Episode 10
"No Leader? No Problem!"
So Rainbow has left to participate in some sort of a competition center. It's kind of natural. She is a participator in a handful of competitive sports and her sports teams have performed in various matches against the rival school teams. Unfortunately, she is coming to the competition center all on her own, not bringing along any of her friends. That means that the Rainbooms, the team that she is leading, will have to function without her. Without her around, the team is having trouble figuring out what to do in her absence.
Things get even more complicated when a monster attacks the city one again. With Rainbow being their strongest and most able-bodied fighter, the team is having a bit of trouble dealing with this monster. Luckily for the team, before Rainbow left she left behind a little gift to one of the teammates.
[Beginning of Episode]
"What?" Applejack said. "You're leaving?"
The girls are in the local train station waiting for the train to arrive.
"Found something that I'm interested in in an advertisement," Rainbow explains. "There appears to be a competition center a little south from here. Might want to check it out. I heard that a lot of people who really honed their skills are participating. Hopefully, I'll recognize some of them."
"But...darling," Rarity began to ask. "Are...are you planning to bring any of us?"
"Nope," Rainbow answers. "This is a solo act. After all, not all of you are spirited competitors." This causes the rest of the team to gasp. "I could just allow you to spectate, but the thing is, the center is a really popular convention place and I don't want to take slots at the expense of others. Plus," Rainbow pulls out a ticket from her pocket, "I only bought one ticket. And I've got to tell you. Those things are not cheap, you know. Demand for them is high!"
"Well then why didn't you buy more for us?" Pinkie asks.
Rainbow glared at her friends. "You girls didn't ask, didn't you?"
The train will be arriving in an brief moment.
"Well, even if none of your friends are there as well," Fluttershy said, rubbing her arm, "Good luck. I hope you have fun competing."
"Will I compete?" Rainbow asks. "Or will I spectate? Who knows. It depends on what events are available at the time."
The train will be arriving in one minute.
"Well, I wish you a good time, Rainbow," Applejack hoped. "Enjoy your stay."
Rainbow took one step away from the rest of her teammates before she heard a familiar voice.
"Rainbow!"
Rainbow turned and looked at who said it. Of course, its Scootaloo.
"Oh, hey there little one," Rainbow greeted, crouching down to Scootaloo's level.
"You're leaving?" Scootaloo ask, beginning to tear up. "You're about to leave your home vulnerable to monster attacks?"
"Scooter, calm down," Rainbow reminded. "Those things don't happen very frequently. So, the world will be fine." Rainbow ten gazes off to the side in doubt. "Although...just in case..." Rainbow pulls out her Equine Morpher and hands it to Scootaloo. "Just in case a monster shows up, just activate this. Then, you'll turn into a fighting machine, built to defend the world from monster." She then pats on Scootaloo's head and then stands up.
The train then arrives, opening its doors. Passengers depart from the train while others enter in. Rainbow enters the train, departing from the station shortly before the doors close. As she turns back, her friends are waving a temporarily good bye to her as the train she's on leaves. As the train moves, she spotted Scootaloo racing the train to get the maximum time in which their gazes meet. Then, her view of Scootaloo disappears along with the rest of the station.
After the train has left, Scootaloo opened up the Equine Morpher she was given by Rainbow. Inside the morpher is a small red gem shaped like a lightning bolt. At least she didn't forget to leave it in.
"So, we're stuck in here," Thunder commented as he walked around. "Stuck in this city with our leader absent. And we have no idea how to manage ourselves with our leader absent. How to we get here?"
The Rainbooms team travels to the local youth center. Joining them are Scootaloo and the three younger siblings of three of the members. Apple Bloom, Sweetie, and Rumble were there as well, sitting next to their respective older siblings.
"Well," Scootaloo said as she looked into her Equine Morpher given by Rainbow. "Since Rainbow gave this to me, maybe I should replace her! Isn't that cool? Me, hanging out with you guys?"
Rumble stared at Scootaloo with suspicion. "Are you sure you have the necessary training and leadership skills to pull it off?" he asked. "I mean, you're rangers! Of course you often find yourself in dangerous situations!"
"Hate to tell you," Applejack said, bringing her hat down over her eyes, "but the ranger business is a lot harder than what it seems. You might get hurt during your time in service. You might even get hurt so much that you find yourself unable to move. And you have a risk of...of..." At this point, Applejack's mind went blank.
"Trying to invoke the rule of three, aren't you?" Pinkie asked.
Applejack clears her mind and continues on. "Point is, being a ranger is a commitment that contains risk," she said. "I know. Beating monsters until they get knocked out might be run and exciting, but you're fighting against monsters who are about as strong as you are, sugarcube. Trust me, we have a bit of a...challenge, let's say, dealing with the last monster. Oh, and you being a leader? Don't make me laugh. Since when have you lead a small group of friends?"
