A young thestral mare ran away into a nearby forest trying to get away from the town bullies. Her and her friends find some interesting items in the rubble of a "temple."
A young thestral mare called Flicker (or Fliffy by her closest friends) ran away into a nearby forest trying to get away from the town bullies. Her friends manage to track her towards a ruined temple. Her and her friends find some interesting items in the rubble of the "temple." Soon afterwords a mysterious figure arrives in their town asking for them. What could this figure want? What are these items? And why don't they come off?
Flicker ran. She ran, and ran, and ran some more until her hooves kicked some sand. No she didn't run to a beach, or through a desert. Instead the nineteen year old, dark red and bright purple Thestral ran to what many in the area believed was a temple ruined do to time. It was her favorite place to go for any reason. Math exams? Go to the temple to study. Want to explore? Go to the temple to open a new door. Dealing with bullies? Go to the temple to cry, and wait for your friends.
Unfortunately to day was that last one. Today life also added the statement, 'Trip and fall on your flanks only to slip backwards into an area with no gravity,' into the mix. The bat pony grunted struggling to get to the floor. "Well buck all!" She yelled between sobs as she slowly spun in the air. Her crying ceased after a few minutes as she fell asleep finding the puffy fur on her arms as a nice pillow
After another who knows how long Flicker awoke to four voices calling her name and nickname.
"Flicker?!" This one sounded the youngest; likely her 16 step-brother Gold Heart. The little bug was a pain, but usually means well... even though he has the laugh of mad-mare. His wing-buzz echoed as he hovered way above her.
"Fliffy!" She snorted at the nickname this older sounding stallion gave her. Most likely it was the only pony in their group the same age as her, 19, Steel. His large hooves making dull thudding sounds to add a beat to her brother's buzz.
"Yo Flicker?!" called a colt a year older than her brother. His magic's dark blue light telling her it was probably Scroll Seal. He was a sweet colt, and rather intelligent too to boot.
"Flick!" The only other mare in the group, and a year younger than her, Silver Belle, shouted finding Flicker over the edge.
"You guy's mind helping me... up? Down? Er right? I can't tell!" Flicker shouted up to them.
"We'll see what we can do," Her brother called dropping her a burger, a large pouch of fries, and a milkshake, "By the looks of things you're in the center of the temple. The anti-gravity magic must be pulling in all directions holding you in place after finally activating again."
"What!?" She asks scooping the floating fries into the pouch, "Then how am I not being torn apart?"
"Because its pulling at every point in a sort of bubble canceling itself out around you." Scroll called out in simpler terms.
"Just hold on for a bit, and try eating fast food like those space-mans in Lyra's stories." Silver shouted before they entered one of the doors they new would lead to a set of stairs. By the time they made it to the center (which was spherical in form) Flicker had just finished her last fry. Steel, the largest and strongest of the group, reached up and pulled her out of the gravity field. Once out Flicker felt like she was being pulled straight to the floor. She stood using a near by terminal to balance on. She slid a bit causing a virtual slider to activate the old systems in this temple.
A shock-wave grabbed the attention of the citizens of the Crystal Empire as a large white cylindrical spike broke apart the ruined temple, and rose out of the snow. On top and slowly sliding of were the town bullies named Trick and Bonezie. They fell of the edge into the snow with a few broken bones in their one of their arms and a leg.
"Bonezie that is the LAST time I let you come up with an idea." The larger 'big boned' stallion groaned holding his broken arm.
"F-Fair enough Trick, fair e-enough," Bonezie winced as he stood on his busted up leg. "If not an i-idea than maybe a guess?"
"And what guess would that be?" Trick asked his much thinner partner in bullying.
"I g-guess we should see a doctor." The talking toothpick said helping his friend up as best he could.
The sound of things turning on, and the roar of mighty engines caused the group to instantly panic. Gold Heart was the first to check the terminal his sister had propped herself on.
"Sis, this isn't some magic relic barely holding itself together. It's an ancient rocket that won't fall apart any time soon like in those stories." Gold shouted over the engines. The terminal glowed blue once Flicker got off of it.
