Quests 11-20

To Toie's Episode 1 page

Quest 1
獅子、吼える！！
Shishi, Hoeru!!
The Lion Roars!

A whirling red and white baton. There is a man blowing fire for a crowd of excited people. There is a woman juggling red and white batons. There is an elephant with a mahout in white on its back. The crowd is happy and laughing in joy. And the Narrator says gently, "Everyone, do you think this peaceful day will go on forever?" The slightly damp cement parking lot, and a swing up into the sky. And then there is something tumbling down from the sky. "In this 21st Century among the stars, wickedness was born while you were unaware." The tumbling form unfurls as it hits the glass of a tall building, shattering it and frightening a couple eating dinner at the restaurant inside. It slashes them away then hurtles up the side of the building, to alight atop, where a girl in white armor fights it. She is swift and deadly, but his armor is strong. He knocks her away and takes a flying leap to escape. He lands on the next building down and turns to laugh at her, only he is attacked, his feet tripped up by a man in black who grabs his face and bashes him into a wall. The man tosses him over the edge of the building and he lands atop a bunch of cardboard boxes. Then a man in blue comes flying out of the green water beyond and yanks him down into the wet, bashing and slashing him. He manages to use his turbines to push the boy away, but as soon as he gets into the air he is grabbed by a man in yellow who rockets him into a wall, and then he is facing the four of them. White prevents him from stomping yellow. Blue and black are driven back by electricity, then the other two, for a second monster has arrived. He welcomes the assist. And they attack, and the explosion takes out the top of the building and sends debris raining down on the crowds below. People scream and run.

Down below, the frightened elephant knocks over things, and the crowd runs from it as it trumpets. The mahout stays near, trying to soothe it. The police come to try to stop it, terrified, "It's dangerous, shoot the elephant!" and are about to do so when a young man leaps between them, begging them to hold off. "Don't shoot him! I can stop him!" The head-cop lowers his weapon, not reassured and says urgently, "Don't be a fool!" but the young man only whirls about, keeping his body as wide as possible. "I'm a veterinarian!" he tells them.

He dances a few steps closer and says with warm playfullness, "Hey, what's the matter? Talk to me." Then he closes his eyes and stands still. Somehow, silence decends but the elephant trumpets and comes to him. They think he will be stomped, but it calms under his influence. He opens his eyes and comes to the elephant, touching its cheek and speaking soothingly, "There, there. It's all right now. You must've been very frightened.

A white cave, blue. A woman beside a pool watches as he climbs atop the elephants neck and pats it, saying "How's that? You're not scared anymore, are you?" she reaches down and dips her fingers, the image fades in a musical dance of sparkles. She smiles, satisfied.

Blue is knocked back, and then the two monsters escape in different colored clouds of smoke. Blue is back on his feet, indignant and bounds over beside black, who is slowly getting up. "How annoying! One more second and we'd've had them!" Black gets to his feet, panting. "This is the first time two Orgu came together." White comes to join them worriedly, "I think we need a fifth person, just like Tetomu said." Yellow lands from a flying leap. He is angry and grumping, "You mean we don't have enough power to defeat them by ourselves?!" for he feels his strength and knows he can do it. But then Tetomu says to them, "I've found him. The fifth Gaoranger soldier."

The next morning, under a news report broadcast on a quite large screen of a building "Last night there was a bomb accident and many people were injured...." There is a young man digging a cat out of the bushes. It meows plaintatively as he unwinds a bandage from its leg. "Oh, you're better now! It's all right," he tells it, and lets it go. When he gets up, he finds two strangers there. One is a man with frost-white hair, dressed in black with yellow trimming. He stands with arms folded across his chest and looks less than enthusiastic, and more than a little judgemental. Beside him is a lovley, young girl also in black but with white and pink trimming. She regards him with steady calm. Holding his bag, he wonders and the girl says ever so politely, "Would you come with us, please?" Before he has a chance to understand or even to ask, two men grab his arms. The one on his right, shorter with short-cropped hair has him tightly pinned and says, "Sorry about this." And the one on his left arm grins at him with more challenge than friendliness and says, "We just want to talk to you." And then the third man steps past the girl and punches him in the stomach. Blackness descends.

He wakes in a tropical forest, and thinks he must still be dreaming. Thick foliage everywhere. He gazes about in amazement. The Narrator speaks. "A turning point in life comes suddenly, in a form you least imagine. And it's happening to him, now." He stands slowly, staring. "Where am I?" The sun beams through the leaves. A cry above and some giant bird flies over. A gasp of delight, he follows it and sees at last, there is a tall, sharp mountain in the distance. "What is this place?" he delights, and with enthusiasm he heads towards it. Stopped at the edge of a lake, he hears a strange sound as the snort of a bull. With a gasp he turns and sees a gigantic bull and a tiger running towards him. They stop and gaze down at him. The bull snorts fiercely and the wind blows him over into the water. And just as suddenly, a gigantic shark leaps into the air. And then a giant bird flies down, the wake from its wings sending leaves tumbling to the ground. He gapes up in amazement. Soon he is surrounded, and then he hears a distant roar. He sees on a cliff far above and behind them a giant... "A red lion!" (see Lion King) "This is a dream!" he crows with delight. So without hesitation he heads for it past the hoof of the giant bull, which could squash him like a bug. He climbs the cliff-face, fine fingers digging into hollows and gripping at edges, sweat pouring down his face. He loses his hold and slides down a short distance before he catches another edge. And now he can see, and something suddenly rings clear. "This island is in the sky!" Above him, the lion roars again. For he is on the Sky Island, Animalium. And it is shaped like a turtle.

And the others are watching. Yellow is beginning to appreciate the man they watch more as he says in quiet surprise, "He's not frightened...." Then Tetomu tells them that this young man is their leader. Blue reacts with vehement indignation, bounding over to her. "Hey, why Tetomu! I'm stronger than he is, aren't I?" and to prove it, he bounds onto Black, who simply catches him in his arms and then has to balance against the sudden weight. Tetomu, looking stubborn, replies, "The Gaoranger selected by the Gaolion is the leader." Can't really argue with that, can you? And then the man keeps trying to climb the cliff, only small stones are falling on him. He looks up but keeps trying. The stones are because the lion is moving its feet near the edge, waiting impatiently. He is still blind to anything but the great beast's beauty and pauses to admire it. It roars, and then leaps down towards him. Startled, he releases his hold and falls. White, watching, cries out and can't bear to look (which brings the boys immediately to see what's happening). But the lion catches him and settles him safely on the grass below. When the great paw lifts and he is able to sit up, he gazes into the giant face. "Oh, man! You are so utterly COOL!" he delights. The lion bends down to look at him, purring deep in its throat. And he closes his eyes, stilling his spirit to listen. To communicate. Startled by the message he receives, he opens his eyes and gazes up again, bewildered. "Eh? You've been looking for me?" He can see himself reflected in the glowing, green eye. "What are you trying to say?" But then his reflection is gone in firm, green light. Pain stabs through his hand and he protests the burning sensation, clutching his wrist and staring at his palm. An image forms there of the lion. Light rises from it at the roar of the lion, and becomes a sphere that settles down into his palm. He stares into it, at the tiny model of the lion therein. Amazed, he asks, "What is this?" And then the lion rumbles, light rises around him and in a beam of light he falls to a stone outcrop in the city far below.

He finds himself in the strange, blue and white cave. As he gathers his feet under him, he stares about. The four people who started this journey are gathered behind him. The man in black and blue sits. The others just study him. This place is "Gao's Rock." And the man with black and little red trimming says in deep tones, in English. "Hallo." This nearly sends him jumping out of his skin. Leaping towards them, pointing, he protests, "Hey, you're the guys who di-- uh..." and he stops, puzzling over the impressions he's received and asks mostly himself, "Isn't this a dream?" And someone behind him answers. A female voice, "This is no dream." And a woman whose beauty almost leaves him speechless, as his lips part and he drinks her in. She nods to him, hands demurely in front of her. And she approaches as she tells him the story of the Gaoranger.

"I am Tetomu. I am the priestess (the word used directly means "vestal virgin") who will teach you to understand the will of the Power Animals you met. The Power Animals are the secret power that will save this planet!" and she folds her palms under her chin in religious delight. He thinks of the five giant creatures he met, but what she said still astounds him and he needs more explanation. So she indicates the others. "You will fight with these others. You are a Gaoranger." Whirling back and forth to see both her and the group, he is having trouble gripping this. "Gaoranger?!" She says firmly, "We need five Gaoranger to fight the Orgu." Too confused for words, he waves his palms anxiously, "But I don't understand a thing you're saying!" Suddenly, the scrying pool comes alive, water fountains into the air in warning. The group, yellow saying "They're coming!" in a strong, determined voice, heads to look inside. Blue grabs his arm and snaps irritably, "You look with us!" So they all look and they see the attacking Orgu. It is yellow and gray, it is the Plug one, actually. But our young man never saw it before and leaps back with a reflexive cry of alarm, "A demon!" Yellow aborts his run with a hand at his back and explains, "That's an Orgu." And Tetomu adds her own explanation, seeming saddened. "The Orgu are monsters eaten by worms. If we do not stop them, they will destroy the world. All life will be extinct." She holds herself to recover from the sadness that brings her, but the poor young man is still flummoxed. Behind him, the other girl says worriedly, "If the dam is destroyed, it will endanger the village!" which is fretting. He keeps looking back and forth around at them as Blue says firmly, "Well then we've got no more time to stand around talking, right Black?" and while their fifth is still gaping, they are ready to go. And Tetomu says, "The G-phone. The Gao-Lion's power is in here." She takes his hand and places the strange, golden thing in his keeping. He stares at it and asks in puzzlement, "What?" But time is running out. Yellow says, "All right, let's go." Black agrees, and they start tearing out around him and Tetomu. Blue sees him standing there and grabs his arm to drag him along. "Hurry up!" "W-w-wait!" he protests, but he is dragged out. Tetomu grins in delight.

A lake, a dam. And Turbine Orgu is attacking. People are fleeing and his wind attack takes them off their feet and smashes people against walls and fences. His companion, crows "You can't escape Plugma Orgu's electric bolts!" he delights and is having a grand time destroying a small building. A worker falls in the smoke, tourist race frantically across the bridge, and the group of heroes arrives amongst this terror. Blue says, "Oh, this is terrible!" in frustration. The yellow-haired man turns to the panting, confused newcomer they've brought with them. "Hey. Go," he says. Confused, the man obeys and moves to lean against the railing. For a moment, there is silence within him. It is broken by a groan of pain from an injured woman, then a man. It is the animals whose fear he feels strongly, leaning dizzedly against a rail. Monkeys and rabbits flee. Mice driven from the ground by the electricity huddle in terror. A flock of birds flies away. "Everyone's afraid."

He stares at the G-phone in his hands, remembering what Tetomu said about the Gao-Lion's power being inside. He remebmers the frightened elephant the night before. The falling debris from the building. And he sees the terrified rabbits. His attention slowly widens to include Plugma Orgu. Tetomu giving him the G-Phone. The giant red lion leaping from atop the cliff to him. And he has found his balance at last. And so he turns to them to ask tentatively, "Do I also have the power to fight them?" When they do not answer at once he says more urgently, "Please tell me!" and White answers him firmly, "Yes, you can do it." And Yellow says more reluctantly, "If Gao-Lion's eye was right. But it could be dangerous." Anxious and churning with the echoes of animals' fear, "I'm a doctor! I can't just watch when people need help!" Yellow eyes him, reading him, but Blue is beginning to smile and Black gives a slight nod of pleasure. White nods too, and she hauls out her G-Phone. "Do what we do!" she tells him firmly. He nods obediently, almost in tears. They show him how to move, to call the command to change into battle armor and call the five great beasts. "Gao Access!" he is only a beat behind them, following quickly. The G-Phones open and flare with light as they move into a second position, left arms out front. "Haa!" and he echoes. And the G-phones form first the animal shapes, then a humanoid shape echoed by their bearers. The Narrator tells us, "When the wind tells the sky what they feel, the cry of their souls. And when they wake the Power Animals, the Earth's Power and their own power comes together and the five soldiers who will save the world are born!"

Yellow calls them to go, and he and White clearly seem to be the acting leaders. Yellow starts his attack on Turbine Orgu. "I am Gao Eagle's warrior!" Kokou no Arawashi 孤高の荒鷲 (Lone Wild Eagle) and then Blue arrives with a怒涛の鮫 Dotou no Same Billowing Shark, and Black is there fighting Plugma Orgu, with Hagane no Mougyuu 鋼の猛牛 (Steel Wild Bull) White tiger comes slashing in announcing, 麗しの白虎 Uruwashi no Byakko. (Belle Tiger) Plugma is out of his league. And he is knocked over by four-footed Red, who announces himself as 灼熱の獅子 Shakunetso no Shishi (Blazing Lion). He is really starting to get nervous, as they surround him, clawing the ground, and then leap as one to claw him. But he gives them a heck of a shock. Blue and Yellow are still fighting the other, and his brother comes and attacks the pair who have him down. The group gathers and are hit by both monsters, sent flying. Red lands hard on his back, and then his badge glows. He tells the others "Listen please!" and Blue responds with annoyance, "We're fighting now!" and Yellow snaps "We don't have time to listen to you!" and leaps into a wild attack, to come up against Red's arm. Red holds him firmly and explains soothingly that Gao Lion is calling in his heart. This startles Yellow enough to stop him. When the others also pause to listen, he says gently, "Our methods are too scattered. If the five of us work together, we'll be far stronger!" They are groping with this, but then nod agreement. And they get their individual weapons out and form a weapon. The Narrator says, "If the five people's hearts are together, the power to destroy evil comes to the soldier at their center." Haja Hyakujuuken, 破邪百獣剣, the name of the mighty blade. Plugma Orgu laughs, "Such impudence!" and goes against them, only to be sliced literally in half as Red heaves back the sword and swings it to fore. He goes down and explodes. His brother cries out his name. All that remains is a pile of green goo. Red crows, "Yes, we did it!" and Blue is equally bounding to White, "We are strong!" and Red continues in English, "YES, YES, Yes!"

But Turbine is still alive, bleeding green foam as he staggers along the top of the dam. He sees two strangers ahead of him, shimmering like illusions in a heatwave. "Who?" a woman in deep blue, a man in purple and white, strange faces. They vanish. Startled, he gasps, "Those single horned people! I can feel some kind of strong power!" An instant and they reappear around him, laughing. The woman's voice is softer but the male has a wicked, mocking high tone. The woman's voice echoes like a dream as she says, "Yes, the horn is a sign of the Orgu's power." They are on opposite sides of him. "Who are you?!" And the male replies, "We are the Dukes of Orgu," says the male. And the woman replies happily, "We are the ones who obey the Orgu Master. He is the god of all Orgus." She is smiling and stroking her chests with pleasure. "How about we fight together,descend?" asks the male. They have come to recruit him.

And while our heroes search, one man mutters nervously, "I can't see anything, but I have a bad feeling..!" and suddenly behind them he rises, giant. And this is a shock to Tetomu, who cringes back from the scrying pool and paces frightened, "Oh, the Orgu has grown giant!!" she gasps. Our heroes are out of their very inexperienced league. Turbine Orgu smashes two towers with his fists and they dive for cover. Yellow gasps in horrow, "It's too big! We can't possibly defeat him!" But Red, with mad enthusiasm, leaps into attack only to get batted out of the air like a fly! The others gather around him, but he's all right and they stare up. But then the dagger glows in Red's hand, and their globes appear in their palms. Even Tetomu's crystal glows, and she smiles in peaceful relief, and tells them what to do. "The time has come! Everyone, put your globe in your blade!" They place their spheres within the place in the daggers, and they glow. Then a thin, sweet soiund reaches the floating island.

The giant beasts race, leap and fly from their places, folloing the signal, racing down to land on the ground and hurtle as a group to their companions's sides. Yellow gasps, "I can't believe they're coming for us!" Black at his side agrees. Blue adds, "They'll fight for us!" and Red announced victoriously, "Yes!" and he calls his companion's name, and the Lion leaps clawing onto Turbine. When Turbine manages to flip him away, he lands on his feet. Each other calls theirs, and each giant creature attacks. The Eagle shoots lazers from its wings. They gather atop the dam, listening to Red's voice. And at his signal, they open their mouths to send out a powerful blast that destroys the giant Turbine Orgu.

Tetomu leaps for joy, for she is as young as they are, and as relieved that they are well and have won. They stand together atop the damn, staring at the suddenly peaceful world, and crow their delight. The Narrator says, "The power of the Gao Animals and the courage of the Gaoranger together births the power to destroy evil! They do not know yet that the fight to save this blue Earth will be a long and heavy road." And Red shouts with joy in half a roar, "I have the will to do it!"

The sky-island Animalium floats, so much like a dream. "So it wasn't a dream, it's all real," comments Red in wonder. He sits atop the outcrop, gazing up at his companion and speaking to it. The Lion rumbles back at him. Down below, the other Power Animals are content beside the lake. "But... why do the Aurg do such cruel things? Is there any way we can stop them?" And his companion keeps up its part of the conversation, mostly silence and low purring.

Narrator: There is sadness and madness in this world. And the power of such can use the shapes of things to be born as Orgu. They might be born near you.

The morning sun reflects on the waters of the ocean. We come to Kuroshio City, a bay town. Something is happening, a strange, white mist speeds through the streets. Discovers a man sleeping in a taxi. Passes him by. Sees a coil of barbed wire hanging loose over metal, and spikes out a solid part to mimic the shape, intrigued. And then, pleased, it uses the hard metal with all its sharp edges as the base and soon forms a humanoid shape of it. A gray kitten, the only witness to this event, meows worriedly. With a breath of hostile menace, the creature walks towards the taxi. The driver wakes abruptly as a coil of barbed wire brushes against the window next to his face. And then he screams in terror as his taxi is suddenly entwined, and screams in agony as it is crushed around him. The cat watches from hiding, eyes wide and gives a meow. The Aurg is satisfied with his work, his hissing breathing a sound of pleasure. He moves on.

It is night at Gao's Rock. An owl sits on a branch outside and hoots. The entrance to the rock is open, stairs leading up. Silvery light pours from inside. Blue is leaned up against one of the rocks, sleepily troubled about the strangeness of what happened recently. "Weird wasn't it, Black?" he asks. The other is pacing and answers softly, "Yes, that is was. Two Aurg came. And then one became a giant. This is the first time I've ever seen such a thing." Yellow is listening where he sits nearby. He doesn't look at them as he speaks his thoughts. "What is changing the Aurg?" he wonders. They all frown and look at each other, but then White arrives and asks where Red is and what he might be doing, but Yellow has a distinct lack of interest. "He probably got scared and ran away." He turns his back and leaves the main room. White opens her mouth to argue as the other men sigh and Blue gets up. But then they hear a noise from the entrance and turn, curious.

Red has arrived and he is loaded with things. He even has a TV in his arms and a couple of bags. Startled and confused, they all gape as he manages to set the TV down and starts putting the rest of what he has down, too. "Where's my room?" he asks them breathily. Confusion making her sharp, White asks, "What is all this?" Amongst other things, he has a thermos. "It's not much, just stuff to keep me living. If I'm a Gaoranger, that means I have to live here, doesn't it?" Then he swings to face them, "Hey, I haven't heard your names, yet!" Startled, they sort of waver at him. White starts to say uncertainly, "I'm -- " when a voice interrupts. It is Yellow, of course. "If you plan on being a soldier, you have to throw away your old name. I am Gao Yellow. You are Gao Red." He tosses him a jacket much like they all wear. The back says "Blazing Lion." Under that is the image of the red lion, and below it says "Spirit of the Earth." Holding it, Red asks uncertainly, "I'm Gao Red?" and looks around at the others. "Oh, wow! This is really great!" and he dons the jacket with happy enthusiasm.

But then the TV starts working behind them. There is a report about the taxi driver crushed inside his taxi. Tetomu is staring at the screen with amazement. "This is really convenient!" she says, impressed. "It's a television..." Red starts, then trails off. Black has poked his head over and is gaping and Red soon realizes at what. "The plug!!" Tetomu has it clasped between the fingers of her right hand. Their amazement puzzles her while Red sort of staggers back. She lets the plug go and the TV, powerless, goes off. The whole team now bounds forward to gawk. Black utters a stunned, "Is it magic?!" "Incredible!" gasps Pink in delight. Still puzzled by their reaction, Tetomu coughs for seriousness. "As the Earth gets stronger, so do the Aurg. This is also Aurg work. Let's go to that city." The others are all nodding agreement and making approving sounds. Confused, Red asks, "How do we go there?" With a little smile, Tetomu turns to the strange, curving sea-foam stone behind her with its two orbs of light. She holds out her arm and the orbs glow red, then blue power pours down the stone and Gao's Rock gives a great heave. The others have already dived down to hang onto solid rock, and Red staggers as the floor moves. For Gao's Rock is a stone shaped like a turtle. And it is rising into the air. Red has found a surface to cling to as he realizes what is happening. "This mountain is floating!!"

In an innocent night city, people passing by on the streets.... But there are two beings who are not innocent. They walk down a flight of stairs hidden between two close buildings. Into the smoky underground... down and down other flights of stairs to a hidden place. The Matrix. Finally through cavernous tunnels together though the male moves ahead. A great cave full of faces carved in stone... or are they simply being formed from stone? For some have glowing eyes and smoke pours from the gaping mouths of others. Upon entering the room, the woman utters sounds of pleasure. The man cackles and bounds from stone face to stone face, to touch each covetiously. Her staff in her hands, the woman speaks her pleasure with this chamber, "It feels good when I come here, because this is where the Aurg are born!" But he bounds to her. "We don't have time to relax, Tsuetsue!" He moves anxiously to another stone. "The Lord is soon to be born!" But then one particular stone has red glowing eyes that open. For it is this stone that alerts them to young Aurg in the outside world. The male crows, "It's found another new Aurg!" The woman says smugly, "Let's get our hands on this monster before those five do!" And he agrees, "Plus, let's destroy all those giant robots!" And so, cackling, the pair plans.

The Narrator: If you saw a mountain flying in the air, that means you saw the Gaoranger on their way to fight danger.

And Gao's Rock flies to eventually settle in the woods on the outskirts of the city. Red sighs in relief and relaxes against the stone he's held himself to. But before he gets his breath back, the others race by him, Yellow the last who pauses to say something to him. He is left with Tetomu to ask questions of, and she nods to him. She tells him the Aurg are nearby. His lips tighten as he puzzles this out. He is determined.

Outside, Yellow is about to send the others off. He, Black and Blue will head off in one direction, White is to head to the waterfront. Red catches up with them at that point. He wants to know what they are doing and White explains that they have to go search for the Aurg, as always. And then, Blue explains happily, they will fight. But Red questions. Why don't they try to communicate with the Aurg, open up a dialogue. Maybe they can make peace. Yellow turns away from him with a quiet sigh and says, "It's useless to try." "Is it?" Red asks him. He thinks about that and animals, pacing thoughtfully, arms folded. They watch him with quiet patience. Finally at his question Yellow gives him a indulgent smile and pats his shoulder. "That's up to you, leader." Then to the other men, "Let's go." Blue drags Black along with them, leaving Red alone with White who protests, "Hey, wait!"

The Aurg is hunting, amuses himself at a map beside the road, carving strips in it and deciding to mark a target. There is a huge, rich house. Music from a piano threads the air. A large, black dog lies at a pool-edge. He suddenly leaps up and barks, deep alerting barks of warning. The piano player, a lovely young woman, comes to the window to investigate. But she sees nothing strange, though her dog continues the deep barking. A breeze stirs the curtains as she returns to her piano. And then a twined pair of thick strands of barbed wire comes humming across the floor, flying at her ankles. She turns in time to see it, and screams in terror as the wires wrap around her and push her body inside the grand piano, closing it over her. She is still screaming for help as the piano is thoroughly entwined and then crushed around her. The Aurg breathes heavily in pleasure. And then a wild cackle startles it and it turns to face a strange pair of beings. The purple and white dressed male creature speaks happily. "Now, that was interesting, Harigane Aurg!" he says. The startled Aurg exclaims upon their single horns, and the woman gives a partial curtsy in greeting.

On the side of the road, White leans against the guard rail as Red comes to her. "Any luck?" he asks. She hums and shakes her head. He sighs slightly. Then she starts almost timidly, "Um, Red? About Yellow. I don't want you to think he's a bad sort." He was the first of us to know about the Aurg." Startled, Red asks, "The first to know?" She nods and clarifies. "Gao Blue and I have been Gaorangers for about half a year. And Gao Black is still very new." (Which explains why Blue is dragging him around all the time) White gets up and starts down the road. Red follow her. "But Yellow was fighting, alone, he's been fighting for about a year." She passes the scratched up map and Red sees it, startled and comes to a halt. He is no longer listening to her explanation as he sees the X on one house. He races past her and she is quick to follow him with a startled cry.

