ULTIMATE Power Rangers SEASON 02: Flashback thread

[Ryuranger]

These flashback threads are to draw in new readers, and refresh current ones on the ultimate saga's past seasons...of course these aps are all on my website, along with bios and such...Follow the website button in my profile.


---Ultimate Power Rangers
---Season Two
---Five Star Task Force Power Rangers
---Chapter 01: The Power Within

Darkness fell over the Angel Grove docks. Thunder began booming throughout the skies and purple lightning crashed against the ground as workers ran for their lives.

A dark slick limo pulled up to one of the docks and slowly came to a stop.

Several young men slowly left the car and walked through to the edge of the pier while fighting against the wind.

A heavy eerie fog rolled in and a gallion pulled up to one of the docks.

The galleon was made of dark rotting wood and had a skeleton on the front of it.

A boarding ramp slowly creaked down from the ship and clamped onto the ground as three leather clad figures walked down from it. They were Shadam, Gara and Zydos.

The suited men lined up in front of the dock and kneeled.

“The…Technomancer Organization welcomes the Gorma Empire to America,” he said as he shook in his boots.

Shadam looked at Gara and gave her a wicked smile as he turned back to the man in the suite.

Shadam reached out and placed his hand over the man's face as his hand began to glow bright white and he superheated the man's head off.

Gara snapped her fingers as a dozen of dark clad figures leapt from the galleon while carrying fencing type sabers.

The men in suits ran in horror as the Capatros hacked into the men and cut them into pieces.

Some of the men made it into the limo, but a group of Capatros landed on the hood and broke through the windshield, killing the driver.

Shadam and the others laughed.

***

Tommy and Jason were sparring at Bear Lake.

Tommy flew through the air and executed a flying jump kick that Jason blocked. Jason then came at Tommy with a flurry of knife hand and backfist blows, all blocked by Jason.

Jason countered with a knee blow Tommy blocked, and then Jason came in with a punch that Tommy blocked, rolled under, and jump uppercuted Jason in the chest, causing him to stumble backwards.

The two circled around each other while changes stances.

Jason smirked as he charged towards Tommy. He executed a flying crescent kick that Tommy ducked under, and jumped upward while kicking Jason in the chest with his left leg, and using that as leverage to spin around and hit him across the face with his right foot.

Jason fell to the ground, but immediately backflipped up. They starting fighting again.

Tommy and Jason exchanged several blows before Tommy managed to gain the upper hand. He tornado kicked Jason across the face and followed while still in midair with a reverse hook kick.

Jason fell to the ground and Tommy landed on his feet.

“Not bad,” Jason said as Tommy helped him up.

“Thanks,” Tommy said.

The two patted their face with towels.

“So when are you leaving?” Tommy asked.

“This afternoon. I never thought I’d get to do the whole study abroad thing,” he said.

“Who else from the city was picked? Besides Zack and Trini?”

“Only two other people,” he said. “I can’t remember their names.”

“Well,” Tommy said. “I’m sure you’ll all get along fine.” They all hardly saw each other anymore. Now that Jason, Zack and Trini were going off to study abroad in Japan for a year…They’d be missed.

They walked off. Nearby, a small Japanese boy with a yo yo walked by singing a song.

***

“Don’t forget this,” Kimberly said as she tossed Zack his toothbrush.

“Thanks,” he said. “I appreciate you helping me pack.”

“No problem. It’s not often one of your friends leaves for Japan for a year.”

“Good point…Tommy better take care of you while I’m gone,” he said.

Kimberly smiled. “He will.”

The two hugged. “I’m glad we’re still friends.”

“Me too,” Kimberly said.

***

Later that afternoon, Simon was practicing with Tommy at Deer Creek. The wooded area was near Simon’s home.

Simon fell to the ground. “Oh man…”

Tommy helped him up.

“Focus, focus, focus,” Tommy said.

“Easier said then done,” Simon said. “I have a lot on my mind for a kid my age.”

Tommy grinned. “Don’t we all, but everything’s going to be okay from now on.”

They practiced some more as a dark tentacle sprung from a bush and pulled Simon away.

“Simon!”

“Tommy!”

He ran through the park as fast as he could until Simon was sucked under the ground.

“Simon…” then the tentacle popped back up, only this time, it raced after Tommy.

Tommy ran as fast as he could and entered the city streets. He ducked behind several alleys until he finally thought he lost the thing.

He slumped onto the ground near a used car depot and tried to catch his breath.

“Well that was something you don’t see everyday,” he said. “…at least not anymore.”

Then he heard someone singing behind him and turned around to see the Japanese boy he had encountered earlier standing on a car and playing with a yo-yo.

A dark tentacle then lashed out and grabbed Tommy around the chest and lifted him up into the air as it slowly began to crush his ribs.

Then, a large shadow passed overhead and Tommy opened his eyes wide in amazement as he saw a large red armored dragon pass by over head.

The dragon opened its jaws and fired a large stream of fire that blasted the boy off the car, causing Tommy to drop to the ground and bang his head on the pavement while loosing consciousness.

The dragon scooped Tommy up in its claws and flew away.

***

Tommy slowly awoke and stood up as he rubbed the back of his head.

He found himself in a strange room filled with boxes, a small TV screen, and floating green orbs. There was a small stage in the center of the room.

The door behind him creaked shut as Tommy ran over to it.

He tried to open the door, but it wouldn’t budge.

He banged on it a few times before it swung back open.

He then moved to an area with steps that had a row of five multi colored motorcycles by it. Each bike had the head of a different animal on it.

The one with the red dragon revved up as its eyes flashed red.

Tommy took a step back and ran up the stairs.

He found himself at the entrance to the Angel Grove subway system and ran away from it as fast as he could, almost getting hit by a car.

He then walked towards a plaza and looked around.

“This is the southside,” he said. “How the hell did I get down here?”

He then saw another teen his age walk from the subway area towards him. He had medium length brown hair and brown eyes.

Tommy shook his head and turned around, only to see another teen walk towards him.

He had tanned skin, dark short hair parted on the right, and brown eyes.

Tommy ran inside of the densely populated subway system.

He tried to get away from them, but they surrounded him in the center of the plaza and began to lead him back towards the subway.

The two teens lead Tommy back into the room he awoke in. The tanned boy lightly pushed Tommy inside towards a man in the brown kimono, brown headband, and dark mustache who sat on the small stage.

“Who the hell are you people?” Tommy asked. “What’s going on?”

“My name is Master Kaku,” the Japanese man said as he stood. “You, Tommy, have a destiny other than the one you’re expecting. You have been chosen to fight against the Gorma.”

“The Gorma? Who are the Gorma?” Tommy asked as the other teens sat around.

“6,000 years ago,” Kaku said. “The Gorma were the military arm of the Daos civilization in what you know as China. They were corrupted by their dark Ki powers and used them to transform themselves into monsters. They attacked the civilization without mercy. They were a cancer that devoured nature. Slaughtered thousands.

“Now they have returned, and you must fight against them. Your Kiryoku is strong. You have the power, and with that comes a responsibility to use it against the Gorma.”

“I know more about power and responsibility than you’ll ever know,” Tommy said.

“I know all about you, Tommy,” Kaku said. “Dragon Ranger.”

Tommy wrinkled his brow. “How?”

Kaku ignored the question and continued with his story. “When the Gorma attacked the civilization, five brave warriors with extraordinary levels of Ki rose to oppose them. They were the Gosei Sentai Dairanger.

“The Gorma were eventually wiped out, but I knew they would someday be reborn. As did Zordon.”

“Zordon? What did he have to do with that war?” Tommy asked.

“He helped me prepare for the return of the Gorma,” he said. “He chose you, Kimberly and Billy to take on the fight against the Gorma…along with Rocky and Adam.”

“Here, pal,” Rocky said. He handed him two braces.

“What are these?” he asked.

“Your Aura Changers,” Kaku said. “They will spark your inner chi and allow you to transform.

“While your old Power Coin channeled energy from The Power into your body, these will allow your chi to channel the Power itself. Much like when you fought Daisatan and Bandora. That was your Kiryoku.” Kaku said.

Tommy nodded. “So where are Billy and Kimberly?”

“They will rendezvous with you three at the subway. They have already been informed of the situation,” Kaku said.

Tommy nodded. “Then let’s go.”

The three left.

Kaku sighed. Knowing Tommy’s history, and his family’s history, Kaku had hesitated before selecting him as the Dragon Ranger. However, Zordon had assured him that it was the boy’s destiny.

***

Billy leaned over the rail at the train station as Kimberly stood near him.

“Do they think they’ve gotten a hold of Tommy yet?” Billy asked.

Kimberly nodded. “Probably.”

“It’s just are luck that these Gorma show up right after Jason, Trini and Zack leave,” Billy said.

“I wish Zordon would come back,” Kimberly said.

Billy sighed. “Me too…Let’s look around and see if the others are here yet.”

***

Hardly a mile away, three giant metallic spheres hovered and spun in the air. Below, on a bridge, Gara walked towards an old warehouse.

Once inside, she walked over to Shadam and Zydos. She opened the briefcase she carried. Inside were several metallic spheres. There was also a monitor that showed a picture of Kimberly and Billy.

Shadam smiled. “That’s them.”

***

Billy and Kimberly started walking as bikes rode past them. The bikes flipped around and honked at the two. They turned around and the bikes sped towards them. They started running as the bikes chased them around the station for a while.

Eventually they were surrounded at the bottom of a stairwell when they jumped over and kicked the bike riders.

Then they were hit by the bikes and went rolling across the ground to where the others showed up.

“Kim.”

“Tommy.”

They hugged.

“I know I’m new at this,” Rocky said, “but now doesn’t seem like an appropriate time for a cheerful reunion.”

The bikes sped towards them as the riders transformed into Capatros.

“Here comes the welcoming committee,” Rocky said.

“Let’s go,” Tommy said as they ran towards the Capatros and knocked them off the bikes. They picked up the bikes and started riding.

They rode up a level on a path as a group of people in waiter suits appeared. They spun around and became Capatros.

“You gotta be kidding,” Rocky said as the Capatros hurled razor sharp plates at the teens.

The teens swerved out of the way as the plates struck the faces of several Capatros and they swerved out of control.

The Rangers rode past a toll area as they knocked down the stop boards, which swiped some Capatros off their bikes.

The teens rode on.

The Capatros were gaining on them, until Rocky and Adam turned their bikes sideways, causing some Gorma soldiers to be thrown off their bikes.

The Rangers continued to ride until a truck full of boxes swung sideways and pulled to a stop and the Rangers slammed into it and flew through the boxes, landing on the ground behind it.

“That would make a hell of a ride at Disney,” Rocky said as he and the others lay on the ground.

The boy walked towards him while playing with his yo yo as he transformed into a Gorma monster with tentacles wrapped around him. He had one eye, a trademark of the Gorma.

“I am Shaku,” the monster said.

The teens slowly rose to their feet.

“Gorma…” Tommy cursed slowly.

“Tentacle strike!” the monster called out as he fired off five tentacles that wrapped up the Rangers.

“Having trouble breathing?” Shaku laughed as he flipped the teens around and crashed them into walls and threw them through crates.

He then lifted them into the air as he laughed.

He then readied a bladed tentacle and called out “Tentacle blade!” as he fired it towards Tommy.

Tommy caught the blade and then tossed it away as he and the others readied their Aura Changers.

“Ki-”

“ryoku”

“Trans-”

“form”

“Ha”

“Aura Power!” Tommy called as they connected their braces.

Their bodies emanated with energy as the tentacles ripped, causing Shaku to fall backwards. The Capatros ran to his side and helped him up as the Rangers landed on top of a long stairway and assumed fighting stances.

“Dragon Ranger! Heaven Fire Star, Red!” Tommy yelled.

“Tenma Ranger! Heaven Gravity Star, Blue!” Rocky called.

“Lion Ranger! Heaven Illusion Star, Green!” Adam yelled.

“Kirin Ranger! Heaven Time Star, Yellow!” Billy shouted.

“Phoenix Ranger! Heaven Wind Star, Pink!” Kimberly called.

“Power of the Stars, brought down…Five Star Task Force…Power Rangers!”

“Gorma,” Dragon Ranger yelled. “Let the kids you kidnapped go before things get ugly.”

“Bring it on!” Shaku yelled.

“Let’s go!” Dragon Ranger yelled as the five energized and jumped through the air.

Phoenix Ranger landed on the ground, executed a front flip, and swept the legs out from under one of the soldiers.

She then turned to her left, Knifehanded a Gorma, and then turned to her right while elbowing a Gorma in the gut.

A soldier then rushed her, but she executed a right outer crescent kick across his face.

A Capatros then charged towards her with two punches that she blocked. She then spun around and executed a left knifehand that the soldier blocked. She then snapped around with her right leg executing a crescent kick the Gorma ducked under.

Phoenix Ranger then executed a left roundhouse kick that whacked the soldier across the face.

She then leapt through the air, spread her legs, and landed on top of the soldier.

Another soldier then came at her, but she rolled under the blow.

Lion Ranger rolled across the ground and twirled a red staff around while assuming a defense stance and calling out “Thunder Staff!”

A Capatros then charged at him with a saber.

Lion Ranger blocked the blow and whacked the soldier across the face with the right end of his staff.

He then snapped around and whacked a Capatros in the gut with the left end of his staff.

He then moved to his left and brought his staff down vertically, knocking the weapon out of a Capatros hand. He snapped the staff up while twirling it and hit the soldier upside the face.

He then snapped around to his right and brought his staff down vertically, knocking the weapon away from that soldier.

He then swung his staff around 180 degrees, striking that soldier and two others.

He then moved to his left and charged at the soldier while knocking the weapon out of its hand vertically, and then placed his staff between the soldier’s legs and used the leverage to hurl the soldier through the air.

Tenma Ranger executed two tornado kicks with his right leg across a soldiers face, he then used his right leg to sweep the feet out from that soldier.

He then did a short hop while lifting his right leg and stomped on the Gorma, hopping off of it and extending both his legs to kick two Gorma in the face.

He landed on his hands, did a hand stand and extended his legs backwards while kicking two soldiers in the face.

Kirin Ranger readied his staff and twirled around with it. “Thunder Staff!”

He held his staff vertically in front of him to block two soldiers that came at him from both sides with their sabers. He then twirled around with his staff, knocking the sabers away.

He then pushed his staff forward horizontally to whack those two soldiers in the gut.

He looked to his right and stabbed his staff into another soldier’s chest.

He then looked to his left, and stabbed anther soldier in the gut.

He then spun his staff around and whacked a soldier across the top of its head with the right side of his staff.

He then swung the staff around and turned to his right to sweep the legs out from another soldier.

He then turned to his right and held his staff up to his left to block a soldiers saber blow. He twisted the staff to the right to knock the saber away and swung his staff horizontally to whack the Gorma in the gut with the right end of it. He then swung the left end down low to sweep the legs out of the soldier and twirled his staff around before bringing it down vertically on the soldiers chest. He shifted the staff to his left shoulder while holding the soldier down.

A tentacle snapped around Dragon Ranger’s neck and threw him away from the others and onto the ground behind Shaku.

Dragon Ranger rose to his feet and switched fighting stances as Shaku and the Ranger circled around each other.

“You are no where near as strong as your ancestors. You are not fit to wage this war.”

“I’ve beaten much better than you in my time!”

The two charged at each other. Dragon Ranger executed a right flying crescent kick that Shaku ducked under. He then executed a right backfist that Shaku blocked and knocked away. Shaku countered by launching a backfist of his own, but Dragon Ranger blocked the blow and wrapped his arm around the Gorma's tentacled arm.

Shaku executed another blow with his other hand that hit Dragon Ranger in the side as he was forced a few steps back.

Dragon Ranger assumed a defensive stance as the Gorma shouted “Tentacle Strike!” and fired a tentacle that slammed into Dragon Ranger and sent him flying against a wall, putting a large dent in it and causing some of it to crumble around him.

Shaku laughed as Dragon Ranger leapt through the rubble and drew his side arms while calling “Thunder Bolt Cut!”

His sabers energized as he brought the Thunder Sword down vertically across the Gorma’s chest and swiped his Star Cutter horizontally across the Gorma while spinning around.

He then jumped and turned as he swung his Thunder Sword down at the Gorma, but Shaku caught it and brought it down as the Gorma hit Dragon Ranger twice across the face with his other hand, causing Dragon Ranger to be thrown backwards.

Dragon Ranger rolled across the ground as he dropped his sword.

Shaku then wrapped his tentacle around Dragon Ranger and hurled him across the air behind the Gorma as Dragon Ranger skid across the ground.

Dragon Ranger rose to his knees and saw his two sabers behind Shaku. He placed his hands in front of him and called “Ki!” as the dragon eyes on his helmet flashed and the sabers were telekinetically brought to his hand.

He then used the Thunder Sword to break the tentacle off of him.

Shaku went rolling backwards as Dragon Ranger assumed a fighting stance with his swords.

The eyes of the dragon on his helmet flashed as Red lightning crackled around him and his swords as he called out “Heaven Fire Star! Lightning Flames of Destruction!”

He placed his two swords together in front of him as a wave of fire shot out and slammed into Shaku causing him to fly backwards through a building, and causing the building to explode.

Dragon Ranger assumed a fighting stance as the other Rangers ran to his side just in time to see Shaku rise from the rubble.

His tentacle opened up and the kidnapped children flew out in waves of light and landed on the ground.

“Simon!” Dragon Ranger called as he and the others ran over to see if the kids were okay.

Simon looked at Dragon Ranger with a wrinkled brow. “Who the hell…”

“Watch your mouth…” Dragon Ranger said.

“Tommy!” Simon said excitingly.

Shaku stood up and shouted. “You think this is over!” He pulled out a bomb, and tossed it to the ground using the energy from the explosion to expand and grow skyscraper size.

“Run,” Dragon Ranger said as the children ran off.

Shaku kicked his foot across the ground and kicked up loads of dirt that caused the Rangers to be thrown back.

He then swung his tentacle onto the ground, causing a shockwave that threw them through the air again.

“We have to do something,” Lion Ranger said.

Back in Kaku’s subway lair, he was sitting in a meditative pose and concentrating.

The green hovering sphere began shimmering as a wind picked up that blew out several candles.

Glasses on tables began to shake and electrical equipment went berserk as Kaku called on his Ki energy.

Kaku’s astral form jetted down the astral plane in a meditative pose while sitting on a box as he called out “Kiden Shorai!”

The box flew away from him and exploded as an image of the red dragon appeared.

Back at the battle field, Dragon Ranger drew his Thunder Sword and ran his finger across the blade as it energized. “Thunderzord arise…

“Red Dragon!” he called as he held the sword into the air.

The red dragon Ryuseiou swooped down from the air as the Rangers stared up in amazement.

Dragon Ranger combined his Thunder Sword and Star Cutter into a blaster. He pointed at Ryuseiou and shouted. “Thunder Blaster!” as he fired an energy leash that wrapped around the dragon and reeled him up onto its head.

“It’s time to take care of business,” Dragon Ranger said as the dragon swooped down towards Shaku.

--TO BE CONTINUED...CHAPTER TWO

[Ryuranger]

---Ultimate Power Rangers
---Season Two
---Five Star Task Force Power Rangers
---Chapter 02: Rookie in Blue

Red Dragon flew past Shaku and clawed him across the chest.

“Eye blast!” Shaku called as he blasted at the zord with his third eye.

Dragon Ranger was scathed by the blast. “It’s getting too hot up here.”

He hopped into his zords cockpit and placed his hand on the crystal ball in front of him.

“Red Dragon!” Dragon Ranger shouted. “Fire Blast!”

The dragon opened its jaws and a stream of fiery destruction poured out that crashed into the monster.

“Red Dragon, rise up!”

Red Dragon crackled with energy as he transformed into a two-legged humanoid shaped warrior.

The other Rangers gathered at the feet of Red Dragon. “Let’s go,” Tenma Ranger said as the team entered Dragon Ranger’s cockpit and stood behind their own crystal balls.

“It’s time to see what you’re made of,” Dragon Ranger said to Shaku.

“What?” the Gorma said. “You’ll regret that!”

The two circled around each other.

The two then charged at each other. Red Dragon placed both his arms on the Gorma’s shoulders, but the creature knocked the dragon’s arms away.

Red Dragon then blocked a kick by Shaku and knifehanded the Gorma in the chest.

Red Dragon copied Dragon Rangers movements as he launched into a flurry of knife hand attacks against the monster.

Red Dragon then kicked the Gorma and sent him stumbling backwards.

Shaku reached up weakly and then his arm fell and his eye closed.

“Yes,” Dragon Ranger said.

Just as Red Dragon let his guard down, Shaku snapped his eye open and wrapped a tentacle around the dragon.

Red Dragon struggled as Shaku sent an energy wave through his tentacle that struck Red Dragon and caused explosions all around his armor.

“Dragon staff!” Dragon Ranger called as Red Dragon’s staff appeared and he used it to break the tentacle. The dragon then charged at the Gorma and struck him across the chest horizontally with his staff.

Red Dragon then turned and struck the Gorma across the chest diagonally.

The dragon then used the staff for leverage as he spun around and kicked the Gorma repeatingly, causing Shaku to stumble backwards.

Red Dragon then spun his staff around as it gathered energy and Dragon Ranger called. “Dragon Staff, whirling force!”

Red Dragon glided towards Shaku and swung his staff through the creature as it fell backwards and exploded.

“Yes!” “Alright!” the Rangers shouted.

Red Dragon stood in victory.

***

Two days later, Zydos was walking along the lower streets of Angel Grove West with a sack draped over his shoulder.

Zydos became frustrated with the bags movements and dumped its contents onto the ground. It was the Gorma known as Houshi. Houshi had a muscular body covered with leather straps and a red mask over his face.

“What is it, Zydos?” Houshi asked.

“You idiot,” Zydos said. “Don’t question me. You know what your job is.”

Houshi nodded. “Yes, yes.”

“Then move quickly,” Zydos said. “The celebration will start soon.”

The two parted.

***

In the west side of Angel Grove, Rocky was in a sparring match at his martial arts school as his young 10-year-old friend Justin watched by. Justin had long brown hair and hazel eyes.

“Rocky,” his sensei said from the side lines. “You will have to do better if you expect to win the tournament tomorrow. You’ll have to act like a true pupil of the Kapokin School.”

Rocky was kicked across the face and crashed onto the ground.

“Come on Rocky, don’t give up!” Justin yelled.

“That’s easy for you to say, little guy,” Rocky said as he struggled back to his feet.

***

After the match, Rocky ran through the city, following Justin who rode on a bike.

“Come on Rocky, keep up!” Justin yelled.

“Ya know,” Rocky said in between breaths, “isn’t it time for you to get back to the shelter?”

“Not getting out that easy!” Justin said with a smile as he sped up.

Rocky sighed and stopped a moment to take a breath as Justin moved ahead. He passed a basketball court and stopped to admire the players. The basketball was knocked out of the court and Justin ran after it.

He went down a wide alley to pick up the ball, but it suddenly bounced away and landed in the hands of a tall Japanese man wearing a basketball jersey.

He flipped the ball in his hands as he extended it towards Justin and smiled. It turned into a red gord-type mask.

“You won’t be returning home today,” he said as Justin screamed and started to run.

The man leapt through the air and hurled the gord at Justin.

It slammed onto his head and covered it completely as he screamed and struggled to get it off.

Not too far away, Rocky heard the screams and ran over to find his young friend.

He saw the man drape an unmoving Justin over his shoulder.

“Hey!” Rocky shouted as he ran after the man, but he disappeared in a column of light.

A padded staff of some sort came out of no where and slammed into Rocky’s head causing him to fly across the air. He readied his Aura Changers. “Kiryoku transform!” he called as he transformed into his armor and landed on the ground.

He turned to face the Gorma and assumed a quick fighting stance before leaping into the air towards Houshi.

Houshi took a step back as Tenma Ranger leapt over him while kicking him in the back. Tenma Ranger then landed on the ground behind the Gorma as the monster fell over.

“Tenma Ranger! Heaven Gravity Star, Blue!” the blue Ranger shouted boldly, trying to hide his fear.

“Gamaguchi Houshi!” the Gorma identified himself as. “Head Crusher!” A bunch of red gourd-type masks flew around from his back and jetted towards Tenma Ranger in different formations.

He was it in the chest twice before sent rolling across the ground.

He then rose to the ground, nursing his right arm as Houshi laughed. “You are so weak!”

“It always resorts to name calling…” Tenma Ranger gathered his energy as he shouted “Heaven Gravity Star, Gravity Inverting Destruction!”

He extended his hand and a ragged wave of gravity inversing energy shot out, but Houshi fired off one of his heads while shouting “Head Crusher!” that intercepted the beam and flew through it, smashing and exploding on Tenma Rangers chest causing him to fly backwards, slam into a wall, and land in a pile of boxes.

***

Kimberly walked into her and her mother's small apartment in Angel Grove South.

Then, the communicator she wore under her sleeve began to beep. Billy had redistributed the devises to the teens after their first encounter with the Gorma.

Here we go again, she thought to herself.

***

Adam was working in a pet store in Angel Grove East, caging a few animals when his communicator went off.

***

Billy was in his garage writing code for a new computer program of his when his communicator went off.

***

A few minutes later, the teens all gathered in the lair.

“The Gorma took Justin!” Rocky practically shouted.

“Who’s Justin?” Adam asked.

“He’s a student of mine,” Rocky said.

Kaku sighed. “I believe the Gorma took Justin in order to prepare for Eedoropudoro.”

“Eedoropudoro?” Tommy asked.