"Looks like we're in something called a steady orbit." Scroll stated over a pink terminal
"Something called artificial gravity has been activated." Silver said from above at a black terminal.
To the left of her at a yellow terminal Steel told them, "Everything looks locked down."
The area of no gravity dissipated as a red terminal enters through an elevator. Flicker walked up a set of floating steps up to it cautiously. They was greeted with an image of Equis spinning in front of them. On her terminal was a 'Star Map'. "That isn't right." She double tapped the text box next to a 3D model of their planet. What was once PL-359-04 was replaced by a blank space. She typed E-Q-U-I-S into the space. She smiled at this albeit small edit. She rested a hand on the side while flipping open her phone. Flicker called her parents as a satellite passed by them.
"Flicker is everything alright? Are you, your brother, and your friends okay?"
"Yes mom we're okay... I think," Flicker said looking around, "We aren't hurt at least."
"Where are you right now?" Her mom asked straining the importance of the question.
"Well you aren't going to believe me, but high orbit." Flicker responded.
"High... orbit?"
"Yeah."
"How?"
"Alien Rocket from Lyra's stories of Humans."
"Where did you find it?"
"It was the ruined temple in the snow."
"You're right I don't believe you." Her mom stated rather annoyed at what she thought was a lie.
"I can send you proof." She snapped a picture of the view screen sending it via text. Her mom didn't call her back. Flicker just laughed to herself as if she had won a war. She set the phone on the terminal, and sat on what she guessed was a chair based on the shape. Once her flanks made contact with the seat it dropped. Based on the screams so did her friends. Each landing on their their respective flanks before a massive screen. Once they had stood up the screen became active by scanning the ponies present. After the scanner shutdown the screen lit up with the face of white stallion.
"Why have you activated my shuttle?" The stallion asked
"It was an accident. I fell from the entrance into the center. My brother and friends came to help me, but I had slid my hand across a screen. After that we were in the realm between realms." Flicker stated as she stood between the ponies and the screen.
"Flicker was it? You show the mark of an excellent leader. Ready to defend your friends, but also able to listen to what others say," A red light came of the screen and hovered above the bat mare, "Gold Heart is your name if I'm not mistaken. An intelligent and quick-witted fellow," The same happened with a blue light over the changeling, "Scroll Seal, a creative magic weaver a spell craftsman," A pink light came over the stallion, "Silver, willing to learn and of two races filled with the strongest magic know to this planet," A black light appeared over the filly, "Steel, strongest pony in you country, and yet the second most gentile," A yellow light lit above him.
"How do you know us?" Flicker asked as the lights floated down in front of them.
"Because I have been testing you to the best of my ability. Influencing animals, ponies, and the weather all to see if you were the ponies that I was searching for. Unfortunately I was forced to power myself and this shuttle down to keep one of the worst evils off planet before I could reveal myself to you." A console under the stallion's screen glowed purple. "Damn it they've found us again. Quickly grab the lights they are my energy concentrated so that you will be able to absorb it and wield it as weapons against this threat."
The ponies in the room look at each other, and with a nod grabbed the lights with their dominant hands. Three right arms and two left arms retracted with new watches of their respective colors. They looked over the watches amazed, amused, and confused. "Now what?" they said at roughly the same time.
"These items are voice activated as to keep them from being used in the wrong hands. Simply state 'It's Morphin' Time' to activate the energy within, and a costume of my own design will cover your identities from prying eyes.
The five of them stand at attention before placing their dominant arm horizontally in front of themselves shouting, "It's Morphin' Time!" The watches flip open from the center with a high pitched 'DEE, DO-DO' sound effect. A lens projects the image of the costumes before shifting their clothes to match the images. They pat themselves down getting used to the costumes. Flicker noted the colors were actually darker than their morphers.
"Your are now the Midnight Rangers. On top of the energy that I have given you; you can tap into the powers and abilities of Nightmare moon." He looks up for a moment. "Rangers a monster has touched down in a town called Ponyville. I can transport you there, but the fight is your own. Good luck Ranger!" With that the Ranger gave a salute as they were teleported to the town.
