Author's Notes:

Okay... Trickey subject matter ahead, and I really am not sure if I dealt with it correctly but... Anyways, huge thanks to both Vertigo and Shadowmane for helping to write the flashback scenes with Pharynx.

“Oh, now that is paradise…” Stripped Gear commented from inside the safety of his Voyager’s cockpit as he gazed out at the planet in front of him. Covered in massive cities and equally if not more so industrial parks, there wasn’t a single green spot to be found on the entire planet. It was devoted solely to production and development. This was the exact reason why when Flurry and Stardust learned of the place, they had ordered Stripped along with Pharynx and the Doctor to travel to this planet Zigama being its name so they may possibly form an alliance with the locals. If that could be accomplished, maybe from what the Doctor had told them, the locals would be all too happy to repair the battered colony ships.

Two massive mechanical rotating rings surrounded the planet, both housing cities of their own if the Doctor’s information on them was to be believed.

“For you and your wet dreams maybe,” Pharynx grumbled. “Me, I hate the cities, and I hate industry. Now, I’m no tree hugging hippie, but a place like that? Makes me feel cramped really. “

“Didn’t the Changelings have any sort of technology?” Stripped Gear inquired. “Or did you just use whatever you found?”

“No, the Changelings were hardly an industrious race, we didn’t ‘make’ anything for ourselves, any technology from any races we ran across we just assimilated and re-worked for our own usage. The ultimate consumers, some of us were called,” Pharynx replied. “Now, onto more important business. Doctor, the local Magistrate? What do we know about him?”

“Bringing him up on-screen now, and transmitting all necessary data to your Voyagers,” the Doctor replied, pressing a few buttons inside the Libra Voyager’s cockpit, and soon both Pharynx and Stripped paid witness to the hologram of one very fat reptilian creature with attire and armor resembling the burial mask of the ancient Baladi ruler Tutankhamun. A wine glass was held in one of his hands. “Yes, I know he’s an ugly one, but what were you expecting? A handsome brute? Anyways, if there’s one word that you could apply to this guy, it’d be the Deadly Sin of Greed. Why? Well, this guy right here thrives on stripping planets of their wealth and leaving the inhabitants to fend for themselves on what little they have left.”

Pharynx let out a hiss of anger, sounding almost like a snake poised to strike fittingly enough. “Bet he just sits around on his golden throne rolling in money doing nothing, and just has his servants bring him whatever he desires, am I correct?” he asked in a tone of barely disguised disgust.

“Yeah, that’d sound like him. He’s a disgusting fellow, to say the least,” the Doctor growled. “Greed, it’s a curious thing. It plunges a man deep into the mire of this world, so that he makes it to be his god, as one fellow once so elegantly put it.”

Pharynx sighed to himself even as the three Voyagers entered the planet’s atmosphere.

“Something wrong?” Stripped asked in a tone of concern. “You’re not… reminded of how the Changelings used to be are you?”

Pharynx let out another sigh. “Can’t believe I’m letting you play shrink to me and get inside my head, but yeah. This guy… Reminds me far too much of how the Changeling race used to be, we took far more than what we ever actually needed everywhere we went. Left entire civilizations bare and dry to the bone. You think the Badlands were always a desert dry to the bone? No, before we came along they were a thriving location, a virtual paradise till Queen Chrysalis stripped the place of everything it had in just a few short decades, less than thirty years. And I helped her do so proudly. That’s… That’s why I’m so intent on dethroning this guy. Repentance for my own sins.”

“I… I understand all too well, I’ve got my own sins I have to pay the piper for someday,” the Doctor remarked in a sympathetic tone. “That’s why I’ll gladly help you with anything you need, Pharynx.”

“T-Thank you.” Pharynx whispered, and if a single tear dripped from his eye he wiped it away before anyone could notice.

Equestria, six billion odd years ago. A burning village, black insectoid creatures sucking inhabitants dry of any love they had in them and cocooning them aboard massive airships to store them away for further meals at a later date. Ponies that were trying to flee the scene were swiftly shot down by green bolts, launched by the insectoids. The process was repeated ad infinitum, until all of the screams had been silenced. The other insects that weren’t attacking the citizens were tearing through the buildings and houses, physically, and with their own bombardment of ooze-coloured lasers. As the population dwindled, the settlement did as well, with gnarled and charred wood littering the ground, turning into ash mere moments later. The waters and air were soon plagued with the stench of death, as the remnants of the battlefield that was one a village painted the scene.

