(Scene:  SKJAM!'s den.  He and Kira Midori are once again 
ensconsed in their comfy chairs.)

SKJAM!:  Welcome back!

Kira:  As we continue the Bataan Death March of MSTings...

SKJAM!:  Come on, it's not that bad a story, besides, we have a track 
record to uphold!

Kira:  You're upset because my story is still stalled, aren't you?

On Sun, 29 Mar 1998, The Eternal Lost Lurker wrote:

WARNING: SENTAI ALERT! This chapter contains strong sentai elements.
If you can't stand reading/watching/being near sentai, *do not read*.
Skipping this chapter will not upset the flow of the rest of the fic
for you. (At least, not for the next full Act...) 

SKJAM!:  As the creator of Zen Team, I can hardly complain...

C&C/MST welcome. Flames will be tossed in the crapper. 

Kira:  Where they will ignite the lingering gas.

	Chapter 24: Trial By Combat

SKJAM!:  Next on Court TV:  Kramer vs. the Overfiend

	 
	"Hey! Can you guys hear me?" Ferio yelled up at the five Mashin. 

Kira:  Unfortunately, yes.

	"I hear ya," Ukyou's voice sounded from within Plata. 
	"Ryoukai," Akane and Ryouga said in unison. Tora momentarily turned
to frown at Kjata, reflecting Akane's expression within. 
	"Shampoo hear just fine."

SKJAM!:  But talk not so good.

	"As do I," Mousse finished. 
	"Good," Ferio said. "Something's happening down here in the
canyon..."

Kira:  Dammit, I told them they were letting too many tourists in!

	As if on cue, bits of broken-down mecha began rising from the depths
of Edosel Canyon, floating about in slow circles. "What the--?"
Ryouga shouted.
	Pieces of mecha began gathering, old circuitry sparking as wires
spliced and fused together with wires from other mecha parts.
"Aiyah!" Shampoo yelled.
	<*THE TEST IS SIMPLE. FROM THE SACRED RUINS OF EDOSEL CANYON,
REMNANTS OF MASHIN LONG SINCE DEAD WILL REASSEMBLE INTO FIVE SHADE
MASHIN. EACH OF YOU MUST DEFEAT ONE SHADE. BE WARNED, FOR THE DEFEAT
OF ONE ENSURES THAT THE REMAINING SHADES WILL GAIN STRENGTH.*>
	"Nice of him to tell us what to expect," Mousse grumbled.

SKJAM!:  Actually, it is.  He could have just said "Fight!"

	"I think you should pick targets and split up," Ferio called from
the ground.

Kira:  That will make you easier to pick off one by one.

	"Good idea, sugar," Ukyou said. A robot with one solid, stocky blue
leg, one red leg split into a claw at the end, a rusted,
shield-shaped torso, one arm ending in a flamethrower, and a
half-black, half-white head with only one yellow eye approached
Plata, releasing a gout of flame in her direction. "This one's ours!"
Ukyou called, twirling Plata's naginata and dropping into a ready
stance.

SKJAM!:  The attack of the Things From Sid's Bedroom!

	"I think I'll take this one," Mousse called as a robot approached
Sutran. The entire frame of the mecha appeared to be shattered,
cracks webbing its hull in various places. It stood on somewhat shaky
blue and silver legs, and its square red torso shuddered violently,
smoke pouring from a grill on its front. The grill, combined with
what looked like broken panes of glass on its chest, gave the bizarre
impression of a deranged semi. Its left arm was broken off at the
elbow, sparks sizzling from dangling wires far too long to have
actually been contained within the arm. Its right arm, however, was
intact, and held a dangerous-looking rifle. Its blue helmet was
cracked badly in spots, and half of its face was apparently missing,
as bare circuitry was exposed from the center down. One blue eye
glowed brightly; the other eye held no light and appeared to be
shattered. 

Kira:  Maximum Overdrive!

	Sable was approached by a hulking black mecha with squat, stout legs
and four clawed arms. Two of the arms held large, jagged sabers. The
thing had no head that Shampoo could see, but four red eyes glowed
from the center of its torso. "Shampoo take ugly spider-looking
thing," the Amazon said.