As the new rangers landed they got a good look at the monster, and the six mares trying to fight it. It was a large panda with bee wings and a stinger. The five of them jumped on the bug-bear. Flicker gave the mares a thumbs up to let them know it was okay for them to leave. Steel was thrown off first. Being as strong as he is he was used to fist to fist, and immediately went to throw a punch at the monster. What he didn't notice was his hands being covered by big steel gloves until he pulled his arm back. There was a gold star on the back of them. the rest was dark yellow like his costume. The punch made the monster howl and lurch forward giving Silver the perfect strike position. She held out her hands behind her like she held an ax or hammer. As her arms swung a pitch black hammer impacted the monster's back. The monster swung around striking Flicker and Gold. Scroll jumped over them holding an odd crossbow. The pink ranger fired four shots in quick succession of one another. They burned into and pushed the monster back. Flicker and Gold got back up and charged the monster. Flickers left arm generated a shield that she slammed into the monster with her brother having a scimitar that sent the monster flying down the street.
"Rangers! Combine your weapons to finish off this foe!" The white stallion said through the wireless receivers in the helmets.
"Yes sir!" They said together. Scroll extended his crossbow revealing the weapons' slots. Steel gripped the limbs of the crossbow after slipping his hands out the massive gloves locked in place. Silver's hammer was used as a brace. Gold's blue scimitar was the sights of the combined weapon. Flicker locked her shield to the front to act as an extension to the power pack. The weight required all five to hold on to it. Black and Yellow up front. Pink and Blue at the sides. And Red at the trigger.
Flicker began to monologue a bit, "Welcome to Equis. Where everypony lives in a Harmonic balance between good and evil. We are the planet's newest protectors. We harness the magics of the night, and alien energies to keep it safe. We are the Midnight Rangers! Now! FIRE!" With that the Red Ranger pulled the trigger as a darkly colored rainbow bolt, or rain-bolt, destroyed the bug-bear leaving behind a blue blood stain and the stinger. The Rangers sigh lowering their weapon as it split apart before dissipating into a mist. They celebrated until the ground shook, literally. They looked around until they noticed the stinger growing and regenerating the main body.
"What the heck!?" Scroll shouted towards the giant monster.
Flicker pressed her hand against her helmet to here the response better, and ask the white stallion on the screen, "Got anything for growing monsters?"
"Yeah like giant robots!?" Gold asks excitedly looking up to the shuttle in the sky hopefully.
"Actually Gold, Flicker, I have exactly that." The stallion states as spinning compartments open in the center of the shuttle to launch out the five Zords. A giant rover, a massive bipedal exosuit, a satellite, an booster rocket, and finally a landing pod.
"That is so awesome!" Sliver squeed running towards the pitch black rover, and scrambling up the latter into the cockpit.
"I can agree with that." Steel said beaming into the dark yellow satellite.
Scroll jumped into the hatch of the faded pink landing pod, "Elegant yet powerful. Just like magic."
Gold flew into the deep blue booster rocket, "This should make it a bit easier."
"And you just jinxed it," Flicker stated as she climbed into the giant, maroon exo.
"Rangers press the your interlocks buttons immediately!" The screen stallion told them.
"Roger that, sir." They say hitting the buttons at roughly the same time. The pod split in two, and transformed to become the arms. They slide into place over the exosuit's arms. The rover and rocket turn into legs and feet fitting in place rover on the right; rocket on the left. The satellite formed a helmet as the head unit popped out of the top of the exosuit. The helmet clamped into place with everypony running to a central control room inside the now Megazord.
*****Monster View*****
The Megazord took a fisticuffs style fighting stance as Steel's yellow gloves forms on its hands. It charged at the beast punching it into a nearby, empty building. There they pinned it throwing punch after punch to its stomach. Eventually the monster threw them off. At this distance the monster shot its stinger at them three times. The Megazord dodged out of the way as the weapons become a pink crossbow allowing them to shoot back at it. The monster fell to the ground in pain as the Megazord approached it this time with a hammer. The monster lunged up at them this time scoring a real critical hit on the rover and exosuit with its claws and stinger. The Megazord smacks the bug-bear off with the hammer. The bug-bear tries another strike just to be blocked by a maroon shield. To add injury to insult the Megazord used a blue scimitar to cut an X into the monster's chest causing it to bleed. The monster stumbles back coughing up blood. It looked up to see the weapon that had killed it earlier. That last thing it heard was, "FIRE!"
