The dankness of the stone walls mattered little to their traveler. Her bat-like wings twitched slightly behind her, but the snake-scaled demoness known as Vypra cared little of the wet cold of Skull Castle. She had found something with which to both eliminate the Lightspeed Rangers and her own 'allies'. The problem was, in order to have the needed forces to get it, she would have to get the aid of those she most detested.

Stepping into the main chamber of the castle, Vypra was pleasently greeted by the sight of Diabolico being chasted by Bansheera yet again. That made the point of her own discovery even more enjoyable. "If I may," she interupted, getting a glare from the demon queen. "I believe that I have found something which should bring us great advantage in our battle with the humans."

"Be quick about it," Bansheera hissed.

The demoness bowed to her queen before giving her plan. "It's something we have been searching for since the end of the last War, and when we succeed, I have no doubt that the Emperor will greatly reward us for our works." There now was that fanged smile of hers. "I have found the Qua'chala."

Even Bansheera gasped in shock at the mention of that name. The Qua'chala was something that, indeed, the Empire had searched for since the war had ended tens of thousands of years ago. If they could find it and release its prisoner, the rewards would be beyond imagination. "Can you obtain it?"

Vypra nodded. "Yes, my Queen. I will need the use of the Titanium Ranger to insure success, but there should be little to stand in our way."

The specter nodded. "Then do so, Vypra. Do not fail in your task, or you will find my wrath visiting you instead of Diabolico."

Again, Vypra bowed, then looked to Diabolico. "The Titanium Ranger, if you please?"

He hesitated, but then nodded. The golden demon knew that Bansheera would demand he hand over his Ranger, even if he refused, so there was no point. "He will join you when you depart, Vypra. However, might I ask where the Qua'chala is located now?"

There was a flash in her eyes. "In a city on the coastal areas," she replied. "A city the humans call Silver Hills."

It was night time in the city. The museum had closed down, and at this late hour, not much was bound to happen. That was soon disturbed as a bright flash came out from a dark corner of the building and formed into Vypra. She grinned while looking around, then headed through the hallways, eyes flicking about in search for what she sought. She could feel the energy that came from her goal, the building was flooded with the scent of demons.

As she turned to enter another section of the museum, she smiled, having spotted the object of her search. Standing there, held in a glass case, was a stone that resembled a fire of blood. It had sharp pointed tips at the edges of the 'flames', and it seemed to begin glowing as she approached. Vypra knew that this was the stone she had been seeking, and stepped toward the case, not taking notice of the laser alarm she tripped in the process.

With a grin, she phased her left arm into translucency, and reached through the glass. Her hand, as it gripped the gem, was forced back into physical matter, causing Vypra to narrow her eyes in worry. Such worries were confirmed when she tried to phase her hand back into plasmic matter and could not pull the stone through the glass. She tried again, but her power to become insubstantial was being canceled out by the Heart.

"Damnit," she hissed before setting the stone back on its stand and letting go. Her hand phased back into plasmic form, and she pulled back, looking about for any other way to get the stone without causing alarm. "I'll have to find another way later," the demoness muttered, then walked off to leave. It was just as she was exitting the building that a bright light snapped on and focused on her, causing Vypra momentary blindness. Several more such floodlights found themselves trained at the demoness, and as her eyes adjusted, Vypra saw that she was completely surrounded by navy blue suited forms, and multiple weapons were aimed right at her. "What?!"

"Don't take another step!" cried the sharp and authoritive female voice. Jennifer Edwards trained her pulse gun on the winged woman, then smirked. "You're under arrest for breaking and entering city property. By the way, I like the scales and the wings. Gene grafting?"

She snarled and raised her hand to the sky. "Titanium Ranger!" Vypra cried. "Attend me!"

Bolts of black lightning slammed down from the sky, forming into the armored form of the Titanium Ranger. The Silver Guardians were in shock at this action, more so that what looked like a Ranger was standing at this woman's side! Jen, in reaction, could only slowly lower her weapon and gaze in surprise, mouth dropping open slightly. "What the hell?"

Lightspeed Versus Time Ranger

There was no action as the Silver Guardians stared in shock and surprise at the arrival of the Titanium Ranger. Vypra grinned and swung her hand out toward the private defense force. "I go where I want!" she hissed before nodding to her Ranger. "Attack them!"

