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 4!
A/N: I've uploaded more images and edits onto my DeviantArt profile: raeimarie21
100,000 BCE:
Lit by torches and in a cave with walls decorated with multiple petroglyphs, Koda wore animal skin and fur loincloth and used a club and a makeshift chisel to chip away at the cave wall. It struck something harder than the rock, and he saw a blue gem embedded in the wall; he brushed it off and carefully pried it out with his hands. The stone then glowed bright blue as Koda examined it with wonder and curiosity until a low roar echoed through the cave. He looked around, but the noise stopped, so he glanced back at the stone in his hand. Then another ferocious snarl pierced his hearing, alerting him; Koda sneered and angrily bared his teeth before running to his cave's entrance and towards the sound.
Elsewhere, his younger brother, Taku, carried a lit torch and roamed around rocky cliffs overlooking an ocean. Unknown to him, a menacing creature's shadow appeared on the rock wall behind him. Taku turned around and screamed in terror when he saw a large saber-tooth tiger; it narrowed its red eyes at this new prey and roared before stepping closer. The young boy froze inches from the cliff's edge; he knew he was cornered with nowhere to run and yelled desperately for his older brother. "Koda! Koda!"
Koda heard Taku's calls for help and raced out of his cave as fast, jumping over any obstacles that came his way. He cared for his brother more than anything and would do anything to protect him.
"Koda! Koda!" Taku continued to scream. Bravely, he thrust his torch at the saber-tooth, hoping it might push him back, but this did nothing but anger it more as he swiped one of his claws and continued to growl.
The elder brother scaled jagged rocks with lightning speed and agility. "Taku!" Koda called out as he reached the top. Reaching Taku's location just as the wild cat lunged toward his sibling, he dove at it, and both went over the cliff and plummeted several hundred feet down to the ocean below. "Taku!" he yelled, his voice echoing as he fell. Still in his hand, the gem glowed brightly, getting his attention. Its energy flowed through him, causing his body to jolt in shock as it bonded to him.
"Koda! Koda!" Taku reached his arm out in vain as he watched his brother fall to his apparent demise.
(~~~~~~~)
Koda gasped and bolted awake into a sitting position from his bed on the floor of his cave attached to the Dino Base, his brother's voice still ringing in his ears. He heard a loud growl echo nearby and immediately went into survival mode. Getting up off the floor, dressed in only a pair of blue-grey shorts, Koda grabbed a long, club-like stick and held it out to defend himself from the potential predator. He slowly back out of the cave, eyes darting back and forth in fear until he heard the growl behind him; spinning around, Koda shouted out and held the stick out to swing when he saw all his friends in the Dino Base. They surrounded a black, yellow, and silver souped-up motorbike and were just as surprised as him to see him there.
"Sorry, Koda," Kendall apologized, her face creased with concern as she motioned to Chase to stop. She wore a black buttoned-down shirt under a grey blazer with black slacks. "I forgot you slept here last night instead of at the house."
"We didn't mean to wake you," Emma added, nervously biting her lip. She wore a yellow cross wrap t-shirt, black shorts, and black combat boots with her hair in a long French braid. 'Talk about a rude awakening.'
"Kendall…" Shelby started, then saw her boss sternly glance at her and remembered they weren't allowed to call her by her first name at the museum. "I mean, Ms. Morgan was just showing us our new Dino Cycles!" She looked excited in her white t-shirt over a pink tank top with shorts as she backed away from the bike so Koda could see it.
"Aren't they awesome?" Tyler exclaimed, wearing a red t-shirt under a red checkered long-sleeved shirt and khaki shorts. He was equally psyched as Shelby was about their new vehicles.
Despite being told what it was, Koda still looked at the Dino Cycle with fear and apprehension, holding his stick at the ready and not moving a single step closer. "I…not sure…about that."
"It's alright; come on over," Chase called to Koda, from where he stood on the other side of the bike. He wore a black t-shirt hoodie and black jeans. Smiling, he added, "Take a squiz."
His friends all turned to look at him like he was crazy and, at the same time, inquired, "A squiz?"
"A squiz," he informed them, assuming they knew what he meant. When nobody said anything, he translated, "Ya know, a look?" When they all shook their heads at him, still with confused looks, he rolled his eyes and walked around to stand next to Emma. "Ugh! Sometimes I wonder if I'm speaking English."
"Me too," Riley said sarcastically in his white t-shirt with a green-striped sweater vest and dark jeans. "Do we always need Google Translate when this one talks?"
"Seriously," Emma chuckled. "Are you sure New Zealand's even on this planet?" She then shared a look with the Green Ranger, and they both tried not to laugh.
"Oh, you two are hilarious." Chase tried to sound mad but found their comments amusing. He turned to the Blue Ranger, who was at a loss about the exchange but still rooted to his spot. "Take a look, Koda," he amended with a grin. Koda tentatively came closer, eyeing the machine carefully as he pointed out some of its cool features. "It's got everything from laser blasters to energy scanners." Then he got on and added what he thought was the best thing. "And most importantly, I look really good on it." Before anyone could react to that comment, Chase decided to show off by revving the engine and bringing it up on its back wheel. While this surprised everyone else, Koda became terrified that it would attack him, so he ran up to it and beat it with his stick. The others were taken aback by his reaction and stepped away as if he might accidentally hit them.
"Relax, it's okay," Tyler reassured him, tried to calm him down, and held his hand out so Koda wouldn't try to hit the bike again.
In shock, Kendall had her hand on her chest; she motioned to the Black Ranger and ordered, "Chase, turn off the bike; he's scared."
Even after the bike was turned off, Koda was still in a battle stance, holding his stick at the ready and breathing heavily out of exertion and adrenaline.
"You will be okay, Koda," Emma smiled when he looked at her. "I promise."
"Yeah," Riley told him, then crossed his arms and glared at Chase as he got off the bike. "He isn't going to do that again, right?"
"Right," the New Zealand teen agreed. "I should've given a warning; guess I got carried away."
"Well, I…sorry," Koda told his friends, lowering the stick but keeping his guard up. Pointing at the bike, he tried to explain his actions. "My…instincts say…danger."
"No apologies; I totally get it," Shelby calmly said as she approached him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Where you're from, or rather, when you're from, anything that makes a strange sound is a threat." As if on cue, Shelby's iPhone sitting on the counter behind Koda started ringing, catching him completely off-guard; he whirled around and smacked it with the stick. It fell to the floor in pieces and chirped a little before it died. A gasping shriek came out of Shelby's mouth as she looked at her broken phone in horror. The others were shocked, but Chase couldn't help but find it funny.
"Isn't that your brand-new phone?" the Yellow Ranger winced, knowing her best friend must be devastated. All she got in reply was Shelby slumping her shoulders and nodding.
"I'm sorry, Shelby. I…" Koda couldn't think of what else to say, but he knew she was upset by his actions.
"No apologies, mate," Chase said cheerfully, then put on his best Shelby voice. "She totally gets it." The Pink Ranger narrowed her eyes and looked disgusted at him while Kendall walked up to stand beside Koda.
"He's grown accustomed to morphing into a Ranger," she started to justify why Koda had reacted the way he did.
"And he's also got a pretty good grasp of speaking English, considering he had to learn from scratch," Emma added helpfully. "It's a work in progress. But…"
"Some…modern things still give me…nervous?" Since she had been teaching him English, Koda looked at Emma to see if he said it right.
"Make me nervous," she corrected gently and then smiled. "But we totally get what you're saying."
