Author's Notes:

Okay... so, you wanted the White Ranger, and so you got her. Just don't kill me now, okay? Summons Gokai-Oh to hide in Huge thanks to Megaskullmon, Shadowmane and Shagohad 12 for help on various parts of this chapter.

Inside the Plesiozord, all was quiet as the nearly exhausted Rangers flew back to Earth, stars streaming by in a blur thanks to the Zord’s warp drive function. Celestia sat in her seat, realing from the information she’d learned while fighting on Mirinoi against Ashurada.

“Impossible, no-one has the power to counter Makuu Space energy!” he roared out in both indignation and rage. Celestia smirked under her helmet and chuckled at Ashurada’s naivete and arrogance. In all honesty, Celestia had to admit to herself he reminded her of herself once, along with a certain flame-haired student. Only this one, it seemed, would never learn from any of his mistakes and grow from it. He was too far gone for that.

“You’ll learn, I think, that no-one’s unbeatable. Let me tell you a funny story, a while back, I thought I was unbeatable, till that doppelganger of mine Bunglay faked was destroyed. Proved me quite wrong, and knocked a lot of arrogance out of me in the process.” Celestia replied, only to find Ashurada laughing his head off.

“Solar Flare? That being on the tape, you think her one of Bunglay’s infamous memory clones? That’s where you’re quite wrong!” Ashurada laughed, and laughed even harder at Celestia’s shocked look. “Oh yes, that was the real deal, on her last gasps begging for mercy. Bunglay saw fit to inform me that. Robert in that tape may have been a fake, but Solar Flare was decidedly not!”

“W-What?” Celestia asked, as she staggered back. A mistake, as all six of Ashurada’s arms struck her in the chest sending her flying back.

“Trust me, seeing the infamous Solar Tyrant and the Exterminator of Humanity beg for mercy?” Ashurada asked. “Was quite a treat to see!”

Celestia, to be perfectly honest, had the sneaking suspicion in the back of her head and the deepest darkest parts of her mind that Solar Flare hadn’t been completely destroyed, like she’d told Retsu and Bard, she’d just wished she was wrong.

“Speak your mind.”

“Alright…” Celestia replied, taking a deep shuddering breath. “I… I think… I think Solar Flare might not have been completely destroyed. Physically, yes, that I believe, but not mentally. Over the past few months, I’ve been getting… urges. Destructive, angry ones. And I’ve been hearing whispers in my head. Like during the Winter Ball, she said this: “Oh Celly, you can’t be rid of me forever. I’ll always be there, right by your side. Whenever you’re feeling your lowest, whenever you’re mad at something, or whenever you just want to break down and cry… I’ll be back to play. Don’t think you can escape me forever. Nor what’s coming. The Devil… He’s a-comin’, coming to collect. And he wants you. The only thing that makes me unhappy about all of this is that I’ll be unable to be there with you and watch you burn. Hmm, I wonder how your putrid soul will taste to him, hmm?” I worry… I worry for the day when she returns, and if -No, when, she does, I won’t be able to stop her this time…”

Celestia took a deep, shuddering breath.

“Let’s be honest, I knew she was still alive ever since the Winter Ball, ever since I saw that hallucination,” the Princess of the Sun thought to herself. “I was just hoping that I’d been wrong, no that’s not right… Yeah, denying, that I was just making it up, just a manifestation over my own guilt and self-disgust over what I’ve done. Keep your friends close, and keep your enemies closer, isn’t that how the old saying goes? Guess the person who thought it up never really meant it to get quite this literal I suppose.” Celestia laughed bitterly.

Shining, noting the worried look on the Princess’s face, unbuckled himself from his seat and walked over to her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

“You alright milady?” he asked comfortingly. He had the same warm smile he always seem to have on his face, that soft comforting one that let you know everything was going to turn out alright in the end. Same smile he always wore, even before charging into battle to defend his country. Celestia smiled softly to herself for a brief moment, she could see why her niece fell for him. Despite the rumors that still occasionally persisted about Shining marrying Cadence so he could get into the Royal Family, or Celestia pairing the two up so she could get a strong bloodline, anyone who ever talked to either the Princess of Love or Shining could quickly figure out that was a falsehood cooked up by idiots with probably nothing better to do. (Most likely working in the tabloids, or reading them. You had to be a special kind of stupid to believe whatever came from those rags after all.) Fact was, Celestia still remembered when Shining, with the most nervous expression she’d ever seen on a stallion, came to her to ask for her personal blessing to marry Cadance, despite this not being needed. Shining simply loved her just that much.

“Yeah… Yeah, I’m fine.” Celestia lied, and Shining gave her a look.

