Universal Collisions
The Phoenix and the Demon
By: John Proft

Disclaimer: Based on characters and situations created by Marvel Comics, Stan Lee, Sabann Entertainment, Rumiko Takahashi and Mattel Toys.

Johnny cautiously drove up to the four strange characters. When Johnny stopped the car and slowly exited the car, the group for some reason reminded him of the crew from the wizard of oz.
"Um...Konechiwa.?" Johnny said nervously. The girl smiled and waived and spoke quickly...in Japanese. "Damn, wish I paid attention in high school foreign language class." Johnny said as he raised his pointer finger, signaling for them to wait for a moment as he dove back into the car. "I know it's here somewhere, I saw it when kitty sat on it last week, ah, here it is." Johnny said as he pulled a small metallic earpiece out from between the cushions and stood up outside the car. He quickly attached the earpiece to his ear and tried speaking again.
"Hi, name's Johnny." He said nervously, hoping it would work.
"Hi, I'm Kagome, your from the future aren't you?" Johnny looked around, wondering what she meant, he knew he was in a field, but it didn't seem any different from most other fields.
"Dunno, but I know I'm not from Japan, I'm American."
"What is this...American?" The monk in the blue robes asked. As he walked over to Kagome.
"Miroku, not American, America, it's a country." the red dressed man wasted little time racing right up to Johnny, standing no more than a foot away from him, taking a big whiff of him.
"You have a strange a sent about you, something about it is familiar. What did you say your name was?" Kagome quickly raced over to the red dressed man and pulled him away from Johnny.
"Stop that Inuyasha, that's rude." Johnny's eyes widened with shock.
"You're Inuyasha?" Johnny said, stuttering.
"Yeah, what of it?" the red dressed man replied.
"I'm Johnny Springs, Cidney's friend." The man named Miroku wore a blank expression, but the child like creature, Kagome and Inuyasha's mouths all fell open. Inuyasha backed off and looked Johnny over.
"Hmph, you don't look so tough, you couldn't have done all the stuff Cidney said you did." Inuyasha said harshly.
"Really, what did she say I did?" Johnny asked back, crossing his arms.
"let's see, throw and armored muscle man into a trench, free a winged queen from an army of harpies, save a princess from the control of some guy named Hordak and his army of monsters, and that was just in the world where..." Kagome's words fell.
"Where we were separated." Johnny finished as he walked back to the car.
"So what is this contraption, a sort of horseless chariot?" Miroku asked as he walked over to join Johnny by the lady bug.
"Yeah, I guess. It's made to look like a car but..." Johnny then noticed Miroku's clueless look.
"Okay, a car is a kind of...horseless carriage, anyway, this is made to look like one, but it is much more advanced." Johnny said, feeling the sadness of losing Cidney fade away.
"Wow, it look's neat." the little fox like child said as he peered inside the Ladybug.
"Huh, it's nothing special." Inuyasha said, not at all impressed.
"So being new in town, where the hell am I?" Johnny asked as he walked over to the trunk of the Volkswagen.
"Believe it or not, you're in Fudal Japan." Kagome said nervously. Johnny looked up at the sky, so clear, so peaceful, so free of technology.
"I can believe it," Johnny said as he opened the trunk and pulled out a Dr. Pepper can. "Soda?"

Meanwhile, in a Japanese castle some distance away, a man sat in a hidden room deep within the tall tower, wrapped in the skin of a baboon skin with the lifeless face worn like a mask over the being within. The creature looked human but the similarities with humans ended there, underneath the appearance of the human flesh was the sole of a ruthless and heartless demon. the demon sat in the small room admiring the several shards of purple crystal that he had collected.
"I trust I am not interrupting anything, Naraku." A voice said from behind him. The baboon clothed man turned to see the lord of destruction standing over him.
"Skelator, to what do I owe this honor?" Naraku asked as he collected the shards.
"The traveler has surfaced here in the futal era, he must be eliminated.."
"I've heard of this traveler, but he is a mere human, why can you not defeat him on your own?"
"This human is unlike most, he is...resourceful. I require your assistance." Naraku stood up and turned to face Skelator.
"What do you require from me?" Skelator somehow smiled threw his skull face as a nine foot tall dimensional gate opened beside him. Skelator reached into the hole in space and time and pulled out a tall red haired girl by the hair and flung her to the ground.
"This woman is human but had inhuman powers, it is my understanding that once possessed by a shard of the sacred jewel, she will be easily controlled, and with your aid, she will destroy the boy, with the help of your insects and monsters of course. I will send two minions of my own as well." the girl picked this minute to awaked from unconsciousness.
"Scott, where...WHO THE HELL ARE YOU!"
"It matters not my dear," Skelator said as Naraku pulled a jewel shard out from his cloak, "But you are simply my Dark Phoenix." Suddenly the shard shot out of the demon's hand like a bullet and imbedded itself into the girl's forehead, and Jean Grey was no more, only the Dark Phoenix remained.

