Land of the Rising Sun: Chapter Fourteen
Death of a Prince
The skull island hovered in the sky, casting a dim shadow on the streets of Tokyo below. Captives encased in stone sat frozen on the island's rooftops. The rangers gathered below and stared up at the island, which had once been a part of Tokyo.
Jason grabbed tightly onto his morpher while staring up at the skull palace extending from the island like a needle. The ranger had a grim look of determination in his eyes. "All right guys..." Jason said. "Let's go!"
"Shogun transform!" the rangers shouted while activating their morphers. Energy whirled around their bodies while they morphed into their Ranger forms.
Ninjared led the charge forward, but a shower of explosions blocked their path. The Rangers rolled for cover and rose to their knees as chilling laughter split through the air. It was the Youkai prince, Juniya.
The Rangers rose to their feet while glaring up at the prince. He was standing on top of the island's skull palace.
"You can't hide up there forever, creep!" Ninjablack shouted.
Juniya swung his warped guitar over his shoulder and pointed down at the Rangers. "I don't intend to, Ninjaranger," he said with a grin spread across his face. "You're too late...Daimamou is coming..."
The Rangers knew Juniya wasn't lying. They could feel the evil Youkai lord slowly breaking through the darkness. Slowly heading towards the light, stalking the brightness like a predator stalking its prey.
Ninjared looked to his team. "We have to stop him before Daimamou escapes."
Ninjawhite nodded while summoning her scroll. "Ninjazords..."
The five Rangers opened their scrolls. Each scroll bore the symbol of their individual Ninjazord. "Ninjazords, awaken!" the Rangers shouted as powerful lightning shot across the skies.
"Ninja Ape!" Ninjared shouted. The symbol on his scroll glowed and projected behind the Ranger before forming the mighty ape zord. Ninjared levitated backwards and merged into his zord's cockpit.
"Ninja Frog!" Ninjablack shouted. The symbol on his scroll glowed and projected behind the Ranger before forming the frog zord. Ninjablack levitated backwards and merged into his zord's cockpit.
"Ninja Crane!" Ninjawhite shouted. The symbol on her scroll glowed and projected behind the Ranger before forming the crane zord. Ninjawhite levitated backwards and merged into her zord's cockpit.
"Ninja Wolf!" Ninjablue shouted. The symbol on his scroll glowed and projected behind the Ranger before forming the wolf zord. Ninjablue levitated backwards and merged into his zord's cockpit.
"Ninja Bear!" Ninjayellow shouted. The symbol on his scroll glowed and projected behind the Ranger before forming the bear zord. Ninjayellow levitated backwards and merged into his zord's cockpit.
Juniya snarled at the Rangers' zords. He watched as the ninja beasts started their stampede towards the skull palace.
"Your new zords will become your tombs," Juniya swore as he leapt down from the castle. Dark energy crackled around his body as he transformed into his skeletal form. The Youkai prince grew to giant size before dropping to the ground, creating a deafening boom that shattered several nearby buildings.
The villain rose to his feet and extended his sword at the approaching Ninjazords.
"Come..." the Youkai prince said.
Ninja Wolf pounced towards the Youkai while arming its blade tail.
"You've had this coming, Juniya," Ninjablue said under his breath.
Ninja Wolf flipped towards Juniya and slashed its blade tail down across the villain's chest. The Youkai prince was forced a few steps back, surprised at the zord's strength.
Ninja Bear slowly moved in.
"Don't go trying to catch your balance yet," Ninjayellow said from his cockpit.
Ninja Bear stomped against the ground with all its might. The zord produced a shockwave that shook the earth beneath Juniya's feet. The Youkai prince fell face-first onto the streets.
Juniya rose to his feet just as the Ninja Crane moved in with a volley of energy darts that exploded against the villain's chest. Sparks exploded across the prince's chest as he stumbled backward, his sword flying from his grasp.
"My turn, bone-head," Ninjared shouted as the Ninja Ape leapt forward with its blades in hand.
Ninja Ape struck downward across the villain's chest with a diagonal blow. The zord followed with a horizontal strike with its opposite hand. Ninja Ape moved forward, crossing its blades in an x-shaped pattern and spearing them against Juniya. Explosions sparked across the prince's chest as he was tossed backward.
