Author's Notes:

Okay, this was what I was really working on after chapter 31, not that small little interlude with the Robert/Sunset fluff and the PR version of the Super Sentai hand-off. Hope you enjoy it. (Also, huge thanks to the RoyalBardofCanterlot for letting me use his interpretation of a certain character.) In other news, I recently had this drawn for me, hope you enjoy it as much as I did looking at it.

Sweet Apple Acres: Apple Family Home

All was quiet over the farmlands that made up the large orchard of Sweet Apple Acres as the sun rose for the first time in the new year of 5037 (Human Calendar) which needless to say after humanity’s destruction no longer existed in the traditional form. Instead, it had been replaced with something else at Solar Flare’s insistence, the New Equestria Calendar. That would make it be 2027E/1007 AFM. Anyways, the sun shone down over the snow-covered hills and apple trees and traveling down onto Ponyville and the pine covered hills and mountainsides of the Hundred-Mile Wilderness/Everfree Forest surrounding the sleepy little hamlet. In a guest bedroom on the top floor of the homestead that the Apple Clan resided in slept Robert Williams. This was after Applejack had offered to take him in for the night as an apology for nearly shooting him to pieces with her dad’s shotgun a few weeks back.

At about then, the alarm clock, set to 7:00 exactly rang and Robert threw off the heavy covers and sheets that he’d been bundled up in. Out of sheer annoyance and distaste for the sound, the alarm clock soundly found itself booted out a window and it smashed into the ground below.

“Note to self, use the phone instead of alarm clocks. Least that way you’ll wake up to a sound you’ll like,” Robert mused in his half-awake mind. “Even if said sound would be classified as racy and quite rude by anyone else’s standards. Like I care one jot. It’s funny besides.”

Robert chuckled at what happened when Sky first heard the rather orgasmic sound his phone made whenever it woke its owner up. Needless to say, he wasn’t pleased with Robert at all and this was one of the many things that had started Sky’s long quest to get Robert kicked out of SPD. The man in question chuckled at the thought of what the rather traditional Apple Family would think if they heard his phone’s wake up call.

“You have a natural talent for pissing people off, don’t you?” The Kitsune Zord’s voice rumbled in his mind, shocking Robert wide awake as he slowly made his way to the bathroom to brush his teeth.

“What the HELL? Seriously, you couldn’t call at a better time… Like, say, never? And for that matter, since when could you call me?” Robert yelled back.

“Since you woke me up, you baka. Robert-Hime, you of all people should know that I’m a troll. Why do you think we work so well together?” The Zord chirped. Robert tried to ignore him as he brushed his teeth in a more aggressive manner than needed, but found it practically impossible.

“Not how it looked to me, arsehole,” Robert snarked. “Last I checked, the status quo was I hate you, you hate me. Bet the other Wild Zords don’t have this many arguments with their partners.”

“No, they don’t. Mind you, they probably don’t have my lovely personality so everyone gets along great.” The King of Foxes snarked back.

“Oh, so you admit you’re a pain in the neck to deal with?” Robert sneered as he spat out his toothpaste. “You act like someone who’s gone through a bad marriage half the time. ...Wait, were you married to the Phoenix somehow? Wouldn’t be shocked at all if she divorced you or you two had a mutant Zord kid running amuck somehow.”

Robert smirked at the image that conjured up, a fox/bird hybrid running wild through a high-tech city in the sky, with an airship chasing after it broadside and port side cannons firing away. Robert chuckled to himself. He honestly didn’t know if he’d watched too much Gokaigers or played too much Bioshock: Infinite. Actually, now that he thought about it, it sounded like the plot to a really bad cheesy B-Movie.

“I’ll have you know any kid of mine, if I had one, would be quite handsome. Besides, I wouldn’t marry that old bird even if you forced me.” The Kitsune Zord snapped and Robert simply rolled his eyes.

“Alright, spit it out, what do you really want from me?” Robert asked, knowing the Kitsune Zord was beating around the bush. “I doubt you’d call me at this hour just in a rather pathetic attempt to drive me into a barking, dribbling mess of a mental case ripe for Broadmoor.”