SKJAM!:  Arachnophobia...

	Ryouga looked around for a target. An almost stately-looking mecha
stood near Kjata. The robot was white, and looked to have taken some
heavy battle damage, but still appeared to be in fighting form...at
least, more so than Mousse's opponent. It resembled a giant white
knight, complete with a massive broadsword. The only oddities were
the narrow blue left arm and the yellow right leg which had
apparently been cobbled from other mecha. "Okay, the knight's mine,"
Ryouga declared.

Kira:  Boar to Queen's Knight Five.

	"Great. Leave me with the freaky one," Akane said as she faced off
against a mecha that looked like one of her worst nightmares. The
majority of its body was black and red, and had a *very* patchwork

SKJAM!:  The parts Ukyou was playing with earlier?

look to it. The armor was incomplete, and something oozed from
beneath it, hissing as it dripped on the sand. The thing had massive

Kira:  Eew!  Get that Mashin some Depends!

silver legs that seemed badly disproportionate to the torso, an
effect made worse by the crustacean-like exoshell and tail hanging on
its back. The mecha's right arm was red, its left black, and it held
odd-looking knives in each hand. Its head...Akane paled. Its head was
the broken purple helmet she had walked past earlier in the canyon. 

SKJAM!:  Hi.  Remember me?

Darkness filled the void left by the missing half, and a dull green
glow emanated from that darkness. Akane shuddered, but moved into a
ready stance. 

Kira:  Hands on the vehicle, legs spread...

	Plata ducked to the side as a blast of fire roared past, and spun
her naginata. The mecha before her roared as the flamethrower was
sheared off by the blades of the staff. It lowered its head like a
bull, and charged. "Oh no you don't," Ukyou said. She leaped, sending
Plata sailing over the robot, impaling it from above. Landing, Plata
hoisted the mecha with her naginata, and slammed it into the ground.
It shattered, sending a shower of sparks flying. "Yatta!" Ukyou
cheered.
	The pieces of the robot began twitching. "What the--?"
	"IT'S DEAD, UKYOU," Plata said, "BUT REMEMBER WHAT THE BOSS TOLD
US?"
	"Yeah?"
	"WELL, WATCH."

SKJAM!:  That was too easy...

	
	Meanwhile, Ryouga had managed to break through the defenses of the
knight mecha. Kjata's chain wrapped around its sword, and yanked it
from the robot's grasp, sending it flying through the air. The robot
darted to the side, narrowly avoiding having its head taken off by
the sharp tusks attached to the chain. Instead, its left shoulder was
pierced, a jagged hole torn in the armor. It scrambled over to its
sword and picked it up, then raised its left hand. The torso of the
mecha Ukyou had downed exploded away from its chestplate, and the
large rusted shield flew into the knight mecha's grasp. "Oh great,"
Ryouga groaned. 

Kira:  Knight puts boar in check...

	As Mousse's opponent raised his rifle to fire, the weapon in
Sutran's hand hummed, and a shaft of pure white light surged forth.
Mousse blinked, then grinned. "Alright, this is more like it," he
said, charging. The badly damaged robot was, surprisingly, agile
enough to dodge, having the waving tendrils of wire hanging from its
left arm clipped. The robot took a couple shots with the rifle, which
were deflected by quick strokes from Sutran's saber. As Sutran
shifted into an attack stance, the robot shuddered slightly, and the
wire tendrils of its left arm sought out the flamethrower lying on
the ground. Before Mousse could react, the cables had connected to
the flamethrower, reeling it in and snapping it onto the robot's left
arm. A blast of flame scorched Sutran's armor. "Is this what he meant
by gaining strength?" Mousse wondered. Sutran spread his wings, and
rose into the air, hovering above the shade mecha. 

SKJAM!:  Careful, or you'll be a Hi no Tori!

