Author's Notes: Hi, readers. Here's chapter six of "Running From Here." Ranger action is coming in the next chapter. I am so ready to do that. The dinosaurs will be returning very soon. Stay tuned for chapter seven.
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Chapter 6: Roaming Rhinos/Time to Attack
Tommy, Kim, Jason, Trini, Billy, Zack, Alan, Ellie, Ian, John, Lex, and Tim reached the rhino exhibit within seven minutes. The exhibit was two acres. It was made of two areas that were bordered by fences. It had trees and bushes in several places. A large waterhole was close to the fence on the left side. A mud wallow was behind it. The group went to the left side.
Michelle grabbed a mouthful of grass and proceeded to chew. She was a white rhino. Knicks could be seen in the middle of her ears. Her front horn curved downward a little bit. Both brown eyes had scars below them. Her front legs contained white spots starting at her ankles and stopping just above her knees. The left eye was missing some eyelashes. Her tail was shorter than that of most white rhinos.
Kiva approached the waterhole and started to drink. She happened to be a black rhino. Her ears contained scars at the bottom of them. A scar started at the base of her back horn. It stopped in between her eyes. Her front horn curved backward a bit. Her tail was slightly longer than that of most black rhinos. Her eyes happened to be blue.
Rebbie came up beside Michelle, who swallowed with a loud gulp. She got a mouthful of grass from the same spot and proceeded to chew. She was a white rhino. She was somewhat smaller than her companion was. A tiny chunk of her right ear happened to be gone. The left ear contained a knick at the top of it. The top of her front horn wasn't pointy. It was actually blunt. Her eyes were brown.
Kiva finished drinking and emitted a loud snort. She turned toward the group and grunted happily. Everyone smiled as she raised her head high and lifted her upper lip. She bellowed as she put her front foot forward a little bit. She tilted her head somewhat. Lex and Tim laughed in great delight before clapping three times. Alan rubbed his nose.
"That rhino is just as funny as Riri is," Lex said and scratched her neck.
"Yes, she is," Tim agreed.
"Kiva loves posing for people. Rebbie and Michelle enjoy eating together," Jason said with a chuckle.
"It is weird that these critters are called black and white rhinos. Neither are those shades of color," Tim said, scratching his head.
"As it turns out, white means wide in an African language. Black means beak in another one," John pointed out truthfully.
"It is believed the black rhino got its name to distinguish it from the white rhino as well," Ian added.
"It is well known rhinos have poor eyesight unless an object is very close. They have an excellent sense of smell. They will charge at anything, even elephants," Ellie said, crossing her arms. "Some jeeps have been damaged by charging rhinos."
"I've seen pictures of jeeps with holes in the sides of them. Some even had flat tires from being hit by the horns," Zack said, shuddering badly.
"Some from horns can reach up to two feet in length," Billy said while adjusting his glass. "That reminds me of the Triceratops's brow horns. They could reach up to four feet in length." He blew in a hard way. "They are really impressive."
"Despite being tough-looking, rhinos are actually extremely gentle with their offspring," Tommy said in much sweetness.
"So are elephants," Kim commented with great warmth.
Kiva lowered her head and returned her back foot to its normal position. She swiveled her ears before shaking her head. John looked toward two metal benches, as did the others. He tapped his cane on the pavement twice and suppressed a yawn.
"I am going to go sit down," John said.
"Me too," Tim said and cleared his throat.
Lex smiled. "Me three."
Ian scratched his neck. "Me four."
John and Lex went to the first bench and sat down. Ian and Tim repeated their actions with the second bench. The others looked toward the rhinos. They heard them snort quietly.
"I have to admit seeing Bulk and Skull get sprayed with water from Robbie was the funniest thing I had seen in a long time," Alan said, chuckling to himself. He ran his fingers through his hair. "It served them right for acting like idiots."
"They have always been that way, Dr. Grant. All of their plans to find out the identities of the Power Rangers have backfired in spectacular ways," Trini said, snickering under her breath.
"If Back to the Future were real, Biff would have called Bulk and Skull buttheads. It was a term he used for people he did not like. It can be used to describe people who lack intelligence," Zack explained with a shrug. "There are too many stupid people these days."
"A sucker is born every minute," Alan commented seriously. "Some parents raise their children to obey authority without question. Doing such a thing is not always good. Some people can get kids to do bad things because the former know the latter will obey them."
"Like robbing a bank," Billy said as he crossed his arms.
"Exactly," Zack agreed, placing his hands on his sides. "You will never see any of us obeying authority without question. Our parents raised us to think for ourselves."
"That is good, Zack," Alan said, a warm smile forming on his face. "You and your friends are smart kids."
Zack stretched his arms above his head and cleared his throat. He placed them at his sides. He shifted his weight from one foot to the next.
"It is amazing how the white rhino went from almost being extinct to being the most common of all species," Tommy said in great awe.
"The black rhino is slowly rebuilding its numbers. So is the Indian rhino. The Javan and Sumatran rhinos are struggling to do that," Kim whispered and frowned a bit. "It totally stinks."
Alan nodded in agreement. "It sure does."
"Wardens are working their hardest to protect all five species. Unfortunately, it is hard enough for them to find the poachers. It is even harder to catch them," Ellie pointed out bluntly.
"One thing is clear. Karma will get the poachers eventually," Jason said in determination.
Ellie nodded sharply. "That's right."
