Author's Note

Okay, so here we are, the final battle with Drakkon. Now, I said final battle but doesn't mean the story's over yet. (If it was, I'd mark it with the words complete) Stay tuned till the end, still got one more chapter to go through.

Part 12: We Need a Hero

World of the Coinless:

Kimberly groaned out in pain as her eyes slowly fluttered open, and she returned to the waking world. Trying to move, she couldn’t get very far as she noted she was shackled to the wall via green chains made out of pure hard-light.

Last thing she remembered, truly remembered was launching an attack on Drakkon’s citadel. Foolish, she admitted to herself but at the time she wanted to send a message. That not even the Tyrant Emperor was invincible.

Like she said, foolish. Little by little, the memories came back to her. A battle, waged against Zordon’s old Rangers, before the Green Ranger ever came into existence. Piloting the Gravezord in downtown Angel Grove against her old team, only to be sent back when the damage to the mockery of a Megazord became too much. She remembered other atrocities as well, killing a brothered pair of dark blue and crimson Rangers themed after beetles. She remembered fighting against a Ranger team she had no knowledge of, who had been coupled with what looked to be a Samurai warrior.

“Sunset would kill me anyways…” the orange one commented, tossing the rifle aside in disgust and pulling out his own personal weapon. “Now, I say we shut this bitch up, agreed?”

The Samurai, AJ she was called. removed what looked to be a padlock from , inserting it into a hole on her bow. “Now Ah’m likin’ the way yer thinkin’, sugarcube.” Energy began to build around the tip of her bow as she aimed it at Kimberly. “Ah think it’s time to put a rabid dog down.”

“Please, don’t compare her with Old Yeller…” the Orange Ranger sighed, before gathering a mist in his hands and shouting: “Call to the Beast Inside, Free the Kitsune!”

Another battle with the Gravezord, she remembered. And an invasion that to be quite frank, was rather humorously ironic. She’d went for her Bow of Darkness, but Robert as she remembered he was called held up a finger and wagged it impishly.

“Uh-uh, I wouldn’t do that. Not unless of course, you want to damage this very nice looking interior…” he mocked. “Now I’d suggest you’d take your leave now.”

“Another day, another day!”

Last thing she remembered from her jumble of recent memories, was her ‘lord’ talking about grafting another powerset to himself and she deciding she’d finally had enough of his suicidal insanity. Not that she was turning good, she just didn’t want to be here when he got himself killed via sheer power overload. Then, a laser blast and everything went dark.

Honestly, for the first time in what seemed like forever she actually felt like herself again. She supposed that blast must have jogged free whatever mind manipulation device Finster-5 had used on her to make her Drakkon’s obedient dog. She shuddered, she’d had sex with the man for crying out loud, and even worse she remembered actually… enjoying it.

She had to get out of here, now.

Drakkon came in, dressed in all new armor that looked to be made of technology, and covered in lines that reminded her of that old movie Tron. The katana was gone, replaced by a more sharper, deadlier looking sword. Shame really, the katana actually wasn’t a bad fashion choice.

“So, glad you’re awake…” Drakkon sneered, flanked by a woman in black leather. Short cropped, blond hair.

“What, so you’re into BSDM now?” Kimberly spat in Drakkon’s face. “Because really, looks like that woman is good for nothing else except whoring herself out.”

“See you still haven’t lost your spark, Kimberly. Can’t call you the Ranger Slayer anymore, now can I? You’ve been failing to actually do that as of late,” Drakkon remarked. “So, I’ll be taking this.” he said, holding up her Power Morpher. The woman, she noted, was already holding the Bow of Darkness.

“Go to Hell, hope that next power kick kills you,” Kimberly sneered. Drakkon laughed.

“Guess you really have turned. Maybe back to your old self, or maybe you’ve just decided to go rogue and carve out a little slice of power for yourself like Scorpina did. Either way, I don’t care. Not like you’ll be leaving this room anyways. Goodbye… Kimberly Ann Hart.” Drakkon smirked as two Tyrannosaurus Sentries closed in, staves crackling with lightning.

Wild Access Universe: Now:

Shining, as he went sword to sword with Drakkon, smirked. “It’s over Drakkon. Ranger Sentries, dealt with. Kurokage Troopers? Armor wrecked. Combatmen? Just a joke. A bad one, I might add! It’s just you and the rebound girl!”

He stepped back to avoid a lunging swing from the tyrant, before blowing into his Dragon Dagger making small bolts of electricity erupt from it and strike the fallen Ranger.

“You could have been great, you know that right?” Shining asked, their battle having progressed into an old train yard. “You could have been something,” he said in disappointment, shaking his head and blocking another blow. Shining’s tone hardened, into one of disgust. “Instead, look how far you’ve fallen.”