“Please, don’t take me for an idiot, Princess,” he replied in turn. “I’ve been around you, and my wife long enough to tell when a mare’s lying to me. Might be a bit of a dork, I’m stallion enough to admit that, but I’m not an idiot.”

“No, guess you’re not…” Celestia murmured.

“Look, Celestia. Something’s obviously on your mind.” Shining Armor trotted up to her and put a hoof on her hair. “If there’s something that you want to say, just say it. We won’t think of you any differently.”

“Well…” Celestia recoiled, the mane on her head beginning to cover her face as Shining took another step towards her. “It’s about Solar Flare…”

“But she’s dead. The topic’s closed. Isn’t it?” Shining lifted a brow.

“If it were only that…” Celestia muttered, hoping no-one besides Shining would overhear. “Ever since the Winter Ball, and recently after I heard of Bunglay’s memory clone of her, I’m starting to have doubts that she’s dead, and is rather dormant inside of me instead; waiting to emerge again…” Celestia sighed, placing a single hand on her heart. “Do you think I should still be on the throne with such a malevolent entity inside me?”

“Has she tried to re-emerge since the Winter Ball?” Shining had to ask.

“I’ve been hearing whispers. Echoes of her in my head, like a nightmare that I can’t shake.” Celestia felt the air grow cold around her thinking about it. “And even more so, I’ve been having destructive urges. The want to destroy and take lives. That can’t be a coincidence, can it?”

“Listen, maybe she’s there, and maybe she’s not, I’m not really sure,” Shining replied. “We all have our dark thoughts. I mean, do you want to take anyone’s life in a burst of sheer anger?”

“In terms of monsters, yes. I have.” Celestia brushed the hair out of her face. “But in less restricted ways. The careless kind where others get hurt because of my power…” she whispered.

“I have those thoughts as well,” Shining replied, and Celestia gaped at him. “You think it’s easy to not just want to let loose with the powers of the Magna Defender and strike down any of Equestria’s enemies that happen to stand in my way. But I restrain myself, knowing I was granted these powers to protect, not to harm.”

“Even so… are we really fit to rule? Or are we just setting ourselves up for a massive fall from grace?” Celestia asked, sitting down on her haunches. “And if we are, what’s the betting chance that we’ll go berserk and harm everyone we used to love and protect?”

“Listen, who told you Solar Flare was still alive?” Shining asked.

“She herself said ‘you’ll never be rid of me, and went on to say the devil was coming to collect what we owed him,” She shuddered on the spot. “Can we really trust the words of a phantasm?”

“Doubtful, for all we know this phantom could be just a creation of your own guilt, and besides… Didn’t you learn she was still alive from Ashurada of all people? And he’s such a reliable source.” Shining drawled.

“The whispers though, at the Winter Ball. We can’t discredit those. Not in the slightest.” Celestia was trying her best to keep her cool, but could feel Solar Flare beginning to resurface in the deepest pits of her mind. “Plus, when have you ever had a ghost of yourself say that you should be evil, Shining Lustrous Armor the 3rd?” she pointed out.

“Fair… But the point is, both of these sources aren’t exactly credible. For the time being at least, I think you should ignore them, until we actually get information from a more believable source,” Shining replied. “Ordering you, not as the Captain of the Royal and Crystal Guard, but as your friend.”

“Okay.” As much as Celestia didn’t want to let it all go, she couldn’t argue with Shining Armor. After all, it was he and his wife who saved her from becoming Changeling feed.

While Shining and Celestia talked, royalty to royalty, Robert’s mind was on another member of the Royal Family, namely Sunset. He smiled sadly when he saw her, remembering that awkward little handshake they’d shared before boarding.

“Now I see why Sky put up that rule with no in-team relationships, guess he did know it could lead to a disaster like this one…” he thought.

Little did he know it, but he himself wasn’t the only one with their mind on their relationship. Sunset, as she sat in the front seat of the Plesiozord’s cockpit, sighed sadly to herself. Privately, she wondered if she’d done the right thing in dumping Robert, or at the very least putting their love life on hold for the moment. They were happy, for a time, she remembered.

Another late night in Ponyville, and another date for the two. Earlier in the day, the Rangers had fended off another Org, this one themed after one of those machines that fired baseballs of all things. Honestly, wasn’t really that much of a threat, and Sunset still hadn’t figured out what his game may have been. She idly wondered if he’d just been created by Thrax on a spout of boredom (What, surely even he got idle fingers!) and to just remind the Rangers he was still around and keep them on their hooves. Or toes as it may have been in one case.

