THE REASON - Part Forty-Two: Triassic Triumph
Summary: A new power source must be obtained if the rangers are to defeat their newest foes, the White Terrorsaurus and a cloned version of the White Ranger. The Shield of Triumph tests the dino rangers greatly.
Disclaimer: Power Rangers of any kind does not belong to me. Never will. Just the idea of this story. Thanks all! Without the concept of the show, there wouldn't be much of a story to look at.
A/N: Just the obvious title. It does tie into the show–or episode–but I may need to avoid the putting the episode into the story unless I really need to. But, again, sorry for the long wait. I've been busy with school, considering only three weeks have passed. And I still haven't gotten a chance to ask my friend to check up the deal with my computer. The virus is eating at my system, and it sucks. So, sorry for the long delay. Just read, and hope you enjoy. I'll try to update as quick as I can in the next few weeks. I'm really behind. But until another time–May the Powers Protect You!
"Are you ready to find out who you really are? Everyone around you are apart of the circle of discovery." -Eclyptyk Neo
When Tommy awoke, he found himself in his bedroom. A blanket was over him, figuring he had spaced out completely. He didn't remember much of the hours since the power transformation. And all he could remember was Adam helping him into the room to get the much needed rest he needed.
He sat up and looked around the darkened room, noting the late hour.
He ran a hand through his hair catching his breath. He looked down at the metal cuff on his arm. He saw the glowing pink light inside the gem. He felt it intertwine with his own dino powers and ninja powers.
He closed his eyes and saw the unique dance shared by the falcon and the crane in his dreams. The same thing he had seen the previous day.
When he opened his eyes, he saw a note and envelope on one of the night stands. He took it into his hand and read it to himself. "Hey, T. Figured you'd be out for most of the day, if not night. I don't blame you. None of us would. What you did was hard. And anyone would have done it. You didn't hesitate about it, though. And that's what makes you the fearless and best ranger. Sorry, not the point, but you know what I mean. I mean, it isn't easy harnessing up all that power, but you pulled through. The teens pulled through. And we pulled through. We're tough. We're rangers. The gem is no longer Kim's. It's yours and the teens. And it worked. There is no real remains of the dino powers in Kim's system. That's a good thing. Yet, she hasn't shown much life, if any, at all since the power transformation. But she is fine, okay? The mental strain must have been a lot for her. And no one can blame her for that. It was a trip. But don't try to run yourself down, waiting at her side without a good amount of sleep and food. Okay? We'll figure something out. We'll be back in the morning. May the Powers Always Protect You. -Adam. P.S. It seems the USOC is getting a little worried and impatient about Kim's absence. And if she isn't back in Florida by the end of the week, she might as well kiss her chance to go to Athens good-bye. Look, I'm sure she'll awake by week's end. She just needs to rest at the moment. But I'd also hate for her to miss this opportunity, either. None of us would. Just a fair warning. Sorry, you guys won't be hanging out much in the next few weeks. But you know what you gotta do."
Tommy forced out a breath. He opened up the envelope seeing the one-way ticket to Jacksonville, Florida-Kim's residence. It had no real date to it, but there was a policy for its expiration date. And that was at the end of the week. He tossed it back onto the night stand, and moved toward his new destination. The lab.
When he got down to the lab, no one was there to greet him except the silent humming of the machines working and a motionless body at the far end of the room. A chair was set beside it as a welcoming for his long night at his love's side.
Tommy moved slowly toward the chair, and collapsed onto it. He looked down, guilt pouring over him as tears filled his eyes. He took her hand into his own, looking back at the woman he loved so much. And it crushed him. The memories of being at her side like this-years ago, when she had gotten into that gymnastics accident, and Kat confessed all that had happened--made his stomach churn. He got to his feet, leaned over the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, and laid several kisses to her forehead and cheeks.
He collapsed into the chair again, holding her hand close. "Um...hey, there, baby. It's nothing new about all this. I mean, it was one crazy trip since you got here. But this past month definitely changed everything. I never expected any of this to happen, and I'm sorry for all the pain. I mean, you might not be able to hear me. Or maybe you could, after that little connection we made. I just don't know how to describe it. Or what has even happened in these past few months. It has definitely been a trip. And I'm just glad that you're safe now. Right? No more real worries, Kim. At least I hope so." He forced out a breath, wanting so badly to see her awake from her slumber. But she didn't. He pushed away some strands of hair on her face to reveal the real beauty beneath it. "I missed you. Missed you more than I ever had in these past few years I've been without you, Kim. How could I be so stupid? How could I just lie to you the way I did? Not fix things between us. But no one is perfect. No one is meant to. I just wish there is something we could do." he paused a moment, recalling the darkened discovery he had made about his former colleague and friend, Anton Mercer.