	It took every ounce of skill Shampoo could muster to parry the blows
the four-armed mecha rained upon her with its twin sabers. Sable
leaped and slashed down, severing one of its upper arms. As the arm
fell to the ground, the robot caught the fallen sword in its lower
arm, and struck, slashing across Sable's leg. The black ninja Mashin
landed unsteadily, and as the now three-armed robot raised its sabers
to strike again, Shampoo took a risk and plunged her sword into one
of the thing's eyes. It dropped back a few steps, going on the
defensive. Shampoo grinned. 

Kira:  Take that, four-eyes!

	Sparks flew as Tora's katana clashed against the twin knives of the
monstrosity Akane faced. She tried to slip in between the knives and
strike a blow to the robot's chest, but something stopped her sword.
"What the--?"

SKJAM!:  Should've used a hammer instead.

	"THIS ONE SEEMS TO HAVE A DEFENSIVE FIELD," Tora observed. "THIS
WILL NOT BE AN EASY BATTLE."

Kira:  Do you have any of your homemade muffins handy?

	"Right..." Akane said, gritting her teeth as she parried one slash
while the other knife struck Tora in the shoulder. "I've got an
idea," Akane said, and summoned her magic. "RAIJINGEKI!" she shouted.
A bolt of pure electricity slammed down from the clear sky and struck
Tora's raised katana, surging around the blade. Akane thrust forth,
and the lightning slammed into the bizarre mecha's chest. Akane
grinned.

SKJAM!:  Watch out, Blue Lightning of Fuurinkan High...

	The mecha gave an enraged roar as it was driven backward...and the
lightning dispersed around it. Unharmed, it stood, and charged.
	Akane yelped in panic.

	Ryouga took a cue from Akane's attempt to down her opponent, and as
Kjata dived out of the way of an errant swing by the knight mecha, he
shouted "SANDS, BURY!" 

Kira:  And was immediately covered in sand.

	The earth began to tremble at the feet of Ryouga's opponent, and
columns of sand rose from the desert, crashing down upon the white
robot's head. It raised its shield to ward off the onslaught, but to
no avail. In mere moments, the knight was buried to its shoulders in
sand, unable to move its left arm which still held the shield above
its head. 
	Ryouga grinned, and batted the shield aside with his chain. Kjata
took a running step, and kicked the robot's head off, sending it
flying into the horizon. "GOOD JOB," Kjata said. 

SKJAM!:  And the kick is good!  Three points!

	Ukyou noticed the trouble Akane was in. "We should go help her," she
said.

Kira:  Then again, if she bites it, that lowers the odds of my not 
getting Ranchan...

	"IT IS NOT ALLOWED," Plata sighed. "THE RULES OF THE TEST FORBID US
FROM INTERFERING UNTIL SHE HAS DAMAGED HER OPPONENT."

SKJAM!:  Then we can stab her in the back all we want.

	By some stroke of luck, Akane had managed to knock the twin knives
from her opponent's hands. Using a quick lightning spell, she blasted
the weapons out of reach, reducing them to slag. The confused demon

Kira:  If it has an AT field, wouldn't it be an Angel?

looked around for a moment, seeking something to commence its attack
with. Akane struck once more, striking the shell on the mecha's
back...and denting it. "A hit!" she cried.
	"IT SEEMS THAT ITS DEFENSIVE FIELD ONLY COVERS ITS FRONT," Tora
observed.

SKJAM!:  Mashins can sense these things.

	As Akane prepared to strike again, the oddity fled across the
desert, towards the beheaded form of the white knight mecha, and
began digging through the sand. Kjata moved to intercept, but halted
abruptly. Akane dashed, hoping to spear the thing while it had its
back turned.

Kira:  Shoddy tactics never work in sentai...

	Those hopes were dashed when the robot turned around, the bright
green glow from its strange head intensifying. It held a large
broadsword.
	Akane groaned. "Perfect."

SKJAM!:  No, still looks a little off to me.

