Chapter 8
A new age
Inside a sealed up room, sat the 4 spectral space pirates Sheer, Foolscap, Gavro and their boss Specter. The 4 of them lay together in the middle of the room which was on a big teleporter pad of sorts surrounded by energy stabilisers curled up over it to resemble somewhat like a dragon's claw over and orb. They were snoring loudly and smiling rather dreamily in their sleep, but were soon about to get a most rude awakening as the sleeping gas drugs were beginning to wear off and they began to stir from Dreamland.
"Yawn….."
"Zzz….Mrrgh…."
Slowly one by one they began to twitch their eyes and open them up rather groggily, blinking them repeatedly before smiling satisfied with their nap while others were still sleepy or cranky as they reluctantly awoke from what may have been their best nap in ages….and would most certainly be their last….
As Specter was the first to awaken he let out a deep yawn before smiling rather dreamily, "Wow, I hadn't slept that well for 500 years." he yawned feeling a little disgruntled at having to wake up but had he continued sleeping in he'd miss out on the rest of what the day had to offer as he stood up and stretched out his back, "And I feel great! Never better than I had in years!" He cried joyfully as he opened his eyes and blinked them. His vision was a little blurry so he tried to reach for his eyes and rub them clear…..only to find that he couldn't move his arms to reach his face for some reason as he blinked his eyes puzzled, "Hmm? That's odd….." He then muttered to himself.
"Yeah me too boss…." Foolscap sat up drowsily as the other 2 space pirates began to stir as well, sitting up or opening their eyes rather sluggishly, "I'm surprised I could actually sleep in that dank cell, especially since the past week when Gavro kept snoring through it all…." He grumbled with discomfort after that.
Taking offence to what Foolscap blurted out, Gavro gritted his teeth and glared at the lanky pirate, "Hey I don't snore that loud!"
Foolscap however scoffed and looked away, "Please! You snore so loud you could make a tyrannosaurus roar sound like a mouse squeaking!" he huffed, "Plus don't get me started on how many times I felt my ceiling was going to cave in on me every single time you went to sleep!" He then cried remembering nightmares where he felt his whole room was going to crash in on him because of Gavro snoring and shaking up the place like an earthquake!
His harsh comments made the burlier Zanjark look away in shame, "Well….At least I don't talk about my granny in my sleep." he muttered, causing Foolscap to glare back at him in anger.
"Don't you dare bring my grandma into this!" He sneered as the 2 of them head butted one another and began shoving at each other with gnashing teeth!
Nearby Sheer hardened her eyes and gritted her teeth in annoyance, almost wishing she could rip her own ears off, "Great…..this again….." she grumbled to herslef. She heard them squabble non stop for several days straight like an old married couple so many times she couldn't think straight herself, also felt she was on the verge of losing her sanity and grip on her personality too. "If only I had some duct tape with me I could just shut their traps and go back to my 5hr beauty nap….which isn't done yet…." She was having such a good dream too, the best she's had in months and she really wanted to give it to both males as she tried to tense up her fists and make them eat their teeth! Only to find that her arms were restrained tightly, "Hmm?"
"Why I oughta-" Just as Foolscap and Gavro were about to throw a punch at one another and slug it out….they soon realised they couldn't even move their arms too!
"Huh?" As they all looked down at themselves at last to see what was going on, they widened their eyes in realisation that layers of steel cords and wiring was wrapped completely around their waists, restraining their arms completely to the point they might as well wriggle on the ground like worms!
"Wh…What the!?" Specter gasped as he jumped startled before falling on the ground unable to move or get up again! "Urgh!" He grunted as he hit the ground and began wriggling about like a caterpillar!
"AH!"
"H…Hey! Why are our hands all tied up!?"
"Get me out of this thing!" They all gasped in alarm as they tried to struggle and resist in an effort to break out but to no avail!
"Grrgh!" Specter gritted his teeth and turning red as he tried to break out of his binds but to no avail as he couldn't even move his shoulders, "I can't break free! What gives?!" He sneered in frustration as he fell down on the ground and began kicking out and squirming like a caterpillar in pain as the coils of the iron cords seemed to actually tighten around him! "Urgh! So tight….I feel as though my arms could fall off anytime now!" he hissed as he could feel his limbs again, but as he got her feeling back he began to feel pain once more as she winced and hissed through her teeth as the binds seemed to be cutting into her! "If that happens I…I…" He then shuddered at the thought of getting hook hands like those cliche pirates in story books, which wouldn't just be a horrible look for him but he wouldn't be able to eat or pet Brontikens again! The thought of something so horrible it made him go pale at his worst possible nightmare!
As they all struggled and resisted against the binds in vain, they soon stopped upon finally becoming self aware of their own surroundings, realising they were in some sort of sealed room, trapped within a kind of forcefield in the middle of the Resistance's time gate! Looking around restlessly they could see no one around for miles, and the above viewing platforms seemed to be blurred out for some reason too.
"W…Where are we?" Sheer asked out loud, the silence she received in return hinted that none of them knew. As the adult zanjark looked around restlessly for a way out and at the same time finding no one in sight, they still got the feeling they were being watched from somewhere….and that didn't bring up any confident feelings at all. "I've got a bad feeling about this…." Sheer then gulped nervously, as the others gritted their teeth and sweated feeling under pressure like they were trapped like rats in a cage just waiting to be experimented on!
A purple light suddenly shone before them, catching them by surprise as their fifth member and former leader, appeared before them while also bound up in the same binds as they were!
"AH! G…Goma!?" Specter gasped in surprise to see his son was right before his eyes and apparently out of his cell like they were too!
"HUH!?" The others were taken aback to see him again all of a sudden, they hadn't since the day he was transferred from his cell and put in solitary.
Immediately upon seeing him again, it was far from a happy reunion, as they started glaring daggers and hissing bitterly with spite at him, "What are you doing here!?"
"More importantly why are we all tied up and in this weird place?" Already they began to blame him, for he was the reason they were suffering so much in the first place.
Despite their demands and responses towards him, he said nothing at all to them, not even acknowledging that they were right behind him, shrugging them off as mere dust particles in the air. In fact his eyes remained closed and he maintained a rather calm expression as if he was trying to suppress his very own emotions of anger and rage deep down, which was already starting to reach its peak deep down inside him.
Annoyed at him refusing to answer back or even accept that they were present, they glared at him furiously, "Hello! Earth to Goma! We just asked you a question!" Sheer yelled out at him impatiently and in frustration.
"So cough it up or we'll make you cough up!" Gavro growled losing all sense of self restraint, knowing that even with his hands tied up he could still give the little pirate the beatdown of the century, considering he was also tired up like they all were so no way could he fight back this time around. He may be rather dimwitted but he was smart enough to know when someone needed sense to be pounded into them!
They expected him to be scared of their threats, but once more to their annoyance he remained silent….
He soon he broke though at the moment they least expected it, having lost all patience and tolerance for his humiliating position, "Do you fools honestly not see it?" He hissed with spite, a tone so cold he froze them stiff causing them to shudder, making them almost regret asking him for an answer. They stared and watched as he looked up from where he was and focused ahead. This time, with a very vicious scowl on his face and a glare so sharp you could pierce through a knight's breastplate and chainmail with it! "I never thought it would actually come….but our day of reckoning is finally upon us…." He hissed through his teeth much to their confusion, then again they never could comprehend what went on in that psychotic mind of his.
The other zanjark blinked their eyes in confusion at what he said back to them, "Huh? Day of reckoning?" Specter muttered unsure of what his son was talking about.
"Never heard of an earth holiday like that." Gavro then commented.
"Also, what are you looking a-" As Foolscap looked up his jaw dropped and he widened his eyes in pure terror. As the other pirates looked up they paled and froze in fear upon seeing the viewing glass open up before them, revealing several furious glares shot towards them, by Cera, the D Team and many other troopers and scientist surrounding them like it was some kind of court room where they would receive the maximum sentence for all their crimes!
"Urk….." The adult pirates shuddered in terror, never before had they seen the humans glare at them so hatefully and with such bitterness…any other day they would see this as some dog on a chain barking but this time it was more like an elephant about to explode into an unstoppable rampage which they couldn't escape from!
Goma meanwhile, merely narrowed his eyes and said nothing and remained silent, already knowing full well what was going to happen, the only thing that frustrated him more than being unable to do a thing about it, was that he was going to spend the eternity suffering alongside his moronic brethren.
"You all have the right to remain silent." she said most menacingly, for the first time in their lives the zanjark actually felt genuinely threatened and intimidated by a human! Cera herself thought the gas they flooded in their rooms earlier while they slept would have kept them quiet but apparently not enough. Their tolerance and resistance along with being able to wake up sooner than expected was something to be admired, but that won't save them from the sentence she had planned for them as she shot them a fierce glare which made them sweat nervously while Goma hardened his gaze further with hatred, "After all the pain and suffering you caused us…..and so many others…." Cera breathed closing her eyes, "It's high time you all got what was coming to you." She concluded, clenching her fist tensely as she she reflected on all the pains of her people and herself most of all, especially of the most recent ones. As they played over and over again, her hatred towards them was to make sure that she would not have a change of heart for the sentence she planned on carrying out.
Upon hearing her deadly tone, Sheer gritted her teeth and sweated nervously turning even more pale than she normally was! "I….think they really mean business this time around…." she croaked.
"H…Hey! Even if we're villains we still have rights!" Foolscap then cried out in protest.
"Yeah! Don't you humans have something about ethics or being humane and all!?" Gavro followed after him as he fell on his knees prostrating himself before them.
"Besides…what did WE do to deserve this!?" Specter then protested as he fell on his knees tearing up and begging as innocently as he could sound, "I mean sure plundered many planets, plunged Earth into a dinosaur war and tried to take over the universe but that was long ago! We didn't do anything now!" The other pirates paled as Specter blurted out every single crime they committed in their whole career, and it pretty sealed their doom as they gulped upon noticing Cera and the others above glare even more intensely at them!
