[IC] Power Rangers Dragon Morphers

[CaptainManbeard]

It was a warm Summer day in the Angel Grove neighborhood of Los Angeles, blue skies overhead and the sounds and smells of the ocean waves filling the air. A group of friends were hanging out on the beach, enjoying the last few days of their Summer vacation before the start of their senior year at Angel Grove High School. Suddenly, they noticed debris washing ashore.

“Oh, what's all that?” Eddie Garza asked excitedly with a full mouth as he chomped down on a massive burrito and pointed at the junk. It seemed like he was always eating something, likely to keep up with his high metabolism and bottomless pit of hyperactive energy. He was wearing sandals, brown cargo shorts, and a blue and white Hawaiian shirt with a few buttons undone at the top.

“Did the earthquake from yesterday dislodge an underwater dump site or something?” Tommy Hayakawa wondered out loud as he crossed his arms. He was clad in sandals as well, blue jean shorts, and a red and black Akatsuki shirt.

The teens began looking through the debris, when they noticed a strange, futuristic container. When opened, it revealed a circular row of crystals that began glowing brightly.

The group of friends each found themselves drawn to a specific crystal, and as if transfixed, they reached for them.

“These are pretty neat, guys!” Eddie said as he finished chewing his food, staring at the blue gem he had grabbed in his free hand. Tommy just silently stared at the red one he held, the crimson light reflected in his eyes.

[Crimson Flame]

Ryan McPhee came to the beach to have a relaxing day with his friends before the school year started. He was busy sunbathing, dressed in pink beach attire. Their friend Eddie pointed out debris washing up ashore. “Eddie, darling, it’s rude to speak with your mouth full.” He replied curtly. “And rather disgusting quite frankly. Also, didn’t you just eat before we got here?”

Ryan was not interested in sorting through garbage, but for some reason, everyone else was. They started oohing and ahing, and and at that point, Ryan lifted his sunglasses, and joined the others to see what the fuss was about. “What is so fascinating about ocean debris?” Ryan figured he was going to have to talk some sense into the rest of this group.

It was then that he saw the container filled with the colorful crystals. That certainly wasn’t mere garbage. “Hello what’s this?” He immediately grabbed the pink crystal. “This certainly doesn’t belong here.”

[Duthguy]

Olivia Bosch was happy her friends invited her along to the beach but hoped it wouldn't end with all of them just lying on the sand. She had noting against tanning and looking at attractive people but just doing nothing wasn't her style. Since she hoped to do at least some swimming she wore a green tanktop and easily removable shorts. She was just about to suggest they should try out the water when Eddie pointed something out, wondering what it was. "I dunno but it looks pretty cool." She honestly was more into fantasy but something futuristic like that did appeal to her nerdy side.

Her interest grew even more when the container was opened and the crystals were revealed. "Okay, that is even better. Seeing that both Eddie and Ryan had grabbed one Olivia didn't think it would be too strange if she did the same and reached for the green one. While she didn't say anything her mind raced with possible ideas about where the container might have come. All here ideas were completely unrealistic as she was fully aware off, but that didn't mean it wasn't fun to imagine something outlandish.

[Damo021]

Cleopatra was having an epic day by her standards, not often did she really go to the beach but she couldn’t say no to hanging out with her friends on such a warm and lovely day. She not really planned on lounging around though, anyone that knew her well enough would know Cleo would find a way to occupy herself. She was dressed in a black tank top with a Gothic Double-Sided Wing & Skull Sculpture on it with black beach ruched arm sleeves and black shorts.

Cleo a shortened version of her name that she allowed her friends to call her if they chose to do so was not far from the group practicing some light parkour moves, mostly trying different type of flips or some other moves which were safe enough for her to do on the beach. She was in ear shot of the group though and heard Eddie call out to the group, before she knew the majority of them had already gone there to investigate ocean debris.

Quickly making her way to the group, Cleo got stuck in moving stuff. “Eww” she would mutter as she had some seaweed on her hand, shaking it off with an audible slopping sound as it the sand. Nothing really stood out other than this weird looking container. To Cleo this was like treasure and her eyes lit up when she got to see the contents of it when opened. As other grabbed crystals, she didn’t hesitate and found herself grabbing the purple crystal, it was so pretty as she was giving it a good look over. “Ooooh These look very shiny”. She glanced around it seem nothing else of this debris look half as interesting as this container of crystals. “Where’s the rum!” She suddenly blurted out.

