It's finally here!
It's been a slow start, but I'm making my way through Dino Fury at last.
I hope you enjoy the first chapter, which has some unexpected twists and turns!
Chapter 1: Destination Dinohenge
Ryne slept so deeply, an earthquake could have gone off and she still wouldn't have woken.
As someone very much unsuited to mornings, Ryne slept even as the other residents of the home she was in moved about, getting ready for the day as the sun rose over Pine Ridge. The young woman, only just having turned 18 a week prior, was buried in the blankets, with only strands of her long black hair visible.
Even the knock on the door didn't wake Ryne, nor did the second or third knocks. Finally the door opened, and a young man peeked in. When he saw the lump in the bed, he sighed, shaking his head and walking in. He moved around the boxes that hadn't been unpacked in the spare room where Ryne was sleeping, and approached her.
"Ryne…" apprehensively, he poked her, unsure of how she'd react to being woken. "Come on, you told mum you'd help out this morning," the dark-haired young man spoke quietly, carefully shaking her. He finally heard a groan in response, and Ryne moved, eyes still closed as the blanket fell from her face.
"Five more minutes, I swear I won't be late for training," she mumbled, the words barely legible.
"You're not training, you're-whoa!" the young man gasped when Ryne suddenly grabbed his wrist and pulled him. Stumbling, he fell onto the bed, rolling quickly so he wasn't on top of her. "Ryne!" he protested as she rolled over, still asleep as she curled into his side and trapping his arm under her.
"When you said that you would wake our guest, this isn't what I had in mind," he looked up quickly at the amused voice, and saw his mother in the doorway, looking thoroughly entertained as she brushed her long black hair.
"I wasn't, I swear, I-"
"I don't want to know," she shook her head, turning and walking away. As she did, Ryne gave a quiet moan, and opened her eyes. When she did, she blinked rapidly as she looked at the very red young man beside her.
"Ollie...what are you doing?" she asked, yawning widely. He sighed heavily, too embarrassed to even try explaining it to her. When he didn't respond, Ryne yawned again, her eyes closing.
"No, no way. Wake up," Ollie reacted quickly, stopping her from burying into his side. Ryne groaned, her dark eyes opening as she gave him a disgruntled look. "Don't look at me like that, you were the one who agreed to this. I told you not to stay up late," he told her, unapologetic as he managed to pull free of her grasp and get back to his feet, fixing his shirt.
"I wouldn't have agreed if I'd known you won't let me sleep," Ryne grumbled, but rolled over so she could slide out of the bed. He just shook his head, knowing full well just how much Ryne struggled with mornings.
"I have to leave soon to get some stuff, but I'll meet you and mum there, okay?" Ollie asked, already turning and going back to the door to give her some privacy.
"Sounds good," Ryne nodded. "Oh, Ollie?" she called him back as he made to leave, still embarrassed by what had happened. He turned back, and she smiled, walking over to him and reaching up to kiss his cheek. "I'll see you later," she told him, watching his face flush red again.
"Ye-yeah," Ollie nodded, still flustered by any open affection from her, despite them having been dating for a few months by this point. "See you later," he said, quickly rushing off as Ryne bit her lip to hide her smile, her own blush warming her cheeks.
A few months had passed since Evox's defeat, and Ryne had stepped down as the Pink Ranger in the Beast Morphers team, allowing her cousin Asher to take her place. The sudden lack of responsibilities had left Ryne with an overabundance of time, and she had returned to Briarwood at first, until a few days prior when Ollie and his mother had moved to Pine Ridge, and she'd been invited to stay with them for a little while. She'd accepted immediately, happy to get to spend time with Ollie, and she liked his mum as well, so was always ready to help her out with her work.
Hurrying down the stairs as she pulled on her old black denim jacket, Ryne blushed as she saw Dr. Akana waiting patiently, reading over her work.
"Sorry for taking so long," she apologised, but the woman waved a hand.
"Don't worry about it, it's nice to have some time to relax. Maybe you'll convince Ollie to slow down," she considered, and Ryne smiled with embarrassment.
"Y-yeah," she nodded, as despite her earlier actions, she was still shy about her relationship.
"Once you have breakfast, we'll go," Dr. Akana told her, gesturing to the food sitting waiting for Ryne. The young woman sat down, starting to eat, and Dr. Akana watched her for a moment before returning to her work.
