Sunset's POV:

You ever seen what a town looks like after the devastation of a high level tornado on the EF scale? You know, where buildings have been picked up and tossed and in other cases outright flattened, leaving nothing but the foundations remaining and parts of what once was lying everywhere like toothpicks? Well, that’s what had just happened to Ponyville. During the Turbine Org’s rampage, he had tossed buildings all around, sending them every which way, and any poor soul unlucky enough to be in their path was as good as dead or very close to it.

Back to Third Person POV:

Honestly, Sunset couldn’t decide which type of pony was the luckiest. Half of Ponyville, destroyed by one Org, and that was before he went giant sized. Before now, all Org battles had taken place in remote areas or the Org was dealt with before he had a chance to do any real damage.

But now, that wasn’t the case. Ponies everywhere were sifting through the rubble of their broken and shattered lives all around her, trying to piece together what once was, or simply wandered about, unsure what to do or where to go. Fillies and colts sobbed in the background, and parents tried to comfort them as best they could.

Sunset just broke down and sobbed for what was left of her adopted home. She looked at what was left of her home, with the entire top half of it gone completely, and sighed. Homes could be rebuilt, but the lives lost could not be regained. Now, she was witnessing the true power of the Orgs for the first time and what they could do if left unchecked. This was a disaster beyond any in recent recorded history, and she knew she could have stopped it if she and the other Rangers arrived just a bit sooner.

“Sunset,” Twilight said as she walked up to her best friend and put a hand on her shoulder, causing her fellow Princess to look at her. “Ponyville needs a leader. It needs guidance. Ponies don’t know what to do now. We need to help them. We’ve never had a need for our Princess status before, but now is that time.”

“She’s right you know,” Vapor said as she demorphed. The Thunderbird Zord summoned up a storm with the help of the weather team led by Rainbow Dash to put out fires ignited by gas lines.

“Ponies need hope. That’s what Princess Luna and Princess Celestia are for.”

“Us…we just stop the monsters as Rangers. We’re just the clean-up crew...” Sunset muttered.

“But that’s just it!” Vapor shouted at her. “We are supposed to be signals of hope! That’s part of being a Ranger! We’re supposed to bring hope to the populace even in the darkest of times!”

“And we failed today! Ponyville’s in ruins because we couldn’t stop that Org sooner!” Sunset snapped back, tears rolling down her face.

Vapor stood firm and she punched Sunset in the face, in hopes of knocking back some sense into her.

“NO! Even after the battle, we bring hope. We’re supposed to be a beacon, we need to help out not just with destroying the Orgs, but what happens after the battles. Ponies will be in shock, they need help and need to be shown everything will get back to normal. That’s part of our job, part of YOUR job so get to work! ...or maybe you’re not the Princess of Empathy everypony thinks you are,” she growled out.

Thoroughly quailed by Vapor’s unexpected show of assertiveness, Sunset nodded and turned to Twilight, rubbing her cheek where she had been punched.

“So, what’s the status on everything so far?” Sunset asked.

“Well, Rarity has turned Carousel Boutique into a safehouse for those who are without homes and passing out clothing to anypony who needs it. Pinkie’s trying to cheer everypony up the best she can with...Trixie’s help,” Twilight said with no small amount of derision, “and Ponyville High’s become a safehouse as well, with the Cakes passing out food to anypony who needs it. Shining Armor and the Royal Guard are flying in from Canterlot to help look for the missing and round up the...” Twilight trailed off and swallowed hard, unable to finish the sentence. “Mystic Mother above, what did we do to deserve this tragedy?”

“Maybe you should ask Princess Celestia,” a voice that Sunset knew at once to be Animus said, coming through to all of the Ranger’s heads and Twilight’s as well. “She was the one to exterminate humankind after all. There’s a phrase from the olden days. How does it go…? Let me remember… Oh yes. Karma’s a bitch. Maybe now you’re feeling what she thinks of your kind’s atrocities towards the Earth.”

“But that was Solar Flare! She was the one to exterminate humankind!” Sunset argued.

“Yes, but Princess Celestia is just as guilty as her dark half, if that is even true,” the Lord of the Wild Zords coolly replied. “She let this hatred and bigotry fester for over 2,000 years and never did anything about it. Think on that for a moment.”

