- 336
- Posts
- 8
- Years
- Age 32
- Seen Apr 5, 2020
Ch 22: What's A Promise Ring?
Normal POV
Three days later everyone except Traci is sitting in the kitchen having breakfast. Antonio finishes his cereal, takes the ring box out of his jacket pocket and sets on the table next to his bowl. The ranger's and Ji's eyes widen in surprise.
"Are you going to purpose to Tracy?" Jayden asks.
"Yeah, you're supposed to be seniors in high school," Noah adds.
"Relax, guys, I will purpose to her one day, but this is just a promise ring," Antonio says.
"What is a promise ring?" Orion asks.
"It's a pre-engagement ring. According to Mexican wedding tradition, before I can even marry Tracy. The groom to be has to ask the girls' parents for their blessings first. The girl usually wears it for a year till she gets the real engagement ring." Antonio explains.
"You are serious about making Traci a part of your family," Kevin says.
"Traci has been mistreated and had her self-confidence crush so many times that she believes that she is meant to go through life alone," Ji adds.
"That's why I want to give her the promise ring. It symbolizes that I'll always be by her side and she won't have to walk through life alone ever again." Antonio says.
"Antonio, buddy, you should put it away before Traci sees it," Mike says.
"Relax, Mike, Traci left earlier this morning. She told me that she was going to her training area to do some training to work on some symbols. After she visited her Aunt Adrienne's grave," Ji says.
"I thought she already did that on Dia Los Mortos," Emily asks.
"Today is her Aunt's birthday," Ji answers.
Meanwhile, at the cemetery, Traci walks up the hill to her Aunt's grave. She places the bouquet of her favorite flowers, tulips, in front of the gravestone. She takes out her samuraizer. She draws the teleport symbol in the air and activates it. Her vihuela appears in front of her. She puts her morpher back in her pocket and takes it out of the case. She sits down Indian style on the ground and starts to play "Halleluiah," which was another of her favorite songs.
After she finished singing, she dries the few tears that escaped from her eyes. Then she stands up and puts her vihuela back inside the case. She takes out her morpher again to draw the teleport symbol. After she activates it and the case gets teleported back to her room at the Shiba house. She heads off to her special place in the forest. In a different part of the cemetery, Traci is unaware that some more veteran rangers and their mentor had been listening to her singing to her late Aunt. The Rangers are wearing jackets that have Lightspeed Rescue written on them. Their mentor is dressed in a military uniform.
"Wow, she has a great voice," Carter says.
"She sure does, I also felt how much she loved her Aunt and how much she misses her," Dana says.
"Yeah, it's hard to be happy on a family member's birthday when they aren't here to celebrate," Captain Mitchell adds.
"Aren't we supposed to be giving her some advice," Ryan says.
"Yeah, we should get going before we lose sight of her," Captain Mitchell says.
Back at the Shiba House, the Rangers are outside training. Ji sets up a line some practice dummies on the platform near the front steps in an army formation. Jayden and Troy run up wielding the bamboo practice swords. After they take out the first line, Kevin and Noah run up, and the red rangers step aside to let them through. They take out the down the next line. It was Gia and Emily's turn. Gia uses one of her power cards, and Emily uses her rock slide power symbol to take out the next few dummies. After Antonio and Orion knock the last dummies, they regroup in front of the steps.
"I wish Traci were here," Jake says.
"So, do I, this was her plan for us to combine our legendary Samurai powers with your team's ranger powers in the first place," Noah adds.
Meanwhile, at Traci's special spot in the forest, she just activated her hail symbol. The golf ball sized stones circle the tree stumps in front her and fly in towards her. She quickly activates the symbol for her sword and starts to cuts a few in half while deflecting other over towards the trees on either side of her. Captain Mitchell and the Lightspeed Rangers stop in the middle of the path when they hear the clanking sound when the hail stones hit Tracy's sword.
"She is up ahead, let's move it," Carter says.
The group starts running and arrives at the end of the path to see Traci training. She was covered in snow after she used her blizzard symbol. They see her use her hail symbol again. This time, baseball sized hail appear, circles the tree stumps and fly in towards her. Traci tries to move her right foot, but it was tapped in a five-inch deep pile of snow around it. She quickly bends down to dig her foot out. While she is going this, she gets pelted by the hail stones.
