Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Miu and Hiroto Sutou strode through the park. It was a beautiful summer day, and it was full of friends and families come to enjoy each other’s company.

“We still have time to turn back” said Hiroto.

“Ani…”

“They probably don’t even expect us to come.”

“But you know they want us to. You could see it in their eyes when they asked us.”

Earlier in the week, the Go-On Wings again teamed up with the Go-Ongers in foiling the latest Gariak plot to pollute the Earth. Afterwards, the headstrong heroes informed them that they were having a barbecue at the park that Saturday, and that they were welcome to come. The siblings gave a noncommittal response.

“We’ve been working alongside each other for awhile. We should see them other than when we’re fighting the Gariak, don’t you think?”

“Maybe they aren’t as useless as we first thought, but that doesn’t mean I have to be best friends. I don’t share your love of strays, remember.”

“Ani, like it or not you know as well as I do that we wouldn’t have made it this far against the Gariak without their help; we owe them.”

Hiroto sighed, but didn’t deny anything.

“Fine” he said. “Just don’t tell them any of that.”

“Oh, of course.”

Finally, they saw the Ginjiro parked on the grass, the Go-Ongers coming into view as they got closer. Ren was at the grill as Saki was setting the table, while Sosuke, Gunpei, and Hant were playing a game of American football.

Saki looked up and saw the siblings.

“Miu! Hiroto!”

“Well, nothing left to do than face the music” muttered Hiroto.

“Ani!” said Miu, lightly hitting her brother on the shoulder. “Come on, it’ll just be a couple of hours.”

Saki turned to Ren.

“I told you they’d come!”

“You’re just in time” said Ren, “the burgers are almost ready.”

Sosuke then came running up, Gunpei and Hant following close behind.

“Well, well” said Sosuke. “So, even the great Sutou siblings couldn’t resist the lure of Ren’s cooking!”

Miu chuckled at Sosuke’s comment, and Hiroto rolled his eyes in annoyance at how his sister lighted up in the presence of the Red Ranger (and furthering his suspicions Miu had an additional reason she wanted to come.)

“Hey Hiroto, wanna come play ball with us?” asked Hant.

“It’ll be two on two: you and Hant vs. me and Gunpei!” said Sosuke.

Hitoto’s dispassionate expression didn’t change, but he did go along with them back to the grass.

Miu took a seat at the table, and Saki sat on the other side.

“I’m really glad you guys came” she said. “Only Sosuke and I were sure you would.”

Miu smiled.

“Oh, it’s our pleasure. Like I told Ani, we’re allies against the Gariak, so we might as well be friends too, right?”

In truth, despite the effort she put into convincing Hiroto, she herself was somewhat anxious. The Go-Ongers were the first non-family members the siblings had had any significant contact with since they finished school. Even then, they had never formed any deep ties, neither feeling any particular connection with any of their fellow children of privilege. They found the company of each other more than sufficient.

Now though, for the last three months, they had found themselves allied with a group of amateur heroes. She had liked them from the start; they had passion, and though she never told her brother, privately she was impressed by their refusal to heed the siblings’ advice to quit. After a time, they earned her and Hiroto (albeit grudging, in his case)’s respect as well; as a result, for the first time, the Sutous had what could be referred to as friends. Miu, for her part, found it kinda exciting, but there was also trepidation; this was new territory for them.

“I was really hoping in particular that we could be friends, Miu.”

“Oh?” said Miu, suddenly more anxious than a moment ago.

“Well…” said Saki. ”It’s just that all this time I’ve been the only girl on the Go-Ongers. It can be tough living with four boys in such a small space. You know, a few months ago they actually had a fart contest!”

“That does sound tough” said Miu, genuinely sympathetic. Even though she and her brother lived by themselves in a large villa, they still ran into the occasional difference of gender related difficulty, so she could only imagine the horrors Saki must have endured on the Ginjiro.

“And it’s lonely to have no one I can chat about girl stuff with. I can talk to Hant about clothes at least but otherwise…”

Miu didn’t say anything in response; in the silence they could hear Sosuke and Gunpei yell in frustration as Hiroto effortlessly scored again and again while Hant cheered. She liked Saki (the girl was so sweet she doubted even the Gariak truly hated her), but she sensed the girl, three years her junior, was looking for not just a friend but a big sister, a role for which Miu had neither experience nor interest.

Saki seemed to realize Miu was not reacting to her words as she had hoped.

“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to just complain to you.”

“Oh it’s fine” said Miu, hoping they were at the end of this.

“It’s just that, we’ll, it doesn’t seem as if you and Hiroto have any other friends, so I thought you might have some of the same issues…”

Miu was again silent; in the background they heard Sosuke angrily accusing Hiroto of cheating somehow.

“I just feel it’s good to know that if there’s something the guys don’t understand, we have each other, you know?”

Oh God please tell me she’s had her period…

As Miu wondered if maybe she should have listened to her brother, she suddenly felt a familiar flash in her head as a hot dog bun fell off the table. She sat up.

“Miu, what is it?” asked Saki.

She got her answer in screams.

They turned to see citizens running in panic, being chased by Ugatz soldiers. Miu, Saki, and Ren ran the other way, soon joined by Sosuke, Hiroto, and the others. They turned their heads at a familiar laugh.

It was Kegalesia, her usual proud self with her hands on her hips.

“Hello, Go-Ongers. I guess you forgot to invite me to your little get together, so I decided I’d crash it. And I brought a plus one.”

The Rangers trembled as the ground shook multiple times.

“What the-?” said Gunpei.

“Is this Banki Beast already a giant?” asked Hant.

The Banki Beast soon was within sight. It looked like a white refrigerator with muscular, metallic limbs and two angry eyes at the top, its left arm some sort of high tech cannon.

Refrigerator Banki roared at the Rangers.

“It doesn’t seem to be one of the smarter Banki Beasts” said Gunpei.

“No, but he looks like he may have enough muscle to make up for it” said Ren.

“All right guys” said Sosuke, “let’s take care of these losers and get back to our barbecue!”

“What was that you said about meeting them outside of battle?” Hiroto said to Miu.

Lined up, the Rangers took out what looked to be large microchips and slid them into varnish devices as they posed.

“Change Soul Set! Let’s Go On!” they all cried out.

At that, suits materialized around their bodies.

“‘Met On!” they shouted next, and helmets did likewise above them, grabbing them and placing them over their heads, completing the transformation.

Miu went to work. She felt the familiar surge of adrenaline as she leapt into battle. As usual, she started with the Ugatz soldiers. They came at her, but none of them managed to land a blow as she dodged or blocked every one, while in turn punching and kicking them back, effortlessly trouncing them. As always, she couldn’t help but feel a bit sorry for them, sent by their masters into a battle they themselves must have known they were going to lose.

The other Rangers did likewise, and soon the soldiers lay scattered on ground. Now it was time for the main course.

Refrigerator Banki roared and opened its door. Out shot a succession of eggs, all of which exploded on contact.