The woods of Pine Ridge were thick, reminding Ryne of the forests in Briarwood. They comforted her, and she looked out the window at the seemingly endless rows of trees, unable to deny that she was excited to see their destination.
"Do you know much about Dinohenge?" Dr. Akana asked as they drove up the road on her map.
"A little," Ryne admitted. "I know it's an ancient landmark and it's super important to the people who live here, but there's no records of where they came from or who even made them," she said, having read a little about the monument after Ollie had told her about it.
"Well, let's see if we can't get to the bottom of that," the woman beside her smiled, and Ryne glanced at her. Her eyes were lit up with excitement, and Ryne couldn't help but compare her to Nate, the young genius and Gold Ranger of the Beast Morphers team. Her own smile softened a little at the thought. She missed her old team, and wondered just how they were getting on.
Pulling up as close to the area as they could, the two climbed from the car. After checking the map, Dr. Akana led Ryne along, and the two couldn't help but gasp as they came across Dinohenge.
"Whoa," Ryne breathed, approaching them as if they pulled her along, and she looked up at the stone statues that loomed over her. Ryne was already small in stature, but these made her look downright miniscule. Each statue was of a different dinosaur, in such detail that they looked like they'd been made from dinosaurs themselves.
"This is incredible," Dr. Akana laughed, standing in the middle and looking around at the eight statues. "I mean, wow," she breathed, walking over to the T-Rex statue and putting a hand on it.
"Wow is right," Ryne agreed, staring up at the
"Come on, let's get set up," if Ryne had thought Dr. Akana was excited before, she was ecstatic now. Ryne nodded, helping to set up the trolley that had seen better days, along with the computers and drone that she'd designed. When they'd first met, Ryne had helped fix one of her older laptops, and Dr. Akana had taken a shine to her immediately because of it. "Can you get the cables from the car? They should be in the box on the back seat," she asked, and Ryne nodded.
"Sure," she jogged back over to the car, but as she did, a shiver ran down her spine and she turned quickly, raising a hand. Immediately Ryne frowned, not seeing anything or anyone around. "This feeling…" she murmured, finding it oddly familiar. However, as she took a step in the direction the sensation was coming from, Ryne heard voices nearby.
"Where did they come from?" she recognised Ollie's voice, and turned around again, shaking her head and dismissing the feeling.
"Nobody knows," Ryne's head lifted when she heard an unfamiliar voice, speaking in a spooky tone. She retrieved the cables from the car, walking back over.
"Amazing, aren't they?" Dr. Akana smiled as Ollie leaned his bike against the Stego statue. "They're carvings of dinosaurs. Could be millions of years old," she guessed.
"Who could possibly have been around to make them?" Ollie asked as he walked backwards, looking at the statues.
"Isn't that what we're here to figure out?" Ryne asked as she walked over, handing over the cables to Dr. Akana. He pulled a face at her, and she stuck her tongue out in response.
"I'm Dr. Akana," while they were being childish, Ollie's mother walked over to the young woman who'd arrived with Ollie.
"I'm Amelia," she introduced herself, shaking the woman's hand.
"What is that?" Ryne asked, spotting the pink device on Amelia's back. "Wait, sorry, manners first, tech after. I'm Ryne," she introduced herself to the brunette, whose hair had been split into two braids.
"Hi," Amelia laughed, shaking her hand. "I'm doing a story on Dinohenge for Buzzblast," she explained. Ryne tilted her head, having heard of the internet media agency, who had released several videos and articles about the Beast Morphers Rangers, both before and after Ryne's departure from the team.
"Fantastic to meet you," Dr. Akana smiled warmly at her. "Already making friends, I see. I like her," she said to Ollie, who looked less than impressed.
"Yeah...cause she didn't shoot you with an electrified net," he said, and his mother looked confused while Amelia's eyes widened.
"Net?" Ryne repeated, and Amelia jumped as she realised the young woman was suddenly behind her, studying the device on her back curiously. She turned quickly, taking in the girl who seemed a little younger than her. Her black hair was messy, falling out of a hastily made ponytail, and wore a pink loose top under her denim jacket, and a pair of shorts with what looked like steampunk goggles hanging from them.
"Oh, it's nothing!" she laughed nervously. "So, what exactly are you working on here?" Amelia quickly turned back to Dr. Akana, trying to change the subject.
