Episode 4 Reckless Green Lion

This episode is dedicated in memory to our fallen Green Star Warrior. My Black Lion Knight. Rest in Power.

It had been two weeks since they first encountered General Lena and the Stingray Nezire, and the Rangers finally got their new base operational. They were still surprised that Sebastian had come up with this base himself, and that he was able to make this much room underneath his home. They were glad for the lock to their base. It can only be opened by them, and no one else. All of their hand prints were integrated into the lock before they left after Sebastian first showed it to them. The medical bay was fully stocked with first aid supplies, and the rec room was stocked with food, drinks, books, and a guitar that Dorian had purchased a few weeks prior to when the team first came together. There was also a futon in the rec room, in case anyone, mostly Sebastian, needed to crash somewhere. The Rangers were in the base, and Sebastian checked everything over, making sure it was fully operational and no bugs.

            “All right,” Sebastian said. “Looks like we are in the green. All systems are a go. We can now receive alerts for any danger in the city, can send messages if one of us is here, and we can teleport here to anywhere else in the city, or on the planet, and vice versa.”

            “This is pretty cool,” said Chrissy. “Still can’t believe we have a base.”

            “I still can’t believe you thought all this up, Sebastian,” said Crystal. “I mean, when you first brought us here, I was completely surprised. But now that everything is up and running…I’m still blown away.”

            “Why thank you…I think.”

            “Seriously, this place is amazing,” said Jayden, patting Sebastian on the shoulder.

            “Well, you guys did help me. It would have taken a lot longer if I had done this all by myself.”

            “We’re a team,” said Erika. “We work together. We’re always there to help each other out.”

            “No matter what,” Crystal stated, smiling at Sebastian.

            Sebastian couldn’t help but smile at the two girls. He was glad that everyone was loving the new base they had finished putting together. He knew he wasn’t the strongest, but when it comes to technology, he is the man for the job. The mythical chi beasts were also impressed with the base. All four of them were looking around, impressed with the machines. It was still strange to see mythical animals just appear out of nowhere, but they were glad they had them to help out. Dorian was already used to Viridian appearing of nowhere, having made himself known when he first morphed. Sebastian was a bit disappointed that he couldn’t meet his chi beast until he had the other half of his Star Jewel.

            Crystal was helping Erika sort the books in the rec room, and Dorian was watching her from the holo-terminal. Jayden was overlooking the terminal, checking for any signs of an attack, but he noticed Dorian watching Crystal. He knew Dorian was protective of Crystal, and Jayden was too. But, Dorian had a look that he cared about Crystal more than just a friend.

            “She’s okay,” Jayden told Dorian. “She’s safe here. Crystal is also strong to look out for herself.”

            “I know that,” Dorian said. “I know she’s strong, and that she can handle herself. She’s one of the strongest women I have ever met.”

            “Then why do you keep looking at her as if she is going to disappear?” Jayden asked. “I’ve seen the way you look at her, and how you stand so close to her protectively.”

            “She almost was taken,” Dorian responded, looking at Jayden.

            Jayden stopped what he was doing, and looked at Dorian. He then leaned against the terminal, crossing his arms.

            “What do you mean?”

            “Last week, when she told you that the people responsible for turning her into what she was made themselves known to her…they contacted her a few hours after she had just gotten her cell phone. They texted her where she could confront them. She ran off to them without even telling me. I didn’t know until thirty minutes after she had left. Viridian had told me where she had gone. He may be invisible, but he is still around. He was there when she got the phone call. She said she knew it was him. She recognized his voice. Said that his voice haunts her every time she sleeps.”

            Jayden listened to Dorian’s story. He didn’t interrupt him. He just let him continue.

            “When I got there, they had her trapped. Fenced in like some animal,” Dorian said, anger evident in his voice. “They were toying with her. She tried to climb out, but they had electrified the fence. I morphed, and fought off whatever soldiers were outside the fence. When they saw what she could do, they weren’t satisfied with it. So, the soldiers were given the order to kill her. The man responsible left, and Crystal took care of the ones inside with her. But, it greatly weakened her. I was able to break the fence…by dropping my body onto it, overpowering the lock and frying it. I had then passed out from all the electricity. And next thing I knew, I woke up, and saw Crystal collapse at the corner of my eye.”

            Dorian took a deep breath as the memory of that night replayed in his mind. It still hurt thinking about it. It pained him to know that he wasn’t able to protect her that night.

            “When I woke, the pain was no longer there. She had healed me, even though she was weak. She didn’t heal herself first. She healed me to the point that she barely had a heartbeat. The man, unfortunately, got away. But, going after him didn’t matter. She was my priority, and I had to get her to safety. They haven’t made contact since, but we both know that they are still watching her from a distance. I wasn’t able to protect her that night. And since then, I swore I would protect her. That I won’t let any harm come her way.”

            Jayden uncrossed his arms when he listened to Dorian tell him that Crystal nearly gave her life healing him. But, he wasn’t surprised. He knew that she would willingly give her life if it meant saving someone else’s. She may be been experimented on, but she was one of the kindest and most selfless person he has met. Jayden taking in what Dorian had just told him. It was a lot to take in, and he now understood why Dorian always looked at her as if she was going to disappear. She almost did disappear if it weren’t for Viridian keeping an eye on her, and telling Dorian where to go.

            “I should have gotten there sooner,” Dorian said, looking down at his hands. “I should have been faster. I was just -”

            “She’s here now, Dorian,” Jayden interrupted him. “She’s here because you were there. And I’m thankful that you were. I’m glad she has someone like you looking out for her. Crystal is my friend, and I care about her deeply. I would do anything to keep her safe. She is also part of this team. She’s not alone. We won’t let anything happen to her. Erika won’t let anything happen to her as well. Trust me.”

            “We won’t let anyone on our team get hurt.”

            Both guys turned, and saw Chrissy approaching them. She leaned on her left foot, her hand on her hip.

            “We are in this together. We will protect each other, no matter what. Together, we are more.”

            Jayden smiled at Chrissy’s words, and patted Dorian’s shoulder. Dorian looked over to Jayden, and smiled in return. He nodded his head, and said thanks. Erika and Crystal finished organizing the bookshelf, and walked over towards the holo-terminal.

            “What are you guys talking about?” Erika asked.

            “Oh, that as a team, we won’t let any harm come to any one of us,” Chrissy explained. “And that together…we are more.”

            “Heck yeah we are!” Crystal cheered.

            Dorian’s smile got wider as Crystal cheered happily with the rest of the group. He would still worry about her, even if she was part of the team. But, he was glad that she had people she can count on, aside from him. He remembered back when she told him that she had spent most of her travels alone, and no one really looking out for her. Now, she does. And he was glad Jayden was there too. He was unsure of Jayden when they first met, and was thrown in for surprise when Crystal mentioned that she and Jayden had met a while ago. He didn’t trust him at first, but Crystal trusted him, and he trusted Crystal’s judgement. But now that they are working together, and after listening to Jayden, he could trust him to protect Crystal when he wasn’t around.

            “Speaking of together…is anyone else hungry?” asked Sebastian.

            “Didn’t we just eat like…two hours ago?” asked Trevor.

            “What?” Sebastian said, shrugging his shoulders. “We took a break, ate, then went back to work to finish up the base. Built up an appetite after we finished making the base completely operational.”

            “Sebastian is not alone,” said Crystal, who slowly raised her hand. “I’m getting hungry too.”

            “Me too,” Jayden replied, also raising his hand.

            “How about pizza?” Sebastian suggested.

            “Yes! Pizza!” Crystal agreed cheerfully.

            “I wouldn’t mind some pepperoni,” said Chrissy.

            “Mushrooms too, please,” said Erika.

            “Sausages,” said Dorian.

            “Peppers for me,” said Jayden.

            “So…the works, then?” asked Trevor.

            “Great! Two pies then?” Sebastian said.

            “I think that works,” said Crystal. “I’m sure we all would want a second slice anyway, and one pizza pie is not gonna cut it for this group.”

            “Fantastic! I’ll call it in then.”

            “You call it in, and I’ll head on over to pick it up. I wouldn’t mind some fresh air,” said Crystal. “Just text me the name of the place. I’ll start heading over there now.”

            “Thanks, Crystal!”

            “I’ll go with you,” said Dorian.

            “Same here,” said Erika.

            Crystal nodded her head in thanks, and the three of them left their new base to get some food. Jayden watched the three of them leave, and Chrissy stood next to Jayden.

            “Seems that where ever Crystal goes, Dorian follows,” Chrissy told Jayden.

            “So you’ve noticed as well,” Jayden replied, smiling at her.

            “I’m a lifeguard. People watching is kind of my day job,” she said, shrugging her shoulders. “I saw it last week, too. When Crystal got hurt from that Stingray monster’s attack.”

            “Yeah. I saw that too.”

            “Speaking of Crystal…she didn’t really mention how she got her powers,” Chrissy said, looking at Jayden. “Or how she is able to turn into…whatever that thing is.”

            “Pearlshell,” Jayden said. “She calls that other form Pearlshell. She will…in time. I’ve known Crystal for a while, and I trust her with my life. It isn’t something she could easily tell someone, not with her reliving the memories.”