“The Gorma’s inauguration ceremony. When they first took power 6,000 years ago, they gathered five children and sacrificed them to their God. I believe the Gorma are doing the same now.”

The teens were silent. Even Tommy, Billy and Kimberly were shocked that the Gorma could be so evil.

Kimberly patted Rocky’s back sympathetically as he sat down. “It’ll be okay,” she said quietly.

“None of you must ever fight a Gorma alone,” Kaku said. “All are needed.”

The teens nodded.

“Now,” Kaku said. “Search the city for Justin. When you find him, you will find the Gorma.”

The teens nodded and ran off, but Kaku stopped Rocky before he could leave.

“Stay a minute, Rocky,” Kaku said.

Kaku lead Rocky further down the liar into a room with giant metallic balls hanging from chains and a TV screen.

Kaku walked over to the screen as Rocky slumped onto the doorway.

“I’m no good,” Rocky said. “I couldn’t even save Justin. If you wanted someone to fight for the world you should have picked Jackie Chan or Jet Li or something.”

Rocky shook his head. “Justin’s always loved me like a big brother. I’m practically the only family he has. His father is always away working for the government, and his mother…died a few years ago. At about the same age I lost my father in a car accident.”

Kaku walked towards Rocky, placed a hand on his shoulder, and then used a remote to turn on the TV. It showed an image of Rocky as the Tenma Ranger getting clobbered by the Gorma he had faced earlier.

“Is this supposed to cheer me up?” Rocky asked sarcastically.

“Rocky,” Kaku said. “Do you know why you were beaten?”

“No, but I bet you’re gunna tell me,” Rocky said.

“It is not always a matter of how strong or weak you are,” Kaku said. “It is not always a matter of power versus power, but sometimes a matter of learning ways around power.”

Kaku turned off the TV and started out of the room, but before he left, he turned around and extended his hand while using his Ki to start the balls swinging around Rocky.

“Whoa!” Rocky shouted as he was hit a few times and tried not to get hit again.

***

The other four teens ran through the streets searching for any sign of the Gorma.

“Let’s split up,” Tommy said.

The others nodded and they all ran off.

***

A little pudgy boy was running along the street making airplane noises.

He then heard a bouncing noise that caused him to stop and turn around.

The tall man with the basketball then appeared.

“You won’t be returning home today,” the man said as the ball turned into a red mask.

The boy screamed and turned to run.

The man ran after him, leapt through the air and threw the mask as it enveloped the boy’s head.

Not too far away, Kimberly heard the screams.

She saw the man running away with the child in his arm and she followed him around a corner.

The next thing she knew, a hand reached out and grabbed her throat.

***

“What?” Kaku said in his lair. “Kimberly’s been kidnapped?”

***

Rocky ran through the streets and turned off of a walkway to the area Kimberly was last at.

He looked around and saw an earring on the ground he recognized as Kimberly’s. He picked it up. “Kimberly.”

He ran back to the upper street level and saw a black car drive by. He saw Gara in the backseat.

“Gorma,” Rocky said as he ran off after the car.

“It’s almost time,” Gara said to Shadam who sat silently with her in the backseat.

***

Close by, Adam ran into Tommy and Billy and the three agreed to stay together and ran off.

***

The car entered the dock area as Rocky ran over by it, and ducked while following the car with his eyes as it ran up a ramp by a large cruise ship.

Inside, Capatros were setting up candles and flowers on a long rectangular table with a white table cloth over it.

Gara, Shadam, and Zydos entered the room and walked towards the table.

***

“Rocky,” Kaku advised the teen from the liar. “Keep a low profile until the others arrive. They’re on their way.”

Rocky nodded. “Okay.”

There was a walking bridge that connected the land to the ship. Guards patrolled it, but Rocky used the bars on the bottom of the bridge as handrails to cross.

He then hopped onto the deck and stayed low.

Not too far away, the other three Rangers were in their armor and riding their Thunder Cycles towards the scene.

Back in the ship, the Capatros pulled out chairs for the Gorma triumvirate as they took a seat.

Another group of Capatros lead in five people, each with red masks, that sat in a row of chairs facing the Gorma’s table. Kimberly and Justin were among the masked.

Large metal spheres hovered in the air around the ship and around the bridge that could not be seen by the human eye.

Back in the ship, Zydos stood and he and the Capatros began chanting “Edorupudoro!”

Shadam rose from his feet. “Quiet…quiet!”

The chanting stopped as he began to speak. “6,000 years ago, we failed. Things will be different this time. We are already stronger, more powerful…nothing can stop us!”

“Yes,” Gara said from her seat. “Let us now begin. Let these five be the first to die at our hands.”

The Capatros began chanting again as a man in a dark cloak carrying a scythe stepped out from the shadows.

A few decks below, Rocky was scurrying up the steps as the sound of the chanting became louder to him.

Rocky made it to the right deck and was ambushed by two Capatros. One grabbed him from behind as another approached him from the front.

He lifted his leg up, kicking the one holding on to him, and then knocked one Capatros down with a sweep and punch to the gut.

Gara stood up and shot out her arms as the chanting stopped.

Rocky was back outside and running up a ramp to where the Gorma were.

Gara lifted out her finger and wrapped an invisible strand of kinetic energy around Kimberly’s chair while drawing it closer to her.

It stopped within a few feet away from the table as Gara lifted up her hand as a signal for the cloaked man to come forward.

He readied his scythe by Kimberly’s neck and looked to Gara. The Gorma each smiled as Gara snapped as a signal for the cloaked man to wind up for his strike.

Rocky arrived at a window and saw the man and shouted “Stop!” he crashed through the glass as the Gorma looked at him stunned.

Rocky rolled across the ground and then stood while flipping a Capatros across his shoulder.

He then used his right leg to side kick a soldier in the head and followed by flipping another soldier around while grabbing its sword.

He hurled the sword at the cloaked man as it struck him and caused him to roll across the ground and transform into the Houshi monster.

Rocky grabbed another sword and dashed forward while deflecting a high blow from a soldier.

He then spun around and sliced a Capatros across the chest.

He spun again as he cut the mask off of Kimberly.

She opened her eyes and stood as Rocky deflected anther blow and twirled her a few steps away with him.

“Kimberly.”

“Rocky.”

A Capatros leaped through the air with his staff and smashed the chair Kimberly was in as the teens dodged out of the way.

“Stop them!” Shadam yelled.

Rocky deflected a downward blow and then sliced a soldier upward diagonally across the chest.

Kimberly low blocked a soldier’s attack with her right arm and then used her left to palm heel a soldier across the face.

She then turned around and placed her hands in front of her as she shouted “Ki!” and fired an invisible tk blast that slammed into a group of soldiers.

Rocky sliced his way through a few more Capatros as he cut the masks off of the four other kids.

“Rocky!” Justin said.

Kimberly and Rocky stood in between the Gorma and the kids.

“Get out of here, now!” Rocky said to the kids behind them as they nodded and ran off.

Houshi stood with Capatros and faced the teens before he looked at the soldiers and said. “Ah…move…” The monster and the soldiers split to make way for the Gorma triumvirate who crossed their arms across their chests and executed a quick teleportation hop to the front of the table.

Gara and Zydos fired strings of energy that leashed around the teens necks and reeled them in as they placed their hands around the teens’ necks.

Gara slapped Kimberly across the face twice as she threw her backwards. Zydos did the same with Rocky and the two slammed onto and crushed the long table.

Shadam then opened his mouth and spat a flurry of blue fireballs that exploded around the two teens and sent them flying backwards.

The three Thunder Cycles then crashed through three different windows and crashed past several Capatros and knocked down the triumvirate. The triumvirate bounced up and teleported away.

The cycles pulled to a stop and the Rangers hopped off to stand next to their teammates. “Guys,” Dragon Ranger said as they assumed defensive stances and faced Houshi and his Capatros.

“Eeee…” Houshi said as he stomped his foot on the ground. “Run!”

They began to go outside as Rocky and Kimberly readied their Aura Changers.

“Kiryoku” Rocky said.

“Transform,” Kimberly said.

And together as they connected their changers they shouted “Aura Power!”

The Rangers jumped and energized as they landed on a crane above Houshi and the soldiers while holding their Thunder Staffs.


“Power of the stars…brought down!” Dragon Ranger shouted. Together they yelled. “Five Star Task Force…Power Rangers!”

“You little bastards!” Houshi shouted.

“We’ll see who’s weak this time you reject from the WWF collection!” Tenma Ranger shouted.

“Let’s go guys!” Dragon Ranger shouted as he leapt through the air while twirling his staff.

Dragon Ranger swung his staff hard to the left with the right end while knocking down two soldiers.

He then turned to his left and put his staff in a vertical position to block the saber of a soldier. While holding the staff with his left hand, he used his right hand to claw strike the soldier in the face twice, hook claw it across the face and then used his staff to strike him diagonally downward to the left with the right end, and horizontally across the face with the left end, causing the soldier to be thrown away.

He then looked to the other side to see three soldiers jump at him. He extended his hand as the eyes of the dragon on his helmet lit up and he called out “Fire Stream!”

Dragon Ranger let loose a blast of fire that consumed the Capatros in midair.

Four Capatros rushed towards Lion Ranger as he placed his hands in front of him, the lion's eyes on his helmets flashed, and he called out “Heaven Illusion Star! Mist Concealment Destruction!”

He then extended his hands and fired a wave of mist that enveloped and surrounded the Capatros as they looked around with confusion.

Lion Ranger then extended his hands again as he launched an illusion of a rushing train straight towards the soldiers. The train illusion crashed through them causing them to fly to the ground.

Kirin Ranger stood in a defensive stance as three Capatros leapt through the air and sliced him across the chest causing him to fly backwards onto the ground.

Kirin Ranger slammed his fist on the ground in frustration, stood up and placed his hands in front of him as the kirin eyes flashed and he called out “Heaven Time Star! Time reversal destruction!”

Time slipped backwards a few seconds to when the Capatros fist charged towards him.

Kirin Ranger pulled out his side arm and shouted “Thunder Blaster!” as he fired at the soldiers and knocked them out.

Phoenix Ranger leapt through the air towards a group of six Capatros as she called out “Cyclone!” while she extended her hand and produced a cyclone of pink energy that threw the Capatros onto the ground after spinning them around.

Tenma Ranger rolled across the ground with his Thunder Staff and then rose to a defensive position facing Houshi.

“Don’t you remember what happened last time Tenma Ranger! Head Crusher!” The monster shouted as it fired off several of its head bombs at the Ranger.

Tenma Ranger stood as the heads flew towards him and thought of what Kaku had told him…“It is not always a matter of power versus power, but sometimes a matter of learning ways around power…”

Tenma Ranger placed his hands in front of him and shouted “Ki!” as the tenma's eyes flashed and he dodged the flying heads while keeping his upper body stiff as a board. He had to move his leg once.

“What?!” shouted Houshi as he stopped his attack. “Impossible!”

“No need to get red in the face about it,” Tenma Ranger said. He assumed a defensive stance and then charged towards the Gorma.

“Tenma Flash Kick!” he shouted as he launched at the monster with a flurry of energized tornado kicks that forced the creature back several steps, and The Rangers last few kicks energized and caused the monster to fly backwards.

Tenma Ranger waited for the monster to rise before extending his hand and shouting “Gravity Pulse!” as he fired a blue jagged wave of energy that crashed into the monster, forced him back, and exploded.

The other Rangers ran to Tenma Ranger’s side just as Houshi began to pull out an enlarging bomb. “You’ll pay for that.”

“Thunder Staff!” the Rangers called as they twirled their staffs and threw them at the Gorma.

The staffs caged in Houshi and prevented him from using the bomb.

“Kiryoku Bomber!” Dragon Ranger said as the Rangers scatted and raised their hands into the air while gathering blue spheres of energy.

“Bomber, set,” they called.

“Kiryoku!” called Dragon Ranger.

“Bomber!” they yelled together as they hurled the spheres that combined into one golden sphere that smashed through Houshi and causing him to explode.

The staffs flew through the air and returned to the Rangers hand as they assumed a stance with them.

***

Justin rode his bike as Rocky jogged behind. Kimberly spotted him as he ran by and called for him. “Rocky…”

“Hey Kimberly,” Rocky said with a smile as he walked over to her.

“I thought he was your student?”

Rocky shrugged. “Try telling him that…by the way…” Rocky dug through his pocket. He handed her the earring. “I’m assuming this is yours…it’s not quite Adam’s style.”

Kimberly smiled. “Thank you.”

“Let’s go, Rocky!” Justin yelled.

Rocky backed up and jogged after. “Well, gotta go. Later!”

Kimberly waved as Rocky ran off behind Justin.

---TO BE CONTINUED...CHAPTER THREE

[Ryuranger]

---Ultimate Power Rangers
---Season Two
---Five Star Task Force Power Rangers
---Chapter 03: Thunderzords Arise

Kimberly flipped off the beam and landed. Her coach threw down a pad of paper.

“That’s it, Kimberly. You’re off the team,” she said.

“What?!” Some of the girls behind her snickered, except for Monica.

“You barely show up for practice and when you do, you give a performance like that. You’re out.”

***

Kimberly was walking out of school when one of her old friends walked up behind her at the foot of the steps and called for her.

“Hey Kimberly,” Monica said. “I think that was really unfair.”

Kimberly shrugged. “There’s not a whole lot I can do.”

“Anyway…” she pulled a small box out from her bag and handed it to her. “I got this for you.”

Kimberly sighed. “Monica, you didn’t have to…”

Monica nodded. “I know. I wanted to.”

Kimberly opened it. It was a gold hair clip shaped like a bird. “Wow,” Kimberly said. “It’s beautiful. Why did you get this for me?”

Monica’s face became semi-serious. “For old times sake I guess….well…I have to get to get going. Don’t be a stranger.”

Monica ran off and Kimberly sighed and held her head down low.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m a little happier when someone gives me a present,” someone said behind her. She turned around to see Tommy.

“Oh, hey Tommy,” she said.

“Was that a friend of yours?” he asked.

Kimberly sighed. “She used to be. We’ve grown apart since we started High school.”

“Kim, what’s wrong?” Tommy asked.

She sighed. “I got kicked off the team.”

“What? That’s crazy. Where’s your coach, I have a few words for her.”

“Tommy…” she said quietly as she held his hand.

He sighed.

Kimberly smiled, but before they could say anything, they heard a girl scream nearby.

Not far away, at Lake Side Park, a female Gorma known as Kuchibeniuta Hime appeared and laughed as she walked towards a frightened Monica.

“How pretty,” the monster said. “You will serve my purposes well.”

The monster then started running and Monica tried to flee while screaming.

Monica ducked around a corner, but the monster was already there and grabbed Monica by the throat. The monster then waved her hand over Monica’s face as her hand glowed purple, and Monica phased out in a trance.

“Gorma!” Tommy yelled as he and Kimberly ran towards the monster as she lowered Monica to the ground.

“Monica!” Kimberly yelled as the monster yelled and made Monica vanish.

The monster stood while in the gazebo type room and extended her hands. “Capatros!” she called as the soldiers appeared.

They were dressed in tuxes and carried music conducting batons as they stood and directed and hummed a melody. After the melody, they pointed their batons at the two teens and fired off several sparks that exploded around them and caused them to roll out of the way.

Tommy quickly stood and readied his Aura Changers as he jumped through the air and called out “Kiryoku transform!”

Tommy transformed into his armor and twirled his staff while in the air.

He landed on the ground while bringing his staff down vertically on a soldier’s chest.

He then spun around while striking a soldier horizontally, causing him to fall. He then twirled his staff around and brought the staff vertically down on its chest.

He then immediately brought his staff to his left and speared a soldier in the chest, and then speared a soldier to his right in the chest.

Kimberly readied her Aura Changer and leapt through the air, but a Capatros grabbed her legs and pulled her to the ground.

The soldiers ganged up on her.

Dragon Ranger smacked a soldier across the face with his staff. He then saw that Kimberly was in trouble, extended his hand and shouted “Fire Stream!”

He launched a stream of flame that knocked the Capatros off of Kimberly.

“Kimberly,” Dragon Ranger said as he ran over to her and helped her to her feet. “Are you alright?”

Kimberly nodded as she stood. “Yeah.”

“Whoa,” Dragon Ranger said as the Gorma ran over to them ready to attack. Dragon Ranger placed himself in front of Kimberly to protect her.

The Gorma sliced Dragon Ranger diagonally across the chest, and then skipped forward while slicing him horizontally across the chest.

She then turned around and sliced the Dragon Ranger twice across the chest and once again, causing him to fall backwards.

“Sonic Slash!” the Gorma shouted as her blade energized and she sliced him again.

Dragon Ranger fell backwards and rolled across the ground.

“Tommy!” Kimberly shouted as he ran to his side. Dragon Ranger wormed in pain.

The other Rangers arrived just in time on their Thunder Cycles as Kirin Ranger popped a wheelie and rammed into the Gorma, causing her to roll across the ground.

The Rangers ran over to Dragon Ranger and Kimberly.

Tenma Ranger helped Dragon Ranger to his feet as Kimberly readied her Aura Changers.

“Kiryoku transform, Aura Power!”

Kimberly transformed into her armor.

“Gorma,” Tenma Ranger said. “You think you’re tough enough to take on one of us, try taking us all on!”

The Gorma laughed. “Oh please…Sonic Destroyer!” she shouted as she fired a jagged wave of sonic energy that exploded around the Rangers and caused them to fly backwards through statues and benches.

“Me and my big mouth,” Tenma Ranger said as he rose back to the ground.

Phoenix Ranger rose to her feet. “Give me back my friend!” she shouted as she ran towards the Gorma.

“Kimberly wait!” Dragon Ranger shouted from the ground.

“Thunder Staff!” Phoenix Ranger shouted as she readied her weapon in midair.

“Sonic Destroyer!” The Gorma shouted as she fired a jagged energy beam that slammed into Phoenix Ranger’s chest and caused her to loose hold of the staff.

The staff flew through the air and sliced the Gorma across the face.

Phoenix Ranger rolled across the ground as the others ran to her side.

“Kimberly, you shouldn’t have attacked on your own,” Tenma Ranger said as he placed hi hand on her shoulders. “That Gorma is suffering from a major PMS attack or something.”

The Gorma then screamed as Capatros surrounded her, one holding a mirror up to her.

Her hand moved to touch the cut on her face made from Phoenix Rangers Thunder Staff.

“You ruined my beautiful face!” she shouted.

She knocked the Capatros down and the mirror cracked on the ground. She then pulled out an enlarging bomb and crashed it to the ground while screaming as she absorbed the energy from the explosion and grew to skyscraper size.

In the Ranger’s lair, a television set was tuned into the battle as Kaku sat in a meditative pose and listened to the Gorma say. “Kimberly…you will pay!”

Back at the battle scene, Dragon Ranger leapt into the air while holding his Thunder Sword and called out “Thunderzord Arise! Red Dragon!”

The red dragon then appeared and swooped down from the skies.

Dragon Ranger hopped onto Red Dragon’s head as the Gorma stood defiantly below. “Do you really think you’re pet can help you.

Dragon Ranger ignored the remarks. “Red Dragon, fire blast!”

Red Dragon opened his jaws and fired a blast of fire that exploded around the Gorma as she ran through the flames, looked upward, and shouted. “Sonic Destroyer!”

She fired a jagged beam that slammed into Red Dragon as Dragon Ranger hopped down into his cockpit as flames erupted around him.

“Red Dragon,” Dragon Ranger called. “Rise Up!”

Red Dragon crackled with energy as he transformed into his humanoid shape.

The other Rangers joined Dragon Ranger in his cockpit.

As the Rangers prepared to attack, a wave of pain hit Dragon Ranger from where the Gorma’s sword struck him.

Red Dragon copied Dragon Rangers movements and kneeled on the ground in pain.

“Tommy!” Kimberly said with concern.

The Gorma laughed. “Having trouble standing?…Now for my surprise.” The Gorma then snapped her fingers and five girls appeared below. One of them was Monica. They had blank expressions on their faces and lifeless blue lips.

“Monica!” Phoenix Ranger shouted.

The five girls then opened their mouths and an enchanting melody came forth. The Rangers and Red Dragon covered their ears and cringed with pain.

“I’ll take opera over this any day,” Tenma Ranger said.

The Gorma charged towards Red Dragon and spun around as she sliced Red Dragon across the chest with her sword.

On the streets below, three Gorma spheres hovered above buildings as the Gorma triumvirate appeared.

They watched and smiled as the Gorma slashed Red Dragon across the chest horizontally and then diagonally.

Zydos held his fist up and shouted. “Yes Kuchibeniuta Hime!”

Shadam nodded. The three Gorma then extended their hands and fired off energy snakes that swarmed around Red Dragon.

The snakes slammed against the dragon as explosions rang around him.

Back in the lair, Kaku was flashing with energy as his eyes snapped open in near panic as he somehow felt the blast Red Dragon received.

Glasses exploded and glasses were knocked off of tables as Kaku was hurled from his stage and onto the ground.

Back at the battle, the monster struck Red Dragon diagonally on his shoulder. The dragon held the sword as the monster spun him around.

Below, the five girls continued to sing.

The Rangers held onto their ears as Dragon Ranger yelled angrily. “Enough is enough!”

Red Dragon used his open hand to grab the monster by the throat and hurl her over his shoulder.

The monster landed on the ground causing her to loose her concentration as the girls stopped singing.

“Much better,” Dragon Ranger said as Red Dragon leapt through the air and kicked the monster.

The monster crashed to the ground again as Red Dragon landed in front of her.

“Thunder Staff!” Dragon Ranger shouted.

Red Dragon began whirling his staff as he charged towards the monster and his weapon gathered energy.

“Whirling Force!” Dragon Ranger shouted.

Red Dragon thrust his sword towards the monster as it clashed against her sword and energy flew all over.

Kaku was concentrating back on his stage as golden energy flowed around him and he wrinkled his brow in pain.

The green globe then exploded and small explosions rang out throughout the room.

The energy overloaded and exploded between Red Dragon and the monster as they were all thrown backwards and sent crashing to the ground.

The Rangers were thrown to the ground and transformed back into their normal forms.

Red Dragon flickered with energy as he transformed back into his dragon form and flew off injured.

The monster slowly rose to her feet. “I’ll get you for this!” she said as she teleported away.

Red Dragon flew away through the air.

“Red Dragon!” Tommy called out.

***

The teens returned to the lair to find Kaku unconscious and slumped over the stage.

“Sensei!” Tommy called out as they ran to his side and helped him up.

He slowly opened his eyes.

“What happened?” Tommy asked.

Kaku sat up. “I can no longer sustain the Red Dragon.”

The Rangers became confused.

“I am not strong enough,” Kaku said.

Tommy shook his head. “But I thought…”

“Red Dragon has been answering to my power. I called upon him…but now…” Kaku shook his head.

“How do we get him back?” Tommy answered.

“First you must find the kidnapped girls,” Kaku said.

Tommy nodded. “Let’s go.”

He turned to Kimberly. “Maybe you should stay here.”

Kimberly was speechless for a moment. Then she ran after the boys in the tunnel. “Wait! I have to come with you. This is my fault!”

Rocky stayed behind for a moment. “It’s not your fault, but…we have to go.” He ran to catch up with the others, leaving Kimberly behind.

***

Kimberly paced alone in the woods near the river south of the city and kicked a rock. She remembered Monica giving her the gift, the fight with the lip monster, and Kaku unconscious on the ground.

She shook her head in anger and held her hands out towards a rock while calling “Ki!” her powers shattered the rocks as birds flew away. She turned to another rock. “Ki!” she shattered it. She turned to another rock, but Tommy came out of no where and placed a hand on hers to stop her.

“Kim…” he said softly. “Don’t do this to yourself.”

She shrugged him off. “Leave me alone, Tommy…”

She prepared to strike again.

“Stop,” Tommy said firmly. “Don’t use your power like this.”

She sighed. “Tommy why did I let this happen?” she sat on the ground and Tommy sat down next to her.

“Kimberly…why are you taking this so hard?”

Kimberly sighed. “She was my best friend…but then we…kind of drifted apart…”

“It happens,” Tommy said.

Kimberly shook her head. “No…I made it happen. Once we got into High School…I fell in with the wrong crowd. Ever since then…” she shook her head.

Kimberly stood up. “This is all my fault.”

“Kimberly,” Tommy said as he stood up.

Kimberly took a step forward, and then found herself sucked inside of a vision. She stood among the stars as five glowing orbs circled over head. The globes swooped down and then Kimberly found herself standing in the middle of a desert with stone columns and a stone statue. He looked up at a sound to see a giant phoenix swoop across the sky. It swooped down towards her and she ducked as she returned to reality and crouched against a tree.

“Kim, what happened?” Tommy asked.

She shook her head. “I’m not sure.”

***

The Gorma monster was standing on top of a sky scraper, examining her scar in a mirror that a Capatros was holding up for her as she shook with furry.

She shrieked as she knocked the Capatros away.

Gara then appeared and walked over to the monster. “You’re stalling,” she said. “It’s time to attack again before our enemies recover.”

“I will attack again, Gara,” she said as she started to rub her scar. “And I will have the one known as Kimberly’s head.”

***

Kimberly returned to the lair to speak with Kaku while the others continued to patrol the street of Angel Grove.

“What troubles you, Kimberly?” Kaku asked.

Kimberly shook her head. “I saw something a while ago. In my head. I think I’m going crazy.”

Kaku sat down and nodded. “What was it?”

Kimberly sighed. “There was this flash of light, and then five gems or something shot down from the stars. Then there was this giant bird.”

Kaku’s face became shocked as he held up his hand for her to stop. “It was the Heaven Star Thunder Gems you saw.”

