In Carousel Boutique, Rarity was running about her work room frantically trying to complete an order she had to get done by the next morning. While Rarity was doing this, Sweetie Belle was standing in the middle of it all trying to stop her big sister to ask her about the Pony Rangers. Of course, Sweetie Belle had seen with her own eyes that Rarity was a Ranger back at the Gala, and she was the first of the Crusaders to be suspicious to begin with, but the young marshmallow just had to make sure. If only Rarity would hold still and pay attention for five seconds, then maybe Sweetie Belle would be able to get one question in.
“Uh, Rarity,” Sweetie Belle tried to say as her sister galloped by. “I just wanted to ask-” Can you maybe-? I wanted to know-”
“Sweetie Belle,” Rarity said, “I’m sorry, but I don’t have time for any of your questions. I really need to fill this order by tomorrow morning.”
“But I wanted to ask you-”
Ding-a-ling
Before Sweetie Belle had a chance to continue, the bell at the front door of the shop rang, indicating that somepony had entered. “Ugh!” Rarity shouted. “What now?”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Twilight Sparkle said as she stood in the doorway.
“Twilight. I’m sorry, I’m just kind of stressed out from all this work I’ve taken today.”
“Who’s that?” Sweetie Belle asked her sister.
“Oh, she’s, um, just a pony who moved here a few days ago,” Rarity nervously said, worried that Sweetie Belle would become suspicious. (-_-) “We became friends fast. Heh heh...”
“Yeah,” Twilight added. “When she met me, I was wearing a horrible dress, and your sister, here-”
“You’re over selling it,” Rarity whispered to Twilight. The marshmallow then turned back to her younger sister. “Uh, the two of us need to talk about something, Sweetie Belle. Why don’t you go see if Applebloom or Scootaloo can play with you?”
“Fine,” Sweetie Belle said, grumpily trotting out of the room.
“Anyway, what did you want to talk to me about?” Rarity asked Twilight after Sweetie Belle was gone.
“I just wanted to see if there was any work to be done here on the Weapons of Harmony,” Twilight said. “Maybe like improving the design or something.”
“Oh, I wish I could help with that right now, but I have a huge order to fill by tomorrow and while being able to save Equestria may be a privilege, I’m afraid it doesn’t pay the bills.”
“Oh, I understand. I’ll come back later, then.” Twilight then turned and walked out of the room, taking no notice of Sweetie Belle hiding just around the corner, barely out of sight if one were to walk facing completely straight forward.
“We are going to find the truth,” Sweetie Belle said quietly to herself. The younger marshmallow waited for a moment to make sure Twilight was gone before leaving to retrieve Applebloom and Scootaloo.
Back on the moon base, Zecora was working with some strange looking circular gems attached to gold bracelets. One of the gems was yellow and seemed similar to the silhouette of a lion roaring, one was blue with the tail fin of a dolphin sticking out of the water, and then there was a red one that looked like a falcon spreading its wings. The zebra had just done something that caused the red one to glow before Discord teleported in behind her.
“I will follow you with all my loyalty,” Zecora said, not even looking up, “but I would appreciate it if you didn’t do that to me.”
“Oh, Zecora,” Discord said, slinking around to her side, “you really need to lighten up every once in a while. Now, then, is Project Storm almost ready?”
“Our plan is ready for execution, but are you sure it is really our solution?”
“Of course it’s our ‘solution.’ Do you really think I’d be foalish enough to come up with a plan if I weren’t absolutely sure it would succeed?”
“I apologize for my doubt in you, but just one flaw has eluded your view.”
“I’m well aware that we require three ponies from down there in Equestria to make this work, Zecora.”
“That is not what I was going to say. My comment was going a different way. Not only do we need three innocent ponies, but said three ponies have to be fillies.”
Discord’s expression changed from shock to anger... then to an evil smile. “This could work to our advantage...” he said with an evil chuckle. “Zecora, I want you to go down to Ponyville. Do not draw the attention of the Pony Rangers, and do exactly as I say.” Discord then leaned in and whispered some instructions into Zecora’s ear.
