A/N: As mermaids, Emma, Shelby, and Kendall can telepathically communicate, so I'm putting that dialogue in italics and using asterisks (*) instead of quotation marks to indicate when they do so. Also, when the morpher speaks to announce Dino Chargers and/or Zords, I'm putting that dialogue on a separate line, italicized, and with quotation marks (")
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 2!
A/N: I've uploaded more images and edits onto my DeviantArt profile: raeimarie21.
On a countryside ranch outside the city, 18-year-old Matt Griffin rode his brown stallion, Jasper, through the pastures and back to the farmhouse. He stopped near the barn and heard an incessant swishing sound coming from inside, then saw the source when he peered in between the boards. Matt expertly swung it to the door handle using his lariat and swiftly pulled it open. Inside was his 17-year-old brother Riley Griffin in black khakis and a green shirt and practicing his swordsmanship in secret. Their loyal Australian Shepard, Rubik, was lying down nearby. As soon as Riley saw his brother, he hid the sword behind his back and tried to act casual.
"Hey, bro," he stammered nervously.
"Playing Three Musketeers again, D'Artagnan?" Matt asked disapprovingly, putting his rope back on the saddle horn.
"I'm not playing," he insisted with a grin, shaking his head. Neither noticed Rubik perk his head, get up, and leave the barn through the back door.
Matt didn't believe his little brother for a second. "Yeah, sure…Anyway, I need your help…."
"…feeding the pigs," the younger teen finished, not hiding his lack of enthusiasm for such a tedious chore. "Right, again. I'll meet you there." Matt gave him a look that said, 'you better' before leaving. "Come on, Rubik. Let's go feed the pigs; I know you'll enjoy it more than me." He looked around, but the canine wasn't there. "Rubik?" As he left the barn, he tossed his sword, which stuck into the middle of a hanging wagon wheel. Riley walked through the pastures, not knowing which way to go until he heard barking in the distance. "Rubik!" he called and ran towards Sumner Woods next to their property. "I'm coming, buddy!" He went as fast as possible, fearing Rubik could be in danger but sighed with relief when he finally found his dog was all right and apparently barking at nothing. "What are you doing, Rubik? You scared me." 'He's probably barking at a squirrel or something.' The blonde teen approached until he saw Fury stalking up to the dog, making him freeze before hiding behind a tree.
Fury growled in frustration as Rubik continued to bark at him. "Quiet, you filthy furball!" he threatened, raising his sword; it crackled with energy as he was about to strike Rubik. "I'll shut you up for good!" Thinking fast, Riley grabbed a broken metal fence piece and ran toward them, blocking Fury's sword. "What?!" he roared. "Who are you?" Rubik ran to hide while the fight continued.
"Don't touch my dog!" Riley warned, turning the fence post sideways and using all his strength to push Fury back.
"Get off me!" Fury demanded, pulling Riley off and swinging his sword to hit him but missed. "How dare you challenge me, human!" Not backing down, the villain engaged him in a sword fight. They exchanged swings of their weapons, sometimes missing, sometimes clashing. Riley stabbed and slashed him in the chest, but it didn't pierce Fury's armor. "Take this!" Fury tried to kick and missed, so he backhanded him, sending him to the ground. He got back up, but Fury sent lightning blasts through his sword, which Riley had to roll away to avoid.
"Woah!" Riley exclaimed. 'What the heck have I gotten myself into?' He used his expert swordsmanship to knock away the blasts until a huge one sent him flying; his makeshift sword flew through the air and wedged into a rock. Pieces crumbled away, revealing a velociraptor fossil and the Green Energem.
"The Green Energem!" Fury shouted. Riley ran to retrieve his weapon, but struggled to pull it out. "Out of my way! That's my energem!" The gem glowed, and its energy flowed through the metal rod, turning it into a Dino Saber, then into Riley, and bonded to him. This enabled him to pull the sword out easily. "What!?" He couldn't believe that a teenager bonded with an Energem.
Riley was in complete disbelief at what happened, "Impossible," he breathed, looking at the sword that appeared in his hands.
"Enough playing around!" Fury accused.
Riley got his sword at the ready and stared him down. "I'm not playing."
They began their sword fight again, this time on an equal playing field with Riley's new weapon and strength from his bond to the Energem. They exchanged blows, with Riley getting the upper hand and slashing Fury off his feet momentarily.
"You'll pay for that!" Fury raged. He shot a large lightning energy bolt at him, but Riley blocked it with his sword and hit a tree limb that fell on Fury, briefly immobilizing him.
Knowing he didn't have much time, Riley ran back to the rock that held the gem. He took it out and examined it closely. "What is this thing?" The Energem glowed brightly, and he saw a vision of a Velociraptor. "Dinosaurs?" he inquired, looking at the fossil. 'What does that mean?' Interrupting his thoughts, Fury growled and started to get back up. "Come on, Rubik!" His dog barked in response and followed Riley as he ran back to his ranch as fast as possible.
"Get back here!" Fury demanded.
As soon as he returned home with Rubik and completed his chores, Riley went to the internet to research how a gem would be connected to dinosaurs. While that led to no relevant results, he found a link to the Amber Beach Dinosaur Museum website. It was one of the finest museums of its kind, and after further reading, he felt it was the best place to find answers about his Energem. After much convincing, his mom agreed to let him go, as she could how important it was to him. She was allowing him to go for a couple of months, and they would decide after that if he needed to extend his stay. Riley had some money saved up and assured her that he could find a job and a place to live while he was there.
"I can't believe he's going through all this just to go to a dinosaur museum," he mumbled to himself. While his mom was enthusiastic about him leaving the ranch, Matt was more reluctant and concerned because he was very protective of his younger brother. As he waited for his mom and Riley, he looked at a brochure for the museum sticking out of a big duffel bag. Seeing them approach, with Rubik close behind them, he crossed his arms and frowned. "So, you really said he could go, huh?"
"Despite insisting he leave today, he made a pretty convincing case," Mrs. Griffin reasoned with a grin. "And it's good for him to get out there and see the world, or at least more of Amber Beach. I'm sure going to miss him, though."
"I'll miss you too, mom," Riley replied. "But I'll call you guys as often as possible to tell you how I'm doing."
"As long as you don't turn into a 'city boy' while you're gone," his brother joked in his usual deadpan sense of humor.