“The what?” Kimberly asked.

Kaku rose from his stage. “The Heaven Star Thunder Gems are the heart of the Kiden Juu’s power. The Gems appeared to the original Dairanger team 6,000 years ago. They are what allowed the bond between the mystical creatures and the Dairanger.

“All of the Kidenjuu except for Red Dragon have been lost since the end of the first war between the Gorma and Dai. I managed to save Red Dragon and have been sustaining him with my own power since.”

“So…what does the vision mean?” Kimberly asked.

Kaku shook his head. “I’m not sure…but if the gems are found, it will allow you and the others to call on the rest of the Thunderzords, and Red Dragon’s powers will increase tremendously.”

Before Kimberly could reply, Kaku’s console lit up and beeped as Tommy’s voice came through. “We’re getting clobbered. There are about a gazillion Capatros out here plus that Museek…thing.”

Kaku nodded at Kimberly as she ran to help her friends.

***

The teens were fighting near the west docks.

Dragon Ranger backfisted the monster, but his blow was blocked and he was backfisted twice across the face. She then hook punched him, kneed him in the gut, and knife handed him in the back, causing him to fly over a ledge and land below to where the other three Rangers were battling a group of soldiers.

He rose to his knees as a soldier rushed towards him. He grabbed the soldier and rolled it to the ground.

Lion Ranger used his Lion staff to take on a group of soldiers that had surrounded him. He batted them down one after another.

Kirin Ranger hopped backwards as he hurled his blade into the neck of a soldier. He then reeled that soldier onto the ground and drop elbowed him.

Tenma Ranger tornado kicked a soldier, and then hit it horizontally with his nunchucks.

The monster laughed as the Rangers battled below.

“And now you die…” she said. She then started to sing.

The Rangers clinched with pain as they dropped their weapons to the ground.

Capatros then dashed past them and struck them down one by one with their sabers.

Dragon Ranger kicked a soldier out of his way, but another one slashed him with a saber, causing him to fall to the ground. The soldier then jumped on top of him and placed the sword across his throat as Dragon Ranger tried to push him away.

“Guys!” Kimberly called as she ran to the scene.

“Kimberly…” the monster hissed as she touched her scar. She leapt through the air and landed in front of the girl’s path.

“This is between you and me, wench,” the monster said.

The monster drew her sword. Kimberly assumed a brief fighting stance and then leapt at the monster while kicking her in the back. She then twirled through the air as she kicked a Capatros before calling out “Kiryoku transform.”

“Thunder Sword!” she called as she leapt through the air while swinging her sword down vertically. The monster blocked the blow with her own sword and knocked Phoenix Ranger aside.

Phoenix Ranger was on all fours as she saw the vision of the twirling globes again. She also saw the vision of the phoenix.

She was breathing heavily as the three Gorma appeared walking on the steps above.

They opened their mouths with shock as they saw the Phoenix Ranger glow with golden energy.

The Rangers continued to fight as the monster approached Phoenix Ranger.

“Kim!” Dragon Ranger shouted. “She’s coming…get up!”

The monster laughed as she walked towards the Ranger with her sword extended.

As the monster swung her sword down, Phoenix Ranger disappeared.

“What?!” the monster said.

The Gorma gasped. Kaku looked shocked back in the lair.

“It can’t be,” Shadam said.

“This can’t happen,” Zydos said.

Shadam held out a hand to silence Zydos as they all took a step back and teleported out.

The Capatros and the monster also disappeared.

The Rangers rushed to where Kimberly had vanished.

“Kim!” Dragon Ranger shouted.

Kimberly found herself in a desert alone as she stood, looked around her surroundings with uncertainty, and began to walk.

***

“Tommy, Billy, Adam, Rocky,” Kimberly called on her communicator but no one answered.

She shook her head and sighed. Then she saw the vision again. This time, she sees five creatures running together and a tall statue by a cave wall.

Nearby, The four Gorma appeared. Shadam wrinkled his brow.

“This is where the dairanger first received their Thunder Gems,” he said.

He turned to the monster. “Find Kimberly. Stop her.”

The monster stepped backwards and teleported away.

***

“Why China?” Rocky asked.

Tommy shook his head. “I don’t know.”

The four boys drove through the desert with Billy at the wheel. They had teleported their along with truck. The next thing they knew, a group of Capatros landed on top of them.

Billy swerved and then slammed the breaks as the Capatros flew off the car. The boys hopped off the jeep and fought the soldiers.

Kimberly is running through the desert, but she is stopped by a wall of Capatros. Then she turned to see the monster

The monster pointed her sword at the Ranger. “You will pay for what you did to me,” the Gorma said.

Kimberly assumed a fighting stance. “Get over it,” she said.

The monster shrieked with anger as she charged towards Kimberly along with the Capatros.

Kimberly readied her morphers. “Kiryoku transform!” she shouted as she transformed into her armor.

Phoenix Ranger blocked a bow from Museek’s sword, and then knife handed the villain in the face followed by a sidekick.

Capatros came at her from behind as she ducked under one of the soldier's swords and then crescent kicked that soldier in the head.

She then flipped backwards as two more soldiers came at her.

Phoenix Ranger spun around while knife handing the two soldiers across the face.

Museek shrieked gain as she hacked her way through her own soldiers to get closer to Phoenix Ranger.

She swung her sword horizontally at the Ranger as she ducked underneath the swing and knife handed Museek in the face.

She then flipped backwards and kicked the villain upside the head.

“Sonic Destroyer!” Museek called as she recovered and blasted Phoenix Ranger with a jagged beam of sonic energy.

The blast leveled half of the mountainside and the shockwave caused Phoenix Ranger to be blown away as she demorphed.

Kimberly rolled across the ground and then slowly rose to her feet as Museek and the Capatros walked towards her.

Museek snapped her fingers and the five girls appeared on the other side of Kimberly.

“Monica…” Kimberly said. “Please don’t.”

The five girls began singing their melody as Kimberly curled over and covered her ears. “Please stop,” she begged of her friend as Museek laughed in wicked enjoyment.

Kimberly shook her head and gained enough strength to leap over Museek and her Capatros and scurry down the side of a mountain.

“After her!” Museek shouted as the Capatros began to pursue.

***

The teens all breathed a sigh of relief after the Capatros were defeated.

“We must be close,” Tommy said.

“What gave you that idea,” Rocky said sarcastically. The four moved on.

***

Kimberly turned around a cliff and found herself facing a skyscraper tall ancient relic of some sort.

Then suddenly, from the heavens streaked five multicolored streams of light that entered the cave.

Kimberly walked past the statue and entered into a small opening in the cave.

She found herself in a worn down wooden room that had five paintings hanging that were covered in dust.

She walked towards one of them and wiped the dust and grime away to see the faded image of a phoenix painted on it.

She then wiped the other paintings off, and by the time she was done cleaning them all, she had found an image of a dragon, lion, tenma and kirin.

“Whoa,” Kimberly said.

Kimberly heard a growling noise coming from a dark hidden passage way, and her curiosity caused her to step through the cavern and take a look. Inside was Ryuseiou, laying on the ground healing.

“Red Dragon,” she whispered as she approached the fallen dragon. “Where are the gems?” she asked.

Red Dragon turned his head and Kimberly saw the five gems glowing as they were embedded onto the cave wall.

She began to walk towards them, when suddenly, the ground began to shake.

Outside, Museek had grown to her giant size and was firing bolts of destructive energy at the ground below her.

From behind the Gorma, Red Dragon popped his head out from the cave and growled at the monster while Kimberly crouched on the dragons back.

“You…” Museek said as Red Dragon continued to growl.

“Sonic Destroyer!” Museek shouted as she fired a sonic blast that threw Red Dragon down, knocking Kimberly to the ground. Kimberly struggled to her feet as the others finally arrived.

“Kim!” Tommy shouted as he ran over to her and the two hugged.

“This is sweet and all guys, but can we kill the big scary monster first?” Rocky said.

Tommy grinned and rolled his eyes as his team prepared their Aura Morphers.

“Kiryoku transform, Aura Power!” Tommy shouted as the Rangers connected their morphers and transformed into their armor.

“Tommy,” Phoenix Ranger said as she placed a hand on his shoulder. “The Heaven Star Thunder Gems are in that cave.”

Dragon Ranger nodded. “You guys go get the gems. Red Dragon and I will handle this lip singer.”

The team split up as Dragon Ranger entered Red Dragon’s cockpit and called out “Red Dragon, rise up!”

Red Dragon sparkled with energy as he transformed into his humanoid form and prepared to do battle with Museek.

Museek then snapped her fingers as the five girls appeared and began singing their song.

The Rangers all keeled over in pain as the sounds pierced their ears through their helmets.

An army of Capatros then appeared and charged at the Rangers while hacking through them with their sabers.

“Sonic Slash!” Museek called out as her sword energized and cut across Red Dragon’s armor twice diagonally.

Red Dragon fell to the ground.

Phoenix Ranger was on her knees as the five girls walked towards her continuing to sing and her other three teammates were being clobbered by the Capatros behind her.

She shook her head and leapt over the girls and ran over to the mountain side that the gems were within.

She began moving rocks away in a desperate attempt to reach the gems, but she could not succeed.

The sounds caused her to loose her balance and stumble down the mountain side.

The five girls continued to sing and they moved to stand between the mountain and Phoenix Ranger.

Shadam, Gara, and Zydos appeared to watch the fall of their enemies.

Phoenix Ranger stood on her feet and gathered her strength as she called “Heaven Wind Star, whirl wind Destruction!”

She extended her hand and produced a cyclone of pink energy that blew the girls to the ground and ripped a whole out of the mountain violently.

From the hole, the five gems streamed out, each landing in the hands of its Ranger.

Dragon Ranger’s gem was glowing bright red as he felt its energy flow through him and into Red Dragon.

Red Dragon’s eyes then flashed as he stood up and became fully energized.

The other four Rangers held their Thunder Swords into the air while holding heir Heaven Star Thunder Gems and called out “Thunderzords arise!”

“Star Lion!”shouted Adam.

“Star Tenma!” yelled Rocky.

“Star Kirin!” Billy yelled.

“Star Phoenix!” Kimberly called.

Their four Kidenjuu then stormed down from the heavens as the Rangers called out “Thunder Blaster!” and used their fire arm to hook an energy lasso around their Kidenjuu and reel themselves into their Kidenjuu cockpit.

“Kidenjuu…” Shadam said with fear.

“Gravity thrower!” Rocky shouted from the cockpit of Star Tenma.

Star Tenma used his powers to levitate several huge bolder chunks and throw them at Museek with lightning speed.

Museek was hit hard as Star Lion came up behind her.

“Lion Mist!” called Adam as Star Lion produced a cloud of dark green mist around Museek.

An illusion of a giant Shadam then charged towards Museek.

“Shadam?!” Museek said with surprise as the illusion swiped Museek across the chest several times with its sword.

The real Shadam looked to his two minions and pointed to himself surprisingly.

Star Kirin then moved in towards Museek as Billy shouted out “Kirin Flares!” as Star Kirin’s mouth opened and he fired several sparks that slammed into Museek’s chest.

Phoenix Ranger then flew in with her Star Phoenix and shouted out “Phoenix hurricane!” as Star Phoenix produced a large cyclone of pink energy that slammed into Museek and sent her to the ground.

“Chariot fusion!” Phoenix Ranger called as the four Kidenjuu combined to form a flying chariot.

Dragon Ranger then piloted Red Dragon so that he stood on top of the chariot. All five Rangers joined Dragon Ranger in his cockpit. The dragon began twirling its staff as the chariot flew downwards towards its enemy.

“Whirling Force!” Dragon Ranger yelled as Red Dragon swooped down from the chariot and swiped his energized staff through Museek, causing her to stumble backwards as her internal energy overloaded and she exploded, decimating half the mountain side.

The Gorma Triumvirate were furious as they teleported away. On the ground, the five girls were returned to their normal selves after Museek’s destruction.

***

Kimberly and Kaku walked across a bridge. “You did well, Kimberly.”

“Thanks,” she said.

“You are an important part to this team,” he said. “You are its soul.”

Kimberly smiled. “I’m not going to quit if that’s what you’re worried about.

He smiled and they continued to walk.

TO BE CONTINUED...CHAPTER FOUR

[Ryuranger]

---Ultimate Power Rangers
---Season Two
---Five Star Task Force Power Rangers
---Chapter 04: The Stranger

The Gorma Triumvirate were gathered in a warehouse in Angel Grove and they were not happy.

Shadam slammed his hand down on a crate next to him. “Damn the Kidenjuu! Damn them!” he shouted.

Gara shook her head. “The Rangers should have been destroyed by now.”

The three of them heard laughter coming from the entrance of the warehouse. They turned to see a group of Capatros carrying a bearded man on a pedestal who was wearing white robes and a white hat.

“Been a long time hasn’t it Shadam, Gara, Zydos…” the man said.

“Makoyo…” Shadam growled. “The three of us are enough. We don’t need you around to screw things up.”

Makoyo stood up and smiled. “It’s taken you too long to defeat these Rangers…”

Shadam growled to himself, not wanting to admit that Makoyo was right.

“You need someone to defeat Master Kaku, yes?” Makoyo asked. “I have brought you someone.”

Makoyo indicated behind him as a man dressed in dark Japanese style armor stepped forward. “This is Chouryou!”

The Gorma triumvirate recognized Chouryou. They hated him with a passion.

“Bastard!” Zydos yelled as he ran towards Chouryou.

Makoyo extended his hand and fired a burst of red electricity that enveloped Zydos and sent him slamming into the warehouse wall.

His body then collapsed and started to convulse.

“Pathetic,” Makoyo said as he walked by Zydos and kicked him on the ground.


***

After school, Rocky and Kimberly walked through the streets of the city together while carrying several bags from a variety of shopping outlets.

“Gee,” Rocky said as he carried several bags. “Are you sure you bought enough stuff?”

Kimberly rolled her eyes. “It will suffice. Besides, it’s not often I get to go out anymore.”

“As far as your pocket book is concerned that’s a good thing,” Rocky said.

The two walked past an open area in the city and stopped in their tracks as explosions rang around them.

Citizens ran for their lives as a man in dark black Japanese style armor walked towards them.

“Who’s that clown?” Rocky asked.

“Trouble,” Kimberly said as they both assumed fighting stances.

The man extended his hand and a flurry of black fire bolts shot out that Kimberly and Rocky barely managed to duck out of the way from.

The two readied their morphers. “Kiryoku transform!” they transformed into their armor.

Tenma Ranger dashed towards the man and executed a flying roundhouse kick that the villain ducked under. He followed by trying to sweep the legs out from underneath the enemy, but the villain hopped over the attack and then slammed his foot into Tenma Rangers helmet, causing him to stumble backwards.

Phoenix Ranger gathered her energy around her as she called out “Heaven Wind Star! whirlwind Destruction!” she extended her hand towards the villain as a powerful cyclone of pink energy shot out and blasted towards the villain.

The dark armored enemy placed his hands together in front of him as the wind went harmlessly around him.

The man then extended his own hand and shouted “wind!” as a golden cyclone streaked forward and slammed into both Rangers, sending them shooting backwards.

Tenma Ranger slowly tumbled to his feet and called out “Heaven Gravity Star, gravity inversing destruction!” as he extended his hand and energy shot out.

The man lifted up his own hand, absorbed the sparks and increased their energy, and then sent them flying back towards Tenma Ranger. He was lifted and slammed to the ground several times.

“Ha!” the man then shouted as he fired a crimson energy snake that slammed into their armor.

***

Tommy kneeled at his birth parents graves along with his siblings by adoption Chelsea and Teddy.

“You guys didn’t have to come,” Tommy said.

Chelsea placed a hand on her brother’s shoulder. “We wanted to, Tommy. You’re our brother.”

Tommy nodded as he sighed to himself.

“Do you remember your real parents, Tommy?” Teddy asked.

Tommy shook his head. “Not really. They died when I was very young. I do remember a dream I used to have about him though. I was running down the beach to them…I could see my mom, but I couldn’t see my dad’s face. He lifted me up in his arms…They were both laughing…”

Tommy sighed, but before he could continue with his story, his communicator started beeping.

“Whoops,” Tommy said. “I forgot about my appointment.”

“What appointment?” Chelsea asked.

“Exactly,” Tommy said as he ran off.

***

Kirin and Lion rangers arrived morphed and ready at the scene of the battle while riding their Thunder cycles. They hopped off the cycles and ran over to their two friends.

“Are you alright?” Lion Ranger asked as he and Kirin Ranger helped Phoenix Ranger and Tenma Ranger to their feet.

“This guy is tough,” Phoenix Ranger said as the dark man walked towards them slowly.

“Aren’t they all?” Tenma Ranger said.

Kirin Ranger gathered his energy around him and shouted out “Time Sparks!”

He fired his blasts

The man absorbed them and threw the energy back at the Rangers, knocking them all out.

The four Rangers regrouped as the armored man slammed his sword into the ground creating a shockwave that tore the ground apart. The Rangers all fell through the whole, except for Tenma Ranger who managed to roll out of the way just in time.

The armored man then swung his sword horizontally, producing a shockwave that slammed into Tenma Ranger, throwing him against a wall and causing him to demorph.

The armored man walked up to Rocky and held his sword centimeters from Rocky’s face as the young Ranger braced himself for a finishing blow, to weakened to defend himself.

“Tell Master Kaku,” the man said with a deep metallic voice, “that if he wants to see his team again alive, to meet me at the fighting ground in an hour. He will know where.”

The man then began walking away as Tommy ran onto the scene, still unmorphed. “Hey!” he shouted as the armored man teleported away.

Tommy ran over to his friend’s side. “Rocky, are you alright? Where are the others?”

Rocky shook his head. “They’re gone.”

***

Tommy and Rocky stood by Kaku as they explained to him what had happened.

“He called himself Chouryou,” Rocky said.

Master Kaku opened his eyes wide with surprise. “Chouryou?”

“Who is he?” Tommy asked.

Kaku shook his head. “Chouryou was the original pilot of Ryuseiou, The Red Dragon Thunderzord. That was until he was lured over to the side of the Gorma by a high priest known as Makoyo.

“Chouryou lead his teammates into a trap. They were slaughtered.”

Tommy and Rocky both shuddered at the thought of the traitor.

“Don’t worry sensei,” Tommy said. “Rocky and I will take care of that creep. He’ll think twice before he messes with us again,” Tommy rolled his hands up into fists.

Kaku shook his head. “No. It’s too dangerous. Chouryou’s chi is too powerful. He will kill you if you try to fight him.”

“But sensei,” Tommy said, “You can’t take him on alone.”

Kaku sighed. It was close to an hour. “Come with me,” he said as he moved down a stairwell and Tommy and Rocky followed.

Kaku led Tommy into a dark room, and then ducked out of the room quickly while shutting the door quickly and locking Tommy in.

“Hey!” Tommy shouted as he pounded on the door. “Let me out!”

Kaku turned to Rocky. “Make sure he doesn’t leave. It’s for his own safety.”

“But…” Rocky was about to argue as Kaku ran off. “Where are you going?” he asked.

“To China,” Kaku answered.

***

Minutes later, Tommy continued to pound on the door as Rocky stood on the other side of it.

“Come on Rocky! Let me out!” Tommy shouted.

Rocky shook his head. There was a great part of him that wanted to let Tommy out. “I’m doing what Kaku said.”

Rocky then heard glass break from inside the room.

“Tommy?” Rocky asked, but there was no answer. “Tommy, answer me…”

Rocky opened the door, only to be punched in the gut by Tommy. “Sorry pal,” Tommy said. “I have to help the others.”

Tommy ran off.

***

In a small mountain range in China, Chouryou stood waiting as the three captured Rangers were tied to posts on a cliff above being guarded by Capatros.

Chouryou felt the winds around him howl as he smiled to himself underneath his face mask.

“He’s here..”

Kaku slowly walked towards the Gorma as Chouryou smiled. “It’s been a long time, Kaku…”

“Why do you continue to work for evil?” Kaku asked. “Why did you sell your soul to evil?”

“Did you come all this way to talk or fight? I turned to evil for the power to overcome death.” Chouryou took a fighting stance.

“That kind of power is born in the heart,” Kaku said “not from evil.” He too assumed a fighting stance as the two circled around each other.

Tommy then arrived on the scene and watched as the two circled around each other. He spotted his three friends tied up on the cliff and ran to help them.

Kaku and Chouryou dashed a t each other and clashed together in a lightning speed burst of motion.

The two then landed as Kaku extended his hand and blasted Chouryou with an invisible blast of telekinetic force.

Chouryou flew backwards towards a stone wall, but bounced off of it with his feet as he drew his sword and hurled it at Kaku.

Kaku stopped the blade with his chi powers and turned it around in midair while propelling back towards Chouryou's head.

Chouryou caught the sword by its blade and landed back on the ground.

The two then extended their hands at the same time, each firing a blast of energy. The two blasts slammed into each other creating a shockwave that rumbled throughout the mountain range.

Kaku then raised his hands in the air as he levitated five heavy boulders. He then extended his hand forward and hurled the stones at his opponent.

Chouryou created a wall of moving energy blades around himself that crushed the boulders before they hit him.

Chouryou then created a wall of energy blades around Kaku that the Master was unable to dodge as the ground blew up underneath him and sent him flying to the ground.

Chouryou walked over to his opponent a Kaku struggled back to his feet. “You are not as strong as you once were, Kaku.”

Tommy made his way to his friends as he began to untie Adam first. A group of Capatros then jumped on top of the teen as Kaku turned around in alarm.

“Tommy!” Kaku shouted as Chouryou charged at Kaku and swiped him across the chest twice with his blade, causing Kaku to fall to the ground.

“Sensei!!” Tommy shouted. He backfisted the Gorma that was holding him down and then side kicked him as he leaped from the cliff while calling out “Aura Power!” and connecting his two morphers and transforming into his armor.

Dragon Ranger landed on the ground and ran towards Chouryou as the Gorma fired a jagged beam of electric energy that covered Dragon Ranger.

Chouryou used the beam to swing Dragon Ranger around and then sent an energy pulse through the beam which exploded against his chest sending him flying backwards onto the ground and demorphing.

Chouryou walked towards Tommy with his sword in hand as Kaku hoarsely yelled “stop!”

Chouryou extended his blade towards the fallen Tommy and laughed. “How fitting…die.”

He swung his sword down and Tommy braced himself for the end until Kaku shouted out “Chouryou…He’s your son!”

The sword stopped an inch from Tommy’s face as he stared his attacker in the eye. “What…?”

Chouryou was just as shocked as he dropped his sword and stepped back.

“You know it’s true Chouryou…remember?” Kaku asked.

Chouryou walked away as Tommy slowly sat up and shook his head. “Not him…please God not him…”

***

All five teens met in the lair as Tommy continued to be in denial. “It’s a lie, Kaku! How can that old fossil of a traitor be my father?"

“It is true,” Kaku said calmly. “He may have joined the Gorma 6,000 years ago, but around 20 years ago he left and married your mother, giving birth to you.”

“It’s a lie!” Tommy shouted. “My father died when I was four!”

Kaku shook his head. “No. He rejoined the Gorma. It was the Gorma who secretly killed your mother in order to lure Chouryou back to them. Before he left, he asked me to watch after his children, so I saw to it that you were adopted by a good family.”

The best, Tommy thought to himself as he fought back the tears.

Kaku set his hands firmly on Tommy’s shoulders, but the teen shrugged him off. “It’s a lie! My father was a good man! I won’t believe it!”

Tommy ran out. The other Rangers went to follow, but Kaku stopped them.

“He needs time to be alone,” Kaku said.

***

The next day, Tommy stood on top of a cliff overlooking the Ocean as he sighed to himself. This is crazy…

A small piece of paper then blew to his feet and he bent over to pick it up. It was a picture of him as a small child being held by his mother who was standing next to his father. It was the first picture of his birth family he had ever seen.

He snapped around to see the dark armored Gorma staring at him.

Tommy gritted his teeth and attempted to hide his shaking shoulders. “Chouryou…” he growled weakly.

“Tommy,” Chouryou said, “my son…”

“No!” Tommy shouted as he threw the picture and it landed on the ground in front of Chouryou’s feet. “It’s a lie! I’m not your son!”

They stood silently, staring at each other for a moment before Chouryou turned around and walked away.

“Wait!” Tommy yelled as Chouryou paused. “If you’re really my father…why did you join the Gorma? And why did you marry my mother?”

Chouryou ignored Tommy’s questions and walked away as the picture blew into the water.

***

Back in the warehouse, Makoyo was blasting Chouryou with a barrage of red electric energy in punishment for letting Tommy live. He was interrupted from snickering by Gara as she entered the warehouse along with Shadam and Zydos.

“Your tool wasn’t effective as you thought,” Gara said with a smile.

Shadam agreed coolly. “What will you do next?”

Makoyo placed a hand in front of himself as energy shimmered around him and he transformed into a Gorma monster. His face was thin and metallic looking with the traditional Gorma third eye, and he still wore his white robes, only the shoulders of these robes had saw blades on them. There was also a large sawblade pointing up from his back.

“It’s not out of my hands yet, Shadam,” he said as he pulled a saw blade sword from his back and used it to slash down support beams in the warehouse.

The Gorma triumvirate was not impressed.

***

Billy invited his teammates to the pool hall in Central Angel Grove to talk about their concern for Tommy.

Kimberly sighed to herself. “How can we fight him if he’s Tommy’s father?”

The others shook their heads.

“Well,” Adam said, “we don’t have any reason to disbelieve Kaku. It has to be true.”

“It just seems so weird,” Rocky said. “This Chowyoyo or whatever his name is is over 6,000 years old!”

