Lunaverse: Galaxy Rangers - Eternal Night

by Rixizu

Chapter 4

“What the heck!” Two heavies exited the warehouse, finding the massive party that Vinyl had orchestrated in about ten minutes. Ponies piled into the little warehouse district eager for a good time, heads banging to the pulsing music. Vinyl, somehow, had DJ equipment ready, using the main storage area for her center stage. Ponies flocked inside, filling it quickly.

“She formed one this quickly?” Trixie asked, dumbfounded. She’d wanted a loud distraction, but this blew her expectations out of the water.

Greengrass only shrugged. “She has a muzzle for a party.”

“Excuse me!” A heavy said, pushing his way through the thick crowd of party-goers. “You can’t be here!”

“What?” Vinyl yelled back at her station. Bright multicolored light shone behind her, changing color every few seconds while circling around in random directions.

“This is private property!” The guard raised his voice, trying to be heard over the music. “If you don’t leave now, there will be serious consequences!”

“Get off!” Vinyl said. “Leave this sweet abandoned warehouse? Nothing here but rats. Calm down and enjoy the party!”

“This is private property!” The guard lost his temper, and a vein formed on his forehead. He tried pushing ponies away to no avail. His chum helped, but with little success. Vinyl and the party-goers just ignored them.

The second guard threw up his hooves. “What now?”

Before guard one would reply, Trixie tapped him on the shoulder. “Easy, help me infiltrate your secret facility!”

“What? You!” Guard one exclaimed in shock before Trixie delivered a punch to the face, knocking him out cold. Greengrass took care of the second one with surprising efficiency. This earned the crowd’s approval, glad to have the uptight squares gone.

“Keep it up. We’ll call you if there’s any trouble!” Greengrass said, and Vinyl waved with understanding.

“Hold still.” Trixie applied the last of the makeup to Greengrass’s face, coating him with a turquoise color. After completing the final touches, he looked almost exactly like the second guard. “It won’t fool his mother, but it will do.” Trixie’s pocket mirror revealed her own appearance, looking like the first guard. Foam padding increased her bulk, and a fake mustache adorned her face.

After glancing over himself in the mirror, Greengrass nodded in approval. “Yes, this should work nicely. Do you remember the elevator’s code?”

“Like you need to ask,” Trixie remembered the code perfectly, tapping it into the panel after entering the janitor’s closet. The elevator whirled to life, carrying them deep underground. A high-tech facility greeted them as the doors opened, not unlike the one Puissance used when Trixie got kidnapped about a month ago. The place looked huge, with corridors spreading out in several directions.

Here goes nothing. Already Puissance and several other guards moved to challenge them. Thankfully, no sign of Ranger Killers yet. Fisher lagged behind, wearing an amused expression. The old bat wasn’t pleased.

“What is that racket?!” Puissance shouted. Dubtrot music seeped through the ceiling, making dust fall from the ceiling.

“Some DJ has squatted in our warehouse and refuses to leave. Whole party and everything.” As Trixie expected, Puissance didn’t even glance at her, breaking into an irate rant.

“Get rid of them. What do I pay you ponies for?!”

“There’s too many of them,” Trixie said, keeping her manner calm and professional.

“Forcing them out might draw too much attention,” Greengrass said, improvising. “They’ll leave soon enough.”

“Whatever. Keep the rabble out of the facility. We can’t afford any interruptions.” Puissance stomped off without another word. Fisher lingered for a moment. Trixie shifted uncomfortably under his gaze, getting the distinct impression that the ex-archduke saw right through her disguise. Instead of raising the alarm, he only smiled, trotting after the old hag. What game was he playing?

“They’ve seemed to have forgotten about us,” Greengrass said.

“Let’s take advantage of it while we can,” Trixie said, traveling further into the facility.

After a quick costume change, they appeared like the multitude of random scientists that roamed the facility. By acting like they belonged there, nopony even glanced at them. It impressed Trixie how well Greengrass could keep up with her multitude of disguises, playing each part perfectly. She grudgingly admitted the slimeball had some talent for impersonations.

