Light Born from Shadow - Part 1

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Footsteps, footsteps were the first thing one could hear from beyond the door. At first, they were distant, quiet, and almost impossible to pick up, but with every moment they came closer, fast. What at first was only the sound of one pair quickly grew into one of dozens that were rapidly getting closer and louder. Just as the steps were getting closer and closer, almost reaching the door, a new sound echoed through the hallway behind it. The door started to shake, struggling against the doorframe, threatening to break out from it accompanied by the sound of something heavy crashing against it.

Not even a second later the sound repeated itself, once again the door was struggling to give in, now accompanied by the groaning of the doorframe. One last time the sound echoed through the hallway followed by the loud splintering of wood as the door was forced open, swinging right into a shelf of the room behind it, out stumbled something black.

At a second glance, the figure turned out to be a slender woman, completely dressed in black clothes and a ski mask as well as a small wooden box under her arm. She almost fell on her face as she stumbled into the room behind the door, but before she could make acquaintances with the floor, she managed to catch herself and slam the door behind her shut, just in time before strange black creatures could swarm through it. Wasting no time, she immediately darted towards one of the shelves next to the door before throwing her whole body into it.

The wooden shelf started to sway, but not yet enough, refusing to topple over, all while the sounds of echoing footsteps came ever closer. With a frustrated scream, she once again threw herself against the wood, this time finally enough to let the shelf fall over, right in front of the door. Just seconds later the sound of banging could be heard from the other side, the door slamming against the shelf, but thankfully it refused to budge.

Letting out a sigh of relief, the woman pushed herself off the ground, taking a better look at her surroundings for the first time. The room was small, just seven meters in length and wide, but it was crammed full with stuff, treasures for some, junk for others like her. In front of her were small necklaces, boxes and other valuables scattered across the floor, spilled out from the shelf she just had thrown over. Around here were more shelf stuffed full with all kinds of items, who knew what one could find here if she went looking through it, but that all was secondary. What actually caught her attention was the window next to several crates, some of the open and empty with their lids next to them.

The repeated sound of someone throwing themselves against the door snapped her out of her thoughts, however, and right back into action. Biting her lip, she dashed forward towards the window, trying to pull it down, only to be met with the frustrating realization that the window had been looked. Desperately she attempted to pull down the glass, only for it to not budge a single centimeter. Worst of all, this was the perfect exit, just a meter above the ground and leading to a back alley, if she could just-

“What are you doing you idiot?” It boomed through the hallway, letting her head snap back to the door. With even more vigor she tried to pull the window, but she was just not making any sort of progress as the voice once again shouted: “Away from the door you imbeciles, I’ll do it!” That simple sentence let her blood freeze inside her veins; she had to get that damn window open before he got in here or else…

No, if the window hadn’t budged until now, it wouldn’t in the next five to ten seconds, and she really wouldn’t want to come face to face with this… this thing out there. With a frustrated sigh, she stepped away from the glass and looked back into the room for another exit, but much to her dismay she just couldn’t spot anything right now. Slamming her fist on the box next to her, she let out a frustrated groan only for her expression to change from tense to curious.

Not thinking about it for even a second longer she dashed to one of the open boxes, grabbing a few coins along the way and jumping inside it, closing the lid over her just in time before a loud sound rocketed the room. What followed was the sound of wood slamming against the ground at the shelf she had pushed in front of the door was thrown across the room and shattered as it slammed into the wall opposite to it. She just watched all of this unfold through a small little hole in the wooden crate.

Out of the doorframe stepped a massive creature, almost too big for it to fit through the door. It looked far from human but still walked on two legs. It was musculus, but instead of skin, his entire body was covered in purple chitin all while his chest had a turquoise shimmer to it. Two large red wings dragged behind him like some sort of cape. Two large red horns crowned his head with a third one right in the middle of them on his forehead all while two light purple eyes were darting across the room. In his hand, he held a strange double-bladed spear with blades that looked like the pincers of an insect.

With every step, the creature made the shelves were starting to shake a little bit, some coins falling to the ground. Not even moments after he had stepped into the room the other creatures stormed in, all looking quite similar to him, just in black chitin and green-blue wings and eyes as well as only one horn on their forehead. “She has to be here! Turn every stone in here and bring me the coins!”

The woman swallowed, looking out of her hiding spot, watching as the monsters crawled around the room, throwing things off the shelves in their search for their precious coins. While this was happening, the woman pulled out a small item that suspiciously looked like a grenade and placed it on the ground next to the coins she had swiped earlier. She did all of this while the monsters out there were getting closer to the crates next to the window. With every passing second, she could hear the sounds of footsteps around her.

Then it happened, the sound of a coin hitting the floor echoed through the room, louder than it had any right to be. For a moment the air in the room suddenly felt a hundred times heavier than before, and before she could even take another breath a bright purple beam of light shoot straight towards the boxes and in the blink of an eye, they had been reduced to splinters and rubble, taking the wall behind them with it.

Dust filled the room, and no one dared to say a word, just staring at the destruction that had been just brought to the room, only for this silence to be interrupted by the sound of an alarm. “What are you standing around her? Get searching you idiots before the police gets here! We don’t have much time!” The large creature snarled at the other ones, which quickly snapped out of their shock and stormed towards the remains of what had formerly been the boxes. Just as they were about to start searching for the remains of the woman and the box she had carried around the sound of something else suddenly burst through the air.

As the heads turned they could see the lid of another box at the other end of the room suddenly burst open and flying to the side, but before any of them could act a blinding light, accompanied by a loud bang consumed the entire room, followed by the sounds of feet running across the floor. “What?! This bitch! Get her! Get her!” He screamed, his minions staring to run in any direction that seemed right to them, only for the footsteps of the woman to be covered up by sounds of shelves falling over and monsters crashing into walls.

As their vision finally returned again, the woman was gone, and only the open box remained. “I want her found, if she gets too far away we might-“ He got this far before he was interrupted by the roar of a bike engine that quickly grew quieter. It just took a second for him to realize what was going on, but to his dismay, the woman had already disappeared into the night, the last echoes of the engine disappearing as he reached the hole in the wall.

Letting out a low growl, he slammed his fist against the broken brick wall, several of the bricks falling down. That was when things took a turn for the even worse; the sound of the alarm was starting to get drowned out by the sirens of approaching police cars. It was just a matter of time until they were here. Taking a last deep breath, he turned around to his minions: “The mission was a failure. We cut our losses and leave. I want every single one of you to escape without anyone noticing we were here, did you get this? After that, we will track her down and recover the coins, or else you will all regret it! Now, scram!” He barked, gesturing towards the hole in the wall.

Within seconds all of them had rushed back into the building, the creature following behind them, his body starting to move and change until it had transformed into something resembling the shape of a human with light blue skin and dark blue hair in a police uniform. “Don’t worry, you can run, but no one escapes the Queen,” he chuckled, waiting for the other police officers to swarm the scene through the hole, mixing himself into their midst, no one the wiser.

>-------<S>-------<

Beep! Beep! Beep!

That was the sound that rang through her ears, like an explosion on repeat. With a groan, she raised her hand to slam it down on the noisemaker only for her hand to miss the thing entirely and just slump down against the outside of her bed. Letting out a frustrated groan she once again raised her arm, flinging it around like she was swatting away a fly, but much like hitting one of the agile flying annoyances her efforts were entirely moot. This went on for a few seconds until a loud, muffled cry finally drowned the alarm out, the girl weakly rising from her sheets.

The morning light coming from the window above her bed was just as blinding as every day, making it impossible to make out anything in the agonizing shine, only worsened by the annoyance that was the alarm. When her eyes had eventually adjusted to the bright light in front of her, she slowly moved her arm over towards the alarm clock, leading out of her bed for a moment before the distant off button finally came into reach, silencing the dreadful noise for now.

Letting out a loud yawn the girl stretched herself, the loose shirt not hindering her in any way as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. After a few seconds, her eyes swayed over the clock, letting her know it was almost half-past six A.M. Letting out a silent groan she slithered out of her bed walking over to the mirror, looking at the sleepy girl with the pink skin and messy bright green hair that stared back at her.

With a frown, Lemon Zest shook her head and dragged herself to the bath after picking up the uniform. School, it was time for school, oh how she resented that sentence after this whole summer. Half of it wasn’t as peaceful as one might have hopped with all the monster attacks, but it definitely beat school any day. At least it was exciting, something she couldn’t say about school in any way. Dressing up back in her uniform just felt so alien to her, but she knew she had to.

Well, at least this year shaped up to be at least a little bit different and fresh than the last few. At first, it was her last year in high-school, so that meant one year, and she was free, it also meant a buttload of work and learning. But even more important, the new principal! After word got out about what Principal Cinch had done at the Friendship Games, well minus all the talk about magic, it hadn’t taken that long for parents to get angry and within two weeks everyone had “suggested” that she leave. Dean Cadance, or more precise Principal Cadance was swiftly promoted right after, so things definitely looked up on this front, and then there was the other thing with the-

“Lemy! What is taking you so long? You’ll miss the bus at this rate,” her mom shouted up the stairs, Lemon just silently sighing before shouting back.

“Yeah, yeah mom, I’m on my way!” With that, she finally left the bathroom, dressed in her uniform, only to silently add: “Geeez!” She would have almost dragged herself done the stairs when she had noticed that she had forgotten one thing. Turning around in an instant, she once again went back into her room to pick up her phone and most importantly, her headphones. The moment they covered her ears, the world burst to life as the music filled her head with all kinds of beautiful beats.

With her newfound energy, she pretty much danced down the stairs, almost running right into her mom. She was dressed in her usual grey business suit that covered most of her orange skin, all while her lime green hair was tied up in a ponytail. She looked at her with a slightly annoyed look from her green eyes beyond the slick grey glasses. Letting out an annoyed grunt she pulled one of her ear cups away catching only half of what her mother wanted to say: “-out a little bit? I was getting kinda worried that you have fallen asleep again.”

“Sure mom,” she returned, dancing around her to the beat of the music and directly towards the kitchen.

Her mother, Sweet Orange, on the other hand, just shook her head with a smile on her lips. “Just as always.”

Lemon meanwhile had pretty much jumped into the chair, almost knocking him over with all the force she had put into her lunge, not that she noticed, far to enthralled in her music. There was. However, one thing caught her attention, the two delicious white powdered donate in front of her as well as the smell of fresh coffee dancing around her nose. “Thanks, mom!” She shouted over her shoulder, seeing Orange putting on her high heels and already looking at her purse.

“No problem Lemy,” it came back to her, but she didn’t hear it through her headphones, already taking the first bite from her delicious breakfast only to suddenly burst out into coughing, spraying a good amount of the sugar all over the table. “Oh, Lemy, how often did I tell you not to swallow so much? You are practically inhaling the thing. This happens every time.”

Without even acknowledging what she had said, Lemon just continued to munch on her donut after the couching had stopped. Only after stuffing the last bit of the pastry into her mouth, she finally said something again: “Dad’s already gone?”

“Yep, Grapefruit had to go early today. There was an emergency in Mount Aries he had to deal with. Sorry Lemy that he couldn’t say goodbye, but he promised to get a present when he gets back,” she returned with a smile, only getting a distant nod from her daughter. With a little frown, she added: “Maybe even a new set of headphones, those ones without the cable you have been eyeing for a while now.”

At the mention of that Lemon snapped up, looking right at her with expecting eyes. “I knew I would get your attention that way,” Orange chuckled before sighing. “Have fun in school Lemy and try not to cause too much trouble because I’m not so sure if your dad would be so willing to give you your little present if he hears anything bad.” She was almost out of the door when she added one last bit with a sly smile on her lips: “Oh, and don’t tell him I said anything. He still thinks he could keep something like that secret from you and I don’t want to break his delusions.”

“Sure mom,” Lemon returned right before the door slammed close, leaving only her with her donut and music behind. For a few moments, she looked at the closed door only to let out a silent sigh to eventually pull her headphones back over her ears, the music quickly overtaking her again. Within a few seconds, the second donut had vanished from her plate, and the coffee soon followed, washing down the remains of the pastry.

With a loud yawn and a stretch she ultimately forced herself off from the table, picked up her backpack and skateboard and darted out the door, immediately jumping on the board and dashing away through the nice little suburb she could call her home. It was one of those high and mighty, wealthy suburbs. The kind that would cut the grass with scissors just to not stand out, or at least they would pay people to do that. Not that Lemon Zest cared about that in any way right now, she had a bus to catch, and she didn’t intend to be late on the first day of school.

The entire way to the bus stop was pretty much just one complete blur, the music just mixing with everything going on around her into one sensation that only ended when the bus-stop came into view, letting her realize that she had already taken the entire way. At first glance, the bus-stop was almost abandoned, she only recognized three people, two of which being Upper Crust and Jet Set, two of the most annoying people they knew. They had perfectly encapsulated what Crystal Prep was all about, being better than others and rubbing it in everyone's faces. Question was if that would hold true this year. The rest were just random students she didn’t even know.

But right now she cared more about the last girl on the stop that was absentmindedly looked at her phone with an expression even the best detective would have trouble reading. The girl with the grey skin and white-blue hair looked up from her screen and with an emotionless glare stared directly at her. While she had raced across the sidewalk relatively casually until now suddenly that became a lot harder as she skidded to a halt right in front of her friend, Sugarcoat.

“You are three minutes late, consider setting your alarm earlier,” she was greeted by her usual cold expression, but she could swear there was a bit of disappointment mixed in with it, only adding to the uncomfortable feeling that was swelling up inside her.

With an awkward chuckle and her rubbing the back of her head, she tried to avoid the gaze of her friend, her cheeks a bit red of embarrassment. “Oh, hey Sugarcoat, how is it going? Excited for school?” She dared to take another look at her friend only to still be greeted with the same expression, only now she was also raising an eyebrow. “Oh, come on Sugar! The bus still isn’t here, not like it’s that big of a problem, right?” She awkwardly added, trying to hide the embarrassment in her cheeks.

“You're still late,” was all she got in return, together with that icy, judging stare that let a shiver run down her spine.

After a few more moments suffering under her stare Lemon finally carved, slumping down and letting her head hang low: “Ok, I’m sorry Sugarcoat, but I just couldn’t get moving today, it just feels so wrong, ok?” Lemon cried out in desperation, garnering attention from the rest of the students around them, most just looking at her in confusion, some shaking their heads before going back to their previous conversations and then there were Jet Set and Upper Crust, both letting out a loud chuckle before glancing over to her.

“Seems like hanging out with these Canterlot High girls rubbed off on her,” Jet Set said, pushing his glasses upward as he grinned a mischievous smile. Upper Crust quickly started to chuckle, much to Lemon Zest’s annoyance who snapped around, glaring daggers at them.

“Look, I think she heard you. Beware; she might torture you with her terrible music. I heard she was seen with that Canterlot High girl, that one with the earphones, maybe they are making something that is designed to drain the intelligence of everyone and not just them,” she added, a glare in her eyes. “I still can’t comprehend how anyone who attends Crystal Prep could like this braindead sound that masquerades as music. She should really be ashamed.”

“Strange, as far as I know, Principal Cinch still chose her over any of you two even if she would be as stupid as you two claim,” Sugarcoat simply said, Upper crust about to say something only for no word to escape her lips as they opened, leaving her standing there like an open mailbox, including Lemon Zest.

It, however, didn’t take long for her to snap out of that and start laughing, followed by chuckling from the entire station, both Upper Crust, and Jet Set glared daggers at them while their cheeks turned deeper and deeper shades of red. “Ok, you fucking rock Sugar, did I ever tell you that? Seriously, you are savage girl,” Lemon said, bumping her fist against her shoulder with a broad smile on her lips. Sugar just returned a weak smile.

Before either Upper Crust or jet Set could return anything the bus finally pulled up to the bus stop, the kids all immediately stormed towards the opening doors, drowning out any kind of response the two could have come up with. In the end, only Sugarcoat and Lemon Zest were left standing outside. “So, we probably should get on as well, wouldn’t be so good to be late the first day, right?”

Sugarcoat simply replied with a cold: “Yes, we should,” and without missing a beat, she stepped forward, followed by her friend. Like expected, most of the seats had already been taken, students were chatting and all in all, it was a typical day on the bus. It seemed Lady Fortuna was on their side for a moment when their eyes homed in on two seats right at the end of the bus, still unused, the last two. This was perfect, or at least that was their thirst thoughts, thoughts that quickly were replaced by the feeling of betrayal. Lady Fortuna wasn’t on their side; she was playing a prank on them. Right in front of the seats sat the two, Jet Set and Upper Crust, undoubtedly already gossiping over the last rumor they had heard.

“Uhm, should we stand or-“ Lemon was about to ask before Sugar just continued to walk forward and plant herself right on the open seats without even blinking. With a silent sigh and a shake of her head, Lemon followed her friend, even if she didn’t like where this was going. But hey, at least she could escape into her music; Sugar could deal with these two any day of the week.

They hadn’t even sat down properly when they already heard the first of their little tirades. “I still can’t believe that we have to deal with these Canterlot High losers for an entire year! How does this even happen? I mean seriously, we are Crystal Prep, we shouldn’t deal with this! This would have never happened with Principal Cinch!” Upper Crust growled, almost spitting the words out.

“And I thought it was quite simple, but in case that was too high for you two I can tell you again.” Sugar didn’t miss a beat, saying that immediately after the girl had finished. “Their school was destroyed in a battle between a superhero and a supervillain, and now they have to rebuild it. That will probably take a year, and Principal Cadance offered their students and the entire faculty to use our facilities for the year. That should cover it in as simple a way as possible.”

“I knew that!” She hissed back, glaring at her with the combined hate of thousands of suns, or the hate of an annoyed high school student, one could at times hardly tell.

“Didn’t seem that way,” was Sugars response, shrugged and turned back towards her friend before any of them could get even a word in. “Heard about what happened last night in Mount Aris?”

Lemon just blinked for a moment before a devilish smile danced across her lips: “Nope, didn’t hear about it, but what’s so important about it? Did I miss a new band blowing up, a brawl at a concert or something like that? Because I don’t think so, I know about nearly every kind of musical stuff going on, and I would know that. So, what happened?”

“Someone stole something from a well-known auction house,” Sugar returned.

“Huh, so what is so exciting about that? I mean, what do I care what such an old and dusty auction house? I mean, they would have to steal the microphone of Countess Coloratura for me to care,” Lemon returned, her body sacking back into her seat as she looked slightly disappointed at her friend.

“I don’t know what has been stolen; they have been really secretive about that. But the reason I’m telling you this is because the police aren’t the ones investigating the case, that would be the MRG,” Sugar simply replied.

“The who?” She stared back, raising an eyebrow.

With a silent sigh, Sugar quickly returned: “You know, the government agency that came her half a year ago, the one that deals with magical stuff?” Sugar deadpanned, silently judging Lemon.

“Wait, those guys? So, does that mean that it has something to do with magic? That would be hella wild, wouldn’t it?” In a second Lemon had gone from zero to a hundred, her eyes pretty much sparkling with excitement.

“I would say that when the government organization that deals with magic gets involved chances are high that it is magic related.” Her look was enough to let Lemon slam her hand against her head in embarrassment.

“Good point,” she sheepishly returned only for her embarrassment to fade as soon as another thought came to her. “Wait, so if these MRG guys are there, was there any talk about any of the Riders? It has been far too long since I have seen them in action. I’m starved on superhero shit, you know, a good monster-hero brawl?”

“No,” she returned before pulling out her phone and starting to chat with someone. Lemon just looked at her for a moment, shrugged and put on her headphones.

>-------<S>-------<

The sound of heavy footsteps echoed through the hallway as quite a muscular man with dark cyan skin, short, washed-out ruby-colored hair and a violate suit with amaranth tie stepped across the dark stone floor. A frown covered his face as he stopped in front of a large dark wood door, took a deep breath, and knocked on wood.

“Come in,” came from the other side and within seconds, the door had been pushed open, and the men stepped inside, taking in what stood before him. Two employees nodded to the person sitting in the chair and quickly left the room. “Ah, there you are, I was waiting for you. So, how did it go,” the woman asked him, smiling, but he definitely knew that undertone, she knew.

“Uhm, Lady Chrysella, I’m sorry to inform you, but the operation was sadly not a success. We ran into a few… complications along the way,” he returned, every hair on his body standing on edge as he eyed her.

With a sigh, the woman stood up, the smile completely vanished from her lips. Her pale green skin shimmered in the light of the lamps as well as her pale orange hair. Still, her glare was unnerving, only worsened by the black business suit she wore. “Pharynx, I saw the news today and guess what I found there?”

“A report about a break-in at the Mount Aris auction house, lady Chrysella?” Pharynx carefully returned, avoiding the piercing glare of his boss.

“Exactly. I said this was a convert mission. No unnecessary attention, did I not? So, how exactly did this end up on the news? I want an explanation! Now!” Chrysella returned, her voice as cold as ice.

Pharynx nodded silently before starting: “I know, and I’m very much sorry for that, but we had an unsuspected competitor. She snuck into the backroom and was about to take the coins before we had the chance to even bid on them. She must have noticed that she would have flat out lost against our resources, no matter how well of they might be. We were lucky that one of my Drones managed to catch her in the act after I ordered him to replace one of the guards. She still managed to knock him out and ran away. But she couldn’t escape us, and we chased her into a dead-end, one of the storage rooms. That was where I made a terrible mistake,” he growled, clenching his hands into a fist.

“Yes, go on. I want to know what you did wrong,” she continued, the deadly glare still focused on him.

“O-Of course,” he muttered before continuing. “We had her cornered. There was no way out, but that was when I made my mistake. She tricked me with something, creating noise and I overreacted and blew up the wall. A minor leap in judgment that caused the entire operation to fail. What followed was a flashbang and in the ensuing chaos she escaped,” he finished, looking down at the floor in embarrassment. “But that doesn’t mean this is over. I will grab some Drones and will rip the coins from her cold dead hands if I have to! Tomorrow morning you will-“

That was as far as he got before Chrysella interrupted him with a simple hand gesture. “No! No, you will not! After what you pulled this night I can’t put this operation into your hands. You will just make far too much of a scene. I can’t have that, especially when we are so close to our goal.”

“But if we get these coins we will be done. We would have-“

“Far too risky! We don’t want to draw unwanted attention, especially with two Riders still in the city. If they catch onto us, all of what we worked for could fall apart in a short amount of time. That would definitely happen if I sent you. If this once again fails to be kept under radar people will see you, and if something too powerful shows up, we won’t be able to make a single step in the city. You got that? Send one of the Workers after them, give him a few Drones, and stay here. You got that? We need to do this carefully. Otherwise, we never would have gotten as far as we are now! Rash actions always lead to consequences, you saw this tonight, so remember that,” Chrysella returned, her voice stern and commanding.

“Of course. As you wish. I will choose a fitting Worker and provide him with everything he needs. This shouldn’t be a problem. We will have the coins before any of these Riders know what happened,” he replied nervously and was about to turn on his heels and leave the room as her voice once again echoed through the room.

“Oh, and tell your brother he should monitor the Worker. I want to get everything out of this,” she added with a sweet voice.

“Of course mother,” he matter of factly returned before leaving the room.

>-------<S>-------<

As the bus pulled up in front of the school both Jet Set and Upper Crust pushed themselves out of the vehicle as fast as possible while Sugarcoat and Lemon Zest patiently entered the bus when all the rows had already emptied.

With an enthusiastic leap, Lemon jumped out of the bus, raising her fist into the air, music blaring in her ears. “Hey Crystal Prep, here I’m again! Remember me? I hope so because I’m gonna make this year as fun as possible!” She shouted across the entire courtyard, much to the confusion of a few people, most of the students she had never seen here, not even dressed in uniforms. “Uhm, hey Sugar, why aren’t they wearing uniforms?” She quickly asked her friend, pulling off one of her earcups.

“They are from Canterlot High. The principal decided that it would be a waste to let all of them buy new uniforms for a year and since they won’t be in any classes with us she said that there wouldn’t be any problems,” Sugar returned without even missing a beat.

“I, for one, find this horrible! Look at them, all looking so… So… mismatched,” a voice suddenly said, it was a bit shrill and most certainly annoyed followed by a huff. “But it seems I have to get used to that from now on,” she added. It took her a few moments, but she recognized the voice.

“Sunny! What's up, dudet! How is it hanging?” Lemon spun around, immediately grabbing the girl and forcing her into a tight hug. The girl with the cyan skin and purple hair had no time to react.

“Hey! Hey! You are making my uniform wrinkly!” She protested, but made no attempt to remove her by force, she also looked more startled than annoyed.

“Oh, right, sorry! So, how is it hanging?” She added, grinning from ear to ear when she noticed two other girls, one with yellow skin and pink hair with cyan streak tied into a ponytail and one with peach complexion and combed back long blue hair. “Hey Sour Sweet! Hey, Indigo Zap, how is it going?”

“Oh, good if you are interested and… You aren’t even listening anymore, are you?” Sunny huffed, crossing her arms in front of her and started pointing.

“Seems you miss the hug,” Sugar added, Sunny glaring at her with newfound anger, through a small blush was visible on her cheeks.

“Oh, good, good Lemon, long time not seen,” Sour returned, smiling over both ears before her expression suddenly shifted towards a far sourer note. “It was just yesterday.”

“Glad to see you too,” she simply returned, either ignoring her snippy remark or just not noticing it.

“Yo! Lemon, how is it going?” Indigo pretty much screamed, right into everyone's ears before sprinting forward and nearly knocking Lemon over as she pulled her into a hug, leaving her with almost no way to breath, desperately struggling for air.

“Indigo, please don’t strangle your classmate before the school year even starts,” a somewhat tiered voice interrupted them, quickly all of their eyes turned towards the voice. “If you want to kill each other, please do it on your own time and not inside school. But if you ask me, it would be a waste to lose any of you five.”

In front of them stood an older woman with pink skin, multicolored hair, ranging from purple to light yellow and a blue suit with a skirt, a blue purse under her arm. The usual smile they expected, however, was somewhat tainted one could say, Principal Cadance looked awfully exhausted, and her eyes were quite baggy.

“Morning Dea- I mean Principal Cadance,” Lemon was the first to respond, having wrestled herself free from her friend's tight grip. “You look awful, so much to do? Being a teacher must be really hard,” she continued.

Cadance just chuckled weakly for a moment before saying: “Oh, it most certainly is very stressful, but rewarding in its own way, even if you sometimes have to sacrifice a good night sleep over it.” She took a quick look at her purse, eying it nervously before returning her attention back to her students. “But not like I’m not missing the sleep. Today I’ll probably sleep like a rock. If I’m gonna be honest, I was a bit nervous about the ceremony today. But oh well, not like I can just not do it,” she chuckled, suppressing a yawn. “So girls, see you later, I need a coffee before everything starts.” With that, she left the girls behind, rushing towards the school.

“So… I guess we should get going as well? I mean, not like we have anything better to do, right girls?” Lemon nervously chuckled. Getting a unanimous nod from her friends before they all walked towards the school. What usually would have been a while crowded an easy way for them was today way worse; they had to push and shove, trying to get a good spot in the gym. One differently noticed the new students; the hall was filled to the brim when the principal started to speak.

“I thank you all for being here today, students of Crystal Prep as well as students of Canterlot High. The last year has been quite an eventful one for both our schools. The last Friendship Games had a profound effect on both of our school, showing us our mistakes and making it possible for us to move forward towards a brighter future. Furthermore, we are deeply sorry for the destruction of Canterlot High. But being stuck in the past is no way for anyone to move forward and like my father always said, there is a light in every shadow; we just have to find it. So let’s make our time here this year together something special, so both our schools will grow from this,” Cadance said, the tiredness pretty much gone from her voice.

“Exactly! Our schools might have had their differences in the past, but this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for all of us so that we may learn from each other. Crystal Prep was always known for its great students, and I hope some of my students can take that to heart,” Princepile Celestia added, now stepping next to Candance. “We all wish you a wonderful school year.”

After a round of applause, every single student in the hall pushed outwards, making the five girls feel like sardines in a can. It took one-two minutes until the tide of students had finally released them, the five now standing in the hall and watching as the avalanche of students from both schools swept past them. “I guess we should get going, being late on the first-“ Lemon sighed, letting her arms hang limply to her side when something caught her attention. In a second, her body jumped up, on high alert before she shouted: “Hey! Vinyl! Wait a moment!” And before any of her friends could even say a word she had already disappeared and was chasing after the white girl with the blue hair.

“We probably should go after her,” Sugarcoat said, her friends just sighing and nodding.

Meanwhile Lemon was pushing her way through the crowd until she suddenly burst free from them into an empty corridor with no one in it. That was when she shared the sound of a door closing, her attention immediately directed towards the sound. The door to the basement. Why did Vinyl go down there? With a raised eyebrow, she followed the girl, slowly stepping down the stairs, the door once again opening behind her as her friends followed her. But she didn’t dare to say a thing when she heard the voice of Vinyl: “We can do this the easy way, or the hard way. You have no chance of winning this, so make it easy for us, ok? You value your life, right?”

A cold shiver ran down her spine as she heard her voice, it was different, so cold and… threatening. She thought about just turning back now and forgetting that this had ever happened, maybe that was the best idea? However, that was when she heard another voice, one also very familiar. “Not in a thousand years. Your Queen will never get her dirty hands on this! This will just end like last time, and when that happens, you will never find them again.” It was the Principal's voice, and she sounded serious.

“Why do you have to make this so difficult? There is no way you can win,” Vinyl growled before adding with a far deeper voice: “Oh well, Drones, take her!”

What followed the sounds of several feet running towards something, echoing off the walls of the basement only to be replaced by the sound of fists slamming against something hard. Meanwhile, in her head, her thoughts were like a wild whirlwind, being thrown around before any single one of them could be brought to a satisfying end. Should she help her principal, or rather run? She just didn’t know.

But still, her legs moved, entirely on their own as she dashed down the stairs, coming to a screeching halt when she reached the last step. In front of her was something she couldn’t quite comprehend right now, something that looked like black bipedal bug-creatures, most of them looking identical and they were fighting with cadance. But there was one that stood out from the seven bugs, a strange bug that had a different head, reminding her of a mantis of all things, only enhanced by the blades on the arms of the creature.

“Lemon Zest? What are yo-“ Candace screamed out, staring at the girl as if her eyes were about to fall out of her head only to be interrupted. The mantis creature had taken that one moment of carelessness and had slashed at Cadance, cutting right through the straps of her purse, throwing it and its content right towards Lemon, Cadance landing on the floor.

Lemon just stared at the scene, unable to do anything, the sound of footsteps coming to a stop behind her. “Hey Lemon, you can’t ju-“ her friends tried to say only to fall just as silent Lemon. The condense of the purse had been thrown right in front of their feet, complete with five strange coins with a six-pointed star in different colors on them. She just couldn’t look away from them, almost like she was drawn to them.

“There! Get me the coins! Now!” She snarled, a devilish glimmer in her eyes.

“Girls, run!” She heard Cadance beg, the Drones storming towards them. For a moment, Lemon zest didn’t want anything else but to run, but she knew she couldn’t. She knew what she had to do even if she didn’t know how. With a loud scream, she dashed forward, grabbing the coin and rolling under the swing of the Drones with their two-sided spears.

For a moment, all light in the basement seemed to be drawn towards her, swallowed even, the room drenched in more and more shadow. She could feel something tightening itself around her like it was crushing her, but only for a moment, she felt something different, something warmer. A bright red light erupted from her, dispersing the shadow that had gathered around her. She felt different, so much more alive, so much more…

Her thoughts were; however, rudely interrupted when the mantis monster let out a loud scream, landing at her with one of her blades. Lemon instinctively pulled her arms in front of her, forming a cross in hopes to stop the attack. She already awaited the blade slicing into her, but instead, she just felt resistance, but no pain. When she opened her eyes again, she stared directly at the mantis, desperately struggling to get her blade further, but was blocked by Lemon. She couldn’t believe it, this wasn’t real, right?

She just shook her head, she had time to think about that later, letting out a scream and pushing back against the mantis she managed to knock her off balance, Cadance just staring at her in absolute disbelief. With another shout she kicked the monster right in the stomach and against all laws of physics it just flew back, crashing into a few lockers that had been stashed down here.

Then it happened again, the room was swallowed by darkness for a few moments, this time she could feel the warmth physically being drained from her only for light to return, in blue, green, yellow and pink. When she looked back, she could see her friends, each of them having picked up one of the coins.

“Im… Impossible,” Cadance just said, staring at what was unfolding in front of her.

“Bring me the coins Drones! And no excuses!” The mantis growled, the six other bugs storming towards the girls.

Indigo zap was the first to act, storming towards two of the bugs when she suddenly jumped up, grabbing hold of one of the pipes running across the ceiling. With a gracious swing, she shot herself forward, her feet slamming right into their chest and knocking them off-balance. “Awesome!”

Sunny Flare was the next that got attacked, one of the Drone stepping closer and closer towards her. She looked around the room for anything she could use to defend herself before she let out a resigned sigh, grabbing into her backpack. The bug was about to bring down his weapon when she pulled something from the bag, a perfume bottle. “You owe me you buggy freak!” She hissed and threw the bottle right into his face, shattering upon impact. Letting out a loud screech, the Drone stumbled back, his hands clutched over his face. Sunny just dashed forward and punched the bug right into the face, knocking him down.

While this had transpired Sour Sweet was desperately trying to avoid any and all attacks of the creature, but it had managed to corner her, nowhere left to run, or at least that was what the creature thought. It running straight after her she didn’t slow down, even if the wall was right in front of her, but instead used the wall as a way to push herself off from and right over the Drone. It could only run straight into the wall, followed by a kick to its back, letting some of the paint fall off the wall.

The last two of them were meanwhile harassing Sugarcoat who had until now done an excellent job at evading their attacks. When one of them brought its weapon down on her once again, she seized the opportunity, dashing under the attack coming back up right next to him. What followed was a swift roundhouse kick that knocked one of the entirely of balance and sent him flying, right into the other one, both landing directly on their asses. “Huh, seems the self-defense training paid off.”

The mantis had in the meantime managed to get back up and glared daggers at Lemon before dashing towards her. Lemon let out a smirk as well and ran toward her as well. The bug raised its arm, ready to stab Lemon only for the girl to speed up her dash jumped to the side, circling the mantis-like it was nothing. At the moment the monster turned around, she was greeted with a fist aimed right at her face, a fist that sent her sailing right towards the stairs. One could hear the concrete give in under the force and weight of the beast as it crashed into the ground with its back. As Lemon looked down at her arm, she could see something like black smoke coming off it only to disappear as quickly as it had appeared.

When it slowly rose again, it stared at the five girls, standing triumphant in front of it. “Retreat!” The monster barked, holding his side while he did so. Within seconds the Drones forced themselves of the floor and dragged themselves back to their leader. “Don’t think this is over. Next time you won’t be so lucky,” it hissed when all seven of them ran up the stairs.

Lemon was about to run after them when she heard the voice of Cadance “Wait! Don’t! If you follow them now, you are gonna pull the other students into this!” With a sigh, she stopped before she could go after them. In the meantime, Indigo and Sugar had helped up the principal.

“Ok, Principal Cadance, I just have one question. What the fuck just happened?” Lemon asked, looking at the principal in utter confusion.

Cadance simply sighed and returned: “Yeah, I guess I owe you girls an explanation.”

Light Born from Shadow - Part 2

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The door to the office closed behind them leaving only the girls and Principal Cadence in the office, the five just standing there and staring at Cadance awkwardly. Meanwhile, she had pulled out her phone and called someone and still wasn’t done with her conversation. While she was busy Lemon examined the room. The walls were colored in the same lime green as halls right outside of it, the floor, however, was a far darker stone as outside. A big green fluffy carpet had been rolled over the stony ground, on a glance looking far more comfortable than even a few beds she had seen, inviting her to just roll in it. But the most striking feature of the room was actually the lack of something. Everything was so damn dark, one lamp hanging from the ceiling illuminated everything, well minus a bright desk lamp. Between the cabinets and bookshelves, Cadence had placed several large stuffed animals, giving the room a far more warm feeling.

“Yes. Yes. I know I should have told you earlier, but with things being like they are right now, it just slipped my mind. I’m sorry Ruby, it won’t happen again,” she muttered, sounding exhausted as took another deep breath. Lemon, in the meantime, took a closer look at the desk. It was also filled with a good amount of plushies as well as what one would consider normale office supplies just far pinker. And then there was that picture, Lemon leaned a bit forward to see a rather handsome man with white skin and short blue hair, probably her boyfriend.

“Ok, thank you Ruby. I’ll get you something for lunch tomorrow, ok? Good, see you!” Cadance let out a loud sigh as she let herself sink back into her pink armchair. “Well, that takes care of that. I just called your teacher, Miss Jubilee, and told her I needed to talk with you about ways to make our students more accepted about the Canterlot High students. She was a bit miffed that I hadn’t said that sooner, but she was ok with it. So we don’t have to worry about that for now.” She pushed a bowl of candy forward. “Want some girls?”

Lemon was the first to grab for the sweet temptation, taking three of the little bonbons before Sour Sweet grabbed into the bowl and took one for herself. Both Indigo and Sunny both grabbed one as well. Cadance was about to pull the candy back when Sugarcoat grabbed for it, much to the Principles surprise, immediately pulling her hand back. But what followed left her even more surprised, instead of grabbing one bonbon, Sugarcoat just took the whole bowl and started shover one bonbon after the other into her mouth, all with her usual expression.

Lemon just awkwardly chuckled, rubbing the back of her head and sheepishly replied: “Yeah, Sugarcoat has a massive sweet tooth. If we ask her, I’m sure she will just put the ca-“

Cadance just chuckled before calmly replying: “Oh, don’t worry. Candy is there to be eaten, isn’t it? So don’t worry, let Sugar eat as much as she wants. But please, don’t tell this her dentist, I don’t want to be blamed for anything.”

“Her dentist is already used to it, so don’t worry. Really, I’m surprised he hasn’t gone desperate,” Lemon chuckled.

“I just have perfect teeth,” Sugar returned between her munching, and if one looked close enough, they could see a small blush on her cheeks.

“That is all cute and funny and all,” Sour Sweet added with her lovely voice, only for that to quickly shift to her much harsher tone: “But we want answers! And not just in a year, now!” She was glaring at Cadance, the principal staring dumbfounded at her for a moment while the other four girls just looked exasperated.

“I… Yeah, I think you are right,” she nervously returned before taking a deep breath and put her hands on the table. As she looked up, her cheerful demeanor had vanished, replaced by an expression they had never seen on her face before, absolute seriousness. “Ok, where do I start?”

“Probably at the start would be good,” Sour grumbled, her arms crossed in front of her.

“Sour,” Sunny hissed, giving her a nudge into her side before staring at her with a stare that replaced the need for any more words.

“If that wouldn’t be a problem that is,” Sour rubbed her side while she added with the sweetest of voices she could muster, but not before glaring back at Sunny and whispering: “Better?” Sunny just noded, not in the mode to further pursue this.

“Yeah, the start. Good idea I think,” cadence muttered, not even noticing what the girls were doing, to bussy being lost in her own thoughts. That was until a metaphorical light bulb appeared over her head, her expression quickly changing to adapted that new development. “I know, I’ll probably start with what these monsters were that you fought down there.”

“Yeah, I want to know what kind of creeps we kicked the asses off!” Indigo interrupted her with an enthusiastic tone, only to realize that everyone was staring at her and add: “Eh, yeah, would be nice.”

The ghost of a smile danced across Cadences lips before it returned to dead serious. “So, these creatures were called Changelings. They are a race of ancient shapeshifting bug monsters. Well, calling them a race might be a bit much, but it somewhat fits.”

“Wait, wait, Changelings? I heard about them in history, sixth class if I remember. They were an old legend from Germaney, and the country's around it, right? They stole children and replaced them with their own. People thought that was the case when the child was ill or had other disabilities and deformities,” Lemon said, surprisingly excited and gaining a confused look from everyone but Sugar.

“Since when do you know that?” Indigo simply asked, looking at her like something was wrong with her. “Uhm, Principal Cadance, you think she might be a Changeling?”

“No, that can’t be. A Changeling could never be chosen by the coins, that is just impossible. Hse has to be the real one, even if this kinda strange for her to know,” she returned, still eyeing her student carefully.

“It’s not that weird. She has a good memory for things that interest her. But everything else she quickly forgets. History and mythology is just one thing she is really interested in,” Sugar interrupted their baseless conspiracy theories, something that let them all sheepishly look in a different direction.

“Exactly! Man Sugar, you just get me!” Lemon added, completely ignoring the awkward atmosphere in the room. “History and stuff like that is so exciting. You know, just imagine what all happened in this city over the ages, from Kamen Riders, magic and all the other interesting stuff. You ever heard about the pumpkin massacre of 1935? It’s like the music of history, every event is a note in that never-ending song!” She continued, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

Cadance looked at her for a moment before her confusion swapped out for amusement: “Is that so? A good amount of enthusiasm you have for that never would have guessed.”

“Yeah, I get that a lot, but if those were Changelings does that mean that all these stories about them are true as well?” Lemon’s eyes only grew wider and wider as the realization hit her.

“In a way, yes, but at the same time not. They are more or less a mixture of fear, suspicions, the inability to cope with certain things, and a bit of truth. Changelings exist, you saw that, but they were never kidnaping children or at least leaving behind copies of them. Changelings are a tribe of ancient humans, roughly three thousands years in the past that came into contact that changed the course of history forever. Something that turned them into monsters,” she returned, a nervous undertone to it all.

“Wait, that thing was three thousand years old? It didn’t look like it was that old,” Lemon said before nervously adding. “Come to think of it, that thing looked like Vinyl, one of my friends, you don’t think it…”

Her expression changed from excited to fear. “No, I don’t think so. It was definitely not much older than you five and probably not your friend. Changelings are created by a human receiving the gift of the Dark Stone. No one knows where it came from, but it absorbs light magic and anything similar like love. A shard of that stone is given to a changeling, and they become what you saw done there today, a worker. The bigger and more powerful the stone is, the stronger the changeling.”

While Lemon was listening carefully to every word of Cadance, Sunny wasn’t too convinced. “Ok, that is all very interesting, but how do you know about all of this? I mean really, you seem to be an expert on all this Changeling stuff, how comes? And why are they after you and these coins?” She huffed, cautiously looking at Cadance before pulling out the pink coin.

Cadance looked back at her, her eyes shortly becoming stuck on the coin before relaxing. “Yeah, it’s a lot to take in, I guess. But I’m gonna tell you everything I know, don’t worry. But for that all to make sense, I have to go back a bit more. I only know parts about what happened back then, so yeah. Three thousand years ago, my ancestors were part of the Changeling tribe. At the time the Changelings controlled and suppressed every other tribe in their area, and they showed no sign of stopping, and there was also no one to stop them with their control of the Dark Stone. It was supposedly massive and made it’s wielder all powerfull. But a small splinter group of Changelings rose up against their current queen but were ultimately defeated. These were my ancestors.”

“Wait, so that means you can turn into one of those bug things?” Lemon interrupted her, much to the annoyance of her friends.

Cadance however, just raised an eyebrow before chuckling: “No, I can’t. Otherwise, that fight down there would have goon far differently. No, when a Changeling is defeated the pice of the Dark Stone they controlled is destroyed. That happened to my ancestors, but they weren’t so quickly deterred, and instead of a just bowing to the queen, they decided to outsmart her. They managed to steal parts of the Dark Stone, enough to once again regain their power, but they decided to do something else. When the Dark Stone was found a similar, far weaker and smaller stone was also found, the Crystal Hearth. The Crystal Heath had been more or less forgotten by the tribe, but not by them. They crafted small parts of the Crystal Hearth into the Dark Stone they had stolen and forged something new, something that would give them a new chance, the Shadow Coins, the same coins you hold now,” she finished.

“These coins are over a thousand years old?” Sugar asked, looking at her own blue on a little closer. The coins itself were pitch black minus a small six-pointed colored star in the middle of them.

“Yes. With these coins, they managed to overthrow the queen, the original Dark Stone was lost, and the tribe was scattered. My ancestors devoted themselves to protect the world from the Changelings ever since, but over two thousand years ago, we lost the Shadow Coins. Ever since the Changelings and we have been hunting for them all across the globe, we to once again be able to protect the world from them and they to drain the light from them and restore the Dark Stone to its former glory.”

“So, how did you find these Shadow Coins if they were supposed to be lost to time?” Sunny returned, now more curious than suspicious.

“You heard about the break-in in Mount Aris?” She sheepishly returned, awkwardly shifting in her chair.

“Yeah, something was stolen from there, and these MRG guys were said to investigate everything. But what does this have to do with…” Lemon returned, looking slightly puzzled about the sudden shift in conversation only for it to all fall into place in a single second. “Wait! You don’t mean!?”

“Oh look, she figured it out herself,” Sunny shook her head.

“Oh, my goodness! You stole from that stuff from Mount Aris?” Lemon shouted out, her eyes threatening to fall out of her head as she stared in complete bewilderment at her principal who was getting quite flustered. But before she could scream out more a hand clasped over her mouth, rendering her next few sentences into nothing but unintentional gibberish:

“Would you be so kind and repeat that again?” Sour whispered into her friend's ear, only increasing the pressure on her mouth. “Because I think it hasn’t heard the entire school until now,” she added with a possessee his. “Gonna be quiet no?” Sour felt the head of her friend slowly nod, and with an annoyed grunt, she let go of her, Lemon taking a deep breath.

“Still, this is so awesome! You can break into an auction house and get away? Are you some kind of spy or something like that? I want to know how you did it!” her eyes were sparkling again, hanging on every word the older woman would say next.

“You learn a lot from a family that has hunted these things for hundreds of years now. And what you don’t learn from your parents you learn from old books and notes people have gathered over the ages,” she chuckled, but one could tell there was a somber undertone to her words. “but yeah, I stole the coins from Mount Aris. I’m not proud of it, stealing is still stealing after all, but I had no other choice. It was either this or let the Changelings have the coins…”

“I thought your family was wealthy? Couldn’t you have just bought the coins instead of stealing them?” Sugar asked, raising an eyebrow, silently judging the young principal.

Cadance just nervously rubbed the back of her head before sighing and returning: “No, I couldn’t, at least not with the Changelings. Anyone else? Probably, I could have just bought the coins. The problem is that the Changelings are not just nobody, they have far more money than my simple family inheritance.”

“And who?” Sugar said.

“The Changelings currently are lead by one of them called Queen Chrysalis, or how the public knows her, Lady Chrysella Change, head of Change Industries, one of the most successful and popular company in the country and most certainly this city,” she stated matter of factly. This left the entire room dead silent, mouths were standing open, and all eyes stared directly at her.

“Wait, you are telling us that Change Industries is run by Changelings that want to conquer the world? Is that what you mean?” Sunny asked, hoping to be clued into a very elaborate joke, but instead, Cadance just nodded.

“But… But my dad works for Change Industries…” Lemon stuttered, a blank expression on her face. “That can’t be true! He isn’t a bad person and would never work for them!” The last words we almost spat at Cadance, anger, and denial in her voice.

“I… I know this is a hard truth to accept, but it’s the truth. The Changelings are all unified under Change Industries. It doesn’t mean that everyone that works for them is a bad person. But yes, Change Industries has used its good publicity and generous nature to mask their darker ambitions. Every bit of good they have done for the city is just to further their queen's agenda, no matter how much it has helped the community.”

“But if that is true, why don’t you just tell the MRG? I mean, aren’t they the magic experts with access to Kamen Riders?” Indigo returned, looking at Cadance with a raised eyebrow. “I mean they can definitely do more than you, especially when it is about monsters. They saved the world from them already, so why not again? You know, they kick some serious ass.”

Cadance just chuckled weakly before saying: “Well, that would be a good idea if it would be so easy. Thing is, it isn’t. The only thing I have is my word against theirs, and they will manage to weasel themselves out of this situation. And really, who would you believe, a young principal of a school, or the head of a multi-billion dollar cooperation? The answer is obvious sadly…”

“Yeah… Can see it now,” Indigo nervously chuckled, leaving the room in an awkward silence afterward.

“So, what are you gonna do now? Should we give these back to you so you can hide them?” Sunny asked, holding out her own coin once again.

Cadance looked back to her before taking a deep breath. With a guilty look in her eyes, she started to say: “That… That was what I wanted to talk to you about. For over thousands of years, we had to hide from them and strike from the shadows to make any dent in their operations, but now you have been chosen by the coins. The coins only chose very few people, only those that have been touched by darkness, selfishness, and other vial personality traits, those people that have turned this darkness into light. Apparently, the coins think that you possess these properties. Something like this is scarce and gives you the ability to use wiled the powers of the coins.” That was when Cadence stopped, unable to look them into their eyes.

“And what is it that you want from us?” Sugar asked, her usual cold demeanor tainted by a worried frown on her lips.

“I… I…” She stuttered, clenching her fists as her face was twisted into a frustrated mask. “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t, but I’m desperate. This is like a fairy tale, like a dream I’ll just wake up from any moment, but it’s real. The idea of the Changelings once again being beaten before there dreams of conquest are fulfilled is so close, so tempting.” She looked up, her expression desperate. “But I can’t… I just can’t ask this off you…”

“You want us to fight them, right?” Lemon asked hesitantly, her one hand wrapped around her other arm in a tight grip.

“I… I know I shouldn’t. You are just kids that don’t know what you are getting yourself into. I should be ashamed of even thinking about this, but yes. I want to see them stopped,” she returned, her face drenched in shame and regret.

“Then I’ll do it!” Lemon returned with a surprising amount of certainty in her voice.

“What?!” Came a unanimous cry from her friends as they stared at her like she had just lost her mind.

“I said I’ll do it!” She repeated, with even more conviction than the first time.

“You… You know what this means, right? They will try to kill you, you won’t have a single ordinary day anymore! You have to worry about what they do and be prepared to fight them at any time of day!” Cadance said, looking extremely worried.

“I know…” Lemon returned weakly before adding with far more certainty: “But I have seen others do it! Do it for complete strangers! Sunset and her friends helped Twilight when everything went to shit, and they didn’t even know her. They risked their lives for students that had made fun of them for so long, and they did it within a heartbeat. They showed us how one should really act. And they are just as old as we are and they were ok with it. Others chose to fight even if they don’t have to, they still do it, like the Kamen Riders! They do it because it is the right thing to do. I can’t just look away when others are in danger. This is a chance to make up for what I was before I meat Sunset and her friends. I ca show the world that I’m just like them that I’m a good person!”

“If this is how you feel I’ll do the same,” the monotone voice of Sugarcoat said, letting everyone spin around in surprise, everyone but Lemon.

She just smiled at her and said: “Thanks, Sugar.”

“Ah, to Tartarus with it! I can’t let you girls do this all on your own and not help you!” Indigo joined in with a nervous smile.

“Girls…” Cadance managed to mutter, unable t process everything that was transpiring in front of her.

“Seems like I won’t have a choice, can’t really let you all do this on your own, you’ll just screw it up,” Sunny added with a sly grin.

Now all eyes were on Sour Sweet who looked quite uncomfortable with that. With a loud huff, she said: “Ok, fine, not like I can leave you alone anyway,” she finally relented. “But don’t think I do this out of the kindness of my heart, I’m just here to stop you from doing something idiotic,” she added with a huff and crossed arms. That in return, only got her the laughter of her friends, keeping up her frown for a few seconds before she was just overwhelmed and joined in on their fun.

Cadance meanwhile just looked at the girls, unsure if they were either unaware of what they had gotten themselves into or if they were just this strong. Something in the back of her head nudged her in the later direction. She didn’t even notice her own lips curl into a smile, well until the girls noticed too.

“So… What are we gonna do now? Just storm the Change Industrie building and hope for the best? Hunt that Changeling?” Lemon asked innocently.

This snaped the principal back to reality. “Oh, of course. What comes next. Honest to Fortuna, I never thought about it before. It was always nothing more than an unrealistic dream to me. Still, I kept these things around me for so long,” she chuckled when she opened one of the drawers on her desk, pulling out five small silver bracelets. They all had the star symbol that was engraved into their coins on them.

“These are the Shadow Force Morphers. When you put your hands on the symbols, they will turn into something that will let you access the powers of the coins and will turn you into the warriors called Shadow Force. You will have powers even stronger than you experienced today. These are only as a last resort when there is no other way. Keep who you are secret, you saw what happened when Alchemy’s identity was revealed. You won’t have a single quiet moment for the rest of your life,” Cadance continued, still sounding quite uncomfortable with the situation.

“Sure! Got it! Typical superhero stuff,” Lemon simply returned.

Cadance just nodded in return when her gaze crossed over the clock next to her. “But I think you should get back to class. You shouldn’t just miss the first day of school, or else your teaches might get antsy. But how about we meet at my home after school is done? Then we can discuss what we are gonna do now. I need to figure this out myself,” She sheepishly chuckled.

“Gotcha!” They returned before leaving the room.

“What did I get these kids into?” Cadance sighed.

>-------<S>-------<

Meanwhile, in one of the bathrooms of Crystal Prep Vinyl was leaning against the wall, absolutely fuming. “These bitches! How much bad luck can one person even have? Why did they have to show up exactly then? Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!” While she looked fine on the first look, she was breathing heavily, holding her arm as she gritted through her teeth.

She was about to go on another tirade, cursing the Shadow Bolts with every foul word she knew when the door to the bathroom opened again. In an instant, her eyes darted towards the door, seeing how a girl with grey skin and black hair dressed in a pink dress entered. It only took a moment for her to cry out in surprise. “Oh my goodness, are you ok? Did something happen to you? Someone beat you up?”

She rushed over without even a second thought and tried to help the injured student. Vinyl, however, was not amused by the sudden attention trying to hold her off while shouting back at her: “Leave me alone! I don’t need your help! Piss of already!” Shoving the helpful girl back, who landed on her butt staring in confusion at the other student.

“But… But you look so bad. Come on, if you did something that might get you in trouble, don’t worry, I can cover for you!” The girl shouted back and was already back on her feet and rushed towards her. This time she actually managed to get close, wrapping her arms around one of hers, trying to pull her out of the room.

Vinyl, on the other hand, was getting frustrated. Why wouldn’t this dumb cow not just leave her alone? If she continued, this might actually blow her cover. No, she couldn’t let herself be dragged away by this girl he just had to-

She just managed to rais her other hand when the grip on her arm suddenly disappeared. Before she, however, could realize what was happening, she felt a hand claps shut around her neck and with frightening easy, she was lifted off the ground and slammed against the wall of the bathroom. The girl with the grey skin stared back at her, eyes cold as ice all while she stared at her in absolute terror.

“No surprise, you are also incapable of something as simple as not blowing your cover. Really, I should have asked any other Worker to do this job, but I just had to choose you, hadn’t I? What a mistake. I’m surprised you managed to not alarm a Rider to this,” the girl said, her voice cold and brimming with silent anger.

“Lo… Lord Pharynx?” Vynil managed to croak out, desperately struggling to draw breath.

“Who else?” She hissed back, the hate piercing right through her. “How can one Worker fuck up so bad that she revives our ancient enemy?”

“The… They are just teenagers. I can easily take them if you give me one la-“ She was interrupted as her body was once again slammed against the wall.

“Oh, why should I? Tell me? Countless other Workers can do your job if I just order them. So why? Tell me?” Pharynx growled back, his eyes shifting back to the bug-eyes he usually had for just a moment. Vinyl was about to say something, but her mouth failed her, unable to give him an answer. “Just like I expected. You don’t even know yourself. Pathetic, but you can call yourself lucky. I’m gracious today. You are right, they are just a bunch of teenagers with a bad attitude, so it really shouldn’t be a problem, right? You have till this evening to bring me the coins, if you fail, you will regret it. Understood?”

The Mantis Changeling simply nodded. Just moments later she felt the hand around her neck let loss, and she simply slumped to the ground, coughing heavily as she looked up at Pharynx as he walked away, but not without saying one last thing: “Don’t disappoint the Queen. And don’t even think about running, that would just end even worse for you.” With that, he left the room, leaving her behind on the floor, rubbing her neck. Whit a low growl she pushed herself back up, just before two other girls entered the room, completely ignoring her walking past them and out the door.

>-------<S>-------<

The rest of the school day had been unbreakable, the thought of Changelings showing up and causing mayhem had been in their heads the entire time, all while their thoughts were on what would happen next. It wasn’t a reasonable thing to gain superpowers, after all. When the bell rang, they were the first ones to jump out of the classroom and storming out of the building. What followed was a long track through the city after a bus ride. Principal cadence lived in the outskirts of town, right in a suburb with a lot of rich neighbors. They had just left the bus, Lemon casually rolling next to her friends, casually humming the tune of her song.

“This still feels so… So… So unreal,” Sunny sighed, holding her coin tightly in her hand as they, moved forward.

“Yesh, that is nothing you just accept. This is just weird, no matter how awesome it is. Come on, superheroes. I still can’t believe this isn’t some elaborate prank,” Indigo added, looking at her own yellow coin.

“Yeah, it is definitely weird,” Sugar said, still her usual calm and collected self.

“Understatement,” Sour returned.

Their little walk would have continued like this if Lemon hadn’t looked up right at this moment, seeing the light blue hair she would recognize even in a crowd just walking around a corner. Without even thinking about it any longer than a second, she kicked the asphalt bellow her, shouted loud: “Vinyl! Wait a moment!” and raced after her, leaving the rest of her friends behind, much to their displeasure.

“Hey! Wait a moment, you idiot!” Sour shouted after her, but she just couldn’t break through her headphones. Lemon just raced further, crossing the same corner Vinyl had, her friends huffing in annoyance and quickly charging after her.

Lemon meanwhile was zooming through the crowd on the sidewalk, getting closer and closer to the blueness that was trying her hardest to put a sizeable distance between herself and Lemon. That was, however, ultimately for not as she once again walked past a corner and right into a small back alley that opened up into a far bigger area, filled with garbage cans and other waste. Right in the middle stood Vinyl, a wide smirk on her lips.

“Vinyl! I need to talk to you!” Lemon screamed over to her, sounding a bit out of breath.

The girl just started laughing: “Oh my queen, you are one of the biggest idiots I have ever seen. You feel for this again? Come on, you had to know that I’m not your friend? I mean seriously if the coins chose wastes of space like you this will be even easier than I thought it would be!”

Lemon simply sighed in return, looking somewhat disappointed. “I knew it could have been you, but I at least had to try. Not like you had much of a chance against us back then. I just thought, why not if it wasn’t Vinyl I’m just gonna beat you again.” The smirk on her lips only helped to enrage the Changeling.

Her eyebrow twitched for a moment before she followed: “You little… Oh, you will regret this! Drones! Take this little overconfident shit and show her what we really can do!” On her command the six Drones from before jumped down from the surrounding roofs, landing all around Lemon, growling at her. “I shouldn’t leave this all to them though. Where would be the fun for me then?” The Mantis Changeling chuckled, green flames covering her body as she turned back into her monster form.

Lemon had meanwhile taken on a fighting stance when she remembered what Cadance had told her, pulling back her sleeve to reveal the bracelet she wore underneath. With a powerful motion, she slammed her fist on the engraved star on it, the bracelet quickly shining in bright light and turning into something far bigger. She now wore a grey oval-shaped watch-like device on her arm. Golden lines across it and two round holes in it.

While she looked at the device in amazement, the Drones were rushing towards her, her friends just entering the alley and coming to a screeching halt at the scene they were seeing. Lemon however just smirked, pulled out her Shadow Coin and shouted: “Light up!” and slammed the coin into one of the two empty slots of the Morpher.

[Re-Re-Red!]

A dark shadow covered Lemon, consuming her entirely, but that did not stop the Drones as they rushed towards her.

[Shine Bright! Red!]

A blinding red light burst out from the shadow, and a shock wave knocked the incoming monsters back, revealing someone standing right there where Lemon had been consumed by the shadow. It looked like a girl dressed in a red and black spandex suit with helmet. Her shoes were red, followed by a black stripe going up to her thighs. After that followed another red part of the suit, only interrupted by the silver belt and star-shaped belt buckle. What came after that was another black part, going up to just over her breasts. On her chest, one could see the same six-pointed star that was also on her belt buckle. Her neck was black, and her helmet was red once again with two black circles on the side and a six-pointed star-shaped visor.

“Oh! My! Goodness! This is fucking awesome!” Lemon screamed out, feeling more alive than ever before. She could feel the energy rushing through her ever muscle, just being her to punch something and punching she would. With a loud scream, she rushed forward, jumping on the shoulders of one of the Drones and knocking him back down before heading ahead towards the Mantis Changeling.

While Lemon was busy with the Mantis, trading blows with it, the Drones had noticed the four other girls, rushing towards them. All four of them hit their bracelets at the same time and followed Lemon’s lead: “Light up!”

[Bl-Bl-Blue!]

[Ye-Ye-Yellow!]

[Pi-Pi-Pink!]

[Gre-Gre-Green!]

[Shine Honest! Blue!]

[Shine Wild! Yellow!]

[Shine Glamourous! Pink!]

[Shine Courageous! Green!]

Just like her friend they were also consumed by a dark shadow, only for their respective light to burst through, revealing them in identical outfits to Lemon, the only difference being their color. Sugarcoat was clad in a blue suit, Indigo Zap now stood firm inside her yellow one, Sunny Flare in pink and Sour Sweet in her green one.

They, however, had no time to admire their new clothing before the Drones already attacked them. Sugar was the first they targeted, the girl dodged the swipe with their weapon with ease, coming back up behind them. Her body almost moved on its own as she kicked the weapon out of the hand of the Changeling as he turned around, following up with several swift punches knocking her opponent off balance, staggering back clutching his chest.

She was about to continue her assault, but that was when she noticed a blue glow from her side. As she looked down, she saw a small cylindrical box. Curiously she opened it, revealing even more coins, one of which just stood out. She just grabbed it and slammed it into the second slot of her Morpher.

[Sw-Sw-Sword!]

Within moments a sword had manifested in her hand, its blade was black while the handle was white and in the shape of the six-pointed star with a round hole for another medal. Sugar stepped forward, blade ready to strike. The Changeling eyed her cautiously before throwing that to the wind and charging ahead. Sugar managed to dodge under his swing and with a swing of her sword cut right through him. The Drone staggered a bit before exploding in a fiery green explosion.

“Huh, I why not?” Indigo chuckled when she pulled out a coin of her own and slammed it the Morpher.

[Li-Li-Lightning!]

The device shouted out, electricity now surging through her body, not that Indigo felt anything. With a smirk hidden behind her helmet, she dashed at two Drones who shared a worried look but ultimately advanced as well. Before either of them could react, she had already jumped clean over them, throwing in a somersault for good measure. When she came back down both Drones were just about to turn around when they received each a punch right into their ugly mugs, letting lightning dance through their body, leaving them smoldered and chared behind. Giving her knuckles a good crack and with a smile on her lips she slammed both her still electrified fists on the ground, a surge of electricity rushing towards both of them and letting them explode in a green explosion. “Awesome!” She let out, cheering on herself.

Sour Sweet meanwhile had to deal with her own assailant, and until now she had been on the disadvantage, managing to dodge the attacks, but always on the defensive. That was until she had seen what the others had done. In between her dodges she actually managed to grab a coin, not entirely sure what it was and really, she didn’t care as long as it would get her out of this situation. “Let’s hope this works, or I’m gonna kick you to the moon you stupid coin,” she hissed as she slammed the small object into her wrist.

[Me-Me-Metal!]

While the coin glowed for a moment she didn’t feel a difference, she didn’t see anything, and there was no weapon in her hand. She was so occupied with her thoughts that she had no time to dodge and could only watch as the sharp end of the speer crashed into her. To her surprise she didn’t feel a thing, looking down at where the Changeling had struck she definitely was surprised when she noticed the tip of the speer laying next to her feet while the rest was still in the hands of the Drone. He didn’t look happy in the slightest, but before he could voice his complaints, Sour jumped him, pushing him to the ground and started to pummel him with punch after punch. That lasted for a few seconds before the thing just gave up, exploding right in her face, not that it had hurt.

The last two Drones were currently ganging up on Sunny Flare, the girl able to at least occasionally get a few punches in, but every time she did the other one struck at her. Right now she had been pushed into a corner, both of her opponents ready to finish her off. Right as they were about to swing their weapons an all to a familiar voice called out once again:

[Do-Do-Double!]

Out of seemingly nowhere a second pink warrior appeared, dashing forward and punching one of the Drones right in the gut, throwing him away. Now that the numbers had been even both pink warriors cracked their knuckles and delivered a beatdown of epic proportions that ended with the second Drone landing right next to his partner. Both frantically stood back up only to face the two pinks dashing right at them before delivering a simultaneous uppercut that then them up into the air, high up and over the building before they exploded like a green firework.

While the others had dealt with the Drones, Lemon had fought with the actual Worker. Both hadn’t really managed to gain any ground on the other, both receiving and dealing a few blows but nothing too disabling. Lemon just played one of the Mantise’s swings with her sickle-like arms with her sword before she delivered a kick to her stomach, sending her flying.

Where she landed was, however not so ideal, right in the middle of the street. It didn’t even take a second for the screaming to start, Lemon kicking herself into the metaphorical butt for doing this. The Changeling was now out in the open, people screaming and running away from it in terror. She, however, didn't really care, that was when a devious glimmer flickered up in her eyes. Her sickles started to glow in a dark green and before Lemon could even reach her, unleashed them straight at some civilians.

[Sp-Sp-Speed!]

The energy attack rocketed towards a few petrified bystanders, staring directly at their doom. But before the attack could connect a red blur rushed past them and with a loud clank, the attack sailed over them, exploding in the air without harming them. As they looked back down, they could see Lemon standing there, still holding out her blade. “Not on my watch you damn bug!” She hissed. “This is between you and us! Don’t drag anyone else into this!”

The Changeling was about to attack once again when the rest of the Shadow Bolts stormed up to Lemon, all now holding their swords. “You damn idiot!” Sunny hissed, giving her a slap on the back of her helmet. “Don’t just run away like that damn it! Just look what that got us into!”

“Sorry! Sorry,” Lemon returned, rubbing the back of her head. “Can we talk about this later. I want to finish this damn bug here!” The others shared a quick look and simply nodded. “Awesome! Just follow my lead!” And with that, she pulled out the red coin from her Morpher and inserted it into her sword, the others quickly doing the same.

[Fi-Fi-Final! Red!]

[Fi-Fi-Final! Blue!]

[Fi-Fi-Final! Yellow!]

[Fi-Fi-Final! Pink!]

[Fi-Fi-Final! Green!]

The Changeling was about to charge up another energy attack as everything around him suddenly turned dark, the monster having been entombed in a dark cloud. She just looked around in the seemingly endless darkness when suddenly a green light appeared, a long bright light and the following pain, like someone had cut through her armor. What followed were a pink, yellow, blue and ultimately a red light, all letting her feel a slash as well. When the last blade had struck her, she felt her body collapsing before it went off in a green explosion. A small black stone fell to the ground and shattered.

But before the smoke could clear something lifted her up, but the former Mantis Changeling was far too exhausted to look up. “Who are you?” It echoed through the streets, the voice definitely the red one.

In the middle of the street amidst the smoke stood a man dressed as a young girl with grey skin and black hair. “I’m here to retrieve a failure, that is all.” The girl chuckled before disappearing in a pillar of green flames, leaving the girls behind.

For a few moments, everything was silent, that was until the entire street burst out into applause, much to the embarrassment of the girls.

>-------<S>-------<

The two of them reappeared inside what looked like a vast cavern and right in front of them stood a massive throne-like object made out of the darkest stone she had ever seen. “I see you return and apparently without the coins?” A female voice asked in the sweetest voice she had ever heard.

“Lady Chrysel-“ Pharynx attempted to say, having shifted back into his original body only to be interrupted again.

“You don’t need to tell me. I already know. I’m not angry, I’m just disappointed,” she returned, Pharynx looking down at his feet, trying to avoid her gaze. “Ah, and here we have the failure.”

“Wh… What are you gonna do with me? Kill me?” The woman asked, having reverted back to a woman with light blue skin and dark blue hair as well as a black business suit.

“Kill you? Why should I? You will just return to your position, knowing fully well what you could have had and never achieving it,” she returned with a sweet smile on her lips.

“You... You let me go? Like that? Aren’t you afraid that I could, you know, talk?” She stammers back.

“Oh, sweet little bug,” Chrysella said. “I know you won’t talk. Because the moment you even think about it, your life is forfeit!” She added with an ice-cold voice. “You understand that Filing Cabinet?” The former Changeling just nodded as quickly as possible.

“Good, glad we could agree on that.” She looked over to Pharynx. “Now, we get to you Thorax.”

“Yes, mam, I will-“ That was as far as Pharynx came when the words just stopped as he stared at his approaching brother. A young man with green skin and orange hair stepped out of the shadow with a purple business suit that really didn’t fit him, he looked far too timid for it.

“Do tell what you achieve my son,” she continued, much to Pharynx shock. Thorax meanwhile looked at the floor, avoiding the look of his brother.

“I managed to gather some of the light magic that was released during the battle. IT’s not much, but with enough time, I might be able to gather all the magic we need,” he returned in a mixture of pride and shame.

“That won’t be necessary mother! I will get you the coins, I promise!” Pharynx burst out, filled with determination and anger.

“Then try my son,” she added with a sly smile.

Pharynx rushed past Thorax who raised his hand, signaling that he wanted to say something, but his brother just walked past him, already plotting how to get the coins from these teens.

>-------<S>-------<

A bit later, five teenagers sat in a dinner drinking milkshakes. A kind of reward they thought they had earned after their first real fight. The adrenaline was still in their body, making it hard to just sit there.

“This was so awesome. We totally did that, and then we did that, and oh, you did that,” Lemon whispered to her friends, smiling over both ears. The other girls just looked at her with an exhausted expression, but she could see that they were all in a good mood.

“I agree. This was pretty fun,” Sugar added, much to the surprise of everyone.

“You think Cadance will be mad if we are a bit late? I mean, this detour wasn’t really planned…” Sunny asked, looking over to the others.

“Eh, I think she will be ok with… I hope at least,” Indigo returned, sounding far more nervous on the last part.

Before anyone could answer the TV on the ceiling suddenly started to increase in volume. And within seconds they saw themselves on the screen, fighting against the Mantis Changeling. A strange form of pride filled them as they watched themselves, it was almost unreal.

“Today CanterlotCity has once again become victim to a monster attack. But instead of any of the Kamen Riders, a new group of heroes has risen to protect the people of our wonderful city,” the anchorman said. “The MRG has until now remained relatively quiet about these new group of heroes they have started to call Power Rangers. Who are these Rangers and their new foe? Stay tuned on CCTV!”

Her friends immediately started to talk about all of this. Lemon didn’t even listen to their arguing, she was lost in her own thoughts: “Power Rangers? Has a ring to it… I think I’m gonna like this.” A distant smile crossed her lips as she looked forward to what would happen next.

Test of Strength

View Online

The evening had already fallen over the city, painting it in an ominous orange as he looked down at the streets below him. They looked just like they always did, filled with people, cars driving by and no sign of any sort of fear even if the city once again was under siege by monsters. From up here, everything looked so easy and simple, but deep down, he knew that it wasn’t.

Even though the sunset drenched his office in warm orange, he felt strange cold, like he was something foreign in this peaceful place. As if the desk, shelves, and even the floor and walls rejected him. Even though he had spent close to a month in this room, already it still didn’t really feel like his. A shadow loomed of the entire office, one he couldn’t escape.

But before he could well any further on these thoughts, the door was pushed open, someone stumbling into the room. As he looked back, he saw the short white woman in her lab coat catch herself and adjust her long blond hair. “Ah, Light Bulb, I was expecting you. So what do you have?” He asked the woman.

She looked back at the young man, dressed in a dark blue suit that still felt wrong to him. His short blue hair was well kept, and his white skin shimmered in the evening sun. “Ah, Director, I came as fast as I could. Well, as fast as it took to analyze the basics of the data. You wouldn’t believe what kind of data I found, it’s so fascinating!” Light Bulb gushed, her eyes sparkling from all the excitement.

“Director still feels weird,” Shining muttered to himself. After the former head of the MRG division had left the city she had appointed him the next Local Director of this part of the Magical researcher Division, or short MRG, a government organization that dealt with containing and researching magical artifacts. While he had managed until now quite well, that was all at a time without any major magic incidents, but now he had one on his hands, and he felt willfully underprepared. “So, tell me what you got,” he sighed, looking at the suitcase Light Bulb had carried with her.

She placed the thing down on the table and opened it, all while starting to say: “Well, it’s magical in nature, that much is clear. We caught two different magical signatures, one almost identical to the one we picked up in Mount Aris, probably closely related. The other one does contain similar wavelengths as well, but there is something different about it, also was the only one that remained after the monster was defeated. It is pretty likely that it is the energy of these ‘Power Rangers’. The first signature also is identical to one we picked up earlier today around the area of Crystal Prep,” she continued, entirely in her element.

“Crystal Prep? That thing was at my old school?” He asked, a cold shiver running down his spine. “A monster like that around so many students…”

“Yeah, without the shadow of a doubt, the monster was there. But the fact that it didn’t cause any sort of chaos means that it didn’t do much,” she returned only to nervously add: “I think.”

“You think? That is not good enough! I want some agents to go through the entire school and make sure that they look for everything otherworldly! I can’t risk that one of these things is anywhere near this place,” he returned, his worried expression only growing. “Especially with Twilight back at that place. Going back there alone is already something I’m not entirely happy with, but with monsters around? I just can’t let that happen…” He muttered, looking at a picture on his desk, showing a photo of his family and girlfriend. “And neither can I let Cadance get swept up in this.”

“Shining…” Light Bulb muttered, taking a step closer, the men clenching the picture for a few moments more before returning it back to the place it originally stood.

“I’m… I’m fine. Not like we haven’t had something like this before, just this time…” Shining once again tried to say only for him to stop mid-sentence.

“This time you have to do it on your own without Ocean and Phoenix?” She asked, looking at him with a worried expression.

“Yeah, that pretty much sums it up. I know she trusts me, but still…” He returned only for his expression suddenly to shift into a far more serious one. “No! I can’t let this get to my head. She would have never put me here if she didn’t know I would manage. And that I will!”

“That’s the spirit!” Light Bulb said, her own worries quickly fading. “So, what are your orders, Local Director?” She smirked almost jokingly, something Shining simply ignored.

“I want every agent on high alert. Any sign of magical activity should be furrow investigated and dealt with. By the slightest sign of any monster, Corrupted or otherwise, I want them to contact Monster or Gaia. I don’t want some stupid hero moments that end with anyone dead. Furthermore, I want them to have an eye on these Rangers. I’m not entirely sure what their goal is. If they wish to protect the city like Alchemy or if they have something more in mind. Until now, they have shown no sign of any other goal, but still, one can never be save enough. And you Light Bulb!” He turned to her once again. “You’ll do what you do best; research what we have on that new monster until now.”

“Got it Shining! I’ll be right on that! There are a few black stones our agents found, and I’m dying to look into them. No other Artifact though, so chances are high that it is the source of its power,” she eagerly chirped back, almost on the way out when Shining stopped her.

“And be careful. We don’t know what lies ahead of us and who we are up against. You know what happened last time. I don’t want history to repeat itself,” he added somberly.

“I’ll be careful. And you better be too because I don’t want to pick up your job. I want to do research!” She chuckled, getting a small one of him as well before she left the room.

>-------<S>-------<

The sun was setting on one of the wealthier parts of Canterlot City, primarily over one of the smaller mansion, a large building with white walls, a black roof, and only two floors made it almost look tiny compared to the others around them. Still, even while a little small it certainly fit in with the general aesthetic of the neighborhood, especially with the tennis court in the garden filled with carefully grown flowers.

What however didn’t fit were the sounds of loud screaming followed by thuds that seemed to repeat ad nauseam.

When one would have looked over the hedge and fence that prevented any curious neighbor from catching a quick glance, one could see six-woman stumbling and falling over the tennis court. All of them were wearing some sort of tracksuits, most of them already covered in the red dust of the tennis court.

Once again, the scream of Lemon Zest echoed through the neighborhood as she charged towards her principal who was already eyeing her with a dangerous look in her eyes. Lemon barley managed to gasp in surprise as her fist flew past its target, Cadance simply duking under her far too wide swing and retaliated with a punch to the student's stomach, letting her stop dead in her tracks and take a few steps back.

“Sneak attack!” Came it from behind her and with a small chuckle and shake of her head, she just stepped to the side, letting Indigo zap rush past her and right into her friend, both of them landing on the ground with a following grown.

“You know, a sneak attack is supposed to be sneaky, so screaming that you are doing one isn’t really that beneficial,” she sighed, putting her hands on her hips and merely shaking her head.

“Thanks for the advice,” Sour’s voice called out from behind. “But you shouldn’t let your guard down either!” She barked afterward. Cadance zoomed around, seemingly in an instant and was faced with a foot that was rocketing towards her face. Sour had jumped in the air and was apparently putting all her strength into the attack. The girl definitely was trying, but that didn’t mean she would get off easy. Without even a second to think Cadance already stepped back, and while doing so, grabbed ahold of Sour’s foot and started pulling.

Together with her own strength and the momentum she and her opponent had it was easy throwing the student across the entire field and landed on the ground where she remained, groaning in pain. “You are quite right Sour, but like I said, never announce yourself to your opponent. Only if you want to distract him,” Cadance returned, looking around the court for the last two of her little trainees that were still standing.

The first one she saw was Sugarcoat. The girl was still more or less standing in the same position they had started this round, her arms in front of her in a typical fighting position, not bad she had to admit. Sunny Flair, on the other hand, took a few more moments to find. She was still looking terrified at her principal, not in any sort of fighting stance and trying to find a place out of her vision. She just sighed before starting her sprint towards the girl.

Sunny let out a loud yelp as the principal rushed towards her, her expression as cold as ice. Just in the last few moments before it would have been too late, she finally snapped out of her shock, screaming out in desperation and throwing her fist towards the woman, her eyes closed and just hoping that she would hit. Cadance saw this and silently cursed before ducking under the swing and delivered a devastating gut kick with her knee.

Sunny let out a pained gasp as she sunk to the ground. This was, however, not good enough for Cadance, she needed to drill this lesson into her head. “Never, ever look away from your opponent! Those who do this have already lost!” She almost barked at the poor girl before using her leg to swipe away Sunny’s own. The student fell on her back and simply stayed down, unable to continue fighting.

Cadence spun around, expecting Sugar to have used the opportunity to put her on the defensive, but to her surprise, the girl still was standing in the same place as before, not having moved an inch. She eyed her carefully before slowly edging closer, her fists ready for any sudden movement. Even when she ultimately stood face to face with her, Sugar didn’t move, her eyes locked on her like a hawk.

If she didn’t start, she would. With a swift kick, she aimed at her side, only for Sugar to sidestep her and try to grab her foot with her arm. In an instant, she pulled her leg closer to herself, just barely avoiding being caught in the teenagers grasp, but also not dealing any damage to her. Cadance, the moment she had regained a short time of standstill immediately thrust her leg forward, the student instinctively jumped back.

In the end, however, this was not fast enough, cadence managing to hit her in the stomach. While Sugar had managed to pull the end of her elbows down and somewhat soften the blow, she was still forced to the ground. And before she could in any way pull herself off the ground, Cadence had already pushed her on her side, pulled her arm back and held her in a joint lock. “Never let your opponent gain control of a fight. He will try and push you into a situation that is unfavorable for you.” With a defeated sigh, she was about signal her defeat when she suddenly felt Cadance letting go of her.

Cadence in the meantime had only just now realized that someone had sneaked up on her, the moment when the foot hit her arm. With a pained growl, she was forced off Sugar and to the side. Her assailant finally came into view. “So, you didn’t have quite enough, did you?” She asked, looking at a smirking Lemon Zest.

“Oh, Tartarus, no! This time I will surely beat you! I just need to punch you hard enough!” She returned, storming towards her, her fist pulled back and ready for a punch. A punch that never even connected as Cadance sidesteps it quickly and just returned the favor with a kick to her stomach. A kick that sent her right on Sugar, who let out a pained groan, leaving the two girls in a heap on the ground.

After a few seconds of nothing but groaning the silence was interrupted by clapping. “Ok, training is over for today. If we go any longer, it’s gonna get dark, and I’m sure your parents would wonder where you are,” she sighed. “Oh, and Lemon. What was that anyway? The first part was actually pretty good. Attacking me when I’m distracted and already thought I had won, but in the end, you just tried the most basic thing you could think of. Next time try to do something smarter,” she added, sounding rather disappointed.

“Eh, who cares? In Ranger form, nothing really can stand up to us. Have you seen what we did to this Changeling in the middle of the street? We are unstoppable, and if we want to make it any easier, we just use a few Ability Coins. And then we save the day,” she returned, with a wide grin as she pulled herself of Sugar. Cadance was almost impressed with her pain tolerance when she hissed and winked as she held her stomach.

“Yes, I saw what you did to her. While I’m impressed that you adapted to the powers so easily, that doesn’t mean you are save for the rest of your lives. That was only the lowest of the low the Changelings have to offer and if you continue to act like today and act without thinking about the consequences you are quickly going to realize that dying during all of this is a very real possibility!” She snapped back, glaring especially at Lemon. “The day will come that you will have to face an opponent you can’t beat with pure strength alone! You have to be smarter, not stronger!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Lemon simply returned, rubbing the sore points all over her body.

“I think she has a point,” Sugar added from behind Lemon, much to her annoyance.

“Of course, you would say that. You always just agree with the lamest way possible. I would rather train with the Ability Coins or just in our Ranger form. I mean, that would help us so much more,” she groaned back, rolling her eyes.

“Without a solid foundation training you in Ranger form is a waste of time. You might become a bit better, but you won’t realize what you do wrong because I can’t really hurt you in your suits. Pain is one of the best teachers one could ask for. It shows you immediately when you did something wrong. And if you don’t realize that you are doing something wrong, you won’t improve and get rid of your weaknesses because you can ignore them. And if that happens, the enemy will exploit them. I will try my hardest to keep you all alive! I don’t want to have the blood of a few school kids on my hands, no matter if they agreed to this or not. And if I have to beat you green and blue for that,” Cadance returned, now standing right in front of her and glaring down at Lemon.

She, however, didn’t seem to care much. “Eh, things always worked out. That will happen this time as well,” she shrugged.

“Lemon! You can’t talk to the principal like this! This just isn’t right,” Sunny interrupted her.

“Yeah, I don’t think that is such a good idea,” Sour added before continuing in an annoyed tone: “But be my guest and make your life so much worse, idiot!”

“I think we should leave. Our parents are getting worried,” Sugar said, interrupting Cadence from going on another tirade.

“Yeah…” She ultimately sighed, finally calming down again. “Yeah, I think that is a good idea. I have the feeling that things are getting just a bit too heated here and before anyone says anything they are gonna regret we really should end our training for today.” She gave one last look at Lemon, still a bit of anger glimmering in her eyes before continuing. “Tomorrow right after school back here. Here, a spare key for the house,” she gave the key to Sugar before continuing. “Don’t make too much of a mess, ok?” She was about to wish them a good night before she returned to her usual smile and added: “Oh, and don’t forget about school. No matter how important saving the world is, school is also important. This is the year your future relies on, so don’t waste it. Work hard and make something out of yourself.”

A mumbled yes went through the group. None of them was all that interested in learning after the brutal training they had just gone through. If this was gonna, be a daily thing they had no idea how they were gonna cram learning into this as well. Being superheroes had sounded so easy, but now things were starting to get really exhausting.

“Goodnight, girls,” she waved them, with her innocent smile. But they knew now, under that smile was a monster and that monster had just started to torment them.

>-------<S>-------<

The Rangers weren’t the only ones who were currently training. Pharynx had thrown his suit jacket and his shirt underneath to the side and was currently pummeling a poor defenseless punching back. Every punch was accompanied by a loud scream, only getting louder and harder with everyone he threw. The bag was swinging back and forth, always thrown off balance, again and again, squeaking under the constant pressure. He was already going at it for at least two hours, and he showed no sign of stopping now, quite the contrary, he just put more and more into his exercise.

He hadn’t even noticed that time had flown by, he was long gone from reality one could say. No, he was far to busy glaring daggers at the bag and letting his anger burn dampened inside his head. Not once in his life had he ever been so humiliated. A small leap in judgment had brought him here. If he hadn’t jumped to action so soon, he would have been heralded as the hero of Change Industries, but no, he blew it! He had helped that damn thief to escape and if that wasn’t bad enough already that had spiraled out of control more than he could have ever thought it could.

These Power Rangers were precisely the last thing they could use right now. If he had just chosen another Worker instead of Filing Cabinet, this wouldn’t have happened. And the part that pissed him off the most, this was all his fault. From letting Cadance escape, letting this imbecile carry out the mission to giving her another shot.

With a loud scream, his arm was engulfed in green flames, quickly shifting back into its bug-form and with a loud screech of the metal holding the bag it was ripped off its hinges and slammed against the wall with a resounding crack. He didn’t even notice it, and neither did he the significant dent he had left behind or the sand pouring out of the bag. Pharynx just continued to punch the air, harder and harder.

His thoughts finally caught up to his brother. The one who had stolen any sort of dignity he had left after Filling cabinets defeat, Thorax. The moment that name echoed through his head, his anger only grew tenfold, everything before him becoming unimportant and he only saw red.

Thorax always had it easy. Public relations, that was all he was responsible for. Playing the good company, kissing a few puppies, building a few homeless shelters and all around just pretending to be nice. It was disgustingly simple, and even then, he continuously fucked it up. Getting mobs of angry internet users riled up against the company, some protesters in the street and all he did was say ‘he listened to their concerns’ change a few things and everything was forgotten. Well until the next controversy started. And he was actually praised for this. It made his blood boil that one man could fuck up so much and still be perceived as successful.

He once again let out a loud roar, completely overshadowing the knock on the door. The second time someone knocked on the door, it actually managed to somewhat pierce through his rage, but not enough that he actually realized what it was. The last one, however, was a different matter entirely; the knock being so loud someone on the floor above them could probably hear it. This snapped him out of his anger.

It was, however far too late to react when the door was pushed open as a muscular figure stepped inside. He was dressed in a black suit with a golden tie as well as a white shirt underneath. His skin was as white as wool, and his hair was a striking gold. “Excuse me sir, but it is already past the time for our daily security briefing and…” The firm voice of the man said before he actually took a look at his surroundings. “Uhm, everything ok sir?” He nervously added, staring at a heavy breathing Pharynx who looked like he wanted to murder someone.