The Rangers fought through the barrage, with Ren being the first to reach the Banki Beast. As he took out the Garage Launcher, Refrigerator Banki again opened his door out which came streams of ketchup and mustard, covering his helmet.

“I can’t see!” he called out, before Refrigerator Banki punched him, the force of which sent him ten yards away.

While Saki and Hant went to aid him, Sosuke and Gunpei rushed the Banki Beast. His door opened and out came a chain of sausages which wrapped around Gunpei’s neck. As he tried to tear it off, electricity shot through it, shocking him.

Sosuke took out the Road Saber and sliced the chain, and Gunpei grabbed and tossed it away. Their teammates then rejoined them, just in time for Refrigerator Banki to launch another projectile. Most of them ducked it, but they then heard Hant sputtering, his voice muffled, as he struggled to breath with a cooked turkey stuck on his head.

As they tried to aid him, the Go-On Wings decided to head for the source of the problem.

“Rocket Dagger!” they cried out, and small blades materialized in their hands.

Hiroto attacked first.

“Burning Dagger!” he cried out.

At that, his blade lit on fire, and he thrust it at his foe, sending waves of flame at the Banki Beast, who snarled at the pain.

Hiroto then charged his foe, slashing at him and making him stagger back. As he went in for another attack, however, Refrigerator Banki reached out and knocked down the Gold Ranger. Before Hiroto could get back up, his foe pressed down on him with his foot, making him cry out in pain as the Banki Beast’s weight made him sink into the ground.

“Ani!” cried Miu as she ran to her brother’s aid, attacking Refrigerator Banki from behind.

The Banki Beast growled and turned to her, taking the bait as Miu had hoped, and leaving her brother to focus on her.

Refrigerator Banki swatted at the Silver Ranger, whom leapt out of his reach each time. Once she felt her brother out of immediate danger, she went on the offensive, leaping up and delivering a kick to the monster, only for her to bounce back from its mass.

As she landed, she saw Kagalesia walk up to her minion, clearly satisfied with how the battle was progressing.

“It’ll take more than that if you want to beat Refrigerator Banki” she said.

Miu ignored her, already planning her next move.

Kagalesia leaned over to her servant.

“You know, Refrigerator Banki, I think Silver would be the perfect test subject for our little invention…” she said.

Refrigerator Banki nodded, and the cannon on his arm began to power up.

Miu thrust her Rocket Dagger at them.

“Shining Dagger!” she cried, and colored slashes emerged from it.

Refrigerator Banki took the bulk of the attack, staggering back, while Kagalesia fell down from it.

Miu stuck her blade out at the Banki Beast.

“Freezing Dagger!” she cried, and her blade generated a mist that froze Refrigerator Banki in ice.

Miu leapt up to press her advantage.

“Jet Dagger!” she yelled, and her weapon suddenly shot off a long stream of flame.

She held onto it as it took off in flight, planning to strike the Banki Beast while it was helpless.

Just as she was about to reach her target, though, Refrigerator Banki shuddered and broke free of the layer of ice imprisoning him. With a speed that betrayed his size, he turned and aimed his cannon arm at her. He fired a beam that hit Miu dead on, the force of it sending her flying until she hit a tree.

For a few moments, she lost consciousness. Even when she regained it, her mind felt fuzzy, although the breeze she felt on her face told her she had reverted back to her civilian guise. She got up, and realized that beam must have really done a number on her, because it was actually difficult for some reason, like something was weighing her down.

When she did, she looked around and the saw the others had arrived (and her brother recovers) but were just standing and staring at her, as if in shock.

“What’s wrong? Why are you all looking at me like that?”

She gasped and put her hand to her mouth. Her voice! It was different, hoarser. And her hand! She stared at it. It looked swollen…

Kegalesia got up as well, and saw Miu. She looked shocked for a moment, then smiled and laughed.

“Well, looks like the Obesity Beam works perfectly!”

“What are you talking about?!” demanded an increasingly nervous Miu, again distracted by the change in her voice.

Kegalesia turned to Refrigerator Banki.

“Well, let’s not keep her in suspense. Let Go-On Silver see the new her!”

Refrigerator Banki opened his door to reveal a full body mirror. When she saw herself, Miu gasped.

She was huge! Seemingly triple the Miu she had been only moments ago. At first she told herself it was a lie, the mirror some sort of Gariak trick, but she looked down at herself and saw it was all too true.

Her new body was pear shaped, with the greatest of weight gained below her waist. Her butt was now her biggest feature, each cheek looking like a bean bag chair, and sticking out so far it was a shelf. Her hips stuck out just as much, and all rested on tree trunk thighs, with nothing remaining of a gap between them.

But the rest of her body had been transformed as well.

Her stomach had greatly expanded, her formerly tight midsection now looking like an enormous pile of dough, with love handles on the sides, giving her a spare tire completely preventing her from looking down at her feet (though from the mirror she could see she now had cankles.)

Looking at her face, she saw it was now extremely bloated, with her cheeks now looking like those of a chipmunk, large pudgy jowls, and a double, no, triple chin, her neck too submerged in fat to be seen. When she lowered her head she looked like a frog croaking.

She did have one small mercy in that her clothes had grown as well, but not at the same rate as her body, leaving them tightly snug around her newly blubbery form. Her short shorts left the bottom sides of her plump cheeks exposed, as well as the top of her butt crack. Similarly, her shirt stopped short of her massive belly and muffin top. In a panic, she tried to pull her shirt down over them, but could only get it to lower a few inches, and it instantly went back up once she let go. Needless to say, her belt was now unbuckled and jacket open, and so clear that trying to close them was hopeless she didn’t either bother.

“My, you’re so brave wearing something so revealing at your size” sneered Kagalesia.

Miu felt frozen in shock. This couldn’t be happening. Her entire life she had been fit with no effort. Now she was this…this blob.

“Kagalesia, what did you do to Miu!?” demanded Sosuke.

“It’s quite simple” said the Pollution Minister. “You see, I thought, instead of us going through all this effort to pollute Human World, why not push the humans along to do the work themselves? Once they’re exposed to the Obesity Ray, they’ll be too lethargic and embarrassed to go out in public. Instead, they’ll just stay home, consuming food and using power, and producing garbage. Not to mention…”

Suddenly, Miu felt something building up in her behind. Before she knew what was going on, she let out a loud fart, one which smelt worse than anything that had come out of her body ever had.

“A little contribution from Kitaneidas for polluting the air.”

Now, Miu was angry. No matter what they did to her, she was still Go-On Silver. She would get Kagalesia and make her undo this!

She realized the problem with that plan as soon as she took off. She tried to run as she normally did, but her new body was decidedly not built for speed or mobility. After moving only a few feet, she felt completely winded, and stopped to lean down and catch her breath (and letting out a couple of toots in the process.)

At this, Kegalesia laughed again.

“Oh, poor Silver. Guess you won’t be doing any of those fancy martial arts and gymnast moves anymore.”

