Part Three: The Legend of Prince Adrian and Princess Aurora
There was one series of memories that the two Rangers found to be the clearest of them all: their final days together on Khalterria. Aurora and Adrian had been together for close to an entire year now, and as Taliana had said, there was rarely a time where one of them would have been found without the other . . . that was, if anyone could have actually found them. Adrian was always taking the princess to new and different places all over Khalterria she had never seen before, as she had barely even been outside the castle walls of Tashalla. Other times, they were often either out for a walk in the gardens or horseback riding in the nearby forest. (This was the reason, the two finally realized, that Adam seemed to have had a sudden and natural talent for riding, as Adrian was a very skilled horseman in his time. Aurora was just as skilled, but Andréa had developed her talent much sooner, taking up the sport at an earlier age.) Whatever they did and wherever they went, it was obvious, more so to their parents and the people of both Corinthia and Tashalla than anyone else, that they were very much in love. Everyone approved of their relationship, always saying that they made a wonderful couple the way they nearly looked alike.
Then came the most memorable event of Aurora's young life. She and Adrian were out by themselves one day, as usual, for a ride in the forest, when all of a sudden the prince stopped, dismounted, and helped Aurora down from her horse. Then he got down on one knee and took her hand as he looked up at her and said, "Aurora my sweet, I have loved you from the very moment I first saw you. Ever since that time, I have felt as though we were destined to be together, and I still feel that way now. I know that you're still seventeen and I only eighteen, but I've realized that I cannot live another day without knowing that you will always be at my side." Adrian took something out from the pouch at his side. It was a ring, a large and sparkling diamond in the center. "So now I ask you this, my princess: Will you marry me and become my future queen?"
Aurora gasped and tried hard to blink back her tears of joy. Granted, the two of them were still rather young, but like her father had told her months before, she had to find someone; plus, how could she have let the opportunity pass her by to spend the rest of her life with her true love? Finally, she gave an answer. "Yes," she whispered, "yes Adrian, I will marry you."
He slipped the ring on her finger and looked up at her again. "It suits you perfectly," he said softly. Then he stood back up and lifted Aurora off the ground, twirling her around a few times before setting her back down and kissing her affectionately.
[A few hours later . . .]
King Aurelius stepped out onto the palace balcony, hundreds of subjects waiting below to hear what was to be said. Waiting in the wings was the queen with Aurora and her fiancé, all of them dressed in their finest clothing. "Mother, should we really be doing this so soon?" the princess asked. "We've barely made any preparations yet!"
"But isn't this what the two of you want, dear?" Constantina asked.
Aurora never had the chance to answer before her father began with the proclamation. "Good people," Aurelius began, "today proves to be a momentous day for the kingdoms of Corinthia and Tashalla. Aurora, our only child, has finally chosen a husband."
Constantina looked to the young couple. "This is your cue," she said to them quietly.
"May I present . . ." the king continued as the prince and princess walked out arm in arm onto the balcony, ". . . your future king and queen, Prince Adrian and Princess Aurora!" The couple was immediately met by loud, joyous cheers from the throng below.
Aurora smiled at Adrian. I really wish we didn't have to listen to Father go on like this, she said to him telepathically as Aurelius continued with the proclamation. I very much want everything to happen right now so we can finally be together.
I feel the same way, princess, Adrian replied, but have patience and that time will be here before we know it.
* * *
At last, after only a week of waiting, it was the day of the wedding. All the preparations had been made, and Aurora was having the final touches done on her gown, the most beautiful one there had been in ages on Khalterria. But all of a sudden, Taliana burst into the room in absolute panic, startling the maids and the princess. "Milady," she said, still catching her breath, "the king has commanded that you ready the armies for battle."
Aurora looked at her, confused. "But Taliana," she laughed, "it's my wedding day. Why would Father ask such a thing of me?"
"You don't understand," Taliana continued. "Khalterria is under attack by an evil force that appeared from nowhere and they are fast approaching Tashalla." She began to tug at the princess's arm. "You must hurry!"
"Does Adrian know?" Aurora asked, suddenly deeply concerned for the young man she was supposed to marry. "I can't just abandon him at a time like this!"
"As we speak, he is on his way with the Corinthian armies. Come princess, we must go!"
* * *
Dressed in full battle regalia and mounted upon her trusty warhorse, Aurora led her army, consisting of mainly common men and women but still including members of the royal guard, to the battlefield where Adrian and the rest of the Corinthian troops waited. As the two young leaders met at the front line, no one would have been able to tell that they were supposed to have been wed that very same day. Though she knew that he was one of the finest and most well-known warriors on Khalterria, Aurora barely recognized Adrian with his armor and open-faced helmet on. "I wish we could've been seeing each other on better conditions today," she said upon meeting him.
"As do I," Adrian replied, taking her hand as he rode up beside her. "But unfortunately the fates weren't kind to us, and so we can only hope that we're victorious today so we can finally be married."
