Chapter Twenty-Nine: Fate
"The Guardian? I've never heard of you." Zordon said, still in his fighting stance.
He didn't wonder how "The Guardian" knew him, because that made sense: Zordon was a Morphing Master. Everyone, even outside the Alliance, knew the Morphing Masters.
"Of course you haven't. I'm from... a different era." The Guardian said.
As he spoke, he began to pace the floor. Zordon's muscles twitched with every step The Guardian took, anticipating an attack from each movement. He gripped his red saber tightly. Zordon kept his eyes trained on The Guardian's hips to try and pre-empt from which direction an attack might come.
"A different era. Well, it doesn't seem like it was too long ago for you to know who I am."
"Well, technically speaking, I'm from a future era." The Guardian said, ending his pacing to face Zordon again.
"Time travel? You expect me to believe you are capable of time travel?" Zordon asked incredulously.
"Eventually, yes, I do expect you to believe me." The Guardian waved his left arm over his right, causing a crystal to appear in his hand.
"What is that?" Zordon asked, curiosity getting the best of him.
"This is a Trizyrium Crystal. It is what sustains me, keeping me alive in this realm."
"Trizyrium, huh? Never heard of it. And why should I trust you? You are obviously a Power Ranger, and those who wish to measure the bounds of power for themselves are a menace to the United Alliance." Zordon said, defiance in his eyes.
The Guardian could not help but chuckle. "I wasn't called that in my time: a Power Ranger. It definitely is a catchy moniker, though. I perceive the name has a high probability of catching on now. No, I am not in league with those who you erroneously branded as traitors to the Alliance."
"Erroneously?"
"Oh, Zordon. If only you knew what kind of game you have been placed in and your role..." The Guardian said, lowering his head in disappointment.
"Then why don't you just tell me!?" Zordon said, trying to dig his right foot into the ground, ready to pounce.
"... Yes, of course. That is why I orchestrated your arrival here, after all..." The Guardian said, sounding pensive.
"You orchestrated it? How is that possible? I got here because of the Orb of Doom." Zordon proclaimed, feeling good that he thought that had finally got the mysterious ranger to trip up in his story.
"It was complicated, but I was able to start the chain reaction to get you here."
"You're not making sense. Hmph. Forget this. I don't have time for more lies." Zordon said.
He then charged forward to attack The Guardian. As he did, The Guardian raised a hand and sent a small pulse toward Zordon. The Morphing Master felt himself lifted off his feet and sent backward gently. He landed on his feet, but not of his own accord. The Guardian had gently placed Zordon back on his feet.
"No need for theatrics, Zordon. I promise I'm here to help. And really... you have no choice. There is no chance of you landing a blow on me. You may as well relax and listen. Your tension is starting to get me nervous!" The Guardian said.
"Okay, if you want my cooperation, then why don't you take off that power suit of yours? If you are here to help, what do you have to hide?" Zordon said, hoping to get some insight into his host.
"Quite right. I should have demorphed quite a while ago." He said as the suit disappeared from around him.
The man who stood in The Hall facing Zordon was more intimidating without the ranger suit. Zordon caught himself gulping as a sign of fear. He was tall, Human, and rather muscular. He had long blonde hair and a look on his face of what looked to be a mix of determination, wisdom, and a sign of having been through many, many ordeals.
The Guardian flashed a warm smile to Zordon. "Now, let me start from the beginning..."
Zordon placed his sword in the holster on his hip and scoffed. "That's usually the best place to begin."
The Guardian shrugged. "At times, I suppose. Your story, for instance, did not start at the beginning, but it is still a very important story nonetheless."
"You're speaking in circles, musclehead." Zordon said, frustrated.
The Guardian once again found himself chuckling. He cleared his throat before he began speaking anew.
"I guess I am. You'll see how that is a fitting comment due to my nature soon!
"From where I originate, a powerful sorceress controlled the entire universe. She was an evil witch with tremendous power." As he spoke, Zordon was surprised to see a hologram appear, showing the tattooed face of a grey haired woman.
"She called herself Ultimecia. She became a powerful being many centuries before my time. Having been in The Hall for so long, I was able to learn some of her backstory:
"She was the leader of a massive, hidden empire. She called herself in those times, The Queen. She was a master chess player, able to orchestrate many events hidden in the shadows. Slowly, she amassed an empire so large that it boggles my mind how she kept it hidden for so long. She used this empire and her underground connections to infiltrate the power striving to bring order to the universe. This group called themselves the United Alliance."
