A full week. That’s how long Discord was waiting on Trixie’s “ultimate plan” to begin. It certainly went without saying that Trixie had truly pushed Discord’s patience too far this time around. Every time Discord got after her, though, Trixie used the same excuse.
“You have the Great and Powerful Trixie’s word,” she would say, “this plan will be the ultimate downfall of the Harmony Rangers. Just you wait.”
Discord had heard that about fifteen times over the past week, and he was finally at his wit’s end. As soon as Trixie got back from her “quick trip” to Equestria to put the “finishing touches” on her plan, Discord was going to punish her more severely than the Harmony Rangers could if they tried.
Zecora was in a similar position. There was no way she’d be able to go down to Equestria to retrieve the Phoenix Gem undetected without Trixie’s distraction. Fortunately, for Zecora, Discord wasn’t angry at her for Trixie’s folley. If anything, Zecora was equally as angry with Trixie as Discord was.
Meanwhile in an area south of Ponyville, Trixie was walking around looking for something. Thanks to a few cloaking spells, the Pony Rangers hadn’t detected her presence here in Equestria. The spells wouldn’t last forever, however, and even Trixie acknowledged that. Fortunately for her, she had just found what she was looking for. A hole in the ground. Trixie looked around to make sure nopony was around, made sure she had her brush to fix her mane and clean it of any dirt she might get in it from what she was about to do, then jumped into the hole. She was falling straight down Superman style for a few seconds before she lit up her horn and disappeared in a flash of light mere feet from the floor of a cave below. In another flash of light, Trixie reappeared standing upright in the spot where she was about to land. She paused for a moment to dust herself off and fix her mane, then began cantering down the tunnel.
A little later, Trixie finally came to an open area of the tunnel. There were several holes and crevices in the walls where it could be assumed somepony, or something, was digging. Near these were minecarts full of gems of different colors. Trixie walked over to one of the minecarts and used her magic to look through the collection of gems.
“Ah, Ms. Trixie,” a strange and raspy voice said from behind the magician. “What brings you back down to our home so soon?”
Trixie slowly turned around to the creature that was talking. It looked like a dog (more like a werewolf, actually) in a red vest that had small gems in the pockets. “You know exactly why the Great and Powerful Trixie is here, Rover,” Trixie said. “Take a look at the gems in minecarts.”
“Yes,” Rover said. “The Diamond Dogs have been able to find many gems since you taught us the magic you use to find them.” Rover was smiling for a moment, obviously proud of what he and the other Diamond Dogs had done thanks to Trixie, but his smile quickly faded and he composed himself just in time to duck and avoid a gem sent flying by Trixie’s magic. He turned around just in time to see the gem shatter against a cave wall several yards from where he was standing.
“The Great and Powerful Trixie did not teach you her magic so you could find a few more worthless gems!” Trixie shouted. “Trixie taught you this magic so you would find the Alicorn Amulet for her!”
“Yes, of course,” Rover quickly said. “We have discovered its whereabouts, but it is very difficult to get to.”
“How so?” Trixie asked, her anger fading slowly, but still very high.
“The Amulet is using strange magic to keep us away from it,” Rover replied. “We have already lost seven dogs to cave ins, even when we have taken every precaution to keeping the tunnels stable.”
“And you’re sure it was the Amulet’s magic?” Trixie asked.
“Witnesses and survivors all say they saw the red glow of its magic around the rocks just before they fell,” Rover replied.
“Really?” Trixie asked. “Very well. The Great and Powerful Trixie will have to retrieve the Amulet herself, then. Lead Trixie to where the Amulet is.”
Rover led Trixie to the tunnel at the end of which was apparently the Alicorn Amulet. They passed several other Diamond Dogs, all of whom bowed when Trixie passed by. After a while, Rover and Trixie stopped at the entrance of the tunnel. Standing guard were two other Diamond Dogs, both of whom looked like they were of higher rank than the other ones. One of them was larger than Rover and wore a similar grey vest. The other was smaller than Rover, had light brown fur, and also wore a grey vest.
“Ms. Trixie,” Rover said, “meet my top two lieutenants, Fido,” Rover indicated the larger dog, “and Spot.” Rover indicated the smaller dog.
“Greetings, Great and Powerful Trixie,” Fido said in a low pitched but also raspy voice.
“We are honored by your presence,” Spot said in a higher voice.
“Save your flattery,” Trixie said. “I’m assuming you two know what’s going on a little better than Rover.”
“Oh, yes,” Spot said. “We have tried digging several smaller tunnels around the main tunnel, but every time we got within a certain proximity to the chamber where the Amulet is held, it used magic to cause a cave-in.”
Trixie glared at Spot for a moment. “Very well,” Trixie said. “Rover, Fido, Spot, Trixie wants all three of you to stay here. She will go in and retrieve the Alicorn Amulet herself. She has a better chance of retrieving the Amulet without one of you dogs there to louse things up.” Without even letting any of the Diamond Dogs respond, Trixie began trotting into the tunnel.
Trixie didn’t get far before she noticed signs of previous cave-ins. There were holes and cracks in the ceiling, idle rubble littering the floor, and even a few buried dogs. “Pathetic,” Trixie said to herself as she continued trotting. “Never send dogs to do a great and powerful unicorn’s job.” Trixie hadn’t gotten very much further before she noticed a few pebbles falling from the ceiling. “You’ll have to do better than that, Alicorn Amulet.” Trixie used her magic to hold back the rocks that had begun falling while she broke out into a surprisingly graceful gallop.
After a full minute of galloping while trying to maintain an increasingly demanding shield spell on the cave ceiling, Trixie finally came to the chamber in which the Alicorn Amulet was held. “Finally,” Trixie said to herself as she trotted up to the pedestal upon which the Alicorn Amulet lay. “At long last, you are within the grasp of the Great and Powerful Trixie. With your power, I will finally defeat Twilight Sparkle and the Pony Rangers!” Trixie then reached up and grabbed the Amulet.
Meanwhile, the Diamond Dogs were waiting nervously for Trixie to return. “I don’t think she made it,” Spot said.
“Of course she made it,” Fido said. “She’s great and-”
Fido was quickly cut off when there was a loud explosion from the cave. “What was that?” Spot asked.
“Sounded like a cave-in,” Rover replied. “I don’t think even Trixie could have-”
Rover was quickly cut off by another explosion. This time, rubble exploded out of the cave, knocking several dogs, including Rover, Fido, and Spot backwards.
“How dare you dogs underestimate the power of the Great and Powerful Trixie,” Trixie said as she walked out of the cave. “Trixie would punish you if she did not need you for the final phase of her plan.”
“Finally, you’re here!” Discord shouted angrily as Trixie walked back into the moon base. “Do you have any idea how long I’ve been waiting for you to get back so that I could punish you for keeping me waiting a full week for your plan to begin?”