“Okay, okay, you caught me. You’re not as dumb as you look. Just summon me down from the Animarium, let me burn Princess Genocide’s castle to a crisp.” The Zord growled, fury in his every word.

“Much as I’d love to see you finally shut up, I’m not letting Solar Flare burn you to ashes. So, there, I’m not granting your suicidal death wish. I really would rather have a Zord, albeit an annoying one, to form a Megazord with.”

Just then, Applejack knocked on the door.

“Ya almost done in there sugarcube? Taking an awfully long time to just brush your teeth.” AJ’s voice remarked.

“Oh, I’m fine,” Robert drawled in a sarcastic tone. “Just thinking of where that shotgun of yours might be so I can shoot myself with it and deprive myself of a certain annoying voice in my head.”

Understandably, Applejack’s only response was to just tell him to come down for breakfast when he was good and ready and left him alone after that.

Elsewhere, atop one of Ponyville’s hillsides was Sunset Shimmer. She was currently going through various Tai Chi stances in the Sun Style, dressed simply in traditional Chinese training cloth and sandals. It wasn’t exactly ideal for the cold weather of January, but in all the books and scrolls she’d looked up on the subject, this was the attire generally recommended for t'ai chi ch'uan. As she went through her stances, she felt at peace, which was the original reasoning for why she had chosen to study the art. She had first started studying at an early age, back before she had stolen the corrupted Solar Cell Morpher. At that time, it was to help her focus her mind on her studies even if she had dismissed it as useless at first. But now, Sunset just used it to keep her temper under control and to prevent herself from losing sight of her goals.

How did she gain access to the scrolls and books needed to learn Tai Chi, you might ask when it was presumably wiped out long ago with the rest of humanity’s arts and culture? Well, on a bout of curiosity while exploring Canterlot Castle, she had accidentally stumbled across a locked door with high-level magical seals guarding it. Sunset, still in her wanting to prove she was worthy of becoming an alicorn, studied for day and night on the spells required to break the seals, as she knew (Or at least thought) whatever was behind that door had to be exceptionally powerful magic worthy of her abilities and status as Celestia’s personal student. The Sun style is a syncretic martial art, influenced by various styles, including t'ai chi ch'uan, xingyiquan and baguazhang. One of the styles of t'ai chi ch'uan influencing the Sun style is Wu. The footwork of both styles are similar in that when one hoof advances or retreats, the other hoof would follow. The Sun style also happened to exhibit small circular movements with the hands.

As she went through her stances, Sunset held out the Animal Crystal representing the Elephant and thought to herself as she gripped it tightly in her palm.

“Never thought I’d ever say this again, but thank you, mom,” Sunset silently thought. “I still don’t forgive you for the way our family ended up, nor dad, but I… No, we wouldn’t have won the last battle without this family trinket of yours. Don’t know how you ended up with an Animal Crystal, but… Thank you.”

Sunset chuckled to herself as she remembered that her favorite stuffed toy growing up was an elephant. She also remembered that her mother often said (When she wasn’t completely drunk) that Elephants, wise as they were, never forgot anything and were always empathic to anyone’s troubles. They, in her words, were the true kings of the jungle, not the Lion.

“Just wished I’d listened to your advice mom, maybe then things wouldn’t have turned out the way they did between me and Celestia,” Sunset thought, a tear rolling down her face before she quickly wiped it away. No, she couldn’t let anyone see her like this. A Princess, they had to be strong, resolute. They couldn’t cry, not even in private. They couldn’t let their emotions dictate their actions.

“So… So why am I letting them get to me?” Sunset asked herself. She looked towards the sky, hoping for an answer. And she got one.

“It’s because nopony is truly emotionless,” The Phoenix Zord’s voice said kindly in her head. “Not even you. You’ve blocked yourself off from all but your key emotions for so long, that’s why you find this strange now.”

“B-But I’m a Princess! I’m not supposed to let my subjects see me as a normal pony, it would ruin the image of us being infallible!”

The Phoenix simply chuckled to herself. “That, Sunset, is something you’ll have to change. I can’t offer you advice on that, as it’s not my place. But I know you’ll get your answer. It’s simply part of you, never to give up until you’ve found whatever answer you’re looking for.”

