Subject: [FFML] [Ranma][MKR] Onna: Red Side chapter 23 (and brief notes)
From: "The Eternal Lost Lurker" <EternalLostLurker@WorldNet.Att.Net>
Date: 3/19/1998, 10:54 AM
To:

Author's Notes:
Okay, the length of chapter 23 in draft form became utterly
ridiculous, so I decided to break it into two chapters. What follows
is the complete draft of chapter 23. Chapter 24 is approximately 75%
complete, and will be posted during the weekend. 
These two chapters will be the last visit to Cephiro for a while.
Chapter 25 will be the last chapter of Act Four, and will focus on
the Magic Knights back on Earth as they prepare for their journey to
China. Act Five will focus solely on the Knights as they travel
across China to find the second Fire Mashin. 

I'm afraid this chapter won't have a whole lot of action in it...it's
going to be mostly extensive descriptions and dialogue. Chapter 24
will have significant action. C&C/MST ifyalike. 


	Chapter 23: Edosel Canyon

	"Ready guys? Let's do it!" 
	Five figures stood silhouetted in the late afternoon sun, the wind
tossing their hair as it tossed granules of lavender sand about them.
Simultaenously, the five figures dropped into modified ready stances,
and began performing various motions with their arms.
	"We fight for the defenseless!" a male voice cried out, as one of
the figures stepped forward, now performing solo arm gestures.
	As the first figure finished, a second stepped forth, and began
posturing as well. "To protect the good from the evil!" a female
voice said.
	"We bring justice on those who make innocent suffer!" another female
voice declared, as a third figure began posing.
	"We'll right wrongs and triumph over evil!" a male voice declared,
as the fourth figure stepped forward, robes rustling in the wind.
	The first four figures stepped back, as the fifth raised a fist to
the sky. "Forces of evil beware! For we are..."
	With a final round of hand gestures, the five shouted in unison,
"MAGIC SENTAI!"

	Nearby, Cologne and Clef developed massive sweatdrops.
"Are...they...always like this?" Clef asked slowly.
	Cologne sighed, and put her hand to her forehead. "To think,even
with all the time they spend fighting amongst each other back home,
they still manage to watch too much television..."

