The Animarium:

Now normally, the Animarium was calm and peaceful. Today was not that sort of day. Wyatt had found a place to be alone, cursing up a storm while punching a tree. His fist had been numb even before he began the fruitless gesture and his knuckles oozed blood.

“Dammit!” he hissed, pausing to lean against the tree he had been assaulting. “How can I be so weak?! Why did that idiot Starswirl let the K-Touch end up in Tartarus!? I’d have wiped the floor with him if I had that damn thing!”

“You know, in my experience,” Twilight commented. This universe’s Twilight, I might add. “If something’s locked away in a pit like Tartarus, there’s probably a reason.”

“The reason is that Starswirl didn’t know what he had and used it to seal away some monster called Tirek,” Wyatt spat, not turning to face Twilight.

“I assume I’ll be running into this ‘Tirek’ eventually?” Twilight asked, guessing from the fact that if Wyatt was a universe-traveler, he might have seen a few things that could predict her future.

“Probably,” Wyatt answered, stepping away from the tree and staring at his bleeding hand. “Ancient evils seem to have a bad habit of returning to Equestria.”

“Yeah, that they do…” Twilight laughed a little.

Spike sat on a stump, watching as Wyatt tended to his knuckles. “I wish Kuuga had come along, he’d punch Drakkon into next year. That guy’s the strongest person I’ve ever met.”

“Didn’t stop Drakkon from killing the universe’s most legendary Ranger,” Twilight commented. “Or have you forgotten?”

Wyatt snorted, finishing up the bandaging. “Kuuga’s the strongest Rider in existence, full stop. In his Ultimate form, his rider kick is powerful enough to destroy a planet, and he’s got two higher forms above that,”

“Well, guess what,” Twilight replied irritably, whether it was from lack of sleep or Wyatt’s self-blaming, it was hard to tell. “Kuuga’s not here, so we’re going to have to work with what we have.”

“You don’t think I know that?” Wyatt asked, finally turning to glare at Twilight. “I may not be a MENSA candidate like you, Twilight, but I’m not an idiot. Or are you just talking down to me because you were raised to think lowly of us humans?”

That did it alright, Twilight hated to be reminded of those years when she was just Celestia’s lowly little stooge and suck-up, believing every word she said even when common logic said it should be false. Placing her Lockseed in her belt, she flicked it up as it sang: “Come on: Banana Arms!”

Soon, she stood in her armor, lance at the ready and horn crackling with energy. “Care to repeat that?”

Wyatt summoned his driver, placing it to his waist. “Do you think I’m going to be intimidated by a newbie Rider who’s only had their belt for what? A day or two at the most?” He quickly donned his armor, resting his sword on his shoulder. “Do you even have formal combat training outside of magic?”

“Will you two knock it off!?” Spike rose up from his seat, stabbing his sword into the ground. “How does this help us at all? Please, one of you explain how fighting each other is a good thing.”

Twilight ignored him. “Fine, Wyatt, you want to take all of your frustrations out on me and my past with Princess Celestia? Go ahead, I’m leaving myself wide open!” she snapped.

Wyatt snorted, putting his sword away. “No, I was more than happy to take my frustrations out on myself. Spike’s right, fighting amongst ourselves won’t do anything.” He turned and walked away, keeping his armor on.

Twilight growled, and closed her Lockseed back up, as the armor vanished in a yellow liquid-like substance. He was right, and she knew it.

“Look at me,” Twilight whispered as she took off her Driver. “Wyatt’s right, I’m probably worthless as a Rider anyhow. He’s right, I don’t have any formal combat training aside from what I picked up in Helheim, and even that’s hardly what you’d call fighting…” she muttered to herself as she sat down on a rock, stifling back a sob. She really wanted to be a hero, she really did, but she just didn’t know how.

Spike sighed, taking a seat next to her. “Look, you think I was any good when I got my belt? When I found my grandpa I was just a kid.” Thinking for a moment, he continued. “I mean, I guess I’m still a kid but you know what I’m getting at. The only reason I even know what I’m doing is because Flash Fire beat me into the dirt and knocked me into shape. I dunno if she’s around in this world, or even if she’s in the guard, but you should look for her, get her to train you and the Rangers.” He tapped his claws on his lap. “Wyatt was the same way. He relied on what little he knew before getting her help. I think, if you really want to be a hero, then it isn’t about flashy powers, it’s about going out to help others when no one else will.”

