Chapter 30 - Unstrung

"Sankyou for helping me set-up Dai-kun," Kiari Sakakibara told her teammate Daiki Singuji. They were at Angel Grove's largest anime and manga convention, PowerCon. At Kane's insistence, she registered a booth at Artist Alley to promote her online manga, which he'd been helping her translate into English. They'd prepared prints and some merchandise that didn't take much overhead. With the help of the Stagehands, they managed to get her a decent booth set up. She was also offering quick sketches of people in her drawing style. Kane had meant to come along to help her but he'd ended with a small bout of food poisoning from the restaurant they attended the night before.

Daiki shrugged. "It's nothing," he deflected easily. "Tai wanted one of us here anyway to advertise the Studio," he said as he put a stack of fliers beside her display of prints and merchandise. They both also wore their sleeveless Studio jackets.

Kii smiled and nodded. Though they've been working together for four years, they were never what one would call friends. He was never an easy person to get to know, but she liked to think he was mellowing more with Tai's (and, to a certain extent, Kane's) influence. He still wasn't friendly, but he was more open than he ever was before.

The Angel Grove Municipal Building was an extremely large place, but it was beginning to fill up fast. There was an abundance of homemade Power Ranger costumes, both Samurai Rangers and teams from years before. These peppered in with people dressing up like their favorite anime and manga characters. There were a few characters from American comics and movies as well. The majority of people were dressed somewhat normally, usually just wearing tee-shirts displaying their loyalties.

Kii was beginning to feel slightly overwhelmed and wished Kane was there.

Daiki was watching people in fascination. The closet anthropologist in him was observing everything.

Kii blinked when a group of people near her age came up to her booth. "Oh, my gosh! Are you really Kiari Sakakibara? We -love- your manga!" said a girl with bright red hair and pronounced freckles.

"Oh, my gosh, Tilly, he looks like General Daggeron, right?" said another of the group.

Daiki, who'd been observing absently, suddenly became alert. A feeling of unease slid down his spine. "What? Excuse me? I don't speak English," he said in Japanese, bowing apologetically, hoping they'd take the hint and leave him out of this.

This only emboldened the group, who were really excited to meet a real live 'bishie'. Especially one their favorite character was base one. Kii was flabbergasted at the behavior but she obediently sold prints of General Daggeron and signed her name on them. Daiki, however, continued to deny the ability to speak English and looked blankly at them when they insisted that he sign too as General Daggeron.

Someone began pushing through the crowd. "Out of the way. Sheesh. Get lives or something," Saeko snapped as she sent the group off with pouts and glares. She bared her teeth at the pushy red-head but she finally took off with a flounce.

She glared at Daiki. "I told you, you made him entirely too pretty in this thing," she remarked as she picked up a print of General Daggeron. Daiki glared at her in return.

Kii giggled. "What are you doing here, Saeko?" she asked as she straightened her booth. Now that she wasn't being overcrowded, she actually thought the look on Daiki's face was priceless. She was also quite overwhelmed that she had fans. Pushy, fanatic fan-girls, but real fans.

Saeko shrugged. "Just checking things out. Thought maybe I'd find a figure from that one show," she said absently. Saeko was never really able to sit and watch television, but through Kii and Kane, she was introduced to anime. She was secretly hooked.

Kii giggled at the feigned disinterest. "You will probably find it here," she assured her. "How was Kane when you left?" she couldn't help asking.

"Hanging over the toilet in his bathroom," Saeko answered.

Kii nodded. She was worried about him, but he insisted she come without him. She had to admit, she was glad she did. Even aside from the group, people were stopping by her booth to browse and buy stuff. "If you want to go with Saeko to find her figure, I'll ok here alone for awhile," she told Daiki.

Daiki nodded. "Yes, fine," he said. He was rather eager put some distance between himself and General Daggeron.

Saeko rolled her eyes. "Fine. Let's go," she said and tromped off wondering why everyone thought she needed him to baby-sit her.

They were out of earshot of Kii before Daiki sighed in relief. "Kane better get better soon. He's even prettier than me in that thing. Let him get mauled for awhile," he muttered.

Saeko couldn't help but snicker as they wandered about.

~*~

By the end of the day, Kii almost felt like she'd put in a full day of training, or had been in a battle. There was still two more days of the convention. "Are we finally done?" Daiki asked as he realized that there were no more Studio fliers. Good, at least Tai would be satisfied.

Kii nodded as she packed up for the night. The building was quiet now except for other booths being closed down for the night and a few straggling fans hanging around.

