A/N: I want to thank my best friend CyberChick135 and dedicate this fic and all my future ones to her, as this wouldn't have been possible without her support, encouragement, and help. If I hadn't met her, I wouldn't have had the push I needed to start writing fanfiction. What began as a dream of something I might do is becoming a reality, mostly because of her. She's also a talented writer in her own right; reading her fics is how we connected and bonded, and I encourage you to read them too! So, thank you so much, bestie!
A/N: This is my first PR fanfic, so I hope readers will give it a chance. At first glance, it may seem like a direct translation, but I assure you that while I use the canon storylines as a basis, I'm trying hard to give it my spin. And I fully intend to write completely original chapters in the future. This fic is geared towards those who've seen Dino Charge to save me from having to be overly descriptive with every detail, so I highly recommend you watch the show first. It's not only one of the better Power Rangers series, in my opinion, but it'll help you understand who the characters are, what they look like, etc. Also, having a basic knowledge of another great show, H2O: Just Add Water, will help you in the long run.
A/N: I've uploaded more images and edits onto my DeviantArt profile: raeimarie21.
A/N: If you like this fic, please favorite/follow/review it! I welcome any questions, comments, suggestions, and constructive criticism you may have as long as it's respectful and inoffensive. As I said, I've never written fanfiction before, and I know I have room for improvement! Enjoy Chapter 1!
Sixty-five million years ago, a small vessel sped through outer space on the run from an enormous warship. An alien from Zemoria, Keeper, guardian of the legendary Energems, piloted the former, while Sledge, the power-hungry bounty hunter, who was desperate to obtain them, owned the latter. Sledge's second-in-command, Fury, stood on the bridge and watched Keeper's ship through the ship's front window.
"Lucky shot, Keeper!" he growled, angry that Keeper was able to disable their weapons temporarily. The alarms continued to go off as he gave orders to the foot soldiers, Vivix, who scrambled around to fix the consoles. "Get the weapons systems back online before Sledge gets here! Wrench, what's taking so long?! Get those lasers fixed now!"
"I'm trying!" Wrench, the ship's mechanic insisted. He put down a toolbox and then looked at the laser cannon's separated cable wildly sizzling with electricity. "There are 10 million gigavolts going through this! One wrong move could destroy the whole ship. I have to be careful!"
Suddenly, Sledge entered the bridge and was displeased that there were delays during their pursuit of Keeper and the Energems. "Wrench!" he bellowed. "You pathetic weakling!" Seeing his mechanic was too hesitant and not getting the job done quickly, he came up behind him and shoved him away from the cable. "Out of my way!"
"But Master Sledge…" Wrench implored, trying to warn him of the danger.
Despite the extremely high voltage, Sledge ignored Wrench's worries as he used all his strength to reattach the cables with his hands.
"Woah!" Wrench shouted, impressed by his boss's strength and fearlessness.
Now that the cable was fixed and the weapons were operational, Sledge whirled around, still angrier than ever. "We will capture Keeper!" he vowed, stalking over to his throne at the bridge's center. "That mangy little cockroach! He's right where I want him! Lock onto his ship!"
His rant was unexpectedly interrupted by his fiancée, Poisandra, appearing at his side. "Sledgums!" she cooed, putting her hand on his. Looking out the window at Keeper's ship in the distance, she groaned, "So, that's the Keeper creature stopping us from getting married? Ugh! Please," she pleaded, clasping her hands over his, "allow me to finish this. You trust me, don't you?"
Annoyed by her sickeningly sweet voice, Fury groaned loudly, "Why do you listen to that heart-shaped nitwit? She couldn't take out Keeper's ship if it was standing still!"
"Watch it, Fury!" Sledge snapped, coming to Poisandra's defense. "She's tougher than she looks!" Poisandra gave Fury an indignant 'humph' and was glad Sledge believed in her abilities. "Of course, I trust you. Go right ahead, my darling," he added, letting her take the lead in taking out Keeper's ship.
"Yippee!" She joyfully skipped to the front of the bridge and began to dramatically sing the music scale like she was conducting an orchestra. "DO, RE, MI, FA, SO, LA, TI…" A Vivix then got in front of her. "…excuse me. You in front; you're blocking my view." She gasped in surprise as Sledge shot the Vivix, then giggled as it hit the wall and disintegrated into the floor.
"Can you see now, my dear?" Sledge gently asked, still holding the blaster that destroyed the Vivix.
"Ooh, you are so sweet!" she gushed, blowing him a kiss, then resuming her task. "Now, for the finale! DO, RE, MI, FA, SO, LA, TI…FIRE!" The laser sights locked on Keeper's ship and fired several shots before finally hitting it in the engine and sending it hurtling toward the planet Earth. "Woo-hoo!" she happily cheered. "That was fun!"
Sledge approached Fury. "Bring me the Energems," he demanded menacingly. "Or I'll destroy you too!"
"Yes, Master Sledge," the general responded, bowing with respect, then leaving for the space pod to descend to the planet.
Sitting on his throne, Sledge could feel he was closing in on obtaining the ultimate power. "Finally, the Energems will be mine, and I'll rule the universe!"
Down on Earth, Keeper was fortunately unharmed, but his ship didn't share the same fate. It lay in ruins from the crash landing and was a flaming wreck in an open meadow. However, the only thing on Keeper's mind was recovering the precious and powerful artifacts, the Energems he was tasked with protecting. He knew Sledge's forces could arrive at any moment to confront him, so he had to find the gems quickly and get them somewhere safe. However, Keeper didn't know he was being watched by someone nearby. He'd pinpointed his location and got to the planet without being detected. The being chuckled evilly, waiting for the right time to strike.
