Chapter 12

It was a good thing that the town was now deserted for the most part, as now Ponyville had become a battlefield for titans. Even still, there were a few people further away, seeing the giant golden monster and the five robots that fought it.

“What in tarnation?” Big Macintosh wonder, looking at the fight in awe.

“I can't reach Pinkie Pie!” Maud said, in a rare show of emotion frantically dialing her phone, “She always picks up her phone!”

“Is Rarity still in the town?!” Rarity's mom asked, “Is she somewhere in the middle of that?!”

“Cookie, calm down,” Rarity's father said placing a hand on her back, “I'm sure she's okay. Rarity would have called if she were hurt.”

“Ooooh, I hope Twilight is alright!” Twilight's father said nervously, watching the fight, “She's so fragile!”

“Just like our Fluttershy!” Fluttershy's mom cried, being held by her husband, “Please be alright!”

“They're all okay!” Apple Bloom cried, catching the attention of all of the adults, “Applejack is with them! I know it!”

“Rarity's there too!” Sweetie Belle shouted, another girl with short purple hair with her, “I bet they're helping those titans fight the bad monster!”

All of the adults looked back at the fight, praying that their kids were somehow, in someway safe.

The Pterodactyl Zord flew around Goldar, firing at the monster with its machine guns, the bullets seeming to do no damage. When Goldar tried swatting it away, the flying Zord did a fancy maneuver, dodging around the hand and shooting straight up into the air.

“Hey! I can't get a clean shot at her!” Pinkie Pie cried, “Could someone hold her still?!”

“Leave that to us!” Rarity said, “Twilight, help me!”

“Got it!” Twilight exclaimed. The Mastodon and Triceratops Zords moved right in front of Goldar as it turned to them. The Mastodon Zord shot out its tusks and the Triceratops Zord shot out its two top horns, all of which were connected to chains that wrapped around the monster's arms, which it struggled against.

The Saber Tooth Tiger Zord ran on a few of the buildings, and then stopped next to Goldar to fire at it with two laser cannons on its shoulders. Goldar took those hits head on, but then pulled the Triceratops Zord by the chain and threw it into the Saber Tooth Tiger Zord, knocking it off the building.

“AHH!” Fluttershy screamed.

“Sorry Fluttershy!” Twilight cried.

“Don't worry about it,” Fluttershy said, “Let's try and get around Luna while she's preoccupied!”

Twilight nodded, and the two Zords ran around the buildings to reach Goldar. Meanwhile, the T-Rex Zord thrashed around to attack Goldar with its jaws, still being held by the Mastodon Zord.

The Pterodactyl Zord flew back around, stopping to hover right in front of Goldar and unloaded its machine guns on the preoccupied monster, who had to use its now free hand to block. The Mastodon Zord gave a loud cry and shot out what appeared to be vapor out of its trunk that froze Goldar in place.

“Applejack, fire!” Rarity called out.

Applejack nodded to Rarity on her screen and positioned the T-Rex Zord so it was hunched forward, the large cannon on its back pointed at Goldar. The cannon charged up, and fired a red blast at Goldar, breaking it out of the ice and clearly doing massive damage.

The Triceratops and Saber Tooth Tiger Zords both ran out from around a corner and charged at Goldar. The Saber Tooth Tiger Zord stopped short and fired at Goldar with its cannons, but the Triceratops Zord kept charging, tackling Goldar, who had to grab the Zord to hold it back so as to not take as much damage.

“I see the five of you are strong now!” Luna's voice boomed out from Goldar, “But if this is the extent of your power, then I am sadly disappointed!”

Goldar threw the Triceratops Zord to the side, and then charged up energy in its chest. It then fired a large green beam out, aiming right for the Triceratops and Saber Tooth Tiger Zords. The Triceratops Zord managed to roll out of the way, but the Saber Tooth Tiger Zord wasn't so lucky as the beam inched its way toward it.

Right before it hit though, the T-Rex Zord rushed over to it and pushed the Saber-Toothed Tiger Zord out of the way, taking the attack itself.

“Applejack!” Fluttershy cried.

“It's fine!” Applejack said, “My Zord's got highest defense from the looks of it! We need to change tactics! Twilight, Rarity, keep fightin’ Luna close quarter! Fluttershy, you an' I’ll take separate sections of the town and position ourselves to hit her with our cannons! While we're doin’ that, I want you to circle around and find a vulnerable spot, Pinkie Pie! Let's do it, Rangers!”

Without a word, all five of them changed position, the Triceratops and Mastodon Zords fighting Goldar close quarter, while the Saber Tooth Tiger and T-Rex Zords both ran off in separate directions. The Pterodactyl Zord flew off and circled around Goldar, who was now fighting much more aggressively.