“Your majesty. The town has been entirely destroyed. Not a single pony remains.” Pharynx stood before his queen and bowed loyally, hand on chest. “As for their love, it all but belongs to us. Soon, they’ll be nothing more than empty husks, free to do with as you see fit.

“Very good, Pharynx,” The queen chuckled softly and coiled her fingers together. “This should prove to that fool Celestia that her ponies cannot survive on friendship and magic alone. If you want to defend yourself, you have to fight all those who dare to impede your progress; using whatever means necessary.”

Lust, that could characterize Chrysalis down to a T, she wanted it all. Pharynx smiled, his fangs bared, before he heard the sound of soft whimpering coming from an alleyway. Another victim for his kind. He slunk away and tore through whatever debris the noise was hiding behind, revealing a small filly, who let out a very high-pitched and ear-piercing scream at the sight of him.

For a brief moment, Pharynx had second thoughts. This filly had done nothing wrong, so why should he harm her? He reached out a hand to touch her, try to comfort her in his own way. But as he did so, the soldiers by his side quickly tackled her and scooped her out of his reach, proceeding to drain her of her love and spirit her away to the ship above.

“That’s one of the sneaky little traits of these ponies. They will do anything to get themselves out of trouble; regardless of who they are, what they do, or how they choose to survive,” Chrysalis watched as the girl was lifted skyward. “We are not ponies, Pharynx. We never will be ponies. Don’t ever let yourself become distracted by their tactics. It looks bad for you, and it could arouse suspicion that could send my hive into a frenzy.”

“But… But she did nothing wrong!” Pharynx stated in shock, only to be slapped across the face.

“That’s what they all do. Princess Celestia did all the wrong things when she exiled us. Ponies, despite what they say about us are the real evil in this world,” She hissed, her tongue licking his ear canal sadistically making Pharynx tingle in anticipation for what he knew was to come soon. “You are not a pony, Pharynx. You are a good man; a loyal Changeling, under my rule. Don’t have second thoughts now. I wouldn’t want my best soldier losing his resolve, now would I?” she asked in a seductive tone, stroking his chin.

“Of… of course not, my Queen. My fault entirely,” He hung his head and bowed once more. “Anyway, what are your orders now?”

“To the next town, raze it dry, suck the inhabitants of every inch of their love!” Chrysalis ordered as her Changelings chittered in excitement. “Do you hear me? Every inch! Bleed them dry!”

“How many towns do you think we need to destroy before we’re ready to challenge that tyrant Sun Princess?” A drone asked, with a malicious grin on its’ face.

“Several, maybe several dozen. I don’t care, as long as there are some ponies left for me to use as my personal playthings. I hear there’s a wedding coming up,” Chrysalis remarked, returning that grin ten-fold revealing a maw of razor-sharp vicious looking teeth. “I say we… gate-crash it hmm?”

“Weddings. They’re full of love, aren’t they?” Pharynx’s ears twitched at the sound of the Queen’s orders. “Where is this wedding, your majesty?”

“Why, over at Canterlot, of course. Where else?” Chrysalis pushed her hands together, hearing the bones in her fingers click. “Not only do we get to feast, but we also have a chance to put an end to that pretty precious Princess Celestia once and for all. Kill two rocs with one stone, I say. And with this hoard-” she gestured up to the flagship above her head “-she doesn’t stand a chance in hell of defeating us! Now onwards, my children, to Canterlot!” she roared as the Changelings took to the sky. “We’ve got gifts of our own to bestow to the blushing bride and her groom!”

“Pharynx?” Stripped Gear’s voice asked as the three Paladins walked through the streets, snapping the Changeling King back to the present day. “Please tell me you’re there.”

“Y-yes. I’m here, your Majesty.” Pharynx replied, out of pure reflex. He snapped out of his memories and looked up into Stripped’s eyes. “Sorry, I just zoned out for a second.”

“If you say so…” Stripped murmured, not missing what the Silver Ranger had called him, but deciding not to comment on it. As he observed the city around them, Stripped sighed in what was an almost orgasmic pleasure. “See, what did I tell you? Heaven for a guy like me! Certainly an improvement over Vela I dare say!”

