Epic 27: Wings are Eternal
"Full House," the woman in white smiled as she set down 3 jacks and 2 threes, "Looks like I win."
"Sorry," the man in white countered, "Straight flush."
The woman smiled, "You agreed to do anything I asked if I won, remember?"
"And what might you want?" the woman asked as she held the man's hand affectionately.
The man pulled his hand away to reach for a shot glass, taking a sip, "I don't like the liquor here. I want to taste a sweeter drink."
"Greetings to the true Empire! News from the front says the resistance is growing stronger, it's wont be long before we see Her Highness upon the throne, I'm sure! Well it's that time again! Time to extol the virtues of out prosecuted princess. Today I ask you, 'What would you give for your friends?' Because this time I was witness to just why Her Highness run with a band of lowly pirates! You see Space Ninja Saturakura Jr. who came to Earth alongside Sandahl Jr. to try and stop The Kaizoku Sentai and as expected they failed. But I am not here to extol the victory of those pirates but to reveal facts about Her Highness Princesses Nicole-sama and Mia-sama. Or maybe I should say Prince Nicole? I haven't mentioned this often but now might be a good time to refresh the story of Her Highness, both of them."
Like he often did for Nicole vs Warz Violet set up a scale, Nicole on one side, and Mia on the other, making the normal measuring gesture.
"Now pay attention because this is a bit complicated. You see Her Highness Nicole comes from several years in our future, she has seen first hand just what the Reign of Warz Gil and his father will bring us and scarified his body in the trip back in time to change thing. Yes Her Highness Nicole was borne male, and like any male would has often lamented his loss. But to make things more complicated, since he had no body his spirit found the closest vassal, his distant kin, Mia. Until recently they shared the same body until pirate Don "Doc" Dogoier was able to give Her Highness Nicole-sama her own body. And here is where things get interesting."
The picture now changes to show Joe in his male and female forms.
"What would you give to help a friend? Would you give up what makes you a man? Blue Pirate Joe Gibken did. In fact when trapped in Saturakura Jr. sub space they were subjected to a his devious game, the stakes were the very thing that made them unique."
A series of images show up in sequence on the screen, a blue ball, the two tiger plushies, the dragon plushie, the match, the Driver, and a pair of Gokai Sabers.
"Joe's mastery of a secret technique, Marvelous special power, the Gokai Rider, Luka's fire breath, and dragon form, Doc's tiger from, and Her Highness's own tiger form. Of the later 3 is of note, these are forms no one wanted despite their power and strength because it made them less 'human' less 'evolved' it granted them great power but baser instincts and other drawbacks. So let's get back to the subject at hand. If your friend was suffering, trapped in a body that was not their own would you give up your own manhood to restore theirs? Joe Gibken did, he gave up his manhood so that Her Highness could finally, after many, many, months could be a man again. Try and put your self in that position, striped of your true sex, mind raped and impregnated by the prince, assaulted by inhuman urges, bestial drives, what would you give to rid yourself of your beast form and take back your manhood, would you take another's, especially if they offered it freely? That is what Her Highness faced, her beast form taken, and Joe's manhood offered and do you know what she did?"
Violet let the moment linger.
"She refused! In fact she was offered Joe's secret technique also. What would you have done if someone offered you his master over an advanced skill? Her Highness refused both it and the offer of Joe's manhood. Could you do the same in her place? I'm not sure if I could to be honest."
Now the image shifted to the picture showing the crew, with female Joe, and a human Nicole and Luka.
"Not only that her first move was to reach for the forms, her own form, Doc's tiger form, and Luka's dragon form. Three forms I can say with all honesty NO ONE wanted, but she reached for them without hesitation."
The screen now fills with an image of human Nicole reaching for the 3 plushies, obviously from Violet's angle just off to the side and behind the group.
"Would you take on the burden of a lesser form? Let alone three? I could not. But that's Her Highness for you, the good of the many outweighing the good of the one. In the end different accommodations were made but our choices say a lot about us."
