Quests 1-10 Quests 21-30

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

The mighty Gao Muscle smashed Bull Dozer Aurg to bits. This is known and remembered. Highness Duke Schtein is downright furious. "Damn you, Gao Ranger!" he growls low in his throat. A crack of golden lightning flashes in the palm of his right hand. The ugly, black scar remains where he cauterized his injury before, and now he closes his fist around it. Yaba-iba are watching him from behind the dubious safety of two stone gargoyles, and perhaps fretting about their continued safety, or even about his sanity. They turn around and start to creep towards the exit, but then he calls their names fiercely. Shivering, whimpering, they turn to face him. Bowing they say shakily, "We're here." He whirls to stare at them with his great eye and they cringe back, holding up their arms defensively. Tsue Tsue cries frantically, "Please forgive us, Lord Schtein!" But he is not going to attack them. He holds out his hand to show them that he has plucked one of his eyes off, and he is going to give it to them. Very nervously they lower their hands. "What?" and then exchange sighs of relief and approach him, reassured. He tells them they can use this eye to find a mighty Aurg. Tsue Tsue takes it and both stare at it intently, as Schtein continues his explanation telling them to bring that Aurg to him more QUICKLY. Heck, the newborns are barely alive before the Gaoranger destroy them. He then rages, "We will end the Gaoranger's lives!!" The two jump slightly at his fury, then bow and head off.

At Gao's Rock, the mushroom has been sitting on one of the rock formations they use as a table. Red takes it up, ecstatic. They are all gathered around it. With this they can heal Goa Lion. But it's not that simple. As he is heading for the door, planning to go out to Animalium, Tetomu calls him to stop. He obeys, turning innocent questioning to her. She explains something about this mushroom and the Gao Egg. She takes the mushroom gently from his hands, while the group listens wide-eyed. Yes, they will need the Gao Egg. She turns away with the mushroom and they start to trail after her, when White's phone rings. Why, who could be calling? "Oh, I'm sorry!" she tells the others. She heads a bit aways while they follow Tetomu. She is very puzzled, for of course no name shows up. "It's being forwarded. Who could it be?" and she answers. "Hello?"

On the other end, someone clears their throat. Startled, she wonders, "Eh?" There is a man at a green telephone, I think he must be at a train station. He is dignified in a casual business suit, looks to be in his mid-forties. And the single phrase he says sets her gasping in dismay.

Tetomus is displaying the mushroom. She is half-explaining, half praying over it. It will help them to protect the Gao Soul. The boys watch with somewhat dazzled curiousity, no one noticing White's rapid exit from Gao's Rock. When she prays for it to help find the Gao Egg, it flares into brilliant, green-gold light. The flare dies down and she tosses the mushroom respectfully into the scrying pool. It floats an instant, then sinks into the pool. Tetomu nods, satisfied. "Right, the ceremony is over," she tells the boys and starts walking away from the pool. Blue is first to spring to her. "Hey, but it's not over yet!" for he wants to know NOW. She leans against one of their table stones and says reprovingly, "There's nothing to be done. It will take time for the mushroom's power to create the Gao Egg." The boys gather behind her and Red asks, "How long will we have to wait?" Slightly irritated she responds, "It'll let us kno-- " But then White's voice interrupts calmly. She didn't leave the rock, actually she'd gone to her room. Now she seems to be carrying a number of potted hanging plants and she says it's a good thing they have some time. "I have to go to my apartment." Puzzled, Yellow asks her what is up. She is really weighed down with all these plants. She looks at him unhappily. "My father's come to the capital to see me. Well, you see, he's worried about her martial arts competition coming up. The others all stare at her with fairly identical expressions of surprise. She sees she has to clarify, and explains that she's going to a school that specializes in martial arts. Having explained what she can, she starts off with her load of plants. The others stare after her and Black asks, ""Um, is your Dad scary?" She turns and looks at him calmly. It seems he is not. But he will be at her apartment at 3pm. Looking quietly exasperated, she heads off.

At her apartment, she gets busy with the important task of making it look as though she still actually lives here. I guess she has at least been maintaining it, the place is clean. The hangs out some clothes on the rack of the balcony. She is dressed in normal clothes now. She carefully sets up her study books and her various framed awards. Puts up her trophies to display. And just for a more recent touch, she sets out a framed photograph of her and the others (Yes, Tetomu, too) posing for the camera. Yellow has to be cool in the photo, while the others are really playing. But in front of her books goes the important photo of her and her father in their karate gis. She gets down to the important business of vacuuming the floors clean of dust, her Gaoranger jacket draped over her chair. Her apartment is very small, of course, but she has kept it very clean (heck, she hasn't been there pretty much at all for over eight months, I guess). Wipes everything down, and even gets the camera following her around. She sets out the plants and finally, everything is ready. "It's perfect," she says in quiet, happy relief. Then she heads out to shop on her bicycle, hitting a convenience store for food. She rides hurriedly, but calmly, home. She looks so NOT Gaoranger, which is the impression she's going for. She looks SO young. And she gets home and bounds up the stairs.

The four men are headed along the streets somewhere probably nearby, in deep discussion about this father-thing. Blue has been explaining about sparring with her, and how since her father had only one child, he'd treated White just like a boy. The group arrives where they see a pair of huge fish-windsocks flying in the breeze, Blue exclaiming on them in delight. They head around to the front of the shop, and Black stares in admiring delight at the small, very traditional Samurai gilded item in the window. He's like one of these dolls. Talking about it, the boys head on. But there is something in the air.... Far above, atop a building, stand Tsue Tsue and Yaba-iba. He sees them walking along and snarls, "Those're the Gaoranger!!" He is on the verge of attacking, when Tsue Tsue stops him. She focuses his attention on the samurai-doll. Yes, she has an idea! There is a whistling hum of power in her hand and she holds up Schtein's eye. It glows malevolently red. Yes, it seems her idea is a good one.

A couple of women are coming out of the shop with a little boy, when they see something and scream and run. Another woman with a boy is inside the shop. She and the keeper scream too and also run. Yaba-iba has come in, and heads for the doll with the Samurai armor. "We're taking this doll!" he crows, his voice changing from high and sharp to deep and menacing in mid-sentence. A flare of light in Tsue Tsue's forehead, and she starts menacing blasts at the humans still in the shop. The mother protects her son and flees. Things fall and smash. Yaba-iba scoops up the Samura doll.

They take it back to the Matrix and set it up in front of the open mouth from which mist pours. Schtein is very pleased with their find. He turns to them and informs them that they will be the parents of a new and powerful Aurg! The two Dukes crow with delight, then Yaba-iba asks Tsue Tsue in some perplexity, "What are parents?" She shrugs in helpless ignorance. Schtein raises his arms and shows them. It is their rage and emotion he wants to tap. It is them from which this new Aurg will be born. They are not expecting what happens, for liquid fire licks out and slips through them. It enters their bodies through their mouths and they cry out in confused agony, writhing with pain. "It hurts!" cries Tsue Tsue. He is taking from them this power, to create a mighty Aurg from the doll. The power flows from them, they are gripping their painful throats, and then they bend down and blue lightning flashes from their eyes to the doll. A shape forms and leaps away from the face, growing larger as it flies between them. Tsue Tsue and Yaba-iba jerk, then slump to the floor with small gasps. Behind them, that which Schtein has used them to create stands up. "A powerful Aurg. Samurai Doll Aurg," Schtein names him. And he certainly does seem mighty. He bows slightly to his lord.

White fries up some edibles on a pan on her rather too clean stove. Her phone rings and she goes to answer it. But then her G-phone starts ringing instead. "Oh, I forgot to stop the forwarding." She answers, and agrees to whatever the person on the phone says. "Sai, it's me." "Father! Where are you?" He is getting close, I guess. She laughs in warm delight. She tells him she's making something she knows he likes, and goes to get the food out of the frying pan before it burns, shifting it with long, cooking chopsticks. Her father will be here soon. She caresses her G-Phone, and her thoughts drift back across two years.

She was still home, in Kagoshima. Her home town, a city across a lake from the mountains. She watched her father as he fiercely practiced alone in his great hall. She admired him so, and wished. But when her father saw her, he called her to him and she came up bravely. She was carrying brochures for the school in Tokyo, and she wanted him to please let her go there. He had taken the brochures, glanced at the cover, lips twisting slightly, and said, "No." Dismayed, she protested. He wiped his face dry of sweat and glowered. "You're too noisy," he growled. She glared at him, but she was almost in tears.

White sets out the plate of food for her father. Just then, her G-phone rings. She answers. It is Red calling urgently for an Aurg is in town to fight. Horrified, she stares at the clock. "OOoooh! It's 2:30!!" Protesting miserably she gets to her feet. She races out to join the others, having switched already back into her regular Gaoranger clothes. They run together, then have to stop and wait for a train to pass. "Did you see your father?" Red shouts over the rumble of the train. "No! I have to be home by three!" And the Aurg is out near a convenience store, terrorizing people. He has used his mighty sword to bisect a car. Helpless people run as fast as they can. He gets another car. Doesn't seem to have hurt anyone yet, but the area goes up in flames. "COME OUT, Gaoranger!" he shouts. And they have. White leads the change into armor to fight. She leads the group to fight. Yellow's Eagle Sword is ineffective against the Aurg. and he is knocked to the ground.

And White's father has arrived at her apartment, carrying a package for her. When he knocks and waits, and waits, and is puzzled by the lack of answer. So he digs in his pockets for the spare key. He comes in to her neat, tidy, clean apartment and notices she's left him a note. Does it look frantic? I don't know. But it does say she'll return as soon as she can. "I made you deep-fried fish patties," he reads. He is unhappy, though he tries not to show it. Her request for him to make himself at home is calm and easy. He looks around the apartment. There is the photo of the two of them, and it makes him smile. There are the fish-patties on a nice plate, covered with saran wrap to keep them fresh. He settles down to eat and wait, and the taste is utterly delicious, which comforts him considerably and he happily gobbles them down.

The Gaoranger fight on the beach of the river. But their enemy is deadly. He uses a moon attack on them. They are astounded by his power. But White charges frantically into battle, desperate to get this over with if she can. Red calls after her, knowing she's endangering herself.

Her father has finished the whole plate. Now he goes over to her desck, to look at the other photo beside the one of her and him. His daughter and a woman, surrounded by a crowd of four rather odd young men. The faces they are making give him cause to smile. But then there is an explosion and he turns. He races to the outer door and slides it open to stare out from the balcony. I don't think he can see the source of that explosion.

His daughter, though, has been badly hit by Samurai Doll Aurg. She cries out in agony as she spins and falls. Flames burst around her, high in the air. Schtein's huge eye opens amongst them. He tells them he intends to destroy them down to the last member, and laughs. The group assembles around the rolling White, and Samurai Doll approaches them, menacingly.

Drawn, as we sometimes are, to the sounds of the battle, White's father is there and he watches from behind the shelter of a piling. When the monster hits the brightly clad team of heroes with red lightning, he watches as the woman rolls and then leaps furiously to attack. She kicks the monster, but it strikes her and sends her falling back to land heavily. It is getting ready to bisect her with its sword. Her father of course does not know she is his daughter, but he is horrified by the danger she is in. But then the young woman responds in a voice raw with rage and courage. She is on her feet, protectively between the monster and her four companions who are not yet recovered, and call her "White!" with worry. Hissing with fury, she gestures into a fighting stance, centering herself. She is intimidating even the startled Aurg. And the watching man recognizes this stance from when he had taught her, years before. She sat in front of him in her high school uniform, face determined and defiant, while he readied to test her reflexes with his wooden sword. She had clenched her fist in her skirt and then was on her feet, hissing as she centered herself. The same gesture. Same sound. Same pose. They faced each other, him with the wooden sword, her bare-handed. And she had attacked, and his sword had slipped between the hands she'd raised to catch it and whapped her a good one on the head, sending her falling with a cry of pain. He had hidden his dismay quickly and forced himself to say accusingly, "Sae, just why do you want to go to Tokyo so badly?" And she had gotten her knees under her, kneeling facing him, her gaze direct and intent. It seems that she had to learn outside her father's house. She had been so earnest, explaining that he was too easy on her. And it was her strength of will that had beaten his. For how could he refuse his daughter?

And now this woman who faced a monster was, he knew, Sae. She faced the monster as she had faced him two years before. It raced at her, set to strike. "White, RUN!" screamed Red behind her. But she does not move as the Aurg raises his blade to strike. The others cry out frantically. Her father gasps in horror as the deadly blade comes down. But White catches it between her hands, easily. Seeing this, her father crows in proud delight. She twists the blade down, and in fury, breaks it apart. And she challenges the Aurg and calls her group, who move to support her attack. With the Tiger Baton alone, she destroys the Aurg, unaware that her is on his feet and so proud of her where he watches. Her group gathers around her to cheer.

"Little girl," snarls the Aurg. It is getting back to its feet, and furious. And the whole group is now recovered. They assemble their deadly Hyakujuuken and use it to effect. Samurai Doll falls and goes to green foam. Sae's father watches proudly, then races away. But Schtein is not proud. He shouts to Tsue Tsue. She is out with Yaba-iba, staggering towards the battle in the long grass. She obeys and uses her staff. In a half-mad fury, she sends out the Aurg seeds. In only a moment they are facing the giant. Without hesitation, Yellow brings out the bear's orbs and passes them to White and Blue. The Power Animals run in, less the Lion and plus the Gao Gorilla, who makes his giant banana trees and leaps up them to start his attack. The great Aurg is not phased by the exploding bananas. Yellow calls the others and Red agrees, they combine. They are getting hit pretty badly by his sword and he uses his moon blade attack on them, samurai eyes glowing red. He is tremendously powerful, and about to bisect them. But White, with what her father had taught her, will not give up. She calls in Gao Tiger, which takes the delaying action needed, slicing up the Aurg. "Thank you, Gao Tiger! We won't be defeated!" And it is she who runs the fight, gets Gao Muscle to his feet and uses the assorted attacks available like the Muscle Anchor. And soon, the Aurg is destroyed.

Bubbles float to the surface of the scrying pool. Tetomu watches it contentedly. And then the boys are home, Yellow leading the way in with Red on his heels. Black is behind them, only Blue is happily riding on his shoulders. "We're baaaaack!" they say cheerfully and she welcomes them. Yellow settles on the edge of the pool beside her, while Red comes close. Black lets a happy Blue down and they bound over, while Yellow asks for an update. Things are going fine. "Where's White?" she asks in surprise. Black explains that she's gone to meet her father at her apartment. Tetomu nods agreement and Red calls her on.

White arrives home. The sun is setting. She pulls off her boots calling anxiously, "Father, I'm so sorry!" But the apartment is empty. There is only a note on the table. The dishes have been cleaned and her clothers taken from the hangers and put away. A gi has been folded on her desk. She gathers it up. "Father," she whispers in misery. And then she sees the note on the table and kneels to read it. He is very proud of her, had worried about her in Tokyo. His tone is affectionat. I don't know if it reveals that he knows her extra-curricular activities. He is on his way home now, on I think a plane. He really enjoyed seeing her apartment. But the last thing he says is encouragement for Urawashi no Byako, Sai. And she realizes he does know. "Father!" And she is proud as well, but so sad that she did not get to see him. Outside, she watches the jet trail of a plane across the sky and looks at her G-Phone. Then she stares again at the sky, missing her father. A note on the screen for her father, short and about her being a Gaoranger. From Belle Tiger.