“The Great and Powerful Trixie apologizes,” Trixie said as she walked by Discord. “However, she assures you that her plan was truly worth the wait.” Trixie then pulled out the Alicorn Amulet.
“That... that isn’t...” Discord said. “The Alicorn Amulet? How did you get your hooves on it?”
“The Great and Powerful Trixie hired some... help,” Trixie said. “They will assist me in the execution for my plan. As well, I will need the assistance of the Chaos Rangers.”
“Really?” Snowdrop asked as she and the other three Chaos Rangers walked into the room. “The Great and Arrogant Trixie needs help?”
“Of course she doesn’t!” Trixie shouted at the filly. “The Great and Powerful Trixie requires a distraction, not your silly help.”
“Now we’ve been reduced to a distraction?” Sweetie Belle asked angrily.
“In all honesty, you have lost an edge,” Zecora said as she walked into the room. “The Harmony Rangers do have a new advantage.”
“As long as I can go hoof-to-hoof with Dashie, I’ll do it,” Derpy said. “She got lucky last time.”
“Don’t worry, Drepy,” Trixie said. “With my plan, Twilight Sparkle will be out of the picture so that you can fight Rainbow Dash.”
“That’s enough talking!” Discord shouted. “Everypony, I’ve been patient for a full week. It’s time to see some action going on around here! Trixie, get your plan in motion. Chaos Rangers, be on call for Trixie’s plan. Zecora, you go to the Everfree Forest and retrieve the Phoenix Gem. Everypony clear on all their objectives?” Everyone in the room nodded. “Good. Now, let’s get to work!”
Back in Ponyville, the Harmony Rangers were all gathered in the library while Princess Celestia was talking to them.
“We really got that much power just from Twilight getting her Element of Harmony?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“Yes,” Celestia replied. “It took a while to put Twilight’s hypothesis to the test, but the results Luna and I found were well beyond expectations.”
“Ha!” Rainbow Dash laughed. “I’d like to see Discord show his ugly face now that we have this much power. And it’s all thanks to Twilight.”
“Aw, you girls give me too much credit,” Twilight said. “I couldn’t have gotten you this power without all of you. After all, it was friendship that-”
Twilight was suddenly interrupted when the screen Princess Celestia was on suddenly bugged out and went to static. “Princess!” Rainbow Dash shouted. “Twilight, what’s going on?”
“I’m not sure,” Twilight said as she fumbled with her console. “My best guess would be somepony’s hacking the comm system, but that would take magical abilities that rival even Princess Celestia’s.”
Right as Twilight said this, the screen went back to normal. However, rather than Princess Celestia on the other end, it was the all-too familiar face of Trixie. “Surprise, Harmony Rangers,” she said with an evil grin.
“Trixie!” Twilight shouted. “What have you done with Princess Celestia?”
“Oh, the Great and Powerful Trixie hasn’t done anything to either of your precious princesses,” Trixie said. Then, stifling an evil laugh, she added, “Yet.”
“What do you want, Trixie?” Twilight asked. “And how do you suddenly have enough magic to hack our communication systems?”
“The Great and Powerful Trixie will answer your questions in reverse order,” Trixie replied. “Trixie has been blessed with a new power thanks to this.” Trixie indicated the Alicorn Amulet, which she now wore around her neck.
“No way...” Twilight said, taking a step backwards. “That isn’t...”
“I’m afraid it is, Twilight Sparkle,” Trixie said. “The Great and Powerful Trixie has now become even more great and powerful thanks to the power of the Alicorn Amulet!” Trixie then laughed evilly.
“Okay,” Twilight said with an unamused expression. “You’ve answered my second question. Now answer my first question. What do you want?”
“What does Trixie want?” Trixie asked. “The Great and Powerful Trixie wants revenge! The first time we had an actual battle, you fought unfairly by having Rarity assist you. Then on the day of the crossover chapter-”
“Hay!” Rei shouted from the back of the room in the library. “Breaking the fourth wall and referring to chapters as chapters is my job!”
“Silence, foal!” Trixie shouted. Her horn then glowed red and all of a sudden, a zipper appeared over Rei’s mouth, instantly zipping shut. “As Trixie was saying, you, Twilight Sparkle, have denied Trixie the duel she so greatly deserves with you.”
“And why would I want to have a duel with you?” Twilight asked. “What’s stopping me from bringing the other Harmony Rangers with me to battle you? In fact, what’s stopping me from denying your request altogether?”
“Oh, Trixie thinks you’ll agree to her duel,” Trixie said with a smile. “As we speak, the Chaos Rangers are attacking Ponyville alongside some of my new minions.”
“What?” Rainbow Dash shouted. She then turned to Spike. “How come no alarms have gone off?”
Trixie answered Rainbow Dash’s question before Spike could. “I don’t know,” Trixie said sarcastically. “Perhaps the Great and Powerful Trixie was maybe... jamming your alarm systems? Ever think of that, Rainbow Dash?”
“We don’t have any time to lose,” Twilight said. “Harmony Rangers, we have some Chaos Rangers to take down!” The six ponies were about to gallop off when Trixie tried to stop them.
“You cannot leave yet, Twilight Sparkle!” Trixie shouted. However, the Rangers weren’t listening. “If you don’t accept the duel, the Great and Powerful Trixie will level Canterlot!” This actually stopped the Rangers.
“What?” Twilight asked, slowly turning around.
“Ah, so Trixie has your attention once again,” Trixie said. “Good. Now then, Trixie is in Canterlot right now. If you wish to stop her, Twilight Sparkle must come face me alone while the other Harmony Rangers try to save Ponyville.”
“Forget it, Trixie,” Twilight said. “I only fight alongside my friends.”
“Hmm,” Trixie said with an evil grin. “Did Trixie forget to mention the part where she levels Canterlot with her increased magic, or did Twilight Sparkle forget that part like the pathetic little foal she is?”
“Go on, Twilight,” Rainbow Dash said. “We can handle the Chaos Rangers and I know you can handle Trixie.”
“You really think so?” Twilight asked.
“Of course,” Rainbow Dash said.
“Is everypony done chatting?” Trixie impatiently asked. “Twilight Sparkle, you will come to Canterlot to face the Great and Powerful Trixie now! If you are not here in two minutes, Trixie will destroy Canterlot, and she shall not wait a second more!” With that, Trixie cut her spell and the screen returned to static.
With a sigh, Twilight turned to her friends. “Well, I guess I’d better get going,” she said. “The sooner Trixie goes down and the less civilians hurt in the process, the better.”
“Best of luck to you, Twilight,” Rainbow Dash said.
“Thanks,” Twilight replied. “Same to you five.”