	"I like it," Ryouga said.
	"Works for me," Ukyou agreed.
	"Silly Japanese watching too too many corny TV show," Shampoo said.
	Mousse smirked. "And *who* is it that stays cranky for a whole week
if she misses a single episode of one of those shows?" 
	Shampoo flushed crimson. "Shampoo no knowing what stupid Mousse
talking," she said. The others snickered.
	"Well, it may be a little on the corny side, but it works..." Akane
said, shrugging. "At the very least, it's bound to confuse our
enemies long enough for us to gain an advantage."
	Suddenly, the jewels on their wrist guards flashed. The weapons
they'd borrowed from Presea shimmered into existence in the air
before them, before vanishing entirely.
	"Aiyah! What happen?" Shampoo wondered.
	"What happened," called the voice of Presea from the entrance to her
special wagon, "is I finished creating your new weapons." She walked
out of the wagon, grinning. "Go ahead, summon them."
	"Finished already? Wow!" Akane said. "Err, how do we summon them?"
	"Just concentrate on your weapons," Presea said. "They will come to
you."
	Akane frowned, then closed her eyes, stretching her hand above her
head. Although the sky was cloudless, a bolt of lightning lanced from
the sky, striking her arm. As the bolt struck, it began to condense,
and soon solidified into a gleaming katana. The hilt of the katana
was golden, and sculpted into the shape of a sleeping tiger. The
guard, however, resembled a series of intertwined, stylized lightning
bolts. She brought the sword down to eye level, and examined it.
"Sugoi," she breathed. 
	Mousse's hand began glowing white as he concentrated. The glow
stretched outward from his hand, and a shining falchion formed. The
hilt of the falchion resembled folded, feathery wings. He grinned as
he took a few practice swings with the sword. 
	A tall column of rock erupted from the ground at Ryouga's feet. He
blinked. The stone column exploded, spraying fragments of gravel in
all directions. When the dust cleared, everyone gaped. Before Ryouga,
its point buried in the ground, stood a massive, stone-hilted
claidhmore. Ryouga hesitantly gripped the hilt of the gigantic sword,
and drew it from the ground. Several jaws hung open as the blade
continued to come forth, until Ryouga finally hefted six feet of
glistening steel. "Now *this* is more like it," Ryouga said.
Unnoticed by all, the gem on his gauntlet turned brown. 
	Shampoo's shadow chose that moment to begin moving of its own
volition. a Chinese broadsword appeared in its hand as it attained a
third dimension. "Aiyah," Shampoo said as her shadow stood before
her. It reversed its grip on the sword, and offered it hilt-first to
the Amazon, who hesitantly took it. The sword ceased to be a shadow;
however, it remained jet black from hilt to tip. The black blade
somehow seemed to suck up the light around it, as did the glistening
onyx hilt of the sword. Soundlessly, Shampoo's shadow reverted to its
two-dimensional origins, and slid back into its proper place. The gem
on Shampoo's glove turned black. 
	Ukyou grimaced. "Jeez, looks like swords are the rule around here,
huh?"
	Presea smiled. "I wouldn't say that..."
	With little fanfare, a silver glimmer appeared in Ukyou's hand,
slowly stretching into a long, thin line. It continued to stretch
until it reached Ukyou's height, at which the ends began to curve
slightly. One bright silver flash later, Ukyou was holding a silver,
double-bladed naginata. She spun it for a moment, and shrugged. "Not
bad," she said. The gem on her gauntlet flickered, and turned silver.
This time, someone noticed.
	"Hey, Ukyou...your jewel just changed color," Akane said.
	Ukyou blinked. "Yeah, it has." 
	"Aiyah! Shampoo gem change color too."
	"So did mine," Ryouga said. "Anyone else?"
	"Not mine," Mousse said. Akane shook her head in the negative.
	Presea frowned thoughtfully. "Hmm," she said at length, "it might be
because of..." she trailed off, and stared into the distance. The
others followed her gaze, to see nothing in particular except
countless kilometers of amethyst sand...except for an unexpected gap
on the horizon. 
	"What is it, Presea-san?" Ryouga asked.
	Presea pointed off into the desert. "Do you see that place on the
horizon where the sand ends so abruptly? That is the deepest, widest
crevice in all of Cephiro, Edosel Canyon. It is a very special part
of Cephiro, though it is seldom disturbed."
	"What's down there?" Akane asked.
	"The Graveyard of Mashin," Clef spoke up from behind the group. 
	"The WHAT!?" the five teens chorused.
	"Throughout the history of Cephiro, many Mashin have been born, have
seen many conflicts, and have lost their bearers, or been destroyed.
While the Mashin worn by the Magic Knights rest in ancient shrines,
due to their...special role in Cephiro," Clef coughed nervously, "the
other Mashin have no holy resting sites...except for this place.
Edosel Canyon."
	"So...this canyon is basically a junkyard for derelicts?" Mousse
asked.
	"Pretty much," Presea agreed. "The remains of destroyed Mashin, the
sleeping Mashin whose wearers have long since faded from this life,
the Mashin which were abandoned for various reasons...all rest within
the canyon."
	"So...what's that got to do with us?" Ukyou asked.
	Clef waved his staff in the direction of Edosel Canyon. "Many of the
Mashin which lie below are long since dead. However, many more of
them are simply at rest, repairing their damage from ancient battles,
awaiting the time when another comes along who will wear them." He
whirled, pointing his staff at the five martial artists. "You," he
declared. 
	"Us?" Akane asked.
	Presea nodded. "The impending danger here has undoubtedly caught the
attention of those Mashin who lie in wait for a return to service.
Your presence, and the Escudo weapons you now possess, have probably
been noticed." She gestured expansively. "As we speak, there may well
be five Mashin in Edosel Canyon who have awakened, and await the ones
who will wear them."
	"Aiyah! You want us pilot big robots?" Shampoo asked.
	"It makes sense," Mousse said. "Something dangerous is
coming...remember the warning Rayearth gave us before the others went
back to Earth? If they need to wake that other Mashin in China, then
chances are the rest of us will need our own Mashins as well." 
	"So...what do we do?" Ryouga asked.
	Ferio leaned out of his wagon. "I'd suggest we make haste to Edosel
Canyon, and see if there are a few old Mashin that are ready to
protect Cephiro once again."
	
	The caravan rolled to a halt half a kilometer from the rim of Edosel
Canyon. The Magic Sentai, Ferio, Presea, Clef, and Cologne piled out
of the wagons, and stood staring at the great crevice. 
	"Wow," Ukyou said.
	"Reminds me of something I saw back home," Ryouga said.
	Akane blinked. "There aren't any canyons in Japan, are there?"
	Mousse chuckled. "Maybe it was that one in America." Everyone from
Earth broke into laughter, except Ryouga.
	"And what's so funny? I can't help it that I never remembered
crossing any oceans..." Ryouga said. The laughter ended abruptly, and
the group stared at the lost boy.
	"Well, if you're prepared," Presea said, "it's time to go down and
take a look through the Graveyard."
	Ferio stepped forward. "I'll be going as well."
	"Your Highness, you mustn't," Clef protested.
	Ferio shook his head vigorously. "My land, my people...my
sister...they're all in danger. I refuse to sit idly by and let
someone else fight my battles for me, without joining in."
	Cologne placed a hand on Clef's shoulder. "I suggest you let this
one do as he wishes," she advised. "He's got a strong fighting
spirit; his help will no doubt be useful in the coming struggle."
	Clef thought for a moment, then nodded. "Very well. I feel I must
forewarn all of you: awakening and gaining the power of the Mashin
will not be easy. You must face this with your mind and heart open
and aware."
	"Also," Presea chimed in, "I'm not sure how those new armors will
react to the Mashin. Your armors may change radically once the Mashin
are awakened."
	"Will that affect their protection?" Mousse asked.
	Presea shook her head. "If anything, it should strengthen them."
	"Well, let's go then!" Akane shouted, running for the rim of the
canyon. The others joined her, while Presea and the two Gurus
remained behind. 