"How long have you guys been here?" Johnny asked as he, Kagome, Miroku and Shippo road north inside the Ladybug. Inuyasha chose to ride on the car's roof, holding Kagome's bike in one hand as they sped towards the village of the priestess, Kaede.
"I' just got here a few months ago and have been traveling between here and the modern world, but Inuyasha and the others live here." Johnny thought for a moment.
"Then should you have told any of them?" Johnny asked, forcing Kagome to give a confused look.
"Think about it, you're changing time by coming here and helping them, you already changed time by returning the sacred jewel."
"I never thought of that." Kagome said in partial shock.
"Well we had better start thinking about it, before we do any more to disrupt the time line." Miroku said as they neared the village.
"And what happened if we are changing time?" Shippo asked, afraid of the answer.
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it, together." Johnny replied as he turned the car into the forest near the village. Everyone but Johnny piled out of the car as Inuyasha leapt onto the ground. When the palms of his feet hit the dirt of the ground he noticed Kagome's worried look.
"What?" he asked, half worried.
'What if I did change time by coming here? One of the first things I did was awaken Inuyasha, could that do something to affect my time?'
"What's wrong?" Inuyasha asked again.
"Huh, oh nothing, just thinking about girl stuff." Kagome said quickly, trying to hide her fear of changing things on a galactic level. Johnny meanwhile was digging under the passenger seat.
"Aroura, are you sure your creator put this &$ here?" Johnny asked the empty air.
"Yes, there should be a secret panel with several cultural clothing changes for various possible realities you may visit." Johnny sighed as he continued to look until he found a small latch, he flicked it to the side and the entire passenger side seat flipped back to reveal a hidden hole in the floor loaded with various items. the first thing Johnny pulled out was a small metallic watch which didn't seem to tell time.
"What's this?"
"It's a portable exosuit." Johnny's eyes lit up, suddenly wanting more than ever wanting to go to cybertron. he then found what he was looking for, and pulled out the long, bulky Japanese outfit.
"No way, I'm not wearing this." Johnny said as he threw it into the back seat.
"What then?" Aroura asked in her disembodied voice as Johnny pulled a duffle bag out of the hole in the floor and then set the seat back into place.
"Just my street cloths, later I'll put my x-men uniform on underneath it and I also have the power of the Phantom Ranger, I just hope it works in other realities." Johnny said as he slid out of the car. "Don't talk to stRangers, kid." Johnny joked as he slammed the door shut. Inuyasha's grumpy face stared at him.
"Can I help you, Scooby?" Johnny asked.
"What were you guys talking about in there?" he asked suspiciously.
"Who? when?" Johnny asked, hoping he wasn't talking about Aroura.
"When we were all moving here?" Johnny breathed a sigh of relief.
"Oh, just temporal mechanics."
"Temp...huh?"
"Time travel stuff."
"Oh." And with that Inuyasha leapt off towards the village. Johnny noticed that Kagome and Miroku hadn't left yet. Johnny took this opportunity to put a little control in one world as he walked over to them.
"Guys, we better go to the village separately, and pretend you don't know me." the monk and the school girl looked at Johnny oddly.
"Why would we do that?" Miroku asked.
"Let's just say I've made more than one enemy in my travels and would like to keep my friends out of harms way."
"We would like to help if you would let us, but we will respect your wishes."
"I'll run ahead and tell Shippo and Inuyasha." Kagome said as she hopped on her bike and sped off.
"Hey Miroku, you said this Kaede has an eye patch, right?"
"Yes, why do you ask?"
"Just want to know who to look for, say nothing about me to her either." Johnny said as he walked back to the car, to change.

