A couple of days had passed since the battle outside CHS, where the Mimics had been defeated and a mysterious figure appeared to give everyone a gift.

In the days since the Mimic Detector had been given to everyone in the city, a sense of calm had washed over the town. People were no longer feeling paranoid about the people next to them. They could go about their days feeling secure. And thanks to the device, they would also get some early warning if a Mimic showed up in monster form.

Shining Armor was sitting in the police precinct, as the captain was talking about a slew of missing persons cases.

"Several individuals have simply vanished, with no trace of where they went." He clicked a remote and the whiteboard activated, showing the five missing individuals. "Until recently, we have assumed these disappearances weren't linked. But Shining Armor pointed something out that I think we should all hear. Armor."

"Sir." Shining stood up and the whiteboard changed, to show several creatures the humans recognised. "After careful examination, I've noticed a pattern to their disappearances. Each of them were last seen and heard from, right before a Mimic attack."

"And you think the Mimics took them."

"Yes, but possibly not at that time." He pressed another button and the image of Timber appeared. "As you know, the Mimic known as Gule has been posing as Timber Spruce for a while. Until recently, the Mimic had been able to hide who he truly was from everyone around him. It's possible the missing people were also Mimics, hiding in plain sight and waiting for the time to attack."

The captain sighed. "How long have these Mimics been infiltrating our world? It's a good thing none of them managed to get into the police force. There's no telling what kind of damage a Mimic in the government could do."

An officer nodded. "At least now we've got these detector things. So we'll know if a Mimic is trying to sneak past us."

"About that," another officer spoke up. "How do we know these things even work? Have they beeped yet? For anyone?" That was a good question. "What if these things can't detect Mimics?"

"Then we'd be in trouble," the captain replied. "But until we know for sure that it works or not, we'll work under the assumption that they do. It's better than the city being paranoid again. The Mimics have laid low since these things appeared. I think that's an indicator they believe they work."

"We'll know for sure when they finally attack again," Shining agreed. "But I think we can trust them. I don't know who the guy that gave them to us is, but I think we can trust him."

"I hope you're right," The captain nodded. "And I hope that if these missing people were taken by the Mimics, they're at least still alive. There's no telling what the Mimics do to people once they have them. As much as I want us to be the ones that stop them, the Kamen Riders are our best bet at beating them. Until we find a way to damage them ourselves, the Riders are the only thing keeping us safe."

"But that doesn't mean we can't fight to keep our citizens safe," an officer cried. The others agreed, as the captain called an end to the meeting.

"Good work, Armor." The captain turned to him. "Catching the connections between the missing and the Mimics."

"Thank you, sir. My sister is dating the boy Gule is impersonating."

"I see. That must have been hard for her. How's she doing?"

Shining sighed, "not good."

At CHS, Twilight was sitting in the library.

A book was open in front of her, but she wasn't reading it. Even though she was staring at the words, her brain was elsewhere. On the memory of Gule, being forced to change into a perfect copy of her boyfriend.

Off to the side, the rest of The Rainbooms watched as Twilight was clearly upset. "The poor thing," Rarity stated. "She's been like that for days."

"Can you blame her?" Sunset asked. "She just learned she's been dating a Mimic for who knows how long. That's sure to throw anybody off their game. And she's probably worried sick about what happened to the real Timber."

"Oh," Fluttershy looked upset, "I wish there was something we could do."

"Yeah," Pinkie frowned. "I usually know how to make people forget their worries. But what are you supposed to do for someone, whose boyfriend was abducted and body snatched by a slimy bug monster."

"Dwellin' on it won't help her," Applejack stated. "We need ta get her mind off of the situation. Help her recover. Maybe if we do something she'll enjoy, she'll be able to stop thinkin' about Timber. At least for a little bit."

"You're right," Rarity nodded. "But I'm not sure she needs to avoid thinking about Timber. She needs to come to terms with it. But I don't know how we do that."

"Well I'm with Applejack," Rainbow nodded. "Lets get her mind off Timber for a bit. Then, after a while, maybe she'll feel better about talking about him." The others nodded, as they made their way over to Twilight. As they did, they didn't realise they weren't the only ones watching her.

Flash was standing at the top of the library stairs, looking down at Twilight as the girl stared at her book.

The Kamen Rider could see how upset Twilight was, but he had no idea how he could possibly help her. Mostly, Flash was worried that if he tried to help her, Twilight might think it was him trying to come onto her. Now that Timber was out of the way, a lot of people assumed Twilight would start getting the attention of other guys.

"I can't let her think that of me." He turned to leave, whilst thinking of the friendship he had with Twilight.