Next Quest 12: 本物はどっち!? Honmono ha Docchi!? Which is the REAL one?!

A copy-machine monster (I think they're becoming traditional). It has created a copy of an office lady, and the copy looks wickedly at the original. It copies the Gaoranger in their armor. The horns are a giveaway but it is still disorienting. And there are Two white, out of armor. And which one is the REAL White? Oh dear!

Evening traffic, honking horns. A clear night like any night. In an office one young woman is leaving, while another has copies to make of a cute computer advertisement. She wishes the leaving one farewell. She settles the paper exactly in place and closes the lid. The other woman closes the office door and continues on her way. She does not notice someone else there. Someone walks, sounding like they are in heels, to the door. The woman still there waits patiently as the machine makes copies for her. She hears the door shut and feet walking towards her. As she gathers up her copies and closes the machine she asks, "Did you forget something?" She turns with a smile which is gone in startlement. She is facing herself. Copies held protectively at her chest, she gapes as her doppelganger paces around her, studying her critically. When they are at last face-to-face again, the other woma smiles and something threatening is implied in that expression. That's enough for her. She utters a wailing scream of terror, drops her copies and races from the office as fast as she can run. From opposite her course comes high-pitched laughter. Eyes clowing orange-yellow, a strange being walks in the door (we know him of course, it is Yaba-iba, and Tsue Tsue is right on his heels. "Well, this is a quite novel approach!" he greets the woman standing there. She gapes at them. "You... are one-horns!" And her eyes start to flutter back and forth and then her form warps. This is no her, but another male Aurg. Copy Aurg, Yaba-iba names him. Grinning smugly, Tsue Tsue holds up Schtein's eye, which pulses. "He finds such strong Aurg!" Copy Aurg himself bounces up and down with excitement.

Stones are reflected in the rippling water of the scrying pool. The water bubbles, catching the attention of Tetomu first, who was standing in front of Blue and White with the others all gathered around the table. They quickly go to the pool, Red and Black over Tetomu's shoulder. "It's born!" she delights. And in an instant, light flares and gleams. An oval thing appears, bobbing in the water. Tetomu gathers it up happily. "THIS is the Gao Egg," she announces. They all crowd to get a good look at it. "And we give this to Gao Lion, right?" Red asks excitedly. "Don't be in such a hurry," Tetomu tells him firmly. "We have to wait for what's inside to hatch." Red is upset, though. For he tells us Gao Lion has not recovered. He feels his companion's injury. When he asks her anxiously if they can do anything to speed up the process, she tells him the egg has to be imbued with the Gao Soul. Logically, he is confused. And so they are off in Gao's Rock, to find the place they need to be. Black Feather Valley (黒羽の谷). The valley itself looks barren. The morning mist rises from the ground. But it is not all mist. There is one stone carved like a lion's head, hidden under the edge of a great boulder, face pointing to the sky. Red fire glows deep in its mouth. And steam rises from there.

"What is THIS?" Schtein growls angrily at the others. Tsue Tsue hastens to explain. She and Yaba-iba comes close as she tells him delightedly that this one's copy-power is really interesting! Copy Aurg decides to demonstrate. He holds up his hand, the camera of a copy machine. There is a startlingly bright flash. Its eyes start to wobble and then it performs for them. First it is Tsue Tsue "Cho cho cho, ii kanji!" and then Yaba-iba, and last Schtein. Then it is itself again. It is childlike in its delight. Schtein, I think, is not amused. He is angry and feels this power is useless. But before Copy Aurg can attempt to reason with him, the Aurg alarm signals. Eyes in a stone face flash brilliant red. "What's this?" Schtein murmurs, interested.

Gao's Rock settles in the woods near the valley. Our heroes and Tetomu are out, she is carrying a strong, wooden box with the egg inside. They ask her where the egg was born from, and she tells them from "Gao Heart." With it, they can help Gao Lion and the others. Red wonders about all these things they just need and inquires to Yellow, who moves away with slight exasperation, scolding him. When Yellow reaches to knock a branch out of his way, one falls on him and opens a rather ugly scratch across the back of his left hand. More annoyed than hurt, he pulls out a white kerchief and wraps it around the injury, saying pointedly to Red, "You ARE a Veterinarian!" Red, suitably rebuffed, gives him a hurt look. Yellow huffs and heads off ahead of the group. Black sees Red's expression and whispers an empathetic aside to Blue, whose response of "What if we can't fix - " White quickly hushes him. Red snaps miserably, "Shut up!" Tetomu ignores that and opens the box with Gao Soul. The egg pulses, glowing, and she reassures the others. Heartened, they start off. They do not see Tsue Tsue peer after them from behind a tree. "So the power-pulse is coming from that egg..." Yaba-iba pokes his head out next to her and she points out that they'll tell Schtein, and send Copy Aurg to do his best. They look aside. There is Gao Yellow in a fierce fighting pose! "YOU!" he shouts. Yaba-iba responds similarily. "Gao Yellow!" With a fierce smirk, Yellow straightens up. "It's me." His eyes start to wobble and they see, "Oh, what are you doing, Copy Aurg?" grumbles Yaba-iba. Tsue Tsue sends him off, and for some reason she uses her magical staff. Mist comes from its end.

Gao Yellow is still walking far ahead of the others, his hand bandaged. Red talks quietly with Tetomu as they walk. She explains a bit more about Gao Soul. White stops and glances unhappily down at her feet. Black and Blue come up beside her and Black asks what's up. She explains that her feet hurt. Blue affectionately kneels in front of her as she sits and points out warmly that it's because she's still a young girl. She tries to whap his head one and he bounces out of reach. Red and Tetomu turn, he asking, "You all right?" She explains unhappily that these new boots of hers are giving her blisters, and tells them to go on ahead, she'll catch up with them soon. They agree, Red adding that she should be careful.

As they walk, Blue is next to pause. He turns sharply and sees something Tsue Tsue-ish vanish behind trees. "There!" he cries, eyes wide. Black comes back to find out what's up. Tetomu and Red stop ahead, turning. "I saw something! I'm going to go take a quick look!" for the air is filling with mist. Black stutters and then sees off to his left Yaba-iba, who vanishes behind a tree. He hurtles off in pursuit, Tetomu and Red somewhat confused. But Black hollars back he's seen an Aurg. Red frets, however Tetomu suggests they go on carefully. But the next moment she trips over a thick tree root and the box goes flying. As they cry out, it lands in Yellow's outstretched hands. He straightens up and gives them a reproving glower. "Be careful." They bound over to him in relief. Red says, "We'd better make sure the egg hasn't broken!" and Yellow stiffly opens the box. He takes the egg out without even looking at it, holding it in his bare, right hand. It is intact and looks just perfect. The two sigh in relief. But then Yellow tosses the box flying. Before they quite catch up with what's happening, he gives them a totally nasty smirk, and raises the egg high above his hands with all-too obvious intent to smash it to bits. "STOP!" Red screams and leaps at him. The egg goes flying.

Tetomu launches herself after it and thankfully catches it by stretching to full length and landing herself flat out. "Whew, what a relief!" she says, turning to look at the two struggling men. Red is shouting, "What are you UP to?!" incredulously, dragging Yellow to his feet which is a mistake, for Yellow gets a good grip on his lapels and knees him in the stomach. Then, with a mad grin, belts him and he falls, stunned. With a sneering noise, Yellow spins and bounds away into the mist. Red manages to get to his feet shouting, "Wait!" but the other man is already gone. There is a cry behind him, "What's wrong?" startled, Red wheels and so does Tetomu. It is Yellow again, coming racing to them from the complete opposite direction. Coming to a halt, his anger cooled, he says the other man's name questioningly. Red does a little look-left look-right how'd-he-do-that kind of thing, and Tetomu stares at Yellow in confusion. But Red, with a fierce growl, launches to the attack. Grabbing a very startled Yellow, he slams him back against a tree. "YOU!" he snarls. Yellow braces him away, seeking an explanation but only gets "You tried to destroy that precious egg!" and Red shoves him to the ground. The two struggle, Yellow's kerchief bright on his injured hand as Red tries to grind him into the ground. They roll over and Tetomu is becoming more distressed. Red pins Yellow again, but the tables turn. This time the kerchief falls and lies in the grass, stained red with blood. Tetomu sees it and gasps, going to one knee to scoop it up. She understands, now. Just before Red, who has the upper hand again and is about to do serious damage with a hard fist, can strike, she leaps into the fray to stop him. And at her urging he realizes, the determined left hand keeping him off of Yellow is scraped raw on the back. He remembers with sudden clarity the left hand of the Yellow who had caught the flying box being dirty, but un-marred. "Oh wow. That was an Aurg!" With that realization he utters a long gasp of embarrassed dismay and pulls back, off of poor Yellow, who lets his lapels go and falls back with tired relief. Red is apologizing profusely, on his knees and clasping his hands together. Yellow gets up, dusting himself off and looking mildly exasperated but accepting what has happened with aplomb. He suggest they do their best to make certain this doesn't happen again, and Red quickly calls the others to them on his G-Phone.

They are soon all together, and the mist has dissipated. Tetomu gives a quick explanation about their encounter with Yellow's doppelganger, and Red tells them they must all stick together and keep an eye out. But then a strange, high voice echoes around them. "Chu chu chu chu, kanji!" and a sinister laugh catches their ears. Yellow sees it first, and gapes, pointing. His doppelganger, standing in still mist-shrouded trees looking particularly sinister. That one starts towards them, vanishing behind a tree but who steps out is Blue. "Ladies and Gentlemen of the Gao Ranger," behind another tree to come out as Black "from here it just gets more and more--" another tree and out comes White "-- interesting, don't you agree?" now out from another tree as Red but only to snicker evilly. And at last as its true self, Copy Aurg. And with him has arrived a company of Aurgettes. The Gao Ranger find themselves surrounded! No biggy. They head into battle. Yellow shouts at Red and Tetomu to get out of here. They obey.

By the river, the two arrive on the beach. Tetomu sits, panting. At last the other four catch up to say the Aurg ran off, which was really strange. Tetomu ignores all this to sigh with relief and head to the waterside. Red is looking troubled. "Someone hold this for me?" she holds out the egg. They are all agreeable but... as the others start forward Red shouts out, "Hold it a moment! It's best if I take it!" Startled, they stare at him, Black and Blue questioning but it is Yellow who says what Red is having trouble voicing. None of them know who is real. Tetomu gets to her feet. Each of them looks suspiciously, worriedly, at his or her companions. White gets exasperated with this and starts to take off her jacket. "Boy, everyone just stop it. Here, let me take it." She holds out her jacket, and Tetomu, still looking troubled, sets the egg firmly in it. "Don't give it to her!" cries a voice. A second White has arrived, and the situation is bad, for the two young woman glower at each other. One wears her jacket and the other does not. Dismayed, the men cry out. The newcomer stalks forward. "She's the copy!" she shouts, pointing. The jacket-less White stares angrily at the other. Red bounds to where he can look at both of them, and sees no clue to tell him which is his. "Which one is the REAL White?" he asks in dismay. Jacket-less moves angrily into fighting position. Jacket snarls a response and does the same. They start to fight, equally matched. Jacket kicks Less and White's G-phone falls. Tetomu is delighted, for the G-Phone had to have come from the real Gao White. Copy Aurg couldn't have duplicated it. Gao White only can change into her armor. They look at the two young women, who both hold their hands out frantically for the G-Phone. It is impossible for them to figure out which she is. The other men assemble behind him, Blue saying "Red!" anxiously. Yellow points out logically and unhappily, that if they give the G-Phone to the wrong one, the copy will probably break it. As the women call for the Phone, Blue shifts anxiously from foot to foot. "Which one do you think she is, Black?" he asks anxiously. But the other man is as clueless as he. One at a time, the two women call Red. Glancing from one to the other, he tries his own special talent. He closes his eyes and listens. He holds the phone tightly. The others watch him and pin their hopes on him. The two women both broadcast sheer anxiety, and his thoughts are drawn to the flowers between him and them, but he still does not know, perhaps they are too close together. He opens his eyes and says anxiously, "White, step forward please!" He himself moves towards them, heading for the one with the jacket. Less cries his name in dismay while Jacket nearly sobs in relief. She takes a step towards him to take the phone and her foot comes down firmly on the yellow flowers. Red stops and grins broadly. "I get it now! YOU'RE the copy!" and he points into her face. She is positively floored, gaping at him. "The REAL White thinks living things are utterly precious!" and she follows his gaze down to the smashed flowers, moving her foot from them. Proudly, Red moves to the jacket-less one. "The real White is THIS one!" She takes the G-Phone from him but looks utterly humiliated. "I'm sorry!" she says. Confused, he meets her gaze and seeks explanation. She looks down at her feet and moves her right one to reveal a poor flower, flattened. Red is totally flummoxed and unable to speak, while the others all stutter, realizing that he had NO idea which one was which. Tetomu steps forward, intending perhaps to take the phone back but the girl is bending down to tenderly straighten the stalk and apologize to the small flower for stepping on it. The other one wearing the jacket snarls in fury and reveals her true face. We all know what that is, right?

Our heroes send Tetomu off to safety and go into battle armor, and Copy Aurg quickly makes copies of them. The difference is fairly easy, they have Aurg double-horns. The team has rougher voices, Copy Red announcing themselves as the Copy Sentai. Being copies, they aren't quite as good as the originals. They do not have the support of the Power Animals. They they do delay, they cannot defeat. The horns are a neat touch, though!

The copy machine attacks with exploding paper and downs the team. But Red calls all back to their feet, and they finally destroy the copies very nicely. Red turns in a sudden jerk of his head. Then there is only the copy Aurg left and he is dismayed. Red shouts they will show him their teamwork. They hit him hard with Hyakujuuken and he spews blank paper, then they give the final blast. Dismayed, Yaba-iba and Tsue Tsue do what they do. They make him into a giant. Our heroes do what THEY do. Call in the Power Animals. With Gao Lion still out, of course they assume Gao Muscle. Copy Aurg attacks with exploding paper and shakes them up pretty badly, then he manages to wrap them in paper, and makes copies of himself all over the wrapping, which then explodes. Red calls to White and Blue, and they summon Gao Elephant and Gao Giraffe. Those two knock Copy Aurg down very well, and our heroes thank their companions, then use the Anchor to attack, then the Bear punches. Copy Aurg is GONE kablooey!

Schtein is furious, absolutely furious, and he takes out his anger on Tsue Tsue and Yaba-iba. And in the valley... But Tetomu has found a stone in the mountainside, shaped like Gao Lion. "Mother Earth, give Gao King the sacred power, and Gao Egg and the Gao Soul." Her prayer is answered, and fiery glowing from inside bathes the Egg until it glows for them again. This must be taken to Gao Lion. They all grin in relief.

