Chapter 23: The Crystal Soldier

Sombra was shown sitting on his throne in the lair of the Dark Lords. The great warrior had his eyes closed as he reminisced.

"Take it!"

"What should I do with it?"

"Make sure it's never found. It's too dangerous."

"But this is everything we've worked for! And you're gonna throw it all away!"

"It's too powerful, Sombra. We overestimated its abilities and power. The best thing is to get rid of it. That way, no one can be tempted by its power."

"You're making a mistake," growled Sombra as the person he was talking with was already walking down the hall.

Sombra opened his eyes as he looked at the crystal ball in front of him. The evil being's anger boiled as he looked at his new appearance.

"Sitri!" growled Sombra as he fired a spell from his hand; it made a hole in the wall. "You were a fool to scrap the experiment. You may have been concerned for the well-being of the others. But I saw the truth! I saw the vision! But you had to play the hero! Well, I'll prove you wrong!"

The leader of the Dark Lords stood up as he grabbed his Crystal sword.

"Chrysalis!" shouted Sombra.

"Yes, my lord," stated the general as she bowed in respect to her commander.

"It is time!"

In the rangers' HQ, Rarity was giving a quick presentation.

"Well, what do you think? Hat or no hat?" asked the girl as she had Rachel pull up the layout of the ranger suits. The fashionista was thinking of making Ash and the girls look more presentable and fashionable.

"Rares, we ain't changing up our suits!" shouted Applejack as she had been trying to tell her friend how ridiculous of an idea it was.

"Look, Rarity, I appreciate you wanting to make us look... dashing per se, but unfortunately, you can't mess with the software that projects our ranger suits and helmets. Not to mention the little magic embedded in our gems," said Ash.

"Besides, why would I want to change my suit? I like how I look, especially when I'm wearing this!" said Rainbow.

"You've been wearing that jacket for days! How long are you going to keep wearing it?!" shouted Applejack with a glare on her face.

What the country gal was referring to was what Rainbow was wearing. The chromatic-haired girl was wearing a blue jacket with her name. The jacket was given to her as a gift from Max, the Wild Force Blue Ranger, who, along with his friends, showed up to help the teens take down a returning Master Org. The two teams of rangers were able to band together as they succeeded in taking down the villain.

Soon it was time for the Wild Force Rangers to return to Turtle Cove as Cole and the others decided to give Ash and the girls a gift to remember them. The veteran rangers managed to get replica jackets to give the teens, similar to the ones they wore. The only slight difference was that it had the names of the teen embedded as it was a way to remember their adventure.

"Hey, don't single me out, Aj!" shouted Dash as she used her superspeed to quickly zoom up to the farm girl's room in the headquarters and brought down the black jacket that Danny gave her.

"You were wearing this in front of the mirror the other day, Ms. Apple Girl!" taunted Aj.

"I was merely seeing how it looked on me," said Applejack as she shifted her eyes back and forth. Truth be told, Aj couldn't help but admire how in love she was with the jacket.

"Okay, you two settle down. I get it; we all look good in the jackets that Taylor and the others gave us. But Applejack does have a point, Dash. For one, it's got several stains on it." stated Ash as he pointed out several blobs on Rainbow's prized jacket.

"Not to mention, most foul!" complained Rarity while covering her nose with her hand.

"I agree," said Rachel. The A.I. then made a drone fly by as it grabbed Rainbow's jacket and yanked it off of her.

"Hey! Careful with that!" shouted Rainbow as she was stripped of the gift.

The drone flew toward the washer as it put the smelly garment in the machine. It then turned it on the washer as the detergent began to work its magic, creating a huge mass of bubbles. After a few minutes of shaking, the lid popped open as the drone reached in and grabbed the wet garment. It then put the piece of clothing into the dry as it began to shake for another few minutes. Once the dryer stopped shaking, the drone pulled out the jacket and flew back to the headquarters' main floor.

"Finally!" said Rachel through the drone as she set up an ironing board and began to iron the jacket.

"Carefully with that!" stated Rainbow.

"That's much better!" said Rarity as she could breathe again without the disgusting odor that emitted from the piece of garment.

Downtown at Canterlot City's City Hall, the task force that Mayor Mare assembled to help protect the citizens was hard at work. Many members were running obstacle courses, while others practiced their fighting and combat skills. One member was sitting down as he had a picture in his hand. Shining Armor looked at the photo showing him and his family from when they were younger.

(Memory)

"You're a Power Ranger!" shouted Shining Armor as he managed to pull Twilight to a room during their encounter at the cabins.

"Shining! Please understand," pleaded Twilight to her older brother.

"To think, my little sister has been fighting against these monsters all this time! I can't believe it! Did he force you?!"

