open Pony Power Rangers: Heroes of Harmony (S1)

[Lektra Bolt 2,336]

OOC: 

Let's do it guys! Follow my format! Two paragraphs minimum! (Other rules are in the OOC thread)

@Denim&Venom @Acnologia@Drago Ryder @Randimaxis @TBD

----

It is five years in the future of all the events of MLP: FIM. Peace and friendship has spread all over the world, but not all is as nice as it seems.

Sinister forces have begun to invade in the past month, bringing with them destruction and distrust in the Princesses to be able to contain the problem. It has proven too much for the Mane Cast to handle, and they have been soundly defeated, laughed at. Even Discord with his seemingly limitless power can merely hold these forces at bay, though not defeat them.

Enter Bolt Solutions, the multi billion bit corporation providing affordable Magitek to improve the lives of citizens. In secret they have thoroughly researched a way to fight the invaders. Crafting the Morphing Grid, Lektra Bolt granted this power to five chosen citizens who passed rigorous qualifications. Unfortunately, they were defeated as well. Kidnapped and dragged away. Now all hope seems lost as the forces of darkness threaten to overtake the world.

Lektra and Discord have been fighting world threats for a couple of weeks now, the wear and tear starting to take it's toll both mentally and physically, with no time for rest. One more time she attempts to choose five world citizens to help her in her quest. Forgoing the rigorous tests this time, she chooses from the list of applicants completely at random. You have been chosen as the B Squad, teleported to the Command Center in the Castle of Friendship, and meet Sparky the Magitek constrcut. Maybe this group will surprise her. Maybe this group will be different. Maybe this group will save the world.

Take up your morpher! Pose dramatically! It's Morphin' Time!

-------

Lektra Bolt, Morning, Castle of Friendship, Ranger Command Center

---

I had just gotten back from yet another fight. Sure I'd defeated the monster, but the Golden Phoenix Zord had seen enough damage this week that it needed lengthy repairs, and my suit as well. I'd be out of action for a while. What was I to do if another attack happened? Talk about being the last hope. What happens when the last hope needs a last hope? Is there such a thing as last last hope?

As these thoughts went through my head I was moving around in the hangar repairing part of the Zord on the floating girders. It could be miniaturized, but I needed it full size now. One of the wonderful things about the castle was that it was bigger on the inside. How did no pony notice it was only as thick as an old tree but huge on the inside? Could I get it repaired enough to last through another fight? I needed help. Really I did. Where did Discord get off to? He was always popping up somewhere.

Let's go play the lottery. No time for pleasantries. With the Zord as good as she's going to get for now, I headed out to the Command Center proper with my floating mug of coffee. Light clip clip being heard on the polished crystal floor. The coffee was the only thing keeping me focused, but if I had too much I'd get too sleepy.

"Sparky has the mainframe finished yet? We need those new applicants." I looked at him sternly, determined and sad I'd need to throw more ponies (or other species) into harm's way.

Sparky beeped affirmative and I pressed a button on the half circular panel, there being a whoosh. The 'winners' of the lottery materializing in front of Sparky while I laid back in the executive chair monitoring the situation.

What, only two? Was this all that were left? All that applied? Did no pony else care for the world?

Edited October 12, 2017 by Lektra Bolt

[Denim&Venöm 16,462]

@Lektra Bolt

"I see you went and fought the latest abomination by yourself. Again." said a digitized & metallic voice from the balcony above. Feminine. Know it all sounding. And ready to drip w/ sarcastic wit. 

???, Morning, Castle of Friendship, Ranger Command Center

"Didn't even look at my contributions to Bolt Solutions armored corps or heavy weapons departments. Didn't let me launch any ICBMs from our testing islands in the Coltspian sea. Didn't let me fire any of our high orbit rail guns. Didn't' let me call in a drone strike. Didn't even let me accompany you to provide tactical support. Just ran off blunder buses blazing. Aaand you got your flank kicked. You won, but you got your flank kicked. Again. 

I thought Professors were supposed to be smart. You're playing chess. Our enemy is playing Go. Maybe stop reading schematics and start reading Steed Tzu. and let me guess. You still want to pursue the dead end that is the morphing grid in an effort to restore our ranks. I know what'll work just as well. Lets summon 5 emotionally unstable and overbearing adolescent equines! Oh wait. There off having a picnic with the purple smart book horses." the voice deadpanned as she paced the catwalk above. 

Edited October 11, 2017 by Denim&Venom

[Lektra Bolt 2,336]

Lektra Bolt, Morning, Castle of Friendship, Ranger Command Center

@Denim&Venom @Acnologia@Drago Ryder @Randimaxis 

----

"Love, you know very well that the weapon stores we have are finite and take time to build up. Magitek cannot be mass produced in a factory. It requires actual proprietary spells being casted by actual practitioners of magic to build and enchant afterwards. If I had authorized your use of those weapons, sure it would have helped turn the tide quicker, but where would we be afterwards? Thousands, perhaps millions, of bits poorer. We didn't become the company we are today by using our resources unwisely. We make quality products that are meticulously tested and the big things you speak of are only used when absolutely necessary. I just felt it was more economical to go in alone, and you're right, I won but for all intents and purposes got my flank kicked." I thought about all the repair work I still had to do and how much resources that would cost. "This method hit our caches less hard than what you propose, but it's also not working and maybe being more proactive with our resources would be better next time." I sighed, looking her over, pacing around the new arrivals.

"I honestly don't know what we'll do next time. The Zord is not ready for another battle and my suit has taken too much damage from all this ongoing fighting as well. Doesn't really matter the Morphing Grid allows for near instantaneous travel and transport of the means necessary to fight these invaders if we can't repair fast enough. What's your proposal? Perhaps it will work out better than what I've been doing." I continued to pace around the new recruits, looking up at her in the highs of the Command Center.

I then took a long sip from my floating coffee mug.

