotions that had been unleashed. "Look at Mia," she pointed, "think about your daughter, Jayden."

"Emily's right, and you should listen to your parents," Kevin agreed. He knew Jayden could be impulsive, especially when he's trying to make the wrong right, but the consequences were killer—literally. "You can't do this. What if something goes wrong? What if your capability to stay morphed is hindered? Then, what? You will really be dead, and we can't get you out!"

The male, Red ranger kept shaking his head. "Are you guys even thinking about Sophia," he incredulously asked. "She's a Nighlock! Think about it. What if we have to fight her?! What if she has immense power, and we can't stop her?! Do you even think I want to fight her?! Have you guys thought about that?!" The words exited his mouth at such a rapid pace, it caused him to lose his breath. Once he began to breathe normally, the words of Zordon painfully echoed."What if she's the one..." He just couldn't finish the sentence and immediately ran to the backyard.

Mia's tears crashed down. She knew if his mind was set on something, he would singlehandedly form a plan and spontaneously execute it to the best of his ability. Like when he battled Yamiror, while he was severely poisoned or when he fought Grinataur despite having the crazy case of the munchies. This issue, however, was very much different, and he really didn't have to do this alone. He had another life to think about. "He can't do this by himself," she murmured sadly.

Kim comforted her with a hug. "We'll talk to him," she volunteered herself and Tommy. She looked at the clock. "It's late. Um.. you all should get some sleep, and in the morning, we'll come up with a plan to get her back." This wasn't her first rodeo. She believed an attack wasn't going to happen until at least the following morning.

"Mrs. Oliver, are you sure," Kevin inquired earnestly.

"She's sure," Tommy spoke on his wife's behalf. He chuckled a bit too. Despite the predicament they were placed in, he silently agreed with his wife that it was time for a private talk with their son."We have a place in mind for you guys to stay at. Not to mention it has great accommodations." Though the others appeared to be enthused by the idea, he noted the hesitancy present on Mia's face. "Mia?"

"Huh, what," the Pink Samurai ranger stuttered just a tad, after being jarred out of her thoughts. She faced the others, and then she concentrated her attention on Tommy. "Oh, you want me, I mean, us, to leave?"

Kim understood Mia didn't want to be away from Jayden. However, the parents needed to have a discussion with their son sans Mia. She hoped she would understand. "You really need to get some rest. It will be good for you and the baby." She smiled softly. "Plus, by the time you come back, there will be a doctor here to make sure everything's going accordingly."

"We promise she's really good," Tommy swore, and he saw she was ready to comply. He happily thanked the heavens for that and turned to his wife. "We'll be back in a little." He softly pecked her cheek and escorted the others to the basement.

With Kim left, she faced her screen door. She took a peek outside and was able to make out her son overlooking the bright lights of Panorama City. She frowned. Sadness was definitely radiating from him, and her heart broke all over again. She didn't know how that was humanly possible. She took a little to compose herself. Finally exiting to the backyard, she looked up and noticed what looked like a shooting star. She made her wish and headed towards him.

"Hey," she greeted, as she walked up to him. She tenderly touched the back of his shoulder blade. Thankfully, he didn't flinch or tell her to leave him alone. So, at this moment, things between them could go one of two ways—either awkward or smooth. She planned to make it the latter, as she was going to be the mother that her other two children knew so well. "Do you want to talk about what you said before you ran out here?"

"You wouldn't understand," Jayden angrily voiced like an angst filled teenager.

"I won't be able to until you tell me everything."

"Like how you had plenty of times to tell me you were my mom but never did," he retorted without thinking. He faced her and realized the hurtfulness of his words. He sighed. "Kim, um... mom... I'm sorry." He immediately hung his head down. It may have been weird to call her mom, since he had been without one for such a long time, but she was his mother.

"It's okay," she soothingly spoke. It did pain her to hear that, but she deserved it. At least, she thought she did. "You said, 'what if she's the one'... who's that referring to and what would happen if she is the one?"

