Hi everybody! I'm ba~ck!
School's starting to be a bit trickier to juggle, but Spring Break is coming up, and I can't wait to give you guys this new chapter. This episode was a little weird to write for, but at least now I can finally give Raptor the spotlight for once!
Shou: I couldn't agree more, my dear!
What the-! Shirei! I never said you could do disclaimers this chapter!
Shou: Ma ma ma, Raptor's busy getting ready for the show, and someone needs to keep the ball rolling after all.
But I-... *Sigh* alright, but she at least gets the outro. And no more stealing the spotlight from the rest of the crew, got it?
Shou: Crystal clear, my dear author. Now then, Ms. King owns nothing but her original characters and customs. We hope you enjoy, yahooi!
Uchuu Sentai Kyuuranger
Amagawa Prism
Laughter filled the halls of the Orion-Gou from a very odd party. Said laughter was the rumbling, hearty laugh of Champ, the bubby chuckles of the new addition to the team, Karone, and the small but mighty laugh of the young outsider. These three unlikely friends were in the recreation room just off the bridge, a view of the cosmos stretching out from the massive window behind them as they were talking about the past few days.
After the whole ordeal with Stinger, while the crew tended to avoid talking about it around the bull, Champ had taken to Karone and, oddly Kingston for some reason, surprisingly well. And the kitsune girl, while also acting buddy-buddy with Champ, was practically clinging to Kingston most of the time, seeming almost like a little sister to the outsider.
But another reason for her close radius was to keep Kingston's flames in check. Since she was more than aware of the problems that came with the Amagawa kyuutama, Karone was sticking by her 'creator' to help her practice controlling her flame abilities. Champ had noticed this soon after he had joined in training the young girl in better mastering his massive strength.
This practice was the topic of the current conversation, as Champ was watching the two practice harnessing flames in the palms of their hands while absently lifting his favorite dumbbell, laughing at the results. The girls, in turn, were also chuckling at this while Kingston was trying to conjure fire, with little success.
"Kingston, you're just trying too hard," coached Karone, finally controlling her giggles. "Flames breath, they ignite, they spark. But if you try to create it too forcefully, instead of sparking, they suffocate."
As an example, Karone closed her eyes, relaxed her body, her ears slouching as she spread her arms, a thin trail of flames appearing around her shoulders and tracing down her limbs, swirling and twisting as her kyuutama glowed slightly. And as she opened her eyes and snapped her fingers, the trails raced to her palms, creating small flames floating inches above her hands. And with a curl of her hands into the fists, the fire extinguished as Karone gave a smile of triumph.
"That's a neat little trick Karone," Champ commented. "But maybe it'd be a little easier for her to practice keeping that strength under control first?"
"Maybe so big guy, but fire seems like something that's better to control sooner rather than later," replied Kingston. "And besides, with my level of control as is, I don't think you want me to melt your weights accidentally through touch anytime soon."
Which then caused the bull to pull his beloved dumbbell closer to him, causing another round of laughter from the girls.
After calming down, Kingston decided to try again. Her shoulders slumped, her muscles relaxed, her eyes closed and her palms raised. She imagined fire rising through her, igniting within her. Hotter and hotter they burned, until all at once, Kingston channeled them through her body and snapped her fingers-
Creating a flicker of fire no bigger than a match. Champ nearly doubled over, probably thankful he didn't need to breathe to laugh. Karone wasn't much better, barely able to hold her giggles in as well, her tails swishing playfully.
"Haha, very funny," Kingston drolled, rolling her eyes and closing her fist, snuffing out her tiny flames.
"Ah, don't worry about it so much," Champ replied after finally calming down. "You have to start somewhere. It could be worse. At least you haven't hurt anyone."
"Eh, fair enough," the outsider shrugged. And with her practice inability coming up short, Kingston then turned her attention towards her travel bag, or more importantly, to its contents. Turning towards the two, she smirked and asked, "Can you two keep a secret?"
"Depends," said Karone, her ears perking in curiosity. "What is it?"
As a reply, the young girl reached into her bag, with the two leaning towards her to catch a better look. What she pulled out was a small, purple velvet bag and a half-finished... something. "Eh, not to sound rude or anything, but, what is that stuff?" Champ asked, Karone nodding in confusion.
"Well, this," she started while shaking the bag. "Is a present from Balance. He gave it to me when Lucky and I met him and Naaga, as thanks for getting rid of the guards in the base we were casing for a gem he wanted.'
'Anyway, I don't know where these came from, but there are all sorts of cool trinkets in here." And as proof, she pulled open the bag and, sure enough, dozens of beads in all kinds of colors filled the bag, along with several different charms of all sorts of creatures.
"Moo, well ain't that somethin'," Champ commented. "So, what're you doing with them?"
"Well, I noticed that Raptor seemed a little down lately. Can't guess why for the life of me," she continued, while ignoring the quiet sound of disbelief from Champ's direction, even if he meant it as playful nowadays. "But I thought I could use these and make something to cheer her up. You know, uplift her spirits and all."
"Wow," Karone awed. "That's so sweet, Kingston."
"Aww, thanks, Kitty." Even after she had dismissed the name Kit, those close to Karone called her Kitty as a nickname, but only those that she allowed to.
"To be honest, your bracelet gave me the idea," Kingston said while pointing to the kitsune's jewelry. Karone looked at her bracelet in surprise, but it was then that Champ noticed something interesting; when both girls smiled at the realization, or just together in general, the charm on Karone's bracelet seemed to glow for a second.
However, the glow faded as quickly as it came, and it didn't seem to cause any harm, so Champ decided not to bring it up quite yet. "Haha, well, how's about we head down to the bridge with the others for now, eh? Wouldn't want Shirei to get suspicious and all."
"Ooh, good point," he outsider replied, packing up her things as she went. "Alright then, shall we?"
"Shotgun!" Karone exclaimed, glowing her crimson light and zipping back into her kyuutama, landing in Kingston's front jacket pocket.
Laughing at the sight, the black and white Kyuuranagers started the trek to meet with the others, Kingston grabbing onto Champ's fist like a little kid crossing the street. But as they walked, Kingston couldn't help but smile, feeling both the warmth of the Kitsune kyuutama in her pocket along with the radiance of Champ's rumbling laughter.
For the first time since she had come to this world, the outsider felt like she truly belonged.
Back with the others, the day seemed like any other on the Orion-Gou, some of the crew playing pool, others having their conversations wherever they could find room. However, everything changed with a simple chain of events, starting with Raptor and Shou striding in with a purpose, Raptor adjusting her 'goggles' on the way.