Edited October 12, 2017 by Lektra Bolt

[Denim&Venöm 16,462]

@Lektra Bolt

"The flaws are not just in our methods, but in Equestria as a whole. I'm certain you've taken notice of the increasing frequency of enemy incursions. Sparky and I have war gamed this out. 

And to put it bluntly. We're bucked." as the scenarios and crunched numbers were displayed on the holo- display. 

"Enlighten us, oh wise professor. How has Equestria remained a global superpower, despite never having waged a formal conflict since the The Great Solstice War over a millennia ago?

And if I hear you call it the lunar rebellion, It'll be you who gets sent to the moon. We don't need that kid of ignorance spreading to our camp." 

Edited October 12, 2017 by Denim&Venom

[Drago Ryder 639]

@Denim&Venom@Lektra Bolt

Dawn probabky should've read that form she had signed a bit more closely before she had actuqlly decided. She could tell that it was for something important, but honestly didn't realize the full scope of what was going on. That being said, at least she wasn't the only one involved in this mess. "And to think I get dragged into something when Baz is on a holiday." She thought to herself.

The unicorn then looked at the shadowy figure that had essentially said that they were all going to die, and began to think of what they could possibly do. She had next to no information on what exactly they were fighting, but that hadn't stopped her before. That being said, she didn't want to say the wrong thing right now. "Would it be possible to build more robots?" She asked.

[Acnologia 167]

@Lektra Bolt@Drago Ryder@Denim&Venom

Claytoh sighed as he watched te others talk. He hadn't exactly been expecting much to happen when he had filed all the paper work to help a group with whatever they needed, but apparently he had been mistaken. Of course, it didn't help that they were in a bad spot.

The earth pony then thought about what had been said over the course of his arrivial, It could be possible, but the intake of resources needed would put a strain on what little possibly remained. "It'd also help if we had a but more information on what we're fighting here." He said.

[Lektra Bolt 2,336]

Lektra Bolt, Morning, Castle of Friendship, Ranger Command Center

@Denim&Venom @Acnologia@Drago Ryder @Randimaxis @TBD

(Format guys, please)

Speaking to the figure upstairs, whom I knew very well, I looked up. "Where exactly did you get your pessimism from, dear?" I put my right hoof to my head for a moment to think. It wasn't her other 'mom' Twilight, the one who almost never spent time with her or encouraged her. "Nevermind, don't answer that. I'm often pessimistic, but it's upsetting you're embracing that facet of my personality so heavily." I then looked over to Sparky, frowning and returning to my chair, swiveling in it as if we didn't have guests.

"Really Sparky, what have you been doing with your sister in your spare time?" He beeped and swung his claws around at me, which I understood perfectly. "Oh really, you're going to be pessimistic too huh?" An affirming beep was my reply, to which I replied with a sigh as I turned to the questions of the recruits who had finally spoken up. I'd chastise him later, and I swiveled around to our recruits, getting out of the chair.

Spoiler

Relevant video, the following scene heavily inspired by this::

"Welcome everyone. I am Lektra Bolt, and this is Sparky. I made him, and you might recognize him as something of a robot, but I prefer the word 'construct' really. For now, pay no attention to the figure up in the girders." By my horn magic an expensive looking tapestry moved in as a cover. "I'm having an important meeting. Can we talk later? You will be able to see them, but they will not be able to see you." The tapestry had a one way mirror-like spell on it.

I turned back to our recruits. "I'm glad you all decided to apply to the program and joined it without much information to go on." I began to pace around them, my horn magic turning on lights around the room, exposing expensive artifacts gathered from around the world. Dormant for now, but potentially useful. Not dangerous. "Before we get started, may I interest you in some refreshments?" I motioned a hoof to Sparky, getting a rather joking beep in response. "Not oil for you or something for me. For them, Sparky." Sparky understood and wheeled out. I stopped pacing and moved to the center of the room, crystals on the floor moving with me and making a bit of a show.

"I'm sure you have many questions and I promise you I will answer every one, but first I need your help. Because without you, our world, our way of life......" I paused for dramatic effect, having practiced and given this speech before. "......is going to be destroyed!"

I moved to pace around a particular recession in the actual center of the floor, the floor crystals lighting up the recession as a crystal on a pedestal appeared out of it. "Please direct your attention to the Viewing Crystal."

Spoiler

Important videos, but not necessarily relevant to the plot:

 

On the Crystal played out recent events from the past couple of months: The arrival of the evil forces all over the world, the monsters being summoned, citizens running in fear and panic, the fighting, the previous team being kidnapped, and my fighting alone for the past couple of weeks. Cultists hooded in robes, the abominations who led them, all for an unknown purpose.

"This has been happening for a while now, and frankly, I'm tired. I really need help. We don't know when the next attack will happen." He was taking his time, as he usually did. I called out loudly, echoing over the crystal of the room. "Sparky!" There was an affirming beep heard. He had gone up to hang out with the figure in the girders, as they usually did. I'm sure they were both bored, having heard all this before.

"These guys and who knows how many crazy abominations will attack again." At this point Sparky brought in the refreshments. Various types of drinks, and cookies from Sugarcube Corner. I drank from my levitating coffee cup instead, placing the tray on one of the tables. "Our military, the Royal Guard, have been so very useless, the Elements of Harmony have fared no better. Our heroes haven't been able to deal with these threats. I'm rich. Even if I buy an army from overseas, it wouldn't be enough."

I wasn't going to tell them they had been randomly chosen and were probably the only ones left that had applied. Best not to kill self esteem, with how dire the stakes had become. "You have the physical, mental, and magical qualities needed. I'm also sure once others see that it is actually possible to defeat these world threats, more will join the cause." This wasn't a lie, just wishful thinking. So far we had been winning, the cost and toll it was taking excluded.

