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Chapter 03: Shinobi in the Wind

  Bianca hurried into Quarks to meet her friends after school. For once they weren't required to go train with Dex immediately, yet she was running late. They'd agreed to meet at Quarks, have a snack, and do homework together. "Sorry. I'm late. Madame Hayes wanted to see me after last period," she explained.

  They all sat at a semi-circular booth. Brenden on one end, Van on the other with Galen and Misty between them. Books, food, and smoothies littered the table. Bianca scooted Van over and sat down.

  "No problem. We ordered your faves," Misty said and handed over a plate containing two small veggie burritos. Bianca wasn't a fad-following Hollywood vegan or anything. She believed in protein, but honestly, Aunt Frizz's veggie burritos were to die for. One of the waitresses brought her a vanilla smoothie.

  "Madame Hayes? The drama tea--er, professor?" Galen asked.

  Bianca nodded. "He wants me to join the department and headline his production of Sleeping Beauty," she explained.

  "I thought you were on a break from acting," Misty said. "What did you tell him?"

  "Only if I get to be the prince," Bianca said. "It's Sleeping Beauty, right? Aside from a little bit at the beginning, the princess is asleep while the prince goes on an adventure to wake her up, depending on which version. If I were to do it, that'd be my requirement. Well, Madame Hayes flipped out and went into what I can only describe as conniptions of pure joy," she said.

  "Now he wants the princess and the evil fairy to be played by guys. So, I volunteered Van as the princess," she said.

  Van, who'd only been half listening while he was eating, and reading a passage from his geography textbook, nearly choked. "You what?"

  Bianca grabbed his face with one hand and smooshed it. "Look at this face. It's perfect for a sleeping beauty. Right?" she asked the others. There was a general agreement.

  Van pulled his face away from her. "So much for keeping my head down," he grumbled.

  "Exactly. It's school. Don't just keep your head down. Do things and make new friends. Not just us," Bianca said.

  "When it comes to friends, quality should trump quantity," Van retorted.

  "Fine. Make new acquaintances then. Since you've been in school, how many other people have you spoken with? Not counting teachers," she demanded.

  Van didn't have an answer for that. He grumpily took another drink of a his fire-apple smoothie.

  "I also recommended the evil fairy for Galen, but Madame Hayes says he wants an open audition for her and the other few characters once he finishes the script," Bianca said.

  "Sweet. So there's a chance," Galen said.

  "We should get to work on out homework before we head out to Dex's," Brenden stated before Bianca could start recommending parts for him. Misty was equally as enthusiastic about doing their homework.

  Bianca let them have their way. There was still plenty of time to pester them about joining the production.

  *****

  Later when they arrive at the Ro house, it was deserted, but they could hear voices and laughter nearby. In a field not far away where they often trained, the two children were flying around on swords while Mai Li and Dex supervised. Milo rode his like a skate board, while Miru was perched on hers side-saddle and holding it like a witch's broom.

  "Whoa. That looks like fun," Galen commented.

  "It takes a lot of concentration to control the wind mode of the Storm Star to remain airborne," Dex stated.

  When she went too high, Miru started giggling, and lost her concentration and dropped. Dex seemed to flicker and appeared under her to catch her in his arms. He sat her down. He gestured for Milo to come to a halt as well.

  "We're getting a new Star?" Van asked eagerly.

  "I actually debated whether or not to give it to you yet. You're all still beginning to learn to control the Elemental Star," Dex said.

  "In elemental ninja arts, Thunder and Wind are two of the most powerful schools. For different reasons. Lightning is one of the most powerful forces in the world. To harness such a thing, a Thunder ninja must never let their concentration waver when using these techniques. Wind on the other hand is the most nuanced, most dynamic, most difficult to master. A Wind Master can live their entire lives learning and never claim to know every technique that can be utilized," Mai Li explained to them. "Using the Stars are a shortcut, but never think you've mastered anything," she warned them and handed out the Stars.

  "That's why we are starting simply. You'll notice there are two modes; Wind and Thunder. You are not to touch the Thunder Mode yet," Dex warned them. "You've all been working hard and I thought we'd have a bit of fun today and do some sword riding," he said.

  "All right!" Galen said.

  "I'm not entirely sure about this whole prospect," Misty said warily.

  "You've never wanted to fly?" Bianca asked her.

  "That's what nice, safe airplanes are for," Misty answered.

