//------------------------------//
// Episode 2: The Crystal Knights Rise! 
// Story: Power Rangers: Crystal Knights 
// by Equestrian Defender 
//------------------------------//

"King Sombra," Prince Diamond growled, tightening his grip on his sword. "I don't seem to remember inviting you inside."

The evil king chuckled before saying "The spirit of yours still burns bright. I look forward to snuffing it out." He turned to look at the three from Equestria and mockingly asked "I assume these are supposed to be the new 'Power Rangers?'"

The three of them got up to their feet; Flash grabbed an ordinary sword off of the nearby table, Twilight started focusing her magic into her hands as her Mage Markings began to glow, and Thorax simply slipped into a combat stance. Garnet herself transformed into her Gem-State and started focusing her red magic into her hands like Twilight, though her magic coalesced into glowing red gauntlets.[1]

King Sombra burst out laughing at this display. "Surely you must be joking! You truly believe this pitiful display intimidates me? I have laid waste to the armies that have stood in my way, I have struck fear into all who look upon me. I am the Bane of the Crystal Kingdom, the King of Tartarus, the future Emperor of Arcania, and slayer of the previous Power Rangers. The three of you are nothing but ants to be crushed beneath my heel."

"They're stronger than you could ever imagine, Sombra," Prince Diamond stated, shifting into his own diamond Gem-State and using his magic to form a crystal shield over his left arm. "And even ants can take down a monster like you."

He smirked at that, twirling his black crystal sword. "Honestly, I thought you would've learned your lesson about how the world works after I ran this sword through your father's heart." He pointed the sword at him and continued "Perhaps you need another lesson. Or, perhaps you might actually make the choice to be more sensible than your father. Surrender the Crystal Heart, give me my great prize, and I will make your death and all of their deaths swift and painless. Continue to defy me, however..." If it were possible, his grin became even more sinister than before. "There are fates far, FAR worse than death."

Prince Diamond stood his ground. "After how many brave soldiers sacrificed themselves to protect it? After my friends and fellow Knights gave their lives with the sole purpose of preventing you from getting your filthy claws on the Crystal Heart? After my own father sacrificed himself to try and destroy your evil once and for all? If you truly believed after all that I would ever consider taking an offer like that, then you have no earthly idea what it means to be a king! So you may take your offer with you when we send your evil soul back into the depths of Tartarus!"

Flash couldn't help but feel his respect for Prince Diamond growing at that. Neither could Twilight and Thorax.

King Sombra, on the other hand, simply shrugged and said "Don't ever let it be said that I didn't try to negotiate. Ghouls!" The Ghouls all snapped to attention, and he continued "Deal with those three miscreants. I'll deal with the Prince and his bodyguard."

The Ghouls immediately rushed the three of them, blocking their view of Prince Diamond and Garnet getting attacked by King Sombra. The three of them scattered as the Ghouls began their own attack, each of them getting pushed into different areas.

Flash did his best to parry the swords of the five Ghouls that converged on him, though it wasn't easy as the Ghouls had strength that went beyond most Equestrians. Each blow he parried reverberated through the sword and through his body, almost making him drop his sword once or twice. Not to mention his own strikes didn't do anything to them. "Yeesh, what are you guys made out of, pure metal?"

The Ghoul in front of him didn't reply, simply swiping at him with his sword and actually leaving a shallow cut on Flash's left arm. It didn't hurt much, if at all, though it definitely emphasized to Flash that these things weren't screwing around. He blocked another strike, before slashing with his own sword...

...and with a loud CRACK! the sword broke against the Ghoul's body. "Okay, this is definitely not good."

Twilight was finding herself in a bit of a bind. She initially tried to fling the five Ghouls around with her magic ribbons, but to her shock her magic was absorbed by them. She then tried to blast them with a magic blast, only for the same result. These guys must be able to absorb magic she mentally noted. So I'll have to get creative.

Noticing the table near her had a bunch of metal cables she quickly grabbed them with her magic and swiftly threw them forward, wrapping them around the Ghouls and all but cocooning them. They struggled for a bit before stopping, allowing Twilight to breathe a sigh of relief. "Okay, that wasn't so bad." 

Sadly her luck didn't hold out, as with a rapid Snap! Snap! Snap! the Ghouls broke free; some cutting through them with their swords, others just breaking the cables with their brute strength. 

Twilight groaned. "Oh, that's so not fair!"

Thorax ducked and weaved under and around the attacks of the Ghouls, his attacks actually managing to stun and even send a few of the Ghouls flying back. This was in part because Thorax, being a Rhinoceros Beetle Changeling, had the proportional strength of one. The Rhinoceros Beetle was able to lift up to 850 times their own body weight, and thus so could Rhino Beetle Changelings like Thorax. Though sadly it didn't do much, since the Ghouls seemed to not feel any pain. Heck, the one Ghoul smashed against the wall and he swore he heard its bones snap, but it simply got up and twisted and spun its arms back into place before charging him again.

Needing to get some space, Thorax yelled over to Garnet (who was holding Sombra's sword back with her gauntlets, actually managing to hold him) "Garnet, is this machine important?!"

Sparing him a quick glance she replied "No! The thing's busted!"

"Good."

Before the Ghouls could reach him, he gripped the side of the machine (which was roughly 3 times the size of a refrigerator and even heavier, since Thorax could feel his muscles straining) and chucked it at the Ghouls, knocking them away like bowling pins.

Only for them to just get back up, their expressions unreadable behind their white masks. "Oh, biscuits. What stops these guys," Thorax yelled in frustration.

At that moment, his Guardian Crystal glowed, as did the yellow sword in the crystal. The same thing happened with Flash and Twilight's Crystals and respective swords, and the three of them shared a look.

Realizing what they had to do, they nodded.

Flash ducked and weaved under and around the Ghouls, managing to reach the mound with only one extra cut on his jacket. 

