//------------------------------// // Want it, Need it // Story: Rainbow Sentai Harmonyranger // by Xero Key //------------------------------// Want it, Need it: by Xero Key “For the last few weeks the city of Canterlot, California has seen monsters and creatures straight out of Japan…” “Exactly who is responsible for these giant monsters is still unknown, but not the fighters who have defeated them time and time again…” “The indie band called the Rainbooms, a group cited in numerous strange incidents around the city, have been implicated as these new ‘Power Rangers.’ … “Both Saban and Toei have made statements that they have no intention to sue the group for copyright infringement, but have offered for likeness… “Why are we letting teenage girls handle this? The military and it alone should deal with situations like this!” A man says. “And girls can’t be superheroes?” One of his opponents in the debate asks. “This ain’t about heroes, it’s about…" “…Setting an example for our children.” The lead female speaker at a rally proclaims. “Soon children will rush into danger instead of letting the proper authorities handle things. This is the decline…” Sunset Shimmer turns off the main viewer in the Command Center and holds her head in her hands. Vinyl Scratch looks to her and smirks. “Well, at least we can say we matter.” Sunset lets her head slam into the desk and groans in response. Power Rangers Meanwhile at the newly refurbished Canterlot Youth Center, the subjects of debate are being crowded by fans asking for autographs. It wasn’t until Donut Joe, the center’s manager, forced the fans to either buy something or leave that the Rangers were given some peace and quiet. “Geez. They nearly ruined my jacket.” Rainbow Dash said, now sporting a red sleeveless hoodie left unzipped, and red bicycle pants. Since their first time using their morphers, the Rangers have felt an un-ignorable itch to wear their Ranger colors constantly. “You, complaining about your clothes? Now I’ve seen everything.” Applejack, the Green Ranger said. She now wears a pair of jeans, cowboy boots, her signature Stetson, and a green flannel shirt. “There is nothing wrong with having good taste Applejack. I think you dress in quite the style, oh fearless leader.” Rarity, the Blue Ranger said. Rainbow just groaned and slumped into her seat. Rarity was the least effected by the ‘Color OCD’ as Vinyl Scratch coined it, just wearing a dark blue skirt and pale blue top, not unlike her previous outfit. “Style nothing. I spent forever getting enough Pink that didn’t clash with my skin and hair! Do you have any idea how expensive it was? Do you!? I wasted two month’s pay! And now I look like Little Mac, the boxer not a tiny farmer.” Pinkie Pie ranted, and she did indeed look like said boxer by currently being dressed in a pink sweat hoodie and matching bottoms. “Oh it’s not so bad I think” Fluttershy, the Yellow Ranger, said. “I actually like my new collection of yellow sundresses.” “Um…Excuse me.” The Rangers turn towards the voice. A little girl is holding a crudely wrapped present in her arms. “I want to give this to you, for saving me a few days ago.” The girl was smiling up to her golden eyes. She placed the present on the table then ran off to a woman in a post officer’s uniform. The Rangers are stunned by the scene and look towards the gift they were given. Pinkie Pie gently unwrapped it, after all a trap disguised as a gift wouldn’t be unexpected, but fortunately it wasn’t. In side were clay pendants like a child would make in art class, crude but beautiful in their simplicity. There were five, each with the Ranger’s personal symbol and a colored string. “Well…it’s sweet…at least.” Rarity said holding hers up by a single finger, as if it was unwanted. “No kidding. If the band fails, we might be able to live of being heroes.” Rainbow Dash said, proudly wearing her pendant. She was then promptly slapped upside the head by Applejack’s hat. This scene played out in a pool of water on a raised platform in the ruined castle. “Hey, this gives me an idea!” Sonata Dusk said. Her sister were not thrilled and glared at her but said nothing for fear of reprisal from their master. “Oh? Do speak Sonata.” Nightmare Moon commanded. “Well, what if we made them get gifts for being heroes. Then they’ll get greedy and fight over favors…Ooh Ooh. Better idea, make the pendants they have make them want to get favors!” Adagio and Aria were slack jawed, that was actually a good plan. Nightmare Moon smiled. “Excellent suggestion Sonata. That should the little Thief’s pets busy for some time. If they are destroyed or destroy each other, all the better. But if not, I will be able to gauge how much of a threat