"I've made Aniki Salad!" Makito Oz wears a black shirt and a green apron, and an expression of ecstatic pride as he sets the food on the table. His long hair is tied back. Houka Oz, hair tinted red, is delighted. She wears a fuzzy pink zipper-sweater over a white blouse with black lining. She praises her big brother's cooking and looks for agreement to his little sister across the table. Urara Oz is drinking what may be carrot juice, her hair is not drastically tinted. She wears a light blue sweater over a grey top. She passes the salad dressing at Houka's request. The salad has been lovingly arranged to look like a face. Cherry tomatoes for eyes, slices of shiitake mushrooms for eyebrows, a slice of carrot for the nose, a strip of pumpkin for the smiling mouth, and two...perhaps tomatoes sliced for the ears. The hair is spinach, all lying on a bed of light green lettuce. Tsubasa, hair also tinted drastically towards the red, seems to be complaining about the salad. Probably because he thinks it's silly. He starts to drink his carrot juice, and his brother treats him affectionately despite the complaining, and sits on his left remarking he needs a little love in his life. Houka teases Tsubasa, then asks Urara to please pass the juice. Then Uraru asks if Houka has another sweetheart. Tsubasa answers for her with some snideness, "He's 27, a cameraman." Houka ignores his snideness and says love is like magic. Like flying? Suddenly she perks up and says to the woman coming into the dining room, "Hey, Mother, do you believe in magic?" "Magic?" laughs their mother, Miyuki Oz, as she puts a basket of bread on the table and Makito snatches one. "You're talking like a child." She settles at the other end of the table. "Children believe so easily. Now, hurry up and eat." They are happily started, but Houka whines, "Mom, it's not like I'm dreaming." She huffily starts drinking her juice. Makito lifts his gaze and wonders, "Speaking of which, Kai's not here!" Mrs. Oz answers, "Kai went to school. They have soccer practice this morning." Tsubasa has snide comments for that, too, but they ignore him. Houka asks Urara to please turn on the television, and the younger sister goes to do that. Tsubasu gets mad and tells Houka she should have done that herself. The tv is on their side of the table, after all. Houka seems to completely miss the point.

There's a live news report airing, an anxious woman speak of where they are. Houka notes and says, "Hey, isn't that near our house?" "Oh, yes it is!" agrees Uraru. The others turn to see. They are at Wakime Plaza, and there's some young man who's climbed way up a pole. Way up. The pole is on top of a two story building, and is at least two more stories to the top. Tsubasa snides that all kinds of stupid things are going on this morning. Makito notes this guy's climbing all the way to the top of one very high place. Impressive. "Don't admire the fool," grumbles Tsubasa. The reporter doesn't know why this kid's doing it. As they watch, the boy turns so they can see his face as he waves then flashes the V sign down. As one they shriek, "EEEEEHH?!" Mrs. Oz hops to her feet. "Kai!" Tsubasa throws his head in his hand. "Our stupid brother." Makito scrambles close to the television. "What is he doing?!" Their mother looks pained.

The anxious crowd watches the boy climbing, too far away to hear him mutter, "Just a little further, please...." The television reporter is holding her breath while her camera man keeps the lens focused on the boy. The little girl who lost the balloon looks miserable, holding a soccer ball which is likely to be Kai's. Her mother sinks down beside her and holds on, nervous, as the boy reaches the top of the flagpole. There's just a little further to go to reach the balloon caught on a weathervane. He stretches his right hand up and twines his fingers around the nearly invisible string. "Did it!" he pants. He gets it down to him and turns, looking down calling "I got it!" Looking down proves to be a bad idea, for he immediately gets vertigo and loses his balance, waving the arm with the balloon wildly as he clings with the other to the pole. The people below cry out. And then he falls. By the way, this is no small climb he's managed. Fortunately, he lands on a store's awning, bounces off with an inappropriate boing noise *sigh* catches hold of a line of Christmas or possibly just decorative likes and swings across the way with a very Tarzan-like shout. He lets go of the line and goes into a controlled flip, to the amazement of the watchers whose mouths hang open. Finally he lands right in a chair next to a very startled, white haired foreigner who'd been eating a sandwich and not noticing all the activity. The man, for some reason voice dubbed in, says "Wow! Bravo!" and offers his hand for the boy to shake, which he accepts. I guess he was paying attention. The boy blushes sheepishly as the people all around start to praise his athletic abilities. He never lost hold of the balloon. Bowing his way off the dining terrace, he brings the balloon to its owner, a very happy little girl who looks much like Abaranger's. She thanks him happily and gives him his soccerball back. Her mother also thanks him. She's brought his backpack, which he'd also left with them. He begs off and takes his pack, he and the girl wish each other bye-bye. Content, he watches them go, swinging his pack across his shoulders. The girl turns and calls "Bye-bye!" again and he responds to it, until someone whaps him on the head. "Ow!" he protests. He was bopped by his very own brothers, most likely the annoyed Tsubasa, though a very stuffy-looking Makito is also in range. "Why are you saying bye-bye when you're so far away?" he snaps. Kai is shocked to find them here, "Bros!" he gasps. But then a woman's voice calls, "Um, excuse me!" They turn and find the television reporter hurrying towards them. Makito and Tsubasa grab Kai by the shoulders and the trio run for it, while the reporter calls frantically, wanting to interview him.

Thankfully they are fast, and soon safe to slow down. As they slow to a halt it seems Tsubasa says thank heavens they didn't get caught. But Kai is not paying attention. He grins in delight as he sees, "Sisters! And Mom, too!" The boys are all wearing darks, but their mother has a long, white coat and their sisters are wearing pink and white. Since we're at a distance I'm not sure but I think it's Houka, the oldest sister, who utters a scolding, "We were shocked!!" But mother steps forward and it's clear she's angry and a bit disappointed. "Why were you doing something so dangerous?" she asks sternly. Kai nervously fiddles with the soccerball in his hands, meeting her eyes with sheepish dismay. "Well, I kind of whapped that little girl," he explains. He'd been careless walking, and so had they if you want to get technical but he doesn't say that. He'd bumped straight into the girl and, though he'd stumbled, she was the one who lost her balloon. He'd looked at it flying up into the sky.... Explanation given, they've eased up on him and now walk along together and he kicks the ball. He seems quite good with it. The others more discuss the event than talk to him as they walk along. Tsubasa tries to point out that there are plenty of balloons, indignant that Kai is getting away with what he sees as considerable misbehaviour. Kai catches the ball and turns to him, exasperated. "That's not it, middle-bro," he scolds. "You don't understand." He smiles and steps forward, explaining, "THAT girl's balloon was THAT balloon." I get him. Tsubasa doesn't. "Haah?" he complains, glowering. Kai only chuckles at his expression. Their mother watches with a fond smile, though the other three siblings seem confused.

Then a glow bathes them from below, and a deep, strange-toned voide echoes in the air around them saying a word that may, or may not, be actual Japanese. The kids yelp startled "What the?" words, for beneath them has appeared a pale blue circle, interior strangely liquid designs. As the light brightens, their mother says, "It's dangerous, hurry, run!" She alternately shoves and grabs at them to get them off the circle. Though confused, they obey. "Hurry!" she forces them ahead of her. Behind, where they had been standing, something rises in the circle. A huge mass, vaguely humanoid. In a moment the circle is gone and the being released stands there. Leaden, with overlapping scales. Yellow eyes, an enormous jaw. Arms as wide as its waist. ���b�g���� A Dark Beast Troll! It stretches its arms and utters a menacing roar. For once, the beast has appeared in a residential arrea. Our heroes skid to a halt near houses and cry out in terror. Makito instinctively shifts in front of his mother to protect her and snarls an outraged, "What is that?" That is a very big troll. It stands as tall as a second-story building and looks their way. Their mother grabs them and starts urging them away again. Kai pitches his soccerball at the troll's head. It bats the ball away and starts walking after them. I'm impressed, it looks like it's really there. As they yelp and run, it turns the corner and continues in pursuit of them. They duck behind a wall and gape out. Mrs. Oz keeps herself positioned between her children and they accept that, with years of experience. "It's coming!" wails Houka. Tsubasa and Makito have taken up secondary defensive line in front of their sisters and baby brother. The Troll raises its arm and punches at the wall they shelter behind. They cry out and flee as debris rains down. Miyuki Oz aims the kids towards a staircase, but while they flee, turns with shining eyes and determined sadness to stop the monster. The kids are stumbling to the top of the stairs, and the younger daughter, Urara, whirls to look behind her. "Mother! Where are you going?!" she yelps. Her cry causes the others to whirl. They see their mother stop between them and the approaching monster. What they can't see is what she's doing. She has in her hands a device, and she looks at it beseechingly. "Soldier of Heaven, uses the power of magic." She opens the device in her hand, and it resembles an ornate cellphone. There is a snowflake symbol above the keypad. It spins out as she gestures, and glows brightly as she taps the keys with her right thumb. "Magic transformation!" she says, swooping her hands. "Magi, Magi, Magi, Magiro!" and taps the button with the snowflake symbol. And she is engulfed in a white magic circle, which transforms her into a sweet armor with that snowflake symbol on her helmet. Magimother. This stuns her children even more than the troll's existence did. Each yelps, "Eh?" except for Kai who gasps, "Mother!" She has her weapon, a staff-like instrument. The troll decides this calls for some drastic action. It bends down and picks up a blue car. Lifting it above its head, it gets ready to throw. Magimother reacts quickly, using her wand to disappear the car. This appears to annoy the troll, who clomps its fists together. This time she goes after the big thing itself. She bathes it in stream of cold light. In a moment, it stands a frozen statue. She snaps her fingers, "Checkmate!" and turns away as it blows apart into ice crystals. Her children, who'd stood frozen on the steps, start to recover. The other four move down to join Urara where she'd stood gaping this whole time. They all utter amazed, "That was great!" words. "Mother?!" they ask uncertainly as they come to her.

Home again, and she uses her transformation wand/phone to show them what she can do. "Magical," levitating a teapot off the table. The kids will not recover for a long time from the amazement. The pot pours tea into a cup sitting in front of Urara, Tsubasa and Makito, all of whom gape. With a satisfied smile, Mrs. Oz makes a piece of strawberry cake appear in front of the ecstatic Houka and Kai. Houka hops over to her mother and half-hugs, half-leans on her with delight. "You're like a magus!" Mrs Oz replies, "That's because I am a magus," and they quickly hover over her, Houka groping aloud for an explanation, as their mother sips her tea complacently. "Wait until I'm finished with the tea," she tells them. Kai can't bear it. "Mother!" he protests angrily. She ignores him and keeps drinking. Then she sets the empty cup down and her expression turns grave. She tells them the troll was a Dark Beast of Inferzia. That it's easiest to think of it as a monster of Hell. The kids glance uneasily at each other. Kai asks hesitantly, "Dark Beast?" His mother nods grimly. She gets to her feet and walks away across the house, hands gripped unhappily. This is why she's a magus, because she was given the magic power of Heaven to fight the Infershia. She whips around, wand/phone out and snaps, "Magi-iro!" The older four siblings, caught by the wand, find their clothing changes in a snap.

Makito's orange-lined gray jacket and blue jeans become a green jacket with a bull symbol over black slacks. Houka's fuzzy-lined red long jacket and white sweater become a pink jacket over a shining, silver pink skirt. Tsubasa's black jacket, shirt and leather pants become... well, a yellow jacket over black shirt and leather pants. Urara's white coat becomes a blue jacket over her blue jeans skirt. Only Kai is unaffected. And then necklaces appear around their necks, each with a delicate gemstone. A moment later and their clothes again undergo a change. They are dressed in heavy, black cloaks with a stylized M embroidered on the left front. They are all astounded, and Kai touches though cloaks, amazed. And then suddenly bright glows appear in their hands. In moments, they hold wand/phone devices just like their mother's. Mikato asks about it, and she nods gravely. These devices allow them to contact the world of Heaven from which their magic comes. She turns, moves the curtain aside to look up at the clouds drifting above, and explains that their magic comes from the Heavenly world up in the sky. "You are now the Mahou Sentai Magiranger." Urara and Tsubasa hesitantly repeat "Mahou Sentai..?" and Houka with Makito finish, "Magiranger?" Kai, thoroughly indignant, steps between them. "Mother!" he complains, "but where's mine?!"

In the woods, dim in the early evening, a deep voice speaks. Another magical circle opens in the deep leaves. Mrs. Oz's wand signals her, complete with a map to show her where it's happening. "They're coming again!" she says hoarsely. Ignoring Kai, she hurries to the others. "Makito, Houka, Urara, Tsubasa," (in age-order) "Go. Fight." "Eh?" gasps Urara. "Mother you - " Houka starts uncertainly, and their mother unhappily wraps her hands around her wand. She tells them she senses something about this magic. Something that she, perhaps, won't be able to use her magic. "But now," she says, turning to them sternly, "You have to fight." Houka speaks for them all when she clutches at her mother shakes her head, "But we can't by ourselves!" Their mother looks around at the four's anxious faces and smiles warmly. "It'll be all right," she tells them. She takes Makito's hand, places it at the center with Houka's, then adds Tsubasa's and Urara's. "You are a family," she tells them. "You can do it." Makito responds bravely, "I understand, Mother. We'll do our best." Houka clearly isn't reassured, and Tsubasa stutters a protesting, "We?!" he pulls away, shaking his head, "Hold on now I'm not yet-" Urara moves quickly, a brief hug from behind and pulls him back in, saying they can do it. "Don't talk like you can predict this!" he protests. But now Makito tells them, "Guys, let's go!" and the four charge out, Tsubasa still protesting. Left behind, a most indignant Kai turns to his mother. "Hold on, MOM!!" he protests, "How come - why am I the only one not in?!" She tells him firmly, "You're still a high school student. You're much too young to be a soldier," and walks away. He pursues her up the stairs protesting about his brothers (and sisters, by implication) that if they can do it.... She stops just before she walks into the wall (now that I've seen the second episode, I know where she was going) and turns to him gravely. And she brings up the incident with the balloon, which she says showed her that he can't be relied upon yet. "If you do one thing wrong, you could be killed. Doesn't that frighten you?" Maybe because he doesn't know when to be cautious? He is most upset and snarls, "I'm not scared! I'm brave and no one can beat me!" He turns his back on her, biting his lips. She compassionately comes around in front of him. "Kai, bravery and rashness are two different things," she says, taking his hands. "And someone who doesn't know that can't truly understand bravery." He is not happy, especially with what she says next, "Without true bravery, you cannot use magic." "WHY?!" he protests, and in frustration runs from the house. She watches him go and sighs to herself.

In the woods, the magic circle releases a crowd of foot soldiers. The four Oz kids arrive to meet a number instead of just one creature, and they skid to a halt in shock. Houka clutches in terror at Makito's shoulders. "This is horrible! There are so many of them!" He notes that if they get to the city, it'll be nothing short of pandemonium. They are creatures with brown bodies, heavy gray lining and masks or heads. Their mouths are full of large teeth coated in slime. Urara and Tsubasa shift into fighting positions. Makito calls upon them to do the Magic transformation and they sweep their cloaks aside. A push of a button opens the changers, and quick strikes on the keypads start the sequence. They call to the Heavens to send them the magic power. "Magic transformation! Magi Magi, Magiro!" When they hold up their wands to the sky, a great magic circle appears and bathes them in light. Images of magical humanoid creatures engulf them, and they are transformed. I like the capes. "Earth Element!" shouts Makito, Green magus, Magi Green. "Wind Element!" from Houka, Ping magus, Magi Pink. "Water Element!" is Urara, Blue magus, Magi Blue. "Thunder Element!" from Tsubasa, Yellow magus, Magi Yellow. They never see their baby brother, who arrives and peeks at events from behind the dubious shelter of branches. "Wow, they all changed!" he whispers. And then he sees the crowd of monsters beyond them. The four charge into battle.

Makito lifts a branch, decides to use it, tosses it towards the enemy and quickly uses his Magi Stick to turn the branch into long vines which twine the enemies in, it seems, groups of four. He then calls for it to take on its Axe formation, slams it at the ground which sends a powerful shock into the trapped enemies. With them stunned like that, he starts cutting through them. "Checkmate!" he finishes and they fall behind him and go boom.

Urara faces hers out on the water of a shallow lake. They splash into the liquid, stepping high. She waits until they surround her, where she stands on the surface of the water, then hits. They are knocked down by explosions, but at least one bounces back up. She cuts that one down and it stands up with stars spinning around its head. Trapped in the signs of the zodiac, it's helpless. She passes the battle on to Houka. Pink fights in a clearing in the winter woods. She turns herself into a bright pink electric fan, asking isn't it cute? The small horde after her isn't impressed. Then she starts the fan going and the whole bunch are blown away by the winds. To Tsubasa in Yellow. He also brings out the Magi Stick, using it to call down lightning. He changes it to crossbow form, "Yellow Thunder!" he says, and fires the electric bolts at them. He doesn't know his baby brother is behind him in the bushes, impressed.

But then light flashes in the air, and a menacing voice echoes again. "What's that?" wonders Kai. And their mother, now cloaked in black, has been waiting. She opens her eyes and says, "He's come." She anxiously grips her phone. She sits in the frame of a pyramid, atop a magical circle. "But I need a little more time. Everyone, keep it up!" and she closes her eyes again.

Kai peers over at a circle, perhaps the same circle, in the underbrush. "Now what's coming out?" he worries. A figure, humanoid and of a more human size, appears on the light. Wolf's heads on his shoulder pads over blue armor with gold lining. Power and mass in the build. Kai stares in shock. "It's come!" he yelps and stumbles back. His foot collides with a forgotten empty can which careens off a nearby tree trunk. And the being who just appears turns his head and looks straight at a terrified Kai, who loses his footing and falls on his butt. The figure turns, takes a step towards the boy, then seems to decide he's not of interest. It heads for the suits. Kai remains in place, shaking with terror. The enemy has pointed boots. The other four see him coming, and intuitively understand that he is more powerful than the grunts they just destroyed. They assemble anxiously as he approaches. He utters a strange word, and a powerful blue, gray and black shield appears in his hand with a crackle of energy. There is a blade sheathed in the back of the shield, and he draws it. They're confused, the girls note that he is like them, a magus. He responds in a deep voice, "Born in darkness. Cloaked in dakness." His shield opens up to reveal a red eye-like design, and he identifies himself. "Evil Knight Wolzard." "Evil Knight?" echoes Tsubasa. "Wolzard?!" asks Urara. He snorts. Kai is starting to recover his shock, and watches as his siblings nervously give ground before Wolzard, who radiates menacing power. He attacks, a howling blast of dark energy that strikes them and they cry out in pain. Kai watches in shock as they fall. Wolzard moves forward, to strike them while they are down. His legs shaking, he pulls himself up a thin tree trunk, "I have to help! Brothers! Sisters!" He sees them trying to aim their weapons, hears them whimpering. He whispers, "But I'm scared!" So scared his feet are rooted to the spot. "I can't move my legs," he whimpers. He closes his eyes desperately. Wolzard brings his weapon down to Mikato's armored form. "Only I should be able to use magic," he says calmly. "So first I have to deal with you." He raises the blade to finish them off. They cry out. As the blade swings down towards Mikato, the terrified Kai finally pulls himself together. "BRO!" he shouts and kicks the abandoned Orange Juice can at his feet. It hits Wolzard on his shoulder, startling him, and thus he stops just before his blade bisects Mikato's head. Wolzard looks left, to the boy clad in ordinary school clothes running at him, and moves to meet him. "Kai!" scream the others. Kai throws himself between them and Wolzard, spreading his arms wide. "I'll protect you!" he shouts.