Chase nodded in understanding and took it upon himself to help his caveman friend. "Look, you just need a few pointers," he told him, coming up and putting his arm around Koda's shoulder. "I've ridden everything from rollercoasters to kangaroos. If anyone can teach you how to ride, it's me."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait a second," Riley abruptly cut in, ready to correct his over-confident friend. "There aren't any kangaroos in New Zealand; those are in Australia. You're thinking of wallabies, and you can't ride those."
Koda glanced nervously at Chase, wondering if it was a good idea to let him be his bike riding teacher. "Ah, details," Chase waved his hand dismissively. "You go get dressed, Koda, and we'll give it go!"
As Koda walked back to his cave to put on a shirt and shoes, Kendall spoke to Emma and Shelby, *I don't know about this. Someone else should go with them to make sure Chase doesn't push him too hard.*
*I'll go!* Emma said without hesitation, earning a knowing look from the other two. *What? Don't look at me like that!*
*Oh, nothing,* Shelby grinned, raising an eyebrow. *But, are you going to help Koda, or do you just want to be with Chase?*
*Yeah, I'm sensing an ulterior motive here,* her older sister questioned, also smiling.
Emma couldn't believe what she was hearing. *Since when do you two gang up on me?*
*Since now,* they both replied.
*I don't have to listen to this.* She spoke up defiantly. *I'm going to help Koda; he needs me too.* Knowing she couldn't lie, she added, *Yes, I'll get to hang out with Chase, but I don't need you two in my head while I'm gone. Got it?*
Meanwhile, on Sledge's ship, Fury came into the bridge and bowed as he approached his
boss with a new outlaw by his side. "Master Sledge?"
Sledge whirled around and angrily glared at him, pointing at the outlaw. "So, what can this dirt bag do, Fury?!"
"I'll get you those Energems in no time!" the prison-themed monster named Slammer confidently spoke up.
"He'll capture the Rangers in his impenetrable cages," the feline general explained further. "He never misses."
"Never misses?" Poisandra skeptically piped up, not believing Fury's claims for a second. "Puh-lease. Spoken by the one who couldn't find a single Energem in 65 million years!" She turned on her heel and strode back to stand next to Sledge.
"Pink freak," Fury muttered under his breath, clenching his fists. 'What does she know about finding Energems, anyway?'
"Slammer!" Sledge roughly grabbed the outlaw by one of the chains around his neck and pulled closer. "Get down to Earth and don't disappoint me. Or. else." He kicked Slammer square in the chest so hard that he fell into a waiting space pod.
"I won't, Master Sledge," he nervously stuttered as the pod doors closed.
Sledge then shot the 'LAUNCH' button with his gun, narrowly missing hitting a Vivix, who had to duck to avoid it. The alarms signaled the launch, the bay doors opened, and the space pod shot out of the ship like a rocket. It could be seen making its way down to Earth.
"Oh, Sledge, darling," Poisandra cooed, coming up to her fiancé and clasping her hands around one of his. "Let's forget those pesky Energems. I'll go mad if I have to spend another day in this rust bucket with only vermin for companionship." She stomped her feet, put on her hands on her hips, and began to pout.
"That's exactly why I got you a present," he announced proudly, then called for his mechanic. "Wrench!"
"Right here, Master Sledge," Wrench excitedly bounded into the room toward them.
"A present? For me!? I love presents!" she clapped her hands excitedly.
"I built her from a bunch of old monster parts. I call her Curio," he gestured behind him as a green and orange puppet-like creature pranced into the room.
"You got me a friend!" Poisandra hugged Sledge in thanks. "Just what I've always wanted!"
"A best friend!" Curio joyfully corrected.
"Aren't you just adorable," she gushed with a smile. "Wanna go cause some trouble?"
"Sure thing! I can't wait!" She took Poisandra's hand, and the two new friends skipped merrily out of the bridge.
"I hope that overgrown pincushion gets her off my back!" Sledge grumbled as he watched them leave. "I've got more important things to think about." He then turned around to face his general again. "Fury! Slammer's cages better work! I want those Energems!"
"They'll work, Master Sledge," Fury assured them with a bow. "You can count on it."
Chase and Emma took Koda to Sierra Park for his first attempt at riding a bicycle. Now dressed in a grey tank top with a blue denim vest, he had on a blue helmet and was trying to ride a small pale yellow children's bike with training wheels. His pedaling was staggered and his stirring shaky as he slowly went down the path, but he had managed not to crash…yet.
Chase rode his skateboard on Koda's right, easily keeping up with him. "Very good," he encouraged. "Keep it moving. Yeah, lookin' good, my man!" Thinking for a second, he chuckled, "I mean…caveman."
Emma walked alongside Koda's other side. "You're doing great, Koda," she reassured him, gently patting him on the shoulder. "You'll be riding circles around us in no time."
A few preteen boys then rode past them on their own bikes. They took one look at Koda and started laughing at him, as they found it hilarious that a teenager was riding with training wheels.
Chase and Emma both stopped and turned around. "Hey!" they called after them in a disapproving tone. The boys just kept laughing and rode faster down the path.
"I'd like to give them something to laugh about," Emma hissed, clenching her fists. "They wouldn't even see it coming."
"Now that I'd like to see," Chase grinned with approval.
Koda also turned his head when he heard laughter but didn't stop pedaling, so when he looked back in front of him, he shouted out when he saw he was heading straight for the edge. His front tire smacked the curb; he flew headfirst over the handlebars and faceplanted onto the grass. Emma gasped and ran over to help him while Chase cringed before following her.
(~~~~~~~)
A short time later, the three friends were sitting on a bench across from a fountain and a large bed of violet and white flowers that a gardener was currently tending to. Koda sighed heavily in defeat at his lack of progress.
"No worries, mate," Chase told him. "It takes time to figure it out."
"He's right," Emma put in, leaning forward to look at him from the other side of Chase. "For me, it took months to learn how to ride. You just need some more practice."
"It not just…bike," Koda explained. "Many things I not…used to. Like…TV." He thought about when a vampire came on the screen, and he struck the television with a stick, knocking it over. "And…comb." He remembered trying to unsuccessfully brush his hair. "And… glass." More than once at the café, he'd run into a glass door while carrying a tray of drinks. Koda sighed again and looked down at the ground.
"I guess this world must seem pretty strange to you," Chase concurred.
"Believe it or not, it can feel like that for all of us sometimes," Emma added with a smile to make him feel better, though she knew she could relate to him. 'Especially when you're different from everyone else.'
"But, hey," the Black Ranger nudged Koda to get his attention. "Right here, right now. You've got nothing to worry about."
Suddenly, the sprinklers turned on in the flower beds; Emma stiffened and grabbed Chase's hand, but thankfully the water couldn't reach her. On the other hand, Koda panicked when he saw the streams of water, jumped over the back of the bench, tripped, and was once again lying in the grass.
Chase sighed, and he and Emma shared a look. He quickly went to help Koda while she inched her way around the bench, watching the water carefully. "Relax," Chase told him, holding his hand out to help Koda. "They're just sprinklers; you have nothing to worry about."
"Speak for yourself," the Yellow Ranger murmured, finally making it to them. She brushed a clump of grass off Koda's shoulder and noticed he looked lost in thought. "What are you thinking about?"
Koda shrugged, pulled his Energem out, and eyed it with uncertainty. "Why would…Blue Energem…choose a caveman?" He sighed, then looked up behind Chase and Emma and saw a large object flying toward them; it glowed bright, crackling with energy, and he knew it was bad news. "Duck!" he yelled as he dove out of the way. The other two didn't have time to react as a cage trapped them both. "What…is that?" Koda asked, looking around for who'd thrown the cage that held his two friends.
"Koda, behind you!" Chase warned him.
"Look out!" Emma yelled. Then the cage with her and Chase disappeared.