  "It's not exactly flying. Just sort of gliding," Van guessed, looking at the Star.

  "Well, let's try it out," Brenden suggested. He drew his Blade and placed the Storm Star on it. "Wind Technique!" he said locking it into place. He held out the Blade and when he was sure he was in control, he let go of the hilt. The Blade floated to about a foot off the ground and he jumped onto the blade.

  He wobbled but didn't lose it. He gave a sigh of relief that for once he managed not to look like an idiot. His friends clapped for him. Locomoting was a bit trickier, but he managed to get the hang of it fairly quickly.

  The others decided to give it a try. Misty felt the safer option was to sit and grasp the hilt like Miru had been doing. Soon they were all zooming around on their Blades. Even if it wasn't training as heavily as usual, they were still learning important skills.

  *****

  Gennus grumbled to himself when he realized his little brother was missing. Ryzo was always a hothead. Who knew what kind of trouble he'd get into without supervision. "Has anyone seen Ryzo?" he demanded of the family at large.

  Gumi flattened its furry ears and snarled, "I was enjoying the peace and quiet." Although, quiet was relative as it's foxy fingers were currently playing a handheld video game.

  "Not me, punkin'," Aradne declared with a shake of her head. She'd been reclining with her feet up to help the swelling in her ankles go down.

  Juno scoffed. "Who really cares? He's a big boy," she pointed out. She wasn't overly concerned about her little brother. He was a pain in the neck on the best of days.

  Gennus shook his head. "He'll make trouble. We should take advantage of it if he does," he said. "Take the pet and gather some fear," he told her.

  Barely suppressing an eyeroll, Juno gave a slight bow. "Aye, m'laird," she said. "C'mon, furball, you heard the laird," she said and gestured sharply for the fox demon to follow her.

  The creature gave another snarl of annoyance. "I'm almost at the boss level," it complained..

  Juno scoffed. "Where'd you even get that annoying thing?" she demanded.

  "Oh! I'll play for you!" Aradne volunteered eagerly.

  The fox demon saved the game's progress and slipped into one of the inner pockets of the vest it wore. It skulked out of the mines. Juno smiled smugly in response to the dark haired woman's pout. She left the couple to themselves.

  "I don't think your sister likes me," Aradne said.

  Gennus scoffed. "Ignore her. She doesn't like anyone. However, she's family and we share the same goals," he declared loftily.

  Aradne hesitated a moment. "Doesn't a portion of the Clan disagree with this decision?" she asked. She immediately regretted it.

  Gennus turned purple with rage. " I AM LAIRD!" he roared. "The Clan is not a democracy!" He declared. "My son will the next Laird!" His tirade didn't seem directed at her, and his last explosion piqued her interest.

  "Of course, honey bun. Who else would the next laird be if not the son of the current laird?" she asked and rubbed her baby bump tenderly.

  He snarled. "I know you're new to the Clan and don't know how things work. We're family but we can also be bitter enemies. The next laird can sometimes be the eldest son of the next generation. Some of the elders have been whispering a name," he literally spat after saying so. "Out of their bloody minds!" he shouted.

  She scrunched up her face in thought. "Was he at the wedding?" she asked. The marriage of the Laird had been an important affair and practically every member of the Clan had been there.

  He scoffed again. "No other members of the Clan has even seen the boy since he was fourteen. He's the son of one of my sisters and an outsider who tried twice and failed to conquer this puny misbegotten planet." he said, disgusted.

  "Which sister?"

  He clenched his teeth. "I'm not worried about this. Once the power of Gengetsu Kibaoni is mine and our son's, there will never again be anyone to question our right to rule not only the Strange Clan, but the whole galaxy!" he declared.

  She smiled and patted her belly. "Hear that, sweet pea? You're not even here yet and your Papa is already doing so much for your future," she cooed. Gennus smiled and went to her. He sat and began to rub her feet as he waited for the fear to come trickling in.

  *****

  After a long Saturday, the teens split up and the left the Ro homestead. Bianca caught up with Brenden by himself. "Hey," she greeted with a smile.

  He smiled back. "Hey."