“Oh, right,” Rainbow Dash said. “Totally forgot about the Chaos Rangers up there. Let’s go, Harmony Rangers!” With that, the five ponies galloped off.
“I suppose that’s my cue,” Twilight said to herself.
“Good luck, Twilight!” Spike called from the back of the room.
“Gah!” Twilight shouted in surprise. “Sorry, Spike. I forgot you were in this story.”
“Oh,” Spike said. “Well, sorry for startling you Twilight.”
“It’s okay,” Twilight said with a smile. With that, she teleported off to Canterlot, leaving Spike to turn back to his computer and sigh.
“Something the matter, Spike?” Rei asked as he walked up behind the baby dragon. “I mean, I know something’s the matter. I’m writing your emotions, after all.” Realizing he wasn’t helping Spike’s situation, Rei quickly added, “I mean, if you want to talk about it...”
“Oh, it’s nothing,” Spike said with a sigh. “It’s just... I feel like my importance to this story has diminished a lot over the past few chapters. Why aren’t you making me significant anymore?”
Rei chuckled a little and put his hoof on Spike’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, Spike,” the colt said. “I have something planned for you.”
“I’m sure of that,” Spike said. “But is it too much to ask to be at least on par with the others? I mean, just because I’m a dragon doesn’t mean I can’t be a Pony Ranger, right?”
Rei chuckled again and shook his head. “All the title of the story is is a bad pun,” he said. “That’s all I’m going to say, though. I gotta write the bit where Twilight faces Trixie. If you ever wanna talk again... well I’ll write that bit in if I need to.” With that, Rei turned and walked off, leaving Spike to try to figure out how to get the comm system back up after Trixie fried it with her spell.
In Canterlot, Twilight had just teleported in to find that the whole place was overrun with Putty Ponies.
“Uh-oh,” Twilight said to herself. “Then again, no wings, no horns, they shouldn’t be too much trouble.” Twilight then ran behind a building and made sure nopony was around to see her morph. She then summoned her Element of Harmony and placed it on her head. “IT’S MORPHIN’ TIME! ELEMENT OF MAGIC!”
The Putty Ponies who had originally been terrorizing the ponies of Canterlot never knew what hit them. One second, they were executing their distraction for Trixie, and the next, they were blasted in all directions by purple beams of magic. All but one, who was immediately faced with Twilight in her Ranger form.
“Guess who,” Twilight said as she aimed her sword at the Putty’s throat. Twilight then slashed the Putty three times in the shape of a six-point star, then turned around and let it fall to the ground and explode in a fairly ametuer explosion. “Harmony Force, Ranger White,” Twilight said with a smile under her helmet. The white-clad unicorn stood there for a moment before hearing what sounded like applause from nearby. Twilight turned to the source of the applause to find Trixie sitting there, clapping her hooves at the display she just saw.
“Yes, yes,” Trixie sarcastically said as she stood back on all fours. “Very nice. The Great and Powerful Trixie is impressed.”
Twilight put her sword away and turned the rest of her body to face Trixie. “I’m here, Trixie,” Twilight said with an angry expression beneath her helmet. “I take it that means you’ll leave the ponies of Canterlot alone?”
“Provided you can defeat Trixie in combat,” Trixie replied. “But the Great and Powerful Trixie highly doubts that will happen.” With an evil chuckle, Trixie indicated her Alicorn Amulet.
“Cheating or not, you’re dangerous,” Twilight said. “And because of that, I’m taking you down once and for all.”
“Ooh, those are some big words for such a little pony,” Trixie said. “It’s you who are going down today, Twilight Sparkle. You’ve denied me vengeance long enough. It’s time you fell to the great power of the Great and Powerful Trixie!”
“Well why don’t you start on your ‘vengeance’ by closing your great and powerful mouth!” Twilight shouted, charging forward at Trixie. Trixie stood her ground, even as Twilight leapt up to strike Trixie in the face. Right before Twilight’s attack made contact, however, Trixie teleported behind the Ranger and gave Twilight a solid mule kick that knocked Twilight forwards a little. However, Twilight quickly recovered and spun to give Trixie a blast of magic. Trixie easily parried this attack with her own magic, however.
“Tsk tsk tsk,” Trixie said, shaking her head. “You should know by now that the Great and Powerful Trixie has far more power than before, Twilight Sparkle.”
“Well guess what, Trixie,” Twilight said. “So do I.” Twilight then used her magic to summon her sword.
“Pfft. Ametuer,” Trixie said. Then, charging her horn, she touched her hoof to the Alicorn Amulet. She then slowly pulled her hoof away, revealing a long, thin, dark blade that glowed with the same red magic aura as Trixie’s horn and the Alicorn Amulet. “Looks like I have you beat in weaponary as well,” Trixie said with a smirk. “Well. Twilight Sparkle? Give up?”
“Not if innocent lives are on the line,” Twilight said.
“I was hoping you’d say that,” Trixie said with an evil grin. The two unicorns then charged back at each other and locked blades.
Meanwhile in Ponyville, the four Chaos Rangers were causing mayhem for the ponies near the edge of Ponyville. (Oddly enough the edge closest to the Everfree Forest.) They weren’t alone, however. They were, in fact, accompanied by the Diamond Dogs Rover, Fido, and Spot.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Button Mash asked Sweetie Belle as he used his earth powers to smash a small melon stand nearby.
“What do you mean?” Sweetie Belle asked in reply as she washed out a carrot stand. “We do this on a regular basis. Come down to Ponyville, destroy some shopping stands, create some chaos for Discord to feed off of, the usual stuff. Don’t tell me you’re going soft on me.”
“Of course I’m not,” Button Mash quickly replied. That may have been a lie, actually. Button Mash had, indeed, been having second thoughts about becoming a Chaos Ranger recently. That wasn’t what was on his mind, however. What was on his mind was-
“Are you sure having help from those Diamond Dog characters is such a good idea?” Button Mash asked.
Yes, that’s exactly what was on his mind.
“Oh,” Sweetie Belle said. “Yeah, I’m not sure I trust them, either. I mean look at them. The most they can do is scare ponies with how horrible they look. They have about as much magical ability as Gilda had and about that much effectiveness in actually attacking these ponies.”
There was really no evidence to disprove what Sweetie Belle was saying. If the Diamond Dogs had any magical ability, they weren’t showing the slightest bit of it. All they were doing was chasing ponies and overturning food stands.
Meanwhile, Snowdrop and Derpy were having similar doubts about the Diamond Dogs.
“They’re so ineffective, it’s annoying,” Snowdrop said as she blasted a bunch of fleeing ponies with a gust of wind.
“I know,” Derpy replied as she used lightning to blast the roof off of a house. “I swear, if the Harmony Rangers don’t get here soon, I’m going to do their job for them and destroy those Diamond Dogs myself.”
