Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers, they belong to the current copyright holder. This is a work of fanfiction and no profit is being made from it.
Revelations of the Grid
Once upon a time, in a village in India, there lived six blind men. They had heard of elephants but had never encountered one. One day, they heard that an elephant was passing through their village. Excited to experience the creature they had only heard about, they decided to find it and learn what it was like.
The blind men reached the elephant, which was standing quietly in the village square. Each man approached the elephant to understand its nature.
The first blind man, who touched the elephant's side, exclaimed, "The elephant is like a wall! It's large and flat."
The second blind man, feeling the elephant's tusk, disagreed, "No, the elephant is like a spear! It's hard and pointed."
The third blind man, holding onto the elephant's trunk, argued, "You're both wrong! The elephant is like a snake, long and flexible."
The fourth blind man, who grasped the elephant's leg, said, "You're all mistaken. The elephant is like a tree trunk, sturdy and round."
The fifth blind man, feeling the elephant's ear, chimed in, "None of you understand. The elephant is like a fan, wide and flapping."
The sixth blind man, who touched the elephant's tail, concluded, "You're all wrong. The elephant is like a rope, thin and swaying."
The blind men began to argue vehemently, each insisting that their perception of the elephant was correct. They couldn't agree because they were only experiencing a small part of the elephant and not the whole.
A wise passerby, who had been observing the scene, intervened. He explained to the blind men, "All of you are correct, but only partially. The elephant is indeed like a wall, a spear, a snake, a tree trunk, a fan, and a rope. But it is also much more than any single aspect you have described. To truly understand the elephant, you must consider all your perspectives together."
But what would have happened if that wise passerby had not been a good man? What would have happened if instead of telling them the truth he had instead agreed with only one of their views? Imagine if he had left them with a limited and incorrect understanding of what an elephant looked like and in doing so made it so much smaller and less significant than it was supposed to be.
The Morphin Masters had long departed for their new life inside the Morphin Grid. In that time their original thoughts, ideas and teachings had faded. They became myths and legends, not real people. So spoke of them as the Gods of the Morphin Grid for a time before questioning if they had ever really existed at all. It was only the voyage of their descendants passing from one side of the cosmos to a distant world where they planned to hide two powerful objects known as the Power Eggs, that the tales of the Morphin Masters emerged once more. The journey was long and dangerous. There were many stops along the way and new worlds were settled for a few generations while they prepared for the next stage of their journey.
In one galaxy the colonies became a part of those that rediscovered the secrets of the Morphin Grid, although what they discovered was only a part of what had been known before. Although their history would be a rolling tide of order and chaos, destruction and creation, good and evil... who knew how far their discoveries would take them?
And across the universe, other galaxies unlocked their own secrets of the Morphin Grid. It was not always the same knowledge or the same amount of knowledge. Some barely tapped the surface of what the Grid could offer, while others tried to learn all that they could. But despite ambition dedication, and greed... they were trying to understand the nature of something as vast as the Power while only touching a small part of it. And if the universe had been capable, perhaps it would have wished for someone to remind them what the passerby said to the blind men.
But the universe did not work in such a way and the knowledge of how much continued to evade them. In some places, the understanding of the Morphin Grid remained lost to time. It was only when a door of light opened and a being emerged wearing a red suit of armour with a green cloak and a long staff that things changed. On the world known as Chromia, he emerged to teach his lesson of the Morphin Grid to those willing to listen. He didn't ask for their loyalty or payment, only that they listen and perhaps remember his offered words.
"There is a force in the universe, an energy beyond anything that your science can replicate. It is called the Morphin Grid and you have seen its power. You have witnessed what happens when energy from the Grid leaks into this dimension - for it manifests as the phenomenon you call magic. But although magic is potent, it pales in comparison to the power that the Grid can offer.
