…
…
In the outer reaches of space lay an object so out of the ordinary hurtling through the skies, spinning at a fast pace. Inside the bottle, a small humanoid figure was beginning to grow dizzy from the constant rotations. "Ohh, ohh!" He moaned. "How far did that creature throw me? He said that I was going to his friends but this is ridiculous!"
Suddenly, he felt a sudden surge in his stomach, realizing that he was about to hurl whatever was inside of him. "Come on, Ninjor, behave like the Power Rangers are in front of you!" He said to himself, finally beginning to feel a warmness at his feet. "Okay, now it's getting hot in here. Really hot in here!" Little did Ninjor realize that his bottle was entering through the atmosphere and very soon it was to land in Equestria.
Meanwhile, down by a stream at the edge of the Everfree Forest, Twilight Sparkle and her friends had invited members of the Canterlot press for a picnic press conference.
"Nice of you to invite us to cover your picnic, your highnesses," A green coated unicorn pony wearing a blue necktie commented, along with several other ponies as the six princesses looked up at him. "I understand that this is meant to send a message to your subjects, correct?"
"Yes," Twilight answered. "Lately, I've noticed a lot of ponies and other creatures have continued to be concerned for my mental health. This is a way to show to them that I am taking better care of it."
"By being with us, of course. We all became princesses alongside her for a reason you know." Rainbow Dash remarked, chuckling while putting on her signature sunglasses.
The reporter wrote in his notebook what Rainbow Dash had said and then became distracted as Pinkie Pie took a huge bite out of a cupcake.
Looking at the reporter, the princess of laughter produced a big smile with chocolate running down her mouth. "Care for a cupcake?" She asked the reporter, hoofing a chocolate cupcake to him.
"Umm, I'm going to have to decline, your highness," The reporter politely said while pushing the cupcake away. "My wife would kill me if I cheated on my diet. Now, um, if you don't mind my asking, could each of you relate to me how you manage your mental health…"
But then suddenly, Rainbow looked up at the sky and saw what appeared to be a streak of light flying across it. "Hey guys, do you see that?" She asked, catching the attention of all who were gathered. "Is it just me or is that a meteor?"
"A meteor?" Pinkie Pie gasped! "LET'S EAT AND GET OUT OF HERE!"
"Pinkie, we happen to have a guest here," Twilight cautioned in a stern voice, before looking up at the sky with a pair of binoculars. "And that is not a meteor."
"How can you tell?" Rarity asked, looking at the streak with her opera glasses.
"It's too small to be one," Twilight declared as the streak went past them. "If anything, it's probably an UFO."
"UFO?" Fluttershy nervously asked.
Just then, Twilight felt a strange feeling in her horn. But not saying anything, Twilight left the picnic and went after the source.
"We'd better follow her!" Rainbow Dash declared, immediately taking to the air.
"I'm in too!" Applejack added as she followed Rainbow Dash with Rarity following behind and Pinkie Pie trying to catch up while eating the last of the cupcakes.
However, Fluttershy turned to the reporter in an apologetic manner. "So sorry about this." She apologized to the reporter before running after her friends, leaving the reporter alone at the picnic site.
Racing to the crash site, Twilight and her friends would soon come face to face with the bottle and the occupant inside of it.
…
…
Approaching the spot where the object had landed (in a swamp within the forest), Twilight activated her horn and slowly approached what appeared to be some sort of bottle, carefully trying to avoid stepping on anything sharp within the swamp water in case the bottle had cracked upon landing. "Wait here." She told her friends.
"Twilight, darling, I don't think this is a good idea," Rarity suggested, attempting to persuade Twilight to come back to them. "You're going to…"
"-Put a sock in it, Rarity," Applejack interrupted. "Let Twilight do what she needs to do."
But Spike, who had also accompanied the group, followed Twilight as she approached the bottle. "You see something, Twilight?" He asked. "Or hear anything?"
"There's someone in that bottle," Twilight answered. "And whoever is in that bottle is still alive!" Looking at the blue bottle, she carefully picked it up with her magic and placed an eye inside. Suddenly, her eyes widened with shock as she stepped back away and dropped the bottle!
Spike managed to save the bottle from being damaged further as he reacted quickly. "Twilight, what is it?!" He cried!
"There's…there's a two legged creature inside that bottle," Twilight gasped before declaring! "We'd better get it to some help! Come on!"
