Epic 20: The Lost Forest
Gai rolled lazily out of bed and stretched, he felt different, but in a good way, "You have a good rest Nicole-san."
Gai nodded, "Think I'm finally getting use to your body, though to be honest I'll be quite happy once Don finishing with my Gokai Touch and Mia and I can reunite."
Gai moved to his closet as he slipped out of his pajamas, and that's when he stopped, his blood running cold, "Nicole-san!"
"Not my fault! I swear!"
Looking back in the mirror Gai noticed some very peculiar changes, notable among them was the small budding mounds on his chest, you couldn't even count them as a A cup but their existence alone was disconcerting, but there was another noticeable change, a pinching at the waist, again understated but noticeable.
"I don't want to turn into a girl Nicole-san!"
"You think I like the idea? That I want it?"
"Yes!"
Gai slapped himself, as he took a deep cleansing breath, "Relax Gai, I'm sure you will return to normal once I vacate your body. Come on, get dressed and let's see if Doc is finished."
Gai's voice dropped to a low sigh as he slumped forward, his hands trembling as he reached for his clothes.
"Oh man up Gai, do you know how many months I had to get use to putting on clothes as a woman? You're not even 10% there! I was more woman after we got our first Grand Power then you are now. Hell I was more woman BEFORE we got any Grand Powers!"
"B-But," his hands hovering around the nascent breasts, "It's no man's land."
His grip tightened up as Nicole took over, dressing them and walking out with Nicole's normal stance instead of Gai's, "Let's just get on with it."
Entering the main room, they noticed the others were all gathered about, Ahim at the table, Doc sitting near, Joe doing some sit ups, Luka on the couch with the paper, Marvelous in his chair, Jealoushitto next to Luka, even Sally was out, hanging out next to Don. Mia was next to Ahim.
"Niiiice they added Gai to our bounty."
"Ohhhh what is he at!" Nicole said curiously.
"Aren't you at all worried about this?" Doc said with a worried look to Nicole/Gai. "More dangerous guys are gonna be looking for us."
Luka laid down the paper as everyone moved over to look at the bounty page, Nicole smiling, "Ah there it is."
"What?" Ahim wondered as Nicole pointed to a set next to them, it was the Zangyack commanders, "Oooooh."
"This should make things more interesting." Marvelous smirks.
"Let's see," Luka mused as she read, "Marvelous you're up to 5,000,000 zagins, Joe you're 4,000,000 zagins...let's see for myself...1,500,000 and Doc...wow Doc – 1,000,000 zagins!"
"What does mine look like?" Ahim asks curiously.
"Let's see," Nicole continues, "Ahim de Famille – 2,000,000 zagins, and hey look they are still using the picture of you Mia, well cat you, for my name at 2,500,000 zagins."
"We are worth more then Luka-sama?" Mia says curiously, "I suppose they consider the lose of the mother of the heir and their psychic tactician pretty severe."
"No doubt!" Nicole jokes, "Combine us and Luka and we equal Joe or you Jealoushitto."
"I am equal to Joe-san?"
"At 4,000,000 zagins, yes," Luka cuts in, "they even added you Sally!"
"Uki?"
"Sadly only 50 zagins, and you're old partner Basco is at 10,000,000 zagins."
"UKI!" Sally practically spit moving over to Marvelous and crouching beside him.
Marvelous smiled and pat her head.
"I think she likes you Marvelous." Gai notes.
"Well Marvelous did pledge to save her from being a Sugormin while Basco abandoned her." Nicole notes.
"Except I never had the chance, you did that Doc."
"I just followed you're order." Doc says as she shifts into his fem feline form flustering. "...or...rather...what you would have ordered."
"So what am I at?" Gai wondered.
"100,000 zagins," Luka notes, "give it time and you'll make your way up the ranks Gai san." her eyes going wide, "ooooh look Marvelous Basco has us all beat at 10,000,000 zagins."
Marvelous growls, "Anyone else we know?"
"Actually yes, look who also made the cut," Luka says with a devilish smile, "Warz Gill – 15,000,000 zagins, Insarn – 12,000,000 zagins, Damaras – 30,000,000 zagins, Barizorg – 6,00,000 zagins." her gaze falling to Nicole "This your doing?"
Nicole smiles, "More Doc, I just provided the gold tree. He found the investors and cultivators."
Doc flusters, "N-Nicole-san."
Luka smirks as she groped Gai's bugging bust, she being the only one to notice, "You joining the better sex Gai-san?"