"Haha. Very funny." Riley rolled his eyes but knew his brother meant well.
"Well, I sure hope this thing makes it," Matt continued, looking down at the old green Vespa scooter that'd been living in the barn for the last several years. "I checked the tires and engine oil." He pulled a worn-out, taped-up book from his back pocket. "I found the old manual, just in case you need it."
"Big bro, I'll be fine," Riley assured him as he took the manual. Rubik whined sadly, knowing he was being left behind. Kneeling, Riley gave his dog a scratch behind the ears and patted his head. "I'm gonna miss you too, Rubik. Yeah, I'm gonna miss you too." He turned to hug his mom. "I love you, mom."
"I love you too, sweetheart." She hugged him back and kissed his cheek. "Be safe."
He smiled and looked at his older brother. "And I'll miss those pig pens," he joked, earning a grin from Matt. "I love ya, bro." The two hugged, and Riley could feel his brother would miss him.
Riley strapped his bags to the back, put on his helmet, and got on his scooter. As he drove away, his family waving goodbye, he thought, 'I wonder what adventures await me in Amber Beach.'
Tyler and Shelby were still making their way to the city in Tyler's Jeep. She'd been holding both their Energems and scowled as she tried to figure them out.
"Why would both of these things be in dinosaur fossils?" Shelby questioned. "It doesn't make sense."
Tyler tried to keep a straight face as he drove and answered her. "Maybe the dinosaurs ate 'em? Animals are known to eat strange things when they're hungry."
Shelby rolled her eyes, but she couldn't help cracking a smile. "You aren't serious?"
"Totally." He glanced at her and also smiled. "You have a better theory Ms. Dy-Know-It-All?" he teased.
She chuckled and blushed. 'I haven't had a guy make me blush this much in forever. I must really like him.' She then saw Riley on the roadside near an intersection where his scooter had broken down. Pointing it out to Tyler, she asked, "Hey, what was it your dad said?"
"Helping is always…" he began.
"…the right thing to do," she finished.
Tyler slowed down and pulled his car off the road and beside Riley, who briefly acknowledged them before going back to reading the manual. Before him, the scooter was in pieces and spread out over the ground.
"Hey," Tyler called. "You need a hand with that?"
Riley smiled confidently and shook his head. "Oh, no thanks. I think I found the problem. I just gotta stick to the old owner's manual, and I should be good to go, yeah." Suddenly, a semi-truck drove by, blowing a big gust of wind that ripped the pages out of the manual and Riley's hands. 'Oh, well, that's just great.' "On second thought…" he began.
With Tyler and Shelby's help, Riley tied his broken-down scooter to the back of the Jeep. They then started back down the road towards the city while chatting and getting to know each other. As soon as Riley mentioned that he grew up on a ranch, the other two immediately became interested.
"Well, if I grew up on a ranch," Shelby mused. "I'd never leave; city life's not really my thing."
"Yeah, how great is that?" Tyler asked excitedly. "Cowboys and round-ups?"
"Actually," Riley countered. "It's more like fixing fences, cleaning pig pens, hauling hay, mucking out stalls. It's definitely not as glamorous as most people think. But…."
"Hey," Tyler interrupted, looking ahead. "Something's up."
"Looks like there's been an accident," Shelby gasped.
As they approached a sharp corner in the road, there was a light blue car overturned near a steeply sloped hill. A young woman in a white shirt saw them and frantically started waving them down as they pulled over.
"Help!" she shouted in tears. "Please! My sister, she's trapped in the car!"
Tyler stopped his Jeep, and Riley and Shelby jumped out and ran towards the car while Tyler approached the woman.
"Hang on! We're coming!" Shelby called to her.
"Are you okay? Were you able to call 911?" Tyler questioned the women with concern.
"Yes, I'm fine. They're coming, but we can't wait that long. Can you help her?" she implored. Tyler nodded and went to join the others.
"We'll get you out," Riley assured the other young woman in an orange shirt.
"Thank you," she breathed.
Riley assessed the situation to determine the best way to go about it. When he looked into the car towards the front end, he saw an amber-colored liquid dripping. He reached out to touch and smell it. He knew that smell anywhere. "Guys! Be careful! It's leaking gas."
Knowing that they didn't have much time before the car caught fire, Shelby and Tyler tried even harder to push the vehicle while Riley attempted to pull the woman out. They used all their strength, but after several minutes of trying to move it, they were no closer to rescuing her.
"Okay," Tyler asserted, not ready to give up. "We can do this. Together." He turned back to the woman. "We're all going to try to push it again; could you try to pull her out?"
"Yes," she promised, now more determined than scared. "For my sister, I'll do anything to help."
Everyone got into position; Tyler, Riley, and Shelby were ready to push, and the woman knelt to the ground and wrapped her arms around her sister, ready to pull her out.
"On my count of three," Tyler instructed. "One…two…three!"
They pushed as hard as they could, groaning from the effort. The three Energems started to glow in their pockets, giving them extra strength. Finally, they pushed the car off the woman, and her sister pulled her out as soon as she wasn't pinned down. The vehicle rolled down the hill faster and farther than they expected it to, and when it reached the bottom, it exploded in flames.
Looking at themselves, Tyler, Riley, and Shelby couldn't believe the strength they felt when they finally pushed the car away. It didn't feel normal.
"You're okay, now, sis," they heard the woman say, still hugging her sister from the ground.
Tyler then bent down to help them up. "Are you two all right?"
"Yeah," one of them answered. "Thanks a lot."
"We couldn't have done it without you." Her sister smiled graciously.
The three friends then pull out their Energems and step away from the sisters, looking at their car in flames. The gems were still glowing brightly, and they looked at them in astonishment. When they saw that Riley's was identical to theirs, Tyler asked, "Let me guess, you're going to the Dino Museum, right?"
"Yeah," Riley nodded. "This can't be a coincidence."
As soon as the authorities arrived and the sisters thanked them again for their help, the three got back into Tyler's Jeep and drove to the museum as fast as possible.
In no time, Tyler, Shelby, and Riley got to the city and pulled up to the front of the Amber Beach Dinosaur Museum's main entrance.
"There it is," Riley commented from the backseat.
"Where do you think we should go," Tyler asked Shelby, knowing she worked there.
