Cracks
"Huh, so that is what happened… "Cadance said, tilting her head a bit as she looked at the somewhat beat up teenagers in front of her that had spread across her couches. Lemon and Indigo sat relatively close to her, and even though a bit bruised didn't seem to have lost any of their energy. Meanwhile, Sunny and Sour had a far more reserved expression, closely hanging on Cadance's every word. And Sugar, Sugar was Sugar, so to speak, not phased in the slightest it seemed.
"Yeah! That other Changeling showed up and started to attack the one we talked with, together with a third one. You think the green one told the truth? His goals sound… Good in a way," Lemon asked, leaning her head back, the thought apparently taking up a lot of her mind at the moment.
"A Changeling? They lie and manipulate, they are shapeshifters after all. It's in their nature. Whatever he told you was just to get ahead," she firmly returned, crossing her arms.
"I’m… I’m not sure… He sounded so… I don’t know… As if it came from his heart… Don’t you think he might be telling the truth… Or that he is right altogether?” Pulling back her head, she looked at the stern principal, an unsure expression on her face.
“Changeling stays Changeling. He still works with them, even if he might think he has noble aspirations, it’s their Hive that has already attacked people all around the city. He is still willing to work with these methods to archive his goal. Just like any other Changeling, he is rotten to the core. Everyone who can sacrifice their morals for something like this is no one who is in the right,” she coldly returned.
“Why? The way you archive your aspirations doesn’t change if you are doing the right thing,” Sugar returned with her usual cold demeanor.
“It does! Only those who tirelessly walk the noble path can truly be called in the right. If you sacrifice your morals and ethics for something like this, you already lost. And a Changeling, any of them, no matter how righteous he might think himself as, is still a Changeling. A part of this rotten Hive,” Cadance returned firmly, almost glaring at Sugar.
“Then, why are we here?” Indigo returned with a confused look. “Every one of us fucked up royally. And that for a long time. Even ever since we got these coins, we still made mistakes. Me with Lightning, Lemon with rushing blindly into battle, Sunny hiding her mistakes from us, Sour with her worries and Sugar...” She looked over to Sugar, a barely viable grimace on her face making her stumble over her words. “Ehhhh, nothing... I guess,” she awkwardly continued, nervously looking over to her.
“But still, we all fucked up with the best intentions, so why can't they be the same? Maybe we can really talk this out? Beats beating the shit out of each other, doesn't it? I mean, we should at least consider it, right?” She looked over to Cadance.
“You are different. You are still children. Children that never had the chance to do better because of those above you that made the decisions. And in the end, you still chose what many would consider right. That's nothing like a Changeling,” she returned, arms still crossed.
“And how do you know that? He sounded like he spoke from the hearth. He seemed to care, far more than you can act! I'm leaning more and more to believing him that he wants to save the world!” Lemon snapped back, glaring lightly at Cadance.
“Because I know the history of the Changelings. I have fought against them for so long. I have seen their cruelty. I know what is to come if they succeed. What has happened until now was just the start. And I won't let that happen, even if you are all too young to understand that!” Cadance voice was starting to grow louder and louder, her expression gradually turning tenser and tenser.
“And you know that history is written by the victors, right? They only tell you what they want you to think. History books are like multiple bands trying to outperform each other, wanting to dominate the room. But they are all playing with the same lyrics, so once you understand that, you can filter out the true rhythm, or at least the closest you will get. That's what history is, you are only listening to one band, the one that sounds the most pleasant for you,” Lemon finally burst out, taking a step towards her principal.
“Ex- Excuse me!?” That was the only answer she got back from her, barely able to contain her heavy breathing, her fist shaking next to her.
“You header me, you believe in the words of your ancestors like they were one-hundred percent true. But what evidence do you have? Sure, the Changelings definitely as a whole have done some terrible shit until now, but that doesn't turn them into irredeemable monsters you can just say are evil. Maybe their new leader actually means it and is just using questionable means to get what she wants because she thinks you and your ancestors are just as evil as you think they are? Maybe talking could solve this? Maybe they even could offer a good argument? Maybe that's why the coins chose us? Because we could bring an end to this?” Lemon continued, her friends looking at her in a mixture of shock and silent contemplation.
“Lemon...” Sunny muttered.
“They ordered to attack children! How can you defend them in any way! They are rotten to the core! Talking with them will bring us nothing! Please, I'm trying to protect you here,” she returned, anger and desperation taking turns as she speaks.