Another smaller pedestal appeared from inside another recession inside the floor, this one having a web-like magic light glowing on it. A view of a much larger area could be seen, and this was just a tiny portion of the real scope. It looked like a portal but was really another enchanted crystal. "I have the Magitek and the money to fight this evil. I can turn you into Power Rangers!" I posed triumphantly, with the floor lights dancing around me. This whole concept had come to me in a dream. All of it, yes. I'm probably crazy. Completely batty. "You only need to reach your hoof into the Morphing Grid, and let it handle the rest."

Spoiler

Relevant information: http://powerrangers.wikia.com/wiki/Morphing_Grid

"So, what do you say? To refuse would doom the world, and you don't really want to prove the figure in the rafters right, do you?" Crazy-looking scientist pony asking you to trust her. Nothing odd about this. Seems legit, right?

Edited October 14, 2017 by Lektra Bolt

[Denim&Venöm 16,462]

@Randimaxis @Lektra Bolt @Acnologia @Drago Ryder

"I think we're boned regardless of what we do" An audible sigh could be heard. 

"To answer my own question, it's the princesses and their magical superweapon mcguffins that have kept peace. Enemy at the gates? Just threaten to turn off the sun and moon. Or toss their home continent into space. Or vaporize them w/ a healthy does of plasma straight form our nearest star. Conventional warfare doesn't work when your a deity. Just ask Discord. Hence why Equestria doesn't have a standing army to fight these things. No use and no good. Wars were fought deity to deity. Royalty from the heavens vs. demons of tarturus.  But as the last decade has shown, Equestria sucks at fighting wars. 

5 years ago, our capital was captured. Twice. First in broad daylight, on high alert. Second time was when all four of our mighty rulers were present. And they were of little help.  

think of our country like Hoof ball player Bit Farve. Immense talent and physically gifted player. excelled his team to victory for the better part of 20 years. But as he got older, all who played against him adjusted their strategies to adapt to his playstyle. And the years began to catch up with him. He could have remained a corner stone of any team he was on, but what he had in talent and the fundamentals, he lacked in proper training.  He wasn't well versed in any other tactics and styles. Jack of all trades, master at none. Once age started to creep up, he couldn't offer a whole lot.

And that's the state our country is in. We've been cruising for so long on magical prowess and ancient artifacts, that we've forgotten what it means to establish proper defense.  Our enemies have learned how to take conventional warfare, and adapt it to circumvent our mightiest heroes. At a fundamental level, we're defenseless. No standing army. The royal guard is ceremonial private security. Most towns have to rely on local volunteers for emergency services. Most conflicts are fought with civilian militia. We don't even have the infrastructure to move troops and resources cross country. 

Equestria is not built for war. And would take years, decades even to build a proper fighting force from the ground up. that is, if this country even want's to arm itself. we're very anti-conflict. We should be following the model of the Thestral enclave in Hollowshades, having a tenure of military service, self defense training and weapons possession be mandatory requirements, so that the entire populace is essentially a fighting reserve. But everypony is more afraid that they'll start a civil war, rather than stop an actual one. 

We're facing a foe of unknown strength and tremendous resources that operates more like a terrorist cell than an invading army.  The areas of attack are not manufacturing, industrial complexes, mining centers, energy sources or even guard posts. They're always population centers. The campaign is shock and awe.  Building up to soem grand reveal that'll break our will to fight. And the scary thing is, we don't know what they want. 

That's where you come in. There were other applicants yes. But they weren't suited for the job. You on the other hoof, were chosen. Not by us, but by what will empower you in the days ahead. The morphing grid. A system of magic outside of our perceptions of time and space, with a possible connection to the tree of harmony, operating with a will of it's own. And it has deemed you worthy of wielding such great power. You Mr. Claytoh. You Miss Dawn. Pony Stark- I mean, Lektra Bolt over there..."

The two way screen was lifted, and down from the catwalk jumped the figure. 

"And me." said the unicorn clad head to hoof in a full set of polished red body armor. "There's an old pegasopolean saying: "Si vis pacem, para bellum. If you want peace, prepare for war." 

 

 

Edited October 14, 2017 by Denim&Venom

[Randimaxis 8,633]

@Lektra Bolt - @Denim&Venom - @Drago Ryder - @Acnologia

... meanwhile... - Morning - Outside of Las Pegasus - Smoking Crater

It took a moment before the haze of darkness faded from the edges of the world, and when it did, the sight wasn't pleasant.

A wall of rock and dirt surrounding him.  A brackish, foul-smelling smoke dissipating and revealing a sky that had become red and ominous.  Ruined buildings, homes and businesses, including debris strewn everywhere.  A tree on fire - and burning rather seriously.  A dog, whimpering and scared, cowering beneath an overturned cotton candy cart.

And PAIN.  LOTS of pain.  

This... was NOT what I expected...

"... I... s-suppose... *cough cough*... that you... y-you..."

A shadowy pony form clad in a dark crimson robe came hovering into view, the magic from their horn casting a sinister red energy across their outline, giving the unicorn a horrific look.  Blazing red eyes stared cruel chips of cold fire at their intended target, and a slow, ugly sneer slithered onto the scarred muzzle.

"That I win?  That you've finally met your match?  That you have NO power over one such as The Prophet would choose?"

Sitting up brought new pain, and the creaking of bones that hadn't creaked in... well, ever.  But that didn't stop the knowing, wicked grin from surfacing.

"... I suppose that you grow MUSHROOMS in that hollow cavern of a head you have if you think a simple love-tap like THAT is going to stop me."

Discord lifted his paw and, with a mischievous wiggle of his bushy white eyebrows, snapped his fingers... >SNAP!<...

... and NOTHING happened.

Oh... THAT'S... not good...

The echoing, braying laughter that filled the crater was borderline insane, yet it scared the draconequus to his very core.

"Yes, mighty 'Lord of Chaos', that's RIGHT!  Your tricks are useless, your strength is non-existent, and your time is short - because your power is MINE, Dragon Horse!"