Billy nodded. “It must be a result of his dark chi powers.”

“He’s still Tommy’s father,” Kimberly said as Tommy overheard and laid a hand on her shoulder and smiled. “It’s okay, Kim. He’s not my dad. And we can beat that traitor if we work together.”

The others quietly nodded, not wanting to say anything.

To break the awkward silence, the teens' communicators started to beep.

The five made their way quickly through the exit.

***

Tommy and the others entered the streets of Angel Grove to find citizens running in panic and explosions ringing everywhere.

“This isn’t odd at all,” Rocky said sarcastically.

“Power Rangers…” a voice said from an unseen location. A dark mist surrounded the teens and they were transported away to a strange valley littered with skulls that had spikes driven through them.

“Who’s there!” Tommy shouted.

The saw blade Gorma Makoyo appeared and floated towards the teens laughing.

“Gorma…” Tommy growled as he and the others assumed fighting stances.

“I am Makoyo, the master of Chouryou,” the Gorma said.

Chouryou then stepped onto a cliff looking down towards the Rangers as Makoyo laughed.

“Let’s go metal head!” Tommy yelled as he and the other four teens charged towards the Gorma while readying their Aura Morphers.

“Aura Power!” they shouted as they connected their morphers and transformed into their armor.

Dragon Ranger leapt through the air and drew his Thunder Sword and Star Cutter while calling out “Thunderbolt Cut!”

Before Dragon Ranger managed to strike the Gorma, Makoyo pulled out his razor sword and swiped him across the chest with it.

Dragon Ranger slammed his fist onto the ground and then rose back to his feet as the others joined him.

“Let’s hit em together guys,” Dagon Ranger said.

The Rangers each held their arms up in the air and gathered blue spheres of morphin energy. “Bomber set…Kiryoku Bomber!”

The spheres combined into one giant energy ball and flew towards Makoyo.

The Gorma held up his hand and caught the sphere. “Nice try…”

He amplified the spheres power and hurled it back towards the Rangers.

All five were hit hard by the explosion which caused them to forcibly demorph.

Makoyo walked towards the fallen teens while laughing and transformed back into his human form.

“Dragon Ranger…” he hissed as he extended his hand and fired a bolt of red electrical energy towards Tommy.

The blast struck him in the chest and threw him backwards onto the ground.

“You are weak…” Makoyo said as he walked towards Tommy and blasted him again.

Chouryou stood by and watched as Makoyo poured his evil energy into Tommy.

Tommy couldn’t resist it. Maybe it was just instinct. He called out to Chouryou for help.

“Dad!” he shouted as he was blasted again.

“Shut up!” Makoyo yelled as he blasted Tommy again.

“Dad!!” Tommy continued to yell.

Makoyo used his energy leashes to lift Tommy up and toss him against the ground over and over again.

Tommy’s cries for help touched something deep inside Chouryou. Something he thought had died long ago.

“Tommy!” Chouryou yelled as he drew his sword and flipped towards Makoyo.

Chouryou swiped his sword across Makoyo’s chest.

Makoyo fired his red energy blasts and swung Chouryou around as the energy pierced his armor.

Chouryou resisted the energy blasts long enough to thrust his sword through Makoyo’s chest.

“Bastard…” Makoyo growled as he opened his mouth and fired a volley of orange fire balls that slammed into Chouryou and sent him to the ground.

Chouryou found just enough energy inside of him to extend his hand and fire a telekinetic blast that hurled Makoyo over a cliff.

Chouryou then collapsed to the ground.

Tommy rushed over to his father’s side. “Dad…” he whispered. “Is it really you?”

Tommy removed the mask, and saw the face that he recognized from years ago.

“Dad…” he said hoarsely as tears streamed don his face.

“Tommy,” Chouryou struggled to say. “I’m sorry…”

The other teens gathered around, as they all heard a chorus of voices call out “Chouryou…”

The spirits of his four dead teammates, the original Dairanger then appeared.

“Do you forgive me?” Chouryou asked. His four teammates nodded.

Chouryou turned to Tommy and the others. “Bring out your Thunder Gems…” he said, out of breath. “They have…hidden powers.”

Tommy and the others did as they were asked.

Tommy’s dad placed his hand over Tommy’s gem as the other Dairanger placed their hands on the Power Rangers gems. The gems began to glow in unison.

“You now have the power to summon Dairenou…The MegaThunderzord” Chouryou said.

“I love you…my son,” Chouryou said as his body disappeared and transformed into a red swirling sphere of energy. The spirits of the other four also turned into energy as the five swirled off into the distance.

“Dad!” Tommy called as tears streamed don his cheeks. “Dad..” he said quietly as he hung his head down. Kimberly placed a hand on Tommy’s shoulder, unsure of what to say.

Before the Rangers could utter any words of comfort, a giant sized Makoyo appeared crashing through the mountains.

“It’s time to take care of business!” Tommy shouted.

“Kiryoku transform, Aura Power!” Tommy shouted as the Rangers transformed into their armor.

The Rangers raised their Thunder Swords into the air while holding their Heaven Star Thunder Gems and shouted “Thunderzords arise!”

“Red Dragon!”

“Star Lion!”

“Star Tenma!”

“Star Kirin!”

“Star Phoenix!”

The Kidenjuu arrived as the Rangers entered their cockpits.

Tommy placed his hand on the crystal ball in front of him. “Red Dragon rise up!”

Ryuseiou crackled with energy as he transformed into his humanoid form.

Tommy’s Thunder Gem then began to glow as he called out “Five Star Fusion!”

Lightning then struck all of the Kidenjuu as they merged together to form one giant fighting robot.

The Rangers all joined in Tommy’s cockpit as they called out “Dairenou!”

Makoyo circled round Dairenou as he held his sword at the ready.

“You think you’re safe inside that tin can, Rangers?” Makoyo charge towards Dairenou while shouting.

Dairenou stepped forward and unsheathed his sword as he swiped Makoyo across the chest horizontally.

“MegaThunderzord Saber, Lightning Slash!” the Rangers called out as Dairenou’s sword energized and cut through the Gorma, causing him to fall backwards and explode.

Dairenou then returned his sword to its holster as the sun began to set.

***

Tommy sat on the edge of a cliff as the sun began to set. He looked out on the lake. The lake that was in the dreams of he had of his father.

His four teammates came up behind him and Kimberly placed a hand on Tommy’s shoulder. “It will be okay.”

Rocky nodded. “They’ll pay Tommy. We’ll do it together.”

Kaku watched from a distance and nodded with approval. They’ve become stronger together.

Kaku turned and walked away.

---TO BE CONTINUED...CHAPTER FIVE

[Ryuranger]

---Ultimate Power Rangers
---Season Two
---Five Star Task Force Power Rangers
---Chapter 05: Kujaku

“And now, reporting to you live from Angel Grove, Lynn Holtkamp at the aftermath of another devastating attack. Lynn…”

“Thank you Steve. I’m at the downtown area of Angel Grove and things are chaotic. Just hours ago, another attack on the region was made by the so-called Power Rangers. This is the largest death toll to date due to the fact that many citizens were unable to make it to the shelters in time.

“With me now, is a survivor of the attack. Sir, can you explain to us what you saw happen?”

The man shook his head. “It was terrible. I was sitting at my shop across the street…and all of a sudden the windows just…broke in and I was thrown out of my chair. At first I thought it was a bomb or something…but it was worse.”

Lynn spoke with another survivor. It was a lady in tears. “I can’t find my baby…”

Adam shut off the television and started to walk to his room.

“What did ya do that for?” his little brother Franklin asked.

“He’s probably as sick of hearing about these Rangers as his father,” Adam’s dad said from the kitchen table.

Adam sighed and decided to just get out of the house for a while.

***

Adam sat on the edge of a cliff that looked out onto Eagle Lake.

He sat in a meditative position and concentrated. It was something Kaku had taught them all to do.

All those people..he thought to himself, gone…dead. Why couldn’t we save them?

In Adam’s mind’s eye, he was surrounded by a strange fog, and through the fog flew a mystical peacock. It was the most beautiful and mysterious animal Adam had ever seen.

A rainbow of colors shot out from the peacock and enveloped Adam. Then, his eyes snapped open and the vision stopped.

What was that all about?

***

Night had fallen over California. A young lady was walking through the streets of Angel Grove as she stopped to admire herself in a mirror.

The mirror suddenly began to ripple as a large tongue of some sort reached out and snatched her and sucked her into the mirror.

***

The teens were gathered in the lair waiting for Master Kaku to return.

“A mirror that snatches up chicks? No way.” Rocky said as he shook his head in disbelief.

Billy nodded. “Way. I saw it on the news.”

“Because everything you see on TV is real,” Rocky said sarcastically.

“I’m telling you Rocky,” Billy said, “that Lynn Holtkamp reporter said this thing is swallowing up pretty girls.”

“Maybe it will go after me next,” Kimberly said jokingly.

“Now guys,” Tommy said, “the Gorma could be behind this.”

Kaku then entered the lair and confirmed Billy’s findings. “Tommy is right. The Gorma are behind this.”

“Is this mirror Billy’s talking about a Gorma?” Tommy asked.

Kaku nodded. “His name is Shard. When women stop to gaze at their reflection in the mirror, Shard absorbs them and uses their energy to strengthen himself.”

“Pervert,” Rocky said.

“6,000 years ago, Shard fought against the chosen warrior of the Peacock Buddha, Kujaku.”

This grabbed Adam’s attention and reminded him of the vision he had seen earlier.

“Kujaku was a skilled warrior that fought alongside the Dai Tribe against the Gorma. Her grace and agility equaled her strength and courage.”

Adam smiled to himself. This woman warrior seemed impressive to him.

“After her last battle with Shard, she disappeared. Rumors said that Shard absorbed her and she still lives inside him.”

***

The sun was setting across the horizon of Angel Grove City. A young man began his walk home from work and stopped by to admire himself in a mirror.

As he looked at himself, the mirror appeared to wrinkle and sucked him in. It wasn’t too long before the mirror made a sound of disgust and spit the man back out.

The mirror than transformed into a creature made up of shards of crystal who had the typical Gorma third eye.

“What kind of century is it when a man stops to look at himself in the mirror?” the Gorma asked as the young man screamed and ran away.

The Gorma triumvirate appeared on the scene and walked over the Gorma monster known as Shard.

“What do you think you are doing?” Shadam asked.

Shard shook his head. “This stupid man…”

“We need all the energy possible!” Zydos yelled. “You’ll have to absorb men too.”

Shard sighed.

***

The next day, Adam stood on top of a tall building that looked out onto Angel Grove East city. He and the other Rangers had split up through the city to try and find the Shard creature.

Adam then heard a girl scream and looked below to see a reflection off of a mirror. He ran into action.

On the street below, a mirror just finished sucking a woman in when Adam ran to the scene. He jumped through the air and executed a flying sidekick.

His foot bounced off the mirror and he flipped backwards landing on his feet.

The mirror’s energy lasso than lashed out and wrapped around Adam.

He readied his Aura Morphers and called out “Kiryoku transform!”

He transformed into his armor and readied his side arm.

“Thunder Blaster!” he shouted as he blasted the mirror off of the wall.

The mirror cracked and transformed into the Gorma known as Shard.

Shard jumped from a walkway and landed onto the plaza below as Lion Ranger followed.

Shard assumed a defensive stance. “I am the Gorma Shard.”

Lion Ranger assumed his own fighting stance. “Lion Ranger! Heaven Illusion Star, Green!”

The two then ran at each other as Lion Ranger executed a flying roundhouse kick that Shard ducked under.

Lion Ranger then hit the monster with a round kick followed by a backfist that Shard knocked out of the way.

The Gorma than backfisted Lion Ranger in the face twice.

Shard then punched him in the gut twice, causing Lion Ranger to roll away.

Lion Ranger rose back to his feet and leapt back towards the monster.

“Light Flash!” Shard shouted as a bolt of light shot out from his chest and knocked Lion Ranger out of the air.

“Light Flash Storm!” Shard yelled as light flashed like a strobe light and exploded all around Lion Ranger, causing half of the pavement to be blown away.

“Tenma Screw Kick!”

“Griffin Crash!”

Tenma Ranger jumped onto the scene and executed a flying screw kick as Kirin Ranger also jumped onto the scene and executed a flying headbutt. Both attacks slammed into Shard, causing him to loose his balance.

Phoenix Ranger also flipped in as she called “Cyclone!” and produced a pink energy cyclone that knocked Shard down.

Dragon Ranger then leapt through the air and shouted “Fire Stream!” as he fired a blast of flames that slammed into Shard, the shockwave disintegrating the walkway above.

Shard stumbled back to his feet. “We’ll meet again..Lion Ranger.”

Shard turned to walk away, but before he teleported out, a rainbow aura emanated from his body.

“Kujaku…?” Lion Ranger whispered quietly to himself.

The other four Rangers ran to Lion Ranger’s side. “Are you alright?” Tenma Ranger asked.

Lion Ranger nodded. “Did you guys see that?” he asked excitingly. “A rainbow.”

“Maybe you got it harder than you thought,” Tenma Ranger said.

The Rangers stood quietly, each thinking that Adam was acting a bit odd.

***

Adam returned to the cliff he was meditating on earlier. He sat down, closed his eyes, and concentrated.

Was that Kujaku? Adam thought to himself. Someone was in there. Someone familiar.

***

Back at the city, Shard was stomping through the streets firing his light blasts and knocking out windows everywhere along the street.

The windows of cars blasted out as the drivers collided into each other, losing control.

Shards of glass reigned down on helpless citizens below.

***

Adam breathed deeply and focused. Come on Kujaku…where are you?

Adam then snapped his eyes open as a peacock appeared, this time in real life.

The peacock showered down a rain of rainbow energy that enveloped Adam and caused him to disappear.

Adam then found himself jetting down a tunnel of rainbow energy. I’m coming Kujaku…Adam thought to himself.

***

Shard laughed to himself as he prepared to launch his next flash attack, but before he could strike, a flash of multicolored energy appeared behind him and Adam was shot through.

The teen jump kicked Shard in the side, sending the Gorma rolling across the ground.

“You again…” Shard growled to himself.

“I’m taking you out, Gorma,” Adam said.

Shard assumed a fighting stance as Adam readied his morphers. “Kiryoku transform aura power!” he shouted as he transformed into his armor.

“Capatros!” Shard shouted as a group of Capatros appeared, each holding either a sword or a staff.

“Lion Staff!” Adam shouted as he readied his weapon and charged towards the soldiers.

Adam whirled a 360 as he whacked a Capatros across the face with his staff.

He then used the staff as a spear and thrusted it at a soldiers gut.

Lion Ranger then turned around and blocked a blow by a Gorma soldier’s sword, and then reverse crescent kicked the soldier across the face.

“Fang Attack!” Lion shouted as his staff energized and he twirled through the remainder of the soldiers, knocking them all out.

Shard then drew his broadsword as Lion rushed towards him with his staff.

Lion Ranger launched two blows, both of which were blocked by the sword.

Lion Ranger than blocked a downwards blow from Shard’s sword. The two pressed against each other hard before Lion Ranger spun out of the way.

The two then assumed fighting stances again and faced each other s they dashed sideways, never taking their eyes off each other.

They then leapt at each other and traded blows with their weapons before landing on the ground again.

“Light Flash Storm!” Shard shouted as light flashed around Lion Ranger and explosions rang on the grounds below him causing him to stumble onto his knees.

Lion Ranger quickly recovered and shouted out “Heaven Illusion Star! Mist Concealment Destruction!”

Lion Ranger extended his hand and fired a cloud of green mist and Shard found himself surrounded in green mist and dark skies.

“Where am I?” Shard asked, unable to see his opponent.

“Light Flash!” Shard shouted as he fired a blast into the depths of the clouds. To his surprise, the blast returned to him and struck him in the chest.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Lion Ranger warned as all five of the Rangers stepped out from the mist, already morphed into their armor and each holding a mirror.

“Light Flash!” Shard shouted again as he fired, but again, the blast returned to him and struck him dead center in the chest.

Shard readied his sword and attempted a new attack. “Split attack!”

The Rangers’ vision split as they suddenly saw five different copies of Shard that spun around.

The images struck at the Rangers and they were all hit hard across the chest.

Adam…a female voice said inside of Lion Ranger’s head as the enemy was battering him.

Kujaku…? Is that you? Lion thought.

Look for the sign Adam…I will show you who you fight, the voice said.

Lion watched closely as the different images of Shard circled around and he noticed that only one of the images was emitting a rainbow colored light.

“That’s the one,” Lion said.

“Thunder Staff!” Lion called as he readied his staff. “Thunder Staff Blade!” he yelled as green electricity flashed on the tip of his staff and a two-pronged blade appeared.

Lion hurled the blade towards Shard as a spear and it struck him in the chest.

The Rangers visions returned to normal as Shard rolled across the street, his chest having been cracked by Lion’s attack.

Shard then pulled out an enlarging bomb and slammed it onto the ground causing it to explode.

He absorbed the energy of the explosion and grew to gigantic proportions.

The Rangers held their Thunder Swords in the air while holding their Thunder Gems and shouted “Thunderzords arise!”

“Red Dragon!”

“Star Lion!”

“Star Tenma!”

“Star Kirin!”

“Star Phoenix!”

The Kidenjuu appeared and the Rangers hopped into their cockpits.

Dragon Ranger placed his hand on his crystal ball. “Red Dragon Rise up!”

Ryuseiou crackled with energy and transformed into his humanoid shape.

“Five Star Fusion!” Dragon Ranger shouted as the Kidenjuu crackled together and combined to form one giant warrior.

The Rangers all gathered in Dragon Ranger’s cockpit and shouted “Dairenou!”

“Light Flash!” Shard shouted as he fired several bursts of energy that exploded around Dairenou.

Dairenou walked through the explosions and readied his saber.

He slashed across the Gorma’s chest twice diagonally, causing the Gorma to fall backwards.

“MegaThunderzord Saber!” the Rangers shouted “Lightning Slash!”

Dairenou’s blade energized and cut through the Gorma, causing him to fall backwards and explode.

***

On the shores of the Eagle Lake, the women that Shard had captured materialized onto the ground.

The Rangers demorphed and ran to help them.

They helped the women to their feet as Adam searched frantically around for someone in particular. “She has to be here.”

A flash of rainbow colored light appeared above on the cliff, and when the light faded, a young beautiful warrior wearing blue, red, and gold was seen.

“You…” Adam said as he gazed at her.

“I am Kujaku,” she said. “After 6,000 years, I’m ready to fight again.”

“Was that you I felt?” Adam asked. “You who was calling me?”

She smiled and nodded at him. “We are connected through our ki energy,” she said. “I’ve been waiting for 6,000 years.”

A peacock feather blew to Adam’s feet. He picked it up, and then looked back to Kujaku.

The two gazed at each other as the other Rangers stood by, wondering what the hell was going on.

***

Kujaku and Adam walked through one of Angel Grove East’s flower gardens together as the other teens spied from behind a tree.

Kujaku leaned over and picked a flower, enjoying its fragrance.

Adam watched her and smiled in wonderment.

“Looks like our little Lion Ranger is head over heels,” Rocky said with a snicker.

Kimberly elbowed him in the ribs. “Shh.”

“Kujaku,” Adam said, “How did you get trapped inside of that thing?”

The question distressed Kujaku. She stood up and looked away, thinking back to that day 6,000 years ago.

“I was fighting against the Gorma,” she said. “I managed to injure Gara and chase her down.

“She finally fell after running for a long while. She was too weak to continue further.

“When I saw her…I pitied her. She could barely breathe or move. I leaned down next to her and tried to help with her injuries.

“She stopped me and asked me why I was helping her when I should be fighting her. I told her I had no wish to see her personally harmed. I just wanted the war to end.

“Gara actually apologized for the destruction that she caused.

“She asked for some water and I moved to a nearby pond to retrieve some. I looked at my reflection in the pond. I had no way of knowing it was Shard in disguise. That Gorma creature sucked me inside. Gara had been faking. I fell into her trap.”

Adam sighed and placed a hand on Kujaku’s shoulder. “I’m sorry.”

A strong wind then blew through the garden and birds began to flock away. Out of instinct, Kujaku grabbed one of her razor sharp feathers and hurled it at a tree. Gara materialized right next to the feather. She laughed at the sight of her foe.

“Gara!” Kujaku shouted as she readied three more of her feather daggers and hurled them at Gara.

Gara stretched her hands out and protected herself with a wall of energy daggers that caused Kujaku’s daggers to explode.

The shockwave frightened the animals in the area as they ran away for their lives.

Kujaku threw two more daggers at her opponent, but those were also blasted away.

Adam ran over to Kujaku to try and stop her. “Stop!” he said. “You’re scaring the animals.”

Kujaku pushed Adam out of the way. “You don’t know what it’s like to be trapped 6,000 years.”

Gara than teleported out as Kujaku yelled “Gara!” and transformed into a swirling ball of rainbow colored energy as she streaked off to the skies in pursuit of her foe.

“Kujaku!” Adam called.

The others ran over to Adam’s side. “Are you okay?” Tommy asked.

Adam shook his head. “No.”

***

In Angel Grove East’s Valley Park, people were enjoying the warm fall weather and having picnics, flying kites, and other things.

No one noticed a creature whose body was made up of rotting vines stalk by, watching everyone with its one eye. This was the Gorma known as Sakura.

Sakura grinned to himself, exposing his razor sharp teeth. “Perfect…” he said as he closed his eye and released a cloud of spores into the park air.

Civilians inhaled the spores, not knowing as they imbedded themselves in peoples' brains and drove them mad.

People throughout the park began attacking each other brutally for no reason. The spores were feeding off of their animal instincts.

Sakura smiled as he watched the carnage.

***

Adam paced around the streets of Angel Grove aimlessly. He tried to get Kujaku off of his mind, but he found that he could not.

He sighed to himself, and then, the communicator on his wrist started beeping. “This is Adam,” he answered after he ducked into an alley.

“Adam this is Billy. Get downtown right away. Things are going crazy.”

Adam nodded. “I’m on my way.”

***

The Rangers, unmorphed, try to calm the barbaric citizens that were trying to kill each other on the streets of Angel Grove East city.

Rocky tried to calm down a man tackling an older woman, but after he saved the lady, she started beating him with her cane. “Maybe its something in the water,” he said as Adam showed up on the scene.

“What’s going on?” he asked Tommy.

“Good question,” Tommy said as he pulled a 10-year-old boy off of an older man. “I’ll bet you anything it’s the Gorma.”

“Either that or they canceled Friends,” Rocky said as he was hit across the face.

From a rooftop close by, Kujaku caught a floating petal in her hand. She recognized the petal from the Gorma known as Sakura.

She wrinkled her brow as she watched the slaughterhouse below.

She pulled out a light feather and tossed it at the crowds below.

It struck on of the civilians in the chest, causing him to pass out from pain.

Adam looked up to see Kujaku. “What are you doing?!”

He shouted up to her.

“They are under Sakura’s influence,” she said as she tossed another feather into the crowds.

Adam leapt in front of the feathers path and took the hit that was meant for another.

He pulled the feather out of his arm as he winced in pain and ran towards the building Kujaku was on top of.

He ran up the stairs while nursing his injured arm and stood in front of Kujaku. “What are you doing?” he asked her. “Enough people have been hurt already…

“Kujaku you have to stop,” he said as he walked towards her.

“Get away from me,” she said as she pulled out her two daggers.

“Please…” Adam said, but Kujaku shook her head.

“You can’t understand, Adam,” she said. “You haven’t been through what I have.”

Kujaku vanished, leaving Adam standing alone.

***

The teens gathered in the lair as Kimberly helped the boys nurse their cuts and bruises.

“It’s a mad house out there,” Rocky said. “And Kujaku wasn’t helping things…no offense Adam.”

Adam nodded as Kaku stood up. “In the past, Kujaku was the kindest and gentlest of all people. But after being trapped for 6,000 years, I believe that is no longer the case.”

“Well,” Tommy said, “We need to find this Sakura guy and stop him before even more people get hurt.”

The Rangers left the lair, but Kaku stopped Adam on his way out.

“Adam,” he said. “No matter what your personal feelings for Kujaku are, you must be prepared to stop her if necessary. She can not be allowed to injure anyone else.”

Adam nodded, and then left to join the others.

***

Back in the park, people were continuing to go berserk as Sakura walked around laughing.

Kujaku then appeared.

Sakura licked his lips. “Kujaku…it’s been a long time.”

“Where’s Gara?” she asked.

“I’m here, Kujaku..” Gara stepped out from behind a tree and assumed a fighting stance while holding her fencing foil type sword. “Now where were we?”

Kujaku pulled out her two daggers as she and Gara began circling around each other.

The two then rushed at each other as their blades clashed.

The two held their weapons against each other as they glared at each other.

Kujaku kicked Gara away as the Gorma whirled around and extended her hand. She fired a curving sphere of black energy that Kujaku rolled out of the way of.

The sphere hit the ground and exploded, blowing away several trees in the area.

Kujaku extended her hand towards a park bench and shouted “Ki!” as she used an invisible telekinetic shove to jet the bench towards Gara.

Gara used her sword to slash the bench in half before it hit her.

She then opened her mouth and fired a stream of flames that struck Kujaku. Kujaku extended her hands and used her chi energy to absorb the impact of the blast.

Kujaku then closed her eyes. “Meteorite Wing!” she shouted as she transformed into an energy composed bird that flew over Gara, spread its wings, and rained down several energy bolts that exploded around the Gorma.

Kujaku then resumed her human form and landed back on the ground.

Gara returned to her feet as she began circling around Gara again.

