[XW1n5t0nX]

The moon sets high in the sky as per usual. Its’ rays shining down on the ever so peaceful city of Osaka. On this late summer night, many a people are out and about enjoying the evening. Some are out on dates, some are simply deciding to take in the night air, and some simply out just to be out. Truly, this is a beautiful night.

Two people who are definitely taking in this glorious night are Hideshi and Nami. The young couple who have been together for quite the while decided to celebrate one of the final nights of the season. Now after catching a movie and having a nice dinner, they make their way around the city, killing time until they must venture home.

As they continue to walk along the city’s sidewalks, Nami rests her head against Hideshi’s shoulder, her eyes glittering as she looks up at him.

“Oh Hideshi, this night has been wonderful. The dinner, the movie, and the night itself. It’s just so beautiful.” She says to her lover.

“I know. It’s almost as if summer is throwing itself a going away party.”

Hideshi replies, chuckling some as he smiles, he looking down into her eyes.

“It’s so…perfect.” Nami squeaks out.

“You’re perfect.” Hideshi shoots back.

The two teenagers then stop in the middle of the crosswalk. They stare at each other for a solid minute before Hideshi leans in. He places his forehead against that of his date’s. The two slowly close their eyes before locking their lips’ together, kissing gently let passionately. After kissing for a couple of minutes, the two pull away, they blushing and giggling some.

A few hours have passed since their kiss, and now the two are taking a walk through the business area of the city, they looking to catch a train there. As they walk, the moon shines down on them, it seeming to follow them as they make the journey to the train station. The two youngsters continue to converse on their merry way, stopping every now and then for a kiss. The two also look up every so often, they looking at the stars in the heavens, as well as the lady moon.

“Just look at that moon Nami. It’s almost like Mother Nature is watching us.”

“Well humans are supposed to be Mother Nature’s children. She’s just probably keeping an eye on us.” Nami theorizes.

Hideshi gives off a light chuckle.

“Yeah, I guess she is.”

“Well she has a very beautiful eye.”

“True, but yours’ are even prettier.” Hideshi says. He stops walking, he then bringing his girlfriend into his arms to embrace her.

Nami looks up at him lovingly, her eyes sparkling from the words he has just uttered. She smiling widely with happiness.

“Oh Hideshi…”

“Nami…”

The two lean in, looking to kiss again in the throes of young love. However, this is interrupted. Before their lips can meet, the two hear a noise which resembles that of a growl.

“What was that?” Hideshi asks.

“I don’t know.” Nami replies, she looking around, Hideshi soon joining her.

They hear the noise again, it apparently emanating from behind some trash bags. They deducing this from the rays of the moon shining upon the bags. The two walk over to the bags, the growling noise now stopping, it being replaced by a whining noise.

“Awww, it must be a lost dog.” Hideshi says.

“That’s so sad.” Nami chimes in.

Hideshi crouches down in front of the bags, Nami standing behind him. He then reaches out with his hands, he taking hold of the trash bags. Before he has the chance to pull them away, Nami lets out a bloodcurdling scream. Hideshi turns his head. The next moment, the two teenagers are gone. The moon continues to shine up in the sky, it’s rays shining down on where the two once stood, the shadow of a mysterious figure painted across the wall of a building.

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In a world in which dreams reign supreme and bring joy to many, a dimension filled with all the world's nightmares look to take over the dream world, and are doing so by attacking civilians within the real world. To combat this, the ruler of this kingdom of dreams to combat the evils of the nightmares. These three will fight for the future of both their kingdom, and of Earth. These warriors are....

Ikiryō Sentai DreamRanger!

*Opening theme and video/credits*

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Seventh Dream: Night Terror

“Man, Osaka is so great looking.” Paige says to her friends and comrades as they walk around the city.

The Dreamrangers Syuri, Keiji, and Paige have come to Osaka on business, not pleasure. Via the news, they have discovered that many people have been vanishing at night in Osaka. While many are considering this to be the work of a criminal, the three know that it has to be one of Jung Moroi’s wraiths, as no one man could make so many people disappear.