  She linked her hands behind her back and turned, walking backwards in front of him. "So, like, I know how hectic things have been, what with school, ninja stuff, evil monsters, and the like, so we haven't really had a chance to talk since that party the other day...but I'm starting to get the impression you're avoiding being alone with me," she said. She held up her hands. "I'm not trying to say anything bad, I mean. Just because two people have a moment and kiss doesn't automatically mean--"

  Brenden cleared his throat, and she stumbled to a stop, verbally and physically. He reached out to steady her, pulling her close to him in doing so. She blinked and stared up at him. "I just wanted to clear the air," she finally said and stepped back. She was trying to not blush, and probably failing miserably.

  Brenden nodded. "I was slightly avoiding you," he said. "I kinda feel like I should apologize, but I don't want to," he said. "Since I wasn't sure what to do...I avoided it. Not cool, I know," he said sheepishly, looking around everywhere but at her.

  She smiled widely and gave something a relieved laugh. "Like I said; Two people had a moment. It was a good moment, don't you think?" she said. She faced forward again and linked her arm with his.

  She snickered. "Why? You jealous?" she asked.

  "A bit," he confirmed.

  She was quiet a moment. Then finally, she took on a serious tone. "First of all. It's Van. He's like the little brother I never knew I wanted. Second, of all, it's a peck at most. It's a school play. And the final, most important thing is that I am an actress. I'm taking a break, but I intend to start auditioning again soon. There will doubtlessly be roles with kissing. If that's not something you can handle, then we may as well stop here and just be friends," she said.

  "Never said I couldn't handle it. Just a bit jealous," he said.

  She nodded. "I can live with a bit jealous. I think complete apathy would bother me more," she admitted. She cleared her throat. "Ah, I feel awkward now. Can we go do something? Is there a place in town to roller blade? Can you roller blade? Let's do something fun," she said, rambling a bit.

  Brenden couldn't help smiling again. At least the air was clear now. "Like a date?" he teased a bit. "Roller blading sounds good. I know the perfect place," he said. He shifted his arm until he could link their hands. She couldn't stop the smile that spread over her face again.

  *****

  Gumi picked a bit of meat out of its teeth with a claw-tipped finger. Juno made a disgusted face at the creature. If they didn't need the mangy thing, she'd have a brand-new fox-fur stole by now. The demon flicked the piece of meat away. It noticed Juno's look and bared its teeth in a simile of a smile.

  Juno made a sound. "Do your job, fleabag," she ordered. She held up two fingers and a slip of paper appeared between them. She began chanting under her breath.

  Gumi licked its teeth and made an annoyed sound. It readied the Hammer and together they created a summoning star. Juno tossed the star. The star whipped through trees, a lamp post, a mail-box, a parked car until it found a home in the Ironside skate park. It landed on a broken pair of in-line roller-blades.

  "Object devoid of will of your own, let the Youkaiza give you purpose," Juno incantated.

  *****

  Bianca and Brenden arrived at the skate park and rented a pair of roller-blades each from the vender. Although there were any number of places set up for trick skating, with blades or boards, they decided to stick to the circular course where you can just skate. It allowed them to skate side by side for the most part. After awhile, they skated over to a concession stand and bought something to drink and snack on.

  They sat at a umbrella shaded table. Bianca was picking at a fluffy white cloud of cotton candy. Brenden watched her quietly. "You're staring at me," she said. She pinched off a bit of the cloud and held it out to him.

  He smiled. "I was just enjoying watching you enjoy yourself," he said and leaned forward and ate the proffered treat.

  She gaped at him and then giggled. "Good line, Grayson," she said. He smiled sheepishly.

  "That's so cute it's disgusting!" A flamboyant, roller blade schemed youkaiza with rings sticking out of his face rolled past them on in-line wheels. As he glided past his put two fingers on each hand up. Other people noticed him and reacted as planned, with fear and panic.

  "Youkaiza!" the teens stood.

  The youkaiza twirled on his wheels. "The name is Spinferno and don't you forget it," he said, briefly made finger guns, and began skating away.

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  Brenden triple-tapped the back of his hand. "We have a bogey," he said as he and Bianca skated after the youkaiza. Spinferno sped away from them. He crashed into a cart selling balloons. He quickly righted himself and skated away off. He grabbed at a child, but Bianca managed to get between them, shielding the kid behind her.

  "Erk! That's a no-no," There was an awkward moment when the youkaiza suddenly stopped himself just short of grabbing at her chest. She gasped and kicked him in the face, knocking him backwards. He flipped midair and landed on this wheels with a flourish.

