Chapter 28-
Restructure
Things had mostly calmed down in the medical hall. Only the most minor injuries were being seen to, patients and medics alike exhausted beyond words. It was to this the doors to the operating room opened up, a train of gurneys entering the space.
The first was less a gurney and more a pod on wheels, the cover replaced to hide what lay inside. This was pushed by several doctors and nurses, Apple Bloom not far behind them. "Take her-," the mare winced as she bit her tongue and corrected herself, "it to the stasis room an' refill it with cyro serum."
The group nodded their heads and walked off at a swift pace. The tired Earth Pony watched them go before sighing and turning to the others that trailed behind her. "Redheart, Fauna, if you'd follow me to get our patients settled in." The two mares nodded before she continued. "The rest of you are dismissed. Thank you for your service." Most of the group deflated at that, the stress in their shoulders leaving as they trudged on. Bloom glanced their way before she simply waved her fingers for the others to follow her deeper into the medical hall.
Sunset followed behind them quietly, hands folded in front of her. Now and again, she'd look up to the faces on the rolling beds, one sleeping soundlessly while the other remained unmoving, the only sign of life being a faint green glow that pulsed under white fur. The Alicorn let out a breath as she dropped her gaze. Eventually, they rolled up to a set of curtains, Apple Bloom reaching a hand up to slide them out of the way, revealing a mildly surprised Cobalt and Firefly.
The pair looked from the doctor to the patients on the gurneys, Cobalt quickly jumping up only to stop as Bloom raised a hand. “Set them up here,” the yellow mare ordered, stepping out of the way as her compatriots pushed Sweetie Belle and Chris next to Firefly. They left enough space between each bed for even the largest of their physicians to access each patient. Redheart and Fauna moved away from their patients, taking their own breaths before looking back to their leader.
“Thank you,” Bloom said, giving a slight bow. “I just have one last thing to ask of each of you. Red, would you please go prepare a hydrating IV for Captain Scott?”
“Yes, Doctor,” the nurse-turned-doctor answered, flashing a smile despite the tiredness in her eyes before walking away.
“And Fauna?”
“Yes, Bloom?” The older mare turned away from looking at the still features of Sweetie Belle to her superior.
“Would you go find Scootaloo and tell her to find us? You can go once she starts our way.”
The older pony gave a little smile and a nod. “I’ll see to it,” she replied, pausing next to Apple Bloom to put a gentle hand to her shoulder.
Bloom gave a soft smile at that. “Thank you,” she murmured, sinking a little at the other mare’s touch. Fauna only smiled brighter at that before leaving them. The red-head gave a little breath before she looked to Sunset. “Will you help me expand this?”
“Of course,” the bearer answered, reaching up and extending the metal rails along which the curtains hung while Apple Bloom moved to the bedside tables next to Sweetie and Chris and pulled out the extra curtains within. She handed one to the Alicorn as she returned, the pair hanging each of the curtains with practiced ease until they were once again in their own private section of the hall. The younger mare let out a sigh and stepped back, a small stumble in her step before Sunset put a hand on her back to steady her.
“Easy there,” the amber mare cautioned, her horn lighting up before a futon that resembled Cobalt’s chair appeared next to said chair. The younger mare simply nodded in response before allowing Sunset to lead her to the couch, sitting down slowly as the Alicorn sat beside her.
Cobalt looked between the two mares for several moments before glancing at Firefly, the pair sharing a concerned look. After a moment, the stallion looked back to the doctor and Councillor, slowly making his way back to his seat. “Um…” he started quietly, the mares turning their attention to him, Bloom’s coming from where her head reclined on the back of the futon. “What… what happened…?”
Sunset and Apple Bloom blinked at the question, the younger mare glancing back to her elder. They locked eyes for a moment before the Alicorn let out a breath. "Chris's plan was a success," she said, looking up to Cobalt. "We used a time dilation to finish one of his projects and used it to save Sweetie Belle."
