Technically it's Burai, although I've heard people call him Brian. He was the Dragon Ranger (green). And he was the greatest of all the characters on the show. His was one heck of a story. You see, he was seven years old when his baby brother was born, and eight when he first lost him. Now, his father was the Black Knight and a member of the Yamato clan, a man with a little too much pride. He ran afoul of the Yamato King, and for his affrontry, was fined his second-born son. Geki. He decided that was a bit too much, and went to war to retrieve his boy, only to end up mortally wounded in battle against the Yamato King. Dying, he swore his eight year old son to vengeance. And so Brai trained, every day of his life. He lived with Gnome and Ryota, His promise to his father was not the only thing he wanted. He wanted to be a hero, to fight the monsters that were destroying their lands. Only he never had a chance. The war was over too quickly, and the Yamato King was already dead by the time Brai was mature. And then Geki and the others went into suspended animation. There was no other way to get revenge but to follow them. And that is what he did. He was only thirty-one years old.

The first time the Zyurangers had a clue to his existence was when they had to rescue Ryota from Gnome and Baaza. You see, Ryota had found the key to the cave Brai slept in, and was intent to open it because today was the last day. If Brai was not released, he would die. Ryota had no idea why his grandfather seemed determined to let that happen, and Brai had been his friend. Bandora, seeing all this excitement, determined that the best thing to do was to make certain the little boy got where he was going. She sent her forces to stop Baaza and Gnome. Ryota opened the cave and released Brai. And the first thing the Dragon Ranger did was attack the Zyuranger, announcing himself as a Yamato prince just like Geki.

Our heroes retreated to base, and demanded an explanation of Baaza. At last the story of Geki's real parents burst forth, and our poor hero was stunned. But his greatest sympathy was for his tormented brother. Nothing would do but to befriend him, and Geki did his level best every chance he had.

Brai, meanwhile, had ran afoul of Bandora. When he wouldn't work for her, she pointed out that he did not have the power to defeat the Zyurangers, and told him she knew where a legendary sword was, that would give him the strength he needed. And she sent him after it. What she did not mention was that the sword drove its bearer crazy. And he was none too stable already. And so he ended up working for her, growing increasingly insane under the influence of the evil sword.

As I said, Geki tried to befriend Brai and refused to fight him. This tended to result in his getting beat up a lot. In fact, the first time it almost got him killed. Daijujin intervened to protect him and ordered him to kill Brai. When he refused, the god punished him. But his continued refusal only enabled Bandora to use Brai to deal the Zyurangers a devastating blow. She managed to trap the Zords underground in lava. Geki retreated into depression, and Bandora and her people partied on the moon.

But Brai could not stand still, and he attacked Bandora, meaning to take her power and rule the world. She threw him out, down to Earth, and would have squashed him like a bug but for the interference of a tiny person in white, who dragged him off to a featureless cave and told him it was his new home. She also told him that in 30 hours he would be dead. For you see, Brai's life-force was burning out, in the form of a green candle. As long as he stayed in this cave, time would not pass for him. And she had a gift for him. A green dagger that doubled as a flute. Zyusouken. If he went out and played it, something marvellous would happen. So she left him there, and he went out and played the dagger. And out of the depths of the ocean, through the harbor, came Dragon Caeser. I think you can figure out who that is. Brai, though soon to die, now had his own companion beast. He played the dagger and Dragon Caeser blasted around, destroying buildings and just basically being dangerous.

All the noise and commotion attracted the Zyuranger, for whom Baaza identified this new problem. It also attracted Bandora's attention and she sent Lamia and Gryphoza down to fight Dragon Caeser. They all did a lot of damage. The Zyuranger, including Geki, helped dig people from the rubble, then went and tried to fight Brai (which only got bombs dropped on them). But Baaza used a combination of prayer and magic and managed to get the companion beasts out of the lava hole. They lead Brai and Dragon Caeser out of town, and the Tyrannosaurus fought the newcomer by itself. This was a hint. Geki had to face Brai.