The white and purple male is still talking to Harigane about his power not being enough. But they could enhance it enough for him to destroy this entire city. Intrigued, he turns to listen. "Wouldn't that be wonderful?" the stranger asks. The woman walks calmly between them, explaining about the power of their single horns. And she holds out an odd cup full of a strange, oily liquid. Harigane gasps with excitement. "We'll give this to you," she says, and holds it out. The liquid is white and red, thick as oil.

Red searches about and comes to White, where she tenderly treats the half-conscious woman's injuries. He says, "It looks like they're not here," referring to the Aurg. The piano is still laced with the barbed wire which had crushed it. She will be scarred. "Is she okay?" he asks. But White is upset very naturally. "Look what's happened to this woman! You think you can get through to that?!" He straightens up uneasily at her angry question. "I have to try to talk to them," he answers her. She regards him with some amazement. But she has experience he lacks. And he has skills she lacks.

Blue, Yellow and Red gather together and Blue frets, "They aren't anywhere." Yellow agrees and starts off again, "Then we'll keep looking." But it is Blue who causes him to stop. "Hey, he might be a good leader." Yellow stops and stares at him in dismay. Tossing something between his fingers Blue adds, "I mean, we never have tried to talk to them, have we, Black?" The other man is quite agreeable about that. They've only fought, every time. He steps closer and they watch Yellow with patient, asking eyes. Hands deep in his pockets, he says, "It'll be okay. White'll explain it." And he tries to hurry off but his steps falter and he turns to lean unhappily against a fence. "But if Red finds out that the Aurg really do have feeling..." he clenches his hands on the top of the wall, disturbed... "I think he'll only find violence in them."

Screaming, people race up stairs fleeing attack. Harigane Aurg crushes a telephone box, trapping a terrified woman inside. His wires twine around helpless stragglers and throw them to the ground in agony, bleeding. He crushes a boat and it flares into fire. He attacks a terrified vendor and smashes the man's cart. It, too, catches fire and flames go up. Harigane laughs with joy. "This is so much fun! I'm going to try out this stuff they gave me!" and he spills out the liquid here and there. And soon the liquid skips and shapes itself into a ring of gray creatures with red striping on their bodies and single, small horns in their heads. "Aurgetto! Getto getto Aurgetto!" they sing out, pounding the ground with their clubs and patting their heads behind the horns with their free hands. Delighted, Harigane sends them on the attack. They chase running people, and club anyone they catch. Cars careen out of their way and crash. Men and women fall, beaten and trampled under the Aurgettes' feet. Those lift their clubs, which prove also to be cannnons, and begin firing. A building explodes and the bursting flames send hapless civilians flying.

Red and White arrive, and Red catches one man to ask what's happpening. "Demons! They're demons!" the man cries, pointing back, and runs on. The two head that way. They reach the top of the stairs and stare at the mayhem below, not noticing the crushed telephone box. White gasps, "What is this?! This is the first time I've seen so many Aurg!" She looks up at Red with frightened eyes. Only a few people remain in reach of the Aurgettes. Red takes a few steps down and cries, "Stop, Aurg! Why are you doing this?" Harigane hears him, and yells back happily, "What's you saying? Go get them!" The two have to fight the Aurgettes. Red pins his opponent when he gets close to Harigane and cries, "Wait, please!" Intrigued by this bizarre behaviour, the Aurg pauses to listen. "I came to talk to you! What is your purpose, why are you doing this?" The Aurg shifts, puzzled by the human's strange behaviour. He seems almost mesmerized by the situation, or it is by the man he faces? The Aurgettes have cleared the area between them and stopped fighting, also intrigued and waiting upon their commander's orders. In the stillness, Red gets to his feet. He closes his eyes to listen, opening his soul. It is the birds flying nearby whose feelings reach him first. The small living things in the waters next. And yet from the strange being in front of him comes nothing.

Confused by this strange moment, worried by how her companion stands still in front of a deadly enemy, White calls out, "You're in danger!" The Aurgettes, as she approaches, stiffen and move threateningly. But still, nothing is happening. In the strangess of the situation, the civilians who were there have long since escaped. All that is left are the two Gaoranger and the Aurg creatures. And Red begins to shiver, eyes closed tight. "I can't hear you." He opens his eyes and steps back, wide-eyed in confusion and painful fear. "Doesn't this guy have any feelings?" He is childlike in his astonishment. The Aurg laughs at him and asks, "Do you know why I'm doing this?" "You just enjoy hurting people?" Red asks, trembling. He is too shaken. His voice trembles as though he will break into tears. "You just enjoy doing cruel things..?" Laughing, Harigane Aurg confirms Red's realization. He is blown away by the fact that such a creature could exist, so when it attacks he is too stunned to move, but White leaps to push him out of the path of the hurtling wires. They strike her and cut her hands and she falls with a cry of pain. Red scrambles over to her, "White! Are you all right?" he asks, scooping his arms around her shoulders. And then Harigane laughs smugly. Red reaches quickly for his G-Phone, but the wires come flying again and he is thoroughly twined, fighting to keep one from crushing his throat. Harigan throws him against a table and he lands hard, his face and neck cut, gasping in pain. He is struggling to get back to his feet as Harigane approaches, but then a chair hits it and pushes it back. Gasping, still on his stomach, he tries to get his breath back.

The other men have arrived and Yellow is fastest to Red's side to stand protectively. Black is there with him and bends to try to help Red up, "You okay?" but Yellow snarls, "Do you understand that, now?" Red wrenches free of Black's attempted help and stays down, even as Blue brings White with him, arms around her shoulders, to be with the others. Black straightens up as Red answers heartbrokenly, "All animals have feelings. But there's nothing inside that creature!" He curls up slightly, his world half-destroyed. Sounding strained, Yellow answers him, "The Aurg are different than the animals you love. We have to do everything we can to stop them." And then he bends down to stare intently into Red's eyes. "What will you do?" When Red stubbornly doesn't respond, he coils his fist in the other man's collar. "You are the leader." Red looks down, shaking. Then Black bends down to him. And so does White and then Blue. His hand clenched around his G-Phone, he cannot answer them. Impatient, Yellow snarls, "You have to decide!" Trembling, pushed by them out of his shock and horror, he stares at his G-Phone and a low snarl escapes him. "Sore shikanainoka!" And he leaps to his feet with a roar of fury as he moves into position. "Gao Access!" the others echo and follow him, and the five change into their armor.

Astonished to find himself facing this group, Harigane Aurg gapes as they announce themselves with determined poses on the staircase. And Red leads the attack. But he laughs at them. "Gaoranger?" and sends the Aurgettes to attack. This is no trouble. Yellow bashes an Aurgette into a cliff. On an ancient, traditional building White fights, deadly kicks. Black smashes Aurgettes into stone walls. Blue snatches his down into the water where he is able to kill them and swims under their corpses (looks like six or so). Red claws the ground, then slashes his to bits (dropping some with claw marks gouged deep into their faces), but then is caught again in the Harigane's wires. The Aurg tosses him aroiund, but the others arrive to help. Harigane catches them all and uses electric shocks, laughing and mocking the pain he knows they feel as they fall, But Red leads them back up to call their special weapons and smash free, then bash Harigane around a bit, before forming the weapons together as Hyaku Juu Ken to finish him off. In fizzing green foam he falls and explodes, ending as a pile of it.

A weird male voice echoes in the air, cutting off their rejoicing. "Oh, they defeated that Aurg we liked so!" And then they appear in white-red fire. The two single-horned ones. "What are you?!" demands Blue. "I am the Duke of Aurg, Yabaiba!" "I, too (am a Duke of Aurg), Tsuetsue," the woman adds, her voice cold and angry. And then she heaves her staff at them and reddish lightning surges their way to knock them about. "Tsuetsue!" Yabaiba reminds her. And she slowly whirls the end of her staff, speaking the words that will bring out the Aurg Seeds. Her command sends these strange, peanut-shaped metallic seeds flying from the end of her staff into the pile of green foam. Like beanstalks stems go whirling up and soon they form the giant shape of Harigane Aurg. He roars.

Stunned, the Gaoranger stagger back. The two Aurg Dukes laugh smugly and send their man in to attack. And so our heroes summon their Power Animals, who answer the call enthusiastically and come racing on a river of light from the island and through the sky. They thunder through the city streets. The lion chomps on the enemy's arm and is flung off. But then it gets to its feet and roars, calling its companion. Red responds. "What? Really? Everyone, listen to your Power Animals!" The four other beasts call. White gasps, "I hear them!" Astonished, Yellow adds "Believe in my heart..." and Blue gasps agreement. Black also makes an agreeing sound. Red says quickly, "Everyone bring your hearts together!" Which really means bring their daggers together and call for the "Hundred Animal Combination!"

The bison's back opens as it runs. The lion leaps onto it. Above him on his left is the tiger, on his right the shark. The eagle settles on his shoulders and they close together. Amazed by this new configuration, the humans all gasp. But then Red calls them to go in. And they leap into the air. Their bodies are pulled, one after the other, into the lion's head. (similar to how the Kakuranger's bodies were absorbed into their robots, but with a different result) For a moment, they find themselves standing on its brain, but then the configuration changes into a room. Five stands appear in front of them (like in the Time Jets) and each has an alcove in which to put their daggers. And with them there, the re-configuration continues. The bull reshapes its body to become the legs. The bird folds its wings around the lion and becomes the head. They have assumed humanoid configuration, and now our heroes place their daggers in those five alcoves. "Gaoking!" they cry.

Giant Aurg and Gaoking face each other. He attacks, but his kick does nothing. Blue calls out the Fin-blade and as they move, Gaoking's mouth opens to reveal fangs in an angry snarl and they slice the enemy. "Now!" calls Red. Gaoking leaps into the air, flips and lands to punch with both arms. ""Shark Shoot!" calls Blue. "Tiger Burn!" calls White. And last with "Animal Heart!" they fire all power and destroy this Aurg completely. All of them jump in joy and smug delight. And in Gao's Rock, Tetomu spins from the edge of the pool where she watched all this and enthusiastically cheers them.

The Dukes of Aurg return to the Matrix. Yabaiba is very angry about the Gaoranger. Tsuetsue is commisserating with him when she hears something and turns. "Look!" she says. One of the statues is glowing blue. It is a twisted, arrogant, somewhat babyish face, with a huge jaw and one short horn. As it begins to shudder and flash, Tsuetsue delights, "The lord is about to be born!" Yabaiba comes closer and gloats, "He'll help us on our road!" and laughs madly. They both laugh, and the stone begins to change, to become an organic creature. It stands and they both bow their heads to it. Three giant eyes glowing, it stands in the darkness.

Next week Quest 3: 荒鷲が消える！！ Arawashi ga Kieru!! Noble Eagle Vanishes!

Something is happening to Yellow. And Red seems to want his life back (oooh). And Yellow fights a monster alone. Tetomu in Gao's Rock looks up in dismay. For Yellow is very nearly transparent in the rock, staggering towards the exit, he falls. In a park the others race towards him. He is staring at his hand as he becomes even more transparent, then vanishes!

A great eye opens red orange in the darkness. Rasping breathing is heard and it is he who steps forward. Massive, covered in great shining eyes. His right shoulder seems to be a fanged, cyclops face. His left has three curled, vicious claws. "I am Shuten," he says in very royal terms. The other two in the strange cavern bow, nearly panting in delight and greet him. "Highness Duke Shuten!" they say together. As he steps past them, Tsue Tsue makes a quick, calm explanation about having a lot of trouble with these people called the Gao Ranger, which Yabai-ba has his own frustrations to add too. They are just starting to get rolling with their complaints, when their master waves a hand to silence them. His is a ruler's voice, deep and calm. And it is his power. They will be given the power of the Aurg Master. The head in front of him opens its mouth and a burst of fire flies out, startling the two. They ask what this power is, and he tells them not to worry. And he turns back to the mouth.

Night, the full moon over a city. And a strange mist snakes from the sky down to a store and through the windows. It coalesces above a counter and forms into a camera. The only thing obviously strange is the two little purple horns atop it. The camera warps through the glass counter and settles in an empty spot in the display case. A sale label appears beside it. Only 1,980 yen. And the Aurg who has taken this form gloats about the fun it may have.

Two young boys race to school in the morning, grinning and laughing. There is another child, who holds his broken camera and walks along unhappily. The lens is cracked, and no way could he win a the Junior Photo Contest with it. He looks at his flyer unhappily. He is mournful as he passes a camera shop. Sad as his eyes skim the price tags listing such as 30,000 yen and then his eyes light upon one saying 1,980 yen. Flabbergasted at his luck, he gawks at it. We see his sweet, happy face clearly before he races in to the shop.

Gao's Rock sits, some distance from the ferris wheel of an amusement park. And inside, Yellow reads, "If you're a Gao Ranger, these are the things you have to pay attention to..?!" and he lowers the paper to stare at Red in irritated disbelief. Red nods with bright eagerness. We see he has them lined up, and has given each of them a pamphlet. Yellow, White, Blue then Black. He says suddenly, "Black, read the first thing?" Agreeably, Black starts. "Pay strict attention to all your spinach." This startles him. Blue protests grumbling, "But I hate spinach!" White is amused and she and he start chattering, but Red scolds them for being noisy. It seems since he's the leader, he intends to have them start practicing. Something about Hou - Ren - Sou. It seems he has made a pun. He is treated to assorted expressions of incomprehension from the other four. Tetomu walks in and stops to watch the goings-on with interest. Red says, "Page two, Yellow." Yellow takes a look and his lips curl in disgust. "What?" He reads. "Number Two. Be very careful, don't operate by yourself." Red comes forward to lecture about the dangers the Aurg represent, seeming utterly blind to the increasing disgust visible on Yellow's face. At last, Yellow has had enough. He pushes the pamphlet into Red's hands and stalks away, the others staring after him in surprise. White hands off her pamplet to Red and follows, calling him.

She catches up with him outside, hurrying along a path and gets in front of him, grabbing his arms to stop him. "What are you doing, Yellow?" she protests. "Red is the leader, you have to let him be!" and he has his own indignant comment on that guy, before he shakes himself loose and stalks on. She does not pursue him this time, but calls his name in frustration.

The boy has his camera and, wandering along, comes upon a young couple huddled together and looking too romantic to pass up. He raises his new camera and takes a quick snap just as their lips touch. The man hears the snap and sees the boy. He is on his feet and utters a deep, "Hey!" to which the boy's logical response is "Uh-oh!" and he takes off. The man is both annoyed and amused. He turns back to the woman. "God, kids these days - Kaori?!" he gasps when he sees her. But what is happening to her is also happening to him, whether or not he feels it yet. They are starting to fade. He sees her fading and raises his arm to point, but then he himself becomes invisible. Soon they cannot be seen at all and they call each others' names in fear.

Yellow, running along a path near a statue, hears a woman's terrified scream and cry for help. Being himself, he immediately switches course to follow the sound. He races down the winter hill, until he reaches a park and looks about. But then a voice comes from thin air. It is a woman's voice, wild with terror. "My body! My body!" Confused, Yellow asks, "Is somebody there?" and then a footprint appears in the mud on the other side of the fence near him. He can hear them coming towards him, a man's deep voice begging for help. And then some invisible hands are grabbing at his jacket, the voices rising hysterically. He is knocked back onto some garbage and dust rises into the air. As he coughs and waves his hands to clear the air, he realizes there are two people in front of him, their bodies only vaguely visible as the dust whorls about their presence. "What happened to you?" he asks. They gape back at him and the man says, "Our bodies started to disappear after some kid took a picture of us with a weird camera!"

And White has her Gaophone open and is listening to Yellow's urgent summons. "Everyone! There's two invisible people in Chimin Park!" As he speaks, the other three join her. "Hurry up and come to Kyushu!" "What is that supposed to mean?!" she asks in confusion. Red snatches the phone from her and clears his throat. "Yellow!" he calls into it, "Don't break the rules!" but White snatches the G-Phone back from him to protest. But he is full of righteous indignation that he is being essentially ignored, and heads out after Yellow. While she is practically jumping on her toes, Blue says, "Let's go too, Black!" and agreeably, they head on out. White follows, still grumbling.

The little boy with the camera sees a small group of girls, all on their way home from school. But there is only one among them he has an eye for. He delights in her name. "Natsumi!" She has long hair, plaited into two braids on the sides of her head. She waves goodbye to the other two girls and heads off. He heads after her quickly, grinning with joy. He catches up with her in the middle of the park. "Natsumi!" he calls and she turns calmly. She is quick, a warm smile lingering even as he snaps a photo of her lovely face. "Takuya-kun!" she greets him, and he quickly hauls out the flyer from his back pocket to ask if it's all right if he enters her photo in this contest. She looks at it and agrees readily. Delighted, he heads her off to a more picturesque spot to take pictures. "Okay, second picture!" he delights. She poses, a sweet angel, in front of the fountain. And then her body fades away. She notices it happening but does not have time to cry out. It is only after she's vanished, when she screams and he sees a faint ripple of movement against the flowing water from the fountain behind, that he has any idea what is happening. He lowers the camera and cries her name. Then the tiny machine glows brilliant blue-white in his hands. It springs, flows and becomes a full-size being. Camera Aurg. And it tells him if he wants Natsumi back... he has to do what it says. It compliments him on his ability to choose good pictures, setting its clawed hand on Takuya's head. The boy is horror-struck.

In a hospital, doctors have a machine monitoring heart-rate and that is at 52. These are the invisible people the Gao Ranger brought in. The doctors and nurses seem to be handling the situation as best they can, while Red, White and Black hover nearby. They are confused. "Red!" calls a voice from the door. It is Blue, and he carries another invisible body. "I found one last one." It is, WE know, the girl Natsumi, whom he gently settles on to a hospital bed. She is breathing heavily, a feverish sound of struggle for life. Only the indents in the pillow and mattress show that she is there. "Takuya-kun," she calls weakly. The four head into the hall, watching a nurse roll an invisible patient covered in a white blanket past. Red says, "We have to go. This MUST be the work of the Aurg!" White has her own suggestion and idea. And the four race off together.

Yellow, meanwhile, starts across a bridge and sees a little boy walking towards him. The boy is walking with heavy steps, looking down at the camera in his hands. Yellow sees the horns sticking up and realizes this is probably the same camera those two people were talking about. He comes up, barely containing his urgency. Hand out he says, "Excuse me, would you please show me that camera?" The boy, startled, looks at him in dismay then down at the camera. Then he turns and runs. Yellow calls him to wait, then pursues. He follows him down below a bridge and the boy comes to a barbed-wire fence. He had intended to escape through here, but the door is locked and he freezes, staring back at the man following. And a voice echoes in his mind. "Take a picture, Takuya! Take a picture of that man!" Hearing it, he stares down, horrified. But the stranger is coming towards him, asking in a gruff voice, "Why did you run away?" The camera speaks again in his head. "Why don't you shoot? Don't you want me to give Natsumi back?" Trembling, Takuya raises the camera to his face. Yellow gasps and freezes where he stands as the boy's finger settles on the button. Takuya can see him easily lined up in the sight. A man with hair dyed golden-white, intense eyes that seem to know the danger he faces. Lips that part but find no words. The moment stretches. Yellow awaits his fate at this child's hands with a strained breath. And Takuya closes his eyes. "I can't!" he sobs. "No way I can't!" and, crying, he throws the camera down onto the rocks and races past Yellow.

"OUCH!" protest the camera when it hits. Yellow, who almost swung to follow the boy, swings back as the camera warps to its true shape. "Stupid kid!" it grumbles. But Yellow bares his teeth at it. "Of course you're an Aurg!" and he hauls out his G-Phone quickly. "Gao Access!" and he pushes the button. In a bare instant he is in his armor and leaping to attack. Around a pillar, Takuya stares and gasps "I don't believe it!" His statement is echoed by the startled Aurg. Yellow shouts, "Eagle Sword!" and strikes with his weapon. But just as he is about to hit, he himself is struck by a thin, sharp dagger and sent tumbling back. Camera Aurg is startled to find someone beside him. Yabai-ba has come to help. As usual, the young Aurg is surprised and interested in this one-horned stranger. Yabai-ba, though, informs Yellow that he is going to be defeated in the name of Lord Shuten. Yabai-ba's voice is interesting. It goes from deep and growly to high and sharp at intervals. An Aurg conversing is unusual enough, but Yellow asks who is this Shuten. Perhaps the answer is "You'll find out." And now Yabai-ba attacks, using his two daggers to fling blue-white fire at Yellow, who is knocked flying. Yellow simply rolls back to his feet and leaps at Yabai-ba, only to be parried and find he faces someone very skilled with these two daggers. He is getting pretty well bashed. Tsue Tsue steps in to the fray. "Wouldn't that yellow-boy make a nice picture?" she says. She moves next to Camera Aurg, who obediently makes Yellow the focus of his lens. "Now!" he tells her, and she pushes the button high on its shoulder. A snap, and Yellow's picture is taken. "Got him!" crows Camera Aurg. Watching behind the pillar, Takuya gasps in horror as he knows what has happened. Yellow is getting to his feet slowly, but Yabai-ba bounds past him, quite pleased. They assemble either side of the young Aurg and invite him to come meet Shuten. Delighted, they vanish together.

Yellow shouts after them, "What are you talking about?! Huh?" For suddenly there is a strange shifting within him. His armor begins to blur and fade away. A ripple, and he is armorless. As the effect continues, Takuya runs up to him. His body is becoming transparent, he stares at his hands in confusion as they fade away. "Mister!" the boy calls anxiously. There is only the faintest ripple in the air to mark his presence, but the rest of the group has arrived to see him fade away. Horrified, Red calls him.

Below the city, Shuten is introduced to this new Aurg by a very pleased Tsue Tsue, who also explains what they had done to Gao Yellow. Camera Aurg tells how Yellow's life is being drained. Shuten is quite pleased and rewards the other by giving him a cord to allow him to press his own button. Very happy, he heads back out into the city.

In Gao's Rock, steam puffs from the stones. Tetomu gently settles a white blanket over the shuddering form of the invisible man. He is huddled on the floor, while the other four hover anxiously around him. Red asks, "Tetomu, isn't there anything we can do to get him back to normal?" She looks up at him, then shakes her head sadly. Seeming to sense that, Yellow raises his head under the blanket, then he turns and looks down into the pool. He can see the blanket, but he cannot see himself. Tetomu explains to the others that his life energy is being drained until he dies. All of them shift worriedly. With a hoarse snarl of protest, Yellow leaps to his feet and throws off the blanket. Shoving his way out between Blue and Black, he snarls that he will find that cursed camera and defeat it. As he heads for the door, his feet stir up the dust on the floor. His body is outlined and they can see his burst of energy leaving him, as he begins to stagger and then falls to his knees. White is fastest to start towards him then stop. "You can't do it!" she cries miserably. They can almost see him as he shifts and looks back at her, indignant even now he glares and snarls his intent to fight. She looks both hurt and empathic staring back at him. "I'll beat that Aurg!" he snarls, but his breathing is strained. They know he has little if any chance. Watching him, Red is moved to compassion. He finally hurries forward to kneel beside the other man. "Yellow, I'll get the energy back for you. I'll get your power back TO you!" Yellow looks over his shoulder at this interloper in his life. He meets the earnest gaze without confidence, but Red says urgently, "Even so, just wait, please!" and leaps up to race from Gao's Rock. The others race after him.

Hurtling down the sidewalks, Red thinks, "Where IS the Aurg?" but then the screaming reaches his ears. People racing away up escalators have been caught by Camera Aurg, and he has taken their picture and they are invisible. As others run he calls, "Come out! Come out, Gao Ranger!" Red hurtles through the fleeing people "Stop, Aurg! The Gao Red is here!" The Aurg is unimpressed. "Oh, so you did come, Gao Ranger!" Red shouts back, "What have you done to people, to Yellow?!" The Aurg laughs. "I'll show you!" and he sends out a beam that shows images of the people he has taken photos of, standing like a slideshow, energy swirling around them. Natsumi, Yellow.... And Camera explains that their life energy goes into him. He slaps the white container for his roll of film, pleased as all get out for at this moment, the drain on their lives is causing them agony. Red's lips tighten painfully.

In the hospital a frightened nurse calls the doctor. The monitor is showing the number 28, now. Frantic people also call for they are hovering over their invisible loved ones, who are suddenly crying in pain. Takuya has arrived to be at Natsumi's side, calling her name. And Tetomu tries to comfort the groaning Yellow, touching his clenched form through the white blanket.