"Oh, we're gonna try and solve the mystery of Dinohenge with the help of my scanning system," she explained.
"Electrified nets?" Ryne whispered to Ollie as he stood beside her, fishing through his bag to retrieve what he'd had to collect that morning. He whispered to her, explaining that she'd knocked him off his bike with the device she carried. Ryne couldn't help but laugh, and he pushed her lightly, rolling his eyes.
"Wow, that's some cool tech," Amelia commented as she walked around to take a look at their work. "So the scanner's mounted on the drone?" she asked, looking at the drone set up nearby.
"That's right. It's sensors can detect buried structures," Dr. Akana explained. "Ryne was a big help with that," she added, smiling at Ryne.
"You did all the coding, I just helped build it," she shook her head, going red.
"Ryne doesn't know how to accept praise," Ollie tweaked her ear, and Ryne grabbed his hand, pulling it away from her ear. She stuck her tongue out at him in response. They moved away from the computer as Dr. Akana started up the drone, and they watched as it started to scan the statues. However, as the scan passed each statue, the eyes on each statue flashed with a different coloured light, and a shiver ran down Ryne's spine.
"Did you see that?" Ollie asked, having noticed the eyes flashing.
"The dinosaurs' eyes," Amelia murmured. Ryne blinked rapidly, before grabbing the goggles by her side and pulling them over her eyes.
"Black...gold...green...blue...purple...red...pink…silver…white," Ryne listed the colour of each statue, as not only were the eyes now lit up with a different colour, but the entire statue was flickering with the same colour that matched the eyes. "The statues, it's like they've woken up," she commented.
"Woken up?" Ollie repeated, not understanding what she meant.
"How intriguing," Dr. Akana murmured, before the ground started to rumble. They all swayed, barely staying on their feet.
"Is that an earthquake?" Amelia gasped, and after a moment, the ground stopped shaking, allowing them to straighten up.
"Perfect time for an earthquake," Ryne considered as she pulled her goggles off, rubbing her eyes. The lights had faded entirely, as if they had never been there.
"What did you see?" Ollie asked Ryne, taking her goggles and peering through them. The lenses were tinted, but he didn't see anything different. Ryne smiled faintly, taking them back from him.
"They won't help you," she warned, returning them to her side. "The statues were lit up, not just the eyes. And the colours…" Ryne trailed off thoughtfully.
"The statues were lit up?" Amelia repeated, confused, as the drone landed safely. She'd only seen the eyes glowing. However, before Ryne could think of a way to explain it, Dr. Akana spoke up instead.
"Very unusual," she murmured, distracting them, and the three hurried over to see what she had found. "Look at that. Below the Dinohenge statues, there's some sort of...chamber," Dr. Akana realised with a grin.
"Underground? Right here?" Amelia asked, looking down at the ground as if trying to see something. "No way," she breathed.
"Whatever it is, it's huge," Ryne considered as she leaned closer to study the pattern that the drone had picked up.
"What's going on here folks?" They looked around to see a man approaching them, wearing a beige uniform and hat. Amelia groaned.
"Great, it's Warden Buzzkill," she muttered, watching the man irritably.
"Good afternoon, Warden Buzzkill," Dr. Akana greeted him with a bright smile. "I'm Dr. Lani Akana, from the Global Association of Archeology," she introduced herself, holding out her hand and producing a card.
"It's Park Warden Garcia, actually," the man answered flatly, and Dr. Akana went red as Ryne put her hand to her mouth to stifle her giggles. Ollie nudged her, shooting her a warning look. "And you don't have permission to be out here," Warden Garcia told them.
"But Warden, I'm doing a story on Dinoh-"
"Save it, Miss Jones," he cut her off, voice cold as he glowered at her. "I don't care if you're a reporter, or the Queen of England. You're trespassing. So, pack up," he told them. "Oh, and I'll need you to come back to the Parks HQ and file a report," he told Dr. Akana.
"Happy to comply," she smiled back, managing to keep her friendly demeanour despite his bad attitude.
"It's this way," he gestured, and after another glare at Amelia, he walked away.
"Load everything into the car and meet me in town," Dr. Akana told Ollie, handing him her toolbelt. "We've got all the data we need for now," she murmured, quiet enough for the Park Warden to miss.
"Okay mum," he nodded, starting to pack up as she followed Warden Garcia away.