The image turned to the classic Warz Vs Nicole stinger, "What would His Highness do? Have you chosen the right side? Once again I am Gokai Violet of Uchuu Teikoku Sentai Gokaiger signing off, and for those of you seeking to join me Orange, Bronze, and Navy we have one last opening for Gokai Coral, you know how to apply."
The tigerman pauses by the river, bending over as he laps at the cool water, eyes carefully watching which way the fish scatter before pulling up into squat and rising his paw. He strikes, spearing a fish with his claws as pulls it up to his muzzle and starts to eat it.
He pauses after a moment, sniffing the air, before smiling, "Morning Luka-san, you smell, intoxicating."
The catwoman pads out from the tree just as the male tosses the half eaten wish her way, which she catches in her mouth, continuing her trek toward the lake as she eats the fish, pausing just before she reaches it to circle the male sniffing the air, "I take back everything I said about your feline form Nicole-san my body tingles at your scent," before she starts to discard her blouse, "Y-You should change back before I loose the will to hold back."
Nicole purrs, licking her lips, "Would that be a bad thing?"
Luka purred back as she circled around, taking a long whiff of Nicole before licking her own lips, "No...not in the slightest!"
The two quickly began to discard their clothes when a roar broke them out of their instinct fueled romp, their gaze drawing skyward as they saw an armored dragon erupt from the nearby volcano and fly toward the city. The two growling as Nicole shifting down to a (human) female form.
"Marvelous!" Luka growled turning to look back toward Nicole, "Oh well he can wait a bi-" she growled at the human female.
"Come on Luka, this could be a phantom or something."
Luka growls, "Come on change back first, don't tease me like that."
Nicole sighed, "S-Sorry in this form I'm not really attracted to another woman...which is a curse in of itself...but at least we won't do something we both regret."
Luka growls as she stands up, helping Nicole stand, "Your right of course...still frustrating."
Nicole smiles as they start to run of, "Now you know how I felt."
Luka purrs, "You poor, poor girl," her grin widening, "I hope you won't keep me in the same state."
"If I can help it, yes."
"Nicole-san!"
"Trust me you'll prefer it to getting pregnant, especially this late in the season. Or do you want to carry a child...or a litter for the next 5 to 9 months?"
Luka purrs as she rubs her stomach, "I could go for that."
"I know that feeling too!" Nicole smirks, as both girls laugh, Luka's voice getting softer.
"Does it get any easier?"
"Nope."
Luka growls just as Nicole stumbles, running on all four, clumsily, for a moment, "S-Sorry so long as a cat it's ingrained but this form isn't really designed for that kind of movement."
"So that's why you were hunting fish, you should start retraining yourself."
Nicole laughs, "I am, besides..It's my way to be male as well."
The phantom laughed as he loomed over the child, violet cracks in his body, "Yes, give into despair, and give birth to a new Phantom!"
A torrent of flame made him stumble as a huge dragon flew in toward him shrinking to a form with a small bust and wide hips, she could pass as female but probably not fully mature only for her voice to come out with a definite male timber as a Driver formed on her waist.
"Driver On, Please!"
"Shabadoobie, Touch to Shinka. Shabadoobie, Touch to Shinka."
"Shinka!"
"Aka Aka Aka, Aka Aka"
"Gokai Rider – Red!"
"You're to late Kamen Ride-"
"Gokai Rider," Red corrected.
The phantom growled, "Not that it matters, a new Phantom will be born any moment."
Gunfire distracted the Phantom as the rest of the Gokaigers, including Violet and Navy, arrived.
"Go Marvelous," Green shouted as he summoned out his own driver, "Luka-san, Joe-san, and I can handle it."
Red nods as he runs to the boy slipping a ring on his finger, "Engage, please!" Before leaping into the boy's Underworld."
The phantom growled as he looked to the Gokaigers, "Doesn't mater, you caught me off guard but you'll all be dead soon, then I can take care of the Rider."
"You won't live that long," Joe smirks as he, Luka, and Doc all summoned their own drivers.
"Driver On!"
"Driver On, Now!"
"Set. Open."
"Shabadoobie, Touch to Shinka."