"Drive around to the loading dock," She directed him, pointing the way. "It's in the back of the building."
Right before they pulled up, Chase, Koda, and Emma were at the loading dock after unpacking the truck and still in their brown coveralls from the dig.
Koda touched his stomach and could hear it growling loudly. "I very hungry," he told his two friends. "When's lunch?"
Chase grinned as they climbed the steps, "Koda, you're always hungry."
"Well, yeah." Emma put in. "He's only had, like, one Bronto-burger today; he needs at least five to be full, right?" She gently nudged Koda with her elbow and smiled up at him.
Koda broadly grinned back and declared, "Six, sometimes seven, but who counting?"
"Why must you encourage him, Emme?" Chased playfully teased his best friend.
She giggled and shrugged her shoulders. "Because it's fun!"
"Yes, very fun!" Koda agreed.
"Oh, you two." Chase rolled his eyes and shook his head while they continued on.
Tyler pulled up to the loading dock just then, and Shelby called out to them to get their attention. "Hey, guys! Wait up!" The three got out of the car, but Chase, Koda, and Emma seemed to have disappeared without a trace. "Where'd they go?" She asked in annoyance, looking around to try to find them.
Tyler's attention, however, was on something else in front of him. It was a giant, life-like tyrannosaurus rex head sticking out of a large crate, mouth wide open. "Look at that," he exclaimed, mesmerized. He climbed up to it and pulled the canvas covering it off. "Wow."
"Oh, that's cool!" Riley said, nodding in approval.
Tyler pulled his cell phone out of his back pocket and tossed it to Shelby. "Take a pic for me?" he asked.
"Really? Now?" Shelby asked sarcastically. Tyler nodded, and not wanting to disappoint him, she relented. "Alright."
He positioned himself inside the mouth and held onto the teeth with his hands. However, one of the teeth gave way like a latch and turned, opening a passageway behind him and causing Tyler to slide down it.
Shelby gasped in shock. "It swallowed him!"
Riley climbed up and looked down the hole, clearly impressed with what he saw. "Woah, a secret passage. I wonder where it goes" Without hesitation, he slid down the hole.
"Hey! Wait!" Shelby called, then climbed up and looked down the hole her friends had just gone into. "Guys?! 'Oh, I'm getting some serious moon pool vibes here. Well, it's now or never.' She looked to see if anyone was around and then slid down, and the trapdoor shut behind her. She sighed when she got to the bottom, 'At least I landed on my feet this time.' Shelby joined Tyler and Riley, still taking in the strange room before them.
"I think it's some kind of lab," Riley theorized, basing this on the tables, chemicals, computers, and other machinery around them. "But it's definitely not your typical high school science lab."
"I've been serving burgers here for a year," Shelby remarked while walking around. "I thought I knew this place pretty well. But I never had a clue this was down here."
Tyler walked toward the opposite wall. "Hey, check this out," he motioned to the others. Two sections of the wall were carved out and lit with a bed of clear crystals. One had 12 larger, longer crystals, six on top and six on the bottom, while the other had ten that nearly met in the middle. The one they looked at had three Energems, each between a set of crystals, a black, blue, and yellow Energem identical to the ones Tyler, Riley, and Shelby had.
Shelby held up her Energem to confirm what she saw. "They're just like ours!" She let her grip loosen, and hers was pulled into place to the left of the yellow gem.
Curious, Riley and Tyler took theirs out of their pockets and held them out. Immediately, theirs were also pulled into place, Tyler's on the left end, next to the black one, and Riley's to the left of Shelby's and the right of the blue one.
Riley looked below the Energems and saw sets of three battery-like objects matching the gem colors. "It looks like they're some kind of power source," he observed.
They heard a startling noise behind them, and a cloud of red energy appeared, then dissolved, and Keeper was now in the center of the room, staff in hand. "They are Energems," he said calmly.
"Stay back!" Tyler firmly insisted, standing closer to Shelby, wanting to protect her from this creature.
"Who, no…What are you!?" Shelby demanded.
"My name is Keeper," he greeted, holding his hands out passively. "I assure you, I'm quite harmless. Energems harness the untold powers of the universe." Using his staff, Keeper showed them a memory projection from the past when he gave the dinosaurs the 11 Energems. "Long ago, I entrusted them to guardian dinosaurs. But when they went extinct, the Energems were lost."
"…until…we found them," Tyler concluded, looking from Riley to Shelby.
"Exactly." Keeper nodded. "And the Energems have chosen to bond with you." Again, Tyler, Riley, and Shelby each see a vision of the dinosaur attached to their Energems, startling them.
"But why would they bond to us?" Riley inquired.
At that moment, Koda, Chase, Emma, and Kendall, now back in their regular clothes, entered the room from a side entrance. Koda and Kendall stood on Keeper's right, while Chase and Emma were on his left.
Shelby was the first to react to seeing them. "Koda? Chase! Emma! Ms. Morgan?" She was happy and surprised to see her three friends but irritated that Kendall was involved in all this and the two glared at each other.
*Don't start, you two.* Kendall and Shelby heard in their heads; they glanced at Emma, who spoke to them telepathically, and crossed her arms.
Kendall stepped forward and looked at Tyler. "You fought to defend a stranger, at great risk to yourself. That's why the Red Energem chose you…."
"Tyler," he told her.
"Tyler, right," Kendall said with a smile. She then looked at Riley. "Your discipline and intelligence have given you the skills to protect others. The Green Energem was very wise to choose you…."
"I'm Riley," he said to her.
"Riley, yes," She repeated, still smiling. As soon as she looked at Shelby, however, her smile dropped. "Shelby." Shelby nervously tucked some hair behind her ear, hoping her boss had something good to say about her. "Why the Pink Energem chose you well…" Kendall paused and then turned to her sister. "…you want to take this Emma because…I honestly can't think of why it chose her." They scowled at each other, and the guys, especially Tyler and Riley, who didn't know about the tension between the two, looked around awkwardly, unsure what to say.
Shelby shook her head and cynically responded to Kendall. *Really? You couldn't think of something nice to say to me just this once?*
Kendall kept a straight face and replied, *Yes. Really.*
As she was the only one who could hear them and didn't want a fight to escalate, Emma stepped in between them and looked at her sister. "The Pink Energem chose Shelby because she risked everything to save it, even though she didn't know what she was saving. She's also kind, loyal, and stands up for her beliefs. If that's not the qualities for bonding to an energem, I don't know what is." She crossed her arms and stared her sister down. *I've got you're back, girl,* she said to her best friend.
