//------------------------------// // Chapter 25 - The Capture of Goldar!!! // Story: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers - Friendship is Magic // by Werewolf Cheetara //------------------------------// Chapter 25 The Capture of Goldar!!! As Chaos brewed in the market square, the guards fought their hardest to hold back the horde before them. But over the course of the battle, the putties, and changlings outnumbered them eight to one, and began thinning out the guards. Leading the defense was none other than Shinning Armor himself. Firing magical blasts of energy at the enemies. “HOLD YOUR POSITIONS!!! We have to keep them from spreading through the rest of the empire!” “But, we’re taking a heavy toll!” “We can’t hold them off for long!” As the guards continued to hold the line, Twilight Sparkle, Princess Cadence, and Bill Cranston were hidden within an alleyway, trying to get communications online between them, and the command center. “Come in, command center. Come in! Alpha..Do you read?!!” “Billy…We hear you…ayiyiyiyiyiyiyiye! What’s going on?" “Changelings, and putties! Goldar’s leading an attack on the Cyrstal Empire!” “Oh dear!” “Alpha, contact the other rangers and sned them towards the empire. Billy, I’m afraid you will have to hold off the enemy forces until Jason and the others arrive.” “Understood, Zordon.” “Here they come!” “Okay then… IT’S MORPHING TIME!!!” He reached for his belt, and pulled out his power morpher. Raising the device into the sky, and called out his dinosaur. “TRICERATOPS!!!” In a blinding flash of light, Billy had morphed into his ranger form, and pulled out his mighty power lance, ready for the action that was to come. “Come on! We’ve got to hold them off.” “Affirmative!” Without another hesitating moment, the trio made off into the battle. They can see a small platoon of soldiers being heavily pounded by putties, and changelings, firing magic, and projectiles at the guards. But as one changeling was about to pounce upon an injured guard. It was then struck down by a thrown object, creating sparks as the creature was struck down. The guard looked to see that it was the blue ranger, charging into battle as if a ray of hope had finally arrived. “….whoa…” Billy then got down to check on the soldier’s condition. “Soldier, you alright?” “Yeah…just winged me.” “Can you move?” “Yes, your highness.” “Fallback to safer lines. We’ll handle things from here!” “But, your highness…” “That’s an order!” “As you command.” With what strength he had left, the guard then began trotting back to the safety of the barricade, while the horde charged forward towards the trio, ready for the inevitable conflict. Billy then took his power lance, and split the weapon in half, holding each end in both hooves. “Guys…get here soon.” ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -Meanwhile, in the Crystal Palace- Several guards, and staff members were placed near the castle door, when a new disguised Leatherwing hesitantly trotted up to the entrance. After catching his breath, Leatherwing, in his pony form, began relaying false news. “The prince demands…all available units…to report to the square…reinforcements…required.” “Has it gone that bad?” “We’ve got to go.” "But we can’t just leave our post!” “Go on. We’ll be alright.” “I will stay, to make sure of that.” Without any more hesitation the two guards made off for the battlefield, leaving the staff in deceitful hands. Knowing that his magic was fading quickly, Leatherwing made haste up the stairs, followed by some rather inquisitive staff members. “What’s going on?!” “There’s been an attack in the square. Don’t worry. The situation is under control. But, her highness has asked me to see to it her child is removed from the palace should the violence spread.” “But. But we were told to keep Princess flurry heart here. Isn’t it riskier to bring her out into the open battle?” “These were my orders by Captain Shining armor himself! Now, stand aside, and let me escort the infant princess out!” “I don’t care what you say! You’re not taking her out unless it’s safe, or if I hear from the captain or princess themselves!” In a blind fit of rage, Leatherwing discarded his disguise to reveal his true form. That of a changeling commander. This got the maid to back away, close to the door to Flurry heart’s nursery, with magic aura surrounding her horn. *sigh*"…I wish this would’ve ended more peacefully." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -Back in the market square- As the horde continued to engulf any who’d oppose them, Twilight, Billy, Cadence, and Shining continued fighting their way, cutting down any who dared challenge them. Twilight, continued to fire magical bolts at both putty patrollers, and changeling troopers alike, while Billy hacked, and slash his way through with his power lance. Blocking any potentially harmful strikes from both putties, and changelings. Meanwhile, Shining Armor, hacked, and cut his foes down with his crystal sword, and blocked enemy projectiles with his shield, while his mate continued to fire magical bolts like a machine gun, cutting down all who stood in the way. As they fought with such ferocity, the changelings, and putties began falling back. “They’re retreating.” “Negative, merely falling back.” “But why?” “That would be because of me!!!” In a flash, Goldar brought down his sword between the four ponies, causing sparks to fly as they separated from one another, leaving Goldar, and the Blue ranger isolated. Regaining focus, Billy readied his power lance by combing both ends. Once more, the gryphon charged in, counted by Billy charging, clashing both their weapons with one another. Though each managed to landed a few blows to one another, the two of them continued their struggle. Though after a few seconds had passed, Billy had finally struck down his foe, disarming him of his sword. “Impossible!!!” “It was a huge tactical error for you to attack the empire, Goldar.” *binds Goldar* “We’ve finally got you now, monster.” “But, at what cost? The life of a little filly, princess?” “A filly?” “You never know who you can trust these days…with changelings about and all.” Just as Goldar concluded his yammering, Twilight, Billy, and the royal couple saw emerald lights coming from the palace. A