Johnny looked down at the blue jeans and t-shirt and long grey overcoat he wore, feeling the tight spandex of the X-men uniform underneath. the hole outfit made him feel out of place and he wondered if he should have taken the outfit Aroura provided, then decided he'd rather be physically comfortable than in place with his environment. He sighed as he walked threw the lonely forest. After a few moments he came to an old dried up well. curious, he walked over and looked down the simple well. Broken bones and rotted flesh covered the ground of the well. he smiled at the simple ness of the people of the time. How they thought filling a well with bones they would be safe some how. Suddenly there was a shift in the wind, and the snapping of a twig somewhere nearby. Johnny looked up and turned to see a tall man, hair long and silver wearing a long white outfit with a strange armor, and two red marks like scars on either side of his face.
"Is there something I can help you with?" Johnny asked. The man simply looked around for a moment before addressing Johnny, that's when Johnny noticed the short, very short green creature to the man's side, holding a tall staff with two heads on it. The creature reminded Johnny of yoda a little bit.
"I'm looking for the half-breed, Inuyasha." The man said evenly.
"He seems to be a popular one, sorry but I haven't seen him, if I do, who should I say is calling?"
"It matters not, you are his allies, I can smell his stink all around you. When I kill you, he will know his brother, Sesshomaru is responsible and then I will have him." Johnny just snickered as he discarded his overcoat.
"Your cocky, you know that, but you've never gone up against a Power Ranger have you." Johnny said as he went into a battle stance.
"PHANTOM RANGER POWER, NOW!" Sesshomaru covered his eyes and when his eyes were exposed to the light again, the human was gone, and the Phantom Ranger remained.
"What magic is this?" Sesshomaru asked.
"It's more of a science, don't matter though, it's the last of either you'll ever see. Phantom Saber!" the Ranger said as he raised his arm and a long dark sword appeared in his hand.
"Let's rumble."

Two hours had past and Shippo found himself passing back and forth inside Kaede's hut. Inuyasha, Kagome and Miroku sat around in various parts of the one room building.
"This is taking to long, even a stranger should have found his way threw the forest by this time." he said almost angrily.
"Hey he was the one who wanted to pretend we didn't know each other, why should we care if he's not showing up now." Inuyasha said not really seeming to care.
"I'm worried too; maybe we should look for him." Kagome said as she looked outside the hut. suddenly there was a gasp. Inuyasha and Miroku looked up to see Kagome looking outside, her expression grim. They all stood up and looked out to see Johnny limping into the village, blood trickling down his right arm and his overcoat being held by a few fingers and drug across the ground behind him. This went on for a few minutes as the majority of the village watched in shock until he fell to the ground.
"Call for lady Kaede!" someone called out." Kagome turned to Miroku and Inuyasha, to see that Inuyasha was already gone. He had leapt threw the straw roof and over to Johnny, picked him up and raced him over to the medical hut. Kagome just stood there, shaking in fear.

Johnny moaned as he sat up in the straw bed he sat in, inside the small hut he sat in. His only company was small contained fireplace in one corner of the room with a pot of stew over it. Johnny stood for a moment, only to feel woozy and fall back to his knees. He slowly crawled over to the fireplace on all fours and came to sit in front of the roaring fire. Beside the fire was two clay bowls and a soup ladle. Johnny looked around, and then heard the rumbling in his stomach. After a moment to think, he took the ladle and one clay bowl and scooped up some stew. After a few scoops of stew he hooked the ladle to hang over the pot, hoping it would grip clean. Johnny looked down at the soupy substance and took a deep sniff. It seemed edible enough so he swallowed his pride, tipped the bowl to his lips and began to slurp down the stew. Johnny normally did not enjoy stew, but he thought this was delicious. He gobbled it up in one quick slurp and wanted to try more, but didn't want to be greedy, he didn't even know if any of the stew was for him at all.
"Please, ye be needing your strength boy, enjoy." Johnny looked up, and for the first time noticed that he had some kind of pack over one eye. He then saw the eye patch over the elderly woman who spoke to him.
"Who are you?" Johnny asked, pretending he didn't remember.
"I be priestess Kaede, you were found wandering our village, near death in strange garments. you still wear the metal object on your ear, for some reason the lady Kagome believes that that is how you communicate with us." Johnny nodded wearily.
"Yes, that's right. I'm from...very far away, and where I come from they speak a different language. The thing in my ear makes it so we can understand each other." Kaede nodded in confusion.
"Tell ye, who was it that attacked ye? No mortal could inflict such wounds." Johnny looked down on the multiple cuts and bruises and bandages and sighed.
"He called himself Sesshomaru." Kaede's eye widened.
"Then how did ye survive?" she asked in shock.
"I am not as helpless as I appear. Tell me have you ever met a woman named Cidney?"