However, that was then, and this is now. It was another movie night, another one of those films you could kick up to with a bucket of greasy popcorn, an old film projector, and some ale. On the screen, a man named Junko was currently shouting: “Are you going to allow innocent men to die alongside guilty men? You have no right to decide that! That right is sacred!”

Sunset had been skeptical at first going into the film, and wondered once more about her boyfriend’s taste in films, and if he was just trying to annoy her with something that sounded quite terrible from the synopsis alone. I mean, a film about a giant radioactive lizard fighting a massive moth? Sunset had to test her hearing after Robert told her the base plot to make sure she’d heard correctly.

But lines like the one above, maybe there was some merit to this film after all. And, she had to admit, Mothra was rather cute… well, about as cute as a giant ugly moth could be anyways.

“Still going with the atomic warfare thing, huh?” Sunset had remarked at one point, as the humans on Infant Island argued over nuclear testing and the horrors of atomic battle.

“Well, given that the atom bomb dropping on a city was a very real fear at the time, and when you add in the fact that Japan had both Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombed at the end of the Second World War, I’d say yeah, this was something they kinda had to talk about at the Cold War’s height,” Robert had replied. “Fact was, it’d only been two years since the Cuban Missile Crisis, closest the Cold War ever went to getting hot, so people were very afraid at the time…”

Sunset vaguely remembered reading on the incident in some old history textbooks. Apparently, In response to the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion of 1961 and the presence of missiles in two countries, the leader of the Soviets, one Nikita Khrushchev had elected to agree to Cuba's request to place nuclear missiles of their own on the island to deter any future invasions that may have came from land, sea or elsewhere. An agreement was reached during a top secret meeting between Khrushchev and Fidel Castro in July 1962 and construction of a number of missile launch facilities went underway later that year. Wasn’t long before word was to get out. A member of the Air Force in a U-2 spy plane produced undeniable photographic evidence of these facilities.

In response, the U.S. were to establish a massive naval blockade to prevent any further missiles from reaching Cuba. At the time, tapes direct from the Oval Office itself during the crisis revealed that John F. Kennedy had also put the blockade in place as an attempt to provoke Soviet-backed forces in Berlin as well. (Sunset noted, this was taking place during the height of the 1962 elections, so that may have played some involvement as well) It was announced that the U.S would not, and could not permit offensive weapons to be delivered to Cuba and demanded that the weapons already in Cuba be dismantled and given back to the Soviet Union. On the night of October 22 at exactly 7:00 pm EDT, Kennedy delivered a nationwide televised address on all of the major networks announcing the discovery of the missiles. He said, and the book quoted:

“It shall be the policy of this nation to regard any nuclear missile launched from Cuba against any nation in the Western Hemisphere as an attack by the Soviet Union on the United States, requiring a full retaliatory response upon the Soviet Union. To halt this offensive buildup, a strict quarantine on all offensive military equipment under shipment to Cuba is being initiated. All ships of any kind bound for Cuba, from whatever nation or port, will, if found to contain cargoes of offensive weapons, be turned back. This quarantine will be extended, if needed, to other types of cargo and carriers. We are not at this time, however, denying the necessities of life as the Soviets attempted to do in their Berlin blockade of 1948.”

Eventually, agreements were reached, and the whole thing was resolved, But, after an incident like that, Sunset supposed, nobody could blame anyone from being afraid. In a way, and Sunset hated to think like her, she could see where Solar Flare called humans violent in their tendencies. But looking at Robert now, fast asleep on the couch, movie long forgotten, she knew the opposite was true as well. Sure, humankind had it’s issues, but then again, what race didn’t? After all, pony-kind was certainly no stranger to hatred.

Morning came, and Robert would awake to the smell of pancakes cooking. Eggs as well. The latter part being Sunset’s breakfast of choice.

“Morning…” Robert whispered softly, as he wrapped his arms around his love’s waist and kissed her on the cheek. Her nose began to wrinkle up at the smell of his sweat. Fine last night, but now?

“Missed the sunrise, slept in so late. You’re softening.” Sunset commented as she used a spatula to flip a pancake.

“Oh, what makes you say that?” Robert asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Remembered when you were on the Animarium, your schedule was strict and rather regimented. Always got up at 7:00 sharp, just in time to see the sun come up over the horizon,” Sunset commented.

“Now how would you know…” Robert wondered aloud before he laughed. “Oh, so you do admit watching me sleep!”

“I said nothing of the kind,” Sunset remarked with a small huff. “I was just… concerned for your welfare for a time after the Barbwire Org incident. But that doesn’t change the matter that you’re loosening up.”

“Well, nobody to boss me around, and give me a strict time schedule to keep now, is there?” Robert remarked in return. “Not like SPD, where you had to run some laps around the training field if you messed up. Oh, Cruger would be so ashamed…” he joked lightly.