Ever since they had met, their relationship had had its rocky moments. Flash thinking she was like her Equestrian counterpart, whilst Twilight barely knew anything about him. Then she had started dating Timber and Flash knew he wouldn't have a chance with her, so had moved on.

Because of that, and thanks to some intervention from Pinkie, the pair had fallen into a rather comfortable friendship with one another. It had started with her tutoring him, but they had grown closer thanks to it. Now, she was one of Flash's closest friends and he wouldn't risk that for anything.

"But if we are friends, shouldn't I try and help her?" He let out a moan and ruffled his hands through his hair. He didn't know what to do. "Why does this have to be so complicated?"

In the Mimic Base, Frill and Maya were in their human forms and working on the Mimic Cloning Device.

Multiple pieces of the device had been taken apart and now, the pair were working to put it back together after the modifications they had made. "Everything looks good," Frill announced. "Yes, I believe this should work just perfectly."

"Good," Maya stated as someone stepped into the room. "Ahh, arriving just as the work is done. Don't think you'll be getting any credit for this."

"Maya," Frill frowned, "this isn't about getting credit. It's about completing our mission, no matter what it takes." Maya frowned and was about to say something, but an alarm then went off and the Mimic stood to attention

As they transformed into their monster forms, they all looked worried and they made their way over to the communicator.

They knelt in front of it, as the machine unleashed the holographic screen of their leader and two others. "Master," Frill looked worried. "I know you're upset, that we still haven't been able to defeat the Riders and their allies. But it isn't our fault. Someone's helping them. Someone who clearly knows more about Mimics than any other opponent we've faced.

"Enough excuses," the leader announced. "I expect results soon, or else."

"We understand," Maya nodded. "And we have a plan to get things back on schedule. With the humans now able to detect us, even in human form, we must come up with another way to conquer the word. Our only choice is through a brutal frontal assault. We will overwhelm them with numbers."

"I see. And what do you intend to do with the Riders?" Frill and Maya weren't sure what to say, but Gule spoke up.

"Master, I have a request." Everyone turned to him, curious about what he wanted at a time like this. "I need a way to get stronger. Strong enough to overpower the Riders and uncover the truth."

"What truth?"

Gule sighed, knowing he needed to let his suspicions out. "For a while now, I've been sensing something from Shifter. A power I recognised. And as that power grew stronger, I realised what it was." Gule raised his head and stared at the hologram. "I believe that Kamen Rider Shifter is actually a Mimic."

"What?" The master asked, looking shocked.

"Yes. And not just any Mimic. My brother, Sheave-Far-Tar. His energy is exactly like my brother's. I'm sure they are one in the same."

"How long have you suspected this?" Frill asked.

"A while. But I didn't want to say anything until I was sure. But I am now. Shifter is Sheave. But he doesn't seem to even realise it. I'm sure he's been brainwashed, most likely by the cloaked figure that can force Mimics to human form and make those detectors."

"I see," The master seemed intrigued by this. "So you wish for more power, to defeat the one you believe is your brother. Do you hope that if you defeat him, the brainwashing will come undone?"

"Honestly, I don't know. I hope so, but I can't be sure. But I do know one thing. My brother would rather die, than be a slave to humans. So if I can't undo the brainwashing, I wish for the power to free him another way."

"Very well. There is a way you can gain more power, but it comes with a risk. It is a trophy from our last conquest. The Hyper Core. If you can obtain its power, you will be strong enough to defeat anyone. But I warn you. Its power may end up ripping you apart."

"I'll take that chance," Gule replied. "If you deem me worthy of wielding it, I won't let you down."

"Very well. Return here and I will give you its power. The rest of you, focus on your plans to conquer this world. Do not expect my patience to be endless. I wish to see results." With that, the hologram vanished and the Mimic Generals turned to one another.

"You really think Shifter is your brother?" Frill asked, Gule nodding as he turned away.

"I do. And that might also mean Morphic is one of us as well."

Frill nodded. "It would explain how they're able to use animal abilities like they do. But it doesn't matter. We must conquer this world, even if the ones stopping us are fellow Mimics. We must defeat them."

"I know that," Gule agreed. "And that is why I will obtain this Hyper Core. With it, I will free my brother from the human's control. One way or another." With that, he walked away and the two Mimic Generals watched him leave before turning to one another.

"Whilst he's away, we must focus on our work." Frill walked towards the Mimic Cloning Device, the general changing to his human form along with Maya. "Just a few more tweaks and it'll be operational."

"Are you sure this is a good idea," Maya stepped over to a jar containing a Mimic Spawn. "Taking a Mimic and splitting it so many times. Won't that just make it weaker?"