“I have heard her name, Flash Fire’s I mean, mentioned once or twice,” Twilight admitted before she got up off the rock. “And you know what, you’re right. When Nightmare Moon arrived, it was only me and my friends who were willing to stand against her, and it was the same when Discord returned. Being a hero… it’s never been about fighting. It’s just about going out and standing up against evil when no-one else will, cheesy as that sounds. I’ve watched Sunset and company battle against the Orgs for nearly a year now, and I… I guess I was so desperate to join them in their fight and lend a hand, I wasn’t really thinking when I grabbed, well, this.” she continued, gesturing to the Driver in her hands.

Spike chuckled, putting a hand on her shoulder. “Seems you and my Twilight share something in common: whenever you set your sights on something, you obsess over it and lose sight of everything else.”

“I want to pose to you a hypothetical theory, Spike,” Twilight replied, wiping away some of her tears.

“Go ahead, I’ll lend an ear to your hypothetical,” he replied, putting on his best smile.

“Imagine if you will, if you ever made friends with someone society tells you that you shouldn’t, like say… a Changeling or whatever. What if you tried to prove he or she’s not like the rest of his kind, and I ignored your theories?”

Spike put his hands behind his head, looking up at the sky. “I wouldn’t ever give up, on changing your mind or being their friend,” Turning back to her, he gave her a fanged smile. “I’m sorta proof of that kinda thing actually, more than just being a dragon raised by ponies. I don’t look it but, I’m half pony.”

“Coulda fooled me,” Twilight laughed. “But continuing on from my hypothetical theory. What if I was so ignorant and so biased and bigoted, I’d alienate Equestria and my friends, and every one of its allies just to find and track you and your friend down. You said it yourself, I’m obsessed to a fault, I lose sight of my original goals whenever I set my mind to something. Think about it, it could happen, right? In all of your universe hopping with Wyatt and company, have you seen something like that?”

Spike scratched his cheek, looking up to the sky. “Well, we have come across a psychopathic Pinkie Pie. But, the multiverse is infinite, so of course, we’re going to run into evil versions of our friends.” Turning back to her he smiled.

“It’s just… Spike, my Spike, he’s so accepting of everyone, I can see it happen, him making friends with a Changeling or whatever. And then,” Twilight continued, taking a deep shuddering breath. “There’s something else...”

“If you’re anything like my Twilight or Ponyville, I don’t see that happening,” Spike assured, waving her off. “Sure, you lose sight of the forest from the trees every now and then, but you always learn your lesson. Just look at what happened with Zecora,”

“Yeah, I suppose,” Twilight muttered. “But all the same…” she whispered. Hearing the word ‘forest’, it made Twilight shudder, and Spike noticed.

“Sorry, Helheim must’ve shaken you up pretty bad,” he said, putting a hand on her shoulder. “What’d you see?”

“What, that’s not the right term,” Twilight replied, her voice barely a whisper. “More like who.”

“Was it one of those Overlord Inves that Wyatt’s mentioned?” Spike questioned, leaning forward in his seat.

“No, it wasn’t. At least, I don’t think he was. He called himself Kaito Kumon. I think he was a ghost, or some sort of remnant. Apparently, he bore this belt’s powers before me,” Twilight replied, clutching her Lockseed tightly. “He… He told me a story, about himself. Apparently, he was so obsessed with power, and stomping out those who bore it and trod on the weak, he lost sight of himself, and in the end… He became just like those who he tried to destroy. I’m worried, I have the same problems as he does, losing sight of myself, that I’ve been worried ever since I saw him that I might, just one day become exactly like him.” Twilight replied, running a hand down her shoulder, for just a moment seeing a small green cut with small vines crawling out of it.

“Twilight, that won’t happen to you,” Spike assured, grinning. “And do you want to know why? Unlike this Kaito guy, you’ve got friends that won’t let you self-destruct. If my counterpart here is anything close to the upstanding drake that I am, there’s no way in Tartarus he’d stand by and let that happen.” He puffed himself up and put a claw to his chest.