And then Animus said no more, leaving the Rangers and Twilight quite stunned and speechless. After all, when a god had a point, what could you say to argue with him about it?

“Great, chewed out by Animus on his own personal radio station. Ain’t that just wonderful?” Lightning muttered.

“What’s worse, he has a point.” Sunset said sourly.

Just then, they heard somepony shouting for help. Sunset and Twilight at once recognized it as Lyra’s voice. They followed the sound of the voice to the other side of town and found what used to be a two story home/candy store lying in ruins. Lyra was standing nearby, trying to call for help to anypony who would listen as she tried to levitate the rubble blocking the remnants of the door out of the way, her horn glowing golden in its magical aura.

“Come on Bonnie, I know you’re in there somewhere…” Lyra muttered as she strained against the sheer weight of the rubble she was lifting. At once, Twilight and Sunset joined in and added their purple and green magical auras to the task at hand. Soon enough, a passageway to the door was cleared.

“Bon-Bon, I know she’s in there! I’ve got to go in after her!” Lyra yelled and ran towards the door, but Twilight held her back.

“Are you crazy? That whole building looks like it could collapse at any moment!” she shouted.

“But… but my wife! Bonnie! BOONNNNIIIEEE!” Lyra screamed in fear, tears streaming down her face.

“We can’t just sit here!” Sunset shouted. “Somepony’s got to go in there and help her out, despite the danger!”

With a snarl and a shout of concern from Twilight, Sunset telekinetically threw the door open and walked inside the ruined candy shop. Glass cases had broken up, leaving candy scattered all over the floor and shards of glass everywhere she stepped and cutting in her hooves Sunset wincing in pain each time she stepped on one and crushed it into even more tiny pieces. Sunset grimaced as she saw a huge piece of wooden pylon thrown through a window and impaling itself in a back wall.

“Thank Mystic Mother Bon-Bon wasn’t there for that. But she’s got to be around here somewhere, alive or…” Here Sunset choked back a sob. “Dead.”

Sunset didn’t want to even think about the kindly mare who was one of the community’s pillars being dead, but she was well aware it was a possibility she had to face.

“Bon-Bon! Are you here? Answer me!” Sunset called out, and got no response. She swore softly to herself, her mind at once going immediately to the worse possible scenario.

“No, you mustn't think like that. She could be trapped somewhere in some way that she can’t answer me, or maybe she simply just can’t hear me. Yeah, that’s gotta be it! There’s no telling what could have happened. You’ve got to stay positive Sunset.”

Sunset walked up the stairs that led to the upper level of the building, and then it creaked and something groaned.

“Shit! This building won’t last for much longer! It’s already very close to turning on its side as it is. If it does while both me and Bon-Bon are still in here, we won’t be getting out.”

Sunset, now with increased urgency ran upstairs and began kicking down every door she could, all the while still shouting for Bon-Bon. Eventually she heard weak coughing coming from a bedroom. Sunset rushed in and she found what looked to be a filly’s bedroom, with a crib and everything. Sunset remembered that Bon-Bon and Lyra were thinking about having a child. Then, in the back of the room she saw Bon-Bon, crushed under what looked to be a piece of the roof. Sunset lifted and tossed the rubble out of the way and immediately began scanning Bon-Bon’s injuries with her horn, a greenish glow illuminating the white furred mare. She winced at the damage.

“Broken bones, cracked ribs, and I'm willing to bet that's the least of the damage considering a roof fell on her. I’ve got to move fast.” Sunset thought and picked up Bon-Bon.

“S-Sunset? Is that you?” Bon-Bon asked weakly but Sunset shushed her.

“Don’t speak. Now, I’m getting you out of here but we’re going to have to make a quick escape, so brace yourself,” Sunset said before she leaped out the nearest window. Broken glass flew everywhere. Sunset landed on the ground, wings spread like an angel from heaven with Bon-Bon in her arms bridal style.

“Bonnie!” Lyra shouted in joy just as Sunset handed the mare off to some nearby medics and informed them of Bon-Bon’s condition before turning to Lyra.