Doing as his big sister figure told him, Spike followed Twilight back to the rest of their friends who were waiting for them. "Girls!" Twilight told them. "There's someone inside this bottle, someone alive!"
"Alive?" Rainbow wondered.
"Yes," Twilight nodded. "Now come on! We've got to get back to the castle and figure out what this creature wants!"
Doing as Twilight told them, all her friends followed her back to the Castle of Friendship.
…
Meanwhile, up on the moon, Grogar was drawing up plans for a series of attacks on Equestria when he was interrupted by the sounds of knocking on the door. "Enter!" He called and the door to the throne room opened to reveal Sombra on the other side with several donkey soldiers. "What is your business, Sombra? It had better be important."
"My emperor..." Sombra began as he entered with Grogar looking up at him.
"-Has the inventory been counted?" Grogar asked. "Because if it has not…"
Sombra interrupted. "Yes it has my emperor, but…"
"But what, you simpleton?" Grogar coldly hissed. "Spit it out, or shall I have Scarface force it out of you?!"
Sombra forced back a gulp as he answered. "There is a bottle missing."
Hearing this made Grogar stop what he was doing and rise to Sombra's level. The overthrown black hearted unicorn gulped nervously as Grogar approached him, looking up right into Sombra's face.
"What bottle?" Grogar asked in a low voice.
"A b-blue one…m-my emperor," Sombra stammered, causing Grogar to step back slightly with a shocked look on his face. Turning back around to his plans, Grogar realized that he had a far more pressing issue to deal with. "My emperor?"
As if reacting to Sombra's words, Grogar turned his back to the unicorn king and to the crystal ball. Activating his magic, he turned it on and saw Lockdown transform into Discord holding the bottle:
"What's going on?" Ninjor asked. "I'm getting sick in here!"
"Shh, keep it down!" Discord whispered while glaring into the bottle with one of his eyes. "Do you want Grogar to hear you and get us both in trouble?!"
"Well, I…" Ninjor started to say.
"-Good!" Discord interrupted. "Now, I'm going to send you back to where I came from. Just stay in your little jar until you arrive."
Transforming himself into a baseball player, Discord aimed the jar towards Equestria. "Here's the windup…" He whispered to himself. "And the pitch…" Using his lion paw, Discord threw the jar into space and could only wonder if it would arrive safely in Equestria. Watching from the moon, Discord saw the jar going further and further away as it headed straight for Equestria.
Angered at what he saw, Grogar roared loudly and threw his plans onto the floor at Sombra's hooves! All Sombra and the donkeys could do was watch in horror at Grogar's fury being displayed in front of them. "I might have known it!" He thundered. "What a fool I've been not to have seen the writing on the wall! Twilight Sparkle dared to send the spirit of chaos to spy on me!"
The overthrown king of the Crystal Empire recoiled further at his superior's wrath.
"I…I trust you wish to deal with him." Sombra stammered.
"Bring him to me," Grogar ordered in a low, growling voice. "Or do you dare question my authority?" Sombra felt his heart sink at Grogar's intimidating body language but did as he was told. "Then go!" Grogar shouted as Sombra left the throne room. "That ninja spirit is essential to providing me with the power I seek!"
Reactivating his crystal ball, Grogar decided that he needed to bring in a new ally to hunt down the missing spirit. "And there is only one creature that can bring him back to me."
Channeling into his powers, Grogar chanted an incantation and a white puff of smoke emerged from his bell while a strong gust of wind blew through the throne room, sending the door wide open. After a few moments, a large cloud materialized into a creature with green eyes and a blue diamond on his forehead. Letting out a loud roar, the creature flexed its arms and Grogar laughed in delight at what was in front of him. "Welcome back to the land of the living, Arabus."
…
…
Floating in front of Grogar, the creature of wind floated down to Grogar and bowed before him. "Rise, o mighty spirit of the wind and hear my commands!" Grogar commanded.
"O mighty emperor of Equestria, you have revived me," Arabus declared. "I thank you!"
"And you shall be most thankful," Grogar replied as he stepped around from behind his table. "For I have a task for you, to obtain the spirit of the warrior whose powers I desire. The one named…Ninjor."
"It shall be done, my emperor," Arabus acknowledged, once again bowing to Grogar. "And I will blow down every tree in Equestria if I have to. None escape me!"
