I don't own Power Rangers or Cross Ange; those belong to their creators. This is for fun, not profit.
Chapter 24: Humans and Norma
After returning to their base and meeting Salamandinay's crew, the Rangers and their allies were now in the cafeteria.
Shin was seated on a chair with an icepack on his head to help mend his headache while Pixel was scolding for his actions.
"Honesty, Shin. Connecting to every single human on Arzenal was beyond crazy and reckless. I expected this kind of behavior from Dean, but you should've known better."
"Alright, alright…I'm sorry. Can you please keep it down a bit." Shin requested before Yamato approached him with a cup of tea for him and the Blue Ranger accepted it. "Thanks, Yama."
"Please don't worry about it." Yamato said.
Shin then drank some of the tea and sighed in relief as it helped ease his headache.
"The wonders of good tea…" He mutters to himself.
From a close distance from Shin, Dean along with Aaron and Alisa were discussing things with Salamandinay and her subordinates regarding Lizardia.
"So Lizardia was able to get away." Dean said.
"Yes." Salamandinay nodded. "Fortunately, she was able to escape from Julio's execution. But with his death, no doubt the Misurugi Empire will be in turmoil."
"Then are you sure she'll be alright on her own?" Aaron asked in concern.
"Don't worry. Lizardia is able to take care of herself, I'm sure she'll still be able to find Aura." Kaname said.
"Well, if you're that sure about that." Alisa said.
"But I'm mostly concerned about that child." Naga said before the others turned to Carole who was seated on a table.
Claire soon approaches the girl with a plate of wheatcakes in her hand.
"Here you go. I hope you have a sweet tooth, because my family's wheatcakes are the best." Claire told her.
Carole looks at the wheatcakes in curiosity before she picks up a fork to cut and eat a piece of it, Carole smiles on how good it was.
Claire smiles to see before she eats the wheatcakes very quickly.
"Hey, slow down, there's no need to eat it so fast." Claire said and Carole flinched before she lowered her head.
"I-I'm sorry…" The Norma said.
Claire frowns before she pets her on the head.
"There's no need to apologize. Just be mindful of how you'll eat. Okay?" Claire said and Carole nodded before she resumed eating the wheatcakes.
"First Sayla, then Misty, and now this child. You really do have a habit of picking up strays." Salamandinay said.
"Yes, I'm quite aware of that. But hopefully this will be the last time." Dean said, and Salamandinay chuckled.
"Don't worry, I didn't mean any offense by that. If anything, I'm pretty much used to it." Salamandinay said before she looked at Carole at concern as Claire was cleaning up some syrup on her face. "But still, this world will still be new and confusing for her, especially since she's a Norma."
"I know. We'll keep her here until we can figure out what to do." Dean said.
"Very well. But there's something we need to discuss." Salamandinay told the Rangers.
"Like what?" Shin asked before he drank his tea.
"It's about Embryo's plan. Lizardia sent a report about it." She answered and that got their attention very seriously.
"Okay, then let's discuss this in the command room." Dean said.
"Right." Claire said as she stood up.
When Carole notices that she quickly stood up and hugs onto Claire which made the others look at her.
"Carole?" Claire said.
"Don't go…" Carole pleaded.
Claire was a bit concerned by this before she turned to her friends.
Dean sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"Should've seen this coming. Okay, Claire, you stay here and watch the kid, we'll bring you up to speed when we're done." Dean told her.
"Got it." Claire said as she pets Carole's head to help comfort her.
The four Nexus Rangers and their allies then left the cafeteria before they heard someone's voice.
"Dean?"
Everyone looked and saw it was Sayla holding her daughter in her arms.
"Oh, Sayla. Is something wrong?" Dean asked.
"Nothing. I'm here to get some baby food for…" Sayla said before she notices Claire was in the cafeteria with Carole as they were seated beside each other. "Who is that?"
Dean looks at Carole before he whispers to Sayla's ear.
"Her name is Carole…She's from Arzenal."
Sayla was a bit surprised to learn that.
"Wait…So she's a…?" Sayla said and Dean nodded.
"Look, we'll discuss this later. That girl has been through a lot, can you head back to your room for now?" Dean requested.
"Yes…Yes, of course." Sayla nodded before she quickly turned around and left.
"I guess there's another complication we need to handle." Pixel said.
"Indeed." Shin nodded.
(Play: Believe in Nexus by Masaaki Endoh)
(Instrumental) (As the song starts, two Earths appear one at a time before they collide against each other creating a flash of light which blinded the screen.)
(Sono te nobashi te mabayui ashita o tsukamitore! Mugen no sora hamatake Believe in Nexus!) (Five of the Nexus Zords had appeared as the Racer, Wolf, and Dozer Zords were racing on a large road while the Chopper and Falcon Zords were flying above them before they turned into a flash of light and flew into the vast open sky before the story's title appeared on screen.)
(Araburu kono shoudo daremino tomiranai!) (The Nexus Rangers were standing on a hill as they looked at the town where the Children of Aura resides as some of them in DRAGON form flew above them as they watched them in awe.)
(Hiri asa mi kirikou o taka maru kono Heart Beat!) (Then it changes to a split screen with Salamandinay looking at her Enryugo as it was still incomplete, and Ange who was in her room in Arzenal as she was seated on her bed while looking at her ring, before it changes to Embryo and behind him was Kurt who was holding his Lion Knuckle Morpher.)
(Bi chinai sou o natato sekawaerai!) (Then it changes showing an army of Xedroids and behind them were Prince Crimson, General Swartz, and Cyber.)
(Koko de oarasatakunai Go For It!) (Next the screen changes to the Rangers commencing their Morphin Sequence as they Morph into their suits before their helmets appeared.)
(Tachiagare kodoku ni obiekuru e naide!) (The screen changes showing a fleet of Xe-Fighters and an army of Xe-Bots charging forward to attack, then changes to the Nexus Rangers loading their Zord Cards into their Morphers as they soon appear, and the Rangers jump into them.)
(Nakama ma batte irukoto mou ichido omoidase!) (In his cockpit, the Nexus Red Ranger inserts his Battle Mode Card into his Morpher and his Racer Zord changes into the said mode.)
(Kowaku wa naisa akirame wa shinai donna tsugoi yatsu ni mo make wa shinai itsudatte o kino yuuki de Believe In Nexus!) (Then each of the Nexus Zord launch respective attacks on their enemies before the Kaiser Sphere in the sky. Then the Zords combine forming the Nexus Prime Megazord, and then energy appears around the Megazord before it flies at the Kaiser Sphere to attack and when it collides against the Sphere a large flash of light appears blinding the screen. Then it changes to both Earths before the Nexus Rangers along with the villain leaders appeared as they faced each other.)
Four of the Nexus Rangers along with Salamandinay's crew and Pixel were in the command room. Shin was seated on the chair while still having his pack of ice on his head to mend his headache.
Salamandinay told the Rangers the other details of Lizardia's report, specifically, what she was able to gather from Julio's position in his meeting with the other world leaders and Embryo.
"Starting over from the beginning?" Dean said.
