Disclaimer: I do not own Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger or Santa Claus: The Movie. This is a work of fanfiction. No profit is being made from it.
It was Christmas Eve in the city of Tokyo. Cheery decorations and red and green lights had been put up all over the city. In every shop window there were displays of snowmen, reindeer, elves and especially Santa Claus. All around there were clusters of children excitedly discussing what presents Santa would bring them.
Geki, Goushi, Dan, Boi and Mei strolled down the street, enjoying the festive atmosphere. Everywhere they went people greeted them warmly, wishing them a Merry Christmas, and they responded in kind.
"I love Christmas" said Boi cheerily. Dan, his mouth full of a sweet bread bun he was eating, grunted something in agreement.
"Me too" Mei agreed with a bright smile. "It's wonderful to see so many happy children."
"We should still keep our guard up" said Goushi. "Bandora will probably try something."
"We will" Geki replied. "But that doesn't mean we can't still enjoy ourselves."
"Zyurangers!" a familiar voice called. They all turned around to see one of the many children they had befriended, Toshio, running towards them.
"Toshio-kun!" Boi said happily. His smile faded as he noticed the boy looked worried about something. "Hey, what's wrong?"
Toshio came to a stop in front of them, panting breathlessly. Once he was able to speak again, he said, "Can I ask you guys a favour?"
"Sure, what is it?" Geki asked.
"Can you please tell Santa I've been a good boy?" He looked up at them pleadingly. "I know I forgot to do my homework a lot, but I've really gotten better. I promise!"
Boi chuckled. "Don't worry Toshio. If you've gotten better at finishing your homework then Santa will definitely put you on the good list."
"Really?" he said hopefully.
"Absolutely. I'm sure he'll bring you a present." The other Zyurangers all nodded in agreement.
Toshio's face lit up. "Thank you Zyurangers! Merry Christmas!" he exclaimed as he hurried off.
"Merry Christmas!" they called after him.
In her palace up on the Moon, the evil sorceress Bandora was standing on her balcony and looking down on the Earth through her magic telescope. What she saw made her clench her teeth in anger and squeeze the telescope so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
"Look at all those children, happy and smiling. I HATE it!" Her grip relaxed and her anger receded as a wicked plan started to take form in her mind. She smiled malevolently. "Yes, that's it. I'll wipe the smiles off those little brats faces."
She turned and strode through the palace until she arrived at her chief monster-maker's workshop. "Pleprechaun! I need a monster fast!"
"I anticipated as much Bandora-sama" he replied. He was already at work carving a lump of clay into the likeness of a fearsome creature. "I was researching this holiday the humans call Christmas and I came upon a marvelous template for a new Dora monster. I am sure it will be ideal."
"Good. Just make sure it's ready by tonight." Bandora knew what a perfectionist Pleprechaun was and how much time he spent on his creations.
He sighed. Bandora-sama knows that art can't be rushed. Nonetheless he nodded. "Yes Bandora-sama, it will be."
The next few hours passed with infuriating slowness for Bandora, but true to his word Pleprechaun completed his work before sunset. He placed the clay figurine on the Nendora Machine's conveyor belt and turned the crank to send it into the machine. The doors closed and he pulled the starter lever. A moment later there was a loud bang and a cloud of smoke from the main tube. The smoke cleared and the new Dora monster stood before them.
It was a tall, heavyset humanoid covered in matted black fur. Its feet were cloven hooves and its head was topped by a pair of curled horns. Its features were savage and bestial, with sharp teeth, a squat nose, pointed ears and small, red eyes. It wore a furry loincloth, armoured greaves and vambraces. A long red tongue flickered from its mouth and a lion-like tail tipped with a tuft of fur swished the air behind it. Its clawed hands gripped a long length of rusty chain that ended in a vicious hook.
"Bandora-sama, may I present Dora Krampus" said Pleprechaun.
Bandora grinned, pleased with the result. "Excellent job. He's just what I wanted."
"Thank you, Bandora-sama."
"Dora Krampus, you will go down to Earth and capture Santa Claus. Make him pay for bringing joy and happiness to children."
"As you command. None shall elude my punishment" he replied, his voice a low and menacing growl.
Far away, in a hidden village located somewhere in the North Pole, Santa Claus was currently overseeing the final preparations for his journey to deliver toys to the good children of the world. He watched as a long line of colourfully dressed elves carried presents wrapped in red and green paper to a large canvas sack and loaded them into it. Thinking of the happiness he would soon bring to the children brought a smile of delight to his face.
Eventually the head elf Dooley came over to him. "All of the toys are in place and the reindeer have been fed. Everything is ready" he said.
"Splendid. I'll be on my way then."