	As the group approached the vast crevice, Akane slowed, and knelt at
the edge, staring in wide-eyed wonder. "Wow," she breathed. The
others caught up with her, and took a look at what had awed her. 
	As far as the eye could see, Edosel Canyon was packed with mecha.
There were mecha with gleaming metal skin, their armored hulls
slightly dinged, and in some cased dented badly; there were others
which had rusted through and were full of holes. Here and there, a
piece of some unfortunate mecha lay among the rubble, trailing bits
of metal and circuitry. Thousands of different colors and textures of
metal lay before them, in a vast river of derelict technology. 
	"Aiyah," Shampoo breathed. "Is like junkyard one see in future-type
anime."
	"Yeah, you sure don't see somethin' like this every day," Ukyou
said.
	"I wonder how many of them even still work..." Ryouga mused. 
	"Let's get down there and find out," Ferio said. The six of them
leapt down into the canyon, struggling for foot purchase amongst the
heaps of scrap. "Spread out," Ferio instructed. "There's no danger
here, we can afford to split up. We have a better chance of finding
functional Mashin this way." Within moments, the six had lost sight
of each other, picking through the rubble with determination.

	Akane shuddered as she walked past what appeared to have once been a
mecha helmet. About half of it was still intact; its surface was done
in purple tones, and a broken horn jutted from its forehead. A
shattered metal jaw hung from the helmet, reminding Akane entirely
too much of images of damaged skulls she'd seen. She carefully walked
past it, as though afraid some demon would awaken within it and cause
it to attack her. 
	After a few moments of picking through the rubble, Akane felt an odd
tingle. She looked about, and noticed that a large sheet of plating
that had torn loose from something was rattling. She cast a minor
lightning spell, which blasted the plating across the canyon. The
tingling intensified; Akane summoned her katana just to be on the
safe side. As she neared the rubble that had been buried beneath the
plating, a massive metal paw shot up through the debris. She
screamed, falling backwards.
	"WHO DISTURBS MY SLUMBER?" rumbled a voice. The mounds of scrap
trembled. 
	Akane scrambled backward. "Ummm...I'm sorry? I..."
	"SILENCE," the voice boomed. After a pause, it continued, "I
SENSE...THOU ART A WARRIOR."
	"Umm...yeah, I guess so," Akane said. 
	"YOU POSSESS A WEAPON OF ESCUDO." 
	"Yes, yes I do," Akane said, regaining her footing. She held her
katana aloft. 
	"PERHAPS THOU HAST COME TO THIS SACRED RESTING GROUND, IN THE HOPES
OF AWAKENING A MASHIN TO WEAR?" the voice inquired.
	Akane found the rest of her wits at this point. "Yes, that's right.
I'm here to find a Mashin."
	"AND FOR WHAT PURPOSE WOULDST THOU WEAR THE MASHIN?"
	"Cephiro's in trouble. A lot of people are going to be hurt, maybe
killed, if whoever's attacking this place isn't stopped."
	"I SEE. YOU SEEK TO DEFEND THIS WORLD WHICH IS NOT YOUR OWN."
	"How...how did you...?"
	"KNOW THAT YOU ARE NOT OF CEPHIRO? THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE MASHIN
ARE ABLE TO SENSE," the voice responded, with a touch of amusement
this time. "I SHOULD ADVISE YOU, THAT IF YOU ARE ATTEMPTING TO BECOME
A MAGIC KNIGHT..."
	"Oh...no," Akane said. "The Magic Knights already awakened their
Mashin quite some time ago. It's a long story," she said.
	"INDEED? I MUST LEARN OF THIS STORY SOME TIME," the voice rumbled.
"HOWEVER, FIRST WE MUST DEAL WITH THE MATTER AT HAND. I SENSE THINE
MAGIC CONTROLS THE CLOUDS IN THE HEAVENS."
	"That's right, I have storm and lightning magic," Akane said. 
	"THEN IT IS THINE POWER WHICH HAS AWAKENED ME." Suddenly, the rubble
shifted, and Akane lost her footing again as a massive form burst
from the debris with a mighty roar. Akane sat, stunned, as a massive
yellow tiger stood before her. "I AM CALLED TORA," the tiger said.
"IN AGES PAST I HAVE BEEN WORN BY THUNDER MAGES. NOW, I AM THINE TO
WEAR."
	"You're...you're really a Mashin!" Akane exclaimed.
	"WHAT ELSE WOULD YOU EXPECT TO BE BURIED IN A GRAVEYARD OF MASHIN?"
Tora asked, amusement in his rumbling voice.
	Akane laughed nervously. "Yeah, um, right. I'm Tendou Akane. Do you
think we can help the others find Mashin now?"
	"THEIR MASHIN WILL COME TO THEM, WHEN THEY COME TO THE RESTING PLACE
OF THE MASHIN," Tora told her. "FOR NOW, WE CAN ONLY WAIT ABOVE, IN
THE DESERT."
	"Alright...our caravan is that way," Akane said, pointing. 
	Tora shook his head. "NO. WE MUST WAIT UPON THE OTHER BANK OF THE
CANYON."
	"Huh? Why?" Akane asked.
	Tora lowered his head. "I AM PART OF A UNIT OF MASHIN WHICH FOUGHT
TOGETHER IN AGES PAST. IF WHAT I SENSE IS CORRECT, THE REST OF MY
UNIT IS AWAKENING...INCLUDING OUR LEADER. IF THE LEADER IS AWAKENED,
HE WILL SEE FIT TO TEST THE METTLE OF THOSE WHO WOULD WEAR US. IF
SUCH A TEST COMES TO PASS, IT MUST BE ON THE SIDE OF THE CANYON WHERE
THE LEADER SLEEPS."
	Akane blinked, then shrugged. "You'd know better than I would," she
said, as she jumped onto the tiger's back. Tora blinked his glowing
eyes, but said nothing, opting to leap for the rim of Edosel Canyon.

