//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: Forest Primeval // Story: Power Rangers: Rails of Reality // by RuinQueenofOblivion //------------------------------// "I'm confused, exactly how did you know we were coming?" Scootaloo asked as they made their way through the jungle, following the strange blonde haired woman down a trail in the jungle. "We didn't exactly send out messages, you know?" "And who is Adra?" Sweetie Belle added. "Adra is the Goddess of the Earth," Tilani said as she looked back at the five of them. "She's one of the Goddesses that taught the first Athenans how to survive on this planet. That was, over 2000 years ago." "That's, a long time," Scootaloo said and blinked a little. "Wait, you said she told you, does she talk to you or something?" Diamond Tiara asked a bit confused by everything. "What is going on here?" "Come, let's go to Nareis and I'll explain everything," Tilani said as she looked back at them. "Unless you'd rather spend some more time in the Jungle. And I assure you, that Vorgiv is the least of your worries out here." The five friends nodded as they followed the woman down the trail. They looked around curiously, there was the occasional animal that crossed the path, but most of what they could see were plants. They had to wonder if the entire planet was like this, one big sea of green. And that's when the trees opened up and they felt the warm sun on their skin. They were on a beach facing an ocean that seemed to stretch for as far as the eye could see. There were a few boats out on the water and Tilani looked back at them and smiled. "Welcome to Athena travelers, let's see how you like it here," she said with a smile and nodded down the beach towards what looked like a gathering of buildings in the distance. The five friends exchanged a look, they weren't sure what to expect of this strange new world. But they didn't have much of a choice as they followed her close behind. 00000 "This world is, certainly unique," Madame Noir said as she examined the screens in the Kuliner's engine that showed images of the jungle around them. "A curious species, you would think one with this long a history would be more, advanced." "Now, now they can't all be like us," Baron Nero said with a shake of his head as he played with the summoning quill pen and looked at the screen for a moment. "What is the best source of Tenebraean Energy we can find on the planet?" "Here, Vendar Island," General Schwarz said as he pointed at a map of the planet that zoomed in on a small island off the coast of one of the continents. "It has one of the highest sources of energy that I've ever seen, we should investigate it." "Agreed," Nero said as he inputs commands into the controls and the evil train hummed with energy as it went through another portal and came to a stop after a moment. Nero turned and raised the quill as he prepared to summon another Shade when the train suddenly began to shake. "What in the Emperor's name..." A shadowy form started t coalesce in the engine and a form appeared. It was feminine and dressed in robes that were covered with animal skins and feathers. She had hands with long fingers that ended in claws and a strange, distorted head with a crown that sat upon it and pointed teeth. "Who are you?" Nero demanded as he managed to pull himself up to his feet and pointed his cane at her. "You have a lot of nerve to..." "You, are trespassing on the territory of the Unnamed Ones," the woman said in a chilling voice that even made the fiendish nobleman stop. "You're a fool if you think you can just waltz into our territory." "Really?" Nero said as he pulled his hat down a little and pulled on his cane as he removed a long sword as he rushed forward and pressed it against the woman's neck as dark energy ran along the blade. "This is the Imperial Kuliner of the Shadow Line, you are not in your backwater planet anymore. Our power here is greater than anything some backwater monster can conjure up while here." "The Shadow Line, I see," the woman said as her eyes glowed and she looked at him hard for a moment. "You picked the wrong world to mess with then if not the wrong reality. This one has a long history with your typical enemies." "As do you if these reports are anything to go by," Madame Noir said as she looked up from a screen. "It seems to me you have your own problems around here Draiva. Perhaps we can work out some sort of deal." "I'm listening," the now identified Draiva said as she glowered at the masked man. "You should listen to your better, she's clearly smarter than you are." Nero growled a little but didn't remove the blade from the woman's neck as Noir moved forward and gave her a smile. "You have your own subjects of course, don't you Draiva?" The noblewoman asked as she gave her a nod. "We will provide a Shade and you will provide one of your subjects. If we use our forces in combination, then our mutual enemies will barely stand a chance." "Perhaps," Draiva said as she looked back at Nero. "Are you in agreement, male? Or do I have to show you your intestines instead?" Nero growled but removed his blade from the woman's neck. "Yes, we are in agreement," he said as he held up the summoning pen. "We will summon one of our Shades shortly. We