The next day Johnny allowed Kagome and the others to talk to him, deciding the "forget you knew me" plan was a bad idea.
"Why did Sesshomaru attack you?" Shippo asked.
"He said he could... smell Inuyasha on me." Inuyasha, who was standing of the hut's doorframe, looked back from the Japanese landscape at the mention of his brother's name.
"Then how did you survive, he is a demon after all, and you appear to be nothing more than a normal human." Miroku said.
"Hey, yeah I'm human, but there's no such thing as normal, let's just say I have my methods." Johnny said as he groaned and held his side.
"So guys, about Cidney, did she say anything about me?" Inuyasha said nothing. Kagome, Shippo and Miroku all gave each other nervous glances.
"What?" suddenly a speck seemed to hop onto Inuyasha's shoulder.
"My lord you must come at once." Johnny nearly jumped.
"What the hell is that?"
"Oh, don't mind that, that's just Meoga the flea." Johnny just looked from Kagome to the flea and back to Kagome.
"k..."
"So what's the problem Meoga, you bein' chased by a rat or somthin'?" Inuyasha asked sarcastically.
"No my lord, Songo and Kelala were returning from their mission to the north when they were attacked, by Kohaku." the other's stood all at once, all but Johnny, who knew nothing of what was going on.
"We better get going." Miroku said as he picked up his staff.
"Let's go then." Johnny said as he struggled to stand. Kagome walked over and forced him back down to the ground.
"Forget it, your staying here." Johnny groaned.
"Fine, but I don't have to like it. Hey Shippo, do me a favor, you know that machine we all road over here in?" Johnny asked as Shippo walked over..
"Yeah, the...car."
"Go back to the car and stand in front of it. Then as loud as you can, yell out the word, orion. The lights should blink three times. That will send a special signal to my friend, the Phantom Ranger."

Hours past, Inuyasha and his band of warriors had moved on, but not before Shippo had fulfilled his little task. Night had fallen over the small village near the forest and Johnny had fallen asleep, or so it had appeared. Some time after midnight he heard it, the light quiet hum of the Ladybug's engine. Johnny's eyes widened and he rose quickly enough, considering the mutable injuries. He stumbled out of the hut as fast as possible, hoping not to be seen by the villagers. Looking out from side to side, he saw no one. He took a deep breath, and made a mad dash for the car, wincing in pain at the bruised ribs. He dove into the open back door and landed hard into the back seat, and pulled his legs in as the door slammed shut.
"Aroura, cloak, floor it out of here now!" Johnny was answered by being forced back into the back seat as the Ladybug speed out of the village at lightning fast speed, but no one in the village would have known, the moment Johnny said the word "cloak" the car disappeared as if it had never been."

in a matter of minutes the Ladybug had found itself at the old well in the clearing, deep inside the forest. the car stopped and the back seat opened and Johnny fell out, pain writhing throughout his body. Aroura's holographic image appeared standing over him, wanting to help, but being nothing more than a hologram, couldn't do anything but knell down and watch.
"Is there anything I can do?" she asked.
"Yeah." Johnny said as he unstrapped his Phantom Ranger morpher. "Tell me how to fix this." He said, revealing the damaged wrist band, complete with claw and sword marks with sparks and wiring spilling out of the cracks.

meanwhile, Inuyasha and the others had found Songo and Kelala, wounded and near dead, at the river near Songo's former village.
"What could have caused this?" Miroku asked, looking over the battle field. As far as the eye could see, the land had been burned, and quickly.
"There's a strange smell in the air, it's not a demon, but it's not human either." Inuyasha said as he scanned the area with his eyes. Kagome and Shippo were already tending to Songo and Kelala's wounds, when Kagome felt it, something unnatural, the feeling only the sacred jewel gave off. She looked up and to the southeast, and there it was, reached in a monstrous bird of flame.
"Look, up there!" She yelled fast. Miroku and Inuyasha looked up, and Inuyasha gripped his sword.
"Wait..." a weary voice said. Kagome looked down to see Songo reaching out.
"That is the Phoenix, the great protector, you must not kill her, you can't I beg you!" she pleaded before she past out." Kagome was confused as she looked up at the bird of fire once again, and realized the truth at last.
"Inuyasha, there's a girl in that fire!" Inuyasha growled, hating the fights where he had to watch where he did and didn't strike as he drew his sword.

The Phantom Ranger stood outside the Ladybug, checking his weapon inventory before going to assist Inuyasha and the others.
"Are you sure I can't help?" Aroura asked.
"No, they see you with me and they may put two and two together, besides I rather not lose you."
"And what about you, are you sure your ready for another fight?"
"No, but Doc Richard's body harness gives me the edge when I got injuries like I do now, I just hope I don't have to make a habit of using it." Johnny said as he leapt onto the Phantom Cycle and sped threw the forest at literally the blink of an eye.

