“That was such a cool fight!” Rainbow was still running round the Rainbooms as they all made their way back into Elaris’s ship. Their helmets were off, but they were still dressed in their ranger outfits. “The way that we all held our own against that big, bad freakazoid wolf, then combined and blew him away with the Magic of Friendship and that giant robot, it was sick!”
“I know!” Pinkie squealed. “And that’s only the first fight we’ve had as rangers! Who knows how many more are gonna come now that we’ve provoked them? It’s gonna be super-duper!”
“Calm down, you two.” Sunset chuckled and tousled both of their hair. “We’ve just got one fight with a bunch of space wolves under your belt. Don’t let it get to your heads.”
“But they are right, Sunset. How many more fights will we have to face before this Wolfpack is finally sent home with their tails between their legs?” Rarity tapped her friend’s shoulder. “It’s probably going to eat both into my dressmaking time and my spare time.”
“I thought those were the same thing.” Applejack smirked.
“Oh, pish tosh, Applejack.” Rarity booped her nose. “A lady can’t be too versed in one thing all the time. Why, it would make them look like they have nothing else to do with their lives. I want to at least have some other doors open, you know.”
“Still, I hope we don’t have to fight them all the time. I don’t think I really contributed anything at all in that fight.” Fluttershy idly twiddled her fingers together. “Other than playing that flute, I can’t do anything without you girls watching my back.”
“Oh, Fluttershy. You were totally awesome out there today.” Rainbow Dash held Fluttershy’s shoulders and smiled at her. “Heck, your animal flute powers were awesome against Preda’Tor and his hounds. Plus, that bear Zord was devastating once you got it going. You got some talent, girl.”
“Thank you, Rainbow Dash.” Fluttershy blushed and smiled back.
“You did great out there, rangers.” Elaris approached the girls as they entered the control room of the ship. “But we’ve got a long way to go if we’re going to beat the Wolfpack or Mar’Zek.”
“Elaris told me all about the wolves while you went off to fight them, girls.” Twilight walked forward as well. “The Wolfpack are ruthless mercenaries who either take, or destroy so they can take afterwards. They blow up planets and moons if necessary, slaughter species that impede their progress, and, on rare occasions, 'add' non-wolves to their ranks after 'dealing' with their honorary ‘crewmembers’ friends and families.”
"By add, you mean enslave. And by deal with, they capture, torture, hold hostage, and even kill." Sunset deadpanned and crossed her arms. "It's never a good sign when the villain says they'll 'deal with someone'."
"The Wolfpack are bred without mercy. Planet Lupis, their origin, is a violence-torn world. Being peaceful and lovey-dovey will only result in being an easy target back home." Elaris turned towards the screen and slid her finger across the right arm of her pilot seat, causing a small black planet to appear on the screen in front. "Only wolves may lead the Wolfpack, and it's a law in their kind that when they die, they must transfer everything to their next of kin."
"And since Mar'Zek is a wolf, he's probably carrying out the will of his dad." Twilight lifted a finger as she pulled the picture to the right, showing the Wolfpack insignia; a pair of blood-soaked claws underneath a wolf's head. "If it's true that every wolf from Lupis has to transfer everything to their kids, then this guy found himself getting a whole lot."
"Well, duh. If he's the son of another murderous space pirate captain, it's only fair that he'd get his father's ship, his fleet, and the crew too." Rainbow tipped her hand. "But still, that's a heck of a lot of stuff to get for your dad biting the bullet..."
"I just hope that Mar'Zek has no family of his own, because if we kill him, then he's just going to transfer the whole Wolfpack army to them instead..." Rarity put her hands to her side. "And then everything will just keep going again and again and again. It'll never stop."
"Oh no... I don't want to fight these wolves forever. Just one time was bad enough!" Fluttershy piped up. "How can we stop them if they're just going to hand down themselves to Mar'Zek's kids?"
"True, but there is another way around that." Elaris turned back to the girls. "You just need to take out Captain Mar'Zek and his entire fleet. Without a fleet to give, the Wolfpack will never belong to them. Problem solved."
"Beg pardon, but how are we gonna destroy a whole darn fleet and that wolf pirate captain, may I ask?" Applejack lifted a finger. "If we beat Mar'Zek, then the ships are just gonna high-tail it outta there faster than a bull seein' nothing but red on the Running of the Bulls."
"Yes. That is the problem we've been having to face..." Elaris paced on the spot, turning back and forth as she tried to formulate a plan of attack. "Me and my kind have always been trying to take out the Wolfpack every step of the way, but every time we get close and kill their leader, they always let their crew slip away before we can finish them off. Will history just repeat itself if Mar'Zek is destroyed?"
"Trust me, Elaris. It won't." Sunset Shimmer stepped to her side and wrapped her arm around her neck. "With both these crystals, and the Magic of Friendship on our side, we'll tear down Mar'Zek and his fleet. That, I promise."
"Magic of Friendship?" Elaris asked, tilting a head.
