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Chapter 7-Soul Searching

“What the low down, Spike?” Rainbow asked as she and the others, minus Sunset arrived at the base.

“The low down is this, my device, the Zord Finder is ready,” Spike said.

“Great. With it, we’ll find Sunset’s lost Minotaur Zord in no time,” Starlight said.

“Speaking of Sunset, where is she?” Pinkie asked.

“Knowing her, she’s probably practicing on her guitar,” Rainbow said. “So, what are we waiting for.”

“Good point, let’s give it a whirl,” Spike said, turning it on. “Ok, it’s getting Alicorn, Mermaid, Sprite, and Wolf Zords, but no Minotaur Zord.”

“That’s odd, it doesn’t want to be found so quickly,” Starlight wondered.

“Hold on. The Zord in your keys have matching energy signatures, which the Zord finder can detect, but not if it is dormant.” Spike gives Rainbow Sunset’s key. “We just to find her’s zord and wake it up.”

At the park, Sunset had her guitar playing a familiar tune.

“Oh that was good, let’s try this one?”

Then Wardern Strickler arrived and was not in a happy mood.

“Miss Shimmer, I do believe, you didn’t read the ‘do not play instruments’ in this area of the park, please give it to me.”

“But...”

“No buts, you can pick it up at the station,” He told her as he walked away with it.

Back at the base...

“How odd? The signal’s gone,” said Spike, looking at the Zord Finder.

Just then, Sunset teleports into the base with a glum look.

“Sunset! We have good news. Well, kinda good news,” Starlight said.

“My Zord Finder is complete and it just detected your Minotaur Spike Zord,” Spike said.

“Meaning...”

“When Spike tried to find it, the signal just dropped...” Pinkie said.

“And we don’t even know what activated your Zord.”

“If it happens again, we’ll find it.”

“Let me you when you do,” Sunset said then left the base giving the others puzzling looks.

“Okay, that was something,” Starlight said. “Did we...”

“Don’t I’ll talk to her,” Rainbow followed her.

At Area $5, Vulcan, stands in front of Scarlet Knight’s room.

“What’s wrong, V?” Chomp Tox asked.

“Scarlet Knight won’t come out of his secret room. I was built for extra power, and I’m tired of waiting for him to give it to me, so I will take it.”

He takes a Negacore of the machine. “Hello there.”

“I wouldn’t be you if the boss finds out.”

“He won’t. With this, I’ll reach my full potential and crush those Rangers,” Vulcan said then placed the Negacore inside of him, laughing manically as he powered up.

Back in Canterlot City, Rainbow had caught up with Sunset.

“Brooding on a park bench,” Rainbow said, seeing her. “You mind telling me what’s up?”

“I just...” Sunset tried to explain but Vulcan, Chomp Tox, and Horsemen teleported into the city.

“Oh come on! This clown again!” Rainbow groaned.

“Let’s tear them apart! Warm them up for me!”

“Warm up? You're smarter than you look, big guy. Never fight without warming up, don’t want you to pull a muscle. Ready! ”

“Link to Morphin Grid!” Both transform into their ranger suits.

“Horsemen, get’em!”

“Guys, Vulcan’s throwing a punch party in the city.”

Thanks for the invite. I’ll bring some friends.

“Sprint Strike!”

Rainbow sprints to Vulcan a few times slashing her saber at him then Sunset slashes from the back.

“Incoming!” Twilight called out. “Hyper Strike!”

Twilight struck Vulcan from the air, then Vulcan tried to strike, then wrapped around him.

“What the...”

“Gravi Ball!” Pinkie said.

“And Elastic Lash!” Starlight said.

“You think you brats can stop me?” He asked them.

“Obviously,” Twilight said.

“They have no idea what they’re in for,” Chomp Tox said while hiding from a tree.

“Today, Vulcan’s got rocket power!” Vulcan said as his body glowed.

“That’s not good.”

“Have a taste of my panted, Vulcan Blast!”

“Shield Block!” Sunset shouted but it was too late as Vulcan’s Vulcan Blast knocked the other rangers, forcing them to power down.

