And so they do have tea. Hikaru sips his. Across from him, Kai yelps, "Seriously? You can do that all by yourself?" or something like that. He punches Tsubasa's arm in joy, causing his brother to cough and spit. Houka shrieks softly, "Oh that's so cool!" and pats Mandora-boy and passes on her excitement to Uraru. Makito between them is ignored. He gets up miserably and goes over to an iron sculpture. Behind him we hear Kai's voice going "Isn't he going to eat?" so possibly talking about Makito. Mandora-boy levitates over. "What's the matter, Makito-chin?" Flinching slightly, Makito forces his face into a twitchy smile. "Oh, nothing." "It's the previous lesson," Mandora-boy knows. He moves around in front of Makito and tells him encouragingly, "Don't fret over it. You'll get good at this!" Makito turns to consider his broom. "At this?" he echoes. It only makes him more depressed and he moves away. Hikaru is smiling indulgently at the behaviour of the others, but when Makito moves in his peripheral vision, looks directly at him. Hikaru watches as Makito sits despondantly at the other table. Kai and Houka appear to be fighting over a sweet. Hikaru, though, is becoming troubled and drops his gaze.

Down at the bottom of Hades, Meemi swipes his purple-tassled fan around. "Dozame Meejira." Violet light swirls and a form materializes. A heavily muscled brown and gray creature with black fur lining, great demon horns coil over his skull. He announces himself as a Meijuujin Behemoth, personal name being Berudan. "Did you call?" Oh yes, Meemi had. Nai stands at Meemi's right hand, Mea at his left. Meemi stands and asks for a single demonstration/explanation of his power. He holds a hammer in one hand, and an icicle-like staff in the other. With these he can make humans pop like popcorn. The mental image delights Nai and Mea. "We want to see!" Meemi moves down to Berudan and tells him to head out. He strides away with wide swings of his arms.

Back with the Magiranger and Hikaru is saying, "Next we have to go out." He walks calmly over to the doors that open always on different things and turns to look at them. "Field trip." Kai and Houka are ecstatic. Houka and Tsubasa uncertain. Makito stands behind them, fingers clasped, misery etched on his features. Hikaru turns from them, pulling out of his pockets a card in his left hand and a his Magiphone/ticket punch in the other. "Check," he says, then punches the card. "Magiticket," he says, holding it up to fling. We see the picture is a sweet, blue and gold train. Titled Travelion. "Go Go Gorudo." Light flares behind the doors as they open wide.

A voice through loudspeakers is announcing the arrival of the train on so-and-so track and telling them to wait. The four younger Magiranger leap to Hikaru's side, amazed and delighted. Hikaru gently pushes the astounded foursome ahead of them into the station. Travelion is enormous. Smoky also swoops in. Hikaru says, "This is the Magic Special, Travelion Express." They board one of the cars. Inside are handsome wooden seets, no padding that I can see. There is a station map with some stops labelled, a circle at the center like the Yamanote Loop Line in Tokyo. Plaques on the wall identify the train for them. Mandora-boy flies in with them, all giddy with joy at the prospect of a ride. The five Magiranger settle in some of the seats, rapt with joy at this adventure.

Smoky, though, is busy shoveling coal into the blazing furnace. When finished, he reports to Magishine in the cockpit. "We can go anytime." Magishine agrees, going through a checklist of the gauges around him. "Magi-steam pressure good, signal (?) energy good." Third thing I'm not sure, but he's looking ahead when saying it. And he starts pushing down the levers and hitting the switches to get the Travelion Express moving. Steam vents, and the wheels chug. Kai is asking what kind of lesson this is going to be. Seems to be enjoying being treated like kids by Hikaru-sensei. Tsubasa says something scoldingly that could be either "irregular" or "shifting gears." The train chugs along an invisible track surround by blackness broken by shining lights. In the swaying compartment, the four younger settle down and start playing a card game, could be Old Maid. Urara takes notes of Makito sitting across from them, staring blindly out the window. While Kai and Tsubas fight behind her, she goes over to him. "What's the matter, big brother? You're not well?" she asks gently, sitting across from him. He turns his attention to her and forces a smile. "Oh, no, I'm just fine." The game of cards settles again, Kai smirks and calls over something about Hikaru joining them and having so much more dignity thatn Makito, possibly being treated like a kid. Makito's smile is strained. "Dignity," he mutters softly. "Haven't got any," he concludes and lets his head rest against the walls beside him. Urara looks empathic, "Big brother..." she says softly. Across the way, Kai is about to choose one of Houka's cards when Tsubasa leans over and hisses, "Idiot!" "Eh?" startles Kai and looks over. Far from chagrined he asks in a whisper, "Is that really it?" Travelion continues along an invisible track in the sky. The train whistle blows. Suddenly Urara calls, "Look!" staring out the window. The others come over and peer out with her. The lights are becoming brighter and more frequent, and a glow shaped like a sphere is beginning to form.

They appear in the pale blue skies. Below is a rocky landscape broken by what may be coconut trees and underbrush. A wolcano smokesin the distances. The track appears first, a glowing line, and the train materializes upon it, running along the surface of the ground. Makito, I think, asks where they are. He feels as though they're in another era. Tsubasa wonders, "Have we time-travelled?" They disembark with Hikaru who answers, "No, this is Marudeonna World." They echo the name and he agrees they've said it right. Now he punches another ticket and shows it to them. "I used another type of magic." The ticket says "fashion" and has an image of a white shirt overlain with a large question mark. Sparkles touch their clothes until they flare bright gold. The next thing they know, they're clad in fake animal skins and sandles. Tsubasa's pants go down enough to cover his knees and are tiger-pattern. Urara is in a plain, dull orange dress-type skin. Kai's is like a kilt, black and wrapped around his waist. Houka's is a sort of leopar-skin pattern, a bikini top and skirt, she has a pink flower in her hair. Makito, still holding Mandora-boy, is in gray and black. Kai, Urara and Tsubasa all seem to have necklaces (or animal teeth or something). Hikaru hasn't changed, though. He tells them they're going to have to stay here for a bit. Kai echoes that statement in shock. Hikaru says something about people trying to improve their magical abilities, but adds something else, about finding their original strengths? "Original strengths?" echoes a confused Tsubasa. We see he has an animal tooth necklace, but Urara's two necklaces are shells. Urara asks uncertainly, "But for how long...?" Naturally, Hikaru hauls out another ticket. This is again the Travelion card. "I have here the return ticket." He doesn't punch it, but it glows and then he tosses it so it flies away and vanishes in the distance. "Until you find it," he says as they yelp and reach for the vanished card. Only four of them actually lunge for it, Makito still stands looking stunned with Mandora-boy in his arms. Hikaru says that this is where the field trip starts. He looks Makito in the eyes and says, "Keep on trying," and turns away with a last, affectionate, "big brother." Makito stutters slightly. Off the train goes, whistle blaring. It vanishes through a flare of light in the sky.

And so the five Magiranger wander through the misty woods. Houka whimpers, "What are we going to do about baths?" Kai whines, "No convenience stores, no family restaurants." Then he notes the direction they're going and snaps at Tsubasa in front of him, "This isn't the way, bro, it's thataway!" He gestures. Tsubasa glances, then says angrily, "What're you talking about? It flew this way." "THIS WAY!" Kai snarls back, gesturing. Tsubasa is about ready to lunge at him. Urara moves to stop the impending fisticuffs. She scolds them for fighting at a time like this. A pouting Urara goes to Makito. "Big brother, which way?" she whines. "You decide!" Mandora-boy agrees. Makito looks up to find all of them turning to him. Sheepish, he says, "I haven't a sense of it." He turns away from them and forces himself to say, "You all should decide." Mandora-boy is worried about him. But Tsubasa is getting cross. "What?" and something about not having Makito's support. Kai bends down and picks up a rock. "I thought this was gonna be a hike. It's boring!" He lets the rock fly. It hits an animal on the nose, something gray and thick of hit, with tusks. A mammoth who roars in protest and starts towards them through the woods. They are quite terrified when they see it bearing down on them. They all utter similar shrieks after Kai cries, "Mammoth!" Off the five bolt.

Speaking of bolts, back home Berudan the Behemoth has chosen a spot. He rams his giant pin into the cement and starts hammering. The cement shatters beneath his feet and he stares down, confused. Vankyuria strides over. "Looks like you forgot," she says as he looks around. He gets down on his knees and finds what he thinks is the right spot when someone calls, "You there!" It is Hikaru, of course. The startled Berudan looks up and we see Hikaru is coming in riding a flapping magic carpet like it was a surf-board. He jumps to the ground, thanks the carpet politely and says he'll be asking again. The carpet heads upwards and away. "You!" Vankyuria says in surprise. But Hikaru whips out his Change card and starts the transformation process. Vankyuria is annoyed and sets Berudan upon him. This doesn't work as planned, for Berudan is a bull-type creature, and drawn in by the red of Magishine's cape held like a bullfighter's, he charges. Magishine sweeps the cape over him. When Berudan turns and tries to knock our hero's feet out from under him, Magishine jumps over the hammer-strike. "Where'd you go?" Berudan protests. "Here." Indeed, on Berudan's own head Magishine lands. Brightly, Berudan tries to hit him with the hammer. Magishine leaps away, so Berudan ends up slamming the hammer into his own head. Magishine is about to fire the Magi Lamp Buster at him when an all-too familia symbol opens up and flares light. Blasts hit around Magishine's feet. He quickly leaps and rolls out of range. Even as he is getting up, a being armored in purple and gold steps into the picture. We know him, but it turns out this is Magishine's first encounter. They end up with Wolzard's blade at Magishine's throat, and the Magi Lamp Buster point-blank range at Wolzard's. "Who are you?" gasps Magishine. He is answered by that grim, dark voice. "Born in darkness, came to darnkess. I am evil knight Wolzard." "Evil knight Wolzard?" Magishine echoes coldly. "A black mage?" Beyond them, Berudan is getting back to his feet, still in pain from having hit himself. Vankyuria strides in front of him and glowers at the two men. "Hold it! Where and what've you been up to?" she demands of Wolzard. He and Magishine slowly circle, keeping their weapons in place and Wolzard answers, "After Branken was beaten, I gained a new blade." And he's been learning to use it. The blade formerly Branken's is now blue with Wolzard's power. And now he's ready to fight the heaven soldiers. An attempt with a swoop of the blade, and now they are stuck again only with weapons pointed on opposite sides. Even Magishine feels the skill in Wolzard and is startled. "This determination is not evil magic!" Vankyuria, annoyed with them, decides to vacate the area. Berudan follows her obediently. Wolzard seems curious about where Magishine came from. The reply makes him snort and informs him about the lure of the dark si - er, never mind. But he is amused by the things Heaven-soldiers always say. Something about novices and the power of darkness. "What do you treasue?" Magishine snaps at him. He laughs. "I will fight you someday." And a power circle opens beneath his feet. Wolzard vanishes. "A black mage," Magishine says unhappily, lowering his weapon. He's more than a little angry and clenches his fist with a remark that seems to be about "You won't beat me" or something more brittle.

The five Magiranger are still wandering in that other world. Houka is whining something about a diet. She is in the lead, Tsubasa, then Kai, Urara and Makito farthest back carrying Mandora-boy. "When can we go back?" Houka continues to whine. "When," echoes Tsubasa. Kai grumbles that this is a boring joke, which causes Tsubasa to wheel on him. "It's no joke!" He snarls and calls Kai a brat, which sets the boy off "You wanna fight?" The two are starting to get in a shoving match, while Mandora-boy anxiously looks to Makito, begging him to assert some authority. While Houka tries to break up the fight, we see Urara collapse. Makito won't, because he thinks he's the worst. He moves aside to settle with Mandora-boy, mourning his lack of respect and not being Hikaru-sensei. This upsets Mandora-boy extremely. The plant levitates and bounces around Makito's head, reminding him that he's been the respected big brother all this time. "Have you forgotten?" he cries. Makito seems vague about his influence on the other four. He looks at the delicate blossoms on a plant in front of him which looks like a blueberry bush to me. "I've been supporting them."