They walked out together. The grounds were still pretty crowded with people. They made their way toward the gray town car. They stashed some of the things Kii wasn't comfortable leaving behind in the trunk.

They both spun around as they heard a scream. Nanashi were attacking the con goers. They looked at each other and nodded. They flipped out their Morphers. "Samurai Sword Clash!" They drew their perspective Characters and activated them. They flipped around, enveloping them, forming their power suits, Swords and helmets.

"Gedoushu!"

The Nanashi were momentarily distracted from their terrorizing at the appearance of the Blue and Yellow Samurai Rangers. Then they went back to what they were doing.

Yellow drew her Sword and rushed forward to engage the Nanashi. They met her blow for blow.  

Blue drew his Sword and dove into the fray to engage the Nanashi as well. He went to slash at a Nanashi when he suddenly found his way blocked by a guy with glasses wearing a tee shirt emblazoned with a scantily clad anime babe. "Hey, get out of the way. It isn't safe here," he said but the guy just stared at him blankly.

Yellow stepped back to slash at a Nanashi but she bumped into a Sailor Mercury cosplayer. "Gomenasai," she said hurriedly with a small bow before she realized that the person wasn't moving and was staring blankly forward. "Hello?" she said and waved a hand in front of her face.

"Watch out!" Yellow was pulled aside by Samurai Green as a Nanashi took advantage of her distraction. He held up his Sword, deflected, the Nanashi's blow, and kicked him in the stomach. He groaned and stumbled off, grabbing at his helmet. The sound of retching could soon be heard in the manicured bushes nearby.

Yellow supposed he was still sick, but he'd saved her. She felt all warm inside and went back to work. "Watch out for the people," she shouted at the other Rangers.

"Yeah, no kidding," Gold remarked dryly as a slightly too old and too heavy Ash Ketchum got in her way. She backpedaled and tried to go around but he just moved over, staring blankly.

"They're purposely getting in the way!" White complained as her own move was abruptly cut off due to someone being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Pink waved her hand in front of a couple of faces as well. "This isn't good," she declared.

Silver gripped both his Swords as he surveyed the best way around a line of three people. "Nope," he said.

"Zords," Red said. They all pulled out their Origamizords and the little creatures, agile and powerful took care of the remaining Nanashi.

Green stumbled back to the scene and surveyed the people as he leaned against Blue for support. "What are they zombified or something?" he asked.

White was about to poke at a cat girl but all the people suddenly turned and began wandering off toward their respective destinations.

"More like mind controlled," Red declared. "Maybe we should all come to the con tomorrow," he said thoughtfully.

"Great idea," Green said and groaned again and stumbled off once more. Yellow followed him.

"He can ride back with you. I don't think teleporting was good for him," Red said. She waved a hand to show that she'd heard.

"I'm teleporting," Blue declared, eliciting snickers from Gold and White.

"Then we'd better all get going," Red said and teleported himself. The others followed suit, including Blue.

~*~

Tai sat in the booth with Kii. She was having a hard keeping a straight face. If her odd fans thought having General Daggeron in the booth, when Tilly and her group spotted Tai, or as they saw him, Prince Tysonne, they practically took her booth apart. Security had to escort them away from the booth.

"I have stared Roki Repulsa in the face, faced more monsters than I can count, had to step out onto a seemingly bottomless ravine and have faith not to fall, done battle with a half demon Japanese warrior but that was the single most horrific thing that's ever happened to me," Tai declared as he righted his jacket. "I think the redhead got my Fire symbol," he declared as he studied his sleeve where the embroidered design had been ripped away.

Kiari couldn't hold it in any more. She began giggling and couldn't stop.

"You start moving in on my woman, I'ma move in on yours. I know you lordly people do," Kane remarked as he approached the booth. He had a lot more color in face and aside from a lingering queasy feeling, he hadn't puked yet that day.

"I'd walk away right now if I were you. It's not safe here," Tai declared and eyed his torn sleeve with a grimace. "And I don't just mean my killing you if you even think about moving in on Lani," he added. "Well?" he asked, waiting for a report.

"I saw at least ten people with the same blank look, shuffling along, just going through the motions," Kane answered as he came into the booth. He sat down, hoping his breakfast was going to stay down.

Kii sighed. Her first real step in the right direction of being a serious mangaka was turning into a disaster all because of the Gedoushu. She watched several more people shuffle past, blank looks on their faces. "It's getting quieter," she said, meaning the din of voices wasn't as deafening as it had been the previous day or even that morning.