His thoughtless comments served to remind Cera of the suffering she and many others went through and perhaps countless other civilisations before they came to Earth. Thinking about how they suffered as much as they have made her blood boil deep down inside her, as she flared red and growled at them! "Be quiet!" Her shout was so loud it echoed through the entire facility causing everyone but Goma to jump and widen their eyes!
"GAH!"
Even the D team was greatly intimidated by Cera's outburst and the immense fury coursing through her as she gritted her teeth and breathed deeply, her eyes were turning red as much as her hair was! They couldn't blame her thought, considering everything she and her friends had went through because of the space pirates and their atrocious acts all for mere petty ambitions of conquest. There were times when they didn't want her to cross the line but after what they experienced first hand recently, even they couldn't stand for it any longer and they all agreed on the sentence she had in mind for the space pirates, as they stood clear as she prepared to take on the role of judge, jury and finally….executioner.
"It's been a long time coming, but it's time you all got what you deserved….." She hissed furiously as she clenched her fist shaking with rage while her friends stood back silently, stunned by worry as they left her to do her work. "For everything…..and everyone you wronged….." As the memory of her mother perishing in the war because of them, she opened her eyes firmly having made her decision, one she had no intention on going back on and one all her fiends were in full agreement of as they allowed her to carry it out, "This, is where we finally say goodbye to all of that, and bury it all in the past and make sure it stays there too." She said as she stepped forth towards the controls of the time gate where she was, having set the calibrations as she prepared to reach out to the final trigger being the big red button on the console, "Along with each and every one of you….."
The D team stepped back from her unnerved, the way they were seeing her now made her appear unlike the Cera they knew….especially with what she intended to do to the pirates as their maximum sentence. Even if they wanted to, they couldn't bring themselves to stand in her way this time, also because the space pirates crossed the line and it was time's up for them.
As hard silence came upon them, the older Zanjark sweated profusely and their hearts raced as they shuddered under complete terror, "Wh…What are they trying to do!?" Gavro yelped.
"D…Don't think you can scare us like that!" Sheer then protested.
"Yeah! We know you don't have the guts to put us down! No way you can go through with it or else you'd be no better than the rest of us!" Foolscap then yelled out.
"So drop the act already and let us be on our way so we can get on with the rest of our lives!" Specter shouted out at the end.
The humans remained silent but their words only seemed to heighten the tension and the glares shot back at them! "Urk…." they croaked unnerved as it seemed they were going to regret saying that.
Having felt she gave them the silent treatment long enough, Cera closed her eyes calmly, "You should consider yourselves lucky or unlucky we won't cross the line and do something like that, even to you lot….." she said before opening her eyes at them once again, this time in a menacing manner, "But with what we're about to do though….you'd wish we'd put you out of your miseries right here and now." She added at the end, which sent a chill down their spines as she pressed the big red button before her!
In an instant, a distortion rippled before them and before long a huge multicoloured space time portal opened before the Zanjark much to their alarm!
"Wh…What the!?" Specter gasped as they all were taken aback and stepped as far away from it as they could! The sight of it however only made Goma glare daggers towards it, he gnashed his teeth furious that the humans were actually going to do it….to him….it was unacceptable in every way to him! He refused to believe it!
They didn't have much time to respond or were able to escape due to the forcefield keeping them contained, as the portal unleashed a siphoning vortex at point blank range!
"GRRRRGH!" They gritted their teeth as they tired to hold on, but the pull of the portal intensified and soon began to lift them all off their feet and drag them into the portal itself!
"WAAAAAAAH!"
"It's pulling us in!" Sheer and Foolscap cried out in alarm as they found the selves the first to be sucked off their feet!
"Everyone! Flap for your lives!" Specter cried as they sprouted their wings from their backs and flapped as hard as they could in an effort to escape the hole's pull!
"URGH!" Try as they might, they could not escape the judgement cast upon them, as they soon began to lose out to the vortex one by one!
"This is why I prefer to fly solo!" Sheer wailed as she sucked in first!
Foolscap gritted his teeth as he tried to fly away but due to the force shield he was trapped inside enable to escape its pull before he was soon done in! "That's it! I'm done with time travelling! From now on I say there's no time like the present!" He cried before getting absorbed into the flux!
"Y….Yeah!" Gavro cried out in alarm as he felt his strength giving out, "I hear it's called the present cos it's like a gift to us….but way I see it now this is one gift I really don't waaaaant!" He cried before he was pulled in along with them!
As his men vanished deep inside, Specter turned pale and pleaded desperately to his enemies, "Wait! I take back everything! I'm sorry! Really! Please! Just let us goo!" He begged, but his cries fell on deaf ears as Cera and the others either scowled or looked away, seeing nothing but heartless evil monsters in them, as he soon met his fate for all his previous actions by joining his underlings in the vortex! "WAAAAAH!
Before long, Goma was left, as he struggled against the pull of the vortex like it was a giant inter dimensional vacuum cleaner! As he could feel his wings gradually losing strength he looked up towards his oppressors and gnashed his teeth at them, "Grrgh! Mark my words you insolent insects! This isn't over!" he snarled viciously at them as he gritted his teeth and flapped out his wings in defiance of the portal, even though he was losing and his fate sealed he still resisted and refused to accept it!
As he felt himself pulled in gradually he glared at up the Resistance who eyed him with disdain, some of them even striking that this would be the last they would see of hime which further infuriated him, "I swear, no matter how long it takes, even if it takes an eternity….I will return! And when I do, I swear I will make you all paaaaaayyy!" Were his final words being a curse towards his most hated enemies of all, before the vortex's pull soon overcame his determination and hatred, pulling him into the depths of the time space continuum! "GRAAAAAAGGGHHH!" his cries echoed like a ghostly howl before it soon closed behind him, sealing him and the other pirates away from the rest of the world for all eternity, ending their threat as well as their existence once and for all.
With the portal closed, the systems began to initiate a cool down phase as dying out machine sounds echoed in the chambers. Seeing it to be safe, Cera herself left the observation deck and took the elevator down to the time gate room itself before stepping out before it, with Max and the D Team right behind her as they watched her stare blankly at the machine for several minutes straight. Looking at it themselves, they could tell this was the most fitting punishment for all the zanjark had done, now they would suffer like how they made Cera did, not out of spite or vengeance but out of absolute justice and no more.
Cera thought about it call calmly before closing her eyes lightly, as if a dark chapter of their history was now closed at long last, "Finally….it's done….." she said with a heavy breath and deep sigh, believing that what she did to them was the perfect punishment to fit the crime, plus she knew for a fact she didn't cross the line or broke any of her moral codes this then around and now the world and the future was finally safe and at peace….or so she hoped it would be.
Had this victory come not at such a heavy price and not feeling so bittersweet, as she lowered her head and sighed heavily with regret wishing she had realised certain things sooner, but she was too blind by joy and pride by their victory the first time that she failed to consider everything to secure their future with no more pain and strife….now it was too late for the damage had been done and many had already fallen down a pit of despair they may never recover from because of her failure….
"Cera….." Max and his friends were unsure of what to think or to say in this situation. It was not their place to judge, plus with everything the space pirates had done which was unforgivable, no normal punishment they can come up with would ever be worthy of them except this. Plus they won't cross the line to kill, there being enough bloodshed already. so this was the best they could do….Plus, all that mattered was the safety of the universe and now was the best compromise they could come up with to ensure their existence was eliminated from the universe in exchange for not taking their lives and scarring themselves by crossing a line they could never come back from.
"So they're….gone for good this time?" Zoe asked her uneasily.
"They'll never be able to find their way back here or to any other time?" Rex asked after her, hoping it was over and that was the last they would ever see of them.
Cera narrowed her eyes and thought about it for a bit, but after considering every possible factor and risk before deciding on this decision, "I'm positively certain about it….." she replied feeling assured she took into account every possible scenario and they have nothing else to worry about anymore, "Chances of them being able to find a wormhole to take them out of the time stream without any kind of space craft to bring them there is extremely unlikely. And unless they receive help from some off worldly being like the Pterosaur did for me….I have no doubts that they're finally finished….." She responded in a hard and cold tone of affirmation.
With no other words to say, her fiends looked up at the time gate which finished cooling down and soon brightened up again, "Good." said Max firmly, "As long as what we went through never happens again…."
"Maybe that's for the best….." Rex then thought narrowing his eyes, for as long as the Zanjark walked the earth no one could ever be safe, this way they can ensure they all have a future which is safe from their threats once and for all….future threats perhaps….though addressing the damage done was another matter….
"Now for the hard part…" Zoe sighed as Cera brought up a screen most reluctantly, which depicted the massive destruction wrecked upon the city. Buildings and homes levelled to rubble, vehicles smoking in wreckage as relief workers tried to salvage what properties or belongings they could find. In nurseries nearby which were torn down, the yolks and blood of newborn dinosaurs and eggs leaked out from under the rubble upon collapse, while some families about the plaza cried and mourned upon seeing their loved ones being dinosaurs or friends and relatives being carried away in body bags before being taken away.
Even if it were possible to rebuild the city, after so much death and destruction….the emotional scars and trauma countless people would have suffered under this added on top of what happened before…..
Seeing it all and how it reminded her of the war she saw firsthand and suffered through, plus this reducing all their efforts to dust and them ending up worse than ever before, they may never be able to comeback again this….the thought of this made Cera clench her hand into a fist and grit her teeth, her friends sighed with deep empathy upon hearing her hiss through her teeth as if she was in pain, as she switched off the screens unable to bear with it any longer. As if old wounds were reopened again and could never heal no matter how much time passed. The feeling….was unimaginable…..but the D Team knew they couldn't leave things like this for her.
"Cera." feeling a hand on her shoulder, Cera tuned she saw the serious and slightly encouraging looks her friends were giving her as best they could, "I know it will take….much time…..after you all just managed to bounce back after working so hard after the war….." said Max rather uneasily before shaking his head clear and looking as assured as he could, "But I promise, we will find a way to come back from this." he then said to her.
