"Extra Extra! Mysterious Heroes save Ponyville from alien attack! Read it in the Ponyville Gazette!" A young colt was walking through with a wheelbarrow attached to him, yelling at the top of his lungs. Spike passed by and paid the colt five bits for a newspaper and couldn't help but smile as he read the headline and article.
This was the headline of today's newspaper.
Mysterious Spandex Clad heroes Save the Day!
Yesterday afternoon, Ponyville was assaulted by sudden alien attack from beings that were calling themselves the Armada. Several minutes passed as the Aliens attacked several buildings and various citizens and Princess Twilight and her friends were away in Fillydelphia, which coincidentally attacked was by the same individuals that same day. Then, out of nowhere, five mysterious heroes calling themselves the Power Rangers came out of nowhere and defended the town before mysteriously disappearing minutes after the fight. More on F5.
He had replayed yesterday's events repeatedly over and over again in his head since last night and he still couldn't believe it. The only thing he had that proved it was all real was the red ranger key and morpher he had expertly hidden away in his red zip up vest he was wearing.
He shook his head and proceeded toward his destination, the Youth Center, a large building run by a burly light green Earth pony who the kids that visit affectionately call Ernie. He had brown mane and Cutie Mark of a fruit smoothie and and was never seen without wearing a floral pattern beach shirt. The youth center had various activities and a cafe for the foals and teenagers of Ponyville to relax and unwind after school.
He entered the cafe which also doubled as the youth center's gym on the other half of the room. He walked over to the smoothie bar, where two of his friends and fellow rangers were currently sitting, Mel the Kirin and Aeris the griffin. Aeris was wearing a lightly dark yellow scarf that had a gold star pinned to it. Mel was wearing a dark pink jacket that contrasted with her light blue scales.
Ernie stepped up from behind the counter, balancing a tray with two smoothies on it. "Here ya go girls! One banana smoothie for Aeris, and a mango and coconut swirl for miss Melody." He set the tray down in front of them.
Aeris paid him as Mel opened a bag to pay for her smoothie as well, but was quickly stopped by Ernie extending a hoof against her claw and shook his head. "Nope, newcomers to Ponyville get their first order free!" He said cheerfully before adding. "Especially a new friend of my four favorite costumers."
Mel looked up when she heard that. "What do you mean?"
A familiar voice spoke up from behind them. "The four of us were his first costumers when he opened this place." They turned and saw the speaker was Spike, who took a seat between them. He briefly scowled at Aeris before turning towards Ernie. "I'll take my usual Ernie." He requested to the earth pony. Ernie nodded and quickly went to work at the smoothie machine.
Spike scowled at Aeris again, earning him an eye roll from the young griffin. "Don't tell me your still sore that we said no to going to Canterlot after school today. Dude, I know what we said last night, but we were all tired from everything that happened and we only said that to get home quicker." She blew the yellow feathers on her head up.
Spike sighed and muttered. "Your just lucky I was too tired to send a letter to Celestia for a ride to Canterlot." He shook his head and brought up the newspaper he bought earlier. "This is what I came here to show you. The Rangers are certainly popular right now, huh?" He said with a wink, drawing a knowing smile and a smirk from the Kirin and Griffin respectively. They didn't notice a small knowing smile on Ernie's face has he prepared the smoothie.
"Yeah, those multicolored characters certainly caused quite a stir yesterday." The pony stated as he finished the smoothie and handed it to Spike and went in back.
Looking around, Spike noticed a distinct absence of an excitable minotaur and brainy Diamond Dog. "Where are Bram and Rover?" He asked before taking a sip of his smoothie.
Aeris took a sip from her own smoothie before speaking. "They went to get some equipment from Bram's dads place. Rover is helping Alpha get everything set up at the hideout." She looked around to make sure no one was listening and began talking in a whisper. "I think he's trying to set something up so that we'll get an alert whenever the Armada are up to no good."
Meanwhile, the young minotuar and diamond dog were at Bram's father's shop getting some equipment. It was smithy shop with their apartment above it. One of Bram's adoptive father's, Big Smithy Apple, was a burly dark green earth pony with a scruffy red mane and tail, with his cutie being of an apple with a anvil with a metal mallet pounding on it.