"Yes." Salamandinay nodded. "That's what he said after hearing Embryo's proposal. If I had to guess, it must be related to his master plan."
"And it must be safe to assume that the other leaders also agree to it. Is that right?" Alisa asked, Salamandinay nodded.
"Okay, so what? He's going to do a repeat of the D-War, destroy the world he made and go to a new one?" Aaron said.
"No, I doubt it's that simple." Shin said, gaining their attention.
"And how would you know that?" Naga asked.
"It's because of what he said to me in person." Shin said.
"That's right. You mentioned you encounter Embryo during the invasion in Arzenal." Kaname said.
"Oh yeah. I nearly forgot about that." Dean said before he and Shin remembered Embryo's words when he appeared before them.
"I'll admit that this world has indeed failed as an experiment. But soon I will rectify all of that."
"I'm on the verge of something that will put all of my plans to shame."
"I doubt he would boast about something like that, if he wasn't serious." Shin said as he moved the ice pack to the other side of his head. "Plus, I know Embryo. He's a lot of things but being predictable isn't one of them."
"I suppose that makes sense. But what could it be though?" Salamandinay said.
"I can't say for sure. But I do know he needs three key components to succeed." Shin said before he raised three fingers one at a time. "One is the Ragna-mail, hence why he invaded the other Arzenal to gather pilots for them. Two is Aura, his main power source which empowered the world with Mana. Three is the Column of Dawn, his personal Dracunium reactor which produced Mana. Whatever he's planning, all three of them are essential to it."
"I guess we don't have to worry about one of them. I mean Villkiss along with its pilot managed to get away. So Embryo will put his plan on hold." Aaron said.
"Maybe. But I highly doubt he would let something like that stop him. He's not the type who would give up so easily." Shin said.
"Well regardless, we'll be ready for him when it does happen." Dean said and Salamandinay nodded in agreement.
"Indeed. I'll be sure to inform my own forces of this." Salamandinay said.
"That's good and all, but…" Alisa said before she yawns in her hand. "Maybe we should do all of that tomorrow."
Dean checks the time on his Morpher and sees it was already past midnight.
"Yeah. I think we're long overdue for a goodnight sleep after what happened." Dean said.
"Indeed…Sleep will definitely be good for me." Shin mutters as he leans back.
"Very well. I'll let you rest then, if anything you all deserve it." Salamandinay said.
"You can say that again." Dean said.
After Salamandinay and her subordinates left the Hub, the four Nexus Rangers decided to head to their respective rooms so they could rest. But not before Dean had arrived in Claire's room to inform her of his and the others' conversation with Salamandinay.
"I see. So that's what Embryo is up to." Claire said.
"But we're still not sure what resetting the world means. I highly doubt he went through this much trouble just to repeat everything he did for the past 500 years." Dean said.
"Well, whatever it is, I doubt it's going to be pleasant or peaceful." Claire said.
Dean then notices that Carole was standing close to Claire's legs as she tightly held her hands on one of them.
"So I guess she's sleeping with you tonight?" Dean asked, which caused Carole to shyly lower her head. Dean was a bit saddened by this while Claire chuckled.
"Hey, come on, Carole. I know Dean isn't much to look at, but he's a good man." Claire told her.
"Do you really have to say it like that?" Dean asked with a narrow look and Claire chuckled. Dean then coughs in his hand. "In anycase, it's very clear she's mostly comfortable with you. Think you can watch over her by yourself?"
"Dean, please. Do you really have to ask?" Claire said. Dean chuckles.
"Yeah. I suppose I didn't. Anyway, goodnight to both of you." Dean said before he leaves and heads to his room.
Claire then closes the door and speaks to Carole.
"Are you ready for some shut eye? Because I am." Claire said and Carole nodded.
Claire and Carole lay down on the bed together and Carole quickly fell asleep with Claire looking at her with a smile on her face.
"I was almost worried she couldn't sleep. Glad that I was wrong." Claire said before she started to whimper a bit.
In her dreams, Carole could hear the gunfire and screams during the attack on Arzenal and how the humans had found her.
"Please…Please don't hurt me. Someone…help me…Ersha…Mistress Salia…Mistress Ange…" Carole mutters in her sleep.
Claire was a bit saddened by this and gently held and hugged Carole while stroking the back of her head.
"It's okay. No one is going to hurt you. I'll make sure of it." Claire whispers to her.
Thanks to that, Carole calms down and snuggles closer to the Pink Ranger.
(Next day)
After waking, Shin was in the cafeteria while still feeling his headache. To help with it, the Blue Ranger was drinking a cup of tea along and took a bite of a donut.
Shin sighed as he felt a bit relieved from the headache before he took a moment to rub two of his fingers on his head.
"I'm starting to wonder if this headache will ever go away?" Shin wonders out loud.
That's when he heard a familiar voice.
"So do you have any requests for breakfast?"
Shin looked and saw it was Claire with Carole by her side as they held hands. They stop as they notice the Blue Ranger.
"Oh, hey there, Shin." Claire greeted him.
"Hey…" Shin greeted her back before he groaned and had two fingers on his head.
"Still having the headache?" Claire asked.
Shin sighed as he pinched on the bridge of his nose.
"My head was still pounding when I woke up." Shin said.
The Blue Ranger notices that Carole was looking at him.
"Oh, hey there." Shin greeted her but Carole ended up hiding behind Claire's legs.
"Hey, come on. Dean is one thing, but you really shouldn't act like that to my friends." Claire told her as she pets Carole on the head.
"It's fine. I mean given she grew up mostly around women and girls, I doubt she doesn't have much experience with men." Shin said before he drank some of his tea.
"But even so…" Claire said.
That's when Claire notices that her friends had arrived before Dean greeted.
"Morning, Claire."
"Morning, Dean." Claire greeted back.
They soon look at Carole who continues to hide behind Claire's legs.
"Guess she's still a little nervous around me." Dean said.
"Yeah. I'm afraid so." Claire said.
"If it helps, you're not the only one." Shin added before he took a sip of his tea once again.
"Maybe she'll give me a different reaction." Alisa said before she knelt down to Carole, and she looked at the Yellow Ranger. "Hey there, Carole. My name is Alisa."
Alisa reaches out her hand for a shake. A bit nervous, Carole slowly reaches out and grabs onto the Yellow Ranger's hand as she gently holds it.
"H-Hello…" Carole greeted her.
Alisa smiles at her and Carole smiles back. The others smile to see that.
"Well, it's that she's opening up to Alisa at least." Aaron said.
"I guess that's a given considering Arzenal's environment and since most Norma were born as girls." Dean said. "But we really need to find a way for her to open up to us."
"Yeah." Claire nodded. "She definitely needs some cheering up after what happened."
"But what could be a good place for a kid her age to have fun?" Alisa said.
The Rangers hummed in thought before they all had the same idea.
"Training room?" Claire said and Dean nodded.
"Training room." The Red Ranger repeated.
Dean knelt down to Carole, and she shyly hid behind Claire's legs but still saw the smile on his face.
"Hey, Carole. Do you want to have fun with us later?" Dean asked.