"No!" answered Twilight. "I chose to fight against these mutants! I chose to become a Power Ranger!"

"Why?!" asked Shining Armor.

"Because... I have a responsibility."

"So do I! It's why I became a police officer! So that I can keep my family safe, keep those I love from harm!" stated Shining Armor. "But now, knowing that my little sister is involved in the ultimate danger. It makes me feel... it makes me... Ahh!"

"Shining, please don't get mad. Ash or the others have nothing to do with me becoming a Power Ranger. I chose to follow this path because I feel like this is the best way I can keep you guys safe and our entire home." said Twilight.

(End of Memory)

"Twily," muttered Shining Armor.

"Lieutenant!" shouted Captain Cosmos.

"Yes, Captain!" said Shining Armor as he put the photo away and stood at attention.

"You're supposed to be training! Not slacking off! We have a duty; the Crystal Soldiers are tasked with protecting the city from these monsters. We must show that the Power Rangers aren't the only saving grace. We can protect our home just fine without them!"

"Yes, Captain!" saluted Shining Armor.

"Now step up!" shouted the Captain.

Shining Armor nodded as he walked up to the mat where other cadets were waiting. Shining Armor grabbed a dual club as he and the person he was sparring with took their position on the mats. Both raised their weapons and began to engage. Shining Armor swung first and then blocked another strike. He managed to spin backward while his opponent went for a lunge. Shining moved his head to the left and right as he avoided the overhead lunges. Taking his opportunity, he swatted away his opponent's club with his. Shining Armor then tried to attack, only to get disarmed and have his club swatted to the side.

It now transitioned to a straight fistfight as Shining Armor's foe went for a jumping knee strike as he side-stepped. Shining Armor went for a sweep, to which his ally jumped. They each put their hands up to interlock their fingers for a test of strength. Shining Armor quickly managed to get his comrade into a waist lock. The soldier recovered as he reached down to grab Shining Armor's leg to roll through as Shining was on the ground. The soldier began to yank on Shining Armor's foot as he applied an ankle lock; Shining Armor countered by grabbing the leg of the soldier and reversed their position. He was now applying an ankle lock on his comrade as the young man was able to get out by pushing Shining Armor off with his other foot.

The soldier rushed in to deliver a punch as Shining Armor moved his head out of the way and went for another waist lock. He then tried to slam his comrade to the floor, only for them to wiggle free and get Shining Armor in their own waist lock. He tried to slam the lieutenant to the floor, but Shining Armor used the momentum to transition into a seated armbar hold.

Shining Armor was able to twist out and do an arm drag on his comrade, and he rolled onto his hands and knees. Shining Armor wasted no time attacking as he went for an immediate kick. The soldier quickly laid down to avoid it, and he then tried to sweep the lieutenant with his hand as Shining Armor jumped to avoid it. He landed as the soldier got to a knee. Shining Armor went for a quick PK(penalty kick) as he nailed the man and went down.

The other cadets saw the combat as they clapped. Shining Armor kept his focused look as the Captain was about to say something. At that moment, an alarm went off outside the facility.

"Suit up, men! Let's roll out!" shouted Captain Cosmos.

The rest of the Crystal Soldiers began to run to their trucks and vehicles as they prepared to head out to where the crisis was. Shining Armor tightened his gloves as he got in the passenger suit of his truck with his buddy Spearhead in the driver's seat as they sped off.

The reason the alarm went off was due to a situation that occurred. Moments before, Chrysalis was in Thorax's lab as she and Thorax were at a table. On the table, there was an object. The object had a thick layer as the pair tried to break it free to get what was inside.

"What's taking so long?!" shouted Sombra.

"My lord," said Chrysalis as she approached her commander. "There's no doubt your plan to have hidden the object in the place that only you knew. Remember that you had to seal it within the protective cover because of its immense power. Which I might add is more durable than the hardest metal on Earth."

"What are you getting at, Chrysalis?!" shouted Sombra as his voice echoed.

"I'm saying that we need more time to extract the item from within," smiled Chrysalis sheepishly.

"You have but 30 minutes," growled Sombra as he grabbed Chrysalis by her throat and lifted her. The general was staring into the eyes of her commander as he brought her in and whispered into her ear. "If you do not succeed, I will show no mercy!"

"At once, m-m-my liege," stuttered Chrysalis as she could feel Sombra's grip on her throat begin to tighten.

Sombra then released his hold on his second in command as she breathed some air. She then saw him leave as she hurried back to the table and told Thorax to up the drill's power. The two mutants were determined to not upset their leader. After half an hour, the artifact's carbon covering finally cracked open. Both Chrysalis and Thorax let out a sigh of relief as Sombra came marching into the room with his elite guards.

