Galaxy Rangers: The Movie - Shocker Crisis!

Chapters

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Epilogue
Chapter 13

Chapter 1

Galaxy Rangers: The Movie - Shocker Crisis!
Chapter 1
by Rixizu

“No, you can’t have it!” The mare said, but Juice Bar ignored her. They stood in a dingy alley behind the Canterlot castle. The mare had been holding a satchel before he’d clobbered her with a billy club. They’d caught her off guard while leaving her hotel. The mare had believed she’d been careful when using with the artifact, but she’d been careless. Quantum Curve had detected her trail and tracking her down had been foalsplay.

He retrieved the amulet with reverence and smiled. With its power, he could fix everything, returning his beloved Shocker to its deserved glory. The mare tried shotting a stun bolt with her magic before he could use the artifact, but Juice Bar had already disappeared. He said a final farewell to Quantum Curve and his other friends. They’d done Shocker proud. The world spun around and around as unknown forces threw him into days long past when Shocker was at its height of power before those meddlesome Riders defeated them.

He took stock of his location, finding himself in the same alley in Canterlot, but outside revealed a different picture. Buildings had changed and businesses were completely different. What year was it? The nostalgic fashion styles of the ponies looked correct, but it wasn’t enough proof. Had Ichigo been created yet? A newspaper that had blown against a leg revealed the date as May 15, 1971. Perfect. It was years before the Riders defeated his beloved Shocker. He ran off, not even pausing for breath. He knew the organization’s secret base’s location. In those long distant years, he’d been only a simple Combatpony. The Great Leader would be so pleased. Soon, nothing would stop them from ruling all time and creation!'

“It’s impossible, Twilight!” Trixie complained for the eighth time.

“No Trixie, you can,” Twilight replied, “focus! Picture your destination in your mind”

Trixie sighed. Every other attempt to teleport had been a complete failure, even with master teleporter Twilight’s help. It had been a foolish attempt. Her skills in magic didn’t go this way. Her specialty was illusions. Still, the power to teleport in battle would be invaluable. Their enemies were only getting stronger and she needed every edge she could get. The Galaxy Rangers weren’t hurting for enemies.

Trixie closed her eyes and focused her thoughts. She only needed to teleport five hooves. It shouldn’t be difficult. Her horn glowed with magic, imagining herself in the new location. Her body vibrated and her horn sparked with magic. She was doing it! She cried out in pain as the spell failed, exploding in a violent flash of light, giving her a massive headache.'

“Argh!” Trixie downed another dose of aspirin. She hated when spells failed. They were always a painful affair.

“You almost had it that time!” Twilight said with undeserved enthusiasm.

“Can we take a break, please?” Trixie said. “There’s no rush. It had been quiet lately. It isn’t important I learn this right away or anything.”

After Corona’s supposed reformation, Equestria had been quiet. Save for the occasional alien invasion, Night Court noble plot, or monster attacks from other dimensions. Trixie planned to use this respite to hone her skills and get more training.

“I guess,” Twilight said, “we can do this tomorrow. It’s getting late and it will rain soon.”

Trixie looked outside and found Raindrops pushing some dark clouds into place with the other weather ponies. A curse left Trixie’s mouth when she realized she’d forgotten her umbrella. Her trademark hat and cape only protected her from the elements so much. After thanking Twi for her hospitality, she left the apartment and ran towards home.

She cursed again when the heavy rain drenched her. Just once, she wished Raindrops would leave spaces in the cloud cover so she wouldn’t get rained on. It made the ground instantly muddy and got her favorite red cape dirty. She’d just cleaned the thing too. The sound of thunder boomed overhead.

“Hey! Over here!” Ditzy Doo said, waving. She sat under the protective roof of the post office.

Taking her friend’s generous offer, Trixie ran towards the post office. A chat with Ditzy would be nice. She was so distracted by thoughts of getting out of the rain that she missed the cart full of sofas and quills coming her way.

“Look out!” Ditzy cried out and Trixie turned to see the cart charging right towards her.

Several odd and amazing occurrences happened at once. The cart turned to avoid Trixie, but accidentally dropped its load of sofas right on her. Trixie cried out in terror. Out of desperation, she casted a teleportation spell to save herself. In a bizarre freak of nature, lightning struck Trixie right as she attempted teleporting, giving her just enough energy to cast the spell. Everything went red as reality disappeared around her.

The pain was indescribable as it tore her atoms to pieces and temporarily forced her out of reality. She swirled through a black void devoid of anything for several eternities. Time stretched on forever and telling how long she stayed in that place was impossible. Thankfully, real air filled her lungs again and she moaned, her body aching worse than a full body beating.

“What the hay?” Trixie was glad she wasn’t dead, but she didn’t feel far off from it.

She shook her head and tried to blink away the stars in front of her eyes. Trixie noticed it wasn’t raining anymore and guessed the spell must have worked. She was back in Twilight’s small, cramped book-filled apartment. Confusion struck her when she realized she was sitting on hard concrete and not carpet. She was sitting on a street instead.

Okay, maybe I ended up somewhere else. At least I didn’t die by sofas. I swear Quills and Sofas will be the death of me one day.

Vision returned to her and she double-taked. Where in the hay was she? She wasn’t in Twilight’s apartment at all. Instead of peaceful quant Ponyville, she was in a city full of concrete and hard stone buildings with sharp lines everywhere. Each building had a red banner with a bird, its wings outstretched, grasping onto the world with its talons.

“Okay.” Trixie stared at her surroundings, stunned and lost for words. Where the heck was she? What was with that evil-looking logo? A large sign in the distance labeled the city as Shockeropolis.

Shockeropolis? Not Ponyville?

“Hey, you! Curfew is in ten minutes. Get home or enjoy months in a cell!” A voice said, drawing Trixie’s attention. It was hard and authoritative and didn’t sound friendly.

“Hey, this might sound funny but…” Trixie turned to the pony and froze. It was Raindrops. She wore a black uniform with a black gold trim hat and her arm had a red stash with the same bird logo. Unlike her friend, however, Trixie saw no warmth or compassion in this Raindrop’s eyes.

“Raindrops?” Trixie’s mouth dropped.

“It’s Captain Raindrops, scum.” Raindrops replied, eying Trixie’s wet and dirty appearance. “Did you hear me? Get home or else.”

Trixie opened her mouth with a million questions on her tongue but froze when she realized this Raindrops didn’t recognize her at all. Her instincts told her this wasn’t her friend. She needed to leave. Now.

“Right, going home!” Trixie forced a grin and turned, hoping to find someplace safe to figure out what strange world she’d found herself in.

“Hold it! I don’t recognize you.” Raindrops' eyes narrowed. “Are you new to Ponyville? Show me your identification papers.”

Time to run. “Sure thing officer!” She tried casting an illusion spell but found her magic drained. She couldn’t so much as light her horn. That damn teleportation spell drained her of almost everything. Instead, she did the second best thing, hoofing it.

“Come back here!” Raindrops gave chase.

“Ha! Catch me if you can!” Trixie yelled back.

“Combatponies!” Raindrops yelled out and out of nowhere ponies in black dressed like skeletons jumped from the tops of nearby buildings, blocking Trixie’s escape. They wore a grey belt with the bird logo on it and moved to surround her.

“This is getting interesting.” Trixie eyed her new opponents.

Raindrops smirked. “You aren’t getting away. You’re a foal for crossing Shocker. You aren’t leaving here in one piece.”

Shocker?

“You aren’t scared?” A pony with sunglasses said and the Combatponies gave way to him. They saluted him as he approached with their hoof raised high.

“You’re in for it now.” Raindrops said, grinning evilly.

Trixie yawned. “It takes more than a bunch of ponies in low-rent Nightmare Night costumes to scare me.”

“You’re either brave or stupid.” The sunglasses pony transformed. His body stretched into something grotesque. He grew mandibles and three large red eyes. His hooves grew claws and a cape made of web appeared on his back. He became some bizarre spider pony hybrid.

“Huh, didn’t see that coming.” Trixie looked around and saw ponies watching the show from the safety of their homes. Nopony dared come to her rescue, knowing it would be suicide. These ponies had long abandoned hope that anypony could oppose Shocker. Well, Trixie would have to change that.

“What now, little pony?” The Spider Pony mocked.

“It’s morphing time!” Trixie pulled out her morpher and thrust it forward. “Ursa!”

In a blink of an eye, red armor appeared over Trixie. It was completely red except for the white vest over her chest which contained the constellation Ursa Major in golden stars. Her helmet had a black visor with a yellow star behind it and her horn poked out of the middle.

“What?” The Spider Pony gapped in complete shock and the Combatponies gasped.

“A Rider?” Raindrops’ jaw dropped. “Impossible!”

“Rider? Sorry, I don’t know what that is.” Trixie replied. “I’m a Ranger. Call me the Red Ursa Ranger.”

“Whatever, rogue Rider or not, you’re dead!” The Spider Pony leaped towards Trixie, claws extended.

Trixie dodged the claw swipes with ease. This creature was fast, but Trixie was an expert black belt and had faced monsters like this creature before. Raindrops and the Combatponies cheered the monster on. Trixie felt disappointed nopony cheered for her. Oh well.

The creature leaped about with mighty bounds, trying to catch Trixie off guard. He tried to jump her from behind, but she saw the attack coming, thrusting a powerful punch into the spider creature’s face. He cried out in pain, continuing his attacks, only for Trixie to knock it to the ground in a single kick. Frustrated, it shot webs from its mouth, trying to trap her. Trixie figured it might attempt this and summoned her sword, burning the webs away.

“What?” The Spider Pony stepped back. “No!”

“My turn.”

In blinding speed, Trixie delivered several slashes to Spider Pony’s belly and sparks flew. He tried clawing at her, but she dodged them with ease. One kick sent the monster sprawling on the other side of the street. Trixie pressed a button on her morpher and flames gathered around her sword.

“Searing Blade!” Trixie slashed the Spider Pony in the belly and turned around pointing her sword right at Evil Raindrops. The monster exploded behind her.

“Anypony else ready to rumble?” Trixie said.

And I didn’t even need my magic to win. Nice.

“Impossible!” Sweat formed on Raindrop’s brow, unable to comprehend what she’d just witnessed. The Combatponies backed away, unsure they wanted a piece of her anymore.

“Not bad. I’m glad I stayed in town an extra day.” A voice said. Trixie jumped to safety as something rode from a rooftop right at her in a black blur. It’d been inches from colliding with her. The thing circled around Trixie. It was some strange two-wheeled vehicle, a single pony dress in black leather with a Shocker Logo helmet sat on it. The pony pulled off her helmet to reveal Princess Mi Amore Cadenza.

“Princess Cadance?” Trixie asked, bewildered. What was Cavallia’s ruler doing here?

“Princess?” Cadance snorted. “As if.”

“Commander Cadance!” Raindrops said, filled with renewed hope.

“Let me handle this interloper.” The alicorn got off her vehicle and pulled out a strange belt buckle. It was gray with a black heart-shaped gem embedded in the middle. She attached it to her waist and a red strap appeared, strapping it on tight.

“Henshin.”

Cadance smashed the heart-shaped gem with a hoof and black mist emerged out of it, engulfing Cadance. It formed a gray bodysuit with dark green armor that looked like a cracked heart. Over her head was a dark green helmet that resembled the face of a grasshopper with large red eyes and antennae grew from its head. It too looked cracked and broken.

“Call me, Kamen Rider Cupido,” Cadance said, “the deadliest assassin in the world.”

Okay, another crazy surprise.

“Cupido! Cupido!” The Shocker goons cried out in reverence.

“And we have an audience and everything. Perfect.” Cadance extended her hooves, leaving herself wide open for attack. “Come on; show me what you’ve got, Ursa Red.”

Trixie didn’t waste the opportunity, throwing a punch right at Cupido’s face, only to find empty air. She cursed and swung where she thought her opponent was and again hit nothing. Cadance laughed and gave Trixie the perfect opportunity to attack her. Trixie summoned her sword mid-attack to catch her opponent off guard with its extra reach, but again she missed. Every attack she tried failed.

Darn it. She’s toying with me. She’ll find that a big mistake.

Trixie held nothing back, using every ounce of her tremendous speed. Cadance wasn’t so cocky this time and winced when Trixie slashed her in the chest. She gave Trixie a slight nod, acknowledging the single point.

“Your powers are interesting,” Cadance said, “I can see why the Spider Pony was no match for you. Too bad I’m a Rider and Shocker is second to none.”

Everything changed at that moment. One second Cadance was standing still, the next she was pounding Trixie with punches and kicks. Trixie blocked out the pain and fought back only for her blows to hit dead air or a hoof blocked them. Somehow, Cadance predicted every attack and every move Trixie made. Nothing caught the Rider off guard. She summoned her own sword by pulling it out of her belt. It was longer than a great sword and it had a jagged saw-like blade. Sparks flew and she cut Trixie with ease.

With a back hoof blow, Trixie’s sword flew across the street. Shocker goons cheered and chanted Cupido’s name. Cadance soaked in the praise, practically glowing. Trixie doubled over from a sharp and painful jab to the ribs. Cadance followed up the attack with a slash to the face and Trixie stumbled, stunned.

“About time I end this, I think,” Cadance said and crouched down towards the ground. She leaped into the air and dive kicked right towards Trixie.

“Oblivion’s Rider Kick!” Cadance’s blow impacted into Trixie’s chest and she went flying, tearing concrete to pieces before stopping.

Trixie unmorphed and moaned. It had been a while since she’d received such a beating. Even standing was impossible. This was not her day. But the bruises weren’t what hurt her the most. It was the downcast expressions from the ponies watching them. These ponies had gotten their hopes up when Trixie defeated the Spider Pony, only for them to get dashed when Cupido appeared. Again, they had no hope. Shocker had won. This realization brought tears to Trixie’s eyes.

Sorry, I failed all of you.

A purple shape caught her eye and it disappeared before Trixie got a good look at it. Was that Twilight? No, Twilight would have helped and fought by her side. She was all alone and friendless in this strange world. The corrupted, evil Raindrops was the proof. She looked at Trixie like she was something the pegasi had scraped off her hoof.

“Still alive? Good.” Cadance unmorphed. “Captain Raindrops.”

“Yes, Commander Cadance!” Raindrops stood to attention.

“Bring this one in for questioning,” Cadance replied, “I want to learn how she got her power and where she came from. Tell Inquisitor Doo to use any method to get the information. Just don’t kill her. She’ll make an excellent test subject. The Grand Leader will be most pleased.”

“Yes, mam. Hail Shocker!” Raindrops did the Shocker salute and motioned some Combatponies to gather Trixie up.

“Hail Shocker!” Cadance and all the Combatponies repeated.

Dear Luna, what world had Trixie found herself in?

Chapter 2

Galaxy Rangers: The Movie - Shocker Crisis!
Chapter 2
by Rixizu

Trixie winced as bright lights forced her awake, finding herself in a stark bland grey room unremarkable with a single door. Two Combatponies stood on guard duty. She struggled only to find herself strapped to a vertical table. Not the greatest of places she’d woken up in.

“So, this is our little troublemaker.” A voice said entering the room. Trixie gasped as the pony approached.

“Ditzy?” Trixie asked, dumbfounded.

“Interesting, you know my name too.” Ditzy paced around Trixie’s chair. “Captain Raindrops told me you somehow knew her name.”

Shouldn’t have said that. Trixie clamped her mouth shut. She wouldn’t tell these guys anything.

Ditzy wore a grey, neatly pressed uniform with the Shocker armband. What made Trixie double-take was the mare’s right eye. It was a different color, blood red, and never lost its place like her real friend’s. It made tiny mechanical noises as it moved. It was an artificial eye! What incredible technology far beyond anything her world had!

“My appearance surprises you?” Ditzy asked.

“No reason,” Trixie replied, “cool eye.”

“Yes, Shocker gave it to me when I joined the Shocker Youth Program.” Ditzy paced around Trixie making her feel dizzy. “I had a condition that impaired my vision. They eliminated it and all my other weaknesses.”

Well, darn. This wasn’t her Ditzy and doubted she could appeal to her better nature. Best play this cool.

Ditzy studied Trixie for several long, uncomfortable moments before finally speaking. “Tell me, what is your name?”

“Trixie, and that’s all your getting.”

Ditzy pressed a button and Trixie screamed when millions of volts of electricity hit her like a ton of bricks. She convulsed when it gracefully stopped.

“Flippancy? A futile gesture.” Ditzy said. “I will get the information I seek, regardless of how long it takes. I do hope you struggle. It’s more fun that way.” Trixie screamed as another bout of electricity hit her.

Trixie struggled to raise her head and stared into Ditzy remaining pony eye. Much to Trixie’s horror, she saw Ditzy enjoyed hurting her and would enjoy breaking her into a sobbing mess. Shocker had removed any equinity from her friend, only leaving a monster.

Oh, Ditzy, what have they done to you? Tears gathered in Trixie’s eyes.

“Broken already?” Ditzy laughed, misunderstanding Trixie’s tears. “Good. That was easy.” She recoiled when Trixie spat into her face. Trixie screamed, receiving another burst of electricity.

Ditzy growled. “Big mistake. You got my uniform dirty. Where do you come from? Where did you get your Ranger powers?”

“The moon,” Trixie screamed as Ditzy stabbed the torture button again.

For two hours, Ditzy questioned Trixie, but the Red Ranger refused to provide any answers. They not only electrocuted her. Ditzy order the Combatponies to pummel her into submission. Despite everything, Trixie still refused to give in. Frustrated, Ditzy stopped the session for the day.

“Stubborn one.” Ditzy sniffed. “No matter. I’ll get my answers, eventually.”

“You.” She pointed at a Combatpony. “Bring her to a cell. Provide her with no food or water for three days. No sleep either. That should soften her up.”

Trixie groaned as they dragged her away, too sore and beaten to protest.

Trixie grunted as the Combatponies roughly threw her into a cell. The cold concrete felt nice on her bruised body. She enjoyed the floor for several moments before lifting her head to examine her surroundings. It was a cell. Nothing she hadn’t seen before. Cheap bed, toilet, steel bar, rats, the usual. She looked outside to see rows of other cells. A Combatpony guarded the door at full attention.

This is it? I’ll escape, no problem. Trixie’s body protested when she tried rising. The attempt failed and Trixie choose to remain on the floor. Maybe not yet. Boy, they did a number on me.

Still, she’d kept her mouth shut and Trixie beamed with pride. For now, she’d rest up and work on an escape plan. No food, water, or sleep for several days was a pain, but it sure as heck wouldn’t stop her. Right now, she contented herself with hanging out with her new best friend, the floor.

“Hey!” Trixie yelled out to the Combatpony on guard. “At least provide me a book! It’s dull in here!”

No response and Trixie didn’t expect any. It was worth a try, though.

“It can’t be.” A pony said from another cell. “You!”

Trixie blink and turned her head towards the cell across from hers. There sat a unicorn mare with a purple mane with aquamarine highlights and a pink, purple coat who gave Trixie a scathing glare. The pony’s vitriol confused Trixie.

“Look, whatever you’re angry about, it wasn’t me,” Trixie said, “it was this world’s Trixie.”

Seriously, can I go into a different universe without somepony getting angry at me?

The other prisoner gasped. “You’re from another world too!”

Trixie blinked. “What.”

“You must be Trixie from Timeline B!” The mare proclaimed.

“You’ve totally lost me. Who are you anyway?” Trixie searched her memory but felt certain she hadn’t met this pony before.

The mare glared at her. “Starlight Glimmer. And what’s happening? I’ll tell you. It’s your fault all this happened in the first place!”

“Really.” Dear Luna, why do ponies always blame me for things? I’m never the blame for anything... usually.

“Yes, really!” Starlight said. “I’ll tell you why.”

This outta be good.

“Once upon a time, there was this little village where ponies lived in peace, harmony, and perfect equality. They were free of the tyranny of cutie marks, free to live however they liked no pony better than anypony else. I was their wise and benevolent leader. Everything was wonderful and perfect until you and your friends came to town!”

“When I saw you, I thought your group would be perfect recruits to our little village and greeted you warmly. But you and your friends had more sinister motives in mind. Right away you spread dissent and disharmony among my townsponies. You lied to them, telling them that cutie marks were a good thing! I tried to be nice and integrate you into our village, but you won’t listen!”

“Before I knew it, you turned the entire town against me and drove me out of town! I wandered the nearby caves for days, forced to survive on nothing but cave mushrooms! But I survived and swore revenge for ruining my perfect town!”

“Uh-huh,” Trixie replied. What a load of garbage.

“One problem, I don’t remember any of that,” Trixie said. “I’ve defeated many bad guys before, but I think I would have remembered that.”

Starlight glared hate at her. “I’m not done. To get revenge, I thought I would destroy everything you’ve ever cared about. You took away everything I’ve ever loved, so I would do the same to you! After months of searching and research, I found an artifact that would realize my designs, the Amulet of Kairos!”

“And what’s that?” Trixie asked, dreading the answer.

“It allowed me to travel back in time and change things to my satisfaction! After heavy research, I discovered the perfect moment to ruin your life! At Canterlot station, I drugged you and Lyra and placed you on a train headed toward Manehatten. That way you’d never arrived in Ponyville and become bearers of the Elements of Harmony. You’d never defeat Corona and become a faded ex-student of the Princess stuck in a dead-end job representative of Ponyville, a place you hated.”

“So that’s what happened?” Trixie had always wondered how they’d somehow ended up in Manehatten. Unfortunately for Starlight, one of Luna’s batponies was in the city for repairs on his chariot. He volunteered to drive them to Ponyville, almost breaking his back in the attempt. Luna’s Night Guard was pretty amazing. They were horribly late, but she’d somehow finished the preparations for the Longest Night before the princess arrived. That Batpony inadvertently saved Equestria! If she ever returned to her timeline, she owed him a thousand thanks.

“Imagine my surprise returning to the future only to discover you were a famous superhero!” Starlight continued.

Trixie blinked. “Come again?”

“In my timeline, Timeline A, you were only an unpopular wannabe noble. Not some great hero! It somehow improved your life!”

That’s a matter of opinion.

Trixie opened her mouth, closed it, and opened it again. “Because I was late to the Longest Night, I became a superhero? That makes no sense.”

Starlight threw her hooves into the air. “Don’t ask me!”

“This is where everything goes horribly wrong?”

Starlight glared at Trixie again. “I planned to travel back in time and fix my mistake, but a stallion somehow learned about my time travel adventure and stole the amulet!”

“And he was part of this Shocker group?” Trixie asked. “Causing yet another radical change in the timeline?”

Starlight’s voice was tight. “Yes, creating this timeline, Timeline C. I stole another version of the amulet to fix my mistake, but they captured me and stuck me in here.”

It was an insane story, but Trixie believed it. It rang true and it wasn’t the craziest true story she’d ever heard.

“You’ve ruined everything!” Starlight proclaimed. “If you’d never came to my village, none of this would have ever happened!”

Starlight retreated as Trixie rattled her cell bars with surprising force. “You’re lucky these bars separate us. Or else I’d be throttling you right now.”

Trixie’s words weren’t an empty threat or declaration of revenge. This idiotic mare and her stupid revenge plot turned her best friends into monsters. Trixie was beyond furious and the bars bent a few inches from the pressure she placed on them.

“Best I let you rest then.” Starlight laughed nervously. “You’ve had a rough day.”

Their story made Ditzy cackle in delight. The foals had no inkling they were being overheard. Not surprising considering they both came from technologically backward societies. Her hunch had been correct. Putting Trixie together with Starlight Glimmer had worked just as she predicted. She suspected Trixie came from Timeline B. It explained why everything about their world confused the mare.

The amulet’s existence and the alternate timelines remained a closely guarded secret amongst Shocker even amongst the Shocker elite. But Ditzy was an inquisitor. No information was beyond her hooves.

On the viewing screen, Trixie fumed, ready to strangle Starlight to death. Should she release the cell locks and see what happens next? No. While Starlight was a complete buffoon, her magical skill was impressive. Ditzy hated wasting any resources. The unicorn would provide Doctor Shinigami with an excellent test subject for the pony enhancement program.

Ditzy smirked when Starlight hide into a corner, terrified for her life. She pressed a button and a cassette containing the conversion ejected from the computer. Trixie’s Ranger powers remained a mystery, but it was a puzzle for a later date.

Combatponies saluted her as she trotted through the hall and entered the executive bullet train. She’d arrive in the capital castle soon and Ditzy relaxed. The train sped through miles of concrete and city. Once ponies called this area the Everfree Forest said to be completely uncontrollable and untamable. Ditzy smirked. Complete foalishness. Shocker conquest was absolute and the ancient forest became a sprawling metropolis, Shockeropolis, the world’s new capital.

Shocker had converted the Castle of the Two Sisters into the new capital castle. It was a magnificent building, very gothic and dark. The Great Leader had a magnificent taste in architecture. The original capital castle and Canterlot was destroyed when Princess Luna refused to comply with Shocker’s demands. Good riddance to old rubbish.

Ditzy was unimpaired as she walked through the castle. It combined new and old with computer monitors and gothic architecture. Stain glass windows showed images of Shocker victories. She entered the lift to the Great Leader’s audience chamber. It was a large cavernous room, dark and mysterious empty except for the throne in the middle. It was marble with red velvet cushions. A stone plaque of the world stood behind it, showing everypony who ruled the world. The Great Leader of Shocker’s throne sat on a raised dais.

The Great Leader wore a red robe with a large black collar. Covering his face was a red pointed hood with two black piercing eyeholes. He wore a solid gold amulet with Shocker’s logo around his neck. Some stupid ponies believed the Grand Leader was multiple ponies because he never once showed his face. Ditzy understood better. His powerful gaze and mighty aura came upon her and she shuttered in delight. Every time she’d sensed the same presence, leaving no doubt to the Grand Leader’s identity.

“Inquisitor Doo, you have something to report?” Even the Great Leader’s voice spoke of great power, and Ditzy bowed before him.

Ditzy motioned with a hoof that everypony else should leave the room. The Great Leader nodded and waved a hoof. Everypony but the Great Leader and Shocker General, Ambassador Hell, left the room.

“Well, who is this rebel, Trixie?” Ambassador Hell asked. He was a large fearsome stallion that wore silver, red armor with a cyan cape and a gold and silver helmet that looked like a pharaoh’s headdress with two gold horns sticking out of it.

Grand Leader motioned for her to stand and she did so. She gave Ambassador Hell the cassette tape. “I can confirm that Trixie comes from Timeline B.”

Ambassador Hell snorted. “Is that so? How did she get here?”

“I don’t know,” Ditzy admitted squirming under the two leader’s gaze. “She proved uncooperative. The mare is stubborn.”

Ambassador Hell frowned in disapproval. “Keep working on her. We must learn how she got here. These Rangers might disrupt the peace of our world.”

“I agree.” The Great Leader said. “If more Rangers arrive, they might become a threat like the Riders in the previous timeline. Inquisitor Doo, ensure this will not happen.”

Ditzy bowed respectively. “I understand. As you command.”

Trixie closed her eyes and yelped in pain as a Combatpony shocked her with a rod. She glared, but the guard ignored Trixie’s protests. She sighed and rolled over, staring at the ceiling. Out of immediate danger, her mind wandered to her friends and tears gathered on her eyelids. She missed her friends and being apart from the other Rangers in another world tore at her soul. It made her feel incomplete and weak. Trixie fought back the tears stubbornly. She hated being alone like this. It made her dwell on the pains of her life which wouldn’t be productive.

“Three days of this, how wonderful.”

A rumbling caught her attention and she searched for the source. Her ears rang as an explosion rocked a wall and it collapsed. A pony dressed in black leather emerged with a helmet blocking their face. The Combatpony tried to intervene, but this pony sent him flying with a kick after a brief struggle. The new pony walked up to Trixie’s cell and stole the keys from the guard with a raspberry aura.

“Don’t worry, I’m here to rescue you!” The pony said and Trixie gasped, recognizing the voice.

“T-Twilight?” Trixie said, stunned.

“How?” Twilight shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. Monsters and Combatponies will swarm this place if we don’t hurry.”

“Help me up,” Trixie said, “I can’t move much. We need to stop meeting like this.”

Trixie remembered fondly when Twilight rescued her from a police cell after somepony framed her for Pokey’s murder. What an adventure that was.

“What about me?!” Starlight protested.

“What about you?” Trixie glared. “Leave her. She’s a criminal.”

“Hey!” Starlight glared back.

“No, any enemy of Shocker is a friend of mine.” Twilight shook her head.

“Fine.” Trixie rolled her eyes. Starlight might be useful.

They heard the sounds of ponies rushing towards them. Twilight quickly unlocked Starlight’s cell and levitated Trixie on her back. They ran through the newly created hole and Combatponies burst through the door.

Chapter 3

Galaxy Rangers: The Movie - Shocker Crisis!
Chapter 3
by Rixizu

Trixie broke into a panic as Combatponies swarmed after them, their numbers seeming almost endless. Twilight fought them back with skilled kicks and punches. Starlight shot at them with stun beams. Whenever one fell, another took their place. With a powerful shield spell, Twilight pushed the group away and ran into the parking lot.

“I can’t teleport!” Starlight said in a panic.

“Ah, anti-teleportation field,” Trixie said unconcerned. “Classic.”

Starlight glared. “Not helping!”

Strange vehicles greeted them like something out of a sci-fi novel. They were futuristic, four-wheeled, and heavily armored. Twilight ignored these and kept running further. She knocked out enemies with her magic or hooves, but Trixie knew the unicorn couldn’t keep this up forever. Starlight struggled to catch up and wasn’t in great shape.

“Finally!” Twilight said as they approached one of those strange two-wheeled vehicles Cadance had used. She froze as a single mare blocked their path.

“Little filly, little filly.” The strange pony said. “Don’t you want to play?” She laughed and her body changed, transforming into some bat pony creature. Her face turned into something monstrous with large fangs and huge wings that grew from her front legs.

Starlight screamed and hid under her hooves as the bat monster dived at her, missing her by an inch. The creature flew around mocking them and dodged every bolt Starlight fired at her.

“Come on!” Twilight jumped on her vehicle and levitated Trixie behind her. “Hold on tight!”

Despite her weakness, Trixie nodded and did as instructed. Trixie shrieked as the bat monster dived towards her, but a carefully timed barrier spell protected them. The monster collided with the barrier and fell to the ground, stunned. Twilight took advantage of this respite by starting the machine and making sure Trixie had a helmet. No matter the timeline or universe, Twilight believed in safety first.

“Hey, what about me?” Starlight pointed at her head.

“Sorry, I have only one extra helmet,” Twilight replied shamed, “and this bike wasn’t meant for three ponies. Hang on the best you can.”

Starlight had difficulty staying on as Twilight had given Trixie most of the room. Trixie gave Starlight a smug look who glared back. Twilight revved the machine and they drove off. Combatponies weren’t far behind and chased after them with their bikes. The Bat monster rose and joined her comrades. Twilight increased her bike to full speed, almost throwing Starlight off.

“Slow down!” Starlight said.

“Right and let them catch us!” Trixie rolled her eyes. “Do something useful and keep them off us.”

Starlight gritted her teeth but did as instructed throwing stun bolts in random directions unable to aim very well and the bike shuddered beneath her. Though they hit nothing, it gave them some breathing room and their pursuers slowed their pursuit. They drove through dark empty streets, the curfew was well in hoof. It made hiding in traffic impossible, so Twilight took random twists and turns to lose their pursuers. She did an impressive trick by jumping off a ramp over the river that flowed through Ponyville, and several Combatponies sank under it when they tried to copy the maneuver. Twilight knew the town well and used a construction site to make pursuit more difficult, driving up a still unconstructed wall and using it to jump over a chain-link fence. It wasn’t long before they’d lost even the batpony monster after Starlight landed a well-timed stun bolt. After making sure the coast was clear, Twilight parked her bike in a garage. They all sighed in collective relief.

“I am never doing that again!” Starlight almost didn’t survive the trip and her mane stood up frazzled.

“Shame we didn’t lose you,” Trixie said.

“Why you!” Starlight put her muzzle up to Trixie’s helmet.

“Please, no fighting.” Twilight used her magic to separate the fighting mares. Starlight grumbled something but complied.

Twilight’s garage was neat, containing many tools and parts used to maintain the strange vehicle she’d use in their escape. Trixie could tell that Twilight lovingly maintained the machine.

“What’s this thing called, anyway?” Trixie patted the machine. She’d had just enough strength to stand on her hooves.

Twilight pulled off her helmet and stared at Trixie in confusion. This Twilight also wore thick glasses, but they seemed more stylish than Trixie’s Twilight. This version also liked her mane short. “It’s a motorcycle. How can you not know that? They’re very common.”

Trixie sighed. “It’s a long painful story.”

Twilight brightened. “Good, hold it for a moment. I need to write it down!”

Starlight peered outside, narrowing her eyes. “What if they track your bike here?”

Twilight snorted. “Don’t worry; I made sure my bike was unrecognizable.” She used her magic and her bike’s shell tore off, revealing a completely different design. It was silver with gold stripes.

“Neat.” Trixie wobbled and almost lost her hoofing.

“Come inside and I’ll get some painkillers and ice for your bruises. Make yourself at home.” Twilight held Trixie steady and helped her inside the townhouse. Starlight followed behind. Trixie gave an abridged version of her story while Twilight treated her wounds. Twilight listened in utter amazement to learn Trixie was from another timeline. She wrote down every word and only interrupted to ask a question or two.

“So your powers come from the Elements of Harmony?” Twilight asked in utter amazement. “They’re real?”

“Yeah, though I suspect they’ve evolved far beyond what they were before,” Trixie replied.

“Right, somehow giving you a giant robot.” Starlight scowled. “How does that make sense?”

“Shame it’s stuck in another world.” Trixie imagined smashing Cadance’s smug face in with her Ursa Zord.

“Wow, what a discovery!” Twilight scribbled on a parchment. “I need to research this. With these Elements, we could defeat Shocker!”

Trixie frowned. According to Twilight, the Castle of Two Sisters was Shocker’s new headquarters, which meant they’d found the Elements. Did the evil organization know what they had in their possession? Could they find new bearers for the Elements of Harmony? This world needed new heroes. They’d find the Elements, recover the amulet, and make things right. Trixie blushed as her stomach rumbled. She hadn’t eaten all day.

“Oh sorry, I’ll get you something.” Twilight rushed to her tiny kitchen. It gave Trixie time to study Twilight’s place.

Twilight’s townhouse was small but cozy. Books lined shelves, as expected, but there were also newspapers with some framed on the wall. Trixie noticed their author was Twilight herself. She worked for an ORE Journal. They weren’t super amazing stories, but it was impressive they existed at all. Trixie’s Twilight also wanted to become a journalist. Trixie frowned when she noticed they were only local interest stories and nothing about science.

“No stories about science?” Trixie asked.

Twilight blinked, surprised before nodding and placed a plate of dandelion sandwiches before Trixie. “Yeah, I just started my career. I’m mostly a glorified intern. I want to do science stories eventually, but not until I get more experience and I’m not so wet behind my ears.”

“Cool,” Trixie replied as she ate, “I’m impressed.”

“I like science,” Twilight said glowing from Trixie praise, “at least Shocker can’t so easily twist the truth there.” She scowled, full and anger and bitterness.

“What do you mean?” Starlight asked.

“We only print what Shocker wants us to print.” Twilight’s scowl deepened.

So the news is mostly Shocker propaganda? Poor Twilight, it must kill her inside.

Starlight rolled her eyes. “Well, as long as it keeps ponies in line, I suppose it isn’t so bad.”

“What?” Twilight replied, mouth open in shock.

“Isn’t that the media’s job?” Starlight replied. “Otherwise, there’d be anarchy. Ponies should be told what to think.”

“Excuse me.” Twilight fumed and steam blew from her ears. “A newspony should dedicate themselves to the truth!”

“Ignore her,” Trixie said, trying to defuse the situation. Everypony yelling at each other wouldn’t help. She froze as an idea lighted up in her head as she stared at the news articles. “A newspony should dedicate themselves to the truth, right?”

“Yes,” Twilight replied uncertainly, unsure of the gleam in Trixie’s eye.

“I say, we give it to them!” Trixie hated what happened to this world and felt partially responsible. She would bright truth and justice in this world and free it from Shocker’s grasp. It was time for a revolution. It was time to bring these ponies hope.

“Run by me, what happened again?” Ditzy asked, her voice ice.

“Well, the mare had a motorcycle and damn she could ride.” Bat Pony replied. “Those things are fast!”

“Ignoring that you can fly and losing them should have been impossible?”

Sweat gathered on Bat Pony’s brow. “My bad?”

“We’re done here.” Ditzy waved a dismissive hoof.

“Please! Give me another chance! I can find them!” Bat Pony cried out as Combatponies dragged her away.

“What a pain. The Great Leader won’t be pleased.” Ditzy sighed. “I leave for five minutes, and this happens.”

“What’s going on?” Cadance asked as she entered, watching the general hubbub around her.

“Trixie escaped,” Ditzy replied, “she had help; a unicorn rescued her. Unfortunately, we couldn’t ID them.” The explosion the unicorn used to break through the prison wall had damaged the cameras.

“I see.” Cadance smiled. “Sound fun. They won’t escape.”

“Good to hear.” Ditzy relaxed. If anypony could capture the Ranger and the traitorous rebel, it was their ultimate assassin.

“Enough talk of work.” Cadance waved a dismissive hoof. “So…”

“So what?”

“Have you asked out Combatpony 2010 yet?” Cadance peered in close eagerly for Ditzy answer.

“No, I don’t think dating a subordinate is appropriate,” Ditzy replied. Cadance was a notorious matchmaker. She always tried setting up ponies and made it her personal mission to improve the love life of everypony in Shocker. Somehow, she always knew the compatibility between ponies.

“Why not?” Cadance asked, disappointed. “You have much in common and your daughter Dinky likes him. I’ve seen the way you look at him. He’s a great guy.”

Ditzy blushed. Dear Shocker, had she been giving covert looks at 2010 and never even noticed? She couldn’t deny some attraction.

“Come on,” Cadance pressed her advantage, “you should take him dancing tonight. Dinky’s old enough to watch over herself.”

“Fine.” Ditzy rolled her eyes. I still don’t think it’s appropriate. Like such a thing would stop Cadance and her incessant matchmaking.

“Yes!” Cadance did a little dance. “You won’t regret this.”

“Right, right.” But Ditzy was smiling.

“Sir!” A Combatpony broke into Ditzy’s private office.

“What is it?” Ditzy replied, annoyed at the intrusion. “This better be good.”

The Combatpony levitated a small leaflet over to Ditzy. Confused, she read it and Candace peered over her shoulder to see what the fuss was about. Ditzy gasped in shock, horror, and then anger.

The leaflet contained anti-Shocker propaganda proclaiming it to be evil and condemning their deeds. The article, written by a pony with the pen name Lux, wrote passionately about how Shocker were cruel oppressors and how the common pony needed to rise to fight against them. It proclaimed Trixie Lulamoon, Red Ursa Ranger, as a brave hero defying Shocker’s evil and told how the mare would defeat the organized by herself. Ditzy crushed the paper in her hooves, enraged.

“Where did you get this?” Ditzy asked, her tone venomous.

“This morning after I woke up.” The Combatpony replied. “It was in my mailbox. Both my neighbors had one too.”

Ditzy cursed. “I don’t know who this Lux pony is, but this has Trixie’s hooves all over it.” The Red Ranger was a troublemaker.

Cadance scowled. “She acts quickly.”

“Commander Cadance, take a troupe of Combatponies and hunt down the traitorous dog who wrote this garbage. Find them and I’m sure Trixie won’t be far behind.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice.” Candace left the room, hurrying towards her motorcycle. Ditzy sighed in relief. They’d underestimated the Ranger, but Shocker didn’t repeat the same mistakes twice.

“So, uh, great day huh?” Twilight said. She had no idea why she went along with Trixie’s plan. It seemed crazy to make such blatant defiance of Shocker’s authority, and they wouldn’t rest until they caught the perpetrators. Still, one had to admire Trixie’s guts.

“Great!” Trixie nodded. “Did you see the look on the Shocker goon’s faces when they opened their mailboxes. Priceless. I wish I had a camera.”

“Yeah, and now you’ve hit a beehive with a stick.” Starlight said dryly.

“Exactly!” Trixie beamed.

Does Trixie not get what she’s doing? Isn’t she the least bit scared? They almost killed her before! Twilight thought, exasperated.

“Don’t worry. It’ll be fine.” Trixie waved a dismissive hoof. “I’ll be ready this time.”

Starlight and Trixie exchanged a glance. They gave up and let Trixie believe whatever crazy nonsense she wanted.