Next Quest 13: 産声が凍る！！ Ubugoe ga Kooru!! The first cry of a newborn froze!

The egg flashes, and a newborn creature, blue and rather penguin-like except for the fuzzy wings on its back....

In our last episode, the Gaoranger got the egg to Black Feather Valley where, in response to Tetomu's prayers to Mother Earth, it was imbued with the sacred magical power of the Gao Soul to help Gao Lion. Now our heroes wait inside Gao's Rock, which sits innocently in a city park. Red paces anxiously back and forth. The others stand gathered around their table. Then an eerie, magical sound catches their attention. "Red!" Tetomu calls. The egg has begun to glow brightly on the padded stand they made for it. The heroes gather in pairs to stare at it, intently willing it to hatch all right. Red and Yellow, Black and Blue, White and Tetomu. "You're being born," says Tetomu softly, and White grins. A flare of brilliant light. Everyone gasps in delight. Then at last the glow dies down until a shape can easily be seen.

The creature is soft and fuzzy. At first it loos a bit like a duck, except for being blue with a white belly. A fine gemstone is in the middle of its forehead. It has useless wings. It seems attached to the remains of its shell, top half on its head and sitting in the bottom half. When it opens its great, reddish eyes it says shyly, "Niyow." Red stares at it and flicks an uncertain glance to Tetomu. "Is this the Gao Heart?" He leans down to it. "Are you going to help Gao Lion?" The little critter opens its eyes wide at him, then suddenly shifts forward and bonks its beak against his nose. "Ouch!" he protests, shying back and covering his nose. "Sorry!" he tells its somehow indignant expression as it says insistently, "Pyon, pyon!" The others chuckle happily. Tetomu explains that it will take a bit longer before it's ready. White bounds around in front of the little guy, and we see it has two wings on its back as well. She shoves Yellow aside and cups its face in her hands. "Oh, how CUTE!" Yellow pushes her aside to say in a gentle voice with a warm smile, "I bet he thinks the first person he saw is his mother." Blue shoves HIM aside to say, "Oh, that means he thinks RED is his mother!" Black shoves HIM aside to pop in, "Well then, I'm your daddy, okay?" and White bends down next to him. "I'm your big sister!" The little guy is quite willing, if he understands. Poor Red is trying to get to it, but he can't get past the others.

A ball of fire roars very realistically from the stone face and engulfs Schtein, who is not at all enjoying it. He is frightned and kowtows to the Aurg Master (who is not physically present). Tsue Tsue and Yaba-iba, watching, cower back when he turns towards them. But he is only telling them that the Aurg Master is seriously pissed off. It is Tsue Tsue who knows to her distress that this is because of the Gao. Schtein frets over what to do next. There is more power to gather. And he tells them to come with him. They anxiously follow him out of the Matrix.

Red finally gets his time with the little one. He pets it and says encouragingly, "You hurry and grow up now, so as to help Gao King and Gao Lion, yes?" It is quite agreeable. White offers it a potato chip. Blue seems to think that's a bad idea. Yellow starts to push his way in, displacing Red to tenderly smile at the little one. Black moves to get in and picks up the critter calling himself the father, and Tetomu comes anxiously. I think they're currently working on coming up with a name for it. Red gets it, because as he says he's the mother. White and Blue look at him with bright indignation. "He's Pyo-chan!" says Blue. "Yes, let's use that name!" White huffs. But Red holds the little guy tenderly and stares into its half-sleepy eyes. It sighs, "Pyoooo." Gathered together, Black, Red and Yellow all grin in paternal delight and Red crows, "So Pyo-chan is your name!" And he cradles Pyo-chan close and starts singing a lullaby. His voice is fine and sweet. Blue almost drops off the moment he starts singing, but keeps himself awake. They all smile tenderly at the scene. Pyo-chan starts to fall asleep, but then jerks awake in alarm! An instant later the scrying pool starts to bubble madly and they hurry to see what's happening. The pool begins to glow with an eerie light! "Is it an Aurg?" but Tetomu says, "No. No, it's not just as Aurg. Aurg are always strong...." It is Schtein they see first, laughing evilly as terrified people run from him and his Aurgettes. White says his name anxiously. Pyo-chan cries and Red knows he's frightened. "Tetomu, you take him!" and hands him off. The Gao Ranger race from Gao's Rock to fight.

Oh, yes. The Aurg are out in force. They blow up skyscrapers, and helpless people scream and run as debris rain down on them. Schtein is in a fury, determined to show these humans what an Aurg can do. He swings his mighty axe. Each blast from it destroys, destroys and destroys. The death toll is surely tremendous. He laughs as he marches on and people run in panicked terror. But the Gao Ranger arrive to challenge him. He demands something back from them. The power, perhaps? They snarl back at him. Yellow snapping, "What, so you can find the next Highness Duke?" White adds that if he's come alone he's got another think coming. He responds, "You are five. And I can beat you alone." Blue snorts at him. "That's what you say!" Black snarls, "Let's go then!" Schtein responds with a blast that gets them diving for cover. Black is impressed in spite of himself, as they get back to their feet. Yellow has the light of battle in his eyes and calls encouragement. Red is quite ready. They all change into their armor to fight and announce themselves *snore*.

When he asks perhaps what makes them think they can beat him, Red responds that they have the power within their hearts. He steps forward towars them across the rubble-strewn courtyard. "I am Aurg." A small listing of how he enjoys human suffering, I think. White is not agreeable on this (group is prone to discussion). She protest that this is not human. To which he logically points out that he is not a human. Furious, Red heads the attack and only gets knocked back. Schtein expresses his intent to torment them until they die. And the group each attacks him with their speical weapon. He finally seems to have been blasted, but just as they are gloating, he starts laughing and stands back up. So White suggests to Red they pool their power and he agreeably does. They attack with Hyakujuuken, but Schtein simply sends their blast back at them. They fall hard. "This is your last day," he tells them smugly. For here are Tsue Tsue and Yaba-iba with Freezer Aurg, whom Schtein calls into battle. He opens the doors on his face, and out pours a dense fog that freezes anything it touches. Plants.... a fuzzy black retriever. With a cry of horrow, the Gaoranger are caught in the mist. They suits protect them and they are able to roll out of range, but they are still under attack. Tsue Tsue goes after White and catches her in fire. She's still quite pissed about the "little girl" calling her Auntie. But this doesn't stop White from doing it. The two discuss this viciously even while fighting. I think White is trying somehow to reason with her enemy. Of course, Yaba-iba and Yellow are at it too. Their fight is not involving words, just blades. They are very well matched. Yellow catches Yaba-iba up and flies him against anything they can hit. Freezer Aurg has cornered Red in a warehouse, but Black and Blue make it to his side. They are caught in the terrible freezing power. This time the cold overwhelms them and they fall limp to the cement. "Oooh, three snowmen!" Freezer Aurg cackles smugly. He stalks over. He stomps on Red's chest, only to find our heroes are perfectly fine and Red grabs his ankle, pinning him while the other two attack. They soon drive him back out into the open, and Red pulls out the Gao Main Buster. First Normal mode, then Final mode. And that takes out Freezer Aurg, who turns and cries his lord's name. His lord calls back to him, then in a fury when he falls and becomes green foam, calls Tsue Tsue to make him large.

Delighted, Freezer Aurg vows to show Schtein his power. The Gaoranger roll out of the freezing mist and call their Power Animals. Gao Gorilla tosses Freezer Aurg, and Red calls for the Banana Bombs. One banana falls to land atop Gao Black. The others gather around anxiously but he's fine and makes a pun "Sonna banana!" (as opposed to "Sonna bakana!") ("That's banana!" "That's stupid!" Just doesn't work as well in English) He calls in Gao Bison to smash Freezer Aurg. Yellow sets the bears to work, then go into their fiery, spinning attack. While the Aurg is stunned, the group has their friends form Gao Muscle. Freezer Aurg is unimpressed. In fact, this is what he's been waiting for. He turns the full force of his power on them.

In Gao's Rock, Pyo-chan is getting frantic and Tetomu tries to reassure him. "Everyone keep trying, right?" Our heroes strike, punching with both hands. They've severely injured Freezer Aurg, and it may disintegrate. But Schtein is not letting it end so easily. He sends a burst of his own power up to his Aurg. Revitalized, Freezer is shaky at first, then laughs as it feels the extraordinary strength it has now. They are not discouraged, and try Bison Kick. Freezer Aurg catches them, spins and tosses them. They land on their feet and race back in for the Muscle Bear Hug! They're going to try to squish Freezer Aurg. Clinched together, the behemoths struggle. Schtein calls Freezer Aurg to do that last thing. And suddenly freezing fog pours into Gao Muscle. The great combination begins to ice over. Eventually it is too much for the Aurg, and he explodes calling his lord's name. The effects of his attack remain, though. Gao Muscle falls, frozen. Alarms are going off in the cockpit, for it is iced over. Dark, no power. Our heroes have frost dusted over their armor. Icicles hang from the ceiling. Schtein laughs and says smugly that Freezer Aurg, with his dying breath, has frozen the Gao Soul. Our heroes snatch up their daggers, but their orbs remain frozen in place. They startle in dismay. They lift them quickly. All ten of the orbs are frosted over! It is Red who cries out in horror, "I can't hear Gao Lion's voice!" He cries his companion's name. The others call theirs. But up on the floating island, there is no response. And suddenly our heroes are caught in a crackle of power. Their armor vanishes. Their frozen G-phones lie on the floor. Pyo-chan cries in dismay while Tetomu watches the going-ons in the scrying pool. She hastens to reassure him and hugs him close. Our heroes slide from the cockpit, coming out under then hand cannons. They land on the ground, not happy and also rather shaken up from the drop. Red's G-phone rings and he knows who it is as he answers it. "Tetomu!" She is half-frantic, pacing with Pyo-chan wrapped in her arms. Something may be wrong with Pyo-chan. But then static overrides the communication. Before he can get it back, the group is hit by an explosion and they all fall, hard. Yes, the three Aurg have arrived. Schtein is quite smug. Tsue Tsue points out that now there is nothing the group can do. The heroes are on their feet, considering running but Red reminds them that they are Gaoranger, suits or no. Yellow calls the charge, and they run at the three villains in a rage. Each snarls determinidly, but when Schtein blasts them, they roll out of the way. Yellow and Red get to Schtein, who catches them both by the throat, startled that they are still fighting. In answer to his question Yellow snarls that they are still Gao soldiers, even if they cannot Gao Access. Red gasps ot that they will always fight. Furious, Schtein tosses them onto their faces. They roll quickly over as he starts after them with his axe.

Tsue Tsue and White are at it, our girl hanging onto the witch's staff to keep it from being stabbed at her. White answers to her enquiry that they will indeed defeat the Aurg. Tsue Tsue finds this amusing. She tosses White flying. Black and Blue are up against Yaba-iba, shouting their infamous slogan. At one point they catch his hands and together flip him over their heads, but he lands on his feet and comes back for more. Schtein manages to dump Yellow and Red over a steep cliff and they roll to the bottom. "You will die before you and the Power Animals can use the power of the Gao Egg!" or something like that. Red remains defiant, and the two men get blasted for their troubles. In fact, everyone is getting very badly beaten. But they will not stop, no matter what. They keep getting back to their feet. When Schtein marches to finish off Red, Yellow makes a mad leap and grabs him around the great horn. The terrible electric charge that occurs nearly kills him. By the time he is thrown off and hits ground, the other four have managed to collect around him. Red helps him back to his feet, and they face off against a combined shot from the three powerful villains. This shot may do them in, for they are bruised and badly shaken up. They can't get back to their feet. Red desperately calls Gao Lion. His voice echoes from the cliffsides, but no answer comes. "Don't come! I can't hear your voice!"

Next week Quest 14: 魂の鳥が叫ぶ Tamashii no Tori ga Sakebu Soul Bird Cries

Our heroes are still fighting, still armorless. Red speaks to Schtein his defiance, but the Higness Duke gets his orb. Finally, fighting again in his armor and perhaps getting the better of the mighty Schtein. And the new machine, Soul Bird, carries our heroes.

The freezing fog in the cockpit. GaoMuscle fallen, the heroes blasted, bashed and bombed until they fall. Yaba-iba mocks them laughingly, "I guess they can't fight if they can't change!" They can still try to get to their feet, though. Tsue Tsue laughs, "Well, little girl, you can't always fight. Children should play." Schtein adds, "With the Gao Soul frozen, the will to fight is also frozen." But Red, struggling with his pain and exhaustion, snarls at them from the ground. "You haven't defeated MY will to fight!!" And he starts to lever himself up. Yellow, wincing, cheek and skin by lips torn, tries to say "Me too." But the three Aurg start towards them, mocking. "Humans are weak," says Schtein. And he is ready with his great axe. Together, the three approach the fallen Gaoranger. Black gets on his feet to snarl challenge. Blue does, too. Yellow manages to get to his feet, saying the he will fight. White gets up with her own comment. Red is slowest, face twisted in a snarl of fury. "Schtein! We'll show you our will to fight! For the life of the world!"

Gao's Rock, Tetomu paces anxiously with Pyon. The little one makes a sudden noise and she loosens her hold so she can see its face. The eyes are sleepy, and it makes another soft noise. "Oh, your eyes are open!" she delights, stroking its soft, blue fuzz. The eyes go wider, and she agrees with its bright urgings. "You did it. They all can do it!"

Gaoranger fall like scattered leaves. Schtein blasts them and they go flying. The trio laughs. Our heroes are still moving, though, digging their hands in the dust and broken rocks they lay on. "To shark, or bison," comments Schtein, bearing down on the pair. But Blue gets to his feet and races at the great Aurg. Schtein only catches him and throws him to the ground, to bear down with one heavy foot on Blue's chest. "Now that you can't change, you're all simple to defeat." Black struggles with his beaten nerves and shouts, "Leave Blue alone!!" he manges to get to his feet and run at Schtein, but the Aurg hits him in the face with the flat of his axe and Black falls back to roll away. "Black!" Blue cries, free for an instant of the heavy foot but then Schtein catches his collar and pulls him up to get a good look at him. "What's the matter, you want to be next?" and tosses Blue to the ground where he lands with a heavy crack. The crack is the sound of his Gao Orbs knocked from his pocket and they roll to sit, side by side, a short distance from him. Yaba-iba picks up the golden orb, the Giraffe. Tsue Tsue gets the blue one, the Shark. They announce it with great smugness.

Yellow and White have fetched up against a boulder and are just starting to get to their feet. But Schtein is after them. Yellow shouts wildly, "I won't let you!" and launches himself feet first at the Aurg. Schtein simply knocks him from the air to land heavily on his back, pain doubling him over. "You're in the way." Ignoring him, the Aurg moves on. "Well, the girl. Least of the Gaoranger." White, staggered back against the boulder, protests this. "I may be a girl, but I know protecting life it the most important thing of all!" Schtein snorts, comments back and bashes her down. The pale blue Elephant orb and the red Tiger orb roll away from her. Ecstatic Yaba-iba gets the blue, Tsue Tsue the red.

