Chapter 17 - True Power .1

Tai Stapleton and his staff members arrived late Friday evening at a rather large, if not trendy, Japanese spa in the mountain near Angel Grove. It was a little out of the way place few people knew about. Founded more than fifty years before, it had at first served as haven for Japanese immigrants in the area looking for a little taste of home. If Grandpa was to be believed, he and his brother Kenji had a lot to do with it.

As his staff exited the Studio van, they looked at it curiously. Daiki and Kiari found themselves surprised by how much it resembled something they would easily have seen at home. For his part Kane was more concerned with wondering if he'd have to sleep on a bamboo mat at this 'traditional' hot springs. Rena shared a similar sentiment.

Tai had actually been planning the trip for awhile, but only for himself and Lani, as a little getaway. Then he started having bad premonitions of what shape his house would be in if he left the others there alone. Never mind that Grandpa and Hikomi-san would be there to over see things. He didn't trust Kane and Rena not to put their heads together and devise a way to destroy the place, Kiari was too easily swayed by Kane and Daiki, while the most level headed, would probably easily surrender to group pressure.

Lani would say he was being paranoid, and perhaps he was. Perhaps he just didn't feel it was the best time to split off from the whole, though he still wouldn't put it past Kane or Rena to devise a way to leave the house in shambles. So he all but ordered everyone to come with them for a well needed vacation.

"I had to give up Dad's barbeque for this?" Rena demanded, putting a fist on her hip and shooting him a skewering look.

"Rena's Dad's barbeque -and- Tay's air show," Kane added

Tai rubbed the bridge of his nose. "We'll be back plenty of time Monday for your Dad's barbeque and Taylor's air show," he snapped at them.

Lani sent them a frown and they grinned at her. She leaned against his shoulder. "They're just trying to get your goat. And you're letting them," she reminded him.

That was the problem. They'd been trying their damnedest for the past two hours to get on his nerves and they were beginning to win.  He turned to them. "After we check in, I don't want to see either of you for the rest of the afternoon," he warned them.

The stood at attention and saluted him. Kiari did a bad job of hiding a giggle. Daiki was only marginally more discreet, clearing his throat and pushing his glasses back up his nose. Even Lani couldn't suppress a smile. She grabbed Tai's arm before he decided to kill them. "Let's go check in," she said brightly.

Shaking his head at Kane and Rena, Tai allowed himself to be led off by Lani. "If you two had bothered to listen--"

"We know; natural hot springs, a pool, and even a sacred stream nearby. A real authentic experience. We got it," Rena said and gestured him forward with an impatient shooing motion with her hand.

Tai gritted his teeth. They entered the reception area of the retreat and Tai rang the hotel bell on the desk. There was a bit of wait, during which he knew he heard Kane give a loud, exaggerated yawn. Eventually a small white haired woman in a yukata shuffled forward. She looked up, and up, at Tai with a squint before her face brightened. "Tai-san!" she greeted with a bright smile pulling at her wrinkled features.

Tai gave her a slight bow. "Haruda-san," he greeted. "Three rooms," he reminded her.

She beamed again. "This is my busy time," she said as she fished out three keys from under the main desk. "Here you go. Enjoy your stay," she said with another smile. In her day Haruda-san was probably a looker, which probably explained why Akira and Kenji Watanabe helped her establish this place. She informed him what part of the building they'd be staying in.

Tai lead the way. "Haruda-san was a shrine maiden," he explained to his retainers. "She used whatever spooky shrine maiden skills she had to find this place and establish the stream nearby as sacred," he added.

"Not exactly the image I have in my head when I hear the words 'shrine maiden'," Kane remarked.

"That's because you watch too much anime," Rena said dryly.

Kane didn't bother to deny that. "Say Rena..." he started.

"No," she said.

"You don't even know what I was going to ask!"

"I don't have to. No," she said and she and Kii went into their room. Kii gave him a slight wave.

Daiki looked at him. "There was no way it was going to happen," he said and opened the door to their room and pushed him in.

Tai sighed and unlocked the door to his room and pulled Lani in with him. She gave a squeak he cut off quickly as he began kissing her and closed the door tight.

~*~

Sanzu River

The River roiled and lightning flash, throwing the ship around like mad. Doukoku stood on deck cracking with energy, lightning shooting off of him in arcs. Dayuu and shootari below clung onto anything they could for support.

"Doukoku's power," shootari said. "It may be too much this time," he squealed.

Dayuu shook her head. "He'll find a way to suppress it," she said surely. The ship quieted slightly as Doukoku came down and moved to his quarters. The air still fairly sizzled around him. Dayuu followed with her shamisen.

After awhile, with the sounds of her music filling the air, the ship stopped lurching. shootari wiped a hand over his brow. "Dayuu's playing seems to be helping. I just hope he gets it under control soon," he muttered to himself.

