This is the first half of Round 2. I had a lot of writer's block concerning this and the next chapter, I still do but I can't seem to get a fit for the story. I promised myself that I will Dare myself To Be read by others and judged. That's what a writer does, don't they? I want To Be seen and known too. So Enjoy!


In the morning after the previous Round One day Alex rose early. RibularIsland mornings were cool but not too cold so he wouldn't have to take a jacket with him, Alex concluded as he stretched before the rising sun. He smiled at the reflection staring back at him in the glass window as he decided to jump in the show. While there, he hadn't heard it, Plato did though, the distinct chirping sound of the paleopager that was resting on his nightstand table where Alex had put it the night before.

You got an FMS message, Plato said once Alex had stepped out of the bathroom usng a towel to dry his long hair.

"I'll worry about it in a moment, I need to get my hair in a ponytail or it will frizz out on me." Alex replied while finding his hair brush on the top of the hotel dresser.

Once Alex had done his hair he picked up the paleopager. The message on the screen said that he had a fossil rock delivery waiting for him at the fossil lawn. It didn't say who sent the rock so Alex had to go figure out who would do that for him, especially without telling him first.

"I know no one who is a fossil fighter outside of the competition. Who could or would do that, send me a fossil rock?" He asked locking his door.

Aires yawned from within his dino medal. Amigo, maybe you have a fan.

"I highly doubt that." Alex said as he neared the elevator on his floor.

The trek to the fossil lawn wasn't far, it was to the right of the town center in RibularTown. When he got there, Alex was sort of shocked to see Cora there picking up four fossil rocks. The wind blew at her auburn hair as she examined each rock before putting them in her fossil rock case. Cora was wearing all black, making the red in her hair stand out even more. She hadn't seen him at all as Alex went to the fossil lawn attendant to see about his fossil rock delivery.

"Excuse me, I got an FMS message saying that I have a fossil rock here." Alex said looking at the woman.

"It's over there," she pointed near the fossil cannon. "It will have your name etched into the rock."

"Oh, okay, thank you." He nodded before going to look at the rock.

There was only one fossil rock, and it was a solid square fossil rock, nothing extraordinary about it. Alex was contemplating if he should take it or not when she noticed him. Cora had picked up the last of her surprise fossil rocks from Andy when she saw Alex. He was kneeling in front off the fossil rock she had asked her brother to send to Alex, as a surprise of course.

"Alex, good morning. I see you got it." The twelve year old said, approaching the older boy.

"Got what exactly?" Alex asked, standing up to his full six foot five height.

"I had my big brother Andy send you a Daspleto body fossil rock for finishing Round One." She smiled brightly, knowing she had done a good deed.

Alex, though, didn't think that at all. His handsome face turned dangerously cold, unlike what he had been like the previous day.

"What? Why? Do you think I'm incapable of getting Plato's pieces on my own?" Alex's voice steadily rose as his anger built.

"No, I was helping. I wanted…" she didn't even finish her sentence when Alex started walking away. "Alex, wait!"

"I don't care what you have to say. I don't want this bloody thing, you can keep it."

Cora ran up towards him, which was hard to do when he had longer legs that she did.

"Alex, what's wrong?"

She grabbed his arm, but when she did Alex jerked it away. Cora stumbled forward, landing squarely on her hands and knees on the stone path that ran through the fossil lawn towards the fossil cannon. In mild pain, and looking through her hair, Cora saw that Alex was running away. His long legs were carrying him faster than she expected. He hadn't even turned around to see what made Cora give out a startled shriek.


When Dina heard that Cora was in the infirmary that morning, she wasted no time to see what happened. The infirmary was located near the staff leader's office in the Fossil Station. As Cora got to the infirmary, she saw Cora sitting on an examination table, her pants rolled up to over her knees and they were bandaged. Dina also saw that Stella was tending to Cora's scraped hands.

"Cora, what happened?" Dina asked walking further into the room.

"I tripped and fell. Alex didn't like his gift, I tried to stop him from walking away but I tripped. It's not his fault but I needed some first aid." Cora said, not daring to look at her cousin.

"Unfortunately, you can't be digging up fossil rocks, not until your hands heal." Stella said taping up her hands with some sports tape over the bandages. "You can clean but I wouldn't suggest digging anything up right now." She stepped back, snapping off the medical gloves. "You're good to go, Cora. But remember, no digging for fossils. Her knees aren't bad but her hands took the brunt of the fall though." Stella told Dina as Cora slid off the exam table.