“No, I’m fine. Just was reliving a bit of stress, that is all,” he grumbled in return as he walked over to his suit about to put it back on.

“If I may ask sir, what has you so riled up that this is still not enough to calm you back down?” He pointed at the wrecked punching bag in the corner of the room. “If you need something that can take a bit more, you know I’m always ready. Nothing has ever really hurt me after all. And if a normal fistfight is not enough there is always the chance to bring it to the next level,” the man chuckled, a green glow running through his eyes, changing the golden pupils into golden bug-eyes.

Pharynx was about to dismiss the man when an idea sparked into his head. “No, thank you, not in the mood right now. But there is something else you can help me with Bench Presser,” he returned with a sinister grin on his lips. “You are aware of what happened today?”

“Of course, sir, everyone knows. Filling Cabinet failed in retrieving the Shadow Coins and got defeated by these new heroes, these Power Rangers,” Bench returned.

“Good, that means I don’t have to explain that part to you. I need to get these coins back, and I need them fast. We don’t have time to waste on some stupid kids that think that they can be the next Alchemy. I need someone who can get them to me! Get me these coins and humiliate these Rangers for good measure! You got that?”

“Loud and clear sir. I’ll take care of our little nuisances, and I’ll make sure everyone can watch while I’m beating them into the ground for good measure,” Bench Presser returned with a sick grin on his lips. “For the Queen!”

“For the Queen,” Pharynx returned.

“We still have the meeting to attend to though sir,” he awkwardly added.

“Of course, I’ll be right there.” With that, his subordinate left the room. “Tomorrow you are in for a rude awakening Rangers,” he chuckled.

>-------<S>-------<

School had ended once again, and the five students were on their way back to Cadance’s mansion. They could already see the hill the house had been built from down here, but none of the girls was in any sort of rush to reach it. They looked horrified, all just dragging themselves forwards. All of them were clearly exhausted after the training yesterday. They had pretty much immediately fallen into their respective beds after coming back home and slept like rocks. They had all just sleepwalked through the conversations with their parents regarding where they had been all day long, but ultimately, everything had been resolved. The girls had found it rather hard to not fall asleep in class, but they had managed, somehow.

Suddenly, while they all were dragging themselves along Lemon burst back to life, pointing in a seemingly random direction. “Hey! Girls, why don’t we take a little detour there? I’m starving for a good donut, and really, it won't hurt if we eat a little bit. Cadence won’t be here for at least two hours,” she shouted out, looking at her friends with the most pitiful puppy eyes a girl could muster.

The rest of her friends just stared at her for a few moments before letting out a loud sigh and merely nodding in agreement, not currently in able to deny her the request, not that they really wanted to either. Something to eat and a good coffee probably would go a good way of actually getting back a bit of energy.

So, after all of them getting what they had ordered and choosing a table, the girls slumped down and started to dig into their round treats and washing them down with coffee.

“I never knew Principal Cadance could be so cruel,” Lemon was the first to finish her first donut and groaned, letting her head fall down onto the plate of the table. “I mean, seriously. At this rate, she is gonna kill us sooner than the Changelings ever could!”

“Yeah, Cadance is really pushing us hard! I broke three nails yesterday! Three! That doesn’t happen in a bad month!” Sunny hissed before taking a sip from her coffee. The girl looked a bit better than the rest of them, but not even her makeup could hide how tired and exhausted she was.

“I’m all for a good workout, but this was brutal yesterday! I have done sports for my entire life, but this is up there with the most exhausting stuff I have done,” Indigo groaned, having rested her head on the end of the bench they were sitting at and just staring up at the ceiling.

“I don’t know what you all have, it wasn’t sooo bad,” Sour returned, gaining a surprised glance from everyone, even Sugar raised an eyebrow.

“Are you sure?” Sugar asked, not entirely sure what to think of her answer. Even her deadpan exterior had taken a few cracks, exhaustion and doubt clearly visible in her expression.

“It’s far worse! If we continue to do this, we won’t be able to fight the Changelings! We have to talk to her and tell her that this has to stop! Either train us in a way that helps us and not just powers us out!” Sour snapped back, almost growling as she stared at her donut with a look that could kill. A mumble of agreement echoed through the group before Sugar spoke up.

“I think you are wrong. While she might have overdone it a bit, she still has a point. If we can’t fight without our powers, what chance do we stand against opponents that know how to?” She asked with her usual serious tone. No one in the group dared to say anything, even if she could see that they really wanted to prove her wrong. “I’ve practiced martial arts for years, and she knows her stuff. If we can learn to fight from anyone, it's her.”

“I guess, but what is the point? If the previous Rangers beat the Changelings before why can’t we? I’m sure; if we just punch them hard enough they won’t stand a chance! And really, the best way to learn is through a real fight and not some dumb training,” Lemon groaned back, eyeing the second plain sugar donut with her eyes.

“You aren’t wrong,” Sunny returned, nervously looking between Sugar and Lemon before her skin turned a very pale blue and her eyes grew to the size of headlights.

“Uhm, Sunny? Is something?” Lemon was the first to ask, looking somewhat puzzled at her friend. While Lemon spoke, both Sour’s and Indigo’s expression started to mirror Sunny’s.

Before Lemon could ask again, Sugar had already turned around, and her expression shifted as well. With a panicked scream, she shouted: “Down! Now!”

This got everyone's attention, and without as much of a second thought, all five of them duck under the table while the rest of the room started to scream in terror and ran as fast as their legs could carry them. Lemon wondered what it was that had even Sugar so spooked when she heard of breaking glass, followed by something weighty crashing into the counter. Then silence.

After a few seconds of silence, Lemon dared to take a look at where the sound had come from and to her utter bafflement, the remains of a car looked back at her. “Someone threw a car at us…” She helplessly stuttered as she looked back at her friends.

“Whoever that was, they have nothing good in mind! Girls, time to suit up!” Indigo growled back, slamming her bracelet and inserting her coin into it while the rest of her friends nodded and did the same.

“Light up!”

[Re-Re-Red!]

[Bl-Bl-Blue!]

[Ye-Ye-Yellow!]

[Pi-Pi-Pink!]

[Gre-Gre-Green!]

[Shine Bright! Red!]

[Shine Honest! Blue!]

[Shine Wild! Yellow!]

[Shine Glamourous! Pink!]

[Shine Courageous! Green!]

The moment the light faded, five figures jumped up from beneath the table, no one had noticed who they were during the entire chaos. All five of them landed in front of the donut shop, standing right before the new Changeling.

The monster was massive, nearly doubled as big as they were, well, if one counted the massive horn that grew from the back of his head. A second horn extended from his forehead, but it was only half as long as the other one. His body was quite bulky and muscular as well as coated in white with only his armored back and eyes colored in shimmering gold. What was also striking was the complete lack of a neck, the body merely going over into the bug face of the Changeling.

“He looks like a Hercules-beetle,” Sugar said nonchalantly without even looking over to her friends. “Be careful, these kinds of beetles can lift up to eight hundred fifty times its weight!”

“Ha, you are smarter than you look puny Ranger! Indeed, I’m a Hercules-Beetle Changeling! And once again correct, just like my beetle counterpart I’m able to lift far more than I weight! I would suggest you surrender now since there is no chance that a few girls like you could beat me!” His laughter echoed through the streets, all while the girls just looked at each other and shook their heads. “However, I can’t do that. There is someone who wants to see you suffer, and I have to agree. You girls need to be taught a lesson!” He added with a far more sinister voice.

“Oh, come on Hercul, you sounded exactly like that Mantis yesterday. And trust me, you are gonna end up just like she did!” Lemon returned her arms on her hips as she stepped forward and pointed at the Changeling. “And you know why? Because we are the Power Rangers Shadow Force!”

“As mouthy as expected, but that won’t help you,” the Changeling dismissively chuckled before raising his hands and shouting: “Drones!” Immediately after he had said that several Drones teleported in, growling at the Rangers before storming forward.

“I’m taking the big guy; you can deal with the rest!” Lemon shouted back at her friends, having already dashed forward knocking one of the charging Drones in the face and kneeing another one in the stomach while passing them.

“Hey! Who died and made you the leader?” Sunny hissed after her, but the girl was already not too far gone to listen to her. “Damn it! What is it with her and not listening?” She growled before returning her attention to the threat at hand, dodging the first strike of the drone and delivering an uppercut that sent it flying.

While her friends were trading blows with the Drones, she was rushing straight ahead at the Changeling who looked like he was smirking as he took a stance that pretty much screamed: ‘Come at me!’

Not one to let the bug waiting she jumped towards it, reading her fist to give a solid punch to its face. She really hoped someone would record this because it would look so damn epic, she though just moments before her fist would connect.

And truth be told, the moment she hit the Changeling was indeed a moment to behold, a ripple going through the entire street as her fist collided with him, however, not his face, but his forearm. He simply stood there, his arm casually blocking her attack and what could only be described as a shit-eating grin decoration his mouth.

“Oh, surprised?” He asked, his voice perfectly mirroring his expression. Lemon meanwhile just looked at him in confuse from beneath her helmet before that changed into a look of anger, and with a silent growl, she jumped back only to dash forward again and try to kick him. That went just as well as the last time, the Changeling grabbing her foot easily and throwing her to the side and right into the side of a parking car. “I guess you had expected that this would be easy? That you would just come in here and save the day by kicking my butt to next Sunday? Yeah, think again missy, this is where things are gonna get real ugly!” The Hercules Changeling chuckled.

Lemon meanwhile pulled herself up again, gritting her teeth as she stared at the approaching Changeling. Mixed in with her anger small bits of fear bubbling up, but were quickly shoved to the side as she pulled out a coin and promptly shoved it into the Morpher.

[Sw-Sw-Sword!]

The weapon materialized in her hand, just mere moments later, she dashed forward with a loud scream. The Changeling even stopped advancing as she rushed towards him. The Hercules Changeling pulled back his arm and readied himself to strike, while Lemon tightened the grip on her weapon once more. He was the first to hit, the arm rocketing forward like a damn truck at high speed, but still, Lemon barely managed to dodge the incoming attack, but this was all she needed.

The Red Ranger’s sword slashed across the chest of the Changeling, sparks flying from where she had struck and left behind a black burn mark. Still, the only thing the changeling did was flinch a bit and hiss, but otherwise, he was unharmed, much to Lemon’s shock.

“See? It’s pointless to try and resist,” he returned as he turned around, Lemon just staring at him in disbelief. “Oh? Speechless? How cute!” With that, he delivered another punch to her stomach, sending the poor girl flying once again as she landed on the rough asphalt.

Using her sword as support she pulled herself back up, the Changeling casually strolling towards her. As much as she tried, she could feel the cold sweat running down her spine as well as she hears standing on edge more and more the closer he got. But if she gave up now, this would end badly for her. She had already partially injured him, if she just hit him hard enough, this would work. With that, she pushed in one last coin into the sword.

[Str-Str-Strength!]

She could feel how her power grew, maybe now she would be able to actually hurt that monster, she thought, and with newfound vigor, she jumped up and over the Changeling. He, however, didn’t just stand there and wait for the attack, no, he spun around, but could only watch as the blade slashed across his chest once again. This time the sparks were accompanied with a growl of the monster and him staggering back a step. But the moment she tried to capitalize on her success things turned sour once again, the Hercules-Beetle steadied himself and dashed forward, grabbing her arm and preventing her from actually following up her attack.

Lemon was lifted off her feet and was now staring right into the eyes of the Changeling, dangling a few centimeters of the ground, all while furiously struggling against the hold of the monster. “You really did it! You actually made me mad! We can’t have that!” He growled, pulling back his arm to strike her. She could only watch in terror as he pulled back the arm and was about to let her feel it with all its force.

But before she could be hit again, the Changeling let out a loud roar and let go of her. As she dared to open her eyes again, she could see the Hercules Changeling clutching his chest and her friends standing between her and the monster. “You are the biggest idiot ever! You can’t just run in without a plan!” Sunny hissed at her, but right now she just didn’t care, she was just far to relived.

“Th… Thank you,” she managed to return, her voice shaky.

Sunny had been about to release another tirade at the girl but stopped before she actually got even a word in. Instead, she returned with a far softer tone: “You damn idiot.”

“We can discuss this later, right now we have something else to deal with,” Sugar interrupted.

Lemon simply nodded before pulling herself back up, the monster doing the same, staring daggers at them. That was the moment here; eyes darted across his chest, immediately locking onto it as an idea started to form. “Uhm, girls. I think I have an idea!”

“What are you talking about?” He growled, taking a step forward. “Eh, doesn’t matter. Nothing you could throw at me could beat me anyway!” His laughter echoed once again through the streets. But while he was busy laughing the Rangers had already pulled out a coin each and inserted it into their swords.

[Fi-Fi-Final! Red!]

[Fi-Fi-Final! Blue!]

[Fi-Fi-Final! Yellow!]

[Fi-Fi-Final! Pink!]

[Fi-Fi-Final! Green!]

In an instant, the Changeling was consumed by shadows, making it impossible for him to see. “Oh, you are trying this? By all means, be my guest, it won’t he-“ That was as far as he got as the first streak of blue light sliced across his chest. He almost staggered back but could stand firm in the end. This victory was however quickly dashed as both a green and pink light came down on him, letting him take a step back followed by another yellow slash, this time actually getting a pained yelp from him. At this point, his chest was starting to feel sore, but he had seen through the attack, all he had to do was block the last one and-

That was when he realized, he couldn’t move his arms, something was holding onto them and preventing him from pulling them forward. It didn’t take long for it to hit him, the Rangers were holding onto him, but for what? This answer was swiftly revealed when a bright red light appeared before him and with it, the Red Ranger. She came down on him and plunged her sword deep into his chest, right there where had been hit multiple times until now.

The chitin cracked under pressure, and constant strain as the blade dug deep into him. Everything slowed down for a moment, a burning fire igniting inside him only for the Ranger to pull the sword back out and push herself off him. The rest of the Rangers also abandoned him, and it didn’t take long for the dark shadows around him to be pushed aside by an explosion. But before his Dark Stone could fall out something hit him, pulling the stone back in and filling him with even more power.

The rangers expected the man to lay there when the dust cleared, but to their surprise, something else happened. The Changeling started to grow, first doubling in size, then overtaking the building around them until he had reached skyscraper height towering before them.

“What the fuck!?” Was all Lemon could scream out, staring at the monster before her. That was, however, all the time she had to dwell on this before the beast unleashed an unholy scream, pulling her back to reality.

This was also the moment when she noticed the glow from her Coin container around her waist. Without even thinking any longer about it, she removed the Sword Coin and replaced it with another one. Her friends were doing the same thing.

[He-He-Hellhound!]

[Le-Le-Leviathan!]

[Ro-Ro-Roc!]

[Wy-Wy-Wyvern!]

[Ma-Ma-Manticore!]

Five beams of light erupted from the Morphers, shooting straight at the monster, consuming it whole and letting it and the Rangers disappear into seemingly nothing.

For a few moments, it looked like things were over when suddenly the sly turned black around the city, a mirror copy of the city appearing above the city, drenched in the darkest of nights. Within stood the Changeling as well as five massive mechanical beasts. One looked like a giant red and black dog with spike color and glowing eyes. The next one was what could only be described as a black and blue dinosaur with four fins. Over them hovered a black and yellow bird, somewhat resembling an eagle. The pink and black monster resembled a dragon with its forelegs incorporated into its wings. And last was a black and green beast in the form of a lion with a scorpion tail and bat wings.

“Oh, my, goodness! This is fucking awesome!” Lemon shouted from what looked like a cockpit, just without any sort of way to actually move the thing, but somehow she knew instinctively how to pilot the thing.

The first of the beasts to move the Leviathan, but instead of actually moving forward it simply opened its moth, unleashing a stream of water, one that ripped apart concrete and buildings in the shadow world as it advanced towards the Changeling. The giant monster couldn’t do anything else besides screaming in pain as it was hit by the power of the water.

Lightning was the next to act, letting her Roc fly towards the monster and as it was right above it unleash a devastating barrage of thunder and lightning that let sparks fly from the Changeling as it stumbled backward.

When the Roc let off from his victim, the giant Manticore had already flown towards it and used its massive claws to jump at it, cutting through the chitin and leave behind enormous claw marks only to turn around and jam its tail right into them.

While the Changeling was still stunned by the Manticore Sunny had flown her Wyvern over to it and just as her friend flew away used her beast to unleash a burst of pink flames, the screams of the monster echoing through the city. At this point, many citizens were looking up in awe at the display they were witnessing.

At last, it was Lemon’s time to shine. Her mechanical monster dashed forward, bursting into flames, but made no signs of slowing down. It speed up more and more, the buildings around it bursting into flames, thankfully only in the shadow world they were in. Ultimately the Hellhound burst through the Changeling, leaving it burning and smoldering before falling over and exploding, the shadow world fading and the Rangers returning to where they were before, but there was no sign of the defeated Changeling.

>-------<S>-------<

Lemon was sitting in a nice and comfortable red chair, arms crossed and awkwardly looking at the ground. “I’m… I’m sorry for my outburst yesterday,” she sighed. One could see plasters all over her face. “You were right; there are some enemies you can’t just beat with pure strength alone.”

Cadance poured her another hot chocolate into the cup in front of the girl. “Good that you realize that now, but I might have to apologize as well. I saw you today in school, and how exhausted you all were. I might have overdone it a bit,” she sheepishly admitted. “I just thought if I could cram enough material into as few lessons as possible, you would be prepared for everything and I was clearly wrong. I was just afraid for your safety, but I can’t continue like this. I’m gonna tone it down a bit, but that doesn’t mean you can slack off. Deal?” She weakly chuckled, getting a unanimous nod from the students.

“Uhm, by the way, what were these giant robot animals and that dark shadow world thingy?” Indigo asked, looking rather puzzled.

“Oh, of course. I’m actually surprised you figured that out on your own. In the old stories, the former Rangers fought giant Changelings with their Zords inside a shadow world designed to minimize damage. The coins were forged after a Changeling managed to grow one of his own and they needed something to fight back. But that is one of the parts I know the least about, I’m sorry,” she returned.

“Eh, who cares, we’ll figure it out,” Lemon returned after taking a sip from her chocolate.

“Yeah, I’m sure you will,” she smiled back. “But first, we have training to get to,” she added with a wicked smile, her students just gulping in return.

>-------<S>-------<

“I’m home,” Lemon shouted through the house, while still exhausted, it was not as bad as yesterday.

“Hey, Lemy! Your father and I are in the kitchen, why don’t you come here for a moment?” Sweet Orange shouted to her, Lemon just shrugging and dragging herself into the kitchen.

Inside she could see her mom sitting next to her dad, a man in a grey business suit, pink skin, and short orange hair. He was also trying to hide something behind his back. “Yo! What’s up?” She asked, trying her best to avoid staring at the thing he held behind his back.

“What happened to you, Lemy? You look like you got into a fight! Is everything ok?” Grapefruit immediately asked, staring at his daughter with open eyes and a worried look.

“Eh, I’m fine dad, just feel of my board, that is all,” she returned, trying to sound as convincing as possible. “How was your trip to Mount Aris?” She added with a wide grin.

“Oh? It was ok. Not much exciting stuff really just had to deal with one of our customers who had a bigger problem with one of our factoring machines. I had to accompany one of our engineers and make sure the situation wouldn’t look bad for Change Industries. I would have been back sooner if it were not for Mr. Thorax having to return back to Canterlot for some reasons. But all in all, everything turned out fine, and I even had time to get something special just for you,” Grapefruit smirked, triumphantly pulling out a small little box wrapped in wrapping paper

“Oh, my goodness!” She feigned ignorance and excitedly ripped the small box from his hands, tearing apart the paper in seconds and not much later she had disregarded the top of the box. Two black wireless headphones stared back at her, Lemon’s eyes as wide as headlights and a smile as wide as her entire head.

“I know you would love it!” Grapefruit chuckled and before he was almost thrown off balance by Lemon jumping at him and pulling him in a tight hug. Meanwhile Sweet Orange was looking at the scene with a somewhat worried look in her eyes, one that however quickly faded and she joined in on the hug.

Go Big or Go Home - Part 1

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A few days had passed since the last Changeling attack, much to the girl's relief. While the action was entertaining in a way, the quiet time was appreciated as well. Well, as quiet as time could be while training with Cadance. The principal was ruthless, and even if she did tone down the training a bit, so they weren’t completely exhausted on the next day, it was far from easy. Bruises and grazes were a daily occurrence, one that had grown increasingly hard to hide from their parents.

Indigo didn’t really have much of a problem, her parents were already used to her daughter looking beat up every day. For a sports fanatic, a few bruises were nothing new. The rest, however, was another story entirely.

Sugar’s parents were suspicious, but after she stated that she was training with her friends, they just accepted that apparently they were used to her hobby. Sour Sweet definitely had it harder, ending up in a passive-aggressive shouting match with her parents that could even partially be heard on the street, at least if Sunny was to be believed. Ultimately she actually managed to convince her parents that she was taking part in a school program aimed for self-defense.

That was also the story Sunny went with and after much surprise from her parents, worried attempts to convince her otherwise they finally relented, letting her train self-defense. It also helped a bit that with the mew rise of monster attacks in the city, they could feel safe that their daughter could at least defend herself.

The last one to convince her parents of this was Lemon Zest, primarily because she just pushed that part off until the last possible moment, something her friends were all too family with. Whenever a project was due Lemon hocked herself up with one of the other Shadow Bolts and just hung back while her partner did all the work, well at least when the project didn’t interest her, something that happened quite often. When it did scratch that certain edge, however, no one could slow her down, how rare it might be. So it was no surprise to her friends when she admitted to still not having told her parents.

After what felt like hours and at least five hot chicklets the girl finally related, bowing to the tenacity and stubbornness of her friends. And worst of all, deep down she knew they were right and that feeling just didn’t want to die down, no matter how much she tried to shut it up. And with a defeated sigh, she finally related.

In the end, it all came down to this. This moment, on this ordinary Saturday morning. The sun was shining into her room like on every day, casting its light on the mess that was her floor. Papers, books and some clothes were all thrown around the room, showing a good representation of how her head felt right now. Countless thoughts had run through her head for hours now, and she hatted it. She hadn’t really gotten any shuteye, and one could see that undeniably, the bags around her eyes were massive.

As she turned around in her bed, her eyes fell on the wireless headphones, her dad had brought her recently. They had a strange magnetic aura about them, refusing to let her eyes stray for even one second. She didn’t know why, but these headphones just were the most fascinating thing for her in her entire room right now, more than her cd’s, her games or her guitars.

She didn’t even know how long she had stared at the lifeless hunks of plastic and wires when a loud scream snapped her out of it. The scream caught her entirely off guard, almost letting her fall out of her bed and face-first on the floor, almost.

For a moment the thought that it might be a Changeling attack raced through her head, but this theory was quickly discarded when the voice echoed through the house once more, this time clearly audible to the girl.

“Lemy! Breakfast!” It once again came from down below. On every other day, this lovely scream would have ripped her from her sweet dreams and at the same time filled with new energy for the delicious breakfast waiting for her, but not today. Her stomach was twisting together, but unlike the usual hunger, she felt in the morning, this was an entirely different feeling. She didn’t want to admit it, but it was a mixture of fear and nervousness. “Lemy? Did you fall back asleep again?” Her mother called out again, a playful tone in her voice.

With one last look at the headphones, she sighed and let her head sink low. Her body felt like it had awoken out of a thousand-year slumber when she pulled herself up in the bed, almost like it was trying to do everything in its power to keep her in bed. And the part that made her the most uncomfortable was the fact that it wasn’t entirely unwelcome. The bed was warm and cozy, fluffy, and comforting, she could just stay inside it, right? Just the entire day in bed, it didn’t sound all that bad all things consi-

“No!” A voice shouted in her head, drowning out the thoughts that had swirled around her mind like a black cloud. “No!” It repeated again and again, like a chorus of a single voice, her voice. As comforting it might have been, that wasn’t what she had promised her friends, not what she really wanted.

Almost like an observer, she saw how the blanket was pulled aside, and her feet were forced out of bed, her toes sinking into the fluffy floor below them. It didn’t feel real like she was just watching, but she knew it was. “Coming!” Her voice shouted out, sounding so far and so distant, but at the same time just as close as ever. That feeling of nervousness still eating at the back of her mind like a bug that had dug itself into her brain and was currently having a delicious brain snack.

Like a slug, she weakly pulled herself into a pair of ripped dark blue jeans and a louse hanging light blue shirt she just grabbed out of her closet at random. Almost on instinct, she picked up both her handy and the new wireless headphones and shoved them into a pocket before turning towards the door. With a heavy gasp of air, she pushed her body towards it.

The door to her room creaked louder than it had ever done before as the sound of it echoed through the halls and down the stairs like she was in some kind of old, dilapidated haunted house. The familiar walls now felt like something foreign, strange, as if they were rejecting her as all the thoughts of how this could go wrong ran through her mind. Just bowing out now was tempting, oh so tempting, but she knew her friends wouldn’t let louse if she just chickened out now.

Every step down the stairs was agonizing as the smell of donuts, hot chocolate, and warm pancakes mixed with her anxiety just made her even more confused, the smells of delicious food just contrasting against her own feelings in a way that was just unnatural. The growling of her stomach was brought together with it tightening up by the sheer thought of actually talking with her parents about any of this.

Standing in front of the kitchen doorway, her thoughts were rushing past a mile a minute in her head, struggling to focus on one thing, but ultimately failing miserably at that. She must have stood there around one minute already, time having lost all meaning to her when the warm voice of her mother pierced through her thoughts, a bit of worry in it that Lemon barely managed to notice.

“Is anything Lemy? You don’t look so good,” she asked, carefully examining her daughter, who indeed looked less than stellar. Even more than usual, she looked like she hadn’t gotten any shuteye tonight. Her eyes were all sagy, and she had that expression on her face like she was a lost puppy a thousand kilometers away from home.

“I…” She started to say, only for her tongue to refuse to budge after her first word, leaving her to stutter, only gaining an even more worried look from Sweet Orange whos expression shifted towards a silent frown. “Ju… Just slept really bad tonight… That’s all,” she awkwardly chuckled back, rubbing the back of her head while trying to deliver the most convincing smile she had ever smiled.

“Are you… Sure?” She continued, taking a step closer to her daughter. “Doesn’t look like just a night of bad sleep.” Sweet’s expression shifted from her frown to worry, worry that just drove like a hot needle deeper into Lemon’s mind.

“Yeah… I’m fine,” she dodged once again, avoiding the piercing glare of her mother. Before Sweet could say, another word, Lemon already blurted out: “Mhm, this smells delicious. I’m gonna get something.” And like that she raced away, leaving her mother unable to get another word in, Sweet only staring after her and shaking her in silence.

Meanwhile Lemon was trying her damn hardest to put up a smile and inhale as much of the warm pancake smell as possible, just to get her mind into another mood. It worked partially at least, the scent definitely pushing away the tightness in her stomach reason and replacing it with simple plain hunger.

“Hey, Lemon.” As she opened her eyes again, she stared right at her father, reading his newspaper like every weekend. As he looked up from behind the wall of paper, his expression, however, changed a bit, now resembling more her mothers. “Didn’t sleep well?”

“Yeah,” she sheepishly chuckled in return.

Her father just raised an eyebrow before returning: “You know, you have been coming home later than usual recently,” he started, putting the paper down next to him, something that was never a good sign. Lemon just swallowed a bit, it was almost like her worst nightmares were right now just getting reality.

“And then there is the fact that you have so many bruises every time you come home. We might have believed you if this would have been a one-time occurrence, but you come back with more and more every day. What are you really up to because we know that you are better than hurting yourself every day? So, what are you really up to Lemon?” She asked in a strick, but still worried tone.

Lemon just let her eyes snap back and forth between her dad and her mom, her mind looking for a good enough answer before after a few seconds and her dad about to once again say something she simply sighed: “Yeah, I wanted to talk with you about that anyway.”

“Oh?” Came it from both of them simultaneously as they stared at her in surprise. “So, what was it that you wanted to tell us?”

Lemon shifted uncomfortably on her chair from one side to the other: “Well… How do I say this…” She started, the words just refusing to settle into a coherent sentence. “I didn’t really injure myself during skating,” she finally let out, her eyes closed, awaiting the reaction from her parents.

“So it really wasn’t skating,” Sweet sighed, shaking her head. “But when it wasn’t scathing, what was it then? And why did you hide it from us? You know you can tell us everything, you know that?” She continued, putting a hand on Lemon’s shoulder while smiling at her.

“Well, you see, I kinda joined a self-defense course with the girls,” she finally let out, her parents just staring at her with open eyes.

“That… That is all?” Sweet asked, shaking the surprise from herself. “Just a self-defense course? Then why try and lie to keep it from us?”

Lemon was about to say something before her words became stuck in her mouth. She knew why she had lied the first day, she just didn’t come up with anything better, and the rest of her friends came up with that lie later than that, so yeah. But that wasn’t something she could tell her parents, now could she? But what to do? Her mind was once again racing with dozens of thoughts simultaneously, dismissing every single one of them until her eyes caught one of her bruises from yesterday and an idea started to form in her head. “Yeah, that might sound a bit stupid, but…” She started nervously. “Well, our trainer is very rough and doesn’t do easy,” she pointed at one of the bruises. “And, to be honest, I was kinda afraid that you would forbid it.”

Both Sweet Orange and Grapefruit looked at each other and let out a slight chuckle. “Oh, Lemy, why would you think that? Have we ever forbidden you from skating because it was too dangerous? No, so why would we now?” Sweet returned before her expression turned a bit more serious. “Though, I have to admit that seeing you like this the first time wasn’t all that pleasant. But as long as your schoolwork won’t suffer from that, we are fine with it. Well, as long as you look out for yourself.”

Lemon was about to return a loud and far more happy thank you to her mom when Grapefruit interrupted her: “Come to think of it, there was another thing we wanted to talk with you about.”

“Huh, what?” She returned, looking at him quite confused and with a strange nagging feeling in the back of her head.

“You are in your last year of school,” he started, his voice unnervingly serious. “Right now it looks like the end of the school year is still far away, but before you even realize it the year is over. So, do you have any idea what you are gonna do after school?”

Lemon just stared at him blankly, unable to form a proper response. She was at a loss for words here, and really, did it matter now? She had bigger fish to fry, with the Changelings and being a Power Ranger, something like that could wait after all. The year was young, wasn’t it? “Eh, I’ll figure something out,” she simply shrugged.

“Lemy, I know that you might think that, but trust me, that is nothing but imagination. I’ve seen what happens when you don’t know what you want to do with your life when you don’t have a plan when school ends. You know auntie Clementine?” Sweet Orange looked at her daughter with a somber look in her eyes.

“Sure I know auntie Clementine! She runs a Saddle Eleven in Griffonstone now, and while she does it quite well, that doesn’t mean that was what she really wanted to do. She always was a girl that did everything one hundred percent or not at all. She is quite similar to you in that way,” her mom weakly smiled before continuing. “She also had no idea what to do after school ended. She made the same excuses as you right now did Lemy, that something would come to her, but nothing did. So when she graduated, she had nothing to do and instead of actually looking for a job in the meantime while looking for something to do with her life. That went on for at least a year, and dad got more and more annoyed with her.”

“And what then?” Lemon asked, her voice weak and shaky, already dreading the answer.

“Your grandfather was always a very passionate and emotional man that was very… steadfast in his ways one could say,” she awkwardly continued, looking at the ground while doing though. “That meant that when someone disagreed with him, it didn’t take long for the discussion to become loud. He and Clementine always butted heads, they were in that way very similar. And after a year of her not doing anything and still not having a job, he made an ultimatum, either find any job or leave the house. To my surprise, she actually did the former, not the later and started working at the local Saddle Eleven.”

“So, everything worked out in the end? She learned that it was what she wanted to do anyway? So, I should be fine,” Lemon dismissively returned, pushing any other thoughts she had about this far back into her mind, well at least she tried until her mother started to shake her head.

“No, she just never found what she really wanted to do in life. And since my sister was someone who did everything to the best of her abilities she quickly became their best worker and climbed up the cooperate ladder until they offer her a manager position in Grifonstone,” she chuckled before her expression turned sour once again. “She took it because at this point she kinda got used to her life and accepted that she would be doing this forever. She never told any of us that she liked working there and to this day she doesn’t, but she still puts her all into it. Every time we talk about it she tries to change the subject or just complains about everything with it and I can tell that she hates it, but since she has settled into that life now, she doesn’t want to make any changes to it. She has a secure life now and doesn’t want to take any risks, even if she is unhappy with it.”

Sweet stopped for a few moments, looking down at the floor before raising her head again, her eyes starting to fill with tears before she continued with a shaky voice. “Please, I don’t want you to end up like her, she was always so energetic, and everything and seeing her like this just breaks me every time we come together. I couldn’t stand it if you ended up like her.” With that Sweet almost lunged forward and hugging her daughter tightly, leaving Lemon no word in all of this.

“What your mother said. I too don’t want to see you end up like Clementine. You have to think about a secure job, Lemon. Why not start with a part-time job? I’m sure you could find something if you looked for it,” her father added, sounding just as desperate as her mother, letting any complaint Lemon might have had suddenly swelled up inside her throat like a sponge and prevented her from actually saying anything. Her eyes just darted around the room, helplessly as she thought of anything to say when her father continued. “By Tartarus, if that also doesn’t work I’m sure I could pull a few strings for you and maybe get you an internship at Change Industries. How does that sound?”

That was the moment when her throat was pulled shut completely, her eyes turned into small little ponds as they were ripped open and her body slowed down to a crawl. Her mind suddenly started to race a mile a minute again, about what she would do if she had to fight a monster during her time working, or far worse if she wouldn’t need to go to a fight, but the fight would come to her. The Changelings already knew who she was, that much was clear after their last battle and the donut shop. If they had no qualms about throwing a car at them, there was no way to predict how far they were willing to go when she was working anywhere where a lot of people would be. She hadn't even thought about all of this and what to do if this took longer than the school year. What would she do or her friends?

And then came the idea of working at Change Industries, the company lead by the Changelings. That was more or less suicide. While she trusted her father not to be one of the Changelings, this was still insane to attempt, especially after how much the last Changeling had thrown her around like a ragdoll. Her thoughts, however, were interrupted as the voice of her father pulled her back into reality.

“Lemon! Do you hear me? Is something the matter?” He asked, his forehead cast in wrinkles as he looked at his daughter with a worried frown. “You have to talk to us, please. We just want to help you, and that means right now help you find out what to do after school. You can’t just live into the day like before anymore, you have to think about what to do with your life. You don’t still have a year, you only have one year left. You have to do something,” he continued.

Grapefruit looked at Lemon with an expecting expression. The young girl was getting more and more worried as the thoughts of everything that could go wrong came flooding in more and more, letting sweet drop from her forehead. Her breathing started to grow more frantic and ridged with every passing second, answer flooding her mind and struggling for dominance only to disappear into the void of it just as quickly as they were formed, the looks of her parents like a burning hot needle stabbed into her skin until…

Almost like on instinct, Lemon pulled herself of free from her mother's tight grip, even pushing her back, staring at both of her parents with a desperate look in her eyes. Her parents just stared at her with open mouths and unable to say anything, surprised at the sudden outburst of her daughter. Their stares were even worse than before, like the weight of a truck had suddenly fallen on her, crushing her beneath.

After a few more seconds staring at them, she just couldn’t stand there anymore, and without as much of another word, she turned around on the spot and dashed towards the door.”Lemy!” Her mother shouted from behind, her voice desperate and in utter shock. Lemon couldn’t do anything else than to grimace and press her eyes together and pick up even more speed. She, however, had to open them again when she reached the door, pushing it open, grabbing her board that was leaning against the wall and rolled out the door before any of her parents could even halfway catch up to her.

She was almost on auto-pilot the moment she had started to dash, and the world just rushed past her. It didn’t matter where she was going, just away, that was all that mattered right now. In the distance, she heard the screams of her mother. “Lemy!” But as much it hurt, she just wanted to not be here right now, just away. And within a few seconds, she was already around the next corner and disappeared from sight, leaving both Sweet Orange and Grapefruit standing behind on their lawn and watching their daughter disappear.

“Lemy…” Sweet stammered, unable to divert her stare from the point where Lemon had disappeared, her arms hanging limply from her side as several tears rolled down her cheeks.

She winked when her husband placed his arm around her and pulled her closer. As she looked up to him, she didn’t look into a comforting face, but one just as worried as hers, just trying to keep it hidden.

“I’m sure she will be fine,” he weakly returned. “She just needs a bit of time alone.” And as silent, as he could, he added a nervous, “I hope.”

>-------<S>-------<

She had just passed the corner when she had shoved her earphones into her ears and put on her music on max volume. In an instant the world around her became more distant, just an annoyance that she could choose to ignore and let dance to the beat she decided, well that was how it usually went, but not this time. Her thoughts were liked glued to what had happened right now, refusing to fade in the background and let the music do its magic. No, they just got worse, clawing away at her mind, whispering of guilt, anger and just… forlornness.

The music was just alleviating the feelings that were currently rampaging through her, she didn’t even want to know how bad it would be without the music. The thought alone was almost terrifying to her.

While she was skating through the city, her entire attention was diverted to her thoughts and trying to bring them in any manageable order and on not driving headfirst into a car, but that had almost become second nature to her. What she still didn’t waste any thought about was where she was going, just forward, always forward, taking a few corners as well. If she stopped right now, she might figure out where she was right now, but that was not something that even crossed her mind, that she would worry about later.

After what felt like hours she had been on her board, she finally decided to step down from it, sure she was far away from home to ultimately let everything sink in. When the board stopped, and she stepped off it, everything just felt… wrong. Like if she didn’t move forward again, everything would crush her, and she was tempted to do exactly that when she took a look around, finally realizing where she had ended up, almost on the front porch of Cadance’s house.

She just stared at the building, unable to comprehend how she ended up here and just standing there, her jaw wide open. Then a different thought came to her, what if she asked Cadance for help? They had a lesson later this day, so if she showed up early, she might not mind? But it didn’t take long before her doubts came back to her. Maybe cadence would be annoyed if she asked her about such personal stuff? She was her trainer, not her private psychiatrist after all and she already had to deal with the problems of an entire Highschool during the week, she surely didn’t want to deal with even more teenage problems on her off days.

But before she could dwell on these thoughts any longer the door to the mansion opened, and two people stepped out, Cadance and a muscular young man with white skin and blue hair in what looked like a costly suit. Cadance meanwhile wore a white shirt and short jeans, something that she still wasn’t used to, she had always seen the former dean in very formal clothing, this just felt wrong, even if the view wasn’t all that bad.

No! That wasn’t the time for this, what if she saw her now? What would she think? She had to hide somewhere, this was far too uncomfortable, and she couldn’t deal with this right now!

“Have a good day at work Shining and be careful,” Cadance said, giving the man a kiss on his cheek.

“Thanks, Honey, and don’t worry, I always am. If something would happen to me, we could eat breakfast together after all, and that is something I wouldn’t give up for anything in this world,” he returned with a chuckle. “I’ll just have to be careful not to be caught in any of Light Bulb’s crazy inventions, and I’ll be fine.”

Cadance raised an eyebrow before letting out an amused chuckle only to add a more worried: “I know, but with these new monster, I’m just a bit more nervous that’s all. But, knowing who you surround yourself with, I shouldn’t be too wo-“ That was when she suddenly stopped and stared directly in where Lemon had stood just mere moments before, the girl having ducked behind one of the parking cars and prayed to the gods that no one would see her.

“Lemon Zest?” Cadance asked with a somewhat confused look on her face. “What are you doing here so early, and why are you hiding behind a car? You know I saw you, right?”

Lemon bit her tongue, if she hadn’t wasted so much time with standing there like an idiot, this might not have happened, but what was done was done. With is a silent curse she stepped out from behind the car and awkwardly returned: “Hey, Principal Cadance, what a coincidence, I was just in the area.”

Cadance just raised an eyebrow and shook her head, but before she could say anything herself, Shining Armor interrupted her. “I assume this is one of your students? Did you had anything planned?” He asked, while a bit confused he seemed kind enough.

Cadance looked over to him and the back to Lemon before finally giving him an answer she tried to make as convincing as possible: “Yeah, she is one of our star students. She represented us in the Friendship Games as one of our Shadow Bolts, just like your sister.”

“Ah,” he coldly returned. “So she was one of the students that pushed her into becoming a monster?” Shing shoot a cold glare at Lemon, letting her stager back a bit.

“I… I’m so sorry about that,” she quickly shot back, lowering her head in shame. “We were far to keen on winning instead of worrying about her safety. That entire thing really was a wakeup call for us.”

“Shining, the girl-“ Cadance tried to intervene, but her boyfriend just continued.

“If that is the case, then ok. If you learned your lesson, there is no point of holding a grudge, and if I did one of my friends would be really disappointed. But still, if you ever endanger my sister ever again, you will regret it,” he returned with a low tone.

“Shining Armor! Would you stop threatening this poor girl! You should be ashamed of yourself!” Cadance finally stepped in, growling at her boyfriend. What was even worse than her hostile tone was the glare with which she stared at Shining Armor, a glare that probably could kill if that was possible and even if not she was not brave enough to find that one out.

The boyfriend in question took a step back himself, looking nervously at his girlfriend before hastily returning: “Uhm… Sorry, that was uncalled for. I’m sure you are a fine girl and that you are serious about the apology.” His apology felt very awkward, but that could be the general situation as well, Lemon thought. “Oh, damn it. I have to go,” Shining burst out as he took a look on his phone and stormed towards a black car and within seconds he was gone, leaving both Cadance and Lemon behind.

“I’m so sorry for what Shing Armor said, I’m sure he didn’t mean it like that. When it comes to his sister, he can just be very protective,” she calmly said while taking a few steps towards her. “So, now that we are alone, why are you here? And don’t even try that ‘just in the area’ thing, I work with teenagers for a living, I know when they are lying.” Cadance’s smile was surprisingly calming, putting her at ease, letting the worries that had built up just melt away.

“I… I had an argument with my parents, I think…” Lemon returned weakly, looking away from Cadance, unable to look her into the eyes.

“Oh, that is… Why don’t we go inside? Have a bit privacy if it’s something that personal,” Cadance said, putting her hand on Lemon’s shoulder, letting the girl snap her head back in shock. The warm smile of her Principal cut through her doubts, and the only thing she could do was nod in return.

The older woman carefully guided her towards the door and through the house and even though these only partially familiar halls with Cadance’s hand a constant presence was precisely what she needed right now, letting all her thoughts melt into the background, just like her music usually did.

“You liked hot chocolate, right?” She was snapped out of her little world after Cadance had sat her down and asked this simple question.

That was when it all folded back to her, why she was here, not as bad as before but still and with it came the worries. “Uh… You don’t have to. I don’t want anything, I’m fine,” she hastily returned, frantically waving her hands in front of her. Much to her dismay, her body wasn’t exactly agreeing with her on that topic as her stomach started to act up.

“Nonsense!” She got back from Cadance in a firm tone. “Like I said, I work with teenagers like yourself for a living, I know how you tick. And even if your body hadn’t betrayed you, it’s written right on your face Lemon. I have a little bit of food leftover from breakfast, so don’t worry about being an inconvenience,” she continued, already stepping towards the kitchen. When she returned, she held a few pancakes and a cup in her hand. “Now, what has you so worked up? You said you had an argument with your parents?”

“It’s…” She started only to stop again and stare at the floor.

“Wow, so bad? Ok, listen, just say it, I won’t laugh or think any less of you. I can see how much this bothers you. You are always so energetic and carefree, I don’t want to see you like this,” Cadance broke the silence, her smile just as sweet as before.

Lemon nodded in return before taking a deep breath and finally saying. “My parents asked me what I wanted to do when school is over,” she said, her eyes returning to the floor again.

“Oh? And what was your answer? Did they not like it?” Cadance asked, placing the pancakes and cup right in front of Lemon.

“No, I said I’ll figure something out like I always figured something out,” she weakly returned, almost expecting Cadance to berate her just like her parents did.

“Ah, now I see. I assume your parents said things along the line that time was of the essence and something similar?” She calmly returned, Lemon meanwhile taking a sip from the hot chocolate and even if it wasn’t the warmest anymore, it certainly felt rejuvenating.

“Yes, they also told me about my aunt. She couldn’t figure out what she wanted to be and now has forced herself into a job she doesn’t enjoy and is too comfortable in it to do anything about it.” She continued, tightening her grip on the handle of the cup.

“Well, I can understand where they are coming from in that regard if that is the case, but what about you? How do you feel about this?”

“I… I don’t know,” she stammered back, her head sinking even lower. “They looked so desperate, and I don’t want to see them like this…”

“I see, but that isn’t how you feel, right?” She said, much to Lemon’s surprise. She had expected another lecture, but instead, she got this question. “I understand where your parents are coming from and that they don’t want to see you without a job when school ends, but that all is rather fruitless if you force yourself into something you don’t want. They are just gonna dishearten you if you don’t find what you want all that fast and you could end up like your aunt. What is important here is how you feel about it. You have to figure out something to do, but that is something you can’t rush and have to come to terms with yourself,” she continued.

“Aww, isn’t that cute?” A new voice suddenly ripped through the warm atmosphere of the living room. Both Lemon and cadence immediately jumped up from their seats and stared towards the hallway where the voice had come from. Standing inside the large doorframe to the hall was a disgusting monstrosity of a Changeling. Her body was sleek and almost worm-like if one ignored the carapace that covered her. Her body was made out of a massive worm-like part that ended in a split tail. What was, however, more unsettling were what looked like dozens upon dozens of small leg-like things sticking off her. Her arms and legs were made out of similar shapes like its body, just slimmer and ending in long, twisted claws. Its golden chitin made way for a bug face with a twisted grin at the top of its body.

“I mean, seriously, how heartwarming. How you lay your hearth out and how she tries to help you, I could cry. No, really. You know, this is so touching, I think I want to help you! You won’t have to worry about finding a job when I’m done with you!” With no further warning, she let one of her arms rocket forward, right towards Lemon.

The girl just barely managed to jump out of the way in the last second, Cadance couch, however, wasn’t so lucky, being torn to shreds as its pieces were scattered across the entire room, thankfully missing the principal who was running towards the kitchen. While she was doing that.

While Lemon had jumped out of the way of the attack, she had simultaneously pulled out her own coin and activated her Morpher, so when she landed back on her feet, she wasted no time to transform. “Light up!”

[Re-Re-Red!]

[Shine Bright! Red!]

Just as the shadows around Lemon faded away the long arm of the Centapide Changeling was swung in her direction, smashing against her body before wrapping around it and pulling her closer with insane speed. “Hey! Let me go!” Lemon shouted back at as she struggled desperately to free herself from the grasp of the monster, all while ignoring the uncountable tiny legs that were scraping across her body.

Her attempts were however entirely fruitless as she was pulled past the Changeling and flung out of the still-open door, landing with a loud crash inside of a sports car on parking on the other side of the street. Even though she had worn her suit, getting thrown into the side of a car was something quite unpleasant. Her entire back felt incredibly sore, she was just happy that he hadn't broken anything important.

The Changeling meanwhile almost strolled out of the doors of the mansion with such smug superiority that the blow to her pride almost stung more than her actual injuries, almost. Lemon in the meantime was pushing herself off the dent in the car with a silent growl. She was just about to pull out another Coin when the Changeling suddenly dashed forward, right towards her with inhuman speed.

Lemon wanted to take a step back but only bumped into the car again and as she noticed that the monster was already upon her, slicing cross her chest and pushing the Ranger and the car further back onto the sidewalk. The weight of the arm was pushing more and more against her chest, threatening to crush her when Lemon finally managed to get the coin into her Morpher.

[Sw-Sw-Sword!]

The weapon materialized in a way that it cut through parts of the Changelings arm, forcing her to pull the massive thing back if she wanted to keep it. With a loud screech, she released Lemon who landed on her knees, gasping for air while the Changeling was cursing and holding her arm close to her chest.

With a loud scream, the Red Ranger dashed forward, ignoring the pain all over her body to turn this fight around, but the Changling wasn’t just gonna take this while cowering in fear, no she snapped her head around and shot a vicious glare of hatred towards the young Ranger. Without any further warning shot both her arms forward at rocket speed. Her arms extended forward like and the claws at their end slammed against the blade of Lemon’s sword she had pushed in front of her in the last possible second. For a few moments, it looked like she could withstand the force of the attack, but that was not something to last as she was forced off her feet and frown back onto the sidewalk with a pained grunt.

The Changeling advanced, a low chuckle on her lips. “And you made us so many problems? You only got lucky until now! But now that luck has run out. You will regret what you did to him!” The monster raised its arms, ready to strike down Lemon who was still crawling along the ground towards her sword.

[G-G-Gun!]

[G-G-Gun!]

[G-G-Gun!]

[G-G-Gun!]

It echoed through the street, letting the Changeling stop dead in her tracks and before she could actually look around where the noise had come from several bolts of energy shot towards her, letting the bug stager backward as sparks and smoke exploded off her.

“Is this now a regular thing that we need to save you, Red?” Sugar asked, jumping down from the house they had been standing on top of and landing right next to Lemon.

She just chuckled awkwardly as the blue Ranger reached out her hand to her. “You know, I could get used to that. Always having a backup sounds sweet!” Sugar just coked her head at her as she pulled the battered and beaten Ranger from the ground.

“Don’t get used to it!” Sour hissed before adding a simple and far softer: “Glad your ok, though.”

“Aww, thanks. And since you are here now, it’s time we get to beat up this creepy bug!” She chuckled as she picked up her own blade and stepping next to her friends who all readied their guns. They had a similar design like the sword, a futuristic gun with a star holding the two pieces together.

They were just ready to fire when the Changeling finally recovered from the barrage of bolts that had left her in a cloud of smoke. “You think that this changes things? Pah! I’ll kill you all just as easily if I just had you Red!” She growled, several smoking wounds still visible on her carapace. Each of the Rangers tightened the hold on their weapons, ready to act the moment things turned sour.

The Changeling let out a loud roar and dashed forward, or at least that was what she initially attempted with the Rangers unleashing another salve of fire on her when right in front of her green flames burst up from the ground, deflecting each and every shoot they had fired. The Centapied Changeling stopped dead in its tracks as she stared in horror at what had appeared in front of her.

When the flames parted, another Changeling stood in their way. He was muscular and had a purple carapace with two red horns, and in his hand, he held a long double-sided spear. “What is the meaning of this?” His voice boomed through the streets, carrying an unnerving weight to it, as he turned his back to the Rangers stared at the other Changeling. “I demand an answer!"

Go Big or Go Home - Part 2

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An unnerving air was pressing down on the five girls, none of them dared to even breath, or even move a single muscle as their eyes were fixated on the purple monster in front of them. They had no idea why, but he was radiating an absolutely blood-chilling aura that demanded respect, something the muscles all over his body only enforced. It was only a small relief that he didn’t even value them a single glance, instead choosing to ignore all five of them like they weren’t even there to begin with.

But the Rangers weren’t the only ones utterly terrified of the new arrival, no, their opponent, the Centapied Changeling also was trapped standing on the street, eyes fixated on the other Changeling. Her dash forward had been stopped by the sheer presence of the monster, without ever lifting a single finger, and it was enough to let her body betray her. All the smugness and confidence had been drained from her, her body starting to shake uncontrollably as she subconsciously took a step backward. Her mouth was opening and closing again and again, but no words escaped it, only air.

“Do I need to repeat myself? I demand an answer, right now!” He once again bellowed, his voice letting every single hair of the Rangers stand up beneath their suits. The Centapied Changeling meanwhile didn’t fare any better, the small legs all over her body starting to move on their own, gasping for air as they did so.

“M… My Lord…” Was all the terrified Changeling could stammer out, taking even more steps back, her legs shaking like a jackhammer, almost falling over them in the process. One could almost feel sorry for her if she hadn’t tried to kill them just a minute ago.

The sound of him clearing his throat echoed through the street, even drowning out the sounds of sirens in the background, demanding the attention of everyone present. “I don’t remember ever sending you after them! You know what happens to traitors that can’t follow orders,” he growled, his hundreds of eyes shimmering in a devious purple.

“I… I thought…” She tried again, still stumbling desperately over ever oh so precious word.

“That is just it! You thought, instead of following orders like you are supposed to! You know what this little stunt could have cost us?” He interrupted her, taking a step towards her, his weapon casually resting in his hand.

“I… I thou… I’m sorry,” she continued, her voice shaking more and more with every step the male Changeling advanced, frantically looking around in the hope of a miracle that would her allow to escape.

“Sorry, are you? And what is that supposed to mean to me? Do you think that a sorry will just magically fix everything? No! Mistakes are something you can never get rid of! They have consequences! They are eternal! They forever stain you! And you! You are my mistake!” Pharynx grew louder and louder with every word he spoke, his eyes flaring up with an unbridled rage of a wild animal that had been attacked.

That was also the moment the Changeling walked into something, she almost jumped toward Pharynx but just managed to contain her fear, instead just letting er head spin around, staring at the car that had blocked her way. These few seconds, she was distracted; however, was all the time he needed to catch up to her, the realization dawning on her that he was standing right in front of her. Every bone in her body told her to run as fast as possible, but deep down, she already knew that this was pointless. Instead she just slowly turned around, staring into these hateful purple eyes, her blood freezing inside her veins.

Pharynx pulled back his spear, ready to drive it into her chest when something ripped through the early silence around them, something deafening. It was like lightning had just struck and now the thunder was roaring across the city, followed by an annoyed grunt.

To her disbelief, Pharynx had stopped and even started to turn his head away from her, slowly letting it glance over his shoulder.

“Sour? Why did you shoot him?” Lemon weakly asked, all eyes now on the Pink Ranger who was shakily holding the gun in her hand, pointed directly at the male Changeling and a smoke trail coming of its barrel. While both of them spoke the Changeling fully turned around, glaring directly at the girls, taking a step forward, the Centapide Changeling sinking to her knees just behind him.

“I don’t know!” Sour barked back, her voice shaky and uneven as she took a step back. “I… I just had to, ok?” She stammered. “I don’t know why, but it felt like the right thing to do!”

“Huh, whatever it was, it was a mistake!” Pharynx growled, now entirely focused on them. “You know, I have had to endure far too many failures because of you! Failures that I can’t wash away for the rest of my life! I technically was supposed to stay low, for now, to not attract any unwanted attention. But you know what? Thanks to my disobedient subordinate I had to act! And since I’m already here why not kill six birds with one stone,” he chuckled, and without saying another word pulled up his arm and threw the spear towards them.

Threw might have been the wrong word, more like shoot really, the sharp end of the weapon only barely missing Lemon’s helmet and crashing into the wall of the house behind her. The sounds of stone being crushed and falling in on itself could be heard, but none of them dared to look behind them, far to occupied with the colossus that was charging towards them.

Purely on instinct, the girls jumped out of the way in the last second before being run over by the monster, well all but one of them. With speed, Pharynx shouldn’t have had he grabbed ahold of Sour’s leg right as she was above him, and with unimaginable strength, he pulled her back down and right towards the ground.

[Me-Me-Metal!]

Could be heard just mere moments before her body was slammed down with the force of a truck ramming into a building. Without any chance to even figure out what had happened to her she was violently pulled from the small crater she had been slammed into, and with unnerving ease thrown back towards her friends, crashing into the car the Centapide Changeling had stood at just a minute ago. The car was launched off the ground, landing right inside Cadance’s hedge, crushing it underneath it.

Within seconds the four other girls had rushed towards the car wreck, Indigo the first to arrive and without any hesitation crawled beneath the car. What she saw was her friend, her head laying on the ground while her legs were still in the air, almost like she was sitting in the seat of the car. “Sour? You’re ok?” The Yellow ranger asked, trying her best to hide the nervousness in her voice.

“As long as someone got the license plate of that truck, yes,” groaned it back, the poor girl pushing herself away from the seat, toppling over and landing on her stomach. “Seriously, why does this hurt so much? Last time it didn’t!” She sighed, rubbing her head, everything was still spinning like she just left a carousel, and her body was aching all over like she had been crushed under a sack of rocks.

With a nervous chuckle Indigo reached out with her hand, something Sour happily accepted, letting herself get pulled out from the wreck of a car. When her eyes unintentionally drifted towards the house, she had stood only a few seconds before, she realized what would have possibly happened if she was just a second slower.

What she could see was not the ordinary façade of a house, but instead a massive hole where the door should be, almost reaching the two windows next to it. But there was no time to let this actually sink in as the purple Changeling stepped out of the debris, weapon in his hand, still just as pristine as before and his glowing purple eyes that stared directly at her, only for them to dart of to the side for a moment. He huffed, seeing the Centapied Changeling running as fast as she could, not that it mattered right now. He could deal with her later, right now he would try to make up for all the failure he had endured in the last few days.

“Hey! Bugface! Who the hell do you think you are? Everyone who hurts my friends like this is gonna regret it!” Indigo growled, pulling out a coin as well as her gun.

“Indigo, don’t-“ Sour tried stammered, trying to grab for the ankle of her friend, but was just a second too late, the Yellow Ranger having already taken a step forward, slamming the Ability Coin into the gun and aiming directly at the monster.

[Li-Li-Lightning!]

A bright light started to form in the barrel of the handgun, all while Pharynx just chuckled and took a step forward, his weapon in his hand. “Go to Tartarus!” Indigo shouted, finally pulling the trigger, unleashing a barrage of lightning strikes that burst forward towards the Changeling, surging across the ground and his body. Every bolt was accompanied by sparks that were surging off the impact point, leaving burn marks everywhere it touched the ground.

Pharynx meanwhile was taking the full force of the attack, every muscle in his body seemingly cramping up, locking him in place. A very satisfied grin appeared on Indigo’s lips as she watched the monster convulse right before her, no one fucked with her friends and got away with it!

It almost looked like the Changeling wasn’t what it was made out to be, just another opponent they would swipe away like nothing, but only for a moment. With a loud scream, Pharynx tightened the grip on his spear, his muscles tightened even more, and he did the impossible, he moved. He swung the weapon downwards and unleashed a wave of energy that rocketed towards the surprised girl.

Indigo just pulled the gun back and threw her hands in front of her, hoping they would at least somewhat lessen the impact. She was just about to close her eyes and brace herself for impact when she saw a green blur rush past her only for her visor to be flooded with bright, purple light and the following pressure crashing into her and knocking her off her feet.

The impact against the next wall was painfull, her speed almost immediately brought to a crashing halt as her body was forced against the obstacle only for it to break and Indigo to slide across the floor until she finally stopped.

It only took a few moments for the pain to set in, primarily in her back and her chest, and then there was this strange pressure on her, probably just a stone, but it was way too soft for that. She must have laid there for at least a minute before she finally managed to force her eyes open once again and stared at the green blur in front of her. It hit her like a truck, she knew what this was! Pushing past all the pain, she felt she managed to force herself of the ground, careful to not throw the girl off her and on the ground. “You damn idiot!”

“You would have done the same,” she just heard back.

Meanwhile, the three other girls had dashed towards the Changeling, taking potshots at him whenever he was busy with one of the others, not that any of their attacks actually seemed to do anything beyond annoying him even more.

Currently, his attention was square on Sunny who was dashing across the street like a madwoman, jumping out of the way of Pharynx’s energy attacks just in the nick of time and not relenting when it came to unload Tartarus on him. But everything she threw at the rampaging Changeling was just shrugged off like it was nothing, the monster coming closer and closer with every second she wasted. It was only a matter of time before the beast would stand right in front of her, and if that happened…

[I-I-Ice!]

Just a few steps away from Sunny the monster was once again pelted from behind, but this time he didn’t just shrug it off, he let out a pained grunt. As he looked behind him, he stared at Sugar who had her gun aimed directly at him. “You really should cool down a bit,” she returned in her usual monotone voice, even if Lemon could swear there was a bit of nervousness thrown in with it. The moment the last word had left her mouth, she pulled the trigger again, hitting Pharynx square in the face.

Within seconds the shoot spread across his face, chilling to the core and unrelenting it consumed more and more of it until it was covered in ice. That was also when he realized that the previous shots had done the same, covering his back and his legs, basically freezing him in place.

[Do-Do-Double!]

Pharynx heard from behind him, and within mere moments he felt several shots across his back, some shattering the ice on it, but more importantly actually digging a bit further into his skin, but any thought about that was swiftly drowned out by the several shoots that covered him in even more ice on his chest. He could feel the ice spread, its cold grip taking more and more of his body.

“Alright! It’s working! Blue, you are amazing!” Lemon shouted, unloading her own barrage of bullets on the Changeling, much to its annoyance.

Sugar was about to return something when it happened, the ice shattered in a single moment, and the behemoth of a monster appeared right in front of her. She could only stare at him in disbelief as he grabbed her for her leg. In the last second, before she was caught, an idea came to her. And that was all she could do as she was violently yanked from the ground and thrown towards Sunny who let out a loud shriek as the Blue Ranger rocketed towards her.

Lemon could only watch as her friend was thrown across the street, right towards Pink. She didn’t even notice that something was heading her way until it slammed against her helmet and fell to the floor next to her. “Ouch!” She hissed, as she rubbed her head and stared down at what had hit her, expecting a bit of debris, but instead it was something she had not foreseen in the slightest, a gun. But not just any gun, it was the same she was holding, only with a Coin already inserted into it… Oh, now she understood.

[Fi-Fi-Fire!]

Pharynx turned away from the Blue and Pink Ranger after both of them had been thrown into the next wall and been buried under the rubble and turned his attention to the last standing Ranger. And there she stood, two identical guns in her hand, both loaded with a different Coin already inserted into them and aimed directly at Pharynx.

He simply let out an annoyed groan before letting his voice carry through the street once again: “Really? That is your master plan? You saw what happened to your comrades, so why even attempt anything? You know it won’t work. So why not just lay down your weapons and make this easy for both of us?”

The only answer he received was the sound of two triggers being pulled, the sound itself triggering a silent chuckle from the Changeling. Within mere moments a barrage of blue and red projectiles hurled towards the monster, Pharynx rushing towards them, his weapon already in mid-swing as he sliced through projectile after projectile, already looking forward to bringing down his weapon on the poor girl.

Or he would have if the shoots wouldn’t have just kept coming and no matter how much he tried, in the end, they were just too many. At first, it was only one, a red orb hitting him in the shoulder, bursting into a large flame, then a second one, chilling like a stiff breeze on the coldest day of the year that closed around his knee. And with every successful hit, he grew slower and slower, allowing an even bigger opening than before. All over his body he felt the sudden heat followed by the chilling cold switch at random, sometimes canceling each other out only for it to feel even worse where the two sensations mixed.

But in the end, this was nothing more than a distraction, a painful distraction, but a distraction nonetheless. Letting out a loud roar he swung he lance again, unleashing a wave of purple energy that cut through every incoming attack Lemon could throw at him with ease before hitting the girl, against all attempts to avoid the attack.

Even with the suit taking the brunt of the damage Lemon could still feel the attack slamming against her, burning like a forest fire entirely centralized on her stomach as she was thrown backward, slamming into the concrete multipile times, leaving several small craters before coming to a stop. In her haze, she tried to stand back up again, but instead only received a painful jolt through her body as an even greater pain surged through her the moment she dared to move, letting her slump back on the ground again, only able to stare at the approaching Changeling.

Pharynx meanwhile hadn’t felt this good in ages; finally, something was going as planned. When he was done with this here, he only had to take care of the damn Worker that decided to go against his orders, and everything would be fine. But that was something to worry about later, right now he had to deal with this here. He once again raised his weapon, ready to end this here and now. The tingling feeling of power as the weapon started to glow with purple energy was ecstatic, and with a twisted delight, he brought down the weapon…

Then a sudden jerk went through his lance, and just a moment later it had stopped mid-swing. Pharynx’s eyes widened in shock before he turned his head up, noticing the end of a green whip around his lance. With a low growl, he turned around, staring directly at a woman clad in green armor with a black undersuit. Two angry red eyes glared at him from a helmet that reminded one of a lions head. On her shoulders, one could see pauldrons in the form scorpion stingers.

As lemon’s eyes came back into focus, she saw the green figure, her eyes widening behind her own helmet as her pained expression changed into one of pure glee, as much as possible at least. “Kamen Rider Monster!” Her voice traveled through the whole street but fell on deaf ears from both of them.

Pharynx tightened the grip on his lance before letting out a loud growl and swung it back, letting another wave of energy shot towards the new arrival. Without even much of a second thought, she dashed forward, only barely jumping over the attack and landing on the street, immediately pulling the wipe shaped like a scorpion tailback, yanking the weapon out of Pharynx hands.

The Changeling let out a furious roar before charging forward, spreading his claws out ready to tear into the new opponent. Monster meanwhile swung her whip again, striking across the Changelings chest, letting sparks fly everywhere, quickly repeating the attack two times more before Pharynx had closed the gap.

His claw swung directly at her head as she dashed forward, letting her whip fall to the ground, and she rushed past him, almost brushing against his back, now standing behind the beast. With a similar fierce slash, she tore into the armor on his back, once again sparks flying across the street.

While the two were going at each other Lemon had used the time to drag herself away from the fight, but not without sneaking in a few glances at the battle. Right now she wouldn’t love anything more than to just watch the two go at each other, but she knew she could stick around, at least not as a Ranger.

After she finally sunk down behind a wall and deactivated her transformation, she was greeted by a familiar voice: “Who is that?” Sunny asked. As Lemon turned around, she could see Indigo supporting herself on Sunny’s shoulder, just as exhausted as she was.

“Kamen Rider Monster, one of the heroes that saved the city together with Kamen Rider Alchemy, but last time I checked she was a man, so I’m not entirely sure what that is about,” she returned, holding her side as she dared to peek around the corner of the wall towards the battle. “But right now, I don’t care. This is so awesome! She is just… Wow, I wish I could fight like that!” All the pain seemed to have vanished from Lemon’s face as she stared at the hero and the Changeling.

Monster had taken a far more animalistic stance and was spreading her own claws, staring daggers at the Changeling, both circling each other, ready to throw down once again. And without any prior warning both dashed forward, neither even attempting to even block the opponents attack, instead of each one scoring a slash across the chest of the other one, sparks following just like expected.

But while Pharynx stumbled a step backward Monster instead was in no way ready to stop, pushing forward and slamming her knee into the stomach of the Changeling. The sharp bit of armor on her knee hit just one of the spots Lemon had hit the most, and with a loud crunch it tore through the chitin of the carapaces and right into the fleshy bits underneath, Pharynx letting out a pained his as he clutched his wound, poison-green blood dripping to the floor.

Monster once again did not leave him any chance to react, slamming her fist right on top of his hand he had clutched over the wound, throwing him off his feet as he landed on the asphalt.

“You!” He hissed, the pain clearly audible in his voice. “Don’t think you’ve won. You just got lucky!” The Changeling spat out, together with a little bit of his strange blood. “Next, you will not be so fortunate!” He had barely spoken the last word when bright green flames consumed the Changeling, Monster dashing forward to stop him, but her hand only reached into nothingness.

The Rider just stood there for a moment before her feet gave in under her, the hero sinking to her knees and clutching her chest, several claw marks scratched into the armor. “Sure I won’t, and neither will you,” she growled to herself. After a minute she pushed herself back up from the ground, even if she was still somewhat wobbly.

“This! Was! Awesome!” It came from behind her, the Rider spinning around, claws ready, staring directly at Lemon with her glowing red eyes. The girl was somewhat limping from the house that the Changeling had seemingly come from. Eyeing her for a few more moments, she relaxed again.

“You shouldn’t be here. Don’t want you to get caught in the middle of this,” the Rider returned, with a surprisingly calm voice. But the girl apparently wasn’t listening, just staring at her with plates for eyes filled with aww.

“No, really! That was great! I wish I could be so cool!” She gushed, dragging herself forward, a bright smile on her lips.

“Trust me, it’s not half as cool as you might think,” Monster returned, almost quiet enough that Lemon couldn’t hear her. “What do you want? Are you fine? If you need fixing up the MRG will be here in just a minute, I’m not someone who can do that really.”

“No, no, I’m fine, it’s just…” she stuttered, her cheeks becoming a deeper shade of red. “I… I kinda wanted to ask you a question,” she sheepishly returned.

“Lemon! What are you doing?” It once again echoed from behind the girl, Sunny dragging Indigo with her, a panicked look on her face. Following them was Candace who was just as nervous as Sunny.

“Cadance?” Monster turned around, coking her head in surprise before she frantically added: “Uhm, what is Shinings girlfriend doing here?” Sounding as forced as one could be.

The older woman just looked at her dumbstruck for a few seconds before shaking her head in bewilderment and returning: “Uhm, I live here. The Red Ranger and that monster stormed into my garden and then through the entire house. I’m glad that I’m still alive.” All three girls just stared at her in surprise, but quickly nodded along. “I had a self-defense class set up with these girls, and we just got caught in the crossfire, but we should be fine.”

The red eyes of the Rider stared at the group, leaving one no idea what was going on behind the visor before the woman nodded. “I see… You should still call your boyfriend, he can be rather… nervous when it comes to stuff like that and I don’t want to deal with that right now,” she chuckled. She was about to turn around and walk back to her bike when something came back to her mind. “Wait, didn’t you want to ask me, something girl?” She stared at Lemon, who nodded in return, all while her friends looked worried at her.

“Uhm... Yeah, I wanted to ask something,” Lemon said, even more sheepishly as before, her cheeks red and her eyes darting to the ground. “Oh, how do I say that now?”

“Just do,” the hero returned with a light chuckle.

“Uh… Ok then, I guess here goes nothing…” she said, clearing her through one last time. “How did you know that saving people was the right thing to do? That, this is what you wanted to do?” For a few moments, the street was utterly devoid of any sort of sound, only the wind blowing through before Monster suddenly started to laugh. Letting her head sink low Lemon continued: “I… I’m sorry that I asked something so stupid, I shou-“

“Oh, no, no. You did nothing wrong girl,” it came instead, the armored hand of the Rider now resting on her shoulder and even if the eyes still stared directly at her, there was something comforting in them. “No, just somewhat remind me of myself, that’s all. I asked the same question to someone not too long ago. You’re lost, aren’t you?” Even though she couldn’t see it, Lemon was sure there was a smile behind the mask, a warm, helpful smile. She just nodded, much to the confusion of her friends. “I see. Then I’m gonna tell you what that person gave me as an answer, you don’t, you just have to dive in, take the gamble and hope that it works out. Listen to your hearth and do what it tells you no matter what others might say to you. As long as you are happy with it, in the end, you’re going to be fine, just don’t build that on the backs of others. Like he always said, keep moving forward towards a bright future,” the Rider returned with a strange amount of conviction, it was almost infectious.

Lemon just stared at her for a few moments before a dumb grin overtook her lips and she nodded in agreement. “Gotcha! Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind. Oh, and you saved our asses from that monster was totally rad!” If one wouldn’t have known how nervous she was a few seconds ago, no one would have believed that this girl could ever be uncomfortable.

Monster just chuckled again and added: “Yeah, through you should thank the Rangers more, but I’m glad that you are ok, especially Cadance over there. If something would have happened to her, her boyfriend would be completely devastated, and I don’t want to see that. So be careful. I have to look for that monster, can’t let that thing just run around now can I?” And with that, the Rider jumped on her bike and road of after where the Centapide Changeling had fleed.

The moment she disappeared into the distance, everyone bar Lemon visibly relaxed, letting out loud sighs. “You can’t be any more obvious?” Sunny hissed, glaring daggers at Lemon, who just smiled, all while the other two Shadow Bolts were finally showing up.

“Oh, I think I handled that really well,” she beamed in return and before any of them could say anything in return was already skipping back towards the house, apparently already having forgotten about her injuries.

“Unbelievable, but it seems she took it as a ‘thanks for saving you before something else could go wrong’, still, she is always so damn oblivious to the obvious,” she growled. “And what was that with the ‘knowing what you want to do thing’?”

“Don’t worry about that, I’ll have a word with her about that, but right now we should patch you all up, I think I have a first-aid-kit somewhere in the kitchen,” Cadance interrupted the girls and received a reluctant nod.

>-------<S>-------<

Lemon was sitting on a small chair on the large balcony of Cadance house, staring off in the distance, looking out for any kind of attack of the Centapied Changeling. Her friends had meanwhile taken up shop on different sides of the house, all doing exactly what she was doing right now. She got why she had to do this, but damn if it wasn’t dull as Tartarus and oh boy, these damn bandages were itching. Apparently, it wasn’t bad enough that she looked like an unraveled mummy, no, they had to itch as well. She was almost tempted to just rip off the bandages and be done with it, but she knew that wouldn’t fly with her friends.

Lemon almost fell out of her chair when she suddenly heard the sound of a door opening right behind her only to realize last second that it was only Cadance. “Cadance, you scared me half to death!” She sighed as she leaned back in her chair.

“I’m sorry, but I had something for you,” she heard in return, and after a few moments, something was deposited on the table next to her. As she turned her head, she could see a pink USB-stick just laying there. With a puzzled look, she stared up at Cadance who just smiled before continuing. “I saved the addresses of a few websites that might interest you. They are places where you can learn about certain jobs, look for them, or a few tests that help one decided what to chose. I got nothing more to say than that Rider hasn’t told you already. Well, that’s not entirely true. There is one thing I want to tell you. I’m sure you figure it out eventually, just do a little bit day by day, rushing it won’t do you any good. You have to do this at your own pace. And if you want to talk, just ask your friends or me, they were a bit worried about you when you asked Monster that question,” she chuckled with a weak smile.

Lemon simply rubbed the back of her head in return and pocketed the stick. “Yeah, I guess I should have asked them as well… Probably gonna do that when I hit a wall again. Thanks, by the way, you had no reason to do any of that for me, and you did anyway.”

“You really think I would turn you away? That’s not something I would ever do, so don’t worry about it. I became a teacher to-“ she was about to return when she suddenly stopped mid-sentence and looked down at the garden beneath them and a slender figure jumping over the fence like it was nothing and landing inside one of the bushes. “Seems our guest has arrived. If you may?” With a simple nod, Lemon jumped off her seat and activated the Morpher on her wrist.

[Re-Re-Red!]

“Light up!”

[Shine Bright! Red!]

In one fluent motion, she jumped over the railing of the balcony and landed right in front of the bush that hid the woman. “Ok, gigs up. How about we stop beating around the bush and finish this once and for all?” Lemon’s voice echoed through the garden.

“Tsk, oh well, seems you aren’t as blind as the last time,” the Changeling returned, her body shifting and forming into her monster form as she rose from the bush. “But that won’t help you. Right now, I have only one option left, and that is through you and your friends. And I will not leave emptyhanded!”

With a loud screech, the Changeling dashed forward, her arm just barely missing Lemon as she dodged and gave the monster a deserved kick in the back, letting her stumble forward with an aggravated growl.

“Who said you could start without us? You know what happened last time?” Indigo shouted from the entrance to the garden, the three other Rangers next to her.

“Yeah, yeah, as if I forgot that, just wanted to make sure that she doesn’t ditch this fight as well before you show up,” she chuckled energetically before jumping over to her friends, landing right in the middle of them. "By the way, I have something planned,” Red added with a wide grin under her helmet.

“Planed, what do you mean with that now?” Sunny asked a nervous undertone to her voice. “I hope it’s nothing stupid!”

“Oh, not more than usual, now watch and learn, ” With that she spun around pointing at the Changeling who was getting back on her feet, glaring daggers at the Rangers. With a voice that easily carried through the entire street, she burst out: “The light that shines bright in the darkness, Shadow Red!”

The four others just stared at her, an uncomfortable silence was beginning to lay itself over the entire garden, all while Lemon just continued to hold her fist close to herself, the Changeling in turn just stared at them in confusion. “What is she trying to do?” Indigo just shrugged as an answer to Sunny.

“The light that shines honest in the darkness, Shadow Blue!” It suddenly cut through the quietness, letting the three remaining Rangers spin around directly at Sugarcoat who was holding her hand to her helmet.

“Eh, you know, looks rad. Let’s give it a try,” Indigo now joined in. “The light that shines wild in the darkness, Shadow Yellow!” Taking a similar stance like Lemon.

Sunny and Sour just shared one last look, shrugged and finally spoke as well: “The light that shines glamorously in the darkness, Shadow Pink!” She kneeled down on one knee, almost like she was jumping backward.

“The light that shines courageous in the darkness, Shadow Green!” She simply raised her hand, looking by far the most disinterested of them all.

“We are the light born from the shadows! We are the Power Rangers Shadow Force!” And with that last shout, a colorful explosion went off behind them, and everyone just spun around in bafflement.

“What in Tartarus name was that?” Sunny just asked, just staring at the smoke behind her. Lemon just shrugged and turned back to the Changeling who was equally as disinterested as her.

With a loud roar, she unleashed her arms towards the Rangers once more, the five of them all dodging the attack without much effort, landing atop Cadance home. “I don’t think we have any chance to get close to her. We should switch to something more long-ranged,” Sugar said, already pulling her own Coin out.

“Nice idea! Let’s light her up girls!” Red shouted back at Blue before all of them inserted the Coins into the Morpher.

[G-G-Gun!]

[G-G-Gun!]

[G-G-Gun!]

[G-G-Gun!]

[G-G-Gun!]

Not one moment too late the weapons materialized in their hands, just one second later and their principal's roof would have been ripped to shreds. Instead, a barrage of energy bolts pierced through the arm of the Changeling, letting her scream out in agony.

Whoever would have looked at the sudden sounds of battle would have seen five colorful figure soaring through the air as they jumped off the roof, unloading blast after blast on the monster that had already caused way too many problems for them today. The Centipede on the receiving end of this attack meanwhile had wrapped its arms around it like a shell was standing completely still, only several grunts could be heard from within the shield it had created for itself.

The Rangers landing on the crated riddled grass that surrounded the monster was what finally breathed new life into the Changeling, the arms uncoiling from her form, revealing a charred and burned monster, one that growled at them. With a loud warcry, the arms shot towards them, and while all four others jumped out of the way once again, Lemon instead dashed forward on her own, jumping and dodging under the arms and their tiny little legs, even if things got close a few times at least.

Dodging one more swipe she had finally reached her goal, a terrified looking Changeling, but instead of pointing her gun directly at her she continued her sprint, jumping on her chest and pushing herself back off.

[Fi-Fi-Fire!]

Under the eyes of the Changeling, she had managed to slot in one of her Coins and now was aiming down at her from the air. Without any chance to react a burst of fire shoot from the weapon, consuming her entirely, only her agonizing screams filling the air. “Now!”

The others watching Lemon’s little display and had only waited for this one word. In unison, all of them inserted Coins into the slot of their weapons.

[Fi-Fi-Final! Red!]

[Fi-Fi-Final! Blue!]

[Fi-Fi-Final! Yellow!]

[Fi-Fi-Final! Pink!]

[Fi-Fi-Final! Green!]

A black shadow laid itself around the Changeling who just spun around, desperately looking for any sign of the rangers. However, the only thing she saw was the darkness and- Before she could even finish that thought a bolt of blue energy hit her square in the face, followed by the colores of the other Rangers, finished off with a red belt right through her stomach.

As the cloud faded around her, she lay defeated on the ground, the black stone, however, nowhere to be seen. But before any of the Rangers could reach her, she was already starting to grow, just like the last one. “Prove yourself useful, and I might be merciful. It would be a waste to squander this opportunity.,” Pharnyx muttered from a nearby roof.

With a simple nod the Rangers each pulled out their Weapon Coins and replaced them with the only thing powerful enough they had.

[He-He-Hellhound!]

[Le-Le-Leviathan!]

[Ro-Ro-Roc!]

[Wy-Wy-Wyvern!]

[Ma-Ma-Manticore!]

Just like before the monster and all of their mechanical beast were pulled into a sort of parallel world projected across the sky of Canterlot City. “Ok, let’s go for round two!” Lemo shouted from within her Hellhound Zord and ran towards the Changeling.

With every step glass shattered from the nearby buildings and the concrete under her paws shattered. The Changeling, however, was seemingly not that worried about the Zord that was speeding towards her, instead of slamming both tips of her arms into the ground, letting the earth shake underneath her. Just a few hundred meters before Lemon could reach her the arms shot out of the ground once again, ripping everything in its way to pieces, houses, streets and everything in between and that wave of destruction hit the Zord. The two limbs wrapped around the mechanical animal without any sort of effort, squeezing and pressing against its metal hull.

“Hey! Let go of her!” Indigo shouted out, soaring towards the red Zord, together with the pink Wyvern she shoots down at the see of limbs that had entangled their friend. Pink fire and yellow lightning shoot down at the arms, signing and burning them, but not enough to do any lasting damage. It was however enough for the arms to let go of Lemon and flick her to the side, bot arms shooting up into the sky. Both Wyvern and Roc were fast and agile, but the tendrils were faster, ultimately wrapping themselves around their wings and squeezing just like they did with Hellhound.

However, unlike Hellhound, both of the Zords now in the clutches of their enemy reacted differently, unleashing a blast of electricity and fire respectively, letting the Changeling scream out in pain. But instead of just being released they were both flung right at Manticore and Leviathan, bot far too surprised to react on time and for that, they were knocked off the ground with ease.

“Damn, it! Damn, it! Damn, it!” Lemon shouted into her cockpit, looking for anything that could win them a victory in this situation when something familiar happened. Just like when the first giant Changeling appeared, something started to glow, a red button right in front of her. “Uhm, girls-“

“We’re seeing it!” It shouted back at her from Sunny’s cockpit. With a silent nod, she slammed her first down on the button, her friends doing the same thing.

Without even a second to think about what she might have just done now, she felt her Zord dash forward, entirely out of her control and jump into the air. When she spotted a monitor to the right of her, her jaw dropped to the bottom of her helmet. The thing was transforming. The legs were beginning to collapse inward. Next Sugar’s Leviathan jumped at her, split in two and attached itself where her forelegs had been, creating something that looked like arms as well as two fists that grew out of the ends of these new “arms”. Next were Manticore and Wyvern, both sailing into where the legs would have been, folding in similar to Hellhound and attaching themselves to the left and right leg respectively. The last Zord that hadn’t docked yet was Roc, and that one was already soaring right towards them, only slowing down last second and attaching itself on the back, forming some sort of wings for the new combination. As a sort of last touch a face flipped up from under Hellhounds head, now it looked like this new Zord had a human face and a helmet looking like a wolf.

“Shadow Star Megazord!” It echoed through the ruined streets of this world as the tail of Leviathan flew down, split in two and landed in its hands like two swords.

The Changeling just roared and let its arms lose once again. But instead of jumping out of the way of the deadly limbs the Megazord stood its ground and with an x-shaped strike of his tow swords just cut through the attack, an x-shaped energy wave flying past the initial point of attack and slamming into the Changeling who let out a loud roar as well as an avalanche of sparks.

“Awesome!” It bellowed through the new cockpit the Rangers now shared, much to the annoyance of the others.

“It’s nice that you are so enthusiastic about this,” Sour said before continuing to bark: “But keep it down, will you?”

“Uhm, sorry,” Lemon nervously just chuckled.

While the Rangers were busy bickering, the Centapied Changeling had recovered and was about to unleash another attack on the Megazord. But instead of taking it head one once again the massive Zord dashed forward, gliding over the ground, slicing through every arm that came even close to them without much effort until thy reached the monster in question. With two simultaneous strikes, they cut right through the chitin of the beast, letting a pained scream be heard through the entire city before flying up into the sky.

“Ok, let’s do this!” Red once again screamed, followed by a nod of her friends. High above the Changeling who had fallen on its back, they hovered, but within moments they dashed down, spinning like a madman. A black vortex began to form around them, encasing them within, coming faster and faster down on the Changeling beneath them until-

The entire shadow world was consumed by an explosion before falling apart once again, leaving the Rangers back in the garden where their fight had begun.

A bit further away on the edge of a forest, a woman sat atop a green bike, her helmet hanging on the bars of her handle, a smile crossing her lips. “I have the feeling we are in good hands for now. Wonder when our paths might cross once again.”

>-------<S>-------<

The sun was already setting over Canterlot City when the door to her parent's house slowly opened once again. In stepped a rather nervous Lemon Zest, most of her wounds had already healed thanks to her Shadow Coin. But that wasn’t what she was worried about, they had bought the self-defense story after all.

As silent as a mouse on the lookout for some cheese, she sneaked through the house. Only at the kitchen she finally slowed down, daring to take a look inside. Almost like they hadn't moved all day her parents were still sitting on their chairs, her dad reading the newspaper and her mom walking over to the window and taking a look outside only to let out a low sigh.

Once again she felt her throat tightening, her body starting to shake and every single bad thing that could happen rush through her head, threatening to drown her once again in-

No! She couldn’t let this happen again, she had to stand her ground now, no matter the consequences. She could fight a giant monster, why not her parents? Right?

Tightening the grip on the SUB-Drive, she had gotten from Cadance, she stepped into the kitchen, breaking the awkward silence with an equally as awkward: “Hey!” To crown of the uncomfortableness in her rigid body, the motion of her hand waving from side to side was just as stiff.

What followed next came at a total surprise to her. Her mother had rushed towards her, and before she could even get any excuses and apology out of her mouth she had been caught in a tight hug. “I’m so glad you’re back!”

“I’m… I’m sorry…” That was all she could manage to stammer out, her arms having hanging limp from her side.

“Never do this again, ok?” She simply got in return, warm tears running down the cheeks of her face and landing on Lemon’s shoulders.

“Yeah, your mother was worried to death about you,” he joined in a warm smile on his lips. “And I was too,” he added after a glare from his wife. “We are also sorry for pushing you like this. We should have seen that you were uncomfortable with the whole situation. But you have to understand that we are just worried about you, that’s all. We don’t want to push you too hard, but we also can’t let you run headfirst into a disaster.”

Lemon just looked over to her father, a somber tone in her eyes before she started to speak: “I… I know and I get what you wanted, I just… It was just too much,” she returned with a low voice before adding with a bit more confidence: “I had a bit of time to think about this and, well, I have no idea what to do after school. I always just thought it would come to me, but doesn’t look like it, does it? I have to look for myself.”

“Lemon…” Sweet Orange muttered, loosening her grip on her daughter a bit and staring down at her.

“So, you do you have an idea how to go about this? Do you need our help with this?” Grapefruit continued, looking at her with a hint of worry.

“Yeah, I have an idea! And this is something I have to figure out on my own, ok?” It came back with a conviction that took both of them by surprise.