Carole blinks before she steps out of her hiding spot.
"Fun?" She said before Claire spoke to her next.
"Yeah. It just so happens we have a room that will really amaze you." Claire said.
"So, what do you say?" Alisa asked.
Carole thought about it before she nodded.
"I…I would like that." She said.
"Then we're glad to hear that." Dean said before she petted her on the head.
Carole was surprised at first but found it strangely warm and comforting as she smiled.
Shin smiled before he stood up and his friends turned to the Blue Ranger.
"In that case, I'll be in the command room to help with surveillance." Shin said before leaving and headed to the said room.
"You're sure, Shin?" Dean asked.
"Yeah…I could use the peace and quiet." Shin replied.
"Okay. How about we eat and then have our fun?" Dean said and his friends along with Carole nodded.
After eating breakfast, three of the Nexus Rangers and Carole soon arrived in the Hub's training room. As they walk inside, Carole looks at the surroundings around her before Claire speaks to her.
"This room is the training room. Think of it as our personal gym."
"But wait until you see this." Dean said.
A screen soon appeared in front of Dean, he used it to change the environment of the room to that of a training room/dojo. Carole was deeply amazed and surprised to see that.
"Yeah, it's amazing. But wait until you see what we have to show you." Claire said.
"Mind if I start first?" Alisa asked as she stepped forward.
"Be my guest." Dean said before he types on the screen.
With that, two wooden swords in Alisa's hands as she held while Carole watched her with interest.
"Ready?" Alisa said and Carole nodded. "Then here I go."
Alisa throws both swords into the air and as they fall towards her, she catches them by using her index fingers by the bottom of their grips.
Carole was deeply amazed by this.
"Amazing, I know. But this is only the first act." Alisa said before she throws one sword into the air and catches it by using the other one as she perfectly has them in balance on top of each other.
Carole amazed once again as she applauded. Alisa throws both swords up and catches them before bowing to Carole.
"Thank you. You're too kind." The Yellow Ranger said.
Alisa walks to the side with Dean moving to the center spot.
"Alright, now it's my turn." Dean said as he popped his fingers and rolled his shoulders. He then turns to Alisa. "My weights, Alisa."
"You got it." Alisa said before she types on the screen.
With that three large iron balls appeared close to Dean's feet.
Using his superhuman strength, Dean picks them up and juggles the iron balls which deeply amazes Carole.
Standing outside of the training room were Aaron and Misty. The exiled princess of Rosenblum was looking at Carole in sympathy after Aaron explained the situation to her.
"I see. That poor girl…I can only imagine the horrors she had experienced." Misty said.
"Yeah. There's no doubt that it's still fresh in her head." Aaron said.
Misty placed a hand on her arm and lowered her head.
"I still can't believe Father would allow Emperor Julio to indulge in such madness. And that he would agree to Embryo's plan. Resetting the world? This is just too much…" Misty said as she was deeply saddened by this and Aaron placed a hand on her shoulder to help comfort her.
"Don't worry, Misty. It's going to be alright." Aaron told her but Misty wasn't convinced by that.
"Will it though? Embryo has total control of my world. Including the support of the rulers, along with my father. How can we possibly fight against that?" Misty asked.
Aaron rubbed the back of his neck before he answered.
"Well…I'm not entirely sure myself. But regardless, Power Rangers never give up. We'll keep fighting for what's right no matter what we're up against."
"Aaron…" Misty said before she smiled and nodded. "Thank you. Honestly, you're always there for me even if I don't deserve it."
Aaron blinks before he chuckles while rubbing the back of his head and Misty chuckles as well.
To finish his juggling, Dean skillfully placed the iron balls to the ground and on top of each other. Carole applauded after seeing that.
Dean moved to the side and Claire moved to his spot.
"Now that you've seen the rest, ready to see the best?" Claire asked, Carole nodded. "Dean, my beam please."
"You got it." Dean said before he types on the screen and Claire gets ready.
Then a balance beam appeared beneath Claire's feet as it raised up and the Pink Ranger kept her balance. Carole was surprised that Claire was able to keep her balance like that.
Claire then begins by doing some cartwheels on the beam which amazed Carole as she repeated by moving back and forth twice.
Claire stops on one end, she then begins to do ballet spins on the beam before she stops on the other end as she stands one foot while raising her other leg.
Carole was amazed as she kept watching as Claire stood on her toes and walked on the beam followed by some spins and jumps. Claire finished her performance by jumping off of the beam as she spun forward and gracefully landed on her feet.
Carole applauded and Claire smiled before she bowed to her audience.
"Thank you. Thank you. You're too kind." Claire said before she raised her head. Carole quickly runs up to Claire to hug her. "Whoa! Hey, there."
"You were amazing, Mistress Claire! I've never seen anything like that!" Carole said.
"Thanks, I'm glad…wait, mistress?" Claire said.
"Yeah. You just remind me of Mistress Ange and Salia, I thought it would be perfect for you." Carole explained.
"Mistress?" Dean said.
"If I had to guess, it must be a term on how the kids address the older Norma who they greatly admired." Alisa said.
"Do you not like it?" Carole asked.
Claire chuckles while scratching her finger on her cheek.
"Well…I'm flattered, but I think 'mistress' is a bit too fancy for me. How about you call me big sis instead?" Claire said.
"Bis sis?" Carole said in some confusion.
"I guess you don't know what that is?" Claire asked. Carole shook her head. "Well…To put it in simpler words, it's basically someone who's older than you and who you greatly admire. Something like that."
"Big sis…" Carole thought about it before she smiled and nodded. "Okay. You got it, big sis."
"Then I'm glad to hear it." Claire petted her on the head and Carole enjoyed it.
"My, you are certainly enjoying yourselves." Said Misty as she entered the room with Aaron.
Carole quickly hid behind Claire after seeing her. But Misty didn't mind it as she knelt down to Carole as she smiled at her.
"Hello, little one. Your name is Carole, correct?" Misty asked. Carole showed herself a bit and nodded to her. "Then it's nice to meet you. I'm Pri…I'm Misty. If you want, I hope we can be friends."
Misty reaches out her hand to Carole. The Norma from Arzenal looks at her hand before she looks up at Claire who smiled and nodded at her.
"It's fine. Misty is a friend, you can trust her." Claire assured her.
Carole looked back at Misty before she accepted it and shook hands.
"I-I would like that." Carole said with a smile.
"Then I'm glad to hear that." Misty responded.
The Nexus Rangers couldn't help but smile to see that. Aaron was on the verge of tears as he wiped his hand on his eyes to keep them at bay.
"Honestly, this really brings a tear to my eye." Aaron said.
"But it really goes to show you how much she had matured after coming here." Alisa said.
"Yeah, it really does…" Dean said before he notices that someone was standing beside the door and has a pretty good idea who it was.
Alisa notices that before she turns to the door as well.
"Is that?" Alisa said, Dean nodded.
"Seems like it. I'll handle this." Dean said.
Dean walked to the door and saw that Sayla was standing on the wall beside it. She then notices the Red Ranger as she turns to him.