(~~~~~~~)
Seconds later, the two Rangers' cage appeared in a dimly lit cave under Readrose Mountain. The landing force caused them to lose their footing, and they were currently on the ground next to each other. They could faintly see a few tunnels leading out of the main cavern, and faint patches of sunlight came in through openings in the ceiling.
"You okay, Emme," Chase asked, sitting up.
"Ugh, I think so," she affirmed, turning over to face him. "You?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," he looked around them and started to stand. "I wonder where we are."
"Other than trapped in a cage in a cave," Emma began, now in a sitting position. "All I can say is that we're close to the ocean. I can smell the salt air."
"Wow, you're right. I can kinda smell it, too." He held his hands out to her. "Being a mermaid does have advantages."
"Sometimes, yes," the Yellow Ranger grinned, taking his hands and standing up. They locked eyes for a few moments before nervously looking away. Letting go, she brushed the dirt off her and quickly changed the subject. "Any ideas on how we could get out of here?"
"We could morph," her friend suggested. "Or teleport."
"Right, of course," she nodded. 'Why didn't I think of that?'
They both took out their Dino Chargers and activated them. Then they aimed their morphers out in front of them. "Unleash the power!" Pulling the trigger, a construct of their Zord's head shot out of the morpher but immediately disintegrated.
"Okay, that's not good," Chase sighed. "And I'm guessing shooting our way out isn't possible either. Teleport?"
"Sure." The two teens tried to initiate the teleportation sequence, but nothing happened. "Nothing. Of course not," she groaned, putting her hands on her hips and glancing at Chase. "Got a Plan C."
(~~~~~~~)
Meanwhile, the Blue Ranger saw civilians screaming and running from Slammer, stalking through the park. "What a great shot!" Slammer praised himself. "Two Rangers locked up; time to give them a cellmate!" He summoned another, smaller version of a cage and whipped it around on a chain like a hammer throw. "You're getting a life sentence! Without parole!" Letting it go, it grew in size and flew through the air straight at Koda.
Angry that his friends were captured, Koda executed a stellar flip, kicked the cage away, and then went into a primal stance to face the monster. He looked around for something to use as a weapon and found a shovel in a gardener's wheelbarrow. Koda charged at Slammer and furiously struck him with it, though his body was surprisingly durable, so he tried a jumping front kick to his chest. "Where…are my… friends?!" he demanded.
"You'll be joining them soon!" Slammer declared, grabbing the shovel after the Ranger tried to push him back and threw both to the ground. "Stop trying to break out before you're even in!" He started to come after Koda again but was swiftly kicked in the chest. However, Slammer caught his leg before a second kick connected and struck him in the stomach, sending Koda rolling down a set of stairs. "The smart thing to do is to come quietly!" Slammer demanded, swinging another cage at him. "But you're not very smart, are you?"
Koda saw a young boy riding his red bike toward them in a striped shirt and shorts out of his peripheral vision. As Slammer let go of the cage and it grew to full size, he made a split-second and instinctual decision to grab the boy to get him out of the way. "Watch out!" he yelled. Unfortunately, the cage landed on them, overturning the boy's bike; they then disappeared.
"I'm two for two!" Slammer exclaimed with excitement. And, two's double the fun!"
The cage with Koda and the boy landed in the same cave that trapped Emma and Chase, who were both shocked to see him.
"Oh, no. That cage monster got Koda, too," Emma spoke as soon as she saw him. She went to the side of her cage that was closest to him.
Immediately, the Blue Ranger stood up and used all his strength to pull at the cage bars, to no avail.
"Koda," Chase called to him, putting his hands on the bars. "We tried to morph and teleport, but we can't." His friend didn't answer as he continued to try to pull the cage open by force, growing frustrated. "Even you can't bend these bars, and you're the strongest person we know."
Emma then noticed that Koda wasn't alone; she saw the young boy with the bike on the ground. "Hey, who's that?"
Looking down, Koda knelt down next to the boy. "You…okay?" he asked, taking off his bike helmet.
The boy clutched his left knee and breathed heavily out of fear and pain. "My-my leg. It really hurts," he trembled, leaning back against the bars.
"Koda, look!" Chase pointed out. "The cage landed on the bike! Maybe you can get out!"
"It's definitely worth a try," Emma added. "And it could be your only chance."
Turning the bike just so, Koda pushed it out the hole it created; then, he threw it to the side and slid out of the cage feet first. He reached in and gently pulled the boy out by the shoulders. "Careful," he advised. "Don't hit leg." Koda slid him back to lean him against a rock. "Stay still." He grabbed a stick and rapidly rolled it between his hands while applying pressure.
"Nice work for getting out." Chase praised. But, this cave is too dark for…."
Before finishing his sentence, Koda had successfully created fire and lit a torch, brightening the cave considerably.
"Wow," the boy exclaimed.
"Oh, you've got to teach me how to do that," Chase chuckled.
"Me too," Emma agreed.
"I'm Koda." He then pointed to his two friends. "That Chase and…Emma. What is your…name?"
"P-Peter," he stammered.
"Peter. Can you hold…torch?" The Blue Ranger held the lit torch out to him.
"Yeah," Peter nodded, taking it from Koda, setting the end on the ground, and holding it straight. Koda carefully observed Peter's left leg and knew it wasn't something he could heal on his own.
"How bad does his leg look, Koda?" Emma inquired. "Is it serious?"
"I don't…think so, Emma. But he needs…doctor."
Chase pulled his Dino Com out of his pocket. Even though they couldn't teleport, he hoped the signal might be strong enough to get a message to the other Rangers. "Kendall? Can you hear me? Is anybody out there?" Unfortunately, all he could hear was static. "There's some kind of field jamming our equipment."
"Of course, there is," Emma exhaled with frustration. "It would've been way too easy otherwise."
Lowering his voice, he asked her, "Have you tried contacting Kendall and Shelby through, ya know, the other way?"
Emma knew he was referring to the telepathic link she shared with her sister and best friend, which was the next best thing to their Dino Coms. "I tried but couldn't reach them, so we must be too far away. And I'm sure whatever's blocking the signal for the coms and morphers would block that too."
Koda, meanwhile, had removed his denim vest and tore it into strips; then, he took two sticks and tied them around Peter's leg as a splint. After that, he took the torch back from him.
"W-which way do we go?" Peter asked nervously.
"The wind…show us." Koda held the torch up, and the wind blew from the left, pushing the flame to the right. "We go…this way," he pointed to the left. The teen then leaned down to wrap his right arm around Peter's waist to help him stand up, then picked him up to carry him. Koda went to the other two in their cage with the torch in his left hand. "I get Peter out…then I come back for you two."
"Okay," Emma nodded, giving him a smile. "You've got this, Koda."
"Good luck," Chase told him.
His two friends watched Koda make his way out of the cave, hoping he would make it safe and return to them.
Kendall walked through the museum toward the café with a stern but worried look. Her pace quickened as she entered the café; she glanced at Shelby, who was waiting tables to get her attention, then to Riley, behind the register. Making sure no one else was paying attention, she quietly stated, "Chase, Koda, and Emma are late."
"Chase is always late," Shelby retorted, rolling her eyes. "That's nothing new."
"And Koda doesn't even know what time is," Riley added matter-of-factly.
"As for Emma, well…" the Pink Ranger started, then telepathically while looking at Kendall, she smirked and added, *she is with Chase, ya know.* "She probably got…busy."
"True," Kendall confirmed, motioning for Tyler, who was in the kitchen, to join them. "But they aren't answering their Dino Coms, either. Something's definitely wrong." As soon as Tyler came up to them, she continued, "Tyler. Riley. Take the Dino Cycles and start searching the city for the others; their scanners will allow you to cover more ground."