Twilight focused her magic around her body and used a quick teleport spell to get to the mound, appearing next to Flash.

Thorax simply picked up one of the big metal tables and used it as a battering ram, charging through the Ghouls and knocking them out of his way. 

Once he joined up with Flash and Twilight, they shared one last look before they grabbed the hilts of their respective swords.

The moment they did, the world around the three of them began to slow down before eventually fading away to white. "What the," Flash started. "What's going on?"

We simply wanted to talk to you.

Flash and the others turned around to see Volcanion standing, though surprisingly scaled down, only standing at about ten feet tall. 

But he wasn't the only one. On his right was Fenrir, the blue sapphire wolf who was now the size of a fully grown Clydesdale horse. On his left was Kabuto-mushi, the yellow topaz Rhinoceros Beetle (a Neighpanese rhino beetle, judging by his Y-shaped horn) who was about the same size as Fenrir. 

Fenrir looked at the three of them and said, or rather thought since she never opened her mouth to speak While the three of you have chosen to pull out the Crystal Knight Swords, there are a few things about being a Power Ranger we still need to explain to you.

"With all due respect, is now really the best time," Twilight asked. "We were kind of in the middle of fighting for our lives."

You can relax, little larvae, Kabuto-mushi answered, sounding much like an old sage. We are merely in a conjoined space between your minds. Once you rejoin the real world, it'll be as if no time has passed.

"That's a relief," Thorax said. "Thank you."

"What else do you need to explain to us about being a Power Ranger," Flash asked.

While Prince Diamond did give you a basic overview, there were a few things he wasn't aware of, Volcanion explained. Firstly, becoming our Ranger links you to us. Not just that you'll be able to use our respective elemental magic, but you will also be bonded to us in body and soul.

Those bonds also allow us to protect you from any method of mind control or mind manipulation, and protect your souls from possession or magics that could damage your souls,[2] Fenrir continued.

"That definitely sounds good," Twilight replied. "But I'm guessing there's a catch."

Fenrir smirked at Volcanion and Kabuto-mushi. Did I pick a good one or not?

Both of her fellow Guardians laughed, before Kabuto-mushi's mood turned grim. Yes, unfortunately. Those bonds are a double-edged sword. Whenever we take serious damage, that damage will be reflected onto your souls. And while we, as immortals, can regenerate even if our physical bodies are destroyed, you guys...

"Not so much," Flash guessed, putting the pieces together. "So, is that what happened to the previous Crystal Knights?"

Only King Millenius and Titano. They both sacrificed themselves to take down one of King Sombra's most powerful demons in an attempt to weaken him. Which worked... somewhat.

The three of them winced a bit at that news, though they still felt a lot of respect for the fallen King. 

Twilight asked "How well did that plan work?"

We can sense that in terms of his power, he's on his last legs, Fenrir added. I can smell it.

"Which makes sense, as you are the Mother Wolf," Twilight said.

The point is we felt the three of you should be warned before you decide whether or not to commit to being a Crystal Knight Power Ranger.

"I thought you chose us for this," Thorax asked.

We did. But, we would never force you into this life. The Crystal Knights trained for this, swore their lives to this, and eventually gave their lives for this. But they chose that life, and chose to put everything on the line. You were not destined for this life. The choice to do so now is yours and yours alone.

So we must ask the three of you; will you take up the Crystal Knight Swords and become the Crystal Knight Power Rangers?

Almost immediately the three of them stepped forward and gave a firm and resolute "Yes."

"Before he died my father taught my brother and I to always stand for what we thought was right," Flash said. "This may be the most dangerous thing I've ever done, maybe even kill me, but I'm not going to let King Sombra turn Arcania into his own personal playground." He looked right into Volcanion's eyes and finished "I'm in, one hundred percent, as the Crystal Knight Red Ranger"

Twilight was next, looking right at Fenrir. "Princess Celestia refused to help against King Sombra, wouldn't lift a finger save for that absolute farce of an attempt at peace. And then she sealed the Crystal Kingdom in a jar and hoped the situation would resolve itself. She had a chance to help, and she refused. I cannot, I will not be like that. I will be the Crystal Knight Blue Ranger."

Thorax was last, but unlike the other two, he placed his hand on Kabuto-mushi's horn. "This world is a beautiful place, full of colors and emotions. I love it, even if the people in this world like to fill it with hatred and prejudice. I won't let King Sombra crush it and fill it with suffering and misery. I will be the Crystal Knight Yellow Ranger."

The Crystal Guardians smiled at that declaration, as streams of magic emerged from them and linked to their respective Ranger. Well said, Rangers.

As of this moment, you three are the Crystal Knight Power Rangers.

Now rise up, and stand resolute with a spirit that not even the gods can break!



Just before the three grabbed the Crystal Knight Swords King Sombra blasted Garnet away with dark magic, sending her to the other side of the room, before getting pinned by a metal shelf that fell over onto her. He then disarmed Prince Diamond and shattered his shield, the force behind the strike knocking him down to the ground. "You fought with everything you had," King Sombra said. "But, you are a PRINCE, and I am a KING."

"A king of nothing," Prince Diamond replied. "You have no kingdom, no people. You have nothing!"

"At the moment, yes." He raised his sword up high, prepared to bring it down on the defenseless prince. "But once I kill you and take the Crystal Heart, the world itself shall become my Empire. The people I enslave, my citizens. It's a shame that you won't be there to see it!"

He brought his black crystal sword down...

CLANG!

...only to find the three Crystal Knight Swords crossed over each other, blocking his own sword. 

Flash, Twilight and Thorax were able to hold him back, before breaking the blade lock and throwing King Sombra off balance. The three of them then threw their left hands forward, blasting Sombra with streams of fire, ice and lightning, sending him flying away.

Flash then offered Prince Diamond a hand, which he gratefully took as he was helped up. Twilight gave him his sword back, which he took before asking "So, I assume that you three have made your choice?"