Scootaloo tried to speak for a moment, but then realizes that she has no examples to give out. She turns to her friends for help. "Say, who's the leader of this group of four?" she asked.
"I don't think any of us is the leader," Apple Bloom answers. "I mean, we never organize the group and don't give each other instructions most or all of the time. So...a bit ambitious there, Scootaloo."
"Not to mention that our leader, Rainbow, has years wroth of experience leading her own small group of friends, as far as I can tell," Rarity said. "Say, anyone got examples? I couldn't think of one since I wasn't her friend until the beginning of this school year?"
"Well," Thunder began. "Rainbow and I did do a few work projects together."
"Don't forget about me," Fluttershy added quietly.
"And the three of us had plenty of fun together," Thunder continued. "Even if one of them expresses flat joy. I'm looking at you." Thunder turns his eyes towards Fluttershy.
Fluttershy looks back at Thunder. "What?" she asks.
"We're getting off track, ain't we?" Applejack asks. Then, she looks towards Scootaloo. "So, do you think you're up to the task, little cube?"
Scootaloo looks at the Equine Morpher and the little red lighting bolt crystal inside. Then she looks back at Applejack. Then back to the morpher. And back to Applejack. She couldn't decide yet.
Later, the team is outside having a bit of trouble deciding what to do next. They think that in order to do anything, they would need her permission in order to do it. As she is currently absent, the team is unsure about what would get Rainbow's approval.
"Should we go out and make dresses?" Rarity suggested. "Or maybe go out in the park and play some ball game? Or we can hang out in anyone's house and play a few board games. Have a little fun while she's gone?"
Pinkie went up to Rarity. "Well, the last two do sound like fun from Rainbow's perspective," she commented. "But don't you think that she'll miss out on those? I mean...what if she realized that we played a game that she really likes and doesn't get a chance to play because she is absent when it happens?" Pinkie takes in a huge gasp after saying things rapidly.
"Pinkie, calm down," Fluttershy reminds. "She's our friend. I'm sure she won't mind missing out on a few fun things while she's having fun at the competition center."
"BUT IT COULD!" Pinkie shouted.
"Uhh, Pinkie?" Applejack asks. "Rainbow's leavin' us alone so that she can have some fun time on her own. She probably needs a break from us. And test us to see if we can function without her. Probably that."
"So, is there anything that you girls can do?" Thunder asks. "Something that Rainbow won't mind having to miss because she left?"
Suddenly, a sound of something rumbling is heard, and its coming from Thunder's bag. The girls looked at Thunder in surprise and suspicion.
"Oh," Thunder realizes. "It's my anomaly detector! I forgot that I kept it in here for weeks!"
Thunder places his bag down to pull out his detector.
"WHAT?" Pinkie gasped. "Oh no. There might be another monster attack! And with Rainbow being absent..." She gasps again. "She might miss out on this! Quickly! Someone call her! We need her here now!"
"What do you mean we need her now?" Applejack asks. "She's probably far away at this point. Do you think she's going to make it here in time?"
"Yeah, but she's our most experienced fighter!" Pinkie yelled. "She's gone on more missions than any of us!"
Applejack stared at Pinkie with a disapproving look. "Look Pinkie," she began. "We've been rangers for only three months. And in those three months, we've been attacked by monsters less than ten times. Do you think we really have enough experience to outclass each other?"
After a bit of digging, Thunder finally pulls out his anomaly detector. He reads the radar signal. It's coming from behind them.
"There! I got it," Thunder announces. "The monster is probably two blocks away from us. It hasn't done anything, but-"
Suddenly, there were more cars coming down the nearby street than usual, as well as people running away from the site where the anomaly is supposedly located.
"Well, we now know that this thing is a threat," Applejack said. "Come on, everyone. Let's investigate."
Pinkie was confused. "Wait, so you're taking charge now?" she asks.
"Stop asking and get moving!" Thunder yells. "People are running away from where the monster is located. Surely it must be a threat. And no, I don't care who's in charge now. I care about if we deal with this threat or not."
The team then runs toward the site of the monster.
The monster in question turns out to be a rouge one, acting as a thief to get by.
"So, you're supposed to be a ranger, aren't you?" Klep, the thief, asks.
Klep is confronted with Scootaloo, Sweetie, Apple Bloom, and Rumble. Scootaloo stands near the front while the other three hide behind her.
"You sure that this is a good idea?" Sweetie asks.
"I'm sure that Rainbow would trust me is taking her place," Scootaloo tells the others. "I can do this!"
The team went into the street where the monster is located.
"There!" Thunder points out. "That must be the monster that's causing a disturbance!"