“I could say the same to you,” Drakkon responded, grabbing a rusted train wheel and tossing it at Shining’s head with the unicorn only barely rolling out of the way to avoid being decapitated. “You waste your time, protecting those you should be ruling. What a waste. You have no chance.”

"Isn't the smallest chance of victory enough of a reason for us, as in the Rangers of this or any other world for that matter to keep on fighting?” Shining asked. “World’s always going to need a Power Ranger or two. Sadly, you don’t count. You lost your title long ago,” he remarked, giving Drakkon a swift right cross across the jaw making him stagger. “Sound familiar Tommy Oliver?” Shining asked as he advanced. “It should. Jason Lee Scott said that. Or something close to it.”

Drakkon recovered, kicking Shining in the chest. “I don’t care to hear the words of a man I killed. Anything he had to say lost any meaning when he fell to my blade.”

A blast of flame sent Drakkon staggering backwards, only to be kicked in the face by a bright red boot.

“You’re a stubborn one aren’t you? Didn’t you hear Shining? It’s over, you’ve lost. Just you and your Ranger Slayer left. I don’t see any Inves or members of Dai-Shocker coming to back you up,” Sunset remarked. “Face it, you’re alone.”

Drakkon grabbed Sunset by the throat, and flung her into the side of an old passenger car, smirking under his helmet. Shining and Wyatt tried to run up to stop Drakkon, who was reaching for Sunset’s morpher, but Drakkon used his free hand to pull out a pistol and make the two duck for cover.

“I never needed their help. Now that morpher of yours, very interesting. I don’t have one of those yet…” he remarked, reaching for it, before Sunset kicked him in the one place no man ever wanted to be kicked.

As Drakkon staggered backwards in pain, Sunset smirked. “Guess you’re no god. Just another man really… How much are you over-compensating for with that stolen power of yours?” she asked, hovering above him.

Drakkon roared in rage, and lunged at Sunset with his sword, but his blade was met by Spike and Shining’s own weapons before they both drew back their fists and punched him in the jaw. From behind them, they heard three shouts of “Lights of Orion, Activate!” and Shining motioned for Spike to dodge as three slashes of golden energy came towards Drakkon. One from Sunburst, one from Vapor and one from Lightning which sent Drakkon flying back into the side of a coal car, smashing it open and dumping the contents all over him, covering him in dust and soot.

“You know,” Spike remarked in an amused tone, a talon moving to his chin. “I actually think he looks better like that!”

Sunset sliced the ground with her Crystal Saber, and sent a series of explosions erupting from the ground towards Drakkon, igniting the coal and enveloping Drakkon in a massive fireball.

Drakkon roared in rage and emerged from the flames like a devil out of Tartarus eyes alight with anger, and drew his blade as the air began to smell distinctly of ozone.

Shining’s eyes widened, realizing in part what was to come next as he saw Drakkon’s blade glow green, and shouted: “Get clear!” but it was far too late.

The next thing Vapor, Sunset, Sunburst or Lightning knew they found themselves swept up in a whirling black cyclone and hit repeatedly with jagged bolts of green lightning before they were sent flying, scattered all over the train yard and demorphed.

“You… you dare doubt my power?” Drakkon panted.

“Guess… guess it’s just down to us.” Spike remarked, looking at both Wyatt and Shining, who shared a nod. They were exhausted, worn out. But so was Drakkon. It was just a question of who could outlast who now in a straight up duel to the death.

Shining had noted Drakkon possessed very little strategic abilities, this was probably due to his own sense of self-superiority due to his collection of fused Ranger powers. He didn’t really have much of a combat style as such, just pure overwhelming power. Shining had also noted Drakkon really didn’t possess much in the way of defense either, probably pouring all of the Ranger powers he’d fused and mashed together into pure offensive capability to overpower his foes.

He also noted, or at least speculated thanks to all of this supposed god-like power, Drakkon possessed some sort of inferiority complex. He was willing to bet, if Drakkon were ever to be stripped of his powers, he would be in such a state of shock he wouldn’t do anything. This, Shijing suspected, was due to Darkkon having relied on them for so long, to the point that he’d begun deluding himself into believing he’d reached the pinnacle of evolution. Mind you, Shining didn’t really need to speculate on this much, as his hypothesis was pretty much all but confirmed by Drakkon’s actions, lashing out at anyone who ‘doubted’ him.

Mind you, Drakkon did seem to like to play mind games from what Shining had seen so far, and get inside his opponent’s heads, so that was a problem that needed to be rectified. Namely, by not listening to a word out of the tyrant’s mouth.

“Look at you little Drake,” Drakkon smirked as he blocked kicks from Spike with his sword or his elbows. “You’re always playing servant to a higher power in your world, a pony. You should have taken over long ago, put her in her place! But no, you’re just a weak little wyrm…” he taunted, and Spike briefly faltered, before being roundhouse kicked in the face by Drakkon. “Deep down inside, you know the truth. You like it, you like being enslaved, you like being put in your place!” Drakkon taunted.

