Chapter 17: The Grid
7900 BC - Eltar - Land Without Magic
The Eltarians from the Land of Magic had resettled into the Land Without Magic. The Eltarian High Council was not happy with Zordon because of the spell he cast, but couldn't do anything about it, they had ordered him to do it.
Zordon himself is questioning whether or not he did the right thing. He wasn't sure it was when he did it, but if he hadn't Eltar would have been destroyed. With Mother Gothel managing to partially replicate his spell and drain the magic from the New Land of Magic, he is even less sure. And while Nimue has been banished and can't interfere in Eltarian affairs anymore, most of her generals are here, in the Land Without Magic and are amassing their forces, conquering the Land Without Magic's equivalent of their territories from the Land of Magic. It turns out his spell only drained a person's inherent magic, but not magic from objects, so items like magic wands still work. Sooner or later, Nimue's generals would turn their attention to Eltar. And with the Eltarian's natural magic drained, they would be all but defenseless and his spell would truly be for nothing.
However, Zordon had been developing one more spell, one that would drain nearly all his magic, but one that would help the inhabitants of the Land Without Magic defend themselves, as well as those in the New Land Without Magic, along with those throughout the Omniverse that lacked magic. He spent the last several hundred years developing this spell and gathering the ingredients.
Zordon casts the spell, creating a universal energy field that transcends the Omniverse, intertwining itself with existence itself. It would allow anyone with access to it to gain extraordinary powers and could even be used as a power source. He would have to regulate access to it carefully, it was created to be easy to use once you had access, so anyone could use it, so you didn't need years of training to be able to fight an army of monsters, but that also meant if it ever fell into the wrong hands… he really needed to be sure it didn't fall into the wrong hands. But for now it was good and would be used for good. He called it…
The Morphing Grid
Hall of Legends
"So… it looks like Zordon cast another spell…" Ninjor said
"What?!" Poseidon exclaimed
"What did he do this time?" Zeus asked
"He created a universal energy field that transcends the Omniverse, intertwining itself with existence itself" Simultaneous said "it will be called the Morphing Grid"
"And how do you know this, Lord Simultaneous?" Lady Sora asked
"I've been to the future" Simultaneous said
"Right, sorry" Sora said "I'm still getting used to the idea of time travel"
"What are the consequences of this, Lord Simultaneous?" Daimyo asked
"From what I can tell you" Simultaneous said "it is a good thing this was done. It will create a whole new team, no, teams, of heroes. I believe it will accomplish what the Holy Grail, allow people to protect themselves rather than relying on us. It does not grant anywhere near the unlimited power the Holy Grail did, but enough that one may defend oneself without significant training"
"I do like the sound of that" Reul said
"What about Zordon?" Merlin asked
"Zordon should still be apprehended" Zeus said "he's casting irreversible spells that impact not just one universe, but the Omniverse as a whole. He needs to be stopped. He's gotten lucky so far, if he tries anything like that again, he could destroy the Omniverse"
M51 Galaxy - Land Without Magic
"Why hello Zordon" Master Vile said "nice of you to drop in. And it appears you are far weaker than normal. Not sure why you decided to pick a fight in a weakened state, but I'm not going to complain, I'll take any chance I can to get my daughter back and to kill you"
"I cast the most powerful spell I've ever cast" Zordon said "and probably the most powerful spell I ever will cast. I had just enough magic left to create this" and he shows Master Vile a coin with a Z on it (the Zyuranger symbol)
"You used the last of your magic to create a coin?" Vile asked "this should be easy, Tengas, seize him!"
"Not the last of my magic" Zordon said as the Tenga Warriors approach him "it will come back, in time. And this is no ordinary coin" and he pulls out a gold device and inserts the coin into it
"It's over, Zordon" Vile said as the Tengas are upon him
"IT'S MORPHIN TIME!" Zordon said "LEGEND RED!" and he gains a red suit (AkaRed from Super Sentai). He fights off the Tenga Warriors, destroying them with ease
"What have you become?" Vile asked
"I'm the very first Power Ranger" Zordon said "the Red Legend Ranger"
"No matter, I can tell you're still nowhere near your previous power level, so you still can't take me on" Vile said
"WILD ACCESS!" the Red Legend Ranger said "BLAZING LION! ANIMARIUM ARMOR! RED SAVAGE WARRIOR POWER UP!" and Zordon transformed into another Red Ranger and summoned additional armor on top of that. Master Vile blasts the Red Legend Ranger "Falcon Shield" and the blast gets deflected "Falcon Shield, power down. ANIMARIUM ARMOR, FALCON BLAST!" and he sends a blast of energy at Master Vile
"You'll pay for this Zordon of Eltar!" Vile said and he uses his wand to teleport away
Hall of Legends
"So that's what the Morphing Grid does?" Reul asked
"Indeed" Simultaneous said
"This… this could be very helpful" Zeus said "the ability to grant limited powers to individuals that can also be easily can be taken away"
"But he transformed into another Ranger" Merlin said "did Zordon make multiple power sets?"
