Eternal Sentai
Guardranger
Episode 1:The Evil Returns! Rebirth of the Eternal Sentai!
By David Anderson and Derek Pryor
There was something there, no doubt about it. A large something. And it was moving. That was what the tremors over the last week had been.
Naoko Hirano rose from the table of seismological instruments and walked down the hall. This was major, but what could it possibly be? Something the size of the Tokyo Dome buried a hundred feet underground and shaking…scary, but it had to be reported.
She said hello to a few of her coworkers on the way to Dr. Amasada's office, but did nothing to delay her trip there. She finally arrived outside his door, and let herself in.
"Naoko, how are you?" he said, looking up from a pile of paper work on the desk in front of him. He was an elderly man, with graying hair and beard, but one of the nicest guys Naoko had ever met. He'd understand why she hadn't knocked in a minute.
"Sir, those tremors we've been charting over the last few days…I believe I've found the epicenter. And the source," she said.
"The source?" he said, "Just tectonic activity, I'm sure."
"It's not, sir. I believe it's coming from a large, buried object. The emanations are coming from an area that couldn't possibly be the source of natural tectonic activity."
He arched an eyebrow at her. Naoko didn't blame him. Four years of working there and she'd never come to him with a crazy story like this. But it was true. Dr. Amasada looked at her for a long moment.
"Well then, if this is the cause of all those tremors, then you'd better get a team together and go have a look around the area, hadn't you?" he said, as if the answer he was giving was common sense.
"Thank you, sir," she said with a slight bow, and turned and left his office. A shadowy figure turned and scurried away as she did.
Naoko leaned back in her reclining chair and sighed. She was a bit tired, but it was a good kind of tired; the kind that came from being involved in a profession that satisfied you. It would take a while for the team she assembled to get organized, so she decided to take a few minutes to herself to unwind and collect her thoughts. Her mind kept coming back to her findings. There was absolutely nothing natural about the object her studies had uncovered, but she couldn't, for the life of her, figure out what it was. And the fact that it was moving? That's what disturbed her the most.
At first she attributed it to natural seismic activity caused by simple tectonic plate shifting beneath the planet's surface. But when the volume of the tremors increased dramatically in the space of only a few hours, she'd begun to fear that the cause was more severe--an earthquake or even worse, a volcanic eruption; Japan still had quite a few active volcanoes around even now in the present day. But it wasn't until recently that Naoko's studies had determined that the tremors were confined to a single area, and that there was an object embedded in the earth that was causing the disturbance.
Naoko narrowed her eyes behind her eyeglasses at the thought. What could have been buried out there in the middle of nowhere? And why? What was the purpose of it? Had it ended up underground through a natural phenomenon? Or had something buried it there? A ton of questions with no answers--she hated that. Although somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew logic probably had nothing to do with any of it. And it wasn't as if there was anyone she could ask about this…
Or was there?
Naoko looked over at the right-hand drawer of her desk, staring for a minute, as if she were debating whether or not to open it. She wasn't entirely sure the situation warranted this kind of attention. But she also had no way of knowing if it didn't either. Whatever was happening could just be the precursor to something much worse. And if it this was anything close to the danger she had been informed about, then she had to make its presence known to the one who had told her about it in the first place.
"I can't take any chances," she said more to herself than anyone else. "Not with this." She reached for the drawer and pulled it open partway. A soft yellow light beamed out of the drawer, spilling gold against her fingers as she reached in deeper.
"Naoko-chan?"
Naoko jerked her head upright and stiffened as if lightning had struck the back of her chair. She quickly pulled her hand out of the desk drawer and shoved it closed, her eyes raking to the left in response to the invited guest in her office.
Standing in the doorway dressed in an black Armani suit, and wearing a careful, easy-going grin on his face--a little too easy-going for her taste--was a young Japanese guy of twenty-three with short black hair and dark brown eyes. He stood at least six feet tall with a strong, gym-chiseled build and broad shoulders, obvious even under the loose fit of the suit.
"Oh, it's you," Naoko's tone was as dry as sandpaper.
The guy in the doorway winced a little. Oh, boy. She's still steamed…not good. Well, at least he was still standing. He half expected to get a shot to the head or something as soon as he opened his mouth.
"Where's that pretty young thing you were wearing around your neck last night, Takeo?" she pushed on. "You don't looked dressed without her."
"Awwww, c'mon, Naoko-chan," the guy's voice took on an apologetic tone as he stepped the rest of the way inside of the office. "You still mad at me? I said I was sorry, didn't I?"
"Several times, but I'd pretty much stopped counting after I poured that pitcher of ice water over your head on the way out of the bar." Naoko turned away and started shuffling though a box on her desk full of computer disks. "I hope you've got a reason to be in my office, other than to feed me a line, Yashamura-san. I've got my hands full here."
Yashamura-san...last night it was Takeo. Oh boy…I better make this good. Takeo took a cautious step toward Naoko's desk, and cleared his throat before speaking again. "I came to apologize, Naoko. Really, I'm so sorry about last night…it wasn't how it looked, really." Takeo came closer to the desk, putting a hand on the back of Naoko's chair, swiveling it a bit so he could look her in the eyes. He knelt down in front of her, reached for her hand, and pressed it flat against his chest. Naoko felt a sudden shiver run up her back at the sudden warmth of his body heat soaking through his shirt and against her fingers.
"Gomen, Naoko-chan," Takeo said softly. "I'm sorry. Forgive me? Onegai?"
Naoko looked into Takeo's eyes, the dark-brown depths she'd come to know so well over the past few months looking back at her hopefully like a puppy who wanted his ears scratched. She was right about him being too charming for his own good, though. Her anger was starting to recede a little and the poor guy really did sound sincere. Then he brought his arm out from behind his back, producing a bouquet of flowers wrapped in prismatic-colored paper. "I got these for you. I know they're your favorite." He smiled again as he handed them to her. White roses, she thought. Damn…
So much for holding a grudge.
Naoko sighed, a martyr to ecstasy. She wasn't really angry with him anymore, but she wasn't ready to let him off the hook just yet. "Who was she, Takeo?"
"My ex. She's been dogging me ever since we broke up and I started seeing you. I was trying to get rid of her last night, and she planted that kiss on me when she knew you'd be looking. I swear, Naoko, I didn't know she was gonna take it that far." Takeo gave her another pleading expression, squeezing Naoko's hand that was still flat against his chest.
Naoko looked into Takeo's eyes again, the last of her resentment evaporating. "Takeo…I…"
Naoko never got to complete the sentence before the electronic ring of her telephone broke the mood in the office. She reached to the right, being careful not to dislodge the flowers in her lap, and grabbed the receiver. And although she didn't see the brutally disappointed look on Takeo's face, the softly muttered Japanese expletives that came out of his mouth were a lot harder to miss.
"Hirano Naoko," she said formally.
"Hirano-san? The team's assembled outside. We're ready to go when you are."
"Oh…arigato. I'll be there in a minute. Ja ne."
"Trouble?" Takeo asked.
Naoko shook her head "No, nothing like that. I've got a potential crisis I need to take head off," She stood up, placing the flowers on her desk and grabbed her laptop, along with a few of her files that were resting on the filing cabinet next to her desk.
"Is this what you were telling me about last night? That…whatever the heck it is buried out in the middle of nowhere?" Takeo stood up too, watching Naoko gather her things together.
"I'm afraid so," she sighed. Naoko turned to look at him. "Takeo, gomen. I really do want to finish this, but I have to leave. The team's waiting for me."