“Protect us? From what? We at least have to try. You know how many conflicts through history could have been avoided if people just talked it out? You know how many people we could save if this works? We owe it to them to at least try. And if it doesn't work, then we at least know we gave them a chance!” Lemon returned without skipping a beat.
“It's... It's just too dangerous. This could be a trap. He could have lulled you into a false sense of security only to beat you later? I don't want to put you in any more danger than necessary!” Cadance was getting more desperate with every word.
“That is a bit late for that, isn't it?” Sugar simply said, steeping next to Lemon. “She is right. We have to at least try. “If this works, we could minimize the danger to everyone, including our-self. Wouldn't that be in your best interest as well then?”
“Right now, I’m trying to protect you and, by extension, everyone who is depending on you and your success! Sometimes being the one who can do something requires hard decisions to be made. Throwing yourself in danger for a minuscule chance is reckless and just puts everyone in danger! The Changelings had their chance long ago, they have given up on a second one the moment they tried to attack anyone in the city!” Cadance’s voice was growing louder, her expression shifting from desperation to a tenser one.
“And who gave you the right to decide that? The coins chose us! If they thought we couldn’t make the right call, they wouldn’t have chosen us in the first place, right? That’s how this works, isn’t it? They think we are good fits! So, why don’t you trust us if they do? We have to try!” Lemon and Cadance were starting to step closer together, a glare forming in the students' eyes that only gro with every passing second.
“Because it’s my legacy and my responsibility to make sure that the Changelings will never rise to power again. My family has sacrificed so much over so many years to ensure they were weakened enough to never be a threat again! And now they are back, ready to maim and murder to their heaths content, not even stopping for children! Children that haven’t seen their cruelty firsthand! Children that haven’t seen enough of the world to see a betrayal coming when it stares them in the face! And as both my family legacy and being your principle, I have a responsibility to protect you! From others and yourself. It pains me enough already that I have to let you fight this on your own, sit on the sidelines, and hope for the best! When I can do something, I will try my hardest to do that, and this here is one such moment! I’ll protect you as best as I can, even if that means to protect you from yourself!” Cadance matched her stare and volume, both now only centimeters apart.
“So that’s what it is! You think we are just some stupid kids, eh!? That only because that,” she took a deep breath, a furious grimace expression etched onto her face. “That woman managed to manipulate us, that you can too? That you can just use us like she did because we can’t think for ourselves? We aren’t kids anymore, we can make our own decisions! And last time something like this happened, it wasn’t the adults who fixed the situation! It also wasn’t fixed by beating the problem into submission! They solved it by talking and listening! They offered a hand! And I know what to do here, or at least attempt this!”
Cadance just stared at her dumbfounded before a dismissive few words left her lips, almost like from an old windup doll: “That didn’t sound like you did when you were here asking for my help.”
In an instant, the room fell silent, Lemons face twisting into one of utter shock only to morph second for second into one of pure anger. Her fists clenched into a fist, starting to shake a bit before merely stating: “I’ll show you!” Every word cut like a knife, her friends staring at the scene in a mixture of confusion and shock.
Cadance own expression quickly started to shift again as well, her eyes widening, her mouth slightly open, unable to respond beyond stuttering: “That… No… That wasn’t what I wanted to say… I…” Lemon wasn’t even listening anymore as she turned around and stomped out of the door. Cadance could only weakly rais her hand and whisper: “I’m sorry…”
The next few seconds felt like hours, as one by one, the other girls followed Lemon until only Sugar remained. She walked over to Cadance and simply stated: “You know, she has a point.” And with that, she began to leave as well. That was the moment her mind began to work again, and with a shake of her head, she started to run after them.
>-------<S>-------<
Meanwhile, deep underground, in the entrails of a familiar cave, with a throne-like object in its center. Atop it sat a woman with long, flowing green hair dressed in a similar colored business dress. Her skin had a pale, almost ashen complexion. A long chitin staff leaned against the throne, a black stone placed atop it. There was a soft smile on her lips, but something was off about it. One couldn’t really put the finger on exactly what it was, but it was there, almost as if it was factory made for someone else and just attached to her.
It wasn’t long until loud footsteps could be heard through the cavern, echoing from wall to wall, coming closer and closer. Moments later, three figures stepped in front of her, each one holding their head in pain in some way. As she looked down at the three, she lowered her hand she had held razed the whole time, a sigh of relief coming from her guests as they began to remove to relax again.
“Mother! I was just about to-“ Pharynx burst out, taking a step forward only to suddenly once again scream out in pain, clutching his head with both hands and fall to his knees.
