StormMegazord stomped onto the scene and blocked the evil zord's path.

The metal arc above Zergainzord's head crackled with crimson power and discharged a bolt of energy that exploded against the Megazord's armor with bursts of spark. But StormMegazord stood its ground.

"All right guys," Hurricane Red said. "Doesn't look like the Thunders are here yet, but we can do this without them."

"Yeah we can," Hurricane Yellow said.

The StormMegazord walked forward into battle, and Zergainzord returned the charge.

Below, Blake ran across a pedestrian bridge against the flow of the fleeing crowd. The Megazord and Zergainzord exchanged blows in the distance, and their strikes had enough force to shake the bridge.

Blake activated his communicator. "Hunter!" No one answered for the fifth time. "Where the hell did he go...he knows I can't form the Megazord on my own..."

Blake cursed beneath his breath and dashed off to find his brother.

Hunter sat in a meditative position on the wooden floor of an old dojo near the Ikkazuchi Way grounds. He took deep breaths and tried to ignore the burning pain in his chest. Beads of sweat dripped down his naked body.

A Reiki master stood behind Hunter and placed a hand over the ranger's back. The master's hand pulsed with dark-purple energy, and Hunter convulsed in pain. The ranger tipped onto his side and screamed through a clenched jaw.

Zergainzord slashed its arm blades across Senpuujin with bursts of spark that forced the StormMegazord backward.

Hurricane Red slammed his fist against his control panel. "Let's slim up a bit. StormMegazord, lightening up!"

The Megazord's armor folded back and retracted to form a more slender, humanoid robo.

"Senpuujin!" the Rangers shouted. "Lightening mode!"

StormMegazord flipped through the air with a flying sidekick that Zergainzord blocked. The evil zord pushed the robo's feet away, and StormMegazord flipped backward and landed on the streets.

Zergain laughed from within his cockpit. "Zergainzord...lightening up!" The evil zord's armor retracted and formed a slender robo with sharp arm blades. The arch over the zord's head retracted over the helmet. "Zergainzord! Lightening mode!"

"No way!" Hurricane Blue shouted.

"Poser!" Hurricane Yellow shouted.

Zergainzord snapped forward with a jump roundkick that StormMegazord blocked. Senpuujin swung the back of its fist towards the evil zord, but Zergainzord ducked beneath the blow, rose, and snapped a roundkick that StormMegazord blocked.

The evil zord swung an arm blade towards the StormMegazord. StormMegazord caught the arm and swung a backfist towards the evil zord's head, but Zergainzord caught the robo's arm as well.

StormMegazord used its leverage to hurl the evil zord through the air.

Zergainzord somersaulted through the air and landed on its feet.

The two robos faced each other and leapt towards one another. Their fists slammed against each other's armor, and the blows knocked the zords backward.

Zergainzord twisted through midair, slammed its feet against the side of a building, and leapt towards StormMegazord.

StormMegazord flipped towards Zergainzord with a flying sidekick. But Zergainzord kicked the robo's leg away and slammed a kick against the Megazord's chest armor with a burst of spark. StormMegazord crashed against the streets and skid backward.

Blake tracked his brother to the old dojo near the Ikkazuchi Way.

The ranger quietly leaned towards the dojo and peered inside to see Hunter with his shirt off while kneeling on the ground. Reiki master Rabago stood behind Hunter and placed a hand over his back.

The Reiki practitioner's hand glowed with shadow energy that caused Hunter to convulse with pain. The shadow healer's eyes narrowed with concern.

"Is fighting for the world really worth killing yourself over?" Rabago asked. He lowered his hand. "I can delay the hatching time of the egg inside of your heart...but I can't destroy it."

Blake opened his eyes wide with shock. "Hatching time?!" Blake stormed into the dojo. "There's a scorpion egg in your fucking heart?!"

"Blake," Rabago said. "It has been many years."

"Right, don't care," Blake said while keeping his eyes on Hunter. "Why didn't you tell me? I'm your brother!"

The rangers heard a low, mocking laughter come from outside the dojo. They turned towards the dojo's entrance and saw Centhrax standing in the woods along with a group of Kelzaks.  

Centhrax had his arms crossed over his chest, and his body was concealed by his brown cloak. "How touching..." the villain said. "Navy Thunder, I can help you share your brother's pain."

Rabago stepped in front of the Thunders. "Blake, get your brother out of here now."

Hunter shook his head and started to walk outside. "I don't need- argh."

He keeled over in pain, and Blake held onto Hunter to keep him from falling down.