"Where are they?" the red-robed alien asked in desperation, looking around the wreckage. "They got to be here! I must find them, or…." He then heard a loud noise behind him. Turning around and looking up, he saw a huge Tyrannosaurus Rex. It roared furiously in his face, but it didn't faze him. Knowing he could speak to all creatures, Keeper calmly declared, "I mean you no harm. Gather the bravest among you; I need your help." The T-Rex nodded in understanding and promptly left.
"Thank you," he sighed. "Now, if only I could find the Energems." He resumed his search until he saw something shine in the sunlight. "There!" Keeper dashed over to some rubble, knelt down, and removed a piece of scrap metal. But instead, he found a large red crystal flickering and beeping. "Oh no! That's not good." Gently putting it down, he brushed away some debris and found a container sticking out of the dirt. "There it is!" It was a bit scratched, but he was relieved that all 11 Energems were accounted for and not damaged when he opened it. "Ahh, the Energems! Thank goodness." Suddenly a loud growl echoed in the distance, startling Keeper. 'I've run out of time. What can I do to keep these safe?' Remembering the flickering crystal, he got an idea.
Meanwhile, Fury had finally landed on Earth and scoured the woods for Keeper. "I can smell your rotten scent, Keeper!" he growled, pounding a tree with his fist. Emerging in the meadow, the feline warrior pulled out his seven-branched sword, and it electrified with energy. "Ah, there's his ship! Now, where are those Energems?" Fury went closer and began a fervent search. "They've got to be here somewhere! I will find them!" He bellowed and shoved debris out his way, then kicked some more. He looked across the way and was pleased with what he saw; Keeper was lying on the ground, dead. "Ahh, Keeper. Ha! You finally met your fate, and just to make sure you're destroyed…." Fury raised his sword, ready to deliver a final blow until a particular container caught his eye. "Wait! The Energems!" Ignoring Keeper, he bent down to retrieve them. "At long last. Master Sledge will become invincible!" Knowing he had what he came for, and Sledge would reward him for finding all the Energems, Fury heartily laughed as he left.
But as soon as Fury was out of earshot, Keeper opened his green eyes and smiled to himself. 'Yes,' he thought. 'My plan worked. Sledge and his crew are in for quite a rude awakening when they open that container.'
Back on Sledge's ship, which was circling the Earth while pulling a large load of asteroids in its electronet, hundreds of monstrous outlaws clamored in the many levels of cell blocks. Vivix fed them a reddish liquid of rations on one level while Sledge strolled down another with a pile of wanted posters in his hands.
"A bounty of 10,000 space bullion…." He mused to himself, greedily looking at one wanted poster.
"Excuse me!" Poisandra called out to him, trying in vain to get her fiancée's attention.
"After we get the Energems, he might be worth catching." Looking at another, he sniggered, "Maybe this one too."
Tired of him going on and on, Poisandra snatched them out of his hands and threw them in the air. "No more hunting down outlaws and collecting those stupid asteroids!" She strode down the corridor toward the bridge in a huff.
"They're not stupid!" he argued, begrudgingly following after her. "Those asteroids and outlaws will make me the richest bounty hunter in the universe. And then, maybe we'll get married."
"What do you mean maybe?" Poisandra asked him, whirling around and putting her hand out to stop him. "We are getting married!"
"Oh, brother," Sledge groaned, shaking his head. While he loved her dearly, sometimes, his beloved bride-to-be got on his nerves.
Upon entering the bridge, Poisandra rolled her eyes when she saw that Fury's space pod had returned. "I'm amazed Fury found his way back." She still was offended by the comment he said about her earlier.
"He better have those Energems," Sledge growled. "Or else he's in for it."
"I've done it," Fury declared proudly, emerging from the pod. "Keeper is history. And now, the Energems all are yours, Master Sledge." He knelt in front of his boss and held up the container. "Your long quest for the ultimate power is finally over."
"The entire universe will grovel before me," Sledge asserted, opening it. Inside, however, weren't the 11 Energems but the flickering red crystal that Keeper discovered earlier. "What?! No! It's a bomb!" Immediately, a bright light and a thunderclap-like sound went off, followed by a roar. It blew a hole in the ship, and everyone aboard got flung around as explosions continued to go off. Fury got pushed back into his space pod, and a flailing Vivix fell onto the 'LAUNCH' button, promptly sending him back to Earth. "I'll make you pay for this, Keeper!" Sledge yelled, shaking his fists. "If it's the last thing I do!" Another blast made his ship go off course, releasing all his precious asteroids from the electronet; they hurtled toward Earth. "My asteroids! No!"
On Earth, Keeper made his way to where 11 dinosaurs, summoned by the Tyrannosaurs, assembled together. "Ah, gather 'round my friends," he told them, and they stepped closer. "You are the mightiest creatures on the planet; I need your help." The guardian took out a rolled-up piece of red cloth and unfurled it on a stump. "These are the legendary Energems; their incredible power transcends space and time, good and evil." The gems glowed when he glided his staff over them. "Your spirits will bond with them and keep them safe. If they fall into evil hands, the universe will be in great danger." Keeper rose his hands, and each Energem floated up to a different dinosaur. The Tyrannosaurus, Pachycephalosaurus, Velociraptor, and Triceratops on his right bonded to the Red, Graphite, Green, and Pink Energems, while the Titanosaurus, Stegosaurus, Ankylosaurus, and Parasaurolophus on his left bonded to the Silver, Blue, Aqua, and Black Energems. Lastly, the Pterodactyl and Pteranodon, perched in front, and the Plesiosaurus, who'd come up from a nearby lakeshore, bonded to the Gold, Yellow, and Violet Energems. Once done, the dinosaurs left the area. "Ah," Keeper sighed with relief. "Now the Energems will be safe."