And this time, it had to end. Too many helpless humans had died or merely been injured because he had let Brai run wild. He knew this, and for the first time fought his best and defeated his brother, blasting him out of his armor. The companion beasts formed Daijinju, who punished Dragon Caeser for fighting against them, then demanded that Geki finish off Brai. His teammates were horrified. They knew what this would cost him. But he moved to obey. Brai was exhausted and unable to get to his feet. When he found Geki over him, about to run him through, there was nothing he could do. He did not want to die. But instead, Geki stabbed his sword deep into the ground. "I won't do it. You can't make me." And he turned to walk away. Brai got a surge of mad energy, snatched up the madness sword and went after Geki, as the others cried out. But Geki did not turn. "Strike!" he said, and Brai stumbled to a hault. In the continued silence, Geki spoke again.

"Go ahead and strike. If it will help; if it will take the pain away, kill me."

And Brai could not do it. When Geki turned, tears streaming down his cheeks, Brai's madness broke and he fell to his knees, begging his brother's forgiveness. Tears fell from his own eyes and touched the evil sword, which turned to dust. Daijujin was stunned. "The evil is gone!" it exclaimed. And Brai asked Geki, "All I've ever had was my duty to take revenge. What do I do? What place is there for me, now?" Geki said, "Stay with us." The Zyuranger welcomed him to their circle. Daijujin demonstrated how it could join with Dragon Caeser now that they were together.

But Brai disappeared, without explanation. And for many adventures afterwards he and Dragon Caeser would only show up if the battle was too hard. (Remember how Tommy used to always come late cuz he'd forgotten his morpher?) Eventually, though, the others were sent to his cave, and the little girl in white explained, despite Brai's protests, what was going on.

You see, during his long sleep there had been an earthquake. Boulders fell from the roof and crushed Brai. He died. But the girl is Clotho, who sets the lifespan, and Daijujin had prevailed upon her to give Brai new life, so that he could get the Dragon Caeser and pass it in turn to Geki with his death. Things were complicated by Geki's refusal to kill Brai, but now things would work out fine. He would die, and Daijujin would still have Dragon Caeser. Though the god was happy, this arrangement did not suit Geki at all. He started to get antsy about Brai coming out of the cave, and Bandora started to make certain that this would happen. She was quite happy with getting him killed.

A hero at last.

And what did Brai think of all this? "I dreamed I walked on a bridge in the misty night. I bent to stare at my reflection in the water, and then I heard someone coming. A man running, pulling a rickshaw, a lantern held in front of him. I could not see his face. I stood, and he stopped beside me and turned around. In a deep, echoing voice he invited me to ride. I asked who he was, he said he was the driver, and helped me in, covering my legs with a red blanket. I held the strut of the rickshaw and wondered as he took me towards the end of the bridge. It was sweet, and comforting, the breeze in my face. I asked him where we were going, and he said to the Country of the Dead. And I was afraid, then he laughed and sped up. But it was not cruel laughter, and only then did I realize that beneath his hat was a skull. "But I'm not dead yet!" I called as he raced. "Stop, please! I'm not dead yet!" but not all my protests could slow him down.

I woke in the cave, sweating, my heart racing. It was just a dream. My candle beside me... so small, the flame steady. And I trembled. In four hours... I would be dead."

It was a beautiful day. Geki, Goushi, Mei, Boi and Dan were playing together, stretching, and Geki followed a child's ball where it went into the woods. Then he heard a song.... And Clotho appeared, bouncing her ball. The others joined him to hear her speak, and she warned them that Brai would be dead in four hours, if he left the cave. Alarmed, they questioned her but she said he could not return the cave. And she vanished, floating towards the tops of the trees, they could not call her back.

So Geki and the others went home, panicking, Geki desperately wondering why Brai would not be able to return. The others searched through the books. Goushi knew something would have to happen. Dan was furious with frustration, as no answer showed itself in the books and he threw them down on the table in frustration, Boi beside him as anguished as he. They turned desperately to Baaza, who was searching as well. They all ran to the shelves, searching as Geki watched, hoping, and remembering.