"It's not what you think!" Gai protests. "Nicole..."
"Hey don't lay this on me! You offered up your body! I told you on day one the fit was off, clearly the universe agrees and won't cut me a break!"
"Is this permanent," Mia ask curiously.
Doc stand and walks around Gai looking at him critically, "I don't think so. Once we get Nicole back with Mia it should reverse. And thankfully I have just the thing for that." as Doc takes out a Gokai Touch and tosses it to Gai...and a second one to Mia.
"You finished?" Mia said curiously.
Doc nodded, "Haven't finished the interior body but now you two should be able to transform independently, and the Gokai Touch 2 can snap together with each other so you only carry the one when not transformed."
Gai stood, making his way to Mia, but she stood first and closed the distance wrapping her arms around Gai, "Come home Nicole-san!"
Gai blinked and stepped back a moment later as Mia lowered her arms confused, "Well that was..."
"...something." Mia finished.
"Gai-san? Nicole-san?" Luka said looking confused at each, "Back to normal?"
"I'm back with my girl!" Mia exclaimed.
Then she giggled, "'Your girl?' Nicole-sama?"
"You know what I..." she paused "You know I just realized something..."
"What?" Jealoushitto wondered.
"There might be 3 or 4 Grand Powers that Zangyack couldn't steal because, like Flashman, they aren't with normal people. We have a shot to increase our power before we have to take the fight to them."
"In that case bird, Treasure Navigate!"
"Don't call me bird!" Navi protested as he flew about.
"Does this mean?" Gai said excitedly, "We are going to meet ore Super Sentai Sempai?!"
Navi bumps into Gai's head bounds into the rafter and drops to the floor beside Gai, "Thou shalt visit the warriors of the sealed-away forest...that's it."
Luka, Doc, Marvelous, and Joe looked from Gai to Nicole, Luka speaking, "Gai-san? Nicole-san? Mia-san?"
"I know!" Gai said leaping up, "If you're talking about the warriors who guard the sealed-away forest..."
"...it can only mean Gingaman." Nicole finished as Gai pulled out a Gingaman comic.
"A picture book?" Marvelous says curiously as Luka and Ahim look wide eyed.
"There are things like this too?" Luka says surprised.
"Hey!" Doc protested, "Where did you pull that from?!"
"Same place I used to," Nicole jokes reaching into her coat, "A pocket or just inside my shirt."
"Go on Gai..." Joe says getting things back on track.
"Yes! Gingaman fought to protect earth from the Space Pirate Baruban." Gai started to spin around energetically, "They're legendary warriors...warriors...warriors..." his voice fading out like an echo.
"They fought space pirates?" Doc says concerned, "Doesn't sound like they'd get along with us."
Marvelous laughs, "Well, that's what makes it interesting."
"More importantly..." Joe says striding over, "Why are Gingaman the warriors of the sealed-away forest?"
"Oh, right." Gai says turning back around, "Gingaman live in the Galactic Forest. It's covered by a barrier. Normal people can't enter it."
"That's amazing Gai!" Luka says leaping up and begins to shake Gai, "you are super useful, even Nicole-san could never pinpoint where a Grand Power was!"
"Hey!"
"So..." Marvelous cuts in, "Where is that Galactic Forest?"
All eyes were now on Gai who turned dramatically away from them and toward the main monitor, tilting his head in a smile, "Dunno."
Doc, Luka, Joe, Ahim, Jealoushitto and Ahim all stumbling.
"I don't know that much." Gai offered with a frown.
"But I might." Nicole said, all eyes now glued on her as she rubbed her temples.
"Nicole-san?" Jealoushitto wondered.
"Mia...I'm...getting a vision...give me a minute or so...I-I think I can even get us past the barrier."
The Gigante Horse where Insarn was looking over the files for the next few episodes, they were meticulous, a minute by minute script with action notes, becoming a Sugormin had done wonders for Nicole's recollection and she could remember and record everything, complete with illustrations, all will such perfect detail Insarn was still amazed. Part of her was envious of such memory but while part of her was intrigued by it she was not about to loose her free will to become a machine, no one should loose their free will.
Suddenly Insarn felt sick.
"Insarn!" The whine of His Highness drew her out of her musing as Warz Gil entered with a dark skinned Action Commander, Starguru, "I am in need of your brilliance."
She sighed, Warz Gil was jumping episodes but that was fine, still a part of her wondered 'I see now why Nicole-san was so secretive. The more drastic the changes you make to the timeline the less reliable future scripts become. At this rate our entire library will be valueless.' then she focused her attentions on Warz Gil and sighed, "And how much explosive force do you want packed into this one?"