“We’re even doing this?” Starlight said. “Regular ponies can’t fight Shocker! This won’t change anything.”

Trixie looked turned serious. “No, if we want to change things, we need to show that Shocker isn’t all-powerful as they like to believe. Regular ponies are more powerful than you think. All they need is a spark.”

These words hit Starlight hard, giving the mare bad memories. Most likely about Trixie overthrowing her. It shocked Twilight to learn about Starlight’s role in the creation of her timeline and the little village she enslaved. She wanted to throw Starlight out into the street, but they needed her. At least Starlight showed shame about her role in Shocker’s victory over this world.

Trixie clapped her hooves together. “First, we need to ruin Shocker’s image of invincibility and these flyers are only the start! I have something bigger planned next!”

“Really?” Twilight forced a smile.

“Something huge!” Trixie extended her hooves. “Grand!” Her smile turned manic. Starlight and Twilight exchanged another glance.

When Twilight freed Trixie, this wasn’t what she expected. Well, to be honest, she wasn’t sure what drove her to save Trixie. It was more of a whim. She saw somepony with the power to defy Shocker and made an insane risk. What happens next, she didn’t know. What was she doing? She was an intern, not some revolutionary. Last week, she hadn’t so much as jaywalked. Yet, Trixie’s energy was infectious, making her believe anything was possible.

“You said Shocker has a device thing that holds all their information?” Trixie asked.

“Yes, it’s called a computer.” Twilight didn’t care for the direction this conversation was going.

“I say we strike their computer center place and take anything on the Elements or the amulet,” Trixie said.

“It won’t be easy,” Twilight said reluctantly, “the security will be tight and a password will protect the data.”

“I’ll leave the computer stuff to you.” Trixie punched her hooves together. “Let me handle the rest.”

“What about Cadance?” Starlight asked.

“I’ll handle her.”

Does Trixie not understand her limits? She was still recovering from her fight with Cadance and didn’t have most of her magic back yet. After losing the failed teleportation spell, Trixie had lost most of her spell casting capability.

Starlight put her face in her hooves. “We are so doomed.”

“Nonsense!” Trixie replied. “It will be the last thing they’d expect!”

“Yes, because it’s so crazy!” Starlight retorted. “How did I get suckered into this?”

“Twilight, make a checklist about this place’s defenses. Anything you can find.” Trixie put a hoof on her shoulder and Twilight brightened.

A checklist would be perfect. In this dark tyrannical world, the beautiful purity of a checklist was indisputable! It brought everything to order and sanity. Fears forgotten, she wrote everything she knew about the Shocker data library facility. A strange thrill overcame her. It was the same one she felt when she first defied Shocker. She didn’t know how to define it. It brightened her heart and told her anything was possible.

“Forget that,” Twilight told herself. “You have too much to plan to care about touchy-feely nonsense.”

“Twilight!” A voice said, startling Twilight awake.

“Yes?” Twilight removed her tired face from her desk and levitated a piece of paper from her hair.

Hot Scoops thrust his coffee cup into Twilight’s face. “Coffee. I have a long day ahead of me and I need to stay energized.”

Hot Scoops wrote articles about daily Ponyville life. The pegasus loved covering certain political controversies. Naturally, Shocker wasn’t involved with any of these controversies.

Twilight sighed and walked the whole five hooves distance to the coffee machine behind Hot Scoops’ desk. He could have made his own coffee in less time than it would have taken to wake her up, but he enjoyed lauding his power over her. She made him a black coffee with two sugars and levitated it over, then plopped back into her chair.

“Thanks.” Hot Scoops slipped at his coffee. “We’re not getting much sleep with this Trixie situation.”

Pinkie popped up from her computer screen. “No kidding. Did you hear the latest?”

The pink earth pony was a senior member of ORE Journal. She wrote their famous humorous columns about daily Shockeropolis life. Her articles were the only ones that never got censored when they got sent to the Shocker Truth Appraiser. The mare had a knack for knowing how to avoid Shocker scrutiny. If only Twilight was so lucky. Only a third of her articles ever got approved. Something about Twilight being too truthful.

“No, what?” Twilight asked.

“Somepony saw the infamous Trixie buying a white chocolate latté with chili powder at a Starbucks a few blocks from away here!” Pinkie replied.

“What!?” Twilight rushed over to Pinkie’s computer and read the forum post somepony named Pony4realz had posted. The post even had a blurry picture of Trixie holding a cup of coffee.

“I know, right?” Pinkie rolled her eyes. “Who likes chili powder in their latté?”

That idiot! Is she trying to get caught?! Twilight wanted to strangle the mare.

“Ah, so the Lux articles aren’t a bunch of guff.” Hot Scoops said. “The Ranger has escaped Shocker custody after all. How interesting.”

“I can tell this will be a busy news week.” Pinkie brightened.

“Indeed,” The editor-in-chief of ORE Journal, Da Chief, said. He bristled with excitement, “Pinkie, I want you to interview the pony that gave Trixie her latté.”

Pinkie saluted. “Got it, chief!”

“Hot Scoops, I want you and Twilight to investigate how Trixie escaped the Shockeropolis’s Correctional Facility.”

“Yes, chief.” Twilight and Hot Scoops said together.

“What about this Lux pony?” Twilight asked.

“It’s an interesting piece, but Trixie is more important.” Da Chief replied. “She’s the one that’ll sell papers, not some rabble-rouser. I can feel it.”

Twilight was a little annoyed that her Lux articles got pushed aside so easily. She worked hard on them, darn it. Oh well. Maybe it was for the best. ORE Journal had some of the best reporters in Shockeropolis. It would be disastrous if they uncovered her secret identity. A thrill went down her spine when she thought of it. It both excited and scared her.

“Coming?” Hot Scoops grabbed his coat. Twilight nodded and floated a camera around her neck. Another thrill hit her. She was investigating a crime that she perpetrated which made her grin from ear to ear. She couldn’t help it. If everything went to plan, Trixie and her exploits tonight would again make the front page.

Chapter 4

Galaxy Rangers: The Movie - Shocker Crisis!
Chapter 4
by Rixizu

It was dark as the trio snuck around the building’s entrance. Except for Trixie, Starlight and Twilight wore catsuits and domino masks concealing their identities. Trixie, naturally, went as herself red cape, hat, and all. Twilight and Starlight protested, but Trixie refused to budge on the issue.

“I’m an outlaw,” Trixie argued, “how are ponies supposed to recognize me and my freedom fighting deeds?” After more arguing, Trixie’s allies gave up letting the Ursa Ranger have her way. Besides, Trixie had plans and her trademark getup played a big role in it.

“Fine!” Starlight growled. “Don’t blame me when you get caught!”

Trixie threw back her cape with a dramatic flourish. “Trust me. The Great and Powerful Trixie will remain invisible until she wishes to be seen!”

“Whatever.” Starlight facehoofed.

“You’ve done this before, right?” Twilight forced a smile.

Trixie waved a dismissive hoof and snorted. “Trust me. They won’t know what hit them.”

The facility wasn’t very attractive only a grey brick building protected by a chain-link fence. Combatponies patrolled the parameter, holding staves in their hooves. They looked bored but remained alert for any dangers. Twilight had told Trixie what happened to ponies that failed Shocker. It wasn’t a pretty fate. Still, it didn’t impress Trixie.

“The defenses inside are much tighter,” Twilight whispered, “See that lock over there? It needs a key card to open.”

“A key card?” Trixie asked. “As in a card that’s a key?” Great more strange technology. She wanted to break inside using her armor, but that would draw too much attention. She’d rather not fight Cupido just yet.

Twilight nodded. “It opens the door with a swipe of the card. A top-level Shocker pony should have it.” She scanned the Shocker goons for anypony important enough to have the key.

Much to Trixie dismay, nopony looked like their target. Somepony must have it, right? What if somepony needs the bathroom or there’s an emergency? Then, when Trixie suggested they just risk it and break through the rather flimsy looking walls, a pony dressed in a black jumper with a black barrette exited the building. The Combatponies gathered around her and saluted. They chattered with her giving reports. The pony berated several Combatponies for various breaches in protocol and adjusted the suit of one that had become untidy. They nodded and made their way back to the building. Trixie was already moving as she observed this.

“What are you doing?” Starlight whispered.

“Come on.” Twilight sighed and followed.

When Trixie was sure nopony was watching, she downed the mare with a single blow to the back of the neck. She lost consciousness quickly and Trixie grabbed her before she fell and made any noise. Twilight and Starlight made their way towards her.

“Get the key and open the door,” Trixie said as they approached. Twilight was the tech expert here having the knowhow to use the key card thingy. It was a far less complicated process than Trixie had expected. All Twilight did was swipe this red plastic card through two prongs of metal and a light turned green allowing them entrance.

“You move fast.” Starlight said as they entered the building. Nopony was in sight as they closed the door.

Trixie beamed proud of herself. “Great and Powerful Trixie, remember? I’m a mare of many talents. You don’t become a skilled magician without being quick on your hooves.” Seriously, everything about being a magician was about movement. Did Starlight know how fast Trixie had to move through cramped trap doors and passages to get into position for her next jaw-dropping trick? Being a stage magician was exhausting.

The building wasn’t much prettier inside, full of boring ordinary-looking offices. Twilight stopped Trixie as she attempted to proceed through the halls. She pointed at a strange moving box attached to the roof. It moved surveying its surroundings with a shining glass lense.

“What is hay is that?” Trixie asked. “Can it see us?”

“It’s called a security camera,” Twilight replied, “it records and transmits visual signals so guards can view what’s happening throughout the building.”

“Makes sense,” Trixie recalled seeing such devices in Ditzy’s torture house of evil. So that’s what they did. She watched them and realized that, like a pony’s eyes, they had a range of vision. These things had blind spots. It sounded simple enough.

“Follow me,” Trixie said already moving, “I can get us through its blind spots easy enough.” It seemed childishly simple really. Not unlike performing a slight of hoof trick while the audience wasn’t looking. She didn’t bother turning invisible. Shocker would be idiots not having defenses against such tricks. Besides, she wished to keep her illusion magic a secret for now.

“What about your cape? The camera could catch it.” Starlight pointed at Trixie’s marvelous cape like it was a traitorous villain.

Trixie rolled her eyes. “Don’t worry about it.”

“I guess Trixie knows what she’s doing,” Twilight said deciding not to argue, “I hope.” Her voice trailed off.

Combatponies patrolled the halls carrying what looked like stun batons. They remained alert despite the late hour. Trixie remained patient behind a sinister-looking statue of a pony wearing a pointed hood and cloak. The description labeled this pony the ‘Great Leader’. Twilight and Starlight nervously watched as Combatponies passed by. Trixie felt bad bringing them along. They were complete rookies to dangerous situations like this, but she couldn’t do this alone.

“So, where’s this computer thingy?” Trixie whispered as they slinked through more hallways. Already, they were lost. All these corridors looked identical.

“Bottom floor, better security systems will be guarding it,” Twilight replied.

“Like that?” Trixie pointed towards a key card reader attached to an elevator.

“Yeah...” Twilight sighed. “Only top-level ponies have clearance. It requires a level 4 key card. I could hack it, but it would take time.”

Hack it? Trixie wasn’t sure what that meant but allowed her friend to do her techno-magic. “Fine. I’ll make a way inside.”

“How?” Starlight tensed not liking her tone. “You aren’t suggesting we break inside?”

“Maybe a little.”

“Won’t we get caught?”

“Relax. I know what I’m doing.” Trixie repeated for the thousandth time. Such little faith in Trixie’s skills.

“Okay.” Starlight sighed resigned. “What’s the plan?”

Trixie led them to an office behind the elevator. According to Twilight, the building plan didn’t show any stairs leading down. They might exist, but Trixie didn’t want to waste time finding them. The office had a lock, but Trixie made quick work of it with a lock pick. Starlight gasped as Trixie pulled out her morpher and hit the last button on it. Her morpher summoned her sword in Trixie’s hoof. The situation didn’t require her morphing just yet. With several quick slashes, she created a large hole leading into the elevator shaft. Trixie spotted a ladder and put her sword in her mouth and started climbing down. Starlight stared in astonishment before joining after her. Soon their group was climbing to the depths below.

“We’re inside, but what’s the plan to escape?” Starlight looked down and gulped. “The bottom looks at least 20 stories.”

“Twi, you still have those explosives?” Trixie asked.

“Yes, why?” Twilight asked worriedly. She stroked the homemade bomb sitting in her pack with nervous energy.

“There’s an anti-teleportation shield, right? We’ll just blow it up!”

Starlight sighed. “Must all your plans involve destroying things?”

Trixie beamed unapologetically. “It’s what I’m good at.”

“Yeah, I remember.” Bitterness entered Starlight’s voice and Trixie rolled her eyes.

“If we can’t locate it, I’ll create an escape route through the ceiling. I can carry both of you, easy.” It would be messy, but nothing her Ranger form couldn’t handle.

They climbed down until they reached the bottom. Trixie pulled her sword out of her mouth to create a new door. A sound caught her attention and she froze and looked up to discover the elevator coming down with frightening speed right towards them. Trixie wasted no time and cut a path to freedom on an opposite wall. Combatponies could be behind it, but they had little choice. Trixie grabbed Starlight and Twi, who cried out in surprise as they crashed into the ground face first as Trixie threw them to safety. Trixie felt the wind against her back as she jumped outside the shaft right as the elevator hit the bottom floor. She narrowly avoided getting her back hooves crushed.

“That was close.” Trixie looked around at their surroundings as her partners got back to their hooves. She was in a strange high tech room full of identical boxes that blinked multicolored lights. They lined the entire room. What these boxes purpose was, Trixie couldn’t tell.

“We’re in the server room. The main computer should be close.” Twilight said. Trixie nodded and pretended that she understood what that meant. She’d ask for an explanation, but they were on a time crunch and didn’t have time for one of Twi’s long-winded explanations. Trixie kept her sword ready as they explored the room.

“It’s unbelievable!” A voice said, and Trixie recognized it instantly. It was Ditzy. “The gull of that mare.” Trixie peeked around the corner to find Candance and Ditzy walking out of the elevator.

“Yes, she enjoys flaunting in our faces how great she is,” Cadance said, “Can you believe she calls herself the Great and Powerful Trixie?”

Some ponies have no taste.

Ditzy laughed. “I know right. Stupid, though. She is making our job easier. These public appearances only make her easier to apprehend. Still, something is bothering me.”

“Is that why you want to access the hidden records?” Cadance asked.

“I can’t find anything about the Trixie of our world.” Ditzy scratched her chin in thought. “It might prove some clues on her habits and special talent. She’s from a different timeline, true, but it will give us something.”

Cadance raised an eyebrow. “You can’t find anything? Odd. Shouldn’t she have a counterpart?”

“You’d think so. But I couldn’t find anything about her in the public database. I figure the private files might have something. It’s worth a shot at least.”

Cadance shrugged. “Sure, I guess so. Lead the way. I don’t think I’ve ever been here before. In the meantime, how about telling me…”

“No Cadance.” Ditzy snapped. “My dating life is none of your business.”

Cadance rolled her eyes but smiled. “Fine, keep your secrets. For now.” They disappeared into a far room after Ditzy swiped her black keycard. A sign labeled it the Main Computer Room.

“Princess Cadance?” Starlight asked, confused.

“She’s Shocker’s assassin or something,” Trixie explained, “she’s pretty tough and beat my flank last time.”

Starlight tensed. “That doesn’t sound good.”

“Cadance.” Twilight’s voice trailed off.

“What’s the matter?” Trixie noted Twi wore a wistful, nostalgic expression.

Twilight shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. That was a lifetime ago.” Trixie shrugged, deciding not to pry.

“What now?” Starlight asked.

“Simple, we steal Ditzy’s keycard when she isn’t looking and get inside the computer room,” Trixie said.

Starlight made a face. “Simple enough. What could go wrong?!”

“Sounds risky. Can you pull it off?” Twilight gave Trixie a grave expression, knowing the cost of failure.

“Leave it to me,” Trixie smirked, forcing a confidence she didn’t feel, but it reassured her companions. Trixie already had a plan as a Combatpony passed by.

“Let me borrow that keycard we stole earlier.” Trixie attacked the Combatpony from behind using the blunt end of her sword, knocking her out cold. “I have a plan.”

“Well, that was interesting. Not the answer I was expecting. This requires further digging. I’d never thought I’d hear that name again.” Ditzy said as she exited the computer center place thing. Trixie stood straight and did the Shocker salute when the inquisitor passed. Just as she had anticipated, her Combatpony disguise rendered her invisible. She smirked and pocketed the keycard she’d just pickpocketed. The switch had gone without a hitch. Sure, Ditzy would notice her new card didn’t have the proper clearance and was only painted black, but Trixie hoped they’d be long gone by then.

“You there!” Cadance said, and Trixie stood at alert. She gave an attentive, but bored expression to avoid drawing attention. Much to Trixie’s relief, Cadance walked past her towards another Combatpony.

“Um, yes, sir, madam, sir?” The Combatpony replied, shrinking under her commanding officer’s glare.

“Your suit is crooked.” Cadance used her magic to adjust the mare’s suit, making it neater and straighter. “We expect all Shocker agents to dress their best.”

“Yes, uh, sir, madam, sir.” The Combatpony saluted.

“You’re new, right?” Ditzy asked and the other mare shrinking in fear.

“Yes.” The Combatpony’s voice squeaked.

“Relax.” Ditzy gave a smile. “It’s hard working from the bottom. Work hard and you’ll climb to the heavens in short order.”

Cadance nodded. “It’s nice to meet?” Her voice trailed off, expecting an answer.

“3351, sir.” The Combatpony replied. “That’s nice of you to say, sir. I’m super nervous.”

Cadance shook her head and gave a rueful smile. “Just don’t let me catch you with a messy uniform again.” She smacked 3351 on the back and laughed. Ditzy and Cadance climbed into the elevator. Cadance pulled out a notebook and wrote down something and gave 3351 covert glances. She smiled and slammed her notebook shut.

3351 sighed. “She’s nicer than I expected. Still, she’s pretty scary. Well, duh, what you expect from an assassin, right?” The mare laughed. Trixie only nodded. She tried leaving, but 3351 trailed her, eager for more conversation.

“I haven’t seen you around.” 3351 said. “You must be new too. What’s your name?”

Trixie sighed, trying to rack her brain for a good number. “0001.” Stupid, why did I say that? No way would she’d believe that.

“Oh, that’s a nice name!” 3351 smiled. “If you need anything, I’d be happy to help. Us new Combatponies need to stick together 0001!”

Thank Luna she’s leaving. There’s something familiar about that mare. Trixie kept a close eye on the camera and gestured for Twi and Starlight to follow.

“What was too close.” Starlight gripped her chest and calmed her breathing and rushing heart rate.

“That was nothing.” Trixie snorted and pulled out the keycard after levitating the security camera, observing the door out of place. “We better be quick. Somepony will notice I’ve moved the camera.”

“Let’s go, before Trixie does something else crazy and suicidal.” Starlight said.

“No, I’m just good,” Trixie replied. Starlight opened her mouth to reply, but Twi stopped her.

“Guys, stop fighting. Combatponies might reappear at any moment!”

“Sorry, you’re right.” Starlight muttered.

“Yes, stop interrupting me, Starlight.” Trixie swiped the card and the door’s light turned green, opening with the click.

“Oh, sorry to bother you again 0001, but do you know where the bathroom is?” 3351 ran up to Trixie. “I super need to go.” She froze when she noticed the two mares in stealth suits and the stolen keycard in Trixie’s hooves. “What is this?!”

“Grab her,” Trixie said, and Starlight grabbed the struggling mare in her telekinesis. The computer room door slammed behind them.

The computer room was a high tech paradise with monitors and blinking lights everywhere. It contained a console with a keyboard in the middle of this techno chaos. Twilight ran towards the console, tapping at keys.

“W-who are you? You’re not really a Combatpony, are you?” 3351 asked, stuttering in fear.

“I’m glad you asked!” Trixie tore off her mask, revealing her face.

3351 eeped in terror. “You’re that terrorist, Trixie!”

Trixie snorted, insulted. “I’m not a terrorist.”

“Well, I’m pretty terrified right now.” 3351 said sobbing.

“Relax, we won’t hurt you,” Trixie said attempting to soothe the other mare with mixed results.

“Okay.” 3351 said, resigned to her fate. “I guess.”

Trixie narrowed her eyes. This mare’s voice sounded so familiar. Then it clicked. “Fluttershy?”

3351 gaped in astonishment. “You know my name?”

“In my world, we’re friends!” Trixie said delightedly seeing a familiar face. Sure, she was part of Shocker, but details. And this mare didn’t seem that different from her Fluttershy.

“What?” Fluttershy stared at Trixie like she was crazy.

“I’m from an alternate timeline.” Trixie waved a hoof in a circle. “It’s a whole thing.”

“Trixie, should you really be telling her this?” Starlight asked.

Trixie shrugged. “Anyway, Flutters, do you still like animals?”

“Yes?” Fluttershy wasn’t sure she wanted to respond.

“Then what’s a nice animal-loving mare like you working for Shocker?” Trixie asked.

Fluttershy sighed. “I’m doing it because Shocker offers to play for college if you enlist for a few years. I want to become a veterinarian.” She sighed again, defeated and forlorn. “Not that it matters anymore. I’ll never live this down! I didn’t even fight back. Shocker punishes ponies that fail. I’ll be lucky if they let me live!”

Pity filled Trixie. She didn’t mean to walk in and ruin this mare’s life. Fluttershy didn’t deserve this. A light lit up in her head and she smiled. “Put Fluttershy down.”

“Why?”

“I’ve decided. She’s joining our side!”

“Eh?!” Starlight and Fluttershy said in utter bafflement.

“What? What? But! What?!” Starlight babbled, totally thrown off by Trixie’s unexpected proposal.

“You want me to join you?” Fluttershy asked, bewildered.

“Sure, why not?” Trixie beamed.

“That’s crazy!” Starlight said, almost delirious. “She’s part of Shocker!”

“Do you want to be part of Shocker?” Trixie asked Fluttershy, her voice earnest. “You know they’re bad ponies. We’re fighting for truth, justice, and friendship!”

Fluttershy sincerely considered her offer. “Well, you’re right there. Shocker is full of meanies and they’re not very nice to animals either…”

“See, perfect reason to join us!”

Fluttershy gave the offer several more long moments of consideration before nodding. “Okay, you’re right. I’ll join your group.” To signify this, she pulled off her mask, revealing her face.

“Welcome to the team!” Trixie shook Fluttershy’s hoof.

“Are you serious?” Starlight was at a loss for words.

“It’s fine!” Trixie gave Fluttershy a wink, who blushed in return.

“Whatever.” Starlight put her face in her hooves. “We are so screwed.”

“Guys, I’ve got something!” Twilight said pulling them back to the reason they infiltrated this facility.

Everypony rushed over to the screen and Trixie peered at some text that appeared on it. It filled the screen and Trixie guessed it was an old report. “What is this?”

“It’s a record of the renovations done on the Castle of the Two Sisters,” Twilight replied, “According to this, they found the statue you told me about and demolished it with a bulldozer...”

“Oh well, it was worth a try.” Trixie sighed, figuring this wouldn’t be that easy. Nothing in her life ever was. Still, were the elements gone for good? Their power always felt more metaphysical than physical to her. She didn’t lose her Ranger powers when she entered this timeline, so they must still exist somewhere. Or was friendship itself her power source?

Twilight started when she noticed Fluttershy peering over her shoulder. “Who are you?”

“She’s joining our side, I guess.” Starlight sighed, her tone defeated.

“Huh?” Twilight said, taking the unexpected news in. “Welcome to the team!”

“Thanks.” Fluttershy blushed.

“What now? We can’t win without the Elements of Harmony!” Starlight threw up her legs.

Trixie shrugged. “We’ll come up with something else. Anything on the Amulet of Kairos?”

“Nothing.” Twilight shook her head. She entered the Amulet of Kairos into a white bar and the computer replied with “No items match your search.”

Figures. If I had something that powerful, I’d make sure nopony knew about it too. “Anything else we can use? Like plans to the new castle? If we can defeat Shocker’s leader, it would be a good start.” Trixie suspected that if anypony had the Amulet of Kairos, it would be the head honcho.

Twilight tapped at the keyboard and broke into a grin. “Yes, I’ll download the blueprints to a tape.”

“Taking out the Great Leader, that’s, uh, quite the goal.” Fluttershy broke into a nervous sweat.

“Always think big, that’s my motto!”

“Got them,” Twilight said pulled out a strange box thing out of the computer.

“Let’s hurry. Princess Cadance might return at any moment.” Starlight turned to leave.

“No, wait!” Twilight said stopping her. “I want to check something first. Something Inquisitor Ditzy said bothers me.” She returned to tapping on the keyboard.

“Is it about this timeline’s version of me?” Ditzy’s words had also bothered Trixie too. Nopony knew her, which worried her.

“Give me a second.” Twilight gasped. “It can’t be.” Her hooves dropped and started in total shock.

“Oh, my!”

“What is it?”

“Trixie, somepony expunged your personal files from the public record!” Twilight replied.

Trixie blinked. “Why would anypony do that?” Had this version of Trixie done something? Was this Trixie also a freedom fighter, but got expunged for her trouble?

“I don’t know. But that isn’t everything.” Twilight paused and took in a breath. “The pony that did it was Twilight Velvet, my mother!”

Chapter 5

Galaxy Rangers: The Movie - Shocker Crisis!
Chapter 5
by Rixizu

Twilight stared for several long moments at the computer screen, unable to believe her eyes. Her mouth went dry and her pulse quickened.

“No way you’re right!” Trixie peered over Twilight’s shoulder. “Twilight Velvet? What the heck is going on? Is she part of Shocker?”

“She was,” Twilight said, “my mother was one of Shocker’s top scientists. She’s the reason I got into science.” And the reason I became a reporter. To finally find her.

“Was?” Fluttershy asked, voice concerned. “Did she, uh, fail Shocker?”

Twilight laid back into her chair and sighed. “I don’t know. One day, she disappeared without a trace or word. My father grilled Shocker for years about it, but they never told him anything. I was only a filly when it happened.”

15 years. Has it been that long? Why would her mom remove Trixie’s record? Twilight had to know. Trixie’s records stated that they had been redacted by Twilight Velvet five years ago, but didn’t give any reason. Where had her mother been since her disappearance? Did she still live? Her hooves returned to the keyboard and blurred as she typed desperate to find answers. According to her mother’s record, it marked her as still alive, though her location was classified even to a pony of Inquisitor Ditzy’s rank.

We’ll see about that. She inserted her hacking program into a disk drive. I would be messy and obvious, but she didn’t care.

“You need to hurry, guards are coming this way!” Starlight said peering out the door.

“Oh my, oh my, oh my!” Fluttershy flitted about panicking.

“No!” Twilight checked the screen, and she wasn’t even close to cracking the security yet.

“Yeah, somepony moved the camera as 5547 said!” Somepony said. “Slipped you think? It’s an old one.”

“No, I don’t think so.” Another pony said. “Something about this doesn’t smell right. I’m making a quick check of the computer room. Cover me.”

A radio crackled. “Yes? What?! Somepony broke into the elevator shaft? I’m on it, Inquisitor Ditzy. I suspect they’re in the computer room like you suggested. They have tampered with the security camera. I’ll stall them while you return. Out.”

“Oh no!” Fluttershy said, eyes going wide and fearful. “They found out!”

“Well, that complicates things.” Trixie sighed.

Starlight grabbed her head with her hooves. “This is a disaster! We’re trapped!”

“Sorry Twi, but it’s best we make a break for it,” Trixie said.

Twilight let out several curses. So close! After a moment of hesitation, she removed her hacking program. She refused to allow herself to get caught yet. Not when she was so close to finding her mother. They’d find the info another way.

“Your right, let’s go.” Twilight tucked her hacking program and data she’d collected so far into a pack on her hip.

A stallion burst into the room wearing a confident smirk on his muzzle. “So, you’re that Trixie causing so much hubbub. End on the line, baby.”

“Baby?” Trixie glared. “You’re asking for a bruising.”

The stallion’s form shifted, his fur turning green and scaly and his eyes growing to cover most of his face. His mouth extended, becoming a dark green beak.

“Call me, the Grimreaper Chameleon.” The monster said. “Enjoy these last few breaths; they’ll be your last.” Without warning, a red tongue sprouted from his mouth directly at Trixie. She dodged out of the way, but the tongue changed direction in mid-flight, wrapping Trixie tight. She cried out in pain as the monster swung her into a wall.

“Trixie!” Starlight shot several stun bolts, only for the Chameleon to jump onto the ceiling. He clung to it, running as Starlight threw more stun bolts at him. She cried out in surprise as he swung his tongue and Trixie into her and the Ranger’s body impacted with her head.

“Are you okay?” Trixie said, voice full of concern. Starlight moaned, unable to answer. Twilight rushed to her side, throwing random objects as a distraction. A chair collided with their opponent’s head, but he shook it off unharmed.

“Is this all you got?” The Chameleon laughed in derision. “If I stop you from using your Ranger power, you are nothing!” Trixie winced in pain as she collided with another wall.

Oh no, I can’t fight one of Shocker’s monsters! Twilight tried pulling the tongue off Trixie with her telekinesis, but it didn’t even budge. His grip was too powerful.

“Not yet,” Trixie grunted, struggling to free herself “and your breath is terrible. Do you know what brushing is?”

Chameleon snorted and threw Trixie towards a wall again, but Trixie shifted her body so she landed on her hooves instead. Her opponent cried out in surprise when she launched towards him colliding with him. His tongue loosened enough for Trixie to free her a hoof. She pulled out her morpher thrusting it forward.

“It’s morphing time, Usra!” In a flash, her armor appeared. With unbelievable strength, she tore herself free.

Chameleon hissed in pain, returning his tongue. “You haven’t won yet!” He jumped to the ceiling again and much to Twilight’s shock, he vanished. Trixie seemed more amused than scared and summoned her sword. She stood still, head down waiting for her opponent to strike.

“There!” Trixie swung her sword and the Chameleon hissed as Trixie’s sword cut into his chest and sparks flew from the wound.

Trixie waved a hoof and tisked. “Invisibility? That’s the worst trick to pull on me. Sorry.”

“No! Combatponies to my aid!” Chameleon cried out and ten Combatponies joined his side. Trixie eyed them, keeping her sword close. The monster disappeared again from sight.

Twilight used this opportunity to check on Starlight's condition. She was breathing, but unconscious with a minor concussion. “Watch her.” She told Fluttershy, who was hiding behind a chair nearby. The shaking yellow mare nodded and pulled Starlight to safety. Twilight jumped next to the Red Ranger, ready to even the odds. They stood back to back.

Twilight exchanged blows with the Combatponies, trying to keep them off Trixie’s back. They’d been artificially enhanced like all Combatponies with speed and strength surpassing normal ponies, but Twilight kept her own. She was a skilled Taekwondo practitioner and she took out a Combatpony with a carefully timed spin kick, hitting him right on the ear dazing him and causing excruciating pain. Their enhanced physical prowess didn’t stop them from having the same weaknesses as a normal pony. She dodged a punch to face and delivered a nasty kick to the sternum.

Trixie was doing better, taking out three Combatponies with three well-placed punches. She wasn’t bad, though Twilight could tell she hadn’t been practicing martial arts for very long. The Chameleon disappeared from view as he scurried away. Twilight cried out as his tongue grabbed her as she delivered a swinging high kick into the faces of three Combatponies. It roughly ripped her from the ground.

“Not again!” Trixie jumped and grabbed the tongue with a hoof.

The Chameleon struggled to pull Twilight under Trixie’s considerable strength. This gave Twilight time to free herself and the Chameleon winced when Trixie left go of his tongue and it smacked him in the face. He growled and swung at Trixie with his hooves. Trixie winced receiving a painful blow to the head and the Chameleon laughed as it jumped into the air dodging Trixie’s counter punch. It stuck to the ceiling and disappeared.

“You aren’t leaving here alive!” Grimreaper Chameleon’s ghostly voice seemed to come from every direction and Twilight couldn’t detect its source. “I’m sending you straight to hell.”

“Whatever.” Trixie shrugged and summoned her sword and threw towards a spot on the far wall. Chameleon screamed in pain as the sword struck him, forcing him to reappear clutching at his wound. He released his grip on the ceiling, crashing to the floor. Trixie waved a hoof. “You left a shadow, careless.”

Before Chameleon could react or even replied, Trixie retrieved her sword and pressed a button on her morpher. “Searing Blade.” Chameleon scream and collapsed as Trixie cut him across the chest and he exploded.

“Let’s get out of here.” Trixie ran to Fluttershy’s side. “How’s Starlight?”

“Ugh, what happened?” Starlight said in a daze.

“Can you stand?” Trixie asked.

She nodded stood shakily on her hooves.

“Not so fast!” Ten more Combatponies ran into the hallway.

“It was going so well.” Trixie ran towards hooves ready and Twilight soon joined her. Combatponies fell as they fought a path through the horde.

“Let’s go, I guess.” Starlight sighed and shot stun bolts at any Combatponies Trixie and Twilight missed. Fluttershy followed behind, staying out of the fighting. Which Twilight found strange. Didn’t the pegasus have the strength of three ponies? The poor mare wasn’t cut out for being a Combatpony, was she?

They reached the server room with more Combatponies trailing behind, refusing to give up the chase. Twilight levitated a heavy server, blocking the door. It wasn’t much, but it would buy them some time. The Combatponies pounded against the door, trying to force it open.

“That won’t hold them.” Starlight’s voice was tense and anxious. Her eyes never left the door.

“Won’t be a problem.” Trixie ran towards the elevator shaft and entered inside. “Looks clear for now.”

“How the hey are we going to climb that far?” Starlight demanded. “That’s like twenty stories.”

“Catch the ladder, okay?” Trixie said.

“What?” Starlight asked in confusion only to scream in terror as Trixie grabbed her and threw her straight up into the shaft. She flailed into the air before grabbing the ladder holding on for dear life. “You could have warned me first!” Her voice was full of venom and anger.

“You next, Fluttershy.”

“Um, I’d rather climb if it’s okay with you,” Fluttershy replied, backing away.

“It’s fine.” Trixie waved a dismissive hoof. “You have wings.” Fluttershy eeped when Trixie grabbed her and threw her up as well.

“That wasn’t fun at all!” Fluttershy yelled down.

“You next, Twi.” Trixie turned towards Twilight. They jumped as Combatponies dislodged the server blocking the door and flooded into the room.

“Get it over w...” Twilight screamed as Trixie threw her. Thankfully, Fluttershy caught her and placed her on the ladder. She calmed her beating heart. Trixie had almost thrown her to the top of the shaft.

“Get me, if you can.” Trixie gave the Combatponies a salute and jumped from wall to wall with mighty leaps until she reached the top of the shaft. She helped pull her friends onto the top floor.

“That was fun.” Trixie winced as a loud alarm blared through the building. “I guess they know we’re here.”

“Indeed we do, Trixie,” Cadance said with Ditzy following behind her.

“Oh no!” Fluttershy trembled under her hooves.

“Well, crap.” Starlight said.

Cadance… She was just as Twilight remembered her back when she was a foal. It felt like a lifetime ago, and now they stood against each other as enemies. Thankfully, her old foalsitter didn’t recognize her and she intended to keep it that way.

“Well, well,” Ditzy said, glaring at Fluttershy, “look who turned traitor.” Her tone made Twilight’s blood turn cold.

“Well, um. Hi! Uh. Funny seeing you here!” Fluttershy spluttered. “I’ll just be going!”

Cadance’s expression turned to one of great sadness. “And you had such promise too. You know what happens to traitors, 3351.”

“You leave her alone!” Trixie stood protectively above Fluttershy’s trembling form. “If you want my friend, you must go through me.”

“Gladly.” Cadance pulled out her buckle and attacked it to her waist.

“Don’t be too hard on her,” Ditzy said, “we still need Trixie alive. The Great Leader has shown an interest. The rest?” She shrugged. “Just don’t hurt 3351. She’s mine.” Poor Fluttershy almost broke into sobbing.

“Understood. Henshin!”

They were in a terrible position. Twilight had seen Trixie’s fight with the Kamen Rider and knew the Ranger didn’t stand a chance. If Trixie was scared, she didn’t show it, instead summoning her sword ready to fight. Cadance did the same, summoning her twisted sword from her belt. They exchanged blows with their swords repeatedly clashing. Already, Twilight could tell Cadance was playing with her opponent, testing Trixie’s skill with a sword. Despite her novice level, Trixie showed promise. But they wouldn’t win this way. They needed to focus on escape. As if things couldn’t get worse, Combatponies poured in from the elevator shaft.

“Cover me, I have a plan!” Twilight charged her magic and blasted a door to pieces. She knew the walls were too strong and thick to blast through.

“What?!” Starlight said, alarmed. “Okay…” She shot stun beams at the Combatponies rushing towards them.

“You can’t escape. I won’t let you!” Ditzy’s mechanical eye glowed and a beam shot from it. The blast burned through whatever it touched with ease. Twilight jumped over it as it melted through the building’s wall and turning computer banks and other equipment into metal goo. Twilight didn’t stop and kept running.

“My mane!” Starlight said, mortified. The beam had removed a large portion of her hair. She screamed and ducked as a Combatpony sent a punch towards her face.

“Come back here!” Ditzy shot another laser and Twilight ducked and spun as it pierced the wall behind her.

I need to cut the power! If she accomplished that, Twilight could teleport them away to safety. She just needed to find the generator.

“Searing Blade!”

Twilight cried out in surprise as Cupido flew through several walls, landing right in front of her. The alicorn shook her head and rose back to her hooves.

“Dirty trick using an illusion to confuse me.” Cadance’s tone was more annoyed than hurt.

Trixie bounded into the room and shrugged. “You win too much. It’s made you fat and careless. Not my fault.”

Cupido growled and summoned a polearm from her buckle. Twilight’s blood went cold. This meant her old friend was getting serious. The alicorn was skilled with a sword, but her best talents lied with the polearm. It was twice as long as a pony with pink blades shaped like a heart and almost as large as a pony's head attached to the black staff at each end. Trixie cried out in pain as the blade connected with her chest with such speed the Red Ranger didn’t even have time to dodge.

Trixie hissed and her horn lit up, creating five Trixies who circled Cadance at dizzying speed. They leaped at the Rider as one. They were no match as the Rider spun her polearm and sliced through everypony, using both sides of her weapon to make mincemeat of them. Cadance leaped and spun, connecting with the real Trixie’s chest as she attempted to ambush her from the air. She received a kick for her trouble and crashed down next to Twilight.

“Are you okay?” Twilight asked. She kicked aside a two Combatponies as they tried attacking her while distracted. The rest circled them, looking for the best moment to strike.

“Fine, not a big deal.” Trixie got back unsteadily to her hooves.

“Get off me.” Starlight tried shooting a Combatpony off her, but they dodged without difficulty. They forced a hoof behind her back and pushed her to the ground, trapping her in a painful hold.

“Oh my!” Fluttershy was free but watched helplessly as her new friends were getting beaten.

The Combatponies made room as Cadance approached. “It’d surrender, whoever you are. I promise Shocker wouldn’t have you executed.” She said towards Twilight, still not recognizing her.

Oh crap, we are in deep trouble. She started as Trixie gave her a reassuring squeeze with her hoof.

“I’ve got this.” Trixie’s voice was strong and confident.

“What? How?” Twilight whispered back.

“Fluttershy, grab Starlight.” Trixie pressed a button on her morpher and Cadance tilted her head in curiosity. Fire gathered around her blade and it turned white-hot.

“Super Searing Blade!” Trixie struck the ground under them and fire erupted, destroying everything in its path. Cadance cried out in alarm as it destroyed the ground under her. She fell, too surprised to think of flying. Twilight watched as Trixie’s attack destroyed at least fifteen floors below them, creating a gigantic melted crater. Twilight screamed as she fell, and Trixie grabbed hold of her.

“Can you teleport?” Trixie asked.

Twilight absorbed the destruction and devastation around her. She wondered if Trixie destroyed the teleport inhibitor. Her horn glowed with magic, but some force blocked her teleport.

“I’m afraid not,” Twilight yelled over the rush of wind. The molten concrete floor was getting frighteningly close. Twilight could feel the heat boiling her alive already.

“Shame,” Trixie said without concern. They stopped in midair as Fluttershy used her enhanced strength to grab them inches from the ground. Starlight was crawling over her head, clutching on in terror.

“Um, I’m sorry, but I can’t fly us...” Starlight accidentally inserted a hoof into Fluttershy’s mouth interrupting whatever she was about to say.