also would like to take some, energy from your area." "Of course, this is a mutually beneficial agreement to both of us," Draiva said as she smiled and backed away before she vanished in much the same way she appeared. "You shouldn't have done that, I had the situation under control," Nero said as he returned the blade to his cane. "She would have been receptive eventually." "You really should pay more attention to the files on the worlds," Noir said with a laugh as she pointed her fan at Nero. "This world is Matriarchal, they don't respond well to male posturing. Some situations require a woman's touch as you just saw." Nero just shook his head and held the summoning quill up as it began to glow with dark energy. "Then I will summon the Shade," he said and drew a symbol in the air as it began to glow and a new body formed. It looked metallic and held two swords aloft as it bowed before the two of them. "My lords, what is your bidding?" The Shade asked. "Bring us the energy from this world," Nero said as he gave the creature a nod. "You will have allies in this endeavor, but do not take them lightly." "Yes my lord, I will prepare now," the Shade said before it vanished. "You don't trust Draiva do you?" Noir said with a smirk. "Of course not," Nero said as he leaned on his cane and took out the pocket watch again. "After all, I don't trust a shark, she's a dangerous individual. We must do what we can to leave this world behind us as soon as possible." "Agreed," Noir said as she fanned herself a little. "Perhaps I'll take some time and scout Athena for myself. This could be an interesting world." And with a laugh, she vanished into a pool of shadows. Nero just shook his head and walked to the front of the Kuliner and watched the screens. They had enough energy to last a while, but he wanted to leave as soon as he could, this world made him uneasy. The countdown had begun. 00000 "Wow, this place is pretty nice," Scootaloo commented as they reached the town. It was a collection of well-constructed buildings that were made mostly of wood and stone. They looked around and noticed more of the native Athenans walking around the town. A few of them noticed them and waved, Sweetie was a bit surprised to see that most of them didn't look that similar to each other, having a variety of colors and sometimes other traits, but they all had one thing in common. "Where are all the stallions?" She whispered to Scootaloo as they walked past a group of younger Athenans who were playing a game with a ball. "What do you mean?" Scootaloo asked as she looked at her friend. "Look at them, unless I'm missing something they're all female," she pointed out. It was true, the locals didn't seem to have anything that could be considered masculine traits. "I mean, maybe its just because we're not familiar with..." "We can hear you, you know," Tilani said as she stopped and looked at the two of them. "There is a reason behind this, but this isn't the place to discuss it." "Right," Scootaloo said as they continued walking through the town towards a large building in the distance. As they reached the building, it looked like a large building with pillars made of stone. It looked like it was made of some earth-toned rock as they made their way into the building. "Hang on," Amethyst's voice said on the other end. "What now?" Diamond asked as she pressed her hand up against her ear for a moment. "I'm getting a very strong reading from the other side of that door," Amethyst replied. "I haven't seen anything like this in a while. I can't tell you if it's friendly or not, so I would approach with caution." "Understood," Apple Bloom said as Tilani pushed the door open and they walked into the large building. They found themselves on the edge of a courtyard that had several plants and a cleared area in the center. It was mostly empty as they entered save for several other Athenans that were waiting for them. "Excellent, I was hoping that you wouldn't have much trouble Tilani," a soft feminine voice said from around them. "Okay, who are you and how did you know we were coming?" Scootaloo asked as she looked around for the source of the voice. "You're not fooling anyone with your tricks." "Very well," the feminine voice said as energy started to coalesce. A form appeared in front of them, it was of a woman with tanned skin and wild long red hair. She was dressed in white clothes that ran along her body, and she had the familiar pointed ears of the locals. The five ponies turned Athenans could only think of one thing when they saw her, they were in the presence of a being beyond their understanding. "I am Adra, and I knew you were coming because I know a great many things." "Adra is one of our Goddesses," a woman with short blonde hair and dressed in white and gold robes said as she stepped forward. "She informed us of the arrival of yourselves and your... what did you call it?" "Train," Adra said with a nod. "I saw your arrival and sent Tilani to find you." "Okay, this is unexpected," Amethyst's voice said on the other end. "I'm getting readings as I've never seen before, you're talking to a class 9 ascended being who..." The voice on the other end of their communicators was cut off for a moment as Adra vanished and returned with another