Tai nodded. "Whatever's happening, it's spreading at a rapid rate," he said. "I'm going to look around for awhile myself," he said and left the booth.

Kane sat down in the metal folding chair Tai just vacated. "So, aside from the Gedoushu making things crap, how's it been going?" he asked her.

Kii beamed at him. She hugged him and kissed his cheek. "Thank you for talking me into this," she declared.

"Hey, if that's your reaction, I can think of a few more things to talk you into," he said with a grin. She blushed. He chuckled. "I'll take that as a maybe later," he said quietly. Especially since he still didn't quite have his land legs. She smiled and moved off when someone came up to her booth.

~*~

Sanzu River

"Why are you just standing around?" Doukoku demanded of Akumaro and shootari as he noticed them doing just that.

shootari, still smarting from his failure with the Nanashi Rifle Squad, bristled. "Akumaro requested the lead this time, my lord," he answered. Besides which, he was knee deep in research. He was beginning to see that his only alternative might just be the total eradication of the Shiba Lord. That might break whatever connection there was between him and Doukoku and allow him the freedom he needs to gain access into the Human World.

"My plans are underway as we speak, my lord," Akumaro said with a demurred bow. "I have not given up gaining a new foothold into the Human World. I have chosen a place where there are many people gathered. It's already quite a ghastly gathering, most of these people are friendless and loveless. Lonely and depressed. Pause. Can you feel it?" he asked dramatically.

Even Dayuu stilled her shamisen playing at Akumaro's words as they all paused.

Doukoku nodded. "I do," he agreed.

"Now, imagine if all these people began killing themselves and each other," he mused and began to pace as he painted a picture. "Not only would this place be a blood bath and a place of such rage and sorrow that the Waters of the Sanzu River will burst through, but the shock and despair  will ripple out like a tidal wave, raising the Waters evermore," he said.

Dayuu stared at him. She made a noise. "A grand scheme. If you can pull it off," she said dryly.

Doukoku nodded. "How do you intend to pull it off?" he demanded, sharing Dayuu's skepticism.

Akumaro's grin seemed to widen. "Kugutsukai," he answered.

shootari blustered. "How did you get her to agree?" he demanded.

"She owed me," Akumaro answered, waving a negligent hand.

"See that she doesn't fail. Both of you," Doukoku told Akumaro and included Dayuu in that.

They both bowed to him and left the ship. Doukoku sought out a bottle of Essence, leaving shootari to his own plans.

~*~

Lani and Kii walked through Artist's Alley as they munched on some caramel popcorn. Kii felt like she hadn't eaten in ages. "You're better than anyone else here," Lani declared stoutly.

Kii smiled. "No, but thank you," she said. Lani gave a shrug. They stopped short when a man appeared in front of them. He wore an expensive suit and had long hair in a neat queue. "Oh, excuse me ladies," he said apologetically.

"Yeah, no problem," Lani said absently with a brief smile.

He removed his glasses to reveal his pale gray eyes. "Forgive my rudeness but you are very beautiful," he said to Lani.

Kii's brows rose. She felt kind of sorry for the man. She Lani was very protective of her relationship with Tai and wouldn't take well to some stranger flirting with her.

"I'm also very engaged but thank you for the compliment," Lani said, keeping her smile in place.

"Engaged isn't married," he said and flashed a toothy grin.

"Look, guy. You keep hitting on my friend's lady, I'm going to make you eat those pearly whites," Rex said casually as he joined the two girls. He draped his arms around their shoulders.

"You'll have to beat me to it," Lani said to him with a grin.

The man replaced his sunglasses. "The challenge is tempting, but I have better things to do at the moment," he stated easily. "I'll be seeing you around," he said to Lani as he slunk off.

Kii bit her lip. "That was weird, yes?" she asked.

"That was very weird. Get your arm off me before I make you eat your pearly whites," Lani said to Rex good-naturedly.

Rex grinned wide enough to bear his pearly whites at her. He just squeezed both girls closer to him.

"Uh-oh," Kii said as she spotted a familiar befreckled face coming their way.

"What?" Lani asked and looked around.

"That girl is the one who keeps coming by my booth," Kii answered.

"Oh, is it my turn to be mauled by a fan girl?" Rex asked hopefully.

Lani rolled her eyes.

Kii didn't answer, she was watching Tilly shuffle along blankly. "Oh, no," she said and broke away from Rex to go to the girl. No reaction. "Hey," she said and put a hand out to stop her. Tilly stopped but stared blankly forward.

Lani and Rex joined her. "Happened to her, too, huh?" he asked with a frown.

