Prologue of the Past

A Ranger's job is never done.

Mariner Bay, 2001. Months removed from Carter Grayson and the Lightspeed Rescue Power Rangers stopping a demon named Queen Bansheera, one of her demon generals named Vypra resurfaced. It took both the Lightspeed Rescue Rangers and the Time Force Rangers to drive her back into the dirt. But when the Lightspeed team returned to the Aquabase after a hard fought win, another unexpected visitor soon followed.

The six Ranger team walked through the narrow halls of the Aquabase, having returned from yesterday's team-up mission with wide grins and empty stomachs.

"Woo, I'm beat," said Kelsey, the Yellow Lightspeed Rescue Ranger. "I'm thinking lunch!"

"I'll second that," replied Joel, the Green Ranger.

"You guys go on ahead," Carter added, the Red Ranger. "I'll catch up after I deliver a full report to Captain Mitchell."

Kelsey grinned at Chad, the Blue Ranger. "Race ya!" She started running down the hall before Chad could gather himself, barely avoiding Aquabase employees in her mad dash.

"Hey, no fair." Chad chased her down.

While the team prepared to satiate their appetites, Carter entered Captain Mitchell's office while Mitchell sorted through some paperwork on his dark brown desk. He noticed Carter and rose from his chair.

Carter stood at attention.

"The mission went well?" asked Mitchell.

Carter nodded. "Vypra returned, sir. But with the help of the Time Force Rangers, we were able to stop her. Hopefully for good."

Mitchell nodded while he stared into his nearby fish tank. "And the Solar Amulet?"

"Secured back at the museum, sir."

"Good." Mitchell turned back to Carter with a stern expression. "But, if Vypra could return…"

"Yes, sir. If anyone else comes back, we'll be ready."

Mitchell nodded. "I'll get Miss Fairweather on it immediately. She should be able to track down the—"

Just as soon, a proximity alert rang throughout the base. Someone or something approached from the outside. Mitchell immediately got into contact with the Aquabase's lead scientist. "Ms. Fairweather, what do we have?"

From the central hub of the Aquabase, a slew of scientists and workers scurried around while the tan-skinned, long-haired Angela Fairweather focused on a computer screen. "One very weak signature, Captain. It's coming from just outside the surface tunnel connector. It's not a demon, but it's fading quickly."

"Sir, we can handle this," stated Carter.

"Approach with caution. Weak signature or not, we have to believe that Vypra's return was no accident."

"Understood, sir." Carter quickly left Mitchell's office and joined his team.

The Rangers jumped inside the Rescue Rover, a yellow jeep-like vehicle. Carter took the wheel, hit the gas, and raced down the glass tunnel that led to the surface and the city. They quickly reached the end of the tunnel, causing the grey gate to lift upwards. As the sunlight snuck through, the open gate revealed a bloodied, injured woman just outside, crawling with heavy breathes to push herself forward.

The team quickly jumped out of the Rescue Rover. Dana observed the body of the mysterious woman. She was clad in stiff, grey armor with multiple strands of white adorning her short, dark hair and possessing a trio of long, vertical scars dressed upon the side of her neck.

"P-Please… h-help… me…" she weakly called out.

Dana's eyes and hands moved quickly to check her pulse and assess her condition. She looked back to the others with a stony expression. "Her injuries are serious. We have to get her inside right away."

Carter nodded and helped Dana lift the mysterious woman up while she faded in and out of consciousness.

Minutes later, the team all gathered inside the medical area while the mystifying woman laid nearly motionless on a grey bed in the center of the room. Miss Fairweather and Dana managed to stop her bleeding, but her weakened pulse painted a grim picture.

Kelsey looked upon the stranger with mournful eyes while shaking her head. "Who could have done this?"

"Maybe Captain Mitchell was right," Carter said. "Maybe Vypra wasn't the only demon to come back."

"Aww man!" Joel reacted. "I am not putting off another honeymoon. That cruise was non-refundable."

Just then, the curious woman's body started to quiver as her eyes slowly opened up.

"Guys, she's finally waking up," said Dana.

The strange woman's gaze darted back and forth as the others carefully surrounded her. Her confused jaw hung open before looking to Carter. "Carter Grayson."

Carter's eyes widened. "You know me?"

"I know of you… My son… he was an admirer of your work." She lifted herself out of the hospital bed and stood on her own two feet; her breathing still labored and her legs wobbling under the weight of her body.

Dana quickly held onto her. "You shouldn't be walking yet."

She pushed Dana away. "I know all too well that I haven't much time. But my health is of no consequence. Carter Grayson, I need to speak with you. It's a matter of life or death."

"Life or death…?" asked Carter.