“I love this part!” One scientist with a yellow coat and bright pink mane banged his head to the booming music above. “We should join them! That’s DJ-PON3!”

His compatriots rolled their eyes. A scientist with a blond, close-cropped main rubbed her temple. “We’re on a mission to save Equestria, HO! Our glorious queen is counting on us to save the world. We don’t have time for parties!”

HO looked down, ashamed by the admonishment. “It’s a good party, though.”

Blond pony sighed, giving in. “We’ll finish this report first. If they’re still there then, we’ll join them. A break sounds good, actually. With the sun gone, my internal clock is all messed up.”

“Thanks, Codon!” HO’s mood had brightened and scratched rapidly at whatever he’d been working on. He tapped his hoof at the music while he worked.

“May I help you?” Another scientist said as Trixie tried getting a glimpse of whatever HO was writing.

“Sorry, I’m new here and kind of lost,” Trixie shrugged her shoulders. “Everything is so hush-hush they’ve told me nothing!”

“Isn’t it late for new arrivals?” The scientist asked. She had a teal coat with a green mane pulled back into a bun.

“I know right! But Puissance’s ponies dragged me here into the middle of the night. Says nothing can stop the work.” Trixie grunted in annoyance, yawning for good measure.

“Typical. Simulation Simulacrum. Let me get you some coffee. The boss wants results regardless of how much they burn us out.” She trotted over to a coffee machine and began brewing.

“Null hypothesis! But my friends call me HO.”

“Codon, nice to meet you.”

“Test Tube,” Trixie said.

“Rad Rave,” Greengrass gave a slight nod of his head. “I see you’ve already done some fine work. Our benefactor has put some serious bits into this operation.”

“Yeah, what is she trying to accomplish?” Trixie tried reading HO’s report, but it contained nothing but sciency gobbledygook. If only Twilight hadn’t disappeared. As usual, the mare had gotten so distracted by her research she lost track of the real world. Too bad she hadn’t thought to bring Cheerilee. Her teaching knowledge might have been useful.

“It’s better if I show you.” Simulation walked over to a panel next to some strange scientific device. “Thanks to CRISPR technology, we’ve made exciting leaps in genetic engineering. With the plants we’re developing, world hunger will be ancient history! The ecological issues have proven quite the challenge. I wish the queen would have given us more warning. Creating a new stable ecosystem isn’t a simple matter. The balance between pony, animal, plant, and insect is a tricky business.”

“But this is our pride and joy!” HO tapped a button on a panel. Trixie froze still, eyes widening to the size of dinner plates, unable to believe her eyes. In the tube was an identical copy of Trixie! The only difference was that this Trixie missed her cutie mark.

“What the heck?!” Trixie exclaimed, unable to help herself.

“Impressive, right?” HO beamed with pride. “This cloning technology will allow us to grow new organs and even limbs with ease! It will simplify the transplant process significantly reducing the chances of transplant rejection! Truly, Queen Nightmare Moon is bringing us into an exciting new age of scientific discovery and progress!”

“Who cares?! Why is there a clone of m... I mean of Trixie Lulamoon?!”

To their credit, the scientists looked embarrassed. “It was the queen’s idea.” Simulation said. “She wasn’t happy with the Ranger Killers and wanted us to experiment with Ranger powers. We plan to combine the DNA of the Ursa Ranger and Queen Nightmare Moon. Sure to create a powerful combination.”

Luna, how could you?! Trixie was beyond furious, wanting to smash something. This was a violation Trixie didn’t even imagine was possible!

“Why no cutie mark?” Greengrass said, intrigued.

“Unknown.” Codon shook his head. “But we imagine it’s like identical twins. Sharing the same DNA doesn’t mean you share the same cutie mark. Personality rather than genetics determine a pony’s cutie mark. A fascinating discovery.”

“As for Ranger powers, it’s too early to tell. While the copy has some strange magic, we’re unable to determine if it will manifest into Ranger powers or abilities.” Simulation said.

“Does it have cognizance?” Trixie feared fighting an evil clone army of herself.