Inuyasha leapt away from the blast of fire shot at from the girl of fire.
"Damn it, how do I fight a bird of fire?" Inuyasha asked himself as he swung his sword, hoping the swing would extinguish some of the flames. The Phoenix simply batted him aside with one flaming wing, causing Inuyasha to roll down into a nearby tree trunk.
Miroku raced up behind the Phoenix and pulled the beads off his right wrist, releasing the gaping hole in his right palm, witch immediately started sucking in everything in its path. The flames started withering, but then the firebird turned and grasped Miroku in it's flaming claw, forcing him to close his palm and scream in pain.
"Foolish monk, you think your pitiful wind tunnel can stop me?" the Phoenix said with two voices at once.
"He may not be able to stop you." a voice said. The fire bird turned, and saw the Phantom Ranger, stationary on his motorcycle, at the top of the nearby hill. "But I can." the Phantom said as he leapt of the cycle, and disappeared in mid air. The woman inside the flaming bird blinked, confused. Then felt the fingers digging into the scar on her back. a white hot fire flew from her back, and the Phantom Ranger rematerialized inside the flame and fell to the ground, shaken, but not done.
"That all you got Jean?" The Phantom asked as he picked himself up.
"You know...who. It matters not. You will all suffer, I will return!" the Phoenix said angrily as she flew off towards the northeast.
The Phantom immediately fell to the ground and groaned in pain.
"Phantom Ranger, power down." a small burst of light engulfed the Phantom, and Johnny sat there in his place. He then noticed Kagome, Shippo, Miroku, and Inuyasha's confused looks all aimed strait at him.
"Heh heh, come here often?"

"YOU IDIOT, YOU COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED!" Inuyasha yelled to Johnny as he lay in his bed back in the village. Kaede examining Johnny's reopened wounds, and the metallic frame that kept Johnny from feeling much pain.
"Your welcome by the way." Johnny said, not really listening to Inuyasha. Inuyasha just growled as he stormed out of the hut, passing Miroku as he entered.
"How's your friend, Songo is it?" Johnny asked as he winced from one of Kaede's ointment.
"She will live, but she was severely injuried." Miroku said as a small cat like creature walked in from underneath him and over to Johnny. As it looked up to Johnny, he noticed that the cat like creature had two tails. Johnny found this cute more than anything else. The kitten must have to because the kitten licked Johnny's chin."
"It appears someone's found a friend, this is Kelala." Miroku said with a smile as he walked in.
"My treatment is complete, you may now remove your ...contraption." Kaede said with speculation. Johnny nodded as he stood up and reached back to remove the latch, then he stopped.
"You may want to stand back." Johnny said as he watched Kaede, Miroku, and Kelala all take a few steps back. Johnny took a deep breath, and removed the harness. Suddenly his ribs were on fire and his back felt like it had been ripped to pieces.
"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" Johnny screamed as he fell to the ground, back arched, writhing in pain.
"What's going on?" Inuyasha asked as he and Kagome raced into the room.
"Hold him down, before his wounds reopen!" Kaede yelled in fear." Inuyasha waited no time, leaping over Johnny and pinning him to the ground.
"PUT ME OUT!" Johnny yelled in pain, and suddenly the screaming stopped, and there was a red fist mark imprinted on his face.
"Well that's one way to do the trick." Miroku said evenly.
"Inuyasha how could you?" Kagome asked.
"Hey, he was obviously in a lot of pain, you know a better way of doin it without killing him?" Inuyasha asked as he stood up over Johnny's limp body. Just then, something caught his eye, a small red diamond had fallen out of his pocket. Inuyasha picked it up and looked at it as it lay in his hand. A strange blue light flashed from within it and suddenly it was no longer a red ruby but a blue sphere, with small metal beams wrapped around it in a decorative way.
"What is that?" Kagome asked.
"By the gods!" Kaede said as she snatched the jewel from Inuyasha and gazed at it with an uncontrollable interest.
"What is it, lady Kaede?" Miroku asked as he walked over closed to investigate.
"It be the orion, a stone spoke of in legend of a time long ago."
"How does Johnny have it?" Shippo asked. Kaede put the jewel back into Johnny's pocket and pulled a blanket over him.
"Perhaps we should try to contact the lady Cidney." Kaede said quietly.