	Shampoo parried the awkward blows of her opponent, and slashed
downward. Her strike was true, and neatly severed the wrist of the
one lower arm which held a sword. She moved to strike again, only to
be forced to parry a blow from the remaining sword, as the robot
skittered to the side, picking the fallen weapon up in its last free
hand. It continued to skitter sideways until it reached the buried
white mecha. As it continued to fence with Shampoo, it reached for
the shield with its severed arm. The shield dropped from the grasp of
the white robot, and circuitry still evident in its interior fused
with the shredded wiring of the multi-limbed robot's wrist. As
Shampoo prepared for a killing strike, it raised the shield to
defend, then nailed Sable in the side with two sharp strikes. 

Kira:  (Gosunkugi voice) Nice nail technique.

	Mousse's opponent was turning out to be extremely skilled. The mecha
was keeping Sutran at bay with the intense heat of the flamethrower,
and preventing the flying Mashin from going on the attack with shots
from its laser rifle. "We need to distract him," Mousse said. 
	"PERHAPS WE CAN BLIND HIM," Sutran said.

SKJAM!:  Show it a nude photo of Cologne.

	"Good idea. PURE FLASH!" Mousse shouted. A dazzling white light

Kira:  exploded as Mousse's clothes disintegrated and all the girls 
realized he was actually pretty well built.

strobed over the battlefield 

for a few seconds. > 	"Aiyah! What stupid Mousse doing!"

	"Ugh! My eyes!"

SKJAM!:  The mascara is so runny!

	"Geez, watch it with that stuff, sugar!"
	"Kuso..."
	"Sorry about that," Mousse said as the light cleared. Unlike the
others, his vision was not affected by the light, and as the
battle-scarred robot that was his opponent staggered, Sutran's
shining white beamsaber neatly dismembered it in five quick strokes.
The blue light from its one good eye flickered and died as its
severed head fell to the ground, followed in short order by its limbs
and torso. 

Kira:  This moment brought to you by Halogen Lighting and Ginsu Knives.

	"Stupid bird-brain..." Shampoo muttered, before noticing that her
opponent was somewhat stunned from the blinding light. "Opening!" she
called, slashing through its unguarded torso with Sable's sword. The
two halves of the robot fell to the ground, as Sable struck a victory
pose.

SKJAM!:  Actually, wouldn't pure light weaken a shadow mage?

	"Only one left," Akane muttered. She parried a vicious slash by the
freakish mecha she faced, then leaped into the air. "HYAA!" she
called, sailing over its head. The robot turned, anticipating her
landing on its other side. "Gotcha," Akane said as Tora landed
*behind* the mecha, lopping its head off and impaling it through the
unguarded shoulder before it could react. Dark red fluid gushed from
the wounds, and Akane grimaced. 

Kira:  (Akane voice)  I hate raspberry!

	Ferio cheered as the five victorious Mashin gathered in a circle.
<*YOU HAVE SUCCEEDED IN PASSING THE FIRST PHASE OF THE TEST,*> the
voice of the Mashin leader boomed. <*NOW, LET PHASE TWO COMMENCE...*>
	"Phase two?" Akane asked.

SKJAM!:  The swimsuit contest!

	"Oh shit," Ryouga said. "Heads up, everyone.

Kira:  Need a close quotes.

	The white knight mecha rose from the sand, as the various fragments
of the others began gathering together and reassembling in new
shapes. The headless knight robot's arms and legs fused into its
torso, openings in its armor exposing bare circuitry. The
multi-limbed mecha Shampoo had decimated began reshaping itself, the
severed limbs and limbs still connected pulling together to form new
armor over its damaged interior. The shield it held fell to the
ground...
	...only to float back up as the remnants of the robot Ukyou had
destroyed reformed into a single, elongated limb, with the shield at
one end. 
	The freakish mecha Akane had clobbered also began reshaping itself,
grotesque and frightening sounds issuing from within its torso as it
too formed into what looked like a slender, muscular arm. 
	The battered head of Mousse's opponent flew through one of its
shattered front plates, and its exterior began reshaping. Plates of
armor fell from it, revealing new, strong armor underneath.

SKJAM!:  Junkbots Assemble!