“I did not ask you to speak just yet,” it came back from the throne, a cold, icy seriousness havening replaced her usually sweet tone.
“Y-Yes, my queen!” He screamed back, gasping for air as the pain subsided once again. Meanwhile, Thorax and the other Changeling had fallen to their knees and were waiting for further orders.
“You all know how complicated our situation is, right? We are not ready to engage the Riders at this point. We already cut it way too close when Monster interfered in our plans that one time. And with the MRG breathing down our necks, it’s even more dangerous to act. We have to lay as low as possible, so they leave this situation to the Rangers. Showing them how strong we really are could bring them back to our city, and if that happens, our chances of succeeding will be minuscule! That’s why I was so shocked to see what was trending on HoofBook today!” Her cold voice carried through the entire cavern, even though she wasn’t louder than usual. Still, it seemed not even the stone above them dared to make any sound as she spoke.
“My Queen, I was ju-“ Once again, Pharynx words were cut off before he could finish them, the muscular man hissing out in pain, his face twisting in pain.
“I wasn’t done yet!” She quickly cut in, lowering her hand after a few seconds again. “I saw you two! Fighting, right in front of the Rangers! What were you thinking?”
“Mother, I was not the on-“ Thorax now raised his voice only to similarly wince in pain as the sensation also came over him. Both brothers were unable to utter another word as the pain continued to grow until suddenly, it once again disappeared without warning.
“I said I wasn’t done. That does also include you, Thorax,” she continued, gripping the black rock on which she sat tightly, a few small pieces breaking off and falling to the ground with an echoey cling. “I expect respect and obedience, and neither of you has shown this to me right now. I do not care for you squabbles, this is bigger than your personal differences. I expect you two to put the Hive first. You understand that?”
“Yes, my Queen,” both returned in unison, still shooting each other an angry look.
“So, what was so unimaginably important that you two decided to fight like children in the middle of the city, where every camera and smartphone can see you? I hope you have a good excuse ready,” she finished, tightening the grip on the stone once again before pushing herself off her seat, her cold glance towering over them.
“Of course, I-“
“I had to, it-“
Both immediately started to speak up, their voices mixing into each other, making their chatter utterly incomprehensible. With a silent sigh, she once again raised her hand, both of her sons falling silent once again.
“One, after the other. My patience has come to an end. If you fail to properly bring forth your case, you will wish to never utter a single word in your life.” Both nodded slowly. “Good. Thorax, you begin. Don’t waste my time.”
“Yes, my Queen. As you wish,” he lowered his head before raising it with a calm and collected look in his eyes. If one looked close enough, one could see a few sweat drops rolling down his forehead. “I… Was using my knowledge of the rangers, their weaknesses, all of what I had gathered over the last few fights to try and let them see reason. I was attempting to show them what we truly desire. A better world. I was hoping to avoid any needless bloodshed.”
Pharynx was about to say something when a single look from his mother shut him up again, a low growl escaping his lips as he stared back at the floor.
“I see. But how does something like this lead to a fight with your brother in a way so unlike you,” she returned without skipping a beat.
Pharynx was trying his hardest to keep his mouth shut, his fist already clenched as his whole body shook, almost unable to keep it together.
“My dear brother over there considered this a betrayal of what we stand for. The thought of allying with the Rangers alone seems to make him violent. He fails to see the value of what subtlety and strategy can bring to the table! If we managed to show he rangers that we can save the planet, we could guarantee a victory on our end. No need to alarm the Riders, no need to chance it with beating them and praying we are fast enough. We could do it all quiet. You understand my Queen? And all of it is potentially ruined thanks to him…” he finished with a low growl as he glared over to Pharynx. “If that is how he chooses to act, there is no place in the new world for him!”
Pharynx was about to jump up and storm at his brother as their mother's voice interrupted both of them. “If he is deserving to see this new world is not for you to decide, but solely for me! Any more attempts to undermining my authority will not be met with far less understanding.” He simply nodded quickly. “Now, that doesn’t mean you are out of trouble already Pharynx. What do you have to say in your defense.”
The muscular man pulled himself away from his brother and turned his eyes towards his mother. With a somewhat shaky voice before growing more and more firm: “We don’t have any need to deal with these pests. We are Changelings, they gained their power from those traitors that abandoned our way so long ago! Even considering to reason with them is a betray to everything we stand for! We show them weakness, they will capitalize on it! We can’t be weak, especially not if we want to change the world. He is a disgrace with his actions to the whole Hive!”