"Thanks. I can take her from here."

"No, I'm going back to my hotel room. What good am I if I can't dig for fossil rocks?" Cora asked reaching for her jacket on a nearby chair.

Cora walked out of the room, intent on going to her hotel room but Dina danced her way in front of the copper haired girl.

"Come with me to the newly opened dig site. It'll take your mind off of him for a while. Plus we haven't spent anytime together in two years, I feel like I don't know you anymore."

It took just the sight of Alex walking to the cleaning room, smoldering in anger it looked like, to get Cora to agree with her cousin. She didn't want to meet up with Alex any time soon.

"As long as you help me look for a Raja body part later, I only have his head and he's still sort of weak compared to my other vivosaurs." Cora said.

"I promise." Dina smiled at her cousin.

Cora and Dina headed towards the newly opened dig site. Cora's hands were still hurting and were now slightly itching. But she had to focus on the back of Dina's blonde head to forget. It wasn't until the two of them got to the start of the dig site that Cora realized someone was laying prone on the ground near the entrance path.

"Should we help him?" Cora asked, looking up at her cousin slightly.

"We should, you don't anything to worry about with me here." Dina looked at her cousin in return before heading towards the strange man.

The two approached the man lying on his side. Cora stood sort of next to but behind Dina out of instinct if this turned bad. Amidst the moaning, groaning and rubbing of his stomach, the man opened his eyes. Though Cora wasn't sure if he could see them though. He had the bushiest grey eyebrows she'd ever seen on a human.

"Oh right. Hello there. So sorry to bother you but I appear to be in a bit of a pickle. Hunger gnaws at my belly, you see, and I fear the only cure is a delectable melon spud. A sing one of these sweet subterranean spuds would have me up and about in no time. Ah but a melon spud is a clever beastie. Where could it be hiding?"

Cora saw Dina look around. She wracked her brain trying to remember something from her grandmother's garden. The old man started speaking again, breaking Cora's thought.

"I say, I sense a melon spud buried right near this spot. You'll spy a vibrant green sprout that marks the location of the precious melon spud. Now be a good egg and find it for me, won't you? Else I fear the end is nigh for this old codger." He said before going back to moaning again.

"A melon spud, I've never heard of those before." Dina looked at Cora for an answer.

"I have. My grandma, Dad's mom, use to grow them in her garden. Um let me see…" Glancing around, Cora smiled. "The ole coot wasn't lying about one being near. It's over there." She pointed to the right of the prone man. "You better dig it up. I can't, not with my hands."

They headed over to the green plant, larger than the mix of yellow, green and yellow-green grass around it. Taking her ax, Dina swung at the spud in the ground, and dug it up with no problem, then she and Cora headed back to the strange man. Cora stayed back a few steps knowing what would happen if someone without energy would eat just one melon spud.

For and old man, he jumped straight into the air like a kick to the shorts. Despite his age, the old strange speaking English guy was looking far better than a feeble old man he had been before. He could pass as a relative to Santa Claus, wearing Safari Cloths.

"Ho ho! Well done, old bean. That melon spud has given me an injection of youthful vim and vigor." He paused briefly when Cora approached. "By jove, there are two of you. My thanks to the both of you and I would humbly request the pleasure of your names."

"I'm Dina and this is my cousin."

"I'm Cora." She said, not want to let her cousin over shadow her again.

"So Dina and Cora is it? Well then, Dina, Cora, it appears that I am in your debt. I am Professor Nigel Scatterly, man of science and cuator of the CaliosteoMuseum on Cranial Isle." He laughed. "I'd come here in search of the Calio Slablets, but somehow managed to get hopelessly lost. Also I forgot my lunch on the counter when I left this morning, so it's quite good the both of you came along."
"Um, what are Calio Slablets, exactly?" Cora asked.

"How's that. You want me to explain what Calio Slablets are?"

She just asked you that, Dude. Cora heard a voice that didn't belong to any of her vivosaurs. It must have been one from Dina's team.

"Well capital idea. There's little I enjoy more than discussing the wonders of science after all!" Scatterly exclaimed happily. "Yes well, where to begin? Calio Slablets, you see, are curious sets of tablets hewn from dinosaur bones. I discovered one of these tablets a fair while back and found it contained a history of these islands."

"That sounds cool, actually." Cora said, tilting her head slightly to the right.