Where she watches, his mother opens her eyes and smiles in relief. "You will protect those you love with your whole heart," she comments warmly. "That is courage."

I'm not sure what Wolzard thinks of this, except that he's annoyed with the boy in his way and whirls to bisect him with the blade. But Kai catches it in his bare hands, a flare of light curling around his fingers. Wolzard is more than a little shocked when he is thrown backwards, but flips into a controlled landing. And Kai stands there finding he holds a changer, and is dressed in the same type of black robes his mother had given his siblings earlier.

Hidden inside her pyramid, their mother smiles. "When you have your true courage, the magic will answer you." Kai sweeps aside his robe to reveal the red jacket over his school uniform (that must be uncomfortable), and calls upon the magic to transform into his own armor. Mikato breathes his name, and Urara gasps, "He's changed!" Fire Element, Red magus, Magi Red. "Red magus?" Wolzard sounds half-amazed, mostly amused by that delaration. He calls upon the cannon fodder Zobiru to attack. Kai calls, "Leave it to me, bros and sisses!" and goes up against them himself. He transforms one attacking Zobiru into an enormous soccer ball and kicks it at the others, despite its protests. With an overhead kick, he blasts the horde. They are not pleased, and keep coming. So he calls on his Magi Stick Sword and leaps into their midst. When he slashes one, its outer shell comes off, leaving a bare and slimy, fleshy face with enormous eyes which grosses him out, but he keeps fighting. He becomes a flying, fiery phoenix. "Checkmate!" he ends with a snap as the Zobiru are destroyed. "You did it!" shouts Makito, running up to him with the others and favoring a sore arm. "You did it, Kai!" Kai goes into a quick, smug hippy happy dance, "How was I?" he begs for praise, "Wasn't I great? Huh, huh?" Annoyed, Tsubasa whaps him on the head as the others sigh, which leads to arguing.

Wolzard interrupts this silliness to point out that the Magiranger are only at the beginning of this fight. Angry, Kai yells up that they'll finish him next. He counters that he's out of their league. And to prove his point, he opens an immense magic portal, calling Valykion? Valykion is a horselike being. He leaps up, goes through another magical circle and becomes giant. Valykion reforms and he joins with it, becoming the head. Becoming WolCentaurus. The Magiranger gasp, for this is a totally unexpected development. He is enormous, and rears above them. "This is bad!" yelps one of them.

As with Dekaranger before, we have the cute but slightly irritating bit after the commercials and just before the end credits explaining something about this episode. First, we see a full moon framed by Magiranger-embellishments. Down below is a house like a castle, lit with the colors of our heroes, who briefly appear to us. And then within the house is another evil. Er... mascot. A magical plant creature with an annoying childish voice to explain the transformation words. "Maagi, Magi, Majiiro!" Which is what they say to call the magic power down from Heaven. "So, who are these guys in Heaven?" the plant asks us, then says "But that's still a secret!" and hides in its pot. Maybe it's supposed to be a Mandrake....

English words are popping up in the end credits. There's a Mark Springs involved (a place). There is a New Zealand Unit. A Mark Harris, a Steve McQuillan among the New Zealand stunt team. Director of Photography is Gavin Stroud and Simon Riera, Assistant Director Quentin Whitwell. Wardrobe Rachel Voon. Camera Assistant Bradley Willewse, Safety Officer Nick Fryer, Key Grip Gary Illingworth. Gaffer Phil Totoro (someone's joke?) and Tommy Park. Special thanks to Sally Campbell and Janet McIver. ... hmm. Then back to Japanese names.

We open on something batlike flying at unreal high speeds seemingly through an enormous, dark cavern. Stalactites hang like needles from the ceiling, unrealistically appearing all the same length, and lots of stalagmites rise from the uneven surface below. The bat-thing swoops down into a spiralling tunnel. Or is it straight into Hell, where someone is giving a speech. "We are of Infershia!" He stands, A being with blue skin and lots of metal armor. Gauntleted hands, half his face a metallic mess, chest-plating, and an enormous, golden sword. He is gesturing dramatically for the creatures gathered along the ledges all around and above him, the rings of Hell. Near him is a female creature in black leathers and metal rings, with strategic bare skin and a black face. Also nearby is a male in violet-blue armor with gold trimming over black, silver carved wolves' heads on his shoulders. And the listeners who also cheer him are a variety of subterraneons with exo-skulls, the creatures called Zobiru and the High Zobiru, some wearing red sashes and some not.

Previously: A family flees the ring of white light that releases an enormous Troll onto the Earth, goden-eyed creature with huge, blunt teeth. The lovely woman, Miyuki Oz, mother of five, explains in their home about the Infershia to her shocked children. Four of them go to fight in armor for the very first time and make a pretty decent showing of themselves against a crowd of Zobiru. However, they have to go up against an enemy who becomes giant, and merges with a horse-like creatur. WolCentaurus. He rears above them and they cry out in alarm.

Makito tells the others to run, he and the girls bolt. Tsubasa shows an innate understaning of Kai, though, and grabs him bodily as the enraged boy makes to charge at the enemy. They struggle and Tsubasa shouts, "What do you think you're doing?" "I'm going to fight that guy!" Kai shouts back. "Are you an idiot? You can't fight that giant thing!" Distracted now from his intended attack, Kai indignantly asks what the middle brother of the family has in mind. The two start arguing "What?!" back and forth. Their older siblings skid to a halt and look back at them. Makito's gaze travels up and he screams, "Look out, Tsubasa! Kai!!" Startled, they glance around and find an enormous foot is stomping down at them. Both boys scream. They cringe, throwing their arms over their faces. Before they can be crushed, glowing white bolts strike WolCentaurus and stagger him. The boys look up, shaken. There on a distant rock is their mother. WolCentaurus turns and looks down at her. She turns to her youngest sons and utters a command with a swoop of her wand. They disappear and reappear with the other three, who gasp in relief. Kai hops forward and calls out to her, he and his siblings waving. She makes a negatory gesture and tells them, "Leave this to mother for now, you stand down." She turns. Her Wand is in sword form, a sweet length in her hand. Now she sweeps it and calls, "Magi, Magi, Magical!" hopping into the air. But when she comes down, she is a giant. Her children gasp their amazement and appreciation. WolCentaurus shifts and braces himself for combat. She sweeps her wand and sends bolts of powerful light at him, which he blocks with his shield. The bolts ricochet off and blast the landscape. He snorts mockingly at her, and the kids get anxious. Urara feels something in her chest, a sensation she doesn't understand. And their mother charges WolCentaurus with a shout. He waits, and as she approaches, rears up and kicks at her. She's hit pretty hard. "Mother!" Kai cries with the others. She staggers back, but twirls her wand and uses it as a staff to strike at the giant. He blocks and counters her blows. They lock briefly and she questions him about the magic. He snarls that he wants all the power of magic. He says something which opens his shield, and the flare of red light from the eye contained within disorients her, so she is unprepared when two flaming wolves' heads shoot out at her. Her children cry out again as she falls on her back, and WolCentaurus thunders towards her. He leaps and she brings up her wand to defend, but he lands with such force though all we see is the explosion caused. We hear her cry out in pain, and so do they. "Mother!" they cry, racing forward. WolCentaurus has some trouble using up his momentum and stopping, but the armored woman behind him can't take advantage of this. She is hit by repeated explosions, her wand flying away before she suddenly seems to disintegrate into a shower of white lights. The blade hits the ground hard, then rapidly shrinks. The five young Magiranger stand in shock, while snow drifts down over their heads. Urara is first to whimper, "Mother!" Tsubasa adds a choked, "It can't be..!" Makito gasps agreement. Houka falls to her knees with a sobbed, "It's not true!" Kai, breathing watery with grief, opens his palm and snowflakes trop onto it. Not normal snowflakes, though, for when one touches his palm, it becomes a shining white large image of a snowflake, and he starts to close his hand around it. "Mother!" It bursts like a bubble before his fingers touch it and he clenches his fist. "I'LL DO IT!" he suddenly screams. Before the others quite get hold of themselves, Kai is charging. WolCentaurus looks down, but not at Kai. There is a shimmer-bright dagger sticking in his armor under his left armpit. A dusting of frost is thick around it. He snorts in amused contempt. Then he utters a command and backs all the way onto the glowing circle that appears beneath him. He is gone, the circle goes dark. "WAIT!" screams Kai, pinwheeling to a halt. "Don't run away! Don't run away!" He snatches rocks from the ground and heaves them towards where his target was.

Their mother's Wand/blade sticks out of the ground under the tree. Houka sobs broken-heartedly, curled over beside it. Urara sits on a boulder and lets the tears fall freely, too. "Mother!" Kai, eyes burning, snarls a low "I won't forgive!" "I'LL NEVER FORGIVE!" and he whirls, punching a tree. Tsubasa and Makito only stand, disconsolate. Tsubasa finally inhales deeply through his nose and looks up. A brown leaf drifts down through the air. Makito is blinking, fighting the tears that threaten, when something starts beeping. Confused, he digs through his pocket and finds it is his Magi Phone. When he hits the button that flicks it open, his eyes widen in rage. "Again!" For the map is showing their city. And it's showing two signals. "It's another attack!" he snaps. Kai whips around. "Is it him? That same guy?!"

Innocent, unsuspecting pedestrians going about their business on a sunny, winter's day. Someone with blue eyeshadow and madness in her eyes comments on all the pretty power here. All the movement. A woman, watching from far above. A probably Tokyo intersection. No, two women. Both wear blue and silver. The one on the right is Nai, the left is Mea. The Nightmare girls. Nai says cheerfully, "Well they're in our way," to which Mea certainly agrees. Their clothing and facial features are different enough to easily distinguish, but the girls are the same height as each other. They strut along a rooftop, complaining idly about all these people up here. Nai has her hair hanging straight, blue lipstick, batwings on her shoulders and wears blue and white striped stockings. Mea has blue ruffles on her chest and wears blacker lipstick, a bat-thing hangs over the curve of her behind, her stockings are grayish-white. What are they to do. Nai, both amused and complaining, points out that Branken-sama said - and she brings up a little hand puppet and lowers her voice a bit, "Only the police." They play off each other well, do this pair. Whether they will confine themselves to police or not....

Makito calls on the others to go. Kai is quick to his side and the pair dart off. But their three siblings are too crushed with grief to answer. They stop and stare at them. Kai snaps, "What are you all doing?" Exasperated when they don't respond, he makes for Tsubasa and grabs his shoulder firmly. "Let's go, Middle-bro!" Tsubasa shoves his hand off and turns away. "I'm not going." "Huh?" Kai gasps, then stutters, "What are you saying, Middle-bro?!" Torn, Tsubasa whirls back, "I said all I'll say!" Furious, Kai grabs his collar and snarls, "What?" Tsubasa grabs Kai's collar in return and snarls, too... "Mother can't tell us how to deal with them!" Kai throws his weight forward and, over-balanced, they fall onto the leaves underfoot. They roll, struggling and Kai chokes furiously, "Don't you want revenge on Mom's enemy?!" "Shut up!" Makito gets there and starts to drag Kai off the equally furious Tsubasa. "Leggo of me! Leggo!" Kai screams, fighting ineffectually. Makito easily holds on long enough to make a pointed statement about his behavior before letting the boy go. He turns to his other brother and says firmly, "Tsubasa, we don't know if we're going to win, but if we don't go we'll never know." Urara climbs off the stone and starts wiping her eyes dry, still sniffling. Tsubasa shifts to a sitting position says sullenly that Makito and the others can do it and he's sorry. Kai blows up in response, but Tsubasa doesn't answer him. For a moment, the only sound to be heard is Houka sobbing. Urara bends down to her, gently squeezing her arm. "Let's go, Houka-chan?" she tries to encourage. Houka chokes, "Sorry... I can't go, either. I don't want to go!" she sobs, and curls down to cry with greater fore. Makito stands and says sadly, "There's nothing for it. We'll go ourselves." Kai and Urara are in agreement, and the trio races off together. They leave the sword/wand behind with their broken siblings.

I guess Nai and Mea are not bothering with the police at all. Nai is attacking an office, sending the workers screaming and scurrying from the room. She swings her arms in front of her face then out, opening her fanged mouth to send out a bolt of destructive, violet energy. Things explode and paper flies everywhere as confusion reigns. Nai laughs happily. Mea hits a restaurant, opening her fanged mouth to let out a burst of similar violet energy. Parents grab their frightened children and bolt. Plates and glasses shatter on the floor. Mea laughs happily, too. But outside is not safe either, for the two follow the crowds. Drivers lose control of their vehicles. Mea smashes through the windows of Big Boy Restaurant with her umbrella and joins Nai on the street. "Nai," she says invitingly. "Mea," the other answers. Eyes alight with devilish joy, they nod agreement. Together they send out more bolts at the people fleeing them, and blasting cars. Through the smoke run three brightly-clad people. Kai is at the fore, Makito on his right and Urara on his left. They skid to a halt. Surprised, Kai steps forward and wonders, "Those aren't the same as before..?" The girls laugh with delight and Urara is seriously confused. "Humans?" she wonders. Nai and Mea hear her and smile. "Oh, not human," says Nai. "So not," agrees Mea. Makito is furious and moves into a fighting stance, snarling "So you must be Infershia!" The girls grin still wider. "What shall we do, Mea?" "What shall we do, Nai?" and then they say something together. The three humans glare alertly, but are unprepared. Nai reaches her left hand, Mea her right and they twine fingers together, blossoming blue light. They turn so they are shoulder to shoulder, giggle and press their cheeks together and... their beings merge. The creature now standing before them is powerful and feminine, quite beautiful in its own way. "This is my true form," she tells them amusedly. "I am Vankyuria." Her lips are blue, her eyes are shimmering black and huge fangs jut from her upper jaw. "Vankyuria?" echoes an alarmed Kai. He, Urara and Makito move again in agressive fighting poses. Vankyuria is amused, she's gone to a lot of trouble to play. Her wings fold out from her back and she takes flight at them, firing bolts of violet energy from her hands. As she swoops past, Kai looks up in frustration and pulls out his Magiphone, the others follow suit and together they activate the transformation sequence. "Mahou Henshin! Maagi magi Maagi iro!" Summoning the circle in the skies, they are bathed in rings and transformed.

Mrs. Oz's blade/wand lies on the table at their home. Houka stares numbly at it. Tsubasa sits against the wall nearby, staring blindly at the floor. He raises he gaze and looks at a recent picture of the six of them all together. Kai's smiling face calls to mind baby brother's fury earlier telling him to hurry. He takes out his Magiphone and stares at it. This makes him remember the neigh of a horse, and an enormous foot coming down at them with crushing power. The terror wakes anew and he utters a cry, tossing the cellphone away from him. It strikes the photo of all of them, which falls. And their mother's image at the center suddenly begins to sparkle. The strange undercurrent of magical sound tugs his self-pity aside and he raises his head again to look. It attracts Houka's attention, too. Startled, she turns. The picture brightens until the glow spills out in a beam of light that hits the gem on their mother's blade. From there the beam continues on, bouncing back and forth along the walls of the first floor until it strikes the wall by the landing to the upper floors. The Magiranger M symbol appears there. Tsubasa and Houka follow the lights, her carrying the blade/wand. They stare as the mark in the wall quickly fades. Uncertainly, they step closer to it. Startled, Tstubasa looks to Houka. "I feel calm!" he wonders. She nods and utters a noise of startled agreement. They gird themselve and reach out, her left hand and his right. But where they should touch wall... they don't. Their hands pass through and they touch nothing. Both gasp. Houka says, "Our hands are in the wall!" What they can't see is the green, leafy things which suddenly wrap around their wrists and yank. They are pulled into the wall, which ripples behind them. They appear in clouds of pink and yellow haze. They are in a dark room. Behind them is the M symbol carved onto the wall, ahead a five-candle holder. "Who pulled us in here?" gasps Tsubasa. The candles suddenly light themselves, startling the pair. Then bright lights fly from the candles, lighting up stained glass windows, a chandelier, and startling a flock of books on the table which suddenly leap up and fly into the bookcases, pretending they'd been there all along. Purchased unevenly from assorted bookstores, or gutted from private collections, there are a few different English books; editions of the Encyclopedia Britannica, Dictionaries and more. Tsubasa and Houka, who'd covered their faces nervously with their arms, peek out. They are in a beautiful area, a secret part of their house. The walls are pale and warm, the wood holding them up strong and solid. Carved animals, lovingly lit stained glass windows.... Tsubasa stutters, "This is one weird room." There are paintings on the wall. The fireplace suddenly lights itself. They gasp and turn. Behind them, the leaves on a plant twitch and someone giggles. Houka turns. Does she have enough time to see the little face smiling at her, green gem-like eyes hiding under long leaves? Whether or not she does, it clearly doesn't really register. She tilts her head and utters a puzzled sound. Tsubasa moves past her to stare in wonder at all of the books. "This is great! It's great!" The desk at the core of the library has one book open on it, but Tsubasa is more interested in taking the room in than in checking that out. Houka finds five brooms lined up in place against the wall, each with a Magiranger's color of bow upon it. Above those hang five banners, with their colors and marks. Houka finds portrait on the wall of a man who vaguely makes me think of William Shakespeare, except he wears a witch's hat. He has an enormous nose, which reminds me of Tsubasa's, and a strange mouth under a pencil-thin, curving mustache. He winks at her and his smile widens. She doesn't seem to care. In delight she finds a hat like the one in the portrait atop some books in front of an astrological chart. She happily puts it on her own head. "This is so great! Hey," she calls her brother, putting the hat down. "This is a magic room!" He agrees with her, still giddy with delight. Suddenly, their mother's wand in Houka's hands shimmer/glimmers again. Tsubasa stiffens, then turns to find their mother standing behind them. Dressed in white, lovely and serene. Pole-axed, he gasps, "Mother!" Houka whips around and stares, then with a cry of joy, sets the wand aside and dashed to throw her arms around her mother, only to stumble straight through. And then the image starts to speak, pointing out that the Infershia have come. While they listen, we see that the other three are getting bested by Vankyuria. Having blasted them down, she swoops in, catches the boys by their throats in each hand and Urara between her ankles. Laughing, she carries them off. The image of Mrs. Oz continues to speak, noting sadly that she'd never spoken to them of these terrible things, and that is why she'd left this message. When they were still small, the war between Magitopia and the Infershia was kept a secret from human beings. And as she speaks, the mirror on her left stops reflecting the room and starts showing an image of a paining. A castle floating on clouds. Angels flying, some standing. Some standing on a road in the sky heading up to the clouds, and fighting monsters with blades and shields. And, at the bottom of the stairs is one angel with a Magi Wand held high, facing hordes and tentacles and glowing with a holy light. He was the one, with the power of water? who'd given his life to seal the Infershia road. "And that Heavenly soldier was your father." Houka's mouth drops open and she asks, "You mean Dad wasn't an explorer?!" They're stuttering over the fact that they'd never been given even the least hint of that. Tsubasa asks their mother's image if this couldn't all be a fantasy. Being a recording, she doesn't respond to that. "Now that the Infershia have revived, as your father's children, as a family, you have to be courageous soldiers!" Houka repeats it somewhat numbly, "Our father's children...." Tsubasa's shoulders slump.