“Yes Paige, it’s very good looking, but can you shut your yap about it? We’re here to investigate, not play tourist.” Syuri answers back to her fellow ranger, she releasing a sigh afterwards. Keiji, the other Dreamranger remaining silent as the group passes by Osakian after Osakian.

“I’m sorry. But you know I never came to Osaka before, and how I get when we visit new places.” Paige explains.

“She has a point Syuri, you should have known better.” Keiji says, brushing his hair back, his face painted with a smirk.

“Don’t you start either Keiji. Let’s just try to find this wraith and get out.”

“Are we even sure it’s a wraith? I mean I know it seems unlikely that a human could do all that the news has reported, but who knows, man has done many a strange thing before.” Keiji speculates.

“Keiji has a point Syuri. These are the same people that created nuclear weapons. And not to make you two mad, considering you’re Japanese, but these are the people who did really horrible things to the Chinese in World War 2.”

Syuri stops, taking in a deep breath. Her comrades stop slightly behind her, waiting for her response. Syuri does eventually turning around, she ready to address the two fighters of Morpehus. She looks at them with her usual neutral facial expression that for this moment, houses some bits of annoyedness, and even uncertainty.

“Look, I know that humans can do many great and odd things. That is why Lord Morpheus pays so much attention to them as opposed to other species. And yes Paige, I know me and Keiji’s people have done really shitty things in the past. But I am telling you, it has to be a wraith. No human can make this many people just up and vanish, whether he or she be working with a partner. So regardless of what each of us theorize, let’s just shut up and try to figure this thing out. Can you do that?”

Paige releases a sigh as Keiji scoffs some. “Yes mam.” The two say, almost in unison.

The three, now split up, roam all over Osaka to try and find the answer to this mystery. They ask person after person trying to get answers, but don’t seem to break any ground. They only getting people’s speculations about who did it, and how they did it. The three meet up every now and then as the day goes on, but quickly split back up.

While they do roam all over Osaka, the three do seem to find specific areas to ask around. Keiji sets up his camp in the Kyōbashi area. He asks anybody who passes by. From children and teenagers, to businessmen and women, to even older citizens. No matter whom he asks though, he always seems to get the same response. Either people with crazy theories, to people who heard about the incidents, but aren’t really sure what to make of it all. Truly it seems that Keiji can’t catch a break, and ends up taking a break, he hiding out in the Osaka Jo Hal.

Paige unlike Keiji, doesn’t really stick to one area. She never being in Osaka before, she takes this as an opportunity to do a little exploring. When she isn’t hitting up any of the famous Osaka hot spots that she asks about, she does try to gather any info possible. However, being American isn’t really doing her any good. She knows Japanese, and knows it fairly well, but some people still don’t quite understand her. The few that try to speak to her in English aren’t much help, as they don’t really know much. Getting tired of not getting any leads, Paige decides to just fully explore the city.

Syuri tries with all of her might to get as much as she can, but has the same luck as her comrades. However, she does have some payoff, as she runs into one of the friends of some missing teenagers, who vanished while they were out on a date. The friend gives her some info about the two, including some of their favorite places to go. Syuri checks these places out, but they offer virtually next t nothing on possible info that would point towards either a human causing the disappearances, or as she strongly suspects, a wraith.
After the cover of night has fallen over the city, the three meet up at a dock. They stand in a semi circle, they reporting back what all they discovered.

“Hate to break it to you guys, but I didn’t really get anything. I asked almost everybody I saw, but nobody really seems to know what happened.” Keiji explains, keeping his arms crossed as he does so.

“Unfortunately, I had the same luck as Keiji.” Paige states. “What about you Syuri?”

“Well, I ended up meeting an acquaintance of some missing kids, and he gave me a list of some of their favorite places to hang out. But those led to nothing. And like the two of you, nobody I asked knows anything. If they say anything, it’s just crazy theories.”

Keiji nods some before looking at both of his fellow warriors.

“Any of you two talk to Edogawa to see if he could help?”

“I did, but he couldn’t find anything either.” Syuri replies.

