Chapter 20: The Zeo Crystal
7840 BC - Land Without Magic
The Morphing Masters return from the Battle Nexus, having been sent there by Zordon to learn ninjitsu. They then forge the Ninja Nexus Star for a future team of Power Rangers to use.
"You have done well in taking what you have learned and creating new Powers with it" Zordon said as he appeared "I have recently picked up a massive energy source coming from a planet called Zeo, located at the following coordinates. Send your Solar Rangers there to investigate"
Zeo
"Red" the Violet Solar Ranger said into his Morpher "you we're right, there's a massive amount of Morphing Grid energy here. The entire planet is filled with crystals, each of which, by my calculations, have enough energy to power an entire team of Power Rangers, Zords and all. I believe anyone that knew what they were doing could use them"
"Thank you, Violet" the Red Morphing Master said "standby while we discuss this"
"This is not good" the Black Morphing Master said "if Dark Specter's forces learned of this, they would overrun the Land Without Magic"
"We need to take this to Zordon" the Blue Morphing Master said
"How?" Praetor asked "we have no way of contacting him, he always contacts us"
"Surely he'll return soon" the Green Morphing Master said "he wouldn't send us on a mission and then not check back in with us for years"
"Why not?" Praetor asked "he's done that before"
"True" the Red Morphing Master said
"We could cast a protection spell around the planet" the Gold Morphing Master said
"Doing that would attract unwanted attention" the Red Morphing Master said "not to mention, all spells can be broken. Dark Specter has enough witches and warlocks on his side that they may be able to break anything we cast"
"There is a way" Praetor said "we can cut off that portion of the realm from the rest of the Omniverse. It would create a void outside time and space. Once Zordon returns and comes up with a plan, he should know what to do"
"But we would not be able to cut just the planet off" the Green Morphing Master said "we're not powerful enough to be that precise, many planets would be caught up in the spell, some with living beings on them"
"I know" Praetor said "but if we don't and Dark Specter's forces find out… those same people would be doomed anyways, along with the rest of the universe, if not Omniverse. That much Power might even be able to bring Dark Specter back"
"Should we worry about people who are caught in our spell abusing the power?" the Pink Morphing Master asked
"I will go with them" Praetor said "while all seven of us couldn't take on all of Dark Specter's forces, even if we created an army of Rangers, I myself should be able to take on whatever local riffraff decides to go after them"
"I don't like it" the Red Morphing Master said "but we don't have any choice. Go Praetor, and may the Power protect you" and Praetor teleports to Zeo, who informs the Solar Rangers of the plan
"Now leave" Praetor finishes "you don't want to get caught up in the spell"
"No" the Violet Solar Ranger said "we're going with you, Yellow. While you protect Zeo, the rest of the Void will need protecting"
"Very well" Praetor said and he informed the other Morphing Masters. The Morphing Masters cast the spell and the part of the realm with the Zeo Crystal in it vanishes
"May the Power protect you all" the Red Morphing Master said sadly
"Red" the Blue Morphing Master said "I'm picking up something near where Zeo was… it looks like a lone crystal survived"
"Retrieve it" the Red Morphing Master said "we will put it on Earth's moon under the Bandorians' palace. It is small, the six of us should be able to cast a protection spell that will hold against even Dark Specter's most powerful sorcerers, a planet is too large, but the crystal will do. And then we will wait and see what Zordon thinks…"
Hall of Legends
"Great, someone else has decided tearing apart a realm is okay" Simultaneous said
"What now?" Zeus asked
"A chunk of the Land Without Magic is gone" Simultaneous said
"What?!" Ninjor asked
"When Zordon cast the spell to create the Morphing Grid, apparently it energized the crystals on the planet Zeo, filling them with Morphing Grid energy" Simultaneous said "there was enough Power on that planet to create a massive army of Power Rangers. While thankfully, no one decided to actually do that, someone decided the best way to protect the planet was by severing it from the rest of the Omniverse and it took a whole chunk of the realm with it"
"You mean there's a new realm now?" Daimyo asked
"No" Simultaneous said "I didn't say is was severed from the rest of the Land Without Magic, I said it was severed from the rest of the Omniverse. It's totally inaccessible, not even we can travel to it"
"Do you think Zordon did this?" Merlin asked
"No" Simultaneous said "Zordon would've been able to send the planet on its own. However, the magic used seems to be similar to his. We've noticed different Power sources popping up all over the Land Without Magic, we had assumed they were from Zordon, but I'm wondering… could they be students of Zordon. The Solar Rangers… they've been seen all over the Land Without Magic and they do wield great Power… and I can't find them in the Land Without Magic… maybe they were Zordon's students, found the planet, cast the spell, and were caught up in it"
"Let's hope so" Reul said "we do not need another Zordon running around"
Land Without Magic
"You wouldn't believe the politics of Eltar" Zordon said "Zel stepped down as Guardian, so Zophram was made Supreme Guardian. Apparently, the Eltarian Council of Elders do not like Zartus too much, as rather than promoting him to Chief Guardian, they brought in another Eltarian named Zoltar, gave him the Bronze Guardians Powers and made him Chief Guardian. Anyways, what was on planet Zeo?" and the Morphing Masters told him what happened
"You did what?!" Zordon asked
"It was the only way" the Red Morphing Master said "we knew we had to do something immediately and we didn't know when you'd be back. Besides you can just undo it now, right?"
