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

Episode 1 Come Together

            It was a bright, sunny day in the City of Angels. People were running about, going to work, going on break from work, or tourists just enjoying the sights. The city holds many secrets, and some would even dare to discover them. But, what many of the people didn’t know was that the city had a few chosen people amongst them. Those who were chosen to protect not just this city, but the planet as well. As fate would have it, they were all led to this city. And again, fate would bring them together. It was time. Something was approaching Earth, and it was time for them to come together.

            It was late morning on this beautiful Saturday, and two people made their way to the boardwalk. The traffic was thankfully pleasant, and not congested like it normally is on a Saturday. They made it just in time for one of them was performing, and had to get their early to get set up. The taxi stopped at its destination, and the door opened. Out of the cab stood a tall man with short black hair, the front of his hair sticking up, wearing a black button-down shirt, jeans, and boots. He then held out his hand, and helped someone come out of the cab. Standing next to him was a woman with long black hair that reached just a bit below her breasts, wearing a tight, sleeveless, v neck t-shirt with the Breaking Benjamin logo, and a tight pair of jean shorts, with purple-colored chains hanging from her belt loops. The cooling breeze of the water brushed over them, and it was peaceful. This place was a side of L.A. not many were able to see, or rather was unloved due to people always seeking the night life.

            “Alright. Stage is this way,” said the woman. “Come on. Need to do a sound check.”

            “Lead the way, Crystal.”

            Crystal, as the young man called her, led them to the stage where she would be performing. Walking along next to her, he took slow steps, not really having much of an agenda for himself for the day. He was simply going to enjoy the time spent with her. People passed by, a few couples with their children playing some of the game attractions making him smile. He nudged her side playfully with his elbow, and pointed to the hammer swing game, with a giant white bell at the top with prizes.

            “You wanna win me something?” he asked.

            “Perhaps after when I am done performing, Dorian,” Crystal replied. “And if you behave yourself.”

            “Behave? Me? Please, you know me. I always behave.”

            “Uh-huh,” she said, letting out a small chuckle.

            Crystal and Dorian made it to the stage, and Crystal notified them that she was there to perform. One of the band members gave the okay to the guard, and they were let through. They had just finish setting up, and Crystal went up on the stage to do a quick sound test with the band. Dorian went over to where the microphones and sounds were handled, making sure everything sound fine as well. He knew this performance was important to Crystal, and wanted to make sure everything ran smoothly for her. Crystal spoke into the mic a few times, giving off a feedback. Dorian looked over the levels, and adjusted them accordingly. He waved his hand at Crystal, signaling her to try again. She spoke again, and no feedback.

            “All right. Let’s do a quick sound check,” she said to the band members.

            Everyone grabbed their instruments, and played around a bit. The guitarist and bassist made sure their instruments were to the correct tuning, and the drummer hit the snare, cymbals and bass drum a bit. Crystal counted down, and started singing one of the songs they were to perform today. Dorian listened as they practiced, making small adjustments here and there to the sound, wanting everything to be balanced out. Dorian gave them a thumbs up when he felt he no longer needed to make adjustments. Crystal nodded her head, and gave the okay that everything sounded good.

            “Looks like we’re good to go,” she said. “Let’s play our hearts!”

            As it was nearing noon, a young girl was working in a small boutique. Not really working, but more so managing it. The boutique consisted of a library, a coffee shop, and a clothing store in one. It was a unique place, and people could either sit to have a coffee, have a coffee and a book to read, go shopping, or all of the above. It was one of those boutiques that was needed in such a big city. A nice break from all the life Los Angeles has to offer. Not many people stopped in it, but there were enough who enjoyed the break from the city. It was a place for people to stop for a moment, and recharge. More importantly, the young girl was happy with the boutique. She started this boutique, and it was flourishing.

            The young girl was brought back to reality when the store bell rang, signaling that someone had entered.

            “Welcome! Anything I can help you-Jayden?”

            A young man with messy black hair stepped into the shop. A smile plastered on his face as the young lady greeted him.

            “Hey there, Erika. Long time no see.”

