With exams only a couple weeks away, students were cramming harder than ever to make sure they passed. Others, like Twilight who already would pass their exams were cramming extra hard to get a perfect score.

Meanwhile, others were having it hard to balance school, and part-time jobs, even the rangers.

Sapphire was at the mansion reading all the textbooks which was simple for her since she had five other clones reading the other textbooks. The knowledge the clones gathered went into Sapphire. Mr. Grandruler and Celestia were a little creeped out by having six Sapphire in one room, but they didn't say anything.

Twilight was at home, cramming through her books and notes non-stop. Her brother, Shining Armor came in with a tray of food for her, knowing she wouldn’t even stop to come down for dinner, but she didn’t even notice him.

Shining Armor and Spike gawked at one another and shook their heads sharing pity for Twilight.

Buddy was planting some flowers at the community garden, while reading a text-book, and by accident he had taken the flower out of the pot and planted the pot instead. “Oops…”

Sunset did her rounds at the hospital, checking up on all the patients, and even her friends, but every pause in between she stopped and went over some school notes she had brought with her.

Fluttershy had gone to the Public Library after work to catch up on her own studies, as well as listening to Rhymey read poetry to his class of minors.

He was actually reading them a poem of his own, which was actually a song he knew, detailed the importance of brain power and how important it is to stay in school. “Feed Your Brain”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hN3Owe0tmW4

The children all began to join in and sing with him…

At the end of the song, the children all cheered and felt a new sudden burst of wanting to read more books and learn more that they could, and before they left, Rhymey told them…

“Remember children…

Don’t be a fool. Just remember this one rule.
The way to be cool is do your best in school.”

The kids cheered at the idea before running off, and Fluttershy thought it was a beautiful sight, seeing how well-respected her boyfriend was for what he was doing for others.

The two of them left the library, together, deciding not to push themselves too hard, and it was getting late.

They walked down the street hand-in-hand, taking a long moment to gaze into each other’s eyes.

They came up to the arcade, “Hey, isn’t that Sapphire's bike?” asked Fluttershy.

“I’d recognize it anywhere
But what is it doing there?”

There suddenly came a loud cheer and shouts of awe coming from inside the arcade. The two dashed up to the doors and could see through the glass, there sat Sapphire with a crowd of people around her as she dominated a video game, and every challenger that came her way.

While at the prison tower, Bronc was watching Sapphire on the monitors. “So, Animal ranger is into video games, is she.” he said to himself

(Que Intro)

That’s when the arcade manager came over to give her an offer. “You really got this game figured, Sapphire. That’s why I’d like to give you this…” and he handed her a small yellow ticket.

“Whoa!” Rainbow cried as she studied the card, “This lets me test out the new Animal Quest game!”

A lot of people in the crowds turned super jealous. All had heard of the new game that hadn’t been released yet, but was going to be as soon as it was properly tested.

“Gosh, Rainbow…” said Fluttershy “I bet you’re really excited.”

Sapphire nodded vigorously.

As they left the arcade, the manager grinned sinisterly, and then retreated into the backroom, where the actual managed was bound and tied up by two Lingos. The impostor then transformed, revealing himself a Lingo in disguise.

The Lingo did gestures to his comrades saying that first-phase was completed. With that settled, his comrades simply knocked the manager unconscious and left him bound and tied up in the backroom, and then vanished.

At the prison tower, Bronc was training in what appeared to be a post-apocalyptic world. Zombies, monsters, and all kinds of creatures surrounded him.

The creatures all attacked mercilessly at him, but he evaded their attacks and then countered back--punching them hard with his super fists, and zapping them all with his helmet eye-lasers.

“Are you convinced now?” a loud booming voice called to him.

“I am…” Bronc responded, and with that, the virtual images around him faded away, revealing the normal rooms of the tower.

“Wow! That is so cool! I want a turn…” said Keto, but Marla gave him a nudge, “Can it, shorty!”

Next to Bronc there stood a monster called Hacker Jack. He was a creature coated in black armor, with an actual, large game controller on his chest and wires looping through and around his spherical-shaped head.