“Ok then, you do you Lemmy, but if you need help, we are always there to help you, remember that,” grapefruit finally said, a warm smile on his lips. And before Lemon could say another word she was already once again pulled into Sweet Orang’s hug. At first, she tried to pull herself free, but after a few moments, she just embraced her, it just felt right.

When Lightning Strikes Thrice

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The door of her apartment slammed shut behind her with an unnerving bang as she sunk to her knees, leaning against the wall. Every breath was a battle in and of itself, her chest rising up and down as if she had just run in a marathon, casting shadows on the walls of the well light hallway. Well, she had dragged herself through half of the city, after all, all while still suffering from her humiliating defeat. “Damn them! Damn them all to Tartarus!” she hissed, clenching her hand into a fist as she stared daggers against the wall. “How could they defeat Bench Presser or me for the matter? He was the strongest! Someone like him shouldn’t have any problems with brats like these; he is perfect!”

“Don’t mistake your love-clouded thoughts for the truth, Long Shoot,” she was suddenly ripped out of her little tirade by another voice, a voice that let a shiver run down her spine. It was only now that she realized that the light in the apartment was lit, something she cursed herself for not noticing sooner.

“Lord Pharynx?” She managed to stutter as the head of security stepped out from her living room, his muscular body casting a shadow that let him appear even more threatening than he already was.

“A pathetic waste of space like you doesn’t deserve calling me by my name; only those inside the Hive are allowed to do that. And especially not those who disobeyed orders and went off on their own! Any last pathetic attempts to justify your actions to me, or do you accept your mistakes like one should?” He continued, his voice getting progressively growlier as he went on, taking step for step forward, all while Long Shoot was crawling back against the door, staring in terror at the royal Changeling.

“I’m… I’m sorry! Please, for the love of the Queen, forgive me for my misguided actions! Give me another chance; I swear I will bring you the heads of these Rangers and their Shadow Coins on a silver platter. Please, just forgive me for what I have done!” Long Shoot almost jumped onto her knees, groveling before Pharynx. “I learned my lesson; this won’t happen again!”

Even if she couldn’t see it herself, she felt the stare that was directed at her with fiery intensity, like a hot iron being driven right through her skin, together with the low growls of him. Just mere moments later, she felt the cold leather of Pharynx boot slam against her jaw as she was thrown to the side and slammed right into the wall.

“Sorry!? Didn’t I already tell you how worthless this is! And all this, ‘better next time’-crap can you can as well! Mistakes are eternal! They can’t be fixed, no matter how much you try to make up for them!” He shouted at her before suddenly a sound echoed through the hallway and the entire apartment, the turning of a key.

Both Long Shoot and Pharynx froze dead in their tracks the moment the sounds the key forcing itself into the look could be heard, and their heads darted towards the door as the look clicked open and the handle of the door slowly started to turn. As the door slowly opened with an uncomfortable creak, a green hand was the first thing one could spot as the mysterious newcomer forced himself into the room.

Pharynx was almost ready to jump at the guy, pull him in and silence him together with Long Shoot for good, but managed to suppress it long enough to recognize the face with its orange hair. Thorax! His anger quickly shifted to a condensed hatred, and he quickly considered continuing with his plan, but in the end, he just huffed.

“What do you want?” Was the growly response he gave to the welcoming face of his brother.

With a sad sigh, he got in return: “I’m here to deliver the will of the Queen.” That was all the Changeling said as he pulled out a phone, pushed a few times on the screen of the device, and held it towards Pharynx, who could only read the name ‘Mother’ on the screen.

“My son, what do I hear about you being incapable of keeping your subordinates under control?” The sugar-sweet voice from the other side wasted no time, and the moment the screen had been flipped towards him had started speaking.

“Mo… Mother, I was about to deal with the traitor just now. I won’t allow any disobedience under my command!” With that, he bent forward, about to grab ahold of Long Shoot’s neck with his fingers as the dreaded voice flared up once again.

“Oh, you don’t? But you reward it with a giving them a second chance at the rangers after they already failed once?” Chrysella was just as sweet as last time, but now he could hear the underlying coldness even more. A cold sweet ran across his entire body; his eyes darting across the room for any kind of response.

“You don’t have to hide it; I saw the news. You don’t expect that you can hide a giant monster from me, can you?” She cut through his thoughts before even a single one could form, carrying with it a cold determination that had always frightened him, even when it had been directed at someone else than him.

“I… No, I didn’t intend to do that. I thought I could use her anger against the Rangers for ourselves and decided not to waste that chance and granted her the chance of a second fight,” he shakily returned, looking desperately at the phone, as if his expression could somehow be transmitted through it.

“In other words, you failed to put a stop to this before she could be defeated,” she returned rather matter of factly. “So you failed me once again, first in Mount Aris, then you failed to retrieve the Shadow Coins from these girls with Filling Cabinet, then with Bench Presser, revealed your existence to a Kamen Rider and now you failed to keep your subordinates in line as well as the failure of Long Shoot, which in turn falls back on you. You know, I’m not angry, just very disappointed with you! I had expected so much more from you, and here you are, letting yourself humiliated by teenagers.”

With every word, she spoke Pharynx just flinched, like someone had slammed a stick at his back, and with every time that happened, his eyes lowered themselves more and more towards the floor.

“At this point, I’m not convinced that you are capable of handling in my name. It seems you need to be reminded how one handles his subordinates,” the voice continued. “And to do that, I will put you under the supervision of your brother; he has shown me how reliable he is in the last few months, something I hope rubs off on you. Maybe you can even learn a bit about tactics while you are under him.”

“Mother! You can’t be-“ He burst out, only to be interrupted by a voice lacking any bit of the kindness she had shown before.

“I have spoken! You will do as you are told and listen to your queen! Is that clear, my son!”

Pharynx just stared at the phone, unable to even give out a single word; all while sweat was dripping down his forehead. In the end, he resigned himself to a simple nod his mother could impossibly pick up on from the other side while Thorax just nervously looked at his brother.

To both their surprise, she continued immediately after the nod. “Now, thorax, I leave the rest up to you. Proceed how you want,” she continued, back in the pleasant voice she had used before, almost like she never stopped.

As the sound of the phone call ended finally echoed through the apartment, it was as if a heavy cloud had been lifted off them, Pharynx body suddenly relaxing.

“Well, that went differently than expected,” Thorax finally broke the silence, garnering a glare from his brother. “I’m sure this will over before you know it, and maybe you will even enjoy it.” That got him a disgusted huff, Thorax just sighing. “But before we can start that, we have to finish our dealings here, right?”

With that, all the attention in the room once again shifted towards Long Shoot. “Let me take care of this; I need something to vent!” Pharynx growled, already about to jump the defenseless woman right here and now.

“No, leave her be!” Thorax stepped between his brother and his would-to-be victim.

“What do you mean ‘no’? She went against orders! She is not to be trusted! What stops her from running to the MRG or the Rangers the next chance she has?” He snapped back at his brother, a fire glaring in his eyes.

“The knowledge of what would happen if she did, to her and her beloved Bench Presser,” Thorax returned, Long Shoot’s terrified look quickly switching one marked by the one someone made when he realized a nearing catastrophe one could do nothing to stop. “She knows our reach and how easy it would be to make you both disappear if she did something wrong. So, I think a demotion and a slap on the wrist will do enough. I will let a few rumors sicker through, and no one should dare to act on their own again, right?” Thorax smiled at the frightened woman who frantically nodded a yes.

“You are far too soft,” came it from a disgruntled Pharynx.

“No, I just know how to silence someone without causing too much trouble. And we never know if she ever could be useful to us again, right?” He just got a spiteful ‘tsk’ back in return. “On another hand, I have a plan concerning the Rangers. I just have to make a call first. I would love for you to accompany during this brother,” he smiled, picking the name ‘Thunder Struck’ from his phone and putting in a call, all while Pharynx just glared at him.

>-------<S>-------<

The days had pretty much flown by after the girls had dealt with the Centipede Changeling, and best of all, no sign of any further ones until now. That gave Indigo finally some time to focus back on sports, well besides the self-defense training with Cadance at least. She still had a new burse from that every day.

But besides that, it was just good just to be back running across the track, letting her hair fly in the wind as she speed past everyone else, it was liberating and almost let her forget all the little bruises all over her body, almost.

Still, there was just something missing. She had felt that way for a long time now, so long that she had forgotten since when, but she just couldn’t shake the feeling that it had been better once, she just couldn’t put her finger on it. Every time she got to a certain speed, she expected something to happen, but it just never did. It just kept bouncing around in her head until she lost her concen-

With a loud yelp, she felt her legs crossing and refusing to follow the simple walking motion her brain wanted them to make; instead, she quickly saw how the ground got closer and closer until- With a pained grunt, she landed right on her stomach. Her fist quickly met the ground as well, but not because it was lagging behind, no, it was because of her frustration. This had been the third time this month; this had happened. Before something like this happening was just unthought-of, but now it was something almost regular.

With a frustrated huff, she pushed herself off the ground and stopped over to where she had put her bottle. Maybe a little break would do wonders for her? With a resounding sigh, she let herself slump down on the side of the track. While taking a sip from her bottle, however, something caught her attention, someone was looking at the track team run from behind a corner, something no one would notice during the running, but now that she wasn’t it was obvious, she just couldn’t make out who it was.

“Huh? Who’s that? Not like our training is something secret,” she muttered to herself as she put the bottle down and pushed herself to her feet. Whoever it was, the person defiantly didn’t want to be seen, that was certain, even she knew that. So she decided to come closer by walking along the wall as to not alert the person beforehand.

The closer she got, the more she could make out the person before her, it was defiantly a girl, even if it was a bit hard to make out with the baggy dark blue hoody she was wearing. She had pulled the hood as deep down as humanly possible, hiding the color of her hair, and a large piolet sunglass covered nearly the rest of her face, so only a hint of the light blue skin underneath could be seen.

“So, interested in joining, or just want to watch,” she asked just before she walked around the corner, letting the girl yelp out in surprise and fall backward and onto her butt, the glasses and hoody both falling off.

The moment she laid eyes on the actual face of the girl, everything just clicked into place: “Lightning Dust?! I haven’t seen you in ages! Where have you been? I missed my rival! Whenever I would get too comfortable, you’d show up right behind me and give me a kick in the butt to be faster,” she burst out, her face brimming with excitement.

Lightning, however, was not as happy as her former teammate; she actually looked at her with a mixture of anger and… was that panic?

“Lightning? Why are you looking at me like this? It’s me, Indigo Zap! You know, your eternal rival? Come, I’m sure the rest of the team would love to see you as well,” she continued, holding her hand out for the girl, but instead just received a slap to the former as Lightning pushed herself off the ground on her own.

“Oh, don’t play this buddy-buddy shit with me! You just want to get me back there so you can make fun of me together, right? I know how it goes! I’m used to it, so I won’t fall for your traps!” She growled back, a look of pure vitriol in her eyes.

“What do you mean? You were always a valued part of the team, and as you came back after your injury, everyone welcomed you with open arms, so why should they make fun of you? And you know I wouldn’t do that after what happened at the Friendship Games!” She continued, her smile not wavering even for a little bit.

Lightning just huffed: “Oh, sure, pretend like you don’t know. That’s the go-to strategy, isn’t it? But if you really forgot, no one wants to be around a former monster! Especially not one that attacked that darling hero, Alchemy!” Indigo just stared at her for a moment before it came back to her, the reason why she had dropped off the training and everything. She had come into the possession of a magical artifact that had turned her into a monster, not too far off from Twilight at the Friendship Games. She hadn’t really hurt anyone before Alchemy could stop her, but that was when she suddenly dropped off the track team. “Ok, either you are a great actor, or you really forgot that, didn’t you?”

Before Lightning could storm off, Indigo grabbed her by the shoulder and returned with a far more somber voice: “Ok, listen Lightning, sorry that I forgot, but everything was just so chaotic around here, and that was ages ago. I’m sure they have forgotten about it, just like I did. Not like I have a spotless record either. You remember the Friendship Games? I was one of the few that pressured Twilight into releasing the magic and nearly tearing the whole world apart only to win. And they forgave me for this, didn’t they?”

Lightning just let out a dismissive “Tsk,” before returning: “Oh, sure, they did, but you didn’t turn into a raging monster that tried to kill people, did you?” Indigo opened her mouth to say something in return, but she just continued, getting louder as she went along. “And do you see Twilight here anywhere? No! She had to jump schools because she never could have lived this down here! She went to a place that was as far away from here as possible! I have seen how this school acts; I have seen their glares, their judging stares! You can’t convince me that they would ever forget!”

Indigo took a step back, staring in surprise at the mixture of frustration and regret that was like a stab to her gut. Lightning was almost about to turn around once again and storm off when Indigo’s expression suddenly shifted once again, from shook to one far more sure and confident. “Yes I can, because I still want you around, and I’m sure they will as well! Trust me; you are an invaluable part of the team, like all of them! I missed you, I’m sure they will as well. If people can forgive Twilight and me I’m sure they can forgive you! You are just worrying too much, I’m sure this will be totally awesome when they see you! Come, you can’t just hide forever, am I right?” And before Lightning could even answer, Indigo had grabbed ahold of her hand and pulled the surprised girl after her, right around the corner and towards the track.

“Hey, guys! Look who I found!” She screamed towards her teammates, Lightning just behind her. As the heads turned she wasn’t greeted with looks of happiness, and joy; no, they were fearful, nervous and not entirely sure of what to make of the situation. It didn’t take long until the whispering started, getting louder and louder until one could make out a few sentences. Sentences like: ‘what’s she doing here,’, ‘who invited her,’ or ‘do you think she could hurt us,’ were all clearly audible, each one only letting Lightning clench her fist even more than before.

After what had felt like ages to both her and Indigo, she finally pulled herself free from the grasp of her former teammate and stormed off, or at least attempted. Indigo wasn’t one to surrender just like this and dashed after her reaching the girl just as she was about to open the door to the school and slammed it shut once again.

“Lightning, I’m so so-“

“Oh, sorry, are you now?!” She barked back at her, the anger burning inside her eyes. “Listen up, she is sorry! And what can I buy for that? Nothing but laughter and ridicule, like always! You are not better than the rest, forgetting about me until it becomes convenient for you! This entire school can suck it for all I care! And you in particular!” She pointed at Indigo who was just staring at her with her mouth open. “You claim to have changed, that you do better, but you just stay on the sidelines and decide to ignore that what doesn’t fit into your ‘healed new’ worldview. All the uncomfortable bits are just blocked out, leaving nothing but you and the parts of the world that are perfect!”

“Lightning…” Indigo muttered in return, all the color having been drained from her face. “I… I honestly wanted to help you…”

“And look what your help brought me! I should have known from the get-go that there is no hope for people like me. We will always be the outcasts because of one little mistake we made, no matter what you do. That one mistake will haunt you to the very day you die, and after that, it will always be remembered as well! The idea that this school would have suddenly changed only because we saw one of the mistakes we made? Bullshit, nothing but a laughable dream! People don’t change, schools don’t change, and most importantly, the world doesn’t change! And anyone who thinks that is a fool!” She finished with one last glaring look at Indigo, who was just standing there, her expression stuck in a desperate grasp for a rebuttal that refused to come.

“Bravo! Bravo!” A voice, accompanied by clapping, echoed the crowd as the heads turned around. Facing the students was a lean golden bug with what looked to be black tiger stripes running across her, which seemed to be a female body. Two long horns extended from his bug head and reached back down to where they had started, hanging limply in a sort of arc.

“I couldn’t have put it better myself, well, minus one thing actually. There is a way to change the world, but not in its current state. It all comes down to those who have the power to steer the world, the mighty. No idealistic hero could ever do that, only those with the power to force it can. And I will help to create this new world, this world ruled by order and a strong hand to guide it that rewards those who work for it!” She waved around with her slim arms like she was an actor who was currently busy hamming it up a bit too much.

Just as she was in the process of finishing her speech, everyone’s thoughts caught up with their body’s and the group of runners realized what was standing in front of them and started to flee in any direction that wasn’t towards the monster. Indigo had meanwhile already slipped away, and out of sight, and with one last look around she inserted her Coin into the Morpher. “Light up!”

[Ye-Ye-Yellow!]

[Shine Wild! Yellow!]

While the rest of the students had already dashed away like a flock of wild birds, Indigo was still standing right in front of the monster, unable to move a single muscle. “I really think you would have it in you to be one of us. You have the right outlook and that longing to do something to this rotten world. I like you,” the clicking female voice said as the Changeling stepped closer towards her, a hand stretched out towards her. “But right now I sadly can’t make that offer to you; you are far more valuable as a hostage. If I get you that pesky Yellow Ranger will have no choice but to surrender.”

With that, she picked up the pace, running towards Lightning, who, in her panic, tried to push the door open, pushing desperately against the pull mechanism. When this didn’t work she spun around, looking for a way to still run away, but the only thing she saw was the buggy face of her assailant and then a yellow bolt of light that hit her square in the face. With a pained grunt, however, the Changeling was thrown off course, and fell on her side, rolling on the ground before coming to a stop right in front of the wall of the school.

From around the corner, the Yellow Ranger ran forward, her gun pointed at the Changeling before firing once again. The monster could just look up once again before the bolts of energy once again hit, letting sparks fly from her. “Get moving! I’ll deal with her here!”

“Tsk, don’t waste your breath. No one would care if I disappeared,” she got in return.

“Don’t give me this now! That isn’t true! There is always one who cares!” She snapped back, turning her head away from the Changeling for just one second, but that was all she had needed.

Rising to her feet, the Tiger-Beetle Changeling shouted one word: “Drones!” Right on command, six of the black Changeling warriors pulled the door to the school open and grabbed ahold of Lightning in one fell swoop, pulling her inside.

“Lightning!” Was all Indigo could shout before aiming her gun at the monsters only to suddenly be knocked to her side by what felt like a bike ramming straight into her. As her head stopped spinning, the door had already closed again, and her friend was no longer to be seen. “What do you want from her? You have beef with me!” She barked while standing back up, looking around to find the Changeling.

“I’m sorry, but as long as the world is the way it is now, we have to work within it to change it,” the Changeling returned from right behind her. Her hearth almost skipping a beat Indigo jumped around, but only saw the faintest of blurs where she thought the opponent had been. Mere moments later she felt a foot slam directly into her side, sending her rolling across the grass like a ragdoll.

Over her heavy breathing, the only thing the Ranger could hear was the movement all around her, shifting from side to side with incredible speed. Gritting her teeth she slammed her fist on the ground and started to push herself back up again and saw for the first time what was going on around her. A golden and black blur rushed past her time and time again. The moment she realized where she was going the Changeling had already shifted directions once again.

Her finger trembled on the trigger like during an earthquake, but every time she thought she could hit her target, it diverted from its path once again. “Screw it!” With that outburst, she finally pulled the trigger, a bolt of energy shooting out of the cylinder and right towards where the Changeling was heading. It was as if time itself was slowing down to a crawl as the projectile arced across the field, every heartbeat sounding like a drum. Just a few more moments and it hi-

Just mere centimeters before she would have run headfirst into her attack, the Changeling stopped dead in her tracks, letting the blast just fly by her without even leaving a scratch. The Changeling turned her head once again towards her, cocked it a bit, and disappeared from her sight.

What followed was another kick that sent her flying and spinning through the air, but instead of just taking it like before, this time, she had something else in mind. As fast as she could she pulled out another Coin and pushed it into the slot on her weapon.

[Li-Li-Lightning!]

It echoed through the air before a barrage of lightning bolts burst out from the weapon, arcing across the ground and down towards the Changeling.

However as much as she was sure this would work she had just missed the mark, the blast radius only reaching the Changeling on its outskirts, the monster easily sidestepping the attack and already pulling back to deliver another blow the moment she would land back on the ground and no matter how fast she pulled the gun around the Tiger-Beetle Changeling was just far too fast for her and simply dodged out of the way. She was getting dangerously close to the ground as suddenly something cut through the heavy silence.

[Sp-Sp-Speed!]

A red blur dashed forward to match the golden one, both clashing against each other right before Indigo could hit the ground again. With a pained grunt, she landed back on the dirt as she heard a few footsteps appear. Without any prior warning she was lifted off the ground and now face to face with the remaining three Rangers.

“You’re ok?” It came from Sunny.

“I had worse,” she returned. “But she got Lightning!” This let everyone but Lemon and the Changeling fall silent. These two were currently looked in a battle any average mortal couldn’t even begin to comprehend, both dashing past and at each other, slamming their blades against the chitin of the other.

It was starting to look like Lemon was gaining the upper hand, but then it happened. Instead of committing to her punch, the Tiger-Beetle Changeling instead ducked under the swing of the Ranger and delivered a devastating kick to her side, letting the girl sail through the air. With a loud grunt, Red landed right in the middle of her friends and right on top of Indigo, who simply let out a resigned sigh.

“So, I think I have to leave now. Too crowded for my liking,” she added with a sweet and innocent tone. “But before I go, I should tell you one thing. Meet me at six P.M. later today, not a minute later, if you want to see your friend ever again,” she smirked and was about to turn around when she added one last bit. “Oh, and come alone will you, ok?” With that the Changeling dashed away from them and quickly disappeared in the distance, leaving a stunned group of Rangers behind.

“Fuck!” That was the first word that broke the silence. Indigo deactivated her transformation and shoved Lemon of her, the rest of her friends doing the same thing. “This can’t be for real, right? Totally uncool!”

“Oh, it’s real,” Sugar matter-of-factly returned, garnering herself an angry glare from Indigo.

“And what are we gonna do now? If we go together, she is gonna hurt Lightning, and if I go alone she is gonna take the Coin. Damn, we are fucked,” Indigo growled, slamming her fist on the floor.

“Maybe Cadance has an idea?” Lemon shrugged and immediately pulled out her phone.

It rung a few times before a rather agitated voice answered them: “Yes? I hope it’s important, I’m right now in the middle of a teachers conference and don’t have a lot of time.”

“Yeah, uhm, Cadance, we have a small problem,” Lemon returned awkwardly. “You wouldn’t know a way to fight a really fast Changeling, preferably one we can all use and not just one. We might have lost one of our classmates.”

The only answer the girl received for several seconds was silence, one could only imagine what kind of expression Cadance was making on the other side of the line, but at last, the long-awaited response came: “Ok, girls, I might have an idea. Say, how good are you with bikes?”

>-------<S>-------<

In the blink of an eye, several hours had already past, and the clock was moving rapidly towards six P.M., and the Changeling was getting restless, just like his victim, who refused to stop squirming in her bonds. Just now she was trying her damn hardest to slip out of the rope that was tied around her arms but to her frustration and the Changelings amusement that proved to be a rather fruitless endeavor.

“Give it up already,” she finally let out a chuckle as she looked down on the girl who showed no sign of slowing down. “What would even be the point if you get lose? Look around,” she swung her arms, showing the girl the empty warehouse they were standing in the middle of. “You know I’m way faster than you, so I would just capture you again, so why not give up and wait for the ranger to show up?”

“To spite you!” Lightning huffed back, stopping her struggle for just one moment to add a vicious glare to the whole thing.

The Tiger-Beetle Changeling gave her one look before bursting out laughing: “You know, I really like you, kid! You get how the world works, you’ve got fighting spirit, and you have humor. You know, when this is all I might have an intern-posit for you. I can see you getting far as one of us,” she smirked.

Lightning just glared at her with a disgust as if someone had just offered to grill a puppy. “Yeah, I pass. Played the part of the monster once, sucked major ass. Not interested in repeating that.”

The Changeling just sighed, letting her head hang low. “Shame, I really liked your style, kid. But we’ll see how you gonna talk when the Rangers come here. It’s about time, isn’t it?”

Like on cue footsteps echoed through the empty warehouse, both Lightning and the Changeling immediately turning their heads towards it. “She… She actually came… for me?” Lightning stammered as the Yellow Ranger walked towards them, visor fixated on the monster.

“Look who showed up! Nice to see you, really! Now, if you would be so friendly, your Shadow Coins for the girl,” she said, pulling Lightning of the ground and pushing her forward a bit, the girl almost falling over.

“Why did you come? No one misses me anyway! Just save yourself the trouble, you’ve got people to save damn it!” Lightning barked back, her struggling once again flaring up.

“I’m doing exactly that, saving someone in dire need of that,” the Ranger returned before pulling her hand over the Morpher, grabbing ahold of one of the two Coins inserted into it and pulled…

The Yellow Ranger disappeared in a puff of black smoke, letting the Changeling dash forward, completely leaving her hostage open. “Where did she go? She was just there! What kind of trick was that?!”

[B-B-Bike!]

“A neat little one called ‘Double’, a friend of mine lent it to me!” A scream echoed through the hall as two bright bursts of energy shoot at the Changeling and knocked her off her feet.

As Lightning dared to look where the attack had come from, she saw Yellow racing towards her on a yellow bike with what appeared to be the Shadow Force symbol on its front. While she couldn’t see it from this angle two additional symbols covered the sides of the machine.

Letting her engine reeve once again, the bike speed up, right past her, and hitting the Changeling, who was just about to stand back up. The bug-monster could only stare as it slammed against the front of the bike, a bit of her carapace cracking from the force.

“Like it? Called the ‘Shadow Sprinter’.”

“Damn you! Drones!” She growled back before dashing off. Several of the black warriors appeared from where Indigo had emerged from, aiming their lances directly at her.

But before any of them could even think about firing, several explosions went off around them, letting the weak Changelings stumble around a bit before each one of them was thrown back by something else. Out of the fire and dust emerged four similar machines as the one of Yellow, just in the corresponding color of each Ranger. All of them came to a halt just before Lightning, three of them immediately spinning around, facing the enemy while Red stopped next to her. “Need a ride?” She chuckled before ripping open the rope and helping her on the back of the bike.

The four bikes roared to life simultaneously and Lightning could only watch from behind as the Rangers dealt with the Drones.

Green and Pink were both staring to circle four of the monsters, getting closer and closer each time until the moment they had huddled together enough for them, both girls dashing off in one direction, kicking the breaks of their bikes and spinning it back around. With a thunderous roar, both bikes raced forward, directly at each other, Changelings in the middle. Before the drones could even comprehend what was happening both of the Rangers already had hit the brakes again, now driving on their front wheels and with a bit of movement on their parts slammed both rear wheels together, crushing the Changelings in a green explosion.

The remaining four had been left to Blue, who was currently under fire from their lances, gracefully dodging their blasts. Just as she leaned back from one of their attacks she pulled the trigger on her handle, two blasts of blue energy bursting out from the front of the Shadow Sprinter and hitting one of the Drones, blowing it to kingdom come. This process repeated with the other two, leaving only the last one alive. He actually managed to dodge the attack, but in the long run, that didn’t really improve his situation in any meaningful way. Instead, Blue let her bike speed up, even more, pulling all her weight on the rear wheel before slamming the front one down on the Drone, killing it just like the rest.

While the four other Rangers were busy dealing with the cannon fodder, Indigo was meanwhile busy with the big one. Now that she knew that she had to go up against a bike the Changeling was speeding across the warehouse floor like a madwoman, but that didn’t bother Indigo who was hot on her trail, always managing to get the Changeling in her crosshair and fire at least close to her, often even managing a grazing hit. With ever hit the Changeling grew more and more desperate, pushing her to even greater heights, slowly but surely managing to avoid the attacks of the Ranger. “Ha! You see, I’m just too fast for you!”

“Yeah, you are too fast for me, I admit this, but I know a thing or two about running, you need perfect concentration for it and the faster you get, the harder it is! Just one misstep, and it's over!” And with that, she slammed a Coin into a slot on the handle of the bike.

[Li-Li-Lightning!]

A barrage of electricity burst forth from the machine, right in front of the Changeling, who desperately tried to course correct. Not like she hadn’t seen this com-

That was when it happened. She could feel it, her legs touching as she felt herself stumble over them and losing balance, tumbling right into the attack she had already thought she had escaped. Electricity sparked through her body as she fell more and more into the cone of lightning only to finally be hit by the bike and thrown to the side, her entire body arcing like Tartarus.

“Let’s finish this, girls!” She burst out, having stopped a few meters away from the Changeling, the other four Rangers gathering around her and nodding before all inserting a new coin into their bikes.

[Fi-Fi-Final! Red!]

[Fi-Fi-Final! Blue!]

[Fi-Fi-Final! Yellow!]

[Fi-Fi-Final! Pink!]

[Fi-Fi-Final! Green!]

Once again, the black cloud enveloped the monster as it tried to stand back up. Clutching her side, the thought of simply running crossed her mind, but that was all she managed to do before a cone of red energy rushed into her, knocking her into a blue, green, and pink one before the yellow cone appeared right in front of her. The visor of the Yellow Ranger glaring at her for just a second before she was hit by the last bike, letting her explode in a green explosion.

Just as she was about to fall unconsciousness she was hit by a beam of energy, just like the Changelings before, starting to grow in size. The Rangers just shared a silent look before all pulling out their own coins.

[He-He-Hellhound!]

[Le-Le-Leviathan!]

[Ro-Ro-Roc!]

[Wy-Wy-Wyvern!]

[Ma-Ma-Manticore!]

The five mechanical creatures appeared, and both the Changeling and they were warped to the strange shadow realm that once again appeared above the city.

“Ok, how about we do this the easy way?” Lemon shouted over the com and was greeted with unanimous mumbling. “Great! Time to combine!” The Zords each once again started to shift and move, forming into the humanoid combination.

“Shadow Star Megazord!”

While the Megazord was forming, the Changeling was shifting into a running position, and just as the last bit had formed dashed forward with insane speed, the street under him being ripped apart as easy as walking through sand, windows shattered and buildings were blown away. The Rangers barely managed to pull the hands of the Zord up before a devastating punch sent them flying backward and crashing right into a group of buildings that were crushed underneath them like wet paper.

“Guys, how about we try matching her in speed? There is a slot in the terminal, why not slot something in?” Indigo screamed over to Lemon.

“Gotcha! Let’s try to beat her at her own game!” With that, Lemon slammed the Speed Coin into the slot.

[Sp-Sp-Speed!]

A bright red glow washed over the Megazord, and a large version of the Coin appeared on the chest of the mecha. In the blink of an eye, the huge metal colossus moved as fast as a speeding bullet across the streets, just as quickly as his opponent, each one circling the other, dashing forward, trying to hit each other, but only missed their opponent.

“Were getting nowhere with this! We have to catch her!” Lemon shouted.

“Gotcha! I think I have an idea! Follow my lead!”

With that, Indigo assumed control of the Zord and threw their sword like a javelin, the weapon rushing past the monster who stared after it, watching as it impaled itself in the countryside for just a moment. That was all the time they needed, though, speeding towards it, the other blade in hand, and delivering a clean cut through the monster.

The Megazord came to a screeching halt right behind the Changeling, and in front of the sword they had thrown, picking it up, its back turned to the Changeling. The moment they took back their weapon the monster exploded, effectively being cut in half. Once again the dimension the fight had taken place in fading.

>-------<S>-------<

“Why am I even listening to you? I still remember what happened last time,” Lightning grunted, trotting after Indigo, both already in their sports equipment.

“Because I want you here! I’m so sorry for not standing in for you yesterday, or for not inviting you back myself. You were right, I still have ways to go before I’m a better person, but I’m gonna put in the legwork, by putting in the legwork with you,” she returned with a bride smile. “If they try pulling something like this again, I’m gonna stand by your side. You’re my friend, and as long as I want you here, you are staying, got it?”

Lightning looked at her with a bit of a worried frown for a moment before the old her returned, the confident, cocky one: “Ok, if you really want to be beaten so much, I can’t help it, am I right?”

“Hey, who said anything about you beating me? You can forget that as soon as you thought of that!” With that, both of them pushed the double-door leading to the track field open simultaneously and stepping out into the sunlight and right into the middle of the track team who was doing their warmup. The chatter that filled the air quickly ceased, and it was starting to feel like a repeat of yesterday.

“What are you all so quiet? Lightning’s back on the team, that’s something to be happy about, not like this!” Indigo burst out, a broad smile on her lips.

“Indigo, you remember what she did, right? Are you sure this is such a good idea?” One of the girls stepped forward and whispered, but still loud enough that Lightning could hear it. The confident grin slowly fading from the girl's face.

“Of course, I think it is! So she made a mistake, big deal. Twilight did the same, and she is fine and has friends, why can’t she? I thought Crystal Prep decided to change? So, where is that change? One mistake doesn’t make a person bad. If our whole school deserves a second chance she sure as Tartarus does as well! Or was that whole thing about change just hot air? Either way, I want her here, so you better get used to it!” Indigo finished, putting her arm on Lightning and pulled her closer.

One could hear a needle fall so quiet was it after Indigo’s little speech, every member of the team just looking down at their feet or anywhere else. The girl that had whispered to her turned around, looked around for a bit before returning: “I… We are sorry, Lightning. Sorry for treating you like a monster. Indigo is right, we never gave you a second chance. Can you forgive us?” With that, she stretched out her hand towards Lightning.

The girl just shook her head; Indigo could swear she saw a light blush fading from her cheeks as she took the hand. “Eh, can’t want you guys to give me a second shot if I don’t do the same. So, who cares, as long as we can run together again I don’t care.” Both girls smiled as they shook hands, burring the hatched. “But don’t complain when this demon leaves you in the dust!” She pointed at herself, garnering a good amount of laughter from the rest of the girls.

“Oh, we’ll see about this! I have dips for the first race, you demon!” Indigo intercepted, giving her a challenging smirk.

“Oh, I’m up for it, Zap! You’ll regret it!”

Picture Perfect Perfection

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Like usually, the primary Change Industries building was busy as a beehive, employees buzzing around the floors as if their life depended on it. One occasionally heard laughter, screams, or just someone panicking about the fact that a project was nearly overdue. All in all, chaotic, but not more than usual, at least.

There was, however, one man who had a smug smile on his lips as he marched through the busy corridors of the building, everyone who came across him taking a deep breath before quickly returning to their work. Pharynx just chuckled, enjoying the respect that his presence alone could command, something his brother would never be able to do. And speaking of him, that was precisely where he was headed, to his office, all while a knowing satisfaction filled his whole body. He confidently knocked on the two dark wooden doors to Thorax’s office, hearing the echo of his fist from inside the room.

“Come in,” it came back in that disgustingly friendly voice.

With both hands, he forced the two doors apart from him, standing in between them with a confident smirk.

“Ah, I already was waiting for you. I was about to send you something, but it seems I don’t have to. So, what brings you here, brother?” He smirked back, standing up from his black marble table and casually walking across the venomous green carpet.

“Oh, what’s that? Can’t remember what happened to your little Worker, what was her name again, oh, right, Thunder Struck? In the end, all your screaming just landed you exactly there where I was. It was laughable that mother even considered letting you do this. Beating the Rangers requires a hardened resolve and strength, that is all!” He smirked back, ready to hear the groveling or the apology of his brother.

“A failure is only a failure if nothing is gained from it,” he simply returned.

“And what’s that supposed to mean now? You failed, it’s just that simple. Your job was it to recover the Shadow Coins, and you blew it, that’s all that is to it. Don’t start bull-shiting me here that might work on these idiots outside, but not on me. I see through your sweet, sweet words. You know what I hate the most? people that can’t stand to their mistakes and take the consequences I tell you!” Pharynx growled, back, staring daggers right at his brother.

“Oh, I’m very much aware that she did not recover the Coins, but that was only part of the goals she was supposed to achieve for me. While I wouldn’t have minded her to get me the Coins, or at least one of them, she did succeed in the other tasks I gave her,” the younger man returned with a genuine smile on his lips.

“Oh, and what were these other tasks that were oh so important?”

“You know what wins wars?” He became as an answer from his brother who had turned around and now looked out the large glass front at the end of his office.

“Strength, that is all you need to win a war!” He huffed back.

“Strength, you say? I don’t think so. If you just send soldier after soldier at a castle and eventually run out of them, was it the fault of the soldiers, or the failure of the tacticians. What if you instead hunger out the enemy inside his walls? Eventually, they grow desperate or die,” he continued with a sweet tone.

“Pah, we are Changelings, we take what we want, no walls can stop us,” Pharynx said, his hand clenching into a fist.

“It’s a metaphor. Sometimes bashing your head against a wall just doesn’t work. What you need is a strategy. Knowledge is power! You need to know how your opponent thinks, acts, and is capable of. Otherwise, victory can be ripped from you in the last possible moment,” he returned with a certainty behind his warm words that gave the whole thing an unnerving touch.

“And, what has this to do with your failure to retrieve the Shadow Coins?”

“I want to know what the Rangers have at their disposal, the old records are not reliable enough. I want to see what kind of person they are, how they react to moral questions. And I want to see how they will respond to abilities that are more out there. Powers like super speed, illusions, and others like them, I want to know if they can rise to the occasion or if they have problems with that. I need to see them at their best to form a plan to take them down for good. And Thunder Struck delivered me the first pieces in this puzzle,” he said, before turning back to his brother. “This is why I haven't failed.”

Pharynx just glared at him, his body trembling as if he was ready to jump him at any moment. “So you are moving the goalpost. This is just pathetic. You’re ridicules, we should just crush them with our strength. Changelings are unstoppable, and mother even more so. Ruling with an iron fist is the only way this world will change, and we have to approach the Rangers just like that. Like bugs that need to be crushed between our feet so we can move forward. All these scheming will not bring us closer to what we truly want, only the strength to fight the world will!” Pharynx stared at his brother with a conviction, similar to how Thorax had finished his speech.

“I’m well aware of what our goal is and that we need the strength of the hive to achieve it, but that doesn’t mean we are unstoppable. Those who feel think of themselves above things like strategy and their opponents will ultimately be crushed by those who utilize all these things. To save the world, one has to be capable of outsmarting their opponents. Strength alone doesn’t matter the moment you are choking on your own food because you never considered that someone wouldn’t head straight for you,” Thorax returned, his smile slightly fading, a quiet growl taking its place.

“Are you suggesting that I’m weak, are now? That I’m stupid?” Pharynx hissed back, the color of his eyes starting to shift. “Listen up, only because mother decided that I would be hanging around your coattail for a bit doesn’t make me any less than you. You have no idea what strength even is! If you think you can replace me, you can forget it, or I will make sure you know who is the stronger one here!”

With that, he stepped forward, grabbing Thorax at his color and pushing him back against the shelf, a few books falling down to the floor. His eyes glaring at him like one of a wild animal. “I don’t intend to take your place, I plan to save this world together with mother. But if you stand in the way for that goal, there is no other way than to put you in your place,” he returned, this time with an almost sad undertone, but his voice remained firm. While the two stared into the eyes of each other, the lights in the room slowly started to flicker, dimming with every passing second. “If a guard-dog can’t be tamed, the only thing one can do is put him down before he becomes a danger to your own safety.”

“You little-“ He was about to bark further, the light almost flickering out completely, his fingers already starting to shimmer in the green flames when the door to the office was pushed open, and a woman with light purple hair and a soft yellow complexion entered.

“Uhm…” she stammered, dropping the purse she was holding as she saw the two brothers at each other's throats. “Lo… Lord Thorax, you asked for me? I… I can come later if this… if this would be a problem now?” She stammered back, her eyes fixated on them, until she noticed the books beside them, now continually shifting between the two things.

Thorax posture relaxed a bit before calmly returning: “No, you are just on time. We were about done here.” With that, he pulled himself free from the grip of his brother, rearranged his suit, and walked over to her, the light flickering back into focus. “So, Shimmering Dust, I would like to give you a job. One you should be able to accomplish,” he said with a raised eyebrow.

“Ye… Yes, Lord Thorax. Of course, I will…” she stammered, only for her eyes once again to dart at the books on the floor. “But, if it’s no problem, I would like to put these back where they belong,” she pointed at them. “They are somewhat distracting.”

Pharynx had retreated to the other end of the room and let out a dismissive huff, all while Thorax maintained his smile. “Go ahead, we have time.”

>-------<S>-------<

The ringing of the bell was still present in their ears when they walked outside the school, Lemon letting out a loud yawn on the steps down. “Man, that was one of the longest school days ever and so damn boring!”

“Yeah, I know? Still bumped that we weren’t allowed to go outside for the lesson, the Canterlot High students were all outside and just studying there. That’s so unfair,” Indigo huffed, crossing her arms in front of her while frowning a bit.

“That is just a difference in schools. I doubt we can do anything about that in the time we have left at this school. Maybe the teachers will be more open to the idea for the next batch of students,” Sugar returned, a ghost of a smile on her lips.

“Yeah, sucks for us, but hey, at least someone might have something to gain from our idiocy at the Friendship Games,” Lemon returned with a somber smile. “Anyway, we still have four hours until Cadance is done with school stuff, any ideas?” She continued in her usual upbeat manner within seconds.

“Shoot, I don’t know. Maybe a bit of running, but doubt any of you would be up for that, right,” Indigo returned, looking back at her friends who all looked at her with varying levels of disinterest to disgust. “So, any of you have some good ide…” She continued before noticing something. “Uhm, hey girls. You know where Sunny is?”

That was when all four girls suddenly stopped dead in their tracks, letting both Sour and Lemon walk into Indigo and Lightning, respectively. “Wait, what? Yeah, where is she? I saw her leave the classroom with us but after that? Maybe she went to the toilet?” Lemon returned, a look of bewilderment on her face.

“Nah, if she would have gone to the toilet, she would have asked me to go with her,” Sour returned before adding a bit more annoyed: “Or did she go without me? I hope not!”

“That would be totally not her, I tell you. She doesn’t just ditch us. Yeah, she can be a bit pissy sometimes, but hey, she wouldn’t, right?” Lemon returned, a worried frown on her lips.

“Isn’t she back there with Rarity?” They were interrupted by Sugar, who pointed at where the back exit of the school was and indeed Rarity next to her.

“Huh, that’s strange. Usually, she tells us when she is doing something with a friend. That is totally unlike her,” Lemon muttered before her eyes widened in shock. “Uhm, girls, you don’t think… I mean… It could be that…”

Lemon stammered with open eyes at her friends until Sour interrupted her with a loud hiss: “What?” Before continuing with a still annoyed, but far less hostile: “If you want to say something, just say it.”

“You think she is on a date with Rarity?” She finally spat out, her cheeks bright red as well as her eyes pointing at the floor. Her friends were quick to point out how stupid the idea was and that Lemon was being ridiculed, or would have if their mouths didn’t just open without saying a word. You know, this wasn’t entirely stupid. The more they thought about it, the more it actually became plausible.

“You know, I could actually see it. They kinda fit together, are a bit alike if I’m honest. And Sunny always goes for the finest stuff,” Indigo absentmindedly returned. “And I think Rarity falls under that, right.” As an answer, she just got her friends staring at her like she had lost her mind.

“Did you… Did you just call Rarity hot?” Lemon was the first to ask, still staring at her in disbelieve.

She just shrugged and returned matter-of-factly: “Sure she is, just look at her. Don’t you all see that too?”

“I see it,” Sugar interrupted their mutual silence and instead let every head turn towards her, followed by a surprised grunt.

“Wait, what?!” Came it from all of them, their mouths open as they stared in utter shock at their friend who just stared back at them with her calm and collected expression, like always.

“I said rarity looks good. I think anyone can see that. She takes care of her skin, her hair always has the newest fashion and just has an appealing facial structure,” came it back with a shrug, seemingly not at all faced by all of this. But for a second, Lemon could have sworn that there was a bit of red on her cheeks.

“I mean, she definitely doesn’t look bad…” Lemon started before a realization hit her. “Uhm, girls, aren’t they right now getting away?” She sheepishly asked, meet with the silence of her friends as the realization dawned on them.

“Oh, fuck, you are right!” Sour finally burst out, turning around, seeing Rarity and Sunny just walk around the corner. “If we let them get away, we won’t know how well their date went! After them!” With that, she dashed off, right after the two girls, while the three other ones just stared after her.

“Should we go after them? I mean, wouldn’t it be kinda rude to just follow them? I don’t know, just doesn’t feel right. Privacy and all, you get my drift?” Indigo asked, only to be interrupted by Lemon.

“And as her friends, we have to make sure everything goes off without a hitch! I mean, what if changelings just show up and threaten their good time? I can’t let that happen!” She returned with a bright smile on her lips. “Now, let’s go! We can’t lose them! We have to spy… I mean, we have to protect them! All after me!” She screamed while raising her arms into the air.

Indigo just gave Sugar a nervous look. She, however, just shrugged, and before either of them could object, they were grabbed by the wrist and dragged after her as they quickly caught up to the rest of their friends and on a wild chase through the city.

>-------<S>-------<

After about half an hour of chasing, hiding, and generally a lot of weird looks from everyone who saw them, the two girls had finally arrived at their destination. But instead of a fancy restaurant, a cinema or any of the sorts the four were slightly disappointed.

“That’s it? They go on a date here? Neither of them has any money problems; Rarity’s parents are loaded, and so are Sunny’s. Why in Tartarus would they go here? I would even understand a walk through the park, boring as that might be, but the damn Hobby Center? I mean, come on, I can’t think of any worse place to have a date,” Lemon huffed, crossing her arms. “Why didn’t she tell us, we would have picked something far better, right girls?”

As she turned around, she stared into the faces of a hesitant Indigo, a nodding Sour and, well, Sugar with her usual look. “Yeah! Not asking us is totally lame!” Sour groaned, throwing a disgusted look at the building. “How about we sneak a closer look at what these two lovebirds are doing,” she added with a devilish grin.

“I still think we should just-“ That was as far as Indigo got when she once again was grabbed by her wrists and pulled behind both Sour and Lemon, Sugar casually walking after them.

It did take them a few minutes of aimlessly walking around, looking through the windows of doors and generally just searching until they found the two once again. Slowly four heads bobbed up from the window on the door to the small room. The people around them just looked at them funny, but no one cared enough to say something.

Inside they could see a room early similar to a classroom, wool was stacked up on every table, and the people at them were furiously knitting, and amidst all of them, Rarity and Sunny were sitting at the end of the room.

“What kind of date is this, please?” Sour was the first to ask, almost in disgust. “I never thought Sunny would be so out of touch with reality. You don’t bring a girl to a knitting course, expect…” Sour became pale for a moment. “This isn’t something like an early date. This is a partner building date… They kept this from us for so long?” Sour was just staring at the two after her little tirade, the disbelieve written directly on her face.

“I… I can’t believe it! That she would betray us like this!” Lemon added in disgust. “We have to figure out how long they are already a pair!”

Meanwhile, inside the room, Rarity finished the last touches on her knitting project, a light blue, diamond-shaped pillow. With a satisfied grin, she fluffed it a bit, testing its sturdiness. “Now that I call a Rarity original! Right, Darling?” She turned around, presented the pillow to Sunny, who stopped what she was doing with her yellow wool and looked over to her.

Meanwhile, Sunny was working furiously on finishing her own project, but right now, she was desperately trying to get go back a few steps only to do it all again. “Damn it, why won’t you just do as you are asked?” She grumbled as she stared at the yellow bundle of yarn and just pushed it off the table in frustration before looking over to Rarity. “Looks lovely, Rarity. Nothing I could complain there. You are so good with this stuff, why are you even here? Everything you do with this yarn will just end up perfect, contrary to when I try it,” she sighed, holding up the almost-finished thing she was working on. If one looked close enough, it looked like a bird in a way.

“Now, now, Darling. Don’t beat yourself up over something like this. While you might have made a small mistake, that doesn’t mean the whole work is ruined. You can’t expect to be perfect at something the first time you try it, nor the tenth time, or even the one-thousandth time. Making a mistake is just a natural process of learning and getting better,” Rarity smiled back, putting the pillow down next to her.

“I… I know,” she begrudgingly returned. “But at the same time, I hate looking at them, and this thing has to be perfect,” she sighed, looking at the almost-finished bird as if she wanted to strangle it right then and there. “It’s supposed to be a gift, and I can’t give someone something that isn’t perfect. That would just be wrong.”

“Oh, I can somewhat relate. Whenever I make costumes for the other girls, I fall into the same trappings and just work, work, work all night long. But eventually, you just have to accept that at one point, your efforts just diminish. Ultimately the time you invest in something just is not worth it anymore, as hard as it is to accept that. And really, your little plush looks excellent. I’m sure the person this is for wouldn’t mind, it’s self-made after all,” the white girl returned with a wide smile.

“Uh, if it would only be so easy. It’s not just a birthday present, it’s a thank you present. It’s supposed to show how grateful I’m to this person, but I can’t give her something less than perfect, or she’ll think she doesn’t mean much to me,” she sighed in return, letting her head sink onto the table, a ball of yellow yarn rolling next to her.

“That doesn’t look like it’s going so good. I mean, just look at her. She seems so frustrated. If we don’t do something, she is gonna piss Rarity off,” Lemon hissed, staring at Sunny, who glared at her own project while Rarity was pretty much done at this point. “Any ideas how we could turn this thing still around at this point? I don’t want her first relationship to end this way.”

“I don’t know. This is the worst possible outcome. If she falls into a heartbroken trauma, she won’t be able to fight, and we need her. It’s our duty as her comrades to get her out of this tight spot,” Indigo returned, a look of pure determination in her eyes.

“You two are really sure about this? I mean, this totally violating her privacy. I just don’t feel very comfortable doing that, you know,” Sour hesitantly added, holding onto the last slimmers of hope she had that they could just leave.

“Whatever you think we should do, we can’t hear a single word from her. So we probably should get closer,” Sugar returned, not diverting her look from the door for even a second.

“On, who’s side are you even on?” Sour hissed, giving her an annoyed glare.

“Sunny’s,” was the only answer she received much to her frustration.

“You’re awful, you know that,” she sighed before adding a defeated: “Fine, we gonna try and get something from her. So, how exactly did you geniuses think we can listen in on her without being spotted?” As she asked this question, she only received silence. “Of course…”

“So, who is the plush for anyway? You said it’s for someone very important? Could it be that it’s your crush? A handsome young man with the manners of a gentleman? Or a passionate young lady if that is more your style? Oh, that sounds so exciting,” Rarity returned, already lost in her dream world of princes and love.

“Yeah, sorry to disappoint on that front Rarity, but it ain’t a crush. I’m making this for Indigo. She helped me a few days ago, and I kinda thought I could start with her. I don’t intend to stop there as well, all my friends deserve one of them, and they too have to be perfect. Otherwise, I would just feel like I’m not doing everything I can for them while they take everything for me, you know?” Sunny looked down at her project, the one mistake just glaring her in the face. “On a related note, how are your friends?”

“Oh, you mean Sunset and the rest? Most of them are excellent. They are already intermingling with the Crystal Prep students, even Twilight. It’s impressive how much this school has changed since the Friendship Games,” she said enthusiastically.

“That’s good to hear, but we are still ways off of being a school like Canterlot High. But glad that everything is fine, Rarity.”

“Well, not everything. Twilight has a few problems with her boyfriend, Timber. Recently, he had a lot of very important things to do far away from the city, and Twilight really misses him. It has been almost a month since they went to something like the planetarium or a museum. Twilight just has gotten a bit restless since then, but at the same time, she knows how important the stuff is that he does so she doesn’t want to say anything, but she is definitely hurting,” she sighed, shaking her head a bit. “You know, it’s really annoying. Before this, they worked great together and now… It feels like they are just on two different paths. And you can’t hate either of them because both have good reasons and-“ Letting out a frustrated huff Rarity let her head sink into the pillow she just finished. “Why can’t anything be easy for once?”

“Eh, the only way anything is ever easy is if you’re prepared for it. Very prepared,” she sighed.

“Not so sure about that Darling, not like you know what will happen to you that day, and sometimes life throws you a curveball that you are just not the right person to deal with, but that’s what friends are for right?” She said, an absentminded smile on her lips.

“But what is when you are on your own, and your friends aren’t there, what are you gonna d…” She was about to return when she suddenly stopped midsentence as she hared something fall to the ground. “Excuse me for a moment, I think I have to talk with someone,” Sunny continued, a very annoyed undertone in her voice. As she stood up, Rarity looked after her a bit confused by all of this.

Sunny walked directly towards a closet on the other end of the room, a closet four girls had cramped themselves behind next to Miss Precouse Needle, here teacher who had dropped a few supplies on the ground right next to them. The moment they saw their friend walk towards them, they started to panic, or more precise Lemon and Indigo were panicking; Sour was just burying her head in her hands, and Sugar just looked at her. With Lemon’s and Indigo’s frantic movements, it didn’t take them long to topple over and land on the floor with a loud 'umpf'.

Sunny just stared at them before grabbing both Lemon and Indigo on one ear and drag them behind her, not without loud complaints and yelps from the girls. Sour just trotted after her, her cheeks bright red, and her head lowered to the ground while Sugar just trotted after them, seemingly utterly unfazed by the situation.

After the door slammed shut, it was like a tornado had been unleashed, a very loud, angry tornado. “So, care to explain to me what in the name of Tartarus you are doing here?” She asked, glowering at them while still holding tightly onto the poor girl's ears.

“Oh, Sunny, what are you doi-“ That was as far as Lemon got when her ear was pulled even harder, letting the girl whimper in pain.

“Oh, don’t give me this ‘What are you doing here’-crap! You were following me, so spill why! You won’t bullshit your way through this!” She hissed back at her with one last pull on her ear for good measure.

“Ok, ok, we followed you, you got us!” She whined, trying somehow to get away from her and without hurting herself, a task that seemed to grow more and more impossible by the second.

“I knew it! So, why exactly are you stalking me? Only because we are friends doesn’t mean you can just invite yourself to everything I do! Got that?” Both Lemon and Indigo just noded to the best of their abilities, and with a loud huff, Sunny let go of them. Both girls were rubbing their ear after for at least a minute. “So, talk, would you?”

Both girls shared a last look before sighing, and Lemon started to answer her. “Ok, ok, just, don’t do this again, and we talk.”

“Ok, now talk,” she coldly returned, the piercing glare in her eyes still as present as before.

“Good, uhm, we-“

Lemon was interrupted by Sour: “Oh no, you and Indigo. We two were just dragged into this mess,” she pointed at herself and Sugar. “We had nothing to do with all of this, so if anyone’s gonna be punished for that boneheaded decision, it should be one of those two.”

“Oh, and if you disliked the idea so much, why are you here?” Sunny returned with a look that told Sour all she needed to know.

“I… They dragged me! That’s just unfair!” She huffed in return. “I would never invade their privacy like this!” She added in her sweetest voice, possible. The only thing she got in return was Sunny’s raised eyebrow. “Oh, crapbaskets.”

“So, where were we before a certain someone rudely interrupted us?” Sunny continued.

“Yeah, we were about to tell you that we wanted to see where you would go on a date with rarity,” Lemon just sighed, rubbing the back of her head nervously while her cheeks had taken on a very red tint.

Sunny just stared at her in disbelieve. “What?” That was the only response the girls got, that and the expression on her face.

“Oh boy, we are in trouble, aren’t we?” Lemon sighed, nervously looking over to her friend.

“Oh, oh, yes, you are. All of you! How can you even think this was in any way, ok? If I do something without telling you about it, you can guess that it’s something I want to do on my own, especially when it should be something like a date!” She growled, finally founding her composure again. “Even if this here is no date, I’m gonna treat it as if it was. You know how awkward it would be if I would go on a date, and my friends would follow me around like this?”

“Very awkward,” Sugar matter-of-factly returned.

“Wait, what do you mean with ‘even if this is no date’?” Indigo asked, looking slightly confused.

“Well, I don’t know what your brain thinks it means, but I’m not on a date with Rarity! We are just friends, and she asked me about a sewing course since we both are interested in stuff like this, and no of her other friends are all that into it. That’s all! No blooming romance, no forbidden love, just two friends that do something together!” She hissed, clenching her fists together while practicing her scariest face she could muster.

“Ohhhh,” it went through the group, both Lemon and Indigo facepalming simultaneously. “That explains that. So this was all just a misunderstanding then? Oh, well, it happens. We’ll be going then.” But before Lemon and Indigo could book it, they were once again garbed by their ears and pulled away by Sunny.

“Yeah, a misunderstanding, definitely. Doesn’t change the fact that you were stalking me. I’m gonna have a word with you two,” after she said that she turned around quickly before saying: “As well as you. Don’t think you are out of this, either.” Sour and Sugar just shared a look, Sour anxious while even Sugar’s usual faced was breaking at least a little bit. But ultimately, they followed after them regardless until they reached a small breakroom that wasn’t in use anymore.

“Now, since this is all cleared up how you disregarded my privacy for your own curiosity, what should we do now?” She asked, a devilish smile on her lips.

“You forgive us because that’s what friends do after all?” Lemon sheepishly returned.

Sunny just sighed and let her head hang low. “Really, at one point, one would think I would learn that you are all idiots that never do what any sane person would do. It’s really easy to get angry at you, but at the same time, it’s impossible to stay mad at you as well. You know you are the worst, right?” As an answer, she just received sheepish grinning. “So, how does that sound, you apologize for what you did, and then we forget about this, well until the next time you pull a stunt like this. So it’s in your best interest to not do this again. And that apology is not just for me, it’s also for Rarity. So, do we have a deal?”

“What? That’s all?” Indigo blurted out.

“Well, I could always spank you if that is what you want,” she returned with a devilish smile, much to the horror of her friends.

“No, no, no, we have a deal! We have a deal!” Lemon burst back immediately, her cheeks red as can be, much to the delight of Sunny.

But her chuckle was interrupted when the door to the room opened again. “Oh, we are sorry. We were done here any way we will leave right away,” she said as her teacher, Miss Precious Needle, stepped in. “Oh, you were looking for me? I’ll be back right away.”

“Oh, yes, I was looking for you, Sunny, but that was because of something else. You’ve got something I want, and that is th…” that was when she actually looked at the room and noticed the four other girls as well, her eyes widening, but that was already far too late. Her arm had begun to be engulfed in green flames.

“You’re a Changeling!” Lemon was the first to scream out, already pulling out her Shadow Coin.

“Well, the bug’s out of the sack, I see. By Chrysallis, where did you all come from? I wanted her alone,” she growled as the flames consumed her entirely, turning her gray skin and yellow hair into purple chitin and two large blue-green butterfly wings. Her face also took on the form of that of a butterfly, two large red eyes with antenna, and a trunk where her mouth would be.

“Light up!”

[Re-Re-Red!]

[Shine Bright! Red!]

[Bl-Bl-Blue!]

[Shine Honest! Blue!]

[Ye-Ye-Yellow!]

[Shine Wild! Yellow!]

[Pi-Pi-Pink!]

[Shine Glamourous! Pink!]

[Gre-Gre-Green!]

[Shine Courageous! Green!]

Just two seconds after the two sides had transformed when the body of the Changeling came crashing through the door with the five Rangers storming out of the door. “What did you do to Miss Precious Needle?” Sunny burst out, pointing at the Changeling, who pulled herself out of what remained of the door.

“She’s just taking a nap. But she isn’t the one you should be worried about… I mean for!” She growled, shaking her head before correcting her mistake she returned, only to receive a boot to the head from the Pink Ranger.

“Sorry, not really that worried about you. But I can make this quick if you want. I’m not in a good mood, so don’t expect mercy from me,” she returned before dashing forward, punching the Changeling right in the face once again when she was standing up.

Or at least that would have been what she wanted to do if not for the fact that she just passed through the monster. “What?” She stared in disbelief at her hand and the beast only to feel a sudden kick to her behind as she was thrown forward. “What?”

Out of thin air, the Changeling appeared from where the kick had come from, clenching her fist at her own success. And before any of the other Rangers could storm towards her, four additional copies of her appeared in front of them, stopping them dead in their tracks.

“Hey! That’s not fair!” Came it from behind the four figures by Lemon, who just growled before dashing at one of them, only to run straight through her and headfirst into the next wall. “What?” She asked from beyond the newly formed hole in the wall and the small collapsed bookshelf next to her.

"And five on one is?" The Changeling returned, the voice seemingly coming from everywhere.

“She is using illusions. One of them could be her while the rest are just a figment of your imagination!” Sunny returned, carefully looking a the four remaining Changelings to figure out any sort of difference between them, but there was nothing, nada, zilch. They all looked exactly alike, like copies.

“Yeah, you can’t win. You will never know which of us is the real one! So better give up now so you may live,” it echoed all around her, making it impossible to realize who of them was the real deal.

“Damn it,” she hissed, stomping the ground in frustration and hitting one of the books that had been scattered across the ground, thanks to Lemon. That was when she noticed it, one of them moved their head slightly, just a bit, following the book with a slight twitch. A small smirk crossed her lips as she saw that.

Wasting no time, she pulled out a Coin and slammed it into the Morpher.

[Ch-Ch-Chain!]

Out of the device, a single dark chain shoots out towards the Changeling, who had looked after the book, wrapping her in between its links. Instead of just going through her like before the chain actually pulled snug and with a forceful pull, the Changeling flew towards her and received a quick kick to its face, landing before her in a daze.

“Huh, seems like you can’t hide your mistakes,” she chuckled before stoping and adding a simple. “Yeah, seems you can’t do it.”

“Ok, let’s finish this, girls!” Red shouted out, pushing in the Coin into the Morpher. The rest of her fellow Rangers followed suit, and soon the sound of their Finisher echoed through the now deserted halls.

[Fi-Fi-Final! Red!]

[Fi-Fi-Final! Blue!]

[Fi-Fi-Final! Yellow!]

[Fi-Fi-Final! Pink!]

[Fi-Fi-Final! Green!]

The cloud, like always formed around the now bound Changeling only for a glowing red fist to punch her right in the jaw, followed by blue, yellow and green until the Pink Ranger jumped right in front of her and delivered a devastating gut-punch that let her simultaneously explode and be thrown through several walls.

When she collapsed on the street outside, she was already losing consciousness, only for everything in her body to feel like it was burning in seconds. With a loud scream, she felt her body growing as her chitin strengthened once again, and all the damage dealt to her repaired. She could even see the Ranger storming out of the building with a glowing light.

[He-He-Hellhound!]

[Le-Le-Leviathan!]

[Ro-Ro-Roc!]

[Wy-Wy-Wyvern!]

[Ma-Ma-Manticore!]

Once again, the five robotic animals emerged and grew to gigantic size, dragging the Changeling into their world. Without even landing, they quickly started to combine.

“Shadow Star Megazord!”

With the ground shaking, both of them dashed forward, the blade of the Megazord slashing right at the monster, only for it to hit the air and instead slice through several buildings that quickly collapsed under the weight. Like on command, the Zord was thrown forward and landed on the ground, crushing several buildings beneath it.

As the Rangers stood back up, they were surrounded on all sides by the Changeling with no way of knowing who the real deal was. “Fuck!” Was all Lemon hissed as she stared on in disbelief.

“Don’t worry, I got an idea!” It came back from Sunny, who slammed in a Coin into the slot in front of her, the rest of her friends just nodding in agreement.

[Ch-Ch-Chain!]

Once again, the Coin appeared on the chest of the mecha. Swinging the sword in its hand, the weapon extended outward, turning into a gigantic, pink glowing chain that slammed through the Changelings until it reached the real one, entangling it.

“Let’s finish this!” Sunny shouted before the light in the chain started to glow bright and bright, all while the monster screeched across the empty city, breaking glass in the near vicinity. In the end, this did not help her in any way when the light reached its brightest point, ripping her apart in a green explosion.

>-------<S>-------<

After things had calmed down once again, something that happened surprisingly fast in Canterlot City, they were sitting in a pizzeria just a few blocks away that Rarity had suggested, the ‘Magnum Opus’. Sunny still looked at them as if they would ditch at the first chance they got, and she wasn’t exactly wrong.

“So, why did you want that I talk with your friends for a while, Darling,” Rarity asked after taking a sip from her glass.

“They wanted to tell you something,” she said, a devilish smile on her lips. “Come on, you can start.”

“We are sorry,” lemon finally said after a few seconds of silence.

“For what would you be sorry Darling,?”

“For following you and Sunny around all day because we thought you two went on a date. We were just too noisy for our own good and didn’t respect the privacy of our friends,” she sighed, hanging her head in shame.

Rarity just looked at them for a few seconds before starting to laugh: “Oh, you all are delightfull. Apology accepted. But you are all so cute, caring so much for your friend, even if it manifested in a not entirely healthy way. But it makes me happy how much her friends care for Sunny. You really aren’t the same girls from back then, are you?”

“Yeah, they aren’t, and I’m happy about that, even if they fuck up a lot. But it makes them who they are, and they bear their faults on their sleeves like it’s nothing. It’s kinda admirable,” sunny added with a chuckle.

“Yeah, we are awesome, aren’t we? Wait, what do you mean with ‘their faults on their sleeves’ exactly?” Lemon shouted back, looking somewhat betrayed at her friend, only to get a chuckle from her.

“That’s not a bad thing. Nobodys perfect. In the end, it only matters what you feel, right?” She looked over to Rarity, who simply gave her an approving nod.

“By the way, Indigo, I have something for you,” she added with a wide grin on her lips, and after a bit of digging around in her purse she pulled out a yellow wool-plush-bird and held it out towards the girl. “I know it has some little blemishes an-“

Before Sunny could continue any further she was interrupted by Indigo’s screech as she ripped the bird from her hand and started cuddling it like a puppy.

“Oh my goodness, oh my goodness, oh my goodness. It’s so cute! Is that what I think it is?” She squeed.

“Yes, yes it is,” she sighed in return, a satisfied smile on her lips. “A small present for what you did a while ago. Didn’t feel comfortable giving this to you until now, wanted to get it picture-perfect, but yeah, I think you still gonna like it.”

“Like it? I love it! This is perfect! Thank you so much,” she got in return.

“And the rest of you, don’t worry, you get yours soon enough,” she sighed, having already seen the expecting shimmer in her friend's eyes. They looked at her for a moment before the entire table burst out into laughter.

The Hunt of the Manticores

View Online

Loud screams were heard through the streets of Canterlot as a mass of fire was shoot through them, consuming everything that stood in its way. Out of the flames jumped a Green Power Ranger, her suit already covered in ash and small burn marks, under her arm a little kid, not older than six. With a sprint, she shoved the kid into the hands of an expecting woman and said: “She’s save,” only to add a far harsher: “Now get going!”

That was something the woman didn’t need to be told twice, and without even a second thought, she rushed off in the opposite direction of the flames. Sour had just enough time to turn around when the next flame breath shoot towards her, thankfully she managed to jump out of the way just in the nick of time.

As she landed a few meters away, a figure stepped out of the flames. At first, one could only make out its silhouette. Its outline was imposing, muscular, and one could definitely make out the thick chitin armor all over his body. As it came closer, more and more of its features were revealed, two massive, flamelike horns atop his head as well as two glowing green eyes that pierced through the smoke. The next thing to become apparent was the marone color of the Changeling’s chitin, mixed in with several golden strips all across his body, but the most striking thing was the mouth. It opened its pincers to reveal what looked like pipes with small flames coming off them.

“Ah, Ranger. So they were right, you would be on your way to your friend just right now. That is so helpful,” he smugly said, his voice more of a hiss than actually any form of speak normal to humans with the added bonus of small flames bursting out of his mouth sporadically.

“How about I’m nice for today since I don’t have time for you? Why don’t you leave now?” She asked in a sickly sweet voice, even adding an overdramatic pose to it, only to add a far harsher: “Because I can’t stand looking at you any longer. You Changelings just don’t know when to call it quits!”

“Oh, don’t try to play the strong one here! You’re the ones who don’t know when they are up against a foe they can’t beat! You know what power we hold? What you are really up against? A bunch of stupid teenagers against our hive? Don’t be ridiculous, you have no chance of winning! In the end, we either crush you with our power or with our influence! You really should just join us, together we can burn this rotten world to the ground!” He growled, flames flaring up in the palms of his hands.

“Oh, that sounds so wonderful, where can I sign?” She asked before dashing forward and punching straight ahead and right towards his stomach. “So, I can rip this shitty contract apart like the trash it is!”

But instead of smashing her fist into his chest, she instead was greeted by a burst of flame heading straight towards her. With a loud yelp, she jumped backward, a little bit of ash having settled on her visor.

“Oh, scared? The little girl is scared, isn’t she? How cute, but that’s why you won’t win against us. We Chageling’s are the burning flames inside an eternal furnace! We will do whatever it takes to burn down this world and build up a brighter one from its ashes, but for that, we need those coins, and no little sparks like you will stand in our way! All those who oppose the new world will be burned down together with this old one!” He growled before unleashing a wave of fire towards her that quickly consumed a car that stood in its way.

The expected explosion quickly followed, scattering pieces of the car everywhere and leaving a burning husk of a vehicle as well as a lot of ash behind, but no Sour Sweet. The green Ranger had managed to slip away in the confusion of the explosion and

[Me-Me-Metal!]

In an instant, the Changeling spun around and sprayed another breath of flame at the Ranger, but instead of jumping back once again, she dashed straight ahead and slammed her fist into the face of the Changeling, slamming his mouth firmly shut. It didn’t take long for the flames inside his mouth to stack up and erupt in a geyser of fire that knocked him of his feet. To her own dismay, the fire actually hit her.

While the Coin definitely helped her against the general burn wounds, she could still feel the heat growing with every passing second, and she was already boiling inside her suit. If that thing kept that up any longer, she would just end up just like a duck sweet-sour. Shaking her head, she pushed that thought as far away as possible and dashed forward, ready to slam her fist right into the Changeling’s mouth.

But to her own horror, the monster had already pushed himself off the ground with the flames coming from his arms, and in the blink of an eye, he delivered a burning hot punch to her face. Granted, she didn’t feel much, but the flaming hot stream of fire definitely started to make her sweat like a waterfall beneath the helmet. With a grimace, she once again jumped back, her posture already showing her exhaustion as she landed, holding her arm.

“Heh, it seems your flame is about to be snuffed out. And I thought someone who was chosen by the Shadow Coins would burn bright, but I guess I was wrong. Oh well, I will enjoy seeing the life disappear from your eyes, you so-called hero. In the end, you couldn’t even save yourself,” he chuckled, already moving his arms in position to burn her to a crisp.

Just as he was about to unleash the attack on her, the sound of an engine could be heard. ‘Oh thank Fortuna, they are finally here,’ Sour though, expecting her friends to come in guns blazing on their bikes, but that never happened. No, another figure crashed into the Changeling just as he turned around, knocking him off his feet and letting him sail across the street and land with a loud groan.

As the girl looked up to see her friends, two fierce red eyes stared back at her. These two belonged to a warrior in green armor that kind of reminded her of a manticore. Kamen Rider Monster. She looked down at her before letting her bike roar to live again, raising it on its rear wheel and raced at the Changeling, who was just now standing back up, staring right into the blinding light of the bike's headlights.

In an instant, he launched his head forward, unleashing another fire breath. Monster, on the other hand, didn’t seem too faced by this; instead, two large bat-like wings opened up on her back and with a strong swing of both the Rider launched herself, as well as her bike high up into the air. As the Changeling just stared at the lunacy that was transpiring in front of him, she threw her whip towards him, entangling him with it and pulling it tight around his neck.

Frantically the Changeling tried to free himself from the whip around his neck, but all was for not as he suddenly felt the pull. Within moments he was pulled of his feet and dragged after the bike of the Rider like a fish on a hook. Without any prior warning, she suddenly hit the breaks, using the moment she still had to turn her bike one-hundred-eighty degrees, the Changeling flying past her and slamming into another wall, it partially collapsing onto him.

“Oh, Fortuna…” Sour just mumbled as she stared in awe at the display that was right in front of her. There was no hesitation in any of her actions, no, she just did. No fire could shake her resolve; it seemed…

But her thoughts were interrupted when she heard the sudden scream of someone: “Take it!” The voice barked at her. That was all she heard and at first not entirely sure who had called out to her when the bike of the Rider once again started to rev up its engine and shoot towards her. Sour’s eyes widened as she saw the machine head straight for her, its dangerous cargo in tow.

“Hey! Watch out there!” It suddenly came from the other direction, accompanied by the sounds of four different bikes. For just a split-second, she looked over to where the scream had come from, noticing her friends arriving. As she looked back, it actually really settled in what was happening right now. Monster was heading straight for her and showed no sign of slowing down. Directly before she would crash into her, she simply jumped out of the way, and right behind a car that was püarked on the sidewalk. From behind there, she could only watch as the Rider made a swift motion with her hands, slowing down in the process, and avoided the place she had just been standing at, the Changeling being dragged through the spot she had been standing in just seconds ago.

As the two rushed past her, the Changeling finally started to come back to his senses and managed to pull himself on his stomach and with a loud screech, unleashed another flaming breath at the Rider. She looked over her shoulder and pulled her whip back before diving out of the way before coming to a screeching halt. Without any seconds wasted, she jumped off her bike and dashed at the Changeling, who was right kneeling and coughing on the floor.

With spread claws, she aimed right for him, but in the last second, he snapped up and with one last cough sprayed fire right into her direction. She, however, made no sign of backing down, instead just leaping through the flames and slamming his body back on the ground, an enormous flare erupting from his body and consuming her and him.

After a few moments of silence, only interrupted by the crackling of the flame, the sound of a loud, bloodcurdling scream could be heard, accompanied by the sound of metal scratching across something hard which let a cold shiver run down the girls spins. That repeated for a few more times until the Rider was suddenly thrown up into the air and against a nearby building.

The Changeling apparently had managed to get his hands between her and him and unleashed her flames, rocketing her into the air through the pressure alone. The Stagbeetle Changeling took several deep breaths, his scared and wounded chest rising up and down as he did so before turning towards the Rangers that had all gathered around Sour.

“You… Little… Shits… Can’t beat me on your own, so you need help? You win this time… But I’ll get you, and then we will save this rotten world from itself,” he hissed, holding his side before almost falling back to the ground. Before any of the girls could react, he sprayed another wave of flames down at the ground, covering everything around him in the all-consuming flames.

Monster was just getting back up when she saw what was happening. Within seconds she dashed forward, straight towards the flames and leaped into them. But as she cut through them like a speeding bullet, her claws only hit the concrete bellow, digging deep into it and leaving vicious claw marks behind. As her head snapped back up, she could only see the ashes he had left behind, but no sign of the Changeling. With a loud, frustrated scream, she slammed her fists on the ground, it cracking in several places.

The five Rangers meanwhile just stared at her, unsure of what to say. That was when she suddenly spun around, her eyes focusing on Sour. “You! That was your fault he escaped!” She growled, taking several quick steps towards her. Sour was sure she could see the fury in the unmoving eyes, even if this should be physically impossible.

Sour took a few steps back, just staring at her. That hower didn’t seem to deter the Rider in any way shape or form as she continued to stomp over to her, coming closer and closer. Sour’s little stumble backward was only stopped when she hit a wall, or in this case, a car, locking her in place. As she turned back around, Monster was standing right in front of her, the red glowing eyes piercing down on her.

“I gave you a simple order, and you blew it!” She barked, grabbing the fabric of Sour’s Ranger Suit and pushing her against the car. “If you don’t have the guts to stand your ground and show your ferocity, this isn’t a job for you!” Sour could only stand there in silence.

“Hey! What in Tartarus’ name do you think you are doing? Let go of my friend!” Indigo huffed, grabbing hold of her shoulder and tried to jank her back. But the Rider simply turned her head like an owl and now stared staring at her. That stopped her dead in her tracks, her hand now awkwardly laying on the armored shoulder.

“And you all aren’t any better! She has eyes in her head, she knew I was coming! She would have actually done what I wanted if you hadn’t interfered! You put that idea about running into her head! If you can’t stand the pressure fighting brings with it, you are a far bigger danger to everyone around then if you would just do nothing! This monster is free because of you!” She continued to growl, the Rangers were at a loss for words.

“How... How should she have known what you were doing? This is ridiculous!” Indigo continued, having regained her voice after a few seconds.

“The moment you decide to walk the path of a protector, you can’t hesitate! If you do, people will get hurt! You can brood and question yourself before and after the fight, but during it, you can’t let your resolve wither! You have to think quick, choose the right action, not run in blindly but you have to move! Every second you lose the opponent gains! You can stumble, think, all of that, but do it without hesitation! If you can’t do that, you already lost!” She finished before turning back to Sour.

“And you, you hesitated! He is gone because of that. Do you really have that determination in you to do what needs to be done?” She hissed into her ear before adding: “If you think you do, come to the Everfree Forest, alone. Either you show me your bite, or you will see for yourself that this is as far as you can go.” With that, she released the girl who sunk down to the floor, still fixated on the Rider.

As she walked past the other Rangers, they all glared at her from beneath their visors. Monster didn’t even give them a simple glance as she picked up her bike and with a loud screech of the tires, drove off.

“What dreadful person,” Sunny huffed, crossing her arms in front of her. “What is she expecting? You aren’t psychic, after all!” She just shook her head.

“Last time, she was far nicer…” Lemon simply said, looking after the Rider.

“Yeah, whatever. This time she sure as Tartarus wasn’t,” Indigo returned, walking over to the still silent Sour and held out a hand. “Let’s get you back on your feet and don’t listen to grumpy-mc-grumpypants, you’re doing fine!” She said, pulling her friend back on her feet and giving her a soft clap on the shoulder. “How about we get you a coffee?”

“Coffee? Why would I-” Sour started to bark but suddenly fell silent and lowered her head and nodded. “Co… Coffee sounds good, actually.”

“That’s what I wanted to hear,” Indigo returned with a soft smile.

>-------<S>-------<

After making a hasty exit, the girls had quickly found the next best coffee shop in the area and had all gotten one of the warm, energizing drinks for themself, well all besides Lemon, who had managed to snatch herself a hot chocolate. They could still hear the sirens in the background, the MRG and police apparently had arrived shortly after they had left. Thank goodness, they were not really in the mood to explain themself to them, especially since Cadance had asked them to keep all of this secret. Her boyfriend might have been the director of the local branch, but as far as they knew, he did take his job very seriously, and she wasn’t entirely sure how he would react to… all of this.

While the other girls were eagerly sipping on the drinks, Sour was just sitting in front of hers, absentmindedly staring at the pattern in her coffee cup as if it was some sort of ancient writing.

She almost fell off her chair when she suddenly felt something softly push against her shoulder. With a surprised look, she snapped her head over as she stared at the somber smile of Indigo. “Everything ok?”

“I’m fine,” she huffed back before adding a far more somber “It’s nothing.”

“Yeah, and that’s why you haven't even taken a single sip from your cup and stared into it like it was a portal to Equestria,” she returned with a raised eyebrow.

Sour gave her a quick glare before emptying the entire cup of coffee in one go before saying with returning with an annoyed undertone: “Better now?”

Indigo raised her eyebrow again before starting to chuckle a bit. “You really are bad at lying, did anyone ever tell you that?” She just got another glare. “Ok, sorry, but this was just perfect. But really, you shouldn’t even think about that Rider anymore, she isn’t worth it. You know how we beat every Changeling that was dumb enough to get in our way? He will end up just like them! We don’t need her for this. We can do this on our own just fine!” She continued with another fistbump to her shoulder.

“Aha…” she muttered back, looking at the now empty cup of coffee. “Yeah, you’re right!”

“See, that’s how we want you! Always the stubborn one! Nothing gets you down,” she said with a wide grin on her lips. “Hey! Another coffee for my friend here!” She screamed across the room, garnering a few funny looks, but in the end, nobody seemed to mind.

The second cup came fast, being placed down before her. Indigo looked away for a short moment to chat with the rest. When she turned back, she only saw as Sour placed the cup back down, put a bit of money on the table, and stood up.

“Hey? Where are you going?” As she asked, the three other girls turned around as well, looking at her in bewilderment.

“I wanted to learn something for math. See ya tomorrow,” she simply returned before walking off and out of the door. Indigo took the last sip from her own cup and stood up as well. Something fishy was going on, for sure.

>-------<S>-------<

The sun was already setting when she finally arrived. Looking up at the wall of trees was undoubtedly fascinating, but right now, she felt something other as well, uncertainty. Should she really follow the Rider in here without her friends knowing about it? “Don’t hesitate or you lose,” she muttered before taking the first step into the forest. Even in her suit, she felt strangely vulnerable.

It was as if the trees itself were watching her every move through the undergrowth and the dead leaves that covered the ground. It probably wouldn’t be that long till autumn would actually hit the area, dying the trees in gold and rust, but all these were just thoughts to keep her mind at bay for now. She didn’t even know where she was going, just pressing forward, always pushing forward deeper into the forest. At times she could swear something was moving close to her, but she choked it up to some animals, wasn’t too weird after all, but that lingering sensation that she was being watched never truly went away.

Just a few meters away, another girl was sneaking through the undergrowth, always trying to stay out of sight of Sour. Indigo had known something was off about Sour when she left the coffee shop, she just knew it. Without even thinking about it that much, she had decided to follow her. She would get to the bottom of this, whatever it was. She wouldn’t leave a friend hanging again, especially when it was so damn obvious. She wouldn’t create another Lightning Dust situation.

Still, what was she doing in the forest? Especially in her Ranger suit? Sour was never the adventurous type, so why was she walking into the woods with seemingly no goal? Something was definitely shifty here, and she had a sneaking suspicion why. And just to be safe, she had sent a message to her friends what she and Sour were up to. She just hoped they would find her before anything would go wrong.

“So, you came?” It suddenly echoed through the woods, as if the forest itself had spoken to them. Sour stopped dead in her tracks, looking around for any sign of whoever had spoken, all while Indigo just barely stopped herself from yelping in surprise before stumbling backward over her own foot and landing right on the ground. Thankfully, neither Sour nor the disembodied voice seemed to hear her.

“Yeah, I did! What exactly do you want from me?” She barked back, still turning her head.

That was when Indigo felt a hand on her shoulder and snapped around in total surprise, staring up at the red eyes and lion mane of Kamen Rider Monster. She had one hand pressed against where her lips would be and signaled her to be quite. “Don’t worry, your friend is safe. Trust me,” was all she said before stepping out from behind the little incline Indigo was hiding. “I’m here to test if you really have the determination to be someone who can protect people! For you and for me!”

With these words, the Rider opened the bat-wings she had used to lift her own bike into the air and dashed toward, throwing up several leaves like a storm had just blown through the forest. Sour had just enough time to cross her arms in front of her before the Rider hit her, her clawed fingers digging into the fabric of her suit and her flesh as she was lifted off the ground and slammed through several trees, leaving a stunned Indigo behind. “What the…” She muttered before running after the path of destruction they had left behind.

With a loud grunt Sour suddenly felt the ground under her once again as she landed rather roughly inside an almost empty riverbed. Monster apparently had dropped her, now circling above her. “What was that for?!” She barked up towards her, holding her arm while doing so.

“Show me that you can fight! I want to see your unbreakable determination, or you won't leave again!” It came back down before the Rider suddenly did as well, with frightening speed.

Sour stood there for a moment before she dashed to the side, but sadly not fast enough, Monster’s claws shutting close firmly around her leg, sweeping her off her legs in the process. She really would have eaten a lot of stones and dirt if she wouldn’t have had the helmet. This way, she at least only felt the visor slamming against her head, granted, not much better, but at least something.

“You hesitated!” She heard the growl of the Rider as she pulled her higher and high, Sour hanging limply by her ankle as she stared down at the ground, which grew more and more distant by the seconde. “You will die the moment you hesitate! Remember that.” With that, she suddenly felt her body being pushed down, together with Monster, she rocketed towards the ground. Only at the last possible second did she feel her body suddenly shift directions again, and she was thrown into the side of the riverbed, leaving behind a small crater.

Just as she pushed herself back up, a bit of dirt, leaves, and stones falling off her, Indigo managed to catch up with them, walking out between the trees atop the riverbed. “What the fuck?!” Was all she managed to shout out as she stared down at them.

It didn’t take long before Monster landed in front of her. “Stay out of this. She agreed the moment she set foot into this forest!” With a simple push of her wrist, she threw the Ranger backward, and down the small hill, she had just scaled.

“Hey! Leave her out of this!” Sour shouted up to the Rider, who turned around to her, the two red eyes focused on her.

“And how are you gonna force me? You can’t even decide what to do at this point! You’ll never be able to protect anyone like this” The Rider mockingly returned before taking off once more, racing towards her with spread claws.

“I’ll show you what I can protect,” she growled before slamming one of her Ability Coins into the Morpher.

[Me-Me-Metal!]

The Rider slammed into her with full force, but this time she didn’t feel the power of the attack, nor the claws of her digging into her flesh, instead she only felt her body being pushed backward in the rocky riverbed. “Hey? So, where is your big mouth now? I ain’t gonna let you hurt my friends! Never!” She definitely screamed back as she slowly was dragged across the ground. With one last push, she felt her stance faltering. Still, even though she stumbled backward a few steps, she remained standing.

Monster meanwhile had taken off again, landing in front of her taking a feral stance, claws spread as if she was ready to attack at any point. “Well, it seems you aren’t as toothless as it looked at first, but that could have been a fluke. I want to see more of this!” She growled at her before pulling out a green medal from the strange belt she wore by pulling the two halves apart. In a fluent move, she replaced it with a red one before slamming it shut.

\ AWAKEN: DRAGON! /

Out of the belt, an ethereal dragon emerged, circled around her a few times before coming back and consuming the Rider in a bright flash. It didn’t take long for the light to fade again, revealing Monster clad in a fire red armor with black undersuit, two dragon heads had replaced the sting-shoulder pads of her previous armor. Her head now resembled that of a dragon as well, with two green eyes. In her hand, she held an ax resembling a dragon claw as well as a dragon-head-formed shield.

“Now, show me if your resolve can stand against the burning ferocity of a dragon,” she growled before dashing forward, ax already raised and ready come down on her.

“I’ll show you what I can do! Just come!” She shouted back, sprinting towards the Rider as well.

Both heroes met when Green’s fists stopped the blade of the ax mid-swing, both of her hands having grabbed the blade before it could actually meet her. But sadly, that wasn’t quite enough on its own, Monster still holding her shield. And exactly that was what ultimately came down on Sour, the dragon head slamming into her side before throwing her to the side and tumbling over the rocky ground.

“You can’t just always stay on defense. Eventually, you will tire out. It’s important to know when to strike and when to stop, but if you never do one of them, you won’t succeed either! Those who always deflect are just cowards in another way. Now! Show me your strength!” Monster barked at her, the blade of the weapon in her hand, starting to glow a fierce red.

Sour meanwhile was starting to breathe slowly. All the blows she had taken until now were beginning to take their toll, even though she had used the Metal Coin. She was sure, if the Rider really wanted to, she would be done for a while ago, but she wasn’t. Seemed, she really just wanted to see her resolve, but if it was that really what she wanted, she would deliver and then tenfold. With a low growl, she removed the Metal Coin from her Morpher and replaced it with her second Ability Coin. If she wanted her to stop defending, she would get that.