"We've decided on which planet to go next," Raptor announced, her professional tone placed firmly in her voice. But while it served her well regarding missions or debriefs, Kingston sighed to herself at hearing it.
The outsider much preferred the android when she let go of putting on a mask of indifference towards anything other than a mission. When she made her imagination run wild with possibilities and allow them to flourish in the world around her, even if the results sometimes ended up with her mind running away from her (some specific instances, in particular, came to mind).
And while yes, it might earn Raptor some disapproval from others, Kingston knew without a doubt that the android had a hell of a lot of potential in her.
The problem was, she just didn't allow herself to let it show. At least willingly.
Kingston shook her head of her inner monologue at the sound of Lucky, eagerly asking the commander and pilot if there was another Kyuuranger at their destination.
"I wonder," replied Shou, easing into his red leather commander chair while Raptor positioned herself at the pilot's controls. "I'd be shocked if there was!"
Smirking to herself, Kingston then whispered to the Kitsune kyuutama while the two checked for flight preparations, "Karone, fair warning, you might want to stay in kyuutama form for warp speed. It'll be safer when we stop anyway."
"Eh? Why's that?" Karone asked, her kyuutama flashing in time with her words.
But her only answer was a quiet chuckle and a vague reply of "You'll see."
"Alright, everyone! Hold on tight!" Shou proclaimed, buckling into his chair while the others double took in surprise, while Kingston just quirked her lips into a smirk and grappled onto the railing, wrapping her leg around the metal as an anchor.
"Alright," Shou said, propping his goggles over his eyes. "Warp, engage!"
"Okyu," Raptor replied, shutting the lights in her goggles off and ignoring the crew's hurried protests of waiting to let them prep. "Engaging warp."
And with almost no warning, the ship's boosters powered up, a massive warp-hole opening in front of them, before blasting straight into it. The lights in the bridge all dimmed a low red save for the small decorative bulbs. And Karone quickly saw the reasoning for Kingston's warning as, to everyone's surprise, zero gravity in warp speed kicked in and everyone started floating.
And while Kingston stayed firmly planted to her rail, the kyuutama in her pocket floated out in front of her face, and she couldn't help but laugh. Though that was aided by the other Kyuuranger's antics, such as Spada holding onto his hat to keep it from floating off and Garu doggy paddling through the air as if he was swimming.
"Hey! That was too sudden!" Hammy complained while trying to turn herself in mid-air and face the commander.
"What about Stinger?!" Spada asked, his voice slightly wobbly due to lack of balance. "It's bad if you miss the window of opportunity to harvest!"
But Shou merely shrugged nonchalantly, "Well then, let's hope we roll into him somewhere."
Shooting her head up at the reply, Kingston quickly grabbed the crimson kyuutama and said, "Now comes the sucky part."
As she said this, Raptor then announced that they were exiting warp, with the ship screeching to a stop and exiting the warp hole. Unfortunately, this also caused gravity to reinsert itself all at once, something the others quickly found out as everyone not anchored to something slammed onto the ground.
"You alright, Kitty?" Kingston asked while sliding off the railing, Karone popping out of her kyuutama looking a little dizzy. "Um, yeah, I think."
"Well, I don't think you'll want to miss this part," she added while pointing to the darkened planet.
And while reorienting themselves, everyone soon noticed that the overheads were off and the horizon was dawning on the planet they were facing, shining light through the window like a sunrise.
And standing up, catching his cane and sliding off his goggles, Shou then turned to the light and announced, "Let me introduce you..."
As he spoke, the sun was just barely dawning on the current planet, revealing beautiful bright blue oceans, substantial green continents and swirling patches of clouds in the atmosphere. Kingston couldn't help but smile, eager to see the sight before them.
"Welcome to Earth."
The others stood awed by the new planet, but none of them noticed Karone perk up at the planet's name, turning her head to Kingston and silently pointing forward. The girl just nodded without looking, her smile still firmly in place, while the kitsune lit up, her ears pointing up in excitement.
"Your mission is to liberate this planet," Shou said, seemingly unfazed by the planet's view.
"Earth, huh?" Lucky asked excitedly, grinning from ear to ear. "Yosha Lucky! What a pretty planet!"
"Aww, thank you, Lucky," Kingston replied. "But it's not just any planet."
Her words caused everyone to look at her in confusion for a second before some started dawning looks of realization. The outsider merely gave a knowing smile before skipping over to the window. "Minna," she started, before gesturing to Earth and announcing:
"Welcome to my home."
Episode 4: A Dream Beyond a Kyuuranger's Eye!
"Wait, Earth is your home planet?" Hammy asked, shock and confusion mixed in her voice, while the younger girl nodded with pride. "Well, I can't say I've ever heard of it. Where is it?"
"I'm bringing it up now," Raptor replied, using her tablet to dim the lights and bring up a hologram of the universe over the pool table, which quickly spread in size to fit the majority of the room. Raptor then zoomed in on the current planet, giving the others a better idea of its view from the atmosphere.
"It's in the middle of nowhere!" Champ exclaimed, laughing at the sight. "No wonder Kingston acts so backwater all the time!" he added playfully.
"Hey! I resent that!" The outsider retorted, but her playful smile contradicted her argument.
"Ahh! So that's why you said it that way," Lucky added, jumping in.
"'That way'? Whaddya mean, Lucky?" Garu asked, tilting his head.
"When we were making the poison antidote, I asked Kingston if she knew how to use these herbs on her planet. But she said that they were isolated from the universe. Is this what you meant, Kingston?" Lucky finished.
"Right on the money, my lucky lion," she answered, hopping down from the ledge she was closest to and looking at the hologram. "Earth is in the Amagawa system or 'Milky Way' in my native language. And while we might be a tad isolated from other systems and Jack Matter may be there, it's still my home sweet home."
"I see," Spada added thoughtfully. "But if I may ask, why are we focusing on liberating this planet?"
"These are the confirmed Moraimaaz on this planet," Raptor explained, while as she said this, dozens of images depicting said Jack Matter bases covered the planet hologram, much to everyone's shock.
"Goisu, goisu!" Balance exclaimed. "That's a ton of bases for one planet!"
"And there is a Daikaan for each one?" Naaga added in curiosity, Kingston nodding sadly.
"I thought it was just one Daikaan per planet," Hammy said, trying to count just how many of the ships there were.
"I guess there has to be some secret behind this," Garu replied, sitting down.
"Wouldn't they suck up the Planesium pretty quickly like that?" Champ asked.
"In usual cases, yes," Kingston answered. "But for one reason or another, Earth is rich with the stuff."