they are.” Nightmare walked over to the pool and placed the tip of her scythe into it causing ripples to shimmer, before focusing on a split image of the Ranger’s gifts. “Gratitude, given freely, be the start of something greedy. Let the whims of those without need, now in action plant my seed!” A dark laugh came from Nightmare while back in the Youth Center, the Rangers shuddered in sudden cold, not noticing a black aura that surrounded their pendants briefly before vanishing. The next day at Canterlot High Sunset Shimmer walks into school expecting a barely average day without a major monster attack, and instead finds herself in a version of Orwell’s 1984. All over the walls and lockers were posters bearing the images of her friends with the caption ‘GIVE’ stylized on the bottom. “I’m starting to regret making those morphers.” She said before following the sound of shouting to the cafeteria. Inside she found her friends at separate tables…that they had converted into thrones. Each throne had a group of students lined up in front of them with the Rangers looking down on them, Morphed but helmets off and in near reach. The students appeared to be groveling and giving up items, some as little as lint, before the Rangers shove them away for the next in line. The only one not submitting is Vinyl Scratch, who is waiting by the door. “Vinyl, how long has this been going on? It’s only..” Sunset checks her watch. “8:45, classes haven’t even begun.” “I’m going to say it started last night but this,” she gestured to the Game of Thrones reenactment with less death. “This started pretty much as soon as they walked in. It started with a protection racket, then they just jumped people. I arrived the same moment my phone’s ‘Morph Alert’ went off and the Queens of the School took your old title as Queen B…” “Thank you Vinyl.” Sunset face palmed before looking over her friends. She noticed the one commonality between them was the pendant they were each wearing. “We need to get those things off them, they are what’s causing this.” “How can you tell?” Vinyl asked. Sunset merely gestured to Rarity who was cuddling with the pendant saying ‘My Prescioussss.’ “Oh. Yeah, they gotta go.” “Vinyl, the remote.” Vinyl reached into her bag and pulled out what appeared to be the remote from the movie Click. Sunset took it from her and pointed it at her friends, then pressed the power button. The Rangers on the thrones suddenly seized up as if hit by a Taser, and their uniforms and helmets vanished. They collapsed off their thrones and onto the cafeteria floor. Rainbow Dash looked up and saw Sunset with the remote. “What the…? You can turn us off?” Sunset merely raised an eyebrow. “I turned into a raging she-demon using a mystical item meant to channel the power of Friendship. You really think I wouldn’t install an off switch into something I built with the same risk.” Sunset walked over to the still kneeling teens. “Now give me those pendants and I’ll turn the morphers back on.” “No way José. We earned these and all this too.” Applejack says as she waves her arm around the room, indicating the thrones full of stuff taken from their fellow students. “And you ain’t done nothin’ to get them, so NO!” Sunset just gave them a deadpan stare. “So besides the fact I designed the morphers, gave them to you, and have guided you through every fight you’ve had, so you wouldn’t have any of it without me…You’re acting insane and most likely under a spell. So, Hand Them Over!” Sunset lunged at Fluttershy, who struggles fairly well, but Sunset was able to remove the pendant from her, which was promptly stolen by Pinkie Pie. “Mine!” This quickly escalated into a brawl between the Rangers over all of the pendants, culminating in Rarity becoming victorious. “At last! Rarity Rules!” She laughed, now wearing all five pendants. Sunset looked on in awe as…Rarity proceeded to dance around. “I’ve got the lovelies! I’ve got the lovelies!” Sunset hit a different button on the remote causing a shock to emanate from Rarity’s morpher, tripping up her dancing and causing her to fall to the ground. Sunset then removed the pendants and held them in her hand as she berated the Rangers. “You are supposed to be Power Rangers, a group dedicated to Friendship and Harmony! You can’t just do things, especially super heroics, and expect gifts. Even ones…so…pretty…” Sunset’s eyes began to focus on the pendants, as if witnessing the most beautiful sight. Some part of her recognized the magic effecting her mind and snapped her out of it. She then threw the pendants to the ground before raising her foot to crush them. Suddenly they burst into black smoke which quickly filled the room. When the smoke cleared, a hand