Urara, sweat beading on her dirty face, utters a sudden strangled sound and falls over. Tsubasa sees this and leads the other three over to her. "Ura-ne!" he cries, turning her over in his arms. Houka anxiously puts a hand on her sister's forehead. "She's got a high fever!" she gasps in horror. Kai yelps frantically, "What do we do, here?!" Houka has forgotten where here is, "We have to call an ambulance! A phone, a phone!" Kai obeys, digging through his little clothing to find, or course, that he has no phone. "No Magiphone, what about a regular one?" he begs. Tsubasa is also panicking. "There isn't one! An ambulance won't be coming!" All this drama has gone without acknowledgement by Makito. Mandora-boy, though, is well aware. When Kai seems to want to put his gifts into play, Tsubasa reminds him his is the fire element, and that will hardly help. Urara's skin is dangerously flush. "Well, yours is lightning!" Kai snaps back. Houka's horrified wail, "Urara's going to die!" breaks through to Makito. He whips his hed around to stare at his three, panicking younger siblings and the delicate one limp at their center. He is on his feet instantly and shouts, "Calm down!!" The other three gape at him as he charges towards them. Mandora-boy stutters, "Makito-chin!" Getting into their midst, Makito carefully pulls Urara into his arms and starts giving orders. He sends Tsubasa and Kai off to get firewood? And Houka to find water. Another assignment for Mandora-boy, perhaps to look for a cave, and he gathers Urara up and carries her among the rocky pillars. Soon we find he is in a cave. Two suns appear to be setting beyond the trees outside. Makito is stripping branches of their leaves while Urara lies nearby. He's using some twine around one branch with a hole in it. Mandora-boy is amazed. Makito has made a pile of dead leaves and is trying to start a fire with friction. Houka regains consciousness with leaves piled over her to keep her cool or warm? She turns her gaze to see smoke beginning to rise from the leaves. Before long, an orange flame licks up. "Wow!" she whispers faintly.

Urara's found a flowing river and is trying to scoop the water up with her hands. As soon as she stands and starts to make her way back to the cave, the water begins to drip out of her cupped palms. Frantic, she starts for the cave but Makito arrives. "You can't do it that way, Houka." He's made two enormous leaves into baskets and gives her one. She stares at him in shock as he fills the other and marches away. The other brothers are at the foot of a tree, and unable to climb it. "No good," sighs Kai. "We can't climb it!" grumbles Tsubasa. They hear someone doing a Tarzan-yell. It is Makito, swooping in on a vine. He leaps off the end and impacts feet first with the tree trunk. Suspiciously grape-like fruits rain down. His brothers are delighted with him and taste the fruits.

It's getting dark out. In the cave there is a roaring fire. "How's your special big-brother soup?" Makito asks. Urara is sipping it out of a makeshift bown, looks like a green coconut. "You'll be fine." She certainly is much better now. She smiles and thanks him warmly. He pats her head, eyes shining with relief. Houka now holds Mandora-boy and sighs her joy that this is their big brother. But their joy is interrupted by a trumpeting sound from outside. The mammoth is headed their way! As they start to panic, Makito calls on them to make a barrier. They pile up boulders in the entrance to the cave. The mammoth, who has a really funky body that makes me think of a poor man's gorilla, stomps closer. By the time it gets there they've pretty much sealed the entrance. Makito says something suspiciously like they'll think of a way to kill it, and all of them hide at the back of the cave. The mammoth considers the barrier, then with a roar plows through it. It heads for them. They cringe in terror against the wall, but Makito snarls and charges forward. He stands in front of the mammoth and shouts a long, wordless cry at it. The mammoth comes to a startled halt and they stare at each other. Finally, it backs down and shows him its back. Kai figures the mammoth must think Makito is higher ranking in the pecking order. Houka crows praise for their somewhat dizzy brother. Tsubasa tells him he's super. As they cheer for him, he walks around the mammoth carefully. He pats it, then climbs up its back. Sitting behind its head, he pats it again and pounds his chest with a long cry of victory. When he sets his right hand down, he feels something strange under the mammoth's hair. He digs arond and finds the ticket embedded near its ear. "This is... I found it! The Magic Ticket!" He shows it to his ecstatic siblings. "Let's go back!" They cheer.

Berudan finally finds the spot he was looking for. Out he pulls his pin, but before he can stab it into the ground, "Magi Lamp Buster!" cries Magishine and starts firing on him. He rolls, sputtering and jittery from the shot. "I thought you'd be back here," Magishine says. Just then the piercing whistle of Travelion splits the air. He turns. The magical train track lays itself out either over or in place of the city road and cars below. Smoky pops his head out of the lamp. "Master, they're back." Travelion comes to a halt. His master notes that it took them about five hours. They come out of the train calling "Sensei!" Covered in dirt and still dressed in skins they run up to him. "Welcome back," he says and snaps his fingers with a magical word, restoring them to their usual attire. They seem surprised. He has special words for Makito, who is number one. Because of him, they were all able to make it back safely. Matoki is a bit flummoxed. That this was about his misery and reassuring him of who he was has come clear. And now, sense of self returned, Makito leads the others into their armor. When they finish, his phone beeps for him. 0-1 "A new spell?" he wonders. Magishine tells him the magic's come in answer to his courage. So Makito calls it, and suddenly his body sprouts enormous muscles. Like a body-builder dressed in an outfit that reveals every curve. Somehow it balances and he does not look deformed with this rippling chest and all. He makes some muscle poses as part of the spell activation sequence. "Mucle!" he calls. The startled Berudan is up and ready to fight. Berudan swings his enormous hammer, Makito flexes his muscles and his siblings gather around to admire. (can't wait to see Houka use this spell) Suddenly, Makito scoops them up by their ankles so they are sitting on his powerful arms. Kai yelps delight. "Everyone GO!" calls Makito, and he flexes back. "Magical Power Airiel!" he flings them at Berudan. They strike in turn, Kai, Urara, Houka and Tsubasa. He falls hard. The four scoop him up for their brother and toss him that way. Makito takes a slap at him (okay, it is hard for the suit actor to move in that outfit, but he does it). The slap sets Berudan spinning and Makito adds a punch. Berudan goes flying between the others and finally lands outside in the real world. He's in bad shape. The real world it is, Makito's body back to its normal proportions. His sisters skip to him, giddy with pride. But Meemi isn't going to let it end that easily.

"Dooza Me megaro!" A magic circle encases Berudan and sends him giant. The Magiranger react nervously, but Magishine tells them this is his turn. He boards Travelion and punches another ticket. This one says "Joint" and it's the map, I think, we swaw before. What looked like stations were actually the cars of the train. The cars break off and assume a new configuration around the engine. Mahou Tetsujin Travelion! (Magic Iron Man) The others are amazed, and Houka wonders just what his limits are. Berudan fires lightning bolts at Travelion, which curves back an arm to shield. Mass explosions make him feel smug, but then Travelion walks through the smoke and punches him. Magishine calls for the Steam Bazooka. Travelion bends down and first steam straight from its head. Encased in the mist, Berudan falls on his back. The Magiranger cheer. Now Magishine calls "Remote Liner, Go!" Travellion's legs open up and out come two smaller engines which stream their own tracks ahead of them. They fly around Berudan filling the air with energy tracks which suddenly suck in and beind him thoroughly. "The final blow," says Magishine, "Destruction Fire!" (I think) Now Travelion's chest opens up. Inside is the barrel of an enormous cannon. And the golden blast from it sucks Berudan inside. Hmm. Interesting. He is pulled into the furnace, and Travelion's chest closes behind him. "Checkmate," says Magishin with a snap of his fingers. "Today's lesson ends here." Steam vents from all of Travelion's major joints.

The battle is over. Rubble still seems about, or that's just someone's idea of a rock garden. They are all out of their armor and Makito asks Hikaru cautiously, "Are you still going to teach all of us magic?" "Of course. Just as I learned quite a lot from your father, Bragel." They look a bit sad as he continues, "But everything I've learned, you can learn too." And this is what he intends to do. He faces them, and they consider wistfully about their father. But then they are interrupted. "Ah! Isn't that Makito-kun?!" A lovely girl on a bicycle, she wears cutoffs and glasses. Makito's eyes go wide. "Eriko-san!" His sweetheart. She trots down to scold him affectionately for not having come by yet today. He stutteringly explains there's been a field trip today. She repeats the word in surprise, looking around. Her eyes fall upon the new person there and she trots over to him. "So, it's this fellow?" Hikaru looks upon her with a friendly smile. Makito is nervously trying to explain without explaining. "Um, well, he's um... we call him teacher." It's taken from his hands with smooth grace. "I'm Hikaru," their new person says, brushing a heavy lock of hair from his face. "It's good to meet you." Delighted, Eriko trots around, grabs his right arm and invites him to her cafe to give him affectionate coffee. "How would now be?" "It'd be wonderful," Hikaru tells her, while Makito stares on with horror. Off Eriko leads Hikaru. Makito takes a moment to enter panic mode and dashes after them crying, "Not before! Not sensei!" The others watch with bemused sighs and shrug. Eriko gently pushes Makito out of the way.

Mandora-Boy introduces the spell "Go- Go- Gorudiiro!" to transform Travelion Express into Mahou Tetsujin Travelion. And we see Travelion's furnace, and Smoky with an evil twist scooping Mandora-Boy up on the shovel to but him in. "I'm not fuel!" But in he goes, for we see him pop out of the chimney and fly, covered in soot, around the station.

Stage. 22 京都でデート？　〜ルーマ・ゴルド〜 Kyoto De De-to? Ruma Gorudo A Date in Kyoto?
The obligatory Kyoto episode! I love them! Houka and that tall drink of water she named Hikaru are out seeing the sites. They walk through a row of red gates I remember from when Asuka went through them in Abaranger. The others are strangling over the idea that these two might start an affair. Houka'd been down here before, with her mother and Urara. The six of them together have to fight an Infershia who holds hostage a woman dressed as a princess in pink and red kimono. Oh, of course, that's Houka. Our heroes are in ninja garb! Well, except for Houka who is doing the princess bit, and Hikaru is dressed as a samurai. Hikaru and Houka press foreheads together, one of his cards between them. Houka laughs. Travelion will be called upon to battle a black samurai Infershia. I am sure it's going to be good. Nai and Mea will be there, too, and Smoky in the Emperor's kimono.

The most accurate meaning for Maiko is: young Japanese dancing girls of Kyoto, which means apprentice geisha.

We see Travelion in robot form, hear Magishine call "Checkmate!" The image is shown in the heart of Meemi's fan, who brushes it down furiously. "Is that good?" he asks stridently, talking to the wall. Above, Nai and Mea are wandering in and stop, listening. "I've called you to snatch away Travelion's ticket from Magishine." The girls are puzzled, "Dangerous person?" wonders Mea, echoing something Nai said. Meemi paces angrily. It seems he has grand plans for that ticket. He is waxing dramatic when Nai and Mea approach cautiously. "Excuse me," they say together. He turns and looks down at them. "What is it?" They are very careful as Nai points out, "It's just... there's no one here." Amused, Meemi brushes his hand down his chin. "Will you show your true form?" he says. and cloth like the wall is brushed aside to reveal a tall, red-eyed Meijuujin. Ninja Kirikage. He comes forward to kneel before Meemi. Nai and Me clutch each other and utter cries of shock. Meemi calls him by name, also with what sounds like a listing of his qualifications, and says it's quite a pleasure to meet him. Kirikage stands and salutes his lord.