"They may be safe, but I'm afraid you're not, brother!" a familiar voice from behind him snarled. "You're mine now!"
Keeper barely had time to turn around and see a flash of black as a staff similar to his own came swinging at his head. He raised his staff to block it and saw his brother, Seeker. They were identical twins, but the many years and studies of dark magic had changed him considerably. His brother's eyebrows and goatee were now dark brown, his irises, scales, and claws were a deep crimson, and his skin was several shades paler. He wore a long, black velvet cloak with a hood on his body.
"Seeker!" Keeper exclaimed. "I knew I sensed someone else was watching me! It couldn't have been the Energems, or you would've appeared sooner. So, what do you want?" Using all his strength, he pushed him back, got into a fighting stance, and the two circled each other.
"I want what I've always wanted!" Seeker sneered. "To end your existence, merge our powers and strength so that I can be the most powerful being of our species and reinvigorate the Zemorian royal bloodline, and take what is rightfully mine!"
"Have I told you that you talk too much, brother?" Keeper scolded sarcastically. "Well, you do. And I won't let you go through with it; I'd rather our planet have no ruler than being ruled by you!"
"We'll see about that!" The evil twin replied. "Let's do this!" They swung their staffs at each other; sometimes they connected, others they had to duck to avoid being hit. After Keeper swerved to avoid another blow, Seeker quickly used his staff to knock his legs out from under him, and he fell to the ground, landing on his back. Putting his foot on his brother's chest, Seeker laughed as he energized his weapon, ready to strike. "Any last words?"
Before Keeper could respond, they heard a roar and felt booming footsteps. There was a large shadow as the mighty Titanosaurus came into view, towering over them. With a swing of his tail, he swiftly knocked Seeker away several feet and onto his back, where he was dazed and prone. The dinosaur approached Keeper as he stood and brushed himself off. It lowered its long neck to his level, and their eyes met.
"Thank you kindly, my friend," Keeper spoke, bowing his head. "It was most gracious that you came to help me in my time of need. I don't know how to repay you." He touched the dinosaur's face as a form of gratitude but then felt an immense power surge as the Titanosaurus merged its Energem's power with him. "What?" Keeper exclaimed. He opened his palm, and the Silver Energem was in it. "I don't believe it! You have chosen me?" Titano nodded. "I was tasked with protecting the Energems but never thought I'd be worthy of their power." He squeezed it tightly in his hand. "Thank you. I promise I won't let you down." Unexpectedly, there was a loud explosion, and Sledge's asteroids were falling from the sky in meteor fireballs. 'Oh, no! The asteroids from Sledge's ship!' "Go, friend; try to get somewhere safe. Quickly!" He watched Titano leave, and the asteroids fall and collide with the planet. It frightened the other dinosaurs, who tried to seek shelter. He was so distracted that he didn't notice Seeker rising from the ground and sneaking up behind him. "This isn't good. What can I do?"
"You can start by handing over your Energem!" Seeker demanded. Keeper spun around to face his twin but was too late as Seeker shoved him and grabbed the Energem from his hand. Keeper stumbled but didn't fall. "It was useless to me before, but now that you're connected to it, I can overtake you easily."
"That energem is bonded only to me, brother! And me alone!" Keeper emphasized. "It'll never respond to your evil and corrupted mind!"
"Maybe not now, but I know I can warp its power to do my bidding in time." Seeker examined the Energem, then looked back at Keeper. "With it, I will grow stronger, and you will become weaker until you stand no chance of defending yourself from me one day." He was interrupted as the ground rumbled when more asteroids fell and collided with Earth; smoke clouds filled the air, causing explosions.
"Fortunately, you don't have the time, Seeker." The guardian responded, holding his staff at the ready. "Even if we both die, this Energem will never be yours."
"We shall see!" Seeker shouted over the loud commotion.
'I'm sorry, my friend. I've failed you." Keeper thought to himself as he closed his eyes, ready to accept this fate. Another large cloud of meteor debris came their way, apparently killing them both.
In the present day, at the Amber Beach Dinosaur Museum in Amber Beach, California, a tour guide was taking a group of patrons around the many exhibits in the main hall.
"The world was teeming with life…" she recounted, looking up at a large Cryolophosaurus skeleton behind her. "…but asteroids hit the planet, and the dinosaurs went extinct. That was 65 million years ago. Now, just follow me over here." She turned and led the group to another exhibit. "As you can see, the moa, an ancient, flightless bird…."
As she continued down the hall, the group parted except for a lone 18-year-old named Tyler Navarro, wearing a red and grey shirt and jeans. He looked down at the tablet on display and zoomed in on the photo. "Huh, those are volcanic caves," he observed, then took out his journal to note it. "Hmm, that's not far; probably worth a look."
Another 18-year-old, Chase Randall, walked by wheeling a cart full of archaeological tools and supplies, wearing museum-issued brown coveralls over his black shirt and jeans, and listening to music with headphones over his backward cap.
"Excuse me," Tyler called out, tapping Chase on the shoulder to get his attention. "Do you work here?"
Chase stopped walking and pulled off his headphones. "Sure do, mate." He told him in his New Zealand accent.
