And you could have it all
My empire of dirt
I will let you down
I will make you hurt -Johnny Cash, American IV: The Man Comes Around

Clink, clang, ch-chink! Went the sound of pickaxes and shovels in a rhythmic fashion, deep inside the innards of a dank, dark cave deep beneath Ponyville. This was the home of the underdwellers, the home of the Diamond Dogs. A series of tunnels and carts leading through those tunnels stretched out from the wall, with some bridges leading over the lower half of the mine as well down into deep dark yawning abysses. The huge cave where the smaller ones connected was colossal, with a large cave ceiling and elongated stalactites hanging down from it. At many of the cave entrances, more dogs stood guard, armored and holding their spears, nothing would get past them. Great wooden machines of various uses, from things like crude generators, and even torture devices stood in various areas of the mine. With nothing but brown and grey for colour, the mine was as devoid and lifeless as it could have gotten.

It was one of those dark forbidden realms, one of those places most ponies didn’t dare delve to go. And the entrances were nearly impossible to find at times. Well, like I said, most ponies. Special Agent Sweetie Drops of the SMILE organization, also known as Bon-Bon to the populace at large was not most ponies. Trained monster hunter, and if she had any desire to be, a probable candidate for the Power Rangers. Hell, she probably might just jump at the call if she was asked, if not for one factor. Namely, her wife Lyra. To be honest, Bon-Bon as she actually preferred to call herself had wanted a nice peaceful retirement after SMILE was disbanded. Just kick back, relax and enjoy herself, open up a bakery. She’d been surprised when she fell in love with Lyra in the process, but it was a pleasant surprise none-the-less.

Sadly, she’d been called back into service, and actually fairly recently at that. It all started, she supposed, when Robert had landed in Equestria from a distant past.

“Princess,” Sweetie Drops said, her curly mane in a nicely tied bun. “Surprised you’d ever contact me again, at least under my former persona. If anything, I was expecting you to contact me as Bon-Bon, not-”

“Sweetie Drops?” Celestia asked. “Yes, well… times have changed. You’re quite aware of our new arrival I presume?”

“Ah yes, the human…” Sweetie Drops muttered in a tone of slight disgust. “Should have known that’s what this was about. I must admit, I’m surprised about a human being alive…” she muttered, recalling her first meeting with the being known as Robert Williams.

“Ah yes, that… thing,” Celestia sniffed in a tone of absolute disgust, like she regarded Robert as nothing but a pile of dog shit underneath her hoof. The air seemed to grow hotter, and Sweetie Drops wondered if Celestia’s mane had always flickered like that. “I want you to keep an eye on him, you understand? Reforming SMILE, just for this occasion, have a few guards keep an eye on his whereabouts.”

“I… I understand,” Sweetie Drops nodded. “But isn’t all of… well, this, just that slightest bit overboard?”

“It isn’t overboard when he rapes somepony,” Celestia lowered her brows. “People like that should be kept on a leash, if you ask me. Or at the very most, tied to a stake and burned at it.”

“The Wicker Man, you mean?” Sweetie Drops asked. “Or a Guy Fawkes style effigy thing?”

“Yes. Plus, I’ve needed to sate his hunger for a while now. This Robert Williams would make a good offering for him.” Celestia’s voice turned venomous and spiteful. The heat in the room continued to grow, and Celestia’s eyes turned a sharp orange, as a few candles on golden sticks began to melt, Sweetie Drops adjusting the tie on her suit. “Do you think you can do that for me? Please?” Celestia’s old attitude came back.

All of Sweetie Drop’s senses were screaming alarm bells by now, this entire thing felt wrong, but if she didn’t do this, Mystic Mother knows what Celestia would do to her, or more likely those she cared about. She’d heard the stories, of what happened to those who disobeyed her. Celestia made them wish they were dead. Forget things like Brazen Bulls and the like, those were far too crude for her. Instead, she just psychologically tortured them, made them hollow shells of their former selves. Took away everything that was precious to them.

And so Bon-Bon compiled, just for the time being. She supposed, learning about Celestia and Solar Flare being two separate beings shouldn’t have been that surprising in hindsight.

“It's... It's about Robert," Sunset said sadly, a tear going down her face. “He knows... Knows about everything Princess Celestia and Commander Hurricane's forces did to his species.”

The Boutique went completely silent. Zephyr, who was combing Lyra's mane, dropped both his jaw and his comb in shock and whispered: “Oh dear Mystic Mother…”

“And I assume that's when he punched you?” Rarity asked sadly, noting her friend's bloody nose. Rarity was glad Twilight wasn't around to see this, as she'd go running to Celestia at once.

“...Yeah. Stings a bit, but I suppose I deserve it for keeping a secret this big from him for so long." Sunset replied sadly.

“So where is he now?” Rarity asked curiously and in concern for her friend.

“Somewhere safe, so he won't go right up to Princess Celestia's castle and get himself killed. His mental state is... dangerous,” Sunset admitted. “Granted, he’s not psychopath-crazy like those people in movies or video games, but he’s still too dangerous to be around.”

Sweetie Drops sighed as she watched Sunset share her feelings about Robert learning the truth, and could only sympathise with her. Robert was… not really the most subtle of human, and often had a tendency to fly off of the handle at times and that wasn’t even getting into his ego. She had no idea what he was planning, or where he would strike next. But she knew being sealed in a containment card was his fate in the end for his rape crime.

Now, a more rational Sweetie Drops might have questioned the facts, and wondered if Robert really did rape anypony, but right now those investigative cogs in her mind simply were not turning.

“Yes, probably best dear. You made a wise choice.” Rarity told her friend, laying a hand on her shoulder. Then everypony heard a familiar but unusually saddened voice from behind them. They had been focused on Sunset and Rarity's conversation that they had not taken notice of this new arrival.

“The situation with Celestia is more complex than it seems at first glance.” Luna's voice put in and everypony turned to her. But something was off. Luna's voice was not coming from her mouth. Sunset and Rarity quickly realized she was speaking telepathically.