            Chrissy saw the look in Jayden’s eyes when he told her. She could tell that there was some pain in them, and that alone told her that it wasn’t something that Crystal herself wanted. She nodded her head in understanding to Jayden.

            “I see,” she said. “Well, whatever happened to her…I hope she does tell us. I would like to know more about her. She seems like a nice person.”

            “She is,” Jayden said. “Despite what happened to her, she is one of the kindest people I have known. She reminded me of Erika when I first met her.”

            “A good singer too,” Sebastian said. “I liked her performance during the carnival. You know…before that demon hell thing showed up. But, her performance after the fight was also good.”

            “I can’t remember when was the last time I heard her sing,” Jayden said, thinking back to when he and Crystal first met before they went their separate ways. “I’m glad she still is though. It was nice seeing her perform.”

            “By the way, anyone else notice that Dorian follows Crystal wherever she goes?” asked Sebastian.

            Jayden and Chrissy couldn’t help but chuckle a bit at Sebastian’s comment. He looked between the both of them, confused as to why they were chuckling.

            “I think everyone has noticed,” said Trevor.

            “Glad everyone notices then,” said Jayden. “It’s not really my place to say. Dorian told me just a while ago. But, I’m sure you three will know soon enough. He does not do a good job of hiding his feelings when it comes to her.”

            “It is quite obvious,” said Chrissy as she let out a small chuckle. “But, they do look cute together.”

            Dorian, Crystal and Erika walked to the pizza parlor Sebastian had ordered from. It was a ten-minute block from where Sebastian lives, which is probably why he has their number saved. The three of them used that time to know more about each other. Crystal shared more of her interests, and what got her into singing and performing. She mentioned to Erika that performing at the club where Dorian works at is how she got a job there as a bartender. Dorian explained that when he is not working security at the club, he is performing on stage as well with the band.

            “What songs have you performed?” Erika asked.

            “Mostly cover songs,” Dorian replied. “Breaking Benjamin, High and Mighty Color, Linkin Park. And songs this one over here likes to sing.”

            “At least ones I know people may enjoy dancing to,” Crystal said, smiling softly.

            “Whatever song you sing, the crowd enjoys it,” Dorian said, reassuring her.

            Crystal blushed at his statement, placing a strand of hair behind her ear. Erika took notice of this, and couldn’t help but smile at the two. Even Erika could see there was something between the two, and they weren’t good at hiding it. As their neared the pizza parlor, an explosion went off nearby. All three of them turned their heads, and nodded in agreement. Erika lifted her left arm her communicator rested. She then contacted her brother and the rest of the team.

            “Erika.”

            “There was an explosion just nearby the pizza parlor,” Erika explained. “Dorian, Crystal and I are on our way there.”

            “Yes. We just got the alert and the location. We’ll meet you there. And be careful.”

            Erika hung up, and the three of them made their way to the source of the explosion. When they arrived, it was a park. In the center was another monster. It looked like a rhino. It was different from the one they fought two weeks ago, but they saw a familiar person standing next to it. It was General Lena, and she was holding her weapon, which looked like a rapier. She swung it once more, sending an energy blast at the people running away. The Mecha Bots were also there, causing damage to the surrounding area.

            “Stop right there!” Crystal shouted.

            General Lena stopped in her tracks, and turned around. She could only smile when she saw the three of them.

            “Ah. You again,” she said to Crystal. “Thought I might see you again. My Lady is very interested in you.”

            “She has to get in line,” Crystal retorted. “But, she won’t get me either.”

            “Ah. So there are other people who want you as well,” Lena said, pointing her rapier at Crystal. “Guess we’ll take you today then.”

            “Not a chance,” Dorian said, putting a protective arm in front of her. “She’s not going with anyone.”

            “You’ll have to get through us first,” said Erika. “And we won’t let you take Crystal, or anyone else.”

            “We shall see. Go, Rhino Nezire!”

            “Yes, General!”

            The Rhino Nezire charged at them, along with the Mecha Bots, and the three of them got into a fighting stance. Erika and Crystal kicked two of the Mecha Bots, and Dorian sent a roundhouse kick to the Rhino Nezire. Crystal didn’t use her powers fighting the Mecha Bots. It wasn’t necessary to use them, and Erika did the same. They both knew to only use their powers unless the situation really called for it. As Erika and Crystal fought the Mecha Bots, Dorian fought the Rhino Nezire. General Lena just watched from a distance, as if observing how they fight. She remembered from their last encounter, she remembered how Dorian reacted when Crystal was hit from her attack, standing in front of her protectively. And just a moment ago when he put an arm in front of her. She was his weakness, and General Lena was going to exploit it.

            General Lena smirked as she watched Crystal fight off the Mecha Bots. She wanted to know more about her abilities, and fired an energy blade at her. Crystal, noticing the attack, held out her hands in front of her. Dorian and Erika turned, hearing the blast making contact. Dorian’s heart stopped when he noticed a dust cloud where Crystal was once standing. Once the dust settled, he let out a small breath of relief when he saw Crystal standing there, unharmed. Erika noticed that Crystal’s eyes were glowing red again, like when they first met. She also noticed that there was a red force field around her. General Lena only smirked, resting her rapier on her shoulder.

            “You truly are an interesting creature,” Lena said. “How did you come about those powers? What else can you do?”

            “Why don’t you stay and find out?” Crystal said, smirking at Lena.

            Crystal then pulled her hands back, and pushed them out forward. When she did that, the force field around her had then formed completely in front of her, and was sent towards General Lena. Lena then powered up her rapier, and swung at the force field coming at her. She managed to split it in two, deflecting Crystal’s attack.

            “This just keeps getting interesting!” General Lena yelled in excitement.

            Lena charged at Crystal at incredible speed. In the blink of an eye, she was in front of Crystal, smirking at her. She swung her rapier up towards her, and Crystal barely dodged her attack in time. She took a step back, the tip of the rapier cutting some ends of her hair, and went to put her hands up. Lena saw an opening, and created an energy ball in her hand. She then aimed the energy ball at Crystal’s stomach. Crystal didn’t see the attack, and the energy ball left Lena’s hand and sent Crystal flying back. She was sent through a tree, and stopped when she made contact with another tree. She hit both her head and back hard, causing her to collapse. She tried to hold herself up, but the impact had greatly weakened her. General Lena let out a laugh when she saw Crystal come to a stop. She rested her rapier on her shoulder, and started to walk towards Crystal.

            Dorian turned when he heard Lena laugh, and his eyes followed to where she was walking towards. When his eyes landed on Crystal, struggling to get up, he just saw red. He sent a roundhouse kick to the Rhino Nezire, making it stumble back, and started to make his way towards Crystal. Some of the Mecha Bots tried to attack him, but he just punched them aside. Erika looked towards Dorian, wondering what got him so worked up. Her question was answered when she saw who he was running towards.

            “Oh no.”

            Circling her hands above her, Erika then extended her hands out in front of her, creating a gust of wind at the Mecha Bots. Some of them went flying, and some stumbled down. Seeing an opening, she too made her way towards Crystal. General Lena was just mere inches in front of Crystal, her rapier still resting on her shoulder.

            “Is that all you got?” Lena asked. “Come on. Show me more of what you can do.”

            “You have no idea what I’m capable of.”

            “I know, which is why I want to see more. I won’t destroy you…yet. You may be of use to My Lady.”

            “Get the hell away from her!”

            General Lena turned around, and dodged a cross punch from Dorian. She jumped back, and Dorian got into a defensive stance in front of Crystal.

            “She isn’t going anywhere with you!” he growled. “You’ll have to get through me first.”

            General Lena only smirked, seeing the anger in his eyes. She watched as the other girl approached, helping Crystal up. She then pointed her rapier at him, still smirking.

            “Gladly.”

            General Lena got into a stance, her rapier above her head. She then charged at Dorian, only be stopped by a beam. She stopped, and turned her head where the beam came from. It was Jayden and the rest of the Rangers. Jayden was making his way towards them, and Trevor, Sebastian and Chrissy were handling the Mecha Bots and the Rhino Nezire. With Lena distracted, Dorian charged at her. She dodged every single one of his attacks he threw at her, from punches to roundhouse kicks, she dodged every single attack. She laughed at him at his attempt to hurt her, and Dorian just grew frustrated with every dodge. Erika watched as she helped Crystal stand up.

            “Are you okay?” Jayden asked as he approached them.

            “I’ll be okay,” Crystal said to him. “Got hit by a surprise attack by her. I left myself wide open to it. She’s strong though. Really strong. And fast.”

            “Dorian’s going to get himself killed if he continues fighting her,” Erika told her brother. “You have to help him.”

            “You going to be okay, Crystal?”

            “I’ll be fine,” she said to him, nodding her head. “Go help him. Please.”

            Jayden nodded his head, and went over to help Dorian. He then crossed his arms, blades forming on both of his forearms. He swung his left arm at her, but she blocked his attack.

            “You and that girl are very interesting humans!” she said to Jayden, jumping away from another swing with his blade. “How did the two of you come to get the powers you have? My Lady will be very interested with the both of you! I will have to take you both!”