Zordon squinted his eyes as The Guardian said this. What kind of mind game is The Guardian playing at? He thought as a hologram image of the Alliance headquarters appeared on screen.
"They were headed by the powerful Morphing Masters, political figures whose main attribute consisted of their abnormal connection to the Universal Morphing Grid. Unbeknownst to the Masters, The Queen had infiltrated the Alliance through her double agents. She would destroy the Morphing Masters from the inside.
"The tables finally turned in her favor upon the death of Morphing Master App. As was tradition, the Masters selected a new member for their council."
Zordon was surprised to hear his selection to the Morphing Masters was important enough to The Guardian to be brought up specifically. Zordon stared at the hologram as Orion made his way to the dorms where Zordon first saw him outside his room, waiting to take him to get the assignment to save Commander Zedd from Master Vile on Solaris 8. Zordon saw himself with an air of arrogance dismiss Burai as he had done on that day, going to his dorm room. Burai slowly bowed his head in disappointment as he began to walk away. Zordon felt a stab of guilt: he never realized how harsh he had been to the young man.
Wait... Orion is currently heading to my dorm room... he should already be there according to what happened that day... Zordon thought, staring at the monitor in confusion.
The Guardian perceived Zordon's thoughts by the expression on his face and decided not to speak just yet. He wanted the images to speak for themselves.
Instead of walking into the dorm, Orion walked past the building. He started to jog ever so slightly until he caught up to Burai. Zordon could see them exchange some words before Burai's face lit up. It was the happiest Zordon could remember ever seeing Burai. Orion appeared to laugh as he gave Burai a large hug before typing something into his wrist tech. As he finished typing, both Orion and Burai were teleported away.
"Wait... That's now how it happened..." Zordon began.
The Guardian nodded. "That's how it originally happened." The Guardian shook his head as he sighed. "Let me continue explaining chronologically so we don't confuse ourselves, shall we?"
Zordon nodded his head, trying to wrap his mind around what he was seeing. He could not understand what it all meant, but something inside him was believing The Guardian.
"As the Morphing Masters usually did, they selected a new member for their council, a young man named Burai. He was a powerful fighter and a great researcher. Although there were individuals who may have been smarter, or greater fighters than Burai, they weren't as well rounded as him. And none of them had his heart. He fought with passion and he always stood by the Alliance. He was a very loyal soldier.
"Burai and Orion both went to a planet called Solaris 8. There, they fought against Master Vile's forces and successfully secured Commander Zedd and the Zeo Crystal from Master Vile, while also capturing a traitor named... Novact" As The Guardian mentioned Novact's name, it sounded almost as if he spat it out of his mouth. His face contorted into a look of disgust as Novact appeared on the screen.
"Novact was brought into custody and back to the base. What no one realized was how powerful Novact had gotten since he had joined forces with Master Vile... not even Novact had discovered the full extent of his powers. One night, after a brutal interrogation from the head of universal analysis, Claire Risp, Novact found himself beaten and alone in his cell. Burai had seen the 'interrogation' and had compassion on the man. He entered his cell to comfort him with a warm blanket and an extra meal.
"As Burai did so, Novact grabbed Burai by the head." Zordon stared at the hologram as The Guardian told the story. He could see Novact's eyes turn yellow as his right hand gripped the crown of Burai's head. Before he could do anything, yellow electricity surged from Novact through Burai's body.
"Novact had only meant to hurt the soldier, and, perhaps through the machinations of fate, discovered he had the ability to exert some sort of mind control. He then had Burai escort him to where the Zeo Crystal had been hidden before having Burai teleport him, the Zeo Crystal, and Burai himself onto Master Vile's ship. From there, Novact learned his mind control only worked if he stayed in very close proximity to his target, and only for a short duration of time. Burai had snapped out of the stupor and attempted to battle his way through Vile's forces. Before long, he had been captured.
"Master Vile took Burai to The Queen. The Queen was truly one of the most evil beings the universe had ever seen. She looked upon Burai and tried a practice she only had ever tried on children: she put him under mind control. The Queen's Black Magic entered Burai's mind. The Queen did not know how long the effects would last, since Burai's mind was already in adulthood, molded and decided upon its ethics. Still, a short amount of time under her service was better than no time at all.