*At least someone does.* Shelby retorted. *Thanks, Em.* They smiled at each other while Kendall resisted the urge to roll her eyes.
"Okay, but…" Riley interrupted, still not fully understanding what all this meant. "Energems, dinosaur spirits, and…bonding. I'm sorry, but this all sounds a little bit unbelievable."
Kendall grinned and looked back to Emma, Chase, and Koda. "Show them," she requested. The three walked closer to the Energems, held their hands out, and the gems flew into them. They then opened their hand, palms up, and their dinosaur spirit manifested above the Energems. Chase had a Parasaur, Koda a Stegosaurus, and Emma a Pteranodon. "I helped Keeper track down Chase after he bonded to his energem; then we found Koda. And Emma…" She glanced at her little sister and smiled knowingly. Well, that's another story entirely."
Their dinosaur spirits disappeared, and Koda, Chase, and Emma attached their Energems to the black cord necklaces each wore.
"Welcome to our…team," Koda said kindly.
"You're officially Power Rangers," Chase remarked.
"Isn't it great?" Emma asked, excitement in her voice.
"Power…what?" Shelby held her head, hoping her brain wouldn't explode with everything they'd been told.
Keeper spoke up and stepped forward. "The Energems have given you magnificent power, and the dinosaur spirits give you strength."
"Six Energems have been found so far," Kendall informed them, "but five more are still lost." She gestured to the other space in the wall identical to where the first six Energems were, which was empty. "You must use your new powers to find them before they fall into evil hands."
"Evil hands?!" Shelby asked, getting anxious. "You mean like that thing Tyler and I fought earlier?" Kendall nodded. "You expect me to fight monsters?! Really? I just want to dig for dinosaur bones, not bond to one."
Before anyone could respond, an alarm sounded, and a holographic projection appeared above the table in the base center. It showed the mountains and, more specifically, the volcano. Kendall, Chase, Emma, and Koda approached it first, followed by the others.
"What's going on?" Riley asked, knowing that an alarm like that couldn't be good.
"I'm seeing more seismic activity," Kendall told them, analyzing the screen.
"That's the same location as yesterday, isn't it, sis?" Emma remembered, looking worried.
Kendall double-checked the coordinates and confirmed. "Yes, it is."
"We better take a look," Chase decided, taking charge. "Just in case."
"Yeah," Emma agreed. "Who knows what could be really going on out there."
"Whatever it is, I'm all in," Tyler confidently told them, ready for an adventure.
Kendall smiled, "Good."
"This all seems crazy, but…." Riley said, still skeptical. "I'm in too."
"Great!" Chase patted him on the shoulder.
"We go now." Koda insisted, and the Rangers started to leave.
Shelby hung back and looked very nervous. Tyler turned around when he noticed she wasn't following them, causing the others to stop. He looked at her with concern, "Shelby, you coming?"
"Are you okay?" Emma asked, approaching her friend.
Sensing her apprehension, Keeper tried to reassure her. "You fought bravely to save the Pink Energem. Now the world needs your help."
"We need you, too, Shelby," Emma insisted. "And I won't leave without you."
"It's her decision," Kendall stated firmly, not surprised that Shelby couldn't handle the pressures of being a Ranger. "She's right to be hesitant. Clearly, this mission is just too dangerous…for a waitress. Go without her."
Before anyone could leave, Shelby stopped them. "Wait!… Sure, I'm a little scared; who wouldn't be? But I know more about dinosaurs than any of you. The fact is, you need me, and I want to help." She glared determinedly at Kendall before looking at Emma. "Thanks, Em, for what you said. You always know the right thing to say." She hugged her best friend.
"Of course," she told her, hugging her back. "I've always believed in you, Shelby. And I always will."
Chase, Emma, and Koda went to the charging station to retrieve their Energems, grabbed their Dino Chargers, and headed for the exit. "Don't forget your Dino Chargers," Chase told the new Rangers.
Riley and Shelby took their Dino Chargers and held out their hands, allowing their Energems to come back to them, causing them to smile. They then went over to stand with the other three. Tyler approached and held out his hand, but his Energem didn't move. Rather, it flickered uncontrollably, confusing him. It sent a signal alert to one of the tablets on the counter.
"Oh," Kendall observed, reading the screen. "Something's interfering with the Red Energem power. I'll need some time to figure it out, though."
"Tyler, you must stay," Keeper told him.
"But I…" Tyler started. He looked at his friends waiting for him, then back at his flickering Red Energem, and realized he didn't have a choice. "Okay," he nodded. "I'll catch up with you guys."
"And I'll have the teleportation system up and running with all six of you connected to it before you return," the technical advisor promised them. "You're on your own for now, though."
"Teleportation? No way!" Riley exclaimed, equally shocked and intrigued.
"Yeah, my sister's been working on it for a while now," Emma explained. "It's very complicated."
"But, it make getting around…easy," Koda added.
"I didn't think we'd need it quite yet, so I've been taking my time," Kendall replied. "I just need to run a few more tests, and you'll be good."
"In the meantime, we better get moving," Chase spoke up.
The others nodded and then exited the base in response, leaving Tyler behind with Keeper and Kendall.
After leaving the base, the five Rangers ran through the woods to the location that Kendall had specified.
"It's gotta be just ahead," Chase, who was in the lead, told them.
"We must hurry," Koda said, picking up the pace.
They all stopped in the clearing and saw a volcano in the distance; it had plumes of grey smoke billowing out of it. Suddenly the ground shook, making it difficult to remain standing.
Emma instinctively grabbed Chase's hand to keep from falling as the ground continued to tremble. "It definitely wasn't this bad yesterday."
"I wonder what's causing it," Riley asked.
More smoke poured out of the crater. "Oh, my gosh. It looks like it's gonna blow any second!" Shelby exclaimed.
Right after she said this, the volcano exploded with fire and rocks, shaking the ground even more, and the Red T-Rex Zord appeared, roaring and charging out of the crater.
"Hey, look, that's the T-Rex Zord!" Emma called. Noticing she was still holding Chase's hand, she casually pulled it away, not noticing that he saw it.