"Dean…"
"So, is there any reason for the eavesdropping?" Dean asked.
"Well…" Sayla said before she looked at Carole.
Dean sighed as he shook his head.
"Why did I bother asking? Is Carole living here going to be a problem for you?" Dean asked.
Sayla quickly shook her head.
"No! Of course not…" She answered.
"Then how about you go and try to talk to her? I mean you'll be living here with her along with Misty until we defeat Embryo. It wouldn't hurt to at least bond with her." Dean told her.
"I-I can't…" Sayla said.
"Why though? I thought you were over the whole Norma thing." Dean said.
Sayla quickly shook her head.
"It's not that…It's just…" Sayla said.
"Just what?" Dean asked and Sayla was silent before she lowered her head.
That's when the alarms begin to sound off and hear Pixel's voice through the PA system.
"Emergency! Another attack has begun! All Rangers come to the command room immediately!"
"Now that's just great timing. We'll talk about this later." Dean said before he headed to the command room.
The others were about to join him, but Claire stops as Carole grabs onto her.
"Carole?" Claire said. Alisa and Aaron stopped and turned to the Pink Ranger and Carole.
"Don't go…" Carole said with tears forming in her eyes.
"This again…" Claire said before she turned to her friends.
"Yeah…Probably best that you stay here, Claire. Someone needs to watch out for the kid." Alisa told her.
"But…" Claire said.
"Don't worry. Whatever it is, I'm sure we can handle this." Aaron assured before he and Alisa headed to the command room while leaving Claire behind.
While being a bit guilty of letting her friends face the danger without her, Claire couldn't bring herself to leave Carole behind since she's so attached to the Pink Ranger.
Dean, Aaron and Alisa soon arrived in the command room where Shin and Pixel were waiting for them.
"You're here…wait, where's Claire?" Pixel asked.
"Claire's busy looking after our newest guest." Dean answered and Pixel quickly understood.
"Oh I see." Pixel said.
"Anyway, where's the attack?" Alisa asked.
Pixel quickly brings out her keyboard to show footage of a village in the southeast that was under attack by one of Kaiser Empire's Commander who was leading a legion of Xedroids.
The Commander resembles that of a swan with a body that's purely colored white with a golden lining on his chest and shoulders along with having red eyes and a golden mouthpiece.
This is Feather-Edge.
As the Commander was giving orders to the Xedroids to attack a village, he was doing an elegant ballet dance.
"Seems like we have ourselves a dancer here." Pixel said.
"But not the entertainment type. We should probably interrupt his performance." Dean said and the others nodded in agreement.
Shin stood up from his chair.
"Alright. Then let's…" Shin said before he groaned and placed a hand on his head as felt a slight headache.
Alisa then made the Blue Ranger sit down on the chair.
"Hold it right there, genius. You're still on the mend." Alisa told him.
"Alisa's right. Best that you stay here and rest." Dean added.
Shin sighed in resignation as he leaned back.
"Fine…you win…" Shin mutters.
"You're sure? You'll be a bit underman." Pixel told them.
"We'll be fine, Pix." Aaron said.
"Yeah. Besides, what's the worst that can happen?" Dean said before he and the others walked on top of the transporter and used it to teleport where Feather-Edge is attacking.
"I don't know, probably a lot of things." Shin said before he groans once again.
As the Xedroids began to attack everything and everyone in the village as the people ran away, Commander Feather-Edge was singing and dancing throughout the attack.
"Lalalala! Lalala! Oh I just love the sounds of screaming and destruction, it really gives my dancing spirit more energy!" Feather-Edge said in glee as he stopped and gave the Xedroids orders. "So continue on with the destruction, Xedroids! More! Give me more passion and spirit!"
The Xedroids were about to heed his commands before someone called out to them.
"Stop right there!"
Feather-Edge and the Xedroids looked and saw three of the Nexus Rangers had arrived as they stopped and faced them.
"Oh the Power Rangers! I was hoping you would show up…?" Feather-Edge said before he noticed that they were missing two of their members.
"Wait…There's only three of you today? I was hoping for a full audience." Feather-Edge said in some disappointment.
"Our two other members are preoccupied right now." Alisa told him.
"But either way, we live to disappoint. Especially against the bad guys." Aaron added.
"Hmmm…Oh well, I suppose it can't be helped. But I hope you'll give me a decent time." Feather-Edge said.
"Trust me, it's going to be decent alright. It's Morphin' Time!" Dean said before he, Alisa, and Aaron change the modes of their Morphers and bring out their Cards.
"Load Card! Access the Morphin Grid!" The Nexus Rangers load their Cards into their respective Morphers and press the button to activate them.
(Morphing Sequence)
The Nexus Rangers were standing on their platforms before they fired a beam from their Morphers to bring out the screens of their Ranger Forms and weapons.
Their platforms open as they jump down and change to their Ranger suits before they land on the ground and their helmets soon appear.
(End of sequence)
"Nexus Rangers…" Dean said.
"We stand united!" The three Rangers declared as they strike their poses.
After seeing their transformation and poses, Feather-Edge brought a hand on his chin with another underneath his elbow as he hummed.
"A bit too flashy for my taste. But I do like the poses." The Kaiser Commander said before he lowered his arms. "But oh well…Xedroids!"
The Xedroids charge at the three Rangers.
"Nexus Daggers!" The Nexus Rangers said as they pulled out their Daggers and charged at the Xedroids to battle them.
Dean slashed upon two Xedroids with his Dagger and kicked one on the chest as it stumbled to two more Xedroids as they fell to the ground.
Alisa slash upon two Xedroids before some of the others surround her and move in to attack her at all sides, the Yellow Ranger uses her flying ability to fly up to avoid their attacks and slash upon them as she gracefully lands on the ground while spinning.
Aaron slash upon three Xedroids as he runs forward and punches two on the chests sending them to the ground.
That's when the Black Ranger saw Feather-Edge charging but instead of running, he did it while doing his usual dance movement. Aaron was bewildered at first before he quickly shook his head and attacked the Commander with his Dagger, but Feather-Edge avoided it by spinning.
Aaron repeatedly attacks Feather-Edge with his weapon but he avoids his attacks by spinning with a mix of his dance moves before he stops Aaron's next attack by catching his forearm.
"Huh?" Aaron said as he was a bit surprised and Feather-Edge wags his finger at him.
"No, no, no. That won't do at all. If you want to attack someone, you need to be more elegant and stylish. Like this!" Feather-Edge soon attacks Aaron with hand-palm strikes before he jumps and kicks on the Black Ranger's chest, sending him to the ground and Feather-Edge lands on his feet. "See? Just like that."
That's when the Kaiser Commander notices both Dean and Alisa soon charged him to attack but Feather-Edge avoided their attacks using his elegant movement and dance skills.
Feather-Edge then stops an attack from Dean and Alisa's Daggers by bringing his forearms against their own. The Commander then pushed both of their arms back and spun to kick both Rangers on the head, sending them to the ground.
