Chapter Six: The Power of Gold

He saw nothing but darkness.

Aragorn began to panic slightly as he looked around him as he floated in what seemed to be a formless void. There was nothing around him that he could use to perceive the passing of time and he felt especially vulnerable. The Golden Power Staff was still clutched in his left hand but, save for the occasional crackle of energy around the red gem, it seemed dormant. Was he still on Middle-Earth or had his attempt to transform landed him in some alternate future where Sauron had won? He hoped he wouldn't have to cleanse the planet single-handedly as he wasn't sure if he could undertake such a massive task with his sanity intact, at least not without some major problems down the line. If it was an alternate dimension, the first thing he should do is attempt to make contact with the protectors of the planet…if he was even on another planet that was.

Do not be alarmed, friend. You are safe.

The voice was booming all around him, reminding him of the wizard he had just met. An image began to form in front of him, fuzzy at first but slowly gaining form and shape as the moments ticked by. The future King watched warily as he still hadn't discounted this world to be a trick of Ooze's.

Ivan Ooze? I though the Rangers of my mentor defeated him long ago? That does not matter though. What concerns me more is the power staff you have in your hands.

"Your mentor? You mean Zordon? He appeared to us yesterday at after an important Council was disrupted by the forces of Evil and giant black birds. He has given us, myself and a few comrades in arms, the means to stop the oncoming tide of darkness that is to be unleashed but I fear we are sorely uninformed."

The shape had fully revealed itself now. It was a structure in the shape of something Aragorn had never seen before but which greatly resembled the stone heads of Kings under the Mountain that were near Erebor. The green eyes of the figure pulsed with each word and electricity crackled between the still lips. A crest composed of several different parts and patters sat in the center of its forehead and glowed with an otherworldly power. A flash of bemusement flashed across his face as the Man could not fathom how Zordon could have mentored a being such as this but, as he was quickly learning, stranger things were and did happen.

Yes, Zordon was, or I suppose I should say is, my mentor. Centuries ago, he taught me to be a Guardian of a Planet and, with my consent, transformed me into the shape you see before you. Now, I must ask you to relax and open your mind as it will take too long for you to explain what has transpired in your past.

Aragorn nodded once and closed his eyes, relaxing his mind and body…at least, he hoped he was relaxing his mind. He could sense something pressing at the forefront of his mind and, with a bit of effort, he allowed it to slip deeper inside. Images began to flash in front of his mind's eye, showing him those mighty warriors that had connections with the Gold Ranger Powers, no matter when, or where, they were. The mighty Gold Zeo Rangers of Triforia and Earth stood in front of him, wielding their weapons to destroy mechanical beasts within eye blinks. From a lightning-filled sky, they called upon something that looked like a heavily armoured pyramid structure that blasted golden bolts of power from the red tip. In front of his 'eyes' it began to transform into two different, but no less heavily armed, modes that combined with a similarly themed set of constructs. Aragorn had a strange feeling he would be seeing a set of these constructs up close soon.

A wash of white light flashed over him, forcing him to close his eyes – even though he knew that nothing could really harm him. Opening them, he saw two humans in front of him, familiar faces he knew from the images the King Power Staff had shown him: the original owner of the Powers, King Trey of Triforia and Jason Scott from Earth. Strangely, there seemed to be two ghostly animals hovering behind Jason – one towering and menacing lizard and a serpentine dragon. They were animals he had never seen before on Middle Earth but he knew that they must exist somewhere for them to be so close to the Earthen Gold Ranger. There was another interesting difference between the two Rangers as well, Trey was covered with a blazingly bright gold aura that was streaked with black but Jason's aura was almost solid red with only the barest hints of gold along the edges. Concentrating on the edge, the future King could have sworn he saw horses in Ranger armour but such a thing was too fantastical to even exist. Blinking the images from his eyes, he say Trey's mouth quirk up as the alien Ranger spoke.

"Rise up, Aragorn, future King of Gondor and accept your power. You are the first amongst your comrades to access the Power and, as such, you will see those who have come before you and those who are coming after you."

"Yeah, we're just the start of the Legacy of the Gold Ranger Powers. They may have skipped a few teams after us in our dimension but, rest assured, they do come back in one way or another. For now though, just relax and allow Gosei to do his thing. We'll get you back into your body in no time."

Nodding in wonder, he allowed himself to drift further and further into the mental cacophony of images and sounds that were flashing through his mind. He could see impossibly large creatures battling similarly large constructs, a team of horse-like Rangers and, something that sent a chill down his spine, an image of an Orange clad Ranger donning thick dragon-themed armour. Were these Rangers active in the Multiverse or were they just images and illusions concocted up by Gosei to ensure he relaxed in this dreamlike void? Whatever the case, some small part of his mind felt comforted by the fact that there were many different Rangers out there fighting the good fight. It was very likely he would never meet them…on the other hand, he had never thought he would meet Trey and Jason either.