Snickering, Grogar felt that this new ally of his was going to be a worthy one. "Indeed, Arabus. That is why I've revived you so," He remarked. "Now go at once and bring Ninjor back to me dead or alive. Do not make me question my decision to bring you back!"
Laughing, Arabus undertook his task as Grogar sent him away with his magic. Once the wind demon was gone, the ram turned his attention to another far more pressing issue, the mole in his operations: Discord.
…
…
Back at the Castle of Friendship, Twilight and her friends brought Ninjor's bottle into the throne room, placing it on the Friendship Map for closer study.
"What do you think could be in there?" Applejack pondered. "You think it's some kind of genie?"
"Ooh, does it make wishes?" Pinkie pondered as well. "Because I've got some wishes that I want to make." Almost as if on cue, Pinkie grabbed the bottle and attempted to rub it only to have Twilight snatch it away.
"If it was a genie, it would have come out already." Spike remarked, flying towards the bottle and looking into it.
"I'm not a genie you insolent pest!" Ninjor cried, looking up at Spike's eye. "I am Ninjor, guardian of the ninja coins and keeper of the Temple of Power!"
"'The Temple of Power'?" Fluttershy wondered while looking over at Rainbow Dash. "It sounds like something out of a Daring Do story."
"You might be right on that," Rainbow replied. "But if it is I haven't heard of it, yet."
Wasting no idea, Twilight approached the bottle and peaked her eyes inside it, giving her attention to Ninjor. "Listen to me, Ninjor," She declared. "We mean you no harm. I am Princess Twilight Sparkle, supreme ruler of Equestria."
"Supreme Ruler?" Ninjor replied. "Then I shall give you my respect for someone so mighty. Stand clear, here I come!"
Seeing the bottle shaking, Twilight and her friends stood clear as magical energy emerged from the bottle, shooting up into the sky!
"Okay, that's not a genie!" Pinkie remarked as Ninjor emerged from the bottle and stood on the friendship table, flexing his muscles after being confined for so long.
"Free at last!" Ninjor cried in a loud voice. "Thank Zordon! Oh, it's so good to be out of that bottle again!"
Further flexing his muscles, Ninjor began to step on the friendship table, much to Pinkie Pie's shock.
"Hey!" Pinkie cried as Ninjor stepped over and over again on the location of the Pie Family's rock farm. "You're stepping on my old home! Stop it!"
"Oh," Ninjor replied, realizing his mistake and stepping down. "Excuse me, fair one. I hope your home is covered by warranty or whatever insurance you have around here."
Chuckling to herself, Twilight walked up to Ninjor. "It's only a holographic map," She explained, showing it off to the ninja master. "This friendship map is a map of our homeland, Equestria. And it can sometimes send us on missions to spread friendship, sometimes even beyond Equestria's boundaries."
"Fascinating," Ninjor replied. "It's too bad I don't have anything like this."
"Look, Mr. Ninjor," Applejack spoke up, also approaching the ninja master. "It's nice to hear you like our map, but we've got a lot of questions to ask you."
…
Meanwhile, Lockdown returned to the moon after having paid a visit to the Predacons and found himself at the front door of Grogar's castle. "Hmm, Megatron seems to be someone who wants to play by his own rules," He whispered to himself as he walked to the front door. "Well, better get my latest findings to Twilight and the others."
But as Lockdown approached the front door, he was greeted by Sombra and several donkey soldiers. "Um, King Sombra," He blinked. "Can you let me pass? I have to deliver my intelligence to Master Grogar."
However Sombra didn't move. "Megatron relayed his plans to me," Lockdown protested. "Grogar must know."
"Oh, he will know about Megatron and the Predacons," Sombra snickered, activating his horn. "But first…"
To Lockdown's confusion, Sombra pointed to the donkey soldiers and they approached Lockdown, surrounding him. Immediately, he began to become very confused. "What's going on here?!" He asked upon seeing the donkeys surrounding him. "What's the meaning of this, Sombra?!"
"Bring him to Grogar," Sombra ordered to the soldiers. "It seems like you are not who you say you are, Lockdown. I had a feeling you couldn't be trusted, and it seems my hunch was right."
Doing as they were told, the donkey soldiers escorted Lockdown into the palace and a few moments later, they arrived in Grogar's throne room where the demonic ram was waiting with Scarface at his side. The bear growled at the arrival of Sombra and the supposed Predacon bounty hunter.