Athenan woman, this one had the same colors as Amethyst and deposited the shocked woman on the ground. "It's not polite to spy on potential new friends you know," Adra said with a chuckle as Amethyst got to her feet, still looking shocked. "Amethyst Shard, am I right?" "Yes, that's me," Amethyst said with a shake of her head. "You're the class 9 ascended being..." "We prefer Goddesses," Adra said with a laugh. "I don't see why we need their help," one of the women spoke up, she was dark skinned with red hair that was tied into a braid. "They're not exactly much to look at, I'd hardly even call them hunters or fighters." "Hey, we've held our own against the Shadow Line, what can you do?" Scootaloo said in protest as she looked at the taller woman who smirked a little. "I've wrestled the greatest beasts the oceans of this world have to offer," she said with a chuckle. "Unless you want to prove me wrong." "Sanshai, I don't think..." The Priestess from before started to say as Adra placed her hand on her shoulder. "Let them fight," she said simply. "We need to know if these five are capable of helping us. Let's see if they are as skilled as they say." "Of course," the Priestess said as she nodded to the cleared out area. "Sanshai, you know the rules, do not hurt her." "I won't, badly," Sanshai said with a smirk as they moved into the cleared area and Scootaloo gulped a little. "No weapons, just our fists, first one to be knocked out of the ring loses, do you agree?" "Yeah, if that's how you want it I can do that," Scootaloo said as she removed her Rail Morpher from her wrist and gave it to Sweetie Belle. At the same time, Sanshai removed a good sized dagger from her waist and threw it into the ground followed by a necklace with a blue stone on it. "I'm sure your mate there will gladly help you lick your wounds when we're done," Sanshai said with a laugh as she looked at Sweetie Belle. "If there's anything left!" "We're not... oh forget it," Scootaloo said with a groan. She wished she had the chance to get used to fighting in this body before she had to fight a native, but she didn't have a choice at this point. "Let's get this over with then." Sanshai laughed as she took a combat pose, but she didn't do anything. Scootaloo groaned and then ran forward, swinging her fist at the Athenan who just caught it with the palm of her hand and swung Scootaloo over, throwing her on the ground. "Come on, you're better than this, show me what beat the Shadow Line," Sanshai said with a chuckle as she dodged another blow from the girl. "I've fought tougher opponents than you in my sleep." "Okay, this is really, really getting on my nerves..." Scootaloo said as she tried to kick the woman's legs out from under her only to have her jump out of the way. "Oh come on, stop jumping out of the way and fight me!" "Your mate is hotheaded," a voice said from behind Sweetie and she turned to see an Athenan with black hair and dressed similarly to the Priestess from before with slight ridges on her forehead. "She's not my mate, I mean marefriend, I mean girlfriend..." Sweetie said with a blush that just made her laugh. "And yeah, she's a bit reckless at times, but she's not that bad in a fight when she has to be." "Sanshai is one of the best fisherwomen in this part of Athena," the woman said with a shake of her head. "She's fought the ocean waves and has adapted her fighting style to using the strength of an opponent against her. If your friend gets too reckless, she's going to make mistakes, and she can't afford that." Sweetie paused a moment as she looked back at the newcomer. She noticed that around her neck was a necklace similar to the ones Tilani and Sanshai had but she couldn't make out anything more about it. She made a note to ask more about them later as she turned her attention back to the fight. "Come on Scoots, I know you can do this..." Sweetie said as she clenched her fist a little. Scootaloo was not as sure as her friend was, she was no stranger to a good fight and had even taken some classes back in Equestria, but she was completely unfamiliar with this new body. She gritted her teeth and just as Sanshai was about to swing a fist at her she ducked instinctively and slammed her elbow into the taller woman's stomach. "Now that's more like it," Sanshai said through the pain as she righted herself and grinned a little. "Maybe you're not so bad after all." "Hey, I just needed to get used to these things," Scootaloo said with a grin as she righted herself and swung a punch at Sanshai which the woman caught but was surprised by a kick that hit her in the legs. The fight went on for a little bit longer, Scootaloo got in a few good hits and managed to push Sanshai closer to the edge of the circle. She took a few hits herself, but the older Athenan was having a harder time fighting her now. Finally, Sanshai grabbed Scootaloo by the arms and pulled her down and the two tumbled out of the circle. "And it's over," the priestess said with a nod. "What do you think Adra, have they proven themselves?" "Indeed, they may yet prove to be skilled allies," Adra said as Sanshai got to her feet and offered a hand to Scootaloo. "You fought well," Sanshai said with a grin. "A shame your friend there doesn't want you, she doesn't