The crew now stood in a titanic city; much larger than anything that they had ever seen before. It was almost like an entire mountain, made entirely out of metal, and pumped full of shops and streets; with people scaling it countless times. Large TV screens filled most of the gaps, and there were all sorts of people, from all walks of life and from all corners of the universe casually chatting to each other, sharing what stories and news they had. There were many more ships parked in the docks behind them, some of which made their Voyagers look minuscule by comparison. Nobles, fishermen, mechanics, and more came from the docks, gracing the city with their presence; all dressed in their usual attire and ready to do business with the inhabitants.

“Ah, Zigama, it never does anything by halves.” the Doctor mused.

“Well, at least we don’t stand out,” Pharynx deadpanned, gesturing to their jackets and comparing them to the rags and jumpsuits the civilians wore. “By the Hive Mother, at this rate, I fail to see how we’ll avoid notice!”

“Well, only one thing for it then…” the Doctor remarked, gesturing for the group to follow. “Allons-Y!”

As Pharynx and Stripped followed after the possible madman, Pharynx once again went into another flashback, into a grand city not too far removed from this one.

Canterlot, its’ defences had been shattered like glass, thanks to the barrage of fire from the drones and their flagship. Orbital strikes and cannon blasts from the space-age ship laid waste to the castle, tearing down the roof in seconds, and causing the wedding guests to scatter; all except for one princess of the sun, and six other individuals. But pretty soon, they seemingly abandoned Celestia for their own accords, before Pharynx landed before them.

“Ponies. Your princess, and as an extension; you are charged with the banishment of my queen, Chrysalis. I, Pharynx, have come to collect, and count up your sins before we rip your emotions straight out of your body.” He declared, pointing his gun at the six ponies before him. “Do you have any last words before my crew tears you to shreds?”

“Canterlot will never fall, and your Queen, someday soon perhaps, she will learn to see the error of her ways.” Said the purple one, who would later go on to become one of the four princesses who died attempting to stop the sun from scorching the planet; Twilight Sparkle.

“Look at you, acting all defiant. It’s cute. No really, I think I can practically feel the love coming to me right now.” Pharynx sadistically joked and primed his gun for a shot. “But as you can see, your princess has fallen, and so too has your kingdom.” He stretched his arms out, the Changelings demolishing many of the buildings behind him as if on command. “You have nothing to protect; nothing to defend. Nothing to DIE for. All you have left are your lives, and now, you forfeit them to the Changeling Empire!” He fired a powerful blast at Twilight Sparkle from his gun, striking her directly, and launching her back against the wall.

“We… we will never quit, not as long as the Magic of Friendship exists.” Twilight coughed out, blood stains covering her fur and the tip of her horn.

“You say that, but clearly-” The drones started to fire on the rest of her friends, causing them to scatter or try- and fail - to fight back “-You are weak. Undisciplined. And obviously, that friendship of yours you so love to preach about did not exist today. Your friends and even your beloved solar Princess, I seem to recall them abandoning you in your hour of need.” He stomped over to Twilight, grabbing her by the scruff of her neck. “You are not brave; in your command of your pony magic and pony ways-” he emphasized the words viciously “-you’ve simply forgotten the feel of defeat, failure, and death. Allow me to re-educate you…” His gun charged up for another shot.

Pharynx shook himself free of those memories, he had work to do and he couldn't dwell on the past. Not now. He still felt guilty for those days, taking a whole city and being partial to almost bleeding it dry. He would not allow this ‘Gamettsui’ to do the same.

As the threesome walked through the city, more signs of Gamettsui’s tyranny began to make themselves apparent. Various locals had collapsed in the street from pure exhaustion, just trying to make ends meet for their families at the factories.

The Doctor’s eyes widened when he saw a green-scaled dog-like alien fall to his knees before he rushed over and helped the man up, dabbing at his face with a wet rag he’d pulled from his coat pockets.