"Yeah. These super-awesome pendants we always wear." Rainbow tapped her neck, only to find that she was still dressed in her ranger attire. "Only now, they're kinda attached to our outfits. One sec." With another tap of the button on her belt, Rainbow transformed back into her regular clothes, and her blue geode swung gently from her neck. "These things. They might not look like much, but when we just give 'em a little squeeze..." She demonstrated, and she grew wings, pony ears, and a tail while her hair elongated. "Ta-da!"
"Interesting. So you already had powers before I gave you all the crystals?" Elaris slowly hobbled forward and reached out for the pendant. "Do all humans on this planet have these powers?"
"Oh, no. It's just us, darling." Rarity transformed herself back into her normal clothes, as the rest of the rangers did the same. "But I have to say, they work so well to our personalities. And the way that they interweave into our outfit fabrics like that while retaining the ability to use our magic, it's a bedazzling spectacle. Plus, it saves my neck from getting a rash whenever we do go into battle, which is a bonus."
Applejack chuckled and patted Rarity's back. She never could pass down a laugh at one of Rarity's luxury talks; even if they made no sense to her.
"Anyway..." Twilight rolled her eyes. "I've also been working on the ship, but in order to fix it up, we're going to need to get some strong metals and galvanize them so that they retain their original shape when she goes through space and leaps through wormholes. The gravitational strain when you fly a spaceship at high speeds can be a real downer if you're not fitted out well enough."
"Uh, english, Twilight?" Rainbow cocked a brow. "You know I don't understand a bit of that egghead babble."
"We need strong metals that will keep her ship from falling apart when she goes back to space." Twilight groaned and slapped her face. "Honestly, Rainbow Dash, I really should teach you about all the big words I use someday."
"Twilight, the day that happens, is the day I quit all of Canterlot High's sports teams." Rainbow scoffed. "Just getting to the point is easier than dragging things out and confusing everyone."
"But not when getting to the point means rushing it and leaving vital details out of the picture." Twilight leaned closer to Rainbow and tipped her hand. "Haste makes waste when it's not handled carefully, you know."
"But people don't wanna keep on waiting for new updates, Twilight. They just wanna get in, enjoy things, and get out without having to do all of that waiting or listening." Rainbow's eyes widened as she patted her shoulder.
"No. They want to see stuff that's perfectly crafted with love and care, not just forcibly pumped out because the fans are getting impatient." Twilight turned her back to Rainbow shook her head. "Maybe they do for you, but I'm not like you. I'm a lot smarter."
"Girls. If you're going to argue about this, don't. There are more important matters at hand." Elaris walked between Rainbow Dash and Twilight and placed hands on their backs. "The Wolfpack now know that you are here, and have been chosen by the crystals. They'll stop at NOTHING to defeat you now."
"Then we've just gotta keep hitting them back just as much as they hit us!" Pinkie Pie bounced on the spot and punched her hand. "We're the Equestrian Star Rangers now, and we can't just sit back and let them destroy our world. We gotta be ready for battle at a moment's notice, even if it means dropping out of class, losing grades, and lowering our chances of getting into a great job or college once it's all done, but who cares about that anyway?"
"I care!" Twilight stumbled forward and nearly fell on her face with how wobbly her legs had become. "Pinkie!"
"What? Every Power Ranger does it." Pinkie shrugged. "They're all doing fine when school or job time's happening, but as soon as the bad guys send a new monster, they always say they'll be right back, totally ditch the guys and gals they were hanging out with, and jump straight into battle! And then when they come back, they don't get punished for it at all. At least, not on-screen, anyway."
"But we're not some TV show that follows a storyline. This is real life, and this isn't a game, Pinkie Pie." Twilight threw her hands to the screen, which still bore the Wolfpack logo. "This is real life. These wolves are real, their claws are real, and the pain we feel whenever they wanna attack us? That's real too. This is a serious matter, Pinkie!"
"I know. Just wanted to break you into the whole ranger life, since you're all pretty new to it." Pinkie smiled and clasped her hands together. "Plus, now that we're all rangers, we've gotta follow the traditions. Y'know. Having to cut out a lot of classes and activities, wait until everyone leaves so we can ranger up, get new powers as the fight goes on, and all that jazz."
"How... much of that show did you watch, Pinkie?" Fluttershy asked, lifting a finger.
"Oh, every episode of every version of the show." Pinkie's smile grew wider as she turned back to Fluttershy. "Some of them kinda went downhill because of different producers, others did well but weren't as widely recognized as the others, and then there's that one series that I don't even wanna mention."
And just like that, there was a deafening silence, as everyone's mouths dropped wide open.
"This... Pinkie Pie of yours is a rather... interesting girl." Elaris finally broke the silence and closed up her mouth first. "But all that energy will come in handy when fighting the wolves."
"Oh, you should see her on the drum kit." Rainbow Dash smirked and put a fist on her chest, banging it in a respecting fashion. "Girl can pound out beats almost as fast as I can with my sick guitar skills and not get tired at all. It's a miracle."