"Wait a second," Rarity said as she takes a closer look. Then, she gasps. "Are those our younger siblings who are confronting the monster! And what is...it's a thief?"
"Oh, so these are rangers?" Klep said, leaning over. "Huh. My actions must've summoned them to my location."
Scootaloo clamps her hand harder on the Equine Morpher.
"Don't you do it, Scootaloo," Apple Bloom said. "It's too dangerous for you to handle."
"What are you telling me?" Scootaloo asks. "This thing will surely boost my fighting abilities. Don't worry about me. I can do this for Rainbow. Hang on, guys!"
"Scootaloo!" several of the team members and her friends cried out. "Don't!"
Scootaloo pressed on the button at the center of the Equine Morpher as she holds it behind her ear. Then, she starts to shout the following words. "Magical Power, Friendship Power!" She pushed the Equine Morpher out in front of her, presenting it in front of Klep.
Only...nothing happens. Upon discovering this, Scootaloo looks back at her Equine Morpher. "Huh? Why didn't it work?" she asks. She pressed on the center button even more. "Come on, work for me! Put on the ranger suit, would you?"
Klep laughed at the young girls feeble attempt to get into ranger mode. "Hahaha!" he mockingly laughs. "You think you can stop me, little girl? You don't even have the proper training to even stand a chance against me!" Klep then lunges forward and knocks Scootaloo over.
"Scootaloo!" her friends cried out.
Scootaloo crashed down on the street as the team ran up to confront Klep himself.
"Alright, you little thief," Applejack said. "It's time for you to stop now." She and the rest of the rangers hold their Equine Morphers out.
"Wait, aren't there supposed to be five rangers?" Klep asks. "Where did the fifth go? Is that little girl you're fifth ranger? And is this your first time on the job?"
"First off, our fifth ranger is our leader," Applejack answer. "And she's gone. That little girl you knocked out is not our fifth ranger. She is her biggest ran. And second, this isn't our first time here." She and the rest of the team pressed on the buttons on their morphers to change into ranger mode for the battle. "Just another mission we have to do as rangers."
Klep is surprised to see that these rangers were quite experienced. Not wanting to deal with them, he steps out and beings to make a run for it out.
"Not so fast!" Rarity said as she fires her bow, shooting an arrow towards Klep.
The arrow nearly hit Klep, but he stopped as soon as it landed. The arrow landed way farther than he is, but he's still probably going to get hit.
Applejack looked at Rarity. "Since when did you..." she begins. "Forget about it. We have someone to catch."
The girls then continued their chase with Klep. Meanwhile, Thunder is guiding the younger siblings to safety in alley, carrying the unconscious Scootaloo on his arms. He places her next to her friends. He then begins to leave the area. Before he could do so, he is stopped by a voice.
"Thunderlane..." he heard his name being said. Thunder turns around and saw that Scootaloo has woken up, although being a bit weak from being hit. He walks towards her. "You're older, aren't you?" Scootaloo asks. "You...you can have this. You deserve this much more than me." She hands Rainbow's morpher to Thunder, and he takes it. Thunder then stares into the morpher he was given. On the small display in the middle, a notable shine went across it. He can also feel a bit of power radiating from the crystal inside.
Knowing that its his time to shine, and that the power is transferred to him for this mission, Thunder takes the morpher and runs towards where the monster is. "Hang in there, girls," he announces. "I'm coming to help you."
Behind him, Sweetie and Apple Bloom are caring for Scootaloo, while Rumble watch out for suspicious people.
The girls have caught up with Klep, and is having a bit of trouble defeating him. For starters, he was too fast. Way faster than they can attack. Furthermore, only two people are doing their best to trap Klep in the arena. Sure, Rarity might be standing on the sidelines picking Klep off and Fluttershy's blocking the other side, but the area is still way too big.
"Urg!" Applejack groans as she misses yet another attack. "He's too fast! We can't catch him! Rarity, move closer!"
Rarity takes a few steps forward to lower the area of the arena. Klep notices this and stops to throw a gemstone that he stole right at Rarity. Rarity steps back, avoiding the stone as she shrieks and covers her head. She lets go of the drawstring, releasing the arrow and sending it to a nearby wall.
"Darn," Applejack grunts.
"Come on!" Pinkie yells as she continues to chase Klep down. "Get back here! Stay still please!"
Eventually, Rarity ran out of arrows. She barely hit the intended target. She tries to reach out and reclaim the arrows, but they were swiped by Klep before she could reach them. So the team is now left with only has two fighting members. Fluttershy's just there to block off an potential escape route, and even she does not possess any combat abilities.
This is starting to frustrate Applejack. "Urrg!" she growls. "Can Rainbow please come back to help us out? We're having a bit of trouble here!"
"How about I help you girls out?" someone said.