Pyo-chan is coming out of it, eyes brightening every moment. He waves his four lateral wings insistently, while the two on his back stay firmly in place. Tetomu encourages his recovery with relief and smug joy and then realizes he is saying something (although the words he uses do not change at all). "Eh? What?" and when she understands, she smiles and nods firm agreement. "I understand. Let's go and help them."

It is Red's turn. "The last is YOU, Gao Red!" (wait, what about Yellow?) Pinned by Schtein's hand on his throat, Red musters his courage, but he is thrown against a wall, and then caught in red electrical fire coming from Schtein's horn. Red is brought into Schtein's hand for a lecture. It seems to be about how annoying humans are, and how demons from long ago deafeated/were defeated by Aurg. But Schtein knocks Red away, blasts him hard and when he falls, his orb rolls away from him to be picked up by Schtein. "Ah, the lion." Red gets back to his feet to shout his defiance. Schtein replies that they really can't do anything now they have no power from the Gao Soul. But Red protests they have their very own, HUMAN power. You can guess how impressed Schtein is. It is Yaba-iba's laughter that cuts the air and turns Red's attention for a horrible sight to his eyes. His friends are like rag dolls, Black and Yellow hanging from Yaba-iba's fist, dragged along the ground. White and Blue from Tsue Tsue's fists. None of them seem conscious, or maybe they are just too dazed to react. Red can react, though, with mouth open in horror. His friends aren't quite out. They cry out in agony as their captors yank them back, then throw them forward to land on their faces, too beaten to move. "Guys!" cries Red in desperate protest. He cannot go to them of his own will, for Schtein catches him and makes a point of bashing him tumbling to them. They call out his name, reaching for him. "This is where you die," Schtein says, victory in his voice. He starts towards them. Tsue Tsue and Yaba-iba approach from the opposite side, cackling. Our heroes scramble together, all back to back. Schtein puts his axe to Red's throat, and the frightened young human freezes. Blue and White flinch back from Tsue Tsue's staff, ready to stab into their faces. Yaba-iba has his daggers at Yellow and Black's throats, and both men stare as if hypnotised at the shining, waved blades. They do not move as their three foes draw back the weapons to strike. They only cry out as the instruments of their deaths fall.

And then, a totally bizarre sound splits the air, stopping the Aurgs in mid-swing. It is vaguely like a single pipe of a bagpipe, and goes on and on in curling, agonizing to the three. The Gaoranger are quite confused, for the sound does not hurt them. It is even almost quiet to them. They look around in bewilderment until, finally, they see Tetomu on the cliff overlooking the gravel pit. She holds Pyo-chan in her arms. White calls her name. Tetomu holds up the little guy and they call its name in recognition. She starts an explanatory speech about the Gao Soul and star power, and life. And Human Feeling. The ice finally melts from Gao Muscle, and power flows inside again. But the unfortunate Aurg still writhe in agony.

The sound stops when Tetomu lowers Pyo-chan, but the stolen orbs fly back to their ownders. Curiously, the answer is only those five had been taken. Shark, Giraffe, Elephant, Tiger and Lion. As they are held, so still they seem to circle Pyo, ten orbs around him in blackness, they the only light. Pyo is very happy. Our heroes are happy, too, as their G-Phones ring to announce themselves active again. Yellow tells the others, and they all grin and face the Aurg. Red states that now his group will show the human power. And they transform into armor.

The three Aurg launch themselves into battle, unaware that events are going on back in the Matrix. The Gao Master sends out a beam of red lightning and bathes one particular stone gargoyle in it. The stone shudders and murmers. Yellow is fighting Yaba-iba, who is getting the worst of it, to his dismay. Blue comes in to help, slashing the Aurg's face. Yellow hits him with the Noble Slash, Blue with the Surging Chopper. Yaba-iba goes down in flames. An injured Tsue Tsue is trying to get her breath back, only to whirl as she finds Black and White after her. The two attack with their claws, and then drag her along the ground over her protests until they smash her into a stone or something, we don't get to see aught but the cloud of dust. Schtein fights Red, and the battle goes on. Pyo and Tetomu watch in delight. But in the Matrix, the gargoyle is becoming animate. Red catches the axe with his Lion Fang, and blasts it from Schtein's hands. But he gets caught and has to call in the Gao Main Buster. Using Main Mode, he hits that one pretty badly. He smugly remarks on how just him is able to beat Schtein. But Schtein gets back on his feet, and Red shifts nervously feeling the mad intention. The Aurg intends to show off HIS power.

Tsue Tsue and Yaba-iba stagger to his side. She is about to attack the Gaoranger with her staff when Schtein snatches it from her hands. "I'll show you what a Highness Duke can do!" he snarls. Everyone is quite unable to figure out what he is up to, until he spins the staff around, snarls a deep preparing roar, and stabs it into the gem located where a belly-button might be. "Lord Schtein what - ?!" Tsue Tsue cries, her hand out to him. But soon it is obvious. They all watch as he suddenly expands out. Tetomu cries out in horror as his ballooning body brings his great eye above her perch on the cliff. Even Pyo is impressed.

Tsue Tsue and Yaba-iba are delighted as he begins blasting all around. Boulders fall towards the Gaoranger, threatening to bury them. Unfortunately, they also fall on the two Dukes, and DO bury them. Only Yaba-iba's hand can be seen amongst the stones. It streches pleadingly, then falls limp. Schtein, laughing, bears down on our heroes. They wisely return to Gao Muscle and get the great formation to its feet again. Yellow says from his position, "Well, Gao Soul or Aurg Power, let's see which is the stronger!" Schtein certainly is willing to. He brings his great axe into play. They are as effective against him as he is against them. But no, he has them and blasts them badly, before they can dodge. Our heroes are blasted from the cockpit to land on the ground, but are all set to go straight back into battle.

Pyo-chan is very excited and has a lot of pyonning to say to Tetomu, who understands him. He will go fight with them. She holds him up, and he glows bright golden. Then the golden glow flies off to attack Schtein, stunning him well and truly. And then... the glow transforms into a silver-black ... um... transport! Lively and animated (very well animated, I say), it cries victoriously to the skies above. It opens its mouth and then launches itself flying downwards towards our still astounded heroes. It kind of reminds me of a pill-bug. Tetomu tells them that a new spirit has been born of the Gao Soul. The Soul Bird, to help Gao Muscle and Gao King. It hurtles through the air, rolling and spinning, delighting in its power. Tetomu tells the marvelling Gaoranger to board, and they obey her happily. Flying leaps take them up into the sky. The Soul Bird opens side ports and they land firmly in the places reserved for them. Red, at the back, delights. So does Black. Tetomu explains this thing will take them into the cockpit of their respective giant fomations, so Red pushes a button and tells it to do so. Gao Muscle turns its back so they can enter. They warp inside.

The cockpit has altered slightly, and they now place their daggers in the spot reserved, a perfect fit. The bird's eyes glow brightly, and now Schtein's powerful blasts do not affect the approaching robot. Poor Aurg is quite bewildered, and then they throw him to the ground. White crows victory, unaware that in the Matrix, a stone gargoyle is becoming an Aurg. It knows what is happening, its voice in the air as it forms out of the stone, great and green.

Schtein gets back to his feet. He is not a happy camper, and will not give up. The Soul Bird signals its pilots. Worried, Black asks what's the matter but there is a distant roar. Red touches the emblem over his heart. "I can hear... Gao Lion' voice!" Floored, delighted, he tells the others, "Soul Bird's Gao Soul has restored Gao Lion to health!" And White, astonished, says she hears Gao Tiger's voice. Blue hears Shark's, Yellow Eagle's. Black gasps, "Gao King!" Yes, Red agrees with them. And that is what they prepare to do.

At their call the others come to back Schtein back. The Soul Bird flies out and Gao Muscle breaks configuration to allow the formation of Gao King. Soul Bird takes them inside. "Reborn Gao King!" they announce joyfully! But more than that, there is something new they can do. The Gao Soul's front opens at their command, a wind-mill like cannon opens like a flower. Glows, powers up, A blast hurtles through fathomless space towards a distand exit that proves to be the eyes and mouth of Gao Lion. But no, it also comes out of the Tiger, Shark and Bison (don't ask what that looks like). The mighty blast strikes and this time, obliterates Schtein.

"WE BEAT THE AURG!!!!" The team goes into ecstacy, congratulating each other. They wave happily down at Tetomu, who jumps up and down, laughing in delight. And Animalium is quite and peaceful today. Well, as always. The Soul Bird is out there now, too. All the animals are pleased. Our heroes are down in the city, walking happily between the trees with Tetomu and cheering still. "We did it!" shouts Red beside White, who is next to Tetomu. Tetomu applauds. White, almost drunk with happiness, says "Wow, tomorrow I can go back to school!" Blue is beside Black, then Yellow next to Red. He says mournfully, "But I'm sure going to miss you guys." Black grins and drops an arm in a comforting pat on his shoulder. Black says happily, "Hey, we're friends forever now." He drops his other arm over Yellow's shoulders, pulling them all together. "We could look for work we can do together!" Yellow grins in happy delight and reaches to Red to encourage him, but Red scolds and pulls White to him, then leaps and pulls Yellow over, bringing the laughing group together. And then....

The world shakes and they all stumble, Red moving to hold White from falling. No, the world is not shaking. It is warping and changing. The city buildings around them ripple and become the walls of the canyon where they'd last fought the Aurg. It takes a moment for things to settle down, but all six look about in confusion. "Here?" puzzles Red. And then there is a snarling roar. Out of the dust and rock rises a furious Schtein. Yellow moves between the others and the Aurg protectively, gasping in horror. Red calls out their enemy's name. "Gaoranger, I am not yet..." Schtein starts to say. But then thin white lightning writhes across his form. He cries out in agony and turns. There is someone else behind him, a green and gold being who almost looks like an animate jewel. "You!!" and then he understands. "Oh, yes. You're taking all my doom." And twisting, he falls and explodes. The Gaoranger gasp in amazed horror.

"Good night, Schtein," the extraordinary being says. Its voice is male and melodious. Aristocratic, snobbish? He turns his attention to the watchers. "I am the 1000 year Ura. His Successor." Ura covers his mouth and laughs, his laughter is high-pitched. To their bewilderment, he expands. "Aurg are immortal." And something more about himself. He waves his hand and power shoots out to coalesce in a pile of boulders. Yaba-iba and Tsue Tsue get up, dusting themselves off, coughing and sputtering. Yaba-iba starts to ask who helped them, when the pair see Ura. Tsue Tsue gasps, "Oh, my Lord!" And Yaba-iba goes on, "Oh, we've got another Highness Duke Lord!" The Gaoranger are still stuck as spectators, staring in confusion. White steps forward, "Highness Duke?" and Yellow says wearily, "You're another..?" Blue is next, "You mean it isn't over?"

This sends Ura into gales of laughter as the two Dukes gather close to him. He introduces himself with bemused good humor. "I am Highness Duke Ura," and a polite half-bow. And he turns away. Blue shouts, "WAIT!" and leads the charge after them, but the Gaoranger hit a wall of yellow lightning and fall. "What IS this?" snarls Black. And the Aurg ripple out of sight while the Gaoranger watch, helpless to touch them.

Next Quest 15: 鬼、吼える！！ Oni, Hoeru The Demon Howls

Ura wanders by a temple. Yaba-iba and Tsue Tsue wander somewhere else. The Gaoranger look confused, and there is a crescent moon sculpture on stone.... The Gaoranger find something in the night, and a mysterious black being steps from a stone coffin. The Gaoranger are getting blasted. Ura is amused, and a demon with the head of a wolf turns....

The Gaoranger watched in horror as Schtein seemed to resurrect, but then his power was sucked away into another Aurg, the shining green Ura. That one introduced, and left with Tsue Tsue and Yaba-iba. And perhaps it is in the scrying pool that we are getting a good view of him. Tetomu says thoughtfully, "The new Duke Aurg is Ura." Yellow is beside her, toying with a dry starfish. "And we have to fight him." Black has his comment, and passes it to Red who has his chin in his palms. Blue is next and then White, as they are all ranged on the edge of the pool. For some mysterious reason, the turn of conversation leads Red to decided to take off his pants, and the others dive around with varying expression of shock. Black dives between his leader and the camera. "Hey, don't look!" he tells us, and covers the lens with his hand as Blue shakes his head in agreement.

Tsue Tsue and Yaba-iba peer carefully at their new commander from around a corner. Ura is in front of the great stone face, the Aurg Master. He seems to be taking inventory. He is just about to pick up a round, dusty mirror when Tsue Tsue calls him sweetly. He turns to look at them and they startle back, very shy of their new commander. Yaba-iba is nervously offering up lives, and Ura starts to laugh, covering the area under his nose where a mouth might be on a human. The two also laugh, though very confused. He points out that he is not like Schtein, and tells them he wants beautiful things. He tells them to go out and gather him beautiful things. Confused and nervous, but excited, the two dash off. As they leave, Ura snorts contemptously and turns back to the dusty mirror. He laughs as he holds it.

Another city. Late spring, and poppies are everywhere. Among the flowers pops up a lovely woman, with a huge horn on her head. Tsue Tsue. A moment later, and a non-human looking fellow pops up. It is Yabai-iba, and he is totally bizarre in a loud shirt. They bound playfully together, pleased with Ura's request, and she calls in their new Aurg, a vacuum cleaner. Soujiki Aurg. They sing to him, and he sucks up the flowers as they cheer in delight.

The Gaoranger are still fooling around, White covering her face. Red and Black have their pants down around their ankles, both wearing boxer shorts (sorry, nudity fans). Yellow and Blue are trying to get them back dressed. Tetomu calls them. The scrying pool has detected Aurg activity. Yellow and White peer into the pool. Red is ready to come over and look, but tumbles over his own pants and falls on his face. "Let's fly and go see!" he says cheerfully from the floor.

But at the Matrix, the flowers are displayed everywhere for the new Highness Aurg's pleasure. He has eyes up his nostrils, folks. He is very pleased with the beautiful flowers, and his two companions bask in his praise. He likes the flowers, and laughs. "BUT," he says, he wants other things. Shiny, beautiful, sparkly things. He sends the pair off again. He snorts, finding only this useful about them.

This time they are in the ocean in buckets, they seem to be rowing, but Yaba-iba loses control of his bucket and goes skipping off along the water, the others behind him.

The Gaoranger are still trying to get control of their clothes. Tetomus has pinpointed where the Aurg are, and Red points out it is an island famous for gold. Gao's Rock brakes to a stop in midair, spinning on jets and hitting the startled sun as it turns around.