“What... What do you mean?” Rarity asked in curiosity. Luna sighed sadly.

“The Celestia we know, and the one Robert knows, they are one in the same and yet not at the same time.”

“Okay, now you've lost me.” Sunset stared.

She means that both Celestia and Solar Flare could be the same entity… Bon-Bon tapped her hoof to the ground repeatedly as she drank the information in. The very Solar Flare the Rangers had tried to battle was Princess Celestia herself? That… that can’t be true, can it?

“What I mean to say is, well... You all know very well I had two facets of my personality? The one you see before you now, and the one formed from my darkest desires and thoughts, Nightmare Moon.”

“So... You're saying we're dealing with something similar?” Rarity asked with dawning realization at what the Princess of the Night was getting at. Meanwhile, everypony was watching the three mares seemingly standing around doing nothing in confusion.

Another Nightmare Moon? Then couldn’t we just use the Elements of Harmony to cleanse her like before?The question ran over and over through Bon-Bon’s mind. Whether she could say yes or no to it was even more of a mystery. For who was to say this Celestia would be fixed by it?

“Yes and no. While in my case it was my own jealousy and you could tell the two apart and Nightmare controlling me completely, with Celestia... It's something else. Solar Flare, her own dark side was formed in a different way, and is more subtle, so subtle in fact you cannot tell who is who, and she influences Celestia's desires. Just earlier I overheard her ask me and the Royal Guard to keep an eye on Robert to make sure he doesn't do anything.... untoward shall we say and when he does, capture and kill him.” Luna explained and both Rarity and Sunset covered their mouths in horror. Now everypony was really confused. What could be so horrible that it would garner a reaction like that?

“Oh... This is bad. We've got a split personality, but we can't tell which personality is in control at any time unless Solar does anything obviously her!” Sunset whispered before she looked directly at Luna, her gaze drilling into her. “Nothing like that's happened yet... has it?”

Sunset was severely hoping she was wrong, but Luna's expression said it all.

Bon-Bon let out a small growl as she watched Luna break down sobbing into Sunset’s arms, with the Alicorn bringing her in for a hug. She didn’t need to be a genius to guess what had happened, Robert had raped Luna, and that was the end of it. She clenched her fists, drawing blood, but nobody seemed to take any notice of this thankfully.

“Then you shall stay here in Ponyville, under an alias. There's an inn nearby, goes by the name of the Prancing Pony. Disguise yourself, give yourself a new name and Solar will never find you while a solution to split the two is found.” Rarity stated and Luna smiled weakly.

“T-Thank you…” Luna whispered before she vanished in a flash of blue light.

“She does love her entrances and exits, doesn't she?” Sunset joked weakly and gained a few chuckles out of that before her expression turned serious.

“I'll go to Twilight's, explain the situation and we'll find a solution, fix this mess and get our Celestia free from that monster.” Sunset stated firmly before running out the door, a new purpose filling her very body. It was a good thing she left when she did, as after she'd left a creature that could only be described as a walking camera stepped in.

“Heh, perfect. With my wide angle lens, I'll get all of you all at once! Now watch the birdie!” Camera Org said and his camera lens extended and with a click, all of the ponies inside the Boutique had vanished, as if they'd never been there in the first place…

Sweetie Drops recalled waking up in the middle of the warehouse district, and watching Robert demorph from the Orange Ranger in a flash of light and with a snap of his fingers. She supposed, rescuing her, a pony he had no rights to give two fucks about should have been her wake-up call as it were. But still, it took one final incident, namely Sunset being put in hospice and Robert going on a practical rampage to find who ordered the attack to do it. She was later witness to this happening, two guards, ones she’d personally ordered to go after Robert do this after he’d found the pony who’d attacked Sunset and had him arrested.

“You’re coming with us,” A female voice Robert recognized as one of the guards sent to spy on him before ordered. “Princess Celestia’s orders.”

“Yeah, I doubt that highly. If Sunset put her faith in Celestia, so should I. Might not be very cop-like of me, but I’ve never been much of a good one anyhow,” Robert remarked and then smirked. “So, how’d she get to you? Threats against your family, yourself? If it’s anything else, don’t expect me to show any sympathy when I send you lot packing to the hospital wards.”

“M-Money.” The female guard said, her voice quivering with fear and Robert sighed.

“Figures. That’s what it always is with corruption. I heard that’s what Grumm did with the A-Squad, offered them quite a lot of Space Bullion and where did it get them? Oh right, confinement cards.”

Robert then whirled around to knock the guards back with kicks to the face and as they staggered back their spears flew from their hands.

“I much prefer a good hand to hand brawl anyways,” Robert commented and cracked his knuckles. “Your boss wants me dead, she can come down and do her dirty deeds herself. Tell that to her when I’m done with you.”

The guards, much to Robert’s surprise actually put up a very good fight. Now that he hadn’t caught them off guard in any way, they could actually counter and block any of his punches or kicks. At one point, he tried a Chinese kickboxing maneuver, but the attack was caught and he was thrown to the ground. Robert then tried to kick the guard in question in the chin as he recovered, but the guard jumped to the left and kicked Robert in the chest sending him flying across the room and into the bottles of beer stacked behind the bar-top. The glass cut into his skin, leaving his back bleeding.

“Give up yet? Your humans were always second best, second rate.” The female guard asked.

“Funny, someone else said something like that to some friends of mine. Guess what happened?”

“Your friends, got their asses kicked like I expect.” The male of the two guards replied as he and his partner advanced.

“Wrong,” Robert snarled, shocking them both.

“It was the other way ‘round. Just doing what you’re told, right? Just like the Nazis did when Hitler ordered them to round up the Jews and gas ‘em. I have a friend who’s Jewish, and I’m half German so you can imagine that’s a very sore spot in my heritage,” Robert snarled, looking directly at the female of the twosome. “You know, I had high hopes for you, not being Celestia’s little puppet and dancing to her strings, but guess I was wrong. You guards all seem to be the same except for a rare few like your Captain, Shining Armor. He knows when to question orders. You’re like sheep, you are, always waiting to be shepherded around into your pen by the local Border Collie.”