"Maybe," Frill stated, "but this will give us the advantage we need. One Mimic fighting at one hundred percent, is still just one Mimic. But a hundred Mimics, each with only one percent of the full Mimic's power, is more than anyone can handle. The Kamen Riders are only one person. They can only fight one Mimic at a time. If they're forced to fight multiple Mimics, even if those Mimics are weaker, they'll soon be overwhelmed."

"I guess," Maya nodded. "But you're not really going to split the Mimic into a hundred pieces, are you?"

"No...probably not that many. But we still need a significant amount to overwhelm the Riders. Let's see how strong splitting one into twenty makes them. Then we'll go from there." Maya nodded and picked up the jar, walking over to the machine with it.

They took the slime out of it and placed it inside the device, as Frill began to power it up. They watched, as the slime was energised. And slowly, a small piece of it fell off and struck the bottom of the tube. It then slid out a hole and was ejected out onto the floor, where it began to wiggle. Then, it started taking shape.

Frill and Maya smiled, as the new creature formed in front of them. One of many that would soon follow.

The next day.

Saturday had come and Flash was using this day off from school, to patrol the city in case the Mimics decided today was the day they would break their silence. But as he made his way through the streets, he continued to think about what he saw yesterday.

As soon as school was out, Twilight's friends had dragged her out of the school and took her everywhere she enjoyed. To the museum, to a movie and to her favourite food place. From what Flash had seen online, everyone had had a great time. Everyone except Twilight, whose face had a forced smile on it.

Flash let out a sigh, still wishing he could help Twilight. But he had no idea how he was supposed to help, when Twilight's best friends hadn't been able to do that.

As Flash turned a corner, he was so focused on his own thoughts that he didn't notice someone in front of him. As such, he quickly found himself slamming into them. "WOW!" They both cried, tripping over each other and falling to the ground.

"Ow," Flash rubbed his head and turned to the one he had run into. And he was shocked when he saw who it was. "Twilight?" The girl was currently searching the ground, trying to find her glasses. "Sorry." He picked them up and handed them to her. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she assured him before putting her glasses on. "Oh, Flash. I'm sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going."

"It's cool," he assured her. "I wasn't either." The two chuckled at this, but Twilight's smile soon faded. "Are you sure you're okay? I know you've been bummed out over the last few days."

Twilight sighed. "I...I'd rather not talk about it."

"I get it," Flash nodded. "I heard the girls were trying to make you feel better, keeping you distracted from...is it working?" Twilight didn't answer, letting Flash know how effective it was. "Okay. Sorry. I didn't mean to pry or anything."

"No," Twilight shook her head, "it's fine. Honestly, I appreciate everything they were doing. But it's hard. Learning your boyfriend might have never actually liked you."

"Don't say that," Flash placed a hand on her shoulder. "I don't know how long Timber's been a Mimic, but I'm sure it wasn't as long as you've known each other. And if it was, then you'll just get to make those memories real once Shifter saves him."

Twilight didn't seem so sure about that, making Flash feel like he was screwing this up.

Then, he noticed something and an idea formed in his head. "Are you doing anything today?"

"No," Twilight shook her head. "I think the girls planned on taking me somewhere, but I wasn't in the mood to try and have fun. But...I really didn't wanna sit around and do nothing either."

"Alright. Then come with me." He pulled Twilight along and the pair arrived at a nearby arcade.

"Flash. I said I wasn't in the mood to have fun."

"You said you weren't in the mood to try and have fun. But you also said you didn't wanna do nothing. So let's go in there. If you don't have fun, at least you'll be doing something. And if you do end up having fun, cool." Twilight saw his point and nodded, the pair heading inside.

In an unknown location, Gule was walking through a long dark corridor in his human form.

His nerves were racing, as he approached a door at the end of it. And as he opened it, he found a medium sized room on the other side that had a bunch of strange machines in all four corners. Those machines were unleashing a strange light, which came together to form a circular forcefield around something in the centre of the room.

That something was another machine, appearing as two podiums coming out of the ground and ceiling. There was a gap between them and filling it was a strange orb-like device, which appeared to be glowing a mixture of colours.

As Gule stepped forward, a speaker system called out to him in the master's voice. "Are you sure about this? This device might give you more power, but it could destroy you. And even if you're somehow able to survive, there's no telling what kind of mutation it could cause. It might result in you becoming permanently fused to your current host, or even killing your host and leaving you unable to take a new one."

Gule let that info sink in and nodded. "I understand the risks. But I need the power, to take down the Kamen Rider and allow our conquest to be successful."

"Very well." The machines in the corners powered down, causing the forcefield to disappear. And when they did, the energy from the orb was free to fill the room.