Zoe and Rex soon came up to her too, "We all will stay with you as long as we need to."
"No matter how hard or how long it'll be." They said to her with firm affirmation as they made a promise to her up front looking her in the eyes.
Cera eyed them seriously and said nothing for a few moments, but before long eased up much to their relief as she nodded in affirmation, "Thank you guys….it means much to hear you all say that." she said feeling deeply grateful to have such irreplaceable friends like them, "And I do trust in you all to keep your words." She nodded back at them with a smile, "But….." Was all she said next as she lowered her head down to their surprise.
"But….what?" Max asked blinking his eyes curiously as she she turned away form them most strangely, "Cera?"
"Is….there something on your mind now?" Zoe asked her.
She closed her eyes and reflected upon everything she witnessed from the Shadow War to the Dinosaur War just now, "Even if we do manage to rebuild what was destroyed….we'll never be able to completely patch up the emotional scars everyone suffered." She said out loud with a heavy sigh, already knowing the inconvenient truth behind the hopeful ideal, "Wounds may heal….but the psychological and emotional trauma….there's without a doubt that some may never be able to bound back from this….no matter how hard we try….time may stop for several people in Saurus City." She said as her friends frowned heavily realising that this story of theirs would never have a perfect happy ending like they hoped, seeing the truth in her words as they fell silent knowing many would mourn this very day and for even years to come, for scars had been made that would never go away even after centuries….the thought of them bouncing back after a calamity like this seemed impossible….or perhaps it was. It appeared that they would have found no way of escaping this dreadful situation and they would all be doomed do a destiny of despair….till Cera opened her eyes and looked up at the time gate firmly with clarity in her eyes, "But I've been thinking, why put in so much effort to try and fix something which may be beyond repair…." she spoke up in a determined tone as her friends looked up to her, "When there's a chance we can erase it all."
Upon hearing her very words, Max, Rex and Zoe blinked their eyes in surprise and confusion, unable to decipher what she meant, "Erase…it?"
"What do you mean?" Rex and Zoe asked curiously.
Max too was on the same wavelength as them, but soon put on a more serious look on his face, "Do you already have something in mind?" he asked Cera as he narrowed his eyes seriously, because if there was one he would take it without hesitation, for nothing would be worse for humanity and the dinosaurs than to be doomed to live in a future like this.
Looking to Max she nodded back at him, "I do…." Was all she responded with as she stepped forward before the time gate.
She swallowed hard as her heart beaten heavily with anxiety, deep down she was rather unsure, not on whether she should do this but on whether it would actually work for three were still risks that would come with this plan. Said risks were the reason she forbade that time travel not be used this way, for if problems were taken away there would be no progress in the end….but soon she got over said doubts and fears as her eyes hardened with determination, for they were limits to what they could bear and after what they just went through it was already more than they could bear. She had had enough, her mind was made up and her thoughts were clear as she finally made her decision.
Her silence puzzled her friends as they blinked their eyes or stared at her curiously, "Okay so….what is it?"
"Care to fill us in anytime?" Max and Rex asked interested in hearing her out.
Cera wasn't about to give too much away though, for she had her reasons, "It's a plan with a rather slim chance of success….and of course highly risky." she explained as she turned her back to them and folded her arms behind her back, "But as they say heavy risks always mean big rewards in return, and if it does work I believe things can be made right again like before." She added calmly with confidence
Hearing that assurance in her voice, Zoe widened her eyes, "You….Really think it'll work?" she asked.
She nodded back at them, "I know for sure….." she said not giving anything away as she looked to each of them one by one, "So before I let you all know….Let me ask you this first." The others readied themselves believing she was going to ask them of something serious, but what she asked them next surprised them, "Do you trust me…On what I plan to do?" She asked feeling hopeful that they would side with her and respect her decision even though she hadn't told them what it was yet.
Unsure and a bit wary of what she meant and yet still believing in her, Max and his fiends gathered together to discuss amongst themselves over what they ought to do, "What do you think guys?" Max asked first wanting to hear his friends' thoughts.
Rex soon closed his eyes in thought before opening them again, "After all the destruction we suffered by Arkosaurus and Goma….should we really be trying anything just as drastic to fix it?" He asked feeling Cera was going to attempt something really risky this time around, and he wasn't sure if now would be a good time to gamble again, not wanting to push their luck after past experiences and what they went through, as he looked at the situation more rationally.
"Maybe…." Max understanding his worries, but after looking back at the suffering the people went through, realistically things would never be the way they should be again, "But….way I see it, anything's way better than this." He said knowing that if there was even the slightest hope of changing this horrible outcome he'd take it in a heartbeat, "Plus it seems conventional restoration efforts aren't going to cut it this time around, we'll really have to try something new and different if we really want there to be change." He said with affirmation as Rex and Zoe eyed him with concern that he was going to consider this.
Max then looked over to Cera who was still waiting for their decision with a hopeful look on her face, as if she couldn't do this without them, before facing Rex and Zoe again, "Also…this is Cera….she's always had our backs so I think it's time we had hers." He said feeling assured of this himself, "She did so much for us and now she went through a huge mess she and her friends didn't deserve." He said hissing painfully with regret in his heart and if there was a way to fix this as well as for everyone's futures he'd gladly give his own life for it, "If she does have a way to fix all this then I say we take a chance and go for it without hesitation!" He then declared pumping up his arm with affirmation, making it clear to Rex and Zoe his choice to side with Cera's idea no matter what it would be.
Rex narrow eyes seeing this plan to be very risky…..but after thinking about all the lives they may be able to save and prevent should it be successfully, perhaps it would it be worth it after all….
Max smiled seeing he was coming around, nothing could be worse than what they were going through now, plus they have gotten desperate too and everyone else nearly lost all hope. The D team hardened themselves together, not wanting them to suffer any longer, knowing unless they do something different this time around it won't get better no matter what they tried or how long it would take. They knew it was something big, but they were confident they could handle it like how they did before.
Feeling certain it was the right thing to do, if it would help countless others recover, Zoe soon nodded as she and Rex smiled at their friend, "Alright Max, we're in."
"Anything for our friends and our future." said Rex as he nodded with her too, "Like we always do." If they all were on board with this then there was no reason why he shouldn't either.
"Mhmm. Glad to hear that you guys." Max nodded happy that his best friends were having his back and at his side, now it was their turn to do same for the one who stood by their side the most. The one who would lead their legacy and generation together, it was on Cera now and they believed and she knew what was best now than they did, and thus they would do their best to help her do so.
"We're with you all the way Cera." said Rex with a confident smile, having faith in whatever her idea was and willing to standby her decision to the end.
Max then pumped up his arm, "Yeah! If there's a chance we can fix all this then we'll gladly go for it!"
"Not like it's anything new and all…." Zoe giggled with a cheeky grin as she folded her arms behind her head, "If anything does go wrong we'll make it right again like we always do." She added feeling confident that nothing will stop them this time around after what they've been through.
"Whatever you decide on, we'll be with you all the way." said Max at the end as they all smiled on board towards her.
Little did they all realise….was that the plan she had in mind was far more drastic and high risk than they could ever comprehend….and their very own words were what helped set it all in stone….
Closing her eyes, Cera smiled, "Thank you everyone…..That's all I needed to hear." She said, her mind cleared of doubts and regrets.
Her friends smiled happy, awaiting whatever idea she had on her mind and were ready to hear her out. What she did instead though, was reach into her pocket and take out a remote which she aimed right at the time gate which made their smiles go away.
"Cera?" Max asked curiously at what it was for. Before he could ask, Cera stepped forward onto the time gate, and pressing the red button the force shield opened up around her, cutting her away from her friends!
"AH!" They all widened their eyes and gasped in alarm! Before them their hearts skipped several beats as the time portal opened up before her!
"W…Wait what are you doing!?" Max asked worried, before they all began realising it as they gasped in bewilderment that she was actually resorting to something that drastic, which made them want to take back the promise they gave her just now!
"A….Are you crazy!?"
"Get back! You don't know what you're doing!"
"Don't do it!" Zoe and Rex pleaded with her, but their words couldn't reach her this time around.
From the way she was behaving it was clear she knew exactly what she wanted and she wasn't going to stop at achieving it no matter what it took. "Don't worry everyone," said Cera as she began to step towards the portal, "I promise Miku and I will make things right again once and for all." she said to them as she soon stopped a step away before entering it, "When I get back, and I will…." she looked back to them with a warm smile, "Let's all have a fun match together…like how dino battling should have been." She said at the end promising it would all be fine, as she continued her way towards the time portal before everyone!
"Cera! Stop!"
"It's dangerous!" They cried as they ran out at the force shield and pounded their fists at it, trying to break in but to no avail!
They could only watch helplessly as she walked towards the portal, and shoot towards them a light and sad smile, which was enough to melt anyone's hearts as they glistened with tears and innocence, "See you all soon…." She said lightly, promising them she will return back….and with much more, as she readied her legs to make the jump, though not before stating a few soft words to herself, "And you too….mom…." She breathed before leaping into the portal and vanishing within its' depths to everyone's horror!
"Cera!"
"NOOOO!" Her friends wailed in shock and disbelief as she disappeared before their eyes….
"AH!" Everyone else was completely taken aback and stared speechlessly at what they just witnessed….in an instant…she was just….gone…..
One of the lieutenant troopers present shook his head and gritted his teeth unwilling to take this lying down, he turned to Raina, "Shut it down now!" he growled snapping her out of her faze.
"I…I…." she stuttered as every emergency command and action she keyed ins as immediately rejected or ended up as an error! "I can't! It's been overwritten! I've lost control of all systems!" She cried in alarm as she widened her eyes all panicky and her heart began to race as the clock seemed to be running out for everyone present in the time room! The controls soon sparked and smoked before even exploding before her and everyone else in the control room!
BZZT! BOOM!
"AH!"
Down below, Zoe and Rex fell to their knees stunned by what they just witnessed, and unable to comprehend what just happened before their very eyes.