In her a time as a Go-On Wing, Miu had many moments where things seemed dark, where the spectre of defeat and even death seemed inevitable. But at the moment, none of them seemed a fraction as terrible as the situation she was in now, her body stolen from her and leaving her trapped in this prison of flesh and gas for all the world to see. She felt humiliated and useless.

Kegalesia turned and pointed at the other Rangers.

“Now, do the rest of them!”

Refrigerator Banki just stood awkwardly, and mumbled while shrugging apologetically.

“What? You need time to recharge it!?”

Kegalesia groaned and pushed Refrigerator Banki, causing the Banki Beast to fall over, the brute squirming about as it tried to get up like a turtle.

“Well, at least we got one of them. I guess we won’t be seeing much of each other anymore, Silver; the hero business isn’t really suited for someone of your body type, after all. Luckily, there’s enough of you to see now to last a lifetime! Oh, and by the way…”

She reached down and detached the Obesity Ray cannon from Refrigerator Banki’s arm.

“The Obesity Ray is a Gariak invention, not part of Refrigerator Banki. So even if your friends do destroy him, you’re still stuck in the fat lane.”

Kagalesia laughed at this, as did the still downed Refrigerator Banki (until he realized this clarification might indicate a lack of confidence in his success.)

“Enjoy your new life, tubs” she said before she and her underlings vanished.

Miu stood still, her face in a frozen expression of shock.

The others slowly approached her.

“Miu?” asked Saki.

Miu did the only thing she could think of; she screamed.

Chapter Text

“Push!”

Once they had gotten Miu to calm down somewhat, the Go Ongers decided the best course of action was to have Bomper examine her and hopefully find a way to return her to normal.

Unfortunately, Miu’s newfound bulk made entering the Ginjiro difficult. In particular, her hips and butt were now wider than the entrance, and her attempt to get in left her stuck in the door. So now Hiroto, Renn, and Saki were pulling her arms while Sosuke, Hant, and Gunpei pushed her now gargantuan ass.

Miu’s flabby face was bright red, not just from the physical strain of trying to suck in her body so as to fit through the door but from mortification at her situation. She kept praying this was just a horrible nightmare she would wake up from at any moment.

Behind her, the three tired Go-Ongers stopped for a moment to catch their breath.

“I don’t feel we’re getting anywhere with this” said Gunpei.

“Maybe it’s be easier to take the equipment out here” said Hant.

Sosuke quickly sat back up.

“Come on guys, we can’t give up! We have to push forward for Miu!”

He then rushed forward and pushed against her with renewed vigor.

For the first time since the start of this ordeal, Miu felt something other than humiliation, feeling touched by Sosuke’s determination to help her.

Then she felt something else: pressure building up in her behind. She realized the horror that was about to unfold.

“Sosuke, get out of-“

PFFFFBBBBTT!

To Miu, the fart she unleashed right in Sosuke’s face seemed to last forever. Though she thankfully couldn’t see his reaction, she could hear him gagging as he staggered backwards.

This HAS to be a nightmare! Dear God it can’t be real!

“Wait! I just remembered!” said Ren as he ran to the kitchen area. “I still have some grease from cooking left over!”

Ren poured the grease across her sides. With that, they set at it again, this time with more success.

“I…think…we…almost…got it…” grunted Gunpei.

Sure enough, Miu suddenly plopped through the door, falling right on the floor. Hant went along after her, landing on top of her.

“Hant!” cried out Gunpei.

“I’m all right!” said Hant. “Luckily I landed on Miu’s butt, plenty of padding for me-“

Miu angrily threw him off her.

“Hey!”

“It’s your own fault!” said Saki, lightly smacking Hanto. “You should be more sensitive to how Miu is feeling!”

“Oh yeah, sorry…”

As Miu righted herself up, she smelt the grease still on her. In her head, she screamed at herself not to follow the inclination she was developing, but she found herself unable to resist the temptation. She wiped the grease on her hands, then licked them. It tasted so good, and for a moment, she forgot her current situation.

That is, until she saw the others looking at her aghast.

Instantly, Miu’s feelings of shame resurfaced. She couldn’t think of what to say, so she just looked away and tried to bury her head into her shoulders.

It was then that Bomper rolled in.

“Hey guys! Did you take care of the Gariak-?”

Bomper then saw Miu, and the Go-Ongers swore that his jaw dropped despite being a robot.

“Miu! What happened!? You’re huge boom boom!”

Bomper’s bluntness made Miu lower her head in embarrassment. Saki leaned down to the robot.

“Bomper, the Gariak did this to her. We need you to find a way to undo it.”

“I’ll do my best boom! Take a seat.”

Miu looked at the chair, which seemed ominously tiny to her. Cautiously, she sat down, though as she suspected it was a tight squeeze.

Bomper ran some scans of her, and then all she could do was wait for the results, which she did pensively.

She couldn’t help but take glances at her teammates, who were all doing their best to avoid staring at her. She tried telling herself they were just concerned for her, but she couldn’t help but wonder what they were thinking about her…

The way she licked up that grease…does she really have no self-control anymore…?

I hope she gets some new clothes, it’s gross looking at all that fat of her’s…

To think she called us ‘pathetic’; serves her right to be brought so low…

God I can still taste her fart in my mouth! What a disgusting cow…

I can’t believe that tub of lard is my sister…

Seeing how anxious Miu looked, Saki, as was her wont, tried to cheer her up.

“Don’t worry, Miu, Bomper will tell us how to fix this, I’m sure of it!”

“And hey, you’re rich, so worst comes to worst you can just get liposuction” said Hant.

The idea of getting liposuction wasn’t one that thrilled Miu, but knowing she had that as an option if everything else failed did help her anxiety.

“Analysis is complete boom!” shouted Bomper suddenly.

At that, the Go-Ongers gathered around, as they and Miu anxiously waited to hear the results.

“The beam has massively multiplied your body weight, the new weight consisting of body fat, as well as decreased your muscle mass, leaving you weaker than before.”

Miu did her best to remain calm; although she knew what Bomper was telling her already, hearing it spelt out so clinically made the situation seem more real.

“It also increased your hunger, as well altered your taste so that you’ll desire junk food.”

At that, Miu suddenly realized that without even consciously thinking about she had grabbed a sleeve of cookies within reach and was shoveling them into her mouth.

“At the same time, it’s lowered your metabolism to a fraction of what it was before. It’s also effected your gastric system, giving you the effects of a high fiber diet, as well as bacteria buildup in the large intestine, increasing both the frequency and stench of your…uh, passing gas boom. I also detected some extra elements in them that pollute the atmosphere and make it more habitable for the Gariak.”

Miu again lowered her face; not only was her newfound gas problem humiliating, she was helping the Gariak. It also reminded her (and undoubtedly Sosuke as well) of what happened earlier. God, even if she could return to normal how could she ever look him in the face again?