"Go!" Rabago shouted.

Blake cursed beneath his breath and helped his brother flee into the woods.

Centhrax narrowed his eyes at the shadow healer. "Bastard. You dare to interrupt me?"

The villain inclined his head to signal the Kelzaks to attack. The soldiers armed their bladed tonfa and charged to attack the Reiki master.

Rabago somersaulted through the air and slammed a flying sidekick against a Kelzak. He landed, snapped around, and thrust out his hand while shouting "Ki!"

The healer fired an invisible burst of chi power that slammed against the Kelzaks and hurled them backward.

Rabago turned towards Centhrax and thrust out his palm. "Ki!"

The blast whipped off the villain's cloak, but Centhrax did not budge, and he stood with his arms crossed casually over his chest. "Chi parlor tricks may work on grunts, but they will not work on me, human."

Centhrax charged forward and slammed a punch against Rabago that sent the shadow healer flying through the air.

Hunter and Blake ran past a small creek near the Ikkazuchi Way grounds. Hunter had his arm draped across Blake's shoulder and was leaning on his younger brother for support. He groaned with pain and grasped his chest with his free hand.

"We have to...go back," he said between breaths.

"You're in no shape to fight, big brother," Blake said as he carried Hunter along and struggled with his brother's weight.

Rabago slowly climbed to his knees while clutching his chest. Several of his ribs were broken. His body hurt with every breath.

The shadow healer looked up to see Shurikenger kneeling besides him. The Green Ranger placed a hand on the shadow healer's shoulder. "Sensei Rabago," he said in a soothing voice. "You know Blake and Hunter well, yes?"

Zergainzord reverted back to its armored form and fired a massive bolt of crimson lightning that exploded against StormMegazord and knocked the robo off its feet. The Megazord crashed backward as explosions ripped across its armor.

Explosions sparked within the Rangers' cockpits as the Megazord tumbled downward.

Ashley watched the battle and tried not to panic. She activated her computer's comm systems. "Hunter, Blake, where are you...the Rangers need your help."

Hunter collapsed into the creek, and Blake leaned down to help him up. Their communicators toned, and Ashley's voice came through. "This isn't the time to be dark and mysterious. The Rangers need you. StormMegazord can't go up against this new Zergainzord alone."

Hunter narrowed his eyes and started to rise. "You heard her...come on..." He clenched his chest with pain as he tried to walk off. "We have to go..."

"Hunter, you can't-"

Explosions sparked around the rangers and tossed them off their feet. They looked up to see Centhrax stalk forward with a group of Kelzaks.

Centhrax formed a black bolt of energy between his palms, and the energy bolt was surrounded by a cloud of dark-purple power. "There's no escape."

The villain hurled the bolt forward, and it slammed against Hunter's chest and knocked him onto his back. Hunter screamed with agony as the villain's shadow energy pierced through Hunter's body and into his veins, twisting into his heart.

"Hunter!" Blake shouted as he kneeled down next to his brother.

Centhrax laughed. "Do you know what I have just done? My shadow wave will make the egg inside of his heart grow faster."

Centhrax extended his hand and stalked towards the two rangers. Blake stood protectively in front of his brother, who was keeled over in pain but doing his best to stand in some sort of defensive stance in front of his younger sibling.

Rabago suddenly charged onto the scene in a blur of motion and dashed back and forth across Centhrax and the villains while bashing them with his staff. His staff sparked against their bodies and knocked the Kelzaks to the ground.

The attack forced Centhrax several steps backward. But the villain merely clutched his injured chest and laughed.

Rabago skid to a halt and stood with his staff raised in a fighting stance. "Jakanja, your opponent is me."

Centhrax took several steps backward. "I think not...I did what I came to do..."

The villain shimmered away.

Rabago turned to the teens and walked towards them. Hunter was standing on his own strength, but he appeared weak and fatigued. "Hunter...you must go to Tibet. There is a temple there where I studied Qigong. If you trained for a period of time, the egg inside of you might be destroyed."

Blake opened his eyes wide with hope. He looked to his brother. "We can head there now in our zords."

Hunter shook his head. "There's no time. We have work to do here."

"But Hunter-"

"No Blake," Hunter said. "We have a lot to make up for. Let's go."

Hunter staggered into the distance but kept his head held high. Blake reluctantly followed.

Rabago waited until the teens walked off before his body shimmered, and he revealed himself as Shurikenger in disguise.

The real Rabago walked out from the trees while using his staff for support. He was weakened because of his injuries, so Shurikenger delivered the message to the Thunder Rangers on behalf of the shadow healer. 