            The young lady, Erika, couldn’t help but smile at Jayden. Tears threatened to come out, but she didn’t care. She approached Jayden, and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.

            “It’s so good to see you, Jayden,” she said. “What are you doing here?”

            “I was…in the area. Actually, bumped into an old friend of mine just last week, and they are staying here for a while,” Jayden said. “Then, I remembered that you told me you have your own boutique, and thought I would drop in and surprise you.”

            “Well, you definitely succeeded. Never thought I would see my little brother.”

            Jayden smiled at Erika, his sister. Even though she was the eldest, you wouldn’t really tell with the height difference between them. Jayden towered over her tiny form. Erika then led Jayden over to one of the tables, and poured him a cup of coffee. She set the cup in front of him, and took a seat across from him.

            “So, how long are you here for?” Erika asked.

            “What do you mean?” was Jayden’s reply before he took a sip of his coffee.

            “Come on, Jay. We all know you don’t really stay in one place for a long time. Max you usually stay is two weeks or so. Maybe three. Does it have anything to do with your friend that you bumped into? Didn’t think you had a friend, given your track record. Is this friend of yours a girl?”

            Jayden couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle.

            “Wow. Going all out with twenty questions, huh?” Jayden said.

            “Well, it has been a while since I last spoke to you,” Erika stated. “Let alone see you. It would be nice to know how long I get to see my little brother before he goes off to the next town.”

            “I’m not entirely sure yet, sis. But, if you weren’t busy, perhaps we can spend the day together?”

            “I’d like that. How about right now?”

            “Wait…now? Aren’t you working?”

            “Come on, Jay. I own this place. I can close up early if I wanted to,” she said, getting up from her seat. “Besides, not like there is anyone else in this place. Being closed for one day isn’t going to hurt. Just give me five minutes to close up. We can head to the boardwalk. There’s going to be a small concert there later. It’s just a ten-minute walk from here.”

            Erika took Jayden’s coffee, who didn’t even finish it. He smiled as he watched his sister lock the door, and close out the register. The smile disappeared when he felt a small chill run up his spine. He looked out the window, but saw nothing happening. He hoped it was nothing, and that he was just imagining things. He didn’t want his day with his sister to turn upside down.

            On the other side of town, there was a young man who was banging on the door of his house. He fell for a trick, and was locked out of it. He was yelling for his roommate to open the door and let him. The young man was wearing nothing but boxers. Completely embarrassed, and not wanting to be outside any longer, he banged on the door louder. About five minutes had passed until his roommate had finally let him in. After getting himself cleaned up, he put on his Batman hoodie, and headed out. He stretched out his arms, and let out a loud yawn. He was up a bit earlier than he wanted to, but he couldn’t go back to bed after that fiasco. Taking out a list, he began going through it as he began walking down the sidewalk, not really paying attention to his surroundings. He slowly made his way to the boardwalk, still looking at his list. He was then brought back to attention when someone bumped into him, and out of his pocket fell a yellow round jewel. Panicking, he chased after the yellow jewel.

            This yellow jewel may not seem much to most people, but to him it meant everything to him. It was a gift to him from someone long ago. Someone he hasn’t seen in over ten years. It was the only thing he had a connection to that person, and he hoped to someday find that person. He watched as it rolled around, and then getting kicked. People moved out of the young man’s way, and the young man chased after the round jewel. Once it finally came to a stop, he grabbed it before something had the chance to make it roll away from him again. He let out a sigh of relief when he held the small jewel in his hand.

            “Phew. Remember, Sebastian…keep a good hold on those dear to you,” the young man, Sebastian, told himself. “This little thing is the only clue you have left to finding her again. Don’t lose it.”

            Sebastian then cleaned off the dirt on the jewel, and placed it in his pants pocket. It was safer there than in his hoodie pocket. Once it was secured, he wandered about the boardwalk.

            “All right…where to eat first?”

            Sebastian wandered about the boardwalk, wondering where to eat first. It was past noon, so all the booths that serve lunch were now open. There were so many options, but there was one food smell that caught his attention. He followed the smell to a burger stand, and his stomach was growling for what was cooking behind the counter. He stood behind what seemed like a couple, a young man and woman, with the man holding a giant stuffed lion. Sebastian smiled softly at the sight, finding it adorable.