"Emperor Grogar," Lockdown declared and quickly bowed to his superior. "I have done as you told me to do and gave Megatron your instructions. I also wish to report you of two new Predacons to join his ranks, codenames Laserbeak and Transquito."
"That is not important now, Lockdown, I already know of their existence," Grogar replied. "There is something else we need to discuss. Something far more important."
Then with a nod, Grogar ordered the donkey soldiers out of the throne room leaving only Sombra to stand next to Lockdown. "Lockdown, where did you come from?" Grogar questioned, much to the Predacon's confusion.
"Answer the question! Say something, unless you're afraid!" Sombra commanded while drawing a small dagger.
"I don't understand, what's the meaning of this?!" Lockdown protested as Grogar rose from his throne. "I come from Cybertron, serving the Predacons. You should know that already."
"I wish I did," Grogar hissed. "Tell me something, Lockdown. If you are truly allied with the Predacons, why didn't you stay with them when I gave them King Vorak's kingdom? Why have you continued to serve me?"
Right away, Lockdown began to get nervous at Grogar's questioning. He then turned his attention over to Scarface who was licking his lips.
"Answer me!" Grogar shouted in Lockdown's face, causing the Predacon bounty hunter to become nervous. "Why didn't you stay with Megatron, your fellow Predacon?!"
"I felt like I could do better here under your service, master." Lockdown nervously replied but Grogar wasn't buying it.
"I refuse to believe that!" Grogar declared, tapping into the powers of his bewitching bell. "Because you are not really Lockdown or a Predacon!"
With a loud ring, the bewitching bell absorbed Lockdown's power out of him and as Sombra watched, Lockdown slowly began to revert back into Discord, the creature of chaos loudly roaring as he fell to his stomach!
Looking up, Discord couldn't believe that he had been exposed so quickly. A sense of fear and dread befell upon him as Grogar smiled in amusement!
"Well look at this, Sombra," Grogar laughed as Discord nervously gulped. "If it isn't the spirit of chaos himself spying on me! How utterly utterly expected."
Laughing, Sombra circled around Discord and joined Grogar's side while Scarface also joined them. "I should have known that Princess Twilight would send you of all creatures to spy on me," Grogar declared, picking Discord up with his magic and throwing him against a wall. "And I suppose you know what it is I do to spies."
Gulping nervously, Discord attempted to try and snap himself away with his lion paw. However, Grogar anticipated this and locked Discord's paw with his magic. "Don't even think about leaving so soon," Grogar protested. "Because when I'm done with you, you shall be the first casualty in my quest to take what is mine!"
All Discord could do was recoil in horror at Grogar as the ram moved closer and closer towards him.
…
…
"The powers of ninja?" Twilight wondered as she and her friends looked at Ninjor. "What are you talking about, Ninjor?"
Sitting down on Twilight's throne, Ninjor kicked his legs up and gave the Supreme Princess of Equestria and her friends his attention to them. "Okay," He began to explain. "It's a long story, but to put it simply…" Tapping on the "N" symbol on his chest, Ninjor produced a moving picture of himself fighting against the backdrop of a fortress along with several other multicolored robots against a group of invading multicolored robots.
"I was fighting in defense of the planet, Eltar," Ninjor explained. "We ultimately lost, and I fell with the other zords."
"Zords?" Rainbow Dash blinked in confusion. "Never heard of that before."
A few moments later, the moving picture transitioned to Ninjor and another robot similar to him lying on the table of what appeared to be the fortress' command center. "I was gravely injured along with my ally and dear friend, Auric the Conqueror," Ninjor continued as Twilight and the others watched Ninjor's final scene play out. "I think you might want to get the tissues out for this part."
"All the megazords were destroyed," Tommy said to Zordon when they all reconvened in the command center. "They were just too strong."
"Unfortunately, the destruction could not be helped," Zordon sighed. "But I have far more urgent news for you: Ninjor and Auric have been gravely wounded in the fight."
"Where are they?" Katherine asked and Zordon led them down to the lower level Power Chamber and there they saw Ninjor and Auric, lying down on a table with the Alien Rangers attending to them. Both had damages on their bodies that were deep and unable to be fixed.
"No," Katherine whispered, her eyes filling up with tears. "Ninjor, Auric."
"Rangers?" Ninjor moaned, weakly looking over towards them "Is…that you?"
"Yes, Ninjor," Adam sadly sighed. "It's us."
"I…I guess…you know…that…I haven't…much time. I'm…sorry…that…"
"Ninjor, you fought hard," Tommy hastily declared. "We all fought hard…but they were just too powerful."