*****Rangers View*****
Everypony in the control room pumped their power through the Megazord to form their combined weapon, and yelled, "FIRE!" as loud as they could. This time five rainbolts spiraled around one-another until each collided with the bug-bear causing it to explode into blue blood on the grass. After such an exertion they passed out demorphing as they slept. When they awoke they were someplace knew. Based on the color of the walls they were back on the shuttle apparently in the crew quarters.
"Good afternoon Rangers, and well done on your first of many fights," the screen stallion congratulated them. The Rangers hugged each other giving off small whooping noises still bone tired.
Flicker stretched out on a park bench. It's been about a week since the first monster attack. She groaned aloud as Trick and Bonezie walked up in front of her. Not wanting to deal with those two she quickly began to walk. The two bullies did their usual picking. This lasted up until these pony shaped creatures attacked.
These creatures were orange, green, white, brown, and purple. "Look what we got here," The white one said twirling a broadsword.
"I don't think these are them," The brown one spoke up wielding large gauntlets.
"Nah we're after that high school mare." The one in purple pointed to Flicker with an tower shield on her right arm.
"She isn't in the uniform though?" The green one holding a bow exclaims while extending a hand towards her civilian attire.
The orange one with an elongated battle-ax face-palms, "Because she hasn't morphed yet dingus."
She stood at attention and shouted, "It's Morphin' Time!" There was a gust of displaced air as Flicker's uniform formed around her. She brought her shield out, and took a defensive stance. She moved until this new enemy was between her and the barrier exit of the Crystal Empire. Flicker charged the center, shield raised to guard her head and torso. Her shield collides with the violet look-a-like. She carried the impostor out of the city. She found that it was becoming very difficult to move. Eventually Flicker stopped frozen solid in the icy wind and snow.
The doubles laughed at her as she struggled to move. "I think Rorrim put a little too much power in our morphers." The one in purple chuckled to himself. He grabbed Flicker's shield, and tossed it. "Green, go long!"
"Got it!" The mare in green shouts catching the improvised Frisbee, "Heads up White!" She gave it a toss to The stallion in white.
"This was almost to easy," The stallion in white said catching it, "Over to Orange!" He tossed the shield over to The mare in orange.
"Don't jinx us just yet," The mare jokes, "Brown, to you!"
"But you have to admit their wasn't much of a fight," The stallion brown stated, "Right Red?" He tossed the shield to Flicker.
Flicker caught her shield. The area around her was burnt as ice and cold water slid down her uniform. She brushed frost from her skirt before teal fire flared from her back. She attacked the the ranger clones holding them back as one by one her powers kicked in. Her body was on a sort of autopilot during the fight. Steadily she picked up speed in the fight. Her attacks caused the fakes to demorph into... nothing. Where they stood after the final blow is now nothing. The only evidence there even existed were their hoof prints in the snow. She looked around frantically trying to find the copies until the stallion in purple shouted from deep into a blizzard.
"We'll be back Ranger count on it." The sucking of air from a teleportation spell echoed in the snow. Then, they were gone.
Gold and Spell were at the local Recreation Center. Ever sense becoming Rangers they hung out there using the equipment to sharpen their skills. During this last sparring match between the two their Morphers bleeped, and displayed a screen showing Flicker marching towards town, in uniform, through the snow.
"Hey guys be careful. Some copycats are running around. I don't know their plans, but they are just as if not stronger than us. I managed to fight back after some boost in power," Flicker relayed to them as they ordered drinks from a new employee at the center. This employee wore a white uniform with the center's name written across it. They returned to their bench by the mat were another new employee in a matching uniform except green had finished setting out towels. The two claimed a towel each, and sat enjoying their drinks.
"So what do think about Flicker's message?" Spell ask after taking a breath and setting the drink down.