They all nodded, just as their swords began to glow before dispersing into energy of their respective colors. They hovered for a minute before flying around and circling around the left wrist and right hand of each Ranger. "What's happening," Thorax asked, confused.

"If you're going to be Power Rangers, you're going to need your Morphers."

The energy on their left wrists turned into a wrist strapped device that looked like a shield, with a slot near the top right above the wrist that looked like it rotated. They were mostly silver but also held their respective colors. In their right hands appeared a small sword a bit larger than an old skeleton key, each one in the Rangers' respective colors. 

Their Guardian Crystals then appeared in front of them, the shields opening up to allow the gems to fit inside before closing again. The moment they did, the three Rangers could feel the energy coursing through their bodies, as well as a flow of knowledge not only from their respective Guardian but also from the Morphin Grid itself. 

Two particular nuggets of knowledge stood out to them the most. The first was how to activate the Morphers so that they could transform, or "morph" into Power Rangers. 

The second nugget was three little words, words that had become so iconic that it felt almost trademarked by the Power Rangers. 

They were snapped out of their reverie when King Sombra got back to his feet with an angry growl, the Ghouls moving in front of him and ready to attack. "Do you really think just because you have those swords that you can defeat me?! ME?! KING SOMBRA!"

"I'm looking forward to finding out," Flash said with a confident smile.

Twilight looked at her fellow Rangers and asked "You guys ready?"

"Always," Thorax replied.

Flash smirked. "Then say it with me guys."

In unison, the group yelled out "IT'S MORPHIN TIME!"

The three of them held up their Morpher hand in a fist. "Crystal Knight!" They then inserted the small sword into the slot above the shield, shouting out "CRYSTALLIZE!" before turning the sword 90 degrees, causing their shields to open up and reveal their glowing Guardian Gems.

Flash's ruby glowed and projected a hologram of a miniaturized Volcanion, before it collided into him and formed his red ranger suit, the helmet materializing around his head in a burst of red flame, modeled after a dragon. He then drew his sword and struck a pose as Volcanion appeared in the background and let loose an earth shaking roar. "The Knight of Fire! Crystal Knight, Red Ranger!"

Twilight's sapphire glowed and projected a hologram of a miniaturized Fenrir, before it collided into her and formed her blue ranger suit, the helmet materializing around her head in a flash of blue ice, modeled after a wolf. She then drew her sword in a backhand grip and struck a pose as Fenrir appeared in the background and howled into the sky. "The Knight of Ice! Crystal Knight, Blue Ranger!"

Thorax's topaz glowed and projected a hologram of a miniaturized Kabuto-mushi, before it collided into him and formed his yellow ranger suit, the helmet materializing around his head in a flash of yellow lightning, modeled after the rhino beetle (complete with a small Y-shaped horn just above the visor.) He then drew his sword and struck a pose as Kabuto-mushi appeared in the background, beating his wings and hissing. "The Knight of Lightning! Crystal Knight, Yellow Ranger!"

The new suits had similar themes to the original ranger, with the helmets being modeled after their respective Guardians. But the new suits had some new additions, some personalized for each Ranger. Each of them had a belt with the buckle that was their symbol, a sword and shield with a large gem in the center of the shield. They had metallic silver patches on their arms, their shoulders and their lower legs. Along with that, their primary colors all seemed to be made from their respective gemstones, glittering and reflecting the light that touched them. 

The personal touches were a bit more noticeable. Flash's suit had black decals on the back of his suit that were fashioned like dragon wings. Twilight's suit had a skirt and a bit of white fur around her collar. Thorax's suit had black decals on his back similar to Flash's, but they were instead fashioned like beetle wings.[3]

Once they finished morphing, they all struck a pose and called out "Crystal Knights, RISE UP!"

King Sombra rolled his eyes before angrily commanding the Ghouls to "Rip them apart!"

And with that, the fight was on!

Flash front-flipped over two Ghouls that tried to slash at him, before swiftly slashing them across the back with his Crystal Knight Sword, knocking them away. "Too slow, Ghouls," he said, smirking behind the helmet.

Try not to get too cocky, Volcanion's voice rang in his mind.

Remembering the mental link they now shared, Flash said "Sorry, sorry." He blocked a slash from two more Ghouls, holding them back with his sword without any significant effort before pushing them away. "This is just so cool."

There was a chuckle from Volcanion, and he said If you think that's cool, put away your sword and tap your belt buckle.

Flash did so, and a burst of flame shot out of his belt with a dragon's roar, before forming a large two handed broadsword with the cross guard shaped like a dragon's head with the blade extending out of its mouth, with a red flame streaking from the mouth to the tip.

Taking a hold of it, Flash said "Whoa. What is this?"

The Dragonfire Saber. This great-sword is imbued with my own flames, so it should burn these weak lesser demons to ash. 

"Well then let's put it to good use," he said, spinning the saber around as flames appeared along the blade. When two Ghoul's rushed him, he swung the blade and cleaved right through them, causing them to explode into clouds of black dust. When the last three fired black lasers at him from their swords, he ducked under them and spun, focusing and summoning flames alongside the Dragonfire Saber. Once he stood up tall he swung the saber and yelled "DRAGON SLASH!" before unleashing a wave of fire that transformed into a miniature dragon that slammed into the Ghouls, igniting them all and reducing them to ashes in seconds. Flash pumped his fist in celebration. "Looks like you all crashed and burned."

Twilight ducked and slid under the swords of three Ghouls, before spinning around and unleashing a wave of icicles from her sword, which shot out and sent them flying backwards. She then parried the attacks of the other two Ghouls, lashing out and nailing one with a kick to the face, causing it to stumble back. She then ducked and weaved around the other Ghoul's sword and drove her Crystal Knight Sword into its chest, ice blossoming from it and freezing the lesser demon solid. She pulled her sword out, and the freeze-dried Ghoul began to crack before shattering completely, falling to the ground like black snow. "Wow," she muttered, looking at her sword in awe. "That was... incredible."