know what she's missing." "Look, I..." Scootaloo said with a blush which was cut off when Sanshai pulled her in close and kissed her straight on the lips. Scootaloo's eyes went wide, but she was surprised that the woman's embrace felt soft, almost loving, it wasn't so bad after all. Sweetie just stared on in shock. "Alright Sanshai, if you're done kissing our new ally, I think its time we got them fully up to speed," the Priestess said as she shook her head a little as Sanshai retrieved her things. "I am Kairis, you already know Tilani and Sanshai. Its time you learned more about what's happening here, and why we need each other's help." "Yes, of course," Amethyst said as she gestured to them. "We'd be glad to hear you out of course." "Then come with us, there is much to discuss," Adra said as they headed out of the courtyard together. 00000 "Athena's history goes back over 2000 years," Kairis said as they entered a large room with fancy ornamental designs as Adra vanished. "Our ancestors left from a distant planet that was torn apart by war to flee from persecution. They eventually found this planet and made it their home." "I see," Amethyst said as she sat down across from Kairis and the others sat down around them. "I think I know what planet you mean." "When they came to this world, survival was hard," Kairis continued. "Our ancestors could barely survive in the harsh jungles of Athena until we got some help. The Goddesses appeared before them and began to teach the first Athenans how to survive in the harsh jungles of their new homeworld. We learned to respect the land, to build without harming the environment and to hunt." "So, you all just, what?" Diamond Tiara asked. "Hunt or worship the goddesses?" "No, we all have our own roles and can do whatever we desire," Sanshai said with a laugh. "Athena is a world that has always known peace because we have all been unified by a common cause. Survival in the harshest environments we've ever seen." "Unfortunately, it's not always so simple," Kairis said. "The Goddesses are not the only group here, there are also ones we call The Unnamed Ones. To name them is considered taboo, and risks bringing them down on us. Unfortunately, that's the crisis that we now face." "Ah see," Apple Bloom said as she looked at them curiously. "Yer sayin' that these, Unnamed Ones are back or somethin'?" "Their cult has been attacking this area for some time," Tilani said. "They send their Mutants to try and break the temple for the most part. We're the only ones that have been able to fight them and it hasn't been easy." "Ah see," Apple Bloom said, it sounded familiar to her, almost like what she and her friends were going through with the Shadow Line. "Well, Ah mean we're here in pursuit of a new threat ta yer world Ah'm afraid. They call themselves tha Shadow Line, they're nothin' but trouble." "Adra told us to expect a new threat," the black haired girl from before said with a frown. "So, you're telling us that they are as bad as the cult?" "If not worse," Amethyst said with a sigh as she told the Athenans everything that she had told the Crusaders and their friends. They listened carefully as Kairis frowned a little and sighed. "Basically, we need to stop the Shadow Line and whatever Shade they send before they can take too much energy." "Ah know its a lot ta take in," Apple Bloom said. "We're still getting used to the whole thing ourselves," Silver Spoon added. "But if there's anything we can do to help we're more than willing to lend a hoof... or hand I guess," Scootaloo said as she looked down at her hand and shook her head. "Sorry, I'm not really used to this body." "Don't worry about it, we appreciate the help," Kairis said with a smile. "There are a lot of things about this world that we are only now starting to understand since Adra re-appeared to us. Hopefully, we will be able to help you before it is too late." "Yeah," Scootaloo said with a shake of her head. "So, what's the plan?" "Well, we have ta find tha strongest source of what tha Shadow Line could draw on right?" Apple Bloom asked. "What would that be in Athena?" "That might be a problem," a new voice said as they turned to see a pale skinned Athenan with white hair walking in. "If you're looking for the strongest source of dark energy, that would probably be the Cult's base." "Unfortunately Jesari is right," Kairis said with a shake of her head. "We can't just walk into that place either, and whatever technology you have won't be able to penetrate it." "So, what should we do?" Amethyst asked as she looked between them. "They are going to need to do more than just go there to get energy." "We have to wait," Kairis said. "And pray to whatever deities you worship that our situation hasn't already gotten worse." Scootaloo's eyes went a little wide at that. She realized that if this cult really was as dangerous as they claimed if they made some sort of deal with the Shadow Line then there was going to be a much greater threat going on. She just hoped that everything was going to be okay. 00000 "I hope you don't mind staying here overnight," Sanshai said as she leads the Crusaders and Amethyst to another building. "We can't escort you back to your craft tonight and Kairis said that she would prefer