	"AAAGGGGHHH!!! Where the hell is it?" Ryouga bellowed, as he drove a
fist through...a fist. "I don't even know what I'm looking for! This
is nuts!"
	Something snuffled behind him. He spun, but saw nothing. "Who's
there? Show yourself!"
	The snuffle came again. Ryouga roared, and drove his fist deep into
the pile of metal beneath him.
	This time, he heard snorting laughter. "CAREFUL THERE, SOME OF THESE
USED TO BE FRIENDS OF MINE," rumbled a deep voice, punctuated by
occasional snorts. Ryouga froze, and slowly turned.
	Standing less than a meter away was the largest brown boar he'd ever
seen. "GYAAAAAAAAAH!!!" he shouted as he leapt backward, summoning
his claidhmore.
	The boar narrowed its eyes, steam puffing around its tusks. "AN
ESCUDO SWORD," it said. "TELL ME, DO YOU SEEK TO AWAKEN A MASHIN
HERE?"
	"That's right," Ryouga said uncertainly. He peered inquisitively at
the boar. "Who...or what, are you?"
	The boar's laughter sent gouts of steam drifting in front of
Ryouga's face. "YOU SEEK SOMETHING, YET KNOW NOT WHEN YOU HAVE FOUND
IT."
	Ryouga blinked. "You...*you're* a Mashin?"
	"THAT IS CORRECT," the boar said, effecting a porcine bow. "I AM
KJATA, AN EARTH ELEMENTAL MASHIN. THE POWER OF YOUR FIGHTING SPIRIT,
COMBINED WITH YOUR POSSESSION OF AN ESCUDO WEAPON AND AURA OF EARTH
MAGIC, AWAKENED ME FROM MY SLUMBER."
	Ryouga's shoulder slumped. "Perfect. I awaken the Mashin, and it's a
pig."
	"HEY! LET'S NOT GET PERSONAL, OKAY?" Kjata huffed.
	Ryouga sighed. "Sorry, sorry...it's just, I have a problem with
pigs." He closed his eyes and concentrated. After a moment, he shrank
into his P-chan form. His sword fell, burying itself to the hilt in a
broken mecha torso. 
	Kjata blinked. "WHAT IN THE WORLD--?"
	Ryouga transformed back. "I can control that here in Cephiro, but
when I'm in my own world, it's a curse. Cold water transforms me into
a piglet, and hot water changes me back."
	"INTERESTING. ALTHOUGH I DON'T SEE HOW BEING A PIG COULD BE CALLED A
CURSE..."
	"Of course not...you're an enormous boar. Do you know how many
cookpots I get tossed into?" Ryouga demanded.
	Kjata made a sound of comprehension, and nodded. "I...SEE. WELL
THEN, SOMETIMES-PORCINE ONE..." Ryouga glared at the boar, "I SENSE
THAT ANOTHER OF MY UNIT HAS AWAKENED. LET US GO INVESTIGATE." With a
clanking, grinding sound, a hatch slid open on the Mashin's back,
sending up a cloud of purple dust. "CLIMB ABOARD," Kjata said. Ryouga
picked up his sword, banished it, and leapt onto the Mashin's back.
He discovered a cockpit where the hatch had opened, and slid into it.
With Ryouga secured, Kjata leapt for the edge of the Canyon, and
charged along the sand. 