Before speaking, Jayden thought back to when he spoke to Zordon and Dulcea. They were cryptically talking, but he understood the 'another person's death will take your place' part. Not only that, but he had strong, emotional ties to that person. That being said this person they were speaking of could be a number of people. It was bothering him immensely, since he didn't know the identity of the person. If he knew, he would like to prevent their death from happening. "Why did he have to be so damn secretive," he muttered.

Tommy had returned and just walked out to the backyard when he heard his son's outburst. "Did I miss something," he questioned his wife. Kim shrugged her shoulders, since she was in the dark as well. "Jayden, what's going on then?"

"Zordon," was all Jayden replied with. When he noticed their deer in headlights expression, he elaborated on the matter. He spoke fully of what happened when he 'died'. After he was done speaking, he stared at his parents and demanded they give him answers.

"We don't know who he's speaking about either, but we can't assume he's speaking of Sophia," Kim replied, as goosebumps began to form on her skin. What she was told definitely struck a chord in her petite body, yet she was not going to let that scare her to death. "If he was speaking the truth, which he often does or did, then we have to be on guard. It's as simple as that."

"Simple," the first child of Tommy and Kim repeated in shock. "Nothing about this is simple. Mine and Tristan's sister, your daughter, is a Nighlock. We have to get her back. I have to come up with a way to get her back to the side of good."

"Who is saying that you are doing this alone," Tommy questioned earnestly and calmly. He noted the alerted expression on his son's face.

Kim rolled her eyes and smacked her husband's chest. "You seem to forget you went on one or two kamikaze missions on your day," she reminded him. Their son became intrigued. "Oh yeah, your dad, here, he's been to our enemies base and fought Lord Zedd on his own."

"Oh really," Jayden wondered, as he looked at his dad.

The Falcon cleared his throat. "Kim," he firmly announced her name. "That's not the point. Anyways," he cleared his throat for the second time, "you seem to forget we were Power Rangers once, and the stuff you've encountered, we've encountered possibly twice."

"Or more, since your dad took up the power more than intended to," the Crane quipped to lighten the situation. She continued. "Look, your dad has been evil, I've been evil, and..."

"You've been evil," Tommy added. "We may not have been there when you were fighting against your team, but we can sympathize and admit we've been in your shoes. From our experience, if she was going to attack, then she would've done so already. And, of course we want to bring her back, but we have to come up with a plan. There's no way any of us could travel to where she is knowing someone could die in the process. You have to be smart about this."

"It's my fault though," Jayden rebuked stubbornly. He was beginning to think his parents had fought one too many foot soldiers. They were being so nonchalant about this. "If I hadn't ran off when you told me you were my parents, then you guys wouldn't of followed me, and then Sophia wouldn't have been captured and turned evil."

"Okay, there was a domino effect, but the same goes to say if we admitted we were your parents beforehand, then maybe you wouldn't have gotten Mia pregnant, or you would've given up the power before the special symbol was mastered," his mother supposed too. "You've never been put in this position, so that's the reason why you are willing to do anything to get her back. We know better. It may not be easy, but we will be there to guide you."

"We might even join in on the fight," Tommy admitted, since he had plenty of technical advisers on speed dial that would assist in connecting them back to the morphing grid. "If she's anything like how I was or your mom was," he whistled soon after, "then you're going to need all the help you can get."

"You were that bad, huh," Jayden questioned, and they keenly nodded."So tomorrow, we will plan a way to get her back?"

"Yes," the Falcon answered. This dad possessed some anxiety that there was no room for him in his son's life, but he also held hope that they would be as close as a father and son should be. He lovingly slung an arm around his son. He released a soft breath when his son reciprocated. "We need sleep to clear the fog in our brains, and then we'll be fresh for tomorrow."

Kim smiled at the bond they seemed to be forming."You can take the spare bedroom," the Crane offered with a smile. She, too, believed they were building some sort of relationship. "After all, we will always provide you with a roof over your head—for you and your growing family."

Once he heard that, Jayden wrapped his arms around his mom and gave her a bear hug. "Thank you," he sincerely acknowledged.