A sound near the hatch had shootari spinning around. "Gozunagumo. What are you doing here? Doukoku banished you to the bottom of the River for insubordinance," he hissed.

The ox headed Ayakashi snorted. "Doukoku is on the brink of destruction," he sneered. He rubbed crablike claws together. "Perhaps, you too feel that his time is at an end," he lashed out and put one of the claws against his tentacles near his neck. "Perhaps if you join me, I'll let you live," he tempted.

shootari snorted. "If were you I wouldn't count Doukoku out so easily. However, if you can do something for me, I will gladly join you instead," he said, the cogs in evil mind working quickly. If he could have grinned, he would have.

~*~

Hikomi-san was in Tai's study. Akira was out in the forge, but he would be expected to be kept up-to-date. He refused to sit in Tai's chair however and took a perch on a chair in front of the desk as he spoke with Billie. "And they're sure it's Water from the Sanzu River?" she asked.

Hikomi-san nodded. "It is coming from the cracks and it is glowing. Right now it is not in areas where people can access it but--"

"I know, I know. Can you have one of the Stagehands deliver a sample to me?" she asked.

Hikomi-san nodded. "I will see to it. Then I will inform the Lord," he added.

"No. Don't bother him with this yet. There's nothing that can be done about it now. They need a little break, not more stress," she stated. "Besides, I'm working in a contingency plan," she added and the screen went blank.

Hikomi-san humphed slightly. What a rude young lady.

~*~

Juzou carried his sword and a bag of supplies along a mountain path to where Saeko was setting up their camp. He paused briefly when he noticed glows beneath the cracks. He pursed his lips. "Doukoku will be distracted for a time," he said to himself. He water trickling nearby where there should be no water and followed the sound to investigate.

Near some rocks, the glowing was more intense and water was trickling through. He put his hand under it and touched a finger to his tongue. He immediately spit.

He hurried to Saeko. She glanced up at him curiously. "Uncle?" she asked.

"Only drink the water of the stream. None else, understood?" he demanded of her.

She nodded. His tone was urgent. Whatever reason he had for telling her that, it was important. She moved to edge of her ledge and looked out over the edge and could easily see the retreat in the distance.

~*~

Kane tooled around the pool on an inflatable floaty. "How much does it suck that men and women's hot springs are separate?" he complained.

Daiki looked up from a book he was reading in a lounging chair. "Complain about something else, I dare you," he snapped.

Tai paused with Lani in tow, they were about to go out by the pool. She refused to allow him to keep her cooped up inside all day. Until after lunch was fine, but not all afternoon. He made her pause as well and touched a finger to his lips to keep her quiet.

Boredom made Kane brave. "I'll complain that my roommate is a four-eyed, anal retentive, OCD neat-freak," he snapped loudly.

Daiki glanced over his book, his glasses gleaming in the sunlight. He snapped the book he was reading shut. The water around Kane burst into the air and then doubled in on itself on top of Kane pushing him, kicking and struggling to the bottom of the pool.

He kicked his way to the surface, sputtering and cursing. "All right, dragon-boy, you want a piece of me?" he demanded.

Tai walked out laughing. "Nice one," he said.

Kane grumped and swam over to his floaty and drug it out of the pool. "If my hair turns any weird colors, it'll be all your fault," he told Daiki.

Tai and Lani walked to a couple of lounging chair, still laughing.

Rena and Kiari came hurrying down a rocky path, wrapped in towels. "We heard that splash all the way up there," Rena announced.

"What happened?" Kii asked.

Kane gave her a droopy, pouty look, "Daiki tried to drown me," he sulked.

Rena snorted. "Yeah, no doubt you deserved it," she declared and went over to a chair and plopped down. She was actually enjoying the relaxing atmosphere.

"Don't listen to her, Kii. I did nothing wrong," Kane said pathetically.

Kiari giggled and patted his cheek. "It's ok. I believe you," she said.

Kane grinned and draped an arm around her waist and hugged her close.

"She doesn't really believe you. She's just being nice," Lani couldn't help point out. Kane didn't pay any attention to her.

Shaking his head, Tai hailed a pool attendant, who was still looking baffled by the pool coming alive and ordered a round of cool drinks. The young man gave a jerky nodded and hurried off to the kitchen to place the order. As he waited around, he chatted with a new waitress from the dining room. Even while the drinks sat there, he found it difficult to break away from the conversation.

So no one noticed the glowing crack near the tray or the hand that reached up and dropped something into one of the glasses, making it glow briefly. The hand retreated. Finally, the young attendant took the drinks out to the pool and passed the tropical-fruity juices around to Tai's party.

"Took long enough," Daiki muttered, not looking up from his book and took a sip of it.

