Author's Note: I DO NOT own Power Rangers that credit goes to the Gods of Saban but this story is mine, I just borrowed their characters (and the main story line) and added some of my own thoughts to it.
The Pink Dino Gem
Chapter One
"It's been a long day," said Trent as he walks in the front door to his house. "Dad going to be furious at me for coming home late again and I don't need another lecture on why I need to quit the Cyber Café." Trent stops short of his fathers' study, Trent heard his father Anton Mercer, talking on the phone with someone. "Oh good," murmured Trent maybe I can sneak by without him noticing. As Trent tries to sneak passed the doorway, he hears a familiar voice, "Can you hold on a second, thanks, Trent, your home late again," said Anton pulling the phone away from himself. "Can you hold up a second while I finish this conversation?" Trent stops short, "Yeah no problem dad," said Trent. Anton pulls himself back into the phone, "So as we were saying…right ok…no problem…don't worry Trent won't mind…alright then, talk to you later goodbye."
Anton hung up the phone. "So Trent do you know who I was speaking to?" Trent shrugged, "Someone you bought land from so that you can make me the manager of some store?" Trent said sarcastically, remembering the time Anton brought the Cyber Café so Trent could run it. "No," said Anton coldly. "That was Angela Russo, do you remember her, it must be sometime since you last seen her." Trent tried to remember; the name did sound familiar, but shook his head. As Anton continued, "Angela works as a Paleontologist, she worked with your parents on several digs before they died. Anyhow remember how your sister Erica, was staying with Angela and her husband because Erica wanted to be a Paleontologist too. Well, you and your sister are in your senior year of high school and Erica wants to go to the Smithfield University next year but one of the requirements for the college is that Erica would need to stay in one school in this country for an entire year. Now Angela and her husband were called to a dig in Kenya, so they were wondering if we could take in Erica for the year. I said we would be happy to take her."
"So…," said Trent. "What so special about Smithfield that Erica needs to stay with us for the year?" Anton looks at Trent sternly. "That is an odd response to say about your sister, but then again you haven't seen her in years. Smithfield is the top paleontology school in the country, so with it comes some strings. Do you not want us to take Erica?" Trent shook his head, "Its' not like that, it's just… I don't know how much she's changed." Anton got up from his desk and walked towards Trent and put his hand on Trent' shoulder, "I don't know how this arrangement will work out either, but Erica is your sister and I think you two should get together." As Anton walked out of the study, "By the way, Erica will be staying in the guest room. I will be…working later so can you start cleaning out the guest room, just put everything into boxes and put it in the garage alright?" As Anton walked out of the study, Trent murmured, "No problem, dad."
Later that evening, as Trent was putting away all of Anton's paleontology stuff into cardboard boxes, Trent came across a picture. In the picture were three people: Anton, Trent' birth mother, and a girl about twelve years old holding a pink rock in her hand. "Erica…." said Trent to himself. "Why don't I remember this picture being taken?" Trent stopped packing and decided to show Anton the picture. As Trent entered his fathers' study, the room was empty. "Right, dad did say he was working later," said Trent as he left the room. Trent was walking back upstairs when he heard a sound coming from his fathers' study. Trent quietly walked back downstairs to see Anton walking out of a green light. That light, thought Trent, was the same light I went into when I teleported to the Cyber Café. Trent didn't enter the study until Trent saw Anton sit down at his desk.
"Hey dad," said Trent walking in. "Are you busy now?" Anton was wiping away some sweat with a handkerchief, "Trent, I'll be up to join you in a few minutes, I just got back from work and I'm a bit tired." "That fine," said Trent. "I have a question for you actually..." as Trent put the photo on Anton' desk. "It's just I don't remember that picture being taken and…" Anton cut Trent off, "It was a picture taken of you and Erica birthday. Your parents never fought a lot, but this was one of the few things they did fight about. You father wanted to take the day off from the dig and take you and Erica out, your mother was claiming that we were close to finding a fossil and we should keep working. So your dad took you out to party while your mom and your sister worked with me and the rest of the crew on the dig. Anyhow, as the day progress Erica was getting shot tempered that we weren't finding anything, and Erica kicked the wall of the cave we were investigating. Anyhow, that part of the wall collapsed and a fossil was hidden behind the rubble along with that pink rock Erica's holding in the picture. We didn't think the rock had any value so your mom gave it to Erica as a present and we took a picture to commemorate." Trent nodded his head, "Did you find out what was the fossil, Erica "discovered"?" Anton laughed, "It was a Sarcosuchus, but it wasn't "discovered", that was the 10th one found at the time." "Oh ok," said Trent. "I'm going to stop cleaning for now, I'll continue tomorrow." A Trent turned around; Trent noticed Anton was staring hard at the picture. Anton looked up for a second, "Yea no problem, I'll try and join you tomorrow, alright?" Trent nodded and left the room. Anton was staring at the picture long after Trent left. "I'm imagining things but that rock looks like…it can't be…I've been working with Mesogog for too long," Mercer said as he put the picture in his drawer.