There was an amused giggle in her head, no doubt Fenrir finding her reaction funny Oh my little pup, you've barely scratched the surface. I command the very power of winter itself, and as long as we're bonded together that power is yours as well.

Seeing the Ghouls getting back up, she asked "Care to give me some pointers?"

Put your sword away and tap the belt buckle. Call forth my fangs, the Fangs of Ragnarok!

Quickly sheathing her sword, she tapped her belt buckle and yelled "Ragnarok Fangs!" A burst of glowing blue ice and snow appearing from it before separating into two lights that formed into two daggers, each roughly a foot long from the hilts and curved like the fangs of a wolf. They were both colored an icy blue and had snowflakes in the hilt. She flipped them both into a backhand grip and settled into a combat stance as she faced the Ghouls. "Cool daggers."

You undersell it, my pup. The Ragnarok Fangs are imbued with the power of the coldest winters. These specters shall freeze like water on the top of Mount Everhoof.

As one of the Ghouls charged her, she said "Then let's put it to good use."

She sidestepped the Ghoul and got in his guard, jabbing one of the Fangs into its chest. Fenrir's words rang true, as the moment the blade pierced it it immediately froze in blue ice. One of the other Ghouls came at her from her left side, but with a casual move of her left arm she threw the other Fang, nailing the Ghoul right in its forehead, inflicting the same frozen fate upon it as his comrade. 

Seeing the other two Ghouls faltering in their footsteps, she teleported the Fangs back to her hands and twirled them intimidatingly. "You guys gonna come at me, or what," she taunted. Seeing them look at each other in uncertainty, she smirked behind her helmet. "Fine. Then I'll come to you!"

Before they could move she teleported, this time in an icy blue flash due to her costume and her new magic, before appearing behind the two unaware Ghouls. She whistled, causing them to turn around, but it was too late.

With one swift movement she planted the Ragnarok Fangs into the Ghouls, freezing and shattered them completely. 

Twilight smirked. "Chill out, Ghouls."

There was a groan from Fenrir, and she said For the sake of my sanity, please don't make any more ice puns like that.

"No promises."

Thorax focused his new magic, sending vibrant yellow lightning down the length of the blade as he looked at the Ghouls. "You think we're just gonna hand over Arcania to you? You're in for a big SHOCK!"

He surged forward, slashing at the five Ghouls in front of him. While the wounds were mostly superficial (just a scratch on their arms or legs) the lightning hit them with the force of a high-powered cattle prod, stunning them and making them spasm in place. 

Turning around and seeing Flash with his Dragonfire Saber and Twilight with her Ragnarok Fangs, Thorax sheathed his sword and asked "Kabuto-mushi, what do you have for me to really bring the thunder?"

His guardian let out a booming laugh and said I love the enthusiasm, little Larva. Tap the buckle and summon the Spark-Beetle Blaster!

Thorax did so, pulling out a large blaster with the same rhino beetle motiff, right down to the iconic Y-shaped horn looking more like a tuning fork. He aimed it with one hand at a Ghoul and pulled the trigger, yellow sparks flying between the rails before firing a condensed sphere of lightning at a high speed, slamming right into the Ghoul and blowing it up in a shower of sparks and the sound of thunder. Thorax whistled before aiming at the other Ghouls. "Where were you when I was fighting that Chimera?"

The Ghouls recovering and charging at him brought him back to reality, but he ducked and weaved around them. A Ghoul tried to hit him with an overhead slash, but Thorax almost lazily blocked the sword and brought the Spark-Beetle Blaster and fired a shot into its stomach, dispersing it. He then blasted another one with a headshot, before ducking under another one's sword and taking it out with a shot through the heart (assuming it had one.) The last one tried to sneak up behind him, but he quickly back-flipped over him, shooting the Ghoul through the top of his head while in midair. 

Landing on the ground and striking a pose. "How was that, Kabuto-mushi?"

The judges show 10 across the board!

Thorax smirked, but then saw King Sombra still fighting Prince Diamond, with Garnet still struggling to get out from under the heavy metal shelf. 

The other Rangers saw this too, the three sharing a look. "Down with the king," Flash asked.

Twilight and Thorax both nodded, readying their weapons. "Down with the king," they replied.

All three of them charged forward, though Thorax fired off a few shots from the Spark-Beetle Blaster at King Sombra's back. All three struck their mark, though unlike the Ghouls he didn't dissipate, merely burned through his cloak and struck the back of his armor. The lightning coursed through his metal armor and electrocuted him, stunning him long enough for Flash to strike with the Dragonfire Saber and Prince Diamond with his own Crystal Sword. Twilight then focused her magic and unleashed twin waves of ice magic that crossed into an X and then struck King Sombra full on, sending him flying back with a layer of ice forming on his chest. 

All three Rangers moved to stand between King Sombra and the Prince. "You okay, your highness," Flash asked.

Prince Diamond nodded. "Yes. Thank you, Rangers."

"While I appreciate that you're willing to take up a sword and fight," Twilight said. "Maybe you should leave this to us." 

"Besides, it looks like Garnet could use your help," Thorax added, jerking his head in the direction of where Garnet was struggling to move the metal shelf. 

Seeing this, he nodded before looking back at King Sombra as he recovered. "He may be weakened, but he's still pretty strong. Don't hold back against him."

"No need to worry about that," Flash said, readying his Dragonfire Saber. 

As the Prince ran off to help his friend King Sombra finally got up to his feet, the three Rangers noticed that his legs and arms seemed to be dissipating into black smoke. "Jeez, didn't think we hit you that hard," Thorax snarked.