They all continued to watch the Zord in amazement. "You wanted dinosaurs, Shelby; welcome to the Power Rangers," Chase announced.
Back at the Dino Base Keeper, Kendall and Tyler watched the T-Rex Zord through the holographic viewing screen as it charged through the countryside.
"When someone bonds to an Energem, their Zord is awakened," Kendall explained to Tyler, who watched the mechanized creature and remembered his previous encounter.
Tyler was immediately intrigued by this and couldn't believe it. "That thing is my-my Zord?"
"Yes," she continued. "And for some reason, it's destabilizing the red power."
"You and your Zord share the spirit of the mighty Tyrannosaurus Rex," Keeper told him. "In essence, it's the king or leader of the dinosaurs."
"He's heading for the city," she said urgently, judging its destination based on its current path. Kendall then went to the charging bay and grabbed Tyler's three Dino Chargers. "These are Dino Chargers. I created them to contain the power of each energem. When a Dino Charger runs out of power, we recharge it here. It will energize your weapons and morph you into battle mode." She handed one to Tyler.
"I get to morph…again?" he asked, totally psyched. "Cool."
"Yes, I suppose it is…cool." Kendall chuckled but admired Tyler's enthusiasm. She handed him the other two Dino Chargers.
"Kendall," Keeper spoke up. "Contact the other Rangers and tell them to meet Tyler at the city center."
Tyler held out his hand; this time, the Red Energem glowed and instantly released from the charging bay into his hand. He looked at it with determination, nodded to Kendall, and left the base.
After his last confrontation with the two Rangers ended with the T-Rex Zord throwing him, Iceage had finally got to the city, angry and more determined than ever to steal the Energems. He now stood on the top of a parking garage overlooking the cityscape. He fired a massive ice blast from his hands and froze many of the buildings. "I'll freeze the entire planet!" he bellowed. "And then I'll pry the Energems from their frozen hands. And why don't I destroy the city to start the chaos Vivix, rise!" Many Vivix merged into one being on the ground and grew to great heights into two colossal Vivazords that started ravaging the city and terrifying civilians.
Suddenly appearing, mirrored in the windows of a skyscraper, the Red T-Rex Zord roared and trampled dozens of Vivix in its wake; then, it ran straight to a Vivazord headbutting it. The beast retaliated by swinging with both arms in a punch, causing a shower of sparks. "Not you again!" Iceage yelled furiously. "Time to chill out!" He shot an ice blast again and froze the T-Rex Zord in place. Down the street, Tyler ran up to Iceage, now flanked by half a dozen Vivix. "I hope you came to give back the Red Energem!"
"You mean…this?" Tyler announced proudly. He held up his Energem and then flung it up to his frozen T-Rex Zord, instantly shattering the ice, before it went back to his hand where he pocketed it.
"Ahh!" Iceage complained. "You broke my ice again! You'll pay for that!"
Tyler grinned and held up his Dino Charger. "It's morphin' time!" he called out. "Dino Charger, Ready!" He activated the Charger and inserted it into his morpher.
"T-Rex Charger, engage!"
Pressing it down to close it, he brought it up and spun the cylinder. "Energize!" He rose the morpher up, "Unleash the Power!" pulled the trigger, and shot into the air, forming a construct of his Zord's head, flying around him. It chomped once to form his suit and again to form his helmet. Tyler looked at his morphed form in amazement, still in awe of the transformation. "Woah!" he exclaimed. "Now I feel Dino Charged!" He opened up his Dino Buckle and pulled out a charger. "Okay, Rexy, let's see what you can do with this! Dino Charger, ready!" He activated and threw it at his Zord. "T-Rex Zord!" It grew giant-sized and went into its mouth.
"T-Rex Charger, engage!"
Rexy powered up, his crest feather spikes on the back of its head rose, and it was ready for action. "Yeah," Tyler cheered. "Go for it!" The T-Rex charged at the Vivazords, while the Red Ranger stayed to deal with Iceage and the minions.
"Destroy him!" Iceage commanded the Vivix, who rushed to battle Tyler.
"Let's do this!" Tyler announced. Rexy headbutted a Vivazord, then bit at its arm. Tyler, meanwhile, rolled onto a car's trunk, then grabbed one's foot on the roof and pulled it down. "Down ya go!" He taunted another, "Ya can't get me!" then backflipped off. "How do you like this?" Red did an energized kick into several Vivix, sending them flying towards his Zord. "Batter up, Rexy!" Its tail obliterated them before swinging at the Vivazord, knocking it back in a shower of sparks.
Tyler took out his Dino Saber and jumped onto Rexy's head; it hit the Vivazord again with his tail, knocked it over, and then shot blasts out of its mouth to take out the crowd of minions. "It's my turn, big guy! Power Slash!" Tyler ran down Rexy's back and jumped off his tail, striking one of the Vivazords, destroying it in a flash of red lightning energy. After landing on the ground, he commended, "I'll take it from here, Rexy! Great job!" It left as Tyler went to confront Iceage again. He struck him with his sword in the chest. "Is my Energem power a little too tough to keep up with?" he asked, flipping over him.
"You'll never defeat me alone, Red Ranger!" he threatened.
"Did you say alone? Look again!" Tyler exclaimed with a laugh; he saw the other five Rangers had finally arrived on the scene, and they ran up to him.
"Tyler!" Riley called out.
"There he is!" Shelby told them.
"Better late than never!" Tyler joked while his friends surrounded him.
Koda clapped him on the shoulder approvingly. "Look good, Tyler!"
"For a first-timer." Chase teased, earning a playful elbow in the side from Emma.
"Well, I think red looks great on you," Emma complimented. "Don't you think, Shelby?"
Shelby nodded and blushed a little. "Yeah, it does."
Riley, the only one who hadn't seen a morphed Power Ranger before, was amazed. It looked too good to be true, so he gently knocked on Tyler's helmet. "Are you really in there?"
Iceage grew tired of the teen's playful banter and wanted to get back to business. "No more games!" he yelled. "I'll destroy all of you!"
Emma, Chase, and Koda stepped in front of the others toward Iceage, not recognizing or remembering him from Keeper's stories.
"That…is not Fury," Koda stated uneasily.
"That's for sure!" Chase retorted sarcastically. "Fury has a face you'd never forget."