And so in Kyoto, we see the tall viewing tower and pull out to see more of the city than the ever present modern buildings. People cross bridges of mighty gardens, the hills are thick with trees. Tourists crowd the view-areas of famous sight-seeing buildings. A pair of lovely girls dressed as geisha cross a bridge, facing white, hair tied and decorated with fake flowers. Their kimonos are gorgeous purple and pink. Bouncing up behind them is Houka, who clutches her hands to her mouth in ecstatic delight. "Maiko are so cute!" she squeals. As Hikaru catches up with her, looking most put up, she grabs his arm and drags him over to the girls. "Excuse me!" Accustomed to this, the girls stop and turn. Houka shoves Hikaru between them, asking if she can snap a photo and though he protests, the girls are happy to oblige tourists. Hikaru stands uneasily stiff and tall. Houka snaps the photo with her Magiphone. She thanks the two girls who move on. Hikaru, starting to get angry, says bitingly "Didn't anyone ever teach you self-restraint?" She doesn't notice, snapping pictures of a man pulling two tourists in a rickshaw. There is a huge crowd of blond and brown haired foreigners getting their pictures snapped on the stairs of one attraction. As all this goes on, Hikaru asks Houka exactly why they are here. Oh. Perhaps that connects with the previous. And she does try to answer him. "Truly, there must be something here YOU want to do!" She goes on about coming every day. They find a quiet corner, get a lovely view of the city. Houka is looking thoughtful and muttering to herself about temples, shrines, ceremonies, being a bit vague? Then she seems to ask him to use his magic to help her figure it out. Exasperated, he sighs. He seems to be complaining they had to come all the way here for this? He puts an X (bad) mark in the section on her reserved for "consideration." Houka pops up behind his shoulder wondering what he's doing, but he has no intention of letting her see. He's going to oblige her request, though. Out he pulls a ticket and punches it. "Memory" says the card, has an image of a head and shining light. "You pardon," he says as he presses the card against her forehead, then leans so his forehead is pressing against the card, too. What he says seems to be about bringing her to him, or possibly vice versa. The spell is ルーマ・ゴルド, Ruuma Gorudo. He closes his eyes, and bright gold light flares from the card. "Hmm. What could it be?" he wonders as sparkles dance between them, Houka blinking innocently. Finally he says, "Shall we go in turn?" Houka utters an ecstatic affirmative.

And so she leads the way to another gorgeous temple, foxes guarding the gates. She considers that place. She takes him to Fushimi Inari Shrine, the head shrine for 40,000 Inari shrines across Japan. They get to the 230 meters up hill hundreds of bright red torii (gates) behind the shrine. Hikaru is temporarily distracted, seems to find the gates fascinating. But Houka is deep in thought and he notices her wandering on. Curious, he follows. Another gorgeous temple, wood lacquered red, golden embellishements. "No, this isn't it," Houka says unhappily as Hikaru looks around with interest. Then suddenly Houka utters a shriek of joy and bolts off. Hikaru follows. Ah, she's found a place to buy treats, and asks the woman working there for what appears to be ice tea. One for each of them, and she calls Hikaru over to enjoy them with her. He is perplexed. "Osaka (Yosaka?) Shrine..." Houka says later when they are there. "Oomyouji." (castle?) "Ujijinja..." they are now crossing a gorgeous bridge, red-painted. Houka has not yet found whatever it is she's looking for. Mutters about things to eat, she's still trying to remember, but no less cheerful for not having found it yet. Getting frustrated again with this, Hikaru pulls out the card. He moves around in front of her, gives her a stern look and tells her they'll try this again. She stands patiently as he puts the card against her forehead and leans in.

Meanwhile, back at the Ozu house.... We hear Urara utter a cry of shock. She is peering into her crystal ball and looking utterly flummoxed. Mandora-boy asks, "Whatever is the matter, Urara-chin?" The boys dash over. "Is it the Infershia?!" asks Makito. Urara gasps out, "Hikaru-sensei is KISSING Houka in Kyoto!" Well, yes, seen from behind his shoulder that's what it looks like. The three boys utter shrieks as shocked as hers had been. Kai stutters and then peer at Makito, "Is this okay with you?" Makito looks torn. "Maybe..." and something overridden by a cackling Smoky. He's impressed with his master's moves, I guess. Mandora-boy seems to think it's romantic. A smirk on his face, Tsubasa turns from the table saying, "Now wait. If Houka is enough f-" "This is wrong!" Urara suddenly snaps, slamming her fists on the table and making them jump. "If that guy is, then absolutely - " We never find out absolutely what (I suspect unforgivable), for next we see the four of them on their Sky Brooms, Urara leading the flight to Kyoto. They pass a Kyoto-bound super-express. "We're going to Kyoto!" she shouts. The boys call her to wait up.

And Urara is pulling Hikaru on through the city. "Over here, sensei!" He's clearly frustrated and can't figure out what it is she's obsessing over. She laughs and yanks him on. As she pushes him ahead of her, he resists mildly and starts to ask "Why are we where - " and suddenly sees what's ahead of him. Houka lets go and grins in delight as he stands transfixed, then moves forward eagerly. She's brought him to see a steam engine on display. It is beautiful, every part polished and painted. D5151 says the old train's tag. And trains are something Hikaru knows and loves. Like a child suddenly, he goes eagerly to where he can get a good look inside the train's engine. Houka bounces along behind him, overjoyed to hear him give a heartfelt "Fantastic!" "Come on over here!" she calls, pulling him along. She drags him into the building behind the train. They're at the 19th Century Hall outside Saga Arashiyama station. A fitting place for him, despite that it is a museum covering both steam locomotives and pianos. Of course, she pulls him into the steam locomotive section. Engine cars are on display here. He is floored enough to forget his displeasure with her and turns, trying to see everything at once. "They're so beautiful!" "Aren't they!" Houka happily agrees. What she says next about having come far brings him back to himself and he turns to her, upset. "We can't go there." He starts to stride away, saying firmly, "You've been looking in shrines and temples, we haven't found whatever it is you're searching for." Bewildered, she jogs to keep up with him. "So let's go where it is you like." He sternly tells her to show him what's so important to her. She gazes uncertainly back at him, realizing he's upset but not understanding why. "Concentrate harder," he demands. She nods obediantly, but is beginning to look wounded. Annoyed, he says "If you're not going to take this seriously, we're going back in Travelion." He grabs her arm and starts to pull her, now, outside. They stop and he pulls out the Travelion card. Before he can use it, they are hit by explosions dropped from a silver hand. "Who is it?" Hikaru shouts. And their enemy drops out of a whirling vortex (I sense ode to old programs). Landing atop the great sculpture of train-wheel rims, Kirikage introduces himself. "Meijuujin!" gaps Houka, back on her feet beside Hikaru and ready to fight. Kirikage drops down to the cement and draws one of his blads, telling Hikaru to give him the ticket. Hikaru is quick, he knows they want Travelion. And certainly he isn't going to oblige. He pulls out his punch and transforms into armor with Houka. They fight Kirikage in the air, blurs of colored light. All three land next to a handsome steam engine. Houka snaps, "Leave it to me!" and charges forward. "Wait, Houka!" cried Hikaru. Well, that never works. When he tries to warn her, she tells him it's all right and summons her power. She transforms into a fan and the swirling pink winds blow Kirikage hard, setting explosions on him. He vanishes, leaving the traditional straw dummy behind. Houka returns to normal with a gasp of surprise, but Kirikage reappears and strikes before she's ready, a blow which shuts her armor down and she lands painfully on her chest, blood trickling from her lower lip. Hikaru in his armor moves to her side to make sure she's all right, all the while imparting lessons. She needs to find out what it is that's important to her. In the meantime, he will fight. He calls Smoky into his hands in Buster configuration. "Sorry!" the cat apologizes quickly. Kirikage is nowhere to be seen. Magishine takes careful steps backwards, focusing all senses. Then, when he is in front of the door into the engine, he suddenly cries "Magi Lamp Buster!" and whirls, firing above him. Invisible though Kirikage was, he'd been found out. Now Hikaru has dropped his armor, but has the Buster aimed at the fallen enemy. "Why do you want my ticket?" he demands smugly as Houka watches close behind him. They are unaware that the other four Magiranger are approaching at a run from the other side of the train, Urara in the lead. She sees Hikaru with Houka next to him and snarls, "There you are!" charging through the narrow engine room. Snarling something about playing around with girls which gives Hikaru just enough time to see her coming at him feet first and to get out of her way, she lands snarling between him and Houka. He blinks at her in utter shock. "Urara?" But she drives him up against the train, punching him ineffectually while he stutters a confused "What are you doing here?" Kirikage (who is a bird-Meijuujin) siezes the distraction as an opportunity to grab the confused Houka. The boys get there just as he is dragging her off towards a portal that opens behind and above him, and we hear Meemi intoning a spell. "That's Meemi's voice!" gasps, I think, Hikaru. And Meemi's hand it is that reaches out of the portal and scoop up both Kirikage and Houka. Meemi appears in the portal after they're gone, telling them if they want the girl back, they're going to have to give up the Travelion ticket, and showing an image of a castle. The portal closes. While the other four scream for Houka, Hikaru looks furious. He steps forward, telling them what's happened. Meemi's made a world, or portal to a world, Marude Youna World. A world which looks alike... in this case, like ancient Kyoto. Kai snarls "What do we do?" Hikaru turns to them with his ticket, "We have to go by Travelion."

Somewhere, Wolzard is hard at work forging Branken's former weapon into his own blade. "So, five little wizard mutts," he says as the magic circle closes into the blade, reconfiguring it into a perfect match for his armor, "We shall see" something something.

Travelion rides the tracks between worlds. They are all inside, and Urara has Hikaru by the arms trying to shake out the information what he was doing with Houka. Having had quite enough of this behavior today, he gently pushes her off. He tells her he was trying to help Houka remember something. All over Kyoto they'd run, and yet "From start to finish, all she was thinking about was herself." When he says that, Kai looks extremely disturbed. "I was wondering why we hadn't seen her at all today." He sinks onto a bench. Tsubasa looks like he's fighting an old pain. Kai asks, "Why?" It is Urara who seems to find the answer. "Perhaps because today... oh that's right! That's it!" she gasps. Puzzled, Tsubasa asks "What's it?" And she reminds them, "It was exactly a year ago today we all went on a trip to Kyoto." Kai remembers. They had come, him in a hat, Tsubasa with his hair slicked back, Makito in a head-scarf, the girls in summer clothes, and their mother. They'd gone to the theme park and taken pictures of all of them in front of every nifty thing they saw. "Remember, bro?" Yes, Tsubasa does remember. "We saw all kinds of things, ate really tasty food. It was the greatest fun!" Having deep-fried tofu together at the inn they'd stayed at. And then Urara adds, "And when everyone was asleep, Mom went out all by herself." She remembers half-waking as her mother had passed silently by. Kai gasps, "You're kidding! I never knew that." So Urara had shaken Houka awake, and the two of them had gone out into that painfully early morning to see what their mother was doing. I think they found her at Nanzenji Temple. She was praying. They had approached uncertainly, afraid she might be angry at them for intruding, but she'd welcomed them with warmth and loving. And she'd told them a secret. They'd walked along in the brightening morning and she's said, "On this day every year at this temple," something about the solidarity of the family. So when Houka asks she describes how you're supposed to tap the tip of your nose and then pray, and at the last touch the top of your head with your hand. They seem to think that's neat, and she tells them she'd decided that. Perhaps it's her personal ritual. When they realize what she's said they gape at her and Urara asks, "But then does it really mean anything?" Her mother laughs lightly. "Of course it does!" and she strides confidently away saying, "Because I believe it." Houka can't help but whine "How's that supposed to work?" and the two of them trail after her. "I don't get it!" And Mrs. Ozu laughs affectionately as they catch up with her. She does confirm, I think, that not everything that everyone decides can be true. "But in truth," she starts, and taps Houka's nose then gently her head, "This and this is what your father used to do with me." She seems shy for a moment, having shared this intimacy with them. "When he proposed to me," she finishes under the archways. The girls are utterly caught up in the romanticism of what she describes. And so this is what she decided for every year. And she hugs her two daughters close. She tells them that next year they should do the same to bring them all together, to make them stronger. And Houka had taken that more to heart than even Urara. "Mother," she'd said warmly.