Glaring, King Sombra focused his magic to force his limbs into solid form again, but they quickly began to fall apart again. "Of course," he grumbled. "I can't believe that naive Solar Princess actually managed to figure out my weakness."

Seeing and realizing what was happening, Twilight sighed. "Believe me, Sombra, we're all in shock."

Sombra then smirked. "But, I still have more than enough power to destroy the three of you!"

He sent blasts of dark magic at them, but the three of them dodged with ease. Thorax rolled and came up on a knee and aimed the Spark-Beetle Blaster right at him, arcs of electricity bouncing between the two rails. "BEETLE BOLT!"

A large bolt of yellow lightning shot out, taking the form of a large beetle before slamming right into the evil king. The lightning beetle exploded against him in a massive blast of electricity and the sound of thunder. The arcing electricity also struck his face and caused parts of it to dissipate into black smoke. Gritting his teeth, the King growled "Is that all you have, Insect?"

He was then immediately set upon by Twilight and her Ragnarok Fangs, just barely able to hold them back with his sword. She growled (sounding eerily similar to a wolf) "His name is Thorax, Smoky!"

She broke the blade lock and jabbed both of the Fangs into King Sombra's right arm, which froze and shattered into black ice and his sword fell. He launched a black magic blast at her but it was so weak that all it did was make her stumble back a few feet, barely phased as if she had just been shoved. "Damn it," he growled, seeming annoyed. But then he focused his magic again, seemingly not caring that every part of his body below his waistline had turned to black smoke as he charged up a more powerful dark magic blast. "Just do me a favor, and DIE LIKE THE DOG YOU ARE!"

He fired the blast, which moved surprisingly fast for its size, but Flash immediately jumped in the way with the Dragonfire Saber raised high. "DRAGON SLASH!"

The dragon-shaped wave of flame clashed against the mass of dark magic for what felt like an eternity, but eventually the fire attack won and blasted through it, striking King Sombra head on and setting him ablaze. He yelled out in pain as what little flesh he still had was burning from the dragon fire.

Twilight smirked, readying the Ragnarok Fangs. "Too hot for you, Sombra? Well, let me cool you off!"

Her body began glowing blue before she sprinted towards him. Seeing her through the flames, he summoned and threw several shards of dark crystals at her. But just as the first one was about to strike her visor, she yelled out "ICE WOLF LUNGE!" and teleported past them and appeared in front of him, bringing both of the Fangs down on his head. 

And with that, what remained of his body froze completely. She yanked the Fangs out and jumped back, rejoining the other Rangers, their weapons disappearing as they pulled out their Crystal Knight Swords. "Time to send this king packing" Flash said, charging his sword with fire.

"On that, we agree," Twilight replied, charging her sword with ice.

"Then let's dethrone this false king for good," Thorax finished, his sword sparking as it finished charging with lightning.

"Crystal Knights," Flash started as all three of them raised their swords high.

And in unison, they brought their swords down while yelling "TRIPLE FINISH!" and unleashed a combined attack of fire, ice, and lightning that nailed Sombra's frozen form, completely destroying his body.

They remained on guard as the last bits of ice and ashes that was once King Sombra fell to the ground, the three of them hardly believing that it could be this easy. "Is it over," Thorax asked, a small sliver of hopefulness in his voice.

"Not likely," Twilight replied.

"Yeah, this guy's supposed to be the head honcho, the big bad. He's not going down this easily as our first boss battle," Flash added.

Indeed, a familiar sinister voice rang out in their heads, making them all look around for the source.

Which was soon revealed as the physical remains of King Sombra dissipated into black smoke, collecting together before forming a vaguely humanoid figure, though all they could make out were his evil eyes. His sinister cackle sounded in their heads as he continued I have to hand it to the three of you. Even in my weakened state, very few warriors would be able to destroy my physical form. For that, I commend you three.

"How are you still alive," Twilight asked.

Another dark chuckle sounded, before he explained When I entered Tartarus searching for power, I found it, along with my army. But I also found something more; an ancient spell of dark magic. For the measly price of my humanity, I was able to make my soul indestructible. As close to immortality as I possibly can be. Even if you render my physical body to ashes, or ice crystals in your case, with enough time and dark magic I can construct a new one. The only reason I can't now, is because as you all noted, I'm cut off from Tartarus, where the source of my power lies. But once I reestablish my link to it, it'll only be a matter of time before we cross swords again. 

"One problem, Smoky," Flash snarked. "Thanks to the Time Bubble, you're stuck in here with us."

Correction, Red Ranger. I WAS stuck in here with you. But while the Time Bubble can cut me off from Tartarus, it can only keep me trapped here if I'm bound to a physical body. But, thanks to you three...

"Oh no!"

Thorax drew the Spark-Beetle Blaster and aimed, but it was too late as King Sombra had already flew upwards and through the roof of the Command Diamond, passing through it like a ghost (which he honestly was.)

Flash swore under his breath. "We need to get outside and stop him before he escapes!"

"How," Twilight asked. "He's little more than a ghost now. Even if we catch up to him, none of us will be able to touch him."

I'm afraid you three will have far more pressing matters to deal with, Sombra's telepathic voice said, in a manner most sinister.



King Sombra's dark specter floated above Crystalia, stretching his telepathic voice so that all his remaining Ghouls would hear him, while making . To all my surviving Ghouls, heed the call of your king and master! Combine yourselves into a Reaper-Ghoul, AND CRUSH THIS CRYSTAL CITY INTO A FINE POWDER!!!

All throughout Crystalia, every remaining Ghoul (roughly 50 of them) heard the call, flying through the air and running through the streets to a singular meeting point in the city square. 

Once they started to arrive, they began to melt into puddles of black and white goo, before congealing together and forming a large, horrifying humanoid shape and growing to immense proportions.