Shurikenger looked back to Rabago, and the healer gave an approving nod.

Hunter regained enough strength to run onto the scene of the Power Rangers' battle, and Blake ran by his brother's side. The rangers armed their morphers.

"Gorai...Ninjetti Change! Ha!" Energy lashed around them as they morphed into their Ranger forms.

Zergainzord slashed across StormMegazord with a powerful blow that knocked the robo off its feet. StormMegazord crashed backward and landed on its back as the evil zord stared downward at its fallen opponent.

Zergain lifted its arm blade and swung downward.

But the ThunderMegazord's stag claw suddenly swung out and blocked the blow. ThunderMegazord kicked the evil robo backward and stepped back into a fighting stance while holding its weapon outward.

"The Thunders!" Hurricane Yellow shouted with relief and surprise.

"Blake!" Hurricane Blue called out.

StormMegazord climbed back to its feet and stood alongside the ThunderMegazord.

Crimson Thunder lowered his cockpit's targeting display. "Sorry to keep you waiting."

Navy Thunder did the same, and he glared at Zergainzord through his viewport. "Let's go, Jakanja."

Zergainzord stepped forward into a fighting stance. "Zergainzord...lightening up!" The evil zord's armor retracted and formed a slender robo with sharp arm blades. The arch over the zord's head retracted over the helmet. "Zergainzord! Lightening mode!"

Zergainzord dashed past the two Megazords and slashed across their armor with bursts of spark.

The two Megazords stepped back and regrouped.

"Hunter, Blake," Hurricane Red said. "Let's combine!"

"Right," Crimson Thunder said.

Power Discs materialized in Hurricane Red and Crimson Thunder's cockpits.

"Power Disc!" Hurricane Red inserted the disc into his console. "Lock...and drop."

"Power Disc!" Crimson Thunder inserted the disc into his console. "Lock...and drop."

The Megazords' chest plates opened and shot our Power Sphere No. 7 and Power Sphere No. 8.

Zergainzord suddenly leapt forward and grabbed Power Sphere No. 7 before it could open. The zord flipped through the air and landed behind the two Megazords.

"No!" Hurricane Blue shouted.

Hurricane Red cursed beneath his breath. "We've got to get that sphere back."

The Green Ranger's zord Tenkuujin suddenly swooped down from the skies while in helicopter mode.

"Tenkuujin!" Shurikenger commanded. "Hisho Henkei!"

The zord rolled hard to port and changed shape. The engines became a pair of legs, the bow split open into a pair of arms, and the four-point propeller formed chest armor. The star-shaped propeller's top point flipped down to become the helmet of the zord's head.

"Tenkuujin!" Shurikenger shouted. "Frisan!"

A Power Disc materialized on Shurikenger's control station.

"Power Disc!" Shurikenger inserted the disc into his control console. "Lock...and drop!"

Strands of energy lashed out between the zord's hands and formed Power Sphere No. 12. The sphere opened to reveal a spider-shaped weapon.

"Spider Grappler!" the Green Ranger shouted.

The spider-shaped grappler shot out, latched around Power Sphere No. 7, and pulled it free from Zergainzord. The Green Ranger swung the sphere around like a mace that repeatedly smashed against Zergainzord with bursts of spark that knocked the evil robo backward. 

"Hey, hey," Shurikenger shouted to the Rangers. "I believe this belongs to you?"

Tenkuujin hurled the Power Sphere into the air. Power Sphere No. 7 and Power Sphere No. 8 opened and revealed two components, which combined to form a Minizord.

The zord placed its left hand against its right fist and spoke a programmed message. "I am Minizord." The zord uploaded streams of data and programming into the two Megazords. "StormMegazord...ThunderMegazord...combine!"

"Megazords assemble!" the Rangers shouted. "Thunderstorm fusion!"

The lion and dolphin arms of the StormMegazord snapped off. The lion head formed the chest of the Megazord. ThunderMegazord split into four segments that formed new arms and feet with wheels. The dolphin split in two and formed a pair of cannons on the Megazord's shoulders. Minizord formed a pair of gauntlets and helmet with a bladed crescent moon.

"Thunderstorm Megazord!" the Rangers shouted. "GouraiSenpuujin!"

Thunderstorm Megazord rolled forward on its tread wheels and charged towards Zergainzord.

The evil robo leapt towards the Megazord and swung its arm blades downward, but Thunderstorm Megazord simply punched the blades away and slammed a volley of punches against Zergainzord, bouncing the evil robo up and down in the air while rolling forward, each punch sparking on impact.