            “You’re not taking them anywhere!” Dorian growled, throwing a hook punch at her. “Especially not Crystal! You won’t lay a hand on her!”

            Lena dodged his attack, laughing at him.

            “Protective, are we?” she mocked him. “Yes. I can see it in you. You care about her. Greatly. You humans are so predictable.”

            Dorian was ready to throw another attack at her, but was interrupted when Jayden fired another head beam attack at her. She narrowly dodged his attack, her grin fading from her face.

            “You are no fun,” Lena said to Jayden. “I’ll just let Rhino deal with you.”

            With that, Lena teleported away, and Dorian growled. Jayden went over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

            “You need to calm down,” Jayden said to him.

            Dorian just glared at Jayden, not saying anything. He then turned around, and ran back towards Crystal. He saw that she was fighting the Mecha Bots, in her civilian form and not in Pearlshell. He kicked aside one Mecha Bot that was about to attack her from behind. She looked at him, and nodded her head in thanks. He took notice of her, seeing that she was fighting at full strength.

            “Erika covered me while I healed myself,” she told him. “I’m fine, Dorian. Really. Now go help the others, and stop that monster from hurting anyone else.”

            Dorian hesitated for a moment, placing a hand on her cheek. She smiled softly at him, nodding her head in reassurance.

            “Go.”

            Dorian nodded his head, and went to help the other Rangers. He kicked the Rhino Nezire from behind, jumping out of the way when it swung its arm around. As Dorian jumped back, he shook both of his wrists, his morpher appearing. He then fell in when the other Rangers gathered around him.

            “You okay, big guy?” Erika asked him.

            “Yes. Thank you for covering Crystal,” Dorian said to Erika.

            “Of course. She’s my friend too. We’re a team. We protect each other.”

            “Let’s take care of this creep,” said Chrissy. “It’s morphin’ time!”

            “Star Power! Aura change!”

            The Rangers morphed, and they took out their weapons. Sebastian and Trevor fired at the Rhino Nezire with their Star Busters, distracting it enough to allow Dorian, Chrissy and Erika to attack it with their Star Swords. Seeing an opening, Jayden jumped up, and kicked the monster from up in the air. The Rhino Nezire stumbled back a few steps, and the Rangers lined up and got into their stances. Dorian charged at the Rhino, swinging his sword at it once more. The Rhino blocked his attacked, and used its drill to counter attack. He stumbled back a bit, collecting himself from the attack. The Rhino Nezire then started to charge at Dorian, only to be sent back by an energy field. Dorian looked back, and saw Crystal up in the air, her eyes glowing red. He couldn’t help but smirk underneath his helmet as he watched her fire another energy field towards the monster. It knocked the monster off balance, and she landed next to Dorian.

            “Quickly! Finish it!”

            “You heard the lady!” said Jayden.

            “I got an idea!” said Chrissy.

            Chrissy holstered her weapon, and waved her hands. They glowed, and soon the Rhino Nezire was brought down to the ground.

            “I’ve pinned it down! Now’s your chance!” Chrissy told them.

            Erika charged towards Chrissy, and jumped off her shoulders. She then tossed her sword at Rhino, and waved her hands as well. She sent a strong gust of wind, pushing her sword towards it. It made a direct hit at the Rhino, impaling it. She grabbed her sword out, and dodged out of the way when Trevor sent a fireball attack at the monster. Sebastian jumped up, and fired a couple of shots at it. Jayden then stood next to Crystal, and she looked at him.

            “Mind giving me a boost?” he asked.

            “You got it. Just like the first time,” she responded, smirking at him.

            Jayden then jumped back, and Crystal created a shield around her. He then charged at her, and jumped onto her shield. Once Jayden’s foot made contact, she then pushed the shield up, sending Jayden high up in the air. He then created a red energy in his hands, and fired it at the Rhino Nezire.

            “Pressure Canon!”

            The attack made a direct hit, and everyone jumped back, not wanting to get sucked into it. The Rhino Nezire let out a small cry, and was soon sucked up by the compressed black hole, and phased out. The black hole then disappeared, and the monster was destroyed. Crystal’s eyes returned to their normal color, the Rangers and Jayden reverted back to their civilian form.

            “Please tell me that monster attacked before you guys got the pizza?” Sebastian asked with a groan. “I’m starving.”

            The team were back in the base, eating the pizza they had ordered just before General Lena and the Rhino Nezire attacked. Erika was telling Jayden, Trevor, and Sebastian what had happened before they arrived. When she told him how Dorian reacted when he saw Crystal, he got the gist of it.

            “He gets reckless when it comes to Crystal,” Erika said, taking another bite into her second slice. “Like nothing else mattered but protecting her.”

            “We all get reckless when it comes to someone we care about,” Jayden said, smiling softly at his sister.

            “Oh shut up,” she said, not able to contain her laugh. “You’re just as bad.”

            The two of them looked up, seeing Crystal eating with Dorian and Chrissy.

            “Thanks for taking care of Lena, Dorian,” Crystal said to Dorian. “She caught me off guard.”

            “Of course. I’ll always be there for you,” Dorian said, patting her shoulder.

            “That Lena character seemed like she was toying with you, Dorian,” said Chrissy. “She has taken a great interest in both Crystal and Jayden. I wonder who is this ‘lady’ person she keeps talking about.”

            “I don’t know,” said Crystal, setting down her pizza. “But, something tells me it may be the one she works for. And that we may be meeting her soon.”

            “Whoever this person is, we’ll face them together.”

            The three of them looked up, seeing Jayden approach them.

            “We’re a team,” Jayden told them. “We protect not only the people, but also each other.”

            Jayden looked at Dorian, silently letting him know that he was told what had happened. Dorian just nodded his head in acknowledgement, and Chrissy and Crystal looked between the two.

            “Does someone want to say something?” asked Chrissy.

            “Just that I’ll try to be less reckless,” said Dorian.

            “You? Less reckless?” Crystal said, letting out a small chuckle. “You were reckless when we met. Need I remind you about the diner?”

            “And need I remind you what you did the next day? Going off without me?” Dorian reminded her. “You’re just as bad as me.”

            “I learned from you…Reckless Green Lion.”

            “Hey!”

            Everyone started to laugh at Crystal’s nickname to the Green Ranger, and he couldn’t help but laugh along. His mind thought back to the night they first met. They went to the diner after they had performed together. When they arrived, they got caught in a robbery attempt. Dorian had tried to fight off the robbers, but got hurt in the process. He was shot at, not seeing a robber behind in the kitchen. He didn’t anticipate someone already raiding the safe, and got hurt in the process. That was when Crystal stepped in, and that was also when she first revealed her powers to him. After hearing her story, he got this feeling that he needed to protect her. He knew he was being reckless that night, and knew he was being reckless earlier. But, he swore that he would protect Crystal. He knew he was a reckless lion, but he didn’t mind being her reckless lion.

Green Star Warrior

Episode 3 What It Means to be a Team

               It was only four days since the Hell Vanguard appeared, and when the Rangers first met one another. All seven of them met again the next day, discussing what their plan should be. Where should they meet, where should they train, and how should they reach one another. It is obvious that they all had to have each other’s numbers to keep in contact. They had no other form of communication. They were all strangers to one another, save for Jayden and Erika, and Jayden and Crystal, but if they were going to be a team, then they had to have some form of communication in case trouble arose.

            “This may be weird to everyone, but this is the best way to get in contact with one another,” said Jayden. “If something did happen, we all need to be able to call one another for help. We can’t fight on our own. We need to work together as a team. Communication is first, and foremost, the most important thing when it comes to being a team.”

            “Jayden is right,” said Crystal. “We were all brought together for a reason. Whatever is coming, we can’t fight it alone. We will need to work together. This will be a learning curve for me. I’ve only fought alongside Jayden and Dorian.”

            “I’ve never been on a team before,” said Sebastian. “But, I’m willing to learn how to be part of one. Feels kinda nice.”

            “I agree,” said Chrissy. “I’m used to working with others. I’m a lifeguard, so I’m familiar when it comes to working with others.”

            “I work in a restaurant, and teamwork is everything when it comes to the food industry,” said Trevor. “Otherwise, you just get a big pile of mess.”

            “I run a business, so I too know the importance of teamwork,” said Erika. “If everyone is not on the same page, then things will not go smoothly for any of us.”

            “This will be a learning curve for me as well,” said Jayden. “I’ve been fighting alone throughout my journey. I’ve only fought with Crystal.”

            “What have you two been fighting?” asked Trevor. “I’m just curious. You two seem to have experience, but yet you don’t say what you two have fought, aside from that demon. That can’t be the only thing, right?”

            “No, that wasn’t the only thing,” said Jayden. “I’ve been fighting things that I thought only existed in fairy tales, movies and television. Heck, I thought the Guyver Unit was something out a comic book. But, it is real. I’ve been fighting these weird creatures during my travels. I’m not exactly where they came from.”

            “What did they look like?” Erika asked.