“I see. But what made you think acting on your own here would yield any sort of positive result? If you have concerns regarding your brother's loyalty, you are to discuss them with me,” she returned in a more calm voice. Pharynx nodded slowly. “And taking a Worker with you,” she shot a quick glance over at the Titan-Beetle Changeling, who just nervously bowed at her. “I do not value rash actions without my consent very much.”
“Ye-Yes, my Queen,” he stammered back, his brow furrowing. “I apologize.”
“However, I can see your point of view.” Both brothers immediately looked up, equal parts surprised and shocked. “However, I also see Thorax’s point. Both of you have arguments I can understand. But, here is the difference. Your brother has the authority on this matter. I gave it to him, you act on your own, Pharynx is a direct violation of my orders and authority,” she returned, going from a more calm voice slowly to a low, almost threatening one.
“I- I profusely apologize my Que-“ Once again, he spoke up only to be silenced by the searing pain coursing through him as he clutched his head in pain.
“Enough! All your groveling and apologize mean nothing. The act is done, it will always remain part of who you are. Mistakes like these are not to be forgotten. They are a mark of shame, meant to be eternal reminders to make up for them before you lose all value. I had hoped taking you off your position to take care of the Rangers would have been enough to make you understand that, but it seems I was wrong. If you continue like this, perhaps Thorax was right that there is no place for you in the new world,” she continued matter of factly, only giving him the slightest of glances.
He swallowed hard, words flying through his head before he returned. “I- I will be one worthy of your new world.”
“I hope so. I have high expectations for my sons. And Thorax,” she turned towards her other son, who immediately tensed. “I appreciate your ingenuity, but I doubt this plan of yours will bear fruit, especially after today. They only know the side of the traitors. She has most likely already thoroughly indoctrinated them. You are welcome to try one last time, but I’d advise preparing for the inevitable. If they are unwilling to see reason, we have to do what has to be done. You can’t save someone who doesn’t want to be saved.”
Thorax simply nodded before she continued: “Take this Worker with you as well. It would be a waste to throw away his potential simply because he followed orders. Through, given the recent success of the Rangers, I’d advise preparing more as well. They have grown accustomed to their powers.”
“Th- Thank you, my Queen! You are so merciful!” The Worker quickly added. She gave him a passing look, a light smile on her lips.
“Now, Pharynx. I don’t think you are a good fit to interact with the Rangers right now. This will exclusively become a priority of Thorax while you take over his duty of locating the remaining artifacts that could yield beneficial in our fight.” He simply nodded, avoiding her looks. “Now, what are you all waiting for? You two wasted enough of my time over petty squabbles.”
All three Changelings nodded before standing back up and beginning to leave her sight. While Thorax marched forward with ‘his’ Worker Pharynx growled to himself. The moment he was sure he was out of range from anyone, his fist slammed against the cave wall, a few pieces of it falling to the ground.
“This damn… I’ll show them! I’ll show them what I can do! I’ll find it! I’ll find it and show him who really belongs to her side! It’s all because of him that these mistakes are stuck to me now! But no more! Not a single one more!” With a fiery, green glow in his eyes, he continued onward with a determination in every step.
>-------<S>-------<
“But… I just arrived! I thought I had at least a bit of time here!” A familiar young voice cut through the neighborhood.
Shining Armor sighed before looking over to Timber, who looked at him as if expecting something. “Look, I’d be happy to leave you here. You earned a bit of rest at this point. And I know how much Twilight will be laying into me for this as well, but the called and they want you. The other three are busy right now. Phoenix in Freeport, Ocean has been called to a city in the mountains, and Emerald is in Saddle. It has to be you. That was what you signed up for.”
“I know, I know, but it’s just… I feel kinda torn, ok? I was already in the headspace to just relax for a few days, you know, man? And now I have to tell Twilight I have to go again. She must hate me at this point,” Timber sighed, leaning against the small pillar of the fence they were leaning against.
“No, she doesn’t, she is just…” Shining returned, only to suddenly stop and nervously look around.
“See, she does!” He simply returned, a worried look on his face. “And I can’t blame her at all. I’m never there for her. You know when the last time was we went on a date, almost two months ago! It just fe-“ He continued onwards only to be interrupted from a door suddenly being flung open and a familiar girl storming out. He didn’t even need to look at the source of the sound as Lemon Zest stormed past them quickly, followed by both Sunny and Sour.
Timber looked after them before muttering: “Wait, weren’t these the friends of Twilight?”
“I wouldn’t call them friends,” the older man returned with a small glare on his face.