if you stayed close." "Of course, its no problem," Amethyst said. "Archie can hold down the fort while we're gone. And perhaps there are some things we can learn from you and your friends." Sanshai laughed a little and looked back at Scootaloo with a soft smile as she leads each of them to a different room until there was only the two of them left. "Are you sure that the pink haired one is not your mate?" Sanshai asked with a laugh. "I've seen the way you two look at each other and your pheromones. I haven't sensed something that strong in a long time." "No, no we're just friends!" Scootaloo tried to protest as she shook her head a little. "We've known each other for a long time, I don't... I don't want to risk pushing her away." "On Athena, if there is someone we want we don't wait," Sanshai said with a chuckle. "You and your friend would make a cute couple. But in the meantime..." "Look, I..." Scootaloo started to say as she blushed a little as they stopped in front of her room as she realized what the Athenan woman wanted. "I'm not really looking for anyone right now... I've got a lot to focus on with fighting the Shadow Line and I don't think I should get into a relationship with someone I'll probably never see again." She hated to admit it but she was very much tempted to take her up on that offer. Maybe it was something to do with this planet or being in this body but she found herself strangely, interested in that offer. She shook her head and laid back on the bed that had been set up for her. "Okay Scootaloo, you're on a weird planet inhabited entirely by women with your best friends," she said out loud to herself as she shook her head. "This place is weird... I hope we can help them soon." "Hey Scoots," a voice said and she looked up to see Sweetie Belle standing there in the doorway. "How are you feeling?" "I've felt better," she admitted as she gave her friend a smile. "Do you think the Shadow Line is going to attack soon?" "It's getting late, I doubt it at this point," Sweetie said with a shake of her head as she sat down on the bed. "Or maybe they will, it depends on how much energy they have I guess." "Yeah, I guess," Scootaloo said with a sigh as she sat up and looked at Sweetie. "What do you think about all of this? These weird bodies and everything." "Yeah, they're weird, kinda reminds me of what Twilight said about humans though I don't think she mentioned these ears," Sweetie said with a chuckle as she rubbed her finger along her ear's and shivered a little. "Scootaloo, I..." "Yes?" Scootaloo asked as she looked at Sweetie expectantly for a long moment. "Is everything okay?" "Ever since we got here, I've felt, some urges..." she admitted with a blush. "All of them directed at you..." Scootaloo blushed deeply and was about to say something when Sweetie leaned in and gave her a kiss directly on the lips. She fell back onto the bed as she felt Sweetie's hands running along her front and starting to untie the strings on the animal skins a little. 00000 "Are you sure this is a good idea?" Amethyst asked as she looked over at Kairis. The two of them were sitting in the main room of the temple and drinking tea. "I mean, they're not used to living their lives as other species like this, and I can always summon the train." "The presence of your craft will draw attention to yourselves," Kairis said with a shake of her head. "Your charges are smart, they won't do anything that will get them into too much trouble. I'm sure that will be disappointing for Sanshai though." "Yeah, probably," Amethyst said with a chuckle as she shook her head a little. "How have you survived this long on this world if it is as dangerous as you claim?" "One day at a time," Kairis said with a shake of her head. "The Cult of the Unnamed Ones is a threat though. If it wasn't for Tilani and the others, we wouldn't be here having this conversation." "Perhaps we can help you," Amethyst said. "We're still new to this whole thing, but my charges..." "Your charges have enough to worry about with the Shadow Line," Kairis pointed out with a shake of her head. "Athena can take care of herself and so can her people. We have survived on this world for over 2000 years, endured things that no species should, and we've done what we can to survive." "Have you done enough though?" Amethyst asked. "When I came through this universe before I met a group called the Federation if you reached out to them I am sure that they would..." "That's not my call to make," Kairis said with a shake of her head. "You would have to take that sort of proposal to the capitol and the Ministers. I am just a Priestess and even with how deeply religious our people are, the clergy only has so much authority." "Of course," Amethyst said with a shake of her head. "Still, maybe there is some way we can make Athena prosper without having to..." "Go out and seduce males just so we can have daughters?" Kairis asked as she raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, that." "Its something that we have certainly considered," the Priestess said with a shake of her head. "The fact of the matter is that we need to, but we have to deal with our own internal problems first. The Cultists are only one of many things, there are others who believe their