As though on cue (which seems to happen a lot in this story), the Harmony Rangers quickly galloped onto the scene.
“Hay, Chaos Rangers!” Rainbow Dash shouted. “Get ready for a one-way ticket to- SWEET MOTHER OF CELESTIA! WHAT THE HAY ARE THOSE THINGS?”
Quickly, the Diamond Dogs perked up their ears and turned to the Harmony Rangers. “How dare you insult us like that,” Rover shouted. “We are the Diamond Dogs, the greatest gem hunters in all of Equestria and loyal servants to the Great and Powerful Trixie.”
“I should have known the Stuck-up and Arrogant Trixie couldn’t have gotten so powerful without help,” Rainbow Dash said. “Still, Twilight can take care of her. The five of us just have to bother with you three things.” Rainbow Dash and the others then pulled out their Elements of Harmony. “IT’S MORPHIN’ TIME!”
“ELEMENT OF HONESTY!”
“ELEMENT OF KINDNESS!”
“ELEMENT OF LAUGHTER!”
“ELEMENT OF GENEROSITY!”
“ELEMENT OF LOYALTY!”
“Harmony Force, Ranger Blue!”
“Harmony Force, Ranger Yellow!”
“Harmony Force, Ranger Pink!”
“Harmony Force, Ranger Black!”
“Harmony Force, Ranger Red!”
“From all of us together, we fight as one! We protect one another until the battle is done! PONY RANGERS: HARMONY FORCE!” The Harmony Rangers struck a unified pose as an explosion erupted behind them.
“Not a thing ever changes about you Harmony Rangers,” Snowdrop said with an unamused tone. “Chaos Rangers, Diamond Dogs, attack!” With that, the seven villains charged forward at the five heroes.
Sweetie Belle charged forward at Rarity, quickly drawing her sword and trying to attack Rarity with it. However, Rarity back flipped out of the way, landing perfectly about five feet away.
“A preemptive strike?” Rarity asked. “How uncouth of you. Somepony needs to teach you some manners, young filly.” Rarity then raised her hoof up to where it was about level with her chest before her hoof started glowing. “Draw, Harmony Axe!” In a flash of purpleish light, Rarity’s Harmony Axe formed in her hoof.
“Manners, huh?” Sweetie Belle asked, rising her sword a little. “It’s so like you to be so nit-picky with that sort of thing, Rarity.” Sweetie Belle then charged forward to try to strike Rarity again. However, just before Sweetie Belle could make contact with her sword, Rarity blocked the attack with her Axe and knocked the filly backwards. Now it was Rarity’s turn to attack. She charged forward and tried to bring down the full force of her Axe down upon Sweetie Belle. However, Sweetie Belle was able to use her magic to create a shield and defend against this attack. Rarity adapted quickly to this attack, however, and ducked just in time to avoid a blast of magic from Sweetie Belle while at the same time giving the filly a sweep kick that knocked her off her hooves. Sweetie Belle recovered quickly from this attack, however, and brought her sword up just in time to defend against another strike from Rarity’s Harmony Axe. The two sisters struggled blade against blade with each other for the longest time.
“I’ll admit, you’ve improved a little,” Sweetie Belle said with a smirk under her helmet. She then broke her sword away from Rarity’s Axe and struck the off-balance mare with a a solid punch. “But I’ve improved a lot since our last meeting.”
“And what makes you say I haven’t, darling?” Rarity asked in reply.
“How dare you call me that!” Sweetie Belle shouted as she charged forward in renewed rage and continued her onslaught against her older sister.
Meanwhile, Button Mash was going all-out against Applejack. He wasn’t fighting with quite as much rage as Sweetie Belle, but he was still giving Applejack a run for her money.
“I know you could be doing better, farm foal,” Button Mash said.
“You’re ridin’ the bull and askin’ for the horns?” Applejack asked. “Well you best be ready for a ride then, partner.” Applejack then raised her hoof to about level with her chest similarly to how Rarity did. “Draw, Harmony Lance!” Applejack’s hoof then began to glow a bright blue before the Harmony Lance formed in her hoof. Applejack twirled it around with her hoof a little before grabbing it in both hooves and breaking it apart into two sperate blades.
“You think that scares me?” Button Mash asked. He then charged forward at Applejack, his sword at the ready. Button Mash leapt up and tried to give Applejack a downwards slash, but AJ blocked this attack with one of her sabers, using the other to knock Button Mash backwards. However, Button Mash expected this to happen and used his elemental power of earth to hurl a large slab of concrete at Applejack from behind. Applejack was unable to avoid this attack and was hit head-on.
“Now that’s some dirty dancin’ of yours,” Applejack said, getting up and shaking herself off. She recovered just in time to avoid another attack from Button Mash that came in from her blind spot. (Directly to her left. It’s blind because of her visor.) AJ took her opportunity to strike the off-balance evil Ranger with one of her sabers.
“You’re not the most honest pony I’ve ever fought, either,” Button Mash said. He then charged forward at Applejack once again.
While Rarity and AJ had only one evil Ranger each, Rainbow Dash was faced with both Derpy and Snowdrop at the same time. The three pegasi were fighting in midair, and it actually looked like Rainbow Dash was at a disadvantage.
“Twilly’s not here to save your flank this time, Dashie,” Derpy said with an evil grin under her helmet.
“You might be right about that,” Rainbow Dash said as she blocked two simultainious punches from both Derpy and Snowdrop. The prismatic pegasus then flew backwards so that there was about a yard between her and the two evil Rangers. “Still, I don’t need her to take down a couple of low-lifes such as you two. Draw, Harmony Sword!” Rainbow Dash raised her hoof in front of her until her hoof started glowing red. Rainbow Dash threw her hoof to herside and her Harmony Sword materialized in a flash of light.
“You must be really foalish if you think you can handle us both,” Snowdrop said as she and Derpy both raised their own blades.
“Maybe I am,” Rainbow Dash said with a smirk under her helmet. “Just try me.” Dash then charged forward at Snowdrop and Derpy, both of whom readied themselves for Dash’s attack. Derpy was first to try to counter Rainbow Dash’s attack. Right as Rainbow was about to attack, Derpy moved her sword to block the attack, allowing Snowdrop to sneak up behind Rainbow Dash and try to attack her from there. However, Rainbow Dash noticed Snowdrop’s attempt at a sneak attack and quickly kicked the filly away before breaking her sword away from Derpy and knocking the green-clad pegasus away with another well-timed slash.
“Lucky shot, Dashie,” Derpy said as she shook herself off from the attack.
“You’re gonna have to do better than that if you wanna beat us, though,” Snowdrop added.
“Really?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Phew. For a moment there, I was scared you two were actually trying.” Filled with rage, both Derpy and Snowdrop charged at Rainbow Dash once again.