"W-O-L-F WOLF WOLF WOLF"
"Shinka!"
"Ao Ao Ao, Ao Ao"
"Kirrro Kirrro Kirrro, Kirrro Kirrro"
"Gokai Rider – Green!"
"Gokai Rider – Blue!"
"Gokai Rider – Yellow!"
Beside Green stood two new riders, Yellow wore a long coat her helmet framed by a hood and Blue looked almost demonic in his armor with the large claw on one arm.
"Let's go!"
"Well..." Warz slumped back in his chair, "...At least it wasn't some of our forces."
"Sir! An intruder!" Damaras warned as klaxon's blared, drawing his sword just as the main door opened and...
"Your Highness," Bakeneko enters dropping to a knee.
Warz smirks, "Well this is interesting...who are you?"
"Sire," Damaras injects, "It's one of those 'Phantoms' Captain Marvelous has been fighting."
"Indeed, I ma Bakeneko, and I think it's time we stopped ignoring each other," Bakeneko opened, "We share a common enemy, we should combine our resources."
"Sir I must object to this," Insarn interrupts, "the phantoms onl-"
"Quiet Insarn!" Warz rises moving to Bakeneko, walking around him, "What do you propose?"
"You have enemies who threaten your empire, I am in need of Phantoms, Phantoms who would be powerful enough to destroy those pirates and create an Earth we can share."
Warz looks thoughtful, "hummmmm...gain a powerful ally, and remove those traitorous New Empire brats in the same breath," he offers a hand, "Bakeneko, we have a deal."
As they shook both Insarn and Damaras flinch.
"Your Highness, a moment," Barizorg interrupted.
Warz paused and looked to his body guard, "Barizorg?"
"I have called I the top bounty hunter in the universe."
'Ah it is time for that episode,' Insarn smirks.
"Didn't he still fail the original timeline," Warz injects.
"Yes, but the bounty is much higher now, he has a much strong motivation, and more targets, he is sure to take the battle more seriously, he will not fail."
"150 bounties, over 100 million zagins, this could be trouble for the pirates," Insarn muses.
"Doc," Luka opens as the team walk home together, "What's for dinner tonight?"
"Hummmm...what would be good?"
"Anything but fish," Nicole injects.
"Awe," Mia and Luka say together.
"Nicole-san aren't you the only always demanding fish?" Luka licks her lips.
"Well I'm not a cat anymore, at least not completely."
"To be honest," Ahim adds, still wearing the cat ears from before, "Fish does sound good...and it is what Luka-san and Mia-san want..."
"I'm fine with anything that's hearty," Gai announces.
"Gai." Joe injects, "That's it."
Marvelous slows as a figure in red steps out in front of them, his face blocked as he looks at a flyer in his hand. On it is pictures of Nicole Blecker, Don "Doc" Dogoier, Captain Marvelous, Joe Gibken, Jealoushitto, Ahim de Famille, Luka Millfy, Gai Ikari, and Sally and a total reward of 33,800,000. Tossing the firlst flying aside he checked the second in his hand, it was only of Gokai Violet with a 100,000,000 reward and the words 'dead only' printed on it. He tossed that aside as well.
"You..." Marvelous' voice trembled, as he saw the scared emblem on the stranger's chest.
"You're not after us, are you?" Doc said as he scrambled behind Luka.
"Oh?" Luka elbowed Doc as she stared down the stranger, "What an honor."
"So we're first-rate now?" Joe wondered as Doc moved to hid behind Ahim.
"Do you know each other?" Gai wondered.
"T-This isn't right...we've skipped an episode," Nicole trembles slightly.
"Kiaidou," Marvelous slowly backing away as his mind drifted back, Nicole right beside him.
'Did you know...' Kiaidou had surprised a younger Marvelous, '...boredom is a most repugnant disease,' before emerging from the shadows, 'There are only two treatments. Money...and battle.'
Kiaidou charges, the two clashing swords. To his credit Marvelous is able leap a few swings but is still knocked back on the follow up, quickly switching up to his Gokai Gun where he fires several quick rounds.