Everyone stopped what they're doing and turned to the source of the voice. Standing in front of them is surprisingly Thunder.
"What?" Applejack gasped.
"You?" Rarity said.
"...Could it be?" Fluttershy muttered.
"Hey, what are you doing here?" Klep asks. "Aren't you supposed to be running away like a normal civilian? Why don't you take your life and scram?" Klep then lunged forward towards Thunder, prompting everyone to shout his name.
"Thunder!"
Swiftly, Thunder pulls out the Equine Morpher and presses on the display, causing it to glow. He then presents it towards Klep as he begins to glow red. Then, shortly before Klep could get to him, the ball of light exploded, sending him backwards.
The light dies down to reveal Thunder in the Red Equine Suit. Only this time, its the male version of the suit.
Klep shook his head is disbelief. "Wh...what?" he stuttered. "You can use the suit too?"
Thunder looks at his new form. "Looks like the suit can be worn by more than one person," he remarks. "Hey, girls. Here's the fighting techniques that I learned from watching you fight a few times!" He then pulls out a bat and swings it at Klep, sending him back between Rarity and Fluttershy.
Klep is now no longer in a position where he can just dodge everyone's attack, as he is caught off guard. Applejack uses this to her advantage and juggles him into the air. While in the air, Thunder throws the bat right at Klep, dealing additional damage to him. Thunder then leaps in and joins the fight.
Klep then gets back up and is soon on the run. Only shortly after he starts to run, he found himself surrounded on all sides by three rangers. He tried to move to get of the way of one, but the other would move to block his path. He turns around and tries to go the other way, but then another would step in and block his path. Repeat this and soon he is trapped, with no way of escaping the ranger's grasp.
Thunder points his bat towards Klep. "Alright now," he said. "You're trapped. Surrender now and justice will be served. But refuse, and we'll beat you up more. What do you say?"
Klep looks around as he thinks about this choices. Neither one seems pleasant. He doesn't want to be thrown back into his original world.
So he reaches into his pockets and pulls out a remote. Suddenly, his mood changes.
"Kamikaze! " he shouted before exploding into a cloud of dust. The surrounding rangers wiped the air as they try to get the dust off of their visors. Then, they look at where Klep once stood and noticed that he was no longer there.
"What?" Applejack gasped. "He's gone!"
"Where did he go?" Pinkie asks.
The other two girls rushed up to the other three rangers.
"I must say, that is such a wasteful tactic," Rarity comments. "I mean, sacrificing yourself just to finish off your enemy? That's so not worth it. Especially if you're...a professional."
"Well, that's just unsatisfactory," Thunder declares. "We just corner him and is about to give him justice, when he decides that finishing himself off is better than us finishing him off. Bummer."
Applejack comforted Thunder. "Well, at least you get a taste of what being a ranger looks like," she tells him. "After all, this is your first mission as a ranger."
This causes Thunder to perk up. "Oh right!" he realize. "I am a ranger now! Sweet!"
Pinkie then procced to give Thunder a big squeeze. "Welcome to the ranger business, Thunder!" she said. "You've locked yourself into being an official member of this team!"
Thunder then smiled at Pinkie, looking at her.
The next day, the rangers are hanging out at the youth center, having a great time for the morning. Scootaloo is also there, though all bandaged up. The injuries of being knocked up over people's heads and skidding on her skin are pretty bad. The force of impact was probably painful.
Their sweet morning was interrupted when a special someone came in.
"Hey guys!" a curtain prismatic haired girl announces as she came in. "I'm back!"
"Rainbow! You're back!" several of the team members said as she came in. They waved at her as she entered.
Scootaloo came up to Rainbow, despite her injuries. "Did you have a great time there?" she asks. "Did you have fun?"
Rainbow was surprised when she saw that Scootaloo has been injured. "Uhh...Scootaloo?" she said. "What happened to you?"
"It's a long story," Thunder replied. And Rainbow's attention turned towards him. "By the way, here's your morpher back. Thank you."
Rainbow caught her Equine Morpher in the air. But she still has questions. "No seriously," she continued. "What happened yesterday while I was gone? And Thunder, why did you have my morpher?"
Well, the team is going to have to explained what happened yesterday to Rainbow. The team members looked at each other in awkwardness. They're probably going to be in here for a lot longer than they planned.
[End of Episode]
From the Author:
So, the team dealt with a monster on their own, without the input of their leader, Rainbow. And one of the members became an official ranger. Sure, the fight might not have a satisfying conclusion, but still. Got another ranger added to the list.
Still, the others can't help but wonder what Rainbow did while she was absent. I wonder...
Written by TheAPPstore
My Little Pony characters/franchise property of Hasbro.
Inspired by Super Sentai, property of Toei Company.