"No" Simultaneous replied "he tapped into another Ranger's Powers, one that hasn't even been invented yet. The Morphing Grid doesn't just transcend space, but time as well"
"Can all Ranger Powers do that?" Sora asked
"No" Simultaneous said "that's Zordon's special secret, although I believe he can only access other Red Ranger's Powers, not just any power set. Most Ranger Powers require you to use some sort of specific magic and/or technology to access them and you only get access to them. To access another Ranger's Power you'd need their Morpher or something derived from them anyway, like a key"
"Morpher?" Daimyo asked
"A device used to access the Morphing Grid" Simultaneous explained "Zordon's specific power set requires both a Power Coin, which he uses to access the Morphing Grid, and a Power Morpher, which he uses to filter down the energy to a level that a body can sustain"
"Zordon needs to filter down the Power?" Zeus asked
"Probably not, no" Simultaneous said "but he's often shown to cover up the amount of power he actually has, so it's probably part of the act. Heck, he invented the Morphing Grid, he may not even need the Power Coin either. My Powers are not nearly as impressive as his, although they do provide time travel"
"Your Powers?" Ursula asked
"Oh, right, yes" Simultaneous said and he rolled up his sleeve to show a device strapped to his wrist "this is the Omega Legend Morpher. Can only transform into one form, but it does provide time travel"
"When did you make that?" Sora asked
"In the future" Simultaneous said
"I keep forgetting that" Sora said
"Wait, wait, wait" Ninjor said "did you say Power Morpher and Coins?"
"Yes I did" Simultaneous said
"I was working on Power Morphers and Coins!" Ninjor said "I thought my temple has been disturbed recently, but I wasn't sure, my magic wasn't able to detect anything… but Zordon must have copied my plans! That makes me so angry"
"It being Zordon explains why you couldn't detect the intruder" Merlin said "he's been known to be difficult to detect or track with magic"
"You were working on Morphers, Ninjor?" Reul asked
"Yes" Ninjor said "I thought I could use them to create the next generation of ninja, but I could never quite get them to work, they needed a power source"
"And Zordon provided you one" Simultaneous said "you should be able to get them to work now. Bring what you have to the Enchanted Forest and I'll help you channel the energy for the Morphing Grid"
"Why the Enchanted Forest?" Ninjor asked
"It has an abundance of magic there" Simultaneous said "you don't need magic to create Morphers, Zordon created his in the Land Without Magic, the showoff, but it's very helpful"
The Enchanted Forest - Fairy Tale Realm
Ninjor lays out seven coins around himself and Lord Simultaneous
"Hmm, I recognize most of these" Simultaneous said "a tyrannosaurus, a mastodon, a triceratops, a saber-tooth tiger, a pterodactyl, the 2k3 Foot's symbol"
"That's a dragon's foot, what in the world is the 2k3 Foot?" Ninjor asked
"You'll find out later" Simultaneous said "but what's with the N"
"N is for Ninjor" Ninjor said
"You want to be a Ranger too?" Simultaneous asked
"Of course" Ninjor said
"Are you ready to begin?" Simultaneous asked
"Ready" Ninjor said and Lord Simultaneous guided him through using the Enchanted Forest's magic to tie the Power Coins to the Morphing Grid "I think it worked"
"It did" Simultaneous said
"And I thank you for that" Nimue said as she grabbed the Dragon Power Coin
"Nimue" Simultaneous said "hand it over, only someone worthy can use it"
"I'll find someone to use it" Nimue said
"How did Zordon put it?" Ninjor asked as he grabbed his Power Coin "IT'S MORPHIN TIME! THERE'S NO NEED TO FEAR NINJOR IS HERE!" as he transformed into a form that was quite different from Zordon, blue and more armored, less spandex.
"SPD, EMERGENCY!" Simultaneous said "FORCE FROM THE FUTURE, OMEGA LEGEND RANGER!" and he transformed into a White Ranger (the Future Omega Ranger from Power Rangers Super Legends). Ninjor ran at Nimue with his sword while Lord Simultaneous grabbed the other Power Coins.