As he climbed onto the sleigh, his wife Anya hurried over to him. "Please be careful Claus" she said anxiously. Normally Anya was just as happy and eager on Christmas Eve as her husband, but this time she had an ominous sense of foreboding. She didn't know why but she couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen.
"Everything will be fine. You worry too much Anya" he said encouragingly.
Anya was not convinced but she knew that any attempt to talk him out of going would be pointless so she merely smiled. "Of course. Have a safe trip."
"I will."
Not truly reassured but putting up a brave face, Anya rejoined the waiting crowd of elves and waved to him. Santa waved back to her and the assembled elves and then picked up the reigns. "Yo!" he called, giving the signal for liftoff.
"Merry Christmas!" the elves and Anya cheered as the reindeer charged down the now-empty toy tunnel. Their hooves left the ground and they rose up into the sky, leaving a trail of stardust behind them.
As he did every year Santa Claus travelled the world, leaving a present in the home of every child that he visited. Eventually he arrived in the city of Tokyo. Santa's usual good mood dimmed slightly as he thought about what he had heard. Word had reached him at the North Pole of Bandora and how she had been targeting the children of this great city. It saddened him to think not only of what the poor little boys and girls had been put through, but also the idea that anyone could hate children so much.
His spirits lifted again as his thoughts turned to the Zyurangers and their heroic efforts in protecting the children from Bandora. Knowing that there were people in the world who loved children as much as he, Anya and the elves did, brought a warm glow to his heart. And if his toys could bring joy into their lives and help take their minds off the evil that threatened them, then it made his trip all the more rewarding.
The sleigh touched down on the rooftop of a house and he climbed off. "Wait here boys. I'll be back in a jiffy" he said. He lifted his sack and touched the side of his nose, teleporting into the house in a burst of light.
Up on the Moon Bandora grinned fiercely as she looked through her telescope and spotted Santa. "There he is! Dora Krampus, go get him!"
"Yes mistress" the monster replied. He immediately teleported down to Earth, materializing on the same rooftop. The reindeer clicked their hooves anxiously and it snarled at them.
Santa reappeared in another burst of light. "See boys what did I…?" His words trailed off as he saw the creature and he froze in dismay. He realized that it could only be one of Bandora's minions.
"You're coming with me Santa" Dora Krampus growled. "Time to face punishment." He whirled his chain over his head, the links whistling as they spun, and then hurled it right at Santa. The chain wrapped itself around him tightly and pinned his arms to his sides. He struggled against it but couldn't get loose. Dora Krampus laughed wickedly and teleported away, taking Santa with him.
The reindeer clicked their hooves even louder as they looked around in vain for some sign of Santa Claus, but there was none. Afraid and confused, they stood dumbstruck as they wondered what to do now.
Unaware of what was happening at that very moment, the Zyurangers were all asleep in the underground temple. At first, they slept peacefully but then they began to twitch and shift as something entered their dreams.
In the dreamscape they found themselves standing in a large chamber made of white marble. The chamber was open to the sky and standing on the clouds high above them were the majestic forms of their Guardian Beasts.
"Guardian Beasts!" Geki exclaimed.
"Zyurangers, something terrible has happened" said Guardian Beast Tyrannosaurus. "Bandora's latest monster, Dora Krampus, has kidnapped Santa Claus."
The Zyurangers all gasped in horror. "That's terrible!" Boi cried.
"We have to save him!" Mei said.
"Yes, or the good children won't get any presents," Dan added.
"That is true, but there is something else" said Guardian Beast Tyrannosaurus. "When Santa Claus is on his journey, time travels with him. That is how he can accomplish so much in a single night."
"Until his mission is complete, the Earth will be locked in a state of endless night" Guardian Beast Triceratops added.
"Then it's even more important for us to rescue Santa" said Geki.
"But how can we find him?" Goushi asked.
"Barza will tell you that" Guardian Beast Mammoth replied. "Go Zyurangers, the fate of Earth depends upon you."
"We will not fail" said Geki firmly. "We will rescue Santa and stop Bandora from ruining Christmas!"
"Right" said the others with equal resolve.
Geki woke up and found himself back in his room. He quickly got dressed and hurried to the temple's main hall where the other Zyurangers were all waiting for him.
"Geki, did you have the same dream we did?" Dan asked.
"Yes, but that was no dream. That was a message from the Guardian Beasts" he replied. "Santa Claus is in trouble and it's up to us to save him."
"Let's go and ask Barza how we can find him," said Mei.
"Yes."
But just then Barza himself entered, looking very flustered. "Zyurangers, we have a problem" he said. "There's something very strange on the roof."