"We need to help her," Ryan says.
They take out their blasters and run up to help Traci. She gives up digging her foot out and tries to pick up her sword. Her hands were too cold from digging that she could hold onto it. The rest of her body couldn't tolerate the pain from the hail stones hitting her. She starts to feel dizzy and lightheaded after one hit her in the forehead.
I guess I should have morphed first, Traci thinks.
She tries to stand up, but an intense dizzy spell hits her. Ryan, Carter, and Dana arrive. Ryan catches Traci in his arms. While Dana and Carter jump in front of her, They use their blasters to destroy the rest of the hailstones. Afterward, they turn around and see Ryan helping Traci stand up.
"Thanks for the help. I guess I still don't know my own strength." Traci says.
"You're welcome," Carter says.
"Nice catch too Ryan," Dana says.
"Thanks, little sister," Ryan says.
"You're the Lightspeed Rangers," Traci says.
"Yes, we are it's nice to meet you to Traci," Carter says.
"How do you know my name?" Traci asks.
"I ran into Wes a few days ago," Carter asks.
"Got it, I should get back to the Shiba house. " Traci says.
Traci draws another symbol after she activates it her spin sword disappears. Carter and Dana dig her feet out of the snow piles.
"Don't take this the wrong way, the jackets are cool, but I thought Rangers are supposed to have secret identities," Traci says.
"Yes, but our team operated differently than your team," Ryan says.
"That's true son. We operated from an underground base similar to the military. The Rangers having secret identities would have hurt them more than helped them." Captain Mitchell says as he walks up to them.
"HI, dad," Ryan says.
"Ryan and Dana you two were lucky, you had a father who was always around and acted like a father. I wish my dad acted like your father did," Traci says.
"How did your father act while you were growing up?" Ryan asks.
"He always used work as an excuse to not have to spend time with me. The bar was his second favorite place in the world. In his eyes, everything I did was wrong. When I was three and a half, he called me a disgrace. He and my mom would argue a lot. One time my mom told him how much I needed a father figure in my life. My dad just yelled back that I wasn't his daughter, and I never will be." Traci says tearfully.
Captain Mitchell walks up to her. His fatherly instincts kicked in, and he gives Traci a big hug. "No parents should ever blame a child for what gender they are born as."
Captain Mitchell and Traci's hug lasts for another minute till Traci stopped crying. He lets her go, and she takes a few steps back.
"I'm sorry about that, I guess even now it's hard to talk about my childhood without crying," Traci apologizes.
"It's okay, your father's decisions to treat you the way he did caused you more emotional damage than he thought it would," Carter says.
"Very true Carter," Captain Mitchell says.
"Thanks again for everything, but like I said before I should get back to the house," Traci says politely.
"How about we go with you so, I'd like to tend to injuries," Dana says.
Traci nods and the group heads to the Shiba House.
= Samurai Undercover =
They arrive at the front gate fifteen minutes later. Traci pushes it open, and they walk inside the house. She leads them to the kitchen but is unaware that her friends just finished their training and were resting up with some smoothies. After seeing The Lightspeed Rangers and Captain Mitchell standing next to Traci, Noah does a spit take.
"Traci, how come you keep running to so many past Rangers?" Noah asks.
"Just lucky I guess," Traci answers.
"Traci, you said that I could tend to those cuts on your arms, remember?" Dana says.
"I remember Dana, but I think I you should introduce yourselves to my friends first," Traci says.
"That is the polite thing to do little sister. Hi, everyone, I'm Ryan - the titanium ranger," Ryan says.
"I'm Carter Grayson - Lightspeed Rescue Red Ranger," Carter says.
"I'm Dr. Dana Mitchell, I was the pink lightspeed ranger." Dana says.
"I'm Captain Mitchell; I was the team's mentor, and Dana and Ryan's father." Captain Mitchell says.
"It's nice to meet all you," Jayden says.
"It's nice to meet all of you as well," Carter says
Antonio quickly sets his smoothie down on the table and gets the First-aid kit when he hears that his girlfriend is hurt. He walks up to Dana and hands it to her.