"Not sure. We should at least watch out for these copy cats." Gold stated just before his second gulp. Both stallions blinked in confusion, looked at their drinks, then fell over sideways. When they came to Spell was chained up hanging above a large vat of cooking oil. Gold on the other hand tied to a chair. Both looked around frantically noting they had been morphed while two Copy Rangers stepped into the light.
"Alright this is how it is going to work!" the one in green states drawing her bow.
"You are free to go if you can save your friend," The one in white continued, "And can defeat one of us in one on one combat."
"You will take turns as the one in need of saving," Green returned to speaking, "Between each save we will knock you out and switch you between chains and rope." At that Spell fell limp again as a strange creature latched on to his helmet.
Gold clenched his fist and shouted, "Fine I'll play your sick game," He throws his hand forward pointing at the bad copies, "We'll be gunnin' for you after this though." With that said he gets to work finding a way to save his unconscious friend.
***** Mean while *****
Silver was in the shuttle with Steel looking over the Zords in their hanger bays. One of the Zords began to tip over. Steel seeing the Rover Zord move Morphed to catch it. Positioned with a wide stance, and bent forward slightly Steel was pinned under the Zord. Silver panted Morphing into her uniform.
"What happened?" Silver asked laying on the floor as the area between it and the Rover Zord was so small.
"Perhaps it's a technical difficulty?" Steel guessed trying, but failing to lift the mobile hunk of space metal, "It ain't budging. Silver you'll have to find a way out of this."
Silver nods to her friend and begins to look around. She turned on to her stomach trying to climb out. Every time she got even a little bit out somepony forced her back under the Rover Zord. Steel groaned as more weight was added. The sound of metal straining above them made them worry. Silver began to give off a dark mist as she continued trying to get out to find help.
"Silver, you okay?" Steel strained to hold up the weight his muscles throbbing as they seem to expand.
"I think so. What about you? You're growing!" Silver gasps as the mist fully engulfed her, and carried her out from underneath the the giant Rover. Steel just set the Rover Zord back where it belonged. Silver reformed partially floating in the dark mist.
"That was..." Steel began.
"Strange?" Sliver asked.
"Yeah."
*****Back where ever Gold and Spell are*****
"Yah!" Gold yelled colliding swords with his doppelganger. Spell had awoken his power by then. He flew up into the air to give ranged support against his own copy. They had managed to drive them back further and further until the copies were to worn down to keep fighting. They retreated away as a light zapped them away leaving smoke in their place.
"What was that about?" Spell asked doing a magical sweep of the area.
"I have no idea." Gold replied dispelling his weapon
"Me either," Both rangers spun around to be face to face with Flicker's copy. The copy continued to speak, "We were not ordered to attack you two this time. Our master will be pleased with their courage, but they made a stupid choice by not waiting for the rest of us." With that and a flash of light the Purple Copy Ranger was gone.
The Rangers collected in the main control room of the Shuttle, each of them displaying new found powers. Flicker was vibrating at high speeds. Gold was radiating pale moonlight. Silver was trailed by a purple mist. Steel had much larger muscle mass. Spell levitated just above the ground.
"Sir who did we just fight?" Flicker called out to the screen.
The screen came to life with an answer, "Those Mirrors were created by my other half."
"Other... half?" Gold asked with a raised brow.
"Yes, Gold. I think it is time I told you the story of how I arrived at Equis," The White Stallion's image shifted to the top left corner of the screen before he began talking again, "Not too, too long ago I was sent into space along with my other half. Our names were Mor and Mir. Our planet of origin was a fairly small ball of green and blue named Earth." The screen played out each part of the story.
**********
"Mor power on already! The Shuttle is about to pass the only planetoid with in fifty light years with the proper elements to synthesize proper fuel!" A pony sized android shook a reflective green fist at the screen.
"Yes Mir I see it. And... there the engines have slowed to a stop." Mor states to the android. As a part of a mission these two AI had been sent into space to show alien races the two sides of humanity. Mor was the analytical, yet good natured side. While his other half, Mir, was creative, innovative, but embodies the darker side of humanity. As Mir heads out to collect the fuel Mor looked through their mission logs.