The display finishes as the Aurg laughs. Red is furious and anguished for the helpless people. "And now it's time to take you," says Camera Aurg cheerfully. He moves his hand to push the button. Realizing what will happen, Red dives behind a stone. Amused, Camera snaps a picture of the stone and it ceases to exist. With a gasp, Red leaps to his feet and runs. He clambers over a fence, and the Aurg pursues, enjoying itself. Red races into a warehouse, where there are plenty of crates and things to duck behind. Commenting on how fun hide-and-seek is, the Aurg tracks him. It figures he is behind some crates and snaps them away to find it is right. Red dives behind a small truck and that shelter is taken from him, too. He flees deeper into the dark warehouse. Huddled against a staircase, trying to catch his breath, he also tries to figure out what he can possibly do. The Aurg, meanwhile, comments again about enjoying this little game. Red's thoughts go back to what he had said to Yellow. "Yellow, I'll get the energy back for you. I'll get your power back TO you!" And the barely visible face, the expression of fear and anger and such need. Sympathy stabs through him and he says aloud, "Yellow, just wait okay?" And then he hears the smug Aurg's voice. He can't help it, he glances around. And there, in a mirror, he sees the Camera Aurg. But more than that... he sees where it is. There is a tall stand with several heavy objects atop it beside the Aurg. And Red has a great idea.

He bounds out from hiding, grinning like a maniac and teases the Aurg. It heads straight for him, unimpressed with his wild attitude. White, Blue and Black arrive to see this in horror. Before they can race in to help, they find themselves under attack. Yabai-ba and Tsue Tsue have brought a group of Aurgettes. Camera Aurg reaches a place where Red is in clear and easy sight. He is ready to snap the picture and very pleased with himself. Two Gao Ranger in one day. White, struggling with an Aurgette, cries out when she sees what is happening. Red waits, lips parted. His reflection is clear in the lens of Camera Aurg. Its green eye watches him. Anxious to get a perfect picture, it adjusts the focus. Blue and Black also see what is happening and call his name. Red's foot shifts. Seeming frozen like a deer in headlights, he waits. The Aurg gets the perfect focus and is about to snap its picture while the other Gaoranger scream at Red to run. And just as Camera is moving its hand to hit the button, Red tells himself "Now!" and leaps into action. He kicks an empty gas cannister so that it goes flying up to the stack far above. Cans and cannisters rain down on the Aurg's head. It loses its hold on the trigger and Red takes that moment to haul out his G-Phone and leap into the air. "Gao Access!" he cries. "Summon Spirit of the Earth!" In an instant he is in his armor and attacks Camera Aurg, kicking him back until he falls and the film-compartment springs open. The roll goes skittering along the ground and Red snatches it up. He races out into the bright sunlight and pulls out the strip, exposing it. Bright, blue-white light shines brighter than the afternoon sunlight. Golden stars flash away. Tetomu, hovering over the agonized Yellow, looks up and gasps as one flies inside Gao's Rock, and into him. His body glows beneath the blanket, and then his right hand, holding his G-Phone, becomes visible. Tetomu gasps again in relief and delight. She grins at him as he manages to uncurl his body and start to get unsteadily to his feet, staring at his hands in astonished relief. A smile blossoms on his face, lightens his eyes. "He did it!" he whispers in amazed admiration.

In the hospital, Takuya crows in delight as Natsumi become visible in shimmering, blue light. She opens her eyes and he calls her name. And then they realize that everyone else is becoming visible, too. Happy family and friends wrap their arms about their loved ones. The two Takuya had first inadvertently turned invisible leap into each others' arms. "Everyone's back!" cries Takuya.

And the Gao Ranger continue to fight the Aurg. This set-back is only that, for Yabai-ba says it isn't over and Camera Aurg agrees. He loads a new roll of film quickly. The zoom lens heads out and he approaches the group threateningly. But before he can shoot them, a hoarse cry like an eagle's scream rends the air. Gao Yellow has arrived, fast and furious he glides down and strikes Camera Aurg. His attack shatters the camera lens and the Aurg cries out angrily. Yellow spins to land with his group who assemble gladly around him, Red gratefully calling his name. With defiant friendliness, Yellow taps his shoulder and says, "Like you said, one should not try to operate alone!" and smugly points out that this is rule number two. Red, who had in fact tried to fight alone, realizes he is being teased and perhaps blushes within his mask as he affectionately answers his team-mate.

Camera Aurg, though, is not a happy camper. With his lens broken, he cannot take pictures. Tsue Tsue and Yabai-ba assemble beside him, while the team announces themselves and prepares to fight. Yellow is at their center as they utter challenge. At Tsue Tsue's encouragement, Camera Aurg leaps in to attack. Yellow hits him first and they fight hard, but Camera gets the better of him and sends him flying into a crate. The others assemble to hold him. But soon Camera captures them in rolls of film from his cape. But Red hears the call of Gao Lion and a stern warning. "Right! I am the leader! If I can't help anyone, I'm no leader!" Still wrapped in the film, he manages to get to his feet. "I am not finished fighting!" And with a roar, he calls in his Lion Fang, and changes it into a new weapon. The Gao Main Blaster. The gun sits heavy in his hands as he fires in Normal Mode, then in Final Mode which frees them all. And the group attacks, Blue and White smashing the Aurg into a metal pillar. Black gets it by its feet next and twirls it. Then Yellow snatches it up and flies it into some great oil drums and against a wall. The team forms their combined weapon, Hyakujuuken, and they attack with this next. Camera Aurg is destroyed. Or at least, almost.

Yabai-ba calls Tsue Tsue to send out the Aurg Seeds. And in a moment (using the same footage for last week's monster, I guess this is one place they're cutting corners) they make it large. And the Gaoranger summon their Power Animals. Gao Eagle attacks first at its companion's call. Gao Lion is next, biting its arm only to get punched away and Red calls for the combined form. They join with their great beasts and form Gao King. The great mecha faces the very angry Aurg. Shark Shoot and Tiger Punch knocks his film from its container before he can photograph them. The roll goes flying and screaming office workers who've had a very good view of the proceedings flee as it hits their building right in front of their windows and smashes inside. Yellow has a suggeston and Red is happy to go with it, they slice Camera Aurg's film to bits, get it in a clinch and then use Animal Heart. The power forces the Aurg back, and then destroys it completely. Relieved, they are crowing delight. Yellow is slightly quieter in his relief. "We did it."

But then deep laughter rends the sky. Clouds bunch above them, they stare up. "What is it?" He answers them. "I am Highness Duke, Shuten." Having heard that name before, Yellow echoes it accusingly. They see him in the red clouds, the lighting. And he offers them challenge and annoyance for being in his way, and he laughs and vanishes. Red has his own defiance to snap back, but Yellow begins picking on him again about disobeying rule #2, setting White to giggling. The others are very glad to at last have them all together.

Next week Quest 4: 2人でネバギバ！ Futari De Nebakiba! Hmm. The Two Never Give Up?

Blue and Black are featured in this adventure, their friendship and bond explored. Blue is injured and suffering, and Black is desperate to rescue him.

Place: 三国町 (San Kuni Machi *pronounciation not remotely guaranteed). Time: Night. A shrine, its doors closed. You who watch, is there any place near you known to have ghosts come out? That might be something that our technology cannot explain... something mysterious. And there are two men approaching. One is nervous and frightened, clutching a flashlight tight in his hands. The other is brusque and over-confident. They are Gao Black and Gao Blue. Blue drags Black to his side to shine the light on the doors in front of them. He checks the kanji on the plaque above them, then unrolls a magazine he is carrying. An article inside talks about strange occurances here, a poltergiest at the Raion-Temple (頼恩寺). Blue comments excitedly, "This place is famous for ghosts! So I'm sure the Aurg'd come here!" Black, however, is shivering in his boots. Or rather, in his sandals. Voice shaking he says, "If that's so, why don't we come back later with everyone else. Let's go - " he has managed to effect a turnaround and is about to make tracks as fast as he can. Blue catches him and drags him back over whimpering protests. "No way!" He manages to halt the other man and issues a firm scolding, "I keep telling you to forget your fears!" Black, his fingers twined about the flashlights, manages to gasp out a "Yes." "If you do, then get down there." "Yes," Black gasps out, and he bends down so blue can use his back as a footstool. Blue gets up on his shoulders, and Black stands to allow the youngster to reach higher. Blue braces himself, twining his fingers in the grasses and looks down at his friend sternly. "Stop shaking!" "Yes!" Black answers, and reaches up to steady himself against a rock (but I doubt he's really stopped shaking). Blue clambers up to the top, and snaps sternly, "Stop sniffling and get up here!" Black obediently replies again, "Yes," and again says it to Blue's sharp, "Hurry up!" He pockets the flashlight and starts climbing. Yet when he finally reaches the top, there is a drop into blackness below and he gives a hoarse gasp of fear and draws back. "High!" he stutters out. But it is not so high, for Blue is already down there. "Black! Never give up!" he shouts. Black agrees and steps close to the edge. But as he is afraid to look down, instead of jumping his foot slips and he falls right on top of Blue. Half-crushed, Blue pushes his friend's head up. "Get off, Black, you're heavy!" Black, dismayed, apologizes profusely while Blue beneath him struggles to get his breath back and says, "Stop wasting time saying sorry, now get OFF!"

Despite the hour, there are crows cawing. The two young men hurry down a stone staircase, Blue leading the charge. "Better be careful, it could be an Aurg calling," he warns his friend. Black keeps his eyes peeled nervously. "I think that was only a bird calling." There are old trees above them whose roots hold the stones and keep them from falling. The cave's roof is a mass of alarming shadows. And then Blue sees the temple bell and a light shining towards them, bright white. There is a figure behind the brightness. "An Aurg!" Blue shouts, pointing, "Attack, Black!" Black aims the flashlight to see, but Blue is already racing to attack. "Wait for me, BLue!" Black cries after him.

Candles burst into flame on their own. A strange stone set in an alter glows brilliant, blue white. The beam of its light pierces the night and reaches for Black, who stops and stares, mesmerized. And then the ground quakes. Black and Blue are both thrown off-balance. The protective stone buddhas fall. The temple's stone lantern is shaking apart. Blue, who has huddled at the lantern's base, is unaware of the heavy stone block about to fall on him. But Black sees it and races to help. "Look out!" he cries. He leaps and shoves Blue out of the path of the falling stone. Blue fetches up forehead first against another rock and has a moment to register the pain. The falling block, though, gets Black a good one across his forehead.

And the glowing stone starts to ease down, shimmering between cracks more green. And then the shimmer is gone altogether. Only the two Gaoranger remain, Black clutching his head in agony, "Oweoweoweowe," he protests, twisting. When the quake stops, he looks about only to see Blue lying on his back unconscious. In a panic, he grabs Blue's collar and gives him a slight shake, then slaps his face lightly, calling him. But then a voice snarls from above, the light from the temple shines down and he freezes. It is a monk with a flashlight, hollaring angrily, "Who's there?!" Black quickly gathers up the unconscious Blue and carries him away. The monk, confused, comments "Those stupid kids. Still, so many weird things have been happening lately and now this earthquake... perhaps the gods are angry with me." He heads back to bed. The bell behind him seems innocuous.

Morning. Gao's Rock is huddled all innocent among the mountains, the curve of its great top green and grassy. Inside, Black is tenderly wrapping a cloth bandage around Blue's poor forehead, his own still bearing a livid red mark. Yellow is watching closely and amused. "You're still such a kid!" he chuckles. "You look at something and think it's an Aurg!" Red and White are behind them, but not interfering. Yellow walks past Blue, snickering. Black straightens up nervously to defend his friend, "But there was an earthquake and there was this weird light -- " but Blue protests at Yellow angrily, fists clenched, "I am not a kid!" Yellow turns to him, eyes alight and mocks him with his own words, "I am not a kid!" for Blue had sounded so like a child. Helpfully, White giggles and Red has to hide his laughter behind his fist. But he does manage to put it away and comes to congratulate them for not being too badly hurt. He pats Black's shoulder in pleased companionship and bends down to Blue, whose fists are clenched. "Children shouldn't have to do difficult things." Black stares at Red, not certain what to say and when Red heads off and it looks like Blue might launch himself after him, he holds his friend down so he can finish the dressing. "Don't move. I haven't finished treating you yet." But, frustrated and angry, Blue pulls loose, "Shut up! It's okay!" and he throws down the dressing and races from the rock. Red and Yellow watch him go between them, and Red turns to inquire "What's he so mad about, even though he was saved, Black?" Black looks more than slightly pained.

Morning has come at last. Raion Temple, the bell's deep gong fills the air. The temple monk slides the door of his building open and steps out, a boken (wooden sword) ready between his hands. "At this time!! Somebody's come to do something weird AGAIN! Well," he growls. As the instants between gongs become smaller, he races up the stairs to find out who or what is causing this. He is certain he'll find someone this time.

There is a stone face, with a long pink nose and red eyes, a beard and huge, pointed ears, a tongue sticking out. It is upside down. The eyes flash. Shuten steps forward, curious, "This is..?" Yabai-ba bounds over with a whoop of excitement. "The light is even brighter than before!" He and Tsue Tsue inform their lord that an extremely powerful new Aurg has been born. The two are about to head off, greatly excited, to find this one and let it have fun, as Yabai-ba says. Shuten tells them to wait, though. He stares at the flashing eyes. "This pulse is somehow strange." He has decided he will go out. "If you want this Aurg to have fun, find out what type it is before you contact it." Tsue Tsue and Yabai-ba find this amazing. Maybe.

The monk reaches the top of the stairs. To his amazement, the being standing there clonging on the bell is of the seriously bizarre variety. Its torso is like the bell, except for the single oranger eye and the two horns. Where a head should be is only the gap between a wooden beam braced between its shoulders and the top of the bell. It holds a huge mallet with which it is just having the time of its life hammering on the bell. It talks about how cool all the reverberations are and how he loves hearing them since he was born. Stunned, the monk falls back on his butt. His cry to the gods attracts the Aurg's attention, and it calls out "Tsurigane! (Temple Bell)" and waves it arm. A huge temple bell materializes out of thin air and falls heavily atop the monk, who says (in English, mind) "Oh my god!!!" He prays frantically inside. The Aurg, with a cry of delight, comes bounding down the stairs and heaves its hammer back for a blow on this great bell. And when it hits, the man inside screams in agony and covers his ears. The Aurg is one happy camper. It sweeps its hand through the air and the bell vanishes. The monk, freed of the terrible noise, has nonetheless become jelly and sort of rolls around and manages to get to his feet, fleeing drunkenly, his balance shattered. "I'm not staying at this temple anymore!" The Aurg continues to be deeply amused. "That was a good sound!" And so does someone else. A high pitched laugh joins his and he turns. Yabai-ba and Tsu Tsue step out from the other side of the original bell and call him by name, Yabai-ba telling him he's doing well. He is Tsurigane Aurg. He comes to talk with these one-horned people, asking what they want of him. Tsue Tsue has the seductress job of encouraging him to join them. "If you help up we can give you the power to show the world your sound!" He is delighted and willing. "What do you want me to do?" Yabai-ba explains "Until Shuten decides his plan, we don't want anyone to get close to this temple!" That seems easy enough to him. He clongs himself with his mallet and the deep sound reverberates.

The water in the scrying pool ripples, as though responding to that gong. Tetomu stares into it fretfully and announces that something is happening in this city. Red leads Yellow and White in the trot over to her. "What's the matter, Tetomu?"

Ice hangs from the rocks. Water tumbles, white in the cold, down the long fall to the riverlet below. And a very unhappy young man sits on the edge of a stone staircase, a small, white bandage on his forehead. He looks down into the water below. A voice says with gentle empathy, "Blue." He shifts unhappily as Black comes up and stops behind him. "Are you still angry?" Clenching his fists in his lap he snaps back "Of course I am!" Black says he is sorry about last night, but Blue is still too hurt and clambers angrily to his feet, "You should be! You pushed me, I lost consciousness and then all of that was turned into MY fault, and everyone was treating me like a child!!" Black, feeling for him, apologizes and bows his head. Blue doesn't see as Black is behind him, but pulls the bandage off of his poor forehead. "Anyway, I'm not going to trouble about you anymore!" he snaps again, and starts bounding off down the stone stairs. Black, worried, stares after him as Blue says, "You'll have to solve your problems yourself!" Dismayed, Black starts after him calling his name, but before he can go more than a step, his G-Phone rings. He opens it. It shows the lion symbol, the caller is Gao Red and flashes the number 5. He pushes the receiving button and answers with a sigh. "Assemble at Gao's Rock, please," Red says. Without speaking, Black closes the G-Phone and watches Blue heading off into the snow. The other hasn't been called, probably they just assumed the pair were together. Unhappily, Black heads back.

Tetomu, Red, Yellow and White are gathered around a map. They have pinpointed the source of the disturbance approximately one kilometer east of them. Red comments that this is around about the infamous Raion Temple. White is the one who points out that this is where Blue and Black had gone investigating last night. Just then, Black comes in, breathing hard in distress. Startled, Red looks past him. "Is Blue -- ?" "No," Black says unhappily. Yellow's eyes narrow. "That kid. He's gone to the temple again, by himself, hasn't he?" Black confirms probably so. Tetomu lifts her gaze and says, "It's true. It looks like an Aurg has been born there." The knowledge is like a blow to Black, "What can I do? What if something happens to Blue?!" The rest of the team dash off at Red's call, but Black reaches for his G-Phone instead of going right with them. He hits the 3 and hold the phone to his ear.

Blue has opened his at the ringing. There is the Bison symbol, the word Gao Black, the flashing 2. Heading angrily along the path, he folds his Phone back up and pockets it, complaining indignantly. "Black... even if he tries to apologize, it's too late!!" Thus he isn't quite ready when he meets the crowd of Aurgettes here with Tsurigane. "Aurg! I thought so!" he announces. He is not smug and not happy, only stubborn and angry. Tsurigane looks at him and is amused. "What I thought it was, a child!" "I'm NO child!" Blue shouts back at him, wounded. "I'm Kai Samezu, and I'm nineteen years old!! Don't underestimate me!" He calls for Gao Access, Summon Spirit of the Earth, and leaps into battle. He does quite good at trashing the Aurgettes, until all that is left to face is Tsurigane Aurg. Smugly, he confronts the big one and says, "Showed you, didn't I?" But then the Aurg replies, "I'm not sure about that." He waves his hand and a huge bell appears in the air and falls down atop Blue before he can move. "What IS this?" he asks inside. But the Aurg is coming close, mallet happily raised. He gives the bell a hearty clong. Blue cries out in agony, sharp blue lightning rattling through him, inside the bell. His G-Phone falls to the soil below.

The group heads past the falls, down the dry path between all the white snow. Black is in front, for he is most urgent in his worry. And I imagein he is also very cold. Red, then White then Yellow. He stops for a moment, and Red asks, "What's the matter?" coming up behind him. Shivering, he says "I have a bad feeling. Maybe something's happened to Blue!" He spins to race off. Red, frowning and worried, calls after him. "Black, don't you think you're worrying too much about him? I know you're supposed to look after him, but --" Black stops. Fists clenched at his sides, he answers mournfully. "You're wrong, Red. I want to pay him back." Red meets his eaernest gaze with understandable confusion and repeats the phrase Black had used. White and Yellow are confused. Black gazes back at them, unhappy and letting it show. He reminds them of the day when they were chasing Turbine Aurg across the city before night had fallen. "When I became a Gaoranger, I had a big body so I was slow, and I didn't like high places. So I was always a problem for everyone." and how he was always the one at the back of the group, racing to keep up. The Aurg had leaped from one building to another, a very very high building. The other three leaped after him, but Black upon reaching the edge had taken one look down at the cement far below, and frozen. Shaking his head, shivering, he'd slowly inched back from the edge. While White and Yellow continued their relentless pursuit of the Aurg, Blue had noticed Black's absence and turned. "What are you doing, Black? We haven't caught him yet!" Black had steadied himself, and with a roar to grant himself courage, raced and leaped across. However, he did not quite make it, and only Blue's lunge and iron grip kept him from falling to the cement below. Black had believed it an impossible situation. "I can't possibly!" he'd cried, and released his hold on Blue's wrist expecting to fall. Blue had only clung the tighter and urged him, "Don't give up! (then in English) Never give up!" Black echoes it." Hanging on Blye adds, "You only have one life, so you keep going until the very end!" "Never give up!" they shout back and forth at each other, until Blue manages to help pull him the rest of the way up. Black only gazes in amazement at the younger man.

"That time when he told me never give up, I forgot that I was in a high place, and I wasn't scared anymore. From that moment, Blue gave me his courage. He gave me a reason to be a Gaoranger." They are walking among trees now, having left the snow behind at a higher elevation. "I want to help him, if only a little." He turns and stares at them unhappily. Red is first to smile at him, having listened intently to the whole story. He comes forward now to clap Black on the arm. "Black, let's hurry then." And the group starts to move faster. But just as they top a rise at a run, Blue sees ahead of them on the loose soil "That's Blue's!" the Shark G-Phone. He leaps forward, them on his heels, and snatches it up saying his friend's name in dismay. White points out, "We're near Raion!" and they race on. Tsurigane watches the group go by from behind a tree and blinks his one big orange-yellow eye.

Shuten and the others are walking the paths of the temple. Shuten doesn't even notice the fallen statues. He only frets, "That pulse was coming from here. Yabai-ba and Tsue Tsue are with him and the male asks, "Couldn't it have been from Tsurigane Aurg?" "No," Shuten answers grimly. "There was one more pulse...." At that moment, Tsurigane Aurg comes to announce the arrival of the Gaoranger. The trio hiss and wheel about. Shuten snarls angrily, "Those stupid little interfering creatures! They can let me crush them to pieces, now!"

Black's strides eat up the ground. The others race behind him but they are all brought to a halt in front of the temple gates, for Shuten and the other two have stepped through to meet them. Shuten says, "This is as far as you go." "You!" snarls Red. "Shuten!" Yellow identifies him. White moves into a fighting stance and Black demands, "Where is Blue?" Shuten laughs wickedly. "You'll be with him, shortly." And he swings out his mighty axe, which glows with an evil, orange fire. He blasts them, and they change into fighting armor. Slashing their way through the Aurgettes, the team gets spread out. White destroys one Aurgette and gets knocked back by Tsue Tsue's staff. The evil woman laughs mockingly. "Hey, little girl," she mocks as Aurgettes swirl behind her, "with MY power there's no way you can touch me!" White claws like a cat, and returns the mockery with her own. "Auntie, I wouldn't want to touch you." "AUNTIE? AUNTIE?!! You should've said SISTER!" With a huff of fury, Tsue Tsue heads into battle.

Yellow and Yabai-ba have, once again, come to blows with each other. For them it seems personal as they twine weapons and for a moment cannot free themselves from each other. Then they push free and start going at it again. Red's battle has led him higher, to the snow again among the rocks. His claws tear apart an Aurgette's face, but he is still quick enough to catch Shuten's axe when it falls towards him. "Why are you doing this?" he damands while they are at an impasse. Shuten replies with calm logic. "I am an Aurg. I love the sound of humans in agony!" and bashes Red away, but our man only lands on his feet like a cat and shouts, "Well we're going to stop you from enjoying that!" He calls in the Lion Fang and launches himself at his enemy.

Black fights at the base of a low cliff. He fights Tsurigane. The Aurg gets a firm hold on his neck and yanks him against it, so that his helmet hits with a resounding gong again and again. Head reeling, he is unable to fight back when Tsurigane shoves him back and then strikes him a glancing blow on the chest with its great mallet. Managing to get back to his feet, Black pants out, "Where is Gao Blue?" Much as Tsurigane is enjoying himself, he pauses to think about that one. "Oh, that angry little boy? Let's see..." and he paces, then turns as if remembering. "Why, he's in there!" and Tsurigane points to the top of the cliff. Black gazes up to see the huge temple bell up there, and knows suddenly that it is true. Tsurigane is approaching him, remarking genially, "Poor thing. He's about run out of air in there. By now it's getting hard for him to breathe." Horror-struck, Black cries, "Blue!!" Inside the bell, barely conscious. He is pale and cold, even in the hot bell. He stirs and whispers weakly, "That voice... Black." Black is fighting, he has Tsurigane by the horns and spins him, throwing him. Then he starts racing up the cliffside. "I'm coming. Wait, Blue!" But Tsurigane is moving to stop him. It gongs itself and the sound is directed out as power, fired at Black. Our hero is caught in the explosions and tumbles down the cliff, but as soon as he can stop himself, clinging to the grass, he says hoarsely, "Never give up! Keep going and going until the very end!!" He keeps repeating it as he climbs frantically up the cliff. "Never give up, never give up!" His voice is raising. Far above, in the bell, Blue hears him. "Never give up. Yeah, that's right," he mutters. He is stirring more, now. For he had indeed given himself up. The memories of the night before rise, how Black had kept trying to help. Remembers why Black had shoved him, and being carried away from there by him afterwards. "Nothing he did was trivial," he mutters weakly. "He was always trying to help me." And Blue is fully conscious, now. He hears an explosion. Perhaps he vaguely senses Black being knocked flying by one that came too close.