"No…." Max breathed taken aback too, but soon gritted his teeth in defiance as he tried to go after her! Gritting his teeth he swung out his fist with all his might as he pounced right at the forceshield! "Urgh!" He winced in pain as an equal but opposite force seemed to repel him back! Nevertheless, he continued to punch repeatedly at it, refusing to give up as he planned to get back his friend no matter what! Yet despite his best efforts each punch drained bit by bit of his stamina while the shield still held up no matter what he did!
"NO! NO! NO!" He cried in anguish at his refusal despite how inevitable it seemed, his fists throbbing with pain as it felt he was slamming into a brick wall and his bones about to snap. Soon his stamina gave out as he fell on his knees shedding bitter tears which fell like drops for blood from his eyes. He gritted his teeth hissing angrily as he began to punch the ground over and over, as Rex and Zoe came around, shedding painful tears of their own as they gathered around to comfort and try to share his pain…..A moment which didn't last long as the shield soon dissipated to their surprised the portal inside began to unleash spatial quakes as it began spring hard and distort in shape growing increasingly unstable!
BZZT!
"AH!" They widened their eyes as it began too explained and grow out of control!
"Get back! It's dangerous!" Raina shouted to them from above as everyone inside the time gate room and in the safety deck above had to brace themselves as the entire room surged with energy, overloading the systems as the gate destabilised! As they looked ahead, they all widened their eyes in sheer shock and disbelief, as the portal itself imploded and let out an immense glare of light which swallowed every one of them completely in its blinding radiance!
"WAAAAAAAH!" The screams of everyone present echoed from inside the light as they were forced to cover their eyes with their arms or tried to run away, only to be taken in completely by the glow…..
(Several days later)
Peace reigned supreme across Saurus City, as it few signs of the destruction caused by Arkosaurus or even the war remained, as many people along with their dinosaurs went about their daily affairs like they usually did every other day….walking side by side highlighting true coexistence with one another without any signs of tension or hostility seen in anyone be it human or dino. This time however, many of them were amassing in huge numbers as waves of people began amassing towards their greatest monument in the city as well as the very symbol of man's union with dinosaurs, the Fossil Stadium! Fireworks exploded in the sky above it, heralding the reopening of the greatest work of architecture in Saurus City's history as well as the grand reopening of the Fossil League which may be a greater tournament than the world cup could ever be in millions of years! News had spread far and wide across the globe as hundreds to thousands had flooded over to the City in order for a chance to bear witness the revival of the mightiest competition of all as well as the exhibition match planned which would kick start its revival once and for all as people filled with excitement and anticipation laughed with excitement or grunted angrily with impatience at wanting it to start already, as they either lined up outside to be ushered to their seats or for the match to begin.
Those not present or were unable to make it to the arena, being overseas or having bene unable to secure a ticket in time before they ran out, didn't let that minor inconvenience stop them as they headed over to whatever screen at home or public broadcast they could find as families, friends amassed in any public viewing area or hime in order to watch the grandest moment in all history! It was so greta many didn't even want their dinosaurs to miss out on this as smaller ones like stegoceras or archaeopteryx were seated on the couches or around their humans close to the screens while larger ones like patagosaurus or even ceratosaurus were watching them from the windows across the world in every country and neighbourhood outside Saurus City, a handful of large dinos crowded amongst whatever window they could fit their head in ended up showing or trying to squeeze through not wanting to give up their best spots or lose out in watching the greatest moment in Earth's history since the first dinosaur was brought back from extinction!
Inside the coliseum was packed t the brim with people, so much that some kids even had to sit in their parent's laps to make space for others! The roaring and cheers echoing from inside could be heard from even Dinosaur Valley further off, and among the audience were seated several certain species guests whom were invited to sit in the best VIP seats that could be offered. "Oh I can't wait anymore!" Dr Taylor giggled with glee as he shook out his legs hyperactively and even kicking out at the people in front of him much to their discomfort as they moved away begrudgingly from him, "All this excitement is really getting my blood pumping! If I don't see a good old fashioned dino battle right here and now I'm going to explode!" He gritted his teeth as if he was writhing in agony for not seeing any action for several minutes the moment he took his seat.
By his side Aki covered her palm over her mouth to hide her amusement, "Hahaha, easy Spike, if you explode in front of so many people here, I'll have my hands full cleaning up afterwards." she giggled before looking around them seeing all their friends from Zoe's and Rex's parents all the way to even the rest of their associates across time too, had gathered in order to support their respective families and friends, "In fact I'm pretty sure not everyone would appreciate what's left of you covering all over them.…."
Laura and Rod shuddered playfully with their parents nearby smiling politely, while Reese only shook her head in dismay wondering how on Earth could Dr Taylor be considered an adult with such behaviour. Helga and Jonathan merely looked ahead trying their best not to pay him any attention though it was evident that their eyes kept looking to him multiple times whenever he turned away from them. The other parents like Zoe and Rex's parents and even Dr Owen and Patrick too were present, either smiling at him cheekily or trying to hold in their laughter.
Seeing how other bystanders around were staring at him rather awkwardly and how much of a fool he was making himself look, "Oh you're right….how very immature of me…." he pouted in embarrassment as he used his hat to cover his face covered with shame.
They all soon smiled cheekily shrugging it off like it was no more than a mere joke, "Hahaha, don't worry about it," Dr Ancient chuckled before looking to everyone in their circle of friends on their sides, behind or ahead of them, "After all we feel pretty much the same way as you, as well as everyone else here too." They all smiled or nodded feeling the same way.
Other people in the masses also began to murmur, whisper or grumble in annoyance at having to wait so long for the opening ceremony of the greatest tournament ever to go under way, it was a big moment for this was the very first time the arena had reopened again after so many years as a ruin and in rubble…..but soon the long and arduous wait would come to an end and their patience would soon be long rewarded.
"But it looks like we won't have to wait any longer." Reese spoke up seeing one of the gates down below was beginning to open up as the sun rose at its peak and shone right above the coliseum grounds.
"Ssh! It's already starting!" Cretacia hushed them as she placed a finger to her lips seriously, silencing everyone around them as soon every other person in the stadium began to have the same idea as them, the murmurs and whispers vanishing away in an instant and soon all was silent in the coliseum apart from the wind blowing or the occasional passing bird or pterosaur in the sky.
Before long, one of the doors in the arena grounds opened up down below, and stepping onto the field was a middle aged man with a goatee beard and short moustache wearing a brightly coloured red showman outfit with a top hat, with a microphone piece attached to his face. Tweaking it a bit causing a short but sharp siren sound to echo in the arena, disturbing the audience momentarily, the announcer smirked satisfied once he had the settings right as he soon announced to them all, "Ladies and Gentlemen! We thank you for your patience and it shall be generously rewarded!" He announced to them politely, "We know that everyone gathered here or watching on your TV screens afar at home across the world have been waiting long and hard for this very moment, ever since the defeat of the wretched Shadow Empire."
"BOO!"
"You got that right!"
"Good riddance to those scumbags!" Various rants and sneers sounded from the people around them, as the announcer had to wave out his hands to calm them down.
"It has taken much time to rebuild and restore what was lost from our golden age as it was during the time of the dinosaurs," He said rather heavily before brightening up with a huge smile and spreading out his hands to the masses with a most joyous and energetic expression filled with hope, "But now we celebrate the return of a new and old era just as great as the return of the dinosaurs!" He declared proudly, "So it is with great and highest honour that we finally announce the grand re-opening of Fossil Stadium and not least of all, the Fossil League!" He bellowed at the top of his lungs as the crowds began to cheer and squeal with much anticipation and excitement.
"YEAH!"
"This is awesome!"
"Best day of my life!"
The announced grinned having heard just the response he had been hoping from the people of Saurus City, "That is right! The very tournament which created the spark which lit the flame of a great golden age of man and dinosaur working together as one! Created by the greatest heroes of time who helped made that dream a reality for us all!" He proclaimed proudly to the masses, "And it is with my deepest honour that we welcome our great heroes where they shall undergo an exhibition match before the greatest duelists of our time!" He grinned feeling the hype and excitement getting to him as well and even he couldn't wait any linger for the festivities to soon be underway, "This will be but an appetiser of what is to come, for only the most worthy of challengers shall earn the right to face them in the Ultimate Battle Tournament of all! The Fossil League Cup!"
Upon said announcement fireworks shot up and exploded into many sparkles in the sky, and right on cue a flock of pterosaurs consisting of tapejara, tupuxuara, anhanguera and pteranodons, all lead by a massive quetzalcoatlus, swooped across the skies above the stadium letting out loud shrieks which echoed across the city signalling the grand reopening of the greatest tournament in history once lost to time….much like the dinosaurs before….as soon the crowds began to roar and squeal with uncontrollable excitement and enthusiasm as their long wait had finally came to an end!
"Woo hoo!"
"Bring on the battles already!"
"FOSSIL FIGHT! FOSSIL FIGHT! FOSSIL FIGHT!"
"Dino duels! Dino duels!"
Hearing the demands and cheers from the people and masses, the announcer smirked seeing no reason to deny them any longer, as he raised up his hand to an opening gate on one side of the arena ushering everyone to look where he was pointing, "And without further ado, let us welcome the Great D Team and the Alpha gang!"
As the doors finally opened completely, stepping forth into the light the people widened their eyes speechlessly at the sight of the whole group of legendary heroes step forth onto their very own arena whom they dedicated to! It didn't take long for the excitement within them all to break out like a mad lion from its cage as they roared out at the top of their lungs and even shouted through mega phones or held out banners depicting the teams or individuals they rooted for the most!
"Look! Here they come!"
"Whoa! It's really them!"
"It's a dream come true….." They all breathed in awe and amazement to see the greatest dinosaur heroes of all time step onto the field before them, this was a glorious moment in history for the people of Saurus City as all cameras were focused on each and every one of them down below as they made their way to the middle of the battlefield, eyes from the seats and across the planet were fixated on them and neither turning away nor even blink for this grand occasion.