Discord gawked at the sight of the roll of energy that seemed to vibrate from the jewel around his neck, covering the mad unicorn in even more vile red ribbons of energy.  It was a sight to behold, and it only meant that the wily once-villain was now at the absolute mercy of the being before him... and from the fight they'd had, it didn't seem like mercy was particularly high on this pony's list of priorities.

Whipping around faster than he felt capable of, he turned and rapidly slunk out of the crater.  He juked and dodged, while licks of energy smashed the ground around him, the cultist laughing heartily as he continued to herd his prey further down the ruined plaza's walkways.  Passing an overturned cart, he heard a soft whimper and glanced over, seeing the terrified hound dog.  His own eyes lit up, and he squeezed into the same hollow.

However, he'd been spotted.  

The cultist lifted his hooves skyward, and the foul energy surrounding him began to coalesce into a large ball of concentrated power.  As he focused himself, the cloaked unicorn spoke.

"Coward - without your powers, you're every bit as useless as The Prophet foretold.  What we've taken from you today will be used to bring him back into the realm of the living!  THE MONARCHY SHALL FALL INTO SHALE!  FIRST EQUESTRIA - THEN, THE WORLD!  And YOU... shall have NO PLACE... among the new REGIME, WORM!"

He released the ball of energy, and it streaked like a firework toward the fallen cart, striking it and blowing it apart. 

With a yelp of shock and pain, the dog came flying out of the explosion, seemingly unharmed save for a singed tail.  Hitting the ground didn't slow his velocity, and the pup took off like a shot, yipping in fear as he scampered away rapidly.

Looking over the rubble of what was once a simple cotton candy cart, the crimson robed pony didn't see anything left of the once mighty dragon horse.  He smirked, then his muzzle went slack as he lowered himself to a bowing position and closed his eyes.

"Soon, Great Prophet.  Soon, we shall have all the energy we need to fulfill the Prophecy... 'and among you, He shall walk once more'... unto you, I dedicate this power I have taken, and it shall be used unto your Glory!"

Rising from this position, the cloaked figure turned and began to simply walk away, surrounded by a wasteland of destruction.  The pony beneath wore a vicious smile of total victory, and strode confidently away in full belief that his time was NOW.  All around, other ponies began to gather themselves, and they turned their attentions to the arriving emergency services instead of keeping eyes on the terrible stallion that had done all of this destruction... mostly because of the slight glow from beneath the cultist's cowl, making sure his Obfuscation Spell was complete before simply wandering off into the morning light, headed to wherever home was - victorious. 

On the back of the crimson cloak was what appeared to be the shape of a ram's head, complete with two sharp horns.

 

[Drago Ryder 639]

@Lektra Bolt

Dawn sighed as she thought about what she had signed up for. Sure she and the group of ponies she spent time with had some weird adventures, but this topped them all. I mean, seriously, fighting giant monsters, saving the world from utter annihilation, and all the while hiding who they were. It looked like something out of a comic book.

That being said, she wasn't one to back down from a challenge. If there was something she could do to stop all of this from happening, then she'd take it. "Best not to stand on ceremony, then." She muttered, before placing her hoof into the device that Lektra had provided.

[Acnologia 167]

@Lektra Bolt

Clayton gave a soft laugh as he face hooved. "This is just weird, but I guess I should be used to that sort of thing by now. He muttered, before taking a cookie and biting into it. "Granted, I'm not exactly brimming with magic, am I?"

The earth pony then finished the snack before narrowing his eyes. Something felt off about all of this, but he tried not to think about it to hard at the moment. If anything, it'd raise too many questions on his loyalty at a time where all of Equestria was about to fall. It was do or die at this point, and he was sure as Tartarus going down kicking and screaming bloody murder. "Either way, I'm in." Clayton then placed his hoof into the morphing grid and waited for something of interest to happen. 

[Lektra Bolt 2,336]

Lektra Bolt, Morning, Castle of Friendship, Ranger Command Center

@Denim&Venom @Acnologia@Drago Ryder @Randimaxis @TBD

Reaching into the odd swirling vortex the two could feel a warm energy envelop their hoof, like a gentle hug of a parent. The energy solidified into bracelets as their hooves were lightly nudged back out, the new jewelry gleaming in the light.

Then there was a flash of energy as the bracelets ignited in magical light matching their colors and enveloped their owners while floating in the air, activating their Ranger Forms for the first time.

I floated a clipboard out of Sparky's storage container. "Very good, the Morphing Grid has judged you worthy, as I thought it would."

"Miss Dawn, you are the White Harmony Ranger, and you will command the White Dragon Zord." I noted that down by what the instruments were telling me, moving on to Clayton.

"Mister Clayton, you are the Blue Harmony Ranger, and you will command the Blue Wendigo Zord." I noted that down as well, turning my attention to my daughter next.

"My dear child Luster is the Red Harmony Ranger, commanding the Red Manticore Zord. She's going to be your leader and is a tactical genius. You would do well to follow her in combat. The last group didn't, and their powers were reclaimed by the Morphing Grid." I raised my right hoof, a similar bracelet gleaming in the light of the room. One could see damage across the bright golden jewel in the middle, and it made some light sparks. "I must try this one more time before I temporarily retire, for their sake." I whispered this under my breath, stepping forward and tapping the jewel with my left hoof, making it gleam as I raised up my right hoof.

"Magitek Source, Harmony Force!" I was enveloped in a bright gold light as I floated up, Sparky changing as well as if in response. "Gold Ranger Power!" Yelling this out while inside there, I reached my hooves out as pieces of the armor appeared around me, attaching and activating. Finally the helmet appeared on my head as I crossed my forehooves, my mane folding inside it as the HUD activated, showing me important information. Lastly, Sparky attached to my back in a new form that gave me wings. I landed back down, a momentary whoosh of mana-jets turning off, a feature only I had. I had been a couple of feet off the ground. I landed on the floor with a clip-clop of enchanted steel on crystal. One could now see the armor was heavily damaged, with gashes across many parts. The inside mana circuits could be seen, as well as the repairs being conducted as the armor was self repairing. Light gold sparks occasionally blew from the damaged parts, signs of the armor trying to repair itself. The whole transformation had really taken two seconds, but to me it felt much longer as I could perfectly see and feel it happening. Posing dramatically with the Horn Enhancer Module's mana circuits gleaming as the floor lights danced around me, I raised my right forehoof and floated up, daring an invisible enemy to come get me.