"Let's just smash them all," Lucky added with a mischevious grin.
"Alright, everybody! Your attention please!" Shou announced as Raptor started walking around and collecting the kyuutamas in some kind of roulette wheel. "Now then, it's time we decided who gets to go on the first mission."
"Wait, we don't all get to go? Why~?" Hammy complained.
"Shirei, don't even start with the budget excuse," Kingston interrupted just as Shou was about to speak. "Raptor, do you mind if I...?"
"If you think you can, by all means," came Raptor's answer as she walked, glad that the girl had at least asked to take over the explanation this time instead of interrupting the android's debrief and irritating her.
"Well, the short version is that all kyuutamas are powered by Kyuu Energy. The rule is that we can't risk spending it all at once. But there are better reasons to be made, seeing as the show broke that rule more than once," she finished with slight irritation towards the end, to the other's confusion.
"And what reasoning would that be?" Shou asked.
"Well, in my case, my customs are bound to another energy source altogether. While the originals you guys have are powered by Kyuu Energy, I made it so that all of the custom kyuutamas I make is powered by another kind of energy in the world: Cosmic Energy. Its still found in in the universe and is pretty close to Kyuu Energy, just another variant with some slight differences.'
"But another reason involving all of us is one of the main rules involving being a hero at all, at least in my world. Particularly involving Sentai teams of the like. That rule is never to escalate a fight first. If the enemy starts a fight, then you fight back. So having five or six of us rather than nine is a cleaner fight, and we'll have backup fighters should we need them."
"Ahh, Naruhodo," Shou replied, stroking his chin. "Well, in that case," and with a roll of the wheel, five kyuutama cam rolling out. "Lucky, Garu, Hammy, Champ, and Spada," Shou stated, pointing to those mentioned. "You five will lead the first team," he announced much to their excitement.
"Hey now, we're stuck watching the base?" Balance complained.
"How frustrating," Naaga added, but smiled in mistake.
"Not to worry, you two," Shou added, addressing the BN duo. "I want you boys to tend to the equipment," he finished, Balance cheerily agreeing.
"Um, Shirei?" Karone voiced, catching the dragon's attention. "I think you forgot about us. What are we doing?" the kitsune asked, pointing back and forth between herself and Kingston, both of whom weren't invited to place their own Kyuutamas in the Kyulette.
"Ah, well, it's as our little shooting star said. You two have a different energy source, so we don't need to worry as much about wasting your energy source as quickly," Shou explained. "But its also because I have a vital mission for you two. Along with Raptor."
Both of the girls lit up in excitement at his words, while the pilot android did a double take, staring at her commander in what was assumed to be a surprise based on her reaction. "An important...mission," she repeated. "Um, a-are you sure they wouldn't be better off by themselves?"
"Well, I thought it best if they went with you. After all, you'll be in charge of this assignment."
Raptor just stood in shock. Do I get to deploy with the members? she thought, slowly lighting up her eyes. Like in my stories?! Raptor then started fidgeting with her tablet, daydreaming of the possibilities. This was it! She was finally going to be in the fight!
At this point, she was openly showing her excitement, and Spada started to worry slightly, thinking that something was wrong with the android. "What's wrong, Raptor?" he asked.
However, the android immediately regained her composure, tapping her goggles and brushing off her reaction.
The ones going with her, however, had almost immediately grabbed their travel bags, Kingston having given Karone one of her spares she had found, and dashed over to Raptor, catching her in a group hug.
"Way to go, Raptor!" Karone praised.
"Glad to have you with us!" Kingston added, flashing the two next to her an enthusiastic grin. Raptor started giggling excitedly and pulled the girls closer, thanking them for the support.
"Now then, your mission," Shou started, drawing the three's attention.
"There is a delicious ball-shaped fruit on Earth known as peaches. I would like to try them, so I need you to go and buy some from the local markets. Kingston, since this is your planet, you can help her find what she needs as well as act as support with Karone in case of any troubles that might arise."
To say that the three given this task were disappointed was an understatement. Raptor especially, slightly disheartened by the fact that her hopes were dashed.
Still, Kingston tried to lighten the mood, giving a small smile towards the two before adding, "Well, on the bright side, at least we weren't left out. We can get a better idea of the planet's condition from more than one perspective this way."
And while the kitsune processed this and nodded in agreement in an attempt to cheer the android up, Raptor stayed quiet while the others deployed. Spada, on his way out, also noticed the pilot's mood, frowning in concern.
So, the trio started out, Kingston and Raptor riding in Kitsune Voyager.
On the way down, Kingston decided that maybe some alone time was just what the doctor ordered for the android. "Hey, Raptor. I don't mean to pry, but- *Sigh* ok, no beating around the bush. Is something wrong? You've been acting a little... I don't know, left out, I guess? What's been bugging you?"
Raptor, slightly flustered by the girl's questions, tried to brush off the concern. "O-Oh, um, no no, nothing's the matter, Kingston. So much has been happening all at once, and I'm still trying to process everything. Its nothing I can't handle, nothing for you to worry about."
But Kingston, fingering the present for the android in her pocket and hearing the doubt in her answer clear as day, frowned slightly.
Raptor was a highly capable Android, so the idea of processing the changes around her, no matter how fast they were, was a weak excuse and they both knew it.
Still, the issue at hand wasn't something to be forced, and Raptor didn't like showing her true feelings quickly, lest she face the consequences for letting them show at all. Not to mention the outsider had been on shifting terms with her for a while now, so who knew if she would be able to coax anything out of the android again. So, for now, at least, she nodded and let the matter drop.
"Alright, but, please know that Karone and I are always open. If you ever want someone to talk to, we'll be there."
In response, Raptor nodded, seeming a bit surprised that the girl had accepted her flustered answer. Neither of them said anything else as they stared at the fast approaching Earth until Raptor finally spoke up.
"So, Kingston. What's this Earth like anyway?"
Earth, they soon found out, was not precisely in the best of shape.
After landing on the island country Kingston had dubbed 'Japan,' the teams were greeted by the city buildings crowded with overgrown plants, the towers halfway pulled down by vines, crumbled streets filled with rubble, and no small amount of Jack Matter troops.
The ground view wasn't much better, with debris and trash littered about, Jack Matter flags and propaganda scattered everywhere in sight, and passerbys were aimlessly sulking through the alleyways and empty sidewalks.
The people were, by far, the most disturbing sight, all of them wearing dark clothes as if to better blend in with the gloomy atmosphere, looking half dead and defeated.