“You’d best go with her, she’s going to need the support of a loved one,” Sunset said in a firm but still kind voice. Lyra nodded as Bon-Bon was loaded into the back of an ambulance on a gurney. Lyra leapt in after them and shut the door behind her as the ambulance rolled off down to the nearest hospital.

“There’s going to be more that need our help. Best we get to work,” Twilight said. Sunset nodded firmly.

“Where’s Robert? Mystic Mother above knows we could have used his help,” Sunburst asked in concern.

“I… I don’t know,” Sunset whispered in worry. She knew Robert could handle himself, if him taking down the Camera Org solo was any indication, but with all this devastation and the fact that she knew the first place he probably would have teleported to was Ponyville, she couldn’t help but worry.

“Oh, I assume you mean the human. Wears a black leather jacket, speaks with a Trottingham accent, and likes to threaten ponies with punches to the face?” an unfamiliar dark blue mare asked as she walked up, supporting a member of the Royal Guard who was missing a leg. “Last I saw, he was with me, at the Prancing Pony.” the unicorn grunted.

“And you are?” Sunset asked suspiciously.

“Artemis. Artemis Starborne,” the mare introduced herself. Sunset’s eye narrowed. There was something familiar about the mare, but she couldn’t place it. “But you might know me by another name, Sunset,” Artemis added.

Then, the mare dropped her disguise entirely and her clothing was replaced with a long flowing blue dress. Her horn became longer and more slender while two dark blue wings sprouted up from her back. Finally, her mane became longer and almost wispy like with stars in it.

“L-Luna?” Twilight gaped.

“You have got to be kidding me… Galaxy’s going to throw a fit when he hears about this,” Sunburst muttered to himself quietly, quiet enough so that nopony could hear it. But then a thought struck Sunburst. "Wait... What if he does know? He could be purposefully keeping this a secret, but why? He could have at least let me in the secret. But then again, the lesser ponies within the circle of knowledge is probably for the better."

"...But I have to wonder, where is he right now? Ponyville was in danger, and he never showed. But... Then again, he's more active at night. Sensitive eyes and all." Sunburst mused to himself.

“Last I saw him, he had to go to the bathroom but he never came back,” Luna said worriedly, her heart beating faster. She wanted to pass it off as just plain concern for Robert’s well being, but honestly she wasn’t really sure if it was just that right now.

“Great, so now Robert’s gone missing and we’re down a Ranger! Meanwhile, Moonbutt here’s gone under a masquerade and leaves all of her duties to Princess Celestia! What else could go wrong!?!” Lightning asked, half shouting as she threw her hands up in the air in disbelief at everything that had gone down today. “Okay, that’s it. I’m officially off this train of insanity. Call me when everything goes back to normal,” she grumbled to herself.

Twilight meanwhile gaped wordlessly at the fact that Robert was now a Power Ranger again.

“Great… Now we’ve got a possible kidnapping of one of our own to worry about,” Sunset muttered.

“Oh, I think you’ve got bigger problems then that Rangers!” a voice said tauntingly. All four Rangers, Luna and Twilight whirled around to see TWO Orgs. One was seemingly covered in blades with only a single eye visible and sported twin horns atop his and carried two very sharp looking swords while the other was based upon a clock with a monocle covering his sole eye and his clock hands forming a mustache with a sword in his hands based on a longcase clock. Sunset sighed to herself and morphed in a gold/red flash of light with her fellow Rangers soon joining her.

“Just when you think things couldn’t get any worse…”

Meanwhile… With Robert:

Robert landed with a soft thud upon the snowy grounds of… somewhere. As he got up off the ground and brushed the snow from his face and his vision cleared, he found himself in a snowy forest. Reaching into his jacket and shivering from the freezing winds, he pulled out his morpher.

“Alright, don’t you conk out on me now.” Robert muttered and took it off its chain and opened it up to hopefully display a mini-map of where he was. But no such luck, as the mini-map never showed, almost as if something was blocking it.

“Permission to say oh cock? Well, this is just wunderbar, as if something’s blocking out the natural energies of the Morphin’ Grid which gives my morpher its powers, it has to be something very strong. A field of some sort I’ll bet, but if it’s this strong, I think the chances of Princess Shayla or any of the Rangers being about to reach me are about nil. So… It seems I’m on my own as always. Mind you, this time it’s not of my own free will.”