"Ahhhh!" Gule was suddenly overwhelmed by the power. It was like the gravity in the room had tripled, whilst wave after wave of heat struck him. "So strong." He changed to his monster form, allowing him to withstand the power easier. But it was still difficult to overcome.

"Still wish to try and absorb the power?"

"I...I can handle it." Gule pushed himself forward, groaning as he forced his body through the waves of energy. He also fell back a few times, but eventually he managed to reach the orb. "You...are mine!" With that, he grabbed the orb and the energy in the room, stopped. Instead, it flowed right into his body and he screamed. It felt like he was going to explode. "I...I can do this!" He roared, as more and more of the power flowed into him.

The master watched, as Gule struggled to gain control of the power he long for. He wasn't sure if Gule would be able to control it. But if he could, the Kamen Riders wouldn't stand a chance.

Back on Earth, Flash and Twilight continued to hang out at the arcade.

Currently, the two were playing air hockey. And it appeared that Twilight's vast knowledge of geometry, was giving her the edge in this game. She hit the puck at just the right angle, causing it to bounce off the side and fly into the goal before Flash could counter.

"YES!" She cheers, winning the game as Flash moans. This made her laugh, as Flash gave her a look.

"Rematch."

"Gladly." They started the game again and as they did, Twilight smiled at him. "Thanks, Flash. This has been a lot of fun. I don't know why, but this feels better than what the girls were trying to do."

"Maybe they were just trying too hard," Flash guessed, as he started hitting the puck towards her. "We're all worried about you."

"I know," Twilight nodded. "But it's hard. Knowing someone you liked was something completely different."

"Trust me, I know exactly what you're getting at. Don't forget, I dated Sunset before I learned she was a pony from another world. Then I met the other Twilight and went to a dance with her, only to learn she was from another universe as well. Let me tell you, that sure threw me for a loop."

"But at least Sunset and Princess Twilight liked you." Flash wasn't entirely sure if he could agree to that. "I just keep thinking about all the times we spent together. All the fun times we had. Were they all a lie?"

"I don't think so," Flash told her. "Remember when Gloriosa went Gaia Everfree and tried to trap us all in the forest?"

"How could I forget," Twilight sighed.

"Timber did whatever he could to save her. I doubt Gule would go to those lengths to save a human. He probably would have transformed into his monster form and destroyed her himself." Twilight thought about that and realised he was right. "I'm sure the Mimics haven't been around longer than you and Timber were together. At some point after you guys started dating, they took him."

"And now he's gone," Twilight whispered.

"For now," Flash told her. "But I'm sure the Riders will find a way to save him. No matter what, they'll figure out how to free him." Twilight smiled at this. She could tell Flash wasn't just saying that to be kind. He truly believed that.

"Thanks, Flash." Flash smirked back, only to use her distraction to knock the puck into her goal. "Hey!" Flash laughed, the two getting back into the game.

Outside, Shining had just gotten a coffee at a local store and was heading back to his car.

When he did, he noticed the Rainbooms walking down the street. The girls were missing one member. His sister. "Hey!" He called out, catching their attention. "You girls seem short a person. Where's Twilight?"

"No idea," Sunset frowned. "We went to her house, but she wasn't there. I get the feeling she might be avoiding us. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to try and force her not to think of Timber."

"Yeah," Rainbow sighed, "our bad."

"So you've no idea where she is." Shining didn't like that. He knew Twilight could take care of herself, but being on her own made her an easy target for the Mimics.

"Yeah," Applejack nodded, "she could be anywhere in this city."

"There she is," Pinkie pointed at a building and everyone turned towards it. There, they spotted Twilight inside the arcade. They ran up to the window and looked inside, needing to move around with so many people constantly getting in the way.

Twilight was sitting at an arcade racing game, with a big smile on her face. Then, they spotted who she was playing with. "Flash?" Sunset asked, as they all headed into the building.

As they approached, the pair finished their game and Flash cheered. "Victory!"

Twilight groaned, but was still smiling as they arrived. "Twilight?" They looked around and Twilight's smile lessened when she saw them, "what are you doing here?"

"Hey, guys." Twilight sighed. "Sorry I ditched you. I...I just..."

Flash spoke up. "Twilight appreciated what you were doing, but forcing her to try and not think about Timber wasn't what she needed." The girls frowned at this, knowing he was right. "Twilight and I ran into each other and I thought this might help. Split her focus."

"Come again?" Rainbow asked, as Twilight looked back at the game.

"Whilst I was playing here, I've been thinking about Timber. But focusing on the games let me think about him only a little, and it's helped me come to terms with what happened."

"It has?" Shining asked, having not expected that.