Starlight blushed. “Sorry.”

“Damn you, Trixie!” Some pegasus Combatponies said glaring at them from above. They gathered into the sky like a swarm of angry bees.

Oh crap. And it wouldn’t take long for Ditzy and Cadance to recover either.

“Oh hey, is that the teleport inhibitor?” Trixie pointed and Twilight blinked as she noticed an exposed machine, little more than a grey box with the words “teleport inhibitor” written over it. Trixie’s attack had just missed it and it peeked from a half-destroyed roof of a room.

“I guess it is,” Twilight said. She pulled her makeshift bomb out of her pack and started the fuse. It had five seconds until it exploded. With an expertly timed throw, the bomb landed next to the machine, and seconds later it exploded.

Cupido emerged from some rubble and let out some colorful words. She threw her weapon and Twilight and her friends, but they were already long gone by the time it reached them. They collapsed in an exhausted pile back at Twilight’s apartment.

“That was fun!” Trixie said, beaming. “I can’t wait to read your Lux article about it, Twi!”

Chapter 6

Galaxy Rangers: The Movie - Shocker Crisis!
Chapter 6
by Rixizu

“Oh my, oh my, oh my!” Fluttershy ran around Twilight’s apartment with nervous energy, putting everypony on edge immediately.

“What is it?” Twilight asked. Was there some way for Shocker to track her teleport? Did she hear something? Did they drop something leading Shocker right to them?

“It’s my animals!” Fluttershy said, unable to control her panic. “They’re all alone in my apartment. W-what if Shocker goes after them to get at me!”The poor mare almost broke down into tears.

Starlight Glimmer blinked, and Twilight was just as confused. She doubted Shocker would attack Fluttershy’s dog for revenge. Still, Twilight couldn’t let Fluttershy’s pets starve or run out of water.

“I might be a little difficult with my apartment so crowded, but I suppose we can bring them here.” For a reason Twilight didn’t comprehend, this statement brought amusement to Trixie.

“I love animals!” Starlight said. “So, what do you have? Cats, fish, or maybe a lizard?”

“You’ll see,” Trixie smirked, “come on, Twi. With your teleporting powers, getting them here should be easy.” And it was too soon for Shocker to search there. With a glow of her horn, she teleported with Fluttershy to the destination the mare described.

“Please help.” Starlight’s eyes widened to the size of dinner plates as a large snake tried to wrap around her foreleg.

Fluttershy giggled. “I think Mr. Scales likes you Starlight.” Twilight couldn’t hold back her smile.

“Great.” Starlight deadpanned and back away as the snake slithered towards her. She ducked, dodging a flock of birds as they flew past.

Twilight’s apartment was chaotic as animals played around in it. A duck knocked over a pile of books she’d neatly arranged and a bear lounged on her sofa. At least a dozen birds made a nest on her ceiling fan. Squirrels played on her bookshelves knocking over books almost giving Twilight a panic attack. She used her magic to grab them before they hit the ground. Fluttershy conversed with a white rabbit who looked annoyed.

“I realize it’s a big change Angel, but Shocker is after me now and my apartment isn’t safe,” Fluttershy replied, “just bear with it for the time being.” They both scattered out of the way when a pig ran between them.

The only one not overwhelmed by the chaos was Trixie, who watched the scene with an amused smile on her face. Trixie mentioned knowing a Fluttershy in her timeline too. No wonder the pegasus’s animal collection didn’t surprise her. Still, Trixie should have warned her first. What an infuriating mare.

“No!” Twilight used her telekinesis when raccoons tried breaking into a cabinet in her kitchen.

“You housed all these animals in your apartment? Why exactly?” Starlight asked.

“They’re her patients,” Trixie said, “did you forget she said she wanted to become a vet?”

Fluttershy nodded enthusiastically. “Oh yes, I love helping the local animals with their health problems. I don’t have any formal training, but I have some skills in nursing animals back to health.”

“Sorry, Fluttershy, but they can’t stay here.” Twilight used her magic to stop another pile of books collapsing after several rabbits started playing on it.

Fluttershy’s ears drooped. “I know, but I can’t abandon them. I just wish we had a larger more animal-friendly place to shelter in.”

Trixie clapped her hooves in excitement. “Of course! Duh Trixie. Why not use it as our base of operation?”

Everypony and animal looked at the Ranger expectantly. “What do you mean Trixie? There’s a place we can hide out in?” Besides, all these animals in her apartment would draw attention.

“Yes, but the problem is getting there.” Trixie stroked her chin. “I don’t have my Zord anymore.”

“You remember it from your world, right?” Starlight asked. “Who’s saying it’s even safe anymore? And what’s this about a Zord?” If Twilight remembered correctly, it was Trixie’s giant robot, which was pretty amazing. She’d kill to see such a technical marvel in person.

Trixie padded Starlight’s cheeks. “It will be. The problem is that it’s on the moon.” Everyone gapped at Trixie, their brains going into a temporary disbelieving stupor. Nopony said a word for several long moments.

“What?” Twilight opened and closed her mouth several times. What Trixie said was beyond crazy, not to mention impossible.

Trixie waved a dismissive hoof. “It’s one of Celestia’s old castles. To annoy her sister, she created it on the moon. No place would be safer. Unless Shocker has already claimed it?”

Corona? Wasn’t she a myth? She set aside the concept of ancient evil mythological beings, focusing instead on the problem on hoof.

“I don’t believe so, but how?” Twilight asked. “It’s on average 238,900 miles away from the planet!”

Trixie rolled her eyes and shrugged “You’re the genius here. I’m sure you’ll come up with something.”

It sounded absurd, but she couldn’t help but consider the problem. The puzzle was too intriguing. She considered how a unicorn might boost their teleportation capabilities. 238,900 miles was almost an impossible distance to cross.

She wondered how Corona not only teleported herself but hundreds of workers to build the project. Was it possible for a unicorn to achieve the same feat? This subject required research! Her stomach fluttered just thinking about it. Right after she wrote her newest Lux article.

Ponies needed to know about Trixie’s exploits at the Data Center Facility. It would give them the hope needed to rise against Shocker and bring freedom to the world. There was also the matter of finding her mother’s location. They needed a plan.

“Starlight, I want you to go to the local library and begin finding research materials for how we might teleport to the moon.”

“You still think that’s possible?” Starlight asked.

Twilight nodded. “I believe so. I suspect Corona didn’t teleport the workers she needed by her lonesome.” And that didn't even cover the supplies needed for construction. She must have used outside help.

“Sounds like a plan,” Trixie said, “make sure you’re wearing a disguise. You’re not high on their list, but don’t take any chances.”

Starlight rolled her eyes. “You don’t have to tell me the obvious.”

“As for you Trixie, I want you to help Fluttershy find somewhere safe to keep her animal friends until we discover a way to the moon.” Twilight turned towards the former Combatpony. “Sorry, but they can’t stay here.”

“It’s fine.” Fluttershy blushed. “You don’t have the food needed to feed them, anyway.”

“I have a better idea,” Trixie said, “let me handle finding your mother.”

Twilight recoiled in surprise. “What? How do you plan to pull that one off? You know nothing about hacking into computers.” And the information was beyond Inquisitor Ditzy’s pay grade. It wouldn’t be easy.

Trixie snorted in amusement. “Don’t worry about it, leave it to me. I have a hunch about how I might find her location.”

“How?” Starlight asked, mystified. “It’s beyond any of our reaches.”

“It’s my problem. Don’t worry about it.” Trixie waved a dismissive hoof.

“You’re not telling us, are you?” Starlight said annoyed.

“Nope.” Trixie replied without shame.” It would ruin the mystery. A magician never reveals her secrets.”

Twilight wanted to argue, but let the matter drop. She trusted the strange mare. She’d somehow gotten them this far. Besides, it would be obvious to anypony Twilight tried to access the information. Shocker would hide it, making it more difficult to get. Whatever Trixie’s method was, it would be so crazy they’d never think of it. Hopefully.

Trixie yawned. “I don’t know about you, but I’m beat. I’m going to bed.” She jumped on Twilight’s couch and fell asleep the moment she hit the couch pillow and snored loudly.

“I wish I could be that carefree,” Fluttershy said in utter amazement.

“Nope, she’s clearly insane.” Starlight replied.

What was Trixie, anyway? Insane? Brilliant? It was impossible to tell. Whatever she was, she was a force of justice, which was enough for Twilight. Fluttershy spent the next hour helping her animal friends get situated. Starlight slipped away, too concerned about discovery wanting to find the information as soon as possible. She planned on sneaking into the library at night and stealing the information instead of borrowing it like a normal pony. Twilight didn’t approve and told Starlight so. Stealing from libraries was a heinous crime! It was preventing ponies from learning and gaining new information! Besides, they needed to be better than Shocker. They shouldn’t sink to their level to win.

“We’re rebels, remember? We can’t afford to follow the law.” She teleported away before Twilight had a chance to refute that ridiculous argument. She sighed and open her computer, beginning her Lux article while the raid’s details were fresh in her mind. The common ponies needed to be told the details before Shocker printed their skewered censored version of the events.

“Trixie is so awesome!” Rainbow Dash squealed in delight as she read the Lux article for the twentieth time.

“Yes Rainbow, you’ve told us a thousand times already” Twilight rolled her eyes. She tried getting some work done on her computer, but Rainbow Dash fangirling was a constant interruption.

Pinkie giggled. “I’ve never seen Dashie so interesting in something so nonflyee before.”

“Usually reading the news is dullsville, but Lux is making it super exciting! Oh, Trixie is so cool!” Rainbow Dash hugged the piece of flimsy close. Twilight found it irritating that Rainbow Dash worked at a newspaper, but didn’t bother reading what she helped deliver. She, like Twilight, worked as interns at Ore Journal. Rainbow made sure the newspaper kiosks and vending machines had papers every morning.

“This Lux fellow has become an interesting character.” Hot Scoops said from his desk. “Shocker has been very hush-hush about the attack on the Data Center Facility, but my sources tell me this little article is very close to the truth.”

“Really?” Twilight perked up.

Hot Scoops sniffed. “I suspect Lux, whatever they are, helped in the attack. Their description of the incident was too specific.”

“Lux must be quite the pony,” Twilight said, pretending to be mystified. She cursed herself for making Lux’s involvement so obvious. She couldn’t help her constant need to remain truthful and accurate. She needed to be more careful. This made Lux an even bigger target for Shocker.

“That was my assessment too.” Da Chief said. “We need to assess how accurate Lux’s statements were. It is obvious something big happened last night.”

“Ahem.” A pony cleared their throat and they turned and collectively groaned.

“You will do no such thing.” Shocker Truth Assessor Cheerilee said. “As far as Shocker is concerned, this little incident didn’t happen. It was a gas explosion, nothing more.”

Cheerilee picked the piece of flimsy from Rainbow’s hooves and crushed it into a ball. “This is nothing but terrorist propaganda created to spread discontent among the populous. Trixie is nothing but an escaped criminal. She’s not the hero this Lux proclaims her to be.”

Everypony in the room scowled. This meant they couldn’t investigate the attack on the Data Center Facility. Twilight wanted to use Ore Journal to collaborate with her Lux article, showing ponies it to be the absolute truth. This ruined her plan. Suppressing the truth made Twilight’s stomach turn in disgust.

“I don’t want to hear a word of this nonsense in today’s paper, or ever.” Cheerilee continued. “I don’t want to hear a whiff of you investigating this fake attack. Understood?” She gave everypony each a pointed look. It seemed Shocker wanted to suppress everything about the attack. It made sense. Trixie made them look like complete foals, and the incident would damage their credibility.

“It would be my pleasure, Truth Assessor.” Da Chief replied, though his voice contained an edge to it. He too hated suppressing the truth.

“Good.” Cheerilee wore a wide smile. “I’ll enjoy reading today’s paper. I do so love your articles, Pinkie.” Pinkie gave the mare a grave nod. Cheerilee returned the nod before leaving them. Dear Luna, how could a stooge like Cheerilee be Trixie’s friend in her world?

“Oh, well.” Da Chief sighed. “There are other big stories to pursue.”

“Oh, like the robbery at the Ponyville Library?” Pinkie suggested.

“Robbery?” Twilight didn’t suppress her rage after hearing that news despite already knowing about it. Book theft, regardless of the reason, was unforgivable.

“Yep!” Pinkie replied. “They stole over a dozen books. I was about to leave to investigate it right now.”

Rainbow groaned. “Ugh. This can’t be worth your time, Pinkie. Why can’t you write another article about Trixie visiting Starbucks again? That one was fun to read.”

“Again?” Twilight dreaded the answer. Surely Trixie wouldn’t be foolish enough to appear out in public and buy coffee again? Right? She fought back a groan when Rainbow pulled up the forum post on Pinkie’s computer. Sure enough, it had a picture of Trixie buying coffee at the same Starbucks. She posed with their ponies in the shop wearing a cocky grin on her face. What was with that girl? Why must she goad Shocker at every opportunity?

“Eh, I can’t write every story about Trixie.” Pinkie shrugged. “Sides, this book theft case is beyond heinous!”

Something we can agree on.

“Whatever.” Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes.

“Pinkie, I want you to continue investigating the library theft case.” Da Chief said. “I’ve got a good feeling about it.”

“What about us?” Hot Scoops pouted.

“Twilight, Scoops, I want you to go to Sweet Apple Acres and interview the owner Applejack.” Da Chief said. “I’ve heard it’s been a hard year for the local farmers, one of the worst in years, and I want to know what Shocker is doing about it.”

Yes, taking Shocker to task for something! It’s not big, but it’s something. “On it, chief!”

“And you.” Rainbow froze as she attempted to sneak out unnoticed. No doubt to sneak a nap somewhere and slack off, as usual.

“Yes, boss?” Rainbow tensed, worried what her boss might say next.

“I have some old boxes of papers that need moving into storage, and you’re the perfect pony for the job.”

“Fine.” Rainbow didn’t look happy but followed the chief as they headed into the basement. Twilight took some delight in her friend’s torment. Hard work was good for her. She’d never get into the aerial trick team Shockbolts with that attitude.

She hopped on her motorcycle and followed Hot Scoops as he drove his car towards Sweet Apple Acres. The wind blew through her hair always which always excited her. She forgot her troubles, only enjoying the thrill of the ride and speed of her bike. It was like flying to her, and she wondered if Rainbow ever shared the same feeling. She recalled the times she convinced Cadance to race her when they were younger. Nothing but her, the bike, and her opponent. She considered them some of the best moments in her life. How things had changed. Now her old foalsitter was an enemy. Her mood plummeted and she slowed her driving. Despite everything, she didn’t want to fight Cadance. The older mare was like a sister to her. She wondered if it was the same in Trixie’s timeline? She hoped so.

They would defeat Shocker. Twilight clung to that determination. With Trixie’s help, they might free this world and Cadance would give up working for Shocker. Unlikely, but a hope worth grasping on to. If Trixie could find her mother, the odds would shift in their favor for sure.

Please find my mother, Trixie.

Trixie sipped her coffee, enjoying the spicy taste combined with a large amount of sugar she added. It boggled the mind most ponies found chili peppers in coffee disgusting. She tilted her hat down like a pony passed by, but they ignored her.

Finally! She watched as Ditzy kissed her daughter on the cheek and waved her goodbye before leaving for work.

Trixie had arrived outside the inquisitor’s house hours before daybreak and had found a shadowed alley to hide in. She couldn’t afford to miss the mare and her patience paid off. It surprised Trixie that Ditzy also had a loving daughter in this timeline considering she was an evil torture loving fascist. She wondered how different this Ditzy really was from her Ditzy. Their love seemed genuine and sweet. It seemed even Shocker couldn’t remove Ditzy never-ending kindness. Could she use that to save Ditzy? She pondered this quandary, following the mare from the shadows.

After Ditzy got a quick breakfast at a local diner that Trixie’s Ditzy also loved eating at, she went to work at the same facility that had held Trixie. The Red Ranger didn’t dare enter, instead, she watched it from a distance. She couldn’t afford to get caught. Ponies thought her reckless, but Trixie always knew what she was doing. Most of the time.

Come on. Do what I suspect you’ll do. Trixie thought her plan was a long shot, but she knew Ditzy. The two mares had similar minds and Trixie understood how her friend thought. Trixie guessed this timeline’s Trixie’s disappearance nagged at Ditzy. Somehow Twilight’s mother was responsible. The inquisitor would investigate why, and Trixie would use that. If her plan failed? She’d sneak in without stealing anything Ditzy had found. It wouldn’t be a total loss.

Hours passed and Trixie waited. She ate a banana and spinach sandwich she’d packed earlier for lunch. Trixie had almost given up hope when Ditzy exited the building. From the mare's expression, she looked excited.

Bingo. Ditzy had found something. Trixie cursed when the inquisitor got into one of those strange ponyless mechanical carts. She’d never follow it on hoof. Those stupid things were fast. This world’s technological breakthroughs never ceased to boggle the mind. Even after a day of playing around, Trixie still couldn’t make any sense of Twilight’s computer thingy. Why would anypony waste their time playing on it all day? Besides, the constant light bothered her eyes.

Oh well, plan B. Trixie jumped into an empty alley.

“It’s morphing time! Usra!” Trixie jumped up the wall and clamored onto the roof. She peered around, trying to find the mechanical cart Ditzy had gotten into. It didn’t take long for Trixie to memorize the license plate. She followed jumping from roof to roof and used her invisibility spell to hide her presence. She scared some pigeons but otherwise remained unseen.

Ditzy’s mechanical cart stopped before a large huge grey building. Several layers of barbed wire fencing surrounded the imposing grey building. It had guards and security equipment stationed everywhere. The sign outside read Shockeropolis Maximum Security Prison.

Ditzy went through several layers of security before they allowed her entry. Even her status as an Inquisitor didn’t allow her easy access. After much hubbub, they allowed her inside. Trixie didn’t dare attempt breaking inside by herself. It would be premature. She needed more info first before attempting anything. Still, she smiled ear to ear. She was almost certain she’d found Twilight mother, Twilight Velvet.

Ditzy nodded to the guards as they saluted to her. She followed the wardens as the mare led Ditzy through the prison. It was the most maximum-security prison Shocker had at its disposal. Some of the worst criminals in Equestria lived here and also rebels that dared act against Shocker. Twilight Velvet was a special case, however.

“I’m surprised you found out about the special prisoner, Inquisitor.” Warden Flim said.

“Few even know about her existence.” Warden Flam said.

“It’s my business to know everything.” Ditzy sniffed. It had taken some doing, but she’d found where Twilight Velvet was being kept. She burned through twelve favors just to get this information, but no secret was beyond her grasp.

“I’m grateful you’re allowing me to meet with her.” Not that they really had any choice. When Inquisitor Ditzy Doo approached, you listened or else.

“It’s our pleasure to assist,” Flim said cooly.

“Right this way.” Flam gestured towards a door leading deeper down into the facility. After going down several staircases, leading them into the part of the prison that held Equestria’s most dangerous.

Ditzy recognized many of the ponies on display. She’d helped put most of them here. Usually, prisoners jeered and yelled at ponies passing by as a ridiculous and futile attempt of rebellion. One look from Ditzy, however, made them back away in fear, terrified she might be here for them. She took pleasure in their terror. A wise decision.

“Yoohoo!” A voice cried out, drawing their attention. A white unicorn waved at them with a handkerchief. “About time you ponies answered my requests. I’d do anything to get a decent cup of tea.”

Flim groaned. “We aren’t here for you, Rarity. This isn’t a pleasure cruise.”

“Make trouble, and you’ll be in solitary confinement again.” Flam snorted in annoyance.

“Well, now rude. You’re not gentlecolts at all. You have no clue how to treat a lady.” Rarity stuck up her nose. She was infamous as a thief, con-artist, femme fatal, and rebel. It had taken years to capture her and more finding a prison to hold her. She pouted when the stallions ignored her when she fluttered her eyelids at them shamelessly.

“You aren’t escaping again,” Flim said.

“So don’t bother trying to seduce us,” Flam added, “we aren’t so gullible.”

“You’re no fun.” Rarity puffed out her checks. She sat in her bed and hum a jaunty tune to herself. Her ability to ignore her dire surroundings was impressive.

“You better not let her escape.” Ditzy’s words make the wardens tense. Shocker had lost millions of bits to this one mare. They didn’t need another disaster running around causing problems.

“We’ll keep a close guard on her!” Flim said, sweating.

“Never going to happen!” Flam pulled at the collar of his warden uniform.

They ignored Rarity as she stuck her tongue out at them and got back to the matter at hoof. They passed several more cells before reaching their destination. For some reason, the cell was pitch black, revealing nothing within.

“Sorry,” Flim said.

“We have trouble getting power in this cell,” Flam added, “not that the prisoner minds much.”

They jumped as an eerie laugh came from the darkness. “Have you come for my services again? I’d almost thought you’d forgotten about me.”

“I’m afraid not this time. There are some questions I wanted answered.” Ditzy said, regaining her composure. There was a reason they hadn’t used Twilight Velvet despite her immense scientific skills. From the secret reports, Ditzy more than agreed with them. This mare was dangerous.

“Pity.” Twilight Velvet yawned. “Go bother somepony else. If you don’t need my scientific skill, I don’t care.”

Ditzy’s face scrunched up in annoyance. The blatant disrespect to Shocker executives was one reason with mare was down here. Ditzy put a deadly edge into her next words.

“Tell me about Trixie Lulamoon.” She said.

No sound came from the cell for several long moments. Ditzy lost patience, ready to demand the question again, but Velvet surprised her with her next words.

“Which one?”

An unexpected chill traveled down her spine, unable to speak for several long moments. She turned towards the wardens and gave them an icy glare.

“Well?”

“She doesn’t even have a TV!” Flim turned pale, backing away in fear.

“We don’t allow the guards to even speak down here,” Flam said, “she’d received no contact with the outside world.”

Ditzy whipped back towards the cells. “How do you know of the other Trixie’s existence?”

“Other Trixie?” Twilight Velvet’s voice was innocent. “I only ask because I’ve had many test subjects over the years. How can I remember just one?”

Right. I’m being paranoid. Twilight Velvet can’t have any knowledge about the Trixie from Timeline C. Her strange answer only threw me off guard. Was that deliberate?

“Why did you delete her personal files in the Shocker database then?” Ditzy asked.

It sounded like Twilight Velvet was giving them a shrug. “Beats me. It was years ago since they have allowed me in any lab. An embarrassing failure maybe?”

Ditzy narrowed her eyes. “You don’t make embarrassing failures.”

“I’m bored. Is that all you wish to ask me?” Twilight Velvet replied.

Ditzy fought the urge to grind her teeth. No wonder they threw this mare into a cell, brilliant or not. If only her knowledge wasn’t so valuable. “If you corroborate, I promise you Shocker will allow you back into a lab again. There’s one in the prison, correct?”

“I honestly don’t remember.” Twilight Velvet gave out a yawn. “Please leave, I’m getting tired.”

Ditzy asked several more questions, but Twilight Velvet gave no reply. She whirled on the wardens. “I want you to give me everything you have about her.

“It’s not much, but we’ll give you what we can,” Flim said.

“The computer room isn’t far,” Flam said, “I believe we have records of the experiments Doctor Shinigami asked of her several years ago.”

If Twilight Velvet refused to cooperate, Ditzy would find the answers another way.

Chapter 7

Galaxy Rangers: The Movie - Shocker Crisis!
Chapter 7
by Rixizu

“I’m telling ya, it’s ain’t right!” The apple farmer, Applejack said. Twilight captured every word she spoke on her notepad. “I’m here trying to make ends meet like any decent pony and gosh darn Shocker ain’t doing a lick to help! Sure they got their fancy-dancy cyborgs, but cyborgs still need to eat!”

“I see, and Shocker is slow to provide financial assistance?” Hot Scoops asked.

“Sure, we get a loan once in a blue moon, but they’re never in any hurry to dispense it.” Applejack replied. “We ain’t top priority!”

The apple farmer spent several more minutes venting her frustrations before finishing up the interview. She gave many scathing remarks about Director Carrot Top, the head of Shocker’s Department of Agriculture, calling her an incompetent nincompoop. Twilight carefully edited those parts, turning them into gentle criticisms instead.

“Thank you for your time, Applejack,” Twilight said.

“Ah shucks, any time sugarcube.” Applejack replied. “Sure you ain’t interested in staying for supper. We might be struggling, but I ain’t about to turn away a guest!”

“We’d love to!” Hot Scoops beamed. Twilight’s stomach growled and she nodded. It had been a while since she’d had anything better than ramen noodles. Being an intern was hard, not providing much to pay the bills. She hoped Ore Journal would hire her on full time by the end of the year.

Something caught her eye and she turned to find Trixie waving at her. Fright filled Twilight’s heart, hoping nopony was around to see the world’s most wanted fugitive. She excused herself for a moment and rushed over.

“Hey, Twi. Big news!” Trixie said, beaming.

“What are you doing out in public?” Twilight scolded. “What if somepony sees you?”

Much to Twilight’s irritation, the scolding didn’t chastise the Ranger even a little. If Trixie was Princess Luna’s student back in her world, Twilight wondered how Luna kept her sanity.

“What is it?” Twilight sighed, deciding to change the subject.

“I found your mom!” Trixie replied. A jolt like lightning hit Twilight, gasping she raised a hoof to her face, it was shaking and she couldn’t stop it.

“Where?” She demanded.

“Shockeropolis Maximum Security Prison. It’s like super secure and full of bad guys, but hey, we can figure something out. ”

Shockeropolis Maximum Security Prison? Dear Shocker, Shocker wasn’t making this easy on them. She’d visited there once for a school trip. It boasted security and technology beyond anything she’d seen since or now. It had scanners that analyzed a pony’s DNA. It was far beyond what they faced in the Data Center. Still, despite everything, Twilight would free her mother.

Twilight ran back to Applejack to excuse herself, unfortunately, Applejack wouldn’t have any of it, forcing Twilight to have dinner with her family. It was a good meal and Applejack had a nice family. She chided herself for trying to avoid the meal. Twilight Velvet wasn’t going anywhere and rushing in blind without a plan helped nopony. She enjoyed the apple farmer’s company more than she expected and was sorry to leave her.

She waved goodbye to Hot Scoops, promising to send him a transcript of their interview via e-mail tonight. She found Trixie waiting for her back at her apartment, thankfully not getting into any more trouble. Twilight had worried Trixie would get into mischief left alone. The Ranger was awkwardly tapping at Twilight’s computer, pressing each key with a careful hoof acting as if the computer would explode if she hit the wrong key. Fluttershy stood behind her, giving advice.

“This internet is interesting,” Trixie said as Twilight entered, “but I can’t find much about Shockeropolis Maximum Security Prison.”

“Not surprising,” Twilight replied, “it’s one of the most secure prisons in the world.”

“It won’t make sneaking in any easier. Even an outside photo would be helpful.”

“Well, uh, I’m sure Twilight will think of something,” Fluttershy said. Angel stood on her back watching Trixie play on the computer, “she’s a super genius. She can hack into their computers, no problem.”

Twilight made a face. “I’m not that skilled of a hacker. Shocker would notice the intrusion and come after me. I can’t cover my tracks well enough.”

“Well, darn.” Trixie left the computer desk, giving Fluttershy room to use Twilight’s computer. “I’m sure we’ll come up with something,” The ex-Shocker Combatpony opened a video of a kitten playing with a string and giggled. Angel gave a rare smile, watching with interest. Twilight gave it an eight on the cuteness scale.

“Where’s Starlight?” Twilight asked.

Trixie shrugged. “Off researching somewhere.”

I hope she’s not stealing more books again. Twilight still fumed with anger over that.

Fluttershy laughed again as a kitten got stuck in a small plastic tube while trying to explore it. The mare eeped when Trixie let out a cry of triumph.

“I’ve got it!” Trixie looked right at Angel and Fluttershy.

“Uh, why are you looking at me like that?” Fluttershy asked dreading the answer.

“Fluttershy’s animals can scope out the place!”

“No, no, no!” Fluttershy’s eyes were wide and fearful. “It’s too dangerous!”

Trixie looked right at Angel. “Nopony would care about a rat running around the place!”

“Angel is not a rat, he’s a bunny!” Fluttershy replied indignantly.

“You know what I mean.”

Twilight realized Trixie was right. Unless they wanted to break in blind, Fluttershy’s animals were their best chance to gather intel on the prison. “Please, my mother is there,” Twilight gave the ex-Shocker Combatpony a pleading look, “I have to find her!”

Fluttershy winced and looked towards Angel for guidance. The bunny sighed and nodded, and Fluttershy slumped.

“If you’re sure?” asked Fluttershy returned her attention back to everyone else. “He said he’ll do it.” Her voice became stern “But you escape at the first sign of trouble, got it?” Angel nodded.

Trixie grinned. “Looks like we have our in.”

“Are they in position?” Trixie asked behind Fluttershy who wore those techno earmuff things over her ears called headphones next to her home computer. They allowed the mare to communicate with Angel and her three mice friends infiltrating the prison. Everyone scrunched together in Twilight’s small apartment, eager for what Flutter’s animal friends might discover.

“They’re in position outside.” Fluttershy gave a solemn nod. She was all nerves, terrified something might happen to her friends. All her other animals huddled around her for support.

“Commence the operation!” Trixie commanded and Fluttershy gave her pet bunny the command to dig a small hole under the fence. Moments later, they were inside the compound.

“I can’t believe we’re depending on rats for this.” Starlight looked up from her book.

“He’s a bunny!” Fluttershy grunted in annoyance.

Thankfully, Starlight’s highway robbery had borne fruit and the books she’s procured had contained some clues about how they might teleport to the moon. It would take some advanced equipment, but it was doable. Twilight joined her, lost in her reading. Not even a crashing airship would catch her attention.

Trixie shrugged. “Needs must.”

“Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear!” Fluttershy hyperventilated her breathing coming in ragged gasps. “Angel’s spotted Combatponies!”

The mare listened for several moments before letting out a relieved breath. “That was a close one! They ducked out of sight!”

Trixie rolled her eyes. “Flutters, they haven’t even entered the complex yet. Getting worried about everything won’t help anything.”

Fluttershy slumped and sighed. “I know. Shocker is super scary. I can’t help but worry.”

Typical Fluttershy, whatever the universe. Trixie put a comforting hoof on the animal lover’s shoulder. “They’ll be fine.”

“Okay.” Fluttershy said glumly before perked up. “Oh, my! That’s interesting.”

“What is it?”

“Ben overheard something! Uh-huh. Oh my, it seems he’s found the wardens. They’re talking about a special prisoner! Think that might be Twilight’s mom?”

“Sounds like it!” Trixie leaned forward. “Get every word.”

Fluttershy took out a notepad and transcripted their entire conversation. Twilight Velvet was being troublesome and not revealing anything helpful. As punishment, they had imprisoned her in solitary confinement in the deepest part of the prison. Good. The less Shocker knew, the better.

“Keep on them, have everyone else map out the rest of the prison,” Trixie said, “see if they can locate where Twilight’s mom is being held.” Fluttershy nodded and scribbled harder in her notebook.

“At least we know her location,” said Starlight, putting down her book.

Still, why all this secrecy around this timeline’s Trixie? She looked forward to asking Twilight’s mom.

“I’ll get our suits ready, I take it we’re attacking it tonight?” Starlight asked.

“I want you to stay here,” Trixie replied.

“What?” Starlight exclaimed, eyes going wide.

“I want you to control this headphone stuff and keep watch here. We need somepony on the outside. Besides, I need you to continue with the moon teleporting research. We’ll need a base soon. Twi’s apartment is getting too crowded. We might need a quick escape.”

“Okay.” Starlight wasn’t happy, but she complied.

Fluttershy’s eyes widened. “What about me? Y-you’re not asking me to go in there with you?”

“No, you’re our getaway driver,” Trixie replied. Fluttershy released her held breath, relieved.

“Good, if you will excuse me, I need to get a nap for tonight’s mission!” Trixie jumped on Twilight’s couch and threw a blanket over her head. “I need my beauty sleep to stay refreshed.”

Starlight, Fluttershy, and her animals stared at Trixie before sighing and putting their hoofs/claws/paws on their faces.

“She’s our only hope. She’s our only hope.” Starlight rubbed her temple and repeated this mantra, hoping it to be true. Trixie grinned under her cover. It was fun messing with them.

Twilight peered over the rooftop, using her binoculars to get a better view of their objective. Goodness, this place had a lot of guards and Trixie wanted them to enter alone? Starlight was fussing over the comm and Fluttershy swung her head back and forth, terrified that any nearby shadow might contain Shocker agents.

“You think we can enter undetected?” Twilight asked.

“Sure,” Trixie said with a confidence Twilight didn’t share, “it’s the breaking out part that will get messy.” This time, the Ranger wore the catsuit without complaint. Twilight supposed this showed how seriously the mare was taking the mission.

Twilight slapped her cheeks. She could do this. Her mom was depending on her! She pulled up the sleeve of her catsuit and checked her watch. It was about two in the morning. The prisoners were asleep and only a skeleton crew was on staff. They wouldn’t find a more ideal time to strike.

“Ready?”

Trixie snorted, giving a smug smile. “As if you have to ask?”

“Good luck!” Fluttershy yelled after them.

They approached the electrified prison fence. A single touch would kill a pony in seconds, but as they approached, some gophers waved at them, pointing towards a small hole they’d dug under the fence. Sweat formed on Twilight’s brow as she ducked low to avoid hitting the deadly metal with her back. They clung close to the wall, watching out for any cameras. Thanks to Fluttershy’s recon team, they knew their locations, but it didn’t hurt to be cautious. A Combatpony approached, but Trixie’s magic rendered them invisible. The inside of the prison had protections against such powers, but the outside was fair game and the guard passed them none the wiser.

The building loomed above them, it looked massive even from this distance. Twilight knew it stood at least four stories high. The next obstacle was the second inner wall made of solid stone standing on concrete. Pegasi Combatponies patrolled the sky, and Twilight located motion detector above the wall. She didn’t know their specs but guessed they would have a long-range. Any attempt to jump over it would set off an alarm.

A small bunny waved at them. They approached, staying out of view of the flying guards. Angel pointed towards a small crack in the wall just big enough for a bunny to fit through. The only other entrance was the gate where several Combatponies stood at attention.

“What now?” Twilight asked.

Angel tapped his paw in annoyance and pointed at their unicorn horns, gesturing them to do something magical. Trixie gave the problem a moment of consideration, before slapping her head with a hoof.

“Break the wall,” Trixie said, “my magic can silence the sound. It’s not pretty, but it will get us through.”

How long before somepony noticed? Five, ten minutes at most? Trixie’s magic worked like a charm and the wall broke open without making a peep. Inspiration stuck and Twilight used her magic to make the damage look like a natural collapse. She wasn’t confident it would fool anypony, but it might buy them valuable time.

They followed Angel towards the other side of the building to discover a nondescript door with an intimidating complicated lock. A sign indicated for guests to scan their retina and hoof on the panel.

“And you’re sure this will work?” Trixie stared at the machine like it was the greatest technological marvel in history.

“I’ve already got this handled.” Twilight gestured towards the scanner. “Try it. It will register you.”

“Okay.” Trixie reached out a hoof like it was cobra ready to strike with deadly venom. She tensed as it scanned her, worried an alarm might sound at any moment. Instead, the light turned green and the door unlocked. Trixie stared at it in wide-eyed amazement.

“I hacked into the system and added your profile.” Hacking into the system wasn’t as difficult as Twilight had expected. Their security for low-level systems was pitiful. She registered Trixie as a new guard and nopony had been the wiser. “It’s basic level 4 clearance only. I have a plan for how we might enter more secure areas.”

“Nice!” Trixie beamed and gave Twilight a hoofbump and they hurried inside, finding themselves in a bland corridor. They appeared to be in the administrative part of the prison, full of identical offices.

“Any more neat tricks?” Trixie asked. “Can you higher my clearance from here?”

Twilight shook her head. “Not from here. Only the wardens have that clearance. They should have a computer we can use in their office. I can hack it, no problem.”

Trixie slammed her front hooves together. “Lead the way.” Angel nodded and they followed him through the confusing corridors.

The décor became more fancy and expensive the further they explored. The prison had a mansion where the two wardens lived, complete with servants and everything. This section’s security was light for the wardens who cared more about security for the prisoners than themselves. After stealing some maid costumes from the wash, nopony even glanced at them. Angel and the rats hid in Trixie’s apron’s pockets.

Twilight tugged at the skirt of her disguise. It was far too tight and she flushed at how much skin it revealed. Still, needs must and it allowed them to explore deeper into the mansion. To maintain the illusion, they carried cleaning supplies and faked dusting the expensive statues that littered the corridors. They avoided high ranking ponies out of fear of getting challenged.

Angel guided them to the top floor and the décor became even more lavish. Dear Shocker, the rug she stood on could pay for a modest house. Laughter echoed through the corridors coming from a door at the end of the hall. Glasses clinked together the two wardens enjoying a drink. Two Combatponies stood on guard, sharp and alert despite the late hour.

Twilight peered over the corridor, eyeing the obstacle to their progress. They crouched down, muttered quietly how they might approach the problem. They jumped as a stallion in a tux stomped towards them and yelled at them.

“What are you doing?!” The stallion said. “Slacking off on the job, are you? You have five seconds to get down into the wine cellar and start dusting. The head maid has been on my flank because of how dirty it looks.” He glared at them only for his eyes to widen in surprise as he spotted a bunny popping out of Trixie’s apron.

“Hold on, who are you?” he sputtered. Twilight opened her mouth hoping to come up with some excuse but suddenly the stallion’s eyes rolled up into his head and he slumped to the ground unconscious. Behind him stood a grinning Trixie, her hoof held against a nerve cluster on his neck.

“Is everything okay?” Starlight asked, her voice alarmed.

“It’s fine. We handled it.” Trixie peered at the stallion before brightening.

“You have an idea?” Twilight rose an eyebrow.

“Excuse me,” Trixie said, walking up to the guards.

She wore the butler’s suit after using her pocket disguise kit to match the colors of the pony she was masquerading as. Trixie insisted on keeping her illusion magic a secret from Shocker. Twilight followed behind still in her maid disguise, head hung low pretending to be in deep trouble.

“Wait here,” Trixie held her head high eyeing the fake maid with disgust, “the Wardens shall decide your fate.” Dear Shocker, the Ranger had almost convinced her she’d really done something wrong. The Combatponies saluted and let Trixie pass. The guard watched her silently judging her. Twilight eyed the camera watching from across the hallway. She made no reaction as Ben scurried up towards it and disconnected it.

“Explain. What are you here, Silver Utensil?” One warden said. “Don’t you know the hour? We were about to get to sleep. Inquisitor Doo is visiting us in the morning and we’ve been on our flanks all day!”

“A maid has done some serious damage to one of your paintings,” Trixie said, no doubt surveying the room. They needed to know of any unexpected surprises before striking.

“Again?” The other warden groaned. “Why bring this to our attention now? Couldn’t it wait for the morning?”

“Friad not, sir,” Trixie replied, “I feel it’s only the start of the trouble.” Twilight got the hint and attacked the nearest Combatpony with a strike to the throat. They crumbled to the ground. The other’s eyes widened in alarm, but she used her magic to slam his head hard against the door.

“What the hay was that?” The first warden said in alarm. Twilight opened the door and threw the two unconscious guards inside.

“What?” The first warden, a unicorn stallion with slicked-back red mane, took a step back.

“Ha!” Trixie threw off her disguise, revealing her true face. “You’ve been bamboozled by the Great and Powerful Trixie!” Twilight revealed her true appearance too. Wearing her mask, of course.

“You!” The second warden, another unicorn wearing a prominent mustache, backed away overcome with fear.

“That’s right,” Trixie replied, “you better show us where your computer is, or things are about to get messy!”

“Uh, guys.” Fluttershy said over the comm. “Trouble is coming your way. Inquisitor…” Everypony jumped as an alarm blared, hurting their ears.

Twilight groaned. “They must have discovered the broken wall.”

“Don’t fret, brother.” The first warden wore a triumphant smirk. “The hated Ranger is powerful, but we outnumber her two to one. Shocker has blessed us with the newest augmentation. She’s no match for us!”

“Right!” The second regained his confidence. “They aren’t leaving here alive!”

“Let’s join, brother!”

“Righto! Let’s show this foal the true power of Shocker’s science!”

The two wardens’ bodies glowed so bright Twilight had to avert her eyes. The two lights formed together, merging into something new, greater. It intensified until solidifying into a powerful, dangerous new form. The creature was beyond anything she’d ever seen in her life, a monstrous combination of a scaly lizard and a scorpion. Its left hoof had deadly claws while the other had a powerful pincer. A scorpion tail grew from its head and it dripped a deadly poison that melted the floor on contact.