"Okay," Tyler nodded, then looked to Riley. "Let's go."
The girls watched as the guys left the café, then turned to each other, looking concerned. "Have you tried contacting Emma the other way?" Shelby quietly asked.
"Yes," Kendall confirmed. "Several times, but she's not responding. Wherever she is, she's got to be out of range because, even though she is with Chase, Emma wouldn't ignore us." She tried to keep her composure, but the thought of her little sister in danger made her scared, and she took a deep, shuddering breath.
Shelby could see how this affected her and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, Ms. Morgan," she said confidently. "Whatever's happened, we will find them. I promise."
Back in the mountain cave tunnels, Koda stopped to rest for a minute. He set the boy down and collected dripping water on a ripped-off shirt piece as some fruit bats flew through, startling Peter.
"Peter, I have little brother like you," Koda told him as he wiped his forehead. "I protect him, I protect you. I promise." He held out his fist; Peter gave him a fist bump and smiled a little, then climbed onto Koda's back, so they could continue their journey.
(~~~~~~~)
Still in the cage, Chase and Emma waited for Koda to return and hoped that he and Peter were safe. Emma nervously paced back and forth; she hated feeling helpless and not knowing what to do. "Ugh!" she groaned. "This waiting around is so frustrating!"
"I know, right?" Chase agreed, leaning on the cage with his arms crossed. "Even though I know Koda will come back for us, it's hard not to think about what could happen."
"I wish there was something we could do to get out of here!" She wrapped her hands around the cage bars. "But, everything we've tried has been useless." Emma scowled and tightened her fists, not seeing that steam started to radiate from them.
But Chase noticed the steam immediately, and when he saw where it was coming from, he smiled. "Emma, you're a genius!"
"Huh?" She glanced at him and then at the bars when he pointed. Seeing the steam startled her, causing her to release her hands. "Oh my gosh! Maybe there's moisture in the bars, and my powers are heating it. Perhaps I could soften them to the point where we can pull them apart." Emma was excited that she could make it possible for them to escape.
"That sounds great, but you've never done something like this before," he pointed out, a little concerned. "It could be dangerous."
"I know, but if it means getting out of here, I'll risk it." The Yellow Ranger wrapped her hands around the bars in the same places as before, which were still warm. Concentrating, she squeezed and felt the bars heat up and steam rise; after several minutes, her hands started hurting from the heat, but the cage bars were still solid. Reluctantly she let go. "It's not working," Emma determined with a sigh; she looked at her palms which were reddened. "I wanted to hold on longer, but it was starting to hurt."
"Here. Mine are a bit cold from being in this cave for so long." Chase held his hands out and gently clasped hers; instantly, his warmed up, and hers cooled down, a relief for both. "Does that help?"
While the temperature of her hands returned to normal and she let go of his, Emma's face flushed hot. "Y-yeah," she stammered, glancing up at Chase. "Thank you." After a few seconds of silence, she spoke up. "Well, that didn't work; now, what?"
"Well, I'd like to lift this cage and throw it across the room, but I don't have that kind of strength," he joked and grinned.
Something he said, however, got Emma thinking of an idea. "Hmm. 'Why didn't I think of this sooner.' "You may not have the strength, but I just might."
"How?" he asked in disbelief. "I mean, I know you're stronger than you look, Em, but if the cage could be lifted, Koda would've tried. What could you do differently?"
She glanced around the bottom of the cage, determining the best course of action. "I can try to pick it up without even touching it." She flexed her hands to stretch them out and saw he pieced together that she was talking about her telekinesis powers. "You may want to stand behind me, just in case."
Chase took his place behind Emma and, as usual, was in awe of the magic she was able to do. "You're amazing, you are. Have I told you that?"
"Yes, once or twice," she replied with a grin. Emma felt a shiver go up her spine when she sensed how close he was, but she held her composure, knowing she had to concentrate. She held her hands out, palms up, ready to try to lift the cage. "But you can tell me again after we escape." Knowing it wouldn't be easy, Emma applied a full force of telekinesis to the cage's base. It shifted on the ground and then raised a few inches. 'Come on. Be a good little cage,' she silently urged. However, a stronger force kept pushing it down; her hands shook as she put everything she had into it.
"Emma, stop," he insisted. "You obviously can't lift it, even with your powers; you're going to hurt yourself."
"I'm fine!" she snapped, ignoring a headache starting as she tried using her eyes to assist her hands. "I can do it!"
"No, you can't. You're shaking; stop! Please!"
Reluctantly she let go; the cage dropped and hit the ground with a 'thunk.' The minor force of releasing her powers pushed Emma into Chase, who was pushed against the cage wall.
"Woah, you okay, Em?" he asked, seeing her put her hand over her eyes and take a few deep breaths. He put an arm around her waist to steady her in case she fell forward.
"Yeah, I'll be all right. Just catching my breath, that's all. You?"
"I'm fine," he promised. "I'm more worried about you; that looked like it took a lot out of you."
"Well, it wouldn't have if I were stronger," she groaned in frustration and looked down.
"Hey, you did you're best," her friend reassured, getting her to look at him. "We'll get out of here, one way or another. I promise."
They were suddenly interrupted by Slammer stomping into the room. Startled, Emma pulled away from Chase and turned to face him. "What?! A jailbreak on my watch?!" he bellowed, looking at the cage that once held Koda and Peter. "That Blue Ranger's cleverer than I thought! I'll crush him!" In anger, he picked up Peter's bike and tossed it, then kicked it across the cave, where it hit a far wall.
He started to leave to hunt down the escapees until Chase called out to him. "Hey, um... I'm pretty clever, too. Let me out, and I'll-I'll show you." The Black Ranger thought he could persuade his way out if the monster was dumb enough to fall for it.
Unfortunately, Slammer wasn't having any of it. "You wanna show someone? Show Sledge!" He retorted and wrapped his hands around the cage bars to shake them. "He'll eat you for breakfast and save the cute one for dessert. I know I would." Slammer made eyes at the Yellow Ranger, disgusting her.
"Hey! Back off!" Chase sternly warned, instinctively stepping in front of Emma. "You won't get near her without going through me first."
"Oh, I'll run ya through, and you're not gonna like the end result!"
"And, I may be cute, but don't think I can't take you on," Emma countered, narrowing her eyes. "Trust me, I'm tougher than I look." While she always liked feeling protected, she wanted this creep to know she was still capable of taking care of herself.
"I'd like to see you try, girlie," Slammer scoffed, not taking her seriously. "But first, I have a Ranger to catch!" He then dashed out of the cave and went down the tunnel that Koda had taken with Peter not too long before.
"Koda better watch his back." Chase looked worriedly at Emma. "That guy definitely means business."
"He will," Emma tried to sound confident but was just as afraid of what could happen. 'That little boy's life depends on it.'
(~~~~~~~)
At that moment, Koda scaled a high rock wall out of the cave, with Peter's arms securely around his neck and holding the torch in one hand. The climb was slow and arduous, but the Blue Ranger was determined to not give up.
Below them, Slammer's laugh echoed in the distance. "You won't escape me!" he threatened. "I will find you!"
(~~~~~~~)
Back in the city, the Red and Green Rangers were on their Dino Cycles navigating the streets, looking for any clues that might show where their three missing friends might be.
"There's still no sign of them, Riley; we'll cover more ground if we split up," Tyler informed him through his helmet's communicator.
"You got it," Riley nodded. "Why don't I continue to search downtown, and you go north outside the city? We can contact each other if we find anything."
"Sounds good," he replied as they parted ways at the next intersection.
(~~~~~~~)
After successfully climbing up the wall, Koda came upon a fork in the cave with two identical paths, giving him no sign of which way to go and causing him great concern.