"The only one I don't feel the urge to strangle is Kii," Tai told Lani as he took a long drink from his glass. Lani chuckled. Tai got up and began to remove his flip-flops and his shirt, intending to take a swim. His head began to swim instead and he had trouble focusing on anything.

"Tai?" Lani's voice came from far away. He didn't know when he toppled over, but he was saved from a bad crash by Kane's ability to ninja streak. He caught Tai. Daiki was there a moment later. Tai gazed at them through glazed eyes.

"Get him to his room," Lani ordered.

"What happened?" Rena demanded.

"I don't know. Let's get him to the room," Lani ushered. Kane and Daiki, with none-too-little difficulty managed to get the half out of it, Tai to his room and lay him out on the futon.

He felt a cool hand pressed against his forehead. "He's burning up," Lani's voice seemed even further away and the activity around him was reduced to fuzzy gray shadows of movement. What the hell was going on?

~*~

Gozu and several Nanashi slipped from the cracks outside the retreat. "Rangers, Rangers. Come out, come out wherever you are!" he called needlessly. For wherever Ayakashi appeared, so too would the Rangers.

Just in case, he sicced the Nanashi on some of the guests starting a hike.

~*~

Haruda-san had taken over the care of Tai. She announced that he was poisoned after examining him. While they were contacting the house and Billie, Morphers went off alerting them to the fact that an Ayakashi had just come through.

Haruda-san frowned at them. "If you have matters attend to, I will see to his care," she said with a slightly disapproving bent.

Lani nodded. "His Grandfather will come for him if we don't make it back soon," she said, ignoring the tone of the old woman's voice. "Come on," she said and ran out.

Daiki, Kiari and Kane followed but Rena lingered a moment. "Watch him, old woman," she said darkly before following the others. She gave him a hard time, but Tai was every bit a brother to her as Rex was, so that was her job.

When left alone, Haruda summoned some of her staff and bade them prefer medicine and incense.

~*~

Nanashi were everywhere. "Wow, they came in droves," Kane remarked.

"Whatever they're up to, they won't succeed," Lani declared, flipping out her Morpher in Pen-mode. "Samurai Sword Clash!" She and the others drew their Characters and began the morphing process.

Gozu rubbed his claws together. "Only four. So it worked," he murmured to himself.

Nanashi rushed on the fully morphed Rangers. The Rangers rushed into them. They cleared the first few easily, but they lead Samurais Green and Blue deeper into the mountain forest surrounding the retreat.

Green gave a frustration sniff and pulled his Hidden Disc from his belt. He slid it onto his Sword and spun it. "Wood Spear!" The Sword transformed into his Spear and the blade tip shot up. He began to thrust it at Nanashi and throwing a few around.

Blue also when for his Hidden Disc and pulled it out. Sliding it onto his Sword, he spun it. "Water Arrow!" He pulled back on the bow and let loose a volley of blue water arrows. They hit any nearby Nanashi with devastating effect.

Yellow and Pink teamed up on Gozu jumping at him and slashing at them with their swords. He used his claws to deflect then, and then moved with incredible speed between them, slashing with his claws. Knocking them off their feet several feet away. Cackling, he then shot some of sort of thick white spider webbing at them as they got to their feet. It encircled them. "Time to finish it!" He prepared to end them when Gold Samurai's golden spikes were thrown at him. The webbing came undone and disappeared as he stumbled back.

Green helped Yellow to her feet. "Kii, are you ok?" he asked. She nodded.

"Be careful. He's strong," Pink warned them.

~*~

From where she was keeping an eye on things while Uncle cleaned the rabbits hunted earlier, Saeko jumped to her feet. "Things from the cracks, Uncle," she announced. She grabbed her sword.

Juzou glanced up and nodded. He took a moment to tie the rabbits up out of reach of any hungry animals that might steal them. He grabbed his sword. "Let's take a closer look," he agreed.

~*~

Haruda-san's attendants hurried into Tai's room carrying some medicine, but they were knocked aside by a wicked looking staff. shootari made his way into the room. Haruda cowered back. shootari Made his way over to Tai and peered over him. "So, Lord Shiba. We meet again," he said with a wicked smile in his scratchy voice.

Tai tried to focus on him. "Oh, great. It'sh Octopush-head," he muttered with a slur.

~*~

Gozu was fending off the Rangers on all sides. He was as fast as Gold, as fluid as Blue, as strong as Green, as agile as Yellow and as light as Pink. Every time they would slash with their swords, he was deflect with one claw and slash with the other.

He jumped up in the air and came down hard and moved, slashing at them all within a blink. The stumbled back. He grabbed Yellow by her shoulder and bodily threw her at the others. They caught her as a group.