"Not this time Insarn, no we must insure Starguru lives so he can do this time what he almost accomplished in the past."
"The past sir?" Starguru said confused.
Insarn sighed, "He means the other timeline." sometimes she wondered if telling their Action Commanders they had insight into how their campaigns turn out was a good thing or not. It tended to make them reckless. She was begging to respect Nicole's perspective more every day. Besides Nicole went out of her way to preserve lives, even their own, Warz Gil was more then happy to turn them all into suicide bombs.
"Whatever!" Warz said as he threw his arms into the air in dismissal.
"I could remodel Armando's Barrier, it should provide at least a temporary boost."
"Any help you can provide to insure my service to Zangyack's Victory will be much obliged."
Before much more could be said alarms blared, Barizorg moving first to check the monitors, "A bounty hunter is cutting through our barricade. No doubt after the reward on your head Boss."
"Damaras! Barizorg! Get ready to defend me if that fool breaches the hull!"
"Understood."
"Yes, Boss."
"Ok," Mia says holding her head, body leaned forward with Luka and Ahim supporting him. "I think we are past the barrier."
They gang consisted of Mia/Nicole, Gai, Don, Ahim, Luka, Joe, and Marvelous and they were traveling through a forest, Mia leading.
"T-this way."
"Are you alright Mia-san?" Luka asked worried.
"Breaching the barrier was just...taxing Miss Luka-sama. Please don't trouble yourself over me."
"Your our comrade Mia-san," Ahim offered, "Of course we are worried." looking around she spied a down tree and guides Mia toward it, "Have a seat."
Mia nods as the others all take a moment's break, Don turning his head slowly about, "Do you guys hear that?"
"Hear what?" Joe says confused.
Luka is the next to pause and turn her head her cat ears twisting here and there, "A fight...it's not far off."
Mia forces herself to her feet but Joe pushes her back down, "You rest."
"But if there's a fight..." Mia protests.
"Luka and I will check it out!" Don says quickly as he breaks into a run.
"Hey! Doc! Wait up!" Luka protests as she follows after.
The two are not gone long before Marvelous Mobirate rings, "Bird?"
"Don't call me bird!" Navi protested.
"What is it Navi?" Joe says annoyed as he opens his own Mobirate.
"Marvelous-taichi there's a large group of Zangyack up at the mountain, and a large build up of energy."
"No!" Nicole suddenly cut out Mia, "This is all wrong. This is the Gingaman episode, at worse we have Basco to fight." Suddenly snapping into a leadership tone Nicole looked to Gai, "Gai go find Don and Luka, they are gonna need someone to lead Hyuuga to safety while they fight..."
"H-Hyuuga? B-Black Knight Hyuuga?" Gai broke in.
"Yes," Nicole growled, "Now go!"
Gai nodded and quickly ran off in the direction of Don and Luka, Nicole turning her attention back to the others. "This is bad. If the Action Commander is Starguru as I suspect he already had the Power Stone and may very well be on his way to calling down an Extinction Level well...moon...on the Earth."
Marvelous nods, looking to Joe and Ahim, "Let's go!" then back to Nicole, "Once you are feeling rested let us know what fight your joining, Jealoushitto Gokai Connector may still be in the shop but he's still an Action Commander, he can still fight."
Nicole nods as Marvelous, Joe, and Ahim hurry off.
A figure in black and red rolled around the ground, Don leaping over him as she shifted to a female form, just as Basco strode toward them.
"Come on." He protested to the downed man, "Please don't make this difficult."
"Basco!" Luka growled.
"Oh two lovely young ladies this time, what a pleasant surprise to see you here!"
"What?" Gai said confused as he arrived, "A friend of Luka-san-tachi?"
Don scoffed, "Hardly! He left us to Zangyack and betrayed Marvelous to get to the Greatest Treasure in the Universe. He's the entire reason we are still on Earth!"
"On other words he's the Gokaiger's Enemy." Luka adds.
"Enemy?"
Don threw out her hand in amusement, "Return Nicole-san's Gokai Killer Key at once you two bit thief!"
"Gokaiger?!" the man said as he sat up, holding his chest in pain, "So...that form was stolen as well...I see."
Gai turned eyes wide, his face a gasp of surprise and excitement, "Hyuuga-san?! It is you!"
"Who is that again?" Luka asks.