Over the horizon, a massive cloud of black-clad soldiers charged towards them, dark skies following not far behind. It was over ten times the size of the combined Khalterrian forces, and for the first time ever when going into battle, Adrian had a frightened look on his face. Though he had seen numerous battles and been victorious every time, he wasn't sure if this one would have been the same judging by the immensity of the coming army. "May the Gods have mercy on us all this day," he said to himself, looking up to what remained of the clear skies.
The dark army continued on their offensive, approaching faster and faster with every passing second. Once they were close enough, Aurora and Adrian signaled their own forces, raising their swords as the troops shouted out a deafening battle cry. Within seconds, the armies clashed and the battle was under way, all hell breaking loose.
Though the army on the defensive was very skilled, they were greatly outnumbered and outmaneuvered by the evil forces. After a very intense, very bloody ordeal, the armies of Aurora and Adrian were completely wiped out, the two young leaders the only ones left standing. "What do we do now?" Aurora called out as she rode up beside Adrian. "We have no more troops left, and there are still far too many of them to fight on our own!"
"I've never had to use this strategy before," Adrian said, "but it appears as though we have no choice but to fall back and come up with a new battle plan."
"We should return to Tashalla," the princess replied. "Perhaps Taliana can help us." And with that, the pair turned their horses and fled back to Aurora's kingdom.
* * *
Upon returning to the city, the two ran to Taliana's chamber. "You must help us," Aurora pleaded. "We've lost our entire armies and the enemy still does not back down. There has to be something we can do!"
"There is one last hope," Taliana said, reaching up for a small black box decorated with gold on a shelf. "During my recent journey to Eltare, I learned of a new form of warrior known as the Ranger. According to a man named Zordon whom I met on this journey, the Ranger possesses great power and amazing strength." She opened the box to reveal two identically-shaped crystals, one black and one purple, each set in a golden, four-pointed star. "There are five other crystals such as these, all drawing on the powers of the basic elements and of various creatures to become a team known as the Star Rangers: the Teal Pegasus SkyStar, the Yellow Eagle SunStar, the Blue Dolphin SeaStar, the Green Wolf TerraStar, and the Red Lion ThunderStar. These are the Purple Phoenix and Black Dragon FireStar Crystals, twin powers that Zordon felt would best suit the two of you after I told him about how you were the future leaders of you kingdoms, as these two warriors are supposed to lead the Star Ranger team. The rest of these Rangers have not yet been chosen, but once they have been, they will join you in the fight against evil. These powers will give you the strength you need to fight the evil forces that plague us at this time, but I don't know how long these powers might last, as they are still very experimental."
"The Ranger?" Adrian asked, looking at the crystals. "I've been to many different places and yet I've still never heard of such a warrior. But why us? And why only now?'
"The two of you are excellent warriors," Taliana continued, "the best Tashalla and Corinthia have to offer. You each have good hearts and a distinct understanding of what is right and wrong. According to Zordon, these qualities are ideal in a Ranger. That is why you have been chosen to receive these particular powers, those of the Purple Phoenix Ranger for Aurora, and the Black Dragon Ranger for you, Adrian. Even if it weren't for our current crisis, I would have still given you these crystals in order to protect your lands. They have been in my possession since my mother gave them to me ages ago, during the time of the Seven Heroes of the Universe, but only now have I felt that their powers must be called upon once again. As you are the descendants of the first two keepers of these crystals, I have faith that you will be able to use them well."
Aurora and Adrian each took their respective crystals, ready to accept this new responsibility but unsure of what could have happened as they didn't know what a Ranger really was. They closed their eyes and waited. Seconds later, there was a bright light and a sudden surge of power that both of them felt. Once the light receded, standing in the place of the prince and princess were two Rangers. The costumes were nearly identical: the black costume featured the image of a dragon's head on the helmet, the dragon being the symbol of Corinthia, while the purple costume's helmet featured a phoenix rising from the fire, the symbol of Tashalla's royal family. Each costume had an identical breastplate of gold, along with white boots and gloves decorated with gold as well. The two Rangers looked at each other, and if it weren't for the fact that they already knew each other, they would have been unable to tell who the other was; their identities were completely hidden by their helmets' dark visors and their full body armor. At Aurora's side hung a long saber enclosed in a purple scabbard and attached to the golden sash tied around her waist. Adrian took the small dagger that hung from his belt, the weapon immediately extending into a longsword. "This is most unusual," he said, the two Rangers still looking themselves over. "I've never seen or felt anything like this before! So this is what's known as the Ranger?" Compared to what the two had always known about warfare, this was highly advanced.
Taliana nodded. "Yes," she said. "Although I would like to inform you more about the ways of the Ranger, our time is short. You must go now and confront the army. I know that there are many of them and only two of you, but you Rangers are Khalterria's only hope for victory."