Once it grew to roughly thirty stories tall, it began to gain more features. The gigantic black cloak became patches of black armor, and at certain points on its body there were white patches that looked like they were formed by fusing lots and lots of the masks the Ghouls wore together. The white mask the individual Ghoul would wear was not shaped like a demonic skull with horns and sharp fangs. 

This was the Reaper-Ghoul.[4]

And as it drew its skyscraper-sized bone-sword with a horrible screeching sword, it began to march towards the nearest building, its sword slowly rising up to cut it down as the horrified inhabitants could only watch and pray for a miracle.



They saw this on one of the computers in the Command Diamond, and Prince Diamond said "That's not good."

A now freed Garnet looked on with fearful eyes. "What the hell is that thing?"

"A Reaper-Ghoul. An amalgamation of anywhere from 25 to 50 Ghouls fused together and empowered by dark magic. The giant sword is hardly its most powerful weapon compared to its Doom Laser."

Seeing its slow approach towards the building, Flash looked at the Prince and said "If we're fighting that thing, we'll need the Crystal Guardians."

The Prince nodded at Garnet, who ran to one of the still intact consoles and began pushing buttons. "We're going to teleport you to the top of that building. When you get there, call upon the Crystal Guardians to fight. They'll come right to you."

Twilight looked at the Reaper-Ghoul and asked "Will the three of them be able to defeat that thing? I know they're powerful, but..."

"As long as the three of you are together, and remember that you're a team, nothing can defeat you," Prince Diamond stated. "No one."

"Well, technically six, since the Guardians are just as much a part of the team as us," Thorax stated, Flash and Twilight nodding with him, as well as the Guardians affirming it in their thoughts.

Garnet then chimed in and said "Okay, I linked the Teleportation Nexus to your Morphers. You guys ready?" They nodded, and she pushed a button while saying "Go Go Power Rangers!"

They teleported in a flash of light in their respective colors, appearing on the roof of the building right in front of the Reaper-Ghoul. 

"I don't think it's noticed us yet," Thorax stated.

Looking at his Morpher as it began to glow red, along with Twilight's glowing blue and Thorax's began glowing yellow, Flash said "Then let's get his attention." 

Flash raised his Morpher to the sky and yelled "Volcanion, ERUPT!"




TIME TO TURN UP THE HEAT!

The moment the command was given, the distant volcano known as Mount Blaze began to spew lava and fire, before a massive draconic figure wreathed in flame emerged from the mouth. Once it was up in the air it spread its wings to their full length, dispelling the flames and revealing the true form of Volcanion, the King Dragon and Guardian of Fire. His ruby "skin" glowed red, which reflected off the metal plates on his body. He flexed his silver claws and swished his large sword-like tail, before letting out a roar that shook the heavens. He then locked his green eyes on his destination and flew straight towards Crystalia at speeds that would put a fighter jet to shame.



Twilight nodded. "Alright girl, time to shine." She held her Morpher up and yelled "Fenrir, FREEZE!"



Let the hunt begin!

Within the Forever Frozen Forest a blue and silver wolf emerged from a large cave formed within a glacier; Fenrir, the Mother Wolf and Guardian of Ice. The sun shined off of her sapphire "skin" and metal plating, her yellow eyes locking onto Crystalia. She growled, revealing her metal fangs, before she threw her head back and howled a haunting melody into the sky. She then took off running at full speed towards the city, the landscape blurring past her as she did so.



Thorax looked at his Morpher and said "Let's do this." Raising his Morpher up, he yelled "Kabuto-mushi, STRIKE!"



Hope they're ready for me, 'cause I'm bringing the thunder!
Within the Thundering Plains, a strange metal monolith stood surrounded by rocks. However, when Thorax's command was given, a massive thunderbolt struck down upon it, shattering the rocks and revealing the tip of Kabuto-mushi's horn. The ground then exploded as the gigantic Storm Beetle and Guardian of Lightning rose from the ground, the sun shining off his topaz "skin" and metal plates as he opened up his large blue eyes. His thick, shield-like shell opened up to reveal his wings, which began to buzz rapidly and produce large arcs of electricity as he flew off towards Crystalia to answer his Ranger's call.




The Reaper-Ghoul was almost upon them, its sword raise high to strike them, when it was suddenly blasted by a torrent of flame courtesy of Volcanion, who landed and then whipped the giant monster away with his tail.

The Rangers cheered for this. "Now that's what I'm talking about," Flash yelled, causing Volcanion to grin.

The Reaper-Ghoul moved to get back up, but was stopped by a streak of icicles that blasted it back down. Fenrir then appeared next to Volcanion, snarling at the beast.

"Nice job, Fenrir," Twilight stated, earning a smirk from her Crystal Guardian.

A loud buzzing and sparking sound was heard as Kabuto-Mushi flew in, focusing lightning into his horn and blasting it at the Reaper-Ghoul at full power, stunning it as the Lightning Guardian took a position on Volcanion's left side. "Thanks buddy," Thorax told his Guardian, and if it were possible for the enormous beetle mech to smile he would be.

But their good mood was quickly brought down as the Reaper-Ghoul simply got back up, seemingly unharmed by the Guardians' attacks. "You've gotta be kidding me," Flash groaned. "How tough are these things?"

Depends on how many Ghouls it's made up of. Considering Sombra ordered 50 to combine, it's a lot stronger than the normal ones that take 25, Volcanion replied.

"So how do we destroy this thing," Thorax asked. "Because it's clear that three Guardians aren't going to cut it."

The three of us individually, perhaps Kabuto-Mushi mused, before his thoughts took on a playful tone. But there's one last trick we have, right guys?

The two Guardians nodded, before Fenrir said It won't be complete without Tusk and Huricanna, but it should be more than strong enough to deal with Mister Gruesome.

"Uh, what should be strong enough," Twilight asked.

Allow us to show you, Volcanion replied, a bit of mirth in his voice. Fenrir, Kabuto-Mushi, let's form the Megazord!