"No, I can't!" Zordon said "if I could undo realm altering spells, I'd bring back the Land of Magic and the New Land of Magic. And I can't even travel to the Void to help them, I'm completely locked out! I'll try and fix this… but it will most likely take millennia. You also most likely have alerted the Original Powers to your existence, so you should go into hiding for now. Now I'm gonna go to Earth's Moon and reinforce the protection spell, to make sure no one can get to the Zeo Crystal"
7835 BC - Eltar
"We can't keep fighting these endless wars" Zophram said "we need to go and get the Zeo Crystal"
"Zordon said we can't" Zoltar said "we're not even supposed to know about it, Zordon let it slip. Besides the Council of Elders forbid it"
"If Zordon doesn't want us getting it, he should actually be here helping" Zophram said "screw the Elders, I'm going to get the Crystal, who's with me?"
"I'm in" Zartus said
"If you're both going, I will go as well" Zoltar said "but for the record, I don't like it"
"Noted" Zophram said
Earth's Moon
The Guardians of Eltar are about to enter the basement to Bandora's Palace, but all of a sudden Zartus is shot
"Assassins!" Zoltar said "Dark Specter must have sent them here to get the Zeo Crystal once we get by the protection spell. Zophram go, I'll hold them off" Zophram goes into the caves underneath the palace and sees the Zeo Crystal
"Finally" Zophram thought "we can end this war against Dark Specter once and for all. The Elders will realize I was right all along, I will be honored, I will be…" and as he goes to reach the Zeo Crystal the protection spell sets off and electrocutes him, burning his skin off. Zoltar, who had recently defeated the last of the assassins, hears Zophram's screams and goes to his aid. Seeing the condition he was in, Zoltar saw there was nothing he could do for his friend and cast a spell to lessen the pain and left. When he returned he saw there was nothing left of Zartus, one of the assassins had a disintegration blaster, which must have hit Zartus in the fight. He realizes he must return to Eltar and tell the Council of what happened
Eltar
"So both Zophram and Zartus are dead?" Zel asked
"That is correct" Zoltar said
"And they died on a mission we expressly forbid you to go on?" Zel asked
"That is also correct" Zoltar said
"Do you have anything to say for yourself?" Zel asked
"No" Zoltar said
"Then you are dismissed… Supreme Guardian Zoltar" Zel said
"Wait, what?" Zoltar asked
"We saw the security recordings after you left" Zel said "I thought I taught Zophram better than to conspire in front of security cameras… but anyways, we saw you resisted going, only went to ensure your team was safe, and you did not throw your deceased team mates under the bus when you had the chance, all the makings of someone we want as Supreme Guardian"
M51 Galaxy
"How's the patient doing, Dad?" Rito asked
"He'll make it" Master Vile said
"So you want me to go get the Zeo Crystal?" Rito asked "it can't burn my skin off"
"No" Vile said "it would probably kill you instead. No, we're going to have to wait until someone pure of heart takes the Zeo Crystal"
"Can't we just take someone's heart and force them to do it?" Rito asked
"No" Vile said "to be pure of heart, you actually have to have a heart" Vile said "nor can we blackmail someone into doing, because then their intent won't be pure, but we will be keeping an eye on it"
"Master Vile" a doctor said "the patient is conscious"
"Good work, doctor" Vile said as he goes and sees the patient "so how are you doing, Zophram?"
"This is all Zordon's fault!" Zophram said "he let it 'slip' that the Zeo Crystal was on Earth's Moon. What a fool I was, Zordon doesn't let things slip. This was a trap, I see that now, Zordon wanted me dead. I will have my revenge for what he did to me. My name is no longer Zophram… it is now…"
"Lord Zedd"