"I'm looking for this cave," Tyler told him, pointing to a diagram in his journal. "My dad did some exploring here ten years ago."
"Let's see," Chase replied, getting a better look at it. "Oh, Sampson Caves. That fossil was found there." He pointed to the Cryolophosaurus behind Tyler. "It's about…15 miles north of the city in Moon Rock Woods."
"Awesome. Thanks, man." Tyler said with a smile.
"Yeah. No worries." Chase told him before putting his headphones back on and continuing on his way.
As soon as he walked away, Tyler took out his cell phone and snapped a selfie of himself with the dinosaur fossil. 'Nice.' He thought, looking at the photo, then turned to head back to the museum's entrance.
From the other side of the room, 18-year-old Emma Morgan appeared. She wore a yellow halter top, jean shorts, and yellow low-top Converse; her long, amber-brown hair was down with waterfall braids. She smiled when she saw her best friend Chase pushing his cart, listening to his music, and then talking to a guy in red. As soon as he left, she started to make her way over to Chase and then observed as he looked at a pretty brunette girl coming out of the Dino Bite Café, making her smile drop, and she stopped in her tracks.
"Hey!" Chase said flirtatiously to the girl with his trademark grin.
The girl took one look at Chase and scoffed, "Buzz off, weirdo!" before whispering something to her friend, who giggled as they strolled away.
"Ouch!" Chase exclaimed. He didn't seem too fazed by the rejection as he stopped his cart in front of the café.
Though it gave her a twinge of jealousy when Chase flirted with other girls, this one's rude insult angered her. Checking to make sure no one was looking, she slowly curled her hand into a fist, aiming it in the girl's direction, and made her soda cup burst open and splatter her in the face. This mermaid was good at controlling her hydro-thermokinesis powers and knew she wasn't hurt, but Emma hoped she got the message that nobody messed with her friends, especially Chase. Seeing that he was still by the café, she went up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder.
He took his headphones off and gave her a smile that made her heart skip a beat. "Hey, Emma!"
"Hi!" she replied cheerfully, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "I took care of her for you."
"What?" he asked, not knowing what his friend was referring to.
"That girl, the one who said, 'buzz off, weirdo,'" she pointed behind her. "I took care of her for you."
Chase crossed his arms and gave her a knowing look. "What'd you do?"
She flexed her hand and tried to look innocent, but her sparkling Caribbean Blue eyes showed her mischievous side. "Let's just say…she'll be washing soda out of her hair when she gets home." Emma couldn't help but giggle when he shook his head but smiled approvingly.
"I can always count on you to have my back, Em. What would I ever do without you."
"Let's hope we never have to find out." Emma reached out and touched his arm, and they locked eyes. Then she added, "And by the way, she's so not your type."
"Oh, really," Chase chuckled. "…and how do you know that?"
"Well, um," she said nervously, fingering her silver teardrop locket with a yellow gemstone. Emma bit her lip as she thought for a moment, then responded confidently. "I'm your best friend, Chase; I'm supposed to know these things. And when it comes to you, I know quite a lot."
Chase nodded. "I see. Well then, best friend, let me know when you figure out my type of girl, alright?"
"Of course," she winked playfully. "I'm on it."
"Great! I'll see you out at the loading dock, okay, Emme? I'm going in here." Chase pointed to the Dino Bite Café.
"Right," she replied. "I gotta get changed anyway. See ya." She waved at him before going in the other direction. To herself, she sighed as she added, "The right girl was standing right in front of you, and you didn't even know it."
Chase looked back at Emma as she walked away and thought to himself, 'if only you knew that you're my type of girl.' He walked into the café filled with customers and staff chatting, eating, and enjoying themselves.
18-year-old waitress Shelby Watkins, wearing a brown apron, black cap, and nametag over her white overall shorts, pink t-shirt, and pink checkered cardigan, came out from the kitchen carrying a tray full of food. She saw that Chase was sitting at the counter with a soda, which distracted her. The next thing she knew, she tripped, and a dinner roll fell off the tray and into Kendall Morgan's tomato soup. Kendall was the 26-year-old proprietor and lead scientist of the museum; she was also Emma's older sister and Shelby's boss. "Whoops, sorry," Shelby apologized. "My bad."
Kendall sighed with agitation and rolled her eyes. "Shelby." She reached for her napkin and wiped the spatters from her silver tear-dropped-shaped locket with a violet gemstone.
Shelby groaned and mashed her lips together in embarrassment as she walked to a nearby table. 'Way to go, Shelby. Ms. Morgan already hates you.' She groaned while distractedly handing out food to three puzzled customers she didn't notice were still looking at the menus. "T-Rex ribs on rye lightly toasted, tuna-dactyl melt on…an egg roll, hold the mayo, and a Bronto Burger with fossil fries, light salt." She kept looking back to see if Chase was still sitting at the counter. "Uh, can I get you anything else?" she happily asked the teenage girls sitting at the table.
One of them scowled at Shelby while holding her menu. "We haven't even ordered yet."
'Oops.' Shelby thought, but she chuckled and tried to sound witty. "You didn't need to order 'cause I read your minds. Enjoy." She darted to the counter to retrieve a paper bag, then casually followed Chase out of the café. He had his headphones on again, so he didn't hear her call to him. "Chase!" she called out when he rounded a corner. "Wait up! Chase!"
He finally stopped his cart when she got in his line of sight. "Hey, Sherri!" he teased playfully, taking his headphones off and skeptically looking at the bag in her hand. "You bringing me a present?"