"Hey, no problem, I'll go with you. We can talk on the way. Who knows? Maybe I can help you guys out or something."
Naoko blinked. "Takeo, it's all right. You don't--"
He put a finger to her lips, shaking his head. "It's okay. I want to."
Naoko smiled finally, her anger forgotten. "All right. Listen, I have to finish up in here. Wait for me outside?"
The grin was back on Takeo's face full-force now. "You got it." He leaned in and kissed her forehead. "Don't take too long, huh babe?"
"I won't," she promised. "And the flowers…? Arigato. They're lovely."
Takeo's grin grew wider. "No problem," he smiled, and walked out the door.
Naoko slipped her laptop into her shoulder bag, along with the rest of her notes. She was about to head for the door when her eyes fell back on her desk drawer, the one she'd been reaching into earlier before Takeo came in. She was half-tempted not to even open it again. But somehow, she felt she had to. She took a careful glance around her, then pulled the drawer all the way open. As she did, a wave of yellow light poured out of the drawer, bathing the room in its glow for a minute before receding and simply glowed quietly inside its resting place.
Naoko reached inside and lifted the object out. She stared at it for a minute, then sighed. "I hope I don't end up needing to use you."
She dropped it into a small compartment inside her bag, hefted it over one shoulder, and headed out the door.
Miles and miles away, Ryuji Sakamoto unlocked the doors to his restaurant just as the store owners were wheeling out racks of clothes, books and other pricey goods to begin the business day. The sun was barely up but already they were skittering around like ants making sure everything would be ready by the time the first customers walked out of the house, still blinking the sleep from their eyes.
Ryuji shook his head with a smile, and walked inside the restaurant. He vaulted over the counter, walked to the back and flipped a switch, and the Golden Bushel came to life.
It was a nice little place, and did surprisingly good business for being so new. A few businessmen came in and bought drinks heavy with caffeine to open their eyes on the way to work, and Ryuji could tell it was going to be another fairly typical day. Or was it?
There was a strange feeling in the air that Mr. Sakamoto was at a loss to describe. Some kind of electricity in the air, like some unseen force was trying to warn him about something. Sounded ludicrous when he thought about it, of course. Ryuji was a practical man, despite his twenty-three years of age, and didn't believe in horoscopes, chain letters or warnings from the Great Beyond.
Later he'd look back on those beliefs and laugh himself sick.
Ryuji barely looked up as he heard the door open, "What'll it be, friend?"
""What'll it be, friend'? Dude, we don't see each other for years at a stretch, and that's all the welcome I get? Kinda formal in the way of a greeting there. Especially for your best friend."
Ryuji's dark brown eyes jerked upward at the person standing in his doorway. "Jason?"
Jason Marger stood half-in, half-out of the doorframe, a battered blue duffel bag hoisted over one shoulder. His jet-black hair cut short , his vibrant blue eyes twinkling with amusement. His clothes, Ryuji noted, were still typical of his best friend's tastes: dark brown bomber jacket thrown over a white muscle shirt, rumpled blue jeans, and the white basketball sneakers with blue trim on the sides Ryuji had sent him for his birthday six months earlier.
"Ohayo, tomodatchi," the American said, giving a formal bow.
Ryuji quirked an eyebrow, smirking . "S'up, dude?" he drawled in his best imitation of a California surfer-boy. It was a private joke they had going between them for years now. Jason strode over to the counter, grinning. As he did, Ryuji reached, wrapping his best friend in a bear hug. He pulled back slightly and ran a hand through Jason's hair affectionately. "Finally got your hair cut, I see. So what're you doing here, man?"
Jason grinned as they let go of each other. "Checkin' up on my best bud…and lookin' for something to do until surfing season starts up again. How you been, man?"
"Getting by," Ryuji grinned back. "How'd you find me here? I hadn't opened the Golden Bushel last time I saw you."
"The old lady who lives in the apartment next to yours referred me. Kept talking in glowing terms about the nice young man who lives next door and cooks dinner for her three nights a week."
"Yeah, must be my kind streak" Ryuji drawled with a non-committal shrug, looking down at the counter and trying to scrub out a persistent stain.
"Yeah, right," Jason joked, playfully punching his shoulder. "But seriously, you've been doing pretty well for yourself since the last I saw you, man. When was that? Six years ago? Seven?"
"Four."
Jason looked abashed. "Dang, I need to stay away from that California booze if it means I lose track of time like that. "Besides, I like the women around here better," Jason sighed, a wolfish smile forming.
"Yeah, I can't imagine there's a lot of call for pro surfers around here right now," Ryuji mused to his friend, "Dude, you really just dropping by for a social call? Not that I'm not glad to see you or anything--I just got my hands full right now." He jerked a thumb behind him at the sizeable crowd that had formed in the back of the room.
"Well, I got…other reasons for comin' back, man," Jason replied, choosing his words carefully.
"Well, whatever they are, it's good to see you back, Jase. I missed you." Ryuji smiled, firmly shaking Jason's hand. "Hey, come by my place later, huh? You can stay over 'til you get a place of your own, and we'll catch up on stuff." He turned to deal with a young couple who'd just entered the restaurant.
You might be finding 'em out sooner than you think, old buddy, Jason thought, casually taking a sip of water as he got up and left.
Jason shifted his sunglasses over his eyes as the glare of the early morning sun bared down on him. He was a little disappointed that he hadn't had an opportunity to talk to Ryuji at length right away. While his reasons for seeking out his long-time buddy were serious ones indeed, it was only part of the reason he'd come back to Japan. The rest of his reasoning was the simple fact that he hadn't liked losing touch with Ryuji the way he had. Four years was too long a time to go without seeing his best friend, and although he hadn't made an emotional scene back in the Golden Bushel, it felt really good to see Ryuji again after so long.
If there was one thing Jason valued in his life, it was friendship. And Ryuji had been the best friend he'd ever had. If there hadn't been a such a growing crowd back there in the restaurant, he would've dropped his duffle right then and there, and given Ryuji a big bear-hug. The feeling of home he now felt brought a big, goofy grin to Jason's face as he continued down the streets of Ueno, the streets already teeming with activity. People in business suits hauling purses and bulky briefcases bustled across the busy intersections, some of them chattering into cell phones, others flagging down buses or taxis. Teenage kids in uniforms chasing after each other on their way to school.
A string of giggles jerked Jason's attention to the left where about half a dozen teenage girls were clustered a few yards down the sidewalk from where he stood, whispering among themselves and pointing fingers toward him. They were dressed in school uniforms with really short skirts in different colors, and Jason found himself staring at a couple of them unconsciously, but the mirrored lenses of his sunglasses hid his eyes from theirs. Most of them had shoulder-length black hair, but a couple had their long brown hair tied at the back with silk ribbons. The last of the girls was about five-foot six with long black hair that reached down to her waist. She was pretty cute, Jason had to admit, but way too young. They all were for that matter. He could practically hear Ryuji's voice in his head making cradle-robbing jokes at his expense if he'd been here to see him scoping out a flock of teenage schoolgirls.
After a few seconds, Jason lifted his sunglasses off his eyes, and flashed the group a friendly smile, eliciting another round of giggling and a few red faces in the process. The black-haired girl in the back, however, remained strangely unaffected by the whole scene; she was watching him curiously, but not with the same infatuation the other girls seemed to have. Now that Jason thought about it, there was something about her that he couldn't quite pin down, but seemed familiar all the same. Who was she anyway?