The final punch slammed a dent against Zergainzord and knocked the evil robo through the air. Zergainzord crashed against the ground and rolled back to its feet.

Hurricane Red grasped his controls. "Thunder Hurricane!"

The lion mane spun and fired a beam of twirling energy, and the shoulder cannons fired pulses of energy that combined with the twirling wave. The energy blast punctured through Zergainzord with a massive explosion that tore its armor apart with a burst of flame. Zergain managed to eject just before the zord exploded. 

Hours later, Hunter kneeled on the floor of the old dojo as Blake stood nearby. Rabago placed a hand over Hunter's chest, and the shadow healer's hand pulsed with dark-purple energy. But nothing happened.

Rabago tried again, but to no effect. He wrinkled his brow with frustration. "Something seems to be protecting the egg inside of you. I can't slow it down any longer...this must be the work of that villain who attacked us."

"Centhrax," Blake cursed. He walked to his brother. "We have to go to Tibet."

Hunter kept his back to Blake, stood, and pulled on his shirt. "We can't leave."

Rabago shook his head. "You're as stubborn as your father."

Hunter narrowed his eyes. "I am nothing like him." He looked to Blake. "We can't leave, Blake. We squandered our abilities for too long. We lived in our father's shadow for too long. It's time for us to come out. Into our own. If I'm going to die, I'm going to die redeeming our family name. Our school. Ourselves. I won't die sitting in a temple. I won't. I can't."

Blake started to protest but closed his mouth. His older brother's words sunk in, and he felt a small pang of guilt. He nodded. "Okay."

"Good," Hunter said. "Don't mention this to the Hayate Rangers. They don't need to know."

"I won't," Blake said. He wished he could have thought of more to say, but he couldn't. His brother was right. They had a lot of work to do and a lot to make up for. Even if it killed them.

Night passed. Centhrax stood on the bridge of the Jakanja ship. His lowered head was covered with his cloak, and his arms were crossed over his chest.

The villain reached out with his cosmic awareness and sensed the ripples of time, which were in flux, constantly changing. But certain events seemed more likely than others. He could sense the waves of the future, but more importantly, he could sense the moments that caused the waves to ripple.

Centhrax saw a vision of his own blade striking down Crimson Thunder.

"Yes..." Centhrax said quietly. "On the next full moon, Crimson Thunder will die..."

But his vision shifted, and he saw his own demise. He saw his body whimper and turn to dust that blew away on the wind.

The villain's breath caught in his throat. "That cannot be...no. It will not happen."

Centhrax left the bridge towards his private chambers to prepare.

The meteor shower that swept across Earth's upper atmosphere had no scientific explanation. The meteors illuminated the sky with streaks of white light, identical to the event that drove Hunter and Blake's father to madness. The new meteor shower came from the same source as the shooting stars spotted by Blake and Hunter's father years before, and that source was shrouded in secrecy.

The shooting stars illuminated the hull of the Jakanja ship as it floated in Earth's oceans. The light reached the bridge and splashed across the face of Lothor, who had sat motionless for days. The villain's eyes shimmered. And something inside of him stirred.

Lothor's hands clutched onto the armrests of his throne. "I can sense it..." he said in a deep voice that dripped with venom. He sounded different, more like his alter ego Tao Zento. "The Final Prophecy..."

He closed his eyes and recited the message that the meteors seemed to etch in his mind. "Men will walk as beats. The heart of the shadow will rip asunder. And the Ultimate Secret will reveal itself."

Lothor knew that Centhrax had planted a scorpion egg in the heart of Crimson Thunder, who could channel shadow energy from The Power. This was obviously not a coincidence.

"Men will walk as beasts..." Lothor lowered his head thoughtfully. Then a thought struck him. He lifted his gaze. "Satora'kura..."

The Dark Spear named Satora'kura dropped to the deck of the bridge from above. "You're awake!" the villain shouted. "Marah and Kapri were considering tossing you into the ocean. They wanted your shiny new chair."

Lothor lifted his hand, and a telekinetic force grabbed Satora'kura around the neck and forced him to his knees. "No more jokes. No more games. No more pathetic attempts at humor," Lothor said. "When we were together in the Rigel Expanse years ago, you spoke of three beasts you had at your command. Wolf Blades. Summon them."

Lothor released his grasp, and Satora'kura gasped for air.

The clown-like villain muttered to himself and rose to his feet while pulling a small whistle out from underneath his robes. He blew on the whistle, which emitted a high-pitched sound.