“Spike!” Shining barked out as an order, going into full Captain of the Guard mode. “Block him out, don’t listen to a word he has to say!”

“Twilight is my family!” Spike snarled, swiping at Drakkon’s chest. Twin red claws blazing with fire had extended out from his gloves, ripping and tearing into Drakkon’s armor. “What the buck would you know anyway? When was the last time you ever thought about family!?”

Wings, like the ones on the soles of Hermes himself, sprouted from Spike’s boots and blasted Drakkon back with powerful gusts of wind.

“Family, now there’s something interesting,” Drakkon mused as he turned his attentions to Shining, tossing a few green energy shuriken at the unicorn which he barely dodged. “Now, look at you. You’ve always been constantly overshadowed by your older sister, personal protege of the Princess of the Sun, and a Princess now herself. Oh, you could lay exclusive claim to being the armored warrior in the family, but now…? Now that she’s Kamen Rider Baroness, you don’t have that. Oh, and let’s not forget the wedding.” Drakkon remarked, and smirked as he saw Shining’s eyes widen under his helmet. “Oh, I know about that, no thanks to your counterpart. You threw your sister out of your life, on the biggest day of yours! Threw her under the bus, and ignored her suspicions even when in the end, they turned out to be right! God knows what that Chrysalis bitch did to you, made you her personal boy-toy maybe? Took your virginity, which you were probably saving for Cadence?”

Shining faltered, allowing Drakkon to headbutt him.

“Ignoring your own advice Shiny, letting me get to you…” Drakkon smirked. He took pleasure in this, one of the warriors who’d been managing to fight him sword to sword ever since he arrived to this world, finally about to be laid low.

“You shut up.” Shining snarled, taking great pleasure in socking Drakkon across the jaw once more. “You want to lecture someone? Then it’s only fair I do it in return. Dude, in the past several years, I’ve had my mind warped by some bug-bitch and had my mind and soul twisted by the Lord of Chaos himself and reduced to just a farce of my former self, had my horn corrupted by King Sombra and felt his dark taint, and yeah I threw Twilight out of my life, but again… mind warped. And for the record, long lost my virginity to Cadence before the wedding, so shut it. Each time, each time I’ve stumbled, always came out the stronger for it. Can’t gain something, without giving something up in return. Hard lesson, but one I’ve had to learn!” Shining shouted, running towards Drakkon, and slashing him across the chest with his blade glowing a bright blue. “Next to King Sombra, to Discord, to Chrysalis, you’re nothing but a guy in a mask, and cheap spandex.”

Drakkon sent a green slash of energy towards Shining, who reflected it with some sort of mirror spell, with Wyatt kicking the energy slash back at Drakkon.

“Not spandex,” Wyatt joked lightly.

“...Ruined a perfectly good insult and speech I had going there.” Shining mumbled.

Pulling a card out of his case, Wyatt slipped it into his belt. “You know, can’t ever have enough green.” With a grin, he closed the driver, activating another transformation. A very… unexpected one.

”Displaced ride: Chris! Psycho Green!”

“...Well, didn’t see that one coming.” Shining muttered, having heard of the infamous Ranger Hunters from a Ranger history lecture or two. Of course, a surprised smile soon gave way to a smirk as he watched Wyatt run alongside the side of a passenger car to avoid more energy shurikens thrown at him, before slashing at Drakkon with a small little knife.

“Hey man, don’t leave me out of this!” Shining shouted before running towards Drakkon, and leaping off his shoulder armor. Next, he began creating a pink hard-light manifestation of a warhammer in mid-air and hitting Drakkon in the back with it sending him flying towards the two Riders who slashed Drakkon across the chest with their respective weapons.

“Let’s finish this…” Shining stated with a grin, as he landed next to Wyatt. However, what happened next nobody could have predicted. A crack to Helheim opened behind them, and Drakkon noticed before anybody could react and grabbed both heroes, and pulled them into it.

“Shining! Wyatt!” Spike shouted in fear as he saw the pair fall through the crack to worlds unknown.

Nearby, Robert, Wizard Twilight, Goldar and AJ in Jimber Cherry Arms went up against the Ranger Slayer, completely unaware of what just happened.

“Gotta say, not really impressed with who Drakkon chose as Kim’s replacement.” Robert remarked as he leaped backwards to avoid a strike from the Bow of Darkness, noting the similarities between it and Tommy’s old sword. It begged the question, if Kim had been using a reforged Sword, what had it done to her mind? Mind you, the point was moot now that a version of Katherine Hillard was using it. “I mean, really? Really? I know there are certain things that are a constant between universes (He ignored Twilight’s outraged screech) but this is getting ridiculous.”