Alisa quickly stands back up and brings out her wings, she then flies towards Feather-Edge to attack him once again but the Kaiser Commander skillfully avoids her attack and grabs onto her hands.
"Huh?" Alisa said as she looked at her hands along with Feather-Edge's.
The Commander then brought his finger to her helmet's mouthpiece and shushed at her before asking her a question.
"May I have this dance, milady?"
Without hearing her answer, Feather-Edge begins dancing with Alisa while landing some hand strikes on her chest followed by two slaps on the head. Feather-Edge spun around with Alisa as he punched her face a few times.
Then as the pair pulled each other back, Feather-Edge let go of her hand and fired some feather-shape shurikens at Alisa, dealing her some damage before he jumped and landed a double kick on her chest sending Alisa flying before she crashed into a wall and fell to the ground.
"Now that was just humiliating…" Alisa groans.
After landing his feet, Feather-Edge chuckles before he sees Dean charging at him.
Dean then jumps at Feather-Edge as he brings out his Saber.
"Nexus Racer Saber!"
Dean landed in front of Feather-Edge and attacked him with his sword but he once again avoided his attacks and grabbed onto the Red Ranger's arm and knocked his sword out of his hand followed with a few punches on his chest and Dean stumbled back.
Feather-Edge then uses that chance to launch feather shurikens at the Red Ranger, dealing him more damage before he falls to the ground.
As the three Nexus Rangers stood back up, Feather-Edge yawned with a hand over his mouth.
"Yawn. I was expecting to have a more exciting show from you. Guess you really do live to disappoint." The Commander said.
"Oh trust me…We're just getting started!" Dean said as he and the others were ready to fight him again.
"Somehow I doubt that." Feather-Edge sighed while shaking his head. "I've lost interest. I'm going back to the Sphere and hopefully next time, you'll provide more flair for me."
Feather-Edge teleports back to the Kaiser Sphere and the Rangers are left disappointed at themselves.
"Damn it…He wasn't even trying." Alisa grumbles.
"So much for the three of us handling it." Aaron said as he sat down while shaking his head.
"You can say that again…" Dean said while rolling his shoulder. "Especially since he made it clear, he'll be back for more."
After returning to the Kaiser Sphere, Commander Feather-Edge reported to the prince along with Swartz and Cyber, and Swartz was a bit unhappy about what happened in the end.
"You let the Rangers live?! Even though you had them at your mercy?!" The general exclaimed at him and Feather-Edge wasn't intimidated by him as he casually rubbed his fingers on his chest before blowing on them.
"Yes. What can I say, General? As someone who loves entertainment, I want to destroy my enemies with excitement." Feather-Edge told him.
"Does it look like I care about what you want?!" General Swartz exclaimed as he glared at Feather-Edge. "The Prince and I made it clear; we want the Rangers destroyed as soon as possible! We have no time to indulge it whatever your heart desires!"
Prince Crimson slams his fist on his throne's armrest which made the others flinch while turning to him.
"That is enough, General. If I wanted you to speak on my behalf, then I would've given your permission already." Prince Crimson said.
"Yes…Of course. My apologies." General Swartz bowed his head.
Prince Crimson then turns to Feather-Edge.
"But that doesn't mean I disagree with him, Commander Feather-Edge. Since you manage to bring the Rangers to their knees, I'm willing to let this slide. But next time, I hope for their complete destruction."
Feeling confident in himself, Feather-Edge bowed before the prince.
"But of course, Your Highness. Trust me, by the time I'm done, there will be nothing left of the Rangers but a pile of ashes." Feather-Edge promised him.
"Good. You may go." Prince Crimson said.
Feather-Edge soon leaves the room and Prince Crimson takes a moment to sigh while having a hand on his face.
"Honestly, men like him are such a bother. But no matter, just as long as he destroys the Rangers that would make tolerating him worth it." The prince said to himself.
After returning to the Hub, Dean, Alisa, Aaron and Pixel were reviewing the footage of their battle against Commander Feather-Edge.
"Man…I can't seem to figure out the pattern to his fighting style. And that's saying something since I'm the martial arts expert here." Alisa said.
"Yeah, I quite agree. It was almost like we were fighting a dancer instead of a monster bent on destruction." Aaron said. Dean had an idea after hearing.
"But like any dancer, he must have a pattern and rhythm to his movement. If we can figure out the opening and hit him, we might be able to break it." Dean said.
"Yeah…Yeah. That might work." Alisa said.
"Then I guess we have our plan." Aaron said.
"Agreed." Pixel nodded.
Aaron then notices that someone is missing right now.
"By the way, where's Shin?" Aaron asked before he and the others noticed that the Blue Ranger was nowhere to be seen.
"Shin, decided to get some rest. So, he's sleeping in his room." Pixel told them. In the Blue Ranger's room, Shin is sleeping on his bed while talking in his sleep.
"The square root of 912.04 is 30.2…Nitrous Oxide is the chemical term for laughing gas…hahaha…"
"Well, that's nice. He gets to sleep around in dreamland all day while we handle the other stuff." Dean said.
"Then we should work him even harder when he recovers." Alisa said while popping her knuckles.
'Sorry, Shin. Afraid I won't be able to help you.' Pixel thought to herself.
The three Rangers turned to Pixel.
"By the way, how are Claire and Carole?" Dean asked.
Pixel brings out her personal keyboard and uses it to bring out footage of Claire and Carole as the two were playing a game of connect four.
"As you can see, Claire had managed to keep our new addition calm and happy. But I'm pretty sure she still wanted to help you." Pixel said.
"I figured as much. But it can't be helped. Even if the survivors of Arzenal were able to get away, we have no way of contacting them." Dean said.
"Yeah. I doubt contacting her actual family would do any better. Heck, I'll be surprised if she even knows her mother's name let alone what that means." Alisa said.
"And all because Norma was separated from their families since birth. It's so sad, not knowing who your parents were or even if they love you, I don't even want to imagine how that feels." Aaron said and Alisa placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Yeah. I doubt any of us would." Dean added before he turned to the door. "And it's considered rude to eavesdrop on other people. Why don't you come out already?"
The door opened and entering the command room is Sayla. Alisa and Aaron were surprised by this.
"Sayla?" Alisa said.
"Oh boy…" Aaron said.
"Care to explain yourself this time?" Dean asked.
"I'm sorry, Dean. I just…" Sayla started before Dean spoke out.
"I don't want an apology. I want a straight answer. This is about Carole, right?" Dean asked. Sayla was hesitant at first but answered by nodding. "Then how about we finished where we left off. If Carole living here is going to be a problem, then I can ask Salamandinay to make some living arrangements for you and Serra."
"I said it's not like that!" Sayla said as she had a hand on her bicep.
"Then what is it? Just why are you avoiding her?" Dean asked.
Sayla bit her lip before she finally confessed to Dean and the others.
"It's because I don't have the right to care for that girl!"
The three Nexus Rangers and Pixel were left speechless before Sayla explained what she meant.
"It's like you said…That girl doesn't know who her mother was, all because the people of my world had rejected and ridiculed Norma like her. My daughter may be a Norma, but that still doesn't change the fact that I was the same. How can I face or even talk to her despite all of that?"