	"What the hell's going on here?" Ryouga asked.
	"I wish I knew, sugar," Ukyou said.

Kira:  (Belldandy voice)  Wish granted!  Though you really should have 
saved it for something important.

 > 	"This not good," Shampoo decided.

	The halves of Shampoo's opponent elongated, its leg joints migrating
north.

SKJAM!:  Unfortunately leaving the rest of the robot behind.

 The newly reshaped torso of the white robot rose into the air,

and the twin halves of the black mecha rose as well, fusing with the
visible circuitry at the base of the torso. The limb with the shield
rose and met the left shoulder of the white robot, firmly attaching
itself, as did the arm formed from Akane's opponent on the other
side. 
	The mecha Mousse had dismembered completed its transformation,
revealing a much larger version of its own blue-eyed, helmeted head.
The head settled onto the neck of the white torso, and a cloud of
sparks flew as it connected itself to the larger robot. 

Kira:  zzzz...Izzit over yet?

	The five Sentai paled within their Mashin. 
	"Aiyah!" Shampoo exclaimed.
	"You can say that again," Ukyou said.

Kira:  (Shampoo voice)  Aiyah!

	"It's...it's a giant robot," Ryouga observed.
	"This is nuts," Akane groaned.
	"It seems we've got a problem," Mousse put in.

SKJAM!:  Now would be a good time to use the Saotome Secret Technique.

	Armored plates extended from the collar of the massive mecha,
covering the shoulder joints of the two mismatched arms. Similar
coverings slid into place over the leg connections. The flamethrower
and laser rifle lying on the ground flew up and landed on the
shoulder plates, attaching themselves on either side of the head. The
flamethrower roared to life, and the rifle began tracking along the
ground. 
	The three swords and two daggers which had been wielded by the
smaller robots gathered in the air, and began fusing into a much
larger weapon, which the giant shade Mashin gripped with its right
hand. Its eyes flared with dark blue light, and it settled into a
combat stance. "PREPARE TO DIE," it rumbled, its voice deep and
gravelly. 

Kira:  Like some throat lozenges?

	"Oh, shit." Ryouga said. 

SKJAM!:  Y'know, I'm beginning to miss "Ranma, this is all your fault!" 

	"Circle," Ferio shouted from the ground. "Surround it."

Kira:  That'll make it easier to get you all in one clockwise swipe.

	"Good plan," Ukyou commented as Plata took up a new position. The
five Mashin worn by the Sentai quickly surrounded the giant ghost
Mashin. It began taking potshots at the ones on its right flank with
the laser rifle, while the flamethrower arced lazily on its mount,
belching fire at the ones to its left. 
	"Clear a path in front," Ryouga's voice sounded within Tora and
Sable. The two Mashin glanced at each other, shrugged, and parted
slightly.

Kira:  Not having much hair.

	The large Mashin suddenly staggered, and pitched forward, barely
catching itself with its massive sword. A pair of large spikes struck
its shoulders, ripping off the laser rifle and the flamethrower, as a
brown head appeared behind the giant. The other Mashin cheered. 

SKJAM!:  Kjata, Kjata, He's our man, er, hog!

	The massive mecha roared, and lifted itself off the ground, leaping
into the air. "Uh-oh. Look out guys," Akane said. 
	Sutran leaped into the air, activating his beamsaber. He took a
swipe at the huge Mashin, which blocked with its own sword.
Amazingly, although a shower of sparks flew, the blade was not
damaged. The mecha punched Sutran with its shield arm, and landed.
The white Mashin fell back, sprawling in the dust. 
	"Mousse!" Shampoo called. Suddenly, a flurry of shadow shuriken
erupted from Sable, striking the enemy mech with a great cloud of
sparks. "Damn!" 

Kira:  I want to kill him myself!

	"It's got some kind of forcefield," Akane said. "It must have taken
that from the one I fought."

SKJAM!:  Make it give it back!