In Goldar's right hand, gold moved around and extended outward and solidified in the form of a sword. Pinkie Pie seemed to be the only one who noticed it though and gasped in shock.

“Girls, look out!” Pinkie Pie cried. Goldar raised its arm to slash downward, but the Triceratops Zord used its horns to hold Goldar's arm back. Out of its other hand, Goldar shot out a green energy beam out at the Pterodactyl Zord, damaging its left wing before it could fly away.

“Pinkie Pie, hang on!” Rarity shouted. The Mastodon Zord ran after the Pterodactyl Zord and caught it right before it landed and hit the ground, “Are you alright, darling?”

“I am, but I think my Zord's wings were damaged,” Pinkie Pie said, “I can't fly right now.”

“That's not good,” Rarity muttered, “Without you being able to fly, we can't-” she was cut off by Twilight's helpless screams, “Twilight?!”

Goldar grabbed the Triceratops Zord by the two upper horns, picked it up, and threw it into a building. The T-Rex and Saber Tooth Tiger Zords both ran in from opposite sides and charged up their cannons at the same time. When they fired though, Goldar held out its hands and created what appeared to be an energy shield, negating any possible damage.

“Hey! No fair!” Pinkie Pie cried, “Why don't we have an energy shield?!”

“Without the use of the Megazord, the five of you are no match for Goldar's might!” Luna's voice echoed around them, “Unless you five show me a miracle, this is as far as you go!”

To demonstrate, Goldar created a large mace and swung it at the Saber Tooth Tiger Zord, knocking it over to where Rarity and Pinkie Pie's Zords were. The T-Rex Zord helped the Triceratops Zord to its feet, and both of them charged at Goldar, who without any effort, knocked them back with a swing of its sword. Goldar picked up the Triceratops Zord again and threw it off to the side, but then stumbled a bit as the T-Rex Zord tackled it in the side.

The two titans fought close quarter for a few seconds, but then Goldar slashed the T-Rex Zord with its blade, and then shot its green energy beam out at the Zord, knocking it back closer to the others.

“Nothing is working!” Fluttershy cried, “What are we going to do?!”

“I don't know if there's anything we can do!” Rarity cried, “Our training didn't prepare us for this!”

“This is the end!” Luna shouted as Goldar charged up its hands again, “The Crystal Heart is mine! Good-bye Power Rangers!”

Goldar shot out a much larger energy beam at the Zords. The T-Rex and Triceratops Zords both got in front and tried to defend, but they were both pushed back by the blast. The Saber-Toothed Tiger and Mastodon Zords got behind the two in front and pushed them forward, and even the Pterodactyl Zord did its best to push them while resting on the backs of the Mastodon and Saber-Toothed Tiger Zords.

“My energy is failing!” Pinkie Pie cried.

“This… can't be it…!” Applejack cried, “There has to be… somethin' we can do!”

“I'm not ready to give up yet!” Fluttershy shouted, “I… don't want to die!”

“While I… certainly admire your new found drive, I think this is it…!” Rarity shouted through gritted teeth behind her helmet.

“I'm sorry Mommy…” Twilight said, actually crying a bit behind her helmet, “I wasn't strong enough…”

Back outside of town, the citizens all looked devastated as the robots looked like they were about to burn away in that golden monster's blast.

“No…!” Sweetie Belle cried, “They can't lose…!”

“Damn it…!” Macintosh said through gritted teeth, “Come on…! Keep fightin…!”

Back in the castle, Celestia and Spike were watching the fight in the pool. Spike tightened his fists in frustration while Celestia closed her eyes in prayer.

“They weren't ready…!” Spike fussed, “Damn!”

“I still believe in those children,” Celestia said, “They have to survive!”

Just when it looked like it was the end, something lit up on Applejack's console. A button that she didn't notice before lit up. The same thing happened in each of the girls' consoles, almost in response to their emotions.

“What's this?” Applejack asked.

“You see it too, right?” Rarity asked, “Something is trying to activate in our Zords.”

“I say let's try it!” Fluttershy said, “I mean, we're going to die otherwise, right?”

“Maybe, it's that Megazord thing that Luna mentioned,” Pinkie Pie pointed out.

“I'm with Fluttershy,” Twilight stated, “We need to try something, right?”

“Alright then,” Applejack said, “Quickly, push that glowin’ button on your consoles!”

All five of them immediately did as such. Immediately afterward, the Zords all started glowing, and were engulfed in a bright light that dispersed Goldar's energy beam. Goldar looked around in confusion as the light died down, revealing something else rising to it's feet.

