One morning, the rangers all met up at the park where Twilight had invited them on a picnic with her brother, her sister-in-law, and Spike.

“Hey there…!” Shining Armor called, but he suddenly retracted his pleasantry when he noticed how beat the gang looked. Everyone looked tired, frazzled, as if they wanted to fall over any moment.. except Sapphire. “What happened to all of you?” Twilight asked.

Sunset let out a yawn, “We’re just tired.”

“I had to work two whole shifts last night.” said Rainbow “One of the delivery-boys called in wanting to take a Saturday night off and the manager just let him. So I covered his route.”

“I had to cover up the entire community-garden.” said Buddy “The weather was calling for rain last night, and we don’t like our plants to get over-watered.”

Cadance raised an eyebrow, “But it didn’t rain last night. Not a drop.”

“I know!” groaned Buddy “Don’t the weathermen ever get it right?”

Rhymey stretched out and said,

“Well, the weather was just great,
Fluttershy and I went on a date.”

His girlfriend nodded, “We went to the movies, then out for a pizza, and a romantic stroll here in the park.” Everyone awed at how romantic that sounded, “…But we lost track of time, and we didn’t get home until late. We didn’t mean to do it, and our parents understood.”

"And why do you look so rested up?" Cadence asked.

"This girl finished her work in school like 30 mintues early and takes a nap." Rainbow complained.

"It's not my fault, I understand subjects like that." Sapphire retorted with a snap of her fingers.

Still all the rangers felt like coming out on the picnic, feeling the fresh air would do them all good. “I slept like a baby last night.” said Twilight “I was studying for college, and then suddenly I just felt heavy like a rock and I went out like a light.”

“Yeah, thanks to the sleeping powder in your water.” Spike blurted. Shining Armor and Cadance tried to hush him, but he already said it! “Sleeping powder?” Twilight asked, looking at her relatives in shock, “You two drugged me?”

“Well… um… yeah.” Cadance confessed, “Look don’t get us wrong, we know you love your studies, but you need your sleep too. I hate I when you pull those all-nighters of yours.”

Shining Armor chuckled, “One time, she was so tired she left her dorm room in her PJ's.”

The others couldn’t help but chuckle at that, but Twilight sneered sourly, “Believe me, it was far from amusing.”

Still, the rangers soon began to feel more awake after lunch, and playing in the field, unaware that Marla was watching them from within a high tree. “Play now while you can, Rangers. Once my plan is put into action, you’ll be history.”

She snickered and vanished.

By the end of such a lovely day, the sun was beginning to set and everyone felt tired enough to sleep for a week.

“This has been such a nice day.” said Fluttershy, “I really like spending time with all of you.”

“You do?
Me too.” said Rhymey, but then he let out a big yawn.

“I think we all should get home.” said Buddy. Rainbow stretched out and said “I’ll sleep like ten logs tonight.”

The friends bid each other good night, and they all walked their separate ways.

Spike was already super tired, and Twilight scooped him up in her arms. She and her realities began to sing to a song that played as they headed home, and saw how equally tired everyone else was in the city.

(25:36)

As it got darker and the stars came out, Marla stood atop a high-rise deep in town. “This is it…” she hissed, “Are you ready, Sandy?”

Next to her, stood a female, humanoid monster dressed in a purple robe with black stars all around it, a wizard’s, and long black hair. She looked more sinister than charming.

“I’m all set.” she hissed, and she grabbed a large pouch of magic sand. “This sand, when spread out all over town will cast a magical spell that will keep all the humans wide-awake. They won’t be able to sleep even if they want to.”

Marla snickered, “And of course if the humans don’t sleep, they’ll fall into chaos all over, and the rangers… they won’t be able to throw a punch, let a lot stand in battle. Do it, Sandy!”

Sandy nodded and leapt high up, floating on a dark cloud, “Wakey-Wake humans.” She snickered as she poured her cursed sand through the air.

The people of course, didn’t suspect a thing, and yet as the night continued, those whom had gone to bed were tossing, turning, pounding their pillows, readjusting their bedsheets. Some even tried sleeping facing the wrong way-- with their feet at the head of the bed and their heads at the other end...

…But no matter how hard they tried, they just couldn’t seem to fall asleep. Regardless of how sleepy they felt, it was no use. Everyone just remained wide awake, right up until daylight.

Twilight’s radio-clock went off at eight in the morning, and the reporter spoke in a very groggy voice. “Good morning… at to some of you if you managed to sleep… and… oh, heck with it…”

That’s when Twilight pounded the snooze button as she lay flat on her bed, with her eyes wide open and looking very red with bags under her rims. Spike lay at the foot of her bed, and he looked just as baggy-eyed as she did.

