*Thanks for reading, everyone! This is the final chapter of Part Two! Keep your eyes opened for the next part! It will be Part Three and the prequel book, Part Zero. They will be posted in one volume, interchanging chapters (pt. 0 ch. 1, then pt 3 ch.1, pt 0 ch.2, etc.). It is the culmination of the Origins arc of The Power Ranger Archives! The first chapter will be posted tomorrow! To make sure you don't miss out, make sure to favorite my account to get updates. ^_^ Thank you all for the PMs, reviews, and support through views. I love hearing from you all and if you have any thoughts, theories about the future of the series, or anything else please do not hesitate to message me! You guys are all awesome and I'm glad you are embracing this different perspective on our favorite Power Ranger characters!*
Chapter Thirty: The Hall - Hindsight
The Future: Omega Ranger sat back. He was finished with the second file of the first folder in the assignment Cruger had given him. He wished he could rub his eyes, but he feared taking off his helmet. His worry was that, if he did, he would accelerate any degradation that would occur due to overexposure to theTrizyrium Crystals in the Hall of Legends. He was feeling tired and didn't want to start the next file before getting some rest.
"Sam? Sam? Are you okay? I can't feel you accessing the console." Sophie said through the Hall's communication system.
Omega sighed. "What? Do you think something's going to happen to me in here?" He asked.
It was almost as if he could hear Sophie shrug. "I never would have thought that a giant force field would have appeared outside of Earth, blocking any and all communications but, well... Here we are, huh?"
Omega nodded unconsciously. He, too, thought the situation was odd. He couldn't come to terms with what was happening himself. It was all too surreal for him.
"Sophie... do you know anything about the time barriers?" Omega asked.
"A little bit. They are what block time lines from being able to be altered. I never studied up on it too much. That's Time Force's job, really." Sophie replied.
"I was just curious... Doggie said I would be able to go back and change and fix whatever is happening on Earth, but that would mean we would need to bring down the time barrier for our timeline. That's... huge. I mean... with everything we went through to get Time Force to distribute the time barrier... This must be something big and awful if Doggie is going to get Time Force to lower the barrier."
Omega could hear Sophie gasp. "Are you serious? That's what Doggie told you? That's intense! The repercussions of that..."
"I know. I... hadn't even thought of it until just now. I've been so wrapped up in my own thoughts I didn't think of the bigger picture... Do you think it is possible for Time Force to only mess with the time barrier for Earth? I mean, like what the Orb of Doom did in the past?" Omega inquired.
"You're asking the wrong person, Omega. I sincerely hope, though, that is the case. If not, I think I may just be staying plugged into the Hall when you finish this assignment and Time Force allows you to travel back to stop whatever is happening."
"Won't that mean there are two of you?" Omega asked.
"Don't care. As long as I'm okay, we can deal with the other issues later. Besides, you can never have too much Sophie." She giggled as she said the last part.
"Omega Ranger... come to the Inner Sanctum. It is time." A voice said, calmly from behind Omega.
"What was that!?" Sophie said, scared.
"Legend Blade!" Future: Omega Ranger ordered, summoning his weapon. He spun around and saw no one. He ran out from his work area. He made his way through the staircase.
"Where are you going!?" Sophie demanded.
"To the Inner Sanctum."
A silence was heard before Sophie answered. "What is the 'Inner Sanctum'? I just went through Boom's schematics of the Hall and I found no evidence of it."
"That's because I never told anyone about it. I told them these portals were inert... I lied." Omega said, running up. He found himself in the main portal room. He hadn't been in the room since he had found the Guardian lying on the ground, dying a few years earlier. He was surprised to see all of the gateways were reactivated. They shimmered as they used to. He thought back to when he
first was sent to the Hall when he was chasing Gluto for Time Force. It seemed like an eon to him since that time.
He jumped as high as he could, landing on a platform. He then ran up the side of one of the walls, leaping off at the apex of his climb. He nimbly placed a foot on another platform, propelling himself up again. He continued his climb until he reached the portal at the very top of the room. The portal to the Inner Sanctum.