	Mousse was in heaven.
	Sure, he had no idea what it was he was actually *looking* for, but
he was finding a lot of useful stuff as he dug through the rubble in
the canyon. Every few minutes, a surplus mecha part would disappear
into his robes, everything from shards of armor to sharp-toothed
gears, and even a few mecha weapons. "I seem to have virtually
infinite storage space here," he commented to himself. "This could
come in handy. Hmmm...I wonder if I can convince Presea-san to loan
me some of those chains again." Even as he thought this, he picked up
a long coil of something resembling bicycle chain. 
	"DOING A LITTLE SHOPPING, BOY?" a voice rang out. There was an odd
quality to the voice, like the cries of a water fowl. 
	Mousse snapped his head up, and peered around. His now-keen eyesight
noticed a section of the debris moving. "That's right," he said. "I
was just about to check out."
	"YOU SHALL BE CHECKING OUT, INDEED, IF YOU DO NOT REPLACE THOSE
OBJECTS WHERE THEY BELONG."
	Mousse summoned his falchion, wielding it in his right hand while he
produced three sharp gears with his left. "Sorry, I need this stuff.
I've got a lot of fighting to do in the near future..."
	"ESCUDO," the voice said. "YOU WIELD ESCUDO."
	"That's right," Mousse said. 
	The mound of mecha erupted before him. With a mighty cry, a large
white crane rose from the debris. It circled above Mousse, its grand
wings creating a powerful wind. "YOU ARE NOT A SCAVENGER, THEN, OR A
COMMON THIEF. NONE SUCH AS THAT COULD WIELD THE LEGENDARY MINERAL OF
CEPHIRO."
	"I've come to seek a Mashin, so that I can fight to defend Cephiro
from a powerful evil force," Mousse said. He narrowed his eyes. "I
take it you're one of the Mashin?"
	"THAT IS CORRECT," the crane squawked. "I AM SUTRAN, THE MASHIN OF
THE TRUE LIGHT."
	"I am Mousse, a visitor to this world, and master of the art of
Hidden Weapons."
	Sutran flew closer, and landed, examining Mousse intently. "HIDDEN
WEAPONS?"
	Mousse banished the gears, and produced various other surplus he'd
salvaged. "I secret weapons on my person to use in combat."
	"I SEE. A VERY USEFUL TALENT. I SENSE YOU POSSESS THE POWER OF THE
TRUE LIGHT."
	"The white light magic? That's right, I do."
	"VERY WELL THEN. I PERMIT YOU TO RETAIN THE THINGS YOU HAVE GATHERED
HERE, AND I SHALL ACCOMPANY YOU ON YOUR JOURNEYS, THAT YOU MAY WEAR
ME INTO BATTLE."
	"I would be honored," Mousse said. "Now, we need to rendezvous with
the others."
	"YES, I SENSE THAT SOME OF MY FELLOW MASHIN HAVE AWAKENED."
	Mousse rubbed his chin. "So, the others are having luck as well." He
leapt into the air, and landed on Sutran's back. "Let's go meet up
with the others then." Sutran gave a mighty shriek, and took to the
skies. 

	"This stupid," Shampoo said as she picked her way through the piles
of dented metal in the canyon. "Shampoo know better way," she mused,
as she converted her body into a shadow, and slipped down through the
twisted mecha.
	As she passed through the rubble, Shampoo sensed many dormant minds.
Some were simply *there*, others were active...dreaming, she
supposed. *What this?* Shampoo wondered. *This so strange...* Images
of battles long past flitted through Shampoo's mind as she ghosted
among the wreckage.
	Suddenly, one mind reached out to her. *SHADOW MAGE*, rang a voice
in her mind, which seemed to be louder than a gong, while taking on a
whispering quality. 
	*Who there?* Shampoo asked(thought?). 
	*WHY DO YOU TRESPASS UPON THIS SACRED RESTING SITE?*
	*Uhhh...Shampoo looking for Mashin?*
	There was a pause, during which Shampoo got the impression that
something was sizing her up. A snarl assaulted her senses. 
	The next thing Shampoo knew, she was hurtling through the surface of
the debris pile, as her body reverted to the usual three dimensions
and flesh structure. As she landed rather unceremoniously on what
looked like a Mack truck cab with the front grill bashed in, a large
dark shape erupted from the debris, somehow managing not to disturb
so much as a scrap of wire. The darkness landed a few paces from
Shampoo, who scrambled to her feet and summoned her sword. 
	The Amazon found herself facing a large, flickering,
three-dimensional shadow of a large cougar with glowing yellow eyes.
Said eyes narrowed, and once again the voice that was both loud and
soft said, *AN ESCUDO WEAPON. TELL ME...WHAT IS YOUR PURPOSE HERE?*
	"Shampoo come here to find Mashin," the Chinese girl repeated.
"Shampoo have to help friends defend Cephiro from attack."
	*INDEED*, the cat growled. *AND YOU ARE A SHADOW MAGE, I SEE.*
	"If meaning Shampoo have shadow magic, that right," Shampoo said.
"Guru Clef give Shampoo and others magic to fight here."
	*SO, YOU ARE FROM ANOTHER WORLD,* the shadow said.
	"That right," Shampoo said. "Shampoo and others come here with white
rabbit thing."
	The shadow cougar chuckled, a sound which caused Shampoo to back up
a step. *VERY WELL, THEN. YOU SEEK A MASHIN TO WEAR IN COMBAT.* The
shadow began to flicker wildly. Suddenly, what had formerly absorbed
the sunlight began reflecting it, as the cougar ceased to be a large
shadow, and instead...
	"Aiyah!" Shampoo exclaimed. "You...you is Mashin?"
	The now-solid cougar nodded its smooth, black metal head. "I AM THE
MASHIN OF SHADOW, SABLE. I WILL COME WITH YOU, THAT YOU MAY WEAR ME
IN BATTLE." 
	Shampoo sent her sword back into the ether, and slowly walked around
Sable, examining the Mashin from all sides. "Aiyah," she said. She
climbed aboard the cougar, sitting just behind its neck. "We go find
others now, yes?"
	Sable said nothing, but merely leaped out of the canyon and walked
along the edge. 