“How dare you!?!” The female roared, angered that Princess Celestia was compared to a dog. “You can’t defeat us, and you know it.”

“That’s right… Bitch. I do know that. I was only buying time. You haven’t noticed yet, have you?” Robert asked while smirking and both guards felt a very warm presence about then and turned to see Princess Celestia behind them. Her eyes were flaring in anger and the snow around her was melting from her sheer presence. Next to her was Steel Sentry and another guard who quickly cuffed the two traitors.

“Looks like you two just got demoted.” Robert smirked. In the background, Sweetie Drops gasped. She’d caused all of this in a way, due to her own blind worship, and not checking the facts like a real agent should have. Pulling out her badge from her suit pocket, she squeezed it, and with her Earth Pony strength managed to crush it completely into something beyond recognition. Never again, she’d told herself. Never again.

So that’s why she’d found herself in a pantsuit and an old fedora in a mine. Bon-Bon stepped forward into a larger cave in the network, where a giant crystal hovered daintily on an island, with an endless abyss of black for a moat. One singular bridge stood between her and the gem, with Diamond Dogs stationed at all four of the posts holding it up. She couldn’t even get near without being seen.

“What in the world is this?” She asked, stepping out of the shadows ever so slightly. “And why are the Diamond Dogs so intent on guarding this particular crystal when there are so many others in these mines?”

She accidentally tripped over a fallen spear, knocking her flat to the floor, and a few Diamond Dogs, seemingly gazing upon the Crystal in worship, turned to face her.

“Oi! What’re you doin’ ‘ere, missy?” One of the dogs grumbled, with a very British accent to him. “Get back to your minin’ cave already.”

“...Excuse me?” Bon-Bon asked. “Do I look like one of your slaves to you?” she deadpanned, taking out a bo staff, and spinning it.

“Trust me. You don’t wanna fight me,” The Diamond Dog punched his paw, and watched as his comrades ran to his side. “Especially when you’re outmatched and outclassed.”

“Funny, that’s what my teacher in the Red Room said when she trained me to be an agent of SMILE, set my entire class on me, and guess what happened? No seriously, guess.” Bon-Bon deadpanned.

“Boys! Ruff ‘em up!” The British Diamond Dog roared, and his associates ran towards Bon-Bon, barking crazily. “And get her back in her doghouse!”

“Sorry boys, not today. Only one who I allow to put a leash and collar on me is my wife, and you sure as Hell don’t look like her. Not nearly as good looking, for one,” she mocked, taking down the guards with simple strikes or tripping them up. “I’m freeing your slaves, and then sealing off these entire caverns. SMILE’s overlooked them for far too long, time to change that. Name’s Bon-Bon. Agent Bon-Bon, and I hunt monsters.”

“Then you’re out of your league, missy.” The last dog snickered. “This ain’t no ordinary crystal. The boss ordered us to guard it because it’s much too dangerous.”

“AKA, he’s so dumb he doesn’t know what it is,” Bon-Bon deadpanned. “Sorry to say, but me and that crystal, we have business together.”

“Why don’t you take that business elsewhere, then?” The dog pulled out a detonator and pushed the button. Explosions rang out from the base of the island, forming cracks around it. “Hope you like talkin’ to that git at the bottom of the cave!”

Bon-Bon simply spun her staff, deflecting the shots before running towards the lead dog, drew back her fist, and punched him in the face, breaking his nose and drawing blood.

“Come an’ ‘ave a go if you think yer ‘ard enough!” The dog punched back, socking Bon-Bon across the cheek before grabbing her legs and yanking them off the ground.

Bon-Bon pulled out a taser and used it on the dog.

“Oh, I’m ‘ard enough’ alright.” Bon-Bon mocked before she kicked the dog over the edge and ran for the bridge, watching it break along with the island. It was going to splinter any second now, and so she leaped for the island, just barely grasping at it with her hands, and pulled herself up over the edge. Going for her belt, she pulled out a huge black pistol and aimed it at the ceiling, bringing down several stalactites and sending them crashing into the floor to be used as stepping stones later one.

“Okay, problem one solved. I’ve got access to the core crystal. Problem two, and that’s a work in progress,” Bon-Bon said into a small recording device. “Free the Diamond Dog slaves. Soon to be resolved, I think,” she said, before pulling out a small belt with a big, red buckle with a device on it. A slot for something sat at the right side with the left end having more buckle holders, for if the user had a smaller waistline. Bon-Bon pulled out what looked to be a black USB flash drive and inserted it in the slot with a shout of: “Henshin!”. Her recording device, on the other hand, turned into what looked to be a stag beetle and flew off towards the upper caverns.

“Skull!” the belt cried, and Bon-Bon was turned into a black-clad figured with a white scarf and a skull themed helmet, with her fedora atop her head. She ran towards the edge of the island, looking back at the crystal in the center.

“I’ll come back for you later…” she mused to herself, hoping this prototype actually worked as well as it was supposed to. She leaped across her impromptu stepping stones, and ran into another cavern, with ponies chained and muzzled to the walls.

“You’re all getting lashings for singing while you work, ponies!” Said the dog looking at the muzzled ponies. Taking his spiky whip, he struck the ponies in the chest and watched them scream. “No singing in Diamond Dog mines!”

Bon Bon knocked her magnum up against a wall several times, drawing everyone’s attention to her.

“Who do you think you are!?!” the diamond dog asked, before he looked her up and down with a lustful gleam in his eyes. “And what, may I ask, kind of Ranger are you?”

“I’m not a Ranger. I’m a Kamen Rider. And now, time to count up your crimes!” Bon-Bon shouted, as she pointed directly at the dog in question. Even as she said this, she winced under her helmet. One day, probably someday soon she’d probably be counting up her own crimes.