            “They looked like robots,” Jayden explained. “Black robots, but with red outlines on them. They also had some kind of tech designs on them. Looked like circuits to me. I wouldn’t even call them creatures. I guess they are robots. They didn’t even speak. Just made some weird noises.”

            “Have you fought these things for a while?” asked Chrissy.

            “I fought a group of them last month. I haven’t seen any since I got here last week. That was when the Hell Vanguard first showed up. When Crystal and I bumped into each other, we were thrown into another fight with that demon.”

            Jayden, Dorian and Crystal were at Erika’s shop, discussing more on what had happened four days ago, and their meeting with the team the day after. Erika was currently attending to one customer, while Chrissy was working, and Trevor and Sebastian didn’t respond to the group message. Jayden was getting to know Dorian, and vice versa. The only thing the two have in common is Crystal. She sat in between the two, ready to act as a mediator in case things escalated. She knew Dorian became protective of her not long after they had first met, and Jayden was her first friend she had made during her journey. She shouldn’t worry about things escalating, but she had to be ready just in case.

            “So, you’re the one who got Crystal a cell phone?” Jayden said. “Well, it is about damn time. What made you change your mind?”

            “Let’s just say I managed to convince her that it is easier to stay in touch if she had a phone on her,” Dorian said, taking a sip of his coffee. “She helped me out, and I offered to get her a phone on the condition she stayed in touch when she left.”

            “Ironically, I’m not leaving to head to the next city for my journey,” said Crystal. “The people responsible for what I am…they are here. They are in this city, Jayden.”

            “Wait…you found them?”

            “More like they made themselves known to me,” Crystal said, taking a sip of her water. “Apparently, they have been keeping tabs on me. I’m not sure how long they have been keeping tabs, but they know I am here. But it means that they are somewhere in this city then.”

            “So, you are closer to finding them,” said Jayden, a little bit of excitement in his voice. “You’re close to finding a cure then.”

            “Yes.”

            Silence fell over the three of them. Crystal was staring down at her glass, as Dorian looked at her with concern in his eyes. Jayden noticed the look he was giving her, and his eyes kept going back and forth between Crystal and Dorian. He could tell something was going on between the two, but he wouldn’t bring it up just yet. He wasn’t going to pry, but he could tell that Dorian really cares for Crystal.

            “Jayden told me what happened,” said Erika, who took a seat next to her brother. “I’m so sorry for what has happened to you, Crystal. But, it is good to hear that you are closer to finding a cure for you.”

            “Thank you,” Crystal said, smiling softly at Erika. “I’m glad I don’t have to look for anymore. Just have to be patient, and I’ll find them.”

            “So, would you also like to tell the story of how you two met?” Erika asked.

            “Well, Dorian works at a club on the other side of town,” Crystal started. “There was a flier for a singer needed for a night, and it happened to be the night I just arrived.”

            “Normally I’m the one singing with the band, and was against having someone else have the stage,” said Dorian. “But, after the first song, I was impressed with her, and the crowd loved her. They loved her so much that they asked for an encore, and she blew it out of the park again. The second song, however, was completely in Japanese. That impressed me even more.”

            “You know Japanese?” Erika asked.

            “Somewhat. I’m not fluent in it,” Crystal admitted. “But, I have practiced singing to Japanese songs. That’s how I knew how to sing ‘Ichirin no Hana’ that night. I just kept practicing, listening to the same song over and over until I got it right. The same when singing any kind of song.”

            “Still, it was an amazing performance,” Dorian said, sitting back in his seat. “You had the crowd going wild with that encore.”

            “Amazing enough to get a job as a bartender. But, at least now I have some sort of income since I’ll be staying here for a while.”

            “Guess I’ll have to find something to do as well,” said Jayden. “Probably just do some odd jobs here and there.”

            “Yeah, because you have a real track record of staying in one place,” Erika said sarcastically, giving her brother a smirk.

            Jayden blushed, and sat back in his seat. Crystal let out a small laugh as well, which only made Jayden sit back farther into his seat.

            “This is going to take a while to get used to,” said Dorian.

            “What do you mean?” Crystal asked. “You mean being a Power Ranger?”

            “Yeah, that,” he replied, leaning back. “I’ve heard stories of them, sure. But I thought that was it. Just stories for kids. But now…here we are. The new team to protect the Earth. Whoever is coming to Earth…well, they’ll be sorry they messed with us.”

            Crystal smiled at Dorian’s statement, and he smiled back. Erika and Jayden looked at each other, but couldn’t help but smile as well. Dorian was right. They are the new team of heroes to protect the Earth. It will take a while to get used to being Power Rangers, but they were determined to use the powers they were given to protect the people of Los Angeles, and the planet.

            “Well, speaking of Power Rangers, there is one other thing we may need,” Jayden. “And that is a base of operations. It would be easier for us to have a base, where we can talk freely and not worry about people overhearing us talking.”

            “That is a valid point. It’s already hard enough keeping our powers a secret,” said Dorian. “Having to shut up whenever people are nearby, or talk in a whisper. It would be better for us to have a base, and easily talk about everything where we don’t have to worry about people listening in.”

            “One thing at a time, boys,” said Erika. “Even if we do find one, it will take probably weeks to get it operational.”

            The bell to the shop jingled, and Sebastian had entered. He spotted them, and went over to their table.

            “Hey, sorry I’m late,” he said, taking a seat next to Jayden. “I just saw the group message.”

            “You look like you just woke up,” said Crystal. “Were you up late?”

            “Huh? Oh yeah. Was working on something last night, and lost track of time,” Sebastian replied.

            “Give me a moment then,” said Erika.

            Erika got up, and went over to the make something for Sebastian to wake him up.

            “So, what did I miss?” Sebastian asked.

            “Well, Jayden and Dorian were thinking about where our base of operations should be,” Crystal started. “You know, a place where we can freely talk about our whole situation and being a team of heroes without having to worry about being overheard by random people.”

            “It makes sense,” Jayden defended.

            “I’m not saying you’re wrong. You and Dorian do bring up valid points. I’m sure the other Rangers also had a base of operations of their own. It’s not like they would openly talk about their Ranger lives out in the open with people eavesdropping on their conversation. At least with a base, we don’t have to look over our shoulders in case someone was in earshot of our conversations.”

            “I completely get that,” Sebastian said. “Which brings me to -”

            Just then, an explosion came just nearby. All four of them stood up suddenly, and Erika stopped what she was doing. She then ordered everyone out of the shop and to get as far away as possible. Crystal helped with getting the people out of the store, while Jayden, Dorian and Sebastian ran outside to see where the explosion came from.

            “We will go on ahead and check things out!” Jayden yelled to his sister. “You two make sure everyone here is evacuated!”

            “You got it!” Crystal replied.

            “We’ll catch up! Be careful, Jayden!” Erika yelled back.

            Jayden nodded his head in understanding, and led the way to where the explosion came from, with Dorian and Sebastian following right behind him. Sebastian and Dorian shook their wrists, their morphers appearing on their left, and the key appearing on their right. They didn’t morph just yet, only wanting to see what they were dealing with first. Jayden didn’t call out his Guyver unit either, wanting to know what the cause of the explosion is first as well. As they headed towards the explosion, Crystal and Erika focused on evacuating the people inside her shop. Once they were sure that there was no one left inside, they exited the store, Erika locked up, and Crystal helped anyone up who fell while running away from the explosion. Once they were sure everyone was safely away, they made their way to the explosion as well.

            When Jayden, Dorian and Sebastian arrived at the scene, they saw what looked like robots destroying whatever was around them. They matched the description Jayden had told them a few days ago. Red outlines with tech designs.

            “Are those the things you mentioned about?” asked Dorian. “These those same robots?”

            “Yeah. They are,” Jayden replied. “Where did they come from?”

            “Hey!”

            The three of them turned their heads, and saw Chrissy running towards them. She stood next to Sebastian, looking at the scene before her.

            “I heard the explosion,” she said. “I had to evacuate the beach before I came here. Where are Erika and Crystal?”

            “Right here!”

            Chrissy turned her head, and Erika and Crystal stood next to her.

            “We just finished evacuating the people from my shop, and helped anyone running away from here,” Erika told them.

            “So, any idea where our leader is?” said Sebastian. “I mean, from what I remember, the Red Ranger is the leader of the team.”

            “You mean our leader who is fully morphed and currently fighting the robots?” said Erika, pointing out to Trevor up ahead.

            All eyes went forward, and right there, they saw Trevor, fully morphed, fighting these things. They were surprised to see him there, and were wondering when he got here. But, they were worried he was doing more harm than good. He kept attacking with his fire ability, which was making the flames bigger in the buildings around him.

            “He’s causing more damage if he keeps using his fire ability,” Crystal stated. “He needs to stop!”

            “Crystal, can you extinguish the fires if you used your element manipulation?” Jayden asked.

            Crystal looked around, and saw a fire hydrant nearby. She nodded her head yes, and started to head towards the hydrant, transforming into Pearlshell.

            “Can she break the fire hydrant?” Sebastian asked.

            “Oh yeah,” Jayden and Dorian answered at the same time.