"He's an amazing person who protected the Earth with Gingaman!" Before rushing over to Hyuuga and kneeling, shaking Hyuuga's hand who lurches forward in pain, "Pleased to meet you! I'm Ikari Gai. I'm part of a Sentai as GokaiRose!" Taking out his comic he flips through it before presenting it to Hyuuga, "If it's alright, please give me your signature!"
"It's no time to for asking that!" Doc protests.
"I don't know how you found this place!" Luka accuses as Don runs over and wackes Gai over they head with his box of doughnuts, "...but we won't let you steal any Greater Powers!"
"Ping Pong!" Basco taunts. "I don't have any other means, right? Sorry? Do you mind...not getting in the way?" Before revealing 3 more Ranger Key (Magi Mother, Deka Master, and WolzardFire).
"More Ranger Keys?" Luka growls. "We'll be taking those too!"
Before slotting them into his trumpet and summoning out the 3 Extra Rangers.
"No way?!" Gai protested, "He can do that?!"
Hyuuga tries to protest but his pain draws him back to the ground.
"When defeated, they return to being Ranger Keys." Luka explains for Gai. "They will make good Souvenirs."
"Gai-san, get Hyuuga out of here," Doc says as he takes out his Mobirate. "Come on Luka!"
"Got it!" Gai says and he helps Hyuuga stand and hurries off.
"Gokai Change!"
"Goooookaiger!"
Green and Yellow Charge the 3 Key Clones as Basco chuckles, it was obvious that his clones had the advantage, "Do you really think the two of you stand a chance?"
Green spins away, taking out a ring, "Diver On." A golden door buckle forming over his GokaiBuckle, "I have a pretty good feeling we can, yes."
"What is..." Yellow and Basco say together, confused.
"Shinka!" Green says as he inserts the ring into the right side port and turns it.
"Set"
"Open"
Revealing the face of a wolf.
"W-O-L-F. WOLF WOLF WOLF!"
A golden magical seal grows from the buckle before pulling back to reveal a new armored form."
"Gokai Rider – Green!" Doc calls.
Before he can do much else the Gao Ranger Warrior Key, all 6 of them, Zen-Aku, Red Lion, White Tiger, Blue Shark, Black Bison, and Yellow Eagle fly out before glowing a moment just before 6 matching rings appear in their place.
"Well that I didn't expect!" Doc says in surprise as the keys vanish and he sets the rings in his belt holder grasping the White Tiger and putting it on his left hand.
"Set!"
"Open!"
"T-T-Tiger, let's go!"
A white mantle forming on his left shoulder with the head of a Tiger as the shoulder pad. Green closed the distance in an instant, placing herself between MagiMother and WolzardFire, her quick movements able to keep both off their feet as Yellow closed to take on DekaMaster.
"Tch." Basco scoffed as he took out the Gokai Killer key, "Your fighting has inproved Don-Chan but it wont be enough, "Gokai Change!"
"Goooookaiger!"
Yellow and Green paused long enough to see what Killer would do but he just leap past them pursuing after Gai.
Not that far off Hyuuga and Gai were making their escape, only for Hyuuga to lurch forward and yelp in pain, blood running down his free arm.
"Hyuuga-san?!" Gai exclaimed worried as he quickly looked around and helped Hyuuga to a near bolder to rest. "I'm sorry, I didn't notice!"
"No. Let me apologize. I'm sorry for being a burden."
"No such thing!" Gai protested as he used his scarf to tie off Hyuuga's arm, "It's an honor to be of some use. I've idolized Hyuuga-san-tachi and everyone else from Super Sentai." He began as he went about making a makeshift bandage, "Ever since I was little, my dream has been to be a hero who protects this planet and the rest of the universe."
Hyuuga chuckles as he sits up, "So that's why you're GokaiRose?"
"Yes!" Gai exclaims as he takes out his Gokai Cellar and the Rose Key. "Um...though originally I was Silver. Until Nicole-san taught me about the great legacy of Pink." He help up the Rose key, "And all the Pink Sentai accepted me as their own!"
Hyuuga takes the key looking at it curiously, "So you were selected by the Pink Sempai? Even Sanya-san. I'm still just a young chick."
Gai looks down at his Cellular in thought, his voice getting softer, "Though, I'm nothing compared to Hyuuga-san-tachi. I wish I could see Hyuuga-san-tachi fighting in their prime."
Hyuuga's mood was starting to sour, "Then..." but before he could continue an explosion sent the key flying from Hyuuga hand and separated Gai from Hyuuga as Gokai Killer arrived on the scene.