"I am Trazedor, a Morphin Master; one of those that became one with the Morphin Grid long ago. It was from within the Grid that we unlocked its secrets. We have watched over you, we always will, and in times of darkness, we are sworn to emerge and offer our aid. We know of your struggle, of the dark forces that have invaded this galaxy and its neighbours... and I have been sent to teach you the secrets of the Morphin Grid."
And although he stood - floated - upon a single planet, his words were heard and his vision was seen across countless worlds, drawing the attention of the good people who fought to defend their planets from evil.
"Behold the Power Crystals!" he said holding aloft great chunks of crystal carved with the shapes of creatures. "The Morphin Grid is a strange construct. It has two sides: one of light energy pure and good, the other dark and corrupted. And the Light Side is split into levels representing the Body, the Mind, the Spirit and the Soul. Each level is subdivided into twelve shades: Red, Yellow, Pink, Blue, Black, Green, Purple, Grey, Gold, Silver, Brown and Orange. Where level and colour intersect lies a guardian spirit willing to lend its power to worthy avatars. Fifty guardians for those that they judge as suitable."
As he spoke the crystals flashed with different colours, the beasts depicted on them illuminated for a moment, triggering a reaction in the hearts and minds of those watching.
"These Power Crystals are our gift to the good people of your galaxy. They will be planted here, at this place where they will grow and renew continuously. Seek them out if you heard their call, claim the power that they hold and use them to fight back against the darkness. Claim them and if your intentions are true... you may become warriors of the Morphin Grid."
And then his words said, he departed. But in the short duration of his visit, he had caused a massive change. On worlds far and wide the knowledge that there was a Morphin Grid, of its structure and power, had been revealed. Ships departed for Chromia to harvest the promised crystals while the forces of darkness sought out the planet to claim its power for their own purposes. And of those who had looked and listened only a few had stopped to question why the numbers failed to add up.
Time passed, as it was prone to do. The war between good and evil intensified. Both sides sought the power that Trazedor had revealed, but neither force could discover the location. The idea that they would just strip mine the planet and then hand out the crystals was not what Trazedor had wanted, so their fleets failed to find the planet where he had stood. The tiny crystals he had made a part of Chromia flourished in underground caves spreading waves of harmony across the planet.
And when Trazedor was satisfied that things had taken root and would continue without him, he reached out for beings he could trust and guided them to Chromia. They were generals in the war against evil. Wise, brave and honourable. They led their troops in combat and protected the weak from the oppression and darkness that threatened them.
The generals travelled to Chromia, guided by his will. When they arrived he greeted them once more and told them of their new tasks. Three generals each received one of the crystals he had offered as a demonstration to the galaxy. One was handed the Crystal of the Body, the second the Crystal of the Mind, and the third was handed custody of the Crystal of Spirit. The three were bidden to take the crystals and to install them in temples where their powers could be bestowed upon those that were compatible. In generations to come the Three Great Generals would become legends in their own right.
The fourth crystal was not offered to those who remained. It remained concealed from those who asked about its location as Trazedor revealed that it could not be possessed in the same way as the other three. Instead, each of those that he had invited to Chromia, but had not been given one of the three Power Crystals to protect was offered a different gift. One received the location of a forge where he could build the weapons that would allow those following him to stand against the warriors of darkness. One was shown the location of scrolls detailing how the powers that Trazedor could be fully unlocked and how instead of sharing the power of a single large crystal among many, many soldiers, it was possible for a single being to use a much smaller crystal found on Chromia to create a personal link to the Power.
Another general, aged and on the brink of retirement, was offered the sacred duty to watch over Chromia. He was tasked to test those that came to seek a crystal and should they prove worthy, allow them to take a crystal for themselves.
Trazedor handed out his gifts along with a task for each of the remaining generals, repeating his message about the nature of the Morphin Grid and its power. They would be the ones to establish the belief in the Power, to raise the understanding of those who had grown ignorant and to lead a new generation of Morphin Masters outside of the Morphin Grid.