"I give Trent credit for not saying what he wanted to say. I mean, I respect his judgment about not telling us what his father has done. I just wish I knew how Conner, Kira and Ethan will react when they hear the news about it. And no one said it would be easy. Living the life of a ranger is definitely full of its ups and downs."
Tommy dug into his pocket and found the small ring box. Again, he looked at the face of the woman he loved so much, opening it. It was the engagement ring. It had a crane on it, with a big diamond in-between the wings. It had a light pink hint to it, and had the engraving of her name on the inside. He was wanting to give her three years ago. Should have asked her about it long ago. But he really couldn't. And now, it shook him even more. He was afraid to do it. Scared to. But knew, it had to be done. He waited too long to do this. And the time felt right. Just not now. He forced it shut and pushed it back into his pocket. Another time. But it would be soon.
Then he remembered the locket she had returned to him the day she arrived in town. He pulled it free from beneath his collar, and detached it. He found his arms wrap behind her neck, and returned the locket to its true owner. "Take it. It's yours, Kim. It always has been. And it always will. You already won my heart the moment you stepped onto my doorstep and surprised me. I was just scared, ya know. Scared for us. Scared for the future. The past was still haunting me, and I wasn't ready for the change. But now, I know I am. I want you back in my life. I always did since the funeral. But what has passed has passed. And that chapter of our lives is now closed. We're starting a new one right now, Kim. You and me. It starts a new beginning now."
He sat there, waiting. Watching her sleep. Prayed. He wanted to hold her close, and never let her go. He wanted to wake up with her at his side. He wanted so much from her. He just hoped she still wanted the same. And as he thought of their future together, he fell into a deep slumber.
Someone tapped Tommy on the shoulder, waking him up. He groaned quietly, blinking the sleepiness from his eyes. When he looked up, he saw the red and black ninjas looming over him.
"Just as I thought." Adam sighed, pulling the black dino thunder ranger to his feet. "Sleep well?"
Tommy raised his arms over his head, stretching them out, yawning. He shrugged. "Sure, I guess so."
Rocky looked at the sleeping pink ninja ranger, then he looked back at the black dino thunder ranger. "Hey, T. Ya know we got this, right? We'll figure something out."
Tommy nodded slowly, glad to hear the encouraging words from his friends. "Yeah, I know, Rocky."
"How ya feeling?" Adam asked, patting the man on the shoulder.
Tommy shrugged. "Better. A little more energized. Maybe a little too energized, but that shouldn't be a bad thing, should it?"
"I wouldn't think so. You look fine for the most part."
"I feel fine." he sighed.
"And anyone whose anyone knows you had no real choice about that gem." Rocky nodded. "What's done is done. And the evil encoding should be gone."
"I just hope there won't be anymore big surprise in store for us." Tommy sighed.
But that wasn't true when the teens filed into the lab, frustrated and upset a few hours later.
News went around about an evil White Ranger terrorizing the city. And for being one in the same, so was the White Terrorsaurus. Both weren't really living beings, as Tommy concluded, but it had Conner feeling the most annoyed.
Conner stormed across the room, toward the confused white ranger. "I knew it. You should never have been here in the first place, Trent."
Ethan held back his red ranger friend. "Hey, slow down."
"Not now, Conner." Tommy met the red dino ranger, placing a hand on his shoulder. "We definitely got a threat on our hands, and this isn't what we need right now. So, we need to call in the heavy artillery." He walked over to the newest member of the team, directing him to follow him. "C'mon, Trent. Let's go. I need you on this one."
"Wait!" Conner huffed, making the two stop to look at him. "Why him? What about me? Or one of the others?"
Tommy forced out a breath. "Trust me on this one, Conner. I need Trent for now. But we're all gonna need to contribute apart of ourselves to this in order for it to work. But for now, I need to take Trent with me."
Tommy turned, and headed out the door. The White Ranger on his heels.
The blue and yellow rangers looked over at their counterpart and saw the rage and jealous run through his eyes. But they figured, it was one battle Conner had to face on his own.