Jason…Jason, we must speak…now.
The mental call snapped Jason out of his daze instantly. Geez! Hello, I'm out in public here! his thoughts answered back. Gimme a sec, okay? He quickly turned back to the girls, who were still blushing and tittering with laughter among themselves, and called over to them, "Sorry, girls! As much as I'm lovin' this, I gotta go! Seeya!" He turned around abruptly, and pounded down the sidewalk, flashing a bright grin over his shoulder as he darted to the left, disappearing into a nearby park.
The girls started chattering away again as they started walking down the sidewalk in the opposite direction, still talking about the mystery guy, commenting on how cute he was, especially for an American. But the black-haired girl stood staring at the spot on the sidewalk the guy had just vacated. She wasn't sure, but she had the feeling she knew him. Or more accurately, should know him. And it was obvious from the way he looked back at her that he was thinking along the same lines. She was even entertaining the idea of following him into the park when one of the other girls called her name from behind, telling her to hurry up or they'd be late for class.
She turned around reluctantly and moved to catch up with the other girls, a sudden rush of wind blowing up out of nowhere, following obediently in her wake.
This was a mystery that wasn't going to be solved anytime soon, that was for sure.
Jason dropped his duffle bag to the grass and looked around to see if the coast was clear. He'd found a thick copse of trees near the park's outer perimeter where he was sure no one could see or hear him, but he couldn't help be cautious anyway. Finally satisfied he was alone, Jason settled cross-legged into the grass, his back against a tree behind him, his duffle bag in his lap. He unzipped the side of his bag, a sudden flow of bright blue light spilling out of the pocket. He reached inside, pulling the source of the radiance out and balancing it in his hand.
"Okay," he said, "I'm here."
Have you spoken with him?
Jason rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Well…no…not yet. But I'm gonna. He was kinda busy so I couldn't really bring the subject up."
The mental voice sighed softly, but not with impatience or annoyance, but with deep-rooted concern. He must be told, Jason.
"Yeah, I know, but--" Jason fumbled for words. "I just don't know how I'm gonna do it. He's my best friend…how can I ask him to just give up everything he spent his whole life trying to get off the ground? How do I break something like that to him?"
You are in a most uncomfortable position, yes. But you realize I cannot, and will not force him to take this path. It must be his own choice or not at all. But if he is even a fraction of the man you claim him to be--
"He is," Jason said with conviction. "Even if he wasn't my best friend, I'd say he was. I know he can do this…I just don't know if he'd want to."
He is the one. Of that I have no doubt. The ability and the inner power are inherent traits. But regardless of whatever he decides, he must be told of the severity of the situation. Our enemies will not distinguish between the ones involved and the ones who are not. All will be affected. But his personal choices will have far greater impact than even he realizes.
Jason nodded. "Yeah, I know. I don't wanna make this any harder on him." Jason pushed a hand through his hair and sighed. "Okay. I'm staying over at his place tonight, so I'll do it then." He sighed. "I still don't know how I'm gonna, though."
I have every confidence that you shall, Jason. But this is a difficult scenario I have placed you in, and for that, I am sorry, the voice said. If it will convince him, then bring him to Tokyo Tower tomorrow morning, and I will speak to him myself. It is something of a risk, but one that, if need be, I will take.
Jason sighed again. "Okay."
The voice seemed to be smiling as it spoke again. Do not fear. All shall come right in its time…Waterguard. The blue light in his hand dimmed, and then winked out of sight completely.
Jason let out a noisy exhale as he put the object back into his duffel, and slumped into the warmth of the grass under his body. Crossing his arms under his head, he stretched out onto his back, staring up at the nearly cloudless sky overhead.
The voice that had spoken to Jason was all too right. The enemy was already there, and innocents and enemies alike were looked upon as acceptable prey.
The next day, the papers and the TV news would say the young woman and her lover were killed by some local thugs, and had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. The world at large would soon know better.
Gruesome business, really. The two had been mutilated by their attackers almost beyond recognition. Forensics showed that their injuries had been dealt by strange, outdated weapons, like sickles and katana swords. Surely there were no ninjas prowling the streets of Tokyo at night, looking to practice their trade on anyone unfortunate enough to cross their path.
Even more strange was the discovery of shavings of some odd kind of metal at the scene of the terrible killing, a kind of metal that all the scientists who examined it were at a loss to identify. It was as if some kind of unspeakable horror simply descended from the sky, killed these poor people and then disappeared back into the darkness.
It was something that would not seem so strange for long.
The mountains of Hokkaido, battered and weather by both time and nature towered mightily and imposing, resembling silent, eternal sentinels. The snow-capped peaks jutted upwards toward the skies like the lethal tips of an endless arsenal of spears, as if they were keeping watch over some unspeakable evil. Ironically enough, no one knew just how close to the truth that really was.
But they would.
Very soon.
The seismology team, consisting of nearly two dozen men and women had cordoned off most of the area around the site, and were taking readings from instruments or checking for other signs of recent disturbances the tremors might have caused, but things were relatively calm now since this morning. But the seismic disturbances came and went seemingly of their own volition, and therefore no one could predict when the next one would hit.
Naoko stood apart from the team and the others who were assembled there, taking in the site grounds and surrounding areas, her mind casting various scenarios and conclusions back and forth. But she kept coming back to the original question: what kind of object could be causing seismic upheavals like this? There were no indications at all that a natural phenomenon could be the cause. And if that was the case…
Naoko shivered unconsciously, unable to complete the thought she was thinking. She cast her eyes around the site again, and caught sight of Takeo talking to some of the younger guys on the team, his suit jacket slung over his shoulder, and his shirt sleeves rolled up. He was a little dirty, since he'd insisted on helping out once they'd arrived on the island, but Naoko found the slightly rumpled look strangely appealing on him. Although she'd long since gotten over her initial anger toward him, she was still wondering whether or not what they had was long-term material. True, they had some chemistry, at least, and Takeo was a born charmer, that much was obvious, in spite of the scene at the bar last night. But was he the long-haul type? She didn't know. But then again, Naoko didn't know if she was either.
Takeo said something to the other guys, eliciting group laughter and a few high-fives. Typical alpha-male behavior, she sighed. After a second, Takeo broke from the group, and headed up the embankment where Naoko was observing the team's progress, a bright grin on his face. Kami-sama, that smile…does he even know how disarming that is for someone like me? Naoko sighed internally. She wasn't the most confident woman in the world when it came to assessing her sexuality. There was no question she was attractive, but Naoko always thought being a woman ran deeper than that.
"Hey," Takeo said as he reached the top of the embankment, "how's it going?"
"It's going," she replied simply. "I can't make any other assessments right this second, seeing as how there's nothing going on."
"So…you really think this thing's not supposed to be here, huh?" Takeo crossed his arms, gazing down at the site with a thoughtful look.
"Everything points to the unnatural here, Takeo. The tremors, the severity, the duration, the way they flicker on and off at will--" Naoko took her glasses off and tossed her hair back irritably, one of the few frustrated gestures she possessed. "There's no question anymore--at least not to me. There's something buried under there. But I'm damned if I know what."
"So does this mean you're gonna try and dig this thing up?" Takeo asked, moving behind her, and put his hands on her shoulders. "Are you sure that's the right way to go? You don't know what's down there."
"I don't see how we can just leave it , Takeo. Not that the prospect of unearthing this thing thrills me, either. It's like another Pandora's Box waiting to be opened."