            “The rest of you help Trevor,” Jayden told them. “I’ll make sure the buildings are completely evacuated. Make a clear path for anyone coming out. Don’t morph unless absolutely necessary.”

            Everyone nodded their head in agreement, and Jayden started to make his way towards one of the buildings. Chrissy, Dorian, Erika and Sebastian went to help Trevor fight off these robot monster creatures. Erika knocked one robot off of Trevor, getting into a fighting stance behind him.

            “You need to stop relying on your fire powers!” she told him.

            “Why? It’s knocking these robots down!” he argued.

            “But you’re causing more harm than good!” she explained as she kicked back another robot. “You’re making the fire in this building more intense! There still might be people inside!”

            “There isn’t!” Trevor argued again, using his fire ability to knock back two more robots.

            “Did you go inside and check?” Erika said, blocking an attack from a robot.

            “Well…no. But, it’s a burning building! They should know to leave when there is a fire!”

            “And if they are trapped and are unable to get out?” Erika countered.

            Just before Trevor could argue, Jayden had ran past them, and charged into the burning building behind them.

            “What is he doing?” Trevor asked.

            “Obviously checking if anyone else is in the building!” Chrissy yelled. “Clear a path for the people coming out!”

            “I told you! There are no people inside!”

            Right as those words left his mouth, out came people. Erika and Chrissy looked at him in disbelief, and focused on getting the robots’ attention, and away from the civilians escaping from the fire. Dorian and Sebastian stood near the door frame, helping anyone that tripped and fell. Crystal had reached the fire hydrant, and was able to break it open. Water then burst forth, and she waved her hands. She was manipulating the water, and started sending it to the burning building. She had her hands held up in front of her, focusing on the water and making sure she didn’t release it until it was over the flames. A few of the robots noticed what she was doing, and started to make their way towards her. Chrissy noticed this, and used her gravity powers to hold the robots down. They fell, face first into the ground, unable to move. Jayden came out of the building, telling Dorian and Sebastian that there was no one else inside. He then looked over to Crystal, and shouted at her.

            “Now!”

            Crystal nodded her head, and waved her arms once more. The water followed the movement of her arms, and was then dropped onto the burning building. She continued to keep the water from the hydrant on the fire until it was nothing but just smoke. Once the fire was cleared, Crystal lowered her arms, and the water from the hydrant ceased. She looked over to Chrissy, and nodded her head in thanks for stopping the robots from attacking her as she was concentrating on the water.  Chrissy nodded back, and released the robots, allowing Crystal to attack them with her pearls. Her attack destroyed the robots, and she made her way towards the others.

            Then, out of nowhere, a blast went right at Crystal, knocking her back. This forced her out of Pearlshell and back into her civilian form. She laid on her back, wincing in pain. Dorian ran to her side, checking her over. Checking the trajectory of the blast, Jayden called forth his Guyver unit, and changed. Another blast was coming at both Crystal and Dorian. Jayden fired at the blast, using a beam that came from his forehead. It destroyed the blast, saving both of them. Dorian looked over to Jayden, nodding his head in thanks. Jayden and the rest of them ran over to Dorian and Crystal, and Crystal slowly sat up.

            “All right. Who fired that blast?” she asked, coughing a bit. “That was not fun.”

            Then, a loud laugh came from the direction of the blast. Everyone turned, seeing something approach them. They weren’t sure who or what it was. Once the thing came into view, it looked like a human. A human woman. They wore a blue helmet, almost resembled a shell, and the outfit was also blue, and there were some colored boxes on both her dress and shoes. They were also carrying a weapon, which looked like a rapier.

            “Well, I wasn’t expecting this,” said the woman. “The Lady will be most interested in this.”

            “Who are you?” Jayden asked.

            “I am General Lena,” the woman introduced herself. “You are an interesting specimen. And so is that girl behind you.”

            “What do you want?” asked Chrissy. “Did you cause all this?”

            “My my…what ever gave that away?” Lena said in a playful tone. “Why yes. I had the Mecha Bots do all the hard work. Had to let the people of Earth know that this planet is ours for the taking.”

            “Now why would you want Earth?” asked Erika.

            “Well, you see…My Lady has been searching for these specific jewels,” Lena said, pacing back and forth, swinging around her rapier. “These jewels are said to harness the power of mythical chi beasts, and would give the user power. My Lady wants it. And…it looks like the rumors are true. They are here, given the guy in the Red Suit.”

            Everyone looked to Trevor, who stood there in shock. He was the only one morphed, and no one else was.

            “Now, seeing how you aren’t really reacting in shock, and that girl having transformed back into a human, and this boy is another creature…you are aware what I am talking about. So, that must mean that the rest of you have the remaining Star Jewels. Now, make this easy for all of you. Hand me the Star Jewels, and all of you get to live.”

            “No way in hell are we surrendering them to you,” said Dorian, standing in front of Crystal.

            “I thought as much. Typical human behavior. Then, we’ll just take it from your corpses. Stingray Nezire! Come forth!”

            Another blast came, and a monster appeared next to Lena. She pointed her Rapier at the Rangers, and said to the monster, “Kill them. Don’t leave any one of them alive.”

            “Yes, General.”

            Lena then teleported away from the area, and Jayden got into a fighting stance. Crystal stood up, and stood next to Dorian. He looked over to her, worry in his eyes. But he knew better. He saw the look she had in her eyes, and there was a fire there. She was determined to fight and help them fight this monster. She wasn’t going to stand back. She only nodded her head at him, no words exchanged, and he nodded back. Erika’s and Chrissy’s morphers appeared on their wrists.

            “It’s morphin’ time!” yelled Erika.

            “Star Power! Aura change!”

            Chrissy, Dorian, Erika, and Sebastian morphed into the Blue, Green, Pink and Yellow Star Warriors. They, and Trevor, stood alongside Jayden, getting into a fighting stance. Crystal transformed back into Pearlshell, falling in with the rest of the group.

            “Don’t use your powers just yet,” Jayden told them. “Let’s see what this thing is capable of first. I’ll make the first move, and the rest of you will follow.”

            Everyone nodded their head in acknowledgement.

            “You can’t handle me!” said the monster called Stingray Nezire. “I will destroy you!”

            “We’d like to see you try,” Jayden said.

            The blades appeared on each of Jayden’s forearms, and he charged first at Stingray. He swung his left arm at it, but the monster blocked his attack.

            “Now!” Jayden cried.

            Dorian was the next person to charge at the monster, sending a roundhouse kick to its middle area. This caught the monster off guard, knocking it back a bit. Sebastian followed suit, sending front kick to its head. Trevor, Chrissy and Erika then attacked it, firing their blasters at it. Crystal then charged at the monster, with Jayden right next to her. They both sent a punch at the monster, sending him back. The monster threw a small fit, angry at how they managed to attack him without a sweat. Stingray Nezire swung around, its tail growing and swinging at the Rangers. The monster then jumped, and flew around the Rangers. It managed to land some strikes on them, including Jayden and Crystal. It then flew at Jayden again, but he caught the monster this time. He swung the monster around before throwing it. Stingray landed on its feet, and turned around.

            “How annoying,” it said, facing the Rangers.

            “Take out your weapons!” Jayden said. “We’ll destroy it with a combined attack!”

            Trevor and Sebastian took out their swords, Chrissy and Erika took out their daggers, and Dorian combined both his sword and dagger to use his blaster. The Stingray Nezire fired lasers at the Rangers, but they jumped back. Trevor and Sebastian charged at the monster first with their swords, landing hits. Chrissy and Erika followed, attacking with their daggers. Dorian fired a few shots at the monster, and Crystal followed suit with her pearls. Jayden then put his hands together, and brought them back to his waist. A red energy sphere was forming in between his hands, its energy radiating off of it.

            “Pressure…Cannon!”

            Jayden then extended his arms in front of him, letting go the energy that had formed between his hands. He had fired it at the monster, making a direct hit. It looked like a black hole, spinning in a circular rotating motion. The monster let out a scream of pain as it took the hit of Jayden’s attack. The Stingray Nezire was being smashed by the pressure wave, and the monster was soon sucked up by the compressed black hole, and phased out. The black hole then disappeared, and the monster was destroyed. Jayden waited a few seconds before finally reverting back to his civilian form, the Guyver retreating back into its unit. Crystal did the same, and nearly collapsed if it weren’t for Dorian catching her.

            “Let’s get out of here and talk somewhere,” said Jayden.

            “Actually, I just have the place,” Sebastian said, holding up his hand. “Just follow me. Oh. Power down.”

            Sebastian reverted back to his civilian form, and the rest of the Rangers followed suit. Dorian held onto Crystal, helping her walk as they followed Sebastian to where ever it was they could talk. They stopped at a house, and Sebastian took out a key.

            “My roommate is currently at work, so he won’t be back for a while,” he said, opening the front door. “But, there’s something I’ve been working on since we met up again few days ago.”

            Sebastian let everyone in, and soon led them downstairs to the basement area. He then moved around some boxes, and a metal door was there. On top of the door looked like a hand print scanner. He placed his hand on top, and once it verified his hand print, the door unlocked, and Sebastian pulled it open.