A strange warrior stepped onto the rooftops below and watched the raging battle between zord and prince above. The warrior was dressed in dark-silver armor that appeared a mix of Japanese and European in design. His helmet and mask covered all of his face except for his eyes. He held a golden-hilted double-edged sword.
The warrior raised his blade into the air. "Daimamou! Give me your strength!"
From his shadowy prison, Daimamou fired a pair of crackling optic blasts that struck the warrior's blade.
The silver armored man's sword vibrated with power as he swung it forward. Massive bolts of lightning snaked from the blade and exploded against the Rangers' zords with massive bursts of sparks.
The Rangers were thrown from their cockpits and landed on the streets below as their armor powered down. The silver armored warrior landed on the plaza near them and stood in a defensive stance.
The rangers rose to their feet.
"Man," Zack said as he shook his head. "That guy packs a punch."
"Don't flatter the bad guys, man," Jonathan said.
Jason pointed at the villain. "Tell Juniya to stop hiding behind his goons..."
The warrior shook his head. "I am not a servant of the Prince. I am the herald of Daimamou. I am Hakumenrou."
"Either way," Jason said as he threw a volley of throwing stars at the villain.
The stars cut across the warrior's faceplate, knocking it from his helmet. Hakumenrou turned to glare at the rangers, his face exposed.
His face sent an icy chill down Trini's spine.
"It can't be..." she said as she shook her head. "Father..."
The other rangers stared at the man in shock and silence. Hakumenrou nodded.
"It can't be!" Trini said as she ran towards Hakumenrou.
Hakumenrou extended his blade and fired a volley of yellow energy blasts that exploded on the ground in front of Trini and threw her backward.
The others ran to Trini's side and helped her up as Hakumenrou turned and walked away.
Sandaya stood at a pier while looking out at the bay shore. Trini and the others stood behind him. "Tell me it's a trick, Sandaya," Trini said, her hands rolled into fists. "Tell me..."
Sandaya shook his head, his eyes still looking out upon the bay.
"I'm sorry, Trini," Sandaya said. "Hakumenrou is your father. He is Youkai."
"That's not possible," Trini practically shouted.
Jason laid a hand on Trini's shoulder while looking to Sandaya. "Is he being controlled by a Youkai spirit of some kind?"
"No," Sandaya said. "He is Youkai..."
Sandaya turned and faced Trini. "When you were only a child, he learned of ancient legends concerning Daimamou. He had a partner. Dr. Koji. Koji feared the tales and left for America. Your father...where Koji feared the tales, your father embraced them. He was seduced by Daimamou. He joined them willingly."
Trini shook her head. "I don't believe it...it has to be a trick."
"I'm sorry," Sandaya said again.
Trini shook her head as tears swelled in her eyes. "No..." she said quietly before turning and running.
The white-haired Youkai scientist known as Yugami worked in his basement lab on a set of equipment and weapons designed to give monsters a technological edge over the Ninja Rangers.
Juniya descended the stairs into the basement with his guitar slung over his shoulder. "I need something with power, scientist," Juniya said firmly. "Something that will not only kill the Rangers, but smash every atom of their corpses."
Yugami could tell his master was growing impatient. "I do have something in mind," Yugami said.
A dark shadow fell over the basement, sending an ice-cold chill down the prince's back. He looked over his shoulder to see a faint image of his father Daimamou appear.
"Patience, my offspring," Daimamou said.
"Father," Juniya started. "I-".
"Patience!" the voice shouted. "You will not engage the Rangers in battle. You have already failed. Instead, my herald will fight for me."
Juniya wrinkled his brow. "Father, I-"
"Patience!" Daimamou said, this time his voice was accompanied by a telekinetic blast that threw Juniya off his feet.
Trini leaned over the railing while staring out at the bay. The others sat on a set of stairs behind Trini, not wanting to disturb her.
"We should say something," Jonathan said.
"Like what?" Zack asked.
Richie shook his head. "Anything we could say would be empty to her right now."
Jason nodded. "Richie's right. Let's just give her some space for now."