Simulation laughed. “No, it’s quite brain dead. We aren’t confident about bringing consciousness to a clone until we’ve perfected the process.” Trixie sighed in relief and froze when she heard Puissance’s voice. The other scientists panicked and pretended to be working on something important, knowing the consequences of earning their boss’s disfavor. Trixie and Fisher joined them. Trixie took a nearby pen, pretending to be writing a report.

“And this is the most promising research,” Puissance said as she entered, Fisher following her. Much to Trixie’s relief, the ex-noble eye passed right past her, focusing on the Trixie clone instead.

“Is that a clone of Trixie?” Fisher’s eyes widened in surprise.

Puissance’s eyes glittered when she gazed upon the clone, putting a hoof on the glass. “Indeed, it will ruffle the feathers of some self-righteous fools, but Queen Nightmare Moon has approved of the research. This is our most successful clone. A true work of art.” Pain erupted in her chest, doubling over into a coughing fit.

“Yes, valuable research indeed,” Puissance said once her episode ended. “What do you think?”

“Impressive.” Fisher studied the Trixie clone. “It puts my old facility in the Department of War to shame.” He picked up some notes and began reading them. Unlike Trixie, he appeared to understand every word. Trixie studied the ex-archduke, noticing his shadow had returned to normal. Whatever monster he’d brought with him wasn’t piggybacking on him anymore, which worried Trixie.

“I noticed it also,” Greengrass replied after Trixie whispered her observation. “Fisher isn’t without his resources. No doubt he wants Puissance’s research for himself.”

Great. Another pet genetic super monster. Those are getting too common of late. Before Trixie could suggest sneaking off to investigate Fisher’s shadow monster, an alarm sounded.

Not unexpectedly, Puissance suspected Fisher. “Is there something you wish to tell me, Fisher? Have you teamed up with Trixie?”

“You wound me, Puissance.” Fisher put a hoof over his heart. “You believe I’m here for espionage?”

“I’m not letting you steal my precious research, Fisher.” Puissance grunted in annoyance, pressing another button on a console. A new alarm sounded, distressing the other scientists.

“No, my lady! It isn’t ready yet!” HO said.

Puissance only cackled. “It doesn’t matter. Trixie’s twin should be an interesting test subject for its combat capabilities.” She broke into another coughing fit, but her amused expression remained on her lips.

Trixie jumped as a loud roar echoed through the facility. Whatever the creature was, it sounded hungry. “What the heck is that thing?!” She ignored her cover, more focused on stopping whatever rampaging monster Puissance had just unleashed.

“Oh, that?” HO said. “It’s a chimera of sorts we created using Trixie’s DNA and most dangerous predators in the world. We call it CT-004, or Bunny for short.”

Another roar echoed through the facility, sounding hungry and getting closer to their location. Trixie tensed, sensing its malevolence.

“Why Bunny?” Greengrass raised an eyebrow.

“We thought it would be funny.” Codon replied.

“And, uh, what’s stopping it from going on a rampage?” Sweat formed on Trixie’s brow as the roaring got closer.

“Don’t worry. It’s specially designed to only attack sources of great magic. We tried creating a creature that could hunt down Ranger power with mixed success. This was a suitable compromise. Even unmorphed, a Ranger’s natural magic is crazy. As long as the princess, I mean, Queen Nightmare Moon, doesn’t visit, everything should be peachy! We hope.”

“You hope?! What if this thing escaped outside into the public!” Trixie stumbled backward when Puissance got into her face.

“Welcome, our little rat. I thought you sounded familiar, Trixie.” Puissance gave a nasty grin. “Then who’s our other intruder? Another one of your friends, no doubt. No matter. We’ll find out soon enough.”

“Great.” Me and my big mouth. So much for stealth.

“Well, go on, Ursa Red.” Puissance waved a hoof towards the door. “Go play the hero and stop the horrible monster.”

They could hear something fighting Bunny, and Trixie supposed she had no choice. She couldn’t dismiss the possibility Fisher might have recruited one of her friends. After giving the old hag a glare, she pulled out her morpher.

