A/N: Storm2003 (AKA StormCaller2003) is AWESOME! You rock my socks off!
I probably should have mentioned this at the beginning, but this story takes place after 'Storm Before the Calm' and BEFORE Dino Thunder. Sorry to all you Ethan out there, but he won't be in this story (Sorry...) Also, the Blue Alien Ranger (Cestro) will not be in it either.
I was trying to go along the lines of 'Forever Red' in that there are 10 rangers...
I hope you all still like the story!
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A good month had passed since Blake left. Tori was slowly adjusting to living back in her grandmother's large house by herself. The guys would stay over sometimes, but most of the time it was just her and the creaking floorboards.
Things were slowly settling in with her. All of her things had been moved into the house, but there was one room she had not ventured into since she moved in... her grandmother's room. Inside she knew she would find things that would only bring up memories of her beloved Gram, and she would start getting upset all over again.
She was walking around the academy grounds with Sensei on this day in particular. Her senses seemed to be on high alert and she had the distinct feeling that something was about to happen.
Sensei smiled at her and they settled down near the lake.
"I don't know what it is Sensei, but I just have the feeling that there's something in the works... like a bad thing... like, oh I don't know," she said frustrated.
Sensei knew this day would come. He knew of Leslie's special gift and had a feeling that Tori was now the one to inherit it.
"Tori, you know that your grandmother and father were ninjas here," he began. Tori nodded her head in agreement. "Did Leslie ever tell you of her abilities?"
"Abilities?"
"Leslie was one of the students here gifted with foresight. She could see things and sense things, much like you are experiencing now."
Tori was taken back a little by this. "She never told me," she trailed off. Then it hit her. The letter. "But she did leave me a letter."
"Perhaps then you should see what she wanted to tell you." Tori knew he was right, but she wasn't sure if she was ready. "Tori... I know it will be difficult for you, but you need to do this and move on. That which does not kill us can only make us stronger."
Tori smiled at her mentor. "Alright Sensei... thank you." She bowed and headed back to the house.
Meanwhile...
A lone figure sat idly in a high tech style prison cell. His face was badly deformed, half being what remained of his human form, the other was similar to that of a fish. His body was a combination of skin and scales. He had hands and legs like a human, but they too were covered in scales.
His name was Uric, and he had been imprisoned since the year 2050. He was possibly the most intelligent being that ever graced the earth. Unfortunately, he used his intelligence for evil, rather than good. He knew things that others were incapable of knowing. For years he honed his mind and could control things with it... a sort of telekinesis when he concentrated long enough.
But he wanted more... so much more. He wished to be the most powerful, intelligent being ever. His body was acclimated to both land and sea, making him a double threat to those who attempted to attack him.
A sick grin came to his face when he thought of the person that had imprisoned him here.
It all began when he went searching for a great, mythical power he had read about. It was protected by a family that was well known throughout history. His attempt to claim the power for his own was in vain. The protector happened to be a member of the group that had him now... and he had been plotting to find a way to get back at him...
For years he had gather as much information about the power and the family as he could, until he saw a break in time where the power was in transition from one protector to the other... the perfect time to strike...
He could destroy the protector, therefore virtually erasing the family line. This would mean his captor would never have been born and he would be able to get the power for his own.
Today was the day. He decided, that he would escape the hellhole he occupied.
Standing up, he began to think of how he was going to escape.
"Hey! Sit down in there. It won't be long until the commander comes for you," a guard said. Uric laughed and extended his hand. The guard placed his hands around his throat and felt his airway closing.
"I don't think so," Uric laughed as he pulled the guard towards him. "Open the door."
The guard obeyed and Uric let him fall to the floor. "At last..." he said evilly as he made his way down the corridor. A loud alarm sounded and he ran towards the bay where the ships were kept.
"Freeze!"
Uric opened the door to a ship and looked back at the man. An evil laugh came from his mouth. "You may have caught me once, but I can assure you, history won't repeat itself once I'm through."
"Uric, your not getting out of here," the man said sternly.
"Fool. You can't stop me. You won't even be here after I complete what I started."
The man fired his crono-blaster at the ship as Uric took off and disappeared in a beam of light.
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The following day, Tori took a deep breath and opened the door to Gram's room. Pale sunlight filtered through the windows and illuminated the white and yellow room. Tears began to gather in her eyes as she looked around. Nothing had been changed from the time she had lived there. Everything was exactly where she remembered it.
She walked inside and saw that the letter her grandmother had written her was lying on the bed.
The mattress sank as she settled down, sitting Indian style against the pillows. She took the letter with trembling hands and opened it.
'My dearest Victoria,
There are several things you need to know now that I am gone. Things
that will forever affect your life as well as the lives of those who
come after you.
Tori, I know about you... ALL about you... what you have become, and what
you did to ensure the safety of the planet. As I'm sure Kanoi has told
you, I have seen it in visions. These visions showed me everything
that you had accomplished, and now it is your turn to inherit this
gift from me.