Johnny sat up wearily, the pain still ravaging his body. He pulled himself up against the hut's wall and felt his ribs. He winces as he brushed his fingers against them. he didn't realize how much damage Sesshomaru had done to him. There were voices coming from just outside the doorway. He stood up, slowly at first, nausea trying to overtake him. He stumbled to the door and fell just before it. He groaned as he tried to pick himself up. Just then he thought he recognized the voices outside the door.
"Aye, he's here my dear, Sesshomaru left him near dead, but he is quite the valiant fighter." one voice said. Johnny knew it as Kaede's.
"That sounds like Johnny, never give up. So how are Inuyasha and Kagome doing?" the other voice asked. Johnny thought he knew it but... no, it couldn't be her.
"Kaede!" Johnny yelled out in pain. Kaede raced in to find Johnny sprawled across the ground. She struggled to help him back into bed and spread the blanket back over him.
"Who...who were you talking to?" Johnny asked between breaths.
"Speaking to, why what do you mean child?" Kaede asked.
"It's alright." A voice said. It seemed to be from inside Kaede's pocket. Kaede pulled a small card, like a credit card from her pocket. she set it on the ground at Johnny's feet, and suddenly a tall red headed woman stood there, a waist length red cape dangling from her shoulders, a sword sheathed at her side, and a small smile on her face.
"It's been awhile Johnny." the woman said.
"CID!" Johnny said, trying to stand up, and wincing, holding his ribs. Cidney attempted to run up to him, but not really being there was kind of a problem.
"Got to love a good hologram."
"Kaede, could you leave us alone for awhile please?" Cidney asked. Kaede nodded and walked outside.
"Johnny what the hell are you doing trying to take on someone like Sesshomaru? you could have gotten yourself killed." Johnny just snickered
"Nice to see you to cid." Johnny said as he sat up to face her. "So where are you anyway?"
"That's not important. What is that your wounded, for the second time I'm told, when you should be ready for a fight."
"Hey back off, I'm doin my damn best here, it's not my fault that the Phantom Ranger's power wasn't enough!" Johnny yelled back.
"Well then why didn't you...Phantom Ranger? You're the Phantom Ranger now? How, when?"
"His ship crashed somewhere outside the X-mansion, I found him near death, then he asked me to find something small and of personal value, I pulled out this," Johnny said pulling out the small blue orb. "What the hell?" Johnny said as he looked at the orb.
"What?" she asked.
"The Phantom had turned it into a red ruby, and made me another Phantom Ranger with it, how is it now blue again?" he asked confused.
"I don't know, but Kaede might, she knows all sorts of stuff about things like that, even from other worlds, trust me." Johnny nodded.
"Cid I need to know about this world, what's the deal with Inuyasha and Kagome, where'd the hole in Miroku's hand come from, who's this Songo?"
"Slow down, it's worse than when you'd read an issue of toyfare, look this hole world's story really started fifty years ago from where you are, when Inuyasha fell in love with the priestess named Kikyo."

"And then Kikyo willingly handed over the jewel over to Naraku." Johnny nearly wanted to cry.
"Look, Cid, about you and me...I, we..."
"Johnny don't, I know what your going to say and I don't want to hear it. I understand it, I can't hate you for it, but I don't want to hear it." Johnny sighed.
"alright, I am sorry."
"I got to go, I'd rather not be caught with a comcard on this world." Johnny nodded.
"I'm sorry I got you stuck in all this." Cidney nodded.
"I don't blame you. Now take care of yourself kid, later." Cidney said as her image disappeared, leaving Johnny alone once again with his scares, both physical and mental.

Meanwhile, at Naraku's castle, Skelator paced back and forth, Jean Grey stood in the dark room's corner, like a lifeless zombie awaiting a command. Naraku sat in the middle of the room as if meditating. Skelator had grown tired enough.
"This is taking to long, we should go after them now while they are weak!" Skelator said angrily.
"Patience Skelator, the boy holds newfound power, I will know more before throwing jewel shards into battle blindly." Skelator growled.
"i will wait here no longer, if you fail however, you will be forever indebted to me." Skelator said as he waved his hand. a shimmering golden gate appeared and stretched o the length of a full length mirror. He stepped threw.
"He is an impatient one." A new voice said from behind a paper door to one side of the room.
"Yes, but if he ever discovers our true goal, the entire sacred jewel would not be enough to protect us from his rage. Return here after the war is over, I will have more missions for you."
"Yes, lord Naraku."