            “Come on down,” he said, smiling at them.

            Everyone looked at him like he was crazy.

            “It’s okay guys. Look, I’ll go down first, and then you can come down afterwards,” he said to them. “I’ve been working nonstop on this. I want to know what you guys think.”

            Sebastian climbed down the ladder, and everyone looked at one another. Crystal let go of Dorian, and followed down to where ever Sebastian was leading them. Dorian followed afterwards, and soon enough, the rest of them followed. Once they were down, Sebastian flipped a switch, and lit up what ever room they were now in. Everyone was in awe struck from what they saw in front of their eyes.

            “Welcome to Star Warrior Base,” Sebastian said, spinning in a circle with his arms out.

            “Sebastian. Wha- how?” said Trevor. “How did you do this?”

            “You started working on this since we last met?” asked Chrissy.

            “Yep. Which is why I was late today,” Sebastian said, looking to Jayden. “I stayed up late working on this before I realized how late it was. Figured we needed a base to work out of, and also a way to keep an eye on the city and for any monster attacks.”

            “And we were just talking about needing a base of operations,” said Dorian.

            “In the center, there’s going to be a holoterminal,” Sebastian started to explain. “Not only will we be able to view situations in just Los Angeles, but also around the globe. We will also be able to send and receive messages through the holographic based transmission networks. This base will also include a rec room, a small medical bay, and a built in teleportation system that will allow us to teleport anywhere, when and if needed. Which reminds me…”

            Sebastian then walked over to table, and held out a tray of what looked like watches.

            “These are our communicators,” he said, holding them out. “I think these would be better to communicate if one of us is in a fight. Better than trying to get out a cell phone, and dialing a number. But, still sending text messages and such is also a good idea, if we don’t want to get weird looks from people if one of our communicators goes off. I’ve also made it that we can teleport back to base if needed, or also teleport anywhere else in the city if you are not in the base.”

            They took the communicators off of the tray, and strapped it onto their wrists. They looked it over, impressed at the workmanship that Sebastian made.

            “Again…how did you do all this?” asked Erika.

            “Well, I’m a techy,” Sebastian said, putting down the tray. “I studied technology and such. Pretty much the only thing I was good at growing up. The past Power Rangers must have had some sort of base that had some cool tech. So, I thought why not us too. It’d be easier to keep track of things. And, like you said earlier, Crystal, a place where we can freely talk without people eavesdropping on our conversations.”

            “That’s what you were trying to tell us earlier,” Crystal said, realizing what Sebastian was going to say before the explosion.

            “Yep. Pretty much,” Sebastian said, putting his hands behind his head.

            “Hey…guys.”

            All heads turned to Trevor, who was holding his arm. He had a look as if he had been scolded by a parent.

            “I’m sorry…for earlier,” he said. “I should have listened to you guys. You were right. I was doing more harm when I kept using my fire ability. And I didn’t check if the building had been completely evacuated. If it weren’t for Jayden checking to make sure, those people would have died because of my negligence.”

            “We’re a team, Trevor,” said Erika. “We have to work together. You also need to be mindful of your surroundings. We wouldn’t be telling you otherwise if something was a bad idea. You just have to trust us more.”

            “Erika’s right,” said Chrissy. “Jayden told us that communication is key when it comes to being a team. And trust is another thing. You can trust us. We’re in this together.”

            “I know, and I’m sorry,” Trevor said. “I just…my life hasn’t been that fulfilling lately. And now, I’m a Power Ranger. I feel like I can do something more now. But, like you said, we’re a team. And even though I’m the Red Ranger…I’m not fit to be a leader.”

            “What do you mean?” asked Jayden.

            “I mean, I went in, completely morphed and charged right at the monsters,” Trevor explained. “When I should have gone inside the building to check if there were any more people inside. A leader of a team is someone who leads by example. You did that, Jayden. You checked for any more people inside the building, and the others followed you. You each gave them what they should do. And what did I do? I went in, fully morphed, just taking care of those robots first, using my fire ability, but just adding more the already burning building.”

            “What are you trying to say, Trevor?” Dorian asked.

            “I’m saying…that the leader of this team shouldn’t be me,” said Trevor. “It should be you, Jayden.”

            “Trevor. Are you sure?”

            “Of course, I am. Jayden. You were more of a leader today than I was. We were able to save everyone today, stop a fire, and destroy a monster because of you. You also are more familiar with these robots than we are. I think we stand a better chance with you leading us.”

            Jayden looked at Trevor, taking in what he just said. He wasn’t used to being a leader, let alone leading a team of Power Rangers. He wasn’t a Ranger, but he had the Guyver unit to help him fight.

            “I’m with Trevor,” said Sebastian. “I mean, you did tell me what to do and I just followed. But, like he said, we were able to save all the people in the burning building.”

            “I concur as well,” said Erika. “You didn’t just charge in recklessly. You had us split up, making sure the people around us were evacuated and away from danger first before fighting off those monsters. We were able to divide and conquer.”

            “Does everyone feel the same?” Jayden asked, looking from Chrissy to Dorian to Crystal.

            Everyone just nodded their head in agreement, and Crystal smiled at Jayden. Everyone looked at Jayden, their minds set. After a few minutes, Jayden nodded his head and smiled at his team.

            “All right,” Jayden said. “Guess everyone is sure. Okay then. I guess I accept then. I’ll be the leader then.”

            “So, what should we do first then, leader?” Dorian asked.

            “Well, let’s help Sebastian out with this base. We’ll be able to tackle more work together. Can’t let you have all the fun putting this together, Sebastian. Just tell us what needs to get done. You lead on this. This base, after all, is your brain child.”

            “All right. Let’s get to work people.”

            “Crystal, you rest up first,” Jayden said, stopping her from getting up. “Take a breather. And when you feel better, then you can help us.”

            “Aye aye, captain,” she said, giving him a mock salute.

            Jayden laughed at her, and went on to help Sebastian. Dorian approached her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

            “Let me know if you need anything, okay?” he said to her.

            She smiled softly at him, and nodded her head. He smiled back, and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. He rubbed his fingers through her hair, and joined the others in putting the base together. Crystal watched as the rest of the team helped put the base together. A team. It was their second fight together, and they did well. And Trevor was right. Jayden really was a leader today. He didn’t go into a battle straight away. He thought of the people first, making sure they were away and safe from danger. Once he was sure everyone was away, they focused all their attention on the robots. Despite it being only four days since their first fight together as Power Rangers, they already knew what it means to be a team. And Crystal was happy to be part of said team.

General Lena

Episode 2 Star Warriors

            Jayden and Crystal worked together to fight off the Hell Vanguard. A blade then formed on Jayden’s forearm, and extended out. He leapt toward the demon, ready to strike at it. The demon blocked his attack with its scythe, but Jayden only smirked underneath his armor. He jumped back, dodging the scythe from the Vanguard. Crystal was charging at the monster, her arms across her chest. The pearl on her face glowed, and around her pearls were starting to materialize. She then uncrossed her arms, sending the pearls flying towards the demon. The pearls exploded once it made contact with the demon. It hurt the demon, but it didn’t do much damage to it.

            “We have to make sure to destroy it this time,” Crystal told Jayden. “We can’t let it get away this time.”

            “I know, Crystal,” Jayden replied. “I know.”

            A second blade had formed on Jayden’s other arm, and he got into a fighting stance. Crystal stood next to him, also in a fighting stance. The demon charged at them both, and they were ready to attack. As the demon went to swing its scythe, it was hit by a blast. They turned their heads, and saw that they had morphed. Dorian had found his team. She had remembered that Viridian said there were more of him, and now here they were. All together.

            Each one of them had their blasters out, pointed at the Hell Vanguard. They then took apart their blasters, and separated they each held a sword and a dagger. Erika holstered her weapons, and sent another wind gust at the demon. It shielded itself with its scythe, but was still knocked back. Trevor followed up, charging at the demon and sending a fireball at it. Again, it shielded itself with its scythe. Christine then waved her hands, and the demon’s scythe was then pulled out of its hands, and was sent up into the air. Crystal followed up, creating pearls once more and sent them flying at the scythe. Upon impact, the scythe was destroyed.

            “All right. Now it can’t defend itself,” Jayden said, getting into a charging stance. “Give it everything you got! Don’t let it get away!”

            Erika and Christine took out their daggers, and charged at the demon head on. Without its scythe, the demon couldn’t do much damage to them but just swing its arms at them. Christine blocked one of the arms, while Erika dodged and swung at the other, slicing the forearm off. The arm then disintegrated, and Christine sliced the other arm. The Hell Vanguard screeched in pain as it lost both of its arms, unable to defend itself. Trevor and Dorian charged at it with their sword, Sebastian fired his blaster at the demon, and Jayden charged at it, giving the final blow with both of the blades on his forearms. Taking one swing at the demon, and it let out one last screech before finally disintegrating. His blades then retracted back into his arms, and Jayden just stared at where the demon once stood.

            Crystal looked to Jayden, then to Dorian, then to everyone else. She reverted back to her human form, and Dorian made his way towards her.

            “Are you okay?” he asked, putting a hand on her arm.

