[TaJaDoru]

Last time on Power Rangers: GALAXY STRIDERS...

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"Hnittes b ooitcurtsnoc ftis eniheb zm lcab?! J xenk J u'ndluoc usurt neht! J mliw... Oh..." The attacker revealed herself to be the wild and wonderfully confrontational Tacari. She stopped her ramblings as her eyes laid on Byron. She turned away, clearly embarassed at her mistake... not that she'd admit to it. Byron just sat there in an indian-esque pose, with quite a large smile on his face. Neither said anything for a few minutes, making the whole thing seem incredibly awkward. Feeling the need to actually communicate, Tacari finally turned back around and addressed Byron, recovering her dignity, "... You shouldn't come wandering in here... I don't want to accidentally do something I'll regret later."

"I want to be your friend, isn't that a good enough reason?"

"You're naive... I don't know why, but that's one of your better qualities Byron..." With that, she disappeared into the moist green maze. Byron scratched his head and sighed.

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"Huh... where have I seen this...?" The feeling was nagging at him as he tried to think. As if to help him, the disc-like object began to glow bright, like a star. "Star...? Oh wait! That's right! This is the same as our Star Discs!" Byron grasped the disc and dislodged it from the trunk. In the intrum of this, a bright light shot out of the hole which the disc was sealed in. Byron didn't have the attention to notice, he was too excited over the disc... a potential increase to their firepower. But the light flew off the planet, shooting straight off in a path that was parallel to Celeste's star.

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"That's...!" Celeste quickly dashed over to the monitor, searching around the atmosphere. "I thought he sealed them into the planet forever... why would they appear now?" She kept searching for the light, but by now it escaped her. With a grim look, she turned to the planet and whispered, "Which one was it...?" Her worry was increasing ten fold. If she was correct about the light that had passed her... the people of Miranoi, including the rangers themselves, were in grave danger...

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"Yes... you'll do fine. Now... let's give you some form... Senior Bambina!" She quickly played a delicate melody of notes, each one transmuting the spectre into a solidified being. As the creation took shape, his features became more distinct.

"Ah! Mi amor, how may I be of service?" Crescenda smiled at her soldier. She nodded off to the surface.

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"Wow! She's coming back!" was all he said, everyone around him gave him a questioning look.

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"Hahaha! Now you see? I am invulnearable to physical attacks! No one can hurt me!"

"Aurora Blade!" His sword was now engulfed in an intense inferno of flames, those that would match the sun in power. With a furious cry, he launched the energy at Bambina, who was shocked.

"Ay CALIENTE!" He cried out as the flames engulfed him, shooting past him and disintergrating him. Byron lefted the sword up, but the attack didn't finish.

"NO! PLEASE STOP!" He cried out. Alas, the flames didn't recognize him as their master. Byron's eyes caught a group of people, which included a young woman and a few children with their parents. He began to run towards them, helplessly trying to navigate those hellish flames. But to no avail. The deed was done. It could not become undone. The fire began to grow bored of its games and withered out, but once they left, the blackened and red skin of the victims was still festering in the young ranger's head. Horrified, he dropped his sword, ready to scream. The others, finally finished dispatching the Grimlings, joined him. With varying reactions.

"W-what the hell?" voiced James, his voice was clearly surprised that his friend was capable of such a thing.

"Byron... just what happened?" Tacari, looked from Byron, then the damage, then Byron again. Secretly, she did enjoy the destruction... but she saw that her friend was shaking. With a terrible scream, he ran off from them, his morph becoming undone.

"BYRON!" called out James as he ran after him. Tacari placed a sword over his path. With a slight nod in his direction, she said,

"No... Byron needs to grip reality. Better he does now or we all will end up like those unfortunate ones there." She pointed to the people being carried on strechers, now that the ambulances had been called. She looked to the sky. "I just hope this isn't the thing that breaks him..."

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"BIOSCAN COMPLETE... SUBJECT OF ORIGIN: KO-35... Name?" The young woman leaned towards the machine and whispered in a soft voice,

"Karone." The machine's screen went green, letting her into the Tower...

Chapter 5 - Second Chances, Part 2

The atmosphere in the city was tense. The sky reflected the grimness of the mood, as the clouds began their waltz across it, bringing their storming partner rain, and her cousins thunder and lightning. The lake that cut into the city was naturally protected from overflowing in this situation, by its sheer ability to carry immeasurable volumes of the life-giving liquid.