The five teens arrived on the scene, still unmorphed, and watched in awe as the two warriors circled around each other.

The two extended their hands and each fired an energy blast. The two blasts slammed into each other, causing a shockwave that sent the two flying through the air and crashing to the ground.

The teens stood up in alarm as Sakura stalked up behind them and laughed.

The Rangers assumed fighting stances as Sakura smiled. “So do you like my handy work Rangers?”

The Rangers readied their Aura Morphers. “Let’s show him our appreciation guys,” Tommy said as the five ran towards the monster.

“Kiryoku transform!” the Rangers transformed into their armor and called out “Thunder Staff Blade!”

The five leapt through the air and stabbed Sakura with their blades.

Sakura rolled across the ground as a result of the impact of the attacks.

He then rose back to his feet and shouted “Rabid Pollen!” as he fired off several bursts of pollen that slammed into the Rangers armor and exploded.

An army of Capatros then appeared and ran towards the Rangers while carrying their staffs and sabers.

The Rangers began battling the Capatros.

Lion Ranger swept the legs out from under one of the Capatros with his Thunder Staff and then struck the fallen soldier with his staff.

He then ran towards Sakura and swung his staff at the Gorma.

Sakura grabbed the staff and knocked Lion Ranger out of the way.

Sakura then attacked Lion Ranger with his own Thunder Staff and hit him across the chest twice diagonally causing him to stumble backwards.

Lion rose to his feet and placed his hands together in front of him as he closed his eyes underneath his helmet.

Sakura then began swinging the Thunder Staff at Lion Ranger, but the green Ranger used his chi to dodge each blow, seemingly without effort.

Sakura then took a step backwards and charged towards Lion Ranger while shouted a horrible warrior cry.

Lion Ranger snapped his eyes open and drew his Thunder Sword, slicing Sakura horizontally across the chest.

He then turned around and struck the Gorma two more times with the blade.

Lion Ranger then extended his hand and shouted “Ki!”

He fired an invisible telekinetic pulse that struck Sakura, causing him to loose his hold on the Thunder Staff.

It flew through the air as Lion Ranger caught it.

He then spun around as he sliced the Gorma across the chest once diagonally with his Thunder Staff Blade, and again with his Thunder Sword, which caused the Gorma to fall backwards.

The other Rangers, after defeating the Capatros, ran over to Lion Ranger’s side.

Sakura then stumbled back to his feet and threw an enlarging bomb onto the ground.

He absorbed the energy from the explosion and grew to gigantic proportions.

The Rangers raised their Thunder Swords into the air while holding their Thunder Gems and shouted “Thunderzords arise!”

“Red Dragon!”

“Star Lion!”

“Star Tenma!”

“Star Kirin!”

“Star Phoenix!”

The Kidenjuu appeared as the Rangers leapt into their cockpits.

“Red Dragon,” Dragon shouted “Rise up!”

Ryuseiou crackled with energy as he transformed into his humanoid shape.

“Five Star Fusion!” Dragon shouted as the five Kidenjuu combined.

The Rangers all joined in Dragon’s cockpit as they shouted “Dairenou!”

“Rabid Spores!” Sakura shouted as he fired his spore blasts.

The blasts exploded around Dairenou, but he walked through them.

“MegaThunderzord Saber!” they shouted as Dairenou readied his sword. “Lightning Slash!”

Dairenou’s blade energized as it cut through Sakura, causing the Gorma to fall backwards and explode.

Dairenou returned his sword to hits holster.

***

The next day, Adam sat on the cliff and held Kujaku’s feather in his hand.

Kujaku…he thought to himself. Why can’t you be the gentle person you once were?

Adam… he heard her voice say in his mind.

Adam stood up and looked around him, but Kujaku was nowhere to be seen.

TO BE CONTINUED...CHAPTER SIX

[Ryuranger]

---Ultimate Power Rangers
---Season Two
---Five Star Task Force Power Rangers
---Chapter 06: The Deadly Dance

It was a sunny afternoon in Angel Grove City.

A group of security guards were loading bushels of money onto an armored truck. All of a sudden, one of the officers started convulsing.

His squad mates ran over to him to see if he was okay. Then, all of a sudden, he grabbed his baton and whacked his fellow officers over the head with it.

He grabbed a sack of money and ran off.

***

“Come on, Tommy,” Rocky pleaded as they walked down the streets of Angel Grove. “Just a couple bucks.”

Tommy shook his head. “No, Rocky. I can’t. Why do you need money so bad all of a sudden any way?”

“Because…” Rocky said as he continued to beg. “Mary hasn’t been talking to me lately. I pissed her off, and I want to buy her something so she’ll forgive me.”

Tommy smiled and shook his head. “I can’t Rocky. I’m not made of money.”

“Please?” Rocky asked again.

Then, a 50-dollar bill floated out of the sky and landed next to Tommy’s foot.

“Sweet!” Rocky said as he dove for the money, knocking Tommy over in the process.

“Rocky…” Tommy was about to scold his friend when he saw a security officer on a bridge above who was tossing money to the crowd below out of a large sack.

“What the hell?” Tommy said to himself.

People were scurrying the streets and scooping up any money they could get there hands on. Rocky included.

Police Officers rushed to the streets.

Two of them stood behind Rocky and told him to put all the money down.

“Oh man,” he said, but it didn’t come out so clearly being that his mouth was full of money.

Tommy saw the security man who was tossing the money run off. “Rocky, let’s go.”

Rocky sighed. “Alright.”

The two ran after the man.

The man ran, while carrying the bag full of money, until he was stopped as Tommy stood in front of him. “Hold it right there.” He said.

The man turned to run the other way, but Rocky stood in front of his way.

“Not so fast, punk.”

The man began to convulse as red veins popped out on his face and his hair became gray and long.

“Gorma!” Tommy shouted as he and Rocky assumed fighting stances.

“Kabuki!” The Gorma shouted, identifying himself, as he assumed a defense stance of his own.

Rocky ran over and stood next to Tommy as the Gorma ran at them while shouting “Ka, ka, ka!”

The Gorma executed a flying kick that the two teens managed to duck under.

Rocky then round kicked the Gorma in the side, only to be backfisted in the face and hurled backwards.

Tommy roundhoused the Gorma, following with a round kick, but Kabuki knife handed Tommy in the back of the neck and then picked him up by the shirt and tossed him to the ground next to Rocky.

The two stood up and readied their Aura Morphers.

“Kiryoku transform, Aura Power!” The two transformed into their armor as they leapt through the air and kicked the Gorma in the back.

They then landed on the ground and dashed back at Kabuki.

Tenma Ranger executed a flying crescent kick that Kabuki ducked under. Dragon Ranger then round kicked kabuki, but the Gorma blocked the blow and then sidekicked Tenma Ranger in the face.

Dragon Ranger knifehanded Kabuki, but the Gorma blocked the blow and backfisted Dragon Ranger in the face twice and then kicked him away. Dragon Ranger went flying backwards and went crashing through a statue.

Tenma Ranger then attacked Kabuki with a jump kick that the villain blocked. He then tried to sweep the legs out from under the Gorma, but Kabuki jumped over the attack. He then backfisted the Gorma, but Kabuki blocked that blow as well and kicked Tenma Ranger in the face, sending him flying backwards and crashing onto a bench.

Dragon Ranger ran over to his friend and helped him up.

“I don’t think I like this guy,” Dragon Ranger said.

Tenma Ranger nodded. “Something tells me the feeling is mutual.”

Kabuki then charged at the Rangers as Dragon Ranger extended his hand and shouted “Fire Stream!”as he fired a blast of flame that threw Kabuki to the ground and blasted the wall out from a nearby building.

Kabuki slowly rose to his feet as Tenma Ranger leapt through the air and shouted “Tenma Screw Kick!” his feet slammed into the Gorma, causing him to be thrown backwards.

Tenma Ranger and Dragon Ranger then readied their Thunder Swords as Kabuki crawled back to his feet.

A metallic ring then flew past the two Rangers and they barely managed to flip out of the way.

The ring returned to the hands of an old man as he cracked his neck and smiled while smoking a pipe and stroking his long white beard.

“Be careful who you fight, Rangers,” he said as he again cracked his neck.

“What?” Dragon Ranger asked as the old man tossed his pipe at Tenma Ranger’s chest.

“Hey!” Tenma Ranger yelled.

The two ran over to where the old man was, but he was already gone. The security man was also lying unconscious on the ground, looking normal.

“What was that about?” Dragon Ranger asked.

The two headed back to their lair.

***

The teens all gathered in their lair as Tommy and Rocky told them what had happened to them at the plaza.

“And then this weird old gut showed up,” Rocky said. “He kept twitching his neck and he was smoking this damn pipe.”

“Maybe we should ask Kaku about this,” Billy said.

Adam nodded. “He should be back soon.”

Kimberly thought for a moment. “Did you say he kept twitching his neck?”

Tommy nodded. “Yeah.”

Kimberly shook her head. “It couldn’t be…” she turned and left the lair as Tommy and Rocky looked at each other in confusion.

“Let’s go,” Tommy said as they followed Kimberly out.

***

The Rangers followed Kimberly as she entered her apartment.

Her mother was of course not home, but there was noise coming from the back room.

Kimberly entered the room as the other Rangers stood by the doorway.

They saw an old man wearing an apron and doing the laundry. He turned around and saw Kimberly. “Ah, welcome home, Kimberly,” he said as he cracked his neck.

Tommy and Rocky pointed in recognition. “That’s him!” they said.

“Uncle…” Kimberly asked the man, “what have you been doing?”

“Laundry,” he replied as he held up one of Kimberly’s bras. “What should I do with this?”

“Uncle!” Kimberly said as she grabbed her braw and put it back in the basket.

Kim’s uncle left the laundry room and headed into the living room as Rocky and Tommy pulled Kimberly aside. “That’s your uncle?” Tommy asked.

Kimberly nodded. “My mom’s uncle. He’s staying with us for a few weeks.”

“Why?” Rocky asked, and Tommy slapped him upside the head.

The Rangers heard Kim’s uncle scream as he opened a closet and a pile of boxes fell on top of him.

Kimberly rolled her eyes. “Oh uncle.”

The teens helped him back to his feet as Tommy asked him. “So what were you doing at the plaza earlier today?”

Kimberly’s uncle merely smiled and cracked his neck while patting Tommy on the back.

Master Kaku then entered the room with a smile on his face. “Kimberly’s uncle, Gohun, was my teacher,” he said.

The Rangers all made sounds of surprise as Kaku walked over to Gohun and inclined his head. “Sensei,” he said.

Gohun smiled. “Ah, Kaku! Good to see you again.” Gohun extended his hand and Kaku shook it. “You don’t look a day older than 5,000.”

Kaku smiled.

Gohun then walked into the kitchen as Kaku followed. The teens all exchanged surprised looks and followed them into the kitchen.

“This Ranger thing keeps on getting weirder,” Rocky said.

“Your uncle was Kaku’s…” Tommy started to ask Kim.

She shrugged. “This is all news to me.”

Gohun sat down at the kitchen table as Kaku talked to his students. “Gohun is the man that helped Zordon and I designed your Aura Morphers and armor.”

“Him?” Rocky asked as the others made noises of surprise as well.

Gohun smiled and nodded proudly as he stroked his beard.

“But why did you attack us?” Rocky asked as he stepped closer to Gohun.

Gohun stood up and lightly pushed Tommy and Rocky. “Because you two could have killed that innocent man.”

Tommy shook his head. “He was a Gorma.”

Gohun shook his head. “No. He was Kabuki.”

Rocky shook his head. “You lost me.”

Kaku stepped in. “Kabuki is a Gorma who is capable of taking over the bodies of others. He can absorb their talents and their will.”

Rocky turned to Tommy. “So that security guard…”

Tommy nodded. “He was possessed by this Kabuki guy.”

Kaku nodded, as did Gohun who sat back down at the table.

***

The four male Rangers left Kimberly’s house, leaving her alone with her uncle and Kaku.

“So…” Rocky said as he shook his head. “That weird guy is Kim’s uncle.”

“And Kaku’s old teacher,” Billy said.

“This is weird,” Adam said.

Tommy nodded. “Tell me about it.”

***

Back in Kimberly’s apartment, Gohun was using his ring blade to slice a block of cheese.

“What is that?” Kimberly asked her uncle.

Gohun held up the ring. “This is a Star Blade. Weapon against evil, and master cheese cutter.”

Kimberly smiled and shook her head.

Gohun then pulled out a picture of a young lady, smiled, and held it to his face. “Ah…we’ll se each other again soon.”

***

In an outdoor stage in Angel Grove, Kabuki was in his natural form, prancing around and prowling, performing a Kabuki dance he took his name from. He was long and pale and his body was lined in red streaks. He had the traditional Gorma third eye on his forehead.

The Gorma Triumvirate then appeared in the rows of seats and descended a few steps while staring at Kabuki for a moment.

Zydos smiled and started clapping. He stopped after catching the glare that Shadam gave him.

“Kabuki!” Shadam shouted.

“Ahhhh…” Kabuki said. “Shadam.”

“Do you have her?” Shadam asked.

Kabuki nodded. “Yes, but I want to have some fun with Gohun and the Rangers before I hand her over.”

Shadam smiled to himself. “Perhaps you’re not as worthless as I thought.”

***

Kabuki stalked under the cover of the bushes in Angel Grove as he happened upon a road construction site down town.

The Gorma spotted a worker drilling a hole into the ground and decided he would be the perfect target.

Kabuki grabbed the worker from behind and absorbed into his body.

The workers face broke out with red veins, as his hair grew pale white and long.

He began screaming at people as he ran his drill into anything he could find.

People ran in panic, some running across the roads suddenly and causing cars to swerve out of control and smash into each other, fire hydrants or telephone poles.

A loan police officer who was on patrol then showed up and pointed his gun at the Gorma.

“Freeze!” the officer shouted as Kabuki smiled and leapt from the workers body into the cop’s.

Kabuki then began shooting at innocent people and blowing out the tires of cars.

Not far away and not too long later, Tommy and Rocky had arrived in the city to investigate the disturbance.

They spotted a man riding a bicycle over the sidewalks and ramming into people. The man had red veins and long white hair.

“Name that Gorma,” Rocky said.

Tommy nodded. “Let’s go.”

Kabuki began riding down a wide stairwell when the three other Rangers arrived and stood in the bicycles way.

They tried throwing themselves in front of the bike, but they were knocked out of the way.

Rocky and Tommy then jumped in and tackled the Gorma off of the bike. This caused Kabuki to be torn from his host and return to his true form.

The Rangers then regrouped as kabuki began laughing. “Come and get me!” the Gorma shouted as he ran off.

“Stop!” Tommy shouted as he and the others ran after Kabuki.

They followed him into a plaza where he disappeared.

“He has to still be nearby,” Billy said.

“Split up and find him,” Tommy ordered as they split up.

Not too far away, a squad of police cars showed up in front of a bank.

This caught Tommy and Rocky’s attention as they met up in front of the bank and behind the cars.

“Who robs banks anymore?” Rocky asked.

“Must be our Kabuki friend,” Tommy said.

“Let’s see if we can sneak in from behind!” Rocky said excitedly as he grabbed Tommy by the arm and they ran off.

In the back of the building, they heard a manhole cover being twisted, and the two teens hid behind a car.

“Betcha that’s him,” Rocky said.

“Shhh…” Tommy said.

A bag dropped onto the street from the hole and a man crawled out wearing sunglasses.

“Hey!” Rocky shouted as he ran after the man.

“Rocky!” Tommy yelled as the man pulled out a gun and started shooting.

The teens barely managed to dodge the shots as Rocky began chasing after the man and Tommy followed.

The three other Rangers saw the chase and followed.

The man entered a building and began running up the stairs as he fired several shots behind him at the unprotected teens who stayed in hot pursuit.

The man arrived on the roof and began searching for escape as the teens arrived on the roof.

“Hold it right there!” Tommy shouted as the man blasted at the teens with his gun.

“I wish he’d stop doing that,” Rocky said.

The man then began shaking as his veins became red and his hair grew long and gray.

“Kabuki!” the Gorma shouted as he assumed a fighting pose and pulled out an iron nunchuk.

“We have to be careful not to harm the host,” Billy said.

Kabuki ran towards the unmorphed Rangers as they defended themselves.

Kabuki began swirled his nunchuk as the Rangers split up and dodged.

Billy round kicked the Gorma, only to have his kick blocked and be whacked across the face by the nunchuk.

Adam and Rocky then round kicked Kabuki, but the Gorma blocked the blow and struck the Rangers several times with his weapon.

The Rangers regrouped as Kabuki pulled out another gun and aimed it at the Rangers.

“Kiryoku transform!” Tommy shouted as the teens managed to transform into their armor just as a wave of bullets struck them.

Kabuki walked towards the injured Rangers while pointing his gun and laughing.

“Thunder Sword!” Tenma Ranger stood up as he pulled his sword out of his holster.

“Wait,” Dragon Ranger said as he held his hand in front of Tenma Ranger. “We can’t hurt him like this. He’s inside an innocent person.”

“But Tommy…” Tenma Ranger said.

“No.” Dragon Ranger shook his head. “We have to get Kabuki to reveal his true form.”

Dragon Ranger leapt at Kabuki as the Gorma struck him in the chest and hurled him over his shoulder.

Lion, Kirin, and Phoenix Rangers then shouted “Thunder Staffs!” as they swung their staffs at the Gorma.

Kabuki hopped out of the way and struck them down as Tenma Ranger attacked the Gorma.

Tenma executed a flying crescent kick that Kabuki ducked under. He then round kicked the Gorma, but Kabuki blocked and counter by banging Rocky across the head and sending him flying backwards.

The Rangers then regrouped as Kabuki aimed his gun at them again.

“Thunder Blaster!” Dragon Ranger shouted as he readied his side arm.

Dragon Ranger fired his weapon, aiming for the ground below Kabuki.

The Gorma danced around the blasts and fired his gun, hitting Dragon Ranger in the chest.

Dragon Ranger took the hit and fired his weapon again, this time blasting the gun out of the Gorma’s hand.

“Cyclone!” Phoenix Ranger shouted as she extended her hand and produced a cyclone of pink energy that hurled the Gorma backwards.

Kabuki came close to the edge of the building and the Rangers jumped over by him.

“Get out of that body, Gorma!” Dragon Ranger shouted.

“Don’t make us do this the hard way,” Tenma Ranger said.

Kabuki smiled. “I’d stay back if I were you, Rangers. Otherwise…” Kabuki latched onto a pole and hung partially off of the building. “…I’ll kill this body.”

“Wait!” Lion Ranger shouted as the others stood in alarm.

Kim’s uncle Gohun than arrived on the building and smiled a he walked over to where Kabuki hung.

“Uncle…” Phoenix Ranger said in caution as Gohun looked over the building and spoke with kabuki.

“That’s a long drop, Gorma,” he said with a smile. “Are you that insane and cowardly?”

“What?!” Kabuki shouted as Gohun leapt into the air and jump kicked Kabuki. Kabuki rolled back onto the building.

Gohun than leapt at Kabuki with a flying kick that the Gorma jumped over. He then round kicked the monster, only to have his attack blocked.

He followed by knife handing Gohun in the neck and punching him in the chest.

Gohun then grabbed Kabuki by the throat and began to push him over the ledge.

“Wait!” Dragon Ranger yelled as the others also shouted for Gohun to stop.

But before the Rangers could stop Gohun, he launched one final blow that sent Kabuki flying over the building and crashing onto the streets below.

The teens demorphed and ran down to street level and ran over to the fallen man who had returned to normal.

Tommy leaned over to check the man’s pulse and breathing. He was dead.

“No…” Tommy said quietly.

Gohun joined the Rangers and stared at the man. “Kabuki made it out in time. I’ll find him.”

Rocky grabbed Gohun’s arm before he could run off.

“Wait,” he said. “You killed this man.”

Gohun shook his head and released himself from Rocky. “You don’t understand!” he yelled as he ran off.

The Rangers looked down at the body as police cars and ambulances showed up at the scene.

Kimberly placed her hand over her mouth in shock as Tommy draped his arm over her shoulder.

An officer examined the body as another one questioned the teens. “What happened here?”

“He…fell,” Rocky said.

The officer examining the body shook his head. “I don’t think it was the fall that killed him.”

He pulled back the jacket to show three piercing wounds in the chest of the body. “And from the looks of it this guy’s been dead for a long time.”

The teens breathed sighs of relief, although they were still saddened by the persons death, they were relived that Kimberly’s uncle was not a killer.

***

After being questioned by the police for a few hours, the teens returned to the lair along with Kaku and Gohun.

“You knew, didn’t you?” Tommy asked.

Gohun smiled and nodded. “Of course. Usually Kabuki doesn’t kill his hosts, but not in this case.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Kimberly asked.

Gohun shrugged. “Kabuki had to be stopped. There was no time. Besides, he has captured my fiancé.”

“Fiancé?” Kimberly asked.

“Yes,” Gohun said as he pulled out a picture. “Maria.”

“How old is she?” Kimberly asked her uncle.

Gohun smiled. “20.”

“20?!” the Rangers said.

Gohun smiled and kissed the picture. He then showed it to the teens.

“Wow…” Rocky said with a smile.

“Put your tongue back in your mouth, pal,” Tommy said.

***

In a warehouse in Angel Grove, Kabuki was kneeling before the Gorma Triumvirate in his natural form.

“Where is she?” Shadam asked.

Kabuki laughed. “You’ll find this amusing, Shadam. I seemed to have misplaced her.”

“What?!” Zydos said in outrage as he extended his hand and fired a red energy bolt that exploded into Kabuki.

“How could you!” Zydos shouted as he prepared to blast Kabuki again.

“Wait,” Shadam said as he extended his hand in front of Zydos. “We can’t kill him yet. He will find her.” Shadam glared at Kabuki. “Isn’t that right.”

Kabuki began nodding furiously. “Yes…yes…”

The Triumvirate teleported out as Kabuki breathed a sigh of relief. He then opened up his mouth and released a cloud of energetic gas that materialized into the girl. It was Maria.

“You are lucky. Shadam and the others want me to hand you over to them, but I didn’t.”

Maria shook her head and ran over to the exit. It was locked. She turned to Kabuki and placed her hand on the Tiger Saber she wore on her belt.

“Should I be thankful?” she asked sarcastically.

“Eh,” Kabuki said. “Probably not. You’re going to die anyway, but not until I use you. Use you to teach me how to properly enter a female host. Then I can overtake anyone, male or female.”

Maria shook her head. “You’re an idiot.”

Kabuki smiled. “We’ll see.”

***

Kimberly sat with her uncle by a secluded pond.

“So, Kimberly,” her uncle asked. “How has life been treating you?”

Kimberly threw on a weak smile and shrugged. “It’s been throwing me upside down ever since this whole Ranger thing.”

Gohun nodded. “It’s difficult work, but it has its side benefits.” He smiled as he twitched his neck.

“What do you mean?” Kimberly asked.

“You love him, don’t you? It’s so cute.”

“Tommy?” Kimberly asked as her face blushed. “we’re getting there…”

Gohun smiled and nodded. “Right, right. Now,” he said changing the subject. “I have something for you.”

He pulled out the metal ring from earlier and handed it to Kim.

“A Star Blade?” she asked. “How do I…”

“I’ll teach you,” Gohun said as he pulled out his own Star Blade.

The two stood across from each other, each holding a Star Blade, as Gohun nodded. “Go,” he said.

Kimberly held the Star Blade in ready position, and then hurled it at her uncle. The blade boomeranged around him and returned to Kimberly’s hand.

She then hurled the blade again towards him, and he knocked it away with his weapon. Kimberly leapt through the air, grabbed the blade, and threw it back towards her uncle as it boomeranged around him and returned to her hand as she landed on the ground.

The two smiled at each other.

Then suddenly, a black spear flew through the air and fell to the ground next to them.

They turned to see Kabuki in his true form, laughing as he ran away.

Gohun unfolded a piece of paper that was on the spear as he wrinkled his brow. “Maria…”

He ran off.

“Uncle!” Kimberly shouted. “Wait!”

***

Tommy and Rocky were running through the streets of Angel Grove. Kaku had told them Kabuki was back on the loose and they immediately responded.

On a large television screen overlooking the entire square, Lyn Holtkamp was having another one of her broadcasts. She was speaking of a samurai, karate expert, and boxing expert that had been kidnapped.

Rocky and Tommy turned to each other. “You don’t think Kabuki…” Tommy said.

Rocky nodded. “It would make sense. When he takes control of a host, he uses their abilities.”

Tommy sighed. “This keeps getting better and better.”

***

Gohun entered the warehouse Kabuki instructed him to through the note. He moved through the shadows trying to make as little noise as possible.

“Maria!” he called for his fiancé.

Being held inside a cage, she heard his calls and cried back. “Gohun! Help me!”

Gohun turned a corner and spotted her in her cage. “Maria!”

He ran towards her, but a ring of fire flared into existence around the cage before he could reach her.

Gohun flipped backwards away from the flame, and was then hit across the face with a right hook punch from the pro boxer that had been kidnapped, only he had red veins on his face and long white hair.

He stood in a boxing stance with a smile on his face. “I’m the Kabuki boxer! Reigning champion and king of the ring.”

Gohun shook his head and assumed a fighting stance. “You’re an idiot.”

Kabuki threw a left hook punch that Gohun ducked under as he rose up and knife handed Kabuki in the face.

Kabuki threw a jab that Gohun stopped with his hand, knocked out of the way, and then backfisted Kabuki across the face following by sweeping the legs out from underneath him.

Gohun then punched him again twice as the boxer sprawled across the floor unconscious and Kabuki was torn from him.