Cobalt leaned back a little at that, looking to Firefly to find the pink mare starring at her off-white friend. "...is she…?"
"Alive?" The pegasus winced at Apple Bloom's voice, letting her gaze sink a little before nodding.
Bloom watched her a moment before she gave a heavy sigh. "Alive is… a matter of opinion, really," the doctor explained, leaning forward and weaving her fingers together. "Sweetie's mind and spirit are in there, but… that body… it's completely artificial. In theory, Sweetie should wake up as if nothing ever happened, but…." The yellow pony trailed off as her gaze went to the android lying between Firefly and Chris.
Firefly and Cobalt waited for her to continue, several moments passing before Sunset spoke up in her stead. "There's no real way of knowing if all of her memories and self are actually in there with her," she finished solemnly.
Cobalt and Firefly both turned to cold silence at that, neither of them knowing quite how to process the information they’d been given. Then, before either of them could come up with an inkling of what to say or ask next, the curtains opened once more, Scootaloo walking in alongside Redheart, who held on to the stand of the IV she’d been instructed to assemble.
“Thank you, Doctor,” Bloom grunted as she pushed herself off the couch and made her way over, Scootaloo passing her as the pegasus made her way to Sweetie Belle’s side. “I’ve got it from here. Go get some rest.”
Redheart only nodded in response as the IV changed hands, turning and making her way with droopy eyes. Apple Bloom turned as she went, dragging the stand over to Chris’s bedside, where she began to prep his arm to receive the hydrating drip.
“It actually worked….” Only Bloom’s ear twitched as she heard Scottaloo’s words, only turning after she’d secured the needle now embedded in the man’s arm with some medical tape. The orange mare stood over their friend, gently rubbing a thumb over the off-white fur of Sweetie’s cheek. “I almost can’t believe it….”
“It’s a miracle,” Apple Bloom agreed, giving a tired sigh as she stepped up to Sweetie’s other side. Everyone stayed quiet for a while after that, no one saying a word.
However, after several long moments, Scootaloo cleared her throat and shook some of her mane out of her face. “So,” she started, rolling her shoulders, “what now?”
“Now?” Bloom replied, looking up before giving a light snort. “Now, we wait. It’s all we can do.”
Scootaloo nodded at that, letting out a little sigh. “I’ll take the first shift,” she murmured before shooting a finger up to stop her red-headed friend as she made to protest. “I got some rest while you and Sunset were in surgery with these two. You guys get some sleep, and I’ll watch them.”
The Doctor pursed her lips before letting out a deep sigh, shoulders slumping in exhaustion. “Fine,” she relented, looking back up and tightening her shoulders a second later. “But I’m taking second shift.”
“Not happening.” Orange eyes shot up to look at Sunset Shimmer as she stood and stretched, her wings spreading behind her. “I’ll take the second shift. As an Alicorn, I don’t need nearly as much rest to recharge as you guys. And besides that, you’ve barely slept any more than Chris has, Bloom. I’m surprised you’re still on your feet after all this.”
The younger mare looked as if she was ready to bite back but couldn’t find the words. After a moment, she simply ‘tsk’d’ and looked away, a frown on her face. A light touch on her shoulder made her look up, finding Scootaloo at her side with a soft smile. “You’ve already done so much, Bloom,” she said softly, rough hand rubbing the shorter mare’s back. “Go get some rest, so you stay on top.”
The mare stared into her friend’s eyes before she gave a sigh and let her shoulders relax. “Okay,” she murmured with a nod. “But I’m just going to be down the hall. If you need anything, wake me.”
The pegasus smiled at that and nodded. “Will do,” she agreed. The pair shared a quick hug before Apple Bloom made her way out, the curtains barely moving as she walked past. Scootaloo and Sunset watched her go, the orange mare giving a sigh when she’d left.