“The biggest factor, though, is that what the Obesity Ray gave you were not regular fat cells, but special Gariak fat cells. Unlike normal fat cells, they can’t be burned off. Even if you removed the fat through surgery, it would instantly replenish itself. In short, the Gariak have done their best to ensure your condition is permanent.”

Miu had been listening to Bomper with mounting horror, the news getting worse and worse. Now, that last word lingered in her head.

Permanent.

The body she had her entire life, that she had only a few hours earlier, was gone forever. For the rest of her life, whenever she looked at her reflection she would see the bloated obese woman she had seen in Refrigerator Banki’s mirror.

Miu sat up, and the chair rose with her, stuck to her butt.

Upon realizing this, Miu screamed again. In and of itself it was far from the worst of what she had gone through, but after all of that it was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

Ren pulled the chair off, but Miu remained in a state of agitation. She stamped her foot, her weight making the Ginjiro shake.

Hiroto moved to calm his sister, grabbing her by the shoulders.

“Miu, you must calm down-“

“‘Calm down’!?” she yelled, breaking away from her brother. “Easy for you to say, Hiroto! You’re not the one who’s been turned into a fat sack of farts!”

Overwhelmed, Miu knelt down and started crying.

The male Go-Ongers looked at each other, unsure of what to do. Even Hiroto was at a loss; he had never seen his sister this distraught.

Saki, seeing the others frozen, knelt down to Miu.

“Miu, how about you and me go to your home while the guys and Bomper figure out what to do?”

Miu was still crying but nodded her head affirmatively. As Saki figured, she would rather face some cabbie she didn’t know with her body than her friends.

“Yeah, I’m sure if we put our heads together we’ll find a solution!” said Sosuke.

“That’s right” said Ren. “If the Gariak have rendered conventional ways to lose weight useless then we’ll just have to find another way to undo this.”

Miu smiled and nodded her head, though from the expression on her face it was clear she wasn’t holding out hope.

After getting up (with Saki’s help), Miu waddled off, her teammates sympathetically watching. A few moments later, the Ginjiro again rocked.