“It’s morphing time, Ursa!” The scientists fell over in astonishment at the sudden appearance of Trixie’s Ranger armor, rushing toward the monster.

---

As usual, Trixie was throwing herself into danger, leaving Greengrass’s next action uncertain. At least Trixie wasn’t at fault for once. Bunny roared with hate and anger, sending a chill down Greengrass’s spine, glad he didn’t have to face down that monster.

“You’re taking this rather well,” Fisher said. Like Greengrass, Fisher noted how unperturbed the old mare was about Trixie’s sudden appearance. Greengrass expected her to be at least a little vexed. “Somepony has intruded into your secret facility, twice.”

Puissance snorted. “When Trixie’s involved, I always assume everything will fail. Come, I have a platform suitable for observing the fight. Are you coming too, Greengrass?”

Greengrass shrugged, putting down the papers he’d been rifling through. While ruthless, Puissance always remained a hospitable host. One could always count on fine drink if captured by her. “I see my disguise wasn’t as good as I hoped. Lead the way.”

Whatever it is, I hope you can handle it, Trixie. It would upset dear Cheerilee if anything happened to you.

---

“Another day, another horrible monster.” Trixie headed towards the roaring, but the facility was more of a maze than she expected. The sound of screaming caught her ears, watching as ponies ran for their lives. The roar echoed through the halls coming from a few hooves away.

“Excuse me.” Trixie’s questions fell on deaf ears as ponies fled for their lives. She only shrugged, rushing forward to greet the monster. As usual, she was fighting blind. The very wall shook from the force of the creature’s roar. After zipping through several more corridors, Trixie found the nightmarish creature she’d been seeking. The sight of the monster was worse than she’d expected.

Bunny’s scales were the color of dried blood, standing bipedal almost 7 hooves tall. Faces resembling a crocodile’s head sprouted from its body in random directions, each containing powerful jaws with sharp teeth. Each of the monster’s arms ended with razor-sharp claws. Its feet tore the pavement as it walked over. Once Trixie entered its sight, every of its multitude of eyes swiveled towards her hunger, thirsting for blood. Without warning, Bunny swung a claw towards Trixie’s head.

The creature’s claws reduced a nearby wall to rubble as Trixie ducked under the attack. A new alligator head grew from its body, and sparks flew where its fangs dug into her armor. The monster grinned down towards the captured Trixie, ready to drive its other fangs into her flesh. More of its heads sprouted from the Bunny’s body, grinning evilly. Their mouths snapped, eager for Trixie flesh.

Trixie howled in pain as the head holding her dug its fangs in deeper, making it easier for its friends to tear into the Ursa Ranger. The creature’s fangs immobilized Trixie, who tried in vain to reach towards her morpher to summon her sword.

“Don’t worry, I’ll help you!” A green figure formed from the creature’s shadow. Somehow the shadow-like being combined, revealing a pony in green armor. In their hooves were twin blades, the color of night. Trixie’s eyes widened in astonishment, recognizing their armor.

“Isn’t he a lively one?”

A crocodile head reached out to grab them, but the armored pony’s body melted, becoming indistinct, fusing with Bunny’s shadow. The shadow surfed around the creature’s body towards Trixie and the head holding her. Bunny howled in pain and released Trixie as the armored pony slashed the head with a sword. Trixie wasted no time leaping away, dodging moments before a head snapped at her. Bunny roared in anger, denied its Trixie treat, each head snapped violently.

“Thanks, that was close.” Trixie jumped towards the other armored pony. While wary of Fisher’s new ally, she’d take any help against this vicious beast.

“Those fangs are nasty. They almost got me too.” The new Ranger said, voice sounding familiar.

“Trixie, the Red Ursa Ranger!” Trixie stomped a hoof and took a battle stance.

“You can’t believe how long I’ve been waiting to fight with the legendary Trixie Lulamoon!” The other Ranger giggled with excitement and giddiness before taking her own battle stance. “Lemon Hearts, the Green Pluto Ranger!”