[St-St-Strength!]

With a loud scream, she dashed forward, right at the Rider. Meanwhile, Indigo had managed to come back up, just in time to see her friend and the Rider clash once again. Sour had just jumped at her opponent, her fist slamming against the shield of the Rider, who was just about to swing her ax at her, instead was stopped dead in her tracks. A powerful gust of wind blew through the nearby area as both meet, throwing up small rocks as well as several dead leaves.

Monster stumbled back a few steps, her shield almost slipping out of her hands. “Not bad! Not bad at all. That’s the spir-” That was as far as she got before she came face to face with Sour’s fist that slammed right into her face, sending her flying, accompanied by a loud battle cry of the Ranger.

“Is this more to your liking!?” It echoed after her as Sour shouted out, still not stopping for even a second. Well, until something exploded right in front of her and knocked her to the side, at least.

“What?” Indigo let out, staring in confusion of the small fire that had suddenly appeared before her friend only to be blown back as well by a bright flash of light.

“Well, well. Look who I found here. Green, Yellow, and the Rider, all fighting it out? This is perfect, easy picking for me,” a disgustingly familiar voice gloated.

As Sour managed to regain her footing, she stared at the slowly approaching figure with two fireballs held in its hands, the Stag Beetle Changeling. “You! Fingers off, my friends!” She growled, reading herself to attack. But before she could race at him, however, she felt a hand on her shoulder, snapping back, she almost hit Monster in the face.

“I’ll help you with this. You can show him your burning resolve this time. And payback is always at least a little sweet,” she chuckled before pulling out the red Medal from her Driver and replacing it with a purple one.

\ AWAKEN: CHANGELING! /

The belt screamed out, a purple fourlegged bug creature emerging from it before fusing with her. The Rider now clad in purple armor with a light purple undersuit. Her shoulder resembled two horns, and her helmet reminded her of one of the Drones if she was honest with one large horn atop it and two green bug eyes. “Let’s see how much he enjoys facing off against a Changeling,” she chuckled.

“Wait, what?!” Was all Sour managed to say before the Rider expanded a few bug-like wings on her back and shoot into the air.

She stared after her for a few seconds before shaking her head and mumbling: “Eh, whatever, that has time for later,” with that, she dashed forward, replacing her Ability Coin once again. “Come and get me you sorry excuse for a Changeling!”

[Me-Me-Metal!]

The Changeling quickly diverted his attention back to the Ranger and threw a few fireballs her way, but instead of jumping out of the way, she simply jumped through them. From the flames she emerged once again with ash covering her suit, sweat was running down her forehead. Still, she was pressing on. Right now, she just needed to get close enough to lay a smackdown on him.

Just as the Changeling was about to throw another one of the flaming balls at her Monster made her move, rocketing down from the skies above she came up from behind him, the Changeling had just enough time to turn around before he felt the force of the Rider crashing into him.

The Stag Beetle was thrown backward, right towards Sour. She didn’t even need a single word to know what she was supposed to do. With a loud scream, she took a solid stand and threw a punch towards the incoming Changeling, hitting him square in the back. While she was thrown a few meters back as well, she was definitely willing to take the small sacrifice, her opponent having landed on the ground with a loud scream.

Monster landed next to her, helping her back to her feet. “That’s what I wanted to see,” she smirked beneath her helmet.

“Yeah, yeah, we have time for this sappy shit later, right now I want to beat him to a pulp,” she hissed back, pulling herself free from Monster’s grasp before pushing another Coin into her Morpher.

[St-St-Strength!]

The Rider gave her a look before chuckling and shaking her head. “Yeah, then we are two who want that. Yeah, let’s fuck this guy up,” and with that, she stormed forward, right at the Changeling who had just managed to get back on his feet, wonky as he was.

As he saw the two running towards him, he let out a low growl and unleashed a burst of flames from his palms once again. While Sour was taking the long way around him, Monster didn’t seem to care as she lunged through the fire and clawed at him with one of her hands, following this attack up with the other one. Sparks flew everywhere as the claws scraped across the chitin of the Changeling.

Monster, however, wasn’t done just yet, two massive blades forming on the back of her arms. With a swift motion, she pulled both arms back from where they had stayed after her claw attack, carving out an X right on his chest, the sparks accompanying his loud screeches.

Breathing heavily, he stumbled backward, holding his chest, his eyes fixated on the Rider who was just glaring at him he suddenly heard the sounds of footsteps to his right. Before he could even think about what this could have been, he felt a fist crashing into his face. Like an explosion, pain surged through his body before he was thrown to the wayside and landed right in the little water the river still held.

Everything felt like it was spinning, he couldn’t grab onto one coherent thought. Still, he pushed himself off the ground, staring at the purple and green blurs in front of him that were starting to come closer once again. But suddenly they stopped and turned around, apparently because of the sound of something roaring in the distance.

Just seconds later, three bikes appeared atop the riverbed, the three remaining Rangers sitting atop them. Indigo also joined them just moments after, all four glaring down at the injured Changeling.

“Seems like we came just in time,” Red smirked. “Hey, you two! How about we finish this bug off now?”

“Yeah, I think we should do that. It’s time we wrap this up, I’m starting to run out of steam,” Sour said to Monster who simply nodded in return. “Hey, girls! Yeah, let’s finish this up here! This guy has been annoying me for far too long already!” The four other Rangers all nodded in unison before jumping down next to the two of them.

“Then let’s put an end to this guy,” Lemon added, already pulling out her Coin, her friends doing exactly the same while Monster opened the two halves of the belt once again.

[Fi-Fi-Final! Red!]

[Fi-Fi-Final! Blue!]

[Fi-Fi-Final! Yellow!]

[Fi-Fi-Final! Pink!]

[Fi-Fi-Final! Green!]

\ ROAR: CHANGELING! /

Once again, the opponent was consumed in the black cloud, robbing him of his senses before a fiery red light struck him on his chest, right in the middle of the x, before pushing herself off him once again. This repeated itself with a blue, yellow, and pink light, the Changeling now clutching hist chest as he sunk to his knees.

Just as he thought, it was all over a bright green light, as well as a purple one appeared in front of him. He could barely make out the shape of a Ranger and the Rider before they slammed into him, their legs stretched out. At the same time, he felt a foot and what felt like a long spike crashing into him before he was thrown away and exploded against the wall of the riverbed.

The green flames hadn’t even set yet when a beam of light hit the spot where he had fallen, and within seconds the Changeling had grown to enormous size, just like the rest. “I’ll take care of this, you take the giant one,” Monster growled before dashing off in the direction the beam had come from. The five Rangers meanwhile all readied themselves to fight back against the giant monster.

[He-He-Hellhound!]

[Le-Le-Leviathan!]

[Ro-Ro-Roc!]

[Wy-Wy-Wyvern!]

[Ma-Ma-Manticore!]

“Shadow Star Megazord!”

Now, with both the giant monster as well as the Rangers disappearing into their separate dimension, Monster was racing towards her own target. Halfway there, however, a crescent moon shaped energy wave shoot towards her, the Rider barely managing to dodge the attack. As she looked down at where this had come from, she could only make out a very slim looking, insect-like thing, most likely a Changeling. The only thing she could somewhat make out was the sword in his hand that he sheathed into a scabbard.

She dashed towards him, but he walked off into the forest, and at the moment she landed, he was already gone, leaving only a small burned spot behind, a few green flames still dancing across the leaves. “Damn it!” She hissed, kicking out the fire before she had a forest fire to worry about. “Seems this is all up to you then,” she added with a look through the thick roof of leaves over her, seeing snippets of the Megazord slashing across the chest of the Changeling.

Meanwhile, the Changeling had been pushed back, a few sparks still falling off his chest and at the forest below him. The Rangers meanwhile pushed further forward, pulling their sword upwards back up, only for the Changeling to leap backward and spray flames at them.

While the Zord didn’t really feel any pain, they definitely felt the sudden increase in temperature defiantly could be noticed in the cockpit, the Rangers staring to sweet profusely. “If we don’t do something, we are all gonna be cooked alive in here!” Sugar nonchalantly said to her friends, casually moving the necessary controls to get the Zord back up into an upright position.

“Yeah! We are getting toasted in here! We need to get out of his range and somehow fight him from afar,” Sunny added, frantically moving her own levers around to get the Zord moving.

“Yeah, let’s do this. We’ll figure something out,” Lemon returned, taking a look at the hellscape that laid beneath them, the entire forest having been set ablaze, smoke and embers rising even as high as the cockpit of the Zord.

“No!” It echoed through the cockpit.

“What do you mean no? We are gonna die like this if we don’t do anything!” Sunny shouted back at Sour.

“If we back down now we are just gonna give him time to do something else. We have to put the pressure on him, not him, on us. If we hesitate we die! Right now, we can still stand it in here. But how long can we really do that if the entire forest has been turned into an inferno? We need to strike him now before it’s too late!” She barked back, slamming her fist on her control console for good measure.

A few seconds of silence followed, the other Rangers staring at her with open mouths “I think she is right,” Sugar finally broke the silence as she said this with her usual tone.

“Eh, fine. But if you kill us, I’m gonna blame you, ok?” Sunny huffed after everyone else had looked at her for a few moments and just crossed her arms with a huff.

“Ok! Then we are gonna do this my way! Let’s fuck this asshole up good!” Sour screamed out, raising her hand into the air before slamming a coin into the slot in front of her before pushing two leavers forward.

[Me-Me-Metal!]

The giant mech started to move, the coin once again slotting itself into its chest, before leaping up into the air, its wings spreading out. They soared up into the air before turning back around and shooting back down. The Changeling, however, wasn’t just standing idly by, no, he unleashed all the fire he still had left directly at them.

Inside the cockpit, the other four Rangers looked at Sour, but she showed no sign of slowing down, instead only increased the speed of the mech. She spun around, now with a leg aimed directly at the Changeling as they soared through the fire, the heat inside rising to unbearable degrees, but she just let out a primordial scream.

The moment the foot of the Megazord connected with the Changeling it simply eviscerated him, the wind of the ensuing explosion blowing out the flames in the nearby area like nothing. “And we fucking did it!” Sour screamed from the bottom of her lungs, raising her hands into the air.

>-------<S>-------<

“Thank you so much for your help,” Sour said, resting up against a tree, her entire suit covered in ash and small burn marks.

Monster just coked her head a bit and chuckled. “Oh, if one should thank anyone here, it’s me thanking you. Without you, I wouldn’t have been able to deal with the big guy. Don’t sell yourself short.”

“Still, I would prefer it if you wouldn’t beat up my friends,” Indigo muttered, her arms crossed in front of her.

“I only did what was necessary. I never wanted to injure her; she just needed to be pushed in the right direction. But she succeeded with flying colors,” Monster said, taking a few steps towards the Green Ranger and placing her hand on top of her shoulder. “Today, you should that monster who you really were. Never forget that any you all will push through.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t,” she got in return.

“That’s good to hear, but I’ll be off. I have something to do in Manhattan. You’ll keep this place save, I’m sure of it. I have to protect my forest after all,” she said with a chuckle before starting to walk away.

“Wait, but isn’t your forest here?” Lemon asked, somewhat confused.

“Technically yes, but in a way the entire world is my forest,” she returned, all while continuing to walk deeper into the woods.

“She is sooooo cool!” Lemon squealed out, her arms pulled to her side, her friends just shaking their heads in amusement.

Tell me Sweet Little Lies

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Thorax could feel the pressure that had settled over the room. Several scientists in white lab coats were running around like ants in their tunnels, muttering incomprehensible words to each other. He could feel their nervousness as the hushed through the brightly lit, white lab behind him. Thorax meanwhile was standing perfectly still, a black suitcase in his hand he held with an iron grip.

But as much as he tried to hide it, he was just as nervous as the scientists that were already seemingly going mad with the idea of a certain someone visiting. He couldn’t other than to shake his head at their frantic attempts to make the lab presentable. As if she cared about something like that, no, she was only here for one thing and one thing only, what he had in this suitcase.

But before he could spin this thought any further the door to the to the lab open, both Pharynx and a woman with light blue skin and black hair in a dark blue suit stepped in. She carried herself with a smug sense of superiority, under her arm, a metal briefcase of her own cuffed to her wrist. “Ah, Thorax, it has been far too long,” she said in a juvenile tone, raising her arms if for a hug, the briefcase dangling from her wrist, which didn’t really seem to matter much to her.

“Cold Mirror, it’s good to see you,” he returned with a polite tone, trying his best to hide his own nervousness.

“It seems our lovely Lady Chrysella doesn’t have the time of day to greet me personally again. Really, it almost feels like she doesn’t care about our little business-venture here,” she said, stepping forward towards him without a care in the world. Pharynx stared at her for a few seconds, his eyes simmering with rage, but a single look from Thorax let him calm down again.

“I’m sorry, but Lady Chrysella is a very busy woman. You must understand that she can’t really do everything on her own,” he returned, a nervous undertone in his voice. “We are deeply sorry for that, but the fact that she sent her two sons to great you should be enough of a sign of how much she values our cooperation.”

“It seems whatever she is doing is more important,” she encountered with a smile on her lips, cooking her head a little. Something about this just let a cold shiver run down Thorax spine. “But, I’ll have enough time to meet with her again soon enough. Oh? Are you nervous, Thorax? Oh, that’s cute,” she added with a chuckle.

That let him take a step back before awkwardly returning: “N… No, not at all. Just thinking about a few things, that’s all. Shall we continue with the transaction?” He asked, pulling up the suitcase he had held the entire time.

“Oh, always right down to business with you. Where is there the fun,” she huffed, crossing her arms in front of her.

“We are a bit busy at the moment, things that we need to take care of are starting to pile up, that’s all,” he awkwardly chuckled before placed the suitcase in front of him on the nearby table before unlocking it and flipping it open. When the top was flung, open one could see ten black, rough pieces of stone with a faint green glimmer to them. “Here are half of the Dark Stones we managed to cultivate through our last shipment. They are all large enough to create a Worker of their own. We will also supply you with fifty drones that should be shipped to the usual place as we speak.”

“You never disappoint in that regard, Thorax, you are so reliable,” she smirked, marveling at the stones in front of her, seeing her deformed reflection in them and chuckling. “Now if you would be so reliable in all aspects,” she added with a slightly disappointed tone, placing her own suitcase on the table.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Pharynx's grumbly voice rose from behind them. Cold Mirror let her eyes drift towards him for a moment while unlocking the case from her hands and opening it. Inside, one could see five different objects, all rather unusual looking and unique. From a ring to a necklace, to a knife even to a crystal rose and a golden cup. The moment the lit had been opened, both Thorax, as well as his brother, felt immense energy radiating from them.

“Just like you order, five magical Artifacts that should be good enough to create a new batch of Changelings. The Circle always delivers,” she returned with a certain term. “The question is, however, if Change Industries and Lady Chrysella can actually deliver? Until now, everything was smooth sailing, nothing too out of the ordinary, but about two, three weeks ago, things have started to get a bit… Complicated, haven't they?”

“Are saying we can’t do what is expected from us?” Pharynx hissed, stepping closer to the two. “Is this an insult?”

“Oh, nothing of that, Phary,” she sighed before playfully slapping the man's cheek, much to his annoyance, fletching his teeth at her. “But, you failed to recover the Shadow Coins, the one thing that would have pushed your plan into its endstages. Then you let children bond with them, and since then, you have failed to get them back. Worse even, you did attract the attention a Kamen Rider. Be happy that this didn’t end badly for you.”

“Pah, Rider or not, no one stands in my and by extension Lady Chrysella’s way! If the Riders decide to get nosey, they will be crushed just like everyone else! Just like the Rangers, even if I have to do it myself!” He finished, slamming his fist on the table next to her and glaring straight at her. She didn’t even flinch that vacant smile still on her face.

“Pharynx! Would you plea-“ Thorax tried to interrupt his brother, but was himself stopped by the sickly sweet voice of Cold Mirror.

“Oh, is that so? I like your enthusiasm, I really do, but let’s make one thing perfectly clear, do not underestimate the Riders. The fact that they are still here is a sign of the capabilities in and of itself. They stood against someone backed by us, just like you, and survived to tell the tale. The moment you underestimate their ingenuity and resolve, you will suffer for it. You only got so far because they ignored you for now, simply because you don’t seem to be a significant threat. They leave you to the Rangers, but if you would to show your real strength, I guarantee you they would be here in a few hours and storming your oh so secure castle. Four Riders would be enough to stop you dead in your tracks. And what did I hear just a while back, someone stepping out and revealing himself to the world.” Her voice had grown surprisingly emotionless and cold, something that was reflected in her eyes that felt cold to the core.

Thorax just stared at her, his body feeling like it had been frozen in place while Pharynx was starting to shake, unable to let go of her eyes. “You are lucky that this hasn’t changed their outlook on you and your little operation here. Let me make one thing clear, we only invested in you because we see great potential in the Changelings and their evolution, but you are just one of many projects the Circle has their hands in. From people experimenting with Corrupted to Orphenochs, our clientele is vast, so it wouldn’t be too hard to drop you like a wet towel if the need would arise. And don’t forget, without us, you would run out of Changelings quickly, forcing you to play your hand early and drawing the Riders to you. So, keep that in mind would you,” she finished with one last, icy glare before adding a far more cheery: “But you wouldn’t do that, would you? We are all friends after all, right, Phary, Thorax?”

The room had turned quiet; none of the scientists even daring to move a single muscle. With every passing second, the nervousness was bubbling up inside Thorax until he finally managed to stammer a response. “Ye… Yes, yes, we are. And we will try to be more cautious next time…”

“Aww, that is good, Thorax! That was what I wanted to hear,” she stepped away from the still seemingly petrified Pharynx and patted Thorax on the head, ruffling his hair a bit. He simply took it without any form of protest, not like he would have accomplished anything. “Then I’ll have to go,” she continued, cuffing the case with the Dark Stones to her wrist and starting to walk off. “Oh, and Thorax. Don’t disappoint us. We don’t want to drop this project, it is oh so fascinating.”

“Yea… Yes, we will do our best,” he stammered as she waved him an energetic goodbye, a green glimmer in her eyes for just a second, and left the room.

The moment the door fell shut, Pharynx regained his composure again, through the shiver, was still present. “This is all your fault! If you had just taken the Coins already and not played your stupid mind games, we wouldn’t be in this mess!” He growled at him.

“I’m almost done. I just need one more, and I can make my move. I just need a good read on Blue, she is the hardest one to crack, but Third Eye is on her. This should be only a matter of time until this is done. I’m sure I’ll succeed, I just need to get a good starting point, so they see reason,” he muttered in return, taking another look at the Artifacts in front of him.

“They better be! If we don’t deliver soon…” he grimaced before slamming his fist on the table once again, breaking it and leaving several cracks behind. “Any other leads on the remaining coins?”

“No, nothing yet,” he sighed. “But I have people on that as well.”

“I hope you do, or I will do it myself,” with that the older brother stormed off and through the same door, Cold Mirror had left a minute earlier.

>-------<S>-------<

Meanwhile, in a café somewhere else in the city, the Shadowbolts were discussing their plans for today before they had to once again train with Cadance, like pretty much every day. The waitress had just taken their order and was walking towards the kitchen.

“Oh come on Sunny, we went to the shopping mall last time, how about we do something that is more interesting, like, I don’t know a music shop? I’m really itching to get my hands on that new album of Iron Mare before it’s entirely out of stock. I know a really cool record shop out there in the suburbs that probably sells it,” Lemon returned, already dreaming about the disc in her hands.

“Why don’t you just by it online? Who buys physical records anyway in this day and age?” Sunny just returned, rolling her eyes a little. “Come on, I need new stuff. I have my eyes on that cute tracksuit. It’s pink, supposedly super comfortable and it’s just totally adorable. And it even kinda counts as essential since my old one is already starting to fall apart thanks to Cadance and her training. I need something good.”

“A good record is something to be treasured! You can see your collection whenever you want, not like on a phone where you just have lines of text that mean nothing. I like to look and feel my music, it just feels more authentic, ok? And if you want to pull that card, I can too!” Lemon returned with a frown on her lips. “I need this music to train on my own! I can only really do this with good music, and I need something new!”

“That’s the dumbest reason I have ever heard! You just want that stupid CD! Admit it already!” Sunny was now starting to get a bit louder.

But not as loud as Lemon, who pretty much started to shout: “No, I will not! First, you admit that you are only out or something cute to wear! All that stuff about needing it is just so we give in! No matter how cute you look in the thing, we don’t need to sacrifice our day for your stupid ideas!”

“Oh, yeah?” At this point, everyone was already looking at them, but it didn’t seem like either Lemon nor Sunny were about to back down. “And your stupid music is any better? Maybe take a trip to the bookstore for one of your precious history books? You are doing exactly the same! At least my stuff is somewhat practical!”

“Girls…” Indigo sighed, shaking her head. “Everyones looking…”

“Can you two keep it down?” Sour asked, but her question fell onto deaf ears. “Or else I swear I will…” She added far louder, only to suddenly stop as her cheeks burst into a fiery red, not like the two of them cared for any of that.

“Why not do something else instead?” Sugarcoat simply said in her usual monotone tone. “If no one of you two gets their way, the other one won’t as well. So no one loses, and we can do something we all want to do and not just you.”

“Yeah, as if that will get through to them,” Sour chuckled dismissively to Indigo. To her surprise, the bickering between the two actually stopped for a moment and turned around and stared at Sugar. “Oh, you have got to be shitting me,” she just sighed, shaking her head in disbelief.

“And why should I agree to that?” Both of them asked in unison. “Hey! That was my line! You don’t get to decide that!” That continued for a while, both once again lost in their pointless squabbles.

“See, didn’t work. Should have known,” Sour added with a smug grin.

“I wouldn’t be so sure just yet,” Indigo returned with a knowing smile on her lips.

“Because this entire argument is entierly pointless since these are things you can do on your own. You don’t need us for this if you would be honest, you just want an audience,” she tried again. Once again, the bickering stopped, both of them looking at Sugar, this time, however, both looked like they were at a loss for words.

“I don’t want an audience, I just want to share my love of music with my friends, yeah, that’s all!” Lemon crossed her arms in front of her and refused even look her in the eyes.

“And I thought we could find something for you all too, but if this is how you want to spin this, I’ll do this on my own,” Sunny as well crossed her arms and frowned at Sugar. “So, what do you would say we should do as friends then?”

Sugar just nonchalantly shrugged. “I don’t know how about we go to someplace where we can have fun together. I would say the pool if we had anything to swim on us, but we don’t.”

“How about we take a small detour to the zoo? I mean, animals are always cute,” Sour joined in in the discussion. “Only if you want, of course.”

“Zoo again? We already were there like a month ago, and they haven’t gotten anything new since then. Why not something else?” Lemon groaned, letting her head sink towards the table with an exhausted expression on her face.

“Hey, if the zoo is a bit too standard for you, why not the aquarium? They recently finished renovating the place, and they got so many new fishies. Clownfish, catfish, manta rays, and even a big white! I wanted to go there a while now, but I kinda forgot with all of this crazy stuff happening now. How does that sound, girls? Taking a trip to the aquarium sounds like a lot of fun, doesn’t it?” Indigo said a bright smile on her lips.

“I guess we could do that. I still would rather go shopping, but having a few adorable fishies to look at sounds rather nice as well,” Sunny sighed, a reluctant smile on her lips.

“Fine, if she can roll with this, so can I. Aquarium it is then, right?” Lemon added as well.

“Good with me,” Indigo said while Sour just shrugged.

“Awesome! We are going to the aquarium, aquarium,” Lemon hummed to herself, drumming her fingers along the table like she played the drums. “Oh, this will be fun. Thanks for the idea, Sugar! We are all gonna have so much fun!” She continued, pulling her friend into a hug. “Are you looking forward to this as much as I do?”

But instead of her usual ‘sure’ or ‘ok,’ Sugar remained surprisingly quiet. “Oh, I’m hugging you too much again, sorry,” Lemon said, letting go of her friend, dusting her off and rearranging her clothes a little for good measure, before continuing: “Hehe, I kinda forget that at times that you aren’t a fan of this. So, the aquarium? Excited?”

“Aqu… Aquarium? The one with the fishes?” She mumbled, an uncertain look in her eyes. “Are you really sure?”

“Oh, yes, I’m! This will be so much fun! Watching the fishies swim by, all so weightless, and you know. This will be so cool!” She gushed back, a shimmer in her eyes like literal floodlights. “Come to think of it, we have never actually been to an aquarium together? That’s just weird. How could we not do that until now? I know you for ages after all,” she chuckled, shaking her head a bit.

“Yeah, you’re right! How unlucky. She must have always been busy when we went. But hey, at least she has time this time, isn’t that right, Sugar?” Indigo said, giving her a slap on her shoulder.

Sugar’s eyes slowly moved from one of her friends to the next, the shadow of uncertainty in her eyes, though none of the others seemed to pick up on that. “Eh… I’m not entirely sure. I still have some schoolwork to be done, so I’ll probably sit this one out again. What a shame,” she returned, trying her best to sound as natural as possible. That was also the moment she noticed someone coming closer.

“Oh, come on, Sugar! This will be fun! You’ll manage school just fine, and if you really need help, we’ll help you with it!”

“Sure, Lemon, you’ll help her a lot with school, especially with everything that isn’t history,” Sunny smirked.

“What’s that supposed to mean? Only because I don’t have the best grades doesn’t mean I’m completely useless!” She huffed back at her, crossing her arms.

“Oh, and your mediocre is good enough for Sugar’s great? Yeah, the one this would help more is you, not her. Wait, are you trying to do that? Of course, you are!”

“No! I’m not! What kind of person do you think I’m Sunny? I just want to hang out with my friends a bit! That’s all,” Lemon said with a smile on her lips before turning towards Sugar. “Come on, Sugar, don’t be such a grump. It’ll be fun!”

“Uhm, excuse me… I don’t want to interrupt your conversations, but what would you like to order? We are terribly sorry that we couldn’t serve you sooner. We had an accident in the kitchen that kept us busy. So, what can I bring you?” A waitress with cyan skin and pink hair asked them, pulling out a notebook and pen while awkwardly smiling at them.

“But we already ordered,” Sugar simply stated, far more composed this time.

“What? That’s weird. There was no one who took orders the last five minutes, and I don’t remember your table number coming up. I can ask again, but I’m sure you didn’t order anything yet,” the waitress returned, rubbing the back of her head in confusion.

“But you were just here two minu-“ That was when Lemon was interrupted by a hand reaching forward behind her and clamping shut over her mouth, muffling the rest of her words.

“Just ignore her,” Indigo said with a wide smile on her lips, trying her hardest to hold Lemon inside her grip. “I’m sure this was all just a misunderstanding.”

The waitress just looked at them funny for a moment before shaking her head. “Yeah, probably just a misunderstanding. So, what might I bring you five?”

Indigo repeated the order the girls had just made a few minutes ago, but Sugar didn’t really listen, she just looked at the waitress with her usual, emotionless expression. She carefully observed her every move. She was so wrapped up in this when the waitress left; she didn’t even hear her friends ask her something. Only after Lemon had repeated it a third time did she actually realize that. “Huh?”

“I said, then it’s a decision! Today we go to the aquarium! And no wiggling out of it! You’re gonna love it! No matter if you think this will be boring, we’ll make this a day you’ll never forget!” Lemon smiled at her, followed by the same expression from the three other girls.

Sugar looked between them for a few moments, her mind working in top gear. If the other had looked close enough, they would have seen the small sweatdrop that ran down her face. “But…” She started before bitting herself on the lip. “Fine… I guess,” she finally sighed something that was met with the absolute delight of her friends.

“Yay! We are going to the aquarium, aquarium, aquarium!” Lemon started to sing, not that Sugar listened right now. She was way too much lost in her thoughts.

>-------<S>-------<

It hadn’t taken long for their orders to arrive, finish and leave for the aquarium. Indigo and Lemon had more or less been talking the entire way there, Sour and Sunny just listened in. The moment they had entered the building, the two were able to slow down anymore. They dashed from one tank to the next. If one didn't know any better, they would think they had never seen a fish in their lives. Sunny and Sour followed after them, chuckling and shaking their heads in amusement at their boundless enthusiasm. A bit further behind Sugar trotted behind them, her stare directed at the ground. Occasionally she let her head look back over her shoulders, almost as if she was looking out for someone.

This went on for a while, well, until Sugar suddenly felt a hand grab ahold of her wrist and pull her forward. Surprised, her head snapped upwards, staring at the back of Lemon’s head as she dragged her across the room. “Oh, come on! Don’t be such a party pooper! You haven’t even looked at anything properly since we came here! I want you to enjoy this just as much as the rest of us! I know you didn’t really want to come here, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy yourself!”

Before Sugar had any chance to protests, she had already been dragged across half of the room and right in front of a large glass pane. Behind it, several colorful fish of unknown origin were swimming past her as if they were floating. Their scaly forms swam past her, some fast, but some slowly. She could see them, their freaky fins that twitched with every move they made, their forms that just felt unnatural as they twisted and squirmed through the water and worst of all their eyes. These soulless, dead, unsettling eyes that seemed to stare at her like a demon from the deepest depths of Tartarus.

“Uhm, Sugar? Everything ok?” She suddenly was snapped out of her thoughts by Lemon’s voice. In an instant, she snapped around to her, taking a step back. For a second, she thankful she could finally take her eyes off these… things, but then her other thoughts came rushing in. “Sugar? You don’t look good? Are you ill?” Lemon continued to ask, her voice taking on a far more concerned tone.

“I… I’m fine,” she weakly stammered back, but instead of calming her friend down, it only worsened the frown on her face.

“You don’t look fine. Is something wrong, Sugar?” She continued, taking a step closer to the usually calm girl who right now wasn’t even recognizable as the same person anymore. That was also the moment when the three other Shadowbolts arrived, all their reactions ranging from worry to confusion.

“Is something going on, Lemon?” Sunny asked, stepping next to Lemon, followed by the two others.

“I… I need to use the restroom,” Sugar managed to stammer before dashing away from her friends.

“Hey! Sugar! Wait!” Lemon shouted after her, but the girl was already around the next corner, leaving four rather baffled teenagers behind.

“What in Tartaru's name was that?” Indigo asked, staring just as perplexed after their friend as Lemon.

“I… I have no idea,” she got in return. “I just wanted to show her some cool fishies, and then she started to act strange. Well, she acted strange ever since the café, but now even more than before. She just stared at the glass, totally ignoring me before starting to get really nervous. And I mean normal person nervous and that for Sugar. Sugar never is nervous! Something is totally off, and I don’t know what it is!”

“You think it could be connected to a Changeling? I mean, this is not normal for her in any way. A monster being involved wouldn’t be too strange,” Sunny returned, crossing her arms, her lips bearing a frown.

“You sure? Never seen any of them do that before,” Indigo sighed, rubbing her head in confusion.

“I mean, we fought one who could make illusions. And if you saw any of the weird shit the Rider’s had to deal with, it could be. But I don’t know,” she sighed.

“Whatever it is, we probably shouldn’t be standing around here like some statues, right?” Sour grunted, before walking past her three friends.

“Ye… Yeah, you’re right!” Lemon stammered after a few moments. “Whatever, if it’s a monster or something else, she needs us right now!” With that, Lemon dashed after Sugar, the three others quickly following.

>-------<S>-------<

It had taken a bit of time for Sugar to find any bathroom, but the moment she had dashed inside, she slammed the door shut behind her. Taking a very deep breath, she let herself slump against the door. It took her a few moments before she could push herself off the door and stumble over to the sink. In any other situation, she would have tried her hardest not to get water from a public bathroom into her face, but right now, she didn’t care.

The cold water splashed against her face, refreshing, but at the same time cold as ice, or at least it felt that way. As she looked back up with a sigh, she stared back at her reflection in the mirror. What she saw was not what usually greeted her, gone was the calm and collected young girl that could take on anything. Instead, she had been replaced by nervous-looking wreak that seemed to be on the verge of a breakdown. The longer she looked at that girl, the more thoughts started to cloud her mind, about what her friends thought of her breaking down, what if she couldn’t get it back together or even worse if the Changelings found out about this… There was the waitress that…

No! She had to think straight again and not get lost in her thoughts again. If she thought about everything that could go wrong, something would definitely go wrong. She just had to breathe, order her thoughts, and just stand through all of this. That was all, nice and simple.

She was once again snapped out of her mind when the door to the bathroom slowly opened, but instead of her friends, someone else entered. A woman with cyan skin and pink hair stepping into the room. She seemed to ignore Sugar for now, but Sugar sure wasn’t. Her eyes were glued to the woman as she walked up next to her and turned on another one of the sinks, washing her hands.

“Hmh, is something?” She asked curiously, turning her head towards the still staring Sugar.

“You know that I know who you are,” she simply returned, her composure starting to return now that she had something to focus on again.

“Figures. Not that much of a surprise. You were always the sharp one, at least from what I could gather Blue. Always calm and collected, almost absentminded, if not for the fact that you always give the best answers. You know, one could even think you are perfect, not a single blemish on your ideal appearance. Well, one could believe that if not for the fact of how you are right now. All of this is just a pathetic façade to hide a frightened young girl who is out of her depth. It’s nice to see you finally break down, and that because of me. You might play the big, strong, unapproachable tough girl, but in the end, you are just scared of us, aren’t you?” The woman returned, her voice growing from a friendly tone to a far more sinister one.

Sugar meanwhile stared at her. “What do you want?”

“Oh, back to your mask, I see? You’re really good at it, I must say. Maybe pick up acting when all of this is over, but you can’t fool me. You’re afraid of me; otherwise, you wouldn’t have stormed in her after seeing me, right? No need to hide it, I already know,” she returned in a smug voice, completed by the insufferable smile on her lips.

“Sorry to disappoint, but I’m not scared of you. Cautious, maybe, but not scared. I knew you were around, and I knew you would strike soon, but you shouldn’t be any significant threat to me. Judging by how things have gone until now, chances are that you are just as strong as the rest of your friends. And based on that, I shouldn’t have anything to fear from you,” she matter-of-factly returned, casually drying her hands with some of the paper towels.

The Changeling’s eyes narrowed, and with a swift flick of her wrist, she threw several green blades back into the room. Sugar’s head snapped around, just in time to see the projectiles slice into a camera and letting it fall in pieces to the floor. “So, now we are in private, how about we start to talk a bit more. How about you give me your Shadow Coin, and I’ll make sure you never have to be afraid ever again. Queen Chrysalis can make all your worries disappear, let them sink into the background while we change the world. Fear will be a thing of the past, and no one has to play the hardened one anymore. Doesn’t that sound good? Just give me the coin, and I can make everything that scares you comforting,” she continued, in a surprisingly sincere and caring voice, holding out her open hand.

“Too bad, I’m not afraid of you,” Sugar returned before kicking the Changeling into her stomach, shoving her back, not that it had done any sort of actual damage to the monster.

After taking a few steps back, the woman looked back up, a fierce green fire burning in her eyes. “Oh, so you want to play then? Fine, I show you why you should be afraid!” She growled before her body started to shift back into her more monstrous form. Her skin took on a lush green tone, while her body began to take the shape of what looked like a leaf with long slim arms that ended in sharp blades. Her face also took the form of a leaf with leaf-like pincers and horns.

“Light up!” Sugar shouted, having activated her Morpher while the Changeling had started to transform.

[Bl-Bl-Blue!]

[Shine Honest! Blue!]

Within seconds the Changeling released the razor-sharp blades on her arms onto Sugar, who barely managed to dodge out of the way. The leaves soared over Sugar before suddenly arcing upwards and through the ceiling, letting it come down on them, together with what looked like the interior of a supply closet.

[G-G-Gun!]

Out from beneath the debris, the sound of a shot being fired echoed through what still remained of the room, water starting to pour down from above. The blue bolt of energy burst through a pile of rubble before dashing straight for another one, only for it to suddenly move and a dusty Changeling to jump out from under it.

Wasting no time, the Changeling retaliated, several more of the blades soaring towards Sugar, only for the girl to look up from behind her cover and effortlessly shoot down all six projectiles that were heading her way with her calculated shots.

With a loud roar, the Changeling dashed forward, continuously throwing blades upon blades at the Blue Ranger. With every step the Leafe-Insect-Changeling took towards the Ranger, it got harder and harder to shoot down the individual leaves until she was forced to take one step back and then another one, slowly pushing her more and more against the wall behind her. What was worse was the fact that the Changeling actually got closer to her, even when she was starting to move backward.

Just before Sugar had been completely pushed against the wall, she, instead of continuing to retreat, dashed forward, shooting down the blades headed her way while dodging several others. That, however, was far easier said than done, now with her also getting closer to the dangerous leaves it only made it easier to get to her, several close calls she managed to avoid, but in the end, even that wasn’t enough. She could feel the sharp edge of the projectile slice across her suit, spark flying off of it. Still, she pushed onwards, even if she had to flinch her teeth hard enough that they felt like they were about to fall out at any moment now.

“Oh? It seems you are getting a bit reckless there, aren’t we? I hope it doesn’t hurt too much,” the Changeling chuckled before throwing another barrage at her. Sugar just grimaced beneath her helmet, and instead of raising her gun again, just dashed past her and straight for the door. Like to be expected, the projectiles slammed into her back, slicing across her like they were a whip, the reduced Ranger letting out an agonizing scream as she crashed through the door and landed on the other side with a loud thud.

As she tried to crawl back up, she felt the pain surge through her back like it was on fire, instead slumping back down onto the floor with a pained hiss.

“Didn’t pan out that well Blue, did it?” She chuckled as she stepped through the door that had been forced open. “But I have to give you credit, far braver than I would have expected from you, especially after how you reacted to me before. But this is the end of the line for you,” the Changeling continued, the blades on her arms starting to glow in a menacing green.

Sugar had stopped trying to stand back up again, seemingly ready to accept her fate. As the Changeling stood over her, however, she suddenly spun on her back, suppressing the feeling of a campfire burning on her back as she slammed an Ability Coin into her gun and pulled the trigger.

[W-W-Wind!]

Out of nowhere, a large gust of wind shot out of the gun, throwing the Changeling back and through a wall. Sugar, however, didn’t fare any better; without a solid stance, she was also pushed back and through one of the aquariums, drenching her in water as she is washed out of it. When she finally didn’t feel like a sook in a washing machine anymore, she opened her eyes, only to stare directly into the eyes of a large, grey fish. In an instant, her eyes darted open as she pushed the disgusting thing away, breathing heavily.

“I think that came from there!” It echoed from the other end of the hallway as four girls in multicolored suits dashed around the corner only to come to a screeching halt as they saw the destruction caused by the two. Sugar weakly looked over to them, expecting on of them to come and help her up. And at first, that actually seemed to be the case, Lemon immediately dashing towards her only to suddenly stop dead in her tracks and raising her gun. “Uhm… Girls? Who is the real one?”

Sugar looked at her for a moment before it dawned on her, slowly turning back to see another Blue Ranger crawling out of the rubble. “She… She’s the imposter,” the other Ranger said, breathing heavily.

“No, it’s her!” Sugar returned, just as out of breath.

“Oh, come on! Really?” Lemon just sighed, switching her gun from one target to the next.

“Try asking them something only the real one would know,” Sunny returned. “But, for goodness sake, make it ambiguous, so we don’t blare out our identities,” she added with a worried frown.

Lemon nodded only for her to suddenly stop. “Uh… A question? I… Ok, this is harder than I thought… Uhm, how about… Oh, now, I know. What’s your favorite food?” That one was easy, Sugar thought.

“Stake, medium rare!” To everyone's surprise, both of them said this at the same time, in the same voice and everything.

“Uh… That’s not good,” Lemon muttered, rubbing the back of her helmet. “Ahm, how about another one. What’s your favorite music?”

“Pop!” It came once again came from both of them simultaneously, much to the annoyance of her friends.

“Why don’t you ask her something more specific?” Sour hissed from the back.

“Oh, sure. You come up with something like this on the spot; it’s not easy, you know. And you know I can’t ask her something with dates because I don’t know either,” Red huffed back. At this, Sour remained quiet.

If this went on any longer, the Changeling would probably get a good chance to get them. She had to do something, but with the fact that she seemingly knew almost everything about her and Lemon just not being the girl for a situation like this, her options were rather limitate. But she had to do something, anything…

Then it dawned on her. Maybe this would actually work? They had noticed it, she just had to hope that they would believe her.

“Red,” she began, the girl looking over to her. “You wanted to know if I was fine before, right?”

“Yeah, I did. You looked so out of it. What about it?” She returned, rather puzzled.

“Easy, I noticed the waitress from before, that came two times and was getting worried we were being tailed,” the Changeling interrupted.

“No, actually, that isn’t why I looked so out of it,” Sugar returned, sounding surprising nervous. “It… I’m…” she started to stammer, her cheeks bright red beneath her helmet. “I’m afraid of fish!” Sugar finally blurted out, letting her forehead slump against the floor.

“What?” Lemon asked, slightly lowering her gun.

“I’m afraid of fish!” She repeated again, screaming it from the bottom of her lungs. “They just scare me, ok? I don’t know why, but every time I look at them, I start to get nervous. The way they move, how they look and dear Tartarus, their eyes. They are just scary, even if I know they can’t hurt me. I didn’t tell anyone about this because I thought you might think less of me when you knew. That’s why I tried to wiggle out of coming here,” she continued, sounding almost pathetic, a far cry from the usual Sugar.

“Sugar…” Lemon quietly said before pulling up her gun and firing a single shot. What followed was a loud screech as the second Blue started to squirm around on the ground, slowly turning back into her Changeling form. Lemon didn’t waste any time and sprinted over to Sugar before helping her up. “Come on, let’s finish this.”

Now partially supported through Lemon Sugar raised her gun, inserting a coin into it, something the rest of them followed suit on.

[Fi-Fi-Final! Red!]

[Fi-Fi-Final! Blue!]

[Fi-Fi-Final! Yellow!]

[Fi-Fi-Final! Pink!]

[Fi-Fi-Final! Green!]

Once again, the Changeling was consumed in the black cloud, slowly pushing herself off the ground only to be slammed in the chest by five simultaneous orbs that burst through the dark that threw her out of the whole building.

Like on cue, it didn’t take long for the Changeling to grow to enormous heights, the Rangers already running out of the aquarium, Sugar still leaning on Lemon. “Let’s go, girls. We have a giant problem to take care of,” she said before each one of them slammed their own Coins into the Morpher.

[Le-Le-Leviathan!]

[Ro-Ro-Roc!]

[Wy-Wy-Wyvern!]

[Ma-Ma-Manticore!]

“Shadow Star Megazord!”

Within seconds the Changeling had been transported into the other dimension, and the Megazord assembled, now both facing each other for one last fight.

The enormous Changeling apparently was not in the mood for pleasantries, instead choosing to unleash a barrage of its leaves that came soring towards them. While the Zord managed to swat a few of them out of the air, the vast majority of them struck their target, letting sparks fly from the scratches they left behind. Inside the cockpit, this wasn’t any better, everything shaking.

“Damn, it! We have to do something! She is slowly shredding us apart,” Sunny hissed, trying to hold on to the controls.

“Blocking the leaves with a weapon is pointless. There are too many of them to actually make any progress. We have to go on the offensive, or we won’t win this!” Sugar returned, still breathing heavily as she pulled out a coin and slammed it into the console.

[W-W-Wind!]

After the medal had slotted into the Megazord, its blade started to be consumed by wind, that alone enough to slightly distract the leaves that came their way, slashing through the surrounding buildings instead. Sugar started to move precisely, without hesitation, she slammed the blade into the ground, a whirlwind beginning to form around them. Within seconds bildings, pieces of the road, and of course, the blades were all sucked into its pull until the Changeling herself was pulled in, floating helplessly in its clutches.

With a deadly glare in her eyes, Sugar pulled the weapon from the ground, and with one, exact swing of it, she cut the Changeling in half, the whirlwind died in a fiery green. “And this marks the end of this,” she simply stated as the wind slowly started to die down again.

>-------<S>-------<

Letting out a soft his Sugar pressed her teeth together when she felt the last bandaged being pulled around her back, hiding the bruised skin underneath it. “There we go,” Cadance sighed, dusting off her hands with a satisfied smile on her lips. “That should take care of this.”

“Thanks,” Sugar returned, a bit embarrassed by the whole ordeal before grabbing her uniform once again.

“So, fish, eh?” Lemon chuckled next to her, a devious smile on her lips. Sugar just looked at the floor, her cheeks taking on a deeply red shade.

“Yes, fish,” she ultimately admitted.

“Oh well, I heard weirder,” she smirked at Sugar. “Why did you think we would think any less of you for this? I mean, come one, if one should feel embarrassed, it’s me since I couldn’t think of a question only you would have been able to answer. What kind of friend is that, please?”

“That was fine, she did her research on me apparently. She knew just as much about me as you do…” She returned before her expression into one of guilt. “And that is my fault. If she could make it impossible for any of you to differentiate between us, it just shows that you actually don’t know anything about me…”

“Oh please, what’s that supposed to mean? You’re fine as you are and there is one thing I know for sure about you, you’re my friend. And that is all we need, faults, fears, and your attitude included. I know when you’re happy, I know when you are sad, and I know when you need help, you saw that today, right? I might sometimes be a bit slow in the uptake, but I know you. You don’t need to hide anything from us, you’re our friend after all. And besides a bit of teasing, we don’t care about your fish problem,” she chuckled, the other three girls nodding in agreement while Cadance just smiled with crossed arms leaning against the wall.

“Girls…” she weakly returned before she suddenly lunged forward and pulled Lemon into a huge. The girl looked down in surprise, but it didn’t take long for her to return the gesture. This just felt right, especially after such a long day. Just seconds later, the three others joined in on the group hug as well. Yes, this was felt definitely right, she thought.

The Deal

View Online

The dark laboratory was suddenly illuminated in a blinding green light as two figures stepped out of a surging flame. One of the two was Thorax, who was supporting a weak-looking woman with yellow skin and white, long hair. He guided her through the empty lab before letting her sit down on one of the chairs that had been pushed to the side. „Here you go,“ he muttered, stepping back a bit. „Here are we save Third Eye.“

The woman looked at him for a moment before lowering her head in shame. I’m… I’m so sorry, my lord… I failed you,” she weakly said. “I failed both you, the entire swarm and the queen.”

“Don’t take it too hard, this-“ He was about to say when he was interrupted by a rough voice.

“Yes! Yes, you did! And the pathetic worm is actually trying to talk her out of her realization? Pathetic,” Pharynx spat out, the double door to the lab sliding close behind him.

“Pharynx, I would appreciate it if you would stop attacking my subordinates,” Thorax calmly returned as he slowly turned around.

“Tsk,” he huffed, throwing a disgusted look first at Third Eye and then at his brother. “Oh, playing the caring boss now, are we? You don’t get it, do you? She lost, she’s worthless. She lacks the strength to have any part in our new world. She just belongs at the bottom with all the others that can’t live up to the ideal. That’s what she is, and that is what she will always be! A failure is eternal; he can’t be erased. This entire world is a colossal failure, a failure that has to be broken down to the core and rebuild from the ground up! We can’t use broken goods in that process!”

“But aren’t we trying to rebuild the world by still using all the people in it that have the potential to fix it? We might destroy parts of the blighted world, the parts that are broken, but at the core, it’s still the same world. Why not with her? She’s loyal, followed her orders to a T, and is perceptive. All these qualities are hard to find. Her weakness, arrogance, and other shortcomings are just parts we have to strip her off to rebuild her stronger than before. Isn’t that what we ultimately aim for, break down this world and rebuild it better?” He returned, sounding calm and collected, but his eyes told a different story. They were shimmering green, green with determination.

“Oh, so this is what you think? Pathetic! Until now, your methods haven’t bared fruit either. You just collected the trash from the ground, pathetically scrambling to somehow not get your head caught on the chopping block. But trash will always be trash, no matter how much you polish it,” Pharynx dismissively said.

“And I disagree. If trash would always remain trash, then we can’t save the world because building this new one atop the old one. If trash remained trash, recycling wouldn’t be a thing, using what would usually be discarded as junk to create new tools for the world. And the ‘trash’ I have been collecting has gotten us closer to our goal. We are still far away from the magical energy we need to go over into the next phase of our plan, but we are slowly getting there. And now, with the last of my field agents reporting back to me, I have finally what I have been waiting for. I know who the Rangers are,” he calmly stated.

“We already knew that! We could have attacked them anytime we wanted. If that is all your oh so glorious planning has accomplished, then you are an even bigger failure than I thought,” his brother smirked, a smug, superior look in his eyes.

“No, not what their names and addresses are, we know that. What kind of persons they are. Come, Third Eye, what can you tell me about the Blue Ranger?” He turned around, a warm smile on his lips.

“The… The Blue Ranger?” She stuttered after a few moments, realizing she had been reintegrated into the conversation.

“Yes, the Blue Ranger. You have information for me, right?” He said the last few words with an unnerving undertone, one that let her blood freeze inside her veins, no matter how friendly his smile semed.

“Yea… Yeah, I have. The Blue Ranger is someone who tends to hide her true feelings behind an aloof mask. She is afraid to tell others about them as much as possible, making it possible to isolate her. She is also afraid of fish form some Tartarus damn reason, but don’t ask me why. It’s not much, but…” she stammered, nervously looking back at Thorax. He had continued to smile at her through her entire report, his expression itself not changing, but she didn’t feel the dread anymore.

“Oh, it’s more than enough. I think I understand her now, it puts several things into perspective. I would still like you to tell me everything else in greater detail later, but for now, you’re dismissed. Return to your job and not speak about this to anyone.” She nodded in return before hastily stumbling towards the door, only to be stoped by Thoraxe’s voice once again. “Oh, and don’t forget to check by the infirmary as well. You’re in bad shape, but nothing a few bandages can’t fix.” Looking at him in confusion, she nodded again and walked out, Pharynx spitting after her.

“And how is that supposed to be useful? Are you gonna throw fish at her and hope she locks up?”

“No, I plan to talk to them.”

At this, Pharynx just stared at his brother in absolute shock. “You… You want to talk? Are you that afraid of them that the only way you see yourself winning this is by discussing with our enemies? You’re pathetic!”

“No, I just don’t think the Rangers are bad people. They have the same end-goal as we save this world. Until now, they only know half the picture. Now that I know what kind of persons they are, I’m sure I can convince them. They just need to see that what we are trying to do here is for the betterment of this world. I know what will appeal to them, what to say. I know I can do this and give them a chance to save the world with us,” he finished, a warm smile on his lips. “What do you think?”

“I think you are insane. Discussing with the Rangers is doomed to fail. Leave me out of this mad plan of yours and see how this will pan out,” he growled before stomping out of the room.

Thorax looked after him for a few more seconds before sighing: “I can’t believe it. Even when I show him a way without bloodshed and fighting, he still refuses to even acknowledge it. We can’t create a better world by only destroying, we also have to be able to build something new in its place. I hope the Rangers understand what we really want. They are good people, they are just misguided. I think they would make themselves wonderful in this new world.”

>-------<S>-------<

The next day the five girls had managed to score themselves one day off training, partially because Sugar still needed to recover a little bit, partly because Cadance had something to do at the school and allegedly because they deserved. Save to say, no one but Lemon believed it, but they weren’t gonna waste that present anyway. The finally had time to spend with their friends again, well more than just a little bit at least. They would sue this day to its fullest, no one could do anything to stop them.

They were a bit surprised that their friends seemed to all have time to just hang out the next day. Either they had nothing planned or were actively trying to make time for them, either or, it didn’t really matter to them. The only thing important was the fact that they would eat pizza with a group of friends.

School came and went like it was nothing, and within no time, the five girls had gathered in one of the most famous local pizzerias, the Magnum Opus, and somehow they had managed to get a table there on such short notice. Whatever they did, that was something quite impressive. The girls had told them that they would come back a bit later, they were meeting with someone who had just returned to Canterlot City, so there the five were, right in front of the sandstone building, with a large sign on it and a large double glass door.

A bit hesitantly, they opened the two glass doors and stepped inside. Immediately they were greeted by the smell of garlic, marinara-sauce, and dough. It was an overwhelming scent, but not unpleasant. The inside was quite rustic, garlic hanging from the ceiling, and a large flatscreen hung from the wall. Like outside, the restaurant was made out of sandstone. Twelve tables with four chairs each were scattered across the room, all wholly occupied. All in all, it was a lovely place to eat, if not a bit cramped.

“Hello, how can I help you?” A friendly voice asked them, turning around they were greeted by a dressed in a blue t-shirt and a brown apron with the ‘Magnum Opus’-logo on it. She had bright yellow skin while her electric blue hair was bound together in a ponytail. “You have any reservations? Because otherwise, I can’t really give you a table,” she continued.

“No, we not. But our friends said we should wait here for them. Did anyone like Sunset Shimmer order a table here?” Sugar said, taking the woman a bit aback by her matter-of-factly tone.

“Oh…” She returned, blinking a bit before continuing. “So you are the friends Sunset and the other Rainbooms have talked about. Sure I have something for you, come,” she smiled, gesturing them to follow her. “Oh, my name is Summer Breeze, by the way.”

“Nice to meet you, Summer,” Lemon returned with a bright smile. “So, you know Sunset and her friends, or what?”

She stopped in front of the door to the kitchen and turned around. “I think there is someone else who can explain this better. Brace yourself,” she chuckled before opening the door and screaming inside: “Thunder, part of your special guest are here!”

The girls looked at the door in confusion before a man clad in the same kind of apron as Summer, wearing a black shirt. His skin was a warm yellow while his hair was a short black. He was covered in a lot of flour and a bit of marinara sauce. “Ah, there you are! You must be the friends Sunset and the others talked about. Come, come, through the kitchen to the stairs. I’ll be right with you,” he said with a very energetic voice and one of the warmest smiles they had ever seen. Lemon and her friends just nodded a bit perplexed and started to step into the kitchen.

“Wait, though the kitchen? You have places to sit for customers through the kitchen? Isn’t that a bit… unsanitary?” Sunny asked, looking at the man with a raised eyebrow.

“Well, usually not. But I always have a seat open for friends and friends of friends. Technically this isn’t really allowed, but one can bend the rules a little bit, can’t one,” he smirked. “Now, hush, hush. I don’t need you all in my kitchen.”

With that, he pushed the girls towards the stairs and up into a well-furnished living room decorated with a red couch, armchairs, a TV, and a small table, just big enough to possibly hold all of them. “Huh, so, does he let us just use his living room like this? That’s weird…” Sunny muttered before shrugging and claiming one of the armchairs for herself.

“Well, he seems to really trust the Rainbooms if he does. Either or, I don’t really care. This is nice,” Indigo returned with a shrug, taking a glance at one of the pictures depicting a pizza. “Really, the guy seems to love his job. Kinda envious really, even if it’s strange,” she chuckled.

“Oh, I think he is nice. I’m kinda surprised any of you aren’t freaking out about this, though,” Lemon said, curiously walking across the room, examining everything with a wild glee on her lips.

“Why?” Sour returned, somewhat confused. “Is he somehow connected to a famous historical figure or what? Or a pizza-themed supervillain? Because the later I would totally buy.”

Lemon just sighed: “Oh, come on, really? You don’t know who he is? Please, he is Alchemy’s brother. We are sitting right now in the former living room of a superhero! How awesome is that, please? I can firmly smell the justice emanating from the walls here!” Lemon’s entire face had morphed into the extremest smile any of them had ever seen, almost like she would just drop dead any second from now from pure excitement.

“Easy there, Lemon, you wouldn’t want to collapse here. That would be a tad bit awkward to explain,” Sunny chuckled as she shook her head. “And please don’t take a souvenir,” she added with a sigh.

“I would never!” She huffed back, crossing her arms in front of her. “And please, as if any of your fashionistas would invite you into their home, you would react the same way,” she continued with a devilish smirk.

That got Sunny to blush a bit: “That… I mean… Who wouldn’t… Ok, fine, you win!” She finally finished with a huff of her own, only to be followed by a laugh from Lemmon and soon the rest.

“Well, looks like you started the fun without us already?” A somewhat raspy voice called out from the stairs.

Before anyone else could say anything, Indigo screamed out in glee: “Rainbow! It’s been too long!” Like a speeding bullet, she jumped up from her chair and pulled the rainbow-haired girl into a tight hug.

“Hey! Hey, not so fast!” She got in return as Rainbow tried to free herself, without much success before Indigo stopped on her own. While brushing her clothes back into form, she continued: “Heard you’re track team is doing good?

“Yep! We finally got one of our best runners back! And my personal rival! There is just no one who can push me to my limits like Lightning Dust!” Indigo smirked in return. “Man, I missed her.”

“Lightning Dust, eh?” She got as an answer. “You’re sure about that? You know, with the whole monster business and all? I know you weren’t there, but she really went off the rails back then.”

“Lightning’s fine! That’s in the past! She’s really embarrassed about all of this now. Something like that shouldn’t define you as a person if you actually put in the effort to improve,” Indigo sighed.

“Sounds like a good idea; otherwise, I would still be trying to take over Equestria,” another voice said, this time from Sunset Shimmer, behind her Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Twilight, only for two other persons to come up the stairs. The first one was Thunder, who just smiled at them, but the other one they didn’t know. He was a young man with light brown skin and green hair and stoped right next to Twilight.

“Seems you made yourself all comfortable already? What mine is yours,” Thunder chuckled only to add a nervous: “Just don’t actually steal something. I don’t mean it that way.”

“Don’t worry, they shouldn’t do that,” Sunset chuckled, shaking her head a bit.

“Well, if we stop from Lemon taking an Alchemy souvenir, that is,” Sunny added with a sly smirk.

“Oh, come on, you look a little, and everyone thinks you’re a thief now or what?”

“Oh? She’s a fan of my brother? Nothing new, can’t fault her, really. He saved the city after all,” Thunder smirked.

“Yeah, she’s a massive Super Hero geek. You should have seen her a few minutes ago,” Sunny continued, the smirk on her lips telling everyone what a great time she just had.

“And what? I just like people who stand up to the ones that want to hurt others, ok?” She returned with a frown on her lips.

“Oh, no. I get it. I understand why that idiot gets that,” Thunder smirked. “But, as much fun as it would be to tell you about how the guy really is, I have a restaurant to run. So, how about I get your orders and be on my way again.”

It didn’t take them long till everyone had ordered theirs, Pinkie taking one with candy corn of all things, but Thunder didn’t seem to mind and even added that it wasn’t the weirdest order he ever had. After he had returned to the kitchen or ‘his realm’ how he liked to call it, all of them were left on their own.

“Ok, seriously, how do you know the guy, and who did you have to murder for getting a table here?” Sour blurted out after Thunder had left the room.

Sunset just chuckled before returning: “Well, we came here a lot before the place became this popular. Don’t get me wrong, it was a rather popular place even back then, but ever since the Alchemy thing everything is just always full, so that helped. And we sometimes helped Alchemy out a bit with our Geodes, and when the city was overrun with monsters, we did as well. He thinks he somehow owes us something, even though he really doesn’t.”

“Oh, right, totally forgot that you did. The fact that you pretty much managed to keep that a secret from most people doesn’t help much,” Sour continued. “But, I’m not complaining, this is great!”

“Yeah, it does have its good sides, doesn’t it?” Rainbow added, grinning from ear to ear.

“Oh, yes, it does! This is fucking awesome!” Indigo returned, in almost the same tone.

“There are two who found each other,” Sunny silently chuckled to Sour, who joined her without as much as a second thought.

“Oh, totally. These two are so much alike. I’m surprised they haven’t hit it off yet,” she returned with a sly grin.

But before Sour could say anything else, Sunny’s eyes wandered over to one person in particular. “So, Twilight…” She continued, her mischievous grin only growing in intensity as she talked further. “Who is the young man next to you?”

That did catch Twilights' attention who almost fell off the couch so flustered was she. Her cheeks were burning a bright red when she awkwardly returned: “Uhm, he? He’s my… You know…”

“Oh Darling, that isn’t the proper way to do this! You really should be ashamed of yourself, Sunny. And you should know best of all after all,” Rarity saved Twilight with a shake of her head. “And why don’t you ask him that yourself? He can talk just as well as Twilight,” she added with a huff.

With a light chuckle, the boy put his hand on Twilight’s shoulder and started to say: “Names Timber Spruce. I’m Twilight’s boyfriend, nice to meet you all. The girls seem to all like you quite a bit.”

“Then they haven’t told you the whole picture,” Sugar returned, staring at Timber with her usual look, getting a nervous chuckle out of him.

“Sugar Coat, I assume?” He encountered, a small sweatdrop forming on his forehead, only to let out a silent sigh of relive when she nodded. “Oh, trust me, they told me everything from the Friendship Games on. But that’s in the past, right? Not like you didn’t learn from your mistakes, now did you? At least that’s what a friend of mine tends to say.”

“Wait, they told you and still are positive about us? That’s so nice, girls!” Lemon intercepted, almost lunging at all of them and pulling them in a hug one after the other.

“So, how did you get that bookworm out of her library?” Sunny once again chuckled. “That was something she never even considered back at Chrystal Prep. Granted, part of the reason were we, but we can just forget about that for now. I want the details!”

Timber just rubbed the back of his head awkwardly before answering: “Well, if you ask how we meet, well, we met a bit over half a year ago in Camp Everfree. My sister and I run the camp there, and these seven kinda helped us out and saved my sister from herself, and it just kinda went from there. But if you think I get her out of her nerdiness, you are so wrong, I tell you. Not even I’m able to do that. Not as if that would be a problem, always interesting to learn something new.”

“Yeah, the day before we go everywhere so you can pretend to be smart and look like an idiot,” Twilight chuckled, letting Timber’s face take on a rather delightful shade of pink.

“I like to come prepared, ok?” He returned with crossed arms and a slight smile on his lips. “And as if you were anything to talk about stuff like this? I think I have seen teen different dating advice books in your bag at this point.”

“That’s different! That is study material!” Twilight returned defensively. “Those who go unprepared into something always fall short.”

“Didn’t she just agree with him?” Sour whispered to Sunny.

“Yep, yep, she totally did,” Sunny returned. “but that are couples for you.”

“So, why haven’t we seen Timber around more often? Did you’re brother scare him off or something since I never saw him pick you up at school or anything,” Sunny continued.

“Oh, no. While Shiny tried to be as threatening and intimidating as possible, that’s not why you haven't seen him around,” Twilight said with a small smirk. “He just isn’t in Canterlot most of the time, that’s all. Since two months ago he has been out of town a lot, that’s all,” she finished, the smirk had vanished from her lips.

“Huh, why does someone who runs a camp with his sister need to leave the city so often?” Indigo said, confused, rubbing her head at this.

Timber seemed to get a bit flustered at this question before returning: “Oh, well, it’s just that I'm looking through other camps right now for a few ideas that we can incorporate into Camp Everfree, that’s all,” he finished off with an awkward chuckle.

“Right…” Sunny returned with a raised eyebrow. “Anyway, nice that you are here and back in the city. So, for how long are you gonna stay?”

With a sigh, he said: “Sadly, not that long. About three days only actually before I have to go again.”

“Huh, that sucks…” Lemon said, before continuing with a far more happier: “But he, look on the bright side, three days are enough to have a bit of fun. You know, maybe you even get to see something exciting.”

“Exciting? You mean like the Power Rangers?” he chuckled. “Yeah, no thanks, actually. The last thing right now is a monster attack. I came here to relax and spend time with my friends, I don’t need action.”

“Fair, I guess,” Lemon said. “Not my style, but hey, not my life, so what do I ca-“ She was about to finish when her phone suddenly beeped, apparently having received a message. “Eh, excuse me for a moment,” she said as she absentmindedly pulled out the phone only to suddenly turn pale as a ghost the moment she looked at the screen.

“I want to talk with you about something at White Tail Park around 5 P.M. I’m sure this will be something beneficial to both of us. Please, all five of you, come alone, don’t tell Cadance or anyone else. I trust that you will do the right thing, Shadow Red. Signed, a possible friend,” the message read, coming from an unknown number. In an instant, the happy, go-lucky feeling she had had for the entire time until now disappeared in an instant, instead replaced by a terrible dread. Her throat felt like it had been sewn shut.

“Oh, Darling, is something wrong? You don’t look so good,” Rarity knocked her out of her own thoughts, letting Lemon snap back up and stare at her.

“What?” She just managed to stammer, pushing her phone back into her pocket.

“I asked if you’re ok, you really don’t look good right now? Are you ill, or did someone just send you something nasty?” Rarity repeated, raising an eyebrow with a worried frown, her other friends joining her quickly.

“Oh… Oh, no, I’m fine, it’s just… I just got a message, that’s all,” she returned with an awkward chuckle.

“And what for a message? Oh, a party invitation? Someone asking you out on a date? A dubious individual who knows something about you they really shouldn’t know and now want to meet you in person?” Pinkie interrupted an innocent smile on her lips. Lemon instead just stared at her in complete disbelieve.

“Pinkie, didn’t we tell you not to scare others with this?” Sunset sighed, shaking her head.

“Oh, right, you totally did! Never gonna happen again! Never… Ever…” Pinkie said, while slowly disappearing behind the couch.

The Shadowbolts looked after her for a moment before they were knocked out of their stupor by Sunset. “I don’t want to pray, but is everything really ok?”

“Oh, yeah, totally. Nothing wrong at all,” she said in return, all shortly after sending her friends all a picture of the message. The moment Sunset had said this, all four of the phones went off at once, garnering similar reactions to how Lemon had reacted.

Before any of the Rainbooms could say anything, Lemon was jerked back by Sour, and the screen pressed against her face. “Explain! Now!” She quietly hissed, completely ignoring the confused looks on the faces of the others.

“I don’t! Not like I have more info. I just sent you the dumb screenshot, ok?” She returned back, a nervous wrinkle on her forehead.

“Oh, oh, I’m sorry,” Sour returned, a warm smile on her lips before hissing again: “But what should we do then? Run headfirst in there or just ignore it? Come talk to me!”

“I think we should look into this. I could be a trap, or it could be legit,” Indigo chirped in, looking just as worried as Lemon.

“I would say we look into this,” Sugar simply stated.

“You’re sure about that? That could just be another trick from the Changelings. Remember when the last one tried to imitate Sugar?” Sunny encountered.

Sugar just shivered a bit just thinking about it, but quickly found her usual expression again. “We still should do it. It might be risky, but even if it’s a Changeling, we can take a few precautions just in case.”

“I guess…” Lemon sighed, the other three also nodding, even if none of them looked remotely happy with the agreement.

“You know what they are discussing there?” Rainbow asked, looking at them with a raised eyebrow.

“Rainbow, Darling, you shouldn’t listen in to something like that. It’s just not right. If they want to tell us they will,” Rarity returned.

“Oh yeah? Who is the one here who's always headfirst into snooping' around in others business?” Applejack added with a smirk.

Rarity just scoffed at that, crossing her arms in front of her and pulling her head up “I’m not! Rumors are something completely different, and those who don’t stay up to date are doomed to fall victim to the swells of time.”

“Sure,” Aj said with a smirk on her lips.

Rarity was about to say something in return when they were interrupted by Lemon. “I’m so sorry, but we just got a message that something happened, and we have to go!”

“What, why? Is everything really ok?” Sunset asked one last time.

“Cadance asked us to help her out a bit, and she is really in a bind,” was the last they heard when the five girls stormed down the stairs and out of the backdoor, past a very confused Thunder.

“Ok, I never got anyone running away from my food yet,” he awkwardly said as he walked up the stairs with two large family pizzas in his hands. “Did something happen?”

“By Celestia, I don’t know,” Sunset simply returned with a shake of her head. “But whatever it was, it sure sounded urgent.”

>-------<S>-------<

White Tail Park was a small park right in the middle of Canterlot City, birch trees filling it to the brim, the leaves starting to show the first signs of fall. Children were playing, some students were hanging around near the pond, and older citizens were feeding birds. All in all, everything looked completely normal, unassuming, just perfect. And in the middle of it all was the white, wooden gazebo under which sat a mand with black skin and long bright green hair in a black business suit.

The five girls all looked at him, unsure of what to make of him. Then he looked over and just smiled. “Ok, now he’s creeping me out,” Indigo said, a little shiver running down her spine. “You really think this is a good idea?”

“I would say this is worth the risk. We can’t just always be on the defense, or we will eventually be overrun. If he is an ally, good if he’s a Changeling, we can still beat him or flee if things get too dangerous,” Sugar calmly returned.

“Ok, if you say so. Oh, Cadance is gonna kill us for this…” Lemon sighed before taking a step forward.

“Ah, so I see my message got to you? That’s good to see,” the man calmly returned.

“Who are you? How do you know about us? And what do you want from us,” Sugar immediately asked, staring him directly into the eyes.

“Well, as expected. Sugarcoat is not one for friendly platitudes after all,” he weakly chuckled before gesturing them to the other banks under the gazebo. “Take a seat, I just want to talk.”

The girls hesitantly sat down on the opposite side of the structure, a small wood table between them. “So, you still haven’t answered any of our questions,” Sour said with crossed arms. “And the fact that you know us so well doesn’t make you any trustworthy either.”

“Guess not,” he sighed. “But let’s start with who I am, shall we? I’m a possible friend.”

“You already said that in the message. Give us a straight answer or else,” Lemon hissed back.

“I understand. I’m a Changeling,” he stated calmly. One could practically see the color drain from the girls’ faces as he said that. “And actually one of the higher-ups in the hive at this point.”

“And that should let us trust you more? You have done nothing other than to sent monster after monster after us! We don’t even know your damn name!” Lemon barked back, an angry glare in her eyes. She almost jumped back when Sugar put her hand on her shoulder and pulled her back down before signaling her to stay quiet. “So… Sorry, still. We don’t even know your name. Not the best start for a friendship.”

“I’m sorry, but I won’t reveal my name to you. I’m very much aware that you are recording this entire conversation with your phones. I would have done the exact same thing, well in your shoes. But don’t worry, I have nothing to gain from recording you all. I’m just here to talk,” he returned with a warm, surprisingly genuine smile.

“Oh, and what do you want to talk about? I wouldn’t know what to talk about with a Changeling expect one thing, and the answer to that one is a big, fat no!” Lemon hissed back.

“I can’t really blame you, and I profusely apologize for the actions of my brother. He was the one responsible for attacking you. I’m here to talk about our vision for the future, our goal. I believe we can talk this out instead of fighting,” he continued, still just as pleasant and smooth as before.

“Talk? What is there to talk about? You want to rule the world, and that’s all we need to know to fight you,” Lemon once again said defiantly, one of her hands firmly pulled shut around the Shadow Coin in her pocket.

“Because I believe we have the same goal. To save this world. You’re good people, that much I know. I asked the Changelings that fought against you, let them tell me about how you act, and I watched your fights. Lemon is a bit impulsive but pulls through when push comes to shove. Indigo always sticks up for her friends. Sunny cares for them just as much, even though she tries to hide things from them. Sour might be afraid but can still stand up to those who stand in her way. And Sugar pulls up a mask, so her friends don’t think lower of her. You think you’re protecting the city from us, and in a way, you’re right. A lot of our Workes were excessively violent in the retrieval of the Shadow Coins, but all of them had good intentions at heart.”

“Oh, sure, and throwing a car into a diner is such a nice thing to do and totally something good guys do,” Sour added with disgust.

The man sighed, letting his head sink low. “I sincerely apologize for that, as well. My brother believes in an ends justify the means mentality, and he sees no greater good than for us to gain the Shadow Coins. As much as we clash, that is one thing we both believe in, our goal. This world is broke, fundamentally. Our mother tried to help it, but it refused her, corrupted her gestures of generosity, and turned them against us. The powerful collect more wealth while the weak are gonna starve on the bottom. People are rejected, and no one sees their individual strengths. The same thing will happen with magic. A new, powerful group of wealthy will rise, this time one fulled by magic and they will take this world by force. It’s all because this world is designed, so everyone is only out for themselves or be stabbed in the back otherwise. Such a world is one our mother fundamentally rejects,” he finished with a tone that was unsettlingly convincing.

“And how does your mother plan to fix this? If it is so ingrained into this world, then how can you change that? And why do you need the Shadow Coins for this?” Sugar was the only one to dare say anything at this point, still as cold as ever, but Lemon couldn’t shake the feeling that she wasn’t really so calm.

“Well, sometimes you have to break something down to fix it. We will use the Shadow Coins to conquer the world, break down society as a whole, and rebuild it stronger and better. We’ll create a world where everyone can be themselves, can bring themselves in without being rejected, without being grinded up in a machine that was solely designed to crush them. We might have to be a bit forcefull while we do that, but in the end, this will make sure that humanity can keep moving forward towards a bright future. A better world,” he smiled. “That’s why I want to ask you, will you creat this world with us?”

Silence permeated the air, none of the Shadowbolts daring to even speak one word as they stared at the disguised Changeling with open mouth. Even Sugar just stared at him, the Changeling unable to make out what was going on in her head.

“You don’t have to decide right now, I know this is a tough choice. I just wanted to talk to you, that is all. Talk it out with your principal, see her side of the story. But, just know that I’m one-hundred percent sincere about this. If you made a decision come to this place again in your Ranger forms, and we can talk,” he said before beginning to stand up. He was just about to leave when he was suddenly pushed back, the bank he had been sitting on wholly obliterated, and he crashed into the table between them.

“This was a trap!” Lemon shouted before leaping over her own bank and towards the bushes, followed by her friends.

Meanwhile, the Changeling opened his eyes again, seeing the remains of the now burning gazebo before him, screams in the background, and something walking towards him. It was tall, slim, marone Changeling. Definitely, one based on a beetle of some sort since his back resembled that of other Beetle-Changelings, just thinner. His face had two extremely sharp mandibles attached to his side and two long antennae hanging from his back. From what he knew, it had to be a Titan-Beetle-Changeling.

“What do you think you are doing here? I never ordered this!” He barked at the Changeling, green flames starting to envelop him as he took steps towards the monster. His frame started to shift, from that of a normal man to that of a monster. Like his brother, his skin changed into chitin, just in a bright green instead of his brother purple. His body was encased in dark green armor. Two purple bug eyes stared at the Changeling in front of him, all while two orange horns reset atop his head, and two purple wings hung from his back. Raising the purple sword in his hand, clenching his fist tightly around the small dagger in the other, he bellowed: “Explain yourself!”

“My… Mylord…” he stammered, stopping dead in his tracks and taking a step back.

“What are you doing? I ordered you to kill the Power Rangers! Or do I have to repeat myself?” Another voice growled, stepping next to the Changeling, Pharynx.

The Titan-Beetle looked one last time at Pharynx before dashing toward the bushes the Rangers had jumped into. “Hey! I’m talking to yo-“ Thorax was about to say when he suddenly saw his brother lunged towards him with his double-bladed spear, just about to swing the weapon at him.

But before the blade could cut through his chitin, the Changeling started to disappear into black smoke, Pharynx cutting right through it. The smoke quickly began to move behind him, reforming into the Changeling, who was just about to stab his brother with his dagger.

“So, the traitor is talking with the Rangers. The thought alone to ally yourself with them is a fundamental betrayal of our legacy! A Changeling is no friend of a Ranger!” Pharynx growl overshadowed the cold clinging of the two weapons crashing into each other.

“You’re out of your mind! I’m loyal to mother through thick and thin, but that doesn’t mean I will just sit ideally by when I see a way to end this before any more bloodshed can be caused! If you don’t get that, then you really are a lost cause!” He hissed back, once again turning into the strange smoke, swarming around his brother.

Pharynx, however, didn’t seem to be all that impressed, and with a loud roar, he brought his spear down on the mist. It took just moments for Thoirax to emerge from it and swing the sword at his brother.

Meanwhile, the Titan-Beetle Changeling had reached the area of the park the Rangers had disappeared into. At first glance, he couldn’t see the Rangers anywhere, but that wasn’t really a problem. He just had to scorch the whole place, and they would show up.

“Light up!”

[Re-Re-Red!]

[Shine Bright! Red!]

[Bl-Bl-Blue!]

[Shine Honest! Blue!]

[Ye-Ye-Yellow!]

[Shine Wild! Yellow!]

[Pi-Pi-Pink!]

[Shine Glamourous! Pink!]

[Gre-Gre-Green!]

[Shine Courageous! Green!]

[G-G-Gun!]

[G-G-Gun!]

[G-G-Gun!]

In the blink of an eye, all five Rangers jumped out from the bushes and laid down a barrage of blasts on the Changeling, who was unable to really do anything besides raising his arms in front of him. It didn’t take them long till to force the monster back with a loud groan, still unloading everything they had.

“Enough!” The Changeling screamed out, slamming his fists on the ground, fire exploding outward, and knocking all of them back and scorching the grass around him.

While the Rangers were busy with the Worker, both Pharynx were still going at each other, their weapons once again clashing and both taking a step back. “You’ve got far more fight left in you than I thought. Maybe should have used that instead of scheming around and trying to betray what the Changelings stand for!” Pharynx growled, spinning his weapon around to unleash a wave of energy towards his brother.

Without any form of effort, Thorax once again dematerialized and appeared right before his brother, the two weapons clashing once again. “I’m done discussing this with you! Everything I say is just gonna be more fodder for your mind to turn into baseless conspiracy theories. You, I really tried. I really tried to show you a way without all of this, but you wouldn’t listen. This new world doesn’t need an attack-dog without a leash!”

“Good! I’m so tired of listening to you coward anyway,” he chuckled back before raising his free arm, the same mist that had enveloped Thorax gathering around it into what looked like a giant claw. With surprising speed, the shadowy claw came down, smalling into the ground bellow and leaving a sizable imprint behind.

Thorax had just barely managed to jump out of the way of the attack in the last second. But before he could take even a single breath, the other Changeling was already once again throwing himself at him, spear ready. His own weapons had already started to glow a fierce purple as well, and he was just about to lunge a counter-attack when he suddenly felt it, a pressure. No, pain, unimaginable pain surging through his head, his weapons falling to the ground right next to him.

Pharynx wasn’t fairing any better, he had also dropped to his knees, holding his head like it was about to burst, and a quick glance over to the Worker revealed the same fate, the Rangers standing dumbfounded around him. As much as it hurt, a thought was beginning to form in his head. He had to come back… back to the queen… He just had to…

One after the other, the Changelings disappeared in green fire, leaving the five Rangers behind in the abandoned park. “Ok, what just happened? And I mean all of this?” Lemon asked, scratching her helmet in confusion.

“I have no idea,” Sugar simply returned.

Cracks

View Online

"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…”

Times are Changing

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“So…” Timber finally pushed out, his arms crossed in front of him as he leaned back against the edge of a roof not too far away from where the fight had taken place. “What… You’re the… How did you…” He continued to mutter, stoping each time, shaking his head, and starting anew.

“Yes, we are the Power Rangers. You deduced that right,” Sugar mercifully stepped in, leaning against the outer parts of a ventilation shaft. “And there is no need to speak around the topic. I doubt anyone will listen in on this conversation on top of a roof,” she flatly added.

He just sighed and nodded, taking a look across the empty roof they were sitting on. Sugar had suggested to jump up a sufficiently high and big one so they could have a private talk. Well, as soon as she had managed to somewhat calm down Lemon, who had immediately gone back to gushing over the Rider that the battle had ended.

“Right, right… It’s just… Not what I had expected, that’s all,” he continued with another loud sigh, letting his head sink lower.

“I understand. Finding out that the people who caused your girlfriend to turn into a monster are now superheroes is not what you normally expect,” Sugar once again finished for him.

“What? No, no, that’s not it. I know you girls learned your lesson, and really, the one responsible is that Cinch person and she is gone anyway. That whole thing is water under the bridge, at least for her and me anyway. No, it’s just… I thought you were regular highschool students. And honestly, I thought I could get a bit of a break from the whole insanity and monster fighting the world, and my life kinda mutated into… Not fight the next monster back home,” Timber finished, looking at the two somewhat exhausted.

“What do you mean, insanity? Isn’t it awesome that you get to be a superhero? Beat up monsters and help people?” Lemon burst in, sitting next to Sugar with her usual energetic smile on her lips. “I love it!”

“Oh, it’s not bad… Not at all. I’m glad I can do something to help others. It’s a nightmare when you just have to watch, it’s just… It can get a bit much at times. You just want some time for yourself and the people you care about, but then the next person screams for help, and you have to move. I thought I get a bit of time, but once again, the MRG calls for help.”

“Then why don’t you give that belt to someone else for a week. I’m sure people are lining up for that,” Lemon returned, only to add a quiet: “I sure as Tartarus would if I wasn’t a ranger already.”

“Yeah, even if I wanted to, not happening. My Driver…. My belt is made out of a magical artifact that was created by my own wishes. The MRG remodeled it into the belt, and the thing fused with my body. I can’t take it off, ever. I’m so to speak some kind of magical cyborg if you want to call it that. So, no shoving responsibility elsewhere,” he returned with a chuckle.

“Magical cyborg? Ohhhh! How cool… But also not… But still, magical cyborg!” Lemon was already once again lost in her own world, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

For a moment, Timber chuckled, a smug smile slipping across his lips as he returned: “Yeah… I guess I’m pretty damn cool. Right?” However, while Lemon nodded eagerly in her usual energetic way, Sugar just looked at him with a piercing glare, one that quickly pulled an imaginary string taught across his throat. Darting his eyes around like a cornered animal, he managed to stutter out: “Uhh… I mean… Anyway!”

“What anyway?” Sugar quickly said, leaving him no time to actually think any further. She still continued to stare at him in the same way as before. “You want to know how we became rangers, right?”

“R-Right…” Timber shook his head, took a deep breath, and started again: “Right. That. I don’t need a large explanation or anything like that. I just need the basics, that’s all. Just a simple how.”

“Oh, that’s easy! We fought a Changeling, the Shadow Coins,” she held up the Coin as she spoke, “Decided we should be worthy. Cadance gave us our Morphers, and ever since, we are fighting the buggies.”

“Oh, I see. I think I get the-“ Timber was about to go on when his tongue made a leap inside his mouth. “Wait, did you just say Cadance? She knows about this? Is that the reason you were at her place?”

In the span of a second, Lemon went from her usual energetic self to dear in the headlights mode only to awkwardly chuckle and rub her hand behind her head: “Wait, did I say that? No, no, she doesn’t know… At all! I just… Uh… said her name because… I just thought of her! Yes, that’s it!”

Timber just raised an eyebrow: “Wow, you’re bad at this.”

“Yes, she is,” Sugar added with a slight hint of annoyance.

“I’m not! My lie wasn’t all that bad! One could believe it!” She huffed back with a pout, all while Timber just sighed and his face in one hand, shaking his head.

“It was horrible. No one who thinks straight would ever fall for that lie,” Sugar flatly stated.

“They would! I just need to be more convincing!”

“Yeah… Let’s go with that. But you just admitted you tried to lie to me. So, Cadance knows,” he sighed, still shaking his head. “How does she fit into all of this? I just knew her from Twilight and mostly Shining. And they never mentioned anything about her knowing anything about magic. So, how does she fit into this mess.”

“It’s… You know… I mean…” Lemon desperately tried to wind herself out of the situation, pleadingly looking over to Sugar. She simply looked back, not giving her any help or even a simple hint through her expression. “A little help here?”

“Help in what way? You already revealed all the fundamentals by panicking and stumbling over your words again and again. There is no way anyone could save this at this point,” she got in return.

“Please?” Lemon asked again, with her best puppy-eyed look.

Sugar took a deep breath before pushing herself off the ventilation shaft. “Cadance is a descended off a traitor faction of Changelings that rebelled against their queen nearly three-thousand years ago. Recently the Changelings have started to act again, and she managed to steal the Shadow Coins,” holding up her own as she said that. “She was tracked down to Crystal Prep and cornered. We decided to help her, and the coins decided we were worthy of using them. That is all you need to know,” she finished with a firm level of certainty, so much so that Timber simply nodded and need a few moments to take all of this in.

“Ok… I… I think I get it,” he nodded along. “Thanks for the explanation. Well, minus one thing. The other three… I assume they are your other friends, right? Just like the Rainbooms do all this magical stuff together, you do too. Right?”

“Wh- What! No! Totally not! Why would you th-“ Lemon once again started to desperately stammer, only to be interrupted again.

“You’re correct. Indigo Zapp, Sour Sweet, and Sunny Flare are the three other Rangers, respectively. You deduced that correctly, even if it wasn’t that hard,” her friend said, completely ignoring her pathetic attempts.

“I see… Through, why do I feel like you are making fun of me?”

“She- She is not… She is just to the point most of the time. Doesn’t mean she isn’t savage sometimes, but you generally notice that. She really has no filters when she does that,” Lemon once again jumped in, a lot more coherent this time, not stumbling over her words.

“I see… But thanks for being honest. Appreciated,” Timber looked between the two with a raised eyebrow.

“I’d like to ask you a favor, though,” his thought processes were interrupted when she spoke up again.

“Oh, what?”

“You seem to know Shining Armor, the local director of the MRG very well. Beyond just being his sister's boyfriend. Add to that that I have seen a few reports that talked about Kamen Rider Gaia across the country, it’s fair to assume that you work for the MRG, right?” Sugar asked, her cold glares letting a shiver run down his spine.

“Well… Work for them is a bit wrong… I’m a Public contractor? I guess you call it that? Or mercenary. I think that fits more. I’m not part of the MRG, I just work with them. But yes, I know him because of me being a Rider,” he nodded.

“I understand. So, are you going to tell him about our identities?” Sugar said without skipping a beat, all while Lemon’s and Timber’s eyes threatened to jump out of their heads.

“W- Wait! Are you thinking he is going to- You better not!” She quickly joined in, looking back and forth between the two. “Come on, say something!”

“I… I honestly didn’t think about that yet… I’d definitely would be in for a world of scolding if it came out later that I knew… But… I know how hard it is to keep your identity as a superhero secret, even if it’s just from the public. And Alchemy tried to keep his secret from the MRG as well… Granted, it worked out fine in the end with him doing that, but…” Timber stammered, shifting from side to side as he did so.

“Alchemy is Alchemy, we are not. We are still in Highschool. It would be preferable if we could keep this both from the public and your government friends. It’s highly likely that none of my friends would be excited to follow orders from such an organization, no matter if they knew the person,” she continued, her eyes firmly focused on him, piercing and unyielding.

“Yeah, that would be mega uncool! You’ve ever seen any of those movies? Super secret government organizations suck! They are mega shady!” Lemon interrupted them once more, nodding furiously along.

“I mean… The MRG is hardly secret and… They aren’t really that bad… Not completely… And…” He continued to stammer, tugging on his collar as a few drops of sweat were starting to appear on his forehead.