“Seemed like they were, you old grump,” he weakly chuckled in return when someone suddenly spoke up behind him.
“Timber? What are you doing here?” As he turned around, Indigo stared right at him. “And who is that? Wait, aren’t you Twilights, brother?”
“Oh, I’m just-“ he began before suddenly skittering to a halt and nervously shuffling about, his eyes darting back and forth like mad. “Just… You know…”
“Know what? I’d thought you would hang out with your girlfriend. You got no time here, right? So, what gives? Why aren’t you with Twilight?” She continued, seemingly, not paying much attention to his stuttering. “What is? Cat got your tongue?”
“He is just catching up with a friend, that’s all. Reminding him to be good to my sister. Typical big brother stuff, yes,” Shining joined in, a nervous chuckle on his lips as he rubbed the back of his head.
“Ah, gotcha. Big brother stuff, get it,” she simply nodded before almost rushing off again. “Oh, and Timber. Don’t let big bad, honor student here scare you. I’m gonna be way worse to deal with if you make Twilight unhappy. I did this once and have no intention of someone else doing that! So, see you!” And with this and a light slap on his shoulder mixed with a broad smile, she dashed off.
“Yeah…” Timber simply returned, looking after her with a worried frown. “What was that?”
“Oh, that was Indigo. She has gotten a bit protective recently. Wouldn’t try to make her angry. It ends badly,” Sugar stated, letting both of them spin around once again, just in time to see Cadance run up to them.
“No… She is already gone,” she sighed in defeat.
“Cadance?” Shining asked, confused. “You’re ok?”
“Sh- Shining?” She simply returned. “What are you doing here?” She looked a bit confused, her eyes already darting over his shoulder and where she assumed Lemon had run off to.
“I… I just wanted to eat a few donuts with you,” he stammered back, holding up a brown bag of the pastries. “I had a bit of downtime and, you know… Thought we could make up for the fact that we are both rather… Busy right now.”
“Oh… Oh, I see, it’s just…” She was about to return when she was quickly interrupted by Sugar.
“I doubt Lemon wants to see you right now. I’d advise taking this opportunity,” she got in return, her cold and matter of factly delivery never cutting as deep as it did now. And worst of all, she wasn’t even sure how she meant it.
“Problems?” Shining tried to join in.
“It’s… I might have said some… Rather… Some things I shouldn’t have…” She said while slumping down a bit. Within seconds she felt a hand on her shoulder.
“Happens. Can’t change that now, can you?” Shining smiled down at her, looking straight into her eyes. “And you saw that you did something wrong, right?”
She weakly nodded: “I mean… I’m not sure I was wrong, perse, but… I definitely did it wrong. If I didn’t, she would still be here.”
“I see… Still! You can learn from this. Like I tend to say, just don’t do it again. Accept it as a mistake and learn from it. Through, if it was bad enough for her to run off, you might want to apologize… As soon as she has calmed down again,” he continued with a confident smirk on his lips. “And if you need someone to talk to about this, I’m always open.”
“You tend to say? Strange, heard that from someone else first,” Timber interrupted with a shit-eating grin. Shining merely looked over to him with a deadpan look. It didn’t even take a moment before Timber nervously chuckled and took a step back. “You… You know? I probably, should… You know… Well… Twilights friends are my friends and… I’m gonna help her!” He finally burst out, a few drops of sweat running down his forehead.
“I don’t see any reason why you wou-“ Sugar interrupted him only to be grabbed by her arm and suddenly dragged off. “Nonsense! I’m the best at helping! Totally! The undisputed champion!” It echoed through the streets as the two moved further and further away.
Now it was Cadance’s turn to raise an eyebrow. “I doubt Twilight is thrilled about the idea of you scaring her boyfriend.”
“Eh, the kids used to it. Hard enough to bare it. Coffee? I think you really need a bit of time to relax before you do anything else,” he returned, holding up the small package with donuts.
“I… You’re right. Hopefully, they manage to calm her down a bit. I don’t like the fact that we both got the uncanny ability to let teenagers run away from us…” Cadance finished with a somber chuckle.
>-------<S>-------<
“Stupid Cadance! Thinks we are some dumb kids, but I’ll show her!” Lemon grumbled, kicking a poor tin can in front of her. “I was chosen… Right? The thing has to think I’m the right person for the job, so my plan has to be good…” she continues, pulling her coin out of her pocket and stares at it for a few moments.