Robert looked up into the sky, it was night and the stars shown brightly. Okay, different time zone then. The moon was full, a hunter’s moon.

“I’m willing to bet whatever that thing is that took me here, it’s stalking me right now so I’d better get a move on.”

And so Robert ran through the forest bundling himself up tightly his jacket to help better weather himself against the biting cold. All the while, he continued to hear footsteps, that were definitely not his own against the snow. On closer listening, they sounded almost like…

“Pawprints? No, that’s impossible. But then again, I never did get a good look at what or whom was under that mask and cloak.”

Robert whirled around and kicked snow in the direction of the footsteps and some of it fell onto an invisible figure, revealing some of his form. While Robert still couldn’t see him, he now knew where he was.

“Alright, now I can see you. Who are you?”

Suddenly, Robert felt himself kicked in the stomach and felt himself impact against hard wood, splinters going into his back as whatever he hit shattered. Robert groaned in pain and looked at whatever he had crashed into. On a part of the shattered wooden construction, he saw an image of a Japanese macaque, more commonly known as a snow monkey. Then Robert looked to his left and saw a little lake with steam rising from it. An onsen, or a hot spring. He let a smile come to his face.

“So that’s where I am. Jigokudani, AKA Hell’s Valley. Fitting, considering this thing could have only come from that place.” Robert mused to himself as he stood up and drew his Crystal Saber. To his shock, the noe masked figure revealed himself fully and drew a saber of his own, identical in every way right down to the crystal. Robert charged towards the figure and their blades met and sparks flew as they clashed again and again, matching each other’s moves perfectly. It was almost like Robert was fighting a mirror double of himself. Trouble was, if you fought someone who fought exactly like you, it would be impossible to score a blow.

“Okay then, time to try something I don’t think even this thing can mimick.”

“Call to the Beast Inside! Free the Kitsune!” Robert shouted and unleashed his kitsune spirit and to his surprise, the figure simply waved his hand and it vanished into mist. Rober gaped, that simply couldn’t be! So, with a surrendering manner, Robert laid down his Crystal Saber and the figure did the same.

“Now, who are you? ...no, that’s not accurate. You can’t be human, not from what I’ve see so I should ask what are you?”

“Impressive,” the figure finally spoke in a deep, yet haughty and completely inhuman voice. “You actually decide to think for a change instead of fighting me in a brawl. You apes aren’t as stupid as you used to be. Over the centuries, it seems you’ve gained some actual intellect. I’m what you might call a… manifestation.”

“A manifestation? Of what?” Robert asked, still quite tense.

“Of the consciousness of what is sealed away here, you little fleshbag.” The being chuckled at Robert’s confused look. “Oh, you fool. You haven’t figured it out yet. Think back, why couldn’t you summon your Kitsune Zord?

Then Robert realized.

“Because it’s sealed away here. You’re sealed away here.” Robert whispered.

“Correct.”

“You know, for a Guardian of the Earth, you’re not exactly fond of humanity are you?” Robert questioned.

The Guardian growled. “Of course not. Back in my day they couldn’t defend themselves from what lurked in the dark. Sure, when Prometheus provided those little cave dwellers fire they could defend themselves, but they then got greedy and only drove other species to extinction. Mammoths, Sabertooth Tigers, you should know this by now. If they had took what they needed, and only that, those creatures might still be alive today. Even as time went on, humans became more and more stupid. They stopped caring about the Earth and such. I may have been sealed away after the first Wild Force Rangers brought us all back, but I watched as they built cities atop Animaria’s sacred ground and then let the Earth become a wasteland in the years leading up to their extinction.”

“Heh, bet you loved it when Princess Genocide took the torch and sword to them didn’t you?” Robert snarled.

“Hardly. They may have been a stupid species that allowed my home to go to waste, but they didn’t deserve that little kit. And besides, as you can see, nature took back what was hers. We have the Mystic Mother to thank for that. Irony really, considering who she was in the dark days. Imagine, Rita Repulsa HELPING the Earth instead of trying to conquer it.” The Kitsune Zord chuckled darkly at the irony.