Kiaidou catches them without effort before knocking the gun from Marvelous hand and swinging down to end the fight.
'Vamola!'
Kiaidou stumbles back as an energy blast catches him off guard, his attention diverted from Marvelous as he looks to a figure in the darkness, 'Ah, a real challenge.' His gaze drifting to Marvelous who was prone on the ground, 'With you, I could die of boredom. Consider yourself lucky I have bigger prey.'
Charging the figure Marvelous glanced back to watch the battle just before a strange cycle rolled up to him lifting him up and driving him off.
'He even made someone like me...feel fear. Had it not be for that stranger I would be..."
Nicole and Marvelous continued to back up, Joe glancing back with worry.
'No...' Marvelous stops as he gathers' his will, 'I'm different from back then. As I am now...'
"Gokai Change!"
"Gooooooooooooookaiger!"
Everyone opened with Gokai gunfire. Kiaidou once again caught the balls without effort. Red stumbling, backing again, but Silver was right beside him.
"How weak...much to weak. Amuse me more."
Kiaidou charged at Red.
"You have more power then before Marvelous." Silver intercepted, arms trembling right before she was knocked to the side by Kiaidou, "Remember...Courage is Magic."
"Stop your prattling girl," Kiaidou shouted as he knocked Marvelous back and took on everyone else alone (Blue, Yellow, Green, Pink, Light, Silver, Gold, Rose, Violet and Navy.)
Red watched as Kiaidou knocked Silver down, forcefully demorphing her, "No reason to hold back with you girl, the bounty on your head only ask FOR the head."
Nicole breathed heavily as the sword swung down toward her.
"Nicole-san!" Red howled as he charged.
"Driver On, Please."
"Shabadoobie, Touch to Shinka. Shabado-"
"Shinka!"
"Aka DRAGON."
As the armor formed, Marvelous claws, tail, wings and head fought to erupt from the suit, enveloping the Gokai Rider inside a dragon as he surged forward sending Kiaidou flying as Red tore into him with claws and tail.
"Woah..." Nicole gasped.
Red dropped to his knees, breathing heavily as he demorphed to his humanoid form, but forced himself to his feet as the others struggled to stand, lunging at Kiaidou swing out at the wound.
Kiaidou caught the fist, "So wea-" he paused reaching out a hand to the apparent breasts under Marvelous armor, "What's this? A girl? When did this happen?"
Marvelous swung with a kick, Kiaidou spun marvelous around by the hand he held making it look as if he was pirouetting, until his arm was pulled tight and he was pulled to Kiaidou chest, "I am no woman."
"Then just what are you? What has happened to you Captain?"
"I hell I'll tell you."
Kiaidou spun Marvelous back around before kicking him back over to the others, "Run away!"
"Nani?!"
"What are you trying to do," Pink wondered.
"I am letting you go. Get out of my sight."
"Why you..." Marvelous growls, his vision blurring before passing out, reverting to full dragon form.
Aboard the Galleon the team were licking their wounds, some more literally then others, notable Nicole, Mia, and Luka, despite Nicole being in her human form, also Ahim seemed to be following their lead on and off.
"Don't think it works as well for humans," Luka says patting the shoulders of Ahim and Nicole.
"O-Oh...right..." Ahim stops, smiling nervously
"My brain is still hardwired to think it is though." Nicole adds.
Joe looked down at his hand as if still holding his Saber, "Just what you'd expect..." his gaze drifting to Marvelous backside, "...from the best bounty hunter in the universe."
"Someone has a man crush," Nicole teases.
"Please Nicole-sama this is no time for humor."
"I hate to admit it, but our attacks had no effect," Ahim notes.
"I disagree," Nicole injects, forcing a smile, "humor is the only thing keeping me from running in terror. Unless one of us can find a way to beat him, this is it, season finale."
"He let us go," Doc adds, "that gives us some time. Maybe we don't need to fight him?"
Joe glowers at Doc as he stands, "Are we suppose to just stay and cower?"
"But..." Doc says standing only to slam his head into the hovering Navi, "Owwwwww..."