He tried to stand up, but he felt so floppy and wobbly that he fell right off the bed. “Spike…!” Twilight groaned as she turned to look over the bed to see her little dog flat on the floor. “I’m so tired right now, that didn’t even hurt!” he groaned.

Twilight then heard a loud crash coming from the kitchen, which snapped her upright softly, and she found a few seconds of strength to rush downstairs. There, she found Cadance attempting to make breakfast for everyone, but she seemed to be a little backwards-- putting a plate in the toaster. Pouring coffee into a potted plant, and all she did was pick up one spoon, and she actually keeled over forward as if her weight had become unbalanced. “I can’t sleep!” she groaned.

Shining Armor was sitting at the table with a newspaper in front of his face, and he let it fall down over the table revealing that he, too, was as weary and baggy-eyed as everyone else.

“How could we all not have slept well?” groaned Twilight.

“I don’t know!” said her brother, “I just couldn’t keep my eyes shut! Even the sleep powder I took didn’t work, and I took three whole dosages.”

Cadance struggled to her feet, “You took that much?!”

Her husband nodded, “And I didn’t sleep a wink.”

Twilight and her family weren’t the only ones in this state; all over town people were baggy-eyed, grumpy and not quite themselves; unable to concentrate due to lack of rest. People were late for work, barely able to bring themselves to walk forward, and people who were driving, ended up crashing their cars into one another, causing traffic pile ups in the streets and loads of delays.

Unfortunately, even some of the police and paramedics were exhausted from lack of sleep, and it was very hard for them to help anyone. However, not everyone in the city was completely exhausted. Those who worked very late at night were still naturally awake, including more paramedics and police and all that, and they were able to help, but even they wouldn’t be up and about for good. They usually went home to sleep in the morning after a long night’s work, but they, too, would soon find themselves unable to rest and be just like everyone else.

..Celesto was among them. He had been working very late, but he didn’t seem too tired yet. He looked down from his office complex, and he began to have a sneaky suspicion. “I’ve got to get to get to the rangers.” He said to his driver, but unfortunately, the driver was too tired to see straight, and of course with the roads all blocked off due to the many accidents, “Um… maybe I’ll just walk.”

“Very… good… siiiiiiiiiir.” The driver groaned and he collapsed over the steering-wheel, right on top of the horn. Celesto moved him off the horn before getting out of the car and heading off.

As he walked along town, he looked all over at all the many people whom were getting grouchier, and falling into more misfortune due to weariness, “This can’t be an act of nature.” he said to himself “This has “evil” written all over it!”

He let out a huge yawn, and he quickly reached into jacket pocket and pulled out a simple bottle of pills. He popped one in his mouth and let it dissolve on his tongue. Within moments, he felt a little better, but he had to hurry and round up the rangers fast.

By using the jump-tube system, he was able to get all over town, and round up each ranger, one-by-one form their respective homes and get them to the base.

He also brought Twilight and her family, as well his own. All of them were suffering from the same problem.

“I hardly got any rest time,
I’m almost too tired to even rhyme!” groaned Rhymey.

Rainbow moaned as she held her head, “I feel like I’ve been to three whole rock-concerts.”

Buddy yawned, “I was so bushed that even a real bush looked more rested than me!”

“What’s wrong with all of us?” cried Fluttershy “Why can’t we sleep?”

“When you find out… fix it!” grumbled Sunset.

Lightning, Twilight and her family looked ready to pass out, but still they couldn’t.

Baby Castor and Leilani were fussing about. They were groaning softly, too tried to cry; which spared everyone even bigger headaches than they already had. Celestia herself was also very exhausted, “I was up all night with them.” she groaned, “They couldn’t sleep. Even I couldn’t sleep.”

Luna let out a huge yawn, “None of the house staff got their rest either.”

Celesto got out a small alien scanning device, and held it over Celestia’s face. “I knew it…!” he said. His wife groggily looked up at him, “Celestia, you’re covered in some kind of alien compound.”

“What…?” groaned Celestia, but her husband then scanned everyone, and surely enough they were all covered in the same substance. He even scanned himself and found that he, too, was covered in it.

He fed the information into the computer. “It’s a kind of sand that seems to be affecting our central-nervous-systems. No matter how tired we get, we won’t be able to sleep even if we want to.”

“Can’t we just wash it off?” asked Spike “You know, take a bath? I can’t believe I just said that.”

Celesto ran a simulation test, but to his dismay, “Whatever this stuff is, it effects as well as outside. Washing it will have no effect at all.”

Everyone, although still groggy and fatigued, understood everything. It took no skill for them to understand this was the work of their enemy. “If we’re not well-rested, we don’t stand much of a chance in a fight, do we?” said Sunset.

This was confirmed as Celesto scanned the city and found the effects were registering all over the island, but the mainland hadn’t even been touched yet.