"Pound out beats?" Elaris tilted her head and felt her pupils shrink. "Is that a good thing?"
"Oh, don't worry, Elaris. It's a normal earthling thing to do." Twilight pulled her into a sideways hug. "It's all drummer talk. Maybe we can teach you all about this world while we're trying to save it and get you back home."
"That would be wonderful, rangers." Elaris nodded and looked into the eyes of each of the Rainbooms. "I bet there's a whole wealth of information to be learned from the seven of you."
"Oh, there's a wealth alright." Rainbow's grin would not move as she also began to hug Elaris. "There's so much you can learn from us, you'll practically have a degree by the time you go back home."
Everyone just started to laugh at the notion, while Elaris just stood there as everyone came around and hugged her closely. At first, she didn't know what to make of it. She had never encountered this level of affection or euphoria back on her home before, so it was difficult for her to make a reaction. Not wanting to feel like she wasn't making a good impression, she ended up laughing along with the Rainbooms and began to hug them back, completing the circle.
Meanwhile, back on Mar'Zek's flagship, in an entirely different chamber, Vi'Al was busy looking at a monitor, which showed the Rainbooms battling against Preda'Tor. He paused their moves, studied their postures, and gathered data on their strength and powers, his fingers rapping against the buttons on the console panels beneath the screen all the while.
The room that he was in was unlike the bridge that he had come from. Instead, it was filled to the brim with machines and chemicals. Electricity crackled as the devices all did their jobs around him. Centrifuges span, analyzers whirred to life, and chemical handling apparatus had liquids and solids either travelling through tubes or being transported from one to another before they were deposited in appropriate phials or boxes.
"So. These rangers are like the prophecy had foretold..." Vi'Al stroked his fur as he kept on watching and collecting the battle diagnostics. "Strong, fast, agile, and willing to fight until the end; even when Feral Fury is unleashed. And those mechs of theirs..." He swiped his claws across the panel, which began to show the Zords battling the enlargened Preda'Tor. "Those things are worth experiments all on their own. Raw power being generated from pure will and determination, powering these machines and amplifying their destructive capabilities tenfold..."
"Vi'Al."
The doors to the laboratory opened, showing Mar'Zek walking inside. He was still dressed in his combat armour, but had a red paste painted onto his cheeks and around his eyes.
"Will you be coming to the funeral of Preda'Tor?" Mar'Zek asked, lifting a brow. "Or do you have more of your 'experiments' to finish?"
"As much as I value Preda'Tor's work with the Wolfpack, we are strictly a group for the strongest of the strong, my captain." Vi'Al turned from the device and faced his leader. "Not to mention, we've got so much data and information to rummage through now that those Perfect Ones have been chosen and defeated him. I must make sure to keep on working, or you could be next, captain."
"Highly improbable, Vi'Al." Mar'Zek slid his claws against each other, making a grating noise as they collided. "I have slain many a species, destroyed entire worlds, and gathered the finest soldiers and armaments the universe has to offer. They are not ready; nor will they EVER be ready to fight me and live to tell the tale."
"Still, it never hurts to be prepared..." Vi'Al just went back to his work. "After all, let us not forget the time we were ambushed on Keplar-9 by that Arctic Tatzlwurm. The beast nearly swallowed you whole if not for the gear I provided for you." He glanced back over his shoulder. "It's better to have and not need, than to need and not have, after all."
"I know that, but the least that you could do is show them respect. Preda'Tor was one of the finest soldiers I had trained. Without him, I don't think that we would have ever amassed such an army." Mar'Zek pushed his claws together, each bone making a cracking noise as it bent. "Although, that was back in the days when I first inherited the army. Now, we have so many more loyal warriors, each with their own pros and cons, and who will wear the rangers down until they are nothing more than shells."
"Believe me, master, I do respect Preda'Tor and his work for the Wolfpack, but now that he's been destroyed... I have a whole new slate of studies." Vi'Al grinned. "After all, a scientist never leaves research to chance, or to let it fester. I will still observe the funeral from here, but as it stands, my work is my mission. You have yours, and we all need to do our part."
"Very well." Mar'Zek walked back out the door and took one last look at Vi'Al. "Then I trust that you will be able to provide?"
"Of course, master." Vi'Al knelt and bowed before him. "Once we analyse these 'Power Rangers' and their powers, we will find the easiest way to get rid of them; and to bolster our own forces at the same time."
"Hmm..." Mar'Zek went away and sealed the door behind him, leaving Vi'Al with nothing more than his videos of the battle.
"These rangers..." Vi'Al zoomed in on a shot of all six of them posing and holding their weapons for battle. "They're the product of pure research! Why, the things I could learn from them could benefit us AND all the people back home on Lupis!" His menacing, toothy grin grew as he typed away, pulling numbers out from every attack that landed on the simulated Preda'Tor. "Oh, my dear rangers. You've only just hit the tip of the iceberg. Wait until you see what lies beneath it..."