Dina and Rupert headed to their rooms to get ready. When Dina arrived at the Common Room, however, she learned that Rupert's father had arrived to take him away. Pauleen came rushing over, too panicked to talk straight. Dina managed to calm her down enough to where they could run over to where Rupert and his Father were arguing near the entrance to the building. As they made it over, Dina managed to catch the last bit of conversation.

"I should have never let you come to this tournament." Rupert's father shook his head. "We'll speak of your behavior later, but for right now we need to hurry. The company helicopter is waiting."

Dina and Pauleen stood in front of the door, arms crossed as they glared up at the man. He stared back at them, his gaze cold.

"Are these your 'friends'?" He asked Rupert. "Are they the ones who have filled your head with nonsense?"

"They are my friends and they've brought me more joy in these past few days than you ever have!" Rupert spat bitterly. His father seemed taken aback for a moment.

"Very well," he said. "If fun is what you desire, I will simply remove it from the equation. Rupert, I challenge you and one of your friends to a Fossil Battle! There is no place for fun in Fossil Battles and it's time for you to remember that!" He took a step towards Rupert and raised his arm. Rupert flinched and scrambled back, his face pale. He forced himself to calm down when he realized what was on his father's arm.

"That thing is a Fossil Battle computer developed by FossilDig, Inc." Rupert said to Dina. "A Fighter can use it to control two vivosaur teams at the same time."

[I'll help you,] Dina signed to him. She stood beside him and he smiled at her.

Rupert's father sent out a Ryden, Seismo and Perso. Dina, seeing that two of them were Earth types, kept Mayrah out of the battle, sending out the Tophis, Peak and Fury instead. Peak bit into the Ryden's neck with a critical hit and Fury leaped onto its back, clawing it. Finally, the Tophis curled around its neck, squeezing. The Perso, immediately defeated Fury. The Tophis defeated the Ryden while Peak attacked the Perso. The Perso sent a massive shockwave through the ground, but it had little effect. Peak defeated the Perso with a critical hit and the Tophis bit into the Seismo's leg. The Seismo stomped on Peak. Furious, Peak fought back, biting into it's neck. The Seismo sent a shockwave at the Tophis, defeating it. Peak hit it with a critical hit, ending the battle.

"My simulations assured me of victory!" Rupert's father scowled down at Rupert and Dina.

"Listen to me, Father," Rupert stepped forward. "I want to face Dina in the final. I want to battle without any restrictions. Even if I lose, I'll never regret that I tried." Rupert's father let out a long slow sigh.

"Oh, Rupert, it's time I told you the truth." He turned away from his son. "I wasn't just trying to keep you shackled for the sake of the company. You were always skilled at battling. Even as an infant, the joy on your face when you won a battle was something to behold. I vowed early on that you would never know the bitter sting of defeat. I only wanted you to be happy. But now I see that I may have been wrong."

['May have' is an understatement,] Dina signed furiously. [What kind of child can be happy with no friends-!?]

"Dina, that's enough," Rupert said gently as he placed his hand over hers. "You don't need to get yourself worked up over this."

"I look forward to seeing you battle in the final," Rupert's father said. He turned and walked away. Dina glared after him, furious. Rupert gave her a small nudge. Dina sighed and nodded to him, following him to the Common Room. Dina heard Todd call out a 'good luck' to her. Dina tried to avoid looking at the camera once they entered the room.

"Well, here we are, Dina," Rupert said to her. He was smiling a little. "I would wish you luck, but I do not intend to lose to you today."

[And I don't plan on losing to you,] she signed.

They stepped into the stadium.

Apparently, Dina's much earlier thought of Rupert not using a mono-type team was wrong. He was only using water vivosaurs. Dina decided to go with the good old team of Mayrah, Riptide and Peak.