While the adults on the Alpha gang seemed to take the cheers and showers of praise rather well and in fact even returned them, Max and his friends tried to keep a straight poker face and look ahead, shaking nervously or shuddering feeling pressured with so many eyes all on them.
"Woo hoo!"
"Way to go Max!"
"You're our hero!" Were but a few of the many compliments and applauses from the crowds around them, and not wanting them to be unanswered, they tried their best to smile and wave back even though they were still shaking in their shoes immensely at so many fans….though for a certain few they were at least a little more comfortable and worked up some of their confidence back.
"Do your best honey!" Aki cheered for her son as Spike soon followed up behind her.
"Like you always do!" He roared punching forward with all his might, "Show them what makes you the best!" He bellowed having every ounce of faith that he would come out on top above everyone else in this exhibition match and then the entire League!
Max's nervous expression soon faded away and was quickly replaced by an excited and energetic grin as the cheers began feeding his ego and confidence, knowing since he came this far there was no way he could possibly turn back or let them all down, for he had expectations to both meet and exceed and he looked forward to it all.
"You were always my favourite Rex!" A girl cried out in the crowd with her friends, and as Rex shot her a wink and a grin they blushed red and fainted with joy.
"We're behind you every step of the way Rex!" Cretacia whistled while her husband merely clapped proudly, expecting great things from his son who nodded back calmly at his parents, embracing their support and having no intention to let them down either.
Zoe on the other hand, tried her best to play it cool and even pull her pig tails to cover her blushing red face as her 'fans' began showing her with rather affectionate or perhaps unusual comments and praises about her,
"She's so cute!"
"Wonder if she's still single…."
She did her best to play it cool and not look their way and give them any ideas, though the cries of a certain fan in the midst didn't make it any easier for her.
"ZOE! Daddy's rooting for you all the way!" Dr Drake cheered with affection as he waved out his mega needle above him, which spooked several of the audience to back away as well as starlet many chibi dinosaurs who were present too, scattering them like rats from a cat as their owners had to get up and chase after them in annoyance! She on the other hand blushed red and cried into her hair wishing it would be over with already.
Meanwhile on the Alpha gang's side they were receiving the praises rather well from the audience for they believed they were entitled to such kind words for believing they were the best of the best, though none more so than Dr Z himself as he waved out to his biggest fans of all.
"Grampa!"
"You can do it! Show them why you're the dinosaur king!" Rod and Laura cheered for him as even their father shouted out towards his adopted father.
"You can do it Papa Z!"
"Don't you lose now!" His wife cheered after him.
"Ahahahah! Me? Lose in my own arena? Ha! Never going to happen!" Dr Z snickered smugly finding the thought of losing on his own home turf to be ridiculous, "I'll show everybody why I'm king and I'll surrender my crown to no one! So Says Dr Z!" He bellowed to the crowds, showing off himself and striking rather dramatic poses, which made Rod and Laura blush red in embarrassment at their grandfather making a fool of himself as they looked away trying not to stand out….though his actions seemed to hype up the crowds even more than before to their surprise.
"YEAH!"
"Show them who rules!"
On another side of the seating area, a group of fanboys began whistling out for their number one queen as they held out banners featuring her as well as even wearing face paint or sprayed their hair in the same colours as her own hair and outfit to showcase their support for her! "We love you Ursula!"
She couldn't help herself but chuckle back at them in amusement having finally achieved the recognition she believed she so richly deserved, "Hohohohoh! For you my loyal fans I'll do anything to please you, and that includes showing everyone why I am number one!" Winking and blowing a kiss to them all she struck their hearts right in the bullseye as many of the men fainted with infatuation or even turned on each other arguing at whom she aimed at.
It seemed to be going well for them all….but in actual fact only 2 of the bunch weren't as satisfied as their friends were upon realising their names weren't or at least were scarcely called in comparison which disappointed them deeply, "Awww why is no one cheering for us?" Zander pouted feeling rather let down as well as envious of how everyone was snatching the attention away and making them look more like wallflowers or background characters in some movie shoot.
"Maybe we're not as popular….." Ed muttered feeling just as sad and disappointed as Zander was before perking up with enthusiasm and hope, "Still, this could be our chance to get some good PR wouldn't you agree buddy?"
In response Zander grinned mischievously and rubbed his palms together eagerly, "Heheh, great minds think alike."
As the crowds began to cheer and roar with even more excitement as the atmosphere was even brimming with the wild and positive energies of their long lost sport of dino duelling, Seth, who was seated in one of the secluded areas of the arena, couldn't help but smirk and nod with approval, "This should be most entertaining…." he mused for the first time in his life. Perhaps Dr Z's pipe dream wasn't so pointless after all, now he can see first hand how dinosaurs and humans take one another to heights never before reached by either species alone, this was true evolution untainted by science and completely natural, something not even years of research could ever achieve. Finally, deep down inside he could rest easy knowing he could finally move on completely from the past at long last, as he began to make peace with himself and for all his previous deeds.
The announcer meanwhile, smirked seeing the legendary heroes present on 1 side of the battle field, deep down even he was hyped up and couldn't wait to get down to the exhibition matches that would kick start this grand occasion…however, as it took 2 hands to clap there was 1 more team he had yet to introduce. The greatest team of today who couldn't be better opponents to face off against the greatest of the past, and he grinned with eager excitement as it soon arrived for the time to announce their arrival, "And now!" He cried out as everyone fell silent at his words. Turning over to the opposite side he held out his arm at another opening gate as everyone including the D Team looked towards it, "Allow us to welcome our greatest champions who also founded the D Resistance which has helped to protect our planet in our darkest of times! Along with our beloved head of the D Lab! Cera O Sauria!"
Once more, the crowds erupted into sheer excitement and immeasurable amounts of joy as their greatest to represent them, stepped out as a unified group onto the stadium field which made countless individuals including the D Team and Alpha gang themselves stare speechlessly in awe!
Cera lead forth the other captains of the Resistance, and she waved out to the masses who squealed and screeched upon seeing their very own commander grace them with her presence! Several fan clubs erupted and roared upon seeing Marina wink at them, while others roared with energy seeing Blaze and Craig bulk up and pose to them, causing several to have nosebleeds upon witnessing how masculine they were and their bravado was pretty much unrivalled in every way! Others cheered seeing Raina and Hua appear behind them, and as Kaze materialised in a cloud of smoke revealing how much his ninja skills hadn't waned but in fact sharpened whipped them all up into a frenzy!
Before long the tension peaked and everyone fell silent at seeing what looked almost like a pair of equal unstoppable forces gathered right before them in their own arena, ready to duke it out amongst one another in a battle that would transcend human and dinosaur history for generations to come! Both sides too were serious and tense seeing their rivals were no laughing matter and were worthy of the highest respect for their deeds as well as skill in battle. Representing their sides, the D team and Cera stepped forward to meet one another face to face, not just on their team's behalf but also as greatest of friends as well to exchange but a few words before the greatest matches of all would go underway and complete utter silence soon filled the stadium and even across the whole planet as they awaited what words both sides would exchange for one another knowing these would be carved into their history for ages.
Both representatives were serious and silent at first, but soon smiled warmly at each other in each others' presence as they reflected upon everything they been through together until now. It truly was a wild adventurous ride and things were going to get a whole lot better for them now, they could feel it roaring deep in their hearts and souls as they prepared to share this with the world and help them be able to build such bonds with each other too.
"Well Cera, we've sure come a long way but all our adventures, fights, experiences….." said Max smoothly at his old comrade before looking around to see the eyes of the world fixed on them, "They all lead us up to this very moment."
Cera nodded back at him firmly too, "I couldn't agree more Max." She responded in agreement, "Once we fought on the same side as comrades in arms, now we fight on opposite sides as equal rivals." She then smirked, "Heh, I expected nothing less from you all to make it this far. Though despite our friendship, don't think I'll make it easy for you guys." She said to them before looking up at a certain spot in the crowds, "After all, I have those who are counting on me to make them and everyone else proud of what we've managed to bring back to them." Where her eyes were focused on, her father Lunensis sat smiling upon her with pride….and next to him…sat Maia, whose warm eyes shone with kindness and immeasurable amounts of joy to see how much their daughter had grown and come.
"Hehe, what a coincidence." Max chuckled as he looked up to see his family as well as all his friends too rooting for him as much as Cera's were rooting for her, "It's the same for us too."
"They're cheering for us to win," Rex replied closing his eyes with a gentle smile before smirking confidently at Cera, "No way can we disappoint them now can we?"
"That'd make us really bad kids to do that." Zoe giggled as she bonked her head playfully too.
"Haha, I couldn't agree more." Cera laughed as she covered her mouth in amusement suppressing a giggle, seeing now the paths they were taking were set. She then looked to him with a most confident expression with firmness too in her eyes, "Way I see it we all have reasons why we can't afford to lose on front of them."
"In that case, let's give everyone exactly what they came here for and not keep them waiting a second longer!" Max cheered at the top of his lungs after that unable to wait any longer for the greater tournament of the century to finally go under way!
Despite with there being high stakes already in this match, it didn't matter in the end who won or lost. The days of war and calamity were long behind them and would remain buried in the past, from this moment forward and forevermore, battles would be about fun, building connections with partners and even opponents, no enemies only friendly rivals in the sport everyone loved and treasured since the dawn of its' beginning. Just thinking about it made Cera smile peacefully as though a dark hole in her heart had been completely patched up and she could rest easy too knowing she and everyone else could finally move forward.
She then nodded with affirmation and pumped up her arm, "Alright! Let's do this!"
"Time to get this party started!" Max cheered as they all reached for their dinoshots and took them and their cards out, which shone in the light of the sun! Everyone gasped in amazement as the moment of truth finally dawned upon them all.
"Now, the moment you have all been waiting for! Which side will prevail and which shall go extinct?! Let the Exhibition Battle begin!" The announcer concluded hurrying off the arena field to the safety of the side stands as the crowds cheered excitedly and with anticipation unable to contain themselves a second longer.