"So, this is Earth?" Lucky asked, spinning around to absorb the scene entirely. But after seeing a passerby and looking at Kingston, he noticed something that didn't seem to match up. But he decided to push the thought aside for now.
"Everyone seems pretty down," Hammy commented as a mother was quickly ushering her daughter out of the open, the child staring at them.
"I can't sense any justice at all," Champ added, his sensors indicating dozens of people hiding in the abandoned buildings around them while catching others in little hideaways for the homeless.
Karone subconsciously flattened her ears into her hair and tried hiding her golden tails with her jacket as she glanced around. "No kidding. Kingston, is it always like this here?"
"Hell no," came the immediate reply. "While I will admit I've never actually been to this part of the world, I know for damn well certain it's not like this."
"In any case, we should get going," Raptor called from the back. "You all go on ahead. We'll go find some peaches," she finished, her quiet voice showing her downtrodden mood.
"What's the matter Raptor?" Spada asked, turning to face her. "You seem down."
Raptor stiffened, once again brushing off the concern. Kingston then pulled the chef off to the side for a moment. "Spada, now might not be the best time," she started. "Best not to push this sort of issue. Besides, we might have bigger fish to fry."
At Spada's look of confusion, one of his questions were answered with Garu perking up. Catching the sound of screams nearby.
Following the wolfman's ears, the Kyuuranagers soon found a crowd of innocents running everywhere they could, parents rushing their children to safety. But a father and his son weren't able to escape the carnage, both of them tripping as they were cornered by an Indaver.
A troop of the soldiers was herding any children they could find towards their boss; a Daikaan, what seemed to be an alien elephant in bright colors and looking like a kid drawing come to life, flanked by a dozen Indavers and two Tsuyoindavers.
"Lower your heads!" he yelled in a goofy voice. "I am your Daikaan, Master Yumepakkun! Now hurry up and offer your dreams to me!"
Said Daikaan then strode over to its latest victims, tossing the father aside and focusing on the little boy, who couldn't have been any older than seven. And patting his head, the Daikaan asked him, "What is your dream?"
And making eye contact, Yumepakkun's eyes glowed, causing the boy's eyes to match as a cloud of some sorts appeared over his head, the boy wistfully answering, "I want to eat a big meal."
Wasting no time after the fact, the Daikaan then swung his trunk and sucked up the clouds, eating the boy's dream as if it was no different than a meal, and the boy collapsed. "That was delicious," he exclaimed. "I want to eat more! Men! Find me more victims!"
But a shrill whistle reached the Daikaan's ears and turning towards the sound, he was greeted by a dropkick straight from Lucky and was knocked back a good few feet. "What the hell did you do?!" Lucky angrily asked, Raptor hiding behind a nearby tree while Karone looked over the child, who was mostly unresponsive.
"What do you think you're doing?!" Yumepakkun retorted haughtily, his troops surrounding him. "How dare you interrupt my meal!"
"You're what?!" Champ shouted
"There's nothing more delicious as children's dreams!" The Daikaan greedily explained, and the others then noticed two other children nearby, left in the same unresponsive state as the boy, with an adult trying to shake one back to their senses with no success.
"Ok," Kingston voiced. "Bad enough you fucked up my planet, now you're treating something as precious as a dream, and a child's dream at that, as nothing more than a late night snack?!" Garu nearly had to hold the girl back in her anger, Karone rushing over to help him, though they all shared the disgust towards his actions.
"I'll never forgive someone who steals dreams from children!" Lucky agreed, taking the lead. "Everyone, let's go!"
SAY! THE CHANGE! "Star Change!"
And running through their stars, the Kyuurangers wasted no time, all of them pulling out their weapons and laying waste to the troops. Kitsune pulled out what looked like a Kyu Spear, although with a few minor differences, such as the blade was long and the entire weapon was repainted with a fire motif.
The fight itself was something like a dodging game, with most of them swerving and leaping all over the surrounding area to avoid the blasters of the Indavers and the Tsuyoindavers mini-bazookas.
Lucky and Prism were left to fight Yumepakkun, who was clutzy with his dodges but still somewhat holding his own, while Raptor watched from behind the tree nearby wistfully. I want to join, someday, she thought.
"Hey!" the Daikaan exclaimed. "Help your master out already!" But he was soon distracted by sensing another dream. And turning around, he was able to see Raptor's vision, which was more substantial than the child's from earlier.
"What is that big dream of hers?" he awed hungrily. Not wasting a second, Yumepakkun jumped into the air, intent on surprising the android and eating his fill. But Prism, noticing Raptor daydreaming, let her speed kick in as she zipped in front of Raptor, just barely stopping in time for the Daikaan to land, surprised by the small girl's perceptiveness toward him.
But when Prism ran up to him and continue trading blows, Raptor, intent on joining in, ran alongside the girl, throwing her clumsy punches whenever she could find an opening.
Prism, hatching an idea, pulled Raptor back for a second and asked, "Wanna fire a weapon?" before handing the android a spare Kyu weapon that Prism had kept in her cape in case of emergencies.
Gasping in excitement, Raptor eagerly nodded and carefully took the gun, which was in the Kyu Shot mode, before the Daikaan charged towards the two, his dreamcatcher spear lanced at the ready.
Lucky also charged, managing to push the spear back while Prism landed a few hits with her keys, before taking a step to the side and allowing Raptor to shoot at the small opening. And to her surprise, the android was able to land right on the bullseye, knocking the elephant Daikaan back in frustration.
However, the greedy dream eater wasn't done yet, as he roared a somewhat silly war cry and swung his spear, knocking Lucky aside and nearly whacking Prism off her feet, but the Daikaan had a lot more strength than intended as one of her keyblades was flung out of her hands.
Heading straight for Raptor.
"Raptor! Shoot it back!" Prism yelled, breaking the weapon hold and speeding towards the spiraling key-sword. Luckily, Raptor was able to hear the warning and shot at the teeth of the blade, managing to let Prism safely catch it by the handle and, while turning in midair, fired off and landed a few of her own shots.
"RRAH! Enough of this insolence!" Yumepakkun yelled. As a response, just as Prism and Lucky were about to continue their assault, two Indaver flanked each of them, blocking their attack paths.
And leaving Raptor to the dogs. Or, the elephant in this case.
"Now, what is your dream?" Tha Daikaan asked, managing to make eye contact and have Raptor obey his whim.
"My dream is..." the android started dazily.
"Raptor!" Spada exclaimed, slashing his current opponent away and rushing towards Raptor, slashing Yumepakkun away from her just in the nick of time while urging the pilot back.
