The Animarium

Robert groaned out in pain as his vision slowly came into focus. It was nighttime on the Animarium and the moon was high in the sky as clouds cleared away. He could smell the smell of freshly fallen rain on leaves and could hear the sound of frogs croaking out their songs. He could also hear a song playing. Robert's eyes widened and he smiled as he recognized the notes and the singer singing out "...Broken bottles under children's feet, Bodies strewn across the dead end street. But I won't heed the battle call, It puts my back up, Puts my back up against the wall..." and saw the pony he had heard referred to as Sunburst fiddling with his phone as the song continued.

"...Sunday, Bloody Sunday
Sunday, Bloody Sunday
Sunday, Bloody Sunday..."

"W-Were humans really this violent?" Sunburst asked himself, not knowing the phone's owner had awoken.

"It... It was a very troubled time." Robert told him, and Sunburst jumped nearly ten feet in the air in surprise and fear not realizing Robert was awake and Robert rolled his eyes and muttered "Pathetic..." to himself and clutched his chest in pain and made a groaning sound as Princess Shayla walked in and smiled on seeing Robert up and about... Well, as much as up and about as Robert could be at the current point.

"Oh, Robert, I hadn't realized you had awoken." Shayla said kindly and Robert chuckled.

"Neither did he, apparently." Robert replied dryly as he gestured to Sunburst before groaning in pain once again.

"Best you don't move quite yet. You've got a few cracked ribs... among other things."

"Wow, and here I thought it was just my pride that was wounded." Robert remarked sarcastically as Sunburst clutched his chest to get his heart rate back to normal.

"So how long have I been asleep?"

"About a week, if I had to venture a guess." Shayla said. Robert's eyes widened. A week? It didn't seem like a week when he was in his dream. In the background somewhere, a wolf howled at the moon. Merrick's Wolf Zord, Robert knew and then he saw the distinct gold and aquamarine form of the Condor Zord fly overhead.

"It was touch and go for a while, we didn't think you'd make it." Shayla continued.

"Boy, bet Princess Dick-With-Wings-And-Horn would have loved to have heard about that." Robert remarked, still in sarcasm mode.

"We... We didn't fill her in." Sunset's voice said as she walked into the temple, wearing just her pyjamas, which consisted of just grey sleep pants and a yellow bra. Robert blushed red and tried to look away, but found that hard to do. He was a man, not a saint, after all. Sunset noted Robert eying her, despite how hard he was trying not to and grabbed Robert's jacket, which happened to be nearby and covered herself up with it.

"You know, ponies might start talking if you start wearing my clothes." Robert snarked and Sunset rolled her eyes.

"...Hell, bet it would piss Princess Dick-With-Wings-And-Horn off more if she thought we were sleeping together. Hey, maybe we should do that, just for fun." Robert said in a tone that made it impossible to tell if he was being serious or not. Sunset just glared at him.

"You know, maybe you should remove that stick that's seemingly stuck up your arse. Might do you a world of good if you started taking things less seriously, like me." Robert remarked. Sunset glared at him some more.

"Listen you, I have to be the serious one around here, and keep the rest of these idiots in line (Here she shot a look towards Sunburst that said "No offence") otherwise the Orgs will kill us all." Sunset replied sternly as her greenish eyes pierced Robert's own. "So, it might help if you started taking things seriously. Might keep this incident from happening again. Just a thought."

As much as Robert wanted to retort a snarky comeback, he had to admit she had somewhat of a point. He just wasn't going to admit it.

"...Okay, so that stick is staying there for the time being." Robert replied back in turn and muttered to himself "Geez, Tsundere much?"

Sunset's expression turned softer as she picked Robert's fox themed necklace off a table and eyed it.

"Knew that would catch your eyes, it always does with the women. Given to me by my uncle Burai on my seventeenth birthday for luck." Robert commented cheerfully before his tone became more grim as he mused to himself "...Yeah, and look how my life has turned out so far. Not very lucky. Joined SPD for three months, get reprimanded constantly, then get shot to a misanthropic world and nearly killed by an Org and lose my Ranger powers in the process by being a baka. Some luck. Dōmo arigatō, Lord."

Sunset laid a hand on his shoulder even as he winced in pain and she quickly whispered an apology towards him as Robert looked skywards and thought "Yep, definitely Tsundere." to himself.

"Listen, I don't know how, but we'll get your Ranger powers back and get you connected to the Morphin' Grid again. It'll just take time." Sunset said softly, in a kind tone of voice.

"Speaking of Rangers, where's the rest of your merry bunch?"

"Well, Lightning and Vapor Trail are at Wonderbolts practice, so it's just me and Sunburst here, although I have to leave in a bit to start my daily Princess duties." Sunset explained. Robert raised an eyebrow at the term "Wonderbolts" and looked at her questioningly.

"Stunt flying team." Sunset clarified and conjured up a poster of the lead Captain, Spitfire, who was a mare with spiky flaming red and amber hair and wearing a VERY formfitting blue flight suit (Robert drooled a little bit, with Sunset noticing and facepalming and muttering to herself "Pervert...") with yellow lightning detailing. Robert chuckled and muttered "So, flying anthromorphic pony versions of the Blue Angels then."

This time Sunset was the one to look at him questioningly.