"It quite is. This tablet explained that the long-lost kingdom of Caliosteo actually existed on this very spot. Can you imagine? I also determined that this ancient kingdom was led by a mighty ruler named Zongzonga. Now it seems this Zongzonga fellow was some manner of sorcerer who wielded spells of great power. He even had the power to resurrect dinosaurs from fossils. I say, can you imagine? Such a thing means they were reviving vivosaurs in prehistoric times! Natutually I burn to know more of these ancient people but I had only Calio Slablet #1 in my possession. However since they bothered to number the one I found, logic demanded that there must be others. So knowing this, I fashioned a special CS Sonar to search them out."

No sooner had Prof. Scatterly said that, a high pitched beeping sound went off on his belt. The intrigue was killing Cora by now.

"Hello, what's this then?" The professor took his sonar off his belt. "It seems the CS Sonar has detected another Slablet. Stand aside, children, I must excavate it with all due speed."

Only his name came true, Scatter Brained Scatterly forgot his pick ax. So naturally he asked the girls to do it for him.

"Hmm, it appears you are injured, old bean." Scatterly said seeing Cora's hands. "So you will have to do it, Dina. You must do it, please. Do it. Do it for science!"

Dina nodded as she took out her pick ax.

It took her three hits before Cora saw something coming from the ground. Just as Dina was to make another swing Cora called out to her."

"Dina, wait! I see something in the ground." Cora said stepping up to the hole. "Yeah, there it is, that's what I see."

What was dug up was a tan fossil rock, except it looked like a piece of toast. It was a piece of toast with hieroglyphs etched into it on all sides. It was also bigger than a piece of toast. This must have been a Slablet, Cora concluded as she handed it over to Scatterly.

"Good heavens, it IS a Calio Slablet. And look here, its marked with the number three. I suppose the prudent thing would be to set this one aside until I find the second Slablet…"
"My curiosity is piqued, I'd like to know what it says." Cora said, looking at the professor.

"Too right, my girl. My curiousity will not be contained. Come, old beans, let us free whatever wisdom waits to be heard." Scatterly exclaimed before translating the Slablet.

This is what it said:

Once everyone several decades, Zongazonga compelled his people to hold a tournament, participants in the tournament were given revived dinosaurs and made to command them in battle. These brave warriors traveled to and fro across the islands, waging battles of gargantuan ferocity. The tournament's sole reason for being was to choose a new Majestic Vessel. And when only one warrior was left standing, he or she would become the new Majestic Vessel.

"I say," Cora looked up from the Slablet at Scatterly. "A contest in which dinosaurs are made to fight across the three islands…The similarity to our own Caliosteo Cup is remarkable."

"But what is a Majestic Vessel?" Cora pondered out loud.

"However, I am at a loss for that. Perhaps it simply means one who has the qualities of leadership to befit a King? Hmm, yes quite."

Yes, quite confusing indeed. Yang mentioned to Cora.

"Well then, I suppose that mystery will have to wait until the other Slablets are discovered, yes? I shall make for Cranial Isle with this new Slablet posthaste." Scatterly placed the Slablet into his satchel before turning back towards the girls. "You both have been remarkable assistance to me, Dina and Cora. Both myself and Science owe you a great deal. If either of you are on the shores of Cranial Isle you must stop by my museum. It is a gallery and depository of items bother rare and wonderful, and I promise it will not disappoint. And of course I will put this here Calio Slablet #3 on display next to the first one I found. Safe travels, now. Tallyho!"
Scatterly started running back towards the jungle.

"Wait, Professor. You're going the wrong way!" Cora called out. "That will leading you further into the dig site!"

"I beg your parden?" He stopped suddenly. "This will take me into the jungle labyrinth? Yes, well," he readjusted his hat as he walked back towards Cora and Dina. "Wouldn't want that at all, now would we? It seems I am in your debt again, young lady. This time, it is farewell for sure. Tallyho!" He ran by them, towards the path that would go back to RibularTown. Now it was Cora and Dina again.

"Should we just go further into the dig site? It seems to be a waste of time just to leave now." Cora said looking at Dina. "I just don't want to see Alex right now."

"Okay. I'll share half of my jewel rocks that I find with you." She was about to leave when Dina stopped. "What did Andy send you? He never said he would send me anything after I win my Round Battles."

"I'm sure he would if you actually asked. I only did it for Alex because I wanted to help."