The three standing there, sighing every so often, they trying to figure out what to do next. Out of the blue, they hear a woman scream. At the sound of this, the three bolt from where they were to try and find the screaming female. When the three get to where the noise came from, they come face to face with a wraith, it in the form of a jackal.

“I knew it had to be a wraith.” Syuri says, smirking over at her comrades.”

“I guess we owe you one.” Keiji answers back.

“Yeah, but shut up and catch the damn thing!”

Before the rangers can do anything, the wraith bursts off towards a warehouse section. The three race to its’ position, they transforming into their Dreamranger states as they do so. Once there, it seems that the monster has vanished. They look around, but don’t seem to find anything.

“Where could it have gone?” Paige questions?

Right as it appears that Keiji or Syuri is about to reply, the three are suddenly attacked by a slash of energy, it causing their suits to spark, and sends them back a few feet, it even knocking them down. The three slowly get up, they feeling the after effects of the attack they just took.

“What the hell was that!?” Keiji asks angrily.

“How the hell should I know?” Syuri responds.

Before they can discuss it even more, they become victim to another attack. However, this attack doesn’t stop, as the slashes from this invisible foe continue to assault them. Finally, they stop coming, but are replaced with a burst of dark energy, sending the Dreamrangers flying into a nearby warehouse. The impact of crashing into the building and of the abuse they just took so great in power that it forces them to de morph. After minutes of laying in the rubble of the wall they crashed through, they slowly, and painfully get up. Staying close together, they make their way outside to where they once stood. They look around, but see nothing, not even a trace of where the wraith could have gone. Syuri looks up at the moon, and curses at it, blood dripping down her clenched fist.

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The Dreamrangers, beaten and bruised, sit in a small shack in the countryside of the area. They sit almost in a circle, silent, thinking over the events which just took place. After hours of silence, a voice soon speaks up.
“Whatever that thing was…it certainly had the advantage. And if I had to guess, will still have it.” Syuri rambles aloud.

“I just don’t get it. How could we see it before it ran off, but then we couldn’t? I know wraiths have different powers, but we’ve never seen one like this.” Paige adds on, brushing hair behind her ear.

“Maybe it can turn itself invisible, or can change its coloring like a chameleon.” Keiji ponders.

“Well regardless of what it can do, it certainly showed off how dangerous it is. We need to figure out a way to defeat it, and fast.” Syuri says.
The three return to silence, thinking over the fight, and how to stop this wraith. They walk around the shack every so often, trying to get their brain power working. Minutes pass throughout the day as they ponder what to do next.

As the sun begins to set, the three let out a collective sigh.

“I can’t think of anything.” Keiji throws out there to his comrades, he lying on the ground tired.

“Me either.” Syuri and Paige respond in unison.

“I hate to say it, but maybe we should pack it up.” Keiji says in a depressing manner.

“Sadly, I agree.” Syuri replies.

As the two of them stand up, stretching their limbs out before leaving the shack, Paige thinks back to the fight again, analyzing everything that happened. As she goes over the bout, she remembers that when they found it in the alleyway, there was a lot of light coming off of the moon. She proceeds to remember that when they went to engage the nightmare in the warehouse section, it vanished. She also remembers that it was very dark there.

She sits there thinking over this over and over. Finally, her eyes widen in realization. She jumps out of her seat.
“I GOT IT!”

“Got what?” Keiji asks tiredly.

“I know why we couldn’t see the wraith.”

“Well don’t just keep it to yourself. Out with it.” Syuri commands.

“If what I’m thinking is true, then the wraith can only be seen in moonlight. If it isn’t in moonlight, it becomes invisible. It makes sense. We saw it when it was in an area directly under moonlight, yet couldn’t when the area was pitch black!” Paige explains to her fellow heroes.

“You know what, that actually sounds like a good reason for why we couldn’t see it.” Keiji tells Syuri, looking over at her.

“Hmm. It’s the only thing we can go off of.” Syuri states, sighing softly. “It’s almost dark, let’s head out.”