"She staged her plan. She had Master Vile go to a planet called Rashon. They decimated the royal family and their bodyguards before seizing control. They sent a message to the Alliance, saying they had Master Burai and would return him if the Alliance surrendered the Corona Aurora. The Queen knew they wouldn't give up the crown for anyone, not even Sentinel Knight, their presiding member. A stealth team entered Rashon and, with a little resistance, secured Master Burai.
"Once on base, Burai began to set The Queen's plans into motion. While Novact attacked the M51 Galaxy and battled a young researcher with four Morphing Masters in what he coined a 'Megadroid'," Zordon was surprised to see himself in Leopardon, leading Dulcea, Delphine, Orion, and Gosei in the battle machine against the being he would someday know was Goldar.
How odd that time was so different, but so similar... Zordon thought to himself.
Continuing with what he was saying, The Guardian said, "Burai attacked the Alliance with the aid of a horrible person impersonating the Gold Ranger."
Zordon was taken aback by the statement. That wasn't Tria!? He thought.
"Once the Alliance was all but decimated, Burai, Vile, and the Fake Gold Ranger attacked the Morphing Masters head on. During the battle, Burai came to his senses and rejoined the Alliance, along with those who had just returned defeated from the M51 Galaxy." The Guardian said as the hologram revealed Zordon run in with the three of the Morphing Masters. Delphine would join up later as she finished her blood bending of Vile's forces.
"Master Vile, as you can guess, produced the Orb of Doom and began using it. The Gold Ranger created a chasm in the room, separating Vile from his enemies. Burai almost made the jump before being shot in the chest by the Gold Ranger, sending him spiralling down the chasm, the same as what happened to Dulcea. You, Zordon, had not yet released Saba. Not even thinking of using him at that moment, you attempted the jump. You did clear it, to everyone's surprise, but without Saba's extra push, you only made it as far as the Gold Ranger. You and the Gold Ranger fought with vigor. You were about to beat the fake ranger, as well, but it was too little too late: Master Vile had triggered the activation of the Orb of Doom, reverting not only himself but everyone on the planet into non-existence as time reversed.
"Taking advantage of the opportunity, The Queen herself descended down onto the planet. She brought the Zeo Crystal with her as she did. She then joined the Zeo Crystal, the Orb of Doom, and the jewels of the artifact Sentinel Knight had left behind, the Corona Aurora, together with her Black Magic into one, large, powerful crystal. She named it the Extreme Crystal. She then junctioned herself to the Extreme and was reborn a new being, giving herself the name Ultimecia.
"She ruled the universe with an iron fist for many centuries. She had minor annoyances during those years. Triforia had the Gold Ranger powers being passed down from generation to generation, and Edenoi had their group of Masked Riders. The Karovan system also created their own set of rangers based on the tech Master Michael had created, powered by the device you helped create: the Mega Accelerator. Although those heroes had minor victories, they were to Ultimecia meer ants, causing an annoyance at her picnic. She had the ultimate power and controlled the universe as she saw fit.
"But something happened she had not counted on: a fisherman on Earth." Zordon looked as he saw The Guardian, or who The Guardian had once been, throw his net out from his boat and pull in a small box. Once the box was on the boat, The Guardian wiped the salt covering the box and himself from the ocean waters. He opened the box to find two eggs inside.
"The Power Eggs?" Zordon said, amazed. It was a fairytale told to children, that the Venerated Ones long ago on Earth had hidden two powerful objects known as the Power Eggs, with tremendous power.
The Guardian nodded. "I did not know what they were, so I brought them to the leaders of the rebellion against Ultimecia: the Pai Zhua. They explained to me how I had found something with so much power, it could turn the tides against Ultimecia. The Pai Zhua masters attempted to use the eggs, but they could not do it. Upon further study, they saw that the eggs had linked themselves to me. One night, my curiosity got the better of me."
Zordon watched as The Guardian cracked open one of the eggs. A bright light enveloped him.
"I heard a voice while I was in the light. It asked me what I desired to create. The first thought I had was a haven away from Ultimecia, where I could be safe from her. Suddenly, the egg created this place... I called it The Hall. The voice explained to me The Hall existed slightly connected to my universe to prevent it from floating away, unanchored into the ether, but outside of space and time. It explained to me that as long as I stayed here, I would not age, and I would be able to view time through these holographic projections.
"I was then told I would need to be powered by these Trizyrium Crystals to ensure I was able to stay here without eventually being rejected by The Hall, due to my origins in the dimensions of time and space. When I was asked by the remaining force the Power Egg had how I wanted to junction myself to the Trizyrium Crystals, my first thought landed upon the warriors, the rangers, who battled Ultimecia. I found myself in a suit of Morphing Energy, not powered by the Morphing Grid, but by the Trizyrium Crystals.