He watched over the galaxy as the new belief spread. He saw the rise of the new Morphin Masters and the establishment of their temples. He was pleased to see their armies transformed into Rangers, drawing energy from one of the three Power Crystals. It was exactly how he had envisioned it and as he gave his work a final glance before departing, he allowed himself a mischievous chuckle.
Aeons later the revelations of Trazedor had taken hold on the galaxy and its neighbours. The number of Rangers had swelled through the ages forcing the new Morphin Masters to find suitable warriors to elevate to the role of masters. They developed ways to identify the traits and strengths of each of the beasts, and the personalities most likely to become their avatars. Morphin Colleges emerged on worlds as those with similar beasts came together with those they considered like-minded to train in the things they held to be important to their role as Rangers. Academies allowed prospective students - for it had become clear that being a Ranger was for the younger generation - to learn the core values of the Morphin Masters before studying their own piece of the Power in depth.
On some worlds, those who were not deemed to possess a suitable connection to the spirit animals were instead required to serve five years as part of the Guardians. With armour provided by one of the Morphin Masters taught to craft armour and weapons, they formed a secondary line of defence against those that would invade their planets. Indeed it seemed at times the difference between a Ranger and a Guardian was that the Guardians required armour for protection while the Rangers drew upon the Power to create robes shielded by magic. And while Guardians seemed to never leave their worlds during their service, Rangers had all the fun.
But events on Chromia would lead to a change. The first candidates deemed worthy of questing for their own personal crystals had emerged. Long after the first Rangers, ten identified by Chromia's instructors as being suitable were invited to quest. Of the ten six succeeded and emerged with a small piece of crystal shaped like a lightning bolt. And with those crystals, they were taught to create the complex circuits needed to direct the flow of the energy through a template to determine the form that their uniforms would take.
Unlike previous Rangers, those who completed the trials on Chromia possessed suits of protective fabric designed to be functional and easy to move in. The template provided them with weapons instead of upgrading those they normally carried. And the helmets shaped to resemble the sacred beast they had bonded with, protected them from injuries. These Rangers were different from those that had come before: they drew upon a personal link to the Morphin Grid instead of a shared link through one of the three Power Crystals. Though fewer in number they were stronger, faster and better protected. They were Power Rangers.
When the first Power Rangers joined the fight against evil they made a difference. They became the leaders of those who did not possess a personal connection. The Morphin Masters promoted from the ranks of Rangers declared that they made no distinction between the groups. The war stumbled on Rangers died, more replaced them, and evil slowly grew ever stronger.
Of the generals chosen by Trazedor who had introduced them to the secrets of the Morphin Grid, some had been given the secrets of how to infuse the power of the sacred beasts into powerful machines. Only Power Rangers could sustain such weapons in combat, but against the growing tide of giant monsters, they made the difference.
More time, more change. A new evil had risen and gained a foothold. The forces of good had been holding on, but the villains they faced grew stronger. The Rangers and their masters had been dealt a crippling blow when the enemy had located the three Power Crystals and destroyed the temples housing them. Doing so cut the Rangers' link to the Power Crystals forcing them to draw on the power of the Morphin Grid directly. It was possible, but those who managed to do so were not as strong as they had once been.
The Guardians suffered a similar setback, losing the energy that enhanced their armour. Luckily their armour was still strong and durable enough in combat that their training and skills compensated for the loss of the Grid's protection.
And then the news hit that Chromia had been ransacked, the crystals hidden beneath its surface stolen or corrupted. There would be no more Power Rangers using the crystals grown there.
There were billions of worlds in the galaxy, more in those close by. Only a fraction of those worlds had Rangers. Fewer still had ever seen a Power Ranger and would likely never see one. Evil was growing stronger drawn toward the light that opposed them and the number of Rangers was starting to fall; without the Power Crystals to simplify the process, becoming a Ranger took more training and more time was wasted on candidates that would never achieve a connection.