"Two paths?" he exclaimed with confusion, shining his torch back and forth.
"Which way now, Koda?" Peter asked him, sounding scared as he still clung to Koda's back.
"I…not know."
Peter pulled his smartphone out of his pocket and offered it to Koda. "Here." It chirped, startling Koda, then Slammer's laugh could be heard in the distance, indicating that he was closing in on the duo. "Take it," he insisted. "The phone signal is too weak, but the GPS map should still work." Koda noticed the torch he held was nearly extinguished, so he dropped it, took the phone, and looked curiously at the map on the screen. Peter pointed to a small red arrow on the screen that blinked to show their location under the mountains and which direction they should go to get out of the caves. "Now, that arrow is us, okay?"
"Yes," Koda confirmed, checking the map again. "That mean…we go this way." He pointed to the left path.
(~~~~~~~)
Tyler rode his Dino Cycle through the countryside near and used its energy scanner to collect readings on the surrounding areas as he continued to search for his friends. The scanner showed the mountains bordering the coast, and the interior had a red field of energy surrounding it.
"Ms. Morgan," he spoke through his helmet communicator. "I'm picking up a magnetic field. Do you see it?"
"Yes, I see it, too, Tyler. It's giving off strange readings," Kendall said, shaking her head in confusion. She was standing with Shelby in the Dino Base, looking at a holographic scan of the same area Tyler was. The magnetic field encompassed a fair majority of the inside of the mountain, which definitely wasn't normal. "If the others are within that area…."
"Then that field must be keeping them from communicating with us," Shelby pointed out, putting her hands on her hips.
"And probably even from teleporting and morphing, too." She then contacted the Green Ranger. "Riley, I'm sending you coordinates; meet us at the mountain, okay?"
"Right," Riley confirmed, still downtown. "I'm on my way." He then took off down the streets to head outside the city where the others would be.
"Ms. Morgan," Tyler called out before they left the base. "You two can take my car; its four-wheel-drive should make coming through the mountains easier. Shelby, you know where I keep my keys, right?"
"Yes, I remember," the Pink Ranger replied.
"Thanks, Tyler," Kendall told him. "See you soon." After canceling the transmission, she and Shelby left the base.
Now crawling his way between rocks in the cave, Koda looked up, saw sunlight, and heard the ocean waves crashing, meaning that he and Peter were finally almost out. "Peter, look. We…going to make it."
Suddenly, blue beams of lightning blasts narrowly missed them. Koda ducked, then turned around and saw Slammer close behind them.
"Hold still!" he demanded. "I won't hurt you; I'll destroy you!"
(~~~~~~~)
Outside, on the beach of Crystal Coastline, Shelby and Kendall pulled up in the Jeep, coming to a stop where Tyler and Riley had arrived on their Dino Cycles. As they got out of the vehicle, the two carefully walked across the wet sand and avoided the pools of water from the earlier high tide.
"Any sign of them?" Shelby worriedly asked, zipping up her pink hoodie as they approached Tyler.
"Not yet," Tyler shook his head, then pointed in the distance. "But there's a cave over..." He stopped when he saw a person appearing from the cave, running towards them.
"Is that Koda?" Kendall squinted as the figure got closer. Indeed, it was Koda, carrying a Peter in his arms. Both were dirty from their time in the caves, and the Blue Ranger's shirt was shredded.
"It is!" Riley exclaimed. As a determined Koda approached them, he and the others looked on with shock and awe.
"This Peter. His leg…hurt," Koda explained, a little out of breath. "He need doctor…right away!" He handed the boy to Kendall, trusting she would know what to do.
"I'll get him to a hospital," she reassured him. "Do whatever it takes to find my sister and Chase, okay?" The others nodded, and she left to take Peter to the car.
As Kendall took him away, Peter, barely conscious, looked back at his rescuer, not wanting to leave him. "Ko...da," he managed to call, but it only came out barely above a whisper.
"Don't worry, Peter," Kendall comforted him while she secured him in the seat and then got into the driver's side. "Koda will be all right; you'll see him again soon. I promise."
After Kendall left, the three Rangers turned to their caveman friend, and Riley spoke first. "Koda, where are Chase and Emma?"
"Still trapped in mountain," he answered. "In a cage."
"Trapped!?" Shelby cried. "By who!?"
Koda growled as he spotted Slammer on the cliffs above them, one of his cages at the ready. "Him."
"Hey, Rangers!" Slammer bellowed. "Thanks for coming! How about you stay a while? Or, in this case, forever!" He started swinging the cage in the air. "Cage time!" Slammer threw it toward them, but Koda climbed up on some rocks and caught it just after it enlarged, surprising the others who ducked for cover. The monster tried to pull it out of his grasp. "Hey, let go of that!" But Koda tugged harder, and Slammer was yanked down to them, face-planting into the sand.
Koda used this opportunity to rip off what remained of his tattered shirt and then initiated the morph. "It's ...morphing time! Dino Charger..." Shelby was to his right, and Tyler and Riley were to his left.
"Ready!" the other three Rangers said together, holding out their Chargers and activating them. "Energize! Unleash the power!"
"Power Rangers, charged! Tyrannosaurus Rex, Power Ranger Red!"
"Stegosaurus! Power Ranger Blue!"
"Velociraptor! Power Ranger Green!"
"Triceratops! Power Ranger Pink!"
"Dinosaur might, ready to fight!" the four declared together. "Power Rangers...Dino Charge!"
"Vivix, destroy those technicolor twits!" Slammer commanded after he summoned a horde to fight the Rangers.
"It's about to get wild!" the Red announced, getting into a fighting stance. "Just try and stop us!"
"We do this!" Koda asserted to the team, and the Rangers charged into battle.
(~~~~~~~)
Koda ran up to one Vivix, close-lined him in the chest, then tossed it aside. "You not mess with caveman strength!" Blue blocked another from swinging its weapon, pounded it in the back, picked it up, and threw it behind him, where it collided with a group of minions.
(~~~~~~~)
Shelby swung her leg around, striking a Vivix, and pushed one back in the chest with her foot. "One for you; one for you!" Then Pink grabbed one from behind, spun it around, held onto its neck, and propelled herself into a backflip over it. "And finally, here's yours!" She performed a snap kick to its face, causing it to backward somersault in the air before landing on the ground.
(~~~~~~~)
Tyler and Riley double-teamed Slammer; the former threw a punch while the latter struck at him with his sword.
"Escape is not possible!" Slammer roared confidently, even as sparks emitted on his chest from the Green Ranger's sword.
"Oh, really?" Red countered, doing an across-the-back roll over Green. "I thought breath that bad wasn't possible." He then did two standing backflips, with his foot connecting with Slammer on the second one.
"Yeah," Green agreed, coming at him while swinging his sword in circles. "And your fighting skills stink, too." He tried to strike the villain but was caught by the wrist, then his legs were kicked out from under him. Although he flew back, it was with finesse, and he slid to a stop, sticking the landing.
"I'll punish you for saying that!" Slammer fired blue lightning blasts out of his hands but missed as Riley charged towards him, saber at the ready.
"Raptor slash!" Green spun around and struck Slammer with his blade, enveloping him in a cloud of sparks and smoke before he was sent tumbling to the ground.
Tyler, meanwhile, had remounted his cycle. "Let's see how these Dino Cycles perform in a battle" He released the breaks and hit the accelerator, the back wheel kicking up dirt as he took off.
"Yeah!" Riley enthusiastically agreed, now on his cycle as well. "I wanna see what they can really do when they're pushed to the limit!" Riley revved its engine and took off toward the monster with the Red Ranger.