Mayrah immediately went for Mapo King, sending a flurry of razor sharp scales at him. Rupert, confident that his vivosaur would hang in, decided to skip his turn. That was his fatal error. Mayrah immediately took the Mapo King out. The crowd around them roared in excitement as they realized just how one sided the battle had become. The two remaining Mapo bit into Mayrah, but she and Riptide brought one down to a sliver of its health. Mayrah, knowing her time in the battle was up, took the other Mapo down to low health. She was defeated in the next turn. Peak took down one Mapo while Riptide took out the other.

The Cup was over. Dina was the champion.

Dina and Rupert met back up within the Common Room. Rupert was trying to look serious, but Dina could tell by the look in his eyes that he was far from calm.

"You won, Dina," he said. "It's strange. I had always dreaded the thought of losing, but now that it's here, I feel...I feel serene. Calm. Like I've been...cleansed, somehow. Oh, and the battle was so fun! Did you see how I attacked with everything I had? Woo!" He gave a little happy hop, grinning. Dina giggled silently at the sight.

[You're being a dork on camera, Rupert,] she teased. Rupert's face turned red.

"Ahem! Yes, well, I believe that I am satisfied." He paused for a moment, as if thinking of what to say next. "Dina, I'm glad it was you on the final stage. I really am. It was a privilege and an honor to meet a fellow Fighter such as you. I'm proud to call you my rival, my friend...You're the reason I've kept on fighting lately. You mean everything to me." He held out his hand. Dina reached out as well, smiling. However, instead of a handshake, Rupert pulled her close and pressed his lips to hers. Dina froze, startled. Luckily for Rupert, Mayrah was still too exhausted to reform, but she was pitching quite a fit in Dina's mind. Dina thought back to what Rupert had said about a 'plan' and realized this must have been it.

Under normal circumstances, Dina would have shoved him away or at least done nothing at all and wait for it to be over, but she was still bitter and spiteful towards Rupert's dad so she decided to play along. She leaned into the kiss, placing her hands on Rupert's shoulders. She could hear the screams of everyone all around the Fossil Park as they watched the scene live on the news. The kiss didn't last very long in reality, but for Dina it seemed to last forever. When they parted, the two were completely red-faced.

"Well don't that just beat it all!?" Rupert yelped and he and Dina scrambled back as Joe seemed to appear out of nowhere beside them. Joe laughed and continued, "Who woulda thunk this Cup would end with a new hero ridin' in to save the day? And to think them BB Brigade fellers almost blew the whole thing! But Dina here took a stand against them varmints and ended up savin' the Cup and the park! Yer passion for battlin' and yer strong heart have allowed ya to claim the crown. Ain't no two ways about it, Dina! You've grown into a great Fighter and a champion. And so, like I promised, I'm gonna make ya the owner of this here Caliosteo Fossil Park! To all them Fighters who gave their best in the competition...to all them fans who whooped and hollered till their throats were sore...to the loyal cowhands who worked day and night to make everything run smooth...with a hearty thanks to ya'll, I declare the Caliosteo Cup over! Congratulations, Dina. Ya truly are the chosen one."

Something about Joe's speech send a wave of dread through her. The camera people left and Rupert stood there very awkwardly.

"I'm sorry!" He blurted out. "I'm so, so, so very sorry! I know that was the most impulsive and stupid thing to do, but-" he stopped as Dina hugged him.

[It's fine,] she signed as she backed up a little so he could see what she was saying. [A little more warning next time would be nice, though.] Rupert blinked, trying to figure out if he had understood her right.

"N-next time?" He squeaked. She smiled and shook her head, gently shoving him through the doors.

[Go say 'hi' to Todd and Pauleen for me!] she signed to him.

"Hey, wait!" Rupert protested as the doors closed. "What do you mean by 'next time'!? Dina!" Joe let out a laugh from behind her.

"Ah, young love." He grinned. "You two have a bright future together." Dina's face turned red yet again.