Black is tumbled down the cliff. White sees from where she is fighting Tsue Tsue. Yellow and Red also hear it, or do the three only feel it? They abandon their single battles to race to their friend's aid. Black tumbles far down the cliff, but he catches a jutting stone and starts the climb up again. "Go, NOW! Blue, wait for me!" Perhaps their souls touch, for they are both crying each other's names and as one they scream, "NEVER GIVE UP!" And with that joining of emotion and thought comes a rush of power, carried by their two Power Animals, Gao Shark and Gao Bison. They pour strength to answer their companions' needs. And now Black is super-charged and with the energy storming through him, he snarls a cry of battle-spirit and goes hurtling up the cliff in a startling leap that takes him all the way to the top, to Tsurigane's immense astonishment. And with the Bison Axe, he splits open the terrible bell.

The support of the metal wall gone, Blue falls like a rag doll to the ground, his bruise from the night before a vivid purple-red on his forehead, his eyes closed. Black is beside him instantly, pulling him up and calling his name. Feebly, Blue begins moving, first turning his head to stare up into his friend's eyes. "I heard you calling," he rasps out. "My eardrums pounded." "Blue!" and the boys laughs weakly. But then Tsurigane's voice interrupts this moment. Blue is getting his strength back and makes it up with Black. But he does not have his G-Phone and so Black holds position to protect him as the Aurg approaches. Before they can be hurt, Red arrives using the Gao Main Blaster to force Tsurigane away. The group gathers around their errant members, Red asking, "You all right?" It is Yellow, though, who has something to say to Blue. "Those guys are all over. Can you fight?" Blue, still rather off-balance, replies "Oh, YES of course! I'm not a child!" And Black holds out his G-Phone to him. He takes it, and steps out so Tsurigane can watch him change. And he leads the attack after they all announce themselves. And Tsurigane is afraid.

Almost as though responding to their fighting presence, far below the candles light again. The strange stone begins to glow this time piercing blue-white. There is a scroll in front of it, a prayer board behind. And in Gao's Rock, the pool ripples and shines in response. Tetomu hurries over and gazes in. "There's something else there..." she says fretfully. Shuten has also sensed this power surge. He gathers the other two and tells Tsurigane to keep the enemy busy. That one gladly complies, hitting the Gaoranger with sonic attacks from gonging itself. The other three Aurg head into the woods to search for that power surge. They walk straight to the little shrine. Shuten is just in time to see the green glow die out in the cracks of the strange stone.

Blue and Black work together, Black flinging Blue towards Tsurigane. Flowing through air as though through water, he similarly slips between the Aurg's sonic attacks. His Shark Cutters do quite a job. And then Black holds Blue by the ankles again and they start spinning, the two cutters slicing deep into their enemy, who falls. So the group forms Hyaku Juu Ken, and destroy Tsurigane. He dies with a scream and leaves only the usual mound of green foam.

But the other three Aurg have completed their mission. Yabai-ba says urgently, "Tsurigane Aurg, Yabai-ba!" and Tsue Tsue knows what is needed. She starts the magic spell, to send out the Aurg seeds and recreate Tsurigane Aurg large. Our heroes comply and call in their Power Animals. There is no waste of time this time, they assemble Gao King first off. Shark Shot and Tiger Punch are first. But it seems to have no effect at all! "I'll get this back to you, Gaoranger!" announces Tsurigane. And he clongs himself. The power-waves hit them and knock them back and over. They fall, and he has great plans as he approaches them, swinging his mallet. They turn over feebly. When the others are near panic because they cannot seem to get up, Blue reassures them. "I have a plan! Ready, Black?" "Ush!" replies his friend. Tsurigane is right over them now, and he raises his arm to strike them with his mallet. Right as he swings Black kicks up, and the startled Aurg is sent tumbling back. This gives them time and room to get to their feet, and be ready to use the Fin-Blade. They knock his mallet and destroy it. Furious, he calls in a giant temple bell. They see it falling towards them. "I got it!" calls Black, and he flips Gao King over backwards. "Bison KICK!" Their feet hit the bell and send it rocketing away to land atop its startled creator. "Now!" calls Blue, while the dismayed Tsurigane Aurg tries to decide what he should do. They use their five bolts, and the power rolls through the giant temple bell to obliterate the Aurg inside.

Yabai-ba and Tsue Tsue are quite upset to see this. And Shuten is pretty angy, but he has the round stone which looks so small in the palm of his hand, and the scroll. Suddenly, the stone flares brilliant blue. Tetomu calls the Gaoranger to warn them not to let the Aurg take that stone. There is some awesome power locked inside. Startled, they prepare to do their best. The stone flares and small lightning crackles, alarming the other two Aurg. Shuten's hands catch fire and he is too startled to hang on to his purloined goods. They fall down the cliffside. The Gaoranger gather at the bottom, and Red picks up the two fire-blackened items. The Aurg are angry and shout insults before leaving. Yellow returns the insults, and then they gather and White wonders what these things are. They all are equally puzzled. And above them, Gao King waits.

Next week Quest 5:

Our heroes are investigating the remains of the scroll on a flat stone in Gao's Rock. Tetomu is outside with them, with the stone. She prays, and up in the cliffside there is a rock formation that could be mistaken for resembling an elephant's head, complete with tusks. Well, we all know why as it shines and shimmers with green light. And then the giant, blue elephant breaks out of the cliffside. Looks like it may answer to White.

In our last episode, the Dukes of Aurg had found this most curious stone and scroll. But it burned Shuten's hands and he dropped it. The Gaoranger retrieved it. At 奥山市 (Okuyama City... the Kanji means "secluded mountain city"), towering over the rice fields are the mountains. in the rising hill sits a huge rock formation. Gao's Rock. Since this is a travelling rock, I wonder if anyone ever notices its sudden appearances and disappearances all over Japan.... Inside the great stone are five young people, all gathered around the remains of the scroll. Entire syllables are gone. It is Yellow who straightens up first to fold his arms. "What kind of meaning does this have? Something about monsters," he puzzles. Red, next to him, tries. Something about Minamoto, and family. It is written in extremely legible hiragana. Only the missing bits make it impossible to understand. Something about exterminating demons. White points out cheerfully that this sounds like the Gaoranger. As they are nodding agreement with her observation, the scrying pool begins to make happy flowing sounds. They all lift their gazes to look.

A shimmering globe rising from the whirling water, and in an instant becomes Tetomu with the strange stone. She is very happy. She has figured out the secret of the stone. Within is a Gao supplement. She holds the stone out for them to admire and they all peer closely at it, perplexed. Black plucks it from her hands. "A Gao supplement?" he asks in bewilderment. Red, though, snatches it from him and peers, saying something about maybe it's another Power Animal. He seems to be trying to smell it, but White quickly gets it from him and raises it to stare intently. "I can't see anything!" she says, rotating it. Yellow grabs it guickly with a "Lemme see!" and starts turning it to look for some way to open the thing. But before he can get a look, Blue has snatched it from him and starts making a concentrated effort to twist the stone apart. At this, Tetomu has had enough and rescues it. "Give me that back!" She cradles it protectively in her hands and glowers at the curious heroes before turning away towards the pool with a huff. Black starts to reach after her, but then when she kneels and closes her eyes, a silence decends upon the room. Immensely curious, the others all gather around. The ball begins to glimmer and light beams out into the pool to show a globe, with a metal shape inside. An elephant trumpets. With gasps of pleased delight, the Gaoranger all lean on the edge of the pool. And Black says, "It's an elephant!" Yellow, equally delighted, grins and says "Our one more Power animal is Gao Elephant!" The crescent of how they stand, for the curious, goes Blue Yellow Red White Black. White is happy to theorize that the enemies did not know what they were searching for was Gao Elephant. Red makes an agreeing grunt. The image shimmers in the water.

Shuten's hand has a round, oozing wound. He is shaking with the pain and fury. And he blames it on the Gaoranger. He applies his power to his poor palm and cauterizes the wound. He is utterly furious. Near him stand Yabai-ba and Tsue Tsue, trembling. While Yabai-ba frets, wide-eyed Tsue Tsue suggests they hurry to find another new Aurg and send it to battle against the Gaoranger. And in daylignt, on the streets of the town, young people in heavy clothes and good helmets are motorcycling along with happy enthusiasm. Suddenly a huge wheel comes hurtling along the road, laughing maniacally and catching up with the small group. It careens amongst them, and the startled riders spin out of control. By some miracle no one seems to have been seriously hurt, and when the wheel races through an intersection, the two cars going crossways are able to stop without hitting. But then it finds a row of stopped cars. It bounces along their roofs leaving respectable dents to the drivers' startled confusion. The wheel is about half the size of a four-door car.

There are three men, looking like policemen, waiting. They see the wheel coming and hold up a stop sign. They have red bars to hold, too. The wheel, rather surprised by this, skids to a halt and then turns. It shifts apart like a three dimensional puzzle to take a humanoid form. It is Tire Aurg, and it is about to give them what for because they are trying it. When the three men suddenly squat down, patting their heads and pounding the red batons onto the cement. And they take on their true appearance. They are Aurgettes, of course. "Getto, getto, Aurgette!" they chant. And a maniacal laugh splits the air. This Aurg exclaims, "Wow, one-horns! The Dukes!" (I guess their fame is spreading) Yabai-ba greets him by name, and Tsue Tsue makes her playful pitch to his vanity.

White is reading, something about a long nose like a snake, and says that describes an elephant all right. Red says, "That's not all." He points to a line going Mouhito (I'd guess it's mou hitostu, "One more"). Yellow points to a bit which talks about the next animal. Blue gets excited, and Yellow speaks his suspicion that there is another Power Animal to find. Black points out that the word animal appears in yet another place, but all words about it were destroyed by the flames. Red is also getting excited. The whole team wants to find the Gao Elephant. They are guessing maybe four other. Tetomu comments she thinks they're right. But then the poool starts agitating. The team goes over to it, and White suspects an Aurg. Yellow suddenly suggests to Red that he try to get through. Before he can answer, Blue tugs at Yellow's shoulder, "What are we going to do about the Gao Elephant?" Red agrees this is a problem. Black points out that they can't tell if this signal is about an Aurg, or maybe it has to do with Gao Elephant. They are agreeing on that point. However, Tetomu is getting frustrated. Her nose twitches when she's angry, too. "What are you saying? Of course it's an Aurg!" She pushes in front of them to take a quick look and says, "Ooooh, it's terrible! I know the reaction is small, but this is a very dangerous Aurg! You'd better go quickly!" she pushes at White's arm. Blue pouts a bit. "But the new Power Animal -- " Tetomu cuts him off sternly, "You can look for it AFTER!" And she starts shoving them towards the door, telling them to hurry and go. When they finally leave she gives a satisfied huff. Black is outside first, grumbling because they've been chased out. He and Blue glance at each other and start off together to search. Yellow catches White's elbow, drawing her and Red aside. "Hey, you watch, 'kay?" Grinning back at him she says they will, sure there's going to be a bit of exiting.

Smashed windows. Tire Aurg stands atop a car and stamps on it, wondering why the heck the Gaorangers haven't appeared yet. And speak of the devil, there they are. Black, Blue and Yellow leap to attack. Yellow kicks Tire and bounces off, to his surprise, spinning back to land on his feet with the other two. He starts to issue a challenging speech, and Tire starts to count them. When he has to stop at three, he is quite surprised. Black informs him that three are quite enough to handle him. Yellow grabs both his friends' shoulders in alliance, and they leap to attack.

Tetomu is at the scrying pool, the image of Gao Elephant's sphere in the water. Worried, she pleads, "Hurry and help find..." and closes her eyes to concentrate. The image vanishes. "It's no use," she says, opening her eyes. Cradling the stone, she stands and frets that she can't manage it from here. She goes to the television sitting on the floor and picks up its plug. Holding the tongs between her fingers to power it, she watches a woman speaking. The woman speaks of white as a lucky color and a white dress. I think it's a home-shopping show. Tetomu smiles in pleased delight.

Outside Gao's Rock, hidden in the winter grasses, are Red and White. Red asks, "What are we doing? Why are just we -- " She cuts him off with a quick hand on his arm and an urgent sound. For Tetomu is walking out of Gao's Rock. They follow behind her.

The other three are fighting Tire Aurg, and Yabai-ba has arrived to give a little help.

Still cradling the stone, Tetomu walks along the streets looking very introspective. She comes to a map and peers closely at it. Red and White, trailing behind her, do a lot of quick ducking behind things whenever she pauses. "South... which is south?" Tetomu wonders, staring at the map. Red has questions for White. "What is Tetomu doing?" and White tells him that Tetomu is always in the rock, this is the first time she's ever left that White knows of. While she is explaining this, neither is watching and they do not see that a trio of young men has gathered around Tetomu and they are leading her off. Thus, when they peer around the edge of their hiding place they find to their dismay that she is gone! "Tetomu!" White gasps.

They've led Tetomu to an out of the way, isolated spot. I think it's a bike garage. One young man is in a blak shirt and has dreadlocks, another is in army fatigue colors, the third in a red jacket and he seems cold. The boy in black says, "Over here." Tetomu looks about. "Are there really elephants here?" she wonders. It seems there are elephants who want money, hahahah, says the boy. They laugh wickedly. Beginning to suspect them of unfriendly intentions, Tetomu looks around at them. The sound of the wicked laughter reaches the ears of the two searchers, who almost have overshot the bike garage. They head in quickly. Red sees the group and starts to hurry towards them, but White grabs his arm and pulls him down out of sight. Worried, he asks, "But what'll those guys do with Tetomu?!" White whispers back, "Maybe... it'll be all right." Tetomu's nostrils are flaring. She looks like a frozen statue but for that. The red-coated boy, smirking, is interested in her peculiar stone. "What's this?! When she pulls it away from him, the boy in fatigues takes it from her hand, intrigued. "Stop! Give it back!" She tries to grab it back and he tosses it past her. It hits and rolls on the cement floor until it fetches up against a pillar, then glows dimly between its cracks.

The pulse reaches the Matrix, flicks in the upside-down stone head's eyes. Shuten gets excited. He knows this signal is from that stone, and he wants its power in his hands.

Tetomu has had enough. She gets the army-kid by the nose and throws him against a nearby pillar. Red's jaw about drops to his feet. Dreadlocks leaps to attack, grabbing her from behind and she simply throws him off, elbows him in the gut and then punches his head. He falls with a sputtering surprised cry of pain. Determined, she turns to the last. The boy in red tries throwing a punch at her head. She catches his fist in her left palm, gets him a good one with her right palm in the nose and he falls, covering his bleeding nose with his left hand as he falls perhaps unconscious. Red gasps, "Fantastic!" and White ssys smugly, "Isn't she though?"

The others are getting pretty well trashed by Tire Aurg, who has tossed them into a stack of things. Yabai-ba and Tsue Tsue spring to his side, laughing smugly. Suddenly there is a crackle in the air and their names are called. "Lord Shuten!" Yabai-ba greets the being whose image floats in the air. "We're beating the Gao Ranger!" he crows. But Shuten wants them to head off and find that stone. It is south of them. His image vanishes. Yabai-ba, who's been having a grand time, is a bit upset. He protests to the empty air that in one more minute -- ! but he trails off. Tsue Tsue turns to Tire Aurg. She asks him to meet them in the south and they vanish in fire. Tire Aurg tells the Gao Ranger they'll meet later. Yellow quickly signals Red through his helmet, warning him that Tire Aurg has taken off. Red has his phone at his ear and nods agreeably. He tells Yellow they are with Tetomu and will try to get her to go back to the Rock.

They are indeed with her. She is settled on a park bench, staring unhappily at the stone in her hands. When he sits beside her and tells her of their concern, she counters sadly that it's very important that they find Gao Elephant. Since the group is so busy fighting the Aurg, she had decided to search on her own. She meets his gaze seriously and he responds gently that he understands how she feels, but it's unreasonable for her to do this alone. She looks upset at that. "Unreasonable? What kind of thing is unreasonable? This is something I can do!!" And she looks away from him, her nostrils flaring as they do when she is angry. A moment later and White is there with a vanilla ice cream cone to offer to Tetomu. This gets a shy smile, and Tetomu tastes it. Then she starts to tell them of ancient history, of a thousand story scroll showing the great Power Animals fighting ancient Aurg (who are indeed the Oni of Japanese legend). How some of the animals were lost and could not return to the sky island. On that scroll had been the image of a huge, angry elephant. Red remarks on that. Tetomu remarks on the lost being lonely, sad, and wanting to return to the sky island. "Gao Elephant is in the south." "REALLY?" delights White.

But there is a mad, giant tire tearing down the roads, wondering where that stone is. Power pulsing in the Matrix gives Shuten a fix and he direct Tire Aurg towards his target. Rolling down a walkway in a park, it sees three people ahead of it. They hear it coming and spin, but it knocks them flying as it goes. They are, of course, our three. Red and White land hard on the cement with cries of pain. Tetomu fetches up into a park bench, pretty well knocked. She doesn't lose hold of the stone, though. And Tire Aurg sees it in her hands. "There it is! Hey, give that stone to me!" he hollars, racing and trying to grab it from her hands. Tetomu hangs on for dear life. "Let go! I'm not giving you this stone!" Red scrambles to his feet, seeing the unequal struggle as Tetomus is being dragged away with the stone. He leaps at Tire Aurg, only to be easily knocked back. White helps him back up, but the Aurg is not interested in fighting them right now. He turns and whirls back into tire shape around Tetomu and the stone, and rolls off with a mocking farewell. The two Gaoranger transfer into their armor and pursue, joining up with the others. Blue and Yellow glide through the air, while the other three run on all fours below them. Tetomu, trapped in a seat inside the whirling, roaring blackness, gives a cry of frustration and fear.

Yabai-ba and Tsue Tsue wait in the south, below some cliffs. Tire Aurg arrives, rolls between them, skids to a halt and takes on his normal form. Tetomu falls to the ground, still holding the stone. She gets up and starts dusting herself off. Confused, the two Dukes ask and he points out that he picked her up with the stone. So Yabai-ba walks up and tells her "Sister, give me the stone." She looks up at him indignantly and no way, and that she is like a big sister to the Gao Ranger. The two dukes look at each other with clear bemused pleasure. "Gaoranger's big sister?" asked Yabai-ba. He and Tsue Tsue nod at each other, and the witch-woman points out that this is ample reason never to let her get away. Realizing that she's been caught, Tetomu sucks in a breath and nibbles her knuckles in dismay. She thinks, "Oh, this is bad," and logically runs. Tsue Tsue smirks and snaps her fingers. Tetomu is quickly cut off by a crowd of Aurgettes. She is caught between the two groups, looking frantically back and forth as they close on her, Tire Aurg laughing.

An eagle's cry splits the air. Gao Eagle flies in and catches Tetomu up by her shoulders, taking her out of immediate danger. The group assembles around her and Red sets his hands firmly on her shoulders, "Are you all right, Tetomu?" "You all!" she exclaims in relief. Below them, the Aurg are ready to fight. Our heroes announce themselves happily. Unimpressed, Tsue Tsue sends the Aurgettes into battle. They meet the Gao Fang, the Shark Attack, White, Yellow, Black whose strike sends one Aurgette wildly spinning and it hits the excited Tetomu, sending her flying into a large sign-board, which falls over with her impact. "Ouch!" she whimpers. But, sitting up, she reads the words on the signpost. The legend of Elephant Mountain. The elephant hiding in the mountain. "Here! They brought me SOUTH!" Delighted, she hops up and down with joy.

Meanwhile, Tire Aurg goes tire and knocks the Gaoranger like bowling pins. Black determines to stop him, facing him and holding on. He is pushed rapidly back and eventually run over. The others gather quickly, Blue scooping him into a sitting position. The two tell each other "Never give up!" Red is about to try something, Yellow cautions him. Red heads off towards the laughing tire and starts teasing it. He mocks it until the Aurg goes after him in a rage. He runs at first on all fours, then whirls to face it, continuing a steady stream of insults and finally pulls out the Gao Main Blaster. Normal mode knocks the Aurg out of its Tire form and into humanoid form. Then Red hits it with Final Mode. A roar, and the blast. Tire Aurg is down in bubbling green foam and explodes. Yabai-ba is furious. So is Tsue Tsue, who sends out the Aurg Seeds to turn the remains into a giant. And so our heroes call their Power Animals into battle.

They start to form Gao King and our heroes board for the final transformation. When they try the Shark Shoot and Tiger Burn, their strikes just bounce off Tire Aurg. His do quite a good shock, though. He hits them in tire form. Below, Tetomu watches in dismay and then the stone flares in her hands. She hears the trumpet of the elephant and acknowledges its call. "Gao Elephant! I can hear your voice!" She raises her gaze dreamily to gaze about. In the Matrix, the stone head is glowing red and white. Shuten frets angrily about the power. Tsue Tsue heads after Tetomu. "You will give me that stone!" But our lady is not about to cooperate. And so Tsue Tsue blasts her. This kind of battle seems too much for her. It is White who sees their mentor far below, trying to crawl away from her attacker, clinging to the precious stone. "She's in danger!" Leaving her globe in the cockpit, she takes only her dagger and leaps to the ground far below. She knocks Tsue Tsue away, goes quickly to help Tetomu and urge her to call Gao Elephant. Tetomu frantically nods agreement. White faces a very angry Tsue Tsue, while Tetomu does her best. And Gao King fight Tire Aurg. Soon White is trapped between Tsue Tsue and Yabai-ba. But Tetomu's efforts are working. The stone flares brightly and soon turns into a green globe with a metallic image of an elephant inside. Tetomu gasps in awed delight. Then the stone glimmers green, and the glimmer leaps out, swirls around Tetomu, then heads towards the mountain. A blur, and the ground shifts to form the shape of an elaphants face. Gao Elephant can be heard trumpeting, but still perhaps only by Tetomu.

White is getting really pounded down. Tetomu, seeing this, calls to her. "White! Use this in your dagger!" and she throws it to her. White quickly obliges, putting the stone in and calling Gao Elepplant. Her dagger flares brilliant green-white. The light hurtles to the mountain and shatters the stone! Golden tusks, brilliant blue, the elepant shakes itself free and trumpets. Then it begins to walk out of the mountain. Tetomu is at White's side, holding her arm in joy. "Isn't this great? Gao Elephant answers you!" So he does. He races through the woods on short legs, trumpeting joyfully. He's got to keep that trunk up or he'll trip on it. Hearing his call, Tire Aurg turns only to find itself plowed into. He falls. White joins the others in the cockpit and calls Gao Elephant. And in a moment, Gao King now has the Elephant Shield and Elephant Sword. The attack with these is deadly. And the final strike, the sword turns fluid like a whip, but still with the cutting force of a blade as they destroy Tire Aurg. He dies in a flare of viloent fire.

Tetomu runs to greet her happys group and thank White, who points out that they were glad to help. Red has some wondering about Tetomu's obvious lack of a sense of direction. Eagle comments too, and White asks gently, "Tetomu, how long have you lived alone in Gao's Rock?" Answering this requires some thought on her part. She doesn't really know, the years sort of blur together. "I think it's been about one thousand and twenty-two years...." The others all gape and Black asks, "About since the Heian Period?!" Blue is also delighted with the information. White bounds forward to tell Tetomu how great that is, and the two women take each others' hands. But Tetomu has some ideas and starts walking off, while the boys head after her fretting and confused. And Gao Elephant roars for joy.

Technically this week Quest 6: 牛、焦がれる！！ Ushi, Kogareru!! Bison in Love!

A strange, purple-skinned Aurg. The Gaorangers racing through a building and getting chased out of rooms. A woman in a purple dress flipping a stranger into the air. Gao Black wearing a wedding dress and a wig *giggle* stamping the floor of a room into quaking. Sitting in Gao's Rock with a silly smile on his face.

The great island floats, peaceful, in the sky. The elephant eats, and trumpets in happy return home. But far below in the hidden undergound chamber of the Aurg, the Matrix... others are not happy at all.