	As Ukyou strolled through the canyon, she amused herself with a few
magic tricks. She drew bits of scrap metal and mecha parts out of the
rubble in the canyon, magnetizing them together in interesting
sculptures. So far she'd managed to assemble scarecrow likenesses of
Akane and Shampoo, a maimed Genma, a headless Kodachi, and a limbless
Tsubasa. She giggled at the last one.
	*Come on, girl, it's time to get serious,* she thought. She spied a
pile of shredded red mecha armor nearby, as well as some flexible
black joint pieces. *Hmmm...okay, one more,* she decided. With a
quick spell, she put together a rather nice sculpture of Ranma. She
sighed. "Oh, Ranchan..."
	"Nice work," a familiar voice said. Ukyou jumped, and began looking
all around. 
	"Who's there?" Ukyou asked, nervously summoning her naginata.
	"Over here," Ranma's voice said. Ukyou glanced over at the Ranma
sculpture...
	...which was currently flexing its arms, and examining itself. It
took a step towards her.
	"What the--? Hold it right there, you..." Ukyou said, brandishing
her naginata. 
	The Ranma sculpture made a peaceful gesture, and managed to affect a
hurt expression. "Aww, c'mon, Ucchan. It's me, Ranchan! Your darling
Ranchan?"
	"I dunno what you are, but...but..."
	"But it's true," another voice said. This one chilled Ukyou, as it
was much more familiar. She dropped her naginata in shock as a
metallic Ukyou replica appeared out of nowhere and hugged the Ranma
sculpture. 
	"What the hell's goin' on here?" Ukyou gasped. 
	Something behind her giggled. Ukyou snatched up her naginata and
spun around.
	Behind her was a large silver fox. The fox had its mouth covered
with one forepaw. "OH, THAT WAS TOO GOOD. YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN YOUR
FACE!" the fox said in an echoing feminine voice. 
	"Who...what are you?" Ukyou asked. The Ranma and Ukyou sculptures
walked up to either side of her, and bowed before gesturing like game
show spokesmodels at the fox. 
	"She's the mistress of metal..." the Ukyou clone said.
	"...the queen of comedy knocks..." Ranma-sculpture continued. 
	"A lean, mean, silver Mashin..." Ukyou-clone added on.
	"PLATA!" both chorused. Then, without fanfare, they collapsed into
piles of scrap once more.
	The fox giggled as Ukyou facefaulted. "YOU are a Mashin?" Ukyou said
incredulously.
	"THAT'S RIGHT. SORRY DEAR...I FELT YOU PLAYING AROUND WITH METAL
SPELLS AND I JUST COULDN'T RESIST HAVING A LITTLE FUN," Plata said.
Becoming slightly more serious, she leaned forward and peered
intently at Ukyou. "YOU'RE HERE LOOKING FOR A MASHIN, AREN'T YOU?"
	Ukyou nodded. "That's right..."
	"I THOUGHT SO. I'VE NEVER SEEN AN ESCUDO WEAPON QUITE LIKE
THAT...THEY USUALLY COME IN SWORDS," Plata said.
	Ukyou frowned. "Well, it's not what I'm used to. It's a weapon from
my homeworld," she added. 
	Plata nodded. "I SEE," she said. 
	"I can't figure it out though...I've tried changing this into my
usual weapon..."
	"DIDN'T WORK, EH?" Plata said, her voice taking on an amused tone
again. "THAT'S BECAUSE METAL SPELLS WON'T WORK ON ESCUDO."
	"Oh," Ukyou said, blinking. 
	"SO, WHAT'S GOING ON OUT THERE THAT REQUIRES THE SERVICES OF A
MASHIN?" Plata asked.
	Ukyou sighed. "Someone's been causing a lot of trouble...evil spells
cast on the Princess, a town blown up..."
	Plata frowned. "HMMM. ALRIGHT, I'LL HELP YOU OUT."
	Ukyou looked dubious. "I dunno, sugar..."
	Plata rose up to a haughty sitting position, and raised one forepaw.
"I PLEDGE TO SERVE THEE AS THINE MASHIN, THAT THOU MAY WEAR ME INTO
BATTLE TO DEFEND CEPHIRO." She lowered her paw, and leaned over into
Ukyou's face. "THAT SOLEMN ENOUGH FOR YOU?"
	Ukyou blinked. "Uhhh...yeah."
	Plata chuckled. "TRUST ME, WE'RE GOING TO GET ALONG JUST FINE." She
looked off into the distance. "I SENSE THAT SOME OF MY COMRADES ARE
AWAKE AS WELL. WE SHOULD GO CHECK IT OUT."
	Ukyou shrugged, and leaped onto the silver fox's back. "HOLD ON
TIGHT NOW," Plata said, as she leapt into the air, pulling her legs
under her. There was a roar of jet engines, and Ukyou screamed in
surprise as the Mashin began flying at high speed across the canyon.

	Ferio cursed as he turned over yet another rusted hulk, digging
through the rubble in the vain hope of finding an operable Mashin.
"This is no good," he grumbled. "I hope the others are having more
luck than I am."
	No sooner than he'd said that, he was buzzed by something silver and
extremely fast, flying low enough to knock him over with a
speed-borne burst of wind. "What the hell?" he muttered as he
scrambled to his feet. The silver object paused briefly, and the
sound of laughter carried on the gentle breeze. Loud, ringing,
metallic laughter. The laughter died out, to be replaced by a
familiar human voice, amplified by some unknown means: "Sorry 'bout
that, sugar. She's got a mind of her own...WHOA!" the voice shouted
in surprise as the silver object took off again.
	Ferio scratched his head. "Ukyou?" he wondered. "Did she...?" 	
	After only a moment of stunned hesitation, Ferio leaped to the rim
of the canyon and ran off in pursuit.