And Bandora had heard that, and knew that when Brai left his cave, she could detect the power surge. So she had Puripurikan create another monster. The DoraGansaku, a white being with one great, green eye. He had a fantastic power, and they encouraged him to show it.

The city in flames, screaming and death, people running everywhere. The Zyuranger came and looked up to find in shock what was attacking was Dragon Caesar. They called him to stop. Dan uttered a frantic cry, and Goushi pointed out Dragon Caesar would only listen to Brai, so where was he? and they heard Bandora laughing. She claimed control of Dragon Caesar, and encouraged the attack. Devastation and she vanished, laughing. And Gryphonza attacked with the golems, and our heroes switched into aromor to fight, doing quite well. Or so they thought.

Brai rode again the road, asked again of the driver, "Where are we going?" "To the Country of the Dead." And they rode down a street where leaves flew through the air, stirred on wild winds. There was a bench and on it a boy waited, staring at the ground. As they approached he looked up, his face sad and at the same time, patient. He and Brai stared at each other as the rickshaw passed the stop. "What, who..?" wondered Brai. And when the rickshaw had gone past him, the boy again looked down at the ground.

And Dragon Caesar tramped through the city, while the Zyuranger fought and Geki finally called desperately for Brai. And a wind stirred the candles in the cave. Dozing, sitting on the steps, Brai slowly opened his eyes, hearing Geki's distant, desperate voice. He woke fully, turning his gaze upon the tiny candle whose flame flickered but went no lower.

Dragon Caeser destroying everything in its path and Geki calling desperately for Brai. The others calling Dragon Caeser to stop. So finally Geki called in the Guardian Beasts, and they came quickly, to join with their companions. They formed Daijujin to fight. The struggle was uneven, in their confusion they did not try their best. Caesar hit them with his tail. Goushi determined they had to call Brai. Mei reminded them of the warning, but they had to. And Brai woke fully, hearing his brother, and hearing the cries of Dragon Caeser. Confused, he turned. "What is going on?"

Bandora had the magical realms map out, Tottobatto held her chair as she sat, ready to find the power surge of Juusouken. She set a tiny replica of her staff on the map, counting down.

"Wait for me Geki, I'm coming now!" Brai said determinedly. The room became shrouded in green light as he brought out the dagger and concentrated on it. A flare and surge of light.

Bandora's small wand whirled wildly across the map and then headed unneringly to stop. "I understand!" she crowed.

Brai arrived atop a building and, seeing the fight, called for stop, but there was no response. The others saw him and called to him. He played a strange, lullaby melody, beautiful, but the fighting continued. At last, knowing not what else to do, he tried the summons song. And Dragon Caesar came hurtling out of the bay and stopped in the streets in surprise, seeing himself fighting Daijinju. And Brai ordered attack, so Dragon Caesar fired on his double and the great, white, one-eyed creature was revealed. Of course. But Bandora was laughing, "Oh, Brai, what do you think I was up to with this?" And then the monster began changing appearance, first Daijinju, then the combined form and laughing. And Bandora laughed and told him there would be no returning to his cave again. She vanished. Her monster went with her. Geki shouted at Brai to get back, so he did. But she was there ahead of him.

Her fires destroyed the cave and Brai arrived, shouting at her to stop. He raced past his candle to fight her, but she threw him down, he could not get close enough to stop her. "You will die in four hours!" she snapped at him. And then his candle floated away and she continued to blast him even as he reached for it..

He fell out of the sky to land on the deserted street, and the other Zyuranger gathered around him, Geki holding him close as he whispered weakly, "Bandora's destroyed the room. I can't go back." They hissed in fury but he was losing consciousness. "I'll be dead in just four hours," he whispered, before his eyes closed.

The road to Death, and he begged the driver to stop, unable to get out himself. "Are we really going to the Counry of the Dead?" And the driver laughed. Reaching the point with the child waiting. As the boy looked hopelessly at him, Brai asked, "What's that child doing?" "He's waiting for the next car to the Country of the Dead." And they passed the watching child by.