Running down its banks was a peculiar mixture to be sure. A salty material mixed in with the lake in marginal amounts, the source of their origin being a figure sitting by the lake's banks. He sat, his arms crossed over his legs, trying to hold himself together. Tears streamed down his face, mixing with the rain run-off on the grass. For many hours he stayed in this position, not saying a word, but feeling tormented.

It wasn't until he heard the squish of a puddle splashing did he turn his head, frowning at the new comer. Placing her umbrella over the drenched young man, the youthful beauty knelt down besides him, tilting her head as she surveyed him. Their eyes met briefly, for a passing second. The golden-haired woman then spoke, albeit softly.

"... You remind me of someone I know. Or rather... someone I used to know." The young man didn't dignify this with a response. He looked away from her, speaking lowly, almost inaudiably,

"Stay away from me." She wasn't going to let in that easily. Instead, she tried a different approach.

"You are feeling guilty and responsible for something aren't you?" This got his attention. Safeguarding himself, he didn't know whether to trust her. Through her years of experience, she was used to distrust. That didn't mean she couldn't work around it. He simply nodded to her original question. She continued,

"Sometimes... things that we can't imagine happen. And you'd give anything for a chance to turn back time and do it over... I know the feeling all too well. I had to work through it somehow. But I was able to, because I had the one thing that made it bearable..." Byron was listening intently now, although he doubted anything she said would have mattered. With a small breath, she finished, "... I had friends. Something you have back there." She pointed towards the tower. Byron looked from her, to the tower and then back. He shook his head.

"No... they're better off without me..." Her eyes glossed over to the square, as the rain diminished and came to a halt. It was her turn to shake her head.

"Really?.... it looks like they could use your help." Byron picked his head up and looked towards the scene.

"Ay! No Red Ranger to save you this time!" shouted out Bambina. The four rangers, fully morphed, held their swords at attention.

"The four of us are more than enough for you. Let's get 'em guys!" shouted out James. With a chrous of approval, the rangers charged the enemy, unaware of his special body. A small pang in the back of his head told Byron that he had to help them.

I have to help them! cried his conciousness, growing louder as the rangers came one step closer to colliding with Bambina. No... I'll only cause more people to be hurt, reasoned his guilty side. Back and forth he went, trying to balance it. The woman next to him shook her head.

"You don't need to think about it too hard. From what I've heard about you... you'd rush into danger for anyone. Do you want to see your friends die right before your eyes? They need you. The city needs you. If those mistakes are heavy on your heart, then let your friends bear it as well. You don't have to suffer alone." Byron's concious grew even louder, drowning out his guilt. With a nod to the woman, he ran towards the group, morpher at the ready.

"Hasta la vista ninos y ninas!" Bambina aimed his rather large gun-arm and fired instantly. He shot the rangers, barrages of bullets trailing their bodies, knocking them backwards. Sparks flew from their suits, the pain shooting through them.

"AAAhhhhh....errrr..... Don't give up guys!" shouted James in between the spurts of pain. Tacari, dashing ahead, held her sword in front of her, aiming for the monster's chest. She quickly stabbed him, striking him dead-on. But, as in the case with Byron before her, she was blasted backwards as soon as the sword touched Bambina.

"Tacari!" cried out Hannah, running to catch her before she landed into the concrete. Jun stepped between Bambina and the two girls, striking a defensive stance. Before Bambina could fire another round, a voice called out,

"HOLD IT!" The figure of Byron ran between them. Bambina was amused.

"Oh? El chico comes back for more torment? You might lose control again!" Byron shook his head.

"Maybe that's true... but if my friends are with me, I can handle anything!" Flicking his morpher open, he called out, "RIDE THE NOVA!"

After he stepped off his comet, Byron appeared, fully morphed. He drew his sword, placing the disk on it. Spinning it, he called out, "Star Disk Alpha, Nova Bihander, BURST MODE!" Wrenching the handle forwards, the large broadsword faced forward, turning itself into a cannon. With some hesitation, he placed the orange disk onto the weapon. The others, allowing themselves to get up, joined him, placing their discs onto the cannon.

"ALPHA!"
"BETA!"
"GAMMA!"
"DELTA!"
"EPSILON!"

The group aimed at Bambina, who shied away. With a forceful group cry, they sounded off,

"ZETA BULLET!" Byron pulled the trigger. When the energy beam made contact with him, Bambina flung his hands in the air, growing large to avoid the attack. Byron looked back to his friends and nodded.