"Fire Fire Fire, Fire Fire! The dragon's power shall defeat the evil enemy."
Nicole looks to Navi surprised, 'Even the prophecy has changed.'
"That's it!" Navi says before dropping to the ground like a rock.
"A Treasure Navigate at a time like this?!" Doc grouses as he rubs his head.
"Wait a moment," Luka mushes as she picks up Navi, "'Defeat the evil enemy'?" a sudden realization hitting, "It might be a hint for defeating Kiaidou!"
"Nani?" Marvelous says suddenly looking back.
"Dragon's power?" Gai wonders before leaping up and grabbing Navi, "could it be MagiDragon?"
Nicole shakes her head in irritation, "No, no, no this is all wrong, this is suppose to be the Jetman episode! Hell even that is wrong, it's suppose to be a filler then Jetman!"
"Jetman?" Ahim wonders.
"Of the many Super Sentai, apparently they're the most eccentric," Gai cuts in, "After retiring from Sentai, one became a president of a company that sells organic vegetables, over the Internet. Plus one became an idol...apparently some of the members even married each other."
"Oh how lovely," Ahim begins, no one noticing as Nicole slips out.
"They're probably living normal lives now."
"Alright," Marvelous says following toward the exit, "Let's find Jetman then."
"Okay."
"Okay!"
"Have a safe trip!" Navi offers.
"Come your highness," Violet says glancing around only to see Nicole long since gone, "Your Highness?"
Leaping to his feet Violet charges toward the exit, pausing only a moment to glance back to Los Dark, "Navy, protect Her Highness Mia."
"Okay." Los Dark says with a nod.
"You cur, why did you let the pirates go?!" Warz demands of Kiaidou.
"If a rumor started that they got away from me..." he begins to answer, "...their bounty would probably go up. First you fatten the pig before slaughtering it."
Warz laughs, "So it's just about the money then? Just the kind of thinking you'd expect from a filthy bounty hunter."
Kiaidou closes the distance in a moment, his sword pressed to Warz neck, Barizorg drawing his sword to hold it to Kiaidou's neck, "Do not think light of me, the bounty of everyone on this ship far exceeds their paltry sum, the only thing keeping me from taking all of you down is the chance of their bounty exceeding yours."
"U-Understood," Warz swallows hard as Kiaidou and then Barizorg sheath their swords.
"The only thing that fills my void is money and fighting, prey that these pirates satiate that void and that I do not come for you next."
Damaras moves opposite Kiaidou as Warz retreats behind Barizorg.
"Oh?" Kiaidou muses, "You might be able to amuse me." before laughing and leaving.
Warz takes a large breath, "I'm not sure which side to root for, the pirates or that bounty hunter."
"Hey, does Marvelous seem kind of off to you," Luka wonders.
"Indeed." Joe adds.
"Of course he is. If I was beaten like that..." Doc muses.
"That's not what I mean..." Luka protests as a man on a motorcycle comes to a stop beside them.
"What an interesting specimen."
"Hey," Joe walks over, "Who are you?"
"Are you hitting on me?" Luka inquires amused, stepping a bit closer as the man gets off his cycle, "I wonder if you're really worthy of asking me out."
The man steps closers, looking Luka up and down as he paces around her appeasing her, "Sorry. All women may belong to me but I have no interest in animals."
"You!" Luka growls as Joe pushes forward.
"Are you nuts?" Joe asks as he puts his hand on the strangers shoulder.
The man looks over angrily, as he closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, "Don't touch me. I hate nattou, and I hate men!"
"Huh?!" Joe says confused as the man quickly turn and delivers a left cross knocking Joe into Doc and dropping his Mobirate.
"What are you doing?!" Luka growls as she swings.
The stranger ducks back and catches her arm before spinning her around behind him as he leans down and grabs the Mobirate. Luka lunging from behind catching me off guard only for him to kick her off him and retreat to his bike, Mobirate in hand, "I'll take this."
As he drives off Joe and Doc try to untangle themselves as Luka drops to her paws and chases after, but he quickly outpaces her.
"Mou!" Luka hisses as she punches the ground.