            “Cute lion,” he said to the guy in front of him.

            The young man and woman turned around, and the young woman chuckled softly at his comment. The young man smiled, and waved the lion’s paw at Sebastian.

            “Thanks,” he said to Sebastian. “Believe it or not, she actually won it.”

            “It’s not that big a deal.”

            “It is a big deal, Crystal. Especially since you won this little guy with the strongman game. On your first try.”

            “No way?! Seriously? That’s amazing!” Sebastian said.

            “It was beginner’s luck, Dorian,” she said, blushing slightly. “It really isn’t that big a deal.”

            “I’d say it is a big deal,” said Sebastian. “I bet you are the only one here on this boardwalk to have won a prize. I’ve tried, and not once have I won a prize.”

            Before Crystal could say anything else, their attention was brought to the clerk that said their order was ready. Crystal grabbed the bag, and Dorian grabbed their drinks. Crystal then turned back to Sebastian.

            “Hey. I have a performance in an hour. Come check it out. It’s free to watch, but you can donate as well. It’s a charity performance to help clean the ocean from all the plastics and trash that get thrown into it.”

            “Well, you can count me in. Gotta clean up the oceans, and save all the mermaids. Which is why no one really sees them anymore. Because they keep dumping trash into their homes, and have to relocate.”

            Dorian raised his eyebrows, but smiled at Sebastian’s comment. Crystal let out a small giggle, seeing that he and Dorian were completely opposite people.

            “All right. Well, I’ll see you there…”

            “Sebastian,” he said, giving her a small salute. “I’ll be there.”

            “Sebastian. Nice meeting you. See you at the concert.”

            Dorian nodded at Sebastian, and he nodded back. Crystal smiled softly at him, and nodded her head in the direction of the stage. Sebastian watched them leave, and he smiled softly. He found the two of them adorable, but it seemed like they were just friends and not dating.

            “Good job, Sebastian. You made a new friend. Bet you weren’t expecting that.”

            Next to the boardwalk, a young woman lifeguard was wishing she had said no to covering someone’s shift today, and had the day off. It was a hot day, and with it being high noon, the day was at it’s hottest. But the good thing is that the young woman was almost done with her shift. She started her day at 6AM that day, and her shift was nearly at its end. She watched as the waves rolled onto the beach, but also kept an eye on the beach goers. She blew her whistle once, waving down a couple of swimmers to swim within the flagged areas, and not outside. There were surfers out, and you could only swim in the designated areas, unless you wanted to headbutt the bottom of a surf board.

            As she waited for her replacement to arrive, the young woman couldn’t stop herself from staring down at the blue crystal that had been molded into a metal tip that she could connect to the chain that ran around her neck. Sitting back on the lifeguard chair, she gripped the crystal. She still thought about the day it came into her possession, finding it in an antique shop. It was locked inside a chest, and the owner was surprised when she saw that Christine had opened it. The owner had told her that even she couldn’t open the chest when she came into possession of it. The owner then gave it to Christine free of charge, saying maybe it was fate that she found it and that it was meant for her to open. Her train of thought was interrupted when she heard screaming.

            She stood up in alert, locating the source of the scream. She let out a small sigh, and shook her head when she noticed it was just a guy and girl playing around. The guy had snuck up behind her, and lifted her up onto his shoulders before throwing her down into the ocean water. Sitting back down on the tower, she checked her watched for the time.

            “Thirty minutes. Thirty minutes, and you are out of here, Christine,” she mumbled to herself.

            Thirty minutes felt like an hour to Christine once her replacement came, and relieved her of duty. Putting on her white t-shirt, Christine climbed down from the tower, and put on her jean shorts. She grabbed her shoes, and left the beach. Once she was finally off the sand, she put her shoes on, and continued her way to the boardwalk. Her attention was then brought to another area, where she heard the beating of drums and guitar strings. She saw a sign, saying there was a charity concert taking place now, raising money to help clean the ocean.