was holding up Sunset’s foot before it threw her back. The hand was attached to a monster that looked like a gothic version of a Holiday present. “Oh come on! I almost had them too!” The monster cried in a whiny voice, tears actually coming from its lid. “And who the heck are you?” Rainbow Dash asked. “I’m Gift Box! And now I have to do this the old fashioned way! Terrorvons!” Terrorvons appeared at its command. “Attack!” Sunset pressed the power button on the remote again, and a tone rang out from the morphers. “Deal with the monster right now, we’ll deal with the greed issue later.” The Rangers nodded and ran out to the football field, Gift Box and the Terrorvons following. “Right, come on you annoyances.” Rarity spat at the other Rangers. “It’s Morphin’ Time!” And together they shouted “Power Rangers! Harmonize!” A blue light pulsed from Rarity’s Morpher as her body was covered in a white-blue glow, leaving her head exposed. Appearing behind her was an expansive ocean and streams of water struck her limbs as she danced over the surface. A wave of water crashed into her head as a loud neigh was heard, causing her helmet to appear. A ripple pulsed from beneath her as she posed like a dancer awaiting applause. A pink light pulsed from Pinkie’s Morpher as her body was covered in a white-pink glow, leaving her head and over the top smile exposed. Appearing behind her was the tops of clouds in which she cartwheeled a bounced around, causing tufts to fly off her and create her uniform. She stuck her head in a cloud and pulled it out as a loud neigh was heard, causing her helmet to appear. She then posed with her hands stretched out as if saying ‘don’t talk to me’ to two people. A green light pulsed from Applejack’s Morpher as her body was covered in a white-green glow, leaving her head exposed. Appearing behind was a desert canyon and rocks and pebbles landed on her limbs as she stomped and punched. A boulder landed on her head as a loud neigh was heard. With a final stomp, she posed in a boozing stance. A red light pulsed out of Rainbow’s Morpher as her body was covered in a white-red glow, leaving her head exposed. Appearing behind her was a thunderstorm and lighting stuck each of her limbs as she punched and kicked, creating her uniform. A final bolt struck her head at the same time a loud neigh was heard, causing her helmet to appear. Streaks of electricity jolted between he fingers as she posed as she had just finished a guitar solo. A yellow light pulsed from Fluttershy’s Morpher as her body was covered in a white-yellow glow, leaving her head exposed. Appearing behind her was a field of flowers and petals landed on each of her limbs as she spun around. A final burst of petals encircled he head as a loud neigh was heard, causing her helmet to appear. Flower petals flew about her as she posed similar to a ballerina. Rainbow slapped her chest. “Element of Loyalty: Red Harmony Ranger!” She called as she posed like she had finished her morphing sequence. A cloud of red smoke exploded behind her. Applejack mimicked her. “Element of Honesty: Green Harmony Ranger!” She posed in a boxing stance and green smoke exploded behind her. “Element of Generosity: Blue Harmony Ranger!” Rarity said. She posed and blue smoke appeared behind her. “Element of Laughter: Pink Harmony Ranger!” Pinkie posed and pink smoke appeared behind her. “E-Element of K-Kindness: Y-Yellow Harmony Ranger?” Fluttershy squeaked as the yellow smoke exploded behind her and covered her head in fear. Rainbow and the others then posed together with arms in a V shape crying out “Harmony Rangers!” as an explosion of fire appeared behind them. The villains watching in their pool looked on in confusion. “Aria?” “Yes, My Queen?” “Have they done it again?” “Yes, My Queen.” “Ah. Why aren’t they killed while doing that?” “I have no idea My Queen.” Back with the Rangers, the fight was under way and the Rangers were arguing the entire time over who gets to fight Gift Box, who was currently sitting on a curbside reading a newspaper while the Rangers beat up the Terrorvons and argued. “I’m Red, that means he’s mine as I’m the leader!” “Color don’t make ya a leader! And he’s mine cause my zord makes the body!” “No he’s mine! After all, I looked so much better with him when he was a pendant!” “No, Me! I’m the Fun One!” “I think I should…because…I..s-say so?” Gift Box had finally had enough and opened up his lid and fired lasers from inside his body. “I’m really getting annoyed here! Can we just fight already?” “Fine, let’s Rock and Load!” If Gift Box had eyes they would have widened. “Uh Oh.” Without any Terrorvons to distract the Rangers, their full firepower would go to him, a problem he just