Without a word, she turned back to look down at her unconscious friend, pale green pulsing under off-white fur. She stared for several seconds before reaching out and taking her cold hand in her own, rubbing her thumb over unmoving knuckles. Her smile faded slightly, her shoulders slumped. “A miracle….”
Doors creaked open as Midnight entered her throne room. She stepped quickly, eyes wide as she made her way across the room. “How?” She murmured, eyes wide. “How did he do that!? How did he become so much stronger so suddenly!?”
“Something the matter, Midnight?” The Alicorn nearly jumped out of her skin at the sudden interruption, ripping around to find Sombra lazily reclined in her throne.
Midnight stared at him with wide, scared eyes before she shook her head. Yes,” she answered, nodding her head. “The Ranger, he… he tore through us like paper!”
The dark emperor frowned at that. Not only was the mare below him not enraged by his attempts to jab her, but she was genuinely terrified, something he would never miss. “That’s impossible,” he answered, standing and coming down the steps to face her properly. “I designed the new crystalline magi-tech to be nearly unstoppable in the face of physical combat.”
“And yet the Ranger ate through it,” Midnight reiterated, turning wild eyes on him. “His weapons are clearly beyond what we originally thought. But that hardly matters now.”
Sombra’s frown deepened at that. “What do you mean?” He hissed, lip twitching.
“We thought we had him,” the mare muttered, eyes going to the ground. “Him and his little bitch. He should’ve been dead, but… he just got back up.” She looked up at him with wide eyes. “He’s got a new form! Something we weren’t prepared for! He brought MaceFace down like it was nothing and was even able to continue moving through my time dilation! Sombra, he is moving as fast as light now!”
The stallion’s eyes widened at that. He knew she wasn’t lying. After all the years of working with the mare, he’d never heard such truth and fear come out of her throat, and at that moment, his confidence shattered. “We need to warn Mondo,” he stated, turning away and beginning to pace. “We must prepare for this new development.”
“Agreed,” Midnight replied, standing in her place. “We need to remodel the crystalline magi-tech, find a way to strengthen it further.”
“We’ll need better crystals,” Sombra added, finger shaking in the air. “I’ll need my slaves to dig deeper to find them. Double their hours, if not more.”
“The cogs’ design might be in need of a full overhaul as well,” Midnight continued, beginning to pace opposite the evil ruler. “That’s something I can do from here.”
“I’ll send reinforcements,” Sombra continued. “If you’re here, this castle will be the first barrier between the Ranger and the rest of us. The forces you have here will not be enough.”
“We need to hurry,” the Alicorn stated finally, stopping in her tracks to draw his attention. “Go. Now. I’ll get in touch with Mondo and let him know our findings. I hate to say this, but we’re all going to need to be on the same page.”
“Absolutely,” Sombra agreed, turning to look at her. “I’ll get back to the Empire and begin renewed excavation. When I find a gem worth exploiting, I’ll be in touch.”
“Good,” Midnight replied, the pair turning from each other, the Alicorn towards her lab and the King towards the door. “I’ll see what I can do for the cogs and captains.” With that, the pair split away, each feeling the shadow of the Ranger’s new powers hang over them.
~2 weeks later~
“Come on, you got it.” Teeth clenched at the encouragement, arms wobbling against guide rails. “You’re almost there. Just three more steps.”
“Bloom! Please!” The yellow mare flinched at the sharp bark, keeping her arms out in front of and behind her patient. Said patient took several quick, deep breaths before taking their next step, struggling to get their leg and foot to do exactly what they wanted. A groan of frustration escaped them as they planted their foot. “Sh-shit.”
Bloom could only frown as she watched, her patient taking another step and barely catching themselves on the guide bars. “C’mon, c’mon,” she muttered to herself, teeth clenched.