Tommy, Kim, Jason, Trini, Billy, Zack, Alan, and Ellie resumed watching Michelle, Kiva, and Rebbie. Rebbie shook her head before licking her lips. Michelle mimicked her actions.
00000
On the Lunar Palace's balcony, Zedd was looking at Earth through his visor. Goldar and Scorpina chatted with each other in the middle of the throne room as Tigton stood nearby. Squatt and Baboo sat on the stairs as they played Go Fish. The former moved his cards around. He looked toward the latter. He saw him narrow his eyes at his cards.
"You got any fives, Squatt?" Baboo asked.
"Unh-unh. Go fish," Squatt said. He smiled when Baboo drew a card from the deck. "You have any queens?"
"Oh, man! I should not have to give my queens up!" Baboo complained and placed his hand over his face.
"Come on, Baboo," Squatt said in a blunt voice. He held out his hand and waved it toward himself. "Hand them over. No card hogging."
Baboo mumbled inaudible words while handing his three queens over to Squatt. He huffed as his best friend laid them and his queen down. Squatt clapped gleefully as he glanced at his other four matches.
"I made another match," Squatt said in a prideful voice.
"Don't brag about that, Squatt. It will bite you on the ass when you least expect it," Baboo retorted with a roll of his eyes.
Squatt pointed his finger at him. "You're mad because you lost a game to me."
"It is one of the few games you won against me. I have won a lot more than you have," Baboo said, crossing his arms.
"Now, you are bragging. What a hypocrite you are!" Squatt yelled in much disapproval.
"You have been a bigger hypocrite than I ever was. You've hogged hot water while telling me not to do the same. You have made loud noises while telling me to be quiet. You've—" Baboo commented.
"Oh, shut up!" Squatt interrupted and waved him off.
Baboo huffed. "Go kiss a frog."
Squatt stuck his tongue out and flipped Baboo the bird. Baboo blew him a raspberry as his best friend picked up the cards and straightened them out. He stood up and went to Zedd's side.
"What do you see, Lord Zedd? Is it interesting?" Baboo asked in much curiosity.
"I just saw an anaconda ambush a caiman in the Amazon rainforest," Zedd answered as he switched off his visor. He glanced at him with an evil chuckle. "I also saw a jaguar kill a peccary."
Baboo laughed. "That is cool."
"It sure is, my lord," Squatt added while clapping twice. He stood up and went to his best friend's side. "You should look at the desert outside Angel Grove." He squealed delightfully.
"I agree. I'm sure whatever you find will be interesting," Baboo commented and held up a finger.
Zedd tilted his head. "I think it will."
Zedd looked westward and beamed his visor. He caught sight of a horned lizard moving across the desert. It stopped at dozens of ants crawling around. It lashed out its tongue, catching several. It pulled them into its mouth and swallowed them. He couldn't help but chuckle. Goldar, Scorpina, and Tigton came up the stairs to join the group. She clasped her hands together, her breathing low and steady.
"That horned lizard licked up those ants like they were ice cream," Zedd said with a chuckle. He turned off his visor and turned to his minions. "No animal can eat it because of its spines."
"Many animals have ways to protect themselves from their enemies, especially fish," Baboo commented while waving his hand in the air.
"The pufferfish can expand its body like a balloon. It becomes impossible for any predator to swallow it," Squatt said, laughing.
"An armadillo can roll itself into a ball to keep predators from killing it. Its armor protects its entire body with the exception of its belly," Baboo added as he placed his hand on his side.
"Turtles can pull themselves inside their shells. Most predators cannot get at them when they do," Zedd said, moving his hand down his staff.
"Alligators and jaguars are two predators capable of breaking through turtle shells," Baboo commented while looking upward. "They have really strong jaws."
"Leaf-cutter ants have the strongest jaws on Earth. They can carry leaves many times their size. If we had such jaws, we'd be able to carry elephants over hills with our teeth!" Goldar blurted out in amazement.
Everyone laughed out loud. Their laughing was so loud that it echoed throughout the palace. Tigton swung his tail from side to side. He growled lowly yet fiercely.
"You should check out what is going on with the Power Rangers and their friends, my lord," Tigton suggested.
"I agree," Scorpina said with a nod.
Zedd chuckled to himself and gripped his staff more tightly. "I do too. Let's see what they are doing."
Zedd glanced at Earth to beam his visor. He could see Tommy, Kim, Jason, Trini, Billy, Zack, Alan, and Ellie laughing at Michelle, who was holding her head up and putting her left ankle over her right one. John, Lex, Tim, and Ian were still sitting on the benches. He emitted a malicious laugh.
"The Rangers and their buddies are distracted visiting the rhinos," Zedd announced in much eagerness. He switched off his visor to look at the others. "It is the perfect time to launch the attack."
"I was hoping you'd say that, my liege!" Scorpina said excitedly.
"Me too!" Tigton yelled with gleeful claps. "It is time to roast some Rangers for lunch!"
"Then what are we waiting for?" Goldar blurted out. "Let's get down there!"
Goldar whistled in a loud way. Eighteen Putties came close to the stairs, garbles and gibbers coming from them. Zedd, Squatt, and Baboo turned around as Goldar, Scorpina, and Tigton rushed down the stairs to them. The group teleported to Earth.
"I have a good feeling our buddies will succeed in their mission," Baboo said while holding up a finger.
"Me too," Squatt agreed.
"Me three," Zedd added as he raised his staff high. He and the dimwits laughed evilly in which it echoed throughout the palace.