Urara finishes, "Houka must have been remembering that." Hikaru is still and unhappy. He says quietly, "For the sake of her family. She was never once thinking of herself." The others don't say anything or even seem to blame him. "But she's only like that because today - " he starts hopefully. Kai says, "No she's always like this." Hikaru stares at him in shock, then remembers how Urara had brought him to the train museum and seemed so delighted. "That was for me," he realizes. How utterly he'd misjudged her is brought home to him, but I will agree that it is easy to misjudge Houka without those precious moments when she acts for her family. His self-recrimination is broken by Smoky announcing through the intercom that they're arriving at Shinobijou. The train whistle blares as a world begins to shape around them.

The train pulls in between the streets of a town designed to look like ancient times. There is not a soul in sight. The castle is above. Kai shouts, "Let's go, everyone!" Out they charge, Hikaru leading the way in stylish royal-samurai clothing. Kai wants to know why he and his siblings are in ninja outfits. It seems because these are the clothes you wear in this world, by Meemi's rules. As long as you're not Zobiru, who smash their way out of buildings in camoflauge ninja outfits and front-flip down the lanes. some are leaping off rooftops. The Magiranger less one line up, eyes alight with rage. "Zobiru as ninja!" snarls Makito. As one, they reach into the fold of their clothing and pull out their Magiphones (and Hikaru his thing) to transform. But in this world, they cannot transform. Well, this is a shock. Urara asks, "Why? We can't change!" But with the Zobiru charging now is not the time. They draw their own blades and meet the attack. Far up in the castle, Kirikage pulls out Houka. She's been clothed in a kimono of lovely pink, a silver sparkling crown on her head. He holds a mini hand drum, and wants her to watch. What will happen to them if they can't tranform? (My first guess is that little drum is what's keeping them from doing just that) Houka is near tears and whispers, "Everyone, I'm so sorry! It's my fault!"

Tsubasa runs the rooftops. He says he may not be able to change, but he can move! Cornered by Zobiru, he draws his blade and fights them off. Kai swings over on a rope and knocks several Zobiru down. He attacks with throwing stars, bringing down several more. One at a Zobiru above him gets it in the head. Urara races with a crowd of them on her heels. She skids to a halt, whirls with a thought of the power of five and and drops jacks at them. The Zobiru plow straight onto the jacks and hop in pain, but explosions hit them.Urara turns with a laugh and dashes on. Makito faces his own crowd not with blade, but with power. He gets one in a headlock and snaps its neck. I guess that doesn't have too much of an effect on a Zobiru, though. They all are full of thoughts of their family power. He spins one and tosses it off of his shoulders before throwing black bombs at them. He cracks his knuckles in wild victory and charges on. Hikaru fights with his blade, taking down Zobiru left and right. The bridge he is on is littered with their bodies. The last he fights until it falls over the railing into the river below. The five gather, their Zobiru defeated, and Hikaru gives quick instructions. They make the hand pile-up and race off in assorted directions. Urara and Tsubasa are together when the ground shakes, and something bursts up out of the water. It's a honking giant bullfrog!! Urara shrieks. "A FROOOOOOOOG!" Tsubasa tries frantically to snap her out of it. This frog breathes fire. A jet of flame flies at them. They are hit and stumble. The frog utters a deep croaking sound and then leaps up. Tsubasa grabs his frozen sister and pulls her away with him. The frog lands where they were. Kai and Makito race along the bridge over dry river-bed onto the castle grounds. But they find themselve confronted with a giant bat-hand-puppet and what appears to be a giant bat-purse. Purple flame from the puppet's mouth and blue lightning from the purse's painted eyes hit them. Laughter cuts the air as they recover. The two giant things reshape into Nai and Mea, or course. They look pretty shapely. This doesn't impress their enemies. "Nai and Mea!" snarls Makito. Nai, in her bright, bright blue lipstick, seems to think this is quite a day, this hot summer. Mea in her black lipstick adds some line about licking, perhaps. The pair giggle and try to attract attention to their shapely thighs. The boys don't oblige. Makito snarls that they hold no attraction for him, he's got Eriko. "And I've got Yamazaki!" Kai snaps. This annoys Nai and Mea, who pout and glare, then clearly decide they might as well become one about this. Now the boys face a rather peeved Vankyuria who blasts them. In the castle above, Kirikage is getting his kicks out of bullying an angry Houka. He mocks that she won't have anyone. And while he walks away from her, she wonders anxiously what she can possibly do. And her mind drifts back to what Hikaru had said to her about what's important and finding that, I don't know, really, I'll figure it out later, but about her strength of purpose. Eyes blazing and alert, she looks intently at Kirikage and the hand-drum he keeps going. And she knows now what I'd guessed earlier. That the drum is what's keeping them from using their magic. "Right," she whispers to herself. "Fools!" Kirikage is laughing. Well, he won't be laughing long. Houka gets to her feet and throws herself at him, colliding hard with his back. The drum falls from his hand and she catches its handle in her teeth while he's still looking for it. Tied as she is, rolling away with it is her only option. Shocked, he realizes she has it and pulls out his blade. "Give it back!" he snarls, approaching her menacingly. "There's nowhere for you to run." She backs into a post. When he's threatening to stab her, she closes her eyes. And then the sound of a siren rises. Startled, Kirikage turns. He runs to look out the window and finds, to his shock, that there is an emormous kite flying up there, with Hikaru braced in the middle. The kite has a sound like engines, and Hikaru leaps from it. It flies into the sky as he rolls in. On his feet he greets Houka as the princess, and she smiles with her eyes, since her mouth is full of the drum's handle. "Henhe!" (what, you try to say "sensei" with your mouth full of... er. Never you mind) Hikaru draws his blade and the two males begin to duel. He is the faster, getting a good lick in against Kirikage. A fierce slash knocks the Meijuujin out the window. Hikaru cuts Houka loose, "Are you all right?" he asks her. She hops to her feet. "Thank you, Hikaru-sensei!" she crows happily. Then she throws the drum to the floor and stomps on it. The broken pieces crackle and Houka grins up at Hikaru, "Now we can transform!" "Eh?" he says. She nods with a firm noise and he uncertainly tries it out. The magic responds before he's even half-spoken the spell, engulfing him in golden light. "I'm surprised!" he gasps. "How did you know?" Well, she tells him it seemed likely and that she'd found her reason. He realizes it's true. Now it's time to let the others know. So she pulls out her Magiphone and tells them, "Hey everyone, we can tranform now!" Hearing her voice on their phones, they are ecstatic and surprised, "Really?" they say as one. "Really!" she calls. And they do. Their power doesn't answer as quickly as Hikaru's did, but it sure does answer. Kai crows, "You did it, sis!" Of course, he and Makito still have Vankyuria to contend with. Kai calls out the gloves, "Magi Punch!" Extendo-arms! *sigh* It's magic, I can deal. At least they aren't squeezeboxes. Several punches and Vankyuria goes flying, only to meet Magi Green in his Muscle form. And his punch sends her flying to the vanishing point. Tsubasa calls Urara to join him in facing the enormous frog. When next it blows fire at them they tuck and roll, Tsubabasa uses "Yellow Thunder" to blow the frog in the face. Urara hits him with a blast of hot water. Or just water. The frog is sent flying away.

Nai and Mea meet Kirikage on the castle grounds, demanding to know what to do. Well, he does have a strategy and they take off with him. But Houka has no intention of letting them escape. She leads the others. Kirikage is a bit alarmed. Nai and Mea are upset and annoyed by the rainbow. Our heroes introduce themselves, just in case we've forgotten who they are. Kirikage is furious and ready to fight, but Nai and Mea look pained. Together they say sadly, "Kirikage, we'll leave this to you." They teleport away in purple flame. Houka finds she is the recipient of a new spell. Hikaru points out it's because of her courage in thinking of all of them. She types it in, 1-2-6 and follows the spell. The groups leap together! They form a tower, Green the base, Tsubasa, Kai, Urara then Houka at the top. "Magical Tower!" they call it. Their power swirls around them. Houka uses her wand to focus, while Kirikage isn't sure what's going to happen. For they become a mighty blade under the moon in the summer fields. Down they sweep and bisect him, top to bottom. Boom, and he falls in front of an old building. Out strides a kimono-clad Smoky. He says, "Magical Special Tetsujin Travelion-sama, onyaari," and indicates up with his fan. Kirikage's gaze follows the motion with a gasp of sinking dismay. He clambers to his feet. Travelion towers far above the building. But Kirikage is not without courage of his own. He uses his magic to grow to giant size. Pulling his blade, he tries a desperate attack, but he has no power, and Magishine is still sore about having Houka used as a hostage. He calls out the Remote Liners. Kirikage is caught first by their tracks, then sucked into Travelion's furnace. And it's over

Now they all stand before a mighty shrine. At the place where you pray. The six of them are almost too many to fit under the smaller building. Houka speaks, "Mother, this year also we're completely together." Hikaru beside her has something to say to her, about observing and realizing what can be done. A bit later, Urara has some pouting to do about why Houka hadn't asked HER, after all she remembered where it was. Hikaru notes she wanted to show something special. Echoing her mother's feelings? I don't know. Houka agrees that too, but also that it was a lot of fun to have a date with Hikaru-sensei! And she bounces to his side and clutches his arm while her siblings are astounded, Makito and Kai losing their footing. But they bounce back up and Kai happily pushes Tsubasa ahead of him as Makito laughingly charges down the stairs. "We go to Kyoto, too!" Urara trots after the others, and Houka hangs onto a rather stoic Hikaru, who refuses to meet her teasing/adoring gaze. And so the rest of her grade card gets a big 100% mark, no more circles, X or triangles. The scoring system defeated by a student who measures off the scale.

Mandora-boy is going through the spell dictionary to explain to us today's Ruuma Gorudo. A spell for finding your reason. He turns as a roar in the mirror shows him the Magiranger charging around Kyoto racing to board a train, or just a display train? Ah, a street car, and Hikaru happily takes the place the pilot would stand at the front while Kai waves out a window. Mandora-boy weeps, for Smoky is laughing in the mirror. He got to go with them, while Mandora-Boy stayed behind.