            “Now that is something I can get behind,” Christine said, smiling at the sign.

            Christine followed the sound of the instruments, and made her way to wear the performance was taking place. She saw that there was a huge crowd gathering, and also saw the jar that was placed near the stage. It started to fill up, but it was not even half way full. Taking out her wallet, she made her way towards the jar, and place a ten-dollar bill inside. It wasn’t much, but every little bit counts. She was glad that someone was doing something raise awareness of how much the ocean was suffering. It was constantly being used as a trash can, and many sea life were slowly dying off because of humanity’s carelessness for ocean life. She looked up at the stage, and saw that the lead vocalist was a woman. Christine’s smile only got brighter, glad to see that not only was the performance a fundraise to help clean the ocean, but that the one leading this performance was another woman.

            “Now something will get done,” she whispered to herself.

            “Right? About time someone cared about the ocean.”

            Christine turned her head, and saw a guy eating a churro. He was wearing a Batman hoodie, and his hair was sticking up.

            “Also, I really love this song!” he said excitedly. “Sebastian.”

            “Christine.”

            Sebastian turned his head to her, but his eyes drifted down to the jewel hanging around her neck.

            “Nice necklace,” he said before turning his head back to the band.

            Christine looked down at her necklace, and held the jewel between her thumb and index finger. Inside the jewel looked like something was engraved. It was the image of a unicorn that was inside the jewel. She then grasped the jewel, a chill running down her spine.

            As people gathered around the stage, listening to the performance of the band, one person couldn’t enjoy the music, or the festivities. They were working one of the booths. He normally works at the restaurant, but was asked to cover for someone who called out sick. He could hear the music from the booth, wishing he was watching the performance instead of working. Today was suppose to be his day off, but someone had to get sick. Tying off a garbage bag, he told his co-worker he would be right back.

            “Taking the trash out.”

            “All right, Trevor. Thanks again for working.”

            “No problem. Be right back.”

            Taking the garbage bag in hand, Trevor left the booth and walked towards the dumpster behind them. As he tossed the garbage over his shoulder and into the dumpster, a small jewel fell out of his pocket. Hearing it hit the board, he looked down and grabbed it before it could roll away. Letting out a small sigh of relief, he held the jewel up to the light. It shined brightly in the sunlight, and it showed an engraving of a lion inside. He remembered the day when he found this jewel. He found it in a chest in his grandfather’s attic a few months ago. When he touched it, it opened and inside was the red jewel he holds now. His grandfather was surprised that Trevor was able to open it for he was unable to open it since he had it.

            “Perhaps you were fated to find this chest.”

            He remembers his grandfather’s words from that day. Ever since, he held onto the jewel. Trevor still has no idea the significance of the jewel, but that it holds sentimental value to him. A gift from his grandfather, whom had just passed away last week. He lowered the jewel, and let out a small sigh. He was close to his grandfather, and it still hurt that he just passed away. The funeral was also just a few days ago. Trevor let out another sigh, and placed the red jewel in his pockets. He started to make his way back to the booth, but then felt a sudden shake beneath him. It was a small one, and quakes weren’t uncommon in Los Angeles. It is California. But for some reason, this quake felt different.

            The performance was well underway, and Dorian couldn’t help but smile as he watched and listened to Crystal sing. He could tell that she was enjoying herself as well. She looked so alive and happy whenever she was on stage. He saw it the first night he met her, and sees it in her eyes every time she performs. Compared to the people in the audience, Dorian had the best view of the show. The song she was singing was the first song they performed together. They performed it on the night when they first met. He sent Crystal a wink when she looked over at him, and her smile grew.

I feel like I'm up there abo-abo-above the clouds,
Did you meet my speaker? Ain't he, ain't he, ain't he talkin' loud?
Gonna be-be-be-be-beat the floor, gonna be-be-be-beat the floor.
Gonna be-be-be-be-beat the floor, that's that, and I ain't gotta say no more.

I'm feelin' so energetic,
Don't think y'all will ever get it...
I'm feelin' so energetic,
Don't think y'all will ever get it...
I'm feelin' so energetic,
Don't think y'all will ever get it...
I'm feelin' so energetic,
Don't think y'all will ever get it...