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean we should loosen up our combat skills.” Sunset sat back down on the bed and patted Robert’s shoulders. “For all we know, there still could be lots of Orgs out there, possessing more and more things. Maybe even one that could possess Canterlot Castle itself.”

“Now there’s a scary thought for you…” Robert muttered, vaguely remembering a monster in Jetman that took control over an entire tower block.

“Which one? The massive amount of Orgs or one that can control an entire castle?” Sunset smirked. Robert didn’t really say which, and so, Sunset changed the subject. “So, that Org we defeated yesterday, that makes how many for Lightning’s ‘list’?” she asked.

“...Wait, Lightning’s actually keeping a list of how many Orgs we defeat?” Robert asked in surprise briefly, before sighing. “Figures, just like Lightning ‘Asuka Langley Soryu’ Dust to do something like that…”

“You’re still calling her that?” Sunset deadpanned, eyes half-lidded in an unimpressed fashion.

“Hey, if the horseshoe fits,” Robert muttered as he snuck a bite of one of the pancakes, or tried to anyways, with Sunset slapping his hand away. “However, doubt she added the Christmas Tree Org to the list, given the circumstances surrounding it…” he trailed off sadly.

“Wait, there was actually an Org on Hearth’s Warming Eve themed after a tree, with tinsel, lights, baubles, and everything?” Sunset had asked in surprise, eyes wide open.

“Yeah, and to say fighting it was fun, would be like saying having a lobotomy is pleasurable... Normally, I’d enjoy kicking an Org’s arse to Kingdom Come and probably back, but on Christmas Eve, and you in the hospital?” Robert asked, his voice nearly breaking mid-way through the question.

“The only thing worse would be dying on Christmas,” Sunset brushed her hand against the wall. “To think, the day after would be a wonderful day, where everyone shares their gifts, eats and drinks merrily, and has those massive Christmas parties, and you’re struck down the day before. It’s soul-crushing…” she sighed.

“And that’s the thing, you almost did die!” Robert shouted.

“I know! And it scared me to death!” Sunset turned to Robert and threw her arms out. “A-After I woke up, and the doctors told me just how badly I was wounded, by my own subjects no less…” she sniffled, letting her mask break just for a rare moment. She was always so concerned with everyone else’s well-being, never letting them ask how she was.

“Hey. You just need to get it out of your head…” Robert tenderly massaged Sunset’s shoulders. “Maybe if we all go on a vacation to someplace nice once this is all over, it’ll be ok.”

“Where…. Where’d you have in mind?” Sunset asked. A vacation did sound nice, really. Not having to worry about her Princess duties, even if it was just only for a few days.

“There’s this planet in the Seraphi Cluster that’s pretty nice this time of year,” said Robert. “Don’t know how to get there right now, but I can tell you a bit about the place. White sandy beaches, crystal clear water, no Org has ever heard of it, and it’s got some great grub too. It’s Euphoria.”

“And here I thought you would choose somewhere more mundane like the Isle of Mare.” Sunset deadpanned.

“Please, that place is wet and raining half the year, and the only appeal is if you love kippers, or if you have a fast car and don’t like a speed limit. Perfect for me then, but not for you. A tropical island, more your thing really.” Robert commented, trying very hard not to think of Sunset in a swimsuit, water dripping off her form as she climbed out of a pool. Needless to say, he was failing.

“Well, you sure know how to charm a mare…” Sunset trailed off.

“What can I say? You catch more mares with honey than vinegar.” Robert smirked and Sunset actually laughed at that before shoving him away.

“Go take a shower, you stink.” she requested. Robert took the hint, plus he needed a cold one anyways, and not just to wash up.

Back in the present, Sunset let out another sad sigh. Well, those days were long gone.

“Hey, alright if we make a quick stop at the Crystal Empire? I’d like to speak to someone there.” Robert asked Galaxy. “Shouldn’t be too much of a hassle right? I mean, you already have to drop Shining off there…”

“Yeah, I can do that. Curious who you want to speak to there, surely you can buy a gift for someone elsewhere?” Galaxy asked.

“Let’s just say there’s a few things I need to pick up for Rarity that can only be found there at the Empire, and let’s leave it at that alright?” Robert lied to him, and Galaxy shrugged as the Plesiozord entered Equus’s atmosphere. Robert had to suppress a gasp as he saw the wintery north of the planet from the air. Laying smack-dab in the middle of a frozen wasteland was like something out of a fairy tail, a towering crystal castle sparking in the sun with hundreds of buildings also made out of the most beautiful jewels imaginable scattered around it. If that wasn’t enough, there were footpaths and streets glittering with rare crystal branching out from it in a star or snowflake like formation. Robert smiled to himself, neither Sunburst or Galaxy had been lying when they’d spoken of the Empire’s great beauty.