Leaping to the side to avoid a volley of arrows, Robert shouted out: “Get scorched!” and fired a barrage of energy pistol shots at the Ranger Slayer.

He was running on pure adrenaline now, and he knew it. Signs of exhaustion were beginning to kick in for everyone involved, their movements were beginning to slow and if he was right, vision was beginning to become hazy. Nobody had slept in days. This hazed vision, kept Robert from fully seeing the next volley coming that sent him flying backwards into Goldar’s arms.

“Normally, never even dream of saving a Ranger. Hell, I’d just let you go splat if this was any other situation. But right now, considering we may just have to team up if I want to take down a Pink Ranger…” Goldar trailed off, setting him down atop a train car and flying towards Kat and grabbing her, before tossing her into a collection of old and rusted oil barrels.

“Riders, either one of you!” Goldar barked. “Engage the fake!”

He refused to acknowledge this Pink Ranger as the real deal, as the one he knew, the Kim or Katherine from his universe, they’d actually be giving him a good fight. Honestly, Goldar didn’t know why he was bothering.

AJ drew back her bow and inserted her Orange Lockseed just as Dark Kat began to recover and draw back her own to launch another salvo. “Hold yer dang horses, ya gawdy house cat.” A line of Cherry and Orange slices manifested in front of her as the bow was drawn back even further. She let the arrow fire, diving out of the way as Katherine unleashed returning fire.

Twin cherries made of energy manifested, and swung around the Ranger Slayer, exploding on collision making her stagger back before Goldar grabbed her again, tossing her to Twilight who went into Water Dragon mode and smacked her into the ground with a tail creating a small crater.

It was easy to see Katherine was struggling to get off the ground, and to make sure she didn’t, Twilight pinned her with a boot to the stomach as Robert walked up and held up his SPD Morpher.

“Ya don’t deserve this…” Applejack said, as she ripped the morpher off of Kat’s belt, demorphing her in a flash of pink light as Robert’s SPD morpher opened, the Orange Ranger sighing to himself sadly.

“Count up your crimes…” he muttered. “Now, Katherine Hillard of the Coinless World, you are charged with terrorism, attempted murder, destruction of property, and assault of an officer.”

It didn’t take long for the guilty verdict to roll in, and soon the former Slayer was nothing but a thin card on the ground, screaming at the four silently and trying to break through to the world in front of her. Robert sighed, there’d been enough death today, no need to add any more to his kill count.

Shining, as he fell into the crack rolled down a hill and looked upwards, finding himself in an eerie forest. This had to have been Helheim, and to be frank it was exactly as alien as his little sister had described it to him. Strange fog, vines covering trees and odd purple and orange blooms? Yep, wasn’t hard to mistake the place for anywhere else.

Picking up his sword, the Magna Defender found himself alone. Strange shadows darted through the treeline, and odd chitters came from all around. Sweating under his helmet, he called out: “Wyatt, you there?”

No answer came, and on pure instinct Shining grasped his sword hilt and stepped forwards, boots squelching under his feet as he walked through the muddy ground.

“Great, last thing I want. Be alone in an alien forest and I know Drakkon’s around here somewhere, quite possibly waiting to strike from the shadows,” he thought to himself. Shining brushed that thought away as soon as it came. “No, ‘Lord’ Drakkon wouldn’t do that. He’s far from what you’d call… subtle really. If he was going to attack, I’d know it by now. Hell, I’d be feeling it for Mystic Mother’s sakes!”

Shining, walking forwards and daring not to take off his helmet as for all he knew the air around him was toxic to his own lungs, changed his Magna Blade to its Riot Blaster form and cocked the weapon with an audible humming sound.

Once more, he called: “Wyatt, you there? Anyone?” he yelled out, quite nervous by this point.

The air around him shimmered as he walked into an empty clearing, full of tall grasses. Shining whirled around, and aimed his weapon at the shimmer in the air which reformed into a Japanese man, about say twenty or so with short brown hair. The man wore a long black coat with red detailings and gold buttons.

“So another pony has wandered where they shouldn’t and entered into the forbidden forest,” the young man said, his tone pompous and his hands were deep in his coat pockets. “So tell me, pony, why have you come here?”

“I’m assuming you’re Kaito Kumon, correct?” Shining asked. “AKA the original Armored Rider Baron?”

Kaito let out a brief chuckle, waving his hand and the vines at the edge of the clearing seeming to move with his hand. “You westerners are always too damn familiar. Since you’ve just met me you should address me as Kumon. But, yes, I was Baron. Not that names matter to the-”

“Dead? Yes, I gathered that Kumon. The translucent shimmering effect kinda gave it away,” Shining stated, in a dry tone before his eyes narrowed. “Not going to address you by your first name anyhow, not after the scare you gave my little sister.”

“So the last pony to wander in here was your sister. Tell me, how has she been handling her new power? Is she tempted to seek greater and greater strength so she can fulfill her goals?”