"Yes," Twilight nodded. "I don't know how long Timber's been replaced, but I'm going to find out. The next time I see Gule, I'm going to make him tell me when he took Timber. Then I'm going to make him tell me where the real Timber is and save him. I know it sounds insane and dangerous, but I have to save him. I know the Riders probably have a better shot at doing it, but I have to at least try."

Flash and Shining shared a look, unsure what to say here. Sunset then stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"We get it, Twilight. You want to save Timber. I'm sure we'd all want to save our boyfriend if they'd been kidnapped. But you don't have to do it alone. If we can help, then we will. Right, girls."

"Totally!" Rainbow cheered, as Fluttershy nodded.

"Of course, darling."

"Ya'h know it."

"Yup, yup, yup."

Twilight smiled at them, then turned to Flash. "I don't have any super powers. But if there's a way I can help, even just a little, then count me in." Twilight's smile widened, as Shining nodded as well.

"Thank you. All of you. I'm so lucky to have so many amazing people in my life. I'm sure that together, we can save Timber and stop the Mimics." They all agreed with that. No matter what, they would find a way to defeat the Mimics once and for all and save everyone they had taken.

It was in that moment, Flash and Shining felt the sensation and were instantly put on guard. And they weren't the only ones.

Suddenly, everyone's bracelets started beeping and they held them up. The lights on the backs were glowing different colours, either green, yellow or red. And everyone quickly realised the colours indicated the direction everyone was standing in.

Flash's red flashing light was pointing at a Mimic in front of him and the teen headed out of the arcade. The others followed, their bracelets all turning red, until they were outside. The beeping and flashing got quicker and everyone looked around. Flash then looked up at the top of a building opposite the arcade, where he spotted a pair of figures standing on the roof.

"There!" He pointed up and everyone turned in that direction, spotting Maya and Frill.

The monsters glared down at them. "You guys again!" Rainbow grabbed her geode and transformed, the rest of the Rainbooms doing the same. "Where's the other one? Still stuck pretending to be someone he's not?"

"No," Maya replied. "He's off to acquire something that will help him destroy you fools. Not that he'll need to, since we'll take you all out before he gets back."

"And how are you gonna do that?" Sunset asked. "I bet Shifter and Morphic are on their way here right now. When they get here, you'll be sorry you ever came here."

"I doubt that," Frill stated. "By the time they get here, you'll all be destroyed. Especially with our new friends doing all the work." Everyone wondered what he meant by that, until Frill raised his hand. "May I introduce, the newest forces a part of the Mimic Army. Mimicreeps!" Suddenly, a bunch of creatures appeared on the roof beside them. They were too high for everyone to take in any details, but the beasts soon leapt down to the ground.

When they landed, Flash, Shining and the Rainbooms all got to take in their details.

They were humanoid, standing at around six feet. Their bodies were black in colour, but they were covered head to toe in orange-brown armor. It looked like it was made of the same amber-like substance that Derpy had been trapped inside of, which covered everything except the joints where its elbows, shoulders, knees, ankles and neck were.

Their heads were domed and covered in the amber armor, with an opening in the front where a monstrous mouth could be seen. And instead of hands, the end of their arms had a bunch of sharp metal claws coming out the ends of them.

"What are those things?" Rainbow asked, as Fluttershy hid behind her.

"Those aren't Mimics," Twilight guessed. "But they must have been made in a similar way."

"Smart girl," Frill smirked. "By splitting a single Mimic spawn into several pieces and supercharging them, we were able to create an endless army of powerful monsters. Though they lack many of the abilities that make Mimics so great, their numbers more than make up for it. Mimicreeps. ATTACK!" With that, the creatures charged.

Rainbow was the first to act, running forward at high speed and dealing a kick to one's chest at high speed.

The impact knocked the Mimicreep back, its body bursting like a water balloon and sending slime everywhere. Rainbow laughed at this and thanks to her super speed, she was able to deal several quick and strong hits to the creatures around her.

The rest of the girls followed suit, Rarity creating a bunch of gems that she threw like frisbees. Pinkie launched explosive lollipops and suckables, whilst Twilight grabbed whatever she could lift and threw it at the horde of monsters.

Whenever one of them got too close, Applejack used her super strength to punch one and send it flying backwards. This allowed Fluttershy and Sunset to stay back, both starting to wish they had some kind of long range attack power to go along with their normal abilities. Meanwhile, Flash and Shining used this opportunity to head back inside the arcade.

Many people had fled in the opposite direction when their detectors beeped, so the building was completely empty. They found the back door was open and both stepped out, happy to find nobody was in the back alley.

"Mimicreeps?" Flash asked, shocked by what he had just seen. "Like Mimics on their own weren't bad enough."