“Count up this!” The dog rushed forward and slashed his whip down at her.

Bon-Bon grabbed the whip, ripped it out of the dog’s paws, took the handle, and smashed it around on the ground. “Are you ready to repent?” She asked, giving him a disgusted glare.

“What kind of—“

Before the dog could finish, Bon-Bon whipped the legs and swung him around, swinging and flicking so that he crashed into the ground head first. She then followed up with what could have been the most deadly Rhythmic Ribbon performance ever seen as she smashed the machines up with the Diamond Dog, before finishing by knocking over all the troops who ran at her.

Bon-Bon smirked as the dogs all saw stars above their eyes. “Now, let’s see your fate.” She pulled out a device similar to what the SPD rangers used to evaluate criminals and saw all of the Diamond Dogs’ misdemeanors appear. “Hoo boy. Hell of a long list you got here. I’d read them off, but, I’d rather send you to Tartarus now before all the hassle comes along.”

She pulled out the little device that allowed her to transform and inserted it into her magnum, which proclaimed: “Skull Maximum Drive!” and fired off a series of powerful energy bursts at the dogs knocking them to the ground.

Blowing smoke off the magnum like she was some sort of ye Old West gunfighter, she then set about breaking the chains that held the various ponies with powerful axe kicks or using her fedora Oddjob style.

“Go, now! Run for the surface!” Bon-Bon shouted, as she gestured to a tunnel that led upwards. The tired and beaten ponies took this chance as Bon-Bon snapped several pictures with a dark blue camera of the diamond dogs and their crimes for evidence to present to Celestia later. “As for you…” She turned back to the dogs and held a series of Containment Cards. “Do you know what happens when you’re trapped inside these things, then they get ripped in half? Neither do I, actually, for that matter.”

“What’re you—“

“Let’s find out together, shall we?” She fired off an antimatter blast with her judgment scanner and trapped the dogs within. Then, she tore them all up together and watched as the dogs all let out screams as their bodies exploded, spreading blood and guts all over, but leaving Bon-Bon and the ground relatively clean. Bon-Bon grimaced at the sight, and sucked in a breath. She really hated killing, even if they did deserve it.

She turned her attentions back to the main cavern. Now, to get back to the other reason she came here…

Canterlot Castle

Bon-Bon eventually returned to Canterlot Castle, her Bat Shot and Stag Phone in her pantsuit pockets and Skull Magnum in its holster, the job done. The ground beneath her was all crystalline, with a singular carpet leading to a four-pointed flower sigil in the center. Small fountains hung from the side and trickled water down into the pools. Celestia and Luna’s thrones both stood majestically before her, with color-coordinated fabric to tell whose’ chair was whose. The ceiling stood proudly on pillars along the walls, with stained glass windows lighting up the otherwise silver room. Two small doors sat at the back, leading to the balcony outside. But that wasn’t what she was focused on right now.

“Milady,” Bon-Bon said, as she bowed in Celestia’s presence. Bon-Bon’s breath caught in her throat in spite of herself She had no reason to be afraid of Celestia, not anymore, Solar Flare was gone, cleansed. Still, years of living under constant paranoia that Solar Flare would suddenly erupt -Bon-Bon had seen it happen- had made her very, very afraid to be in Celestia’s presence at times. “Job’s done, I have the makings of more Gaia Memories, and…”

“Yes?” Celestia asked in concern, noting how Bon-Bon was holding back bile. Well, trying to hold back bile anyways, as she soon saw the cream-colored pony vomit all over the carpets. She sighed, she’d have a Royal Guard take care of that later. “You saw something, didn’t you?”

“Y-Yes…” Bon-Bon shook, her voice quavering. “I-In the mines, t-the ponies. I-I have pictures, in my camera…” she stuttered out, before vomiting once more.

“Shh…” Celestia whispered, teleporting a chair into the room from somewhere else in the castle. “Just you take a rest, okay Bon-Bon?”

Bon-Bon’s eyes widened, Celestia had never called her by her codename, just by her real name Sweetie Drops. Was Sweetie Drops her real name anymore? She’d been Bon-Bon for so many years now, she really didn’t know what to call herself in her mind now. Celestia meanwhile, gently took the Bat Shot and flipped through the pictures, eyes widening as she did so.

Celestia herself had to hold back vomit, as she saw what had happened to the ponies in the Diamond Mines. Pictures showed that the ponies had gone under all sorts of torture, the kind only monsters like King Sombra would love. Ponies, her little ponies, she thought as her anger began to rise, blood beginning to boil, chained to wooden posts, stripped of their clothing and bare backs whipped by cat-o-nine-tail whips till their backs were a sea of red. Dignity defiled, as Diamond Dogs took them for their own turning them into their own twisted foul trophies. Celestia calmed herself, lest her intense magical power go absolutely berserk and absolutely destroy the castle, and quite possibly the surrounding mountain sides in a plume of balefire.

She sighed to herself, as she tried to calm herself and regain her composure, her horn’s magical fiery orange glow going back to gold, and then fading completely. “The fallout from this, it’s going to be huge isn’t it?” she asked herself. “Ponies were tortured to the point of near-death, right underneath the noses of the entire populace of Ponyville where I placed two of the best students I ever had, and where two of the only to gain Alicorn Status and become Princesses themselves live. Mystic Mother above…” Celestia whispered, as tears leaked from her eyes.

“You know,” an absolutely vile voice said, oozing like magma into Celestia’s mind. “Just take my power, use it and you can burn the entire Diamond Dog mines to a crisp, make sure nothing like this ever happens again! You even have a Morpher again, so you’ve got all the power in the world!”

And for a moment, just for a moment, Celestia was ashamed to admit she was tempted. Her hands trembled, as she went for her Solar Cell Morpher resting on the side of her throne.

“No,” Celestia told her dark half. “I don’t know how you survived, but I will never let your mind and power taint and tempt me ever again.”