            “Yeah. I’m fine,” she replied, smiling softly at him. “You?”

            “I’m good. You know me. Takes more to bring me down,” he said in his usual flirty tone.

            Crystal shook her head at his comment before turning her gaze towards Jayden. He gave her a nod, silently telling her that he was fine too.

            “Is it dead?” asked Sebastian. “Will it come back? Or will it grow fifty feet taller?”

            “It’s gone,” Jayden said, reverting back to his normal form. “Last time Crystal and I fought one, it didn’t grow fifty feet tall. I don’t think this one will either.”

            “All right. So, it’s gone,” said Christine. “Now, can someone explain more of what just happened?”

            Crystal and Jayden looked at one another, and nodded their heads in agreement. Crystal looked up at Dorian, and he nodded his head back at her.

            “Power down,” Dorian said, his suit dematerializing.

            “Oh. That’s easy enough,” said Sebastian. “Power down.”

            Sebastian’s suit also dematerialized, and he was surprised, though smiling, to see himself back in his regular clothing. Trevor, Christine and Erika followed, their suits dematerializing, and seeing them back in their regular clothes. Viridian materialized in front of them once more, and sat back.

            “Not bad for your first time together,” he said to them. “But, you five still have a long way to go to fully become a team.”

            “This is Viridian,” explained Dorian, taking out his green jewel. “He is my chi beast. No one else can see him but us. He only makes himself visible to those he allows to see. So, to everyone else, it looks like we are just talking to each other.”

            “That makes sense,” said Christine. “But, we should find a better place to talk about what just happened.”

            “I know a place,” said Trevor. “Follow me.”

            Trevor started to walk back towards his booth, Viridian disappeared, Dorian put his green jewel away, and everyone started to follow. Jayden stood next to Crystal, Dorian standing on her right, and Erika standing on Jayden’s left. Dorian glanced at Erika, then at Jayden. He wondered how Crystal met him, feeling more protective of her now. But, she trusted Jayden. He could tell with how they fought together just moments ago. For now, Dorian would just follow her lead.

            “Glad that was dealt with,” Jayden said to Crystal. “Didn’t get away this time.”

            “No, you made that quite clear,” she replied back, smiling at him before turning her gaze to Erika. “I’m Crystal, by the way. Crystal Shidou. Nice to meet you.”

            “Nice to meet you too,” she replied, waving at her. “Erika Ryder. I’m Jayden’s older sister. How do you know my brother?”

            “We met a few years ago,” Jayden replied.

            “More than a few years ago,” Crystal argued.

            “It was actually the same situation as today,” Jayden continued. “We both encountered that demon when we first met. We talked, and got to know each other. But we then went our separate ways. We both had our own journeys we were taking.”

            “I see. So, you both met in a town. Fought a Hell Vanguard. Got to know each and be friends. And then you both left town and went your separate ways. I find it hard to believe you made a friend during your travels.”

            Crystal let out a small laugh, and Jayden couldn’t help but chuckle at his sister’s comment.

            “Yes, I actually made a friend, sis,” Jayden commented. “Granted, I haven’t seen her since we went our separate ways. Until last week when, can you believe it, we fought that Hell Vanguard we just destroyed just moments ago.”

            “You two bumped into each other the same way you first met?” Erika said, disbelief in her voice. “I highly doubt that was a coincidence.”

            “Yeah, I agree,” said Crystal. “I mean, before I would think that. But now…I don’t believe it was a coincidence.”

            “Oh? And what do you think it was?” Jayden asked.

            “Fate.”

            Crystal couldn’t help but smile softly at Jayden as she answered his question. Erika couldn’t help but smile back at her response. It wasn’t a coincidence. It was fate. Just like how it was fate that brought Erika, Dorian, Christine, Trevor and Sebastian together. She then took out her pink jewel, and held it between her fingers. Jayden looked down at his sister, then at the jewel in her hand. He then remembered Dorian holding out his jewel, only that it was green.

            “Where did you find your jewel?” Jayden asked Dorian.

            “Hm?”

            “Your green jewel. Where did you find it?”

            “Oh. I found it in my family’s attic back home,” Dorian replied, taking out his green jewel. “It was in a chest. Apparently, no one was able to open it for years. Until I decided to go up, and saw it collecting dust in a corner. I was curious to what was inside it, and it just -”

            “Clicked open as soon as you touched it, right?” Erika interrupted.

            “Yeah. How did you know?”

            “Same thing happened to me when I found this pink jewel,” Erika replied.

            “Hey. Same thing happened to me,” said Christine, looking back at them.

            “Same here,” Trevor said.

            “Ditto,” replied Sebastian.

            Jayden and Crystal looked at each other, then to everyone else. It was no coincidence at all today. Everything was happening due to fate. It was fate that brought them here together, and it was fate that brought the jewels to them. There was a lot going to be discussed today, and it was going to be a lot to process. It didn’t take them long for them to arrive at Trevor’s booth. It wasn’t long until a few stomachs growled, and they decided to order some food as well. As they waited, they grabbed a table nearby while Trevor helped out with making their food.

            “So, I guess we should introduce ourselves first,” Crystal stated. “I’m Crystal Shidou.”

            “Dorian Chambers.”

            “Christine Armstrong, but call me Chrissy.”

            “Sebastian Everett.”

            “Erika Ryder.”

            “Jayden Ryder. I’m Erika’s little brother.”

            “And I’m Trevor Reeves. Here are your orders.”

            Crystal helped Trevor take the bags of food off of his arms, and passed it around the table. Trevor took a seat, and took a sip of water.

            “So, all of you found these jewel things in chests that no one has been able to open,” started Jayden. “Does anyone have any idea what they are called?”

            Before anyone else can say anything, Viridian had appeared again. He materialized in the middle of the table, giving Sebastian a scare.

            “Bloody hell. A little warning would be nice,” Sebastian said.

            “The jewels you have in your possession are called Star Jewels,” Viridian started, sitting back. “I am what you call a Chi Beast. We are based on mythical animals.”

            “A lion is a mythical animal?” asked Trevor.

            “Probably where the Chinese got the Imperial Guardian Lion from,” said Chrissy. “It is well known in Chinese Buddhism. Which probably explains the unicorn in my jewel.”

            “Yes. In each of your Star Jewels is the image of your Chi Beasts,” Viridian continued. “Red dragon, unicorn, phoenix, lion, and griffon. With yellow, I said you are missing half of your jewel, even though it looks whole.”

            “The griffon is a creature with the body, tail and back legs of a lion,” explained Erika. “And it has the wings and head of an eagle. It’s comprised of two creatures.”

            “You know your lore,” said Viridian. “This makes things easier. The powers for yellow are fully manifested when both jewels are together. Do you know where the other half is?”

            “I’m sorry. I don’t,” Sebastian said, looking down at his food.

            “Well, you can still morph. You just can’t use your powers.”

            “So, the reason why we are able to do what we just did…is because of these Star Jewels?” asked Trevor. “Like with me throwing fire at that demon?”

            “Yes. Red dragon gives you control over fire. Unicorn the power over gravity, phoenix with control over wind, lion with power on illusions, and the griffon control over time.”

            “Time?” asked Sebastian.

            “You can freeze and reverse the flow of time. Now, as for who created us…her name was Asteria. She was a master that studied these mythical animals, otherwise known as chi beasts. She harnessed the power of us, and from certain stars that we gathered our power from. She created the Star Jewels, and each one holding the power of each beast.”

            “How did they come to be separated?” asked Chrissy.

            “When word started to spread of the Star Jewels, evil forces came for us,” Viridian explained. “Asteria knew that this would happen one day. Where there is good, there is evil. Asteria had locked each one of us inside enchanted chests, only to be opened by those we deemed worthy of our power. We were then scattered throughout the Earth, waiting for those worthy of our powers. They would be known as the Star Warriors.”

            “So, we just became Power Rangers?” asked Trevor.

            Everyone looked at Trevor as if he had two heads.

            “What? I mean, the primary colors, our morphers,” Trevor continued. “It seems like we are Power Rangers now. And come on. I mean, you’ve all seen the news. No one knows the identity of the Power Rangers, but they could be random people who were brought together for a reason. I mean, I know we’re all random people to one another, but each of us were chosen by these jewels.”

            “He’s right,” said Erika. “It is no coincidence that we were all brought here together. It was no coincidence that the Hell Vanguard appeared today, after just appearing last week.”

            “Wait. It showed up before?” asked Chrissy.

            “Yes,” said Crystal. “Jayden and I fought one last week, but it vanished before we would finish it. It never popped up again till today.”

            “You two know each other?” asked Sebastian.

            “We met a few years ago,” Jayden explained. “We fought another Hell Vanguard then. We didn’t think another one would show up. I didn’t know there could have been more than one of its kind.”

            “Neither did I,” said Crystal. “But, like Erika said: it was not a coincidence for you five to be here together. It was fate. I didn’t believe in fate for a long time. That is…until I met Dorian here.”

            Crystal looked over at Dorian, who gave her a soft smile. She patted her shoulder before turning her attention back to everyone.