“Now, you listen here you little whelp. The only reason I’m letting you free me, besides the fact that I want to be with my fellow Wild Zords again, is because I want that bastard Thrax to get what’s coming to him. He cheated death, and is leading the Orgs to boot.”

If the Kistune Zord took notice of Robert’s shock, he didn’t show it or just didn’t outright care entirely. He then gestured Robert to follow him.

The two went up a footpath and under a red gate to a stone statue of a fox with a lock at it’s base.

“Now, use the key. I know you have it.”

In Robert’s hands, a golden key appeared and with more than a hint of trepidation of what he was about to unleash, he inserted the key into its lock, and with a twist and a clicking sound, turned it…

Back in Ponyville...

The four Rangers faced down the two Orgs, weapons on both sides drawn. If this was the Appleloosian Plains or Dodge Junction, Sunset would’ve half-expected a tumbleweed to roll by at some point. The tension on both sides was so thick you could cut it with with a knife.

Then, the blade swung. Both sides charged towards each other and Sunset and Vapor took on Clock Org, while Lightning and Sunburst took on Sword Org. The Clock Org swung his blade and caught Vapor in the chest, drawing blood, but she kicked him in the face, shattering his monocle and making him stagger back.

Sunburst threw his Shadow Hatchets at Sword Org, who was held down by Lightning’s whips. The twin axes dealt multiple blows across the Org, but because he was made of tough steel, he didn’t seem to be really affected.

He broke free of his restraints and leaped forwards towards Lightning. He stuck a tri pronged kunai dagger into Lightning’s wing, causing her to scream out in pain as blood dripped from the wound. Gritting her teeth, Lightning pulled the knife out her wing and tossed it aside, ignoring the bleeding. The Sword Org slashed Sunburst across the chest, drawing a considerable amount of blood, but Sunburst struck back with a vengeance with one of his Hatchets and cut off one of the horns on the Org’s head.

Lightning found a weak point in the Org’s armor at a small point in his chest and stuck her Crystal Saber into it, making the Org grunt in pain, but he kicked her backwards before grabbing her by the wing. He began to pull with the full intent of ripping it clean off.

Lightning began to feel her wing bones and muscles beginning to rip and tear as she screamed out in pain. The Org would have succeeded in his task had Sunburst not kicked him in the side and got in a good clean cut with his Crystal Saber on the Org’s right leg.

“Oh, nice try. Must give you props for that. But I’m the Master of Blades! Full Body Blades!” Sword Org cried and all the swords on his body extended and Lightning and Sunburst rolled to the side almost in an instant not wanting to get impaled by the blades. Somehow however, the blades seemed to follow them wherever they went.

Suddenly, multiple bursts of energy hit the blades, shattering some of them. Luna and Twilight destroyed the others by creating bows of magic and firing multiple arrows of light.

The Magna Defender ran onto the scene, Riot Blaster in hand. “Sorry I’m late to the party. Had some search and rescue to do,” he grunted as he pumped his weapon.

“‘Tis a good thing you have arrived, Magna Defender,” Luna nodded.

“Always happy to make a save,” the Defender remarked as he changed his Riot Blaster back to its Magna Blade mode. He and the Sword Org circled each other.

Twilight raised an eyebrow at the Defender. There was something about that voice, she just couldn’t place it though.

“So, Sword Org I’m guessing. You say you’re the Master of Blades? Well, let’s find out shall we?” the Magna Defender taunted, beckoning his opponent on. The Sword Org grunted and advanced. The Magna Defender struck immediately, dealing a sideways golden energy slash across Sword Org’s chest before the Org returned the strikes with his own blades but the Defender blocked them both with his own sword as he smirked under his helmet.

“I’ve been training with the sword for over twenty years. How long have you been at it? Answer, not long enough,” he chuckled as he crossed blades with his foe once again.

“What makes you say that?” Sword Org asked. “Am I supposed to be impressed?”

“Well, a true swordsman is aware of everything around him, and you’re evidently not,” the Defender remarked just as Lightning and Sunburst reappeared and kicked the Org in the chest making him stagger back.

“...And yes, you’re supposed to be impressed, idiot,” the Magna Defender deadpanned.

Meanwhile, Sunset and Vapor had been holding their own against Clock Org, right up until the moment he revealed his special attack.

