A New Time, A New Place

"Not long after finding me Tara was exposed to the dark magic of Master Xandred." Saba explained floating under his own power. "Xandred had been helping to create the collapse and saw a powerful being of magic such as Tara as a useful asset in his campaign. So he tried to force his influence on her and partially succeeded at first anyways."

"Xandred was able to force me to use dark magic," Tara said solemnly. "but what he didn't realize was that Equestria has its own form of dark magic. One that transforms the user, corrupts their body for power at the cost of their own lifeforce, their very soul. As an alicorn I'm Immortal thankfully." The group finally reached the Castle doors but they were occupied by Tara's explanation to notice. "When I became that monster I was still somewhat in control thanks to Nightmare Moon and how it was her curse that I rewrote to gain My Cutie Mark. But now whenever I see someone I care about get hurt and am drained of magic the darkness inside me takes over sometimes partially to help me survive sometimes completely. In that state I become like an animal , a slave to my wrath, ready and willing to destroy anything in my way as long as I destroy the thing that hurts those I care about."

"Uh that's interesting at all but should those doors be like that?" Jindrax asked.

The group turned to the castle doors shattered off their hinges and the front hall nearly completely destroyed. A woman's scream echoed before an evil laugh rang out. "No!" Tara said absolute terror engulfing her as she began racing towards the map room. "Not again!"

"I recognize that laugh… Goldar…. heh… always wanted to beat his ass. His irises gained a ring of pale green as he pushed off, hearing the footfalls behind him. "It'll make an interesting Chronicle," he muttered, unaware his voice distorted on the last word as an icy sensation surged around his waist as the Buggle Driver II materialized alongside a very particular Gashat.

His eyes were utterly focused as low predatory growls escaped with every huffing breath. He didn't notice the concerned look Fluttershy was giving to him from behind.

The group raced after Tara. They reached the map room where they found Goldar Maximus with his blade to Twilight's throat.

Tara stood there, utterly motionless with her head down and Saba floating beside her.

"So another Ranger comes to fall by my blade!" Goldar said with joy. "I'm glad you all appeared. This one barely put up a fight." He pressed the tip of his weapon into Twilight's neck drawing a drop of blood.

"get away" Tara mumbled her voice trembling.

"what was that?" Goldar responded

"I said get away from her you bitch!" Tara roared, her voice now doubled. A demonic echo in each word. Her aura erupted into black flames as the wisps from before appeared once more. She raised her head. Revealing that her eyes no longer glowed but were empty black pools.

Everyone, even Goldar himself, startled at the pure and utter malice within those words. But he immediately blocked Tara's blade when she appeared in front of him. The force of her attack briefly parted her flaming aura revealing that she had summoned the Sword of Darkness. She had no midnight purple in her coat now, no it was a sickly Gray. Her mane and tail had shifted into pure black and her horn smoothed and sharpened into a deadly point.

"This isn't good we've lost her to her rage!" Saba said. "Goldar Maximus is even more powerful than his previous form and if she fights wildly she'll surely lose."

"Then it's good she isn't fighting alone, is it?" Fengàri growled, his irises swirling with golden amber and lime green tones as he depressed the button on the Buggle Driver II.

"BUGGLE UP!!"

"Henshin," was the growled declaration as the Roman numerals counted upward from I to XIII before surging inward in arcs of emerald lightning, transforming him into a very dangerous Dark Rider… Kamen Rider Cronus.

"NO!" Tara roared once more as a barrier of her black flames sprang up blocking any attempt to join in while allowing them to still watch. "HE'S MINE!" Then to everyone's shock and horror, Tara opened her mouth wide, biting into the exposed flesh on Goldar's neck, ripping a chunk out of it which quickly regenerated.

"Then gain control over your rage as Agito did his burning rage or I'll finish it before you can blink," Kamen Rider Cronus growled in a deep rumbling voice.

Fengàri, however, found himself in a dark forest on the edge of a swamp that made him think of the video for Warrant's "Uncle Tom's Cabin" video. He noticed the moon was a pale, icy teal tone. His gaze slid around warily before he heard a deep rumbling growl. His eyes widened fractionally at the growl before he turned, seeing a just under nine foot tall creature he recognized immediately as a werewolf.

His head cocked before he exhaled softly. "You're my other half, aren't you? The predator within…. my senses have been keener than that of other humans as long as I can remember… but then…" he sighed before the lupine predator leaped at him before Fengàri cut himself off as he fell backwards before kipping up as the werewolf thrashed in the water for several moments.

Tara began attacking Goldar as Twilight fled. "My wrath is controlled rider." She said as Goldar met each attack with his own.

"Whatever you have become Ranger you are far more ruthless than any other that I've fought." Goldar said. "You impress me with your blade work and your cunning so I shall use my full power against you!" The Golden armored ape like being begin firing energy blasts from his eyes and his blade as ropes of fire and golden energy chains snaked their way towards Tara.

"I respect your. Technique Warrior but I despise what you have done!" Tara said as she swatted away all of Goldar's energy attacks before cutting through the fire ropes and golden energy chains in a single slash. "You drew the blood of my sister, the one mare I would kill for you woke a fury within me that's beyond anything I've ever felt! A calm rage that is honed on a single point, a single goal, ending you forever." With that Tara kicked the flying ape out the nearest window before taking to the sky herself.