"He seems delightful," Ryne drawled as she started to put away the machines they'd only just set up. Her attention lingered on the scan results, wondering just what it was.
"Delightful isn't the word I'd use for him," Amelia told her, helping them start to pack up.
"So, you ticked off the Warden once, huh?" Ollie asked, looking amused.
"Once...twice...17 times," Amelia admitted, a little embarrassed. "He's not a fan of ghost hunters," she shrugged. It took a moment for what she said to sink in.
"Ghost hunters?" Ollie repeated.
"Uh oh," Ryne murmured, closing over the computers.
"You shot that net at me because you thought I was a ghost?" Ollie realised, wheeling his bike towards where the car was parked.
"Well...it was hard to see, and your poncho, and...okay maybe I did," Amelia allowed, going red. "But come on, your mum's an archeologist! You've been in tombs, crypts, catacombs, you must have seen ghosts," she argued.
"Never," Ollie replied flatly.
"Never?" Amelia stared at him.
"Trust me, you're not gonna get anywhere with him when it comes to things he's never seen," Ryne spoke up as she helped Ollie carry a crate away from Dinohenge. "It was already hard enough to convince him that Fae exist," she said simply, and Ollie rolled his eyes.
"Okay, I accepted that Faeries are real. But ghosts don't exist," he said firmly. Ryne met Amelia's gaze, and shrugged, looking entertained.
"You'll believe in Faeries, but not ghosts?" she asked, sceptical.
"I've met a Fae. Have you ever found proof of ghosts?" Ollie challenged the young woman.
"Proof is hard to come by. Ghosts just don't line up for selfies. But why should I explain myself?" Amelia shrugged. "You're obviously closed-minded," she said simply, and Ollie straightened up.
"This is hilarious," Ryne decided. She shook her head, lifting one of the crates to carry it back to the car. As she did, a shiver ran down her spine again and she slowed, looking out into the trees.
"Closed-minded?" Ollie repeated. "Try rational. Rational people do not believe in things without evidence," he bit, offended by her words.
"I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree," Amelia smirked, knowing that she'd hit a nerve.
"Strongly disagree," Ollie growled, before turning away. Seeing Ryne standing still, staring out into the trees, he frowned and walked over to her. "You okay?" he asked, putting a hand on her shoulder. To his surprise, Ryne jumped at his touch. He'd never managed to startle her, and he'd wondered on more than one occasion if it was even possible to sneak up on her. Ryne looked up at him, looking confused.
"I can feel something. I don't know what, but there's something out there," she said quietly, and his eyebrow rose.
"Something? Like what?" he asked, looking in the direction she'd been staring in. He couldn't see anything.
"It's almost like...oh, could it be?" Ryne wondered, but as she took a step in that direction, there was a crack of thunder that made them jump and whirl around. Seeing a figure in purple and silver armour suddenly standing in the middle of the statues, the three ducked behind one of them, peeking out. The figure held up a device that beeped loudly, and as he started to walk around, the beeps grew louder.
'Energy source detected,' a voice on the small machine the figure was holding declared.
"Under those old statues? Interesting," the figure spoke in a deep, gravelly voice. He then lifted a sword from his side and raised it, and with a yell he swung down. Pale purple energy flowed through the sword, and there was a loud crashing sound as dust kicked up around him.
"What is he doing?" Ryne wondered, peering out, but Ollie grabbed her and pulled her back, avoiding being seen.
'Energy source locked on,' the device announced as the dust settled, and they watched the stranger walking down a hole he'd created. When he'd vanished, Amelia emerged from their hiding place, walking towards it.
"Where are you going?" Ollie hissed, and when Ryne pulled out of his grasp to follow Amelia, he groaned and followed.
"To check it out," Amelia whispered back. "You're not afraid, are you?" she challenged.
"Of course not," Ollie retorted, but his tone said otherwise. "Been in plenty of tombs, chambers, all sorts," he muttered.
"Probably not normally when some weirdo in armour shows up and blasts a hole in the ground," Ryne considered, reaching out and taking his hand as they approached. She was wary, all too aware that without her Ranger powers, she wasn't as strong, and she definitely wasn't as well defended.
"Okay, expert," Amelia took a deep breath. "Let's go," she stepped into the hole, and the two followed, being careful not to slip as the dirt rained down, showering them as they reached a hard stone floor.