Tommy led the newest member through the forest, knowing exactly where he was going. Trent wondered what the man was thinking, or where he was taking him, but figured he knew what he was doing. He could only wonder how much his new mentor knew and what he was keeping from them since the previous day.
"Um... thanks for trusting me, Dr. Oliver." Trent said quietly.
"I do trust you, Trent." Tommy nodded his encouragement as he passed through a small creek bed. "I mean, I really do trust you. And this mission had to be yours. There was an ancient artifacts that was hidden out here years ago. I've known its whereabouts for some time, but only one real power source can retrieve it."
Trent stopped, raising an eyebrow. "Mine?!"
Tommy turned to the teen, nodding. "Yes. By using your chameleon powers. You'll be able to access the powers long enough to power it up."
Trent let out a sigh, nodding. "I'm ready."
"I know you are, Trent. Let's go."
The two continued through the woods, coming to a halt in an area hidden behind a wall of trees. To an area with a small lake, with a series of waterfalls lining the background. Tiger Star.
"Is this the place?" Trent asked.
"Yes." Tommy nodded. "It's hidden there, in the water."
Tommy instructed the teen to raise his arm, like he had done the previous day and concentrate on the power of his dino gem. Trent didn't have to argue with his mentor, and did what he was told. Tommy did the same, helping and contributing his own dino gem powers to harness up the hidden artifact. As the energy from their gems clashed and dove into the water, a shield rose from it.
Minutes passed. Several long minutes.
And each of them was feeling the strain to maintain control of their gem. And it wasn't what they needed. If they lost the concentration, they would also lose the shield's powers. Tommy encouraged the teen to keep going, but his own mind was playing with the struggles of his past, making him falter.
"I can't..." Trent groaned.
"No. Keep going, Trent..." Tommy breathed.
And just when Trent stumbled forward, the red dino thunder ranger appeared, taking the object from mid-air. He landed beside the two rangers, as Tommy took hold of Trent.
"How's that for timing?" Conner commented with a light gesture.
"Never better. Thanks." Trent nodded, catching his breath.
"I was right, Conner." Tommy nodded. "You got the shield's telepathic message. It proves my theory. It proves you're ready."
"Ready for what?" Conner seemed confused.
"Only a ranger in complete sync with the universal dino powers is strong enough to handle the shield's energy. And that's you, Conner."
"But when you took Trent, I thought..." Conner protested.
"Yes. For the shield to establish full power, but each dino ranger must also contribute apart of themselves to it. Trent has done his part. Now, it is up to the rest of us to follow suit."
Conner nodded. "That's great. Because that ugly terrorsaurus is back, and looking tougher than ever. We're gonna need all the help we can get."
Trent fell to his knees, dazed. The red and black dino rangers pulled him to his feet, as Trent clung to Tommy for more support.
"I gotta get Trent back to the lab. I'll make my contributions to the shield there, and get it to you as soon as you can. Do you think you can keep that
raggedy pea-brained terrorsaurus under control?"
Conner nodded firmly. "I won't let you down." He turned and left the area.
Tommy moved out of the area, with Trent close by and shield in hand.
Hours passed.
The White Terrorsaurus was now another memory. No longer a threat. But the evil White Ranger still existed. But that was okay. They were taking it one step at a time. And that was what Tommy wanted them to do after the recent events with their power upgrades. And even with that said, each of the dino rangers felt the drain of their powers when they made their contribution to the Shield of Triumph.
It was definitely something that Conner could not describe, and he was glad that the team had trusted him with their own powers.
And after some time at the cyber café and a friendly soccer game, the four teens returned to the lab to see what the news on Kim's condition was.
It hadn't changed much, though Tommy had his own theory behind it.
"Our dino gem powers." he concluded.
"Meaning?" Conner seemed lost.
"I know that for as long as I could remember, there should be no real evidence of the dino gem remaining in Kim's system." Tommy began. "But, I have an idea that might prove me right. Even if she may not have the dino powers anymore, she should still have the remains of her first powers inside her somewhere. If we can harness it up, we might be able to wake her up."
"So, lemme guess." Ethan stepped forward. "You'd rather take a risk as that, rather than wait until she wakes up on her own?"
Tommy nodded. "I'll do whatever it takes. I'm tired of just sitting here waiting for something to happen. Pretty soon, we're gonna be facing our biggest battle yet. And we won't be able to take a break from it. We gotta be ready for anything that Mesogog throws at us."