Groaning, Shining shook his head as he teleported down along with Robert to the streets. He was never going to get used to that system. Give him a train ride any day.

“So, why are you here again?” Shining asked. “And don’t give me that gifts for Rarity bull you gave Galaxy. That’s not going to work on me, and we both know it.”

“Alright, you got me,” Robert admitted. “Truth is, I need to talk to your wife, actually.”

“Ah, I know what this is about…” Shining realized as they walked through the streets, his Magna Blade in its sheath. “You and your relationship with Sunset right? ...Or lack thereof.”

“Got it in one…” Robert muttered bitterly. He always hated talking to Royal Guards, and moreso their Captains about important matters. Could always see right through you.

“Hey, while we’re here, can I have a word with you as well?” Shining asked, lowering his voice. “It’s about Twiley, and her new involvement in your battles as Armored Rider ‘Baroness’ as she calls herself.

Robert winced, he should have seen this one coming a mile away.

“Brotherly concern?” He asked, playing the innocent party.

“Don’t play dumb, I know you probably figured I’d ask you about her sooner or later,” Shining replied, narrowing his eyes. “That armor of hers, comes with a lot of power, but unlike you five, she’s hardly skilled in the ways of battle.”

“And yet she played a crucial role in stopping both Ashurada and Lord Drakkon.” Robert pointed out.

“As back-up,” Shining reminded as they neared the castle. “She wasn’t part of the frontline forces. Point is, she’s my little sister, and I don’t like her being out there fighting your type of monsters without proper training.”

“Hey, Sunset, nor any of the others went out in the field with the training, and they carried on the fight for a good long while till I arrived in your time as near as I can figure, right?” Robert asked.

“True, but it’s my job as a big brother to be concerned. So, the least you could do is train her up right. I’d train her, but… Well, I’m hardly able to be around her these days what with my duties here and all. So that’s why I’m giving the job to you. Last piece of news me, or any other member of my family wants to hear is her getting killed via an Org in battle. You understand right?”

“Yeah, I do…” Robert replied, as he and Shining entered the Castle via one of the four staircases that led up to the main rooms. “I don’t have any younger brothers or sisters, but I can see where you’re coming from. We’re all family now, us Rangers. Forged in battle and in blood, but I’d like to think we’re family in a sense.”

“And here I thought you were just this cocky bastard with a love for just himself and showing off as much as you can…” Shining commented, in a tone of actual surprise.

“Hey, even I have my own hidden depths right?” Robert asked. “Oh look, we’re here!” he exclaimed very quickly changing the subject as they entered the Throne Room. Cadance, wearing a pink and white dress with gold trimmings sat on her throne as per usual.

“Oh for the love of Christ…” Robert muttered, not really sure how to start. Not like he’d ever asked anyone for advice before, always figuring he could solve his problems his own way. Clearly, at least in this case, that wasn’t going to happen.

“It’s a pleasure to see you again, Robert,” Cadance greeted, giving the young man a smile. “Are you here for business or something else?”

“If it were only for the tourism industry I’m sure your kingdom boasts…” Robert sighed to himself. “Correct me if I’m wrong though, but I don’t remember meeting you. Your husband sure, but you?”

Robert then smacked himself in the face. Right, the Winter Ball, he had a vague memory of talking to her there few months back, even if was only for a minute or so. “Right… so, anyways, I sorta need your advice.” he then continued, after taking a deep breath and swallowing his pride. Oh, this was going to be embarrassing. Just get his advice, and get out. “I assume you’re aware of my relationship with Sunset Shimmer?” he asked.

Cadance nodded. “I am. I’m also quite aware that you and my aunt had an intimate encounter as well,” Leaning back, Cadance placed her hands in her lap. “You’ve put yourself in quite the predicament.”

Cadance was quite the master of understatement, it seemed.

“How do you even know about…?” Robert asked, stunned. Shining was staring at him in shock. That little snippet, he evidently wasn’t aware of. “Lemme guess, Luna told you herself didn’t she?” the Orange Ranger asked. “She did, didn’t she?” he accused.

“A mare’s allowed to have her own little secrets, isn’t she?” Cadance asked, with a small impish smile. Robert groaned to himself, it seemed Cadance had gotten her aunt’s sense of humor as well and not just her beauty. “Which leads me to believe you’re here seeking guidance.”

“...Got me there,” Robert admitted, rubbing the back of his head. “Believe me, rather desperate by this point considering Sunset put our relationship on hold till I figure who I love exactly. Namely, her or Luna.”