Dean tries to hold in, but Sayla soon hears him chuckling along with the rest of his friends. Sayla blinks.
"Why are you…?"
The Rangers and Pixel soon stop chuckling.
"Sorry, sorry. I just can't help but find it a bit silly." Dean told her.
"What could be silly about that?" Sayla asked. Dean placed a hand on her shoulder before answering her question.
"I don't know. But listen, I can't tell you what Carole's parents did, but I can tell you were different than they were. I mean you chose to love and accept your daughter despite the fact that she was a Norma, so I can guarantee that you weren't anything like them. So, there's no reason why you have to distance yourself from Carole."
"But I…" Sayla said.
"No, Dean's right." Alisa said, gaining her attention too. "I'm sure Carole's parents made their choice just like you did. Besides, it's not like yours and Carole's situation wasn't the only one."
"Yeah." Aaron said as he steps forward as well. "At the end of day, everyone makes their own decisions and lives with them. No matter what we do, we can't change the past. All we can do is keep moving forward."
"Everyone…" Sayla said.
Before she processes and thinks about what they said, the alarms begin to ring.
The Nexus Rangers turn to the computer as Pixel brings out footage of Feather-Edge's new attack in another village.
"Yet another great timing. Pix." Dean said and their AI ally nodded.
"Got it. The transporter is ready and is good to go." Pixel told them.
"Okay." Dean said before he took a moment to speak to Sayla. "Think about what we said. Okay."
"Dean…"
The three Nexus Rangers went on the transporter and teleported to where Feather-Edge is attacking.
After they left, Pixel took a moment to speak to Sayla.
"So…Is there anything I could do for you?" The AI asked.
Sayla thought about it and soon responded to Pixel.
"Where…Where is Claire and that girl?" Sayla asked.
Pixel blinks at first before she answers her question.
"They're in the cafeteria. Though I doubt Claire wanted to stay behind again, but…" Pixel said.
"I got it." Sayla said before she leaves.
During his attack, Feather-Edge grew a bit bored as he yawned while everyone ran from him.
"Honestly, doing a repeat can be so boring." He said to himself.
"Stop right there!"
The Kaiser Commander looks and sees Dean, Alisa, and Aaron in Ranger form appearing in the area as they jump and land before Feather-Edge.
"You three again. Honestly, I don't see why you would bother. You should know you can't beat me." Feather-Edge said.
"There's a first time for anything!" Dean said before he and the others charge at Feather-Edge to fight him.
The Commander sighs but assumes his stance, nonetheless.
"Oh well. Maybe I'll find some excitement this time." Feather-Edge said.
(Meanwhile)
Sayla was walking in the hallway that leads to the Hub's cafeteria. When she was getting closer, she could hear a little girl crying along with Claire's voice.
"Carole, don't cry. I'll only be gone for a while."
"No! I don't want you to go!"
Sayla stops by the door and sees Carole hugging Claire as the Pink Ranger tries to reason with her. No doubt Claire wanted to head out and help her friends, but Carole didn't want her leave,
Now that she had gotten a good look at her, Sayla could tell that Carole appears to be 5 or maybe 6 years old.
In another life, Serra could've been like her. Growing up without knowing who her mother was while being raised to believe that her only purpose in life was to fight the Children of Aura only to be faced with a quick but painful death. All because the leaders of her world made those rules.
As Sayla wonders what to do, she then remembers Dean, Alisa and Aaron's words.
"I don't know. But listen, I can't tell you what Carole's parents did, but I can tell you were different than they were. I mean you chose to love and accept your daughter despite the fact that she was a Norma, so I can guarantee that you weren't anything like them. So, there's no reason why you have to distance yourself from Carole."
"No, Dean's right. I'm sure Carole's parents made their choice just like you did. Besides, it's not like yours and Carole's situation wasn't the only one."
"Yeah. At the end of day, everyone makes their own decisions and lives with them. No matter what we do, we can't change the past. All we can do is keep moving forward."
That's when Sayla made her decision as she hardened her resolve and approached Carole.
"Carole, come on…" Claire said as she tried to reason with the girl.
Sayla then stood behind Carole before she spoke to her.
"Alright, that's enough."
Claire and Carole looked at her.
"Sayla?" Claire said.
Sayla knelt down to Carole to stare at her which made her a bit nervous. Sayla then asked Carole a question.
"Your name is Carole, right?"
While a bit nervous, Carole nodded. Sayla then placed a hand on her shoulder and Carole saw the kind smile on her face.
"Then you need to be a good girl and listen to Claire. She has an important job to do, so you shouldn't be selfish by keeping her to yourself." Sayla said.
"But…But I'm afraid…" Carole said.
"And what are you afraid of?" Sayla asked.
"That…That if she goes, she'll never come back…Just like what to my friends and Miss Mary." Carole said.
"Carole…" Claire said.
"I see. But you shouldn't worry about that." Sayla said. Carole blinks in confusion before she explains. "You see, someone I love very dearly was taken from me. But by some miracle, Dean brought her back to me. So I can say, Claire will definitely come back."
"Really?" Carole said.
"Yeah. Of course." Claire said before she knelt down and held her shoulders. "Don't worry. Like I said, I'll only be gone for a moment, and I'll come back. I mean, how could I leave behind an adorable little girl like you?"
"But if you're scared of being alone, I can keep you company." Sayla said.
"You will?" Carole asked, Sayla nodded.
"Of course. If anything…I want to learn more about you." Sayla said.
"Sayla." Claire smiles to hear that.
They soon heard someone coughing at them and saw it was Pixel who was also in the room watching them.
"I hate to interrupt. But Claire, the others are in trouble right now and need your help." Pixel told the Pink Ranger.
Claire quickly stood up.
"Then I can't waste any more time." Claire said before she turned to Sayla who held Carole's shoulders. "Can you look after her for me?"
"Don't worry. She's in good hands." Sayla promised the Pink Ranger.
"Thanks." Claire said.
"Be careful, sis." Carole said.
Claire smiles before she petted her on the head.
"Don't worry. I'll be back before you know it." Claire promised her before she rushed out of the room and headed to where her friends were fighting.
Alisa throws two punches and kicks at Feather-Edge but he avoids her attacks with his dance movement before slashing on her chest with his claws and the Yellow Ranger is forced to stumble back.
Aaron moves in to throw three punches at the Commander but Feather-Edge avoids his attacks and lands a ballet-like kick on his head sending him rolling on the ground.
Dean throws two punches and one kick at Feather-Edge but he avoids his attacks before slashing the Red Ranger with his claws followed by two kicks sending Dean to the ground.
Dean was about to stand back up, but Feather-Edge stopped him by stomping his foot on his chest and pinned him to the ground.
As Dean struggles to remove his foot, the Kaiser Commander could only look at him in disappointment.
"Honestly, if this is the best that you can do, then why did I even bother? Oh well, guess I'll finish this here." Feather-Edge said as he was ready to finish Dean off…
"Hey, birdbrain!" Someone calls out to him which gets Feather-Edge's attention as he looks to his left.