"Brother! Wake up, please, Big Brother!" Geki's voice reached through the shrouds and Brai opens his eyes. "What can we do?!"

"There's nothing you can do," Brai replied as the strength rolled back into him. His eyes widened. "I have to find that child!" and he struggled to his feet and raced off.

"Brother, where are you going?"

"To find him!" came the shout back, and Brai was gone. "That child's going to die. Why?" He searched, some instinct leading him eventually to three playing boys, but they weren't him. And then he found the boy, sitting innocently on a swing, dressed in a white shirt. It was him. The boy looked up in fearless surprise when Brai stepped in front of him. "What's your name?" Brai asked, half desperate, half hopeful.

"Why, I'm Kota Matsui."

Brai knelt in front of him, asking him if there was anything wrong with him, if he was all right. The surprised child said he was fine, and moved away from this odd stranger uneasily. "No, I'm sorry. I'm the Zyuranger, Brai."

The boy exploded in delight, "Fantastic! Your companion beast is Dragon Caesar!" And he grabbed Brai's arms and tugged on them in excitement. "I'm a great fan! Can I see him, can I, huh, huh?!" and the world was right, suddenly, and Brai forgot his own fear.

He summoned Dragon Caesar, and they rode his head together, the giant guardian beast as charmed by the child as his pilot. Totally a kitten. Watching the boy laugh and chat with the great beast, Brai was reminded that Kota would die at the same time, just about, as he did, and fear for the boy outweighed his own life. He knelt and hugged the child anxiously. "Why, what's the matter?" Kota asked him, but he said it was nothing and encouraged Dragon Caesar to impress the boy.

Still madly researching in the caves, the others watched Brai and the child, listened to them. Dan grumbled anxiously what was Brai doing with this kid when he should be in here with them, trying to find a way to save his life. But then Baaza announces success! He had found it and showed the book to Geki who read, "The Water of Life will save one person's life. It is guarded by the white statue." The picture of the statue holding the vase. Dan peered at it anxiously. "It's in there?" Mei confirmed anxiously that they could use it to save Brai. And Goushi gathered a vial from one of the shelves.

"There are only three hours and we can't all go." He asked Baaza where it was. And Baaza knew the gods could lead them there. So they went to the temple, and Baaza prayed frantically for Brai's life. They would all sacrifice their power for this. And the gods did not seem to respond. Geki thought his own prayer, and then they answered. The Dino Bucklers fell from their belt to their shock, and disappeared. And so did Dan and Goushi.

The two landed by a lovely statue in a garden. Nervously they stood and looked around, at the flowers near the statue. And the two of them would have to go. Frantic, Dan pointed out that without their Dino Bucklers, they could not change. There was nothing to be done, Goush knew, and he led the way. But Bandora was watching them go. And she, smiling, pointed out that there were only the two of them, with no Dino Bucklers, unable to call their companion beasts. And Bandora sent the monster off to attack the city.

Disguised as Dragon Caesar/juujin, he attacked. Our heroes saw him, the three only and then Brai arrived with Kota to join them. Geki explained that they could neither change nor call their beasts, which left only Dragon Caesar. Brai sent Kota off, and called his companion. But Kota did not leave, stopping in delight to watch. And the battle was underway, revealing the monster for a moment, before it assumed Daijujin's face.

And a furious crowd gathered to attack the three Zyuranger as traitors, throwing rocks in fury. Their explanations were ignored, and at last they could only run, while Dragon Caesar fought. And Kota was crushed under falling debris. Brai found the boy, bleeding and whispering for help, reaching for him. He frantically dug through the rubble. Dragon Caesar came and at Brai's request, reached down, removing the heavy blocks and letting him through. He gathered the bruised, limp form in his arms, remembering the driver's words about Kota waiting for the next bus, and hurried to the hospital.

And the battle raged on, while our heroes were under attack from the very people they were sworn to protect.