They followed him up to the rooftop of the Sakura Condominium. There they found a magnificent wooden sleigh, old-fashioned but in excellent condition. It was brightly painted and covered with hand-carved holiday decorations. Harnessed to it were eight reindeer, all of whom were in perfect health, well-fed and groomed. They looked up at the Zyurangers and clicked their feet curiously.
"It's Santa's sleigh and reindeer!" Dan cried excitedly.
"They're so cute!" Mei said happily.
Donnor and Blitzen both snorted softly and leaned forwards to nuzzle her hand appreciatively. She laughed in delight.
"Wait, what are Santa's reindeer doing here? And where is Santa himself?" Barza asked.
"Santa has been kidnapped by Bandora" Goushi explained. "The Guardian Beasts told us in our dreams. They must have guided the reindeer here so they would be safe."
"Barza, they said you knew a way to find him," said Boi.
"I do" he replied. "Wait here a moment."
He went back inside and returned a few moments later with a compass which he handed over to Geki.
"When Santa Claus first began giving gifts to children, I anticipated that Bandora might go after him when she returned, so I prepared this. The needle points towards Christmas magic. It will lead you to Santa."
"Thank you Barza."
"I will look after the reindeer. The five of you go save Santa and defeat Bandora's new monster."
"We're on our way!"
Moments later, the Zyurangers were driving through the nighttime streets, with Geki driving Road Zaurer 1, Goushi driving Side Zaurer 2 with Boi in the sidecar and Dan driving Side Zaurer 3 with Mei in the sidecar. Boi was holding the compass and looking intently at the needle. Fortunately, the lateness of the hour meant that the roads were mostly empty so they made good time.
The compass led them out of the city and into a rocky area, similar to where they had fought Dora Goblin. Eventually they arrived at a cave. Boi pointed eagerly at it.
"There! The compass is pointing right there!"
They brought their vehicles to a stop and got off. "That cave must be where the monster is holding Santa" said Geki. "This may be the season of peace and goodwill but if a Dora monster is involved then we have no choice but to fight. Let's go and save him."
Without hesitation the Zyurangers drew their weapons and ran into the cave. Inside they found a horrifying sight that made them all momentarily freeze in place.
Santa Claus was wrapped in chains and suspended above a vat of boiling oil. The chain went up into a pulley attached to the ceiling and then down to the ground, with a rope securing it to a rock. A cloth gag around his mouth allowed him to utter only muffled grunts of protest. Dora Krampus was looking up at him with fiendish glee but upon hearing the Zyurangers enter he spun around and glared at them.
"Zyurangers" he snarled.
"Release Santa!" Geki commanded.
"Certainly" he replied with an evil grin. His claws slashed through the rope that was holding the chain in place. Santa's eyes bulged as he started to drop into the vat of boiling oil!
But Mei was too quick. Even as Santa began to fall, she jumped up and fired an arrow. It flew through the air and skewered his hood, dragging him to the side enough so that he missed the vat and landed on the ground. The impact winded but did not hurt him.
"Well done, Mei!" Geki exclaimed. The others all murmured in agreement.
"Thanks" she said brightly.
Dora Krampus growled as a squad of Golems teleported in around him. "Golem Soldiers, attack!"
"Mei, Dan, help Santa. We'll take care of these guys" Geki ordered as the Golems charged right at the Zyurangers.
"Okay!"
Geki, Goushi and Boi ran outside, with Dora Krampus and most of the Golems following them. A few stayed behind to confront Dan and Mei.
Dan whirled his lance and leaped into battle, destroying a Golem with each strike. Mei aimed and fired her bow with speed and precision, taking down one Golem after another. Against the handful that got in close she wielded the bow as a melee weapon, striking down each one until they were all destroyed.
Dan and Mei hurried over to Santa and freed him from the chains. "Are you okay?" she asked.
"I'm all right" he replied. "You must be the Zyurangers. Thank you for saving me."
Dan's face lit up with a huge grin. "Santa, I can't believe I get to meet you. Hey, how do you make the reindeer fly? I've always wondered…"
Annoyed, Mei lightly smacked the back of his head. "Dan! The others need us."
"Oh, uh yeah" he said sheepishly. "Hold on Santa, we'll be right back."
"Be careful" said Santa as they ran outside the cave.
Meanwhile Geki, Goushi and Boi were battling Dora Krampus and the Golem Soldiers. Boi spun around, slashing two Golems with his daggers, and then hurled them at Dora Krampus. The monster merely whirled its chain in front of itself, deflecting both daggers, and then threw the hook at Boi's head. He barely managed to duck in time.