Unfortunately I had no time to spare before my HUD started to warn me I had to power down, as 80% of the suit was still heavily damaged. Reluctantly I complied with a sigh. "Power down." As I said this the suit disappeared as quickly as it had appeared and Sparky returned to normal as well, my turning to the new Rangers like that was a routine thing for me. It really was though, and they'd quickly get used to it also. "So, about those questions? I'm sure you have many?"

Edited October 19, 2017 by Lektra Bolt

[Denim&Venöm 16,462]

@Lektra Bolt @TBD @Randimaxis @Acnologia @Drago Ryder

"Yeah, maybe inform the rest of us why you ever thought it was a good idea to face off against the forces of evil all on your own, as well aa give us some insight on how well that's worked out for you so far?" the red ranger said in a critical tone.

[Buck Testa 5,503]

Lièvre inhaled deeply on a cigar as she sat back in her Captain's Chair. It was a strange sight to see a marketable creature like herself engaging in such a counterproductive habit, but her prospects had grown quite grim in recent years. Years ago, she was a star. Her life had been made for her. Fame, fortune, a place in King Pandar's empire. Her face was known in several solar systems. She was a darling of the critiques and moviegoers alike. Her body was entirely toyetic and marketable, the best features of a Squirrel and a Bunny blended into one pink puff ball of perfection. A Pandar Grade Princess to be admired the galaxy over. How fleeting that position was. How could she have foreseen that one bad box office flop would lose her favor with the king. 

 

Quote

 

"Well Golly Lièvre, normally when a subject of mine costs me this much money I just have them executed and be done with it, haha!"

He had sounded so jovial and friendly as he had said that to her in his throne room, but she knew he meant every word of it. King Pandar may have been small in stature, and the very last of his species from his home world, but his Media Empire held more clout and authority then most legitimate governments. Entire planets and fleets of military vessels were under his command, and the sheer amount of wealth his entertainment centric governing style brought in was incalculable. To him, there were only two uses for a sentient species. Either they were a consumer for him to sell his products and merchandise too, or they were a marketable commodity to be subjugated and squeezed for every cent they were worth. 

"however I don't think I'll do that to you. You made me quite a bit of money over the years, my little Pandarean Princess. Enough to justify you living a little bit longer." 

"Thank you Lord Pandar." She had said, forcing a big and bright smile as she groveled before him. You had to show him your good side, let him see what toylines your image could sell. It was important to be as toyetic as possible around him. If you didn't have that inherent value to him, you were a goner for sure. Pandar lifted her chin with his blackened paw, bringing her eyes level with his own. 

"I think I'll have you be the captain of a Cute Trooper vessel for awhile." his voice was so deceptively high pitched and cute. It was hard to believe this little panda held dozens of planets under his paw, but his powerful presence dissuaded any doubt. ", If you can find me a marketable planet to conquer for a reasonable price, you may end up making back the money you owe me for that box office failure. Who knows, maybe there will even be a reboot in your future if you perform well enough out there." 

 

 "Thinking about something there Tail-Fluff?" 

Her pink ears droop and her brow furrowed as she slowly glared over her shoulder at her second in command. The siberian tiger leaned back against the wall with his arms behind his back, smirking mischievously at his leader as she twitched her nose in agitation. Out of every crew member on this vessel, he was the most infuriating. He knew just how to press her buttons and keep himself from earning more than some time in the brig. 

"Captain Tail-Fluff, excuse me." He added with a mock bow, causing her to roll her eyes at his antics. If they weren't so understaffed on this ship and if he weren't such an asset she would have shoved him out of the airlock by now. She let out a deep sigh, releasing a cloud of smoke from her mouth before she addressed her subordinate. 

"What do you want Nyan. You better have a good excuse for intruding into my private quarters." 

"Twig Boy thinks he might have found something. A planet. Maybe the most marketable planet yet." Nyan definitely relished how her squirrel tail and bunny ears perked up at that despite her trying to keep a flat expression. She had an absolutely horrendous poker face, as the entire crew knew on poker night. The only reason it wasn't exploited more often was because they were scared of her. She tried to look as calm as possible as she put out her cigar, holding herself back from just leaping out of her chair and rushing to the deck at breakneck speed. She had to show composure and grace as a captain of this vessel after all. Too the Tiger though, it was the most amusing sight on the ship. He could read her every excited twitch like a book while she gestured him to follow her. 

"Twicker. Status report." 

She couldn't help but shudder a bit as the psychics mind brushed into her own from the other end of the ship. Even after these few months she still hadn't gotten used to that creepy red twig's telepathy. He did not have a mouth of his own, but his telepathic power was more than enough to communicate with other creatures. 

"Not that you care about my opinion..." he drawled out in his deep mental voice, ",but I found a planet that has some kind of quadrupedal sentient species on it." 

'Sentient Quadrapeds?" She said out loud, looking quizzically at Nyan. He merely shrugged and smirked down at her while Twicker continued talking. 

"Yes. They call themselves ponies. They are dreadfully dull witted and operate via herd mentality. Quite magical as well." 

Nyan and Captain Lièvre rounded into the command deck where Twicker was at work. His body was long and as thin as he was red, with dozens of reedy appendages working various screens all at once. He did not turn to look at them, mostly because the red alien didn't have much of a discernable face. His mind was more than enough to see around the various rooms anyway. On a screen more eye level with her he pulled up a visual of the planet in question. She could tell even from that zoomed out distance that it was lush with life. She could barely contain her excitement as her fluffed up tail swished about. 

"Sentient MAGICAL Quadrapeds. I need to see what they look like. If they are ugly I am going to strangle the lot of you." 