"Why you..." the Daikaan fumed. However, the odds were not in his favor as the other Kyuurangers had managed to defeat his soldiers, leaving all of their attention on him as they fired their blasters and rushed to protect his latest 'meal'.
"This isn't the last you've seen of me!" he proclaimed, before bouncing away to retreat into his home base.
"You ok?" Hammy asked, checking on her robot friend while the others demorphed, Lucky rushing over to check on the child from earlier.
But before he could do anything, he was quickly shoved away by the boy's father, who just picked the boy up by his arms and dragged him away. But the man was still able to shoot the Kyuurangers a look of hate before scuttling back to somewhere hidden.
However, Lucky's attention was pulled by Spada, who was talking to Raptor about the fight. "Why didn't you run away?" he asked.
"Hey hey hey, easy Chef," Kingston interrupted. "Raptor's alright, no injuries or anything. Hell, she helped during the fight and even managed to land a few hits."
"Still, she shouldn't have put herself in harm's way like that."
"W-well..." Raptor stuttered, seemingly flustered and a little nervous.
"You shouldn't be in dangerous places like this," he continued.
"Neither should those victims, but we can't do anything about that. At least Raptor was able to defend herself with a weapon. Spada, it was just victim of circumstance, alright?"
"Kingston, please," Spada scolded.
"B-but I-"
"Just go back to Orion-Gou, now!"
Kingston and Karone started at the chef's harsh words. Raptor just quietly whimpered.
"Still, I had no idea that Raptor had such a big dream," Lucky commented, trying to ease the mood where he could. "What was it, anyway?"
"I do not have any dreams!" Raptor replied forcefully. "I will return to Orion-Gou. Kingston, Karone. Let's go back."
"Don't forget the peaches on your way back!" Lucky called. And while Karone jogged to catch up, Kingston shot her lucky red a withering look, while aiming her gaze tiredly towards Spada as well before running to catch up.
But her look turned into confusion for a second as Karone was ushering her closer to the android, a slight look of urgency on her face as her tails stiffened. When closer, Raptor suddenly took both girls in her hands and whispered, "Can we talk on the ship? Privately?"
Without saying a word, both of them smiled softly and nodded, and the android let out a small sigh.
Whether it was out of relief or sadness, neither could say.
After returning to the Orion-Gou, the trio was greeted by Shou while Balance and Naaga were fine-tuning the Kyuuranger equipment for the coming battles.
"Welcome back, ladies! How was the mission?" Shou cheerily asked, catching the BN thieves' attention.
Raptor merely walked over to the commander in a huff, shoved the cans of peaches at his mouth and huffily declared, "Here are your peaches."
"Balance," Naaga voiced. "I know this emotion. It is... anger."
"Spot on, Naaga," Kingston said, coming up behind him for a quick hug. But she then ducked her head to whisper to the duo, "Boys, I hate to interrupt, but is it alright if we take the bridge for a little while? Raptor wants some privacy after today."
"Ahh, gotcha, gotcha. No problem, Kingston," Balance answered. Naaga just nodded in agreement as the two packed up their supplies and started for the rec room to continue their work. Shou, noticing the two clearing out, took the hint and vaguely spoke of going to the kitchen to try out his new delicacy as an excuse before he left as well.
After the two left, Karone sat at one of the tables and decided to be the starter for Raptor. "Ok, no one else is around, comms are off, for the time being, we are all yours. Now, what did you want to talk about?"
It took her a few seconds to gather the courage and calm herself down from her anger, but Raptor eventually answered. "First of all, I wanted to thank you for protecting me like that. And for trying to let me join you in battle," she finished with a slightly bashful tone towards the end.
Kingston smiled. "Hey, you were able to defend yourself better that way, and we were doing pretty well up until I was distracted. You're a natural with that Kyu Shot though."
But the sigh that was Raptor's reply was not what the two were expecting for a compliment. "I'm sorry for putting myself in danger like that. I shouldn't have even considered taking that weapon and just ran for cover instead."
"This again?" Karone sighed. "Raptor, its like Kingston said. It was a bad circumstance that the monster attacked like that. Remember, there were kids there too, and those were the Daikaan's main targets."
"But I am no better off than those children."
Both of the humanoids perk up at that before Kingston cautiously asked, "What do you mean?"
"I was designed to be the Orion-Gou's pilot and act as a secretary android to Shirei. That is my sole purpose for being alive. But... those are my only working functions. I wasn't created to fight like Champ was. We can't risk my well being in the fight against Jack Matter. All I am is dead weight in a fight. And also..."
She went quiet for a moment, and the two thought they would have to prompt the android to continue before she quietly asked, "Please, whatever I show you stays between us, right?"And after tossing a glance at each other, the two nodded in determination. Raptor then gestured for the two of them to come closer as she sat in her pilot's chair, pulling out her tablet.
And looking over her shoulder, the two were greeted by a drawing lighting up from the screen, depicting Raptor acting as a shield for a fallen Ouishi Black as an Indaver was raising its weapon towards her above a diary entry.
But as the trio was distracted by Raptor's journal, none of them noticed Lucky coming in from the side and looking over Raptor's other shoulder, also catching a glimpse of the drawing.
"I see now!" Lucky exclaimed, making the three girls jump as Raptor scrambled out of her chair and the other two humanoids stumbled back slightly.
"For crimanently's sake, Lucky, make a sound when you walk in instead of giving us heart attacks!" Kingston panted, hand clutching her heart.
"Not to mention that stuff was confidential," Karone added, brushing her tails with her hand as a stress reliever.
"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you. But that's your story, huh Raptor?"
"It is not a story!" Raptor argued, fumbling all over herself in embarrassment and clutching her tablet to her chest with her head down.
"You don't need to hide it!" Lucky encouraged with his goofy grin.
"He's right," Karone agreed after calming down. "There's nothing to be ashamed about."
"Yes, there is! I'm broken!"
All three of them jumped in surprise at Raptor's outburst. Was that why she tried to hide her other half all the time?
After calming down slightly, the pilot elaborated. "I'm a Rebellion produced all-purpose android type 283. I was programmed to be a pilot and a secretary. But my delusions of fighting just won't stop."
And realizing that she felt she had said too much, she hastily asked them, "Do you think I should get repaired?"
"Absolutely not."
Kingston finally joined the conversation, her head down on the pool table. "Raptor, there is something wrong with you. But it's not anything involving your programming. In fact, it's much the opposite."
The three looked at her curiously, before Lucky asked her to elaborate.
"What you're feeling is not delusions in the slightest. They're dreams. Wonderful, incredible dreams that make you happy just thinking about them. But there is one major obstacle you're facing with your dreams."