“Call us, Sasoritokages.” The monster said. “You should feel lucky. We are a new experimental model of Shocker monsters!”

Trixie pulled out her morpher. “Twi, do you computer stuff. I’ll handle this guy. It’s morphing time, Ursa!”

Twilight nodded and ran past Sasoritokages. They ignored her, focusing on their true foe instead. The combatants circled one another, waiting for somepony to make the first move. The monster threw the first punch and Trixie dodge sending a counter punch into the creature’s torso. Sasoritokages huffed in amusement and knocked the Ursa Ranger in the head with its pincer sending her into a nearby table shattering it to pieces.

“Ouch.” Trixie groaned in pain. “They weren’t kidding. Got to turn it up a notch.” She summoned her sword and leaped out of the way as the monster jumped down towards her head to cave her skull in with its pincer. Trixie swung her sword towards the creature’s head. It sent off a few sparks, but Sasoritokages appeared unharmed.

Twilight ran towards the warden’s office and blew the door open with a magical bolt. She didn’t have time to waste. Inquisitor Doo was on her way. It only took a moment to spot their computer. The alarm appeared to blare even louder, reminding her she didn’t have long until this place swarmed with Combatponies. She pulled out her hacking device only to stop and smirk. The wardens had helpfully put their password on a post-it note on the side of their computer screen. They must have assumed nopony would get this far.

Twilight entered the password, FliMFlAm00, and the computer’s desktop screen popped into view. She clicked on the Prison Security app and reentered their password, which worked like a charm. They must hate having multiple passwords. It took only a moment for her to find the screen for modifying high-level security. It would be simple to give Trixie access to the most secure parts of the prison.

“What are you doing?” Sasoritokages roared and Twilight screamed as the monster ran towards her and clamped her neck with its pincer.

“Twilight, what’s happening?!” Starlight asked, but Twilight was too busy struggling for breath to answer.

“Twilight!” Fluttershy cried out, alarmed.

“Twi!” Trixie ran towards them, but she’d arrive too late. Blackness was already filling Twilight’s vision. She tried prying the creature away with her magic, but it was no use. He was too powerful.

“Attempting a prison break, are you?” Sasoritokages laughed. “Too bad for you that nopony has ever escaped Ponyville Maximum Security Prison. Not alive anyway.”

“No!” Twilight gasped.

The front door burst open and

Combatponies flooded into the warden’s mansion, led by Inquisitor Doo. She smirked when she spotted Trixie and her mechanical eye glowed an eerie red.

“I knew it. Any sort of trouble is your doing.” Inquisitor Doo said. “Well, it’s the end of the line. Get her.” The Combatponies surrounded Trixie, leaving Twilight at the mercy of Sasoritokages.

Chapter 8

Galaxy Rangers: The Movie - Shocker Crisis!
Chapter 8
by Rixizu

“Huh, it seems you really have me in a pickle,” Trixie said in a tone that vastly understated the severity of the situation. She spoke as if she’d just been inconvenienced by the traffic.

“Surrender or your friend will lose a little off the top of her head!” Sasoritokages increased the tension on Twilight’s throat.

“Twilight! Twilight!” Starlight panicked over the comm, terrified and unable to help.

“I can’t surrender.” Trixie shrugged. “What about my mission? I’m here to rescue somepony.”

“You don’t have a choice!” Sasoritokages spat. “Give up, or this filly dies!” The Combatponies moved in closer to the Ranger, but Trixie only stood there.

Come on Trixie, do something! Twilight sent a glare towards her friend, but Trixie didn’t even so much as a twitch.

A confused expression passed over Inquisitor Doo’s on her face. Sudden realization hit her and she gave Sasoritokages a frantic look. “You foal. She’s stalling for time. It’s an illusion! She’s right behind you!”

Out of literally nowhere, Trixie appeared behind Sasoritokages and slashed them with her sword. They cried out in pain and released Twilight. The Trixie the Shocker goons had been circling gave a wave before disappearing in a cloud of pink smoke.

“Are you okay?” Trixie asked.

Twilight grabbed at her throat. It was sore and had a nasty claw mark over it, but she was otherwise undamaged. “I’ll live.”

“Quick, do you computer stuff while they’re distracted,” Trixie whispered before standing in front of her blocking Shocker’s view. She created an illusion of Twilight standing still, staring at the Shocker goons with a fearful look. Twilight nodded and levitated the computer’s mouse, clicking several options to give Trixie the proper clearance. Sure, Trixie could explode every obstacle, but unlocking them would be simpler.

Ditzy growled and gritted her teeth. Sasoritokages cried out in pain as she slapped them across the face. “Idiot! How did you not notice her sneaking behind you?”

“I’m a mare of many talents,” Trixie replied, her voice holding no modesty. “I could list them all, but I don’t think the universe will live long enough.”

“It matters not.” Ditzy’s voice held an icy calm. “Reinforcements will be here soon enough, and this prison will become your new home. You and the rest of your little band of rebel scum.” The Combatponies moved in to attack. Sasoritokages stood up straight, trying to regain their dignity and joined their comrades for a joint attack.

“Scum?” Trixie replied indignantly.

“Get her!” Sasoritokages charged, and the Ursa Ranger dodged an incoming claw. Trixie used her sword to keep the Combatponies away from Twilight, giving her the time she needs to complete her task.

“Are you done?” Trixie whispered, and Twilight nodded.

The illusion of Twilight disappeared, much to the surprise of the Combatponies, and the real version unleashed a crippling blow in the nearest goon. She flipped others into the warden’s computer, smashing it to pieces and hiding what she’d just done. Trixie slashed Sasoritokages with her sword against, but it did no damage and she received a painful blow to the chest for her troubles.

“It would be fun to play longer, but we must dash.” Trixie gave the Shocker agents a salute and out of nowhere hundreds of Twilights and Trixies appeared running in random directions. The Combatponies waved their heads around frantically, trying to find the real articles. Some copies ran out the front door and Combatponies chased after them. Inquisitor Ditzy yelled for calm and order, but the chaos drowned her out.

“Shhh, quiet. Follow my lead,” Trixie whispered and rendered them invisible, and they sneaked out a side door which turned out to lead to a bathroom, a dead end. “Not what I was expecting, oh well.” She used her sword to cut through the wall and they entered a passage leading deep into the mansion.

“Angel, we don’t have long. Could you guide us to the most secure part of the prison?” Twilight asked and the bunny nodded, leading the way. Trixie’s illusion dropped as soon as they reentered the prison proper, but it didn’t matter and they ran at full speed. An alarm blared through the complex, which gave Twilight a headache.

“After them!”

“It’s the hated Ranger!”

Combatponies swarmed after them. The entire complex was alive and gunning for their lives. They clogged the corridors, slowing their path to a crawl. Twilight cursed. They didn’t have time for this. Twilight ducked as a Combatpony swung a knife towards her throat and slammed them against the wall with a powerful punch. Another came at her with a billy club, and she ripped it from his hooves and knocked him across the head. She used her new weapon to great effect, fighting back to back with Trixie who was swinging her sword wildly. Angel joined the fighting too, using bunny kung fu to send Combatponies flying. He was deceptively strong from someanimal so small.

“There’s too many of them!” A Combatpony jumped Trixie from behind and then several more dog-piled on top of her. Twilight blew them off with a magical burst and they crashed into their fellows.

“Thanks.” Trixie got back to her hooves. She kicked one of the Combatponies unconscious as she tried standing. Twilight’s attack had cleared out most of the bad guys, giving them the freedom to escape.

Angel led them down some winding corridors. They finally stopped at an elevator with a sign indicating this led to the special prisoner section of the prison. Trixie wasted no time and scanned hoof with the scanner. Moments later, the elevator door opened with a ping, allowing entry. They cried out in surprise when Sasoritokages crashed through a wall, followed by Inquisitor Ditzy.

“You’re not making this easy on us, are you?” Trixie sighed before charging at Sasoritokages with her sword. She ran up the wall and attacked the monster from the air. They grunted in pain, but her blow still didn’t do that much damage.

Twilight tensed as Combatponies surrounded her with Inquisitor Doo slowly stalking her like she was a prey animal.

“You’re here for the special prisoner, right?” Inquisitor Doo studied Twilight, trying to gain her measure. “You are, aren’t you? I wonder why?“ The other mare’s gaze made Twilight uncomfortable. Had the Inquisitor figured out Twilight’s identity?

Twilight yelped in surprise as Trixie grabbed her with a hoof and threw her into the elevator. Twilight groaned in pain as she righted herself after impacting the elevator wall.

“Hold on a minute!” Twilight didn’t have time to protest, for Trixie used her magic to press the down button and elevator doors closed with a slam. Angel gave her an encouraging smile before joining the Ranger in the fight.

“Do what you need to do.” The elevator doors muffled Trixie’s words. “We got this up here.”

“Trixie, you idiot!” It was too late, and Twilight was already going down into the terrible depths of the Shockeropolis Maximum Security Prison.

“Great, I’m going down into the depths of a prison with no way of escape,” Twilight said as the elevator descended deeper into the center of this infernal facility. Trixie had forgotten that Twilight needed her bioprint to return to the surface. Pushing her head had only trapped Twilight down in this pit with some of the vilest and dangerous criminals in Equestria.

“Starlight, can you still hear me?” Twilight asked her comm hopefully. Starlight could rescue her. The confusion caused by Trixie’s rampage might provide the distraction she needed. She paused. No response.

“Terrific…” Twilight was all alone.

Ding. The elevator stopped and opened. It revealed a dark corridor and Twilight popped her head out, expecting Combatponies everywhere. Instead, she saw nopony. Twilight stepped a tentative hoof out of the elevator. She’d find her mother first, then come up with an escape plan.

Twilight kept low, trying to not draw attention to herself. Few Combatponies barred her path, and she avoided them without issue. Their small number didn’t surprise her. This section of the prison housed only twenty prisoners. She saw them sleeping in their glass homes. Dear Shocker, she recognized many of these ponies from the news. Murders, traitors, and worse. The pony in the cell in front of her, Cobalt, killed twelve mares before they caught him. Even Shocker found what he did to his victims monstrous. The next, Livewire, kidnapped foals for little other reason than his own amusement. Most returned alive, but never the same. This one, Sea Swirl, was the infamous dine-and-dasher who skipped out of over 1,000 meals before getting caught.

“Psst.” Somepony tapped at the glass next to her.

Twilight shrieked, startling everypony awake. Ponies were rousing awake by the unexpected noise leaving Twilight seconds to make herself scarce. She pulled out her climbing gloves and clung to the ceiling, hoping, praying they would hold.

“What’s the racket?” A Combatpony stomped into the prison block, a furious expression on her face.

“Sorry dear, I had a bad dream.” A mare with an elegant voice said.

The other cellmates groaned and complained angrily about their sleeping being interrupted. The Combatpony yelled at and threatened the mare several more times before resuming her patrol. After Twilight made sure the guard had departed, she dropped to the ground.

“Sorry about startling you, darling.” The elegant mare said. “If I’d know I’d give you such a fright, I would have tried a more gentle approach.”

A white unicorn walked up to the glass, a friendly smile on her face. Something about this pony’s appearance stuck Twilight as familiar, but she couldn’t quite place it.

“Hi, thanks for not reporting me to the guard.” Twilight gave the other mare a wary look.

“Not a problem, dear.” The mare replied. “From your most fashionable getup, I can tell you aren’t part of the guard. Here to stage a rescue, are we? I’m Rarity.”

The name echoed through Twilight’s head as she tried to recall where she’d heard that name before. A gasp escaped her lips when she finally placed it.

“You’re the Rarity that stole 10 billion bits from Shocker’s research department!” Even Shocker with its obsession with bringing ponies to the next stage of evolution balked at such a loss. It stalled almost all their major projects for years. The money’s whereabouts still remained a mystery.

Rarity beamed with professional pride. “All in the name of stopping Shocker’s evil, darling. They were performing some truly inequine experiments. Why are you in this dreadful place? I take it, it isn’t to visit?”

“I’m here to rescue Twilight Velvet, my mom!” Twilight replied and froze when she realized she’d revealed too much. Something about Rarity made you want to talk with her.

An expression Twilight couldn’t quite place passed over Rarity’s face. “That one? Yes, I see the resemblance. That mare is dangerous, there’s a reason they locked her up.”

“What did she do?” Twilight felt the sudden urge to defend her mother. She was only little when her mom disappeared, but her mother’s loving smile never left her after all these years.

Rarity thought about it. “Well, it wasn’t one thing exactly, but she’s unpredictable and too brilliant for her own good.”

Twilight bristled. “When she gets out of here, she can use that brilliance to put an end to Shocker’s evil for good!”

“I suppose so, darling.” Rarity replied. “A mother and daughter deserve their happy reunion. Come, we’ll spring her before Shocker realizes you’re here.”

“We?”

“You’ll need my help, darling.” Rarity beamed. “There’s no prison I can’t escape from.” To demonstrate, she pulled out a needle from under her mattress and placed it in between the door mechanism. After several seconds of fiddling, the door opened with a hiss. Twilight starred, mouth agape.

“The real issue is getting up the elevator.” Rarity said. “I’m still not sure how to crack its security. Not that it matters with you here since you already have the passcodes.”

Twilight froze, unsure how to reply. “Not exactly.”

Rarity wrinkled her brow. “Is that so? No matter. We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. Twilight Velvet is being held in solitary confinement. In the meantime, you can explain to me how you marvelously infiltrated this prison.”

“Trixie? How marvelous. No wonder Shocker’s been running around in circles.” Excitement overcame Rarity when heard Twilight’s brief explanation.

“You’ve heard of her? Down here?”

“Combatpony 8611 is a terrible gossip, and the Ranger has been the talk of the town for days. The more I hear of your merry band, the more I find it fabulous!”

Twilight supposed so. So much had happened since Trixie entered their world. It gave a pony hope that Shocker wasn’t unbeatable.'

“And here we are.” Rarity gestured to a line of metal doors. They had no windows indicating who might be inside. Twilight’s heart raced as they approached.

“How do we get in?”

“Oh, ye of little faith!” Rarity pulled out her needle and fiddled with the controls of the cell. It took two minutes, but the door opened with a hiss, revealing nothing but darkness within.

“Hello?” Twilight called out in the darkness, her heart thumping harder in her chest.

“Oh, time for another interrogation? At 3:40 in the morning? How tedious.” A pony said inside.

“No, darling.” Rarity replied. “We’re here to rescue you!”

A pale grey unicorn mare walked out of the cell. She had purple hair like Twilight, but it had white stripes instead of raspberry. What stuck Twilight most about her mother was her eyes. They contained ferrous intelligence that scanned the room with a casual, bored interest.

“Mom.” Those were the only works Twilight could spill from her lips, so overcome with emotion. Twilight Velvet’s boredom turned to confusion before her eyes widened.

“Twilight?!” Twilight Velvet said in complete astonishment.

“Mom!” Twilight ran to her mother, embracing into a gigantic hug. Her mother hugged her back the same way she did all those years ago.

“I’ve missed you so much!” Tears flowed in Twilight’s eyes, unbidden and unrestrained.

Twilight Velvet stroked her head. “So have I, Little Spark.”

“Mom!”

Several minutes passed as Twilight Velvet comforted her long-lost daughter. Grim reality returned as a Combatpony came upon the scene, ruining the moment.

“Hey! An escape attempt?!” The Combatpony blew a whistle attached to her suit.

“It was a sweet moment too.” Rarity said with a huff.

Twilight mentally hit herself for getting distracted. Happy reunions would have to wait, and she stood in front of her mom protectively as Combatponies appeared ready to surround them.

“Whoever you are, give up!” A Combatpony said. “We’ve got you surrounded!”

“Such rudeness!” Rarity sent that Combatpony a nasty uppercut and they crashed into a wall.

Twilight smiled at her, impressed. They worked together to fight off the horde showing no quarter. Her mom watched the scene with intense interest, taking pleasure in her daughter’s fighting skills. The other prisoners yelled for freedom as they ran past towards the elevator, but they ignored them. They didn’t have time, and Twilight gritted her teeth as a pony wearing a black beret blocked their path.

“Impressive you’ve gotten so far, but your journey ends here.” A thick red shell formed over his body and a terrible looking claw formed from his right hoof. His face became this hideous cross between a pony and a crab with two sharp fangs. “You’ve entered the depths of hell and none leave alive! Call me, Kanibubbler!”

Twilight dodged as it sent its powerful claw towards her head, which shattered the nearby wall when it missed. Combatponies filled the other end of the corridor, leaving them surrounded. Rarity watched Twilight’s back as she tried fighting this monster by herself. Twilight Velvet continued to observe the fight with interest but did nothing to aid them. Twilight ducked under another blow from the creature’s formidable claw and sent a stun beam his way. It bounced off his shell and he laughed in amusement.

What can I do? I can’t defeat this thing without Trixie’s help! Twilight sent a punch into Kanibubbler’s chest but only hurt her hoof.

“Oh dear, this is looking dire.” Twilight Velvet’s voice remained calm, almost bored. “Give me a second, Little Spark.”

Whatever her mom was planning, Twilight would have her the time she needed. Another punch did no damage, but it kept his attention on her so he didn’t go after her mom and Rarity. The creature grew tired of Twilight’s dodging and speed and changed tactics. Bubbles shot from its mouth right towards Twilight. She flipped away, avoiding the attack by a hair. A nearby Combatpony wasn’t so lucky and screamed as they impacted his face. Moments later, his body dissolved into nothing. Twilight’s heart raced. A few seconds had been between her and certain death.

She circled around her opponent, wondering if there was any way for him to get past him. Any prolonged conflict wouldn’t end well, and Trixie still needed their aid. She dodged another shot of bubbles that burned through the concrete wall in moments. Fear filled her heart when she realized the monster had her cornered and Rarity was too busy fighting off Combatponies to help her. Kanibubbler looked pleased with himself, enjoying her helplessness and terror.

“That’s enough, I think.” Twilight Velvet struck the monster’s back with a beam, and much to Twilight’s amazement, it made the creature stagger in pain. Her mom threw something to her hooves. It was a metal gauntlet, pure white with purple highlights.

“It isn’t much, but it will turn the tide of the fight.” A smirk formed on her mother’s face. “Show me your power, Little Spark.”

Twilight nodded and took the gauntlet, slipping it onto her right hoof. Its power surprised her as it shattered the stone floor as soon as she started walking on it. Her mom had given her an item of immense power. It took her a moment to adjust her walking pace so she wouldn’t break the floor or throw herself into the air.

Rarity cried out in pain as she fell to the floor after Kanibubbler knocked her over with a slap of his pincer, leaving her prone and helpless. Kanibubbler opened his mouth, preparing to shoot deadly bubbles at his helpless victim.

“Hold on, Rarity!” Twilight sent leaping punch towards the monster, and he cried out in surprise as the blow threw him aside like he was a leaf in the wind.

“You won’t get another shot!” Kanibubbler snarled, sending a barrage of bubbles in Twilight’s direction. She cartwheeled to safety.

“Thanks, darling!” Rarity fought off several Combatponies as they tried attacking her.

Twilight delivered several devastating punches towards her opponent, keeping out of the way of its mouth lest it finish her with a bubble attack. The creature staggered, surprised by the power of her attacks.

“Is this the power of Twilight’s Velvet’s brilliance?” Kanibubbler said.

Twilight’s mom scoffed. “Hardly. It’s something I made from junk. Finish this fool so we can escape.”

“You’ll pay for this!”

Twilight cried out in fear and surprise as Kanibubbler sent a cascade of bubbles in Twilight Velvet’s direction. Her mom calmly sidestepped the attack, and Twilight took advantage of the distraction by delivering a devastating gut punch to the creature. The gauntlet shattered on impact, but the creature toppled over in pain, unable to move.

Twilight winced. “There goes our only means of attack.” Her attack had only stunned Kanibubbler. It would recover soon.

Twilight Velvet shrugged. “No matter. Come, let’s leave this place.”

“I agree.” Rarity let out a breath. Somehow, she’d taken care of the Combatponies. Her mane was ruffled, but she was otherwise unharmed. They made their way towards the elevator.

“What now?” Twilight asked. “We don’t have Trixie to open it.”

Twilight’s mom used her magic to open a panel next to the elevator. “May I borrow your needle?”

“Sure thing.” Rarity levitated over her needle and Twilight’s mom examined it.

“Sonic needle?” Twilight Velvet said with appreciation. “Nice little tool.”

Sonic technology? Impressive. No wonder the door to Rarity’s cell didn’t stand a chance.

“You won’t believe what it took to smuggle it in here, but a lady doesn’t go anywhere unprepared.” Rarity replied. “But that locking mechanism is beyond anything my…” She froze when the elevator opened with a ping. “Or maybe not.”

“Come.” Without prompting, Twilight Velvet entered the elevator and her two companions rushed in after her.

It amazed Twilight how quickly her mom could solve any problem without even a sweat. No wonder Shocker feared her brilliance. The elevator opened to a scene of total chaos. Half of the building was missing its roof and parts of the prison were on fire.

“I see your friend has been busy.” Rarity said in stunned silence. Twilight Velvet showed a rare smile.

They soon found Trixie. Combatponies, both fallen and ready, Sasoritokages, and another monster part pony part piranha surrounded her. Inquisitor Doo stood in the background, a snarl plastered on her face. The Red Ursa Ranger stood amongst the chaos, sword in hoof in a battle stance. Angel stood with her, his fur blackened a little, but otherwise unharmed.

“Don’t worry Trixie, we’re here to help!” Twilight ran towards the battle and shot a Combatpony with a stun beam as it tried attacking Trixie from behind.

“Nice,” Trixie gave Twilight a wave. The piranha monster charged, claws extended, and screamed in pain as Trixie delivered a blow to its midsection with her sword. It went flying across the room when Trixie followed up with a powerful kick.

“You, how did you escape?” Ditzy snarled. Her eyes narrowed when she spotted Twilight’s mom. “Of course, I should have known.” Twilight flew back as a beam of energy shot from her eye, severing a large section of the floor.

Combatponies broke off to confront Twilight and Rarity, banishing scimitars and knives. Her mom, as usual, stood off in the background, not bothering to engage with the enemy. Twilight and Rarity sent a spin kick into a Combatpony which toppled over their friends. Angel joined to help and sent a Combatpony’s head into a wall.

“What do we do?” Sasoritokages asked, sweat forming on the brothers’ brow. “They’re proving more bothersome than expected.

“Oh?” Twilight Velvet raised her head when a figure walked in their direction from a hallway.

“Even with the three of you, you’re unable to handle this pitiful bunch?” The figure said. “You disappoint me, Inquisitor.”

“Ambassador Hell!” Inquisitor Doo did a Shocker salute along with the monsters and Combatponies.

“Well, we just…” Sasoritokages said before being silenced by the Shocker General.

“Silence.” Ambassador Hell said. “You are the latest in Shocker technology. I expected better.”

“Yes.” Sasoritokages flinched back.

Ambassador Hell? Twilight’s heart raced with terror.

“Twilight Velvet, have you finally turned your back on Shocker?” Ambassador Hell sent an eye towards Twilight’s mom.

“Like I was ever with you.” Twilight Velvet replied. “You were a useful stepping stone for me, that’s all.”

Ambassador Hell turned away and drew a whip from his waist and faced Trixie. “Redeem yourselves and capture Twilight Velvet and Trixie’s associates, I, Ambassador Hell, will handle Trixie myself.”

“Right! Anything you say!” Sasoritokages rubbed his pincer and claws together.

“So, are you the big boss pony?” Trixie asked.

“My name is Ambassador Hell! One of the three Shocker generals of Equestria!” Ambassador Hell said. “Your rebellion ends here, Ranger.”

Twilight jumped as her mom tugged at the sleeve of her sneaking suit. “You have an escape path, correct? We have no time to waste.” There was urgency in her expression.

Twilight gave a reluctant nod. “Fluttershy, get ready. We need a quick escape!”

“Um, sure,” Fluttershy said over the comm.

“What’s going on?!” Starlight said. “You disappeared!”

“We might need to go to the moon faster than expected,” Twilight replied, “get ready!”

“What?!”

“The moon?” Twilight Velvet raised an eyebrow.

“I’ll explain later!”

Sasoritokages jumped several hooves into the air and landed next to Twilight. “You aren’t getting away!”

“Excuse me, can you hoof over your comm for a second?” Twilight Velvet said with an unnatural calm given the circumstances. Twilight did so, and her mom tinkered with it with Rarity’s sonic needle.

Sasoritokages laughed. “There’s no escape! This hell will become your graveyard! Huh?” He froze as Twilight’s mom levitated the earpiece towards their ear and screamed as the earpiece shot out, a piercing sound that gave Twilight an instant headache. The monster collapsed on the ground in pain, stunned.

“Those Shocker idiots always liked talking too much, come.” Without another word, Twilight Velvet made her way towards the edge of the prison.

“But what about Trixie?!” Twilight and Rarity had to run to catch up with Velvet. Combatponies ran after them, but they had an excellent head start.

Trixie screamed and Twilight turned to find her under a barrage of whip attacks from Ambassador Hell. They moved so quickly that they were nothing but a blur to Twilight’s eyes.

“Is that the best you’ve got?” Trixie swung her whip at the general, but he tore her sword away with his whip. Trixie counterattacked with a barrage of punches, sending the Ambassador back.

“Not bad.” Ambassador Hell said, a grim smile on his face. “It’s about time I got serious.” He transformed into his monster form, Garagaranda. He was a terrifying cross between a rattlesnake and a pony with cyan scales and red and white stripes. His right hoof was one long whip.

The speed the monster moved was unbelievable. Every step Trixie made, the general was two steps ahead of her. The Ranger sent a series of punches towards him, only to hit air and received a barrage of whip attacks for her trouble. Trixie staged trying and failing to keep with Garagaranda’s speed.

“Pathetic.” Garagaranda wrapped his whip around Trixie’s throat and threw her through several walls. The Ranger grunted in pain and tried to get back to her hooves, only for Garagaranda to kick her through another wall. The general put one boot on Trixie’s chest, trapping her. She tried struggling for freedom but to no avail.

“Trixie!” Twilight yelled out in terror. Angel’s eyes filled with concern and worry. He wasn’t friends with her, but he didn’t want to abandon her either.

Trixie let out a choked laugh. “This is no big deal. Get out of here.”

“Come.” Twilight Velvet grabbed at Twilight’s hoof. “There’s nothing we can do.” The piranha monster had recovered and chased after them, followed by several Combatponies.

“Trixie!” Tears welled in Twilight’s eyes.

Garagaranda sent several powerful stomps towards the prone Trixie. She tried dodging out of the way, but he was too quick, too powerful. She unmorphed moments later.

Chapter 9

Galaxy Rangers: The Movie - Shocker Crisis!
Chapter 9
by Rixizu

“Trixie…” Rarity pulled Twilight’s leg to prevent her from going to her friend’s rescue. Yes, she knew it was impulsive and would likely fail, but Twilight couldn’t help herself. The world needed Trixie. She needed Trixie. Ever since she first met the silly mare back in the prison cell, being with her felt right and now she was abandoning somepony she considered a best friend.

“Twilight, we’ll rescue her!” Rarity looked Twilight right into her eye. “But for now, we need to escape.”

“Are you coming?” Twilight Velvet asked impatiently, ignorant of her daughter’s plight.

Twilight took a deep breath and nodded. She rescued Trixie once, she could do it again. Still, why did she have a nasty sick feeling in her stomach?

“Oh dear, where’s Trixie?” Fluttershy asked as they approached their getaway van. They’d stolen it from Truth Assessor’s Cheerilee’s house. Trixie’s idea. She had an impressive talent for breaking into things.

“We’ll explain later,” Twilight replied, taking another long look back at the prison. “Drive!”

They rushed into the vehicle and drove off right as the Combatponies following them. Twilight drove through a checkpoint’s barrier as Shocker goons followed them on motorcycles. She attempted to drive them off the road, but they expertly dodged her attempts. The Combatponies got bolder and one jumped on top of the van, stabbing through the roof with her sword.

“Oh dear! Oh dear!” Fluttershy bit at her hoof as she hugged her animal friends and hunkered down, narrowly avoiding the blade’s tip. Rarity’s mouth formed into a grim line and sweat rained down Twilight’s brow. The only one not nervous was Twilight Velvet, who appeared bored, as usual.

“Stay still, darling.” Rarity opened the window and peered out. “I’ll handle this.” Without another word, she jumped out of the vehicle and boarded the roof.

“Is she crazy?!” Twilight screamed as a Combatpony broke her left window with a club aiming for her head. She ducked as another one rode up and tried to skewer her with a spear. The pony with the club screamed as the Combatpony from the roof landed on her, spinning her motorcycle out of control.

Much to Twilight’s amazement, Rarity jumped off the roof and landed on the back of the motorcycle of the Combatpony with the spear. She gave the stunned pony a friendly wave before throwing him off his vehicle. Two Combatponies remained, refusing to back down. One broke off to fight Rarity while the other brandished a crossbow and aimed an arrow right at Twilight’s head. Twilight winced as the arrow flew past her ear, giving her a nasty cut.

“What a bother.” Twilight Velvet said before shooting a beam out the window and the poor Combatpony flew off his bike into a street sign.

Rarity fought the last Shocker goon with one hoof while controlling the bike with the other. The Combatpony attempted to grab the reins of the bike to force Rarity to crash, but she knocked her hoof away. This distraction allowed Twilight to smash the truck into the bike’s rear, throwing it off the road. Twilight and Fluttershy gave a collective sigh of relief as the Combatponies disappeared into the distance.

“I hope you’re planning to ditch this vehicle soon.” Twilight Velvet said. “They know what it looks like.” The obvious dents on the bumper and the broken windows didn’t help either.

“Already on it!” Twilight drove into an empty parking lot and stopped the truck. Waiting for them in a coin locker were disguises. Twilight removed her sneaking suit and put on the disguise. Her mom put on the trench coat and sunglasses, amused. They had nothing for Rarity, but she promised to stay in the shadows. They slipped away in the opposite direction after Twilight had determined the coast was clear.

“Starlight, we’re almost home,” Twilight whispered in her comm. Nopony was in sight, but she wasn’t taking any chances. “How’s the research coming along?”

Moments passed, but she got no reply. She tried again to similar results and Twilight’s blood turned cold. Had Inquisitor Doo recognized Twilight and sent goons to her apartment? She explained the situation to the others, telling them to hold back while she explored her apartment. Her trepidation grew as she noticed her front door was slightly ajar. Twilight’s heart raced as she approached the door.

From the crack in the door, she saw her apartment was a mess with papers thrown everywhere and her coffee table was on its side. Twilight gathered energy on the tip of her horn as she threw open the door. The sight that greeted her wasn’t what she’d expected.

“Oh, hi Twilight!” Pinkie threw her a wave. She stood over an unconscious Starlight who she’d tied up with rope. Fluttershy’s animal friends stood around glaring at the pink mare.

“Pinkie?” Twilight jaw dropped in complete bafflement.

“I caught this evil book thief!” Pinkie explained. “She broke into your apartment to continue her evil literature-based stealing deeds!”

“Uh, Twilight?” Starlight said drowsily as she regained consciousness.

“Judo chop!” Pinkie struck Starlight in the head, returning her to unconsciousness.

“Pinkie, she’s my friend!” Twilight supposed friend wasn’t the right word. After all, it was Starlight’s fault Shocker took over the world, but they were still allies, she supposed.

Pinkie blinked in confusion and gasped. “Twilight, have you fallen to evil? You used to be such a nice pony and now you are book thieving?!”

“No, yes, not really,” Twilight replied, “It wasn’t my idea. She did it on her own.”

“Um, what’s happening?” Fluttershy peeked her head through the door. She screamed as she spotted Pinkie darted back outside.

“Come back, Flutters, she’s a friend!” Twilight said. “It’s all a misunderstanding!”

“Oh dear, what a mess.” Rarity said as she entered. Her mom entered next, but the scene gave her no real reaction.

“Gasp! Aren’t you Rarity the rebel?” Pinkie asked in equal parts amazement and admiration.

“She’s helping me fight Shocker. Starlight too.” Twilight said. “It’s a long story.”

“Oh!” Pinkie slammed her hoof against the other one. “And the book stealing is the dirty anti-hero deed needed to fight evil!”

“I… guess.” Twilight decided it was the best explanation.

Pinkie’s ears flattened and she looked down, ashamed. “Oh, uh, maybe I shouldn’t have called the authorities. Sorry.”

“What?!”

“Okay, what’s going on here?” A bored mare said. A gold pegasus with a light cyan mane in a black uniform entered the apartment followed by several Combatponies. She froze and gaped when she spotted Rarity, Fluttershy, and Twilight Velvet.

“You’re the escapees!” The official said in astonishment.

“Why me?” Twilight put her hooves in her face.

“I’m super sorry to call you Captain Raindrops. It turns out it was all one silly misunderstanding!” Pinkie forced a smile and a laugh.

Captain Raindrops’ eyes widened, seeing the papers that stood at her hooves. They were the first drafts of the Lux article Twilight planned to release after she rescued her mother with Trixie.

“You’re Lux!” Raindrops pointed an accusatory hoof towards Twilight.

Pinkie brightened and bounced with excitement. “Wow, you’re Lux, Twilight? That’s so cool! Rainbow will flip!”

“Cats out of the bag now.” Twilight sighed, finding no way to salvage this situation.

Captain Raindrops pulled out a radio. “I’ve found the fug…” Rarity interrupted her, kicking the radio out of her hoof, smashing it to pieces.

“Sorry, Darling, but I can’t allow you to invite any more friends.” She said.

“Foal!” Raindrops smirked. “They already know my location. They’re already sending reinforcements!”

Rarity sighed dramatically. “Oh well.”

“We need to get out of here!” Twilight used her magic to grab the moon teleportation research and stuff it into a battered set of saddlebags.

“You aren’t going anywhere!” Raindrops sent a punch in Twilight’s direction which she blocked with her saddlebag.

The rest of the Combatponies engaged Rarity and Pinkie. Fluttershy hid under a table while Twilight Velvet calmly picked up the research Twilight had missed and read it.

Raindrops proved a capable opponent by pushing Twilight back. Her hooves stung from blocking the captain’s blow. This mare was strong. She was so focused on exchanging blows with Raindrops she missed the unconscious Starlight and tripped over her. Raindrops smiled in triumph, sending a devastating blow towards her throat. In a panic, Twilight used her magic to lift the closest thing next to her to block it. Unfortunately, that thing was Starlight Glimmer.

“Oops, sorry,” Twilight said sheepishly after realizing what she’d done.

Starlight grunted in pain before returning to consciousness. She groaned in pain and weakly raised her head, still caught in Twilight’s aura. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw the scene of utter chaos in Twilight’s apartment.

“What the heck is happening?” Starlight exclaimed, struggling in her bonds.

Raindrops pulled a baton from her belt and brandished it with obvious skill. “A living nightmare I would assume.” She whipped it towards Starlight’s head and Twilight threw the captive mare across the room to safety. Starlight moaned in pain as she impacted a wall, but was otherwise unharmed.

Twilight turned her attention towards the Shocker captain, dodging a flurry of blows. She broke through Raindrops’ defenses, delivering a blow of her own to the captain’s, but the mare didn’t even seem surprised by it. A blow to Raindrops’ head had a similar lack of effect.

“Yes, yes, interesting.” Twilight Velvet stepped aside, still reading her book, ignoring everything around her.

Twilight dodge a blow to her head and her mom ducked as another wild swing came towards her. Sweat formed on Twilight’s face as Raindrops pushed her into a corner, a victorious smile on her face. Frustrated, Twilight grabbed a nearby lamp, smashing it into Raindrops’ head with her magic, but still, the mare gave no outward appearance of pain.

“I’m an elite member of Shocker, a prissy little journalist is no match for somepony like me.” Twilight saw stars as Raindrops’ truncheon impacted her head.

“Twilight!” Fluttershy cried out, rushing to her friend’s aid.

“3351, don’t worry. Your turn will come soon enough.” Captain Raindrops’ tone was icy.

Fluttershy trembled, but she shielded Twilight’s body, refusing to let the captain hurt the prone mare any longer.

“No, I won’t let you hurt her!” Fluttershy said, scared but resolute. She flinched as the club came towards her head, but a powerful aura stopped it in mid-swing.

“Enough.”

Raindrops cried in surprise as the magical aura grabbed her, throwing her through Twilight’s dinner table, shattering it. The captain winced as she returned to her hooves, but buckled as a power stun beam smashed into her. Twilight Velvet stood protectively in front of her daughter, her mouth in a firm line.

“Enough, stop being a bother.” Twilight Velvet said. “I can’t allow you to damage my daughter any further.”

Raindrops shakily rose to her legs, but Twilight’s mom grabbed her with her magic and threw her across the room. Twilight’s computer shattered on impact, and it left a heavy dent in the drywall. This still didn’t stop the stubborn mare, and Raindops rose back to her hooves. She backed away when she realized that Rarity and Pinkie had defeated her Combatponies and took another step back as Twilight, Rarity, and Pinkie surround her. The captain found herself outnumbered, not liking the odds.

“This isn’t over.” Without a warning, she flew through a nearby window and glass exploded everywhere.

Twilight examined the mess of her room and sighed. “There goes my apartment.”

“You are so not getting your deposit back.” Pinkie said.

“Pinkie, sorry for getting you involved in this.” Twilight gave her friend a forlorn look.

“Ah shucks, it’s fine Twilight.” Pinkie replied, not bothered by the fact she was a wanted criminal now. “Those Shocker baddies had it coming. Sides, with Trixie on our side, how can we lose?”

Twilight winced at Trixie’s name. “Trixie got captured.”

“Oh.” Somehow her hair deflated with her mood.

“Believe me, darling, we’re getting her back.” Rarity said.

“Right!” Fluttershy nodded her head.

“But, what do we do now?” Starlight winced as they untied her, but seemed fine otherwise. “We lost our sanctuary! They’ll be here at any moment!”

“Oh my!” Fluttershy trembled and cuddled up with her animal friends.

With a word, Twilight Velvet gathered the wreckage of Twilight’s computer and tinkered with it. She borrowed Twilight’s toolset, creating some bizarre new device.

“You said you were planning to go to the moon.” Twilight Velvet said, not turning away from her work. “I take we aren’t planning to live in the vacuum of space?”

“Twilight told us about a hidden castle that once belonged to Corona.” Twilight looked through her papers and found the one that had the exact coordinates of the castle. Powerful illusion magic protected it, but Trixie had found it, much to Twilight’s amazement. She hoofed over the sheet to her mother who read it with a single glance.

“The moon, huh?” Pinkie bounced with excitement. “Who’s this?” He whispered in Twilight’s ear.

“It’s my mother, Twilight Velvet. Shocker kept her prisoner for many years.”

“Really?!” Pinkie bounced up to Twilight’s mom and extended a hoof. “Hi, Twilight’s mom. I’m Pinkie Pie!” Several awkward moments passed with Twilight Velvet acting like Pinkie didn’t even exist. Pinkie gave up and bounced back to Twilight’s side.

“She’s very shy.” Pinkie whispered.

“She’s, uh, not what I expected,” Fluttershy added meekly, acting like this statement might ruin their friendship.

“Can she actually do this?” Starlight stared at the cobbled-together contraption Twilight’s mom had created. Now Twilight Velvet was taking apart Twilight’s TV for parts. “Teleport to the moon was well beyond me.”

“Yeah, she’s not what I expected either…” Her mom had this strange disconnect with everyone and everything. Twilight remembered her mother as a kinder person than this. Still, despite her strange behavior, it was clear she still loved her daughter. Had the years in prison had hardened her heart? Hopefully the more Twilight Velvet hanged out with her friends; the more she would open up.

“She’s still the greatest genius I’ve ever seen,” Twilight said with the utmost confidence, “and her magic is amazing!”

“No.” Twilight Velvet replied.

“Huh?” Twilight blinked.

“Little Spark, your magic is far stronger than mine.” Twilight’s mom said. “You still haven’t learned to focus it and use it as efficiently as possible. You must never waste a single joule of energy. Magic or otherwise.”

It made sense. Her mom didn’t waste a single moment and used her magic when it would be the most effective. Pride bloomed in Twilight’s heart. Her mom was pretty awesome. She just wished she was less robot-like.

“Um, guys,” Fluttershy said peering out the door, “Shocker is coming with monsters and everything!”

“Huh, they work fast.” Pinkie said. “You have to admire their enthusiasm!”