"Thank you," Dana says.
"You're welcome," Antonio says.
They walk over to Antonio's chair, and Traci sits down. Dana sets the kit down on the table and opens it. She gets to work cleaning Traci's wounds.
"All set, I'd suggest not training alone anymore. You were lucky we showed up when we did, some of these injuries could have been much worse." Dana says.
"Everyone needs some alone time don't they," Traci says.
"Yes, but Dana has a good point," Antonio says.
"Yeah, if you got seriously hurt you wouldn't be able to to call anyone for help," Noah adds.
"Traci, we need to get to school," Noah says.
"Okay," Traci says.
"But I think we should change out of these sweaty clothes," Antonio says.
"Good idea," Noah says.
"Haven't Traci, and Antonio already graduated from High School?" Carter asks.
"Yes, but I'll fill you in on the current situation after they leave," Jayden answers.
The Megaforce Rangers expect Orion, along with Tracy and Antonio leave the room. The group meets up in the living room. A minute later, they hear a clicking sound as Traci walks down the hallway in her cowboy boots. The group looks towards the entrance and see Traci wearing a gold peregrina blouse, black skinny jeans, her cowboy boots are light brown and have a pink flower design etched into it. She also put her up in a braided bun along with a beaded multicolored red plumeria pin in the center of it. She also put on a little makeup - some mascara, outlined the outside out her eyelids with black eyeshadow and blended it in, and she also is wearing some lipstick that is a shade of pink that is lighter than the color of her lips, so it looks like she isn't even wearing any.
"Wow, Traci, you look beautiful," Antonio says.
"I love how you did your nails, they look beautiful," Emma adds as she notices the tulips design on Traci's fingernails.
"Thanks, you two," Traci says.
"You know your makeup is going to get messed up in Gym class, right?" Jake asks.
"I know, but I guess I felt like doing something different," Traci answers.
"Well, let's get going," Troy says.
The group gets to school ten minutes later. They walk up to the front door, and Noah sees a note taped to the window.
School closed due to a broken main
Classes resume Friday
"It looks like we have the next two days off," Noah announces.
"Sweet," Traci cheers.
"I guess we could walk around for a bit," Troy suggests.
The walk around till they stop near a church and see a bride and groom walking out while members of the wedding party toss flower petals towards them. Traci figures one of the older men smiling must be the bride's father as his eyes were full of happy tears.
Wow, that girl is lucky, her father looks so happy that she found someone to share the rest of her life's journey with. Traci thinks.
"Do you think that we could go in, I'd love to see how is was decorated for the wedding," Emma says.
The group waits for everyone else to leave. The group walks inside and goes to the sanctuary The minister walks up to them wearing a black robe with a white stole that has a cross on it over his suit.
"Hello, sir, my friends and I were hoping to see how the bride and Groom decorated the sanctuary if it's okay with you?" Traci asks politely.
"Of course, but I'll be locking the Church up in twenty minutes," The minister answers.
"Okay, thank you," Traci says.
The group walks to the sanctuary. They see the end of the pews draped with white lace that has a flower chain lying on top of them. The group sets their book bags down in the pew next to them. Traci walks down the aisle, and Antonio follows her. They walk up to the arch on the stage and turn to look into the other's eyes.
"Traci, I know we're too young to get engaged. I'd like to give you something to show you that I'm never going to leave you side and one day intend to give a proper engagement ring." Antonio says.
Antonio takes the ring box out of his jacket pocket and opens it. Traci eyes instantly fill with tears of joy seeing the Sterling Silver Pink Sapphire Ring inside.
"Antonio it's beautiful," Traci says tearfully.
"Will you accept this promise ring?" Antonio asks.
"Yes, and when you propose to me I'll try not to cry this much," Tracy says still crying tears of joy.
"It's okay. Angel; I know those are happy tears." Antonio says.
He takes the ring out and puts it on the ring finger on Traci;s right hand. After they share a quick kiss, and the couple walks back to their friends.
"I think we should head back to the Shiba House so the others can see the ring," Emma suggests.
"I guess so," Traci says.
"Plus, we need to tell them about the school being closed tomorrow," Noah adds.