Meanwhile, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy were back on the ground fighting Rover, Fido, and Spot. Oddly enough, the Diamond Dogs were putting up a decent fight.
“I don’t see what’s so special about you ponies,” Rover said as he knoced Fluttershy away. “Trixie made you all out to be very powerful, and yet I’m seeing none of that power.”
Pinkie Pie caught Fluttershy before the shy pegasus could hit the ground. “You’re wrong, Rover,” Pinkie Pie said as she helped Fluttershy back to her hooves.
“Wait, how did you know my name?” Rover asked.
“Just roll with it,” Rei quietly said in Rover’s ear. “I don’t know how she works and I’m the guy writing her life.”
“Very well,” Rover said as Rei disappeared once again. “Now, back to you ponies. What exactly makes you so special?”
“The magic of friendship gives us power,” Fluttershy said. “Even if you try to split us up, we have a special connection that keeps us strong though anything.” Fluttershy and Pinkie then raised their forehooves in front of them.
“Draw, Harmony Bow!”
“Draw, Harmony Daggers!”
In two flashes of light, Pinkie Pie’s Harmony Bow appeared in her hooves while Fluttershy’s Harmony Daggers appeared in hers.
“Your weapons mean nothing to us,” Fido said. “We’ll still crush you little ponies like bugs.”
“You’ll be begging for mercy by the time we’re done with you,” Spot said.
“Not a chance!” Fluttershy shouted. She then charged forward at the Dogs, flashing her Daggers. She first attacked Rover, who was powerless against Fluttershy’s relentless assault. Fido and Spot tried to assist Rover, but they were stopped when Pinkie Pie blasted them back using her Harmony Bow. This gave Fluttershy enough time to knock Rover away and target switch to the other two dogs.
All five of the Rangers battled their respective foes for a long while, and not a single member of either faction seemed willing to falter. It was truly a sight to behold by the ponies who were foalish enough to stick around to watch the fights, not to be excluded from this number were the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
“Look at that Red Harmony Ranger,” Scootaloo said. “Taking on two evil ponies at once can’t be an easy task.”
“And look at Yellow and Pink takin’ it to them varmints,” Applebloom said. “I think the Harmony Rangers’re actually gonna win this battle. What do you think Sweetie Belle?”
Sweetie Bele didn’t respond. Her gaze was fixated on the battle between Harmony Black and Chaos Blue. Her stare was so intense, one would probably mistake it for an indication of Sweetie Belle being in a trance-like state. “Hay, Sweetie Belle,” Scootaloo called to the young unicorn.
“Huh? What?” Sweetie Belle asked, shaking her head.
“Do you think the Harmony Rangers are going to win this battle or not?” Scootaloo asked.
“Oh, um...” Sweetie Belle said. The being she was cloned from didn’t program her to answer such a question without risking blowing her cover. Eventually, the clone’s logic found a suitable answer for Scootaloo’s question. “I’m not sure. The Harmony Rangers had six Rangers fighting four last time. Now it’s five against seven. The odds aren’t exactly in their favor this time.”
Scootaloo and Applebloom exchanged confused expresions for a moment before turning back to Sweetie Belle. “Um, are y’all sure about that?” Applebloom asked. “I mean, we all saw them win hader battles than this, haven’t we?”
“I don’t know,” Sweetie Belle said. “It just doesn’t seem logical. Can we just leave already?”
“Sweetie Belle, are you okay?” Scootaloo asked. “You haven’t been quite yourself lately.”
“I’m fine,” Sweetie Belle insisted. After a slight pause, however, the clone figured out a way to use the situation to her advantage. “Then again, I think I’ve got a little bit of a fever. Maybe we should go so I can get some rest.”
“But you just said you’re fine,” Applebloom said.
“And we’ll miss the battle if we leave now,” Scootaloo added.
“Well... I just don’t want anything bad to happen,” Sweetie Belle said. “You know, like we trip over something and distract one of the Rangers just long enough for their opponent to get an unfair hit on them.”
Scootaloo and Applebloom looked at each other before sighing. “Alright,” Applebloom said. “Let’s get you to bed, Sweetie Belle.”
Sweetie Belle walked away with the other two fillies, able to surpress a devious smile until the other two weren’t looking.
Back at the battle with the Diamond Dogs, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy were actually giving the Diamond Dogs a challenge. The two ponies worked flawlessly together as though they shared one mind. (Or at the very least, *ahem* one voice [actor].) However, Pinkie Pie paused for a moment just in time to spot Zecora walking into the Everfree Forest not too far away. “Now what’s she doing over there?” Pinkie asked herself. She brought herself back to the battle just in time to block an attack from Fido with her Bow. The party pony knocked Fido away with a kick and then kept him back with three arrows she shot at once. She was distracted, however, and unable to turn around fast enough to defend herself from a sneak attack from Spot. However, Fluttershy flew up and knocked Spot away just in time to save Pinkie.
“You alright, Pinkie Pie?” Fluttershy asked.
“I’m fine,” Pinkie said. “Listen, I just spotted Zecora walking into the Everfree Forest. Can you take care of the Diamond Dogs yourself while I go see what that zebra’s up to?”
“No problem,” Fluttershy said before spinning quickly and knocking Rover back with her daggers. “You follow Zecora, and I’ll handle these Dogs.”
“Thanks, Fluttershy,” Pinkie said before hugging Fluttershy. The hug didn’t last long before Pinkie rushed off towards the Everfree Forest, leaving behind a cloud of dust in the shape of a small equine with curly/poofy hair on its mane and tail. Once Pinkie was gone, Fluttershy turned back to the Diamond Dogs.
“No witnesses left,” Fluttershy said with a strange dark tone behind her voice. “Now I can show you Dogs how I really fight.” Under her helmet, Fluttershy licked her lips while she raised her Daggers, causing the Diamond Dogs to gulp nervously.
Meanwhile, Zecora was making her way through the Everfree Forest with a rather calm demeanor. Obviously, she didn’t notice the pink-armored earth pony following her with an unusual amount of stealth.
“What are you up to, Zecora?” Pinkie asked herself quietly. However, the question wasn’t quiet enough as Zecora’s ears quickly perked up when she heard Pinkie’s voice. Pinkie ducked into the bush quickly just before Zecora looked over to where she was. Zecora narrowed her gaze, but continued on anyway.
”It would seem I’m being followed by the one called Pinkie,” Zecora thought to herself. ”Good. She can do the hard part for me.” Zecora then continued walking, allowing Pinkie Pie to follow from a few yards back.
Back in Canterlot, Twilight and Trixie were still going at it, constantly switching between hoof-to-hoof, sword-to-sword, and more often, horn-to-horn.