Trini's head perked up as her mind heard the screams of the children imprisoned in stone. The ones trapped on skull island. The ones she had to save. Trini ran from the bay as the others followed.
"Wait!" Jonathan shouted.
Trini ran to a plaza and looked up at the skull island still floating in the sky.
"Whether or not he's really my father..." she said as she narrowed her eyes at the island. "That doesn't matter now. We have a job to do..." She turned and faced the others, a tear streaming down her cheek. "Let's go..."
The rangers ran through a construction area, trying to get closer to the island before taking off towards it again. Hakumenrou suddenly stepped in front of the rangers' path, his sword held at the ready.
The teens snapped into fighting stances.
"No..." Trini said as she shook her head. "I can't fight him until I'm sure..."
Jason didn't have time to argue. He turned to Trini. "Stay back..."
Trini didn't have time to protest.
Jason, Zack, Richie, and Jonathan rushed forward with their morphers and leapt through the air towards Hakumenrou while shouting "Shogun transform!" Their armor flashed on as they pulled out their blades.
Ninjared swung his sword down towards the villain's head, but Hakumenrou swatted the sword away with his own blade. The villain continued walking forward through the Rangers' advance, parrying a blow from Ninjablack, slashing Ninjablue across the chest with a horizontal strike, and spearing Ninjayellow against the chest.
Ninjared and Ninjablack moved back in to attack side by side. Hakumenrou parried their blows with a single strike and slashed Ninjablack across the chest.
Ninjared swung his saber towards the villain's head, but Hakumenrou parried the blow and slammed the handle of his weapon against the Ranger's faceplate.
Ninjared rolled across the ground before rising to his feet and placing his hands together in front of his chest.
"Ninpo fire attack!" Ninjared shouted, summoning comets of flame that swerved out from behind his back and shot towards Hakumenrou.
The villain deflected the fiery blasts with his saber, then turned and fired a blast of jagged energy that exploded against Ninjared's chest. The Ranger was thrown backward and went rolling across the ground.
"Jason!" Trini shouted.
Sandaya stepped out from the shadows near the battle scene, watching along with the strange Japanese boy from Trini's father's house. The boy had his two K-9s with him. Sandaya looked down to the boy. "It's time."
The boy nodded and ran up a nearby staircase along with his dogs.
The four Rangers' battle with Hakumenrou progressed away from the construction area towards a cliff looking down into a rushing creek far below.
Hakumenrou used the tip of his sword to hurl Ninjayellow over his shoulder. Explosions danced across the Rangers' armor as he rolled near the cliff's edge and regrouped with the others.
Trini ran alongside them and stood in a loose defensive stance.
"Stop this!" she pleaded with the creature that used to be her father.
Hakumenrou raised his blade into the air as it crackled with electric energy. He swung the blade, hurling massive bolts of lightning towards the Rangers.
Ninjared and Ninjayellow stood to protect Trini as the blasts exploded against their armor. Ninjablue and Ninjablack were hit too, and the four Rangers were blasted off the cliff. They fell down towards the rushing rapids below.
"No!" Trini shouted as she looked down and watched her friends plummet into the rushing waters.
Trini turned and glared at Hakumenrou. "You...you are not my father..." she said as she grabbed hold of her morpher.
Hakumenrou removed his faceplate and stared at his daughter with a blank expression on his face.
"You're not!" she shouted. "Shogun transform! Ninja Power!"
Ninjawhite's armor flashed on as she unsheathed her sword and rushed towards her opponent. Hakumenrou held his blade forward and charged towards the Ranger.
Ninjawhite swung her blade forward. Her sword clashed against the villain's, and they both pressed forward, their blades sparking against one another.
Ninjawhite shook her head, desperately trying to come to grips with who exactly she was fighting.
Hakumenrou knocked her sword away and slammed the handle of his weapon against the Ranger's faceplate.
Ninjawhite fell backward and rolled across the ground. She rose to her knees as Hakumenrou rushed forward with his sword swinging. Ninjawhite parried each blow while stepping back. She countered with a swing of her own that Hakumenrou parried, the force of his parry knocking the Ranger aside.
