Chapter Text
CHAPTER 0
2021
Edaward Lamb worked well into the late evening sun. His job as an archeologist was demanding, but fulfilling work. He had always had a drive to study the past, to figure out why and how things had happened. He supposed that was because, as he thought back to his past, his memories had just stopped. It was as if he had no life before a certain point.
The first memory he had was standing in the middle of a rocky field. He didn’t even know if Ed was his real name, it just rang in his head over and over, screaming at him. Ed lamented his blank memories deeply, before something snapped him from his drifting thoughts. A strange glow entered the periphery of his vision, prompting him to turn around. He found himself staring into a dark cavern that had recently been excavated.
Lamb stepped toward the mouth of the cavern, seeing a small, red beacon piercing the darkness. With only slight trepidation, Ed slid down a small hill of dirt, skidding to a stop at the bottom of the dip. He turned on his flashlight, but the beam did little to repel the shadows. Slowly, he stepped into the cavern, guided forward by the constant red point. Eventually, he neared a small rock formation emerging from the ground.
The red light grew more intense as Ed approached. When he got close enough, he could see that the light was emanating from a fragment of metal embedded in the rockface. Before he was even aware of his actions, he was reaching his hand out toward the exposed metal. He stared into the center, looking intently, sure that he’d see something. It was something he needed to do.
He looked past the red light, seeing nothing but a black void. He stared for what felt like an eternity. He was ready to give up and head back out, when he saw it. Red skin, the gleaming of metal, and that dark, crimson visor staring back at him, piercing his very soul. A shudder went up his spine and, before he could step back, the red light overtook him.
At first, he was afraid, seeing that red-skinned demon. But then he wasn’t, the fear left him, like a breath of air leaving his body. And it all came rushing back; the memories, his history. And he finally understood; the man staring back at him was no demon, it was him, from another time. He had just forgotten.
He felt it; felt the darkness returning in a wave, felt his body twist and change. And, when at last the light had faded, there stood a figure of red and silver; Ed Lamb no more. No, he remembered; he was Lord Zedd. With a crash, Zedd struck the rock face, before pulling free the object trapped within; he pulled free his Z-Staff, feeling its awesome power flow through his body. His body discharged red bolts of energy, causing the cave to rumble and collapse. Nearby archaeologists gathered, to watch in horror as the cave entrance collapsed.
“Was Ed in there?” One of the archeologists asked, before they saw a figure begin to emerge from the cloud of dust. But their relief was cut short when they saw the man standing before them. “Ed no more! I am Lord Zedd! Emperor of all I see!” He declared, as he raised his staff. Then, with a maniacal cackle, he shot a surge of crimson energy toward the group of humans, instantly incinerating them where they stood. Listening to their screams and watching the flames of their bodies dance off his visor, Zedd let out one final sigh of satisfaction, before disappearing in a burst of red lightning.
***
1000 BCE
Over one Thousand years ago, Lord Zedd sat atop his throne, gazing with all his hatred at the human he would one day become. “So much time lost to that miserable wizard! Not this time… I have some planning to do…” Zedd uttered with contempt in his voice. Even watching his future self reclaim his powers wasn’t enough to appease the Dark Lord. No, he wouldn’t lose like that, live in utter humiliation. He had time yet, to prevent this eventuality…
***
1998
Nearly one thousand years later, on board Astronema’s Dark Fortress, Astronema lays defeated, Ecliptor kneeling over her prone form. Zordon instructed the Red Space Ranger Andros to destroy his containment chamber, in order to defeat the forces of evil. Andros raised his Spiral Saber and prepared to swing at the cylindrical case, when he froze in his tracks. In a burst of red lightning, the visage of Lord Zedd appeared standing between Andros and Ecliptor. Even Ecliptor looked taken aback by this turn of events.
“Y-you’re…?” Andros utters in shock. “Yes, I am Lord Zedd! But you can call me your executioner!” Zedd growled. In an act of desperation, Andros once more swung his Saber at Zordon, but the blow was caught by Lord Zedd’s Z-Staff. Zedd knocked the Saber from Andros’ grasp, before blasting him with a sphere of crimson energy. Andros flew backwards, impacting the far wall, before landing on the ground with a thud.
“Andros!” Zordon calls out with worry. Zedd stepped up to Zordon’s containment chamber, looking the disembodied wizard in the eyes. “Ah, Zordon, so we meet again. The eons haven’t been kind.” Zedd uttered, holding his hand up for emphasis. “Lord Zedd, you won’t get away with this. The Power Rangers will persevere.” Zordon declared with confidence. “Zordon, you foo-” Zedd’s words were cut short when he saw something swing at him from the periphery of his vision and raised his staff just in time to block Ecliptor’s sword.