Cadance nodded, closing her eyes for a moment. “Robert, you have to ask yourself a very important question: are you willing to commit to a relationship? And I do mean that. If you can’t, nothing I tell you will help in the slightest.”

“Of course I’m willing to commit!” Robert snapped. “If I wasn’t, would have I come here for your advice?”

Shining, getting the feeling this moment was between his wife and Robert alone, decided to take his leave. Had guards to train anyways.

“If that was true, Robert, you wouldn’t be here now would you?” Cadance asked, unphased by his shouting. “I want you to be honest with me; are you afraid?”

“Okay, yes, I’m afraid…” Robert admitted. “This is the first time I’ve actually been in love with anyone, and… and I just don’t want to mess anything up!” he replied, before laughing bitterly. “Look at how well that turned out…” he murmured to himself. “So, what do I do?” he asked.

“Then act like it, Robert.” Cadance leaned forward, her look turning stern. “No hitting on other women, don’t flirt with anyone that isn’t your significant other. Beyond that, you’re an adult, as are Sunset and Luna. The three of you need to sit down and talk about it like adults. This isn’t some romantic story, where you wonder if they're going to get together in the end or not. Talk. It. Out.”

“Trouble is, whenever I try and do that, me and Sunset just get into an argument,” Robert sighed. “Believe me, if talking it out ever was to solve this, don’t you think I would have worked this out a long time ago?”

“You’re a man who's used to sleeping around, with no actual relationship experience,” Cadance replied, rising from her throne. “I’ll deal with Sunset, as much as I love that mare, she can be just as childish as the rest of us. I want you to go to Canterlot and talk about this with Luna. If all goes well, we’ll meet up in Ponyville.”

“Sounds like a plan. Going to be awkward as all Hell, but best idea I’ve heard all day.” Robert admitted before a guard rushed into the room, with an urgent expression on his face.

“Milady, this just came in over the wire, message going out to all the Rangers!” the guard said, before lighting up his horn, and the form of the White Ranger appeared on screen, eyes masked behind her visor, leaving it impossible to tell what she was thinking.

“Power Rangers,” the White Ranger began, her voice distorted in some manner, as she rested her Drago Sword against her shoulder. “I think it’s time you gain yourselves a real challenge.”

“You gotta be… No, that’s not…” Robert stuttered out in fear before he went for his phone. “Sunset, are you getting this? Any of you?”

“Yeah, we’re seeing this, but still working on the believing part.” Vapor’s voice came in over the phone, the sound of the Plesio Zord’s engines being audible somewhere in the background. “Who is this creep anyways?”

“Wish I knew, but that power set she’s got, I thought it was destroyed!” Robert shouted. “Seriously, seeing that Ranger again should be impossible!”

“Evidently not…” Cadance commented. “I’ve learned that nothing is impossible, ever since I took the throne, ever since I learned my own aunt had a split personality.”

“Quite correct, whore,’ the White Ranger said. “Now, can you be a good little Princess and find some tower to weep in while you await your Prince to rescue you? I’ve got business to discuss, and none of it includes you.”. She remarked.

“Whatever this business entails, well you can say it to me.” Cadance replied, seemingly sizing up the White Ranger. “Personally, I think you’re a coward, not fighting us face to face. Instead, all you send is just a little message.”

Then, the White Ranger was in front of her, before with a wave of her hand, Cadance was sent flying back into her throne and blood red chains restrained her. “Got a thing for BDSM?” the Princess of Love commented. “Who knows, lose the evil maniac thing and maybe you can join me and Shining for a threesome! Would work wonders with that attitude of yours, and relieve a Hell of a lot of stre-”

Next thing Cadance knew, a conjured ball gag was placed in her mouth. Some guards tried to take the White Ranger, but in a flash, she sliced through them leaving nothing but their bloodied forms on the throne room floor, stomachs ripped open with gore everywhere.

“Fools. Really must commend them on their bravery though.” the White Ranger commented. She felt a presence behind her, and whirled around to meet Shining’s blade with her own. “And yours as well. Sadly, you’re not part of my interests. Begone.” She flicked a finger, and Shining was sent flying out a window to the other edge of the kingdom leaving Robert the only one left in her way.

“So, just you and me huh?” the Orange Ranger commented, drawing his Crystal Saber. “Fine.”

“No, no, no!” the White Ranger commented, as she wrapped Robert up in magical binds, keeping him in place. She then wrenched his arm and with a sickening crack and a scream of pain, his weapon clattered to the floor. “This isn’t right! Not at all! I said I wanted all the Rangers, not just one wannabe hero! Stay right there for a moment eh? Need to bring the rest of the party here, and then the real fun can begin!”