"Maybe he didn't want hand outs, he wants to earn the right to find and earn his fossils. I don't know why would yell at you like that but maybe he has a reason. You should get friend more your age anyway."

"Don't start, Dina, I'm not in the mood." Cora mumbled heading towards the path that went further into the Jungle Labyrinth dig site.

No sooner had Cora and Dina entered the forest they heard a familiar voice. The voice alone made Cora roll her eyes as Dina turned towards her odd ball friend.

Here comes trouble, Yang said.

He's kind of cute, for a human. Cera stated in a voice that Cora couldn't put it as.

"Oh be quiet. He's not cute, he's annoying." Cora whispered to her Team.

"Hey, hey, hey, hey…" Todd said running up. "Oh hey, Cora. Are you digging hard or hardly digging?" He laughed at her. "Word gets around fast about your spat with your boyfriend and how you were a klutz, again."

"Todd for once, shut up." Cora said, stepping between him and her cousin. "I'm helping her out for a little bit."

"Fine, anyway, I have some good news. If we go deeper into the Jungle Labyrinth there's tons of cool fossil rocks. And since we're both here, Dina, I figured we could go digging together. The Baby can watch, I guess."

"Cora, don't." Dina said as Cora began to open her mouth. "Let's get this over with okay? No fighting, and I mean it, from the both of you."

"Fine." Cora said, turning from the Dimwit to leave, only to stop when she heard screaming.

What is that? She heard her Aeros ask.

Two grown men came running from the forest. Cora recognized them as Howard and Cary, brothers who shared a room next to hers at the hotel. Cora stepped out of the way or she would have been bowled over by the two men.

"Wh-What's wrong." For the first time in a long time Cora heard Todd getting scared of something.

"Back there, in the back, it's a horrible monster." Howard spoke up first.

"It was chasing us lit it was going to eat us whole. Or maybe it wanted to chew us first. Either way, that's not something I'm interested in." Cary added.

Howard turned towards his brother. "What if it decides to keep chasing us? What if it comes here?"
"Run Away!" Cary yelled before running away, his brother following right behind him.

"Well, that was interested." Cora mumbled to herself as she looked at Dina and Todd.

"A monster? Heh heh, yeah there's no such thing as monsters," he looked at Dina. "Right?"

"They must have been mistaken, more than likely." Cora put in knowing real monsters didn't exist. 'Yet here we are fighting revived dinosaurs,' she thought to herself.

"Now see here, little lady, I gotta disagree. Ain't no way two grown men make the same mistake, unh-huh." A southern voice asked nearing the three kids. "Way I hear it, we got a big ol' monster lurking in this here jungle. It got a mean ol' face and a personality to match. And if it happens to find ya, it'll bite your head clean off. I'd avoice going deeper into this ol' jungle unless you wanna get yourself hur, unh-huh. Fossil rocks don't mean nothin' if some monster gets to chewin' on you." Then this Elvis impersonator walked off, smiling.

I don't trust him if he's smiling. Yang stated as Cora watched the strange man leave.

He's so calm about this so called monster, too. If a monster was real you would think he would be a little bit more afraid. Cera added.

"Uh, Dina, maybe we should stop here for today. What do you think? I mean I'm not scared or anything. My vivosaur could stomp that monster into a pancake."

No I can't. The voice of Todd's Stego said, it sounded almost as scared as its trainer did.

"There's probably tons of fossil rocks right here." Todd smiled nervously.

"You can but I won't. There's something strange about that Elvis wannabe. There are no such things as monsters." Cora paused. "Now I sound like Velma from Scooby Doo."

"I have to agree with Cora. Something doesn't feel right." Dina told Todd.

"Oh, so you still want to go in, huh? Yeah, of course you two do. Well all right, I'll go with you. B-b-but it's just that…Oh my stomach, it's killing me. I shouldn't have eaten that green tuna sandwich for breakfast." He walked under a tree nearby, sort of off the path. "S-sorry, but you two can go by yourselves. I'll catch up soon, I promise."

Dina nodded and started up the path. Cora stood looking at Todd though.

"What?" He asked not meeting her in the face.

"Look who's the baby now." She smirked before running after Dina.

Serves him right, Yango said, smiling to herself.

What is it between you two that you hate each other so much? Cera asked, but didn't get an answer from Cora.

She hasn't told me and it's been two years that we've been together as a team. The fire stegosaur replied.