a few days past, and Johnny was able to walk again, with he help of a cane. He felt like an invalid as he slowly walked over to Songo's hut, where the others were watching over their injured friend. As he pulled back the curtain and walked in, he noticed that Inuyasha and Kagome were no where to be found. Shippo and Kelala playing in the corner, and Miroku looking over Songo's sleeping form.
"How is she?" Johnny asked.
"She is better, her brother was a great fighter, and she has refused to fight him, Naraku had sued that to his advantage more than once." Johnny nodded, remembering what Cidney had told him about Songo's brother, Kohaku.
"And what of you, Ranger, how is your recovery progressing?" Johnny felt strange to be referred to as a Ranger, but he let it go.
"Alright I guess, pretty damn dum trotting along with this cane." Johnny joked as he sat down next to Miroku. He pulled out the blue orb and stared into the soft white cloud like swirls that surrounded it as he held it into his hand.
"what's on your mind my friend?" Miroku asked.
"This thing is, it was given to me by a girl...it's like it happened yesterday, when I was on another world she appeared in the forest, gives me this jewel, kisses my cheek like I were her uncle or something, then disappears like she was never there." Miroku smiled.
"Hmmm, What was her name?"
"That I'll never forget, Mystic."
"She seems quite captivating." Miroku said humorously. Johnny's eyes widened. He never thought about the girl like that, she was more like a vision, he never even thought about her any other way, and attempting to do so made him sick to his stomach.
"Sick man, she was way to young!" Johnny nearly yelled.
"I meant no disrespect, perhaps Kaede knows about the jewel." Miroku said, trying to change the subject. Johnny looked back down at the orb, then stuffed it back into his pocket.
"I'm much more worried about Phoenix, she's my friend, we have to save her from whatever hold Naraku has over him." Miroku nodded and stood up, then helped Johnny to his feet.
"Then let's talk to Kaede, perhaps there is something she can do to help us."

"The Phoenix, aye I know of her, she was once a great protector of a terrible power called the emcron crystal." Johnny groaned as he watched Kaede tend to her garden.
"I know all this, I need to know how to get the jewel shard out of her before she does something she'll regret." Johnny said evenly. Kaede sighed as she stood up and walked towards her hut.
"to do that you must be able to live threw the fires of the hottest suns."
"Well how the hell am I supposed to do..." Johnny stopped, a long shot popped into his head.
"Miroku, we need to get to the Ladybug, now!"

Johnny furious dug into the hole under the passenger side seat.
"What are we looking for again?" Miroku asked, looking from side to side for intruders while they stood in the center of the deep woods.
"Ah ha, here it is!" Johnny said as he pulled out as he pulled out a small metallic watch.
"What is that?" Miroku asked in confusion.
"Aroura, does this have the plague resistant shielding?" Johnny asked the car.
"I think so, it was added to my inventory after the resurrection of Optimus Prime, but it is not guaranteed." Johnny groaned.
"Well, it will have to do."
"What is it!" Miroku asked again, angrily this time.
"The answer to our prayers, I hope."