Hours pass and night falls. Osaka becomes deathly quiet, a chill hanging in the air. The stars and mine shine above the city. A lone woman is walking around. Suddenly, she is jumped by the newish nightmare wraith. She screams in terror as it pounce son her, swiping at her body.
The rangers are ready though. The woman deteriorates into mist, and the three warriors surround the beast already transformed.

“Don’t you just love making anything appear?” Keiji asks his enemy sarcasticly.

“I know I do.” Syuri replies, smirking beneath her helmet.

The wraith goes to jump away, but the rangers block its path, sticking close to it so that it can’t get pass them. It then looks up to the sky. It jumps upwards, heading towards a roof top. However, before it can land on the roof, Paige appears above it. She waves politely, she brandishing her Dream Shooter.

“Hello. Goodbye.” She says warmly.

Paige then fires off a volley of shots at the creature, forcing it to move away. Before it can escape any farther and fade into the night, Keiji appears at its side He scoffs at it some before slamming his leg down onto its head, sending it flying down to the ground. As the monster lands on the ground, it grumbles incoherently.

It slowly stands up, looking to escape. However Syuri is quick like a cat. She appears behind the wraith, piercing through its belly with her blade. She leans in, whispering into what she assume is its ear.

“Nighty night fucker.”

She pulls down on its trigger, sending a blast of energy right threw the beats. The energy, so close in range and so powerful it causes the creature to explode immediately. The other two rangers land on the ground next to Syuri. They look down at where the beast once stood.

“Well, that was easy.” Keiji says in a victorious fashion.

Syuri holds up a hand, signaling for Keiji to stop. After a couple of minutes pass, they hear a deep growl behind them. The three turn around, looking up to see the wraith now giant in size. It roars at them before stomping off, crushing buildings, and anything in its path.

“I should have known…” Keiji comments.

“Apparently you never watched enough television as a kid Keiji.” Syuri replies, laughing some.

“Shall we summon Dream Ruler?” Paige questions, her voice hinting that she already knows the answer.

“What do you think?” Syuri shoots back.

“DREAM RULER, DESCEND!” The three shout in unison.

The creature continues to rampage around Osaka, destroying anything it sees. The monster soon however flies back into a nearby hillside. As it gets up, the Dreamranger’s mecha Dream Ruler lands in front of it. The three sit in the cockpit, starring down the foe. They all smirk in their helmets before charging at the monster.

The two giants collide, trading punches and kicks back and forth. Each one gains an advantage, only to lose it after a minute later. The robo picks up the monster, holding it over its head as it cries out in anger. The rangers then toss the wraith into a nearby river, the impact causing the water to spurt up onto the land like a tidal wave.

“Shall we?” Syuri asks her teammates.

“Why of course.” Paige responds.

The team flies then fly their weapon of destruction up into the air, making sure it is hovering in front of the moon, causing it to become black, yet glowing. Its hands retract into its body, two golden beams of energy shooting out. As the wraith looks up to the sky, the warriors call out for the end.

“DREAM RULER, FINAL DREAM RUSH!”

Dream Ruler then shoots out of the sky like a bullet, crossing its arms into an X position. The monster roars at it as loud as it can, hoping that this battle cry will intimidate its opponent enough that it stops the attack. However it’s cries are in vain, as Dream Ruler slashes through the beats in one go. As Dream Ruler slides to a stop behind the monster in the river, the nightmare explodes, it dying upon impact.

It’s still night, everything calm and peaceful in Osaka, with only the country side being destroyed or damaged. A small amount of people are walking around the business area of the city, Syuri, Keiji, and Paige walking among them. Their job is done, the wraith being dead now allowing them to return home to Nakano, as well as to Aimi.

The three converse, even laughing some as they pass by a large skyscraper. As they pass, two figures, dressed in armor and suits stand atop of the building. They stand directly in front of the moon, its rays causing the two beings to shine almost. The moonlight also reveals their forms more, showing off two people dressed similar to the Dreamrangers, their suits colored black, white, and red. They look down at the departing rangers, scoffing some. The two then vanish into thin air.

...To be continued

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*Ending theme and video/credits*

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