Before the Rangers could ask, Volcanion flew up into the air and began to glow red. His arms folded up and into his chest, revealing connectors at the shoulders, while his legs straightened and extended and his tail disconnected. Fenrir and Kabuto-Mushi then jumped up as well; Fenrir folding and transforming into a right arm with her head as the shoulder pad, while Kabuto-Mushi's shell disconnected to reveal a handle on the back, while the rest of him transformed into a left arm with his head as the should pad. 

All three Crystal Guardian Zords connected, before Volcanion's mouth opened and extended, revealing a humanoid face with green eyes. His left hand grabbed the Thunder Beetle Shield, while his right hand grabbed the Dragon Sword.

In unison, the three Guardians cried out Crystal Knight Megazord, READY!

The three Rangers were amazed at this, barely able to form words at the spectacle they just witnessed. 

Fortunately they were jolted back to reality when Prince Diamond called them over the comm and said "What are you guys waiting for? Hop in the Megazord and send this guy back to Tartarus."

"Right!"

They teleported into the Megazord, appearing on podiums of their respective colors with a small stand next to them. Flash was in the center, with Twilight on his right and Thorax on his left. "Whoa," Twilight whispered. "This is so cool!"

"It's like we're in a mecha anime, but with combining animal robots," Flash stated.

Noticing the stand next to his podium, and the slot on it, Thorax said "Looks like we need to put our Crystal Knight Swords into these stands."

"Then let's do it," Flash said.

"Right!"

The three gave their swords a little twirl before plugging them into the stands, making their podiums glow and subsequently downloading information into their minds about how to operate the Megazord. Flash chuckled. "G-Gundam style." Seeing the Reaper-Ghoul moving to attack, he asked "You guys thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Our minds are linked inside here, so yeah, I am," Twilight replied.

"Well, great minds think alike," Thorax said. "So let's do this!"

Flash nodded. "Then follow my lead!"

They all struck the same pose, the Crystal Knight Megazord following suit, holding the Dragon Sword high while protecting themselves with the Thunder Beetle Shield. In unison they cried out "Crystal Knight Megazord, Fenrir-Kabuto formation!"

When the Reaper-Ghoul swung its sword at the Megazord, the Rangers blocked with their shield before returning the strike with a few strikes from their Dragon Sword, pushing the monster back. They then threw a punch with the shield, lightning flying off of it and into the monster, sending it flying with the sound of thunder. The Reaper-Ghoul managed to land on its feet, only stumbling a little, before opening its gargantuan maw as a red light started to glow within it.

"That must be the Doom Laser Prince Diamond warned us about," Twilight said.

"Let's see if we can use that to our advantage," Flash said, watching as the monster continued to charge up power. "Thorax, think the Thunder Beetle Shield can send the laser back at him?"

"One way to find out," Thorax replied, and all three Rangers readied the shield.

The Reaper-Ghoul unleashed the Doom Laser, a massive vermilion energy beam that would've spelled doom for most creatures.

The Thunder Beetle Shield glowed yellow for a moment just before the laser struck, the Rangers inside struggling to hold their position. "Thorax," Twilight asked, grunting from the strain.

"Just a little longer," Thorax replied through gritted teeth.

Eventually, the Reaper-Ghoul ran out of energy and the beam subsided.

Which was exactly what Thorax wanted, who screamed now as the Rangers moved and the Megazord thrust the shield in the direction of the Reaper-Ghoul, sending a smaller yet just as powerful beam of energy right into the Reaper-Ghouls' face, sending it flying down the street before it eventually slammed into an invisible wall along the edge of the city, multiple golden runes appearing at the point of impact. "That must be the edge of the Time Bubble spell," Twilight noted. "Crystalia's at the Westernmost Edge of their Kingdom, so it makes sense that the Time Bubble's edge would be here."

An idea crossed Flash's mind. "Hey, her spell's supposed to end really soon, right?"

Twilight nodded. "Yeah. Celestia said 1000 years, and Garnet said that the deadline hits in 8 months, give or take."

"So, the bubble's weakened, right?"

"If the Crystal Guardians managed to get the Rainbow Prism Train through it to us, then yeah."

"Why're you asking, Flash," Thorax asked.

Smirking behind his helmet, Flash replied "Because I think it's high time the Crystal Kingdom rejoins the rest of the world."

Realizing what he was implying, Twilight and Thorax nodded in agreement. "The Crystal Knight Megazord's Finisher should be enough to do the job," she stated, information playing across her visor. 

"We should probably make sure that big gruesome over there doesn't dodge this," Thorax noted, keeping his eye on said monster.

Twilight nodded. "Leave that to me," she said, leading the Rangers in the next attack by raising their right hands with their palm forward. The Megazord did the same (the Dragon Sword vanishing in a flash of red light for a moment) and a blue spell circle appeared in the robot's palm, while a large one appeared on the ground the monster was standing on. 

She smirked. "Gotcha. FREEZING SPELL CIRCLE!"

The blue magic flared and the Reaper-Ghoul was soon trapped, its feet frozen to the ground via a large mound of ice. 

"Good job, Twi," Flash said. "You guys ready to finish this?"

"Oh yeah," Twilight replied.

"Let's slay this beast," Thorax stated.

"Alright then. Dragon Sword!"  

The Crystal Knight Megazord held his right hand out, the Dragon Zord appearing in a flash of red light. 

Flash held his hand up, and yelled "Crystal Knight Ultra Sword!"

A large broadsword appeared in his hand; the hilt was red, blue, yellow, green and pink, while the blade itself was gold with a vein of purple in the center. The moment Flash grabbed it the three Rangers could feel the power within the Megazord reaching its maximum, while Twilight and Thorax drew their own blades from their stands. "It's time to finish this," Flash said, the three Rangers raising their blades as one, the Megazord mimicking their movements.