Kabuki stood and started to run away. “Come and get me old man!”

“Gohun!” Maria shouted. “Be careful.”

Gohun smiled. “Don’t worry. I’ve still got some spunk left in me….wait!” he yelled as he chased after Kabuki.

“Gotta hurry, gotaa hurry…” Kabuki shouted as he ran deeper into the warehouse.

He ran over to where he had the karate master tied up. He closed his eye and entered the man as his face broke out with red veins and he grew long white hair.

Gohun entered the room as he assumed a defense stance.

“Let’s go old man!” Kabuki shouted as he leapt through the air, executed a jump kick to Gohun’s chest.

Gohun grabbed Kabuki’s foot and flipped him through the air.

Kabuki fell to the ground as he was torn from the karate master.

“That’s getting annoying,” Kabuki said as he ran off.

Kabuki ran around a corner and Gohun stayed hot on his tail.

Gohun was then swung at with a sword as he ducked underneath. Kabuki had taken control of the samurai.

Kabuki swung at Gohun several times as he ducked and dodged.

Gohun grabbed Kabuki’s wrist and kicked him in the chest, sending him tumbling backward.

Kabuki was then torn from his host.

Kabuki then assumed a fighting stance. “You know…I’m really getting sick of you.”

Kabuki then leapt behind a pile of boxes and crates. A machine creature with white hairs coming out from its head then crashed through the boxes and moved towards Gohun. Kabuki had managed to take control of and possess several mechanic devices.

“How…?” Gohun said as he assumed a defensive stance and Kabuki stomped towards him.

“What do you think of me now?” Kabuki asked as he danced around. However, he was unaccustomed to possessing machines and tripped over his own feet.

“Do you really want to know?” Gohun asked.

Kabuki than rose to his feet and fired a laser beam blast from his right reflector eye.

Gohun dodged the blast and then ran towards Kabuki with his staff as the villain fired several more blasts.

Gohun moved in close enough to execute a flying jump kick to the Gorma’s chest, but his foot bounced off the villain and he went flying backwards.

Kabuki then kicked Gohun and he went flying backwards, back into the room where Maria was kept.

“Gohun!” she shouted.

Kabuki then fired his laser again and Gohun was thrown backwards by the shockwave of the blast.

Kabuki stomped towards Gohun while laughing.

“And now to finish this,” Kabuki said as he lifted his foot and prepared to crush Gohun as he lay on the floor.

A Star Blade then whirled through the air and struck Kabuki across the chest.

It boomeranged back into Kimberly’s hand as she stood in the entrance of the warehouse along with her four friends, still unmorphed.

***

Outside of the warehouse, a black limo pulled up, and inside was the Gorma Triumvirate.

“They’re inside,” Shadam said.

Gara opened up her suitcase, and inside of the suitcase was a small monitor screen. On the screen, they could see Maria being held with the Tiger Saber on her belt.

“Byakoushieken…” Shadam growled.

***

Back inside the warehouse, Kimberly hurled her Star Blade around the cage Maria was held in. The blade energized as it circled around the cage and put out the flames.

The Blade then cut open the cage and Maria was released.

“Gohun!” she shouted as she ran to her fiancé.

“Maria!”

The two embraced as the Rangers stood by.

“Ya know,” Rocky said, “if this wasn’t so disgusting it might be cute.”

Tommy slapped Rocky upside the head.

Kabuki then suddenly rose from the ground, still in his machine configuration. “Bastards!” he shouted.

The Rangers assumed fighting stances.

Kabuki fired his pulse laser and the Rangers were blasted outside of the warehouse.

The teens rose to their feet as Kabuki stomped towards them.

The Rangers readied their Aura Morphers. “Kiryoku transform Aura Power!” they shouted as they transformed into their armor and assumed fighting stances.

“Dragon Ranger! Heaven Fire Star, Red!”

“Tenma Ranger! Heaven Gravity Star, Blue!”

“Lion Ranger! Heaven Illusion Star, Green!”

“Kirin Ranger! Heaven Time Star, Yellow!”

“Phoenix Ranger! Heaven Wind Star Pink!”

“Power of the stars, brought down! Five Star Task Force…Power Rangers!”

Phoenix Ranger readied her Star Blade. “It’s over!” she yelled as she charged towards the Gorma.

She leapt through the air and sliced Kabuki vertically across the chest and then spun around, hitting him horizontally.

She then turned around and hit him across the chest vertically.

“Whoa..” Kabuki said as he was taken aback.

“Star Blade!” Phoenix Ranger shouted as she twirled her blade in a circular pattern, creating a ring of energy. “Lightning Strike!”

She brought her energized blade through the ring and across Kabuki’s chest diagonally as the Gorma was thrown backwards.

The other Rangers stood by, impressed with their teammate and friend.

Kabuki then overloaded as he exploded, the shockwave shattered all the windows in the area and shook the ground.

Kabuki was blown out of his host and went rolling across the pavement.

The Rangers then heard Maria scream as they turned to see the Gorma Triumvirate corner Maria and Gohun.

“Hand Byakou over,” Shadam commanded Maria as he extended his hand.

“Over my dead body,” Gohun said as he held his arm out to protect his fiancé.

“Stop!” Dragon Ranger yelled as he and the others jumped in on the other side of the Gorma.

The Rangers lifted their hands into the air and gathered cyan spheres of energy.

“Bomber set. Kiryoku Bomber!” they hurled the spheres of energy at the Gorma as the five spheres combined into one giant energy ball.

“Run!” Gohun said as he led his future wife away.

The Gorma Triumvirate extended their joined hands as the chi bomber slammed into them. They were forced backwards, but they absorbed the energy of the attack, allowing their skin to become covered in an energy sheath of metallic armor.

They then channeled the blast back at the Rangers as it slammed into them and exploded, taking out half of a warehouse.

The Triumvirate then slowly walked towards the Rangers as Shadam tilted his head. “So Rangers, you will finally face us.”

Dragon Ranger rose to his feet. “You better believe it, chrome top!”

He readied his Thunder Sword and Star Cutter as walls of flame surrounded him. “Heaven Fire Star! Lightning Flames of Destruction!” he shouted as he fired a stream of flame that crackled with energy towards the three Gorma.

Shadam gathered the energy emitted from the flame and whipped it around, striking Dragon across the chest and throwing him backwards and crashing him through a wall.

Tenma and Phoenix Rangers assembled their Thunder Blasters as they stood in front of Gara. “Thunder Blaster!” they shouted as they fired their weapons at the female Gorma.

Gara, hovered in the air, dodging the blast, and she then extended her hand, firing two energy snakes that struck the two Rangers in the chest and sent them crashing to the ground.

Zydos had picked up a giant iron support beam and was swinging it at Kirin and Lion rangers. They ducked under the beam, but then Zydos hurled it at them and it struck them in the chest and sent them flying backwards.

The Rangers all regrouped and stood back on their feet as they heard a crazy laugh come from the right of them.

Kabuki leapt in, striking the Rangers across their chests with his claws as he landed on the ground.

The Gorma Triumvirate then stood in front of Kabuki, facing the Rangers.

“Rangers!” Gohun shouted from behind a pile of crates. “Use your Star Blades together!”

Dragon Ranger nodded. “It’s time to take care of business, guys.”

The Rangers each readied their own Star Blade as they shouted out “Star Blade! Assault!”

They used their chi powers to energize the blades and shoot them past the Gorma and into Kabuki. Kabuki was pounded backwards through a wall as his explosion took down a whole building.

The Gorma were thrown backwards by the blast and they teleported out of the area as the Star Blades returned to the Rangers' hands.

Kabuki managed to take out an enlarging bomb and crash it to the ground as he grew to gigantic proportions.

The Rangers held their Thunder Swords to the sky while holding their Thunder Gems and shouted “Thunderzords arise!”

The Kidenjuu then arrived as the Rangers hopped into their cockpits.

“Red Dragon,” Tommy called, “Rise up!”

Ryuseiou assumed his humanoid mode as Dragon Ranger shouted “Five Star Fusion!”

The Kidenjuu combined as the Rangers joined in Dragon Ranger’s cockpit and shouted “Dairenou!”

Kabuki lashed out with his long black tongue as it snaked around Dairenou.

“Gross…” Kimberly said.

“MegaThunderzord Saber!” Tommy shouted as Dairenou drew his blade and cut off Kabuki’s tongue, causing him to fall backwards.

Kabuki rose to his feet as Kimberly shouted “Wind Storm!”

Dairenou’s blade energized as he created a wave of pink energetic wind that slammed into Kabuki and threw him backwards.

“MegaThunderzord Saber,” Tommy called “Lightning Slash!”

Dairenou’s blade energized as it sliced through Kabuki and caused him to explode.

***

Gohun and his wife gathered at a shrine in Angel Grove's China Town. They stood around a rock in the shrine as they smiled and held the Tiger Saber.

“It will be safe here,” Maria said.

Gohun nodded and held up the saber as it crackled with energy and he thrust it through the stone.

Gohun nodded. “Only he can pull it from this stone now.”

The two walked away from the shrine arm and arm.

***

“What,” Kimberly asked Kaku within their lair. “My uncle left? He didn’t even say goodbye.”

Kaku smiled. “He is a mysterious person Kimberly. We will see him again.”

***

Byakou sat in the stone, waiting for the one to claim him.

---TO BE CONTINUED...CHAPTER SEVEN

[Ryuranger]

---Ultimate Power Rangers
---Season Two
---Five Star Task Force Power Rangers
---Chapter 07: The Chosen One

Lightning flashed throughout California as the skies turned cloudy and dark.

In Angel Grove’s China Town, the shrine where the tiger saber known as Byakou emanated with energy.

In the subway systems of Angel Grove, Master Kaku sat on his pedestal in a meditative stance and joined with the energy from the storm as a strange voice spoke to him. It was Zordon.

Kaku…Byakou is preparing to awaken. You know what this means my friend. The Kiba Ranger is about to be born.

You must take grave caution, for the Gorma will be after this Ranger. Your team must protect Byakoushieken so that the sixth warrior can be born.

The voice faded as Kaku opened his eyes. Sweat was dripping from his brow. “Byakoushieken…”

The Tiger Saber’s eyes flashed red as it growled.

Outside of 10-year-old Kou’s window, the skies flashed red as a voice whispered. “Kou…Listen carefully.”

The Japanese boy wrinkled his brow as he tossed and turned in his sleep.

***

The next day, Tommy was walking along the streets alone.

“Tommy,” a voice said from behind him as he turned around.

There was a tall pale man with long dark hair and a black trench coat facing him.

“We need to talk, boy.”

“You again?” Tommy said. “You’re one of the Gorma aren’t you?”

The man laughed. “Oh Tommy…I’m afraid you’re wrong again. Who I am should not concern you…yet.”

“Why are you here?” he asked.

“To warn you,” he said. “Things are about to get harder for you. More complicated. Be prepared.”

He vanished in an alley.

Tommy wrinkled his brow. Who is that guy?

***

Kou raced through the streets of Angel Grove south against the flow of pedestrians with a big smile on his face yelling. “Out of the way! You better move!”

He was almost knocked off of his board, but he managed to ride across a curb and avoid falling.

He wiped his brow while looking back. “Close…”

He then saw two people sitting on a bench sharing an ice cream cone. He grinned mischievously.

He road by and grabbed the cone.

“Hey!” The people shouted as Kou laughed, placed his thumb on his chin and stuck out his tongue.

Kou stopped by an apartment complex as he saw Kimberly walk out of the main door. “That must be Kimberly.” He whistled.

He then rode by her sideways. “Hello. How are you today?”

Kimberly smiled. “Okay. Don’t you think you better watch where you’re going.”

Kou stopped and flipped up his board. “I’ll be fine,” he said as he walked towards her. “My name’s Kou. I’ll be your little brother starting today.”

He blew on his hand, wiped it on his shirt, and then reach out as if to shake her hand. He grabbed her breast instead.

“You little creep!” Kimberly said as she stepped back.

Kou smiled. “Thank you,” he said as he grabbed her purse and skated off.

“Hey!” Kimberly shouted as she chased after him.

As Kou was riding, he pulled Kimberly’s keys out from her purse and placed them into his pocket.

Kou rode through the park as Kimberly saw Rocky running by. “Rocky!” Kimberly called.

“Hey Kimberly. I was just out for a run…”

“That kid took my purse.”

“Huh?” Rocky said as the boy skateboarded towards him.

“Hey,” Rocky said as he held his hands out to block Kou. “Isn’t it past your bedtime.”

Kou smiled and leapt over Rocky with his board. Kou then turned around. “Kind of slow there, tubby.” He stuck out his tongue.

“Tubby?! Why that little…” Rocky said as he turned and ran for the boy with Kimberly.

They followed Kou into a shrine area in China Town where they lost sight of him, but Rocky found the purse lying on the ground.

“Where did that little snot run off to?” Rocky asked as he looked around.

“Rocky,” Kimberly said. “Be nice.”

“Hello,” he said sarcastically.

“What?”

“He called me fat.”

Kim sighed. “You’ll live.”

Kou was hiding behind a stone and peeked as Kimberly and Rocky looked around.

“Kou,” the voice from the night before said in his head. “Did you get her keys?”

Kou played with the keys in his hand. “Yes, but I don’t know why I need them.”

“They will allow you to access her apartment.”

Kou rolled his eyes. “I figured that. Why do you keep talking in my head anyway? Why can’t you just show yourself.”

“It’s more fun this way.”

Rocky looked around as a snake of hair wrapped around his legs and tripped him, causing him to stumble down the stairs.

He landed on the ground next to Kimberly.

“Rocky, what are you doing?” she asked.

“Looks like we’ve got company.”

A trio of women Gorma monsters then appeared. They were the Siamese Kanjo.

They walked towards the Rangers, each wearing light armor. “Rangers…” the lead sister growled.

“Let’s go,” Rocky said as Kou watched the two teens call out “Kiryoku transform, Aura Power!” and transform into their armor.

They assumed defensive stances.

“Allow us to introduce ourselves, Rangers,” the sister in the middle said. “I am Ring Kanjo.”

“Necklace Kanjo.”

“Earring Kanjo.”

“Together,” Ring said, “We are the Siamese Kanjo.”

“Siamese Kanjo?” Phoenix Ranger said.

“What kind of name is that?” Tenma Ranger said.

“Red vortex!” Ring Kanjo said as the two Rangers found themselves in a red pocket dimension.

Tenma and Phoenix rangers criss crossed each other and changed stances.

Ring Kanjo extended her hands as the other two sisters leapt off of her shoulders and executed fling kicks to the Rangers chests.

Ring Kanjo then jumped off of her sisters’ arms and leapt towards the Rangers and punched them both in the face, sending them tumbling backwards.

The three sisters then drew their swords and charged towards the two Rangers.

“Thunder Staffs!” The Rangers called as they readied their staffs and charged towards the Gorma.

Kou peaked from behind his stone as he heard their weapons clash. “Whoa…”

Earring Kanjo knocked Tenma Ranger's staff out of the way and slashed him across the chest diagonally, causing him to fall backwards.

Necklace Kanjo came at him from the other side and cut him across the chest again causing him to fall backwards.

Ring dashed forward, slicing Phoenix Ranger across the chest horizontally, and then turned around, cutting her across the chest vertically.

Kou continued to watch with his eyes wide open.

“Those are the Gorma,” the voice in his head told him.

Kou then heard the squeaking of a wheel as he saw a small wooden chariot being pulled by a Capatros dressed in an ancient hat and black cloak.

Inside the chariot was a small child dressed in black with a black headband that had a silver medal on it. His name was Akomaru.

Next to him was an old man dressed in black. He was known as the Shogun.

The three sisters then jumped towards the Rangers again with their swords. Tenma and Phoenix rangers braced themselves, but the villains’ blows were blocked by red staffs that came out from no where, and the sisters were then kicked backwards. It was the other three Rangers.

The sisters and the Rangers both regrouped.

“Are you okay, Kim?” Dragon Ranger asked.

“Yeah,” Phoenix Ranger said.

“I’m fine too, thanks,” Tenma Ranger said.

Lion Ranger drew his sidearm. “Thunder Blaster!” he shouted as he fired at the Gorma.

The sisters were hit by the blast.

Akomaru then rose from his chariot and fired an arrow into the sky. The arrow exploded and the Rangers’ surroundings returned to normal.

The sisters then returned to their human forms.

“They’re even uglier in this form,” Tenma Ranger said.

“Rangers,” Ring said. “We will continue this another day. And don’t worry…we’ll find the Kiba Ranger before you do. We will prevent his birth.”

“Kiba Ranger?” Dragon Ranger said.

The sisters then vanished.

“Well that was weird,” Tenma Ranger said.

“Let’s get to the liar,” Dragon Ranger said as they ran off.

Akomaru returned to his chariot and smiled. He spotted Kou crouching behind a rock, and the two stared at each other for a moment.

“What is wrong, Akomaru?” the Shogun said.

“Nothing,” he said as the two rode off while Akomaru blew his whistle.

The voice spoke to Kou again. “Kou…we are wasting time.”

Kou nodded and ran off.

***

The Rangers demorphed and gathered before Master Kaku in their lair.

“What were they talking about?” Adam asked.

Kaku nodded. “The Kiba Ranger. There is a sixth Ranger whose true identity remains unknown. The Gorma will be looking for him, but we have to find him first.”

“Another Ranger would be a lot of help,” Rocky said.

“How can we find this Ranger?” Billy asked.

“The legends say the Kiba Ranger will be the holder of Byakoushieken,” Kaku said.

“Byakou…” Tommy said, recognizing the name.

“Isn’t that the tiger saber thing Gohun’s fiancé had?” Rocky asked.

Kaku nodded. “Yes. You must protect Byakou at all costs.”

“Well,” Tommy said. “Then I guess we’re off to that shrine.”

***

Akomaru stood in front of the Gorma Triumvirate along with the three sisters and the Shogun at a shrine in China Town.

Shadam stared at the boy before turning around and making a sound of disgust.

“What’s wrong, Shadam?” the Shogun asked. “Does your own son intimidate you?”

“Hmph,” Shadam said.

“He will find Byakou and stop the Kiba Ranger from being born,“ the Shogun said.

Zydos laughed. “A small boy?”

“That’s ridiculous,” Gara said.

The Shogun entered his chariot and began to ride off. “Now Akomaru…I leave things up to you.”

The Shogun disappeared as Akomaru started to walk away with the three sisters. “Kanjo, let’s go too.”

The boy began to walk away.

“Wait, Akomaru,” Shadam said angrily. “What do you think you are doing? You are a mere child. How do you expect to find the Kiba Ranger? You’ll only get in my way. Stay out of this.”

“Stay out?” Akomaru said as he turned around. “You abandoned me moments after my birth. It was the Shogun who raised me. I won’t take orders from you. Besides…I have a resource you do not.”

He turned around as he disappeared with the three sisters.

Shadam glared in his direction. What resource could that bastard child have?

***

Kimberly’s apartment was a mess as Kou tore through it. He found a picture of Kimberly and her four teammates along with Kaku hanging on a wall. He pulled the picture down and found a small wooden totem attached to its back.

“That’s it Kou!” the voice said. “That will allow you to become the Kiba Ranger.”

Kou’s face lit up. “Yes!” he said. He stuffed the totem in his pocket.

Kimberly walked towards her apartment as she saw the door cracked open.

She became suspicious as she peeked her head through the door.

Then she saw Kou.

“Hey…” she said as she entered the room. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Hey sister,” Kou said as he ate off of Kimberly’s table. “This place is pretty messy. You should probably clean it up.”

Kimberly took a step back and shook her head as she walked over to the boy. “You did this. How did you get in here?” Kim asked as Kou continued to eat.

Kou pulled out Kim’s keys from his pocket and held them up. “Heh, heh.”

Kimberly opened her eyes wide in shock as she checked her purse and found that the keys were indeed missing.

“Why you little…” Kimberly said.

“Ha.” Kou grabbed one more bite to eat and then began walking around the room while tossing the keys into the air and catching them over again.

“Give me back my keys now,” Kimberly said.

“Ummm…no,” Kou said.

She grabbed his ear and dragged him to the door.

“Hey, let go…that’s no way to treat your little brother,” he said.

She let go. “Keys,” she said.

Kou held up the keys, and as Kimberly reached out to grab them, Kou grabbed her breast again and pushed Kimberly out the door, and locked her out.

“You creep!” Kimberly shouted. “Let me in!”

Kou leaned against the door and smiled. “Maybe later.”

“There’s no time, Kou.” The voice said in his head. “You must leave at once.”

Kou nodded, grabbed his bag and board, and left for the window.

Outside, Kim quit banging on the door, closed her eyes, placed her hands together, and used her ki to unlock the door.

Inside, she found no trace of Kou, but the window was open.

She ran out to the balcony and looked to find Kou on the street below getting on his board.

“Wait!” Kimberly shouted. “Get back up here!”

Kou turned and smiled. “I would love to but there’s no time…bye sister.” He rode off.

“Wait!” Kimberly ran towards the stairs.

***

On the rooftops of the city, Necklace Kanjo was extended her head out in search of Byakou.

“Kanjo…” Akomaru said as he walked toward the Gorma. “Have you found it?”

Necklace then zeroed in on Byakou. “Yes…I have located it.

Akomaru smile. “Excellent…”

***

Kou sped through the streets on his board.

“Hurry.” The voice in his head said. “The Gorma are close.”

Kou nodded and picked up the pace.

Kimberly sped through the streets on her bicycle, in hot pursuit of Kou.

Kou stopped, grabbed his skateboard, and ran towards the shrine as Kimberly watched.

She stopped her bike and hopped off and began running to catch up with Kou.

She lost track of him as she saw Byakou sitting up in the shrine’s stone.

“Byakoushieken… “ she began walking towards the saber, but a long strand of hair shout out as if from no where and wrapped around her.

The hair pulled her away towards the Kanjo sisters who were laughing at her.

Akomaru smiled as he stood by the sisters. “I won’t let you interfere with our plans.”

Kimberly readied her Aura Morphers. “That saber belongs to the Rangers.”

She leapt through the air and shouted “Aura Power!” as she transformed into her armor and drew her side arm. “Thunder Blaster!” she shouted as she blasted the Earring sister in the chest, causing her to stumble backwards.

Phoenix Ranger then landed on the ground and readied her weapon. “Thunder Staff!”

Phoenix Ranger assumed a defensive stance as the sisters walked around her with their swords.

Ring then charged at Phoenix Ranger. Phoenix Ranger used her staff to knock the sword away and whack the Gorma across the face as Earring charged in behind her.

She knocked Earring out of the way and then turned towards Necklace and twirled around while hitting that Gorma.

She then blocked a blow by another one of the Gorma and turned around while smacking her across the face.

Ring then came towards her as Phoenix Ranger blocked that blow and reverse spin kicked Ring across the face.

She then whipped her leg behind her as she struck the other two sisters with a hook kick.

She then used her staff to pole volt towards the Gorma and side kicked them all in the chest.

She then landed on the ground as Ring recovered as she leapt through the air over Phoenix Ranger while kicking her in the back.

The two other Gorma then jumped off of Ring’s shoulders and extended their hands in the air. “Neon blast!” they shouted as they fired blasts that slammed into Phoenix Ranger’s chest and sent her crashing to the ground as Kou watched by.

“Sister…” Kou said as his eyes opened wide.

The three sisters then walked towards Kimberly as Ring Kanjo leapt through the air and howled.

“Ha!” Tommy shouted as he leapt through the air and kicked the Gorma in the chest and the sister went crashing to the ground.

Tommy then landed next to Phoenix Ranger as the other teens arrived on the scene as well, all unmorphed.

Rocky pointed at the Gorma.

“You three are starting to get on my nerves!”

The boys readied their morphers and shouted, “Kiryoku transform Aura Power!” as they transformed into their armor.

The five Rangers split up and attacked the sisters as Kou watched in amazement from behind a bush.

“How am I going to get to that saber now?” Kou asked. “They’re all out there.”

Byakou’s eyes then flashed red as the skies became dark and blue lightning crashed from the sky as the Rangers and the Gorma stopped fighting to stare up at the sky.

The lightning hit the ground and exploded causing the Rangers to fly backwards as Kou’s eyes grew wide open.

“It’s time Kou,” the voice in his head, Byakou said.

Lightning thundered and winds blew as Kou ran up the shrine and stared at Byakou.

“Now Kou,” the voice said as the boy rolled his hands up into fists. “Take the saber. Pull it free!”

Kou then grabbed the saber and pulled it out of the stone, raising it to the air as lightning destroyed the shrine behind him.

Byakou laughed proudly. “You did it Kou!”

Kou turned the tiger saber around as it talked to Kou. “It took you long enough. My name is Byakoushieken. You can call me Byakou. Nice to meet you.”

Kou nodded. “Thanks…I guess. You were the voice in my head?”

“Yes, yes. Now Kou…your Kiba Changer is inside the totem you sto..umm..borrowed. Use it to become the Kiba Ranger!”

Kou pulled out the totem and inside was a brace and a golden key.

Kou strapped the brace on his left wrist while holding Byakou and readied the key with his right hand as he called out “Kiryoku transform…Kiba Power!”

Kou inserted the key into the brace as Byakou growled and Kou transformed into his armor as he grew in size to become the white Kiba Ranger.

The skies then cleared as Byakou began speaking to Kou, the Kiba Ranger.

“Now Kiba Ranger,” Byakou said. “Test your new powers!”

Kou nodded. “Right!” he yelled as he leapt through the sky and landed in a tree.

He then jumped off the tree, swung from a branch and flipped through the sky as he landed on the ground and somersaulted as he executed a series of lightning quick backflips.