Twilight snorted at the spectacle. “Yeah, that’s just exactly something my Spike would do, right down to the pose. He’d probably do it for Rarity to impress her, I imagine. Never mind that fact that she’s married, to Zephyr Breeze of all ponies!” she laughed.

Spike blinked owlishly, quirking a brow at Twilight. “Zephyr Breeze? You mean Fluttershy’s little brother that even she doesn’t have the patience to stand for prolonged periods of time?”

“I know, surprised us all. But hairdresser/fashionista, they somehow make it work, and have turned Carousel Boutique into quite the money-spinner. Apparently, if I’ve heard correct, Zephyr and Robert seem to be best friends, and Zephyr helped Sunburst once when he had confidence issues.”

Spike had only been half paying attention, his eyes down at the ground while his fingers were laced into a pyramid of sorts. “Note to self: keep Zephyr and Rarity from meeting,” he muttered, a puff of smoke escaping his nostrils.

Twilight actually laughed at that.

Elsewhere, while Shayla bandaged everyone’s wounds, Sunset pondered to herself.

“He could have killed us, but why didn’t he?” she thought to herself aloud. “Had us by the ropes, but he didn’t kill us. He just let us go, when he easily could have teleported up with us and killed us all.”

Applejack was sitting on a log, staring intently at her Kachidoki Lockseed. “Ah’m sorry, y'all. Ah shoulda’ used mah finisher with this thing when Ah had the chance. Woulda tanned his hide fer sure!”

“Not your fault AJ,” Vapor replied, coming up over to her and patting her on the shoulder seemingly looking no worse for wear despite her little near-death experience from the Helheim vines. Fact was, the wound seemingly had vanished leaving only the trace of a scar to show it was ever there. “From what I heard, he had you guys good. Between him and the Gravezord, you guys must have been worn out!”

“Wyatt did most of the work with the Gravezord,” Wizard Twilight said, her arms crossed over her chest. “Bahamut and I kept getting pelted by Kurokage troopers in their hover vehicles.”

“Dandeliners.” Robert corrected out of sheer force of habit.

“Hey, what am I, chopped liver?” Shining asked. “Had I and the Torozord not come in at the last moment, you’d be dead!”

“You’re right,” Wizard Twilight admitted, nodding her head at him. “Thank you for that.”

“Thank Princess Shayla,” Shining replied. “It was her idea to call me, and get me teleported past that bubble’s walls. Still not sure how she pulled it off, by the way…”

“Now’s as good a time as any ta ’explain,” Applejack said, standing up and turning to the Princess.

Suddenly, the bushes ruffled, and as everyone went for their weapons, Toxica stepped out of the ferns with staff in hand.

“Jeez Toxica, mind giving us a warning next time eh?” Robert asked, his heart beating faster in his chest then should have been normal.

“Sorry,” Toxica replied. “But anyways, explanations. I… I may have helped just a little, using some of my own magic,” she continued, seemingly struggling to get the words out, as if the idea of helping Rangers was physically painful to her. “That help?”

“Well thank ya, Toxica,” AJ said, tipping her hat. “We’d be pushin’ up daisies right now if ya hadn’t stepped in.”

Toxica huffed and crossed her arms. “Well don’t expect it to happen again. The only reason I did it, was that so Drakkon or whatever he calls himself couldn’t come here next!”

“So you also provided a countermeasure to keep him off the Animarium?” Wizard Twilight inquired, excited to hear about the spell. “Brilliant move.”

Toxica looked increasingly nervous at that. She mumbled something to herself. Sunset groaned, and facepalmed. “You didn’t, did you?” she asked.

“W-Well, I-I didn’t have time!” Toxica protested. “I was so busy worried about getting Shining all the way from the Empire to here, that I taxed most of my magic doing that! I barely had enough left to keep myself standing!”

“Oh, für die Liebe Gottes…” Robert muttered as Shining drew his sword, with everyone else drawing their Crystal Sabers or signature weapons. Robert’s eyes went to the left, as well as Sunburst’s as they felt a new presence arrive on the Animarium.

“Hiding like cowards? I thought you were heroes?” Drakkon stepped into view, an object in each hand. “Or perhaps you never had the backbone, to begin with.”

Drawing his left hand back, he tossed one of the objects at the group's feet.