            “Dorian told me that there were others like him out there,” she continued. “He didn’t know who they were, or what they looked like. But Viridian explained to him that there were others like him. He left his home, and came out here. Searching for you guys. I may not be a Star Warrior like you guys, but I want to help. I can’t just sick back and watch while I know I can help.”

            “Same here,” said Jayden.

            “Jayden. You can’t,” said Erika. “You have no idea what you are going up against.”

            “And neither do you,” Jayden argued. “That thing may have friends. And I’m not just gonna sit back and watch you fight it on your own. Like Crystal said, I’m not gonna sit back and watch while I know I can help. I mean, you saw me out there today.”

            “Yes, but - ”

            “But what? I’ve been fighting things for a long time. And I’ve fought alongside Crystal. I’m not a Star Warrior like you, but I am a fighter. I too want to use my powers to protect the people of this city. And I guess for that matter, the planet. You said it yourself, fate brought us together. We are in this together, whether you like it or not. I’ve been fighting a long time, and I’m not gonna stop now.”

            Everyone was staring at the two siblings, including Viridian. Crystal could understand Erika’s point, an older sibling looking out for their younger sibling. But, she also understood Jayden’s point. She knew Jayden, and he wasn’t the type to just sit back and watch the fight happen. He would always run towards the fight, not away from it. She knew because he did that the first time they met, and again when they met last week.

            “There is no changing his mind once his mind is made up,” said Crystal. “You should know that.”

            “That I do,” Erika said, letting out a small sigh. “All too well. Just as stubborn as I am.”

            “I think we all are,” said Dorian. “Which is probably why we were chosen.”

            “Question though…how come greeny here is the only beast we can see?” asked Sebastian. “I mean…where are our chi beasts?”

            “First, never call me that name again,” Viridian warned, letting out a small growl. “Second, they should have appeared the moment you were given your powers. Come on out!”

            Soon enough, the rest of the chi beasts appeared. They all had materialized right in front of them. There they were. The chi beasts of the unicorn, red dragon, and the phoenix. Each one stood in front of their chosen warrior.

            “A pleasure to meet you, Christine. I am Cerulean.”

            “I am Rosso. Nice to meet you, Trevor.”

            “Nice to meet you, Erika. I am Rosa.”

            Sebastian looked around, wondering where his chi beast was.

            “Hey. How come I’m the only one without a beast?” he whined.

            “You only have half of the Star Jewel,” explained Viridian. “Your power is not the only thing affected. Your chi beast is also affected. He can’t come out until the other half is with you.”

            Sebastian deflated at the statement. He took out his star jewel, and stared at it. He was the only one on the team who not only couldn’t use his powers, but also couldn’t talk to his chi beasts.

            “So, how come you didn’t show yourself until now?” asked Trevor.

            “Wanted to see if you were fit for the powers bestowed upon you,” replied Rosso. “You never fully used your powers until today.”

            “Same here,” said Chrissy. “I accidentally used my powers once, and haven’t really used it since. And I haven’t fully used it until today. Which is understandable from their point of view. They wanted to see if we were ready for the responsibilities that came with these powers.”

            “Precisely,” said Viridian, who was now standing up. “Now that you have morphed and fought together, you will be seeing us more often.”

            “No one else can see us,” said Rosa. “Only you seven can see us. No one else can unless we allow them to.”

            “At least with all of us together, it will look like we are just talking to each other,” said Dorian. “And not to ourselves as if we were crazy.”

            “You runts still have a long way to go,” said Viridian. “But, you did good today. All of you. Well done.”

            Each one of them smiled softly at Viridian’s compliment. They never fought together until today, but they did well. They knew they would be seeing more of each other, and there was going to be a lot of training days. If they were going to be the next team of heroes, or in this case, Power Rangers, they had to start training and working together. Not only that, but also know more about each other. If they were going to work together as a team, they would need to know more about each other.

            Looking down at her watch, Crystal didn’t realize how much time had passed. Two hours had passed since the attack happened. She didn’t realize they had been gone for that long. She finished her water before gathering her empty box and water bottle and tossing them into their respectful recycle bins.

            “Didn’t realize how much time had passed,” she said as she walked back to the table. “I should check on the band and see if they are okay. And if everything is okay, then the charity concert should be good to continue.”

            Dorian only nodded his head, and took his leftovers and water bottle as well. He stood next to Crystal, then looked back at his new team.

            “Come and enjoy the show,” he said to them. “She’s got a pretty great voice. And it is for a good cause.”

            “I was enjoying the concert until that thing showed up,” said Chrissy. “And I’m glad the show is for a good cause.”

            “Yeah. The ocean needs to be cleaned up,” said Sebastian. “The mermaids will die if we don’t keep their homes clean.”

            Everyone looked at Sebastian, but couldn’t help but let out a small laugh at his statement. Viridian only shook his head before dematerializing. The rest of the chi beasts followed suit, and everyone stood up.

            “Well, I need to get back to work,” said Trevor. “If you are still performing when I get off, I’ll come by.”

            Crystal nodded her head, and headed back to the stage. Dorian walked alongside her, placing a hand on her lower back. Chrissy, Sebastian, Jayden and Erika followed Crystal and Dorian to the stage, and Trevor went back to work. Once Crystal and Dorian arrived at the stage, they saw the band members checking their instruments. Crystal smiled, and ran up to them while Dorian went to check on the sound system. She asked if everyone was alright, and thankfully, they were. They managed to get out just in time before anyone could get hurt. Erika watched as Crystal interacted with the band members, and saw how Dorian glanced at her now and then. She wondered how they met, and was still curious about her friendship with her brother. She was also curious about Crystal’s other form.

            “When you first met her…did she turn into that…whatever it is?” Erika asked her brother.

            Jayden looked at his sister, then back at Crystal.

            “Pearlshell,” he replied. “That’s what she calls it. It’s not like the Guyver unit I have. Something…something was done to her. She had no choice in it.”

            Erika looked at him, silently asking him what he meant.

            “She…Crystal was experimented on,” Jayden revealed to his sister. “She was made to be a human weapon, but she escaped. When I first met her, she was looking for the people responsible for what happened to her. She can’t remember due to memory loss, but she is still searching, hoping to trigger something. When we met again last week, she was still searching. And still is.”

            Erika was not expecting that answer from Jayden. She looked back to Crystal, who just smiled and laughed with the other band members. Then she glanced at Dorian, who was working on the sound system, while also looking at Crystal. Erika could tell that Dorian was protective of her, but he was wondering what their relationship was. It didn’t seem like that of a sibling from the way he kept looking at her.

            “Crystal has other abilities,” Jayden explained more to Erika. “She’ll show them to you someday. Even though she was experimented on to be a human weapon, she is one of the kindest people I have met. She’s been through hell that would break most people. But, not her. She’s a stubborn one. She reminded me a bit of you when she and I first met.”

            Erika listened to Jayden as he talked about Crystal. The tone in his voice made it clear to her that Crystal is someone that they can trust. But, she was glad that Crystal was on their side, and she was glad that Jayden found a friend during his travels.

            “You trust her?” Erika asked.

            “Yeah. I trust her,” Jayden replied, looking at Erika then back at Crystal. “She’s my friend. And now, we both have new friends.”

            Jayden had smiled to Chrissy and Sebastian, who smiled in return. Erika couldn’t help but smile back at them as well.

            “Well, looks like we both have a new journey to take,” Erika said to Jayden. “Fighting whatever this evil may be.”

            “Never really thought I would be a Power Ranger,” said Sebastian. “Kinda cool.”

            “Same here,” said Chrissy.

            Crystal spoke into the microphone a few times before looking over at Dorian. He played around the levels and gave her a thumbs up once everything sounded good. Soon enough, the area started to fill up with people. Trevor was spotted among the crowd, and they headed over towards him.

            “Got off early?” Chrissy asked.

            “Yeah. Boss decided to close the booth early,” he said. “Glad he did.”

            “Hey there everyone! Everyone okay after that earthquake?” Crystal spoke into the mic, talking to the crowd that had now formed.

            She could only smile when the crowd cheered.

            “Good. Glad to see everyone is safe. Now, let’s continue where we last left off. Just relax, and enjoy the music. But more importantly, have fun! Despite what happened today, what’s important is that we are alive, we are safe…and that we are back together with those we love.”

            Everyone cheered at her words. Jayden could only smile. She was right though. They were alive, and they were safe. But, he and everyone else knew that things will be different starting today. Today, they were no longer just strangers. They were a team now. A team where they will need to fight to protect this planet and its people from whatever evil is coming. This is a new journey for everyone, but he was glad that he had both his sister and Crystal to take this journey with him. Jayden’s train of thought was interrupted with the strumming of the guitar and the beating of a drum. He and the rest of the Star Warriors cheered on Crystal as she sang to everyone.

And it seems we weren't prepared
For a game that wasn't fair
Do we just go home?
Can we follow through?
When all hope is gone
There is one thing we can do

Let's just live
Day by day
And not be conquered by our sorrows
The past can't hold us down
We must break free
Inside we're torn apart
But time will mend our hearts
Move onward, not there yet
So let's just live