Disclaimer:
I don't own Power Rangers. Now that we've got that all cleared up, let's get on to the story.

The school bell rang signaling the end of another day as Sarah Thompson made her way out of the classroom and into the bustling halls of Summer Cove High School. She made her way down the hallway passing a crowd of gossiping Freshman girls and rounded a corner where Victor Vincent was busy bragging about a good grade on a math test to anyone who would stop and listen. A little further down the way, she finally found the locker she was looking for and bounded over to Preston who was putting some of his books away. She gave a cheerful smile and offered him a peppy greeting, "Preston! Hey!"

Preston finished clearing out his bookbag before closing his locker door and giving a half-hearted smile, "Oh, hey Sarah. Sorry I didn't see you coming down the hall."

The Pink Ranger looked him over a moment and raised an eyebrow in mild confusion, "Uh Preston? Aren't you forgetting something?"

He frowned to himself for a moment before giving a shrug, "I don't think so. I've got all my homework packed right here."

Sarah shook her head and gestured to his clothes, "No not that. It's Friday, remember? You usually do a little end-of-the-week magic show in the east wing of the school."

That was in fact a true statement. On Friday afternoons when classes were over, Preston would often perform some tricks for anyone who was interested... or bored enough to hang around school and watch. Granted, the turnout was always laughably small, but it never stopped the Blue Ranger from donning his best tophat and dark blue magician coat to greet his spectators. Today, Preston hadn't even bothered to change and still wore his normal everyday street clothes. He gave another shrug and slung his back over his shoulder, "Oh yeah... maybe next week. I'm not feeling it today."

He started walking off and Sarah tagged along with him giving a confused sputter, "What? Not feeling it? I thought you loved performing and doing magic tricks for people."

"I do," he said coolly as he kept walking on toward the front exit of the school, "I just don't want to today. Besides, it's not like anyone will be all that disappointed if I don't perform, right?"

"Come on Preston that's not true! You know I like coming by to watch your tricks and so do the other Rangers," Sarah argued while gently tugging him by the sleeve. Since she had recently moved to the town of Summer Cove, Preston had been one of her first friends there along with Brody and the rest of the Ninja Steel Rangers. Whatever was going on today, Sarah found it a little troubling to see one of her good friends acting so unusual and glum all of a sudden.

He sighed patently, "Of course Sarah. You know I always appreciate the support, but I just don't want to do any magic today, all right?"

"Okay... then will you at least tell me what's going on? Is something bothering you today?"

The Blue Ranger shook his head and continued walking toward the main doors, "Everything is fine Sarah. I'm good. Promise."

Before he could get any further, he was stopped as Brody, Calvin, and Haley came over from a side hallway that led into the school's atrium. Brody gave a cheerful smile and threw a friendly arm around Preston's shoulder's in greeting, "Hey Presto! Glad we caught you! You still doing your weekly show today?"

Preston politely extricated himself from Brody's arm and shook his head, "Sorry Brody, not today. Maybe next week, okay?"

Brody gave a slightly disappointed look as Calvin scratched his chin toward the Blue Ranger, "Really? You feeling okay bud? I've never heard you turn down a magic show before."

"That's what I was saying," Sarah chimed in voicing her agreement.

By now, Preston was starting to grow a little irritated and his features began to darken which was something the others found to be highly unusual for their normally easy going friend.

"Listen, I don't understand why you're all making a huge deal out of all this! I said I don't feel like having a performance and doing any magic today! Is that okay? Is it so hard to accept or do I have to repeat myself again?"

Everyone flinched a little at his sudden outburst as Calvin raised his hands defensively, "Okay, okay, it's all good Preston. Just chill."

Haley, ever the peacemaker, cleared her throat and decided to change the subject, "Preston, if you're not going to be performing today maybe you'd like to join Calvin, Brody, and I for a burger and shake across town? Or we can try that new fruit smoothie chain that just opened up... I think the place was called Ernie's?"

Preston forced a weak smile and kept his tone level, "Thanks for the offer Haley. That's really nice of you but I think I'll pass on this one. Maybe next time, okay?"

"Oh, uh... okay," the White Ranger replied in surprise as the others watched Preston head out the door and leave school for the day.

Calvin put a reassuring arm over his girlfriend before watching their departing comrade, "Huh... I wonder what that was all about? It's pretty rare to see Presto go off and snap at people like that."

Sarah frowned slightly and moved toward the main doors, "Do you think we should maybe go after him? See if he's okay?"

Brody reached out and stopped her while giving a gentle shake of the head, "No. I'm sure whatever it is, Preston will be okay. He asked us to give him some space so let's give it to him so he can sort out whatever is bothering him."

"But..."

"If he needs our help, I'm sure he'll ask and we'll be more than happy to give it," Brody said reassuringly before he turned to Haley, "In the mean time... you said something about burgers and shakes?"

Later that day, Preston Tien sat alone on a wooden bench overlooking a small lagoon built into the largest of Summer Cove's public parks. He stretched out and gave a glum sigh while watching many of the happy people going by him: a few joggers, a man walking his dog, and a pair of lovers walking hand in hand. Near the edge of the lagoon, Preston paid more attention to a young mother and her little son who was running around in the dirt catching bugs. Preston couldn't help but smile a little when he saw the little five year old boy proudly hold up a cricket he had captured only to have his mother sigh and begin wiping the dirt off her son's face with her sleeve. She gave the boy a loving stroke on the head before picking him up and carrying him away from the waters edge when chaos erupted in the park.