The two opponents circled around each other as Ninjawhite adjusted her grip on her sword. She charged forward and swung her blade horizontally. Hakumenrou knocked her weapon aside and slashed the Ranger across her back.
Ninjawhite fell forward into a somersault and rose to her knees, turning back to face the villain while pulling out her sidearm.
"Shogun Blaster!" she shouted while firing lances of golden energy.
Hakumenrou knocked the Ranger's blasts away with his sword. He extended his hand and fired jagged beams of pale-orange energy that wrapped around Ninjawhite. He used their hold to drag the Ranger across the ground and slam her around, using the energy tendrils like a whip.
He released his grasp on Ninjawhite and fired a cyan-tinted energy burst that exploded against her armor. Trini fell backwards while forcibly de-morphing.
She rolled to her stomach and looked up to see her father pointing his blade down towards her head.
"What have you become..." she said while staring down the blade and into her father's eyes. "What...?"
A cloak suddenly flew through the air and wrapped over Hakumenrou. The villain stepped backwards and struggled to remove the cloak as Sandaya appeared.
Sandaya ran to Trini's side and kneeled down next to her just as Hakumenrou removed the cloak from his face. Sandaya flicked his hand to the ground as he and Trini teleported away in a puff of smoke.
Jason, Zack, Jonathan, and Richie were pulled down the rushing stream and nearly drowned until a rope slapped the water's surface near them. Jason and the others grabbed the rope and were slowly pulled to the rocky shore.
They slumped against the rocks to catch their breath once reaching land.
Jason looked up to their rescuer. It was the young boy and his two dogs. "Hey..." Jason said, still out of breath. "I remember you...what's your name?"
The boy simply smiled and ran off with his two pets.
Sandaya and Trini retreated into the woods. Trini was limping on an injured leg and still in shock at almost meeting death at the hands of her father.
"We'll be safe here," Sandaya said as he helped Trini rest against a tree. He pulled a bandage from under his cloak and started to tend to her wounds.
Laughter suddenly split through the air as Sandaya and Trini turned to see Juniya step out from behind a tree, his bladed guitar in hand. "Safe?" he asked mockingly. "Nowhere is safe from me..."
"Juniya," Sandaya snarled while pulling a katana blade from a holster strapped to his back.
Juniya laughed mockingly. "Do you really think that toy sword can hurt me?"
The Youkai prince extended his hand and fired jagged crimson energy whips that wrapped around Sandaya. Juniya used the whip to toss Sandaya against a tree trunk. The ninja slumped to the ground and quickly rose to his knees while placing his hands in front of his chest.
"Ninpo!" Sandaya shouted.
His spell started a reaction of explosions that ripped through several tree trunks, causing the trees to crash down towards Juniya. Juniya extended his hand and fired a crimson energy burst that exploded through the trees, splintering them into dust.
Sandaya pressed on the attack and used his Ninpo to hurl several boulders towards the Youkai prince. Juniya's eyes pulsed with red energy as the boulders exploded.
Juniya extended his hand towards Sandaya and fired several lances of crimson energy that ripped through the ninja's body. Sandaya screamed as he slumped to the ground.
"Sandaya!" Trini shouted.
Juniya casually bent over and picked up Sandaya's katana, swinging the blade over his shoulder while walking towards the fallen ninja master.
"Sandaya!" a voice called from further in the woods. Juniya looked to see Jason and the others run towards him.
The Youkai smiled and thrust the katana through Sandaya's body. Juniya removed the sword and tossed Sandaya's body aside. The Youkai prince turned and started to walk away.
"No!" Trini yelled as she and the others gathered around Sandaya. They leaned over his body. Sandaya managed to give Trini a weak smile and squeeze her hand before his eyes became empty.
Jason turned and glared at Juniya, his hands rolled into fists. The others rangers slowly did the same as Juniya tossed the bloody katana aside.
"Bastard," Richie said.
"You'll pay for this," Jason said.
Zack nodded. "Big time..."
Juniya simply smiled. "Daimamou is about to be released....the old man was going to die anyway...Now, if you want revenge...come..."
"Let's go," Trini said as she grabbed her morpher.