Takeo blinked. "Huh?"
Naoko looked at him. "Pandora. A figure from Greek mythology. The woman who released all the evils of humanity."
"Oh." Takeo still looked slightly clueless, like a little kid almost. Naoko couldn't help but laugh--the expression on his face just looked so…cute.
"Hirano-san," one of the workers called up to her from below, "the seismic readings are coming in; you might want to take a look at them."
"I'll be right there," Naoko answered back. She turned to Takeo, about to make an apology when a steady electronic ring emanated from his pocket. He reached down, and pulled out his cell phone--the obvious culprit, and gave her a sheepish grin.
"Duty calls, huh?" he said. "Go ahead, Naoko-chan, I need to take this. I'll be down in a minute."
Naoko nodded. "Take your time. I may be a while." She headed down the embankment toward the edge of the site. When Takeo was sure she was out of earshot, he flipped open his cell, and spoke lowly, "Yashamura ."
There was silence for a moment. Then, a voice answered, "Anything to report?"
"Looks like our hunch was right," Takeo said. "There's a solid object buried out here. The seismology guys're working on it right now."
"And Dr. Hirano? She's with them now?"
"Yup. Uhhh--sorry. I meant, yes, sir." Takeo recanted.
The voice on the other end made no reply to the formality. "Are they going to unearth it?"
"Probably, but not right away. Dr. Hirano's none too keen on the idea, and I don't blame her."
"Neither do I," the other voice agreed, "but we may have to jump on this regardless. Especially if her findings prove to be accurate. Keep me informed, Takeo."
"I will. Ja ne." Takeo flipped his cell shut and sighed, looking down at the area where Naoko was examining the readings from the seismology equipment. The way he'd gravitated toward her still surprised him, especially since they'd only been going together for a few months. He hadn't expected to fall for Naoko so hard; he hadn't expected to fall for her, period, but he had. He hadn't disclosed that piece of information to anyone yet, knowing it would complicate things, but still…
Guess you're just a sucker for love. Takeo smiled to himself, and headed down the slope toward the group again.
He was going to have a hell of a time explaining his second line of work to Naoko when the time came.
Sundown came slowly over the Ueno district, the retreating sunlight turning the clouds overhead bright orange, and painting the skies in hues of purple and yellow as it descended toward the horizon. Some of the shopkeepers were in the process of closing their stores for the evening, while others were gearing up for the nightly crowds that were just now starting to fill the streets.
The Golden Bushel was one of the shops wrapping things up for the day. Normally, Ryuji wouldn't have closed this early, but Jason was due back here in a few minutes, and he really wanted to help his friend get settled in. It had bugged him something awful that he'd let four years go by without seeing Jason face-to-face. Yeah, they talked a lot, but phone conversations only went so far in the long run.
Ryuji grinned to himself as he finished counting the day's earnings, and saying goodnight to the guys who worked the kitchen with him. The last of the customers were starting to file out as he put the money back in the register when Jason walked through the front door, his eyes raking the room in search of his best friend.
"Hey, Jase," he called closing the register drawer, and vaulting over the counter to greet him. He noticed Jason looked a little distracted as he closed the distance between them, but decided to let it go for the moment. "Where were you all day?"
"Ah, just checkin' things out is all--y'know, the sights, the sounds--"
"The girls," Ryuji finished knowingly. He ducked his head sheepishly, and scratched the back of his neck; a familiar gesture he knew all too well.
"Hey," He reached out and bumped Ryuji on the shoulder. "What's up, man? Something wrong?"
Ryuji shook his head. "Nah. As a matter of fact, everything's right. I'm glad you're back, Jase. I really missed you, man." .
Jason grinned at him. "I know, Ryu, it's been too long. But, uhhh…I gotta admit that surfing season ending isn't my only reason for coming back."
"Yeah? Why's that?" Ryuji asked, having a seat at the counter.
"Well...I should warn you you're not gonna believe a thing I say, but…please just lemme try and explain it, huh?"
Ryuji quirked an eyebrow. He knew Jason liked a good laugh, but he seemed awfully serious this time. "Go on, Jase," he said.
"Okay." Jason hoisted himself into a sitting position on top of the counter. Well, it started about a month ago. I started having these weird dreams, see? And--"
Jason was cut off as the front window of the restaurant wall exploded inward and half a dozen hideous creatures, roughly humanoid but having the dull of sheen of metal on their skin, leapt in through the new entrance.
They were powerfully built, with chest and stomach muscles bulging beneath the slick metal covering their upper bodies. They had no faces to speak of--just reflective triangular plates covering their heads from the hairline down to the chin. They were swathed in dark green material that looked like it had been spray painted onto them, revealing the rest of their predatory musculature.
Then, in a sickly, acid rasp, one of them spoke, pointing toward them. "Guard…ran…ger…"
"Nandatto--?!" Ryuji yelled in surprise, instinctively reaching for a large knife behind the counter, which he threw at one of his visitors. The blade snapped unpleasantly in two as it struck its target square in the chest, barely leaving a scratch. The thing, whatever it was, was completely oblivious to the wound and advanced on Ryuji, arms outstretched to snap his neck. The others closed on Jason.
Almost reflexively, it later seemed, Jason thrust out his fist, and Ryuji spotted an elaborate silver and gold bracelet set with a blue stone he'd somehow managed to avoid noticing this morning, and cried out, "WATER FOCUS!"
The stone began to glow, and a tornado of azure energy that looked almost like water erupted from beneath Jason's feet, weaving and forming itself around him into a dazzling blue and white uniform and a stylized helmet, which looked sort of like the face of a killer whale--Ryuji was too busy trying to get away form his attacker to really notice details at the time.
Whatever power was behind that suit, Ryuji could tell it was awesome. Jason bounded over in a blur of motion behind the creature attacking Ryuji, grabbed it by the shoulders and heaved back into the street. He turned to the others, and his hand flew to his hip, drawing a short, but dangerous-looking sword. The metallic intruders responded in kind, drawing long knives with murderous edges from their tough-looking armor.
Jason lashed out like a striking snake, slicing deep into the nearest attacker, and igniting a violent trail of sparks across the thing's chest. The blade in his hand did significantly more damage than the knife Ryuji had thrown, cutting right through it. The thing shrieked in agony, then fell to the floor, lifeless.
As Ryuji watched, wide-eyed, his best friend cut a swath of destruction through the remaining attackers. They tried to fight back, but their weapons were feeble against the protective powers Jason had summoned and he didn't slow down a bit as he sliced them to metallic bits. Soon, the inside of the Golden Bushel looked like the aftermath of a bomb blast, but Ryuji and Jason were unhurt.
As they watched, the shattered remains of the metal creatures began to erode and then disintegrate into powder. Then a wind seemed to whip out of nowhere and blow their remains away.
Ryuji looked at his costumed friend for a long moment before he said anything, surveying the damage to his restaurant, and finally managing to stumble out the words, "What…the HELL… just happened?"
Jason sighed behind his helmet, slipping the blade he'd just killed eight metal men back in its sheath. "I knew you were never gonna believe this."
Ryuji's jaw was practically on the floor by now. "Dude…my best friend just turned into a superhero and wiped out a bunch of metal guys who trashed my restaurant! I'm reconsidering a lot of my old beliefs right now!"
Jason sighed, and his costume changed back into energy and vanished. "Well, I was gonna tell you anyway. Why don't I just show you?"