	Akane laughed with glee as Tora charged through the purple sands,
mysterious mechanical parts long unused grinding slightly as they
became accustomed to motion once more. 
	"YOU ARE ENJOYING YOURSELF, I TAKE IT?" the mighty tiger inquired.
	Akane giggled. "This is cool," she said. She spotted something up
ahead, and her eyes widened. "Oi, Tora..." she said, pointing.
	Tora snapped his head forward, and skidded to a halt. Several meters
ahead of him, a large, dark shape prowled the canyon rim. 
	"What's that?" Akane asked her Mashin quietly.
	Tora shook his head. "AFTER ALL THESE MANY YEARS," he said, his
booming voice dropping in tone, becoming only slightly less
thunderous. 
	The black object turned slowly, eyes glowing from its front. Akane
blinked as she noticed a familiar figure sitting upon its neck. "Hey,
that's Shampoo," Akane said. She waved. Shampoo noticed, and waved
back.
	"Akane? That you?" Shampoo called from her perch. 
	"Yeah, Shampoo! Is that your Mashin?" Akane called back.
	The black cougar finally decided to speak, in its echoing metallic
whisper. "SO, TORA...YOU HAVE AWAKENED AS WELL."
	"YES, SABLE. IT IS GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN AFTER SO LONG, MY FRIEND."
	The other Mashin snorted. "I SUPPOSE," it said dryly. 
	Akane and Shampoo dismounted, and met near the two Mashin.
"Aiyah...Mashin know each other?" Shampoo asked.
	"INDEED WE DO," Tora said. "A LONG TIME AGO, WE SERVED TOGETHER AS
PART OF A UNIT. IT HAS BEEN AGES SINCE THE MEMBERS OF OUR UNIT HAVE
SEEN ONE ANOTHER."
	"THE OTHERS HAVE AWAKENED, I BELIEVE," Sable added. "I CAN SENSE
THEM..."
	As if on cue, a white crane appeared overhead, emitting a piercing
cry. The crane slowly lowered itself and landed near the others. A
white-robed figure somersaulted from the large bird's back, and
landed near the girls. 
	"Is Mousse," Shampoo said rather unneccessarily. She looked at the
crane. "Mashin perfect for Mousse. Both bird-brain."
	Despite herself, Akane giggled. Even Tora chuckled. Mousse and Sable
remained indifferent. Sutran lowered its head, and stage-whispered,
so to speak, to Mousse, "THESE ARE YOUR FRIENDS?"
	Mousse nodded. "What can I say?" he replied, shrugging. 
	The ground began to shake slightly. "Aiyah...what that?" Shampoo
asked. "Is earthquake?"
	Akane shrugged. "Doesn't feel like one," she said.
	Mousse peered into the distance, where a large purple dustcloud was
roiling. "I think we've got--INCOMING!" he shouted as he leaped onto
Sutran's back. The white crane lifted into the air and began
circling. Akane and Shampoo jumped onto their respective Mashins,
which moved to a safer location.
	Moments later, the dustcloud settled, and in its place stood the
largest brown boar any of the three humans had ever seen. Tora gave a
loud mechanical sigh. "YOUR ENTRANCES WILL BE THE DEATH OF US SOME
DAY, KJATA."
	Kjata chuckled. "AT LEAST NOBODY CAN SAY I'M NOT A MOVER AND
SHAKER," he quipped.
	Everyone, including the other three Mashin, facefaulted. Ryouga
leapt down from the boar's back, and grinned sheepishly. "Sorry about
that, guys. I tried to talk him out of it, but he's a little
pig-headed."
	"Just like yourself, hmm Ryouga?" Akane said, pointedly turning her
nose up and looking away from the lost boy. Ryouga sighed, his
shoulder slumping. 
	Something giggled from above them. "OOOH, I LIKE THIS BUNCH
ALREADY," a feminine voice chimed. "LOTS OF FUN POTENTIAL HERE."
	"Hey now...what kinda strange thoughts are goin' through that metal
head of yours, sweetie?" Ukyou said to her Mashin. 
	Akane gave a low whistle. "Now that's impressive," she said.
	Kjata snorted. "SURE, JUST BECAUSE SHE CAN *FLY* WHENEVER SHE WANTS
TO," he huffed. 
	The silver fox stretched out her paws and landed. "WHAT CAN I SAY,"
Plata commented as Ukyou hopped down from her back. "WHEN YOU GOT IT,
FLAUNT IT."
	"So, we've all found Mashin now?" Ukyou asked.
	"Where's Ferio?" Ryouga wondered. "Anyone seen him?"
	Ukyou nodded. "We buzzed him on the way here. Looks like he came up
dry."
	"Maybe if that Mashin of yours hadn't divebombed me," came a voice
from behind the group. They all turned to see Ferio approaching,
obviously winded from running. "Well, at least someone had some
luck..."
	Any replies were cut off by a strange, high-pitched droning sound.
The humans held their ears. "What *is* that?" Akane asked.
	"Shampoo not know, but sure loud," the Amazon said.
	Mousse fished around in his robes for something to plug his ears
with.
	"IS THIS--?" Tora asked.
	<*HUMANS FROM THE OTHER WORLD,*> rumbled the loudest, deepest voice
any of the Magic Sentai had ever heard. 
	"OH CRAP. IT'S THE BOSS," Plata sighed. 
	"The...boss?" Ryouga said.
	<*YOU HAVE SUCCEEDED IN AROUSING THESE FIVE MASHIN FROM THEIR
SLUMBER IN THE SACRED RESTING GROUND. HOWEVER, YOU MUST NOW PROVE
YOUR WORTHINESS TO WEAR THEM INTO BATTLE, OR YOU WILL NOT BE ALLOWED
TO LEAVE HERE WITH THEM.*>
	"OH, C'MON, DO YOU *REALLY* HAVE TO DO THIS EVERY SINGLE TIME WE GET
NEW PILOTS?" Kjata groused.
	<*_S_I_L_E_N_C_E_!*> bellowed the voice. <*DO NOT FORGET WHO IS IN
CHARGE HERE.*>
	"OKAY, OKAY, I GET THE MESSAGE," the boar complained. The humans
grew sweatdrops. 
	<*YOU HAVE TEN MINUTES TO PREPARE,*> the voice continued, <*AND THEN
THE TEST COMMENCES.*> The whining noise ceased.
	"Test?" Akane asked. "What test?" 
	"What the hell *was* that?" Ryouga wondered.
	Tora frowned. "THAT WAS OUR LEADER. WHENEVER NEW WARRIORS APPEAR,
SEEKING TO WEAR US, A TEST COMMENCES TO DETERMINE THEIR WORTHINESS."
He turned to address the other four Mashin. "COMBAT FORMS," he said. 
	The six humans watched in awe as the group of Mashin began to
transform. Tora and Kjata went through very simple, anime-esque
conversions. Sutran underwent a similar transformation, only in a
much more graceful way. Sable cloaked its transformation in shadow,
while Plata simply flowed into her new form, like liquid metal.
	"Aiyah! They turn into robots!" Shampoo gasped.
	"Nice trick," Ryouga said.
	Where an assortment of animals had stood before, now stood five
giant robots, each with a shining sphere in the center of its chest.
The yellow robot loosely resembled an armored Samurai, with the
exception of the tiger head resting upon the chestplate. The robot
held a large katana. Next to that stood a massive, heavily armored
brown robot built somewhat like a Sumo wrestler. The jaw of the
boar's head on its chest swung open, and locked into place. It
grasped the tusks and detached them, pulling them free with a loud
clanking sound. The humans gasped as an enormous length of heavy
chain attached to the tusks emerged from the jaw, much like a
manriki-gusari. 
	The black robot standing beside them resembled a ninja, complete
with a total lack of features upon its metal face. It held a simple
black saber in a loose grip. A stately, slender white robot with
folded wings stood slightly behind the black robot. This one simply
held something that resembled a cross between a torch and a
flashlight. 
	The final robot was the most impressive. Sleek and silver...and
female. Very female, from the slender frame, to the curves, to the
flowing mane of silver hair. A weapon appeared in her hand. She
frowned at it, and it rearranged itself to resemble Ukyou's naginata.