It appeared to be a humanoid robot somewhat shaped like Goldar, but looking more heroic than demonic. It appeared to be a combination of the five Battle Zords, as its feet were black and blue, it's lower torso was yellow while it's upper torso was red. It's head was pink with a large blue glowing visor for a face, and it had the Pterodactyl Zord's wings on its back, folded up as they were not currently in use. Each of the Rangers appeared in a small cockpit, spread out across the body of the robot: Twilight and Rarity both on the robot's hips, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy appearing on its shoulders, and Applejack appearing right at the center of the robot's collar bone. Despite being clearly mechanical, the robot looked vaguely organic with h

“Oh... my… GOD!!!” Pinkie Pie cheered, “This is awesome!”

“Is this, the Megazord?!” Twilight asked looking around.

“Alright, I'm sold,” Fluttershy nodded and folding her arms, “I think I love being a Power Ranger now.”

“How?!” Luna shrieked in confusion, anger, and some fear as Goldar tightened its fists, “It takes years of training to use that power! How did you girls figure it out in only a few short minutes?!” she demanded, fury mounting with each passing second.

“Kids of this generation are fast learners,” Applejack said, “So Rangers, why don't we show her how it's done?!”

All five girls cheered and moved forward as one, sadly making the Megazord fall onto its knees.

“Whoa whoa whoa!” Rarity screamed, “What the hell was that?!”

“I was trying to move forward!” Fluttershy fussed, “What the hell were you doing?!”

“Does anyone know how to drive this thing?” Pinkie Pie asked, “Cause I'm stumped.”

“Um, I think we all have to control a different part,” Twilight pointed out, stopping the argument that might have started.

“I think I can move an arm,” Pinkie Pie said.

“I've got a leg,” Rarity said, “Um, only the right leg though. Who's the left leg?”

“That's me,” Twilight said, “I'm the left leg.”

“Alright, now let's try this,” Applejack said, “Each one of us focuses on the limb we're closest to and moves that. I'll help each of y'all out, alright?”

“Okay, let's try it again,” Rarity said, “One, two, three!”

The Megazord slowly rose to it's feet and got back in it's fighting stance. Oddly, either due to wanting a fair fight or just completely shocked by that display, Luna and Goldar actually waited for them.

“If you're all ready, let's go for round two!” Luna shouted. Goldar threw a punch, but the Megazord blocked with one hand and threw a punch of its own. It then followed up by kicking it back.

“Alright, I think I'm seein’ how this works,” Applejack said, “I gotta move the joints, while y'all move the limb that’s connected to that joint.”

“We should keep it simple for now,” Rarity said, “Learn as we go along.”

“So no super complicated moves yet?” Pinkie Pie asked, “Aw man…”

Goldar and the Megazord both grabbed each other and tried to wrestle one another to the ground. Eventually Goldar kneed the Megazord in the stomach, which oddly sent a surge of painful energy to the Rangers inside.

“Ahh!” Fluttershy cried, “Wait?! Does this mean we feel everything that this robot feels?!”

“Remember when we entered our Zords?” Twilight asked, “They connected to us so we'd know how to move them. I think us feeling what they feel is a side effect of that.”

“So we jus' gotta be careful,” Applejack said, “That's alright. We're still learnin', remember? Let's jus' try an' go on the offenses now.”

The Megazord kneed Goldar itself, and then surprisingly headbutted Goldar knocking it back. The Megazord then punched Goldar two times, ending with an uppercut that knocked Goldar to the ground.

“WHOO!!!” Pinkie Pie cheered, “Take that!”

“Applejack, let's try something,” Rarity said, “Follow my lead!”

“You got it!” Applejack said. The Megazord then lifted its right leg straight into the air and axe kicked Goldar in the stomach. Before the monster could get up, the Megazord knelt down to pick it up and then threw it further away from the town square.

“Hey! I think I know it's weakness!” Pinkie Pie shouted, “Twilight, can you check its chest?”

“Hold on,” Twilight said typing on her console, “Luna is in the chest!”

“Then we need to hit there, right?” Fluttershy asked, “Do we have anything like a weapon?”

“Lookin’ at the arms, I'm seein the cannons you were usin’,” Applejack said, “Let's try those.”

As Goldar tried to stand up, the Megazord raised its right arm and charged the cannons. It then fired point blank right into Goldar's chest, which, based on the loud scream from Luna, must have hurt quite a bit. A few seconds later, Goldar exploded violently, sending gold everywhere. All five of the Ranger cheered inside of their cockpits.

“We did it!” Rarity cheered, “We beat Luna!”

“We actually won?!” Fluttershy asked, “Oh my God we won!”

Pinkie Pie laughed loudly, “The heroes always win! I knew it! Ladies, we have arrived! We're now full fledged heroes!”

“Applejack, did I do good?” Twilight asked hopefully.