“Ecliptor, you fool.” Zedd spat. “This galaxy belongs to my mistress.” Came Ecliptor’s response. Ecliptor once more raised his sword and swung it at Zedd, who again blocked, this time returning the strike with one of his own, his staff charging with red lightning. Despite having gotten the first blow, Zedd forced Ecliptor backwards, placing him on the defensive. Ecliptor successfully defended against a number of Zedd’s strikes, before leaping backward and taking a ready stance.
Zedd looked past Ecliptor, at Astronema, still unconscious on the ground. “Oh, I see, how amusing! You’re still protecting that little wretch! The frightened child playing villain. Well, let me give you both a taste of what it truly means to be evil!” Zedd declared, aiming his staff outward toward Ecliptor. The staff flowed with red energy, gathering at the ‘Z’ at its tip, before letting loose a torrent of red lightning. Ecliptor did his best to block the lightning with his sword, but he was quickly overcome. The lightning passed through his body, causing him to let out a wail of agony.
As Ecliptor fell to his knees, he looked over and saw Zedd’s energy strike Astronema as well, seeing her shake and convulse on the ground. Suddenly something struck Zedd in the back, causing him to stagger and the lightning to cease. He turned around to see Andros, once more standing, Astro Blaster in hand. “How’d you like that, ugly?” He shouted at Zedd, who only growled in response. The circuitry on Ecliptor and Astronema, the augmentations amplifying their evil intent, began to spark, before shorting out.
Zedd raised his staff again, as Andros raised his blaster. But instead of firing at Zedd, Andros fired at Zordon’s containment chamber. The glass of the chamber shattered and a massive wave of energy shot outward, beginning to cover every corner of space it could reach, including the planets below. In an instant, the combating evil forces were reduced to ash, with some simply having the evil purged from their hearts. But when the beam neared Zedd, he stuck his staff into the ground, his body becoming surrounded in a red, electrified field.
The wave hit Zedd’s field and Zedd grunted against the force of Zordon’s Z-Wave. Ecliptor still knelt, placing his body between the wave and Astronema. Being positioned behind Zedd, Ecliptor managed to hold off a considerable degree of the energy, using his sword for protection. Soon, the wave died down, and there they stood, a shattered and empty case. He only hoped it had worked.
Andros was snapped back to attention by the maniacal laughter of Lord Zedd. “Hahaha! I’m still alive Ranger! Which is more than I can say for you in a matter of moments!” He declared, raising his staff in his hand. Suddenly a sword swung at him, forcing Zedd to block with his Z-Staff. He saw Ecliptor standing to his side. “You again?! You should have just stayed down!” “You should have just died!” The two villains exchanged.
Ecliptor backed off when Zedd’s staff began charging with energy, but Andros fired at him once more with his Astro Blaster. Zedd blocked the bolts with a field created by his staff, before firing a blast back at Andros. Andros rolled out of the way of the blast and looked up, as Ecliptor stepped back toward Zedd, the two of them exchanging blows with their metallic weapons. Holstering his blaster, Andros again conjured his Spiral Saber. Running in, Andros swung at Zedd, who ducked out of the way, holding his staff horizontally before him.
Andros and Ecliptor stood side by side, raising their blades. “Oh, how cute. The guardian and the brother, playing nice together!” Zedd said with all the venom he could muster. Both Andros and Ecliptor exchanged cursory glances, before running in toward Zedd. The two swung their blades, each countered by a flourish of Zedd’s staff. Zedd struck Andros, then Ecliptor, causing both to go flying back in a flurry of sparks.
They struggled to their knees, Andros scanning the room, only to see his Spiral Saber across the room. Zedd stepped toward him, pointing his staff down at Andros. “Goodbye, Red Ranger. Say hello to Zordon for me!” He said mockingly. But before he could blast Andros, a blast of purple energy struck Zedd in the chest, knocking him to the ground. Zedd quickly got to his feet, just as the others did, seeing Astronema, now awake and gripping her Wrath Staff.
Zedd sneered at the trio, before standing up straight and planting his staff into the ground. “You know what they say: Three’s company, four’s a crowd!” Zedd uttered, before vanishing in a display of surging, red electricity. Only mere moments after Zedd had left, Andros turned toward Astronema and Ecliptor, who made no move to raise their weapons against him. “Consider us even, Andros. Don’t come looking for me.” Astronema said, before the two vanished before his eyes. “Karone!” Andros shouted; but it was too late, his sister was gone once again…
CHAPTER 1
2018
The nearly desolate street rang out with a thunderous roar, as the Pink and Black Space Rangers, Cassie Chan and Carlos Vallerte respectively, were tossed against a nearby wall. Their impact was enough to crack the brickwork, before their bodies tumbled to the ground with a thud. A tall lanky man stood in the street, sneering in satisfaction at the downed Power Rangers. Under his widespread grin were a series of eight small tendrils along the length of his jaw. His skin was a gray peach in color and he possessed a large skull, with a series of three protruding bulbs down each side of his head.