"Is it ready?!" shouted the leader of the Dark Lords.

"Just about," replied Thorax as he was looking at his screens and typing at his keypad.

"The energy is spiking my liege," said Chrysalis.

Sombra then stepped to the table as he made his hand glow. The magic responded to the bright light as he reached into the artifact. After a few moments, he retracted his hand as the light died down, and left behind was a silver container with a slot where one would insert their arm.

"Today, I prove you wrong, Sitri," growled Sombra.

The Dark Lord was about to enter his arm through the container as it glowed. Whatever was inside was still active as it recognized the villain's aura and repelled him backward. Sombra shot back and hit the wall as he slumped.

"My lord!" shouted Chrysalis as she and Thorax helped their leader.

The silver container on the table glowed as a portal opened up, and it was sucked in.

"GRR! Don't allow that to escape! Follow it!" shouted Sombra.

"At once!" said Thorax as he left to fetch an officer.

While Thorax was tracking the thing, the artifact that entered the portal tumbled. It soon entered another opening as it came out of it. It landed near a construction site with a ton of machinery nearby. Nobody was there as another portal opened up, and out came some minions and an officer named Tracker.

"There it is," said Tracker as he saw the artifact a few meters away while glowing.

"Be careful; if it senses your presence, it will teleport. Use the glove that our commander gave you to grab it!" instructed Thorax.

"Right," acknowledged Tracker as one of the minions gave the item to the officer.

Tracker grabbed it as it fused with his hand. He then began to approach the thing on the floor. He picked it up as the artifact continued to glow but didn't teleport. He then had another minion open the case as he placed the artifact inside and locked it.

"Excellent," smiled Tracker.

At that moment, the sounds of trucks were heard. Tracker and the minions looked and saw the Crystal Soldiers approaching them. The doors opened as all the cadets rushed with their weapons in hand and aimed them at the monsters.

"Halt! You're under arrest for trespassing! Put the case down!" shouted Captain Cosmo.

"You've got to be shitting me!" replied Tracker as he pointed his arm at them.

Some of the minions nodded as they began to march toward the cadets.

"Fire!" shouted the Captain.

The soldiers began to open fire. Tracker pulled out his blade and deflected the shots while some of the minions were hit. The footsoldiers were heading toward the task force as they continued to shoot down as many as possible. Eventually, the minions made it over the small trenches as they began to engage with the cadets in hand-to-hand combat. Both sides were brawling as a few tried to take down the mutant officer. They all tried to restrain Tracker, only for him to fling them away. One of them was Shining Armor, as he was kicked in the gut and fell on his back.

The lieutenant angrily threw his hat off as he started to get back up. He was about to charge at Tracker when a minion got in his way. The minion then leaped as Shining Armor ran full force. He caught the minion in mid-air with a spear as they tumbled to the ground. Shining Armor wasted no time in punching the minion in the face as he turned to where Tracker was. He went for a kick as he could see the mutant was distracted. However, Tracker could sense Shining Armor trying to attack as he blocked with his arm and then flipped the lieutenant onto the ground as he flipped onto his back.

"Silly human. You're out of your league!" growled Tracker as he pointed his weapon at Shining Armor.

Tracker then raised his arm as he looked to bring his weapon down. Shining Armor saw this and covered up as he prepared for the worst. Just before it connected, it was stopped by another blade. That blade belonged to Ash, who was in his ranger suit as he saved Shining Armor. He stopped the blade and then made a slash attack as he got Tracker to stumble and back away. The girls were a few meters from them in their ranger outfits.

"Are you okay?" asked Ash as he checked on Shining Armor as the girls ran past them to help the Crystal Soldiers.

"I don't need your help!" shouted Shining Armor as he was furious that Ash and the others were present.

"Shining Armor, wait!" shouted Ash as the lieutenant took off.

Ash was looking to ensure that Twilight's brother didn't do anything reckless. Some minions stopped him in his tracks as he began to hack and slash at them. All around, the girls were fighting their section of foes. Sunset leaped off a bulldozer as she avoided some minions trying to sweep her. She did a cartwheel and landed as she began to slash at them using her saber.

Across from her was Applejack as she fought minions from her front and back. The girl was blocking attacks with her arms while using her legs to extend and kick the ones trying to attack her blind spot. She spun a few times to avoid a string of attacks while holding her ground. Eventually, she threw bodies into the trench below as they crashed and burned.

"I'm tired of this! Time to escape," said Tracker as he looked to teleport away.

"Wait!" shouted a voice.

Twilight leaped into the air to do a diving kick as she got Tracker in his back. The mutant flew as he still had the case in hand; he landed back first into one of the trenches below as Twilight chased after him. The girl was running down the small slope as she leaped to do another kick. She got Tracker in the chest and pushed him back as he fell to a knee with the case next to him.