  Brenden skated to a stop beside her. The others appeared behind them in their black garb. "Let's go!" he said. They each spun out their Power Stars. "Shinobi Start!"

  "Ninja Fury Power!" Stars flews around the teens and formed power suits, weapons, and helmets.

  Spinferno slid back. "You guys were Power Rangers? In that case," he flicked his arms forward, "get them!" he cried as onizaks began to appear.

  The Rangers jumped into action. Red kicked at the onizaks and turned flips, slashing with his Star Blade. Blue jumped into a group and slashed at them. One tried to grab his blade but he kicked it in the chest and slashed him. They decided to go for the youkaiza.

  Yellow bounced on top of a couple of spear wielding onizaks, and kicked another in the face before flipping backwards. He landed and slashed with his Blade. White blocked the attacks of several spearmen with Pink backing her up. Pink bonked one on the head with the flat of her Blade. "This may be the wrong timing," she started, taking a minute to duck under a spear swing and slash at its tender underbelly, "but were you guys on a date?"

  White turned a one handed flip to kick an onizak and slash at another before settling on her feet. She tilted her head. "You're right. Wrong timing," she said, which in itself was answer enough for the other girl.

  Red ran at the youkaiza, jumped and bounced off a wall to give himself momentum, and slashed, but the monster spun on his wheels out of the way. He skated way, but had to quickly pivot again when Blue jumped down from and overhang and slashed at him. Blue and Red converged on him, but he proved too quick on his wheels. He just managed to duck or dodge, finally grabbing the blades, spinning around, throwing the boys off-balance.

  "Better luck next time!" he called as he skated away from them.

  White saw him on the move, and made an attempt to get in front of him and slash with her Blade. He ducked under in just the nick of time and knocked into her legs on the way past. She fell against a wall with a grunt as he got away.

  The other ran to where she was rubbing her leg and grumbling. They powered down to their ninja forms. "Are you okay?" Brenden asked Bianca.

  She managed a weak smile. "Fine but a bit embarrassed that he managed to get passed me," she complained.

  "Let's split up and look for him. He can't have gone too far. He's not that fast," Brenden said. The others agreed. They took on in different directions.

  Bianca ran a ways, then took a beat to think. Where was the nearest place to the skate park to terrify a few more people? Unfortunately she didn't know the city well enough. Screams and people running caught her attention. She nodded to herself and began running in that direction.

  She found the monster skating around and showboating. "Found you," she said. "I have eyes on the target," she said into her communicator. She began running, and spun her Power Star as she went. "Ninja Fury Power!" She morphed as she ran. She jumped kicked him in the back. He fell forward and she rolled her feet.

  He shook himself as he got to his feet. "Ha, lucky shot," he said, rotating his neck. "Oh, all alone?" he asked with a laugh.

  "Never," White said.

  "How about a race? Mano y...er..not mano?" he suggested.

  "Sounds to me like you're a bit afraid of my friends catching up," she taunted.

  "You got it, baby," he said with a sniff and began skating away.

  "Shoot," she grumbled. She spun out her Storm Star and attached it to her Star Blade. "Wind Technique!" She locked the Star into place and hopped on the Blade and took off after the youkaiza.

  They traveled through a forest path. Whenever he noticed her gaining on him, he sped up even more. There was a sharp turn and she lost sight of him for the briefest moment. She hopped off her Blade in the middle of a semi-active excavation site. She looked around. "I know he's here somewhere," she mumbled.

  Spinferno slid up behind her and knocked her forward. "You is right," he said with a laugh. While she was sprawled on the ground, he turned around and produced a ring. There was a dump truck coming their way. He held up a hand and the truck stopped.

  A decent looking, early middle-aged black man honked his horn. "Hey!" he shouted out the window. The Youkaiza laughed and tossed the ring at the truck. There was a flash of flames and the truck was enveloped as the ring took control of it. The blast trapped the driver inside even as the truck began speeding forward toward the Ranger who was now her feet.

  The truck came right at her despite the driver's best efforts to turn the wheel or stomp the breaks. She began running. "Guys, could really use the help," she said into her communicator. The truck continued to come at her, no matter which way she turned or how fast she ran. She suddenly stopped and threw something on the ground.

  The truck ran over a straw figure dressed in white as she hid behind a dumpster. She blew out a breath. But her relief was short lived as the truck came rumbling toward her hiding spot. She rolled out of the way as the truck hit the dumpster. The impact caused the driver to hit his head on the steering wheel and fall unconscious.