“You see, Master Nacluv…” Bronc said, “My plan to beat the rangers at their own game is to give them a game that they cannot beat. Already, my forces have set the Blue Ranger for the trap, and once she falls in there will be no escape for her.”

Jack raised his arms boasting, “When Blue Ranger enters the gaming I shall create, her fellow rangers are sure to follow, and once they are all in… they shall never come out.”

Nacluv found this plot to be very interesting, “Very well, you may proceed. But be warned, Bronc; I’m getting tired of all the failure around here. You destroy those rangers, or it’s your funeral!”

Broc bowed to him, “We shall not fail you.” and then he and Jack teleported and were gone.

“Humph!” Nacluv grunted, and then he turned to face the other two, “What are you two looking at?!” he sneered at them. He then slammed Marla the feeding tray, “You feed the prisoners!” and then he gave Keto a mop and bucket “You, you’re on cleanup. This place is only fit for pigs!”

Marla and Keto were livid, but didn’t dare protest, fearing their master’s wrath. “I never thought I’d say this, but I’m beginning to really hate him!” Keto whispered to Marla.

“For once, I actually agree with you. Something just may have to be done about him.”

While out at dinner, the five rangers sat at the café and enjoyed their pizza. Sapphire was gobbling them down like crazy. She literally turned her mouth into a vacum and sucked up all the food.

“Sapphire, take it easy.” said Sunset.

“Sorry, I can’t help it." she said sheepishly. "I get to test Animal Quest out tomorrow.”

“Well that’s fine and all, Sapphire, but don’t you think you should be studying for final exams?” asked Buddy.

"My clones are studying for me; whatever they learn I learn."

“Well, okay,” said Sunset, "but later, after your game test, we were all thinking of meeting at the library for a study group.”

“Okay, I’ll be there.” Sapphire said.

The next day, the arcade was closed “…For Game Testing” as the sign read.

The manager of the arcade was still a bound and gagged in the backroom where he had been kept all knight. Hacker Jack once again assumed the manager’s form.

“A Ranger is on her way.” he hissed to Bronc.

“Excellent. You know what must be done?”

“I promise I will not fail you, Master Bronc.”

Bronc nodded, “And just to be doubly sure that you don’t. I too shall be joining in the game. Once Blue Ranger is trapped in the world we’ve set up, the rest will be sure to follow,

…and that will be their undoing!”

Sapphire entered the arcade, so she could take a break from her books and studying. She went over to one game that had animals in it. Lions, tigers, fish, you name it.

Sapphire started up the game and noticed something was off “Huh?” and before she knew it, the screen glowed brightly. So bright, she covered her eyes, “Whoa! What’s going on?!” she shouted as she felt herself being pulled through a virtual vortex.

She reappeared in a Savannah as herself. She saw birds soaring through the sky and heard lion roars in the background. "Woah... am I in the game?!"

She heard the sound of an evil laugh, “Take a good look while you can. It will be the last thing you ever see!”

Then Hacker Jack appeared on the scene, but he was only a hologram. This made Rainbow realize “…I’ve been set up!” she tried to contact the others, but her morpher was missing. “It’s no use, little ranger.” said Jack “You’re in my world now, and here you’ll play my way. If you want to escape, all you have to do is win.”

“What? I just have to beat you?”

“Oh, but you won’t…” hissed Jack, and he pressed on his chest controller, punching in a few simple command codes, and at once, monsters and aliens began to appear all over the landscape, and one alien shot her with a ray-gun, making sparks fly! “Whoa!” she cried “That’s hot!”

Jack laughed, “Just a little bit of hacking I did. Though this world is giant video game, everything that happens is as real as it gets.”

Sapphire fully understood the horrors now, “If I lose in here… it’s Game Over!”

A while later, the other rangers all met at the library for their study session, except for Sapphire. “Where is she?” Sunset asked “She’s already fifteen minutes late.”

“Ah, she’s probably still hooked on that video game.” said Buddy, “At least we can still study.”

Suddenly, their morpher coms went off, and the loud beeps earned the rangers a Shush from the librarian “Sorry…” Sunset said “We’ll take this outside.”

The librarian nodded and watched the rangers head off.

Once outside, Sunset answered the call from Celesto. “Rangers, is Sapphire with you?”