“She isn’t wrong.”

Another look over to Sugar, and he finally let out a defeated sigh: “I… Fine… You’re right. Consequences be damned, right now I can’t do this to you all. That would be cruel. I’d still say you should tell at least Shining. He has good connections to people higher on the food chain that could hide your identity from people you wouldn’t want them to know. As in, completely to the top. Because honestly, it’s only a matter of time till they find out about you… This way, you would at least make a good first impression and…” he stopped as he saw their expressions, letting out an even deeper sigh. “I see… Can’t force you after all…”

“You can’t,” Sugar bluntly stated.

“Yay! That’s great!” Lemon added in her own, energetic way.

After a third sigh, he simply shook his head and chuckled: “Well, seems this one wrapped up… Lucky you. Can escape all of this for a while longer and keep staying here…”

“You seem to have something on your mind. What is it?” Sugar cut through his own thoughts like a knife through butter, letting him suck in air only to end up coughing as he tried to regain his breath.

“W-What? I-I have n-no idea what y-you m-mean…” he muttered back, an awkward chuckle in his voice as his eyes darted across the roof like a ping-pong-ball.

“You seem dissatisfied with your current position in some way. Otherwise, you wouldn’t long for a break. Still, you like saving people. But something makes you hesitate,” she continued, not in the slightest bit deterred by his reaction.

“She is way too good at this…” he quietly muttered to Lemone.

“Tell me about it!” She smirked in return. “You can’t hide anything from her. Well, most things.”

“It’s… Ok, fine… As I chose that I would take up the mantel of a Rider, I didn’t think about how this would really affect my social life… I… I just wanted to help… The city was being overrun by monsters, and I just couldn’t stand there on the sidelines and do nothing when I could possibly help…” He sighed, shaking his head.

“So… You do regret this? Why?” Lemon asked curiously, tilting her head a little to the side.

“No… I’m… Not really… As I said, it’s good helping people. It feels like I’m doing something important. Something that can make the world a better place, but… I don’t know if I can keep doing this to Twilight… I’m supposed to be her boyfriend, and I’m never there for her… It just feels shitty of me, even if I know she understands.”

“Are you sure it’s because you can’t do this to her and not because you want to keep being a superhero and feel guilty for that?” Sugar coldly said. Timber meanwhile just looked at the ground, not saying a word. “If you think this is more important to help people than being with your girlfriend, that is not going to just disappear. You are just delaying the inevitable. Eventually, you have to make the definitive choice.”

“But… I don’t think that! It’s just…” Timber huffed back, holding his head a bit, desperately looking over to Lemon. “It’s complicated, ok? I want to be with her, but I have a duty to uphold! I’m one of the few who can do anything against these monsters! And if you looked at the TV in recent times, you’d notice they are just getting more and more! I can’t just stand on the sidelines and not do anything! Because if I would, it would be all my fault! I have to at least try!”

“Timber… Why?” Lemon quietly muttered, looking down a bit as thought raced through her head. He had to try? “But you don’t owe it to anyone, right? Why do you have to try?” Lemon asked more firmly, taking both Timber and even Sugar by surprise.

“Why I have to try?” He looked at her a bit confused. “Why do you ask me that?”

“Because I did! Now answer! I really need to know!” She returned with a determined undertone.

“O… Ok, sure…” He stammered back, looking with a questioning expression over to Sugar, who just shook her head. “Because… Well… That’s hard… Because if I wouldn’t do it… Well, who would? If I have the power to help and simply don’t do it, all of this falls on me. It’s not that I owe them something, I just want to help! And even if I fail, I at least know I tried. I know where I made a mistake, and I can hopefully learn from it and not do the same thing again. And even if I screw it up… I at least know I tried all I could do! I did at least try and not just fail by default!” Timber finished with a far more confident tone in his voice.

“You at least tried and not just failed by default?” Lemon returned with a somber look on her face.

“Yes! I gave it a shot, consequences b damned! I at least know that I couldn’t do it and where to go from here instead of the uncertainty if I just stood by. That is why I have to try! Not doing anything would eat me up inside…”

“I… I see,” she simply nodded. “But… Then why aren’t you making that decision?”

“D-Decision?” He stuttered back, awkwardly avoiding her look. “What decision?”

“You know what I mean! If you want to be with Twilight or if you want to help people! You just talked about how much it means to you to be able to do something like what we are doing! So, why can’t you decide! I know that Twilight would understand it,” Lemon asked, looking straight at him before quietly adding: “I think…”

“It’s not that easy… I mean…” Timbers bluster and confidence had disappeared the moment she had asked, and now he was once again reduced to the nervous wreck he was before. “Because I don’t want to let her go! I like her… I like her a lot! And I don’t want to loser her… Ok? I’m happy with her… And… I don’t want to give that up… But I also know she isn’t as happy as she can be with me away all the time…” He finally finished with a loud sigh. “You two got an idea what I should do?”

“I think you already know, just don’t want to accept it,” Sugar simply stated once again, her arms crossed in front of her and a judging look in her eyes.

“But I don’t want to break up with her!” He almost shouted back.

“I didn’t say you should break up with her. That was you who assumed I meant it,” she returned just as coldly.

Timber just stared at her, opening his mouth to say something in return only to close it once again and avoiding her looks. “Anyway…” He continued after a few unbearably quiet seconds dismissively. “What are you going to do about these two Changelings? I doubt they are just gonna go away.”

Sugar looked at him with a raised eyebrow before answering his question: “You are right. Until we beat them, we will not escape them.”

“Well, I’m still here, so maybe I can help you with that. Hero’s got to stick together, right?” He returned with a weak smile.

>-------<S>-------<

“You really think this is a good idea?” Sunny hissed at Lemon, her arms crossed in front of her as they stood right next to the gazebo that had just today been reduced to rubble.

“You got a better idea?” It came back, to which Sunny just huffed, crossing her arms in front of her.

“Well, maybe if you involved us in the planning phase instead of pulling this stun without us?” It huffed back.

“So, you have nothing? Noted,” Sugar added drily.

“That is not! Ugh…” Sunny groaned as she turned away from her friend and returned her attention back to the park, and the plethora of people that had gathered outside of it.

“H-Hey, no need to get hostile, ok?” Timber awkwardly stepped between the two rangers with his hands raised.

“Oh, and you shut it! It’s bad enough these two idiots told you who we were! You better hold your word! Or else I’m going to give you a beating you’ll never forget!” Sunny turned around again only to push her finger right onto Timber’s breastplate and, as strange as it sounded, stared daggers at him.

“N-Noted…” He awkwardly took a step back, rubbing the back of his helmet nervously.

Before any of them could say anything more, an arm slipped around both their necks as they were pulled into a hug. “Oh, be nice, you two grumpy heads,” Lemon’s voice chastised them both with her usual upbeat tone. “We are supposed to fight the Changelings, not each other, you silly heads!”

Sunny was about to throw something back in her face, wrestling with Lemon’s arm as another voice cut through the air. “Oh? Are you now? I thought you were supposed to be crushed beneath my heels,” the Hercules-Bettle-Changeling chuckled before his focus moved on to Gaia. “Oh, you are here as well… All the better! Means I can crush you like the rest of them!” it growled from within him as his fingers formed into a fist.

“Like the rest of us?” Lemon shouted back, letting go of the two and stepping past them, arms confidently crossed in front of her. “News flash! You pretty much lost every time you went up against any of us! Why do you think you have a chance now when we all fight together?”

A low growl escaped the Titan-Bettle-Changelings throat as his companion slammed both of his fists together next to him, a few sparks flying off them. “Because this time, there won’t be any surprises! We’ll beat you black and blue together! Not even the Rider will save you from us!”

“Oh yeah? We’ll show you what we can do! Right, girls?” She burst out, taking a few steps towards the two monsters before suddenly stopping. Looking over her shoulder, she awkwardly added: “And boy… Sorry! Kinda forgot you…”

Timber just chuckled, a bit taken aback before adding a confidant: “Well, it seems I have to make sure you don’t forget me again then!”

“Gotcha! Girls! You know what to do!” She smirked back, and without another word, the four other Rangers stepped forward as well, just before Lemon started to shout and step into a pose: “The light that shines bright in the darkness, Shadow Red!”

Without skipping a beat, Sugar joined in, moving her hand up to her helmet: “The light that shines honest in the darkness, Shadow Blue!”

“The light that shines wild in the darkness, Shadow Yellow!” Indigo burst out next to them, taking a pose of her own.

“The light that shines glamorously in the darkness, Shadow Pink!”

“The light that shines courageous in the darkness, Shadow Green!” The last two team members joined in, taking their own poses, all while Timber looked at the five Rangers with a tilted head.

“We are the light born from the shadows! We are the Power Rangers Shadow Force!” Lemon finished off the roll-call with one last shout before a familiar colorful explosion consumed everything behind them, making Timber jump back a bit.

“Come on, Gaia! What are you waiting for?” She quite loudly hushed over to the Rider.

“W-Waiting for?” He stammered back, still somewhat perplexed by the whole situation.

“Your know! Your roll-call! Catchphrase! Whatever you call it!” She said, looking in his direction.

“Right…” He quietly muttered before slowly waving his arms around before settling in on a pose with one arm stretched out towards the monsters and one to the side. “Kamen Rider Gaia… Fighting for those that can’t!” He added with a somewhat shaky voice.

Both the monsters and most of the Rangers just stared at him. Well, most, minus Lemon, who couldn’t hold back her excitement: “That was awesome! Great catchphrase! Now! Let’s beat these monsters!”

While everyone else just stared at her, she was already in the process of dashing forward. The first to actually react to this was the Titan-Bettle-Changeling. With a low growl, he threw his fist forward, letting a ball of fire crash down right in front of her. Lemon dashed to the side, the sound of a familiar voice echoing through the park.

[Sw-Sw-Sword!]

Bursting from the side of the smoke came the Ranger, screeching to a halt on the grass bellow her, leaving a visible line in it. With a loud scream, she sprinted forward again. Meanwhile, the rest of the group had already sprung to action as well. Sunny, Indigo, and Sour had dashed towards the Titan Changeling, having pulled out their blasters, ready to let rain down mayhem on to monster. Sugar and Timber had started to follow after Lemon.

[Sp-Sp-Speed!]

It screamed through the park, and within a split-second, a red blur raced past the white Changeling, only moments later a burst of sparks erupting from his chest. While he still groaned, another burst of sparks erupted from his back, and just as the Red Ranger was once again approaching, he threw his fist in the direction she was roughly coming from.

[I-I-Ice!]

For a few moments, it almost looked like Lemon would race directly into him when all of a sudden, his arm stopped. After the initial shock, he noticed how his entire arm had been encased in a stalagmite of ice. He had just enough time to see that before it burst into a shimmering rain of shards, and he felt another slash across his chest.

Emitting a low growl, he stumbled backward before catching himself and glaring directly at where the ice spike had come from. That just happened to be the direction where Gaia was moving towards him. He had just enough time to pull both of his arms up and in front of his face to stop the first hit. Still, he could feel the strength behind the punch, forcing him to slightly give ground already. With no time to even catch his breath, the second punch came towards him, even stronger than the first one, breaking his guard and letting him stumble back even more.

If he wouldn’t do something now, he was done for, but all he needed was one good hit, and he could turn this around. Every muscle in his body started to move on its own, tensioning and screaming out against the force it had subjected to. With a loud roar, he pushed against it, forward, swinging his arm in a wide arc, straight at Gaia.

However, the Rider dodged to the other side; his swing was coming from with efficiency and speed; he just couldn’t keep up. And before he could ponder about another counter-attack, he suddenly felt the air pushed out of his lungs, followed by an ungodly amount of pain as Gaia’s fists embedded itself right into his solar plexus.

The Rider didn’t even give him enough time to breathe in again; his foot already crashed into his face, rattling his brain pretty good and knocking him off his feet, landing with a loud groan on the ground.

“That! Was! Awesome!” Lemon burst out, all of this feeling like distant noise to the Changeling. “You gotta show me how you did this!”

“Candace has been trying to teach you martial arts. Maybe trying to listen during one of her lessons would help you,” Blue simply replied. The rest of their conversation was just too hard to make out.

Meanwhile, his comrade was not havening a better day as Indigo had started to move in close and switched out her gun with her sword and slotted in her Lightning Coin. Every time he tried to hit her with one of his fists, she managed to at least somewhat block the attack and deliver a mighty zap. And if he wanted to shoot her with a fireball, the attack was snipped out of the air by the two remaining Rangers who had taken position on each side of him.

“You damn brats! I’ll burn you to cinders until nothing beyond your bones are left! Don’t think you’ll avoid me forever!” He growled angrily at them, before receiving the next shock, Indigo having used the opportunity to deliver a slash across his back. Instead of just spasming out thanks to the new shock, his fist instead burst around, pushed forward by a stream of fire, and slammed right into her helmet.

A searing, hot pain burst through her as she was flung across the park, crashing into a nearby park bench, which quickly started to smoke. A giant ashen stench was visible on the side of her helmet as she hissed out in pain. “Ah! Ouch! Shit!” It echoed from her through the empty area, much to the Changelings delight. Flicking his wrist, a few sparks flew off his forearm before he chuckled and lunged towards the fallen Ranger.

[Sh-Sh-Shield!]

Out of seemingly nowhere, a bright light burst out from Indigo before forming into some sort of transparent, yellow shield. With a loud crash, the fist of the Changeling slammed into the translucent barrier. Within moments it, her and the entire surrounding area were covered in a blazing inferno. “Now!” It screamed through the raging fire, much to the annoyed grunts of the Changeling, who quickly increased the number of flames. The Changeling was almost ready to slam his other fist down as well as once again-

[Ch-Ch-Chain!]

His singing fist was caught mere centimeters before it could reach its destination, the chains having wrapped around it like a hungry snake. In the next few moments, more and more of them wrapped around him, slowly dragging away from their friend, but not without desperate attempts at defiance. “N-No! I-I refuse!” He croaked out in a furious growl.

[St-St-Strength!]

“Oh, is that true?” Sour asked in a sickly sweet voice; still, there was this unnerving undertone. Slowly stepping closer, she looked over to Sunny with a playful cock of her head. “I’ll be taking over from here, dear,” she continued, Sunny only nodding and handing her her gun over, the one that held all of the chains. She slightly pulled on them, wrapping them around her knuckles before turning back to the monster, this time with a far more vicious tone: “Because you have nothing to decide here!”

And with that, she pulled hard on the chains, effortlessly lifting the Changeling off his feet and into the air. Like a child, playing with a ball on a string, she quickly started to swing her victim around, the fire that had surrounded him promptly snuffed out. After what had felt like an eternity to the Titan-Bettle-Changeling, he was finally released by her. She had pulled the trigger of the gun again, letting the chains disappear in a cloud of black smoke. Still, his torment wasn’t over just yet. The impact was still to come.

With a loud scream of pain, he slammed into his comrade, both thrown even further to the side, groaning, and retching on the grass. “Shall we end this, Gaia?” Lemon asked cheekily, giving the Rider a slight jab with her elbow.

“With pleasure,” he chuckled, cracking his knuckles. The six heroes gathering around the Changelings, who were weakly trying to get back on their feet. The Rangers simply nodded to each other before inserting their Coins into their Morphers.

[Fi-Fi-Final! Red!]

[Fi-Fi-Final! Blue!]

[Fi-Fi-Final! Yellow!]

[Fi-Fi-Final! Pink!]

[Fi-Fi-Final! Green!]

Like so many times before, the two Changelings were covered in thick, unpeaceable darkness. Following this were bright, colorful slashes across their chests, from blue to yellow, pink, green, and finally red, each one hurting more than the last. In the end, they were left completely spent, but still clinging onto their monster forms.

Meanwhile, Timber took a few steps back, somewhat nervously looked at the darkness his comrades one after the other disappeared into before, with a loud exhale, dashed forward. He pushed himself off the ground, made a frontflip, stretched out his leg, which had started to glow a fierce green. “Rider Kick!” He screamed out before plunging into the darkness, right at the faintest glimmer of light he had been able to make out. Fr a few moments, he felt utterly lost as he pushed inside, only to quickly hit something hard.

In the blink of an eye, two figures were thrown out of the smoke and crashed into a nearby rock, only to immediately after explode. The shadows cleared again and revealed all six of the heroes, no worse for wear.

But before anyone celebrations could get on the way, both Changelings grew once again in size. “Oh, come on! We already went through this!” Sunny huffed out in annoyance.

“We’ll take care of this! You watch on in awe!” Lemon jokingly added before the girls pulled out their Zord Coins.

[Fi-Fi-Final! Pink!]

[Fi-Fi-Final! Green!]

[He-He-Hellhound!]

[Le-Le-Leviathan!]

[Ro-Ro-Roc!]

[Wy-Wy-Wyvern!]

[Ma-Ma-Manticore!]

“Shadow Star Megazord!”

Once again, the mechanical colossus pulled its opponents into the dark world. Both Changelings had seen this often enough to dash forward almost instantly. The Hercules-Bettle was the first to act, stepping closer to the Rangers, crashing every building in its way. On the other end, the Megazord approached him as well, both grabbing after the other and trying to wrestle them to the ground. In their wake, they scraped up the streets, bellow them to an unrecognizable state.

While both of them seemed to not make an inch progress, the other Changeling made its move. As quietly as a giant colossus could sneak across a city, he moved around them. Thanks to their more intimate fight, they didn’t seem to take any note of him. As he finally reached their back, he threw another fireball at them.

That was when suddenly the Megazord shoot into the air, leaving the Hercules-Bettle to take the attack front and center. A loud scream came from him as he stumbled backward, his carapace chared and still glowing. Meanwhile, Sunny slammed a Coin into the console and, with a gleeful grin behind her helmet, readied herself for what was to come next.

[Ch-Ch-Chain!]

A storm of chains burst out from the Zord and quickly wrapped itself tightly around both Changelings, pulling them together in a cocoon of metal.

“Time to end this! And I know exactly how!” Lemon screamed out, raising her fist into the air. At the same time, the Megazord gained altitude as well, disappearing in the dark clouds above. “Ranger Megazord Kick!” She burst out, filling the entire cockpit with her screams before plunging the mech downwards.

Through the clouds burst a giant robot, its foot angled towards the two struggling monsters who were doubling, no tripling their efforts to break free. But in the end, they couldn’t break free of their restraints, and just like before by Gaia, the kick connected. The weight of hundreds of tones came crashing down on them, crushing their chitin like eggshells before everything went dark as the explosion claimed them.

>-------<S>-------<

Cadance was sitting over some paperwork that needed to be done urgently, but every time she tried to really commit, she was distracted by something... No… Someone! Lemon…

She let out an audible sigh as the pen once again was placed next to her. No matter what she did, she just couldn’t shake that feeling… She knew she had screwed up. She shouldn’t have said what she had said… She definitely knew but at the same time… She wasn’t really wrong… Right?

Before she could delve any more on this particular thought, her thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of the doorbell. She almost jumped out of her chair as she looked over to the door. It was already late noon, the sun was setting. Who could possibly need something from her right now?

“Yes?” She opened the door and sighed, not even looking who it was. She looked exhausted, her smile had been replaced with a frown, and her eyes were hanging barely open.

“Uh…” It came back, a slightly awkward, but still energetic voice said. “Hey?” Lemon nervously waved at her from beyond the doorframe.

“L-Lemon…” She barely managed to say, a plethora of new thoughts flooding into her head as she saw the girl outside her home. “C… Come in…” Lemon just nodded and followed her inside, the door falling shut behind her. She was strangely reminded of the last time she ended up here alone… Just less welcoming.

Both of them eventually sat down once again on Cadnaces couch, looking at each other, avoiding looks and just in general being really awkward. After what had felt like an eternity for them, they finally spoke up: “I’m sorry!” Both of them burst out at the same time. What followed was another unbearably long time of silence at each of them looked at the other in disbelieve.

Finally, Cadance broke the silence once again: “I’m… I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have said any of that… I just tried to protect you… But I went too far… Especially with the last comment…” She looked down, her expression filled with shame and regret as she tightened the grip on her skirt.

“I…” Lemon began, only for the words to fail her as she tried to find new ones. “Thank you… I’m sorry for calling you stubborn… He didn’t want to listen… He was too dead set in his ways…” She continued, looking down at her knees, just like Cadence.

“I… I wanted to protect you… But that’s no excuse. I’m so sorry, sI should have never said any of these things. But you understand why I did it, right?” She looked up, a pleading expression across her face.

“I… I get it… But… I don’t believe that I made a mistake by trying,” it came back, a surprising amount of certainty in her voice.

“Y- You don’t,” Cadance asked, raising an eyebrow at that. “But… You admitted that he wouldn’t listen to you, so…”

“Because I had to try! Because that’s what it means to be a hero!” It came back, but to Cadance’s surprise, not with anger or dismissiveness, no, conviction. Pure and simple conviction. “We do this because we can’t look away when someone needs help. We have to try and fight. That’s how we got these powers in the first place. That extends to helping people when they need it badly! Changling, or not! People can change! We changed! They can as well! We are the light that was born from the shadows! We want to help others change, as well!”

“I… I see…” She weakly got in return, Candace looking up at her with worry. “But… You don’t owe them anything… Didn’t they already make this choice when they joined them? You can’t save everyone… I just don’t want anything to happen to you.”

“I… I understand that…” Lemon encountered, her hands tightening into fists. “I know I don’t own them anything. I know they already made their choice. And I know that we can’t save everyone. But that is why we have to at least try! If we don’t try, we already lost! Even if there is a minuscule chance that we can turn them around, we have to at least try! Because I don’t want to give up on anyone! Because you didn’t give up on us! Never! That’s the hero I want to be!” She finished, having pushed herself off the couch and stared down at Cadance.

She could only look up at the girl and nod. Her thoughts had irreparably been knocked out of balance, and after a few seconds, she added. “I guess that’s why the Coins chose you…” Before Lemon could say anything in return, she was quickly pulled into a tight hug from her. “I… I understand… Just… Just be safe, ok?”

Lemon looked at her, confused for a few seconds, hands stretched out before she nodded, closing the hug on her end as well. “Will do! You ain’t getting rid of us so easily!”

That got a light chuckle out of the older woman. “I guess so,” she smirked, her eyes a bit watery.

>-------<S>-------<

Timber was tipping his foot repeatedly on the ground, checking his phone almost every thirty seconds. Still, it didn’t change anything. She had read his message. She’d be here any minute now… Why was this so much harder than fighting monsters?

He let out a loud sigh, once again stashing his phone as a familiar voice knocked him out of his thoughts. “Hey, Timber…”

In an instant, he jumped up, spun around, and stared directly at an equally nervous Twilight who was adjusting her glasses. “H-Hey… T-Twilight…” He stammered back, looking at her awkwardly as he rubbed the back of his head. “N-Nice to se-see you…”

“Yeah…” She weakly returned, looking down for a moment before continuing: “You… Wanted to talk?”

Timber looked up once again, the beautiful girl seemingly just as nervous as he was. But not in the usual, Twilight way, no… This was different… Did she catch on? How could she, right? These and many, many other thoughts raced through his head as they struggled for dominance over his vocabulary to press out anything.

“Y-Yes…” Was all he managed to press out, as his words continued to fail him.

“So… What do you want?” He stared back at her, hearing her words almost as if she was saying them a mile away. They felt so distant, but at the same time felt like a punch to the gut.

“I… It’s… I’m sor-“ He stammered, again trying to get out what he wanted to say.

“I… Think I know what you want…” Twilight finally sighed, sitting down on the bench he had sat on before.

“Y-You do?” He returned, staring at her with wide-open eyes. “B-But how would-“

“I… I might not be the best in social situations, but… I notice when my boyfriend doesn’t feel normal. You want to break up… Don’t you?” The girl asked, a somber tone in her voice, all while she avoided his look.

“How… Yes…” Timber simply stated, taking a seat next to her. “I’m… I’m sorry… But… I feel like I’m torn apart right now… On one hand… I don’t want to end this, but… Whenever I’m here, something always gets in the way, and I feel like I’m letting you down…” He let sink down his head and let out a sigh of relief.

“I… I get it… Your job doesn’t really have off days. And I don’t want you to give up on helping people. I still remember your eagerness that night… You were so happy that you could do more. I can’t take this from you… I… I might not know as much about friendship as my friends, but I do know that if you really care for someone that you should let them do what makes them happy… Even if that means that you gonna feel bad for a while…” She sighed as well, hanging her head a bit with a slightly pained smile. “And you are happy when you help people.”

“I… Thank you, but… I don’t want you to feel bad ei-“ He once again tried to say when he was interrupted.

“I won't feel bad! Well… Maybe a little bit… But I have my friends. I won’t be alone. And if I know you are happy, I can push through… And it’s not like it’s goodbye forever!” She returned with a slightly more confidant smile. “I wanted to tell you something as well. Honestly… I kinda wanted to break up with you today as well… But… You were faster, it seems…” She chuckled weakly.

“Yo-You wanted too?”

She simply nodded. “Yeah… And I wanted to tell you about what I wanted to do after this.”

“After this?” He returned, sounding a bit confused.

“Yes… You are a Rider… And you are going to continue being one. You have a goal, something to strive towards… Ever since I came to Canterlot High, I didn’t really have one… I just wanted to get my life back together… Lived into the day… And I wouldn’t trade that time for anything in the world. I made so many friends… Learned about magic and meat you… It was a wonderful time, but… Ever since I saw you that night. That drive… I… I felt lacking…” Twilight continued, rubbing one of her arms with a quiet sigh.

“I once had a goal… Something to strive for… Something that ruled my life… I don’t want to be that person ever again, but… I know I’m missing a part of me. I want to study magic! I need to know! I need this! And for that… I can’t stay here forever… School is ending so soon… And many of my friends will stay here… I… Didn’t want to admit that,” she bit her lower lip as she said that. “But can’t run away from the future forever. If I want to fulfill my dream… I have to join the MRG! They are the place that has the most significant grasp of magic. And that means… I can’t stay in Canterlot anymore… I have to part with my friends… But I won’t lose them! And when I join the MRG... I’m going to make sure we see each other again… Maybe things will be different by then,” she finished with a smile on her lips. “That is a promise!”

“You… You would do this for me? But… That is so long… Are you sure about this?” He looked at her, unsure of what exactly to feel. He felt sad, relieved, and so much more at the same time.

She shook her head. “I’m not doing this for you. I’m doing this for both me and you. None of us is happy right now and before this breaks away… Better to try later again… But until then,” she said before pulling him into a tight hug. “Good luck!” Timber simply nodded, the relive at least slightly overtaking the other emotions.

“Thank you…” He returned solemnly before Twilight let go again and stood up. It felt like an eternity as she walked away. Still, it felt like a rock had fallen from his chest as he sat there. He felt bad and good at the same time.

“Ouf, that was rough!” It suddenly came from beside him. He almost fell off the bench, Lemon leaning over the other side of it as she looked after Twilight.

“W-What are you… Why are… Since when are you here?” He stammered back, taking a few deep breaths.

“Oh? Just saw you here and kinda sorta violated your privacy. That’s ok, right?” She awkwardly chuckled. Timber just sighed. “Good!”

“Yeah… It is, but… I kinda feel like I made the right call,” he returned after a few seconds, his voice somber, yet calm.

“Yeah… Sorry man. But want to hear my opinion? I think this will work out in the long run!” She chuckled, giving him a light jab in the shoulder. “And if you ever need help, be it with work, or in the personal department, we’ll always be there. Heroes need to stick together,” she smirked, holding out her fist towards him.

“Yeah… They do! Same from me. If anything ever comes up, I’ll try my hardest to help out! Promise!” He said, a somewhat weak smile on his lips and returned her fistbump.

It's just a Prick

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The sun was shining down at Canterlot City on this beautiful early autumn day. Things had quieted down a bit after Gaia had left the city, and for the next two weeks, the Rangers had managed to live a more or less normal life. It had lulled at least her into a false sense of security. And of course, this would happen whe-

Her thoughts were interrupted as a large mace slammed down next to the Pink Ranger, crashing down into the concrete next to her. This definitely would leave a new pothole, that much was clear. “Hey! You know how annoying that is when the bus drives over these? Who do you think you are to make more?” She hissed back at the one swinging the mace around.

A light yellow Changeling, covered in strange spikey fur, four arms, and wings. It’s head looked quite round and with two large eyes as well as two antennas over them that almost looked like eyebrows. In her hands, she held a large mace with spikes all over it. If she was hit with that, there would definitely be trouble.

“Then how about standing still? Then I won’t hit the street anymore, and we will be done here early. Nice and quick. How does that sound?” She smirked, pulling up her weapon once again and playfully swinging it around. In the process, she casually threw over a lamppost that had just stood in the way. “What do you say?”

“I say you got a few screws loose in your ugly bug brain up there,” she threw back at her, jumping backward, just barely avoiding the deadly weapon by mere centimeters. “And stop being such an ass! Destroying the city won’t make me easier to beat. Or do you just suck so bad at aiming that you hit everything besides me?” She added a mocking tone to the last line, much to her own amusement.

“You damn brat! You have no respect for your elders!” It bellowed back at her as the Changeling once again brought down its weapon, right where she had stood just a moment before.

“How much older are we talking, you old hag? Are those hairs getting grey already?” She once again returned, a wide grin on her lips before she dashed forward. The Changeling was just about to lift up her mace as the Ranger jumped upwards and performed a backwords flip, knocking the mace out of her hands. “And that takes care of this. My, you really must be quite old, miss Changeling!”

A low growl escaped the Changelings throat as she stumbled backward, her weapon falling to the ground with a loud thud. “You insulant child! You think only because you got powers that you can dance on everyone's nose? You are just ignorant brats that can’t see the salvation when it stares them in the face!” It took a few steps backward till she managed to catch herself again. But as soon as she did, she dashed straight for the Ranger, fist ready to clock her in the face.

With ease, Sunny jumped backward with a backflip, just barely avoiding the pointy ends of her fur, continuing her gymnastic get away till she was just far enough out of range. “Yeah, almost, but still, too slow. Probably comes with age, you old hag. Maybe ask a younger one of your friends to take us on and give in your resignation. Because you ain’t cutting it anymore!” She continued, holding her hands in front of her helmet for emphasis.

“You little brat! I’ll show you what manners are! Time for your spanking!” The monster growled, grabbing for a lamppost to her side and with one swift pull, yanked it out of the ground, some sparking cables still hanging from it. With a loud scream, she threw it into the air, only to grab it once more, now holding it like an oversized baseball bat.

She ran forward, her new weapon apparently not impending her in any meaningful way. Sunny, in the meantime, had pulled out one of her Coins, but before she could insert it, the Changeling had charged towards her. With a sigh, she followed suit, running straight ahead.

With another loud roar, the Changeling swung her new ‘bat’. The long weapon crashed through several cars, slicing their top half clean off, or at least leaving their glass in shambles but didn’t seem to be slowed down at all. Just mere meters away from her, Sunny finally jumped, turning it into a sidewards somersault, all while inserting the Coin finally into her Morpher.

[G-G-Gun!]

The gun appeared mid-jump, she let a volley of energy burst lose on her opponent, hitting her square in the face. With a pained screech, the monster let go of her oversized weapon, allowing it to clutter to the ground while holding her face. “You!” She growled, her hands still pressed to her face. “I’ve had enough of you! It’s time to crush you worm!” With a low growl, she slammed both her fists together and began to put strain on her muscles

“Oh, scary! What are you gonna do? Show me your muscles and scare me into submission?” She chuckled back. She completely missed that her fur was starting to go stiff, turning into a pelt of razor-sharp needles. Only as they began to swing around, ready to burst, did she jump into action.

Within milliseconds, her body started to move on its own, dashing forward, straight towards a manhole-cover in the street. Jamming her fingers under the concrete, she pulled on the piece of metal. At first, it wouldn’t butch an inch, but with another tuck on it, she finally pried it open and quickly slammed it down in front of her. And that just in time for the fur to explode off of the Changeling and shrapnel all over the place.

From behind her barricade, she could hear metal being pierced, glass shattering, and tires deflating, all at the same time. It almost like when rained came down on an umbrella as the onslaught came down on her, pressing it backward. But she remained steady, and only on stray needle managed to prick her, but besides that, she was fine. “Ha! You missed!” Sunny shouted back before, jumping up, spinning around her own axis and throwing the cover like a Frisby into her chest, throwing the Changeling back.

“How was that? I’d say that was a solid discus throw. I’m sure you won’t get that done nearly as well, given your age,” she snickered back. The Changeling meanwhile was clutching her stomach in pain, hissing at her.

Sunny was about to say something else when the sound of bikes could be heard from a distance. As she turned her head around, she could see a group of four quite familiar motorcycles. The other Rangers were finally arriving. “Hey! Finally, decided to show up? About damn time I’d say! I got a changeling ready for the wrap up here! Just need to finish her off!” She shouted back at them, as they came closer.

However, the little bit of time she had given her opponent had been just enough for the Changeling to push her self back up, and with a grumbling frown on her face, she disappeared in the all too familiar green flames.

“What I see here is that you let a Changeling escape when she was on the ropes,” Sugar returned as coldly as ever, mere seconds after turning off her bike.

“But she… This… That’s not fair!” Sunny burst out, gesturing wildly at the now empty spot on the street. “I had her! You saw that, didn’t you!? They can’t just peace out like that!”

“Apparently they can,” Sugar simply encountered. “You also ran ahead without us. You could have been hurt by her.”

“Pah! As if I would be hurt by an old hag as her. She’s far too slow for that. She only managed to graze me with one of her spikes, and even that’s nothing. Didn’t even hurt that much,” Sunny said, pointing at a small cut in her suit.

“I mean, you said to me we shouldn’t run in without a plan, right?” Red jumped in.

“I had a plan. Outspeed her. And it worked. While you tried to outpower a walking tank! That is the difference between you and me,” Sunny snipped back, tilting her helmet a bit upward and bopping Lemon Zest before walking off. “Anyway, I got something to do and don’t want to be late. Tuduly!”

“What is that supposed to mean!?” Lemon shouted after her, but Sunny simply summoned her own bike and rode off, leaving the rest of her friends behind. “Diva,” Lemon grumbled to herself.

>-------<S>-------<

Meanwhile, a few blocks further away, a woman, roughly in her late forties, was leaning against a wall, breathing heavily. She wore a surprisingly expensive looking dress, her hair was a pale blue, and her skin was a light yellow. “These damn brats! No respect!”

“I’d put it down to the innocents of youth. Not having experienced what we have is what makes it so special and desirable. But in the end, they have to realize that the world just doesn’t work that way,” another voice added with a sigh. “It’s a shame, really.” Thorax stepped into view, arms behind his back, and a warm smile on his lips.

“My Lord!” The woman quickly stammered out and readied herself to bow before Thorax raised his hand, signaling her to stop. “I’m… I’m sorry I couldn’t beat her. She was just too agile.”

“I understand. The important thing is, did you manage to score at least one hit?” He calmly returned, stepping closer as he did so.

“Y-Yes. It seems one of my needles pierced her suit. She must have been infected. It shouldn’t take too long for symptoms to show themselves. And when that happens, they’ll have to come to me. But are you sure this will work, my Lord?” She added with a weak smile.

“It will. I know these girls well enough to know that they won’t just let this happen to one of their friends. They care too much for each other. They will comply if all their options are exhausted,” Thorax returned. “And when that is the case, you’ll be rewarded handsomely in the new world.”

“Thank you, my Lord.”

>-------<S>-------<

“And I tell you, I do not care if she was promised to the Duke of Prancingham! I will take her hearth, and if I have to steal princess Platinum form her father's clutches! I vow this on my mother's grave! I will… I will… What was the text again?“ A young man, dressed in Crystal Prep uniform, a somewhat messy black hair, pale opal complexion, and a pair of massive sunglasses almost shouted over the mostly empty theater.

Next to him, another boy, same uniform, light purple skin, and short, grey hair slammed his hand over his face and shook it. “Your text was: ‘I will save this fair maiden from this wretched fate!’ For the fourth time! I’m beginning to think you aren’t taking this seriously enough, Rising Star! We have the premier in five weeks, and you still struggle with your text at every other sentence! I can’t believe so much acting talent is wasted on someone like you!”

“Oh, come on, End Scene! I still got enough time to figure this stuff out. I tell you, your premiere will be a bomb,” Rising returned, laying his arm around the frustrated director. “Uh… s in, it will be great! Not that it will bomb… You know, right?” Scene just groaned again.

“I thought it was nice,” a petite girl with pale skin and short blue hair, as well as a hair clip in her hair, quietly muttered. She was working on some sort of costume for the play.

“You will be the death of me, you know that Rising Star?” End Scene muttered, ready to burst into another rant when the door suddenly was slammed open. In came a rather exhausted Sunny Flare.

“I’m here! Just five minutes too late!” She burst out while still trying to catch her breath.

The entire population of the theater turned towards her, Rising Star, End Scene, Coco Pommel as well as the second actor on stage, Stunning Act, a Canterlot High student with orange skin and black hair as well as the prop designer, Prop Department, another Canterlot High student with pale white skin and dark blue hair.

“Oh, the princess finally decides to show up for rehearsal. How gracious of you to reward us with your presence,” End Scene returned, glaring at her, before stepping forward, Rising’s arm falling off him as he did so.

“I… I’m really sorry! Traffic was awful! You won’t believe it. It took me way longer than expected to come back from Sugacube Corner. I was trying my best, but-“ She tried to explain.

“Bababa! I don’t wanna hear it! You’re late! You shouldn’t be! That is all that matters right now! I’ll give you a warning, but if you manage to be late again, I might consider giving the role of Princes Platinum to someone more deserving!” He coldly returned. “I’m not letting your tardiness ruin my play!”

“Yes,” she begrudgingly returned, a frown on her lips.

“Well, at least we started with Prince Ruby’s scene, so you only missed out on that. But still, we could have started with your big scene,” he continued.

Sunny nodded in return, wiping a bit of sweat off her forehead as she slumped down next to Coco. She felt exhausted. The short run through the school had really taken the wind out of her sails if she was honest. She needed a moment. “So, how has it been until now?” She asked Coco.

The girl looked at her a bit dumbfounded for a moment, before nodding and awkwardly returning: “Well, Rising Star forgot his line again… But he’s doing better than last time. And when he gets it right, he is really good!” Coco quietly added: “Shame, I didn’t manage to get the role…”

“Oh, you get next year, dear!” Sunny encountered with an exhausted smile.

“Oh… Did I say that out loud?” She squeed out, her head turning red as a tomato. “I’m sorry! You weren’t supposed to hear that!

Sunny just chuckled in return. “Oh, no need to be embarrassed over that. I’d be thinking the same thing if I were in your position. Shining Star is a cutie after all, don’t you think?” Coco’s head turned even redder, looking almost like she wanted to sink into the floor. “Can’t believe I actually get to kiss him,” Sunny added with an excited chuckle.

“Good… For you…” Coco quietly returned.

“I will save this fair maiden from this wretched fate!” It cut through their discussion, as Shining Star made his next attempt.

“Of course, my Lord! I will stand at your side during all of this! Till the bitter end!” Stunning Act returned.

“Excellent! Then this is our vow! A vow for the hearth of a woman!” Rising returned.

“And, end of the scene! Perfect! Absolutely perfect! Now we just need to do this without you forgetting your text again in the middle of it!” End scene shouted, before turning around and continued: “Well, then I think you two earned yourself a bit of a break. Sunny! You are up!”

“Understood!” Sunny returned, jumping up from her chair and almost losing her balance in the process, before catching herself again. Rushing up the stage, she came to a halt right in front of End Scene. “The… The monologue scene, right?”

“Yes. And I hope you got it down. I’m not ready to deal with someone else like Rising here,” he muttered, Rising awkwardly rubbing the back of his head. “Start!”

“Oh, woe to me! Poor princess, caught in this loveless, cruel world! A pawn for my father to use for more and more power. But oh! Why must this fall to me? Why must I be born a noble’s daughter? Trapped in this web of politics and- And…” She suddenly stopped, the words seemingly having fallen out of her head. As she tried to think back on what the line was, the words just became even unclear. “I- I think I forgot the line… End Scene? Can you help me a moment?”

The director just sighed: “I’m surrounded by incompetence,” he grumbled, rubbing his temples before continuing: “Your line was: ‘Trapped in this web of politics and intrigue. Just a woman with no will of her own.’ Now, try it again!”

Sunny nodded before beginning once more: “Oh, woe to me! Poor princess, caught in this loveless, cruel world! A pawn for my father to use for- For… For less… no…” She once again stumbled over her own words, rubbing her temple, trying desperately to remember what he had said.

“That was even worse! You could do that far better at the audition and the other rehearsals! What are you doing? If you aren’t taking this seriously, you can just leave,” he barked back, letting Sunny step back.

“I… I’m sorry… I’ll try again,” she stuttered, before beginning: “Oh, woe to me! Poor princess- Cau- Cau…” Once more, her lines became jumbled, and she fell over her own words. She felt like her head was about to explode, sharp stings running through her entire body every time she tried to focus. At this point, she was holding her head, her face turned into a pained grimace as she desperately tried to recite the line.

“You… You’re ok there, Sunny Flare?” End Scene asked, taking a step closer to her, his annoyance replaced with worry.

“I… I… I’m sorry, I need a moment!” She pressed out before pushing him to the side and stumbling down the steps of the stage. Everyone else just looked stunned after her as she rushed towards the door and out of the room.

Once outside, Sunny managed to duck around a nearby corner before the rest of them stormed out of the door, shouting her name and beginning to scatter. Thankfully, at least for her, they had missed her, behind a small little slot between a bunch of lockers and a small pillar on the edge of the corner.

A few minutes after they had passed, Sunny slipped out of her hiding place, her head still hurting like someone was using a jackhammer on it. Maybe she just needed some water? Yeah, probably just dehydrated, she thought to herself as she tried to find the nearest drinking fountain. She knew one was closeby, but she could for the life of herself, not figure out where it was. Every corner looked strange, new like she never had seen them before.

It must have been ten minutes of headless stumbling through the halls, and she still hadn’t found that damn fountain. She was seriously questioning if she was mistaken about it when she shook her head. She knew, for a fact, that it was close by. And lo and behold, after turning the next corner, it finally came into view. With a satisfied smirk, she stumbled towards it. Supporting herself on it, she leaned forward, ready to drink when her arm suddenly gave in, slipping away.

It felt like someone had hit a temple gong, right against her brain when her head slammed against the metal of the fountain. As her vision started to blur, she could faintly hear from afar a loud: “Sunny!?” Before everything went black.

>-------<S>-------<

It felt like everything was spinning. That was the first thing she noticed when her mind slowly started to form coherent thoughts again. The second thing was the throbbing pain on her forehead. And that pain only grew in intensity, the longer went on.

When she finally managed to let out a groan, another voice quickly followed, jamming into her head like a sharp knife. “Sunny!? Sunny, are you ok?” She knew the voice somewhere, she just couldn’t pinpoint it. But it was unrelenting, quickly following it up with another, just as loud: “Can you hear me?”

With another pained groan, she managed to summon the strength to force her eyelids open, only to be greeted with an overly bright light that made her head spin. It took almost half a minute until her eyes could discern anything beyond rough shapes. Someone was looking down at her, a yellow face and pink hair stared her right in the face.

“Sunny! Oh, my goodness! You are awake! Thank the heavens!” Sour’s voice cut into her head like a drill. “You just collapsed at the drinking fountain! Are you ok?”

“I… Uhhh…” she groaned back, her eyes unfocused. “Don’t… know…”

“You don’t look ok. But the nurse can’t find anything wrong wit-“ Sour was interrupted when her phone rang. “Oh, hello, how may I help you. I got a lot of time right now, not like I’m busy or anything,” she growled back into her cellphone only to suddenly quiet down. “Lemon? Wait, a Changeling in front of the school? And she has done what!? I’ll be right there!” She almost jumped up instantly but was only stopped by Sunny, grabbing her hand.

“I’m… I’m coming as… As well…” She weakly returned, her friend spinning before her eyes.

“Oh, sure, you’ll do great. No, you idiot! You are just gonna hurt yourself! Now, quit complaining and let us handle this!” Shaking off Sunny’s arm, Sour dashed out the door of the infirmary, leaving her behind.

“I’m… I’m not staying… staying out of this!” She weakly hissed after her.

>-------<S>-------<

Just a few minutes later, three of the five Rangers arrived right in front of their school, glaring down the Changeling Sunny had fought before. Her spikey fur had regrown, and she had her arms crossed in front of her. Even though they were unfamiliar with Changeling biology, they were sure she was sporting a shit-eating grin.

A small squad of MRG agents had gathered around the school, beginning to build up barricades around the courtyard. They had also given out orders to clear out the school. Shining Armour had personally come down and was coordinating the whole operation, being quite familiar with this already.

“Excuse us, we need to be there,” Sugarcoat stated, mostly ignoring him.

“I know you need to get through there, but we can’t just let you fight there when there are still a few civilians there. You saw what happened when superheroes fought in a school last time,” Shining returned, crossing his arms. “And we know sadly not enough about you to be sure that you’ll be careful.”

“Sorry, but we have to deal with her fast. You know what she said,” Indigo returned, crossing her arms in annoyance as well.

“What does she mean with that anyway? ‘Come here if you want to see your friend alive. If not, she will die in an hour’. Did she manage to capture your friend? Because she is entirely alone,” he returned.

“That is private,” Sugar simply stated.

“Oh, private, eh? Look, you expect us to just roll out the red carpet for you when you don’t trust us? I know how much you superheroes can do; I’m friends with a few. But you can’t just waltz in here and demand things! I need to trust you all and be sure you aren’t just some girls playing the part of a hero, ok?” Shining huffed back.

“I’m here!” It came from behind them as Sour Sweet came running in, in her suit.

“Oh, thank goodness! So- Green! Where were you?” It came back from Lemon.

“I was with… Pink. She’s… Out cold. Don’t know what, though. You think that’s what the Changeling meant?” She returned, completely ignoring Shining.

“Most likely,” Sugar said.

“So that’s how it is then…” Shining muttered, eyeing the four carefully before sighing. “I’m not going to stop you from saving your friend, am I?”

“Nope!”

“Definitely not.”

“Abso-freaking-lutly!”

“Not in a thousand years!”

All four shouted back in unison.

“Figures. At least promise me that you’ll try to keep her away from the school, ok?” He sighed and offered them a hand.

Before any of the other three could react, Shining’s hand was grabbed by Lemon and shook quite forcefully. “You got our word! We’ll kick some bug-butt and save our friend without too much damage! Now! Get her girls!”

Without any further words, the four jumped over the blockade and landed right in front of the monster. “I don’t like that ‘Without too much damage part’,” he shook his head and began barking orders at his men.

“Well, hello, you useless brats. It’s good to see you. But where is your lovely pink pest? Felling ill?” The Moth Changeling said, with a twisted glee in her voice.

“You know exactly what happened to her, you damn bug! So undo it! You spiky fluffball, or we’ll we kick our ass to next Sunday! We’ll show you to mess with our friends!” Indigo was the first to shout out, pointing at the monster in front of them.

“Well, seems you figured it out. Your Pink friend fell victim to my precious spikes. Which also means she has been infected with my poison. It’s a very fast working one. She’ll be dead in a good hour or so. But you don’t want that, right? Right!” She chuckled, staring at them all.

“You’ll cure that poison this instant, or you will regret ever having crossed us! Because we’ll beat you! No matter what!” Indigo encountered, clenching her fists, ready for a fight.

“Oh, really? You think you can beat me without getting hurt by my spikes? You know how much it took to knock the pink brat off her feet? One, single prick! You think you can really win here without getting hit even once?” She started to laugh, Indigo ready to storm ahead, but Sugar put a hand on her shoulder and shook her head.

“Oh? No attack? Seems you realize it, don’t you? You will get hit! No matter what you try! And in the end, your friend will just die with you following soon! So, how about this, then? Give me your coins, and I’ll give you the antidote!” With a sickening laugh, she pulled out a vile of a colorless substance. “But if you wanna test your luck? Sure! Go for it! We’ll see what happens!”

Indigo growled at the Changeling, balling her hand into a fist and seemingly about to storm at her when her posture deflated: “Are… Are you serious about this? You are really going to cure her?”

“Yellow!?” Lemon burst out, staring at her comrade in utter shock.

“Yes, I am. There is no reason for me to hurt you beyond that. I’d also get a lot of flack from my superior. He seems to have found a liking to you brats. Don’t know why, but I’ll promise you, she’ll be fine. Now, what’s your answer?” She once again asked, the satisfaction in her voice clearly audible.

Indigo looked back at her friends and with a quite: “I’m sorry,” she went for her Shadow Coin.

“Arghhh!” It suddenly cut through the courtyard as the Changeling road up in pain, dropping the vile as smoke came off her shoulder.

“You… You can shove that deal!” It croaked from behind them, and as they turned around, Sunny was leaning against the frame of the school door, gun in hand, and in her suit.

“Su- Pink!” Indigo shouted out in complete disbelieve. “What are you doing here? I thought you were out!”

“I’m… I’m not letting you… Make deals with her! I knew… Knew you’d do something stupid!” She hissed back, pushing herself off the wall and stumbling forward, eyes set on her opponent. “You ain’t beaten… Beaten me yet, hag!”

The Changeling growled, before stomping on the vile. “Fine then! Play it your way! I’ll take great delight in killing you meddling rangers right here! You sure as Tartarus earned it!” She hissed back before pulling out her mace again.

Sunny was the first to act, taking aim and firing a few shots at the Changeling. Sadly, all shots that even came close to her were flicked to the side by her mace, landing instead uneventfully in the dirt. And before Sunny could fire again, she slipped and almost fell over her own two feet; wouldn’t it have been for Indigo catching her.

“Gotcha! Are you sure this is a good idea? You are definitely out of it! You’ll just gonna hurt yourself, and I don’t want this to happen!” She quietly asked, stabilizing her friend.

“If… If I start something, I’m damn well finishing it! You ain’t taking this from me!” She returned, before raising her gun again and unleashing another volley of shots at their opponent. Just like before, the Changeling reflected the energy blats, but one actually hit her, singing her fur a tiny bit. “Gotcha!” Sunny chuckled weakly.

In the meantime, Lemon and Sugar had dashed forward, both summoning her swords and circling around the monster. Both came to a halt behind her, before inserting Coins into the slot on their sword.

[Fi-Fi-Fire!]

[W-W-Wind!]

Both their respective weapons began to be enveloped by their individual elements, one if flames and one by a whirlwind. Sharing a simple look, they crossed the blades, the fire surging to the wind, turning it into a firey wind hose.

With a loud scream, the two Rangers jumped forward, bringing down their weapons on the Changeling. But she wasn’t entirely deaf, having heard the activation sound, she swung around, and her mace slammed against the two blades.

A shockwave ran through the courtyard, letting the gate to the street rattle, while Shining Armor looked over towards them nervously. But, even though she had managed to block the attack, the flames weren’t so easily beaten. Almost as if they were alive, they spread across the mace and quickly towards her body. In seconds, she had been engulfed in them, letting out a pained roar.

Still, she wasn’t willing to lose that quickly. Underneath all the flames, the spikes on her arm began to straighten, and promptly after that, wiggling. Before any of the Rangers had noticed what was happening, a burst of razor-sharp spikes exploded off he underarm. A loud, pained scream later, two Rangers were thrown against the gate, sparks erupting from their suits, and several of the spikes still sticking in them.

“That’ll show you what happens when you mess with your elders, you damn brats! Now you’ll join her in her poison induced stupor! And be happy, you got far more, so it’ll be even faster!” she chuckled, enjoying her handy work when something hit her in the back of the head. With a pained grunt, she spun around, finding both the Yellow and Pink Ranger aiming their blasters at her.

“Insolent brats! You’d think they’ll learn after the first time! But no, they’ll just get worse,” she muttered and raced forwards, knocking shot after shot from them out of the air.

[St-St-Strength!]

It echoed from the side, and the moment she looked over, the sole of a boot greeted her, straight to the face. The impact felt way worse than she had anticipated. Instead of a young girl, it felt like someone had thrown a cannonball into her face. And like to be expected, she was thrown to the side, tumbling.

“Yeah, you really got some tunnel-vision there, you damn bug! But don’t worry, just focus on me and I’ll kick your ass for my friends!” Sour boasted, taking a fighting stance as the Changeling pulled herself back up.

She simply growled, grabbed her mace again, and dashed forward. Sour didn’t seem to react as the mace came down on her; only in the last second, she responded, catching the weapon mid-swing. The monster just stared at her in disbelieve as it tried to jank back her mace. Instead, Green slammed the weapon back into her face, letting her let go of it and stumble backward.

As she was holding her head, she didn’t see the swing of her own weapon coming at all, and the upwards swing knocked her off her feet once more. She landed, with a loud crunch, in one of the trees decorating the walkway towards the school, breaking it clean in half.

Sour wasn’t done just yet, though; with a loud scream, she jumped forward, mace in both hands, swung over her head, and ready to bring it down on her. With a panicked yelp, the Changeling managed to avoid the initial impact, but the following shockwave sent her tumbling over the grass, like a football.

This time, she had time to stand back up before the weapon-wielding Ranger stormed at her once more. Wielding the heavy mace like a baseball bat, Sour dashed towards her, when the Changeling grabbed the upper half of the tree that had been thrown with her, mirroring her movements.

With another loud battle cry, both of them swung their makeshift bats at each other, the tree, unsurprisingly shattering on impact and reduced to a few splinters. What Sour, however, hadn’t expected, after the fragments had cleared a bit, was that the Moth-Changeling was already gone! Mere moments after that realization, she felt a sharp pain in her stomach, accentuated by a few other, sharp jolts around it.

Knocking the air clean out of her, the monster had slammed her fist right into her stomach and thrown her back onto the walkway, the mace flying to the wayside. “Finally! How dare you take the weapon of a lady like that? Unbelievable! You all just got no respect! No respect at all!” She growled, holding her chin, with a death glare at the Green Ranger.

While making the first step towards the, now on the ground laying Ranger, she once again was sniped by one of the Rangers blasters. With an annoyed huff, she spun around towards Pink and Yellow. “Why do you think you two will save the day when your friends already failed so miserably? Especially in your condition, Pink? You believe only because you are stubborn enough, things will just magically work out for you? Your time is numbered in minutes now! Just give up already, and you might live. You’ve got just enough time left till your body just collapses.”

“Screw! Off!” Sunny hissed back, pushing herself of Indigo, trying to stand as firm as possible. “We aren’t going to bow to you, your generals, or your boss! We are going to fight this till the bitter end! Because I know, they,” she pointed at her friends. “Just like me, don’t quit when they started something! We’ll beat you! And then, we’ll beat your entire hive! Green! Now!” She shouted out, letting the Changeling look back.

The Green ranger had pushed herself back up, her entire stance shakily, but she stood. With seemingly all her might, she threw something. Something the Yellow Ranger grabbed with a somersault before punching it into her Morpher.

[Me-Me-Metal!]

Without any further warning, Yellow rushed straight at her, avoiding her panicked punch and slammed straight into her, before sliding across her side and grabbing her arms from behind. The Changeling swung her mass around, but neither her spikes nor her power could get the Ranger off her.

In the meantime, the other Rangers dragged themselves towards her, each inserting a coin into their respective weapon.

[Fi-Fi-Final! Red!]

[Fi-Fi-Final! Blue!]

[Fi-Fi-Final! Pink!]

[Fi-Fi-Final! Green!]

It echoed across the courtyard, the Changeling quickly being enveloped in the dark cloud. The first light was red, slicing her across her chest, quickly followed by a blue one and a green one. Each strike let out a sea of sparks, letting her slump weakly in Indigo’s arms.

Meanwhile, outside the darkness, Sunny had taken position, aiming her gun directly into it. “Time to finish this!” She hissed before pulling the trigger, and an energy bolt zoomed into it, followed by a loud explosion.

Like on cue, a giant version of her grew out of the cloud, letting out a loud roar. The Rangers, still swaying weakly on their feet, quickly activated their specific coins and formed their Megazord.

[He-He-Hellhound!]

[Le-Le-Leviathan!]

[Ro-Ro-Roc!]

[Wy-Wy-Wyvern!]

[Ma-Ma-Manticore!]

“Shadow Star Megazord!”

With the new battleground, in its separate dimension now formed, both contestants dashed forward at each other.

The Changeling once again had regained her mace and swung it at the giant robot. The Rangers quickly pulled up one of their twin blades, knocking the Changeling back before slashing with the other one clean across her chest.

The Changeling roared once more, before swinging the weapon once again. This time, however, they somehow were off and the monster knocking one blade out of their hands. Without any sort of pause, the mace came down once more, straight into their chest, knocking the cockpit around a lot. Indigo looked around, her friends all more or less laying limp in their seats.

“Damn it! Still not gone!?” She shouted out in frustration and tried to block the next incoming attack. The only thing she, however, achieved was hit the handle of the mace in such a way that both weapons fell out of their user's hands.

With a loud screech, the Changeling just swung her fist at them, letting the cockpit shake once more, sparks erupting ut of every console. “Damn it! Damn it! What am I supposed to do? This is supposed to be a five-woman show! Not a one-woman show!” She screamed out, desperately trying to prevent the robot from falling over.

“Try… This!” Sunny managed to croak out before inserting a coin into her console, slumping over again the moment she did that.

[Ch-Ch-Chain!]

The appearance of the Coin managed to stop the next punch of the Changeling before slotting into the Zord. For a moment, she wondered what she was supposed to do, but then it hit her like a brick. “Ok, this is gonna be dumb! But let’s do this!” She shouted before firing a chain at the Changeling. She tried to block, but the metal thing just wrapped itself around her arm.

Once that happened, Indigo just smiled deviously below he helmet. Out of nowhere, the torso of the Megazord began to turn, tugging on the chain and with it, the Changeling. Within moments, the spinning got faster and faster until it at first pulled the Changeling after it and later through the buildings of the city. A circle of destruction and collapsing buildings formed around the Zord before the chain started to glow bright and brighter before-

Boom!

With one last explosion, the Changeling was thrown back into reality, landing beaten and bruised in front of the MRG agents. But before they could move in, to arrest her, Thorax, in his monster form appeared, picked her up and disappeared once more in green flames. Moments later, the Rangers landed on the courtyard.

“You all feel better?” Indigo asked, looking at her friends.

“Yeah… Just widened,” Sunny sighed, leaning on her own knees. The others looked equally exhausted.

“Good job. You definitely kept property damage to a minimum. Even if that tree doesn’t agree with that,” Shining weakly chuckled before returning to a more severe expression. “I assume you aren’t gonna reveal your identity to us, right?”

“No. We saw what happened to Alchemy revealed his. We aren’t interested in sharing his fate of no private life,” Sugarcoat quickly returned, crossing her arms.

“Figures. I knew that was coming. But if you ever need help, with something bigger than you, or because you need something from us, take my card. I’ll do what I can to help you,” he sighed, before handing them a rather plain business card.

Lemon Zest, seemingly with newfound energy, jumped forward and grabbed the card. “Sure! Help is always appreciated! Bye!” And with a handshake from the overly excited girl, they jumped into the air and disappeared.

“Superheroes,” Shining muttered and shook his head.

>-------<S>-------<

A day later, around the same time, Sunny was once again on her way to rehearsal. This time actually on time. Once, she entered End Scene, and everyone else turned around before more or less running up to her.

“You’re ok? You just… Ran off yesterday. You looked… Not well,” he asked, a nervous expression on his face.

“I… I’m fine. Just… A bit stressed. Have been doing a lot of things lately, and it seems it just finally caught up to me. I took a good nap, and now I’m back to mostly normal,” she sighed.

“I… I see. You sure you can do the role, though? Don’t want you to overexert myself. No one would be helped by that. My play would suffer, and you too,” End Scene returned, awkwardly rubbing the back of his head. “Not that I don’t want you anymore. You are a great Princess Platinum!”

“I… Yeah, actually, I wanted to say, I’m giving up the role. With what I have on my plate right now, I don’t think I can commit to it. Sorry to say that,” she added, a somber look on her face. “It’s usually not my style. I don’t like not finishing something I started, but this time? Someone else has to finish it.”

“I… I see… I totally respect your decision… But… that leaves the question… Who’s gonna replace you?” He returned, rubbing the back of his head.

“Oh, how about Coco over there? She was at every rehearsal, after all. And she did wonderfully in the casting, right? I’m sure she’ll do just fine,” Sunny smiled at her.

The girl just turned red again. “M… M… Me!?” She stammered out.

“Yes, her. What do you say?”

“Hmm… Not my first choice, but I can see it. Yes! That can work! Coco, you’re my new princess! Quick, quick! Someone get her a script!” Scene shouted out, Sunny just chuckling and handing Coc her old script.

“Th… Th… Thank you,” she managed to press out while clutching the script to herself.

“No problem, dear. And good luck with the big scene,” she added with a wink before waving everyone goodbye.

Outside the theater, Indigo waited for her. “You know, you didn’t need to do that. No one of us would have kicked up a fuss about it, right?”

“Oh, I know. But they can’t rely on me being there, so I cut it. Until this is over, I got to have different priorities,” she returned with a smile. “One of which is a good milkshake with my friends.”

>-------<S>-------<

A few days later, when one looked up at the night sky in Canterlot City, one could see a strange shooting star racing across it. Some couples enjoyed the last few warm days of autumn before things would cool down again, whishing upon the lucky phenomenon. They didn’t even raise any eyebrows when a loud train whistle echoed through the entire city. They just sent their wishes to the falling star.

What they didn’t know, however, was that if one looked closer, the star turned out to be a strange, bone-white train racing across the sky on golden train tracks. And what even fewer people knew, wherever this train appeared, darkness was soon to follow…

Myths and Legends

View Online

It had been a few days since the encounter with the Shadow Line and the Rail Rider Rangers. Things had mostly returned to the usual normal, or as normal as you could get in this city. It, however, still let a shiver run down her spine when she thought what was out there. This time, they had managed to avert a disaster, but what next time?

Cadance shook her head, trying to banish the thoughts from her mind again. Worrying really wouldn’t bring her any further. And if last time was any indicator, the girls would be able to handle it. Like they had handled it every time now. Right?

She was snapped out of her thoughts as the big grandfather clock in her private office rang eleven PM. She looked in disbelieve at the clock. Had it really been this long already? And she was still only halfway through with her work. With an exasperated sigh, she looked back down at all the unfinished paperwork that was staring back at her. At least half of which was due tomorrow. “Sometimes, I hate my job,” she grumbled and returned to her work.

Or at least, tried to. She only managed tow rite down several words before her phone rang. Who in their right mind would call her at a time like this? Even if she was still awake, this was just inhumane. With a low grumble, she pulled out her phone and looked at the caller number. She secretly hoped it was no one important and just let it go to voicemail or something. Turned out, it was a saved number, and one she really didn’t expect to hear from right now. Finders Keepers, her cousin.

For a moment, she was tempted to still sent him to voice mail, but her curiosity won out in the end. “Hello? Cadance here. How are you, Finders?” She spoke into the phone, leaning back into her chair, using the brief reprieve from work to its fullest.

“Mia! It’s been far too long, hasn’t it?” It came from the other end, Finder sounding surprisingly excited for so late in the night.

“Yeah, been a while. When was that? The last family gathering at your dad's place? That must have been at least four months now, right? Work’s been keeping me really busy,” she sighed back, a smile on her lips.

“Yeah, figures. Taking care of a school must be a real hassle. Especially when this was sprung on you pretty much out of nowhere,” he returned. “Kids can be hard to deal with.”

“Oh, it’s not the kids that are the problem. There are a few that give me grief, sure. No, the real problem are the adults. Their kid must take priority. They pay a lot for their children to go to this school. Threats of cutting funding for Crystal Prep and then the drama when two of them start getting into an argument. At this point, I can kinda see why Principle Cinch was how she was. Having to deal with all these expectations from all these parents really can drive you nuts. Doesn’t change the fact that she was… Let’s say it out loud, a bitch,” she finished with a sigh.

“I… I see. Yeah. You hear about these helicopter and entitled parents a lot, but havening to deal with them regularly? Yeah, I do not envy you at all. Especially with your… Other responsibilities on top of that as well,” Finder awkwardly added.

“Yeah… It does eat into my time quite a bit. But it’s a good counterbalance for all of my work in the school. The girls are… Loud, overconfident, manage to get themselves into so much trouble and all in all, well, teenagers. But in the end, they manage to pull through. Even if I don’t like sending them out there. They are good kids. I get why the Coins chose them, I think,” she said, a smile on her lips.

“Hmh, seems the Coins really got a knack for picking their users. I’ll believe you, even though I think a group of trained warriors would have been a better fit for Rangers. But I’m not an ancient, magical artifact, so what do I know? Right?”

“We can only trust them, right?”

“Yeah… You’re right. And they seem to manage until now. You think we can finally end this conflict? It’s been so long after all...” he quietly asked.

“It’s… It’s hard to say, really. On the one hand, the Changelings have been alive for centuries. It’s hard to believe they could ever be entirely beaten. But I trust these girls. I don’t know why, but I think they can do it. That’s sadly the only thing I can do… Wait and hope for them to fix this mess we found ourselves in. But enough of that, why are you calling me so late at night? It wasn’t just to catch up with your cousin, wasn’t it?” She finally said, crossing her legs as she did so.

“Yeah… As much as I’d love that to be it, it’s mostly business. I’ve also been very busy with my own work. Mainly regarding your Shadow Force Rangers. I think I found something… At a recent dig side, not too far from here, I found some sort of ancient tablet. I’ve yet to fully translate it, but it seems to be a dialect of Changeling. And, it mentions… Mentions something… I didn’t think I’d find it. Not in a thousand years! I think I found a clue to the location of the Crystal Hearth! Can you believe that!?” He finished, now almost shouting into the phone.

“The… The Crystal Hearth? I thought it was used up when our ancestors created the Shadow Coins? That can’t be right?” Cadance jumped up, her eyes wide open now.

“Apparently it can. I haven’t translated the entire thing just yet, but I managed to translated ‘The resting place of the Crystal Hearth.’ That is huge! Almost as huge as you finding the Shadow Coins. I’ll probably manage to translate the whole thing tomorrow evening!” He continued, his voice caught in his own excitement.

“I see… That means… Are you sure you can translate it till then? One-hundred percent?”

“Yeah, mostly. I think. The hardest part is understanding the dialect. Everything beyond that should be more or less straightforward. But why do you ask?” He returned, she definitely heard the slight confusion through her phone.

“I don’t like the chance of our enemies somehow hearing about your find, in any shape, way, or form. If they find out about this, they’ll try to get their hands on it. And they’ll stop at nothing to do that. I know you aren’t gonna like this, but… I’d like to come by your lab tomorrow, with the Rangers and… Well, take the tablet with us for safekeeping,” she finished, already expecting the shitstorm she undoubtedly was gonna get.

“Take… The tablet? Are… Are you sure? I get it… Even if I don’t like it,” he grumbled, before continuing. “But… While we are financing this operation, it’s gonna be tough to give a priceless archeological artifact to a principal and a few high schoolers. That… It would take a week to get through… At least… And then… Oh, my goodness. What are you asking of me here, Mia? This is…” He stopped waiting for an answer, but the line stayed quiet.

“Fine! I’ll figure something out. But I can’t promise anything. Maybe… Ok, how about this? You come to me. I give you a rundown of everything I found out until then, and if I haven’t made any progress, which I highly doubt, by the way, then you come in Ranger suits. Maybe they will be more lenient for some superheroes…” He sighed.

“Thank you, Finders. I know this gonna be hard, but I’m glad you are working with me here. It’s good to know someone got your back. See you tomorrow then, and good luck.”

“Yeah, I’ll need it. I think I need to make a few more calls. There goes my sleep tonight. You owe me, though, ok?” He grumbled back.

“Sure thing. I’ll figure out a way to repay you. See you tomorrow. Your lab is still outside of Griffonstone?” She asked, receiving an approving grunt from the other line. “Good. See you!”

“See you as well,” he simply stated before hanging up the phone. It took her a good minute before she could put down the phone. Her heart was beating in her chest. This could be huge, she knew that! Even worse, she still had work to do, and she really couldn’t focus on it at all! With a terrified look down at her desk, she ultimately sighed and returned to work once more.

>-------<S>-------<

The next day came in the blink of an eye. Candace had gotten almost no sleep. The work had kept her up till one AM, and the stayed awake a bit longer to figure out the best train connection to Griffonstone. The city wasn’t too far away, but it still was not an easy task to get from one to the other.

School had come and gone, but only with lots and lots of coffee. Each cup made her feel less shit, but none made her genuinely awake. And worst of all, she knew, there was still so much more to do this day. Her work kept her busy, just as much as usual, but she thankfully avoided any greater problems. Everything was only low key stressful.

And around four PM, she sat inside the train cart, driving off towards Griffonstone. She let out a small chuckle when she thought back at the events a few days ago. The other five girls had joined her or at least tried to. Sunny, Lemon, and Sugar managed to get the three seats around her, in the alcove, while Sour and Indigo occupying the two seats behind them.

“Soooo, what got you so excited?” Lemon asked, after not even a minute on the train. “And why are we taking a trip to Griffonstone? Anything interesting there? Oh! Oh! Some Changelings?” She continued before Sugar managed to clamp her hand over her mouth.

“Oh? Why did you stop her? I think she wasn’t loud enough already!” Sour grumbled from behind Lemon’s seat.

“Would you please keep it down, Lemon? People can hear you,” Sugar added, waiting for a nod from Lemon before letting go of her mouth.

“Thanks… So? Changeling?” She quickly said.

“Hopefully, not. That’d be really bad,” she sighed. “No, we are going to visit my cousin, Finders Keepers. He’s an archeologist for the Griffonstone Institue for Archeology. And it seems they’ve stumbled over something unexpected.”

“Oh? What’s it? New Coins? Because if yes, I call dibs!”

“Of course you would, greedy as always,” Sunny chuckled, shaking her head at Lemon’s excitement.

“No… It seems they might have found a hint towards the location of the Crystal Hearth. The magical stone used to creat all of your Shadow Coins. He called me last night to inform me about this. This might potentially be something big. Who knows, maybe it might even be something that can help us against them, but we don’t know. Information on the Crystal Hearth has been very scars. We don’t really know what it can do,” she finished.

“Uhhh? Maybe it’s not just new Coins, it could be a new Zord? What do you think? Or an upgrade for us? I’d so love to form change like Riders do!” Lemon continued, as energetic as ever.

“We just don’t know. The tablet only spoke about the resting place of it. And that’s all. But whatever it is, we can’t let it fall into the hands of the Changelings. If that were to happen, I get the feeling things would take a turn for the worse. And to prevent that, we are going to Griffonstone,” she finished with a stoic expression.

“So… What are we doing at that institute?” Sunny asked this time, all while Lemon was lost in her own imagination about what could possibly await them.

“That… is a bit more complicated. I asked Finders to possibly give us the tablet, but he already told me that it would be a challenging thing to accomplish. He did say he’ll try everything he could do, but he didn’t promise anything. We might to potentially let you girls suit up and try to convince the head of the operation yourself. And if all of this doesn’t work… We might have to… Pursue less legal action,” she added quietly.

“Wait! You mean…” Lemon burst out, before quieting down a lot before whispering: “Stealing it?”

“Yes… If it means not letting it fall into the Changeling’s hands. We can give it back once we got whatever it’s leading to, but…” Wrinkles were forming atop Cadance’s forehead as she spoke.

“I… I don’t like that…” Lemon interrupted her. “We’re heroes, right? Heroes don’t still!”

“I… Agree. This sounds… Bad,” Sunny added, followed by an affirmative grunt from both Sour and Indigo.

“It does sound extreme,” Sugar was the last one to say.

“I… I know girls. It’s just… The consequences are by far worse than doing nothing. If the Changelings get their hands on the Crystal Hearth, who knows what they would be able to do. Even if it is no longer there, we can’t take the chance, just like I couldn’t take the chance of the Changelings acquiring the Shadow Coins back in Mount Aris. Even if it was dangerous, I couldn’t just let them win,” she finished with a somber tone.

“Yeah! We can’t just let them win! A hero has to do things they don’t wanna do at times, right?” Lemmon added, her hand balled into a fist.

“I… See your point,” Sour joined in as well. “But only as a last resort!”

“Yeah… I’d do anything to protect my friends! So why should that stop when I’m fighting monsters?” Indigo said as well, her unsure expression being washed away with a far more determined one.

“I’m not letting some bugs destroy the world when I can do something against it!” Sunny encountered. “And if it means I got to get my hands dirty, so be it!”

“I agree,” Sugar was the last to finish.

Cadance looked at the five girls and nodded, still, she couldn’t shake the feeling of her throat tightening with every second that passed. Inside her mind, her teacher side was screaming at her forever, teaching children something like this. Meanwhile, another voice encountered that they weren’t just children. They were more than that! They had a responsibility to uphold! But at the same time, could she treat them differently because of that.

And over the one hour train ride, the two sides of her mind kept raising argument over argument, but none ever managed to outweigh its opponent. And as the train came to a stop again, the fight inside her mind was still raging on. With a frustrated sigh, she pushed it away. She had something more important to do!

>-------<S>-------<

Griffonstone, as a city, looked very similar to Canterlot on the first view. Buildings appeared modern and lived in. Groups of tourists streamed out of the very modern train station and were catered off to wherever their busses lead them. Griffonstone had become known for its high density for old ruins in the last few decades, even adapting it into the slogan to reflect that: ‘Griffonstone, A nice place to visit!’ was written over an enormous billboard right across the station.

The six, however, walked past all shiny, up to date busses that were waiting right at the entrance of the large parking lot and moved to one parked far in the back. It was a far older model. Quickly reaching its second decade of use, and it definitely looked the part. Next to no tourists had boarded the vehicle when it finally started to move.

They quickly drove past all of the fancy, inner core of the city and onto a broad street, build like a bridge over the rest of the city. The modern exteriours rapidly being replaced by far older, brick, and concrete buildings that looked like that had seen a lot in their lifetime. Trash filled the sidewalks, and everyone had a frown on their faces. It was bizarre as if the city had two faces. One it showed to people visiting, keeping them above the other one, one that looked run down, old and tired.

“Why is it that the buildings down there look so different?” Lemon wondered out loud.

“Griffonstone’s primary industry is the tourist industry. Every other form has mostly broken down over the last fifty years,” Sugar answered without a second thought.

“Besides one Company, Change Industries,” Cadance added, her arms crossed as she looked out a window, straight into the hearth of the run-down part of town. In it, one could immediately make out a larger building, roughly half the size of Canterlot’s Change Indurtsires building, surrounded by several large production halls. “They moved here about fifteen years ago. No one knows why. Most people assume they got mayor tax breaks from the city or something of the sort. But our family knows better. They are here because of the ruins. They know something is here. That’s why they have been financially supporting the Equila Archeological Center for all this time. My family has ever since tried to do the same to the Griffonstone Archeological Institute, a rival organization. The two institutes have been trying to outpace each other when it comes to archeology, but neither of our efforts has yielded results, until now.”

“So… What are they doing in the city? I mean production-wise?” Sunny asked, looking back at the strange complex.

“Mostly, construction work on tech. Like washing machines, ovens, and the like. They would be cheaper off if they were to outsource the production to another country, but until now, they have refused to. Most likely trying to gain a positive standing in the city,” she muttered.

“Or they… They could try to help out the people here as well? They keep saying they want to help the world,” Lemon countered quietly.

“Don’t be tricked by them. They are known for their trickery. They’ll use it whenever they can,” Cadance bluntly returned.

Lemon, meanwhile, just stared back at the building and its production halls. For as towering and imposing as it looked, the fact that closer suburbs looked significantly better gave it a certain… Warmth, for the lack of a better word.

>-------<S>-------<

Once the bus had reached its last stop, they finally exited. They had been driven to one of the more outskirts parts of town. Things didn’t look as bad here; still, there was a rather… Depressing atmosphere about the place. In front of them stood an old building, made out of bricks. It looked like it was over two-hundred years old. A sign identified it as the Griffonstone Archeological Institute. On its steps, a man in his thirties awaited them. He wore a white shirt under a red waistcoat, as well as a blue tie. His brown hair was disheveled and bushy, while he had a similar skin tone to Cadance.

“Mia! It’s good to see you! And that must be your students,” he chuckled and gave her a little wink, before giving her a tight hug.

“It’s good to see you as well, Finders Keepers. Girs, this is my cousin Finders Keepers, he works here. And these five are Lemon Zest, Sugarcoat, Sour Sweet, Indigo Zap, and Sunny Flare,” she returned, each girl waving at him in order.

“It’s an honor to have you here. I never would have guessed that you would be found in my lifetime. But Cadance here really managed to do it. I was kinda envious, if I’m honest, that you did that. So, I had no other choice in the matter. I threw myself back into my work as well, and it seems it might have paid off. No! I’m sure it paid off!” He returned, a bright smile on his lips.

“That’s good to hear. So, I assume you managed to finish your translation then?” Cadance asked again.

“Oh, yes! I did. It proved a bit more complicated than anticipated, but cross-referencing it with some old family records proved fruitfully. I managed to translate it all. It was a very localized dialect, deligated to a group centered around Griffonstone. They eventually were wiped out in the conflict with the Hive, but it seems they managed to hide what was left from the Crystal Hearth. They-“ He was about to continue when he was interrupted by a loud scream.

“Hey! Hey, Professor Finder! Profesor Relic wants to speak with you over something. He said it was urgent!” A blue boy, around the same age as they, in a dark blue jacket with a pale yellow shirt underneath, as well as light blue hair with yellow hair tips, shouted at him.

“I’m sorry… This is our intern,” he pointed at the boy. “His name is Gallus. He’s… Mostly a fine guy, just a bit… Rough around the edges,” he awkwardly continued. “I gotta take that. It’s probably connected to our family connections, finally getting somewhere. We only gotta hope it’s something good,” he muttered before turning back to the boy. “Hey, Gallus!”

“Yeah, Prof? What is it?” He returned, hands pushed into his pockets.

“Can you guide my cousin and her students to my lab? I’m gonna visit Professor Relic. Show them the Institute a bit, if you will,” he said, with a nervous smile.

Gallus simply shrugged and returned: “Sure, Prof, I’ll do that. You do whatever you archeology guys talk about.”

Finders just sighed before shaking his head and saying: “Thank you. And I’ll be back as soon as I can, Mia! Promise!” And within seconds, he had rushed back into the building, leaving the six of them behind with the intern.

“Mia?” Sunny was the first to ask, with a barely suppressed snicker.

“Yes, that’s the nickname he gave me. Is there anything wrong with it,” Cadance encountered, with a smile.

“N-Not at all,” Sunny chuckled back awkwardly. “It’s a nice nickname.”

“Thank you. Now, Gallus, was it?” He nodded in return. “If you’d be so nice.”

“Sure,” he muttered back and lead them into the building as well. Merely flashing a small ID-Card and saying they were Professor Finders’s guest was enough to get them inside.

People were rushing past them, excited chatter around them everywhere. It felt truly alive in her, which strangely contrasted with illustrations of fossils, cases with old vases, and other similar artifacts all around the building.

“So…” Lemon eventually said, walking up to Gallus. “What brings you here? Interested in archeology?”

Gallus looked back at her, his expression looking extremely bored and return. “Kinda. But not the egghead kind of archeology. I’m more the fan of the fun kind of archeology, you know what I mean?”

“Fun kind of archeology?” She asked, looking quite confused.

“You know, the kind Daring Do does. Adventure, traps, monsters, the whole shebang! Not this boring as digging and being careful stuff. I’m sure it’s fun for eggheads, but I want the real deal! Seems I was wrong about that,” he muttered in annoyance.

“I… I don’t think that’s how it works… Isn’t Daring Do a fictional character anyway?” She said, her confusion growing by the second.

“Of course she is. I’m not stupid, after all. But I’m sure there has to be some basis in reality. There have to be trailblazers who really find the stuff before the eggheads begin their excavations. And really, with superheroes becoming real, like the Kamen Riders, or the Power Rangers, why not Daring Do as well, or someone in her image? Maybe I’ll even find something magical that lets me turn into another superhero! Could you believe that? I’d be so awesome! And then I could really become a real-life adventurer, but I ain’t getting this here in this boring ass city. We never even had a monster attack here. I’d be so cool to see some of them in action once, you know? But for now, I gotta sit through this boring egghead internship,” he continued.

“Trust us, living with them for a prolonged period is… A challenge,” Cadance joined in. “Enjoy the piece the Riders and rangers keep. And I’d highly advise against trying to look at becoming a hero. That is a lot of responsibility for a teenager. A responsibility that no one should have to bear, especially not someone as young as you,” she continued, a somber undertone in her voice.

“What do you know about being a hero? You’re just some normal adult. Even if you are the cousin of the Prof, doesn’t change that. As if you would know anything about what a hero feels like. And you definitely don’t know anything about me. Least of, if I’d really want to become a hero. I’d love to! I’d be so awesome!” Gallus scoffed.

Cadance was about to say something in return, but the words simply refused to leave her mouth. No, that wasn’t it… She just didn’t know how to respond to that… Instead, she lowered her head and fell back again.

“I mean… It’s probably not easy. I’m sure they think it’s cool to save people, but it can’t be that easy, right? A lot of people rely on you, and when you manage to screw it up, they’ll be judging you harshly for it. Can’t be easy, right? But I’m sure they love helping others. Don’t you agree?” Lemon said with a smile on her lips.

“I guess… Still, I really wanna become one! A hero straight out of the movies! I’d be so sick! Kick butt, helping others! That’s totally the life for me!” He returned, swinging his fist into the air with a determined smile on his lips. “You get me?”

“I get you. But don’t go dissing history,” Lemon encountered with a chuckle.

She was just about to add something else, as a loud explosion ran through the building, several of the nearby glass cabinets rattling foreboding and some of the fossils hanging on the wall, threatening to fall down.

“What was that?” Sunny was the first to ask. “Are they doing some strange explosive research here, or what?” She looked over to gallus, who was just as stunned.

“N… No, not really! Especially not close to the valuable stuff around. If they’d so something like that, they’d do it out in the field. But not in here. I think it came from over there!” He pointed towards a small balcony, overlooking the central atrium. And before any of the girls could say anything, he had already bolted towards it.

It didn’t take long for them to follow and look down at what was happening below. Professors and other personal were running frantically away from a smoking hole in the wall, desperately trying to vacate the atrium, even when they knocked some things over. Whatever it was that had spoked them, it was more important than their research.

And the answer to that mystery didn’t wait long till it stormed through the newly created hole, Changeling Drones! The black bugs quickly ran through the halls of the building, attacking everyone not fast enough. And just mere moments after, three Changelings walked inside, one of them, Pharynx.

Another one, clad in purple chitin, a long and slick body and two strangely long antennas hanging down to his chest level. Next to him was a Changeling with green chitin plating over a black body; two, wings hanging from his back like a cape; extremely muscular legs, clad in the same chitin, and a face reminiscent of a grasshopper, complete with antennas and two piercing red eyes.

“Where is the lab?” Pharynx muttered as the group walked forward.

“As far as my informant is concerned, it’s on the second floor. He said room three-hundred-and-twenty-five,” the Grasshopper Changeling returned.

“I hope for you that he is right,” it came back.

Meanwhile, Gallus was staring down at the three Changelings in shock. His face had become pale, all that boastful energy havening left him in an instant. “M-Monsters!” He finally managed to stammer out, while the girls were looking at each other knowingly.

Just as Cadance arrived, to see what the commotion had been around, a group of seven of the Drones jumped upwards and straight onto their balcony. Gallus managed to stumble backward and directly onto his ass as that happened, while the girls all took on a fighting stance.

Lemon was the first to react, throwing her backpack directly into one of the Changelings faces, and when he managed to claw it away from his face, Lemon had already jumped at him and slammed him straight into his face. Tumbling backward, she crouched down with a sidekick and swept away his leg, knocking him to the ground. And before he could do anything more, she had already stood back up and slammed her foot down hard on his head.

Sunny and Sour meanwhile had been pressed back to back, dodging the attacks, switching opponents as they did so, and delivering two devastating gut-punches. Both Changelings stumbled backward at that before both girls turned around on the spot and rushed towards their friend, once more passing each other and just straight up drop-kicking their original opponent, knocking them out cold.

Indigo, in the meantime, was simply avoiding the attacks of her Drone but was slowly pushed towards a wall. It wouldn’t take long till she was pressing up against it when she suddenly turned around and ran straight towards it. The Changeling, at first visibly confused, quickly ran after her. She didn’t slow down one bit as the wall came ever closer, not even when she was just a meter away from it; instead, she simply continued to run up it. With a mighty push, she jumped over the monster, who had stopped just before he himself would have run into the wall. The moment she landed, she pushed to kick her opponent into the wall, letting him slide down its unconscious.

Sugar had dealt with her opponent in a far more straightforward manner, dodging every attack he threw at her with relative ease, and punishing for every mistake he made. Through this, she was able to push him back further and further, until…

With a loud screech, the Drone tumbled down the stairs, ending up as a motionless, twisted lump at their feet.

While all of this had been happening, Gallus was sitting on the ground, mouth slack-jawed as he couldn’t fathom how well these seemingly random girls were holding up against these monsters. As the Drones started to turn to smoke, he was so consumed by the spectacle that, when one of the remaining ones lunged up to him, he didn’t even notice.

Only the loud screech from behind knocked him out of his focus. Spinning around, he could barely see how the Changeling was tackled into the wall and thrown off the balcony with a swift kick to the head by Cadance. The last one quickly stormed up to them as well and pulled up his fist for a swing. Cadance, however, blocked the attack by pulling up her elbow towards her face. She hissed as it hit her like the best boxer on the planet, but she remained steady. She napped her hands forward and, without any prior warning, slapped them together over the teetered ears of the Drone. With a loud screech, it tumbled backward, and soon after, Cadance heaved it over the railing to join its friend down below.

Immediately after that, she turned around and reached out her hand to him. Without even thinking about it, he grabbed for it, and within moments she had pulled him back to his feet and was now dragging him down the hallway.

“Wow! What the fuck!? You were amazing! How did you do that?” He finally managed to stammer out after they were already around the next corner.

“Training,” she returned.

“Wait… What about the girls?” He quickly added, the realization suddenly having dawned on him.

“You saw what they can do. They’ll be fine, but for now, we need to get out of here!” She almost barked back, telling him without any other words that he should probably be quiet.

If Cadance couldn’t help them fight personally, she could at least make the way free for them, she thought. Still, she couldn’t shake off that awful, awful feeling.