Reaching out, the White Ranger actually grabbed the Plesio Zord, which was a few miles out from the Empire, and in a red bubble of magic, actually pulled it towards the Castle.

“Galaxy!” Sunset barked. “Get as much power to you can towards the engines! If we’re going back to the Crystal Empire, we’re doing it on our own terms, you understand?”

“I’m trying, milady!” Galaxy roared, as he fiddled with the controls, watching the events going inside the Crystal Castle unfold on screen. “But this Zord already took a hell of a lot of damage from Bunglay’s ship, so a lot of power was diverted to the repair systems! Do you want to know why it took us as long as it did to get away from the Empire? We used most of our reserve power getting back to Equus! Sorry Sunset, but we might as well be dead in the water!”

“Okay then…” Sunset whispered, smidgens of a plan beginning to form in her mind. “In that case… Celestia, Twilight, get out of here! Canterlot needs to know what’s coming!” she barked out, and Twilight and Celestia nodded, teleporting out in gold and purple flashes respectively. Sunset readied herself for battle as she saw the main throne room of the Crystal Castle approaching. With a surprising show of gentleness, the White Ranger actually set the Plesio Zord down in the middle of the room as the Ranger stepped out, weapons in hand.

“Good, gang’s all here… Well, the gang and one thestral who I couldn’t give a damn about. You’re not needed, so scuttle on off to some sort of cave or find some blood to drink. I don’t care what you do. I only want the main five of you. ...Well, Retinax does but really, he just wants you dead. Didn’t say when though,” the White Ranger smirked as she drew her blade once more and released Robert. “Meaning I get as much time as I like to toy with you…”

“Oh goody, I love games…” Lightning commented as she drew her whips. “Especially when they involve beating the snot out of lunatics like you.”

“Good, then you’ll enjoy my challenge. It’s simple. Beat me.” the White Ranger commented.

Thunder roared in the heart of Sunset as she held her sword. The drumming that came from her frightened heartbeat while she held the blade in her hands. Just the moment of battle slowly filling her core with fear and doubt. But mostly wanting to defend her country and team With a quick swoop of her blade she tried to strike the newcomer.

She would parry keeping her at bay. Sparks flew from the blade. Robert lifted his Kitsune Blaster from its holster trying to get a chance to shoot the White Ranger. Robert fired his weapon, a quick movement caused the White Ranger to use Sunset as a shield letting Robert hit her in the back. His aim was terrible no thanks to his broken arm.

Vapor Trail and Lightning Dust, they began to think of a way to do this. Lightning wrapped her whips around the trident allowing Vapor to spin around enough to allow her to fly at the White Ranger. This also caused Vapor to toss the trident thanks to her bad form.

But of course, the White Ranger was ready for this and went right into Super Dino Mode. She raised her left wrist while her right kept Sunset at bay. She grabbed the whips from Lightning forcing the blades of bone jutting out from her wrist into her chest thanks to the suit causing her to fly back. Next, she shoved Vapor back grabbing the Trident in her hand spinning around tossing it at Vapor. Galaxy made his move then, and intercepted the trident with Blood Moon, before Vapor was knocked out with a blast of magic.

Sparks flew as Blood Moon hit the floor. Trixie turns lifting her dagger seeing another threat, one she’d dismissed first time around. No words would be spoken between these two. The battle has taken all words from them. What would one say to their foe? The two warriors charged at each other their blades striking causing sparks to fly everywhere. The dagger from the white ranger would be quickly moved back into Trixie’s hands. Of course, Galaxy with all of his experience was quick enough to see the next attack and block it.

He then pulled a roundhouse kick hitting the white ranger in the helmet making her fall back just a bit. The ringing in her head from the hit would make her stagger as she began to start thinking that this Ranger might just have the upper hand..

The white Ranger thought to herself that enough was enough and grabbed the blade with her very hands. Pulling one of Galaxy’s favorite tricks, she headbutted him causing him to lose his grip on his signature weapon. She tried going for it, but Galaxy quickly grabbed it again. It was a contest on just who would get ahold of Blood Moon. She looked to her dagger that had fallen from her hands and was now on the floor. One wrong move and she’d probably get sliced in two.

With a casting of magic, Trixie teleported to her dagger grabbing it. Then she teleported again ending up behind the other Ranger trying to stab him in the back. Galaxy heard the pop, and whirled around to meet the blade causing another stalemate. Trixie’s anger and frustration finally boiled over. Her magic surged and all of it went into her dagger making it glow a sickly red shade. She drew a collection of energy arrows, and fired them all at Galaxy, knocking him flat.