It took a few moments before the tin can flew into a trash can, making a bit noise that immediately let her snap her head back up, looking around frantically. When she saw the can again, she let out a loud sigh before taking in her surroundings for the first time. She had somehow managed to stumble in some unfamiliar alleyway. “Great…”
With an annoyed sigh, she slumped against the next best brick wall and groaned: “Damn perfect… And it’s all her fault! What’s wrong with trying to solve a problem without punching it?”
“There is nothing wrong with it. Many just refuse to understand the nuances of a conflict. That is all,” a familiar voice echoed through the alley.
Lemon immediately spun around, staring directly at the familiar face of the man that had approached them earlier. “You!? What do you want? Looking for someone that is easy picking after your trap failed?”
Thorax simply shook his head, and with a sad sigh, he returned: “No, I never had the intention of tricking you. I was sincere with my attempt to solve this without violence. The attack was entirely on a rogue element in the Hive. I know it’s probably hard to believe, but-“
That was as far as he got before a very tense Lemone returned: “Gee, wonder why? You attacked us! How could I trust you now?” She was about to continue on her tirade when she suddenly stopped, an unsure look on her face. “I sound just like her…” she mumbled before shaking her head. “Fine… I’ll believe you... But if I think you are lying to me, we are done here!”
A surprised smile washed over Thorax’s face before bursting out: “Thank you! Thank you so much! I know how much this means.”
“What do you want?” She managed to stammer, still nervously eying him all over.
His excited and happy exterior took a hit, avoiding her looks as he continued: “The actions off… This Changeling have made my attempts to resolve this conflict as peacefully as possible far harder. Our Queen is doubtful you will listen to me now that this has happened.”
“And?” Lemon encountered, slipping her hand into her pocket, tightly grasping her Coin.
“That means that she is afraid that I’m wasting my time here. That your principal already made it impossible for this… That she already made you hate us as much as she does…” Lemon continued to just look at him, her mouth moving a few times, but each time it stopped before any form of coherent sentence could come out. “She gave me one last chance. She thinks we can still resolve this. Will you help us save this world? I know… I originally gave you time to think this over, but my hands are tied here. And sometimes one has to make the hard decisions on a short timeframe. I know it’s sudden, but please believe me. We aim to save this word as much if not more than you, ” Thorax continued, a desperate and pleading look in his eyes.
“Save this world… You mean take it over?” She returned with a frown.
“Yes… We tried to reform the world as is, but… The amount of success can be counted on one hand while new and new problems just kept on pilling up. We can’t expect that people will suddenly fix it… The world is broken beyond repair. Without a big shakeup, we will be stuck in this dystopia where people abuse others for their goals.”
“And that’s why you decide to violently take over the world?” Lemon said, raising an eyebrow.
“I knew you would say that. To break this system, we need to get on top first. Without power, no one will listen to you. That is the wretched curse of this world. You have to take part in it to make a difference!” he almost spat out those last words, his hand clenched into a fist.
“But you are still going to hurt so many people! I have seen that you can do good without hurting others! You just sound like my old principal! All for the goal. Is that really worth it?” She took a step towards him, the nervousness slowly fading, replaced with determination. “You can’t just hurt so many people in the hope of making things up later! Especially if you don’t know if it will even work!”
“And you can’t just defend a system where you have to hope that the one above you won’t abuse his power! That is not a system that works! There are far more people that take advantage of their power than those who give back. I know someone who will give back! Is it so wrong to want to save the world, even if you get to break a few eggs for that? Why can’t you see that? Please, I’m begging you. Give me your coin, and we can save so many people!” Thorax, likewise, took a few steps towards her, his expression utterly desperate.
“A few eggs!? You are talking about people here! They aren’t just some eggs you can talk so easily about! Why do you think you can make a difference if you treat them like that?” She was now standing right in front of him, glaring directly into his eyes.
“Yes! I think we can! Our Queen has seen what is wrong with this world, and she knows how to fix it! And if she has to play the villain for a time for it to work, then be it! In the end, it is always the heroes who make the hard calls and don’t think we don’t know what that means!” he barked back, Thorax desperation slowly turning more and more into pure frustration and anger. “Now, either you understand what we are doing, or I’m forced to do something I don’t want to do.”
“Forget it! I gave you a chance! I thought maybe you’d be different, but you are not!” She screamed back, reaching for her Morpher as suddenly a fireball shot straight past her and singed the wall behind her. From behind a large dumpster, the Titan-Bettle Changeling stepped out of the shadows, his fist glowing in a fiery red.