"Whatever is in there doesn't belong to you! Hand it over!" demanded Twilight as she raised her saber at the mutant.

"Don't make me laugh, little girl! This will never be yours!" declared Tracker.

Nearby, Shining Armor was fighting some minions when he heard Tracker's voice. He slowly walked down a slope as he came to a wall and peaked his head. He saw Tracker and Twilight as he listened to what they were saying.

"The contents of this box will give us unlimited power! A power that will help us to get stronger and defeat you rangers once and for all!" declared Tracker.

"Unlimited power? Get stronger?" said Shining Armor as he took in what the mutant said.

At that moment, the others all finished fighting their section of small fry as the rest of the girls all forward flipped into the trench where Twilight was and raised their sabers at the mutant.

"It'll take more than you four girls to stop me!" declared Tracker.

"No problem!" shouted Ash.

Tracker turned around as there was the boy who leaped down and made a slash attack as he got the officer in his chest. The container that he held dropped as Ash picked it up.

"I'll take this," said Ash.

Tracker knew that if he didn't get the container back to Sombra and the others, he would suffer a severe punishment. The mutant quickly tossed his weapon at Ash; the boy side-stepped the saber that was thrown as it embedded into the ground. Before he could do anything, Tracker then pulled out his blaster and fired at where his saber was. It caused an explosion as Ash was caught in the blast. It sent the boy flying as he dropped the case and flew until he collided with a piece of machinery.

"Ash!" shouted the girls as they all rushed to check on their leader.

The container that Ash dropped was shown as it landed by Shining Armor's position. The lieutenant was still behind his corner as he watched what went down. He turned his head away when the explosion happened to avoid any damage. Shining Armor saw the container without a second thought; he quickly grabbed it and silently disappeared. At that moment, Tracker turned the corner where the container landed, only to find it gone.

"Huh? This can't be!" shouted Tracker as he began scanning where the container could have gone. "I'll have to find it later."

The officer could see that his minions were all defeated as he knew that by himself, he didn't stand a chance against the rangers and Crystal Soldiers. Tracker touched his wrist as he teleported away to get to safety. Meanwhile, the girls rushed to check on their leader.

"Ash!" shouted Sunset as she was the first to reach their leader.

The girl grabbed his head and held him close as the other arrived.

"Ash, are you okay?" asked Rainbow.

The boy merely grunted as his body ached.

"He's in bad shape. We've got to get him back to HQ!" stated Applejack.

"But what about the box?!" asked Rainbow.

"We'll find it later! Right now, Ash needs help!" stated Twilight as they began to head back.

"Hold on, Ash. I got you," said Sunset as she put his arm over her shoulder and began to carry her friend. "Please, Ash, just hang on. Don't fail on me, " stated the girl, who didn't want to lose the boy.

As the girls left, the rest of the Crystal Soldiers were all getting back to their feet. They were also battered and bruised from the fight they encountered with the monsters. They looked around as they began to round up each other.

"Shining Armor!" shouted Spearhead as he didn't see his buddy anywhere. "Where are you, pal?!"

Shining Armor was shown entering a storage depo as he climbed a flight of stairs. He soon found a quiet space as he bent down behind some crates. The lieutenant had the case that the mutants were attempting to grab as he placed it in front of him. Shining Armor did one last look around to see if anybody was nearby. Seeing that the close was clear, he turned back to the case. He unlocked the latches as he lifted the case open. Inside was the artifact, as it was no longer glowing due to the protective sealing infused with the case to temporarily contain its energy.

Due to that, Shining Armor reached to grab the artifact as he held it. He began to examine it as he remembered the words said by Tracker.

"Unlimited power? Power to make me stronger. The power I need to prove my worth." stated the lieutenant. Shining Armor saw the small opening as he began to move his hand into it. At that moment, the artifact sensed Shining Armor as it sent out a spike of electricity that shocked the young man as he retracted his hand quickly and let the artifact drop to the ground.

"Son of a bitch," grumbled Shining Armor as he held his right hand.

The lieutenant looked at the artifact and saw that it wouldn't be easy to get whatever power was inside it. However, he knew he had to report in with how long he'd been gone. Shining Armor then grabbed the artifact and placed it behind some crates for safekeeping. Once he checked in with his squad and the other Crystal Soldiers, he would return and do whatever it took to get the power it held.

Down at city hall, Mayor Mare was shown walking with a cadet of the task force as her assistant, Raven Inkwell, was also walking with them.

"Madam Mayor, the Crystal Soldiers are getting very good remarks from the press. So much so that our enrollment for the task force has greatly improved by 15%," said the cadet.