[I don't know about that,] she signed quickly. [I mean, Rupert and I are only fourteen and he really only did that for the camera like when we first met. I don't think he really meant anything by it.]

"If ya say so." Joe shrugged. "Oh, say there, pard. There's somethin' I'd like to talk to ya about. You mind ridin' by the suite sometime soon?" Dina smiled and watched as he walked away.

"DINA HOLY SHIT!" Pauleen burst into the Common Room with Todd. "Rupert kissed you!" Todd was silent and staring down at his shoes.

[Relax, Pauleen.] Dina tried to calm her friend. [Rupert only did that for the camera, we're not actually dating. He wanted to prove something to his dad.] Pauleen seemed disappointed with this explanation.

"You did it, Dina!" Todd suddenly said. "You're the champion! It's wicked! It's awesome! It's wicked awesome! Aw, man. I can't believe you were my Round 1 opponent! But, hey...since you beat me there, and you ended up winning...that means I would have come in second! Ooooh! It's so aggravating!"

"Calm down there, hulk," Pauleen laughed. "Dina, your battle was amazing, digadig! My palms are all sweaty and sore from clapping so hard. But why are we just standing here, diga? There's a whole bunch of people waiting to see you outside! Talking to your fans is part of a champion's job, diga. You know that."

[Yeah, I know.] Dina shrugged. [But they can wait a little longer. Joe wants to talk to me right away.]

"Maybe he remembers saving both of us two years ago!" Todd gasped. "In that case, I'll go with you!"

~...~

The two headed up to the suite. As walked out of the elevator, Joe turned to them.

"I'm glad you came, Dina," he said. "Oh. You brought Todd. Well, this doesn't exactly concern him, but...fine. He's here. How very nice for us all." Dina frowned and took a step back.

[Joe, are you alright?] she asked.

"Oh, I'm fine, Dina," Joe answered. "Let me give you a little history lesson, Dina. I want to talk about a king. A great man who once ruled over all the Caliosteo Islands."

[King Zongazonga,] Dina guessed, her frown deepening. [You're not Joe! What did you do to him!?]

"Well it's easy," Zongazonga laughed. "I stole his body when he opened my tomb like the fool he was. You're correct, Dina. I am not Joe. I am King Zongazonga! But this body is old. And smelly. And living in it forces me to fake that ridiculous accent! I need a body that's strong and full of life if I want to regain the full measure of my powers. And that is why I held the Caliosteo Cup. Long ago, I used this tournament to select the Majestic Vessel. And now I have done so once more! You should rejoice, Dina! You will become the new body for the great Zongazonga! With you as my vessel, I will have no trouble regaining all of my former powers...and I will use those powers to rule the world! And when your body withers with age, I will simply choose another. And another...and another! I am eternal! I am immortal! I WILL NEVER DIE!"

Todd and Dina rushed to the elevator, but it had been shut down. They were trapped. The wall suddenly burst behind them and a familiar scene played before them. Dina grabbed Todd's hand and raced over, leaping and grabbing onto the B-Ptera as it flew by. Exhaustion took over, and the two teenagers fell asleep as the vivosaur flew around the islands.

"...Are ya'll awake?" Dina and Todd awoke in a very familiar looking area. A skull with a crown bounced over to them.

"That skull's talking!" Todd shrieked. "And bouncing! W-wait! I know you! You're Don Boneyard! But wait! Maybe you're actually the skull of King Zongazonga…! Ok, who are you?"

[Hi, Joe,] Dina greeted. Todd stared at her.

"Are you crazy, Dina?" He questioned. "You think this skull is actually Joe Wildwest!?"

"I'm afraid Dina's right there, small fry," the skull sighed. "I really am Joe Wildwest. I reckon I know how crazy it sounds, but I need ya'll to believe me. Especially you, Todd."

"How do you know my name?" Todd asked.

"Cause ya told it to me," Joe answered. "Remember? Two years ago after we battled that angry Allosaurus?"