Stage. 23 禁断の魔法　〜ロージ・マネージ・マジ・ママルジ〜 Kindan no Mahou Ro-ji Mane-ji Maji Mamaruji Forbidden Magic
A photograph burning in a fire, the person in the top is Tsubasa, and appears to be wrestling with another adorable young man whose name is probably Kouta. Tsubasa says "For the sake of our promise" and we see that the Meijuujin of the week seems to have taken young Kouta. But there is terror in the responding voice of Hikaru, telling Tsubasa he mustn't. We see him looking very anxious as he's talking to Tsubasa in the Magic Room, the others watching. Magishine will fight Wolzard, and get his arse handed to him. Tsubasa collapses in agony on the street in front of his four siblings, who frantically run to him. We hear him scream as the flames reach his image. I like the look of the latest Meijuujin coming up. We see that Tsubasa tries to physically make his point to Hikaru, and the two start tussling. We see a pincushion-like Meijuu, Kai and Makito in armor will fight it atop what appears to be a train track above the city. Oh, all five of them are there. Perhaps it is a roller-coaster track.... Magishine fights a running battle against Wolzard in darkness. Vankyuria meets the lovely Meijuujin (events are not being shown in order). Kai, Urara, Houka, Makito and Hikaru have expressions of pained horror on their faces as Tsubasa, hair damp with sweat, writhes and screams in agony.

Advertisement for the Magiranger Vol 1 DVD/Video (I LOVE that poster!) goes on sale August 5, 2005. And you, too, may have a chance of being one of thirty to win it if you send in a postcard to the address given. Or perhaps it's the poster you win! I should give it a try. You can also apply through the homepage.

and lands face first on the floor beside his bed. Now he wears his grey pajamas and pants painfully. His bed is a futon on a low frame, there's one of those expandy-stick balls on a glass table at the center of his room. He sits up painfully. He'd landed wrong on his arm. Now he gets onto his bed, cradling his right arm gingerly. "A dream," he breathes with relief, the sweat beading his skin cooling. But unfortunately, he's wrong. But the monster is there beside him. Now it grabs him around chest and torso. A male voice it has, though soft and caressing. "Once I've got you, I never let go." Anyway, like an intelligent person, the boy screams his lungs out.

Another day at the Ozu house, and the kids are at the table, fanning themselves in the oppressive summer heat while Hikaru writes ona white board. Today's lesson plan: Play the piano by Magic. He turns and asks who'll start. Kai volunteers. Mandora-boy and Smoky cheer him on. Kai uses his Magiphone on pink roses in a lovely crystal vase. "Jirum Magiiro!" The vase and flowers become a small soccer ball which bounces down onto the keys of the piano. Kai guides it with his Magiphone, playing some very familiar melody, very badly. Finally he runs out of steam and the ball bounces to the floor as Kai pants. Pouting, he says, "It's no good, that's my limit." Hikaru's eyes dance and he smiles. Smoky adds, "And you sucked at the tune." Makito shoves Smoky into the lamp and determines to be the next to try. "Right!" he gets up. "Big brother'll do it." Kai strides away head high as Makito steps up to the plate. "Jirum Magika!" But the reactio nis not expected. The top of the piano flies open, and greenness streams out, . A lovely huge plant with a variety of vegetables sweet and lovely growing off fills the area above the piano. Makito is dismayed, for this is far from his intention. Urara pats his shoulder, "It's whole-hearted, big brother." Now she makes the attempt. "Magi jijiru!" The plant disappears in a shower of golden magic. But, to her surprise, the piano lid slams shut and then spews out a sheet of possibly paper that swoops around and settles in her hands. "1日5時間練習すれば二年" basically, gotta practice five hours a day second-years. Amused, Houka comes up to take her turn with an affectionate teasing of her sister. "Hm! Maaji Majiro!" she calls. And she has transformed into a bright pink suit, a blond wig and brown mustache. Mandora-boy and Smoky note she looks like Chopin as she struts to the piano. She sits down and starts to hit the keys... and what she plays is just horrible. You have to try, to play that badly. Her siblings go into collapse and Makito bolts for safety. She looks up and pouts, then the magic poofs and she's back to normal. "Of course, I'm me!" she announces and leaves the piano to whine at Hikaru, "Playing is a pain!" Hikaru counters firmly, "You mayn't give up! You can do this with your own type of magic." He directs this to all of them. That is what he's here for, to teach them to use their magic. Houka folds her arms, still pouting. They don't notice Tsubasa calmly slip over to the piano and sit down. He starts playing, and it is sweet, perfect music. Houka turns and gawps. So do the others. Hikaru nods calm approval. (I'm not sure the actor is actually playing, they don't show his face and hands at the same time, which usually means stunt-hands (hahah)) As he plays, Mandora-boy and Smoky swoop up beside him, dazzled by the sweet music. When he finished, Mandora-boy calls, "That was fantastic!" Kai puts his hands on Tsubasa's shoulders, "Great!" he says as the others gather. "Boy you must have practiced a lot!" Grinning, Tsubasa says "No I didn't." To their shock, he's used a magic potion he'd brewed up. Pouting, Kai takes the small vial from him. "That's cheating! A magic-potion for playing the piano well...." Tsubasa takes it back, and points out that this medicine simply makes you more powerful? Maybe. His sisters ponder it. Hikaru approves heartily. After all, the excercise was to play with magic. Hikaru says Tsubasa is even better at this than he is. The Ozu siblings heartily cheer him. The effusive praise makes him blush, as does Hikaru's warm, approving hand on his shoulder and he turns away from the bulk of them, smiling. But then Smoky starts on something else, chattering about a kind of reverse magic that's so very useful and going through the books on the shelf. Hikaru suddenly looks very worried. Urara steps in front of him. "Reverse Magic?" she asks. Smoky's found the book he was looking for. The magic is something to do with time. The pages are black, text written in red. "These ones are convenient!" he tells them happily. Hikaru reacts quickly. A spell to pull the book to him from a startled Smoky's hands. "Smoky!" Hikaru practically snarls. Smoky makes himself scarce in the lamp. The book is wrapped in chains and locked closed at Hikaru's gesture. He clenches it in his hands and glares at the lamp. Smoky nervously peeks out. "Master, sorry," he whimpers and ducks back in. Rather shocked at this sudden change in the atmosphere, the Ozu kids are uncertain. Makito asks, "What's the matter?" gently to Hikaru. Their teacher is keeping that book tight, as though he's afraid to let it out of his sight now that he knows it's here. He speaks of the legendary magic of the Sky Saint Kuronogel (Chronogel!), the forbidden, unforgivable magic... (sometimes it's hard not to think of Harry Potter) magic with power over time, over the fates of people... over history. But what happened to Chronogel? He looks to have been imprisoned, or turned to stone! Wow. This is SO cool! Anyway, his story makes Urara shiver and clutch herself. "That's scary." Tsubasa, though, stands up and claps her on the shoulder. "Hey, it has nothing to do with us." Then he calls to Hikaru half asking, half telling that this is enough for today. He has to go keep a promise. There is a present all wrapped and tied with a yellow ribbon. Kai accuses him of having a date, and Houka's all smirking and ready to give him heck. "Fool," Tsubasa snaps coolly. "It's about a boy." Koike family's Kouta. For a brief instant they are confused, but Tsubasa clarifies that today is Kouta's birthday. He shoves the present smugly at Kai. This boy he's known since he was a grade-schooler and is a great kid. So, off he goes out the wall, the others smile after him.

At the Koike(小池) Boxing Gym are a number of kids batting with big sandbags. There's a photo on a stand of Tsubasa and a boy we know from the beginning of the episode. The door of the bedroom opens. "Kouta!" calls Tsubasa. He enters present-first. CDs on the right. Bags and clothes hanging on the left. But something gives him pause. "What's that sweet smell?" he wonders. Kouta sits on the edge of his bed, head hanging limply. At the lack of response Tsubasa steps over grinning and asks him something, but the continuing silence makes him think he's being teased and he kneels down, "Hey, I'm here like I promised!" He nocks the boy with the present. And then realizes that Kouta is too still. Too unresponsive. Starting to get frightened, he puts the present aside. "What's the matter, Kouta? Hey!" and shakes him. "Kouta?!" The boy's head lolls the other way and we see three fair-sized puncture wounds in his neck. And then his Magiphone calls. It is Mandora-boy crying, "There's a monster!" Tsubasa bolts for home.

On his way, he seems to have been noticed by someone with black lips. He sees a woman standing still, her condition identical to Kouta's. Near her something very like a plant stands and stretches, trying to get the kinks out of its back. It is Meijuujin Incubus, Berubireji! Incubus, indeed. Tsubasa calls challenge to the Meijuujin, whose name he does not yet know. Berubireji has green lips, but they're using a real person's lips for the closeup and those have black lipstick. The other Magiranger arrive, while Berubireji coolly introduces himself. "I am the immortal maestro, Incubus Berubireji. He points out that this woman here has been made dizzy by his kiss. He brushes her hair aside. Hikaru steps forward, noting that the Incubus is demon that steals into people's dreams. And we see three puncture wounds up the girl's neck. Stealing into people's dreams is normal, but this presence in the real world? Makito snarls "What did you do to her?" Berubireji answers, "Take it easy." As he speaks, he fondles the woman and speaks of his strength. And after five hour he believe the body and soul will cut apart. That's not good. "Don't have to worry," he mocks with a smirk. "What?!" Tsubasa starts to snarl but then realizes to his horror that the three puncture wounds on the girl's neck are exactly the same as the three on Kouta's neck. In a fury, he snaps out his Magiphone and changes with the others into armor. Berubireji is suitably unimpressed. He brings his fingers to his lip, whistles, and a crowd of Zobiru appear. Berubireji tosses the girl aside and tells them to go. They charge the Magiranger enthusiastically. Tsubasa jumps past the Zobiru and attacks Berubireji, who tangles with him easily. "Hey, I've promised three hundred more dates today, I'm not free for this right now." He takes Tsubasa down with contemptuous ease. "Later," he says, and goes.

Meemy praises Berubireji when he gets back to Hades. He gives him the go-ahead. Berubireji is pretty indifferent to whether the victims are male or female. At this Vankyuria huffs and stalks away. Smirking, Berubireji hops down and moves around in front of her. Ah, it seems they've had encounters before and he is happy to go again *cough cough*. "Fuck you!" (more or less) she hisses. He chuckles into his hand. Meemi says, "Me Zazare," and off he's sent in a magic circle. Curious, Meemy asks, "So, like were you two a thing once upon a time?" Vankyuria breaks down into Nai and Mea, who sigh and say together, "I don't know." Then the Zobiru and High Zobiru start getting exciting, the noise level rises. Meemy and the girls look up, puzzled. Meemy shouts a question, when a blue of violet blue drops down to their level. It is he! Mea cries, "Wolzard!" Nie cries, "Welcome back!" and the two girls bounce over to him, making much fuss about his return. Meemy makes a considering noise. The girls are on either side of him, stroking his armor. "Oh it's like old times!" they say ecstatically. Meemy steps forward, "Ah, so this is Wolzard?" he asks. He swipes his fan at Nai, making her back off, and moves around Wolzard to get a good look at him. "You..." and once he gets around the other side points out, "But I'm the leader here. This is not your place." Little worried about his position, isn't he? Wolzard counters, "It's of no matter to me. I am Lord N Ma's." Meemy snorts indelicately and moves away. "And you think you can fight with that sword?" he mocks. Wolzard reacts instantly, drawing the blade from its place in the shield. He slashes at Meemy, who finds it necessary to jump high and back even as he is hit. Wolzard does not pursue, he was only making his point, and speaks. "I have Lord N Ma's Fang and Eye in my hand. No longer the enemy." Meemy comments that this means something about putting trust in... "Then make that interfering Magishine dead. My words are Lord N Ma's words." Wolzard repeats, "Magishine? That Sky Saint?" Moving away from him, Meemy muses, "This'll be an interesting confrontation." Nai and Mea look puzzled, cocking their heads and then considering Wolzard while Meemy laughs. Wolzard growls softly and leaves.