“Must it be those three of the age of filly?” Zecora asked.
“You know as well as I do how fun it will be watching the Pony Rangers be defeated by them of all ponies,” Discord said.
“You make a good point. I shall leave right now. You will not be dis-” Before Zecora could continue, an unamused looking Discord snapped his finger and teleported the zebra down to Ponyville.
“I think she’s better at trolling than I am,” Discord said to the now empty room.
Back in Ponyville, Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo were walking down the street and talking amongst each other.
“So, Sweetie Belle,” Applebloom said, “did ya manage to get anything out of Rarity?”
“Nothing,” Sweetie Belle replied, shaking her head. “But I think that new pony Twilight Sparkle has something to do with the Pony Rangers.”
“Maybe we should just give up on trying to find out whether or not we can get a confession out of our sisters,” Scootaloo said. “Even if they were Rangers, I’m pretty sure whoever gave them their powers made them take an oath of secrecy or something. Let’s just get back to trying to find our cutie marks.”
“You fillies seek your place in life,” a dark voice said from a nearby alley. “I can show you, if you like.”
“Come again?” Applebloom asked, trying to identify the voice from the shadows of the alley.
“If you come with me, I can help you three. And not only will I give your marks to you, but I will help with your Ranger problem, too.”
“But, we don’t have a problem with-” Sweetie Belle started to say.
“You can seriously give us our cutie marks?” Scootaloo asked excitedly, completely cutting Sweetie Belle off.
“That I most certainly can do,” the voice said, “but with my instructions, you must follow through. Do you agree, my little fillies?”
The three fillies looked at each other for a moment. “None of y’all are seriously trustin’ this weird voice, right?” Applebloom asked.
“But she said she can give us our cutie marks,” Scootaloo said. “Surely we aren’t going to pass up an opportunity like that, are we?”
“She also said she’d help us with the Rangers,” Sweetie Belle said. “This is something we have to at least look into.”
“Alright, fine,” Applebloom said. “But I’m gonna go on record and say I’m not comfortable with this at all.”
“Okay, weird rhyming voice,” Scootaloo said to the figure in the alley, “we accept your offer.”
“Zecora is the name by which you may call me,” Zecora said. “Now just follow me, and I’ll show you your destiny.” The fillies followed the villainous zebra into the alley, where all four of them were teleported up to the moon base.
“Well, you weren’t gone for nearly as long as I expected,” Discord said to his zebra minion as she and the fillies teleported into the center of the room.
“Where are we?” Scootaloo asked as she and the other Crusaders looked around the base in awe.
“And more importantly, what is that?” Sweetie Belle asked, pointing a hoof at Discord.
“I have a name, young filly,” Discord said. “And I would appreciate it if you would address me as such. I am Discord, spirit of chaos and disharmony.”
“Wait, I know who you are,” Applebloom said. “You’re the guy the Pony Rangers were fightin’ a couple weeks ago!”
“Ah, yes, your, air quotes, ‘sisters.’”
“What calls for the air quotes?” Scootaloo asked.
“Oh, isn’t it obvious?” Discord then began slinking around the fillies, starting at Applebloom. “Your sisters have been deceiving you.” He then proceeded to Sweetie Belle. “Your sisters could have shared their Ranger powers with you, but they kept it to themselves out of greed.” He then moved to surround Scootaloo. “There really is nothing worse than a sister’s betrayal.” Discord then returned to his original position in front of the Crusaders. “Your sisters have been saving Equestria from Nightmare Moon, but what have they been doing about their own dear sisters?”
The Crusaders looked among each other with confused expressions on their faces. “Could it be true?” Scootaloo asked.
“It’s not like Rarity to be greedy like that,” Sweetie Belle asked.
“Really?” Rei the pegasus asked from a nearby doorway. “Through season 3, she’s done about five or six generous things at most.” The creative colt, now having given his opinion, then disappeared.
“Despite that breach of the fourth wall,” Applebloom said, “it’s not like Applejack to lie at all.”