She paused for a moment to allow her words to sink in and allow the android to come up with an answer. But it was Karone who dawned the realization. "You're not letting them spark."
"Sou no tori, Kitty. It's what Karone taught me about conjuring fire. Fire sparks and breathes, but if you don't let them or try to suffocate them, then they'll never see the light of day. Dreams aren't that much different in that sense."
"She's right, you know," Lucky added. "Having dreams are awesome, and we all have them, myself included."
"To see the edge of the galaxy, right?" Raptor asked.
"That used to be my dream," he chuckled. "But now its to beat Jack Matter with all of you guys."
The two smiled at his words, while Raptor stayed quiet, letting them sink in. But it was then that Kingston decided to address the other fear in the android's situation.
"And I know that you think that you weren't meant to join the fight. And I will agree, maybe not at first. But I want you to look at the three of us for a second."
Raptor raised her head, turning her sensors toward the young outsider.
"Whether or not you believe what I've said about being from another universe, the fact is I was never meant to be anything in this universe at all. I wasn't even supposed to exist. And before I came here, I was never able to do so much as throwing a decent punch, let alone fight a Space Shogunate on a weekly basis. But look at me now," she finished, pirouetting with a bright smile.
"And Lucky here," she continued, gesturing to the red Kyuuranger, who grinned in response. "He was just a wandering pilot. Even he didn't think about becoming a Kyuuranger until he found out about us. Now he's helped us find at least a third of what the Rebellion's been looking for in less than a month. Not to mention his contributions in fights."
"Um, I didn't catch all of the words you used just there, but thanks, Kingston!" Lucky smiled, flashing a peace sign towards the young girl.
"And of course, look at Karone." Kingston then strode up to the kitsune, who looped an arm- and one of her tails- around the girl with a soft smile. "When I created her kyuutama, all I thought it was capable of was letting me play firebreather for a day," she explained, the android quietly chuckling at the memory of when Kingston had used the kyuutama for the first time.
"But I never expected it to be able to create a Voyager, much less let Karone come to be. And look at her now," she finished, Karone flashing a mischevious grin while perking her ears.
"We all have one essential aspect in common. With each other, and with you," Kingston explained, pointing to Raptor.
As a response to the android's surprise, the girl merely said, "It shouldn't matter what you were made for or how you were created. Whether you're an android, a humanoid, or even a kyuutama given life," she joked while scratching Karone's ear and making the kitsune laugh.
"What most people forget about creations of any kind is that they all share one common aspect. All creations can grow, change, and evolve beyond even the creator's eye. It happened with me. With Lucky. With Karone. And you have the same ability, Raptor," Kingston finished, pointing in the center of Raptor's chest. The android looked at where the girl was leading, then back up at the girl, who smiled.
But before Raptor could say anything, she startled when Lucky's communicator went off, and Hammy's voice rang through. "It looks like the Daikaan is attacking more kids," she relayed, she and the rest of the team facing the alien elephant steal a crowd of children's dreams, all of them left comatose.
Turning their blasters back on, Karone answered, "We're on our way."
"Just give us a second," Lucky added, glancing at Raptor before eyeing Kingston and Karone. Catching the look, the girls followed his train of thought and smirked, each of them looping through one of Raptor's arms before Lucky announced that the android was deploying with them.
"Wait wait wait hang on a second!" Raptor exclaimed. "If I go, Spada will get angry again."
"Then we'd better give you a means of defending yourself," Kingston shot back.
Lucky, catching on, grabbed the spare blaster Naaga and Balance had set aside while Kingston pulled the Kyu Shot from before. Raptor immediately started backtracking, not wanting to rock the boat any further and make fighting the enemy more difficult. However, she was battling three on one against some of the more stubborn members of their crew. She didn't stand a chance.
The android just hoped her odds were better defending against a Daikaan. Or Spada.
Despite some slight issues with Raptor having to be half dragged by the three humanoids, the four eventually reached the rendezvous point, Lucky calling out a quick apology for the delay.
Champ was the first to notice Raptor trying to hide behind Karone and Spada immediately started reprimanding the three. "Why did you bring Raptor?! She'll be a target!" Spada scolded.
"Well, that's why we gave her provisions," Kingston added holding up Raptor's left wrist, which was now brandished with a Seiza Blaster and clutching the Kyu Shot.
Spada looked none too pleased by the revelation, but Hammy was the first to voice the concern. "You gave her a Blaster?"
"Well, you didn't seem satisfied with her just using the Kyu Shot, so now she has more options," the younger girl retorted.
"Che cavolo, Kingston, that's not what we-"
"I'm sorry!" Raptor hastily apologized. "I'll go back."
"Wait wait, hang on Raptor!" Karone argued, holding onto the android's arm to keep her from running off.
"Look, no matter what, we're going to rescue the children," Lucky stated, a determination in all of their eyes.
But before anything could happen, a voice called all of them out, scaring Raptor. When they turned towards the noise, the Kyuurangers were greeted by a whole swarm of adults, all of them run ragged and looking none too pleased with the saviors.
"How dare you try to interfere!" the adult leading the crowd yelled, Lucky and Karone recognizing the man as the father of the boy they had tried to save.
"And just what is that supposed to mean?" Karone asked.
"We're suffering because you guys resisted!" a woman near the front yelled.
"Don't interfere!" the leader yelled. "They're just taking dreams. It's not like we'll die or anything," he reasoned, the words striking a cord with Raptor.
"That's a load of crap, and you know it!" Lucky yelled, climbing the stairs towards the angry mob.
"You would seriously toss your own child's dreams to the dogs, quite literally in this case, so that you can live another day? Leave them comatose and without a hope in the world? How is that any different from being dead?!" Kingston shouted.
The words rang through the air, leaving both Raptor and Spada to process them. "Remember this!" Lucky shouted, racing towards the front and pushing through the crowd, the other Kyuuranger catching up.
Yumepakkun soon noticed the saviors from the stage, angrily asking if they were interfering again.
"Hell yeah, we are! Minna, ikuzo!"
SAY! THE CHANGE! "Star Change!"
Neither side wasted a second, both teams grabbing their weapons and charging straight in, no holds barred.
"Lucky, let's take this somewhere a bit more open!" Prism yelled, hacking through two Indavers.
The others quickly caught on, managing to lead their enemies into a nearby warehouse district. Champ and Garu were dealing with the higher ranks while the humanoids made quick work of the ground troops.
"There aren't enough soldiers! Hurry!" Yumepakkun yelled to his soldiers, before trying to clumsily snake his way through the fight and towards Raptor, who was watching behind a pole nearby.