"Good," replied the woman.

"But with the many recruits, we still don't have the firepower to match the rangers. Even our guns, while holding off the smaller monsters, still lack the proper design that the rangers use. If there was only a way to examine how one of their weapons worked, we could replicate it and make duplicates for our soldiers to use. Any word from the scientists?" asked the cadet.

"None, so far," replied Raven.

They came to a hallway; approaching them was Shining Armor, who had just finished checking in.

"Mr. Mayor Mare," stated Shining Armor as she gave a salute to the woman before speaking. "I heard that Captain Cosmos was injured. I'd like to take his place as leader of the Crystal Soldiers. No one is more loyal or dedicated to protecting this city than me, and I fight as well as the rangers. If not, better, I might add."

"I appreciate the enthusiasm, lieutenant. But I'm not gonna let someone who's out of his league take command. I need someone I can trust, someone strong." stated Mayor Mare as she didn't think that Shining Armor had what it took to be considered Captain. "You're in charge," said the woman to the cadet next to her.

"Madam!" replied the cadet as he saluted the mayor.

"Sorry, Lieutenant. But I don't know the first thing about you. Excuse me." replied Mayor Mare as she left with Raven and the cadet now named Captain trailing behind.

Shining Armor stepped to the side as he gave a salute. The trio kept walking until they were out of reach as Shining Armor put his hand down and turned it into a fist. The young man had anger on his face and eyes as he was again overlooked. The lieutenant knew he had what it took to be a leader, but yet, no matter what, people always assumed that he wasn't stronger enough. That he didn't deserve to have power and hated that everyone around him was getting stronger. Even his own little sister was stronger than him. Well, that was all going to change.

So you're gonna make it hard, then. Well, I'm gonna prove to you who the leader should be.

Meanwhile, in the HQ of the rangers, the girls were attending to their leader. Ash was on one of the beds in the medical room as the girls were all gathered. Rachel had one of the drones keep an eye on Ash's vitals while also doing her work in healing her master.

"Is he gonna be okay?" asked Fluttershy with concern.

"He was hit pretty hard, but he'll be fine," stated Twilight as she and Sunset were near Ash's bed, tending to their leader.

"It's gonna be okay, Ash. Your friends are here. I'm here," said Sunset as the girl held one of the boy's hands and pulled it into her chest.

"We've got to find that case. Whatever is inside can't fall into the wrong hands," stated Rainbow.

"What the hell is in there anyway? What could be so important that Sombra and the Dark Lords would want with a simple container?" asked Applejack.

"It's not the container they're after. It's what's inside," replied Rachel.

"Which is?" asked Pinkie.

"It's... a special artifact. One that comes from me and Ash's dimension," replied the A.I.

"Pardon me, darling?" said Rarity as she said what the others were thinking.

"Guess it's time I tell you girls. In addition to finding the other zords, Master Ash and I were also looking for something else. A special artifact that once belonged to our dimension before it vanished. This artifact was made by Ash's mother and her team. And it's very deadly."

"You mean Ash's parents made something dangerous?" said Twilight.

"It wasn't supposed to be dangerous. They were trying to make a power source that matched the power of the gems that transformed them into rangers. To give to others who weren't Power Rangers. But unfortunately, the results were anything but pleasant. Tests were run, and each time anybody held the artifact, it consumed them. It filled their thoughts with power. They became power-hungry. To the point where they would do anything to take that power." said Rachel.

"So what did they do?" asked Pinkie.

"After seeing the results of their experiment and seeing that they couldn't duplicate their ranger powers, Ash's mother had the project shut down. She had all evidence of the project to be destroyed, all files deleted. She even told them to get rid of the artifact so that no one could be tempted by its power. At least, that's what we thought."

"Then how did Sombra and his gang get their hands on it?" asked Rainbow.

"Of that, I have no idea. It's possible that he might have learned about the artifact's existence from one of the members tasked with disposing of the item. Sombra could have taken it from them and then hidden the artifact for himself. After all, we thought he was long gone. Destroyed when our dimension collapsed. So if he survived, that means he must have sent the artifact to your girls' dimension ahead, and when the time came for him to escape, he made sure to track the signal. That he knew where the artifact was, and once he regained his powers, he could use it to destroy your world." said Rachel.

"Then we have to find that artifact and keep it out of Sombra's hands!" said Rainbow.

"Easier said than done, Dash," replied Aj as she looked back at Ash, who was still laid out.

While the girls were dealing with Ash, their foes were on the move. Tracker had returned as he had some more minions with him. The mutant was holding a tracking device that Thorax sent him to pinpoint where the artifact was based on its energy signal.