“Rassilon damnit…” the Doctor growled to himself as some medics rushed over with the alien (A Syrien if the Doctor remembered correctly) whispering hurried thank yous. The Doctor turned to his comrades. “Now do you see? Now do you see what Gamettsui is willing to turn this planet into just so he can satisfy himself and his abominable pleasures?” he growled out in fury before his voice turned into that of a hiss. “He’s not just that monster from under your bed or in your closet, he’s the real deal. Just like every other member of Dark Matter’s entourage. So get this straight through your head right now, once we start dealing with more and more of Dark Matter’s commanders and start freeing galaxies, there will be no turning back. But someone needs to stand up, show the galaxy that free will along with hope, laughter and all that comes with it still exists.” he stated, as his veins glowed blue and yellow briefly. If either Pharynx or Stripped Gear took notice, they said nothing. “Now,” the Doctor asked. “Are you with me?”

“Yes, quite,” Stripped Gear stated. “It’s not even a question.”

“Exactly. Now, what do monsters like Gamettsui have nightmares about?” Pharynx asked, fingering his Ophiuchus Kyutama. “Well, suppose we’ll just have to find out. If we’re lucky, the answer will be us eh?” he smirked devilishly. “I’ve robbed a few cities dry of their hope and everything that matters to them and I will have to pay the piper for that someday soon and face judgment. But in the meantime, I think it’s time I start returning the favor. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you, yes? Well, it’s time we do unto Gamettsui and Dark Matter as a whole as they would do unto us.”

“....You had something good going there, gotta say,” Stripped Gear remarked. “But that whole quoting the Golden Rule thing? Even if I agree with the sentiment, you sorta ruined your whole speech right there a little bit, just sayin’.” he stated, with the Doctor nodding.

“Oh shut up…” Pharynx muttered before his eyes widened as he turned his attentions to a big rotating screen. On it, appeared the face of Gamettsui. Both Stripped and Pharynx winced.

“...Now there’s a face only a mother could love.” Stripped murmured to himself, with the Doctor nodding.

“Hello everyone, can you see me well enough?” Gamettsui asked before an Invader leaned into his ear and whispered something. “Oh, sorry, sorry! Let me pull back and then I can start this whole thing over again!”

He snapped his fingers, and the camera pulled back to reveal Gamettsui sitting on his gilded throne, covered in the most lavish of jewelry with a mound of gold coins all around him, and a scantily-clad felid woman with maroon fur chained to his throne. An expression of obvious displeasure was on her face.

“Wait a tick…” the Doctor muttered as his eyes went from the woman to a particularly sparkling piece of jewelry hanging around Gamettsui’s neck via a chain. “That’s Baroness Manx, and that’s the Eye of Bastet, said to be the envy of a thousand systems! Her personal treasure! It’s worth about the wages of the whole planet for an entire week, you’d have to fight tooth and nail -Quite literally in her case- to pry it away from Manx’s family!”

“Evidently he did, Doctor,” Pharynx stated, master of the understatement noting the broken look on the former Baroness’s face. It was like she’d lost all hope. He growled, and clenched his fists hard enough to draw a bit of blood. “So you can add theft to his list of crimes.”

“Okay, let’s try this again!” Gamettsui exclaimed and clapped his hands, clearing his throat as the camera turned to reveal several beautiful women, also clad in scanty clothing. “These lovely ladies you see before you -Quit drooling Megatsuyoindaver, I can see you from behind the camera!- are your former Baroness’s advisors. And now, they’re mine. Excuse me, allow me to correct myself. They’re going to be Dark Matter’s in just a few short moments as I’m holding an auction. See those ships gathering above?” Gamettsui asked, and everyone including the three Kyurangers looked up and saw a group of Dark Matter Moraimarz warping into orbit. “Well, they belong to some of my fellow Magistrates, who need some pleasure in their life if you know what I mean. Now, you can save these beautiful women if you manage to somehow outbid them, but I doubt it. So say your goodbyes!”

“Okay,” Pharynx stated, slamming one fist against his palm. “If you want to stop me from doing something stupid, here’s your chance. Because I’m about to teach that little worm a lesson or two in respect. So, either of you two feeling moronic enough to try?” he asked, turning to Stripped and the Doctor, who simply shook their heads.

“Nope, all I have to ask is… what’s the plan?” the Doctor asked, and Pharynx simply smirked.