Despite trying to keep the muttering to herself, off-white ears still twitched at the words. Pale green eyes glanced at the Earth Pony before a heavy breath steamed from her nose. Bare feet gently slid across the floor, finding purchase before she took another deep breath. She straightened her back and tensed, bringing her leg up one more time. The large step was all she had left as she lurched forward, turning as she lost her balance and fell into a waiting wheelchair.
“Damn it!” Sweetie exclaimed, slamming a hand down on the armrest of her chair. She let out a sigh and brought the same hand up to her forehead. Her eyes clenched shut as she tried to drown out the sound of mechanical whirring every time she moved, the cold feeling of her hand pressing against her head, no blood flowing beneath fake flesh.
A sudden, warm touch drew her attention up, finding Chris above her where he’d been waiting behind her chair. “It’s okay, baby,” he said softly, rubbing her shoulder. “You did great today.”
Sweetie stared up at him for several moments before she sighed and sank into his touch. “It’s not enough,” she muttered, looking towards the floor.
“Not enough?” Apple Bloom scoffed, drawing their attention. “Sweets, that was ninety-nine steps! Do you know how many patients I have that can do that during their first week of therapy?” The mare paused as she waited for an answer, Sweetie seemingly taking time to find an answer. “Zero, Sweetie Belle. Not one.”
Green eyes shied away at that. “It’s still not enough,” she murmured. “I need to get back on my feet so I can get back into Ranger Ops.”
Chris and Apple Bloom both frowned at that, the two sharing a look. “Sweetie,” the man spoke up with a sigh, coming to her side and squatting down. “Ranger Ops is pretty much done for. It’s not just you that’s down right now, remember? Firefly goes into surgery today, and who knows how long it’ll be before she’s ready for duty again. That leaves just me and Cobalt for active duty, and we’re not enough if something happens.”
“Which is exactly why I’m here.” All three turned their heads to see Sunset Shimmer and Rarity approaching through the crowd of other therapy patients and their physicians. “Chris, I need to steal you for a minute,” the Alicorn continued as both mares stopped. “Everyone on the Council has voted.”
The young man let out a sigh at that, letting his head hang for a moment before he stood up. “They want more Rangers trained and ready, don’t they?” He asked as he stood, tired eyes dreading the answer.
Sunset could only nod her head. “They want a whole new team trained,” she replied, taking the file out from under her arm and handing it to him. “Not just you and Cobalt plus four others, an entirely new team.”
Gray eyes narrowed as he opened the file and began flipping through it. “Hmph,” he huffed, flipping through several pages of personnel files. “They even have a nice set of suggestions here for me to consider, huh?”
The older mare gave a slight frown at that, nodding. “They do,” she answered, watching the young man. “They’re still willing to let you go through your process, but they’d like their candidates to be considered.”
“Do they now?” Chris huffed, drawing Sunset’s eyes narrower.
“Yes. We do.”
The response caught the blond by surprise, causing him to pause in his readings. He looked up to find the Alicorn staring stoically at him, her stance solid and unwavering. He looked at her for a moment or two before letting out a sigh. “I’ll get started immediately,” he murmured, drawing the file closed. “Sam, Psy?”
“Wassup?” Samson questioned as he and Psycho appeared in their orb forms at either side of him.
“Could you guys help Sweetie get around?” He asked, turning a defeated look on his brother. “Make sure she gets where she needs to go?”
“Of course,” the obsidian orb answered.
“Actually,” the boys looked up as Rarity stepped forward. “I was wondering if I could take care of Sweetie for a little while.” The white mare paused and looked towards Sweetie Belle with a bit of a smile. “If that’s alright, of course.”
Sweetie returned the smile and gave a relaxing sigh. “I’d like that,” the younger mare answered before looking at her boyfriend. “You go take care of what you need to.”
Chris looked unsure for a moment before giving a tense nod. “Okay,” he relented before leaning down and kissing her cheek. “Love you.”
“Love you, too,” the unicorn replied before he turned around and let Sunset lead him away. She watched him go, her smile fading slightly before she suddenly straightened up.