            Then, there was a small quake. Dorian’s smile disappeared as he felt it, and looked over to Crystal. She and the band members felt it too, and they stopped playing. The audience also felt it, and everyone was looking around. It was a small shake, and not uncommon in California. Crystal was about to speak into the microphone when the ground started to shake again. Only, it was an earthquake. She turned around to the band, telling them to get out of here and somewhere safe. She helped them get off stage, and Dorian helped with the audience.

            “Go! Get out of here! Get to safety!” he yelled at them. “This way! Carefully!”

            “Go guys! Get to somewhere safe! Be careful!” Crystal told the band members.

            Sebastian and Christine were also helping with the audience, picking up those who stumbled and keeping them from getting trampled on.

            “Here you go,” Sebastian said, helping a teenager and her friend get up. “Go somewhere safe, but watch your step and everyone else around you.”

            “Everyone this way! Get out of here and get to safety!” Christine said, guiding people.

            Crystal jumped off the stage, and nearly lost her balance if it weren’t for Dorian catching her.

            “Thanks,” she said, holding onto his shoulder.

            “You okay?” he asked her.

            “Yeah, I’m fine. I’m fine.”

            Crystal then walked over to Sebastian and Christine.

            “You two okay?” she asked them.

            Before anyone could answer, an explosion went off nearby. On instinct, Crystal ran towards to where the explosion came from, and Dorian followed after her. Christine and Sebastian looked at one another, and followed suit. They weren’t sure what was going on, but they weren’t running in the other direction. They were going to help.

            Jayden and Erika had just reached the boardwalk when they felt the first quake. They looked at one another, and then the earthquake came. Erika nearly lost her balance, but Jayden caught her.

            “And I thought today would have been peaceful,” Jayden said.

            “You thought wrong,” said Erika. “But, this earthquake…it doesn’t feel normal.”

            Jayden looked at his sister for a minute, and listened carefully this time. His face grew concerned now, learning that she was right. This earthquake didn’t feel normal. Erika would know better considering she has been living in Los Angeles longer than Jayden has been here.

            “Something’s coming.”

            Then, an explosion went off followed by a loud screeching. Jayden and Erika covered their ears, but the screech was familiar to Jayden. Realizing this, he started to run towards where the explosion came from. Erika followed after her little brother, knowing he was going to fight whatever it was that made that screech. She wasn’t going to let him fight it on his own. She may not look it, but she can hold her own and knows how to fight when necessary.

            Crystal reached near the end of the boardwalk, where the explosion came from. She then covered her ears when she heard a loud piercing screech. She realized that she heard that screech before. She heard it just last week. She looked up, and saw that it was the same grim reaper like creature she fought last week. It disappeared during her last fight, and hasn’t appeared since. Until now. Turning around, she saw Dorian running towards her.

            “Get these people out of here, Dorian!” she yelled to him. “I’ll distract this thing!”

            “But -”

            “Go! I’ll distract it while you get these people out! You can help out afterwards!”

            The creature swung its scythe at Crystal, but she blocked it by creating a red force field in front of her. Her arms were held up in front of her, but she turned her head, looking at Dorian once more.

            “Go!”

            Dorian looked at Crystal, and saw that her eyes were glowing red. He didn’t want to leave her to fight this thing alone, but the people’s safety came first. He nodded his head in acknowledgement, and started to guide the people away from this monster. He saw children holding onto their mother’s or father’s hands, running away, screaming and crying. He saw teenagers screaming as they ran, and parents carrying their children, holding them close to their chest, shielding their eyes with their shoulders to keep them from looking at the monster.

            “Quickly! Run!”

            He helped a couple get back up after noticing them fall. He moved behind them to keep people from trampling over them.

            “Everything’s going to be okay. Just get away from here as quickly as possible. Don’t look back. Just go!” he told them.

            Dorian looked back, and saw Sebastian running towards them.

            “What are you doing here? Get out of here!”