For the Power Rangers, there was some good news: Trazedor had provided the knowledge of how to transfer the connection forged by one of the crystals taken from Chromia with another being deemed both compatible and worthy. Generations of teams were able to rebuild their ranks by seeking out replacements.
The Guardians recognised the shift and the dangers it created. They realised that with the number of Rangers falling, evil would grow stronger unless they took a more active approach. The Guardians began to intervene in the affairs of other worlds, preventing evil from gaining a foothold. With their ranks filled with armoured Guardians and conscripted soldiers, they sought to find the worlds likely to fall to evil and step in before the darkness could strike.
Finally, an alternative to using the crystals beneath Chromia was discovered: small coins made of magical gold obtained from a secret vein in a hidden world. When the gold was mixed with fragments of the crystals obtained from Chromia, they were capable of drawing energy from one of the sacred beasts. The new Power Coins replaced the use of crystals in the transformation devices, a move that actually simplified their construction. It also allowed more Power Rangers to exist as only a small amount of crystal was needed for the mix. However, the number of Power Rangers was still lower than the number of Rangers due to the need to prove suitability before the connection would be forged. Eventually, it was announced that the gold had run out. A final batch was produced and the galaxy had to accept there would be no additional Power Rangers even some suggested melting down the unused coins and reforging them with a different connection - for it seemed there were some sacred animals that had never accepted potential avatars.
The temples that held one of the three Power Crystals had been lost, but the other temples remained. Manned by Rangers and those aspiring to be Rangers, each served as a place where the commanders of the new organisation, the new bearers of the title Morphin Masters, could direct their forces. New temples were built on worlds across the galaxy, allowing the Rangers to provide a better defence. Worlds in danger of invasion were prioritised, and assistance was provided to neighbouring galaxies when possible. It had to be accepted that even though there were more Rangers and Power Rangers than before there were too many worlds to assign a team of Rangers, or in some cases just a single Ranger. And as time passed the missions given to Power Rangers placed more and more under the guidance of the Morphin Masters, leading to only a few worlds being able to boast of having a Power Ranger of their own.
Two figures stood, observing the material plane. One was shrouded in shadows, his features unrecognisable except for the glowing red eyes. The other was Trazedor, the Morphin Master who had revealed the existence and nature of the Morphin Grid to a new generation of Morphin Masters and those that followed them. They had watched as the events Trazedor had set in motion had unfolded. Millions of years, generations of Rangers and Power Rangers. The Light continued to shine in the galaxy as not far beyond their borders, the darkness grew.
"You have done well, Trazedor," the hidden figure acknowledged. "You have given access to the Morphin Grid and the hope that they can use its gifts to sustain against the forces of evil. And in doing so they have accepted your truth about the nature of the Grid, about the limitations of its power. You have blinkered them to the power available to them because they have thrown their beliefs behind the fifty sacred beasts. And to do so, you have told them the truth, just not the whole truth."
The Great Generals that Trazedor had selected had passed on. The were rumours that they had chosen a student to continue their work, a master of his art that was not limited by old age and the possibility of death. The other generals had likewise passed on, leaving their teaching to their disciples, having recorded their knowledge for future generations. Some of the secrets he had shared had yet to be revealed to the wider galaxy.
"The other Morphin Masters will not be pleased if they discovered what I have done," Trazedor conceded. "But I made my decision and will fulfil my pledge to you. The Morphin Masters were misguided to think those they left behind could stand against the darkness without our guidance. This will just prove them wrong."
"There is still time, they may surprise you. I doubt it," the dark figure said. "For now you have completed your task. Return to the Morphin Grid. I will call on you when you are needed again."
Trazedor bowed and vanished back into the Morphin Grid as the figure continued to look out over existence. The Morphin Grid was an important part of the war between good and evil, a tool available to both sides of the conflict. Limiting the understanding of the Grid and the possibilities it presented shifted the balance in favour of the other side. It was a small part of the strategy that would see the light across the cosmos extinguished forever.
End
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