"They're an evil faction," Shining pointed out. "Most usually come with evil foot soldiers. Just gives us more targets to perfect our fighting skills on." Flash nodded and the two took out their Mimicores, activating them.

"STRIKE/BLITZ!"

Their belts appeared and the two quickly opened them up, slotting the Mimicores into place before striking a pose. "HENSHIN!" They cried together before slapping the belts shut, their Mimicores making the lights on their belts glow.

"MIMIC! LIGHTNING BUG!"

"MIMIC! HERCULES BEETLE!"

The belts unleashed the slime, which flew into the air as the pair crossed their arms. As the slime felt atop them, it solidified to form the orange-brown cocoons. And soon enough, the cocoons shattered to reveal the Riders. Their armor quickly formed, as their suits spoke out in unison.

"Illuminate the light, striking through the darkness!"

"Power that shatters everything, contained in a mighty horn!"

"HYAH!" Rainbow slammed her foot into a Mimicreep's face, causing it to blow up.

"Take this!" Applejack grabbed two and slammed them together, whilst Rarity threw a bunch of gem disks that cut through several more. Twilight picked a few up and threw them against the walls, whilst Pinkie blasted the others with a cloud of sprinkles.

But no matter how many they defeated, more showed up and the girls were starting to tire.

"How many of these things do they have?" Sunset asked, as a Mimicreep leapt towards her and Fluttershy. The pair gasped, only for a laser to hit the beast and made it pop.

Everyone turned to where the laser came and spotted Shifter and Morphic, running towards them with their weapons at the ready. Morphic fired several lasers at the Mimicreeps, destroying them as Shifter got in closer. His Shift Striker was in its Blade Form and he started swinging it around, cutting the monsters down with ease.

"Nice timing," Rainbow told them. "These guys were starting to get annoying."

"Don't worry," Morphic stepped up to them. "We got this." He fired several times, blasting the monsters away. "You girls take this chance to get your breath back. There's no telling what those guys will do once they've run out of these things."

Shifter blocked a Mimicreep's attack with the side of his blade, using it to push the monster back before slashing at it with his sword. He also cut through three more as he did so, knocking them down without much trouble. He then spun around and dealt a kick to another's chest, knocking it back as he replaced the Mimicores in his weapon.

"PIERCE!"

The weapon transformed and he held his rifle, shooting it rapid fire to hit several of the Mimicreeps at a time. This combined with Morphic's blaster, helped to cut the number of them down significantly.

"They're dropping like flies," Maya growled as they watched their new army fall.

"I think it's time we intervened," Frill announced. "Leave Shifter to me. I wish to see if Gule was right about him." Maya nodded and the two leapt down, Sunset spotting them.

"Look out!" The Riders looked up and saw them coming, Maya firing several web shots towards Morphic and forcing him to leap away.

"Rematch," Maya stated. The Beetle Rider quickly fired at her and she started doing several flips and cartwheels to avoid his attacks.

As this was happening, Frill flew towards Shifter and launched several feather darts his way. Shifter fired his rifle and the attacks cancelled one another out, though Frill was able to deal a kick right to Shifter's chest and knock him back. And with Maya managing to hit Morphic with a web strand, pulling him towards her, the Rainbooms found themselves once again fighting the Mimicreeps without the Riders.

Luckily, the Riders' efforts had given them time to rest and cut the number of monsters down. This allowed them to fight a much more even battle, the Mimicreeps getting swatted light the flies Maya had referred to them as.

Frill took out several darts and to Shifter's surprise, they grew larger and turned hard. Shifter quickly found himself fighting a pair of feather-shaped swords, which Frill started slashing at him with. Shifter dodged and blocked the weapons with his blaster, attempting to shoot Frill when he got the chance, but Frill was actually rather skilled with these swords and easily deflected them.

Seeing no choice, Shifter quickly swapped his Mimicores and the Shift Striker morphed back to the Blade Form.

As Frill slashed at him, Shifter swung his own sword around. He was clearly faster than Frill, so able to fight the twin blades with his one weapon. The two were at a standstill, Shifter unable to get past the twin weapons whilst Frill wasn't fast enough to deal damage to him.

Morphic was also having issues, Maya having attached a line to his chest and using it to swing him around. The blue rider grunted, as Maya swung him into the side of a building. The impact made him flinch, as his weapon flew out of his hand and the spider pulled him away before smashing him into the ground.

"Augh!" He cried, as the Rainbooms noticed this and realised he might need a hand.

So before Maya could pull him away, Rarity threw a gem disk at the web and cut it. This caused Maya to stagger away, allowing Morphic to get up and jump over to where his weapon had fallen. But instead of picking it up, he took out another Mimicore and activated it.