>-------<S>-------<

Back on the balcony, the girls looked after Cadance and Gallus before exchanging a look. With a simple nod, all activated their Morphers and inserted their respective Shadow Coins.

“Light up!”

[Re-Re-Red!]

[Bl-Bl-Blue!]

[Ye-Ye-Yellow!]

[Pi-Pi-Pink!]

[Gre-Gre-Green!]

[Shine Bright! Red!]

[Shine Honest! Blue!]

[Shine Wild! Yellow!]

[Shine Glamourous! Pink!]

[Shine Courageous! Green!]

Once the darkness had subsided once more, the five Rangers were about to run off when they heard heavy footsteps. From the stairs, Sugar had just thrown her Drone down; the three Changelings emerged, only to immediately stop when they had reached their floor.

“You!” Pharynx growled, a vicious glare in his eyes! “You damn pests! Always getting in my way! Seems the reached traitor managed to inform you before us. Should have expected that” he growled, tightening his grip around his weapon.

“So these are the Rangers that have provided us with so much stress until now? Not very impressive,” the Grasshopper-Changeling muttered, eyeing them up and down.

“That’s what you say now, but until this point, every Worker that was sent against them has failed. They might be weak, but not so weak to be underestimated,” Pharynx hissed back.

“Understood. Still, they haven’t faced my loyal bodyguard yet. If you’d be so kind, and take care of them for us? It’d be one Tartarus of a present if we presented her with an artifact of the traitors, as well as the Shadow Coins, don’t you agree, my Lord?” The green one chuckled.

“Understood, my master,” the third, until now quiet, Changeling answered, bowed, and stepped towards the Rangers, while the other two started to continue forward.

“Hey! Where in Tartarus, do you think you are going!?” Lemon shouted out but didn’t get a response; instead, the two just continued. “Hey! You two stay here!” She shouted and raced after them, only to quickly be stopped dead in her tracks as the celling slammed down in front of her.

“I’m sorry, but no! These two have far more important things to do than deal with you five,” the Longhorn-Beetle-Changeling smugly returned. “That’s why they left me to deal with you.”

“And who made you the boss? You ain’t telling us what to do!” Lemon shouted back before adding: “Green! Pink! You chase after them.”

Sharing a quick look, the two Rangers quickly ran pat Lemon and towards the next corner, as one of the antennas on the Changelings head started to glow. Moments later, a door flew around the corner and only missed the two because they ducked under it.

“I said, I’m dealing with you. If you really want to attempt to fight my master, you first got to beat me,” he stated, crossing his arms behind his back.

“Fine! Then we do that!” The Red Ranger screamed back, racing straight at him while slipping in a second Coin.

[Sw-Sw-Sword!]

“Wait!” Sugar shouted out, but it was already too late. Lemon had already jumped upward and tried to bring her weapon down on him, but in mid-air, the sword suddenly stopped moving, leaving Lemon awkwardly hanging on its hilt. One antenna on the Changeling glowed, quickly followed by the second one as out of nowhere, a shelf slammed into the Red Ranger’s side, knocking her to the ground. All while her own sword levitated in front of the monster and was pointed at her friends.

“It seems he is capable of telekinesis,” Sugar stated.

“Yeah… Noticed,” Lemon groaned, rubbing her side. “So, any plans?”

“I have an idea. Red, stay ready. Yellow, summon your sword. Green, Pink, and I will use our guns,” she finished. Everyone looked at her for a moment before springing into action.

[Sw-Sw-Sword!]

[G-G-Gun!]

Indigo was the first to storm forward, slashing her sword against Lemon’s, which was trying to block her advance, as if guided by invisible hands. Try as she might, she just couldn’t break through its defensive.

Out of nowhere, Sugar dashed forward, jumped onto Indigo's shoulders, and above the levitating blade. She took aim, took a deep breath, and pulled the trigger. But once more, the second antenna flared up, and a door flew right into her path and blocked her shots. Still, in the air, she screamed out: “ Green! Pink! Now!”

Without any further explanations, both girls slid past Indigo, one on each side, and fired. The Changeling was to occupied if his shield would withstand the attack; he only noticed far too late. Two volleys of energy projectiles hit him square in the face.

In his pained screams, he let the door fall down. What he couldn’t see was Indigo, having grabbed Lemon’s sword, jumping on the falling object, and bringing down the two blades in an x-motion. With another loud scream, sparks erupted from the Changeling, it stumbling back against the wall.

“Green! Pink! Red! Dropkick!” The Blue Ranger shouted out.

All three Rangers made a mad dash forward, passing Sugar as they did so before doing a simultaneous somersault over Indigo. All three of their feet hit him at once, and with a loud crash, the Changeling was pushed through the wall and landed down below in the courtyard.

He was just standing back up when the Rangers jumped down as well, Indigo throwing Lemon her sword, all inserting their respective Coins into their weapons.

[Fi-Fi-Final! Red!]

[Fi-Fi-Final! Blue!]

[Fi-Fi-Final! Yellow!]

[Fi-Fi-Final! Pink!]

[Fi-Fi-Final! Green!]

The darkness began to form around the Longhorn-Bettle-Changeling, making any sort of sight impossible for him. As he turned around frantically, both sword wielders dashed forward, simultaneously, slashing across his chest once more in an x-pattern. Meanwhile, the three other Rangers were aiming directly at him before releasing three beams of colorful light and let him go up in an explosion.

As usual, the Changeling quickly grew in size, the Rangers already in the process of summoning their Zords.

[He-He-Hellhound!]

[Le-Le-Leviathan!]

[Ro-Ro-Roc!]

[Wy-Wy-Wyvern!]

[Ma-Ma-Manticore!]

“Shadow Star Megazord!”

The citizens of Griffonstone stared up in a mixture of confusion, terror, and awe at the dark night image of her city appearing above them in the sky. And even more so when a giant monster, as well as a giant robot, appeared in the separate dimension as well.

The Rangers, meanwhile, had seen this a few times already and jumped straight into the fight, stomping towards the Changeling. The giant monster, however, began to rip skyscrapers from the ground and hurdle them at the Megazord.

The first two, they were able to slice apart with their twin blades, but with each new one, time got more and more scares, and eventually, one was fast enough to knock one of the swords out of their hands, with the second one following quickly thereafter. Each hit had shaken the cockpit of the Megazord hard, and as the next one was about to hit them, Indigo reacted just in time.

[Sh-Sh-Shield!]

The Coin appeared in front of them, managing to block the first building before it slotted into the Zord, generating a see-through bubble shield around them. Building after building kept crashing into them, with each the shield flickering more and more.

“We need to do something!” Lemon shouted out, clutching to her controls.

“Oh, and what?” Sour snapped back, holding just as tight.

“I know,” Sugar returned calmly and slotted one of her Coins in.

Once more, a giant Coin appeared and replaced the other one, and almost instantly, the shield disappeared. This, however, didn’t seem to phase Sugar all that much as she pushed her controls forward, the others quickly following. They barely managed to roll past the incoming buildings, grabbing both of the swords in the process.

Now, once again armed, the wind began to move faster and faster around them in a circle. It didn’t take long till the heavy Zord was pulled up into the air, the buildings thrown at them levitating round them. Soon, the Zord began to spin, pulling in more and more buildings, not even thrown by the Changeling.

“Let’s finish this!” Sugar stated, her friends quickly nodded before pushing the controls forward again.

Straightening their Zord’s arms, they began moving forward, now a giant tornado of metal, blades, and bildings. The Changeling took a few steps backward, desperately throwing building after building at them. But each one just became part of their attack. As they almost reached him, he tried to run, but far, far too late.

He was caught in the pull of the whirlwind and sucked in. Buildings crashed into him, followed by cut after cut, slicing through his armor. With one last cut, they stopped, the derby landing all around them. But the Changeling, he landed somewhere special. Right on top of the dimensions, the Change Industries building and exploded.

In the meantime, people were staring upward, cheering for the Rangers, and taking photos. One of which was Gallus. “So those are the Power Rangers? Wow,” he muttered quietly.

>-------<S>-------<

While the city was celebrating the heroes, Finders Keepers was thrown against a cabinet, several books landing on top of him.

“Out of the way! We are here to reclaim the stolen property of the Changelings. Our informant told us it was here in this room,” the Grasshopper said, glaring down at the man as he pushed himself out of his book grave.

“Your property?” He hissed out, glaring back up at him. “What bullshit! This was never yours, and it will never be yours! You monsters won’t ever stand against the Power Rangers! Nor our family! You’ll always lose!” He grinned, as a bit of blood ran down his cheek. “I won’t tell you anything!”

“So you are one of the traitors? Worthless then,” Pharynx growled before his eyes caught the tablet inside a glass case.

“Should I punish him, my Lord? He is part of the traitor's blood it seems,” the Changeling asked raising his foot slightly, ready to strike.

“Don’t bother. He is worthless. My orders are to retrieve the traitor artifact and nothing more,” Pharynx brushed him off, before shattering the glass case and grabbing the artifact. “Here, we have it. Let’s return back to the office. We’ll have one of our scholars to translate it. After that, we’ll see further,” he growled, just in time for the Rangers to run around the corner.

“Hey! Drop that!” Lemon shouted across the hallway, but he simply looked for a moment, hissed in frustration, and disappeared with his companion in the green flames.

Once the Rangers fully arrived, he was already gone. “You’re ok, Finders?”

“Yeah… Yeah, I’m fine…” He muttered, dusting himself off a bit and wiping away the bit of blood. “But they got the tablet…”

Light in the Darkest Times - Part 1

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“Oh, this bad,“ Cadance muttered, leaning against the wall of the room. “Now, they have a chance to get there first before any of us.”

“I’m so sorry, Mia! I couldn’t protect the tablet! I’m just not as capable as you are,” Finders sighed, slumping down onto the messy floor once more.

“That’s not important right now! You’re safe, that’s what matters. The rest is up to us. You did everything you could,” Cadance returned. “You aren’t supposed to fight Changelings anyway. The question is, what now?”

“I’d say we take the fight to them! We’ll jump on our bikes and storm their headquarters! We can’t let them get their hands on whatever that tablet leads to!” Lemon burst out, slamming her fist on one of the shelves next to her. “Don’t you agree, girls?”

Indigo was about to nod in agreement before Sour joined in. “What a brilliant idea. How about we blow up the building while we are at it? That totally will end well,” she finished, an absolutely livid expression on her face. “Look, numbnuts. We can’t just storm an office building. Let’s completely ignore the fact that there could be Tartarus knows how many Drones in that building or a dozen Workers. Or that this one general is there. We would be storming an office building! We’d endanger every civilian inside there! We ain’t doing that!”

“And what else do you suggest? Let them keep it and take the price at the end of it? We can’t let them do that! We don’t even know where it is! Come on, I’m listening!” Lemon returned, crossing her arms with an aggravated face.

“I don’t know, but we aren’t doing this at the very least!” Sour encountered, taking a similar stance.

Amid this argument, Finders looked up, before quietly muttering: “We… actually do know.”

This, however, didn’t stop the two from continuing to bicker, well, that was until Sugar said: “You know where the tablet was leading us?” This time far louder, enough for the two to actually take it in as well.

“Wait, what?” Both of them returned in unison. “What does it say?”

“Right, you did manage to complete the translation. I almost forgot in the chaos,” Cadance said as well. “What… What did you find?”

“Well, the rough translation was: ‘After the fall of the Changeling Empire and the Great Collapse, we used the fast-fading remains of our magic to cross the sea. With the bridges collapsed, we had to use boots and had to rely on the few remaining maps towards the other land. We created a home amidst many of the stony mountains for ourselves. The loss of magic hit us all hard, but we adapted. On the foot of the Great Mountain, we buried one of our most extraordinary creations, the remains of the Crystal Hearth. May it rest until the day its power is needed once more and may that day never come again. But if it does, may the rising sun light up the world once more.’” He finished.

“The… Great Collapse?” Lemon was the first to ask. “I think I’ve heard about that before…”

“Really? Most of the time, only people familiar with ancient history have heard of it. It was an event about three-thousand years ago. Other names are-“ He was cut off by Lemon before he could continue.

“The Drought, the Fall, and the Calamity,” she muttered.

“Exactly…” He said, eyes wide open. “You seem to be quite familiar with history. I’m impressed,” Finder chuckled.

“Yeah, it’s one of my favorite subjects, actually,” she returned with a wide smile.

“That’s all fine and good. And I’m sure you two can nerd out as much as you want when this is all over, but what does this have to do with the Chrystal Hearth?” Sunny interrupted them with a light groan.

“Oh… Of course,” he stammered back before continuing. “Until now, it’s not really clear what the Great Collapse was, but it’s apparently after the defeat of the Changelings. That speaks about the loss of magic, does, however, offer a potential explanation. But that is beside the point. They seemed to have traversed the seas at a time like that which is… The first time we really got prove on that. Until now, there were only ever legends of a land beyond the sea, three-thousand years ago. And seemed to have settled here and slowly been absorbed into the natives around the area,” he continued.

“This is… Big, very big! To both us and the world at large. It could be the breakthrough to understanding the Great Collapse!” Finders was getting excited again.

“That’s fantastic, Finders, but I’m not sure we can reveal that just yet,” Cadance said, placing a hand on her cousin's shoulder.

“I… I know. Not until this is over. And I need the tablet back anyway, or I’m gonna look like a madman to my colleagues, back to how this might be important to us. The mountain they were describing, I think I know where this is. We found the tablet in the ruins of an old village in a valley, not too far off from one of the most remarkable sights here in Griffonstone. We assumed it was an ancient temple site, or something similar. It’s right at the bottom of Mt. Boreas. The description fits perfectly! It must be it. It also has a sundial in the middle of it. It has to be what we are looking for!” He finished, pulling out his phone and showing them a set of pictures. And indeed, in the middle of a round ruin, the remains of a sundial could be seen.

“I see… So, we are gonna grab whatever is there?” Lemon asked the rest.

“I mean, we ain’t gonna storm the office, so, it’s really the only way,” Sunny returned.

“It will also take time until they will be able to translate it, but it won’t be much,” Finders added. “They’ll probably have access to far more Changeling documents than I had. I give them about one hour, two hours max till they know what it says. When that happens, they’ll be on the site as fast as possible.”

“We need to be faster than that! But we also shouldn’t lead them directly towards it!” Cadance took over, her commanding voice garnering several nods from her students.

“So… No bikes for now?” Lemon asked.

“No, we’ll try to take a bus or something there. We need to keep low, or else, they’ll know what we know, and our entire advantage evaporates in its entirety!” Cadance continued. “I’ll look up a bus plan while we head for the nearest bus-stop. And then-“ She was already on her way out of the room and around the next corner, the Rangers right behind her, when Gallus stepped into her path, arms crossed. “Gallus? What is it? I’m sorry, but we are in a hurry. We need to catch the next bus and-“

“Don’t try and bullshit me! You’re the Power Rangers, aren’t you?” He simply returned, raising his eyebrow inquisitively.

“What?” Cadance was the first to ask, her eyes wide at the accusation.

“You heard me, you’re the Power Rangers!” He repeated again, just as sure of himself as the first time.

“Wha… What? That’s ridiculous,” Lemon tried to stammer out. “The Power Rangers are way cooler than us! We’re just some normal Highschoolers! Nothing more!” She really tried her hardest to sound convincing, but the sudden accusation really had thrown her for a loop.

“Uh… And the moment you five arrive here with your teacher, the Changelings, as well as the Power Rangers, appear here as well?” He asked, still looking at them with this look.

“I… I mean… There are a lot of people coming to the city, right?” She chuckled back, her smile looking just too fake.

“Hmh… But they came here, and the Rangers were in the building. Also, you’re just way too skilled to be regular Highschool students! You just jumped in and mopped the floor with these footsoldiers! That can’t be a coincidence. Also, the Changeling fell out of the same floor you were in, even the same exact spot! Stop trying to deny it, I’m not stupid! You’re the Power Rangers,” he continued, lowering his head and staring even more intently at them.

Lemon once again tried to come up with an at least halfway decent argument and was about ready to vomit it out, when Cadance sighed and nodded. “Yes, you figured it out. But I’m sorry, we are in a hurry right now, so if you were so nice,” she continued, beginning to walk past the boy. But Gallus once more stepped into her way.

“I wanna join! I want to be a Power Ranger!” He stated.

“That is not how that works,” Sugar said.

“What do you mean?” He huffed back. “If you don’t let me join, I’m just gonna go to someone who cares. Maybe the press, or the MRG. I’m sure that’d give me a foot in the door with them. And then they can give me a way to be a hero.”

“Look, we really don’t have time for this now, but there is no way we are going to let you become a Ranger. We can’t do that!” Cadance once again tried to convince him, but even when she tried to walk away once more, he still wouldn’t let her pass.

“You can’t deny me this! They are also Highschoolers! If they can, I can!” he threw back at the group.

“And you think I’m happy about this? That I have to let, children fight my battles for me?” She shouted back. “No! No, I’m not! But this wasn’t my choice! If there was a way to become a Ranger as easily as you want it to be, these five wouldn’t be fighting! I would be! Older people who don’t have their entire lives in front of them would! But this is how it is! These five are the only Power Rangers, and they are the only ones their Coins work for. There is no way for you to become one of them. And even if I wouldn’t let another child jump into a fight, they don’t need to be a part of! Especially not one who would blackmail heroes into becoming one of them,” she finished with a cold glare before finally stepping past him.

This time, he didn’t even try to stop her; instead, Finders Keepers came rushing around the corner to ask: “Anything wrong? I thought you were in a rush?”

“It’s fine. We were just held up for a moment. Nothing major,” Cadance returned, looking over to Gallus. “Right?” He, however, didn’t respond, and just glared at the floor.

“O… Ok,” Finders muttered as he looked perplexed between the six and Gallus.

“We’ll be off now. We’ll tell you how it went later, Finders. You were a big help! Thank you so much,” and with that, the group started to sprint towards the exit, leaving both him and Gallus alone.

“What… Were you talking about?” He asked, but the boy just narrowed his eyes and frowned. “Everything ok?” He asked again, worry clearly audible in his voice.

“Yeah, I’m fine. But I gotta go,” he simply returned and turned around, before dashing off as well.

Finders was tempted to scream after him, but he knew that he wouldn’t listen. Still… He had a bad feeling about all of this, and he couldn’t quite pin down where it was coming from. Or for whom it was.

>-------<S>-------<

Inside the highest office of the Change Industries building of Griffonstone, Pharynx was walking up and down, his arms crossed in front of him and a grisly scowl on his face. “Why does this take so damn long?” He hissed, turning once more for the next round. “It is written in Changeling, isn’t it?”

“Relax, my Lord. It is apparently an old dialect spoken by the traitors. We need to crossreference it with our gathered manuscripts. It should be a relatively short process. But short, does not mean, instant,” a man dressed in a shiny grey suit with a black shirt and purple tie returned, leaning back in his chair overseeing the city. He had a pale green complexion and light grey hair.

“Stock Holder, how can you be so calm during a time like this? The fact that the Rangers are here means we are competing for the treasure that lies at the end of this!” Pharynx growled at him, his eyes now focused on the man.

“Because I trust my workers. They have managed to keep location valuable, even if the primary goal would fall through. They will do well in the new age. And I’m sure they are doing their very best right now. You just have to be patient, my Lord,” he returned, with a light sigh.

“Oh? Do they now? The Rangers managed to beat your bodyguard, so why do you think the rest of your lousy workers will fare any better?” He snapped back.

“My workers aren’t lousy! They are doing their very best! Only because the Rangers managed to beat my bodyguard doesn’t mean they are in any way ready to beat me. We don’t even know if they had translated the tablet until now. You might worry for nothing,” Stock Holder said dismissively. “And really, compared to your underlings, mine rarely disappoint me.”

Before Pharynx could growl back a response, a call started to ring. “Hello? Stock Holder here. What is it?”

“We found the Rangers moving locations. They boarded a bus towards Mt. Boreas. Should we dispatch a worker to stop them?” The voice on the other side of the phone returned.

“No need for that. I’ll take care of this situation on my own. Thank you for your work, Close Up!” He returned before ending the call.

“Seems they do know what was written on the tablet!” Pharynx huffed, with a note of satisfaction in his voice.

“It matters not. I’ll put an end to this. You just wait for my employes to finish their work, while I’ll stop the Rangers. I’ve bee looking forward to an opportunity to really test my strength!” Stock continued, a smug smile on his lips. “And don’t worry, I won’t fail,” he added just before disappearing in green flames.

Pharynx just scowled at where the man had stood. “You better not. By the Queen, I hate these kinds of people.”

>-------<S>-------<

The girls had quickly found a bus that would drive them very close to the site at the foot of Mt. Boreas. After that, it was just a fifteen-minute track towards the ruins, and they desperately hoped they would be faster than their adversaries.

The bus ride was rough. Every stop, every car they had to wait for, and every red light was nerve-wracking. Every lost second felt like a minute, and they could almost feel their time run through their fingers.

“Ughhhh! I can’t believe that guy! Trying to blackmail us! And I thought he wasn’t so bad after all! Turns out I was wrong!” Lemon groaned, crossing her arms with a huff and slumping into her seat. All five girls had taken the seats in the back of the bus, Cadance sitting in the row in front of them. The bus was mostly empty, probably because it wasn’t one of the main tourist lines.

“Yeah! Can’t believe he tried to pull that! “ Indigo joined in on the complaining. “Just for some fame and excitement. Screw the guy!”

“I mean… I can see why he’d think that. It does look cool… And you enjoy it a lot, Lemon, right?” Sunny asked.

“That’s not even remotely similar! I always thought the Riders were cool because they helped people! Not because of the action, or fame! That was honestly just side-stuff! I just like helping people! That we do it in a flashy way is just a bonus!” She returned with a huff. “I’m not like that guy at all.”

“You sure?” Sunny asked again, a playful smile on her lips.

“Lemon might be an overconfident, hero worshiping idiot at times, but she is sincere about that,” Sugar said.

Lemon quickly slapped her friend on the shoulder and shouted: “See! She gets me!” Only to suddenly fall quiet, turn around and ask: “Wait, what?”

“You heard what I said, right?” Sugar asked, her expression as stonehard as ever.

“Uhh… Yeah, but…” She tried to encounter but just stumbled over her words.

“So you know what I said,” it came back again.

Lemon was about to encounter something, opened her mouth again, closed it, and just hung her head. Much to the amusement of her friends, who started to giggle.

“Oh, don’t worry. I’m sure Sugar means it in the nicest way possible,” Sunny chuckled, smiling at Lemon.

“You think?”

“I do,” Sugar simply stated.

“Thank you, Sugar!” Lemon burst out and gave Sugar a tight hug.

“No problem,” it came back, slightly out of breath.

Before this could continue, the bus hit the breaks hard, the tires screeching across the asphalt and every passenger jerking forward a bit. Lemon, together with her friend, would most definitely have fallen from her seat and onto the floor of Sugar wouldn’t have grabbed for the handle on one of the seats in front of them.

“What in Tartarus was that!?” Sunny jumped up, trying to get a look out of the bus.

“I can’t be anything good,” Sugar returned.

“Yeah, no shit!” Sunny huffed back, all while Lemon let go of Sugar and dashed forward. “Hey! Where are you going?” But she didn’t get an answer as Lemon ran down the corridor, dodging the odd head trying to look ahead as well. “Typical!” She added with another huff.

It didn’t take long till Lemon had reached the front of the bus and with it, the big window. What stood in front of them was a line of cars, having stopped apparently just like the bus. At first, that was it, until something stepped onto the first car in line. For a while, it was unclear what exactly it was, beyond green, but once it started to move forward, she could make it out. It was the Grasshopper Changeling back from before!

“Out!” She immediately said, the bus driver looking at her a bit perplexed. “Out! Right now!” She shouted this time. “There is a monster!” The driver stared at her like a dear in the headlights, until she continued to point directly at the approaching monster.

That was finally enough to shake the man out of his stupor and hit the button for the doors before reaching for the intercom. “We are experiencing some… Difficulties. Everyone, please leave the bus quickly and orderly!” Murmuring went through the vehicle, but no one seemed to move. “Right now!” He added, his voice starting to crack a bit.

People finally started to stand up and swarm out of the bus, the driver as well as Lemon waiting till everyone else had left, accompanied by her friends. The Changeling, meanwhile, had reached the last car in line, each of his steps leaving large dents in the roof of the vehicle. The glare he directed at them let the driver freeze in place. Spreading the wings on his back, he glared straight ahead.

Lemon’s eyes widened as she realized what was about to happen. In the blink of an eye, she shoved the mand down the stairs. Thankfully, he only stumbled and didn’t fall face-first on the ground. She just had enough time to dash back down the hallway of the bus, before the glass behind her shattered and rained to the ground, the Changeling landing exactly where the man had stood before.

“Well, look who we have here. A little Ranger, far away from home. Seems you don’t need the tablet to find where you need to go. How about you share this little information with me? How does that sound? It certainly would be safer for the people on this highway, right?” The Changeling chuckled.

“Screw that! They’ll be in far more danger if we let you get your hands on it!” She shouted back before quickly turning around and gunning it for the end of the bus, all while activating her Morpher. “Light up!”

[Re-Re-Red!]

[Shine Bright! Red!]

The Changeling didn’t waste any time and raced after her, the bus shaking with every step he made. Just as he was about to reach her, the transformation having already concluded, she suddenly stopped and pushed herself off the ground, into a summersault right between the narrow space between the Changeling and the roof.

The Grasshopper dashed forward, before he suddenly jumped into the air as well, grabbing ahold of one of the railings meant to support passengers, spun around it like a pole and used the acceleration to jump towards Lemon with a dropkick.

The kick felt like she had been hit by a truck and knocked her off her feet and tumbling over the floor of the bus. Her opponent, however, wasn’t gonna leave her any room to breathe and dashed ahead once more, trying to stomp down at her.

Thankfully, she managed to roll to the side, right in between the seats, while the Changeling slammed a hole into the ground. And just seconds later, he swung his other foot in a circular motion, tearing the one seat in front of her of its hinges and catapulted it backward. It was almost as if someone shot a rocket through the seats as row after row was torn apart. But not a single one had managed to actually hit her, the Red Ranger pushing herself upwards with her hands and avoiding the collateral only by several centimeters.

This, however, did not save her from the follow-up attack. Instead of merely setting the foot down, he put even more force into it, all while pushing himself into the air with his other one. What this turned was a spinning jump kick hat hit her square in the chest, knocking her into the last row of seats.

“Damn… He’s tough,” she groaned, pushing herself back up, the unmistakable stinging sensations of bruises all over her body.

“How about now? You are just delaying the inevitable. I’m just way out of your league, girl,” he chuckled again, slowly walking towards her. His eyes sparkling with that particular brand of arrogance.

“Over my dead body!” She shouted back, finally managing to get back on her feet, before inserting a second Coin.

[G-G-Gun!]

“That can be arranged,” he added with a cold chuckle, but before he could even storm forward, Lemon had already fired her gun, aiming directly at his head. But instead of dodging the incoming attack, or anything, he simply stayed there. That was, until just before it would hit him. In the blink of an eye, he pulled his leg upward, hitting the energy bolt perfectly, and catapulted it upward, straight out of the roof of the bus.

“I- Impossibile!” Lemon shouted at the Changeling, who slowly lowered his leg.

“Oh, very much possible. Like I said, I’m kicking far above your weight class.” It came back, much to the frustration of Lemon. “But enough of that. Since you decided to reject my offer, I’m just going to kick your ass now.”

And with that, he once again began dashing forward, but Lemon wasn’t done just yet, unloading volley after volley at the Changeling, in the hopes of hitting him at least a bit. He couldn’t block them, all right?

Her assumption turned out to be partially right. He didn’t block all of them; instead, once the first ones came close to him, he jumped upward, grabbed one of the poles once more, and used it as a jumping-off point to get to the next one. He repeated the process until he had reached her, spinning around mid-air and delivering a devastating dropkick to the Red Ranger.

From out of nowhere, the Red Ranger was thrown out of the back window of the bus, slamming off a car behind it, followed up by a second one until finally landing with a loud thud and grown on the windshield of a third one. The glass was dented inward, cracked beyond belief, but thankfully, no one had been inside the car.

Lemon felt like she had been run over by a train at this point. Her stomach was acing badly, while her breath was short and sharp as the Changeling emerged from the broken bus. Nonchalantly jumping down from the bus, he started to slowly move forward, stepping onto the cars she had been thrown across like a skipping stone.

“Really. After I heard of what you managed to achieve until now, I had expected at least a bit better from you. I’m still in disbelieve that a bunch of amateurs as you could beat my bodyguard. Maybe he was getting too soft? That’s the only explanation I could come up,” he muttered casually.

As he stepped onto the second car, Lemon was desperately trying to force herself back up, but every attempt just ended with her falling on her back with another pained groan. “Just give up already. You’re done for. This is the end of the line. I’m not even as strong as our two young lords. How can a bunch of Highschoolers like you ever expect to beat them, let alone our Queen?”

“I… We don’t care! We’ll… We’ll figure out a way!” She hissed back with a low growl.

“Sure, you will. Let’s test that hypothesis of yours. Figure out a way to beat me, and your words might hold a speck of truth,” he chuckled mockingly, reading himself for the coup de grace.

But before he could launch himself in the air, seemingly out of nowhere, a hail of energy bolts ran down on him from all sides. The other four Rangers had apparently waited for a moment to strike, and strike they did. Too perplexed by the sudden bulletstorm, he could only raise his arms up in an attempt to block the attack. Sparks erupted all across his body before he jumped backward and ducked down behind one of the cars.

“How about this as an answer? As a team!” Indigo shouted across the deserted highway.

“A team, eh? That’s your great answer, is it?” It came back with a low growl. “That won’t be enough. A group of weaklings will always stay a group of weaklings! No matter how many of you there are! If you are so interested in fighting as a team, then you’ll die as a team as well!” He shouted out, before jumping up and kicking the car he had been hiding behind into the air.

Quickly thereafter, he jumped up as well, before kicking the car back down like a football. Lemon stared up at the incoming projectile, and instead of once more trying to dodge herself, she pulled out a Coin and threw it to her side.

Almost immediately, Sugar dashed forward, jumped over the car in front of her with a summersault, grabbed the Coin, and inerted it.

[Sp-Sp-Speed!]

Just seconds before her friend was crushed by the car, a blue blur dashed past the vehicle. At the same time, the car fell onto the other one with a mixture of metal groaning, cracking, and glass shattering; Sugar came to a screeching halt, holding Lemon in her arms. “Got you!”

Lemon looked up at her and stammered out: “Th- Thank you! Knew, you got my back!”

“Always!” Sugar simply returned. “You can stand?” Lemon simply nodded, and Sugar let her down gracefully. And she only stumbled once before finding her footing; still, she was clearly exhausted.

Just as this was happening, the Changeling landed on the second car, turning it into a flattened wreck. “So stubborn,” he muttered. “You are clearly in no condition to fight anymore. It’d be far easier to just give up now.”

“Yeah, sure! It would also be easier to never fight at all, but screw that! That’s not who we are! We’ll keep fighting no matter what!” Lemon barked back, before inserting another Coin into the Morpher.

[Sw-Sw-Sword!]

The car was pressed even more together once the Grasshopper-Changeling dashed forward, straight at Lemon. Sugar, however, wouldn’t just let this happen. Aiming her gun in mere moments, she unloaded on the Changeling, who just tanked it. Crossing his arms in front, he just took the damage. While the sparks erupted from him, he didn’t slow down one bit.

[Ch-Ch-Chain!]

[St-St-Strength!]

It echoed across the highway out of nowhere, and a metal chain wrapped itself around the Changeling, pulling taught just mere meters away from the two. Sour and Sunny were both pulling as hard as they could on the chain coming out from the gun to pull the Changeling back. With a low growl, he landed back on the ground, before almost immediately jumping back up. With a graceful spin, he managed to pull more and more chain towards himself, before landing right in front of Green and Pink.

Neither of the two were able to react as the Changeling at first slammed the sole of his foot into Sour’s chest, throwing her backward at insane speed and straight against the railing of the raised highway, almost throwing her down. He then began spinning once more, pulling Sunny with him, as he spun around, until she could no longer hold onto the gun and was flung across the highway and landed against another empty car.

[Sw-Sw-Sword!]

The device screaming out behind him, he spun around in an instant, raised his foot, and blocked the incoming blade with his shin. Out from behind a car, Lemon dashed at him as well. In the blink of an eye, he pushed his raised leg back down and pushed the other one upward instead, perfectly blocking the second swing. He then extended his leg forward, throwing the Red Ranger back once more.

The moment his foot touched the floor, he pulled the other one close to his stomach. Sugarcoat, in the meantime, pulled back her sword to stab him. But, instead of thrusting the blade into his body, it slammed against the sole of his foot, which was just as armored as the rest of his body. Tilting his head, accompanied by a slight chuckle, he kicked, with full force. Just like her friends, the Blue Ranger was thrown against a parking truck and fell to the floor.

As he turned around towards the last standing Ranger, Indigo had just inserted a Coin into her Morpher.

[Li-Li-Lightning!]

Within moments, a layer of electricity sparked across her entire body, before she dashed straight ahead with a loud scream. Stock Holder just shook his head for a second before pressing forward as well. Midway through his sprint, he jumped upward, turned around mid-jump to angle one foot forward, and came crashing down on Indigo, who tried to counter with a throw of her fist.

This, however, didn’t go as expected for the young girl, and she was thrown back as well, slumping to the asphalt as well.

Stock was just about to walk over to her when a hand grabbed him from behind. In an instant, he spun his leg around for a jump-kick but was blocked easily by Pharynx’s staff. “What?” Stock barked out. “I’m almost done here!”

“I don’t care,” it came back coldly with a low growl.

“What!? I’ve got the Rangers right here! We can finish this right now!” The Grasshopper exploded, glaring directly at Pharynx.

“And I said I don’t care. We are leaving for Mt. Boreas! Right now!” It came slowly back.

“But-“ He tried again, only to be cut off.

“My priority is the recovery of artifacts related to the Changelings. Not chase after the Shadow Coins! I’m not getting made responsible for your failure if they somehow already got their hands on it! If you can beat them now, beating them again can’t be that hard! And I need your expertise in the area! I will not leave this to any sort of chance! We are leaving now!” He growled back, his claws tightening around the Grasshopper's shoulders.

“Y-Yes, my Lord!” He stammered out before both disappeared into the flames once more.

It took a minute until all Rangers had dragged themselves back together, all of them in bad shape, quickly followed by Cadance joining them as well.

“This is bad… They know where the thing is,” Lemon groaned, holding her arm.

“That is terrible; we need to move quickly. Laying low won’t t us anywhere now,” Cadance sighed.

“Agreed,” Sugar added, and without anything more said, each Ranger slotted in their bike Coins.

[B-B-Bike!]

Each Ranger swung themselves onto their respective machine, revving their engines. But as Cadance tried to climb onto Lemon’s bike, the Red Ranger held out her hand.

“What? Something the matter Red?” She asked, the confusion visible on her face.

“I’m… I’m sorry… But I don’t think this is a good idea,” she sighed, looking down at the ground as she did so.

“You’re too hurt? Is that it? Should I ask another one of you if-“ She returned, only to be interrupted by Sugar’s usual blunt answer.

“It’s too dangerous. You have to stay here.”

This hit her like a car crash. Like a dear in the headlights, she stared at her Rangers. “W… What? You… You can’t just leave me here!”

“I’m sorry,” Lemon said again and revved up her engine again. Before Cadance could do anything, all five of the raced off, down the highway, towards their goal.

Cadance remained behind, mouth agape, but most of all, shocked. She never really had any sort of fantasy that she could really help the Rangers in a fight, but being left behind like this… That hurt. Especially since, and she hated to admit that they were probably right.

“Ouch!” It suddenly came from behind her. Turning around in an instant, she glared at the young man sitting on his own bike, in a mixture of anger and surprise.

“What do you want?” She huffed back. “Are you here to gloat or something? That’s your satisfaction after I embarrassed you back in the Institute?”

“Not really… Though, if I’m honest, it’s not unsatisfying,” he quietly returned. “But no, I’m actually here because I was following you all. Just got held up, thanks to the chaos that happened here,” he said, pointing at the wrecked street.

Candace just narrowed her eyes and asked: “Why? Didn’t we make it clear that we didn’t want you with us?”

“Yeah, you did. Pretty damn clear. And so did your Rangers to you, but I doubt you’re gonna just take it either, right?” Gallus returned with a smirk.

“That is beside the point,” she huffed back.

“No, it ain’t. You might not like it, but we do have some things in comen. Primary, we don’t give up. And given that your students also are still trying to fight after getting their asses handed to them, they are as well,” he continued, the smirk still on his lips.

“And? What’s your point?” She finally sighed.

“I want to prove them wrong! Want to prove you wrong! I don’t know how or in what way, but I’ll show all of you that I can be as much as a hero as your Rangers! But… Since I don’t know where exactly they are heading and I can’t tail the bus anymore, I need help for that,” he said, his expression softening a bit.

“And you want my help for that? Why should I?” She encountered, her arms remaining crossed.

“Because if you don’t, none of us will get there. It’s either both of us or none,” Gallus state matter of factly. “And I’m sure you don’t want to wait here, worried sick for them. Even if we can’t do anything, I’m not going to just sit on my ass. And neither are you, right?”

She narrowed her eyes once more, only to then let out a loud sigh, her shoulders slumping forward. “You’re right. I hate it every time they are out there and fighting. I feel responsible for dragging them into this mess. I feel so helpless and terrible for it. Especially this time! I need to be there… If only for the fact that I need to know for certain that there was nothing I could do to help them, or it’s gonna eat me up for the rest of my life. I need to at least try!”

“Well then, get on. Where are we going?” He returned with a smirk, Cadance quickly taking place on the bike.

“Mt. Boreas!” She simply stated. “And promise me one thing, don’t try anything reckless.”

“I’ll try at least,” he sighed before both of them rode down the highway.

Light in the Darkest Times -Part 2

View Online

Following the signs above the road, they managed to find their exit, and with the remaining large signs, probably meant to lure in tourists, they eventually managed to arrive at the Mt. Boreas site. Or at the very least, the parking lot. At first sight, everything looked more deserted than it should be. Only about twenty-five cars lined the, at least five-hundred parking lot. And just in time for them to see it, a young couple came rushing out of the entrance, past the empty ticket booth, before jumping into their car and flooring it, just barely past them. The Changelings were definitely already here.

Dashing up a long, winding pathway through a small forest, they passed the first signs of the ruins. Old, decaying stone structures that at one point, must have resembled buildings, until they reached a wide clearing. The ground was made up of a mixture of stone tiles, as well as simple grass and dirt. Massive stone pillars rose from the ground, several of them had toppled over already, in a sort of circle. At the same time, the remains of buildings were built on the inside of them, at the foot of where a pathway leat up towards the mountain top was a massive, if broken, templelike structure. And in the middle of all of this, a surprisingly intact circle, with a strange set of symbols around it.

But the most striking thing wasn’t all of this ancient architecture, which looked remarkably like old Fleece’n buildings. No, that were the bugs crawling all over the place. Drones, probably five dozen of the things, were walking around the ruins, turning over every stone they could find. Standing in front of the temple were both the Grasshopper Changeling as well as Pharynx.

“Ok, we’re here. What now?” Sunny asked, leaning over a conveniently placed rock near the end of the path upward.

“What do you mean? We’ll have to kick all their asses!” Lemon returned. “Not like we have many other options here, right?”

“We can at least think about a better way than run in and get our asses beat, like last time!” Sunny hissed back.

“Oh? And what is your genius plan? Get a cheap shot in with a finisher? News flash that never works! Ever! These things are enough to defeat an opponent when he’s injured, not at full strength!” She huffed, back, crossing her arms.

“Oh, thank you for your useful information, just a tiny problem,” Sour joined in, before hissing: “We know!”

“Still, we need a plan. We can hardly deal with the Grasshopper alone. We can’t take him with his footsoldiers. And especially not with big, bad, and brooding over there!” Sunny pointed at Pharynx, who was tapping his fingers on his chitin impatiently.

“But you got nothing, right? And the longer we talk in circles, the more time they have to find the Crystal Hearth! We have to do something! Anything!” Lemon returned, maybe a tiny bit too loud, as a Drone dashed around the corner and let out an ear-piercing screech. “Oh, crapbaskets!” She sighed before being the first to jump the Drone.

With a fist straight to its face, it was knocked off its feet and slammed against the stone floor, cracking it in the process. Its scream died in a gurgle, but the damage had already been done. The drones that had previously been busy with picking apart the ruins for any sign of the Crystal hearth now stormed at them, screaming just as loud.

“I told you, this would happen! No one was here when we arrived! We should have finished them off when we had the chance!” Stock growled at Pharynx, who simply glared back at him.

“And as I said, I wasn’t taking the risk! And, if you had no issue with them the first time, I’m sure the second one will be even easier. Now go! Deal with this before I get impatient!” He barked back before crossing his arms.

“As you wish, my Lord,” he grumbled before turning around and jumping towards the Rangers.

They were meanwhile taking care of the incoming Drones, quickly dispatching them without too much effort on their parts. Lemon was just about to kick another one when Stock Holder came crashing down, kicking up a good amount of dirt and stone as he landed. “Cease!” He bellowed, the footsoldiers immediately stopping, one even getting kicked across the field for that thanks to Lemon. “Retreat! I’ll take care of this,” he continued, waving his hand as he did so. With a positive-sounding chitter, the Drones backed off and left the battlefield to the Changeling.

“But seems one thing the idiot in charge wasn’t wrong about was regarding you. You don’t give up. Persistent nuisances. Not even when you are beaten soundly, you throw in the towel. Kind of admirable, but ultimately useless. But I’ll enjoy conquering you once more. Maybe, when I present your Shadow Coins to our Queen, she will listen to me about him. That he only cares for his own standing, not the greater good we Changelings strive for. But neither do you care about a better world. So, I’ll just have to let my feet speak,” he smirked, as he slowly walked closer, each Ranger’s body tensing, ready to snap into action at any point.

Then it all happened in a split second. Lemon was the first to move, punching her Coin into the Morpher, before disappearing into a red blur.

[Sp-Sp-Speed!]

Out of nowhere, she appeared behind the Changeling and slammed her fist down on him. And to everyone’s surprise, the attack actually connected, letting him stumble forward. As he spun around to strike back, she was already gone once more. Or, at least that was what he had thought before she dashed back and delivered an uppercut, forcing him back once more. Rubbing his chin, he eyed the Ranger as she zoomed around the place.

[St-St-Strength!]

It suddenly cried out behind him. As he spun around, Sour had already dashed up to him and pulled back her fist. He barely managed to pull his leg upward to block the attack, but the mixture of his surprise and the power of the Ability Coin was enough to knock him off his feet and roll across the ground. And to make matters worse, the Red Ranger added a swift kick to his stomach to this, throwing him against a wall.

[G-G-Gun!]

[I-I-Ice!]

As he tried to stand back up, the Blue Ranger had already activated her gun and inserted a Coin into it. Within seconds, his legs had been frozen to the ground, leaving him angrily pulling against it. While all of this was happening, Indigo was already pulling out two Coins.

[G-G-Gun!]

[Li-Li-Lightning!]

Once he saw that, he doubled his efforts, the ice bellow him, burning almost like fire at this point, but try as he might, he was unable to escape before his entire body was zapped with thousands and thousands of volt from the Ranger.

“I’ll make him ready for the finishing move!” Sunny said, already following Indigo’s example, all while Stock slumped down a bit.

[G-G-Gun!]

[Ch-Ch-Chain!]

Pulling the trigger, a stream of chains wrapped around him, trying his arms to his body as tightly and rigidly as possible.

“This is the end of the line for you! No Changeling can ever beat us!” Lemon shouted out with a cheerful victory cry, before pulling out her Ability Coin, together with Sour and replacing it with her gun, ready to finish him off.

[G-G-Gun!]

[Fi-Fi-Final! Red!]

[Fi-Fi-Final! Blue!]

[Fi-Fi-Final! Yellow!]

[Fi-Fi-Final! Pink!]

[Fi-Fi-Final! Green!]

The dark clouds formed around the Changeling, while the Rangers took aim and unleashed their beam of energy at the monster. However, unlike usually, where an explosion would follow this, the beam suddenly shot upwards out of the cloud and exploded in the air. Before any of the Rangers could even ask what was going on, a big chunk of ice shot towards them from the darkness.

Barely able to avoid the attack, each one of them stared in disbelieve at the fading shadows, as loud clapping emerged from it. Stepping into view was the Grasshopper Changeling, a few bits of ice still on his legs. “Impressive. Truly impressive. I now understand why you’ve been such a thorn in our side for so long. You managed to truly get the drop on me with your little Coins. But I’m sorry to say, this is the end of the line for you all!”

“How!? You were supposed to be-“ Lemon screamed out, only to be cut short as her stomach was pressed inward by a suddenly appearing Changeling. She had one moment time to stare at the Grasshopper in disbelieve before she was thrown back into one of the ruins, collapsing on the floor. Her stomach felt like it had been used as a sandbag, all while uncontrollable coughing forced tears into her eyes.

The Changeling landed from his sudden jump, right in the middle of the Rangers. Eyes widened under helmets, guns were drawn, but none of them were fast enough to stop him from delivering a spin kick to Sugar, throwing her across the ground before jumping back into the air.

Far too late, did anyone realize what was happening. Sugar, who was pushing herself back up, noticed it first. Some kind of shadow was growing larger and larger around her. Once she looked up, all she could see was the bottom of a foot, before it came crashing down on her back.

Once the dust had settled, a crater, where their friend had laid before could be seen and in the middle of it, Sugar, demorphed and unconscious. The Grasshopper Changeling meanwhile stood atop his opponent, twisting his foot around a bit before turning towards the remaining Rangers and took a step forward.

“Sugar!” Indigo shouted, immediately dashing towards the Changeling.

[Li-Li-Lightning!]

“Stubborn, but predictable,” he chuckled before once more dashing forward—the Ranger managing to dodge the first strike and deliver a punch to his side. While the electricity flowed through him, it did nothing to stop the next kick. The moment he had set down the foot, he had spun further, pulling his other one up and smashed the base of the foot into her face.

To his own surprise, however, she grabbed ahold of the arm and holding it in place. Once more, the electricity surged across his entire body, smoke coming from it. With a low growl, he jumped up and once more spun around his own axis, pulling the first foot back around and into her helmet. He could hear the cracking of the visor as clear as glass before the girl was thrown across the ruins.

After an extremely unpleasant tumble across the grass and stone of the place, Indigo came to a stop. With one last bit of her strength, she tried to pull herself back up, refusing to give up, before collapsing once more. Her suit fell apart in a black mist, leaving her on the ground, out cold.

The other two standing Rangers meanwhile stared in horror at the seemingly unstoppable monster that was plowing through their friends with ease. Tilting his head, a loud crack echoed through the ruins before he started to walk again, a twisted shimmer in his eyes.

This kicked both of them into gear, quickly putting away their guns and activating two other Coins.

[St-St-Strength!]

[Do-Do-Double!]

Both shared one last look before dashing forward. On the way there, Sunny split into two Rangers, virtually identical, before one of them overtook her and tried to strike first. The still slowly walking Changeling had no problem blocking the strike with his shin. Quickly after that, he struck forward with his leg, but the Ranger had already jumped over him, immediately replaced by the other one.

The two Pink Rangers threw punch after punch at him, but every time he somehow managed to block it, no matter how seemingly impossible it appeared to them. This continued until Sour dashed forward, and together with the two Sunnys, struck all at the same time. The Pink Rangers both tried to follow up with a kick to his chest, while Sour jumped, did a summersault, and tried to dropkick him straight into the face.

This time, it really looked like they would finally be able to land a strike, but instead, the Grasshopper jumped backward, landed on his hands before pushing himself off them once more and landing on his feet once more.

“Not bad. Not bad at all. Trying to overwhelm me is a solid strategy, but you don’t think I wouldn’t be prepared for that, would you?” He chuckled, the smugness in his voice almost oozing out of him in a puddle, almost. “But, you need to try more than your worthless friends over there.”

That was it. That was the moment Sunny finally was don with him. Balling her hands together into fists, she glared at him through two visors, before both Rangers shouted in unison: “Shut up! I’ve had enough of you! Talking about how much better than us you are! I’ll show you! I’ll show you what happens when you hurt my friends, you piece of shit!”

Without even waiting for one more moment, she dashed forward, both of them. Like a wild animal, the first of them lunged forward, trying to smash her fists into the face of the Grasshopper with a loud scream. The Changeling somehow managed to slip past her and straight towards the second Ranger, who tried to deliver a jump kick. Without much effort, he screeched to a halt and pulled his foot towards his body. Once the Ranger was in range, he snapped out his leg, both of them crashing against one another.

It wasn’t even a contest, Sunny being thrown backward, her leg at an angle no human leg shoulder ever be in, followed by a loud, pained scream. That was until the cry started to stutter and then grow spotty. Not soon after, it fell silent completely as the double disappeared, just in time for the real one to storm up to the Changeling, pull back her fist, and punch him into his face.

The punch echoed across the entire ruin. It was loud, clear, and painful, or at least, that was what it sounded like. The actual results were far different. The Changeling had barely flinched as the punch had landed, only pushing his head a bit to the side. It didn’t take long for him to start with a chuckle: “That would be a point if we were playing. But we aren’t, and this is a full-contact fight. And in that, there is only one way to win. A knockout!”

Sunny had barely enough time to understand the words he had uttered before he pulled his hip forward and with it, his leg. With an even louder crash, his leg slammed into the girl's side, throwing her across the ruin before she as well fell to the ground, demorphed and defeated.

“And that leaves you,” he simply said as he turned towards Sour, who was just staring at him. Her body was shaking, her fists barely holding together as her breathing became erratic. “Come on. Give it all you got. It won’t be enough, and you know that,” he added with an even louder laugh.

Her eyes were meanwhile darting around the area, from one friend to the next. Her brain was telling her to run, hide, and pray he wouldn’t find her. But she couldn’t. She couldn’t just leave her friends. Taking one last, deep breath, she dashed forward, ready put all her power into this one attack.

The Changeling meanwhile did the same, his wings starting to stand up before he jumped into the air and used them to propel himself forward.

Fist meat foot as the two clashed. At first, it looked like both combatants were equally matched, for a few seconds, neither of the two being able to push forward. That was until Sour started to scream. Summoning powers she didn’t even know she had, she slowly pushed back against her opponent, inch by bloody inch. But as it looked as if she could finally push through, he swung his wings. In an instant, all her progress was lost. Still, she tried again, once more forcing him back.

This time, he didn’t even let her get half the way before swinging the wings once more. With one last desperate cry, Sour tried again, but Stock Holder had enough. Instead of letting her push back once more, he swung his wings again. With each wing flap, he forced her back more and more, until…

Accompanied by pained screams, the girl sailed through the air before crashing through several trees on her way away from him. As he landed, she had already demorphed and was just as unconscious as her friends before. “And done!” He muttered, ready to order the Drones to pick up his spoils of war.

“Not yet!” It suddenly hissed out, as Lemon Zest pushed herself out of the ruin she had been laying inside of for a while now. In her hand, one last Coin.

“Oh? You want seconds. So damn stubborn,” he groaned, shaking his head.

“I’ll show you,” she growled. “This is my trump card!” With a loud scream, she slammed the Coin they had gained during their fight with the Rail Rider Rangers. This, for sure, would be enough to finish this monster! With a smirk under her helmet, she waited for the announcement.

But moments became seconds, and yet, still, there was nothing but the footsteps of the Changeling coming ever closer. She spun her arm, and with it, the Morpher around. No, the Coin was definitely in it. It should work. “Why aren’t you working!?” She screamed out, the terror in her voice completely audible.

“Oh? Problems Red?” it came back, smug, confident, and worst of all, so damn close.

“No. No! No! You can’t be still empty! You can’t do this to me! I need you right now! My friends need me! Please!” She desperately pleaded, shaking the Morpher in a futile attempt to somehow let it spring to life. She was only shaken out of her panic as a hand, no, a claw clasped tight around her shoulder.

“Seems your luck just ran out, Red,” it came back in that cruel, despicable voice.

Not even a second later, she felt the armored knee smashing into her stomach. All the air was pressed out of her lungs within moments; her legs simply stopped working, giving in under her weight as she sunk to her knees. The moment she sunk down, her transformation breaking apart as her fragile body underneath was revealed. Blood dripped down her cheeks, from out of her mouth, while tears ran down her face like a waterfall.

Like a piece of trash, no longer wanted, she felt the clawed hand throw her forward, landing on the ground with a barely audible groan. Her face was pressed into the dirt, her tears mixing with it into mud.

“You’ve taken too long! Seems they were a bigger problem than you anticipated,” it came from above, a deep and gravely voice said. Her vision was starting to fail her, while her body was throbbing in pain. And with every beat, she drifted further and further.

“They just got a few lucky hits in,” the other voice returned with a huff. At this point, she could hear the voices less and less, as if they were stepping away from her. It didn’t take long till they were basically incomprehensible.

Thoughts stormed through her head, only to be ashed away by pain as fast as they came. But she knew, she knew they all revolved around one thing and one thing only. She had failed. She had failed her friends, she had failed Cadance, and she had failed as a hero. Those were the last thoughts that went through her head before everything just became black.

>-------<S>-------<

Cadance and Gallus could hear the police sirens in the background. They must have slipped past them at the last possible moment. Cadance let out a quiet sigh of relief as they pulled into the empty parking lot.

“So, here we are. Now we just have to find your Rangers,” Gallus muttered, parking the bike right next to the entrance.

“Yes. They must be up there. I just hope they are ok,” she returned, before jumping off the bike and pressing ahead, up the path and towards the ruins.

Gallus looked after her before quietly saying to himself: “I’d not want to stay in her way.” With that, he quickly followed her. Wondering what would await them up there.

They slowly made their way up, careful not to be too loud. The way was ultimately uneventful, but there was something that made them extremely uneasy. There were no sounds. No crashing, no explosions, or anything of the sorts. Just quiet. And the further they went onward, the more unnerving it became.

As they finally reached the clearing the ruins lay in, they dared to take a quick peek. The Changeling drones were still rummaging through what was left of her ancestor's civilization. Her eyes widening, she frantically looked around the ruins, finding nothing but fresh battle damage, but none of her Rangers.

She almost let out a loud scream as Gallus nudged her, pointing up to the old temple where the two leaders were standing. Leaning against the decrepit walls were her students. From what she could see from here, beaten, bruised, and tied up.

She could feel the blood freeze in her veins, her hair stand up straight, and her heart sink to her stomach. No… This couldn’t be right! Right? They were beaten…

The shock slowly but surely was replaced by the creeping feeling around her throat. The oh so familiar sense of guilt. Could she have done anything if she was here? Was she responsible for what had happened? Of course, she was… She had dragged these children into this fight. All because she was too weak… because she wasn’t able to do it herself.

“What now?” Gallus asked, shaking her out of her own thoughts.

She turned around, the look of absolute horror carved into her face. “I… I don’t know,” she stammered out, slumping back against the wall they were hiding behind. “What was I thinking?” She muttered, her voice having lost all energy. “It’s over… I can’t do anything at this point… I always needed others to protect me… In the end, that’s how it will always be…”

Gallus just stared at her, his eyes wide open. “What!? You came here and just want to give up?”

“What am I supposed to do!? The Rangers can’t beat him! How should I? I always needed someone to save me… Because I’m helpless! I thought… I thought, this time, I could actually do something! But no… I’ve failed once again,” she continued, a few tears rolling down her cheeks.

“Where is the woman who would try everything she could? You haven't tried everything yet, right? And they are still looking! They haven't found what they are searching for. Maybe we can still turn this around?” He said, a shaky expression on his face.

Cadance looked up at him before drying her tears and nodding. “That means… We still have a chance. If we can get to it first. What was the damn inscription again? Right! Now I remember, I wrote it down on my phone! ‘On the foot of the Great Mountain, we buried one of our most extraordinary creations, the remains of the Crystal Hearth. May it rest until the day its power is needed once more and may that day never come again. But if it does, may the rising sun light up the world once more.’”

“We’re definitely right. We’re at the foot of the mountain. So… Now we need to find a setting sun?” Gallus asked, clearly puzzled.

“Finders said something about a sundial,” she muttered back, looking once more at the ruins.

>-------<S>-------<

“Still nothing?” Pharynx growled, glaring at Stock Holder.

“I can’t magic up the Crystal Hearth. If I could, I would have done so a while ago!” He hissed back. “And my Drones are working as fast as they can!”

Just as Pharynx was about to break out into another tirade, Lemon managed to open her eyes, looking around with a dazed expression before weakly saying: “Seems… Your lucks ran out as well!”

“Oh. We are close, Ranger. So close! And better shut your mouth! You’re lucky Lord Thorax wants you alive, or I would have taken care of you already,” Stock encountered. “Now, take defeat like an adult!”

“We… Ain’t beat just… Just yet,” she returned, her head trying to look up, only to slump back down again and again.

“You are! You’re beaten, tied up, and without your Shadow Coins! There is nothing you can do anymore! Your mistakes have finally caught up to you. It was about time, after all,” Pharynx growled, stepping closer towards the half-conscious Red Ranger.

“We… We’re only really beat… When we’re dead! Until then… We can fix it! A mistake… No matter how grave… Is never the end!” It came back, a shit-eating grin on her face.

“Mistakes are eternal. You can’t wash them away! You’ll carry them till the day you die! That’s just how it is. And your mistakes have caught up with you. I might start thinking about your words if you somehow found a way out of this. But that, that is impossible at this point,” Pharynx returned dismissively, lifting her head up a bit, before pushing her back a bit.

As he was just about to say something else, a loud screech from one of the Drones demanded his attention. Spinning around, he could just see how Cadance, together with Gallus, dashed across the ruins, kicking the Drone who had screamed out to the side and continuing to rush forward. “See? Not done yet,” Lemon added from the background.

The two continued their mad dash toward the sundial, each one manageíng to fend of the incoming Changelings. Both came to a screeching hold right atop the dial, right atop a small, circular plate symbolizing a sunrise. Both immediately kneed down, trying to get a grip on the stone and yank it out of its position.

Their efforts were cut short, however, as out of nowhere, Stock Holder came crashing down, right between them, knocking both to the ground. “Well, well. Seems you figured something out, isn’t that right?” He chuckled as he stepped off the cracked plate, before jamming his arm into the ground. “Let’s see if you were right,” mussed, before pulling something from the ground.

From a hidden compartment below the stone, he pulled something familiar, something round, something coin-shaped. Holding it towards the sun, the light shined through it, letting different colors dance across everything behind it. His eyes were fixated on the pristine, crystal Coin in his hands.

So much so that he didn’t even notice when Gallus pushed himself off the ground, grazes be damned, and dashed towards the Changeling. Cadance wasn’t any slower, pulling herself back up as well and starting a mad sprint towards him.

Gallus was the first to reach his goal, throwing his entire weight against the Changeling, letting him tumble backward the tiniest bit. But that was enough, the Coin slipping out of his hand and falling to the ground, bouncing off the stone beneath it and right into Candace's hand, as she lunged forward towards it. Stock Holder managed to shove Gallus off him, before dashing at Cadance, ready to reclaim the Coin once more.

Mere moments before he reached her, however, something happened. Bright light erupted from her hand, so much so that everyone in the area was forced to close their eyes. Even then, the light was so bright, even with closed eyelids, everything became white. That was when the screaming started. Horrible, inhuman screams filled with pain and agony echoed across the ruins, but soon faded, one after the other.

It took over half a minute until anyone could even as much as open their eyes once more, and still, everything was hazy. But once their eyes started to adjust once more, every Drone had just disappeared, as if whipped from the earth. And the two higher Changelings hissed out, their bodies smoking. And in the midst of all this, was Cadance, a large, pink device on her left arm. It was similar in shape as the Ranger’s Morphers, but instead of two slots, it had three.

“I’ve had enough! I’m not going to just sit on the sidelines anymore! Let others fight my battles! I’ll refuse to stay weak! From this day onward, I will fight with my own power! And I’ll start with you!” She shouted out, loud and clear, before pointing at Stock, who was starting to regain his senses. With unmatched conviction, she slammed the Crystal Coin into her Morpher before bellowing: “Light up!”

[Cr-Cr-Crystal!]

[Shine Eternal! Crystal Heart!]

Cadance entire body was consumed in bright light, once more blinding everyone present. Once it faded, she was clad in a Ranger Suit, not too dissimilar to her students. The black had been replaced by silver, while the individual colors were now a pale pink. Two winged fins extended from the side of her helmet, while her chest was covered in a vaguely star-shaped chest plate with a heart-shaped gem in its middle. The last differences were the armored gloves and the trench coat that extended from the armor.

Slamming her fists against her chest plate, she shouted out: "The light that will burn away the darkness, Crystal Ranger!" The moment she did this, a pink and white explosion erupted from behind her.

“Told you so,” Lemon smirked, with that particular smug grin only someone who had been proven right could provide. Pharynx just growled, before turning around and walking closer to see the fight, only to hear Lemons screams from behind: “That was awesome! Kick their asses!”

Cadence didn’t need to be told this twice as she dashed forward, straight at the Grasshopper Changeling. He had finally recovered from the bright light and tried to stop her with another kick. To his dismay, Cadance easily jumped over him and kicked him in the back.

Stumbling forward, he spun around with an angry growl, before trying to kick her once more. This time, however, she didn’t dodge; instead, she slammed her own foot aginst the Changeling. Lemon could faintly feel the aftershock of the two feet clashing, but none of them seemed to have overpowered the other.

With a frustrated his, the Grasshopper tried to strike once more, but Cadance matched him again and again and again. Each time he tried to strike, she was already there, blocking his attack before it could even come close.

“How!” He finally shouted out, glaring daggers at her.

“You aren’t the only martial artists in this fight anymore, that is what is happening,” she simply returned before going for another kick. “And your footwork is sloppy!”

Reflexively He pulled his leg up to block the incoming attack. But instead of a strike against his shin, Cadance pulled her leg closer, only to let it strike out once more. In one fell swoop, she managed to push every bit of air out of his lungs before he stumbled backward, holding his stomach.

As he came to a stop again, the Crystal ranger had already pulled out an Ability Coin and quickly inserted it into her Morpher.

[Ea-Ea-Earth!]

With a simple punch to the ground, everything started to shake, and moments later, the land was ripped open, and jagged rock spires shot up straight at the Changeling. He barely managed to dodge the rocks by jumping upward, just out of reach of them. He, however, failed to notice Cadnace insert a second Coin into the third slot of her Morpher.

[Le-Le-Levitate!]

Out of seemingly nowhere, the rocks started to shake, before suddenly lunging upward and slamming into the Changeling. With a loud scream, he crashed to the ground, his body sparking all over.

“Like it? The Crystal Coin seems to allow for the usages of two Ability Coins at the same time. Which means I can mix and match them,” Cadance stated, before removing the two Coins from the Morpher again.

In the meantime, Gallus had used the chaos of the situation and snuck past the fighting and up to where the Rangers were held. With Pharynx occupied with the battle beneath, he didn’t even notice that he garbed the Shadow Coins until it was already too late.

Gallus had managed to knock a little stone away, just as he was about to try and release the Rangers. In an instant, the Changeling spun around and glared immediately at the Coins he was holding in his hands. “You little rat! You’ll regret the day you were bor-“ About to launch into a tirade, he was stopped mid-way through, by a hand on his shoulder. Spinning around, he was ready to punch whoever dared to touch him straight in the face and only barely avoided attacking his brother.

“What do you want? You’re here to gloat?” He barked out, with so much vitriol, Gallus almost expected the second Changeling to melt away by all the acid Pharynx was spewing.

“No. I’m here on the direct order of mother! She has ordered us to retreat and regroup!” He stated, worried underlying every word he spoke.

“But-“ Pharynx tried to protest but was immediately cut short by his brother.

“Orders from the Queen! Do you dare question her authority? We are retreating! Now! We’ll come for him when this is over,” he encountered, stern, in a tone that left no room for arguing.

With a frustrated growl, he nodded, and both Changeling generals disappeared into the green flames.

Gallus just stared in a mixture of shock and bafflement at the now empty spot, but after a few seconds, he was called back to reality by Lemon’s cheering for the fight bellow. Wasting no time, he went to free the Rangers.

[Gl-Gl-Gladius!]

[Ae-Ae-Aegis!]

Cadance’s Morpher screamed out, a sword, similar in shape to that of the Other Rangers and a shield, formed like a six-pointed star appeared in her hands. And just in time for her to raise the star upward, blocking another kick from the Changeling.

He hadn’t even touched the ground again, so fast was Candace bringing down the sword once more. Sparks erupted like a firework show from him, quickly followed up by another slash across the chest, finished off by another kick.

“You… Why!?” He managed to croak out as he pushed himself back up, his chest moving up and down with every breath.

“Because I’m not letting you wreck this world! I’ll stop each and every one of you! For my students, for everyone who stands up to you and for myself! I refuse to ever be weak again! I’ll fight with everything I’ve got! And it seems, that’s more than you can handle!” She returned, pointing the blade at him.

With a loud scream, he dashed forward, using his wings once more to gain momentum, ready to slam his foot into her. But Cadance had already seen this coming, quickly inserting a Coin into her shield.

[Mi-Mi-Mirror!]

With his entire weight, the Grasshopper crashed into the raised up shield, but instead of throwing her to the side, he suddenly felt how he was thrown backward, with inhuman power. Accompanied by a loud grunt, he crashed to the ground once more, glaring in a mixture of anger and confusion at her. Slamming his fist on the ground, he heaved himself up from the ground and made a mad dash towards her. Cadance didn’t even look at him as she inserted a new Coin into the sword.

[Li-Li-Light!]

The blade of the weapon burst into an eye-melting white, but this did little to discourage the Changeling, who kept on pushing forward. The Crystal Ranger pulled the blade back, before beginning to swing it in the air repeatably.

The effect was instantaneous. A bright, glowing line carving itself into the Changelings chest, accompanied by an explosion of sparks. That line was soon followed by a second, third, and eventually by about a dozen more, forming the symbol of the Shadow Force Rangers. Slamming the blade into the ground, let each line exploded all at once, followed by the loud screams of pain and agony.

The Changeling had sunk to his knees, desperately gasping for air, his chest scorched beyond belive. Still, his eyes were locked onto her, filled with pure, unfiltered hatred.

“This was for my students! And this,” she said with an unnerving undertone. “This for me! This the end of the line for you!” While she spoke, she switched Coins in her sword once more.

[Fi-Fi-Final! Crystal Heart!]

Raising her sword into the air, light began to be drawn towards it, gathering in the blade, growing ever brighter with every passing moment. Once it had become blindingly bright, she brought it downward, the length of the sword growing massively, until a giant blade of pure light came down on the Changeling, letting him begin to spark, before ultimately exploding.

But this defeat, like most of them, didn’t last as the Changeling grew to gigantic size, letting out a loud roar that let the earth shake.

The new Ranger, at first, just stared upward, until her attention was drawn to the small coin box at her side, a bright glow coming from it. Immediately, she reached for it and pulled out another Coin. And if her expectations proved to be accurate, this was precisely what she needed right now! Slamming the Coin into her Morpher, she awaited the announcement.

[Al-Al-Alicorn!]

A bright beam of light caught the Changeling and brought him into the parallels dimension. But something was different. Instead of a starless night, they were now in a dimension with a sun in its zenith and now clouds anywhere.

For a few moments, the monster just looked around, no enemy in sight. That was until a loud neighing echoed through the valley. Turning his head, he could see a silver and pink mecha horse soaring down from the sky. It had large wings and one sharp horn on its head. And it was racing directly towards him, with a speed that ripped away pieces of the terrain when it came to close.

On instinct, he tried to kick it out of the air, but the Zord managed to gracefully dodge the attack, before slashing across his chest with its horn. In the time it took him to turn back to the alicorn, it had already turned around and was racing towards him once more.

Spreading his own wings, he catapulted himself far into the air, just in time for the mech to barely miss him. The Zord, however, didn’t seem to slow down. Instead, it quickly changed direction, pulling upward and rocketing towards him once more.

He was just about to sue his wings to shoot himself back down when he felt it. Something sharp scraped across his body, letting sparks rain down as it did so, and cleanly separate one of his wings from his body. Like a concrete duck, he plummeted towards the ground, all while screeching out in a terror and pain, landing with a loud crash.

Stock Holder was barely able to crawl out of the crater, sparks erupting all over his body as he dared to look back up. To his relief, the Zord didn’t seem to sore down towards him again, just slowly descending downward. Eventually, the Zord came to a stop, roughly a few hundred meters above him.

Stock was still unable to stand up, and every passing second was unberable for him. This only grew worse when the horn started to glow. At first, only lightly, before a bright, pink glow came from it.

Lunding its head forward, the mechanical alicorn unleashed a beam of rainbow-colored light that shot directly at him. Within seconds, the entire area was consumed by the bright light, the dimension above everyone's head closing again.

The Changeling was the first to appear, falling down in front of the Rangers, who had just been finished getting freed by Gallus. His transformation broke away, revealing the man in his grey business suit. But before anyone could even attempt to get to him, two Drones appeared and retrieved the beaten Changeling, just in time for Cadance to land as well.

“That! Was! Awesome!” Lemon was the first to shout, being supported by Sugar and almost knocking them both over with her frantic movements.

Canceling her transformation, the principal looked at her and chuckled. “Thank you, but I’m just glad you are all mostly unharmed.”

“Eh, don’t sell yourself short! You kicked that monster’s ass! Royale!” Gallus jumped in, smiling over both ears. “Oh, and before I forget it,” he continued before pulling out the five original Shadow Coins and gave them back to the Rangers.

“I… I wouldn’t be here without you all. You made all of this possible. You fought my fights for me, all this time. But now! Now I can actually fight them myself. Thank you all so much for this,” she returned, a warm smile on her lips. “And that includes you, Gallus. I’m… Sorry for what I said back there. You’ve really proven me wrong. I’m sure, one day you will get your chance to be a hero as well.”

“Eh, nah, I really didn’t. You did the bulk of the work. I just tackled a monster. And really… You weren’t wrong… At least at the time. I just wanted recognition and the fame that came with being a hero. Not like you… You just wanted to protect them. And… I think I get it now. When I actually could help… It felt good. I put a smile on my face. How much of that was because I got to dick over some monsters, I don’t know. But I feel proud. So proud even, that I went for your Coins as well. It just felt right,” he chuckled, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly.

“No. I think you’ve proven me wrong. You just needed the right push. If you want, I’ll leave a good word with my cousin. Maybe he’ll let you in on his more… Changeling orientated research,” she said, her smirk as wide as could be.

“You really would do that!?” Gallus immediately shouted out.

“Well, if archeology interests you, that is.”

“If there is similarly cool stuff like this in the past, I’m in! I can sit through a bit of bussy work for all that awesome shit!” He exclaimed, balling his hand into a fist. It didn’t take long till the ruin was filled with laughter.

After the Fight is Before the Fight

View Online

A flock of birds suddenly screeched before flying up into the air, just before the tree they had been sitting on fell over. Looking bellow the canopy, a Red Ranger lay on the ground, the remains of a broken in half tree next to her. Rubbing her forehead, she looked up, straight at the silver and pink Ranger who dusted off her hands. “That was sloppy. You need a more balanced stance, or any opponent who knows their way halfway around a throw can send you flying,” she said, looking at the Ranger on the ground.

“You could have just told me that. No need to throw me into a tree of all things!” Red grumbled, crossing her arms and pouting.

“I thought you were who wanted to train. Wasn't it something along the lines of: 'Now that you are also a Ranger, we can spar for real!' Right?” Cadance asked, a slight chuckle in her voice. Lemon just grumbled even more. “And really, after what happened to you, it would be irresponsible if I didn't train you for the next time you actually face someone who knows how to fight. Now, if you were so kind and stand up. We aren't done yet.”

She was just finished speaking when she suddenly ducked down, just barely avoiding two kicks from the Green and Pink Ranger. Gracefully, she avoided both blows, before coming back up behind them and tapping them playfully on the back of their helmets. “Nice try, but just a bit to slow. If you plan on surprising an enemy, try to avoid stomping on the ground like in a race.”

“How did...” Sunny muttered, spinning around and just staring at her, perplexed.

“I have not the slightest clue,” Sour added, following the other Rangers cue.

“And something else. When your opponent surprises you, try not to let them take advantage of that,” she added, before, out of nowhere, punching Sour in the face and immediately thereafter, pulling her leg closer and snapping it out, hitting Sunny with the side of her foot.

Both Rangers had not even a second to react and landed unceremoniously on their asses.

“Ouch! What the fuck!” Sunny was the first to shout, holding her stomach as she did so.

“I'm just teaching you how to fight. That is all. Don't worry, this won't be more than a few bruises. Pain can be a surprisingly good teacher. Trust me, I know that all too well,” she added with a light smirk underneath her helmet. “But once it subsides, you tend to learn how to avoid it.”

“Oh yeah!?” It came from behind her, once more. “Then, let's see what this will teach you!” Indigo shouted, pointing at Cadance before dashing forward.

She just shook her head and easily blocked the first wide swing from her student, following it up with a precise gut-punch. But this didn't seem to stop the Ranger in the slightest. The next punch was just as easily blocked, and she once again managed to squeeze in a counter-attack. But just like before, it didn't do anything, it was almost as if...

“Clever. Using Sour's Metal Coin to avoid any counter attacks from me. Very clever. Was that your idea?” She asked, blocking the next attack that was coming for her by merely sidestepping it.

“Nope! Sugar's idea,” she simply returned, continuing her relentless assault on her principal.

Cadance nodded in return before saying: “I see. I had expected that to be honest. I must say, a good idea. But,” she once again sidestepped the next kick of Indigo, but instead of just dodging, she instead grabbed for her leg. Wrapping her arm around it and holding it in place, she continued. “What she didn't account for, however, is the fact that I'm by far the better martial artist of us two. You're fast and strong, but you lack the actual skill to truly capitalize on it.” And with that, she grabbed the suit around Indigo's shoulder, pushed her leg upward while pushing the shoulder down.

Before Indigo had even any idea what was going on, she had been lifted off her feet and thrown to the ground with a pained grunt. “Wha?” She grunted, looking around confused.

“Simple. You left yourself way too open for counter-attacks. Even if you think you can't be hurt, there is always a clever opponent who can take advantage of this error. Always keep your blind spots guarded. Besides that, good strategy,” Cadance stated, jumping backward from the Ranger. “Now, where are you, Sugar? I know you are here.”

Almost as if on cue, a small tree flew towards her, the Crystal ranger only barely managing to dodge the projectile. And right in its path was the missing Blue Ranger, in the middle of a swing against her. She couldn't do anything besides pull up, bother her arms, and block.

While the attack pushed her back a bit, she wasted no time in pulling her leg closer and kicking out at her student. Sugar noticed the attack barely in time, jumping above her in a somersault before throwing another punch.

Sadly, at this point, the element of surprise had passed, and Cadance managed to catch her punch. “Excellent use of your environment, your teammates, and the element of surprise. But you weren't fast enough. You need to stop throwing every punch by thinking about it. You need to be more instinctual. Your body needs to move faster than you can actually realize it.”

However, Sugar wasn't done just yet, pulled her arm back, and tried again, only for her leg to also be caught. Even worse, Cadance didn't just stop it; no, she used her own momentum against her, continuing her motion before throwing her to the side.

[Sw-Sw-Sword!]

It echoed behind her, and when she turned around, Lemon had already jumped into the air and brought her blade down on her. This time, she wasn't fast enough; the Red Ranger clipping her arm a bit, letting a few sparks fly. As she stumbled to the side, Lemon immediately followed up with another swing.

[Gl-Gl-Gladius!]

[Ae-Ae-Aegis!]

The sword and star-shaped shield appeared in her hands, just in time for Lemon's second strike to bounce off the shield. Still, she could feel the power she had put into the attack. But things were not to slow down. The moment she had managed to realize what had happened, the Red Ranger had already swung the weapon back towards her. While she managed to get her shield between herself and Lemon every time, she was already in the next swing before she could ever mount a counter-attack. Each strike seemed to flow into the next, like a wild river.

Once more, she had parried a strike, but something felt off this time. She just couldn't put her finger on i-

In this short moment of carelessness, her student had kicked forward, knocking her shield to the side, before lunging her blade at her. In an eruption of sparks, the blade pierced her, letting her stagger back.

Lemon immediately dashed forward, ready to strike once more, but Cadance was prepared this time. Parrying the weapon with her own, she quickly followed up with a kick to Lemon's stomach, throwing her backward.

“Not bad. Your faint was fantastic, but your follow up was too sloppy again. You act. You've got the instincts of a fighter, but you lack the basics to make it truly work. Once you have those, there will be very few opponents that will ever be a problem to you,” she stated.

[St-St-Strength!]

[Do-Do-Double!]

She would have said something more if she hadn't been interrupted by the sounds of Coins activating behind her. Spinning around in an instant, she managed to pull her shield up just in time for it to be hit by Sour's punch. Instead of trying to push against the powered-up attack, she simply jumped backward, letting her student stumble forward.

The two Sunny's, however, didn't join in on the confusion and rushed towards her. Both came at her from different sides, ready to take her on at the same time. But they should have known better than this. One came in with a punch to her head, while the other aimed for a kick to her stomach.

Instead of a block, Cadance jumped into the air and spun around in a sort of sidewards pirouette, managing to scrape by both attacks, before extending both of her arms. In one fell swoop, the pincer attack had turned against them, and one Sunny was knocked against the ground, while the other one revived a painful uppercut. Both fell to the ground, letting out a pained grunt before the one she had punched in the face disappeared, leaving only Sour standing.

Both eyed each other before Cadance took the first step, Sour responding by entering a fighting stance, just like she had taught her. She followed suit, raising her sword, ready to bring it down at any point while pulling up her shield at the same time.

Both combatants circled each other, eyeing every move the other one would make. Each step they took just served to tense their muscles, ready to burst at any point.

The Green anger was the first to snap. In the blink of an eye, she had dashed forward, pulling up her fist, before bringing it down on Cadance. From above, it looked strange; several trees started to shake, out of seemingly nowhere as the remaining birds in one hundred meter radius shot into the sky with loud screeches.

Down bellow, Cadance was giving it her all to push back against the immense strength of her student. And from the looks of it, she was losing.

Her feet were pushed through the dirt, leaving small tracks behind, while Sour just kept pushing, her battle cry growing louder and louder.

She was almost there! She knew it! Just a little bit more and she could-

This thought was quickly cut short, as Cadance, out of the blue, stepped to the side. With her fist scratching past the shield, she crashed into the ground, rolling over it until a small boulder stopped her in her tracks. Not without almost breaking apart from the impact.

[Ea-Ea-Earth!]

Sour was just in the middle of pushing herself back up, ignoring the multitude of bruises she had taken away from this attempt, as it cried out. In an instant, she looked up and towards her principal. Her sword was glowing a bright orange before she swung it forward. Not even a second later, the ground began to rumble, and a sharp wall of stone and compressed dirt erupted along the path she had swung.

Without any sign of slowing down, she took all her strength and pushed herself off the ground, rolling to the side. What she couldn't see, however, was Cadacne swinging he blade once more, this time to the side. As soon as she did that, the moving wall suddenly took a turn to the right, right towards her. And it was gaining on her fast!

She could only hear the rumbling coming closer before she came to a stop and dared to look behind her, right into the incoming attack. This time, there was no last-minute evade; no, she just had to take it. The sharp ends of the wall slashed across her suit, before throwing her to the side, where she just remained laying there, her head raising one last time, before falling back down.

“Not bad. But you need to learn when to attack and when to defend. A misplaced attack will leave you open for an opponent to capitalize on, while an unnecessary defense will leave you stuck in it, without a way to escape it,” she said, moving the Coin from her sword once more. “Now, Blue! I know you're still out there. What is your plan you came up with?”

On cue, something shot from the treetops, straight at her. She was just slightly too slow to avoid the first few hits, hitting her with the accompanying sparks. The following, though, those were quickly bouncing off her shield and erupting around her. It didn't take long till the clearing was filled with dust and smoke.

“I see,” she muttered, listening closely to the rustling of the trees, pulling up the shield every time she did hear something. “You're trying to keep the element of surprise. By keeping the battlefield dusty, you can keep snipping at me until you actually hit something.” And just as she finished that sentence, another bolt hit her in the shoulder. “Good plan, but.”

[Mi-Mi-Mirror!]

“A plan with no end goal will eventually fall apart,” she finished, swinging the shield around, just in time for it to block the incoming barrage of energy bolts. Almost like water, the attack dove into the shield, before shooting back out again. She could hear the falling of a tree, just before the next volley.

Each time the shots came in, it just got easier as the dust and smoke settled again.

Blue was about to unload once more, as Cadance suddenly jumped forward, directly at her. Sugar's eyes widened behind her helmet, before pulling the trigger as often as she could. The Crystal Ranger, however, simply pulled up her shield once more and absorbed every single bullet as it came towards her. And before the Blue Ranger could even think about dodging, she was bombarded with her own projectiles.

With a loud crash, followed by an explosion, she landed on the ground with a pained grunt, quickly followed by the remains of the tree she had been sitting in.

“See. Your plan needs an endpoint. A war of attrition can easily go in your opponents' favor if they manage to turn the tables,” Cadance continued, landing next to her before deactivating her suit.

“Training's over!” She quickly shouted thereafter. It only took a bit of time till her Rangers dragged themselves to their position. Each one of them looked absolutely spent. Bruises and a few cuts were all over them.

“That! Was! Awesome!” Lemon was the first to shout, ignoring all her minor injuries and threw her hands into the air. “I know you were good, but this! This was absolutely incredible! You kicked our ass to next Sunday! And the way you managed to block my attacks! Just unbelievable! Oh! Oh! And how you dodged Sunny's attack was just... Just... Ahhh!” She continued, her energy seemingly endless.

“I... Thank you. It's good to know that I don't need to sit on the sidelines anymore. It's time to repay you all for how much help you've been until now,” she returned with a smile. “Still,” she continued, letting out a light sigh before her expression became more serious. “That only means you all need to step up your game. You've seen what the Changelings have in their ranks. If we continue like this, you will be overwhelmed again eventually. Your fighting skills still leave a lot to be desired.”

“I mean, we managed until now, and with someone like you on our side now, we can't lose!” Indigo encountered, smiling at her.

“Only because we are to sixth now, doesn't mean things will get easier. The Changelings will step up their efforts as well. We can't rest on our loreals. We have to keep pushing but trust me, I'm not gonna let anything happen to you again. I promise that, now that I actually can do something!” Cadance immediately said, staring at Indigo as she did so.

“Ye... Yes,” it came back, a bit embarrassed.

“Good. Now, let's get back to town. It's getting late, and we wouldn't want your parents to worry more than they did when we returned from Griffonstone,” she added with a light chuckle. “Still amazed, they believed the fact that you defended a friend from some thugs.”

And with that, all the Rangers dispersed once more. But what none of them knew was the fact that they were being watched from the shadows.

>-------<S>-------<

A few days ago, in the caverns bellow Change Industries, both Thorax and Pharynx were kneeling before the throne of their mother, who was looking down at them with an uninterpretable expression.

“So, the Crystal Ranger has returned?” She finally spoke up, a piercing chill in her voice that let both their hairs stand on edge.

“Y... Yes, mother. Their connections managed to find the information before we could. And our spies were too slow to get the information to us, I'm afraid. That allowed them to find the Coin before we managed to. I'm...” Pharynx stammered, clenching his fist together, on the verge of slamming it on the ground as he spoke.

“It's disappointing that Stock Holder has failed us so thoroughly. I had expected him to be perfectly suited for his assignment in Griffonestone. But it seems that was a mistake,” Chrysella sighed, leaning back in her black stone throne. “But regardless, he has proven to be at least capable enough to keep his position. Still, if he shows signs of further failure, we have to remove him.”

Pharynx's entire body was on edge, every muscle in his body twitching and begging to act. But his last talk with his mother had taught him one thing, patience when she was involved.

“Now, to you, Pharynx. You once again failed me. Which is quite a shame,” she sighed once more.

He didn't respond, just lowered his head further.

“Furthermore, Stock told me that you prevented him from taking the Shadow Coins earlier, am I correct?” She continued, her voice feeling like it dropped ten degrees in warmth as she did so.

“My Queen... My assignment was-” He tried to say, only to be interrupted by a wave of her arm, the cloth cutting through his words.

“I'm very much aware of what I ordered you to do, my son!” She said, her voice chilling to the core, so much so that he almost could feel his blood freeze in his veins.

“I... I tried to focus on gaining... Gaining the remains of the Crystal Hearth. I... I know how powerful the Rangers can be... I... Wasn't convinced he could pull off a victory... So... I retreated to focus on gaining access to it before they could...” He stammered out, droops of sweat running down his forehead while his breaths became shorter.

“Which, didn’t pan out, am I right?” She continued, grabbing the staff next to her.

“No... It did not... I made a mistake... I thought he wasn't strong enough... But he was... Then I thought we could find the Crystal Hearth before they could... But we couldn't... And in the end... I failed once more...” Pharynx let out another sigh.

“Failure after failure. That's all you've brought me until now. Each time, you let victory slip through hands like sand. And time and time again, I end up offering you another chance, hoping you would stop disappointing me, but no. Each time, you fail worse. Failure is an irremovable stain on your soul. It can't be washed away, because it's scratched into stone. Failures are eternal,” Chrysella continued, slamming the staff to the ground and rising from her seat.

“Yes...” Pharynx stammered, his expression had morphed into a nervous grimace.

“M... Mother... I think he understands that,” Thorax tried to say but was silenced by another slamming of the staff, his head quickly lowering once more.

“Until now, I've only been disappointed at you, but soon, this might become anger. I've given you every bit of my Hive to help you, but still fail each and every time. I'd advise you to not make me angry again, my son. Because there are many more that can take your place. Perhaps, you'd be better served as an enforcer more than a general,” she coldly continued.

“No! I'll... I'll promise! I'll not let another mistake be etched onto my soul! I will keep searching and deliver what you want from me!” Pharynx shouted out, this time slamming his fists on the floor once more.

“Good. I expect nothing less from my sons. You're both dismissed,” she stated, before once more sitting back on her throne.

Both bother quickly left the room, and before Thorax could even say anything to his brother, he had already stormed off towards the elevator. The entire way to his office, his blood was boiling underneath his skin, and everyone could almost see it. Each employee that saw him coming ducked out of the way immediately and stared at the clearly angry man.