"Whoa," Ryne couldn't stop herself as they saw a doorway underground, leading into a large chamber that was in semi-darkness.
"Look at this place," Ollie whispered as they looked around. "Mum will flip," he commented as they examined the strange statues that were standing around. Amelia blew some dust from one, admiring it with excitement.
"Wait till my boss sees my Dinohenge story," she grinned.
"This place is incredible. What is all this stuff?" Ryne wondered, before a door banged. They ducked behind cover again, watching the stranger storm around, searching for something.
"Where's that energy source?!" he demanded as he searched impatiently, checking everything that was lying around. "It must be mine," he growled to himself, and Ryne bit her lip, finding his behaviour worrying. As he walked by a door, it slid open to reveal a strange creature, who gasped. "What's this?" the stranger demanded.
"Oh, oh no!" the creature gasped, running to a console. "Come on Zayto, I need you!" she exclaimed, before crying out as she was blasted off her feet. Her eyes widening, Ryne rushed towards where the two were speaking.
"Ryne!" Ollie groaned, following her quickly and grabbing her, pulling her behind cover again.
"Tell me, old lizard. The energy source. Where is it hidden?" the man in armour demanded.
"Firstly, I'm a dinosaur, not a lizard," the creature corrected. "And secondly, old? Ouch!" she exclaimed.
"Do not play games with me," the man snarled at her. "I am Void Knight, and you're no match for my power," he warned her.
"I'm not," she allowed. "But he is!" she suddenly darted forwards and hit a button, and the chamber that she was standing beside lit up and opened, revealing a Red Power Ranger. Ryne's jaw dropped as she saw, as she suddenly found the whole thing very familiar.
"A Power Ranger?" Void Knight took a step back in alarm. However, when the figure didn't move, Void Knight growled. "Nice try!" the creature darted back as his sword slammed against the console. "Now tell me, where's the energy source?" he demanded.
"Amelia," Ryne whispered suddenly, earning her attention. "How good are you at keeping a secret?" she asked, confusing her.
"Um...pretty good, I guess?" she replied quietly, not understanding why Ryne was asking such a question.
"Great," Ryne slipped out and raised her hand as it started to glow blue. "Hey!" she shouted, and Void Knight whirled around just in time for her to throw the energy. It hit him in the chest, and he roared as he fell backwards, hitting the wall. Amelia's eyes widened, and Ollie sighed.
"What?" the dinosaur gasped as Ryne stood in the doorway. Ryne finally got a good look at the creature, who stood on two legs and was covered in scales. Her eyes were glowing light blue, and she stared at Ryne.
"I really don't like creeps like you. So how about you play nice?" Ryne challenged, letting her hand light up with energy again.
"Stay out of my way!" Void Knight pushed himself up and rushed at Ryne, blocking her follow-up attack with his sword. Her eyes widened as he moved faster than she expected. He lashed out at her, only for another sword to block his blade, allowing Ryne to stumble backwards before he could hit her.
"Leave her alone!" Ollie shouted, swinging the sword he'd found on the wall and forcing Void Knight backwards.
"Ollie!" Ryne cried out as Void Knight growled, pointing his sword at the young man who'd interfered. However, before he could move, a net suddenly hit him, tangling around the furious Knight.
"This might come as a shock, but no-one likes a bully," Amelia told him, activating the net. Void Knight shrieked as he was electrocuted, and Ryne grabbed Ollie's hand, pulling him over to stand with Amelia.
"That thing is awesome," Ryne told her.
"Yeah, when you're not in it," Ollie muttered.
"You'll pay for this," Void Knight thrashed on the ground.
"That won't hold him long," the dinosaur creature hurried over. "Put this key in the sabre, and then the Hengemen will fight for you," she pulled a key from her pocket. However, as she threw it to the three, Void Knight managed to slip free from the net and caught it.
"Wrong. They're going to fight for me!" Void Knight declared as he got back to his feet and lifted his sword.
"Uh oh," the creature gulped as Void Knight jammed the key into the base of his sword.
"A new toy...it's perfect," he declared to himself, raising his sword. A pulse of energy burst from the tip of his sword, hitting the statues around the room. They all flashed with purple lights, starting to move.
"Bad vibes," Amelia gulped.
"Hengemen, show me what you've got!" Void Knight ordered.