presence is proof that Goddesses have abandoned us." "But you don't?" "Of course not, the Sacred Texts speak of many things, including the possibility that they may escape," Kairis said with a shake of her head. "The fact that Adra has come to us is also proof. She knows that things must be done to protect Athena." "I just hope that we haven't put your world at risk of destruction," Amethyst said with a sigh and a shake of her head. "We've always been at risk of destruction, you are here because you want to stop it," Kairis said with a smile. "My species believes strongly that in times of great need, the Goddesses will choose protectors. My charges are some of them, I believe so are yours." Amethyst sighed a little as she nodded. She had taken a big risk by letting the Crusaders and their friends join her, but she was starting to feel like it may have been the right choice. She hoped it was the right choice. 00000 "Scootaloo, wake up, we're lookin' fer Sweetie Belle," Apple Bloom said as she knocked on the door to Scootaloo's room the next morning. "Huh, what's goin' on?" Scootaloo called back with a yawn as she pulled the blanket up over her and looked at the door sleepily. "What about Sweetie Belle?" "She ain't in her room, come on," Apple Bloom said. Scootaloo yawned a little and looked over. Her eyes went wide when she saw Sweetie Belle laying there fast asleep, naked. She blushed deeply when she realized what must've happened last night, but the details were all a bit hazy. "Scoots, are you awake?" Sweetie asked with a yawn as she sat up, her pink and purple hair was a mess. "Did, last night actually happen?" "I, think so," Scootaloo said, Sweetie blushed a little, her usually pale coloring had turned a strange green color. "What are we going to do about it?" "I think, we can both agree that last night was a result of the hormones of these strange new bodies or something..." Sweetie Belle said with a blush. "Yeah, definitely," Scootaloo said as she blushed more and shook her head. "Lets, just not talk about it okay? You and I both know our friends won't let us hear the end of it." "So, how do we cover up the fact that I'm in your room?" Sweetie asked with a smirk. "You, were, uh..." Scootaloo said. "Lonely, you couldn't sleep so you came into my room, that's all." "Yeah, okay," Sweetie said and they started to get up when there was a sound of a horn coming from somewhere outside. "What's going on?" "I don't know, let's find out," Scootaloo said as they got their clothes on and started out of the room and met up with the others. “What’s going on?” “I don’t know,” Kairis said as she frowned a little. “That’s coming from Naeris, its the alert horn. It likely means that there is a Mutant attacking the town. However, if the Shadow Line is here, it could be just about anything…” “I think you should go investigate,” Amethyst said as she gave the Rangers a nod. “If there is a chance that there is a Shade there or even just a Mutant we need to stop them. Should we know anything about the Mutants just in case that it is one?” “There isn’t much that we can predict about them,” Kairis said with a shake of her head. “They’re a mixture of animals and Athenans that are either willingly or unwillingly transformed. They could honestly be just about anything, I would recommend being careful either way.” “We’re coming too,” Tilani said as she approached with Sanshai and Laoni. “We know the town better and if there’s a risk of the Mutants showing up…” “Shouldn’t we wait for Jeseri and Selria?” Laoni asked as she frowned a little. “I mean, don’t we need the whole team?” “Unfortunately if the planet is at risk we need to make a move now, we cannot wait for the others,” Adra said with a shake of her head. “Get going, we might not have a lot of time right now.” They nodded and ran out of the temple together. They had to figure out what was going on in town and just hope that whatever it was they’d be fine. 00000 “Okay, we should be able to see the…” Tilani started to say as they reached the town and stopped in mid-stride as they saw what was going on. The previously peaceful town was in the middle of a state of chaos, but what was more confusing was that there wasn’t any of the Crows or anything else fighting. Instead, the peaceful town seemed to have devolved into a state of chaos with the inhabitants fighting each other. “Okay, that’s not right,” Scootaloo said as she looked back at the others. “I’m guessing this isn’t usual behavior when a monster attack is going on.” “No, the Mutants haven’t really caused anything like this before,” Laoni said. “You said these things drain dark energy right? I’m betting they’re trying to do that with negative emotions here… that would explain a lot.” “Great,” Apple Bloom said as they walked forward. “So, any ideas on what we should…” “Hey, the lot of you, what do you think you’re doing?” A voice shouted at them and they turned to see a large monster made of silver metal with large basket-like shoulder pads and holding two swords in his hands. “Everyone here knows they’re supposed to be fighting!” “Okay, that’s definitely a Shade,” Diamond said as they stepped forward a little. “We’re not going to let you destroy this world… Whatever you are! This world falls under the