Slamming the door shut behind him and stepping to his expensive desk, it finally boiled over. With a primal scream, he brought his fists down on the wood. With one swing, it gave in, wood splintering off of it and the desk collapsing under his might.

“Why!?” He burst out, his eyes burning with hatred. “Why are they still here! They were beaten! We had the Coins! Their mistakes should have caught up to them! But no! No! They are still here! And they are even stronger! Every time it looks like they are beaten, they come back! Stronger and stronger! This shouldn't happen! Why don't their failures stick!?”

This continued onward for a while until all his anger hand burned away and turned into pure determination. “I swear! I will bring down the Rangers!”

>-------<S>-------<

Once more, a few days later, the sun had set over Canterlot City, and the streets had fallen mostly silent, or at least in Lemon's suburb. She really should be sleeping right now, but she was still way too energetic to really rest, and after an hour of turning in her bed, she hand jumped out on her small balcony.

Sitting down in her comfy chair, she leaned back and looked up at the night sky. It really was a lovely night, even if she only saw a few stars. It really let sink in how much things had changed. From actually realizing their mistakes during the Friendship Games to becoming superheroes and now her principal becoming one as well. It was surreal. And it felt like all of this started so long ago, but yet, not much time had passed. And soon, the Fall Formal was about to happen.

Really, she could just lay her, look up at the sky and listen to the sounds of the cicada as they sang their songs. Even if they were extremely loud today...

Too loud...

Jumping up from her chair, she ducked to the side, just in time for her to avoid the fate of the wooden furniture, as it was crushed to pieces. Looking up, she could see a Changeling, standing on her roof. She could barely make out its features. It had a gray carapace and a broad body. Two wings hung from his back like a cape, and two red buy eyes stared at her. On its hands, it had two long stingers and was currently rubbing them together, creating a horrid sound. All in all, it reminded her of a cicada.

“Is nothing sacred to you? Not even sleep?” She shouted up at the monster. It, however, didn't answer and simply continued playing its atrocious song. And this time, she could see the air around it distorting, before rocketing towards her. This time, a flower pot was its victim, shattering with a loud crack. “Apparently not! Fine then! Light up!”

[Re-Re-Red!]

[Shine Bright! Red!]

Cad in her suit, she quickly jumped up on the roof as well, landing with a loud thud. If her parents hadn't heard anything until now, they now defiantly would. And that meant she needed an explanation for all of this.

She was pulled out of her thoughts by another sound wave of the monster. Dodging once more, she could see the roof getting damaged out of the corner of her eyes. “Oh, come on! Really?” She shouted back at the bug before dashing forward.

The next blast, she dodged by somersaulting over it, ignoring the sounds of roof-tiles shattering and falling down towards the ground with a disgruntled huff. Landing in front of the Cicada Changeling, she quickly tried to kick it. The Changeling, however, had already stepped backward, before immediately jumping back towards her, stingers ready to stab her.

At once, she could feel the entire weight of the bug on top of her! It felt like someone had dropped a sack of cement on her. And things just went from bad to worse as she felt her the ground starting to move bellow her. She was rolling down the roof!

She desperately tried to claw at the tiles in a last-ditch effort to stay on top.

But, in the end, the roof just ran out of ground, and both she and her opponent plummeted to the ground, the heavy thing landing right on top of her. This time, it felt like someone had just dropped a truck on her, as all the air was pushed out of her lungs.

Her vision faded for just a second, and as it returned, she looked back at a razor-sharp stinger, pointed directly at her face. Her eyes widened in shock as it pulled the deadly spike back and thrust it forward.

Impaling the ground right next to her.

Her breathe as running a mile a minute, and for a few seconds, she couldn't process what in Tartarus had just happened. The Changeling looked similarly confused, looking around frantically.

Only as a shot rang through the night did she understand what was happening.

With her mind back in order, she quickly pushed the monster off her before dashing to the other end of her front-yard, catching her breath. As she did so, she could see Sugar standing across the street, on her own roof, and repeatedly shooting at the Changeling, who had finally figured out what was going on.

Raising to its full height, it once more rubbed both stingers together, and within seconds, the spot Sugar had been standing on exploded in derby. The Ranger, however, was unharmed as she somersaulted over the shock-wave, landing in her own front-yard, before quickly resuming fire, all while rushing down the street.

The Changeling glared at her before rushing after her, right into the middle of the street. With a growl, it started to play once more, faster, louder, and ultimately, more intense. This also translated into the shock-wave, as it encapsulated the whole street this time. Cars started to sound their alarms first, followed by their glass breaking, before being pushed to the side, until, finally the asphalt shattered and cracked beneath them.

Sugar ducked behind one of the cars before it was thrown aside. Still, that didn't really guard her against the attack, as the glass fell on her and the car tried crushing her between it and another one. She barely managed to roll out of the way but got hit by the attack full on.

Sparks erupted all across her body as she was thrown backward, tumbling over what remained of the street.

Lemon just stared at her friend, admits all that rubble. Her hand clenched into a fist, she dashed forward with a loud scream, pulling out her sword.

[Sw-Sw-Sword!]

The Changeling spun around, just in time to block the incoming slash with her stinger. Tilting its head, it pushed her back with relative ease, before trying to stab her with the other one. Lemon jumped to the side, trying to shove her sword forward once more, only for it to be parried again. And this time, the counter-attack of the monster hit, slashing across her chest with a bright splash of sparks.

Stumbling backward, she clutched her chest before pushing forward again. Her chest was burning, but she didn't slow down one bit, just screamed louder. And to her surprise, she actually hit it, this time, the blade slamming into its shoulder.

Her enthusiasm was short-lived; however, as she looked down, she could see the Changeling rubbing the two stingers together again.

Before she could do anything, the shock-wave hit her square on. She could feel it reverberating through her entire body, moments before the suit started to spark all over. Within moments, she was pulled off her feet and thrown through the air, before landing on top of a car, leaving a sizable dent inside it.

Her ears were ringing, and her entire body shivering all over, all while her vision had just become blurry. She could only make out rough shapes, and in no time at all, something massive build itself up above her. She didn't need to think much about what it was; she already knew. She was just about able to make out as it pulled back its arm once more, ready to stab her again. She desperately tried to get her body to move, but besides a few twitches, she didn't accomplish much. Moments before it lunged forward, she slammed her eyes shut, waiting for the inevitable.

But the only thing she could make out was a loud screech, followed by a strange sound coming ever closer. Her ears were starting to recover, slowly piecing together that it was the sound of a bike. Pulling all her strength together, she pushed herself back into a sitting position and looked over her shoulder.

A strange, pale-pink bike was approaching. Its handle was shaped like a unicorn head, the horn strangely sparking with light, while the back of the bike had two massive wings standing out of it. And on top of it all, was Cadance in her Ranger suit. She quickly jumped over and through the remains of the road, like it was nothing.

Then it hit her like a truck! Spinning around, she frantically looked for the Changeling and sighed a bit of relive as she saw it, laying on the ground, clawing at the vehicle to stand back up. But before it could get any headway on that, Cadance had already reached them, her sword in hand and slashed across its chest as she raced by, before hitting the breaks hard.

With a low growl, the Changeling pulled itself back up once more, before dashing forward, swinging its stingers directly at her. With perfectly timed strikes, she blocked the first one, before kicking the monster in the chest, forcing it back. It, however, quickly continued its assault, but this little moment had been enough for her.

[Ae-Ae-Aegis!]

The shield materialized in her hand, just in time to block the incoming strike. She could feel the scratch across the metal as she pressed against it. The second strike quickly followed, but she pushed back beforehand, getting enough leeway into a counter-attack. Her blade scratched across its belly once more, the sparks illuminating her face as she did so.

With its pained screech, the Changeling pushed past all the pain it was clearly feeling, jumping forward to dig its stingers into her. In the blink of an eye, she pulled the shield up, letting the two deadly weapons scratch across it and miss her by just a few centimeters. That, however, didn't mean she was in the clear just yet. The Changeling did not intend to slow down, and within moments after she had avoided the first attack, the entire weight of the monster came crashing down on her.

It was as if someone just threw her an eighty-kilo dumbbell. Her legs just couldn't support her any longer, and the whole body fell onto her, knocking the Gladius Coin out of its place inside her Morpher.

While she struggled to breathe properly, the Changeling had no such problems and, with a smug screech, pulled its fist back, before stabbing at her.

The needle came down right next to her face, going through the concrete like butter and leaving no cracks behind. And with equal speed, it was pulled back once more. The only thing she could do was awkwardly try and dodge with her head. Something that only became more nerve wreaking every time she tried it, with the stinger coming closer and closer.

The street beside her head had been turned into a pincushion, and the Changeling was pulling back for another go at it. If his last attempts were any indicator, this time, he'd defiantly hit her. With one desperate last attempt, she tried to push the monster of her with her shield, but it didn't look as if it would be working any time soon.

Time slowed down as it came racing down towards her, directly towards her eye, but then, his hand suddenly jerked to the side, scratching across the wing on her helmet, and she managed to push him slightly off him. In the corner of her eyes, she could see something red crashing against it, before being tossed to the side.

Her body moved on its own, quickly going for the Coinbox at her side and pulling out one, before slamming it into the Morpher before the weight of the Changeling came down on her once more.

[Li-Li-Light!]

It screeched back at her once the announcement had rung, and the monster tried to stab her again. But this time, she had a way to defend herself. Her arm shot up, grabbing hold of its head, and suddenly started to glow brightly.

The screams could be heard through the entire neighborhood before the weight suddenly lifted. In an instant, she had darted away from it, coming to a halt about ten meters away from the thing. It was clutching its eyes and stumbling around, bumping into cars or lampposts, that had miraculously survived its previous attacks.

“You're done for!” She finally shouted, her hand over her Coin box once more.

In an instant, the Cicada-Changeling spun around, stared roughly in her direction, and quickly began to wildly rub its two stingers together one last time.

Cadance eyes widened in an instant, and quickly moved her hand slightly left and picked up another and immediately slammed it into her shield, just before the wave hit her dead on.

[Mi-Mi-Mirror!]

And it turned out, she was not one second too late, as the shock-wave crashed into her, and with it the shield. Even though it absorbed the brunt force of the damage, she still felt the enormous power that was pushing against her. Her boots were scratching across the concrete, digging new trails into it, the further she was pushed back, until...

Like an explosion, the stored up kinetic energy in the shield shot back outward. Ripping through the concrete like nothing before it, bits of the street landing everywhere and revealing the gravel underneath, it slammed into the stunned Changeling.

The monster was ripped off the ground and landed easily fifty meters away, leaving small craters wherever it landed, before coming to a stop and collapsing.

But Cadance wasn't done with it just yet, pulling out the Coin she had eyed earlier already and put it into the shield.

[Fi-Fi-Final! Crystal Heart!]

The shield started to glow brightly, illuminating the surrounding area as if it was in the middle of the day. Taking aim one last time, she chucked it straight towards the slowly standing back up Changeling. Like a bright Frisbee of destruction, it soared through the air and went straight through the Changeling, like it was butter.

It stumbled heavily, ready to collapse, but before it could, the bright light returned, this time slicing through it vertically, before racing straight at Cadance. Holding out her hand, she caught the handle, it almost knocking her off her own feet as it came to a stop.

She remained in this pose for a few seconds before letting out a refiled sigh, quickly followed by a loud explosion as the damage on the Changeling finally took its toll on it.

But, as expected, it didn't take long for the giant version to appear.

“Oh, no! We're still only to third here! We can't form the Megazord!” Lemon shouted out, having dragged herself next to Cadance with Sugar quickly following.

“I'll take care of this,” the Crystal ranger simply returned before pulling out her Zord Coin.

[Al-Al-Alicorn!]

Once again, the mechanical alicorn galloped down from the skies and pulled the Changeling into its pocket dimension, the sky over Canterlot City suddenly illuminated as it was day.

Her opponent wasted no time in quickly rubbing its stingers together once more, forcing her to dodge to the side. Everything she had just been flying over, ripped apart by the shock-wave. Pieces of buildings and ground were flying everywhere, making actually flying quite tricky.

Inside the cockpit, Cadance could feel the mech shifting with every bit of derby that came down on her. Still, she kept pushing onward, flying past everything that came her way. That was until the Changeling started to turn.

Almost like the light of a lighthouse, a cone of shock-waves started moving closer to her. She had to adjust her direction while also trying to avoid being crushed by the incoming derby.

But, no matter how hard she flew to the side, the occasional bit of derby forced her back once more, each time, the wave catching up with her more and more, until eventually...

It shook through the entire cockpit as the wave clipped her wing, before swallowing her whole. Sparks were flying everywhere before she crashed down towards the ground with a loud crash.

Letting off on its assault for just a moment, the Changeling raised its fist into the air before stepping closer towards her, ready to tear the Ranger out of the robot-like tuna out of a tin-can.

Meanwhile, Cadance was breathing heavily, her entire cockpit sparking, lights flickering, and warning lights going off everywhere. She knew, even if she could get this thing back into the air, this would only repeat itself once more. She had to try something different. If only she could... Maybe she actually could.

The Changeling, in the meantime, had walked up to her, ready to push its stinger into the metal of the alicorn and start tearing it to bits. Raising its fist, it was ready to jam downward, when all of a sudden, the horn began to shoot out beams of rainbow-colored light, knocking the monster backward, before the metal started to move.

At first, it stood back up, before the front half of the horse suddenly started to twist one-hundred-and-eighty-degrees around, all while the horse seemed to stand upright. The front hoofs pulled back a bit, to reveal a set of metallic hands, while the legs turned into feet. Both arms crossed in front of the face, pulling down the horse head as they did so, turning it into a kind of rapier. Finally, a human head was revealed underneath the horse head, with two wings on each side of it, all while the wings on its back spread out.

“Morning Star Megazord!”

It echoed across the battlefield, as the Zord made its first step forward. Meanwhile, the Changeling had regained its footing and started to rub its stingers together once more. In the blink of an eye, the gigantic Zord swung its wings and dashed to the side, before flying forward. The horn slashed past the Changeling, leaving sparks to rain down on the ruins of the city below before the Megazord delivered a punch right into its turning head.

Staggering backward, Cadance wasted no time and pushed relentlessly forward, swinging her weapon at the stingers of the monster. With one clean cut, it slashed through one of them, letting it drop down to the ground.

More screeches from the monster followed before it managed to catch itself. With an intense hatred in its eyes, it tried to rub its stingers together again, but to its shock, it just caught air. It seemed to slowly dawn on it what had happened, just in time before Cadance dashed forward and shoved the horn into its chest.

Its screams carried over the entire city, only growing in intensity as the weapon started to glow, before, eventually, a beam of bright light shot right through it.

Jumping backward, Cadance cleared the area in time for the beast to explode in a bright explosion, the dimension fading away again, shortly thereafter.

As she came back down, police and MRG cars were blocking off the streets, families were gathered outside their lawns, in both shock and surprise. One of which was Lemon with her parents. She had apparently turned back into her civilian form while she had been busy fighting and was now trying to convince her parents she was ok.

“Like I said, I'm ok,” she sighed, trying her best not to get crushed by her parent’s hug.

“Oh, Lemy! We were so afraid when we couldn't find you. Where were you?” Her mom asked, pulling her even tighter in.

“Ugh... Mom,” she sighed, trying to squirm out of her grasp, with not much success, one might add. “I just... Kinda fell off the roof when the Rangers started fighting up there. A stray shock-wave hit me, and I landed in one of our bushes. Besides a few bruises, I'm fine,” she continued.

“Oh, thank goodness!” It came back before this more or less continued for a while. Cadance couldn't other than chuckle a bit. Her smirk, however, quickly died down once she saw Shining Armor, talking to a few MRG agents. Without saying another word, she promptly jumped on top of a nearby roof and dashed off into the night.

Shining, meanwhile, looked after her, as he got a call on his earpiece. “Excuse me,” he sighed, before walking off somewhere a bit quieter and pulled out a very bulky flip-phone with a touch monitor. “Hey, Light Bulb. I assume you're done?” He asked, a nervous expression on his face.

“Yeah, I'm done! I compiled every bit of magical activity that matches the Rangers into a map for you. A few random chunks here and there, but we got a few clusters and those-” It came back from the other side of the voice, the usually energetic voice, quite somber.

“I see, just as expected,” he sighed, looking back at a map of the city on his phone. “Crystal Prep and the neighborhood. Both places with increased activity from the Rangers. What about...” He muttered, before taking another deep breath. “What about the security cameras from the Griffonstone Institue for Archeology? You got those?”

“Yes... I'll send them to you now...” Light Bulb said quietly.

A quiet beep came from his phone, but he honestly didn't want to look down. But he knew there wasn't much of a choice left for him. With a silent sigh, he lowered his eyes and looked at the images. He immediately recognized the faces. The Shadow Bolts and Cadance, right in the middle of the GIA the day of the Changeling attack. He knew! He knew it the moment he had ran into Lemon on Cadance doorstep that day, at least, deep down, he did.

“So it is them...” He finally said as he looked down once more at the image, a disappointed look in his eyes.

“Probably,” it came back before she continued: “You wanna talk Shining?”

“Yes... Yes, I do wanna talk, but not with you. I have a date tomorrow, and I expect to get answers from this,” he finished off with a cold undertone, before closing the phone once more and returning to his work. The night had only just begun after all.

Shining Truth

View Online

A day had passed since the attack of the Cicada-Changeling on Lemon and her family. Cadance had been thinking about this ever since then. She knew it was really only a matter of time till the Changelings actually tried something like this, but still…

It felt too early. Was it because she had shown up? Were they trying to take out the others first before they dealt with her? And would they have succeeded if she wasn’t listening in on the police radio while grading papers?

A shiver ran down her spine as that thought crossed her mind. She really didn’t wanna think about that possibility. Especially since she already knew the answer.

She really tried to push the girls further and further, but they just couldn’t keep up fast enough. Eventually, she wouldn’t be there, and then…

Letting out another deep sigh, she continued applying her make up, making sure it was actually set up correctly.

Why was she even thinking about this right now? This was supposed to be her “Day Off,” the girls had called it. How they had managed to find out about was beyond her, but she secretly was glad about it. Maybe, with current events, she would have blown it off and pushed in one more training session for them, as much as she didn’t want that.

They had managed to convince her that she really needed this day, and if she was honest with herself, they were one-hundred percent right. She had looked forward to this day for over a week now, and with her packed timetable and the constantly new situations popping up on his end, she had already feared this would fall through as well. But in the end, they had managed to squeeze in one pizza date, the first one since the whole mess with the Changelings had started.

Shining was picking up a pizza for both of them right now and would undoubtedly be here any minute. This would be just an evening with her and him and nothing of the weird stuff that had consumed their lives recently.

And almost as if it was on cue, the doorbell rang. Cadance shouted into the foyer and down the stairs: “I'm on my way!" Finishing the last touches of her makeup, she gave it one last look before smirking and quickly jogging down the stairs. While she had chosen a comfy shirt and sweatpants, she wanted to look at least semi passable. Stopping before the door, she put on her best smile and opened it. "Hey, Shining! Good to see you!"

On the other side of the door stood Shining Armor, just as expected, holding a steaming box of pizza. He seemed to have just gotten off of work, still dressed in his white shirt and brown leather jacket he usually wore. He smiled weakly at her before returning: "Hey! Anyone here ordered a pepperoni-ham pizza from the Magnum Opus?" He asked with a light chuckle, presenting the packaging to her.

With a sly smirk, she returned: "Well, I did, but sadly, it seems I'm just out of money. Is that a problem?" She just increased her smirk when the words had left her mouth, looking expectingly at him.

He stuttered for a moment before returning with a slight blush that was obvious on his white face: "I… I'm sure we'll figure something out."

Cadance just started to laugh. It just worked every time. The slightest flirt would send him into this charming flustered state, stuttering through all of his words. He defiantly was still the same dork she had met in Highschool, as much as things had changed. "Well then, how about we'll figure something out inside? Don't want the pizza to get cold, do we?" She continued before turning around and leading him to the dining room, not like he really needed to.

He simply followed after her, the awkward smirk quickly disappearing again once she had turned around. Shining placed the box on the table, where everything had already been set up for them.

"Did I ever tell you how cute you're when you're flustered?” She asked while sitting down, all while she kept smiling at him.

“You mentioned it a few times,” he returned with a slight chuckle.

“Well, not like it gets any less right, no matter how often I say it,” she added, chuckling before biting into her first piece. And as always, it hit the sweet spot; only a pizza could hit perfectly. “Mhhhh! I still can’t believe you can get us one of these mouthwatering any time you want.”

“Well, helps if you know the right people. And Thunder is the kind of person who’d do anything for friends; a pizza is the least he can do. But I’ll pass it on to him. He’s always ecstatic to know he made someone happy with his food,” Shining said, his smile growing a bit wider as he followed suit and took a bite as well.

“Yeah, do that. He earned it, after all,” Cadance smirked, after already finishing the first slice. “So, how’s your day been? You looked… Exhausted. Another one of those days?”

“Yeah, one of those days. Equila Damage Inc., you know, this monster insurance, has been calling our office ever since that street got… Blown-up for lack of a better word. I still can’t believe someone could be that lucky. Setting up a scam monster insurance- I’m sorry, allegedly fake monster insurance, just a bit before monsters actually became a reality. People suddenly buy into it like crazy, all across the county, and out of nowhere, we have to deal with them as if they were an actual legitimate business,” he grumbled back before going for another bite.

“I mean… They seemed to have cleaned up their act. Nothing illegal yet,” Cadance shrugged, grabbing the next piece.

“Honestly, that’s not my problem. It’s more their CEO, Prime Rate. Got the honor of meeting him a few times, and I just can’t stand the guy. While he seems to intend to turn this into something legit, the way he started it rubs me the wrong way. And his strategy of buying out other companies just makes me worried we’ll have even more interactions in the future,” Shining sighed, looking down at his pizza.

“And then, there is the usual. Or, in other words, the Rangers and the Changelings. Have had to be in contact with Griffonestone a bit because they suddenly showed up there and then the whole debacle in the suburbs. It’s… Tiring, that’s all,” he said, still staring at his slice.

“Are you making progress, though? Or starting to trust the Rangers more?” She asked, raising an eyebrow.

Shining, however, just sighed: “That’s… Hard to say. I get why they are hiding their identity. Still, it would be easier if they actually tried to work with us. And not just try to keep secrets. It makes it harder to believe them when they are trying to be honest,” he added, with a somber tone.

“You said Alchemy didn’t trust you either, though, right?” She returned, lowering her half-eaten slice to the plate as well.

“Yeah, he didn’t. He didn’t know the MRG or anyone who worked for them,” he nodded, before taking a deep breath and simply asking: “Cadance, do you trust me?”

She looked at him for a moment, her eyes perplexed before returning: “Of course I do. Why shouldn’t I? We’ve been together since Highschool. Only because you joined the MRG and became the local director doesn’t mean I trust you any less. The government can be as shady as it wants to be; they’ll never change my Shining Armor. You’re honest and someone I can trust one-hundred percent in. Why do you ask.” Cadance smiled at him, but he only returned a frown.

With a sigh, he continued: “Cadance, where were you on a week ago?” That was all he asked, as he looked directly at her.

“Wh… What do you mean,” she stammered back, her smile slowly fading.

“I’m asking you where were you seven days ago?” Shining repeated coldly.

“I… I was at work, and after that, I was working here. I had to correct a few tests, and it took me till late in the night. I might have left my phone down here while working. I didn’t see a missed call from you,” she returned, with a perfect poker face.

“Why are you lying to me,” he asked, his voice weak, almost crushed even. “Because I know you are lying,” he continued, before pulling out his bulky flip-phone, on it, one of the CCTV images from the Griffonestoen Institute for Archeology. “This picture was recorded exactly seven days ago, just minutes before the Changelings attacked the GIA.”

“I… Why would I be in Griffonestone with students? There were no trips planned that day. It must just be a lookalike,” she continued, trying her best not to slip up, even though she could feel the sweatdrops on her forehead forming.

“Weird, because when I looked into the GIA, there was a Finders Keepers as one of their employees. Your cousin, right?” He asked once more; his look was almost as if he could burn its way into her soul. “And don’t say you didn’t know that. I remember you talking about him.”

“What… What are you suggesting, Shining Armor?” She returned, the sweatdrops now clearly visible as they ran down her face.

“First of all, you’re lying to me. For whatever reason, you don’t want me to know you were in Griffonestone with these students. On its own, that is definitely strange, but nothing more,” he said, his voice somber. “But, then there is the fact that most of the Rangers appearances seem to be centered around Crystal Prep, which suggests that they might be students there and, strangely enough, your neighborhood. During the last Changeling attack, we caught up another signal just from around here. Why is it that, wherever the Rangers show up, you and your students just seem to be as well?”

Cadance just remained silent, avoiding eye-contact with her boyfriend.

“Is it because your students are the Power Rangers? And are you the sixth Ranger?” He finally asked, waiting for an answer, but Cadance remained just as quiet as before. “Look, I know you are. I had the suspicion a while back. I didn’t want to believe it. I thought you wouldn’t lie to me like this. And if you were, that you would tell me before I would figure it out, but you didn’t. Just tell me why Cadance. Why didn’t you tell me?”

With one last sigh, Cadance head slumped forward before she said with a defeated undertone: “Yes… You got us. We’re the Power Rangers. I just… It’s…” She stammered, giving him a pleading look.

“What?” He simply returned, crossing his arms as he did so.

“I… I couldn’t just give you their identities. And if I said I had met them, you would have caught on… Just like you did now. These kids were pulled into this fight when they shouldn’t be here in the first place. I didn’t want to ruin their lives more than absolutely needed to,” she said, before continuing: “Please! Keep this to yourself! They don’t deserve the government breathing down their necks.”

“You know you can trust me, right?” He said, taking a deep breath before continuing. “I kept a secret identity before. I knew about my sister's magical powers. And I’ve worked with other superheroes before, some of which still keep their identity secret. So, tell me, why did you think you couldn’t trust me?”

“I trust you, it’s just…” She tried to encounter, only to stop midsentence. “I don’t trust the people above you. This is not a fight that concerns them.”

“I’d vouch for the MRG, at least the people up at the top. Especially the director is one of the most trustworthy people I’ve ever met. And so are the people I work with! They’d never let any of your secrets leak to people who were never meant to know about them. If you don’t trust them, you don’t trust me knowing the people I work with! And even then, if you really wanted me to keep this secret, I would have! You’re… You’re the person I trust more than anyone, and that means the most to me. So, why isn’t that the case for you?” He simply stated, giving her an expecting look.

“This… I would have told you… Eventually…” Cadance sighed, still avoiding eye contact.

“And when? Because we’ve been together for so long. What could have convinced you that I would be ‘ready’ for your secret now?”

“It’s… it’s a tradition to tell the person you marry about… About the war with the Changelings once the ceremony is over. It’s to not drag people unnecessary into our war,” she continued.

He looked at her for a moment before raising an eyebrow. “War? What… What have you been keeping from me?”

“My… My ancestors were part of the Changelings millennia ago… They rebelled and brought them down. Ever since, we’ve been keeping watch over what they left behind to prevent the Changelings from ever rising again. My responsibility was to look for the lost Shadow Coins, and that ultimately lead me to Mt. Aris and the Rangers…”

“Mt. Aris… You don’t mean?” His eyes widened in absolute disbelieve. “You were the one responsible for the break-in a while ago?” She simply nodded, already fearing the tirade that was about to come. “And you kept all of this from me… If… If the MRG had known about this, we could have collected these Coins before the Changelings could have ever gotten their hands on them! I could have helped you with this!”

“I didn’t want to drag you into this…” She tried to say but was interrupted once more.

“No, you thought you could do it on your own again. You always do. Every time something comes up, you keep it to yourself, try to do everything on your own. You wouldn’t have dragged me into this; I’m already part of it. I was ever since Ocean decided I would be in her Magic Taskforce. And especially since I’ve been leading the local MRG branch! I just… Why don’t you trust anyone? These kids could have had help out there! And not just you!” He continued, his voice slowly rising in volume.

“I trust the Rangers! They were chosen by the Coins! Otherwise, I would have never put this on them! I didn’t like it either, but this is my responsibility. And I’m not dragging even more people into this mess than necessary! I’d had hoped I could leave you out as well, but… I’m sorry, but I had to. Please don’t be mad at me… I did it because I love you… I know how stressful your job is… I didn’t want to put you on the spot or make it worse. You didn’t need even more stuff on your shoulders…” Cadance gave him a pleading look, reaching over the table to grab his hand.

“You should know that I’m not angry. I’m just disappointed that you don’t trust me,” he sighed before pulling his hand away and standing back up.

“Shining…”

“Take your time to talk with your Rangers…” He started to say, turning around as he did so. “Say that, while I know who they are, that I will keep it private. But we need to have a talk with how we proceed from now on,” he continued before starting to walk towards the door.

She couldn’t other than stare after him as he walked off, before finally snapping out of once he had reached the door. “Wait! Shining!”

“I…” He gave her one last look before continuing: “I’m sorry… I need a bit of time… Night Cadance.” And without any more words, he left, leaving her standing in her own house. Her own way too big house.

She just stood there for what felt like an eternity before she dragged herself back to her chair and slumped down on it, staring at the pizza. She had lost all appetited, and the delicious piece of dough, cheese, and pepperoni were now just laying there, seemingly taunting her.

“Ouch! That must have hurt!” It suddenly hissed from out of nowhere.

In the blink of an eye, Cadance jumped to her feet and spun around, staring directly at a Changeling who slithered out of the shadows. Her thin body was covered in yellow and black chitin. Her head was angular and reminded her of the face wasps had. All while she seemingly wore a chitin armor that ended in a sharp stinger. But the most bewildering thing about the Changeling was the bug-like SMG in her hand.

“How about I’ll help you with your problems?” She asked in a disgustingly sweet voice before raising the gun, aiming it at her.

>-------<S>-------<

In the meantime, a bit further away, inside a room with a pink bed, two large shelves, stuffed with an outrageous amount of clothes in a lot of different colors. A few postures of models, both male, and female, hung on the walls. Sunny was breathing heavily as she was in the process of doing push-ups. “Forty-seven, forty-eight, forty… nine,” she gritted through her teeth. A few drops of sweat were running down her face as she continued. Her breathing was getting sharper and sharper, her arms shaking under strain, but she just pushed on. “Fifty, fifty-one, fifty-two.”

Ever since Griffonestone, no, if she was honest, ever since the day with the Moth-Changeling, the same thoughts always kept digging themselves into her mind again and again. The thought that maybe, she wasn’t doing enough. And with every defeat, they grew in intensity. If she were just a bit better, perhaps none of them would have had to be poisoned by that damn Changeling.

If she had been better, they would have never lost to that Grasshopper-Changeling, and if she would have been more observed, maybe she could have come to Lemon’s and Sugar’s rescue as they were attacked at their homes. If she was just that tiny bit better, she could have prevented all of this! And each time, someone else had helped her out.

Indigo bringing her to the nurse, or she would have never even heard about the fight. Cadence saving them in Griffonestone and once again, just a day ago, when she pulled out a one-on-one victory against that damn Cicada. All while she could do nothing to help anyone. She truly hated to feel like she was just some dead weight.

And even when she had a chance to do something, she screwed it up somehow. Like during their training. She had the perfect pincer attack but still couldn’t manage to hit her mentor. She was just outclassed at every opportunity.

“Sixty-one, sixty-two… Sixty… Sixty… “ She hissed out, her arms now shaking as if they were made out of pudding, threatening to give out on her at any point now, but she simply refused to give up just yet. She could do more; she knew that! She had to!

That was the moment her phone started to ring. This one moment of surprise was all that was needed to really get her out of her rhythm. Her arms just collapsed, and she more or less faceplanted on her carpet with a pained groan. “Uhh… Who their right mind calls me around a time like this?” She groaned, her expression souring in an instant.

She was half tempted to just simply ignore the call in its entirety, but then the events with Lemon and sugar came back to her mind. With a resigned sigh, she pushed herself up and slowly walked over to the phone, lying on her bed. As she picked it up and looked at the number, she didn’t recognize it at all. She was about to just ignore it when curiosity got the better of her.

“Yeah, Sunny Flare here?” She hissed into the phone, crossing her arms as best as she could

“Yeah, hello! It’s you! Good! My name’s Light Bulb, and I don’t have time to explain. I honestly don’t have time to explain why I don’t have time to explain, but… Right! Right!” It came back from the other side. It was definitely a female voice, a quite frantic and seemingly panicked voice.

“How do you have my number?” She immediately returned, eyeing the phone curiously.

“No time! Just… let me put it this way, I know you are a Power Ranger!” It came back from Light Bulb.

All the color left Sunny’s face all at once, as she stammered back: “Wh-What!?”

“No time! I just know! I’ve got a call from someone who knows that your principal, Cadance, is in danger! She is currently being attacked inside her home by a Changeling! I’ve been told to call the rest of the Rangers. You’re the closest to her! She needs help!” The woman continued, sounding more and more frantic as time went on.

“What!? Cadance is in danger!?” She almost shouted back, but the woman had already hung up the phone. Sunny stared at it for a few more moments before her mind went into overdrive. She had to help! Right now! But how? Her parents sure as Tartarus weren’t gonna let her out at such a late hour again- Then her eyes caught her own window. Yeah, that could work…

>-------<S>-------<

Her trusty and the familiar couch was shredded to feathers and debris in seconds, much to Cadance’s annoyance. “Hey! How about you’re a bit more careful with this thing!” She shouted, her sword and shield already in her hand, as she pushed forward.

The Wasp-Changeling, however, quickly jumped backward, two sets of insect wings helping her with that. They also kicked up a lot of wind as they knocked vases, books, and other stuff off the shelves and whatnot. “Ups. Must have knocked something over. But no biggy. You can afford it after all,” she laughed before spraying another volley of spikes at her through the gun.

This time, it was the floor who took the brunt of it, Cadance jumping back a bit before bunkering down behind her shield.

Her entire living room had been turned into a battlefield once more. She had just finished fixing the last damage, and in no time at all, it had already been replaced. Fantastic! She really would enjoy beating this Changeling up. And if she was honest, she really needed it after this… date.

For a moment, the continuous assault stopped, for just a moment. That was the moment Cadance had waited for. In the blink of an eye, she inserted the Coin into her shield and dashed forward.

[Li-Li-Light!]

The shield erupted in burning-bright light, enough to blind the monster just long enough. With full speed, Cadance jumped over the Changeling with a somersault before spinning around and rushing forward once more. She slammed into the bug monster with her entire weight and speed, knocking her off her feet and beginning to push her across the room. The Changeling could only scream as she was blindly carried by the Ranger’s momentum, the window getting closer and closer, and with a loud crash, both of them came through the shattering piece of glass, landing in her front yard.

While the Changeling simply landed with a pained screech, she rolled a bit further. It took her a few moments to stop her movement and begin to stand up back once more, just enough time for the Changeling grab her chitin-SMG and point it directly at Cadence.

Bracing herself for impact, she tried to duck behind her own shield, but she knew she was too late. All she could do was pray she was faster than she thought, and the ones that did make it threw wouldn’t hurt too much.

After a few moments of glass falling to the ground, a shot rang through the night, followed by a second one. Cadance closed her eyes, ready to grit her teeth and swallow the pain, but, to her surprise, nothing happened. Had the Changeling missed?

It didn’t take long till her question was actually answered: “Gah! Damn it! Who was that?” It growled out.

“Hands off!” A third voice suddenly shouted stern, and absolutely in no mood for games.

“You… You damn bastard! Who do you even think you are?” She hissed, pulling herself back up and pointing the gun at Shining Armor, who was holding a strange red and silver revolver, straight out of a sci-fi movie.

But before she could pull the trigger, Cadance dashed in from the side, slashing across the Changeling’s chitin. Sparks once again flew everywhere before the monster staggering to the side. In the blink of an eye, the beast spun around, pointing the gun at her, immediately pulling the trigger.

Cadance, however, had already pulled up the shield, just was a bit too slow, as several of the stinger-bullets impacted across her suit, each one followed by its own explosion of sparks. Still, most of them simply impaled themselves in her shield without doing too much damage. “Get out of here, Shining!” She immediately shouted over to him.

“I’m not leaving! This is my job! Even if this means going up against a monster. Wouldn’t be the first time I was in the line of fire! But I’m gonna leave her to you. I deal with the civilians!” He returned, in a tone that made it absolutely clear, that he wouldn’t be taking no as an answer.

Cadance gave him one last look before huffing: “Stubborn as always! Ok, fine! But don’t you dare get hurt! Or I’ll make you regret it!”

While they had been talking, the Changeling had caught itself again, a devious glimmer in her eyes. “Awww. Looks like you put a cease-fire on your little spat. How shocking!” She hissed, and just mere moments later, the stingers all over Cadanc’s shield started to spark. Within seconds, an electrical surge ran through her body, small spark explosions covering all of her body. Only as she pulled out the Coin from the Morpher did the effect stop, the projectiles falling harmlessly to the floor.

Cadence's breath was sharp and short as she grabbed the sword in both hands and dashed forward once more, jumping to the side as the first volley was fired at her. But this didn’t deter the Changeling, who simply continued shooting. It almost seemed like that the gun had infinite ammunition. And every time she dodged to the side, she just was pushed further and further and further away, until she ultimately slammed against the side of her own home.

That was just enough time for her opponent to hit one a few stingers, piercing her foot. Letting out a pained grunt, she bit down on her teeth, sucked in a bit of air, and pushed forward, her leg stinging to Tartarus and back.

Still, before she could reach her, the electricity surged through her once more, letting her stumble on the last few steps before faceplanting in front of her.

“Now, that’s a far better position for you,” she chuckled before aiming the SMG at her and pulling the trigger. The first volley pierced through the suit and impaled themselves in her back. “Oh, yes! That’s better. This is why you don’t bring a sword to a gunfight,” she continued, in that smug tone.

Her little chuckle, however, didn’t last long, and soon after that, she was about to hit her with another barrage of bullets. But once more, she felt a sudden sting in her shoulder. The sudden shock letting her spin around, together with her gun, whiffing the shot. “You! You really don’t know how to treat a woman properly,” she growled, quickly swinging the weapon round once more.

“Oh, shut it. The one who doesn’t know how to treat a woman is you. I’m not electrocuting them to death,” Shining returned, revolver aimed at her, before jumping to the side almost immediately after.

And not a second too late, as a series of stingers crashed into the walkway towards Cadance’s house just a second later.

Huffing frustratedly, she started to focus her attention more on him while keeping the Crystal Ranger in a perpetual state of shock, her muscles just locking up and refusing to move. And sadly, Shining wasn’t equipped with a strength-enhancing super suit.

While he managed to dodge most of the attacks, some hit their target or at least graced it. After the next three volleys, blood dripped down his forearm, several wounds visible through his shredded jacket.

He had just come out of his last dodge role as he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his leg, it immediately collapsing under his weight as he fell to the floor. As he looked down, he could see one of the stingers having pierced his pants. He immediately tried to pull it out, but the moment he touched the projectile, a surge of electricity ran through his body. One could hear his pain-filled screams across the entire street, and once it stopped again, his body just collapsed to the ground.

Scorch marks covered his body, his eyes bloodshot, and his jacket had started to smoke. Still, he wasn’t entirely out just yet.

“You’ve got yourself a tough one, Crystal Ranger. But I doubt that will save him. How about this? You give me your Coin, and I’ll spare him,” she chuckled, a twisted sense of glee in her voice. “See it as a tribute so both of you can see the new world.”

“Let… Him… Go!” Cadance pressed through her teeth, each word accompanied by another shock. “He got… Nothing to do… With this!”

“Oh, on the contrary. This is a war. A war for a better tomorrow. And you know what they say, right? All is fair in love and war,” she continued to laugh, aiming the gun at Shining’s head. “So, what do you say?”

Cadance’s expression was a mixture of pain, anger, but most importantly of all, fear. She knew she shouldn’t. She knew, if she did, she would doom the world to the Changelings. But…

Before she could continue that thought, a loud sound cut through the sounds of electrical buzzing.

[Ch-Ch-Chain!]

Out of seemingly nowhere, a chain wrapped around the Changeling, letting her drop her own weapon, simultaneously stopping the electricity running through Cadance’s body.

“Hands off them!” Sunny shouted out, her gun aimed directly at the Changeling, the chain still connected to it.

Powered by sheer determination and rage, she pushed herself off the ground, ignoring every single one of her sore muscles. Within seconds, Cadance had kicked the gun to the side and cut across the Changeling’s chest, causing her to scream out in pain.

Instead of sinking to the ground and onto her knees, the Changeling jumped towards the Pink Ranger. Her eyes widened in horror as the head of the monster slammed into her stomach, forcing her to drop her weapon. Within seconds, the chains that had bound the beast had disappeared; the Wasp-Changeling seized this golden opportunity.

While Sunny was stumbling backward, she quickly grabbed her shoulder before slamming her fist deep into her stomach. And before Cadance could get closer again, she jumped forward, helped by her wings, towards her weapon.

“Careless girl. Thinking she could play the hero. She should know her place, really,” she added, as Sunny fell onto her knees, gasping for air.

“Don’t you dare hurt my students! Or my boyfriend! Or any of my friends for that matter!” Cadance hissed back, pulling out another Ability Coin.

“Brave words for someone who’s just gonna end up on the floor again. But just to be sure,” she returned, pulling out a second SMG and pointing it at her. “Now, time for you to get shocked!”

[Mi-Mi-Mirror!]

It shouted back at her, Cadance dashing forward once more. A barrage of stingers rocketing towards her, she started to swing her sword. Each hit she landed disappeared inside the blade, and she showed no sign of slowing down. With each swing, she caught more and more of the projectiles. It didn’t take too long till the Changeling started to jump back while still firing her weapons on full force.

But no matter how much she unloaded, she could just not pierce through her opponent’s defenses consistently enough to actually incapacitate her. Some stinger did hit their target, but it were just too few. But maybe if she activated them now…

With a chuckle, she activated all of her stingers once again, the electricity surging through Cadance once more. She could feel her body starting to cry out in pain with every passing second, but she simply refused to stop. Still, she did stumble just the tiniest bit, enough for The Changeling to fire once more, expecting to finally hit her target correctly.

Instead, that had been precisely what she had been waiting for. Raising her sword and bringing it down once more, she unleashed a wave of stingers onto the Wasp-Changeling. Every single one she had been able to catch now shot straight at her. All the ones she had just unloaded on her were quickly shot out of the air and didn’t even make a dent into the sheer mass of stingers shooting towards her.

In the end, she just wasn’t fast enough, a plethora of them piercing through her chitin and embedding themself in her body. And, worst of all, they were all still filled with electricity. Within a single moment, her body was burning up, the thousands of volt running through her ripping apart any thought she had until they stopped. Her instincts having turned them off.

Still, she collapsed to the ground, the two SMG’s clattering to the side like unwanted toys, Cadance breathing heavily as she looked at her opponent. “You! You are going to regret ever attacking my friends! I’ll show you what happens to anyone who tries to hurt them!”

With a low growl, she pulled out that specific Coin, ready to end this.

“Wait… I’m… I’m still here,” Sunny said, pulling herself next to Cadance, her own sword in hand, the Coin in her other.

“Are you sure?” She asked, tilting her head slightly, a bit of concern in her voice.

“Yes!” She hissed out, glaring at the Changeling.

“And don’t forget us!” It came from behind, the other four Rangers quickly running towards them, their bikes just disappearing. “We ain’t gonna sit this one out again!”

“Ok, then let’s finish this!” Cadance added with a slight chuckle.

[Fi-Fi-Final! Red!]

[Fi-Fi-Final! Blue!]

[Fi-Fi-Final! Yellow!]

[Fi-Fi-Final! Pink!]

[Fi-Fi-Final! Green!]

[Fi-Fi-Final! Crystal Heart!]

A black cloud quickly formed around the exhausted Changeling, and before she could make any attempt at escaping, a barrage of red, blue, yellow, and green slashes cut through her, letting sparks erupt from each of the arching wounds. And just a slight bit later, a pink slash-cut right through her, sparking even more than the other ones.

Meanwhile, Cadance had pulled back her shining blade and, with one slice of her sword, cut right through the darkness, letting it evaporate in an instant before the Changeling exploded in green flames.

It didn’t take long till the Changeling grew to massive size, her SMG’s reappearing in her hands once more. The rangers, already prepared, quickly summoned their Zords as well.

[He-He-Hellhound!]

[Le-Le-Leviathan!]

[Ro-Ro-Roc!]

[Wy-Wy-Wyvern!]

[Ma-Ma-Manticore!]

[Al-Al-Alicorn!]

“Shadow Star Megazord!”

“Morning Star Megazord!”

Both giant robots appeared in the sky above the city; the dimension they had pulled the Changeling into, this time, looked quite strange. One half of it was a dark night sky without any stars, while the other one was a cloudless sunny day. It was quite a sight to behold.

“Ok! We’re gonna double team this asshole! Let’s go!” Lemon shouted out, raising both her hands into the air, before grabbing excitedly onto her robot controls.

“Yes! We’ll show her what happens when you mess with the Power Rangers!” Cadance added, already on her own controls.

Meanwhile, the beast let out a loud scream, pulled her SMG’s up, and started unloading on them.

“I got this!” Indigo shouted out before quickly activating a coin.

[Sh-Sh-Shield!]

The Coin, once more, appeared in front of the giant robot, blocking the first few shots before slotting into its chest. A yellow bubble of energy build up around them, each shot the Changeling fired, bouncing off it, like a rubber bullet on a tank. Still, this didn’t stop the giant monster, as it continued its hail of stingers. The deflected ones, tearing up the ground around them, shooting right through buildings as they did so.

In the meantime, Cadance had taken cover behind the Megazord and had pulled out one of her own Ability Coins. Slotting it into the control panel, she smirked.

[Le-Le-Levitate!]

In the blink of an eye, all stingers suddenly stopped moving, hanging weightless in the air before starting to move. Forming some sort of pattern around the Changeling, while it frantically looked around, both SMG’s being pulled out of her hands, as much as she tried to hold onto them.

In the end, Cadance let the robot lower its arm, and an absolute storm of stingers rained down on the Changeling, sparks exploding off her as the ground around her was turned to rubble.

“Ok! Our turn!” Lemon shouted out, the moment the assault had died down. Quickly slamming a Coin into the slot, knocking Indigo’s Coin out of its space.

[Sp-Sp-Speed!]

Tightening their grip on their blades, the gigantic mech moved faster than any object of this size should ever move, slashing across her chest in a blur, before repeating the process all over her body, all while she was screaming out in pain and agony.

“Girls! Step back!” It echoed across the battlefield as Cadance inserted a new Coin into her mech.

“Ok!” Sunny shouted, the Rangers jumping back away from the giant monster.

[Ea-Ea-Earth!]

Not even a second later, after the sound had fallen silent, the earth around the monster started to shake. The rocks and boulders that had been ripped free, thanks to the stinger barrage, shot upward, crashing and shattering on the Changeling like there was no tomorrow.

Ultimately, two giant pieces of rock, asphalt, and the remains of buildings, were ripped from the ground and squashed the Changeling as they pressed together.

“How about we finish this?” Sunny shouted to Cadance, who simply made her robot nod in agreement. “Ok! Understood! And I know exactly how! Indigo! Give her thunder!” Both Ragers inserted their respective Coins without any further questions, each appearing once more before slotting into the Megazords.

[Li-Li-Lightning!]

[Li-Li-Light!]

Both twin blades started to spark, electricity running through them. The Shadow Star Megazord walked forward at the still dazed monster, pulled back its weapons, and suddenly rushed forward; the mech's upper body started to spin until the blades began to turn into a spinning disc of electrical destruction. They went through her like butter, leaving a bright, yellow slash mark across her chest.

Cadance, meanwhile, had angled the arms of the Zord in a sort of cross formation, and as soon as the Rangers had left the area of effect, unleashed a beam of bright light that shot straight through their target, like it was nothing.

Moments later, the Changeling couldn’t keep itself together any longer and exploded, letting everything return to normal once more.

>-------<S>-------<

About half an hour had passed since the Rangers had once more claimed victory and returned to their civilian identities. And once they did, Shining Armor was already waiting for them. It took a good amount of explaining until everything had been explained to them, the seven now sitting in Cadance’s back-yard, which had been left mostly unaffected by the fight.

“So… Just to get this straight. We’re busted,” Lemon asked, once again.

“Yes! For the x-th time! Yes! We are busted! He knows!” Sunny groaned, leaning up the neck rest of the chair, covering her face with her hands.

“Gotcha… Gotcha…” She mumbled before turning to Cadance. “So… What does that mean exactly?”

“It means that we will work together now. The Power Rangers and the MRG. Which means you’ll have access to every bit of help we can give you. From our magical detection system to our archive of information and access to almost everything and our manpower and research division,” Shining answered, crossing his arms.

“That’s so cool!” Lemon almost shouted, the stars clearly visible in her eyes. “Wait… Does that mean we are now like Timber?”

“Not really… For now, you’re going to be more like partners with us and...” Shining started, only to stop mid-sentence and stare at her. “Wait! You know who Timber is! Does that mean… Oh, I think I gotta talk with the kid,” he grumbled. “Did he know who you girls were?”

Lemon awkwardly returned a smile and chuckled: “Uhhh… Would you believe me if I said no?”

“I take this as a yes. Well, the fact that he kept it from me must mean he trusts you. At this point, I probably should as well…” he sighed once more and shook his head. “Look, I still am not really over what you did to Twilight…”

“We’re sorry for that…” They all returned, pretty much in unison, each one a look of regret on their faces, even Sugar, as faint as it was.

“We… Were idiots back then… And we honestly hope we can make up for it with what we are doing,” Lemon added.

“Trust me, Shining, these are good kids,” Cadance said as well, getting a raised eyebrow from her boyfriend, which let her look back down towards the floor.

He was about to say something else, as a familiar voice for Sunny and the rest of the core Rangers suddenly shouted: “Shining! Shining! Oh, thank goodness, here you are!” A small woman with white skin, long blond hair dressed in a lab coat came rushing into the back-yard.

“Light Bulb? What’s wrong? If it was something important, why didn’t you call me,” he returned with a raised eyebrow.

“Because your phone’s not responding. I don’t know how, but you probably broke it, so I had to come myself,” she grumbled, crossing her arms.

“Does… Does it take electroshocks?” He awkwardly asked.

Light Bulb just looked at him for a moment, shook her head, and sighed: “No… It doesn’t. Well then, I need to get you a replacement. Get all the data on it. You make my job so hard sometimes,” she huffed, before her expression changed in an instant, lightning up once more. “In other news! I did it! I cracked it!”

Shining just raised an eyebrow and asked: “What exactly? You’ve got like twelve projects running right now. Where did you manage to get a breakthrough in?”

With a spark in her eyes, she immediately returned: “I found a matching signal! I think I found something connected to the Rangers! Not too far off, actually!”

“You found… How?” Cadance asked, looking at her in a mixture of disbelieve and shock.

“Oh, easy. The world is filled with different passive magical wavelength signals. I just need enough data on the Rangers, combined with the new data from Griffonestone, and I can try and look for similar or matching signals. Just took a bit till got the right one! But I got it! Just fifty kilometers from Canterlot City!” She said triumphantly.

“This is… Incredible… I don’t think we would have found this…” Cadance simply stated, her mouth hanging wide open.

“It’s almost as if getting help makes things easier,” he added with crossed arms, eyeing Cadance while doing so. She simply sighed and continued to avoid eye contact. “Regardless. I assume you want to go after this Artifact. If you do that, I’ll accompany you. From now on, we’ll do this together! But for now, you earned a good night of sleep, everyone!”

Everyone nodded quickly in agreement, only Cadance and Sunny noded a bit slower than the rest.

Before she left, Cadance walked up to Sunny and quietly said: “Thanks for your help.”

“No need. You beat her, not me. You would have found a way regardless. I… Didn't really help that much,” she said with a somber undertone, and before Cadance could say anything more, Sunny jumped up and dashed out of the back-yard, leaving her behind.

“Cadance?”

She almost jumped as she heard the voice of Shining Armor. “Wh… What?”

“We still need to talk, but not today,” he said, an exhausted look on his face. “Good night, love you,” he added before hugging her. But it felt… Different… She just couldn’t put her finger on it, but the usual warmth was just… Gone.

“Love you too,” she weakly returned before he left.

Picture Perfect Imperfection - Part 1

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The next day had come in the blink of an eye, and with it, the five girls and Cadance had left school right after the bell had rung for them. After a quick trek to the local MRG headquarters and its underground parking deck, they had been greeted, loaded onto a sizeable all-terrain vehicle, and drove off with a group of four more of the same.

The air inside the ATVs was tense. Shining was sitting next to Cadance and Light Bulb, but neither of them spoke a single word to each other. They just occasionally dared to look in each other's direction before quickly looking somewhere else again, as if the corner suddenly had become the most exciting thing in the room. And the students waited in silence as well, not daring to be the one to break it first.

Everyone was dressed in outdoor-cloths that would definitely be suited for a track through the woods. That much Shining had given them, but beyond that, nothing more. The strange convoy drove through the streets of the city, attracting a lot of attention, but thankfully none of the passersby could actually get a look inside. Still, they could clearly see their glances through the one-way windows.

As the ATV left the city borders, Lemon let out a sigh, almost sounding as loud as a dropped grenade. Or at least, that was how it felt to everyone else. “Mannnnn! Finally, out of the city. I don’t know how you all felt, but I could feeeeeel those stares we were getting. You do something like this often,” she asked, turning towards Shining.

He awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck before returning: “Not… Really. We usually just sent a small team to an excavation site. Most of the time just in a suitable vehicle, but this time… We need a bit more. Especially since we aren’t actually sending agents to an existing dig site. We need to transport the entirety of the equipment, after all. And that also means I had to request a clearance warrant for the area… Which…” Before he continued, he let out a long yawn. “I didn’t get much sleep last night…”

Lemon looked at him for a moment, tilting her head, before returning: “Didn’t know there was so much paperwork going into this… Must be really annoying.”

“It… It can be daunting. Especially if I have to deal with the aftermath of an attack with a lot of collateral,” he said, looked especially at Lemon, before continuing: “But I prefer it when it’s the only thing we have to worry about. Paperwork isn’t as stressful as a situation with a monster after all.”

“Yeah, I can understand that,” Sunny joined in; her tone was relatively subdued as she continued: “There is a lot that can go wrong in those situations, right?”

“Yeah, pretty much,” he simply stated, letting out a long sigh. “I’m sure you understand that as well, given your first-hand experience with the subject, after all. Still, only because we don’t actually engage the monster on the best days doesn’t mean we are just standing by ideally. We make sure people actually evacuate and aren’t in the crossfire, which can be especially hard if the location of the fight shifts. They can be volatile, shifting from one place to another. You got to be quick on your feet to have a good idea where it could go next. But it makes it easier if you can trust the people you’re working with.”

“I see…” Sunny nodded. “You got to be prepared if the heroes make mistakes, right?”

“More or less, yeah. Like I said, fights are volatile and unpredictable. Anyone who says otherwise is just lying to you,” he encountered. “But until now, you mostly kept my job easy enough, well, disregarding the property damage, but I’ve learned long ago that it just comes as part of the job. I just now get to feel the aftereffects myself,” he added with a weak chuckle.

“May I ask a question?” Sugar said, looking over at him.

“Shot. I’ll see if I can answer it.”

“You were informed who the Changelings really are yesterday. You have any ideas on how to proceed with this information?”

“I see… Yeah, that is indeed a good question. I’ve had a bit of a discussion with the three directors of the MRG for the east, center, and west of the country and the big director about this actually,” he returned, crossing his arms as he did so. “I actually just finished talking with them an hour ago. We went through multipile scenarios, but until further notice, our decision was to leave it to you. I’m sure we could make a case that would get us a warrant for their facilities, but, frankly, we lack the necessary information to both capitalize on it and to not let this end in an unmitigated disaster.”

“Why not just storm their building with all four Riders and us? I’m sure we could kick their collective asses in an explosion of superhero asskickery!” Lemon shouted across the room, getting facepalm from both Sour and Sunny, while Shining just raised his eyebrow.

“You really are quite the excitable type,” he muttered before continuing louder: “Primarily because we would endanger a lot of civilians if we did so. Furthermore, with the appearance of Changelings in Griffonestone, their operatives are likely scattered across the county, maybe even the globe. And if we were to attack their headquarters in Canterlot City, we would have no idea how they would react. They would most likely try to cause chaos and mass panic if they weren’t able to just teleport across the country. The Riders are already spread more than thin at this point, barely able to respond to the appearing of a monster before the next one pops up. If we added an unknown number of Changelings to that, we just wouldn’t be able to take care of them without a massive number of civilian casualties, which we aren’t willing to risk right now. So, until we can be sure of the fact that this won’t happen, or we have no other choice, we’ll let you deal with the threat at hand. But if that should be too much for you, I got the Riders on speed-dial.”

“I… Yeah… I see what you mean,” Lemon said, lowering her head. “Would be a dumb idea. Super cool, but not worth it. As much as I would love to work with the Riders at one point! Again,” she added with a chuckle.

“I’m sure, if things continue as they are now, you’ll get your chance. Pretty certain they’d love to meet you as well. Been a bit since I last saw them actually,” he added with a chuckle. “It’d be fun to talk again.”

“Oh, I got to talk with Ocean before she up and disappeared again. But I’d love to get to talk to her again, especially since I want allllllll the footage. So much information to be dissected,” Light Bulb suddenly shouted out, a familiar shine of excitement in her eyes. “Speaking off, I’d love to take a look at you girls as well!” She added, smiling at the five teenagers, with a quite unnerving stare.

Shining just let his head sink into his hand and shook it. “Light Bulb… What did I tell you about this?”

She looked at him perplexed for a moment before her expression turned sheepish in an instant. “Not to scare superheroes with talks about examinations?”

“Exactly…” He sighed. “Eh, since we didn’t get a proper chance last night, this Light Bulb. Currently, the leading scientist on Magic we have in the MRG. You’ll find no one who has a better understanding of it than her. She is… Nice, once you got to know her, just… A bit overly excited if she gets the chance to learn something new. She’s currently stationed here, on her own whishes. She prefers working as close to the magical incidents as possible, and right now, the most consistent place for that would be Canterlot City.”

“You’re a scientist for Magic?” Sugar asked. “Twilight would probably love to talk with you.”

“Twilight is great! She’s so smart! I love talking with her! The information she could reveal to me is fascinating! I could talk with her for hours about Magic! I’m actually impressed that she managed to build a rudimentary magical detector! It took the MRG years to build their first model! And she just managed to build one in a school supply closet with pretty much a box of scraps! She is unbelievably skilled! I’d honestly would have loved to see her use it!” Light Bulb spewed out in seconds, her face radiating pure joy. She was utterly oblivious to the fact that all of the Shadow Bolts quickly looked down at the floor.

“It… Wasn’t nearly as great when you were in the middle of it,” Sunny ultimately said.

Light Bulb looked at them, confused for a moment before it dawned on her. “Oh… Oh, right… The… Midnight Sparkle incident… I almost forgot you were involved in that as well…”

“Yeah… We’re sorry about that,” Sunny sighed, still unable to look back up. “We screwed up badly back then… Thought winning was somehow more important than her. We messed with forces way beyond our control… And now look,” she weakly chuckled while pulling out her Shadow Coin. “Now we’re doing it again… Some things apparently never change.”

“I’d say it’s a bit different this time. I still can’t forgive you for back then,” Shining said somberly.

“Shining!” Cadance muttered, jabbing him in the side and glaring angrily at him.

“But I’d call myself blind if I didn’t notice you really feel sorry. And that you want to help people this time. Not for anything personal, like winning, but because you think it’s the right thing. You’re doing it for a different reason this time. And that makes all the difference. A friend of mine always says, the only thing you can do when you made a mistake is to realize that you did and strive to not make it again,” he added with a smile.

Sunny simply nodded without saying anything else. The next ten minutes of the drive were remarkably quiet once more until Lemon once again spoke up. “So… Where exactly are we going anyway? And what are we looking for? Last time, we knew we were looking for the Crystal Heart, but what is it this time?”

“Well, we don’t know exactly what we are looking for. Just that it has a remarkably similar magical frequency as one of your Shadow Coins. That was what you called them, right. Any idea of what that could mean?” Light Bulb asked.

“No, not really. Information on this is hard to come by nowadays, give it’s about three thousand years in the past. And even with the part of our ancestors back from over the sea, they couldn’t keep most of their records. The only thing we know for certain is that if the Changelings get their hands on what is out there, it won’t be good in the slightest. But if I had to hazard a guess, it might be either a seventh Coin, another set of Ability Coins, or… Something else entirely. And the last one kind of makes me nervous,” Cadance returned, a nervous loom on her face.

“I see… We’re heading towards a small temple ruin at the shores of a lake if our readings prove to be correct. The site has been picked apart by a few archeologist crews until now, but nothing that could be of interest to us could ever be found. I’m still a bit doubtful we’ll actually find something there. But I’m not risking letting the tide turn in this war. Especially if the Changelings are really as dangerous as they appear to be,” Shining finished, as the convoy took another turn, heading further towards their goal.

All, while Sunny just sunk into her seat. She really hoped they’d manage to finish this soon. She wanted to actually see the premiere of Coco’s play. Even if she had given up on the role, she couldn't not be there when it happened. Something in her mind just told her she had to finish what she started, at least in some way.

>-------<S>-------<

Once more, Pharynx and Thorax had been ordered to the throne room of her mother. This time, however, Pharynx wasn’t the one worried. He didn’t even know what was going on, but as soon as he saw his brother stumbling in, his body visibly shaking all over, he knew that it would definitely be entertaining, a sly grin running across his lips.

Both stepped in front of the throneroom, a rather unusual guest already present, one that let the grin disappear from Pharynx’s face in an instant. He’d recognize the light blue skin with black hair wrapped in a dark blue business suit everywhere, and so did Thorax, whose expression only grew more desperate by the second.

“Oh, Pharynx, Thorax, I’m so glad you two could make it. We two were just talking about you,” Cold Mirror said, in a voice that let the blood freeze in their veins, before turning to their mother and continuing with a smile: “Isn’t that right, Chrysella?”

“Yes, we have,” she simply returned, not even looking over to her as she spoke. “We were discussing how our efforts in gaining enough Magic to create a sufficient amount of Dark Stone to fully revive the Hive are proceeding right now. Which includes both of your current assignments.”

“My plans are still in motion. I’m expecting to reclaim the Shadow Coins shortly,” Thorax quickly returned, almost slamming his head against the ground in an attempt to bow.

Pharynx, meanwhile, lowered himself far more gracefully before stating: “Currently, we haven’t had luck in finding any further remains of the Rangers arsenal, scattered across the world. None of our informants were able to relay us any further information, which has led to the current situation of my search. But that won’t stop me for long! It’s only a matter of time until we will find something!”

Cold Mirror raised an eyebrow before letting out a sigh: “I see. So, in your mind, this operation will be finished shortly, am I right?”

“As soon as pos-“ Pharynx tried to say but was quickly interrupted by his brother.

“Yes! I know that my plans will ensnare them sooner rather than later!” He almost screamed out, Pharynx noticing the drops of sweat and wrinkles on his forehead as he did so.

“Oh? Because I’m beginning to doubt that your Hive will be able to hold up your end of our agreement. You have messed around with these Rangers for almost two months now, and still, you show no signs of success. Instead, they have only grown stronger. Now, they are six Rangers that disturb our plans. And the newest one far exceeds the power of the original five. How can we be sure that your Workers will be able to deal with that if they already failed to deal with five?” She encountered her voice slowly growing louder and more vicious.

“I can assure you, we still have enough powerful Workers that will be able to beat the Rangers. It’s just hard to find the right tool for the job. Most of our Changelings are unfamiliar with an opponent on such a level. But with time, the weak will separate from the strong. It’s only a matter of time,” Chrysella said, looking over to Cold Mirror. “We also are trying to keep a lower profile. We are looking for the sweet spot, so we won’t alert the Riders. Isn’t that what you suggested to do?”

“Oh, a low profile? What about last night then? You think I wouldn’t notice? I would have only come back with the next delivery of magical Artifacts and given you more time, but your actions have had major consequences. The MRG is in an uproar. It seems the Canterlot Branch has made contact with the Rangers. In other words, they now have access to everything they have, which includes the Riders. The Circle is not pleased with this development. Combined with what has transpired ever since the fights between your two sons and the fight with Kamen Rider Gaia, we are starting to question if our continued cooperation will be beneficial to all of us,” Cold encountered, her icy voice now echoing through the cavern.

“The… The Rangers have made contact with the MRG!?” Pharynx burst out. “How did that happen?”

“It seems your brother set out a hit on the Crystal Ranger in the night. Catch her off guard and separate her. Sadly, this was the night she had a date with the local director of the MRG. We can only assume that this attack forced them together. Which means your actions might have just compromised this entire operation. The MRG will learn about the ties between Changelings to Change Industries. This is not even a question, but a fact. In other words-“ Cold Mirror was about to continue before she was interrupted by the sound of staff hitting the ground.

“Enough!” Chrysella said before rising from her throne. “Until now, this has not happened. And I doubt it will. I was always aware of the possibility of our secret coming out, so I made contingencies. The MRG won’t dare to raid our headquarters. They are far too nervous for casualties to pull through with that plan, as they should. My Changelings could not be contained across every single one of our facilities. I know far too well how they operate. Until we force them, they won’t act. But, just to be safe, I will make sure to send an envoy to them, making it clear that if they were to attempt anything, the Battle for Canterlot would look tame in comparison. Until then, we will keep a low profile and proceed as previously established. You have any further suggestions, Cold Mirror?”

“Is this a game to you!? The Circle is offering you almost limitless resources, and you think just ignoring the problem will solve this? Do not make the Circle angry!” She hissed back, the ground around her starting to steam and ultimately freeze over slightly.

Chrysella turned around, a glare flaming up in her eyes before it flowed across her entire body. Once it had settled, she had shed her business suit and familiar appearance, replaced with grey chitin. Her body was sleek, angular and on several parts, covered in holes. An ornate black-green armor covered her body. Veils of black, tethered cloth ran down her body, accompanied by two massive wings. On her head, a large, sharp horn extended from her forehead, long green hair hanging down her head. Lastly, a black-green crown with a bright green gem in its middle had been placed on her forehead.

“Do not make the Circle angry?” It bellowed through the room. “I think you misunderstand the position you are in! Until now, we have yet to fail you or fall short on our agreed-upon deal! If the Circle wishes to go to war, I can oblige. But I think they would need a new messager for this because you would not leave my kingdom unharmed!”

Cold Mirror just stumbled back, her eyes widening in utter terror, quite similar to the expression of Thorax’s and Pharynx’s face as they saw the true form of their mother.

In the blink of an eye, Chrysella had pulled up her staff, pointing its sharp end directly at the woman. “Now, are we going to stay partners and keep up the ends of our deal we both agreed upon?”

“Ye… Yes! I… Was just… Concerned, that’s all,” she returned, stuttering before catching herself once more. “This is a dangerous situation we are in.”

“Oh, I agree. But don’t worry. I have everything under control. And it’s good that our partnership will continue. I like you. You got that… Certain something about you. I’d be a shame to lose you to such an unfortunate accident,” she continued before pulling back her staff and returning into her human form. “Anything else that might be useful to us?”

“Yes...” She returned before reassuming her poker face. “Shining Armor, together with the Rangers, has left town, not twenty minutes ago! They are looking for something! I know it! One of my personal Workers is following them right now and keeping his distance.”

“Last time they did something like this, they were on the hunt for the Crystal Heart! Most likely, they are after some other stuff of them this time! That means this is my responsibility! Give me a way to follow your Worker, and I will personally take care of this!” Pharynx burst out.

“Oh, really? Because judging from your last few attempts, I doubt-“ Cold tried to say but suddenly stopped, almost as if she could feel the glare in the back of her head. “Fine! Do what you must! And just so you remember, the moment you fall behind on the production of Dark Stones, the Circle will not be pleased with you!” She hissed before bursting into green flames and disappearing.

Thorax visibly relaxed, followed by a loud sigh of relief. “Thank goodness, she is gone…”

“While I appreciate her, she tends to overstep her boundaries. But regardless, she wasn’t entirely wrong. It seems your plans only brought our enemies closer together, Thorax. This could be a significant problem in the future. I hope you are aware of this, right?” Chrysella said, looking down at Thorax, who quickly tensed up once more.

“Ye… Yes, of course! I’ll not let something like this happen again. I’m deeply sorry for my mistake!” He quickly stammered out, his fingers digging into the ground below.

“Perfect. It would make our work so much easier,” she sighed, stepping back towards her throne and sitting back down. She smiled down as she caught Pharynx in the corner of her eye. “Pharynx? Why are you still here? I thought this would require your attention, wouldn’t it?”

“Of course, but… Since the cat is out of the bag, it seems, and the growth in the powers of the Rangers, wouldn’t it be about time I entered the battle as well? I’m… Not sure if our Workers will be able to defeat the Rangers any time soon, especially with the Crystal Ranger on their side, given she managed to easily beat any opponent we threw at her, even Stock Holder. It would feel appropriate, before they grow even more in strength, right?” He asked, his eyes shining in a mixture of excitement and determination.

His mother looked at him before tilting her head and starting to smile: “You aren’t wrong. The return of the sixth has really proven to be a bigger problem than anticipated. Still, keeping a lower profile wouldn’t be the worst thing to do. I’d say, you leave the fight to Cold Mirror’s Worker before you interfere. If he should prove insufficient, you have the right to interfere. But if you do, I expect results,” she added with a cold glare.

“Of… Of course! I promise, this time, there won’t be a Ranger standing when I’m done with them!” He growled, a twisted smile on his lips. “I’ll make them pay for their mistakes!”

“Good, now go on! Every second we waste talking, they get closer to their goal,” she added dismissively, Pharynx simply nodding before he disappeared, just like Cold Mirror.

>-------<S>-------<

About an hour later, the rangers finally arrived at the site the readings had originated from. It was located on an island, inside a large lake, nested in a valley between multipile mountains. The lake was surrounded by a forest of pine trees and only a small little pier guided tourists from the shore t the island.

The group had waited quite a bit while the MRG agents had begun unloading piece after piece of equipment for their trip onto a ship. Meanwhile, the captain of the vessel had continued to shout them into shape, each time they did something, in his eyes, wrong. Sunny was honestly unsure how the man's throat wasn’t sore already from all the shouting. He had given them a few perplexed looks before merely shaking his head and determining this was way above his paygrade.

After his last tirade, the boat had finally been stocked, and after another fifteen-minute wait, ultimately anchored on the small island. The place wasn’t bigger than the Canterlot City stadium and covered in a similar architecture to the one they had found in Griffonestone.

They parked the ship on what looked like an ancient pier before moving closer to the island. Light Bulb was the first to dash ahead, quickly followed by Lemon, the first running around the place with a strange device and what looked like SciFi sunglasses, and the later just marveling at the architecture.

“Nerds,” Sunny sighed and shook her head, getting a few laughs from Sour and Indigo.

Lemon, however, was already too far ahead to hear that. Instead, she was looking up the remains of a large statue, right in front of what looked like an ancient tower; besides the usual marks for decay, like broken off parts and cracks, the entire island was in remarkably good condition.

“So… What now?” Sunny asked after a few more seconds.

“Well, we look if we can’t find what is emitting the magical signal, preferably without breaking anything or any sorts of nasty surprises. But I shouldn’t jinx that, right?” Shining sighed, standing next to one of his agents, brown skin and black hair, who was deligating the other agents to set everything up.

“You shouldn’t. Things tend to go bad once someone says that,” Sugar returned, her arms crossed in front of her. Shining just awkwardly chuckled in return.

Before anyone else could say something, Lemon came back, her eyes sparkling as if they had been replaced with flashlights. “Girls! This place is awesome! Just as cool as the one back in Griffonestone!”

“You cared about the one in Griffonestone?” Indigo asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Duh! Of course, I did. Just… Was a bit busy, you know?” Lemon said in a slightly mocking voice. “So… What’s the history behind this place?”

“Not much about it is known. But it seems to be a temple to a goddess or some sort of woman,” the man next to Shining returned, stopping his work for just a moment. “It’s been a mystery for archaeologists for generations now. Its architecture is remarkably similar to other sites all over the county and also to ancient Fleecen architecture, which has baffled archeologists for ages now. I assume all of this is connected to Changelings, right? That would certainly explain a good amount of it.”

“Yeah, probably another settlement of Changeling deserters, I think. That’s what the temple in Griffonestone was as well,” Lemon quickly returned, sprinting up to the man. “They supposedly crossed the sea three-thousand years ago.”

“Thre… Oh really? You know that?” He quickly returned, his face lighting up at this. “This is fascinating. If that is true… Then…”

“You’d so have to talk to Finders Keepers in Griffonestone! He translated another artifact for us! I’d sooooooo love to see that!” She continued, her excitement rising by the second.

“Huh… If you say that, I’d love to! My name’s Withered Scroll. I’ve been transferred here recently and have been working as an archeologist for the MRG for a few years. You seem to know a lot about history, or at least more than the rest of your friends,” he chuckled.

“You betcha!” She shouted back. “History is like a good song! Events that when they come together, create a rhythm like no other!”

While the two continued to talk, Sunny just sighed and started to wander aimlessly through the ruins. Her legs just seemed to carry her, and maybe she would find something? But every rock just looked like the last, no matter how much she looked. Eventually, she stopped in front of the remains of the statue, letting out a frustrated sigh.

Looking up at what was left of the statue, she just grumbled. What was she even supposed to do here? Wait for a Changeling attack when they didn’t even know they were here? And until then? Wait? And then? Get her ass kicked once more, like the other times?

She just felt so useless. All she could do was stare at this stupid statue.

Still… She somehow felt as if… As if the statue understood her. It had broken, just above the waist, leaving one stone arm holding out its hand to her, while the other one lay to its side. It felt almost inviting… Understanding even… As if the open hand meant she understood her. It was weird…

Her arm started to move on its own, reaching for the outstretched hand. Closer and closer, until she was just in reach to simply grab-

A loud shock pulled her out of her mind, and spinning around immediately.

Gunfire and screams filled the air as a group of Drones rushed up the pier, wrestling with the MRG agents. The footsoldiers were followed by Pharynx and another Changeling, clad in pale blue chitin, a sharp, almost scorpion-like stinger on a tail and long pincers.

The Snow-Scorpion-Changeling was the first to act, the ground beneath it, suddenly freezing once it jammed its tail into it, before quickly dashing forward, almost as if on ice skates.

The girls immediately jumped into action, activating their Morphers and inserting their Coins. “Light up!”

[Re-Re-Red!]

[Shine Bright! Red!]

[Bl-Bl-Blue!]

[Shine Honest! Blue!]

[Ye-Ye-Yellow!]

[Shine Wild! Yellow!]

[Pi-Pi-Pink!]

[Shine Glamourous! Pink!]

[Gre-Gre-Green!]

[Shine Courageous! Green!]

[Cr-Cr-Crystal!]

[Shine Eternal! Crystal Heart!]

Lemon, immediately after the transformation had ended, tried to rush towards the monster, only to promptly lose her footing, stumble across the ice, and land face-first on the frozen ground. “Ouch,” she groaned as she slid across it.

“You numbnut!” Sunny shouted from the back, slowly starting to make her way across the frozen battlefield; around her, multipile agents being knocked over by the recoil of their guns. Through, the Drones didn’t really fare any better either. This whole thing really was getting ridiculous…

“Hey! Ice Queen! You know that winter is still ways off, right? Get back into the hole you crawled out of!” She shouted back, putting a Coin into her Morpher.

[S-S-Sword!]

Jamming the blade into the ground, she pushed herself forward, sliding across the ice as she did so, straight towards the monster. However, she quickly started to skate across the ground once more, easily avoiding her attack and delivering a punch to her stomach.

She could feel the air pressed out of her before her entire body started to shiver as ice crept across her suit. After, breathing felt like her lungs were pierced by hundreds of little needles before she was thrown back against the statue.

“Hey! Not cool! Hands off our friend!” Lemon shouted from the side, having summoned her sword as well, before following Sunny’s example and launching herself at the Changeling. And so did Indigo, who slid towards her on the other side.

But, as close as they got, swords ready to slash across her, the Changeling simply jumped over them, even performing a pirouette as she did so, before landing behind them. Sticking her foot out, she continued her pirouette and slashed across the Ranger’s backs with her skate-like feet. Both of them quickly landed on the ground once more.

“Oh, seems like you’re out cold, Rangers,” she chuckled, about to slide after the two of them, as they glide across the ice, only to be hit in the back by two stinging bolts of energy. Spinning around gracefully, she avoided the two next shots from both Sugar and Sour before slashing her foot in a sidekick. Before her foot had even touched down again, a wave of ice raced towards the two, ready to knock them down as well.

“Lemon, now!” It shouted across the ice field, followed by a loud scream in return.

“Gotcha!”

[Fi-Fi-Fire!]

It screamed out just moments later, and out of nowhere, Cadance jumped in the path of the ice wave, with only her sword in hand. Stretching out her hand, the cold material melted in the blink of an eye, and so did the area around her.

The Changeling stumbled back, glaring at the Ranger before Cadance returned the stare and started to move forward. With each step she took, the ice melted around her, faster and faster as she gained speed. In the end, she rushed past her opponent, letting her blade slice through the chitin like butter, quickly following up her attack with a backward kick, engulfed in flames.

While Sunny shakily pulled herself back up from the slippery ground, Cadance was pummeling the Changeling with sword strike after sword strike, letting her not even a second to recollect herself. Sunny watched in awe as she uppercut the monster, sending it flying, while a wave of heat washed over the area, melting what was left of its ice.

Crying out loudly, the Changeling crashed into the remains of some sort of wall, reducing it to rubble, raising its head for one moment before slumping down once more.

Cadance, meanwhile, slotted her Finisher Coin into the sword, ready to put an end to this.

[Fi-Fi-Final! Crystal Heart!]

Once more, the bright light enveloped her sword as she pointed it towards the sky before she brought it down. Like the times before, the bright blade came crashing down, ready to end the ground fight, however…

The slash of pure light suddenly shattered, breaking apart like a plate of ice. With the light fading into nothingness, it revealed what had happened. In the last second, Pharynx had jumped in the way of the attack and shattered it with his own spear.

“Lo… My Lord…” The Changeling stammered, looking up at him.

“Spare my ears. I knew you would fail. It is finally time that I’ll show these Rangers what the Changelings are capable of,” he growled before starting to walk forward.

Cadance was the first to snap out of the collective shock, dashing towards him and bringing down her sword once more. However, her strike was quickly blocked by the Changeling, before pushing her weapon to the side with his and delivering a punch straight to her face.

Like a rock that was being skipped over water, she was thrown backward, crashing on the ground several times before crashing into the large tower.

“Hey!” Lemon shouted before both she and Indigo rushed forward, their swords ready to strike him down. But before either of the two could even halfway make it towards them, the ground bellow them once more turned to ice. “What the fuck!?” The two quickly lost their balance, sliding towards the Changeling, who merely sliced across at them as they sliddered past. The purple glowing tips of the two ends of the spear cut through their suits like they were nothing, letting both explode in a rain of sparks before crashing to the ground, their transformations breaking down.

“So, you aren’t done just yet?” He grumbled as he turned around to see a shaky Snow-Scorpionfly Changeling behind him.

“I’m not out just yet… Thanks to you, my Lord. I’ll give my best to support you in this,” she returned, her breathing shaky.

“Do what you want, as long as you don’t get in my way,” he muttered back, before storming off again, straight towards the Blue Ranger.

Se, together with Sour, tried their best to shoot him down, but each one of their shots was simply blocked by his spear he swung around in front of him.

[I-I-Ice!]

[Me-Me-Metal!]

Not even a barrage of metal bullets and icicles could change anything at that, before he suddenly swung his weapon sideways, sending a purple wave of energy at them, and with it, Sunny as well. None of the Rangers were fast enough to dodge or even pull up their arms, least of which, Sunny, who had just stared in disbelieve at the Changeling. Both Sugar and sour were hit square on, the slash exploding on impact and knocking each out of their transformation as well

[Ae-Ae-Aegis!]

Sunny faired a bit better, the explosion crashing against Cadance’s shield she had thrown in the way of the attack, only knocking her off her feet and slamming her against the statue, which came crashing down on top of her. The piece of damaged art now entirely broke apart, but strangely, its arm remained, landing right in front of her.

Meanwhile, while the Changeling continued his advance, Cadance jumped in his way, her shield having lodged itself into the ground, not too far off. Grabbing her remaining weapon tightly, she tried to strike once more. But just like before, Pharynx managed to always block her strikes before bringing in a counterattack. More and more sparks burst from her suit with each hit, forcing her further and further back. Searing pain after searing pain erupted on her body, but she kept on pushing forward, no matter what.

Sunny, meanwhile, could just look. Her body aching all over. But, if she was honest, that wasn’t so bad… No, the worst part was, she knew she hadn’t achieved anything until now. At every turn, someone had saved her when she fucked up… And now, she once more couldn’t do anything while her friends were getting hurt. It was just so… Frustrating!

With an angry scream, she slammed down her fist, right on top of the statue's fist, but instead of it crumbling under her strength, it withstood the attack before it started to move. Sunny’s eyes widened as the stone hand wrapped itself around her fist. She hadn’t even fully processed this when she felt something in her hand… Something round… Familiar… Powerful…

Out of nowhere, a purple burst of energy burst out from her, knocking backward everyone!

“What the!?” Pharynx shouted out as Sunny rose from the rubble, a strange mist coming from her.

“Su… Sunny?” Lemon managed to croak out, gritting her teeth as she spoke.

Without any prior warning, she raced forward, straight at Pharynx, and punched him straight into the gut. He could feel the fist digging deep into his stomach, pressing the air out of him as it did so, followed, just as quickly by another punch into his face.

Flying through the air, he landed with a pained grunt, Sunny not stopping in her tracks. The Ranger was walking slowly towards him, the strange, purple smoke continuing to erupt from her body. Each step was forceful and heavy. Every muscle in her body was tense.

“You will not lay a hand on him!” It suddenly shouted out, the second Changeling jumping at her, stinger coming down on her. But, without saying a word, she simply dodged the incoming attack before dashing ahead and slamming her fist into her. The moment the punch connected, a burst of dark-purple energy erupted from her, consuming the CHnageling as she was thrown into Pharynx.

In a massive explosion, it consumed both of them. Once the dust had settled, neither was to be seen anywhere, but that didn’t mean Sunny was done. Instead, she turned towards Cadance, starting to move towards her. Each step, more of the purple smoke came of her, getting ever closer, while the Crystal Ranger just stared at her in disbelieve.

Pulling back her fist, Sunny’s visor glared at her fellow Ranger. Cadance breath grew more and more frantic as she watched her student pull back her fist more and more, before…

Sunny’s entire body went limp in an instant, collapsing right on the spot, while her vision faded rapidly. The last thing she heard was a distant scream: “Sunny!”

Picture Perfect Imperfection - Part 2

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The first thing she felt was the pounding of her head, like the swings of a hammer on anvil. It was the only sensation she could feel as she hovered in this empty, black void. After a while, the throbs were accompanied by a bright, red light that slowly increased in intensity each time it appeared. With time, her surroundings turned blood red, glowing ominously down at her. That was also around the time her sense of feeling returned to her across her body, but…

She couldn’t feel anything around her… Nothing!

It was as if she was truly floating in an empty void…

It was… Wrong… She couldn’t really put her finger on it, but she just knew it. Something was off…

And not just the fact she was floating in blood-red space with nothing to grab onto. Feeling like she was falling every second, but also knowing she wasn’t moving one bit…

She could feel it… In the back of her head, she knew there was something entirely wrong here. Something… Unsettling…

There was something in here with her!

“Hello?” It echoed back at her as if she had shouted into her own ears. “Is anyone here?”

Nothing! No response, no sudden feeling, not anything. Just silence.

“I know you’re out there!” She screamed out into the seemingly uncaring void. “What do you want from me!?”

After the following seconds of silence, she thought the presence would just remain quiet, almost like it was mocking her from afar. Instead, it ran through her head like a gunshot.

“I WanT tO hELp YoU…” It echoed back at her, bouncing off the inside of her brain like a rubber ball.

“Who… Who are you!?” She burst out, holding her head as if it was threatening to burst wide open, each one of her own words like a jackhammer trying to get into her head.

“I’M wHaT yoU NeED…” It came back, not skipping a beat. It was almost as if she could feel every drop of blood in her veins freeze in one single millisecond as the voice continued… “i’M whaT YOU dEsirE…”

“Wh-What do you want!?” She cried back, her eyes darting from side to side, as if looking for an exit, for an out, but there was nothing… Nothing besides the red void.

“heLp! ThaT iS WHat i wANT…” It ran through her once more, each syllable followed by a cold shiver. “yOu caN’T prOTecT tHeM! yoU LacK IT! I Can givE It tO YoU…”

“What!? What do you mean!?” She screamed out once more, tears beginning to run down her face as wave after wave of pain ran through her body, each one of her sobs just making it worse.

Then it happened. Something else filled the void… An… Image… No… It was moving… She… she recognized it… It was her… Laying completely knocked out at a drinking fountain. It was… When that Changeling had gotten the better of her.

Before she could think any more about that, another one appeared, this time as she was thrown into a car on a highway, sinking to the ground. The first time the Grasshopper-Changeling had beaten her. And as if on cue, another one appeared, showing her second defeat at his hands.

More and more appeared, one after another, showing her learning about the attack on Lemon and Sugar way after the fact, her failure to save Cadance at her house, the events at the Friendship Games, and of course, how she failed the others just before…

And they didn’t stop appearing. Quickly, her entire vision was filled with them, and before she even knew it, they were stacking atop each other again and again, their voices melding into a storm of noise and chatter she just couldn’t make out. Wherever she looked, she saw ten more, showing her exactly how she had screwed up, time and time again.

“i can mAkE IT sTop! I cAN mAke YoU strONG…” It said once more, so close, she could swear she should have felt its breath, but instead, she only felt the searing pain all across her body and head as tears ran down her face like waterfalls.

This… This was just too much. So much was flooding into her every second, pictures, pain, and voices… She just… Couldn’t anymore!

“Stoooooooooooooopppppp!”