“Trixie will admit, you are giving the Great and Powerful Trixie a much greater challenge than she expected,” Trixie complemented.
“Um, thanks?” Twilight replied.
“However, you are also starting to bore the Great and Powerful Trixie. She feels this battle needs to come to a conclusion as fast as possible. Unfortunately for you, Twilight Sparkle, that means you must now be destroyed. Trixie has enjoyed playing with you, but now it is time for you to die.” Trixie then drew her dark sword and charged forward at Twilight. Twilight was just barely able to raise her sword to block Trixie’s attack, but the slash wasn’t the end of Trixie’s onslaught. The evil unicorn quickly blasted Twilight right in her visor with a blast of magic, knocking the Pony Ranger back a little. However, Twilight recovered quickly and countered Trixie’s next magical attack with a blast of magic of her own. Trixie took the attack head-on and slid back a little, but she never fell. However, she was vulnerable to another sword-based attack from Twilight. Trixie tried to block this attack with her own sword, but Twilight cast a spell on her own sword before making contact with Trixie’s sword, causing the dark magic Trixie’s blade was made from to shatter, leaving Trixie completely defenseless to a fully-charged slash from Twilight. Trixie was knocked backwards by the attack as a brilliant explosion erupted all around her. Finally, Trixie fell to the ground in defeat.
“Don’t even try to get up, Trixie,” Twilight said. “You got your duel and you’ve been defeated. Now accept that and leave the ponies of Canterlot alone.”
Trixie tried to get up, but all her strength had left her. Whatever spell Twilight used on her sword, it was blocking the Alicorn Amulet’s power. “No...” Trixie said in almost a sob. “I can’t be defeated. I... I’m the Great and Powerful Trixie. I was supposed to destroy you, Twilight Sparkle!” Trixie then began bawling madly, rolling around on the ground, cursing Twilight’s name and begging her Alicorn Amulet to work again.
“Wow...” Twilight said to herself. “Now this is just plain sad.”
Meanwhile, deep in the Everfree Forest, Pinkie Pie had followed Zecora to the castle of the ancient pony sisters where Celestia and Luna once ruled together and where Twilight apparently got her Element of Harmony. “Well that’s a pretty creepy place,” Pinkie said to herself.
“You’re truly one to talk, Pinkie,” Zecora said out loud. “Calling things other than you ‘creepy’.”
“Hay!” Pinkie shouted. “I’m not creepy! I’m strange and un-un-un-un-understandable! There’s a big difference!” Right then, Pinkie realized that she had just blown her non-existent cover. “Oopsie...”
“Once again, I say hi to you, my dear Pinkie Pie,” Zecora said, turning to face Pinkie, who had jumped out from behind the bushes she was hiding in and was now in an offensive position. “I would love to stay and catch up with you some more, but it seems you have some new friends who you probably should not bore.” Zecora then pointed behind Pinkie with an evil grin. The pink-clad earth pony turned around just in time to see a pack of three Timber Wolves about to pounce on her. As much of a threat Zecora was to Equestria, Pinkie Pie found that the Wolves before her posed a more immediate threat... to her. Pinkie quickly drew her Harmony Bow and began fighting the Timber Wolves, leaving Zecora to chuckle evilly to herself before turning back towards the castle and walking into it.
Once Zecora was inside the castle, she looked around the main hall with great intensity. “If the legend is true, then the gem is near,” Zecora thought out loud. “But then where could it be, if not right here?” Zecora kept walking for a little while before coming up to the slab of stone that Twilight had gotten her Element of Harmony from about a week before. “If Celestia put it anywhere, it would be around here.” Zecora looked behind the slab of stone inside of the chamber that once housed the Element of Magic before finding a stone button on the right of the chamber. She pressed it, causing that slab of stone to move and reveal an orange gem that glowed like fire. Zecora then chuckled evilly to herself before saying, “It’s a shame you missed this, Twilight Sparkle my dear.” Zecora then took the gem and held it up to her face. “At last, after all this time, the Phoenix Gem is finally mine!”
“You’re not going to keep that for very long, though,” a familiar voice said from behind Zecora. The evil zebra turned around to find Pinkie Pie standing behind her, hardly damaged from her battle with the Timber Wolves.
“But how is it that you have survived?” Zecora shouted. “By the jaws of those Timber Wolves-”
“I know,” Pinkie said with an obvious grin under her helmet. “But you only think that because you didn’t get to know the Timber Wolves like I did.” Right as Pinkie Pie said this, the three Timber Wolves from before came out and stood around Pinkie, ready to pounce on Zecora. “There’s only one sure-fire way to defeat your enemies, and that’s to make them your friends. Right, Jake?”
“It’s true, Pinkie,” the lead Timber Wolf to Pinkie’s immediate right said. “You know, you’re the first pony to ever try to be our friend. Before, it was all just snarl, snarl, bite, bite. Thanks for showing us friendship.”
“Aww, you’re welcome,” Pinkie replied, giving Jake a brohoof. “You guys can get going if you want. I can take care of Zecora.”
“Alright,” Jake replied. “Catch ya later, Pinkie.” The three Timber Wolves then ran off, leaving Pinkie and Zecora to resume their standoff.
“You think you have me beaten, don’t you Pinkie Pie?” Zecora asked. “But I have more than one plan that I have in mind.” Zecora then raised her hoof in front of her and pressed down on one of her golden rings, causing it to begin glowing. “Your friends are in peril, you should probably go save them. But if you go, you let me get away with the gem. It is your choice, Ranger Pink. A little more complicated than what you would think.”
Pinkie thought about this for a moment before turning and galloping back towards Ponyville.
“She cares much for her friends, just as I thought,” Zecora said with a smile. “Now I need to get back. This gem is really freaking hot!” Then, using the hoof that wasn’t burned, Zecora tapped another one of her rings, teleporting her back to the moon base.
Meanwhile in Canterlot, Twilight was sitting around, waiting around to see how long Trixie would to the “perfect pretty princess finally snapping” act. ”Seriously, how long is she going to do this?” Twilight thought to herself as Trixie continued sobbing.
”When is Zecora going to finish her part?” Trixie thought to herself. ”Twilight Sparkle won’t be falling for this act for much longer.” Just then, Trixie received Zecora’s OK signal from a communicator she had kept hidden. ”Finally,” Trixie thought to herself. Then, when Twilight was no longer paying attention, Trixie instantly stopped her fake crying and blasted Twilight back with a fully-charged blast of magic. The sudden attack caught Twilight off-guard and the Ranger was knocked back about ten feet.
“What?” Twilight asked in shock as she got up. “But I disabled the Alicorn Amulet and you were bawling your flank off in defeat!”
