Previously on Doerai: Dawn of the Darkness...
"Well!"
Hitomi landed on the rock, kicking up the dust with her free foot. "That sure was energizing!"
She grinned, placing her hands on her cheeks.
"My heart is racing with the excitement! I feel so free! I haven't felt this great in years!"
She let out a sigh of relief.
Of course...
She turned to her side with a grin.
"Don't you agree, Torikki-kun?"
When she got no reply, she popped her eyes open, shifting from a bright pink to a dark brown.
"To... Torikki-kun?"
Her eyes widened, turning a sickly shade of gray.
No... No!!
"TORIKKI-KUN?!" she called out, horror filling up her entire self. "TORIKKI-KUN?!?! WHERE ARE YOU?!"
The young mistress looked around desperately, hoping to catch even a glance of her tanuki.
"No... No... No..."
Hitomi's eyes filled up with tears, her eyes turning duller and duller. "Please, no..." she begged herself. "Please... Please... Oh... Oh, God... No..."
Torikki-kun... Torikki-kun...
With that, she threw her head up into the sky, and screamed out his name.
"TORIKKI-KUN!!"
(Footage: As the opening begins, we can see a crystal-colored bird flying across the screen.)
Habata itara modoranai to ittte
(You say if you could fly, you would never come back)
(Footage: Nick and Akemi can be seen on the edge of the Burned Lands, looking into the sky towards the Floating Islands.)
Mezashita no wa aoi, aoi ano sora
(You aimed for that blue, blue sky)
(Footage: Nick stares towards the heavens, wondering if Yuki and Doremi are doing okay. During the instrumental, we pan into the sky. After about a second, Hitomi and Utau cross paths, and the Doerai: Dawn of the Darkness logo appears on the screen.)
"Kanashimi" wa mada oboerarezu "setsunasa" wa ima tsukami hajimeta
(You've yet to remember "sadness", just now began to grasp "pain")
(Footage: Hitomi can be seen walking forward with Torikki happily trotting by her side.)
Anata e to daku kono kanjou mo ima "kotoba" ni kawatte iku
(Even the feelings I held onto for you are just now turning into words)
(Footage: Torikki looks up at Hitomi with a sad look on his face. This causes Hitomi to giggle before reaching down to pet Torikki.)
Michi naru sekai no yume kara mezamete
(As you awaken from the dream of an unknown world)
(Footage: Doerai looks out over his lair, laughing softly. He then jams his staff into the ground and turns it, causing a dark energy to blind the screen.)
Kono hane wo hiroge tobitatsu
(Spread your wings and take off)
(Footage: Akemi looks skyward, her hands joined in a prayer. She then throws her arms out and smiles, and sparkling angel wings sprout from her back.)
Habata itara modoranai to ittte
(You say if you could fly, you would never come back)
(Footage: Doremi can be seen posing with her hand on her forehead. Quick cut to her performing an Ojamajo Storming Spike against the Destroyer.)
Mezashita no wa aoi, aoi ano sora
(You aimed for that blue, blue sky)
(Footage: Yuki can be seen posing with her hands on her hips. Quick cut to her performing an Ojamajo Twilight Rain on a collection of shadow creatures.)
Tsukinuketara mitsukaru to shitte
(If you break through, you know you'll find it)
(Footage: Akemi can be seen posing with her hands locked together. Quick cut to her performing an Ojamajo Crystal Cannon against the Golem.)
Furikiru hodo aoi, aoi ano sora
(So try until you break free to that blue, blue sky)
(Footage: Nick can be seen posing with a peace sign focusing towards the camera. Quick cut to him performing an Ojamajo Arrow of Light against the Dragoon.)
Aoi, aoi ano sora
(That blue, blue sky)
(Footage: Quick flash of Doerai's lair on the Floating Islands, Doerai looking downwards.)
Aoi, aoi ano sora
(That blue, blue sky)
(Footage: Cut to Nick, Akemi, Hitomi, and Utau looking up towards the Floating Islands. Quick jump cut to them racing towards the islands, their hands all intertwined, and Doerai watching from afar as the song ends.)
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(Even in the brightest light, there is always a little bit of darkness.)
YukiShinoya444 and S.P.D. Gold Ranger present:
Doerai: Dawn of the Darkness
Story Created: November 9th, 2008
Summary: AU. In the end, there is only a new beginning. The story continues as Nick and his friends go through another set of experiences... And what of the others?
On Today's Episode: Distraught and abandoned, Hitomi looks around desperately for her precious Torikki, but with no hope. Meanwhile, with the help of his old lover, Nick is able to learn some more about Doerai's return... But then has to deal with a curse he never thought possible when disaster strikes Akemi and Utau... And when even he can't prevent what will happen...
Authoress' Notes: This time, I will do the odds and Nick-kun will do the evens! Wai~
Disclaimer: ...Shouldn't it be obvious by now we don't own anything? (by S.P.D. Gold Ranger: EXACTLY, Yuki-chan.)
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Phase 14: If I Say Your Name Again, Please...