“You were great,” Applejack said, “You were all great. I couldn't have done it without y'all,” she stopped when she saw the townspeople cheering loudly, “Well look at that.”

“They're cheering…” Fluttershy said, clearly shocked, but happy, “For… us?”

“Of course they are!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, “That's what people do for the good guys!”

“This feels nice,” Rarity said, “I'm, not used to this.”

“Let's wave to them!” Twilight exclaimed, “Can we Applejack? Can we please?”

Applejack laughed, “Why not? Let's give 'em a good wave.”

The Megazord waved to the people watching, which seemed to earn even more loud cheers from them.

“We're… heroes now, aren't we?” Rarity asked.

“I think so,” Applejack said, “Come on, let's disembark an' search for Luna.”

The Megazord gave the people one last wave, and then broke up back into the five Zords. The Battle Zords all ran (flew in Pinkie Pie's case) away from the city in search of the woman who’d controlled Goldar.

Luna staggered off toward the forest, holding her arm in pain. She leaned against a tree and allowed her wounds to magically heal.

“They… defeated Goldar…” Luna hissed, “Their power… is far greater than I imagined…”

She pushed off the tree and walked deeper into the forest. If her sister did indeed live, she needed to see her so this would make sense.

After separating, they had Pinkie Pie fly back to search for Luna's body. The rest of the Rangers all waited on a hill outside of town for the Pterodactyl Zord to fly back, all of them still in their Ranger armor minus their helmets. After a while, the Pterodactyl Zord landed nearby, and Pinkie Pie jumped out of the cockpit and ran over to them, her helmet retracting.

“She's not in Ponyville,” Pinkie Pie said.

“Did she get away?” Fluttershy asked.

“Probably right after Goldar was destroyed,” Rarity pointed out, “Is this okay? Us not knowing where she is?”

“It ain't,” Applejack said shaking her head, “We need to track her down fast.”

“I, think I know where she is,” Twilight said catching everyone's attention.

“Where is she?” Rarity asked.

“She's probably heading to a familiar place,” Twilight said, “That means the castle.”

“She's in my sanctuary then?” Fluttershy asked, “We have to kick her out. You four are the only ones I'm okay allowing in there.”

“For once, I agree wholeheartedly,” Applejack said, “Let's head to the forest!”

All of them nodded and ran toward the forest. Since they were going to be the only ones there, none of them bothered putting their helmets back on, but they did all call out their weapons just in case anything showed up to get in their way.

Luna walked through the forest, trying her best to remember the way to the palace. If she was following the old path like she remembered, she'd see it very soon. Before those Rangers tracked her down and tried to finish her off, she had to see her sister and set the records straight.

Right when she saw the castle in the distance, she saw a ghostly apparition exit and float over to her. After careful inspection, she saw that it was the ghost of her sister, Celestia. Next to her was the wolf from before. Luna frowned and walked forward closer to them.

“It has truly been a long time, little sister,” Celestia said.

“Yes, far too long,” Luna said, a bit sobered seeing what remained of her sister, “So, that mutt from earlier was yours?”

“This is Spike,” Celestia said motioning to the wolf, “Like me, he is limited in how he can exist. Outside of the shrine, he's forced to take this form. It's a price for his immortality.”

“I'm sorry for the two of you,” Luna said genuinely, “I must know, sister, why them? They are mere children.”

“They were simply the ones who found the Power Coins,” Celestia said, “I did not wish for them to be involved. Originally, I had hoped that I could revive and come see you in person.”

“Why? Hoping you could persuade me to return to the fold?” Luna asked leaning forward with her hands on her hips, “Help you train those children to become even stronger than they are now?”

Celestia closed her eyes somberly, “Yes, actually. They may be good, but they have a long journey ahead of them.”

“How were they able to do what they did?” Luna asked frowning, “You couldn't have been training them for too long. Only a week or two at the most. Yet they not only mastered their weapons, but even managed to summon the Megazord. Also, they defeated Goldar and myself. What is it those children have that I lack?”

“While they are still young, and very green as it were,” Celestia said, “They have gained a true grasp of the ranger spirit. They were honestly the worst people for the job initially, yet they pulled through and became true Rangers. That spirit is something that you have abandoned.”

Before Luna could say anything, she heard footsteps behind her. She turned a bit to see the Power Rangers run up to them, none of them wearing their helmets but with their weapons out and ready. Like this, they honestly did look like heroes.

“Ranger Spirit, huh?” Luna asked, “These children?”

“It don't have to be like this,” Applejack said, “Your sister still loves ya, an' wants to have a relationship with ya. It ain't too late.”

“No, it is far too late,” Luna said completely turning to face them, “I belong to the demon king Discord now.”

“But deep down, you're still a Power Ranger, aren't you?” Twilight asked, “Doesn't it feel terrible to know that you hurt your friends?”