  She could hear the monster laughing as she ran. "How about a choice, Ranger? Me or that guy?" he taunted.

  The truck stopped chasing her and veered off. Van, Galen, and Misty appeared on the scene. "Sorry, Onizaks kept appearing randomly," Van explained.

  "Hey, that's my dad's truck!" Galen cried.

  "Get him! I'll get the truck!" White shouted. She held up her Blade and locked the Storm Star into place. "Wind Technique!" she called and jumped on her Blade and began to chase after the truck.

  "Hey, guys. Can we like, talk this out?" Spinferno asked the new rangers.

  "Not a chance," Galen said and spun out his Power Star. Van and Misty did the same. "Shinobi Start!"

  "Ninja Fury Power!"

  They morphed as they ran toward him. Blue slashed him on the way by. Yellow and Pink slashed him on either side. He knocked Yellow aside and grabbed at Pink. She kicked high kicked him in the face and twirled out of the way. Yellow jumped in and slashed him. Blue rolled up and slashed as well. The youkaiza fell back and rolled.

  Blue attached the Storm Star to his Blade. "Wind Technique!" He locked the star into place and began spinning. Blue energy surrounded him as he moved like a spinning top and bashed into the youkaiza from all sides before spinning off and stopping, though he still stumbled around dizzily. "Whoo, Mai-Li is right. I need to work on control," he said as Spinferno went crashing into the ground.

  "Little bit," Pink agreed, holding her thumb and index finger a space apart. Yellow steadied his teammate. They stiffened when a new figure walked past the prone youkiza. A muscled guy with a shock of white blond hair wearing a horned mask stood before them. He wore an ornate vest that fell open, paggy pants, and red boots. He carried two swords at his side.

  Spinferno bounced to his feet. "Ha! You guys are in for it now that Lord Ryzo is here," he taunted from behind the big guy.

  Ryzo let out a harsh breath. Piercing blue eyes could be seen from behind the horned mask. "I am so sick Juno's beasts," he growled. He drew one of his swords. He spun, arcs of blue energy following him as he slashed the youkaiza. He faced the Rangers once more as it exploded behind him.

  "Who is this guy?" Blue wondered.

  The only answer he received was the warrior using his sword to throw energy at them. It knocked them off their feet and disengaged their morphs.

  "Is that all you can muster? This is so boring," Ryzo complained. He threw another blue arc of energy at them. Brenden ran in and held his Blade up like a shield. "Metal Technique!" and indeed a shield did form between them and the blow. "Sorry, I'm late," he said.

  "Onizaks. We get it," Van said.

  "Huh, looks like onna you punks have some fight in ya," Ryzo declared.

  "Where's Bianca?" Brenden asked.

  "Oh, crap. Dad!" Galen said and scrambled to his feet.

  "Go! I'll keep this guy busy," Brenden told them.

  "You sure? He's strong," Van said.

  "Go," Brenden stated.

  Van nodded. He, Misty, and Galen began running in the direction the truck disappeared.

  Ryzo grinned under his mask. "You think you got what it takes to fight me, boy?"

  Brenden spun out his Power Star. "Ninja Fury Power!" He ran forward as he morphed. He slashed at Ryzo, but the warrior deflected. He passed him up and turned, running at him again, Ryzo running at him as well.

  *****

  White Shinobi finally caught up with the truck. She jumped off the Blade, grabbing the hilt on the way down. She ran along the edge of the trailer and jumped on the cab. Up ahead she could see a sheer drop off as they headed for an open ravine or small canyon of some sort.

  "Okay, Mr. Kulbart, we need to get you out of here ASAP," she said, crouching. She checked the windows carefully on each side, but they were both rolled up. She tried to use the hilt of her blade to knock the passenger side window out, but it was deflected. She tried the windshield, but it didn't work either.

  The edge was coming ever closer and she gritted her teeth. She put her Star to her Blade and spun it. "Ninja Fury Power!" she called. The Star spun, shooting off white energy that enveloped the Blade. She planted her feet and plunged the Blade into the roof of the cab, the sound of metal wrenching hurt her ears, but she finally managed to cut a hole in the roof and slipped through it.