As for Miranda, she was resting on a towel enjoying the warm weather, she was wearing a white triangle bikini swimsuit with a beach skirt. She was sitting and working on the beginning of a drawing, she was enjoying the sounds of her friends enjoying themselves and the sounds of the ocean nearby, it was very relaxing especially after the earthquake from yesterday, of course she was not planning on just sitting there and doing nothing else.

Miranda planned to do activities with her friends, there was often always something to do on the beach. and would get involved of course when someone suggested doing something other than chilling out. The peace somewhat disturbed when ocean debris as come ashore and caught the attention of her friends. Miranda found herself going over to the other to see what the fuss was all about. She refrained for looking through the debris and watched on when the container was found and opened.

Miranda agreed with Ryan, these certainly did not belong here and initially refrained from grabbing a crystal. “Those look beautiful and probably belong to someone.” She momentarily paused as she was looking over the white crystal. Miranda watched on as the others were checking out the crystals. Again her sight went to the white crystal. I soft sigh escaped her lips and a slight smile. “What the hell, having a closer look won’t hurt will it.” Miranda before kneeling down and carefully taking out the white crystal. “Hey guys, you reckon someone will end up looking for these?”

[CaptainManbeard]

Eddie grinned as Ryan mentioned eating before they got there. “What can I say - this is a bottomless pit!” He chuckled as he patted his stomach. Tommy then turned to Miranda as she asked if someone would come looking for the crystals.

“I don’t know,” he replied. “Who knows how long this container was underwater before washing up on the shore. Though it must be made of a strong metal to still be in such good condition.”

“Maybe we could ask Professor Cranston to take a look at them?” Eddie suggested. Billy Cranston was an instructor from Caltech who managed the Youth Science Lab at Angel Grove High School, which provided science-minded students with accelerated classes to better prepare them for college. Eddie had spent a lot of time there during his junior year studying Advanced Placement Chemistry, and had already signed up for Advanced Placement Physics in his upcoming senior year.

“You know him better than we do - if you think he might know what these are, then we should ask him once school starts back up next week,” agreed Tommy.

“He’s already spending most days at the Lab preparing for the start of the school year, we should go ask him right now!”

“What do you guys think?” Tommy asked the group. “Also… Do you guys feel a strange pull to these crystals? This sounds crazy, but it’s almost as if it chose me or something…”

“Yeah, dude!” Eddie nodded his head rapidly. “This feeling is so weird!”

[Duthguy]

"Great, there goes the beach day." Olivia jokingly complained at the suggestion of asking Professor Cranston about the crystals. "Seriously though, I'm curious as well. And now that you mention it I did feel oddly drawn to "mine"." She used finger quotes at the word "mine" since she knew all too well it wasn't technically hers and that depending on What Cranston told them about the crystals they might have to give them up. She hoped she would get to keep it though.

Now that she knew the others were also likely drawn to the crystals, Olivia noticed something. Almost all of them picked a crystal that at least somewhat matched the color of their clothes. The fact that Cleo picked the purple one did make her wonder if it was just a coincidence so she didn't mention it, but she decided to keep it in mind in case Cranston wanted to know if any of them noticed anything else weird.

[Crimson Flame]

As the others voiced their thoughts, Ryan held the pink crystal up, its glow reflecting in his green eyes. “Eddie, you always think with your stomach.” He teased, before turning to the rest. “But Tommy has a point. That earthquake might have dislodged something. Still, these crystals are far too beautiful to be ordinary debris.”

At the idea of being drawn to the crystals, Ryan’s interest was piqued further. “Well, of course I was drawn to mine. Pink is my signature color. And I’ll be damned if someone else took this fabulous pink trinket from me.” Ryan responded. “I could make this into a beautiful pair of earrings. Just look how it sparkles!”

As Eddie suggested taking the crystals to Professor Cranston, Ryan sighed but didn’t protest. “If it helps us figure out what these are, then I suppose it’s worth it. Besides, maybe he’ll have some insight into their… fashion potential.” He smirked, giving his crystal a playful twirl in his fingers.

[Damo021]

As the group was voicing their respective opinions on the current issue of what to do with these pristine condition crystals. Cleopatra found herself initially to mesmerized to reply as she was proper inspecting the crystal in hand as she held it up to the sunlight for a moment. “So pretty” she muttered quietly before drawing her attention to the group, especially when the conversation went to being drawn to the crystal’s or like being pulled by them.