The streets were surprisingly clear as Jason drove his rented car through the city, towards Tokyo Tower. It seemed like everyone had known the two of them would be on whatever this important errand was and made sure to get where they were going that night earlier than usual. Jason led Ryuji to dead center beneath the spire of the tower, and looked around, apparently to make sure no one but Ryuji would see whatever secret thing he had planned.
Jason raised that weird bracelet to his face and said, "Bes, we're here. Let us in."
"Welcome, Waterguard," a strange, unearthly voice echoed. Then a small point of light appeared, hovering in thin air. It expanded until it was large enough for a person to pass through. Ryuji looked at his friend incredulously.
"What the heck is that?"
"It's a door. Just walk through it and we'll tell you the whole story."
Ryuji sighed. This was turning out to be a very weird day. But he wanted answers, and this seemed like the only way to get them. He stepped through the glowing gateway, and vanished. Jason followed, and it disappeared after them.
The next thing Ryuji knew, he was standing in some kind of well-lit cave, though where the light was coming from he couldn't guess. It was a big place, larger than the inside of the Golden Bushel by half. There were orifices in the rock walls that housed a glass-like material, almost as if they were windows. But surely this place was deep underground?
Balanced on a large stone pedestal on one end of the room was a large crystal sphere. Or so it first appeared. As Ryuji studied it, he noticed small streaks of color flitting around inside it and bouncing off the edges. Looked like some kind of funky electric bedroom decoration.
There was a large table with half a dozen chairs around but room for more, all apparently hand-carved and looking several hundred years old but in showroom condition.
And sitting in one of those chairs was a young woman.
She was kind of pretty, he guessed. Buried under make-up she wouldn't look nearly as good. A year older or younger than himself, he wasn't quite sure. Her hair was a long rain of midnight black that was draped over one shoulder, and there was something very professional about her. Both in the look on her face and the way she dressed. Probably a scientist or a career woman, Ryuji thought. She took off her eyeglasses and looked at him, very professionally.
"Konichiwa. Fireguard, I presume?"
"Well, uhhh…the truth is, miss, I'm still trying to get all the facts straight. Where are we?"
"The Earth Sanctum. It's the Guardrangers' base of operations," she said.
"The Guard-who?" Ryuji asked in bemusement.
"Didn't Jason tell you?" Naoko raised an eyebrow.
"I think he was gonna, but the metal-man brigade showed up and ran roughshod all over my restaurant, so he just brought me here instead," Ryuji replied.
"Yes, and without any harm to either of you, as well," the ancient voice echoed. Ryuji looked around to see where it was coming from, and realized the crystal ball had started to glow when the voice began to speak.
Jason stepped out of the shadows. "Hi guys, sorry we're late, we kinda got distracted."
"So we heard," Naoko said dryly.
Jason grinned. "Hey, it was nothin' I couldn't handle."
"I expected no less," the crystal globe concurred. "Welcome home, Fireguard."
"Again with the Fireguard thing," Ryuji muttered. "Jase, if you're still here, can I get a reasonably sane explanation for this? Or am I asking too much?"
"I'm here," Jason said, appearing from around a corner, "I was just closing the door. You know I can never remember the magic words, Bes."
"I suppose I should make the shutting mechanism simpler…" the ball mused.
"Excuse me, hello? Clueless person floundering in the dark here," Ryuji interrupted.
"Yes, forgive me for not answering sooner," the ball said, "I am Beservor, all that remains of an ancient wizard. And you three are the reincarnations of the Guardrangers."
Ryuji blinked in confusion. "Nan desu ka?"
"The Guardrangers," Jason said. "They were this team of warriors who protected the planet from these guys from a sunken continent thousands of years ago. The Earth created them to defend itself, and now they're needed again so we've been reborn."
"Just like that, huh?" Ryuji asked, feeling like he'd just fallen through the looking glass. "Okay so, there's some kinda theme here with the elements, I'm guessing. Jase…you're Waterguard, obviously…and according to the guy in charge, I'm Fireguard, apparently. "And you're…?" he prompted.
"Hirano Naoko, seismologist. Earthguard," she bowed. "Konichiwa."
"Sakamoto Ryuji, chef and restaurateur. Hi."
Jason put a hand on his shoulder, "Ryuji, man…look, I'm really sorry about hitting you over the head with all this, but we need you. Now. Those guys who wrecked the Bushel were just the first wave. They're gonna get a lot worse real fast and we need to find the rest of the Guardrangers, like yesterday."
"Jase, you serious? I got a business to run, I don't have time to fight monsters…"
"Excuse me, but in case you hadn't gotten it already, this isn't about you, it's about the people of this planet," Naoko informed him, and not a little forcefully, "We need all the Guardrangers to protect Earth, otherwise there isn't going to be a high demand for your 'business', or anyone else's for that matter."
"Oh well, excuse me, your majesty," Ryuji retuned fire, "I've had all this crap heaped on me in the last hour, and I'm not ready to just drop everything I've ever known to take up your cause. How do I even know this stuff is legit?" Ryuji demanded, feeling extremely irked that this stranger was presuming to tell him what he should be doing.
"It is true, Fireguard,"
said Beservor, "The Silicons attacked your establishment because they knew you and Waterguard were there. I know your memories of the past are lost to you, but you and the others once saved this planet by harnessing its elemental powers. Our enemies are aware of this, and their intent was to eliminate you before your fellow Rangers awakened to the threat.""Sili-what? You mean those metal guys?" Ryuji scratched his head. "Geez, this is too much…"
"Listen, why don't we start from the beginning?" Jason suggested, "I think we owe it to him, trying to force this altered destiny stuff down his throat and all…"
Beservor made a sound that seemed to be a sigh, and said, "Yes, I suppose we should." Ryuji took a seat at the table, expecting this to be a long story.
"It began several thousand years ago," Beservor explained, "that the continent of Gargan developed advanced technology, and tried to subjugate the rest of the world. Naturally, there was no one to stand against wielders of advanced weaponry at the time, and to prevent Garganstah, the ruling kingdom of the continent, from laying siege to the world, the Earth gave rise to a group of warriors who could harness the power of nature and thus match and oppose Garganstah's power. The Eternal Sentai…Guardrangers."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Sentai??" Ryuji blinked. "You mean like those GoGo V guys, or those ninjas from a while back--the Kakurangers?"
"Yes. Sentai…or Task Force, if you prefer, have existed in one form or the other since the beginning of time. Since the days of Ancient Mankind to the time of the dinosaurs, and now in the present day. While the rest of human race was at the Garganstahs' mercy, the Guardrangers came forth and drove them into outer space, but we fear they may have returned. In response, the souls of the Guardrangers were reborn in time to take up the fight against them again. You three are those I have managed to locate so far. I was once a mage of considerable power in my time, as well as an aide to you and the other rangers, but my soul was all that could be saved as time decimated my body…"
"Okay," Ryuji deadpanned again, "so I helped save the world thousands of years ago. So did you guys." Jason and Naoko nodded. "So how come I don't remember any of that?"
"While your soul is the same, your mind, as well as your memories, are different. As I said earlier, whatever recollections you may have had before your rebirth are no longer your own," Beservor said. Jason looked at Ryuji's face; he didn't seem to be buying this.
He wasn't. "Sorry, pal. Not interested. This is either real or one hell of a prank, but I've really had too exhausting a day to care right now. I'm outta here." He stood up to go.
"Hold it, where are you going?" Naoko asked.