Big Smithy Apple, as his name implies, was a black smith who made specialty weapons for the royal guard, and to be more specific, for his unicorn husband, Sword Helm. Smithy was also a proud member of the Apple family.
Bram was currently carrying some of the heavier equipment for Rover as he passed by his father. Rover was currently carrying some of the lighter equipment under his left arm and a checklist on a clipboard in the other. "Okay, that should just about do it..." He muttered before turning toward Smithy, who was currently working on a sword on his forge. "You sure you don't want this stuff anymore sir?" He asked politely.
Smithy turned toward him with a small smile. "Don't mind it all partner." He said, his voice filled with a heavy western accent. "It's just some old junk Ah had lying around. What do ya kids need this old junk for anyway?" He asked curiously.
Bram came back in after loading their equipment into their cart and answered for his friend. "We're reinforcing the roof of our hideout after that storm two days ago." He lied.
His father shrugged before saying. "Oh son, by the way, your father was called to Canterlot and won't be back till late tonight. Ah think it's due to a royal summit being held today. After what happened yesterday, Ah think the Princesses wanted some extra security for some of the royals folks coming from other countries to visit today."
Bram nodded before waving. "Okay well, see ya later Pop!" He was stopped however before he even reached to the door.
"Hold it there partner." His father said, holding his front legs out. "Where's mah goodbye hug?" He said playfully, earning an eyeroll and chuckle from the minotuar calf. Bram fulfilled the request and gave his father a bone crushing hug. "'GASP'! Too tight!" He wheezed and his son immediately let go with a concerned look.
"Sorry!" He said frantically, worried he might have snapped the older stallion's spine. The earth pony quickly waved off his son's concern with hoof.
"Ahm fine... I just keep forgetting how stong you are..." He replied huffing
Bram breathed a sigh of relief before he said his goodbyes and ran out the door. Smithy chuckled as he watched the energetic minotuar and his friend pull the cart out of view. He went back to work as he reminisced. "Boy's growing up faster than Ah can keep up..."
He looked at a picture he had set up by his work desk. It was a picture of a younger Smithy and Helm holding a small bundle of blue fur and tiny horns resting in Helm's forlegs. Helm was a beefy looking blue unicorn with a yellow mane and light blue highlights. His cutie mark was of two swords crossed together. The infant calf was happily playing with Helm's face by stretching it in various ways while his husband giggled at the site, and despite the disgruntled appearance on his face, there was a strong sense of joy in the normally stoic and serious unicorn's eyes.
They had taken the picture the day they got home from their first honeymoon in the minotuar kingdom. He sighed in sadness as he remembered the circumstances of how Bram came into their care. "We'll tell him when the time is right... maybe..." He said reluctantly.
The memories of raising the infant minotuar was probably some of the greatest memories of his life, next to marrying his husband of course. As Bram got older, Smithy tended to miss taking care of a baby. A stroke of inspiration suddenly filled his brain. Maybe they could adopt a foal from the Ponyville orphanage? Bram would say yes in a instant. He would have to convince his stubborn husband though.
Smithy smirked to himself as he thought up a plan. He would just have to cook a certain favorite dish Helm loved so much...
Rover had sent Bram ahead to the hideout while he himself went to get his tools from his uncle's house. He had turned a corner a few minutes ago, where he had run into a familiar dragon and kirin. They joined him, explaining that Aeris had gone ahead to the hideout as well.
Rover felt it was a good excuse to introduce Mel to his uncle anyway, even if he was bit... odd. He looked over at Mel, having been a bit curious about her since last night. He had wanted to get to know her little more yesterday, but after everything that happened, it had completely slipped his mind.
"So... um... Mel?" He said nervously as she turned toward him curiously. He then couldn't help but notice the way Celestia's afternoon sun glistened in her slit pink eyes and the way the wind blew through her spiky pink mane. He suddenly found himself blushing as he realized he was staring at the kirin.
He quickly cleared his throat to drop the weird new feelings festering inside him. "Um... well... uh, where are you from?" He quickly asked.