The three of them headed back inside the house to try to get some sleep. The parents informed their son that his girlfriend and friends were elsewhere and safe. Before the three of them finally drifted off to bed, their last thought was about Sophia. They hoped she was safe, and they were determined to get her back to normal. Not only for their sake, but hers.

As corny as it sounded, they truly wanted to be one, big, happy family.

Xxxxx

Shiba House
Panorama City, CA

Lauren awoke from her slumber very promptly. She no longer felt the discord from a couple of hours ago and believed this was a great sign her little brother, who she will continue to call 'little brother', was still on Earth, his heart beating and all. She just needed the confirmation. In the next minute, she rose from bed and placed on her slippers. As she walked down the hall, she took looked into the rooms and noticed that the others weren't home. She furrowed her brows a bit, but quickly figured they ran to find him and Mia too.

Pretty soon she found herself in the living room and saw that Terry and Antonio were comfortably sleeping. Before walking away, she realized there was a bottle of alcohol on the table. She cocked her head to the side. That was really unlike to the two to engage in drinking. She shook her head of the thoughts and decided to head to the kitchen. Her throat was a little dry due to her tearful bout from earlier.

She arrived at the opening of the kitchen, and she made out the two figures that were sitting across from each other. She watched Mentor Yaki and Mentor Ji in deep conversation. Based on their facial expressions, each were showing disdain for one another. In her opinion, Yaki has always held hatred, even envy, towards Ji since his first step on the Shiba grounds. She's always wanted to ask why, but thought she would be prying too much.

Maybe, the time was now though.

Eavesdropping might be a little intrusive, but she was hoping to finally find out why her mentor didn't like Jayden's.

"You cannot drink your sorrows away," Yaki expressed firmly with authoritative hand gestures. "As Terry told you, the state you're in right now, you are worthless!"

"Don't you dare tell me what I can or can't do," Ji sneered, as he grabbed for his cup, but there was nothing inside. He grumbled like an annoyed baby and wished for the other guy to stop badgering him. "You don't have to watch after me! I can take care of myself."

"Before the drinking, yes, but not right now," Lauren's teacher observed irritably.

"You nag and talk too damn much," Jayden's teacher bluntly spoke, while trying to figure out how to escape the kitchen.

And this was how it was for the past hour. As the sober one of the two, Mentor Yaki was actually trying to reason with Ji, give him some encouraging words and advice. However, he was met with resistance by the other man. For Mentor Ji, he was not in the mood to take advice from a person he believed was going to make him even more miserable than he was now. Ji was hostile towards Yaki because of the both, the past and recent behavior. He believed he had every right to be.

"You have to understand I am only trying to help," Yaki told him.

"Since when," Ji slurred while rolling his eyes. "Ever since I've came to this house, you have given me the cold shoulder, you thought you were so above me, though we were assigned to come here for the same reason basically, and you always demanded that I show you respect when you never dished any to me!" He wondered if the other man had been drinking his damn self. "And now, you are back here and trying to control everything! If it wasn't for you, then Jayden and Mia would've never ran off."

"I am not the reason the two ran off," Yaki countered swiftly, while his eyes zeroed in on Ji. "That boy knew his time as the Red ranger had come to the end. He went to find himself, and that's when it should have been disclosed he was adopted. As far as Mia is concerned, there has to be another reason why she left the team besides being in love with him. I believe you know the truth to why she left but aren't saying anything about it!"

"Him, that boy," the other man mimicked with a head shake. "He has a name and his name is Jayden! I am not going to discuss what's going on with Mia. Especially, not to you."

"So you do know something is going on," Yaki accusingly stated.

"I should really kick your ass!"

"And what in the hell will that prove?!"

"I, I, I'm not sure, but I do know it will feel great as hell," Ji dangerously swore, as he stood very quickly. He was ready, right there, at that very moment. He strongly believed he could kick the other teacher's butt all the way to Mars. In the process, as his adrenaline was pumping crazily, though, he began to feel lightheaded. He was about to fall over, but the other person in the room intervened and prevented him from doing so.