The monitors showed more and more accidents happening in the city because of people who were so incredibly tired and unable to concentrate on their doings and surroundings.

Just then, the gang heard whistling. "Grr.. what's that?" Shining Armor snarled. That's when they saw Sapphire walking into room. What surprised everyone, even though their baggy eyes, they could see Sapphire was totally rested. No bags under her eyes and no slumping statue. "Good morning every- AH ZOMBIES!" she cried when she saw her friends.

"Thanks for that compliment." Twilight grumbled.

"Why don't you look ready to pass out like the rest of us?" Spike asked.

"I don't know." Celesto scanned Sapphire face and body to discover, "Sapphire, you not covered in the sand that's keeping us all awake." Now that part shocked everyone. "How is that possible?" Sunset asked.

"All I remember is waking up with this peach colored dome around me and the Elements somehow floating in the air in front of me."

"The Elements of Harmony were floating in front of you?!" Sunset inquired. "And a peach dome was around you?" Sapphire nodded her head. "Weird."

"That dome must have prevented Sapphire from being covered in the sand, unlike us." Twilight concluded.

"Lucky." Rainbow grumbled.

Then, the alarm sounded. The loud sound annoyed everyone most irritably. “Shut that off!” shouted Shining Armor.

Celesto quickly shut them down. The babies finally were scared awake enough and began to scream and cry, much to everyone’s annoyance. “We’ll take them to a quieter room.” said Celestia.

Her sister agreed, and they both managed to pick themselves up and carry the frightened babies away. Celesto hated seeing them all bent out of shape and restless, but remembering that the alarms sounded, he saw the source on the monitors; he saw Sandy standing atop a high-rise laughing, “Now that everyone’s wide awake, Come on out, Rangers! I’m waiting for you!” and she leapt down from the building and began to cause havoc in the streets, and the people were so tired they could hardly run.

Celesto clenched his fist in anger, but then he himself began to feel a little weary. So, he popped another one of his special pills, while the rangers were all struggling to get up. “We’ve… gotta go… out there.” said Buddy.

Fluttershy nearly fell off her feet, but caught the chair to balance her, “We can’t! We can barely stand, let alone stand to fight.”

Sapphire helped Fluttershy into the chair. "You guys stay here and take it easy. I'll deal with the monsters."

The rangers and Celesto looked at her in concern. "Alone?" Buddy questioned, receiving a nod from her.

"But Sapphire, there's too many of them; you're outnumbered." Rainbow claimed.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine." Sapphire said. She headed towards the jump-tubes. "Sapphire." Celesto called. Sapphire stopped and turned around, "Be careful."

"I will." And Celesto sent her through the jump tube. "Do you think she'll be alright?" Fluttershy asked.

"We just have to hope she will be." Lightning said.

While in town, more and more people were collapsing from being overly exhausted, and still they could not rest. While Sandy, accompanied by Marla and a squad of Lingos were still causing havoc, blasting up the streets, blowing up empty cars, knocking over lampposts, and taking a few shots at some of the buildings blowing small chunks out of them.

“Where are those rangers?!” sneered Marla. “Yeah, it’s way past their waking time.” added Sandy, and suddenly, Sapphire appeared, already morphed. "You called?" Sunset sneered.

Sandy couldn’t believe what she was seeing, “What’s this? You don’t seem as tired as you should be.”

“Your sand didn't even touch me." she sneered.

The ladies were shocked but that didn't stop them, “Ha!” scoffed Marla “You're all alone, ranger. We'll beat you easily."

"Don't count me out yet." Sapphire claimed and she did a familiar raptor call.

In an instant Blue and the raptors came to her side, screeching and hissing.

"These pests again!" Marla whined. "Well they won't stop us.” and she ordered the Lingos to attack! The raptors and Sapphire lunged forth as well and began to attack the Lingos back. Blue and the raptors easily pounced on the Lingoes and bit them in the head, destroying them while Sapphire went after Sandy and Marla. "Lion Power!" she called and she changed into a male lion.

She slashed the ladies with her claws, making sparks fly. Sandy threw another handful of magic sand up, “Maybe you should… LAY DOWN!!” the sands took on the shapes of daggers. Sapphire amazingly deflected all the daggers and they came soaring back at the ladies causing explosion and the ladies fell to the ground.

They got up and saw the raptors coming to her side. “Oh, we’ll time for the big guns!” snarled Sandy, and she threw more magic sand and caused it to spread into a giant dust cloud. “How can you fight what you can’t even see?!” she called out.