Oh... I'm actually not from anywhere." She answered quietly.
Spike, who was walking behind them with a cheeky smile upon seeing the two interact, spoke up in confusion. "Wait, what does that mean?"
Mel turned toward him in response. "My family has traveled around Equestria ever since my father met my mother. We never really settled down anywhere, so I never had a true home."
Spike chuckled a little. "Guess you weren't expecting to become a spandex wearing super hero when you mover to Ponyville huh?" Mel shook her head in subtle amusement. "So, changing the subject, I should probably warn you that Rover's uncle is really weird when it comes to his wood carving."
Rover rolled his eyes at the barely accurate description of his Uncle. "Spike, for the last time, my uncle isn't weird. He's just..." He briefly tried to come up with the right word. "...eccentric."
Spike rolled his eyes as well. "Sure... keep telling yourself." He remarked sarcastically.
Before Rover could retort, Mel felt her ear twitch as she picked up a strange noise. She turned toward to where she was hearing the odd noise and saw what looked like house built into a tree. She saw a sign that said 'Rex's Animal Wood Carvings'.
"Is that... a walrus?" She asked, perplexed how such an animal would be all the way out here.
Rover looked at her confused before seeing the treehouse his uncle took up shop at, before a knowing smile crossed his muzzled and he started walking toward the treehouse. "I think I know what your hearing. Come on." He motioned for them to follow him. Mel followed him inside confused, with Spike trailing behind her with a bored look, having a pretty good idea what they were going to walk in on.
As soon as she stepped inside the home slash store, Mel felt like she just walked into a miniature jungle. The tree trunk the house was built around had a couple of wood planks sticking out to make a makeshift staircase to a small loft with a couple of doors, with one that had the name 'Rover' carved into it. The middle of the room had a table that had various small animal sculptures on display.
"AR! AR!" The a noise that sounded like a very imitation of a seal came from a closed wooden sliding door.
Rover chuckled. "Uncle Rex, I'm back! And I have a new friend I want you to meet!" He called out.
"One moment lad!" An older voice responded back from behind the door. The sliding door opened, revealing the oddest looking diamond dog the kirin had ever seen in her life. He appeared to be an older version of Rover, somewhere in his middle ages judging by the wrinkles beginning to form around his brown eyes and his brown fur beginning to dull. He was wearing several patches of clothing with colorful patterns all over.
Strapped to his head was a walrus shaped head. Rover went over to stand beside his uncle with a small smile on his face. "Mel, meet my uncle Rex. Uncle Rex, this is our new friend, Mel. She just started school yesterday." The young pup explained. Rex was silent for a moment. He quietly walked over to the nervous kirin and began examining her with a curious look.
"Urgh... uh... nice to meet you Mr. Rex..." The kirin sheepishly greeted, not feeling very comfortable being examined like this.
The older diamond dog quickly realized he was being very rude to his nephew's newest friend and stopped examining the kirin and stepped back from an front of her. He cleared his throat. "Ahem, sorry for my rudeness. My name is Rextopher. But please, call me Rex. Again, sorry for the odd examination. As an animal wood carver, I can but help it when a different species is in my line of sight... not that I'm calling you an animal of course."
Mel waved it off casually. "It's no problem Mr. Rex, but why are you dressed like that?" She asked, gesturing to his odd attire.
The shepherd merely grinned and cleared his throat. "You see little miss, I believe in order to properly carve the animal, I have to become the animal."
Mel nodded in understanding and began exploring the house a little. Spike, who was watching the whole with a knowing smirk on his face, noticed a cool pair of red goggles on the table that Rex would wear in order to keep wood shavings from getting in eyes, to which he asked Rex if he could have them. The older diamond dog kindly said yes and Spike quickly put them on.
While Spike was busy adjusting his new headgear, Rex turned and noticed his nephew was staring at Mel with a goofy smile on his face. Rex strong idea what was going on in his nephew's head and a cheeky grin spreaded on his face.
He slightly nudged the young German Shepherd. "Quite the cutie eh?" He asked teasingly.