"Home. You guys don't need me, even if this is real. I'm no warrior, I'm totally helpless in a fight. How could I do anything against more of those metal guys?"
"That, my man, is where this comes in," Jason said, reaching to the side toward a shelf of stone that jutted out from the left. Sitting there were five crystal pillars, each one emblazoned in an astoundingly bright color. The two in the front were bright blue and yellow respectively. The one in the center was a brilliant red, and the last two behind it glowed softly and expectantly, white on the left, green on the right. The aforementioned three crystals each had one of those weird silver and gold-trimmed bracelets sitting on top of them, but the one Jason went for was the one in the middle with a triangular red gemstone set in the center. That one he tossed to Ryuji.
"That is your Guardbrace," Beservor said, "The fulcrum of your power as a Guardranger. It will concentrate the strength of your element and all that it embodies when commanded to, and enhances your physical and mental attributes." Ryuji looked at the strange ornament but obligingly fastened it around his wrist. This is so nuts, he thought.
"I must return to my meditations, and find the other two. The rest of you must remain ready for when the enemy returns…Naoko, you will keep me appraised of your progress, I trust?"
Naoko nodded. "Of course."
Ryuji didn't fall asleep for a long time that night. Jason was out cold almost as soon as he hit the couch, but Ryuji was still mentally digesting everything that he had been told in the last half hour.
Him, the reincarnation of somebody who had supernatural powers and saved the world thousands of years ago? He was reconsidering a lot of things he'd taken for granted since the attack on his life earlier that night, but this took the proverbial cake. He looked down at his Guardbrace, the triangular red jewel in it glowing faintly in the darkness, as if it were answering back in silent, unspoken counsel. He'd seen what Jason's could do. Would it do the same for him if the need arose?
He thought about putting it away somewhere, but thought better of it for some reason and feel into a dreamless sleep.
Somewhere in the confines of a hidden chamber with cold, metallic walls, behind which the muted sounds of power humming through circuits and conduits could be heard, a pair of voices--and neither of them even remotely human--could be heard speaking in heated tones of voice.
"Destroyed? How?" one of the voices asked from his seat of power in disbelief.
"I don't know how. I returned to the building expecting to find two dead mortals, and found dust, weapons, and shattered glass instead. There's no question about this. It must have been them. Or one of them at any rate." the other voice said.
"I don't know why I'm surprised, really. But I doubt these are the same ones. Most likely these new warriors are descendants of the originals--I've only heard whispers and half-truths about them, not enough to be totally certain." The deeper-voice being paused for a moment, as though pondering his next statement. "Only two of them, you said?"
"Yes. One of them was a foreigner, an American, as I recall. The other one had faint traces, but no true aura of power about him." the other confirmed.
"Which suggests his powers haven't awakened fully, if they have at all. We can use that to our advantage, and eliminate him while he's weak." The figure rose, his massive frame evident even in the chamber's subdued light, and glared into the shadows in the room's far corner.
"Mergol!" he thundered.
The air in the corner of the room shimmered like sunlight reflected off water, the darkness shifting and conforming into a towering figure seven feet tall, and covered in black armor, decorated with silver highlights on the shoulder and shin guards. A five-foot blade hung menacingly from the jet-black scabbard on the warrior's back. His face was covered in metal, except for the eyepieces, behind which two slits of pale blue glowed cold light.
"Your orders? the warrior asked, kneeling.
"The Guardrangers," the leader replied. "I want them dealt with before the other one has a chance to revive his powers. Be discrete, however--the Silicons caused too much of a disturbance last time. Wait until morning if you must, but I want them both dead. Is that clear?"
"Done. " Mergol rose from his spot on the floor, and vanished from sight.
The leader turned back to his subordinate. "Has it been unearthed yet?"
"No. I doubt they have any idea what it is they've found yet," he answered.
"Go then. And keep me informed. I have no intention of letting anyone take this from me." The tone in the leader's voice left no room for argument. The subordinate nodded, then teleported out. The leader narrowed his eyes, a flare of blue energy blossoming in his hand as he clenched his fingers.
"Soon," He told the darkness. "very soon…"
Sunlight filtered in through the spaces in the Venetian blinds, sending tiny shafts of sunlight across Ryuji's face, urging him out of a heavy and somewhat restless slumber. His dark brown eyes opened a crack, allowing his vision to adjust to the light, and sat up, stretching the stiffness out of his joints. His still considerably bleary from sleep, came to rest on his alarm clock.
9:48 am. Boy, I must've really been bushed last night. What a whacked-out dream I had…Ryuji sighed with relief. It had all been just some sleep-induced hallucination, probably brought on by working to many long hours at the Golden Bushel. Yeah, that was it--the whole thing had been some screwball nightmare. Ryuji enjoyed that fantasy for all of thirty seconds before he felt the warm touch of metal around his wrist. He looked down and saw that the Guardbrace Jason had given him was still there, the triangular crimson stone set in the middle staring smugly back at him.
So much for nightmares, he sighed internally as he straightened up. Ryuji was still dressed from the previous night, except for his sneakers, which were lying on the floor at the foot of the bed. Working the last of the sleep-kinks out of his body, he reached down for his sneakers and headed for the living room to check on Jason. Ryuji hadn't really talked to him during the drive home last night, so Jason took that to mean he was pissed off, which was true for the most part. But Ryuji's anger had been directed at everything else but Jason. Who did those guys think they were anyway? Expecting him to just drop everything else he had going on and let himself be drafted into some ancient war he didn't even remember, to say nothing of actually fighting in!
Ryuji shook his head, yawning expansively he entered the living room. To his surprise, Jason was still dead to the world, sprawled on his stomach across the length of the couch. His clothes and hair were rumpled from moving around in his sleep all night, and his blanket was shoved down in the couch's right corner. He also had a slightly pained look on his face. Ryuji sighed with moderate guilt; he never should've given him the silent treatment last night, but he'd been too absorbed in all the craziness that had happened to really help it. He reached over the back of the couch and rubbed Jason's head.
"I'm sorry, man," he sighed. Ryuji headed out the front door, grabbing his cell phone, and swinging on his leather jacket. He shut the door softly behind him and started walking across the street from his apartment toward a small park on the other side of the block. As he did, he put in a call to the Golden Bushel. Ryuji had asked one of the guys from work to open up for him and see about getting the window repaired as soon as possible, explaining that the whole thing had been some random act of vandalism. The vandalism part was true enough, but there hadn't been anything remotely random about it.
After he'd finished checking in, he found himself heading for his favorite spot at the park's far end under a huge shade tree in front of the playground area. Normally, he would've gone to Ueno Park since it was closer to his place than this one, but he wasn't in the mood for crowded places just then, and Ueno Park was one of the biggest attractions in the city. Besides, this park was different. It was his favorite place in the whole city for a specific reason: He and Jason had met each other there several years ago, and it was the one place in the world where he could go to make sense out of whatever was bothering him in his life at the time.
The park was deserted--strangely so for this time of the morning since it was a popular spot for kids, but it was completely to Ryuji's liking as he plopped himself into the grass, and stretched out on his back. The tree limbs over his head creaked as a light breeze whistled through them, throwing the mid-morning sunlight into a glittering array of dark and light. Ryuji sighed lightly and closed his eyes, finally feeling most of his irritations from the previous night melt away. But the bigger scenario still tugged at the back his mind: Him? Ryuji Sakamoto? Fireguard? A warrior?