“Any time now!” Starlight peered at the contraption, hoping and praying it would bring them to safety. Instead of reassuring everypony, Twilight Velvet worked on her creation with no real hurry or urgency.

“We’re doomed!” Fluttershy hid under her hooves.

Twilight refused to give up hope and peered out the door towards the large collection of Combatponies and monsters. Raindrops led them, wearing a sneer on her muzzle.

“You have nowhere to run!” Raindrops said. “Please don’t surrender. I’ll enjoy beating the stuffing out of you!”

Pinkie rolled her eyes and peered out behind Twilight. “Ponies don’t have stuffing, silly! They have blood and guts and stuff!”

“It doesn’t matter, you’re dead, all of you!” Raindrop growled.

“Have you ever thought of getting counseling?” Pinkie replied. “You have some real anger issues.”

“Get them!” Raindrops said, growing tired of the verbal sparring and her miniature army charged the apartment complex.

“You’ve only made things worse!” Starlight exclaimed. “We could have stalled for more time!”

“It doesn’t make me any less wrong.” Pinkie shook her head. “Twilight, we should do an article about Shocker’s negligence of the mental health of their employees! They’re so angry all the time!”

“Maybe later, Pinkie!” Twilight used her magic and blocked the front door with whatever she could find. Again, her mother wasn’t in any rush to save them from their predicament. Twilight and Starlight threw their bodies against the pile of junk, hoping it would buy them precious seconds. Rarity and her sonic needle was helping Twilight Velvet carrying out the older mare’s instructions.

Twilight lost her grip as the mound was moved by a tremendous force. Starlight wasn’t so lucky, and her face impacted the floor. With gritted teeth, Twilight used her magic and strength to hold back the monsters pounding on the other side. She felt her concentration waver and the door exploded, sending shattered wood everywhere.

Raindrops entered first, her face triumphant. “It’s over.”

“Hold tight.” Twilight let out a cry of surprise as her mom grabbed her with her magic and gripped her against the strange device. Twilight Velvet had dragged everypony towards her and pressed random buttons on Twilight’s keyboard. Fluttershy cried out to her animal friends who joined them, for Twilight’s mom had forgotten about them.

Raindrops’ face lit up in horror and realization. “Hurry, don’t…” She didn’t finish as Twilight’s room disappeared in shining sparkles.

Twilight dropped on the ground, her head ringing something fierce, and she moaned, trying to find her bearings. After dusting herself off, she stood up and looked around and the sight that greeted her took her breath away. She stood on a plain of grey as far as the eye could see, dead and barren, but also beautiful. In the sky were more stars than she’d ever seen on Earth and she couldn’t help but laugh, enjoying the majesty of it all. She grabbed at her throat when she realized that she shouldn’t be breathing, but somehow she was.

“There is a mile-long pocket of air around us.” Twilight Velvet explained. Behind her, Twilight’s friends were recovering, also taken aback by the moon’s sights. Pinkie bounced around even more than normal, enjoying the weightlessness of the moon’s 16.7 percent of Earth’s gravity. Not far was the castle Trixie described, and she found herself impressed. It rivaled the pictures of what she’d seen of the old Canterlot castle before it got destroyed with the rest of Canterlot. It took some effort, but they pushed the front door open and gapped at what they found inside.

“My, Princess Celestia had a fabulous taste in décor.” Rarity peered at the multitude of priceless paintings that decorated the walls. She grimaced at the amount of dust that lined everything. “Though it might require a little spring cleaning.”

Pinkie sneezed after Rarity accidentally blew dust into her face. “No kidding. Think the princess left any cleaning supplies? It’s ain’t going to be easy cleaning a thousand years of dust!”

Fluttershy brightened. “I can help!” She sent her animal friends to explore around and see if they could find anything.

“I’m shocked Shocker has never found this place.” It bogged Twilight’s mind how big this place was. The princess built this place in secret?

“It will suit my needs well.” A rare smile came to her mother’s lips.

“Now, where did your mom run off to?” Starlight asked.

They found in the library and Twilight salivated at the rare and ancient tomes that lined the shelves. Twilight let out a squeal of excitement when she realized she didn’t recognize many of the authors. Better yet, Celestia had kept her library orderly using an ancient version of the Dewey Decimal System. A mare after her own heart! Twilight Velvet was reading an old tome about grasshoppers.

“What’s that?” Twilight didn’t recognize the author, and the book appeared ancient.

“It’s by Astral Starlight.” Much to Twilight’s surprise, her mother turned away from her reading and addressed her daughter, a serious expression on her face. “He was an ancient pioneer of biological evolution. I’ve always admired him.”

Twilight’s eyes widened and her heart raced. The stallion’s name was unknown to her. What a discovery!

“But why grasshoppers?” Starlight asked.

“He surmised that grasshoppers had hidden abilities that ponies don’t know about.” Twilight Velvet replied. “Enhanced senses, regeneration of limbs, telepathically communication, clairvoyance, and precognition. He believed that the grasshopper could allow a pony to surpass God.”

Silence.

Fluttershy nodded with enthusiasm. “I’ve always thought those little guys had more to them than everypony expects. Ponies are always so mean to them. Shooting pesticides everywhere, making it difficult for them to live their lives in peace! Horrible!”

“That is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard in my life.” Starlight said after regaining her composure.

“Well…” Rarity’s voice trailed off.

Twilight forced a smile. “You have to admit it sounds a little farfetched.” This guy was a pioneer? I’ve heard pseudoscience theories with more plausibility!

Pinkie giggled. “Yeah, it seemed pretty silly.”

Twilight Velvet put the tome away. “While exaggerated, I believe his theories have some merit. I based Cadance’s Heart Driver off of them.” She frowned. “Though I didn’t tap into the grasshopper’s potential as much as I’d like. It was only a minimal success.”

Twilight’s eyes boggled. “You designed Cupido’s belt?”

“You can make one for Twilight!” Starlight brightened with hope. “She can use it to fight Shocker!” Everypony else joined in this promising new hope.

Twilight Velvet looked Twilight directly in the eyes. “Do you want this?”

“I do.” Twilight didn’t hesitate. She needed to rescue Trixie, no matter the cost.

Twilight Velvet smiled. “Good! As I would expect from my daughter. When I had Shining Armor, he proved to be such a disappointment. He had powerful magical potential, but was mentally stunted. It made me think choosing Night Light had been a waste of time as my ideal genetic mate. But you, Little Spark, have surpassed my every expectation.”

Twilight took a step back, unable to comprehend what she’d just heard. She only married her father for his genes? Impossible! What was she to her mother? An experiment? No, it couldn’t be true! And how could she say that about her own son?! Had she misjudged her all along? The smile. Her mother couldn’t have made that loving smile if she believed all that, right?

“It’s time to begin.” Twilight Velvet’s horn glowed a brilliant cerise. “You become something beyond Shocker, the Princesses, everything! You will be the perfect being!” Before anypony could stop her, a magical shock erupted from her horn and threw everypony aside. Twilight crashed to the ground and found her vision turning black, unable to keep her eyes open.'

“Please, don’t do this.” Twilight pleaded.

Twilight Velvet stroked her daughter’s face as she lost consciousness. “My Little Spark, my perfect creation.”

Chapter 10

Galaxy Rangers: The Movie - Shocker Crisis!
Chapter 10
by Rixizu

The sound of laughter made Trixie awake with a start. Her body protested as she registered the pain that the Shocker guy had inflicted on her. She tried moving her limbs and found them restrained by metal binders. She’d been strapped to a round metal table, strange instruments and computer banks surrounded her with ponies dressed in white surgical garb ponying them. Above her was a large plaque showing Shocker’s logo, which loomed over her menacingly. Combatponies stood in a line peering warily at her despite having her captivity.

“Ah, so she’s awake,” said a pony. He was a pegasus wearing a black opera cloak with a large blood red collar. His coat was snow-white with a long mane grayed with age which draped down his head.

“Have you guys ever thought you’ve overdone it with a logoing?” Trixie looked down, noticing even the table had Shocker’s logo on it. “Are you worried you might forget who you work for?” She counted at least twenty of them in this room alone.

“Flippancy.” Trixie started as the giant logo above her spoke, its eagle eyes glowing red. “Is that how you hide your fear, I wonder?”

Trixie soon regained herself. “Of a bunch of ponies in low-rent Nightmare Night costumes? Never.” She smirked, taking some gratification when she got a rise out of the Combatponies. The Dracula pony above her didn’t react, seeming more amused than anything.

“She has spirit despite her dire situation,” Dracula said, “she will serve Shocker well.” He took pleasure at Trixie’s panicked expression.

Oh ponyfeathers, this is where they brainwash me, isn’t it? She regained her composure and smirked, hiding her panic. “You won’t find me that easy to control.”

“Understand this, Trixie, the Red Ursa Ranger.” The eagle said. “You belong to Shocker now. Your strange powers will make Shocker even mightier. Already, we have learned the secret of how you crossed into our timeline. You will spearhead our invasion of other worlds.”

“No!” Trixie struggled in her bonds. They gripped at her tight, but she could slip out of them. But it required time she didn’t have.

“It shall be done, Great Leader!” Dracula saluted. “I, Doctor Shinigami, will learn the secrets of her Ranger powers and turn her into a beast that will rain terror amongst every timeline, every universe!” Everypony in the room did the Shocker salute.

“No!” Trixie screamed and a doctor put a mask over her face and her vision faded as the anesthesia did its work. Blackness consumed her and her last sight was Doctor Shinigami smiling down at her.

“Look, Truth Assessor Cheerilee, if you want to complain about what happened to your vehicle; bring it up with your insurance company,” Ditzy said annoyed, “it isn’t mine, or Shocker’s business to handle insurance disputes.” The fact Trixie and her band has used the vehicle in a jailbreak would probably cause some complications with the other mare’s insurance company. Not that Ditzy cared. Why did everypony think they needed to come to her with their problems?

“I’m just saying you could put a good word in for me,” Cheerilee replied, “to smooth things along! Your word has weight.”

“No.” Ditzy had enough of this nonsense. “In fact, I think we should put you under more scrutiny.” She smiled inwardly at the other mare’s reaction.

“What do you mean?” Cheerilee forced a smile. “I do my job well.”

“And you let Lux slip under your hooves not even suspecting for a moment one of your journalists was a traitor.”

“Well, uh, I…” Cheerilee stammered, sweat gathering on her forehead. “Twilight Sparkle was a hard-working pony. Anypony would have been fooled by her cheerful demeanor!”

Another journalist of Ore Journal, Pinkie Pie, had also turned traitor. Cheerilee’s incompetence was staggering for not noticing such vipers in her mist. Still, they were journalists, hard to control at the best of times. Shocker had given Ore Journal too much freedom. The paper would need to be closed immediately, and its remaining employees placed under careful scrutiny. Ditzy would lead the investigation herself, but she was too busy trying to locate Twilight Velvet.

“Leave.” Ditzy enjoyed the effect that simple word had as Cheerilee stammered an apology before rushing out of the room.

“You have too much fun messing with ponies.” Commander Cadance said behind her.

“I have to get my fun somehow,” Ditzy replied, “it makes dealing with ponies like Truth Assessor Cheerilee bearable.”

“Still no sign of where Twilight Velvet and her cohorts disappeared to?” Cadance asked.

Ditzy signed. “No.”

A grimace formed on Cadance’s face. “I knew her many years ago, I think the higher-ups don’t realize what a threat that mare will become. They’re too focused on their new invasion plan.”

“Didn’t you foalsit her daughter?”

Cadance gazed into the distance, wearing a wistful look on her face. “Yes, Twilight Sparkle. It’s hard to believe it has been over five years since I’ve seen her. I wish I kept more in touch with her. I might have prevented her from falling into the wrong crowd. Convinced her to join the Shocker youth program. Lux… I should have seen it coming.”

Ditzy put a comforting hoof on her friend. “It’s not your fault. She made her own bed.”

The Rider sighed, knowing her own duty, and nodded. She wouldn’t take pleasure in fighting her old charge, but Shocker needed her. Ponies like Twilight Velvet and her daughter would only cause chaos and delay Shocker from bringing their glory to everyone.

“Come on. Let’s go over Twilight Sparkle’s things again. We might discover a clue as to where they disappeared to.”

Angel’s nose twitched as he hoped through the ancient castle. He’d never thought that he’d ever find himself on the moon. Even though the gravity inside the castle was stronger than on the surface, his delicate rabbit senses detected a slight spring in his step which brought him great pleasure. He perked up when he spotted a closet and opened it, hoping it contained some cleaning supplies, and sighed in relief when he found a mop and a bucket. His friend and roommate Fluttershy would be pleased. She would enjoy making this place spick and span again. A useful trait for somebunny that worked with animals.

Angel directed Harry the bear to grab the mop and followed the rats to the kitchen, which thankfully still had running water. How that worked after a thousand years of disuse, he couldn’t imagine, but ponies were weird creatures with powers that made little sense. He hopped around the corridors to find Fluttershy and it struck him how strangely quiet it was. Something about it he didn’t like. At least the pink one should be shouting, peeling the paint off the walls with her high-pitched voice.

Angel hopped through the castle, trying to find any signs of pony. After an hour of search, he still hadn’t found anypony which worried him. The ferrets gave him some assistance and sniffed out Fluttershy’s scent. Much to their confusion, it ended in the library, but they saw no trace of their quarry. Had they, for whatever reason, teleported back to earth? But Fluttershy wouldn’t just leave them here without a word, would she?

Bill caught his attention, directing a paw towards a bookshelf. They indicated the pony scent ended here. After a careful search, they found a hidden door opened through a fake book. It took some effort with their small bodies, but they pulled down the book with a satisfying click, revealing a hidden staircase. The pony scent continued further down and they followed down the winding stairs. Angel’s ears perked when he heard pony voices, and he directed the ferrets to get help while he investigated.

“Mom, please, don’t do this!” Twilight said.

Angel found himself in some sort of laboratory. Old flasks covered with dust sat on shelves with scrolls full of forbidden knowledge organized on counters for some nefarious purpose. It was full of ancient equipment that Angel couldn’t guess their purpose. He stared in shock as he found his friend. Fluttershy was unconscious, strapped to a metal chair on the edge of some magical circle with Pinkie and Starlight likewise restrained at equidistant points around its circumference. Twilight laid in the middle, strapped to the floor. Strange tubes with colorful chemicals were flowing into her. Twilight Velvet, the one they worked so hard to rescue, worked on some strange equipment that looked far newer than anything else in the lab. Angel found the last pony, Rarity, lying in a cage.

“This is what you wanted, correct?” Twilight Velvet pushed some strange belt on her daughter’s waist while reading some ancient scroll.

“What are you trying to do?” Twilight asked. “If you’ve hurt them...”

“Don’t be absurd.” Twilight Velvet replied. “I am only taking their natural magic and infusing it into you. You shall be reborn as an alicorn. Don’t fret. Unlike last time, it shouldn’t kill them.”

“Last time?”

“I tried the same process on Trixie, the one of this timeline, but I miscalculated.” Twilight Velvet said. “I underestimated the balancing magic on the earth pony and used two unicorns and one pegasus. It caused a violent magical chain reaction, leaving the subject nothing but an amorphous puddle. The donators didn’t survive either.”

Twilight gasped and tears came to her eyes. “Trixie…”

“Don’t fear, Little Spark.” Twilight Velvet stroked her daughter’s face. “I thank you for bringing the perfect ingredients. They will provide the balance we need. The magic of the unicorn is especially powerful.” Twilight gritted her teeth but didn’t reply.

Experiment! Amorphous blob! Whatever the crazy pony was attempting, there was no way he’d allow anything to happen to Fluttershy, safe or not. What could he do, though? He’d seen Twilight Velvet’s power. Even together, Fluttershy’s animal friends won’t be a match for her and they wouldn’t arrive in time. The experiment was about to begin.

The white one! Angel ran towards the small cage and kicked the unconscious mare’s face.

“Uh, what happened?” Rarity mumbled as she awoke. Angel made a shushing gesture and the pony got his meaning right away. Thankfully, Twilight Velvet didn’t notice her captive’s awakening.

Rarity saw the crazy contraption that Twilight Velvet had constructed and pulled out a hairpin. It only took her a moment to open the lock. She pushed the door open without making a single noise. Twilight screamed as her veins bulged as whatever chemical was being pumped into her increased its speed. Panic bubbled in Angel as sparks flew from the contraption. Whatever was happening, they only had moments. Worse, neither one of them knew if interfering would only make things worse, Trixie’s fate loomed in Angel’s mind.

“Screw it.” Rarity gathered her magic and pulled Starlight free from her restraints. Angel gave her a worried look. “Breaking the circle should stop whatever magic she’s trying to work!”

“You foal, you will ruin everything.” Twilight Velvet gritted her teeth and the magical energy dissipated, ruining whatever spell she was attempting.

“That’s the idea, darling.” Rarity swung her mane, giving the other mare a cocky grin.

Much to their shock, Twilight’s screaming increased and she writhed in agony. Energy shot from her eyes and mouth, which burned what they touched. Fire erupted as the sparks hit a piece of machinery, setting it aflame.

“Oh, dear!” Rarity cried out in panic, using her magic to pull Fluttershy to safety while Angel tried freeing Pinkie.

A magical shockwave blew Angel and Rarity away, dropping Fluttershy back to her chair. Angel almost lost consciousness as he crashed into the floor. He weakly looked up to see Twilight Velvet sitting in the chair Starlight had occupied. Smoke filled the room, creating a haze over the monstrous experiment.

“Foal, you’ve likely killed my daughter.” Twilight Velvet’s horn sparked a brilliant cerise, and its light bathed the four ponies in the magical circle. “I won’t allow it! She will become the ultimate being! Nothing else matters!”

“Twilight!” Rarity extended a hoof in a panic, unsure what to do.

“You will shine brighter than them all, my Little Spark.” Twilight Velvet stroked her daughter’s cheek before closing her eyes. The light of her horn brightened and the magical circle erupted with brilliant light, and Angel had to avert his eyes. The equipment exploded, blowing Angel off his paws, though Rarity caught him this time. The four figures became beings of pure energy and their essence flowed into Twilight melding with it turning Twilight’s purple color into a rainbow of pink, yellow, cerise, and purple the belt on her waist sparked with power and light.

Vision returned and Angel found the ponies unconscious and he put a tentative paw on his friend. Thankfully, Fluttershy was still breathing and awoke when she shook her.

“Uh, what happened?” she said weakly, trying to get her bearings. Angel helped unhook her and they surveyed the chaos.

“Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.” Fluttershy rushing to unhook the others, “I hope they’re okay.”

“My head is spinning.” Pinkie said after regaining consciousness. “I feel weird, like I’ve experienced the worst down on a sugar high ever!”

Angel asked if his friend was okay.

“Oh, I’m fine,” Fluttershy replied, “just a little tired.”

“I’m more worried about her.” Rarity eyed Twilight with worry. “She’s breathing, but she isn’t regaining consciousness.”

“Can somepony tell me what’s happening here?” Starlight asked. “Twilight’s mom isn’t breathing!”

Rarity looked downcast. “Yeah, I’ll explain. What I’ll say to Twilight though…”

Pinkie’s hair deflated. “Poor Twilight. It turns out her mom’s a megalomaniacal mad scientist!”

“What about my mom?” Twilight asked weakly. She sprung straight up and ran to her mother, holding her body tight. “No! How could this happen?! I just got you back!”

“Twilight, I…” Rarity trailed off.'

Angel gestured, explaining to Fluttershy what happened after they interfered with the experiment. It was his fault too, and his ears drooped. Why did they ever think it was a good idea to interfere when they had no clue what Twilight’s mom was attempting? If Twilight Velvet hadn’t sacrificed herself to save her daughter… Angel gripped his paw tight as Fluttershy explained to Twilight how, despite everything, her mother had given her life out of love to save her. The pony listened but didn’t reply, and Angel worried what the mare might do next.

Instead, Twilight only hugged her mother tighter, tears flowing freely. “Oh, mom. How did it come to this?”

“Twilight, I…” Rarity said, full of anguish and heartbreak. Angel put a comforting paw on Twilight.

Twilight shook her head. “It wasn’t your fault. It was a stupid accident. You couldn’t have known.”

“Still…” Rarity trailed off.

Twilight stood up. “We should give her a proper burial!” She levitated her mother’s body and left the room, leaving her concerned friends who followed after her.

“This is Shocker’s fault!” Twilight said after turning a corner. “They’re the ones that changed history and messed up my mother! In Trixie’s time, she’s a loving mother!”

“Twilight?” Fluttershy tried keeping up with the running mare.

“This is no time for tears! They will pay for this!” Twilight wiped her eyes clean. “I’ll make everything right, somehow! I’ll save Trixie and we’ll kick the Great Leader’s flank!”

Twilight used her magic to dig a hole into the moon’s surface and floated her mother inside it. “I think she’d like to be buried here.” She looked towards the grey and bleak plains of the moon that was both desolate and breathtaking. Angel watched as Twilight put the remaining dirt on her mother’s body.

“Good, that settles that!” Twilight forced a smile. “Now we can focus on kicking Shocker’s flank!”

Twilight’s friends looked at each other, unsure how to proceed, deciding it would be best to let Twilight grieve in her own way.

“Twi, do you feel different?” Pinkie asked. “You’re like some part alicorn grasshopper pony hybrid thing now! Though without wings. Not even bug wings! How disappointing is that?!”

“Yeah, uh, are you like a Rider now?” Fluttershy asked. “You have a belt and everything!”

Twilight closed her eyes, thinking and holding her new belt tight. The device burned with brilliant light. “I’m not sure what my mom did to me, but it worked. I have the power I need now. Shall we try it out?”

Twilight’s friends gave her a nervous look before Fluttershy, bless her soul, stepped forward to ask the vital question. “Um, what do you have in mind?”

“We follow Trixie’s example and make a big show!”

“This is so lame!” Rainbow kicked a stone on the street.

“Don’t worry, I’m sure once they realize how outstanding citizens we are, they’ll allow us to reopen Ore Journal.” Hot Scoops slurred leaning against a lamppost. He smelled of cheap whiskey. The stallion hadn’t taken losing his job very well.

“Sure.” Rainbow rolled her eyes. After the stunt Twilight pulled, she doubted Shocker’s pride would allow them to ever step hoof in their office building again. It was such a good gig, too. She still couldn’t believe that a super nerd like Twilight was Lux. Even saying those words out loud, she had trouble believing them.

“Hey, clear the streets!” An authoritative voice said. Rainbow turned to find Captain Raindrops glaring at her.

Great. She’d known Raindrops from school and it didn’t surprise her that a bully like her grew up into a Shocker toady. She recalled how the mare had enjoyed tormenting Fluttershy.

“Why?” Rainbow raised an eyebrow, not wanting to back down. “Curfew isn’t for another two hours.” And by Shocker, they planned to hit every bar along the way before they had to be home.

“Yeah! It’s our right! We got the right to be here!” Hot Scoops drunkenly protested the alcohol dimming his common sense.

“Don’t argue.” A cruel smile formed on the mare’s face. “The entire city is going under strict martial law. We’ve got big plans, and I’ve been told to be a little rough with anypony that disagrees.” She pulled out a nasty-looking club for emphasis.

“Hey!” Hot Scoops got into the mare’s face. “You ain’t got no right to tell us what to do!”

Panic filled Rainbow when she realized how badly this could spiral out of control, grabbing her friend before he tried anything. “Scoops, uh, it’s not worth it. We’re going!”

Hot Scoops threw off Rainbow’s hoof. “No! I’ve got a bone to pick with this one. I’ve lost my job because of her!” Much to Rainbow’s horror, he sent a drunken hoof towards the Shocker Captain who dodged without issue.

“Is something the matter, captain?” Somepony said and they turned to find one of Shocker’s monsters glaring at them. It was some hideous crab pony thing with a terrible-looking pincer on its right hoof.

“Kanibubbler! Good to see you!” Raindrops said, enjoying every cruel word. “We have some troublemakers.” Anypony left on the street panicked in fright taking any cover they could find leaving Raindrop and Scoops alone with the Shocker goons.

“Look, it’s fine! We’re leaving!” Rainbow picked up the protesting Scoops, sweat glistening on her forehead.

“You’re not going anywhere.” Raindrops replied. “How about we make an example of them? Your bubbles can dissolve ponies instantly, right?”

Oh, ponyfeathers! Oh, ponyfeathers! Worse, Combatponies flew to surround them, leaving no escape.

“I’ll enjoy taking today’s frustrations out on you.” Raindrops smiled unpleasantly.

“Not so fast!” Out of nowhere a pony jumped from a rooftop and Rainbow gasped.

“Twilight?!”

“The escapee? Perfect!” Raindrops rubbed her hooves together with glee. “You’re a foal for revealing yourself.”

“Ha! Captain, you’re not the only one who will vent their frustrations today!” Kanibubbler said. The Combatponies moved in to surround the new arrival, allowing Raindrop and Scoops the opportunity to escape.

What now? I can’t just leave her! Raindrops panicked. That idiot Twilight was about to get herself killed! Much to everypony’s surprise, Twilight pulled out a belt and attached it to her waist. It had a round device in the middle with strange mythic symbols and the mare entered a fighting stance, extending her two front hooves.

“Henshin.”

The round device split open revealing a red jewel beneath showering Twilight with brilliant light. When the light disappeared, it revealed a new, suited figure. Her suit shone with power, with golden armor with black joints. The muffler around her neck was a brilliant cerise and her helmet looked like the head of a grasshopper with large red eyes, with large antennae.

“You can call me, Kamen Rider Lux!”

Chapter 11

Galaxy Rangers: The Movie - Shocker Crisis!
Chapter 11
by Rixizu

“It can’t be!” Raindrops fell back onto her haunches in shock, mouth agape. “A new Rider?!”

“No way!” Rainbow said, eyes wide. Ponies poked their heads out of their hiding spots to discover what the commotion was about and stared, amazed.

“I am the light that will bring justice to this dark world!” Twilight said, grinning under her helmet. “Kamen Rider Lux!”

How about that Trixie? Was that a good enough entrance?

“It doesn’t matter!” Kanibubbler pointed its one claw towards the new Rider. “Not if I send her to an early grave!” He jumped, sending his massive pincer right towards Twilight.

Twilight dodged with ease and dodged again as Kanibubbler sent another swipe towards her. It surprised how free her movements felt like she was walking on clouds and everything around her seemed to move slower than normal. The suit supplemented her natural combat ability perfectly. She returned the attack with an almost casual punch into Kanibubbler’s chest and the monster recoiled in pain. He cursed and shot bubbles towards her face at close range. Twilight gathered power around her hoof and it glowed with a brilliant light. With a swipe of her hoof, she dissipated the deadly bubbles.

“Damn you!” Kanibubbler roared. The Combatponies regained their sense and swarmed around her, and Twilight found herself surrounded.

Twilight gathered more energy around her hoof and formed the light into a more solid weapon, creating a sword created from pure energy. With a single swipe, she blew the Combatponies, who were trying to attack her from behind, away,. She didn’t let up, swinging her weapon towards Kanibubbler and sparks flew as it impacted his carapace. The monster howled in pain but refused to surrender. Twilight fought off the Combatponies as they tried to surround her. Raindrops joined the fray with her club, but Twilight grabbed it with her free hoof ripping from the Captain’s hoof. She screamed as Twilight’s follow up punch sent her flying, bowling over several Combatponies.

Twilight’s heart raced as Kanibubbler’s bubbles flew past her head, narrowly avoiding them in time. She’d let her newfound power get to her head. Only a foal took Shocker lightly. Kanibubbler recoiled as she sent a barrage of sword swipes into him, and he collapsed to the ground in pain. Twilight dispelled her sword.

Time to finish this. Twilight threw aside the Combatponies trying to swarm her and jumped into the air. Insect wings made of light appeared from two slits on her back, allowing her to gain high altitude in the air. Energy gathered around her hind leg glowing with brilliant light and she dove towards Kanibubbler’s chest.

“Photonic Burning Rider Kick!”

Kanibubbler exploded and the Combatponies ponies scattered, terrified. Raindrops backed away, unsure what to do. After a moment, the pegasus regained her senses, taking the remaining conscious Combatponies with her as she retreated. “You will regret this Lux!” she cried, as she and her cohorts disappeared behind a building. The remaining civilian Ponies erupted into cheering, crying out Lux’s name.

I did it! Twilight hardly believed it. She started a fight with one of Shocker’s monsters, and won! All that bravado with her friends had been an act. Part of her hadn’t believed she’d actually win, leaving her with a sense of wonder. Maybe I really can save Trixie, stop Shocker, and avenge mom!

“Twilight, you’re amazing!” Rainbow ran towards her savior.

In a flash of light, Twilight untransformed and forced a confident smile. These ponies were relying on her. She wasn’t like Trixie, who believed 200 percent in herself.

“You sure gave those Shocker guys a licking!” Hot Scoops slurred. “How about a private interview?”

“We should get somewhere out of sight,” Twilight replied, “Raindrops will summon reinforcements. They’ll be here any moment.”

Rainbow nodded, taking the wobbly Scoops into her hooves. Twilight led the two of them into an abandoned building she’d found. They placed Scoops in a pile of cardboard boxes so he could sleep it off.

“Okay, spill,” Rainbow said getting into Twilight’s face, “how the heck are you a super cool Rider now?”

“It’s a… long story. I heard about what happened to Ore Journal.” Twilight’s ears flattened and she looked down, ashamed. “It’s my fault you guys lost your jobs. I don’t know how I’ll ever face Da Chief again.”

Rainbow waved a dismissive hoof. “It’s cool. You’re an awesome rebel hero now! Are you hiring? I can totally help you deliver Lux articles. Those Shocker jerks will never catch me. I’m the fastest pegasus in the world!” she bosted.

“Well…” Twilight considered the offer. A pony like Rainbow would help to distribute her leaflets. Besides, she doubted Rainbow would take no for an answer. The mare loved being in the center of the action. “Sure. I could use your help.”

Rainbow flew into the air doing a backflip. “Sweet!”

“Um, is everything okay?” Fluttershy poked her head from a nearby door and her eyes widened when she caught sight of Rainbow Dash. “Rainbow?”

“Fluttershy?” Rainbow replied, equally surprised. “You’re with Lux? I never thought you had it in you!”

These two know each other? That simplified things.

Fluttershy blushed. “Well, um, Shocker is mean so... yeah!”

“What’s the plan? Are we taking the fight to Shocker? Attacking one of their compounds?” Rainbow grew excited.

“Not quite,” Twilight replied, “we’re trying to find Trixie first.”

Rainbow gave her a puzzled look. “Trixie’s gone missing?”

“Fraid so, darling. Captured.” Rarity said peeking her head out the door Fluttershy had hidden behind. She tapped at a keyboard on an old computer Twilight had borrowed from her father’s house. She’d stayed out of sight, not wanting to face either her brother or father yet, being both a criminal and the cause of her mother’s death.

No, put it out of your mind. Focus on Shocker first! Grief is only a distraction! “Nothing on the internet at all? Not even a Combatpony bragging about how they captured the infamous Trixie?” Twilight had expected Shocker to announce Trixie’s public execution to make an example of her. Rarity only shook her head.

“What about this major Shocker plan Raindrops mentioned?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Something about big plans?”

“Really? Good idea. Oh, and I’m Rarity. Nice to meet you.” Rarity returned to her keyboard, hacking into the email account of a high-level Shocker officer. She scanned the titles of emails for anything interesting.

“Rarity? The Rarity?!” Rainbow’s eyes grew wide.

Rarity waved a dismissive hoof and cooed when she found something of interest. “Invasion plan?” She clicked on the email, reading through its contents quickly. “Oh, dear.”

“What is it?” Fluttershy asked worry etched into her features and everypony huddled around the spy.

“We might have to put Trixie’s rescue plan on hold.” Rarity said. “Shocker is planning a massive invasion of another world tomorrow morning led by the Great Leader himself!”

“Another Rider?!” Ditzy rubbed her temple, feeling another headache coming on. She’d finally got home and then this nonsense happened.

“Is something wrong, mom?” Dinky asked, a concerned expression on her face. After the chaos Trixie caused, she’d been hoping to spend some quality time with her mother.

“It’s fine, muffin. Nothing your mother can’t handle.” Ditzy replied, blocking the phone receiver with a hoof. “Yes, I understand, I’ll be there soon to interrogate the witness and view the camera footage.” She hung up the phone and slumped against the wall. Another sleepless night away from her daughter.

“You got this!” Dinky put a comforting hoof on her mother, which brought a smile to Ditzy’s face.

She hugged her daughter. “Thanks, honey.”

“When I grow up, I’ll join Shocker and help you fight the bad guys!” Dinky did the Shocker salute.

Ditzy messed her daughter’s hair and couldn’t be prouder. “They wouldn’t stand a chance.” Dinky wasn’t much in height and magical prowess, but she had determination and smarts in spades. Qualities that would excel her farther than if she possessed the first two. She waved her daughter goodnight, making her promise to go to bed in an hour. Captain Cadance waited at her front door.

“Called you in too?” Ditzy said.

Cadance stretched and yawned. “A Shocker trooper’s work is never done.”

“So, what can you tell me about this new Rider?” Ditzy asked as they entered the back of the car Shocker had prepared for them. “Is it Twilight Velvet?”

Cadance had an uncharacteristic distance in her expression. “No, her daughter Twilight Sparkle.”

This news surprised Ditzy and she frowned. She’d expected Velvet to wear the newest Rider mantle. Cadance halted any more questions by inserting a tape into the computer built into the car. It showed blurry footage of Twilight Sparkle transforming into a Rider, then fighting and defeating one of Shocker’s monsters. Such power! How had Twilight Velvet created such a thing so quickly? The experiment with this timeline’s Trixie came to mind. Had she been a precursory experiment for creating Riders?

“She calls herself Kamen Rider Lux,” Cadance said after the tape stopped.

“The Great Leader’s greatest fears come true,” Ditzy replied, “the Riders have returned to oppose our glorious organization.”

Few ponies knew this, but in the original two timelines, Riders Ichigo and Nigo had fought and defeated Shocker in the distant past. They even killed the Great Leader which staggered the mind. Worse, with Twilight Velvet on the rebel’s side, they would have an infinite amount of Riders to oppose them.

“I understand your fears, Inquisitor Ditzy, but they won’t come to pass.” The Great Leader’s voice came from the video screen showing Shocker’s logo. “We have learned from our mistakes. History won’t repeat itself.”

“Great Leader!” Ditzy and Cadance did the Shocker salute.

“This will only be a temporary setback. Doctor Shinigami is already prepping our recruit to deal with this troublemaker.” The Great Leader said. “We will find the traitor Twilight Velvet and punish her accordingly.”

“Our scientists have determined they used some type of teleportation technology,” Cadance said, “they went a significant distance. Where, they aren’t certain yet, but we’ll locate them soon enough.”

Ditzy sighed in relief. That was one major problem dealt with, but they still had a greater matter to discuss. “That’s good news. But what about the invasion plan? Should we postpone it until we crush Twilight Velvet and her rebels?”

“No, the operation will continue as planned.” The Great Leader replied. “If Kamen Rider Lux is anything like her predecessors, she will recklessly rush in to stop it. Then we’ll crush her.”

A sly smile formed on Ditzy’s face. The Great Leader was right. The Riders were noble foals that couldn’t help but throw themselves into danger when something threatened innocence. Twilight Sparkle was in for a rude awakening. It didn’t matter how powerful she was; she faced Shocker’s overwhelming might.

“Study the video and learn what you can of Lux’s capabilities.” The Great Leader said. “I want a solid plan for fighting her tomorrow.” With that, the screen turned dark.

Despite the all-nighter, Ditzy didn’t mind. She would enjoy crushing Twilight Velvet’s new toy and teach her to regret her decision to betray Shocker.

Twilight groaned and rubbed her temples, taking another drink of her coffee. She’d spent all night searching Shocker’s database about Trixie’s whereabouts, rather recklessly hacking their computer systems. Shocker had discovered the intrusion more than once, but they cleared out before they could send somepony after them. Worse, despite the new Rider’s appearance, Shocker hadn’t postponed their invasion plan as she had expected. Thankfully, while they had learned nothing on Trixie, they learned much more about the logistics of their invasion plan. They were planning on sending twenty tanks, fifteen monsters, and countless Combatponies with the Great Leader, Cadance, and Ambassador Hell leading this army. The Equestria they were invading wasn’t very advanced, and this small force could adequately crush any resistance.

“I hate to say this, darling, but Trixie’s fate doesn’t look good.” Rarity pushed back her chair.

They were currently hiding behind an old abandoned fuel station. They’d considered returning to the moon, but Twilight caught wind that Shocker had learned that they’d teleported a great distance and didn’t want to tip their hooves. She wasn’t sure if Shocker could chase after them there, but didn’t want to risk it.

“I know.” Twilight sighed. Without Trixie, even with her new powers, she felt lost. Shocker was invading another world. She couldn’t just ignore it.

“We’ll think of something.” Rarity put a comforting hoof on her shoulder.

“Hey, I got it!” Rainbow perked up. “I know some ponies that really don’t like Shocker. They could cause trouble while they’re invading that other world. It would split their attention and maybe even draw some of their forces back. Then it would be easier to fight them!”

“Sounds risky, Rainbow,” Twilight said with some hesitation, “I don’t want you to get hurt.”

Rainbow snorted, sporting a cocky grin. “We’ll be fine. We’ll withdraw before things get bad.”

Angel tugged at Fluttershy’s leg, a determined expression on his tiny bunny face. “Oh my, are you sure? Um, Angel says he could round up some animal to help in the fight.”

“Sweet! That would totally bolster our ranks!” Rainbow said.

“Seems reckless.” Twilight hated putting anypony in danger. She was the Rider here. It was her job to risk her life.

“Darling, you aren’t alone here. A mare can’t fight a revolution alone. Trust us, we’ve got this.” Rarity swished her mane. “Rainbow’s not the only pony with friends, and I have some ideas where we can hit them the hardest.”

Twilight wanted to protest, but she saw their logic. “Just stay safe, okay.”

“Oh my, they’re starting a broadcast about the invasion!” Fluttershy increased the TV’s volume. They’d kept it on mute all morning to see if Shocker would make any official announcement about their plans.

“Here go our brave stallions and mares into the unknown fighting for Shocker’s glory!” A mint unicorn said on the TV. They showed footage of parading Combatponies walking in a line next to the tanks on the viewscreen behind her.

“Whoever they’re facing won’t stand a chance!” A cream-colored earth pony said.

“Bon-Bon, what’s known about this new world?” The unicorn asked.

“Well, Lyra, this world is shockingly similar to our own!” Bon-Bon replied. “But in this one, Princess Luna continued her reign until the present day.”

Lyra made a face. “Shocker never took over and brought peace? How utterly barbaric!”

“If history repeats itself, as they say, the Great Leader will cream Princess Luna once again!” They showed brief footage of the Great Leader’s legendary battle with the princess of the night. The poor mare didn’t stand a chance.

“Glory to Shocker! Hail our Great Leader!” Lyra did the Shocker salute. “Show those savages our might! Good luck and Shocker speed!”

The footage changed to a shot of a portal created by some enormous metal gate, and the troops entered it. Much to Twilight’s shock, she recognized where the portal was. It was in Shockeropolis Central Park.

Twilight made a self-deprecating laugh. “What an invitation, right?” This screamed trap.

“I’ll get everypony together!” Rainbow took to the air. “Good luck, Twilight!” She flew out of the window.

Twilight took a steadying breath. Everything counted on them, or else Shocker would conquer all of reality. “Everypony, battle stations!” The fight for freedom had begun.

Trixie yawned, enjoying the sun and the gentle breeze. She’d finished her paperwork hours ago and had no pressing appointments for the Night Court. Pokey complained about her leaving the house after Rainbow Dash crashed through her window at high speed again, creating a massive mess. She didn’t care. Cleaning was his job. That was one reason she hired him. Lyra sat in her usual weird unpony-like way next to her. They watched Ditzy play Frisbee with her daughter, enjoying seeing them have fun, and Trixie considered joining in. After considerable consideration, she decided against it. The day was too nice to get all sweaty and gross.

“Sorry it took so long, I had to stand in line” Bon-Bon ran up to them holding two cones of ice cream.

“Thanks, I’ll pay you back next week,” Trixie took the chocolate and pickled mango ice cream with her magic.

“Sure.” Bon-Bon rolled her eyes, sitting next to her marefriend.

Trixie raised an eyebrow. “You didn’t get one for yourself?”

“I thought I would share this one with Lyra.” Bon-Bon gestured to the rocky road ice cream in her hoof. “Besides, it might get Lyra all messy and I’ll need to lick it off.” She grinned salaciously.