sudden dread fell over Cadence’s face…as if she realized what they had truly planned. Without another thought, she dashed off towards the palace, followed by her husband, her sister in law, and the blue ranger. As they approached the palace, they could see standing at the door way, a certain changeling holding the infant Flurry heart. “My...what a pretty little thing, isn’t she?” “Flurry!” “Let her go!” “You presume to command?” Billy raised his power lance, ready to strike. “and you, ranger…would you honestly dare risk an innocent life to get to me?” Realizing the depth of the situation, The blue ranger had no other alternative than to discard his weapon. A smirk crawled over the changeling’s face, pleased by what has transpired. “That’s better.” “This is low, even for your standards.” “This day will live on in the hive chronicle, as the day an entire was brought to its knees over a simple child. As of this moment, the crystal Empire now belongs to my empress, Queen chrysalis, and the great sorceress, Rita Repulse!” The changeling then pointed his horn towards, Cadence, and Shining. Charging up a large magical blast. “My queen sends her regards, princess…” “NOOOOOO!!!” As the magical projectile hurtled towards the two ponies, they both held on to one another as if they were accepting the n. But as the bolt drew closer, the saw a blue figure fly right into its path, and initially taking the hit in their place, sending him scotched, and beaten to the side. “BIIILLLY!!!” Leatherwing with his diabolical laughter, and the screaming constantly going on, Flurry heart began to wail uncontrollably. Twilight, and Shining rushed over to Billy’s side to see the damage. Thought the two of them tried to help him up. The blue ranger, shanking them off, so that he could get up by himself. “I’m…I’m alright.” “Don’t scare me like that.” “Aah…you’re stronger than I had thought, ranger…But, even you aren’t strong enough to face me alone.” “That’s why he’s got us!” Leatherwing: “Huh?” As if out of nowhere, leather wing was shot from behind by a charged arrow, forcing him to toss Flurry heart into the air. But before she could touch the ground, a pink magical aura surrounded the infant, and was levitated close to her mother, Cadence. As she comforted little flurry heart, the baby’s cries began to damper down. “Oh my baby.” “Is she…” “She’s alright.” “AAAAAAAGH! Who dares, strike me?!!!” Out of the place stood the pink ranger, Kimberly as she was known to friends. She readied her bow once more, and fired another shot, sending Leatherwing rolling down the stairs. Once he reached the bottom, changelings, and putties began to swarm around him, offering a form of protection while he recovered. It was round that time the other rangers rushed to Billy, and the ponies, to assess the situation. “Billy, You okay?” “Affirmative…I should be fine.” “and you guys?” “We’re fine. Now that Flurry’s safe.” “Going after kids now, bug brains?! That’s a new low.” “It’s time we thought you a lesson.” “You got that right.” “Cause we’re the power rangers!” “And united, we stand!” “Alright Rangers, Let’s do this!!!” “ATTACK!!!” The monstrous horde then began their charge, heading towards the six rangers, now armed with their power weapons, and too charging at them. As the fighting went underway, Kimberly fired her arrows, striking her foes down. Often resorting to hand to hand combat to drive off any too close to range. Trini however, embraced the close combat as she slashed, and stabbed her way through the changelings, and putties with her power daggers, igniting sparks upon sparks, forcing the troops to the ground like flies. Zack, armed with the mighty power axe, swung precisely, and cautiously around his opponents, making sure none of them hit him, though sometimes he would be struck, but that did not reframe him from going on. Billy, still recovering, twirled his power lance defensively, driving back any who would come near him. As for Tommy, he hacked and slashed with Jason as the two of them made their way towards Leatherwing, who readied his sword to clash with Jason’s and Tommy’s. The sounds of clanging metal, and sharp scrapes can be heard as the battle intensified. Both sides had blocked each other’s attacks, and landing a few minor injuries. Though inevitably, Leatherwing was disarmed, and forced back. “Gaaaah!....You meddlesome rangers!” “Alright guys, let’s bring them together!” Knowing the drill, each of the rangers readied their weapons, tossing each into the air one by one. “Power Axe!” “Power Bow!” “Power Daggers!” “Power Lance!” “Power Sword!” Leaping into the air, Jason then connects his power sword with the rest of the combined power weapons, completing one of the most power full weapons in existence… “Power Blaster!” “…What is that?!” “FIRE!!!” All at once a large collection of energy was shot out of the mighty Power Blaster, hurtling the energy towards their target, the changeling commander himself. As the beam passed through, Leatherwing was set ablaze in sparks, draining him of his energy. Forcing him to the ground before igniting in a giant fireball explosion. Seeing their commander’s defeat, the changelings began to flee back to the safety of the fortress, followed closely behind by the remaining putty patrollers. The rangers looked to see some of the guards hauling Goldar, bound in chains. “What should we do with this one?” “…. Rangers?” “We lock him up. For now, We’ll need to discuss with Zordon for further instructions.” “HAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!...It won’t matter what you do…the more time you waste with me; the more time I buy for my empress.” “What’re you talking about?” “I more than confident that the purple one knows…” Twilight could tell by the look on his face that Goldar was indeed hiding something. Something vital to him, and to his cause. Deep down she felt that the attack was just somehow a cloak to hide Rita, and Chrysalis’s true intentions. “What are you hiding from us?” “Aah…I do believe it’s what you’ve been hiding from us…a certain tree, I recall…” Upon hearing that word, Twilight's face bore the most dreaded expression of fear in her eyes, as her jaw dropped. “Twilight…do you know what he’s talking about?” “…Yes…But we need the others…We need to get to Canterlot…. NOW