Our intrepid villains have their Aurgettes digging for gold in the caves. This is nice and all, but going much too slow. The shimmer of gold dust all over the stones. They are delighted, and Tsue Tsue puts their Aurg to work. Vacuum Cleaner sucks in the gold ore and accidently gets one frightened Aurgette. But, wandering out of the mine (Soujiki Aurg commenting on how full he is), the trio run into the Gaoranger. In a rather literal sense, actually. "Wait a minute!" Red says. And I think it's Blue who asks what they are up to. But the trio doesn't even try to answer. Instead, they run through the group and dash to their buckets. Tsue Tsue hollers back over her shoulder, "We're collecting beautiful things for Lord Ura!" As the Gaoranger clamber back to their feet, White shouts "What does that mean?!" Tsue Tsue yells back, "It isn't about you, nyah!" and makes a mocking face. Rowing their buckets out into the ocean, they hurtle off. They arrive home with the gold smelted into blocks only to find, to their startled dismay, that the Duke Highness is gone! "Lord Ura's not here!" wails Yaba-iba. They drop their bags of gold bars. He hands his head and staggers into the chair. Tsue Tsue whaps his legs and tells him they can't rest. Obviously they must go collect still more beautiful things! She taps Yaba-iba's nose as she finishes explaining this, and he brightens up and goes with her.

And where has the nose-eyed gentleman gone? He has wandered into the mountains and stands below a Shinto shrine. He is searching, the mirror in his hand. It's almost the full moon and this is where he needs to be....

Well, the Gaoranger are certainly wondering what's up. Black comments that an Aurg who likes beautiful things is certainly different than they're used to. White drops down to look into Blue's eyes and asks, "Someone who likes beautiful things can't be all bad, can they?" He counters that an Aurg is by nature evil. Yellow walks by the pair with his own fretful comment and settles on the edge of the pool. It starts to bubble madly and he turns in surprise. Tetomu leaps next to him to look and tells them there is more activity. And so the group gathers to find out what. White mutters the name of the location a few times, trying to figure out what beautiful things the Aurg might be collecting from there. And then they realize. And once again Gao's Rock makes a sudden change of course. They are crisscrossing Japan.

A blue jewel-like glass in a fence. A building. Tsue Tsue in skin tight black leather, looking strangely lovely as she leads her intrepid companions in a raid on this building. They gathered some things and make their way backwards down a hall until they bump into some older women staring at a brochure. The two groups stare at each other in equal shock. It's a hard guess which starts screaming first, they are equally shocked. The three Aurg race down the stairs and between startled people out the door, Tsue Tsue saying, "That was frightening!" but, before they can calm down they run into the Gaoranger. Red shouts, "You're not running away this time!" Tsue Tsue glares at them and pouts. "We're too busy to fight you right now!!" "Yeah, we're collecting pretty things!" Yaba-iba points out, hoisting his bag. But since the Gaoranger won't let them go, the battle is joined. Soujiki Aurg faces our heroes. He uses his suction power and they are drawn towards him, along with a LOT of dead leaves. Our heroes tumble. Yellow catches hold of a tree and tosses one of his fine blades into the suction, and pretty soon the Aurg shorts out as the blade explodes.

But somewhere in the woods, Highness Duke is hunting. He finds a mysterious abandoned holy place, turns the stones neatly piled there and then, as a gate has been opened, the wall ahead of him falls down to reveal a crypt. He seems almost surprised to see it.

Picking up the signal, Tetomu quickly alerts the Gaoranger. But they are unable to get free of their battle. Soujiki Aurg is actually doing quite well. Tetomu finally pinpoints the location of this disturbance. "Oni Tsuka Yama." Alarmed, she contentrates on remembering her training as a child, the old woman who had instructed her. And she remembers...!

Ura wipes the dirt and leaves of centuries from the crypt. The wind blows. He is really quite excited. Thecrypt is clean now, heavily bound with magical chains and symbols.

The Gaoranger battle. Yellow gets quite shocked when he slams the Aurg with his sword. It's still doing quite well. At last, Red hauls out the Gao Main Buster. He and Vacuum Cleaner Aurg make it personal. A strike in normal mode stuns the Aurg, and they pool their weapons. The blast turns their enemy to green sludge. Furious, Tsue Tsue sends out the Seeds, and Vacuum Cleaner goes giant, so our heroes call in their companion beasts. This time, since Gao Lion is now well again, they begin with Gao King. Soul Bird flies in and our heroes leap aboard to join with Gao King, entering through his back. Their new cockpit is a find thing. And in the setting sun, the battle starts. Vacuum Cleaner tries to suck them in, and does a fine job on local trees. Gao White calls in Gao Elephant, which nocks his enemy back, and joins with the others. Gao King, Sword and Shield. They use their whip-sword, and the enemy is destroyed, gone up in flames. Our heroes are very pleased with themselves and tell Tetomu, Red asking where this other Aurg is, and she frantically sends them to the source of the disturbance, telling them she is very worried because she does not remember what it might be. "Remember, please," Red tells her.

The Higness starts the spell. It's all a matter of timing. He has to wait now, for the full moon.

Gaoranger and the Dukes are headed, by different roads, for the place. Tsue Tsue is weary and fals behind, calling Yaba-iba to wait. He slows down enough to grab her hand and pull her along with him at a rapid pace.

Night falls. In the deep darkness, Ura fans himself and stares contentedly up at the full moon. And everyone finally gets there. Yellow sees Ura first and points him out to the others. The two Dukes keep out of sight, wanting to find out what's up before they risk themselves. Ura tells the Gaoranger they are too late. And in the night, a glow of moonlight fields through one thing, into a mirror, and hits the lock on the tomb. The chains fall. There is strange breathing. And then he is woken. Ura remarks in delight, while Red thinks it is another newborn. The wolf howls and the Gaoranger identify the animal's voice in surprise as the hair on their necks rises. And he flies into the mooonlight, and attacks the heroes. Blue is first to fall, landing on his back, his armor gone. Black tries to attack and ends up fallen, bruised and unconscious. Yellow meets him in the air, silhouetted by the moon they hit and strike, then Yellow falls heavily to the ground, coughing, and only Red and White still fight. The wolf beats them down, identifies them as Gaoranger and introduces himself. "Who are you?" Red gasps. "I am Duke Aurg Loki." They repeat his words uncertainly. He has been in stasis for a thousand years, and he has quite a grudge about it. A thousand-year grudge. White repeats the phrase uncertainly, but then he attacks her. His harsh strike sends her flying, to fetch up against a tree and lose her armor... and the Gao Elephant orb rolls to Loki's feet. He lifts it in his hand. She cries out for it, and then he grips in tight and freezes it, and the elepahant turns gray and then vanishes in rising black smoke. Tetomu cries out in dismay. Red grabs Loki's foot, demanding the orb back, but Loki catches him by the throat. Lifting him, he disrupts the armor and hold him hanging in the air. Loki drops him on the ground, and walks away with the elephant's orb. "This was fun." And Ura laughs. Yes, the Gao Orbs are what he wants. Yaba-iba and Tsue Tsue are dismayed. The Gaoranger all lie, unconscious, now. And Duke Loki walks away into the forest night, his voice howling.

Next Quest 16: 魔笛、轟く!! Mateki, Todoroku!! The Magic Flute Roars!

The wolf is in pain, in the water. He has his own weapon, a musical sword. I think we have our first hints of the new mecha.

The shrine in the mountains, morning light slowly brightening the area. A stone crypt hanging open. The ground is deceptively clean and green with life. A man in a black and red jacket lies unconscious at the base of a tree, cheek scraped. Another in black and yellow is just as still amidst bamboo stalks waving in the morning breezes. One in black and blue hangs over tree branches. One in black and gray lies at the foot of a low cliff, battered by stones. A girl in black and white lies unconscious by a deep river. And a great, turtle-shaped stone coasts silently through the air to stop over these five helpless people.

Tetomu sits behind Red and carefully finishes binding his shoulders, empathizing with the small sounds of pain that escape his lips. She leaves him, passing near where Black groans in agony as Blue finishes binding his wounds. White is tending her own, and Yellow is unhappily off away from them, hands cupped where he sits. Tetomu settle beside White and puts an herb paste she's made onto a white pad. She uses the paste on White's badly bruised and scratched arm, all the while speaking encouragement and comfort. White is not to be comforted, reminding Tetomu that Loki has taken the Elephant orb, and asking what has happened to Gao Elephant. Tetomu will not meet her eyes at first. Then she does, telling her it really happened. "It's MY fault!" mourns White. She stands and moves away miserably. "I was supposed to protect my orb!" But Red cuts in from the floor, firm and unhappy. "It wasn't only you." He gets to his feet. "It was all of us." Black struggles up, looking very pained. White, his forehead heavily bandaged, says "A thousand year grudge...." Blue leaps to his feet and demands "Tetomu, don't you know ANYthing about this?" She is still struggling with her memories. Something... something about a wolf-faced Aurg, a thousand years ago.... Something about the woman who preceeded her. They watch her anxiously, but she turns back to them, face troubled, and shakes her head unhappily. She cannot remember. They all sigh miserably. She says encouragingly, "I'll keep trying to remember. You should all rest." And they are willing, for they are tired and still in pain. Black leads them off. Tetomu frets as she tries to jog her memory.

Ura walks the dead ground to meet Loki, who is sitting high up a tree. The wolf leaps down when Ura gets close. Ura asks to be handed the beautiful orb. Loki tosses it into the air and holds it tight in his hand. "I will use it," he answers Ura's desire cooly. The conversation is quiet, and almost as if between equals. Loki tells Ura he is wrong. He will not give this up, and Ura tries to strike him with his fan for this insolence, but Loki blocks the strike, sending the heavy fan flying and threatens to slice Ura with his blade beneath that one's nose. Ura decides to laugh this off, and allow Loki his way as long as the Gaoranger are fought. He heads off, laughing, with a parting remark. Loki goes off the other way. Tsue Tsue and Yaba-iba watched all this, and decide to eliminate Loki for Ura. Or is it for jealousy. They hate the competition. They stalk him. He hears them rustling through the leaves and steps cautiously, and then they attack. They almost seem dangerous, But he takes them down easily and intimidates them. When they beg him, he leaves them and the pair throw a minor fit in the leaves."The most terrible of all was the wolf-faced demon...." Anxiously getting to her feet. "But priestess, how did you beat him?" and the amusement in the gentle reply... "With faith, Tetomu." Opening her eyes, she takes an anxious breath.

Blue heads the arriving group. "Did you remember, did you?" "Yes, you all gather around, I have something to tell you!" They seem pretty much recovered from their injuries, bright and eager. Red is surprised at how quickly he's recovered. "Will you hurry and gather 'round?" Tetomus sputters. Yellow comes in frantic, for White is gone. Blue tries to call her quickly only to find she doesn't seem to have her G-Phone. Black says she must have gone to search for her orb by herself. "Well that's not good," growls Yellow. Red nods and says they'll all go look for her. Despite Tetomu's anxious attempt to call them back, the are already headed out. She sits down with a sigh of frustration.

Gao White is wandering about, worrying about Gao Elephant and getting the orb back, when she hears a fine, sweet piping. She follows the sound up the steps towards the temple, not realizing it is Loki. Loki, however, is remembering a battle a thousand years ago.

He was driven ahead of the group of humans pursuing him. They circle him, their strikes hurting badly and somehow he cannot fight back. He starts to stagger and the five stab fine daggers into the soft ground. Light flares. Each person moves his hands, summoning power and a particular kanji symbol to go with it. A woman's voice is the last. They are the five points of a pentagram, and Loki is stuck in the center as the magical symbol glows and injures him terribly. Fire engulfs him and he shouts in agony....

Playing the flute, he remembers that time with a grim pain. He stops playing and stands, mowing away from the water a bit. White, still walking that direction, pauses. She can no longer hear the sweet piping. She goes on. Loki walks slowly beside the rier. He pauses and bends down to look into the water. "This face..." and he touches the hard structure of his skin. "This... is my face?" he wonders. In a fit of anger, he splashes at it, and his head is pierced by pain. He staggers into the water, then out to fall on his knees on the shore and then curl up in pain.

The other Gaoranger wander about, searching for White, calling her. Red gets to the foot of the path to the temple and starts up it at a run. "She should be searching for it with the rest of us." Black and Blue have headed out onto a winter-dead field, where trees sit bare of leaves and it seems a desolate place. They call and call. Yellow wanders in the woods and frets, "Why is she alone?"

But White herself is wandering near the temple. "I'm sure the sound came from over here somewhere." Unfortunately, she runs into Tsue Tsue and Yaba-iba. Tsue Tsue strikes her down before she notices they are there. Yaba-iba figures Lord Ura would love such a present. She tries to transfer into armor, only to have her G-Phone blasted from her hands. She is sent tumbling down the hill. The sound of the blast breaks through Loki's agony, and he gets up to investigate. He finds the unconscious White, and carries her to the riverside. He pulls out his fine, black blade and holds it near her throat, then passes it slowly along her body until he reaches her badly scraped knee. Without hesitation, he uses the blade to cut a strip off his cloak. He takes out a leaf-paste and binds her injured knee, washes a cloth in the river and puts it on her forehead. "You'll be fine," he says softly, and she stirs. But then he hears someone calling her, and takes off. It is Red, who finds her and carries her when she wakes to the others. They meet at the bottom of the temple stairs. Red has been softly telling her they were all looking for her, and when Yellow asks her how she is, she apologizes for worrying them. Black asks who bound her wounds, but she doesn't remember a thing. Before they can talk, a crackle of lightning takes them, tumbling the group onto the cement. Tsue Tsue and Yaba-iba have arrived. They are enthused about showing Lord Ura how they, too, can beat the Gaoranger. But then the piercing, sweet sound of the flute cuts the air. The two Dukes take a moment and it is Tsue Tsue who is the first to realize it is Loki. He appears on the trail. He lowers his flute to warn the pair that this is his place, and the Gaoranger are his. The two dukes take off, grumbling. Red demands to know what Loki is, and he replies to this urgency. Then he uses his Moonlight Sonic attack to blast the Gao Ranger. Knocked into a good combat range, Red leads the change into their armor to fight him. He gives a satisfied grunt, or is it surprise? Hard to say. They do not fight in the manner of those a thousand years ago. Perhaps they cannot stop him! He laughs when they finish their poses and mocks them. An outraged Red heads the attack, but Loki's great moon-blade is quite adequate defense. Eventually it is only he and Red. They go to super-speed, a black and red blur. But Loki eventually drives Red back into the arms of the others. While the two Dukes watch in amazement, he summons the heroes with a mocking wave, then attacks and knocks them all for a loop. They seem to lose consciousness, and he walks to their fallen forms. But when he is amongst them, Blue and Black grab his legs. Yellow spikes him with two of his blades calling Red who hauls out the Gao Main Buster. Loki is hit badly and falls to one knee. Then he is his worse by the final mode. They then face him and speak to him of the Power Animals and being their chosen warriors. White explains that what he's doing in unforgivable. He gets back on his feet. And he takes out from his pocket three orbs which he holds out in the palm of his hand. The Gao Ranger are stunned at what they see. "These are magic ords," he tells them. A wolf. A hammerhead shark. An alligator. Blue stutters, "Those are Gao orbs!" Red asks, "Can he use them?" Loki tosses the orbs into the air, and they fall into three holes for them in his blade, and he starts playing a lovely tune. The great Black Wolf appears above them, and howls. Gao Hammerhead leaps out of the lake, and Gaoligator arrives from the ground. They are wild and excited. The Gaoranger are badly shaken, but at Loki's challenge, they determine these enemies cannot be TRUE Power Animals. And so they call their own.