"You could strangle me anyway, I don't really mind. Don't really have a neck to get a grip on anyway...."  Twicker drolled in her mind before taking one of his dozens of hands and enhancing the image in front of her all the way down to the surface of the planet. It was there she saw a cluster of the creatures he had mentioned. 

"By Pandar. They are adorable!" She squeaked out with her claws to her mouth. Not only were they a sight for sore eyes, they were also her ticket back into the Kings good graces. 

"Thought you might like them." Nyan chuckled wryly, enjoying the unbridled excitement over his captains entire body. She seemed to be aware of her temporary loss of composure as she seemed to snap back into her serious visage that she liked to keep up. She made sure her voice was level and manageable before she spoke her next words. 

"Yes, well, hmm, Thank you for your good work Twicker. Now!" Her eyes lit up with a malevolent fire as she pointed towards the screen, " Set a course for that planet. Those ponies are worth at LEAST seven seasons and a few movies! That's not even taking into account Merchandising! We shall conquer them for King Pandar!" 

"Aye aye Captain." 

 
 

[Drago Ryder 639]

Dawn nodded sightly when her designation became apparent and a slight smirk played on her muzzle. She honestly didn’t mind not being in charge, considering the fact that she had little experiance being in such a position. As for her zord, she was curious as to what it would look like. A dragon’s apperance didn’t exactly fit into a single standard outcome. Wyverns, drakes, serpents (flying or otherwise), and dragons themselves were all related in some way. For now, she would wait to see how that would play out.

That didn’t mean that she didn’t have her own questions, but she figured it’d be best to respond to Lektra and her daughter first. “To be honest, this isn’t the first time I’ve had to go on some adventure. The only difference is that I don’t know most of you.” Her tone was calm and had an almost diplomatic air to it. “As for my own questions, I doubt we’re doing this with the apporval of any governmental orignization or the rulers themselvs. Am I correct?”

Edited October 25, 2017 by Drago Ryder

[Acnologia 167]

@Lektra Bolt

Clayton shrugged as he was given his zord. As for his ranger color, he didn't really care. If they were going to work as a team, then they would all probably be needed if this was to even work. That being said, he figured that might as well try to lighten the mood. "Looks like the tech has a thing for the more... destructive creatures of our world." He said. The only question is, why would they all receive a different vehicle.

Putting that to the back of his mind for now, the unicorn decided to answer Lektra's daughter. "If not us, then who? I doubt that many ponies would be eager to be put into a life threatening situation just to say that they were able to save the world. As for me personally, I'm a smith by trade. If you give me any material, there's a good chance I can make it into something somepony somewhere can use. As a result, I have a bit of combat experience and a few enchantments that go along with those items." Clayton didn't mention that he was also an artist, but that wasn't really something they needed to know. "As for anything I want to know from you two in particular, no. I don't think I have anything to ask."

[Lektra Bolt 2,336]

Lektra Bolt, Morning, Castle of Friendship, Ranger Command Center

@Denim&Venom @Acnologia@Drago Ryder @Randimaxis @TBD @Buck Testa

I had by this time climbed up into my swivel chair, and hidden the Morping Grid Crysal back in it's floor indentation to link up with the instruments again, and to read it's output better. Turning to Luster I answered her question. "Well you know how well that worked out for me. My Zord and suit are very damaged. That's what happens when there's no time for repairs in between fights. As for why? That's simple really. You weren't ready at the time, and were indisposed. Someone had to take care of things." She might remember that she had just recently been accepted by the Morphing Grid, after intense training. A couple of days ago.

"You're definitely correct Dawn, we're vigilantes. We have no approval from the Princesses or any government agencies, and we should maintain our secret identities. Twilight doesn't know we're using one of  the castle's spare rooms, and I'd prefer we keep it that way for as long as possible." I looked her over in her armor. It looked good and fit perfectly snug. "Are you feeling good with the suit? Getting used to the Heads Up Display? Any complaints of misshapeness? I can fix that."

"That's right Clayton, you're a smith. I looked over your files before, the info you provided upon signing up. There might still be mysteries to you guys that you chose not to disclose, but I remember you were encouraged to be thorough." I winked at him. "We're all friends here, and your skill might come in handy to help me in repairs." I looked him over. "How's the suit treating you? Getting used to the Heads Up Display? Everything good and snug? Enough room in the crotch department? I can fix if it you need an adjustment."

I paced around them, admiring my work. I had built these previously for them and the Grid put it on when they transformed. Finally satisfied, I spoke. "You guys know how to transform now. Just do what I did, like powering down. The three of you are still wearing your suits." I nodded nonchalantly. "Just say Power Down to make it disappear." I assumed they would know a cool pose was recommended as well. Luster would show them the ropes, probably.

The only thing to do now was to wait for another attack to happen, or some other unforeseen thing

Edited October 27, 2017 by Lektra Bolt

[Buck Testa 5,503]

Deep in space:

Twicker felt miserable as they quickly approached the planet from deep space. Even with them being so far out, he could still feel all of the minds on the planet broadcasting their sensory noise into space. It was like a time capsule at this distance. The further out the broadcasts were, the older they happened to be. Though it was difficult to parse out individual timelines, common threads emerged from the old mental broadcasts in particular from the ponies. 

"Seems they were quite busy one thousand years ago, give or take a few years." Twicker thoughts drolled out too his cohorts. 

Lièvre looked quizzically at him as she pulled her eyes away from the monitors locked onto the planet. "What do you mean?"

"I'm picking up residual mental signatures from this far out from about a millennia ago." he mentally sighed as he sifted through all the emotions and tumultuous images to try and find commonalities between them. It wasn't quite as bad as when he was on the surface of a planet, but reading that many negative and upset emotional signatures did a number on his mental state. It was part of the reason he preferred the depths of space with a small crew instead of a world filled with billions of unique minds. 