Lauren watched the animosity between the two, and she wondered whether or not to jump in. These two would come to blows, if their emotions didn't rescind. Yet, she wanted the two to come to some sort of resolution, so she remained hidden and continued to listen.

Yaki aided Ji to stand upright. "Stop this, right now," he ordered rather calmly. He sat Ji down and opened the refrigerator to look for a more appropriate drink. When he turned his back around, he found Ji slumped over. He poured some juice, nudged Ji and made him drink it. Once the other mentor was done, he continued to speak. "If you weren't getting drunk, then you would've realized why everyone was crying hysterically."

"And what happened," Ji asked, after gulping down the refreshing beverage.

"It has to do with Jayden."

Ji's heart clenched over the reminder that his relationship with his surrogate son was strained. "He's an adult now" he began, while he began to sober up, "and he's with his parents. Whatever he's going through, they will be there for him. I don't need to be involved. I will do so, if I was the last resort."

"If that's what you think," Mentor Yaki, this time, rolled his eyes. "Stop self wallowing and pitying yourself."

"I am not doing that."

"You are very much doing that. I'm sure his family is trying their best to make sure nothing has happened or will happen to him, but why would you want to remain here and drink? If anything, you should be out there with Kevin, Mike, and Emily and making sure nothing has came from this duel he was in."

"Shut your fucking mouth," snarled Ji, since he was frustrated with all the issues that have been presented to him in such a short period of time. In addition, Yaki in his ear wasn't wanted. "You think you know everything! Well, you don't. You definitely don't know a damn thing about how hard it's been to keep this secret from Jayden. Everyday, I've been dealing with guilt but had to remain optimistic and guide this man to lead a team of rangers, her rangers, at that! It's been hard, taxing and frustrating, so excuse me for feeling like I've failed after all this time and choosing to drink this away because it's definitely easier than dealing with him." His chest exhaled up and down after that mouthful. "He is with his parents and doesn't need me anymore!"

"You haven't failed," Yaki confessed truthfully, after he sighed. If their positions were reversed, he alleged he would drink himself to the point of no return as well. He's also dedicated his life to one person, so he could relate to Ji. "To be perfectly honest, you've done a great job with Jayden. He has led the team to the best of his ability. Anyone's ability, to be honest, and that's because of you."

Ji had to take two looks at the other man. Was Mentor Yaki actually giving him a compliment? He had to find out. "Are you serious?" Yaki nodded. "Then why... why were you so rude to me? From the beginning to now, you still treat me like I'm nothing or have done nothing."

"What was I supposed to think when you moved here?! I had been with this family for three years before you arrived, but once you came, they were 'Mentor Ji this and Mentor Ji' that. You had barely been in this house for two days! It was like they forgot who I was," Yaki admitted, not realizing his surrogate daughter was just beyond the doors to the kitchen. "If it wasn't for that boy..." he immediately covered his mouth after the grave look on Ji's face. "If it wasn't for Jayden," he quickly corrected, "then I wouldn't have to contend with you."

Finally, Yaki had disclosed his insecurity and jealousy to Ji.

"It was never to be a competition though," Ji pointed out. Truthfully, he never did think about Yaki's point of view. Now, he had an idea of where Yaki's jerk like attitude was coming from. "So, you're jealous of me?"

"You can say that," Yaki agreed, and he hoped the two could finally come to an understanding and form some mutual respect.

Jayden's mentor felt some satisfaction after hearing that. "Why are you telling me this now," he wondered."

"One reason, we have to work together. Combine our strengths and assets. There's not much time before Master Xandred returns, and I believe with our help the rangers will prevail. Second, our bickering won't help anyone," Yaki answered, promising to let the past go and look forward to a better future.

"I agree. We need to work together."