Lemon was about to scream something in his direction as another voice suddenly echoed through the alley, well more of a grunt. It definitely wasn’t Thorax and even stranger, it seemed to come from above. She had just enough time to see a large, white foot come down on her to instinctively jump back. Still, it wasn’t fast enough as she was thrown back, just barely avoiding the attack and laned on her ass a small distance away from the second opponent.
In front of her stood a massive figure, clad in white chitin and a distinctly long, familiar horn. “You!?” She shouted out, quickly activating her Morpher, all while scrambling backward, eyes fixated on the Hercules-Beetle Changeling.
“Yes! Me!” He simply growled as he pushed his muscular body off the ground, and out of the small impact crater, his weight had created. “Missed me? This time, I’m going to crush you!”
He was just about to lunge forward again as his head slightly twisted upward, sparked by the sounds of footsteps. As he looked up, it was only a second before his face was meat with the sole of a boot. Completely caught off guard, he stumbled backward as the newcomer landed next to her.
“Hands off!” He stated, carefully eying the two monsters. That was when Lemon recognized him; it was Timber! And just a moment later, she noticed something else, a silver belt reaching around his waist, complete with a red crystal inside his equally silver belt buckle. “You’re ok?” He asked, looking over to her before his eyes suddenly darted to her Morpher.
“Hey! I know what that is!” Both blurted out simultaneously, pointing at each other.
“You are a Kamen Rider!”
“You are a Power Ranger!”
Both just stared dumbfounded at each other, mouths open and wide-eyed expressions on their face.
They would probably have stood there for far longer if it wasn’t for the gruff voice of the Changeling who had just been so rudely kicked away by Timber. “Ranger, Rider, it doesn’t matter! I’m going to crush both of you!”
That was seemingly enough to get Lemon back to reality. Shaking her head for a moment, she pushed herself back up, clapped Timber’s shoulder, and with a broad smile, chuckled: “Oh, right. Monster first, talk later. Right? Right!” With that, she took a firm stance, pulled out her Shadow Coin, and looked over to him expectingly.
“Right?” He muttered, confused before it finally clicked. “R-Right!” He suddenly blurted out, blushing a bit when everything finally rushed back in, taking a similar stance to Lemon, crossing his arms in front of him.
“Light up!”
“Henshin!”
[Re-Re-Red!]
[Shine Bright! Red!]
While Lemon once again was consumed in the shadows that manifested her suit, Timber had erupted into a bright green light that, when it faded, revealed him in some sort of armor. It was primarily a dark green undersuit with dark green-blue armor plates layered on top of it. Silver veins seemed to run through the armor, and a silver grasshopper bracelet adorned his arm. His face was hidden beneath a grasshopper-like mask with red glowing eyes and a red scarf around his neck.
The Hercules Changeling meanwhile had no patience for this moment; however, and quickly pushed forward, pulling his fist back to deliver a powerful blow to his opponent, his muscles already straining. Timber moved first, ducking weaving in front of Lemon and clenched his fist while pulling it back as well.
The moment both fists collided, everyone in the alley could feel the following shockwave. Trashcans were thrown to the side, papers were blown off the ground, and even the walls groaned under the sudden pressure, struggling to remain intact. Even Thorax had to shield his face from the kicked up wind.
As the dust had settled again, both combatants were still locked fist to fist, seemingly neither of the two willing to relent. But once one looked a bit closer, things changed, while both were still trying to overpower their opponent, one was clearly putting his all into the attack. His muscles strained, his body shaking and slowly but surely he was pushed back until-
With a loud scream, Timber pushed forward, knocking the Changelings back in a stager. To make matters worse for the monster, the Rider quickly followed up with a left hook straight to his stomach. The air was pressed out of his lungs with a loud gasp as he stumbled backward.
“Th- That is the power of a Kamen Rider… No, Kamen Rider Gaia…” Thorax managed to stutter out, still unable to form a coherent sentence as of this point. His thoughts were, however, once again interrupted by a familiar sound.
[Sw-Sw-Sword!]
[Fi-Fi-Fire!]
The Ranger gear screamed out right behind Gaia as suddenly a red hand appeared on his shoulder, and Lemon shot up from behind him, using him as a sort of springboard to catapult herself high into the air. Angling her sword just above her head, she brought the engulfed blade down on the still staggering Changeling. Sparks flew, his screams echoed across the alley as he was knocked back and to the ground, smoke emitting from the still glowing wound.
“Enough!” The second Changeling finally managed to break through his own stupor, both of his fists starting to glow an ominous red as he was about to slam them together. That was, however, not about to come to pass as several expertly aimed bolts of blue light hit him straight in the chest. Landing right in front of him was Sugar, clad in her Ranger suit.