Slammer saw them coming at him on their bikes from either side of him and angrily clenched his fists. "I'll lock you both up!" he ranted, pointing his arms out towards them and unleashing a surge of blue lightning blasts. The two Rangers swerved to dodge the explosions, but it didn't deter them.
"Dino Saber!" Green called out, inserting an activated Charger into it.
"Raptor Charger, engage!"
He pumped the fore-end once to energize it. "Power slash!" Then he delivered a powerful drive-by attack that engulfed Slammer in green energy.
"My turn!" Red proclaimed, putting an activated Charger into his Dino Morpher.
"T-Rex Charger, engage!"
He spun the cylinder and fired a volley of red blasts as he approached Slammer. "Energize! Dino Morpher Blast, final strike!"
"You'll do hard time for this!" Slammer assured him as he crackled and sparked from the attacks before he exploded in a fireball.
(~~~~~~~)
Sledge watched the footage from the fight on a viewing screen on his ship and was beyond furious that Slammer had failed. "Those worthless Rangers!" he bellowed, then grabbed a minion that was within reach. "Vivix, get over here! Fire the magna beam, now!" He pushed it away, and the Vivix scurried to the button and punched it for the Magna Beam to activate.
(~~~~~~~)
Back on Earth, the four Rangers regrouped to celebrate their victory, but Blue quickly reminded them that they weren't done yet. "We need…go back in cave; save Chase and Emma," he insisted.
"Come on!" Green told them. They started back toward the mountain until they heard and saw the Magna Beam come down from the sky and hit Slammer, causing him to grow giant-sized.
"He's blocking the cave entrance!" Pink shouted.
"Then we've got to destroy him first," Red determined. "Let's call our Zords!"
Tyler, Shelby, and Koda each took out a Dino Charger, activated it, then threw them to summon the Tyrannosaurs, Stegosaurus, and Triceratops. "Dino Charger! Ready! Dino Charge Megazord, Tri-Stego Formation!"
"Dino Chargers, engage! Zords combine! Dino Charge Megazord, ready!"
"Battle Mode, engage!" The three proclaimed once they were in the cockpit. The Megazord then lept over to Slammer, grabbing him from behind.
"Let go!" he insisted, trying to break free.
"Riley," Tyler said through the communicators. "It's time to try out your Zord."
"Oh-ho, I've been waiting for this," Riley chuckled. He opened up his Dino Buckle, pulled out a Charger, and activated it. "Dino Charger, ready! Summon Raptor Zord!" Green threw the Charger, which enlarged and flew to a bamboo thicket where his Zord was hidden.
"Raptor Charger, engage!"
The Green Ranger's Zord used its tri-bladed tail to easily slice through bamboo and appeared from the forest by leaping from hill to hill. Raptor attacked Slammer with a slice of his tail, causing sparks and then knocking him down.
"Awesome!" Red exclaimed with a fist pump. "Let's see what else that Zord can do. Dino Charge Megazord, Stego-Raptor Formation!"
"Zords, combine!" Tricera detached, and Raptor took its place as the left arm, providing the Megazord with a sword. "Dino Charge Megazord, Stego-Raptor Formation, ready."
Riley teleported into the cockpit between Tyler and Shelby on his own platform.
"Hey! Riley! You made it," Shelby cheered.
"Whoa! It's so cool in here," Riley exclaimed, amazed with his new surroundings.
"Your Zord…very strong," Koda told him.
"Yeah," Tyler agreed. "Let's see what we can do together."
Green inserted his Dino Charge Morpher into the slot on the stylized podium next to him to sync his powers with the Megazord.
"Bladed Raptor Slash!" The four Rangers commanded, and the Megazord spun around rapidly, striking Slammer each time until he was again thrown back and to the ground.
"Can you guys finish this without me?" Pink asked. "Tricera and I should go find Chase and Emma!"
"You bet!" Red nodded. "We've got this!"
"Great! See ya soon!" Shelby teleported out and into her Zord's cockpit. "Alright, Tricera! Let's find the others!" She bolted back to the mountain until she got close enough to it, then turned around tail first and started up her drill.
(~~~~~~~)
Chase and Emma sat next to each other on the ground inside the cage. It had been quiet for some time, and Slammer had yet to return after leaving to follow their friend.
Emma leaned her head on Chase's shoulder and sighed. "I really hope Koda made it out of this cave okay."
"I'm sure he did," he began, then chuckled. "Koda's totally in his element in a cave; being a caveman has really come through for him."
"You're right," she said with a nod. "Everything's going to be fine. Now, if only we could get out of…." Emma was interrupted when the whole mountain suddenly shook, and rocks crumbled around them. They managed to get to their feet as a whirring and humming sound filled the air. "What the heck?! It sounds like something's drilling through the mountain."
As it continued, it finally dawned on Chase what it was. "I know that noise." Tricera's drill penetrated the cave wall and stopped just short of the cage.
"Is that what I think it is!?" she asked with a smile, now realizing there was only one drill it could be. The drill pulled out of the opening and let in even more sunlight.
"You bet it is!" came an excited voice, and Shelby, who had just teleported out of her Zord, came bounding into the cave. She turned around and shouted, "Great work, Tricera! We found them! I'll take it from here."
"Shelby!" Emma called out. "Boy, am I glad to see you!"
"And Tricera," Chase added. "Thanks for coming."
"Well," the Pink Ranger said, removing her helmet and setting it on a rock. "We swapped Tricera with Riley's Raptor Zord for another Megazord combination to fight that monster. I wanted to get a jump on finding you guys, so here I am!"
"Riley got his Zord? Sweet as!" Chase exclaimed.
"Yeah, that's awesome!" Emma agreed, then her smile fell. "But good luck getting us out of here, Sheli. We've tried everything."
"Everything?" Shelby smirked and pulled out her Dino Morpher; Chase and Emma nodded. "Oh. What about…" she mimed her hand to show her friend's heat powers and then telekinesis.
"She tried both," the Black Ranger informed her. "First, she nearly burned her hands on the bars and then almost passed out from the exertion. Even with both of you, it wouldn't be enough."
"Well, don't worry, guys," Shelby determined. "I'm not giving up; we'll think of something."
(~~~~~~~)
Meanwhile, Tyler, Koda, and Riley were in the middle of their heated battle with Slammer in the Megazord.
"I sentence you to destruction!" Slammer yelled as he threw a punch, but it was blocked by the Stego Shield. In return, it swiped him in the chest with the Raptor Blade, throwing him back several feet.
"Hey, guys!" Shelby called over their communicators. She stood just outside the mountain where a signal could get through. "Tricera and I found Chase and Emma! They're okay, but I can't get them out of the cage. Taking that guy down seems to be the only way!"
"Great job, you two!" Red praised. "That'll be no problem!"
"Let's…finish this!" Blue proclaimed. "For Chase…and Emma."
"Right!" Green asserted. "This guy is toast!"
"Raptor Zord, Final Flame, strike!" the three commanded. A ball of flame came out of the T-Rex's mouth and then covered the Raptor Blade. Then the Megazord started going for Slammer.
"Oh, no!" he cried, seeing the Megazord coming for him, and knowing he was done for. Lamenting his downfall, he added, "I'm going away for good!" The Raptor Blade sliced through him; he sparked and flailed around until he fell to the ground and exploded.
"Haha!" Tyler cheered. "Monster extinct!"
A few days later, the Rangers went to the Sierra Park near the Pacific Ocean. With his friend's help, Koda bought Peter a new bike to replace his destroyed one and was eager to give it to him. The others were going to hang out in the park anyway, so they came along. Tyler, in jean shorts and a red/grey t-shirt, drove his Jeep into a corner parking space; the ocean spread out before them, and the park was to the left; Chase, in jeans and a white tank top under a black t-shirt, sat in the passenger seat while Riley, wearing jeans and a green plaid t-shirt, and Koda in jean shorts and light blue tank top sat in the backseat. Emma, Shelby, and Kendall, who said they'd meet them there, had yet to arrive.