"I led a mighty resistance against Ultimecia for thousands of years. I was a constant thorn in her side, and she in mine. She fought diligently to get the second Power Egg, and my forces fought her every step of the way. I was learning how to properly 'view time' all the while. I was afraid to alter time and cause a set of probabilities to occur, because time seemed so complicated and fragile, so I did not attempt any time travelling. I used The Hall as a refuge and as my source of power. I knew I would eventually defeat Ultimecia.
"That thought was dashed one day. Ultimecia launched such a massive attack that I could not stop it. I, myself, fought her toe to toe. She had become an awful creature by that time, mutated by her unregulated exposure to the Morphing Energy. I could see the Extreme Crystal inside of her, glowing and radiating its power. The Trizyrium Crystals are strong, but they could not stand up against the compounded energy of the Zeo Crystal, the Orb of Doom, and the jewels of the Corona Aurora. As I lay, broken and defeated, Ultimecia went to give the crushing blow. Before she could..." He bowed his head, guilt sweeping over his face. "I retreated to The Hall. I told myself time and time again it was to ensure a part of the resistance stayed alive to be able to continue the fight, but in the end, I still ran away while my people..."
Zordon looked into the hologram as Earth exploded. The image froze on Ultimecia's Extreme Form, in what appeared to be a pose of laughter as she stared at the remnants of the planet. Zordon couldn't take his eyes off of the hideous monster she had become.
"From that point onward, I studied time. The Hall showed me not certain futures, but probabilities. I had used those to try and predict how I could defeat Ultimecia during my fight against her, but after Earth was obliterated, I used my resources to study the probabilities to reverse time. I learned that the universe was constantly striving for equilibrium, and that even if I changed time, the universe would try and restore as much of the timeline to resemble what it should have looked like as it could. I knew I had to make the right decisions in my time altering quest to ensure that the tiniest changes to the timeline were significant enough to get me to my goal. That's when I finally had my plan in order.
"For the first time in centuries, I left The Hall. I disguised myself as a grunt in The Queen's army and planted the idea in the head of one of her generals who had infiltrated the Alliance that you, Zordon, would be the best choice for The Queen to win against the Morphing Masters."
Zordon looked at the hologram screen, reignited. He was shocked to see King Estro speaking with The Queen. He saw King Estro approach Master Ivicar and "politely" suggest that Zordon become the candidate for the Morphing Masters. He saw the point where time truly changed and Ivicar raised his hand upon Estro's suggestion, nominating Zordon to the council. He saw Magnus and other Masters frustrated, because they had wanted Burai instead.
"Me? Why me?" Zordon said, astonished.
"I calculated that certain events would transpire which would allow you to still be in the room with Master Vile when he activated the Orb of Doom, but this time with Saba. It took me years and years of calculations, and I still was not sure that it would work out. Plus, there's free will. I did not know how you, Zordon, would respond to the new timeline. I am glad it worked. I calculated that if you were able to try and diffuse the Orb's power, the machine in your belt that housed the pocket dimension for Saba would interact with the power and send you into an interdimensional tunnel, where I could easily grab you and bring you here.
"Now, Zordon, if you stay here much longer, you will begin to deteriorate. You are not meant to be here. You are from a place of space and time. You do not have the Trizyrium Crystals to help you stay anchored here without destroying yourself. I must send you back."
"So all of this... to get me into the Morphing Masters... to get me here... was just to stop the Orb of Doom?"
The Guardian smiled. "No. That was only the beginning. I do not know what will happen now. All I have seen are possibilities, and they are endless. It is up to you now to shape your future. You have a bright future ahead of you. You have the potential to be a shining beacon, to be a force to eradicate evil. A leader to those in distress. But, it is all up to you, Zordon of Eltar. The future is now in your hands."
"Will we meet again?" Zordon asked. He looked down at his hands as he felt an irritation on his skin. The radiation from The Hall was starting to affect him.
"That is... a possibility." The Guardian replied, mulling over time equations in his head.
Zordon nodded, wondering what the future had in store for him. He looked to The Guardian, unconsciously looking for a hint to his future.
The Guardian lifted up his arms. "Hand of Time: Advance!"
Suddenly, The Guardian had morphed back into his ranger form. Zordon noticed his suit was different in modern times than it was in the hologram images from the past/future.