Lauren's mentor smiled small. He badgered Ji enough, and he was beginning to get tired. Before retreating to his room, he left some words for Jayden's mentor. "I may not know him as well as you do, but I've seen how he is with the people that are closest to him. He's obviously trying to build a relationship with his birth parents, but he will not forget who raised him. You raised him, remember that. He will understand what needed to be done. He will talk to you eventually." After that, he left and bumped into his longest companion. A little startled, he jumped. "Lauren, what are you doing awake? Are you okay? Is there something wrong?"

She shook her head. "So you were jealous of Mentor Ji, huh,"she questioned him curiously. Yaki nodded as a matter of fact. "They may not have said so many words about you, but I knew my parents liked you. You've done a lot for me. I just wanted to let you know." She smiled, and then she gave him a hug like any daughter would to her father.

The loving embrace was much needed for Yaki. "Lauren," he called. She looked up at him. "Jayden will still look at you as a sister too. I'm pretty sure of it."

"I hope so," was all she said. She still needed to have a talk with Jayden, and she hoped that he was alright.

Meanwhile, Mentor scrounged the cabinets for another bottle of alcohol. He stopped though. For once, Yaki was right. He decided to call it a night and swore to make a stop at the Oliver residence. He, too, needed to have a sit down talk with Jayden. He hoped that their relationship was still intact.

Xxxxx

Oliver Residence
Reefside, CA

Once he awoke, Jayden's mind was much clearer, and he was a lot more positive. He immediately headed downstairs, and his parents were already preparing breakfast. Tristan still appeared frazzled and upset over his sister not being home. He tried to help his little brother, but his mom and dad appointed him to get his friends. Though he resisted, they insisted they had everything under control and to trust them. That wasn't going to be a problem, as they have already proven to be trustworthy. His dad walked with him to the basement, and, after a minute, he was at his parents' Reefside home.

More specifically, he was in the Dino Thunder ranger's base of command.

For a little, he walked around and stared in awe. "This place must have cost a fortune," he whispered. His fingers lightly grazed the main computer. He imagined this would display the monsters and foots soldiers that littered the city. He turned to his left, and he saw the play area his parents had built for his siblings and other children of Power Rangers. He also noted the exercise equipment that was in the opposite corner. One, office table stood out in particular. On it, there was a newspaper article in which himself and his team were thanked for protecting Panorama City. This showed him they cared a lot. Finally, he turned to the staircase and headed up the stairs to retrieve his friends.

The first stop was where Kevin was staying. The Blue ranger hugged his friend in a manly manner, as a way to comfort him. Next, Jayden went to wake up Mike and Emily, who were sleeping on the same bed. He saw how the Green ranger protectively cradled his girlfriend. Once those two awoke, they, too, embraced him. The Red ranger spoke that Kevin was waiting for them, and they could leave to the rental house. His friends readily agreed and gave their leader privacy with his girlfriend.

With his friends gone, that left him to seek Mia. He easily found her. She was in the next room."Hey beautiful, it's time to wake up," Jayden softly greeted, as he nuzzled the side of Mia's face with his nose. She cutely shuffled beneath him, and that caused him to brightly smile. It had been about two days since he last smiled. As soon as her brown eyes met his blue ones, he bent down and softly kissed her on the lips. He, then, caressed her belly. It didn't matter that she wasn't showing yet.

"Good morning," Mia said around a yawn, and she rose out of bed. "When did you get here?"

"Maybe ten minutes ago. My dad," Jayden stopped himself right there. It was a little surreal for him to say that, but he enjoyed it nonetheless, "showed me how to the use the teleportation pad. Did it feel weird to teleport?"

She nodded excitedly. "It was like my body was going in different directions but coming together simultaneously. Definitely a rush and quicker than taking the Escalade."

"It sure does beat it, huh," he asked. "Did you sleep well?"

"At first, it was hard sleeping without you, but I was really tired. So, I counted sheep and then boom, I was off to bed," she answered. "Did you and your parents talk about getting Sophia back?"

"Yes and no. They want everyone at the house, so, you know, we can all plan this out. My parents also mentioned that we wouldn't have to go through this alone. I'm thankful for that."