“Has Twilight Sparkle never heard of a little skill called ‘acting’?” Trixie asked, wiping her fake tears from her eyes. “In all honesty, though, Trixie is surprised you fell for her act as long as you did. Now you shall pay the price for not finishing me when you had the chance. Powers of the moon, the Great and Powerful Trixie summons you to increase her power ten-fold!” Trixie then fired a massive ball of magic energy directly upwards, only to have it come back down and land directly on her. Her whole body crackled with the energy for a moment before it suddenly grew to about 30 stories tall. “Now, Twilight Sparkle, you shall feel the full might of the Great and Powerful Trixie!”
“Now this, I really should have seen coming,” Twilight thought out loud. “Doesn’t mean I’m not prepared for this, though.” Twilight then began charging her horn with energy. “White Tiger Zord, I summon you!”
When Twilight said this, she cast her spell that caused her White Tiger Zord to awaken from its hangar deep in the Everfree Forest and start rushing towards where Trixie was. Twilight then teleported into her zord.
“White Tiger Battlezord, morph!” Twilight shouted as she slammed a button on her console. The White Tiger Zord then leapt up and shifted it form in mid-air until it landed in front of Trixie in the form of the White Tiger Battlezord.
“Do you really think that scares me, Twilight Sparkle?” Trixie asked. “I’ll turn your zord to scrap metal and grind your body to dust!”
“Violent much?” Twilight asked before charging forward at Trixie.
Meanwhile back in Ponyville, the Harmony Rangers were actually managing to beat back the Chaos Rangers and the Diamond Dogs. After battling for almost an hour, both factions had regrouped with their own teammates.
“You Harmony Rangers surprise me,” Snowdrop said. “Never would I have thought you’d become so powerful that you’d actually be able to fight us for this long.”
“Um, thanks?” Rainbow Dash said as more of a question.
“But alas,” Snowdrop continued, “I fear our battle has fulfilled its purpose already.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“You really are clueless, aren’t you Dashie?” Derpy said with a chuckle. “Did you really think we’d come down here after a full week’s delay without having a larger plan in motion?”
“Yeah, we already figured out the part where Trixie and Twilight duel on their own,” Applejack said. This only caused Snowdrop to chuckle.
“Oh, if only you Harmony Rangers knew what was heading your way,” the filly said.
Right as Snowdrop said this, the Chaos Rangers and Diamond Dogs were blasted by a storm of energy arrows fired from Pinkie’s Harmony Bow. “Sorry I’m late guys,” Pinkie said as she galloped up to her friends’ side. “What’d I miss?”
“We were about to leave, actually,” Rover said. “We have wasted far too much time here as it is.”
“Excuse me?” Snowdrop said as she turned around to face the three dogs. “Are my ears clogged or did I hear you say you were retreating? How dare you disrespect Discord in this way!”
“We do not serve Discord,” Fido said. “This is not our battle, so we are leaving.” The three dogs then turned and left.
Snowdrop was furious, but Sweetie Belle stepped up and stopped her. “Let them go,” Sweetie Belle said. “They’re cowards. They don’t deserve to serve under Discord.”
Snowdrop growled angrily, but finally gave up and breathed a defeated sigh. “Very well,” she said. “Besides, with the Diamond Dogs out of the way, we get the Harmony Rangers to ourselves.”
“That’s fine by me,” Rainbow Dash said. All nine Rangers then raised their hooves to the sky.
“We need Dinozord power now!”
“We need Chaos Zord power now!”
All the Rangers’ zords charged into battle at each other from opposite directions and all instantly formed their respective Megazords.
“Harmony Megazord, ready!”
“Chaos Megazord, ready!”
“Dragon Battlezord, ready!”
All three of the zords then drew their weapons and charged at each other. The Harmony Megazord tried to strike the Chaos Megazord, but the Chaos Rangers blocked this attack, allowing the Derpy to move in and try to get in an attack of her own. However, the Harmony Rangers were able to knock away the Dragon Battlezord with a well-timed kick and at the same time break their sword away from the Chaos Megazord and get in another strike, knocking the Chaos Megazord back as well.
“You Harmony Rangers have gotten stronger,” Snowdrop said over comm as the Chaos Megazord recovered.
“You still can’t beat the both of us, though,” Derpy said.
“Just watch us,” Rainbow Dash said. The Harmony Megazord then leapt up in the air and drop kicked the Dragon Battlezord, catching Derpy off guard as she thought their first target would be the Chaos Rangers. Then, as the Harmony Megazord recovered, they knocked the Chaos Megazord back with a spin kick followed by yet another slash from the Power Sword. Derpy tried to strike the Harmony Megazord from behind, but the Harmony Rangers turned around just in time to parry Derpy’s attack. The Harmony Rangers then suddenly broke their sword away from Derpy’s spear and ducked low. Derpy was confused at this change in tactics for just a brief second before the Chaos Rangers accidentally hit her zord with a powerful slash that was originally meant for the back of the Harmony Megazord. The Dragon Battlezord was knocked backwards and hit the ground hard, out of comission. The Harmony Rangers then turned to the Chaos Rangers and aimed their Power Sword at the villains.
“Looks like Team Discord is two-zip,” Rainbow Dash said. “Looking to make it a clean sweep for us this time around?”
Snowdrop growled under her helmet. “Very well,” the filly finally said. “You Harmony Rangers win this round, but when our plan unfolds, all of you will be on your knees begging for mercy!” Snowdrop then teleported herself, her Rangers, and their zords away.
“My little ponies, victory is ours,” Rainbow Dash said triumphantly.
“But wait a second,” Fluttershy said. “What happened to Twilight?”
While the Harmony and Chaos Rangers were duking it out near Ponyville, Twilight and Trixie were still fighting zord-to-oversized-magician.
“Give up, Twilight Sparkle!” Trixie shouted as she bombarded the White Tiger Battlezord with blast after blast of magic. “The Great and Powerful Trixie has far more power now than ever before. Concede, and Trixie make your death quick and generally painless.”
“Not a chance, Trixie!” Twilight shouted. She then used her magic to cast a deflection spell that knocked one of Trixie’s blasts of energy back at the evil magician, stunning her. Twilight then charged forward and struck Trixie with her zord’s blade, knocking Trixie back further.
“You will regret that, Twilight Sparkle,” Trixie said as she drew her own blade. She then charged forward and tried to strike the White Tiger Zord. However, Twilight managed to block this attack and counter with an uppercut with her zord’s left arm, knocking Trixie back further.
“Give up now, Trixie,” Twilight said as she aimed her zord’s blade at the downed magician. As per Twilight’s expectations, however, Trixie got right back up.