With that, Solar Flare went silent, at least for the time being. “Bon-Bon… You know when Lord Drakkon invaded right?”

“Y-Yes…” Bon-Bon’s voice trembled. “I’d never been so scared in my life, not even of Solar Flare. One of his Ranger Sentries, they came this close to my wife, boxed her in with a bunch of other ponies in the town hall and planned to blow them sky high till Gaim and Vapor Trail came in and stopped them. I’d never felt so helpless then,” Bon-Bon admitted, her voice coated in shame. “I should have been able to stop them myself! That’s why, when you wanted a national response to villains like Lord Drakkon, Thrax and all the rest, I jumped at the call.”

“Do not grieve,” Celestia said softly. “I admit, I myself have been halted by fear far more times than I should have been. It’s a poison to the mind. Fact is, if I hadn’t been so afraid all those years ago, Solar Flare might never have come into being, and the world as a whole would have been so much better off in so many ways. But we can’t change the past, only look towards the future,” she stated sagely, in that kind mothering voice she’d become so well known for. “You know, I heard someone say this once, a wise man,” Celestia said, emphasizing her choice of phrasing and Bon-Bon’s eyes widened as she picked up on Celestia’s wording. A kind man, who’d seen far more death than any one man has any right to. He lives in Ponyville now, with a pony for a wife. Mailmare, nice mare. Bit clumsy, but I suppose we all are in some aspects. You know what he said? “Everybody knows that everybody dies. But not every day. Not today. Some days are special. Some days are so, so blessed. Some days, nobody dies at all. Now and then, every once in a very long while, every day in a million days, when the wind stands fair and luck is on your side or perhaps a hero comes to call, everybody lives.” Heroes came to call on the day of Thrax’s first attack, and the day of Lord Drakkon’s invasion. You were a hero today as well, Bon Bon of Ponyville,” Celestia continued, laying a firm hand on her subject’s shoulder, kneeling down to her level so she could look the pony in the eye. “You took it upon yourself to go into those hellish mines, without any prompting and just a prototype Driver and Gaia Memory created from an alternate Maud Pie’s notes to rid the world of one less evil. I myself, admit would not have been so brave, or so restrained if I had the courage to do what you did to today.”

“So… what now?” Bon-Bon asked.

“Go back to your life, go back to your wife. Hold her close, and cherish her,” Celestia ordered. “You don’t have to do this anymore, do this to yourself. I’ll find someone else to become Double. It’s for the best.”

With that, Bon-Bon took her leave, thinking of only Lyra. Her walk broke into a sprint and then into a run as a smile graced her face as she thought of her wife, and all of her antics, crazy as they were. Sure, she was a bit strange and drove her up the wall, but Bon-Bon wouldn’t trade Lyra for any other pony in the world.

“Now,” Celestia mused as she thought of the pictures taken on the Bat Shot, the ponies freed and the inevitable fallout. “If only all problems in the world could be taken care of so easily, with just words.”

A door creaked open, and a pure black pony with a golden streak running through her mane -Midnight Strike if Celestia remembered correctly- and clad in Royal Guard armor peeked her head in, alongside her fellow guard Star Hunter.

“Milady, the council, they’re waiting on you. It’s Neighsay and Wind Rider, they’ve got some new proposals for how you and Luna plan to update the guard to deal with Thrax and his monsters.” Midnight said, holding back a sigh.

Celestia groaned, what she wouldn’t give for Shining and Cadence to be here. At least that way, she could have some other ponies in royal positions bear her pain with her. Hopefully, Baron Fancy Pants along with her Nephew would shut down any outlandishly stupid proposals Wind Rider and Neighsay had.

“What do they call it again?” Celestia asked herself as she followed Midnight and Star. “How does that old phrase go? The never-ending battle, yes?”

That night in Ponyville, Retinax struck again with his White Ranger with Doomwing as back-up, and the Rangers were at once on the scene, with Galaxy as back-up to serve in Robert’s place. Galaxy even took hold of Robert’s Crystal Saber for once.

Right now, he was currently slicing through a group of Putrid warriors, inserting the Swallow Crystal, and his borrowed Crystal Saber turned into the Swallowrang. Galaxy threw it, and like a whirlwind, spurred on by Sunset’s powerful wing flaps it sliced and diced through the whole platoon.

Galaxy had to wonder though, even as he watched the Putrids fall into heaps and the Swallowrang returned to his hand. “Are the Rangers really ready to face the White Ranger again? I saw in their eyes, fear of her. Sure, Jindrax and Toxica showed she could be beaten in combat, but not without a lot of effort. And no hesitation. The Rangers…” Galaxy mused as he watched Sunset go sword to sword with Trixie, he noted her deliberately holding back against Retinax’s ranger. Pulling her punches. “They don’t have that. They still see Trixie as a fellow pony. She needs to be stopped, put down. If they manage to bring her back to the side of the light, good on them and color me surprised. But I doubt it’s possible.”

Galaxy then pulled out both Blood Moon and his Dino Saber, holstering his Crystal Saber for the moment as more Putrids leaped into the flay and Galaxy threw Blood Moon to cut them down. Nearby, Sunset was kicked backwards into the mob and Vapor took up her place, holding Trixie’s sword back with her Trident.

“Come on Trixie,” Vapor pleaded. “I know you’re in there!”

“Sorry, Trixie’s not home!” the White Ranger sneered and slashed Vapor across the chest several times sending her staggering. Galaxy, as he inserted the Megaforce Silver charger into his Dino Saber and used both it and Blood Moon to send a red and silver x shaped slash towards Doomwing to block the monster’s own Doom Slash, noted Zen-Aku standing atop a street light watching the battle, full moon to his back. Vapor noticed him as well.

“Zen-Aku!” she shouted in glee, her face lighting up in joy under her helmet. She was rewarded with a huff, and the wolf leaping away much to all of the Ranger’s shock and horror.