Shelby rolled her eyes. "Very funny. It's Shelby." She then looked at the cart he had filled with fossil digging tools. "So, Chase," the brunette added casually, "going fossil hunting today?"
"Yeah." He confirmed, picking up his soda to take a sip. "It's supposed to be a great find."
She gasped when she noticed the tablet on his cart with a picture of a triceratops. "Triceratops!? You're digging up my favorite dinosaur. See?" Shelby excitedly asked, pointing at her nametag with a black triceratops profile. "It's right here!"
"Let's just cut to the chase…and check out a movie."
Shelby snorted back a laugh. "As if. Did that line work on New Zealand girls?"
"I was just testing it out, and no…" he told her sadly as he started to push the cart down the hall and towards the museum's loading dock. "…it doesn't work on them either."
"Well, don't worry," she patted his shoulder reassuringly. "There's a girl who'll love it if you use that line on them, someone really special." As they got to the loading dock, Shelby saw her best friend Emma, now in coveralls like Chase's, putting boxes into a truck with a flatbed on the back. "She may be closer than you think. Anyway, how about you take me on the dig with you."
"Sorry." Chase apologized. "No can do. Museum policy."
Shelby sighed until she saw 18-year-old Koda carrying a box on his shoulder; he wore the same brown coveralls over his blue tank top and shorts, but with the sleeves ripped off at the shoulders. "Koda!" she exclaimed, holding up the paper bag. "Look what I've got. Your favorite Bronto burger. Rare." Koda put the box down and eagerly tried to take the bag, but she pulled it away from him. "Just let me go with you guys, and it's yours!" He snatched it from her as she dangled it out to him, pulled the burger out, and began devouring it. Shelby smiled enthusiastically. "So, I can go?"
Koda looked at his friend, confused and with his mouth full, asked, "Go where?"
Shelby again sighed and sat down on a large crate, pulling out her silver tear-dropped-shaped locket with a pink gem and twirling it between her fingers. "Man, I'm never going to get to go at this rate." Suddenly, Koda lifted up the crate she sat on, surprising her. "Hey!" She held her balance as it got set into the back of the truck. She got down as Kendall approached, wearing dark jeans, a white shirt under a grey blazer, and violet-rimmed glasses with a bag over her shoulder. "Ms. Morgan!"
Kendall scoffed when she saw Shelby as she put her bag on the tailgate. "Your party in booth four is missing a dinner roll, and I guess I should consider myself lucky that you weren't carrying a glass of water." Before Shelby could ask, she interrupted. "And no. You can't come…."
"Museum policy," they said at the same time. Kendall tried to ignore Shelby while she checked out some items in the truck.
But Shelby wasn't ready to stop trying to show her dino knowledge. "Triceratops' head grew to be at least seven feet long," she said confidently. "Making it 1/3 of its body length. It also had a hard parrot-like beak, and only two of the horns were really bone. One was a soft protein called keratin." She loudly exhaled when she saw Kendall wasn't listening. "Give me a shot, Ms. Morgan, please. I know as much about dinosaurs as anyone on your crew. Ask Emma," she pointed to her friend as she approached them.
"She's right, Kendall," Emma affirmed with a nod. "I've never seen anyone better than Shelby." She smiled at her best friend, then looked at her sister matter-of-factly.
Kendall looked from Emma to Shelby, frustrated they were ganging up on her. "For your information, Chase and Koda are very highly trained museum personnel."
All three looked over at Chase and Koda. The former had his skateboard on his head and tried to spin around while balancing it. The latter was licking his sauce-covered fingers from the burger he'd just devoured.
"They, uh, hide it well," Shelby said, looking at them skeptically.
Emma nodded. "Really well." She grinned at the two guy's antics but then focused solely on Chase and absently twirled a piece of her hair in her fingers.
"You…have no idea," Kendall scowled. 'Of course, those two happened to be goofing off when I was trying to make them sound important.' She shook her head at Chase and Koda, then quickly focused back on Shelby as she walked away. "You do have a job to get back to, right?"
Shelby nodded but rolled her eyes. She then looked at Emma, who was still staring at Chase. She waved her hand in front of her face to get her attention. "Emma? Oh, Emma? Emma!"
Emma then snapped out of her trance and blushed when she realized what she'd been doing. "What? What'd I miss?"
Her friend giggled and shook her head; Shelby was the only one besides Kendall who knew her feelings for Chase. "Now that I've got you out of 'Chase land,' help me out here. She's your sister, Emme. Can't you convince her to let me come on the dig this time? Please?" she pleaded. "I don't know what else to do."
Emma let out a breath and looked at Shelby regretfully. "You know I don't have that kind of power to overrule my sister, Sheli. At home or at work. I'm really sorry. But, if it were up to me…."
"…you'd let me come." Shelby finished with a frown. "I know, thanks, anyway." She looked down dejectedly until Emma put a hand on her shoulder to get her attention.
"Hey," she spoke quietly. "How about we go for a swim later today. To the moon pool? I bet I can beat you there this time." It was often a race between the two to see who could swim to Draco Island faster; Shelby usually won, but not always.
"You so can't beat me!" Shelby declared. "But yes, that'd be great. Do we have to invite her?" She was referring to Kendall, who she thought was out of earshot.
Kendall, however, just happened to walk by them again and glared at Shelby. "I heard that. Who says I'd even want to go."
Emma sighed and sensed an argument about to break out. She had to mediate between her best friend and her older sister. They didn't hate each other, but Kendall was often annoyed by Shelby, who thought Kendall was too serious and needed to lighten up. Standing in between them, she held her arms out. "Enough, you two. You can come too, Kenya. The moon pool is just as much your place as it is ours. Right, Shelby?"