“Uhh…do you still have that grease, Ren?” asked Miu.

~~~

Miu groaned when she saw that Saki was once again some distance ahead of her. She and Saki had to walk out of the park before they could get a taxi, a short distance. Unfortunately, Miu had found that even a short walk was a strenuous effort for her now.

Saki looked back to see Miu breathing heavily and resting her hand on a tree. It was only a moderately warm day, but for Miu’s bulk it was enough to render her a sweaty mess. She had even removed her jacket, her desperatness to get as cool as possible overriding her shame of having more of her body exposed. She was perspiring like no one she had ever seen; sweat stains from under her forearms covered the sides of her shirt, while her face made it seem as she had just been in the pool, her wet hair glued to her head, which only emphasized how fat her face was now.

Saki walked back to Miu, cringing her nose at the smell of her BO, a rancid mix of sweat and flatulence. Again, Saki felt for the Silver Ranger; the Gariak really had gone all out to make this a horrible experience for her.

“Miu, do you need another break?” asked Saki.

Miu didn’t have the strength to say anything, but answered by slumping down on a bench, which creaked from her weight.

Ignoring the smell, Saki sat down and held her clammy hand.

“Miu, we’ll find a way to undo this. We always foil the Gariak, remember? Smile smile!”

Miu only glumly nodded her head.

Saki frowned. As shocking as her physical change was, the change in her personality might have been even greater. Miu had always been so confident, even in a crisis. Now, she seemed so uncertain and vulnerable.

After a time, Miu felt ready (or close enough, at least) to move on. After a time, they saw buildings and the street.

“See? We made it!”

Miu appreciated the thought in Saki saying “we,” as if the short walk they took would be an endurance test for anyone and not just a human blimp like her. She then promptly dropped down on another bench.

Saki could plainly see that Miu was still in rough shape, and could use a pick me up before they left.

“Just wait here, I’ll get you a bottle of water, okay?”

Miu nodded, though privately she thought water now seemed much less appealing than a can of some sugary soda, and Saki went off to the nearest vending machine.

Miu watched as Saki took off, and could not help but feel jealous of the Yellow Ranger, who still fit her clothes, who could still move nimbly, who was still…thin. She felt bad, considering all she was doing for her, but she felt a little relieved to have her gone for a bit; being next to her only made her feel like more of a hog.

As she began to recover a bit, Miu happened to sniff herself and cringed at how she smelt. First thing she’d do when she got home was take a shower. The thought made her cheer up a bit; taking one always made her feel better.

Then she tried to remember how big the shower door was. It was larger than the Ginniro’s, right? She was sure it was…

She felt her stomach drop at the thought of having to get washed outside with a hose like…like… Like she was an elephant at the zoo, she concluded. The analogy made her add a crowd of children watching and laughing at her to the already humiliating mental picture.

She slumped down again. Not for the first time, she wondered how she was going to live like this. Her whole life, insecurity about her appearance was limited to pimples during puberty and a few ill-considered haircuts. Now she felt like a freak; she felt like everyone who passed by was looking at and judging her.

She was reflecting on her situation when she smelt something. It was a scent she was familiar with, but never had it seemed so tempting, so rewarding, so…delicious.

She looked across to the other side of the street: there, marked by its distinctive Golden Arches, was a McDonald’s.

She had actually never been to one before; neither she nor her brother had ever been ones for fast food, and in any case going to a chain restaurant seemed…low class. But now the aroma called to her…

Miu groaned as she tried to lift up her body, trying not to think about how the mere act of getting up from sitting was now a struggle. After a bit of this, she became worried she was too tired and would need to wait for Saki to come back and help her up in front of everyone here. Fortunately, she managed to find the inner strength and hefted herself up. She briefly felt proud of herself, before remembering how pathetic an ‘accomplishment’ it was.

She looked back at the bench, and cringed. It was covered in sweat, as if rained on by a Miu shaped cloud.

Turning around, she saw a child looking at the site with wide eyes before running away.

“Mommy, mommy, the fat lady got the bench all wet!”

A few passerby’s turned to see the sight, more than one giving looks of disgust. Miu momentarily considered ignoring this urge and to just wait for Saki to return. Then she caught that scent again. Almost of its own volition her body began waddling towards it, her hunger giving her the strength to go on.

She relished the air conditioning when she walked in, but felt disappointment looking around. She had figured if there was anywhere she might not feel out of place it would be here, but she sadly noted she was by far the fattest one there. And as had been the case everywhere, she drew shocked eyes to her fat form. Part of her suspected it would be best to just turn around and leave now. On some level, she knew only disaster could await. But having been fit her own life, Miu had never had to learn to control hunger cravings, certainly not ones as strong as those she was feeling now. She told herself she would just get a quick bite to eat and then she’d get out.

Miu took her place in line, trying not to take it personally when the person in front of her took a few steps away. She waited, breathing heavily and sweating; even just standing still was hard now.

“God, look at who we’re behind, you had to wash your car, didn’t you?” whispered a man behind her to his buddy. “We’ll be lucky if they have a few ketchup packets left when she’s done ordering.”

“Hey man, how was I supposed to know? Figured this’d be the last place a cow would want to come to.”

“Ugh, she smells like she belongs on a farm, too.”

Ordinarily, if she had heard anyone had talked so rudely about anybody, much less herself, Miu would have let them have it. But since her…transformation…her self-confidence had plummeted, and the idea of confronting these assholes and demanding an apology filled her with anxiety. Indeed, she feared, confronting them might well lead them to mock her even more. She had a vision of them cracking jokes about her weight and everyone else there laughing, and decided it was best to just act as if she didn’t hear them.

Finally, it was her turn to order. She faced the stonefaced employee, someone clearly beat down by his time here.

“What will you have today?”

Funnily enough, Miu hadn’t really thought of that. She looked up at the menu, and was taken aback by the number of items, none of which she was familiar with…

She noticed the employee looking inpatient.

“I’m sorry, I’ve actually never been here before…”

The employee at the register, taking note of her body, looked skeptical to say the least.

“Yeah, sure.”

She looked at the menu again. It all looked so good, and she felt so hungry…

She ordered a Big Mac, and then a large Coke, and then a large fries, and then decided to double that, and then…

“Your order will be ready…uh, it’ll be a bit.”

Miu quietly said thank you and moved away, the act of which made he realize her stomach had been laying on the counter.

She began looking for a place to sit, passing a mother with her young daughter. Once Miu had passed, the mother pointed at her.

“You see, that’s what’ll happen to you if you only eat here” she told her child.

Again, Miu pretended she didn’t hear.

Finding an empty booth, she managed to squeeze herself into it, feeling a bit disturbed at how used to this she was already becoming. Not too long after that, she heard her order was ready. She groaned at the prospect of having to get up, walk to the counter, and then walk back carrying the tray of food.

The employee at the register looked at her with something akin to pity.

“You know, we don’t usually do this but I think this’ll be easier for all concerned if we just bring it to you.”

Miu again gave a soft thank you, her relief of being saved the trip counterbalanced by the fact that walking such a small distance was something she dreaded.

Once they did so, she looked in amazement at the amount of food she had ordered, more befitting a family or group of friends than one individual. What was she thinking ordering all this? Even with what the Gariak did to her, surely there was no way she could eat all this…

Her stomach growled. Well, she’d just eat a bit till she felt full, then give the rest to someone in need. She tentatively grabbed a burger and bit into it. Instantly, it seemed as if an explosion went off in her brain; it was like nothing she had ever experienced. She had to have more.

She ate like her life depended on it. Immediately after finishing one thing she instantly moved onto another. As she ate, she felt something she hadn’t felt since her transformation: contentment. As she ate, she didn’t care about what the Gariak did to her and whether it could be undone or whether she could continue as Go-On Silver or what Sosuke and the others thought of her now. She simply savored the enormous meal, the rest of the world forgotten.

Finally, she reached for another burger, another handful of fries, only to find none.

As Miu’s mind returned to reality, and she saw a tray now empty save for wrappers and empty containers, it slowly dawned on her that she ha just devoured the entire massive meal in one go. Then, she smelt something other than fast food, and realized she had farted while eating as well.

Things only got worse as she caught a glimpse of herself in the window. There she was, her shirt covered in crumbs and stains, grease smeared across her fat face.

She recoiled from the sight. No! This wasn’t her! She was Go-On Silver, not some food monster!

As she looked the other way, though, she found an even worse sight: the whole of the restaurant staring at her in shock and disgust. She fell even deeper into despair realizing they had all watched as she made a pig out of herself. She heard their mutterings:

“Gross!”

“How can I eat after watching that!?”

“Ought to just have a trough outside for people like that…”

As she tried to get a grasp on a things, a pretty young woman her age, smiling but in a way that didn’t seem in any way friendly walked up to her.

“You know” she said in a tone outwardly polite and friendly but full of condescension, “to act properly, you must eat properly. It’s no good otherwise.”

She then gave a cheerful wave before she left.

Miu looked again at the mess she had made. She knew it was rude and inconsiderate not to throw her trash her away herself, and further those here’s belief that she was just some fat slob, but she had to get out of here, had to get somewhere where no one could see her as fast as possible (she’d mail them a tip to make up for it later.)