"You're the one with the big dream!" he exclaimed, before trying to bum rush Raptor and eat her dream. "Now's my chance!"
"Not this time, tubby!" Karone shouted, her and Lucky rushing towards the Daikaan and catching his spear in a lock.
"Don't you worry, Raptor!" Lucky called over his shoulder, the android staring in shock. "This time, we'll protect your dream!"
And taking the chance, Prism super-sped, albeit a bit hastily, towards the two, managing to land a slash on the Daikaan while the others took care of the straggling Indaver. But Spada, noticing the three, went to assist in clearing out the small fry.
"Don't you get it?!" he shouted towards them. "You're putting Raptor in danger!"
"I'm not! I believe that Raptor will make her dream come true!" Lucky shouted, dodging another swing from an Indaver.
"But even if you believe..." Kajiki started.
"Dammit, Spada, do you honestly think having her suffocate like this instead of growing is going to help her at all?!" Prism retorted, fed up with the chef's attitude towards Raptor.
"Shouldn't we believe in her?! Aren't we supposed to be her friends?!" Karone added, stabbing a straggler with her spear and blasting fire at another with her palm.
"Spada, what you're saying is no different than these guys, and they physically steal dreams," Lucky reasoned, holding back two enemies with his sword.
Spada stopped dead in his tracks at hearing the words, visibly shaken. "I'm...the same as them?" he questioned, thinking back to the Daikaan's and his actions, and quickly realizing the truth in their words.
And he refused to act as such for a second longer.
"Tell me Raptor," Spada started, turning to face the pilot. "What do you want to do?"
Raptor, fidgeting with her hands, tried voicing her words. "I..."
She looked towards the others, all of them giving her nods of affirmation as if allowing her to speak her mind finally. "I..."
"Come on Raptor, let it out," Prism encouraged. "Let your dream spark and see the light of day! Say it!"
"I..." the android started, feeling the words climb within her. Higher and higher, her confidence building, until finally, she shouted:
"I want to fight with you all!"
And, put simply, the universe gave her dream its spark. In the form of the pink Washi Kyuutama appearing in front of her.
Raptor's breath caught as she gently cupped the kyuutama in her synthetic hands as if it were a baby bird. "My own...Kyuutama?"
"Yosha Lucky!" Lucky shouted, the others fending off their opponents and rushing towards the android, who was still in shock at the event. But she was shaken out of it by Prism practically tackling her in a bear hug, shouting, "I knew it! Oh, gosh, Raptor, I am so proud of you!"
Raptor, finally gaining awareness, hugged the white Kyuuranger back before catching a glimpse of the blaster on her wrist. Looking the girl tentatively, the android asked, "Can I do this?"
The response: "Without a doubt."
Letting out a breath, she thanked Prism for the support as well as Lucky for the blaster, and stepped back, glancing at her new Kyuutama. "Mawaslide!"
Washi Kyuutama! SAY! THE CHANGE!
And finally, for the first time, Raptor proudly called, "Star Change!"
When the glow of the eagle constellation faded, there stood the eighth Kyuuranger, Washi Pink. Her added touched were, of course, a skirt, her visor being an eagle spreading its wings, and the most prominent detail was the pink feathery wings protruding from her back.
When the rush of adrenaline faded, Raptor examined her new awe in wonder, thrilled to have become a Kyuuranger and finally be able to aid in the good fight. The others than gathered around her in congratulations, Hammy and Karone cheering alongside their new fighter. "Raptor, let's beat him together," Spada declared, with Raptor eagerly agreeing. And so, the roll call began once again.
"Super Star! Shishi Red!"
"Beast Star! Okami Blue!"
"Ring Star! Ouishi Black!"
"Shinobi Star! Chamaeleon Green!"
"Food Mei-Star! Kajiki Yellow!"
"Shooting Star! Amagawa Prism!"
"Blazing Star! Kitsune Crimson!"
"Speed Star! Washi Pink!"
"The nine ultimate saviors! Uchuu Sentai..."
"KYUURANGER!"
"Let's test your luck!"
And with a cheer coming from Prism, the fight began anew, though this time much more in favor of the saviors. "if you piss off the chef, the meal will never be made!" commented Spada, making quick work of his opponents with a new passion burning within.
And asking Raptor to watch his back, the new Kyuuranger twirled her now familiar Kyu Shot before happily agreeing and letting the trigger run wild with blasts to her foes. And with her blaster acting as a double, Raptor nearly became the Billy the Kid for the Kyuurangers.
It was then that the communicator chimed and the BN Thieves spoke, relaying that the Kyuu-Buckle of the Kyuuranger suits were now linked to Orion-Gou, meaning that Kyuutamas could be teleported from the ship and into their buckles whenever they needed one. As an example, Spada received the Kani kyuutama and took it for a spin, summoning a giant energy crab claw that squeezed into a good chunk of Indavers before flinging them away.
But when two Tsuoindavers showed up, Raptor decided it was her turn to have some fun, dodging their mini-missiles and taunting them as a moving target. In their hubris, they both took the bait, firing directly towards the android. And while managing to dodge one, she managed to avoid the explosion of the other by leaping into the air- staying afloat by her now flapping wings, much to Spada's awe.
Awe that was continued as Raptor lived up to her title as the Speed Star, zipping into the nearby warehouse and using every beam, sharp turn and obstacle she faced to her advantage, safely detonating two of the three missiles during her flight. And flying straight into the air, Raptor had a clear shot as she blasted the last rocket, without so much as a scratch.
However, she was hidden in the coming explosion, making the Daikaan think that she had been defeated. Something the Android readily used to her advantage, summoning the Bouenkyou kyuutama as a sniper scope, locking directly onto her target.
"Return the children's dreams!" she exclaimed, her aim ringing true as she fired the Kyu Shot, landing a direct hit on Yumepakkun's stomach, which in turn released all of the dreams he had eaten like a rocket, all of the clouds zooming back to their owners, all of the children regaining their senses.
The praise the android received after landing brought mountains of joy, matched only by the notion of joining the final GALAXY!
"All-Star Crash!"
But while the Daikaan used the two Tsuuoindavers as shields, the blast did knock him back a few feet, and Raptor squealed in delight at her handiwork.
"Good Luck!"
"Alright then," Yumepakkun growled, stumbling to his feet. "Time for my backup plan."
And with that, he jumped into his Daikaan, which, of course, transformed into a giant robot, with himself as the pilot.
"And that's my cue to bow out for now. Raptor, all yours," Prism stated, taking a step back and allowing the others to start their Voyagers. Raptor gladly took the cue, activating her cockpit alongside the others and summoning her Washi Voyager, with Karone forming Kitsune Voyager beside her.