	"BAKUSAI TENKETSU!" Ryouga yelled, as Kjata released one end of his
chain and struck the ground. A tremendous explosion raised a lavender
cloud, and shook the desert.
	"Hey, watch it!" Ukyou shouted. The five Mashin scrambled away from
the roiling dust, as the enemy toppled. It didn't remain toppled,
however; it quickly regained its footing, and spun, slashing at
Kjata. The brown robot parried with its chain...which shattered.

Kira:  o/~Take these chains from my heart~\o

"KUSO!" Ryouga shouted as the tip of the sword cut a chink in Kjata's
armor. 
	"Let's see how you like a little lightning," Akane said.
"RAIJINGEKI!" Lightning slammed down from the sky, gathering around
Tora's sword. The yellow robot stabbed forth, and the lightning arced
into the enemy Mashin. Arcs of electricty flowed over its surface,
and dissipated. It rumbled laughter. 
	"GIVE UP. YOU ARE TOO WEAK TO DEFEAT ME!"

SKJAM!:  It's doomed.

	Plata morphed her entire body into a massive scythe, and slashed at
the enemy. The blade of the scythe dented. "CRAP. WELL, THAT WON'T
CUT IT," she quipped, resuming her normal form. 
	"No time for makin' jokes, sugar. This is serious," Ukyou said.
	"THIS CALLS FOR MORE SEVERE MEASURES," Tora said.

Kira:  We must give it a wedgie!

	"INDEED," Sable agreed. 
	"Such as?" Akane asked.
	"OUR ENEMY ISN'T THE ONLY ONE THAT CAN PULL THAT LITTLE TRICK,"
Kjata said. 

SKJAM!:  You mean we have force fields too?

	"RIGHT, OF COURSE! ...BUT IT'S BEEN MILLENIA. DO YOU THINK WE CAN
STILL PULL IT OFF?" Plata asked. 

Kira:  This is no time to think about sex!

	"Ummm....pull what off?" Ukyou asked.
	"COMBINATION," Tora said. 

SKJAM!:  23 left, 4 right, spin twice left to 14.

	The five pilots blinked. 
	Meanwhile, the massive enemy mecha was closing in on Kjata. The
brown robot ducked to the side, avoiding a swing which buried its
sword in the sand. "NO TIME FOR CHATTER," Kjata said. "WE GOTTA DO IT
NOW!"
	"Ummm...do what, and how?" Akane asked.

Kira:  The hokey-pokey, and if you haven't figured it out by now...

	"JUST OPEN YOUR HEARTS AND MINDS TO THE OTHERS, AND LET YOUR WILL
BECOME ONE WITH THEIR OWN, AND WE SHALL HANDLE THE REST."

SKJAM!:  The Magic Sentai are doomed.

	"Ohhhh, I get it," Ukyou said.
	"Shampoo understand."
	"Okay, let's hurry before that thing decides to strike again," Akane
said. "Ready?"
	"LET'S DO IT!" all five shouted.

Kira:  o/~Let's fall in love~\o

	"Right. Yellow Phase!" Akane yelled. Tora's sword disappeared, and
his limbs began retracting, folding against his armor. His head sank
into his shoulders, and the sphere in his chest vanished. 
	"Brown Phase!" Ryouga shouted. With a massive burst of steam, Kjata
began folding his limbs into his armor as the sphere containing
Ryouga disappeared. 
	"Black Phase!" Shampoo called. Sable roared, and split in half, the
black orb holding Shampoo fading into a shadowy mist. 
	"Silver Phase!" Ukyou yelled. The silver orb holding her melted into
Plata's body, which divided and began reshaping. 
	"White Phase!" Mousse shouted. Sutran's wings folded and locked
together as his body reshaped. The white cockpit sphere disappeared
in a flash of light. 
	The enemy Mashin backed away slightly in confusion.

SKJAM!:  That wasn't the transformation sequence they'd written in the 
script. 