Vankyuria has taken the other three far out of the city, still laughing like a loon. We hear a distant voice intoning a command, and see an enormous portal oen beyong a black lake. Something green, with a torso that's all mouth and giant, white teetch, rises from it. Another Dark Beast! Name of Blob. Makito gasps out, "Oh great. Another big one!" Kai and Urara gasp. Vankuria notes with amused delight that Blob's come out this time. The water below ripples and Blob's shadow stretches across it. The bright sun reflects in it (studio lights, shhhh!). "Oh, Bloooob!" sings Vankuria, "These are little presents for you! Eat up!" and she tosses them down. "Oh yummy!" groans Blob, opening his mouth. Kai, Makito and Urara sail inside. He closes his mouth and swallows, we hear a liquid sound.

Tsubasa has moved back into angry grief mode. "But if they could beat Mother, we can't beat them!!" he shouts, trots down the stairs and slams his fist on the table in front of the potted plant. He's panting, and tears threaten. Houka is just as pained. Their mother, while not having known the precise problem, has anticipated something like this. And she says firmly, "Bring out your courage!" Startled, Houka and Tsubasa turn to look at her again. She smiles warmly and continues, "Your courage is your weapon. Courage will teach you magic. Don't forget that, my sweet ones... this is Mother's final message." Tsubasa and Houka stands together now, watching, listening. The gem in Miyuki Oz' wand flares and she says determinedly, "Now, you must go! Mahou Sentai Magiranger!" The light flares still more and then dies down. Their mother's image fades into sparkles. "Mother!" gasps Houka, taking a step forward.

Tsubasa stands and thinks aloud, "So our weapon is... courage!" and his eyes gleam. On the broom rack, his with the yellow bow starts twitching, then flies off with Houka's right after it towards them. The two gasp in surprise and move around, as the brooms sink down to knee-level. But then, in another flare of dramatic, sparkling light, the brooms transform into something far more technological in appearance. Hovering mini-jets, white with fire-colored ends, and a hood denoting which Magiranger rides. "Oh, these are sky-brooms?" Houka gasps. The brooms twitch their tails in excitement, waiting to be ridden. Tsubasa gasps, "We're supposed to ride these?" to her. She nods and utters an agreeing noise. They grab for their Magi Phones and Tsubasa, voice gruff with determination, says "I may not know what's going to happen, but I accept this!" "Okay!" agrees Houka. Their Magi Phones open, they tap in the command to change. They board their brooms, touch the gem with their hands, and in obedience the things rear up, startling their riders, and fly through the walls with a ripple. Out of the house and up into the sky!

Blob sits beside the rippling lake, patting his belly in pleasure. "Mmmm. Geppu!" He has a tree-trunk in his hand and has sharped one end, perhaps to use as a toothpick. Bearing down on the scene, Houka utters a startled gasps and notes, "They're not here!" They skid to a halt in the air and Tsubasa flips out his phone. "Hey, it's me. Where are you?" he asks. Kai answers, distressed, voice distorted. "We're right here, Middle-bro!" "Huh?" Tsuasa does a double-take and stares at the monster. They certainly are. Floating near each other in glowing, green thick liquid. "The monster ate us!" Kai shouts. "What?!" But Houka says, "I'll take care of this!" Jets flaming, she flies in at Blob. He waves his club right hand, getting up as she swoops around him. Getting high over his head, she leaps into the air and uses her wand to transform herself into an enormous pepper-shaker and starts shaking down pepper on him. Surrounded by a cloud of the irritating particles, he slaps at his nose to stop the impending sneeze. It doesn't work, and when he does sneeze, it's so powerful the three trapped inside are blown out. They land, stumbling but on their feet and the first thing they do is start trying to wipe off the semi-transparent green guck all over them. Houka runs over, utterly smug in her success. "Hey guys!" she crows. Above them, Blob is still sneezing, clouds of pepper hanging around him. Kai complains indignantly, glop dripping from his helmet. But the roar of engines catches his ear and he turns to see Tsubasa jetting over them. "Middle-bro!" he gasps in delight. Tsubasa is going in, not sure yet what to to do but he's not going to give up. He pulls out his Wand. Blob lifts his club-hand, which proves also to be a cannon, and starts firing green missiles. Tsubasa weaves through them and they set fire to the trees behind him. Finally, Tsubasa hops up, riding standing, and changes his Wand to crossbow mode. He takes aim and fires with a cry. Blob staggers, then falls over. Tsubasa swoops down and hops off to join the others, who are cheering. While Kai babbles that it's not like at first, Tsubasa scolds and points out that someone had to help them, right Houka? he asks her. "Yeah!" she points out. Kai folds his arms and considers them, then says "But you showed courage, Middle-bro?" "Call me by name, you annoying little brother!" Tsubasa growls and whaps him on the head. "Ouch!" he protests, "Stop hitting me, Middle-bro!" They're getting ready to go at it, Houka trying to stop the impending fight, when the ground quakes beneath them. They turn to find the Blob back on his feet and very angry, smoking. "It's still alive?" gasps Tsubasa. "Guess it wasn't strong enough, Middle-bro!" snaps Kai. "Shut up!" Tsubasa snaps back, "I'm not giving up, let's fight it!" Following his command, they go into their introduction routines. Makito is the first to twirl, flaring his cape. "Green Magus!". He is on a boulder in the woods, sunlight filtered through leaves so thick the air is lit green. "Magi Green!" Houka is next. "Pink Magus!" She is on that same boulder, perhaps, in a whirlwind of pink light, air filled with cherry blossom petals. "Magi Pink!" Urara is next. "Blue Magus!" On the boulder under a piercing blue sky with a scattering of clouds, the air misted creating a rainbow and behind her rich falls. "Magi Blue!" Tsubasa is next. "Yellow Magus!" He on the boulder, it slick with rain, the world hidden under thick storm clouds and lightning flashing through the air. "Magi Yellow!" Kai is, of course, next. "Red Magus!" he crows! On the boulder, fire blossoming behind him. "Magi Red!" They leap high into the air, flipping back then forward, to land far above on a cliff-edge. "Mahou Sentai, Magiranger!" And in answer to their declaration, five glowing lights fall from the sky onto the Magi Phones. They gasp in surprise. A change has occured. Houka's Magiphone has a symbol like the one on her jacket. "My Magi Phone! Maybe... new magic?" she says with excitement. Tsubasa remembers what their mother had said... "Your power is your courage! Your courage will teach you magic!" "Mother!" he gasps. Kai is done staring and calls, "Right! Guys, let's go!" They all agree, and start the command sequence. "Magic Great Transformation! Magi, Magi, Magical!" And in response, they are each surrounded by a magic circle in their color, which sweeps over them and transforms them into might, armored giants. "Magi Taurus!" is Makito, green wiht an enormous axe. "Magi Faery!" is Houka, pink. "Magi Mermaid!" is Urara, blue, and it can have either legs or tail. "Magi Garuda!" is Tsubasa, yellow, with wings instead of hands. "Magi Phoenix!" is Kai, red, with a long blade in hand. Now they stand together. Magi Taurus is twice the hight of the others, and Magi Faery is half the size of the others, she stands on his right shoulder.

Vankyuria who, up to now, has been enjoying the show, lands and complains indignantly. She's so upset, she divides into Nai and Mea. "What's this?" they say one after the other. Blob isn't bright enough to be surprised. He just starts firing at them. As the flames burst around them Magi Phoenix shouts, "Let's go, Midde-brother!" "Right!" shouts Magi Garuda, and they leap forward. Phoenix dashes across the surface of the lake, Garuda flying over him. Blob fires at them. Doesn't stop them. Garuda shouts, "We'll show you the power of our magic!" Garuda fires lightning from his head, under which Blob cowers, and slaps him silly with his wings. Blob falls into the lake and struggles to get back up. When he is on his feet, it's to meet the charging Phoenix, who comes spinning in withe the Phoenix Kick, then strikes with his blade. As he comes to a posing halt, Garuda sets down beside him, wings swept wide. A crackle of blue lightning and Blob is hit by an explosion. Phoenix gets over-excited by his power, and Garuda cuts him off with a wing upside the head. "OUCH!" Phoenix protests, holding his pained nose. While Phoenix whimpers, Garuda calls to his big brother, who's been standing with the girls. At Taurus' prompting, Fairy changes herself into a pink, black and gold soccer ball the the Magiranger M set in the black, drops into his left hand and he uses his axe to swat it. Mermaid puts her legs in tail-form and dives into the lake, wherefrom she leaps, flips and slams the soccer ball with her tail. Garuda catches the ball between his wings, charging it with lightning, he spins it around and throws it super fast. The ball passes on to Phoenix, the soccer player, who charges to align with it, leaps high and flips, kicking it and charging it with his fire. The ball spins toward Blob, having grown to an enormous meteor-like blast. He cringes back and tries to shield his face with his club-arm. But the ball hits him, enveloping him in its accumulated power. "Yahoo!" cries the ball as she passes through where Blob was, and transforms her shape back to Faery. She lands back on Taurus' shoulder as the family assembles to shout about their power. They go into a brief huddle of joyful agreement.

Nai and Mea, extremely upset, say together, "A disaster! We'll remember!" and blur together. Vankyuria is royally peeved. She swoops away. Down in the depths, steam vents from the pipes on Branken. Vankyuria just reported in and he is furious. Wolzard seems to be considering, but then an echoing voice fills the air. They all leap to attention. A scrying pool at their feet turns glowing red. They recognize the light and start shifting nervously, though Wolzard seems only to stare. The Zobiru and High Zobiru quickly go to one knee in homage. Branken heaves himself over to the pool. Vankyria and Wolzard slap their right fists to their chests in salute. Branken, right arm full of heavy blade, does his left. They wait as movement becomes visible in the red, until an enormous, yellow eye is centered. The eye of Soma.

But what happens there must remain unknown. The Magiranger family have returned home. Tsubasa and Houka have shown the others the secret magic hall and there they stand together. The pair have explained to the other three their mother's message. Urara says, "So that's it. Our father was..." she trails off, but Houka nods that she's right. She exchanges a sad glace with Tsubasa and says, "We can't drown in sorrow." "Yeah," he agrees. He steps forward and sets his hands on Urara's and Kai's shoulders to turn them towards the banners behind. Houka moves to Makito's side, between him and Kai. Tsubasa clarifies that it is they who weild the power of just magic. Makito leads them back towards the table and the photo of them with their mother. "Yes. It was our mother and father's dying wish. So we have to go on after them." "Right!" says Kai, at their center. He looks to Tsubasa. "Big brother!" then to Houka, "Big sister! We won't stop!" The two of them utter firm agreement, to be echoed by Urara and Makito. They turn away from that photo now, back to the banners, which glow brightly in response for a moment, before settling down. "Mahou Sentai," they say together, and then step forward so no one is at front or back, "Magiranger."

The serious moment is broken by Tsubasa stepping forward and around to Kai. "But before that," he says, clapping his hands on the startled boy's shoulders, "You have school, and have to study." "EEEH?" yelps Kai. But the others are giggling and follow Tsubasa up the stairs towards the bridge to the home they grew up in. "Wait - " protests Kai, but Tsubasa is still cheerfully pointing out that his teachers aren't going to know about the Magiranger. Urara says cheerfully, "There are lots of book, read one at a time!" The others finish off with "Keep going, Kai-chan!" and "Get it done!" from Makito, who adds "I'll make you Aniki Salad to help you be smart!" Miserable, Kai settles at the table and whines, "Seriously?!"

Today the Mandrake explains about the transformation into giant forms and adds "I bet you're wondering who I am, eh? Well sorry! We're out of time!"

Stage. 3 �����ɏ��@�`�}�[�W�E�W���}�E�W���K�` Maryuu ni Nore Maaji Jiruma Jinga Ride the Magical Dragon, Magi, Jilma, Jinga
Issues at Makito's farm, and he furiously punches Kai. The others sigh in exasperation as the pair fight. They aren't working together in their armor, Kai causing Makito to fall on his back. So busy arguing that even the Zobiru are a little puzzled. Kai gets a new companion, a mighty dragon.

Urara is shopping at the grocery, when she overhears a trio of forty-ish housewives discussing the fact that there's been another disappearance in the forest. The second says "How many cases?!" One of the ladies eagerly suggests there might be a ghost living in the forest. Urara doesn't find that idea something to be eager about and she is very worried. She returns home with a bag of groceries. Their home lies behind a thick wall, with a low metal door to go through. She has to duck down. There is a metal gate warding the driveway. Inside the house, Urara gravely walks through the wall, impassive through the blackness to the other, secret house. She walks straight into Makito. Knocked out of her pensive thoughts, she finds him eagerly handing her a pail. He carries mops and other cleaning equipment tucked into his belt and wears a green apron. Confused, she asks him what he's doing. Houka sits nearby at a table with some books in front of her that she's using a yellow cloth to wipe. Makito waves widely at the room and says, "We're cleaning!" He adds that though their mother made this place with magic, and it's a secret and everything... well, I guess they have to do the claning. He's got Tsubasa and Kai at work, too. As he's lecturing, there is a sudden crash from over where Kai is, and Makito looks up to shriek, "Hey, Kai! Stop fooling around!" He dashes off. Urara goes to Houka to commiserate, who allows that he's being a bit over the top. Then she asks Urara to please open the door behind them. Urara obliges. An enormous wall of water roars and splashes in her face. The door opens onto a beach, and the waves are lovely. Urara quickly closes the door before she can be splashed again. Houka pensively says that every we open the door it goes to another weird place. "Last time it was hot." Urara doesn't have a chance to get angry, for her clothes are dry, though her hair still is damp. One of the books on the table suddenly flaps away, and Houka chases after it. Tsubasa is doing his dusting with headphones on. He pauses to look in the mirror and rearrange his bangs. Behind him, Makito is shoving a table across the floor past Houka, who's caught the book. "Hey, Tsubasa!" Makito calls, and asks him to come dust there. Tsubasa doesn't hear him. He looks startled. His reflection in the mirror is gesturing urgently at its headphones. "Hah?" he gasps. The reflection does not show Makito, who angrily snatches at the headphones and pulls them out of his ears. "Tsubasa, listen up!" As Makito pulls the sheepish Tsubasa around, the boy's reflection slaps itself on the forehead in exasperation. "Stop goofing off!" "Yeah, yeah," Tsubasa sighs. Grumbling about his brother, he turns back to find his reflection is howling with silent laughter. "Don't laugh!" he grumps, and puts his headphones back in his ears. Kai hops down from the walkway by the windows and hears a sigh from the plant on the table. Curious, he comes over and looks down at it. One of the leaves moves, curling down to scratch at the bud in the center. "What is this?" Kai wonders, and he pulls it up. He's got it from the back, so he doesn't see the sleeping little face. The body with leaf-arms and rooted feet, green and white in color. The thing in his hands opens jewel-green eyes as Kai peers at it, and suddenly shrieks. The whole room ripples with the sound and all of the Magiranger kids scream in sudden pain. Tsubasa only is blissfully unaware, polishing the mirror and listening to his headphones. He notices nothing as the other four collapse where they stood, Makito heafirst in the garbage bucket. The motion in the corner of his eye attracts his attention, though, and he turns to gape in surprise. "What's with everyone?" he asks in confusion.

They recover, but they clutch at their poor, pained ears. Kai and Urara their left ears, Makito and Houka their right ears. Tsubasa pokes his head in to get a good look at the talking plant. He, for it speaks as a male, says, "My humble apologies," and goes on to explain that he gets so upset when he's pulled up that he screams. Usually if someone hears my scream, they die, but you're the mighty Magiranger! Kai starts to be happy, then does a double take and demands to know who he is. "We are Mandora-boy!" Mandora-boy tells him (that's for Mandrake). How he'd watched out for their mother. He gestures towards the photo of all of them with her, they follow his gesture and return to staring at him. It seems now he's going to have to teach them everything about Magitopia. Tsubasa makes a very important point, "Why didn't you speak up much earlier?" "Oh, it was my whim." They sort of accept that, but Makito wants Mandora-boy to tell them about Magitopia. He will comply with sheer strength. Kai grins broadly, while the others look quite confused. Suddenly, sweet music fills the air. They turn and find a gramophone has slid across the floor and is playing a record. And Mandala-boy begins to sing. "Far, far away and long ago, there were five Magi...."
As the mandrake sings, Makito moves uncertainly around the others to watch him with wide eyes. "Firm like the Earth color of generosity supports all." Mandora-boy whips around to indicate Makito. Responding, the gem hanging from the fine chain around his neck flares to life and he utters startled gasps. The plant winks, "The Green Magus."