"TOUGH!"

As the Blitz Blaster returned to his armor, he replaced his Mimicores whilst Maya picked herself up. "Mega Morph!" He slammed the draw shut and the lights on his suit changed colours.

"MIMIC! CROCODILE!" His armor quickly reshaped and as Maya fired another web-line, Morphic caught it and pulled Maya towards him. "Vice-like fangs and an impenetrable hide, crushing anything in its way." The armor solidified, as Morphic slammed his crocodile head arm forward and smashed it into Maya's chest.

"Augh!" She was thrown backwards, as Morphic's tail saw began to rev up.

"Prepare to feel the full power of my justice." He moved towards Maya, as the Mimic picked herself up. She fired several webs towards him, but Morphic used his chain saw to cut them apart. He then punched his other fist forward and unleashed the energy construct, which flew towards Maya and opened its crocodile mouth.

"Mimicreep!" She ordered, as one of her many monsters leapt out of nowhere and let the construct bite it instead of her. As The Mimicreep was destroyed, Maya leapt into the air and fired some webbing at Morphic's saw. And this time, the webbing struck part of the weapon's joints.

"What?" Morphic cried, feeling his weapon get clogged up. "Come on!" As he tried to free it, Maya landed in front of him and kicked him in the chest. He staggered back, then fired his construct at her. But she was able to duck under the attack and leapt at him, dealing another kick to his chest.

The only ones not in trouble were the Rainbooms, who were cutting through the Mimicreeps without issue. Soon enough, Twilight picked the last one up and threw it into the side of a building. As it burst against the wall, the girls looked around and saw Morphic and Shifter fighting as best they could against the Generals.

"Should we help?" Rainbow asked, Sunset frowning.

"We've never really had much luck with full on Mimics before. But maybe we can help give the Riders the opening they need. Rarity, keep Maya distracted whilst Twilight tries to de-gunk Morphic's weapon." They nodded and the girls ran forward, Rarity putting up a wall of gems that blocked Maya's next strike.

Morphic saw this and looked around, as Twilight ran over and looked his saw over. "What are you doing?"

"Helping you." Twilight used her magic to get into the gaps of his armor, grabbing the webs clogging it up.

Maya started punching and kicking at the shields, trying to break through it. Rarity tried her best to keep the wall up, but Maya then grabbed two of them gems with web-lines and pulled on them. This created a hole that Rarity quickly closed, but Maya pulled on another section and made another hole.

"Hurry!" She cried, as Twilight continued to work.

Back with Shifter, he and Frill kept duelling one another to a standstill. But as Shifter leapt back to avoid getting his head cut off, a cupcake smashed into Frill and blew him back. "Augh!" He staggered back, as Rainbow ran forward and did a sliding kick to knock one of his feet out from under him. "HEY!"

"Heads up!" He looked around and saw a piece of broken concrete flying at him.

He quickly slashed at the concrete, destroying it. But this gave Shifter the opening to charge forward and slash at him. "Gyah!" He staggered back, Shifter quickly dealing three more slashes at him.

This was when Twilight managed to fix Morphic's saw, pulling the last of the webs out of it. As he did, Maya unleashed a bunch of webs towards the walls and hit multiple gems. She pulled on a few and Rarity was unable to figure out which ones she had pulled on, causing holes to appear in the wall.

And before Rarity could replace them, Maya leapt through the hole and flew at her. She was about to strike her with a powerful kick, but Morphic leapt in front of Rarity and blocked her foot with his croc head.

"I don't think so!" He pushed Maya back and before the Mimic could recover, he charged forward and slashed at her with his now working saw tail. "Take this!" He slashed at her and Maya screamed, as it cut down her chest.

She fell to the ground, looking to be in serious pain. As she did, Morphic, Twilight and Rarity stood over her.

Her scream had also caught Frill's attention, making him look around and see her in the state she was in. "No!" He cried, as Shifter charged at him. But he blocked Shifter's sword and took to the air, unleashing a bunch of feather darts down towards them.

Shifter and the girls staggered back, Shifter doing his best to block with his sword.

Pinkie and Applejack shared a look and nodded, Pinkie taking out a cupcake that she charged with explosive energy. She handed it to Applejack and the girl used all her strength to throw it, the sweet treat flying towards Frill and missing the darts he was launching.

It then passed him and once it was behind the Mimic, it exploded and the force knocked Frill forward towards the ground.

Rainbow used this chance to pick up speed and leap into the air, flying towards him before he could recover. She then swung her foot around and slammed it into Frill's head, knocking him down and causing the Mimic a serious headache.

