Power Rangers is property of Saban and Kamen Rider is property of Toei. I only own the content! The characters were made by me, Thewhatzupwriter26, ICrzy, TimmayIsAwesome, W. R. Winters, fantastic rhapsody, Mystery Again, and zackattack1! I also would like to thank ICrzy, Thewhatzupwriter26, TriassicDragonRanger, bandgeek18, Jetman21, Condor-K, RED TIME FORCE RANGER, TimmayIsAwesome, Benjamin J Brown, Stormasius, DChan, and Kitsumi Neko. Thank you all for the support and I hope you enjoy!
=LOREKEEPERS=
"Yeah that scene looks familiar. I'm all by myself." Sora thought as she sat by herself in A&C at the front sipping on a smoothie.
"It's not their fault. They just have their own plans." She thought and lets out a sigh as she recalled what everyone was doing. Jasmine and AV were going with their parents to introduce Jasmine to her grandparents who live in Unity Lakes, Leo was assisting his father, Eva was still sick somehow, Alvin was studying, Cassie was spending time with her father planning the upcoming wedding between him and Cynthia, and Peter and Adam were packing up their rooms as they were just now getting to it.
"Lonely little lady?" A male voice asked as someone sat near Sora. She turns to see who it is and nearly spits out her smoothie.
"Zisko? What are you doing here?" She demanded her voice low, but the tone dangerous as she reached for her morphor and he grabs her hand stopping her.
"Wouldn't do that if I were you love." He warns her as she glares.
"Yeah, and why not?" she asked him as he surprisingly rolls his eyes at the girl.
"Two reasons. One is the obvious that you don't want to reveal you're a ranger to the public." He started taking his hand away.
"And two…I'm not here to cause trouble. I'm just here for the smoothies. They're actually rather good." He says as Sora noticed that he had one himself.
"…If I told the others about this they'd probably never believe me. Check that I'm having a hard time believing it and I'm seeing it." She thought staring at him as he sipped his drink.
"Anyways I'm actually here for a reason fair lady." He said getting her attention and her glare returns.
"You see you are one of the most challenging people I've ever come across. Your one of two people who have managed to fight me off in both forms which is an rather impressive feat if I do say so myself." He said to her and she nods.
"Yeah so what?" she replied to him.
"Well you see every time we fight it's never alone. Your always surrounded by your allies, and I want a real challenge. I want to fight you alone." He said as Sora's glare hardens.
"How can I believe it will be one on one? After all you have obviously told Diablo of this." Sora says as Zisko shakes his head.
"Sorry, but I haven't. I may be a pirate, but I do make my own plans. This being one." He replied to her as she bites her lip.
Zisko grins "I know you have been wandering to though since our last fight. Which of us is stronger? Which of us would win without the assistance of others?" he said as he got up.
"If you do indeed want to fight then meet me at the place where the first Time Window was powered. I'll be there waiting." He said and left Sora who watched him waiting to see if he would try anything. He eventually left the place and her view of him was gone.
"…Is he really being honest? Or is he setting me up?" she thought as she wasn't sure if she should trust the pirate and what he said.
"Then again I do sort of owe him. Without his hints I wouldn't have figure out mom was that wolf and I would've…" she thought and shivered as the thought of what she might have done went through her mind.
Sora got up and sighs "And he's right. Can I even beat him without help?" She muttered to herself closing her eyes and reaches for a locket she had taken to keep on her and takes it out of her pocket. It had a red phoenix on it wings outstretched while around it was pink, lime green, and crystal silver colors. Inside it was small frames for up to four pictures. The first was a picture of the whole team which always helped to remind her she was a responsible leader. The second was a picture of her girlfriend and love Cassie and herself in a silly shot. The third was a picture of Peter who she always found she could talk to and confide in. Her last frame was empty as she didn't know what to put into the last frame.
Sora looked at the pictures and cracks a smile and taps the communicator "Maya. Zisko is here in town." She told her.
"What! What is he doing here? You go on ahead and I'll…" Maya starts.