	"COMBINATION PHASE!" five voices shouted in unison.
	The bulky torso of Kjata rose into the air, the boar's head gone
from his chest, his limbs repositioned to form shoulder and hip
joints. The halves of Sable reformed into a strong pair of legs,
which attached to the hip joints at Kjata's base. The combined mecha
dropped to the ground, landing with a loud *thud* and raising a cloud
of purple dust. 
	Twin silver streaks hovered around the torso, coming to a rest near
the shoulder joints, where they reshaped into a pair of muscular arms
and attached cleanly. 
	Tora had taken on an interesting shape. Most of his mass had shifted
south, with the massive tiger head of his animal form at the top. A
metallic *clank* echoed from the torso of Kjata, and a large panel
slid open in his back. The reshaped bulk of Tora slid easily into the
opening and locked into place. The head tilted backward, the jaw
swinging open, and both locked into place, forming a helmet and
revealing a yellow-eyed robot face. 

Kira:  And I'll form the head!

	Sutran flipped upside-down and swooped from the sky. His body had
reshaped itself into an odd three-segmented pattern, and the locked
wings hung stiffly, pointing down. The white Mashin locked onto the
large robot's shoulders, forming large shoulderguards, while the
segment to which the wings were attached locked down over the hidden
portion of Tora's body. The fused wings now resembled a stiff white
cape. 
	Inside the helmeted head, the five Sentai found themselves standing
before a huge viewscreen, with five colored orbs embedded into the
floor beneath it, corresponding to the colors of their Mashin. 
	"Wow," Ukyou said.
	"This too much," Shampoo commented.

SKJAM!:  We have to go through all stock footage every episode?

	"I like it," Ryouga said.
	"You guys ready?" Akane asked. Everyone nodded, and extended their
hands above their heads.

Kira:  Grabbing the safety straps.

	"FINAL PHASE!" they all shouted in unison. With a few short, mostly
unneccessary poses, they knelt and placed their hands on the orbs.
	"STORM!" Akane called, as arcs of electricity crackled into the
yellow orb from her hand.
	"EARTH!" Ryouga bellowed. The control room shook as magic flowed
into the brown orb.
	"SHADOW!" Shampoo cried. A wave of darkness poured from her hand
into the black orb.
	"LIGHT!" Mousse shouted. There was a bright flash as his magic
transferred into the white orb.
	"METAL!" Ukyou yelled. Her hand shimmered as magic flowed into the
silver orb. 

SKJAM!:  I am your powers combined, I am Captain Planet!

	Outside, electricity flowed around its hands, as the earth at its
feet trembled. Odd shadows resembling swords floated above its hands,
suffused with the electricity. A flash of light silhouetted the
combination Mashin, and when it cleared, the enormous mecha held a
pair of double-edged broadswords. It crossed the swords before its
chest, causing a shower of sparks as its eyes flared yellow.
	"PRIX!" the five Sentai called from inside the Mashin's head. 

Kira:  Yes, one Prix with every Grand you buy!

	"IMPRESSIVE TRICK," the ghost Mashin rumbled, "BUT IT WILL NOT SAVE
YOU."

SKJAM!:  Only acknowledging Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior 
will do that...

 > 	The scrapyard mecha charged, weapon held ready. The 
combination

mecha known as Prix set one foot back, holding one sword in a high
stance, and the other near its midsection. As the enemy approached,
Prix unleashed a burst of mixed shadow and light, halting the

Kira:  Strobe!

progress of the ghost mech. Prix followed through with a pair of
sword strokes, raising a brilliant rain of sparks as the twin
broadswords met and broke the forcefield. The scrapmech bellowed in
pain and took a step back. 
	"Time to finish this," Akane said, slamming her fist onto the yellow
orb. "OVERLOAD!"

SKJAM!:  And the mech exploded.

	Prix raised its swords, and huge arcs of electricity coursed between
the blades. Slowly, Prix stabbed forward, and a continuous stream of
lightning poured into the enemy Mashin. The ghost mecha writhed in
agony, until finally the powerful assault became too much. With one
final roar, the massive shade Mashin exploded, spraying bits and
pieces of scrap everywhere. Prix struck a victorious pose above the
crater left in the sand. 

Kira:  Fanservice!