“My 'friends'?” Luna asked, before breaking out into hysterical laughter, “They were never 'my friends'. All they were to me were fellow soldiers, and eventually obstacles in the way of my ambitions.”

“So that's it then,” Rarity said folding her arms, “You only see those around you as tools to be used. Honestly, I don't see how someone like you ever became a Power Ranger.”

“I became a Power Ranger because I was strong!” Luna shouted, “I've always been the strongest! It was the one thing I was known for! The one thing I was respected for! Each of you represents a different animal: the Mastodon, the Pterodactyl, Triceratops, Saber-Toothed Tiger, and the T-Rex. The animal that I represent, is the Dragon, the strongest beast in existence! Strength is all that matters!”

“If that's true, then why are we Power Rangers?” Pinkie Pie asked, “None of us are strong like you, yet we were able to morph and even defeat your overgrown cheese monster!”

Everyone turned to Pinkie Pie in confusion.

“Cheese? Really?” Applejack asked.

“It looked like melted cheese to me, okay?! I'm sorry!” Pinkie Pie retaliated.

“Ugh! This is what gets to me!” Luna shouted holding her head in frustration, “You're nothing but a group of teenagers with attitude! Why are you Power Rangers?! Why was I defeated by the likes of you?!”

“You have power, but that's all you have,” Fluttershy said sadly, “Looking at you, I can see the kind of person I was in danger of becoming. Someone who thinks that they don't need others to evolve or access their potential. But no one gets very far by themselves. You lost to us because you're alone.”

“Shut up! SHUT UP!” Luna screamed, her energy rising, “I'll show you what true power looks like! There only needs to be one Power Ranger in the world, and that Ranger will be ME!”

“Brace yourselves!” Applejack commanded, all five of them getting in fighting stances, “This is the real final fight!”

“I'm through holding back with you!” Luna shouted, pointing her sword forward, “This time, I'm going to destroy you!”

She slashed at the air, sending a shock wave out, forcing the Rangers to all roll out of the way and scatter. Pinkie Pie landed on one knee and fired arrows at Luna, who swung her sword around to block. She rushed over to her, but Twilight and Rarity rolled in front of her and blocked with their weapons. Fluttershy then ran up to Pinkie Pie, who leaned forward so Fluttershy could use her back as leverage, and then jumped over Twilight and Rarity to kick Luna back.

When Luna fell back, she rolled to her feet just in time to block Applejack's sword. The two of them clashed blades for a bit, until Luna's hair shot out at Applejack and knocked her to the ground.

Luna then thrust her sword into the ground, causing green waves to shoot out of the ground hitting all of the Rangers. As they all flew back, Luna stood up and walked around them.

“This is what true power looks like!” Luna shouted as they struggled to get up, “You children have no true grasp of that! You're Power Rangers in name only!”

“I think you need to look in the mirror!” Rarity shouted. She and Applejack both got up and rushed at Luna, who managed to fight both of them at the same time. She kicked Rarity back, and slashed Applejack in the chest, but then Twilight rushed in with her lance and fought her for a few seconds.

Luna's hair wrapped around Twilight and held her up. As Twilight struggled to get free, Luna pulled her close and held her blade to her neck.

“Isn't this familiar?” Luna asked, “Do me a favor and stay dead this time.”

“NO!” Fluttershy screamed, running up to them, she rolled into a ball and then uncurled next to the ex Green Ranger and slashed through Luna's hair, forcing her to release Twilight. Once she landed, Fluttershy slashed at Luna wildly, actually pushing her back a bit and meeting Luna's blade in a weapons clash with her daggers, “I'm not losing anyone else again!”

Pinkie Pie ran past them and fired her arrows at Luna, who was unable to block her attacks and took them head on. Rarity and Applejack tried to attack her from behind, but Luna's hair shout out push them back. She then kicked Fluttershy back, making her fall down to where Twilight was.

Luna actually fell to one knee and held her chest, eyes wide in shock, “Am I… tired?”

“This time, we know what we're doing,” Rarity said, forcing herself to her feet along with the others, “We're not just little kids trying to fight back this time.”

“I had faith in you!” Twilight said, tears falling from her eyes, “I thought deep down you might still be a good person! But you're nothing but a big bully!”

“An' the one thing we can't stand… is a bully!” Applejack shouted. All five of them charged at Luna at once, but she used her magic to shoot out green fire and send all of them flying back into trees.

“No!” Celestia cried desperately, “Rangers, you must rise up!”

“There's nothing they can do!” Luna proclaimed in triumph, “In the end, there was nothing special about these little girls! You chose wrong!”

“I… don't believe that…!” Fluttershy said, once again forcing herself to her feet, despite the pain and exhaustion, both physical and mental, “Just the fact that we're wearing this armor… shows that something within us is special…!”