He then leapt up and corkscrewed through the air as he landed in the middle of several boulders.

“Sweet…” Kou said.

“Use your ki powers,” Byakou said as Kou nodded, returned the saber to his belt and extended his hand.

“Ki!” he shouted as he sent a telekinetic shockwave that smashed the rocks.

The shockwave sent Kou flying backwards to the ground.

“Whoa…I pack a punch.”

“You must control your powers, Kou,” Byakou said.

“Easier said then done…hey…I’m a Power Ranger now..sweet!”

Kou ran through the woods shouting for joy as he ran up a tree, flipped backwards, and continued running.

The Rangers slowly rose from the ground, as Kou peeked at them from behind a tree.

Kiba Ranger then emerged from the tree and flipped past the Rangers towards a grassy area as the teens ran to him.

Akomaru and the Kanjo sisters slowly limped towards him as Kiba Ranger held Byakou into the air.

“Give up Gorma!” Byakou said, speaking for Kou so they would not recognize the Kiba Ranger as a boy. “I am the Heaven Roaring Star Kiba Ranger. No Gorma can defeat me. Now get out! Leave before I destroy you!”

Akomaru shook his head. “It can’t be.”

“Back…back..” Akomaru commanded as the four Gorma teleported away as Kou and Byakou laughed.

The Rangers ran over and saw the Kiba Ranger laughing just before he leapt away.

***

A few days later, Kou walked happily by the park as he reached a secluded area and pulled out Byakou and his morpher.

“Kiryoku transform…Kiba Power!”

He transformed into the white armor of the Kiba Ranger.

“This is so sweet!” Kiba Ranger shouted as he attached Byakou to his belt, kicked up his skateboard and flipped through the air. “Kiba Ranger, coming through!”

He began skateboarding down the street against the flow of traffic as a semi began honking its horn at him.

Kiba Ranger leapt above and over the truck with his board and landed on the streets behind it.

He slipped on the street and fell over.

“Watch where you go next time. Ha ha.” Kiba Ranger said.

He then saw three girls with skirts walk near by.

“Heh heh.” Kiba Ranger skated over by them.

“Ki!” he called as he used a telekinetic blast to lift up the girls’ skirts.

Kiba Ranger laughed. “Now that’s what these powers were meant for.”

He skated away.

On a baseball field near by, the pitcher threw a ball and the batter smacked it across the field. Kiba Ranger then flipped threw the air and caught the ball.

“Ha ha.” He held it in his hand and flicked it with his finger back towards the catcher as it slammed into him and sent him skidding backwards.

Byakou then growled as he used his Ki to propel the ball back across the field towards Kiba Ranger, slam him in the chest and send him flying against a building across the street and demorphing.

“What did you do that for?” Kou asked as he rubbed his behind and sat up.

Byakou peeked out from Kou’s jackets. “This is not what your powers were meant for! How long do you plan on fooling around?”

“I was just trying to have some fun,” Kou said. “I like transforming.”

“But you must act responsibly! Your powers were meant to be used against the Gorma, not against people for practical jokes…and…”

Byakou was cut off as Kou placed a small strand of material around his mouth like a muzzle and stuffed the Tiger Saber back into his jacket.

“Now…be quiet and stay in my coat…we don’t want people to be suspicious, do we?” Kou asked with a smile as he stood up

Byakou tried to talk but could not be understood because of the muzzle.

***

The five teens were walking along the streets towards Kimberly’s apartment.

“It’s been a couple days since we’ve seen that Kiba Ranger,” Adam said.

Billy nodded. “And the Gorma have been kind of quiet. We can only suspect that they’re searching for this sixth Ranger.”

“So why are we all going back To Kimberly’s apartment instead of looking for our new tiger headed friend?” Rocky asked.

“My Uncle Gohun might have left some clues behind,” Kimberly said.

“Did ya hear that Shaggy?” Rocky said as he placed his hand on Tommy’s shoulder. “A clue, zoinks.”

Tommy shook his head and smiled. “I think you’re losing your touch.”

Rocky shrugged. “It’s been a long couple of days.”

The two walked into Kimberly’s apartment and saw two elderly people with a ladder going up to her attic with Kou standing by playing a hand held video game.

The Rangers all stood stunned for a moment.

“Oh you must be Kimberly,” the older lady said. “It was so nice of you to offer to let Kou stay with you.”

Kimberly wrinkled her brow as the other Rangers looked at her confused.

“But I didn’t…what?”

“We were surprised too…” the man said. “Kou has a sister.”

“We were friends of his mother’s,” the lady said. “She died five years ago, and we’ve been taking care of him since.”

“She’s not dead,” Kou said. “She’s missing. She’ll be back.”

“Well,” the man said. “Everything’s moved upstairs. Time to go.”

The older lady gave Kou a hug. “Now don’t forget to brush your teeth everyday and to change your underwear.”

“You’re embarrassing me…” Kou said.

“Thanks again,” Kou’s female guardian said. “We have a produce market in town.” She handed Kimberly a business card as she left with her husband and Kou climbed up the ladder to the attic.

“But…” Kimberly tried to say as they shut the door.

She then turned to see Kou climb up the ladder. “Kou..what do you…” but he was already upstairs.

“Looks like you have a new roommate,” Rocky said with a smile as he leaned on Kimberly’s shoulder. She glared at him.

Kou sat up in the attic, pulled out Byakou, and removed the gag.

“Kou don’t you ever do that to me again,” Byakou said as Kou pulled Byakou out and held him. “It’s my job to guide and help you. Now…why did you move in here! You can’t let the Rangers or the Gorma find out who you are.”

Kou shrugged. “Kimberly seems…nice. And I was getting sick of the grocers anyway. Besides, if I stay here, I can follow the Rangers’ movements.”

“Ha Ha!” Byakou said. “You have a crush on someone older than you!”

“What?”

“You’re blushing!”

“Shut up!” Kou said as he threw Byakou across the room and the saber hit a box and landed on the ground.

“I was just kidding…”

***

In Akomaru’s shrine, he stood facing the Kanjo with his back towards the Gorma triumvirate.

“What are you going to do now, Akomaru?,” Shadam said. “Thanks to you, the Kiba Ranger was born.”

“And now we have another Ranger to deal with,” Gara said.

Akomaru turned to face his father. “My mission is to find out who the Kiba Ranger is, and lure him to the Gorma.”

“You can’t do that,” Shadam said.

Akomaru walked towards the three Gorma. “Father…I hate you. Just as I hate the mother who abandoned me. I…well…you will see. Hmph.”

Akomaru turned to face the sisters. “The Kiba Ranger is a boy like me,” he told them. “He will have the symbol of the tiger on his forearm. Find him.”

The sisters nodded, stepped backwards and vanished.

Akomaru then turned back to the Gorma. “Hmph,” he said with a smile as he walked away. Shadam stared coldly in his direction.

***

The next morning, Kou climbed down the ladder as he saw Kimberly walk towards him with a tray of juice. “Good morning.”

Kou’s face lit up. “You made me breakfast?”

Kimberly shrugged. “I’ve thought it over and decided to let you stay here.”

The two sat at a table and Kou sighed. “Thanks…I…It’s been hard living with my those two grocers…they never really had time for me…they treated me like a nuisance...I’ve been feeling kind of lonely.”

Kimberly shook her head. “I’m sorry.”

The phone rang and Kimberly walked over and picked it up. “Hello?….Yes…just a second…It’s for you, Kou.”

Kou’s face lit up. “Me?” he picked up the phone. “Hello?”

“Kou…it’s your mother..I miss you…meet me at the park…” Rocky was whispering in a telephone booth outside talking in a feminine voice. “I hope you’ve been good while I’ve been gone.”

“Yes…I’m on my way. Ya Ta!” Kou hung up the phone. “Sister! That was my mom! I’m going to go meet her!” Kou put on a hat grabbed his skateboard and ran out the door.

Kimberly sighed as the teens stepped out of the closet.

“Well,” Billy said. “Let’s load his stuff into Rocky’s truck.”

“You guys,” Kimberly said. “I don’t know. I feel kind of bad doing this to him.”

“He’ll be fine back at the grocers,” Tommy said as he placed a hand on her shoulder. “Besides, your mother would kill you if she found a kid living in your attic.”

“She’d never find out because she’s never here,” Kimberly said.

“It will all work out,” Tommy said.

The three teens left with Kou’s stuff, leaving Kimberly alone in the apartment.

***

The teens were driving Adam’s truck with Tommy in the back with Kou’s bag.

“Maybe Kim’s right,” he said to Adam and Billy in the front. Then they saw screaming kids run by, as well as Rocky.

“What the…” Tommy said.

“It’s our Gorma buddies,” Rocky said. “This way.”

They ran down the alley to see the sisters grabbing kids.

“Gorma!” Tommy shouted as the four teens arrived.

“You’ll never stop us…we’ll find him…” the leader sister said as they teleported away.

Tommy activated his communicator. “Kim…the Gorma are out. We need you.”

Kimberly answered. “Okay. I’m on my way.”

She ran outside and stopped in her tracks as she saw Kou standing in front of her about ready to break into tears.

“Kou…” she said.

“Bakka bakka bakka!” Kou yelled as he ran towards Kim. “Why did you do that to me. Make me think that my mom…”

“Kou…I’m sorry. It’s just…my mother probably wouldn’t like you staying with us and…”

“So you dump me on the street? Just like everyone else!” Kou said.

“No it’s not like that, I…”

“No!” Kou yelled. “Never mind! I’ll live on my own. I don’t need you! You’re just like everyone else!” he yelled as he ran away.”

“Kou!” Kimberly yelled after him.

She picked up his skateboard. “Kou…”

***

Kou ran down a wooded path in the park as fast as he could. That was until he saw one of the Kanjo sisters in human form stand in front of the path blocking him.

“Could you be the one?” The sister said with a wicked smile on her face as she floated towards Kou.

Kou skimpered backwards and moved his back up against a tree.

“Leave me alone!” he yelled.

He rolled out of the way as the sister reached down and grabbed his left arm. She pulled up his sleeve and saw the symbol of the tiger on it.

“You are!” the sister said.

“Let go! Let go!” Kou yelled as his mind flashed back to when he was a little boy.

“Let go momma!” the younger Kou had yelled as his mother sadly held her sons arm.

“I’m sorry, Kou…I must do this,” she had told him. She picked up a heated clamp and burned the tiger symbol onto his arm.

“Kou!” she yelled as she hugged her son and cried.

Kou’s flashback ended.

“You are the Kiba Ranger,” the sister said as she smiled wickedly.

“Kou!” Kimberly yelled as she leapt through the air and kicked the sister out of the way.

The sister transformed into her monster, the Earring Kanjo, as she rolled across the ground.

“Kou, run,” Kimberly said.

Kou nodded and ran off.

“Ki!” Kimberly yelled as she extended her arms and telekinetically shoved the Gorma away. The sister then bounced off a tree, flipped back through the air, and punched Kimberly across the face causing her fly through the air.

Tommy leapt through the air, caught Kimberly, and landed as they joined the other Rangers and assumed fighting stances.

The other two sisters arrived as well.

“Kiryoku transform, Aura Power!” the Rangers called out as they transformed into their armor.

“Dragon Ranger! Heaven Fire Star, Red!”

“Lion Ranger! Heaven Illusion Star, Green!”

“Tenma Ranger! Heaven Gravity Star, Blue!”

“Kirin Ranger! Heaven Time Star, Yellow!”

“Phoenix Ranger! Heaven Wind Star, Pink!”

“Power of the Stars, brought down…Five Star Task Force…Power Rangers!”

The Rangers and the Gorma charged at each other.

Meanwhile, on the parks outer boundaries, Kou ran as fast as he could until he came to a path.

Akomaru rode across the path on his miniature chariot as he and Kou made eye contact once again. Their cold stares met and neither one of them knew why the other seemed so familiar.

“Kou! Kou!” Byakou said as he peeked his head out of Kou’s jacket as Akomaru rode by. “The Rangers need your help.”

“Why should I help them? You heard what they did to me,” Kou said.

“Kooou…” Byakou said. “You are one of them now. It’s your responsibility to help them.”

Kou thought for a moment.

Meanwhile, Phoenix Ranger was thrown through the air by one of the Gorma’s explosions. Their fight had moved to the mountain area outside of the city.

The long haired sister used her locks as tentacles and hurled the Phoenix Ranger around as her teammates fought in the background.

Dragon Ranger was flipped around with another one of the sister’s tentacles as the creature turned and blocked a round kick by Kirin Ranger, and then backfisted the teen across the face, sending him tumbling backwards.

The lead sister crescent kicked Lion Ranger across the head, and then turned to block a punch by Tenma Ranger, followed by punching him twice in the chest, sending him twirling back.

Akomaru watched silently and blew his whistle as the Rangers were tossed around below.

Kou watched from behind a rock as Kimberly was lifted into the air by a hair tentacle and shocked with a blast of red electricity.

“Phoenix Ranger…” Kou said.

Byakou peeked out from Kou’s jacket. “You must help them Kou…it’s time to use your powers as they were intended, not just to goof off.”

“But…” Kou said doubtfully.

“You can do it Kou. Your Ki is strong.”

Kou continued to watch as Kimberly was slammed into the ground.

“Sister…” he said as he rolled his hand up into a fist and stood.

“Morph, Kou,” Byakou said.

Kou nodded and held Byakou in the air as he readied his Kiba Morpher and key.

“Kiryoku transform! Kiba Power!”

He morphed into armor as his body grew to adult size.

Kimberly was being held in the air as the Earring sister smiled. “And now you die!”

A white saber flashed through the air, cutting the hair tentacle in half as Kimberly fell to the ground and Kiba Ranger landed in front of her.

He then turned and jumped through the air, landing on a cliff above the villain. He returned Byakou to his belt as the saber spoke for Kou.

“Heaven Roaring Star, Kiba Ranger!”

“Give up Gorma!” Byakou shouted. “You are no match for me!”

“We’ll see!” the long haired sister shouted as she jumped up near Kou and the two squared off.

The two ran towards each other. The sister tried to sweep the legs out from Kou, but Kiba Ranger flipped over the leg, and then executed a round kick.

The Gorma then executed a spinning crescent kick that Kou ducked under, followed by a round kick that Kou blocked, and then another round kick.

The sister then backfisted Kou, but he blocked it and knocked it out of the way and countered.

He accidentally grabbed her in the breast. “Whoops,” Kiba Ranger said as he backed off. “Sorry.”

She then slapped him across the face several times, kicked him in the stomach, and clawed him across the face, causing him to stumble backwards.

The sister walked towards Kiba Ranger and laughed. “The mighty Kiba Ranger…ha!”

“You’re stronger than her, Kou!” Byakou said.

Kou shook his head. “Tell that to her!”

“Ha!” Byakou said as he flew towards the Gorma while dragging Kou along.

Kou spun around as he sliced the sister across the chest horizontally.

Kou then sliced the Gorma across twice diagonally, being lead by Byakou. He then sliced once vertically.

“Jump Kou!” Byakou said as Kou leapt through the air. “Kick!” Kou extended both his feet and kicked the Gorma, and pushed off of her to flip backwards.

He then bounced off a stone and flew back towards the Gorma. “Attack!” Byakou said as Kou used his saber to slice the Gorma across the chest and send her rolling backwards.

“Do you want some more, Gorma?” Byakou asked as Kou twirled around.

“Heaven Roaring Star,” Byakou said. “Sound Bite”

Kou emitted high frequency sound waves that caused the Gorma to scream as the sounds pierced her ear. Explosions then rang across her body as she fell t the ground.

The Rangers ran over to see. “Alright, Kiba Ranger!” Tenma Ranger shouted.

The two other sisters came to their fallen siblings aid and the three teleported away.

“Yata-Yata!” Kou shouted as he jumped up in down with excitement.

***

The three sisters limped towards their young master. The two sisters held up the third as she limped along and blood streaked down her head.

“Earring Kanjo!” Akomaru said as he ran over to her.

“Kiba Ranger…” Nor said weakly. “He’s strong.”

“What...he did this to you?” Akomaru said.

Earring “Yes…I found him…he is…is” her eyes closed and her body went limp.

“No…!” the other sisters said as they cradled Earring Kanjo.

Akomaru stood up as his mind flashed back to when he saw Kou. And he put two and two together.

“Him!” he said as his eyes opened wide.

He held his whistle up and snapped it. “Damn you, Kiba Ranger.”

***

Kou sat by the lake pier as he threw pebbles into the lake.

A skateboard was then held in front of him.

“This is yours, isn’t it?” Kim asked.

“Sister…” Kou said silently.

Kimberly leaned against the rail. “I’ve been rethinking this whole you staying in my apartment thing.”

Kou’s face lit up.

“I know what it feels like to be neglected…” Kimberly said. “I don’t want you to feel that way.” She sighed. “So…you can stay with me for awhile.”

“Really?”

“Yep. But you have to follow the rules.”

“Yah tah!” Kou said as he jumped up and down. “Thank you!”

Kimberly smiled as Kou ran around her.

---TO BE CONTINUED...CHAPTER EIGHT

[Ryuranger]

---Ultimate Power Rangers
---Season Two
---Five Star Task Force Power Rangers
---Chapter 08: Deception

A chariot emerged from the foggy night carrying Akomaru as he blew his whistle thoughtfully.

Then Shadam appeared in front of him, blocking the path of the chariot.

“Shadam…” Akomaru wrinkled his brow as he glared at the older Gorma.

“Akomaru…how much longer are you going to keep the Kiba Ranger’s identity to yourself? He’s to be destroyed.”

“Father…the source of the Gorma’s power is…”

“Hate,” Shadam said, cutting off Akomaru. “That’s obvious.”

“Yes,” Akomaru said. “That’s how I became who I am today. My hatred for you and the mother who abandoned me.”

“So what?” Shadam said, quickly loosing patience.

“I will get the Kiba Ranger to feel that hatred too. In that way, Gorma blood will flow through him. The hidden power will come out.”

The chariot continued, leaving Shadam behind.

Shadam glared in his direction. I should have killed the boy when I had the chance…

***

“Kou!” Kimberly shouted as she set the breakfast table. “You’re going to be late for school…Kou..” she climbed up to the attic and shook him to wake him. “Kou…”

His alarm went off and he hopped out of bed and jetted down the later while looking up at her. “Better hurry, sister. You’ll be late for school.” He laughed. “Peace…”

Kimberly sighed and shook her head.

Kou skateboarded to school as fast as he could. For the first time in a long time, he was actually happy, so he wasn’t worried about being late.

Kou snuck into the back of the classroom quietly as he saw a cute new Chinese girl at the front of the class.

“And we would like to welcome our new student…” the teacher was saying.

A chair was pulled out from Kou and he yelped as he hit the ground. He blushed as the new girl smiled at him. “Peace…” he said as he threw on his cheesiest grin.

***

After school, Billy and Rocky were waiting for Kou.

“This sure takes long enough,” Rocky said.

“We’re doing it to help Kim,” Billy said.

“You have a thing for her don’t you?”

Billy blushed. “That’s ridiculous,” he said. “Besides…she’s with Tommy.”

Rocky nodded and grinned. “Riiiight.”

“There’s Kou,” Rocky said.

“Hey guys,” Kou said as he rode by on his board and tossed his bag in the car. “Can’t go. Got a date. Thanks.”

Rocky and Billy looked at each other.

“Did he just say date?” Rocky asked.

Kou skated through the woods and stopped as Akomaru appeared through the smoke with the two remaining Kanjo sisters..

“I came to greet you, Kou,” Akomaru said.

“Greet me?”

The two sisters fired energy blasts that knocked Kou to the ground.

Akomaru and the sisters stalked towards Kou.

“You’re crazy,” Kou said.

“Maybe…” Akomaru said. “Now transform…transform or you’ll die.”

Kou moved backwards as Byakou whispered to him from the young Ranger’s jacket. “Kou, he’s trying to prove you’re the Kiba Ranger. Don’t transform carelessly.”

“Easy for you to say,” Kou mumbled.

“Kou!” Rocky and Billy ran towards them.

“Them…” Akomaru grumbled. “Capatros!”

Capatros appeared and rushed towards the two teens. Kou took advantage of Akomaru’s distraction to run away.

“Kiryoku Transform!” Rocky and Billy transformed and fought the incoming soldiers. Tenma Ranger used his nunchuks and Kirin Ranger used his rope blade.

Byakou peeked his head out from Kou’s jacket.

“Kou…behind the bush.” He ducked behind the bush. “Stick me in the ground. They know my voice as the Kiba Ranger. I’ll distract them while you transform.”

Kou nodded and stuck Byakou in the ground. As he came from the bush, the monsters and Akomaru ambushed him.

“What are you going to do now? You have no choice,” Akomaru said as he walked towards Kou and Kou shifted back on the ground.

“Kou!” Tenma Ranger shouted as he and Kirin Ranger continued to battle Capatros.

“Gorma!” Byakou shouted. “I’m over here!”

Akomaru was confused. “This way!” he shouted as he led the monsters towards the voice. Kou ran off.

“Kiryoku transform, Kiba Power!”

Kiba Ranger transformed and jumped through the air as he grabbed Byakou and faced the Gorma.

“Kiba Ranger,” Akomaru said.

“You’ll never learn, will you boy,” Byakou said.

“What?” Akomaru said.

Kiba Ranger leapt through the air towards Akomaru with his blade ready. Before he could strike the boy, one of the sisters stood in front of her master and took the blow across the chest.

Kiba Ranger then used his saber and speared it towards the monster’s head, but she grabbed the sword and punched the White Ranger away.

Kiba Ranger landed on the ground.

“Oh man,” Kiba Ranger said. “My date.”

He ran off.

Akomaru grinned as he turned with the monsters and vanished. The Capatros vanished too.

“Short but fun,” Tenma Ranger said.

The other teens ran to the scene.

“Are you guys okay?” Tommy asked.

“Yes,” Kirin Ranger said.

“What happened?” Tommy asked.

“Well Kou…uh..where’d he go?” Tenma Ranger said.

They looked around for him.

***

The girl, Miko, stood at the fair and stared at her watch.

“Hey!” Kou yelled as he waved and ran towards her. “Sorry I’m late.”

“You’re not late,” she said. “You’re right on time.”

Kou placed his hand behind his head. “Well how about that.”

She reached out for his hand.

They rode on roller coasters, the tilt a whirl, and the merry go round.

The two sat and licked their ice cream cones. “Kimberly’s probably worried.”

“Who?”

“Kimberly…she let’s me live with her.”

“What about your mom?”

Kou’s mind flashed back to when his mother had branded him with the mark of the tiger shortly before leaving him.

“Kou?”

“Oh…sorry…she left when I was younger.”

The girl nodded. “Sometimes I wish my mom would leave…”

Kou looked at her with concern.

***

The two walked home at night holding hands.

“So did you have fun?”

“Yeah,” she said with a smile.

Then she saw her mom.

“Mom!” the mom turned around cruelly.

The girl grabbed her arm.

“I want you to meet Kou.” Her hand was slapped away.

“There’s no time. Go tuck yourself in. It’s getting late.”

Kou glared at the mother.

***

“You went on a date?” Tommy asked Kou.

“You should have said something,” Adam said.

“Sorry,” Kou walked away from them.

“Kou…what’s wrong?” Kimberly shouted. Kou continued walking.

Rocky looked in Kou’s direction with a look of pity on his face.

Kou sat on the playground. Rocky slid down the slide and sat back to back with him.

“Nice night.” Rocky said.

“Hmph.”

“They were only upset because they were worried about you,” Rocky said. “We care about you.”

“I don’t see why,” Kou said. “My own mother didn’t even.”

Rocky shook his head. “Maybe she had a good reason for leaving.”

“Doubt it,” Kou said.

“It’ll all work out,” Rocky said. “Wherever your mom is…she loves you. All moms love their kids.”

Kou shook his head.

***

Kou skateboarded up to Miko’s house as Rocky watched from a distance.

Kou heard yelling and walked up to the window and watched as they fought inside. The mother grabbed her daughter’s arms and pinched her skin hard. His mind flashed back to his mother branding his arm.

***

Later, Kou and Miko talked at the pond.

“She’s always been like that…it’s my fault though.” She said.

Rocky watched from a distance.

“No it’s not,” Kou said. “You need to tell someone.”

“Like who?” the girl asked.

Then, Miko’s leg was wrapped up and she was dragged away.

“Miko!” Kou yelled as he ran after her.

Miko was caught by one of the sisters.

“Let her go Gorma,” Kou said.

The sister laughed. “Now why would I want to do that?”

“I’d listen to what he says if you value living,” Rocky said as he ran and stood in front of Kou.

“Rocky,” Kou said.

The Gorma laughed. “I’d like to see you try and start something.”

“You got it,” Rocky yelled as he ran towards the Gorma but was caught in a golden ring the monster threw that tied his arms down.

The monster took the girl and ran as Kou followed calling her name.

“Kou don’t!” Rocky yelled.

Kou followed the monster around a corner.

***

Rocky was thrown around by the other sister and slammed through trees.

“Fire Stream!” Dragon Ranger shouted as he jumped through the air and blasted the monster. He landed next to Rocky as the others arrived.

“Star Cutter!” Lion Ranger yelled as he cut Rocky loose.

“Rocky,” Dragon Ranger said. “It’s morphin time.”

Rocky nodded. “Kiryoku transform…Aura power!”

“Power of the stars, brought down, Five Star Task Force, Power Rangers!”

“My sister’s death will be avenged,” the monster said.

“We’ll see,” Dragon Ranger said as they energized and jumped.

Dragon and Phoenix brought their “Thunder Swords!” down on the monster but she used her staff to block them and toss them away.