The man, Demok Drin, wasn’t native to this planet. In fact, the Space Rangers had been tracking him for weeks, following a series of thefts across this sector of space. Demok turned his head to gaze behind him, just as the Blue and Yellow Space Rangers, T.J. Johnson and Ashley Hammond, took up positions behind him. His emerald green eyes shimmered faintly, as he raised his hand to waist level. “You should have minded your own business, Rangers. Now you’ll pay the price.” Yeah, like we haven’t heard that one before.” Ashley said with all the bravado she could muster.
The two Rangers withdrew their Astro Blasters, taking aim. But Drin raised his hand at that same moment and pulled his fingers back. In an instant, T.J. and Ashley’s weapons were stripped from their hands, pulled away by an unseen force. Next, Drin thrust his arm out and the Rangers were thrown hard against the parked vehicle behind them, enough to twist the metal frame. During this time, Cassie and Carlos were just beginning to recover and get to their feet, when they saw two other Rangers take up positions on either side of Drin, Red and Silver, Andros and Zhane.
“Silverizer!” “Spiral Saber!” Zhane and Andros declared in unison, as each materialized their signature bladed weapons. Running in toward Drin, swinging their weapons as hard and as fast as they could. But just moments before their weapons connected, their movements were halted. A shimmering field of psionic energy appeared encompassing Drin. And thrusting one hand all the way out to each side, he tossed the Red and Silver Rangers away from each other, and away from him.
The Rangers struggled to their feet, ready to regroup and continue their fight, Drin looking no less ready to continue their skirmish, when they noticed a man standing in the middle of the street, arms folded behind his back. “What are you doing, get out of here!” Andros tried to warn the man away emphatically, but the man didn’t move a muscle. “Relax, relax. I’m with Time Force.” “Time Force? So, another Ranger is it?” Drin declared, but the stranger continued on as if he wasn’t even there. “Wait, do we die in this fight?!” Carlos asks, worry creeping into his voice. “Ha, against THIS guy? Not a chance. I was actually just gonna to ask for YOUR help. But let’s take care of this first. “He explained in a slight Southern drawl, pointing dismissively at Drin with his thumb at the words ‘THIS guy’, earning an angry sneer from Drin himself.
“How dare you! I will not be ignored! One more Ranger or a hundred, it won’t change anything!” This earned a smirk from the Time Force Ranger, who looked at Andros. “Cocky SOB, ain’t he? Time for Time Force!” The man said as he held out his Chrono Morpher and was immediately enveloped in energy. When the energy finally began to retreat, the man was no longer clad in civilian clothes. No, now he was in a Silver Ranger uniform, the Silver Time Force Ranger.
“Chrono Blaster!” Time Force Silver called and drew his firearm, before taking aim and firing at Drin. Drin drew his arm inward and another car flew toward him, its underside blocking the blaster fire. He then sent a shockwave of psionic energy out, staggering the other Rangers nearby and sending the car flying at the Time Force Ranger. Silver, however, immediately materialized his bladed weapon and, in a single downward slice, cleaved the car in half. Each half continued past the Ranger, skidding to a stop behind him, while his feet remained planted.
With a skilled flourish of his blade, almost showing off as to intimidate his opponent, he aimed the tip toward Drin. “Chrono Saber!” The other Rangers now stood, each of them drawing and training their Astro Blasters at the criminal. “Give it up Drin! We have you surrounded.” Andros declared. Drin’s eyes shimmered, then faded, as he held his hand to his head. His psionic abilities were at their limit, Drin thought to himself, as his vision began to blur.
With one last burst of psionic energy, Drin cracked the ground, sending dust and debris into the air. Time Force Silver shot into the cloud, but only hit the wall behind where Drin was standing. When the dust began to clear, they saw that he had fled the battlefield. “He ducked down the alley!” The nearest Ranger, Cassie declared, pointing toward the alleyway near where Drin had once stood. “Cut him off, I’ll follow!” Time Force Silver said, as he immediately ran forward, heading down the alley toward Drin.
Cassie, Zhane and Carlos had run in one direction, while Andros, Ashley and T.J. ran in the opposite direction, hoping to catch him off guard. Drin had a head start, but the Time Force Ranger was determined. And, within seconds of entering pursuit, Drin once more came into Silver’s sights. The two of them neared the other end of the alley and, just a moment after Drin emerged on the other side, he turned around and two vehicles flew toward the mouth of the alley, before erupting in a violent explosion. Drin stared confidently at the inferno, ready to turn and flee, before his face suddenly dropped.