	Ferio cheered on the ground. "That was great, guys!" he called. 
	<*CONGRATULATIONS. YOU HAVE PASSED THE TEST.*>

SKJAM!:  The proctors will now check for cheating.

	Prix broke apart, and quickly the five Mashin resumed their animal
forms. The Sentai appeared on the ground near them. 
	<*YOU HAVE BEEN DEEMED WORTHY TO WEAR THESE MASHIN. PREPARE TO
RECEIVE THE SPECIAL ARMOR WORN BY THOSE WHO COMMAND THIS FIGHTING
UNIT.*>

Kira:  You're gonna be sorry...

	The armors of the Magic Sentai glowed, and began changing.
Considering other magical effects they'd witnessed, this was, in
retrospect, far less spectacular. The armors they'd been wearing
simply ceased to exist, and in their place were lightweight combat
suits, each color-coded to the Mashin of the wearer. To the chagrin
of the three girls on the team, the new combat suits were
rather...snug, leaving little speculation about the bodies and muscle
definition of the five teens. They also received helmets, designed in
the shapes of the animal heads of their Mashin. Their faces were
hidden by dark visors and metal faceplates.
	"Oh wonderful," Ukyou said. "Exactly when did this turn into Choriki
Sentai OhRanger?" 
	"Shampoo think happen about time we get into Mashin," the Amazon in
the black bodysuit said. 

SKJAM!:  Gee, Shampoo's getting smarter by the minute.

	"I like it," Ryouga said.
	"You would," Akane muttered. "You know, that helmet suits you...you
really *are* a pig-head now..." 

Kira:  Hurry back, Ranma.  I don't know how much more Ryouga can take.

	Shampoo giggled, and Mousse covered a snicker, while Ryouga's
shoulders slumped, and he unsealed his helmet, banishing it into the
jewel on his left glove. Taking their cues from him, the others also
removed and banished their helmets.
	"Interesting armor," Ferio mused. 

SKJAM!:  Looking fixedly at how tight it was.

	<*SINCE YOU HAVE BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF COMMANDING THIS UNIT OF
MASHIN, I WILL ALSO LEAVE MY RESTING PLACE AND ASSIST YOU IN TIMES OF
NEED. THE ONE OF ROYAL BLOOD SHALL WEAR ME.*>
	A golden glow surrounded Ferio. The blade of his sword became
glittering gold in color, as did his armor, although unlike the
others, the shape of his armor did not change. He did, however,
acquire a golden helmet. The guards surrounding his face resembled
the sides of a pharaoh's headgear, and a golden faceplate covered his
face, with a dark visor like those found on the others' helmets. 

Kira:  Sorry, Ferio.

	The ground began to tremble, and the Sentai scrambled for purchase.
A large area of purple sand began roiling like a stormy ocean, and a
shining golden object began rising from the sand. The six humans
looked up...and up...and up, as a massive, solid gold Sphinx emerged
from the sands. As the Sphinx completely unearthed itself, the
tremors ceased. The massive Mashin roared, and stretched, rising to
its paws. <*I AM EXCALIBUR,*> it declared. <*CALL ON ME ONLY IN TIMES
OF MOST DIRE NEED.*> With that, the sphinx Excalibur vanished in a
blinding flash of golden light. 

SKJAM!:  I have a day job, and will get fired if I disappear too often.

	"WE MUST REST AND RESTORE OUR POWER FROM THE TEST," Tora said.
"WHENEVER YOU NEED OUR STRENGTH, RAISE YOUR SWORDS AND CALL OUR
NAMES. WE WILL COME TO ASSIST YOU." With that, the five Mashin also
vanished. 
	The Sentai looked around at each other. "Well, that's that," Ukyou
said.
	Akane nodded. "Let's go meet up with Clef and Presea. They'll be
very excited to know we succeeded." 
	With that, the six humans crossed the Canyon and returned to the
caravan.

Kira:  Whew!

SKJAM!:  Well, that's another chapter under the belt...

Kira:  And back to the soap opera!



SKJAM!