Disclaimer: Power Rangers is not mine. Everything you don't recognise is mine. Now, we delve into the history and creation of the Ultra Crystals with lots of flashbacks and surprises. Yes, some of this chapter is copied from my earlier chapters but reworked slightly.
Read, review and enjoy!
Chapter Thirty Five: History of Power
"How much do you know about your powers?"
Weihan blinked and thought about it. Other than what he was told, he knew next to nothing about them or what the true potential might be. He relayed this information to Zordon, who nodded in agreement. On one hand, he didn't need to know a full history of his powers and such information would be forgotten pretty much in an instant. On the other, if some information was to be retained, he would have an advantage if he ever decided to…travel to the distant past to help with something. As unlikely as that seemed, there was always a small possibility of that happening. As he motioned to Zordon to begin, he wondered if he should take notes.
"The story begins approximately twelve thousand years ago, on a planet called Eltare. I was just a young man by your standards but I was a fierce warrior and a Ranger mentor in training."
Flashback
Zordon raced through the halls of the Command Post, hot on the heels of his father. Dorzon had received some dire news regarding Aisalar's exiled prince – Xon'ixia. The young warrior had been sent into exile after directly disobeying an order for non-aggression on the world of Xionad some two hundred years ago and had promptly dropped off the radar until recently. Zordon swallowed hard in an effort to keep his breakfast down as his mind recalled the terrible details he had read in the report.
The world of Huran, with its proud warrior race, had been reduced to near-ashes by Xon'ixia. The prince had renamed himself after Aisalar's god of death – Xonix – and had created an army of loyal fighters. If the pictures were to be believed, Xonix would be a terrible death for all Power Rangers alike. Out of the twelve Hurantic Power Rangers that had been stationed there, only two had survived…barely. They had told of the Captain of the Guard facing a terrible choice to swear undying loyalty to Xonix or watch the planet destroyed around him. He had sworn loyalty to Xonix and had discarded the mantle of the Red Ranger ever since.
Pushing through the double doors that lead into the Council's Inner Sanctum, they were met with the face of Aruk the Conqueror. The normally extravagant warrior was unusually subdued as he looked at his closest friend and nodded once. As the trio stepped into the centre of the room, a great voice came from everywhere and nowhere at once.
"We are aware of the situation. Zordon, son of Dorzon, we are setting you with a task of utmost importance. We, the Morphin Council, ask of you to create Ranger powers strong enough to take on Xonix head on. You will be the head of a team to accomplish this task of most importance. These powers are our only hope to battle Xonix on an equal footing. Zordon, son of Dorzon, will you accept the task in front of you?"
He answered instantly.
"I, Zordon, son of Dorzon, accept this task."
End Flashback
"I would only find out my team much later. They consisted of the best and brightest from all over the Universe. From the distant planet of Edenoi, home of the Masked Rider power, came Prince Lexian, a most talented inventor and innovator. Ninjor of Phaedos came next. The talented Zord Master brought with him his cousin Dulcea – a feared Ninjetti warrior in her own right. Together, they allowed the creation of the thirteen Crystals from one of Zycor's many diamond mines."
Weihan, who had been listening intensely, snapped his head up at the mention of the thirteenth crystal. He was sure that the internal guide had only mentioned twelve crystals, so what did that mean for the thirteenth? Sensing his question, Zordon spoke again.
"The thirteenth Ultra Crystal will not be in the rest of your story, but I will tell you of its history and what powers it would have possessed. Now, after Ninjor and Dulcea came Dimitria of Inquiris. Her status as a fledgling Ranger Mentor meant she was not able to contribute much, but she created the 'evolution' protocols in the armour. In time, you will see the fruit of her labours."
Zordon already knew what one of Weihan's armour forms would look like as he had seen it in the distant past…in an event that would take place in the young man's future. Time travel and manipulation sometimes gave him a headache but he didn't dwell on the temporal aspects that much anyway. He smirked as he heard a communication channel open up between the Command Centre and his Rangers. He would have to be careful to not reveal the Orange Ranger's name.