"Two years ago? The Allosaurus? Only Joe could know about that!" Todd grinned.

And Rupert and Pauleen and anyone else you told, Peak snorted.

Hush, Mayrah scolded.

"I used to dream 'bout a place where Fighters could dig up fossil rocks and battle to their heart's content," Joe said. "That's why I built this here Caliosteo Fossil Park. But just before the doors opened, I stumbled onto the Stone Pyramid and decided to take a peek inside. That's when I found me a big stone chest, and...well I reckon ya'll know the rest. The skull of that Zongazonga feller flew up and took over my body! And here I am. Rollin' around like a tumbleweed on the plains. But my body's got a few miles on it, so Zongazonga started lookin' for a new Majestic Vessel. He organized the Caliosteo Cup and summoned Fighters from across the world. I knew I had to stop it, so I disguised m'self as Don Boneyard and formed the BareBones Brigade. But flyin' skulls warn't the only thing I found at the Stone Pyramid. I also tracked down some Boneysaurs. I took as many as I could find and gave 'em to the BB Brigade. And after that, we did everything we could to disrupt the Cup…'Course you didn't make it easy there, pardners. Every time we got close, ya'll pushed us back again."

[I'm sorry-]

"Aw, heck, don't go apologizin' now!" Joe interrupted Dina. "Ya'll were just doin' what ya thought was right. But I gotta admit, ya'll have surprised me at every turn. I never reckoned I get beat by the small fry I rescued two years ago! Well, I wish we had time to sit around and jaw, but we don't. Ol' Zongazonga went to a lot'a trouble to hold that Cup, and he's gonna want Dina's body. He ain't gonna give up until he has it, so ya'll need to vamoose from these islands right now."

"Joe's, right, Dina!" Todd agreed. "We need to get out of here!"

[We can't just leave!] Dina protested. [We have to stop Zongazonga or else he'll just keep stealing bodies! Plus, Joe can't stay a skull forever. We need to get his body back for him. It's the least we can do after we stopped him from stopping Zongazonga."

"I appreciate ya sayin' that, Dina," Joe said. "But I'd feel terrible if something happened to ya. Don't be a hero. Run while ya still can."

"I don't want to sound like a chicken or anything, Dina." Todd took a deep breath. "HE'S A FLYING SKULL THAT CAN STEAL YOUR BODY! Let's just leave. Ok? Let's leave together"

[No.] Dina stared defiantly at him.

"Damn it, Dina!" Todd cursed. "I'm worried about you! Don't you understand…!? Fine then! Get your skull stolen…! See if I care!" Todd ran out of the room, leaving Dina and Joe behind.

"This is some triangle ya got yerself into, small fry," Joe said. Dina gave him a confused look, but he didn't give any explanation. "Ya sure about this, pard? Yer riskin' an awful lot to help little ol' me."

[I'm very sure,] Dina answered.

"I owe ya more than you'll ever know." Joe would have smiled if he had lips. "But I gotta tell ya, I don't have the first idea 'bout how to beat this Zongazonga feller. I know them ancient folks managed to seal him up somehow, but I don't know how they did it. Aw, horse apples! Wish we had someone around that knew the history of these here islands…"

[We do!] Dina smiled. [Professor Scatterly! He knows all about Zongazonga. He might know something!] Joe hopped into her pocket and she teleported back to Cranial City.

She rushed to the museum and explained the situation to Professor Scatterly. Unfortunately, he thought it was one big joke. At least, until Joe hopped out of Dina's pocket.

"Good gravy!" Professor Scatterly gasped. "A skull that moves and talks! Well, this is simply fascinating. With this proof in front of me, it seems I've little choice but to believe your tale. Although, if Zongazonga really has come back, I'm afraid it leaves us in a bit of a fix. Yes, quite. If he were to seize your body and reclaim his true powers...I say, it would be a right terrible thing for this world!"