Marla couldn’t stand the sand. “Ugh! I’ve got sand in my hair!” she groaned “I’m getting out of here! You’re on your own now!” and she vanished and was gone. Even though Sapphire and the raptors couldn't see Sandy they could still smell her scent. Sapphire closed her eyes as her sense of smell was firing. Just then,

"Gotcha!" She pounced into the sand and slashed Sandy with her sword, throwing her back and the gust cloud vanished. "Hey, no fair! You can't do that!" she whined.

"I just did." Sapphire retorted. "Now time to capture you." She swiftly turned back into her human self and lit her horn, ready to strike...

…But back at the tower, Marla saw everything on the monitors, “Oh, no you don’t!” and she turned round to bark at Keto, but he was one step-ahead of her; already at the window with his staff ready. “…FORTISSIMO!”

The mugic reached the island and worked its power, turning Sandy into a giant! “Sand’s ahoy now!” she thundered!

Sapphire gasped and growled. "Jaguin Zord, I chose you!" she called out.

The Zord responding to her call, burst from the mountain and flew onto the scene, beaming her into the cockpit. Blue and her raptors knew she had it from here and disappeared back into the night.

“You think I’m scared of you?” shouted Sandy “I’ll crush you like an empty tin can.”

She rushed forth towards the Zord who lunged at her as well. The two enagaged in struggle until Jagiun Zord pushed his head up and clawed Sandy, knocking her to the ground. "Ugh." Sandy got up again and glared sourly at the Zord, "Grr... You'll pay for that." Once again she made another giant dust cloud but the Zord flew into the air and use it's massive wings blew the dust away.

"Time for bed!" Sapphire sneered. "THUNDER DRIVER!"

Jagiun Zord roared and charged Sandy. He tossed her into the air and leaped high above her. Lightning energy form from it's paws as it dove in a downwards spiral, colliding with Sandy and smashing her into the ground. “IT’S BEDTIME FOR ME!!” she shouted, and she exploded and was imprisoned.

"Victory!" Sapphire called.

With the monster captured, her evil spell was broken. The cursed sand dissolved right off of Twilight, her friends in the base, and every single person in the city, only at that precise moment; everyone just collapsed into a deep and well needed sleep!

The entire island was totally silent. Not a car was moving, not a machine was going, all was silent and still as the people all got their rest. "Time to clean up the city."

While back at the prison tower, Marla felt exhausted and felt ready to turn in. “I feel like I could sleep for a week.” she said to herself as she adjourned to her cell for a nap, only to find Vulcan standing there waiting for her, and he didn’t look pleased.

“And where do you think you’re going?” he asked shyly

Marla let out a yawn, “It’s been an exhausting day, with all that work with the rangers, and getting the sand out of my hair…”

“And FLUNKING your mission as well! Unacceptable. So I've decided as your punishment…” that’s when he dropped a whole load of equipment into Marla’s arms, “You’re going on the night shift tonight; watch all the prisoners, feed them, and maintain the peace.”

“What…?!” Marla whined, “But Bronc and Keto were supposed to be on shift tonight.”

He snuffed and then turned to the guys, “Keto… Bronc… you get the night off. Marla will cover all your shifts.”

The guys laughed wickedly and Keto jumped for joy before running off, much to Marla’s outrage, “But… but I… I’ll be working all night long!” she whined.

"Don't complain. Now get to work!" he snarled. Vulcan wandered off with her, leaving Marla annoyed and upset with a long and exhausting job ahead of her, much to her misery! It was going to be a long night for her.

It wasn’t until sundown that all the people began to awaken again, feeling quite better after getting some rest.

The rangers had awoken as well and made it back to base to find the rest of their friends were back on their feet as well. "Looks like Sapphire did it." Rainbow said.

"Yeah, speaking of which, where is Sapphire."

"Here I am." The gang turned and saw Sapphire entering the room. They gasped at how she looked; bags under her eyes, hair disheveled, a few scratches and she looked ready to fall over at any second.

"Oh my goodness." Fluttershy cried. She and the others raced over to Sapphire. Sunset had her sit down in a chair. "Sapphire, what happened?" Buddy asked.

Sapphire gave a huge yawn, "I cleaned up the... yawn... city."

"By yourself?" Sunset questioned. Sapphire nodded. Celesto looked at the monitors and saw she was right. All the accidents were now gone and all the damage the monsters had done was repaired. "Sapphire, you didn't have to do that." Lightning claimed.

Sapphire yawned again, "I wanted to.. yawn."

"Come on, let's get you to bed for some rest." Celestia suggested. Lightning carried Sapphire, bridal style as they all used the emergency stairs that took them up and into the garden. From there, they entered the mansion and went to Sapphire's room. Lightning placed her inside as Luna pulled back the covers. Sapphire was out like a light, "Sweet dreams.. hero." Luna teased. The gag laughed quietly as they left the room, giving their hero of the day some well deserved rest