“But where…?”

The Zord never answered.

Meanwhile, back with Robert, he (Wearing a borrowed thick jacket of Big Mac’s) and Applejack had gone down to a shed not far from the household where Applejack had a surprise for him. As they walked in, Applejack turned to Robert.

“Fluttershy… After mah little… Oh, how do Ah put this…?” Applejack trailed off as she pulled the shed doors open with a creaking sound.

“Shotgun spree?” Robert offered helpfully.

“Yeah… That,” Applejack blushed. ”Anyways, point being, Fluttershy, bless her heart, was kind enough to ask me to keep this for ya.”

Applejack then pulled a large tarp off of something, revealing Robert’s prized Mustang underneath.

“Dunno if this iron horse of yers works or not, but thought ya might like it.”

Robert ran his fingers over the hood and muttered “It’s okay Baby, daddy’s never going to leave you again.” as he patted it affectionately. Applejack stifled a laugh.

“Y’all want to be alone or somethin’?” She teased as Robert opened the door and tested every system humming to himself “Here come the Rangers, they’re ready for you…” before he noticed something and his eyes widened.

“There’s a cock in my car!” Robert exclaimed and Applejack raised an eyebrow.

“Excuse me?” She asked. “There’s a whut in yer whut?”

“I said there’s a cock in my bloody car!” Robert shouted back.

“Now, how can that be? Ah doubt somepony gelded a pony and left them… male parts in yer car.” Applejack deadpanned, her cheeks turning a delightful little shade of red and it wasn’t from the cold. Robert was now the one stifling a laugh as he realized the mistake and how things had gotten lost in translation.

“Oh, Americans… Mein Gott, I love these types of situations.“ He laughed silently to himself. Next, Applejack saw a rooster promptly thrown out of the side window and into her arms.

“Word of advice, keep your cocks where they belong,” Robert said drolly. “That is, with the hens making more little chickens.”

“...Oh, ya meant that kind of cock. Mah bad.” Applejack laughed nervously to herself and rubbed the back of her head with a hand. Robert then turned the key and let the engine roar to life as he revved it, the mufflers shaking and vibrating. Pistons pumped as the headlights flickered on to cut through the misty morning fog. Applejack quickly found the rooster running away from the sheer volume and she herself covered her ears never hearing anything like it, at least up this close. Robert let a grin slip onto his face as he let the silver skull themed gear shifter slid forwards.

“Time to make some noise.”

Carousel Boutique: Ponyville

Rarity’s peaceful morning was rather rudely disrupted by the rumbling sound of a certain Fox Ranger’s 4.0 L Cologne SOHC V6 pulling up outside her door. She sighed and implanted her fork in her pancakes along with tightening up her bathrobe a bit more. She at least thanked the Mystic Mother that the person in question (Because really, who else could it be making this much effort to make himself known?) had come at this time of day just when she was about to open up shop.

With the sound of a bell ringing as Robert entered the store, he blushed when he realized he could have saved his friendly visit for later on seeing Rarity in her bathrobe and curlers in her mane.

“Sorry, so sorry!” Robert apologized profusely. “If… If I had known I would have come later in the day.”

“Well, at least he has the decency to apologize.” Rarity thought to herself with a smile.

“No, no dearie, it’s no trouble at all,” She lied. “Just let me get myself changed and then we can talk, maybe join me and Zep for breakfast.”

“I’d like that,” Robert said politely before bowing, a force of habit he’d learned when he moved to Japan. “Doumo Arigatou gozaimasu.”

It wasn’t long before Rarity, her husband and Robert were all sitting down at the kitchen table, with Robert of course not eating anything having joined Applejack for breakfast earlier in the day.

“So, I assume you’ve been having a good time in Ponyville as of late? Hopefully, you enjoyed the New Year's Celebration with somepony special.” Zephyr commented as he took a bite of his toast.

“Yeah, you seemed to be hitting it off well with that Artemis mare back at Pinkie’s party a few weeks back,” Rarity added. “You were laughing and joking with each other, you made a very cute couple if I must say so for myself.”

Robert groaned and muttered, “Please, let’s not talk about her.”