Seeing his friend's distress, Goushi sprang forwards and brought his axe down in an overhead chop. With surprising speed, Dora Krampus leaped back out of the way and threw his chain again. It wrapped around Goushi's axe but he managed to hold onto it. Both of them engaged in a tug of war, beads of sweat running down Goushi's forehead as he clenched his teeth and strained against the Dora Monster's inhuman strength.
Geki cut down the last remaining Golem and looked over to see what was happening. Noticing that the chain had been pulled taunt, he jumped in and brought his sword down. It sliced right through the metal links and Dora Krampus stumbled back holding a much shorter chain. Snarling angrily, he tossed it aside and a vicious-looking pitchfork appeared in his hands. He charged the Zyurangers and their weapons clashed against each other. Geki, Goushi and Boi tried to pile on him, but with a roar he shrugged them all off like insects. Dan and Mei emerged from the cave and rushed over to their friends as they got to their feet.
"Everyone, let's transform!" Geki ordered.
"Right!" said the other four.
As one, they removed their Dino Bucklers and held them out. "Dino Buckler!"
In a brilliant flash of light, they transformed into their Ranger suits. They brandished their powered-up Legendary Weapons and stood firm.
"You won't stop me Zyurangers" Dora Krampus growled. "I'll punish you and then I'll punish the children."
"Never! We won't let you!" Boi yelled back.
Dora Krampus responded by hurling lumps of coal at them that exploded upon contact, blasting the Zyurangers to the ground. The Dora Monster roared with laughter.
But the Zyurangers were not so easily beaten. Mei and Boi leaped up high, Mei firing her Ptera Arrow and Boi throwing his Sabre Daggers. Both weapons struck Dora Krampus directly and he stumbled back. Goushi and Dan followed up by bounding forwards and landing blows with their own weapons that further staggered him. Finally, Geki delivered a mighty slash with his sword that sent their enemy flying through the air to crash down heavily several yards away.
As Dora Krampus pulled himself up Geki called, "Now, Howling Cannon!"
"Moth Breaker!"
"Ptera Arrow!"
"Sabre Daggers!"
"Trice Lance!"
One by one they threw their weapons into the air where they remained suspended and fused together. Then Geki jumped up and attached his Ryugeki Sword to form the Howling Cannon. He gripped the completed weapon as he touched down again and the other Zyurangers gathered around him.
"Howling Cannon! Fire!"
Five energy beams shot from the Howling Cannon. They merged together to form one intensely powerful beam that blasted Dora Krampus. The Dora Monster fell to the ground, crackled with red electricity and then exploded in a ball of fire!
Up on the Moon Bandora had been watching the entire battle. She clenched her teeth as Dora Krampus was destroyed and raised her sceptre. "Evil spirits that sleep within the earth, grant your power to Dora Krampus!"
She threw her sceptre to Earth and it touched down as normal, but this time nothing happened.
"Why isn't it working?" Bandora raged.
"It's Christmas Eve" Pleprechaun explained. "On this magical night the evil spirits cannot use their powers."
Bandora seethed with rage as she recalled her sceptre. "I'll get you yet Zyurangers!"
The Zyurangers had de-transformed and hurried over to Santa Claus as he emerged from the cave.
"Santa! Are you okay?" Boi asked.
"I'm all right, thanks to you" he replied.
"Come on Santa, let's get you back to your reindeer" said Goushi.
"That's right, I still have a job to do" he agreed.
"Uh, how are we going to get him back?" Dan asked. "No offence but I don't think you'd fit on our Zaurer Machines."
"Don't worry about that" Santa replied. "I take it my reindeer are with my old friend Barza?"
"Yes, that's right," said Mei.
"Splendid." Santa reached up to touch the side of his nose but before he could Boi said, "wait, there's something I need to ask you."
Santa chuckled. "Don't worry, your friend Toshio is getting a present."
Boi sighed in relief and the others smiled fondly.
"Well, I'd best be on my way. Thank you again and Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas" they replied.
With that Santa teleported away. The Zyurangers returned to the temple where Barza congratulated them on a job well done and after that they enjoyed a well-earned sleep.
On Christmas Day they were again strolling through the streets of Tokyo. Everywhere they looked children were playing happily with their new toys, much to the Zyurangers joy.
"Have I told you guys I love Christmas?" Boi asked with a grin.
"Once or twice" Geki replied with an amused glint in his eyes.
"Zyurangers!" Toshi called as he ran up to them excitedly. "Look what Santa gave me!" He held up a toy of himself in an orange Zyuranger uniform. They all laughed happily at the sight.
Bandora's evil plan to ruin Christmas was thwarted by the Zyurangers courage and their love for children. Fight on, Dinosaur Squadron Zyuranger!
Author's Note: Dora Krampus's appearance is based on the Figura Obscura Krampus action figure made by Four Horsemen Studios.