“You cannot defeat the Great and Powerful Trixie,” the evil magician said. “You’re a foal if you think you ever had a chance to begin with. Now you shall suffer my full wrath!” Trixie then fired what she thought was a fully charged blast of magic at the White Tiger Battlezord. However, the attack barely did any damage at all, despite the fact that Twilight made no effort to block it. “What? How can this be? With the Alicorn Amulet, that should have-”
“Looking for something?” Twilight asked. Her zord then reached out its hand to reveal that it was holding the Alicorn Amulet. Trixie gasped in shock as she looked down and finally realized that Twilight had truly stolen it.
“But that’s impossible!” Trixie shouted, taking a few steps back. “I’m the only one who can remove the Alicorn Amulet!”
“That’s true,” Twilight replied. “Do you remember that spell I used earlier in Canterlot that disabled your Amulet and made you cry like a little filly? Well apparently, that spell disables its magic entirely, allowing me to yank it off your neck as though it were a Band-Aid.”
“No!” Trixie shouted. “You have cheated, Twilight Sparkle! This is not the duel the Great and Powerful Trixie wanted from you! Trixie was supposed to be the one to defeat you!”
“Sorry Trixie,” Twilight said. “But look at it this way: you got your duel and, if I hadn’t ‘cheated’, odds are you would have won. So when you think about it, you are stronger than I am. I’m just smarter.” Twilight then started pressing several buttons on her console while at the same time charging her horn with energy. “Now, Trixie, you’re time is up. You’re a danger to Equestria, and for that you must fall. POWER OF HARMONY, MAGIC STRIKE!” The White Tiger Battlezord then raised its sword, charging it with powerful magical energy.
“You may have won this battle, Twilight Sparkle,” Trixie said. “But mark the words of the Great and Powerful Trixie. Someday, she will return, and she will have the duel you have denied her thrice already! This I promise you!”
“Do you Pinkie Promise?” Twilight asked with a smirk.
“What?” Trixie asked, in confusion.
“Time’s up. FINAL STRIKE!” The Tiger Battlezord then brought its sword down upon Trixie, knocking her backwards and causing her body to crackle with energy.
“Mark my words, Twilight Sparkle,” Trixie said as she tried to get up. “Someday, you shall pay for this!!!!!!” Trixie then fell to the ground and exploded in a brilliant fireball.
“Maybe someday I will...” Twilight said to herself as she gazed upon the fireball that was once Trixie. “But today, Equestria is safe, and that’s all that matters.” Just then, Twilight’s comm went off.
“Twilight?” Rainbow Dash’s voice called from the other end. “Are you there?”
“I’m here, Rainbow Dash,” Twilight replied. “How are things going back home?”
“We just drove out the Chaos Rangers,” Dash replied. “The Diamond Dogs chickened out and left before things got serious.”
“That’s good news,” Twilight said. “I just now finished off Trixie. She won’t be bothering us any longer.”
“Finally,” Rei said from Rainbow Dash’s end of the comm. “She was annoying to even write. Thanks for getting rid of her for me, Twilight.”
“Okay...” Rainbow Dash said. “Anyway, let’s all get back to the library. I’m sure Princess Celestia and Spike will be happy to hear the good news.”
“I must say, that was actually a rather successful attack for once,” Disocrd said to the Chaos Rangers as they returned. “Not only have we finally gotten rid of Trixie, but Zecora was able to complete her end of the plan.” Discord then turned to Zecora, who was studying the Phoenix Gem in the back of the room. “At long last, we have the key to the destruction of the Pony Rangers!”
“Wait,” Sweetie Belle said. “I’ll still be able to destroy Rarity myself, right?”
“And Dashie’s still mine?” Derpy asked.
“Yes,” Discord replied. “You can all follow through on your personal vendettas. Just as long as you four can keep the Pony Rangers occupied long enough to keep them from getting suspicious of our plans.”
“Will do,” Snowdrop replied. The four were then dismissed by Discord.
As the four evil Rangers walked away, Derpy happened to pass by Alan the manticore who hadn’t been mentioned in several chapters. “Better watch your back,” Derpy said to him. “With Trixie gone, you’re next on the chopping block.”
“Don’t be so sure, pony,” Alan said angrily as Derpy walked away.
Meanwhile on the other side of the base, Discord walked over to where Zecora was working on the Phoenix Gem. “Is everything ready for the plan to move forward?” he asked.
“Our evil energy, the Gem is trying to reject,” Zecora replied. She then turned to her monitor, which had a view of the basement room of Golden Oaks Library. “However, I believe I have found a useable subject.”
Discord walked over and looked at the monitor. “Yes...” he said with an evil grin. “He may prove useful for moving our plan forward. Once the Phoenix Gem is ready, we shall use his own lust for power against his friends.” Discord cackled wickedly as the baby dragon on the monitor greeted his friends.
“So how did your battles go?” Spike asked as the Rangers walked in.
“Well, we won’t be hearing from the Great and Talkative Trixie anymore,” Rainbow Dash said. “Thanks to Twilight here, we can check Trixie off the list of annoying villains that need beating the hay out of.”
“We shouldn’t get too comfortalbe, Dash,” Twilight said. “We’ve only downed three villains, and they were all Nightmare’s old minions. If we want a chance at beating Discord, we need to focus our fire on the Chaos Rangers.”
“You seem unusually pesemistic, my student,” Princess Celestia said as she appeared on the monitor. “The six of you are that much closer to completing your goal. As a wise pony once said, ‘It’s not the destination that counts, it’s the journey you take with your friends.’ Wait, is that right?”
“I’m not sure,” Rei said, appearing next to Celestia on the screen. “I could go back and check if you want me to.”
“That sounds like a good idea,” Celestia replied. Rei then nodded and disappeared.
“The Princess has a point, Twi,” Applejack said. “We won today. Who’s to say we’re gonna win tomorrow also? We should celebrate.”
“I know what we can do!” Pinkie suddenly said. “I don’t think you’ve been to Sugarcube Corner once throughout this entire story, Twilight. You should come with us and have a party.”
Twilight sighed and looked up at Pinkie. “Sure,” Twilight said. “I guess a cupcake or two couldn’t- WHAA!” Before Twilight could react, she was swept off her hooves by Pinkie and was rushed to Sugarcube Corner at Pinkie-speed gallop. The others looked at each other, shrugged at Pinkie’s antics, then galloped after the party pony.
“I guess I’ll just stay here?” Spike called out to the mares. They were already gone, however, so he just gave an annoyed huff and went back to work at the console.
Next time...
“The time has come for the fifth Chaos Ranger to rise.”
“I guess they have been neglecting me lately...”
“Were we just blasted back by a snake made of fire?”
“There’s no way they could have a dragon on their side!”
“Sorry, Harmony Rangers, but this is your final day.”
“Spike... is that you?”
次回、 「Dragon's Greed] あ楽しみに！ [Next time: “Dragon’s Greed (Phoenix Ranger part 1)” Enjoy!]