“By that, I assume you mean crush the weak under her heel? I did a bit of asking around on you, you know Kumon. Asked a friend of mine all about you and your agenda,” Shining returned, thinking back to a conversation he’d had shortly after helping Sunburst regain his fighting strength.

“So, Kaito Kumon,” Shining asked Wyatt. “Who was he? Seemed to spook my sister quite badly. And as you’re the Rider expert around here, thought you could… enlighten me.”

“Yeah, I can see that. Kaito was sort of an icy guy,” Wyatt replied, nodding as he looked up in thought. “Tragic figure too. His dad was a real estate guy that lost everything when Yggdrasil came and bought Zawame City for their plans involving Helheim. Ended up taking away the lesson that the strong could walk all over the weak. But he did have a code of honor. He hated Mitchi because of his underhanded tactics as the series of Gaim went on. He believed in fighting fair.”

“Reminds me of Koragg, in some ways, I guess…” Shining mused aloud, thinking of that armored warrior he’d been told about by his fellow Rangers. “Have to respect someone with a code of honor. Still, I’m guessing there’s a but coming up somewhere along the line hmm?”

“Yeah, Baron wound up getting infected by one of the Inves,” Wyatt explained, meeting Shining’s gaze. “He tried to hide it but when he was backed into a corner by Ryoma Warring who’d destroyed his Genesis Driver with a kill switch, he ate a Helheim fruit. Instead of becoming a mindless monster, he became an Overlord himself and the original Gaim killed him in the final confrontation for the forbidden fruit.”

“Geez, regular Telenovela right there,” Shining muttered. “Somehow though, and this is just a sneaking suspicion here, but I have a feeling Kaito’s the type to actively seek out power right? Wherever he could find it, just to please his deluded ideals.”

“Yeah, if I had to sum up Kaito in one phrase it would be: the path to hell is paved with good intentions. In the end, his goal with the fruit was to create a world where the weak would no longer fear the strong. His last words to Kouta as he cried over his dying rival were, ‘you are truly strong.’ Kaito was never evil, he just had been put on the wrong path.”

“Maybe, maybe not. Suppose I’ll never know unless I meet the man.”

How funny those words were, Shining mused, as he stood face to face with Kumon himself.

“For the record Kumon,” Shining stated. “My sister has no intention of crushing the weak under her hoof. Unlike you. All you did, was try and find excuses to justify your actions. You wanted to wipe away the old world, kill everyone who you deemed as an obstacle. Even your own best friend if need be,” he stated. “Hardly the actions of a hero.”

Kumon snorted, thumping a fist to his chest. “Even when Zack attempted to kill me and Minato I did not strike him down. He had become truly strong and followed his own ideals. Hell, even when someone tried to take the name of Baron for themselves, and mock the name with their own ideals he stayed strong. Do not think you can know me just from a short talk with some friend of yours.”

“Fair enough I suppose, though I must ask, is this your Hell? Or is your Heaven, guarding the forest that so many fought over so jealously, including yourself?” Shining asked.

“Neither,” Kumon stated plainly, looking out at the forest. “I merely sealed my fate and tied my spirit to this forest the moment I decided to eat the Helheim fruit. Like Persephone, you can never truly leave once you eat the forbidden fruit of the ‘underworld’.”

Shining winced, despite what he thought of Kum-No, Kaito, even he had to admit he didn’t deserve that. Trapped in this place until presumably the end of time.

The sounds of swords clashing reached Shining’s ears and he heard Wyatt and Drakkon’s voices coming from somewhere nearby.

“Hmph, I see some things never change. I see you, as in Riders are still fighting the same battle for dominance. Circumstances may have changed but the end game is still the same, the weak trying to oppress the strong. Shining Armor, is it?” Kaito asked, and Shining nodded. “Well, never lose sight of your ideals. You’re a strong warrior, that much I can tell if only because you had the nerve to stand up to me and not back down. But this Drakkon character? He’s a farce, someone trying to hide his own weakness with power stolen from others. The only ounce of respect I can muster for him is that he fights his enemies face to face,” Kaito approached Shining and put a fist on the stallion’s chest. Retracting his fist, Kaito created a ghostly Banana Lockseed that looked, in all respects, to be exactly like Kaito’s own but lacked the code. “Take it, you’ll need the strength. Otherwise, Drakkon’s just going to crush you like a green fruit.”

“Sorry, but I’m not accepting power from a tyrant. That’s what you are, not a Baron but a tyrant.” Shining stated.

Kaito smirked and pocketed the Lockseed. “Keep to your ideals, Shining Armor. Figured you wouldn’t accept my gift, but didn’t hurt to try I suppose. Now go, your friend needs you.”

As Shining ran off, he missed Kaito smiling a little and whispering: “He reminds me of you… Kazuraba.” before he faded away.