You will not only get this power, but another as well. Under my bed is
a box that you must be sure to protect. For nearly 1000 years it has
been in our family's keeping for its protection. For in it lies a
great power that is said to be greater than anything the world has
ever seen.
It cannot be released into the wrong hands... no matter what.
I know that this is a lot to process, but you must understand that
this is your destiny... much like it was for you to become a ranger. I
know you will uphold our family's legacy.
Tori, everyone passes on eventually... some just before others. Know
that I love you very much and I know you will continue to make me
proud every time I look down on you.
I love you...
Gram'
Tori wiped away a few stray tears that had fallen from her eyes. There were too many things to handle at once... her Gram was an ancient protector and now it was up to her to continue the quest of her family. Even more surprising was the fact that her Gram knew about her being a ranger.
That thought made her tense a little. If Leslie had known about that, then she must have known about Blake and the feelings she had for him.
She sat motionless for a few moments before slowly piecing together everything she had just learned. She reached under the bed and sure enough, she pulled out the wooden box.
Like her grandmother had done, Tori ran her fingers along the symbol. However, this time a strange royal blue light emanated from the symbol and encased Tori's hand. The light faded almost as quickly as it appeared.
"What was that?" she asked herself. She removed her hand from the box and cautiously opened it. Inside she found a small blue gem hanging on a silver chain She picked it up. "It's so beautiful."
She placed it around her neck and felt a small rush of air enter the room. It felt like there was another person in the room with her... a comforting presence.
'Protect it Victoria.'
Tori let a tear fall as she heard her grandmother's voice.
"I will Gram... I promise..."
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Uric landed with a crash into a sand dune. The moon was high in the night sky and he quickly cloaked the ship.
'Even if that fool chases me, he'll never find me,' he thought cockily. He did a scan of the area and found the perfect place to set up his base of operations until his plan was complete.
The ship was moved into the water where Uric concealed it inside an underwater cave and concentrated his mental powers.
"Perfect... 2003." He stood from his seat and examined the rest of the ship. Looking over on a shelf he sighed with relief. 'They haven't been harmed.'
On the shelf were tubes filled with his 'experiments' as he like to call them. He knew he would need help if he was to capture the power he sought. That was how he came to be...
He thought he could create a type of hybrid between a human and a series of marine creatures whose brainwaves were compatible with his. Or so he thought.
The experiment went horribly wrong and changed him into the creature he was today. He opened a few of the containers and out of them sprung creatures whose skin was green and scaly. They had large black eyes and webbed feet.
'It is only a matter of time before the power will come to me...' he thought.
Not too far away Tori looked out the window and saw a small explosion. 'What the hell?' she thought as she looked out. The ranger in her took over and she headed out to the beach to investigate. She ninja streaked to the beach and stopped when she saw the path the ship had made in the sand.
Her head suddenly began to spin and she closed her eyes. Images flooded her vision. A large, looming figure with scales... several smaller creatures... 10 blue beams of light... an island...
Her eyes opened and she breathed heavily. 'What the hell was that? Was that a premonition?' she thought as her equilibrium readjusted. Was this what her Gram had written her about?
Her thoughts were interrupted by a quick change in the ocean. The surf stopped and began to bubble in one place. She watched as ten creatures emerged from the water and landed on the beach.
'Those look like the things I just saw,' she said to herself. Then a larger creature emerged and she immediately knew he was trouble. The scales and general appearance were just like the figure she had also seen.
Uric smiled. "She is near," he said to his minions. "Find her."
Tori's eyes widened. She didn't know what she was up against and for the first time in a long time she was scared of her situation.
Before she could blink, the creatures were around her and she managed to fight her way away from them. In the process she got closer to Uric. She threw the last creature off her and turned to him.
"Who, or what are you?" she asked as she took a defensive stance.
Uric laughed. "Your worst nightmare." He extended his hands and Tori began to float in the air. Uric saw the gem around her neck and pulled her closer.
"Put me down you Sea World reject!" Tori cried.
Out of nowhere, a blue beam hit Uric, sending him to the ground. Tori fell, but quickly got up. Uric stood again and fired a blast at Tori.
"Look out!" Tori was knocked to the ground by a man pushing her out of the way. The man stood and faced Uric. He held out a badge. "You're under arrest!" he shouted.
Uric stared at the man and disappeared in a flash.
"Damn," the man muttered. Tori stood and looked at the guy that had saved her. He was tall, with dark hair. He was wearing a white suit and had sunglasses on. He turned to Tori and helped her up.
"What was that?" she asked.
The man took off his glasses and turned to her. "That, was Uric." He looked and saw the necklace around Tori's neck. "And my guess is that he's after something you have."
There was something familiar about this guy... For some reason, Tori felt as if she had a connection to him. "Who are you?"
The man smiled and showed her his badge. "Lucas Kendall, Time Force."
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A/N: And so it begins... will Lucas be able to help Tori? What's the connection she feels? Where are the other Rangers? You'll find out shortly...