"That's a relief," Mia commented, while massaging his back. "If your sister was anything like you, then we will need a lot of help."

"I was that bad," he asked, thinking back to the time Madimot had turned him evil. He didn't remember much from that particular day, and he admitted he didn't want to. The thought of the way he treated his friends and the injuries Mia suffered, it was too much for him to bear. He still held feelings of guilt. "How are you feeling?" He decided to change the subject.

"The past week has been a whirlwind of emotions," she began, "between finding out about the pregnancy, us leaving the Shiba House, the truth about who your parents are, then when you..." she remembered witnessing the lethal slash, and it was still hard for her, "... you being back on Earth and, now, Sophia..."

"Remember, you have to remain as calm as you can for our daughter," he reminded her. His sister's rescue had been on his mind, so he almost forgot about the Nightingale his girlfriend was carrying. Their baby mattered too. "Everything's going to be okay." He leaned in and gave her a chaste kiss on the lips.

What was meant to be a soft kiss, in the next second, became a feverish makeout session. She moaned, and he climbed onto the bed. As they maneuvered their bodies to a more relaxing position, he pulled her closer to him. A few more minutes into their making out, she ultimately broke the kiss, climbed on top of his body, and he watched her intently. Her long, black hair beautifully laid on her body, and he bit his lip at the sight. She looked extremely gorgeous. They hadn't been in this compromising position since the first night they laid together. He assumed her hormones were taking over, and he was glad to abide by them.

Mia looked at the man she loved, and she supposed she was being selfish for wanting to take her man right then and there knowing they had another matter to deal with. Yet, a quickie wasn't going to hurt anyone. She hoped so, at least. She started to kiss him again, and his erection pressed through his pants and against her skin. She knew he wanted it too.

Unfortunately, before they could go any farther, Jayden's cell phone rang. Both cursed beneath their breath.

"Hello," he answered quickly and rather flustered.

"We've been waiting," was all his mom said.

"Oh, right, breakfast."

"Correct, and the doctor is here to see Mia."

"Already? We'll be there soon," he promised, and he ended the phone call right there. "That was my mom," he whistled lightly. "She didn't seem too happy."

"Does she know," Mia wondered curiously, as she got off of him. Jayden stood as well, and he smoothed his clothing. He shrugged. "Well, let's not keep them waiting."

Both walked, as they held hands, descended down the steps to the lair and headed to the teleportation platform. They stepped on, he initiated the device and, in a flash of light, they were off to Panorama City.

Xxxxx

Oliver Rental House
Panorama City, CA

The two materialized in the basement of the rental home. Before they could leave, they noticed the stern look on Kim's face. She appeared livid alright.

"Mom, sorry, we were on our way," Jayden quickly apologized for being late. He looked between his mom and girlfriend. "I was just, I mean, we were just..." he nervously stuttered and felt the heat under his collar.

Her look was unrelenting, but she quickly figured there was no way her son could be in a worse predicament than he was now. She smiled at them, which caused both to release a breath of relief. "You needed some alone time. I understand, but don't let this be a habit," she ruled. She stepped in the opposite direction but turned back around hastily and closely examined her son. She crossed her arms over her chest. "I suggest you stop thinking about those thoughts, right now," she hissed, as she pointd to his pants. There was still a bulge present. "We have company, and I'll take Mia to see the doctor, while you handle that!"

The Pink ranger furrowed her brows. "Doctor," she questioned.

"You didn't tell her," Kim asked in disbelief. She watched her son's shoulders go up and down, signaling he seemingly forgot. She grunted. "You are so like your dad!" She grabbed Mia's hand and helped her up the steps.

"What did she mean by that," he muttered, puzzled by her words. He waited for his 'happy guy' to go way. Once the coast was clear, he ascended the steps of his parents' rental home. There was another couple there. He closely examined them, and they looked to be really familiar.

"Hello, Jayden, it's finally nice to meet you as Tommy and Kim's son," Dr. Dana Grayson greeted cheerfully with a smile.