“You fucking traitor!” Lightning roared as Doomwing cackled in the background at the sight, and Trixie went into Super Dino Mode and slashed both her and Vapor across the chest demorphing them. But Trixie wasn’t done yet. She charged forwards, her arm blades raised ready for the killing blow, before Sunset slammed into Trixie spinning like a drill, wings ablaze.

“I’m sorry Trixie, I’m so sorry…” Sunset apologized, as she went sword to sword with her once more, blades clashing and sparks flying in the night. Sword met sword, but eventually, Trixie scored a quick slash, striking Sunset across the chest in a z manner, demorphing her.

Sunburst leaped in, in Orion Mode to meet Trixie’s blades with his own.

“Trixie, I know what’s affecting you, I can help!” Sunburst pleaded as he rolled to the left to avoid a swing from Trixie’s sword and fired a blast from his horn making the White Ranger stagger backwards. Trixie teleported behind him and kicked him towards a light post, before teleporting in front of that light post to meet Sunburst in midair and sock him across the jaw, shattering his helmet.

Sunburst wiped the blood away from his jaw as he picked himself up off the ground, and charged his sword with gold light and swung, sending an arc of energy towards Trixie. She held up her own blade to block it and was pushed backwards, ripping up the street from the sheer force of the energy she was trying to hold back. Eventually, even Trixie with all of her power couldn’t stop it forever, and she staggered back, the bony parts of her Super Dino Mode shattering as she staggered back, arm blades hitting the street.

Trixie let out a scream of rage, and fired a massive beam of energy at Sunburst, who lit up his horn with a light yellow aura of magic, -concentrating as he did so- and created an energy shield to block the blow. Knowing it wouldn’t hold against the sheer power that the Alicorn Amulet possessed, he rolled to the left, and fired his Animal Spirit at Trixie, letting the misty yellow talons of the Owl rip and tear into her. He hung his head.

“I’m sorry sister,” Sunburst thought. “But you have to be stopped, and if that means killing you, before the Alicorn Amulet does so, then so be it.”

But Trixie wasn’t going down too easily, and she let out a massive shockwave of pure red magical energy that sent Sunburst flying back into a wooden cart and demorphed him.

“Ah, I love the scorn of a heart broken in two, don’t you?” Doomwing asked Galaxy, laughing. “Look at your Purple Ranger. She loved Zen-Aku, we all know it, and look how he rewards her! Her knight in shining armor, so to speak, abandons her when she needs her most!” he cackled, in his usual hyena-like fashion. He swung wide, striking Galaxy across the chest. “Oh, you’ve had your heart broken as well haven’t you?” Doomwing continued, sending Galaxy flying back into a building with a powerful right cross to the gut, getting past his blades. Both his Dino Saber and Blood Moon impaled themselves in the ground.

“I know the story. You were once the Lord of Romaneia, and look at what happened. Chrysalis, she came to call and murdered your whole family after sucking every ounce of love dry from them, isn’t that the story? And she made you watch…” Doomwing sneered. “Look at you now, fucking another stallion, just so you can try and recapture some of that love. But it’ll never come back!” he taunted, only to be hit in the chest by Galaxy, headbutting him and sending the rooster monster staggering back.

“You… You shut the hell up, you understand?” Galaxy snarled venomously, taking his Dino Saber out of the ground, and swinging it, sending an arc of silver energy towards Doomwing cutting into his chest. “So you do bleed. But, like I said. Shut the hell up. You don’t know a thing about me and Sunburst!”

“Your reaction suggests otherwise,” Doomwing sneered. “I’ve won this battle already. No, we’ve won this little bout already. Me and your sister-in-law,” he said, looking at the Rangers who were once again struggling to pick themselves up off the ground. “Time to leave.”

With that, he raised his sword to the night sky, and both he and Trixie vanished in a crackle of blood-red lightning as Galaxy let out a shriek of rage, and punched the ground.

Turtle Cove

Deep within the ruins of the Nexus, Zen-Aku clutched his head in pain, as he stumbled through the caverns, memories running rampant.

“Remember who you are, Zen-Aku! Remember…”

“A point well made But still, hardly the team I would have picked. Take Lightning Dust for instance. She’s a prime example of what I’m talking about. Far too ego-centered, and far too hot-tempered. She’s rash, and impetuous. One foolish charge into battle could get her very easily killed. And then there’s Sunburst… Mild-mannered to a fault, and really doesn’t know the first thing about combat beyond what he’s read in books. Being bookish is all well and good, but it doesn’t translate to field combative abilities.”

“And that’s what they’re all here for, to learn and grow from each other, they may not be the most qualified rangers… Yet, but…”

“Oh goody, a Ranger and a traitor to our kind in one blow! Today must be my lucky day!”

"You don't seem to know who you're dealing with. Then again, you low-level scum were always stupid. CRESCENT WAVE!”

“Now now, is that any way to treat a friend? You and I... We're both actually on the same side, believe it or not.”

“Is that really all you think of yourself, Zen-Aku? You walked the path of redemption for three thousand years, and are even doing that now as we speak. Look at yourself, fighting to defend those who scorn you and even taking a Power Ranger’s place as the leader of her team. You’ve done far more good than harm now, so the scales of fate weigh you as worthy of seeing me. And to be honest, this will probably not be the last time I will come to your team’s aid. The Orgs are more powerful than ever. Last time, I was a pacifist, but that was before the second Master Org murdered my chick. Now, I think it’s time to step in and join the fight. Now go and do Animus’s will and destroy this monster.”

“Well then, have you ever considered me? I too have Wild Zords, three of them in fact, one of which can fill Sunset’s spot on your Megazord,”

“And I spotted him in this form for just a brief moment after we were freed from the Camera Org.”

“But he’s a Duke Org! By all rights, we should destroy him where he stands!”

“A Duke Org who saved my life, twice. If that doesn’t say anything about who he is, I don’t know what does.”

“So, anthro ponies as a new generation of Power Rangers? What year is this?”