She tried to slide out of the booth, but failed. She tried again, with similar luck, and then a third time. When this too met with failure, her eyes went wide in terror.

No. No!

She was stuck!

Her mind was aflush with worst case scenarios, of the fire department having to come get her out, of ending up in the local news as some freak story. The thoughts fueled her panic, making her more desperate to get out.

She tried again, her desperation making her give it her all to get out, mentally blocking out that her actions were gathering attention. Something had to give, and eventually Miu was using such force that the table snapped and broke off at its leg.

At this, the whole of the restaurant erupted in shock, everyone shouting. Miu waddled away as fast as she could, the feel of everyone’s eyes on her as painful as anything she had suffered in battle, muttering to the shocked employees to contact the Sutou family to pay for the damages.

Once outside, she briefly paused as she saw herself in the reflection on the window again. What she saw was not Go-On Silver, not a hero; she saw someone whose only purpose in life was to eat, a greedy pig fleeing the huge mess she made, who could only help others by serving as a warning to them to not become like her.

A tear fell down her cheek, as she mourned the old Miu, whom she now accepted was gone forever, buried under blubber. This was her now…

Chapter Text

It was dusk when Miu came across an empty playground. The adrenaline that had fueled her flight had now worn off, leaving her tired. She spied the swing, and sat down on it.

For a moment, she twirled around, remembering when she was a little girl and her brother would push her on it.

Then, she heard a sharp snap as the chain broke and she landed on the ground with a thud.

It didn’t hurt (Hant was right about her butt providing great padding) but she groaned at yet another reminder of her size that seemed to make her permanently out of place with the world. Still, she didn’t cry. After all that happened today, what was one more humiliation? At least there hadn’t been anyone around to witness this one…

“Miu!”

Miu didn’t turn or react at all to Saki, who rushed up to her.

She had immediately set upon tracking Miu when she came back to find her gone, and in this case her size had been a benefit; no one could miss seeing her. She had also found out what happened, which only increased her concern for Miu. She frowned remembering how many of those she asked had spoken quite rudely about her friend (more than once, she felt severely tempted to them in the face).

“You know, you shouldn’t listen to what those people said. A lot of people are rude because they know how horrible they are inside and the only way they can feel good is making others feel bad about themselves too!”

Again, Miu showed no response to Saki, just staring ahead at nothing. Saki came around and faced her.

“Miu-“

“If you out your fingers on my mouth and do that ‘smile smile’ bullshit I’m going to bite them!”

Saki was a bit taken aback by Miu’s outburst, but given all she had been through she supposed could hardly blame her for being in a bad mood.

“Miu, why don’t we go back to the Ginjiro?”

Miu looked at Saki with an expression of incomprehension.

“What happened to going to my home, the whole reason I was out here in the first place?”

“Well, after all you’ve been through today, I thought it might be better for you to be with your brother and friends rather than be alone.”

“Forget it” said Miu.

“Miu, I know you must just want to hide away-“

Damn right; at the moment the idea of spending the rest of her life locked away in her room where no one could see her seemed perfect.

“-but it’s important you remember there are people who care about you-“

“I said no!”

“Why not?”

“Because I don’t want Sosuke to see me!”

“Ohhh…”

For awhile now Saki had suspected Miu had feelings for the leader the Go-Ongers. She watched as the Silver Ranger wiped the tears coming down her face.

“I don’t want to see his face looking at me with disgust at what a fat gross pig I am now!”

“That’s not how he sees you! None of us think of you like that! We’re your friends, Miu! We feel horrible for what’s happened to you but we don’t think any less of you! I’ve known these guys for awhile now, and none of them are that shallow or superficial! And I know there’s nothing that would ever make Hiroto stop loving you!”

Saki took Miu’s hand.

“I know they could have handled it better, but they weren’t trying to hurt you. You know how guys are. They just didn’t know how to respond…”

Miu suddenly ceased crying, as a realization hit her.

“That’s what you meant earlier, wasn’t it? That we would think of things the guys wouldn’t…”

For the first time since her transformation, Miu felt bad about something else. She had looked down on Saki when she talked about them being there for each other. She had assumed such a thing would be a one way street of her helping Saki; she never imagined she would benefit from it as well…

“You’re a good friend, Saki” she said, sniffling. “I hope the next Go-On Silver is someone who deserves you…”

“What? What are you talking about?”

“Look at me, Saki; I belong in the circus, not with you and the others…I can’t continue on like this…”

“Why? Because Kagalesia said so!? You’d never believe anything she’d say before,so why do so now!?”

“Why are you so intent on helping me!?” yelled Miu. “Don’t you remember how I treated you, all of you, when we met? How superior and condescending I was!? How I called you all pathetic? You should be happy about this! I’m just getting what I deserve…”

At that, Saki jumped up.

“No you don’t! Don’t believe that for a second!” she yelled, startling Miu with her almost angry tone.

Saki herself was surprised and calmed down, but still spoke passionately.

“When I first met you, I admit I thought you were spoiled and stuck up, and…well, you are. But we all realized soon that underneath that, you were someone with a caring heart, who hated seeing other people in pain. That kind heart is what makes you a hero, not your body! You’re still the same Miu we know and love!”

Miu was speechless for a moment, having been touched by Saki’s words.

“Saki, that’s very kind of you to say, but how am I supposed to fight the Gariak when I can barely get up on my own?”

“We’ll find a way! No matter what happens, none of us would want anyone as Go-On Silver except you!”

Miu was about to protest the absurdity of the idea, but suddenly stopped.

They would, she realized. They would actually let her- no, WANT her, to stay on, despite it being a clear handicap in fighting the Gariak (a battle upon which all life on Earth depended on them winning), because…because she was their friend. They liked having her around and they wouldn’t want to make her feel bad by making her quit.

The idea would probably never even occur to them.

Miu and her brother had always looked down on the Go-Ongers’ emotional ways. She guessed it was hypocritical of her to think differently now, but knowing that she would always have a place with them, that they would accept her no matter her appearance, that even if the rest of the world saw her as just a fat freak they would be there for her…

“Oh, what a lovely little scene.”

Miu and Saki turned to see Kegalesia, accompanied by Refrigerator Banki and a squad of Ugatz soldiers.

She took in a big sniff.

“My, Silver, I can smell that lovely aroma of yours from here. Of course, I understand humans don’t have the same appreciation for such scents we Gariak do. Perhaps you’d like to come stay with us; Hellgailles Palace could use a chamber maid.”

“Leave Miu alone!” shouted Saki.

“Oooh, pretty tough talk for a little girl who has to fight us all on her own.”

“No I don’t.”

Saki looked back to Miu.

“Miu, I can’t beat them on my own…”

“What? But Saki, I can’t-“

“You can, Miu, I’m sure of it…”

To say Miu still had her doubts would be an understatement, but something in Saki’s voice convinced her she had to try…

The two took out their Change Souls and placed them into their Go-Phone and Wing Trigger, respectively.

“Change Soul Set! Let’s Go On!”

Miu was greatly relieved that her suit had expanded to cover her new body, although she was less thrilled at how its skintight fit completely puckered over her, showing every lump and ounce.

At the sight of her, Kagalesia broke into laughter.

“Oh, you girls can’t be serious! I mean, hahaha, look at her! She looks like a ham wrapped in aluminum foil! Is this one of those prank shows you humans love so much?”

“Stop it!” yelled Saki.

Kagalesia did stop laughing, but she retained her wide shit eating grin.

“I suppose I should have known that someone as arrogant as you would refuse to face reality, Silver. I guess we’ll have to teach you a lesson in how pathetic you really are now.”

“Don’t listen to her, Miu!” said Saki.

The battle begun. Saki leapt to confront Refrigerator Banki. Miu quickly found herself surrounded by a squad of six Ugatz soldiers. She did her best to project the same air of confidence she always did, even though in truth she felt more nervous than even the very first time she fought the Gariak.

As they came at her, she raised her arm to punch, but it was full of a lot of fat and little muscle, and as she squeezed her fat hand to make a fist she realized she couldn’t make a fist, just as well as neither could she thrust her arm with any speed or force.

She then tried to lift her leg to kick, but once she managed to lift one of her massive legs off the ground even slightly she began to loose her balance, and she abandoned this plan, convinced it was not likely to end well for her.

Finally, she decided she’d just use her Jet Dagger. Once she did, though, one of the Ugatz soldiers grabbed it and took it far her, hurling it away. Miu couldn’t believe it; she facing mere Ugatz soldiers, and she was defenseless! She could think of nothing to but close her eyes and brace herself.

But the expected attack never came. What she did feel was someone grab her stomach.

She opened her eyes to see a Ugatz soldier grabbing her flesh and showing it to the others, who all seemed to be laughing at her. Another one did the same, and soon they will all joining in, save one who made a pantomime of waddling with a huge stomach.

“Stop it!” she yelled, but it came out more of a childish whine than a warrior’s threat, and the Ugatz soldiers ignored it.

Emboldened by her lack of a response, one then pushed her.

“Hey!” she protested as the Ugatz soldiers shoved her around.

Her protest was again ignored, the Ugatz soldiers hooting with glee, clearly thrilled to find one of their hated enemies hapless against them. They all started pushing her, the goal not to harm her but to demonstrate what little she could do against them.

As she backed away from them, she tripped and fell down.

She tied to get up, but she barely had a chance before she felt hands on her again, as the Ugatz soldiers started rolling her around like she was the blueberry girl from Willy Wonka. All in all, it was not one of Miu’s prouder moments in battle.

She then saw Saki, who was taking on Refrigerator Banki all on her own, giving her best despite clearly being outmatched by the Banki Beast’s raw strength.