"While I'd love to stay and fight boys, even I'm not foolish enough to fight two Original Powers that have just gained additional power" and she twirls her hand and vanishes in black smoke
"I'm gonna kill her" Ninjor said
"Relax, Ninjor" Simultaneous said "let's go find Merlin, he can force her to return it with the Dark One's Dagger. He should be in Camelot" and they teleport away
Camelot
"You two really should've put up a protection spell or something" Merlin said
"Yes, yes" Simultaneous said "hindsight is 20/20"
"What does that even mean?" Ninjor asked
"You'll get that part later" Merlin and Simultaneous said simultaneously. Merlin pulls out the Dark One's Dagger
"Dark One, I summon thee" Merlin said and Nimue appears "Dark One, please hand over the Dragon Power Coin" and she does and Merlin feels somethings not right "the actual one"
"It's actually there" Nimue said
"Please hand over the Dragon Power Coin that was just forged by Ninjor" Merlin said with a sigh
"Oh, that one" Nimue said "I gave it to someone else"
"Who?" Merlin asked
"Loriyan" Nimue said
"And where is he now?" Merlin asked
"No idea" Nimue said "I told him to hide with the Power Coin where even I couldn't find him, so you couldn't use the Dagger to force me to hand it over"
"You're getting better at this" Merlin said "since you won't be any help, begone, Dark One" and she teleports away "Loriyan must be somewhere in this realm. I'll see if I can find where he's from, then we should be able to find something of his and fashion a tracking spell"
The Enchanted Forest
"Loriyan" Nimue said "please return my Power Coin. Merlin won't think to check back with me"
"Did you think I would just hand over something so powerful?" Loriyan asked "DRAGON!" and he morphed into the Green Ranger
"Everyone makes mistakes, Loriyan" Nimue said "mine was trusting a thief like you with such an important task. Yours was trying to double cross me… and trying to use a Power Coin without a Morpher to filter it. Hand over the Coin now"
"You lied to me, Dark One" Loriyan said "you said I couldn't use it, that I wasn't worthy, but as you can see, I can. The Coin is mine now. Dragon Dagger!" and he rushes at her as she sends a fireball at him, demorphing him "what?! The Coin should be more powerful than this"
"The Power Coins are some of the strongest weapons in the universe" Nimue said "it takes someone very special to wield it properly. Not to mention, without a Morpher, it will eat away at the life-force of all but the strongest individuals. You were doomed the moment you morphed.
"Dark One, please… forgive me" Loriyan said "I was merely tempted. Of course, I'll give you the Coin. Just, please… don't kill me"
"Loriyan, I won't kill you" Nimue said
"Oh, thank you… thank you" Loriyan said
"You wanted it so badly…" Nimue said "I'll ensure you can be with it forever" and she rips out his heart and pulls out two magic beans "Now Zordon has ensured I can't leave this realm, but I did manage to dig up a couple of magic beans" and she takes one bean and jams it into Loriyan's heart, making him cry out in pain "this will ensure I can control you across realms. Don't worry, the pain you're feeling will only last as long as the bean allows me to control you across realms… a week at most. Take the other bean and open a portal to the Land Without Magic, specifically Bandora's palace. Leave a note for Rita Repulsa to find, telling her about the Power Coin. Then go to the planet Breel and find the Temple of Repulsa, it should have made it from the Land of Magic. Seal yourself inside the temple with the Power Coin. Once you've sealed yourself inside, you may do what you wish. You can try to free yourself with the Coin, but I suspect that a second morph without a Morpher to filter the energy through will vaporize you instantly"
"No… no… please" Loriyan said
"You have your orders" Nimue said "now follow them" Loriyan tries to resist, but he's forced to open a portal and jump through
Hall of Legends
"I was unable to track Loriyan down" Merlin said "I found an object that belongs to him, but a locator spell doesn't work on it. He's either dead or in another realm"
"Great" Ninjor said "Nimue probably had a bean that she couldn't use herself and gave it to him and told him to pick any realm to travel to, but not to tell her. How do we find the Coin now?"
"We don't" Simultaneous said "if anyone tries to activate the Coin, we should know"
"But someone did" Ninjor said
"But it failed rather quickly" Simultaneous said "the person either wasn't worthy and/or shaved several decades off of their life trying to use it without a Power Morpher. If someone actually tries to use a Power Coin, that's not something that can be kept quiet, we will know fairly quickly"
"Do not worry, Lord Ninjor" Nyx said "this is part of the Dragon Power Coin's fate. It will be used for evil for a time but it will find its way back to the five others. A mighty team will be formed to fight a great evil"
"Very well" Ninjor said "the Morphing Grid will also allow me to finish another invention of mine, seven colossal machines that can be used to fight giant monsters, like the ones Nimue had taught Rita to make. They will sync up with the Dino Power Coins"
"Wait, wait, wait" Poseidon said "you said these machines will sync up with the Power Coins, but there's only six Dino Power Coins and there are seven machines"
"Yes" Ninjor said "six of these machines will the personal robot of each Power Coin, but the seventh will only work when all the Power Coins are working together"
"What do you call these machines, Ninjor?" Merlin asked
"Zords" Ninjor said "like him or not it is only through Zordon's work that I was able to get any of this to work, so it's only fair he gets the credit"