"The second last member was Aruk. My father's friend was as great of a scientist and energy manipulator as he was a warrior. Together with my father, they pieced together the intricate and unique Power signatures of each crystal and devised the Prophecy of the Crystals, now known as the Prophecy of Ultra. This partnership lasted even after my father was caught up in one of Rita Repulsa's attacks and was transformed into his scimitar state. You have seen what he looks like recently."
The Orange Ranger nodded, recalling his amusement as a sword with a tiger's head spoke to him. The thought that such a small sword could be the father of the giant head in front of him both amused and intrigued him. he motioned for Zordon to continue.
"The final member of the core team was the recently purified Lord of the M-51 Galaxy. His name was Master Vile and, although he had used these abilities for evil, he was a gifted weapon smith and spell caster. After five hundred years, we were able to create the outer shells of the powers…yet the early results of containing the power seemed less than promising."
Flashback
Zordon coughed and waved a hand in front of his face to clear away some of the thick smoke from his face. Around him lay the rest of his team in various states of shocked amusement. Once more, the thirteenth crystal had taken up the overflow and had violently expelled the excess instead of gently allowing it to flow back into the Grid. Feeling a hand on his shoulder, he looked to his left to see Vile shaking his head slightly. The purified being spoke, filling the smoky air with his grand voice.
"Back to the drawing board, it seems. I may take the thirteenth crystal for study and observation as I have seen it pulse with a dark energy."
Zordon looked around for signs of approval and all he saw was resigned acceptance. Ninjor and Aruk had informed him the thirteenth crystal was gradually undoing Vile's forced purification and nothing could be done to stop or slow it. It would only be a matter of time before he returned to the M-51 Galaxy to aid his daughter in her conquest. Since learning this, Zordon had been very selective with information around Vile and had encouraged the rest of the team to do the same.
"Maybe we're going about this the wrong way. We should feed Grid energy directly into the twelve crystals, not push the internal power of the crystals onto the Grid. Remember what happened on Chysannas?"
Zordon sighed and nodded once. An exploratory mission to Chysannas with the thirteen crystals had resulted in the total transformation of the planet into a dead world. Worse than that, it had piqued the interest of Dark Spectre who had recently assimilated Xonix into his Alliance of Evil. They had been forced to flee the planet, but reports had surfaced of a massive surge of energy there.
Zordon ran a hand over his face and sighed. At the rate they were going, it would be a thousand more years until they had a working prototype. Xonix was becoming stronger under the service of Dark Spectre and had perfected his two types of grunts – Golems and Fiends. Ninjor and Aruk had set out for Zycor in order to protect the diamond and silver mines from his onslaught. So far, there was no news from either of them. Pushing himself up from the floor, he looked over and nodded once.
Time to try again.
End Flashback
Zordon paused as he felt a minor disturbance in the desert. It seemed that Xonix had used up some of his own energy to make the Wraith grow. Silencing the alarms before they could blare, he sent out a quick telepathic message to his Rangers to engage the Wraith. It was of utmost importance that he finish his tale. He took in another breath and lost himself to the sands of time once more.
"A few months after that, Vile's purification reversed and he was Master Vile once more. Out of respect for us, his team and one time friends, he left Eltare with little fuss but he didn't take the thirteenth crystal with him. I was the last person he saw on Eltare."
Flashback
"I am sorry it came to this, Zordon."
Zordon stood at the door to his ship and said nothing. In one hand, a blaster hung loosely and he could not find the strength needed to shoot the evil in front of him. He hung his head and sighed deeply.
"What of the thirteenth crystal? Is it with you?"
Master Vile shook his head and let the snakes fall free. He had been tempted to take the thirteenth crystal with him, but he had barely resisted. Saving the lives of Ninjor and Aruk were topmost priority, but they had known when the purification failed. He had seen them and they had made small talk over the past and what may come in the future. Vile had also designed twin sets of transforming battle armour for them to wear based on old Eltarean designs, but they would never breathe fresh air again. After showing them the designs, he had seen Dulcea and had told her that Ivan Ooze was setting sights on Phaedos. He had used his innate power of precognition and had told her all that was to pass if she went back to the planet, but she had smiled at him and kissed his cheek gently.