Shelby put on a fake smile. "Right," she said sweetly.
"Alright," Kendall conceded, pushing her side ponytail back over her shoulder. "I'll think about it. In the meantime, we got to get going, sis." She looked at Shelby, her expression serious. "Shelby, I expect you know your way back to the café?"
"Of course I do," she retorted to Kendall, watching them leave. "I want to see any Triceratops fossils you find when you get back. Okay, Em?"
"Don't worry. You'll be the first," Emma assured her with a smile as she went to get into the truck with the others.
After Kendall, Emma, Chase, and Koda got in the truck, Shelby smiled to herself, getting an impulsive idea. 'Better yet,' she thought. 'I'm gonna see those fossils for myself and finally convince Kendall that I have what it takes to be on her team.' Making sure the coast was clear, she ran for the truck while it was still moving slowly. Grasping the end of the trailer, Shelby climbed up over the tailgate. Then she ducked underneath the canvas and in between some crates as it picked up speed, leaving the museum premises.
Tyler parked his red Jeep near Sampson Caves in Moon Rock Woods. Taking out his journal, he examined the map to ensure he was in the right place. "Yup, that's the cave," he said, then grabbed his rope and helmet attached to his backpack and went into the cave. Once inside, he slowly rappelled the near-vertical rock face; bright red lava made cracks through the volcanic rock far below him. "Easy," he told himself. "This would be a bad time to miss a step." After making it to the bottom, he began to explore, climbing over formations and through narrow openings; he shone his headlamp down to the ground and picked up a smooth and polished fossil with a sharp and serrated edge. "Is…that a tooth?"
Out of nowhere, a growl echoed throughout the cave, startling him. 'What was that?' he thought, looking where he heard the sound. His light then lit up a large figure in a black cloak with glowing yellow eyes, causing him to shout in fear; it went to attack him, and Tyler bolted in the other direction. The figure chased him through the different passages; Tyler went around a corner to hide but grabbed something long and pointed to use as a weapon. He thought better of it when he heard the creature closing in and wrapped his hand around his headlamp, concealing himself in darkness as it ran past him. 'That was too close,' he sighed. Dropping the weapon, Tyler looked up, and an ancient fossil stuck out of the cave wall. "Woah, a dinosaur fossil," he thought aloud. "Awesome." Something red and glistening in the rock face caught his eye. "What is that?" he inquired, gently prying it out with his pocket knife. "Huh, some kind of a…crystal. Cool." He held it up, examined it in wonder, and then put it in his pocket.
On the other side of Moon Rock Woods, Kendall, Chase, Emma, and Koda arrived at the dig site and set up their equipment to begin working. Still stowed away in the back of the truck, Shelby peeked her head out from under the canvas, looked around, and smiled to herself, happy that her plan to join them was underway. Leaning against a crate, Shelby sighed and quietly practiced what she'd say to them when she revealed herself. "Surprise. Here I am. Now you have to give me a job on the dig. Yep," she chuckled, rubbing her hands together in satisfaction. "That'll do it."
Someone suddenly moved the crate she was leaning against, startling her, and she retreated under the canvas to hide. A figure in a black cloak appeared and started rummaging through things until he found the one he wanted. Shelby scowled, 'Who the heck is this, and what're they doing?' It snickered as he opened a small crate emitting a pink glow. He took it and snuck away, unseen by everyone except Shelby. "He's stealing it," she whispered. "I have to tell the others." Knowing that a stolen artifact was more important than her joining the fossil dig, she quickly stood up to reveal herself. "Hey, guys!" Shelby yelled as loud as she could. "Hey! He's getting away!" Unfortunately, the noise of their machinery and equipment prevented them from responding. "Guys, hey, he's getting away!"Realizing they couldn't hear her and seeing the evil figure was escaping with the crate, Shelby took matters into her own hands and went after him herself. Removing her cap and apron, she jumped down from the truck and took off after it.
Not realizing anyone followed him, the hooded figure stopped running, set it on a rock, and praised his success. "Yes," he sneered. "I finally found it." Shelby rustled some tall grass as she ran and hid behind a bush; he whirled around. "Who's that!?" Roaring in frustration, he mumbled. "I must be hearing things."
After moving to another hiding spot, Shelby held her hand out and used her telekinesis powers to lift the crate off the rock and towards her. 'Come on,' she urged. 'Almost got it.' It got to just beyond her reach when he quickly spun around and noticed the box was gone. This caused her to gasp and drop it.
"Hey!" he called out. "What're you doing here?"
"I'm taking back what doesn't belong to you. Duh," she answered sarcastically. "Buh-bye now." Shelby grabbed the crate and ran, zigzagging through the trees.
"Get back here!" he yelled after her, shooting laser blasts that exploded mere feet from her. Two got incredibly close, causing her to fall on her stomach and drop the crate out of her reach.
"No one steals from me," the figure asserted, ready to blast at her again should she try to get up.
"Think again." Tyler appeared in a blur of red, swinging in front of him on a rope, grabbing the box, flipping in midair, and landing effortlessly.
"No!" the enemy protested. "Give that back!"
Tyler immediately went over to Shelby. "Are you okay?" He knelt and took her hand to help her stand up, surprising her. "Hi, I'm Tyler Navarro. Nice to meet you, uh…." He saw the name tag on her cardigan and smiled. "Shelby, uh,…Triceratops. Catchy name!"