Pharynx’s plan turned out to be beautifully simple. The Doctor and Stripped Gear, in disguise as space pirate scum, would go to the auction and keep the guy in charge of it distracted while Pharynx himself dealt with Gamettsui. And if possible, rescue Baroness Manx. The Gold and Yellow Paladins had found themselves in a town square, amongst a crowd of alien space scum. Towering above them was the city skyline, comprised of massive factories and cleverly hidden amongst the machinery to the untrained eye, Gamettsui’s personal Moraimarz.

“Can you gimme one thousand, one thousand! Can you give me two thousand, two thousand! I want a three thousand here, a three thousand!” the Strongindaver in charge of the whole shebang fired off at almost ludicrous speeds, continuously getting the crowd of Indavers and their bosses pumped up as they continued to cry for louder and louder pricing on for the women on display, both the Doctor and Stripped Gear chipping in just to keep on buying more time. “Four thousand, four thousand! Five, give me some five thousand here!”

The Doctor, he was dressed in a long black button-up coat with goggles around his neck and his hair styled into a punk’s mohawk thanks to the Coma Berenices Kyutama. Stripped, he’d just opted for a simple brown cloak that covered his face and horn.

Stripped cast a quick glance to one of the women, a light-blue felid wearing barely anything except a bikini that only just barely covered her extremities. He let out a nicker of displeasure at this debasement and looked at the Doctor.

“I know,” the Doctor murmured. “I don’t like it either, but for the time being we’ve got to keep this going.”

“Shame we can’t just take on all of these guys at once…” Stripped muttered, idly fingering the Corvus Kyutama attached to his belt. “Sure, it’s suicide but the chaos would allow those poor ladies up there to escape.”

“Or get recaptured.” the Doctor pointed out.

“Gimme a ten, and I repeat a ten thousand!” the Strongindaver shouted over the raucous of the crowd. “No, no! Bump that up to twenty thousand! Seriously, beautiful women like this going for cheap prices! No, no sir! Gimme a twenty thousand, a twenty thousand! Gimme a thirty thousand! A forty thousand!” he echoed as the cheers and shouts grew ever louder.

“Come on Pharynx, surely it can’t take you this long to dethrone a madman. If I was doing this, it’d already been over within five minutes or so… Got to think up a plan here… Cause a bit of chaos…” the Doctor murmured to himself rubbing his chin as he did so, before he had a lightbulb moment and looked directly at Stripped. “How would you describe me, Stripped? Resourceful? Dynamic? Enigmatic?”

“Incredibly pretentious. Disruptive. A plonker, a right pain in the arse and last but not least someone with no sense of fashion,” Stripped deadpanned before tilting his head. “Is that what you were asking for?”

“No, but disruptive is what we need here eh?” the Doctor remarked before brushing past a bunch of Invaders and staggering onto the stage like a drunkard before shoving away the Strongindaver and taking the mic.

“Doctor, what the Hell are you…?” Stripped trailed off, before he smirked. Of course, that would do it. A bit of confusion from the auction being disrupted by some seemingly unknown drunken space pirate, that would definitely buy Pharynx the time he needed.

“Hello Detroit!” the Doctor said with a cheery wave as Stripped groaned and facepalmed. “This… This is Detroit right? I mean, it’s certainly a crappy enough planet filled with crime and corruption producing enough steel to probably count as Detroit! You get what I mean, right? Seriously, have none of you all been to Earth? Lovely place, always seems to attract the unwanted, although I’m not sure why. Bit dull really.”

One of the Strongindavers under another Magistrate’s command -A Jersey Devil resembling creature called Denvil- ran up to the stage as the Doctor shouted: “Fight, fight! Fight for your right to party!”

The Doctor was then shoved up against some barrels, and the Libra Kyutama in his pockets went flying free and landed in front of both Denvil and his bodyguards who all shared a look.

“Oh for the love of Celestia…” Stripped muttered as he threw off his cloak and dropped the ruse as weapons were drawn and most of the Magistrates started heading for their ships in fear, having already heard what happened to Lupus. It seemed some of Dark Matter actually had some intelligence in it after all.

Both the Doctor and Stripped shared a nod and slammed their Kyutamas in their Kyuchangers which as ever, proclaimed: “Say the Change!”

“Star Change!” both Rangers shouted as they morphed in gold and yellow flashes of light respectively and the whole square erupted into chaos. Punches and kicks began to be thrown, and blades clashed as the Invaders and their commanders reached for their weapons.