realized, which Adagio back in the castle also did and slapped her face with her hand. The Rangers played their weapons like their instruments, Pinkie Pie drumming air and making sound somehow, causing a ball of energy to appear in front of them and launch towards Gift Box. “I just wanted to make you happy with material items!” He cried before exploding. The Rangers shook their heads. “What the..?” “Was I really acting like that?” “So sorry guys.” “Dear me, that was positively ghastly the way I was acting.” “I didn’t know I could be so demanding.” The Rangers apologized to each other and went into a group hug. Nightmare Moon was not amused and raised her scythe above her head with both hands. “Powers of Darkness, heed my command! Grant this Creature a final stand!” The sky above the Rangers turned black as a negative light struck the remains of Gift Box, causing him to grow. Placing a hand to the side of her helmet, Rainbow Dash contacted Vinyl and Sunset. “Guy’s we need the zords now!” Sunset nodded to Vinyl, who inputted a command into her phone. Back at the Command Center, the main computers displayed the zord activation sequence. Within moments the Rangers were in their vehicles. Rarity and Pinkie Pie spun their vehicles so that they were driving backwards into Applejack’s. The fire truck the extended its rear parts and moved its twin blasters forwards, then the motorcycle and tank extended parts of themselves to attach to the truck. The truck then suddenly braked as the two new parts accelerated, lifting the truck into the air in which it turned around and a head popped out of the top of the new torso. The jet and helicopter flipped themselves till they were perpendicular to the ground, and their fronts twisted in on themselves to reveal hands. As the two attached and formed arms, the wings crossed each other over the chest to create a breast plate. The head then glowed as a black helmet and facemask appeared. The Rangers then were teleported into the head with a five person cockpit. As one they shouted “Harmony Megazord!” “How about a present from me to you, for getting in my way!” Gift Box fired lasers once more, staggering the Megazord and pushing them back. In the cockpit, the Rangers were shaken up. “Activating the Rotor Sword.” Fluttershy said. From the yellow arm’s wrist came a single edge blade. The Megazord used it to slash Gift Box, but the monster was barely effected. “Time for the Knee Gun!” Pinkie then caused the pink leg to performing a rising knee kick while firing its cannon. This knocked Gift Box onto the ground, conveniently into a city park with no buildings. “Diamond Pirouette!” Rarity called out and the Megazord started spinning, blue leg out and causing massive damage to Gift Box who went flying. “Water Cannons, Fire!” Applejack commanded and the sides of the Megazord’s torso opened up and blasted Gift Box. “Jet Boost Punch!” Rainbow commanded the red arm to light itself on fire before landing a massive haymaker on Gift Box, knocking him to the ground and stunning him. “Harmony Cannons Ready!” Two massive guns slid onto the Megazord’s shoulders. “Fire!” And rainbow lasers impacted Gift Box, completely destroying him. Nightmare paced her throne room, Aria and Sonata standing to the sides of the throne while Sonata kneeled, crying. “You have failed me Sonata.” The siren didn’t dare look up to her meet her mistress’ gaze. “But, it was not a complete failure.” The other Dazzlings stared in shock at their Queen as Sonata raised her head hopefully. “We may not have destroyed the Rangers, but we have learned their weakness.” Nightmare looked into the pool which was showing Gift Box’s defeat. “They have desires, and those desires will destroy them. Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha!” Back with the Rangers, they had demorphed and were inside Principal Celestia’s office. “I’m not happy girls.” The Rangers did not look up from the floor. “I have allowed your band to be signed and I have allowed you to fight these monsters because I owe you my life.” Celestia leveled the Rangers a glare from behind her folded hands. “But that doesn’t give you a right to extort other students. Detention, seven full days not just school days, Ranger duties are your only excuse. Now get to class.” The Rangers shuffled out of the office, barely acknowledging Sunset Shimmer as she wrote in her magic journal to Princess Twilight in Equestria. Dear Princess Twilight, Sometimes when you do something nice for another person, they give a gift. The problem comes when you start expecting those gifts, even when you have done nothing to deserve them. A true friend is someone who doesn’t expect gifts for anything. Your Friend, Sunset Shimmer