He was done. Spreading his arms, orb-like eyes flashed at them, hitting them with energy. The were marched backwards. One of Haruda-san's attendants came running down the mountains. "There are monsters inside the hotel!" she screamed.

Pink got to her feet. "Tai!" she shouted in a panic and began to run toward the hotel. Gozu caught her and threw her.

Blue ran forward to distract the Ayakashi, but was slashed, jabbed and grabbed. "Your Lord is ours!" he announced and let him to get in a couple of headshots.

"They're after Tai again!" Green declared. He and Pink jumped forward prepared to slash at him. He shot strings of webbing at them, bringing them down to the ground. Hard. He let loose an energy attack that traveled down the stream and blew them back, forcing them to lose their Morphs.

Yellow rushed over to them. "Lani, Kane?" she asked in concern.

Gozu began to walk away. "You're finished now," he spat. Gold's spikes stopped him again.

"You aren't going anywhere!" she said.

Blue and Yellow rushed forward and grabbed his arms. "Go check on Tai!" Daiki ordered.

"We will handle this!" Yellow promised.

Gold hesitated only a moment before she began running back up toward the hotel.

Gozu broke free of them and knocked them aside. He turned and slashed his claws several times; shooting slashes of energy toward them that send them flying in an explosion that made them lose their Morphs.

~*~

Tai's refusal to once again answer shootari's questions resulted in him being thrown through the not-so-stout walls of the hotel. Somehow he managed to call on his genetic ability to soften the impact where he didn't crack every bone in his body when he landed in a gravel yard.

shootari walked toward him. "So. Are you going to tell me the Sealing character now?" he demanded. "That's my special brew. If you refuse to tell me, your heart will go numb and you'll die and our problem will be solved anyway. However, if you tell me, I'll give you the antidote." he hissed.

Tai managed to move just enough to make it clear to shootari what he thought of that. He flipped him off.

shootari hissed. "You--"

"Wait right there, you Squid-head!" Gold said as she ran up and launched herself at shootari, sword in hand.

He blocked her with his staff. Tai was powerless to help her, he could barely make out the gold flashes of her uniform, and he used up his burst of strength protecting his own body.

~*~

Sanzu River

Dayuu decided to take a break from her playing to get a breath of air. She exited Doukoku's chamber, intending to take her frustrations out on shootari, but he was not there. "shootari?" she called and looked around, walking further into the hold. "shootari, you little miscreant, where are you?" she demanded in a hiss.

She was about to walk out on deck to investigate when she realized the ship had settled into an eerie calm. She turned and stared at the cabin door. Doukoku had gone silent.

~*~

Daiki tried to get his wits together and reached for his Morpher. Gozu stepped forward, "Allow me to put you out of your misery," he said.

A blur of white and flash of steel had Gozu stumbling back in a shower of spark. "Who are you?" he demanded of Saeko as she stood before him, in front of Daiki. Before she could answer, or he could engage her, the ground trembled.

"GOZUNAGUMO!"

The voice seemed to come from all over.

Gozu started. "Doukoku!" he shouted in fear. "It cannot be!" he wailed.

"That's the end of you acting on your own!" from a crack between some rocks in the mountain ground, an orange sort of root shot out, wrapping itself around Gozu and dragging him back in the cracks kicking and screaming.

Daiki was amazed and dazed. He shifted his focus to Saeko before losing strength and lay his head down and knew nothing more after the brief touch of her fingers on his face.

~*~

Samurai Gold was still engaging shootari the wily old octopus was stronger than she would have though. He gave as good he got. He knocked her back and pointed his staff at her. White ink shot from it. She sparked and was knocked threw the air and she landed hard. She sat up, shaking her head to clear it.

She gritted her teeth and growled, getting to her feet. shootari's eyes glowed and two of his tentacles grew longer, wrapping around her. "What the hell!" she shouted as she was lifted from the ground.

shootari sent crackle of energy through the tentacles then began lifting her up and slamming her to the ground.

She made a grab for her sword and managed to get it unsheathed. She slashed at the tentacles. shootari dropped her and she ran forward. He blocked with it staff.

Juzou stepped toward Tai and looked down at him.

Gold and shootari paused in their battle at this latest development. "Juzou!" shootari spat.

Gold sheathed her sword. "So that's Juzou," she murmured to herself. "Hey!" she shouted when he shifted to his Gedoushu form.

He bent down and lifted Tai over his shoulder. "Send Doukoku my regards," he stated to shootari.

"Wait!" Gold shouted, but he had jumped, going over the hotel and out of sight. She ignored shootari completely now and tried to chase after them. She almost caught up with him when she saw the white haired girl, Saeko join him. "Stop!" she cried, but to no avail, they were gone.

She heard someone murmur her name and she spun around and spotted the others on the ground. "No way!" she cried and immediately contacted Billie to teleport them home.

~*End Act 17*~           

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