" During that time several threats rose up against the planet. Visuals are a bit murky due to degradation, but it looked like one of them was particularly emotional to take down. I'm figuring a former ruler gone bad. A sibling brought the ruler down from the feel of it." 

"So it's not all sunshine and rainbows in Pony Land then. That's good to hear. I was sort of afraid it would be like rounding up a bunch of baby bunnies or something." Nyan said wryly, taking pleasure at the baleful look Lièvre shot back at him from over her shoulder. He let her fume and continued,

"It is pretty odd that you picked this up from all the way out here though. How magical were these fights?" 

Several of Twickers thin spider-like hands wavered indecisively at that., and his long thin body adjusted about on the walls and ceiling like an antennae as he tried to get a clearer image.

 "Their powers were above average for a magical species, but nothing too off the scale. However, there are several spikes of magical power that are troubling. Single bursts of potent magic that abruptly ended each of these conflicts. My guess is they had some sort of magical super weapon. It was more than enough to end most of these conflicts I'm reading here. Definitely something to be on guard about." 

Lièvre didn't like the sound of that. Her rabbit ears twitched and her long bushy tail swished about as she tried to keep her composure. "How big of a spike are we talking here?"

"Big enough that we'd probably not want to be on the receiving end of it. This is assuming such a weapon even still exists on the planet of course. I'm getting the sense it kind of broke after it was used on the...sister I think. A Princess or a Queen. " 

"Well then. I'll make sure our gear is prepped for a worst case scenario. A thousand years is more than enough times to get such a weapon back up and running, and who knows what else they have nowadays. I'll make sure Huggles and the twins are set up for a landing as well." Nyan said as he swiveled on his heel and sauntered out of the room. 

[Acnologia 167]

Clayton looked down to see that he was in fact wearing his ranger suit. The unicorn hadn’t even noticed that whatever had given him his role had automatically put it on. The suit itself was somewhat form-fitting, yet still comfortable, and he assumed the heads-up display was functioning properly. “It’s certainly different, but in a good way.” He said, not really sure how to respond.

After he made the suit disappear, he began to think about the robots they would be piloting, specially Lektra’s. “As for the repairs needed to a giant robot, I’ll see what I can do. It’d probably help if I had the schematics, though.” Clayton then gave a light shrug.

[Randimaxis 8,633]

... meanwhile... - Early - Southern Equestria - The Temple Of Void

 

The campfire was the biggest light source in the grand cathedral... and it was surrounded by shapes.  Shapes great and small, shapes that spoke of monsters and shapes that spoke of armor.  Shapes that belied a fighting force capable of taking down an army, if need be.

Shapes of things to come.

From the far side of the fire came a voice as deep and rumbling as an earthquake.

"Brother Aries... approach so that we might hear of your deeds in the name of the Great Prophet."

Stepping into the circle of light came an Earth Pony who wore proud, strong armored barding and a crimson cloak folded back over his shoulders.  The look on his face was proud, and he stood sharply at attention as he began to speak.

"In the name of our Great Prophet, I sought out the first artifact within the confines of the city of sin known as Las Pegasus.  Though the locals were unable to hinder my search, I happened to come across the Lord of Chaos himself."

There were a couple of gasps, and a slight giggle from outside the fire's glow, but nothing more.

"Using the power granted to me by the Great Prophet himself, I found the item I had been seeking.  With my mission complete, I then ambushed the draconequus - and overwhelmed him.  Using the techniques taught by our beloved leader, I managed to drain off enough of his Chaos Magic to send him running... then, with a single blast, I defeated him wholly.  There was nothing left of him - Discord is no more."

There were a few impressed sounds from around him, yet the original voice in question spoke up, and it sounded somewhat chastising.

"The draconequus could not be destroyed by two alicorns, nor six element bearers... do you think yourself so mighty as to have outdone these?"

The Earth Pony took a start, then hung his head a bit.

"This... is a true point, Brother Leo.  Perhaps I misspoke..."

The rumbling voice continued as if utterly bored.  "No matter; are you ready for the transfer?"

The stallion recovered his dignity and nodded.

A swirl of energy began to flow from Aries' eyes and mouth, spiraling upward until it formed a glowing orange cloud above the fire.  Slowly, tendrils tapered off and began to slide through the air and up, up, up to a HUGE raw diamond fixed into the ceiling of the cave.  As it entered the gem, the orange glow filled the rock, and a soft, barely audible sigh issued forth.

Then, a single crack formed, glowing a neon orange for but a moment before simply appearing to be a crack in the stone.

From below, the shapes around the campfire let out various sounds of both elation and excitement.  Into this vocal melee, Leo's voice rumbled:

"This is but the FIRST... there shall be MORE.  The Cult Of The Great Prophet has been awaiting this moment for long and long... the day we begin to affect the plan set forth to us two years hence, from the very words of Stellar Void himself!  The artifacts shall be gathered, the energy released into the seal, and the cracks shall become fissures, those into tears, and those into an altogether shattering conclusion, when the Great Prophet shall walk again amongst us!"

The stallion referred to as Aries turned to face the rest of the shadowy forms, an almost manic smile lighting up his features like the fire in front of him.

"AND AMONG YOU, HE SHALL WALK... ONCE... MORE!"

Cheers of victory went up around them all.

"This is SOOOOOO what we've been waiting for!"  Said a small, tinny voice.

"RRRRAAAAAAAAAAGH!"  came the bellow of another.

"And so, our time begins..." purred the seductive voice of a third.

As the rest continued to comment, the voice of Leo spoke again, but this time it was a soft whisper of the wind through dead leaves instead of the deep rumble, and it was into the ear of another of the forms seated around the fire.

"Brother Scorpio... the next artifact is yours to acquire.  It is located in the Museum of Magical Wonders, in Baltimare.  You should already be aware of what you seek - now, go..."

The form at the fireside stood up... and nearly blotted out the firelight with its' size.  With a low growl, it suddenly leapt into the full shadows, vanishing completely into the dark.