“Looks like that exercise took more out of me than I thought,” she sighed, looking up to Rarity.
The older mare nodded, stepping up behind the younger unicorn. “Where to?”
“Our room, please,” Sweetie answered, shifting in her seat to look towards Apple Bloom. “Same time tomorrow?”
“You know it,” the redhead answered with a smile. “Tomorrow, we’ll get you through two hundred steps.”
Sweetie chuckled nervously at that. “You bet, Bloom,” she replied before looking up at Rarity and nodding. The older mare took the cue and began to push the wheelchair, the pair leaving the Doctor.
Apple Bloom watched them go for a few moments before letting out a sigh. “One day at a time,” she murmured to herself, turning away to leave the room. “One day at a time….”
“Here we go,” Rarity grunted, helping Sweetie Belle into bed.
“Thanks, Rare,” Sweetie grunted as she adjusted herself on the mattress. She turned her head to a velcro wristband with a cable running to an outlet in the wall on her bedside table, reaching towards it only to find it a little out of reach.
“Here, I’ve got it,” the older unicorn offered, moving to grab the band.
“No, no, let me,” the younger said hurriedly, waving Rarity away. The older blue-eyed mare blinked in confusion at that, stepping back in response. Sweetie nodded her head before focusing on the band again. She held her hand up and drew in a deep breath before closing her eyes. Slowly, the patterns under her fur began to glow, the stream of color climbing up the grooves of her horn. Once it reached the tip, her horn ignited in the mare’s aura, her outstretched hand following soon after. The younger mare blew stiff air through her nostrils, the wristband remaining unmoved for several seconds. The device gradually became surrounded by a green aura, shuddering as the magic took hold of it.
Sweetie grunted and grimaced as she felt her magic take hold, arm trembling as she kept the stream of magic up. The band began to lift off the table painfully slowly, wobbling in the air as the aura surrounding it gave out now and again. It crawled through the air towards the younger unicorn, the mare shuddering with effort. Then, all at once, the aura died, the color fading from the channels under Sweetie’s coat and allowing the device to plummet towards the floor.
“Gotcha,” Rarity exclaimed, snatching it from the air before it could hit the floor. She straightened up with a bright grin on her face. “Sweetie!” She cried, coming to sit next to the younger mare. “That was amazing!”
Sweetie stared dully at the device in Rarity’s hand. “...Yeah,” she murmured, taking the band offered to her and using one hand to wrap it around her wrist.
Rarity frowned at the tone in her voice. “...Sweetie,” she muttered gently, pulling one leg up onto the bed to better face her. “You really are doing fantastic in your recovery.”
The younger pony scoffed at that. “Yeah, right,” she grunted. “I can’t walk on my own, I can barely lift a tiny gadget less than two feet, and I have no fine motor control in my arms and hands. Not to mention-” She cut herself off, biting her lower lip with a bit of a shudder as she closed her eyes and turned her head.
The fashionista’s frown only deepened. “Oh, Sweetie Belle...” she murmured, using a finger to move a few strands of pink out of the younger mare’s face. “...I think you need to listen to Chris and Bloom when they talk about your progress. Up-bup!” She interrupted, lifting a finger to cut off Sweetie Belle’s retort. “You are getting used to the most complicated prosthetic in Equestrian history. You are having to relearn everything from scratch. Walking, talking, magic, writing, everything! According to what Chris said, you even had to learn to think differently! Now, if that wasn’t enough, you are progressing faster than normal amputees, blowing past everyone’s expectations at an exceptional rate. Do you remember how long Apple Bloom said it would take before you would be able to take ten steps without help?”
Sweetie was silent at that, remembering clearly the day that Apple Bloom had discussed her therapy’s long and short-term goals. “She said it’d probably be three weeks of constant practice,” she murmured, not meeting Rarity’s eyes.