protection of the Power Rangers!” “Oh crap, well then I’ll just have to do something about that, Crows assemble!” The Shade said as he pointed his right sword into the air and dark energy crackled from it as the Crows appeared around him. “We will take the energy we want from this world to fuel the Shadow Line!” “We’ll see about that,” Sweetie Belle said as she nodded to her friends. “Ready for this?” “Ready,” they said as they took out the chargers and activated their morphers. “All Rangers prepare for boarding, stay behind the white line,” the computerized voice said from their morphers. Energy flew out of the Morphers into the five of them as their suits appeared over them. “Ranger 1 - Red!” “Ranger 2 - Blue!” “Ranger 3 - Yellow!” “Ranger 4 - Green!” “Ranger 5 - Pink!” “ALL ABOARD!” The computerized voice said again as the loud train whistle was sound as they drew their weapons. “I’m afraid that’s not going to be enough,” a new feminine voice said as a shape stepped forward. It looked vaguely like an Athenan, only its body was distorted and covered with fur with a lupine shaped head as it drew a sword from its back. “Crystanoids, assemble!” The ground beneath them cracked as strange creatures leaped out next to the Crows. They were a vaguely humanoid shape that looked like they were made of stone and they let out an inhuman growl as they moved in front of the two monsters. “Crap, that’s not good, now there are two of them,” Scootaloo said with a gulp as she gripped her hammer. “Any ideas on what to do?” “Looks like you need some help,” Tilani said as she and the others stepped forward and placed her hand on the gemstone on the necklace around her neck. “It’s time to face the fury of the jungle!” The gemstones on the three Athenan’s necklaces glowed brightly. A firey bird flew up and into Tilani as a red suit formed around her with a bird-like helmet and a firey pattern crossing it. She drew out two swords made of firey energy and her arms formed into wings. “Flying on the fiery winds, Forest Primeval Red!” Next, a watery form of a shark jumped out of the water near the village and flew into Sanshai. A blue suit appeared over her with a helmet with a shark fin. Her suit had dark blue water symbols covering it with attachments that resembled fins on her arms. “Diving into the depths of the sea, Forest Primeval Blue!” The earth cracked open as a yellow horned animal made of energy burst out and flew into Laoni. A yellow suit formed over her with a helmet that looked like it had horns coming out of it. Her suit had black symbols that looked like cracks crossing it. “Powered by the earth itself, Forest Primeval Yellow!” “Forest Primeval Power Rangers, protect the Jungle!” The three said in unison. “Just great, now there are 8 of them,” the sword Shade said as he swung his swords around a little. “But no matter, Crows attack!” The Crows pulled their hats down for a moment before they ran forward at the Rangers with their axes and swung them at them. Apple Bloom just barely ducked an attack from one of the Crows before she swung her sword and hit him hard. “Ah ain’t gonna let yah “What is even going on here?” Silver Spoon asked as she swung her blaster around and hit a few Crows as they dissolved into the shadows. “Why make the locals fight each other like this at all?” “Athenans keep negative emotions suppressed most of the time, however when we break down, well… it can have some nasty reprecussions,” Sanshai said as she drew a curved blade and slashed through a Crystanoid with it. “It must be drawing on those negative emotions to draw out the energy they need.” “Smart for a primitive species,” the sword-wielding monster said as he moved to the side to avoid a Crow that had been kicked in his direction. “But we are here to take what we need, you cannot stop progress! Even in a backwater planet like this, progress is inevitable! And we will make sure that nothing stops us!” “Progress? You’ve been destroying universes!” Scootaloo said as she slammed her hammer into a Crystanoid that was about to attack Sweetie. “What kind of progress is that?” “There is no price that is too high, the Shadow Line must succeed!” The Shade said as he pushed forward and swung his swords at Apple Bloom only to have her catch it with her own sword. “And we will not let you Rangers stand in our way.” “Mind if I cut in, Slash?” The Mutant said with a grin as she kicked at Apple Bloom in the chest and pushed her back. “You Rangers are pathetic, I can’t imagine why anyone would ever have a hard time beating you.” “Yes, perhaps Snatcher’s failure was just a fluke,” Slash said with a grin as he crossed his swords and gave the mutant a nod. “Hardly worthy of a fight.” “Hey, mutant!” Diamond Tiara said as she struck another Crystanoid with her ax. “You’re not buying any of this, are you? You and your cult want to take over the world or something, don’t you?” “Of course,” the female mutant said as she swung her sword at Tilani who caught it with her own and kicked her back. “This planet is our birthright, we’re not about to let these weaklings keep it for themselves.” “Then tell me,” Diamond Tiara continued as she jumped over Tilani and pushed her ax blade against the mutant’s sword. “What do you think will happen if the Shadow Line