"Blue Angels?" She asked, and Robert gestured for Sunburst to give him his phone. Sunburst nervously handed it to him and Robert brought up an internet search (How he was able to even get internet for his phone on the Animarium was something Robert would ponder for months to come afterwards) for the Blue Angels. This is what he found.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aqy94LWwoww

Sunset's eyes widened at the tricks displayed in the thirty minute video. The close flying techniques, the stunts and even the machines themselves weren't that far off from the things the Wonderbolts did at their air shows. Robert smirked at her impressed look.

"Knew you'd like it, I'll admit the Americans are bad at... well, most everything really, but they can sure put on a show. Very good at that sort of thing." Robert commented offhandedly, still wearing that smug smile.

"Listen, I got to be going. Royal Princess of Empathy duties and all, you just get better okay?" Sunset said kindly before teleporting away in a gold and red flash of light.

"...Oh, I do hope she doesn't plan on keeping that jacket of mine. Really would be bloody rude of her if she did." Robert remarked lightly.

One Week Later...

A week passed, and soon Robert was healed up enough to be up and walking around. He could often be found walking around the Animarium shirtless and bandaged up. He took in the sights of the flying paradise and its resident Zords. He could see why Princess Shayla almost never left the island. After all, why would you want to, what with its massive jungles, infinite variations of wildlife and great lakes and soaring peaks, not to mention the Wild Zords themselves. Everyday, it seemed like he found a new one, from the brown Coyote Zord, the black Frog Zord, the blue Antelope Zord to the yellow Owl and white Swan Zords. But as always in nature, it came time for fox pups to leave their dens, and Robert's time was coming soon...

"You could stay here you know, it would be a refuge for you from the cruelties of the world below." Princess Shayla had said. "The first Wild Force Rangers practically lived here as well, and they had no problem with it."

"Yeah, but I'm not them." Robert argued. "And besides, they didn't stay here all the time. They had lives to live as well. I can't just stay here knowing Orgs are out and about and do nothing, I'd never forgive myself and I'd probably go stir-crazy as well."

"He's right, and he has to be down there, it's where he belongs." Sunset had put in.

"But the ponies, they will be cruel to him. I'm not sure he has what it takes to withstand their words and prejudices. Plus, he's powerless against the Orgs!" Shayla responded.

"Yes, they will be cruel, but not all of them. He has me looking out for him, and Vapor as well, as well as the Prince of the Crystal Empire, Captain Shining Armor, plus there's Sparkler and her family after he saved her, remember that? And he has his training, he can defend himself against Org and pony alike, even without his powers, which we have HIM working on to regain besides." Sunset put in. She still remembered Animus's words to her two weeks before.

"Do not fear Little Firebird. He will pull through, but you must be with him to help him face the challenges ahead. ALL of you, and yes that does include Lightning. Otherwise, he may fall to darkness and lose hope for what he must protect... And if that happens, then the Orgs will have already won."

She knew Animus had a point, Robert couldn't stay on the island forever. It just wasn't where he belonged. Plus, she had suspicions Animus had plans, like all Gods did as they moved in mysterious ways, for Robert, even if she didn't know what they were just yet.

"Alright... In that case, he may go." Shayla sighed, finally admitting defeat. Sunset smirked.

As Robert prepared to be teleported, Sunset led him away into the brush.

"What, a quick one before we go?" Robert had snarkily remarked. Sunset rolled her eyes, used to the human's flirtations by now. She moved aside some ferns.

"Found this near where Twilight found you. Thought it might be yours." Sunset said, and revealed Robert's prized Ford Mustang, a bit dinged and scratched up in its paintwork, but those could be fixed with time and money. Robert's face lit up with joy and he rubbed his hands on its hood and caressed it as he whispered "Hello Baby, daddy's come home and I won't let anyone or anything harm you, not again."

Sunset rolled her eyes and muttered "Boys and their toys..." as Robert and his car were teleported away in white flashes of light down to the ground below. As for what would happen when he reached that particular spot, only Animus knew and he wasn't keen on offering answers really. So Sunset just had to hope and pray that nothing too horrible would happen. It was all she could do, after all.

END

Author's Notes:

Okay, so Robert's finally awake and active again after a week of lying around. Of course, now it's time for him to face the brave new world and it's cruelties. Plus, he had his first real interaction with Sunset Shimmer, who promises to get his powers back... somehow. And we learn the Wild Force Rangers have a mysterious benefactor who knows the inner workings of the Morphin' Grid. Any guesses, anyone? Also, we see more Wild Zords, including Merrick's (Well, it's back in Zen-Aku's paws now, but only Animus knows about that.) and we learn Robert has a an uncle named Burai. And for you Super Sentai fans, yes, it's THAT Burai. (There are other Super Sentai related jokes here as well, see if you can catch them.) Anyways, next time, Robert faces Ponyville...

Okay, now translations for the various words Robert's sprouted off in the past few chapters:

Baka: Idiot

Dōmo arigatō: Thank you very much

Arigatō: Thank you

Genki desu: Good or so-so

Hai: Yes

Tsundere:

Tsundere is a Japanese character development process that describes a person who is initially cold and even hostile towards another person before gradually showing their warm side over time. The word is derived from the terms tsun tsun, meaning to turn away in disgust, and dere dere meaning to become 'lovey dovey'.

Source: Wikipedia

Wunderbar/Wundervolle: Wonderful

Mein Gott: My God

Schlechtesten: Worst

Okay, opinions on this chapter, and what you'd like to see in future chapters will be very much appreciated. Comments are my meat and potatoes after all.