"We'll do what we can," Aurora said.
"We promise not to let you down," Adrian added, slightly more determined than before.
* * *
As they galloped through the gates and out of Tashalla, the townspeople, as well as the king and queen, watched in awe as the two Rangers rode to battle, unaware that those were actually the prince and princess who were supposed to have married that very day. "Who are these masked warriors?" Aurelius asked his wife, looking down from the balcony. "I've never seen them before."
"I don't know, dear," Constantina replied, "but whoever they are, they must have come to help Aurora and Adrian to fight the invaders. I pray that the Gods will guide them all to victory."
* * *
Once the Rangers met up with the evil army, they fought with even more skill and bravery than they had ever fought with before, using their newfound powers like they knew what to do with them. They felt like they could have taken on the entire army, but it was still too much for them. The two had each been knocked off their horses and were slowly backing away when even darker skies appeared overhead. A silhouette of an ominous and massive figure then materialized on a distant hill, watching the entire battle. Neither Aurora nor Adrian could see who he was, but they both knew he was the one responsible for the invasion. "Adrian, who is that?" Aurora cried, very frightened.
"I don't know!" he responded, equally as frightened. He held onto her closely in fear of what might have happened next. "What do we do?"
"There's nothing you can do!" the evil figure bellowed, laughing. "Khalterria will soon be mine! Surrender to your new master!"
"We'll never surrender!" Adrian shouted back at him. "Not as long as we both shall live!"
The dark voice laughed once more. "Then you have sentenced yourselves to death! Attack, my soldiers! Show them the true power of my evil!"
It was as dark as night now, and the army was fast closing in on the helpless Rangers. Unable to do anything else, they lashed out at the soldiers one last time and then ran as fast as they could back to Tashalla, doing everything they could possibly do to save each other. Although the FireStar Crystals' magic had protected Aurora and Adrian for a short time, their powers were no match for the evil army, and their life force was slowly fading.
* * *
Upon reaching Taliana's chamber once again, the two Rangers pulled off their helmets and fell to their knees in exhaustion and pain. They looked up to the woman, who could see their terrified and pained expressions. "There was nothing we could do," Adrian said to her, still very short of breath. "These forces are far too powerful for Aurora and me to fight alone. Is there any other way you can help us?"
Taliana looked down at them, reluctant to tell them the truth. "I'm sorry, my prince, my princess," she replied, "but there is nothing more I can do for either of you. The only way I can possibly save you now is to send you to a future time and place."
Aurora and Adrian looked at each other and then at Taliana in denial. "But Taliana," Aurora asked, "our people, our families, what will they do without us? We can't just leave them behind!"
"Then I have no choice but to tell them the truth," she said. "I will go to Corinthia, as well as to your mother and father, Aurora, and tell them all about how the two of you became Rangers in an attempt to save your people, and how the only way to keep you from dying was to send you away into the future."
"Are you sure there's no other way?" Adrian asked. Taliana nodded sadly. The two Rangers tried to stand but were far too weak. Adrian looked at Aurora and held her hand. "Will Aurora and I ever see each other again?"
"It is my hope that your hearts will find each other wherever and whenever you may end up," Taliana replied. She didn't want to have to do this to them, but after remembering a prophecy she had read not long before all of this, she knew it still had to be done. "But I must tell you this right now: Once you are reborn, neither of you will have any memory of your lives together here on Khalterria until you reach the age at which you are now. When that time comes, you will each be called upon to return and fight for your homelands' freedom should we still be under evil control."
Aurora and Adrian looked at each other again helplessly, afraid that they would never be together again, that they might have ended up in different times or places without ever knowing of their relationship. It wasn't supposed to be this way; this was the day they were supposed to have been married and then spent the rest of their lives together, not the last day they may have ever seen each other for perhaps all eternity. "I never wanted it to be this way, Aurora," Adrian said to her softly as she tried to hold back her tears, "but I want you to know that I am grateful for each and every day we have spent together. You will always be my one and only true love, no matter what may happen to us. I will never forget you, princess." He took her into his arms and held her closely, their Ranger costumes melting away to reveal their original battle armor. "Ishalám senta nari kama, Aurora," he then told her.
There will come a day
Somewhere far away
In your arms I'll stay
My only love
You've reached the deepest part
Of the secret in my heart
I've known it from the start
My only love . . .
"I wish it didn't have to be this way either, Adrian," Aurora responded in between her sobs, "but I know that someday, somewhere, somehow, we will find each other again. And then when that happens, nothing will ever be able to pull us apart again. You will always be in my heart, my prince, even after I lose all my memories of you. Ishalám senta nari kama, Adrian." As they began to fade away into a white light, Aurora and Adrian shared one last long and tender kiss before allowing the other to slip away for who would have known how long.
You shall always be with me, Adrian . . .
I will love you forever and no one else, Aurora . . .