The Silver Time Force Ranger leapt through the flames, landing before Drin, his blaster and blade both drawn. “Give it up, it’s over Drin.” “So, I see the Space Rangers need help taking me down!” Drin commented snidely. “Need help? Please, I chose this moment because you’re so unimportant, I don’t risk altering events of any real significance. You’re a footnote, Drin!” Silver retorted and Drin let out an angry shout, before raising his hands. In response, Silver let loose a series of blaster fire, forcing Drin to erect his psychic shield once again, deflecting the blaster bolts. Silver ran toward Drin while firing, quickly closing the gap.
Once Silver was in range, he slashed at Drin’s shield with his saber, striking at it repeatedly, until it began to flicker and weaken. Drin dropped his shield and thrust a hand out, trying to toss the Silver Ranger backwards, but Silver stuck his saber into the ground, only sliding a few inches. Silver then made an upward arcing slash and Drin erected his forcefield, but it immediately faded upon impact, causing Drin to stagger. Silver raised his blaster once again and fired, hitting Drin in the shoulder and causing him to fall to the ground, on his back.
Silver slowly walked up the downed Drin, who sneered up at him with contempt, gripping his shoulder. “Go ahead, take me in! They’ll never be able to hold me!” Silver demorphed, his saber vanishing with his suit. But in his hand, he still held his blaster, which he aimed at Drin’s head. “Sorry, that’s not how your story ends.” Silver uttered with a cold indifference, causing Drin’s eyes to widen in surprise and realization. And then he fired, burning a hole through Demok Drin’s skull, watching calmly as the criminal’s body went limp, and the light faded from his eyes.
***
The Silver Time Force Ranger was standing, unmorphed, when the Space Rangers arrived. Looking down, they spotted Drin, dead on the ground. The turmoil over, they demorphed back into their civilian clothes. “Is there somewhere we can talk more privately?” The Time Force Ranger asked, the sounds of local emergency services heard in the distance. After a moment of hesitation, Andros nodded in agreement.
The group of Rangers headed back to the Astro Megaship, save for Carlos, who remained behind to speak with the local authorities. “Thanks again for the help.” Ashley said. “It’s no problem. But, like I said before, it’s I who needs your help. My apologies, let me introduce myself. I’m Ben Mitchell. And it’s an honor to meet you all.” He said, offering his hand. He first shook Ashley’s hand, then moved to each of the others, acquainting himself with the team. When Carlos returned to the ship, Ben greeted the Black Ranger as well.
Once Carlos had returned, Andros took the ship out of the planet’s atmosphere, establishing a stable orbit above Planet Ebos. With that done, the Rangers, including newcomer Ben, gathered in a room designated as the ship’s meeting area. Taking a seat at a large, metallic table, Ben faced the other Rangers. “So, what do you need us for?” Andros asked succinctly. “I need you to help me find a morpher.” Came Ben’s response.
“What kind of morpher?” T.J. asked curiously. “We called it the Tempus Morpher. It was an attempt to create a more versatile connection to the morphing grid. Unfortunately, it was lost during an experiment and sent back in time.” Ben explained. “Where do we even begin to look?” Zhane asked. “Oh, we know where it is. Unfortunately, it attracts some… undue attention. In the new timeline we’ve created, several teams of Power Rangers attempt to retrieve it. But ultimately, it falls into the hands of the forces of evil.” Ben adds, with a somber edge to his voice. The Space Rangers look somewhat despondent at news that they ultimately fail in their mission, but quickly shake it off.
“So where is it?” Cassie asked. “Earth.” Ben responded succinctly. “Wait… if it’s on Earth, surely there are closer Ranger teams. Why us?” Ashley asked. “Because, at this point in time, your team is the one momentarily free of any mission which, left unattended, would threaten to alter the timeline. We have to go in and grab it before any other Rangers are distracted.” His answer seemed to satisfy them. “Okay. Earth then.” Andros nodded in agreement.
“Do you know WHERE on Earth it might be?” Carlos asked. “I know the general area. Before the morpher was lost, our systems detected an unusually high concentration of morphing grid energy. We believe this is what destabilized our systems. But using our last readout, we’ve triangulated the area down to several square kilometers.” Carlos nodded. “Okay then. Just get us close and we’ll find it.” He said confidently. Ben just nodded at him, as he stood up, walking over to Andros. When he approached, Andros stood as well.
“I have a very serious question to ask…” Ben said, in almost a whisper. “What is it?” Andros looked concerned. “Where does a guy get a bite to eat on this ship?” Ben suddenly said more loudly. Most of the Rangers groaned or rolled their eyes, but Ashley and Zhane chuckled at the joke. Andros shot him a bemused smile, as he waved for Ben to follow him. “C’mon, I’ll show you where our Cynthitrons are located.”