In unison, the three Rangers brought their swords down, and both the Rangers and the Zords yelled out "Crystal Knight Megazord: TRIPLE SLASH!"

The Megazord brought the Dragon Sword on the Reaper Ghoul three times, each slash imbued with a different type of magic: one slash of fire, one slash of ice, and the final slash of lightning. Each hit their mark and bisected the Reaper-Ghoul from its left shoulder to its right hip, who gave a painful death roar before exploding into black smoke.

Inside the Megazord the Rangers were cheering. "Monster Vanquished," Flash cheered in victory!



Meanwhile, King Sombra in his ethereal shadow form was watching the events in slight annoyance. So, you managed to form the Megazord and defeat my Reaper-Ghoul. Well, no matter. That was but a taste of what's to come.

He then noticed a large glowing crack in the wall of the Time Bubble, which quickly began expanding and crisscrossing across its entirety before shattering with a massive sound of breaking glass.

While King Sombra was annoyed at the recent events, he couldn't help but feel a bit of amusement at this. I can't help but wonder how Princess Celestia's going to react to this little monkey wrench in her grand plan.

Deciding he stuck around enough, he disappeared in a flash of black light, eager to restore his power in the depths of Tartarus and get his army ready for a comeback.

I assure you, Rangers; this is FAR from over.



Canterlot Castle, Canterlot

Princess Celestia sighed in relief as the last noble left her throne room. Yet another noble whining and complaining about the taxes being unfair or how they shouldn't allow the children of "commoners" to attend her school for the magically gifted. 

Another noble who she really wished she could slap across the face, but sadly couldn't. 

She was honestly ready to just teleport into her quarters and pull out the bottle of wine she kept hidden in her writing desk when the throne room doors were open, one of her Royal Guards rushing in and clearly out of breath. Seeing the distressed look on his face as he took off his helmet and bowed, she asked "Is something the matter, Lieutenant?"

Taking a few deep breathes, he looked up at her and replied "Your Majesty, IT has returned."

Celestia felt the blood freeze in her veins once he buttered those words, before she teleported to the nearby balcony. In a flash of gold light she summoned her All-Seeing Telescope, pointing it where the Crystal Kingdom was and peering through.

And to her shock, she saw the last remnants of her Time Bubble Spell crack and fade away, revealing the lost kingdom and the crystal city; slightly damaged but still standing.

In confusion, she cried out "This doesn't make any sense! The spell still had 8 months left to go (give or take) so how-" 

The words died in her throat as she saw the Crystal Knight Megazord standing there, raising its sword up in celebration. "Of course," she grumbled aloud. "They're not dead."

"Ma'am, is something wrong," the Lieutenant asked.

Regaining her composure, the Solar Monarch replied "No, it's fine. Just be a dear and go fetch Princess Cadance for me, please."

The guard nodded and left, and once the door closed her composure dropped and she swore under her breath. "Those damn 'Power Rangers'" she said, spitting out the words. "Those spandex-wearing brutes could potentially ruin everything." She then smirked and looked up at the sky. "But it won't matter. They won't stop me. Nothing can stop the Light." She reached out as if to grab the sun, and finished "And when I'm done, the Harmony of Arcadia... shall be Infinite."



The Command Diamond: The Crystal Kingdom

With the Crystal Guardians returning to their homes, the Rangers teleported back into the Command Diamond, where they de-morphed. To their surprise, their Morphers transformed into bracelets, simple silver chain ones with their Guardian Crystal embedded in them. 

The three of them stood in front of Prince Diamond, who looked at them with a mixture of gratitude and prime. "Words alone cannot express how thankful I am for what the three of you did," he stated. "Not only did you save my life, but you helped save the Crystal Kingdom and broke us free of our temporal prison."

"We're just doing what we thought was right," Flash replied. "Or in this case, righting Princess Celestia's wrong."

"Because Faust knows she's done plenty of those over the centuries," Twilight grumbled.

"Speaking of Princess Celestia," Thorax interjected. "Since I doubt she'll take kindly to us three being Rangers (especially since Twilight's her apprentice) maybe it might be a good idea to keep our identities secret?"

Flash chuckled. "I was planning on doing that anyway. The last thing I want is paparazzi following me 24/7."

"Preach," Twilight replied, Flash and her exchanging a high-five. 

The prince nodded. "Yes. Though on that subject, we'll have to come up with a good story for why you three are here and how you got here in the first place. I have no doubt that Miss Sunny-side up has learned that we're back and will no doubt be sending an ambassador soon to try and 'patch things up' with us." He sighed, looking at the monitors, which showed the people of the Crystal Kingdom leaving the shelters and their homes now that the fighting was over. "It's funny. One year ago I was fighting for my life. Now that it's over, I now find myself having to prepare myself for a new battlefield; one where words are used rather than swords."

"I wish I could help with that," Twilight said. "But, I hate politics."

"I don't blame you." He sighed before straightening himself up. "But, I am the Prince of the Crystal Kingdom. At least until we perform the coronation ceremony and they crown me King. So it is a battle I must face."

Flash and the Rangers nodded. "In the meantime," Flash stated "we'll start training and getting ready. Because it's only a matter of time before King Sombra sends a demon or something for another round."

"No doubt about that," Thorax agreed. "But as long as we're together-"

"-nothing can hurt us," Flash and Twilight finished.

"That is correct," Prince Diamond said. "The three of you have shown that even when the odds are against you, even when the darkness threatens our world, the three of you will rise up to protect the light. This may have only been your first battle, but I can tell that your exploits will be etched into the annals of history, among the greatest heroes of Arcania's history."

Flash smiled. "No matter what the darkness throws at us..."

Twilight continued it. "...no matter how hard it may get..."

"...even if the rest of the world is against us..."

"...the Crystal Knights will always fight for what is right," they finished in unison.

They then summoned their Crystal Knight Swords, crossing them together and saying in unison "Crystal Knights, RISE UP!"