None of us know anything about Loki. The Magic Power Animals come at his call. They are strong. The Shark knocks Bison for a loop. Gorilla uses his bananas against Ligator and slows him down, thinking he's done well and uses a tree to brace Gaoligator's mouth open, but Ligator EATS Gorilla (wow it's big). Eagle manages to rescue his companion by blasting and startling the giant into opening its mouth. The Gao Ranger are reduced to watching the battle, as Lion and Wolf go at it. Both fall, injured, but Wolf is back up more quickly to the attack. Frantic, Red calls Lion to return. At Yellow's suggestion, they form Gao Muscle. The Soul Bird takes them aboard through Gao Muscle's back, and they are ready to fight. The three other Power animals attack at Loki's command, staggering Gao Muscle. "Your Power is great," Loki comments. But he has things he will show them. Later, for he goes and the three giants vanish. The two OTHER Dukes hide out. And Yaba-iba has a strange comment, which sounds oddly like he's saying Loki is not a one-horn.

At the temple, Tetomu tells them about this history of a thousand years ago that she cannot really remember. Fighting the black wolf. The Gaoranger of long ago. They couldn't fight him. The power of Loki. And a bit of his history. White asks about these other power animals, and Tetomu explains they are real. Loki had brought them under the control of the Aurg. And that is probably what will happen to Elephant. Our heroes are nervous. And they hear the howl of the wolf.

Next Quest 17: 象が消えて・・・ Shou ga Kiete.... The Vanishing Phenomena
Gao Hunter started selling on 6/30, by the way. And already vanished from the stores.

Blue and White go a struggling to retrieve Gao Elephant.

In our last episode, the Gaoranger were half-trashed by the new, dangerous Power Animals. Now they sit, fretting, and Red tries to buck up their spirits. White responds with intent confidence, that she's sure Gao Elephant is all right. And she and Blue team up to search. Running with Black the next day, they stop so he can grab a drink of milk. The other two see something in a tabloid that they think may be about Gao Elephant. When Gao Black tells them what he thinks of that possibility, White unhappily walks away and Blue goes after her, with a quick scolding of Black. None of them notice that the woman who'd sold Black the milk is really Tsue Tsue. Blue and White discuss the matter, when someone tosses a paper airplane to them. It says something about a tour and they are attracted because it sounds suspiciously like it might have to do with Gao Elephant. They do not know that it is Yaba-iba who threw the airplane. They board a bus and a child drops a stuffed elephant, which White returns to him. The tour guide gets on the bus and explains about the tour, assorted words interspersed with what she says that, to those who are not braindead, practically spells out who they really are. Her hair is blue and she is REALLY good-looking. Yaba-iba is the driver, but he is looking human except for the row of gemstones under his left eye.

Blue and White react to the fact that the child with the elephant seems to be very sick. He is unconscious and his mother is fretting. It must be something he drank. Blue checks his temperature and worries, so he asks the guide to take them to a hospital. But she does not respond. In the end, the Aurg reveal themselves. Blue takes out his orb and tosses it flying. Tsue Tsue and Yaba-iba pursue it, and the two Gao Ranger get the helpless civilians off the bus, which then proves to be an Aurg.

The others are catching up with these activities, but then meet Loki coming out of a tunnel. The intrepid trio transfer into battle armor to face him, while Blue faces the Bus Monster. He does serious damage in no time, however, silvery stuff comes wending down and regenerates the wounded Aurg more powerful than before. This time it is Bus-Aurg who takes Blue down.

White gets the passengers to safety, hands off the child to another passenger and transfers into her armor to go help the others. Loki, fighting, reveals White's orb and points out they will have another soon. Panicked, the others race off. He watches them go (he has some agenda, doesn't he? But to help who?) Just then, Tsue Tsue and Yaba-iba find the orb Blue had tossed. But White has arrived to help Blue. Bus Aurg takes her down, and Blue tries to protect her, apologizing. But she tells him she knows he is quite the guy, for wanting to help both her and Gao Elephant. However, much to Highness Duke Ura's delight, the intrepid Dukes have brought him the Gao Giraffe orb. They are handing it off to him.

But Blue's call is heard by Gao Giraffe. The orb in Tsue Tsue's hand glows, then flies to its true owner. Blue, with his Power Animal's strength in full support, goes on the attack. The others arrive, and the team assembles the mighty sword with which they take out Bus Aurg. The dismayed Dukes and Highness Aurg react as expected. Tsue Tsue sends out the Aurg Seeds, and our heroes call in their companions, this time forming Gao King first. They ride the Soul Bird in. First attack, Shark Shoot. Then the Fin Blade. The bus tosses exploding tires, but it does no good. Now they call in a special attack. And the dying Aurg thanks someone. But down below, Loki calls in his trio who come with happy enthusiasm to the sweet song of his flute. "Attack the Gao Ranger!" he calls them. The three start in, but Blue doesn't intend to allow this defeat. However, Loki calls for the Magic formation. The CG is magnificent, though short. And Gao Hunter is magnificent. Loki takes his place as the pilot. The two formations face each other, the Gao Ranger in shock. Tsue Tsue and Yaba-iba are stunned, and not entirely appreciative. Ura seems fairly frustrated. Our heroes are getting the worst of it, predictably. They always do when faced with something new. He has them down. He stops and asks, "What's the matter, Gao Ranger?" he sounds amused. And Blue calls in the Gao Giraffe, to try to use Gao King Spear. Loki snorts, and leaps over their shot. He beats them back, then uses Beast Hurricane on them. The blast is terrible. Gao Giraffe falls from their shoulder, and then Gao King parts. Our heroes land, armorless. Blue reaches for his orb only to have Loki step on his hand. Loki takes up the orb and freezes it. With a cry, Gao Giraffe vanishes. Mockingly, Loki starts away. When Blue leads the pursuit, he just blasts them back and vanished. The other Aurg mock them and also vanish.

Blue is practically in tears, blaming himself. White tries to reassure him. Red also tries frantically to calm them and encourage Blue, who responds, though still shaking, "Never give up." White repeats it firmly. Loki is beyond their strength for this moment, but the future remains ahead.

Next Quest 18: 魔獣、武装！！ Majuu, Busou! Magic Armament! Our heroes meet dinosaurs, fight ninja! Yes, they face Tokei (Clock) Aurg! Red fights and gets trashed by Loki, who demonstrates that he can use Gao Giraffe with Gao Hunter.

A great crescent moon hangs in the night sky. Ura watches it through the magic mirror. "Soon it will be the new moon," he remarks. He closes his eyes a moment and lowers. "The night will come with no moon at all. I mustn't neglect Loki." He stands up in the dark cave brightened by a plethora of multi-colored flowers and directs his comments to the very attentive Tsue Tsue and Yaba-iba, who find what he says quite incomprehensible and exchange very tense glances.

Loki sits beside a river under the moon, its light reflected in the water. After a while he gets to his feet and starts to move away, but his ankle twists and he slides back down, gasping with pain. Or was it really his ankle? Is he suffering some other pain that makes him clumsy?

Day. Black and Blue walk together through the city under a bright blue sky. Black is trying to buck up his friend's spirits. "Hey, brighten up, Blue!" Hands deep in pockets, Blue meets his eyes briefly before uttering a sound of dispirited agreement. He reminds Black of how painful it was when Loki used Gao Giraffe against them, to his heart if not his body. His friend encouragingly reminds him that he still has his own Soul Orb. Blue is beginning to brighten up and says his friend's name, when someone else says a different name... "Soutaro-kun!" They had passed a small, white vanlet without noticing it. The driver had gotten out as they spoke, and her attention is on Black. He is slow to switch his gaze, and then his mouth drops open in startled delight. The woman, lovely, says excitedly, "It IS you, Soutaro-kun! It's been so long!" And his good humor lights up his face as he remembers, "Shi-chan!"

Months ago.... A plant store, the front laden with healthy, green hanging pots well-tended by the woman who owned the shop. Himself carrying pots and buckets full of plants and losing his grip on them. Shi-chan leaping to help before they fell everywhere. Helping assemble bouquets and bringing them to her to tie her own special way. The day their fingers had touched innocently, but it was like an electric shock to him and he drew his back so swiftly. He'd found himself more aware of her than ever he had been. He'd stared into her wide, startled eyes and been too afraid to ask what she felt....

And now he is staring into her eyes again, and the memory has a sweetness that lets him smile. Not even quite tall enough for the top of her head to reach his shoulders, she gazes up at him. "How are you doing, now?" Grinning, he confirms he is fine. Then the guy in the car behind honks his horn and hollers, "Hey, the signal's changing!" Embarassed, Shi-chan hurries to get back in and move the van, Black bowing apologetically to the man behind them. Then he turns and gets in the passenger side of the vanlet from "Flower Garden Casablanca". Blue, stunned, reaches towards the departing van with a gasp. "What the heck is with him?" he grumbles and moves on.

He does not see something hidden behind him. Tsue Tsue and Yaba-iba poke their heads out of hiding. They have a plan, and that woman is a perfect target. And so evening comes. There is an expensive designer shop, silk clothing lying on chairs. A woman walks out the door, lovely and sexy. A man is behind her, laden with boxes and bags. He asks wearily, "Isn't this enough? It's heavy." He is starting to topple slightly. She is both scolding and flirtatious in her reply and tugs him along, only to walk straight into Tsue Tsue and Yaba-iba. "Wow, you guys are the one horns?" she says in mild surprise, completely indifferent. Yaba-iba's eyes glow as Tsue Tsue says, "We've got a guy we want you to get in the way of." The idea interests her completely, and she smiles as she says her willingness. Then her stragne, red-rimmed glasses glow and rise from her. She falls unconscious. The startled man watches as the glasses glow and transform into a bizarre creature. Megane Aurg (eyeglass). It seems insectoid. As it laughs, the man falls in a faint.

Yellow is swinging his upper torso, stretching while he answers Blue's fretful complaints. Black having a date doesn't bother him. "That isn't it!" complains Blue. But then Black wanders in. He is already half in his pajamas, shrugging on his top and yawning. Maybe he's just showered. He is a happy Black. The others watch with interest, except Blue. When Black greets Yellow, Blue stalks past him, deliberately bumping him hard and giving the startled man a quite angry glare before walking out of the room. Black glances around at the others in confusion, then stares after his friend, troubled.

Morning is bright and clear. A park, a garden of red roses. A lovely woman waits. She hears someone call. "Shi-chan!" and turns. She is wearing strange, red-rimmed glasses. Black hurries to join her, grinning. He pauses in surprise. "When did you start wearing glasses?" She blushes self-consciously and doesn't really explain, but says she is really glad to meet him. Tilting her head she says she has something to tell him. He is ready to listen. And later he says, "So, your father is sick." She continues her explanation. The store will have to close, and she cannot abide that. She's always dreamed of passing the store on to her children, sharing it with someone she loved. "Someone you love," Black repeats weakly. She nods and then, staring hard at him, she asks, "Soutaro-kun, will you marry me?" Totally stunned, he gapes at her. "Ketsukon?!" (yes, he actually said the tsu, spelling the word out in his shock) "M-ar-ry?" While he is still reeling, she leans against him, her head on his shoulder. Shaking, he edges closer to her and stares about, wondering if the whole world has changed.

Blue has been watching this from behind the bushes. "This looks bad," he whispers. But as he turns away, he finds himself looking straight at Yaba-iba and Tsue Tsue, who are quietly snickering at their success. "HEY!" he shouts, standing. "What are you doing here?" They stare at him in startled dismay and when he comes rushing at them, Yaba-iba says "Let's get out of here!" and they part and race around Blue, who falls when he comes up against no resistance. He calls for Black as he scrambles to his feet. Black, however, is stuck where he is and doesn't even notice the two Aurg lope past where he sits with the girl. "BLACK?!" Blue shouts at him.

Back at Gao's Rock, Blue has Black by the lapels and shakes him, furious. "What ARE you planning on doing?" he is saying loudly, with fury. Black makes no defense. "Yaba-iba and Tsue Tsue were RIGHT THERE!" Red has had enough of this confusing story, and pulls Blue back, protesting. But Blue is going on about fighting, and Loki, and all these things. He reaches again to grab at Black's jacket. Black, however, looks at the floor and apologizes softly. "I'm sorry." "SORRY? SORRY?! The Gaoranger don't need sorry!" Blue shoves him back and shouts "You keep going like this and the Gaoranger'll be sorry!!" before tearing off. Yellow goes after him, worried. Red looks to Black, while Tetomu and White turn their gazes to follow the other two men. He lays his hand reassuringly on Black's shoulder.

Black sits in his quarters, his electric lamp brightening the pale blue walls. He holds his G-Phone tightly in his hands. "The Gaoranger's downfall," he says miserably. He sits on his bed, in a room where he has the antlers of a dear on one wall, a red curtain on the door... it is his place, but not one of peace just now.

Shi-chan, still wearing the glasses (of course), meets Black in the gardens again. "You mean, it's really all right?" and he explains something quietly about his work. But he wants to be with her. Nothing else matters. Touched, she smiles at him. He finds it hard to meet her eyes, but when he nods agreement to something she asks, thanks him deeply. He looks away again, and the next moment she screams. Yaba-iba is there, and he has her with a blade at her throat. But before Black can react, Tsue Tsue is there, too. She knocks him rolling with her staff. While he is recovering from the blow, she explains to him that he can have his precious person back, if he gives up something else precious. Yaba-iba clarifies they want his orb. "What?!" he starts, clambering to his feet. But the other four are there, surrounding and suporting him. Yellow snarls challenge and White agrees. But Tsue Tsue and Yaba-iba are confident, knowing they have the upper hand. When she mocks the group, Red leads the change into armor.

But Black could not make himself do it. They realize he hasn't changed when they turn, to find him sweating and trembling. Blue asks softly, "What are you doing?" in surprise. As they turn to look at him, Shi-chan cries, "It hurts! Help me, Soutaro-kun!" and Yaba-iba cackles. Black's hands drop to his sides. He whispers painfully, "Guys, I'm sorry." He draws out his orb and, as they watch in horror, starts towards the Aurg. "Black, don't do it!!" But they are too late. Tsue Tsue snatches the orb from his fingers as Yaba-iba snickers. He tosses Shi-chan into Black's arms and Black whispers, "Let's get married." He does not see how hard her expression has suddenly become.

But inside, in the depths of a powerful being, there is a crystalline cage. Wrists and ankles bound in powerful, clear chains, Shi-chan has heard and seen everything. She cries desperately, "Don't do it! It's not me, Soutaro-kun!" But she cannot reach past the barrier. And suddenly the glasses flash brightly, and the woman Black holds straightens up and pushes him away, laughing. As he gapes, the hard, mocking voice tells him, "Hah! You idiot. This woman doesn't like you!" Dismayed, he gasps, "What are you saying?" and an ecstatic Yaba-iba explains, Tsue Tsue adding an introduction to Megane Aurg. And Black remembers how startled he'd been to first see the glasses on Shi-chan's face. He knows it was always the Aurg.. And then all three of them disappear.