"Well, whoever or whatever it is, it's about to learn who we are. Right?" Emma asked her two friends.
Chase, Emma, and Koda pulled out their Dino Chargers to prepare to morph; the latter two nodded to Chase for him to call it.
"It's morphin' time…!" Chase started.
"Just try to keep up, guys!" Shelby boldly stepped in front of them, taking charge, leaving the others confused and shaking their heads. "Dino Charger, ready!" She thrusted out her Dino Charger several times, but it did nothing, frustrating her.
Emma shared a look with Chase, then looked at her friend. "Need some help, Sheli?"
Shelby shook the Charger and tried everything to get it to work. "No thanks!" she retorted firmly. "I've got this!"
Koda came up next to her and helpfully pointed to the small button on top. "Click," he told her with an innocent smile.
"Oh, thanks," Shelby replied with a nervous chuckle. She clicked it to activate it, then looked back at the others, motioning for them to join her.
"Ready!" the other four Rangers said together. They activated their Dino Chargers, inserted them into the morphers, and then pressed down to close them.
"Para Charger, engage!"
"Ptero Charger, engage!"
"Stego Charger, engage!"
"Tricera Charger, engage!"
"Raptor Charger, engage!"
"Energize!" the five shouted and then spun the cylinder. They rose the morpher up and pulled the trigger. "Unleash the Power!" They shot into the air, forming a construct of their Zord's head, which flew around them; it chomped to form the suit and helmet.
"Wow!" Shelby cheered, gazing at all of them morphed as a team. "We look great together!"
"You're no match for me! I still see weak humans!" Iceage told them.
"Humans with dinosaur spirit!" Tyler corrected.
"Yeah!" the other five agreed.
"I hope you're ready to lose!" the villain growled. "Vivix, get them!"
"It's about to get wild!" the Red Ranger announced. "Just try and stop us!"
Flipping into battle one after the other, five Rangers split up to take on a group of Vivix, while Tyler went after Iceage.
(~~~~~~~)
Chase rolled in between a group of Vivix, promptly shot two of them, backflipped, then expertly shot another behind him. "Call me the hotshot!" he bragged. "I never miss!" The Black Ranger put a Dino Charger into his morpher.
"Para Charger, engage!"
He jumped into the air. "Energize! Dino Morpher, blast!" and promptly shot down a group of minions.
(~~~~~~~)
Koda folded up his sword to form a different weapon. "Dino Saber…Dino Morpher… combine! Dino Blade Blaster! Power Blast!" He fired a cannonball-like blast, causing several Vivix to explode on contact. One attacked him, but Koda got him in a headlock, picked him up, and threw him over his shoulder. "You no match for my….strength!" The Blue Ranger held up his weapon again, "Power Blast!" and fired at a large group of Vivix.
(~~~~~~~)
Riley, the expert swordsman, used only his Dino Saber to strike at the Vivix surrounding him. "I knew these skills would come in handy someday!" He remarked, flipped his sword around to his back, and blocked one of the Vivix ax weapons from slicing him. "Oh, no, you don't!" Whirling around, the Green Ranger took out more using his preferred reverse-handed grip. He then inserted a Dino Charger into his saber.
"Raptor Charger, engage!"
"Dino Saber! Power Slash!" He spun around in midair and took out the remaining Vivix with an energized slash.
(~~~~~~~)
Shelby quickly fired a volley of shots at five Vivix, knocking them over. "Dino Blade Blaster! Rapid Blast!" She then pushed one back with her foot, stuck her hand out, and secretly used her telekinesis to knock one back into a group of boxes. "One for you and one for you! Ha! Gotta be quicker than that!" she taunted. Jumping, the Pink Ranger brought her foot straight up, and down in a hammer kick, followed by a midair spin kick to take out two more. Removing her Dino Saber from her morpher, "Energize! Dino Morpher, Blast!" This took out the rest of them in an eruption of pink lightning.
(~~~~~~~)
Emma backflipped to avoid Vivix slashing with their axes. "Haha! Too slow!" she boasted cheerfully. She did a tornado kick, which knocked three on their backs. Two gripped her by the shoulders. "I don't think so! Time to turn up the heat!" The Yellow Ranger grabbed their hands, and her heat powers radiated through her hands and disintegrated them. She then took out two Dino Sabers and put a Dino Charger in each. "Let's see if you can handle this!"
"Ptero Charger, engage!"
She glided through the remaining Vivix, her sabers straight out like wings. "Dino Sabers! Double Flying Slash!" They collapsed in a shower of yellow energy.
(~~~~~~~)
"I'll finish this guy myself!" Tyler asserted as he dove straight at Iceage, pulled him to the ground, and rolled over.
"Not if I finish you first!" he argued back, swinging at him with one of his arms but missed because the Red Ranger ducked out of the way.
Before Iceage could hit him again, Tyler punched him twice and then kicked him in the chest. "Hey, you! Try this on for size!" He ran at him, dragged him through the air, and then pushed him to the ground. "Yes!" Red shouted triumphantly.
"Lucky shot!" the ice monster claimed.
"Oh yeah!" Tyler spin-kicked him in the face, and he rolled several times in midair before crashing to the ground. "Go, Rexy!" he instructed. "Take out that last Vivazord!" The T-Rex charged the giant monster, bit it on the head, and spun around several times while still holding on by its mouth. He let go, and it fell to the ground in an explosion of red electricity and sparks. "Nice!" Tyler praised, taking out another Dino Charger. "Now, let's finish this ice freak…together."
"T-Rex Charger, engage!"
"I'll freeze you both!" Iceage claimed furiously, giving everything he had in a tremendous ice blast.
"Come on, Rexy! Let's do this! Energize!" Tyler jumped into Rexy's mouth just as the blast got to them, but it had no effect.
"It's not working!" Iceage cried.
"Dino Morpher Blast, Final…Strike!" Tyler shot his morpher as he soared out of Rexy's mouth. Their joint powers manifested a T-Rex head that chomped down on Iceage.
"I can't take the heat!" were Iceage's final words before he exploded, finally defeated.
"Monster extinct!" Tyler announced victoriously. The Dino Charger flew out of Rexy's mouth, shrunk down, and returned to the Red Ranger. "Thanks, Rexy!" He took the other one from his morpher. "These Chargers are so cool!"