"I'm sorry I ran off guys... I just couldn't take it. Those people got hurt because of me..." Hannah shook her head.

"Yes... but they were easily cured. There was no permanent harm done. I'm sure they can forgive you... we already have." The group nodded. Tacari even responded.

"You're still as naive as ever... welcome back Byron." Byron smiled at Tacari's indirect kindness. He took a glance at the enlarged Bambina and spoke to his team.

"Thanks guys. Now let's knock this guy down a peg or two. Call the zords!" Whipping out their devices, the called out,

"ALPHA LION!”

“BETA DRAGON!”

“GAMMA TURTLE!”

“DELTA BEAR!”

“EPSILON MONKEY!”

“ZORDS UNITE!”

Soon, the lion zord opened up and rearranged itself to form the head and torso while the yellow and pink zords formed the arms. The green and blue zords went on to form the legs with an extra component flying off of the dragon zord. The arms snapped on to the red torso before the upper half attached itself to the legs. The extra piece that flew off formed the regal shogun helmet that the megazord would wear into battle. The chinstrap materialized and a long sword with the five animals etched into the blade appeared.. In th cockpit, the five rangers appeared in front of podiums that housed their strider swords.

“STRIDER KING MEGAZORD!” They shouted in unison as the complete robotic warrior stood atop a cliff. Bambina grinned, knowing his invulnerability still stood.

"Ay! Even now, swords are worth zero to me!" He shot several times at the megazord, which caused it to kneel down. The rangers fumbled around in the cockpit, trying to stablize the controls. James banged the consle he was at.

"How can we get near him?! If we can't get close enough, we'll never damage him!" Jun began to sweat under the helmet, but Byron wasn't worried. In fact, a voice in his head had told him the secret to winning was THAT. His mind snapped again to the orange disk and he took it out, placing it on his sword. Spinning it he called out,

"Star Summon!" The beetle that was trapped within the disk flew out of it and placed itself in front of the megazord. The entire team was shocked, save the guided Byron.

"It's a beetle!" observed Hannah in wonder.

"A zord that comes from a disk? That's new." replied Jun.

Byron called out,

"ZETA KAFER!" He placed the sword back into the console as the zord came to life. Its head spun around, as if like a drill. Bambina was surprised to say the least.

"Eso es malo! That thing!" He aimed down at it, firing down at the ground. Byron, controlling the new zord, made it move forward, ignoring the bullets. Once it got to the feet of the monster, He took the blade out a tiny bit and spun the disk. With great force, the zord threw Bambina a good distance. He struggled to get back up and shouted,

"NO! I will be the winner! Grimlings, come now!" The tall henchmen made a wall against the megazord and the small beetle. The zord opened it's jaws and fired a fire-like beam, creating a path through the wall of Grimlings. Celeste interrupted them, although her usual calm was apparently missing.

".. Bring them together. The Kafer will help you win..." She was hiding something. Worry?

"Let's bring it together!" Byron nodded.

"Armor Form Activate!" The beetle split itself into parts. Firstly, the pairs of legs seperated themselves and reattached to the arms of the megazord. The main body propped itself ontop of the head, replacing the original helmet. The bottom horn split itself open, revealing the megazord's face. Byron slid the sword into the console again and the team called out,

"Strider King Megazord, Terra Mode!" The impressive figure of the new megazord made the Grimlings tremble with fear. Bambina fired at their feet and called out,

"Don't be afraid, get them!" The Grimlings with arrows fired at the megazord, who in turn destroyed them with a blast of heat from it's helmet. Then, it unsheathed its sword and plowed through them, slashing and slicing each one in their way. Lastly only Bambina was left. He stuttered,

"B-B-But swords don't work on me!" He pulled the gun forward, but the megazord was faster. It fired another intense blast of heat from the helmet region, knocking the gun out of his hand. Together, the team drew their swords and made a thrust position. The megazord leaned on one knee as they called out,

"ASTRAL NOVA BURST!" The head of the beetle closed again, masking the face of the megazord. Both of the horns spun and spun, rapidly drawing energy. At its peak, the drill-like attack glowed firece orange and the rangers pushed their swords forward, crying,

"Ha!" The energy was released in the form of a giant fireball, which rammed against the monster. It drilled through him and he shrieked,

"Ai! La muerte!" As he fell down and was destroyed in a fiery explosion. The megazord made a pose and the rangers congradulated each other as per usual. Byron was especially happy... although he had a few questions for Celeste later...

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End of Act 5