And as Kyuurenn-Oh was formed, with Raptor joining the mech as a bow and arrow attachment of sorts, Prism couldn't help but feel her heart swell with pride at the android's achievements. While yes, the argument could be made that she had seen the episode already and therefore shouldn't seem so unusual in hindsight, experiencing the struggle and triumph in person, not to mention help orchestrate the event in a sense, was something the girl was thrilled by, only amplified watching the Super Galaxy finisher, Washi Voyager being used for shooting energy arrows to annihilate the Moraimaaz. But while the day was won, Yumepakkun escaped for another day.
But with Raptor saying their 'saving the universe' catchphrase while bumping her head in her excitement, Prism figured it was worth it.
After returning to Orion-Gou, Washi Voyager docking into its new cockpit, the team went for a debrief with Shou. "What a shock," Shou started. "Looks like you're the eighth Kyuurnager then."
"You knew, didn't you?' Naaga asked the commander suspiciously, to which Shou just brushed off. But when the silver Kyuuranger turned towards Kingston, prepared to ask her the same, the response was a finger to her lips to keep quiet and a wink.
"Orion-Gou pilot, secretary, and Washi Pink. Talk about doing it all," Champ interrupted. "We're counting on you Raptor."
"Nicely done, Raptor!" Balance cheered, "I'll be counting on ya!"
"Let's do our best together, Minna," Raptor proclaimed.
"Faith is a two-way street, Raptor," Karone replied. "We'll be there for you too. After all, what are friends for?" Raptor giggled and hugged the kitsune girl, scratching behind her ear and making her purr slightly.
"So, that's eight of us found, grr," Garu added.
"We'd have all nine if Stinger were with us," Lucky replied thoughtfully, but the matter was dropped when Champ started acting irritable at the name.
Thankfully, it was then that Spada came in bearing a tray in his chef's attire. "Alright, everybody, I've made a little celebratory treat."
And with Raptor front and center, Spada revealed a pink cake decorated with peaches and a candy plaque that said 'Congratulations Raptor 283', and everyone was thrilled.
"Yosha Lucky!" Lucky exclaimed. "Everyone eats up, and we'll be sure to beat that Daikaan next time!"
And as everyone cheered and Spada passed around slices, Karone and Shou eager to try peaches properly for the first time, Raptor looked around and felt the warmth and love the others had given her.
Finally, the dreaming android was living her wish.
Later on, after the party, Raptor went back up to her secret spot on the ship to write in her journal.
"its difficult to follow your dreams," she started. "But I think my dream will come true when I'm with everyone. Right Uncle?" she asked, patting her spot and staring out at the cosmos, her journal showing a drawing with all of the Kyuurangers along with Raptor herself as Washi Pink in the front.
As it turned out, her favorite spot was not inside, but outside the ship, mainly sitting on the Orion-Gou's head.
"Well, I can't exactly speak for him, but I would agree."
Surprised by the new voice, Raptor turned to find Kingston standing behind her in her Kyuuranger suit with her arms crossed.
"Kingston! What are you-How did you- How are you here?"
"Easy, Raptor, calm down. My suit doubles as a space suit. I'm completely protected in this."
Now with one question out of the way, the outsider tried addressing the other worries voiced.
"Anyway, I wanted to talk because I have something for you."
"Eh? For me? What is it?"
But Prism wouldn't talk. She only walked over and sat down next to her before instructing, "Cover your sensors and hold out your wrist. Not the one with the blaster."
Earning a slight chuckle in response, Raptor did as asked, her hand covering her goggles and holding out her bare wrist. Smiling under her helmet, Prism uncurled her hand, which she had kept closed until now, and slipped something onto the android's wrist.
"Ok, you can look."
Uncovering her goggles, Raptor looked down and gasped in surprise. The present she had received was a bracelet very similar to Karone's, with bright pink beads and a silver charm of an eagle spreading its wings.
"Oh, it's so pretty, Kingston. But why did you-"
"I had the materials on hand, and I wanted to make you something to lift your spirits, and as a congratulatory present."
The android was speechless at her words. In all her time, she couldn't remember anyone thinking of her in that sense. But her shock only continued as Prism then added, "But its also an excuse to talk about your training."
"T-training?"
"I, um, I've been working with some of the crew on gaining a better handle on my powers, and they've been helping me improve my fighting skills. I asked around, and they all agreed that you were more than welcome to join me if you like. Help with coordination, hand to hand, things like that. Plus, you might be able to help me practice my sharpshooter skills. And maybe my flight problem too," Prism finished sheepily.
Raptor gasped at the offer, before scooping up the girl in a side hug, squealing in joy. "Yes, yes, yes! I'd love to! Thank you, thank you so much!"
Prism laughed at the android's elation, hugging her tightly. "I'm glad to hear, but, for now at least, can we keep my side of the training on the down low? I don't want Shirei finding out just yet."
"Oh, yes of course! But, if you like, I could teach you how to maneuver your flight better right now," Raptor replied.
This, the young girl had not expected. "I'm sorry, what?"
Raptor giggled at the reaction. "How do you think I was able to get used to my wings so quickly?" As proof, Raptor's boots started firing a blue light, the android floating up from her perch and zipping all through the space around the ship, with Prism watching in awe (at least, she assumed. Helmet and all), before touching back down and crossing her legs with a giggle.
Prism shook her head of the cobwebs before declaring, "Raptor 283, you are somethin' else," before squeezing her in another hug and they both turned to view the Earth's atmosphere.
But while both of them turned their thoughts to the future, Prism was focused on a few coming events in particular. Namely, the resident desert dweller that was on his way to Earth.
And she doubted they would make it out without something. What that something was, despite remembering the episode, Prism had no clue.
Her thoughts were interrupted by catching the sun's rays hitting the planet from her perch. The future was a daunting thing, no matter if she knew anything about its plans. Still, as she turned towards Raptor, who watched her planet with a content sigh, Prism resolved that somehow, she would help all of them through it.
The question was, would she be able to accomplish the same for herself.
Criminently, that was a fun one. Really happy with how this one came out, I couldn't stop writing. Anyway, hope you guys liked how I went with the episode, felt like our favorite pilot needed a good old confidence boost. But of course, we all know what's coming next. How it turns out? I guess we'll just have to see for ourselves. Alright, Raptor, sorry about earlier, but I can say with certainty that this one is all yours!
Raptor: Yay! It's finally my turn! Please R&R, and thank you all so much for your time!
See you later everybody!
SAY! THE GO!