Hitomi looked around frantically for her missing tanuki, and not having much luck.
"TORIKKI-KUN!!!" Hitomi screamed, tears flowing from her eyes. "TORIKKI-KUN, PLEASE ANSWER ME!!!"
"What's the matter, Hitomi-chan?!" Akemi exclaimed, having heard Hitomi's distraught screaming and racing over with Utau.
"Torikki-kun's gone!!" Hitomi responded. "I can't find him anywhere!!!"
Akemi's eyes widened considerably. "WHAT?! You think Doerai might have captured him?"
"He'd better not have, because I swear to God, if he does anything to my precious Torikki-kun..." Hitomi growled, her eyes turning a sharp red.
Please be all right, Torikki-kun, Hitomi thought. I love you so much... I wouldn't want anything to happen to you...
Just then, however...
"Lumen Nebulae!!"
Akemi was the only one who recognized that call, having seen the attack in the last battle with Doerai back in their time.
What scared Akemi even more was the dark circle she saw forming around Hitomi.
"HITOMI-CHAN, WATCH OUT!!!!" Akemi screamed, rushing forward and shoving Hitomi away from the dark circle.
"What's wrong, mommy?" Utau exclaimed, rushing up to her future mother, only to have the dark circle around them explode into a mass of dark energy that slashed mercilessly at the two girls until they fell unconscious.
Before Hitomi could even make a move, she noticed that the unconscious Akemi and Utau had been enveloped in a dark light and vanished.
"NO!! This isn't good... things just keep getting worse..." Hitomi stated to nobody in particular as she rushed off to find Nick.
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"Momoko... well, I saw Yuki-chan and Doremi-chan here. Should I really be surprised?" Nick teased.
"It's good to see that you're still doing all right, Nick," Momoko answered. "I haven't seen you in a while..."
"I wish I could say the same thing, Momoko," Nick noted, looking out over the Floating Islands. "It seems like every step we take is followed by a disaster. First there was the Golem, then the Destroyer, and now Yuki-chan and Doremi-chan are gone... And we don't have much time left before the Belt of Fire does us all in..."
"Relax, Nick," Momoko stated, letting her hands rest on Nick's shoulders. "You've got more than enough time to finish off Doerai. I believe in you, and I always have."
"There's something I've been wondering," Nick suddenly remembered. "How the hell is Doerai even back in the first place? I KNOW I cut him in half the last we met, and no one usually survives that."
"Do you remember the Well of Souls, Nick?" Momoko explained.
Nick simply nodded, not wanting to relive that memory one bit.
"After you and the girls disappeared from the present time, someone had fallen to the darkness and learned of Doerai's power. He somehow knew that the Well of Souls had just enough energy..."
"...to resurrect Doerai," Nick finished.
"Doerai quickly took over after you and the girls vanished. Everyone who knew of your efforts assumed you had died when Doerai started his empire."
"So THAT'S why Hunter was acting like that," Nick noticed.
Momoko stuttered a bit before continuing. "Um... Nick, there's something I have to tell you about Hunter..."
The ex-yellow witch was interrupted when Hitomi raced onto the scene, looking like she'd just gone through hell and lived to tell the story.
"Hitomi-chan? What's the matter?" Nick wondered.
Quickly finding her voice, Hitomi pointed to where she had just come from. "Torikki-kun's gone!!! And Doerai's captured Akemi-chan and Utau-chan!!!"
Nick immediately perked up at this. "WHAT?!! Doerai's got Akemi AND my daughter?!"
Nick turned to his old girlfriend. "Momoko, I've gotta go."
Momoko just smiled. "I know, Nick. You just do your best, okay?"
"As I always do," Nick stated, to which Momoko couldn't help but giggle.
"Nick? I love you. I always will. No matter who you fall for in the future, I'll always love you," Momoko stated.
Nick nodded. "I feel the same way, Momoko. I'll keep my promise. I can assure you that."
With that, Momoko kissed Nick on the cheek before fading away.
"Doerai's lair is just ahead, Nick. Good luck."
Nick looked over to a nearby island, and sure enough, there was Doerai's lair, plain as day.
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"So, they arrive soon. What shall we do, Master?"
"I can take care of the brats. Once they are out of the way, nothing will stop me."
"Understood, Master. Just remember to call me if you need any assistance."
"Rest assured that I will."
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Nick and Hitomi stared onwards. This was it. All that separated them from their final fight was a gigantic double door with ancient writings engraved on it.
Nick looked over at the shivering Hitomi. "This is it, Hitomi-chan. You ready for this?"
Hitomi just stared on, her eyes a dull gray. "Nick... I'm scared..."
Nick reached out and squeezed Hitomi's hand reassuringly. "Just stay close to me, okay? Don't worry. We'll get Torikki-kun back."
Hitomi smiled, reaching over to peck Nick on the cheek as they walked forward, the doors automatically opening for them.
The two looked around as the doors closed behind them. No points for interior decorating, Nick thought. As he looked ahead, he noticed that Doerai was standing on a pillar at the opposite end of the room, with the unconscious Akemi and Utau behind him, though Nick and Hitomi couldn't see them because of a spell that Doerai had put in place.