"Shogun transform, Ninja Power!" the rangers shouted together while morphing into their armor. Ninjared led the charge as they unsheathed their swords and rushed towards the villain.
Juniya snarled while transforming into his skeleton form and rushing to meet the Rangers with his bone sword.
Juniya parried a blow from Ninjared and knocked the Ranger away while swinging his sword horizontally and cutting across Ninjayellow's chest. Ninjawhite swung her blade diagonally towards the prince's head, but Juniya knocked her sword away and slashed across her armor with a diagonal strike. Ninjablue moved in next with his blade coming down vertically, but Juniya knocked the Ranger's weapon away and slashed across Ninjablue's armor. Ninjablack swung with a diagonal strike, and Juniya parried the blow before slamming a hook punch across the Ranger's helmet.
Ninjablack rolled across the ground and rose to his knees as the others regrouped around him.
"Let's hit him together," Ninjared said as the Rangers crossed their sabers.
"Shinobi Spear!" they shouted as their blades fired a lance of golden energy towards Juniya.
Juniya swatted the blast away with his saber and reflected it right back at the Rangers. Explosions tore across the ground near the Rangers as they were thrown through the air.
The Rangers slowly rose to their feet and regrouped as a bird-like war cry cut through the air.
"White Falcon..." Ninjared said as the powerful zord flew through the sky. Its mouth opened, and an orange beam of light shot down and hit Ninjared in the hand. The light dematerialized to form a small falcon-like saber. He could feel energy pulsing from the weapon and flooding through his veins.
Juniya charged forward, and Ninjared stood in a defensive stance. He crossed the weapons, holding his sword in his right hand and the Falcon Dagger in his left. The dagger pulsed with cyan energy while the saber flashed crimson.
Ninjared charged forward and used his saber to parry Juniya's blow while spinning forward and striking horizontally with his dagger. Explosions sparked across Juniya's side as Ninjared turned and swung his saber diagonally across Juniya's body. He followed with a diagonal strike with his dagger that sparked across the prince's body of bone.
"Falcon Strike!" Ninjared shouted as he swung both blades in an x-shaped pattern. The blows exploded against Juniya and sent him flying backward as sparking bursts of energy erupted around his body.
Juniya fell to the ground, using his sword to steady him as he rose to his knees.
"Die..." Juniya growled while rising to his feet and summoning powerful lightning bursts that allowed him to grow to giant size.
The five Rangers pulled open their scrolls. Each scroll bore the symbol of their individual Ninjazord.
"Ninjazords, awaken!" the Rangers shouted as powerful lightning shot across the skies.
"Ninja Ape!" Ninjared shouted. The symbol on his scroll glowed and projected behind the Ranger before forming the mighty ape zord. Ninjared levitated backwards and merged into his zord's cockpit.
"Ninja Frog!" Ninjablack shouted. The symbol on his scroll glowed and projected behind the Ranger before forming the frog zord. Ninjablack levitated backwards and merged into his zord's cockpit.
"Ninja Crane!" Ninjawhite shouted. The symbol on her scroll glowed and projected behind the Ranger before forming the crane zord. Ninjawhite levitated backwards and merged into her zord's cockpit.
"Ninja Wolf!" Ninjablue shouted. The symbol on his scroll glowed and projected behind the Ranger before forming the wolf zord. Ninjablue levitated backwards and merged into his zord's cockpit.
"Ninja Bear!" Ninjayellow shouted. The symbol on his scroll glowed and projected behind the Ranger before forming the bear zord. Ninjayellow levitated backwards and merged into his zord's cockpit.
"Let's go, Juniya!" Ninjared shouted as the Ninja Ape combined its two sabers to form a bladed staff.
Ninja Ape leapt forward and slashed diagonally across Juniya's chest. The zord pressed forward, swiping its blade horizontally across the prince's body of bone.
Juniya turned to counter attack, but Ninja Ape speared its weapon against the prince and knocked Juniya backward.
"Yugami!" Juniya shouted to the Youkai scientist. On his command, a fuel jet pack appeared over his back. The pack was connected to a flame-throwing gauntlet that Juniya wore over his right forearm.