Once Shining caught up with Drakkon and Wyatt, he found the two head to head in a sword duel with Wyatt borrowing the powers of Kamen Rider Ryuki. The undersuit was mostly red with silver forming the actual armor. Red eyes peered out from behind silver slits that reminded Shining of old Equestrian knight armor. At the top of the helmet was a crest shaped in the style of an eastern dragon. It seemed rather plain compared to some of the other forms Wyatt had taken, Shining thought, but he couldn’t argue with the results he was seeing.

“Where are you aiming?” Wyatt asked, jumping into the reflective surface of the stream they were in before Drakkon’s slash could connect with him. Ironically, this same stream was the very same where Kouta and Takatora had their first duel oh so long ago, with the irony not being lost on Wyatt.

“Well, this brings back memories, really…” Wyatt mused. “Two fighters beating each other to a pulp to defend their ideals? Only difference, Drakkon’s ideals, from any point of view are completely insane. I guess, to quote Takatora himself, he’s evil. Just evil without purpose or reason.”

The slash generated, as before, a whirling black storm cloud that ripped up the forest around them, sending trees flying with lightning bolts scorching the ground around them. “Wow, what a pretty light show. Do you perform for birthday parties?”

“Stay still!” Drakkon roared before sending scorching bolts of green lightning into the water. Wyatt leapt out and switched forms, inserting a different card into his driver.

“Form Ride: Kiva Dogga!” Twisting his body, Wyatt slammed his newfound hammer into Drakkon’s back. Drakkon roared out in pain, and whirled around to slash at Wyatt only to be met with Shining’s blade.

“You want to fight someone sword to sword?” Shining asked, as the two weapons ground together creating sparks. “Fight me instead. Honestly, I can’t call you a Ranger. You don’t deserve the title. You lost the rights to it long ago!” Shining continued, slashing Drakkon across the chest, before dodging a swing from the tyrant’s sword by teleporting to the left of the fallen Green Ranger and socking him across the jaw. As Drakkon staggered backwards, he quickly regained his footing and sent several dark green slashes of energy towards Shining.

Shining held back the slashes, or at least tried to, but was sent flying backwards into a cliff wall.

“You don’t get it, do you? You two, you’re hopeless to stand against me now. You may have had a small chance before, but now? With all the powers I’ve gathered? The power of the Zeo Crystal? You are nothing!” Drakkon shouted, grabbing Shining by the neck, and then slamming him into the river. Drakkon smirked under his helmet as he pointed his blade at Shining’s neck. “You could have been gods. Instead, you chose to just waste and squander your powers. Throw them all away!”

Wyatt swung his hammer into Drakkon’s wrist, forcing him to release Shining Armor. “Will you just stop with all the god talk?!” He boomed, following up with an upward swing of his weapon. “It’s like that’s the only word you know! Are you really so insecure about your mortality that you have to keep saying it? Heroes aren’t something you can just write off, Tommy! They can inspire people even more than the most powerful deity!” He capped off his statement by feinting with his hammer before punching Drakkon in the jaw.

Drakkon staggered back, but smirked. “Oh, don’t think I’ve heard things about you. Somber saw it fit to inform me of who you are. Decade. Destroyer of Worlds. That’s who you’re fighting with, Armor! The one who is supposed to rend the universes he walks into, rend them into ruin!” he roared. “Come on Wyatt, I know you can feel it. That… Well, you might say violent emotion.” he remarked, specifically playing on Wyatt’s deep-seated fears and insecurities.

“That’s not who I am,” Wyatt growled, clenching his right fist as tightly as possible. “You wouldn’t want to see Violent Emotion, Drakkon. It would kill you even with your Zeo powers. This power might’ve been meant for conquering. But that’s not how I use it!”

“Besides Drakkon,” Shining joined in as he struck the tyrant across the chest with his blade. “You’re one to talk about violent emotions. Wyatt, he mentioned his power was meant for conquering. But thing is, your power, you’ve twisted something that was meant to protect others, into exactly that!” he stated, head butting the fallen Ranger, making him stagger as Wyatt swung his hammer into Drakkon’s chest, sending the former Green Ranger flying backwards.

“Form Ride: Kiva Basshaa!” Wyatt’s Driver shouted as he shifted forms once more. This form, a deep aquamarine green in color, and resembled a bat in some ways. In one of his hands, Wyatt now clutched a pistol of some sort.

“Wyatt, keep him distracted. Drakkon… He’s good at swordplay, time to see how good.” Shining told Wyatt over their private comm channel. “You, you wouldn’t be able to withstand a straight line fight with him. I might just be able to do that. You keep him off balance okay?”

Wyatt nodded, before Shining charged towards Drakkon completely ignoring the bolts of lightning sent his way, and blades met. “You’re getting predictable Drakkon. Throw a lightning bolt here, throw one there!” Shining stated. “Here, let me change things up a bit eh?”