The dark prophet smirked upon seeing Nick and Hitomi approach. "Ah. At long last, my guests have arrived. Please, come in."
Doerai summoned his staff and slowly began walking towards Nick and Hitomi. "Such determination to get here. It seems we share other qualities beside that of our magical abilities."
Nick shook his head. "Don't give me that. I'm NOTHING like you!!"
Doerai just snickered softly, circling Nick and Hitomi. "Do you think so? Hmm... we'll get to that."
"Don't listen to this little bastard, Nick," Hitomi stated. "Don't listen to anything he says."
"You look so weary," Doerai noted. "Allow me to make you more comfortable."
With that, both Nick and Hitomi shined with a bright light, thus healing all the wounds they had taken over the past couple days.
"There, that's better, isn't it? It's the least I could do for you, Kokoro," Doerai stated, not once losing his cool. "After all, you've done so much for me."
Hitomi flinched at this.
"I'll just bet that you were the one who cursed Torikki-kun," Nick growled. "You've been using her this whole time, haven't you?!"
"I used her, she used you," Doerai countered. "What does it matter, really?"
"What are you talking about?" Nick shot back.
"What?" Doerai wondered. "He doesn't know, Kokoro? Go on, tell him. You mustn't leave him in the dark."
"Tell me what?" Nick responded, still on the defensive.
"How I lured her to the Well of Souls, how she was tricked into freeing me," Doerai answered.
"You're lying!!" Hitomi shot back.
"Hmm... I find it peculiar... how you've chosen to remember things, Kokoro," Doerai noted. "But perhaps you all need a little nudge."
With that, Doerai's eyes shined with a bright light, and Akemi appeared in front of Nick... but she didn't look like the Akemi he knew. She was completely covered in dark energy, her eyes pupil-less pools of light.
"Akemi!! NO!!!" Nick exclaimed.
"The princess should have warned you," Doerai mocked. "You are alone here, young boy. You have always been alone."
Doerai laughed evilly. "Still, here you are, so desperately trying to save this miserable world, refusing to accept the true role of the prophets..."
While Doerai was talking, Akemi had spun around and struck Nick with a spinning kick, knocking the green witch into the wall.
"I'm sure Hunter has told you that I was the first of our kind," Doerai explained. "But I assure you, there have been many."
Doerai continued as Akemi approached Nick again. "It has been the duty of our predecessors to resurrect the Destroyer and the Golems of the deep in order to bring about the great cleansing. This is the true nature of our kind. Your destiny is to destroy the world."
Akemi had just slammed Nick into the wall again, but still he stood. "No!! I don't believe you!!" Nick screamed, refusing to believe what Doerai was saying.
"Of course you don't," Doerai responded. "But you have fulfilled your destiny nonetheless. In your time, I was stopped... prevented from completing my task... but you have carried the flame, be it through your own will or not. And soon, the world will be destroyed, you along with it."
"No..." Nick stated, only to have Akemi swing her fist and send Nick crashing back into the wall.
"Fight back!!" Akemi exclaimed in a distorted voice as Doerai's mocking laughter echoed throughout the area. "Why won't you fight back?!"
Nick looked at his girlfriend sadly. "Because you've left me nothing to fight for."
Akemi perked up at this, the darkness around her clearing away. A bright smile was stamped on her face.
"There's always something," Akemi stated, reaching over to embrace her boyfriend.
"I love you, Nick."
"I love you, too, Akemi."
"HEY!!! Don't leave me out of the fight!!" Utau exclaimed, rushing up to the three. "I want to show my dad that I'm not just a pretty face!!"
"You know I've got your backs," Hitomi stated, her eyes a bright strawberry.
"Argh... so be it, then," Doerai growled, his staff at the ready. "You've all made your choice and so you shall all suffer the same fate!!"
Nick and the girls tensed up, ready for action.
"PREPARE TO DIE!!!" Doerai exclaimed, floating into the air and towards the blood-red skies above.
Nick and Akemi wasted no time in pulling out the Majokai Crystals and transforming into their super forms. Then, they motioned for Hitomi and Utau to come closer, and as they did, the couple spread their arms out, channeling their power into Hitomi and Utau.
The two began glowing with a bright light, coming out in their own super forms.
Utau's hair had changed from yellow to a bright emerald green (though she kept her crystal highlights), and her eyes became golden yellow.
Hitomi's hair had spiked up and changed from brown to a majestic sapphire, and her eyes seemed to sparkle with all the colors of the rainbow.
Nick and Akemi just nodded. They knew what they had to do.
Together, the four supercharged teenagers shot into the sky after Doerai, who was waiting for them.
The final battle was at hand...
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Next time:
Phase 15: Call My Name When the Angels Cry
At long last, the final battle for the fate of the world has begun!! As Nick, Akemi, Hitomi, and Utau engage Doerai in mortal combat, Hitomi continues to worry about Torikki, until said tanuki makes quite the surprising appearance, sporting powers even Doerai didn't know about...