Shuten is cracking with furious lightning. He rants about the Gaoranger, his eyes bright yellow. Yabai-ba and Tsue Tsue are keeping a safe distance, shivering. His rage is fearsome to behold. Tsue Tsue agrees with her companion that they will keep trying, for Shuten.

A peaceful park, spring flowers of violet and white. People walking in the morning. 大安市, Taian City (Lucky Day City?). A lovely young woman in a black skirted business suit is in coversation with another lovely woman, in a black business suit with slacks. Suddenly, a silvery purple foot steps on the ground. A curved horn is briefly visible over the foilage before whatever has it goes by. There are two young office ladies talking and eating together. The longer-haired asks the other about her lunch, and that one says she made it herself. "Really?" But then a male voice murmers in the bushes, "Now this one is pretty." An instant later, the women scream. The short-haired one who made her own lunch falls unconscious as the other flees. For what has stepped from the bushes has a face on its torso, which smirks at them. Two horns spike out from the lump where a head should be, and one more curls from the back. It reaches down and gathers the girl up, laughing happily. It is racing off with her when it finds a colorful group landing in front of it. Red shouts, "WAIT!" They've found him, but he has no intention of stopping to fight. He continues off with the girl over his shoulder and they pursue him into a building. He vanishes around a corner and up stairs. Soon they catch up, but he is gone. There is only a hall full of closed doors. "Where'd he go?!" Blue tells them they'll just have to search, patting Red's shoulder firmly. They split up and each goes into a room.

Black enters a room and finds a woman standing there in a beautiful white wedding dress. She takes one look at her intruder and screams. Before anything more can happen, a businesslike woman steps between them, greeting the unexpected visitor with utter and complete calm. "Are you getting married today?" she asks him while the other girl shivers behind her. "Men are supposed to wait outside," the woman says, and gestures calmly. Black stutters, "Um, eh, yes. I mean, no not me!" Amused, she smiles and encourages him to head out, seeming to think this is some marriage stunt. Black lowers his protesting hands to get a good look at her. To him, she sparkles. She has wide-set, large eyes, a charming smile. Her ears are small and delicate. (for those who are waiting, this is the same actress who played Ako Hayasaka in Jetman) Somewhere in this she identifies herself. Black is sort of leaning, off-balance and enchanted. The spell is broken by an angry man's voice. "NO WAY!" and a moment later a furious, darker-skinned man in a business suit comes into the room. He gives Black a quick once-over and scowls. He is not at all happy about this oddly costumed visitor, this is not a stunt okayed by himself. But the woman moves to calm things down. The young woman in the wedding dress still is watching all this in confusion. Furious, the man shoves Black out of the room. The others are being similarly turned out of the rooms they entered by angry employees of the wedding hall. They are all trying to apologize, and the very angry man orders them out.

In a dirt park, there is this strange knoll that looks like it's been there forever. Strangely shaped boulders, a grassy outcrop. No one seems to be paying particular attention to it, though. And inside are a group of young people. White walks, fretting about the wedding hall. Red, Blue and Yellow lean together against a stone. Black sits on a boulder and says nothing, staring dreamily into the air with a vacous smile on his face. Red wanders over, curious. He waves his hand in front of Black's face when there is no answer. Everyone stares at the love-struck man in surprise. He blinks, grins and says, "She's marvellous, isn't she?" The others are all "Huh?" Exasperated, Yellow pushes past them, patting Red's shoulder in passing. "Tetomu, have you got anything?" She is still at work on the remains of the scroll. She tells him thoughtfully that it looks like there are three others besides Gao Elephant. Something about a rough bear. Yellow repeats the phrase, wondering. Tetomu decides she'll have to investigate more and vanishes into the pool. The others are thinking what to do, when she sparkles back out of the pool again and tells them they might as well go search for that Aurg in the Marriage Hall. Yellow frowns fretfully at her and tells her they want to find out quickly. She sort of pouts at him and vanishes back into the pool. They are startled by her quick entry and exit, and Yellow reaches after her with a protest but there's not anything to say. Blue frets that they'll just have to do it. Black is on his feet instantly. "Ush! Let's go!" White counters that they have to be subtle. The floor manager was kind of scary! They all sigh together.

結婚式場 Kekkonshiki Bo? (Marriage Ceremony Place)大安苑 Taian En. There is a dark room, full of mannequins in lovely clothes. A woman lies on the floor and groans as she regains consciousness. Yes, the young office lady. An evil voice laughs behind her and she sits up and looks nervously around. There is the strange being behind her. And he steps forward, waves his wand and.... A light flashes out. She utters a small cry as it engulfs her and then flares pink energy back to the wand, which begins to fill. And she becomes a mannequin, dressed in her office clothes. Most probably all the mannequins are women kidnapped like her. Yes, he has added another to his beautiful collection. All the mannequins look alike to me, though. The door behind creaks open a bit, and he speaks to the person who enters. Not much longer. He will not forget his promise.

The hall is wide, open up two floors. People at work or preparing for weddings step innocently on the stairs. And a small group of five young people arrives. They see the floor manager and get rather nervous. Red, pale, says "Let's go." They walk towards the rooms past the floor manager, who of course does not recognize them and bows in greeting as they pass. With gleeful grins the groups watches him go. Red and Black hiss a victorious "Yes!" and they go on.

A small woman in a skirt walks in front of a man in gray slacks. They pause, the girl to adjust her collar, the man to straighten his tie. They are White and Black, and look very nice. They get a few steps down the hall when Black goes googly. The woman he's taken a fancy to is walking along with a bride, carefully adjusting the way the dress sits. He thinks in a daze, "Shimada-san!" She doesn't really notice the pair, it seems. She is busy with her work and coaching the young bride. Drawn like a fish on a hook, Black swings around as they pass to stare longingly after her. He is walking backwards to keep with White, and so collides with someone carrying a vase of red carnations. It shatters on the floor. With heartfelt apologies he and White bend to help the poor man clean up. The noise attracts the anxious floor manager, who comes running to them in a fury. He is utterly furious with the young man who caused the accident and is all set to blow up, when Shimada-san arrives to cool things down, holding his arm. She needs some help and sends him off. She bends down to send White off for something, and starts helping pick up the pieces of the vase. Black takes this opportunity to try to speak to her. She has a certain perfection, while she reassures him that the boss, Najima-san, can get very loud and upset over small things. She's just acting to protect people from his temper.

Blue is searching the dining hall, peering under tables. Yellow asks him how it's going, but neither has found anything. They figure unhappily it could be hiding anywhere. Red gets off an elevator, "This is strange," for he hasn't found anything that could mean an Aurg. But then he hears the floor manager talking to someone he cannot see, about something to happen in three hours. He hides, pressed back against the wall. Something about targets and calling through the mike. Red heads off, sure he's found out something important. The group gathers on the grounds outside. They didn't like the floor manager, so they are rather delighted to find out he's behaving suspiciously. Black states he practically hates the guy. The only thing to do is to wait until three hours from now. Before they can quite finalize their plan, a voice calls them. It is Shimada-san, looking for some more help. Black goes into a daze, but it is White Shimada is really calling for.

She needs help putting a dress on a young bride. The dress is lovely, a sort of pale blue-lilac. Shimada and White help the bride into her gown, and the older woman takes the opportunity to ask White about her acquaintance. "Yes, he's Gao Black," White answers without thinking, then flushes. But Shimada is following, unfazed by the odd name. "So he's called Gao?" and a few more questions. White is trying not to say anything too strange, but Shimada seems to have taken a liking to the young man. They grin at each other.

A large wedding party is settled in the dining hall. The floor manager is heading off. Red and Yellow split up. The music starts. Bride and Groom enter to the wedding march, White holding the train. The couple bow to their guests. The floor manager is alert, Yellow watches him. And then the floor manager whispers into his mike, "Now." A spotlight hits a curtained chamber that begins to descend towards the floor. The Gao are alert when the curtains open. There is a figure covered in a white cloth. Two points stick up like the horns of an Aurg. Red hollars suddenly, "Danger! Everyone get down!" and flings himself to White's side, the two spreading their arms wide to protect the couple. The audience obediantly dives for the floor, while the floor manager starts forward only to get body-tackled by Yellow, who accuses him of helping the Aurg. Red calls, "Come out!" and then races at the white-covered figure. Only when he pulls off the cover, there is a child in there, who almost bursts out laughing at the look on his face. The points were the angel-wings she is wearing. And she holds out a bouquet of flowers. "Congratulations!" she says sweetly. Red and White gape at her. Yellow, chagrined, finds he has to let the very outraged floor manager get up. The man has a lot to say about their ruining this carefully planned party. Red is still gaping, holding the bouquet in his hands, the little girl smiling behind him. The floor manager, who's had enough of blowing up, only closes his eyes and groans as the strangers start bowing and apologizing profusely. He himself goes to apologize to the bride and groom, who are looking rather exasperated. The audience is starting to come up for air, realizing nothing terrible is happening after all.

However, the bride suddenly grabs the floor manager's collar and, with a snarl, smacks him around and then tosses him flying. He lands rather solidly on a table, which does not survive the impact. The Gao all turn to stare at her. Her groom is similarly stunned. "Miho-san!" Actually, she looks stunned too. As he asks what's happening, she grabs his throat and upends him. The crowd cries out in frightened confusion. For suddenly there are eyes blinking in her dress. She starts spinning in the air, crying, "It's not me! I can't do this!" White is the first to say it. "Her dress is the Aurg!"

Another couple are entering the halls, unattended by anyone. A slender young man with a rather tall, blushing bride. Screams for help catch their ears and the bride drops her bouquet to reveal -- it is Black, with a wig. They see the young woman, crying for help, her feet several inches above the floor as she hurtles towards them, kicking. With a cry, Black moves to stop the hurtling woman. She sees him and her body stiffens with the Aurg's intent. "Oh, I'll take this one too!" cries the Aurg through her mouth. A flare of light. Blue and Black fall, and the Aurg-controlled woman scoops up the unconscious Black as she passes over him. The others arrive on her heels. Blue is just shaking off the effects of the blast as they gather around him.

The room full of mannequins. Black beginning to stir. He hears the Aurg speaking and slowly lifts his head. His vision begins to clear. There is the bride in her beautiful wedding dress that is really the Aurg. There is another woman in front of her, back to him, dressed in the uniform of the women who work in the hall. She is asking the Aurg about its promise. And it says it is ready. Black's daze is clearing and he realizes the woman is Shimada. "I've been waiting for this!" Shimada says. Black stares, stunned, wondering. The bride suddenly stiffens, her arms outspread. And then her wedding dress becomes the Aurg behind her and she cries out in fear. But before she can do anything, he envelops her in his wand's glow. Her life-force is sucked into his wand and she becomes a mannequin. The power register is at full. Wedding Dress Aurg, and he is very pleased with his collection. He looks rather funny with the veil hanging from his back-horn. He tells Shimada it is time. She cups her face, trembling with delight. She says she will be young and beautiful again. He asks if she is ready. She says firmly that she is. Black struggles to get on his feet, still pained. ""Don't do it!" Startled, both of them turn. He staggers slightly, making his way to her and takes her shoulders in his hands to tell her not to help the Aurg, that they can't be trusted. The Aurg shoves him away. His veil and wig slip off to reveal his reality to them. Furious, Wedding Dress Aurg goes at him. "A man? I don't want a MAN!" and it beats him down. Shimada moves forward anxiously, "Hurry! Do as you said, make me young!" And so he does, hitting her with a special beam from his wand. The clock turns. Her hair lengthens, becomes solid black, her face shines with youth. She is smiling in delight but then her form begins to shrink. She becomes a child and then a baby before she even knows what's happening. Black gapes at the baby engulfed in the adult's clothing on the floor. Wedding Dress Aurg scratches its eye ridges in vague perplexion. "Hmm. Maybe a little too much energy?" it wonders. But Black is scrambling to his feet, demanding the woman back. "Shut up!" and it hits him with the energy from its wand to turn him into a mannequin. However, nothing happens. "Oh. It doesn't work on a man?" the Aurg remarks in surprise. So then it attacks, and they are battling in the room. But Black has his balance now, and gets up in a fury, intimidating the Aurg. He attacks with a snarl of "Never give up!" and soon bashes the Aurg out the wall. Hearing the commotion, the others run to join him. When they arrive, Black explains quickly what has happened. The group are in agreement, and they start after him. Before they can get a step, they are blasted.

Yabai-ba's high laughter splits the air. He and Tsue Tsue are sitting together on a bench, and they've been enjoying the whole show tremendously. They give their standing offer, of power to turn everyone into mannequins. Wedding Dress Aurg is happy to accept their help. The Aurgettes come and the battle gets underway. Black leads the change into their armor. The Aurg is unimpressed, even as they announce themselves. The five attack him at once, but he bashes them back. His wand turns into a flaming sword with which he is able to injure and drive back all of them. But Black logically leaps into the fountain and douses the flames with an armful of water. He then grabs the Aurg and spends some time throwing him around. "Love makes you strong!" he announces. And then they call in their combined weapon and destroy the Aurg. The wand goes flying and Black catches it. As he begins to explode, the Aurg howls, "God damn I HATE men!" He falls and becomes green foam. Yabai-ba and Tsue Tsue do what they do. Wedding Dress Aurg is reborn a giant. And our heroes call in their Power Animals. Gao Shark hits first, and then while the Aurg is stunned, our heroes call for the combo and join their companions to form Gao King. Though he stuns them with his blast, Black leads the battle using the Gao Bison Kick to knock the Aurg flying. White calls in Gao Elephant and Red announces the need for sword and shield. They protect themselves and then slice and dice Wedding Dress Aurg. The long, whiplike slash, and it is over.

The baby cries mournflly in the pile of clothes. "Shimada-san," Black says softly. Then he engulfs her in the beam of the wand. The process reverses and she is soon herself, gazing at him in amazed relief. Blushing, he turns to the mannequins. Every one of them is restored, the women were all aware, at least to a degree, of what had happened to them and their voices raise as they tell each other in delight, "Oh thank goodness!"

Out by the fountains, the Gao meet and Shimada is there with Black beside her. White starts, informing her of what she's almost done. As the woman lowers her gaze, Black leaps forward. "Wait, wait!" he tells them anxiously. "She didn't really know what she was doing! Isn't that right, Shimada?" he asks her. Her gaze is as low as she can bring it. At last she lifts it and meets his eyes, hers deeply troubled, searching and confused about how to answer him when he doesn't want the truth. He turns back to the others. "But please, please forgive her!" He goes to his knees before them, begging repeatedly. Shimada, stunned, says "You're doing this for my sake?" She is quite guilty. He climbs to his feet and meets her eyes. "You are beautiful. Beauty is not a matter of youth or style." The most important thing, he tries to explain, is the beauty within you. She has many doubts, but then she apologizes to him for what she'd done. And pretty soon it looks like things are settling out, as he blushes when she suggests he come to this place for his wedding. White, seeing him about to run, urges with hand signals that he speak his heart to her. He starts sheepisly, "Um, well, if it's okay -- " "To get married!" she suddenly says firmly. Her eyes bright, she turns her gaze on him. "I've decided." Black is starting to get hopeful and says, "Yes." She nods to him firmly. But then someone calls her name. "Saori!" It is the floor manager. Since the events of the day he has his arm in a cast, leg, and is all bandaged up. He has come searching for the love of his life, who calls his name and races to him. Black, realizing suddenly what she was talking about, goes into shock. She, who had been blissfully ignorant of what HE was talking about, tells them that because of Black she is now able to decide. She is going to get married. Her prospective husband looks rather giddy under his bandages. She will go with him, and bows to them before she and her man turn and walk away together. Black, is stuttering his dismay, not loudly enough for her to hear. The group behind him are waving happily to the couple who are leaving. White is fastest to leap forward and reassure him. Blue and Red hang on his shoulders, teasing and empathizing with his loss, while Yellow is more smirking to hold in his laughter. They watch the couple heading off, as the man loses his footing and his woman helps him stand. "Are you all right?" "I'm fine," he says back. For he has everything he's ever dreamed of now. The others start off slowly and Blue calls teasingly, "Black, never give up!" Black dashes after him, Red on his heels hollering "Wait for me!" and Yellow and White hurtle fastest ahead.

Technically this week Quest 7:

They face an enemy able to stop them. Blue falls in the cockpit. There is an unhappy little boy by the ocean talking to Blue. Racing. And it is Blue whose heart will call the Giraffe.

Night at sea, a fishing boat sails along. It is quiet, the crew is relaxed, pouring sake for each other. All except one man, who is seated at the side of the boat. Even as the boat moves on the water, he is carefully penning a letter. He thinks about what he will say next, nibbling on the pen. One of his friends asks what he's doing and he calmly replies, "Something my son asked me to do." He continues writing. Another man comes out of the small bridge, startled. He calls to the others, "The fog is coalescing!" They rush to the side of the boat to look. But it is not mere fog. Far from them the rolling fog becomes a coil of sinister, rolling yellow mist that hurtles towards them. When it hits, the boat shudders violently with the impact. The men cry out and fall back. Flames rise....

The door to Gao's Rock. From inside, however faint, can be hear a voice raised in song as someone strums a ukulele. The voice is Gao Yellow's, and he is strumming while sitting on one boulder, while White sits contentedly at his feet, moving her head in time with the beat. She is as happy to listen to him as he is to play for her. Red suddenly pops up, looking thoroughly bewildered. "This doesn't look good," he tells us. Then says it to Yellow and White, who are blissfully ignoring him. He shivers violently, clutching his arms and protests, "It's cold!" Yet when he turns, it is to be confronted with the sight of Black clad only in his short pants, sandals on the floor behind him, doing katas.

The sounds echo. Yellow's pleasant singing and strumming shift on the consciousness of a young sleeper. Blue's head is pillowed on his arms. He was reading a book before. And dreams coalesce. Gao King, knocked back a few heavy steps. Something huge, heavy and metal collides with the great beast-robot. Explosions rock Gao King above a city building. The cries of the Rangers as their mecha topples heavily in the wilds. They also fall. Blue's dagger tumbles from its place to slide beside him and he picks it up with an oath. Tetomu's voice echoes, telling him to use something else. Confused by the something else she names, he sits up. Then Gao King shakes and he falls.

His cry splits the air and he tumbles off of his book and falls to sprawl on the floor. Startled, the others break from their assorted preoccupations to ask him what is the matter. Yellow stays seated while the others move closer to Blue. "What's the matter?" Black asks. Shaking himself off from the fall, Blue explains, "Oh, Gao King was defeated by an Aurg." He starts to gather his feet under him. They react predictably. "Huh?" This startling statement brings Yellow to his feet to ask if the young man saw the Aurg, but Blue snaps back, "It was a dream, sheesh." He goes to the scrying pool and begins to splash the cool water on his face. White and Black are starting to tease when the water bubbles up fiercely, startling Blue into falling back onto his behind. Tetomu appears in a sparkle of light and folds her arms to glare accusingly at him. "This is NOT for washing your face!" Blushing, he pushes his damp hair away from his eyes and apologizes. Black has tugged a shirt back on, red-orange with green sleeves. They wonder what's up. Tetomu's worried explanation is that a very powerful Aurg has been born, and it's come in from the sea. This news pleases Blue. "The sea?" And he gets up.

The great turtle-mountain floats in, sounds like it has jet engines as it settles into the hills of 長井港 (Nagai(?) Port), where the sea is cold and enormous. The ship-lights are beacons in the night. Where a group of five young people, whose clothes are mostly black, race to the edge of a dock and glance around. Red suggests they fan out and search. The others agree happily. Red and White dash off together. Yellow heads off another way. Blue and Black are supposed to be together, but Blue is stopping and staring out at the water. "Isn't the sea wonderful?" he asks happily. Black smiles warmly and asks, "Isn't the sea your favorite?" Blue cheerily agrees that's true. Turning from the water, he stares around with quiet, innocent puzzlement. "But why do I get the feeling I've seen this port before?" Black frowns and asks worriedly, "What?" "Oh, nothing." But he is still puzzling as he and Black race off.

Beyond them, out on a porch or something like that, a form stirs and sits up. It is a little boy, his dreams broken by the sound of the voices carried on the lapping water. "Loudmouths," he complains unhappily before settling back and pulling his sleeping bag tighter around him.

The glowing yellow fog races in towards the buildings and lights, faster than the whistling wind. Under the sweet wing of a large fishing boat, the glow becomes brilliant, then fades and pulses again. The bright light disturbs the sleeping boy, who sits up, covering his eyes. On the floor beside him lie an electric lantern, an old-fashioned oil lantern, what looks like an empty ramen bowl and of course his shoes. Staring towards the glow he wonders "What is that?" and quickly gets his shoes on. He heads out cautiously and peers around the edge of a further boat at the pulsing glow. And then a shadow falls along the dock. Feet step and they are huge, shining in the yellow light. A huge anchor is first visible. The body coming out is massive and powerful, seems to have a shield on the left side. There are glowing, red eyes in a huge, horned head. The glow pulses again, blinding us. Stunned, the boy cries out and falls backwards. His cry attracts the attention of Blue and Black, who quickly head back the way they came.

It also attracts the attention of the great being who has appeared. With an inquisitive grunt, he swings about to stare at the little boy. He has several eyes, actually, and two great horns on his head. He sneers when seeing the small child and, with a snort, turns away and walks on. 帆船 Hansen Aurg (boat) is his name. His head, in the whiter light, is blue. And the boy sees, embedded in his shoulder, a clear bottle with a white paper inside. One he recognizes and his fear fades in his surprise as he gasps, "It's true!" then cries, "Give that back!" Startled, Hansen Aurg turns to look at him, top three eyes glowing brilliant red. With an inquisitive noise, the Aurg heads towards the boy with deliberate steps, anchor shifting to strike. The boy, logically, gives a cry of fright and backpedals along the cement. There are two more eyes visible in what looks like, but is not, the Aurg's fanged mouth. He laughs and raises the anchor. Before he can strike, another cry splits the air. Gao Blue comes hurtling through the night and it is he who kicks the Aurg. The startled one is knocked a few steps back and snarls, "Who are you?" Blue and Black land in front of the boy. Black races into battle with a snarl. Blue pauses to kneel down with the boy, a hand quick to make sure the child's bare legs are fine. "You all right? Not hurt?" "Yeah." "Then hurry, run away!" The boy is on his feet, racing off obediantly. Black is getting beat back when Blue joins him. The others arrive to call challenge. Yellow and White lead the attack with cries of, "Eagle Sword!" "Tiger Baton!" However, the Aurg only knocks them back with his shield. They fall heavily and the other three rally around them. Red hauls out the Gao Main Buster and fires, but his shots only reflect off of the Aurg's shield and come back to blast the Gaorangers, who fall with cries of pain. The Aurg is amused and mocks them, but Blue is on his feet and leaps to attack, catching their enemy and taking him into the water. The others rush to the edge of the dock, calling his name. But what Blue expects is not what happens, for Hansen Aurg is of the sea and beats him back. He brings out his dagger to fight, but before he can get close again, the Aurg blasts him with lightning from one of its three upper eyes. His cry of pain reaches the ears of the others. Red starts forward, White grabs his arm. The other two shift nervously, close together. Then Blue, sans armor, bubbles to the surface of the water on his back, unconscious. "Blue!" cries Black. There is no response.

Morning, and Nagai Port looks peaceful enough. Of course, in the wilds beyond the town there is an oddity along the skyline. A small mountain. Inside the mountain, one cave is Blue's quarters. There is a large poster on the wall, deep blue with dolphins leaping from the shimmering water. "Le Grand Bleu" is the title. Beside it is a small piture, an atlas map of the world. A small gasp of pain alerts us to the young man lying in a single bed. There is a white cloth on his forehead, and another swatch of cloth has been used to bind his chest. Stirring in his troubled sleep, he makes small noises of distress. He is dreaming again, of the cockpit of Gao King filled with vicious light, he and the others falling from their control stands. His dagger landing beside him. Again Tetomu's voice urges him to use the other. Again Gao King shakes and he falls.

This time he falls out of his bed with a cry. He lands on his face on the floor. His room is sparingly decorated. There is a chair and a small, round table with a glass surface. There is a wheel of an ancient ship against the wall, plus assorted other ocean-related paraphrenalia. He starts to pull himself up, grumbling painfully, "That dream again?" At that moment, Tetomu walks in carrying something for him. "So you're awake," she says, but then adds gently that he shouldn't go out yet. He has settled himself on his bed, breathing slightly painful, and starts to pull his shoes on. "Where are the others?" She tells him they're out by the sea, searching for the Aurg. "Really," he mutters. Then he gets up and starts to pull on a blue and black sweater. He questions her, asking if she's ever heard the phrase "Madara no yori" (speckled something) She repeats it, puzzling. Blue shrugs it off. "Oh, nothing. I certainly don't understand it either." Tetomu has something in her hands with purpose, but Blue has also picked up his jacket and seems to be heading off past a neat lamp. "Blue! Are you sure you're all right already?" Tetomu asks him anxiously. He points out that the ocean is really something the others can't do.