Rarity and her husband shared a frown.

“Something the matter?” Rarity asked delicately, sensing at once this was a touchy subject. “You didn’t have a bad breakup, did you? Because if that’s true, me, you and Zep can always go to the movies and just forget about her.”

“Please, having a bad break-up would mean we even dated in the damn first place,” Robert muttered and Zephyr winced as he realized what must have happened.

“Oh, she didn’t…” He trailed off in shock. “I can’t imagine Princess Lu-”

He quickly stopped when he realized his mistake.

“...Excuse me? Artemis is really Celestia’s sister? You baka ka!” Robert asked before cursing himself, after regaining the power of speech. He slid back in his chair upon realizing he’d fallen for a Princess, Celestia’s sister at that, and all he got out of it was a one night stand as Luna thought he was in love with somepony else.

“Which I am not, I should point out,” Robert mentally growled. “I mean, where would she even get that idea?”

“Okaaaaayyyy, changing subjects, there’s something I’m curious about,” Rarity questioned, feeling it best to get Robert’s mind away from Luna. “You speak with a mix of a Trottingham and with a teensy hint of a Germanic accent, yet you know Neighponiese words. What’s the story there, if I may be so bold?”

Despite knowing what Rarity was doing (He did thank her for that, if not out loud) he answered anyways.

“Well, long story short, after an event where a whole armada of aliens invaded the planet and nearly destroyed the town I was living in I figured it best to get the Hell out of Dodge as the Americans say and move somewhere safer,” Robert explained and judged the expressions on Rarity and her husband’s face. They seemed unsurprised that aliens existed. Must to have been either because of “The Doctor” or Thrax. “So, I chose Japan of all places. Course, quickly found out that if you live there, you need to learn both Japanese words and how to write in katakana and such. Adopted by a local family, they took me in and showed me the ropes. I’m ever grateful for that, even if my adoptive uncles are morons of the highest caliber at times.”

Rarity nodded with an “Ah. Makes sense.” Robert’s eyes allowed themselves to wander to a mannequin where the ruined jacket he used to wear as part of his SPD uniform sat. Rarity noticed and blushed red in a mix of embarrassment and shame.

“Ah… That. The elephant in the room, as it were. I’ve been meaning to get around to that ever since Sunset sent that to me, but with my own orders clogging up my schedule and the weekly monster attacks… Well, I suppose you get the picture.” She admitted. Robert suddenly got an idea, a crazy one, but an idea nonetheless.

“You have fabrics and a sewing machine?”

Rarity gave him a look.

“Right… Stupid question.”

It was to both of the shop’s owners shock that they found Robert having the ability to stitch and sew. As it turned out, he explained that in SPD, if you ruined your own uniform, much like in the military, you were expected to repair it. As Robert stitched and sewed away he hummed “Shizuka na hoshi wo torimodosu tame ni sā
Get up! Chansu da
Wow-wow, jajjimento! Kimeru ze
Tokusō Sentai Dekarenjā!” to himself. Neither of them could understand what Robert was singing and the Neighponiese seemed to be off in some spots, (Most likely chalked up to him not being a native speaker) but he seemed to be enjoying himself so both Rarity and Zephyr let it slide. Finally, Robert produced a new version of his jacket, exactly the same as the old but now in orange instead of green. Then, Rarity got an idea of her own.

“You know dearie, now that we know you have this hidden talent if you can help me with my workload, I can provide you with room and board, along with an income. Win-Win situation for all of us, I say.” Rarity proposed. Robert smiled gratefully as he zipped up his jacket after tossing his borrowed one aside.

“I’d… I’d like that.” He said.

Ponyville Police Station:

Sunset sighed as she and Twilight walked through the hallways of the police station. She had to do this, learn just exactly why a normally friendly mare like Cloudchaser would just attack her out of the blue in a mob.

“Are you sure you’re up for this?” Twilight asked kindly. “I could handle this if you want, or let the Royal Guard deal with this situation.”

In all honesty, Twilight thought Sunset should be nowhere near this case, she was far too close to it and she’d had sprouts of temper issues before. So, Twilight’s better judgment was telling her to keep Sunset as far away from this as possible.