“No, she’s not. We’ve been waiting for her.” replied Rainbow said.

“Is something wrong?” asked Fluttershy.

“Possibly…” replied Celesto “I was monitoring the city, when Sapphire's signal was suddenly lost. We’ve been trying to contact her, but the line can’t seem to reach her.” Twilight and the technicians had already checked over the consoles. “Everything’s in perfect working order.” said Twilight. “Something must’ve happened for Rainbow’s signal to cut out.”

“Did you get that, Rangers?” Celesto called to them.

The rangers did hear and they agreed to go look for her, and logged off. All of them had a pretty good idea who was behind all this…!

“I think it’s time we paid,
a visit to the arcade.” suggested Rhymey.

Sunset agreed, figuring it would be the best place to start. So they all headed down the street to the arcade, and found the door was still wide open, even though the sign said “Closed for Game Testing.”

“That’s weird. Shouldn’t the door be closed and locked?” asked Fluttershy. The others felt the same way, and they softly went inside.

“Hello?” Sunset called out, but nobody answered.

All the games were shut off, and all the lights too, which made the place seem a little creepy.

“Hey, what’s that?” Buddy suddenly asked. Everyone looked and saw a single game console was the only thing that was actually lit.

“Animal Quest?” said Sunset “This is the game Sapphire went to.”

"How can you tell?" Lightning asked.

Sunset held up Sapphire's morpher, "That's how."

Rhymey looked at the screen, and he gasped,

“Oh, no…!
It can't be so!”

Everyone gawked at the screen and saw the game was actually being played, and the recognized the her face anywhere, “It is Sapphire!” cried Buddy.

“How did she get in the game?!” cried Fluttershy.

Sapphire could here her friends from inside the game, "Guys, are you there?"

"Yes, Sapphire, are you alright?" Sunset asked.

"I'm alright, but a monster and Bronc trapped me in here." Sapphire explained. "I have to get through some levels to get out, but if I die in here, I'm gone forever!"

The rangers gasped and Lightning contacted Celesto and told him everything. "Hmm... very disturbing."

"Is there anything we can do?" Fluttershy asked.

"I'm afraid the only way Sapphire can get out is to play the game through." Celesto stated.

"What about us?" Lightning asked, "We can't leave her in there."

That's when Hacker Jack appeared on the screen surrounded by brainwashed animals. Their eyes were glowing green. "Time to meet your end, Animal Ranger. Attack!"

The animals roared and charged towards Sapphire.

"YAAAAAHHHH!! HEEEELLLPPP!"

"Sapphire, that's it, we're going in!" Sunset said. Sunset took hold of the joystick on the console, and at once, the screen began to glow brightly.

At the same time, back at the base, the remaining four blips on the screen that represented the rangers’ positions went out. “They’re gone!” cried Spike. “We can see that, Spike.” snapped Twilight.

Celesto examined the location on the map, “That’s the arcade, and now I’m more than convinced something evil is at work.”

Sadly, not one of the friends knew what to do. Going too near the arcade was too risky-- falling into the trap themselves. “Run a full scan of the area. There must be something we can do. I don’t care what it is… we have to get the rangers back, or the city is virtually defenseless.”

“What’s happening?!” cried Fluttershy.

Suddenly, they were all transported into the game themselves, and were wearing battle suits identical to Rainbow’s; each in their own designated ranger color, but their morpher’s were gone and they couldn’t contact the base for help.

“Whoa! Check it out!” cried Buddy.

Everything around them looked exactly the same as the alien environment they saw on the screen. “We’re actually inside the game?!” cried Sunset. The rangers all took a moment take in how slightly cool everything seems, but suddenly, "Sapphire!" Lighting said. "Come on, we've gotta save her!"

"Right." The other rangers ran in the direction Sapphire went in. Music began playing as they all went through multiple levels.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FMOXRl7x3E

Finally, they reached the final level and found Sapphire facing off against Bronc and Hacker Jack. "You going down this time, Animal Ranger. Without your friends, you're defenseless." Bronc said.

"Think again!" Sunset said.

Sapphire turned and grinned happliy, "Guys!"

"What?!" Hacker Jack cried. "You rangers always cheat!"