Stripped called out: “Dorado Impact!” as he swung his sword to create a quintet of yellow energy slashes that he hurled at a group of Invaders and Strongindavers destroying them in fiery explosions. Suddenly, the scorch of an energy whip hit Stripped’s back making him scream out in pain as Denvil laughed and lashed him a few times more with his whip.

“Back off!” the Doctor shouted, and fired his Astral Crossbow twice making Denvil stagger as the Doctor helped Stripped up off the ground.

“You alright?” the Doctor asked, and Stripped nodded weakly. The Doctor’s eyes narrowed under his helmet, he swore he could have seen Stripped’s back and spine comprised mostly of mechanical parts but as soon as he looked again there was only scorched fur. The Doctor blinked, maybe he’d only imagined it.

Denvil snapped his fingers, and with a loud screech, a massive cycloptic form with a scorpion’s tail smashed through the crowd, twin arm blades of crackling blue energy springing out from its wrists. Denvil laughed, before with a finger snap he teleported out in a purple flash of light up to his ship.

“Didn’t… Didn’t we destroy that thing? In fact, I specifically remember studying its parts and taking the Scorpius Kyutama from it!” Stripped shouted before he had a thought. “...Huh, I wonder if it remembers.”

A swing from one of the arm blades that nearly cleaved Stripped in half answered his question.

“...Yep, I’d say it remembers.” Stripped remarked as the Scorpius Drone’s eye glowed menacingly.

“The Queen always loved me. I was the best at what I did. Admittedly, that was what every other drone I knew did. Infiltrate, pillage, kill, and protect the hive. Still, something of this scale was unprecedented if not unwelcomed. Canterlot. The heart of Equestria. A princess.”

Pharynx pressed himself up against a wall. Three guards stood stoically down the hall. One taller, bulkier, and heavily armored towered in front of the other two. It was this one his eyes lay on.

“My brother—the runt of the clutch—was always the quietest cheerleader of mine. His eyes lit up when I returned, only to sputter when the glorious stories of my achievements were told to the rest of the hive.”

The guard gave a salute before turning around and marching down the hallway, his spear at the ready.

“To be known as the Changeling who spearheaded the infiltration of Canterlot…:

The guard marched passed Pharynx.

“I'd be…”

The guard turned a corner. Pharynx swiftly followed behind, leaping onto the back the guard. He wrapped a claw around his neck and raised the guard's neck. A smile formed on his face as a sickening snap! filled the air.

“A hero. No, make that a legend.”

Pharynx observed his new form as he took on the guard’s appearance, and then picked up the guard’s dog-tags up off the floor and read them. Toren huh? So that was his new name, at least for the time being. Poor bastard should've asked for a better one.

Pharynx took a deep breath, observing the grandiose sights that surrounded him. “It'll almost be a shame to bring oblivion onto this place when my fellow hive members come raining down and the Queen marches in and demolishes the Royal Sisters’ thrones,” he thought to himself. “Gah, I shouldn't think such things. I sound like my brother.”

“Sir!”

Pharynx rolled his eyes and turned around, saluting the petrified guard that galloped up to him.

“S-sir! I heard something and got here as fast as I could!” The guard took several deep breaths, wiping sweat away from his brow. “What was the disturbance?”

Pharynx blinked. “Nothing. You were hearing things.”

“Surely that wasn't the case!” the guard protested. “I saw a figure lunge out of a corner! I got my eyes checked yesterday and the doctor said I have perfect vision.”

“Hindsight is 20/20. He's lying. It’s absolute nonsense if you ask me, and I personally think you’re getting paranoid,” Pharynx remarked. “Celestia and Shining have got the entire city on lockdown for a reason, might be starting to get to you, Make you start to see things that aren’t there.” he shrugged.

“M-maybe you're right,” The guard let out a shaky sigh. “Mind if I patrol with you?”

“No,” Pharynx grunted as turned his back to the guard. “Get back to your post before I give you an actual reason to question your eyesight.” He levitated his spear over to the guard's eye, a hair's length from it. The guard nodded, before walking off. Pharynx sighed as he leaned up against the wall, it was going to be a long infiltration…

Back in the present time, on Zigama, the now Changeling King found himself infiltrating yet another type of fortress using the form of a rat to crawl through the maze of air ducts to find Gamettsui’s office.