“Hand Arrows!” he shouted, and a good thirty to fifty clock hands, sharpened to a point materialized in mid-air around him. As soon the Clock Org pointed his sword at Vapor and Sunset, they launched, impaling the Purple and Gold Rangers in various areas. Thankfully, no vital arteries were hit. However, both were left in a bad state and were struggling to stand up with only their respective weapons used as support.

“Oh, such a waste. I was expecting to have such a good time destroying you. You’re supposed to be an actual challenge. Power Rangers, give me a break,” Clock Org scoffed before he readied the arrows again.

In the Nexus, Thrax chuckled. It looked like the Rangers had finally met their match. But then a thought occurred to him.

“There’s still two more of them out there, and they could create… complications in the future, plus these Rangers could pass on their powers to others.”

Thrax growled as he fingered a piece of golden armor, the last of the legendary warrior Goldar’s remnants. It looked like he would have to speed up his revival a little faster than he anticipated.

Back on the battlefield, the arrows launched but were suddenly cut to ribbons by several golden crescent waves of energy as Zen-Aku appeared out of nowhere.

“Zen-Aku!” Vapor cried happily. The rogue Duke Org simply smiled at her before pulling out his Lunar Dagger/Flute as he faced both Orgs and pointed it at them. Lightning's eyes widened. Zen-Aku? It couldn't be. Right in front of her was a unicorn, not a Duke Org resembling a wolf.

“You two are pathetic. You, Sword Org. You call yourself the Master of Blades? I know a Duke Org who’s still around who might want to disagree with you on that. You’re arrogant and stupid. A bad combination. As for you Clock Org, you’re not even worth my time. I know both of these Rangers could easily defeat you. Power Rangers throughout history have overcome stronger monsters in a long line of creatures determined to destroy or conquer the Earth. You’re not the first, and nor will you be the last,” he stated before turning to Sunset.

“Now, what’s that old human phrase Merrick liked to use? Oh yes, kick their ass.”

“Gladly.” Sunset nodded, a new found strength filling her as her wings ignited into flame. She charged, Phoenix Blade and Crystal Saber in hand. With a wide swing, she cut through Clock Org’s sword and cleaved the top half off of it before blasting him backwards with magic.

"Phoenix Blade, Fire Strike!" she shouted, and cleaved him in half with a burst of flaming energy. The two pieces of the Clock Org staggered, then slowly fell to the ground.

“Your time’s up,” Sunset growled as she turned to the Sword Org.

“Lightning, restrain him!” She ordered

“Trust me, I got this,” Lightning replied with a flirty smirk before grabbing the other Org with her whips. She tossed him to Shining, who got in a sword strike with his Magna Blade before he kicked him to Sunburst, who threw his axes. They impacted the Sword Org several times before returning back to Sunburst as Vapor tossed her Trident, impaling the Org from behind.

With a final shout, Sunset came down from above, both blades ignited in flame before she struck. At last, the Sword Org went down in a huge explosion.

In the Nexus, Thrax roared in rage and his entire body glowed red at the sight of his champions falling.

“Magic Wand, make my Orgs grow!” he screamed.

The Rangers’ celebration at their victory came too soon. In an explosion of energy, both Orgs reappeared, now the size of giants. The Rangers stared in disbelief; they were exhausted and bleeding in various areas, and none but Shining could maintain the energy to stay morphed.

“Oh boy…” Lightning muttered as Twilight rapidly created magical adhesives to stop the bleeding from her wing.

“N-Now what?” Sunburst wondered as he clutched his chest with a hand to stop the blood flow.

Then, he got his answer. An ear-piercing roar split the battlefield, and everyone turned to its source. Atop a hill, standing tall and proud and ready for battle, was the Kitsune Zord, bright orange with a fanged maw. Fearsomely sharp claws jutted out from it’s paws. It had two piercing green slitted eyes and nine flowing tails which waved behind it ominously. It’s eyes narrowed before leaping off the hill towards the two Orgs. Now the true battle was on!

(To be continued…)

Author's Notes:

Okay, this is what you've been waiting for... The throw-down between the long awaited Kitsune Zord and a Org and then, the Megazord transformation!