"And you're gonna pay for trying to hurt our buddy!" Rainbow said. This made Sunset finally realize, “Maybe if we try defeating them… that could snap us out of here.”

Rainbow tried to warn them that she had already been trying, but the other rangers already lunged at them, “NO, WAIT…!”

The rangers fired with everything they had, only for their shots to suddenly vaporize before reaching the targets. “They’re being shielded by a barrier!” cried Buddy.

The two villains snickered, “Just a little of our own hacking.” said Bronc “Shoot at us all you like, Rangers, but in our world we cannot lose. All the programing here and all the hacking we’ve done-- you haven’t a chance.”

He then demonstrated by firing his lasers, straight through the barrier, and hit the rangers.

Now their suits were nearly out of power and energy, which meant their end was just around the corner.

“Mercy me,
This cannot be!” cried Rhymey.

“How can we possibly beat them at their own game?!” squealed Fluttershy “They can just hack their way around all our attempts.”

But hearing her say that gave Rainbow a crazy idea, “Of course…!” she whispered to herself, “Why didn’t I think of this before?!”

The Lingos continued to attack and the rangers were forced to fight back to defend themselves however they could, but their weapons were running out of ammunition. Plus, the more the Lingos kept coming back, the stronger and stronger they became, making them able to stand up to even the most brutal of assaults.

“We can’t keep this up!” cried Sunset, and then she looked over her should, and what she saw confused her big time-- Sapphire was just running against the walls, and shooting blindly at nothing in particular. “Sapphire, what are you doing?!" Sapphire leaped high into the air and concentrated. The Elements appeared around her and swriled around her consuming her in a magic bubble. "Hey, that's not in my programming!" Bronc cried.

"That's right and here's my error! "HARMONIC BLAST!"

The blast hit the Lingos and the villians hard, disrupting Hacker Jack's programming so he couldn't continuously make Lingoes. “This can’t be happening!” the monster shouted.

Bronc was furious, “It doesn’t matter to me where you stand! I can still blast at you from here!” That’s what he tried to do, but his lasers wouldn’t fire. “What? No!! I’m still bugged!”

Hacker Jack looked up and Sapphire, “Why aren’t you being affected?”

Sapphire showed them her elements “Duh…!”

With that, she blasted out the remaining Lingos. The other rangers cheered her on, and now the villains were completely defenseless. They still couldn’t move, couldn’t hack the game, and thanks to Rainbow’s glitches their defensive barrier was useless now, leaving them completely exposed.

“Like I say…” Sapphire gloated, “I'm an error!"

She powered up her horn and aimed it straight the villains, “Too bad neither of you learned that…!”

POW!! She fired a huge beam that struck the villains hard, effectively beating the game and transporting everyone out of the game.

They all flew out of the console in great beams of lightning, zooming out the open the door and landing in the streets.

The villains were completely outraged. “You blew it, you cybernetic fungus!” growled Bronc.

“Who are you calling a cybernetic fungus?!”

“I know what I’d like to call you both…” Sunset called. the villains turned and saw the rangers were all morphed and holding the Star-Slammer, “…I’d like to call you guys toast! It’s time to shine!”

“Star-Slammer… Engage!”

The two villains gasped, and didn’t know where to run as the rangers prepared to attack. “STAR-SLAMMER… ULTRA-STRIKE!!”

“KETO, HURRY!!” Bronc shouted.

Nacluv heard and saw everything from the monitors, “Well, what are you waiting for?!” he thundered.

“All right already!” snapped Keto, “FORTISSIMO!!” He launched two magical mugics, sending them off to the island, and both Bronc and Jack grew into giants before the rangers could attack!

“Time to play in the Big Games...!” Jack shouted. He and Bronc both laughed wickedly, but the rangers were already prepared and called for their zords, “LAUNCH STAR-JETS!”

“Zords Combine!”

“Jet-Star Megazord, Ready!”

Bronc sneered at the rangers’ megazord, “Ha! Two against one…? No problem!” but suddenly he and Jack got blasted at by Giant Lightning, “I think that about evens the odds.”

“Great timing, Lightning.” said Sunset “Now, let’s get ‘em!”