“We're not supposed to be able to morph, but here we are…!” Pinkie Pie said, also rising to her feet and pointing her bow right at Luna, “We're not going to lose…! Not to you… or anyone that threatens this planet…!”

She fired at Luna with her bow, but Luna's hair created a shield in front of her. Fluttershy once again rushed in to attack Luna with her daggers, the two of them slashing and kicking each other for a few seconds until Luna got in a lucky slash, making Fluttershy fall to one knee. Right before Luna could slash downward though, Twilight jumped in and pushed Fluttershy away, both of them jumping to the side.

Luna rose up and turned around, seeing Applejack and Rarity standing together with their weapons ready. She motioned for them with her finger, and the two Rangers rushed at her with their sword and axe. She blocked both of their attacks and slashed them both away. She then turned to her side and pointed her sword to Twilight, shooting a bolt of green electricity at her and sending her flying back a bit.

This time the five girls didn't get right up, instead writhing in pain a bit.

“You girls need to learn your place!” Luna shouted, “Trash like you deserves to be right where you are, on the ground!”

“Shut up!” Rarity shouted, tightening her fist, “I'm, already prepared to die! But I'm not, letting you just win!”

“Pssh! Seriously Luna?” Pinkie Pie asked, rising up to her knees, “I'm having, the time of my life! I don't wanna, stop fighting yet!”

Luna looked around as one by one, the Rangers all rose to their feet again.

“W-what…? No… No! NO!” Luna shrieked, “Why are you standing up again?! I've defeated you!” she raised her sword, sending a barrage of green lighting down onto the Rangers, who once again fell to the ground. After a few seconds though, they all slowly started rising to their feet again. Luna roared loudly in anger, running her hands through her hair, “WHY AREN'T YOU DEAD YET?!”

“I… think that should be obvious…” Applejack said, pointing her sword at Luna, “You're jus' fightin to kill… We actually got somethin’ worth fightin ‘for!”

“What do you have to fight for?!” Luna asked enraged.

“Our families and our, friends!” Fluttershy said holding onto her arm, “I'm not dying! Not until I see Rainbow Dash again!”

“My friends, give me strength!” Twilight said, using her lance as support to stand, “The love they have, for me, and my love for them, that's what keeps me standing up!”

Luna looked around at them, eyes wide in both anger and shock, seemingly unable to comprehend what was happening.

“This shouldn't make a difference!” Luna said, trembling, “I'm stronger! I'm stronger than-”

“Oh get over it!” Rarity growled, “I'm sick of hearing that! Am I the only one ready to shut this bitch up?”

“Nah, I'm gettin' sick of hearin' her voice too.” Applejack snarked, “Rangers, let's wreck this bitch!”

Luna screamed and tried to fire her lightning at them again, but this time they were all ready and rolled out of the way. Fluttershy rushed at Luna first and slashed her wildly with her daggers, this time easily breaking through her defense. Fluttershy rolled out of the way just as Pinkie Pie rapid fired her arrows at Luna, actually making her stagger backwards. Luna sent her hair out at Pinkie Pie, but she rolled to the side and fired a charged up shot at her, actually knocking Luna down.

Luna slowly rose to her feet just as Twilight rushed over to her and slashed with her lance repeatedly. She ended her combo by kicking Luna, and then flipped away just as Applejack and Rarity charged at Luna from different sides, slashing through her armor. Luna's eyes were wide in shock as green electricity began to emanate from her body.

“This, this is impossible! I'M THE STRONGEST!” Luna screamed, and then violently exploded all five Rangers gathered together with their backs turned away from the explosion.

“They did it! They actually did it!” Celestia cheered. Next to her, Spike howled in triumph.

When the smoke died down, they all turned to see Luna, lying on the ground. Her armor was destroyed, leaving her completely naked. As she rolled to her back, Applejack sighed and slowly walked over to her.

“Hold on,” Rarity said grabbing Applejack's arm, “Should you really approach her?”

“She's lost,” Applejack said, “Sides, I have a promise to try an' keep.”

She walked over to Luna and knelt down next to her. Luna looked at Applejack, breathing heavily and her expression unreadable.

“So… what happens to me now?” Luna asked softly.

“That ain't up to me,” Applejack said, “That's up to her.”

Applejack pointed to Celestia, who then slowly floated over to them and knelt down.

“Sister, please stop this” Celestia begged, “I don't wish to fight my sister any longer…”

“Even now, you still look at me, with those sad eyes…” Luna looked away darkly, “I don't need your pity…” she spat.

“This isn't pity!” Celestia cried, “I'm devastated seeing you like this! You're more than just my Green Ranger! You're my little sister, and the one person I love more than anyone!”