Black stands, wavering, as the others gather around him. Blue gives him a shake, turning frantically after the Aurg but they are long gone. "What're they talking about, marry?!" But Black's legs give out, and he tumbles to the cement. The glasses on her face, the Aurg who must have said, "Will you marry me?" He remains on his hands and knees, fighting to breathe through this bright agony. He manages to speak. "I love her." And memories unfold.

So long ago. He was a lost soul. Blue cap on backwards, dark green jacket, grey shirt and slacks and wearing white sandals. Weary, walking with a slight limp and almost stumbling. And then he walks into two pots full of orange and red flowers. The woman carrying them is knocked back slightly, but she apologizes. Head not quite working, he nods and glowers at her. Instead of being nervous or frightened, she asks him if he's all right. He takes a moment to shake himself to answer her, then sees the flowershop sign about staff, and working hours. And from that moment, he had fallen in love with her. But he was a nothing person.

Now he sits, the life bashed out of him, his four teammates gathered around protectively as he fights words out through a tight throat. Blue kneels to grab his arm, trying to reassure him. "But now you're a Gaoranger!" And that takes memory back again.

A night of pouring rain. Shi-chan out there with her umbrella, talking to a handsome, rich man in a car. He had watched the romantic scene from behind trees, his tears hidden by the rain, and whispered her name. He had turned to go, only to walk straight into a group of oddly dressed strangers. The pale-haired one shoving a jacket into his arm and holding an umbrella over him. He had read the words on the jacket and repeated them, staring numbly at the three strangers. "Gao Ranger?" And the pale-haired one answered him. "Gao Bison has chosen you. Come with us, please."

Perhaps Red remembers his more harsh introduction to becoming a Gao Ranger. At any rate, he calls the others off with him. Blue hesitates beside Black, looking down at him. A remark about love and, "You've got to stand up!" Painfully, Black replies "This is Blue's road. I'll make the Gaoranger FAIL!" Blue answers him urgently, "That's not what I meant! We've got to fight the Aurg!" and he grabs and Black and tries to force him up, urgently scolding him and trying to tell him how they need to at least save this woman he loves. Black begins to get his determination back.

The Aurg walk together across a bridge by the ocean, pausing to look down at the waves breaking against great stones. The two Dukes are enouraging Megane Aurg to come back to the Matrix with them. She gets to hold Black's orb. Tsue Tsue does comment that it would be nice if they could have gotten all the orbs. They are very proud of their successful strategy. But Yaba-iba asks if they are really done using this woman. He thinks they can bring many other nice souveniers back to Lord Ura.

Black makes his way among the rocks at the shore of the sea. He is searching, and at last he finds her, watching the water. He swallows. "Megane Aurg," he murmers to remind himself. She turns to look at him, stunningly beautiful against the sea. The glasses she wears almost look natural if one doesn't know what they really are. And she smiles down at him and he knows her smile. "Soutaro-kun, you brought what I asked?" Her voice is gentle, and he returns her smile with his own, thinking courage. He starts towards her, then stops in dismay.

Tsue Tsue and Yaba-iba join her. Black protests, "You've got the Bison orb, now let Shi-chan go!" But it's not going to be easy at all, for it is she who takes Yaba-iba's hand and brings his dagger against her host's throat. Black cries out in dismay. She fakes terror for him for just a moment, but one thing they all know, is the Aurg will kill Shi-chan without a thought. Black lowers his gaze in horrified dismay.

Tetomu turns from the scrying pool. "Black's found the Aurg!" And so the other four Gaoranger arrive at the rocky beach.... They see the three Aurg and start forward to fight, only to find to their horror that Gao Black stands between them, also in his armor. Dismayed, they cry his name. And Megane Aurg tells them that Gao Black will make her a present of all of their orbs. They cannot believe it, even when he starts purposefully towards them.

But inside Megane Aurg, locked and chained within her own body, Shi-chan cries out in protest. "Stop, Soutaro-kun! Don't do this for me! This is too important! Not for me!" and she struggles, trying to break the crystal clear chains that bind her. She won't stop figthing. Does Megane Aurg feel the internal struggle? I don't know. It says angrily, "Gao Black, hurry up." He pauses to look back at them, then clutches his head in his own internal battle, and turns to his group again. With a roar more of anguish than battle, he races at them. They hold their ground, but cry out in dismay. And, watching, Shi-chan screams "STOP!" and at last, she breaks the chains.

A flashing, flaring light inside the darkness, and then the woman standing on the stones lifts her hands, pulls off the glasses and throws them down. She doesn't waste time. "Soutaro-kun!" The sound of her voice, true and clear as a bell, stops him in his tracks. "You can't give up your life for me!" she calls to him. And he sees the glasses are gone.... They flash on the ground and become their true form. "How did you get out of my eyeglass capsule?!" Shi-chan is staring in surprise at the Aurg, when an angry Tsue Tsue shoves close to her. "I hate people who get in my way!" she says, grabbing Shi-chan and smacking her to the stones. She falls with a cry of pain and seems about to lose consciousness. Black leaps to her side to gather her up. She has the orb in her hand and holds it for him to see. "Soutaro-kun, here it is!" Megane Aurg utters a shriek of fury. "Die!" and blasts at them. Black moves to take the strike, and his orb falls into the water. No one really notices that, for the Gaoranger are racing to his side. But Megane Aurg is between them, determined to take their orbs herself.

Black is holding tight to Shi-chan's arms, for the blast has pushed her over the cliff and she will fall into the waves and rocks below if he cannot help her. "Never give up!" he shouts, and pulls her all the way up. "Shi-chan. I'm so sorry this happened to you." "Me too! Your orb, in the ocean..." they are both panting. "It's really important!" So she knows, and so he has to leave her to find it. He stands and looks down into the waves below, into the green, angry water. It's a lovely drop, but he is afraid of heights. So it takes a second to compose himself, even as his feet shuffle back from the edge. He clenches his fists, snarls for courage, and with a roar,leaps out to land feet-first in the water.

And the others battle furiously. A dozen or more Aurgettes are all around, while various members fight. Gao White gets a good shot in at Tsue Tsue. Red faces Megane Aurg on her own, who gets knocked and protests his cruel treatment of a woman. Startled and embarrassed, he folds his hands behind his back in chagrin and apologizes. Naturally, she blasts him a good one. And Black swims, searching in the coral and seaweed for his orb. Red uses the Gao Main Buster and destroys Megane Aurg, which only means that Tsue Tsue uses the magic seeds to remake her as a giant. She uses her Eyeglass Beam against them, while Black continues his frantic search. The Gaoranger call in their Power Animals, and all arrive but the bison. Lion attacks, only to rebound off her shield and get hurt. Eagle tears in next. Her Eyeglass Barrier sends his attack back at him. And Black still searches. He sees a moment the battle. Up, then under, and he sees a flashing and finds his orb at last. Up to the surface and he apologizes to Gao Bison. The orb flashes again as if in reply. And the Bison comes. Her barrier is proof against HIM, too, knocking him back. Again, and again. But then the others encourage Black, and HE encourages his Bison. And this time the attack bursts the barrier, sending Megane Aurg into orbit and giving them plenty of time to form Gao King, and ride in on the Soul Bird. But the Bison is injured or something, and Black tells the others they cannot use Super Animal Soul. And Megane Aurg comes back to Earth, but never quite makes it. Blue pulls out the fin blade, and they bisect her as she comes down.

Watching, Tsue Tsue and Yaba-iba curse their plan being foiled again. And all this, Ura had watched in his magic mirror. "Of course." He is rather amused by all this. And he waits for the moon.

Gao Black's room, bed neatly made. His jacket is folded on it, his G-Phone sits there on the jacket. Black himself is down by the river, leaning against a rather nicely designed fencing, waiting in the gathering dusk. "Soutaro-kun!" Shi-chan calls him. He turns to greet her. She has come to tell him, looking beautiful and healthy and perfect, that all those things Megane Aurg had told him were lies. "Yes, I understand that," he replies. But she smiles up at him almost sadly. "My father is perfectly fine. The store is in no danger of closing." And she has brought him a lovely bouquet of flowers and wishes him strength and success as a Gaoranger. He accepts the flowers graciously, if with sadness. But he thinks his friends won't want him as a Gaoranger anymore. Shi-chan says laughingly, "It's all right. Look!" And he turns unhappily. There they are, Blue holding up his jacket for him to see. Red waving his G-Phone at him. Yellow and White grinning. And then they bound over to him. He gasps slightly. He is just starting to realize this was a setup. "This is yours," says Blue, pushing the jacket into his arms even as he turns away in humiliation. Red drops the G-Phone on its cord over his head. Black manages to fight through a suddenly tightening throat, "I'm really sorry," "Hey, I understand," Blue replies firmly. "Gao Bison chose you, remember?" They stare at each other. Blue winks at thumbs up him. Black looks slowly around at the other three. Red and White have a nod and a smile for him. Yellow just has a smile, but it is enough. And he begins to feel better now, and laughs wearily. He puts his jacket back on firmly. They are ranged in front of him, Shi-chan behind, and he bows and thanks them, then turns to her. He quickly wipes his hand dry and holds it out. They clasp each other palms warmly, and she stares steadily at him, pride etched in her expression. He says goodbye and lets her go, leaving with his group. She watches him go, her smile fades away, for memory takes her back to the day he had first vanished from her life.

The falling rain, and how she had looked down into the eyes of that man and told him, "I'm sorry. I have someone I'm in love with. I just don't know how he feels about me."

But now she does know. And she thinks, watching the group as they shrink in the distance. "Soutaro-kun, that was the only thing that was true. Those are my true feelings. I do love you. Gambatte!"

Next Quest 20: 巫女 囚わる Miko Torawaru Captive Priestess

A hand reaches up in blackness and dust. An Aurg known to Yellow has returned from what he thought was death. Back before, in the green uniform of the Self Defense Forces. His hair the normal black of most Japanese, walking away from the strangely dressed young woman and her urgent, bewildering request. The first time he'd held a G-Phone. Red, trying to get through to the Yellow of the present. And he, fighting Loki. Loki blasting him and catching Tetomu, holding her prisoner.

In Gao's Rock stand four of the Gao Ranger, talking with Tetomu. White expresses their feelings. They are worried about Gao Bison, and puzzling over what to do about Loki. They don't really understand. And then a flare of green light, and Black appears to settle lightly on the floor. Red asks quickly, "How is Gao Bison, Black?" And our young man replies everything is all right. The Bison is tired, but the damage has repaired itself. Blue is first to crow his relief and delight. "Hey, let's go to sleep, too!" he tells the others. They are all happy to agree with that, and start off towards their seperate quarters. Yellow waits until they are pretty much gone and moves to touch Tetomu's arm. "A moment, please." Red, hearing the soft urgency, pauses to listen. "Tomorrow, as we promised." She agrees. He adds, "Keep it quiet." They are very serious, close together. And there is nothing to attract attention like THAT.

Under the waning moon, beside the river, Loki plays his flute in this temporary peace. He, too, thinks of the moon. And then his thoughts are interrupted by a distant, deep roar. "Was that an Aurg?" he wonders, knowing it is. And like all really bored people, he goes to investigate, with an aside thought about how Ura must be waiting for him.

I'm not sure what is on Ura's mind. He settles into his throne chair and calls Tsue Tsue and Yaba-iba to him. He wants to know why they haven't found Loki yet. They explain they've looked everywhere. He reassures them, and fans himself idly.

Loki tracks the deep roaring to a small mountain. 初音山 Hatsune Mountain. There, beyond a mysterious gate, lies a graveyard. There are skulls on the gate. In the yard are stones, and sword blades that rise like trees from the ground. Great demonic horned skulls... Loki walks through the debris towards one stone that sticks up like a pillar. It has a paper vertical on it, like a prayer sheet. "Here," he mutters thoughtfully. And then with curiosity, he takes the weather-worn paper and pulls it off of the stone. There is an immediate crackle of yellow lightning, startling him back. The stone topples and the boulders around its base stir. Loki comes closer, intensely curious. And then there is a snarling roar. A shaking, gloved hand reached up from between the boulders.

Day. The sky is partly clouded. The trees are green. Yellow walks purposefully along a mountain path. Black and Blue are VERY carefully following him, hiding behind any shelter they can find. White and Red, meanwhile, are keeping their eyes on Tetomu, back in Gao's Rock. White's eyes are very bright, as she comments that it's really cool that Tetomu and Yellow are being so secretive. "I mean, for half a year it was just the two of them!" She and Red are mutual in gleaming grins. The water in the scrying pool begins to bubble, and the pair pull farther back into hiding. A ball of light pours out and forms into Tetomu, and she heads purposefully out of the rock. Red and White follow her quickly.

She meets Yellow, who has been waiting anxiously, at a red Buddhist temple. She apologizes for taking so long, but he doesn't care. He hurries her with him towards the steps, glancing around cautiously. Black and Blue come quickly, standing as still as possible to hide themselves behind a pillar at the bottom of the steps in case Yellow looks back towards them. They see White and Red coming, and Blue excitedly gestures them over.

At the top of the stairs, Tetomu speaks as they walk. "Yellow, it's been a year after all. Are you planning to keep it secret forever?" Mildly exasperated, he stops and looks at her. "I don't want anyone to know about this." He takes her shoulders and looks her intently in the eye. "Tetomu, I'm sorry." It is to the moment he lowers his hands that the other four catch up, hiding as discreetly as possible behind some small trees. Blue, Black, White and Red are all craning their necks to try to get a better view as their friends move on. Once they are safely far enough away, the group moves out onto the trail. White is puzzled, but Red is SURE the two are in love and dramatically hugs himself. Black and Blue get into it, declaring love for each other and playing like they're going to kiss, and White grabs Blue's head and pushes him down to get him away from too much of THAT. Red, however, notices that their quarry has vanished from sight and leads the others in a charge to catch up. (SNOOPS! Hehehehe) They come out into a grassy clearing, but can't see Yellow and Tetomu anywhere.

The two have reached the sinister graveyard. When they see the toppled pillar, they race over to it in nervous panic. Tetomu finds the paper and shows it to Yellow anxiously. It's been torn. He stares at it, then asks her worriedly, "Who came here?" But then an engine rumbles. They turn. There is a voice to be heard in the revving. "Baroom, baroom, barrrrroom!" it keeps repeating. This Aurg is mostly yellow. They hear him, but cannot yet see him. Yellow moves into a protective position as they both search the area with their eyes. "Go!" hollers the Aurg. And he comes running towards them. This is just enough warning to give them time to duck aside as he barrels between them. They gasp and he turns around to greet them, for it has been a long time. He is Bike Aurg. His red eyes are the front lights. The seat sticks out his upper back. Yellow is dismayed and shaken, for the Aurg is not as he remembered. And the Aurg explains that he has power-upped. But Yellow, though shaken, is not to be psyched out. He draws his G-Phone to change. The Aurg is too quick, though, and catches him in a long bike chain and flips him over its head. Yellow lands hard on his back, and the Aurg then throws him the other direction. He's getting it pretty bad. Tetomu starts frantically towards the fight, only to have strong, black-armored arms circle around her. "You stay out of the way." She gasps as she recognizes who holds her. "Loki!" Startled to hear her say his name, he look and then he sees the gem she wears on her chest, and pauses to get a better look at her. "That jewel..!" She stares up at him in surprise, blinking.

