Power Rangers Dino Fury [A Dino Thunder Fanfiction]

Truth, Lies and the Blame of a Ranger

    "So, let me get all of this straight." Nathan began. "Daniel came to you about this Dinogem, to which you decided to keep it a secret instead of coming clean to the rest of the team so we could help you make a decision about how to handle this development?"

    I nodded silently.

    "Then, after only watching his potential for one day, you decide to give this untested newbie a morpher you asked Hayley to specially make just for Daniel, then proceeded to let him get into a battle with a general that even we struggle with as tested Rangers, who he almost died to?"

    "Yeah."

    "Then, instead of giving us a call right when things got ugly, or when you found Melhorn, you decided to handle it on your own even if it was potentially dangerous to even be close to him?"

    I sighed and stood up, the lab chair spinning as I stood up. "Yes, yes, yes, everything you are going to ask me, you already know the answer to!"

    "Well, excuse me for trying to understand the stupidity that went through your head the past few days to even think that any of what you did was a good idea!"

    I saw Andre and Lisa stiffen in the corner. Lisa decided to step forward for a moment, long enough to say "the three of us will be upstairs", then they collectively rushed upstairs, with Alex who looked back sadly before following them up.

    Nathan pinched the bridge of his nose. "Great, now they think I'm an awful leader."

    "That's not what they think." I stepped forward, putting a hand on his arm which he quickly jerked away.

    "That may not be what they think, but it sure is what you're about to think." He glared me down and held out his hand, making me flinch. "Hand over your morpher, now!"

    "Excuse you?!" I held my left wrist close to my chest. "You don't get to decide anything about my morpher, Drago does."

    "I am your leader, and because I am in that position, I can order you to do exactly what I said. GIVE ME YOUR MORPHER!"

    "NO!" I shouted back. "You'll never take it from me!"

    Nathan gritted his teeth. "Then fight me for it."

    "Fight you? No way!"

    I haven't been in combat with Nathan since our training days back when he first became a Ranger, and even then, I don't know how his fighting style has changed.

    "I won't fight you, Nathan. I turned on my team once, and I refuse to do it again." I stated.

    "You refuse to turn on your team? Aubrey, you turn on us every time you lie and keep secrets! Why can't you understand that you can tell us these things?" Nathan's voice dropped from anger to worry.

    "Because I don't want you guys to carry my burdens!" I said, on the brink of tears.

    "This burden wasn't just yours to carry! Having a new team member weighs on all of us, and now he is in the hospital. If you had told us the truth, we may have been able to prevent this!"

    "I'm sorry, okay! How many times do I have to say that? I just want things to be okay for once, because every time something happens it's my fault!" I sat back down and held my face as I began to cry. "Every time somebody gets hurt or involved in my mess, I blame myself! Daniel is in the hospital because of me, we almost lost the Black Dinogem because of me, I almost wiped out my entire team while I was under Melhorn's control, and now I feel like Mason's loss of identity is my fault too, like there was something more I could have done.

    Nathan had walked over to me and hugged me, and I latched onto him like I was about to lose control of myself. I thought I had forgiven myself, but I hadn't after all. I blamed myself for so much, and it was of my own doing. It was my fault that all of this had happened, and I couldn't change it. I was lost in a world that I didn't understand, and I kept making problems for myself that could have been prevented.

    Nathan held me tighter as I sobbed into his shoulder. "It's going to be okay, Aubrey." He whispered, which only made me cry harder.

    This was how it stayed for awhile. It was comforting to be held by my best friend, despite our quarrel only moments ago. My sobs turned into a quiet cry, and then into silence when the tears finally stopped. Nathan never let me go until I was ready, and I wasn't ready yet.

    "Nathan, Aubrey."

    Nathan turned his head, still holding me. "What's going on, Mr. James?"

    I looked up at Ethan as he held both Lisa's Gem and Daniel's Gem. "The scan is ready. Should I call the others down?"

    I pulled away from Nathan and wiped my face. "I'm okay." I said. "Let's get the others."

    Nathan gave me a soft smile and nodded, then looked at Ethan. "Yeah, go ahead."

    Ethan called up the stairs to the others, and they all quickly ran down.

    We all gathered around Ethan as he took over the chair and tapped away at the computer.

    "What did the scan say?" Lisa asked after a moment too long of silence.

    Ethan looked hesitant as he turned around and sighed. "Well, Mason's tip was helpful. The Red, Yellow, Blue, White and Black Dinogems have a strange encoding on them."

    "What kind of encoding?" Nathan asked.

    Ethan took a deep breath. "When we had defeated Mesogog about five years ago, we thought the Dinogems had lost their power. It turns out, an encoding was placed on them that prevented the Gems from Syncing with us. Daniel's Gem wasn't even thought of, so his wasn't encoded."

    "So, can you explain that in terms that are a bit simpler?" Alex asked.

    Lisa had already seemed to be putting the pieces together. "Do you remember when you picked up the Gem and it glowed like fire? That's when the Gem bonds with you. The Gems couldn't bond with our mentors because there was a barrier placed on them."

    I swallowed and looked at Ethan. "So what you're saying is..."

    Nathan covered his mouth, the answer seeming to knock the wind out of him. "We were never meant to be Power Rangers."