	"SHOWOFF," rumbled the brown robot. The white robot smirked at the
silver one.
	The silver robot shrugged. "LIKE I SAID, WHEN YOU GOT IT, FLAUNT
IT."
	Ferio, Akane, Ryouga, Mousse, and Shampoo grew sweatdrops. Ukyou
giggled. "Y'know, Plata...I think we *are* gonna get along great,"
she said. 
	"JUST BECAUSE SHE HAS METAL MAGIC, SHE HAS TO SHOW UP THE REST OF
US..." Kjata grumbled. 
	"I THINK WE HAVE A MORE PRESSING MATTER THAN PLATA'S VANITY," Tora
put in. "NAMELY, PREPARING OUR HUMAN FRIENDS FOR THIS BATTLE." It
turned and looked at Ferio. "YOU HAD BEST STAND CLEAR," it advised.
"THINGS ARE GOING TO GET ROUGH HERE." 
	Ferio nodded, and moved to a safer location (he hoped) within the
canyon. The Magic Sentai looked around, blinking at each other.
Suddenly, their faces registered alarm as their bodies were engulfed
in colored beams of light. 
	When their vision cleared, they each found themselves hovering in an
odd vortex, able to see nothing except the empty desert and the other
Mashin standing around.
	"DO NOT BE ALARMED," Tora's voice said to all of them. "EACH OF YOU
ARE WITHIN YOUR MASHIN. ACCLIMATE YOURSELF TO THE MIND OF THE MASHIN.
UNITE WITH THAT MIND. IN TIME, YOU WILL LEARN ALL ASPECTS OF HOW YOUR
MASHIN OPERATES IN COMBAT FORM. WE WILL GUIDE YOU THROUGH THIS TRIAL
BATTLE, TO FAMILIARIZE YOU WITH THE USE OF A MASHIN IN COMBAT."
	<*THE TEST BEGINS NOW*>, the voice of the Leader boomed. 

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