"Huh?"
Everyone soon saw it was Claire, in Ranger form, as she jumps at Feather-Edge and lands a double kick on his chest which forces the Kaiser Commander to stumble away from Dean while she lands on the ground.
"Claire!" Alisa said.
"She made it." Aaron said as he stood back up.
Claire helps Dean stand back up.
"Thanks for the save, Claire, but are you sure you should be out here?" Dean asked.
"Yeah." Claire nodded. "Don't worry about Carole. Sayla is looking after her."
The other Rangers were surprised at first but soon smiled in understanding.
"I see. Glad to hear it." Dean said before Aaron and Alisa move to their side while Feather-Edge angrily glares at the Pink Ranger.
"You…How are you dirty my beautiful white feathers!" Feather-Edge exclaimed.
"So that's our little dancer friend?" Claire asked.
"Yeah." Aaron nodded.
"Be careful, his dance moves make it hard to read his movements." Alisa said.
"Hmm…" Claire hummed in thought. "Then maybe I should have a go at him. What do you say, Dean?"
"If you think you can do it, be my guest." Dean said.
"Hmph! I don't know what you're talking about, but it doesn't matter to me. Xedroids!" Feather-Edge calls out and a legion of Xedroids soon appears and are ready to fight him.
"Alright, we'll keep the Xedroids busy. Claire, you handle birdbrain." Dean told his team, and they nodded.
"Alright!" Aaron said.
"You got it!" Claire said.
With that, both enemies charge at each other and Dean, Aaron and Alisa battle the Xedroids while Claire fights Feather-Edge.
"Nexus Dagger!" Claire pulls out her Dagger while charging at Feather-Edge.
The Pink Ranger then slashes at the Kaiser Commander with it, but he avoids it by doing a ballet spin.
"Please! Like you can hit me twice!" Feather-Edge said while throwing a kick at Claire.
The Pink Ranger avoids it by doing the splits and Feather-Edge was left shocked that he missed.
"What?"
Claire quickly jumps on her feet and lands a double slash on Feather-Edge's chest followed by a kick and the Commander is forced to stumble back.
"Is that all you got? My grandma can dance better than you." Claire said and that enrages Feather-Edge.
"Tsk! Lucky shot! Let's see you dodging this!" Feather-Edge spins towards the Pink Ranger to kick her, Claire stood still and waited for him.
Claire followed his movement and waited for the right moment, and just as Feather-Edge threw a kick at her, the Pink Ranger avoided it by doing a backflip. Feather-Edge was stunned by this as he stopped spinning.
Claire uses that chance to throw her Nexus Dagger at Feather-Edge and it slashed around his body before the Dagger flew back to the Pink Ranger's hand.
"How…?" Feather-Edge said.
"I know a thing or two about dancing." Claire shrugged before she charged at Feather-Edge to land some more hits on him.
As Dean, Aaron, and Alisa battle the Xedroids, they soon bring out their weapons to finish them.
"Racer Saber!" Dean said as he slash at the Xedroids and soon dashed towards another group to slash through each of them as they fell to the ground and exploded.
"Falcon Claws!" Alisa said as she used to slash upon the Xedroids before flying towards another group to attack them while spinning like a drill.
"Dozer Hammer!" Aaron said as he made a wide swing to hit the Xedroids in front of him, he then slammed his Hammer to the ground to create a shockwave to destroy them.
In her battle against Feather-Edge, Claire brings out her own weapon as well.
"Chopper Bowgun!" Claire avoided Feather-Edge's attacks while landing some good shots on him.
The Pink Ranger then charges at Feather-Edge, the Kaiser Commander soon fires his feather shurikens at her and Claire avoids it by sliding on the ground before she stops and fires some close range shots in front of Feather-Edge which sends him flying before he falls to the ground.
"I-I'm not done yet…" Feather-Edge said as he stood back up.
"It's a bit too late to say that." Claire said before her friends moved to her side.
The four Nexus Rangers bring out their SuperCharge Cards.
"Load SuperCharge Card!" Dean said.
"Load Card!" The others said.
The Rangers load their Cards into their respective weapons. As they charge with energy, the Nexus Rangers assume their stance before Dean, Aaron, and Alisa charge at Feather-Edge.
Dean slash straight through Feather-Edge followed by Aaron and Alisa while Claire finished him off by firing an powerful energy shot at him with that, the Kaiser Commander exploded.
Claire chuckles while resting her Bowgun on her shoulder.
"Morphinominal." Claire said.
In the Kaiser Sphere, Prince Crimson witnessed Feather-Edge's defeat against the Rangers and was once again displeased by this.
"And once again, the Rangers made a fool out of me! You better not fail again, Feather-Edge. Cyber!" The prince calls out.
"Activating Kaiser Reanimator!" Cyber said as he activated the Reanimator, and it fired a beam at Feather-Edge's remains.
When the beam hit, Feather-Edge was resurrected as a giant as he laughed.
"Now this is what I call entertainment!" The giant Commander said.
The Rangers are ready for this as Dean and Claire bring out their Zord Cards and load them to their Morphers.
"Load Card!"
"Deploy, Nexus Racer Zord!"
"Nexus Chopper Zord!"
After the Zords appeared, Dean brought out the Megazord - Chopper Formation Card and loaded it into his Morpher.
"Load Megazord Card! Initiate, Chopper Formation!"
(Megazord sequence)
The Racer and Chopper Zords combined to form the Nexus Megazord's Chopper Formation.
The four Nexus Rangers soon appeared in the cockpit and attached their Morphers to their platforms.
"Nexus Megazord - Chopper Formation!"
(End of sequence)
After the sequence, the Nexus Megazord was now ready to fight Feather-Edge as they circle each other.
Feather-Edge study the Megazord's appearance and he wasn't impressed.
"Hmph! I must say, I find this machine's style hideous and lack any refinement." Feather-Edge stated.
"Refine this!" The Nexus Rangers said as they swung their right arm.
The Nexus Megazord followed their movement as it swung its Blade at Feather-Edge. The Kaiser Commander avoids its attacks by spinning to the side and lands a few well-placed attacks on the Megazord which forces it to stumble back.
After the Megazord stops, it soon charges at Feather-Edge to slash at him twice but the Kaiser Commander avoids its attacks using his dance movements.
Feather-Edge spun around while landing two kicks on the Nexus Megazord and was forced to stumble back.
In the cockpit, the Rangers stumble a bit as the room shakes.
"Dang it. Even as a giant, he still dances pretty well." Alisa said.
"Then it's a good thing that I'm here. Mind if I call the shots here, Dean?" Claire asked and Dean nodded.
"Be my guest." The Red Ranger told her.
"Alright! Then follow my movement." Claire said as she assumed a stance with her left arm forward and her right arm pulled back and the others followed by assuming the same stance.
The Megazord responded by entering the same stance while pointing its blade at Feather-Edge.
While confused at first, Feather-Edge wasn't going to let that stop him.
"I don't know what you're planning, but it won't work!" Feather-Edge said before he moves at the Megazord by spinning to land a kick at him.