Rover merely nodded. "Yeah-" He suddenly stopped himself when he realized what he just said, to which his face turned a brownish red, causing his uncle to give a hardy laugh. Not wanting to hear his uncle embarrass him in front of Mel, he quickly dashed up the steps to his room and grabbed his toolbox, ran back down and out the door.
Spike and Mel quickly followed, leaving the old Sheperd to himself. Rex chuckled softly as he got the rest of his outfit off and began putting his work apron. "Boy is more like his mother than he realizes." He mused to himself before looking toward a picture frame he had hanging on the wall. A sad smile crossed his face as he observed the individuals in the picture.
It had been taken the day Rover was born. He had asked a nurse to take the picture. He was much younger and his coat was brighter. He stood next to a hospital bed where his younger sister Bella layed in. She was also a German Sheperd with beautiful blue eyes, and looked visibly exhausted but happy, holding a blue bundle in her paws, to which a small German Sheperd puppy was snoozing peacefully.
On the other side of the side of the hospital bed was a surprisingly large and somewhat muscular Rottweiler pup who was twelve years of age at the time, the same age as Rover is currently. He was Rover's older brother Buck, who was staring at the newborn pup in happy curiosity.
When Rover was five, the age most Diamond Dog arms have finished their growth, the family learned that he was born with a rare birth defect that would cause his arms to only grow to the length of an average pony. He made up for this in his unusually high intellect and his love for inventing. He had often been picked on at school because of his deformity and from what he heard from Bella, he often came home crying covered in bruises, an occasional black eye, and very rarely, a broken arm.
He however, always had his big brother and his mother to comfort him.
Bella... she was the embodiment of an amazing mother. Kind, caring, nurturing, occasionally strict but understanding. Their parents had passed shortly after her birth, leaving Rex to raise her by himself.
Unfortunately, Bella had contracted an incurable disease and passed away when Rover was only five. What was worse was that Rover was present when she was on her death bed and sat with her in her last minutes. Buck and Rover wound end up living with their father... he was a thought for another time.
He shook his head. "Bah... that's enough reminiscing. I need to get to work."
"Sword Helm, thanks again for coming on such short notice." Shining Armor stated as he and his old cadet friend walked down the streets of Canterlot toward the castle. "I know your new position as captain of Twilight's royal guards has been a little stressful on you based on the letters she sent me."
Helm was currently wearing a special armor that indicated his position. It was a mostly dark purple armor and helmet with lighter purple highlights on the hedges. There was a picture of Twilight's cutie mark in the middle of helmet where the hole where Helm's horn poked through. The captain waved off the concern. "I'm fine, let's just say I have a better understanding of what you had to put up with. I swear, I would've lost my mind a long time ago if Smithy and Bram weren't around to keep me sane." He chuckled lightly.
Shining chuckled as well. "No offense pal, but I figured Bram would be the one to drive you insane, not the other way around." He joked.
Helm chuckled lightly. "Believe me, there have been days where I had to raise my voice just to get him to calm down, but I wouldn't trade him for the most well behaved kid in all of Equestria." He proudly proclaimed. He quickly straightened himself and put on professional tone and familiar stoic face. "On to business then?" He asked.
Shining himself took on professional tone himself. "Of course. As you know, Princess Celestia and Luna are hosting a royal summit here in Canterlot and we have various delegates from different kingdoms, like the Diamong Dog, Minotuar, Dragon and Gryphon Kingdom's. After yesterday's attacks in Ponyville and Fillydelphia, and the princesses sending some of the guards off to help with the recovery efforts, we're a bit short hoofed here." Helm nodded as they approached the docks where most of the guard were stationed along with the Celestia, Luna, and Cadence, waiming for the airships carrying the delegates.
None of them however, were aware of a small drone that had overheard the whole conversation and flew back into the sky and into space.
Second Authors Note:
The next few chapters after the second part of this one will focus on the backstories of the main characters, ending with Spike.
Now here's the thing, I want you guys to vote on what character you like me to focus on first.
So the options are,
Rover
Bram
Aeris
Melody
Make sure to leave your votes and comments on the story, see ya next time!