It felt like the group was looking at her when she was totally not talking to herself. “What… I like purple, look don’t you guys think it matches my purple highlights?” Cleo would ask as she held the crystal next to one of her hair highlights.

Miranda on the other hand had to shake her head to snap out of looking at Cleo doing Cleo things. “Sometimes I wonder about you” which only got a snort out of the girl in response. Then she thought about the issue at hand “It was such a good beach day to.” She joked along with Olivia. She took another good look at the crystal in her hand for a moment, her friends brought up a really good point on the crystal’s. Like, why on earth did she just go plucking one out of the container just like her friends?

“Now that you guys mention it, I can’t really explain why I ended up picking this particular crystal, it’s like I was… compelled to pick it?” she paused for a moment. “It’s Kind of hard to explain, but as much as I would like to have beach day continue, I think seeing the professor is a good idea, some people are starting to stare” Miranda added motion just over her shoulder, it appeared the odd person was getting curious what the teens where up to.

[CaptainManbeard]

“Yeah, it’s weird that we were each drawn to a specific colored crystal,” Tommy agreed. “We should definitely go ask Professor Cranston.”

“I’ll call him and let him know we’re coming!” Eddie added excitedly.

The teens loaded up into their vehicles and headed for the Youth Science Lab at Angel Grove High School. They brought the strange metal container and all the weird glowing crystals to Billy Cranston, who studied them with awe.

“So what do you think, Professor?” Eddie inquired.

“Well, I would be worried about glowing crystals giving off potentially harmful radiation, but the container you found them in doesn’t seem to have any warning labels. Still, it’s best to be cautious and keep them in a sealed containment unit for now. This isn’t my particular field of specialty, but I know a nuclear physicist who is an expert in dealing with radioactive materials. Let me give her a call real fast.” Professor Cranston placed the crystals and their container in a sealed unit and then pulled out his phone, retreating to his office while he made the call.

“I hope those crystals aren’t actually radioactive,” said Eddie as the teens sat around a table in the lab waiting for the Professor to finish his call. “That would suck if we all got cancer or something.”

“It didn’t feel harmful, though,” added Tommy. “It feels almost like there is something bigger going on here. I have this growing urge to open that containment unit and take that red crystal back. Like, destiny calling out to me or something. I don’t know, it’s hard to explain.”

“I gotta admit, I’m starting to feel the same way,” Eddie confessed. “Like, being separated from the blue crystal is giving me a growing sense of unease. What about you guys?” He turned to the rest of the group.

[Duthguy]

Unsurprisingly everyone in the group was curious enough about the crystals to agree that going to Cranston was a good idea, and just unsurprisingly they took the container with them as well after Eddie called the professor.

Olivia did get a bit worried at the mention of radioactivity but the lack of warning labels on the container helped her down calm a bit. Besides even if the crystals were radioactive, there was a good it was too low to be harmful. After all even banana's were somewhat radioactive and they were perfectly safe unless you ate several thousand in one day, at which point you had other things to worry about.

She did agree with Tommy and Eddie on how it felt there was something big going on and how not having her crystal felt odd. "Yeah, I just figured it was my imagination. Both the whole something bigger going on and the missing the green crystal, I mean."

[Damo021]

With Miranda and Cleo going with the group to the professors to get a better understanding if the crystals they had discovered were harmful or not, the pair did get an odd feeling when they weren’t in possession of their respected ones. Especially if they were in the same vehicles the crystals were being transported in. still hearing what the professor had to say, it was a relief they at least one potential scenario was ruled out, they didn’t seem radioactive.

“To be honest if glowing crystals wearing going to be harmful or have any harmful substances on them, I am pretty sure we would be feeling some harmful effects or felt something different other than a non-stop feeling of wanting to hold them again.” Miranda paused. “Like Tommy said, we are all having the similar feeling of wanting to hold them again, and did you guys not notice that the professor has not even show a shred of that feeling like we have? Like no reaction to him at all?”

While Miranda was addressing the group Cleo was sneaking round to the containment unit the professor had put the crystals container in. “It might sound crazy, but I think Olivia is right that for some reason, those crystals are like calling out for us, for reasons we may never understand…” Miranda paused looking over at Cleo. “Cleo what are you doing? The professor may come out any moment.”