Shining slashed downwards, his blade glowing blue and sliced Drakkon across the chest once more in a vertical manner before spinning around with the Dragon Dagger in his other hand and sliced Drakkon across the chest horizontally in a green slash of energy. Drakkon, with a kick, knocked the Dagger out of Shining’s hands before engaging Shining in another blade lock, sparks flying. Shining’s solution to this was simple, drop the blade into his other hand and slice Drakkon across the chest.

“Hey, Tommy!” Wyatt called out, gliding along the top of the river as he fired compressed water from his pistol at Drakkon’s back sending him staggering forwards to meet Shining’s blade once more. “Why aren’t you shouting out your trademark, ‘Sic hiyahs’? Did Disney give you the note to drop them?”

“Shut up, just shut up! I am not that man, and I never will be!” Drakkon bellowed.

“Damn got that right,” Shining smirked as he socked the man across the jaw shattering his helmet completely, revealing his face in all of it’s ugly black veined glory. Seems Wyatt had been right, absorbing all of that Ranger power was slowly killing him and every new powerset he absorbed, just sped up the process.

“Oh wow, Tommy, that does not look good,” Wyatt commented, his feet hovering on top of the water’s surface. “Might want to see a doctor about that. Ya know, there’s no shame in using makeup to cover that up. Won’t make you less manly.”

Drakkon roared in rage, and charged at the two, kicking up dirt beneath his boots. Shining flipped his sword to its Riot Blaster mode and shot him right in the chest before Wyatt followed up with another stream of compressed water.

Wyatt and Shining shared a nod, knowing exactly how to put an end to this creature (He could hardly be called a man anymore) for good. As Wyatt resumed his base form, Shining took a running jump off a rock and aimed a hoof right at Drakkon, the hoof glowing pink with magic.

“Final Attack Ride: D-D-D-Decade!” Wyatt’s Driver shouted, a series of ten grey cards appearing in front of him. Jumping into the air, the cards angled themselves and made a clear path from Wyatt, right to Drakkon. The two kicks hit him at exactly the same time, before Drakkon stumbled backwards and then fell backwards, exploding into a green fireball as all of his stolen powers found themselves going back to their original owners. His morpher, somehow surviving this, flew into Wyatt’s grip, and he pocketed it knowing his Twilight would want a look at it.

And little by little, the morphin’ grid began to piece itself back together as universes away one very relieved Kimberly Ann Hart found her boyfriend waking up in her arms much to the surprise of a certain Pink Time Force Ranger. In Jen’s time, she would later get her own reunion but that was another story.

“I… I…” Shining murmured. “Not entirely sure what to say about doing that. Sure, he was a monster, but he was like us once. A hero. And we just…” he whispered before correcting himself. “No, he was never a hero, he was just a monster. And he needed to be put down.”

“Shining,” Wyatt started, his armor fading off of him while he stared at the dying embers of the fireball. “It’s okay to lament the man he could’ve been while knowing that what he was needed to be stopped. The real Tommy Oliver was a hero, that will never change.”

“Agreed. Not sure what’ll happen now, in his world. I mean, Drakkon ruled over it for Mystic Mother knows how long, and now? It’s probably going to fall into chaos now that he’s dead. I can honestly only pity those who have to clean up the mess, and establish some new form of government really. Hopefully, a less tyrannical one.”

“Yeah, who knows? Maybe Drakkon didn’t kill all of the Rangers of his world and they can make things right?”

“Kimberly does seem to be missing from his roster, if the fact that Drakkon replaced her with that Kat woman is any indication. If anyone can help, I’d suspect it’d be her. She knows enough of that world’s politics, and if she’s still alive, I bet she can start piecing things back together little by little.”

“If she’s just missing,” Wyatt noted, turning back towards Shining. “But, I hope you’re right. The world he conquered deserves some peace now.”

“Yeah, that’s saying something…” Shining muttered, before noting the look on his friend’s face. “Something wrong, Wyatt?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Wyatt rubbed the side of his head while cracking a weak smile. “Just wrapping my head around killing a childhood hero. Even if it isn’t the version of him that I knew.”

“Yeah, not entirely sure I can understand that, given that he was never fiction to us, but uh…” Shining murmured, putting his hand on Wyatt’s shoulder. “You’re a good kid Wyatt, been put through so much that someone your age really shouldn’t be. Amazed you’ve been able to stay as stable as you are, really…” he continued.

Wyatt sniffled, his smile growing at the stallion. “You’ve been so nice to me this whole time. Can I trade you out for the Shiny of my universe? He hates me.”

“Wish I could go with you, and knock some sense back into your Shining, your wife-to-be’s big brother, but sadly, I have my own universe to protect. I’m sure, one day though, you’ll see your big brother again eh?” Shining stated. “I’ve got faith in you, and him.”