Poor Mandora-Boy reports that there are seven hundred people affected, all over the place. Tsubasa sits heavily in a chair. "What can I do? In five hours Kouta's...." Anxious, Makito turns to their teachers. "Hikaru-sensei, have you any way to deal with this?" Hikaru looks deeply worried and paces lightly, saying "The problem is, where've the souls of seven hundred people gone? The Incubus doesn't take souls. So they have to be hidden." So this is the secret they have to figure. Houka cuts in, asking a question about how. Tsubasa's gaze falls on the forbidden book laced in red. And his eyes go wide with an idea. On his feet he says that they can return in time and watch what happens to the souls when they are stolen! "We won't change hitory, we'll just find out what the Infershia are up to!" Hikaru stares at him grimly. Makito repeats, "Return... you want to use the Reverse Magic!" The others gasp and Hikaru gasps out, "You can't! That's the one thing you must never do! I told you - " and more, but Tsubasa cuts him off. "Yeah, do you have any bright ideas?!" Biting his lips, voice tight with pain he points out that Kouta is important or so to him. Hikaru replies anxiously, "I know. I know that, but - " he drops his gaze and Tsubasa grabs his lapels and yanks him eye to eye. "You think it's such a small thing?" he challenges. Pained, Hikaru asks, "What?" I'm not sure, but Tsubasa seems to be accusing his teacher of selfishness or something less palatable, which triggers Hikaru's rare temper. He grabs Tsubasa's lapels and bears down on the shorter young man. "That isn't courage!" Hikaru cries, as the girls and Makito leap to pull the pair apart with Kai's help. But in the midst of the struggle, something touches Hikaru's senses and he is frozen for the briefest of moments. Inside his mind Wolzard stands waiting for him. Suddenly he turns and moves away from the struggling group. Kai cries his name, and Tsubasa snarls, "Where are you going?" Hikaru pauses, long enough to tell Tsubasa, all of them, that they must search for Berubireji. He pulls out his Travellion ticket and the doors swing wide. The train pulls into the station and Hikaru marches towards it, while Tsubasa screams, "Where is worthless?!"

Time passes, as it does. Tsubasa sits at the table, the forbidden book in front of him. Alone, he remembers about his promise to Kouta. How he'd had to go to the gym and tell the boy he was quitting boxing. In the cold, February weather, not able to say he was giving up that for the Magiphone in his pocket. Telling the very upset boy that it would only be for a little while, yet his misery visible. Kouta afraid that it was because he was afrain of Tsubasa's Meteor Punch. "You just wait for me." The boy replying he would quit, too. Tsubasa telling him just wait for his birthday. A promise of this gift. Kouta's eyes shine bright with hero worship. "Really?" As Tsubasa leaves he calls the promise, thumb up. "Right, I'll keep trying! I promise! Absolutely!" Kouta says happily. Tsubasa forces his hands open and reaches for the book. A magitopia magic dictionary something something volume, obscured by the chains. He sets it back down and digs into his pocket. Out with the bottle of blue liquid he'd used earlier, and he sprays it on his right hand.

Travellion comes to a halt in a world which looks like hours, though cast in blue light. Magishine steps out onto streets where no machines or people are save... well, Wolzard. He goes on the offensive. "Where are the souls of all those people?" he demands. Wolzard counters coldy, "What are you on about? My purpose here is defeating you." For some reason startled, Magishine nearly yelps, "What?" But Wolzard draws blade and attacks.

Tsubasa has the page he tore from the book in his hands. What can be read easily of it says MAGIC REVERSE. Attribute: Spatiotemporal magic. Origin: Chronogel. Effect: there are two paragraphs. An image of a clock with roman numerals. Tsubasa sits in Kouta's room. Hikaru's words still ring in his ears. "That's the one thing you must never do!" Now he draws in a breath and stands, flipping open his magiphone. Grimly he says, "Magine, Maji." Blackness coils and crackles over his phone, flaring out. He speaks the conditions, returning to see what happened to Kouta, show him what happened. "Ro-ji Mane-ji Maji Mamaruji." He flicks out the phone and power shrieks out, bringing him painfully to his knees. Kouta lies in bed, been there since morning. Tsubasa gets gingerly back up, checking to make sure his arms are still attached. It is 11:45... but now the hands of the clock begin to turn backwards. Hearing it, Tsubasa gasps. Time moves back, he sees himself and hears his voice, all moving backwards watches as the sunlight crosses the walls and then, it's night. "I'm back in time?" he whispers, turning. The clock reads 3:06. In the not-quite here of the room he hears a thump and a quiet, "Ouch!" Kouta, having fallen off the bed and landed hard on his arm. Gets up and sits on the edge of the bed, "It was a dream," but no, for Berubireji appears and grabs him. Says the "Now I've got you, I'm never letting go," comment and Kouta starts screaming. Berubireji's claws sweep through the skin of his neck, but only when they come out the other side do they leave three puncture wounds and Kouta falls silent and still. Or is this reverse-puncture? For in Berubireji's claws is a glowing, blue form like Kouta's. His soul. Berubireji pulls it with him and opens the room's curtains. "Spider!" he demands. A red and white Meijuu, Spider, hangs down. "Meiju!" gasps Tsubasa. The soul under Berubireji's arms cries out for help, as the spider's webbing engulfs it, turning it into an orb and sucking it inside. Berubireji laughs, and Kouta's body loses what little animation it had, head falling limply. Berubireji turns, chuckling, and vanishes. The Spider hangs a moment, then goes up. Tsubasa stares and notes, "Berubireji is gathering the souls for another! And that sweet smell with its scent!" He pulls out his phone, "Magiiro Magica!" he calls. Magic sparkles in his eyes and he looks out the window at the empty night street. The traces of the spider's scent, perhaps, hangin the air and he can track them. Now he phones the others.

Bright day, and they all meet him at a warehouse. When Kai calls him, he turns half-dazed to them and tells them the monster who took Kouta's soul is here somewhere. "Really?" asks Kai. "Oh well done, Tsubasa!" comments Makito, but Urara suddenly looks grim. Houka bounces over to tell Tsubasa how great he is, but Urara snaps furiously, "Tsubasa! You used the Reverse Magic!" He snorts and tries to sneer, looking away. "What are you talking about?" But his efforts are in vain, for she has the book, with one page torn out. The page on Reverse Magic. Caught out, he tries to make little of it. Makito steps forward, "Hey, Tsubasa, you - " but before they can get into it, Tsubasa grabs Urura, "Look out!" and dives for cover. The spider is dropping down on them. It hands from a thick rope of webbing. Tsubasa yells, "There are the souls!" contained in the sack on the spider's back. But their enemy starts firing spine-bolts at them. Tsubasa is in his armor already, and they fight, well, he punches. The others join him in armor, as he hollars about the souls. Kai uses his magic to pull an orb from the spider's back. Tsubasa leaps and catches the glowing ball. "Got it!" but then he hears a whistle. He looks around. The orb is snatched from his hands by Berubireji, moving so fast he barely saw the creature. The others gasp. From above them Berubireji mocks, "Too bad!" and turns away, "Hey, Spider!" he calls, throwing the orb to the very happy monster. It starts to run off with the orb, and Tsubasa leads the others charging after it. That thing can jump high.

But in the meantime, Magishine fights Wolzard. Or gets attacked. The wolf-heads howl into attack. The blast shatters the road under their feet and they drop into a tunnel lit by red lights. Wolzard uses N Ma's eye next, and Magishine has to roll out of the blast area. He spins and fires the Magi Lamp Buster. The blasts stagger a mildly annoyed Wolzard, who then snarls accusingly, "Is this light blasting what you're teaching the five Magi?" Off his footing, Magishine gasps, "What?" Wolzard counters something about expense and magic combining with justice, finishing with "The true strength is the power of darkness! Those five will become its captives, too!" Half-terrified, Magishine cries, "That won't happen. That's NEVER happen!" He blasts at Wolzard again, but the blast is blocked by the shield. Wolzard charges with blade swinging and the two men - er - males go at it. A long slash down and Wolzard gets a good one in. Meemy is watching this in his fan with Nai and Mae, and all are enjoying the spectacle. "This is so pleasantly pleasurable!" he crows. "Now what's going down the other place?" He spins the fan and we see the Magiranger pursuing Spider on their Sky Brooms. Spider is being spiderman, swinging through the city on his webs and people below gasp and turn to follow this strange sight. Finally Spider lands atop a track near the Tokyo Inn. Train track, I think. The Magiranger surround him. "You can't run anymore!" snarls Tsubasa. "Give that to me!" For Spider still hold the soul in its hands. But Spider leaps off the edge. In mid-air he spins, spitting out web strands until he's made himself a web hanging between the buildings. Strands lead from where the Magiranger stand. Spider gestures, daring them to come at him. Snarling with fury, the five take him up on it. Kai and Urara step out first onto the strands. (why not used the Sky Brooms? Because that would make SENSE!) Houka and Makito follow the other two, and Spider starts firing bolts. Makito ends up hanging off the strand. When Spider fires again, one strand breaks and the girls fall. Makito lets go and leaps after them, swing on the stran, activating the Magi Muscle spell he catches them mid-air and lands them safely. Kai has made it to Spider, who knocks him off the web. He uses his magic to turn a patio of chairs, umbrellas and tables into a safety pillow and lands with his siblings quick to his side. They look up. Tsubasa calls in the Magi Gloves. He dashes across the web strands shouting, "Wait, Kouta!" punches his way through Spider's missiles and punches him viciously until a final diving using his Meteor Punch takes the Spider down to the sidewalks below. The orb flies free, into Tsubasa's hands. Above, Berubireji seems more amused than anything by this development. Before Tsubasa can congratulate himself, we hear Meemy's voice, calling the spell which turns Spider enormous. Berubireji is pleased and leans his cheek on his hand. "Did it, Spider." Tsubasa gets ready to charge into the fight when energy crackles along his body. He is staggered, swaying on his feet. "What was that?" he wonders. But he is not the only one.

Pinned under Wolzard's blade and against a wall, Hikaru senses it happening and gasps. "Tsubasa!" His distraction fortunately doesn't cost too much, Wolzard uses the blade to shove him away from the wall and slashes him across the chest. Hikaru falls with a sound of pain. It seems he's felt the disturbance in the For- er, anyway, he's lost interest in beating on Magishine, for there's someone else that is his to fight. He walks out, leaving Magishine shaking his head and trying to recover.

The others didn't notice. They trot over to Tsubasa, who is happy to be holding the soul. He says they should fight using MagiKing. No problem there, and the five form together. They start towards Spider, evading spikes and slashing at him. He falls on his cack, but when they prepare to start their next attack, power again crackles painfully through Tsubasa's body and he drops his wand. The power disruption reaches all through MagiKing, which jerks as though being electrocuted. And then it bursts apart, and they become their regular size, in regular clothing. They land painfully on the sidewalk. But Tsubasa is in the most pain. He twitches on the ground. "What's wrong, brother?" yelps a panicked Kai. "What's happening?" gasps Tsubasa, for he does not know either. The soul-orb in his hand flares brightly as the others gather around him. He clutches at an agonizing pain in his chest. The orb slips from his fingers and rolls away. He has enough presence of mind through the pain to reach after it, but Berubireji is there to scoop it up. "Too bad," the monster-humanoid tells Tsubasa and strides away, the others hiss, but dare not leave their fallen brother's side. "But I told you it was useless." Berubireji turns back for a last insult. "Fools." He leaps into the air towards the giant Spider, laughing, and they disappear. The rage propells Tsubasa despite the pain to his feet, screaming after Berubireji. In mid scream his is cut off, pain roaring through his body and blue lightning crackling across his skin. He feet slide out from under him and he falls on his back. The others rush over to him. There is a strange, liquid sound. Tsubasa's skin is slick with sweat, his hair also damp, and screaming. Racing footsteps, Hikaru has made it back to them and runs over as fast as he can. Almost there he stops, whispers "Tsubasa!" then dashes in, shoving the other four away from their screaming brother. He crouches down and rips Tsubasa's shirt open. And they see it. A black vortext swirling in his stomach. The shirt off, it begins to radiate a whirling wind-power. The others all gasp in horror, their hair blown clear of their faces. Hikaru utters a horrified, "You used it! The Reverse Magic!" The winds whirl out, sending papers flying and that one page of the book flies into clear view. FORBIDDEN MAGIC 〜MAGIC OF REVERSE〜 We see within the page Tsubasa screaming in agony. The page bursts into flame.