Out in the brilliant, morning sun, Blue stops at the edge of the docks. "I had that same dream... again. What does it mean?" he wonders, his hands on his hips and elbows out. Behind him, a yellow crane towers. Its hook silently lowers. The machine hums as it turns, the hook now near the ground and swinging towards him. It is almost there when he registers the sound of the engine and whirls around. "Oh!" he gasps and then dives and rolls under the heavy hook. It is continuing its swift spin. With an angry snarl, Blue heads for the driver's seat. He forces open the door to find the driver is that same little boy, who is startled and meets his eyes with acute embarrassment. "I'm really sorry!" the boy gasps. Blue gapes at him, and remembers the night before. He cannot say anything to the child about that.

Later, he heads onto the grounds of one of the local shrines. It is still morning and no one is about because everyone's working. Blue sees the boy has settled himself on a low pillar and is staring out at the sea. Blue has brought drinks for them both, and offers the boy one. The child thanks him. Blue is uttering a small scolding for fooling with dangerous equipment, and the boy apologizes miserably again. He explains he was looking for his father's letter. "Father's letter?" Blue repeats, wanting more information. With a nod, the boy stands and explains how he'd seen his father off the other day, giving him this bottle and securing the promise that he would write a message in it, toss it into the sea for the boy to find when the tide brought it in. His father had promised to search for it with him, ruffling the son's hair affectionately. And then the boy adds that his father hadn't returned. The child is pale with the effort not to cry. Blue, behind him, rises and remembers seeing that bottle embedded in the Aurg's shoulder and not thinking anything of it. "Maybe that Aurg and your father's boat -- " he starts. But the boy does NOT want to hear it. He whirls to meet the young man's eyes and tell him sternly that his father is surely alive and things like someone surely helped. But the statement does not help the boy, who is losing his battle with tears. Blue sees this and steps forward to put an arm around the child and let him sob against his chest. The moment of human-to-human affection and reassurance is broken by a distant voice crying, "Horrible!" There are men racing up the road, screaming about a monster. Blue and the boy look at each other with determination. Blue hands the boy his can. "You wait for me, I'll defeat it and get your letter!" he says fiercely. "Mister?" (Oniichan) the boy asks uncertainly. Blue only nods and starts to dash off but the boy calls quickly, "What's your name?" "Dotou no Same da! (Surging Shark)" Blue replies, and continues off. The boy watches him go in puzzlement.

An anchor on a chain hurtles between two terrified men and strikes a boat, which goes up in flames. Crowds of fishery workers run from the huge being moving along the docks. Racing through the panicked people comes Blue. He faces Hansen Aurg and shouts at him to stop. "What's this, a child?" comments the Aurg. Blue is no longer fazed by such remarks. He sees the bottle in the Aurg's shoulder and, at this moment, thinks of nothing other than how to get it. The young boy arrives around the corner. Thus he is watching when Blue calls "Gao Access! Summon Spirit of the Earth!" and the boy recognizes the fighter from the night before. The Aurg recognizes him, too, and the battle is joined. The two dircle warily, before Blue leaps in to attack. He's actually getting some hits in, but this is one tough Aurg. The boy from shelter cheers him on. He is sent rolling on the dock, but gets up quickly. A flying leap and he bounces off the shield, but springs back off a boat. The Aurg's shield is quite effective. and knocks him back again. The boy takes off, but Blue and the Aurg have moved off the dock and down to the rocky beach. The young boy, however, races along the dock with purpose.

The Aurg is about to slice and dice him when the others arrive to help. Blue is at their heart as they challenge Hansen, who is quite unimpressed. The group sarts to charge when they are hit by a blast. Aurg and heroes are equally surprised, though by now they shouldn't be. "What in..?" puzzles Hansen. He turns. There they are. Yaba-iba sits amuzedly on the ground. Tsue Tsue leans against the post. They look very casual there, and amused. They chuckle and greet him. "Wow, one horns!" he exclaims. Yaba-iba gets to his feet to announce their interest in him, and Tsue Tsue pulls out the shell of weird liquid, telling Hansen Aurg they will give him a little help. (Like he needs it) She tosses the liquid into the air and soon it's raining Aurgettes. As they crowd and race past him towards the heroes, Hansen Aurg "gapes" and turns in confusion. "What the heck are you?" As the newcomers start fighting and getting beaten by the heroes, the exasperated Hansen decides they are much more hinderance than anything else. He heads into the fray, bashing heroes and Aurgettes alike. Yellow gets in a kick before getting knocked down. He is astounded by the generalness of Hansen's attack. The watching Dukes admire Hansen in extreme joy.

He eventually drives them back onto the docks, towards the crane where Blue had met the boy. He is certainly getting the better of them. An enraged Red tries to stop him alone and gets pinned underfoot. The others are getting frantic, when the crane starts to move. Blue sees it and gives a shout of joy. He leaps up and hangs onto the hook. Hansen, cackling madly, does not see Blue being swung towards him from above. He is trying to squash Red like a bug, when someone drops down on him and the bottle on his shoulder is snatched away before he knows it. Blue also manages to get in a strike that takes off one of Hansen Aurg's horns. This allows him to kick the Aurg away, and it shrieks in pain, writing on the ground. The group assembles, knowing its power has been broken. Yellow congratulates Blue in delight, and then Blue looks around to see the boy standing next to the controls of the crane. The boy yells, "Hey mister, you did it!" Blue shouts back, "Didn't I tell you not to drive that thing?!" The boy looks indignant and dismayed at the same time. "Eh? But I never touched it!" But Blue has tossed the bottle to him, and he catches it happily. "Thank you!"

Meanwhile, the very angry Aurg is on his feet. However, our heroes pull out the Hyakujuuken and destroy. The boy cries his congratulations. A dismayed Yaba-iba cries out, and Tsue Tsue uses her magic. Our heroes are confronted by the giant Hansen and they call in Gao King. White also calls in Gao Elephant. They figure they'll have the power to get through Hansen's weaponry. They are wrong. The two giants tower of the town. Their strike bounces off his shield. They are not so lucky, and as he strikes again and again, they are blasted and fall. Blue's dagger, sans orb, hits the floor beside him and he realizes... "This is just like my dream!" Suddenly frantic, he grabs Red's shoulder. "Gao King's going to be destroyed!" The others are beginning to recover, forcing their feet under them, White is worried but then Blue remembers what Tetomu had said in his dream. "Use the speckled spear? Oh, right! We can use the speckled spear!!" he tells Red. Logically, Red asks "What speckled spear?" Tetomu, in Gao's Rock, repeats it too. "Speckled Spear? AH!" she cries in realization and leaps for the scroll. She hauls it out and finds the reference. The words were partially cut off, but "Daranoya! It's here!" The others in the cockpit are wondering, and Blue cannot answer them, but Tetomu tells them that they've found another Power Animal. His dreams were because he and that Power Animal shared a link. He could call it in his heart. And so he brings up his dagger. "Speckled Spear Power Animal! Please give me your power!" he cries.

Down below, the crane begins to move. The boy in front of it turns in amazed surprise. The crane swings, and wheels roll towards the scene of the battle. And a glow coalesces in front of blue. A new orb settles down into his hand. He stares at the shape inside it in amazement. "A kirin (giraffe)?!" They all repeat his crowed "It's a kirin!" in amazement. "Yeah!" He settles the orb in his dagger's hilt and raises it, crying "Gao Giraffe! Come, please!" The summons rings, and the crane below shimmers, shifts and becomes a tall giraffe, which rears and stretches its legs. The startled boy, witnessing, falls on his but. And the Giraffe races into battle. As Hansen Aurg is having a grand time trying to smash Gao King to pieces, the newcomer arrives. It swings its head on its long neck and knocks him away. They are on their feet again and gasping with delight. Blue blithely explains that the speckled animal has a long neck, and this is Gao Giraffe. It had sent him the dreams. Then he calls, "Detach Gao Shark! Gao Shark, get Gao Giraffe!" His commands are followed. In a rather amusing scene, Gao Shark drops behind the Giraffe, which leaps up to ride the shark up to Gao King. "Attach Giraffe Spear!" cries Blue. Gao Giraffe calls back to him, and begins to change formation. Gao Shark drops away. The giraffe's legs fold up and its neck goes straight, head morphing to a sharpened point. The arm attaches, and they are ready. "Gao King Spear!" they shout. The Aurg is still unimpressed. But our heroes try their blast anyway, the spear head extending in fire. It pierces Hansen Aurg's shield. Indeed, it pierces his whole body. Groaning his disbelief, he goes up in flames. Gao King Spear stands victorious, and the boy below crows his delight.

Tsue Tsue and Yaba-iba, however, are being punished in the Matrix for this latest failure. Highness Duke Schtein is using his power on them and they cry in pain. Finally he stops and lets them fall to the floor. He stalks angrily away from them as they whimper. Then he snarls, "They've got another Power Animal!! Just where does the power of the Gaoranger's END?" Tsue Tsue and Yaba-iba crawl quickly away from him.

The Gaoranger have assembled near the little boy, and Blue goes to him where he sits in the gray afternoon, cradling the message bottle. Blue takes it firmly from him and opens it. He holds the bottle out, and at last the sad boy takes out the paper to read it. "To Taiyo." As he reads, the boy sees his father's face. The letter is encouragement and love, urging the boy to do as he wishes in life. Taiyo folds up and then crumples the letter, biting his lip. "Taiyo," Blue murmers, squeezing the child's shoulder. The other Gaoranger watch this unhappily. Taiyo conquers the tears and stands determinedly. He, like his father, will go out to sea. Blue stands beside him. The boy is continuing on when they hear voices calling from the water.

There are two orange inflatable lifeboats coming in with the tide. The men inside wave and shout. The Gaoranger and Taiyou realize it at the same time. And in the boat is Taiyo's father, who sees his son on the rocks and calls to him. With a cry of joy, the boy runs to meet the incoming sailors. The Gaoranger gather around Blue to share his joy as they watch the two wave happily to each other.

Quest 8: 犬、走る！！ Inu, Hashiru!! RUN, DOG, RUN

"EEEH? Red has a sweetheart?" says Yellow's voice. The team looks astonished. And Red is with a lovely young woman, who buttons up a pale blue shirt just like one she's wearing, that's a sort of doctor's smock. White is struggling with the others to get them to leave Red be, and an Aurg is smashing Red up against a wall, armor-less. Red is staring in horrow at the group in their armor spread on the ground. A golden retriever runs with Red's G-phone in its mouth.

Animalium is peaceful. Gao Lion greets the morning with a roar. The other animals are by the edge of the great lake. Well, the eagle is flying happily around. The elephant trumpets. The giraffe lifts its head to bugle. Tetomu watches the image ripple in the scrying pool and says, "I'm so glad. Now Gao Giraffe's come home, everyone's very happy." White, watching on the opposite side of the pool, straightens up and moves away, grinning with joy. Black peers over from a stone he is sitting on as she passes him. She says, "Of course it's wonderful for them to be back in their own place." Black gets to his feet and agrees happily. "We still have to hurry and find the other two." Blue joins them to agree, but before he can Yellow comes in asking, "Whose is this? It was in the entrance." Blue leaps excitedly to snatch the brown object from him. "Oh, this is Red's!" With enthusiasm, he starts opening the wallet. "Let's see what he was before..!" Equally curious, the others peer over. "Oh, she's pretty!" There is a picture in the flap of a lovely young woman standing with a golden retriever. Black gets the wallet quickly and takes a good look inside, Yellow making an appreciative noice. "Oh, he's got a sweetheart!" Tetomu looks on, bemused by their curiosity. White snatches the wallet next. "A sweetheart," she sighs wistfully. "I want to have a sweetheart, too." Blue pops up quickly in front of her and puts his hand on her shoulder. "Hey, how about me?" He is sincere, but she doesn't even consider him. "No way," and she whirls away, pouting. Blue looks miserable but Yellow, holding in laughter, puts a friendly arm over his shoulders. White goes on, "My sweetheart will have to ride on a white horse, and bring me armloads of roses!" Blue imagines himself a knight on an origami horse snorting colored flames. "Ride a white horse?" Black pictures himself in a white tuxedo, a huge bouquet of roses in hand. "Roses?" Yellow simply grins laughingly, I don't know what is running through his head, but he holds Blue's shoulders firmly while the other two men stare at White in dismay. Staring at the wallet, she delights for Red that he has a sweetheart and dreams of having one of her own. At that moment, Red comes in from the entrance, his eyes scanning the floor. Glancing up, he says with relief, "That's my pass-case!" White turns and willingly hands it to him. He takes it with a delighted smile. She starts to ask him about the woman in the picture, but Tetomu interrupts urgently. The scrying pool is bubbling. Another Aurg has arrived in Tokyo. Specifically, a certain sub-city called Higashiku. That is a place Red knows well, for it is where he was.

He leads White into the area happily, pausing to utter, "Oh wow, it's nice to be back!" He is indeed back, as is noticed immediately by the grocer of the small family store they've stopped in front of. "Doctor Kakeru!" "Oh, Uncle! How are you?" (not "family" uncle, but older respected person uncle). The man scolds, "Where've you been?" Kakeru begs off and takes off, startled White following aafter a bow to the man. They cross a street and look around, not noticing that the traffic light above them suddenly begins flashing oddly. A contented man in a car trustingly obeys the signal, only to find it has suddenly changed and collides with a car going crossway. White and Red whirl at the sound of the crash. They see the two angry men arguing about whose fault this was, while traffic starts to pile up around them. White frets if this is a sign of the Aurg but they do not know yet. Red points out this may have nothing to do with the Aurg. Then some woman starts screaming, and they whirl around. While people are crowding towards the accident, one woman is bounding with overenthusiasm to Red. "Is it really you, Doctor Kakeru?!" She is grabbing him, spinning him to get a good look while White looks on in bewildered surprise. The woman runs Red up against the signal pole and starts going on about how he is and how they've missed him and checking to see if he's gotten fat. No one hears the strange giggling from above them. The traffic light starts to distort and twist, then comes down the pole to the two people. Red is trying to get some space between himself and the overenthusiastic woman, who is even bouncing. When the pole behind them changes shape into a strange, silver white being with a traffic signal for a head about six horns poking out of it, the woman finally notices and utters a scream of terror. She runs as fast as she can, while the crowd that had gathered also makes tracks. Red is confused until White says, "Aurg!" he turns to find it right behind him.

This is Signal Aurg. Finding himself confronted, he turns and runs for it. White and Red watch him go in a combination of surprise and confusion. A nod and they pursue, eventually cutting him off but by now they are in their armor. They confront him on a sidewalk along a fence, there to keep foolish drunkards from falling into the water of the river. The two attack, but before they can get to him they themselves are hit. The timid Aurg wonders what, but a high laugh cuts the air. Yes, Yaba-iba and Tsue Tsue have arrived. Tsue Tsue tells him that if he can fight the Gaoranger (and possibly win) they will give him the power to do anything he wants. Encouraged by this, he decides to show them what he can do. Signal Aurg turns to the two Gaoranger, who are just getting back on their feet. He can do three things, and White is his primary target. "Green Signal!" he calls, and the whirling green bolt hurtles towards her. "Look out!" cries Red and leaps between. He is hit by the full impact. He falls heavily on his face and his companion calls him. He is starting to get back up weakly, and places a hand on his helmeted head. "Wh... what am I doing? I can't remember anything...!" White gets to his side, touches his shoulder and asks urgently, "Red, what's the matter?" His first sight of this strangely-clad person sends him scuttling back against the railing. "Who are you?" But before she can explain, the Aurg hits them again. This time it is with the Red Signal, and the whole area goes up in flames. They both cry out. The flames still burn and Yaba-iba and Tsue Tsue gather around Signal Aurg with delighted laughter. "Now THIS guy we can use!" crows Yaba-iba.

Boats sail across the river. A bridge stretches from one side to another. The other three Gaoranger, in their casual clothes, arrive at the scene. There seems to be nothing there, and Black calls for their missing members. "Nothing," he frets, catching up with the other two. Yellow answer, "Yes, but I think this is the place." And then his eye falls upon a familiar form, half under the bushes next to the wall. "White!" She has been blasted from her armor, and now the three gather around her anxiously. As Yellow firmly holds her shoulders and calls, she begins to wake. Black asks, "You okay?" "Guys..." she answer, relieved to find them there. She is starting to relax when she remembers, "RED!" and starts up frantically.

All sorts of unwanted things float on the currents of the river. One is a black haired man, body being pushed rather rapidly towards the shore. It had better be rapidly, because he's breathing water if he's breathing at all. Walking along the shore is a woman in a pale yellow, patterned skirt. She has a handsome golden retriever on her lead. He stops and suddenly barks alertly. She bends down and we see the pair are the same from Red's photograph. "What's the matter, Choco?" But then he goes into a bolt, and she loses hold of his lead, calling anxiously after him. He hurtles to shore, to the place where the man is bobbing against the rocks. Choco whines and licks the cold hand. A golden object slips from the stiff fingers, down into the muddy water.

A building, night. A man slowly begins to wake. A sweet, woman's voice calls his name and it echoes. "Doctor Kakeru?" He opens his eyes and the woman sitting anxiously beside him comes into focus. She speaks his name again, and again. Startled, he sits straight up and the woman speaks her relief. He is lying on a futon in a house. He is wearing a yukata (like kimono), and blinks in surprise around. In the next room behind him sits a grizzled, elderly man, who turns to regard his guest. Red blinks at the girl and says, "Misaki-san!" The man behind comments wisely, "So you've woken at last." Red gapes back at him, "Doctor Incho!" The man makes a wry comment. Puzzled, Red asks "What am I doing here?" and Misaki explains that they'd found him floating in the river. Doctor Incho gets to his feet and says that it was Choco who found him, really."Choco..?" Red repeats musedly. He throws off the covers and gets to his feet, heading for the sliding doors. He gets to the set of outside doors and opens the one leading to Choco's kennel. The dog whines and greets him happily. Red pets and thanks the dog, then sits back slightly and puzzled, "Why do I feel like it's been such a long time?" Doctor Incho comes around the corner, half-scolding him gently with Misaki close behind. "It has been. You disappeared about two months ago." Misaki agrees. "Everyone's been really worried." Red blinks and wonders, "Two months..." and rubs the back of his head. "I don't remember a thing." Misaki and Doctor Incho exchange quick, worried glances. Doctor Incho bends down and tells him probably that it will surely all come back to him. In the meantime, it was good to have him home again. He gives Red a firm pat on the shoulder, and goes back into the house. Misaki stays with Red.

The owl, same from first episode since they're back about where they picked Red up the first time, hoots in her tree. White stares miserably into the scrying pool, and sees only her own reflection. She splashes angrily at the water and fights back tears, holding her G-Phone in her fingers and wanting it to ring. She sits down on the stones beside the pool. "Red. Be alive," she whispers. At that moment, Yellow comes walking in from the other hall, hands tucked in his pockets. "You woke up?" probably suspecting, as do I, that she hasn't slept. He comes slowly over to her and tells her gently, "What happened to Red, it wasn't your fault." She shuffles anxiously and looks down. "But...." Into her unhappiness he says softly, "I'm sure he'll come back tomorrow." When she looks up at him, he sets his hand firmly on her head and points out there still is that Aurg out there. When she reluctantly nods agreement and makes a sound, he echoes it. Feeling he's said all he could, he heads back towards his room. She watches him go and smiles slightly. But he's not the only one who has come worrying about her. Blue is there in his light blue pajamas. Black is beside him, in black and white cow-print pajamas, clutching a carton of milk in his right hand and a pillow in his left, a floppy night-cap hanging over his sleepy eyes. "Go to sleep," Yellow tells them, and heads away. Blue agrees, and pushes Black ahead of him. White would probably have rather had their company, because she can't sleep. She remembers Red saying in fear, "I can't remember anything!" and backing away from her. "Who are you?" Instead of going to bed, she gets up and leaves Gao's Rock.

Traffic hurtles by on the wide, busy streets. "If this is the place Red lived until recently, maybe...." And she races along the streets, eventually coming back to the grocer's they'd stopped in front of the day before. The grocer is talking to a customer, and White starts to interrupt, trying to ask him about Red. Then a woman's strident, happy voice disturbs them all. There is a very happy woman, a small dog clutched against her chest as she hurries along and announced, "Doctor Kakeru is back!" The grocer grins in delight, but White no longer needs to interrupt him and he hadn't noticed her anyway. She turns after the other woman. "Maybe...?!" and races off in pursuit. Dogs barking. One of the narrow side-streets so common in Japan. There is a small crowd of VERY happy pet owners gathered outside a small, family Veterinary. White bounces up and down, trying to see over their heads but she cannot. The windows are too dark to see in, too. She continues around anxiously. Just as she is starting to plot a way in, a door to the house behind the clinic slides open and the dog there barks. White turns to see that Red is there, petting the dog. He is his usual tall self, dressed in a white t-shirt and black leather pants. With a sigh of utter relief, White says "It IS Red!" But her relief is cut off quickly by surprise. There is the woman from the picture. She is in a blue vet uniform, and has brought one for Red. He stands and she settles it on him, buttoning it up for him. White pulls unhappily away from this scene, then takes another look and settles miserably on a stone.

The waiting people are all chattering happily about Doctor Kakeru being back. However, Misaki is driving Doctor Incho ahead of her into a seat next to the computer, teasing him about being old. She grabs a chart to fill it out, while he complains indignantly about all these people here. Misaki heads off, but the heartless, middle-aged ladies waiting with their pets go on about how much better Doctor Kakeru is, and he's so gentle and such a fine-looking lad. Doctor Incho glowers and bites his lips, but then looks amused.

Doctor Kakeru has finished up putting a cone on a lovely tabby-cat, to keep it from scratching its ears. He hands it off to its happy owner. Misaki asks who is next, and the next woman has a little dog she is worrying about because his nose is hurt. Doctor Kakeru takes the dog gently from her and she goes to sit and wait.

Yellow, Blue and Black come racing along the narrow street. "White! You found Red?" Yellow calls. She nods to them unhappily and points. "He's here." Blue is ecstatic, shaking Yellow's arm. "Yeah! Red's safe!" and Yellow is all set to charge in there and get him with the others, when White calls him back. "But... but I don't think we should take him back now." Confused, they gather to her and Black asks, "What are you saying?" She reminds them unhappily of what happened. Yellow utters a curse and slams his fist into his hand. But White is going on that she thinks they should not take him from this place. When they utter confused noises, she explains that everyone in this city needs, knows and loves Red. And that he has an important job here. Blue is chewing his lips unhappily, but Yellow is not swayed. "Red is one of us." He stares at her firmly and she cannot meet his gaze. She has not quite explained everything. She is trying to point out that he is now with his sweetheart. "We shouldn't stand in the way of their love!" she tells them anxiously, knowing in that point, at least, she is right. Blue looks at Yellow in dismay, Yellow simply looks bewildered. Black nods to White with enthusiastic agreement.

That is the moment when they hear Red's voice. "Long time, eh Choco?" He is outside, a long-sleeved, red shirt on over his white t-shirt, and a small case in his hands. He's going to take Choco for a walk. Misaki is seeing him off and she bends to say to the dog, "Choco, isn't it wonderful that Doctor Kakeru's returned?"

The Gaoranger start to shift. Black gasps, "Him!" and Yellow, who is approaching the fence with clear intentions, finds himself grabbed by Blue as they hide at White's urgings. They peer around the corner of the fence, then duck out of sight as their friend approaches. Yellow pats Blue back as all four of them try to imitate the wall.

Doctor Kakeru reaches the gate and tells Misaki, "I'll be back after lunch!" She responds, "Take care!" and pats Choco. "I'm off!" "See you later!" she waves. "Let's go, Choco!" he says and the pair bound off together. "We'll be waiting!" Misaki calls. She heads back into the building. The Gaoranger un-wall themselves and Yellow says coolly, "Right. Let's go." He starts off, but White grabs his arm to stop him. He turns to her firmly. "Red chose the path his life would take, that time." Annoyed, he pulls his arm loose from her and continues on. The other two follow after him without hesitation, but White is still trying to think of words to protest with. She follows.