"Why do you wear a robe, now?" Zordon asked.
"Even with a Trizyrium Crystal and morphed, The Hall had begun to reject me because deep down, I am a being from your dimension. Using some of my power, I created this robe to help as an extra barrier to shield me from The Hall's power. I don't know how long it will last, but I can always create a new one in the future."
"Okay... well... Thank you, for everything. For your sacrifice and your dedication. I will strive to fight to ensure it wasn't all for nothing. I will defeat The Queen."
The Guardian nodded. "I wish I could join you, but someone needs to stay here, just in case..."
"I understand." Zordon said.
The Guardian then summoned a blue vortex in the room. Zordon could feel its suction, drawing him in. As Zordon peered into the vortex, he could see along the tunnel's walls the outlines of the amorphous beings on the other side, staring.
Over the roar of the vortex, Zordon turned and yelled at The Guardian, saying, "Who are those on the other side of the tunnel's walls!?"
"Oh, them!?" The Guardian yelled. "They're the Others! Don't worry about them! They have their purpose! They won't bother you!"
Zordon nodded and squinted at the light of the vortex. Looking back one last time at The Guardian, Zordon jumped into the vortex, leaving The Hall.
Then, The Guardian turned to the Time Force camera in the room. He pointed at it and spoke. "I know from what organization you hail. Please, tread lightly when it comes to time travel. I have allowed you entrance due to the nature of your study, but I allow no more than this."
Then, as the vortex began closing, the camera found itself flying through the tunnel until it was back in its assigned era. It recalibrated itself and locked into Zordon, who was found rummaging through the ruins that had once been the headquarters of the United Alliance.
Zordon shook his head. He looked through the rubble until he found what he was looking for: an Alliance computer. Focusing on the Morphing Grid, Zordon sparked enough energy into the computer to get it to operate. Activating his wrist tech, Zordon linked his wrist tech to upload any data from The Alliance's intranet. Some information flowed in, but not much. Among the data uploaded was the date.
"Six months..." Zordon said, astounded. The Guardian dropped him off six months after the incident with the Orb of Doom.
I have to trust The Guardian sent me to this time for a reason and not back from when I left. Zordon thought.
He looked through the files on the wrist tech. Files from generals about tactics littered the latest logs, from about two months earlier. Before that, Zordon found memos between lower ranking officials in the Alliance gossiping about news they had heard through the grapevine. The common gossip seemed to revolve around a few subjects:
*So, you heard Master Dulcea was the one who stole the Ectomorphicons? I thought she perished in during the Final Siege.*
*Sentinel Knight is still not replying to our communications. Where is he!?*
*Master Delphine is still on Aquitar. It seems the Civil War there has progressed for the worse.*
*Our troops are replying to Master Magnus' requests right now. I fear we just don't have enough manpower to help him and Master Orion combat Rita's forces.*
*Master Gosei and Gerlit are still on their expedition. Will report with further information when available*
*Master Ivicar is missing in action. Rescue parties are being formed. We fear the worst.*
*Rita's forces are amassing more allies. We don't have the power to fight back.*
Zordon buried his head in his hands. He grunted in frustration. Everything he knew was gone. The updates from the mainframe had stopped for two months. The Alliance was never still for a day, let alone two months. He knew they had fallen. He pounded his hand onto the dirt encrusted floor.
It didn't change anything! The Guardian failed! ...We all failed... Zordon thought, discouraged.
"Stand where you are!"
Zordon jumped up, completely caught off guard by hearing someone in the vicinity.
"Turn around... slowly... with your hands up." The man said. As Zordon turned, he could see someone's shape in the shadows.
"I'm Master Zordon of the United Alliance. I command you to stand down."
"Nice try. Master Zordon fell during the Final Siege six months ago. This is a restricted area. Whoever you are, stand down and come with me for questioning."
"Who are you?"
The figure stepped out of the shadows. He was wearing a red suit with a short cape. He had a holster on one leg. On his head was a massive helmet, with two bulbous blue eyes on it and a silver mouthplate.
Standing solemnly before Zordon, the man said only one phrase. "I'm the Red Ranger."
***NOTE: DUE TO NOT BEING ABLE TO POST PICTURES ON AS OPPOSED TO THE SITE THIS STORY ORIGINALLY WAS ON, THERE WAS A PICTURE HERE REVEALING THAT RED RANGER WAS AKA RANGER, THE RED RANGER FROM GORENGER***