"He was here Maya, and he isn't planning anything. He just wants to fight me…alone." Sora said as Maya went silent.
"I don't think that's a good idea Sora. You have a team for a reason." Maya said after a few seconds alone.
"Yeah I know, but he wants to fight just me. I…I'm not looking to prove anything to anyone, but myself. So Maya please don't contact the others." She replied as the line went silent and then a sigh is heard.
"You just take care of yourself you hear?" Maya said and Sora nods and leaves the place headed for the spot Zisko had mentioned.
=LOREKEEPERS=
Riding her Lore Cycle and unmorphed Sora was headed for the power plant where all their time travel events had in a way begun.
"Back then I had help, but Zisko was holding back. Am I still as weak as I was then?" She thought and shakes her head.
"No. Though I still don't think I'm as close to him in strength and experience as I think." she thought as she closed in on the location. She stopped and pulls out her morphor recalling the Lore Cycle, and then walks into the power plant.
Waiting for her was Zisko who was leaning forward with his hammer out "Ahh...Well it's a delight to see you again little lady. Thought yah might come." he said as Sora glares.
"This isn't a trick right? No one will interupt us?" She asked taking out her morpher.
Zisko nods "Nope. Anyone does, and I'll be gutting em for it." he said and puts his hammer away and draws his rapier and Sora presses a button summoning her sword to her both pointing at the other with it.
"Let's do this!" They both said and rushed at each other and swung their blades making contact as the push at each other before jumping back from one another.
They began to circle each other and Zisko steps forward going for a simple thrust. Sora side steps it and went for a one handed over head swing aiming for Zisko's arm.
Zisko spins to the side to avoid it and then kick's Sora's legs out from under her and she tumbles to the ground, and then he went for a downward stab that missed hitting near Sora's shoulder hitting her jacket at most.
Sora rolls away her jacket ripped as she gets up and Zisko pulls his sword out of the ground "Not bad. Not bad at all, but then again that was just a test." Zisko says as Sora was huffing and gathering her breath.
"Now how about you morph, and then we can really fight." He suggested as Sora takes out her morphor.
"Fine. Unlock the Legend!" Sora calls out morphing into her base ranger form, and in a flash of light she turned into the Epilogue Ranger.
Zisko smirks and rushes forward again this time the two of them were even. Zisko backed away and flung one hand forward shooting a burst of energy at Sora at point blank range knocking her away.
"That be my magic. Little trick I picked up a long time ago." Zisko said as Sora got up and snaps her fingers summoning a fireball to her and she throws it at him making a solid hit as she smirked under her helmet.
"And that's my fire. Enjoy." She retorts as they rush at one another again.
After minutes of clashing Zisko was knocked away and forced to the ground. He gets on his knees slowly getting up.
"Hmm...you certainly are a beauty little lady. Inside and out. Now let me..." He starts as he grabs at his black jacket and Sora tenses up knowing what is coming as he rips it off along with his other clothes as his armored form took it's place.
"take this opportunity to show you my full strength." He finished grabbing two black pistols and shoots at Sora.
Sora jumps and flips doing her best to avoid being hit as she took out her morphor "Unlock the Legend!" She called out and changed into Super Mega Red and pulls out her own blaster and fired back with her own energy blasts to counter Zisko's before turning back to Epilogue and ran forward throwing fireballs as she went.
Zisko cut down each fireball as they came, and they both clashed swords. In the area, but only watching them was ES Bronze who's postured made it look like she was worried for one of them.
Zisko was pushing Sora back with one hand on his blade as he reached for something on his back. Before Sora knew it she felt something hit her jaw forcing her up and back before falling to the ground. In his other hand he now held his hammer which he put up.
"How do you expect to beat me when you can't do anything more?" Zisko taunts.
Sora was slowly getting up "I-I can beat you." She said as Zisko sighs.
"Stop pushing yourself little lady. I'm much stronger than you, and now your only just seeing it. Your bravado won't help. You must realize our gap in strength." He said as Sora visibly stiffens.
