Task. 13: The Treasures of Princess Kaguya

The Treasures of Princess Kaguya is the thirteenth episode of GoGo Sentai Boukenger.

Plot
A woman runs through a Bamboo forest. Shouta and Natsuki happen to walking within it. She bumps into Shouta. She grabs unto him asking for help. Natsuki spots the Jaryuu approaching. Shouta asks for the woman and she seemed to have disappeared. They transform and fight the monsters. She is behind a tree watching them and comments that they must be the Boukenger she heard of. She pulls out a huge ball (Dragon Neck Ball). She takes out a orange crescent moon penndent from her necklace. The ball glows and it enters the pendent. She adds it to her collection. She says there is one more to go. Back at SGS, Shouta tells the others that they couldn't find the Dragon Neck Ball and the Jaryuu didn't have it. The Dragon Neck Ball is from the story of the Bamboo Cutter, about Princess Kaguya. A man found a child inside a glowing bamboo plant and raised her and she returned to the moon in the end. Shouta explains she had five suitors that had mystical items: the Dragon neck Ball, Buddhist Stone Ball, Hourai Ball Branches, a Firerat Fur Coat, and Swallow's Cowrie Shell. Mr. Voice explains three have been stolen. Akashi informs him on the fourth one. Mr. Voice tells them to get the Swallow's Cowrie Shell. Morio enters and shows them a challenge sent by Phantom Thief Selene to see who gets the Swallow's Cowrie Shell first. Meanwhile, Ryuuwon berates him minions in the forest. He then calls forth Rindomu to kill the girl and get the Dragon Neck Ball. The Boukenger transform as they race to their GoGo Vehicles. They head off to go to Yagurakushi cave for the shell. They read the beach side to the cave. Before they enter, Rindomu attacks them asking for the 'woman.' They fight the Ryuujinhei. Selene arrives. Yellow identifies her as the girl from before. She thanks them for showing her the way to the Shell. She tells them while they deal with the Jaryuu, she will get the Shell. Blue identifies her as Selene. When Blue tries following her, Rindomu fights him and knocks him down. Red manages to knock Rindomu and gives Blue the go-ahead to go after Selene. The Boukenger call their weapons and fight the Jaryuu. Inside, Selene struggles opening a stone Swallow over the treasure. Blue quotes the folktale, saying "He pressed it down and turned it seven times." He lifts up the tail of the Swallow and turns it seven times. The rock moves to reveal the Shell. Selene reaches down for the Shell and Blue stops him, saying he won't let her have it yet until she talks to him. As he lifts it up, smoke emits from the rock. The cave starts shaking and caving in. Everyone feels it from the outside. Rindomu runs off to enter the cave. Black tries following but Red stops him. As Rindomu entered, rocks fell to cover the opening to the cave. Rocks cover Rindomu as well. Yellow worries for Blue but Red is sure he is alright. The Earth shakes again and the Boukenger retreat. Inside, Selene finds the dead end. Blue looks up and calls his Blow Knuckle. He tells her to hold on to him. She hestitates but does so and they escape. Shouta tells her that their meeting is fate. Selene asks Shouta what is it he wanted to know. He asks her why she is after the trasures from the folktale. She tells him it is none of his business. But he makes her notice that the Jaryuu and the Boukenger are already involved. He wants to know why she wants them so badly. She tells him if she told him, he wouldn't believe her. He gives it to him with the condition that she will go out with him. She is baffled. He tells her he can't stand to see a beauty be sad. She won't falter and she won't thank him. She stampers off as he lays a truth on her. As they part, a Jaryuu follows her. Back at SGS, Sakura, Natsuki and Masumi are pretty upset Shouta gave the Shell to Selene. Akashi asks Shouta for the real reason. He tells him that he is the only one he can't decieve. He says when the Princess left for the Moon, she left an immortality potion and an Angel's Raiment with the old bamboo cutter who raised her. He didn't want to live without her so he burned the potion. Mr. Voice says, "A potion of immortality would be a Precious, wouldn't it?" They guess the five treasures will lead to the Precious. Mr. Voice says he gave it to the woman because you can't unseal it with just one item. Shouta says he alreayd knows the location. According to the legend, where the man burned the potion cause it to flow into Fuji Mountain, the 'Mountain of Immortality.' Selene is there and has the five cresent moon pendants. She places them around in a circle. She stands in the center and ask for the princess to show her the way. Her necklace glowed and all five glowed. A yellow beam emitted from the forest and surrounded and made a patch of trees brighter and beautiful. She walks through the forest and finds a small statue of woman holding a golden box (Angel's Raiment of the Moon) glowing. She kneels down and grabs the box. They stop glowing. Rindomu then approaches with the Ryuujinhei. Rindomu is intrigued by her treasure, understanding it is more precious than the Dragon Neck Ball. She won't give it up. They stuggle but he overpowers her and gets the box. He opens it to only find it is ashes, he dumps it to the ground. He is upset at her. Shouta comes in and kicks him down. Selene is surprised. Akashi jests with her that she can't get rid of them that easily. Selene asks Shouta if he is really after the treasure. He simply winks at her. The Boukenger transform. The Boukenger fight the Ryuujinhei. Selene runs from the monster but ends up at a tree and he approaches her. She rolls down to the ground and Blue fights the monster off. He picks her up and she asks why he is helping her if she mistreated them. He hands her flowers, saying he just doesn't want to see her sad. He runs off to join in the fight as she remains shocked. They gather around him. Shouta calls the Acelltector and uses the Mixer Head to make him into stone. Shouta converts the Dual Crusher to the Drill Head. The Boukenger conduct the Combination Crush. He falls down on the ash contents from the box and glows yellow. He says the power flows through his body. He grows huge. They from DaiBouken and fight Rindomu. He grabs them and then punches them. He slashes them down with his tail. They get up and he surrounds them with his tail. He lifts them up and shocks them with electricty. They try but can't get free. Shouta tells them to leave it to them and enters his Go Go Gyro. This surprises everyone else. He dislodges from DaiBouken and flys off and shoots Rindomu down. Blue suggests forming Super DaiBouken. Red calls the other GoGoVehicles and form Super DaiBouken and destroy Rindomu. Selene tells the Boukenger that even though she lost, how can she thank them. Shouta tells her not to worry about it. She lifts up her crescent moon necklace and it glows and picks up the rest of the ash. The ash becomes a stone. Sakura detects that it indeed is a Precious and has a hazard level of 87. Selene explains it temporarily boosts life energy. She ofers it to Shouta. He is surprised. She tells him that she thinks it is better if SGS safeguards it. She nears him and tells him that she is grateful to fate. She thanks him and leaves running. He spots the Shell in her pocket. Akashi and Sakura find this all puzzling. Masumi wonders who she really is. Shouta jokes that she is Princess Kaguya. We see her dressed as Kaguya and as she glows, floats to the Moon.

Trivia

 * Princess Kaguya is a 10th century Japanese folktale, like stated in the episode is about a mysterious girl who was discovered inside a glowing bamboo plant and said to be from the moon. This narrative has been referenced in various Japanese television shows, movies, and Anime, including "Sailor Moon" and "InuYasha".