'Wow!' Shelby thought, getting a good look at Tyler. "He's so cute, and he saved me. Wait a minute!' She shook her head in shock at him showing up out of nowhere. "Where'd you come from?"
"Oh, you know," he replied casually. "Just, uh, in the neighborhood."
"There is no neighborhood…anywhere around here," Shelby insisted.
Not knowing how to answer and equally captivated by her, Tyler simply handed her the box. "I believe this is yours."
"I don't have to hide anymore," the creature snarled, taking off his black cloak and revealing his true nature, a blue and white, ice-themed monster named Iceage with two huge arms and massive hands that ended in icicle-like claws. "Time to destroy you!"
"What is the thing?" Shelby inquired, a little afraid of what was standing before them. 'The only one I want to see walking around with Cryokinesis powers is Kendall; this freak is way worse.'
"Don't know," Tyler shrugged. "Met him in a cave. But he sure wants that box." He looked determined as he reached back to pull out something from his backpack he could use to defend himself. First was a banana; Shelby scowled at it while he threw it to the side. He then pulled out a pair of red-checkered boxers. Tyler looked embarrassed as he tossed them behind him; Shelby bit her lip, trying not to laugh, but felt herself blushing. He reached back for the third time and pulled out a small foldable utility shovel, which was what he was looking for.
Shelby's eyes widened, and she gave him an 'are you out of your mind' look. "What, you gonna dig us an escape tunnel?"
"Enough!" Iceage bellowed, tired of waiting for them to make a move. He shot a blast at them, but with Tyler's quick reflexes, he held up the shovel to block it. It successfully ricocheted away and exploded in sparks.
"Oh," he exclaimed, glancing at the still intact shovel. "Cool."
"Impressive," Shelby remarked with a grin.
"Stand back," Tyler advised, stepping in front of Shelby. He held the shovel out like a bat, ready for action. Iceage wasted no time blasting four consecutive times; Tyler swung the shovel around, blocking each one. When the last one came at them, he swung it like a tennis racket, sending the blast back to Iceage and shoving him into a tree. He groaned in pain while Tyler lifted his hands in victory. "Score!"
Shelby smiled at him, even more impressed. "Nice hit!" 'Cute, protective, knows how to handle a weapon? What more could a girl ask for?'
They looked at Tyler's shovel and saw that the top was burning and melted from deflecting the blasts.
But Iceage definitely wasn't down for the count. "You'll pay dearly for that," he growled as he stood up.
Tyler dropped his shovel on the ground and looked at Shelby. "Uh, your turn for an idea." He put his hands up and took a fighting stance.
'What do I do? I can't use my powers in front of a stranger,' Shelby frantically thought. 'I know.' Stepping forward, she boldly said, "Fire at us and, uh, you might destroy your precious…thing…in this crate."
Iceage simply roared at them as he got into a battle stance.
"You don't know what's in the crate?" Tyler whispered, wondering what they were putting their lives on the line for.
"I have no idea!" Shelby whispered back. "All I know is it definitely doesn't belong to him."
"What I want will survive," Iceage snarled, raising his hands to shoot. "You won't!" He fired enormous blasts, and the blowback threw them around until they fell to the ground. The crate and Tyler's backpack tumbled open, spilling their contents, including the Red and Pink Energems. "Two Energems?!" Iceage said eagerly. "This is better than I hoped!" As he approached them, Tyler and Shelby looked at the gems, which had started to glow, and instinctively stretched their hands out to reach for them. "Don't even think about it!" he threatened, shooting an ice blast, which froze the two teens just as they touched their respective Energem. Iceage laughed. "Looks like you're frozen in fear! Now, I'll smash you into a million pieces."The Energems glowed even brighter; their energy flowed through Tyler and Shelby and bonded to them before exploding the ice. "What!? You broke my precious ice!"
Shelby quickly looked at herself to ensure she wasn't wet from being encased in ice and sighed with relief that she wasn't. 'That was a close one. Now would be the worst time to grow a tail.'
They each picked up their Energems and gazed at them curiously; Tyler saw a vision of a Tyrannosaurus Rex, and Shelby, a Triceratops. A fossilized Dino Charge Morpher materialized into their hands, surprising them.
"What is this?" Shelby asked, not sure what to make of it.
"I have no idea," Tyler answered, "but it looks like this goes in here." He placed his energem into a hole at the end of the barrel, and the fossilization vanished, revealing a black and yellow morpher stylized like a dinosaur head. "Woah."
Shelby did the same with her energem, getting the same result. "Cool," she said. They looked at them with amazement. Tyler spun the cylinder, causing sparks, and fired a shot. Shelby had to jump to avoid it, and then it hit Iceage square in the chest, knocking him down. "Nice shootin,' Tex!" Shelby retorted. "You almost hit me."
"Sorry," he apologized. "I don't know how to use this thing."
"What'd ya do?" she asked.
Tyler spun the cylinder again. "I-I just started spinning the thing…, and it started working, I guess."
Both repeatedly spun the cylinder, emitting sparks, causing it to power up.
As Iceage recovered from the hit, he stood up even more furious. "You two are ruining everything!"
Tyler and Shelby glanced at each other, nodded, and shot at Iceage. But instead of a blast firing, manifestations of a red T-Rex and a pink Triceratops head come out of their respective morphers. They swirled into the air and around them until coming back towards them.
"What's happening!?" Shelby gasped.
"I don't know!" he shouted back. "Look out!" He grabbed her hand to pull her away, and they ducked to avoid it, but energy and white light surrounded them, and they morphed into the Red and Pink Rangers.
