The family landed easily on Planet Florana, gazing around at the lush, tropical forest and the ancient buildings vaguely visible, braced invitingly over deep swamps filling the air with thick musk. A truly picturesque landscape spread out before them, welcoming them to a new world to explore.

"Good HEAVENS, what IS that smell!" Rarity gagged.

"Yeah, I guess I see what you mean," Ratchet agreed, the scent affecting him as well, though not as strongly.

"You and Ema are so lucky you don't have noses..." Ben said to Clank as he pinched his nose shut.

"Geez! It smells worse than when Ma let out that massive belch after eating all those tacos!" Rainbow said.

"Hey!" Hilda snapped. "That's uncalled for!"

"Gotta say, this sure is a swamp alright," Applejack said as she observed the landscape.

"So we're tracking down Captain Qwark..." Angela muttered. "Gotta admit, I'm not sure how to feel about that."

"Neither am I," Clank agreed.

The Mane 6 were all deep in thought about this particular situation. While Qwark's actions in their previous two adventures were selfish and put them all in unnecessary danger, they couldn't help but feel...sad for the one-time hero. It was clear he had been desperate to cling on to some semblance of his glory days even if to do so he had to do things that, deep down, he wasn't proud of.

From the very first adventure, Applejack had seen the conflict in Qwark's eyes. She could see that a part of him didn't wish to ruin the faith the six young girls had in him as a hero and even then, he wanted to keep them safe from harm. Heck, while he had been disguised as Mr. Fizzwidget, he had made sure they had all the comforts and commodities on Yeedil while Ratchet, Clank, Ben, Hilda, and Ema were out adventuring.

Rainbow had felt Qwark's betrayal particularly hard. She valued loyalty in the people you cared about and Qwark selling out to Drek and his ham-fisted plot in Bogon to regain his glory had damaged her faith in the hero she once thought was so cool. However, she acknowledged the inner conflicts he must have felt having to let down her and her sisters the way he did.

Rarity didn't really think much of Qwark even before his betrayal but she had been outraged at his selfish motives, even if he tried to justify them. However, when he risked his life to save her and her sisters from the collapsing building at Bogon, she began to realize that maybe the hero he once was a long time ago was still in there somewhere.

Pinkie had been as upset as her sisters about Qwark's actions in the previous two adventures but being the embodiment of joy and laughter, she couldn't help but think about Qwark's life. Did anyone even know when his birthday was, and give him a thoughtful gift to celebrate? Did HE even know when his birthday was?

Fluttershy felt her heart aching in regards to Qwark. She was heartbroken by his betrayal but the kindness in her heart gave her an open mind. What was Qwark's life even like behind his days of fame and glory? Some of the pictures she saw depicted him alone with nobody else by his side. How long had it been since Qwark had a meaningful emotional connection with another living being? When was the last time someone had stopped worshiping the ground he walked on or, as was the case after the Drek incident, spitting on it, long enough to ask how he was feeling?

Finally, Twilight, with all her logic mixed with her heart, had felt a myriad of emotions toward Qwark. She had admired him like so many others, only to feel betrayed and angry at his actions with Drek and Bogon. But when he'd risked his life to save her and her sisters, she had been confused and now, as she stopped to think about everything...she couldn't help but feel sorry for Qwark.

"You okay, babies?" Hilda cooed.

"Yeah, we're fine, Ma..." Applejack sighed. "Just thinking about some stuff."

"Well, let's get moving. We're not gonna find Qwark just standing around." Ratchet said. "I'll lead the way."

After getting some Plasma Whips from the nearby Gadgetron Vendor, in which Rarity took a particular interest, the family of heroes was on their way. To get across gaps requiring Clank and Ema's Heli-Packs and the Mane 6's wings and magic, Angela was given a small metallic pack that opened up like Clank did when he used the Helipack, allowing her to glide down with everyone else.

Several ladders, zip lines, and other such obstacles later, many of which the Mane 6 rode out clinging to the adults' backs, they arrived at a wide open circular area.

"Uhh...Ratchet, we have company!" Clank said.

At that moment, the others figured out what he was talking about, as there was a small monkey with a single eye hanging on Clank, who must have latched onto him after they used the zipline to reach this area.

"Where?" Ratchet asked, getting on guard.

"Behind you."

"Where?!" Ratchet asked as he looked behind him but he couldn't see the monkey since he was riding on Clank.

"Behind you!"

Rainbow snickered. "Should we tell them or-"

Unfortunately, her words died out when everyone looked up to see a menacing sight. As for Ratchet, he still had his back turned as he grumbled in annoyance.