"So...Pine Ridge has been great, but I don't think it's for me," Ollie decided as the three stood back-to-back. The Hengemen approached slowly. "Any ideas?" he asked the two.
"I have one...but how good are you guys at fighting?" Ryne asked, warily watching the Hengemen approaching with pikes.
"Not as good as you," Ollie told her, and she shot him a droll stare.
"Uh, I've done three years of karate," Amelia said as she lowered her net gun, which was useless now.
"Me too. And six years of fencing," Ollie added.
"Great. Get ready," Ryne said, both hands lighting up with blue energy.
"For what?!" Ollie demanded, before the weapons pointed at them suddenly lit up with blue energy as well. Ryne gave a yell, pulling her hands down, and all three dropped down to avoid the spears that were yanked out of the grasp of the Hengemen. Ryne stayed down, winded from such a large use of her powers.
"What?!" Void Knight snarled as the weapons then dropped to the ground.
"Move!" Amelia shoved Ollie and grabbed Ryne to pull her away from the footsoldiers that lashed out at them.
"Whoa, thank you," Ryne pushed herself back to her feet, and the three scattered, trying to avoid the Hengemen. Grabbing a sword from the wall, Ryne cut through one of the Hengemen and kicked another back. "I really don't like how similar this is," she muttered to herself, before looking around as Amelia grabbed a Hengemen lunging for her. "Thanks," Ryne smiled at the girl, before swinging up and catching another that got too close.
"You're pretty good with that thing," Amelia commented as she grabbed one of the sabres as well. "Did you do fencing as well?" she asked.
"Eh...in a way," Ryne shrugged, before the two were rammed and thrown to the ground beside Ollie.
"Well, this was fun," Amelia commented as they got back up.
"Was it?" Ollie demanded.
"Your definition of fun needs some work," Ryne told her, before the swords they were holding started to glow. Ryne couldn't stop the bubble of hysterical laughter. "Oh no," she murmured.
"Uh...are your sabres kinda...glowy?" Amelia asked, staring at her bright pink blade.
"Yeah...what's with that?" Ollie wondered as he looked at the blue of his sword.
"I think I know," Ryne spoke softly, holding out her other arm. The purple light of her sabre spread through her body, and a small device appeared on her wrist. "Yup, knew it," she muttered.
"They have Morphers!" the dinosaur creature exclaimed as she rushed over. "I haven't seen that since…" she quickly rooted in the pockets of her leather coat. "Here, have these!" she threw out keys to the three, who easily caught them. When they inserted them into the devices on their wrists, a pale blue and white haze appeared over their heads, almost like clouds.
"What's happening?" Ollie asked.
"Here we go," Ryne closed her eyes, and the lights shot down, hitting all three of them and causing them to Morph into Pink, Blue and Purple suits.
"Yes!"
"What?!" Void Knight, who'd been ignoring them as he continued his search, turned quickly.
"Alright!" Ollie exclaimed. "We're...we're Power Rangers!" he shouted as Ryne looked down at her purple suit as a strange sense of relief came over her.
"Emphasis on 'power'," Amelia grinned. "You're in big trouble now!" she warned with a laugh.
"Tear them apart!" Void Knight ordered. The Hengemen grabbed their weapons and went on the offensive again, only this time the three were much better prepared, able to move faster and fight with much more strength.
"Cool powers, costumes and weapons!" Amelia laughed. "What else do we get?" she wondered.
"If you watch the news, Zords!" Ollie exclaimed, before Ryne cut through the spears that were jabbed at them.
"It all depends on the team," she commented, and as the Hengemen rushed them, Ryne cut through them before they could even raise their weapons. "Huh. Guess that Squirrel DNA didn't quite go to waste," she considered, shaking her head as she let her Beast Power fade.
"No!" they looked around as they heard the cry of horror. "Don't touch that!" the dinosaur-like creature cried, staring at Void Knight as he instructed two of the Hengemen to carry away a chest he'd found. There was a sudden yell as the Red Ranger reacted immediately, drawing his sword. He cut through the two Hengemen that were closest to him.
"What's going on?" he asked, disorientated. "Solon, why are the Hengemen activated?" he asked, turning to the dinosaur-like creature. "And who are they?" he gestured to the three Rangers still fighting.
"They're new, and friendly. But the Sporix are being taken! Hurry!" Solon pleaded, and he turned to see the chest being taken to the exit. With a gasp, the Red Ranger leapt across the base, blocking the exit and kicking the Hengemen away, before knocking Void Knight back.