Master Vile and Ivan Ooze…this cannot be. I truly thought Ivan to have been destroyed by the comet and Vile was reported to have passed away several years ago. I will look into this, though I am unsure as of how I may contact you with my findings. However, your story holds weight as I have seen my mentor amongst the living and walking on two legs for the first time in millennia. It is unfortunate that you will not be granted access to the Golden Zeo Powers.

Aragorn gaped in shock as his hands balled into fists. The point of him receiving the Power Staff was to take on the mantle of the Gold King Ranger and defend Middle Earth from the evil of Master Vile. The Armies of Men, Elves and Dwarves would not be enough to dent the overwhelming power the Mordor Alliance held and, without his strength, the others would be sitting ducks as they needed to collect some artifacts needed for their transformation. As heir to the throne, he should be able to get what was rightfully his…but, and he had to bite his tongue as he realized this, he knew Gosei was correct. It was as simple as Dimensional Transference. He wasn't sure if the new information in his mind had come from Gosei or it was drawn from the crackling staff in his hands.

The Gold Zeo Powers were out of his reach the moment Zordon brought the Power Staff out of its native dimension and in to Middle Earth. Although the Power Staff would contain the Gold Zeo Subcrystal, the true power of the Gold Zeo Ranger would be forever within the Trey of the dimension Zordon had left behind and shared, however faintly, with Jason. Its power had been irreversibly changed upon sensing and melding with the natural energies and magics of the world around him and had sensed his desire and reluctance to take the throne of Man and lead the world to victory against Sauron. It would grant him great power to defend his home and friends but it would not become a crutch to lean on or a powerful weapon to bring complete and utter victory within seconds. No, as all things were, he would have to work with the Power and the people around him to mold himself into someone that could truly be called a King amongst Kings. He shook his head slowly and looked closer at the Staff and smiled as the familiar symbol of the White Tree of Gondor appeared inside the Orb. A surge of pride washed over him and he almost missed Trey's next words.

"Aragorn, you have proven yourself to be a worthy successor to the Gold Ranger Powers. Zordon could not have picked a better person to wield them in battle against the horrors of Master Vile and Ivan Ooze. You will serve well as the King Ranger and will pilot the Golden King Dragon Zord."

Jason smiled at his successor and felt his mind relax. At first, he had had no idea why the Power was calling him so insistently so soon after Xandred had been destroyed but had answered the call immediately. Slipping away from the celebrating Ninjetti and Samurai Rangers, he had found a small room containing a bamboo mat and a single cushion. After receiving word from Jii that he would not be disturbed, he had settled in for a meditation and had hoped he didn't fall asleep. Cross-dimensional travel was something that was taxing on the body and mind, even in the shuttle Billy had lent them and a six-hour battle wasn't helping matters either. He was going to sleep for a week after coming back to his body and then he would begin running tests on the tolls he had brought back from Equestria. He would not let one of his friends face whatever dark forces were left in another dimension, not if he could provide help and assistance whenever possible. However, it seemed as though their time in the dream-void was coming to an end.

We do not have a lot of time remaining but Aragorn, please, convey to Zordon that I am well and am gathering the forces required to stem the Armada when they make their move. You are the hope for the world of Middle Earth and you will do the legacy of the Power Rangers proud.

As the voice of Gosei faded away, the King Power Staff erupted in a blaze of light and connecting him to the infinite well of the Morphin Grid. The black spandex-like armour of the Gold Zeo Ranger appeared on his body and was soon followed by the gold belt and bands on his legs and upper arms. As with the orb, the image of the White Tree was faint but most prominent on his belt – the branches intertwining with the King symbol on the buckle. Next to appear were the gloves and boots; pristine white cloth that seemed to radiate light and power. A flash of gold later and the strange patterns that adorned them were replaced with flowing Elvish script that promised swift destruction to the opposition. On both sides of his hips appeared a holster; one for the King Power Staff and the other for a strange device that seemed to be a heavily upgraded crossbow of sorts. Finally, the armour and helmet of the Ranger appeared on his morphed form; the banded surface of the chest plate changed to reflect one that a soldier of Gondor would wear and the helmet visor changed to, once again, reflect the image of the White Tree. Admiring himself for a few moments, Aragorn felt his spirit slowly vanish but not without hearing the traditional Ranger blessing from Jason.

"Good luck Aragorn and may the Power protect you."

TBC…