She had left a few hours ago, leaving him to mourn her future fate. It didn't last long as he knew she would be all right in the long run. Lexian had been next, but no long sentences were exchanged…just a simple handshake and a simple warning about expanding the empire too fast. Vile had rolled his eyes at that and had promised to do his best. Zordon was the last member, as Dimitria had gone to Inquiris to prepare her young team of Rangers to defend against Divatox. Shrugging himself out of the memories of the past few hours, he returned to Zordon's question.
"No, I did not take the thirteenth. My daughter may rail at me for leaving it, but that much dark energy in the hands of Dark Spectre…truly terrifies me."
Zordon nodded once, looking at his former friend wistfully. He was cheered somewhat by Vile's admission of the thirteenth crystal not being with him but it wasn't much. Clasping arms one final time, Zordon stepped off the ship and watched it blast off. The next time they met, they would be enemies.
End Flashback
"In a way, I was correct in my assumption that a thousand years would pass before there was any progress. After the departure of Master Vile, we worked tirelessly to connect the crystals to the Grid…except the thirteenth which seemed to absorb evil energies. It was placed into storage soon after but we kept monitoring it. Finally, we were able to tap the Colour Spectrum and reap the rewards…so to speak"
Flashback
It was complete. The twelve crystals stood on their pedestals glowing with the colours that the Grid had picked. As Zordon ran a critical eye over them, he noticed the Black and Green crystals were warping somehow. He made a mental note to consult Aruk about them, but his father's friend had become slightly deranged after Vile had left. He had changed his name to Auric and had become more extravagant and flamboyant in battles. He had also requested that a key be made for him to shrink down in his resting state and had asked that Master Vile himself design it.
Vile had designed it and had sent it in secret along with a message that Rita would set her sights on Eltare soon. He had exchanged a few messages with Zordon but those had been few and far between and had not contained any information about Project Ultra, although the thirteenth crystal was almost always mentioned using code words. As he turned to what little of his team remained, he sighed as he recalled Dulcea's fate. Ivan Ooze had run roughshod over the planet and had rendered it inhospitable to most forms of life.
Dulcea had been captured and gravely wounded. In an act of cruel irony, Ivan Ooze had bound her to the ruins of the ancient Ninjetti Temple overlooking the monolith of the Great Power. Over time, this boundary would expand to the edge of the coast, but the Monolith would be forever inaccessible to her. The warlock had also decreed if she set foot outside the Temple, she would begin to age rapidly and all of her wounds would reopen. Soon after, the Morphin Council had intervened and had locked Ivan away into a hyperlock chamber and had cast him to a planet filled with barren wastes of fire and choking smog.
Zordon knew of this, but also knew what the Morphin Council did not. The so-called 'barren' planet was one that was rich with life and one that would soon develop intelligent life. He would have to keep an eye on the planet to ensure Ivan did not break free. The Morphin Council were planning to step down and create an Eltarean High Council comprised of a few handpicked individuals. His spot was riding on whether he could get the colours to permanently bond with the crystals.
Twelve crystals with twelve distinct colours. The Black and Green crystals had stopped warping and had settled into their respective shades. The five main colours were represented: Red, Blue, Yellow, Pink and an odd mix of Black and Green that looked like a strange form of camouflage. Another five to represent the wide scope of the Grid: Brown, White, Silver, Purple and a dazzling emerald Green. One with a slowly swirling mass of colours which represented…something Zordon wasn't aware of yet. And the last one that seemed to pulse with internal power – the Orange crystal. As the colours had been chosen and seemed to be holding steadily, it was time for one last thing.
End Flashback
"I, together with Lexian, Ninjor and Auric, began to infuse the Crystals with vast reserves of our own magic. Dimitria helped us whenever she was on Eltare and – although we cannot prove it – we suspect Master Vile helped somewhat as well. As they were hooked up to monitoring equipment, we could track in real time how close they were to a full Grid connect. During this time, Rita was attacking with a vengeance, but we were able to defeat her time and time again. However, one day changed everything completely."