Looking to each other and to their opposing rivals the D Team, Alpha Gang and the Resistance smiled at all the praise and positive energies they were receiving from the people around he world, feeling heir voices within their souls both in the present and even for the past, and they intended to make this a battle for the ages and for future generations to always look back on as they held put their dinoshots and their cards, as silence came upon the audience as they awaited the fabled words for them to chant!
"Dino slash!"
"Alpha slash!"
They all yelled together slashing their cards and causing bright lights to shine and illuminate the arena! As their dinosaurs roared powerfully and appeared on the field on both sides, raring to fight and to give the people of the future a show they would never forget for centuries to come, the crowds around the world and at the arena roared with purest of energy as their applause and cries of excitement of joy echoed throughout the city and even across the planet as they marked the end of the Shadow War and the beginning to a new age of light and peace forevermore.
"YEAH!"
(Meanwhile)
Back in the D Lab, watching everything onscreen at the control room was Minmi, who smiled with bright joyful eyes as she clapped her hands together feeling most happy or everyone and most importantly Cera herself, "Aww….I really wish I could be out there having fun with everyone else….." she sighed feeling slightly jealous of not being able to be there to see the matches up close or even participate in them as she then loosened up slightly more, "Then again…the job I have is just as important…." she thought to herself afterwards a bit more seriously as she leaned down and picked up a bucket filled with mixed plants that was near her. "Cera did her part in making sure our future turned out the best way possible….now it's my turn to do my part….." She said as she then walked into the elevator and entered it, as it took her down to the lowest floor.
As the doors opened up, she entered the dino holding facility where several large enclosures were lined up along the chambers, inside each of them continued various different dinosaurs in them, ranging from altered ones with fearers like extra spikes or horns to true hybrids like alloraptor or even stegospinus. Walking along the central path they looked up at her with mixed responses ranging from agitated snarls and snapping at the bars to uncaring or complete disregard. Minmi kept her gaze fixated on one particular cage which housed an Edmontoguanodon, which was really sick with a fever. While she didn't approve of these mutant dinosaurs she did however believe in the hope for redemption or even the slightest capacity for change and she believed that they all deserved a chance to be rehabilitated before anything else.
As she came upon the cage with the hybrid herbivore, who looked up to her weakly, she pt on a light and gently smile as its eyes met hers, "Here you go, today you get a special serving of numb tongue leaf salad, mixed in with all kinds of sweet and juicy berries and fruit to help balance out the bitter after taste." she said nicely to the hybrid dino as she added the food to the feeding trough, who sniffed the mixture for a few moments, before feeling appetiser and hungry enough to try. Testing a few leaves it found the plants to be most appetising as it then munched down the rest of it to Minmi's delight, "There you go, I knew you'd love it, plus it'll make you all better in no time." she said to it feeling safe as she reached out and petted it on the head and in turn receiving an effectuate lick from it! "Hahahaha…..you really aren't so bad yourself…." she laughed feeling tickled by the dinosaur's slobber tongue as it brushed against her face. Looking into his eyes, created from science or not, she could see he had those of a true living creature with sentience and emotion like all other living animals, only trying to find its place in the world and no more.
As she looked away from it and to the other hybrids and other altered dinosaurs, she could see the same thing in their eyes, confused and lost, only trying to find a reason they were alive now. She closed her eyes as she thought back on Cera, who decided to give them a new lease on life, having uncovered them before anyone else did and ensuring that nothing else happened to them sooner after she helped change time, a factor than only she knew and no one else, and she much rather keep it that way. After having fed edmontoguanodon, she then walked up to Spinoraptor's pen and pressed a button at his cage, which caused a food tray to eject up from the center of his pen which contained fresh fish and pieces of meat in them, as the raptor dove in upon them and gobbled up his meal ravenously before clicking his lips in deep satisfaction.
Minmi smiled seeing how happy he was and glad it turned out to be a happy ending for everyone….well almost everyone. Looking ahead to a metallic door encoded with a code lock as well as a key card slot, she narrowed her eyes at it hard knowing the true evil that lay behind it as she turned her back to it knowing that it was better this way as she returned to her usual duties. Having accepted that not all dinosaurs wanted to be saved and were in fact evil by nature and thus had to be continued under maximum security to ensure safety and preservation of peace for everyone in the present and for the future.
Behind that door, under maximum security were 6 dinosaur fossils….the fossils of Arkosaurus and his mutant pack, having been fossilised to their skeletal states by a new device developed by Raina that reversed the process of reviving a dinosaur from fossils. After that said fossils were encased in blocks of solid amber, in a state to ensure that any excavation attempt to revive them would damage them to the point where they would never be perfectly restored to full strength ever again. All this was to ensure that any true threats to the peace were eliminated for good, while Cera didn't want to make others fade out of existence, that didn't mean she would leave those who committed truly despicable acts of evil go unpunished….this petrified state of the mutant dinosaurs was the only remaining trace of Goma and his shadow empire that now remained in the world, a dark memory locked away forever and chapter closed off for good to serve as a warning to any and all others who would dare repeat their example only to suffer the same fate….
(Meanwhile)
In Dinosaur Valley, things were going smoothly and well for the wild dinosaurs living there, few to no signs of Arkosaurus' rampage were present in the preserve as all traces of damage, destruction and even death in every area of the valley from the nesting grounds to the volcano were completely erased from existence. The outposts were functioning effectively as they always have been, with the troopers going about their daily activities monitoring their sectors and implementing daily patrols or studies of the local ecosystems. Things were proceeding peacefully as they always have been….or perhaps even more so, as several dinosaur herds were now flourishing quite well thanks to the addition of several newcomers who were helping to keep nature in balance and to help protect that very balance too from any kind of harm.
In the open fern prairies, where the titans of the Jurassic roamed, a herd of apatosaurus was browsing on the edge of the forest, as they worked to help knock down older trees in order to get at the rich juicy leaves or to help feed their young. Leading them, was Brontikens, who helped grab a large piece of a branch and then lower it down for one of the younger sauropods to feed from. Having been freed completely from Specter's control and reprogrammed back to his normal wild state, he now lead a large and healthy herd of his own and helped to maintain a healthy ecosystem for herbivores by providing a readily available source of food by the trees he helped bring down to provide easier access. He wasn't the only newcomer to the area, as the other dinosaurs were given a new lease on life having been purged of evil influence and finally being able to live like true dinosaurs like they should. Maximus too had lead a herd of his own now, as he and his group of triceratops browsed nearby on some open ferns a little further off from where Brontikens' group was, as they and several other herbivores went about their daily affairs.
In the forest, where a group of velociraptors had brought down an iguanodon that was unlucky enough to stumble into their territory were about to gorge themselves on a feast that would last for weeks….or should have, had Gigas not let out a terrifying roar which scattered the pack into the brush as he toured through a couple of trees to get at their meal! Having established himself as top predator of the area, he grabbed the carcass with his huge jaws and lifted it up with little ease before carrying it back to his own territory further off, leaving behind but a few mere scraps for the scavengers as the raptors came out of the undergrowth to feast on what little bits he left for them. At the nesting grounds, the many herds around there were bellowing in joy at having their eggs hatch as new parents were proud to welcome the next generation of dinosaurs into the world, among them was Armatus who recently mated with a female purple stegosaurus as the 2 of them had built a new nest nearby the lakeside, and the female had laid a fresh clutch of eggs as both parents sniffed them happily as they awaited to become new parents themselves within a few months time.
At the volcanic lava fields, standing high upon the perch where arkosaurus once stood upon, overlooking the entire valley was eocarcharia, as he surveyed his new land having been completely purged of Goma's evil and now completely cut off from his master's power, he was nor completely harmless and of no threat to anyone else, no more than any other dinosaur now. His memories had been wiped clean too as he now scoured his newfound home in search of a purpose, though as he gazed upon the Valley from the volcanic mountain ledge he stood upon, he couldn't help but feel he once knew someone important to him but couldn't put a claw on it no matter how hard he tried. As he struggled to figure out where his place in this world was now as well as whom he truly was before, he let out a loud roar which echoed across the Valley and sent pterosaurs flying out of the forest all around.
(Meanwhile)
Over an expanded coastline as the waves washed across the shores of a white sandy beach, all was calm and peaceful as the sun shone brightly across the blue and almost cloudless sky. A pair of troodon were patrolling along the beachfront sniffing the ground hoping to find food beneath the sand like archelon eggs or along the beach to scavenge anything the ocean spat up be it from dead fish to carcasses, they weren't picky in the slightest. It seemed to be going smoothly for them…when an unusual portal opened up in the sky above them, which startled the pair of little carnivores as they scurried into the brush startled by what they saw.
Soon after that, 5 figures shot out of the portal! "WAAAAH!" They all cried as they flew out uncontrollably and crashed all across the desert sand causing eruptions of sand to burst out of the ground upon impact.
BOOM!
As the dust cleared up, 5 mounds of sand remained in the impact area, disturbing the pristine white warm sand, as either tops of heads or legs stuck out of them, twitching or spasming. Soon they began to stir as hands and the full heads of the figures erupted from under the beach, as the space pirates groaned and crawled out of the sand most groggily after their endless spinning through the time stream and having just landed in the least elegant of manners. A welcome relief after they gave 1 last burst of energy at the first time portal they saw in the stream which thankfully was close enough for them to reach otherwise they would have been trapped spiralling uncontrollably through space and time for all eternity. Clearly they had to make note of never making a time jump without an actual time ship next time around….should it ever come.
As Gavro sat up straight where he was, he widened his eyes upon realising he had something dry and disgusting cluttered all around in his mouth, he spat out the beach sand he swallowed without hesitation, "Bleach! Yuck! What did I just swallow!?" he gagged before resorting to using his own hand stop brush off the sand from his tongue, "Ugh….I've actually eaten space rocks tastier than this….gunk…." He muttered leaning forward to eye his stomach as it began to churn and grumble sorely inside him, making him wince with pain knowing he may have swallowed something more than sand down there. "Huh?" He soon felt something wriggling nearby where he sat down, and as he looked to the side he was surprised to see Foolscap's legs thrashing up and about with the rest of him still buried underground!