Mandora-Boy is about to introduce today's spell, "Ro-ji Mane-ji Maji Mama-" but he claps his leaf-arms across his mouth. He says he mustn't say it. This is the magic to reverse time and a terrible magic it is. For we see in the mirror what it's doing to Tsubasa.

Stage. 24 先生として　〜ゴル・ゴル・ゴジカ〜 Sensei Toshite Goru Goru Gojika As a Teacher
Tsubasa hangs limp in Hikaru's arms, soaked in sweat. Tetsujin Travellion battles. The other four Magiranger are fallen, blood from their mouths forming pools under their heads. Each one wears a golden ring with a gem of their color in it. Hikaru tells us in voice-over, or tells them to remember he's going to protect them. But we see Travellion is fighting WolKaiser. Wolzard accuses someone of planning to throw their life away for something. We see that Hikaru (out of armor) is going up against Wolzard. He gets thrown over a cliff and hangs painfully from a rock, struggling to climb up. He struggles through torrential rain in the woods. "Believe in your power!" we hear him say. And somewhere in bright daylight, a recovered Tsubasa is screaming for him. Hikaru, battered and torn, has returned from somewhere carrying a sceptre that has a yellow gem in to top. "Forever." And Berubireji has what seems to be part of Spider, putting it into something like a plant. Houka and Urara in armor are attacking Makito and Kai to protect Berubireji, Spider and the plant-thing! An exhausted Magishine is driving probably Tetsujin Travellion. WolKaiser is getting the better of him. And back when Tsubasa was still dying, Hikaru finds himself helpless with Wolzard approaching. But Wolzard sheathes his great sword instead of attacking.

More teasers for Bride of Infershia! My, she's gorgeous. And someone is going to kiss her (muahah). Nai and Mea seem vaguely like they're having a grand old time. Mandor-Boy is wearing a tuxedo. Smoky is in the lamp. The Magiranger are climbing the beanstalk (LOL) possibly to Magitopia. Lunagel leads them through a white hall, and there is a lovely gray horse, which Kai in armor rides. and something blue, silver, with red eyes is the monster they will fight in Unicorn Kaiser!

Meemy down in Hades is a happy camper. Nai and Mea stand before him, staying close to each other. Wolzard is well behind them, and probably not interested in being there. The gathering of the souls is going well. For what will happen? Up above, Berubireji will load the soul orb from Spider's body into a makeshift cannon. The cannon will fire the orb up, as innocent as fireworks until it blows and sets the world (or just Tokyo/Auckland?) ablaze! Nai and Mea seem upset that they aren't involved in this plan. Perhaps suggesting that leaving it in Berubireji's hands is not the greatest idea. But their disconsolate muttering attracts Meemy's ire, so they think. They apologize profusely as he stalks their way. It turns out they are not his targets. He is headed for, "Wolzard." The males face each other coolly. For Meemy wants to know about Magishine's lack of fate. "What for?" Wolzard sneeringly wonders. Meemy sneeringly implies Wolzard doesn't have the power. Our dark wizard points out that "I answer only to myself," and brushes Meemy's fan aside. He turns around and says nobly, "It is all for Lord N Ma!" Off he walks with pride. Meemy seems speechless.

They've put a bed, possibly Tsubasa's own, in the magic room and laid him out on it. A badly shaken Hikaru stands apart from the others. Kai leans on the head bars miserably. Makito clasps his hands standing vigil. Urara pats Tsubasa's skin with a damp cloth, Mandora-boy beside her. He anxiously remarks on Tsubasa's condition, Urara nods agreement, but Hikaru cuts in, voice tight with self-recrimination. He talks about that magic, that it is not too evil? Or the Barrier might not have worked I am too tired to do this well. But the barrier is preventing all of time from sucking into Tsubasa's body. And the whole world is at peril? Oh boy. Kai panics and leaps towards him demanding he stop it. Makito, I think, asks what they can do. And it is to this anxious conversation that Tsubasa opens his glazed eyes. Smoky is reading the book, having opened to the page after the one Tsubasa tore out, the page explaining the hazards of the spell, it would seem. Smoky reads that there is no way to wipe out the curse. The others in the room shudder. Kai snarls and grabs up Smoky, "My brother's not going to die!" he growls at the dismayed cat. Speaking of whom, "I'm sorry," Tsubasa's voice rasps across the room. Makito says his name anxiously and helps him sit up, Urara and Houka very much of a mind with him. Hanging his head wearily Tsubasa says, "It was my own fault. I knew the scent of the monster, could have searched for it that way. Helped Kouta and everyone." The pain in his body twists his gut and he utters a sound of agony. His three siblings ease him back on the bed. Houka is fighting the tears to tell him he mustn't strain his body. Makito lays a strong hand on his forehead and tells him to sleep. They will get everyone's souls back. Urara quickly cries, "Tsubasa's in a pinch! What about him?!" "Don't worry," Hikaru says. He is facing them now, and they look to him pleadingly. "I'll do what I can for him." Makito stands and says quietly, "Then we'll go. Please help Tsubasa." As they move to go, Hikaru raises his hand and says what sounds like "Gurudo." The ring on his hand flares, and sends out bright lights which turn to their colors and settle on each of their hands. Now they find themselves wearing fine rings with their gemstones. Kai wonders aloud what they're all thinking, and Hikaru explains it's a protection. Sounds like the rings of his house. When they look in these rings, they'll remember what he taught them? Uh-oh. Ah, Hikaru... leaving a bit of himself behind, just in case he doesn't make it. He doesn't say that, but it's clearly the reason. He kneels next to the weakened Tsubasa and says his name in urgent promise. "Just hold on a little longer. I'm going to get help. As your teacher, that's what I do." He straightens up and turns towards the magic doors, then stops and turns gravely back to the others. He is paler than usual. "I believe in your power," he tells them. "I always will." He turns for the door again. Kai starts after him, tries to say something.

Scene switch. Soulless bodies everywhere, directionless, mindless, slumping after a few tottering steps. Another woman goes down. Spider is approaching one still intact, a terrified girl in jeans-skirt whose knees are knocking. "Somebody help me!" she cries, starting to curl up. She bumps into someone behind her. Berubireji grabs her tight in his arms and asks, "Am I no good?" When she gapes at him he continues, "I'm having fun. And you are the thousandth." She shrieks in utter terror, then he pulls her soul out, which whimpers as her body goes limp. Spider snatches her soul right up. When the woman's body slumps to the cement, Berubireji gives her a sort of hug and thanks her. He stands up and calls, "Spider! We're ready for the soul-fireworks!" Spider crunches up his body, his back darkens and spews forth the soul-bomb. It drops into his claws. Before they have much chance to gloat, the four Magiranger arrive. They tumble in and charge. Berubireji steps between them and the cannon, and blasts them with green smoke which causes explosions and sends them tumbling back.

And the Travelion arrives, looking small against a backdrop of trees and green grasses. Where is it? It seems Hikaru's taken it into his head to go a-visiting Chronogel, who currently is a mountain. This is the world, we hear Hikaru say as he marches through the woods, where the legendary sky saint is said to be. We see a shadow behind him, someone in a cloak and hat who is invisible. Hikaru stops and stares upwards, lips parted, at the clouds shrouding the woods above, at the rocky mountain. FOr that mountain, with trees growing near the top... is suspiciously sky-saintish. Hikaru shouts to the mountain that is Chronogel, asking about the curse that goes with the Reverse spell. Asking if it's true that there's no way to remove it. And the eyes in the mountain flare red. Chronogel answers him. Tells him that there is a way. For up the mountain is a staff embedded in man-made stone with a yellow gem. He probably explains terms, for he asks if Hikaru understands and gets a confirmation on that. And now Hikaru, determined, goes charging off. Behind him, Tsubasa appears. He's been wearing the hat that turns you invisible. "Sensei!" he calls weakly, but falls over before he can get Hikaru's attention. The curse is coiling in him, the barrier spell not a long-lasting solution. Tsubasa struggles through the pain and lifts his head. Hikaru is tromping his way determinedly across the nearby river. Before Tsubasa can get up, he hears a puppy-like whine and turns towards it. Hikaru's magic carpet, disconsolate at being left behind, swoops down, around Tsubasa and settles in front of him. "You..." he wonders. The carpet curls a tassled corner at him, whimpering and suddenly whips around, tumbing Tsubasa onto it. He sits up slowly, the hat on his head again turning him invisible. The carpet heads up the mountain.

Makito attacks Spider, Kai hits Berubireji. Urara and Houka leap to attack next. They get in some lovely slashes.

Hikaru continues up the mountain, crawling through thick grass. Sweat pouring down his face, he looks up. He can see the sunlight reflecting off teh sceptre. He breathes deeply and continues his crawl. (sadly, the producers seem to think no one's going to notice that the actor is crawling mostly on level ground) His struggle is made more difficult by a devilish wind that picks up, whipping his hair into his eyes. Now he looks like he's on an incline. The wind tears him loose of the ground. He is sent tumbling down the hill into some trees which he manages to cling onto. But now thick rain pours down on him.

Berubireji gets back up after the girls' attack. He cricks his neck, pissed, and leaps behind them, grabs them, then pulls their startled souls out. He kisses each of their souls on the cheeks, then swipes through them and steps bast. They rebound back into their bodies. Gasping, they look around and Urara utters a startled, "He's gone!" "I'm over here, over here!" he responds, his voice echoing strangely. As though seen through faint fuzzing, he has Kai less armor underfoot, and Spider beside him has armorless Makito. The boys cry out in pain. Houka calls them tearfully. Berubireji holds the soul-bomb in his hand and pats it smugly. Urara makes note of that as he chuckles. The girls charge at his mocking face, snarling. They leap to attack. But what they don't know is they are attacking Kai and Makito, still in armor. Their kicks send the boys tumbling back. "What are you doing?" groans Kai.

Hikaru crawls up the mountain, soaked to the skin by the drenching downpour.

"Come on!" calls Berubireji. Again, the girls charge their own brothers. The boys are at a considerable disadvantage. "Stop Houka!" cries Makito. Urara is doing a number on Kai. Behind the girls, Berubireji and Spider are howling with laughter.

Clouds curl vaguely around the mountain. Hikaru has reached the stone and pulls himself up, centimeter by painful centimeter, fingers wedged into any crack he can get to. Loose stones break and fall, his feet slip precariously. Above him, the mountain tosses some boulders his way and he has to let go of his grip, curling as he falls. Nevertheless Hikaru slaps a hand on a small, jagged ledge and gets started back up again before he falls all the way down. The carpet hovers not far from him, a shimmer we can see but perhaps he cannot. Tsubasa pulls off the hood, making them visible. He weakly gaps, "You can't keep going. Not for me," he struggles to his feet and tries to call to Hikaru, but the carpet gags him.