“Power can make even the purest of ponies fall short of their own standards,” Discord said. “But I can help you even the playing field.”
“Even the playing field?” Scootaloo asked. “What do you mean?”
“I can offer you power that will help you steal the power your sisters have. All you must do...” Discord used his magic to levitate the three bracelets Zecora was working on and gave them to the Crusaders. “...is use these.” The Crusaders looked at each other for a moment before making this critical decision. Would they really betray their sisters like this in order to gain power for themselves? “Don’t forget,” Discord said, “taking this offer comes with getting your cutie marks. Now then, your desicion?”
Back in Ponyville, Rainbow Dash was quickly flying through Ponyville on her way to Carousel Boutique. Meanwhile, another pony wearing a cloak was watching her from a cloud just out of Dash’s sight. “It looks like the time has come,” the pony said. “Everything has fallen into place for my return...” The pony then began following Rainbow Dash, making sure to keep a safe distance from her so that the prismatic pegasus wouldn’t see her.
In Carousel Boutique, Rarity and Applejack were talking with nervous expressions on their faces when Rainbow Dash rushed in. “Girls,” the pegasus shouted, “something terrible has happened.”
“Let me guess,” Rarity said. “Scootaloo is nowhere to be found?”
“How did you know?”
“Because I can’t find Sweetie Belle anywhere.”
“And Applebloom didn’t come back to the farm for lunch,” Applejack said.
“You mean to tell me that all three of our little sisters are missing?” Rainbow Dash asked. The other two replied with silent nods. “You guys don’t think Discord’s behind this, do you?”
“Discord?” Rarity asked. “I never would have thought he’d stoop as low as foal-napping.”
“Still, we can’t put somethin’ like that past him,” Applejack said. “Maybe we should go talk to Twilight about it.”
“Good idea,” Rainbow Dash said. “Let’s go.” Just as the three were about to gallop off, their communicators started going off.
“Rangers!” Twilight’s voice shouted on the other end. “Big trouble going on near the abandoned warehouse district. About 30 Putty Ponies, and they look ready to attack Ponyville.”
“Is that all?” Rainbow Dash asked. “No zebra? No griffon? No Great and Talkative Trixie?”
“No,” Twilight replied. “That’s the part that’s bugging me. Keep your guard up. Knowing Discord, this is probably a trap.”
“Alright,” Rainbow Dash said. “We’re on our way. What about Pinkie and Fluttershy?”
“They’re already on scene, but I told them to hold off on the fighting. If it is a trap, you’ll need hurry over there to lend them a hoof.”
“Gotcha. Let’s go, Rangers.” Rainbow Dash and the others then galloped out of the boutique and made their way to the abandoned warehouse district, still unaware that they were being followed.
At the abandoned warehouse district, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy were watching the group of Putty Ponies from the roof of one of the warehouses, making sure to observe them before rushing into a trap. However, it didn’t look like the Putties were posing any sort of threat. In fact, it looked like they were just standing around idly waiting for something to happen. That something was obviously the Rangers showing up, but what would come next was completely out of Pinkie’s and Fluttershy’s reach. That’s when Rainbow Dash and the others made their way there. Before the three charged into battle, though, Fluttershy gave them a stealthy gesture to hide before one of the Putties saw them. AJ and Rarity took the stairs to the top of the warehouse Fluttershy and Pinkie were on top of while Rainbow Dash flew up to join the two who were already there.
“What’s the situation?” Rainbow Dash whispered.
“So far, nothing,” Fluttershy replied. “They seem to be waiting for something, and I bet we can all guess who they’re waiting for.”
“Any evidence of a trap yet?”
Fluttershy simply shook her head. “Nothing solid, but whatever it is, they’re keeping it under heavy wraps.”
“Maybe we should just charge in and see what happens. It’s not like any disasters are going to happen if we do.”
“Good point,” Rarity said as she and Applejack finally joined the others.
“It’s not like any new and slash or long-forgotten antagonists are going to appear out of nowhere and ambush us,” Pinkie said, causing the others to stare at her with confused expressions.