“Exactly,” the older mare snorted, nodding her head stiffly. She let out a long breath before leaning forward and putting a hand on Sweetie’s neck and shoulder. “You’re doing brilliantly, Sweetie. Just brilliant.”
The younger mare leaned into the touch, a soft smile touching her lips as she closed her eyes. Rarity smiled at that, using her thumb to brush at her cheek. As the moments passed, her smile faded, a sad, worried frown taking its place. Thoughts pushed themselves to the forefront of her mind, forcing her to close her eyes. After a moment, she took a deep, shaky breath and retracted her hand.
“Sweetie….” The younger mare blinked her eyes open, her brows furrowing at the sight of Rarity staring into her lap, fingers weaved together. “There’s… there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you, and… and I’m not sure how well you’re going to take it.” Rarity sniffed and ran her wrist under her nose, something very unlike the tidy mare to do. “U-um, Y-you see… I haven’t been telling you the truth. The truth that you… you should’ve known a long, long time ago. Sweetie, I-” The mare’s voice broke as she looked up, tears running down her cheeks.
She was surprised to find Sweetie staring back at her, lips quivering as if she were also trying to cry. Gently, she reached forward and wiped the tears from her mother’s eyes. “I know,” she murmured, voice catching in her throat. “I’ve known for a while.”
Rarity’s mouth fell open as she stared into pale green eyes. “H-how…?” She breathed, unable to articulate further.
Sweetie Belle simply smiled in response. “I found the certificate in mom… in grandma's office,” she answered tightly, never moving her hand. “I was doing a project for school, and I needed some glue.”
The older mare let out a huff of laughter and disbelief. “You-” she started only to smile and laugh a little. “You nosey little thing.” Both mares smiled at that, sharing a short chuckle as Rarity moved forward and wrapped her daughter in her arms.
Sweetie reciprocated tightly, holding onto Rarity as if she could disappear. They held onto each other for several moments, sniffling and, in Rarity’s case, crying before they pulled back, Rarity putting her forehead to Sweetie’s, their horns crossing.
“I failed you,” she muttered quietly, her back shaking. “I failed to protect you and take care of you.”
“Don’t say that,” Sweetie immediately reprimanded, leaning back and holding her mother’s shoulders. “You did everything you could. You made sure we were safe here, made sure I was still educated and well-fed. You tried to keep me from the fight, but you let me anyway because you knew you couldn’t keep me from it. You were there every single step of the way, even when the world turned upside down.” She paused and put her hands to either side of Rarity’s face, gently guiding her to look into her eyes. “Nopony could ever ask for a better mom.”
Rarity’s lower lip shivered before she devolved into sobs again. She shot forward, wrapping Sweetie Belle tightly in her arms. “Oh, Sweetie!” She cried, sobs racking her body. “I love you. I love you so much!”
The younger mare only smiled in response, wrapping the older pony in a hug and resting her chin on her shoulder. The only thing she missed at that moment was the ability to cry alongside the mother that had protected her for so long.
~A week later~
The sound of boots on cobblestone filled the air of Ranger Ops as the final six recruits stood in line. Before them stood a line of veterans, all in military attire. Separating the old from the new was a table and single podium, a podium behind which Captain Scott stopped, Samson and Psycho stopping on his left, each starring out at those he’d selected to take on the mantle of Ranger.
Gray eyes stared at the recruits as he felt the presence of each and every colleague behind him. To his rear left stood Artemus, Chrysalis in her wheelchair, Shining Armor with his bad eye barely open from the scars that disappeared under his collar, Starlight Glimmer, and Trixie Lulamoon. Behind his right stood Cobalt Steel, Firefly with her wing and prosthetic flared behind her, and Sunset Shimmer. One other joined them, limping to a stop to his right, her head held high and eyes gleaming. The young man glanced back at Sweetie Belle for only the briefest moment before looking back at those he’d be inducting.