The girls continue to fight. They use their wands, ouch! Makito and Kai lose their armor. Only then does the spell let up enough for Houka to see first, "Kai! Big Brother!" The boys only utter agonized gasps. "Why..?" Urara is shocked. His spell broken, Berubireji leaps to attack while they are stunned. He kicks them over to their brothers and explains what he'd done. The girls are rather startled and start getting back to their feet.

Hikaru has finally reached the plateau where the sceptre stands. He staggers towards it, stumbles upon the stones ringed around it and falls on his face. Battered, muddy, exhausted, he looks up at the sceptre. Bone-weary, he gets up and tries to pull it out. He is hit by a violent lash of blue energy and falls onto his back with a choking cry. is palms are burned, a fair line of skin scorched off on each oooh, that's gross. He fights past the pain, clenching his teeth and heading for the sceptre again. But before he can get to his feet, powerful legs stride to it. He looks up in horror at Wolzard. "Sky Saint. Are you planning to just throw your life away?" "Wolzard!" Hikaru chokes out. Wolzard sounds interested as he relates the cost of getting this sceptre. "That's not why I'm here!" gasps Hikaru, "Get out of the way!" Wolzard chuckles and obliges him. Hikaru stumbles to his feet and starts to close his shaking hands on the shaft again. "WAIT!" cries an anguished voice, and we can forgive Hikaru for heeding it, he's barely standing anyway. He blinks foggily and straightens up to meet the gaze of "Tsubasa." Then spits out, "What are you doing here?! Your body - " "You have to stop, Sensei!" Hikaru cries. For him, this cost is too high to correct a mistake he'd made despite warning. Sending his teacher to Hell? Tsubasa looks like he'll break down any moment. Hikaru counters that this is his place. And something else, that if Tsubasa remembers anything let it be just this. Boy, this is tough. Something about the road of magic, breaking a spell, and what he says gets a reaction from Wolzard, a shift of interest. Something about their mother and not burning up that way? Tsubasa looks shaken, pale and ill, as Hikaru once again braves the terrible power that crackles and burns him, as he tries to get the sceptre out. "Sensei!" gasps Tsubasa, stumbling forward. "Stay back!" Hikaru bites out, fighting with the staff. "There... just wait there!" Tsubasa, hurting for him and hurting with his own pain, cries, "But... but Sensei..!" But Hikaru gasps back that this is what he has to do, as the teacher. If he's any kind of a wizard... and now the staff begins to come loose of its cracked prison. Wolzard moves alertly as Hikaru screams, pulling it out. "Why?" wails Tsubasa, falling to his knees. "Why are you going so far?" Hikaru cannot help but smile through the pain, pausing in his struggle. "Don't you get it? 'Cuz I'm your teacher." "Sensei!" wails Tsubasa again. And Hikaru continues the painful battle.

He's pulling it, millimeter by millimeter. Wolzard is shifting alertly. Just as the sceptre's shaft is about to clear the stone, Wolzard spins and calls a spell, opening the eye of the shield. Out tear his wolfs' head bolts, attacking Chronogel's head. Hikaru is startled in his fight. "What are you doing?" he gasps. Chronogel, unprepared for an attack, his head shatters in flame. Tsubasa falls with a cry of agony. Hikaru is distracted this time from shielding his face against rubble. "Tsubasa!" he cries. He leaps to see to the fallen boy. The sceptre shines, but Wolzard grabs it firmly and lifts it clear. Hikaru is stunned as Wolzard imparts the lesson. "Did you see?" he snaps almost accusingly. The power of darkest magic. Hikaru gapes at the broken mountain. "Chronogel's mountain... you did this foul thing?!" More than a bit annoyed at Hikaru's attitude, Wolzard points the sceptre at him. But Hikaru is almost hysterical. "Give it back! Give it to me!" "Get it if you can," okay that's not what he says. But Wolzard summons Valkyrion and forms Wolkaizer. Furious and shaken, Hikaru transforms into his Magishine form. He's still wobbly on his feet, but he will fight. He boards Travelion, panting out the spell to fight as Tetsujin Travelion. Wolkaiser growls and prepares for battle.

Berubireji flings amother bolt of green flame at the armored Houka and Urara. They are shocked out of their armor and fall at their brothers' sides. "Houka!" cries Makito, reaching for her. Berubireji is having a grand time, and is offering to show them something when a very annoyed Vankyuria tells him to stop clowning around and set off the soul fireworks. He greets her with a courtly bow. When she turns her back on him indignantly, he tells her she's not cute when she's angry (er... or?). He comes to her, pulls her around to face him. "Laugh, laugh!" he urges her warmly. She seems distraught. Then he wraps her in his arms and as she confusedly protests, somehow causes her to break up into Nai and Mean, who also seem confused. He pulls them closer, getting in a little groping while he's at it, suggesting they have a fireworks date. Nai snarls, "Isn't that stupid?" and Mea puts in her own, "Aren't you worried?"

For there are still two unknown factors. And one of them is locked in battle with Wolkaiser. "Steam Bazooka!" snarls Magishine. Tetsujin Travelion bends over and sends the hot blast from its smoke stack. Wolkaiser gasps and staggers back. Then he braces himself. As the smoke clears, he attacks with a blast from N'Ma's eye on his chest. The bolt hits Travelion dead center and in turn staggers him. Magishine cries out in pain and cough in the cockpit. And in a fury, he tries "Destruction Fire!" Travelion's chest-plate opens. The blast hits Wolkaiser also dead center, and starts pulling him in. His face plate bears a faint resemblance to Chronogel's petrified form. But Wolkaiser is no Meijuujin, and tilts himself, hitting Travelion with his spear and getting free. Making pointed remarks about the power of darkness, he will use the Bali Javeline. The blast he flings closes Travellion in a powerful cord of black magic. He struggles and Wolkaiser sneers that this is it, and informs him that even know the others have been bested by the Meijuujin, who are this very moment about to set off the soul-bomb.

Houka in on her front next to Makito, to whom she says, "Big brother, I'm afraid... I'm finished." But he's struggling. And then the gem in the ring Hikaru had given him begins to glow. "The ring," he says shakily. "Hikaru-sensei gave us as... protection." He closes his hand into a fist. Urara, Kai, Houka, they all look at theirs, and remember now that Hikaru is out there, fighting for Tsubasa's life. Urara says, "We promised Tsubasa too, that we'd get back the soul-ball." Her eyes blaze, and she clenches her fist. "That's so!" gasps Kai. And he with the others clambers back to his feet. He says that the four of them can do it even so. And they charge, transforming into armor.

Hikaru, similarly reminded of the people he believes in, finds his strength. He shouts that he believes in the courage of his students, and bursts free of the black binding Wolkaiser had inflicted upon him. "Fool!" snarls Wolkaiser. In the Travelion, Smoky is applauding his master. And to Magishine's astonishment, a new magic answers him. "New magic?" gasps a startled Smoky. The front of Travelion opens again, but it's different this time. Magishine calls, "Goru Goru Gojika!" with joy. A tremendous blast of fire coils out at Wolkaiser. (for some reason, they filmed this part somewhere you can easily see that the guy wearing the suit is normal human-sized. Not sure why) But the blast which hits Wolkaiser sends the sceptre flying. Smoky applauds gleefully. Magishine leaps from the cockpit to catch the falling sceptre. He lands stumbling near where he'd pulled it out in the first place. Behind him, Wolzard has also appeared and snorts a laugh. He says something like, "You're not ready," and vanishes away. Swaying on his feet, Magishine remembers, "Tsubasa!" and shuts down his armor. Hikaru races to the unconscious Tsubasa's side. He pulls aside the black jacket. The vortex remains on Tsubasa's torso, and Hikaru whips the staff out, points the end down towards the vortex. He stabs it in and begins stirring. Yellow magic curls up the shaft. Tsubasa's skin is untouched, but the vortex wripples and swirls with the staff. That'll be a fun sight to wake up to. Hikaru glances worriedly at Tsubasa's face. Our boy twitches, winces, seems about to open his eyes. Hikaru concentrates on the task at hand. The vortex shrinks, being absorbed or destroyed by the staff. Finally it is gone, vanishes in a puff of black smoke. And Tsubasa wakes. He blinks wearily, sees who is hanging over him and asks, "Sensei..?" Hikaru smiles and nods, face gray with dried mud. "Mm. They're waiting."

And fighting. Again they charge Berubireji, but he charges them, too, and is pretty good with a sword. He's taking them down. The soul-bomb is in the cannon, and Berubireji calls up a lick of flame on his finger. He starts the fuse. The four Magiranger gasp in horror as it starts burning down. And then a shot rings out! The fuse is cut ahead of the flame! Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Well, it's Tsubasa! In his armor he enters the fray, firing with his crossbow on the evil Berubireji and Spider! They are blasted away from the cannon. The Magiranger tear over to Tsubasa, Kai crying "You helped us!" Tsubasa still sounds a little raspy, greeting them and calling them into battle. While the five face Berubireji and Spider, Magishine makes off with the soul-bomb. Happily, the five use their Lightning Speed Attack. Together they make quick work, and Tsubasa launches off his siblings' bound hands to destroy Spider. The soul-bomb shatters with him. Magishine notes that all the souls will return to their rightful owners now. The Magiranger are pleased as punch. Berubireji is not. "Cuse you meddling brats!" (Okay, he just uses a nasty form of "You" but hehehe) Pissed, he is sent giant by Meemy. Then he stomps on them. He's feeling that problem solved when a bright light flares under his foot and tumbles him on his back. For they formed Magiking from the ground! Tsubasa yells that he is unforgivable. They pick Berubireji and punch him. He tries to fly away, so they open up their wings and fly after him. They cut him outof the sky to the city streets, and now he faces their attack, something powerful enough to devestate him. The end.

Sunset approaching and we see Tsubasa charging up a hill with Kouta fast on his heels. They are jugging/punching together. "All righty, Kouta!" crows Tsubasa. "I promised I'd teach you my Meteor Punch!" The boy makes a sound of happy agreement. But seriously, before that Tsubasa tells him something else. "But you have other things to learn first or you'll be beaten." "Eeeh?" protests the boy. But Tsubasa encourages him to get started, preparing to receive his punches. The others are nearby, quietly watching this action. "That's what was taught to me," says Hikaru softly. "And that's pretty difficult to teach." Kai, seeming to understand the strange melancholy, turns to him and says his name gently. I think the lesson of the day is to understand the consequences before you take the action. Not to get in over your head with something you don't really understand. He moves to Urara's side as he finishes his speech, and they all watch Tsubasa teaching. Tsubasa takes a brief glance at them, faint smile, continues with Kouta.

Hikaru announces that because of their courage he's got a new spell. Goru Goru Gojika! A new blast for Travelion! Mandora-boy is announcing that when Smoky knocks him out of the way, hogging the camera. Whatever he says gets him pounced on by the five.

Stage. 25 盗まれた勇気　〜ジルマ・マジ・マジーロ〜 Nusumareta Yuuki Jiruma Maji Maji-ro Stolen Courage
Ah, life continues. Magishine faces the next Meijuujin and Wolzard. Talks about important things. Nai and Mea are piloting something suspiciously Travelion-like and gleeful. Yamazaki is back, and she has a little stuffed Magired doll she carries around. Kai is in tears in the magic room under the stern gazes of his siblings and Hikaru. He sniffles because he can't go, staring at his ring. A girl, not Yamazaki, takes a punch at Kai. Someone else seems to be watching in shock as he falls painfully. Five people in cloaks with scary staves (appears to be the Magiranger) Kai with fight in his armor with Magishine at his side, in a roiling burst of flame. Wolzard will be involved, and so will they fight in their giant forms. Ah, Nai and Mea will be piloting Travelion and fighting Makito's mecha-form. Magishine will fight Wolzard again. Looks like he's faring better this time.