The mission was to find and show aliens what humans were like, and attempt to start peaceful relations with said aliens. Mor and Mir were meant to at some point join in the android's body as Miror, a simulated human program, during the mission. But as luck would have it they had their own problems to solve. You see Earth had expected intelligent life closer to home. With that in mind not enough fuel was put into the shuttle to get as far as they are now. As such Mir proposed that the two stay separate, so that hey can collect solid and liquid fuel from planets, asteroids, comets and other planetoids. While Mor wasn't paying attention Mir had delivered the fuel and rigged a crash coarse for a nearby planet. Mir ejected from The Shuttle taking a space walk towards an Alien probe with what looked like R.O.R. written along the side.
"Good bye, "friend". Have a pleasant time burning up on entry!" Mir shouted walking into the research probe. Mir took a good look around. The crew was dead. All of them were burnt to ash by a flaming being across the room.
"Have you come to die as well?" The being asks, "If so you have come too late."
"Actually I have come to escape from my too good other half. He was in that craft falling towards the planet down there," Mir points to the spec disappearing into the light from the planet, "He would have gotten us killed. I would prefer to eliminate any alien race that proves a probable threat to my home planet before they can become one. If you aid me in this... necessary evil I will allow you to take my other half's place as part of an artificial life form."
"Hmm... I was crafted to preform necessary evils of my own. I agree. We shall be one in this endeavor," With that the flaming being was sucked into a nearby device, and a data jack shifted to plug into the android as the AI downloaded himself into the android.
**********
"And from combining Mir and R.O.R.'s technology a sort of grid found its way to this universe. That is how I was able to give you your powers. From that day on I was known no longer as Mir and R.O.R, but rather as Rorrim." The alien android told his false Rangers. Said Rangers were kneeling at their master's feet.
"Now that you know the story you asked for I have some news for you. For the time being, outside of your daily lives as ponies, you two are to stay in the barracks as punishment for going against orders, On top of that for your initiative to take on the blue and pink Rangers my brother assigned you are permitted to use the recreational areas of our based after you are allowed out of the barracks," Rorrim continued his little speech, "Until then I'll be having a project of mine take on the role of ground troops." A group of five mechanical ponies stepped forward as if on cue. One wheeled in an old blue stallion with an orange tail on a gurney. A metal device with wireless transmitters and flashing lights was bolted to his head. His dragonic eyes were heavy as whatever they were doing to him seamed to drain him physically.
"Y-You're an ass. You know that right? You t-t-took such a p-pea-peaceful creation, and turned it into a monster," The old stallion looked up sadly at what was once a medical robot. Now the only sign it ever was one is the coat it wore. His gaze shifted to the other four. They were once meant for putting out fires. His actions with these were the most cruel in his opinion. Turning their equipment into fire STARTING perversions caused the logic circuits to overload. It didn't help that Rorrim continued to use their original make title.
"And here I thought you would be so proud of your Friendroids, Mental." Rorrim punched the Stallion in the gut, but passed it over as playing around.
"D-D-Don't call these things that. A Medic sh-should nev-ev-ever carry a weapon without medical ap-ap-applications, and Firemen d-d-d-d-don't start fires," Mental's wound healed itself slowly.
"Oh shut it you old bat!" Rorrim back handed Mental. The snap of breaking bone, the splatter of coughed up blood, along with the look of one beyond death in the stallion's eyes caused White and Green to look on with sorrow under their helmets while their brothers and sister were shaking with glee.
"Green, White, take this fool to his holding cell while Violet, Brown, and Citric get back to the cover job in the Crystal Empire. I'll finish things here," With that Rorrim Looks out over the assembly lines Friendroids.
**********
Green Glow And White Night wheeled Mental back into his cell in the dungeon. Neither could look him in the face as they stabbed a sword through his heart, and into the wall behind to hold him. The graying stallion simply coughed up more blood as the fresh wound didn't bleed. White nodded to Green before stepping out side letting off some "excess" electrical energy. Once the cameras were shorted out Green ripped her helmet off, and hugged Mental crying. This had become a semi usual thing for them since becoming fake Rangers.