Now it whips through the air, pulls a lovely, long, black and gray feather along with it. The pen writes in the air, yellow letters in English some of what the plant sings, "Refreshing like the wind, color of hope carrying dreams." He swoops down to almost press his head against hers, "The Pink Magus." Her gem also flares to life.

Now he grabs Urara's right hand betweem his fronds and pulls the startled girl up the stairs, spinning with her in a waltz, while the air around them become like light seem through liquid. "Pure like water," he hops into her arms so she cuddles him like a baby and sings lovingly, "color of affection gives healing." Her gem flares in response while she blinks in confusion. "The Blue Magus!"

He flies from Urara's arms to bounce on top of the chandelier above them, waving his arms, "Glitters like lightning," he sings, then the chandelier drops, stopping just above the table, "granting wisdom color of intelligence," he continues, books hopping up to dance in a ring around him. "The Yellow Magus!" Tsubasa's gem answers with a flare. Tsubasa casts a doubtful glance down at it, then over to the last of them.

Kai, realizing next is him, grins and bounds up to where Mandora-boy is. The plant is dancing with the five-candle candelabra. "Lively like flames," and one candle leans down and set him alight, a fireball from which he reappears scorched, "a burning heart, color of passion," he shakes off the blackness, perfectly fine, and turns to Kai. "The Red Magus!" Kai expects it and glances down in time to see his gem flare. Mandora-boy leads the dancing candelabra and books as he sings, "At the vanguard races daring, bold color red," and with each color he names, their banner leaps from the wall, "Blue, Yellow and Pink keep up, while Green at the last holds back." Mandora-boy hovers in front of the green banner, which stays in place on the wall. The other banners, red and blue sweep in front of Kai and Urara, while yellow and pink hang firmly behind Tsubasa and Houka's shoulders. Makito looks a bit confused. The banners sweep to join the other objects circling Mandora-boy who sings, "The five each with their courage in their roles will succeed, there is nothing they cannot do!" and the banners fly back to their places on the wall. The books return to the shelves, and the song is over.

Delighted, Kai, Urara and Houka applaud. Tsubasa keeps quiet, and Makito tilts his head uncertainly. "And that's the song of the five legendary Magi who built Magitopia," Mandora-boy pants. He seems to be indicating a painting on the wall beside him, showing a rider on a horse, and a man driwing a chariot pulled byh white horses who seem to be on fire, and someone beside him, they ride in the clouds. Kai, however, is very happy and pushes his elbow down onto the thoughtful Urara's shoulder, "And the Red Magi is the vanguard! That is just so cool!" he crows, throwing his fist in the air while his sister indulges him. Makito, however, is not indulging. He's anxious and shoves past Kai to ask Mandora-boy, "So what is the big brother?" Cheerfully the plant replies, "He's the last in reserve, green color!" Puzzled, Makito repeats, "The last in reserve?" The plant sings ever so quietly, "Color green...." But Makito snaps and whips around to glare at, "That's cheating, Kai!!" Kai startles a bit, all of them stare at Makito who is awash with outrage, "Why should the oldest, the big brother, be the last before you've even accomplished anything?!" Kai humphs and pushes past him countering snidely, "I don't know, it wasn't MY decision!" He holds his head high. Makito bridles, "You don't talk to me that way!" as their other siblings sigh and groan. Kai plays it cool and says, "Makito-big-brother, you are last," punctuating each word with a downward move of his hand which Makito follows in growing rage. Kai then compounds it by arrogantly flicking his brother on the forehead and saying something suspiciously nasty. Kai, though, is following his own train of thought and looking away, "Hey, you know that must mean the Magiranger captain is me!" Makito breaks and grabs Kai's shoulder, throwing himself in front of his annoying brother. The other three are watching, but keeping well back. "HOLD ON!! He pounds his chest angrily, "I'm the oldest brother! Who's got to be in charge without Father and Mother? I'm the one who has to be responsible!" Kai regards him with an expression both annoyed and frustrated. Beyond, the others sigh and nod agreement, though I can't tell you with which brother. And then their Magiphones starts sending an alarm. Houka is fastest to look at hers and says "The Infershia!" Makito starts to say "Okay - " when Kai whirls and shouts, "Let's go, guys!" They charge out, Makito so thrown he almost stumbles in their wake. "Hey, wait!" he shouts.

A boy races through the forest in a panic, jeans-clad legs churning. Behind him, the ground shakes as something invisible plows through it. The boy stumbles with a cry and turns helplessly as the mass of dried leaves pushed ahead bears down on him. He turns and tries to flee, but something bursts up in front of him, and he cries out as the ground gives way beneath him. "Look out!" shouts a man in black cloak. Makito tears in, grabs the boy and yanks him away from the sudden cloud of dirt. Just in time, for spines that would have engulfed him open where he'd been. The thing disappears back underground as the other four Magiranger arrive. Makito stares wide-eyed where the thing had been and stutters, "That w - " when he is interrupted. A High Zobiru strides out from behind a tree. And this one, male presumably, is very, very angry. It roars at the skies. Makito leaps up to assume a fighting stance, so do the others, Kai crying "Infershia!" except Urara, who helps the boy to his feet. "Hurry, run!" she tells him. Makito starts to snarl, "You - " when Kai interrupts. "Guys, magic transformation!" Makito nearly chokes on his tongue. He is so outraged, he barely manages to keep up with the others in the transformation, finding himself at the back of their formation and Kai at the front. As they move to use their phones, he steps forward. Standard introductions. And now the fight may begin.

Oooh! The High Zobiru can speak! In a voice that seems cracked and dusty, it grates "Get out of my way," then shouts for the Zobiru. A crowd of them pop up out of the ground and lurch towards the Magiranger like lively zombies. The Magiranger stare, Kai uttering a small gasp. Makito strides in front of him and snaps, "That's their boss!" pointing at the High Zobiru. Tsubasa mutters a soft, "No, really?" At a grated command, the Zobiru charge. Makito turns and touches Houka's shoulder saying, "Big brother'll fight the boss!" Houka nods. "You guys - " he doesn't get to complete his thought nearly strangling as he finds Kai's ignored him and has hauled out his Magi Stick, calling it into Sword-form. Kai charges forward, while Makito shouts at him to wait. Kai fights through the Zobiru, heading for the High Zobiru while his siblings fight the others. They go into it calmly, taking down one after another. Well, calmly except for Makito, who shouts at Kai. The High Zobiru is a match for Kai, knocking him down with a hard blow, then stalking him. Kai doesn't quite recover and it looks bad for a moment, the High Zobiru raises its spear to kill him, but Makito leaps between them, "Look out!" and uses his axe to seriosly injure the enemy. With an indignant shriek it stumbles back, tilting its head to see how bad the injury is. Makito pulls Kai to his feet, scolding him for not listening to him. Kai, unfortunately, chooses to point out that Makito is supposed to be holding back. Green stays behind, he mocks. Furious, Makito pulls Kai around and starts snarling at him something about little brothers and who calls who by name. Kai grabs his head and shouts, "Why?" "What'd'you mean why?" They forget completely everything else and start yelling at each other. Houka notices the stupidity going on. "Crisis! They're fighting!" she exclaims. Tsubasa, holding a Zobiru he's about to toss, utters a startled, "What are those two DOING?" The High Zobiru is not being idle while his two erstwhile opponents are busy trying to push each other off their feet with their helmets. In irritation, it starts grabbing the Zobiru around it and tossing them into a pile. He seems to have about six there before Makito and Kai notice and turn to look. The High Zobiru leaps atop that pile, springs off it way into the air above them, and Makito thinks quickly, forcing Kai ahead of him intending to do much the same leap off his little brother. Kai, though, when Makito's feet touch his shoulders, grabs his brother's ankles and shoves him off. Makito lands hard on his back, directly in the path of the descending High Zobiru. Thank heavens for Tsubasa, or that could have been the last thing Makito saw. Tsubasa fires his crossbow-mode Magi-stick, the blast sends the High Zobiru tumbling away from the helpless Makito. The rest of them gather quickly around Makito to keep him safe, Urara bending down to check on him. Now the High Zobiru sports a second wound on its right shoulder, and is not a happy camper. A scream of rage, though its Zobiru gather around it. I think it's going into retreat. Kai at the fore, the others start to charge after it, though Makito shoves Urara's worried hands off of him. Urara takes a step after, then stops. Her gaze has lit upon the boy they'd rescued earlier. He's been watching all of this from dubious safty behind a tree. She calmly lifts her Magiphone, hits what appears to be the 8 button, says "Magine," and her armor disappears in sparks. She jogs over to the boy. He simply stares at her, processing all of this. She touches him kindly and says, "It's all right now." He blinks and asks her, "Are you all... wizards?" he asks. She lays her finger gently on his lips and he almost crosseshis eyes peering down at it. "It's a secret," she tells him.

The others race through the woods. Kai is at the fore, Tsubasa, Houka and then Makito. They skid to a frustrated halt. Kai snaps angrily because they can find no sign of the enemy. Disgruntled, he grumbles, "Magine." Sparkling, his suit disappears. He looks around with exasperation. But that is short, for Makito yells, "Kai!" and when he turns it is to meet a fist in his face. Houka gasps, Tsubasa just watches as Kai tumbles on the ground, hands protecting his poor face. Makito bellows his fury at being ignored and disrespected, and Kai shouts, "What's with you?!" and hops up, punching in return. Makito goes into a full body tackle, throwing Kai down and shaking him by his lapels while he struggles. Houka tries to cool things down, only to have him knock her away with a shouted, "Shut up!" Upset, she moves back to her little brother and grabs his arm pleading, "What should we do, Tsubasa-san?!" He, however, isn't interested. He thinks they're both idiots and pulls his arm loose, wanting to go home. Houka, still upset, stares after him and then at the tussling pair. Kai manages to shove Makito off him and gets up, practically in tears. He snaps, "Big brother this, big brother that just shut up! Just because you're the oldest you're self-important, doesn't mean you can boss me around!" With a frustrated cry, he hops up and runs off, ignoring Makito's angry shout. Equally furious, Makito gets to his feet and stomps off, Houka having no idea what she should do. She sighs in worried exasperation, turning after him.

Down, down, down the circles of a hell lined with Zobiru and High Zobiru. One very angry High Zobiru shoves the lesser ones out of his way. With a snarl he goes at the fallen one, injured by the Magiranger, and drags him to his feet. That one throws him off, but is not properly able to defend when the other whips him in a rage, then kicks him off the ledge. "Die!" The injured one falls with a rattling cry. He lands flat on his back, behind Nai and Mea. They turn and watch as he twitches, hoarse sounds, trying to breath. Nai sneers and remarks that this High Zobiru is useless, and Mea echoes her. They kick him and he rolls, in agony. Branken pulls himself up and heaves over to the fallen one. Coldly, he stabs his blade, the fang of N Ma, into its body. The High Zobiru cries out as its energy sputters out the wound, and Branken lifts it on the point of the blade. Holding it high above his head as its body disintegrates out to in, a horrible death. Finally the poor thing is gone, while Branken says something about no room for the weak. Nai and Mea exchange smirks and approach him. Wolzard is drawn, too, with a muttered "This is the very power, all...." Branken wants Wolzard, it seems, to do something before their plan comes to naught. "I understand," Wolzard says, and gazes upwards.

Soft, rich dirt. Down comes a hoe, the person using it grunting. It is Makito, of course, still hot under the collar and trying to burn that up working. He wears a beige apron with a bull-symbol on the right. A sign says "�A�j�L�_�� (Aniki Noujou/farm)." It hangs on a thick stick. Abov the sign is a basket, possibly full of plastic or real fruit, two tomatoes, an eggplant, trwo carrots, two squashes and something I can't identify. Typical of a Japanese farmlet, sheets of black plastic cover mounded growing plots, holes for the young plants punched in them. One line is of lettuce. Beside that is an uncovered line of Green Onions, on the opposite side may be corn... but maybe not. There is a seagull windmill. At least two lines on the far side are of semi-clear plastic held up on curved metal to allow the plants beneath to grow, unmolested by birds and caterpillars. Makito is beyond them, working the ground and speaking his thoughts aloud. "I made a promise to Mother!" He's getting a trough dug pretty well, here. "From here on, as the oldest brother, I'd pull them all together!!" The hoe gets stuck under something, and Makito pauses, startled, when he can't pull it back up. Instead of thinking it through, he puts his foot down on the edge of the hoe and starts trying to pull it out. Unfortunately, his next hard heave pulls the handle loose and he falls on his back, nearly going all the way over. Worn, he lies there, holding the pole on top of him for a second before letting it, and his hands, fall to the side. Miserably he asks why they won't follow him. Houka, a small basket in her hands, bends happily into his field of vision and he yelps in surprise. He sits up quickly, "Oh, Houka!" She squats down next to him and shows what she's got in the basket. "Have a strawberry?" she offers with a smile. "Where'd you get them?" he asks. "Over there." She indicates with the one in her hand. "Eh?" he says, and then reacts in dismay. She'd raided his strawberry patch, the poor plants he'd kept safe from winter chill with straw spread over their roots. He shrieks in dismay.

Out in the woods beside the lake, Kai is still angry. He throws a rock in the water and stomps along, favoring his cheek and complaining about Makito. However, a shriek diverts his attention. He swallows, nods and charges off in the direction he'd heard it from.

A High Zobiru is flexing its whip. A girl in red jeans and wearing a red pack is fleeing. She falls and scrambles backwards. The High Zobiru is not alone, it has a crowd of Zobiru with it. "Wait!" comes Kai's shout. The girl turns to find a young man in red and black dashing over to her. "You all right?" he asks, pulling her to her feet before turning to face the enemies. "You again?!" he cries. It's hard to distinguish the answer, but if it did I'm pretty sure it said he's wrong. Whatever, this doesn't faze Kai, who is going to show the power of the Red Magus. The girl flees, and Kai changes into his armor. The High Zobiru whips the ground. Surprised, Kai skids to a halt. A concussion behind makes him spin around. A column of white and blue punches out of the groun. The top curves down and he utters a shocked gasp as he sees tentacles, and something vaguely maw-like coming at him. He seems too shocked to dive out of its way and cries out.

Houka takes a happy bite out of a good-sized strawberry. Makito watches her, expression uncertain and vulnerable. He mutters softly, "You came of your own accord." She doesn't seem to respond to that, but utters a delighted, "These strawberries are sweet!" which makes him smile. He explains sheepishly, "I messed up last year, but this year I cultivated them." Houka utters an approving noise, saying something that could be she thought they just grew. He practically laughs, finding it funny. "A lot has to be done!" he tells her, taking one of the strawberries. "If the field isn't right, they won't taste good. Strawberries are pretty wilful." He taps at the berry and speaks to it, "Without a big brother to take care of you, you won't grow up nice and red." Houka eyes him and makes a thoughtful, agreeing sound, then takes another big bite of a strawberry. Swallowing, she says innocently, "That's just like Kai, ne?" Makito stares at her in surprise. "Eh?" Then he does a double take and looks down at the one in his nand. "Like Kai?" It hits him, while his sister pretends to be absorbed in the strawberries. He thinks, "That's right! He's a willful strawberry. And so he can't be broken, shouldn't be hindered..." It's a bit of a stretch for him, but having grasped the thought, he sets his heart on it. He softly says aloud, "That's a big brother's duty." Then he throws his arm around Houka's shoulders, neaerly causing her to choke on a strawberry and says loudly, "That's right! That's what it means, Houka!" Utterly happy, he throws his strawberry whole into his mouth and chews it up, "That's tasty!" he exclaims and reaches for another, while the return of his good cheer makes her giggle. He steals the basket from her over protestations of "Hey, don't eat them all!" Their half-playful argument is interrupted by a signal on their Magiphones. They glance at the readout, then exchange alarmed looks.

Kai dives out of the path of the attacking column of flesh. It sweeps past him, marbled white with purple, like an enormous fist it sweeps back and hits him this time. His blade goes flying. He lands rolling, clutching his pained right arm. Down swoops the column, jaws open wide two swallow him up and he screams. Before the thing can close on him, though, rescue comes. Makito leaps in, slicing with his axe and the impact doesn't cut, but pains the creature, which shuts its maw and rears back. Down into the ground it pulls. Makito moves quickly and reaches a hand to his brother. "You all right, Kai?" Kai, still smarting, slaps the hand away. "Being nice!" he snaps, and adds something angry about his big brother. Houka reaches their side, panting slightly. Makito, though, has gone through a complete attitude adjustment and laughs affectionately. He claps a hand on Kai's shoulder and says, "Don't say that." But the sound of a whip cracking turns them to their enemies, the High Zobiru and the Zobiru. In answer to the challenge, Makito leaps up and announces, "Go, Kai!" Kai isn't quite sure to believe this change and inquires angrily about it. Makito takes the time to recognize his feelings, and tells him he won't be defeated. Then with a dramatic sweep, yells "Big brother has ploughed!" and charges at the enemy. A flummoxed Kai says uncertainly, "Just a moment..!" Makito flips through the air into the Zobirus' midst. As he fights he sings between breaths, "Firm like the Earth, color of generosity supports all." Tsubasa and Urara arrive, like Kai they stare in surprise at Makito fighting in easy swoops. "What's up with him?" Tsubasa wonders and Kai agrees with the wondering. Makito has downed the Zobiru immediately surrounding him. The others weave in front of the High Zobiru. It roars and they mill nervously, then assemble into a Zobiru-pyramid. Makito gasps. The High Zobiru leaps to the top of his servants, springs off impossibly high into the sky. Makito notes this and whips around, calling Kai to come and fly. Kai breaks out of his shock and charges. Makito braces his axe along his arm, and Kai springs off it into the sky. He meets the High Zobiru in mid-air, blocking his strikes and kicks the beast hard in the stomach in a lovely move. They drop down to the ground, Kai landing easily. The other four gather around him, Makito cheers, "You did it, Kai!" Kai accepts that gleefully. Then Houka steps behind them and points out how a little brother who's kind of the enemy, like those strawberries the year before, must be precious, and that's courage? Not privvy to the earlier events, Tsubasa and Urara are confused. Kai is, too. But they cannot reflect now, for the High Zobiru is back on his feet. Makito calls Kai to start, and Kai starts, to change something. He calls "Magiiro!" and aims the end of his Stick at the ground. A sparkle of flaring, red light and a pole with eyes for hooks appears, sweet. Kai picks it up. Together they say something then "Trapeze!" and he flings the pole up. Cords appear, whipping up from the eyes into the distant sky. Tsubasa leaps high, grabs the trapeze bar between his hands and still holds his Magi Stick in bow-form. He swings across the distance and lets go, firing as he drops down towards the startled Zobiru. The girls leap next, to the pole which has suddenly grown long enough for both of them. They swing in and drop down, too, but kicking the Zobiru in the chests. Those fall at the High Zobiru's feet, and he is not happy, not at all. Makito leaps in, the pole has changed again to a kind of C configuration. He twists himself up, hanging by his legs and calls to Kai. Oh, there are more poles, for Kai leaps, flips and catches the one he'd started with. He swoops in to meet Makito, lets go and catches his brother's arms, still holding his blade. Makito releases him and as he drops towards the High Zobiru he shouts, "Magi Trapeze Special!" He goes whipping down and with a final "Royal Slash!" strikes. The attack knocks the High Zobiru back painfully, and our young heroes assemble together. The High Zobiru spins as explosions from Kai's previous attack rock him, and finally goes up in a fireball. The Magiranger shout their delight, Makito and Kai hug, then starts doing "Banzai!" moves, their siblings echo them until the ground quakes. "Look!" cries Houka.