"My tracking device says it's nearby. Soon, we'll have it back in our hands. Hurry up!" shouted Tracker to the minions as they marched behind the officer and headed in the direction of where the artifact was hidden.

At that moment, Tracker wasn't the only one who picked up the artifact's signal.

"Rangers, my sensors detect activity at the storage depot near the docks," said Rachel through one of the drones.

"That must be the artifact. And I bet Tracker is also there looking for it," said Twilight.

"Then let's go!" said Rainbow.

"What about Ash?" said Sunset.

"He'll be fine, Sunset. We got an artifact to find," said Dash as she, Aj, and Twilight rushed out of the medbay area.

"Ash, it's okay. I'm just gonna be leaving for a bit. Rest up." whispered Sunset to the boy as she placed her hand on his cheek and then caressed his forehead. "Fluttershy, Pinkie, Rarity, look after him for me, will you?"

"Of course, Sunset. No hurry up" instructed the fashionista.

Sunset nodded as she left to catch up with the others. Soon all four girls were shown on their bikes as they were zooming through the city.

"The signal is peaking. It must be close by," said Tracker as he looked at the device on his wrist. "I've finally found the location of... Power Rangers?!"

Tracker had turned the corner when the sounds of bikes were heard. The girls had just arrived at the docks in front of the monsters. The girls stopped as they got off their cycles and stood in a row.

"What are you doing here?" asked Tracker.

"Could say the same thing about you!" shouted Sunset.

"I'm here to reclaim some missing property!" stated Tracker.

"Well, if you want it, you'll have to get through us!" said Rainbow.

"Ha! This shouldn't be too hard. Take this." said Tracker as he handed the device to one of the minions. "You retrieve the artifact while I deal with the rangers!"

The mutant then raced forward with his blade as the girls each pulled out their sabers. They all ran as they engaged the officer. Tracker avoided each of the swipes as the girls surrounded him. He deflected each attack the girls tried as he struck them in their chests. Tracker hopped off Rainbow's shoulders as he landed on a nearby loading crate. He then pulled out his hip blaster and fired at the girls; as they were hit, an explosion occurred.

In the ranger command center, Ash was opening his eyes. The boy sat up as he grunted a bit.

"Ash, you're awake," said Fluttershy as she and the other girls rushed to his bedside.

"Where are the others?" asked Ash as he clutched his chest.

"The girls went to the storage depot to stop a mutant from getting the artifact," stated Rachel through one of the drones as it checked the boy's health.

"What? I have to go help them," grunted the boy as he took the covers off.

"No, Master Ash, you're still too injured!" said Rachel.

"They need my help," Ash said as he wobbled a bit with his shirt in hand.

"Ash, listen to us. You need to rest!" shouted Rarity, but the boy was already out the door as he was heading to where his team was.

At the same time, the minions were following the one that had the tracking device. They stopped as the one looked up and pointed to a building. It zoomed in as there was the artifact they were searching for. With the target in sight, the minions began to march up the stairs in a row. Just then, Shining Armor was shown running as he returned to get the item in hopes of proving to the mayor that he was fit to lead the Crystal Soldiers.

He arrived as he saw the minions starting to climb up the stairs. The lieutenant knew what they were doing as he had to get to the artifact first.

"Hey, mutants!" shouted Shining Armor as he ran toward them.

A few turned as they saw him and ran to intercept him. Shining Armor avoided a double clothesline attempt as he ducked. He then spun and kicked a minion as he fell to the floor. He then kicked one of the minions that tried to clothesline him as he fell into his companion. Shining Armor then raced up the stairs. The minions kept on marching up the stairs as they climbed. Emerging from the back stairs was Shining Armor as he ran. Some of them noticed him as they attacked. He swatted them away as he blocked some more attacks with his arm.

Shining Armor grabbed hold of one of the mutant's arms as he used their weapon to fire at the remaining minions around him and on the stairway. He flipped the one he was holding onto the ground as he raced up the remaining stairs. Meanwhile, the girls were still trying to defeat Tracker as he continued to have his way with them.

"Hey!" shouted Shining Armor as he got the minions' attention at the top of the stairs.

He pulled out his side pistol and fired. The minions fell as Shining Armor raced up the last flight. He pulled out his pistol to dispose of the final ones standing over the artifact as they fell. Shining Armor then made it to the boxes where the item was. He picked it up and saw that it wasn't damaged. With that, he began to leave as he emerged from the hiding spot and got a few meters before stopping.

Standing there were more minions as they raised their weapons at the human. Shining Armor held the artifact close to him as he and the minions moved in a clockwise circle. Before Shining Armor could reach for his sidearms, the minions fired their weapons. At that moment, a pair of arms grabbed the lieutenant. Ash was in his ranger suit, and the two fell off the side of the building and crashed through the wood shacks window. They tumbled and fell to the floor.