Wyatt coughed, turning his head away. “Uh… wife-to-be might not be quite the right word there. N-not that I don’t think we can reach that stage, I just haven’t popped the question. I don’t even have a ring yet…” He trailed off into an unintelligible string of muttering. Shining just chuckled.

“You remind me of myself, you know that? A complete and utter dork, if anything I think Twilight will pop the question first!” he laughed, punching Wyatt in the shoulder lightly. “Actually, you know something? You got a card from Robert right? A little trinket to remember this universe by, hmm?”

“I got a few cards from Robert actually,” Wyatt replied, snapping out of his odd trance. Summoning his card case, he showed them off to the stallion. “Original Decade got cards from Shinkenger so it makes sense that I’d get some Ranger cards here.”

“So, why don’t I give you one of my own? Just to borrow my powers if needed, hopefully to knock some sense back into your Shining?” Shining asked. “Trust me, nothing wrong with another world having another Magna Defender in my mind.”

“Uh, how do you think we could do that?” Wyatt asked, shaking his card case. “I don’t exactly control when the cards appear. Not that I wouldn’t like to.”

“Call it Ranger’s Intuition.” Shining smiled, as another set of cards appeared in Wyatt’s case bearing the likeness of the Magna Defender along with the rest of the Wild Force Rangers he’d met.

Wyatt let out a whistle, letting the card case fade from existence. “I’m not gonna argue with Ranger’s Intuition,” Smiling, he held a fist out to Shining. “Thanks for the cards. Hope you don’t make me a stranger after I go home. I’d be more than happy to help you guys fight off more baddies.”

“Believe me, if we need you, we’ll call.” Shining smiled before he saw another crack open. “Well, there’s our ‘ride’ home if you get my drift. Suppose we’d better take it.”

“Agreed,” Wyatt said before they both leaped through the crack.

Once they returned, they found the others, now accompanied by the Royal Guard gathering up the remaining Sentries and Troopers, stripping them of their Drivers and Morphers and cuffing them. Goldar, he’d just vanished. His job here was done.

Twilight, the Princess one was directing various other members of the Royal Guard, all unicorns to start burning down the Helheim vines creeping up the sides of various buildings, while medics tended to the wounded civilians. It was going to be a mess, cleaning all this up and rebuilding what Drakkon had torn down, but Ponyville would manage. It always seemed to, the now Armored Rider Baroness mused.

“What… what took you guys so long?” Shining gasped out, panting in exhaustion as he demorphed. “I’d have thought Celestia would have sent you lot earlier on.”

“Maybe Luna did?” Wyatt asked, canceling his transformation. “I mean, your governing system is kinda fucked at the moment.”

“...That’s putting it one way.” Shining chuckled lightly and winced as AJ smacked Wyatt over the head.

“Language, sugahcube!” she shouted.

“...Oh good, it’s not just me who gets the Captain America treatment from her.” Robert muttered. He noted his Twilight pocketing a Kurokage Soldier’s driver, but said nothing of it.

“Where’s the Ranger Slayer?” Wyatt had to ask. Robert, demorphing allowing everyone to see the bags under his eyes simply held up the confinement card, and showed Kat beating on it screaming to be let out.

“Better question, where’s Drakkon? Don’t see him with you lot…” the Orange Ranger trailed off.

“He ain’t coming back,” Wyatt commented, a stern look crossing his face. “Not all that different than putting a monster down.”

Robert took a deep sigh. “I suppose… in the end, was for the best really.”

“How do you do it, day after day, fighting these types?” Baroness Twilight asked AJ, who’d tossed a few Lockseeds to her, including a Dragonfruits Energy one.

AJ rubbed her neck. “If Ah don’t do it, that’s one less person fightin’ ta keep everyone safe. Ya just gotta buck up and do it.”

“Fair enough, but what’s with giving me the new Lockseeds, including that Energy one?” Twilight inquired.

“Fer a later emergency, Celestia forbid one comes up,” AJ replied simply.

Nearby, a half-asleep Vapor was somehow managing a strum out a tune on her guitar as she sat upon the ruins of someone’s home.

“Once the light bends,
A new sky
Beckons to me
As if to awaken me

“I don't need maps to get by
In these places I suddenly find myself in
I find my way around
By trying to go one way, then the other

“And each of these worlds (How many cards in the world)
Demand that I not pass through it (No hesitation in my mind)
Without a fight…”

“She always does that, after any major victory,” Lightning remarked. “You get used to it.”

She walked over to her sister, and took the guitar away. “Rest girl, you’ve had a long week…” she whispered, and Vapor pretty much collapsed in her arms, chest rising and falling slowly as she finally got the gift of sleep.

“Small victories,” Lightning whispered. “Small victories…” she repeated before resting herself up against a pillar and drifting off to dreamland.