"I believe she is right, Rider." Saba said. "When she lost herself before against Xandred's forces she couldn't talk, just roar like a beast wildly striking out at anything, even myself and Fireheart the dragon that she had been protecting when she lost herself." The living sword sounded worried. "This is different, it seems that seeing her sister in Peril after trying to return home for so long, 2 months of your time but over 5 years of her time. It broke something in her, bringing her into a calm rage as she calls it. I just hope she can defeat Goldar as he is now. I scanned his energy output and he's even stronger than when he was a shadow Ranger." Saba looked out the shattered window. "Back then I wasn't around but Thomas barely defeated him with his team backing him up. I worry that Tara will not just destroy him but herself by the end of the battle."

Fengàri Kattalakis cocked his head before he took a slow, deep breath. "Strategically, if Tara is the strongest amongst her friends, taking her out in a way she may not expect is sound. However… what Ooze failed to take into account was a critical fact: that Riders and Rangers alike are never alone," he rumbled as his eyes flashed twice a bright golden amber before he swiped his hand out, grabbing Saba before he pushed off, vaulting over the flame wall before he employed a rising elbow strike that shattered a digital block, revealing a blue disc Game Item. "Perfect… a Speed Up," he rumbled before it merged with him before, in a matter of seconds, they'd shot out the shattered window in time to see several golden energy arrows fire from Geiz's Zikan Axe in its Yumi form…. as a bow… at Goldar Maximus. "This armor has a curious ability, one we can put to our advantage," he rumbled, speaking to Saba.

In Fengàri's mindscape, the muddy and sodden werewolf glared at him before stalking out of the swamp water. Fengàri's eyes narrowed as he knew the Wolf was part of him. "Either attack or not… as it stands, you dragging me in here has us distracted. So either you relinquish control for the moment and let us deal with the threat as one or we will likely be injured as a result… and knowing you're part of me… we won't be forced to heel to a psychopathic ape," he growled. He focused, the scent of Goldar Maximus in the air as the werewolf recoiled before snarling.

A slight smirk crossed his face. "Yeah… damn dirty ape makes an outhouse in the heat of the bayou summer smell pleasant, eh? Let's make him our bitch, what do you say?" he commented with a faint, predatory smirk as he held out his hand.

The werewolf let his tongue loll out as his fangs gleamed in the twilight of the forest before a hand half again the size of his own gripped his forearm and hand as light flared outward.

The eye lenses of Kamen Rider Cronus flared silver before fading to an eerie silvery green. "We can freeze time for a localized area, what do you say to that, Saba?" he drawled with a growl in his voice.

"Tara can do so as well thanks to Dr. K." Saba said. "She modified Tara's Morpher to use Ranger operator Blue's time manipulation burst which works in a similar fashion." Saba scanned the area as he talked. "We have a problem. Tara and Goldar have taken to the skies. Both are fighting in the upper atmosphere." As he said this the sounds of sonic booms and clashing metal were heard above them.

In the atmosphere Tara and Goldar were rapidly clashing both using the expanded scope of their battlefield to their advantage. "I'm surprised you can fight with such skill unmorphed Ranger!" Goldar said as he deflected another swipe of Tara's blade. "For the others it took months to absorb the implanted skills of their ranger forms and even then they only beat my lesser form morphed!"

"That is where Zordon failed." Tara said as she ducked a slash at her neck. "Zordon used teenagers with barely any fighting experience instead of calling upon the great warriors that he had been in contact with to use the power of the morphers." She then countered with a thrust to Goldar's neck, the only exposed flesh besides his wings. "Me and my sister were trained in the guard ever since we were children. As students of the princess of the sun here on this world we were constant targets so we had to learn to defend ourselves." The thrust was deflected by Goldar using his clawed gauntlet to push himself back with the force of her attack. "Morphing just gives me a similar amp to my overall ability as now."

Back on the ground the rest of the group had exited the Castle Twilight in tow.

"Then it appears I'm gonna have to reach for the heavens," Cronus drawled as he removed the Gashat, dismissing the armor before he coughed a couple of times, not noticing the fine crimson spray dotting the grass. However, Geiz and Woz both did, as did Twilight's Captain of her Guard, Tempest Shadow.

Fengàri's eyes were narrowed as he focused before a bright iridescent blue flame flared up in his hand.

"You know that may well leave you unconscious, going with Fourze's Cosmic form, my liege," Woz commented.

"So be it. If I can avert a painful fate for those around me even at the cost of myself, I'll do it," Fengàri deadpanned flatly. "After all, who can call themselves a king or a warrior if they are unwilling to not only lead into battle… but cover any needed retreat with their own strength and body? After all, what is Friendship but freely giving and receiving of yourself and others?" he commented as his thumb slid, clicking the edge of the Ridewatch into position before depressing the button.

[- The particular Ridewatch is at 8:21 -]

"Tomo to no kizuna ga umidasu chikara! Uchuu saikyo no cosmic energy! Fourze Cosmicstates!" the Ridewatch cried out as the Fourze Driver materialized in a gust of bluish white cosmic light around his waist.

"You know, I always wanted to do this," Fengàri commented with a smirk as he flicked all four Switches. He missed how the anthropomorphic ponies were murmuring about his comment

"3…. 2…. 1…" the Driver counted down. "HENSHIN!" Fengàri barked, pushing in the Lever before his hand snapped skyward as a column of cosmic light surged around him.

The CosmicStates Ridewatch ignited, shifting forms into the Cosmic Astroswitch.

Fengàri took a deep breath, tempted to do as Gentaro so often did, but restrained himself. He withdrew the Rocket Astroswitch before placing in the Cosmic Astroswitch.

He glanced over his shoulder at Woz, noticing the concerned look on his face. "Even if I do pass out afterward, better for my body to adjust to the energy of the different Rider Forms… that way they take less stamina to use," he sighed.