Pressing the end of the gun straight into his chest, she simply stated: “You left yourself open for an attack.” With that, she pulled the trigger, but not without inserting another Coin into its empty slot.
[I-I-Ice!]
Just like his comrade before, the Changeling screamed out in pain and was pushed back, a flower of ice now decorating his chest.
“Oh my goodness, Blue! That was so awesome! Did you see? He just stopped the attack, and the punched him in the stomach! And then I cam down with my fire sword! That was so cool! And then you! With that cool line! I love it!” Lemon hadn’t wasted any time and had dashed over to her friend, gushing and raving at her.
Sugar simply looked over to her and returned: “Yes, I saw. My eyes are in perfect working condition.” After a few seconds of silence, she, however, added: “But thank you. Still, we need to deal with these two.”
“You’re right,” Timber added, stepping next to the two, looking at the growling bug monsters in front of them.
“Retreat!” Thorax burst out, his eyes still utterly fixated on Gaia. “The Riders aren’t our target!” And before anyone else could encounter even a single word, all three of them disappeared in green fire, leaving nothing but an utterly trashed alley behind.
“Uh… Why do they always have to run… Can’t they just make it easy this one time?” Timber groaned.
“Yeah, I totally know what you mean! That’s so annoying! Well, they don’t run that often with us, but…” Lemon joined in, leaning herself on his shoulder and only got a slightly confused head tilt from him.
“I think you owe me an explanation, Lemon…”
So... Yeah, I'm not dead and neither is the story. I just somehow had no drive to really write the last couple of months, but I think I'm gonna try and push forward again.
And as a small bonus, a picture of Kamen Rider Gaia: 
Drawn by Ramen Driver
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Okay... interesting. Granted, I don't know quite yet if I'm fully sold on the argument between Cadance and Lemon. On the one hand, I like the concept behind it (and also too, that it's good that the girls have opinions and questions of their own, they're thinking for themselves) but on the other hand I think Cadance's attitude about the Changelings feels kind of out-of-character. Yes, I know this is a different universe and all, but I also think back to the first Thorax episode - Shining Armor was the really vocally angry one about the idea of a "nice Changeling." I *can* totally see Cadance being suspicious of this story's Thorax and his proposal, but how angry she got about it just didn't quite ring true to me. (On the other hand though, I really liked her bit with Shining and his advice to her. Nicely done.)
That being said, I *really* liked Lemon's confrontation with Thorax and how that turned out. Could definitely use an editing pass though. But I really did like the way you were able to handle Thorax's gradual shift from reasonable to frustrated and ultimately angry. Goes to show that he's ultimately a villain in this story, even if he's done a better job of dressing it up than, say, Pharynx. XD
Also, Timber Spruce the Kamen Rider. hehe. Didn't expect that, or that he and Sugarcoat and Lemon would learn the truth. Oh boy...
And once more... dude, you need an editor. There's plenty of little typos throughout this (most egregious of the bunch is "header" when it was "heard," though there's plenty more bits to weed out, "Lemone," and such) that mess with the flow or impact of some of the sentences, in particular with some bits of dialogue. I would be perfectly happy to offer my services as a proofreader if you're willing.
10204288
I can see the point. It's mostly a mix of that particulate episode/scene and the adjustments I made to her backstory, making her logically even more negative towards Changelings than canon Cadance. I was defiantly trying to find the balance, which was infinitely harder since I pretty much went on break in the middle of that conversation.
That's good to hear. It was an interesting section to write defiantly.
Yeah, that kinda just happened. I had to think of a two-parter in Alchemy that involved Twilight and since I don't dislike the guy I thought, hey, why not use him and that kinda grew a bit, even if he wasn't in the story a lot to the point where I made him into a Rider in the final chapters.
Yeah... While I asked around before I went on break that never went anywhere... Right now I'm mostly worried about bringing anything to paper. But if I actually manage to finish the next two chapters in a timeframe I'm happy with I might come back to that proposal of yours. The offer is defiantly appreciated.
10204463
Ahh, I see. That would be a complicating factor then.
Works for me. Never had much of a problem with him *either* so it's good to see someone do something with him.
My door is always open. :pinkiesmile; Best wishes with those upcoming installments!
10204484
Yeah. And it was kinda born from a desire to not seem him utterly mischaracterized so often... I kinda wanted him to have a win for once.
I'll keep that in mind and thank you.