"Hey," Ryuji felt someone's hand on his shoulder, and opened his eyes to find Jason crouching next to him, holding a tall paper cup of something steamy and, knowing Jason's habits, loaded with caffeine. "Thought you could use this."
Ryuji took it with a nod as Jason settled into the grass next to him. "You still mad at me?"
"I was never mad at you, Jase." Ryuji took a swig out of the cup Jason gave him. He really wasn't a big coffee drinker, but he figured he needed some kind of buzz right then. "And I'm sorry about giving you the silent treatment last night. This whole thing, man--I didn't know what to make of it. I still don't…it's…it's…
"What, nuts? Psycho? Out in the ozone?" Jason finished for him. "Believe me, I thought the same thing when Bes told me. Heck, I still do sometimes, y'know? But, Ryu…" he put an arm around his friend's shoulders. "We need you. I dunno how else to say it. You're the one, man."
Ryuji sighed, finally looking Jason in the eyes. "Jase, what do you expect me to do with this? I'm supposed to just give up everything I worked my butt off for? And for what? To go jump head-first into some bazillion-year old war I don't even remember, and play super sentai for the rest of my life?" He sighed, pushing a hand through his hair. "Look, I'm not saying it's not important. I don't want anybody to get hurt or killed or anything because I didn't try and stop it, but…I don't know if I can hack this, man. I don't even know if I want to."
"Then perhaps leaving well enough alone would serve you better," an inhuman voice advised from nowhere. Jason's head snapped up as the air in front of him rippled violently, and congealed into a towering armored figure in black armor. Reaching over, he hauled Ryuji to his feet, and moved between them quickly, slipping into a protective fighting stance.
"Who the--" Ryuji blurted out, taking a step back in spite of himself. Jason raised an eyebrow and actually grinned at the armored guy.
"Well, well, well, look what we got here," Jason drawled. "A big, bad, Garg-dude, am I right?"
Garg? Short for Garganstah, he figured. Ryuji rolled his eyes. Only Jason would come up with an alias like that.
"Out of my way, boy," the warrior snarled. "I'll have your heart after I'm done carving out his."
"I hate being so popular," Ryuji muttered.
"Go ahead and try, man." Jason challenged. "I can tell you for sure you won't be able to finish it." He cracked his knuckles for emphasis. "What's your name, dude?"
"Mergol. And for your sake, I hope you can retain that sense of optimism when you and your friend are feeding the earth with your blood in a moment." Mergol drew his sword, a metallic whisper filling the air as it cleared its scabbard. Jason doubled his fists, growing a glance over his shoulder at Ryuji.
"Get outta here, man, I got this," Jason urged. Ryuji stared back blankly.
"I'm not gonna leave you here, Jase!" He stared at his Guardbrace, the red stone in the center suddenly glowing steadily in response to his outburst. Unfortunately, Mergol noticed as well.
"So you are the one, eh? This makes my job easier. Silicons!" The air around Mergol flickered again, and a dozen Silicons appeared, bearing swords and sickles with brutal, serrated edges glittering dangerously in the sunlight. Mergol pointed to Ryuji. "KILL HIM!"
"Ryuji, get outta here! GO!!" Jason launched himself forward, shouldering Mergol in the chest. He back flipped out of Mergol's reach just in time to avoid a sword swing, but the move quickly put him inside the main concentration of Silicons, two of which had broken from the group, and were going after Ryuji. Jason lashed out and drove his elbow into the throat of the one closest to him, then rammed the heel of his hand into the forehead of the other one in front, stunning the Silicon long enough for Jason to gut it with its own sword.
Jason caught another Silicon closing from the back out of the corner of his eye. Moving on pure instinct, he swerved into a cartwheel, planting his hands against the chest of a Silicon near him who hadn't gotten its balance back yet, and grabbing a handful of the fabric of its uniform as he did. Still in motion, he brought his legs up and over his head, rammed his right foot into the dead creature's muscular stomach, rolled on his back, and threw the thing forward over his head right into the other Silicon that was about to charge, sending both of the monstrous grunts sprawling.
Ryuji vaulted a nearby bench, the other Silicon only a few steps behind him. As soon as his sneakers hit the grass, he whipped around with his arm out, catching his pursuer around the ankle as it jumped, and heaved the thing head-first into a cluster of bushes. True, one would mistake him for Jet Li any time soon, but no one could ever accuse him of not being able to improvise in a pinch. Unfortunately the blunt end of a sword chose that particular moment to voice its opinion to the back of Ryuji's head, sending him hard to the grass.
"Dammit! Ryuji!" Jason yelled as he stuck down another Silicon, then knocked three more off their feet with a sweep of his leg. He threw his arm out in front of him and shouted, "WATER FOCUS!" The familiar storm of azure surged around Jason's body, covering him completely, then burst outward leaving him in swathed in his bright blue and white Guardsuit. In an explosive burst, he leaped skyward, easily clearing the ring of Silicons around him, and in the same motion drew the short sword on his hip out of its sheath. In an arc of blue light, he ripped the blade downward into the Silicon standing over Ryuji. It shrieked in outrage as the hit connected in a shower of sparks, and its body hit the ground, turning to dust in an instant.
"You okay, Ryu? Can you walk?" he asked, helping Ryuji up. But he never got the chance to answer Jason back as Mergol's voice thundered from behind.
"OBSIDIAN SWARM!" Jason looked up just in time to see a blizzard of smoldering black shards coming at him and Ryuji. They slammed into Jason's chest and battered Ryuji's body from every direction imaginable. They both yelled in pain, the hits igniting sparks in multiple places across their bodies. They collapsed into the lawn barely hanging onto consciousness as Mergol approached.
"What sad examples you are," he snorted with derision. "Barely even worthy of the power you possess." He slammed his boot into Jason's stomach, igniting a blast furnace of pain inside him. He groaned though clenched teeth, refusing to give Mergol the satisfaction of hearing him cry out.
"Pity neither of you were worthy of a satisfying kill," Mergol announced, dragging the tip of his blade across Jason's gut to his chest, where he'd been hit the hardest. He raised his sword high, aimed right at Jason's heart. "Oh well…say farewell to this--"
A glare of light against metal flashed from behind as something hard and sharp raked across Mergol's back, striking sparks from the hit and staggered him. He swerved around furious, and saw a lithe female figure standing behind him amid the rapidly disintegrating remains of the other Silicons she'd just destroyed. She was dressed in the same kind of costume Jason wore, but this one was yellow and white instead of blue, and had a short skirt at the waist. The helmet she wore was different as well--crafted in the image of a bear from the look of it. She stood in front of Mergol as cool as ice, her arms crossed in front of her.
"WHO…?!" Mergol sputtered.
"Soldier of Stone…Earthguard." she replied, as if she they weren't discussing anything more serious than the weather, "Apologies for cutting in, so to speak. You were about to say something, I believe?"
"Well," Mergol snarled, "it seems like I'll have an interesting time of things after all."
"Some people find entertainment in the strangest of hobbies," Earthguard sighed.
He lashed out in rage, but she darted to the side, and easily avoided the swing and scored another spark-filled hit to his ribcage, then swung around again and swiped him across the chest. Earthguard threw a glance at Jason, who was finally up on his feet thanks to the distraction she'd provided.
"Jason! Daijoubu?" she shouted.
"Yeah, I'm okay" Waterguard answered, "but Ryuji's not!"