“No, I have to do this,” Sunset replied.

“Have to, or want to?” Twilight asked. Sunset never answered as they reached Cloudchaser’s prison cell.

Sunset sat herself down in a chair that she had been provided, sitting right across from what used to be a good friend of hers.

“Let’s get right to the point here,” Sunset asked, Twilight watching her every move nervously from the exterior of the cell. “Why… Just why?”

“Because that human you so staunchly support, the one I bet you’re going at it with every day and night, he brought this curse on our town! He’s the one who’s responsible for this… All of this!” Cloudchaser shouted and Sunset felt her anger rising. “The monster attacks, everything!” Cloudchaser continued.

“Keep yourself calm, controlled.” Sunset thought, remembering her Tai Chi practice before asking calmly: “Is that what you really believe?”

Cloudchaser answered with a soft “Yes. He’s dangerous, you might not see it yet, but I did. We all did. That’s why we did it.”

Sunset snarled and leaped out of her chair as the Phoenix yelled out her name in shock. Sunset’s hands gripped Cloudchaser’s throat tightly.

“You’re… You’re not capable of killing me. You’re… You’re too good a pony for that.” Cloudchaser gasped out, gasping for air as she futilely tried to push Sunset off her.

“Ponies change, I learned that from you,” Sunset snarled. Her horn was glowing a bright angry red and her wings had turned into pure flame, filling the room with hellish light and intense heat. “Besides, it’s not me that’s killing you. Yeah, here’s an interesting fact for you. Yes, you’re gasping for air, but it isn’t your lungs that are crying out for oxygen. It’s your brain. That’s what’s dying, that bigoted, foolish brain of yours!”

“SUNSET!” Twilight shouted, pulling away her friend with her magic before she could do the deed. Sunset blinked as she realized what she had done, recognizing the terrified look on Cloudchaser’s face. She recoiled in horror.

“What… What did I nearly just do?” She asked herself, feeling incredibly sick with herself before she teleported away to parts unknown. Twilight meanwhile collected herself after taking a few calming breaths and turned to a guard.

“Lock this scum up.” She snarled, before teleporting away to where she knew the only place Sunset would go at a time like this: The Golden Oaks Library…

Elsewhere, in the cold freezing north of the Caribou countries that had once been Alaska, Princess Celestia walked through an icy cavern. This… This was the safest place for her, a place where she couldn’t do damage to anybody or anything.

Celestia sighed as she sat down next to some icy crystals, the glow casting a dance of beautiful rainbow colors on the icy ceiling.

“You know,” A voice said from behind her. “Whatever it is you’re running from, it’s not going to work.”

Celestia turned to look, a hood covering her face and mane. Walking up to her was a brown furred caribou, with truly magnificent antlers and wearing royal garb. Beside him was a grey-furred wolf, aged in years with gleaming yellow eyes. Celestia chuckled, it seemed Dainn still had that beloved wolf of his, Nava, as always.

“I know your problem, Celestia, you took me on as a student once when I was being prepared for my kingship,” Dainn Peacefulheart remarked as he sat down next to her. “It wasn’t hard to figure out you had some sort of split personality disorder, it showed whenever you got angry.”

“I’m right to run, if you know about my other self, you know the damage she can do,” Celestia said.

“Perhaps, but yet you leave your kingdom with only your sister in charge. This cowardice… It isn’t like you.” Dainn pointed out.

“She can handle it. She knows how to rule, I taught her well, just as I taught you,” Celestia replied. “Besides, if I go back, I’d be putting everyone in danger. Not just my sister, but everyone.”

“Yes, but I also know that if you’ve had the strength to hold off Solar Flare this long, you can hold her off long enough for somepony to figure out a way to stop her. I know your students, they’re brilliant beyond measure. If anypony can do it, it’s them.”

“You’re… You’re right.” Celestia mused before chuckling. Dainn raised an eyebrow.

“What’s so funny?” He asked.

“It’s just… In this case, the student has become the teacher. You’re absolutely right, it’s time for me to buck up and do what I should have done long ago.” Celestia said, throwing her hood back and letting her mane flow free.

“And what’s that?” Dainn asked, smirking.

“Stop running.”