stay here much longer? They’ve made it very clear that they don’t care about other universes.” “What’s your point?” The mutant asked as she narrowed her eyes a bit at Diamond as she pushed farther back. “You’re trying to deceive me!” “No, I’m really not,” Diamond said as she kicked at the Mutant hard. “I’m the only one here who’s actually been honest to your bosses. They don’t care about you or your goals, they just want their energy and will leave your world to die!” The Mutant cursed under her breath and pulled back. “Crystanoids, fall back!” She said as the ground opened and they vanished into it. “What?” Slash said as his metal head was suddenly hit by an energy arrow as they looked up to see a green ranger with a cat-shaped helmet and wind symbols and a black ranger with a bear-shaped helmet and strange swirling symbols standing on top of a building. The Green Ranger drew her bow back and fired more arrows into the Crows. “Oh come on, that’s not fair!” “We’re not about to let you hurt this world!” Scootaloo said as she swung her hammer around and hit Slash hard across the face. “Get out of here, it’s over for you and the Shadow Line!” Slash rubbed his chin and growled. “This is far from over Rangers, I will be back,” he said as he vanished into the shadows with his surviving Crows. “Sorry, we were late,” the Black Ranger said as she powered down to reveal a young woman with pale skin and white hair. “We ran into a little bit of trouble outside of town.” “Yeah, looks like you just about had everything in hand,” the Green Ranger said as she powered down to reveal a blue-skinned Athenan with a darker blue-haired woman whose body was covered with tattoos. “What in the Goddess’ name was that thing and who are these rangers?” “It’s a long story,” Scootaloo said. “Rail Rider Power Rangers, meet Selria and Jesiri,” Tilani said with a nod. “They’re the other two members of the Forest Primeval Rangers.” “A pleasure,” Apple Bloom said as they introduced each other and shook hands. As the fight had ended the fighting in the town had finally calmed down. The inhabitants were looking around confused and exhausted as they tried to figure out what had happened. “We should get back to the Temple,” Sanshai said as the others nodded a little. “Come on, there’s a lot we need to figure out.” “Right,” Diamond Tiara said as they ran off back towards the temple. 00000 “You incompetent fool!” Nero said in anger as he hit Slash across the face with his cane. “You let them get away. And if that wasn’t bad enough, the Cult now knows what our goals are. We are in a precarious situation here and you could’ve screwed it up!” “Yes, but he didn’t,” Noir said as she fanned herself. “I’ve already talked with Draiva and explained the situation that Slash was a rogue element within the Shadow Line. We have given her our assurances that he will not repeat that mistake. Isn’t that right, Slash?” “Of course, yes Madame Noir,” Slash said with a terrified gulp. “But it worked, the Tenebraean Energy I was able to gather from the locals is quite a lot. Please, give me another chance and I will be able to get us even more.” “I think that Slash has a point,” a smooth cold voice said that sent chills up and down the spines of the nobles. “Athena is a planet with a lot of potential Tenebraean Energy, we will have to study it further.” They turned to see the screens at the front of the train had been replaced with a man with short black hair and pale skin staring back at them. He was dressed in a long white coat with purple highlights as the nobles bowed slightly. “My Emperor, I was not expecting to hear from you so soon,” Nero said with a slight tremor in his voice. “Our connection to the Shadow Reality had been severed.” “A simple miscalculation on my part,” the Emperor said as he stroked his chin thoughtfully for a moment. “Fortunately I was able to re-establish the connection not long ago. We are in great need of Tenebraean Energy after all, and I believe that Slash is more than capable of drawing more out of this, Athena.” “Of course my Emperor,” Slash said. “I will not fail you again, I will draw out as much energy as I can to power the Kuliner. All I need is another chance.” “Give it to him then,” the Emperor said. “And keep up the ruse with this Cult as long as possible. I want this energy, understood?” “As you command my Emperor,” Nero said as he bowed again. “We will make sure that we get the energy you request.” “As you should,” the Emperor said before his image vanished again. “Did you know the connection had been re-established?” Noir asked Nero as he gripped his cane a little. “No, I honestly did not,” Nero said. “But we have our orders from the Emperor himself. We will not fail here, understood?” The others nodded as Slash vanished into a pool of shadow. He would soon draw out more energy for his Emperor, and make them strong. “What do we do about the cult?” Noir asked. “We’ve got enough energy here, for now, let’s move into the jungle,” Nero said as he went and input commands into the Kuliner’s controls. “We can still communicate with them at least. For now, we have to make sure they don’t know our true motives.” “Indeed,” Noir said as the Kuliner started up again and flew into the sky towards the jungle near Naeris.