Next episode

Everything was racing, everyone was running. The hospital, and Kota's mother frantically pushed Brai out of the room Kota lay in, as Geki came in. She begged Brai to go home. The boy was on a drip, red blood seeping through his bandages, a machine called a Lifescope 6 tracking his pulse. The mother was not angry so much as suffering and blaming Brai, and the delirious boy called for her, to two frantic sets of eyes' anguish. Kota opened his eyes and whispered through the oxygen mask, "Big brother is not bad, mother. He brought me here." And Brai hurried back into the room.

He grasped the child's hand. "Please be all right!"

Kota tried to reassure him, "I'll get better. I'll be fine."

The mother, in tears, said, "I didn't realize he was trying to help," to Geki, who watched in sympathetic dread.

Brai pulled out his Dino Buckler and took the coin from it. "For your protection," he said urgently, and pressed the coin into the boy's hand. "Hang on to it."

The boy thanked him and told him he had really enjoyed meeting them, riding on Dragon Caesar's head. He hoped to do it again.

"Yeah, when you're better." But the boy was weakening, and the mother went frantically for the doctor. Geki took Brai outside. They stopped and Brai stared helplessly at the clock above. He swallowed, as he noted the time. 16 minutes before one. And he would die, at 2. He asked Geki for news of the battle but on its own, Dragon Caesar was not doing so well. And Brai told Geki of his dream, riding on the Road to Death. Of seeing that boy. Of why he was so frantic to find Kota. "I'm going to die, but..." he moved closer, staring mesmerized at the clock as Geki followed his every move. "Geki, understand, please. If there's a chance to save my life... but that boy...."

"Brother -- "

Brai wheeled, his expression conflicted but urgent. "No. I really do want to live. But I want him to live too!" Geki broke and leaped forward, to hold Brie tight against him. They shivered and stood together, tears slipping from their eyes. Speaking to each other less in words than in terms of the heart. Holding onto each other in this first chance they had ever really had to share such strength.

Geki pulled back to grasp his brother's shoulders, make him look at him. "You did everything you could to help him! The others have gone to find the Water of Life! They can bring it back for both of you!"

Brai desperately returned the grip on his brother's arms. "Really? Is it really true?" But then the clock struck. One o'clock. Brai wheeled and stared at it, trembling in terror.

And Geki, the tears still on his face, thought, "My brother only has one hour left to live. Goushi, Dan, hurry please!" He closed his eyes and thought the prayer desperately.

They ran through the forest as fast as they could, and finally they saw the fountain, with the statue. Ecstatic, they raced for it and got there! They got ready to climb up and grab the jar from the small statue's hands. Dan knelt and Goushi got up on his back, tried to take the jar, but the statue attacked him. Together they dove and struggled, grabbing for the jar every moment, the two together struggling against the moving statue. And the four others were watching as Dragon Caesar fought, and Brai leaped aboard into the cockpit to help his companion, to ride directly with him. And Griffoza faced the other three, who fought strongly. The monster was knocked into its real shape and then changed into the Caeser other combo, then attacked as Tyrannosaurus, but Caesar turned the attack each time.

And Goushi and Dan still struggled. 15 minutes to 2. The boy was clenching the coin tight, and Brai prayed for him as he fought. The explosions from the fight, ten minutes left. Boi was half-down, they were all exhausted. And running out of time. They need the Dino Bucklers. The monster tossed Dragon Caesar aside and our heroes leaped up and prayed frantically to the gods to return their Dino Bucklers, to let them protect the Earth. And Brai added his strength to their prayer, for Kota's sake most of all. 3 minutes. The boy stirred in bed and Brai's coin glowed. And then Brai felt it, the surge of his own power within him. He struggled in the cockpit and his power surged and washed, and in a moment he was in armor! He summoned Daijuujin with a strong cry, and they came. Boi shouted, "Geki, it's Daijuujin!" and in beams of light, their Dino Bucklers were returned. With crows of joy, they changed into armor.

Goushi and Dan faced the statue in their fighting uniforms, while their companions formed the complete beast, the four piloted it together. And there was one minute. They set off a volly which destroyed the Dora monster. And the clocks all over struck 2. And with a cry of pain, Brai vanished from the cockpit.