The monster then grabbed Kirin Ranger by the neck and tossed him backwards into Lion Ranger.

She laughed, but then Tenma Ranger double jump punched her, causing her to fly backwards.

“Thunder Staff!” he shouted. The two clashed weapons and exchanged blows.

Tenma Ranger was knocked across the face and sent flying through the air, but he rebounded off of a tree and pole vault kicked her in the face.

Then he hit her with his “Thunder Blaster!”

“It’s been real,” Tenma Ranger said. “Tenma Flash kick!”

He flash kicked her to the ground.

“Good job Rocky,” Dragon Ranger said as the others joined him.

“Bastards,” she said as she vanished.

“Huh, Kou,” Tenma Ranger said.

“What?” Phoenix Ranger asked.

“He followed one of them,” Tenma Ranger said as he ran off.

***

Kou finally stopped running by a rail and grassy hill as he rolled his hands up into fists.

Akomaru smiled to himself as he looked down on him.

“Let the anger well up inside you…Then not even the tiger brand will be able to keep the evil in you locked up.” He laughed.

Kou looked pissed.

***

“Maybe we should go find her mother,” Tommy said. “Make up some kind of cover story.”

Kou shook his head as they all sat at the park. “It won’t work. She doesn’t care. I tried telling her and she pushed me away.”

“That’s parenting,” Rocky said sarcastically.

“It’s not funny!” Kou shouted.

“I…I know,” Rocky said.

Kou got up and ran. “This is all my fault!”

“Kou!” Kimberly called after him, but she let him go.

Kaku stepped out of the shadows as Kou ran by.

***

Outside of the city, an upside down pyramid appeared that was surrounded by giant Gorma spheres. It was the palace of the Gorma.

The Shogun and Akomaru stood opposite of Shadam and the triumvirate within the pyramid.

“This is a waste of time,” Shadam said.

“Oh Shadam,” the Shogun said. “Your impatience will get you killed someday.”

Shadam glared at him.

“We will go before the Emperor,” the Shogun said. “And I will request that Akomaru become field commander of his forces…instead of you…”

“Emperor,” The Shogun said as he got down on his knees. “We await you!”

Shadam almost knifed the shogun down, but a ball hovered in and turned into a man holding too masks.

Shadam and the Shogun then composed themselves and placed the masks on as they rose on columns to face the emperor’s pillar. They bowed as the emperor’s pillar rotated and he was lying on his side blowing a windmill.

He was dressed in all white robes and had white paint on his face.

“Emperor,” Shadam said. “I…”

The emperor through his windmill and it attached to the shogun’s chest. “You…speak…”

“I am honored.”

The emperor laughed.

“Akomaru should command your forces. It was he who knew the secret of the Kiba Ranger…”

“Who has now joined with the Rangers…”

“Silence Shadam,” the emperor said.

“If we could have had an army at our command, Byakoushieken could have belonged to us,” Shogun said.

“Shadam,” the emperor called on him.

He pulled out a crystal ball. “What’s done is done. Kiba Ranger is one of them now…but I can ensure we don’t make the same mistake with another opportunity.”

The ball projected pictures of the Thunderzords.

“Ryuseiou, Sei Tenma, Sei Shishi, Sei Houhou, Sei Kirin…they are a constant pain in our sides..but there is another…Won Tiger. If we find it first, we can either use it against the Rangers, or simply destroy it to keep it out of their hands.”

The emperor rose and the pillar floated closer to them. He removed the wind thing from the shogun and placed it on Shadam. He nodded.

Then he laughed as he backed up. “Now go…”

***

Kaku walked up to Kou on a pier. “What troubles you, Kiba Ranger?”

“Huh?” Kou asked. “How did you…?”

“Don’t worry,” Kaku said. “I won’t tell the others.”

“Ahhh…” Byakou peeked his head out. “Kaku…”

“Byakoushieken,” Kaku said. “It’s good to see you again.”

“You too old man, but I wish it could have been under better circumstances. I have a bad feeling…”

“…me too…”

“…Won Tiger…”

“…we must get to it first…”

“What?” Kou asked.

***

The triumvirate toasted to their victory at a shrine in Chinatown, but Shadam was cut across the face. He looked to see Akomaru approach him with the two sisters.

“Don’t count me out yet, Shadam,” Akomaru said. “Kiba Ranger will be mine…the Gorma will be mine…and you will be dead.”

He turned and walked away.

Shadam through and broke his glass in anger.

***

Kou stood in front of Miko’s house and sighed.

“Miko…”

A mailman handed him something. “This is for you…” he rode away.

“It’s from Akomaru…” he crumpled up the note and wrinkled his brow. “Miko.”

He started running through the streets.

He hopped over a fence and peeked inside an old warehouse where he saw Miko sitting tied up, just as the note had said.

He ran in an untied her.

“Kou!”

“Miko..it’ll be okay.”

He led her outside.

They saw her mom standing by a car by the ocean boardwalk drive rail.

“Mom!” she shouted as she ran towards her.

“This is the last time,” she said. “Where have you been?”

“I…”

“No more excuses…we’ll see how well you do on your own.”

She got into the car and pushed her daughter away and drove off.

“Mom!”

Kou wrinkled his brow with anger at Miko’s mother, and with his own. “Mother…” he said with anger. Then the tiger on his arm started to glow blue.

“Kou?” she asked.

It continued to flash as Kou thought back to what his mother had done before she left him.

Then the light enveloped him and expanded. “It wasn’t her fault…” he said.

He ran by the rail and looked out into the sea. He saw his mother back away screaming out his name in pain. Then he remembered his younger happy years spent with her.

“Mother…mother!” he shouted as he started to cry.

“Kou!” the teens shouted as they dragged the mom back.

“Mom!” Miko shouted as she ran towards them.

The mom stepped on Rocky’s foot as he screamed. “Mother of…”

The mom ran away and transformed into one of the Kanjo sisters. “So we meet again.”

“Alright guys…it’s morphin time!” Tommy shouted.

“Kiryoku transform…Aura Power!”

“Power of the Stars brought down…Five Star Task Force…Power Rangers!”

The Rangers and the monster rushed at each other.

Kou grabbed Miko by the arm and lead her away running. “Let’s go.”

Then they kneeled down near the pier warehouses. “That Gorma must have been impersonating your mom,” Kou said.

Miko laughed as she stood.

“Miko?”

Then she started laughing as she turned into Akomaru.

“Akomaru…where’s Miko?”

“Idiot. It was me all along…by the way…you have such soft hands.”

Kou looked at his hand and then glared at Akomaru. He screamed as he hook punched Akomaru across the face causing him to fall.

Then he got on top of him and started hitting his face screaming.

But the other Kanjo sister grabbed his arm. “I wouldn’t do that.”

She lifted him up and backhanded him away.

“Run master…” the monster said as she stood in front of Akomaru and he fled.

“Kou…” she said. “You are a fool. We had you going all along.”

Kou grinded his teeth. “Kiryoku transform, Kiba Power!”

The two charged each other. Kiba Ranger hopped off her back and turned around while slicing her diagonally across the chest. Then he struck her again a few times and speared her with his saber, causing her to fall back.

Kiba Ranger then flipped and jumped through the air and stood in front of Akomaru.

“Those short little legs of yours can’t take you away fast enough,” Kiba Ranger said as he rushed towards Akomaru. The boy ducked under the first strike, but then grabbed Kiba Rangers hand and then grabbed his throat.

“Akomaru!” the monster shouted as she ran towards them.

“Stop!” Shadam shouted as he appeared and fired blue fireballs from his hands that knocked everyone over.

The monster rose from the ground and helped Akomaru to his feet.

“You’ll pay Shadam…” Akomaru said as he and the monster walked until they disappeared.

Shadam then glared at Kiba Ranger and spat blue fireballs at him. He rolled out of the way and then jumped to a roof and assumed a fighting stance. Shadam then extended his hand and blasted him down as he flipped and jump kicked him in the face causing him to roll backwards.

Byakou shouted. “Heaving Roaring Star, Sound Bite!”

Shadam covered his ears and collapsed to the ground as Kiba Ranger called off his attack.

“Damn you Kiba Ranger!” Shadam shouted as he disappeared.

***

The monster flew through the air and slowly rose to her feet as the Rangers surrounded.

“Star Blades,” Dragon Ranger called. “Star Blade Assault!”

The monster was hit and she fired and exploding bomb and grew.

“Thunderzords arise!”

“Red Dragon Rise up!”

“Five Star Fusion!”

“Dairenou!”

“MegaThunderzord Saber, Lightning Slash!”

The monster was destroyed.

***

The five teens stood behind Kou as he looked over the rail with sorrow. Then Rocky came up and put his arm around him. The others followed.

***

In a far off mountain range, lightning crashed and the ground started to open up.

---TO BE CONTINUED....CHAPTER NINE

[Ryuranger]

---Ultimate Power Rangers
---Season Two
---Five Star Task Force Power Rangers
---Chapter 09: White Tiger

Kou was running towards his mother. They hugged. They walked across the streets while having ice cream. Then she branded his arm as he cried.

Kou woke up and screamed.

“What is it Kou?” Byakou asked.

He shook his head. “Nothing…”

He walked out to the balcony and stared out into the stars. “Mother…”

Kimberly went outside and leaned on the railing next to him.

“You’re up late,” she said.

He nodded.

“Is everything okay?”

He shrugged.

“How would you like to go on a road trip tomorrow with me?”

“Really?” his face lit up.

“Yeah,” she said. “It will be fun.”

“Cool!” he said as he hugged her. He pictured his mother.

***

In Chinatown, Akomaru was leaning on a balcony as the remaining sister walked up to him.

“Kou will pay…” the boy said.

She nodded, thinking back to the death of her two sisters.

“They all will,” she said.

***

Kou and Kimberly walked out of the apartment towards the curb of the road.

“Where are we going first?” he asked.

“You’ll see,” she said.

Tommy pulled up in the car with the other teens.

“Ready?” Tommy asked.

“Did ya bring the coke?” Rocky asked.

“I thought I did,” Billy said. “I was wrong.”

“Great,” Rocky said.

“It’s like you need any more caffeine,” Tommy said.

Kou looked sad.

“They’re coming…I thought…” he said.

“What?” Kimberly asked.

Kou ran away.

“Kou!” Kimberly yelled.

***

Kou ran to an outdoor stadium and sat down as he drooped his head.

“Kou…what is it?” Byakou asked.

“Leave me alone,” he said.

Then he heard a whistle as Akomaru and the sister appeared.

Kou rose to his feet.

“We meet again,” Akomaru said.

The sister transformed into her monster form and tele-jumped up to Kou and grabbed him by the neck as he struggled.

Tommy then appeared and jump kicked her away. The teens stood in front of Kou.

“Kou, run,” Tommy said. Kou ran.

The monster rose to her feet. “My sisters’ deaths will be avenged.”

“I don’t think so drag queen,” Rocky said.

“Alright guys,” Tommy said. “It’s morphin time!”

“Kiryoku transform, Aura Power!”

Kou hid behind a nearby bush.

“What are you waiting for, Kou?” Byakou asked.

He nodded and rose. “Kiryoku transform, Kiba Power!”

Dragon Ranger leapt through the air with his Thunder Staff as he and the Gorma clashed in midair. Dragon Ranger was knocked backwards as he flipped and landed on his feet.

Kiba Ranger then appeared.

Byakou shouted. “Heaven Roaring Star, Kiba Ranger! Go back to your master, Gorma, or meet the fate of your sisters!”

“Kiba Ranger…” the monster said. “I believe you mentioned my sisters.” She projected the monster forms of her sisters as they assumed fighting stances.

“Let’s take care of business guys,” Dragon Ranger said as the six rushed into battle.

Dragon Ranger, Tenma and Phoenix Rangers were cut down one by one. Then Lion, Kiba and Kirin Rangers were attacked in one strike.

The lead monster controlled the two sisters from afar.

“Finish them off!” Akomaru yelled.

The lead sister screamed as she was hit by a blast from Shadam as he appeared with the rest of the triumvirate.

With the lead sister’s concentration distracted, the projections of her two sisters disappeared.

“What are you doing?!” Akomaru shouted.

“Dragon Ranger…you’re coming with us,” Shadam yelled.

“I don’t think so,” he said but he was lifted up by the triumvirates orange grappling energy and he disappeared as the others shouted his name.

“Now Rangers…” Shadam said. “Don’t get too comfortable. With the sacrifice of your leader...we will awaken the sixth Kidenjuu.”

“What?” Tenma Ranger asked.

The triumvirate left. So did Akomaru and the lead monster.

***

“Sensei,” Rocky said. “They have Tommy.”

“We have to get him back,” Adam said as he punched his hands together.

“And what is this about a sixth Thunderzord?” Billy asked.

“Won Tiger,” Kaku said. “If the Gorma manage to sacrifice Tommy, his energy would be enough to waken the sixth Kidenjuu.”

“No…” Kimberly said. “We won’t let that happen.”

“Let’s go,” Rocky said as they ran off.

***

Shadam had Akomaru by the collar inside an empty building.

“Damn you Shadam!”

“You will learn respect.” He backhanded Akomaru across the face as he fell to the ground.

“You’ve interrupted my every plan,” Akomaru said. “But not this time. I know who the Kiba Ranger is.”

Akomaru laughed as he ran away.

***

“Did you find him?” Kou asked on the street. “What happened to Tommy?”

Kimberly shook her head. “I…”

A phone near them rang. Kimberly hesitated but then answered. It was Akomaru talking while riding through the park. “Hello Phoenix Ranger.”

“Akomaru,” Kimberly said.

“What?!” Kou said as he grabbed the phone.

“Kiba Ranger,” he said. “I’ll tell you where Dragon Ranger is.”

“Why?” Kou asked.

Akomaru hesitated. “My hatred for Shadam runs deeper than my hatred for you.”

Kou nodded as he was given directions. Then he ran off.

“Kou!”

Kimberly ran after him.

***

Tommy was tied down on top of a demonic symbol in the mountains as the Gorma gathered over him.

“I can’t believe this is the one who killed Daisatan single handedly,” she said.

“He’s as weak as his father,” Shadam said.

“Untie me, then we’ll see who’s weak,” Tommy said.

“Gorma!” Kou shouted as he ran towards them with Kimberly not too far away.

“How…” Shadam started to say but then he looked up to where Akomaru was whistling.

“I brought them here,” Akomaru said.

“Capatros!” Shadam yelled with fury as the soldiers attacked. Kimberly started to fight them off.

“Run Kou,” she said. He nodded and ran.

“Kimberly!” The others then arrived and helped Kimberly with the Capatros.

Kou kneeled behind a rock. “Dragon Ranger needs me.”

“Morph, Kou,” Byakou said.

“Kiryoku transform, Kiba Power!”

“Tommy…” Adam said as he stared at his friend. “It’s morphin time!”

“Kiryoku transform, Aura Power!”

“Lion Ranger, Heaven Illusion Star, Green!”

“Tenma Ranger, Heaven Gravity Star, Blue!”

“Kirin Ranger, Heaven Time Star, Yellow!”

“Phoenix Ranger, Heaven Wind Star, Pink!”

“Power of the Stars…” they trailed off and looked at Tommy.

“Rangers!” Kiba Ranger yelled as he leapt down in front of them. “Heaving Roaring Star, Kiba Ranger!”

“Let’s go!” Byakou shouted as they ran into battle. Kiba Ranger leapt through the air and started swinging at Zydos who blocked his blows. Then Zydos got a choke hold on the Ranger.

Kiba Ranger twisted the Gorma’s nose, but Zydos flipped the Ranger over his shoulder.

“Thunder Swords!” Tenma and Kirin Rangers called as their blows were blocked by Shadam who struck them both to the ground.

Lion and Phoenix Rangers rolled across the ground with their Thunder Staffs and then rose to face Gara who hit them with her energy blade strike.

“No!” Tommy shouted as he struggled.

The ground then started to shake causing everyone gathered to stumble.

There was an avalanche and the ground broke open in flames in some places. Back at the lair, Kaku focused his energies and tried to control the chaos. “Won Tiger…” he said to himself.

“Tommy!” Phoenix Ranger ran over and knelt by him as the ground shook.

She was kicked away by Gara.

“Kim!”

The Rangers continued to fight as the ground shook.

***

The ground continued to shake as Kaku focused in his liar.

The triumvirate regrouped, as did the Rangers, while Tommy was still tied down.

Shadam held up his hands and whispered and incantation as walls of flame threw the Rangers backwards.

Gara then whispered an incantation and blew them back with an energy cyclone.

Zydos then brought lightning down from the sky that struck them all.

“No!” Tommy yelled as the Gorma combined hands for an electric fire blast that caused huge explosions around the Rangers.

“Guys!” Tommy yelled.

“We have to get Tommy,” Kirin Ranger said.

“It’s finally over Rangers,” Gara said. “We win.”

“Kiba Ranger,” Zydos said. “Allow me to finish you off!”

He screamed as he charged towards Kiba Ranger, but Akomaru blew his whistle from above, firing an energy dart that shot Zydos in the back and caused him to fall.

“Akomaru,” Zydos grumbled. “You fool.”

“The Kiba Ranger is mine,” he said.

“Ki!” Kiba Ranger shouted as he blasted Zydos away with chi energy.

The other Gorma ran to his side and looked up to see Tenma and Phoenix Rangers stand Tommy up as the others ran to his side.

“Alright,” Tommy said. “It’s time to take care of business…Kiryoku transform, Aura Power!”

“Let’s do it!” Dragon Ranger yelled as they ran towards the Gorma, but the ground started to shake again.

Energy swirled around Kaku. “So close…”

The grounds stopped shaking as Zydos and the others ran towards the Rangers.

“Sorry to cut this short,” Dragon Ranger said. “But we’ve got a zord to find.”

“Thunderzords arise!”

“Let’s go,” Dragon Ranger said. They leapt onto their zords and left the area.

***

Kou ran through the street. “How am I supposed to find them?” he asked.

Byakou peaked his head out.

“Kou,” he said. “I can take you to them. I can feel the sixth Kidenjuu.”

Byakou flew off taking Kou with him.

“Sweet!”

***

Akomaru rose to face the emperor while trying to pry his mask off.

“Get it off,” he yelled over and over.

Then he pulled the mask off and his pillar pulled closer to the emperor.

“Emperor, Shadam has ruined all my plans. He messes up everything!”

The emperor stared closely for a moment before tossing pogs at him. “You dare to look at me with your face?”

Akomaru screamed as he put his mask back on.

“You should learn some respect,” the emperor said.

“He ruined everything!” Akomaru shouted. “Because of Shadam, the Rangers are going to find the sixth Kidenjuu!”

The emperor laughed. “Patience…” he said as he played his game. “Everything will move in accordance with fate.”

“Fate?”

The emperor laughed.

***

“All right guys,” a young Chinese man named Kameo said as he pulled two turtles from his pocket near a pond. “There ya go.”

He put them in the water.

He watched them with a smile as they swam. Then he heard and saw streaks of light from the sky off in the distance as the ground began to shake.

Kameo ran to a cliff and looked down.

The five teens were gathered below with Kaku as Kameo watched.

Kaku nodded to them. They raised their Thunder Gems together and said: “Kiryoku transform.”

They transformed as Kameo stepped back. “Ahhh…”

“Hey,” Kou said as he sprang from the bushes. “Who are you?”

“Kameo…did you see that?” he said

Byakou peaked his head out. “It’s none of your business.”

Kameo screamed and ran away as Byakou laughed.

“Kou,” Byakou said. “The Rangers are trying to summon the sixth Kidenjuu.”

“How?” Kou asked.

“It’s…complicated,” Byakou said. “I guess another way of putting it is that they’re about to give birth to the sixth Kidenjuu. It’s never walked this Earth.”

“Birth?” Kou asked.

Below, the six sat in meditative stances while the Rangers held their gems.

“Summon the power of your Kidenjuu,” Kaku said as the skies turned black, lightning struck near them and the winds made strange howling noises.

Kaku began to float as the Thunder Gems were lifted away and an avalanche started.

***

In a hidden building, Akomaru walked into a room where Kou’s mother was being kept captive.

“It’s almost time,” he said. “The Kiba Ranger will be one of us soon, and there’s nothing you can do about.”

The mom looked worried as she flashed back to her time with Kou and the brand she had placed on his arm.

***

The Thunderzords flew through the black skies and fired energy on the ground causing it to erupt.

Fire started raging around them as they struggled.

Then with one final explosion, the White Tiger Thunderzord was born.

The Rangers ran over with Kaku to look down on the zord as Kou grinned and watched while staying out of sight.

“It’s sweet!” Tenma Ranger said.

“Yeah,” Dragon Ranger said.

Kaku nodded. “It is your sixth Thunderzord, the White Tiger.”

“Is that it?” Kou asked Byakou as a large smile grew on his face. “yoush…”

The tiger ran for a while, then fell on its back.

“What’s wrong with him?” Phoenix Ranger asked.

“He’s a new born,” Kaku said as the tiger struggled.

“Kou,” Byakou said. “The White Tiger needs a pilot.”

He nodded. “Kiryoku transform, Kiba Power!”

He transformed as his Thunder Gem streaked into his hand.

“What the…?”

“That’s your Heaven Star Thunder Gem,” Byakou said. “Now let’s go!”

Kiba Ranger jumped to the top of the zord.

“Power Rangers!” Byakou shouted. “Won Tiger now belongs to the Kiba Ranger!”

“Hey!” Tenma Ranger said. “We didn’t go through all that for you to swipe our zord!”

“What does he think he’s doing?” Lion Ranger asked.

“They do seem like a good match,” Kirin Ranger said. The others stared at him as Kaku watched Kiba Ranger.

“Kou…” Kaku said silently.

Kiba Ranger stood on his zord as they ran. “Let’s get into action, Won Tiger.”

They ran as the Kanjo sister, now turned giant, shot energy at them.

Kiba Ranger hopped inside.

“White Tiger, Vibro Blast!”

The Tiger created vibrations that caused the monster to scream in pain.

“White Tiger, rise up!” he called as he inserted Byakou into his control panel.

The White Tiger assumed its human form.

The two clashed fists.

“Tiger Punch!” Kiba Ranger shouted as the zord copied his movements.

“Tiger Kick!”

“Finish her Kou!” Byakou yelled.

He nodded and inserted a crystal sphere into his forward console. “White Tiger Fire Bolt!”

The monster was hit by the thunder bolt and fell to the ground.

“That’ll teach you!” Kiba Ranger yelled.

“I’m not through yet you little whelp,” the monster said as she projected her two sisters again.

They cut into the Tiger and then blasted it causing Kiba Ranger to fall out and land on the ground as he demorphed.

“That didn’t go very well did it,” Byakou said.

“You don’t have to tell me twice,” Kou said.

He stood to see Akomaru ride up to him on his chariot with another chariot behind him.

“Akomaru…” he said.

“I have a present for you,” Akomaru said as he unveiled Kou’s mother. “Perhaps you know her.”

“Mother…mother!” he ran towards her.

“Kou!” she called.

Akomaru stepped in the way. “Back!” Kou was pushed back by a ki blast from Akomaru.

Akomaru kneeled down to him.

“I’ll give her back to you if you join me. The two of us can kill Shadam, the emperor…Then we will rule.”

Kou’s mother screamed as she shook her head.

“Go to hell!” Kou yelled as he pushed Akomaru away and grabbed his mothers chariot and started to run with it.

Capatros grabbed him.

“Be that way,” Akomaru said as he fired an energy blast that carried the mom through the skies, away from her son.

“Mother!” Kou yelled as he followed her.

He followed her out by the mountains but by then it was too late. She was gone.

He turned around. “Akomaru!” he grabbed him by the collar. “Bring her back!” He punched him in the face.

***

The White Tiger rose from the ground in his four-legged form as the three sisters walked towards him. The White Tiger started to run towards the monsters as Red Dragon leapt down from the Thunderzord Chariot and rode the White Tiger into battle.

They lanced the villains away as monsters fell and started an avalanche near Kou and Akomaru who both leapt out of the way but Akomaru was crushed as he screamed.

“Akomaru!” Kou yelled as he ran to his side.

“Kou…” he said.

“My mother,” Kou said. “Where is she?” he tried to move the stone off him but couldn’t.

“You idiot,” he said. “Why do you care..she abandoned you…just as my mother abandoned me.”

“No,” Kou said. “She…” He was silent.

“Admit it,” Akomaru said. “We’re more the same than you’ll admit, Kiba Ranger.”

“No,” Kou said.

“Yes…more than you know,” Akomaru rolled his eyes back and died.

“Akomaru!” Kou shouted. He started to cry.

“Kou,” Byakou said. “The Rangers need your help.”

Kou wiped his tears away and nodded as he rose. “Kiryoku transform, Kiba Power!”

“White Tiger!” he called as the White Tiger knocked Red Dragon off him and ran towards Kiba Ranger.

“Kou,” Byakou said. “Your zord can combine with the four other Kidenjuu to create the MegaTigerzord, Kiba Daiou!!”

“Kiba fusion!”

The four Rangers joined him in his cockpit. “Kiba Daiou!”

The monsters fired at the megazord as he walked through it.

“Grand Phoenix Crash!” the Rangers shouted as the phoenix blade energized and shot through the three monsters, piercing them and causing them to explode.

Red Dragon walked over to them.

“Kiba Daiou,” Dragon Ranger said. “Good work.”

They nodded.

***

Kou stood by the ocean pier quietly for a while, thinking of his mother.

“Mother!” he yelled as he ran onto a pier and then stood quietly. Tears started to stream down his cheeks.

---TO BE CONTINUED...CHAPTER 10