Rocks and dirt fly as no less than six sinuous columns punch their way out. "This one's like a worm!" Kai says. Yes, it is the Dark Beast Worm, in fact. A total of eight necks, each enging in amaw that stays mostly closed. There is a body behind it, kind of a lumpy one. Tsubasa notes the thing is quite active. A signal on Makito's Magiphone. He flips it open, they all peer and he says there's a new attack. Just then, their phones start signally, too. Houka joyfully points out that the Magic is answering Makito's courage. They leap to Kai's side and he says they must Magi Maginda. Together they call the command to start this new secondary transformation. Grown to their giant forms, Kai calls them to go at it, only to find that something new is happening. Above him, Magi Taurus glows green. "Are?" he wonders. As Kai uncertainly watches, his brothers and sisters speak together about a Magic Combination. Suddenly, their bodies become light and move up, into the great magic circle above. Magi Taurus reconfigures, a body with powerful feet hanging down. Magi Mermaid joins the back end, as the powerful tail. Magi Garuda spreads its wings wide and drops onto the back, to become the shoulders and wings. Magi Fairy reconfigures, caped back joining to legs to become a fanged, powerful head which attaches to Garuda who also provides the neck. Magi Phoenix stands far below and gasps, "That's great!" at the enormous beast they've become. "A dragon!" Roaring, they swoop down and he understands. "Ride? Okay!" He leaps high and flips onto their back, having a lot of trouble balancing at first.

Back at their home, Mandora-boy is watching in the mirror. "Just like the legend, Magi Dragon!" he crows. "I feel so inspired!" Hovering in mid-air, Magi Dragon swoops towards the Worm, Phoenix on its back. The Worm pulls its heads back and opens its maws, blasting bolts at the Magiranger formation, but to no effect. They fly through the blasts and rising smoke, Phoenix slashing at the Worm as they pass. They swoop up into the sky, twirling back, The worm swings around to blast them again, but the violet liquid fire bolts are ineffective. The Dragon evades the blasts. They have bolts, too, a mouthful of clean, yellow-orange fire they open their maw and blow at the Worm. Their blast is quite effective. Head rearing back, they shriek at Phoenix, "Right, stop," he says what they communicate and sheathes his blade. He leaps off in mid-air and dives down. They draw a deep breath to blow another blast of fire. Phoenix cries, "Magical Dragon Shoot!" and twists around so he can kick the passing blast, enhancing it with his power, at the Worm. That creatures utters a dismayed cry. Only one long neck is still moving, the others fallen, before that blast hits. On the Dragon's back again, Phoenix shouts smugly as they set down. The Worm blows and Phoenix cheers, "Checkmate!" as a wave of energy pours past them. Laughing, he crows, "We did it!" and pats the dragon's back. "Brothers! Sisters!" The Dragon roars fondly back at him.

Urara is out shopping again, and hears the older women talking. "Do you know?" says one. "That monster in the forest was destroyed!" Another lady whispers joyfully, "I heard a rumor it was destroyed by wizards!" "Wizards?!" gasps the third, and Urara giggles.

At home are the other four, lined up near Mandora-boy who asks, "So, after all, who is the captain of the Magiranger?" Kai, smug as a bug, claps his hand and says, "Well of course," he sits in the chair behind the table, "that's me!" "Hold it right there!" Makito says firmly, and Kai is startled. Makito leans down at him and frowns, "You don't have your big brother's approval." Kai looks injured and gestures, "But you said I'm just like a strawberry - " Makito wisely cuts him off, "A strawberry is a strawberry, not a captain." While the discussion continues, Tsubasa turns away, rubbing the back of his head. "Same old, same old." he eschanges amused smiles with Houka. While the others are arguing, Urara arrives in a flare of blue light. "Say, all of you listen!" Kai and Makito, busy trying to bore holes into each other's foreheads with their index fingers, turn to look at her as Tsubasa and Houka are doing. "I've been doing a lot of thinking about this," she begins, "we have to use our magic to build so much more." Tsubasa and Houka look puzzled. Kai and Makito drop their hands and exchange totally bewildered noises, before moving to ask her to clarify. A bit nervous, but she continues anyway, Houka does. "The Infershia are going to be committing all sorts of terrible act, and some people are going to be their victims but, I want to protect everyone!" Ecstatic to hear her say that, Mandora-boy bops over to the table next to her. For that, he tells them, "You'll need the Magic Emergency number!" "Magic Emergency number?" Houka asks as they all gather. Mandora-boy indicates the distant mirror, which sparkles in answer. He tells them with that mirror they can keep an eye on the people of the city against Infershia attacks. "Oooh!" says Houka. Urara says firmly, "Magic Emergency number...." Houka looks over at her other two brothers and, with a small smirk, asks "What do you think, Captain?" Both Kai and Makito blink at her, then Kai turns around. "What do you think, Makito-bro?" Makito smiles proudly at him and says, "I think it's great. Let's do it." He sets a firm, comforting hand on Kai's shoulder. They all nod agreement, flickers of tender smiles on their faces. Together, Kai and Makito spin and leap with a shouted, "We'll do it!" Then they wheel on the amused others and Makito grabs them, demanding they do the same action, Kai leads the next jump, "We'll do it!" Tsubasa a little behind.

Mandora-boy and the kids introduce the Magi Dragon. Maagi, jiruma, jinga! Their combination. Mandora-boy and Kai end up arguing.

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Far, far away and long ago there were five Magi. Firm like the Earth color of generosity supports all. The Green Magus. Refreshing like the wind color of hope carrying dreams. The Pink Magus. Pure like water, color of affection gives healing. The Blue Magus. Glitters like lightning, granting wisdom color of intelligence. The Yellow Magus. Lively like flames, a burning heart, color of passion. The Red Magus. At the vanguard races daring, bold color red, Blue, Yellow and Pink keep up, while Green at the last holds back. The five each with their courage in their roles will succeed, there is nothing they cannot do.

Stage. 4 ���l�̉��l�@�`�}�[�W�E�W���}�E�}�W�E�W���K�` Majin no Oosama Maagi Jiruma Magi Jinga King of the Demons, Maagi, Jilma, Magi, Jinga
A small, shattered mirror. Urara, practically in tears, slaps Kai furiously. The battle continues, the other in their armor but Urara hysterical. What's happened? She's changed to stone! Kai tries to shake life back into the statue she becomes, face frozen in an expression of misery. Nai and Mea laugh. I'd say we're facing a Basilisk monster. Oops, correction, it's a cockatrice. And Kai intends to save everyone. Magi King will appear, with the gorgeous wings of the Garuda. The Chess theme continues, for our heroes are on a mighty, marble chess board, planted in the bases of chess pieces (I can see the toys already in my mind) with the Magiranger circle behind them, flaring light. I do love the head design.

Night. A train goes by. There is a business man walking along the path under the tracks. He looks clean and fresh. Must have a pretty nice job. A dinging sound and he stops, digging into his pocket for his cellphone. It dings again and he flicks it open. E-mail from his daughter, Miku, "Hurry home and happy!" The phone shows her picture, and she is adorable. He reads it aloud, a proud smile on his face. He laughs and starts to move on, when he hears a strange noise. He turns. Behind him is a winged monster, no details visible with the light behind it. And a light coming from its head, brilliant white in flowery pink. The light sweeps ahead to engulf the poor businessman. He cries out, and the camera shifts to a passing train. Cellphone, coat and briefcase fall to the cement. In the shadows cast by lights sometimes blocked by the passing train, we see his shadow. Then we see him. He is stone, including the clothes he was wearing. A violet glow surrounds the petrified man, and eats him away from toe to head. The cellphone remains unnoticed on the ground, Miku's message visible. The monster who'd attacked hisses laughter and dances.

The middle-aged housewives and the neighborhood market are going to be regulars... or perhaps only early in the series. The slightly overweight lady speaks to the slender woman with her hair tied back. "Have you heard? It's really big! Something weird has happened AGAIN!" "Eh? Again? Whatever shall we do?" High School girls discuss it on the sidewalk. But theirs is different. Something about an M written three times on your palm. And an old man telling his grandson that then the five Magi will help. The story is continued by grade schoolers walking together. And now we see a hand held up in front of the full moon. Left hand, the right hand's index finger used to trace the Roman letter M. "Magica, Magica, Magica," says a little girl. It's Miku. She sits in her room, tracing the M again and again on her left palm. Finished, she twines her fingers, closes her eyes and bends her head in prayer in the light of the moon. Then she lowers her hands and says grimly, "My father didn't come home. Please, Wizards, look for him!"

Her plea is transmitted into the mirror in the Magiranger's hidden room. Urara, ashen white, holds Mandora-boy in his pot. Houka notes that they have magical duties, and this might be one. The others nod agreement. Tsubasa rubs the back of his head, considering. Urara looks up at the ceiling, then back down, and Tsubasa asks tentatively, "Isn't this a job for the police?" But Mandora-boy tells them it's not. Only messages of problems caused by the Infershia will appear in the divine mirror. Makito claps a fist in his hand, "Right, got it!" he spins to charge off, "Let's go at once to search!" Kai is right with him, but Tsubasa sticks out both hands, one around Makito's waist and the other on Kai's wrist. "Hold on a minute." They halt and turn quizzically. He points out, "If they run away, we're not going to be able to find them. We need some clues to go on. What should we do?" and something else about that, I think. Kai frowns and tries to think, stepping back intending to lean against the wall. Unfortunately, he bumps into the rack holding the brooms and Tsubasa's is knocked loose and falls, with a domino effect of knocking all the others down, too Kai hops back, dismayed. Looking completely embarrassed, he turns his head to see his sibling's reaction. Urara's gaze is deadly and she lets a breath hiss out. Mandora-boy seems to be paying this no mind, noting that it's the Blue Magus' turn. He's not talking about this little accident. Urara walks away with him. The others watch worriedly, while the brooms get back up and start to settle in place... except Urara's, which whaps Kai back of the head for her. "Ouch!" I swear, this kid's brains are suffering for this abuse.

Mandora-boy sets a crystal ball and stand on the table. "Divination magic is a very special type," he tells them. It is up to Urara, as the Blue Magus, to do it, to help them figure out what to do, to add to their magics? She dons the black cloak and sits gravely at the table, flicking open her Magiphone. She speaks to the crystal ball. "Tell me where that girl's father is," she says, then "Magi, jijiru." A beam of power from her phone, and the orb starts to glow. Kai leaps down, grinning with delight and wanting to see. Makito looks horrified when he does this. Urara looks like ice. Her gaze is full of darkness and Kai stutters uncertainly, very carefully pulling back. Mandora-boy explains that only the Blue Magus can read the crystal ball. "Nnn," Kai utters weakly. Urara's eyes go wide and she gasps. Image in the crystal, a forest, thick and gray. She relays and Makito grins, "So her father is there! Okay!" and he gets ready to charge the group off. Kai realizes in mid-step that Urara isn't following. He turns back. She is concentrating on the crystal ball. The others come back and look at her from just behind him. Makito touches Kai's shoulder and says softly, "Urara'll catch up." Houka makes an agreeing noise, and they head off. Kai is hesitant, but goes with them. Urara remains, staring, oblivious.

They zoom on their Sky Brooms over treetops. Houka comments, "Boy, Urara stays angry for a long time." Makito sighs and adds that they are one short of their family of five. He's worried about what might happen if this doesn't resolve. "This is giving me a headache!" he hollars over in Kai's direction. Tsubasa pulls his Skybroom close to Kai's and remarks, "You know it's mostly your fault." Kai bridles, "Bug off!" he snaps, and something else about his brother before getting more speed out of his Skybroom and pulling ahead of the others. "Wait!" Makito calls after him.

So they arrive at the place Urara had sent them. They jump down to the ground and start looking around. "I think this is the place..." frets Makito. Houka looks deep in the woods, utters a gasp and calls them after her. "Look!" She runs and they follow. Down by the river they find many statues. Frozen in poses of astonishment, for the most part. Kai gasps, "There're so many!" Houka gets the willies because the statues are emotive, so expressive. Tsubasa grabs Makito's shoulder and pleads, "Could these be humans?" Kai is about to laugh it off, when someone else laughs louder. They turn and look up. Far up in a tree are Nai and Mea. Nai mocks, "Why are you so surprised? They're obviously human." Mea echoes, "Obviously!" "Nai!" gasps Kai. "Mea!" accuses Makito. Nai tells them amusedly, "This is where the Cockatrice dines. He gathers up humans he's turned to stone so he can eat them." "Eat them," agrees Mea. "What?" gasps Kai. But then they hear a strange, hissing sound and turn. The Cockatrice has arrived. (a cockatrice and a basilisk are either very close to the same thing, or the same thing, depending on which legend you read. This is not my field of study.) The head has a dangerous beak, and above that sit a human skull, sans lower jaw. The arms are mostly reptilian heads, jaws full of sharp teeth pointing in a frightfully unnatural direction. Featherlike spines onits legs. It is a powerful, dangrous looking beast. Nai calls down to it that after it's eaten it has more work to do. Mea echoes the word work.

Kai reacts quickly, calling on his Magistick Sword. He charges the Cockatrice and strikes, but his blade slides off its thick hide. He strikes again and again, to no avail. The Cockatrice grabs him by the head between its arms and he struggles. It tosses him aside. The other three gather around him, Makito saying his name anxiously. "You okay?" Houka cries. The boys move, Makito faster to call on his Magi Stick but Tsubasa with him. Tsubasa leaps, firing his Magi Stick Bow. The laser blasts hit, some bouncing off but others seem to cause explosions. Makito leaps in with his Axe and tries to embed it in the Cockatrice's shoulder. It's like hitting a brick wall, only with less damage to the wall. The Cockatrice shoves him back and starts pounding. Er, pecking, him in the chest. Makito is knocked out of the game and Tsubasa tears in, ducking the Cockatrice's strikes. It soon hits him back, though, and Houka leaps into the fray. It gut-slams her, grabs her around the throat in left arm/head's jaws and tries to bite through her armor. Tsubasa struggles to free her and the Cockatrice tosses them both away. They land rolling at their brothers' feet. Kai and Makito, though, are not recovered and Kai struggles between his siblings and the Cockatrice, unable to get to his feet. The Cockatrice pulls its arms back, then swoops them down, firing bolts of red light at Kai. He cries out in agony when they hit and other blasts hit his siblings. They are all four down, now, weak with pain and frightened. Nai and Mea float down from the tree, laughing. Nai mocks, "Looks like you guys only used magic for such a little time! Fools!" "Fools!" Mea echoes. Kai uses his sword as a brace and levels himself to his feet. "What'd you call me?" he snarls, briefly forgetting the Cockatrice. Foolish, for its beak is filling with white/pink light, and we the audience know what that presages. It fires the bolt, and Kai sees it coming. The others cry out. A blur of black flies between Kai and the bolt. "Look out, Kai!" Urara screams and shoves him. The beam strikes right in her back. As he falls she utters a sound of pain, arms spread wide. Kai gasps and looks up. Gray spreads up from her left foot, but so swiftly. "S - Sis?" Kai gasps. She tells him quickly that she had to come because of what she saw. "Turn around, you mustn't look!" she says. Then she utters a small sound as the gray reaches her head and curls over her face. She stands a statue, now, eyes closed in a grimace. The other four are frozen in shock, staring up at her. "Sis!" Kai stutters. "Sister!" he leaps to his feet and grabs her, touching her face blindly, "Sis, change!" Nai and Mea cackle with glee. "SIS!" Kai cries again, then snarls and looks at them beyond his stoned sister's shoulder. His left hand curls into a fist, and he charges around Urara's left side at them. Makito leaps and grabs his torso, dragging him to a halt. While Makito and Houka hang onto the maddened Kai, Tsubasa uses his Magi Stick and calls a command which brings down a fierce lightning bolt. The Cockatrice ducks back from the resulting explosion, and the Magiranger burst through the cloud of smoke on their Skybrooms, Makito hanging onto a struggling Kai, Houka carrying Urara. "Let me go!" Kai screams again and again. The Cockatrice turns to follow their path. It slams its arms together, Nai and Mea looking quite amused.

Kai slams his hands, palms flat, on the table. He curls his fingers and cries, "WHY? I thought she was mad at me! Why, why did she come and get hurt saving ME?!" he wails and slams his hands on the table again. Houka is behind him, using her Magiphone to take readings on Urara. Makito reminds him gently, "That's Urara." He moves around the motionless Tsubasa and explains, "Even in the midst of a family fight, she'd come to help her little brother out. Tsubasa draws out words, with many meanings. Not sure if he's saying how he feels, or wondering if Urara can feel.... Houka starts singing in a tiny voice, Urara's part of the song. "Pure like water, color of affection gives healing..." she near-whispers. Kai sobs and then lunges away, over to where Mandora-boy is and grabs the pot, shaking the little creature. "You tell me! You tell me what to do to get her back!" he snarls as the plant protests. Kai wails it again. Makito and Houka tear down to get him off Mandora-boy. "You're supposed to tell us!" But Mandora-boy indicates that there is something they can do. Kai manages to knock Makito off of him and demands of the plant what that is. There is, it seems, a very special magic, that should be able to turn Urara back from stone. Kai tosses him down and races over to his petrified sister. Out with his Magiphone, and a gargled, "I want my sister back! Jiiro Magiiro!" Power leaps out from the phone and dies in the stone of his sister's face. Kai stares in dismay, then at his phone, then tries again. Mandora-boy, still lying on his back, worried for the Cockatrice's magic is powerful. Houka puts him upright. "It might be impossible," he tells her mournfully. The other three bite their lips. Kai pauses and glares back over his shoulder. "Shut up!" he growls, then turns back to Urara. This time there isn't even a spark from his phone. And again. Then their phones start calling alarm. The other three check theirs. An attack has started again. Tsubasa tells them, and at his command, Houka and Makito charge out with him. They do not look back at their baby brother, who tries and tries to undo Urara's condition.