"And…the zords?"
"Gone, destroyed."
Hearing this made Ninjor sigh in defeat.
"Everything we have worked for is gone," Adam sadly replied. "The Zeo Zords are gone, as well as the Shogunzords and the Ninjazords. Dark Specter has put us in a great disadvantage. What do we do?"
Before Adam could say another word, Ninjor let out several deep breaths and all knew that he was drawing his last breaths.
"He's dying!" Delphine cried as Ninjor turned to his friends for the last time.
"Rangers…" he whispered as he breathed his last and died.
Touched by what they saw, Twilight and her friends lowered their heads in respect of Ninjor and both Pinkie and Rarity began to cry softly, dapping their eyes with their handkerchiefs.
"My spirit left Eltar," Ninjor continued. "Got to tell you, it seemed weird being reduced to nothing short of a floating spirit. I was powerless, unable to help my friends. But the ninja powers were with me. Suddenly as I floated away, I felt myself being pulled by a strange force. For a moment, I thought I was being pulled back to Eltar, thinking that Zordon had found a way to bring me back to life. But instead…"
Watching, Twilight and her friends saw Ninjor's spirit and the ninja powers being pulled into the moon's atmosphere and Ninjor materializing back into a humanoid form.
"Where…where am I?" Ninjor asked, looking around the moon. "Zordon? Tommy? Anyone?"
Suddenly, Ninjor turned around and saw the shadow of a ram flanked by a group of donkeys. Drawing the sword from his back, Ninjor attempted to defend himself against this unseen enemy. "Who are you?" Ninjor asked. "You're not Zordon!"
"Zordon?" The ram asked. "I am not who you think you are talking to, Ninjor. I am Emperor Grogar, and I seek the powers you have! Powers that you will give me to one way or another!"
Almost without warning, the ram tapped into his powers and immediately weakened Ninjor, dropping him to his knees and causing him to shrink to a small size. Bringing forth a bottle, the donkey soldiers picked up the shrunken ninja master and placed him in the bottle.
"Now you shall give your powers to me, Ninjor!" Grogar declared.
"Never!" Ninjor cried.
"Very well then," Grogar remarked. "I hope you enjoy your new accommodations!" And just as the cap was placed on the bottle, the vision ended.
"And that was it," Ninjor sighed. "For a while, Grogar kept me prisoner, demanding that I surrender the ninja powers to him. But I refused his request time after time because the powers of ninja can never be used by the forces of evil."
Astonished by what had just been said, Twilight felt that she and her friends needed to do something to protect Ninjor at all costs.
"Ninjor," Twilight declared. "I can assure you that we will do everything in our power to ensure your safety. You and the powers you harbor shall not be given to Grogar on our watch!"
Suddenly, all noticed the winds outside the castle beginning to blow wildly as clouds began to surround the area!
"Hey guys," Rainbow remarked. "I don't think that the winds are supposed to be blowing like that! Not today!"
"Odd," Twilight declared while looking up to Rainbow Dash. "Was there a plan to create strong winds, Rainbow Dash?"
"No!" Rainbow replied with a shake of her head. "Not that I know of. I think we're in big trouble!"
Just then, a rogue tree branch crashed through one of the windows, causing the ponies to step back in horror!
Stepping outside the castle, all saw the previously clear blue sky surrounded by dark gray clouds while the winds blew wildly!
"Ahh, my mane!" Rarity screamed again and a few moments later, a swirling tornado formed in front of the princesses followed by a maniacal laugh.
"It can't be!" Twilight gasped, activating her horn.
"Can't be what?!" Applejack shouted, trying to hold onto her favorite hat. "Who is it, Twi?!"
"Allow me to answer her question for you," A voice declared above the raging winds as two green eyes and a purple diamond in the forehead emerged, followed by a pair of arms. "I am Arabus, king of the winds, and you have something Grogar wants!"
Twilight gulped nervously as Arabus laughed loudly at her and her friends.
…
Meanwhile, back in the human world, Tommy was awakened with a start much to the confusion of his love, Katharine. "Tommy, what is it?" She asked, turning on the bedroom light. "What's wrong?"
"It's Ninjor," Tommy answered, looking back at her. "He's alive! I can feel it!"
Katharine looked on in confusion as Tommy realized that he needed to find Ninjor wherever he may be, and fast!
…
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