"Very funny. You havin' a good ti-" Ratchet began as he turned around only to see what everyone else saw as his words droned on into a startled scream.

"You trespass on sacred ground!" The figure proclaimed in an echoey voice due to his tribal mask before letting off a hooting laugh. "Now you walk Path of Death!"

"Um, actually-!" Fluttershy began but the figure gestured to the path behind him.

"Path of Death!"

"Oooh, an obstacle course? Count me in!" Pinkie excitedly said as she zipped in.

"PINKIE!" Hilda and Angela cried out as they ran after her.

Rolling his eyes, Ratchet followed after them with Ben, Clank, and the rest of the girls.

The path led to what appeared to be an underground area of sorts, with a path of some kind made out of metal, had flaming traps that needed to be avoided, and was likely filled with some enemies.

The Path of Death wasn't anything special, as the group soon found out, as it, like Pinkie surmised, was just an obstacle course filled with sections that pulled out when someone walked on them, rolling rocks that easily avoided, flaming jets that were easy to move around, and even the crushing pistons were nothing to worry about, as all they had to do was wait and then move during their small rest period.

"Man, this is cake!" Rainbow grinned as she did some tricks to show off. "Path of Death my tailed butt!"

Eventually, the family of heroes was able to reach the end of the 'Path of Death', which happened to be a ring that the figure was standing in.

"Can...not...be!"

"Try to throw something a little more challenging our way next time, pal!" Ben smirked.

After a bit of a stare-down, a small monkey snatched the mask off the figure, revealing a rather disheveled-looking Captain Quark.

"Whoa!" Angela exclaimed. "Man, Qwark looks worse than I remember!"

"I kinda suspected that was him. Who else has body proportions like that?" Twilight pointed out.

"I kinda figured as well..." Applejack admitted with a shrug.

With the mask off, Qwark entered a battle stance.

"It appears to be some sort of trial by combat," Clank posited.

"Oh, so we're doing a bit of wrestling?" Hlilda chuckled. "We wrestling now?"

Hilda stepped forward and then raised her left leg before stomping it down like a sumo wrestler. She then charged at Qwark and clashed with him. Qwark was quite ferocious in his fighting style, but Hilda eventually gained the upper hand and, with impressive strength, lifted the ex-hero on her shoulders and leaped higher than her big round fat body could suggest.

"BACKBREAKER!"

Performing an Argentine Backbreaker Rack Drop, Hilda dropped Qwark's beaten body onto the floor before Ben slid over like a referee and slapped his hand down three times.

"One-Two-Three! We have a winner!"

"Whoooo!" Pinkie cheered, firing party poppers in the air while blowing on a party horn.

"Be a bit more cautious of my chassis next time," Ema advised on Hilda's back.

"Sorry, Auntie Ema."

"Um...is Qwark okay?" Fluttershy asked worriedly.

As if to answer her question, Qwark picked himself up no worse for wear and bowed to Hilda while speaking in monkey dialect. His little monkey companion took his discarded mask and gave it to Hilda.

"I guess that means he thinks you're in charge, Mama Hilda," Twilight noted.

"So, Qwark has completely lost his mind. Now what?" Ratchet asked.

"Let's just head back to the ship and see what we can figure out from there," Ben suggested.

Everyone made their way back to the ship, which, thanks to Twilight's ingenuity, Rainbow's acquired knowledge of ship mechanics, and some magic tinkering, was big enough to fit everyone inside, including Qwark and his monkey companion.

"Hold on, I'm getting a call!" Angela said from her pilot seat as Clank opened the channel.

The transmission displayed a Cazar female of approximately Angela's age, with sharply pointed cat ears, a soft brown coat, bright blue eyes, a slim build, and dressed in a purple Captain's uniform decorated with a red and gold phoenix at the throat.

"This is Captain Sasha of the Starship Phoenix. The President has asked me to assist you."

"Uh, hi!" Ratchet bashfully greeted.

"I see you have located Captain Qwark."

Hilda nodded. "Yeah, we got him. But he seems to think he's a monkey."

"Fortunately, we have managed to tame him. However, we need instructions as far as what to do with him." Clank added.

"Bring him to the Phoenix. We'll see what we can do." Sasha instructed. "Here's the coordinates. Sasha out."

With the coordinates set, everyone took off.

As their space fighter flew in to dock with the Phoenix, Ratchet whistled in appreciation.

"I've got to admit it, this is an impressive ship," Angela commented.

"Yeah, so cool!" Rainbow grinned.

"I have to touch everything!" Pinkie said excitedly, only for Hilda and Applejack to restrain her.