Doctor Kakeru and Choco arrive at a crosswalk and wait for the light to change. They do not see the signal above them suddenly change shape, four long spikes coming out and the lights becoming eyes. "Well, still alive and coming!"

Dog and man cross a bridge, when the dog starts barking. "Hey!" someone calls, a man in a black and yellow jacket. Doctor Kakeru stops as the four gather in front of him. "I'm sorry, do you need something with me?" he asks them with friendly wonder. They all flinch slightly, three looking down but the one who'd called him meets his eyes, troubled. "So it's true. You don't remember us at all." Doctor Kakeru is not a slow man. He shifts forward, looking with wide-eyed interest at each of them. "You're the people I was with?" "Yes." Yellow takes a step forward, about at the end of his rope though he is a TRIFLE more polite than the first time they'd met. "Come with us, please. We have to show you what you've been doing." Blue and Black move as one to snatch his arms and drag him after Yellow as he protests in confusion, "But, wait a minute!" White does not join in the snatch. She stands motionless, her thoughts full of the people so glad of his return. The young woman taking care of him. And she spins and chases after them. "Guys, we can't do this!" and she pushes first Blue, then Black, away from Doctor Kakeru and then starts pushing the VERY confused man back towards where they'd grabbed him. "It's better if he stays in this city!" "What is going ON?!" Docot Kakeru asks urgently. "Maybe it's better if you don't remember!" she cries back at him. He stares at her urgency, listening, wanting to understand. He sees the stubborn upset of Yellow, the unhappy worry of Blue, the quiet sadness of Black, and remains without knowing what these people need of him. But behind him, Choco barks urgent warning. He turns to the now-growling dog. "What is it, Choco?"

"It" is Signal Aurg, the two amused Dukes and a crowd of Aurgettes. Doctor Kakeru stares at the bizarre beings in surprise and cries out, falling back over the raised stones that mark the walkway. The four strangers assemble quickly, protectively, in front of him. The Aurg have been paying attention, and this moment when Red is practically useless is one they will take advantage of with enthusiasm. The four go into batle against the attacking Aurgettes. They fight fiercely. Doctor Kakeru watches in amazed horror. White sees him and calls him to run to somewhere safe. Uncertain and terrified, he gets to his feet to obey her. "What can I do?" he asks. But then someone else speaks to him. Signal Aurg is deeply amused to find that Red still doesn't remember a thing. And he goes to attack the helpless man, dragging him and slamming him against a pillar, tumbling him on the stones beside the river and, as he clutches his chest in pain, approaches to commit more serious harm. White sees this and gets loose from her opponents to go help, the others on her tail.

When they dive between Doctor Kakeru and his attacker, they haul out their G-Phones. "What're those?" the Aurg asks. But they give no explanation, only act. "Gao Access!" And Choco, coming close, sees what they are doing. He sees them change into powerful animal armor using the golden things. While Doctor Kakeru gapes, Choco turns around and runs towards the shore. Signal Aurg tries using Green signal attack, but they dive and roll to avoid a direct hit, protecting their helpless friend. Yellow signal attack hits Blue and Black, making them unable to move smoothly, staggering uncertainly. Yellow had managed to dive out of the direct path and now he flies in to attack, hauling feather-shaped daggers from the winglike-hilt of the Eagle sword. The three he hurls embed themself deep in Signal Aurg's flesh and explode! He is brought to his knees, while Black and Blue are released from his power and fall on their faces, but start getting up again quickly. The team still keeps its formation protectively around the confused Doctor Kakeru. Yellow is sure they can defeat Signal Aurg with Hyakujuuken, but for that they need Red. Black turns to the bewildered man immediately and grabs his shoulders saying urgently, "Red! With -- " but before he can continue, White shoves between them. "He doesn't remember what to do! We'll just have to fight like we used to!!" They all stare at her, including Doctor Kakeru. Then Yellow shouts, "He's coming!" Signal Aurg is indeed back on his feet and ready to attack. Red for fire, this time, and the small group of humans is hit badly. The two Dukes come over to Signal Aurg. They've just been having a great time watching all this, but now intend to get in on the action. They hit the group again with their own, powerful blasts. The four brace themselves as best they can to keep Doctor Kakeru from being hit and the Dukes laugh, as does Signal Aurg.

Protected, Doctor Kakeru is the first back on his feet, to stare in empathic horror at the four, brightly armor-clad people who are getting so badly blasted trying to protect him. Their bodies form a semi-circle around him, and they are all groaning. But the woman in white pushes herself up. "Red -- Doctor Kakeru, RUN! Hurry!" He starts to obey, he starts to bolt off, but stops after only a few steps. When she sees that he isn't moving, as the others are still struggling to get up, White snaps, "What ARE you doing?" Biting his lip, he turns to them. "I have a reason to stay, I want to help!" They, still not up, gaze at him. He comes closer anxiously. "If I can do this, teach me how, please!" They are at last standing to confront him, and Blue crows with delight, grabbing his arms, "With or without memory, Red is still Red!" Black gasps joyfully, "He'll fight with us!" White steps close anxiously, "But..!" Yellow pats her shoulder gently and turns to Doctor Kakeru. "The G-Phone?" Bewildered and innocent, Red asks, ""G-phone?" But then Choco barks a deep alerting woof. Red turns. The dog is running to them, and he has Red's G-Phone in his mouth. Red kneels and takes it with relieved joy. "Choco! This is it? Thank you, Choco!" The dog wags his tail happily as Red pets him, taking the golden instrument. The man stands and turns anxiously to the others. "What do I do with this?!" It is White who has to answer him. "You push the key, and you say 'Gao Access!'" He obeys without hesitation. And two months of conditioned reflexes takes over. He does not say "Summon Spirit of the Earth," but it seems it isn't needed, for he is astounded and delighted to find himself in red armor the next moment. Signal Aurg has learned not to be impressed, but Yellow urgest Red to quickly help them assemble Hyakujuuken. And when he has that weapon firmly in hand, they assemble to channel their power through him.

Red is staring at the weapon in amazed delight when Signal Aurg says, "Oh, and what's THAT?" Red is as ingorant as he, and instead of acting as the conduit for the group's power, leaps forward to attack! "Hey, wait!!" shout the others. But he thinks he knows what he is doing, and he certainly manages quite a few slashes and strikes. The Hyakujuuken is far more balanced that it appears to the untrained eye. He beats Signal Aurg will back, but his group at last manages to catch him, and Yellow firmly tells him to hold still. And now their power sings through them and into the blade. Signal Aurg is hit, and weeps as he falls, "Such a short life! Couldn't even go green! It's over!" He lands hard, and becomes green foam.

The group leaps with joy and shouts of victory. Then Red stops in startlement. "Why, what am I doing here?" but he is not afraid and it is White who realizes, "Your memory's coming back!" "Um... eh, yeah!" and he waves his fingers around to each other them as his memory of who they are has returned, with relief. Yellow teases him, "So you remember, Doctor Kakeru?" "Oh YES! I am a Gaoranger!"

Tsue Tsue is dismayed, and Yaba-iba clutches his head in horror. "Oh, this is bad!" So Tsue Tsue acts, to turn Signal Aurg's remains giant. He is quite delighted to find himself alive again. And our heroes call in Gao King. Blue summons Gao Giraffe, which bashes Signal Aurg about a bit to buy time for it to replace Gao Shark as the right arm. Giraffe Spear is a useful tool. Signal Aurg uses red attack, but they are proof against it. He is not proof against the spear and, with a mighty explosion, he is destroyed. Our heroes are victorious. Far below them, Yaba-iba and Tsue Tsue come together with cries of horror, then run as fast as they can in opposite directions.

Doctor Incho is beginning to pace, tapping his hand worriedly. "He's gone for a long walk," he frets deeply. Misaki is making something, and as he frets, "You'd think an hour would be quite enough for lunch," she turns anxiously. "You don't think it's happened again?" But then they hear barking. They lift their gazes and the door opens. Choco comes running in to greet them happily. Misaki kneels to pets him and rub him down, then looks towards the door wondering who opened it. She freezes in startlement, for a tall man in a strange, red suit walks in. There is no way to see his face at all. Misaki stands nervously, but Doctor Incho faces the newcomer with perfect calm. "You are..?" he asks. The man answers reluctantly, "I am young Shishi's friend, Gao Red." They glance at each other, Misaki edges closer to Doctor Incho. They listen. "I bring you word from him." Misaki, conquering her nervousness, steps forward and nearer Doctor Incho to ask anxiously, "From Doctor Kakeru?" And Gao Red explains that young Shishi has been contracted to do a very, very important job working with animals. And when he is done, he intends to return to them. Please take care of the veterinary clinic. He bows slightly and heads for the door. Choco barks and pulls loose, running to him. He kneels down to cuddle the dog and say, "I'm sorry, Choco." The two stare and realize. Misaki starts forward. "Doctor Kakeru -- " But Doctor Incho stops her with a firm hand on the shoulder. After a brief moment, he tells Red he understands. The boy must find his way? He gives a gentle, fatherly speech, tucking his hands into his pockets, and bows his head slightly to Gao Red, eyes dancing. Gao Red looks up at Misaki, and she nods to him her agreement with Doctor Incho. And Gao Red nods his goodbyes.

Heading back home is the group. The boys are gathered close around Red. Blue on his left, Yellow on his Right, Black in position farthest right and a bit behind. White walks behind them. It looks like the boys are teasing him, Yellow commenting it's good he's coming back, and Blue says to Black they were afraid he wouldn't. Red, confused, looks back and forth at each of them, then gives Blue a light, indignant shove. He says, "Hey, I may have been this city's veterinarian, but now I'm the whole world's Gao Red!" He spins joyfully and they chuckle with him. White, however, has a protest. "Is it really okay? Not to have your sweetheart?!" Red stares blankly at her. "Sweetheart?" Blue teases, "Don't pretend you don't know!" and gives him a punch on the shoulder in manly comraderie. Red holds his sore arm and continues to be confused. Black is annoyed and points out they're talking about the folks at the clinic. Yellow pats Red's badge and clarifies. Suddenly, the light dawns. "Ah! You're talking about Misaki!" And Red, pointing at them, bursts out laughing. Furious at his chortles, White takes a few steps down a shoves him, hard. Fortunately he manages to keep his balance though he stumbles down several steps and stares at her in surprise. She glares fiercely at him. "It's NOT a laughing matter! It's really, really important, you know?!" Red, wide-eyed, reaches back into his pocket and says as he pulls out his wallet, "But Misaki is Doctor Incho Sakura's wife."

The reaction is about what you'd expect. White's mouth drops open. Yellow simply looks mildly startled. Blue gapes. Black pictures that elderly man and looks rather horrified. "This is my sweetheart," Red tells them and hold out the picture. They all peer quickly close. It is the photo, but now he has it out and unfolds it to show it is of her, Choco, him and Doctor Incho. "The dog is mine." They all straighten up, and Yellow is first to turn his gaze from the photo to a dumbfounded White. When Blue, and then a glowering Black, also look at her, she goes beet red. "I'm sorry!" and she bounds out from the circle, to playfully wend past Red, who loses his photo as he is spun and tries frantically to get his balance back again.

Next Quest 9: 双子が微笑む Futago ga Hohoemu The Smiling Twins

Yellow is injured. He wakes, bandaged, and he's met a strange pair of twins. One wears black, the other wears white. They take his hands in the darkness. As Gao Yellow he meets them, bringing the pair white flowers. They grin in happy thanks. "You... why... who are you?" (I know who they are!)

Still hanging about in the Tokyo district, in 東京郡大宿区 (Tokyo District Big Camp Ward, heck, how would I know?). The great city lies under a partially cloudy sky. The rock is huge and surely someone would notice, wouldn't you think? But no one does. And inside, near the scrying pool, Tetomu is bent over the scroll, reading and struggling to figure out what the missing parts may have said. "Kocchi ha, kemono, bana... hana?" She frowns fretfully. "That sounds like another elephant." She turns her attention to another part of the scroll. "Takekikuma. So maybe it's really a bear." She starts toying with the bits of words, trying to make them fit something she already knows. "Kumattana. Nanjite?" She is making funny faces, but at last she straightens up and folds her arms together. "There are still two more to come," she says happily.

Outside in the cool day, there are two young people dressed in white. One is Blue, in a karate gi. The other is White, in a white tunic and slacks, her hair tied up in two buns and making her seem trying to be Chinese. The young pair are sparring, and Blue is getting the worst of it. He's not actually doing too bad, though when he tries to kick her legs out from under her and she jumps away, he ends up rolling. Back on his feet he whirls at ready, but isn't able to block the flying leap that connects her foot with his chin and puts him down in the dirt. As she prepares to attack again, he holds up a hand in protest, calling a time-out. "Why are you so good at this?" he asks in amazement, his poor clothes thick with brown dirt. She explains in a businesslike tone that her father taught her this. Then she is after him again.

Red and Black are on their way back from shopping. Red gazes about as he walks. They pass a flower shop and Black pauses in front of the plants. "This takes me back," he says softly. Red turns to ask what, and Black glances over at him somewhat shyly. He explains that before becoming Black, he sold flowers in a shop. He bends down to check the health of the plants, fingers touching knowingly. Impressed, Red grins and makes an understanding noise. He, too, turns to look at the tulips and numerous other lovely blossoms.

A large police station. A police car out front and a security guard on duty. But that doesn't seem important as the camera turns with a sort of hard music to show us Yellow, walking along the sidewalk without a care in the world. He stops to stare up at the building visible above the fence, with an all too familiar expression of memory. And then an angry voice splits the air shouting a protest. Curious, Yellow turns around. There is a little boy in black clothes coming over the fence. He gets to the halfway point as another little boy, this one in white clothes, also comes over the fence. The one in black hops down to the cement and starts racing off. The one in white follows, only to lose his footing upon landing and fall on his stomach. Yellow, protective instincts aroused, runs to the children. The one in black has already turned to help his fallen companion up. Yellow scoops the white one up by the arms and sets him on his feet, speaking calmly. "Are you all right? That's good," he says as the child silently brushes dust off. But at that moment, a man rounds the corner of the fence behind them. A quick glance up and down the walk and he sees the children. "YOU!" he shouts angrily. Yellow takes one look at the red-faced man and gently shoves the boys off. "Watch it. Run away!" he says softly. And they obey. As they tear off, the man comes charging towards them. Yellow, though, goes into his best "Why, I'm not with these kids," act and starts walking away up the sidewalk. The man, meanwhile, has worn out his energy and stops, grumbling "Every day, every day they come." Though Yellow is trying to go by and hiding his face, the man abruptly takes notice of him. Startled and delighted, the man hops over and says, "Aren't you Gaku?" Well, hiding his face is pointless, and Yellow straightens up sheepishly. Then he recognizes the man and identifies him with delight and surprise. The man is demonstrative, "It's great to see you!" and he grabs Yellow's shoulders and gives him a shake. Both delighted and embarrassed, Yellow grins and looks away. But the man has something to say, it seems that these two kids may remind him all too well of Gaku. Yellow replies firmly, "Hey, I'm not a kid anymore." He decides this is a decent note to leave on and starts off, but then the man, grinning happily, asks, "You were the one who wanted to be a pilot! Do you fly in the sky?" And Yellow is stopped, and grins with genuine delight. He says back, "Sometimes."

A strange arm points down into a plaza. A light flashes on its end. Suddenly, every single cell-phone in the area starts signalling. And just about everyone there has one. They reach to answer their phones, but when they hold the instruments to their ears a bizarre sound booms from the receivers, and every person drops their phone with cries of agony. Holding their heads, everyone sobs in pain. It is to this scene that Yellow arrives. Two high-school girls are closest to him and he runs to find out what happened. When he asks if they're all right, one responds through her hair that a strange sound had come from her phone. Yellow reaches down and lifts it cautiously. He holds it to his ear, and the sound warps horribly through him and man does he toss it quickly. As he is recovering, a strange hand reaches down and lifts the pretty phone. There is the enemy, an Aurg whose body seems comprised of over-large cellphones. His right shoulder is a blue phone, his left a red. The strap to hold the phones is connected to his head, attached behind his two horns. And he is delighted. "Oh, this is a pretty one! Got it!" and he opens his left arm like a mouth and puts the little phone inside. He starts off, not interested in the crowd of crying people. But Yellow is on his feet and ready to challenge. Glowering, he growls, "Aurg, you give all those cell-phones back!" The Aurg whirls around, while those people who can get up clear the area as fast as they can run. "What?" And then Yellow pulls out his golden G-Phone. The Aurg takes one look, and wants it for his own. "Wow, that's a COOL cell-phone! Give it to me!" Yellow is as cooperative as you would expect. "Gao Access!" And he is in his armor and strikes with the Eagle sword. The Aurg tosses him overhead, he lands on his feet and springs back to attack. The Aurg says, "Antenna!" and his raise up, sound symbols appearing on his phone screens. His is a sonic-attack and he sends it at Yellow, who is caught badly. The burst of power envelops him and he clutches his helmeted head in agony. Golden lightning crackles around him. His G-Phone falls closed to the cement, and Yellow himself lands heavily on hands and knees, armor gone, groaning in agony. The Cell-Phone Aurg snatches up his G-Phone. "Thank you!" Yellow forces himself up, scrambling and in a wild attack grabs the Aurg's arm and wrenches his G-Phone away. Without armor, though, he is pretty well defenseless against the angry Aurg's battering arms, and it soon catches him by the throat. It strikes him in the chest twice, hard, and tosses him onto a table, which collapses on the impact. Yellow is bleeding now, and his chest is a point of agony. He cannot get back up at first, curling around the pain. The Aurg takes full advantage and comes to stomp on him. The pain is blinding and Yellow is coughing up blood, but he will not be defeated. He curls around the Aurg's punishing foot and manages to yank it off balance and away from him. Before it can recover, he manages to get to his feet and runs. The Aurg shouts, "WAIT!!" and gets up to pursue. It gets to the top of a walkway across a wide road and looks frantically about. "Where are you hiding?!" But a woman's voice speaks from behind. "We could show you." It is Tsue Tsue, of course. "Wow, a one-horn!" exclaims the young Aurg. But another voice pops up from the other side. Yaba-iba is there too, and they are offering the Cell-phone Aurg the power to defeat the Gaoranger. He is willing. With a small smile, Tsue Tsue holds up the shell-cup to give him help.

Black and Red are just about home. Black gestures out, amused. "Just like always," he chuckles. He is looking at White, who is standing contentedly over poor Blue, sprawled out at her feet, covered in dirt and panting. Red is about to puzzle when his G-Phone rings and he digs it out of his pocket. "Oh, Yellow." He raises it to answer, but through the speaker only comes a terrible static. Startled, he stares at it.

Yellow fetches up against a window. He is barely able to stay on his feet, face twisted with pain. The terrible static from his G-Phone is a new source of alarm. Staring unhappily at it, he closes it and continues on weakly. And atop a tall buiding, Cell-Phone Aurg announces his intention to put a barrier around the area while he searches for Yellow and the really cool cell-phone. "He won't be able to run away!" it crows. Golden light shoots out from his body, but in the end the barrier is an invisible dome covering several blocks.

Yellow has found his way down an alley and sits curled around his pain, next to a bunch of large drums. He hears a noise and gets to his feet to hide behind a stairwell. There are Aurgettes wandering around, searching for him. Two start down the alleyway. He watches them coming and frets, "Aurgettes. Well, this is no good." He turns to start looking for an escape, and his eyes open wide in surprise. Standing where he had been sitting just a short while before are the twin boys. They gaze steadily at him, Black on the left and White on the right, their faces round and solemn. "You guys!" he whispers. And then he sees the Aurgettes getting closer and says with quiet urgency, "It's dangerous here! Hurry and run away!" But they do not move. Worrying about them, he does the only thing he can. He staggers out from shelter to get the Aurgettes' attention. They see him and come quickly, raising their clubs. He manages to throw one aside, but the other starts clubbing his abused chest and then hits his head hard. He falls and this time the agony and abuse is too much. He cannot get up again, curled in pain. The two Aurgettes approach menacingly. The two little boys are still watching, but now their brows furrow and their eyes sharpen fiercely. Black braces his right hand toward White, who puts his left hand atop. They raise their hands and the air ripples with power. The wave hits the startled Aurgettes, who cry out as they are sent flying and fall, perhaps dead. Yellow lifts his head through the fog of pain and stares at the fallen enemies. He twists back to stare at the twins. They lower their hands, but his vision blurs and in an instant, everything goes black. His eyes roll up in his head and his head falls painfully to the cement.

In their armor, Blue, White, Black and Red race into the area Yellow's signal had come from, White worrying aloud to the others about this being the city. But Blue halts their rush and warns them he's detected something strange and dangerous. When they hesitate about trying to cross this barrier, Red tells them there's no choice. Yellow is in danger. And he hurtles himself at the barrier. They quickly go after him, and all hit it together. There is a terrible energy backlash, knocking all four of them out of their armor and several feet from their G-Phones, which fall to the road. Tsue Tsue materializes against the wall then, deeply amused and mocking them as they start to get back up. Then Yaba-iba snickers from the opposite side of the road. He announces that now there are a lot of these cool phones for you, eh, Keitai Denwa Aurg? And that one leaps down from the rooftops, pleased as pie. The heroes jump nervously to their feet, but he doesn't notice them. His attention is all on the four golden G-Phones. He is very happy and heads to get them. Our heroes are quick to gather theirs up, but before they can do anything, he blasts them and they fall in pain.

Between tall buildings, in a quiet area where some company or other houses building materials, is a garage. There are two boys in there, one in black the other in white, on opposite sides of a pallet. On that pallet lies a man, his chest bound in white gauze. The black-clad boy gently pats the man's face with a kerchief. He and the other boy exchange stern glances. They nod agreement and, as one, reach for his head. Black has his right index and middle finger out, White his left. Both touch Yellow's forehead. There is a ripple of power and the man stirs, utters a small, disturbed sound, his lips move.

The darkness parts. Yellow opens his eyes. He is alone in the darkness, and no longer feeling any pain. Confused, he walks forward and then discovers to his fright that he is on the edge of a cliff, and the wall is sharp edged rocks down an unknowable distance into blackness. He steps back, and hands slips into his. Startled, he looks down. It is the white twin on his right, staring solemnly up at him. The black twin is on the other side, the same expression in his eyes. "You guys..?" he says in puzzlement. They release his hands, and both point their other hands down, down, down. He steps forward and looks over the cliff edge. A star shines in the darkness below. As he looks, the glow solidifies into two lovely, white flowers. Understanding now, he straightens up and turns to them. "You want those flowers?" he asks gently. They nod. He grins at them. "All right." He bends down to look up into their faces, and promises he will get the flowers for them.

Yellow wakes. He is alone in the small garage. The first thing he notices is, of course, that his chest has been bound with the white gauze. With a startled noise, he looks around and finds the twins gazing at him. He stares back, then slowly comes to his senses. "You guys did this?" They smile back at him.

Four Gaoranger, still in their regular clothes (Blue and White are still in their sparring outfits), fall as Keitai Denwa Aurg blasts them. He runs to get their G-Phones, and they frantically scramble to their feet as Red calls for a retreat. The group makes tracks as fast as they can. Keitai Denwa Aurg pursues. Deeply amused, Yabai-ba comments that this is just like "Oni-gokko" (Japanese game of tag, person who is "it" is the demon) and Tsue Tsue, sportsmanlike, calls encouragement to the Gaoranger, waving goodbye.

Yellow gets his jacket back on and turns to face the twins. "Thank you for taking care of me," he tells them with sincere gratitude. They reach out and take his hands in theirs. Startled, suddenly frightened, he looks into each solemn, intent face. Then he realizes why this is so familiar. He bends down, one hand on each boy's far shoulder. "That was you, before." He means in his dream, and they nod silent confirmation. Then they look pleadingly up at him. He kneels and looks up into their eyes. "You want that flower, eh?" When they nod again, deeply, he smiles and asks softly, "Do you know where it is?" Again they nod solemnly. He bounds to his feet, grinning and proud. "Right. I promised. You helped me and I'll help you." This time the twins' smiles are somehow even wider than before with grateful joy.

Four Gaoranger race between narrow buildings, searching for safe harbor. Red, Blue, White, Black. They hurry under low beams which stretch seemingly purposelessly between two walls. It is an effective tactic, for Keitai Denwa Aurg's high shoulders make it very difficult for him to follow the same route, and he keeps getting stuck between beams. He has to sit down to edge along like a cat, which only makes him more angry.