Trixie shuttered in horror and revulsion, and the two marefriends took delight in her discomfort. Was this some petty payback for her not paying for her own ice cream?

Whatever. Trixie ignored the lovebirds enjoying their ice cream, not imagining what bizarre lovey-dovey stuff Lyra and Bon-Bon were getting into. She screamed as a loud boom hit her, throwing her off her seat and splattering her ice cream against the grass.

“What the hay?” Trixie looked up and her jaw dropped, discovering a fissure in reality in the middle of the park square next to Princess Luna’s statue. Ponies ran, fleeing to safety.

“Trixie, what the heck is that?!” Raindrops flew down, picking up Trixie from the ground.

“I have no clue.” Trixie helped Lyra and Bon-Bon to their hooves. Ponies emerged from the hiding spots, curious what this oddity might be. It seemed safe enough.

“Somepony, hire a chariot,” Trixie said, “the princess needs to know about this.”

The ground rumbled as a large machine monstrosity emerged from the portal, joined by ponies in low-rent Nightmare Night skeleton costumes. Ponies fled to safety. These ponies looked like bad news.

Trixie found herself pushed forwards towards the strangers. “Do something!” Lyra whispered.

What am I supposed to do?! I can’t fight off an invasion! Regardless, Trixie collected herself. She was the princess’s representative and this called for action.

“My name is Trixie. I am the princess’s student and confidant, and the local representative of the Night Court. What is your business with our world?” Trixie puffed out her chest, making herself look braver than she felt. She didn’t like the look of those metal monstrosities. Each one armed with a cannon barrel, which boggled the mind. The technology on display was beyond anything she’d ever seen before. A pony dressed in strange armor walked forward, joined by a pony dressed head to hoof in a red robe.

“We are Shocker,” Red robe said, “and this world belongs to us now. Comply or face destruction.”

Chapter 12

Galaxy Rangers: The Movie - Shocker Crisis!
Chapter 12
by Rixizu

Pokey jumped as the door slammed so hard a picture fell off the wall, which cracked after colliding with a nearby table. He blinked when he discovered nopony there. In a moment, the reason became clear as Trixie regained visibility. He opened his mouth to chide the mare for breaking something after he worked so hard cleaning everything after Rainbow’s accident but froze when he saw genuine fear on his employer’s face.

“What’s the matter?” Pokey said nervously, not liking the frantic energy Trixie was displaying.

“Pokey, gather everything you can for a trip, we’re leaving for Canterlot on hoof!” Trixie peeked out the curtain, worried something might have followed her. Pokey noticed that Trixie was missing her trademark hat.'

“On hoof?!” Pokey said, mortified. “That’ll take days! Why not use a perfectly nice train station?” Had Cheerilee been teasing the mare about her lack of exercise, again? He understood wanting to get an intense workout, but this was ridiculous!

“Don’t argue.” Trixie snapped. “I don’t have time to explain. The train isn’t an option and I can’t send a message from here. We need to warn the Princess and get the Elements! The world’s in serious danger!”

Questions burned on Pokey’s tongue, but he would ask them later. Whatever was happening looked dire. Had Corona begun her reign of terror at last?

Before he reached the kitchen, a metal tube burst through the wall and a metal monstrosity followed along with it. It crushed the front door under its treads, rolling into the living room. It turned its head, swinging right towards Trixie.

“Thought you could escape that easily, Trixie?” A voice said from the metal monster. “I’ll hunt you down to the ends of eternity!”

Pokey’s eyes widened. He recognized that voice. “Raindrops?!”

“That isn’t Raindrops!” Trixie’s mouth formed a hard line. “She’s an evil copy from another world!”

“Damn right I am!” Raindrops gave an unpleasant laugh. “I’m the better version of that pathetic mare in the park. The Combatponies beat her to death within seconds!”

No, Raindrops! Pokey didn’t know Raindrops very well, but she deserved better.

“You’ll pay for that!” Trixie snarled. Pokey had never seen his employer so furious in his life.

The door of the metal monster opened revealing a Raindrops dressed in a black uniform followed by ponies in black skeleton costumes. In a moment, Pokey realized what Trixie meant. The real Raindrops, while grim-faced, always carried warmth in her eyes. This Raindrops was cruel, the type who enjoyed hurting ponies for fun.

“I thought about blowing you to bits with the tank’s cannon, but considering how much your counterpart humiliated me, I’ve decided I’ll break every bone in your body first. I can’t let you die too quickly!”

Another Trixie? Before Pokey registered this new information, Raindrops pulled a nasty-looking club while her fellows drew swords, knives, and staves.

Raindrops gestured to some device on her wrist. “Best part, with this little gadget, I can pierce your illusions. That’s how I found you. I bet you’re useless without your little tricks. You can’t transform into a Ranger like the other one. You’re helpless!”

Neither Pokey nor Trixie knew what the mare meant, but things looked super bleak. These guys outnumbered them ten to one! Despite this, Trixie wore a determined expression, refusing to surrender, and pulled something from her trademark cape.

Trixie laughed. “Yeah, right! The Great and Powerful Trixie is never out of tricks!” Raindrops and her goons coughed as the room filled with blinding smoke from the pellets Trixie had thrown to the ground. Pokey coughed and his eyes burned, blinding him with tears. Something grabbed him by the hoof and he didn’t protest, letting them guide him to safety.

“Thanks for telling me about the illusion piercing device, genius!” Trixie taunted as they exited Trixie’s backdoor. “Now I’ll know not to use my illusions!”

Raindrops screamed in impotent rage. “Damn you, Trixie! You aren’t getting away!”

“Watch me!”

They were out of breath as they reached the alley behind the bowling alley. It seemed they’d evaded their pursuers. The sound of screaming and fighting echoed throughout Ponyville.

“What the hay is happening, Trixie?!” Pokey asked.

“Some evil organization from an alternate universe called Shocker is invading our world.” Trixie pulled Pokey further into the alley as a group of skeletons passed them.

“You mean like the time that alternate Twilight and Trixie came to our world?” Pokey recalled the incident that almost resulted in the world’s destruction caused by an evil fake alicorn thing called Antithesis.

“Right! These Shocker guys seem to hate my guts. Whatever their Trixie did really ticked them off.” Trixie smirked. “A mare after my own heart.”

“Are we still walking to Canterlot?” Pokey asked, dreading the answer.

“Maybe.” Trixie paused in thought. “We need to get to Canterlot somehow. I doubt we could take the train. And the telegraph is out. Shocker has secured them already.”

“Wonderful.” Pokey slumped against the alleyway. He was a lover, not a fighter or a hero! But what choice did he have? Equestria needed him, but he feared they wouldn’t make the journey. Even that brief run had worn him out.

Trixie scowled. “I hope the others are okay. I didn’t see what happened to them. At least Ditzy ran off, taking Dinky to safety.”

A terrible idea flashed in his head. “Trixie, if the real Raindrops is dead, doesn’t that mean the Elements are unusable?”

“I only saw Raindrops get jumped by the Nightmare Night rejects. She’s a tough pony; they couldn’t have killed her easily. I hope. Let’s worry about getting the Elements and warn Princess Luna first. It’s a good start.”

“Okay,” Pokey said resigned, “if only we could use the train. It would be faster!”

A sly look formed on Trixie’s face. “Maybe we can. These tank monstrosities are powerful, but not very quick. The train is much quicker. I bet the creepy red robbed guy is using it to get there.”

“We’re doing something really reckless and dangerous, aren’t we?” Sometimes Pokey cursed the day he first entered Trixie’s house and accepted his new job.

“This way everypony!” Shocker Cheerilee said guiding the Combatponies to their designated spots not unlike how the real Cheerilee herded her classroom foals. “We leave for Canterlot in ten minutes. I don’t want anypony getting left behind. Hey you!”

Trixie stood to attention, sweat gathering on her brow, forcing a smile. They’d taken some Combatpony costumes to hitch a ride to Canterlot to warn Princess Luna and save the day. Getting noticed was the worst thing possible outcome. If they got discovered, the Combatponies would pound them into pulp.

“Yes, mam,” Trixie said.

“I don’t recognize you.” Cheerilee tilted her head. “Are you new? What’s your designation?”

“0001,” Trixie replied, then cursed automatically. Why had she said that? No way would anypony buy that. Pokey facehoofed.

Cheerilee, instead of siccing the Combatponies on them, only smiled and nodded. “I can see why you don’t understand the protocol. Don’t worry, you’ll learn it soon enough. Today’s a big day. No wonder you’re so nervous! Stand over here, please” She guided Trixie next to another Combatpony in the line with Pokey soon joining her, standing at rigid attention.

Is my Cheerilee this gullible? Trixie wondered.

Cheerilee mothered the other Combatponies and the train soon got moving. Nopony except Cheerilee spoke, talking with somepony in a black beret. Trixie eavesdropped learning much about Shocker and their operations. They were on high alert for somepony called Lux. Lux hadn’t made an appearance yet, making Shocker nervous, which was good news. This meant she had a potential ally! A Combatpony yawned, breaking the order Cheerilee had constructed which earned them some dirty looks.

“Sorry, I didn’t sleep much last night.” The Combatpony said. Trixie recognized that voice, but couldn’t place it. Probably just another evil version of some Ponyvilleian.

Cheerilee waved a dismissive hoof. “It’s quite alright. Me too! Too excited about the invasion, right?”

“I don’t believe this.” Another voice Trixie recognized, a cloaked mare walked into the room, and it was Ditzy of all ponies! Unlike the Ditzy Trixie knew and loved; this Ditzy wore an icy expression. She had a fake mechanical eye replacing her right eye. The nonwobbly eyes appeared somehow creepy and alien on her friend’s face. Much to Trixie’s amazement, Flim and Flam joined her, the two con-artist lackeys of Duke Greengrass that attacked Carrot Top once.

Not you too, Ditzy. It broke Trixie’s heart seeing her friend like this, evil universe or not.

“How hard is it to catch one powerless Trixie?” Ditzy fumed. “In every universe that mare causes us problems!”

“Captain Cadance is searching for her now,” Flim said, trying to reassure the mare. From his expression, it was obvious he feared Ditzy. Everypony in the room had tensed in her presence.

“Yeah, she isn’t important, Inquisitor,” Flam added, “it’s Lux we have to worry about. I’m worried she’ll ignore the bait and attack Shocker in our world instead.”

“She didn’t!” Ditzy snapped. From the black circles under her eyes, she hadn’t received much sleep either. “Lux is here, I can smell it. Comb the entire train again. I can’t have the Great Leader threatened!”

“Don’t worry, I’ve got this handled,” Cheerilee said cheerfully, “nopony will get past my watch!” She withered under Ditzy glare.

“You better,” Ditzy growled, “I won’t have a repeat the Ore Journal debacle!”

Everypony in the room sighed in relief when Ditzy left the room, leaving Flim and Flam to investigate. Trixie tensed as Flam walked towards her and panicked, wondering how she messed up her disguise.

“Haven’t seen you around here,” Flam asked, “what’s your name?”

“0001.”

“New?” Flam asked. “I don’t mind showing you around. I’m a warden at Shockeropolis Maximum Security Prison. Yeah, I’m a bit of a big shot in Shocker. I’d be there now, but this invasion is a huge operation and I’m one of the strongest monsters in Shocker. I once fought Trixie to a standstill in her failed prison break attempt. She’s a tough cookie, but nopony I can’t handle.”

Flim rolled his eyes. “You’re flirting with mares now?”

“Have you seen this mare’s flank?” Flam whispered back. “She’s a dynamite babe!”

Sweet Luna, I can’t believe this is happening. After fighting back her horror and disgust, Trixie realized she had the perfect opportunity to gather intel.

“You fought Trixie?” Trixie said wide-eyed. “Somepony as dead sexy, great, and amazing as her? Do tell.”

Flam waggled his eyebrows at her suggestively and Trixie resisted the urge to vomit in her mouth, forcing a smile. “How about we go somewhere private and I’ll tell you everything?”

“Sound likes a plan!” She followed Flam out of the car.

“What are you doing?!” Pokey whispered.

“Stay here, I’ll be back,” Trixie whispered back, “stay out of trouble.” Her assistant looked miserable as they left.

“I heard Trixie has super dangerous powers. How frightening!”

“You heard right. Nopony really knows why.” Flam replied. “Dr. Shinigami says her Ranger powers are connected directly to her soul.”

What, like the Elements of Harmony? More than ever, Trixie felt certain she’d been correct in pursuing the Elements. The problem was rounding up her friends in this chaos.

“What exactly is a Ranger?”

“No clue.” It pained Flam to admit this. “It’s something she called herself. The Red Ursa Ranger.”

“Ursa!” Trixie exclaimed. Why was it Ursas kept getting involved with her life? She’d met an Ursa the last time somepony from another universe came into her world. And this Trixie was an Ursa based superhero?

“Enough about her.” Flam waved a dismissive hoof. “We’ve captured her and she’s locked up in the back car. She’ll be our secret weapon against Lux.”

Oh, ponyfeathers! Trixie cursed in several languages. That was the worst news she’d ever heard. How could her counterpart be so incompetent that she got captured?!

Flam eyed a nearby door and waggled his eyebrows at her suggestively again. “Ah, an unoccupied room. We have a half an hour until we reach Canterlot.”

“Perfect, but first, where’s the bathroom? I need to powder my nose!” Trixie replied, using the tried-and-true excuse to escape these situations.

Flam pointed towards a door marked Mare’s Room, the next car over. “I’ll be waiting.” He gave her a seductive look.

“Be right back.” As usual, the stallion bought it hook, line, and sinker.

She dove into the bathroom, locking the door behind her. She needed to rescue the other Trixie. With her bizarre powers, Equestria might stand a chance! Trixie checked around the bathroom for an escape route. Flam was watching the bathroom, so turning invisible wouldn’t work. Besides, she worried Shocker might have more illusion piercers. The only other exit route was a small window above the toilet. A pony might fit through it with some effort. For a seasoned escape artist, it would be foal’s play.

“Great, sneaking out a window on a moving train.” Trixie sighed, hating her life. “What could possibly go wrong?! This sounds like an excellent idea!”

After sighing once more, Trixie climbed up the window, pushing herself through the tiny window. It proved smaller than she’d expected and grabbing onto the train’s roof proved perilous.

“I need to go on a diet!” Trixie grunted trying to push her bulk through, being very careful to avoid looking down towards the speeding tracks that meant instant death if she fell. Princess Luna owed her a raise for this! After more grunting and pushing, she finally got herself out the window and screamed in terror after almost losing her hoofing. Thankfully, she regained her grip and pulled herself to the roof.

“I’m never doing that again!” She spent several moments calming her beating, terrified heart. After regaining her composure, she crawled towards the train’s final car.

Not long until we reach Canterlot. Trixie guessed from their distance they had thirty minutes at most and crawled faster.

Strangely, she found nopony guarding the last car and Trixie thanked her lucky stars. This would make poking around easier. She jumped down and entered the car.

What is this junk? Super-advanced equipment sat around everywhere, made for some unknown purpose. If Equestria survived this invasion, the Ministry of Science would have a field day with this stuff. She found a clear tube full of some strange liquid and floating inside it was Trixie! Wires and tubes connected to her body and a breathing mask covered her face. Even though she’d expected to see an alternate version of herself, its bizarreness took her breath away. While taken aback at seeing another Trixie, something caught her eye. On the floor was an unconscious Combatpony. Alarm bells rang and something attacked her from behind, but before the blow could land Trixie dodged to safety. While she wasn’t fit and combat-capable like her friend Raindrops, she was an expert at running away. Trixie backed into a corner as the Combatpony glared at her.

“Lucky son of a gun.” The Combatpony said, and Trixie recognized it as the one who’d yawned earlier. “Don’t worry; I won’t hurt you. You’re only taking a small nap for a while.”

Again, the voice sounded familiar somehow, and then it clicked in place. “Twilight?”

The Combatpony gasped and pulled off her mask, revealing Twilight as Trixie had guessed. Though she wore a more fashionable manecut than last time, she’d seen the mare.

“Who are you?” Twilight asked, peering at her opponent.

“It’s me, obviously.” Trixie rolled her eyes.

“Trixie!” Twilight unexpectedly pulled Trixie into a crushing hug. “I’m so glad you’re here!”

“Yes, hi,” Trixie said awkwardly, trying to disengage the hug.

“Okay, you’re not my Trixie, but any Trixie is welcome right now.”

Trixie blinked. “What?”

“I’m the Twilight from Shocker’s world,” Twilight replied, “I’m here to stop them.”

“That’s good to hear.” Like the Twilight who became the Element of Magic, this pony was just as brave and heroic. It made her wonder why her Twilight wasn’t that way. Was there something defective about her? Even after losing the criminal charges and redeeming herself, her Twilight was content staying a nerd and librarian. It was probably Viceroy Night Light’s fault.

Twilight turned her attention to the other Trixie fiddling with the keyboard built into the tube containing her. It lit up to the touch and text scrolled on a screen above it. It was a lucky break Twilight was here. Trixie wouldn’t know how to make heads or tails of this nonsense, forced to break open the tube or something.

“Can you get her out?”

“I believe so, one moment” Twilight tapped more on the keyboard. The tube lit up and the liquid drained from it. The other Trixie hung like a deranged marionette.

“There you are!” Flam said walking into the car. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you!” He froze when he spotted the unconscious Combatpony and Twilight’s face. “You!” Rage filled his face as he spotted Trixie realizing how she’d duped him.

Trixie facehoofed. “Come on.”

“Don’t worry, I got this.” Twilight pulled out a strange gold belt, grinning ear to ear.

Panic filled Flam’s face. “Trixie, if you can hear me, activate now!” Eerily, the Trixie in the tube opened her eyes staring with empty eyes towards them.

A triumphant expression filled Flam’s face. “Trixie, kill these two! Destroy them with extreme prejudice!”

Trixie jumped back terrified as the other Trixie shattered the tube with a single punch and glass cracked under hoof as she exited it. The tubes and wires still hung from her body, dragging behind her. She pulled out a belt. It was black and covered in glittering stars with Shocker’s logo embedded on its front and attached it to her waist.

“It’s morphing time, Black Ursa,” Trixie said in a dull tone. The belt sparked red energy and armor formed around the mare’s body. It was black covered in stars with the constellation of Ursa Major glowing in bright golden stars on her chest. Her helmet had piercing red eyes and a silver guard protecting the mouth.

Possessed Trixie pushed a button on her belt and a sword made from darkness appeared in her hooves.

“Oblivion Blade.” Fire formed around the possessed Trixie’s sword and a wave of intense flames shot out towards Trixie and Twilight.

“No you foal, not like that!” Flam cried out in fear.

Twilight and Trixie jumped out of the way in time, but the flames struck the car behind them and before they knew it, the entire train derailed, flying off its tracks towards the busy Canterlot train station.

Chapter 14

Galaxy Rangers: The Movie - Shocker Crisis!
Chapter 14
by Rixizu

“You must be the infamous Trixie!” The mole monster said. “Call me, Molung! I’ll enjoy spattering your guts against the walls!”

“I’d rather you not, actually.” Trixie shrank her body low, trying to hide behind a chair. She wondered if she should turn invisible despite Shocker’s anti-illusion gadgets. The brave and noble Night Court nobles looked at each other, wondering if they should run to Trixie’s aid, or just run.

Thanks a bunch. A scowl formed on Trixie’s mouth.

Somehow, Fisher gained his courage and rolled back the sleeves of his coat, revealing rippling muscles beneath. He slammed his hooves together, eager for battle and charged. Moments later Fisher found himself through the table as Molung slapped him aside and the others screamed in fear, running for safety.

After finishing with Fisher, Molung turned his attention towards Trixie. A howl of terror escaped her mouth as a Molung swung a meaty claw at her head, ducking just in time. The Combatponies blocked every escape attempt, brandishing a weapon and out for her blood.

“Trixie!” Sparks flew as Princess Luna swooped in, slashing Molung’s thick lumpy hide with her scythe.

“Princess Luna!” Trixie’s mentor didn’t look so hot. Blood oozed from a cut on her forehead and she sported a nasty bruise on her left eye. She howled in pain as a black figure appeared from nowhere and punched her, sending the princess flying through several walls. The evil possessed Trixie loomed over her, staring at her with empty eyes behind her helmet.

“You won’t win!” The room shook at the princess’s proclamation, using the full power of her voice. “Hear this Shocker! You’re evil won’t haunt this land any longer! Not again! We defeated you once, and my blade will ensure it happens again!”

Ambassador Hell snorted with amusement. “Try if you dare, but Shocker is unstoppable.”

Ranger Trixie went flying as a burst of cobalt magic impacted into her, throwing her off her hooves. She staggered for a moment but didn’t even seem inconvenienced by the attack. With a single leaping tackle, she sent Princess Luna through several more walls and out of sight.

Princess, I’m sorry! I’ll make this right somehow! Trixie had used the distraction to slip away, using her smoke bombs to create more confusion. She hoped and prayed her mentor would survive long enough to retrieve the Elements. Behind her, Molung yelled for the Combatponies to chase after her. Unluckily for them, Trixie knew the castle like the back of her hoof. She’d haunted these corridors for years as a filly. Despite their best efforts; she slipped through their grasp. The lucky arrival of more palace guards slowed down the Combatponies and they battled in the halls.

“I am never doing this again!” Trixie gave out ragged breaths as she finally reached the chamber where the Elements were being held. She hated running so much. She stood before a massive door made of several hooves thick magically enchanted steel. This vault contained some of the most dangerous and precious magical artifacts in the world. A metal cage protected the main vault door made of thick steel bars. She doubted a hacksaw could get through them.

No guards stood ready to protect the vault, and Trixie guessed they must be off fighting Shocker. She supposed it didn’t matter and reached into her cape to find the key. It fell from her hooves to the ground as the ground shook. The fight between her alternative selfe and Princess Luna reverberated through the castle.

“That Evil Trixie is tough. Most bad guys don’t even last seconds against the princess!” Okay, Luna had failed to defeat her sister back during the Longest Night, but that was a special case, and Corona cheated! The castle reverberated again, and Trixie wondered if anything would remain of the building after Shocker’s defeat.

After scooping up the key, she ran towards the steel cage and stopped, realizing the key Luna had given her didn’t fit in the keyhole at all. She facehoofed. The princess had given her the vault key but forgotten about the outer cage. Trixie shook the bars with frustration, but they didn’t even budge. Her mentor hadn’t counted on the vaults guards running off to fight Shocker abandoning their post, taking the all-important key with them. She glared at the door’s lock, which mocked her with its impenetrableness. Worse, Trixie has certain a hairpin wouldn’t be enough to pick the lock, at least not before the heat death of the universe.

Thanks, Luna, your paranoia of Corona getting the Elements has screwed over everypony! In frustration, she kicked the cage’s bar, wincing in pain when her hoof impacted the hard cold steel.

“Having some trouble?” A familiar voice said and Trixie cursed, finding Molung and a horde of Combatponies waiting at the door.

“Well, ponyfeathers.” Dread filled her when she realized she was alone in a room filled with Shocker goons with no escape route.

Trixie screamed and ducked as Molung leaped towards her, claw extending. He missed and swung again, but this time an idea had sparked in Trixie’s head. She dodged, moving her body towards the metal cage. The Shocker monster aimed for her head, planning to rend it from her body. At the last moment, Trixie leaped into the air, grabbing the bars above her with her hooves, suspending her in midair. The monster’s claws slashed into the steel bars, but they bounced off harmlessly. Unbelievably, it hadn’t even dented them!

Really, Luna, you had to go full stops on the vault’s security? Despair filled her when she realized how royally screwed she was.

She couldn’t believe the speed of the Combatponies as they surrounded her. Her back slammed against the steel cage, giving her nowhere to run. They formed a circle, creating an arena for Trixie and the monster to fight. Molung slashed his claws together, enjoying the fearful expression on Trixie’s face. That look faded as Trixie blinked out of sight. Combatponies wasted no time moving towards the door, creating an inescapable barrier. They’d been expecting she’d attempt something like this and proved an impassable obstacle. Trying to push her way through only ended with Trixie on her rump.

A Combatpony pulled out a strange bracelet and it pinged as it pointed in Trixie’s direction. She screamed in terror as Molung lunged towards her, rolling out of the way in time. She summoned hundreds of clones of herself, which leaped about to confuse her enemy. Unfortunately, the bracelet pinged her again and Trixie screamed in pain as the mole monster knocked her across the room. What could defeat these monsters?

“Hold it!” A voice cried out, catching everypony’s attention in the room. Trixie’s heart sank when she recognized the voices.

Two earth ponies entered the room, each with red manes. One wore a mustache and the other remained clean shaved. It was the Flim Flam brothers from earlier.

“This one is ours,” Flim said, “she needs to pay for the indignities that she and her counterpart have made us suffer!”

“Yes, quite.” Flam’s voice held barely controlled rage, still peeved about how Trixie had bamboozled him. The two joined hooves and their body erupted with light. When the light faded, a bizarre lizard scorpion thing remained in its place.

“We, Sasoritokages, will be the one to rip her limb from limb!” The duo voice of the monster said.

Molung bowed in compliance, extending a gross meaty paw. “Be my guest.”

“You have got to be kidding me!” Did the entire universe hate her or something? Was there a cosmic “Kick Me” sign taped to her back? And Trixie was losing track of everypony that wanted her dead at this point. She promised to create a list if she survived this.

Sasoritokages lumbered towards her and Trixie’s mind raced for some way to escape this disaster. The creature wasn’t in a hurry, enjoying her helplessness and frantic fear, the jerk. Desperate, Trixie threw a karate chop towards the creature’s chest and winced in pain as her hoof slammed hard against whatever hide this creature had. Trixie rubbed at her sore hoof.

They make it look so easy in plays. She searched frantically through her cape, only to find she’d used the last of her smoke bombs. Her only defense was a half-eaten pie wrapped in tin foil leftover from one of Pinkie’s parties.

Trixie leaped into the air, grabbing Sasoritokages’s face in a desperate gamble to escape his deadly pincer. The crab scorpion thing flailed, trying to tear off Trixie, but she refused to release her grip, terrified out of her mind. Combatponies scrambled as Sasoritokages lumbered towards them, unable to see anything but the azure pony.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got this!” Molung leaped forwards with his claws to gut Trixie, but she leaped out of the way, resuling in the mole’s claws slashing Sasoritokages’s one eye blinding him. The monster howled swinging his pincer wildly knocking over several Combatponies.

Sasoritokages continued to slash around the room blindly, trying to find the hated Trixie. Molung and the Combatponies tried to get him under control while dodging his razor-sharp pincer. Trixie used the distraction to crawl under everypony’s leg towards the door.

“She’s getting away!” A Combatponies pointed towards Trixie, spotting her amongst the chaos.

Trixie wasted no time scrambling towards the door after losing her stealth. Several Combatponies tried dogpiling her, but she darted out of their reach, creating a giant pile of limbs and angry ponies. Shocker goons tried blocking her path, but she flew past them, twisting and turning her body like a pretzel. Somehow, she’d darted past them, through the door and out into the castle’s halls. She grimaced when she accidentally knocked over a priceless vase.

“Damn you, Trixie! After her!”

Twilight followed her brother as he’d led her through the streets of Canterlot. She’d gotten some strange looks from the citizenship, but she ignored them. It struck her how elegant the ancient Equestrian city was. Every building was uniquely crafted, but also blended well together into a beautiful package. She’d seen pictures of the city before Shocker had destroyed it, but it was still a marvel to see. Shame she didn’t have the time to go sightseeing. If they survived this crisis, she’d have Trixie show her around, recalling that the mare had mentioned growing up here.

There was a loud boom and two figures emerged from the castle’s roof. A gasp escaped her lips as she first set her eyes on the fabled Luna, Princess of the Moon. She appeared like something from a fairy story. Gracious and beautiful beyond words, and her mane flowed with an entire star field within it. While awe-inspiring, she looked beaten and battered, but still determined to fight.

“What the hay is that thing?” Shining pointed towards the black figure fighting Luna with a blazing sword.

“That’s Trixie!” Twilight replied.

“There are two Trixie?” Shining’s voice cracked. Had she’d just heard dread in his voice?

“Shocker has brainwashed her.” Twilight waved a vague hoof. “It’s a whole thing.”

They grimaced as Luna got cut across the chest, flying back into the castle. Twilight cursed. Somehow, Shocker had beaten them to the castle and she worried for Trixie’s safety. Indecision struck her if she should teleport to the castle to aid the princess in the battle against the controlled Trixie, or stay with her brother. Leaving her brother alone didn’t sit well with her.

A flash caught their attention and she found a panting Starlight standing next to her. “There you are. I’d thought I’d never find you!”

“Starlight!” Twilight said in astonishment. “I thought you were staying behind to help with the rebellion!”

“I’m not even going to ask what that means,” Shining said, giving up asking any question and just accepting the craziness of the situation.

The mare dragged her back leg across the ground, embarrassed. “I know, but this is my world, and I couldn’t abandon it. Besides, Rarity and the others don’t need me. They’re doing great on their own. They’ve already amassed an impressive force against Shocker.”

Twilight smiled and nodded in understanding. She couldn’t blame the mare for wanting to protect her world. Besides, it gave them a perfect opportunity to bring the fight to Shocker.

“I’m glad you’re here,” Twilight said, “do you know your way around the castle?”

“Yes, I’ve been there once or twice.” Starlight replied, though she wore a guilt look for some reason.

“Good, teleport Shining, my brother, to the castle and find the Trixie of this world,” Twilight said.

“Uh, hi!” Shining waved an awkward hoof.

“Wait, Trixie?” Starlight tensed but exhaled a resigned sigh. “I understand. What about you? What will you be doing?”

“Henshin!” Twilight transformed into her Rider form. “Protecting the princess, good luck!” Her wings extended and she flew towards the castle.

“She can do that?” Shining said, astonished.

“I guess so.” Starlight replied. “Though, why she didn’t do that already is beyond me. Grab my hoof, and I’ll take you to the castle.” Shining nodded and they disappeared in a flash of purple.

“Hold on, was that the crazy cult leader from before?” A voice said. “What’s she doing with Twilight, who’s a superhero now I guess?”

Another mare rubbed her temple. “I don’t know. We’ll worry about that later. Saving the princess comes first! Let’s go, girls!” The collection of mares ran to join the fight against Shocker.

“I hate my life!” Trixie wheezed, trying to get her breath back. She’d found a statue to hide behind and Combatponies ran past her hiding spot in hot pursuit of their despised enemy.

What now? After regaining her breath and calming her beating heart, she considered her best move. The Elements were beyond her reach and everypony that might help her were miles away. She put her hooves into her face. How had it come to this?

A flash of inspiration struck her. If she could pull the princess aside for a moment, they could open the vault and its vile, evil cage. Or maybe even Twilight, if she’d survived the fight with that evil flying squirrel monster. Her best hope was finding either of them and getting that stupid cage open.

After checking the coast was clear, she slunk her way through the castle which stood in shambles. Extensive sections of the roof were missing and fire spread towards anything flammable, creating thick plumes of smoke. Servants created a chain of water buckets to stop the fire’s spread. One maid used her skirt in a desperate attempt to extinguish a priceless painting.

Princess Luna howled in pain as a wall shattered when she crashed through it and tiles exploded under her body. Ponies forgot their work and scattered, finding any hiding spot they could. They looked on in worry. They’ve never seen their precious princess receive such a beating before.

A wave of pain came over Luna’s face as she struggled to stand. She grimaced as other Trixie jumped from the roof and landed to the ground below, unbothered by the enormous height. Could anything stop this monster? Trixie wanted to rush to her side, but the Great Leader’s appearance and his bodyguard lackey made her reconsider.

“Trixie, don’t do this.” Despite being an evil brainwashed Trixie from another universe, fighting her student still brought her pain. “I know you still lie under that armor of yours. Don’t let Shocker control you!”

“Don’t bother.” Great Leader said. “Shocker’s control of her mind is absolute.”

Princess Luna scowled. “Fight it. I know you can!”

“Oblivion Blade.” Princess Luna howled pain as a wave of flame threw her clear outside into the castle garden. Part of the hedge maze burst into pieces when Luna collided with it.

The princess retaliated with her scythe and sparks flew as it impacted with Evil Trixie’s armor, but it had no visible effect and Luna cried out in pain as her opponent back hoofed her. Despite the desperate situation, Luna refused to surrender, continuing to plead with the other Trixie, trying to awaken her true self. The evil Ranger froze still like a statue. Hope sprung in her heart, hoping the princess had succeeded in her heartfelt plea. A back hoof to Luna’s face ruined that plan.

Trixie cursed. It was obvious Luna was holding back. Didn’t she realize it might get her killed? She didn’t relish seeing her counterpart getting slaughtered by her mentor, but she didn’t desire to see Princess Luna get hurt either.

“Photonic Burning Rider Kick!” For the first time in the fight, Trixie’s doppelganger cried out in pain, breaking through several statues before halting herself.

“Don’t hold back!” Twilight said. “Don’t worry about Trixie; she can handle a few bruises.”

“Twilight Sparkle?” Princess Luna said in astonishment.

“Call me Kamen Rider Lux.” Twilight made a pose. “It’s a long story, but we have greater issues right now.”

“Another Rider,” Luna said awestruck, “I’ll enjoy hearing the story. Equestria requires saving first.”

“So, you finally show yourself, Lux.” Ambassador Hell swung his cape around and pulled out his whip. “It’s about time I join the fight. I’ll make quick work of you like your friend.” Bizarrely, his body transformed, becoming a snake pony thing.

“Over my dead body!” Twilight snarled and summoned a sword of light. “This is for Trixie!” She exchanged blows with Ambassador Hell while Luna continued her fight with Evil Trixie. The Great Leader of Shocker continued to watch on impassively.

Trixie sighed. There went her brilliant foalproof plan. Now what? Despite being outclassed by everyone, she hated getting sidelined. She refused to twiddle her hooves, doing nothing.

“Found you!”

Trixie screamed as the ground beneath her exploded in an eruption of dirt, sending her flying painfully into a nearby statue of a mare holding a gold-tipped spear. The impact created a deep crack in the statue which spread up its body. The hoof holding the spear collapsed and it clattered to the ground. After rubbing her back, she winced as she rose back to her hooves. A familiar monster laughed at her pain.

“Can I get rid of you already?” Trixie said annoyed.

“You’ll pay for what you did to Sasoritokages!” The mole creature said. “It doesn’t matter how far you run, I’ll chase you to the ends of eternity!”

“Okay,” Trixie replied, resigned to her fate. She picked up the spear and pointed it towards her opponent. While she was certain it wouldn’t do much, it provided her at least some protection.

Molung chuckled, amused by her lackluster defense and charged claws extended. With a flip, Trixie dodged out of the way and stabbed into the creature’s stomach. It scrapped against the creature’s skin, but left him otherwise unharmed. Several more stabs produced similar results. This monster’s hide was too tough. Molung enjoyed Trixie’s panicked expression and with a single swipe of his claw broke her weapon in two.

“That was a priceless piece of art!” Trixie wasn’t sure what she was saying, driven by fear and desperation. This only amused her opponent, who lumbered towards her.

“Don’t worry Trixie, I’ve got this.” A voice said. One she hadn’t heard in several weeks.

In a flash, Starlight Glimmer appeared before Molung and grabbed hold of him. In another flash, she vanished and took the monster with her, leaving a bewildered Trixie behind.

“That takes care of that!” Starlight wiped her hooves together after teleporting back.

“Starlight Glimmer, what are you doing here?” Last time Trixie had seen her, the mare had tried to indoctrinate her and her friends into her creepy cult.

“Saving your flank!” Starlight proclaimed proudly.

A thousand questions flashed through her head. In Trixie’s mind, Starlight’s sudden appearance wasn’t a good thing. She sat them aside for now, focusing on the bigger issue.

“What happened to Molung?” Trixie asked.

“I teleported him several miles away.” Starlight replied. The teleport had exhausted her, but she still wore her typical smug smile. “Don’t worry about him. I’m sure we’ll never see him again.”

“What are you doing here?” Trixie gave the mare a suspicious look. “You’re the cause of this aren’t you?”

Starlight flustered. “What, no. Never. I never asked Shocker to invade our world! Why do you think it’s my fault?”

“You swore revenge against me and my friends after we stopped your evil cult, and you happen to appear again when my world is getting invaded by extradimensional bad guys?”

“First off, it wasn’t a cult. It was a cutie mark free paradise that was working fine until you showed up. Two, this isn’t really my fault! Okay, I might have, accidentally, given Shocker a powerful magical artifact that allowed a Combatpony to travel back in time and change history, but I never told them to invade anypony!”

“I knew it!” From Starlight’s guilty expression since first she showed up, Trixie knew something was up. And she was right, as usual. The fact Shocker came from an alternate timeline was quite the revelation though. She groaned. Why time travel, of all things? Like she needed more insane complications in her life.

Trixie gestured to Princess Luna, who was fending off Ambassador’s Hell arm whip thing with a magical shield. Her mentor’s shield flickered and she grimaced with the effort of withstanding the attack, but her spell held.

“Do something about that. This is your fault!” Trixie’s voice dripped with contempt. It was Starlight’s fault Raindrops might be seriously hurt and her mentor was fighting for her life!

“Hey, it’s a work in progress!” Starlight glared at Trixie. “I’m doing pretty well, thank you very much!” The two mares glared daggers at each other, reminded why they found the other so irritating. Trixie resisted the urge to deck the other mare.

“Girls! We have bigger enemies to worry about!” Before it came to blows, a purple shield formed between them, forcing them apart.

“There you are Shining.” Trixie gave Starlight the stink eye, before turning her attention to the captain of the royal guard. “Did you find Pokey?”

“Yes, he did actually,” Pokey said, still in the Combatpony getup, “no thanks to you.”

“I found him hiding in a pot.” Shining added, and her assistant showed no shame at this revelation.

“Yeah, sorry about that,” Trixie said relieved to see her employee safe, “train crashes are pretty distracting.”

“Did you get the Elements, Trixie?” Starlight asked.

“No, Molung got in the way,” Trixie replied, not wanting to explain her failure.

“Glad to hear it. These Elements sound dangerous. Doctor Shinigami will enjoy studying them.” An unfamiliar voice said. Shining gasped as a new pony walked into the garden flanked with several Combatponies. Trixie remembered that a Shocker pony mentioned something about Cadance, but it was still shocking to see the pink princess wearing Shocker’s logo.

“Cadance?” Shining said in complete bafflement.

“Not the one you’re thinking of,” Cadance replied, “another Trixie, how interesting. Not that the Ranger one proved much of a challenge. I doubt you will prove any more difficult.”

“Not if we have anything to say about it!” Cadance cried out in surprise, and then pain as a fist smashed into her face sending her flying.

“Raindrops!” Trixie’s eyes welled with tears, overcome with joy and relief that her friend was okay.

“Take this!” Lyra strummed her lyre, creating a shockwave that sent the Combatponies flying. Carrot Top and Cheerilee were next, knocking goons on their flanks with several well-placed punches. Ditzy walked in behind them, while not eager to fight, still wore a determined expression.

“Guys!” Tears flowed freely down Trixie’s face as she hugged her friends. The gang was together at last and Shocker didn’t stand a chance!

Chapter 15

Galaxy Rangers: The Movie - Shocker Crisis!
Chapter 15
by Rixizu

“Guys, how did you get here so fast?” Trixie asked, relieved to see her friends safe. Raindrops sported some ugly bruises on her face but otherwise seemed in good health.

“More interlopers.” While the Great Leader wore a hood and cloak which hid his features, Trixie knew he’d be fuming with rage right now. He continued to glare at his hated foes balefully from the sidelines, still not intervening in the fight.

Carrot Top sighed. “Don’t ask. I think I lost a few years off my life!”

“Don’t be like that, Carrot. Rainbow did her best.” Ditzy turned her attention back to Trixie. “Rainbow Dash created a makeshift skycar. It was… interesting. But, hey! We got here safely!”

“We’d get here sooner, but that evil Raindrops got in the way,” Cheerilee said.

“She was pretty tough, but we somehow defeated her, um me, um her?” Raindrops added. “Apparently she comes from another timeline? It’s unbelievable I’d ever turn out like that. I hope.” A wave of brooding self-pity passed over her face. She’d seen something of herself in the Shocker version of herself she didn’t like.

“I’m just glad you’re all safe!” Trixie waved her hooves frantically, attempting to dispel her friend’s dour mood.

“Us too!” Lyra said. “What were you thinking of running off on your own! I won’t ask why you’re hanging out with an evil cult leader.”

“I’m not a cult leader! The word is visionary!” Starlight’s words fell on deaf ears and everypony ignored her.