As Twilight and Fluttershy guided Qwark easily out of the fighter, Sasha greeted them all from a communications screen.

"Welcome aboard the Phoenix, ladies and gentlemen."

"Whoa," Ratchet marveled as he took it all in.

"You can say that again," Ben said.

"Whoa."

"Impressive," Twilight commented as she started making notes on her holo-comp.

"Isn't she?" Sasha added proudly. "The Phoenix is the pride of the Galactic Fleet. She's equipped with the latest technology. Holodeck training suite, auto vendors for armor and weapons, virtual firing range, starfighter upgrade system...even a Gadgetron VG9000 game system!"

"A VG900?" Ratchet whispered, sounding on the verge of religious exultation.

"Meh, I prefer the PS10." Ben shrugged.

"I'm more on with the Nintendo Switch-Twitch." Hilda chuckled.

"Of course," Sasha said easily, her smile soft but showing a gamer's pride. "With a Mavex Fireball Pro controller, VR headset, and a Zero-G dance pad attachment."

"Will you marry me?" Ratchet blurted out.

Angela scoffed. "Only if I get in on it."

Sasha laughed. "Well, you've obviously had an exhausting trip. Why don't you stop by your quarters? We've prepared a custom living area for Qwark, so he won't get in your way. Come meet me on the bridge when you're ready."

"Will you marry me?" Ben mimicked Ratchet's words as he playfully elbowed his brother. "First Angela and already you're rizzing up the Captain of the fleet? You da man, Ratchet."

"Bite me, Ben..."

Fluttershy guided Qwark into the monkey enclosure that had been prepared for him, giving him the order to enter. Once inside, the bars were closed, and she ordered him to relax.

"Good boy~" The young pegasus girl cooed as she tossed him a banana.

"I hope we find a way to turn him back to normal soon. If nothing else, he smelled better before." Rarity commented. "Before we do anything else, I need a bath!"

Ratchet nodded. "I could go for a shower."

"Ditto," Angela added.

"I'm all for soaking this gut in some hot water." Hilda chuckled.

Clank nodded. "After Florana, I believe we could all use a good thorough cleaning. I believe there is a chamber of our quarters where Mom and I can get an oil bath."

"Sounds perfect to me, son," Ema said as the two robots headed off.

The quarters actually included separate bathing facilities for everyone tailored to their sizes.

As the group, now clean, refreshed, and ready to save the galaxy, entered the bridge, they saw Sasha attempting to communicate with someone.

"We're losing the signal! Try boosting the power!"

As one of the Rangers hastened to obey the directive, the family approached, looking at the screen.

"Isn't that the President?" Rainbow asked, looking at the main screen.

"They came out of nowhere-" the President was saying, though the signal kept cutting off. "Tyrrhanoid invasion force...Presidential compound has been breached...cannot hold out much longer here-"

Sasha had plainly grown more and more concerned as the transmission went on before the signal completely cut out.

"Mr. President!" she called out worriedly. "Dad! Are you there?"

"Dad?" Ratchet asked, just before another signal overtook the communications.

A new image appeared on the screen, a blue robot that had a large cranial structure, almost egg-shaped to be exact, and in the bottom right corner appeared a butler robot in a circle.

"Robotic citizens of the Solana Galaxy!" the blue robot began. "The hour of your liberation is at hand! Too long have we robots suffered under the bigotry, the stupidity, the squishiness, and foul stench of organic life forms! Soon all robots will bask in the liberty and equality of my benevolent, iron-fisted rule! And, as for you filthy organic life forms...you can look forward to being disintegrated!"

The camera recording the broadcast crashed to the floor as the speaker laughed maniacally before he cut it off with a quick "That's all for now."

"Something tells me THAT is our Dr. Nefarious," Ben noted.

"He certainly LOOKS nefarious!" Pinkie commented.

"Plot a course for Marcadia! Maximum speed. Prepare the dropship for planetary assault!" Sasha ordered as soon as the transmission ended before turning to the others. "We're going in."

"We'll see you on Marcadia," Ratchet agreed.

"Our ship's engine's faster than what the Phoenix has," Twilight confirmed. "It's an experimental design Papa Ratchet just created. We'll be there in minutes! Don't worry!"

"Aww, this is gonna be so cool! I get to save the President!" Ben gushed. "This is total superhero action right here!"

Angela chuckled. "Down, boy. We need to gear up first. Something tells me this is gonna be a doozy."

And so our heroes have found Qwark and have come face-to-face with Dr. Nefarious for the first time! Now they set out to Marcadia to save the President!

As always, please do not try offering commission comics to me, I will summon John Wick and send him to assassinate you.