"Huh? Ash!" growled Shining Armor as he saw the boy who was the reason his sister was in constant danger.

Ash grunted as he was still injured from before. He saw Shining Armor as he held the artifact.

"Give me the artifact, Shining Armor," Ash said as he extended his hand.

More minions marched through the hole made when the two crashed. They both looked and immediately blocked an overhead attack as they began to fight. The two males were fighting side by side as they swatted away the minions taking them head-on before they started to surround the pair. Ash had his arms out as he was in front of the lieutenant.

"You don't know what you're getting into. Just give it to me, and get to safety," said Ash as he kept his eyes on the minions, watching their movements.

"No way! It's mine!" shouted Shining Armor as they were back-to-back.

The pair was trying to fend off the minions that were starting to overwhelm them. Shining Armor was doing all he could to not let go of the artifact while protecting himself. Soon he got some kicks in the chest as he was flung and crashed into some barrels.

"Lieutenant!" shouted Ash. The boy tried to help him, but he was still feeling the effects of his injuries from earlier as he was taken to the floor and curled up.

The minions aimed their weapons at Shining Armor as he put the artifact in front of him. The shots hit the artifact as it resonated, and soon a massive energy output was felt as it pushed back the minions. Shining Armor looked at the item he held as it seemed to have saved his life. The young man then heard something, a voice as it called out to him.

"It's now or never," stated Shining Armor as he knew what to do.

"Ash, you have to stop him!" said Rachel through his helmet.

"Shining, please listen. Hand it over. That thing's too dangerous!" pleaded Ash.

"It's too late! I'm tired! I'm tired of everybody else getting stronger. Getting more powerful while I'm left behind and overlooked! Why was a kid like you given powers while I wasn't? Why did my sister have to be chosen, huh? Well... that all changes right now!" shouted Shining Armor as he looked at the artifact.

"Please, don't do it! You can't control it!" shouted Ash as he struggled to reach his feet.

"I'm sick of being on the sidelines! I'm not waiting for someone to tell me to wait for my turn; I'm taking the damn torch myself!" yelled the lieutenant as, in one swift move, he reached his hand into the artifact.

"NO!" yelled Ash.

A bright light flashed as thunder and lightning emitted from Shining Armor. The lieutenant felt pain and grunted as the power inside started affecting him.

"Yes, Shining Armor. You want power? You want others to recognize your strength. All you have to do is listen. Let the power take hold of you!" spoke a voice in a deep tone as the human struggled.

"NO!" shouted Shining Armor. "Listen here! I won't let you control me! I'm in control, and you will obey me! So listen here, give me the power that I demand! Give me the power to command respect!"

The bright light heard Shining Armor's voice as it began to envelop the young man, as it made Ash look away for a bit. It soon died down as the lieutenant stood with something on his wrist. Shining Armor looked at the device on his wrist; it looked like a Morpher as it glowed.

"Shining Armor, don't! You don't know what you're getting into. Listen to me; it's not about us." said Ash. The boy saw the look on Shining Armor's face; he could guess what he was thinking. "Please, don't do it."

"Heh. Crystal Power! Activate!" shouted Shining Armor into the Morpher.

The Morpher recognized Shining Armor's voice as it began to glow. Sparks flew out as they surrounded the human with explosions going off.

"No!" said Rachel as she saw through Ash's helmet what was happening.

The entire shack started to shake as pillars began to fall over and crates were destroyed. Pieces of metal began to fall as Ash covered up to avoid serious damage. After a few moments, the shaking stopped as Ash lifted his head.

"Shining Armor?" called out the boy.

Ash looked ahead as he took in what he saw and gasped. Standing there was a figure as it shined a bright color. The color looked silver, matching quartz as they stood up for all to take in, a side holster on their hip where their blaster rested. The outfit was similar to the one Ash and the girls had, as the gemstone inside the artifact covered his shoulders. There was a symbol in the middle of the suit as it had the outline of a Wolverine.

"Shining Armor, is that you?" asked Ash as he stood up and was eye to eye with the figure. "Rachel, what can you tell me?"

"Unfortunately, I have no information on this development, Master Ash," replied the A.I. as she was shocked by what she saw.

"Ruby Harmony Bow!" shouted Sunset as she pulled the string back on her weapon to shoot out arrows made of red light.

Tracker did a roll to avoid Sunset's aim as he fired back and hit the girl in the chest.

"Sunset, you okay?" asked Twilight as the others circled her.

"This guy is too stronger," said Rainbow.