The others joined Tyler as he stood before the Zord, congratulating each other on their first victory as Power Rangers.
"That was amazing!" Yellow remarked.
"Great job!" Black acknowledged.
"That guy never stood a chance!" Green added.
"We…a real team now." Blue chimed in.
"Yeah, we did great!" Pink exclaimed.
Rexy shot a breath of steam out its nose to let them know he had a hand in the victory. "You, too, Rexy!" Tyler assured him. Turning to the others, he shook his head and added, "No one's going to believe this!"
A little while later, at the Dino Base, Keeper sat on a stool while Kendall worked on the computers on the other side of the lab. She could tell he wanted time to think, so she left him alone but stayed if he needed her.
He contemplated everything that had happened that day and what it could mean for the future. Although he was pleased they had recovered three more Energems, bringing the total to six, he was very distressed by the emergence of a monster that was not Fury. "This just can't be," he murmured. To top it off, Keeper also noticed that he had recently felt more weary than usual. It wasn't significant and unnoticeable to anyone but himself, but he knew it wasn't a good sign. 'I survived, so he could have, too,' he thought. 'Could what he said to me all those years ago be true? If it is, how long do I have until he reappears, and will I be strong enough to take him on?' Keeper was so engrossed in his thoughts and worries that he hardly noticed the Ranger's return to the base still morphed via the now-operational teleportation.
"Hey, we're back!" Chase exclaimed, taking his helmet off. "It sure was a lot faster getting back here, though. I like it."
"Me too," Emma replied with a smile, her helmet under her arm. "We haven't used it before, but I look forward to using it more often."
The other Rangers took their helmets off and lined them up on the counter as they talked with each other.
"The way you used your sword was awesome!" Tyler said to Riley. "Can you show me how to do that, too?"
"You're the one who took out that giant ice monster with your Zord." Riley grinned. "How about you show me?"
"I'm glad you're with our team now," Koda told Shelby, looking uneasy. "But I…."
"Don't worry, Koda," Shelby gave him a playful punch in the arm, knowing exactly what he was thinking. "I'll still make you your favorite Bronto Burger."
"Oh my god!" Riley added excitedly. "Wait till my brother hears about this! He's gonna be so…."
"Incorrect!" Kendall interrupted, making her presence known. "No one must know about what we're doing! That includes our mission, the Energems, and your Ranger identities. It's too risky to tell anyone. Understood."
"You got it!" Tyler told her as the others nodded.
"If I can do anything," Shelby spoke up. "…it's keep a secret." 'I'm already keeping a life-changing secret, so I can handle another,' she thought.
Kendall, however, heard this and told her, *You better,* earning a glare from the Pink Ranger.
Emma, who also heard the exchange between her sister and best friend, shook her head. She then looked over at Keeper, who hadn't spoken since they returned, and could sense something was troubling him. She touched Chase on the arm to get his attention and then motioned to their mentor; they walked away from the others and knelt beside Keeper. Emma put her gloved hand on his and gave him a kind smile, "Keeper, are you alright?"
"Yes," he sighed, trying to sound reassuring and not wanting to worry anyone. "I'm fine, Emma. Just a bit tired. That's all."
"Keeper," Chase spoke up. "I'm sure you already know this, but that monster we fought was not Fury. You said there weren't any other monsters on Earth." This got the other Rangers' attention, and they gathered around them to listen.
"That monster belongs to Sledge, a ruthless bounty hunter," he told them, determination in his voice. "65 million years ago, he drove me to hide all the Energems, which Kendall's been helping me search for. Somehow, Sledge has returned. He'll destroy anything to get the Energems…including you."
Keeper couldn't have been more right as Sledge was in his ship orbiting the Earth as they spoke, thinking up a plan to steal the Energems. He marched down one of the cell blocks with holding cells but couldn't concentrate on all the noise his monsters made. "Quiet. Quiet!" Sledge bellowed. "Which of you mangy, rotten, diabolical monsters can destroy me a Power Ranger?!" He roared with evil laughter as the inmates clamored at their cells, hoping he'd choose them for the task.
It was late afternoon, a couple of hours after their first battle as Rangers and closing time at the museum. Tyler, Chase, Koda, and Riley had already left while the girls were waiting for Kendall. Emma and Shelby walked toward her office behind the café. They were going to the moon pool on Draco Island, and Emma wanted Kendall to go, much to Shelby's annoyance.
"Does she have to go with us, Em?" Shelby asked with a frown. "She didn't seem interested when you told her earlier, so why can't it just be you and me?"
"Because she's my sister," Emma simply told her. "She's one of us, and I like it when we all go there together. Besides, this time it's special."
"Yeah, but she…" she argued, then stopped and scowled. "Wait a minute, what's so special about it?"
The Yellow Ranger smiled because there was one thing she couldn't wait for her friend to see, but wanted it to be a surprise. So she thought of another reason. "Well…you're a Ranger now. That's definitely special. And what about a certain someone you've recently become acquainted with?"
Shelby blushed and shyly smiled. "What do you mean?"
"Come on, Shelby." Emma gave her a knowing look. "I know you better than anyone, and I saw how you looked at him; it's the same way I look at Chase. So out with it, girl! You like him, don't you?"
"Alright," she relented. "I like Tyler. Or rather, I like what I've seen so far, which isn't much since I just met him today."
"So, what do you like about him?" Her friend prompted.
"Well," Shelby bit her lip nervously. "He's cute, obvi."
"Very cute," Emma agreed. "And?"
"And…he literally swung in like a hero and saved me," Shelby remembered with a sigh. "He's also super nice and charming; I've lost count of how often I blushed. Tyler's unlike any guy I've ever met."
"Sounds like he's got real potential," Emma nodded.
"Maybe. But let's not rush into anything. As I said, I just met him."
"Of course." Emma agreed as they got to Kendall's office door, and she knocked.
"Come in," a voice from inside said.
The two walked into Kendall's office, where she was at her desk finishing end-of-day paperwork on her laptop. She looked up and smiled, though it was more polite than genuine because Shelby was with Emma. "What's up?" she asked.
"It's closing time, Kenya," Emma stated, pointing to the clock on the wall. "The guys have already left, and we're going to the moon pool. You'll come with us, right?" She looked hopeful and added, "Sheli insisted that you come too."