No, she ruefully reflected, Saki was in a battle; Miu was just a fat girl getting teased.

Kagalesia came up to her and put her foot atop Miu’s stomach, looking down smugly at the Ranger.

“You see, Silver? Even transformed, we have less to fear from you than we would a civilian who just walked upon us. Emphasis on walk, of course.”

Miu glared at the Water Pollution Minister, and with some effort managed to roll away from the Gariak.

The Ugatz soldiers went after her, only for Kagalesia to hold up her hand to make them stop.

“No, wait. I want to see if chubsy ubsy here can get up by yourself.”

Obviously them giving her a chance was another sign of how little threat the Gariak considered her, but Miu was determined to make them regret their arrogance. She put all her strength to the task, desperate to regain even the smallest amount of dignity.

“C’mon now, Silver, you can do it” said Kagalesia. “Show the children they can accomplish anything if they believe in themselves.”

Miu blocked out Kagalesia’s mock ‘support,’ concentrating on the task at hand. She managed to get her hands on the ground, and grunted as she tried to push her body up, stewing yet again in frustration how every single damn thing in this body was hard!

Then, to her almost disbelief, she raised her gut off the ground, as her legs lifted up.

Miu felt ecstatic. She did it! She actually did it! Now she just had to raise her back up-

RIIIIIIIIIP

Miu moaned as she heard the noise, the feeling of a breeze on her butt telling her suit was unable to contain her ample ass and split, exposing it for all to see.

How could this be worse, thought Miu, who immediately got an answer as she let out another fart.

Kagalesia laughed harder than ever.

“Oh, thank you Silver, this makes every defeat we’ve suffered so far worth it! Although, your patheticness is so great that it’s starting to make even me feel bad for you. Hmmm. I know! I bet you’ll feel better if you have a fat friend to pig out with.”

At that, Ugatz soldiers arrived holding Saki, who, having taken a few too many hits from Refrigerator Banki, was unable to break free.

“Saki!” cried out Miu, as Refrigerator Banki aimed the Obesity Ray at the Yellow Ranger.

No! She might be stuck like this, but she wouldn’t let Saki share her fate…Saki didn’t deserve that! At that moment, Miu’s anxieties about her own body were forgotten. She had to prove that Saki was right to have faith in her, that she was right that Miu was still a hero!

But how?

She thought. She couldn’t fight like she used to, that was clear, but maybe there was a way to use this body to her advantage…

Kagalesia watched Saki helplessly squirm while the Obesity Ray powered up, hardly able to contain her excitement. If one Go-Onger getting fat had provided so much joy, then how great would two be? Her glee was interrupted when she heard a noise, and turned to see what looked like a silver boulder hurtling towards them.

Miu held onto her Jet Dagger, which had luckily been tossed around where she ended up; it carried her curled up body at an incredible speed even if it could no longer lift her off the ground. However, from what she could it looked like she wouldn’t make it in time to save Saki.

Luckily, she felt something familiar in her butt. She farted, and the expulsion of gas gave her just the boost she needed and she hit the Gariak like they were bowling pins. Refrigerator Banki spun away from Saki just as he fired the ray, instead striking Kagalesia. The Water Pollution Minister screamed in horror as her body swelled to the same proportions as Miu’s.

Miu and Saki laughed at this turn of events.

“You were right, Kagalesia” said Miu. “I feel better looking at you already.”

The fat and furious Kagalesia turned to Refrigerator Banki, who nervously shrugged apologetically.

“You moron!” she yelled, pushing her minion down and leaving him struggling to get up as before (as were the Ugatz soldiers caught beneath him).

She then shot eye daggers at the two Rangers.

“Enjoy this while you can! I figured there was a good chance my idiot underlings would screw up like always, so I came prepared in case something like this happened. That’s right, I have a cure, and I’ll be back to my tight figure instantly! I got it right…ugh…right here…”

To her frustration, Kegalesia found with her belly she couldn’t reach her pocket.

Miu, meanwhile, focused on what she had said.

A cure…

Finally, Kagalesia managed to pull something out, a diamond. As she then began the hard work of lifting it up, Miu slammed into her, causing an enormous amount of flesh to ripple as the two fell. In the commotion, the vial flew away, landing some ways away from them.

The two briefly looked at each other, then took off as fast as they could (so focused on each other were they, they missed a turtle passing them as it headed for the pound.)

Scowling, Kagalesia pushed Miu, who grabbed her as she fell and took her wih her. The two ended up rolling in opposite directions, and when they stopped, they saw the diamond lying between them.

Some distance away from them, the male Go-Ongers had arrived, and they saw Miu facing Kagalesia alone.

“Miu!” said Sosuke. “Come on guys, let’s go help her!”

They were about to rush in, when-

“No!” said Saki, blocking the others from entering the battle.

“Saki, what are you-“

“Miu needs to do this for herself, so she knows what makes her a hero is inside her…”

Miu and Kagalesia faced each other, the location of the diamond seared onto their minds.

Miu felt anxious, knowing reaching it before Kagalesia was her only chance to undo this. Could she do it, she wondered? Kagalesia was closer to it. If they were the same weight, then didn’t that guarantee her victory…

“You can do it, Miu!” she suddenly heard Ren yell.

Miu turned to see the Go-Ongers and her brother watching and cheering her.

“We believe in you, Miu!” said Hant.

“Wipe the smile off that Gariak bitch’s face!” said Gunpei.

“Defeat her at mach speed!” yelled Sosuke.

“Show her the pride of the Sutou line!” said Hiroto.

Miu turned back to Kagalesia. She had taken the words of her teammates, of her friends, to her heart. She knew now that Saki had been right: no matter what the Gariak did to her body, she was still Go-On Silver, the Silver Sensation.

The two trudged towards each other, both giving their all. As they got closer, Miu raised her Jet Dagger, only for something so quick she couldn’t make it out strike her hand and make her throw it out of her reach.

Kagalesia smirked as she held the Kegestick, uncoiled into a whip, which crackled with maroon energy.

“Unfortunately for you, there’s one difference between us: I can reach my weapon.”

She cracked it again, striking Miu, who dropped to one knee as she grunted in pain.

Watching, the Go-Ongers stood tense with concern.

Miu looked to them, then to Kagalesia.

“You’re wrong; there are two other differences between us.”

“Oh? And what might they be?”

“First, I have my friends to cheer me, to remind me of my own strength. Second, you’ve been fat for less than five minutes, while I’ve had half a day to get used to this obese body!”

At that, Miu dived for the diamond. As she expected, Kagalesia was not as fast as she was, giving her valuable seconds to reach first it and smash it on the ground.

Steam emerged and covered them both. Watching from afar, the Go-Ongers anxiously waited to see what the result had been.

Then, Miu leapt up, as trim and svelte as she’d ever been.

“Miu!” yelled Saki, rushing to the Silver Ranger. “I knew you could do it.”

Before Miu could reply, they heard a guttural roar. Refrigerator Banki had managed to get back up, and bellowed at the Rangers.

Miu turned to Saki.

“Saki, let’s take care of this loser.”

“Okay!” said the Yellow Ranger, giving a thumbs up.

The two leapt into battle. Miu dealt numerous strikes with her Dagger. The Banki Beast tried to land a blow on the Silver Ranger, but it was no use; having just shed 2/3 of her body weight, Miu was faster than ever.

Kagalesia slowly rose, and scowled at the Silver Ranger.

“You’re be back in blubber town in no time, Silver. Refrigerator Banki, charge up the Obesity Ray! We fixed it so it recharges in no time now!”

Sure enough, the Rangers saw it powering up.

“Oh no you don’t!” Miu. “Lightning Dagger!”

At that, lightning shot out of the Dagger and struck the Obesity Ray, which shattered and fell to the ground in pieces.

Refrigerator Banki looked down at the destroyed cannon with dismay, as Miu and Saki leapt in tandem and delivered a simultaneous kick, sending him staggering back.

Enraged, the Banki Beast opened his door and launched explosive food items at the two. The Rangers used the Jet Dagger and Mantan Gun with Go On Spin to strike each one, sending them back into the Banki Beast, the force of which caused the door to close shut.

Seconds later, an explosion erupted inside him, blowing the door clear off and leaving Refrigerator Banki staggering in a daze as smoke flew up from his body.

“Let’s finish him, Saki!”

“Right!”

Miu combined the Wing Trigger and Jet Dagger into the Wing Booster while Saki switched her Mantan Gun into gun mode.

Both aimed them at their foe.

“Ultra Flower Cannonball!” they cried out, as they both fired their weapons, sending simultaneous blasts that engulfed the Banki Beast upon contact.

A moment later, a figure emerged from the smoke and flame. Fighting through the pain, Refrigerator Banki shouted and stood determined; but to his surprise, nothing happened.

To answer, Miu held up the canister of Bikkurium she had snatched from inside him while striking earlier.

“I think there’s been enough growing today” she said.

The Banki Beast groaned in disappointment.

Miu and Saki turned and posed as Refrigerator Banki fell and exploded behind them.

Kagalesia growled in rage.

“Oh, you might have won today. But mark my words, I’ll have the last laugh you skinny bitchs!”

Just then, she let out a loud fart. Red faced and cringing, the Water Pollution Minister vanished.

The male Go-Ongers ran up to the girls, giving congratulations to Miu. She smiled and thanked them, but was focused on something else as she walked up to Saki.

“Saki…”

She took the Yellow Ranger and embraced her in a deep hug, the tightness of which shocked her.

“Thank you, Saki. I don’t know how I would have gotten through that without you.”

“It was nothing, Miu. I knew you had the strength within you.”

“Well, I’m glad one of us did. And, if you ever need another girl to talk to, don’t be afraid to call.”

Saki smiled.

“Hey guys” said Sosuke, “I just realized, now that that’s over, we still have all that food Renn made to eat, so let’s go!”

The others cheered in approval at this, and the group set off for the Ginjiro.

As they did, Sosuke approached Miu.

“Oh hey, Miu, about that fart earlier-“

At that, Miu’s face went wide with terror.

“Oh God, Sosuke I’m so sorry, it was the Gariak-“

“What are you apologizing for?” said Sosuke. “It was awesome! You should come to our next contest, you’d be sure to beat Gunpei.”

While Saki’s face took on an expression of horror at that statement, Miu blushed, and for the first time today it wasn’t from embarrassment.

“Well” she said, “I don’t know that it was all the Gariak…”