“By your time period, it would be the year 5026,”

“5-5026? I’ve been dead for…”

“Yes, I have missed you for millennia, old friend. My only regret is that we had to meet like this, and that the newest generation of Wild Force Rangers have to face their past in such a way.”

“N-newest generation? Then…then that means…”

“Yes, the Princess is awake once again and the Orgs now once again walk the face of the Earth, now under a new Master. We’ve been holding them off, but every day they grow in strength, power, and number.”

“God, I wish I could help you Zen-Aku,” Merrick said as he kicked his old friend backwards.

Zen-Aku let out a howl of pain, as he clutched his head once more. He saw Merrick’s face, under his helmet and re-lived that last moment. He then saw Vapor’s shocked, betrayed look. If he didn’t know any better, he’d say it was almost one of… No, it couldn’t be. Could it?

His howl turning to a snarl, he swung his blade, destroying the few statues of Orgs that remained as he remembered that night.

“Retinax…” Zen-Aku growled as he turned to face the eye themed General Org, Crescent Blade drawn. “You’ve made a rather large mistake coming here, I can assure you of that,”

“Funny, you talking about mistakes when you’ve made quite a few of your own,” Retinax commented dutifully as Zen-Aku leveled his blade at him, one of the tips dangerously close to Retinax’s main eye. “You’ve really got to get better taste in allies, ones who actually trust you and won’t turn on you at the drop of a hat,”

“And you’re offering yourself as an ally?” Zen-Aku deadpanned. “Funny, never thought you had a sense of humor,”

“Think about it for a moment,” Retinax remarked. “Have the Rangers ever trusted you? You’re an Org, their natural enemy. Who’s to say they won’t turn on you one day once your usefulness is expended?”

Zen-Aku, for the briefest of moments, had doubts about the Rangers, it was true that most of them, aside from Vapor and Sunset didn’t really trust him, and he had heard them talking, whispering behind his back when they thought he wasn’t listening. But he also knew that if he allied himself with Retinax, then they’d never trust him and all of his steps towards redemption… They’d all have gone to waste.

“I’d advise you to leave… Now,” Zen-Aku growled out in a warning tone, his eyes beginning to glow. “They may not trust me, but I won’t throw away the trust of those that do.”

“Really?” Retinax asked and Zen-Aku looked away from him and lowered his blade. “Prejudice and hatred destroyed this world once… Who’s to say it won’t again? History repeats, I’m walking evidence of that. But I aim to build a better world, one free of hatred and scorn. All you have to do be a part of it… Well, join me... Join the Org Family,”

Family. That word echoed in Zen-Aku’s head. Something he’d never been apart of and no one had ever offered to him. He dropped his blade with a loud clattering sound and Retinax laughed, he had him.

“I’m sorry… Vapor, Shayla… Merrick,” Zen-Aku thought as he threw his crystals into the sea and teleported away along with Retinax.

And now that he thought about it, it was a little too easy for Retinax to work his magic tongue on him, as ordinarily, he’d never listen to a word he’d have to say. Then his eyes widened in shock, as he remembered seeing out of the corner of his eyes figures in the darkness. He would have thought nothing of it at the time, but now?

“RETINNNNNNNNAAAXXXXX!” Zen-Aku roared, as he burst into the General Org’s personal chambers, and leveled his blade at him.

“So, you finally broke free from your little pen,” Retinax commented as the White Ranger moved to protect her master, her sword raised. “Should have known it was only a matter of time. I did say the Rangers didn’t trust you, and it was true back then. It’s even truer now. Even if you kill me, and return the White Ranger to her natural state by some miracle, who’s to say they’ll ever take you back? I wouldn’t trust someone who changed sides at the drop of the hat, would you?” he sneered, rending Zen-Aku speechless for several minutes. The Org General smirked, and snapped his fingers. “Kill him, and dispose of his body,” he ordered the White Ranger, who was only too happy to comply.

“With pleasure,” Trixie giggled, stepping closer to Zen-Aku. “It’s about time I got to put down this mangy mutt. If you beg, I’ll make it quick.”

“I don’t beg,” Zen-Aku growled, eyes narrowing before he swung his blade to meet Trixie’s own. Meeting with a shower of sparks, both weapons groaned as they strained against each other. “Unlike you.”

Kicking Zen-Aku in the chest, Trixie put a bit of distance between them. “Shut your mouth, mongrel. You need to be put in your place.” Drawing a few energy arrows, she fired them off in a fury of light.

Zen-Aku teleported behind her, in a blur of black and purple light and struck her from behind with his blade. Trixie let out a scream of pain, but whirled around and quickly slashed Zen-Aku across the chest in a z fashion making him stagger back, before a red skeletal arm of hard light erupted from her back, and she grabbed Zen-Aku with it and threw him into the next cavern.

“Oh, you should have seen that hurt look on Vapor Trails face when you ran and refused to help her against Doomwing and moi,” Trixie mocked, wagging a finger at Zen-Aku, who was picking himself up off the ground. “You had the power to end that fight right there and then, but because you were still under Retinax’s strings, you didn’t!”

Zen-Aku howled in fury, blindly rushing towards Trixie. With a cocky laugh, she grabbed his arm twisting it with a sickening crack, his blade dropping to the cavern floor with a clatter.

“Face it Zen-Aku, you’re past your prime. Long ago, you might have had a chance to beat her,” Retinax taunted. “But now, you’re all just untamed rage and fury. A wolf off his chain! Your stubbornness is to be commended, but even you have to admit, you’re outmatched, against something you, in part, created!”

“Well, are you going to cooperate and let this happen nice and easy, or do I have to get… forceful?” Retinax asked. He only earned a spit in the eye for his troubles.

“Go to Tartarus!”

Zen-Aku flashed back.

Retinax fingered something in one of his hands, it resembled an amulet of some sort. Dark grey and red in color, it had the design of a winged pegasus. Zen-Aku’s eyes widened as he caught sight of it… No, not even Retinax would be this crazy! Combining this power with that of the White Dino Gem…

“Master, are you sure this is needed?” Zen-Aku had to question, snippets of his true self breaking through. “This all seems a bit… much. Surely the Dino Gem would be enough to keep her in line!”