The Cockatrice is in the city. It scratches at the cement with a clawed foot, bashes its arm/heads together, and lets loose with its petrifying power. Three people at the back of a fleeing crowd cry out as the beam hits them. They are stone, and the magic pulls them away from the feet up again. The Cockatrice is very happy. It leaps, heading off the rest of the small crowd. One man slides to a halt so quickly he lands on his buttocks. The Cockatrice starts to blast again, but gets a mouthful of Makito's boot. Knocked back, but unhurt, it faces the three. Tsubasa fires with his Bow, only to have someone take up guard. Nai and Mea, blocking his shots with their umbrella. They lower the umbrella and Nai says with annoyance, "Here you are again, get out of our way." "Get out of our way," echoes Mea. Tsubasa snarls a shut up at them. "Oh, should we meet, Mea?" muses Nai. "We should meet, Nai," she agrees. (okay, it could be a few other words) Smirking, the pair join hands, then cheeks, then bodies and it is Vankyuria who blasts our heroes. They cry out as they are hit.

Kai is still there, still trying. He pants wearily between efforts to keep from sobbing. Whatever he's doing, if the power is external or internal, he's wearing himself out. Finally, he runs out of energy and his knees quake and buckle. Mandora-boy tries to explain things to him, worried and caring. Kai glares at him, determination not rage. "This happened to my Sis because she tried to help me," he pants, climbing back to his feet. "So I! I am going to help her!" "Kai-chin," Mandora-boy says softly. Pushed by exhaustion and grief, Kai sets his hands on his sister's shoulders and refers back to the precious compact he'd broken earlier. Sweat beads his cheeks. Somehow, the words triggers some idea for Mandora-boy. "Just maybe," he says almost to himself... Kai lifts his head and looks back at the magical plant who continues, "there's a way to dissolve this terrible curse." Kai immediately comes over. "What can I do?" he asks hopefully. "Well," Mondora-boy explains, "if you defeat the Cockatrice, maybe the people who've been turned to stone will return to normal!" "REALLY?!" yelps Kai. "Gotta tell 'em fast!" He turns to bolt from the room. Mandora-boy calls, "But to beat the Cockatrice - !" "Yeah I get it beat the Cockatrice!" But Mandora-boy practically shrieks to get him to stop and listen. Kai does, than heavens, and the plant tells him about what went on here, in this room, while Urara was looking into the crystal ball for a way to defeat it. Eyes focused on the ball, then suddenly widened. "I saw it!" she'd gaspsed and leaped to her feet. Kai is tracking and turns to his sister. "So Sis saw a way to beat the Cockatrice." He remembers when she'd been turning to stone and had tried to tell them something. "Turn around, you mustn't look!" He tries to break it down. "Turn around... mustn't look...." He considers, and his gaze drifts to her left hand. Her fingers are closed around the precious compact, as stone as she is. "Why would she bring the compact into a fight?" he wonders aloud. Memories, Urara's silent sobs as she picks it up and carefully tries to put the glass back in place. And it hits him. "THAT'S IT!" he gasps.

Makito is up against Vankyuria when we get back to them, and she's having fun kicking him back. The trio are no match for her. She pins Tsubasa's arm and kicks Houka in the chest. A few well aimed kicks to Tsubasa's torso and she laughs as they fight. Makito coming in only gets kicked off his feet again. The boys tumble together, Urara on the opposite side. Vankyuria goes into a spin, her wings open wide and cutting into them with every pass. They fall painfully and land together. Vankyuria laughs at them. The Cockatrice hops up behind her, wanting to get in on the fun. "Ah, Cockatrice! Turn them to stone." She indicates our heroes, and her monster is only too happy to comply. But a fierce voice challenges it and it turns. Kai stands in his black cloak, carrying petrified Urara on his back. He sets her carefully down while the others are bewildered. "You just wait, Sis, we'll have you back to normal in no time," he tells her and pats her head. Then he turns a blazing gaze on the Cockatrice. Off with the cloak, and he calls for transformation. He leaps and attacks the Cockatrice, avoiding it at first then getting hit and tumbling away. He loses hold of his blade and snarls "Not yet!" while his siblings whimper his name. Vankyuria is enjoying herself, and wants the Cockatrice to hit him. The others cry out as its mouth fills with evil energy. Kai acts quickly. He uses his machic to raise a chunk of the ground beneath him and have it present a mirrored surface. The Cockatrice's beam hit, and bounces straight back at it. Vankyuria is stunned when she sees the beast turn to dark stone. Caught with one leg up, mid-step. Kai's brothers and other sister gasp in amazement. Kai pokes his head up over the cement wall and lets it slide down. Now smugly he calls on his power and essentially becomes a blazing fireblast himself. "Red Fire!" he calls as he flies at the Cockatrice. It shatters at the impact and he lands, proud and happy. "Did it!" he cries. The others gasp and run to him. "You did it!" says Houka. "But how'd you figure it out?" "Well, Sis did!" he answers her, explaining about how the mirror returned the beam. "That's why she brought her Compact." And out in the woods, the people by the river return to normal in a brief flare of light. Those caught running stumble. The girl Miku's father stares in surprise at his hands. Gasping, everyone looks around and finally, Miku's father grabs in relief at the nearest person. We can assume hugs of comraderie. And Urara, too, returns to normal. The spell broken, she slowly collapses. "SIS!" screams Kai and runs to her. She shakes off her shock and turns to see him, smiling. "Kai!" He's dropped his armor and stumbles, racing on all fours for a moment up the stairs to her. "You're back, you're back, you're back!" he cries and wraps his arms around he and this brings tears to my eyes. She hugs him back as he sobs over her shoulder, "We were fighting, and if I couldn't get you back I don't know what I'd have done!" She smiles and says into his shoulder, "I heard your feelings," she says, and pulls back so she can look him in the eyes. "Your will to save me, to not give up, I knew it all." Even when she was stone she had known what he was trying to do and believed in him. "So I wasn't afraid," she tells him. He sniffles and strangles down soft sobs. "Sis!" he whimpers. She continues to reassure him, and praise his heart. "Thank you for helping me," she finishes. "And don't you give up, Kai!" She gently pats him on the head. "Sis," he stutters, then shyly releases her, blinking against the tears hanging in his eyelashes and turning away from her gentle expression. "You're just like Mom." She can't help but smile at that, and he glances shyly over his shoulder to her. But now her Magiphone signals her.

They look quizzically around as she opens it and grins. "There's a new spell!" 1 2 0 ? Makito, Houka and Tsubasa are still in their armor. Makito comes down to her shoulder and tells her that because her courage in believing in Kai, the new spell had come to her. "Yay!" says Houka, victory-sign to Tsubasa. Kai smiles and nods, Urara returning it.

Vankyuria has split again. Nai and Mea stand, angry. Nai snarls about how this is another disaster, and Mea pokes at the stone pieces of the Cockatrice with her umbrella. They kick a piece and walk off, noses high. Wolzard, down in Hades, he isn't taking this lying down. Under the remains of the Cockatrice appears an evil circle at his command. The five Magiranger note what's happening with surprise. The pieces of the Cockatrice start to float and whirl, It reforms, and another magical circle appears above it and sweeps down slowly, transforming the Cockatrice into a giant. Towering far above them and they gawk up. "No way!" gasps Urara. "It's back and now it's huge!" It walks with heaving steps, too. Urara tosses aside her black cloak and calls Kai. Together they change into their armor, going straight as a group to their giant forms. The Cockatrice hisses from the woods. Magi Phoenix turns to Magi Mermaid and suggests they try the new spell. Magi Garuda whaps him in the head and says, "You're such a child!" But his sisters certainly are interested, and so is Makito, who says let's show what we can do together. So, up into the sky, and the reconfiguration occurs quite different. Taurus forms the body, Mermaid the legs, Garuda links to the back to be enormous wings for the formation. Taurus' torso opens up for Phoenix and Faery to join there, becoming the chest. In another, magical realm a place forms, a chessboard. The five rise from it like chess pices themselves, only the upper half of their bodies human. Makito is at the front right. Tsubasa a sqaure behind on the right, Urara behind him, Houka behind her on the left and Kai at the back. Startled to find themselves here, they look around. "Where are we?" asks Makito. "What are we doing here?" wonders Houka. Urara notes that they'd done a combination, but this isn't like before. She slides across the board. Tsubasa thinks this is in their souls. Now he and Urara are on the right, Makito and Houka on the left, but still on the same line of squares. Houka wants to know why they look like chess pieces, as the others start to slide back to be in line with Kai, who also is puzzled. "Well, I don't know," he says, "But this is Magic Power!" he shakes his Magi Stick to emphasize. "Magic is incredible!" They are positioned now so Kai is at the front, Urara behind on his right, Tsubasa behind on her right. Houka behind on his left, Makito behind on her left. "Right! Let's go!" Kai calls. And the new formation lifts its head, coolly touchign the brim of its hat. "Magi King, Number One!" the Magiranger shout from within. And it is a beautiful thing. The Cockatrice slams its arms together and fires a bolt of fire at them. They fold their wings over, and though the blast leaves smoke and flame, though the Cockatrice does a victory dance, when the flames clear Magi King stands unfazed. His wings fold into invisibility on his back. The Cockatrice angrily charges across a rive at them. It hits with right fanged arm/head then left, they move to grab it and it bashes them with its beak. Kai snarls in anger. His brothers and sisters form a line with him, straight on the board. Together they call a spell, and Magi King draws its lovely blade. The power impact with the strike sends the Cockatrice falling back in agony. "Magical Showtime!" calls Urara. Magi King does a spin, blade trailing the ground and forming a sweet, white magical circle. Out of the circle rise more than six blades identical to the one they bear, except perhaps smaller. Magi King swipes down in command, and the blades fall horizontally and shoot at the Cockatrice. They seem to change sizes, and stick in him like pins, one each forcing his jaws to stay open. Larger version stab into the ground around him, corralling him. Kai calls, and they moves their hands to the console-like surface each has of their base. Magic power glows and lights. They calls a command, and Magi King sweeps its blade into a circle of power that gives it flaming strength. It strikes the Cockatrice. "Checkmate!" call the Magiranger. The Cockatrice, showers of sparks fountaining from three parts of its torso, slowly sinks and soon explodes violently. Magi King stands proud as its component humans call out in smug joy.

Miku runs out of their house, her mother right behind her, with a scream of joy. "Daddy!" He's run home! Probably not all the way from the forest, but no evidence to contradict that. "Miku!" he calls to her. Her mother following, Miku throws herself into his arms and he stands, holding her tight. Her mother, overjoyed, restrains herself to taking his arm and they smile at each other as he pats their daughter's back. "Daddy, I'm so thankful!" Miku cries, hanging on tight. Around the corder, Urara at their front, the Magiranger watch with delight. Houka's hands are on Urara's shoulders, and all nod happily. "Welcome home," chokes the mother, emotion overwhelming tight control.

They wander alongside a canal, winter trees bare of leaves. Makito is happy with the Magical Emergency Signal, and he says so. Houka giggles warmly, and even Tsubasa smiles. Kai and Urara exchange proud smiles. She says, "I am so pleased to see the smile return to that child's face!" And the child in question, between her father and her mother, looks up at the distant, enormous full moon, "Wizards," she says, "Thank you!" Her parents nod agreement.

Down at the bottom of Hades, a scrying pool lit by enraged, red light. So-ma is pissed. His servants kneel around the pool. Wolzard, Vankyuria, Branken. The Zobiru and High Zobiru kneel on their different levels, too. So-ma's rage makes Vankyuria tremble with fear. Branken gets up and snarls, "They're getting in our WAY!" swiping his blade through the air. "Those wizards!!" He shakes with fury. He shouts his rage and swipes the blade down, focus moving to Wolzard. Wolzard seems to have received different orders for himself. He gets to his feet and walks away fromt the pool. And he says an interesting thing... "They have remembered the spell to Majin-combine." Does he say anatori? Or anadori for contempt?He walks away into a black tunnel.

Mandora-boy is here with the Magiranger to explain today's spell! Maagi-jiruma-magi-jinga!" the five shout for us. Majinga = Majin-gattai to form Magi-king. Ma-magic, jin-human ga-gattai (combine). As the images fade from the mirror, Houka darts back to join the others, who are playing at combining. Makito has Kai in his arms, Tsubasa draped across his back, Urara hanging onto his legs. Houka tries to jump in, which sets the whole bunch of them tumbling over.

Stage. 5 �������悤��@�`�}�[�W�E�}�W�[���` Koi wo Shiyouyo Maagi Magiiro The way of Love, Maagi Magiiro
Everybody likes smacking Kai. This time it is not a family member, though, but a high school girl. Since he has something in his hands, I wonder what of hers he accidently broke? Houka, watching from around a corner, looks sympathetic. She is observing the pair in a small show, looks like a Daisou (a kind of one-dollar shop). The girl is having trouble looking at Kai. Houka gives Kai advice. He doesn't seem overly excited about that. He and the girl are out for lunch together, and they look startled up towards the ceiling of the restaurant they are in. A warm, pink glow bathes them. Houka as a fan peeks around a corner. She's probably driving Kai crazy. Houka insists she's only watching, but clearly is also interfering. The team stands, Houka only in her black robes, the others proud of her. A kiss possibly of mockery to the enemy. She hugs Kai while they wear their armor. We see Urara, trailed by Makito and Tsubasa, racing along a path. Nai and Mea will appear again. The three will fight alone. What I can make of the monster looks interesting, though. Kai and Houka will fight it together.

Houka's on shopping duty today, it seems. She lifts two packets of ground meat and considers seriously which one she should take. Something catches her attention, and she turns her gaze left and behind. There is a girl saying, "And this!" A high school boy is with her, agreeing. A very familiar boy. "Ah?! Kai-chan?" exclaims Houka. The girl smiles at him and says, "Oz-kun, I'll go get juice." He grins back at her and off she goes under his besotted gaze, while Houka is making her way over. "Kaaaaiii-chan!" she greets in a small, affectionate voice, patting his shoulder to get his attention and grinning in utter delight at him. When he registers who it is, he comes into complete, horrified focus. "Houka-sis!" Houka has one focus currently. "Is that your girlfriend?" and skips in place half-complaining but he protests that this young woman is, in fact, the Soccer Manager. They are out here buying food for the graduating students' farewell party. Houka is not to be deterred, theorizing this is a forbidden relationship. Kai tries to project outrage, and Houka points out, "But you like her, don't you?" Panicked, he freezes. She smirks at him and then he admits "Yeah I do!" and is so embarrassed he can't look her in the eye. He grumbles affectionately about Houka, but then switches into a more serious mode, saying softly, "She's the prettiest, smartest girl, she's our school's idol." And something about himself, probably that he isn't up to her level, for Houka counters with, "What's that? You're strong and always try so hard!" (bad translation there) He doesn't buck up under her continuing compliments, but folds his arms and looks stubborn. Gleefully, she throws her arm over his shoulder and tells him that there's nothing to do except, for her adorable little brother, she, the expert of love, is going to help him out. He goes back into panic-mode, afraid probably of just what she might do. Tells her not to. He flees with the grocery cart and she watches him go, grinning and set on her course.

Back at the hidden rooms of their house and a very worried Tsubasa asking, "People're disappearing all over the place?" Mandora-boy confirms, explaining that even with the magic mirror they haven't figured out what's doing this. And the mirror ripples to reflect the room, Makito looking troubled in front of it. He strides gracefully across the room to the table where his youngest sister sits with her Magiphone in front of the crystal ball. "How about you, Urara? Have you found anything?" She unhappily confirms she has, but can't really make sense. She relays the clues and he turns them over in his mind. "Mimicry!" he suddenly exclaims. "Mimicry?" she asks, confused as to where he's gone. Tsubasa comes over and reconnects the clues about events this week and finds the path of Makito's thoughts. Makito confirms and heads over to the bookshelf. His hand hovers as he figures out what book to pull out, then finally goes with "The American People's Encyclopedia." He pulls out the dusty volume and brings it over to his two siblings, flipping through the pages. Finding what he's searching for, he says, "For example, this one." He sets the book in front of Urara and she stares at it. The entry is headed Hymenopus Coronatus, a Praying Mantis which, Makito clarifies, looks like a flower and chows down on unsuspecting insects. Tsubasa's eyes widen in alarm as he continues to connect the dots. The monsters are fearsome. And Makito frets about what it must be disguised as. Mandora-boy interrupts with a question, though. "Where are Kai and Houka?" Urara answers him, "Kai is still at school. Houka went grocery shopping and hasn't come home yet. It's her turn to make dinner today." Tsubasa has some opinions on the subject of his oldest sister's reliability.

He's well-justified, for Houka is currently stalking Kai and the girl. She's peering out from behind a book-rack and utters a tiny sneeze. Quickly she whips back behind the rack. Kai and the girl never noticed. "Here they are," says Kai. They're at a wall with shelves of goods. Houka's peers at them again, eyes alight with cunning plans. Kai is considering, "Cracker, cracker..." his gaze swings down and he sees them. "Here they are!" he delights and snatches for them. These are crackers. You know, the tube full of compressed air and little things like rolls of thin, colored tissue that pop out when you yank on a string? He's just barely too slow, for his hand closes over the girl's. He quickly draws it away, and they both flush and practice hey-I'm-not-looking-at-you. Houka nearly wriggles and whispers, "Oh come ON! She's gotta be interested in you, too! Kai, this is where you gotta make your attack!" Kai is very intently focusing on the crackers on the other wall, while the girl is shyly concentrating on these ones. "Oh they're both doing it!" complains Houka. "This is no good! I can't just watch!" She hops to her feet, pulls out her Magiphone and hits a couple of buttons. "Maaji, Majiiro!" A stream of pink sparkles in a circle and she suddenly shrinks... she's turned herself into a tiny, fuzzy bee with Houka's face instead of a mouth. It's adorable. She's thought this all out! She'll fly at the girl's nose. The girl will shriek "A bee!" and leap into Kai's arms. He will be all manly and hold her, while batting the bee away. "Get out of here!" and the girl will stay pressed against him, basking in his protectiveness. "So great!" she'll say. "Righto!" crows Houka. She buzzes towards the girl. She's bearing down when the buzz of her wings catches Kai's ears. He acts quickly, grabbing a yellow plastic megaphone and trying to swat the bee... instead hitting the girl, who'd never noticed Houka, on the head when she looks up. Kai looks horrified. "Oh bad!" yelps Houka.