She took a deep breath before continuing, "I'll start with this: I am not from this archaic period. I traveled eons backwards through time to seek you out. My name is Queen Diane Cahill. I too was born and raised right here on Earth, even rising to rule it. But in my time, we needed something more. So, I unified the planetary systems, both near and far. And then, I ascended to the title of Queen of the known Universe."

Joel immediately chuckled. "Dana, I think you missed a spot upstairs."

"Not funny Joel," replied Dana.

Diane glared at Joel with palpable heat locked inside her eyes. "Do I look to be in a joking mood? Do you believe my injuries were caused by, what? Mere happenstance? No… we were caught off guard… and the Earth paid the price for my lack of awareness…" Her eyes began to water as her mind forced her back inside the horror. "I lost the war… I lost my home… I lost… my son… I lost everything…"

Carter calmly approached her. "Ma'am… I'll hear out what you have to say. And if I we can help, then we will."

Diane took a deep breath, wiped the tears from her eyes, and took a few moments to ready herself. Then, she explained, "In the year 2985, my Universal Monarchy was officially established; a powerful step towards peace that came off the heels of our victory over the warrior race known as Triforia. However, the Triforians soon began banning together rogue star systems and leading a rebellion against my rule. We would go on to battle them for years with moderate success. But then, they changed their game. A new General by the name of Axis started giving us problems for which we had no solution. It wasn't the savagery or brutishness of the battles before. He was cunning, conniving, calculating. And then... five years after the new war began, the war was lost and the Earth fell... The Triforian forces closed in on my palace to make the end official. In a state of desperation, I used unstable time warp technology to escape while I watched my allies and comrades mercilessly slaughtered before me, swearing to them that I would rectify my greatest failure. My son... he often spoke of the Power Rangers. He knew practically everything about the heroes lost to time, but capable of unparalleled wonders. He often spoke of you, Carter. That's why I'm here. To save the future, the Earth, and the entire universe, we need the Power Rangers to return."

The Rangers stood in complete shock upon hearing the full story unfold. They all looked around at each other, but none could come up with a response.

None, except Carter, "I'll help in whatever way I can. What do you need me to do?"

"Carter, are you seriously buying this?" asked Joel.

Diane started coughing violently as blood began to escape her throat. Her eyes faded in and out as her consciousness began to fade once more.

Dana approached her, but Diane motioned her away. "There's… nothing more that… can be done for me…" She fell to one knee. "This is it… You are my very last hope, Carter… I need you to… travel back to the year 2985, before the conflict starts… Convince a younger version of myself to bring back the… Power… Rangers…"

Diane collapsed upon the floor as her struggle gave way to her injuries. She used what remained of her strength to place a blue, circular device in Carter's hand. "This… will explain… everything… Save… the universe… save… my… s… s… son…" Her breathing suddenly stopped as her body laid still on the floor.

"No!" Carter cried. "Dana, can you save her!?"

Dana shook her head in disbelief. "She's gone… There was nothing we could have done. Her body was in critical condition before we even found her. It's a miracle she lasted this long."

Carter stared intently at the advanced device in his hands. It looked somewhat similar to the Time Force technology he had seen just a day ago.

Ryan, the Titanium Ranger, looked to Carter. "You're actually thinking about going through with this?"

Carter held tight to the device and nodded. "She wouldn't have come all the way here for nothing… She knew… She knew she would die here just on the off chance that I could help."

"If you're going, we're all going," stated Kelsey.

Chad nodded in agreement.

Joel nodded in a slower, decidedly less enthusiastic manner. "We're with you, Carter."

"Guys, that means a lot," Carter said. "But Mariner Bay needs the Power Rangers too. Yesterday, it was Vypra. For all we know it could be Diabolico tomorrow."

"Are you sure about this?" asked Ryan.

Carter nodded. "This is the right thing to do."

Half an hour later, Carter finished his preparations for the trip. Just outside the Aquabase, he pushed the center button on the device. It started to beep and whir before hovering in the air. From out of it emerged a swirling portal with blue and white hues dancing about inside. His team looked on with mouths agape as the portal expanded to its full size; about a meter taller than Carter himself.

Carter took a quick breath before looking back his team. He gave them a confident nod.

They all nodded back.

Dana walked up to him and hugged him tightly while her face held back her tears. "Come back soon."

"I will." Carter returned her firm embrace. "Keep an eye on these guys for me. Especially Joel."

"Heard that," added Joel.

Captain Mitchell gave Carter a slow nod. "Go save the world."

"You can count on me, sir." Carter turned back around, took a deeper breath, and entered the portal. His body disappeared through the swirling lights, transporting him nearly a millennium into the future before the temporal rift rapidly collapsed and vanished.