Bike Aurg blasts Yellow terribly, and he cries out in agony as sparks flare all around him. Tetomu struggles frantically in Loki's arms, trying to reach Yellow. Her name is called by White, Yellow is called by Red. The sounds of battle had led them here. Loki keeps a good grip on her and tells Bike Aurg they have to get out of here. Bike Aurg, who is really enjoying beating Yellow, is reluctant to go and protests this one-horn's orders, but Loki insists, mentioning that there are things that need to be said. And then he disappears with the struggling Tetomu. "Oh, of course! I'll go too!" and Bike Aurg races off and vanishes.

The other Gaoranger arrive to find Yellow groaning in agony, unable to get to his feet from the hits he's taken. They gather to him, Red helping him turn over and White gripping his arms to sooth him. "Be all right!" Red calls. He is in too much pain to respond, curling in their hold.

Something-Motors, an abandoned warehouse. Inside, Bike Aurg is using jumper cables to charge himself up higher. He revs his engine happily and races around, playing with his strength. Tetomu sits nearby, but she is not watching the happy Aurg. She is remembering. "This is the first Aurg Yellow fought...."

One year ago. A brilliant day. Jetfighters launching from a military base and tearing through the skies of Japan. Beautiful machinery, streamlined. One pilot, helmet reading 31SQL. He flies his jet smoothly. He and his fellow pilot branch away from each other, the jets rolling through the air like fish in water. He takes his jet into a 180 degree roll and settles out. For some reason, he decides to pull off his mask. And then, a small fist knocks on his canopy. It is so incongruous, it takes him a moment to track from the fist to the face looking in at him. The shock is complete and he screams in terror. Being Japanese, he just might think some ghost has popped in to visit. While he screams and looks around frantically, she laughs cheerfully and waves at him. Riding the canopy of his jetfighter she takes control of it. "Go!" she cries joyfully. And soon the jet fighter is decending towards a floating, turtle-shaped island in the sky.

That was the first time we met. The first time we talked.

She had to hurry her steps to keep up with him. Dressed in a green pilot's uniform over a white shirt, wearing a cap over his black hair, he is in no way willing to pause for her. They walked the city streets. "You're STILL angry?" she asks him, pouting slightly. "You hit it!" he snarls back, refusing to look at her. He has a lot to say about what's happened to his jet fighter and his career as a pilot. (I wonder if it's still on Animalium?) She runs to keep up with him, following him down stairs and around corners. She is getting rather annoyed with his attitude and is about ready to say so, when their walking takes them around a corner to see a rather strange sight.

There is something saying "beebeebee, beebeebee." He stares at it, then glances down at the young woman. "That?" She nods firmly. It is an odd creature. It holds its handles that sprout from its head, kicks down a bicycle and continues to make engine noises. It takes a few steps and throws itself ineffectually against the side of a small, white truck. The confused driver gets out to confront this strange being. When he protests "What are you doing?" the creature complains he is noisy and bashes him down. The jet pilot watching is actually finding this amusing. He glances down at the woman and assures her, then starts forward. She nods agreement and watches anxiously. He stoops down to snatch up a crumpled can, weighs it in his hand, then throws it hard at the creature. "Ouch!" it protests, turning from its investigation of the truck. It finds a green-clad human bearing down on it. It is not impressed. It revs its engine and leaps to ram his chest with its head, luckily not getting him with its horns. He tumbles, rolling towards the woman and she quickly comes to his side. He is still startled and dismayed, when she hands him a golden thing that looks like a cell phone. "Use this." It gleams and he gapes at it, then up at her. "You use this to fight," she explains quickly and stuffs it into his hand. As she starts pulling him to his feet she goes on, "You're the soldier chosen by Gao Eagle." Once she has him on his feet, gazing in total bewilderment at her and at the G-phone, she contines showing and explaining. "Open it, push here, say 'Gao Access'...." He hesitantly puts the phone to his ear and says uncertainly, "Gao Access..?" and she continues to show him how he should move when he does this.

"That's when I got Yellow, and the first time he fought." She breathes in to steady herself, her thoughts still adrift on memory. But then Loki steps in front of her and asks her sternly, "That gem... why do you have it?" She looks up at him in bewilderment, then down at her gem. "You know what it is, this?"

The Gaoranger are still gathered close together in the grim graveyard. Red is using a small kerchief to bind Yellow's bleeding arm. Yellow looks haggard and wrecked sitting there. Then he realizes something, and he starts to hurry off as they rise to question him. "Wait! Where are you planning to go?" Red asks. White adds quickly, "Do you know where they've taken Tetomu?" Yellow meets Red's eyes wearily. "That one said he's going to power-up." And he starts off again. Red quickly grabs his shoulder to stop him. "Wait a minute, Yellow! There are five of us, do you really think it's okay to keep secrets from us?" Clasping his lapels, Red gives him a soft shake. Yellow stares firmly into his leader's eyes and says icily, "This is my problem. And I have to settle it." He pulls himself loose and runs off, the others bewildered after him.

Tetomu still stares at Loki, her hand carefully over her gem. He answers her question. "Yes, I know that gem. But... where -- when have I seen it before?" and he paces away from her. Startled and puzzled, she listens and stands up to say urgently, "You must have known my grandmother." He wheels around to stare back at her in surprise. "Your grandmother?" "She was head of the Gaoranger." And as Loki stares at her, his memory takes a brief step back.

A woman much like this one, wearing the same gemstones. A woman with long, long white hair (okay, it's the same actress wearing a wig, but ignore that), who smiles compassionately at him.

Loki straightens up, as memory gives him a name. Shaken, he says it. "Murasaki." Tetomu meets his gaze in amazement. "Yes, Murasaki was my grandmother's name. She headed the Gaoranger. She and they sealed you in." Loki is shaken, struggling with his lack of memory. "That woman... was my enemy...." He paces away from Tetomu. "But that's.... th -- why..." Why does he remember her smile? Why does he remember her holding beautiful, purple flowers and offering them to him?

Tetomu interrupts his musing. "What are you muttering about?" she asks indignantly. He turns to stare at her. She has mustered her anger to say, "My grandmother defeated you. Now give us back the orbs!" He simply stares at her.

"Hey, one horn!" cries a voice. Of course it is Bike Aurg. "Gao Yellow and his friends are coming around!" It is happy and a bit excited. Loki grabs Tetomu's arm and drags her out of the warehouse with them, but they come straight into the Gao Ranger. Yellow is in the lead and calls, "Tetomu, are you all right?!" She cries his name and struggles against Loki's hold, but his grip is like iron. Yellow is determined, and states it firmly to Bike Aurg that he will defeat him. As he reaches to change, Red's hand comes down strongly on his shoulder. "We'll do it, too." And the group changes into armor to fight. Yellow still heads the battle, for this is a very personal fight. But the others stay with him. Bike Aurg says happily, "Leave it to me to beat Gao Yellow!" and goes racing in to battle. Yellow faces him with determination, and the fight is joined. They kick off each other. While the others race in to help, they find they are held back. Loki has no intention of letting them interfere. And Yellow hollars that this is his fight. The team is confused, though Yellow tells them that this is the first Aurg he'd ever fought. The other four will have to face Loki.

Tsue Tsue and Yaba-iba are watching all this from behind a nearby fence. She comments that this IS a strong Aurg. Yaba-iba rubs his chin thoughtfully and asks, "So, shall we lend our power to help Loki?" They look at each other for an instant, and then in complte agreement cross their arms negatively and sing, "Nooooo!" in English.

And so the battle remains between Loki and the four, between Yellow and Bike Aurg. Yellow and Bike have their own conversation as they struggle, about the fact that no one is going to be able to pull his fat out of the frying pan this time. Bike tosses him, and comments as Yellow gets back up, "Now that's I've powered-up, there's no way you can defeat me." Tetomu is watching the fight and hears this, and it takes her back. "It's true. The first time they fought, Yellow had no power and did not know how to fight."

And the Aurg was young, and inexperienced as well. But it was still strong and hard on the hero who struggled against it in yellow armor. The man who fought and fell and came back up with a blade he held unsteadily in an unaccustomed hand. He was able to get strikes in, but not aiming well enough to make them truly count. He kicked the Aurg away and it got back up to angrily rush him. Frantic, in a panic, the man cried that he couldn't make it stay down. And Tetomu had called to him, "Yellow, use this!" and held out a piece of paper and threw it into the very confused man's hands. "But what do I DO with it?!" he screamed at her. "You stick it on his face!" she cried back. "STICK it? Stick IT?" but before he understands, the Aurg is upon him, grabbing him and bashing him back. It pins him on the ground, and he frantically shoves the paper across the two, great eyes. And the Aurg vanished.

"Oh, we were so truly relieved," Tetomu remembers. And she watches as Yellow and Bike continue their snappish comments back and forth. Yellow starts to beat Bike back. He leaps, bounding off the Aurg's head, spinning and rebounding off a wall to spread his wings and catch the Aurg, to smash it here and there against things. Then, while it is stunned, he gets in with his Eagle Sword shouting, "A year's worth of power and training! I'm better than I was!" He certainly is making a good fight of it. The Aurg falls and Tetomu comments happly, "You've become strong!"

Red falls, and the others gather to him. Loki uses his Moonlight Sonic attack to take the group down and starts stalking to finish them off, chuckling. Tetomus races in to help. "Loki, you have to stop!" She stands between him and her fallen people. "Get out of the way!" he snarls at her. She has no intention of obeying. "You can't beat me any more than my grandmother!" For a moment Loki is confused. Looking at her, he sees her determined expression and it is exactly like her grandmother's. "Murasaki," he murmurs, shaken. The breather has given the others a chance to recover, and Red heads the attack. They beat Loki back badly. And Yellow is doing just as well against Bike Aurg. He has defeated it, and the team is free now to join him with crows of delight. "Let's pool our hearts!" Red calls. And quickly they form their mighty blade. A sweep and the power shooks out at Bike Aurg to destroy him. They all sigh in pleasure. Then Black turns quizzically to Yellow. "But what is so special about that Aurg?" he asks. Yellow starts coughing. White comes close to ask, "What did you do a year ago?" Yellow stretches his arms and yawns dramatically (or so we must assume as they are all still in armor). But Tetomu comes running happily over to them. "The truth," she starts and Yellow whirls with a cry. "Don't say it!" He is about to grab her but Black and White pin his arms and Red helps hold him while Tetomu so kindly explains. "There was nothing else to do. Yellow's power was still weak. He couldn't defeat the Aurg. We had to invent another way." Blue goes into utter ecstatic bounding, while the rest giggle and Yellow hangs his head. Tetomu bows in a totally not serious apology, and Black and White have to hold Yellow back from throwing himself at her. But Loki comes to them. "You think this is the end of it?" he snarls at them. They gasp and gather protectively around Tetomu. But Loki isn't after her. He tosses his Aurg seeds onto the pile of green foam. Bike Aurg must be faced again, in large now. And Loki summons his three Power Animals to take their Gao Hunter formation.

Yaba-iba and Tsue Tsue decide the best thing to do is get out of here before they get caught in the crossfire. Ura watches the battle with great interest in his magic mirror. It is Gao Muscle which faces Bike Aurg, They walk carefully through their battle ground. Yellow keeps the challenge up. Bear and Polar punch several times, and then our heroes use them to make a final punch. Falling, Bike Aurg calls out to his one-horn commander before he explodes. And Gao Hunter approaches. Loki says he will take revenge for Bike Aurg. When our heroes punch at him, he catches the punching fist in Gaoligator's mouth and tosses them overhead, but they land on their feet. Furious, Loki uses the Beat Hurricane. Our heroes respond with the Bear Strike. The two powerful blasts meet, and explode. Both great formations fall. A crackle of power and the Gaoranger are ejected from Gao Muscle. Loki has also been ejected, and his three Power Animals vanish as he gets to his feet with a snarl of fury. He is about to attack them when pounding feet bring Tetomu to her group to anxiously ask if they're all right. "Tetomu-priestess," Loki announces, and he starts towards her. Frightened, she stands and backs up a bit. He says firmly, "I want you to tell me what Murasaki said. Come." And he holds out his hand for her. Yellow scrambles to his feet and launches himself at Loki with the Eagle Sword out to strike. Loki knocks him aside, and the two face each other. They leap to strike in midair, landing several feet apart. There is a long moment of stillness as they face each other. Loki slides a foot along the ground, then taps his moon blade on his shoulder and... Yellow is hit by explosions. He cries out in agony and falls, his armor disrupted and for a moment, he looks like he is dead. Tetomu gasps. And the two bear orbs roll to Loki's feet. Yellow gives a gasp of horror as the wolf demon scoops them up. "This is why I fought." And Loki closes his hand tightly around the two orbs. A flare of brilliant white light. When he opens his hand, the orbs sit frosted in his palm. The bears roar mournfully in the instant before they gray out and vanish in black smoke. And Yellow screams like he's been torn apart.

Loki has a bit to say about a thousand years and wishes that were never fullfilled. The other Gaoranger are on their feet, and Tetomu stares in wordless horror at Loki. For she sees something totally unexpected. Loki's left arm is bleeding. Red blood that flows and drips to the cement below his arm. Red blood. He doesn't seem to notice it. "We'll speak again, priestess." And he turns and walks away to vanish after a few steps.

Tetomu stares after him, troubled, but then her attention turns to Yellow. He still lies on the cement, unmoving, and she hurries to see how he is. He is weeping. As she puts her arms around his shoulders, he curls over, the heart-broken sobs a testimony of grief. Abandoning his shoulders, she digs her hands under his left arm, trying to get him on his feet. She does succeed in pulling him out of his curl and into a sitting position. He speaks through the sobs, voice hoarse. "It's because I'm weak! I couldn't protect my orbs! Even after a year." His voice breaks on a high-pitched whimper and he twists his hands like a child around his knees. Tetomu cannot bear his pain. "It isn't like that at all! You have become strong!" She gently touches his arm. "Yellow, you were trying to protect me." He meets her eyes, but this is not enough to bring him comfort as she nods and tries an encouraging smile. His gaze falls and he sobs, running his fingers through his hair. The rest of the Gaoranger approach slowly, still in their armor and not quite sure what they should do for their seemingly broken friend.

Next Quest 21: 狼鬼、惑う Rouki, Madou. Wolf Demon, Perplexed.

Yaba-iba and Tsue Tsue are dressed as clowns, collecting monsters like vampires and demons (overkill, don't you think?) to use to bring about the end of the Gaoranger. Yellow and White both face with courage monsters. And Loki remains camped beside the river, trying to find answers to himself and his own pain.

Quests 21-30