Kii nodded but something caught her attention. "She wasn't wearing this before," she said and held up the girl's hand. She wore a translucent friendship bracelet with a cute little charm hanging off of it.

Lani frowned as well.

She went to the nearest other person shuffling around blankly. "He has one, too," she declared.

Rex checked another person. "Yep, same," he said. The three of them looked around. Sure enough, every person they saw with that tell-tale blank looks and shuffling gate all wore similar bracelets.

"I have an idea," Rex said and pulled out his Morpher in Phone-mode. "Everyone, meet back at Kii's booth," he said. The three of them regrouped and hurried toward the booth to meet everyone else.

"What is it?" Tai asked as they appeared.

"I think we found a commonality," Rex said and grabbed the nearest zombie, showing them the bracelet.

"They're all wearing one," Kii explained.

"Rena, shine your Wolf-light on the bracelet," Rex instructed his sister.

She nodded and pulled out Wolfzord. The little Zord's eyes glowed brightly focusing on the bracelet. It glowed and revealed shining, nearly invisible strings.

"They are being controlled," Kii said with a gasp.

"Fan out in front of me," Tai instructed and summoned his Sword. As the others blocked him from the view of the few people left with their own minds, he attempted to cut the strings. His Sword just bounced back and he tried again.

"No, good. We just have to find the Ayakashi. Rena. Light the way. It must be in disguise or else the sensors would have alerted us," he said.

Rena nodded and held up Wolfzord. "There are so many. How do we know which one to follow?" Saeko said practically.

"Look," Kii pointed upwards. "There's a junction there and they come together and lead off in that direction," she said.

Tai nodded. "Come on," he said and they took off following the grouping of the strings.

Tai eventually held up a hand as they saw that the strings led to a kiosk where a woman with black and hot pink pigtails was selling the bracelets. "Fan out. Don't spook her," he said.

"Wait. I'll go up first," Kii said and gave a smile. She held up two fingers. "You can't deny, I'm the least threatening," she said with a cute smile and tilted her head.

Kane chuckled. "Deceptively so," he said.

Tai nodded. As the others fanned out and mixed in with the crowd, he and Kane stayed not too far from Kii and pretended to be looking at some mecha figures.

Kii approached the kiosk with a benign smile. "Hi. These are so cute. How much?" she asked.

The woman looked up with a bright smile. It tightened slightly as recognition dawned. "I'll give you this one for free," she said sweetly and held out one of the bracelets.

"Oh, I couldn't possibly," Kii demurred and moved her wrist out of reach.

"I insist," the woman reiterated and reached out to grab her.

"Gedoushu! Give it up now and undo whatever you've done. You're surrounded," Kii hissed quietly.

The woman looked around and sure enough she could see it was true. She overturned her kiosk and began running for the door changing shape as she went, revealing her true form. Kugutsukai was an oddly shaped creature. She seemed to be controlling a person in front of her with strings, yet they also seemed to be one complete entity.

"After her!" Tai said and he pulled out his Morpher. "Samurai Sword Clash!" As they ran, they morphed on the fly.

The drew their Swords as they surrounded the Ayakashi in the courtyard. Kugutsukai laughed. "You Rangers have no chance!" she declared as she surrounded herself with people who wore her bracelets.

Red probed the defenses but sure enough, as soon as he tried to get to the Ayakashi, people would get in his way.

The Rangers were well and truly stymied.

Kugutsukai laughed again. "There's nothing you can do is there? Just wait until I pull their strings and make them and every other lonely pathetic human begin to kill themselves and others. It'll be beautiful," she said and laughed again.

"I'm getting tired of this one already," Gold commented and gritted her teeth.

"Never fear, Dr. Billie to the rescue," came her voice in their helmets. A dark goldenrod colored Disc appeared in Yellow's hands. "The Fox Disc. Have fun," she said.

"Hey, what is that!" Kugutsukai demanded.

"Let's find out," Yellow said and slid it onto her Sword and brownish yellow energy spun around the blade. "Fox Claws!" Her Sword and the Disc formed gauntlets on her arms that were topped with scoop-like clawed weapons. "Perfect!" she declared.

She used the skills she'd been learning and sucked herself down into the ground and used the claws to burrow underground and burst out behind Kugutsukai. She slashed at the Ayakashi's back several times, leaving glowing and sparking claw marks.

Kugutsukai stumbled back. "What? No! How?" she demanded before she blew up in a blaze of glory.