Flashback
Zordon coughed and waved the smoke away from his face, suppressing the strong sense of deja vu. He looked around him at the faces of the Eltarean High Council. Dimitria was on the ground and was the least phased of all of them. The look on the Inquiran's face told him that she was prepared for this situation. He sighed; it would take a lot to faze her. He shook his head and pulled his father out from his resting place on his hip. Dorzon had insisted on overseeing the magic infusion even though he couldn't manipulate energy the way he had before. The flares of energy from the crystals were unexpected and had set off a few alarms. So far, everything had held – thanks to the barriers Vile had constructed years ago, but there was always the chance that Rita had detected the flare-up.
Thankfully, the energy flares hadn't sapped power away from the core systems. If the shields had fallen, they would have been at the mercy of Rita's forces. A startled cry brought him out of his musings. His head whipped to the source of the noise and he struggled to get to his feet. Some random technician was looking at one of the output screens. It seemed to be flashing one word over and over: "Disconnect". Zordon felt his heart clench in his chest as he thought of what that word could mean. It could mean that the crystals had been rejected from the Morphin Grid or their internal energy had been nullified. Both choices spelt doom for the future, as Rita would more than likely be staging a push to weed them out. If the research lab fell, they would be forced to relocate to the main Citadel.
His father floated up until he was eye-level with his son. The crystals could be remade into coins and given out to their chosen candidates. Of course, only six coins could be made – but that was better than nothing. Even if the crystals were undamaged, they would be unusable to them. If that was the case, why was that damned technician so excited? Carefully, he manoeuvred himself to see the screen and the information that was scrolling across it. What he saw made his eyes widen in surprise. So…Vile had been right…
"By the moons of Xenon! The…the Crystals!"
Zordon stood from his position over Lexian. His brow furrowed at his father's proclamation. Why would his father want to reap the fruits of failure? It didn't make any sense. The warrior slowly made his way to where his father hovered. He glanced briefly at the screen before looking at the counter where he was sure the ruins lay. He rubbed his eyes at the sight and looked again. On the counter were all twelve crystals –undamaged and unmarked. Each crystal was softly glowing with a white light that seemed to emanate from within. Zordon gasped and looked at the information screen again before speaking.
"This is an unprecedented development. Our magic infusion has changed the way the crystals generate Morphing Energy. No longer will these crystals be connected to the Universal Grid; instead they seem to be running off their own Grid."
His father made a sound of acknowledgement in what passed for his throat. He would have his son talk to Ninjor to tie up the loose ends in the Grid when the Ninja master returned from Phaedos. At this point, no one knew how much energy would be produced by the new Grid. It could be enough for three morphs or even a lifetime's worth – they would have to study it. Perhaps even tie them to the planet to repel the forces of Dark Spectre and Xonix. They would have to wait and see.
End flashback
"After that day, we used the project's name to call the crystals the Ultra Crystals. Hooking them up to builders, we were able to construct a great number of Zords and connect them to the crystal…except the Ninjazords. Even I do not know what Ninjazord you will possess. Only Ninjor in the Desert of Despair will know."
Weihan nodded absentmindedly. He was transfixed with the information and the scenes he swore were happening right in front of him. Zordon smiled slightly and continued.
"About a century later, I learnt that the Ultra Crystals were going to be transferred to the Eltarean Vault of Rules and would be shackled by the three rules every Power Ranger must adhere to. As I was on the Council, I could remove them from the list but I had to have a good excuse as to why.
Flashback
"To make sure they straddle the line between Good and Evil wisely? Who comes up with this stuff?"
Zordon paced nervously outside the Vault of Rules. The twelve Ultra Crystals were scheduled to be placed inside in a few hours but he did not want the future Rangers to be burdened by the rules. After all, was it personal gain to save the life of a family member or to get to an appointment that much faster? Wasn't everything done after an overlord declared himself an act of war and not an escalation of conflict?
He was shaken out of his dark reverie as he heard Auric coming down the hall. The eyes of his father's friend relayed confidence and a hint of laughter. Placing a metallic arm around Zordon, he spoke in his distinct way.