"Get your butt off my face!" He muttered deep down underneath in a gurgled but also really angry tone!
Gavro widened his eyes realising he was both suffocating and crushing his friend underneath, "OH! Sorry Foolscap!" He gasped as he stood up, causing the section where his butt was to erupt as Foolscap's had popped up!
"GASP!" He wheezed as he sucked in a mouthful of air, a welcome relief he would never take for granted again, "Ptooi!" He then spat out a mouthful of sand he swallowed out from his throat as he wriggled himself out of the dust uncomfortably, as he was still heavily restrained by the iron cords wrapping around him.
"You okay there?" Gavro asked him bluntly causing Foolscap to shoot him a furious glare at him!
"Do I LOOK okay to you!?" He screamed having lost self control as his eyes reddened from stress as well as irritation from sand in his eyes, as he stood up and showed off his battered self over to Gavro, making it obvious what the answer would be, even a dimwit like him should be able to figure it out he hoped.
Leaning forward, looking at him up and down with folded arms, Gavro could tell his friend was really messy with sand sticking out on his exposed skin as well as all around his clothes and even in his hair all over. This was even worse than the time he woke up one morning having emerged from his room covered in crisp bags or having banana peels on his head after sleeping all over it in his messy room one time. Not wanting to sound offensive though, "Uhh….is that a trick question?" Gavro asked his comrade curiously putting a finger to his chin in thought, which made the lanky pirate to merely roll his eyes and rub his already sore and aching temple seeing him to be a lot cause.
Before long Sheer wriggled out of the sand herself with an unpleasant expression on her face, her eyes and the world itself spinning out of control before her, while Specter groaned achingly as he sat up from where he was, "Urgh…Now this is what would call…..a really unhappy landing…." he moaned as his vision began to clear, how he wished he could scratch that irritating itch that was on his back right this instant. "But more importantly…." As he soon began to see properly again he looked around curiously to discover where they had appeared, "Where….are we?" He asked in surprise, clearly a peaceful beach was the last place he expected them to land in.
"We're at beach boss!" Gavro spoke up smiling brightly hoping for some reward for the right answer.
"Of course it's the beach Gavro!" Sheer shouted at him in exasperation as he lowered his head in shame, "He means where on Earth we a-"
SCREECH!
"AH!" They widened their eyes at the sudden shriek across the sky, as a purple pteranodon soared over their heads and made its way to the sea before swooping down and snatching a fish from the water before taking off further away and out of sight.
They blinked their eyes in surprise at the first life form that they laid eyes upon in this new time, "Was that a…pteranodon?" Specter muttered in thought as they looked around, assuming it to be the future again, but upon examining their surroundings closer they soon determined that wasn't the case.
"This place…doesn't seem like the future we came from….too much green and it's way too hot….." Sheer muttered as the others soon began to see she was right.
It didn't take long for them to soon put the pieces together, "That means….." Foolscap widened his eyes in sheer horror as he exclaimed in horror and disbelief, "We're stranded….in the middle of the dinosaur age!"
"WAAAAAAAH!?" They all gasped in shock and realisation at where they ended up, seeing they couldn't have been in a worser case scenario.
"Is this what that kid meant when she said we'd wish we were dead?" Gavro then wondered as he looked around seeing that they were completely bound up and with no way of defending themselves if any predators came out looking for trouble.
"Tch!" Sheer clicked her tongue with anger and hatred, knowing that their last ditch effort to escape the time stream ended them up in what may be the worst place ever for them! If anything they would have rather taken their chances in the time stream instead of being stuck in the primitive past with no chance of survival or getting off it! She didn't think they would have it in them to do something so ruthless, how deeply she underestimated them….
"Now that's just downright heartless!" Foolscap cried as he fell on his knees almost despairing, "I mean even I wouldn't wish that on our worst enemies!"
"But aren't those humans our worst enemies though Foolscap?" Gavro then asked him.
"Oh yeah good point…." He then grumbled in annoyance, if anything those kids would find this place paradise than a prison sentence considering how much they loved their previous dinosaurs….. so in a way they wouldn't want to wish this on them.
Seeing his men were on the verge of growing restless, angsty and about to panic, "Now now pirates," Specter calmly spoke up getting their attention, "Let's not panic…let's just…stay calm and we'll figure something out yes….." he said with a rather blank expression to remain calm as he could so his men wouldn't be worried or panic, though it didn't take long for him to soon break down as he widened his eyes and shuddered in terror! "Oh who am I kidding!? GAAAAH! We're doomed!" He wailed in a panic as he began to run around in circles screaming his head off like a maniac as the others watched blankly…wondering why they ever signed up to work for him in the first place.
Suddenly, a sinister chuckle interrupted Specter as he paused upon hearing it, "Hehe….."
"Huh?" They all heard it too, as they turned to look at Goma, staring across the sea as he stepped further towards the splashing waves, as they washed across his feet and further ahead in the distance a futabasaurus pair surfaced for air before diving back down under the waves.
The other pirates stared at him blankly, wondering what was going on with him and why he hadn't moved, then again Goma was a very sinister and maniacal individual, even more than Specter and not even he could comprehend whatever went on through that evil mind of his. They turned pale and shuddered nervously the moment he burst into uncontrollable maniacal laughter! "Hehehhehe…Hahahahah!"
"Wh…What's so funny!?" Gavro asked as he sweated nervously and swallowed hard. Even Specter took a step back in shock at seeing his son acting in ways he couldn't understand in the slightest.
Foolscap and Sheer however, took huge offence at him finding amusement in their horrible situation as they glared daggers at him from behind, "Yeah! Besides this is all your fault we're in this mess to begin with!" Foolscap accused.
"You just had to take things real far and play with nature and then play with the lives of all those angry humans!" Sheer sneered wishing she could break out of her binds and strangle him, "You just downright made things worse than they already were for us!" Even if their cells weren't exactly 5 star suites at least they had food and shelter, now they were stuck in the prehistoric past with no access to any technology and no hope of getting back to their own time let alone off the planet!
"What do you have to say for yourself huh!?" Foolscap then growled as they began to hiss tensely and almost breathe on his neck up close.
In response though, Goma merely smirked undeterred by their empty threats, "Heh….as usual you all fail to see the bigger picture." he calmly replied as he slowly turned around to them with a smile on his face, one which put them both off, "Though you are right, this situation isn't funny at all…" He said shaking his head with a light sigh…before suddenly grinning psychotically, "It's completely hilarious! Ahahahah!" He exploded into uncontrollable laughter once again, which was so spine chilling Sheer and Foolscap couldn't help but step away from him back to where Specter and Gavro were. In fact seeing him wrapped up in a chainmail straight jacket while hollering like a maniac….it was obvious why they were pretty much scarred for life now at what they saw.
"Well I'm not laughing.…" Gavro then spoke up bluntly as usual, "If there's a joke here could you explain it for us?" he asked nicely.
"Gavro does make a point Goma…" His father then stated as calmly as he could, "Would you kindly do tell us what's on that twisted little mind of yours." Specter responded believing he should at least hear him out on what he had to say for himself, plus of there was a way out of this they might as well take it if it would grant them the slightest hope of escape.
Slowly he turned his head to them all and shot them a most unnerving and sinister grin which made them shudder upon seeing the maniacal look in his face, "By sending us back to the time of the dinosaurs, those foolish humans failed to realise they've sealed their own fates before they were even born!" He proclaimed out loud to the skies, "I'll rebuild my shadow empire right here, when dinosaurs ruled the planet! Then with every one of them under my control, they'll become my loyal servants who'll answer to my beck and call in the future!" He shrieked proudly seeing not even the time stream could stop his ambition and in fact no force in the universe could ever hold him down as long as his dark heart still beat in his chest!
Already seeing where this was going, the pirate trio immediately backed away from him and shoo their head in unhesitant denial and refusal, "Oh no! No way! Uh uh!" Gavro shook his head thoroughly.
"We went through that whole fiasco once and no way are we EVER going to do that again!" Sheer spat back at him in defiance.
"Not after you tried to blow us all up and leave us all for dead! Forget it!" Foolscap huffed before looking away from him as he and the others decided to completely cut their ties with the space pirates and decide their own lives for themselves from now on.
Goma however smirked smugly in response as he knew exactly how to subdue such defiance, "Hehe….I never said you all had a choice in the matter did I?" He snickered with a dark grin, for even in his bound state he was confident he could put them all in their place right below him once more, "Though if you insist on going against my will again, it seems I'll have to make you bend to me completely." He hissed as the 3 of them glared at him with defiance!
"Grrr!"
"Just try it!" Sheer and Foolscap spat back at him as Specter shuddered and stayed far away from both sides a possible, even though he was the oldest present he didn't have it in him to break up a fight of this scale, not only could he not decide between both sides he also didn't want to get hurt….
It was a standoff between 2 equal and opposite forces, as a wind blew across the beach as the zanjark made it clear to decide what course of action to take from this moment forward with this one battle! They readied themselves for a fight, despite their hands being tied up completely, and were about to go at it, when Gavro suddenly looked up at the sky and stared at it rather blankly, "It's fine guys, I don't think we have to do anything at all actually." he then said catching their attention.
The other pirates looked to him in surprise at his usual comment which came out of nowhere, "Huh?"
"In fact, we don't need to do anything anymore ever again." He added once more.
They all raised an eyebrow or blinked at him in confusion at his words, "Say wha?"
"Now you're not making any sense….then again you never do…."
Goma smirked at him finding his words to be rather intriguing, "Hoh? Such a bold statement coming from you of all people Gavro." he mused, "Now do tell me, on what basis do you believe that?"