Preston turned and saw a monster appear from seemingly nowhere. No doubt this was another one of Galvanax's gladiators come to terrorize the civilians and pick a fight with the Ninja Rangers. If that's what he wanted today, then that's what Preston was going to give him. With the things weighing down on his mind today, he was in the mood to fight and blow off some steam. He sprung from the bench and began charging into danger with his power star morphing in midstride, "Ninja Spin!"

In a flash of blue light, Preston morphed and drew his ninja blade before blindsiding the offending monster with a flying slash. The monster grunted from the hit and used the momentum to roll back to its feet and confront the Ranger. As it reared up, Preston got a good look at the creature and saw that it had a demonic appearance, perhaps something out of Japanese folklore? It had red skin, a large powerful build, and a toothy maw like that of an Asian style ogre. It wore a straw cape and carried a large knife in one hand. Preston leveled his blade and tried to keep his courage up while facing the intimidating creature on his own, "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

The monster gave a snarling laugh and brandished its butcher knife, "I am Namahage, Ranger. I came to destroy you, but if there are any naughty kids around, I'll take them too!"

"I'm not going to let either one of those happen," Preston called back as he took a fighting stance, "The only naughty one around here is you!"

Namahage laughed and turned toward the frightened mother and her son nearby the lagoon, "Guess again Ranger!"

The monster made a great flying leap toward the terrified civilians and landed right in front of them, "Are there any crybabies around? Yes? Oh, too bad!"

The monster reared back to strike but before it could bring its knife down all the way, Preston leapt over and deflected it just in time. He pushed the mother and child toward the parkway up the hill, "Go! Run for your lives!"

The mother took off running carrying her son before the ogre recovered and beat down Preston's guard sending the Blue Ranger flying several meters with a powerful slash. As Preston rolled to a halt on the grass, he gasped from getting the wind knocked out of him along with the bruise which was likely going to form over his ribs later. He lay face first in the dirt struggling to get up as the monster lumbered closer toward him, "Is that all? Are you just going to lay there and give up? Or are you going to run home crying to your mother too?"

That particular insult stung Preston and he began to rise with renewed vigor but it was all for naught. A hail of blaster fire rained down and struck the ogre sending it flying away with a pained howl. Moments later, the other Ninja Rangers were on the scene and gathering around their down comrade with swords and blasters drawn.

"That's far enough ugly! Leave him alone!" Sarah called leveling her weapons for a fight while Brody bent down to help Preston to his knees.

The ogre snorted and sheathed his large knife, "That's not fair Blue. Now you're cheating. We'll finish this later!"

In a flash of light, Namahage teleported away and retreated from battle leaving the Rangers in the empty evacuated park. After they powered down, Calvin put his power star away and turned to Haley, "Who was that guy?'

"I don't know but he looked familiar," Brody said darkly, "I may have seen him back on the Warrior Dome... but I'll have to compare notes with Mick about it. Preston, you okay?"

Preston caught his breath and rose to his feet, wincing a little from his banged up side, "Yeah... I'm good. Thanks."

Brody reached out to help his friend, "Are you sure? You look a little unsteady..."

"I said I'm fine, okay?" Preston snapped as he shrugged off Brody's hand and began shuffling away from the battlefield by himself.

The other Rangers simply watched him leave in silence. After he had departed, Sarah tucked her pink power star away and began walking in the same direction. Calvin called out, "Hey Sarah, where are you going?"

"I'm going to see what's wrong with Preston," she answered, "Whatever happened in that battle we just fought, I'm convinced that something is up now."

"Do you want us to come with?" Brody asked.

She shook her head, "Maybe let me try first. If this is something sensitive, maybe a one-on-one talk is better than bringing the whole crew in on it. In the mean time, why don't you guys go see Mick about that monster?"

The others couldn't argue with that logic. As they watched her leave the park, the other Rangers could only hope Sarah could figure out what was going on with Preston and shed some light on what may have happened during that monster battle.

Meanwhile, aboard the Warrior Dome ship, the monstrous advisor to Galvanax known as Madame Odius stood in her personal quarters looking at herself in a mirror. The fox-like creature curled her lips in a malicious smile before walking to her closet and removing an elegant black evening dress that was better suited to that of a human woman. As she pulled some lint from it, she heard the radio comm in her room page her. She recognized the deep gravely voice of Galvanax anywhere.

"Odious, where are you?"

"In my quarters... scheming," she said with a little chuckle, "That's what you keep me around for, isn't it?"

"I'm beginning to question that myself," Galvanax growled on the other end, "The monster you suggested we send down has retreated from battle and you have been scarce these last few weeks."

"Do not worry. Everything is going according to plan," Odious smiled as she hung the dress in a ready rack, "I only ask that you have a little more patience. Some of these plans require time and patience before they bear any fruit."

"They'd better produce results soon Odius," Galvanax answered gruffly, "I don't have forever and I want those power stars now!"

The communicator cut out and Odius sniffed in quiet contempt. That was one thing she always despised about Galvanax, he was always so impatient and simple minded. If he wanted results sooner, she could do that... she would just have to get a little more creative. She took the black dress and walked over to the mirror. As she gave a malicious smile, she started to use some of her dark magic and she began to change shape.

A/N:
Namahage are demon-like ogres from Japanese folklore. In some parts of Japan, people dress up like them as part of a New Years ritual to "scare" little children and make sure they behave. Whether Saban wants to admit it or not, many of the monsters from Ninja Steel and its adapted Sentai Ninninger are inspired by Japanese folklore. There is a specific reason I chose Namahage and it will be made more clear in the coming chapters.