“Pinkie Pie,” Rainbow Dash said, “I think I speak for all of us, as well as the entirety of the brony/pegasister fandom when I say... you scare me. Now then, let’s go, Rangers!” The five Rangers then jumped off of the roof, morphed in mid-air, and drew their weapons to attack the group of surprised (and very disorganized) Putty Ponies. They were practically falling over each other as the Rangers pretty much cut them down like a forest of dead trees.
“WHY WOULD YOU SAY THAT?” Fluttershy shouted.
“Sorry, Fluttershy,” Rei the pegasus said from atop another warehouse. “I’ll change that.” The creative colt then typed some stuff into his laptop and pressed the “enter” key.
“Pinkie Pie,” Rainbow Dash said, “I think I speak for all of us, as well as the entirety of the brony/pegasister fandom when I say... you scare me. Now then, let’s go, Rangers!” The five Rangers then jumped off of the roof, morphed in mid-air, and drew their weapons to attack the group of surprised (and very disorganized) Putty Ponies. They were practically falling over each other as the Rangers lined them up and knocked them down in large groups.
“Somethin’s definitely wrong,” Applejack said as she knocked a Putty into another one.
“I have to agree with you, there,” Rarity replied. “By now in the battle, something should have blasted us in some form or-” Just then, she and Fluttershy got blasted by what was probably several gallons of water, Applejack and Pinkie Pie were pelted with a storm of large rocks, and Rainbow Dash got blasted by a massive gust of wind. All three of these attacks knocked all five of the Rangers into a nearby warehouse, as well as obliterating all of the remaining Putty Ponies.
“What the hay was that?” Rainbow Dash asked, getting up.
“I have no idea,” Rarity said, shaking herself off. “But whoever did that is going to pay for ruining my mane.”
“Well then come over here and make us pay,” an unfamiliar voice said.
“Unless you Harmony Rangers are scared,” a second voice said.
“And if you aren’t scared, you’re little more than a group of foals,” a third voice said.
“Who’s talking?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Come down here and fight, you cowards!”
“Ooh, look at that,” the second unknown voice said. “They actually do want to fight us.”
“Believable enough,” the first voice said. “It’s not like they know what they’re getting into, anyway.”
“You five really wanna go steel-to-steel with us?” the third voice asked. “Oh well. It’s your funeral, not ours.”
Just then, three ponies jumped in from atop another building and landed in front of the Rangers, and their identities couldn’t have shocked the Rangers any more. As it turned out, the sources of the three voices actually looked like Pony Rangers, except their suits were slightly different from the Harmony Rangers. But that wasn’t the most disturbing part. The disturbing part was that these new Rangers were fillies!
“Who the hay are you three?” Rainbow Dash asked, drawing her sword.
“Earth-shattering power of the lion,” the yellow-clad earth filly shouted, striking a pose. “Chaos Force, Ranger Yellow!”
“Oceanic grace of the dolphin,” the blue-clad unicorn shouted. “Chaos Force, Ranger Blue!”
“Soaring strength of the falcon,” the red-clad pegasus at the front shouted. “Chaos Force, Ranger Red!”
“Power of Deception!” Chaos Yellow said.
“Power of Greed!” Chaos Blue shouted.
“Power of Betrayal!” Chaos Red shouted.
“WE ARE THE PONY RANGERS: CHAOS FORCE!” the three Chaos Rangers shouted in unison as they struck a unified pose and the warehouse behind them exploded.
“Chaos Rangers?” Rarity asked.
“What the hay?” Applejack asked.
“And just who the hay do you think you three fillies are?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“Come over here and find out,” Chaos Red said, drawing a blade that looked similar to Rainbow Dash’s. As Chaos Red drew her blade, her fellow Chaos Rangers drew similar blades.
“Let’s go, Rangers!” Rainbow Dash shouted, charging forward. The other Harmony Rangers followed her lead, but the Chaos Rangers had similar confidence and charged forward themselves.