Inuyasha and Kagome sat in a small clearing near the old well, both deep in thought. Inuyasha still debating between the love feud between Kikyo and Kagome. His thoughts were interrupted as Johnny walked into the clearing, cane at his side and Miroku close behind. Kagome stood up, wondering what was going on.
"Kagome, Songo would like to talk to you, she wouldn't speak to me of what she wanted." Miroku said, concerned. Kagome smiled.
"Probably girl stuff, I'll see you later Inuyasha." she said as she picked up her book bag and started off towards the village. Miroku followed. Johnny sighed and sat down next to Inuyasha.
"Your wondering about Kikyo, aren't you?" Johnny asked. Inuyasha gave Johnny a hard stair.
"How do you know about Kikyo?" he asked angrily.
"Cidney told me."
"Well mind your own business!" Inuyasha snapped back.
"You don't know what to do, you love Kikyo but you love Kagome at the same time. I won't lecture you, I won't even give you advice, but let me ask you this, if you were to tell them both that you loved them, strait out, what would they both say?" Inuyasha was about to yell again, then thought for a moment, Kikyo would only renew her hatred of him, claim that she simply wanted him dead...but Kagome...she had stuck by him since the beginning, since the very moment he'd met her...what would she say if he's told her he's loved her.
"Give it a thought." Johnny said as he stood up and started limping back to the village.
"Johnny..." Johnny turned to see Inuyasha standing up, facing him. His silver hair covering his eyes as he spoke. "Thanks." Johnny smiled. It was the closest thing Johnny had ever gotten to a nice word from him, it felt good to hear one from him once and awhile.
"Any time." suddenly. the temperature seemed to rise, and the sun light seemed to be coming closer to there position. "Oh sh!" Johnny said as he tapped a button on his wrist watch. Suddenly the watch grew and grew until he was encased in a metallic armor, a cone shaped dome stood over his head.
"That's a new trick." Inuyasha said as he pulled his sword out of it's sheath.
"Your flesh will melt off from your bones!" the woman in the flames said as the Phoenix said as she swooped over them.
"Inuyasha, cut at the jewel, but don't kill her!" Johnny yelled out as he dove away from a flaming talon. Inuyasha didn't like taking orders from anyone, but he knew when to do what he was told. he leapt over the massive bird of fire, swinging his Tetsusaiga hard, cutting threw the fire and slashing a clean cut into the woman's back, forcing her to scream, but it also erupted a burst of flame into Inuyasha's face, forcing him to fall back into the woods. Johnny wasted little time. using every muscle in his body, forcing his exosuit to move as fast as possible he ran up to the girl in the fire, who was descending due to the pain from the wound in her back, held his arms around her and dug his fingers into the wound, feeling around for the jewel. fire burst out of the cut once again, but Johnny wouldn't let go. struggling against the intense heat, he finally found it, the small sharp shard. he wrapped his fingers around it and pulled it out with all his might. with a final burst of fire, the shard shot out in his fingers, blood and matter surrounding it. Miroku, Songo, Shippo and Kagome just the raced up the hill from the village, alerted to the disturbance from the smoke coming from the fight, to find the bird of fire slowly shrink, growing smaller and smaller, until there was nothing more but the girl, laying lifeless on the battle torn ground, Johnny's armor clad body gasping for breath close by. Inuyasha stumbled out of the forest, and saw the group holding the same look as his.
"exosuit, execute deactivation protocols." Johnny said aloud. the exosuit slowly seemed to shift, like plates of it moving over one another, until it was just a simple watch again. Johnny gasped as he sat up and looked down over Jean Grey's lifeless body and picked her up in his arms.
"Somebody help me!" he yelled almost helplessly. Inuyasha instinctively leapt over, scooped Jean up into his arms, and leapt off towards the village like a bat out of hell.

Naraku growled to himself as he sat in his cold room, four naked walls surrounding him.
"The Dark Phoenix has failed." a voice said from out of no where. Naraku snickered.
"Excellent, and Skelator?" Naraku asked.
"Gone, to do business on Eternia."
"Perfect, then all is in place. in time Inuyasha shall bright the shards to me, weather he means to or not, and then I will have him." Naraku said to himself as he held a small jewel in his had, a small chunk had been cut out some how. Collecting the jewel seemed to take forever, but now the entire jewel would son be his."

Jean Grey tossed and turned in her straw bed in the small village Inuyasha had taken her to. The massive bandage wrapped around her would itch later, but the price was more than worth it in Johnny's eyes. The curse of the Dark Phoenix was over now, and he was tired. He watched, sitting crouched in the corner of the hut as Kaede applied topical medicine to Jean's wounds, when Songo and Kagome entered the hut.
"how is she?" Kagome asked.
"She is asleep, she will be in great pain for some time, but it is better than the alternative." Kaede replied. Johnny looked down at the shard he had pulled out of her back. It seemed to glow with a light not of this world.
"Kagome." Johnny said as he held out his hand. Kagome took his hand and helped him to stand up. Just then she realized that he had placed something in her hand. It was the shard. The glow had stopped and she seemed to be entranced with it as Johnny limped out of the hut. he continued towards his own hut for a few feet, when he feel, tripping over his own two feet and falling hard onto the gravel below.
"Oh sh!" he said to himself aloud as he struggled to pick himself up. As he struggled he felt an arm wrap around his and pull him up. He looked up to see Songo lift him up to his feet.
"Thank you." Johnny said as he took the cane she held for him.
"It's I who should thank you, you saved the Phoenix." Johnny smiled, remembering they had some kind of religion around Jean in this reality.
"She was a friend, what else could I do?" Johnny said with a sigh.
"What trouble's you?" she asked.
"I have to take her home, but I don't know how, I don't even know how she got here."
"Skelator brought her." a voice said behind them. Johnny and Songo turned to see Zodack standing there. "He delivered her to Naraku." Johnny's face grew even.
"And you will return her to the mansion, right?" Johnny asked, half ordering.
"Only if you do something for me." Johnny groaned, knowing there's be a catch.
"Fine, what."
"My world is under attack and a small army of hero's has been selected to battle to save it, I need you to lead them." Johnny's eyes widened with fear.
"Whom am I fighting?"
"I'm afraid I am unsure, but know this, this coming challenge is like none you have ever faced before." Johnny started to shiver."
"Oh boy."

the end for now...