“It's you and me, Rainbow. On my call!”

“Got it!”

“Wait for it,” Sunset tells her as Vulcan charges his cannon. “Now!”

Rainbow sprints around and goes for an energy blast, causing Vulcan to fire his cannon at her then slash his swords at her and knock her back then roll on the ground, being demorphed and groaning in pain, she holds her arm.

“Get her outta here, we got this!”

Sunset helps Rainbow up and takes her to the nearest hospital.

“How did you get juiced up?” Starlight asked.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Vulcan asked when Scarlet Knight appeared behind him.

“Vulcan! How dare you steal one of my precious Negacore!”

“I told him not to do it!”

“Quiet. You’re both coming with me!”

“Yes sir.” Chomp Tox compiled then all three villains teleported away.

“So, Vulcan was powered up by Negacore, huh?” Starlight said.

“Where are Sunset and Rainbow?”

On the other side of the building, Rainbow grips her shoulder, feeling the pain.

“Oh, felt like a truck massaged my shoulder,” She tells Sunset then Strickler pulls up.

“What happened here?”

“A monster attacked us. We were trapped but the Black Ranger just saved us in time. I tried to protect her.”

“Does it look bad?” He asked Rainbow.

“Just my arm got bang-up.”

“Come on, I’ll take you to the hospital.” He takes Rainbow to the hospital just as the others catch up.

“We were lucky that he didn’t know what happened,” Pinkie said.

“Don’t worry about it.”

“Well, we’re kind of worried about you.”

“Just dropped it okay?” She snaps. “Look I gotta go. I see you later.”

At the Base...

“So far, I haven’t figured out what why the Minotaur Zord activated earlier and there’s no signal since, but I’ll keep trying,” Spike said still working on the Zord Finder.

“If we find her Zord, it might cheer her up,” Pinkie said. “ When she’s salty about something, she gets very prickly about it.”

“Salty, like those potato chips?” Twilight said.

“No, more like upset.”

“Upset, huh?” Spike asked. “Now that you mention it, I found this viral video.”

Spike showed them the video of Sunset playing on her guitar

“That’s nice a tune,” Pinkie said.

“Sadly, that’s not all,” Spike fast-forwarded the video.

“I do believe, you didn’t read the ‘do not play instruments’ in this area of the park, please give it to me.”

“But...”

“No buts, you can pick it up at the station,” He told her as he walked away with it.

“Ouch, Sergent Buzzkill, strikes again,” Pinke cringes then Sunset teleported into the base.

“Hey. So, Rainbow’s going to be fine. She just needs a little bit of time.”

“That’s good.”

“Listen, we know why you’ve been so out of it lately. There’s a video online of your guitar being taken.”

“That’s not how I want to go viral,” Sunset said dryly.

“Wait...” Starlight had an idea. “That video was taken around the same time the Zord Finder went off, right? Could your music have energized the Minotaur Zord?”

“That’s inserting. Perhaps the signal stopped because you stopped.”

“Just by playing music? You think so?”

“Let’s find out. Grab an instrument,” Spike said.

“But why it would...”

“Stop questioning stuff and just play. Oh, I can’t wait to see if this works,” Spike said as Sunset started playing music on a recorder. As she continued to play, Spike was to find the Minotaur Zord.

“Yes, keep it up, maestro. The Zord’s responding.”

“The music must family Sunset’s ranger power. That’s what activates the Zord. I got a lock on location. Got it! The Minotaur Zord is somewhere in Fallway Forest.”

“Now let’s go find it,” Twilight said then suddenly the alarm blares.

“It’s the hotline,” Spike said then answered it.

Rangers we need your help. A robot is attacking the city.

“Vulcan.”

“Sunset, you head to the forest and find your Zord. We’ll handle Vulcan,” Twilight said.

“Wish me luck,” Sunset said.

“You won’t need it. You got your music.”

Sunset teleports to Fallway Forest while the others teleport to where Vulcan is.

“Okay team, Be careful he could be anywhere...” Twilight said holding his saber.