"Where did you steal that armour from?" the Red Ranger asked as Void Knight growled, getting back to his feet.
"Doesn't matter. It's mine now. Just like the Sporix," he vowed.
"Whatever Sporix are, they're bad, right?" Ollie asked hesitantly.
"Very bad," the Red Ranger nodded.
"Then we don't let him take it," Ryne charged up her powers in her free hand.
"Bad for you," Void Knight growled. "Good for me!" he shouted, and the fighting continued. While he focused on the Red Ranger, the others took out the rest of the Hengemen, which exploded as Ryne blasted them with her powers.
"As weak as Tronics," she smirked, cutting through another.
"Dino Dagger!" the Red Ranger shouted, transforming his sabre and throwing it at Void Knight. However, his opponent deflected it, and it flew back, hitting the chest still being held up. "No!" the Red Ranger gasped as the chest was dropped to the ground and opened up. The pink and purple lumpy balls inside started to fall out, and began to float.
"That doesn't look good," Ryne muttered.
"No, no! They're loose!" the Red Ranger shouted as they were all battered by the flying Sporix, before the things flew out the door.
"This can't be happening!" Solon cried out in horror.
"This isn't over!" Void Knight roared, running out after the Sporix.
"Get back here!" the Red Ranger shouted, giving chase, but Void Knight blasted the ceiling above, causing a cave in.
"Watch out!" Ryne grabbed the Red Ranger, pulling him back to avoid being buried.
"Urgh…" he groaned, walking back into the chamber with his head bowed.
"So...that was wild," Amelia commented.
"Yeah, I got pretty good with this thing," Ollie admired his sabre, before their suits rippled and vanished, returning them to normal. "Cool," he laughed, before turning to Ryne.
"Are you okay?" they asked at the same time, and both smiled, going red.
"Wow, you guys are cute," Amelia teased, and their blushes grew deeper. Ryne then ran her hand through her hair, which had fallen from her ponytail already.
"I gotta say, I can't really believe this," she murmured, admiring the Morpher on her wrist. Ryne wasn't sure just how to feel. After all, it had only been a few months since she had stepped down as the Pink Ranger, and now the Morphin' Grid had dragged her back into the life of a Ranger, just in a different colour.
"We're Power Rangers," Ollie breathed.
"I definitely didn't think I'd become a superhero when I woke up this morning," Amelia admitted, before their Morphers lit up in their respective colours, changing forms into what looked like watches. They then looked up as the Red Ranger demorphed. He was tall, wearing a strange outfit, but what drew their attention was the antenna on his forehead.
"I'm Zayto," they were stunned into silence by him. "And this is my wise friend Solon," he introduced the dinosaur beside him.
"Greetings," she nodded.
"Well...I'm-"
"Ollie," Zayto answered for him, taking Ollie's arm as the young man reached out to shake his hand. "A rational, logical adventurer and scientist," Zayto said, his gaze unfocused. He then released Ollie, who quickly stepped back. "You're Amelia, an imaginative and unstoppable truth seeker," he declared, and as he released her, reaching out to Ryne, she stayed still, curious. "And you're Ryne...an intelligent and brave hero," Ryne went red, pulling out of his grip to duck back behind Ollie.
"Definitely wrong," she mumbled, making him laugh and reach around to pull her back and into his side, knowing how easily embarrassed she was by any kind of praise.
"How'd you know that?" Amelia asked, laughing a little.
"He's showing off," Solon chuckled fondly. "Beings from his planet can read minds," she explained.
"I wasn't showing off," Zayto defended. "I'm making sure it still works," he said, before turning to Solon. "How long was I in the Stasis Pod?" he asked her.
"A very long time, I'm afraid," Solon sighed. "More than 65 million years," the three inhaled sharply as Zayto went pale at her words.
"Million…" he repeated, looking like he was about to be sick.
"Hey, you're in great shape for 65 million," Amelia offered with a gentle smile.
"You know, I think we both are," Solon said with a nod.
"If Zayto's an extraterrestrial, does that make you…"
"A cyborg dinosaur?" Ollie finished for Amelia.
"Yes, a Solonosaurus," Solon confirmed with a nod. "But I was badly wounded in an ancient battle against the Sporix," she explained, running her clawed hand along the scars that ran along her scales. "You should tell them, Zayto," Solon turned to the Red Ranger, whose expression was grim.