The teens nodded. They knew their teacher was right. And even though Trent was still finding his place among the team, he knew that his mentor knew the odds and ends of each side of the field. They all wanted to help out anyway possible, and stick by each other like they needed to. That's what rangers did. They were friends, too.
The teens found their place at the medical table. Tommy took his place at the head of the table, drawing them to do what they had done just a day earlier. The Shield of Triumph rested in Kim's embrace.
As each dino thunder ranger began to concentrate, an energy field began to flow from their gem into the shield, empowering it. Each one began to groan with the strain, especially Conner. He was the one who honed the powers of the shield, and he knew how the other rangers were feeling when they gave up their powers for a brief time. Tommy stumbled to the ground, groaning.
Again, they heard the cry of the crane as they saw the animal spirit rise up into the air and jump into Tommy. He fell back, hitting the floor hard.
"Dr. Oliver!" the teens called out with great concern.
He held up his hand, stopping them in their tracks. "Keep going, guys! Don't stop!"
Conner felt his knees weaken as he clung to the medical table for support. Ethan pushed him up to his feet. Then they all heard the echoing cry of the pterodactyl, forcing both Trent and Kira to the ground.
A bright light filled the room, making the team shield their eyes.
And when it was over, they all laid on the ground catching their breaths. They all felt a little weakened.
"Man. That was a trip." Ethan groaned, sitting up as he ran a hand over his chest.
"You're telling me." Kira nodded, as she looked toward her fellow teenage rangers. "You guys okay?"
"Yeah. I'm fine." Trent nodded.
"Just a little shaken." Conner got to his feet.
Tommy scrambled to his feet, rushing over to the medical table. He touched the woman's face, calling out to her. "Kim. C'mon, Kimberly. Wake up."
The woman stirred, moving her head slowly as a groan escaped her lips. "Tommy, is that you?"
The man smiled brightly, and pulled her into a hug without saying much of anything else. The woman slowly opened her eyes as the teens let out light cheers for their success. She wrapped her arms around the form holding her. She saw the smile of relief and happiness in the teens' faces. And it was such a relief to have them all standing there to greet her as she awoke.
"She's back." Ethan breathed.
"That's a relief." Kira smiled.
"How ya feeling?" Conner asked.
"Like I can barely breathe. Tommy. A little air." She exclaimed, pushing the black dino thunder ranger back.
"I'm sorry, baby." Tommy whispered, loosening his grip. "I'm just so glad you're back."
"No doubt. We've missed you." Kira said.
"I can tell. Thanks, guys. It's great to have such great friends by your side who never give up on you." Kim smiled gently.
"Well, we got Dr. Oliver to thank for that." Trent commented. "He's definitely taught us a lot."
Kim passed a smile to the newest member of the team. "He has. And I must say, welcome to the team, Trent. It's glad you're back on the right side of the fight."
"No doubt, bro." Ethan nudged the White Ranger with a kind gesture. "We probably wouldn't have gotten this far if you'd still be kicking our butts."
Tommy brought Kim's face back to hers with a hand, pulling her into a kiss. And it was a much needed one after the last couple of weeks. He broke the kiss, shaking his head. "I'm so sorry, Kim. I didn't expect any of this to happen. I just..."
Kim put a finger to his lips. "It's okay, Tommy. I'm fine now. And I never would have gotten that far without you." she turned to the uncomfortable bunch across the room. "To all of you."
Tommy looked over his shoulder, looking at the eager eyes of his students. They all wanted their share in hugs and kisses with the pink ninja ranger. And he didn't have to argue with them. They were all relieved that this part of the battle was done. He stepped aside, letting the teens through to greet the pink ninja ranger.
Minutes passed.
And a good amount, to drive Tommy a little agitated to kick the teens out to give his girl a proper welcome back to reality. He clapped his hands together, pulling attention to him. "All right, guys. Time to wrap it up. Don't you still have homework to do?"
"Dr. Oliver!" The teens groaned, not wanting to go.
Tommy shook his head. "No. You guys still got an education to worry about. So, c'mon! Let's go."
The teens exchanged quick good-byes with the couple and left the room.
To be continued....
A/N: No need to make a chapter's title not fit the script of the chapter, but it will continue on into the next chapter. Oh yeah, and I decide to pull my previous idea about Tommy having his own special place for meditation into the story. I found it kind of nifty to have the Shield of Triumph be located in a lake with some waterfalls. Now, don't it fit into the limelight of things about his meditation place. Sorry. Well, I thought it was cool. But read on. I'll see you all on the flip side, aiight? Later dayz.