“It is with a great amount of pride that I stand here today,” Chris opened, looking down the line before him. “During this past week, each and every one of you has shown an aptitude that many are not capable of. You have shown that not only are you willing but ready to take on the trials ahead of you. Those who have come before you know better than any what is to come for you, every one of which is prepared to train you for which you are not yet prepared. It is with that, and only that, that I welcome you into this fold as Rangers. So, if you’d please, as I call each of you forward, receive your new uniform and equipment.”
With that, Chris ended his opening speech and rounded the table, standing in the middle of it. He turned and took the first uniform, pink accents on a black and gray gi, and astro blaster. “Gabriella Gumz,” he announced, turning back around. “Step forward.”
The gray griffon, easily the youngest amongst the group, stepped forward, trying to keep her smile from spreading too rampantly.
Chris could only let the corner of his lip slip up in a small smile in response. “For flexibility, light-heartedness, and exceptional intuition, I welcome you to Ranger Ops.” He handed the uniform and weapon to the young griffoness before stepping into a salute that she copied, if not a little poorly, as she tried to balance her new gear. The man broke the salute, and they each bowed before Gabby turned and marched back to her place in line.
As she did so, the captain turned and picked up the next uniform, this one yellow. “Roxanne Stonepaw. Step forward” The tall, lean, Akita-like diamond dog did as she was told, bright blue eyes shining as she stopped. “For steadfastness, level-headedness, and sheer strength, I welcome you to Ranger Ops.” Once more, he handed over the bundle and saluted, breaking it as soon as the diamond dog returned it and giving a bow.
Next, he grabbed the green uniform. “Gaia Forresttail.” Another griffoness stepped forward, her markings reminiscent of a Quetzal. “For strategy, logic, and cleverness, I welcome you to Ranger Ops.” They saluted and bowed.
“Straight Arrow.” The green and blond pegasus stepped forward, his grin impossible to miss as Chris brought out the blue uniform. “For cleverness, critical-thinking, and bravery, I welcome you to Ranger Ops.” The stallion took the gear and saluted and bowed with much enthusiasm.
“Now, for your second in command,” Chris spoke up, taking the uniform with gold accents. The final two straightened up, ready for the result. “Jaron Thunderroar. Step Forward.” The athletically built minotaur only briefly let a disappointed look cross his face before wiping it clean and steeling his features as he walked up. “For consideration, sacrifice, and duty to others, I welcome you to Ranger Ops.” The bull took the bundle gratefully, bowing deep before walking back.
“Finally, your leader,” Chris spoke up, locking his gray eyes with burning red. “Vinyl Scratch, please step forward.” The white mare didn’t so much as march as stomp heatedly towards the young man as he held out the red uniform. “For passion, power, and an inability to surrender, welcome to Ranger Ops.”
Chris saluted and bowed, the mare following suit only to be surprised as he held a hand out to her. “Do right by your team,” he said lowly, the wisdom in his tone surprising her once more. “They are yours to protect and take care of. Make us proud.”
Vinyl Scratch looked back at him with her fiery eyes. She pursed her lips and nodded with a hardened expression. “Yes, sir,” she replied, her voice carrying with it every promise that came with her new position.
The man nodded and released her hand with one last shake. “Starting tomorrow,” he spoke up once more, walking to the front of the podium, “your new training will begin. From this day forward, you will be the frontline between the Resistance and Mondo. I cannot guarantee that all of us will make it to the other side, but I will promise this. I will be looking out for you. All of you. Until the day I am put to rest. I can only hope this spreads to the rest of you. For your teammates. For your superiors. For those that fight beside you. For those that take refuge behind you.” Everyone in the room stood straighter as Chris snapped to attention. “What are we!”
“Rangers!”
The thunderous boom of the voices in the room making their declaration was nearly deafening, making Chris’ chest tighten. He looked along the line of his new Rangers and nodded. “May the Power protect you.”