Claire followed his movement while the other Rangers waited for her call.
"Wait for it. Wait for it…" Claire told her team before Feather-Edge throws a kick at the Megazord. "Now!"
Claire spun to the side and the others did the same, following their movement, the Nexus Megazord avoided Feather-Edge's kick and landed a slash on his back.
"What?" Feather-Edge said in shock.
The Nexus Megazord then lands some more slashes at the giant Commander followed with a kick and Feather-Edge is forced to stumble back before he stops.
"Damn you…!" Feather-Edge said before he fired his shurikens at the Megazord.
"Chopper Shield Blade!" The Nexus Rangers said as they swung their left arms.
The Megazord's Shield begins to spin and uses to deflect Feather-Edge's feather shurikens. The Kaiser Commander was shocked by this before the Megazord charges at him.
The Nexus Rangers then swung their right arm two times and the Nexus Megazord attacked Feather-Edge with its Chopper Blade, dealing him some damage before he stumbled back.
"Chopper Shield Wind Strike!" The Nexus Rangers said as they brought their left arms forward.
The Megazord then fires its tornado attack at Feather-Edge which sends him flying up before the Megazord stops its attack and Feather-Edge falls to the ground.
Feather-Edge groans as he slowly stands back up.
"It's time to finish this! Super Nexus Blaster!" Dean calls out and the Blaster flies into his hands.
Dean readies and aims the Blaster while his friends assume their stance and the Nexus Megazord does the same.
"Nexus Megazord, Spinning Blade Attack!" The Rangers said before Dean fired the Blaster and the others spun around.
The Megazord then flies towards Feather-Edge while spinning and slashes through the giant Commander before it stops by skidding on the ground.
"No! I really wanted to dance some more!" Feather-Edge shouted as he fell to the ground and exploded.
The Nexus Megazord strikes a pose.
"Never underestimate humans!" The Rangers declared.
After their battle, the Nexus Rangers quickly return to their base. Claire quickly moves to the cafeteria to see how Carole and Sayla were and her friends follow behind her.
When they were getting closer, they could hear a baby chuckling along with the voices of Carole and Sayla.
"Who is this?" Carole asked.
"Her name is Serra. She's my daughter." Sayla said.
The Rangers stopped close to the door and saw that Sayla was carrying her daughter in her arms as Carole looked at her.
"What's a daughter?" Carole asked. Sayla flinches but answers her question.
"It's difficult to explain…but it basically means she's a part of my family."
"Family?" Carole said. "But wouldn't that mean, I have a family?"
"Yes…But I don't know where they are or if they even want to meet you." Sayla said with some sadness. Carole was a bit saddened by this, Sayla placed a hand on her shoulder and Carole saw the smile on her face. "But blood doesn't always make a family, it's the heart. Just like with Claire…I hope you'll see me as your family too."
"Family…" Carole thought about it before she smiled and nodded. "I…I think I would like that. Thank you."
Sayla smiles before she takes a moment to wipe away some tears. Carole looks at Serra to greet the baby.
"Hey, Serra. I'm Carole."
Serra looks at Carole before she smiles and reaches out to her, Carole smiles back at her. Sayla chuckles to see that.
"Do you want to try holding her?" Sayla offered. Carole was a bit surprised by this.
"Are you sure?" She asked. Sayla nodded.
"Of course. As fate would have it, she happens to be a Norma like you." Sayla said which surprised Carole.
"She is?" She said and Sayla nodded.
"Yes. So there's no reason to be hesitant." Sayla assured her.
Taking her words to heart, Carole soon held in her arms with Sayla offering advice on how to hold a baby.
"Like this?" Carole said.
"Almost, you need to give the neck more support." Sayla told her.
The Rangers smile as they continue to watch them.
"Now this is nice to see." Dean said.
"Yeah. It really goes to show you that Norma and humans don't matter, just being able to understand each other is what makes a person human." Claire added.
They soon heard a familiar voice yawning and saw it Shin as he walked to his friends.
"Oh, Shin, you're finally up." Alisa said.
"Yeah, sorry to sleep when you guys were busy." Shin said before he stopped walking.
"It's no problem. Besides, it wasn't like I was any better." Claire said.
"How's your headache though?" Aaron asked.
Shin smiled before he took a moment to stretch out his arms.
"I think it's more than gone now. And to think all I needed was some more hours of bed rest." Shin said before he noticed the smiling Sayla and Carole who was carrying Serra in her arms. "But it seems like I miss a lot since then."
"You had no idea." Claire commented.
Dean's Morpher begins as he is receiving a transmission.
"A call from Salamandinay?" Alisa asked.
"Most likely." Dean said before he answered the transmission and appeared on the screen was Salamandinay.
"Hello, Dean, I heard what happened. I'm glad that you're alright." Salamandinay said.
"Thank you. But what's with the sudden call? Did something happen?" Dean asked.
"Nothing dire. But I do acquire your assistance with something." Salamandinay told him and the others.
"Okay. Then let's meet in the command room."Dean said and Salamandinay nodded before she ended the transmission.
After the Nexus Rangers had arrived in the command room, Salamandinay along with Naga and Kaname had arrived as well.
They then told the Rangers that they had detected something within the ruins of the old world.
"A transmission signal?" Dean said.
"We've detected it a short while ago. We can't make it out just yet, and we're still trying to get the exact location." Salamandinay told them.
"It could be an old distress signal. I mean there were over dozens of those during the D-War." Shin said.
"I had the same thought. But it appears to be too recent to be an old signal, not to mention it appeared around two days after the attack on Arzenal." Salamandinay said.
"Yeah. I say the timing can't be a coincidence." Alisa said.
"Which is why we're here. I was hoping you would help in tracking it down." Salamandinay requested.
Dean hummed before he turned to Pixel.
"Well, Pix, think you can do it?" Dean asked. Pixel chuckles before she and the others turn to the computer.
"Not a problem. Tracking down a signal or two will be simple for me." Pixel said as she popped her fingers and brought out her keyboard.
Using it, Pixel uses the Hub's satellite network to search for the said broadcast signal.
"Looks like the signal is in the city of Tokyo…Wait, this is…" Pixel said before she heard the transmission and was surprised by this. "It can't be."
"What is it, Pix?" Dean asked.
"I'm bringing it up on the main screen. Because you wouldn't believe me even if I told you." Pixel said as she uses her keyboard to bring the transmission on the computer screen.
At first there was nothing but noise and static but they soon heard a voice.
"Arzenal, come in, this is Ange and Villkiss. Please answer. Are any of you guys alive? Momoka! Or Hilda! I don't care who just say something!"
The Rangers and their allies were deeply shocked to hear that.
"No way…" Shin said.
"She's here?" Alisa said.
"The rider of Villkiss…" Salamandinay said.
"Well…this is unexpected." Dean said.
To be continued...The Rider of Villkiss and the Knight of Ange
There you have it, hope you like it. Review to tell me what you think of the story.
Today's villain
Feather-Edge
Design: The Cygnus Zodiarts from Kamen Rider Fourze