"65 million years ago, the Sporix were unleashed on my planet, Rafkon," he started. "They hatched into ferocious beasts. I led the Knights of Rafkon, fighting to defend our home. We were not strong enough," Zayto's voice was quiet. "The Sporix Beasts ravaged my planet, leaving few survivors. But their thirst for destruction could not be satisfied. The Sporix left Rafkon, hungry for their next target; planet Earth. But we followed them. Determined to eradicate the Sporix, we fought alongside the dinosaurs to save Earth."
Zayto continued his tale, and they listened, enraptured. "With each battle, the beasts became stronger, until finally they grew giant. We were forced to retreat. It seemed the Earth too, would be lost. Until...the legendary Morphin' Masters arrived. Ageless beings with untold power; they were here to help us. I'd heard of the Morphin' Grid before, but I had no idea how strong it was," he told them.
"Morphin' Masters…?" Ryne whispered to herself, finding the name unfamiliar.
"The Morphin' Grid joined us with the spirits of the dinosaurs," Zayto continued, not hearing her. "Then the Morphin' Masters gave us our mission. They created our Zords and our weapons," he told them, partly lost in his memories.
"So with the Zords' help, you beat the Sporix beasts?" Ollie asked, but Zayto didn't reply. Instead, he walked past them, looking over at the destroyed chest.
"You did win, right? I mean, you're still here to tell the story," Amelia pointed out.
"Not all victories are cause for celebration," they looked at Ryne, who looked grim. Zayto didn't turn, but he nodded slowly.
"We captured the Sporix and locked them in this chest," Zayto said, standing over the chest. "But my friends, the other knights. They were...lost," he said quietly.
"Zayto and I tried everything to destroy the Sporix. But it was impossible. All we could do was keep them hidden and guarded," Solon explained for him.
"So you've been here ever since?" Ollie asked.
"Yes. It's my mission to ensure the Sporix never get loose in the universe again. And today I failed," Zayto said.
"All because of this Void Knight," Solon frowned. "Why would he want the Sporix?" she wondered aloud.
"An energy source," Ryne answered them. "He was muttering about an energy source. And he seems to think the Sporix were perfect," she folded her arms as she thought about what he'd said.
"I hate to think what he would use the Sporix as an energy source for. But we need to find them, and get them back," Zayto turned to the three. "They'll hide and hibernate, until one by one they hatch into Sporix Beasts. There are dozens and dozens of them, and all they know is destruction. They must be stopped. Your planet is in grave danger, and we're the only ones who can save it," he said, and the three nodded. Ryne resisted a huff, once again thrown into a world that she never planned on being a part of. "But first things first. You'll need some training. Are you ready?" Zayto asked.
"Are you kidding?" Ollie couldn't help but laugh.
"Just tell us what to do," Amelia nodded.
"I-" Ryne started, and stopped as she felt a familiar pulse of magic. "Oh no…" she groaned.
"What's wrong?" Zayto asked, confused as Ryne put a hand to her face.
"We've got company," she announced.
"What?" Amelia gasped, and they all turned as they felt the ground start to rumble. Immediately Zayto had his sword in his hands, and both Amelia and Ollie nervously raised their fists in fighting stances, while Ryne didn't move.
The rumbling stopped, and there was a loud crash before dust blew through the entrance to the chamber.
"Is Void Knight back already?" Solon worried, drawing back.
"Worse," Ryne groaned, and they heard footsteps. The dust settled, and Ollie went rigid, dropping his stance as the colour drained from his face, as a woman walked in. Amelia inhaled sharply, eyes widening as she recognised her. Her black hair was curled and sat around her shoulders, and she wore a white loose shirt under a green jacket, and a pair of jeans, but the long-handled hammer that she had resting over her shoulder was what earned Zayto's attention, along with the grin that reminded him of Ryne.
"So," Teddie started, looking entertained as her brown eyes darted from Zayto, who looked wary, to Amelia, whose jaw had dropped, and over to Ollie, who looked very nervous - her grin only widened at that - and over to Ryne, who looked exasperated at her arrival. "Who wants to tell me what's going on?" she asked.
Did anyone expect Teddie to make an appearance? This was a very fun addition to make, and I have missed writing her.
Hope you liked it!
Please review!