"Really?" Kendall questioned, glancing at Shelby. "There's a first time for everything, I guess."
Shelby wanted to give a sarcastic retort but decided against it for Emma's sake. "Yes, I want you to come," she insisted with a slightly forced grin. "It is our special place, after all."
Although she didn't buy Shelby's complete sincerity, Kendall did enjoy a good swim after a long day. "Sure, I'll come. Just give me a few minutes. I'll meet you out front, and we'll go from there, okay?"
"Great!" Emma clapped her hands happily as they turned to leave.
"Can't wait," Shelby murmured with a hint of sarcasm as they walked to the door.
(~~~~~~~)
Less than 10 minutes later, Emma, Shelby, and Kendall had left the museum and drove to the secluded beach they knew well in Kendall's Lexus IS. First taking off their footwear and extra clothing, they stepped onto the warm, soft sand and headed to the shoreline. The familiar smell of saltwater and tropical flowers filled the air. Far off in the distance, the shape of Draco Island's dormant volcano could be seen.
"Still think you can beat me there?" Shelby smirked, glancing over at Emma.
"Oh, I know I can," Emma assured confidently, stretching her arms to loosen up her muscles.
"Yeah, right!" Shelby shot back.
"Actually, you're both wrong," Kendall interjected, earning skeptical looks from the other two. Her serious face turned into a mischievous grin. "This time, I'll win." She bolted for the water, Emma and Shelby right behind her.
"Hey!" one yelled.
"No fair!" the other shouted.
They ran in until it was just below their knees and then dove in. Seconds later, all traces of their human forms, including clothes and accessories, vanished in a glow of energy. In their place were glittering mermaid tailfins, matching halter bikini tops, and their hair was highlighted in colors that symbolized their powers over water; Emma's was a soft pastel red, Shelby's was ocean blue, and Kendall's was ivory white. When the metamorphosis was complete, all three kicked their tails, encasing their bodies in bubbles and using them as a jet stream. A journey that would take hours for an ordinary person took them minutes; before they knew it, each swam into the underwater cave entrance.
As she claimed, Kendall surfaced first, while Emma and Shelby appeared simultaneously after her. "See, I told you I'd win," she exclaimed victoriously.
"That's because you cheated," Emma quipped, leaning her arms on the pool's edge. "If you wanted to race us here, you could've at least made it fair."
"Yeah, so unfair," Shelby scoffed, propping her elbows on the pool's edge, so her tail floated in front of her. She smirked and then used her powers with a hand motion to splash her, but the older mermaid held her hand up and turned it into ice.
"Think of it as me making sure you two prepared for anything," Kendall shrugged and pulled herself up to one of the lower rock steps to sit but still be submerged in the water.
"Keeping us prepared, sure," Shelby mocked. "If you ask me, I'd say you're full of—Ahhhh!" Her scream rang out throughout the cavern and bounced off the walls; the other two covered their ears until it stopped.
"What the heck, Shelby!" Kendall scolded, her ears still ringing. "Was that necessary?"
"Are you alright?" Emma questioned innocently, trying not to smile; she'd been waiting for this moment.
Shelby was silent for a few seconds, shock written on her face. "My-my tail," she stammered, lifting the end out of the water. Then she glanced down. "And-and my top, they're…PINK!" Getting a better look, they all saw that it was true. It used to be a shiny golden coral, like Kendall's; now, it was a beautiful shade of shimmering pink.
"I wondered when you'd notice," Emma said slyly.
"Yeah, it took you long enough," Kendall complained.
"What?!" she shouted, looking from one to the other. "You both knew this would happen and didn't tell me!?"
"Well, I wanted you to find out yourself," Emma explained. "You know, as a surprise."
"And we weren't 100% sure that it would," Kendall clarified. "But, now that it has happened again, we know for sure."
"Again? You mean…" Shelby pointed to her friend. "When her mermaid form changed to…yellow?" She glanced at Emma's sparkling yellow mermaid form and pieced it together. "It was your Energem, wasn't it?" She narrowed her eyes, "you two told me you didn't know why."
"Yes," Emma confirmed, reaching out to touch her arm. "I wanted to tell you, Sheli, but we couldn't because you weren't a Ranger. Sorry."
Shelby wanted to be mad at her best friend but knew she couldn't. She nodded in understanding. "That's okay, Em. I get it."
"But, through some miracle I have yet to comprehend, you're a Ranger," Kendall continued, ignoring Shelby's glare. "And now, you can be let in on all the details."
"And you can go on the digs, too!" Emma smiled happily, and Kendall reluctantly nodded.
"Awesome!" Shelby cheered. "That's been my dream since I started working at the museum. You won't regret it."
"Let's hope not," Kendall replied seriously, then changed the subject. "So, sis, tell her where you find your Energem."
"Believe it or not, down there," Emma pointed into the water below them.
"You're kidding!" Shelby remarked, looking down. "We've swam in here, like, hundreds of times! How could we have never seen it before?"
"I didn't believe her at first. It was hidden well," Kendall explained.
"I happened to see it between some rocks," Emma recalled. "Knowing it was an Energem, I wanted to get it back to the base. As I was swimming home, I saw a boat. Naturally, I avoided them, but then I saw a child fall overboard, and I risked exposing myself to save her. The gem bonded to me then and there; it was comparable to our transformation here at the moon pool." She traced her fingers on top of the water, remembering how both events changed her life forever.
"Wow," Shelby gasped in amazement. "You're a real hero, Em."
"We all are," Emma amended with a smile. "The six of us wouldn't have been chosen to be Rangers otherwise."
"They also see things in you that others, and even you, may not see," Kendall clarified; she then looked concerned. "Who knew the Energems would choose two mermaids. As if you didn't already have a life-altering secret to keep from the world."
"Then it'll be like nothing's changed. No one will know we're Rangers, just like almost no one knows we're mermaids. We can do this," Shelby declared confidently. "Right?"
"Right," Emma replied with a thumbs up.
"Right," Kendall echoed with a nod.
The three stayed and talked at the moon pool until the sun was about to set and then slowly swam the long way back to the mainland. As they floated over the reefs and underwater fauna, their tails shimmered in the last rays of sunlight. So much had happened that day, and the best, or worst, was yet to come.
NEXT CHAPTER: "A Fool's Hour"