“Really, I’m pretty much anything from subtle and yet I have to be the one to infiltrate this guy’s ship?” Pharynx thought to himself. “Suppose if you think of a stupid plan, I suppose you’re the poor bastard who gets to carry it out. Lucky me. Lucky me…”

All the same, eventually Pharynx found himself above Gamettsui’s office and kicked open the grating noticing the convenient absence of Gamettsui himself. Mind you, Baroness Manx was still there, and still chained to Gamettsui’s throne.

Manx’s eyes narrowed in on Pharynx and she thought to herself: “Thank the Maker… She’s heard my prayers, finally… something to eat that isn’t that slop that lizard dares to call food!”

Pharynx, noting the predatory look in the Baroness’s eyes quickly changed forms back to his default state. Manx tried to let out a yelp, but Pharynx quickly planted a claw over her mouth to silence her.

“Shh…” he hissed out. “Don’t know when Gamettsui is coming back, could be any second now. Don’t worry, I’m getting you out of here,” Pharynx stated in a reassuring manner, noting how frighteningly thin Manx actually was. If one looked close enough, you could actually see her ribs. Pharynx let out a growl unknowingly startling Manx and making her eyes widen in fear. Gamettsui had been starving her. No wonder she looked so desperate to eat him. Mind you, he probably would have made a good meal but still... “But you need to stay quiet as you can, okay?” Pharynx requested, and Manx let out a small whimper as Pharynx sliced the chains apart with his scythe.

“Who… who are you?” Manx asked in fear. “No, what are you?”

“I’ll explain later,” Pharynx replied, his eyes darting from right to left in search of a fast exit in case Gamettsui decided to return at that very moment. “Right now, we’re leaving. Can you stand?”

“Just… Just barely.” Manx whispered, and Pharynx nodded before attempting to help her up only for his arms to get swatted away with one paw leaving a deep gouge mark in his chitlin. “Don’t touch me, p-please… Just don’t…” she whispered fearfully, and Pharynx gauged her reactions. His eyes widened as a very disturbing and moreover very disgusting possibility came to mind.

“No, he wouldn’t have…” Pharynx thought to himself as his breath caught in his throat before his eyes narrowed. “No, he would have.” he thought before he suddenly felt sick to his stomach, realizing what he must have come across as when he clamped his claw over Manx’s mouth.

Lurching back with an expression of self-disgust, Pharynx whispered: “T-That bastard, that monster. He raped her. He raped her…” before he let out a roar of rage and smashed a vase with a fist. Manx flinched and curled herself up into a ball going into a terrified silence. Pharynx looked disgusted with himself once more before he knelt down to her level.

“Okay, I’m not going to hurt you. Gamettsui, he’s a different story, but I shall not hurt you. I’m going to get you out of her, and then I’ll kill Gamettsui along the way if he’s ever unlucky enough to stand face-to-face with me. Tell me, how long did he…?” Pharynx asked, his tone showing a rare gentleness.

“F-Five… Five days. Five days!” she sobbed, before Pharynx pulled her into a hug and let her cry, stroking her fur softly. Then, a very distinctive laughter reached both of their ears as Pharynx whirled around to see Gamettsui laughing his ass off, clutching his rather rotund belly. Manx shrank into herself in fear.

“Oh, she was a delicious prize…” Gamettsui remarked, licking his lips and Pharynx let out an unearthly snarl as he reached for his Kyutama before deciding against that.

“No, you don’t deserve the honor of a morphed defeat. You’re just trash, lower than that actually. All you deserve is just a beat-down from your King, plain and simple. Quick and brutal.” Pharynx decided as he grabbed Gamettsui by the stomach with his antlers, raised him above his head and slammed the Magistrate into the solid metal floor several times leaving a small crater.

But Pharynx wasn’t done yet, as he then grabbed Gamettsui by the throat and hurled him into a wall. By now, the Dark Matter creature was bleeding considerably. Pharynx snorted in disgust, that was enough for now.

“Be glad I was feeling merciful today…” Pharynx snarled ripping the Eye of Bastet off Gamettsui, before he looked at Manx and handed it back to her. “I believe this is yours, my lady. Come on, we’re taking our leave.”

“Y-Yes,” Manx whispered. “And thank you. I never asked your name though, did I?”