"Nani?" She hadn't noticed Ryuji lying there before, practically unconscious, his upper body still smoking slightly from Mergol's previous attack. Earthguard yelled over at him, "Get him out of here! Hurry!" She started to attack again but Mergol had taken full advantage of her moment of distraction, and slammed his sword across her side, sparks flying from the attack, and sent her hurtling sideways across the grass. Mergol turned to see the Ranger in blue swinging Ryuji over his shoulders, preparing to run for safety. Mergol's blade flashed out, a line of black light pulsing from the tip, and snaked around Waterguard's neck.
"You're not going anywhere, except back to me," Mergol growled, yanking back brutally and sent Waterguard flying backward, and Ryuji falling face first into the grass again, "And afterwards, to your maker!" Black energy surged through the coil around the young warrior's neck, igniting an eruption of sparks across his body. Waterguard cried out in pain again as Naoko struggled to her feet and charged Mergol from the side.
Jason's cries of agony finally roused Ryuji from his state of unconsciousness, but he was nowhere near in control of his faculties yet. His head was thundering inside, and his body, especially his chest, felt like it was on fire. He rolled on his side, and tried to focus through his blurry vision.
He immediately wished he hadn't, because the first sight his saw was his best friend slumping to the ground, motionless, except for the rise and fall of his chest through his costume. The second was Mergol and the woman in yellow driving sword strikes against each other with blinding speed. Ryuji gathered what was left of his strength--which wasn't much--, and took stumbling steps toward Jason's body. His aching legs gave out just as Ryuji reached him, and he fell face down across his friend's chest.
"Jason?" He rasped out, lifting his head up and squeezing Jason's shoulders. "Jase, talk to me, man…what do I do…? How do I stop this guy…? JASE!!" Ryuji shook his friend harder, but to no effect, fear and desperation burning holes in his heart. He looked up and saw that Mergol had gained the upper hand over Earthguard, and was driving blows into her rapidly crumbling defensive measures. She wasn't going to last much longer, he knew, but what could he do to stop it? He was no fighter--he didn't even have the strength to stand up for more than a few seconds without falling to his knees. So how could he--
Fire…the fire…summon…the fire…
"Nani?" Ryuji stared at his wrist. His Guardbrace was glowing a furious shade of red. He could practically feel the power throbbing inside it begging to be released. A wave of strength flowed through him then, sending unbelievable warmth through his body, pushing the pain and fatigue from his injuries to one side. And then he knew…he knew what he needed to do to end this. He climbed to his feet.
"HEY!" he yelled.
Mergol turned around to face him and snorted. "Humph…A fool to the last, I see. Your breed truly are gluttons for punishment!"
"Are you out of your mind?!" Earthguard shouted to him. "You can't fight him in your condition!"
Ryuji didn't answer her. His eyes were trained on Jason's body lying at his feet, and then he slowly raised them toward Mergol. Everything in his vision turned blood red in an instant in response to his rage as he threw his arm up over his head and shouted, "FIRE FOCUS!"
A corona of blazing red exploded out of the ground under Ryuji. He felt a great inner fire swallow him whole from the inside as the light wove itself around him solidified into a bright red and white suit of the same design as the others, and although he couldn't see the helmet he was wearing from the outside, he knew somehow that it was a stylized dragon's head. Ryuji felt power like nothing he'd ever dreamed of literally burning through his blood, and turned his hate-filled eyes on Mergol, who'd abruptly halted his attack on Earthguard.
"Gods and Minions…" Mergol stammered, "he's awakened…!"
Ryuji opened his mouth to speak, the words forming on his mouth strange, but somehow familiar as well. "Soldier of the Inferno!" he shouted into the air, bracing his arms out in front of him in a fighting stance. "Fireguard!"
Recovering from the momentary shock, the warrior in black swung his sword outward in a murderous arc. "OBSIDIAN SWARM!" he thundered as another swarm of burning black energy split the air and screamed toward Ryuji.
He didn't even try to run. Ryuki simply clenched his fists, and a burning column of red fire engulfed his body, splintering and diffusing the energy storm as it struck the flames, leaving him completely unscathed. Mergol pulled back a step in astonishment.
"My turn," Ryuji growled, whipping out his short sword from its sheath, and holding it to his side. The fire around him expanded to twice its size and intensity as he gripped his sword's hilt with both hands, his muscles tensing with anticipation.
Then without knowing how he knew to do it, he swung out and upward with all his might and shouted, "DRAGON HELLRISER!" A shockwave of burning red exploded forward, racing toward Mergol with blinding speed, and ripped into his body with the force of an exploding truck.
Mergol's bellow of outrage and agony were quickly lost the roar of the fires consuming him as his body sparked violently, blue energy like lightning crackling around him. He dropped his blade to the grass, and glared at Ryuji with unbelieving eyes. As Mergol's blade slipped out of his fingers, Jason finally stirred from his spot on the lawn behind Ryuji, holding his head.
"Ohhhh, man, what hit me?" He groaned and sat up, but his next words died in his throat as he took in the sight of Ryuji standing in front of him, dressed in his Guardsuit, and surrounded by fire, and Mergol literally going up in flames. All he could do was stare wordlessly, and he wasn't the only one. Earthguard was just as affected as he was.
Mergol exploded into nothingness a split-second after, leaving no trace of him but a patch of scorched earth. The fire around Ryuji's body flared for an instant as his Guardsuit flickered, then vanished out of existence. Bereft of the Guardsuit's power, Ryuji dropped to his knees, tired, but not as exhausted as he thought he'd have been from something like this.
Ryuji felt a hand grip his shoulder from the back. He turned to see Jason still in costume, holding his chest, but he knew Jason was grinning from under his helmet.
"Way to go, hotshot, I knew you could do it!" He punched his friend in the chest as the woman in yellow inspected Mergol's remains. "Goddamn, man, you tore him UP!"
"Jase…I…I thought you were…I didn't know if…" Ryuji found himself stumbling for words, he was so relieved. Finally, he gave up and wrapped an arm around Jason's shoulders, hugging him briefly. "You alright, man?" he asked, finally.
"Yeah, man. It hurt like hell, but I'm cool." He rubbed the back of Ryuji's head as he helped his friend stand up. Jason's Guardsuit flickered and dissipated into blue light as it left his body and flowed back into his Guardbrace. The two men walked over to where Earthguard had just straightened up after examining the space where Mergol's body had been moments before.
"Anything?" Jason asked her.
"Not a trace," she answered. Her costume rippled into energy, and dissolved, revealing Naoko Hirano beneath.
"Well, well, well, look who it is…" Ryuji said
Naoko looked back at him irritated. "Oh, so you're a closet chauvinist, too? What, you think a woman can't handle the job?" she asked him flatly. "And why didn't you transform before? Still dragging your feet?
"Hey, listen, you--" Ryuji started, but Jason put a hand on his shoulder.
"Hey Naoko, chill. We got jumped. I didn't have time to tell him everything before Sword-Boy showed up." He gestured to the still-smoldering spot in the grass.
"No, I suppose you didn't, considering the way things were going," Naoko admitted, but didn't apologize for what she'd said. She crossed her arms and stared down at the smoking ground again. "We were lucky this time. They weren't expecting you to awaken the way you did." she told Ryuji without looking at him.
"Yeah, damn lucky." Jason agreed. "I guess this means you're really one of us now, huh, man?" he said, patting Ryuji on the back.
Ryuji stared at Jason for a minute, then sighed, turning back to the smoking grass at his feet. "Yeah," he muttered.
"Lucky me."
The Beginning…