"I'm here to take the Grand Power!" Killer boasted.
The two warriors getting to their feet, Hyuuga recovering the Rose Key, "The Only ones who will obtain the Gingaman's Grand Power...are those that we approve of! I won't let you have it!"
"Funny that you should mention that..." Killer taunts as he takes out his trumpet, "Whether you approve of me or not doesn't matter! Because I'm just going to steal it."
"What?!"
As he starts to play Hyuuga starts to convulse, his gaze shifting to Gai, "G-Gai now! Give me that device. S-So that I may face this villain as GokaiRose!"
"But!"
"Gai now!"
Gai nods quickly as he tosses over his Gokai Celular.
"Gokai Change!"
"Gooooooookaiger!"
Standing straight Rose flexed his fingers before looking up to Killer who paused and looked down at his trumpet, "Tch. I'll just take both the Gokaiger Powers and Gingaman powers together then!"
Rose charged, closing the distance in an instant as Killer held him off with his GokaiSaber but quickly leaps back, "You're good. But not good enough old man."
Quickly he inserts a key into the trumpet and summons out.
"B-Black Knight Hyuuga," Gai gasped as he watched the Black Knight charge Hyuuga as he charged with his clone, the clone opening with fire from the gun mode of his sword.
Rose deflected it with Rose's shield, "You will have to do better then that," he taunted as he parried Killer's sword with the Baton Mode, "I know all his moves after all!"
"Tch!"
Gai squealed as he watched, "Hyuuga said is so awesome." then his gaze turning down in thought, "Much better then me..."
A blast combined Black Knight Sword and Gokai Sword Slash sent Rose flying over the cliff side to the plains below as they closed on on him, "Tch! So much for the great Hyuuga!"
"Good thing he isn't alone then!"
Gokai Silver's blast sent Killer and the Ranger Clone flying as he came up and helped Rose to his feet, "You gonna pull through Gai?"
"Not Gai." Rose corrected before motioning over to a rock Gai was holed up behind.
Silver looked over then back to Rose, "H-Hyuuga-san?"
Rose nodded as the Black Knight closed in on them and Silver ran for Gai.
"Nicole-san?"
Silver nodded, "Gold's still resting but she had enough strength so we could Gokai change and I could come help. But...I think I have a much better idea."
Silver glowed before dropping to the ground as a plain key, Gai lifting it up confused as he looked around a moment, "Nicole-san? Nicole-san?"
Killer scoffed, "Abandoned by your friend?"
Gai turned serious as he gripped the key, "Hyuuga-san I need my Gokai Cellular!"
Hyuuga stumbled from Black Knights last attack, holding his chest but looked to Gai and quickly tossed the Gokai Cellar his way.
"Gokai Change!"
"Goooooookaiger!"
Killer backed away as he faced two Gokaigers now, and things only got worse and Gai summoned up 2 golden anchor keys.
"Gokai Change!"
"Gooooooookaiger!"
"GooooooookaiSilver!"
"GoooooookaiRose!"
"GOLD MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOODE!"
Killer growled as he quickly backed off, "You win this round. But there are other powers to find!" Leaving Black Knight to face the Final Attacks of Rose and Silver.
Back at the tree Gokai gold powered down and looked skyward, sensing something speeding toward earth, while her gaze shifted to the forest sensing another fight there, then quickly shifted to her belly as a smile spread over her muzzle, "Back so soon Nicole-sama?"
"Seemed like Gai and Hyuuga needed Silver more then me."
Mia smiled, "Can you sense what I sense."
She nodded to herself, "3 huge fights." she growled slamming her fist into the tree, "Damn this body, if we weren't pregnant we could be fighting right now!"
Mia looked down, "I don't like it any more then you do Nicole-sama."
Just then a man in red walked by them, pausing and tensing, "A monster?! Here?!"
Quickly Mia was on her feet throwing up her hands in defense, "Whoa! Whoa! Relax we aren't here to cause trouble!"
"Yeah, in fact we're the good guys, we're trying to stop Zangyack!"
The man paused, tilting his head cautiously, "W-Who are you?"
Mia stood tall, "We are not one but two! Twin souls sharing one body!" they posed dramatically.
"Call me Mia!"
"Call me Nicole!"
"Together we are Gokai Gold and Gokai Silver!"
"G-Gokai? Your allied with that...Killer!" the man took a defensive stance, ready to attack.
"Oh boy!"