He used his head to point behind them, "Well if you look behind you'll see that falling star up there is going to flatten us all like pancakes so it's not like we can do anything else after that right?" He replied as they all blinked their eyes or stared at him weirdly, believing the heat may have gotten to him and melted what little brain he had in that thick skull of his.
"What?"
"Falling star?"
"Are you nuts Gavro?" They muttered one after the other.
"Yeah, of all the nonsensical things you blurted out form your fat gums that is the most-" As Specter turned around and the others followed him, they widened their eyes in sheer horror to see the skies beginning to turn dark red as a huge ball of fire began to appear in the sky followed by several other smaller ones around it as they began to strike across the planet around them!
"AH!"
"WAAAAAH!"
They all cried in alarm and terror as the smaller meteors splashed huge waves into the sea or exploded around them or further inland causing the earth to shake violently!
SPLASH!
BOOM!
"That's no star! It's a meteor!" Foolscap cried out as he stumbled and fell on his backside while the other zanjark struggled to keep the selves steady in one place, apart from Goma and Specter who stood where they were in place as they looked up at the harbinger of Earth's doom approaching them at terrifying speeds!
"No….Not just any meteor…." Specter breathed deeply shaking his head as the others widened their eyes and looked to him.
"B…Boss?" They asked anxiously hoping he would come clean with them soon.
A wide childish grin spread across his face as he turned to them, starting them at the joyful look of glee he carried on his face in this dire situation proving he may have gone completely bonkers! "That's THE meteor! The same one which carried the cosmos stones all this years ago! The one that started it all!" He cried out in tearful joy before mustering enough strength in his arms to snap his binding cords like strings before launching himself up in the air right in the path of the giant comet! "Now they're all mine! Mine! Hahahahaha!" He laughed maniacally as he planned to cease them where they were for his own and start his plan for universal domination all form square one again!
This time however, the other space pirates weren't too keen on that idea this time around n given they were about to experience the massive extinction event up close and personal and NOT from the safety of space in their ship!
"Is he nuts!? He'll get incinerated if he gets within a mile of that thing!" Foolscap cried in exasperation widening his eyes in alarm.
"We should help him!" Gavro then cried out worrying for him.
Sheer however had other ideas, "Forget it! Specter can have those blasted stones all to himself for all I care!" she spat having had enough of it, after all they went through from fighting over the cosmos stones and having to pick fights with humans and their pet dinosaurs since the moment they set foot on this world she wanted nothing more than to get away from it all and nothing to do with it every again!
Her comrades were surprised at her turning her back on their boss, but soon it didn't take long for them to be full yon board with her idea considering everything they went through till now, "Y…Yeah! They're way more trouble than they're worth!" Foolscap then yelled out having decided to resign from the pirate life for good.
"And he's always been a complete nutcase who never treats his employees with the respect they deserve!" Gavro yelled out in frustration as he looked to his friends, as far as he knew they risked their lives time and again for Specter and the stones and yet he never even gave them so much as a thank you! "I say we blow this mud ball and start our lives over from square one!" He then yelled.
"You know what, that's the best idea I ever heard in 800 years!" Foolscap grinned eagerly, for even if it was all over for them at least they still had their lives to live, this planet could perish for all they cared! "Only thing I ever wondered was why we never did this sooner." He muttered at the end regretting it deeply but at least now was better than never of all times.
"From this moment on we're done with anything to do with dinosaurs, the cosmos stones or even being space pirates!" Sheer then declared out loud proudly to her friends.
"But we're still tied up in ropes," Gavro stated bluntly, "We're not actually free are we?"
"Just shut your yapping and start flapping!" Sheer then spat grumpily, "Now come on! Let's blow this place before we blow up along with the dinosaurs!" She yelled to them as the other 2 male pirates nodded without hesitation as the trio shot up to the sky leaving the planet as well as their bosses behind them, cutting ties with their old lives for good. Now they were finally free to live out how they wanted to….if they could make it out alive…..
Down below, Goma hadn't moved an inch from where he stood, as he looked up and stared at the incoming ball of fire hurtling towards the planet to mark the end of the reign of dinosaurs….staring at it straight without even blinking, unable to turn away for even a second. Not from fear….but entranced by its magnificence, like he had never seen anything so beautiful before in his whole life…..
Further ahead, his father Specter too was completely infatuated with the massive asteroid, as he sped towards it with open arms much like a fly to a bug zapper, "Wahahahaha! It's mine! The cosmos stones are all miiiii-" Were the last words he screamed out loud, with widened eyes of madness and blind joy, he welcomed in his own demise as the heat and flames from the asteroid burning up completely vaporised him into dust, ending his existence for good….
Nearby the 3 spectral space pirates were on the verge of reaching past the first clouds they could see, gritting their teeth and narrowing their eyes hard with life and death determination as they focused solely on the goal ahead of them! "Almost there, we can make it!" Sheer hissed through her teeth as she and the other 2 pirates were sweating tensely as they gave it everything they had in an effort to escape and make a new life some place else. Unfortunately, for all their past deeds and crimes, fate had no intention of letting them off so easily, as the meteor soon hit its mark striking the Gulf of Mexico and creating an explosion which far surpassed that of the Atomic bomb!
BOOM!
"Huh?" As they looked below them they widened their eyes as the massive explosion erupted from down below them, a wave of fire, smoke and dust plumed as it soon swallowed them all and vaporised them in an instant! "WAAAAAAAHHH!" They screamed in agony as the heat and punishing flames vaporised them all completely into dust, thus joining their boss in oblivion too.
Down below on the beach, having just witnessed what may have been the worst even that Planet Earth had ever suffered in history, Goma stood where he was calmly, not trying to flee or showing any signs of weakness or fear, as a dark she covered over his eyes. Deep down, he had a feeling that his time was finally up, after everything he had down with his own 2 grimy hands. Looking up calmly at the wondrous explosion and wave of sound, dust and fire travelling where he was, "So…this was your plan all along….." He breathed as he soon gained a satisfied smirk, accepting his loss wholeheartedly without any whining or complaining.
Deep down, he knew that while Cera wouldn't ever kill with her own hands, that didn't mean she wouldn't put them in a situation where they would perish and she wouldn't have to save them. The perfect compromise and loophole, one he saw coming or thought she of all people would ever have in her, to be surprised in such a way….he couldn't help but be most impressed having finally acknowledged her and the D Team as his eternally sworn enemies, "Heh….well played…..it seems you're more ruthless than I first thought you would be….." He breathed out calmly his final words, before falling on his knees and laughing out one final nightmarish holler that would echo on the currents of time for all eternity, "Hehehehe….Ahahahahahahahahah!" Before long, the wave washed over him, erasing him completely from existence as he joined his fellow Zanjark in oblivion, the reign and terror of the shadow empire had ended at long last….
And thus concludes our thrilling tale through time. In case anyone was wondering what happened, what Cera did was travel to the past in order to prevent certain situations before they happened knowing it would be impossible for them to be able to fix things after they had gone so terribly wrong this time around because of Goma's plan. Here as shown she managed to not just save her mother thus completing her family at long last but also helping to make sure that she helped to save as many as she could that perished in the war be it dinosaur or human.
She also made sure to carefully avoid touching events that would cause drastic changes such as preventing her from meeting the D Team, you can leave it up to your imagination how she does it like maybe sending a hint to her past self here and there or helping to keep others out of death situations while also keeping her cover on (Feel free to write up your own story on how she changed time if you want). She also made sure that the evil dinosaurs were discovered sooner in time and she was there to prevent them from breaking out of their icy prison when they invaded Goma's fortress having sent the info to her past self (Without her knowing of course) so she could do something about it in advance later on.
I know the happy ending seems a little sudden but felt after all they went through the Resistance really deserved one even if it seemed like cheating to get it, as Cera stated she knew taking away problems would mean no progress but she was desperate now to do so, plus it turned out well for everyone in the end…..well almost everyone, a while some mutant dinosaurs had a chance to live on, others including Arkosaurus and his pack have received the ultimate punishment for their actions, being encased in fossil and amber for all eternity. As much as many of them wanted to they realised reforming them is a lost cause since they have Goma's DNA in them after all.
As for Goma and the space pirates, Cera wanted them to suffer like she did being drifted in the time vortex forever, it was through sheer luck or bad luck they got out of it and into the Cretaceous period where they perished in the meteor that crashed, and since they were from the future it meant their past selves at the time weren't affected by their erasure and so the timeline still proceeded as normal. (As for the Alpha gang they were taken to the hospital at near critical condition and were on the verge of death hadn't Cera changed the event in the past by intercepting the mutant dinosaurs earlier when they were still frozen)
Admittedly I wanted to just end it off with the tournament but decided last minute that the space pirates deserved a permanent end like some may have wanted, so I came up with that ending bit last minute, hope it was satisfying to see them all get what they deserved.
For the beginning of the Fossil League, you can look the the pokemon sword and shield gym stadiums for references to what I described, I found those awesome to see. On a final note I won't be replying to any questions in guest reviews since this is my last chapter so I humbly apologise for that. Do hope you enjoyed this climatic conclusion to this story.
P.S-Anyone who wants to write a story on Cera's time travelling and altering of the past, or even how the tournament would go is all up to you. Will be taking a long break from writing since work is acting up a bit my end. If anyone has any questions on what happened feel free to PM and ask me and I will try to answer best I can.
In response to reviews:
michael
-So far no plans to write another story, I need to take a break from writing for a while and focus on work now.
Drew Luczynski
-Well Thanos killed trillions across the universe which far exceeds Arkosaurus' body count haha. As Raina mentioned the card gun was experimental and could only be used if a dinosaur was weak enough, took them time to modify it so it could work unconditionally but in the process it reduced them of nearly all their power supply. As for what you've seen here hope that clears up all the problems they suffered, as for how it happened in the past...will leave it to your imagination on how it went down.
tsukikami01
-Well hope this ending meets your expectations of the mutants being defeated and everyone but the villains getting a happy ending. Also hope it gives you ideas for future stories too.