"What in the world!?" Shelby exclaimed, assessing the pink spandex-like suit with a skirt that now covered her body.
"Woah!" Tyler laughed in amusement, reaching up to touch the red helmet on his head.
Iceage couldn't believe the sight before him. "What!? They've become Rangers! Impossible!"
"You look great!" Shelby complimented.
"You too," he replied. "What happened to us?"
"I don't know," the Pink Ranger said. "I feel a surge of power." 'This is how I felt after entering the moon pool with Emma and Kendall. I never thought I'd feel that way again.'
"Me too!" He smiled beneath his helmet. "It's awesome!"
"Give me my Energems!" Iceage thundered.
"No way!" The Red Ranger asserted, then turned to his new friend. "I bet we could take him down if we stick together."
"Let's do it!" she nodded.
They got into fighting stances; Iceage fired and they jumped to avoid it. Tyler kicked at him, punched him in the chest, then rolled away to dodge his next attack.
"Think fast!" Shelby taunted, triple kicking him in midair, which he blocked.
"Hey, look over here!" Tyler called, corkscrewing through the air to distract him.
"Fooled ya!" The Pink Ranger boasted, coming back to flip-kick him square in the face.
"Double punch!" they announced, striking the villain extra hard in the chest, causing him to fly back several feet, fall to the ground, and roll over.
"You're right! This is awesome!" She cheered, giving Tyler a high five. "I've never felt such powerrrr!" The ground shook violently, and something roared. The two Rangers had to hold onto each other to stay standing. They gasped as a giant red mechanized T-Rex came at them.
"What is that thing?" he asked, confused and amazed.
"I think it's a…T-Rex!?" she answered, though Shelby seriously thought she was seeing things.
"Look out!" Tyler called out. He dove toward Shelby to avoid being trampled and get her out of the way. They hit the ground, rolled over a few times, and demorphed. By the time they stopped, she was on top of him, and his arms were around her waist. Their eyes locked for a moment, but before they could say anything, they were interrupted by Iceage.
"The T-Rex Zord!" He hollered. "It can't be!" It approached Iceage and picked him up with his mouth. "Let me go, you lizarrrrd!" His voice echoed throughout the woods when T-Rex threw him far off into the distance before abruptly leaving itself.
Several seconds passed before they realized they were alone, and all was quiet. Taking in what just happened, the two Rangers locked eyes again, his arms still around her waist and hers on his shoulders.
"Are you all right?" he finally asked.
"Yeah, I'm okay," she replied, her brown eyes staring into his. "You?"
"I'm good, you know, all things considered," he chuckled.
"I know, right?" she giggled. "We just fought…an abominable snowman?… And almost got trampled by a T-Rex, right?"
He nodded and smiled. "Yup, that's what it looked like."
Shelby sighed, "Okay, just checking." She remembered she was still lying on top of him and suddenly got embarrassed. "Here, let me get off you." 'Not that I wouldn't mind staying like that a little longer.'
"Yeah, uh, thanks," he stammered. 'I was kinda hoping she wouldn't have said anything just yet.'
Just as the two stood up and brushed pine needles and leaves off themselves, Shelby spotted the museum truck driving away in the distance. Her eyes widened, and she started to run after it, waving her hands and calling out to them. "Koda! Chase! Emma!" Realizing they couldn't hear her, she stopped and exhaled. "There goes my…ride home. Great." She went back to Tyler and bit her lip as she shyly asked, "You had a rope…a shovel…you wouldn't happen to have a…car?" He took his keys out of his pocket and smiled as he confirmed her question by showing her. "Would you mind giving me a lift back to the city?"
"No problem!" he agreed. "Let's go!"
A short time later, Tyler and Shelby had left Moon Rock Woods and were now on the main road in his Jeep. The countryside flew by them as he drove her back to the city.
Shelby sat in the passenger seat, flipping through his leather-bound book as Tyler drove. "So, this is your dad's journal?" she inquired.
"Yeah, uh, he disappeared…ten years ago on an expedition," he recalled sadly. "Just vanished."
"I'm so sorry," Shelby reached her hand out, touched his shoulder, and gave him a sympathetic smile. "That must've been so hard for you."
"It was. I really miss him. Maybe tomorrow, maybe ten years from now, but I'm gonna find out what happened to him," he concluded with determination.
"I'm sure you will." She gently squeezed his shoulder, then let go and went back to reading the journal. "So…you were in the cave…looking for clues, then?"
"Exactly. His journal says some creature was stalking him for several weeks."
Remembering Iceage, she asked, "You think that icy thing we fought today was it?"
"No," he countered, reaching over to flip to the next page. "I'm looking for…this one." He pointed at a detailed pen sketch of a menacing monster.
"Yikes. It makes the monster we met look like the tooth fairy." They both chuckled at her joke, but then she got serious again. "You know, you didn't have to jump in back there to help me, but I'm sure glad you did. So, thanks."
"Well, you definitely look like a girl who can take care of herself," he told her. "But my dad always used to say, 'Tyler, helping is always the right thing to do.'"
Shelby pulled an old photograph of Tyer and his father out of the back of the journal; on the back, it read, Honduras, 2005. "Wow. You look a lot like him, especially your eyes." Her cheeks flushed bright red in embarrassment, but she saw him smiling. The brunette cleared her throat and added. "I hope I get to meet your dad someday."
As Tyler and Shelby continued down the road, the same figure from the pen sketch in Tyler's father's journal, Fury, appeared on the side of the road and watched them drive away. "I smell Energems," he sneered.
NEXT CHAPTER: "Past, Present, Fusion, Part 2"