"You see now. You only managed to get me because I was off guard, and not at full strength. You won't ever win, and you know this to be true." He adds.
Sora looks down hands clenched into fists as she visibly shakes.
"That's it. Just a little more." Zisko thought.
"I think you've wasted enough of my time. You are a waste." he finished and she stops shaking.
Sora let's out a loud shout and rushed forward flames trailing behind her. She swung her blade in anger, but it was much more focused, and proved harder for Zisko to dodge and block as he did take a few blows. Yet he also got in a few hits as both began to push each other to their limits.
Sora backed off and pulls out her morphor which visibly changed into a red and silver morphor "Call of the Elements, Powers Ignite!" she calls out as red and silver light engulfed her temporarily blinding Zisko.
"Red Warrior Ranger! Ready to fight!" Sora called out as the light vanishes revealing her in her battlizer.
Zisko saw this and remained neutral as he puts away the hammer and pistols while drawing out his rapier.
The two began to fight again this time Sora was much more aggressive as both parried each others blows, and Sora would bash Zisko with her shield.
Zisko began to get tired "Must say. You are the first...in a long time...to ever...push me like this." he tells her as Sora huffs.
"Not so weak now am I?" she responded coldly.
"True, but where did that burst in strength come from?" He asked her as she huffed and connects her weapon to the shield to prepare the finishing blow.
"If you are going to defeat Diablo then you need to consider that." he added on as Sora took position, and hesitation began to take her over as Zisko tossed away his rapier and other weapons.
"W-What are you doing?" she asked him.
"Call this a test. Are you going to finish me now or will you let hesitation take hold, and allow me to finish things? I am unarmed, but still dangerous." He replied sensing her hesitation.
Sora began to hesitate as the sound of someone coming was heard and Sora looked over eyes widening under her helmet as she saw Cassie running over. Zisko saw this and prepared to shoot his magic at her.
"NO! Judgement Burst!" Sora calls out and fires the weapon the beam of energy hitting Zisko with enough force to thrown him back.
"Nice job little lady. Your going to realize soon that pink their was just one of my illusions." he thought as the illusion Cassie vanished.
"Then you will wonder why it is I helped you in the past, and just forced you to do that." he continues to think.
"When it started I thought of you as a good rival. Someone who could become on par with my own skills." He thought as images of his times spying on the rangers and seeing different things on Earth.
"I have seen this beautiful world, and know that while what Diablo wants may be extreme it is wrong. This universe is ugly yet beautiful, and it should be up to yourself what it is that happens." He again thought.
"Good...day...Sora Daniels...Lore Keeper Red." Zisko said as he fell to the ground and a large explosion occurred as he was destroyed.
Sora heard what he said and remained silent as she came to a conclusion what it was Zisko did "...Goodbye Zisko." she says solemnly and teleports away to return to the others.
=LOREKEEPERS=
The defeat of Zisko reached the others quickly, and the group was together in The Great Library to celebrate.
Sora herself didn't feel like celebrating as she understood what it was Zisko did.
Maya watched them and notices Sora. She looked down as she had watched the fight, and had known what it was he did. It was then that the computer beeped and Maya looks over.
"What is...this...!" Maya started then lets out a gasp. It was a set of coordinates for a location in space, and from the looks of it the location was for a position something would be in in a matter of days. Along with it was a small message.
Thanks for the challenge Knight Girl. Had fun.
-Zisko
Maya let's out a small smirk and shakes her head "Pirates. Strange bunch they are." she muttered. Yet she got a funny feeling that something else was going to happen as the party continued.
And that is the end of episode 21. Now Zisko was one of my absolute favorite villain characters to write, but to me he has always seemed more like an anti-hero in comparison to his Super Sentai counterpart. So while it is hard to have to write him off I wanted to do it in some way that would make him perhaps memorable. After all he was a challenge for Sora for some time, and while he always seemed like trouble he helped more often than not. He has even helped in his final defeat. As for that ending well...stay tuned in Power Rangers Neo Defenders by LovingGinger30 to find out what it is that will happen. Until next time this has been decode9.