            “We came to help, and – Bloody hell! What is that thing!” said Sebastian. “And what is she doing? Was she always able to do that?! And why are her eyes glowing red?!”

            Dorian turned around, and saw that Crystal was throwing red force field blasts at the creature. It blocked a few with its scythe, and jumped out of the way from another attack. Dorian turned to tell them to go, but his eyes then drifted to the girl standing next to Sebastian. His eyes landed on the blue jewel hanging around her neck. It was a different color, but it was the same as his. His was green, and had the image of a lion inside it. Dorian’s attention was then brought back to Crystal after hearing her cry out in pain. He turned around, and saw her got knocked back into a bench.

            “Viridian!”

            Just then, a green lion had materialized out of nowhere, and appeared next to Dorian. Sebastian and Christine were taken by surprise, with both of them letting out a small yelp. They both yelled at the same time, “Is that a lion?!”. Viridian roared, and charged at the monster. He tried to claw at it, but the creature blocked it with the handle of its scythe. It then pushed against Viridian, sending him flying, but he managed to land on all fours, and next to Crystal.

            “Do you know what that thing is?” he asked Crystal.

            “No idea, but I fought the same thing years ago, and it was destroyed. But this one appeared last week,” she told him, not taking her eyes off of it. “It got away, and I haven’t seen it since. Until today. I have no idea where it came from.”

            The creature then let out another screech, and everyone covered their ears. It was an ear-piercing scream, and various glasses were shattering due to the screech. Then suddenly, a gust of wind came out of nowhere, knocking the creature off guard and sending it back towards the end of the boardwalk. Everyone turned their heads, locating the source of the wind. When they turned, they saw a girl with short brown standing there, with her arms extended out. Behind her, stood a familiar person that Crystal knew.

            “Jayden?!” she cried out.

            Jayden looked over, and saw Crystal standing there, eyes glowing red, and a green lion next to her. He then looked back at the creature that his sister just blew away, and realization dawned on him when he saw it. It was the same creature he and Crystal fought together just last week. It had gotten away from them, and haven’t heard anything about it since. Jayden patted his sister’s shoulder, and he made his way over to Crystal. He stopped when the green lion started to growl at him, but Crystal stood in front of Viridian.

            “It’s okay, Viridian. He’s an old friend of mine,” she told him, smiling softly. “Gotta stop bumping into each other like this.”

            “Heh. Not my fault this creature is here,” Jayden said. “But, wish that thing didn’t show up. I was going to spend the day with my sister, no interruptions and no fighting. This thing here ruined that for me.”

            “That’s your sister?!” Crystal said, pointing at her.

            “Yep. My older sister, actually.”

            Before Crystal can say anything else, another ear-piercing screech was made, and everyone covered their ears again. The creature then started to charge its way toward to Jayden and Crystal, still letting out the screech. It was ready to swing its scythe at them, until a fireball came out of nowhere, stopping the creature and making it turn around. Behind it stood a young man brown hair, dressed in a white shirt, pants and an apron. He looked about the same age as Jayden, and stood there in a fighting position.

            “Anyone care to fill me in what’s going on?” he asked. “And what the hell this thing is? Oh, name’s Trevor, by the way.”

With the monster distracted, Dorian went over to Crystal, placing a protective hand on her lower back. She looked up at him, her eyes still glowing red, and nodded at him. He smiled softly at her, then looked up at Jayden. Erika stood next to her brother, and Sebastian and Christine stood next to them. Trevor threw another fireball at the creature, making it move away from them, and then made his way over to everyone else.

“So, care to explain what that thing is?” asked Sebastian.

            “I don’t really know the name of it,” said Jayden. “But this is the second time something like this had appeared.”

            “Second time? So, there’s more of these things?” asked Christine.

            “We don’t know,” replied Crystal. “Jayden and I fought one a few years ago when we first met. But we definitely destroyed that one. This one appeared last week, and brought us together again. It teleported away before we could defeat it. We haven’t seen it since.”

            “Wait…this thing also teleports?” said Trevor.

            “Unfortunately. And it is a pain in the ass to deal with,” said Jayden.

            “This thing looks like a Hell Vanguard,” said Erika. “I read about it in one of my books during my studies.”