That was all she could scream out, her lungs pressing out air longer than physically possible, as she pressed her hands against her, her voice only growing louder and shriller with every passing second, desperately trying to drown out everything else. She screamed till her throat was horse, more and more, until-

>-------<S>-------<

Her body shot straight up, a loud scream filling the room. She didn’t know where she was, how much time had passed, or anything else, but it all was irrelevant to her. Right now, she just wanted to shout; and shout she did, upright in a bet until she had used up all of her air and had to take another breath.

That was when she finally took the time to look around. She was in a small white room, sterile light shined down on her, and something was beeping frantically beside her. The entire room looked like a hospital room were it not for the strange pieces of machinery scattered everywhere that just looked too sci-fi for any hospital.

As she looked down, she wore some sort of pink jumper; all over her body were cables that had been more or less bandaged onto her, leading to several of the strange machines, which seemed to be going absolutely ballistic from what she could glimpse. As she looked down on herself, she could see her chest move up and down frantically. That was also the moment when she realized just how exhausted she felt. Her entire body was aching, her muscles were as if they were burning, and all of this… This weird stuff wasn’t helping.

With a frustrated sigh, she grabbed for one of the cables and was just about to rip it off when she was interrupted: “Please! I’d really love it if you left those on! It would corrupt the readings, and that would be really, really annoying for me!” The voice was accompanied by the opening of a door and the sound of boots on the tile floor.

Sunny jumped back a bit in the bed, only to be slightly yanked back by the cables once more. As she turned to the side, she could see Light Bulb racing towards her, followed by a nurse.

“Whe… Where am I? What happened?” She groaned, holding her head; it still was throbbing with pain, just not as bad as before. “And what are those?” Sunny added with an annoyed undertone, pointing at the cables.

“Uhh… Yeah… Where to start?” She got back, the woman finally reaching her goal, before looking down at her. “Well… Let’s start with… Where! Where is good!” Light Bulb returned quickly, switching between flipping through the pages on her clipboard and staring up and down the machines' monitors. “You’re back in Canterlot City. Primarily, the MRG, and to be even more precise, the infirmary of the building. It’s where we usually treat people who have been affected by magic in a way that modern medicine can’t help them. And… Yeah… That fits you as well.”

“Hurt? By magic? I don’t,” she returned, her eyes darting back and forth in confusion. “I… What… Wait… I… We were fighting… Fighting a-“

“Changeling. Exactly!” Light Bulb interrupted her before continuing: “You were able to push her back, but one of the enemy generals stepped in to fight and… Well, you started to lose.”

“Yes…” Sunny mumbled, the throbbing in her head growing worse again. “And I… I found something… A… Coin, right?” Light Bulb slowly nodded. “And… I used it to push them back and… Oh… There… Was something more…” Her expression started to grow frustrated, shaking her head in a desperate attempt to jumpstart her brain.

“You… It seemed to have been too much to handle for you at the time. Your power grew immensely. You were able to actually hurt the Changeling, but… Something was off about you, you los-“

Before Light Bulb could finish, it clicked in Sunny’s head. She remembered… Crystal… Clear… “I… I lost control, didn’t I? I… Almost… Oh… Oh no… Are… Are they ok?” Her confusion was quickly washed away by a mix of shock, disappointment, and fear.

“They are fine. Besides a few bruises, they have not taken any further injuries from this fight. It seems their Artifacts helped mend their wounds. You blacked out before you could hurt anyone.”

“That… That is good,” she sighed in relive, before sinking back onto the bed. “Thank goodness I didn’t hurt anyone… Seems my weakness was good for something this time,” she added while sinking below her blanket.

“Weakness?”

“Yeah… What else do you call it then? Anyone who was actually strong would never let something like this happen to them.” She mumbled, looking up at the ceiling.

Before Light Bulb could answer, the door burst open, footsteps rushing towards her. “She’s awake?” The voice of Shining Armor echoed through the room before coming to a stop next to her.

“Yes, she is. Why isn’t Cadance-“ The scientist returned, before he quickly answered before she was even finished.

“She’s currently in discussion with your team about touching the Shadow Coins. I was on my way to that when I got your text. I sent her one as well; she should be here soonish. Might take a bit longer since she is on the other end of the building,” he returned with a loud sigh. “But, that’s not that important. She’ll be here soon enough. So, how are you feeling?”

Sunny just looked at him before somberly saying: “Not dead. It’s a start.”

“That bad, eh?” He encountered, tilting his head in the process, before grabbing a nearby chair. “Hey, Light Bulb? You think you can leave us alone for a bit?” Shining continued with an awkward undertone.

“Why?” It came back, quite confused. “You think that’s a good idea. What if something goes wr-“

“Just outside the room. You’ve got that… Energetic, chaotic aura on you that might not be the best for right now. If something happens, just call me,” he sighed. She, in return, just shook her head with a worried frown.

She was already on her way out when she suddenly stopped and turned around. “Oh, and, just so you know. The Artifact is on the table behind you. We had to keep it close, or it would start to react violently. Too far away from her, and it goes completely ballistic. If something happens with it, call me immediately! I’m not sure our containment box will keep it… Well… Contained!”

Light Bulb said these last words with such seriousness and certainty that Shining simply nodded in return without saying another word. Looking back one more time, Light Bulb finally left the room, leaving the two behind.

“So, how do you feel?” He once again asked, before adding an awkward: “Seriously.”

“Take a guess… Pretty bad,” she sighed back, pulling the blanket further over her body. “How would you feel if you lost control like that?”

“Pretty bad, actually. I’ve seen enough people lose themselves to magic to know how terrible something like this really is,” Shining encountered.

Sunny nodded solemnly before continuing: “It is… It feels… Wrong… You feel weak… As if you couldn’t do anything while the world around you spirals out of control… And all… All because I couldn’t keep it together… I guess you were right.”

“Hey, don’t be so hard on yourself. And what do you mean with I was right? I’m not entirely sure what you mean,” he said with a raised eyebrow.

“You said to my friends that we were just some girls playing superheroes… Lemon was super mad about that actually,” Sunny added with a weak chuckle, before continuing: “You were right… At least for me. I’m just playing pretend. In the end, I’m just not strong enough.”

“Why do you say that? You’re still here, aren’t you? There are a lot of people who would have thrown in the towel long ago. But you and your friends stuck it out. That counts for something, doesn’t it?”

She had expected him to agree with her, maybe even berate her. Honestly, she would definitely deserve it, especially after what she had done to his sister. But no, he didn’t… “Why?”

“Why what?”

Sunny looked at him with a puzzled look before answering: “Why are you lying to me? I know I’m just not good enough. I fuck up again and again when others need me. Someone always bails me out when the going gets tough… That’s not a hero; that’s a failure and a burden.”

“I’m not lying. It’s true I didn’t trust you girls back then, and honestly, I still don’t trust you fully, but the thing is, a lot of people I trust, Monster, Timber, and even Cadance seem to vouch for you. That has to mean something. Tartarus, Timber even lied to the entire MRG because of you all. That’s not something to be taken lightly. There has to be something to you, and I think I’ve seen what it was back at Cadance's house. The way you threw yourself into that fight, even though Cadance was already on the ground. You knew she was stronger than you, but you still interfered. That takes courage, a lot of it,” he returned with a low voice and a somber smile.

She just looked at him before sighing: “I should have guessed an answer like this from you… I don’t know how you do it.”

Shining once again raised his eyebrow. “What exactly? I’m not really doing something special.”

“That’s it. You go back out there, even if you know that you can’t do anything. That you’re basically useless to the real fight. You must feel just as powerless as me, don’t you? How do you do it? Doesn’t it nag on you?” She returned, a few tears gathering in her eyes, threatening to roll down her cheeks at any moment.

Shining just looked at her for a few moments before taking a deep breath and shifting around a bit of his chair. “That’s… I mean… In a way, yes. I wish I could do more. Every time. Others going out there and fighting while you have to stay back. You have to trust them to do their jobs properly and not make any big mistakes. I… honestly, thought similarly when the first superhero appeared. I thought he was just some punk with a way too loose mouth that was playing dress-up with something way out of his control. That it was only a matter of time until he would do something incredibly stupid and endanger lives. I thought his powers were in better hands if he gave them up to the government.”

Sunny looked down once more, the shame clearly visible in her eyes, but Shining continued: “But, once I got to know him better, I was only partially wrong. He was an idiot, inexperienced, and a jokester, but he actually cared. He realized when he made a mistake and strived to improve himself, and eventually, I had to admit that he was a good hero. He had that special something; that will to never give up. I thought that I could trust him to handle the things I just couldn’t. And until now, he never has let me down.”

“But I’m not like him… I’m not nearly as good as Alchemy… He’s a hero. I’m just a schoolgirl. He never screwed up as badly and often as I did… He didn’t fail,” she sighed once more, the first tear now rolling down her cheek.

“Here,” Shining said, holding out a tissue for her. “I don’t think you realize who he really is. He’s an idiot, a screw-up, and someone who lets his thoughts run far ahead of his brain more often than not. He made mistakes; a lot—some far more severe than yours. The thing you’re right about, though, is that he never failed. Because he never gave up. Every time he was pushed down, he came back even stronger. Because he learned from his mistakes.”

Sunny was about to say something, the tissue still in her hand, unused. “And don’t tell me that you can’t do that. Because I think your friends would disagree with you there.” With a warm smile, he added: “You know, right now, you remind me of another friend of mine. She looked up to someone who she thought was perfect. And because of that, she thought she had to be perfect as well. And, I think you can guess how that went, right?”

Sunny didn’t say anything in return before Shining continued: ”She made a mistake, a few actually. And each time, it hit her hard. She thought she would never be good enough and that her mistakes would haunt her for the rest of her life. That was until someone talked some sense into her. A mistake is a mistake, that’s all. You can’t make it undone; you can just learn from it and try not to do it again. Took a while to stick, but eventually, it did. And when the person she had looked up to her whole life turned out to be nothing like she thought, it helped her deal with it. In the end, it only matters what you do when you get pushed down. Everyone screws up, big and small, and the next mistake is always just around the corner. But if you keep moving on, towards that bright future, one day you might reach it.” He finished with a certainty in his voice that almost forced her to look up. “And until that day, you’re not alone. That’s what friends are for, picking up the pieces for you so you all can put them back together again. Neither you nor I would be where we are now if it weren’t for our friends.”

“Just relax a bit. I’m sure, when you calm down a bit again, you’ll get back up. Because all this trust in you and your friends couldn’t just come from nowhere, right?” He smiled back at her, just as the door was pushed open, and Cadance rushed inside.

“Is she okay? I came here as fast as I could!” She almost shouted out as she came to a stop next to her, just in time for Sunny to wipe away her tears. She simply nodded, her expression still somber as she did so.

“I’m… Okay,” Sunny returned quietly. “Just… Exhausted…”

“I’ll leave you two some time alone. Just relax a bit; that tends to do the trick most of the time,” Shining said before leaving the room. One could still hear a bit of his chatter with Light Bulb outside as they continued to argue.

“You… Know what that was?” After a few moments of awkward silence, Sunny asked, while pointing at the box that contained the strange Coin.

Cadance shook her head with a frown in return. “No, I don’t. It… It must be something from my ancestors, but I don’t know what. But it’s… different from everything we found until now. You could feel the darkness radiating off it as you used it… It was just… Cold…” A clearly visible shiver ran down Cadnace’s body as she said that, but that didn’t deter her from continuing: “I’m just glad you're ok. I don’t think we should let you use it again… It just feels… Wrong. I don’t want to force you to lose yourself, no matter how dire the situation is. I’ll just have to fight harder. I’m not letting anyone hurt you or the others ever again like this!”

Sunny just nodded again and didn’t say anything in return.

“The others are alright, by the way. A few bruises, but in the end, they’ll be fine.”

“Mhm,” it came back with a mumble. “Uh… What time is it? And is it still the same day?”

“Uh… It’s about ten minutes before eight PM. You weren’t out for too long. Just… Relax a bit… You’ve earned it after all.”

Sunny nodded once again before turning around in her bed.

“Oh… Yeah… You want time alone… I understand… Was a hard day. I’ll deal with your parents. Sleep well,” she continued, before another awkward, long pause.

Sunny only turned back around when she heard the door close once more. With a heavy sigh, she pulled herself back up into a sitting position. It didn’t take long for her to hear the sound of both Shining and Light Bulb arguing before their voices grew quieter, accompanied by two pairs of footsteps. “Almost eight… If I’m fast, maybe I could still make it to the play before it starts…”

Her eyes wandered towards the pile of fabric that was her clothes before she shook her head. “Should... Should I really… No! I’ve started this; I need to see the end of it as well! And it will get me on other thoughts as well! I need to do this! I just need to!”

While she mumbled this, the box with the Coin caught her attention, almost like it was calling for her. With a nervous huff, she pulled herself up on the side of the bed, nearly falling on her face as she did so. She could feel her legs threatening to give out from under her. She only barely managed to remain standing. The bed looked so tempting and welcoming about now, but she just shook her head and frowned. She wasn’t one for letting a thing she started go off without her. Even if she wasn’t playing anymore, she owned them this much.

And so she took the first step, then the next, her legs ignoring all of the arching and fatigue she was feeling. She stumbled over to her clothes, balled them together, and pushed forward towards the door. Without even thinking of it, she grabbed it, a purple arc of energy running over her hand, but she didn’t even notice that. Neither did she notice how the pain all over her body slowly dulled, and the energy returned to her body once more. The only thing she thought of was that she had to act fast, or her perfect opportunity would disappear just as quickly as it had appeared. But first, she had to get dressed!

>-------<S>-------<

Things had been easier than she thought. After she had managed to get dressed, sneaking out of the room wasn’t that big a deal. And getting to the underground parking deck afterward was just a matter of following directions and occasionally avoiding employees—all in all, relatively smooth sailing.

Once she got there, she just had to hop onto her bike and ride off, avoiding the barrier at the entrance to the parking lot. Together with a helmet, she had ‘borrowed’ no one would suspect a thing, even if she was riding around on the bike of a superhero. He would just have to find a secluded spot near the school, and she would be as stealthy as could be.

Deep down, she knew she would be in a lot of trouble when this was all over, but right now, she just didn’t care. She had to see this through to the end, in some way, shape, or form. She owed them that much, especially Coco. She wanted to know how the girl would do.

And honestly, the fresh air and the wind she felt from riding through the city definitely were starting to get her mind a bit freer. She just felt… Free. As if no problem could catch up to her, as slow as she was admittedly was riding given the speed limit. Still, she felt it, a break. Maybe she could get a small, little win before throwing herself back into the whole superhero business again? She sure hoped so.

Her thoughts were racing through her head almost as fast as she was over the street when she turned around the next corner. She was so lost in her own thoughts, she almost missed the massive Changeling standing right in the middle of the street. At the last second, she hit the breaks hard, just shy of crashing the bike in its entirety.

“So there you are, Ranger!” Pharynx growled, every muscle in his body tense and on edge, as he held his double-bladed spear in his hand, pointing it at her. “Daring to set foot outside on your own. I’m not sure if this is brave or just foolish. Either way, you won’t be leaving this place with your Coin; that much is clear, no matter what you try to do!”

Sunny, meanwhile, stared at him in absolute bafflement. “Wha… What are you doing here!? I thought you would have enough for a while after last time?” She stammered out, trying her best to hide her uneven breathing. She could feel the cold shiver run down her back.

Pharynx just growled and tightened the grip on his weapon. “Don’t think, only because you tapped into the powers of this Artifact that you stand a chance against me now. You were nothing but lucky. This time I will crush you beneath my feet! I’ll show everyone how weak you really are! Now! Let’s see how strong you really are with your new power!” Letting out a loud scream, he dashed forward and brought the weapon down on the bike.

But instead of cleaving right through it, it merely turned into bright light, letting his weapon slammed into the concrete beneath, all while Sunny dashed to the side, having pulled out the Bike Coin from her Morpher, her Shadow Coin already in hand. “I won’t need these powers to win against you! I can be strong! I know I can! And I’ll do it all on my own, just like her! Light up!”

[Pi-Pi-Pink!]

[Shine Glamourous! Pink!]

“Then show me, little Ranger!”

>-------<S>-------<

Both Cadance and Shining Armor were walking down the hall of the MRG building, towards the room of the other girls. An unnerving silence permeated the halls, and every step just made it worse. Both occasionally dared to look over to the other, only to immediately snap back again.

“You’re doing ok?” Shining finally cut through the quiet. Almost as if a gun had been fired, Cadance jumped back a bit, looking at him with wide-open eyes. “Sorry… Didn't want to startle you.” He quickly added, an embarrassed expression all over his face.

“It’s… It’s ok… Just didn’t expect it, Shiny… And I’m ok,” she returned with a sigh.

“Aha, you’re ok. Of course,” he returned with a raised eyebrow. “You know, I don’t have to be a master detective to tell that you’re lying to me. I’ve known for far too long and well to fall for such a blatant lie. So, what’s on your mind?”

“You really wanna hear about it?” She returned with a somber tone in her voice.

“Of course. Only because of what happened last night doesn’t mean I don’t care about you anymore. So, what is it that bothers you? I assume it’s connected to what happened back at the lake?” He smiled at her while putting his hand on his shoulder.

“It’s… Yes… I just… It feels like I failed them… I couldn’t beat the Changeling, and Sunny had to…” She stopped for a moment before shuddering. “She had to jump in and be taken over by that damn Coin… Only because I wasn’t strong enough. I have to fight even harder to protect them! I owe them that much after they fought so long for me!” Balling her hand into a fist, Cadance finished with a determined look on her face.

Shining raised his eyebrow in return before crossing his arms. “Do they need protection, though? From what I’ve seen until now just shows me how strong they really are. They fought monsters time and time again, fought through poison, and from what you told me, didn't even give up even when they knew they were most likely beaten. That doesn’t strike me as someone who needs to be protected. You can’t do that forever. Eventually, they will end up alone.”

“I’ll… I’m their teacher, their principal! It’s my job to look after my students, no matter what! I’m not just going to let something bad happen to them!” It came back with a low growl, Cadance narrowing her eyes at him.

“I get that, I really do. I know how it feels to be responsible for people under you, but you have to trust them to handle themselves, or they never will be able to act on their own. You need to stop wanting to do everything on your own. No one can. I can’t, you can’t, and the Rangers can’t either. It’s no wonder Sunny thinks she isn’t good enough if this is what you show them!”

She just looked at him with an even angrier look before her expression shifted to annoyed confusion: “What do you mean?”

“Don’t tell me you don’t kno-“

Before he could continue, his phone started to ring. “What now?” He simply sighed as he pulled it out. “Yes, Light Bulb? What is it? Wait… Wait what!? And she is… Damn it!”

“What?” It came from Cadance, her voice barely able to hide her worry.

“The Changeling is back, and from the looks of it, he is fighting with a Ranger! Sunny is also nowhere to be found. She’s most- Hey! Where are you going!?”

Cadance turned around once more, looking back at Shining. “I’m saving my student!” And without another word, she dashed down the hallway.

“Wait! What about the others!?” He screamed after her, but the only answer he got was the sounds of her boots running over the carpet. “Damn it! She isn’t listening to me at all…” He cut his cursing short and quickly pulled the phone back to his ear. “Light Bulb! Tell the Rangers what is going on! We need all hands on deck for this!”

>-------<S>-------<

The sound of glass shattering surrounded her before she felt how she crashed into something heavy, followed by the rain of bocks on her. Her body felt sore, all the energy she had felt back in the MRG building having disappeared once more, replaced by sheer, unfiltered exhaustion. Her breathing was rough and uneven as she crawled herself out from below the collapsed bookshelf.

Using her sword as a makeshift cane, she looked out of the shattered window of the bookstore, the massive Changeling slowly walking towards her. “As expected, you stand no chance against me. It’s truly baffling how you girls can think that regardless of how you keep making mistake after mistake, that they wouldn’t eventually catch up to you. But it is how it is; failure is eternal! Forever binding itself to you until you collapse under its burden. And you,” he growled, suddenly dashing forward, “You have stained me for long enough! I will bury you for all the mistakes I had to endure because of you!”

With a dark purple slash, the twoheaded spear cut through the building walls, only barely missing Sunny, who had dodged under it. But the Changeling general wasn’t done just yet, instead spinning the weapon around before bringing it down horizontally onto Sunny. The Pink Ranger’s eyes widened in absolute terror as she saw that, pulling her blade in front of her.

Metal clashed against metal as sparks flew everywhere, as the two superhumans tried to overpower each other. Every muscle in Sunny’s body was working overtime, desperately trying to push back against the clearly stronger opponent, but no matter how hard she tried, she could feel how her sword was forced lower and lower.

“Just give up! I’m stronger than you! There is no way to deny that! You failed! Admit it and stop prolonging the inevitable!” Pharynx growled viciously as he increased the force, pushing her down even more. “Or are you waiting for your friends to save you? Forget it! No matter how many you really are, you stand no chance against me!”

Just as he was about to fully break through, she pulled her leg up, placing it against the long end of the sword, and pressed as hard as she could while her hand went for her Coinholder on her belt.

[Do-Do-Double!]

Out of nowhere, a second sword appeared in her now free hand, and with one well-aimed strike, she slashed across Pharynx’s chest. Grunting out in pain, he left her just enough room to role out from below his attack, dashing for the window.

“You little! This won’t save you! I’ll beat you! That’s the only way this can end!” He bellowed after her, sending another energy slash after her.

Her legs gave out under her when he just had crossed the window, collapsing to the floor, letting the attack zoom over her and crash into a nearby car. It didn’t take long till a loud explosion followed, letting her ears ring like Tartarus.

With a pained growl, she pushed herself back up, but still, she was shaky. She stumbled from side to side, her legs threatening to give up on her any moment, but she wasn’t going down without a fight. “I… I won’t give up! I’ll show you! I’ll show everyone that I’m strong!”

“Let mE hELp…” It suddenly echoed through her head, followed by the burning pain. The box suddenly feeling heavy in her pocket underneath the suit. She was caught so off guard by it that she didn’t even notice the Changeling charging straight at her until it was already far too late. She could only pull up her sword in a desperate attempt to soften the blow.

[Gl-Gl-Gladius!]

[Ae-Ae-Aegis!]

Out of nowhere, a form build itself up before Sunny, shining brightly in the light of the setting sun. But the thought of admiring the beautiful figure was quickly dashed as the following shockwave hit her head on and almost knock her off her legs.

“Why!? Why can’t you damn Rangers not just lay down and die like everyone else!? Why must you always get in my way?” Pharynx bellowed out while stumbling backward.

“Because I refuse to let you hurt my students! And no matter how much you want it, I will never let any harm come to them! That was the promise I gave, and I will uphold it! That is my duty as the Crystal Ranger!” Cadance shouted back, jumping forward, sword ready to strike down on him.

But the Changeling wouldn’t just take a hit, instead already swinging the weapon around, blocking the incoming attack, before jabbing the spear forward in an attempt to stab her. Once more, the weapon clashed against the shield. Cadance could feel the unrestrained power of the Changeling as she took the attack full on. Her feet were digging into the concrete as she was slowly pushed backward.

Sunny just looked at the scene in shock, unable to get a coherent thought together or even move.

“Get out of the way!”

The sudden scream knocked her out of her thoughts, and without even thinking about it, she dashed to the side, almost falling over in the process. “I… I’m going to attack him from behind while you-“ She tried to say but was quickly cut off.

“No! You’re in no position to fight right now! I’ll deal with this! Don’t worry! I will make sure to protect you!” It came back almost immediately, a harsh undertone in her voice that let any form of an attempt to object die in her throat. “You already put yourself into far too much danger by sneaking away right now! I’m not letting you hurt yourself even more!”

“But… I want to-“ Sunny weakly tried to return, but that was just at the moment as Pharynx’s raw strength pushed the Crystal ranger off her feet and sent her flying into one of the nearby streetlamps.

“You want a lot, Ranger! But now it’s time for my wishes to become true,” the Changeling growled before thrusting his spear towards her. Far too exhausted to react properly, she felt the tip of the blade stab into her shoulder, accompanied by a loud scream and a downpour of sparks.

“Hands off her!” Cadance shouted from across the street, her voice filled with absolute vitriol as she inserted a new Coin into her sword and pulled it back.

[Li-Li-Light!]

The swing of burning light rushed towards the Changeling, who turned away from Sunny and started gathering energy in his own weapon.

As the wave of energy rushed towards him, Sunny simply collapsed onto her knees next to him, her suit breaking down, leaving her just kneeling there, just when the two combatants collided.

A massive shockwave rocked through the street, shattering windows, activating car alarms, and of course, throwing Sunny back against a wall. But as the dust settled, Pharynx stood just as firm as before. Besides a few scrapes, he had survived the attack perfectly. Spinning his weapon around, he continued onward.

“You see now? This is over! Your precious Rangers have failed, just look over there,” his voice carried through the street, a sadistic, satisfied glee in it. “You stand alone! And you have no hope of beating me on your own! This is the end of the Power Rangers!”

“You think I can’t beat you on my own? I will definitely beat you! I won’t let you hurt my students! That is the job of a teacher! To protect them no matter the cost! And I will do that till my last breath! I alone can protect them! That is what I promised them!” Cadance shouted back, her voice shaking, barely able to keep her boiling rage in check. And the moment she spoke her last word, she dashed forward, sword already glowing.

Pharynx just chuckled and followed her example, both weapons once more crashing into each other, the area around them being consumed by a giant explosion. But neither combatant was ready to admit defeat, Pharynx the first to come in with a second swing, crashing into her shield and pushing her back once more. His swings were like a heavy downpour on a cloudy day, coming one after the other, just too fast for her to properly react, slowly pushing her more and more back.

While this was going, Sunny was gasping for air and trying her hardest not to lose consciousness. Her vision had become blurry, and the only thing keeping her awake at this point was a mixture of the agonizing pain she felt in her shoulder as well as her stubbornness. She had to do something! She just had to! No matter what!

That was when her eyes caught sight of the box… Right in front of her!

It must have been knocked out of her pocket during the explosion! It had even been flipped open, revealing the Coin inside.

This was the first time she actually got a good look at the thing… It was very similar to her Shadow Coin, just instead of a white crystal surrounding the colored star, it had been replaced with a dark purple.

“Let mE TAKe OvER!” It suddenly echoed once more in her head. The voice kept repeating this, time and time again, growing louder the longer she stared at the Coin. She could feel it pulling her in…

This… This was the only way, right?

It was as if an invisible rope was pulled taut around her throat. She knew it was… She wasn’t strong enough herself… If she had to lose herself to really be strong… Maybe she should…

Her hand started to move on its own, slowly crawling over towards the Coin. She was just about there, the voice inside her head now screaming, when she suddenly heard another voice.

“Sunny!”

In an instant, she could feel the pull disappear, the voice silenced as she looked around. Over her, four brightly colored figures had appeared out of nowhere!

“You’re ok Sunny?” The voice asked once more, it sounded familiar…

“In… Indigo?” she weakly asked.

“Yes! You’re okay?” It came back almost immediately. “You look hurt!”

“I… Failed… Again,” it just burst out of her, from one second to the next her face became drenched in tears.

“What are you talking about?” Indigo asked, her voice cracking as she pulled her up, away from the Coin.

“I wasn’t strong enough… I’m… I’m just too weak to do anything on my own,” she continued, her sobbing growing louder and louder. “I’m just dragging you all down.”

“The fuck are you talking about?” Lemon suddenly said, putting a hand on Sunny’s shoulder. “You managed to hold the guy off for so long! He kicked our asses pretty quickly! You’re awesome! So who cares that you can’t beat him on your own?”

“Yeah! You aren’t alone in this! We’re here! And if we work together, we can’t be stopped! That’s what friends are for! Being there for you when something goes wrong! Just like Sunset helped Twilight back then!” Indigo added as well.

Sunny just looked between them before letting out another sob and nodding. “You… You’re right… Shining was right… And I was an idiot! Still… I want to help too! Can… Can you do me a favor?”

“What?”

She looked over to the Coin once more. “I… I’m gonna try using the Coin again! If I do something stupid, I expect you to stop me!”

“Are you insane!?” Lemon was the first to burst out, but before she could say anything more, Cadance crashed landed right in front of them, her suit sparking as the Changeling approached once more.

“Just do it!” Sunny shouted, pulling herself free from her friend's grasp, falling to the ground with a pained grunt. Her hand had already tightened around the Coin before anyone could say anything.

In an instant, she felt energy surging through her, her pain fading and her strength returning. But it also meant she could hear the voice again. “GooD! leT ME taKE OvER!”

“No!” She simply shouted out, gritting her teeth as she felt the darkness being pulled back in. “I don’t need your help! I’ve got my friends! They’ll catch me when I fail, not you! And I will not fall to you again! I’ll fight the best I can! For them! Because I wouldn’t be here without them!”

With one last scream, the presence in her mind disappeared, a powerful wave of energy bursting out from around her, knocking Pharynx back once more. The moment he caught himself, Sunny had already risen back to her feet, her Morpher on her arm and Coin in the other.

“Light up!”

[Ab-Ab-Abyssal Pink!]

[Radiate Glamourous! Abyssal Pink!]

A dark cloud started to form around Sunny, sucking in black smoke from all around them. Everyone else took a step back, staring at the forming whirlwind before it turned so dark that one's eyes just saw it as pure blackness. For a few seconds, this was all that surrounded Sunny, before a bright pink light burst through and revealed Sunny, in a new suit.

It resembled the Crystal Ranger suit, complete with cape and armor over her chest. However, everything silver on the suit had been replaced with black, and two fins that resembled the wing of a dragon stood off from her helmet. The Morpher had also taken a new form, now also sporting three slots, by having switched open and revealed the last slot in the middle of the device. It, however, had retained its original coloring.

With newfound vigor, Sunny stepped next to Cadance, offering her a hand.

“Sunny…” She quietly muttered, looking up the Ranger.

“Don’t worry, I’m better now! We’ll beat him together!” She returned with a far more chipper voice.

Cadance looked down, however, before returning: “I’m… I’m sorry! I… Couldn’t keep my promise… Seems I’m still unable to fight my own battles. I’m sorry for disappointing you!”

“No, you haven’t disappointed me. You’re still fighting, right here, right now! We’re a team! And we’re friends! And friends pull each other back up when we fall down! We don’t need to do everything on our own!” Sunny simply returned, the sincerity and determination in her voice, almost forcing Cadance to nod.

“You… You’re right! I’m not alone anymore!” Grabbing her hand, she felt how she was pulled up.

“Are you done now?” Pharynx growled, his spear starting to glow once more.

“Just one more thing! The light that will burn away the darkness, Crystal Ranger!”

“The light that shines even more glamorous in the darkness, Abyssal Pink!”

“We are the light born from the shadows! We are the Power Rangers Shadow Force!” Both rangers struck a pose before two pink explosions went off behind them, much to Pharynx's displeasure. With a loud growl, he dashed forward.

“Sunny, we’ll take him head-on; the rest, provide cover fire! We need your help with this!” Cadance shouted out before both Rangers somersaulted over the Changeling and landed behind him.

“Let’s see what this thing can do!” Pink shouted and pulled out two Coins and slotted them into her Morpher.

[S-S-Sword!]

[G-G-Gun!]

Both weapons materialized in her hands, sword in her right, and gun in her left. Sharing one last look with Cadance, both Rangers brought their swords down on the Changeling, who immediately spun around and blocked their attacks with his spear. Once more, the combatants were locked in a tug of war, but this time, Pharynx was on the defensive, pushing back against both Rangers' efforts.

It almost looked like he would once more use his strength to get one over on them, but Sunny wouldn’t let that happen. Before he could push back too much, she pulled up her gun and shot him straight in the face. Stumbling backward, the Rangers quickly delivered a swift kick to his chest, knocking him back.

[St-St-Stretch!]

It echoed from Sunny’s sword as Pharnyx quickly pulled himself back on his feet. With a loud roar, he dashed forward, ready to swing his spear once more. But Sunny had already swung her weapon, way before him, the blade suddenly growing in size, slithering through the air like an eel. He tried to strike down the stretching blade, but it just dodged his strike before slashing across his chest once more, the sparks illuminating the light.

“Damn you! How!? This shouldn’t have happened! You were supposed to fail! It was time your mistakes caught up to you,” the Changeling bellowed towards them, his breathing growing heavier by the second.

“Because we ain’t alone! Our mistakes will be caught by our friends! And then, we can try again to not make them a second time!” The Pink Ranger shouted back, her sword pulling back into its original form.

Another loud scream cut through the night as Pharynx once more raced forward. This time, he managed to avoid the attacks of both Sunny’s stretching sword and Cadance’s light beams, once more reaching melee range.

Like a wild animal, he slashed at them, attack after attack. It felt like a hailstorm of boxing gloves that just wouldn’t end. Attack after attack came down on them, each stronger than the last, and there was no end in sight. “Your careers end here! I will win! There is nothing you can do to stop him!”

Both Sunny and Cadance felt themselves pushed back further and further, not even the slither fo a break showing itself as exhaustion really started to get in. If they wouldn’t finish this soon…

“Maybe we can’t do anything, but they can! Girls! Now!” Cadance squeezed in between two hits.

[Fi-Fi-Final! Red!]

[Fi-Fi-Final! Blue!]

[Fi-Fi-Final! Yellow!]

[Fi-Fi-Final! Green!]

It suddenly echoed through the street, letting Pharynx stop for just a moment. His head spun around in absolute shock. He had completely forgotten about the other Rangers, so much so that he hadn’t even noticed how they had surrounded him. And even worse, that single moment he had looked away, both Sunny and Cadance had waited for.

They raised their swords in one singular, fluid motion before bringing them back down in an x-shape. Two pink lines were etched into Pharynx’s chest as he was forced back, sparks exploding off him, just before his entire body was covered in the black cloud once more.

Inside the cloud, Pharynx could feel the agonizing pain burning across his chest. He could feel how his body slowly started to grow slower. Was… Was he getting exhausted!?

Almost as if to answer his question, his deep breaths became apparent to him for the first time. He hadn’t noticed them thanks to the adrenaline surging through his body, but now he couldn’t deny them any longer… But that wouldn’t stop him! Not in the slightest! He would-

However, that thought was quickly cut short by four colorful blasts of energy hitting him simultaneously. Each one burned like hot coals on his body, but they were nowhere close to actually beating him. He just had to endure, and he would finally take revenge on the Rangers.

[Fi-Fi-Final! Pink!]

[Fi-Fi-Final! Abyssal Pink!]

[Gl-Gl-Glamourous Finish!]

[Fi-Fi-Final! Crystal Heart!]

Out of the darkness, both the Pink Ranger and the Crystal Ranger burst forth, Sunny unloading a giant ball of energy on him before she, together with Cadance, rushed forward and slashed through him with their swords, everything behind them going up in flames.

“I… I’m not done just yet!” It suddenly growled from the dust, Pharynx stepping out of it, still in his monster form. “I’ll just crush you then!” And with a piercing glare, he suddenly started to grow in size.

“Well, seems we have to finish this right now!” Sunny sighed before pulling out her Zord Coin.

“Yeah! Let’s show him who really is gonna crush who here!” Lemon added before everyone slammed in their respective coins and summoned the half-day, half-night dimension above them.

[He-He-Hellhound!]

[Le-Le-Leviatan!]

[Ro-Ro-Roc!]

[Wy-Wy-Wyvern!]

[Ma-Ma-Manticore!]

[Al-Al-Alicorn!]

“Shadow Star Megazord!”

“Morning Star Megazord!”

Having formed, the two mechs immediately dashed towards Pharnyx, who followed suit as well. But, unlike down on the ground, he was the one on the defensive once more, blocking the two robots' strikes. But, instead of staying on the defensive, he quickly managed to strike back, letting his weapon stab into the Zord one after the other. Even with his enormous size, he was still extremely speedy, while the Megazord had definitely slowed them down significantly.

“Damn it!” Lemon screamed out, the cockpit shaking from side to side while sparks erupted from the terminals. “He’s too fast! We can’t get a hit in! Should I put in the Speed Coin?”

“No! I’ve got a better idea!” Sunny quickly returned before pulling out a new Coin. But, instead o inserting it into the console, she instead switched it out with her Wyvern Coin. “Time to show him my new power! You’re going down!”

[Dr-Dr-Dragon!]

A loud screech echoed over the city from above. Everyone started looking around confused, and even Pharynx couldn’t other than look where the noise was coming from. As they looked up, a new Zord started to descend. It was of similar size as Sunny’s Wyvern-Zord, but with two more legs, the pink interspersed with pitch-black spots. It was unmistakably a dragon!

Opening its mouth, it unleashed a torrent of pink light beams that carved across his body, explosions gong off everywhere while the ground under him started to melt.

“You like my new toy? I sure hope so, because that is only the start! Time to combine our powers once more!” Pressing a button on the console in front of her, the Wyvern-Zord leg of the Megazord detached, the Dragon-Zord starting to fold. Its wings folding inward next to its side, while the head retreated into the main body, ultimately forming another leg and replaced the detached foot.

“Shadow Star Megazord! Dragonformation!”

“And to make sure we’ll end this!” She added while pulling out her last Ability Coin, all while Cadance slotted in her own.

[Sp-Sp-Spin!]

[Li-Li-Light!]

The giant Coin slotted into the two Zords, Cadance angeling her Zord’s arms once more, unleashing a beam of pure light on the Changeling, letting him scream out in pain. Meanwhile, the five other Rangers stepped closer to the Changeling general and pulled one of their legs back. As they did that, the leg started to spin, drilling through the nearby buildings like through butter, before suddenly kicking forward in a circular motion.

Pharynx could only stagger back, his chest exploding with more and more sparks. Screaming out in pain, he sunk to his knees. His eyes weakly glared at the Rangers, but the pain and exhaustion that was burning through his body were just too much to utter a single word. As much as he hated to admit it… He was beaten…

With another pained groan, the green flames started to consume him, and the giant monster disappeared, the parallel world quickly disappearing as well.

>-------<S>-------<

Half an hour later, back in the MRG, primarily the infirmary, the Rangers were sitting on beds, discussing what had just happened. Meanwhile, Shining was sitting next to Cadance, and Light Bulb was running around the room like crazy, waving some strange, sci-fi-looking devices around.

“Man! I can’t believe this coward just ran away!” Lemon grumbled, crossing her arms with a huff.

“I’m honestly just glad we got out of this one alive,” Sour sighed, letting herself fall back on the bed. “This could have ended really bad!”

“Agreed. Sunny’s sudden disappearance really made me fear the worst,” Shining added, an exhausted expression on his face. “However, everything couldn’t have ended better. That doesn’t mean you aren’t going to get a stern talking to,” he added with an annoyed growl.

“I… Yeah, fair,” she sighed, avoiding any sort of eye-contact. “I’m… I’m sorry…”

“Why did you run off anyway? Wanted to find the Changeling and beat his face in?” Lemon asked, looking over to Sunny, who went several shades of red in an instant.

“It… It’s just… I was being stupid and… I thought I needed to be at the premiere of the play I dropped out of,” she pressed out, ready to bury her head in the pillows. “I kinda thought… Well… That they somehow needed me there, because… You know… I started it… So I had to finish it…”

“That makes no sense,” Sugar simply returned.

Sunny, in return, just dove headfirst into the pillow and let out an exasperated scream. “I know! At least now… I know I was a big idiot! You don’t have to remind me!”

“I don’t know, it’s kinda cute,” Indigo chuckled. “Wanting to see your friends crushing that play!” She added, raising her fist into the air, before saying, a good amount more sheepishly: “Probably would do the same when it came to the track team! Lightning Dust has a run in like three weeks, wouldn’t want to miss that one either! Well, if I wasn’t taking part myself anyway, that is!”

Cadance looked at her, shook her head, and chuckled: “Ok, when you do, please don’t pull a similar stunt either. When something comes up, please don’t make us worry more than needed.”

“Oh, sure, sure! Don’t worry! When have I ever caused problems?” She returned with a big grin on her lips, garnering a good amount of raised eyebrows. “In the last month, ok?” The eyebrows remained up. “Last week?” Their expressions did not change an inch. “Oh, haha, very funny.”

“Not wrong, though,” Sugar stated, much to the amusement of everyone else. And even though Indigo was pouting and crossing her arms, it didn’t take too long for her to join in as well.

Amidst the laughter, Sunny had pulled out her phone and was tipping away a message on it.

“If I may ask, who are you sending this one to? Your parents?”

The sudden voice let her snap up, looking over to the side and straight into Cadance’s smiling face.

“Uh… Coco… Wanted to apologize that I couldn’t make it to the play and tell her that she probably killed it on the stage. That’s the least I can do,” she chuckled.

“I see… Do that then. I’m sure she’s going to be happy that you believe in her that much,” Cadence said before letting out a sigh of her own. Turning over to Shining, she quietly said: “Hey, can we talk for a bit? In private?”

“Sure.”

While the rest of the Rangers continued to laugh and talk amongst themselves, the two left the room, closing the door behind them. It was almost unnerving how quiet it quickly got again, only muffled laughter coming from the room.

“So, what is it?” He asked, crossing his arm.

“It’s… I…” She stuttered, rubbing her forearm awkwardly while also avoiding eye-contact with Shining. “I wanted to apologize.”

“Oh?” He returned, his expression shifting from a slight frown to a more surprised one.

“Yes, I’m sorry. You were right back at my house. I didn’t trust you enough… I can’t fight everything on my own, even if I want to. And I should have told you about this far sooner. I’m so sorry,” she continued, her tone somber, while her shoulders hung limply from her body.

“Then you learned your lesson? You’re going to tell me something like this next time?”

Cadance nodded before adding: “Yes, I will… I know this isn’t enough to make up for how much I broke your trust. I can understand when you don’t trust me anymore and-“ She was interrupted by the sudden warm sensation of a hand on her shoulder.

“Oh, don’t be ridiculous. I still trust you; something like this doesn’t change that. Especially if you won’t do it again. I love you, Cadance, and no stupid mistake like this will change that!” He encountered, his voice almost as warm as a hot fireplace in the cold winter.

“Sh… Shining?” She stuttered out, a single tear running down her face before she lunged forward and pulled him into a tight hug. “Thank you! Thank you so much! I love you too!” Shining’s surprised expression quickly faded, replaced by a warm smile as he returned the hug. Just for a moment, he felt at ease. No matter what was still to come, it couldn’t take this moment from him.

>-------<S>-------<

Three days later, in a research lab deep in the mountains in the area around Canterlot City, scientists were running around, their expression portraying absolute panic.

One of them, a man in a white lab coat and similarly white skin and grey hair, burst through a large double door into a room half occupied by a large, black… Thing… It had grown like a massive mushroom across the walls of the circular room, consuming everything that had come in its path. Tables, computers, and even four pods that were placed in a square formation in the middle of the room. Each one had a similar black thing inside them, just smaller. At the other end of the room stood a black cocoon, pulsating every second, almost like a heartbeat.

“Professor Petri Dish! What should we do? At this rate, the entire lab will be consumed if we don’t do anything!” One of the other scientists asked, desperately grabbing onto and shaking him.

“I don’t know! Nothing we have here can damage the damn thing,” he hissed back, shoving him to the side. “Why!? Why is this happening!?” He hissed out, a green fire sparking up in his eyes. He grabbed one of the still remaining tables and threw it at the cocoon, letting out a low growl. It didn’t even make a dent as it shattered on it, and only a pulse of green energy ran through it again.

“Should we evacuate, sir?” The scientist that had been shoved to the ground asked, expectingly looking at him.

In an instant, he spun around before grabbing the man by his lab coat: “We will not! I can fix this! Somehow! I won’t return to the Queen with a failure! And if I have to feed you to the damn thing, I will get this under control! So, either you start fixing this, or els-“

His rant was cut short by another pulse from the cocoon, this time even louder. Not that it helped the poor scientist much, he was already cowering in fear and didn’t even notice the sudden pulse, not until he was unceremoniously dropped.

Before anyone could even say something else, another wave of green energy ran through the black tendrils of the cocoon, quickly followed by more and more, the time between each one getting shorter and shorter. It didn’t take long until the black mass that had spread through the room had turned bright green.

“Wh… What!?” Petri Dish screamed out, grabbing the railing in front of him, and glared at what was transpiring in absolute disbelief. The light grew ever more bright, before ultimately-

In one single moment, the entire room went up in flames, tables, chairs, machines all shattering like they were made out of glass. Even from the surrounding mountains, one could still see the massive explosion, as it took about half of the research center with it.

In one moment, his body had erupted into searing pain, his eyes unable to make out anything. Petri Dish was barely able to breathe, and even those were filled with a pain he never experienced before. His head was ringing like an alarm clock.

Once his eyes had recovered at least a little bit, his eyes wandered across the room. Massive chunks of the ceiling had fallen down, making it able to see the sky above. A green smoke permeated the room, and he could see many of his scientists lying motionless on the floor. And in the middle of the room, the cocoon lay open.

“Ahhh! The scent of fresh air! After, oh, so long!” It echoed through the ruins of the room as a black hand curled itself on the cracked shell of the cocoon. Petri Dish’s heart felt like it stopped as more and more of the creature pulled itself out of its former home. Out stepped a man with dark grey skin and long flowing orange hair that reached down his entire back. He wore a long, flowing brown trenchcoat with a white undershirt. Each piece of his clothing was expertly designed, decorated with golden patterns. He carried himself elegantly as well as firmly. He didn’t even bat an eye at the destruction all around him.

He only stopped in his tracks when he noticed the four smashed tubes in the middle of the room, a twisted smile creeping across his lips. Snapping his finger, the four smaller cocoons levitated off the ground and lined up behind him. “Splendid! It seems my creations have not left my side, even after my long sleep!”

“Wh… Who are… You,” Petri croaked out, coughing up blood as he did so.

The man turned his head around, his smile only growing wider as he saw him. “Oh, how impressive. You managed to survive my resurrection. What a marvelous feat! So I shall fulfill your request. My name, it is Stone Carver. I’m a master of the fine art of crafting magic!”

“Wha…” He stammered out, already feeling his consciousness fade.

“And it seems your time in this life has come to an end, or it would have, were it not for me,” he chuckled, one of the small cocoons levitating towards him.

“Wha… What are you…!?” Petri screeched out, his eyes staring at the man in absolute terror.

“Do not worry, for you shall serve me well as my knight! For all eternity!” Stone Carver returned, a sinister green shimmer flaring up in his eyes. Petri Dish wanted nothing more than run, but his body just wouldn’t move. The only thing he could do was scream.

Superhero Time - Part 1

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It had been three days since the events around Pharynx and Sunny. Changeling attacks had died down completely, leaving the Rangers a very welcome break to take a breath once more. The girls used the newfound and spare free time to take care of things that had sadly fallen to the wayside while fighting monsters.

Sunny had continued her sewing lessons together with Rarity, slowly starting to get better and better at it. Sour simply relaxed a bit; after the last few weeks' stress, she really deserved it. Sugar jumped back into her studies while Sour was putting in extra hours training her martial arts.

Meanwhile, Lemon had finally decided to get back into looking for a possible direction she could get into after school. Until now, it hadn't yielded more than jobs she was not interested in, but it was at least a start. Indigo had returned to her regular training with the track team, her rivalry with Lightning Dust flaming up like never before. And Cadance, as well as Shining Armour, were busy trying to look for other Abyss Coins, but until now, there hadn't been any progress made on that front.

All in all, times like these were almost as if everything had returned to normal, and Canterlot City was the peaceful city it had been before all of this insanity started.

All of this was absolutely not apparent if one looked at the events transpiring in front of the Canterlot Museum of History. The entire plaza in front of the building looked more like the sights of some ancient ruins at this point than anything resembling a place inside a city. The sculpture that had stood in its center was now wholly unrecognizable, utterly smashed to pieces, and the destruction still ragged on around it.

The six Rangers were fighting tooth and nail against two new Changelings… Or, at least, they thought they were Changelings. Both were clad in strange armor, covering their entire bodies. It just didn't fit into the way Changelings usually looked. But what was even weirder was the device on their arms. It was deep black, with purple outlines and most disturbingly, almost looked like a carbon copy of their Morphers.

The first one was clad in silver armor with fiery red plates covering about half of it—gold ornament decorated parts of its red bits. Two fire-like antennas decorated his helmet, which looked like it actually had a visor in the shape of an insect mouth. In his hands, he held two dark red scimitars shaped like pincers.

His blades came down hard on the paving beneath him, cracks immediately forming where he had it, only to be covered in an eruption of flames; one, Lemon only barely managed to jump back, just out of reach of the fire.

"Wow! Boy, this is hot! I can still feel the heat from back here!" She let out, looking back at the armored Changeling as he pulled his weapon back before dashing ahead once more, dragging a trail of embers behind him.

Her entire body felt the force behind the sudden attack, her sword rising just mere seconds before his blade sliced into her. It was like one had tasked her with taking a bus straight on, or at least, that was how it felt, the ground below her not disagreeing in the slightest as it started to crack. Worst of all, the scimitar was still set ablaze, the unimaginable heat letting her sweat even more than the hottest summer day.

[I-I-Ice!]

Just as it felt like she was about to melt, a sudden burst of cold, fresh wind blew through, followed by the blade scrapping across the metal of her own sword, the monster swinging it in such a way to cut through the ice projectile shot at him. With one absolutely perfect swing, the blade cut through the ice, evaporating it in an instant. The monster's uncaring visor stared at Sugar, just enough time for Lemon to get out of dodge.

Not to be outdone, the opponent swung his sword, letting the remaining water on it burst into mist before both weapons once more burst into flames. Two violent swings with them later, a burning x was rocketing towards the Blue Ranger, only growing in size as it came closer. Ice projectile after ice projectile vanished into the flaming x of death, never to be seen again as it came closer.

"I might have miscalculated," she quietly muttered when she realized her efforts were in vain, but at this point, it had already been far too late to dodge, her hand starting to shake slightly as she readied herself for the inevitable pain.

[Sp-Sp-Speed!]

In the last few moments before impact, she couldn't other and slammed her eyes shut, trying to cover herself with her arms, but as the seconds went by, she didn't feel any sort of pain. Instead, she felt two arms below her as she was swooped off the ground and the air rushing past her. Once she dared to open her eyes once more, she looked straight into the helmet of Lemon.

"Thought I return the favor from back in Griffonstone," she playfully returned. "The polite thing to do, right?"

"Th… Thank you," she returned a bit awkwardly before regaining her composure. "This Changeling is different than the rest." While she was saying that, she was also standing back up from being carried around by Lemon. "We have to think of something to counteract his fire."

"Yeah! We really do, or el-" she was about to say when the Changeling came up from behind them, ready to take their heads off, only for his weapons to clash into Cadance's shield. A few of the embers still spilled over, covering the three in a light coat of dust.

"Less talking, more fighting girls!" The older Ranger, more or less, growled under her breath as she struggled to simultaneously hold him off and not get roasted.

The three other Rangers weren't faring much better either, their opponent clad in similar armor; but instead of the striking red, he was instead equipped with a black variant. Silver lines adorned his equipment, with very similar antennas. The only thing that really stood out on him was what he was wielding on his other arm. It looked like a wrist-mounted triple-barrel riffle; the only difference was that it was held by a strange lever-like handle and a small hole on its top parts. All in all, the two reminded them of ants.

[Sh-Sh-Shield!]

Indigo was currently trying to get closer to the monster, rushing headfirst towards him. A barrage of bullets was raining down on her, so much so that even though they all crashed into her shield, she just couldn't move forward. The fore of the projectiles was just too strong, slowly pushing her back again, while every reflected bullet just shredded the area around them as they slammed into the ground, kicking up quite the dust cloud. And through it all, she just gritted her teeth and stood firm, no matter how much it felt like she was being rained on by a baseball machine.

While the Changeling was occupied by Indigo, both Sunny and Sour had speed around him, pulling out their swords and were quickly running up to him. Their hearts were racing like crazy; every second they wasted gave him more time to realize what they were up to. They had almost reached him when their blood just froze in their veins. In one single moment, the Changeling had spun around before unloading on them.

Caught completely off guard, the two Rangers were caught in the bullet hail as sparks erupted all over their bodies, throwing them off their feet. Their chests stung like Tartarus as if a particular vicious swarm of hornets had made it their missions to ruin their day.

And Indigo wasn't spared either; her constant push forward had launched her into stumbled straight towards the Changeling. But instead of just shooting her as well, he just somersaulted over her before laying into the Yellow Ranger with his wrist-mounted rifle. With a loud scream, she was sent flying, rolling over the floor like a football.

The Changeling was about to unload his gun once more, while the other one was striking down on Cadance behind her shield again and again when suddenly a strong wind picked up. But not just any wind; this one was accompanied by the sounds of something loud. With every passing second, the wind picked up, blasting down on them from above, almost extinguishing the Fireant Changelings scimitar in the process.

Everyone, even the Changelings, looked up, watching as a strange mix between a helicopter and a jet slowly descended from above. Two massive propellors were attached to its two wings on either side, angled so that the vehicle could quickly descend and rise. As the VTOL lowered more and more, the back cargo bay began to open, just as it touched down.

All eyes were on the bay, and the figures that were revealed, the air filled with a weird mixture of curiosity and nervousness. Lemon could feel herself holding her breath as two figures emerged, a man and a woman.

He had an orange complexion with short red and light orange hair. Playfully jumping down from the cargo bay, one could see his black leather jacket over a red shirt with a feather on it, as well as the warm smirk across his face. The woman, meanwhile, had a light blue skin tone with long, flowing dark blue hair with a few neon blue streaks. She instead simply stepped out of the VTOL while wearing a black jacket with a dark blue shirt underneath. A strange red gemstone belt buckled on her purple belt.

"Well, looks like we're just in time! Seems we didn't miss out on all of the fun this time," the man chuckled, stretching himself as he did so. "What do you say?"

"I'd say you're way too excited about this again. Be honest, you just wanted out of the investigating and back to beating up some monsters. Otherwise, you wouldn't even have suggested joining them," she returned with a sigh and shaking her head.

He awkwardly chuckled back, rubbing the back of his head: "Hey, only because I know it's part of the job doesn't mean I have to like it. And really, come on, being back here will be fun. I missed this city. Look, the welcoming committee is here already," he smirked cheekily and pointed at the two Changelings.

The woman sighed again before smiling back: "You’re hopeless, you know that?” The only answer she got was a smirk. “But, yeah, you’re right. It’s good to be back. I missed this place.”

“Excuse us if we are intruding, but who are you,” the Fireant growled, taking a step towards them, tightening his grip on the two swords.

“Oh, right, sorry. My bad!” The man shouted back. “How rude of us. Crashing your party and all, Fire Butt.”

“Fire Bu- What!?” The Changeling bellowed back, his voice shaking with anger, all while the Rangers just looked at what was transpiring in front of them with utter bafflement. Even Indigo, Sour, and Sunny pulled themselves up, watching on, in a mixture of curiosity and confusion.

“Oh, you heard me, Fire Butt. But if you want to know who we are, I think this might help a bit,” he added with a smirk before pulling out a strange, oval-shaped silver belt buckle and slapped it on his waist. Out of nowhere, the buckled extended, looping around his waist and forming a complete belt, all while the woman next to him touched the gem on her own buckled, it starting to turn into a belt of her own; this one with a long red line across its lower half and what looked like the cylinder of a revolver on its side.

“Wait… Are you…” Lemon suddenly stuttered, taking a few steps towards the two. Her hands moved towards her helmet, almost as if she was covering her mouth as she started to jump from leg to leg.

In the meantime, the man had pulled out a strange, flame-shaped disc and inserted it into the belt, and the woman had slotted something into her cylinder.

\ MAGIC DISC DETECTED! /

\ SCANNING CHARGE! /

“Ready?” He asked, smirking over to her, only receiving a simple nod. “Ok then!” With that, he spun the disc, while she spun the cylinder on the belt, both simultaneously shouting:

“Henshin!”

\ FLAME DISC ACTIVATED! /

\ 50, 80, 100! THUNDER CHARGE! /

Out of seemingly nowhere, his entire body was consumed in a tornado of flames while a blue orb of electricity formed around the woman. Within seconds, each dispersed, revealing armored figures. One, clad in red armor with gold lines ornamenting its design and two shoulder pads decorated with some sort of armored feathers. Two green bug eyes glared at them, a silver mouth guard covering the helmet and a pair of flame-shaped horns atop his head.

On the other hand, she had been clad in an electric-blue suit, covered by silver armor plates with black outlines. Her armor was far more streamlined, practical, and modern. Several light blue tubes lined her arm and shin guards, while two piercing red bug-eyes looked straight ahead, almost completely distracting from the two antennas on her forehead.

“So, if it still hasn’t clicked who we are, Fire Butt, I’m Kamen Rider Alchemy, and this here is Kamen Rider Charge. And we are here because we want to play exterminators. So, what do you say? Wanna be playmates, or do you want to surrender right now?” Alchemy asked, crossing his arms in front of him and tilting his head smugly.

“Kamen… Rider?” The Fireant Changeling asked, looking confused at the two.

“Wait… You’re serious?” He returned, audible confusion in his voice.

“You don’t know who the Kamen Riders are!?” Sunny suddenly shouted out. “Do you live under a rock!? Kamen Riders are heroes! They kick monster butt and protect people! How can you not know that!?” She continued, stomping over to the Changeling and poking him in the chest, not to his amusement.

“Well, at least we got one fan,” he chuckled. “Guess it's something, right?”

Charge merely looked over to him and coldly returned: “You can give out autographs later, right now work calls. Isn’t that what you wanted anyway?”

“You’re in such a bad mood today. Probably because we didn’t have anything good to eat for half a week. But, yeah, let’s. I’ll take Fire Butt, you take… Ugh…” He snapped his fingers a few times before continuing: “Ugh… Yeah, the other guy. I’ll come up with a name for him later. And after that, how about a pizza? I know you’ll love that!”

“Sure you will,” Charge added with a chuckle. “Good luck!”

“Good luck,” he returned before returning to the red one. “So, lucky you just won a round with me. I hope you’re ready!” As he spoke, he cheekily signaled the Changeling to come closer.

“You damn arrogant clown!” It came back with an angry growl as the Changeling swung his scimitars around, almost hitting Lemon, who barely jumped out of the way in time, before dashing headfirst towards the Rider.

\ Flame Disc Attack Mode! /

\ Flame Saber! /

Meanwhile, he had pulled the Disc once more from his belt, as it suddenly was consumed by a bright red glow. Once it had subsided, he held a sharp katana with an orange blade, and flame-like golden ornaments etched into it. The Disc had become its hilt.

The Changeling, however, was less than impressed as he continued to rush straight ahead before swinging his own weapons wildly at him. Alchemy jumped into action just before he came into slashing distance. Out of nowhere, his playful stance vanished as he jumped forward, rolling into a dodge and just under the first fiery slash, the flames reflecting off his armor as he did so. Out of sight of his opponent, he came to a stop behind the monster, jumping back up.

Stopping dead in its tracks, the Fireant Changeling looked around in utter confusion, only to let out a loud scream as the blade cut into his backside, sparks erupting everywhere. Stumbling forward, Alchemy quickly delivered a swift kick to his butt, throwing him to the ground. The rangers just looked at the fight transpiring in front of them, all while Lemon was jumping up and down like a little girl.

“Ah, so that’s what you do. I honestly had expected a bit more from you, but oh well,” he chuckled as the Changeling stood back up again. “And since you spit a lot of fire, let’s see how you take it.” With that, he spun the Disc-handguard of his sword and pushed ahead. “Flaming Slash!”

The Changeling hadn’t even been able to stand back up properly as the hero rushed at him once more. But this time, he wouldn’t be caught off guard like this. Letting out a loud scream, he pulled the two swords in front of him, ready to take the attack head-on. As expected, the orange blade slammed against his two. The strength of the single blow was immense, threatening to push the weapons out of his grip as the two different flames started fighting over dominance, singing his armor in the process. But, ultimately, the Chnagelling proved his strength by pressing back against the Rider.

With an annoyed growl, he jumped back, turning his weapon back into a Disc. “Well, that is certainly a surprise. You’re stronger than you look, Fire Butt. Gotta give you credit there, but, thing is, well…” He chuckled, placing the Disc on the side of his belt, next to several other ones, all while taking one of them. “It’s not like this was my only trick. But before that,” he said, turning towards the three Rangers next to him. “You wanna join in as well? Don’t want to ruin your show, you know.” Without waiting for an answer, he spun the Disc he had placed on his belt.

\ THUNDER DISC ACTIVATED! /

Once again, a magical vortex covered the Rider, this time, however, lightning instead of fire. Once it had subsided, it revealed that the red of the armor had been replaced with light blue. The feathery shoulders had been replaced with far more lightning-themed ones, and his horns were shaped like bolts. The entire thing was rounded up by two piercing red bug-eyes.

“Yes! Yes! One-thousand times yes! I know what that form can do! I know exactly what to do!” Lemon immediately shouted back and went for her Coin holder, frantically looking for the right one, while muttering to herself: “I can’t believe it! Alchemy! We’re working with Alchemy! This is so fucking awesome!”

\ Thunder Disc Attack Mode! /

\ Thunder Tonfa! /

While she had been fidgeting with her Coins, Alchemy had removed his Disc from his belt once more, it turning into electro-blue tonfas with gold ornaments, the Disc mounted right above the handle of one of them. “Well, that’s good. Until then, I’m gonna go on ahead!”

From one moment to the next, his body was just gone, only a few stray arcs of electricity left behind. And that just in time dodge the sudden wall of fire crashing down on where he had been standing mere moments before. With another growl, the Changeling swung his head around wildly, looking for any sign of the Rider.

Just as he turned once more, he suddenly felt his head jerked in the direction he had moved it in. But, once he had swung it back, nothing was there anymore. And, just as he was about to let out another curse, he felt a sudden pain in his stomach. The air was pressed out of his lungs in one fell swoop, making him feel like a deflated balloon as he stumbled backward.

At least, this time, he actually could see his assailant, Alchemy!

The Rider pulled back the tonfa, tilting his head and looking at the Changeling again. “Gotta be honest, you’re quite the resilient type. You took a few good blows like they were nothing but a few punches. But, the thing is, I ain’t the only one you’re fighting against,” he said with a smirk beneath his helmet, and as if on cue, a red blur rushed past him, letting sparks explode all across his chest.

“Oh! My! Goodness!” Lemon shouted out as she came to a stop right next to him. “That was so awesome! The way you just blitzed past him, like, zoooooom! And then, the gut-punch! Like, like, bam! And last but not least, that line! So badass! I can’t believe I’m working with you!”

“Well, I mean, you provided the punchline for the last bit… Or is it more a slash line,” he returned, rubbing his chin as he did so. “What do you thi-“ His thoughts were cut short as he suddenly felt an enormous heat next to him, almost as if he was cooked alive. Spinning back around, the two could see both Sugar and Cadance havening jumped in the way of the Changeling’s attack, blocking it with their swords.

“When… You’re done with this… We’re still in a fight!” Cadance hissed back over her shoulder, the two heroes sheepishly rubbing their heads in return.

“Sorry,” Lemon awkwardly returned.

“Yeah, same… Kinda got distracted… My bad!” He added, weakly chuckling in return.

“Just fight already!” She screamed back, letting the two jumped back into action in an instant.

In the meantime, Charge, as well as the three other Rangers, were locked in a battle with their own Changeling. He had tried to rain down suppressive fire on Charge, or at least, he had tried to. Instead, he was constantly trying to swing its weapon around fast enough to hit her, only for the only thing to be left to be a blue blur.

“Grrr! Why can’t she stay still?” He muttered, his head spinning around in a desperate attempt to find out where she had gone. “You know what? Screw it! Spray and pray it is!”

Gripping the gun on his arm, he readied himself to unleash a barrage of bullets everywhere before a sudden voice snapped him out of his own thoughts. “I wouldn’t call that appropriate force, especially in such a densely populated area.”

Before he could even process what she had said, he could feel something smash into his helmet. It felt like he had just slammed into a roadsign on a bike as he stumbled backward.

“You damn-“ The Changeling tried to hiss at her, only to stagger backward, several sparks erupting from multipile places on his chest. Tiny bolts of electricity ran over his body as he stumbled even further back.

Charge, meanwhile, holstered her gun once more and added a second baton to the one in her left hand before pulling out another one of the small, battery-like devices.

“You… I’ll show you! You can’t run foreve-“ He tried to say, only to be interrupted by her stern voice.

“Maybe. But I don’t have to.”

And perfectly on cue, his back exploded in a rain of sparks as his screams carried over the battlefield, only overshadowed by Charge shouting: “Charge up!”

\ 50, 80, 100! EARTH CHARGE! /

A bright red-orange consumed her, quickly revealing a new form. Her undersuit had been replaced with orange, and an orb had been attached to the center of her breastplate.

“Oh! That was awesome!” Indigo shouted from behind the Changeling. In response, he spun around, immediately unleashing a barrage of bullets on the Rangers, who quickly jumped backward.

“Big mistake,” Sugar said in return.

“Huh? Why?” The Yellow Ranger returned with a confused tone in her voice.

“Because he’s gonna get one from the Rider!” Sunny answered for her friend and just in time for an orange hand to grab onto the Changelings shoulder and spin him around.

However, to the Ranger’s surprise, the monster's rifle fired almost immediately on that happening, hitting the Rider point-blank.

Smoke and sparks burst from her armor, but she didn’t even flinch, the orb on her chest glowing ominously. “Nice try. But sorry to disappoint you. This doesn’t work so easily on this form,” the Rider returned before pulling back her baton and smacking him across the jaw.

As he pulled back up, one could see tiny cracks forming on his visor. “This… I’m not done! I’m not beaten so easi-“

Right in the middle of his little tantrum, he suddenly stopped, stepping back a bit. The other Changeling quickly followed suit, falling quiet in a similar manner. And before anyone could say anything, a loud clap started to carry over the entire piazza.

“Bravo! Bravo! Bravo! Truly impressive! The Paladins are just as stubborn as back in my time. And, then, there are these new faces fighting alongside them. Even if one of them seems familiar,” it echoed as Stone Cutter stepped out of the museum, a wide smile on his lips. Petri Dish right next to him.

“And who are you, fancy pants. Wait, no, that was already someone else. How about Charming? Yeah, I like that one! So, Charming, what’s your deal so we can kick your ass sooner!” Alchemy shouted at the man, who just shook his head with a smirk.

“Oh, a jester. How amusing, even more so when he can actually fight. What weird times these are, I must say. But regardless, it seems that no matter the era, you meddling Paladins always chose to get in my way, even when I’m just trying to reclaim my property. Oh, my bad, I almost forgot that you go by ‘Power Rangers’ now. Was the old name getting too stale, Paladins?” He continued, taking a step down the stairs.

“Excuse me? Jester! I’m a Kamen Rider! Kamen Rider Alchemy!” Alchemy shouted back at him, only to be ignored.

“In the name of the MRG, I order you to surrender right now! You’ve broken into a museum and caused public distress! These are serious crimes! If you really are only here to regain your property, maybe we can talk this one out,” Charge quickly shouted, her voice stern and commanding.

“Oh, I see. You’re a peacekeeper in this time. Interesting, but I can’t shake the feeling that you seem familiar. But be that as it may, I don’t think we will reach an amicable agreement. The Pal- No, the Rangers wouldn’t want that. And honestly, it would go against my pride to work with them after they took everything from me back then! No! I will take what is rightfully mine by the means I deem necessary. And I would suggest that you accept that, peacekeeper, because you should not separate an artist from his tools!” Stone Cutter returned, equally as firm, before raising his arm and snapping with his finger.

“Until we meet again, Rangers and… Riders. I’m curious what the combatants of this age are capable of,” his voice continued as he and his underlings disappeared in green fire.

“Hey! We weren’t done here! Why do they always run off?” Alchemy shouted back before kicking the ground with a huff. “Damn it!”

He hadn’t even noticed Lemon jumping up and down next to him for a few seconds until the repeated tapping on the ground became too evident. “Uhh… Hey?”

“Hey!” It almost screeched back as Lemon grabbed his hand and started shaking it wildly.

He leaned over to Sugar, who had walked up to them and hushed under his breath: “That’s normal?”

“More or less,” she simply said.

“My… my name is… Sha- Shadow- Road! No! Red! Shadow Red! O- Or Le- Lemon Zest!” She continued to stutter out, her voice trying its best to subdue her excitement and failing miserably at it.

“Hey Lemon, my names Ph-“

“Phoenix Feather! I know! I know everything!” Lemon burst back, still shaking his hand.

“As amusing as this is, I think we should continue talking in a more… Private place,” Charge chuckled, patting the Rider on the shoulder.

“Agreed. I have… a few questions to ask you two,” Cadance added as well.

“Well, if this isn’t my chance to get back on top,” Pharynx muttered from around a corner, clenching his fist. His clothes were tattered and burned as if he hadn’t changed them since his defeat.

>-------<SxA>-------<

The heroes had retreated to a familiar place, even if some wouldn’t really call it a more private place, the pizzeria Magnum Opus. Property of Thunder Cloud, Phoenix’s brother. Thunder had welcomed them with open arms after he had released Phoenix from one of the longest hugs they had ever seen and told them to wait upstairs. After the pleasantries had been dealt with, things were finally time to get back to the pressing questions.

“So, Phoenix Feather and Ocean Skies, right?” Cadance asked, both Riders nodding in return. “Why are you here? Any particular reason for that?”

“Well, we were just in the area and thought a nice lit-“ Phoenix jokingly said before he got a quick slap on the back of his head, much to the shock of Lemon, who was hanging on his every word.

“I think I should take care of filling in the Rangers. You… tend to paraphrase things a bit too much,” Ocean sighed.

“You could have just told me,” he returned with a huff and crossing his arms.

“Would you have listened?” She raised an eyebrow.

“Probably not…” Phoenix sheepishly said.

“See! But, as fun as teasing you is, we have people who wait for answers. We were sent to investigate a sudden massive spike in magic in the area of the mountains of Canterlot City. We were just returning from a previous mission-“ Ocean started, only to be interrupted by her partner.

“Yeah. We fought a Pear monster trying to bury an entire town with… well, pears because his orchard was going out of business. You know, usual superhero stuff,” he shrugged, while the rest of the room just stared in absolute bafflement at him, minus Ocean, who just shook her head, Sugar, who was as nonplussed as ever, and Lemon, whose eyes were beginning to sparkle. “What? Not normal?”

“No, not really,” Sugar returned.

“Huh, lucky you,” he simply added as well.

“As I was saying, we were just on the way back to Manehatten when we got reports of an explosion as well as the spiking magic readings. It seemed to be a wavelength we’ve never picked up before but bore a resemblance to both you,” she pointed at the Rangers, “as well as a Changelings. It turned out the explosion came from a Change Industries research station. And before we knew it, we were receiving similar readings from the city. Phoenix insisted we take a detour to investigate, but really, he wanted to see if these Changelings were really like in a battle.”

“That, and I wanted to say hi to a few old friends. Not like you’re any better,” Phoenix returned with a smug grin.

“Fighting the Changelings is no joke! I had expected you’d know that after you defended the city all this time,” Cadance coldly encountered, her arms crossed in front of her.

“Cadance!” Lemon shouted out. “You can’t say that! He’s Alchemy!”

“Now, now! No need to fall into twists! Especially when the food you asked me to prepare is done! Take delight in my creations, everyone!” Thunder’s voice echoed across the room as he planted down a bunch of pizzas, most relatively normal, like ham, pepperoni, and the like. All, minus one huge one that was put down in front of Phoenix and Ocean. It was a mess of pears, pineapples, bananas, and peanut butter on pizza!

Phoenix, however, just waved his hand: “Eh, I don’t care. She probably ain’t wrong. Not much different from Corrupted, Phantoms, or Agents of the Order. Really, I’m honestly impressed that a bunch of Highschoolers could do the job so well. Through, Twilight and her friends, as well as Timber, really should have taught me better.”

“Yeah! We rock, don’t we?” Indigo joined in, raising her fist, only to physically recoil as she saw Ocean grab a piece of the… abomination she called a pizza, take a huge bite and let out a delightful sigh.

Phoenix just chuckled as he saw the horrified expression on the girl's faces; even Sugar was grimacing at this point and quickly grabbed a piece of the pizza as well, taking one massive bite from it. “Want some?” He added with a wide grin.

“That is disgusting,” Sugar simply returned, the rest of the girls quickly nodding.

“Yeah, it is,” Thunder quickly whispered into her ear before continuing: “But you can’t convince these maniacs otherwise.”

“Only because it’s unorthodox doesn’t mean it’s not good. And it’s something fresh!” Ocean returned with a light huff.

“Aww, you’re cute when you’re grumpy. And, don’t worry, your combo's as good as ever!” Phoenix returned, nudging her shoulder.

“As interesting as your tastes in… food is, don’t we have more pressing matters at hand?” Cadance sighed, eyeing the two Riders carefully.

“Certainly, but right now, the only thing we know is that he is looking for something and didn’t find it at the museum. I already called Shining and asked him and his team to cross-reference any exhibits that are currently not at the location. Until then, we won’t know what he really is after. And the only thing we can do is wait. That’s just how this goes sometimes. But trust me, I would have preferred it if we could have dealt with at the spot as well,” Ocean encountered.

“Yeah, that’s just how the chips fall sometimes. Can’t do anything about it besides being ready and using the time, right?” Phoenix shrugged, taking another bite.

“Yeah! Or do you have a better idea, Cadance?” Lemon asked, her eyes having regained the sparkle once more.

Narrowing her eyes, she ultimately sighed: “No, but it feels wrong to relax when our opponent is still out there and out to take back whatever he wants.”

“You gotta take the chance to relax whenever you can. You learn that when you end up being a full-time superhero,” Phoenix returned after finishing his current slice. “Otherwise, you break down. If you don’t know when to take a short break, you’ll just end up beaten and bloodied on the ground.”

“You know all about that, don’t you Phoenix,” Ocean smirked.

“That was one time! How many times are you gonna bring this up?” He grumbled, crossing his arms.

“As long as it’s funny. And, what was it you said? You’re cute when you’re grumpy.”

“Haha, you’re so funny, you know that?”

“Oh, yes. I do,” she said with a knowing grin.

“Hey, do you think Cadance and Shining are like this when we ain’t around?” Sour whispered over to Sunny, who just smirked back.

“You know I heard that,” Cadance added as well, arms crossed in front of her.

“Heard what?” Both girls returned in unison. And before Cadance could say anything else, Ocean’s phone started to ring. Pulling a similar brick-like phone out of her pocket like Shining, she flipped it open.

“Yes? Ocean Skies here?” She simply said, only for her brows to furrow instantly. “I understand! We’ll be on our way! Immediately!” The last word she said, staring directly at Phoenix, who had just grabbed another slice, only to let it fall down again like a wet blanket.

“What’s going?” Lemon asked as Ocean and Phoenix simultaneously jumped up.

“Break is over! We need to head to the MRG! Now! The Changelings are back!”

>-------<SxA>-------<

Ten minutes later, the eight heroes burst through the front entrance of the MRG-building and right into a royale mess. The two Changeling’s from before were wrapped up in a firefight with the MRG agents and security forces. Well, calling it a fight was honestly a bit exaggerated. In reality, the Changelings were just blocking and dodging the fire from the agents' futuristic guns, like it was nothing. Unconscious security forces were being dragged away by their colleges while desperately trying to avoid getting hit themselves.

“Anyone still here! Get out as fast as possible! Don’t leave anyone behind! We’ll cover your back!” Ocean shouted across the hall, letting even the two Changeling stop right in their tracks.

The red one had stopped just in the middle of his slash, raised his two pincer scimitars towards them, and growled: “You! I’ll skin you alive! You’ll regret crossing me! This time, I’m prepared!”

Without another word, both his blades burst into flames, quickly followed by a flaming x rocketing towards them.

\ EARTH DISC ACTIVATED! /

Alchemy dashed past them, speeding out of a rock tornado, now clad in orange, earth-themed armor, and slammed his fist on the floor. Just moments before the attack hit him, the ground below him started to glow, revealing a rune where he had struck it. And in the last second, a large wall rocketed up, shielding the heroes from the attack.

“Prepared, eh? Yeah, honestly doubt that. You’ll get your shit kicked in, no matter what,” he chuckled, as the barrier lowered once more, and he went for the Disc on his Driver. Before pulling it from it, he turned back once more and shouted: “Hey, Red, Blue, Yellow? Wanna double… No, quadruple team this guy? Ocean and the rest can take on the other one.”

Before either Indigo or Sugar could say anything, they had already been grabbed by Lemon and dragged towards the Rider. All while she screamed: “Yes! Yes! Yes! Thousand times, yes!”

\ Earth Disc Attack Mode! /

\ Boulder Shield! /

A circular, orange and gold shield had appeared in his hand as he chuckled and returned: “Gotcha. Then let’s deliver a full course meal of pain to Fire Butt.”

“Anyone ever told you to shut up!” It barked back at Alchemy and the three Rangers that had lined up next to him.

“Oh, you wouldn’t believe how many people told me that. Surprisingly, it never really worked. Wanna see if you’re the first exception? But first, catch!” He shouted back before chucking the shield directly at him.

The Changeling just dodged to the side, sneering back: “You think that would work? Really? You’re even dumber than you look!”

Meanwhile, Alchemy had just crossed his arms and was quietly counting down: “Three, two, one!”

Right on time, the shield crashed right into his side, having bounced off the elevator door and a few walls before that. Without as much as another word, the Changeling was sent flying right through the next wall.

“Well, I might be an idiot, but you’re apparently a bigger one,” he chuckled as he caught the shield and dashed after him, the three Rangers right behind. “I’ll leave the rest to you, Ocean!” he shouted back one last time before disappearing into the hole in the wall.

In the meantime, Ocean had already breached the distance between her and the Bullet-Ant Changeling, dodging and weaving between his shots and now brought down her baton onto him. The baton's metal crashed against his gun's outer casing before he jumped back and tried once more to hit her with a spray of bullets.

Before he could even get one burst off, Sour and Sunny had suddenly jumped out from behind the Rider, letting their own salves of gunfire rain down on him. With pained grunts, sparks erupted from the armored opponent as he staggered backward, just enough time for Charge to change the Charger in her Driver. “Charge up!”

\ 50, 80, 100! FIRE CHARGE! /

Her undersuit had taken on a crimson color, and small, little jet engines covered her entire body that quickly started to glow a bright orange. A split second later, her elbow, propelled by several engines, rocketed towards the Bullet-Ant Changeling. With no way to react, all he could do was to watch as the flat end of the elbow crashed into his stomach. All the air was pressed out of his lungs in an instant, and to make matters even worse, he was flung across the lobby, crashing into one of the reception desks.

While he was gasping for air and trying to crawl back up, Cadance had already rushed past the three others, sword and shield at the ready, and straight towards him. His vision was still blurry when she had actually reached the Changeling, but the light pink blur couldn’t be anything other than trouble. Putting together all of his strength, he managed to force himself back up and pull the trigger, unleashing an unholy avalanche of bullets.

[Mi-Mi-Mirror!]

It didn’t matter; it was already too late once he heard the announcement of Cadance’s gear. Within seconds, every single one of his bullets impacted back into him, erupting into a downpour of sparks. If he could have seen more clearly, he maybe would have noticed the Crystal ranger slotting in the Coin, but that just wasn’t the case.

While he tumbled backward, both Sour and Sunny rushed past their mentor, delivering a double kick to his chest and just like Alchemy sending him through the next wall into what looked like a small employee room.

>-------<SxA>-------<

[I-I-Ice!]

Sugar had managed to freeze the Changeling in place using her gun, Lemon already lining up next to her with her own gun.

[Fi-Fi-Fire!]

With no way to dodge, it wasn’t tough for the Red Ranger to hit him head-on, his screams filling the empty street as he was burned alive. The ice had almost fully melted when Indigo inserted her Coin into her weapon.

[Li-Li-Lightning!]

Before he could even utter another word, the lightning surged through his body, traveling along the water all over him until all off it had been reduced to smoke. With a loud, pained groan, he stumbled forward, completely unable to notice the fist that was heading straight for his face.

Two seconds later, the monster landed with another pained grunt on the hard concrete. For him, everything was just a blur of colors at this point, besides the large, red thing a bit away from him. The more he focused, the more it became clearer to him. Alchemy, back in his fire form, casually cracking his knuckles while looking over his shoulder.

“Well, didn’t seem like he saw this coming, did he?” The Rider chuckled with that far too familiar tone. That unbearably cocky tone. But that was all he needed. He just had to blitz him, and things would turn in his favor. That Rider was all bluster, no actual skill.

In the blink of an eye, he had pulled himself back from the ground and shot at Alchemy like a missile, one of his scimitars in hand.

“Watch out!” Indigo burst out, immediately jumping into action to try and push the Rider out of harm's way. But Alchemy just seemed to ignore her, instead of raising his hand lightly and flicking his fingers, a loud snap echoing through the street.

In an instant, a strange symbol glowed upon the Changeling's face before immediately exploding just a moment later. He sailed through the air before crashing once more back onto the street behind him, the Rider turning, arms crossed in front of him. “I might be an idiot, sure, but I’m not stupid. I’m not making the same mistake twice, and you fell hook, line, and sinker for it. You were done for regardless if I was here or not. But, too bad, I am, so you get your shit kicked in even more. Girls?”

The three Rangers looked at him for a moment in stunned silence before Lemon and Indigo shook their heads and shouted back in unison: “Yes! You’re going down, Fire Butt!”

[Fi-Fi-Final! Red!]

[Fi-Fi-Final! Blue!]

[Fi-Fi-Final! Yellow!]

All for once more acted in unison, slotting the Coins into their respective guns as the darkness gathered around the Changeling, as he clawed himself back up once more.

“Oh, that is cool!” Alchemy exclaimed, looking expectedly at them. He didn’t need to wait that much longer anyway, as the three energy blasts shot straight through the darkness and with it, through the monster.

Sparks and bolts of electricity ran through him, his body glowed where the Rangers had hit him, accompanied by pained groans and screams, but he was still standing.

He spun the Disc on his Driver, dashing forward and jumping into the air without another word.

\ Flame Disc Maximum Power! /

In the air, he spun around until his foot was aimed directly at the Changeling. As he rocketed back down towards him, his entire body started to spin, quickly consumed in a fiery tornado. “Flaming Whirlwind Kick!”

The monster could do nothing but watch as the Rider crashed into him with full force, right where the others had shot through him. With one last loud scream, it was finally done, as he burst through and coming to a screeching hold on the street behind him. The girls, however, only saw a massive explosion, consuming the Changeling in its entirety.

>-------<SxA>-------<

“Charge up!”

\ 50, 80, 100! WATER CHARGE! /

That was all he had heard before the entire room was filled with thick smoke, making it almost impossible to actually see anything beyond your own hand.

As the Changeling stumbled forward, his free arm on his gun arm, he could feel the presence of them out there. The room was small; he knew they had to be close.

In a split second, he spun around at the first sound, unloading his gun and ripping a massive hole into one of the nearby walls, but besides the sound of falling debris, he couldn’t make out anything else. No body hitting the floor, no drops of blood or pained grunts. He must have mis-

Sharp pain in his back scattered any thought he might have had, quickly followed by another strike to the side of his head. He just hadn’t been fast enough to turn around in time. The throbbing pain was quickly added to with a punch to his cheek, forcing him back against what felt like a table.

“You dam-“ he burst out, only for a hand t clamp over his helmet, almost cracking it in the process. Without any chance to react, the mist burst into his lungs, filling them to a painful degree.

The only thing he could do was wince for air and cough, all while every breath just burned. He didn’t even notice Charge’s voice, as she continued matter off factly:

“Charge up!”

\ 50, 80, 100! THUNDER CHARGE! /

\ Maximum Charge! /

After the blinding light, to hands dug into his armored shoulders like claws before he suddenly felt her entire weight on him. It hit him, then again and again and again! She was slamming her feet into him, repeatedly for what felt like an eternity. His entire air had almost been pressed out of him, only for her foot to come down one more time, really dig into his chest and push herself off him, taking the little that was left of it with her.

He was gasping for air, the smoke still burning inside him, as he heard the sounds once more. Sounds he already knew from long ago.

[Fi-Fi-Final! Pink!]

[Fi-Fi-Final! Green!]

[Fi-Fi-Final! Crystal Heart!]

He could steady himself just enough to see the pink glowing sword rush past and ultimately through him. Sparks illuminated the room, cutting through the slowly retreating mist. But they were not eager to give him any sort of reprieve as Sunny ran through him with her weapon, both blades crossing where Charge had focused her kicks at.

His body was almost at its limit, breaking apart with every spark erupting from him, and he knew they weren’t finished just yet. Glaring forward, he watched as the last Ranger came down with her pink attack, cutting right through him, letting all his remaining power burst out in one big explosion.

“That takes care of this, though I’m not sure this was all,” Charge muttered, stepping out of the room, an unconscious man in a lab coat over her shoulders, while Cadance was carrying the transformation device of his.

“Yeah, we still gotta deal with that other guy, right?” Sunny added, stretching herself a bit as they reentered the lobby. “You think the rest are done as well?”

“You can bet on it!” Lemon shouted back at them, jumping up from behind Alchemy as he was carrying a second scientist on his shoulder, just as out cold as the first, all while Sugarcoat was holding their transformation device. “We beat him up good! You should have seen it!”

“Not the least enjoyable fight I’ve been in,” Phoenix chuckled. “So, where is Charming? If these clowns were here, he can’t be far either!”

As if to answer his question, the elevator let out a loud ding and opened, revealing… Nothing!

“I get the feeling somethings off here…” Phoenix muttered, crossing his arms. “Nothing can ever be easy, can it?”

>-------<SxA>-------<

Meanwhile, in the alley next to the building, three figures emerged from very familiar green flames, Pharynx behind the two newcomers, both his hands on their shoulder. With an exhausted sigh, he let go of them, slumping back against the wall.

“My, my, the royal family has gotten far more uncomplicated than I remember. Usually, it takes them fifteen minutes of grandstanding to get to the point,” Stone Cutter chuckled, a sly grin on his lips.

“I’m not in the mood for your jokes! I’m here to demand your servitude,” Pharynx growled.

Petri Dish took a step forward, clenching his fist in the process, as Stone Cutter’s hand on his shoulder stopped him.

“But still as demanding. But I’m a loyal servant to the royal family. So I’ll gladly step once more into their services. However, I do require my tools for this job. And this is where I require your assistance as well. If that is acceptable, my lord?” He bowed a warm smile on his lips. “It will be beneficial to all of Changeling kind, I assure you, my lord!”

Pharynx eyed him for a moment, hearing the sounds of sirens in the background before nodding: “Fine! We have a deal!”