Luna looked at Celestia, eyes widening in surprise, “You, still love me?” she repeated.

“Of course,” Celestia said with a saddened smile, “It was my love for you that allowed my soul to remain. Just as it was your love for me that enabled you to continue to morph, if only a little.”

“I, I just wanted to be strong Tia!” Luna said, tears falling from her eyes, “I wanted to be the strongest Power Ranger, so you'd love me!”

“Foolish sister…” Celestia said caressing Luna's cheek, “You never had to work so hard for my love. I'd love you no matter what, in whatever manner you wanted.”

“Celestia!” Luna sobbed. Celestia held Luna up and embraced her tightly, Luna returning the embrace as much as she could. Applejack smiled and rose up, the other Rangers gathering around her.

“I don't understand it,” Rarity said, “How did Luna...?”

“For as evil as she was, she was able to use her Power Coin,” Applejack said, “That meant that deep down, she still loved her sister.”

“Looks like once a Ranger, always a Ranger, right?” Twilight asked. Applejack smiled and wrapped an arm around her.

“Yeah, looks like it,” Applejack said. Luna and Celestia looked into each others eyes, and then did something a little shocking. They kissed. As they kissed, Luna was engulfed in a white light. When they separated, Luna's eyes no longer were slitted like those of a reptile, instead looking normal.

“Thank you,” Luna said, “All of you. Thank you for showing me, what true Power Rangers look like…”

“What will you do now?” Fluttershy asked.

“I sadly cannot stay here.” Luna said somberly, “The demon king still owns me. Eventually I will be taken by the darkness again.”

“So, after all that, you'll be our enemy again?” Pinkie Pie asked, clearly displeased with this revelation.

“I am done fighting my fellow Rangers.” Luna said firmly, “But my soul has still been twisted by Discord's influence. I must find myself through the darkness. That is a journey that I must embark on... alone.”

Twilight looked down, and then ran over to Luna, pulling out a small locket and handing it to her.

“This is so you'll know that someone has faith in you,” Twilight said, giving Luna a sweet smile, “We'll be waiting for you, Luna.”

Luna looked at Twilight sadly, and then slowly caressed her cheek, “You truly embody your virtue, Blue Ranger. To think, that the darkness had such a tight grip on my soul… that I would hate one as loving as you.” she lied down on the ground, and was slowly engulfed in green energy, “Beware of the forces that will follow me. I was an exception, but others will not show mercy at the end. To face them, you must find my Power Coin and give it to one such as yourselves. Beware though, for that Coin is tainted by my evil energy.”

“Then we just need to find it, and throw it in that Morphing Grid thingy,” Pinkie Pie chirped, “No biggie, right?”

Luna smiled peacefully and then relaxed looking up at the sky, “This world is in good hands. Good luck… Power Rangers.”

With that, Luna faded away in a green light. Celestia falling to her knees, hugging herself, crying softly.

“Goodbye, my beloved little sister.” Celestia sobbed. Twilight and Spike both walked over to her, and she embraced them both as she continued to sob. Once again, it started raining in the forest, as if responding to Celestia's sadness. Fluttershy looked up at the sky.

“The forest is mysterious, because sometimes it rains only here,” Fluttershy explained, “I think, that's because of Celestia's sadness.”

“She must be tightly connected to this place,” Rarity said, “For her to have such an effect on the forest.”

“Still, at least we didn't have to kill Luna,” Pinkie Pie said, “I think as our first job as Rangers, it was a resounding success.”

“I agree,” Applejack said, “We were fantastic, every single one of us. Good job Rangers. Let's head back to the castle.”

As everyone made their way to their main base, Applejack stayed behind a second to look up at the sky. Her thoughts went to her father, who now she was sure was up there watching her. Hopefully, now he could be proud of her.

“Sorry for doubtin' you, Pa,” Applejack said smiling, “I know you're up there with Ma. I think I'll be alright from now on.”

With that, she ran after her friends back to the castle. It was time to celebrate their first major victory as Power Rangers.

One week later…

Once again, Macintosh and Applejack rode up to the school in his brand new truck. This time though, Applejack's spirit was a lot brighter.

“Alright, here we are,” Macintosh said, “First day back after since it reopened.”

“Yep, lookin' forward to it too,” Applejack said, “You know what? I'm startin’ to like it here.”

Macintosh gave Applejack a soft smile, “That's good. I think this place will be a good influence on ya.”

“Yeah, me too,” Applejack said, giving Macintosh a kiss on the cheek, “See ya later, Macintosh.”

As she stepped out of the car to meet up with Rarity, Macintosh secretly took out a picture of the Red Ranger and smiled at it.

“Keep up the good work, sis,” Macintosh said driving off back to the farm.