            “A what now?” said Dorian.

            “Pretty much a demon,” Erika explained. “Another interpretation of the god of death.”

            “So, how did it get here?” asked Christine.

            “No idea. This didn’t cause the earthquake,” Erika explained. “Something else did.”

            “Well, first things first…let’s take care of this bastard,” said Crystal. “Then we’ll figure out who or what caused that quake.”

            “And can someone explain the green lion afterwards?” Sebastian asked, pointing at Viridian.

            Crystal only smirked at Sebastian’s question, but then it disappeared when each one of them started to radiate a small glow. The only ones not glowing were her and Jayden. Jayden was looking at his sister, confused and wondering how she came into possession of the pink jewel, along with how everyone else got theirs. Sebastian, Dorian, Trevor, and Erika then took out their jewels. Christine looked down at her jewel, seeing that it was glowing as well. Viridian looked up in awe, and he gave each one of them a small smile.

            “Well, well well…looks like Star Warriors have come together,” said Viridian. “Hmm…but something is strange with yellow.”

            “Strange? Wait,” Sebastian started, “am I going to explode?!”

            “No, you runt. You only have half of your jewel. What happened to the other half?”

            “I…I don’t know.”

            “Well, you can’t use your full power,” Viridian explained. “But, you can still morph.”

            “Morph?” asked Erika. “Star Warriors? Us?”

            “Yes. Each one of you was chosen for a reason,” Viridian told them. “Just like Dorian here.”

            “You guys never morphed before?” Dorian asked.

            The four of them shook their heads no, and were looking at Dorian as if he had two heads. He then looked at Viridian, then to Crystal, who only nodded her head at him. Grasping the green jewel in his hand, he brought his wrists up to his chest. On his wrists appeared bracelets, and Dorian extended the key on his right brace. He then inserted the key into the brace on his left wrist.

            “Star Power…Aura Change!”

            Viridian let out a loud roar, and charged at Dorian from behind. The lion then merged with Dorian, a flash of light, and before them he stood tall, letting out a small roar himself. He was now wearing a green suit, and a green helmet. Trevor, Christine, Erika, Sebastian and Jayden stood in awe at what just happened before them. Crystal just smiled at the sight, having seen Dorian morph before.

            “Whoa…So, we get to morph…like you?” Sebastian asked, pointing at Dorian. “That looks…pretty awesome to me. Kinda look like a Power Ranger.”

            Before anything else could be said, their attention was brought back to the demon, what Erika called it a Hell Vanguard. Crystal and Jayden stood in front of the others, ready to fight this demon once more. Crystal’s left hand glowed, and she was soon engulfed in it. After a few seconds, the glow disappeared, and her appearance had changed. She had changed into something else. It looked like her arms and shoulders had shells, and there was a big pearl on her face. She changed into a different creature, and was pink.

            “Guyver…” whispered Jayden.

            Jayden’s appearance changed as well, an armor wrapping itself around his body. Everyone was surprised at what just happened, but they knew questions had to come later. They had something else to deal with. Jayden and Crystal charged at the demon, ready to attack it. Dorian watched as Crystal charged at the monster, then back to others.

            “Well guys. What are you waiting for?” he said to them. “It’s morphin’ time.”

            They all stared at one another, but they all saw the same look in each other’s eyes. The jewels had chosen them for a reason, and it was fate that brought them together. Here. Now. Each one clenched their jewel, and soon, their morphers appeared on their wrists. They all took one last glance at one another, nodding.

            “Star Power…Aura Change!”

            Each one of them inserted the key on their left wrist into the brace on their right. Soon, all four of them were engulfed in a bright glow, their Chi beasts manifesting before them. Each of their Chi beasts charged at them from behind, and soon merged with them, giving them their armor to fight this demon. They all looked at themselves, amazed at what they had transformed into.

            “Whoa. This is amazing!” said Sebastian, admiring his yellow suit.

            “Come on, guys,” Dorian said. “Let’s show this thing what we are really made of.”

            “Shining in the Heavens…Power Rangers…Star Warriors!”