Released from the hold of the Ayakashi, the victims of the bracelets, looked around confused, at each other, the Power Rangers and the exploding monster.

"Get out of here!" Red ordered them just as the Ayakashi grew into her second life. They didn't need to be told twice.

Red pulled out the Battlizer and used the Power Disc to summon all the Zords to form the Origami Megazord. The Rangers, except Gold and Yellow and White appeared in the cockpit.

Gold typed the Large Character into her Morpher. When it shimmered in the air, Wolf Origami Zord jumped through it. Not only did it grow to full size, but it transformed into a vaguely feminine shaped Megazord. She appeared in its cockpit.

Yellow teleported to the Cockpit as well. She spun the Fox Disc. "Foxzord!" A large, dark goldenrod  fox shaped Zord appeared outside the Wolf Megazord. She spun the disc again. "Samurai Armament!" The Foxzord broke apart. It attached itself as a helmet with a tail and dual clawed gauntlets. "United under Providence! Predator Megazord!"

The Origami Megazord slashed at the Ayakashi with the MegaSword and scored a direct hit.

"How dare you!" Kugutsukai growled and sent a string toward them. It wrapped around the MegaSword and she pulled it away from them.

"Hey! That's not right," Green complained.

"I'm tired of her. Predator Slash!" Yellow and Gold pushed their Swords forward. The Predator Megazord rushed forward and slashed, freeing the MegaSword. They didn't stop there. They slashed several more times leaving glowing claw marks.

"Wolf Howl!" The Predator Megazord stepped back and shot a beam of blindly light at the Ayakashi. Kugutsukai exploded as she fell back.

"Whoo! Lady Zord Powa!"

"That brings this chapter to a close," Yellow declared.

~*~

Dayuu snorted. "Can I tell Lord Doukoku your plan failed?" she asked hopefully.

"One door closes, another opens. I think we've been going about things all the wrong way. We have to do something about their tech support," Akumaro declared.

Dayuu thought about that. "Yes. Without her, they would have already been defeated but she keeps coming up with ways to defeat the Ayakashi. Perhaps our Lord won't kill you just yet," she said as she disappeared into the cracks.

Akumaro nodded to himself and disappeared into the cracks as well.

~*~

The last day of PowerCon was nowhere near as busy as the two previous days. Tilly and her group had come by again and had demanded 'General Kandor', Kane, to sign prints. Feeling much better, Kane hadn't even complained. He wasn't nearly as exciting as seeing Prince Tysonne in the flesh and they let him know it.

Kii shook her head. "I don't understand it. Is it really that good?" she asked. She was unused to praise in anything she did. She'd never revealed to many people that she even had an interest in art and drawing. Certainly not her family where Tsubasa was the praised artist. They would have laughed at her attempts. Well, maybe not her father, but he was one quiet voice in a room full of screechers.

"It is," Kane answered starkly and smiled at her. She smiled up at him. He was leaning in to kiss her when Tai cleared his throat. Kane made a face. "Can I help you, O Tono-sama?" he asked.

"This came for Kii by special courier. It must be important," he said and handed over a letter.

Kii frowned and took the envelope. "AniPop Magazine? Why is AniPop sending me a letter?" she asked.

Kane shrugged. "Might have something to do with the manuscript I sent them to consider publishing," he said innocently.

"You what?" she demanded shrilly then blushed at her outburst. Kane refused to look repentant.

"Don't leave us in suspense. Open it," Tai prompted.

With shaking fingers, Kii opened the letter. "I think I've forgotten how to read English," she said and gave it to Kane. "What does that say?" she asked in a small voice.

Raising a brow, Kane took the letter. "'Dear Ms. Sakakibara. We are pleased to inform you that your submission will be published in our Winter 2010 issue of AniPop Magazine. Our legal department will be contact with you soon to arrange a meeting to discuss the details of commissioning the further publication of 'The Red Lion'. Enclosed is a check for the first publication. Sincerely, Trina Kawasaki, CEO AniPop Magazine'," he said.

Kii felt faint. Blood rushed to hers. "I-I..." she couldn't form words.

Kane chuckled. "Congratulations, babe. You're now a professional mangaka," he said and pulled out the check to show it to her.

She nodded mutely and tears pricked her eyes. She threw her arms around him. "Sankyou for believing in me," she said and looked at Tai. "And you too," she said.

"Hey, that wasn't hard to do. Congratulations, Kii," he said and took his own turn hugging her.

Kii was still in shock. With her secret dreams coming true, she suddenly had more reason than ever to fight the Gedoushu.

~*End Act 30*~           

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