“Hey Twilight.”

“Hi Twilight!”

“Twilight, what's up, girl!”

“Looking good as always, Twilight!”

Twilight happily waved to all of the students that waved to her, and then walked over to her locker. On the way, she saw Flash Sentry walking past her.

“Hey Twilight,” Flash said, raising his hand. Twilight smiled and raised her hand, giving him a high five as they passed each other. While Twilight wanted to eventually be more than friends, until he broke up with Sunset Shimmer, this was as far as she could go.

Being friends with Flash Sentry wasn’t so bad though.

As Twilight opened her locker to get her books, Pinkie Pie walked over to her, smiling as widely as ever.

“I saw that,” Pinkie Pie said with a teasing smile, “You're flirting with him, aren't you?”

“I am not,” Twilight said blushing, “I just don't want to avoid him just because he's dating Sunset. She's not the boss of me anymore.”

“Good for you, Twilight,” Pinkie Pie said patting her on the back, “My homeroom is on the way. Wanna walk together?”

“Sure, but I was going to wait for Applejack and Rarity,” Twilight said, “They have the same homeroom as-” she was cut off by a gasp from further ahead, followed by a few cat calls. Twilight and Pinkie Pie all looked ahead and saw a sight none of them thought they'd see.

Fluttershy walking through the halls.

She stopped near Twilight and Pinkie Pie, holding her books to her chest tightly.

“It's good to see you Fluttershy,” Twilight said.

“Agreed! Now we're all together!” Pinkie Pie chirped. Instead of answering outright, Fluttershy just nodded wordlessly, looking like she was close to tears. Applejack and Rarity walked up to them, both of them shocked to see Fluttershy too.

“Well lookie here,” Applejack said, “Looks like ya took our advice.”

“Everyone is staring at me…” Fluttershy said, tears falling from her eyes, “I'm terrified!”

“Shh, it's okay, darling,” Rarity said hugging Fluttershy, “You're safe. They're just staring because they haven't seen you in a long time.”

“Yeah, and also because you're drop dead gorgeous from the Power Coin, basically giving you goddess level beauty,” Pinkie Pie said, earning a glare from everyone, “What? What did I say?”

Applejack shook her head, “Come on. Let's get to our homerooms.”

The five of them walked down the hall side by side, each in their own way and showing off their own style, yet somehow all giving the air that they owned the school. Needless to say, all eyes were on them.

“Sorry, but still no luck searching for the Green Power Coin,” Spike said walking back into the shrine.

“I'm sure we'll find it soon,” Celestia said, floating to the bookshelf and picking up a book, “It probably flew off Luna in the explosion. It might be deeper in the forest.”

“Those girls really came through though,” Spike said folding his arms, “I'll admit it, I was wrong about them.”

“All they needed was someone to have faith in them,” Celestia said smiling, “For now, I have decided to remain here as a guardian of the Morphing Grid and their mentor. For the coming battles, I believe they'll need it.”

“Then I guess they'll need me as well,” Spike said, “I don't mind. They're starting to grow on me.”

Celestia turned to Spike and smiled, “Thank you so much for staying by my side, Spike.”

Spike bowed to Celestia, “It's my honor, Your Majesty.”

“Are you sure you wanna come back here?”

“Yeah, I am. I know it's dangerous, but I, I grew up here. If I gotta to hide out anywhere, I want it to be here.”

“They might find us here, you know? They know that you grew up in this town.”

“ I know that, Soarin’. But there's someone I need to find here. I didn't leave on the best of terms, and I need to make sure that she's okay.”

“Alright, I trust you,” Soarin’ said with a sigh, “No matter what, I'm staying with you to protect you, alright?”

“Thank you. I love you so much.”

“I love you too, Dash.”

The silver car opened up, and someone stepped out examining the town. It was a girl in her late teens with long rainbow colored hair, some of it tied in a ponytail but leaving her long bangs hanging over her shoulders, magenta eyes, and wearing red lipstick. She wore a green hoodie that was opened, revealing a white t-shirt with a lightning bolt symbol, black bootie shorts over fishnet tights, and black and white boots. She had a nice, shapely figure, though not as curvaceous as the Rangers and over her shoulder was a green and white backpack.

The girl pulled out a locket and opened it, looking at the picture inside. It was a picture of herself when she was little, hugging another girl around her same age with super long light pink hair. Looking at the picture, the mysterious girl smiled.

“I'll see you soon, Fluttershy,” she said with a huge smile, “And this time, we'll be together forever, just like we promised.”

Author's Notes:

With that, the first arc is finished. It's going to be a while before I post the second arc, because I want to have most of it written just like this one. Expect this story to update in large, frequent chunks.

Next arc: Green with Evil

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