The twins take Yellow back to the building. A police car heads out, siren blaring. Yellow stares up at the building in bemused surprise and says, "So this is why you guys keep coming here." They nod again to him, looking up hopefully. And the young man guarding the door of the building suddenly finds a strange distraction. "Guard! Oh GUARD!" A young man in strange clothes bounds up to report wailing that he's lost his wallet. The confused guard doesn't notice that he is being carefully turned away from the doors and kept facing the young man who is digging in his pockets. So he doesn't see the two small boys sneak hurriedly in the door. Once they're in, Yellow releases the bewildered man and says, "Oh, I must have left it inside. Right, I'll just go get it. I'll be back!" and he heads happily through the doors.

Calm police women and men walk hither and yon. Yellow pokes his head cautiously out into the corridor. He sees something, and turns to his companions only to find they've started crawling across the hall. He quickly grabs their collars and pulls them back with him. It is the older man who knows Yellow, coming out of a meeting room. The man is walking towards their hiding place, and Yellow is keeping protective arms around the two, when someone opens another door and soon the man has gone into another room. When the door closes, Yellow puffs out a breath in relief. The twins gaze at him intently, and he takes a quick glance up the hall again and tells them, "Okay, let's go." Together, they stand and cross into the stairwell. The boys hurry down, black leading, Yellow finding it hard to keep up with them but doing his best. At the bottom of one flight, they stop and stare back up at him as he catches up. Getting to them he asks, "What's this place?" He lifts his gaze to the ceiling, searching. But the boys step in close, white behind him and black in front. They join hands. There is a surge of power and Yellow startles as a light flashes. Then a glowing oval appears under their feet and wind blasts up, whipping his hair and making him wince in surprise. The brilliant light envelopes him and he covers his eyes with his arm to shield them.

A wide area between two buildings. Keitai Denwa Aurg rushes into it. "Pretty shiny cell-phones, where are you hiding?" he calls in frustration. And suddenly a young man in a white gi comes out from between the buildings ahead. Startled, he looks at the man, who suddenly makes some karate poses, then lifts one hand and does a challenging, "come here" wave. The Aurg sneers. "Stupid guys. You really think you can fight me?"

Yellow is in the darkness again, but this time he is not alone even from the start. The twins are with him and together they approach the cliff-edge and gaze down. The glow flares blindingly, Yellow winces and covers his eyes but it quickly dies down to reveal the lovely flowers. He stares down with a faint trepidition. "Those..." and he opens his G-Phone and gazes at it. It is dark. "No good," he murmurs. He pockets it, turning around to face the twins. His smile is slightly weak but he tousles their heads affectionately. "I promised, I'll do it." He doesn't quite hide his unease as he turns around and heads for the cliff edge.

Blue is beginning to shift back nervously as the Aurg approaches him. It laughs and says, "So, what are you gonna do, eh? Come on."

The cliff is very rocky, and also crumbling. Yellow is very careful as he starts down it, placing his feet. The darkness seems to extend forever, and he grunts as he moves down. But he is making decent progress.

"What's the matter?" the Aurg asks. Blue has backed to the edge of the light and cries, "Red!" glancing up. The Aurg follow his glance, but it is too late. A heavy, white tarp lands atop it.

Yellow peers down at the glow far below him. He wishes he knew how far it was. But then his feet slip on a smoother rock and he cries out as he starts to slide down the cliff. The watching twins open their mouths in fear for him. He scrabbles frantically but he is still going too swiftly down.

Keitai Denwa Aurg manages to get the tarp off, but he gasps in surprise to find another Gaoranger waiting for him. It is Black, who uses both hands in a bracing push and the Aurg is knocked flying.

Yellow finally manages to stop himself, clinging with the fingers of one hand to a small ledge and gasping in fright. It is still a loooong way down, if there is any place other than the spot the flowers are in to land.

White runs down the path between buildings, panting. The Aurg is still in mid air.

Yellow's fragile hold is lost and he falls with a cry of horror.

White gets to the falling Aurg and leaps, her foot connecting with one antennae in a hard kick. The antennae breaks, and the Aurg's signal is disrupted.

Yellow, falling swiftly and crying out in horror, suddenly hears the clear, clean sound of his G-Phone ringing. He snatches it out quickly and when he opens it, the lights glow green. "GAO ACCESS!" he cries frantically. And yellow light surruounds him in comforting beauty. In his armor now he dives instead of falls, and a quick hand snatches the two plants on the ledge. He opens his wings and curves his flight up, back up to finally land safe on the edge of the cliff where the twins wait. With a sigh, he parts the plants and offers one to each other them. "Here you go." They grin ecstatically and he says something about protection. They take the flowers solemnly, now. Then the black-clad child indicates him to open his hand. Each child places something in his palm. He finds he is holding two seeds. "Oh. These are for me?" he asks them. They grin their answer at him. He closes his hand tight around the seeds and thanks them deeply.

Keitai Denwa Aurg picks up his broken antenna in considerable surprise. When he is raging about it, Blue's voice calls, "Isn't that just TOO bad!" For now the Aurg faces, for the first time really, the armor-clad Gao Ranger, less Yellow. White mocks him, pointing out that with that antenna broken, he can't use his keitai power. Red happily agrees, and the four get ready to fight. Yet when they launch themselves to run on all fours at him, they are hit by a blast that knocks them back. Keitai Denwa Aurg is startled, but of course it is Yaba-iba and Tsue Tsue, watching from a rooftop and scoldling him for letting himself be beaten so easily. With their support, though, he gets his courage back and now the Gaoranger and Aurg challenge each other. Keitai rushes them and starts punching and kicking, and he is powerful, getting Black first, then Blue, Red and White. He's got them down for a moment and will attack, intending to take their G-Phones, but Yellow arrives to join the fray. He manages to pin Keitai Denwa very nicely and does a bit of tossing him around. The whole group assembles and calls their identification, with signature moves. And they will fight with all their heart. They call in the Hyaku Juuken and slice and dice Keitai Denwa Aurg, who goes down very dramatically. He is still twitching as he turns to green foam, and Tsue Tsue sends out the Aurg seeds to do their work. Our heroes call in the Power Animals to help them.

Shark Shoot, Tiger Punch, both knock their enemy badly, but his return strike is powerful and does them very, very badly themselves. He is knocking them well back. Far below there are twin boys racing towards the battle. They run along the empty streets, clinging tightly to their flowers. Our heroes in their cockpit are helpless with the pain from Keitai's sonic attack. Electrical bursts course through Gao King. The two boys hurry up stairwells, scaling towards a high rooftop. Yellow struggles to recover from the painful attack and fiercely slams his fist down on his control console. And then a brilliant light shines through his fingers. Startled, he opens his hand. There are the two seeds and they are pulsing in his palm. The twins have reached a rooftop. They stand side by side and watch the staggering Gao King getting knocked further back. And Gao King, or rather those inside, sees them and stops to look down. Yellow asks dazedly, "You guys?" And they nod solemnly at him. And then the flowers in their hands flare into brilliant white-gold light. They turn to each other and hold the flowers over each others' heads. The plants seem to disintegrate, pouring golden sparks down the children. One glows orange, the other white. Yellow gasps as they turn towards Gao King. And suddenly the twins' bodies pulse out and become two great bears who bellow into the sky. The Gaoranger, startled from their pain by this sight, all gasp. The bears rumble and look at each other. And suddenly the two seeds in Yellow's hand become two orbs holding the shapes of bears. He identifies them in amazement. And then the two bears race along the streets, roaring at each other as they bear down upon Gao King.

Back in Gao's Rock, Tetomu is ecstatic. "No," she tells Yellow. For now she knows the message of the scrolls. "Two in one family." Yellow answers her with equal joy. "Right! They're called Gao Bear and Gao Polar!" Tetomu clarifies. "The power of black and white." Keitai Denwa Aurg has finally noticed the creatures barrelling towards him. "What the heck?!" he gasps, stepping back. Gao Bear opens its mouth and red-gold flame bursts out at the Aurg. "HOTHOT!" he screams. Goa Polar opens its mouth and blue-white light bursts out. "COLDCOLD!" Keitai Denwa protests. They are alternately hitting him with their blasts and the poor Aurg has no idea how to escape this. Gao King steps forward and an ecstatic Yellow cheers the two on. They roar and rear up, then suddenly curl up and whirl into the air. Tetomu is reading off the scroll and filling in the missing bits. "Tomoi ni Kara ni," as the rolling pair hit Keitai Denwa Aurg and the world turns white with a powerful explosion. The bears part as he falls. The watchers are delighted and Red says urgently, "Now, Yellow!" "Right!" Yellow replies. "Blue! White!" To White he tosses Gao Bear's orb, and Blue gets Gao Polar. "Detach Gao Shark," calls Blue. "Detach Gao Tiger!" calls White. Their calls are followed, and they replace their orbs with the new ones, calling the names of the two bears. The two spring and connect to Gao King's shoulders, they idenitify this formation as "Gao King Double Bluck (er, maybe)". Keitai Denwa Aurg has recovered, and tries to sneer them off. However, his sonar attack is easily blocked by the two Bear-arms. And this time they punch him up, using Polar mostly. And they blast him with the Bear Strike. He is hit simultanously by both beams, and completely destroyed.

Our heroes crow their delight, and Gao King poses happily. Yellow calls to the two, "Gao Bear, Gao Polar, you did it. From now on you're our friends." But the two bears give disturbed groaning growls, and Gao Lion's eyes glow fiercely green. Gao King shudders and our startled heroes find they are hard put to keep their balance. Red cries, "What's the matter?" Gao King is starting to stagger back.

Highness Duke Shtein's great eye opens wide. He and the two Dukes are watching, and as Tsue Tsue wonders what exactly is going on... Schtien says with amusement, "Now this is something interesting." And he laughs....

The power shoots even more wildly through them. With a painful surge, it flares and our heroes are ejected from the cockpit to fall on the cement far below. Gao Lion is similarly knocked flying. Red lifts his gaze and calls out to his companion. The Lion answers with a dejected rumble. Red scrambles to his feet frantically, "What's wrong, Gao Lion?!" The two Bears roar defiantly, and the narrator tells us that they don't accept Gao Lion as above them (no wonder they bonded with Yellow). But what can our heroes do? Why? And Gao Lion growls low in its throat.

Next Quest 10: 月が招く!! Tsuki ga Maneku!! The Moon Beckons!!

Mysterious men clad in ancient style armor come out from the woord. A BEAUTIFUL young woman in an ancient-style kimono. Blue is trying to befriend her in the woods. The Gaoranger and the two Dukes gaze up into the sky. They face what appears to be a bulldozer Aurg. Four warriors in black armor and the lovely woman are all grinning with joy and pray thanks to the spirits. And Gao Red has a new orb, the Gorilla. But how does Gao Lion feel about this?

Gao Red walks carefully through the woods on Animalium. After what happened, after the battle, he's been very worried about Gao Lion. And so he goes to his companion beast, climbing past lovely tropical flowers. He gets up where he can see the great lion. It seems troubled, jaw resting on its paws, huge golden claws shining in the sunlight. It rumbles absently. Red watches it empathically, and then closes his eyes, opening his heart to the great beast. The lion responds to his presence, eyes narrowing slightly. Red opens his eyes and asks it gently, "You're still in pain?" When it half rumbles-whines at him, he says, "I'll help you if I can. Just wait." A bit away stand the two great bears, making unhappy growls of their own. They drop down on all fours and roar at him. He cannot help but grin. "So you're also worried, eh?" he answers. The lion rumbles, brow furrowing. The two bears look at each other. They roar again, protesting and frustrated. The sound carries into the sky around the island.

Tetomu sits, hands folded over her knees, as she explains that the power of Bear and Polar combination is perhaps faulty. "The source of the Power Animals, the Gao Soul, is disappearing." Red listens. They are next to the scrying pool. He bends down trying to get a better look at her face and asks "Is there anything I can do?" She gets to her feet, grinning at him. She has a plan. "I think there is some way we can fix it."

Gao's Rock launches into the sky and moves silently until it lands in タ日ヶ丘ニュータウン. Somethingsomething New Town. It is the dead of night. A full moon is blue-white. And the five are out searching. They stop together and stare about. White asks, "Is this really the Sacred Forest?" For this is the middle of a town. There are no forests here, only buildings. Blue tells her, "I heard this place was a forest a long time ago." Yellow confirms agreeably, "All the trees were cut down, and this town was built about ten years ago." Black frets, "Then the shining mushroom must be gone...." But Red cuts him off with a desperate, "It's here! It HAS to be here!" But a distant sound like the trumpeting of the elephant echoes in the air. More sounds and they all stare around, trying to figure out where the animal noises are coming from. And then... and then though the moon above is a far distant rock, suddenly it seems to be surrounded by a rainbow ring of light. And white light shines down towards them. They lift their hands to shield their eyes, and then as the light becomes blindingly bright, move their arms to cover their faces, crying out in confusion and fright.

And the light dies down, dims until they see and hear again. They are in a forest. It is day and birds sing. They straighten up slowly and stare around in wonder. White gasps, "What's happened?" Blue tugs at Blacks sleeve. "There are birds!" Red says in astonishment, "Is this the sacred forest Tetomu told us of?" And Yellow says shakily, "The sacred forest can't be real..." The others turn to look at him, Red especially. He is fretting. But beyond them there is something happening in the woods. A great, glowing red eye opens. It looks like the Lion's eye.

The troup walks through the woods, talking about what has happened. They hear a strange, distant shrieking like of a bird, and fret over what it might be for they heard it before.... They do not see a man with a sword, face hidden under plating. As they continue forward, Yellow suddenly stops and holds out an arm to keep them behind him. They stop obediantly but look at him questioningly. "I saw someone," he says calmly. "Eeeeh?" they all say and look around. And suddenly four men in ancient-style armor come out of the trees surrounding them. The team easily moves into action to defend themselves, startled as they are. Yellow smashes one opponent into a tree. White karate-chops hers. Blue kicks the feet out from under his and pulls off the face mask to reveal... a startlingly lovely woman, who glares up at him. He stops, holding the mask in startled hands. The woman, panting, quickly pulls herself out from under him and backs towards the trees. The other members of her group gathering to her. They also are panting, for they've taken some heavy strikes from the five people they attacked. Blue gets to his feet, and the other Gaoranger assemble close to him. They all stare wonderingly at their attackers.

The lull affords everyone a moment to think. The men wearily remove their masks and helmets. There is nothing unusual about their faces, though one man is bald. Even the woman removes her helmet, and they all stare with tremendous curiosity at the amazed strangers. Then the group goes to their knees to bow deeply, heads curled under their shoulders. The Gaoranger gasp in amazement. The woman lifts her gaze first to plead with them, and her accent is VERY, very strange. What she says throws the Gaoranger into confusion, and they look at each other.

Yaba-iba tromps through the woods. Indignant he snaps, "Where DID the Gaoranger go?!" Tsue Tsue is keeping pace with the agitated fellow. She is as puzzled as he is, but there is a sudden thin roaring sound, and a tree topples over almost on them, sending the startled pair leaping back. For here is the arrival of another of their kind. He looks at them then says, "Hey, you one horns. Watch out for the trees." He uses his bulldozer scoop to pick up the one he'd just cut down and tosses it at them, Tsue Tsue squawks in startlement and hops backwards. Yaba-iba is quiet but just as surprised. He turns to her and asks, "Just what kind of thing IS this Aurg?" They eye him with interest. Tsue Tsue thinks he might be useful, and so Yaba-iba approaches him. "Hey you. You know this place?" Well, yes he does. He is just having a grand time killing trees around here. Yaba-iba and Tsue Tsue watch him critically. She smiles. Yes, they can use this wacked-out fellow.

The Gaoranger follow their strange guides to a shrine deep in the woods. There is a white stone and prayer sticks inside. They are greeted by an elderly man whose hair is whiter than white, who identifies his group and Red becomes excited and asks them to confirm that this is really the sacred forest. The young woman does, with a small speech. But she tells them urgently that there is a strange demon destroying the forest. "A demon?" Blue asks to confirm. She nods and explains a trifle more. When she finishes, the elderly man continues, for they are positive that this strange group has arrived to help them. The Gaoranger glance hesitantly at each other. The young woman, seeing their uneasy expressions, may be resorting to begging. But Blue is quite willing. He bounds forward to tell them that he and his also fight demons. "Right, Black?" he asks quickly over his shoulder. Black sheepishly makes an agreeing noise, rubbing his head. The young woman thanks Blue with clear relief. Blushing, he shyly puts his hand behind his head and rubs his hair.

Later, the young woman has changed clothes into a lovely pink kimono with blue patterns. She is busy taking things from her handkerchief-wrapped carrier, a little personal grooming time here. She brushes her thick hair, calming herself. Blue has found her, and he approaches hesitantly at first before overcoming his shyness. He coughs to catch her attention and she turns to look up at him with quiet, steady calm. Shyly, he starts, "Um, I haven't heard your name yet." She looks away and concentrates on wrapping her things back up. Neither is aware that White and the others have followed, and are trying to be inconspicuous about getting closer to the two behind the trees a bit aways from them. "I'm Kai Samezu. Nice to meet you." He goes to his knees and holds out his hand for her to shake. She shies slightly away, for she is nervous. "I'm called... Kiyo." Shuffling her feet, she nods her head to him in shy greeting, but does not reach to take his hand. He lowers his hand and repeats it quietly.

The others are as close as they can get without being noticed. All are watching with bright interest, and rather identical grins. White whispers something about the girl, and Yellow agrees that she is really quite pretty.

Blue resettles himself a little closer to her, so that he can look up into her eyes. He asks her why she was wearing armor like that, and now she is dressed in this lovely kimono. She can't help it, she giggles at him. "Why, everyone wears these things." Startled, he self-consciously moves his hands over his own clothes, nervously covering his patch. She is not phased by his clothes, for this seems entirely appropriate that a demon-fighter should wear different clothing. Shy, sure she's misunderstood, he explains that they are really here searching for some special shining mushroom. He looks earnestly over at her. She repeats his phrase thoughtfully and he confirms she's heard right. But she knows where one is. Suddenly the other four Gaoranger pop out of hiding, Red gets to her first. "You really know?!" Startled by the group of strangers who practically bowl her over with their excitement, she confirms it while backing up. She had found it in the north of the sacred forest. Red grabs her shoulders urgently and asks her to show them where it is. Startled by his intensity, she agrees. And at that moment, the ground shudders violently beneath them. She stands up and says, "The demon's come again!" The Gaoranger get on their feet quickly. They run to investigate, and she watches them go, fretting.

Sure enough, our heroes run right into Tsue Tsue and Yaba-iba. And at challenge, they transfer into armor. And Red says their signature speech. "Where there's life, there're heroes!!" Much to their astonishment, the four men and young woman had followed and witnessed, and that batch bows their head in prayer thinking our heroes are gods. Startled at seeing them, Blue protests sheepishly that they aren't THAT good. Yaba-iba is deeply amused. "Gods aren't our enemy. They haven't the power." Annoyed, the Goaranger move to challenge. And Tsue Tsue calls for Bulldozer Aurg. Yes, he is already a giant, and this is a rather amazing sight. The group gets ready to call in the Power Animals, but Red moves to stop them, for Gao Lion cannot fight yet. They hesitate. And Bull Dozer Aurg stomps down, knocking over trees at them. At last Red is impelled to pull out his dagger, and it flashes. But there is no sound. And "Gao Lion!" Red exclaims. His companion's face appears in the stone. Narrator: At that moment, across the dimensions, he hears Gao Lion's voice. The others gather around, wondering what's going on. Shakily, Red tells them, "Gao Lion said he's coming. He'll risk his life to defend the forest." And on Animalium, Gao Lion roars. Red says, "Call the Power Animals!" His group gladly agrees. And they come, racing through the forest. Red calls thanks to his companion. They assemble and our heroes enter the cockpit. At last Gao King is ready to fight.

Far below, the five watch the battle. Bulldozer faces them and they try to strike, but they are ineffective against the Aurg, which bashes them back and they slide but manage to keep their feet. They are weak, and they know it. The lion roars in the chest and offers intent. Yellow relays the new orbs and Gao Bear and Gao Polar come to help fight. Their blasts knock Bull Dozer Aurg falling. "Gao King Double Knuckle!" they announce, and their punches are effective now. The Aurg is shaken and stumbling back. And now they try to blast him. But it is too late, their power is out, and Gao King starts to sway and stagger. Our heroes are blasted from the cockpit, and Gao King parts. Gao Lion with a mad courage attacks Bull Dozer Aurg, and is bashed to the ground. He can't get back up. Tsue Tsue and Yaba-ibe cheer their man on. The other animals assemble protectively between Gao Lion and his attacker, and they blast repeatedly, knocking him back. But they cannot stop him. And suddenly the woman has watched, watched enough and she goes and calls a prayer to the god of the forest. "Please give power to these gods!" She weeps for the injured giant beasts. The bears hear her. They sit up and roar. And somewhere, another eye opens, red and shining. A flare of light on the back of Red's right gloved hand, round and shimmering. He raises his hand in puzzlement. The glow takes his entire hand. When he turns it over and opens his palm, light centers and flares. A green orb settles into his palm and he stares at the shape inside. "Gao ball-animal..." He lifts it between his fingers. "A gorilla..?"

A gorilla indeed. Huge, green and grey. A mighty Power Animal. His eyes flare brightly, and he runs out from a cave under the hills, racing through the woods. The Gaoranger watch him and he faces Bull Dozer Aurg. Standing to his full height, he pounds his chest and then attacks. He raises it and tosses it, then turns and fires beams of light into the ground. Great banana trees grow up, big enough for him to leap into and atop. Yes, it is the BANANA attack. He snatches up bananas and throws them at the Aurg, and they explode! Heroes and ... other heroes alike are massively impressed. The locals pray to the gods. Hesitating at first, Red then calls for Gao Gorilla to take the heart. He tells Gao Lion to please rest this one out. And the group calls for a new formation. The two bears, the bull and the eagle will join with Gao Gorilla. Eyes glowing white, at the summons the animals form together. And they did NOT use computer graphics for this one... Gao Muscle. The Aurg are astounded. Bull Dozer defiantly attacks, but he cannot shake the new mecha, which pins him and blasts him from shoulder cannons. And then with Bear they start the punching. And the giant Aurg is destroyed. Our heroes cheer in delight. But then Gao Gorilla and the bears, I think, utter a deep voiced roar. I think Blue (but Ben says Red) says, "That voice..." and maybe Black says, "This is the voice we heard when we first came into the forest." Down below, the four men and one woman are very appreciative of this voice, for it is their god. Blue sees them down there and calls, "Kiyo! Now the forest will be safe again!" She hears him and lowers her clasped hands. She grins up at him. But then, far up in the sky, a ring appears around the distant moon. Light shines down on the great Gao Muscle. And they vanish, before they really know what is happening. Blue's last sight is of Kiyo's face and he calls her name. The glow dies down and they find themselves in the city where they'd started from. Yellow comments mildly that they've come back to their own world. Then Red goes into mild hysterics. They didn't get the mushroom! They are all dismayed. Blue, however, isn't dismayed. For his heart is somewhat ashes. It is then that he sees something and utters a startled cry.

Blue walks over the dead-plant strewn cement. His face is pale as he stops and stares at what he sees, a small sound of refusal in his throat. The others come running up behind him, for he stands near a shrine. It takes a moment of staring at the weather-beaten, small shrine. A long moment before they see what Blue has already realized. This looks like the same shrine. And Blue steps forward and opens it. There is a box inside, which he takes out carefully. A message on the lid says it is for the Shark God. From Kiyo. Almost in tears, Blue stands and turns slowly to the others. They gather close, and realize now this was no another world they had been to, but as Black says softly it was the past. "Those people we met were people from long ago...." Blue opens the box and finds Kiyo's kerchief inside. "Oh, it's Kiyo's!" he exclaims and opens it. A flash of golden light. They all gasp in delight. For here, inside the box, for who knows how long, Kiyo left the mushroom Red had asked so urgently for. It is fresh and pulses glowing in his hands. Red takes the mushroom, but Blue, his lips tight to fight the tears, holds the kerchief tenderly. Black pats his shoulder and nods at him, support offered. Blue pulls himself out of it, but his eyes are wide and very wet. They all grin at each other. Holding the mushroom carefully, they turn to look up at their towering Power Animals. Gao Muscle reacts to their gazes with welcome, and a pleased Gao Lion stands beside him.

Next Quest 11: 父親上京 Chichi oya Jyoukyou The Moment of My Honored Father

A lovely high school girl sits on the floor, while a man demonstrates fighting with a kendo sword for her. It is Gao White. And she tells us, "I wanted to learn the martial arts that my father showed me!" A fierce Aurg, looking vaguely like a samurai-warrior, leaves a trail of flaming cars as he walks.

Quests 11-20