Upon closer inspection, the object elicited a collective gasp from the Rangers, along with Toxica and a certain Princess. Shayla’s necklace lay at their feet, broken and caked with blood.

“Where… Where did you get that?” Sunset growled out, her wings sparking with little embers even though she had a sickening feeling she already knew.

“It’s been a long time since I set foot on this island,” Drakkon glanced around, taking in the environment around him. “A far more competent team of Rangers called this their home,” Pressing a button on the remaining object, he tossed it into the air. It hovered, lighting up. “Why don’t you see how futile your resistance is?”

In stunned silence, the group watched as Drakkon’s little recording played itself out.

The Animarium was burning, it’s once majestic forest lighting the night sky like a torch. Drakkon’s gunships rained hellfire upon the floating island, while the Black Dragon and Gravezord ripped their way through the Wild Zords. Many had already fallen, their lifeless bodies littering the battlefield. Somewhere else on the island, two giant tank-like vehicles themed after a rhino and stag beetle respectively lay in burning hulks, as a pair of Rangers tried to escape from the ruins, wearing crimson and navy garb before being swiftly cut down by two Sabertooth Sentries.

On the ground, Drakkon himself led his forces into the heart of the Animarium. Like the predictable children they were, this world’s Power Rangers were ready for him; grim determination etched on their features.

Drakkon paused, signaling his strike team to wait. “I give you this one chance; join me or die.”

“We’d never join up with someone like you!” the Red Ranger shouted, holding up his Lion Blaster in it’s Gatling Mode.

Drakkon merely drew his dagger, striding forward. “A pity.” With a gesture, his forces commenced their assault, unleashing a barrage of weapons fire. With a burst of speed, Drakkon knocked the Red Ranger aside, slashing him across the back.

Continuing his attack, Drakkon blocked a strike from the Blue Ranger’s Fighting Fins, knocking one of them out of his grasp.

“Max!” Danny shouted out as he saw Drakkon thrust his dagger through Max’s visor.

Drawing his dagger back, Drakkon watched impassively as the body dropped to the ground. Glancing over his shoulder, his own red visor seemed to mock Danny; Drakkon’s uncaring helmet burning into his mind.

Suddenly, Drakkon was enveloped by a green ray of light as the Lunar Wolf Ranger lined up his Animal Crystals, and launched them forwards like pool balls.

“You shall not touch the Animarium, not as long as I live.” Merrick growled as his Animal Crystals rocketed towards Drakkon.

Drakkon raised his hand, catching the crystals in his free hand. “These are connected to your Zords aren’t they?” Locking eyes with Merrick, Drakkon clutched his hand; filling the air with the sounds of breaking glass. He opened his hand, allowing the remains to fall into the dirt. He smirked, as Merrick demorphed in a flash of silver light and a mourning howl filled the air as the Wolf Zord let out one last cry.

Merrick closed his eyes, and whispered: “I’m sorry, my friends.” and let what happened next come, facing his death with all the dignity he was allowed.

“Pathetic.” Closing the distance, Drakkon backhanded Merrick into a tree, the former Ranger going limp on contact. He didn’t have much time to contemplate Merrick’s weakness, spotting Danny charging at him, axe raised. One slash from the Dragon Dagger, and Danny fell limp.

“Merrick! Danny!” Shayla shouted, barely holding back a sob. Drakkon turned to her, his cold gaze locking on her trembling form.

“I gave them a choice, they choose death,” Drakkon replied. “The silver one, you loved him didn’t you? I can see it in your eyes. He would have done well under me.”

Before Drakkon could even blink, he was slashed across the chest by a yellow, and then a red blur before being knocked backwards into a stone idol by a blast of pure sound. Three forms appeared atop the temple, each with a different insignia on their chest. One, a hawk. Another, a lion, and finally the third bore a dolphin’s fin.

“Ah, you’re the ones that escaped the schools,” Straightening himself, Drakkon offered the newcomers a hand. “Perhaps you’re not as foolish as these Rangers. Join me and you can be far more than you ever dreamed of.”

“Get real!” the Red Ranger replied holding up a hawk themed weapon with a gold turbine, a sword strapped to his back like the others. “You’re just a poser in a fancy suit.”