"I wonder where the others are," Riley asked, glancing at his watch that read 4:21 pm.
"Yeah, we couldn't have beat them here by that much," Tyler joked as he cut the engine.
"Well," Chase told them, pulling out his cell phone. "Emme texted me that they were on their way not long after we left."
"So they…be here soon," Koda concluded with a grin.
Just then, the sound of a rumbling car engine was heard loud enough to get their attention. The four guys turned as a classic Ford Mustang pulled into the parking spot next to them; it was silver with two black racing stripes that went from front to rear in the center. The engine turned off, and Emma stepped out of the car in a strapless, floral yellow sundress and yellow wedges with hair in a bohemian-style side braid and wearing sunglasses. "Hello, boys," she greeted, smiling as she leaned on the Jeep's passenger door next to Chase.
"Hey, Em," Chase waved, finding it hard to take his eyes off her. "You guys made it."
"Emma?" Tyler asked in surprise, clearly taken aback. "Is that you?"
"Of course," she cheerfully replied, putting her sunglasses on her head. "Who were you expecting? Steve McQueen?"
"Well, yeah," he stammered, getting out of his car and coming to look at hers with admiration. "Especially when I see a vintage '66 Mustang Fastback. They're awesome."
"You sure know your cars," Kendall spoke up as she and Shelby joined them. She wore capri-skinny jeans and a mauve V-neck t-shirt.
"Yeah, impressive," Shelby, in shorts and a pink halter top, added, nervously tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. 'He's just full of surprises.'
"My uncle Julian's a total gearhead," he shrugged, giving Shelby a smile. "He has at least a dozen old cars, including a Mustang, so I learned a few things when I visited growing up."
"That's cool," Riley said. He and Koda jumped out of the backseat, and Emma stepped back so Chase could get out.
"Way cool," the Pink Ranger said, giving him a nudge. "He must've been horrified when you got a modern Jeep?"
"A little bit," Tyler chuckled, rolling his eyes.
"Well, I…going to find Peter," Koda announced, taking the blue bike and helmet off the rack on the back of the Jeep. "Who want to come?"
"I'll go with you," Kendall offered.
"Me too," Riley said, and the two went over to join their friend.
"I was actually thinking about taking a walk down to the beach," Tyler told them. "Anyone up for that?"
"Sure, why not," Chase answered.
"The beach?" Shelby perked up excitedly, but she tried not to sound too eager. "Yeah, I'll-I'll go."
"I'll come, too," Emma chimed in. "I love the beach."
*You sure about that?* the two girls heard in their head. Glancing over, they saw Kendall giving them a concerned look. Though she loved the ocean and beach, it also presented a risk anytime they were there. It was even more so when it wasn't just the three of them.
*Don't worry, sis,* the Yellow Ranger assured. *I'll make sure she stays away from the water.*
*Hey, I can't take care of myself, thank you.* Shelby countered, earning a 'yeah, sure' look from the other two.
"Cool," Tyler smiled, then waved to his friends. "We'll catch up with you guys later."
"See ya," Riley called back, and he and Kendall followed Koda, rolling the bike alongside him to the park.
(~~~~~~~)
It didn't take Koda, Riley, and Kendall very long to find Peter, who they could hear was in the middle of regaling to his three friends about his adventure before they saw him. Although he had a bandage wrapped around his left knee, he was talking animatedly, and it barely hindered his movement.
"Suddenly," Peter continued, and the three stopped to listen. "A cage fell on us, and we were taken to this cave. It was pitch black, but he made fire with his bare hands to see the way. Then he carried me under boulders and through cracks. It was totally dangerous, but for him, no problem. He was like…like a caveman!"
Kendall and Riley glanced at Koda, who smiled a little as he listened to Peter tell the story. "Sounds like you made quite the impression on him," she chuckled.
"I'll say," Riley added. "You've become a superhero to him, and you didn't even have to morph."
"Whoa. Caveman, cool!" they heard one boy say.
"Yeah, way cool!" added another.
"Well, gotta go," the third told him.
Peter waved to his friends, who got on their bikes. "Yeah, see you later." He turned around and saw Koda standing there with two others. Immediately, he smiled broadly. "Koda? Koda!" Peter wrapped his arms around Koda's waist in a hug.
The Blue Ranger was surprised but returned the gesture. He then knelt to his level and pointed at the bandage. "How…is leg?"
"It's good," Peter replied. "It wasn't as bad as I thought."
"Good," he smiled, then remembered his friends behind him. "Peter, this…Riley and Kendall…my friends." They waved to Peter and came a little closer.
"I remember you," Peter pointed to Kendall. "You took me to the hospital. Thanks again."
"Of course," Kendall smiled. "You're looking much better since last I saw you."
"And you were there when Koda brought me out of the cave," he continued, gesturing to Riley.
"That's right," the Green Ranger nodded. He then slowly pushed the bike towards Koda to give it to Peter.
"Oh! I brought you a new bicy...bi... bi..." Koda stammered, trying to remember what it was called.
"Bicycle?" Peter finished.
"Uh, yes, yes," the teen nodded as he wheeled it closer.
"Wow! Thanks! This is great!" He took it from Koda and admired it, then stopped and looked at Koda. "Hey, can I ask you something?"
"Yes," Koda nodded with a smile.
"The other day," he began. "I saw you trying to ride a bike. You don't know how, do you?"
Kendall and Riley shared a knowing look as they were told how Koda's first riding lesson with Emma and Chase went.
Koda's smile fell when he heard this; the first thing he felt was embarrassment. "It... a bit scary…for me," he nervously stammered.
"Yeah, I was scared at first, too," Peter admitted. "But don't worry, after you learn, it's easy peasy." Then he got an idea. "Hey, I know! I could teach you."
"Oh, um...I don't…know." Koda looked to Kendall and Riley, hoping they'd tell Peter it wasn't a good idea. But they were just as surprised as him that the young boy would offer.
"Come on. You saved my life and got me this cool new bike; I owe you." Seeing Koda was still hesitant, he added, "I'll protect you, I promise." Peter held up his fist. Koda thought back to his little brother Taku before smiling and returning the fist bump. "Cool." He handed Koda the bike helmet to strap on and started to walk where the park had more space for him to ride, and Kendall and Riley followed them. "So the most important thing is to keep on pedaling. You have to move forward, or else you'll fall over." Koda started pedaling, and Peter gave him a gentle push in the right direction. "That's it."
"Good job, Koda!" Riley called.
"Yes, but be careful!" Kendall cautioned when she saw him swerve a bit.
"I think…I got it!" The Blue Ranger exclaimed as he continued riding around the park.
(~~~~~~~)
After parting ways with the others and leaving their shoes in the cars, Tyler, Chase, Shelby, and Emma made their way down a set of wooden stairs to the white sand beach. The mid-afternoon sun shimmered on the rising tide as it ebbed and flowed. Both girls knew to stay away from the shoreline, but Shelby didn't want Tyler to get suspicious or think she wasn't interested in him, so she was willing to take a few risks.
"Wow, this is pretty nice," Tyler mused, taking in the view as they stepped onto the sand. "Do you guys come here often?"
Emma and Shelby glanced at each other and grinned; of course, they'd been to every beach in the city, including this one, dozens of times, especially when they went for swims through the reefs and around Draco Island.
"Oh, sure," Emma answered. "As much as we can."
"We've always felt at home at the beach," Shelby conferred. She looked at the horizon as they walked and couldn't help but add, 'and in the ocean.'