Chaos Blue galloped at top speed and leapt at Rarity and Fluttershy, her movements and sword strikes so quick that Fluttershy could do nothing about it and so graceful that it made Rarity incredibly jealous. Her magic skills were no different from her physical combat skill, and she was able to blast both marshmallow and tree to near defeat. To top it all off, she was also capable of casting blasts of water from her hoof, giving her a significant advantage over both Axe and Daggers.
Chaos Yellow was no easier opponent. Applejack and Pinkie Pie tried to double-team her, but the yellow-clad filly proved to be too much for the two as she easily deflected Pinkie’s arrows, parried and countered Applejack’s Lance, and used a power similar to Chaos Blue’s to levitate and hurl large stones at the two Harmony Rangers.
Chaos Red, on the other hoof, got Rainbow Dash all to herself, so the two pegasi had a simple but nonetheless exciting flying duel of the swordsponies. However, Chaos Red’s power was firing gusts of wind from her hoof, so Rainbow Dash had to avoid this as well as defend against her foe’s blade.
Unfortunately for the Harmony Rangers, the new Chaos Rangers proved to be more than a match for them, and they were all easily overpowered. “Ha,” Chaos Red said once she and her comrades had regrouped. “You Harmony Rangers really are pathetic. I don’t know why Discord told us to be on our guard against you five.”
“Discord?” Rainbow Dash asked. “I should have known.”
“But alas,” Chaos Red continued, “it seems our fun has come to an end. Ready, Chaos Rangers?” The other two nodded in reply and all three of their blades began glowing. “Goodbye, Harmony Rangers.”
“Twilight!” Rainbow Dash shouted into her comm. “We need some help here!”
“I’m trying to teleport you five out of there,” Twilight replied over comm, “but something’s interfering with my magic. I’m sorry Rangers, but I can’t- wait a second. What’s that?”
“What’s going on?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“There’s some strange energy heading your way, and it looks... familiar.”
“Familiar?”
“Time to die, Harmony Rangers!” Chaos Red shouted once her’s and her comrades’ swords began glowing with an almost blinding light in each of their respective colors. They were about to fire three blasts of energy that surely would have meant the end of the Harmony Rangers when the Chaos Rangers were suddenly struck by a bolt of lightning, causing the three fillies to be thrown backwards and their blasts of energy flying off towards an abandoned warehouse, causing the building to be reduced to a crater with no rubble in sight. The whole thing was entirely vaporized.
“What the hay was that?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“I was thinking the same thing,” Twilight replied.
“Whoever it was,” Chaos Red said, “they are going to pay for this.”
“Chaos Rangers,” a familiarly evil voice called from above the ponies, “I commend you on your ability to defeat the Harmony Rangers like this, but the privilege of destroying them is not yours. It is mine by very right.” Just then, the source of the voice descended and landed hard on the ground. It was a pegasus mare wearing a brown cloak.
“Who do you think you are?” Chaos Red asked as she got up and drew her sword.
The cloaked mare chuckled evilly before raising her hoof to remove her hood. “The original Chaos Pony Ranger.” Right as she said this, she removed her hood, revealing a grey face and a blonde mane.
“What the hay?” Rainbow Dash shouted. “Twilight, are you seeing this?”
“I see it,” Twilight replied, “but I don’t believe it.”
“This can’t be happening,” Rainbow Dash said to herself as she shook her head as though trying to shake herself out of a bad dream. However, the reality was all too real as the grey pegasus took a step towards Rainbow Dash and spoke with contempt in her voice.
“Did you miss me, Dashie?”
To be continued...
Next time...
“This is impossible. I’m the one who killed her!”
“You shouldn’t be so surprised, Dashie. You’re the one who saved me.”
“This new arrival has completely outshone my new Chaos Rangers!”
“If you prove yourself in the next attack, then maybe we’ll trust you.”
“They’re too strong for us, aren’t they?”
“I’ve waited too long for this moment...”
次回、 「The Inferior Ones」 あ楽しみに！[Next time, “The Inferior Ones (Chaos Rangers part 2)” Enjoy!]