Goushi managed at last to kick the jar from the statue's arms, and it fell into the water. The two of them cried out frantically, but the statue with a gesture became a glowing, golden light that swept through them, turning them back into their civvies and then it stopped in a flash of blue-white light, above the jar of Water. They were shocked, but then a woman appeared and congratulated the two of them. But she informed them that they were too late. Brai was dead. "No!" And then she became Clotho. Dan screamed in frustration when she told them that all their struggle had failed, that Brai's life could never have been saved with this water because he was already dead. Dan pounded the bars of the barrier to the fountain. Goushi sank heavily, weeping as he said, "Then why did we waste all this effort? WHY did our Beasts send us on this quest?!" He shook the bottle at her.

Clotho became again the woman form. "But you must listen. You can save the life of the one who would die after Brai. You have won the Water of Life." With a gesture, she sent the water in a stream of light to their bottle. They gaped in amazement and accepted it. "For the sake of that child, as Brai asked, it will make him happy if you use it to save the life of that child. Hurry back!" And she disappeared. And though tears streamed down Goushi's cheeks, he was glad and called his thanks, clutching the bottle close.s

And on a cold beach, they finally found him, lying as though dead. Geki, Boi and Mei raced to the still form, not seeing the hermit crab scuttling across one pale hand. The wind stirred soft, black hair. Calling him desperately, Geki turned the limp form over, held him tight. Though sand clung to his cheek, Brai's eyes opened. Just alive enough to say his brother's name and he whispered his gladness, to have lived the last of his life fighting at his little brother's side, with the Zyuranger. It hurt them so much, to know they had lost him. "Don't talk like that, brother! Goushi and Dan will bring the water!" But Brai shook his head at their frantic reassurances. "It's too late for that, now. But give it to Kota," he begged them. A spasm of pain, as his body was shutting down. Boi and Mei called desperately for Goushi and Dan.

"It's too late for that, now. But give it to Kota."

But Brai held up his hand and with a shimmer became in his armor, reached for Geki. When they touched, Geki was translated into his armor. Brai took his other hand and placed Geki's palm on his shield. Another shimmer of light and the shield shifted from one man to the other. Geki was stunned, and then Brie handed him the dagger. When he touched it, they were once again bathed in light, back into their civilian clothing. Geki held the dagger tentatively as Brai's arm dropped. "Thank you, Geki. Everyone." They sprang to his side, trying to tell him to hold on. "Save the world, protect the children," Brai told them urgently. "I'm begging you." And then he slumped. They called him frantically. Farther up the hill, Clotho appeared, holding the tiny candle in her hand. And the flame flickered out. "Brai's life is over," she said thoughtfully. But the world was not. And as they huddled over his still body, weeping, it vanished and they wept even more. Geki clutched Jyuusoken tight in his hands and wailed for his brother, huddled tight. Clotho vanished, too.

Goushi and Dan arrived at the hospital with the water, which Kota's mother gave him. The boy was white, almost dead himself, his pulse erratic. The water seeped between his bloodless lips and he swallowed. And in that moment he opened his eyes, to his mother's joy. "Mama!" She wept, and so did Goushi. Dan's eyes were dry, but he whispered, "Brai."

The boy lifted his head from the tight hug his mother held him in, his skin now glowing with health. "But Mama, where is Brai?" He opened his palm and stared at the Dragon Ranger's coin, which suddenly glowed and then fragmented in green light. He gasped in surprise.

And there was a man in green, riding in a rickshaw, a red blanket to keep his legs warm. "The wind feels nice," he commented. And as the rickshaw passed an empty bench, he smiled in total relief and delight. Death held no fear for him, and they headed off into the glowing blue light.

And Geki came to the edge of a beach and played the lovely song he had once heard his brother play in a dream. He wept as he played, imagining Brai in that rickshaw, riding to the Country of Death. And he let the dagger fall and called for him, mourning to the sea.

And somewhere, elsewhere, Dragon Caesar too cried for his lost companion.

Clotho, the Goddess of Life. The Guardian of the Water of Life, in and out of her armor.

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