“I had to retrieve the Elements before Shocker got their grubby little hooves on them! It didn’t exactly work out, but hey! We’re all together now. It’s got to count for something!” Trixie said, offended, “And I didn’t go alone, I had Pokey!”

“Who you almost got killed in a train crash!” Pokey’s voice became a low growl of irritation.

“That wasn’t my fault, it was the other Trixie!”

Lyra gapped. “Other Trixie?” Trixie said nothing, only pointing towards the black figure fighting the princess. Luna slashed the Ranger with her scythe, but other Trixie only wobbled before sending the princess through a statue.

“Dear Luna!” Cheerilee exclaimed. “How can she be so powerful?”

A tisking sound interrupted their conversation. Cadance approached, wiping the dust off her leather coat. Other than her ruffled mane, she seemed otherwise unhurt. “She isn’t even close to Shocker’s true power. An amusing experiment, at best.”

“Why are you doing this?” Cheerilee stepped forward wearing an angry scowl on her face. “Why are you invading our world?”

“Because it is our right!” The Great Leader extended a hoof before stomping it on the ground. “Shocker shall become the supreme presence in all existence. It is our ultimate calling! To bring the perfect evolution to all creatures!”

A small smile formed on Cadance’s mouth, who nodded. “And then everypony shall experience true and lasting peace under Shocker’s loving grasp.”

“What a load.” Lyra spat on the ground. “You’re a bunch of bullies, that’s it!”

“Take care of them Kamen Rider Cupido.” The Great Leader extended a hoof skyward. “Show them what happens to those who oppose Shocker!”

“My pleasure!” Cadance pulled out a belt, not unlike Twilight’s, attaching it to her waist. “Henshin!” Darkness surrounded her, revealing an insect-like armor. Apparently, bugs were popular amongst Riders. Cadance was also grasshopper themed. Though, thankfully, she wore more appropriate dark colors. For some reason, she appeared more like a good guy than the real hero, Lux.

Shining gave out a whinny. “She’s a Rider too? Never thought I’d have to fight an evil version of my marefiend.”

“Really? How interesting.” Cadance gave the stallion a tilt of her head, before snorting in laughter. “Nah, he looks like a dork.”

Shining winced. “Ouch.”

“Bring it on!” Lyra brandished her lyre, ready and eager for battle.

“This is our world, and you can’t have it!” Ditzy smacked her hooves together.

“What they said!” Trixie said with a confidence she didn’t share. She knew what power Shocker wielded, but didn’t want to waver her friends’ resolve. Whatever happened, she had their back. Somehow, they’d win this. Together, they were unstoppable! Shining Armor and Starlight Glimmer might be helpful too, she guessed.

Twilight continued her battle with Ambassador Hell, who sent a barrage of whip strikes in her direction in a dizzying pattern. The Rider was too preoccupied to lend her aid. In the other fight, Luna flew above the Evil Trixie, sending an onslaught of magic beams down towards her. Like water flowing through a pipe, the Ranger dodged around them and Luna cried out in pain as other Trixie threw a bench into her which shattered on impact.

“Suffer.” Cadance grew a sword from her belt. Much to Trixie’s shock, before she ended her blink, the Rider was already on her, swinging it towards her.

“Trixie!” Shining screamed in warning, and Trixie winced as Cadance’s sword bounced off a shield Shining had summoned.

“T-Thanks.” Trixie couldn’t believe the other mare’s speed. Dear Luna, what had they gotten into? Maybe they should imitate the much wiser Pokey who hid behind a nearby shrubbery.

“Take this!” Lyra summoned a shockwave with her lyre which tore the ground asunder and threw Cupido off her hooves. The Rider extended her wings, unbothered by the attack.

Cadance moved to strike Lyra but paused as eight different Lyra’s appeared. Trixie prayed Cadance didn’t have one of those stupid illusion detecting devices and pulled Lyra to safety. Cupido eyed her surroundings, not falling for the bait and attacking the fake Lyras. Trixie had pulled them both into a cloak of illusion, but it was a rushed job and wouldn’t hold up to hard scrutiny. Raindrops and Cheerilee used the distraction to send punches the Rider’s way, but Cadance ignored them, more focused on targeting Trixie.

“Got you.” Cadance turned towards the bush Trixie and Lyra were hiding behind.

“Take this!” Ditzy swooped down at full speed and crashed into Cadance, and the mare stumbled a few steps and her sword just missed taking a generous portion from Trixie’s head.

“Irritant!” Ditzy screamed as Cadance back hoofed her into a nearby statue.

“Ditzy!” Rage filled Trixie and she charged, summoning more Trixies than she’d ever attempted before. Cadance stumbled around trying to find the real one. She cut a Trixie she’d thought was the genuine one, but the illusion only stuck her tongue out at her before dissipating.

This served as the perfect distraction for Lyra, who bombarded the Rider with sonic blasts. Starlight joined the fight by shooting magical beams that staggered Cadance. Trixie’s fake selves made it difficult to pinpoint where Lyra was attacking from. Raindrops and Cheerilee continued to pound Cupido with their hooves while Ditzy and Carrot Top used their bodies to divebomb her, keeping the mare unbalanced. Shining’s shield blocked any attack from Cadance’s sword. He strained from the effort and kept his shields small to conserve energy. Sure, they weren’t fighting fair, but they couldn’t win in a straight-up contest. Trixie only hoped this would wear the mare down enough to beat her. Much to her shock, Cadance only laughed.

“Not a bad strategy, but I could do this all day!” Instead of fighting back, she stood still and let them bombard her with attacks, showing how little they actually bothered her. It didn’t take long for their attacks to become slower, exhausted by their efforts to hurt the Rider.

“Uh, now what guys?” Trixie asked, realizing how much Cupido was playing with them.

“This isn’t over!” Starlight ran forward and her horn glowed so bright everypony had to avert their eyes. A brilliant, devastating beam of turquoise light shot from her horn, throwing Cadance off her hooves. The beam caught several of Trixie’s friends in the crossfire, reducing statues to rubble as the Rider smashed through them until she slid to a halt, motionless.

“That takes care of that.” Starlight panted, looking almost on the verge of collapsing.

“Hey!” Ditzy glared as she untangled herself from a bush.

“It worked, didn’t it? One down, three to go.” Starlight showed no shame that she’d accidentally hurt several of her allies. She gave the Great Leader a smug smile who didn’t even twitch in reply. Instead, he focused on the fight between Ambassador Hell and Twilight.

“Um, guys.” Shining pointed a trembling hoof as Cadance rose back to her hooves and stretched unbothered by getting thrown almost twenty hooves.

“You guys are such fun,” Cadance replied, “it’s cute you think you can actually win.”

“Let’s even the odds.”

Cadance screamed in genuine pain as Luna appeared from nowhere and her scythe slashed the Rider across the chest and sparks flew from the impact.

“You little!” Cadance crossed weapons with the Princess, standing face-to-face.

“You share my daughter’s face, but your heart is full of evil. It doesn’t contain the love my Cadance has,” Luna said.

“Like I care.”

The two flew around the garden, dodging and exchanging blows. Trixie didn’t know how Luna kept up the fight after everything and could barely follow their movements. It didn’t stop her from creating subtle illusions that confused Cadance enough for Luna to get the upperhoof on her. Ditzy and Raindrops flew up to help, attacking the Rider’s blind spot whenever she was vulnerable. Lyra helped too, sending shockwaves to create more confusion.

“Enough playing.” The voice of the Great Leader startled Trixie, who’d almost forgotten he was there. The other Trixie stood next to him obediently, waiting for her next orders. “Trixie, join the fight with Cadance and crush all in your sight!”

Trixie cursed as the Ranger leaped at blinding speed towards the fight and sent everypony flying from the impact as she punched Luna in the gut causing her to scream in pain. Much to Trixie’s horror, the princess had difficulty standing up. Evil Trixie sent another punch towards Raindrops who’d gotten too close, but a shield blocked the blow.

The barrier didn’t last, shattering as the punch smashed through it. Raindrops screamed in pain, thrown several hooves until she crashed into the ground. The shield had protected her from most of the punch’s power, but not enough, and she was unable to stand. Shining panted, sweat glistened on his forehead. He’d pushed his power too far and would overchannel if he wasn’t careful. Luna attempted to join the fray, but Cadance blocked her approach, eager to fight the legendary Night Princess.

“Let them have their fun,” Cadance said, “I believe Trixie’s an old friend, right? Why interrupt their joyous reunion?”

Pokey screamed as Ditzy’s body broke his hiding spot. Nothing seemed to hurt this monster. Starlight’s beams barely bothered her. What could stop this thing? Cheerilee’s breath left her as the Ranger punched her in the gut and she fell gasping to the ground trying to get her breath back.

“Cheerilee!” Trixie dove towards other Trixie. A sharp pain burned on her cheek as she got knocked away. She screamed as the Ranger drove a hoof down towards her and rolled away. The pavement shattered under the power of the Evil Trixie’s hoof.

So much for heroics. Trixie summoned three different Trixie scrambled away trying to get to safety.

“Oblivion Blade!”

Trixie found her body going flying as the ground beneath her exploded and the breath was driven from her asher back hit the pavement. She groaned, trying to get back on her hooves, only to find the other Trixie standing above her.

“Trixie! Photonic Burning Rider Kick!” The other Trixie flew aside as the kick threw her aside, but she quickly regained her hoofing. Twilight’s wings glistened as she landed next to her friend.

“Thanks.” Trixie found standing difficult, but she couldn’t afford to lie around.

Twilight screamed and cursed as a snake-like whip appendage struck her in the face. Ambassador Hell joined the chaos, pushing the Rider back making it difficult to aid her friends. A chill went down her spine as Trixie turned to find herself face-to-face with her copy.

“Look, uh, I know you’re me and still in there.” Trixie took a step back, almost slipping on a broken piece of cobblestone. “Don’t do this!”

Trixie whimpered as the other smacked her across the face again before she could create an illusion to escape. Pain erupted in her hip as she stuck the stone beneath, hard. Raindrops and Ditzy flew in to intervene, but Cadance threw Princess Luna into them.

“Oblivion Blade.” The doppelganger summoned flame around her sword, and Trixie knew she was finished. No illusion would protect her from the onslaught of destruction.

“Trixie!” Much to Trixie’s amazement, Pokey had run towards her in a desperate attempt to save his employer. The stallion must have known it would be suicide, but he persisted anyway and already had his hooves around her midsection trying to pull her to safety. They both closed their eyes, hoping the end won’t be too painful.

Moments passed and no more pain happened to her. She peeked an eye open, finding the Evil’s Trixie’s blade right before Pokey’s face, frozen like a statue.

“Pokey.” The other Trixie’s hooves shook, and somehow that solitary word conveyed an unexpected amount of anguish.

“Pokey. Pokey.” Was the other Trixie, crying?

“What are you waiting for? Finish them.” The Great Leader boomed and the entire world stood still, wondering what would happen next. Trixie and Pokey were at the complete mercy of this other Trixie. Twilight separated from Cadance, darting to save her friend, and Cupido gave chase.

A scream of anguish escaped the Ranger’s lips and she threw her sword down, creating a large fissure from the impact. She grabbed her head and stumbled back. Everypony froze, turning to watch the scene as the other Trixie flailed about in anguish.

“No! You belong to Shocker!” The Great Leader said. “You will do what you are told!”

The other Trixie gave Pokey a long look, before giving Lyra, Cheerilee, Raindrops, Ditzy, and Carrot Top a glance before staring at the floor.

“Trixie!” Luna’s voice boomed using her royal Canterlot voice. “You are strong. You are no servant of Shocker! Fight it!”

Twilight and Trixie’s friends joined the Princess, giving the other Trixie words of encouragement. Soon, Trixie too joined them, caught up in the emotion of the situation. They screamed at the top of their lungs. Fight, you know you can!

“Enough!” Cadance darted past the distracted Lux and threw her sword towards Pokey’s heart. Trixie watched in horror as the blade seemed to move in slow motion, unable to do or affect anything. The other Trixie grunted in pain as the sword impacted her midsection, her legs giving out under her.

“Not again.” The Ranger huffed.

“Trixie!” Twilight said in delight.

“Oblivion’s Rider Kick.” Cadance used the distraction to execute her finishing move and light flared as Twilight returned to normal, rolling next to both Trixies. The mare’s lip bled and she had a nasty cut across her forehead.

“Got a little careless.” Twilight’s voice was rough, but a smile formed on her lips when she saw the other Trixie.

“So ends Kamen Rider Lux.” Ambassador Hell said. “Trixie’s resistance is a futile gesture.”

“Yeah, I don’t see the pretty little princess giving us much trouble,” Cadance said, earning a glare from Luna. The moon princess was in rough shape, bloody and battered, almost unable to stand on her four hooves.

“No, it’s only the beginning! I’m not letting Pokey down. I won’t let you hurt anypony I care about. I’ve already lost too much.” The other Trixie panted, fighting an invisible force. She screamed, punching her hoof into her belt. A cracking sound echoed through the garden.

“Never again!” The Ranger’s next punch shattered the belt which fell off her waist, clattering to the ground. Sparks flew from the damaged section, ruined beyond repair. A light shone from the other Trixie who returned to normal.

“Impossible.” The Great Leader’s voice was breathless, stunned.

The Ranger let out a breath before giving a smug smile. She stretched her muscles and pulled out the cords attached to her body. “Thank Luna almighty! Those things were so irritating. Like an itch you can't scratch.”

“Are you okay?” The Ranger turned her attention to Twilight. “Can you still fight? I’m not sure why you have powers now, but I would enjoy fighting with you.” She extended a hoof towards the downed mare.” And by that I mean fighting alongside you not, you know, punching you,” she grinned awkwardly.

Twilight returned the smile and took the offered hoof, rising back to her hooves. “It’s a long, painful story. We can share a drink after we beat the crud out of these guys. I’m buying.”

“Can’t argue against that. Ready, Twilight?”

“Ready!”

“Henshin!”

“It’s morphing time, Ursa!”

Both of them were cloaked in brilliant light and armor appeared over them as the light faded. The other Trixie’s armor was red and the constellation of Ursa Major burned bright on her chest.

“Call me, Usra Red.”

“Kamen Rider Lux.” The two heroes stood back to back.

“Together, we will bring an end to your crap, Shocker!” They said in unison.

“What can you do, Ranger, Rider?” The Great Leader asked. “Without our technology, you’re not even half as powerful as you once were Trixie.”

The Ranger snorted. “Shows what you know.” She pointed towards Princess Luna, Ditzy, Cheerilee, Raindrops, Carrot Top, Lyra, Pokey, Twilight, and lastly at Trixie.

“Those are my power.” Other Trixie said. “With them by my side, I’m unbeatable.”

“Some ponies never learn.” Cadance summoned a sword from her belt, ready to engage in the fight with the two heroes.

The Evil Rider started searching around for the other Trixie when she disappeared in a flash. She gasped, finding the other Trixie standing behind her. The entire world shook as the Ranger sent a mighty punch into Cadance’s back, creating a massive crater beneath her. Trixie gasped as she lost her hoofing as the ground shook beneath her, falling painfully to the ground. Much to Trixie’s amazement, she noticed the shockwave had also knocked some guards and Combatponies several hundred hooves away off their hooves. How powerful had that punch been? Could they actually win this?

Chapter 16

Galaxy Rangers: The Movie - Shocker Crisis!
Chapter 16
by Rixizu

“I’m fine!” Ditzy pushed away the nurse hovering around her. Her front left leg hung in a sling, broken in several places because of the train crash. Several other Shocker members sat in beds, some bearing far worse injuries than the inquisitor. Truth Assessor Cheerilee sported a nasty bruise on her head. They had commandeered a nearby clinic for attending the wounded and the frightened staff worked hard to accommodate their needs.

“Sure ma’am, right away ma’am!” The nurse bowed, fidget under Ditzy’s baleful gaze before attending a nearby Combatpony.

Damn you, Trixie! Dozens of Combatponies and several monsters were out of commission thanks to that detestable mare. Thank goodness the Great Leader was unharmed. She swore in the future whenever Shocker invaded a universe, its native Trixie would be their first target regardless of her personality. The multiverse would be a better place without any Trixies.

A hiss of pain escaped her lips as she jumped from her bed. With Shocker’s ultimate victory so close, rest wasn’t an option. Combatponies fought battles in the streets and required leadership and backup. The royal guard had proved more capable than expected. In the histories, it depicted the guards as weak and lazy, easily defeated by Shocker’s overwhelming might. No matter, they would fall soon.

“Are we leaving, sir?” The stallion who turned into the fearsome mushroom monster, Kinokomorgu asked. While he didn’t have any legs in a sling, he walked with an obvious limp.

“Yes, only the critically wounded will stay behind,” Ditzy replied, “we’ve wasted too much time already.”

A curse escaped Ditzy’s lips as her communicator buzzed. She’d given strict instructions not to be bothered unless in an emergency.

“What is it? Over.”

“It’s horrible Inquisitor!” The mare on the other end’s voice contained a hint of fear and worry. “Back in our world, there’s a massive uprising! Over.”

“Smash them to pieces! Over.”

“Not that easy, um, Inquisitor. There are so many of them! Ow! Stupid raven, back off! Shoo! Everything is chaos here. Bring the Great Leader back; he’s the only one that can restore order! Over.”

“No, he’s fighting against Princess Luna, and…” Ditzy winced as a scream erupted from the radio.

“Combatpony, what’s happening?!”

“Sorry, darling, but she can’t make it to the radio. I hope you don’t mind if I take over for her.”

“Rarity.” Ditzy’s voice dripped with venom and hate.

“How are you, darling?” Rarity said. “I would just love to catch up. How have you been?”

“You rebels think you might have scored a few victories, but Shocker is unstoppable.”

“About that, my friends and I have not only retaken back Ponyville but Shockeroplis also.” Rarity replied. “The castle is such a dreary place. I think some curtains will fabulize it!”

“You won’t get away with this!” Ditzy snarled. “Shocker rules the world! Any victories you achieve will only be temporary!”

“Sorry, darling, but I really must go. I have a spa appointment in five minutes. Ta-ta!” The radio went dead moments later. A primal scream of rage escaped Ditzy’s lips. Nurses scattered away in fear when her communicator shattered against the ground.

“Gather everypony you can!” Ditzy snarled. “We’re going back home to quell Rarity’s pathetic rebellion!”

She looked at the five monsters assembled in this tiny doctor’s office. While banged up, they would subdue the insanity of their world. It pained her, but she must leave the Great Leader in order to quash the rebellion back home. Besides, it was her duty to maintain order. They needed solid and ruthless leadership to get the job done. Five monsters shouldn’t change the outcome of the invasion. Luna and Lux were a pitiful force compared to the unstoppable might of the Great Leader and Ambassador Hell.

She turned towards an attentive Combatpony. “Find a sky chariot. If you can’t find a pilot, make one. Get a new communicator. I need to get in contact with Doctor Shinigami and Colonel Zol.” If only Colonel Zol wasn’t out of the country in Pferdreich.

These wretched rebels thought they could split Shocker’s resources and weaken their invasion with this pitiful attempt at an uprising. They would soon learn the futility of such foalishness. And she knew just what experimental monster that Doctor Shinigami had cooked up would serve their needs perfectly.

“What the?” Ditzy said in confusion. “What’s going on? Why does the other Trixie have powers?”

“I thought her powers were Shocker’s doing?” Cheerilee scrunched her brow in thought.

“You know, I’ve never gotten a clear answer about that one.” This world’s Trixie added.

A smirk formed on Trixie’s lips, enjoying that she’d returned to her true self. Her body buzzed with power, amplified by being near her friends. True, they were from another world, another timeline, but somehow she felt they contained the same power of friendship that she did. Either that or she just wanted to reconnect with her friends again, regardless of what form. Unlike the Shocker versions, they were her real friends.

“It’s a long story, but I’m like you. A warrior of justice smashing evil with the power of friendship! Ursa Red!” Trixie said. She sighed when this earned her strange looks from the alternate version of her friends. Come on, that speech was golden!

“Sure, whatever. Kick these guy’s flanks so I can return home.” A strange glint formed in this world’s Trixie’s eyes. “To avoid confusion, I’m Trixie and you’re Lulamoon. This is my world, after all. I deserve to be called Trixie.”

“No.” Trixie put her hoof down on that nonsense. “Call me, Red.”

“No, you’re Lunamoon!” Trixie shot back. “This is my world, and I choose what to call you.”

Red turned away from the fuming Trixie, ignoring her protests and focusing on the task at hoof. Ambassador Hell didn’t look amused by this change in development, while the Great Leader watched on impassively, but Red recognized the change in fortune had rattled him.

“So, what?” Cadance growled, crawling out of the crater and shakily rising to her hooves. “This isn’t over Trixie. It never will be.” A hoof extended towards her belt, summoning her polearm.

“Cadance, I…” Twilight said, but the Shocker Rider interrupted her.

“I’ll get to you next, Twilight.” Cadance’s voice dripped with venom. “You have nopony to blame but yourself for turning your back on Shocker. Pity, you had such promise.”

“Shocker is evil, Cadance!” Twilight’s voice was sorrowful. “Can’t you see that? Why do you fight for them?”

“Because the universe needs Shocker. Princess Luna was weak. Her Night Court only brought chaos and pain. Good riddance.”

“Cadance, that’s can’t be your only reason!” Princess Luna’s voice cracked, swelling with unexpected emotion.

“My reasons are my own.” Cadance snorted. “You know, princess, I used to worship you once, but one day, I realized you weren’t worth worshiping.”

In a flash, Cupido disappeared and Luna screamed in pain as Candance’s polearm impacted her chest, sending her into a castle wall. “And I’m about to show you why.”

“Princess Luna!” Rage filled Red and summoned her sword, swinging it towards Cupido, and screamed in pain when Garagaranda blindsided the Ranger with his whiparm. Twilight flew to Trixie’s aid, but Cadance’s polearm blocked her path.

“You handle Trixie, commander,” Cadance said, “this battle with Lux is personal.

“Very well.” Ambassador Hell bowed his head in acquiescence, before turning his attention towards Red who jumped back onto her hooves. “Shall we settle this, Ranger?”

“Fine by me.” Red pointed towards Trixie and her friends. “Attend the Princess, and deal with them.” Combatponies swarmed in, attracted by the commotion the battle had created.

Trixie tensed with obvious fear, before nodding, dreading the upcoming battle. “We’ll deal with the small fry, I guess.”

“Leave Princess Luna to us, Red!” Ditzy said with cheer and gusto. One reason Trixie liked being around the mare. Her enthusiasm shined through even during the darkest hour.

“Don’t worry Princess, we’ve got you!” Cheerilee clobbered the nearest Combatpony making her way towards where the princess had fallen.

“Win this!” Shining looked on his last legs, but he gave Twilight a confident smile before joining the others.

“Please win,” Pokey said, “we’re counting on you. Dear Luna, how did it come to this?” Despite the insult, this brought a smile to Red’s lips. She missed this stallion.

“Go, team?” Starlight said weakly, not liking the odds, before stunning an incoming Combatpony with her magic.

Red stepped aside as Garagaranda’s whiparm flew towards her and ducked as it whipped back towards her. The combatants circled each other, vying for position, waiting for the other to make their first move. The sound of the two Riders fighting in the background caught Trixie’s attention. But she had absolute faith in Twilight’s abilities.

“It amazes me you’ve made it this far,” Garagaranda said. “A stranger from a foreign world, fighting forces she can’t begin to comprehend.”

“What can I say?” Red replied. “I’m really stupid. Quitting isn’t in my vocabulary.”

Red blinked and Garagaranda’s whiparm darted towards her face and she flipped back, narrowly avoiding the blow. This monster’s speed was incredible, but Red had learned much from her previous beating ready for some payback.

“Know this, Trixie.” Garagaranda pointed his tail-like appendage towards her. “You will never escape Shocker’s grasp, in this life, or the next. You will bow and serve Shocker.”

In a flash, the Ranger ran forward summoning three different versions of herself, each attacking with their sword from a different direction. Garagaranda’s eyes darted around, trying to find the real Trixie. He swung towards a Trixie attacking from behind, but his whiparm hit nothing but air. The Shocker commander screamed in pain and sparks flew as Red appeared from nowhere and attacked him from below. Two follow-up slashes followed before Red winced as his whiparm slashed her across the chest.

“Illusions and games, nothing more!” Garagaranda proclaimed, forcing Red to retreat towards the hedge maze. The Ranger watched the Great Leader out of the corner of her eye, worried he might try something. She didn’t know what terrible power he might possess.

Red dodged several more whip attacks and summoned more of herself to confuse her opponent. Her opponent grunted in annoyance but remained calm and resolute. He paused, seemingly realizing something, and Red was in midmovement before she realized what. She cried out in pain when her invisibility illusion scattered and a nearby statue exploded when she impacted its base.

“I see, your illusions are cunning, Trixie, but they aren’t perfect!” Garagaranda said.

Damn sunlight. In the heat of combat, her illusions by default were flawed and creating and hiding shadows were always tricky. Ponies underestimated the difficulty of creating a believable shadow on an illusion, especially a moving one. No matter, illusions were only a small part of her unfathomable talent. Trixie didn’t create an illusion this time as she charged towards her opponent.

Sparks flew as Twilights sword impacted Cupido’s armor, but Cadance only grunted in annoyance and counterattacked with a slice across Lux’s chest for her trouble. Twilight teleported behind Cadance as her polearm dove towards her head and slashed the evil Rider from behind, but again this more annoyed Cadance than injured her. Another teleport took Lux out of range before Cupido retaliated.

My sword isn’t strong enough. Twilight soon realized why. While her sword contained an enormous amount of photon energy, it bled most of it, making it weaker and less effective. Unless she discovered a more effective way to harness her photon energy, her sword was almost useless against a powerful enemy like Cupido. She watched in envy as Trixie used her sword, which blazed with fire, to score some serious hits against Ambassador Hell. When this was all over, she needed to create a weapon capable of effectively controlling her powers. With a flick of her hoof, she dispelled her sword.

“Done with playing with toys, are we, Lux?” Cadance tone contained a smirk.

Instead of replying, Lux entered a fighting stance. Her hooves and photon energy created a dangerous combination. As Cadance entered striking range, Twilight teleported around, making it difficult for Cupido to use her weapon. With lightning speed, Cadance stuck towards her head, but Twilight teleported on top of the weapon, running across its length. Cupido recoiled in pain when a flying kick landed in her face. Cadance drew her weapon back to strike, but Twilight had already teleported away. Twilight’s teleporting made it difficult for Cupido to land a single blow, while Lux continued her hit-and-run tactics.

Cadance’s weapon clattered to the ground as she tossed it aside. “It seems both our weapons of choice aren’t very effective. I never realized you were such a skilled teleporter, Twilight.”

Twilight responded with a shrug. “I learned it because it was a difficult spell. I spent months practicing it until I perfected it.”

“You never could resist a challenge, Twilight.” Cadance chuckled, before entering a fighting stance of her own. “Let’s see if you were as rigorous with your martial arts.”

Pain erupted in Twilight’s chest as Cadance seemingly disappeared and impacted a devastating blow into her chest.

Fast! Twilight didn’t waste time and blocked the next blow, but soon found herself outpaced. Somehow Cadance predicted her moves, and even teleporting didn’t help. The Evil Rider picked apart her fighting style and delivered punishing blow after punishing blow, not helped by Twilight’s previous injuries. Twilight couldn’t match Cupido’s skill or experience. She cried out in pain as Cupido kicked the ground from under her and smacked hard against the ground. A kick from Cadance sent her flying, but Twilight teleported back onto the ground, panting from her exertions.

“But I’m faster!” Twilight appeared behind Cadance, only to teleport under her opponent moments later. Cupido’s response was too slow and grunted in pain when she received a hoof strike to the chest.

Twilight didn’t let up her teleporting tricks flickering around her opponent faster and faster, moving at the speed of thought. It used a terrible amount of energy, but Twilight didn’t care, striking her opponent at blinding speed. Cupido tried to retaliate, but she might as well be a statue to Lux. Her energy drained away after every teleport, pushing her beyond what a unicorn should be capable of, but Twilight didn’t care. Her horn crackled with energy, threatening to break at any moment. She had to make this last attack count for everything.

“It’s over! Photonic Burning Rider Kick!” Twilight appeared above the dazed Cupido and her hoof erupted in photon energy as she dove towards her opponent.

“No!”

Twilight cried out in pain as Garagaranda’s whip struck her out of the air and she instinctively teleported back on her hooves. Her horn burned in horrible agony, making her see red, and she toppled towards the ground.

“Twilight! Searing Blade!” Red responded with a surprise attack of her own, her sword ablaze with flame, throwing Ambassador Hell off his hooves. Cupido flew to catch him and placed him back onto the ground. While the two remained occupied, Red ran to her ally’s side.

“Idiot. What were you thinking?” Red chided, and Twilight had trouble seeing her past the pain.

“Sorry, I failed. I pushed myself too hard.” Twilight swayed, threatening to fall unconscious.

“No, it’s fine.” Red shook her head. “You’re new to this. Still, you softened Cadance up for a KO!”

This earned a slight smile, despite the horrible never-ending throbbing coming from her horn. The Red Ranger was right. She’d been a foal, too eager to win her first big fight. What an idiot she’d been, and this probably cost them victory.

“What now, Trixie?” Cadance asked. “Your pet Rider can’t fight anymore. Your princess can’t save you. Yeah, I would say you’re pretty screwed.”

“I’ve been through worse!” Red replied, but Twilight could detect the worry in her voice. “Can you perform one more teleport?” she whispered.

“Uh.” The mere thought of performing another teleport made Twilight hiss in pain. Her vision was returning, but her magical capabilities were almost nil. “Maybe.”

“That’s all I can ask,” Red replied, “ready?”

The pain coming from her horn said no, but the Rider only nodded. Do or die, they’d win this. She eeped in surprise when Trixie suddenly grabbed her tossing her towards Cadance at high velocity. After recovering her senses, she prepared her final Rider Kick. While caught off guard, Cupido threw herself out of the throw’s path. With a blink, Twilight reappeared above Candace, using the insane momentum from Red’s throw boosted by gravity to propel her forward. Twilight screamed in agony as her horn burned out and cracked from overchanneling too much energy. But she would perform this final Rider Kick.

“Photonic Burning Rider Kick!” Twilight’s Kick blazed with energy and Cupido didn’t have a hope of dodging it in time. Garagaranda realized their plan and whipped his whiparm again to disrupt the kick. Red, however, predicted this and threw her sword into his chest, throwing him back. The Ranger’s sword embedded itself deep into the ground.

Twilight’s Rider Kick slammed into the unsuspecting Cadance’s chest and Lux flew past her, landing on her hooves. An explosion erupted behind Twilight as the Shocker Rider burst into flames.

“No.” Cadance untransformed and fell to the ground. “Great Leader, I’m sorry…” She said weakly before losing consciousness.

“Cupido! Damn you, Trixie!” Garagaranda howled.

Red wasted no time, running forward and grabbing her fallen weapon. Despite his boundless strength, Trixie’s last attacked had drained him and his next swing was clumsy and slow. It took no effort to dodge his next swing.

“Searing Blade!” Red swung her blade in an arc striking Garagaranda in the chest sending him flying and the Ranger turned her back to him.

Ambassador Hell returned to his pony form, gasping for breath. “Damn you, Trixie! Damn you! I will return. Not even the depths of Hell will protect you from my wrath! Trixie!” He exploded in a fireball moments later.

Twilight felt her body lose its strength, and she collapsed. Red caught her as she untransformed.

Twilight gave out a weak laugh. “We did it. We beat them.”

“We sure did,” Trixie replied. Despite her helmet covering her face, Twilight could detect the grimace when the Ranger spotted the deep crack forming along with her horn.

“Unbelievable.” The Great Leader said. “Two of the Shocker’s best ponies failed.”

“Looks like you must get off your lazy butt and fight us yourself,” Trixie replied.

“Foal!” The Great Leader’s eyes glinted a silvery color and struck Trixie and Twilight with a wave of unbelievable power. Pain erupted in her body as she stuck a nearby broken statue. Trixie grunted in pain, struggling to regain her hoofing.

“This foolish act of rebellion ends now. You now face the true power of Shocker, Rider, Ranger. Face it and tremble under its might.”

Chapter 17

Galaxy Rangers: The Movie - Shocker Crisis!
Chapter 17
by Rixizu

Pain erupted in Red’s chest as the Great Leader’s eyes glowed again, shooting a powerful shockwave towards her. Red struggled to her hooves. She spared a glance at Twilight, who appeared in no state to fight. An ugly feeling bubbled in her stomach when she spotted her friend’s cracked horn, recalling from experience the pain that injury caused. The Rider clutched at her belt, but couldn’t find the strength to stand. Red was on her own.

“Twilight!” Trixie ran toward the fallen Rider, followed back Princess Luna and her friends. They’d taken care of the Combatponies, ready to rejoin the fight.

“I’m fine.” Twilight panted.

“Get her on Raindrops’ back. She needs a hospital!” Ditzy said.

Twilight clutched at Ditzy’s hoof and tried again to pull herself back to her hooves. “Not without beating him first.”

“Stupid! Stay down!” Ditzy shot back, but the Rider ignored her.

“Hen-shin!” Twilight’s armor reformed around her.

“What are you doing? What about your horn?!” Like Red, shock filled Lyra’s face after seeing the crack.

Raindrops said nothing, instead lifting Lux back to her hooves, supporting her weight.

“Fine, whatever!” Lyra’s face turned into a scowl.

“Brave,” Luna said with a nod, “you Riders are never without courage.” She turned towards her opponent. “You’ve lost, Great Leader.”

The Great Leader’s eyes glowed and the Princess summoned a shield to protect herself and Trixie’s friends. It shattered on contact and Luna collapsed, screaming in pain.

“Princess!” Shining rushed to his princess’s aid, he generated his own shield but it also cracked before the Great Leader’s assault and he fell back leaving only Trixie and the rest of her friends to protect Luna.

“You have fought hard, but it is a futile gesture.” The Great Leader said. “You have nothing left. Your Princess has fallen. Like she did before and will again.”

“Never!” Red appeared behind the Shocker leader and swung a hoof towards his chest. He cried out in pain but quickly blasted the Ranger back with a burst of power. After landing on her hooves, Red rushed forward.

“You fight the impossible, Ranger.”

Another shockwave stuck Red, but she recovered, ready for another round.

Red shrugged. “What can I say? Friendship always prevails.” The Shocker Leader sent another blast towards Red, but she leaped out of its path, having a better understanding of its range. “ And Shocker ends with you!”

The Great Leader turned back and forth as Red summoned several clones of herself. He summoned a shockwave to dissolve them, but not before the Real Ranger reached him.

“Let’s see what’s under that stupid hood of yours!” Before the Great Leader could stop her, Red pulled the hood off his head and gasped in surprise.

Every bone in her body hurt as she received the full brunt of the Great Leader’s shockwave attack. She hardly noticed. Of everything she expected to find under the Shocker leader’s hood, this hadn’t been it. Snakes hissed from the Great Leader’s head, slithering around in a horrible jumble. A single unequine eye blazed between the mane of snakes with horrible intensity, a blood-colored iris surrounded by black.

“Impossible! What are you?!” Princess Luna said, taken aback by the Great Leader’s true appearance. Even she had never seen a creature such as him. Everypony else starred in equal shock.

“An ancient being, Moon Princess. Older and more powerful than you could ever imagine. I have watched Equestria since time immemorial, manipulating, and guiding it to the path I desire.” He extended both hooves and fireballs erupted from them towards his enemies.

Red braced for impact, while Shining and Luna pooled their magic together to create a powerful shield. Everypony went flying as the protection magic shattered, blown away from an explosion of unbelievable power. While bruised and battered, everypony had somehow survived, but it was clear the princess and the guard captain wouldn’t have the power to withstand another onslaught again.

Lux limped towards the Ranger, joining her to stand their ground and protect the others from the Great Leader’s might, no matter how futile it might be. This earned a smile from Red, if she were to die; there was no other pony she’d wish to spend her last moments with. Somehow this gave her hope.

“You have failed Ranger, Rider.” The Great Leader proclaimed and extended both his hooves again.

“Never! As long as friendship burns through our hearts, we’ll never fall!” Red proclaimed.

“Yeah, suck it!” Ditzy said. “We’ll never surrender!” She and the rest of her friends limped towards Red and Twilight. They were normal ponies without powers, but they refused to surrender to this evil.

Cheerilee joined them. “You will never win, your kind never does!”

“As long as we’re together, we can do anything!” Carrot Top put a protective hoof on Red’s shoulder.

“You’re going down!” Lyra brandished her lyre, ready to rumble. Raindrops only snorted, joining her friends.

“Hey, guys don’t hog all the cool moments.” Trixie sported a smug smile. “I have a reputation to uphold.”

“Together, you can’t beat us!” Twilight entered a fighting pose.

“You choose death, so be it.” The Great Leader’s hooves erupted the fireball heading towards the desperate heroes.

The Great Leader stared in shock as a rainbow barrier bust into existence in front of his enemies. It shimmered brilliantly and the Shocker Leader recoiled from it, burned by its brilliance.

“What’s happening?” The Great Leader winced as the light grew more powerful. “What is this power?”

“This is our power, Great Leader. The Power of Friendship!” Trixie walked forward. On her head stood a crown of rainbow light.

The rest of her friends had a rainbow-colored necklace. Each adored the symbol of their cutie mark. Red watched amazed, also finding a crown on her head and warmth filled her, energized her. Every pain, worry, and fear evaporated. Instead, happiness and contentment replaced it. These six mares were like her, warriors of friendship and their power was resonating with her even without the Elements present. Twilight too was affected and she stared at her hooves in utter amazement.

“As long as we stand, you won’t win!” Cheerilee said.

“Yeah, I’d say you’re pretty much screwed,” Lyra added.

“You can’t beat us!” Carrot Top gave the Shocker Leader a confident smile.

“Together, we’re unstoppable!” Raindrop said.

“Shocker will never win!” Ditzy said.

“It’s over, Great Leader, or whatever you are!” The light coming from Trixie intensified and the six mares floated into the air and rainbow light hit Red and Twilight.

“No, this can’t be the end!” The Great Leader bombarded Trixie and her friends with fireballs, but they evaporated like smoke, worthless.

“It’d say it’s about time we end this.”

Behind her, a visage of Red’s friends emerged, each wearing their armor and baring their weapons. Trixie and her friends gasped at the appearance of their counterparts. Not there in person, but in spirit. It didn’t matter if entire universes kept them apart. The Galaxy Rangers wouldn’t let an insignificant thing like that separate them.

Red pushed a button on her morpher. “Searing Blade.”

“Omega Arrow Crusher!”

“Gales of Destruction!”

“Solar Sting!”

“Nova Crasher!”

“Wave Cleaver!”

“Unyielding Judgment!”

Rainbow energy gathered around the seven rangers gathering around their weapons. Twilight prepared her own attack and kneeled down, prepared to unleash her Rider Kick. The Great Leader gasped as two figures appeared behind her. Red didn’t recognize them. They heroically stood behind Twilight, standing tall and proud. They, like Lux, bore a resemblance to a grasshopper. They wore silver helmets and green armor, and their red scarves waved in the wind.

“Riders Ichigo and Nigo?! Impossible!” The Great Leader took a step back in fright.

Twilight gave the two Riders a respectful nod, which they gave in return before returning her attention to the Shocker’s leader. “The heroic spirit of justice of the Kamen Rider will never die, Great Leader! It doesn’t matter if you erase us from existence, we’ll never give up!”

The three riders jumped into the air, legs extended together aimed right towards the Shocker Leader’s heart. “Rider Kick!”

“Galaxy Buster!” The Rangers swung their weapons and their attacks combined into one, creating a wave of destruction aimed towards the Great Leader.

The Great Leader screamed in pain and fury as the Riders and Ranger unleashed their wrath. He stumbled as the smoke cleared. The entire world was silent, holding its breath for what would happen next.

“Shocker, we will rise again. Hear this, Rangers, Riders. Our spirit will never die either!” He collapsed and exploded, engulfed in the fireball.

“Unbelievable, we won,” Trixie said in awe.

“Shocker’s evil has been vanquished once again.” Luna sighed relieved.

Red unmorphed, running towards Twilight. “Are you alright?”

“I feel like 100 percent!” Twilight untransformed and everypony gasped when they saw the Rider’s horn.

“Your horn is back to normal!” Lyra said, amazed.

“That’s friendship power, I suppose,” Trixie replied.

“It’s healed.” Twilight ran her hoof along with her horn, eyes wide in shock.