Lightning had it out with Bronc to keep him distracted. The two of them exchanged punches and kicks like crazy. Bronc then kicked Lightning hard and flipped him flat on his back!

He laughed at him and loomed over him for the kill, “So much for you, Comet Ranger.” but as soon he raised his huge fists to attack, Lightning kicked him hard in the gut, sending him rolling along the ground, “So much for you, helmet-head!”

Bronc roared in outrage, and rushed in for more brawling.

While they duked it out, the other rangers faced the monster with the megazord. The two figures stared each other down, softly pacing in circles waiting to attack. “Game on…!” shouted Jack, and he lunged at the megazord, “Bring!” shouted Rainbow, and the pulled on the controls making the megazord dash forth.

The megazord aimed to punch, but the monster hit his control and gave a huge leap way up and out of sight.

“Where’d he go?” asked Buddy.

“I don’t know!” rhymed Rhymey.

The monster suddenly dropped down, and then hit his controller again, dashing forth with such speed and ramming the megazord hard. The rangers screamed as they were rocked about and the megazord fell on its back!

“Game’s up rangers!” Jack taunted them, “And you can’t glitch your way out of this one.”

"AAAAHHHH!" Mammoth Zord came and bashed Hacker Jack. "Agh, You big lug!" he growled.

Mammoth Zord trumpeted at Hacker jack. "Bring it!" Mammoth and Hacker Jack charged each other but thanks to the Zord genetic engineering, it easily bashed Hacker Jack into the air. "ERRRRROOOORRRR!!"

"Oh shut up!" she pressed and button and the Mammoth Zord blasted Hacker Jack with it's beam causing him to blow up and become imprisoned ina capture sphere. Bronc and Lightning saw everything. "Dang, our girls hardcore!" Lightning yelled. “Quick, beam him inside!” cried Fluttershy, but before Sapphire could launch her tractor beam, “Oh, no you don’t…!” Bronc shouted as he leapt in and grabbed the sphere with the monster in it.

“Oh, no!” cried Lightning.

With the monster safe in his clutches, Bronc sneered at the rangers, “You got lucky today, but there’s always next time, Rangers!” and with that, he teleported away and was gone!

“Oh, no…! He got away with the monster.” cried Rainbow. Sunset pounded the console, and she couldn’t bring herself to make the call this time, “We’ll get him next time. At least everything’s safe now…”

When Bronc shrunk down and got back to the tower, Nacluv demanded an immediate explanation. “Forgive me, master…” Bronc groveled, “I know I failed you, but at least I saved Hacker Jack from capture.”

“Perhaps…” hissed Nacluv, “I suppose, for that, I can spare you for your BLUNDERING!!” his shouting made Bronc jump, “But mess up another plan, again Bronc, and you’ll be wishing the rangers captured you! Now, get out of my sight!!”

Bronc obeyed and left his master in peace, but he was very livid for the way he had been scorned, and as he stomped down the hall, Keto and Marla, whom had been listening to everything, though Nacluv was really going out of line, even though Bronc failed, at least he saved them form losing another monster.

“That’s it… he’s going down!” Marla whispered to Keto, and Keto agreed. “Uh, but… how? How are we going to overthrow him?”

Even Marla couldn’t figure that out, “We’ll find a way, in the meantime just play it cool.”

The rangers found the real manager of the arcade and freed him. The man was ever so grateful, “How would you all like to have free game passes for a month?” he offered them,

"Ooooh, yeah!" Sapphire cheered, but the rangers, freaking out of having more games to play, dashed out the door! Lightning came back walking swiftly and grabbed Sapphire, "You too missy."

"Aww."

“Two months…?” the manager called.

"Sold!" Sapphire called.

"Alright."

The rangers all got back to base, and explained the situation to Celesto. “Bronc got away with the monster.” Sunset said “We’re sorry, sir.”

Celesto took pity on them, “The important thing is that you’re all safe, and so is the city.”

“So, I guess the lesson learned here is that it really is bad to play too many video games.” said Twilight.

"Well actually we were able to pull it off thanks to Sapphire being an error in the game." Fluttershy commented.

Sapphire blushed, "Aww, now."