“It’s original bearer broke free of the gem’s control once, as I recall, so I’m only taking extra precautions…” Retinax replied as he approached the mare. Her eyes widened in fright as she saw what he had in hand.

“Please… No, not that! Anything but that!” the mare screamed in terror, knowing exactly what that power could do, she’d seen it for herself. She began to thrash back and forth in her restraints, trying to break free. She would have used her magic to break loose, but a ring had been placed around her horn, restricting her magic use.

“Doomwing, restrain her!” Retinax barked.

Cackling, the rooster-like monster walked forwards and grabbed the mare by one of her wrists as Retinax continued striding forwards. “Heh-he! Now hold still, this won’t hurt a bit!” Doomwing laughed, sounding exactly like a hyena to the mare’s ears.

She soon found the amulet placed around her neck, and her eyes went a deep crimson as the magic ring around her horn shattered as a rush of power filled the mare’s body. Acting fast, Retinax quickly pulled out the White Dino Gem and slammed in onto her wrist, and it transformed into a Pterodactyl themed bracer morpher.

The mare’s body glowed with a white light, before it was covered in the costume of the White Dino Ranger. Mostly white as the name implied, it was covered in jagged black streaks with a crimson red visor. If most Ranger costumes were designed to look protective, inspire hope in whoever saw them, this was the exact opposite. Its design only brought fear to whoever saw it…

“You created your own worst nightmare, me, and now it’s come back to bite you!” Trixie laughed, and Zen-Aku’s eyes narrowed, and the next thing Trixie knew was that she was hit again and again by a purple-black blur before she found herself on a moonlit beach, looking up at Zen-Aku, who stood atop a rock being battered by the crashing waves.

Zen-Aku, in his other hand, held a small little crescent-shaped dagger. “I’m sorry, but there’s no hope for you left. The only small mercy I can give Sunburst, and you for that matter now, is to take you down, and put both you and him out of their misery. You’ve suffered for far too long Trixie Lulamoon, it’s time I end that.”

“Oh, so the wolf still has some teeth!” Trixie laughed. “But let’s talk seriously for a moment eh, you doing this out of mercy for ponies who probably hate you now, or do you just want to take me down after how much pain I’ve caused you, both mentally and physically?”

At that, Zen-Aku was rendered speechless for the second time tonight.

“I thought as much,” Trixie smirked under her helmet. “If you were to contain your rage, or have back-up, you might be able to beat me. But right now… I can’t see that happening. You’re just letting yourself run wild, like a rabid dog. And you chased all of your help aw-”

Trixie was cut off by Zen-Aku turning into a blur and kicking her in the chest sending her flying back.

“You talk too much,” Zen-Aku stated simply. “And yes, I admit, while in part Retinax may have had a hand in chasing all of my friends away when he brainwashed me, I could have fought back at any time or at least tried to give a little more effort into doing so,” he admitted. And in an eerie echo of his former host, he said: “I caused this, and so I have to make it right. And if that means killing you just to alleviate Sunburst’s pain, and yours, so be it.”

“But it won’t, will it?” Trixie asked as her blade met Zen-Aku’s flute-dagger. “He’ll mourn, and he’ll blame you for my demise once he finds out,”

“Yes, maybe he will, but in time, the pain will pass and he’ll accept that this was a necessary evil.”

Trixie, under her helmet, felt her eyes widen, and her blade dropped to the sand. Her helmet vanished in a flash of white light. “You’re… You’re really willing to kill Trixie, just to help her brother?” she asked, not in that distorted tone that the Alicorn Amulet gave her, but in her real voice.

“Yes,” Zen-Aku admitted sadly. “I don’t like doing it, but…”

“Then you won’t have to,” Trixie said as she narrowed her eyes, and pulled the Alicorn Amulet off her neck and smashed it under her hoof. “I will never be controlled again. Never.”

She then felt a sharp pain in her chest, as the White Dino Gem urged her on, to keep on going and kill Zen-Aku. It had felt the taint of blood once more, and it wanted more. “Go, now! Before this.. thing takes control of me again! Run, now!”

“No, I’m not leaving you here! You said it yourself, you will never allow yourself to be controlled again! So, you can fight this. I know about the White Dino Gem, anyone with a strong enough will can fight off it’s influence!”

“She might be able to fight it off,” Retinax laughed as he appeared with Doomwing at his heels. “But you, can you fight both of us? Trixie’s right, you should leave. Don’t worry, we’ll take care of her…” he sneered. Zen-Aku let out a low growl, before teleporting off.

“Don’t worry Trixie. Me and Sunburst, we’ll be back for you. I promise you that. And Retinax, I promise you, you will die by the hands of my blade.”

Meanwhile, Retinax touched his hands to the side of Trixie’s face and worked a spell on her, old Duke Org magic, and Trixie’s eyes became pure white. No irises, or anything. “So, where do your loyalties lie?”

“With you… Master.” Trixie replied, completely emotionless.

Author's Notes:

Okay, I admit, you probably want to kill me now, but before you do, consider this. I didn't kill Trixie, just brainwashed her again, and she's no longer under the Alicorn Amulet's corruption, meaning the Rangers don't have to worry about a ticking doomsday clock of sorts hanging over their heads.

Now, keep note, this is the only chapter in which you'll see Kamen Rider Skull, (Thank you Shadowmane once again for pitching in to help me with Bon-Bon's sole fight scene as Skull even though you know nothing about Kamen Rider) so savor it while it lasted.

Now, originally, with the final fight between Trixie and Zen-Aku, I wanted the ghosts of Hunter and Blake from Ninja Storm to show up to make up for Ninja Storm's lackluster tribute last time Hunter showed up under Bunglay's influence but way things ended up going I couldn't fit them in and so Zen-Aku overcame his rage by himself.