Drakkon lowered his hand, focusing his attention on the Red Ranger. “A curious choice of words. Do you need a reminder of who brought this world under control? Perhaps I’ve let public education slip since then?”

“Under control?” the Blue Ranger asked, scoffing. “You call bringing this entire planet into a police state under control? Eliminating all free will, and thoughts except your own? Go to hell.”

“Perhaps I was mistaken.” Drakkon sighed.

Dropping the conversation, Drakkon brought his dagger to his mouth, playing a tune. Green lightning erupted forth, crashing into the trio of rangers. They tried to hold the bolts back with their ninjatō, but it was all for naught really. The blast knocked them back, opening them up for the Sentries to deal with.

Mastodon Sentries raised their guns, and fired blast after blast into the three Ninja Rangers.

“What a waste,” Drakkon commented, watching for a few moments before turning his attention to the remaining Wild Force Rangers. “Anyone else care to be… impudent?” Alyssa laid on the ground, an arrow sticking out of her throat. Cole had collapsed into the fountain, a Tyrannosaurus Sentry pulling his blade from his back. Curiously, he seemed almost mournful.

“I’m sorry…” Skull whispered to himself.

Taylor, the last of the Rangers raised her sword. “When I joined the Air Force, it was all to find this place, and then I found it.”

“Is there a point to this needless banter?” Drakkon asked.

“I will not let you harm it any further.” she replied.

Drakkon walked closer to her, not paying her threat any mind. “You say that as if you have a choice in the matter. I offered you amnesty, and instead you’ve signed your death warrant,” Stopping in front of her, Drakkon stared her down. “You can however, still recieve that mercy.”

“Screw your mercy,” Taylor growled, swinging her sword. “This is for Cole, for Danny, for Max and everyone else you’ve killed!”

Despite her conviction, Drakkon easily batted her sword out of the way and stabbed her in the stomach with his Dragon Dagger.

With the Rangers gone, Drakkon turned to Shayla, the woman reduced to a sobbing mess. “Why..?” she asked, looking up at him. “Power Rangers are supposed to protect the world, not destroy it. They were the guardians of the Earth and you killed them all.”

“You lack vision,” Drakkon told her, easing Taylor to the ground as she bled to death. “I am protecting the Earth. Under my rule, no one will go to war over resources or anything else,” Flicking the blood off his dagger, he stepped over to Shayla. Lifting her chin, he allowed his helmet to dissipate. “I am the only guardian this world needs, everything else is superfluous.”

Glancing away, he motioned a pair of sentries over. “Take her into custody!” Movement caught his eye, causing him to thrust his dagger in Shayla’s direction. Returning his gaze to her, he found her with a saber raised above her head, and his dagger sticking out of her chest. “A pity, Princess.”

With that, the recording ended leaving the Rangers to stare in wide-eyed horror. “A pity, you could have been as great as they were. You fall quite short of my expectations. You need a troop of Riders to back you up,” Drakkon remarked in a dismissive tone. “All of Equestria’s just seen this, not just you, and now they know my power. And know just how weak their Rangers are.”

Sparks suddenly appeared at Drakkon’s back, causing him to turn around and find nothing there.

“Still using cheap tricks, Decade?” Drakkon asked.

Shots rang out and caught Drakkon in the side, causing him to turn and have his Sentries open fire. Their shots uncovered nothing and harmlessly crashed into nearby trees only destroying Helheim fruits. “Cheap tricks? Sure, they might be cheap, but it’s better than charging blindly at a suped-up and megalomaniacal Tommy Oliver,” Wyatt’s voice called out, Drakkon unable to discern its direction. “I didn’t learn from the Carter Grayson School of Fighting.”

“Show yourself!” Drakkon snarled.

“So that’s it…” Shining thought. “He’s not unbeatable, just get him angered like any other enemy, and he starts making mistakes.”

“If I showed myself, all you’d do is roundhouse kick me to the face,” Wyatt shot back, taking a few potshots at Drakkon’s chest. “And I gotta tell ya, I’d rather you didn’t ruin my moneymaker.”

A massive shadow then towered over Drakkon, and he looked up to see the Phoenix Zord hovering overhead, her beak opened wide and about to fire off a blast of flame.