"Time for the rangers to finally be destroyed. It's been a blast!" taunted Tracker as he looked to end the girls and pointed his weapon at them.

Before he could pull the trigger, some shots were heard as they collided with Tracker's arm. It made him drop his weapon as more shots exploded around him and even the girls as they were caught in the blast. They were all thrown to the floor as soon as a loud, tapping noise echoed.

"Who did that?!" demanded Tracker as he looked around but saw no one. The loud noise was still going on as he scanned the area. "Where are you? Show yourself!"

The tapping kept getting louder and louder as both Tracker and the girls stood up and looked.

"Who's that?" said Twilight as she pointed.

The girl was pointing in the direction of a tall structure behind Tracker. It showed the whole building for a second before zooming in on a specific spot. There stood a figure leaning back-first against the railing near a staircase. Their posture was calm and collected as they made the banging noise by tapping their blaster against their Morpher. A few more bangs occurred before the figure got up from leaning and looked at them.

"Is that Ash?" asked Applejack.

"I don't think so," said Rainbow as they saw the figure.

"Another ranger?!" shouted Tracker as he couldn't believe what he saw.

"Listen and learn, monster! I'm not just any ranger, not by a long shot. I'm the Crystal Quartz Ranger!" declared the figure as they stood in the middle of the stairway to address.

"I don't care what you call yourself! Minions!" shouted Tracker.

Soon more minions began to march toward the figure's position.

"Give me a break," scoffed the figure as he started to fire at the minions before they could even get to the stairway.

"Alright, anybody has an idea who that is?" asked Rainbow.

"You got me, Dash," replied Aj.

"Girls!" shouted Ash.

The boy was stumbling towards them as he clutched his arm.

"Ash, what are you doing here? You should be resting," stated Sunset as she held her leader in her hands.

"What's going on?" asked Twilight.

"Twilight, it's your brother."

"My brother?!" shouted Twilight at what her leader told her. She then turned to look back at the figure as they were still shooting. "You mean... that's... Shining Armor?"

"Computer, access strategy!" shouted Shining Armor to his helmet as he leaped off and landed in front of the minions running at him.

"Recommend Sniper Mode!" said the helmet.

"Sounds like a plan. Sniper Mode!" said Shining Armor as his blaster changed and transformed.

Shining Armor began to rapidly fire shots as he took out the minions. He spun while in place, letting a barrage of bullets fire that wiped out his foes within seconds.

"Saber Mode!" shouted Shining Armor as he had his blaster change again. This time it changed into a saber with a curved hilt as the young man began to engage the enemy and cut them down with ease.

Shining Armor then bounced off a crate as he engaged Tracker mid-air as both held their blades against each other. They soon back-flipped away as Shining Armor made his blaster return to its original state. Both foes were now meters apart as they moved in a counterclockwise circle, watching what the other would do.

"You may have defeated the minions, but you won't defeat me!" declared Tracker as he fired at Shining Armor.

The lieutenant quickly dropped to the floor to avoid getting hit as he drop-shot the mutant in the chest and made him roll onto the ground. Shining Armor stood up as he looked at his Morpher as he got informed of a message being transmitted to his helmet.

"It is recommended that you use Wrath Strike mode to finish your foe," responded Shining Armor's Morpher.

"Sounds like a plan! Wrath Strike Mode!" shouted Shining Armor as his blaster changed back to its saber function.

The lieutenant began to charge at Tracker, who was starting to get up. The officer saw the ranger as he blocked his swing, but Shining Armor ducked the attack while slashing under the monster as he felt the attack. Shining Armor then turned around as he made a cross-slash attack; that was enough to defeat the mutant as he exploded. The ranger put his blaster back in his holster as the explosion went off behind him.

"Mission complete," said the computer on Shining Armor's Morpher.

"Woah!" said Rainbow as she said what the others were thinking as they saw Shining Armor take down a mutant all by himself.

He was now shown walking towards them as he stopped a few meters from the teens. Twilight then took a step forward as she saw the figure before her.

"Shining? Is that you?" asked Twilight softly to the ranger that was her big brother. "Are you... okay?"

"Never been better, Twily," responded Shining Armor with a cocky attitude as behind the helmet, he was smiling. Smiling at the fact that he had gotten what he deserved, and it was about damn time.

"How will Shining Armor use such power?" said Rachel as she and the girls were watching the screen.

They saw Ash and the girls on one side as Shining Armor was standing across from them. The sun in the background was now setting. One thing was for sure, with the sudden new development, things had just gotten much more complicated.

Author's Note: And so we have our sixth ranger. Did you expect it to be who you thought? Now that we have our team of six, the question remains is Shining Armor willing to be a friend or a foe for our team of heroes? As always, leave a review expressing your thoughts and comments.