Sunburst pulled out and unfurled his Jungle Fans charging at the White Ranger. She simply just turned to look at him, sighing and shaking her head. Just as he was about to strike she grabbed both of his wrists putting on enough pressure causing him to drop his weapons. If they could just see her smile, Trixie thought. Her pure glee that she would be hurting this one. She forced Sunburst to the ground and with thrusts that came so fast you almost couldn’t see them coming, stabbed into his armor as many times as she could as Sunburst let out a scream of pain.

Robert being the only one up at the moment charges trying to free his friend. The white ranger looks from the corner of her eyes , with them brimming with glee loving what she is about to do. She picked up Sunburst her heart beating fast, like she was on the world’s worst adrenaline high. She tossed Sunburst right at him causing him to trip. Then she grabbed Robert as she looked right into his visor. A pillar near them was reflected in it, and the White Ranger noticed this.

Letting out an evil chuckle forcing Robert's good arm into the pillar, she then grabbed it forcing it back. A loud pop was heard like his arm being pulled out of its socket Accompanied by the sound of bones cracking. Bones weren’t the only thing to suffer this fate. The crystal pillar itself would start cracking from the pressure. With one more movement, she broke the pillar with his arm and grabbed a shard. With one swift movement, the crazed Ranger thrust it right into his stomach just narrowly missing his heart. No-one knew why she didn’t kill him then, or any of the Rangers. Perhaps she wanted to play with them a little longer, perhaps the small part of Trixie’s mind that was left was screaming out at her to stop this. Either way, demorphing, the Orange Ranger fell to the ground.

Sunset let out a snarl of rage, and staggered forwards. A right cross hit her across the face, drawing blood from the lip. Sunset’s helmet, it lay nearby, visor shattered from a powerful kick. One of her shoulder pads was about ready to fall off, cracked and battered from battle.

She looked into the eyes of her opponent, her blood red visor untinted briefly allowing Sunset to see those violet eyes of hers. Guess she wanted her to know the face of her killer, the Princess of Empathy could only guess as Sunset felt a powerful punch hit her in the stomach, sending the Alicorn flying back into a wall as bricks flew everywhere. Chuckling, the mostly white-suited figure rested her sword on her shoulder, must have been a character tic of hers. A jagged black arm blade lay nearby, some of the only remains of the Super Dino Mode as it had been called.

Sunset fired off a green blast of magic from her horn, but a dark red shield of hard light met it in midair. Sunset allowed herself a quick look at the unconscious forms of both Sunburst and Robert. Vapor and Lightning probably lay somewhere nearby as well. Mystic Mother only knew what state they were in.

“Oh Sunset, when are you going to learn?” the White Ranger chuckled. Her voice was mostly disguised, but Sunset knew who it was under that helmet of hers. She’d heard it often enough, irritating as it was. “Don’t you get it yet? Your entire team, defeated. Bodies broken, close to death! Retinax wanted a Ranger Killer, well… He got one in moi.”

Arrogance, that swagger. Seemed some things they did share, as much as Sunset hated to admit it. Retinax had actually pulled it off, as much as she hated to even admit it even to herself. He’d created the perfect opponent, something to match their every move. A Ranger to wipe them all out in one clean stroke.

Sunset gritted her teeth and clenched her fists as she picked herself off the ground, and groaned as she clutched her chest in pain.

“Feeling that? Oh, I’m sorry… Did I hit the pretty little Princess too hard? I’d have thought one of Celestia’s prized students would have put up more of a fight!” the Ranger taunted. A blood red blast of magic was sent Sunset’s way, and the Alicorn braced for death. Suddenly, a very light blue energy shield sprung up in the way of the bolt.

“You… You didn’t notice, did you?” Cadance asked, as her horn glowed the same color. “All your magic, focused on fighting the Rangers, and yet you didn’t give a thought to me.”

She then created a whip with her magic, and pulled Trixie towards her, before swinging her around the room and then tossing her into the throne. “Now,” Cadance asked. “I can only wager a guess how much magic you’ve expended, but I’m betting it’s a lot. Not much more left in you, to keep up a sustained fight against me. So, if I were you, I’d go ahead and recharge your batteries, then come back for another round.”

Trixie growled, before she sighed. “Rest on your laurels, Rangers but be warned, I will come back, and next time, you won’t have an Alicorn to hide behind!”

With that, she teleported out as Cadance rushed over to Sunset, who was rapidly slipping into unconsciousness. “Don’t worry Sunny, everything’s going to be alright, you hear? You hear me, Sunset?” she asked, before feeling Sunset’s pulse starting to fade. “SUNSET!” she screamed.