"Yamazaki-san, I'm so sorry! Please forgive me! A bee... there was a bee!" Kai tries frantically walking backwards ahead of her. They're out on the streets, where some palm-type trees are braced up by wooden spars at their trunks. Kai's arms are full of the things they've purchased. She doesn't say a word, just marches calmly on and he has to step out of her way and trail nervously behind her. Houka watches from ahead around a corner. "Kai-chan's in a pinch!" So she's going to try something else. Again she transforms, this time into the very, very pink fan. What she intends is this: Kai walks beside Yamazaki-san. A cold breeze kicks up, blowing dead leaves at them and Yamazai shivers, hugging herself and protesting, "That's cold!" Kai, like any gentleman, takes his coat off and puts it tenderly over her shoulders. She shyly grips the lining and turns a star-filled gaze up to him saying, "Thank you, Oz-kun." "Right!" says Houka. She leans around the corner and starts her blades whirling. The powerful wind kicks up leaves all right, into Kai's face and he winces as at least one hits him in the eye. He drops down to rub at his eyes and the wind kicks up Yamazaki's skirt. Way up, and a wide-eyed Kai finds he's looking straight at her underwear. Panicked, he hides his face down behind the bags. Houka utters a little squeak of dismay and stops her blades. Kai very nervously peeks up at Yamazaki. She stares back at him and asks, "Did you look?" Too stunned to know to lie, he makes an agreeing noise and then realizes what she meant and panics. "NO, I didn't look! I didn't look!" "Oz-kun you're stupid!" she chokes out and smacks him one. Houka utters another squeak. Kai, who had seen but not intended to look, favors his poor cheek and chances a cautious glance up at Yamazaki. But the swing of his gaze lights it upon a pink object in the distance. Yamazaki, humiliated, is waiting for him to fall all over himself and apologize, but he is temporarily distracted.

The other three are charging along a walk. They skid to a halt and consider their surroundings. Double-checking, Makito asks, "This is the building you saw in your vision?" She confirms it. The three don't notice the taxi sitting a bit up the road from their position. "No doubt about it," she answers. This is definitely the place. They take another quick look around, then jog on. Tsubasa soon points out that there's nothing here. "It must be camouflaged?" he asks for agreement, which Makito gives him. Makito then adds, "Be careful. We don't know what it's disguised as." They stand together, watching in three directions. Thus the taxi rolls silently past behind them. Then something does make noise. A pair of giggling voice which make Urara's eyes widen in surprise against the bright sunlight. Nai and Mea sit side-by-side above them, finding all of this quite funny. "Nightmare!" exclaims Urara. Okay, she says "Nai to Mea!" but that's the whole point of the names. Nai gets to her feet first and asks with a smirk, "What are you doing here, fools?" "Fools," echoes Mea. "What are we doing here?!" snaps Tsubasa coldly as the trio move into battle positions. "That's what WE want to know!" Nai snarks back, "Doesn't matter which of us says it." "It doesn't matter," echoes Mea. They grin at each othe and says together, "Let's do it!" And the two blend into one. Vankyuria stands there now, and is pleased they are here for she wants to play. Makito leads the trio into their armor. They are magnificent.

But their missing members are unaware of anything going on. Kai and Yamazaki have settled at a small restaurant. He keeps his lips tightly sealed as he makes a show of settling his napkin until he tries to speak, "Um, before, about..." he just can't think how not to stick his foot in deeper and goes silent. Yamazaki giggles, her smile warm and wide. She's forgiven him. "You don't have to say anything," and a little bit about it being good to be with him. So, why don't they order? She pulls out the menu from its place against the wall and opens it for his perusal. He's considering, raising a finger to point, when music starts playing and they almost jump out of their skins. A warm, red light bathes them. Startled, they look around. "What's going on?" wonders Kai. A very pink radio/cassette/cd player edges itself along the counter behind them. It is Houka, a pretty white ribbon tied to "her" handle, encouraging a romantic environment. Kai stands up, leaning across the table and confusing his companion as he eyes it. "A pink Radio-cassette player?" He frowns and remembers, "Before there was a pink fan..." which had suddenly been pulled back behind a pillar. "Eh? Pink...?!" He points an accusing finger and the confused Yamazaki understandably thinks it's at her. But Houka knows she's been spotted as a fierce expression sours his face. A bead of imaginary sweat falls before she springs away, still as the player and a furious Kai tears after her. "Oz-kun?" wonders Yamazaki, standing. Hurrying out, he slams the lady bringing out food with his shoulder, spinning her around. She utters a dismayed cry, and the desert she's carrying goes tumbling through the air, right onto poor Yamazaki. The girl's shirt is covered in what looks supsiciously like a sweet-bean and Mandarin Orange treat. She stands miserably, the row of groceries they've picked up behind her and thinks, "Oz-kun."

Houka seems to have given Kai the slip. He is spinning around, not noticing a suspiciously pink post box. "Where'd you go?!" he snarls. As he passes her, she sighs and shifts. But he had seen her, and tears back, grabbing her. "You're my big sister Houka!" he accuses. She shifts under his hands and makes her voice hollow, "Oh no, I'm but an ordinary Post." He forces her to face him straight on. "Stop joking around!" he snarls. And something else. Quite a ways over from them is a little boy in a red shirt and beige pants, who tilts his head all the way right to see if somehow what he's looking at will make sense. Giving up, he straightens, points and says in puzzlement, "Look, Momma. That guy's talking to the Post Box." His mother takes a quick look, pushes his hand down saying, "Don't, you mustn't point." She hurries him off out of range of the weird boy. Kai is absorbed in getting his point across to his annoying sister. "You always got in the way!!" and whaps the box. Her face appears on it as she protest, whining, and he complains quite justifiably. "So much trouble for Yamazaki-san and - " he cuts off with a shriek of dismay. "Yamazaki-san!" He tears back to the restaurant. She's gone with all the shopping, and only his red backpack remains. He looks around, calling her name, but she doesn't materialize.

Outside again, he sits miserably on a bench. "She's gotta hate me, now," he mourns. "Just completely hate me." He cups his hands and thumps his face in them. Houka approaches cautiously, shoulders hunched in nervous submission. She settles beside him. "I'm sorry, Kai-chan." He briefly glances at her, then decides to look away rather than blow up. She tries, "It's was just, you were being so timid I thought - " she trails off. He lets her off the hook generously. I think he's of the opinion that if she hadn't interfered, it would have been something HE did instead. At least he knows it's not HIS idiocity that drove the girl away. As he huddles around his insecurities, Houka reaches out and grabs his shoulders, forcing him to face her. "You should not talk like that!" she tells him sternly. "If she heard you talking like that, Mom would be angry!" Kai treats her to a blank, dumbfounded gaze. She stands up then and moves away from him slowly. "When Mother died, I was too frightened to fight. If Mom couldn't beat them, how could we?" But then there was the message from their mother, exhorting them to call up their courage. That this was their power. That courage would teach them magic. "Don't forget that." Houka stands at the lovely barrier and says with conviction, "So I fight with all my courage, and I keep trying again and again. And I wish. And courage grants my wishes." She sings softly, "Refreshing like the wind, color of hope carrying dreams." Then she sighs happily and tells Kai, "That's my protective magical duty; to carry everyone's dreams. That's what I decided. And I thought I could carry Kai's dream, but I guess I messed it up." She turns an expression blending apology, pleading and belief to him. She seems to be asking him not to give up his dreams. A lump in his throat, he says softly, "That's surprising." Puzzled, she asks "Why?" He walks slowly forward to lay his hand on the barrier and explains, "Well, I never figured you'd understand. But you really understand quite a lot." What he says makes her smile with that understanding. "Anyway, I fought bravely. And I have to keep my dreams." Houka smiles and nods her agreement, making him chuckle.

Poor Yamazaki is on her way, arms loaded down with plastic bags full of the things they had bought. She walks slowly, putting each foot in front of the other with effort. She sniffles to herself, "Oz-kun is stupid." A taxi trundles across her path. When it halts in front of her, she looks towards it and tilts her head in puzzlement. Then the taxi turns towards her. Turns without turning its wheels, in an unearthly way. The lights flare. This strange behaviour spooks her and she starts backing up. The thing pops its hood and instead of an engine we see rows of teeth! No, wait, not teeth. Spikes. Glowing yellow eyes, mandibles, a shape that looks like the bottom half of a human skull. Yamazaki chokes on a cry of terror, stumbling. From back and front, the taxi reconfigures, turning inside out. It is a tall, powerful being, insectlike. The interior of the car is patterned in violet to form the underside of its wings. As it stands, Yamazaki falls on her behind and utters a long shriek of terror.

Fortunately for her, help is in hearing distance. Kai whirls. "That was Yamazaki's voice!" he cries and bolts off, Houka hot on his heels. The monster bearing down on Yamazaki is Hell's Beast Mimic. As soon as the two Magiranger see what's happening, they haul out their Magiphones and start the transformation. Kai shoots in first, a red blur, to snatch Yamazaki from harm's way. Houka leaps in kicking. Kai's brought his hysterical schoolmate behind a pillar and shakes her just slightly. "Yamazaki-san, calm down!" Startled to be addressed by name, she freezes and stares at his mask with wide eyes. "I'm here," he tells her. "It's all right now. You don't have to be afraid." Surreal as it is, she accepts that from him. Seeing her compose herself, he knows she's all right and charges off saying, "You'll be able to leave soon!" She blinks and stares after him.

Mimic takes a swipe at Houka, who cries out in the sudden pain. She falls but Kai is at her side, "Sis!" he recognizes she's fine and charges at Mimic. He elbows it in the spines several times, then kicks the big lugger back so it falls on its behind. It struggles, making feeble sounds like a car failing to start up. Kai and Houka charge at it together. Then they are hit by powerful blasts! A figure drops between them and Mimic. We know the legs, but Houka identifies her. "Vankyuria!" Vankyuria laughs, then turns from them. She brings her fingers to her lips and whistles. Mimic lumbers to its feet and wiggles over to her. She strokes its carapice. "How sweet you are, Mimic. You go off and find something nummy to eat." Her name is shouted again. This time it is possibly Tsubasa, for he has arrived with Makito and Urara. "All these enemies!" Vankyuria remarks with a distinct lack of interest. "Mimic, be off now." Obediant, the monster turns and reconfigures into taxi form. Startled, Houka yelps, "It's a taxi?!" Makito notes that looking like a taxi it finds people easily. Off the taxi speeds. "Hold on!" yells Makito. The five charge after it, forgetting Vankyuria. She, however, blasts them from behind. "No bothering my sweet pet," she says, low and angry. "PET?!" Houka repeats, incredulous. Vankyuria, having successfully stopped them, leaves and laughs her way away. Kai nearly shrieks and starts to charge after her, but Makito reigns him in. They have a real problem to address, first.

The roads nearby are clogged with vehicles. Horns are honking. Drivers wait impatiently for the red light to change. The five Magiranger in their regular clothing race to the center of a bridge over the road. Makito, Tsubasa, Houka, Urara, Kai. Makito snarls, "Where'd that taxi go?!" Urara rests her chin on the fencing and says mournfully, "With all these cars around, we're never gonna find it." Makito slams a hand on the top in frustration. Looking defeated, Urara turns around but Houka swings and wags a finger at her. "No, no!" she says cheerfully. And something more that seems to be find another method. Tsubasa glowers and tells her to stop being so ridiculous. She might have taken exception, but Kai does it for her. "Houka's not being ridiculous!" Tsubasa, startled, asks what he's on about. "Hey, if she said something, then she's gotta have a good method! Right, Houka-sis?" He turns a confident smile to her. She takes a step forward, crossing her arms and seeming to give it consideration. Tsubasa and Urara lean in, waiting anxiously.

Winter trees along the city roads are bare of leaves. Traffic going one way is moving, the other still practically at a stand-still. Vankyuria glides over the road. She's not being the least subtle. Startled drivers and passengers notice her overhead. A woman asks the man driving, "What's that?" and points. Along the road, the bored people waiting stick their heads out of their car windows. Some point. "What's that?" come more voices. Vankyuria lifts her fingers to her lips and utters two piercing whistles. Far below, the dangerous taxi hears and pulls away from the curb, following her. Vankyuria lands far ouside the city, standing on a dirt road and waiting. Mimic-taxi rounds a curve, wheels squealing, and comes at her. As it approaches, she whistles again. Playfully, the taxi spins out, sliding perfectly so that it's right door is directly in front of her. She giggles and strokes its hood. Basking in her praise, it mutters and shakes. Then she hops away from it and starts flapping her wings viciously. Confused and alarmed, the taxi reconfigures into Mimic's true form, blown onto his back. As it lifts his head, four Magiranger jog up smugly next to Vankyuria. Makito and Kai on her left, Urara and Tsubasa on her right. They're pleased as punch. Mimic gets to his feet, still thoroughly confused, and points at them. A view from behind shows us a bright pink bow sitting low on Vankyuria's back. She wriggles her hips and moves her hand, in which she holds a Magiphone. "Magine," she says, and assumes her true appearance, for of course she was Houka all along. In her black cloak, she sets her hands on her hips and mocks Mimic. She teases the poor monster, for it isn't the only one who can disguise itself. Mimic is getting angry, and now Houka throws off her black cloak, and leads the change into armor. Mimic blasts them, and Kai leaps down to attack. The insect-demon has a tough hide, and mostly lets the sword bounce off of him before knocking Kai away. Houka comes in to defend him and uses herself as a whirlwind to strike Mimic and tumble him back. Kai praises her, and announces that he'll finish Mimic off. "Hold on, Kai-chan!" Houka crows and throws her arms around him. Confused, he asks, "Why, sis?" "S'okay, s'okay! I'm changing!" she tells him. Using her wand she calls the transformation code. Pink sparkles surround her. She reconfigures as a cannon, Kai already plugged into her tube. "WHAT?!" he yelps. She's already getting ready to fire. Unable to move his arms even, he starts to panic. "You're not serious! Sis!!" Over his protests she counts down and finally fires Kai straight at Mimic. Though wailing in shock at first, he pulls himself together and calls fire to his blade. "Red Fire Slash!" he shouts, hitting Mimic hard. Shrieking in pain, the beast falls on its back. Kai pants, and Houka grabs his shoulders again. This time it is only to praise him. He's still in shock, so she apologizes cheerfully. Mimic, though sparkling and cracking with red lightning, climbs back to his feet. This is only so he can be standing while the explosions hit and bowl him over again. He goes up in smoking fire and white sparks. "You did it!" shrieks Houka with joy. "Kai-chan!" The others gather around, Makito half-hugging her and affectionately thumping Kai.

At the bottom of Hades, Wolzard notes this has happened again. And so he calls upon the eye in his shield. Under where Mimic died a magic circle forms. A brilliant explosion of fire, and Mimic stands whole though motionless. The Magiranger gasps and assume fighting stance, but Wolzard continues his spell. Mimic expands to giant size. "What... again?!" protests Kai. Makito summons them to fight. "Mahou Daihenshin!" Magi Phoenix charges in first, but Mimic assumes taxi-form and tries to run him down. He leaps, flipping over and langing on its hood. Mimic drives wildly, trying to dislodge him. Thus comes entertaining juxtaposition of them trying to make these two look giant, while the ground and vegetation under the taxi remains of normal proportions. But I gotta say it looks pretty funny with Magi Phoenix clinging to the roof! The guy in that suit hangs on well! The taxi comes to a sudden halt, and Magi Phoenix tumbles off the hood to bounce off a cliff-side. Magi Fairy decides to help out. She transforms herself into an enormous soccer ball and bounces off of Phoenix's head, inviting him to use her and he gladly accepts, flipping over in the air to kick the ball towards their enemy. As a rolling ball of flame she hits the taxi's roof and it shrieks, knocked back into true form. Mimic lands on his back again. Phoenix lands on his feet. Fairy assumes her normal configuration, flies in to slap victorious hands with Phoenix. Mimic snarls as he gets back to his feet, and Fairy calls the others to join her. So they call the spell to reconfigure as Magi King. When Mimic blasts them, they fold their wings in front of them to protest. The wings fly out and fold back behind them, and they attack. Inside, as chess-pieces they call for the King Caliber? and sweep a magic circle with their sword. Their strike bisects Mimic. "Checkmate!" they announce as one, King running its fingers along the brim of its hat. Mimic is destroyed for good, this time.

Far below, Nai and Mea utter shrieks of rage. Nai half-wails, "Oh, my beautiful pet!" "Pet!" agrees Mea. Above, Magi King assumes a victorious stance. And below... Branken jerks awake on his throne. "WHAT?" he snarls, then slams the pommel and leaps to his feet. This is later, for Vankyuria it is who stands before him, reporting the latest failure. She moves out of his way as he surges off the throne and lumbers about. He screams in rage, then starts sweeping his blade about. Power builds and lashes out. The unfortunate Zobiru and High Zobiru dive for cover as his blasts sweep at their places. Power disappated, Branken lashes out, and finally nearly stabs the indifferent Wolzard. He clearly wants to, but Wolzard does nothing to give him an excuse. The pistons that keeps half of his body running hiss and pump.