“How wonderful for you,” came a somewhat sarcastic voice. Starlight limped towards them, her coat blackened from the explosion sporting multiple bruises over her body. Princess Luna and Shining were also not in great shape either. Thankfully, Pokey was fine who emerged from a statue he’d been hiding behind. This earned a shrug from Red and Trixie.

“It matters not, it will heal in time.” Luna turned her attention towards Red. “I’m curious; you share the same friendship power as my student. How can this be?”

“Ah, I see your confusion,” Red replied, “I’m from yet another timeline. Starlight created three timelines, not two.”

Trixie and friends’ eyes boggled and they turned their attention towards Starlight, who squirmed under their gaze.

“Ha! I knew it!” Trixie said in triumph. “You tried to get revenge against me, only you bumbled it, hard!”

“Unbelievable.” Cheerilee pinched her nose and the others offered their own complaints.

Starlight gave a nervous laugh. “Live and learn, right?”

Princess Luna walked up to the scorch mark where the Great Leader had once stood and withdrew an amulet from it. It looked like an old sundial attached to a chain.

“The Amulet of Kairos! This disappeared from the forbidden vault weeks ago. It’s why I increased the vault’s security. Apologies, my student, it slipped my mind.” Princess Luna said. “Starlight must have used to travel through time which created the alternate timelines.” This earned Starlight more scathing glares.

Princess Luna tapped her chin. “It must also be how Shocker entered our world. They used the amulet to tear a hole into space-time. Very foalish and dangerous.”

“What, like possibly cause the collapse of everything bad?” Red asked. This question earned a nod from the princess.

“I see. I might not get home again.” Red sagged, heartbroken at the prospect of never seeing her friends again.

“I’m not so sure.” Twilight tapped her chin. “A teleportation accident caused you to come to my timeline, right?”

Red nodded, wincing when she remembered the pain she experienced when space-time tore her to pieces, ripping her from her universe.

“So your entry to our universe must have left some form of weakness in the fabric of magicspacetime,” her eyes flicked from side to side as if she was looking for a blackboard to start scribbling on, “a crack leading from your world to ours!”

“Excellent idea, Twilight. We can use that small crack to get you back home.” Princess Luna put the amulet over her neck for safekeeping.

“Wonderful!” Red danced around and gave her mentor a giant hug which the princes returned readily.

“Good, I don’t think this universe can hold two Trixies,” Pokey said.

The rest of Trixie’s friends shuddered. Trixie glared in indignation while Red only shook her head and laughed. Why was her counterpart so thin-skinned? She used this period to get a better look at her counterpart. Dear Luna, did her doppelganger even know what a salad was? How could anypony save the world with such a figure? She wasn’t a superhero, but still. Red’s mind raced for a tactful way to suggest that Trixie should hit the gym more. A scream interrupted her thoughts.

“Great Leader, no!” Cadance said, struggling to her hooves.

“I’m sorry Cadenza, but it’s over.” Princess Luna’s voice was compassionate. “Shocker has lost. There’s no need to fight anymore.”

“Please Cadance.” Twilight pleaded. “The princess is right. We shouldn’t be enemies anymore!”

“No!” Cadance’s voice boomed, hurting everypony’s ears. “It will never be over. Shocker, it can’t lose. Never!”

Cadance got to her hooves and everypony gasped when they saw the state of the alicorn. Sparks erupted from the joints on her limbs. What Red thought was blood, revealed to be oil. Dear Luna, what was she? What had Shocker done to her? Was she even a pony anymore?

“Shocker will never die!” A bright light erupted from Cadance’s horn, blinding everypony. When the light cleared, she had disappeared.

“Cadance…” Twilight’s head drooped.

“Shocker’s grip on her heart was worse than I thought.” Luna’s voice was solemn, containing visible pain. “Ranger, Rider, we must assist the royal guard and bring this battle to a swift end.”

“And save Ponyville!” Ditzy added.

Luna nodded and she joined Shining, Twilight, Red, and Trixie and her friends, as they rushed off to aid the guard and bring peace back to Canterlot.

—-

“As you can see, darling, we’ve gotten the situation handled.” Rarity said.

“Nice!” Red gave the fashionista a hoof bump and Trixie could only watch in bewilderment. Nothing about these other worlds made sense. She found it hard to wrap her head around the fact that Fluttershy, of everypony, had been instrumental in defeating Shocker.

“From the bottom of my heart, I thank you.” Princess Luna bowed. She wore her hoof in a sling but otherwise seemed normal.

“It’s nothing, princess.” Rarity replied. “Just doing my part to fight evil.”

“Still, Shocker’s silence in the other world worries me.” Twilight scrunched in concern. “Two more Shocker commanders remain and Cadance has disappeared.” After the evil Rider had fled Canterlot, ponies had seen her flying back into her world and nopony had seen her since.

“Eh, you can take them,” Red said, “your world is safe with you to protect it.” Twilight didn’t share the Ranger’s confidence but gave a slight smile.

They watched as royal guards returned the defeated Combatponies back to their world in chains. The other timeline Applejack guided them through, making sure nopony caused any trouble. The evil Raindrops snarled as she passed, hurling insults and obscenities. She cried out in pain when Applejack whacked her over the head with a stick.

“That’s enough from you, varmint.” AJ whacked the stick against the hoof promising more if the Shocker captain caused any more trouble. Evil Raindrops glared, but said nothing, disappearing in the portal.

Trixie winced as Real Raindrops entered another one of her foul moods. Ditzy put a comforting hoof on her friend’s back.

“Don’t worry, you are nothing like her,” Ditzy said, “I mean, there was an evil version of me too! And she was an evil cyborg that loved hurting ponies. Shocker just made them bad and taught them violence and cruelty were the only way to be strong. Unlike her, you have loving parents and friends who will be there to help you. The other one was angry and spiteful. It makes me wonder if she had anypony in her life.”

“Right, Shocker corrupted her.” Trixie gave her friend a wink. “You have us if you ever go astray.”

“… Thanks.” It didn’t entirely convince Raindrops, but her friend’s kind words comforted her.

Stupid Shocker! They ruin everything they touch! When Red had told them about the other Ditzy, Trixie had trouble believing it. It was amazing there wasn’t a Shocker version of her too. Red and Twilight were oddly quiet about that subject.

“I just hope we got them all,” Cheerilee said.

“We’re still hunting, but I believe we’ve gotten most of them.” Princess Luna replied. “I shall create a special task force dictated to stopping yet another resurgence of Shocker!”

Trixie blinked. “Another resurgence.”

“Yes, another group soon formed after the original Shocker’s defeat, Destron.” Princess Luna sighed. “And after them was Black Satan, and then Neo-Shocker. Shocker has a habit of refusing to stay dead and coming up with the most awful names. After the destruction of Geist, I had hoped the world had seen the last of Shocker’s evil influence.”

Dear Luna! Would she have to sleep with one eye open from now on, fearing Shocker’s return for revenge?

“We have been lucky that Riders have appeared to quell their evil.” Princess Luna said. “Trixie, I believe it would be best if you and your friends held onto your Elements for safekeeping. Corona isn’t Equestria’s only threat. We need you and the other Elements.”

Trixie said nothing and only nodded. She feared it might come to this. As much as she hated to admit it, she needed to step up her game to protect the ponies she cared about. That, however, didn’t mean she’d be hitting the gym. Unlike the freakish other Trixie, she was a strategic thinker, not a muscle-bound thug. And she really didn’t appreciate the veiled comments about her weight from Red. Maybe Luna might have some tips about how to further improve her illusions? Was it possible to create an illusion capable of interacting with the real world?

“Oh, there you are!” Red said, and she dashed forward giving Trixie’s version of Twilight a hug who returned it awkwardly.

“Hi.” Twilight shifted uncomfortably trying to distance herself from Red. “So, Roseluck was right about there being another Trixie in town.”

Trixie sighed. “It’s a long story.”

“I’m glad you’re safe,” Red said, “when you didn’t show up, I was worried something had happened to you.”

“I was here in Ponyville,” Twilight replied, “I was asleep when the invasion happened.”

Red beamed. “And you stayed here defending Ponyville from Shocker! Good work.”

“Right.” Twilight forced an awkward smile. Trixie guessed the bookish unicorn was probably hiding somewhere. She decided it would be best not to mention that not wanting to humiliate the mare once again. Hey, she was learning!

“I’m just glad to know that in whatever universe, Twilight and Trixie are the best of friends!”

Rider Twilight also beamed. “I’d say. With these two here, this world is safe from Shocker’s hooves!” Red and Rider Twilight hoofbumped.

Twilight and Trixie exchanged a look, unsure how to respond to such a display. Again, it was bizarre how friendly this other Trixie was. Trixie would have assumed she’d be more of a nervous wreck, having to fight monsters on a daily basis. This gave credence to her theory that Red was utterly bonkers.

“I’m sorry, but I must cut this meeting short.” Princess Luna said. “We must return Red to her world. If the link between her timeline and Twilight’s gets any weaker, she’ll never return home. After that, it will remain closed forever. As painful as it might sound, other timelines shouldn’t interact with each other. It’s very dangerous.”

Red turned her attention to Trixie, extending a hoof to shake. “It was an honor to fight alongside you, all of you.”

“You too.” Trixie grabbed the hoof and shook it. Red gave the rest of Trixie’s friends a hoofshake.

“It was nice meeting you Shining!” Twilight gave her brother a quick hug.

“Take care, okay?” Tears welled in Shining’s eyes.

“And you, Pokey.” Red stopped and started again, trying to find the best words. “Take care. You’re one in a million.”

Pokey rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed. “You too.”

“You know…” But Princess Luna and Trixie stopped Red before she could continue.

“No, Red. We aren’t giving Pokey his own statue.”

“Come on! He completely deserves it! If it wasn’t for him, Shocker would have won!” Red argued back.

“While I appreciate what he’s done, he only played a small part in defeating Shocker.” Princess Luna replied, annoyed.

“In my world, they have a statue of him in Ponyville Park!” Red shot back.

“Really?” Pokey’s eyes widened in complete amazement.

Red’s face turned solemn. “It is to honor his sacrifice. He gave his life to defeat a terrible evil.” No wonder Red had been so choked up about seeing Pokey. It still didn’t mean he deserved a statue, though.

“Actually, can I get a stained glass window instead? A statue is what somepony gets post-mortem.” Pokey asked, but everypony ignored him.

Princess Luna and Red broke into an argument about Pokey’s qualifications. Despite Red’s impassioned speech, Princess Luna chose sanity and refused to give Pokey a statue. Luna had insisted Red was more deserving for such honors, but the Ranger refused to listen, instead stubbornly pushing them on Pokey instead. Like Trixie had said earlier, the mare was bonkers.

“Um, I would like to say something before everypony goes.” Starlight dragged her legs behind her, scratching the dirt and trying to gain some courage for her next words. Everypony turned towards her expectantly.

“Go on, Starlight.” Princess Luna said, urging the mare on.

“I have a request.” Starlight took in a deep breath. “My desire for revenge caused this whole debacle. To atone for what I have done, I’d like to stay in Twilight’s world and help her defeat Shocker.” This earned a gasp from everypony.

Princess Luna gave Starlight a serious look. “If you do this, you’ll be putting yourself into exile, never to return. You’ll never see your friends and family again.”

“I know.” Starlight looked down, ashamed. “But I need to do this. I’ve made too many mistakes, and it’s time I make up for them.”

The moon princess nodded her head, a slight smile on her muzzle. “That will be adequate punishment for your misdeeds for both causing Shocker’s return and the theft of the Amulet of Kairos. You made recompense for your crimes when you helped stop Shocker’s invasion, but this will fully redeem you. I wish you luck in your new world.”

“Trixie, Trixie, I’m sorry for what I’ve done.” Starlight said. “I let my anger and hate consume me.”

“I understand what that’s like.” Trixie’s version of Twilight gave Starlight a warm, knowing smile. No doubt remembering her own exile in her bid for revenge against Trixie.

“You made a mess of things, but I agree with the princess,” Trixie replied, “just do better next time.”

Red snorted. “That works. We’ll never be friends, but you’re not so terrible in a fight.”

“I’ll be glad to have you as a comrade!” Rider Twilight gave an encouraging smile.

Tears welled in Starlight’s eyes. “Thank you, everypony.”

“Au revoir!“ Red gave a slight wave before leaping through the portal, disappearing for their world forever.

“Just like Trixie to not say a proper goodbye,” Cheerilee said, earning a chuckle from Trixie’s friends.

“Goodbye, everypony.” Rider Twilight waved and entered the portal.

“Bye.” Starlight entered next.

“Bye!” Trixie and her friends waved after the three.

“I will be back shortly after returning Red to her proper world, then we can begin the rebuilding process.” The Princess made her way towards the portal.

Luckily, we’ll never see an invasion like that again. Trixie worried this debacle might have earned her some premature gray hairs. Again, it baffled Trixie why her counterpart was so battle crazed. A nasty bump to the head? It seemed the most logical explanation.

“Do you really think we’ll never see them again?” Trixie asked.

Princess Luna considered the question. “Our universe is a vast and strange place, who knows? But if a crisis comes again, we’ll know we have powerful friends to rely on.”

“What technology.” Princess Luna swiveled her head around gapping at Shockeropolis. “Shocker always had an edge on the technologic scale, but I hadn’t imagined that Shocker had developed this far. I hardly recognized Ponyville.”

“It shocked me too. Actually, it’s Shockeropolis now. Shocker has an obsession with branding. I guess they’ll probably change it back soon.” Trixie replied. “They have a network system that can send information over the globe! Far beyond anything a telegraph can do.” She enjoyed her mentor’s reaction to that revelation.

“Our technology has much room for improvement. Princess Luna sighed. “I must thank you again. We were lucky to have you on our side. Now it doesn’t surprise me Shocker believed they could conquer Equestria with such a small fighting force with this level of technology.”

They walked through Shockeropolis enjoying the sights. Despite being dark and grimy, the city was impressive in both construction and scale. Trixie saw Shocker’s logos painted over with black paint and ponies were celebrating the Great Leader’s defeat. Shocker still controlled most of the world, and wouldn’t surrender without a fight, but these ponies deserved this victory party. Ponies cheered as Trixie and Twilight passed them. Pinkie had created a makeshift party, complete with banners, streamers, and balloons. Pinkie probably had those stored in the slim chance of Shocker’s defeat. Something like that. They showered the heroes with the very leaflets Lux had created to inspire them.

“You know Twi, it wouldn’t surprise me if they give you a Ponyitzer Prize,” Trixie said which earned a shy blush from the Rider, not used to such attention, but she knew the poor mare would only get more famous as the news spread.

“Once we reopen the Ore Journal, how about I let you write the first front-page article?” Da Chief slapped Twilight on the back. “It would be my honor.”

“I’m only an intern,” Twilight replied, shifting awkwardly.

“Come on, Twi!” Rainbow said flying with them. “You totally deserve this! No doubt you will write an awesome article about how amazing you are!”

“She’s right, you’re a star now.” Hot Scoops added. “Embrace it!”

Fluttershy nodded. “Yes, I think it’s most impressive.” Angel rode on her back, while the other animals danced with partying ponies.

Pinkie shot off a party popper. “I can’t wait to read it! You’ll probably get another Ponyitzer Prize under your Rider belt!”

“If I write the first front-page article, it will be a heavily researched piece about how Trixie sparked the revolution against Shocker. I couldn’t have stopped them without her.”

Heavily researched piece? You were there, Twilight! Typical Twilight.

Soon they approached the spot Trixie had first appeared and sparked this whole mess. Princess Luna scanned the area with her magic and lifted the amulet off her head.

“It’s worse than I thought. The riff has almost healed completely. Once I open it, you’ll only have seconds until it closes again.” Princess Luna said.

Trixie nodded. This was her only shot. While she enjoyed her new friends, this wasn’t her world. Her true universe needed her.

“I suppose this is goodbye.” Trixie turned towards everypony.

“I’ll miss you, Trixie.” Twilight rubbed her eyes, breaking into tears, and gave Trixie a sudden hug. “You’re the best friend I’ve ever had!”

Trixie only smiled returning Twilight’s hug. “I will miss you Twilight!”

“Um, I would like to say something.” Fluttershy stepped forward. “You saved me. Before, I went along with whatever Shocker told me, but you taught me there was a better way. I don’t have to be a mean old pony like Raindrops. Thank you.” Fluttershy sniffled, fighting back tears.

“Ah well.” Trixie rubbed the back of her neck, embarrassed. She hadn’t realized she’d meant so much to the mare. “It’s what I do.”

“It was an honor to fight alongside you, Ursa Red Ranger.” Princess Luna said. “Your mentor taught you well. You are one of Equestria’s finest heroes. Say hello to my other self.”

“Yeah, bye.” Starlight gave an awkward smile.

Trixie supposed she saved Starlight, too. Funny how that worked out. Was she more inspirational than she thought?

“It’s open.” Princess Luna channeled her magic through the amulet and a portal opened in space right where she appeared before.

“B-Bye.” Trixie whipped away tears. Where had those come from? She hated crying. Without another word, she entered the portal. She grimaced as she passed through, recalling the pain she suffered through last time. Much to her amazement, only a slight tingle struck her as she returned to her timeline. Luna’s portal must have been more stable than the one Trixie created by accident.

“Ouch!” A pony cried out as Trixie landed on them. Unlike her previous trip, she’d landed back in her world without excruciating pain and blinked, finding several ponies staring at her.

“Trixie?” Twilight said in astonishment.

Trixie stood up and found the corner square filled with strange equipment which beeped, booped, and buzzed in the early morning air. No doubt the equipment was to discover how Trixie had disappeared in that bizarre teleportation accident.

Note to self, never teleport again. I suck hard at it.

“Trixie!” Twilight gave her a fierce hug.

“Hey, hey!” Trixie laughed as she pushed Twilight off. “None of that please, it’s embarrassing me.”

“Trixie!” Ditzy flew down, giving Trixie an even more furious hug. “Where have you been? You had us worried sick about you!”

“Trixie!” Other ponies cried out her name, running towards her.

“It’s a long story,” Trixie replied letting her friends who rapidly approached hug her, “but now, I’m home!”

Epilogue

Galaxy Rangers: The Movie - Shocker Crisis!
Epilogue
by Rixizu

There, there.” Cheerilee patted 5420’s back, who cried into the Truth Assessor’s shoulder. Getting trapped into another timeline had crushed the poor Combatpony’s heart, knowing she’d never see her husband and two children again. They were hiding in an old theater, after it received damage during the invasion. The evil monstrous Princess Luna had closed the bridge between the two timelines forever. In her heart of hearts, Cheerilee knew she and the rest of her Shocker comrades would never see their beloved Equestria again. The Great Leader’s death had completely demoralized the Shocker remnant.

Even the usually proud and boastful Flim and Flam were slunk in their seats, depressed. Each wore an eyepatch on the opposite eye after the accursed Trixie had wounded them in their fight. Of the forces brought to this timeline, only Flim, Flam, Molung, and a dozen Combatponies remained uncaptured. Shocker was a shadow of its former self.

Come on, Cheer! Do something! The Great Leader’s death left Truth Assessor Cheerilee as the highest-ranking officer.

Cheerilee hung her head, fighting back tears. What could she do? She wasn’t even that good at her old job! How could she lead these ponies?

But you must! Cheerilee took in a deep breath, calming and centering herself. It doesn’t matter if you were terrible at your job. Shocker was counting on her. These ponies were counting on her! These ponies were her friends and family! A surge of determination filling her.

The others watched with curiosity as Cheerilee headed towards a closet containing costumes and props. She dug through it, searching for anything interesting. She cried in triumph when she spotted something. It was a mask. The bottom half was white, while red and gold interlaced in an intricate pattern resembling a sun over her eyes. The foals of this timeline still feared the sun like children, which suited Shocker’s purpose perfectly. They would understand true terror soon enough.

The old Cheerilee had died once she placed the mask over her face, reborn like a phoenix into something new, greater. The others realized the

implications of this action and stood to attention, giving the Shocker salute. Tears welled in everypony’s eyes.

“I am the new Great Leader.” Great Leader Cher said. “It may be many years until we are powerful enough to challenge Princess Luna and the hated Trixie, but we are patient. They will forget about us. They will become complacent. Then we strike! We are Sol Shocker, the future rulers of the world!”

The others cheered and straightened, saluting even stronger. She’d ignited the hope in their hearts. A smile stretched across her face. The battle had only begun.

—-

Trixie awoke to the sound of cheering and winced when pulsing lights in a multitude of colors flashed into her eyes.

“Alright everypony, let’s party!” Loud, deafening dubtrot boomed from above.

“Can’t a pony sleep?!” Trixie shouted and adjusted her bulk better towards the sewer entrance. They ignored her, and the music and flashing lights seemingly increased their intensity.

After surrendering the prospect of sleep, Trixie curiosity burned wondering what was the cause for celebration. Shocker never allowed such disruptive public displays before. Why release these restrictions now? She crept closer to the sewer entrance, hoping to catch some snippets of conversation.

“Freedom!”

“Death to Shocker!”

“You suck Shocker! You don’t rule us anymore!”

Trixie’s mind whirled from the implications. Ponies were openly revolting against Shocker? Impossible! Ponies had always hated their tyrannical reign, but such a declaration of independence seemed impossible. What changed?

Trixie noticed the small leaflets raining in from the sewer drain and Trixie slunk towards them to investigate. While she might not have limbs anymore, Trixie prided herself that she got around without them.

What? Impossible! Trixie’s mind whirled when she read the title, “Trixie Lulamoon, hero and Shocker’s ultimate enemy.” After recovering from her shock, she read through the leaflet.

“Excuse me?” The leaflet denounced Shocker and praised Trixie, who apparently successfully raided a Shocker data compound, making them look like foals.

“Am I dreaming?” She’d always dreamed of becoming a hero, fighting against Shocker’s evil. Had she done these heroic deeds in her sleep somehow?

She hadn’t always been an amorphous blob. Once she’d been a promising student in the Shocker youth program with high hopes of becoming a high-ranking Shocker officer. But she’d foolishly accepted an application for a secret experiment. She desired power and this experiment seemingly would provide it to her. Soon, she’d be on the fast track to promotion and prosperity. How wrong she’d been. She still remembered the agony as the magic tore her body to pieces, leaving her nothing but a puddle of goop.

But Shocker made one mistake. They assumed she’d died in the experiment. Trixie swore revenge, making them pay for what they’d done to her. Now another Trixie had stolen her glory and revenge? Unacceptable! Hatred filled her amorphous heart, refusing to stand for this outrage.

While the experiment failed, it gave her unimaginable untapped power. She only needed to master that power! The experiment had shattered her mind, but she persevered, regaining more of herself every day. It was only a matter of time until she learned how to solidify her body. She’d master her power and get her revenge! Only her endless hatred of Shocker had kept her sane.

And I wouldn’t allow this other Trixie to take everything I’ve ever dreamed of! Trixie extended a portion of herself which solidified into a hoof. She’d mastered this several months ago, but it wasn’t enough. She needed to go further!

She concentrated on that single hoof. More parts of her body solidified around it, becoming more pony-like. She focused on Shocker and the wretched scientist who’d ruined her life, using that hatred to push her forward. Nothing would stop her from getting her revenge. She would be the hero!

A head formed revealing an azure unicorn with a pale blue mane and her lips twisted into a smile. She was doing it! A curse escaped her lips when her body collapsed back into a blob. She’d almost had it. Refusing to give up, she continued her efforts while the party above her raged on.

Hours, days, and weeks passed, and Trixie refused to surrender. Over the weeks, she’d learned much. Apparently, an imposter Trixie had defeated the Great Leader and Shocker was in shambles. Refusing to surrender, Shocker was regrouping and fighting back against a revolutionary leader called Lux. Good, this meant Shocker still existed for her to smash. She’d find this imposter Trixie and kick her flank.

Trixie gritted her teeth, pushing herself further than she’d ever attempted before. Wings formed on her back and her back legs solidified. After a cry of rage, her body collapsed into a cold pool of water beneath her and she panted, completely exhausted.

Her eyes widened examining herself in amazement and tears flowed freely. Trixie was a pony again! A real pony! It took some effort, but she rose to hooves and experimented with the simple act of walking. It wasn’t as difficult as expected and she adapted to her new limbs quickly.

Trixie laughed and laughed, prancing around the sewer, enjoying the simple joys she never knew she missed. The wings were new, but she’d master them too, in time. She stood straight and proud, ready to take on the world.

“Watch out Shocker, fake Trixie, I’m coming for you!”

Chapter 13

Galaxy Rangers: The Movie - Shocker Crisis!
Chapter 13
by Rixizu

The Captain of the Royal Guard, Shining Armor, yawned as he walked through the lazy streets of Canterlot. Despite Corona and her evil hoard being on the loose, Equestria was peaceful and happy. He, of course, played a huge part in squashing evil whenever it reared its ugly head, not unlike his favorite druid/ranger character in Ogres & Oubliettes. He smiled as a colt waved at him as he passed. The royal guards were always beloved by the citizenry for their service to the crown.

“One carrot dog please.” His sister and mother always teased him for his sloppy and lazy eating habits, but he was a young bachelor and could eat anything he wanted. The vender had just passed the bun towards him when an explosion rang through the city causing him to drop it.

Shining turned, eyes widening in horror as a flaming train sped towards Canterlot’s train station out of control. His lunch forgotten, he ran towards the station hoping and praying to Luna he wasn’t too late.

“Hold on!” Shining’s horn blazed with light and he summoned a shield to protect the citizenry as the train derailed, tearing through everything in its path. Ponies fled in fear and panic and Shining worried somepony might get trampled to death.

“Gah!” Shining screamed when a several thousand-ton train crashed into his shield. The pain of holding back the wreckage was unbearable, threatening to break through his shield at any moment. If it broke… No, Shining wouldn’t allow that, and gritting his teeth doubled and then doubled again the amount of energy and magic he was producing.

Somehow the train came to a halt, falling to its side. The tracks and large sections of the platform were torn to pieces, but nopony got run over and he saw only minor injuries. Already he heard EMTs coming to help, but he walked towards the train to investigate. Shining had taken several first aid classes and could treat most non-threatening injuries on-site. His legs wobbled from the intense ordeal and the magic he expended, but he remained resolute.

“Dear Luna, I can’t believe we survived that!” An irritating familiar voice poking her head out from the back car.

“Trixie, what’s going on?” Shining’s voice held accusation. “Is this your fault?”

“Why would you think I had anything to do with this?” Trixie replied, annoyed. For some reason, she wore a terrible Nightmare Night skeleton costume.

“I don’t know, a terrible train crash occurs and you just happen to be around?” He noticed Trixie stood amongst the epicenter of the fire damage, confirming his suspicions.

Trixie opened her mouth to give a scathing retort when another familiar voice spoke. “Dear Shocker, what happened? Did somepony catch the license plate on that car?”

“Twilight?” Shining gapped as his little sister exited the train sporting a nasty bump on her head also wearing the bizarre skeleton costume.

“Shining!” Twilight exclaimed in happiness and excitement. “Thank Shocker you’re here. We have a situation.”

“Thank Shocker?” Shining noticed his sister’s new manecut. Since when was his sister this fashionable?

“Look, there isn’t time to explain. I need to get to the castle. The fate of Equestria rides in the balance!”

“Trixie, what are you babbling about?” He’d forgotten how annoying and shrill the Princess’s student could be.

“Damn you, Trixie.” Said a seething voicing climbing from the wreckage. This pony wore strange armor and a pony in a red robe joined him. “You never cease to be an irritant!”

“It’s what I’m best at! Run!” Trixie ran at top speed away from the strange ponies and Shining found himself being pulled along by his sister’s magic.

“After them!” The armored pony said and a bunch of ponies dressed like skeletons popped out the train and chased after them.

“What the hay is going on?!” Shining increased his pace. These guys outnumbered them greatly, and protecting his sister took top priority.

“They’re an evil Organization from another universe bent on world domination,” Trixie replied.

“What?” Shining didn’t comprehend a single word of that sentence.

“And I’m not your Twilight, but it’s still nice to meet you BBBFF!” Twilight added.

Why did Trixie always bring insanity and disaster wherever she went? It was her fault his sister had been on the run for months, but that hardly mattered at the moment.

“You aren’t going anywhere!” A pony with a black beret flew before them, blocking their path. Shining’s jaw dropped as the pony changed shape, becoming a bizarre mismatch of a pony and a giant flying squirrel. “Call me Flying-Squirdle. I will be your death.”

“What the hay?!” Trixie exclaimed, astonished. “Shocker has monsters?”

“Get behind me!” Trixie didn’t protest as Shining pushed her behind him. Whatever this creature was, he’d protect the citizens from harm, even Trixie. The squirrel pony thing seemed amused at his bravado. He cursed as the skeleton goons caught up to them, blocking their escape.

“Don’t worry, BBBFF, I got this.” Twilight pulled out a golden belt and attached it to her waist.

“No, it’s too dangerous!” Shining said, alarmed.

“So, you must be that Lux I’ve heard so much about,” Flying-Squirdle said laughing. “Shocker will reward me greatly when I bring in your head!”

“Lux?” Trixie said, astonished.

“Henshin!” Shining eyes boggled as golden armor formed around his sister.

“Okay, that’s different,” Trixie said nonplussed.

Shocker goons jumped his sister who fought them off with impressive skill, staying ahead of their attacks and the range of their weapons. Trixie ducked and hid behind a trash can, hoping to not draw attention to herself. Shining ran to her sister’s side, using his shield to protect her from the swarm of Shocker goons. He knew they were in a desperate battle, for the enemy outnumbered them greatly and Trixie was a useless coward. Twilight screamed in pain as Flying-Squirdle flew towards her and racked her with his claws.

“Twilight!” Shining punched a goon into a wall and summoned a shield to blast three other bad guys away.

The monster came around for another swipe and Twilight dodged, rolling to safety. Goons surrounded her but were blown away as light gathered around her right hoof creating a sword of light. Flying-Squirdle came down to strike her from behind, but Twilight was ready for him and jumped out of the way, striking the membrane of the parachute it used to fly around. He crashed to the ground squirming in pain howling in rage as he regained his hoofing. Claws extended from his paws and he sent vicious swipes towards his sister. One caught her armor and sparks flew from the wound, but she dodged the next attack. Flying-Squirdle screamed as Twilight slashed him with her sword.

“Having a bit of bother?” A newcomer's body slammed into Twilight and she crashed into a wall, crying out in pain. They showed themselves revealing a bizarre starfish pony creature with red scaly skin. “Don’t worry Flying-Squirdle, I’ve got your back!”

“Thanks, Starfinjer!” Flying-Squirdle leaped in with a swipe of his claws which Twilight dodged returning with a swipe of her own weapon which the monster avoided. He couldn’t fly, but still retained much of his agility. “I owe you one!”

Shining swung at the starfish monster with a double hoof blow from behind, but his attack only bounced off his tough skin. He punched the creature again to a similar effect and received a blow to the face for his troubles.

“Shining!” Twilight cried, enraged, blocking Starfinjer’s advance with her body. The monster seemed unafraid as they confronted his sister. They didn’t even dodge as Twilight swung her sword across their torso, causing no visible effect. Twilight cried in pain as Starfinjer’s body-slammed her through a wall. Ponies in the shop backed away in fear as the costumed pony and the monster circled each other.

Flying-Squirdle sent a claw swipe towards Twilight’s head which she dodged and tried to return the favor with a swipe with her sword, but Starfinjer body-slammed her from her blind spot and crashed through several racks of clothes.

A barrier formed before his sister and a body slam from the starfish monster sent him reeling. What were these Shocker ponies? A slash from Flying-Squirdle and another body slam crashed against his shield, weakening him even further, but he refused to surrender. Thankfully, his sister had recovered her wits and stalked their opponents. Under her helmet, his sister muttered to herself like she did whenever she was working out a difficult problem. She gripped her sword with both hooves and charged and Shining dropped his shield. Flying-Squirdle leaped high into the air, dodging her attack. Starfinjer attacked her from behind with a swipe of their fin, but Twilight ducked out of the way. She retaliated with an attack from behind with a two hoofed gripped strike, but her sword only bounced off their shell again. The flying squirrel monster attacked her from behind, but a well-placed shield spell stopped it.

“I’ll have to bring out the big guns!” Twilight extinguished her sword and jumped into the air. “Photonic Burning Rider Kick!” Her leaping kick only bounced off the monster’s skin once again.

His sister grunted in frustration. “How are you still standing?”

Starfinjer pounded their chest. “I was created from an ancient starfish fossil; my skin has hardened so nothing can pierce it. You fight the inevitable, Rider.”

Twilight punched the starfish monster so hard they stumbled back several steps, and she continued to punch them with everything she had. Still no visible effect, but it kept the creature off-balanced. Shining used his shield again to block Flying-Squirdle from interfering, causing him to turn his full attention towards the guard captain. The flow of Shocker goons forced him to abandon protecting Twilight and created a shield around himself.

Too many of them.

“Shining!” Twilight punched Starfinjer so hard they crashed through a wall divider, allowing her to jump to Shining’s aid. The goons attacked her with various weapons, but she weaved through their attacks with well-placed punches, knocking them out cold. Flying-Squirdle leaped towards her, claws extended, but she flipped him over her sending him crashing to the ground.

“Photonic Burning Rider Kick!” The blow landed home and unlike the star creature, this monster’s hide didn’t protect him. Flying-Squirdle exploded from the force of the kick, causing the nearby goons to scatter in terror.

“Flying-Squirdle!” Starfinjer roared in rage, leaping towards Twilight with his punishing body slam. It sent her flying, but she regained her hoofing fast.

“Photonic Burning Rider Punch!” Starfinjer staggered but seemed unharmed.

“No matter how many times to try that against me, it won’t work!” Starfinjer sneered and cried in pain as a crack formed where Twilight had punched him.

“Your skin might be almost indestructible, but I contain the power of a thousand suns!” Twilight leaped into the air again. “Photonic Burning Rider Kick!” Starfinjer’s shell shattered and they exploded.

“That was a close one.” Twilight untransformed. Any of the goons who remained conscious had fled after seeing their monsters destroyed.

“That was amazing, Twi!” Shining said wide-eyed. His sister had to be as powerful as one of the princesses!

Twilight flushed at the compliment. “Thanks, BBBFF! Let’s find Trixie.” Shining scowled but said nothing.

They looked for several moments but found no trace of the princess’s student, which didn’t surprise him one bit. They found a letter taped to the trash can Trixie had hidden behind.

Hey guys, sorry but I can’t stay, but the princess needs me. She’s in terrible danger! You’re beefy strong ponies, you can handle those badies no problem! I’m not doing this because I’m a coward. It is the most pragmatic option possible considering the circumstances. I don’t want to hear any lip from you Shining Armor when we meet up again. I’m helping in my own way.

Love,

Trixie.

P.S. Twilight, why are you dressed like a bad guy? Really, a golden sun based superhero? How tacky is that? You might not know this, but only evildoers in my world dress in golden colors. It’s the color of the evil and vile Corona for Luna’s sake! Think about fixing this oversight as soon as possible.

P.P.S. Again, no Shining, I’m not being a coward. Bravery comes in many forms and mine happens to be far away from the scary monster with sharp deadly claws.

P.P.P.S. Oh, I almost forgot. Please find Pokey. I kinda, sorta, forgot about him in the excitement. I’m sure he’s somewhere around here. He dressed as a Combatpony. I hope he didn’t get too hurt in the train crash. Nah, he’s fine. I can’t imagine anything bad happening to him.

Shining scowled. Typical Trixie. The fact Equestria’s safety depended on her often gave him many sleepless nights. At least Trixie was warning the princess.

“Good thinking, Trixie!” Twilight beamed with pride. “Always so thoughtful and smart!”

Oh, brother! Shining facehoofed.

“Uh, do I really look evil?” Twilight gave him a concerned expression.

Shining hesitated. He wanted to avoid pointing out how evil his sister looked in her armor, worried he might hurt her feelings. He cursed Trixie’s typical tactlessness. As long as anypony could remember, black, Luna’s color was the color of good and right. While gold, the color of the vile Corona, was the color of evil and everything wrong. It wasn’t unusual for villains in stories to wear gold or white to indicate how they were the bad guys. He’d known ponies who were bullied for having a gold coat. Why had his sister wearing such evil colors, anyway? After moments of consideration, he forced a smile, preparing to lie through his teeth.

“Absolutely not!” Shining replied. “That’s just an old mare’s tale. Nopony really cares about that old superstition.”

Twilight sighed in relief. “Shocker are the bad guys here. I wouldn’t want any confusion.”

“Still, have you considered getting a paint job? Trixie’s right, gold is really tacky. And maybe not mention having the power of a thousand suns. Ponies might take it the wrong way.”

Twilight opened her mouth to reply, but froze as an explosion echoed through the city and they turned to discover smoke coming from the castle.

“Oh, ponyfeathers!” Twilight ran towards the castle, their conversation forgotten and Shining chased after her. It surprised him how little the desperate run had worn her out. Unlike him, she didn’t even seem out of breath. He bumped into her when she suddenly stopped.

“What is it?”

“Shining, I know you’re not my real brother, but I’m glad to be fighting alongside you,” Twilight said. This fact still boggled the mind.

“Anything for my little sister, my world or not,” Shining replied, “if we get through this, you can tell me all about your Shining Armor. Though I doubt he’ll be as cool and dashing as me.” They exchanged a laugh before running into battle.

“I hope we can find this Pokey pony amongst the confusion. Do you know what he looks like?”

The doors burst open as Trixie used her magic to push through them. Nearby guards yelled at her, demanding an explanation, but she ignored them, spotting an annoyed-looking Princess Luna sitting amongst some high ranking Night Court nobles around a conference table.

“Trixie, what is it?” Luna said with strained patience. Whatever meeting they were having, it involved big-time nobles like Viceroy Nightlight, Vicereine Wallflower, Archduke Bobbing Fisher, Duchess Fragrant Posey, and Vicereine Puissance. She even saw Baron Mounty Max sitting amongst their ranks holding a notepad, taking down notes. They all stared at her, annoyed at her unexpected and unwelcome presence.

“Big trouble!” Trixie exclaimed, waving her hooves wildly. “All of Equestria is in terrible danger! We’re under attack!” The nervous glances the nobles exchanged amongst each other gave her great satisfaction.

“What is it?” Vicereine Puissance said, not the least bit worried.

“You thought you could escape us, Trixie?”

Wicked laughter echoed through the chamber and a strange creature broke through the conference table shattering it in two. Ponies gave exclamations of alarm, backing away in fear. This creature was a mole pony thing with a hideous lumpy face with grey skin emerging from the hole it created under the conference table. Combatponies climbed out from it, menacing the assortment of nobles.

“It’s these guys,” Trixie said with a matter of fact calm, “they call themselves Shocker. Do something about them.”

“Shocker?!” Princess Luna’s eyes widened in alarm and understanding. Somehow, she recognized the name.

Puissance gave a dismissive snort. “Shocker? Not these foals again.”

“Behind me!” Princess Luna summoned a shield to protect her subjects as they ran behind her, and Trixie sighed in relief. With the princess in charge, Shocker would soon crumble like a house of cards.

Ponies cried out in pain and guards were thrown aside as two new figures entered the room. More guards tried apprehending them, but the armored one made short work of them with his whip. The Great Leader of Shocker walked into the room like he already owned it.

“Great Leader.” Princess Luna snarled. “How are you back from the dead?!”

“Foolish little princess. Shocker is immortal. No matter how many times we are destroyed, we’ll always rise again!” The Great Leader gestured to the surrounding room. “You may have defeated my counterpart in this world, but I will avenge him and complete his unfinished work. Shocker will rule the world.”

“No, I won’t allow it!” Princess Luna summoned a scythe and prepared for battle though Trixie detected a hint of nervousness in her posture. The princess was putting up a brave front, but she knew how dangerous these ponies were.

Ponies gasped as another Trixie entered the room. She still had the wires and tubes hanging from her body.

“Trixie?” Princess Luna said, astonished.

“I will be your opponent. It’s morphing time, Black Ursa.” Evil Trixie maintained the same monotone tone transforming into her armor.

Princess Luna threw a key in Trixie’s direction, which she caught with her magic. “Get the elements, Trixie! The elements might be our only hope. The Riders…” Pain etched into her features. “They can’t save us this time. We’re on our own. Hurry!”

Riders, again! What are these Rider ponies keep mentioning? She supposed right now it didn’t matter joining the nobles as they fled the room, but the mole monster stopped them as tiling and stone exploded when the monster erupted from the ground blocking their escape path.

“You aren’t going anywhere!” Mole pony said and Combatponies moved in to surround them.

Trixie gave a nervous laugh. “So, uh, any of you nobles happen to know kung-fu?”