"Look, Professor," Joe said. "We need to know how ol' Zongazonga was defeated the first time."

"How was he defeated? Oh my. Oh dear me." The professor seemed distressed. "I'm afraid I don't know. Hold a moment! Yes, if I were to investigate there…" Their attention was stolen away by the sound of shouting outside. They headed out to see what was going on, only to find that the Mammoth Vision screen was floating above everyone. Zongazonga appeared on the screen.

"Hello there, everyone," he greeted. "It's me. Joe Wildwest. I'm afraid I have some sad news about our champion, Dina. I've learned that our champion is actually a member of the hated BareBones Brigade. Yes, it seems that Dina has been running with them since the beginning. Also, Dina has been rigging matches to be assured of victory. Our so called champion is nothing but a fraud! This cheater is hiding out somewhere with all the other BB Brigade cronies. Hear me well! I want Dina captured and brought to me!" Dina stood frozen in horror, her eyes wide. Just as they were about to escape, Rupert and Pauleen rushed out of the Fighter Station. Rupert' eyes were dark and his lips pressed tightly together in a worried frown. Pauleen looked equally as worried, her face pale and her hands unable to stop fidgeting.

"It's alright, digadig," Pauleen said. "We're on Dina's side." Rupert nodded and walked over to stand beside Dina.

"We battled you in the Cup, and we know you won by fair means," he agreed. "And that you would never join the BareBones Brigade. I've no idea why Joe's spreading this awful rumors, but we will assist you in any way we can." Dina's eyes brimmed with tears as she smiled up at Rupert and then hugged him. Rupert carefully wrapped his wings around her, holding her close.

"That's real touchin', you two," Joe hopped out of Dina's pocket. "But we can't be wastin' time out here like this. We gotta gallop back to the BB Brigade Base, and fast."

"It's D-Don Boneyard!" Pauleen scrambled back. "What's he diga-doing here!?"

"I'll fill ya in on the details later, kid," Joe said. "Right now, we gotta hurry! If they track down Dina, the world's in a heap'a trouble!" Rupert frowned and looked between the skull and Dina, fear sparking in his eyes as he considered the idea of the rumors being true. He pushed them back, reminding himself that this was Dina and not some person he had just met. If she was working with Don Boneyard, there had to be a good reason.

"I can't say I know what's going on," he said. "But I trust your judgement, Dina. Come, Pauleen, we should go with them." Pauleen nodded. Joe jumped back into Dina's pockets as Stella, Terry and Kent approached.

"You've disappointed me," she said. "I trusted you, you know?"

"Who knew the champ was actually a member of the BB Brigade?" Terra shook his head and frowned. "It's sad, really."

"Come on, little dude," Kent said gently as he stepped forward, forcing a small smile. "Just come with us and nobody has to get gnarly. You know we don't want to hurt you." Rupert let out a deep growl, startling the staff members and making them take a few steps back. They eyed the dinaurian uneasily before they decided that they could handle the situation.

Before they could take one more step, however, Todd came zooming in to stand in front of his friends.

"Run, you guys!" Todd called over his shoulder. "Run now! I'll take care of these guys! Hey, Dina…? Remember when I said I wanted to run because I was worried about you? Well, it's not entirely true. Yeah, I was really worried, but I know you can protect yourself. I actually wanted to run because...I was afraid. I've run from a lot of things, you know? I'd just hang back and let you do all the hard stuff. You were always so brave, Dina! You took on everything, no matter how scary it was! And then Pauleen took off her mask and Rupert stood up to his father, and...and I realized I was a coward. It...made me ashamed. But I'm done running! No more fake stomachaches for me! You're my best friend, Dina, and I'm going to save you! Go already!" He tossed ot his Stego. Dine tried to hurry to his side, but Rupert held him back.

"Todd can do this," he said. "We have to believe in him." Dina glanced back at Todd before she turned and ran with the others looking over her shoulder and wondering if they were going to make it out alive this time.