Juniya quickly turned and fired a powerful torrent of flame that exploded against the Ninja Ape's armor.
Ninja Crane swooped down towards Juniya and opened fire with white energy darts. Juniya held up the palm of his hand and absorbed the darts before swinging his gauntlet into the air and firing a flaming energy pulse that exploded around the crane
Deep within the shogun palace, the eyes of the Three God Generals statue started to flash, and statue emitted an energy pulse that shot over the skies of Tokyo and struck the Ninjazords, empowering them.
"That light..." Ninjared said as the energy from the beams saturated the Ninjazords. "All right guys...Let's bring 'em together!"
"Ninja fusion...Kakure Shogun!" the Rangers shouted as their zords leapt into the air and started to reform. The bear formed a chest, the ape and wolf formed arms, the frog formed the lower torso and legs, and the crane formed the head. The Ninjazords combined into one giant warrior and landed on the streets below.
"NinjaMegazord...Kakure Shogun!" the Rangers shouted from their cockpits.
Juniya took a step back while glaring at the Megazord.
"Crash beam!" the prince shouted while firing an energy beam at the zord.
NinjaMegazord walked through the blasts and leapt forward towards Juniya. The zord slammed a double knifehand blow with its wolf hand against the prince.
Juniya was forced back and prepared to attack again, but he never had a chance.
"Wolf punch!" the Rangers shouted as the wolf fist energized and slammed against the fire gauntlet, breaking the device.
"Ape punch!" the Rangers shouted. The Megazord energized its right ape fist and slammed it against Juniya, knocking the Youkai prince backward.
White Falcon flew through the skies, its reflection shining in the Megazord's red eye.
"Falconzord, combine!" the Rangers shouted. The NinjaMegazord leapt up as the falcon connected onto its back.
Juniya ignited his thrusters and took off into the skies towards the airborne Megazord. The NinjaMegazord spun forward, slamming a kick against Juniya that knocked the prince from the air.
Juniya fell to the ground and looked up to see the NinjaMegazord swooping down towards him.
"NinjaMegazord..." the Rangers shouted. "Double-knuckle Strike!"
The falcon wings energized the Megazord's two fists. The wolf fist and ape fist slammed against Juniya with a fierce blow, smashing in the creature's chest. Juniya fell backward, his energy slowly overloading.
"Father..." he said quietly before his body overloaded and exploded, his body turning to ash that spread through the air before vaporizing into nothingness.
NinjaMegazord looked up to the sky island and fired a pair of golden optic blasts at the seal on the skull castle. The seal shattered as the skull started to crumble. The island itself lost its power and crashed back down into the earth from where it rose.
The civilians on the island encased in stone returned to their normal forms.
The rangers returned to the woods and gathered silently around Sandaya's body. Tears streamed down Trini's cheeks as she hugged onto him tightly.
"They'll pay for this..." Jason said as he rolled his hands into fists. "For every life..."
Behind the rangers, the pieces of the seal started to glow with gold dull energy and reassemble as the skull castle stood once again.
"No way..." Zack said as they stood and stared up at the castle in the distance.
The seal doors opened as Daimamou himself floated out. He was tall and muscular with dark purple/blue skin. His body was covered in a tight leather suit. Dark gold and purple robes were draped over the body suit, and he had golden chains wrapped around his neck. His eyes were blood red, and a growth extended from both sides of his head. Each growth matched the color of his skin and also had a golden tint. The evil spirit carried a dark golden scepter.
"Ninjaranger..." he said in a rumbling voice, his vicious grin revealing a mouthful of fangs. "At last..."
The clouds above turned black as purple lightning struck the skull castle. The skull itself broke free from the skyscraper and hovered through the air before growing two long rectangular sides, emulating the head of the Youkai king. Daimamou stood in the skull's mouth as the floating fortress flew off into the distance.
Daimamou sat on his dark golden throne within the skull fortress as it flew across the skies. Lines of Dorodoro and the Hana Ninja stood before him, along with Hakumenrou.
"The Ninjaranger have been allowed to live for far too long," the dark lord said. "Let the real war begin..."
To be continued...Chapter Fifteen