"Do not worry, friend. I, Auric the Conqueror, have discovered that the Ultra Crystals have been taken off the list as the energy has not yet stabilised. Furthermore, their energy signatures need to be suppressed so that Rita does not detect them whenever they are launched,"
End Flashback
"Eventually, the crystals were stabilised, but by that time the Vault of Rules had been destroyed by a new enemy that had appeared in Rita's forces. Thankfully, Drakor was no more than a nuisance and was defeated during the final battle."
Of course, that wasn't the entire truth. Drakor had been a tough fighter and had almost defeated Auric in single combat. If it wasn't for the timely intervention of Weihan's future self…well, he didn't have to worry about that. The Ranger had described it as a self-fulfilling prophecy or a stable time loop; one that was destined to repeat infinite times.
Zordon felt his Rangers be defeated by the Wraith and silently sent out Tor. He would have to wrap up his history lesson quickly to ensure the Ranger in front of him fulfilled his destiny.
"Soon after, Vile managed to warn us that his daughter was planning an all-out assault and he provided plans for the creation of the Mighty Morphin powers. After that, no messages were sent from him again. At this point, myself and Ninjor were the only members of Project Ultra still on Eltare. Dimitria had left for Inquiris, Lexian for Edenoi and Auric had gone off into the galaxy."
Flashback
With a mighty clang, the hammer came down on the anvil once more. Breathing heavily, Ninjor looked at his work and breathed a sigh of relief as explosions were heard outside. Rita's push had breached the West Gate and had almost taken out the Zord Bays. Thankfully Auric had managed to stow the Ultra Zords away into their respective crystals' subspace pockets before he had left. Creating the coins while the power was being connected to the Morphin Grid had been a bit of a challenge, but Zordon had placed implicit faith in him.
Fishing the cooled coins out of the water, he reflected on the events leading up to this moment. The High Council had decreed that the Ultra Crystals would be tied to Eltare and the Rangers would defend the secrets of the Morphin Grid from Xonix. That was all good in theory, but the crystals had rejected any attempt at cementing them to the planet – even the thirteenth crystal. He, along with a group of sorcerers and mages, had been in the process of trying for the umpteenth time when Goldar had broken through the wall. In the middle of fighting, he had accidentally hit the release button on the gravity well and the thirteen Ultra Crystals had rocketed off into the inky depths of space. He supposed it was for the best as the Power Coins only needed one last infusion of energy until they were ready for use.
Placing the coins in a velvet bag, he walked outside and stood by Zordon, who was watching the battle outside. Monsters exploded as robotic walkers fired upon them – only to crumble as Putties swarmed them from below. Lexian had heard their plea for help and had sent along the legendary Masked Rider Warriors. They were a great help, but Zordon knew the battle was lost.
"Are they ready?"
"Yes sir. They only need one last infusion and then they will work."
Zordon chuckled mirthlessly. The battle was a lost cause and everyone knew it. The Power Coins were just a way to placate the civilians into thinking they had a chance.
"We'll need the extra firepower to survive the war. Ninjor, infuse the coins."
As Ninjor prepared the final infusion, Zordon looked outside to where the sky was darkening. If what the future Ranger had told them was correct, then the Power Coins would be of help, but not in this battle. As the coins fell into his hands, he looked around for spies as he spoke.
"What of the…other project? Have you completed it?"
He knew the answer, but he needed confirmation from Ninjor. He relaxed minutely as the Ninja master shook his head. The future was on the right track and it was time for him to confront Rita.
End Flashback
"I was then encased in my time warp and have not heard anything about the Ultra Crystals until now. You are a great warrior and you will only continue to grow in leaps and bounds."
Weihan shook his head slowly. Zordon was saying that as if he knew something he didn't. Burying the thought at the back of his mind, he opened his mouth to thank the sage when a panicked voice broke over the speakers. Weihan instantly recognised it as the White Ranger's.
"Zordon, we're getting our butts handed to us! We need help!"
He looked pointedly at Weihan, who understood the unspoken message. As he prepared to morph, he heard Zordon's ancient prayer for safety in the battle and inexplicably felt…lighter.
"Go now and may the Power protect you."
TBC…