Cleo paused for a moment with the professor’s containment unit in her hands, looking at the group like a reindeer in headlights for a moment. “What, I’m a collector of rare crystals” pausing with cheesy grin before she sighed for a moment in defeat. “Fine, I’m stealing them…. But for good reason! Think about it, the professors get his lady friend to come over, takes the all the crystals away to run tests on them and we never get to see them again, I mean look at us, we are all like having withdrawal symptoms the moment they get a little bit too far away from them and its driving me nuts.”

“Cleo… actually makes a good point.” Miranda interjected. “Guys seriously think about it for a moment, how bad will it get if they get taken away to some building somewhere or half way across the country? What then? I say we take the crystals and haul ass before the professors comes back out” Cleo was feeling a little bad, but she wanted her crystal back and it felt like the others did to.

[Crimson Flame]

Ryan watched Cleo's bold move with a raised eyebrow, a mix of surprise and amusement. “Cleo, darling, I get it—you’re desperate to get your hands on those crystals again, and trust me, I’m right there with you. But stealing them?” He shook his head. “That’s not really our style, is it? We’re better than that. After all, I am many things, but a thief is not one of them.”

He leaned in a bit. “Look, I know we all feel this weird connection to these crystals. And I’ll admit, the thought of being separated from mine is not a good feeling. I mean, it’s like that pink crystal was made for me. No one else would be a fitting owner! But I’m not about to break the rules just because of a gut feeling, no matter how fabulous the crystal is.”

Ryan glanced at the containment unit and then back at his friends. “But maybe we don’t have to resort to stealing. We could just... convince Professor Cranston to let us keep them, at least until we know more. After all, we found them, and they clearly have some kind of connection to us. He seems like a reasonable man.”

He smiled. “And besides, if we explain how important these crystals are to us, who knows? The professor might even agree that they’re safer in our hands. I mean, who else is going to appreciate their beauty and potential as much as we do?”

[CaptainManbeard]

“I mean, I do kinda feel like we should take them,” admitted Eddie.

“Yeah…” Tommy stared at the red crystal in the containment unit as if in a trance. Suddenly, the gems began to vibrate and emit a high-pitched electric buzzing. As if pulled by some unseen force, they flew out of the unit, shattering it. The teens watched in wide-eyed wonder as the crystals that had clearly chosen them went right into their grasp, like being drawn by a magnetic field. In that moment, they each knew they were chosen for something greater, something that they couldn’t really comprehend yet.

The remaining, unclaimed crystals floated there for a brief moment before vanishing in flashes of light matching their respective colors. Suddenly, the teens saw similar lights rapidly engulfing their own bodies. They felt themselves shift into some form of energy and then shoot straight up into the sky, phasing right through the roof as if it wasn’t there. In mere seconds, they traversed the entire depth of Earth’s atmosphere and shot right out into space. They rapidly approached what looked like a giant silver seashell in the planet’s orbit, and then phased right through that into what they soon realized was the inside of a spaceship.

They landed in a Command Center of some kind and felt themselves materialize back into their physical bodies, still grasping their crystals in their hands. The gems that hadn’t been claimed yet were floating in front of a small robot of some kind.

“Xwai xwai xwai xwai xwai! Tzentde gieh fgew lugfe enda pwofwey! Geraiswyyu? Dbakdae…” The robot began speaking in a high-pitched, worried, mechanized voice, but his words were some kind of alien language.

“Whoa!” Eddie looked around wide-eyed, then at the robot. “A fully sentient, multifunctional automaton! I've never seen anything like it!”

“What the hell just happened…” Tommy was just as bewildered.

Meanwhile back on Earth, Professor Cranston walked out of his office to find an empty room and the shattered containment unit on the floor…

[Crimson Flame]

Ryan was completely stunned as he clutched the pink crystal that had flown back into his hand on its own accord. One minute they were sitting in a lab, and the next, they were shooting into space, their bodies engulfed in vibrant energy. As they landed somewhere futuristic as far as Ryan could tell. His eyes looked around, taking in the bizarre surroundings and the odd robot speaking in an unfamiliar language.

“Well, this is definitely not how I pictured my day going…” Ryan muttered. He brushed off imaginary dust off his beach outfit. Ryan gave Eddie a look when he announced what the robot was. “A what? Darling, it’s a robot… I think someone has been watching a little too much Science Fiction lately.” Ryan said with a giggle.

Speaking of, he turned his attention back to it. “Alright, I have no idea what you’re saying, but I’m going to need some answers. Preferably in a language that doesn’t sound like a glitching toaster. Some context would be fabulous right about now.”