He gripped his Legend Blade. The last time he had entered this doorway, he had been chasing Lord Zedd, to try and stop him from using the Hall to assimilate all of the Greater Powers of the Power Rangers throughout time. He feared he was heading toward a similar situation.
As he entered, he heard Sophie's signal get cut off. He was going to be alone here. While he looked around, he was instantly hit with waves of nostalgia. The eerie green sky was what struck him first. He then looked out and saw the many floating platforms, all leading to where the Greater Powers were being held.
Wait... Future: Omega thought. If the Greater Powers are here, what are they protecting? The Greatest Treasure?
"No, but close..." The voice said from behind Omega. He spun around, not seeing anyone. Then, suddenly, the green sky began to shimmer. A bolt of lightning crackled down. As it hit the ground before Omega, the cobbled floor where it had struck became green. From the floor, as if it were alive, the green arose in a mass. It slowly formed itself until a being stood before Omega.
"Who are you?" Omega asked. Omega looked him up and down. Some color slowly began showing on the green being. A yellow and orange "V" formed down the chest. A black "A" like symbol appeared on what looked to be a helmet. The material on the neck became black, as well as a belt. A golden coin could be seen on the belt as well. The rest of the suit seemed to be slightly grid like, as if the being was made up of blocks. A green aura could be seen all around him, causing him to glow with the green light.
"I guess you can call me the Alpha Ranger. I would have preferred 'Monster Hunter', but that is neither here nor there." Alpha Ranger stated.
"So you're the 'Alpha' I've been reading about?"
"That is correct."
"Why have I never heard of you before?"
"You have. You just don't remember." Before Omega could react, Alpha lifted up an arm and placed an index finger on Omega's helmet, where his forehead would've been. Upon contact, an image flashed in his mind. It was when he had been in the Inner Sanctum before. He had been clawing his way through hordes of Monsters, trying to get to the Guardian as he battled Lord Zedd alone. In the memory, he saw a towering statue in the background. It was of the Alpha Ranger.
Snapping out of the vision, Omega looked around. He saw two other statues: one was of the Gold Zeo Ranger, and the other was of Alliance Red.
Reading Omega Ranger's mind, Alpha Ranger spoke concerning his thoughts. "I made those two statues to commemorate them. They were the first two Power Rangers. If you look off into the distance, you can see others, like the Guardian, and also Meledon Ranger. The one you saw of me was one the Guardian made of me. I didn't want it, but he insisted. Heh. He was my only friend until he succumbed to the Hall's radiation... He was a good man. He chose wisely when he picked you as his replacement."
"I hope I can live up to his legacy. According to what I've read, he has gone through a lot." Omega said. "So, what is going on here? Now that I know about the Greater Powers, and if the Greatest Treasure isn't here, what is down here?"
"A Power Egg." Alpha Ranger replied calmly.
Omega was taken aback by the statement. "How? I thought the Mighty Morphin' Rangers hid the Power Eggs long ago on Earth. In the realm of time."
"They did. Those were the Power EggsB. That is the name the Guardian and I gave them, since they are from the timeline he created when he ensured thatZordon and not Burai became a Morphing Master. The timeline created from that incident we named TimelineB. The timeline the Guardian came from is TimelineA." Alpha Ranger explained, hoping he was explaining it simply enough so that Omega Ranger understood.
"But... I thought the Guardian used his Power Eggs to create the Hall of Legends." Omega Ranger said. He was getting confused quickly.
"He used one Power Egg to do that. After the Hall was created, the remaining power from the Power Egg was used to give him his, what you call, 'Ranger form'. To stop Ultimecia from getting Power Egg 2A, he took it with him here to the Hall. In the 'Realm of Time', as you put it, the Greater Powers of each Ranger team is used to protect the Greatest Treasure. Here, in the Inner Sanctum, outside of time, they exist in an altered state. We use them to protect Power Egg 2A."
Future: Omega Ranger frowned at that statement. "You say 'we' and talk about you and the Guardian. You said I was his replacement. Why did you never tell me about any of this!? That you even exist!?"
"Because you were compromised. As long as you were a tool of Time Force, I couldn't trust you. Mortals cannot know of the Power Eggs' location. Time Force was too close for comfort in my opinion."