"... for the Great Prophet," Leo finished.

 

[Drago Ryder 639]

Dawn gave a slight shrug in response to Lektra’s answer to her question. There were some aspects of herself that she had decided to hide, so this would be nothing new to her.

The unicorn then noticed that she was wearing a relatively skin tight suit that was a stark white. “To be honest, it feels nice.” She said, giving a light smile. Granted, no one could see it through the helmet. For now, she would keep it on if only to get used to the feeling of having it on.

[TBD 17,228]

@Randimaxis

Ivory Gust stood in the back among his brothers and sisters as Brother Aries made his announcement. A longma, a winged scaled horse who was  the last of his kind, listened and letting in this rush of passionate aura that they all have for the hope of The Great Prophet resurrection.   No, not hope...more like the a  strong determination to rise The great prophet. They somewhat reminded him of how his own kind was. There are some ups and downs among them in his perspectives, but he give them props for being a very strong  and willed community.  Also the fact that he and the Cultists are all here for the same reason..rising The Great Prophet and serving The Great Prophet,  in exchange for their own salvations to their own individuals. 

Although he doesn't know what that mean to the others but for him personally, when he first heard about this group and The Great Prophet he knew The Great Prophet will grant him salvation, a strength that will help him achieve his goal. He can't exactly explained how to worded this strong "spiritual"  feeling he is having but he know  one thing. When he recently joined while back, The Great Prophet made him the 'altar' and his job was simple. Serving as advisors and the ears for his brother and sisters and as faithful servant to The great prophet. So the Great Prophet, unlike the others didn't look down at him but instead brought him up. WIth that, he happy where he stands. 

*As Brother Scorpio vanished,  Ivory walked over toward among the Cultists group.*

"Brothers and sisters.." *turning over the to  face brother Aries and leo making eyes contact for the few seconds and turning back to the crowd* "As much we are strong, what will we do with these group of these "harmony rangers? The first group was defeated but I feel another will come to take their place....they always do...If they do come back, no doubt they will be after the same artifacts. My suggestion for all is we should keep our guard up and not do anything reckless. We don't what these new rangers are capable of..."

Ivory bit his bottom lip in a hope he didn't rattle any of them since most are stronger than him and he will try to avoid any conflicts among them by using his wits and words to rephrase it the best way he could. Either way he doesn't want any wrong and reckless moves that will affect the missions. Not like he trust them but it better safe than being sorry. 

 

 

Edited October 30, 2017 by TBD

[Denim&Venöm 16,462]

@Lektra Bolt @Drago Ryder @Acnologia @Randimaxis

"Indisposed. More like on lock down! Because book horse still sees me as one of her students. Her teachers pet kept on a short leash. Holding me back until I repeat her misguided lessons verbatim. Well look at how well her methods have performed thus far against our adversaries. As in, not very. She is out of her element. And defending this world from all threats, both foreign and domestic, is firmly in mine. SHe preaches friendship? Well she better than anypony should understand. Friends are worth fighting for. 

The red ranger turned to her suited compatriots. "Equestria is worth fighting for.  And we have the power to continue that fight. Now, with all the pleasantries out of the way, we must begin with the one thing our first batch of rangers should've under gone. It's time to start your-"

One of the alarms on Lektra's station began to go off.

"Training." She said, as a holo-map of Equestria emerged in the room's center. The map began to zoom closer and closer, until it showed a building near a quarry. "Isn't that one of our refineries?" Specs began to appear around the building. "Yep. One that's been shut down and scheduled for retrofitting. Why would any pony go after such an isolated location?" 

The building shrank and moved to the side, as a holo screen of what looked like security footage widened next to it. And what they saw was a marching group of ponies. Ponies made of metal.

"Running with a robotics theme? Targeting one of our sites? Looks like the obsidian corps. is back at it with our stolen designs. Again. Take our refinery. Strip mine the area. Wreck the ecosystem of the region. Flood the market while undercutting our prices. All the while dealing our doctored designs on the black market. 

I guess it's as much of a place to start as any."

 

 

[Lektra Bolt 2,336]

Lektra Bolt, Morning, Castle of Friendship, Ranger Command Center

@Denim&Venom @Acnologia@Drago Ryder @Randimaxis @TBD @Buck Testa

Spoiler

 

The alarm went off on my console, as well as smaller ones around the Command Center. As the system showed us, one of our old Labs was being attacked by constructs from a rival company that had been trying and mostly failing to reverse engineer our work.

In his beeping whirs one could hear Sparky exclaim from where he was cleaning the dish that previously had refreshments on it that I'd helped myself to. "Aye yai yai yai yai yai yai!"

"I don't usually act like this, but rivals who try to steal our work are to be eliminated with extreme prejudice. Do what you need to in order to get rid of them. I will monitor the situation remotely." I hit a button on the console, activating the teleportation function. As their colored magical energy gathered around them I spoke a word of warning. "Follow Luster, and May the Power Protect You." The three of them were sent off to the location displayed, and would arrive at their destination soon.

I turned my attention to another location displayed on the magical projection map. A smaller one I'd been tracking in Las Pegasus. Familiar energy. While their powers had been reclaimed by the Morphing Grid, the residual energy was something I could still track. The previous team of Power Rangers had been found! Again I activated the teleportation function to send Sparky and myself there, enveloping us in gold energy.

Time to search through a city in the sky, and by search I mean go directly to the location since I could track them wherever they were held. There were walkways, so it's not like I'd fall through the floor right?

Edited November 3, 2017 by Lektra Bolt

[Denim&Venöm 16,462]

@Lektra Bolt @Acnologia @Drago Ryder

In the middle of the forest is where our team appeared. 

"Alright. We're half a mile away from the plant. Now in order for us to properly do reconnaissance, we'll need to approach stealthily. 3 ponies in bright body suits will give us away. So for now-" she effortlessly jumped high up into the trees. "The two of you de-power and scout on ahead. I'll tail you from above and let you know if anything is coming your way."