  Once inside she was able to kick at the driver side door, but the edge was creeping up faster than ever. Finally the door kicked away. She freed the driver from hid seatbelt and jumped out.

  "Wind Technique!"

  A funnel of yellow wind caught them up. It not only eased their fall but made sure they didn't go over the cliff with the truck. They landed with a thud. She let out a long breath and fell backward. "I really hope your dad's company has insurance," she said to the Yellow Ranger as he, Pink, and Blue approached her.

  He gave a relieved laugh and checked on the driver who was starting to come around.

  *****

  Red Shinobi held his own against Ryzo, but found himself retreating further and further into the forests around them. He was overmatched and he knew it, but he couldn't give up. He slashed at the warrior again, but Ryzo dodged and kicked him in the chest. He fell backward. When he tried to get up, Ryzo planted a foot on his chest.

  Ryzo snorted. "Tch," he spat. "You ain't no thing, boy," he said derisively.

  Red grunted. "Never said I was," he said. He pressed a button on his blade. Smoke replaced him with a straw dummy dressed in red. He tried to attack again, but Ryzo kicked the dummy at him. He slashed through it, but Ryzo slashed him. He went flying back and crashed into the ground again.

  "This is getting boring," he declared. "But, I have to say, you got spirit, boy," he added.

  Red grunted and propped himself up. "I'm a Power Ranger," he said and got to his feet. "It's kinda our thing." He took a deep breath, let it out slowly, then another. He spun the Power Star on his Blade. "Ninja Fury Power!" Red energy spun out from the star, engulfed the Blade and him. He short forward, slashed just in front of Ryzo's feet, making the warrior jump back. When the man looked again, the Ranger was gone. "Ninja Flash!" Then, he fell from the sky. Ryzo barely managed to get his sword up.

  The blades met. Ryzo and Red both strained. Red pushed forward, and continued his downward slash. A red line of energy was left in his wake. Ryzo crackled and red electricity sparked around him as Red stood up from the crouch he'd landed in. He was breathing hard, holding his sword low.

  Ryzo had a black soot mark across his chest, and it was smoking. He began laughing, making Red very nervous. "Now, that was a move, boy!" he praised. He tilted his neck back and forth, cracking it audibly. "Now we can really fight!"

  "What!"

  Ryzo laughed again. The eyeholes of his mask began glowing, and dark energy surrounded him. Red stepped back as he could feel the power from the other man.

  "Water Technique!" A thick fog suddenly surrounded them. Red was startled to see Dex beside him holding a Star Blade. He was also relieved.

  "Trying to run, boy?" Ryzo demanded, waving his hands, trying to see through the fog.

  "Let's go," Dex said to Red.

  "Is it okay to just leave him?" Red asked.

  Dex nodded. "That's Ryzo Strange. He's a hot head that likes to fight. The only thing redeeming about that is, he prefers his opponents to be strong. He won't bother civilians. If you aren't here to engage him, he'll go away," he said.

  "You're right about that," Ryzo called through the mist. "I got me eye on you, boy. I expect you to be stronger next time we meet!"

  "Let's go. This isn't over yet," Dex said. He and Red Shinobi retreated without responding to Ryzo's challenge.

  "Hey, y'hear me? Hey!" Ryzo demanded. "Boy!" the fog began to dissipate and he discovered he was alone. He grumbled and rubbed the soot off his chest. He suddenly felt hungry and decided to go home.

  *****

  Juno was so mad at her brother was messing things up with her youkaiza and that there was a happy ending. "Can I finish my game now?" Gumi demanded.

  Juno glared at her, her eyes burned wildly. She clapped her hands together and a large piece of paper appeared between her fingers. "Prepare the Mallet," she commanded and began chanting. The paper ignited in a dark flare.

  Gumi put a star on the Hammer and twisted it. The creature hit the dark flame. A dark cloud spun in the sky and from it piles of demonic bones and skulls spilled out, creating a humongous humanoid-ish/lizardish thing with a sword. "Onigaiju!" Juno crowed triumphantly.

  *****

  The Rangers met up while the foursome where looking for Red. "Are you okay?" Red and White asked each other at the same time. They nodded, feeling slightly sheepish.

  "How's your dad?" Red asked Yellow.

  "Mai-Li is taking care of it," Yellow answered.

  "What is that?" Pink pointed up at the vortex vomiting bones to make the Onigaiju.