"Why are you telling me all of this now?" Omega asked.
"Because of the situation on Earth. Someone very dangerous has come to your world. They possess knowledge that will threaten all of creation, including the Hall of Legends. I need you to stop it." Alpha Ranger explained.
"Why don't you do it?"
"My curse. My burden. I am stuck here, in the Inner Sanctum. I was but a mass of energy floating outside of the universe. When the Guardian created the Hall in TimelineA, I was absorbed into the Hall and placed in its Inner Sanctum. I supposed my powers drew the attention of Power Egg 1A and brought me to it like a magnet. So, I am stuck."
"I'm sorry... Like I told the Guardian, I will do all I can to help. What do you expect of me? Tell me how this happening and why, and I think I can stop it."
"I only deduce this being's knowledge because they are using a power that cloaks them even to me. I do not know the end goal, but with the power to block me, who is connected to the Hall and the Morphing Grid in the way that I am, they must be very dangerous."
"Okay... Can you get me out of here, then? Help me not have to do all of this indexing?"
Alpha Ranger shook his head. "I cannot. Time Force has connected the Hall to their mainframe and I cannot find a way to block them. Hopefully your friend can find a way, but I do not see one... Beside that, I believe it is beneficial for you to index how things got to be the way they are now. I see what Commander Cruger is doing and I believe there is wisdom in it.
"On that point, I have given you a special power, Sam." Alpha Ranger said, placing a hand on Omega's shoulder.
"You did? When?"
"When I placed my finger on your head. I gave you as much of my power that you can handle. I call this power my "Third Eye". It helps you be able to see beyond what is readily visible to the naked eye. It also will give you access to a special period of my life. As you index, you will be given periodic flashes of my life. I suppose it will appear to you in much the same fashion you are viewing the files Cruger left for you. It seems to be a way for you to chronicle it in your files for... the future."
"I thought you didn't trust Time Force. Why would you give me these "files", then?"
Alpha Ranger looked down. "Like I said, I see Anubis' wisdom in doing this. Now, I have been in this form for much too long. I must return to the Morphing Grid. May the Power protect you, young champion."
And much the same way that he appeared, he left, gathered up in a green lightning bolt. Omega Ranger sighed and made his way out to the portal room. He heard static as Sophie's voice re-emerged in his helmet.
"Sam!? Are you okay!?"
"I'm fine Sophie."
"What happened!?"
"I'll explain soon." He said, leaping down to the bottom floor of the portal room. Wind whipped past him at blinding speed as he landed. He rolled into a ball and jumped to his feet. He then ran down the stair back to his workstation.
As he sat on his chair, he began typing. "You see, Sophie, if you've been paying attention to the files being played, you may have heard people mention the Alpha who begat all Power Rangers. Well, I just met him."
"What!? How!? What did he say!?"
Choosing not to mention the last Power Egg from TimelineA, Omega said, "That something he can't see, but knows is awful, is happening on Earth. He told me to keep indexing as fast as I can to stop it."
"That's it? That's... anticlimactic." Sophie said, sounding disappointed.
"Oh, and he also gave me access to his past. I can feel the first vision starting right now. He wants me to index it as a part of the project. I'm typing it in as 'File Zero'."
"Wait, he wants you to do everything fast, but gives you more work? This better be worth it..." Sophie said.
Omega shrugged as he felt his vision begin to blur, focusing on "File Zero" beginning to play from his suit on the holographic monitor before him. "I guess we're about to find out. I'm going to have these visions 'periodically', so I will work on 'File Three' as I go along."
"I wish I had some popcorn..." Sophie said as Earth appeared on the screen.
"But you're a Cyborg..."
"I can still enjoy flavor!" She insisted.
"Okay, okay... Just, keep working on getting me out of here. I'll focus on this." He began typing about the vessel he saw on the screen landing on Earth. He could sense the year was about 200 million BC. He entered that into the computer.
He stared on as thirteen people, mostly male, came out of the shuttle. He stared in fascination as he saw one of was Bansheera. He then saw a pale skinned man in ornate clothing turn to address the group as dinosaurs roared in the background. One name popped into Omega's head as the man began to speak: Lothor.