Then ground started to shake underneath, causing them to topple side to side.

“What is happening?” Starlight asked.

They turn around to Vulcan being giant size.

“Am I seeing things or is he looking right at us?” Pinkie asked getting chicken legs.

“I am!” He shouted and fired a rocket at them and the explosion knocked them to the ground.

“Yeah, I think he sees us,” Starlight said as they started to get back up.

“How do we beat him?” Pinkie asked.

“You can’t. Scarlet Knight let me keep the Negaxore so that I can crush you all.”

“Uh Spike, bring the cavalry in!” Twilight said then all three Zords came into the city. “Zords combine!”

“Linked!” said the rangers once they were inside the Megazord. “Friendship Fury Megazord!”

“Let’s take him out!”

The Megazord struck its blade but Vulcan countered with his blades then the Megazord slashed as his chest and skidded him back a little

“Ha, that just tickle! My turn!”

He charges his chest cannon and aims at the Megazord forcing it to take cover from a building once he fired doing only little damage.

“Yes, kneel before me.”

“I hope Sunset having better luck than us,” Pinkie said.

Out in Fallway Forest, Sunset stops in a clearing with her recorder in hand. She plays a song hoping it would emerge and as she expected the ground started to rumble.

“Whoa,” Sunset said. “Here, Zordy, Zordy, Zordy.”

Then her key started to glow.

“Okay, it’s close! Okay, come to Sunset!”

Suddenly, spikes came out from the ground, and before her, pops up the Minotaur Zord.

“Wow. Spike, it worked. He’s awesome.”

Great. Get to the city. The others need your help.

“Got it! Link to Morhpin Grid!” Sunset morphed and she and her zord headed to the city.

With the others...

“Ready for Round Two?!” Vulcan asked prepping his Vulcan Blast.

“Brace for it!” Starlight shouted.

“Vulcan Blast!”

Then out of nowhere, spikes were thrown at him.

“What the just happened?”

Making its way through the city, the Minotaur Zord roared. making its presence known fro everyone.

“Wow look at him, go!” Sunset said.

“Hey, Minotaur. Been a long time.” Twilight said to it. “So, Sunset how you like your Zord?”

“10 out of 10 for spikes,” Sunset replied. “Up for joining forces.”

“Sounds just like the just the extra power we need. Go for it!”

The Megazord gets back up as Minotaur Zord came by its side!”

“Oh yeah! Friendship Fury Megazord, Spike Formation!” Sunset said as parts of the Megazord were rearranging, making room for the Minotaur Zord.

“Nice timing!”

“Couldn’t leave my team hanging. Now let’s see what our pointy friend can do and crush this tin can!”

“So, you want to do a round three. Fine. Let’s rumble!”

The Megazord makes its way toward Vulcan as he roars and goes for the Megazord. He swings his left saber at the Megazord, who then blocks it. He tries again, only to be blocked again and he drops his weapons.

The Megazord grabs Vulcan and lifts him into the air before throwing him into the sunset.

“Yes!” Sunset pumps her fist as Vulcan groans in pain as gets up.

“No!” He exclaimed. “It’s my job to destroy Rangers and business is booming.”

Vulcan charges his cannon preaping his Vulcan Blast.

“Before he can fire.”

“Minotaur Spike Lauch!”

The Megazord threw multiple spikes at Vulcan which made him lose his focus.

“Mega Light Saber!” Twilight called for it.

“Friendship Fury Megazord! Minotaur Mega Punches!” All the rangers shouted.

Their Megazord rapidly punched Vulcan with its Minotaur hands. Vulcan took the hits as he was backed into a corner.

“You think that’s enough to stop me? I...Wait, it is!” Vulcan said as he exploded as the Negacore Enegery ran out.

“Friendship Fury Victory!”

“No fair,” Vuclan grumbled as he returned to normal size. “I had gigantic plans.”

“Don’t be sad Vulcy. You’re alive! You’ve just shrunk.” Chomp Tox said, arriving next to him.

“They beat this time, but I’ll be back.”

Vulcan teleports away with Chomp Tox.