“No, I suppose not. It’s King Pharynx of the Planet Equus, and member of the Space Squadron Kyurangers.”

“S-Space Squadron?” Manx asked, her eyes widened in shock having heard a raging Gamettsui screaming his vengeance towards them for destroying Lupus and his fleet. It was then he’d… Manx bit back some bile as she remembered what happened next. She sniffled, and Pharynx laid a hand on her shoulder gently.

“It’s okay, if he’s smart he won’t ever touch a woman again. And it’s Ophiuchus Silver, in case you were wondering. Now, as I said, let’s get out of here.”

Manx nodded, without saying a word before the two ran out of the office eventually reaching the battle site down below. “Stay here,” Pharynx told Manx, who nodded once more as Pharynx raced out to the battlefield, morphed and threw a flying side kick into the Scorpius Drone’s chest making it fly backward. He turned to Stripped whom the Drone had savagely been striking at with a bitter fury, and helped the pony up. “Sorry I took so long, had some garbage to deal with. Now, let’s finish this.”

“Right!” Stripped nodded as he, the Doctor and Pharynx all aimed their Kyuchangers at the remaining foot soldiers and fired an All-Star Crash at them destroying them in a rather large fireball.

“Oh, that never gets old!” Stripped laughed before a still bleeding Gamettsui staggered onto the battlefield and Pharynx let out a growl.

“So, you’re still alive?” he snarled. “Allow me to rectify that mistake!”

But the Changeling King was in for a surprise as Gamettsui injected something into his forearm and before anyone knew what was happening the Magistrate was a truly colossal size.

“Bow your heads!” Gamettsui proclaimed as he loomed over the group.

“What the fuck…?” Pharynx asked as the Doctor rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

“Ah yes… I may have forgotten to mention this, but all of Dark Matter’s commanders carry on them a syringe of that stuff. Genetically engineered Megabeast DNA, makes them… well, do that.” he admitted.

“And you couldn’t have mentioned this earlier?” Pharynx muttered to himself before Gamettsui was bombarded by blasts from the Cerberus and Eagle Voyagers.

“Well, what are you three waiting for?” Jabari asked. “Come on, big or not he’s still just a member of Dark Matter who’ll fall like all the rest!”

Teleporting inside their Voyagers, parts shifted and moved into place as the Libra and Ophiuchus Voyagers became legs, with the Eagle and Swordfish Voyagers moving into place as the Shooting Star Megazord’s arms.

“No, this won’t do,” Pharynx stated. “Commander Flashfire, permission to switch spots with Jabari?”

“Permission granted, but why…?”

“Let’s just say I want to finish this one off personally.” Pharynx snarled, in a tone of complete and utter rage that frightened anyone who heard it. Jabari quickly took the message and shifted spots with Pharynx; the Eagle Voyager becoming the left leg, and the Ophiuchus Voyager became the right arm.

“Alright you bastard,” Pharynx snarled as he slammed the Hydrus Kyutama into a slot on his console. “This is your judgment.”

The Ophiuchus Voyager’s jaw opened and unleashed a flurry of snake heads made of green energy. Eight in total, each biting and snapping at their opponent making him stagger back before a massive ball of orange energy was charged up and fired blowing a massive hole in Gamettsui’s chest, before the Magistrate exploded.

As Flashfire stated his usual taking back the universe quote, Pharynx sighed and slumped back in his chair. Justice was served.

Back aboard the Shining Armor, even as repairs were conducted by a thankful populace Pharynx watched over Manx, who was being checked over by one of the ship’s medics. As he watched the medic patch Manx’s wounds, with the maroon-furred felid long have been given more flattering and suitable attire, Pharynx’s fists clenched. “It has been said, 'time heals all wounds.' I do not agree. The wounds remain. In time, the mind, protecting its sanity, covers them with scar tissue and the pain lessens. But it is never gone. You can get knocked down, and it hurts and it leaves scars. But if you're a leader, the people you've counted on will help you up. And if you're a leader, the people who count on you need you on your feet. And her subjects will need her.” he thought thinking not just of her, but his own mental scars. “I swear to protect her, with my life if need be. That is my duty as King of the Changelings, to protect my subjects. She may not be a Changeling, but she displayed extraordinary courage in the face of that monster and I would gladly call her one of my own hive.”