“I’d suggest you leave now,” Sunset commented.

“You should listen to the Princess, Tommy,” Wyatt agreed, still not showing himself. “I doubt even you could take an island full of Zords by yourself. Not with your Megazord in the shop like it is.”

“I still have Ponyville, and I could easily have my Sentries hunt down, and kill everyone inside that little town. Everyone and everything precious to you. Rest on your laurels, but you have 48 hours before I return and claim your world.” Drakkon stated.

With that, he and his Sentries teleported out in flashes of green light. Once they were gone, there was a rustling in the bushes and Wyatt stepped out with his belt around his waist but no armor. His shoulders sagged and he let out a sigh of relief. “Holy crap, that was easily the most terrifying moment of my life.”

“I’m with you there…” Sunset shuddered. “But, it did show us something.”

“Yeah, Drakkon’s not unstoppable,” Shining remarked. “Anyone notice how he reacted when Wyatt went invisible? He actually got scared. He likes his foes where he can see them. He doesn’t expect a full-on assault from the shadows.”

“I sorta noticed that,” Wyatt said, rubbing the back of his head. “Though I was a little preoccupied with not stepping on anything that would give away my position. If his Sentries had hit me, the Invisible card would’ve given out.”

“So it isn’t a complete win-win, we’d still have to get him alone, and I doubt that’s going to be easy. If I know someone like Drakkon, and I do generally,” Shining replied thinking of Nightmare Moon. “He’s not going to take this defeat lying down. He’ll be back, and he will probably hold up his promise. We need a little extra something before he returns.”

“Hey, anyone seen Sunburst?” Vapor asked.

“He’s… well, I did see him when we got on here,” Sunset replied. “He’s in a bad way. Follow me.” Sunset replied, gesturing to Shining.

“Okay, while I head off with her, someone work something out okay?” Shining asked, following Sunset to a little area off the main temple, where he found Sunburst curled up in a fetal position. Kneeling down, Shining demorphed and rested a hand on his fellow Ranger’s shoulder.

“You alright?”

“Do I look alright?” Sunburst asked, his blood-spattered helmet by his side. “Those Ranger Sentries… they’re not robots or anything like that. They’re-”

“Human?” Shining finished. “Yeah, I sorta figured. Drakkon doesn’t seem to think highly of monsters or Riders. It makes sense that he’d use humans for his Sentries.”

“Yeah… It’s just, I’ve grown so used to fighting actual monsters for so long that when I killed that Samurai Sentry…” Sunburst trailed off.

“I get it, fighting an indoctrinated person is different than something like a monster,” Shining offered, patting Sunburst’s shoulder. “But they were still threatening Ponyville, and if you hadn’t fought back, that Samurai Sentry would’ve had no qualms with killing you.”

“How… How do you do it? Rationalize something like that?” Sunburst asked.

“I was Captain of the Guard way before I was the Magna Defender,” Shining answered. “Part of the training is learning to understand the weight of taking a life. It should never be easy, but it does become something you can get yourself to do.”

“But you still feel sick to your stomach when you do it right? I’ve heard about you beating back the Changelings on the edges of Equestria, partially what caused Chrysalis to attack from what I heard.”

“Yeah, it still causes the stomach to turn,” Shining admitted, looking up. “I think I’d head right to a shrink if I didn’t feel something after making tough calls like that.”

“Yeah…” Sunburst murmured. “Now, how do we save Ponyville?”

Shining smiled. “I’ve got a few ideas in mind.”

Author's Note

Okay, so a few things. Yes, that little ramble of Twilight's is a reference to Grief is the Price We Pay by Scyphi. You can read it here. Had to sneak that in, along with Twilight meeting Kaito Kumon aka the original Kamen Rider Baron offscreen.

Yes, I admit killing off both the Ninja Storm and Wild Force Rangers of Drakkon's world was cruel, but it had to be done. It was Shago's idea really, to not just show to you Drakkon's quite serious, but to give his ultimatum in the most brutal way we could think of.

Finally, the conversation between Galaxy and Shining. A huge thanks to Thunder for helping me out on that bit, and writing Shining's lines. Next time, the Rangers and Riders make a play, and Spike gets a gift. As ever, comments, thoughts, and critique for all of our hard work are welcomed.