The Graysons were barely waking up when they received a phone call from their friends. They were delighted to know their son was finally told the truth, and he was even at the house with them. That was great news for them to hear. The next tidbits, the pregnancy and Sophia being turned in a monster, shocked them and caused them to worry severely. So, when the Olivers asked them to come over, they obliged.

"Jayden, it's also nice to meet you as Tommy and Kim's son," Carter shook his hand. "You know my beautiful wife, Dana."

"Right," Jayden remembered them. "Lightspeed Rangers, right?"

Dana's husband nodded he was correct. He smiled. "Your mom cooked a wonderful breakfast," he pointed to the array of food present. "I'm sure you're hungry. Both of you are hungry." He also tossed a friendly look towards Mia.

"Yeah, we are," Jayden agreed. He looked around. His friends were there, but he noticed his brother wasn't there. "Where's Tristan?"

Tommy placed the orange juice on the table. "He's with Syd, CJ and Zoe, Carter and Dana's children, and they're playing in Tristan's room. They already have plates of pancakes and cups of milk with them," he replied. He took a seat next to his wife. "We should eat. We can't plan on empty stomachs."

Everyone agreed and took their seats.

"Mia, before you eat, I need to do an exam to make sure everything's in order," Carter's wife ordered. The current Pink ranger agreed."Kim said we can use the family office. Let's head in there." She saw the father to be wanted to accompany them. "Sorry Jayden. The space is really small. It will be better for you to wait here. We will let you know." She smiled again, while leading Mia away.

Tommy, Kim, Jayden, Mike, Emily, Kevin, and Carter ate their breakfast. Fifteen minutes later, Mia and Dana joined them. The baby's heartbeat was strong, and, as of right now, there was nothing out of order. They started to eat their morning meal. Another few minutes later, the kids came down and joined their parents. Really quick, Syd took a liking to Emily while Zoe became fond of Mia. CJ quickly bonded with both Mike and Kevin, while Tristan found comfort with his big brother. As they continued to eat and talk to better reacquaint with one another, the Samurai rangers phones went off.

The Samurai rangers looked at one another with alarming faces. They always dreaded when their phones went off, but they suspected this call was worse than the others.

"Mentor," Kevin answered immediately.

"This is Yaki," he corrected quickly. There was no time to lose. Lauren, Antonio and Terry had already gone to fight and just requested backup prior to Yaki making thee phone call. "There's an attack in the quarry. They can't defeat the armies of Moogers that are coming."

"We'll be there right away," the Blue ranger ended the link. "Duty calls. You guys." He looked outside, and he saw what Mentor Yaki was talking about.

In the quarry, there were a dozen Moogers combating with the Claw Armor Megazord. The Megazord looked like it was taking a pretty bad beating.

"Let's go, they need our help," Mike directed, and he grabbed for Emily's hand. Kevin followed, and the three of them stopped. "Jayden, are you coming?"

"You know, this might be a set up. What if this ambush attack is a way to lure us out," Emily questioned, as she held Mike's hand securely.

"Just head out, I'll meet you guys there," Jayden ordered his friends. They nodded and ran towards the rock quarry. Before leaving, he said some personal goodbyes. He hugged his parents and little brother. "I'm going to bring her back," he swore with every fiber of his being. "

"Jayden, you be careful," Kim stated, worried that someone was going to get hurt.

Tommy held her closely to him and kissed her temple. "He's going to be okay," he whispered to her in a positive tone.

Tristan walked to his dad, and Tommy scooped him up. The young boy rested his head in the crook of his dad's neck. Kim kissed the both of them. They had faith Sophia was going to be on the side of good.

"I will," he promised, and then he turned to his girlfriend. She was glowing, but she also looked extremely overwhelmed. "Hey, you can't do this right now. You can't be out there, and you know why."

"I know," Mia huskily said, while a tear slid down. "You bring her back."

The soon to be father nodded. "Don't worry, I love you," he declared. He turned to the front door of the house and ran out to help the others. There wasn't a plan in place, he was going to have to wing it, but he was sure he would be able to come up with something. He needed his sister back.