"That's awesome!" the Red Ranger smiled. "All of us should come here again, ya know, hang out, play volleyball, go swimming. I heard the reefs around Amber Beach are comparable to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia."
"Yeah, they're even better when you're swimming through them," Shelby blurted, then her eyes widened, and she knew she'd said too much.
"But those glass-bottom boat tours are the next best thing," Chase said, redirecting the conversation. "They drive you up and down the coast; it's pretty cool."
"Nice! Speaking of driving," Tyler began. "What's the story with that awesome car of yours, Emma? You rarely see someone our age driving a sweet ride like that."
"Well," she cleared her throat. "She was my dad's car that he bought when he was 16. She was his baby." Emma smiled, adding, "At least until my sister and I came along."
"We loved riding in it when we were little," Shelby spoke. "We were totally the cool kids whenever he took us to school in it."
"I wish all of us were that lucky," Chase joked. "'Cause most of us had to work really hard to be that cool."
"I know, right," Emma grinned. "Anyway, that car meant so much to him that I guess it rubbed off on me. When I was 10, he promised to teach me to drive it when I got my license."
"Wow," Tyler exclaimed. "That must've been awesome!"
She then got solemn, and Chase and Shelby knew what part of the story was coming next. "Actually," Emma sighed, then stopped walking. "He never got to because…my parents died in a plane crash while in Eastern Europe a few years ago." She took a breath and felt a hand gently rub her back, and she could sense Chase standing beside her.
"I'm so sorry," he apologized, his smiling disappearing. He immediately regretted bringing the subject up. "I didn't mean to up to upset you."
"No, it's fine," she assured him. "I've accepted it and keep all the good memories here." She put a hand over her heart and smiled.
"And every time you drive that car," Chase pointed out. "You know they, especially your dad, are with you in spirit."
"Of course, they are," Shelby agreed, trying to lighten the mood. "It's become, like, the ultimate good luck charm because of them!"
Tyler sighed with relief, thankful that Emma took it so well, and appreciated her perspective on how she handled the grief of losing a loved one, something he could relate to.
They resumed walking down the beach, and the subjects of conversation varied between school, friends, and being Rangers. The more the group talked, Tyler and Shelby realized how much they had in common and started talking more with just each other. Sensing this, she motioned for Chase to slow down so her friend could be alone with Tyler. He matched his pace to hers and the gap between the four slowly widened.
"Playing the role of matchmaker, I see," Chase joked, making sure he spoke quiet enough so only she would hear him.
"Me?" Emma asked, pretending to be offended, but couldn't help but smile. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Right," he shook his head, not believing her. "I'm on to you; don't think I'm not."
"Which means you'll help?" she asked hopefully. "Because, come on, can you picture a more perfect couple than them?"
'Actually, I can,' he thought. 'You and me.' But instead of saying that, he put a friendly arm over her shoulder. "Okay, but only because you're my best friend, and I can't say no to you."
"Great," she cheered and smiled brightly. It was then that she realized how close they were. With his arm still around her shoulder, their faces were mere inches apart. 'We're so close; if only I had the courage to kiss him. But he probably wouldn't want that.'
However, he was also thinking the same as he continued looking at her. 'I should just kiss her; she's right there! But I…' His thoughts were interrupted when he noticed they had veered closer to the shoreline. But because her eyes were on him, Emma didn't see the water coming right at them. Without a second thought, his arm went from around her shoulder to her waist, then he scooped her up bridal style just as the water washed over his feet. Emma gasped in shock, and her arms went around his neck at the sudden movement. But after seeing the ocean recede, she understood.
"Oh…my…god," she sighed with relief, her heart raising. "You're a lifesaver, Ace. Thanks."
"No problem," he grinned and walked to where the sand was still dry. "I figured you weren't up for a swim right now." He carefully lowered her to the ground, and they let go of each other. "Especially since tonight's a full moon, I know you three try not to get wet even during the day, just in case."
"That's right; that is tonight," Emma remembered as they started walking again, although she was farther from the water this time on his right side. "You're still coming to stay over, right?"
"Of course," he replied, raising an eyebrow in surprise. "Have I ever missed a full moon since I've known your secret?"
"Well, no, but…I still like to ask, you know, to be sure."
"Someone has to keep you guys from going crazy," Chase teased.
Emma gave him a pretend offended look. "We do not go crazy; the full moon can… influence us to act in ways we normally wouldn't."
"That is the definition of 'crazy,' Em," he told her, then smiled. "But most of the time, it's a good crazy, and I wouldn't have it any other way." He put his arm back around her shoulder again as they continued down the beach.
(~~~~~~~)
Tyler and Shelby knew that the other two had slowed down and were now walking farther behind them, but it didn't bother them. While both were glad to have the opportunity to hang out alone, she knew her best friend did it because Shelby had a crush on Tyler. So the two spent that time talking about everything they could think of. Or, well, almost everything.
"So ever since then," she continued. "Dinosaurs became my life, and I wanted to be a paleontologist more than anything."
"Really?" he questioned, still a little amazed. "And you decided this when you were only eight?"
Shelby nodded and brushed a lock of hair out of her face. "Uh-huh."
"Wow, that's awesome," the brunette teen replied, and he saw her blush a little. "I wish that was the same for me." He looked off into the horizon as the sun made its way toward it and looked lost in thought. "All I've wanted was for my life to be an adventure and…be part of something worthwhile."
She wondered how to respond, smiled, and touched his arm to get his attention. "Well, I'd say you're on your way to that goal…now being a Ranger." He looked at her with a scowl, unsure what she meant, so she elaborated. "This experience is an adventure and…definitely worthwhile. We are saving the world, after all."
As it dawned on him, he smiled again and moved a step toward her, "You're right; I've never really thought about it until…." Once again, he moved closer, looked into her eyes, and went to take hold of her hand. "…right now."
Shelby then noticed the tide just as his hand grasped hers; she gasped and quickly backed away from Tyler. The water stopped mere inches from her feet, then pulled away. 'That was too close,' she sighed.
"What is it?" Tyler asked with concern.
"Oh, i-it's nothing," she stammered, unable to move closer to him because of the wet sand. "The water just…surprised me, that's all. And I'm not…really up for getting wet today." Shelby saw he looked hurt by how abruptly she backed away. 'Oh, yeah. I'm sure he bought that.' "Don't worry," she reassured him. "It's nothing you did."
"That's good," Tyler sighed and walked over to her, taking hold of her hand. This time Shelby didn't pull away. They began moving again, now a little farther away from the water. After a few moments of silence, the red-clad teen spoke again, "So…I was wondering…."
"Yeah?" She looked at him hopefully and saw that he looked a bit nervous. 'Please tell me this is what I think it is.'
He fumbled over his words as they spilled out of him quickly. "I mean…I know we're already hanging out now, but….are you doing anything later today? This isn't a date or anything; 'cause we're just friends. I just thought that…it'd be fun, ya know." Tyler took a deep breath from getting that out all at once. 'Way to play it cool, Tyler.'
Shelby was about to burst on the inside. 'Oh my gosh! He wants to hang out later! Today? Oh, no.' Her heart sank because tonight was a full moon, so as much as she wanted to say yes, she couldn't. "That sounds great, but…I've got plans with Emma…and Kendall. It's a regular thing. I'm sorry…another time?"
He was a little hurt but felt optimistic that he'd have the opportunity to ask her again. 'But will I be brave enough next time?' he asked himself. "Of course," he replied, giving her a smile to show he was sincere. "No problem."
'Thank goodness he's so understanding.' "Great. I look forward to it," she gently squeezed his hand and smiled back at him as they enjoyed what time they had left that day.
NEXT CHAPTER: "Breaking Black"