  "Something to take care of," Red said grimly. "Everyone ready?" he asked. They agreed. "Zord time!" They put their Zord Stars on their Blades and spun them.

  "Hidden Shinobi Zord!"

  "Hidden Wolf Zord!"

  "Hidden Dragon Zord!"

  "Hidden Express Zord!"

  "Hidden Dumper Zord!"

  Red gave his Star another spin. "Shinobi Star Megazord!"

  The Zords came together and created a Megazord. The Rangers appeared in a shared cockpit where they all stood in front of podiums that they inserted their swords into. "Let's Dundee this crocodile," White said.

  The Megazord moved forward, slashing the Onigaiju with the Drago Sword. It let out a shriek and slashed back. The Megazord brought the Sword up. They strained against each other. The Megazord swung the Drago Shield and bashed into the creature.

  "Let's finish it!" Red stated.

  "Right!" the others agreed. They drew their Blades. "Splendid Slash!"

  The Drago Blade began to glow. The Rangers slashed their Blades. The Megazord slashed the monster with an explosion of multiple colors as it slid by him. It came to a stop as he exploded behind him, nothing left of the creature.

  *****

  Juno stormed into the hideout and jumped on Ryzo's back while he was eating a meaty leg of some animal. She grabbed at his hair. "Who gave you permission to destroy my youkiaza?" she screamed shrilly.

  Gumi slid under the fighting siblings and grabbed the animal leg. It slunk off to a quiet corner to eat its pilfered meal and finish it's game.

  Aradne watched with wide eyes but Gennus rubbed his forehead. "Enough!" he finally roared. Juno and Ryzo broke apart, but glared daggers at each other. "We got almost half of the second bowl," he said calmly. "Watch yourself in the future, Ryzo," he warned.

  Ryzo grumbled and bent to scoop up his food, only to find it gone. Juno smirked and stormed off.

  Gennus sat down with his wife and pampered her for a bit, ignoring his tiresome family. There was time to do away with those irritating Power Rangers.

  ******

  Brenden and Bianca held hands on the way to Quarks. They'd returned their rented skates, some of the few people that had done so. "Are you sure you're okay? You look pale," she told him.

  He gave a weak smile. "That Ryzo guy is tough, but I'm okay," he assured her. "Some food will do me good," he assured her.

  "One of Van's fire-apple smoothies?" she suggested teasingly.

  He laughed. "No thanks. I can't even imagine what one of those things has in it to actually feed him," he said. She giggled. "What about you? You saved Galen's dad," he said.

  She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "Just what I needed to do, but we'd have been out of luck if Van hadn't magicked everyone to where we were," she said, her voice slightly shaky now. She'd had nerves of steel before, but now she felt kind of deflated.

  Brenden looked around a moment. He tugged her behind the dumpster beside Quarks. He let go of her hand and wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her close to him. She sighed and snuggled close to him. That felt nice. She wasn't sure how long they stayed like that, but she didn't care.

  *****

  Leaving her two rapscallions playing ninjutsu hide and seek, Mai-Li found her husband in the workshop. "Brenden really faced down one of the Strange Clan?" she asked.

  He nodded as he looked over some schematics. He sat them aside and she hopped into his lap, draping an arm around his shoulders. "How bad was it that you had to intervene?" she asked.

  "Pretty bad. I only intervened to run away. That mask he wears is a powerful artifact. I can't even begin to imagine its origins. If I'd have tried to fight him, well..." he trailed off, shaking his head. "Without a power suit as protection I wouldn't have stood a chance. Imagine, Gennus is even stronger than Ryzo," he said heavily.

  She looked at his face a long moment. "You're worried about the kids," she said.

  He gave a slight smile. "A bit, but I have faith in them. The one that actually worries me most is the fox demon who uses the Hammer. Something about it tells me it could be more dangerous than Gennus," he said.

  Mai-Li nodded. "We weren't much older than them when we tackled Youkai Mountain. Have faith. They'll get better with training. I think we have a great little group. I think when all is said and done, they'll be even better than we were," she said.

  Dex raid a brow. "That's a high bar," he declared.

  "Very," she agreed. She kissed his cheek. "It's your turn to cook supper. I'm going to play hide and seek," she said, and hopped to her feet and went to play with her kids. Dex watched her go. He had to admit, he agreed with her. These kids had untold potential. They'd need every bit of it before this was over.

  *****

  End 03

  *****

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