~~~

It was night by the time they got back to the Ginjiro. Soon the seven of them sat at the picnic table, eating the burgers and hot dogs Ren had made earlier; they had to be reheated via the microwave, but no one minded.

Both sitting at the end, Miu turned to her brother.

“You know Ani” she said, “before today I thought we were doing them a favor, that we were lowering ourselves to be their friends.”

“And now?” he asked.

“I think perhaps it’s the opposite. They’ll do anything for their friends. And that includes us now…”

To her surprise, Hiroto smiled.

“I suppose you may be right. You know, they spent the entire time you were gone thinking of solutions. I was impressed by their determination to help you, even if what they thought of was…” he trailed off..

“How bad were they?”

“Well, by far their most practical and likely to succeed idea was shrinking G9 and going inside your body to destroy every fat cell individually.”

“Even Ren didn’t come up with something?”

“I think they have a collective IQ that falls to the lowest one present. Speaking of whom, Sosuke came to me. He told me you would be okay, as long as I stood by you.”

Miu smiled as she grabbed his hand.

The siblings looked at the Go-Ongers, chatting and laughing with each other.

“We really lucked out, didn’t we, Ani…?”

“I suppose the rich get richer once again…”

Meanwhile, while munching on a burger, Hant worked up the courage to share something on his mind.

“You know guys” he said, “I thought Kagalesia kinda looked cute with all that weight…”

“Oh, and I didn’t!?” snapped Miu, getting up and rushing to the Green Ranger’s face.

“Uh, I mean, of course you did! I, I just thought that with you being so upset it wasn’t the time to bring it up-“

“You did?!” said Miu, no less furious than before. “Are you some pervert who gets off on that?! Did you imagine me fat before this? Do you imagine Saki fat too!?”

“Hant, you imagine me fat!?” asked a horrified Saki.

“I, I, I, uh, I mean-“

“Run, Hant!” shouted Gunpei.

Hant quickly followed the advice, and took off. The other Go-Ongers laughed as Miu and Saki ran after him angrily shouting.

~~~

Kegalesia’s face was bright red as she trodded on the treadmill, set to the lowest speed setting.

“How…huff…how long have…have I been walking for?”

Kitaneidas checked the stopwatch.

“Almost two minutes now.”

Kagalesia groaned realizing how much longer she had to go before a break.

“Now now, none of that” said Yogostein, a whistle hanging around his neck. “We Pollution Ministers can’t pollute Human World unless we’re all in tip top shape!”

Kagalesia suddenly felt a pressure building up behind her. She futilely tried to reach for her back.

“Uh, a little help?” she said to a Ugatz soldier by her.

The soldier promptly went behind her, accessing a hidden valve on her lower back, and turned it.

PFFFFBBBBZZZ

The massive release made the Ugatz soldier collapse unconscious, as the scent of vanilla with a hint of honeydew filled the throne room of Hellgailles Palace. Kitaneidas gagged while Yogostein vomited oil from his mouth. Kegalesia lowered her red face in embarrassment.

“Perhaps we should deactivate our olfactory senses for now…” said Kitaneidas. “Just count yourself lucky that, unlike humans, the effect on Gariak can be reversed with exercise.”

Kegalesia moaned as she trudged on.

“Yeah…huff…lucky me…”