Kai and Yamazaki are together again, walking under a lovingly designed gazebo. Kai twines his fingers and forces himself, finally, to turn to the girl. She's clearly wondering why she's here. "Um, Yamazaki-san!" he says abruptly. "Eh?" she asks. Forcing himself to calm down, he starts again. "Um, uh, it's...." Hiding behind some nearby columns are his four siblings. "Do it, Kai!" pleads Houka, restraining herself mightily. "Shh!" Makito hisses, peeking out from behind her. Urara and Tsubasa peek out from being another, urging him on. Kai, suffering terminal shyness, fights himself to speak. Finally he blurts out, "Yamazaki-san, I like you!" When she sort of gapes at him, he further blurts, "Please like me too!" and closes his eyes, afraid of her answer. For a long moment she just stands there, sort of wavering on her feet. Cautiously, he opens his eyes and meets her gaze. She grins at him and says, "Me too." It's his turn to gape. She clarifies, "I like Oz-kun." Absorbing her words, he grins with joy. His siblings are practicaly skipping. Well, except Tsubasa, who is wide-eyed. "So - " Kai starts, but she cuts him off. "However...." Kai's eyes open wide waiting for her. "But there's someone I like more." Kai nearly falls down in shock. His siblings do, too, but Tsubasa cynically grins and shakes his head. Yamazaki turns away from Kai, gazing dreamily upwards. "It's the person who came when I was attacked by the monster." The man in red who'd told her, "You'll be able to leave soon!" and charged off. That fellow who was obviously a wizard. She turns back to the pole-axed Kai. "So you see, I'm in love with that wizard. So, see, I'm sorry, Oz-kun. See you later. Goodbye. See you tomorrow!" Kai seems to have gone blind, not reacting as she skips away. "Kai-chan!" cries Houka. She and the others charge over. Houka is gleeful. "Well, you did it, Kai-chan!" Urara reminds her of the unfortunate reality, "It's no good, Houka. The fact that we're wizards is a secret." Startled and remembering, Houka rests her right elbow on her left hand and touches her chin with her right hand. "Oh, yeah, that's right." Makito scolds her, "That's what Mandora-boy said. Orders from Magitopia." Tusbasa grumbles about that. Houka tries to buck up the frozen Kai. "Yeah, but if she knew you are Magi Red's true identity, that girl'd be all over you." Kai comes out of it in a snarling fury, for all might have been different without Houka's interference today. When he looks ready to punch, she flees, quickly changing herself into a bee again. He races after her, but she is just too high for him to get. The other three sigh and tail him. "I'm sorry, Kai-chan!" Houka tells him, too far away for him to hear.

Kai slumps miserably at the table in their secret quarters. His Magi Phone starts to beep. Houka leans over and says eagerly, "Why, Kai! You've got a new magic answering your courage! Hey, hey, try it out!" she urges him. With a complete lack of interest, he types in the code and vanishes in a ripple of magic. The others look for him frantically. The code was Maaji Majuna. Mandora-boy tells us he can't remember where the spell sent Kai.

Stage. 6 �ł̔e���@�`�E�[�U�E�h�[�U�E�E���E�U���K�` Yami no Haou Uuza Dooza Uru Zanga Ruler of Darkness
Kai is up against Wolzard. "I'll never forgive you!" His wand is long in blade-form. "Well, your power is interesting," comments Wolzard. He shields himself from a fire-blast. Makito, Houka, Urara and Tsubasa race to the field of battle. Wolzard has gone giant, and a furious Kai means to face him. Wolzard has gone more than giant. He is in heavily armored mode, and the flames that rise up around him are almost white in their heat, and almost alive. Magi Phoenix rides the Magi Dragon in to attack. Branken, it appears, will join the fun and face Phoenix on the Dragon.

Music whispers sweet and entrancing. A crystal angel pirouettes. In the picture of all of them, their mother's image smiles. Mandora-boy seems asleep. His eyes are closed and he nods in time with the beat. Houka comes into the room to find the lights are bright, and books are floating in circles. She smiles and heads along the walkway asking what's going on. Urara comes in through another door and is entranced. The brooms are also lifting and returning to their places, beating a light rythym. Tsubasa stops, utters a short sniff as he notes the candlestick bobbing. Makito is already at the table, but he stands and looks downwards with a tender smile that his sisters echo. Kai is asleep, head pillowed on his right arm, a sweet smile curling his lips. The crystal angel is in front of him, turning slowly. It's a spinning music-box item. "Oh, it has been a long time," notes Urara. Something about their mother. Mandora-boy says quietly, "I remember." He turns towards them and explains, "This tune is a magical tune. The prologue to the Tenkuukai (Serene as the sky and sea) Peace and tranquility." Ah, the song is like a lullaby. They make pleased noises and consider Kai. "It's a Magitopia tune," Houka says happily. Tsubasa, sounding slightly choked, says that this is the tune their mother sang them for lullabies. Makito affectionately points out that this is Kai being so young, a short distance to childhood. The girls giggle softly and Tsubasa smiles. Urara laughingly says that's just like today. "He hasn't progressed," Tsubasa chides. Thankfully, Kai can't get offended as he's deeply asleep. But something else, for we can hear Wolzard's distant voice uttering dark spells. And Kai hears it, too, for his brow furrows. He opens his eyes and looks about him. "What's happening?" he wonders. But behind him he hears Wolzard's voice, speaking of the Saints of Heaven, those who are wizards. "That voice!" Kai yelps. "It'll soon be all mine," Wolzard states. And the darkness parts for the place he stands, allowing easy view. Kai's eyes snap open. "Wolzard!" he shouts, leaping to his feet so suddenly he knocks Tsubasa, who was hanging closest over him, back against the wooden ladder behind him. "Ouch!" Tsubasa protests. Thankfully, the glass angel which Tsubasa had just picked up is safe in his hand. Kai focuses on him and says they have to go and fight their mother's enemy. Tsubaba hops back to his feet, setting a firm hand on Kai's shoulder and asking what the heck he's talking about. "Wolzard is here now! We have to go!" Kai says firmly. The girls stutter in confusion, but Makito cuts through it. "You had a dream, about Wolzard?" Startled, Kai turns to him. "A dream?" Then he pulls himself together. "Oh no, it was no dream! Couldn't you hear him?" he swings to all of them. "Couldn't you see?" The girls shake their heads as one, staring wide-eyed at him. Tsubasa cocks his head, looking doubtful. Makito tilts his, too, looking bewildered. Kai looks around at each of their uncomprehending faces, even Mandora-boy is clueless. Frustrated, he snaps, "It's not true! Why?! Big brothe - " he starts to snarl. Urara moves quickly to soothe him. Trying to calm him, and Houka tries, too. She pushes Kai back into the chair. "Kai-chan, shouldn't you be a little bit shy about speaking of dreams?" Furious, he slaps her hands away. "That's enough!" he snarls and bolts.

Bolts, bolts, until he reaches the beach he'd seen in his mind's eye. He stops and stares around, then shouts, "Where are you, Wolzard?! Show your face!" And Wolzard answers, voice echoing even as black, violet light scatters over the waves. "So you did hear me." He appears from a magical circle in the dark water. "Red Magus." Kai says hoarsely something to the effect that it was Wolzard's fault. Wolzard comes down to earth, or rather to the wave-carved stones a stone's throw from Kai. Our boy shouts that for what Wolzard did to his mother, there will be no forgiveness. Wolzard is perplexed, "You're alone?" Kai counters that Wolzard had only called him, what is he talking about? Wolzard had not only called him, though, and finds it interesting that only Kai heard. Kai calls on the Sky Saints to send him the power he needs, and transforms in the sweet beauty into his armor. Wozard snorts and draws his blade. Kai brings out his Magi Stick and changes it to sword movde, charges in. Wolzard blocks him and strikes, easily able to get at Kai, who has fractional experience, really, in this kind of battle. Wolzard takes him down pretty quickly, complains that the boy can't fight alone and demands that he call his siblings. Kai braces himself and tries to climb to his feet with his sword. "I'm plenty enough alone!" he spits. Wolzard disagrees. He remarks something about the power he took from "that woman" (most likely their mother), and Kai snarls a low, "What?" Outraged, he clambers back to his feet and snarls that Wolzard may not mention his mother. And Kai glows, brilliant red as power roars in him. He roars, too, the glow turns to a wash of curling flame. Wolzard would be gaping, I think, if we could see his face. "What is this power?" he wonders. The ground around Kai turns molten yellow, but that is only the light as he draws his blade back and then slams it towards Wolzard. Pure fire engulfs the villain. The ground around him shatters and he shelters behind his shield. When the flames vanish, Wolzard is flying back through the air. He impacts stone surface hard enough to pulverize it. Kai, the power fled, never really was aware of it. He only utters a harsh scream of fury and charges at his enemy. Wolzard, despite the strike and impact, is unhurt. He is amazed and impressed, actually. "This is the Red Magus," and more about this power. "Interesting!" he delights, and pushes himself out of the area of impact to meet Kai's charge. He calls a command, and the eye in his shield opens. Out howl magical, glowing wolf's heads. They hit Kai, throwing him back with force enough that he hits a river's gravelly beach and leaves a long groove. "Ouchouch" he mutters as he tries to untangle his own limbs and get back up. "What's it take?" he complains of his attack on Wolzard. Then he pauses and looks to his right, startled. There is a little boy beside the river, too stunned by this sudden arrival to do more than stare, his black landosell a bit worn so he's probably at least ten. "Oh, hiya," says Kai, flashing the peace sign. He clambers to his feet, rubbing his head uncertainly and staggers on rubbery legs. "Um, that was bad, were you surprised?" He stumbles over to the boy, almost falling on one knee and claps a hand on the shocked child's shoulder. "Sorry?" Kai half-asks. But a whoosh announces Wolzard's arrival on the scene. Kai moves quickly between his enemy and the child, Wolzard lifts his blade. The boy gasps and falls on his behind. Kai urges him frantically to run and charges Wolzard. Blades meet, Wolzard guards, swipes, Kai ducks, blades cross, Kai tries a punch and hits the shield, leaving his arm aquiver. "Ow!" he yelps, then hops back avoiding Wolzard's strike. But he is hit and flipped. Wolzard kicks him in the chest, sparks fly, stomps on his belt buckle. Kai manages to roll to his knee and blocks Wolzard's descending blade with his own. He manages to lock blades, holding Wolzard only to find he's facing the child who hasn't moved. "What are you doing?" he shouts. "Hurry, run away!" The frightened boy shifts about, but can only gape at the struggle in front of him. Wolzard gets free from the lock and strikes Kai in the shoulder. Kai tumbles in front of the child. Wolzard approaches, weapon at ready, "No!" yelps Kai and he whirls. Wolzard raises his weapon to strike! Kai throws his entire body around the frightened boy to shield him. "STOP!" he screams. Wolzard swings his blade down... and nothing happens. Gasping, holding the boy tight, Kai very carefully turns his head. Wolzard's blade hovers about a hands-width above his helmet. Wolzard is motionless, and Kai moves quickly, striking with his blade to force his enemy back. Wolzard seems not to defend from this, allowing himself to be forced away and Kai recognizes this, confused. "What's going on?" The boy suddenly starts sobbing and clutches at Kai's arms. "It's okay now," Kai pants, holding him, "At any rate..." he uses his wand and cleverly changes the child's school backpack (landosell) into a rocket-booster pack. The child yelps in surprise as he becomes airborne and is sent off to safety beyond overgrown grass, where he lands and the rocket pack returns to its true status. He blinks and looks around. Kai sighs in relief. But with the child out of the way, Wolzard returns to the attack. Kai is hit, and instead of fighting scrambles backwards, asking "Wait hold on! Why'd you do that before?!" he does defend himself and gets knocked rolling. Wolzard doesn't respond. Kai's getting pretty beat up, having lost momentum. He gets knocked down badly, and finds himself with Wolzard's blade in his face. "I want you to show me your power again!" Wolzard demands. Kai is shaking with terror, and Wolzard snorts with amusement, then starts to stab at him. Kai freezes, but a flash of light hits the blade and staggers Wolzard back. The other four are charging in, wearing their armor, under the bridge. "Kai, move!" Makito screams. He leaps and comes down, axe-wand swinging. Kai rolls for it. Makito's blade hits the ground and sends a bolt of green energy skipping across the rocks to hit Wolzard. Kai rolls into Houka's arms and she frantically asks if he's all right, Urara too. Tsubasa throwing himself in front to protect and Makito joins him. Makito tells Kai he's relieved he's all right, and Houka apologizes for not coming with him. Tsubasa scolds him for something and Kai utters a snarl, but Urara agrees that Kai should not be fighting alone. Kai blows up at that, "What the hey!!! You DIDN'T BELIEVE ME!!" he shouts. But this discussion is cut short, for Wolzard is back in play again and Makito grabs Kai's shoulder to point this out. Wolzard says something curious about promises and birth. The Magiranger yelp, "What?" and arrange themselves for battle. Well, Wolzard calls up a magic circle and makes himself a giant. And another circle, to call his horsish partner. Together they form WolCentaurus. Urara gasps that this is what their mother faced but they aren't going to be beaten by it. Makito agrees that now it's them, and they call up their magic, to form MagiDragon and Magi Phoenix. WolCentaurus waits for them to be ready. Magi Phoenix, aboard the dragon, shouts that today will be his last, for their mother. WolCentaurus asks with amusement, "You think you can do it?" Blades held like lances, they start at each other. Magi Dragon flies in, breathing a bolt of flame at the galloping WolCentaurus. With his shield, he returns bolts that do no more damage to them than theirs did him. He leaps, running into the sky to meet them mid-air. He and Magi Phoenix lock weapons. He tells them, "There is but one truth!" Hurrying to hell, and something about mothers and a reprohibition (argh!) and clinging to things in their hearts. Magi Phoenix roars an indignant reply about hell, or about China, or something completely elsewise. They break and Magi Dragon swoops around for an attack as Magi Phoenix, Kai, calls angrily, "For OUR sake, for everyone's peace, our mother died fighting she didn't go to any Hell!" WolCentaurus has landed and his backend hurries to keep in line with his front. He pulls up his shield and fires wolf's head blasts at them. They swoop evading the fireballs, Magi Phoenix shouting about their power. His body glows golden and this time, it channels through Magi Dragon's mouth, in three seperate bolts. The central bolt splits WolCentaurus' wolf's head blasts, and the other two bolts curl around, blocking escape as they swoop in closer. WolCentaurus finds himself in a bad position as the flames curl around his body and he can't back out of it. Magi Dragon and Phoenix land beyond him as the bolt finally hits home and he is blasted into bits. "We did it!" cries Magi Phoenix. The Dragon roars victory and he pats it between the shoulders blades. Up on an overlooking rise, Nai and Mea are distressed. Nai wails, "What do we do? I haven't heard anything about what if Wolzard gets done in!" "I haven't heard!" Mea echoes. An expression of dread on her face, Mea bits her cheeks and says nervously, "Branken's going to be so angry!" "So very!" Mea agrees. Nai adds, "Those wizards are no good!" "No good!" Mea firmly emphasizes. Poor kid never gets her own lines.

Back at the base, and we finally get a closeup of that painting on the wall. The driver of the three-white-horse chariot is a woman with a wand, wearing a pale, pink gown and cape billowing behind her. Kneeling at her side is what might be a woman, trident in hand, clothes of blue. Behind them runs a black horse carrying two riders, a male with yellow mant at the front and female with pink at the back. Behind them a white horse with one rider in green cloak. The clouds billow under them. In front races a brown horse, slim male rider leaning forward, wearing a sash of red. For those who are clueless, this would be Red, Mother, Blue, Yellow, Pink and Green. Below the picture is their mothers Magi Wand, in a place of honor. They stand staring up at the painting and her wand, and Makito softly, sternly, says they've done it. Urara chews her lips and makes a firm agreeing sound. Houka says, "It's safe, now. We've become really strong." Tsubasa, sounding strangled with emotion he normally constrains, asks "Please watch!" and adds how they'll defeat the Infershia. Kai, listening, turns unhappily away. He pulls out a chair and sits at the table, and the others register his sadness, Urara moving first. She leans down to get a good look at his face and asks gently, "What's the matter, Kai? I thought this is what you wanted." He reluctantly allows that he is disturbed about something. "Huh?" asks a quite startled Tsubasa. They all listen. Kai unhappily tries to explain, "Him, when I was trying to protect that child, he didn't attack." Makito blinks, "You mean Wolzard?" he asks. Kai grunts assent. Tsubasa asks incredulously, "Are you trying to say you think he was good?" Kai snaps savagely, "I'm no saying that!" Realizing he's overreacting, he reins himself in and studies the tabletop. "No, I'm not saying that, but...."

Branken throws himself onto his throne and leans there, as though he can't lift his head. "Wolzard was defeated?" he whispers. Vankyuria, who reports on the world above, has brought him the news. She seems eager to take Wolzard's place in the chain of power, or something like that for she moves in to almost snuggle against him, running her hand over the curl of his non-machine head. In a fury, but not about that, he shoves at her and leaps snarling to his feet. She makes herself scarce quickly. He screams in rage about living forever, but is overridden by another voice. "Don't lose your head, Branken." The all too-familiar voice echoes and rolls down from the surface. Branken gapes up. Vankyuria gasps, "No way!" It seems this is all part of a plan, and Branken considers his blade in surprise, then tosses his head back up to listen further to Wolzard.

Tsubasa loses his temper and hauls Kai to his feet by the collar. "We beat Mother's enemy!" he complains. "You should be happy!" Kai snarls back, "Yes I'm overjoyed!" but his countenance begs the lie as his shoulders sag. "But then why..." he starts and breaks off. Urara gently prompts him, "Why..? Why what?" Kai explains, "I saw him fight... and I wanted to him to talk more, to tell me why." Tsubasa isn't dealing with the question well, releasing Kai angrily and slamming his fists on the table. "He's the - " Kai snaps, "He's the one BUT - " with a fierceness that makes Tsubasa give him a cracked glare, " - He's the one but, when I protected the child, he didn't try to finish me off." Kai adds earnestly, "He fought fairly!" He hadn't gone for the low blow. Tsubasa does not want to hear this, and Kai again sternly cuts him off. "But he's a wizard!" he reminds the others, and they gaze at him with wide eyes. "So he's got to have courage!" Mandora-boy has been listening to all this, his leaf-arms folded in front of him. He decides now is the time to put his two cents in. He explains that the Wizards of Darkness have their Madoushi, too. Kai questions the word. Mandora-boy explains that wizards of darkness get their power from something other than courage. They gather that power from others? The four gather in front of Mandor-boy, and Kai ponders what can give power other than courage. But his is hit by a sudden, electric pain and gasps, rubbing at his forehead. Tsubasa eyes him. This time the communication is deliberate, and powerful. "Red Magus," the voice demands. "Wolzard!" yelps Kai. Urara squawks in surprise and Makito gasps, "WHAT?!" Skin crawling, Kai explains, "I heard it again, his voice!" Again the snap of pain as Wolzard makes contact, telling him the bout is starting again. "What?" Kai demands.

This time they are all with him. Together they run out to an abandoned area. They pant as the run, and slide to a halt in the dust and gravel beneath their feet. Great stgorage bins, abandoned for a time, loom behind them. Makito shouts, "Come out, Wolzard!" A sound echoes deep in the air and Kai looks up, gasping. Darkness coalesces into a black ball above them, then further into Wolzard's form which slips to ground level. Kai's lips curl and he is ready to fly at the enemy.

Stage. 7 �ł̔e���@�`�E�[�U�E�h�[�U�E�E���E�U���K�` Yami no Haou Uuza Dooza Uru Zanga Ruler of Darkness