Author's Note: Ok, I'm going to be frank…after these next two mini series; I'm most likely going to lose a great deal of reviewers. The actions I'm unleash on the Dino Thunder rangers will have devastating consequences and change it forever. To my loyal fan base, please, stick with me even after the events.
- - -
Trent circled the crystal slowly, eyeing every inch of it. It was similar to his own crystal, except just looking at it, or even touching it, flashed visions of the past in their mind. The day's of old seemed like yesterday to Trent as he watched Tommy, his mentor, as the Green Ranger, devastate the original Power Rangers. As quickly as the image came, it switched to another.
This was of a girl laying on a rotating platform. Her beautiful chocolate brown hair was frizzled and her breathing was light. The girl seemed familiar to him, some how. Her petite body seemed to rest comfortable against the glass-metal platform. It was almost like she was in a peaceful, but forced slumber.
Then it struck him like a ton of bricks.
The White Ranger rushing in shouted out her name; the name that sent a shiver of fear racing down his spine.
The woman was Kimberly Hart.
She was the original Pink Ranger.
The crystal wasn't showing images of all the past rangers, it was showing images of one specific ranger. That ranger was the Pink Ranger, Kimberly.
The image vanished again and this time was replaced with that of a Dino Thunder Ranger. It looked similar to Kira, except it was…pink. He watched as the Pink Ranger raced towards her enemy, flashing the blade staff wildly across her foe's body. He watched as the scene switched again, this time to the Pink Ranger standing over her foe, the staff raised above her head.
But suddenly it all vanished and was replaced with an empty void. He gasped and staggered back, scanning the void for any immediate threat. But there wasn't one – just silence; the most deadly weapon of all. Only God knew what was concealed within this darkness; the fears, the lies, the hate.
"Trent Mercer?" The void spoke, reaching out to his mind.
Trent spun around to face more darkness. The void called out his name again, this time more urgently.
"Yes, I am Trent Mercer…who are you?" The White Ranger answered, standing within his uniform. Instinctively, he clutched his Drago-Sword.
"I am nothing but at the same time I am everything. I do not have a name, Trent Mercer. But if you desire one, then you may call me…Raj."
Trent shuffled back, glancing over his shoulder; half expecting to see some hideous creature charging to impale him. But he saw nothing but endless, black void.
"Alright…Raj, what do you want with me? What were those images I saw?" Trent asked, easing himself slightly. Though he remained on guard incase the need to fight arose.
"Want? I want nothing, White Ranger." The voice answered, echoing within the void. "Those images are what you see. They are the future, they are…how shall I put it…they are the master of this crystal."
"But the Pink Zeo Ranger was Katherine Hillard, was it not?" Trent countered, staring up at an invisible deity. "Should I not see memories of her as well?"
The voice laughed within his mind, nearly turning it inside out. Trent fell to his knees, clutching as his throbbing head. Was it an attack?
"You human's are such fools. Your entire race is bound by the laws of simplicity; turning a blind-eye to what you do not understand!" The voice rang loudly in Trent's head, forcing him to his knee's once again. "Fine, I will explain. The Zeo Crystal was indeed under the ownership of a Katherine Hillard, but the memories of the Pink Ranger are not owned by her. The memories, the thoughts, the path she walked, was all created by it's origin."
Trent looked up through blurry eyes. "You mean Kimberly…"
"Precisely, Trent Mercer. All thing's, including those that never end, must return to its beginnings. Even imagination is bound by the Laws of Creation." The voice boomed in his head, racking his brain with painful wave after painful wave. "Remember this well, Trent Mercer, for it may save your life. The enemy you face now is no mere enemy. Vertox is the origin. All things that live, must die, and so it must return to the origin; the source. Vertox is born of this, created by all those that once existed."
"You mean…" Trent forced himself up again, still clutching his head. "You mean Vertox is the basis of life and death?"
"No, you foolish mortal, Vertox is the Origin of Power. He is the basis for your powers and all the precedes it." Trent collapsed to his knees; he could feel the blood dripping from his nose and splash against his mask. "Everything has a beginning, Trent Mercer; even the Power Rangers."
"Then he…" A white light consumed Trent as his powers vanished. He felt like he'd been beat over the head with a baseball bat then had barbwire shoved up his nose. He felt like hell; and looked it. "Then he the creator of our powers?"
The voice roared in his head. "No! You foolish mortal, do you understand nothing?" The voice sighed, almost as if it was shaking its head. "Vertox has no connections to your powers, but is the evil that maintains a balance in the Morphin Grid."
Trent shook his head, forcing himself to stay awake. He needed the answers; to find someway to defeat Vertox. "I don't understand…how does Vertox maintain the Morphing Grids balance?"
"The Morphin Grid must be stable at all times in order for you to summon your powers, Trent Mercer. The images you scene were of Tommy destroying his friends; of Tommy saving Kimberly. All of these came about through Evil. Rita Repulsa used the Dragonzord Coin to control Tommy; Rita had Kat steal Kimberly's power coin and nearly kill her." Trent's head moved to the side, watching something invisible move away. "With this evil around, Zordon's presence kept a constant struggle of Good versus Evil. The Morphin Grid had a balance; a balance that allowed the use of Ranger Powers."
"And what happens if the balance is tipped in one's favor?" Trent asked, sitting now – at least, he thought he was.
"Then the Morphin Grid will become stronger, or weak based on the advantage. Should Good win over evil, the Morphin Grid will weaken for their will be no need for the powers any longer. Should Evil win, the Morphing Grid's energy will grow stronger and wait for the next set of Rangers to come along."
"But where does Vertox fit into this, Raj?" Trent questioned, shaking his head. The throbbing was dieing away, but he still had a killer headache.
"Trent Mercer, evil will always exist as longer as there is a shred of purity in the universe." The voice answered, beginning to soften. "Vertox is the Origin of Evil – should you defeat him, you will defeat Evil itself."
"Defeat evil itself? Do you mean rid the universe of evil?" Trent asked, trying to stand, but his legs gave out and he fell to the "ground" again.
"No, Trent Mercer. If you defeat Vertox, you will indeed tip the advantage in goods favor, but evil will still exist. Upon Vertox's death, the Origin will be reborn once again – a new superior evil will take his place."
Trent raised his head to speak, but a sudden wave of dizziness consumed him. He heard only one last thing before passing out…
"Trent Mercer, the Origin of Evil, like all things in the world, is bound by laws. Vertox has been around million's of years; growing in strength and hate. Remember, White Ranger, evil will never die until good vanishes with it…"
And then…blackness and only blackness…
Trent gasped and sputtered as he jolted up from the ground. Kira flung her arms around her, crying lightly into his shoulder. Instinctively, he wrapped his arms around her, sighing as all the memories came flooding back; all the memories of the voice and his explanation of Vertox; all the images of Tommy and the other rangers.
"Trent, what's wrong?" Ethan asked, kneeling down before the White Ranger, gazing into her eyes. "It looks like you just got beat in the head with a baseball bat – you look dazed."
Trent ignored the question and gazed at his bracelet for a long moment. Finally, it chimed and he said,
"Billy, get Tommy and the others. I think this situation just got escalated to a whole new level of difficulty." Trent sighed.