He screamed, hitting the ground hard. As he did, Shifter removed the Mimicore from his weapon. "Face it, Frill. The winds of victory have shifted." With that, he quickly placed it back into the Shift Striker before hitting the side of his belt.

"CLIMATICSTRIKINGBLADE!"

The lights on Shifter's suit glowed, as energy flowed through him and into his sword. This caused the blade to glow, as the white light running down the centre of his blade turned orange. He then charged forward, as Frill picked himself up.

He saw Shifter charging and launched several feather darts towards him.

Shifter swung his glowing sword around, the energy coming off it destroying the darts before they could even hit him. He then leapt into the air, raising his blade high as the energy completely enveloped the sword and made it turn orange.

Frill raised both his feather blades and crossed them, hoping to stop the sword. But as Shifter descended, the blade struck the crossed sword and cut them in half, they then sliced down Frill's body and made him cry out as Shifter landed. The Rider's sword tip hit the ground, melting it a bit as the energy flew into Frill and exploded.

The Vulture was sent flying back, crashing into a building before falling to the ground.

This attack caught everyone's attention, Morphic nodding whilst the girls cheered. They hoped this meant Frill was finished, but the Mimic General somehow managed to survive.

"Ahhh!" Frill clutched his chest, which had a large gash running down it. "Fool. You think you've won? Well you haven't!"

"We'll see about that," Shifter pointed his blade towards him. "You're in no fit state to continue. And I have no intention of letting you escape. But before I destroy you, you're gonna tell me where the real Timber is. And the other people you've abducted. I know you and Maya have human hosts, who you kidnapped and kept hidden away. Where are they?"

Frill glared at them. "Like I'd tell you."

"Fine," Shifter prepared to finish him off. But before he could, he suddenly sensed something. And he wasn't the only one. Frill also noticed it, along with Maya and Morphic. Even the Rainbooms seemed to feel it. An overwhelming presence in the air. "What?"

Slowly, everyone turned towards the presence. When they did, they were shocked to see Timber Spruce walking towards them. But something didn't feel right.

"Timber?" Fluttershy asked, Sunset shaking her head.

"That's not Timber." She then noticed someone, rushing forwards towards Timber. "Twilight, stop!" But Twilight didn't. She kept going, until she was right in front of Timber. The two glared one another down, Timber raising an eyebrow.

"Can I help you?"

"I want to know," Twilight stated. "How long? How long have you been impersonating Timber? I know it couldn't have been before I met him. So how long have you been pretending to be him?"

Timber smiled. "Fine. If you must know, we first met when I came to the mall you worked at." Shifter and Morphic remembered that day. That had been the time they had first met and learned each other's secrets. "Let me tell you, all that time I spent with you was a nightmare. I don't know what my host sees in you."

Twilight felt a stinging feeling at that statement. whilst Shifter ran towards her.

He got between them and pointed his weapon at the Mimic. "She'll get to ask him, once I've cut you down and freed him." Gule chuckled at this and before Shifter could try anything, his eyes glowed and a powerful wave of energy exploded out of him.

Frill and Maya both managed to leap up and avoid it, but the others found themselves getting thrown back.

They cried out, as they crashed into the ground and groaned. "What the heck was that?" Rainbow asked, as they started picking themselves up. When they turned to Shifter, they saw him radiating energy.

"What have you done?" Shifter didn't know much about Mimics. But he knew for sure they shouldn't be unleashing energy like this. Gule had done something. Something the Riders felt they were going to enjoy.

Timber's body began to melt and change, everyone expecting him to transform into his normal form. But when he solidified, everyone was shocked to see he was different from before. More beastly in appearance.

His base shape was the same, but he had a bunch of spikes covering his body. His shoulders had a bunch of spikes sticking out of them, along with on the back of his arms, the front of his feet and knees, along with two sticking out of his stomach pointing diagonally upwards. The lights were still on his body, only now they were connected by glowing veins that went up his arms and legs.

These veins wrapped around the base of the spikes, whilst all leading upwards towards his chest. And in his chest armor was some kind of glowing orb, which pulsed with energy. Finally, he had a second set of wings coming out of his back along with a smaller set coming out the sides of his ankles.

Maya and Frill looked impressed, whilst the others looked worried. Gule just laughed, as more energy flowed off of him. "Now you see. I have become so much more powerful than any of you fools. With this Hyper Core, I've evolved into a force you can't hope to defeat. A Hyper Mimic!"

Everyone had a bad feeling about this. Gule was already powerful before. But now, he might have become unstoppable.

Author's Note

Well this was a much lighter chapter action wise, but hopefully that'll give everyone the chance to catch their breath. But next week, things get serious. Hope to see you there.