The dark Ranger said nothing, only drawing out the Titanium Cutter and converting it to blaster mode to fire off a shot that exploded into the ground and sent several of the Guardians flying back through the air. With a twist, he aimed and fired again, sending another cluster flying back. Vypra hissed as she noticed that he wasn't aiming to kill anyone, but for now, it would have to do. To force him to begin a slaughter risked shattering the hold that she held on his mind.

She turned her gaze toward Jen, then smiled. "You wish to fight me, mortal woman?!"

"I'd love to!" Jen yelled, tossing aside her weapon and running toward the demoness while raising up the V-Thuder to her lips. "TimeThunder!" she cried, transformed with a blast of lightning while not missing a beat. She could see the shock in Vypra's eyes while swinging her arm back to let the surge of power flow out and into the form of the Thunder Stinger. The blade quickly came about and struck against Vypra's sword, Jen chuckling when see saw that the demoness was having trouble resisting her own pushing force. "I don't know what you are, but you're on my turf, lady!"

With a grunt, Vypra pushed away from the TimeThunder, then looked to the Titanium Ranger. "Hold her!" she ordered while jumping away from the flash of Jen's Stinger. The Ranger nodded and ran over, weapon switching to melee mode and blocking a strike from the Thunder Stinger, then kicking the TimeThunder in her ribs. Jen let out a sharp breath while twisting about to avoid a counter-swing, landing on her feet and turning to see the demoness and the Titanium Ranger vanish in a flash of lightning.

She growled while shutting down both her weapon and her armor, then looked to see the five hovercycles of the Time Rangers arrive, while the FireEagle flew by overhead to make a sweep of the area. "Damnit!" the woman snapped before walking over to the Rangers. "Better late than never, but I wish you six had been here sooner."

"What happened?" Yuuri asked. Eric brought the FireEagle to a landing as he returned having found no trace of the demon attackers.

Jen looked back, then shrugged before noticing the pain in her side. "Damnit, he got me good there," she wince while holding her bruised ribs. It was a moment before she finally answered. "Not sure what they were, but they had a Ranger with them. Odd thing was, he looked like he was trying not to kill any of us. As to who they are...you tell me, and maybe then we'll both know. I couldn't even touch that winged snake bitch."

Wes looked over, and there was something about his posture that indicated more than just concern. "Snake?" he stated, but he and the others knew that for it to be the same person he was thinking was impossible. "Did she shape change?"

"Like that freak a week ago?" Jen asked, getting what Wes was thinking. "No, looked more like some kind of weird gene fusion. She had this big pair of wings that look too natural to have just been surgically implanted." With a sigh, she gently pulled open her top and lifted up the corner of her undershirt to examine where the Titanium Ranger had kicked her. Just as she had suspected, there was a large bruise over her ribs. "Damn, he kicks hard," the woman muttered while tucking the shirt back in and buttoning back up her overshirt. "Glad I had my armor up, or he would have done a hell of a lot more." Jen took the moment to glance back at her men. "Alright, do a perimeter check, just to be sure those things aren't still hanging around! After that, I want us to pack it up and move out back to base!"

Yuuri glanced over to Domon, then nodded. "Come on, let's give them a hand."

The man nodded and walked over to help the Guardians pack away their equipment. Wes was about to help, then turned his head upwards while a crackling of lightning flared through the clouds overhead. "I've got a bad feeling about this," he muttered to himself.

There was a flash of light inside an abandoned building in the outskirts of Silver Hills, the bolts of lightning forming into Vypra and the Titanium Ranger. The demoness growled and looked about at her surroundings. It was then that she turned and glared at her Ranger. "Why did you not press your attack and get rid of her?!" she screamed.

"She was not threatening you," he replied. "As such, I did not need to continue my assault, you were already to safety."

For a moment, she curled her clawed hands in preperation to hit him, but then relaxed. Vypra had to remember that there were certain things she could not press the Titanium Ranger to do, or the control that the demons had on his mind would be broken. Too much of his own mind was still there, and though back in their grip through illusions, that grip was fragile at best.

"I assume that you require more help than thought."

Vypra spun about at the voice. She glanced to the Titanium Ranger, but the confused stance he gave indicated that he had not heard the voice. That meant it was someone that wished to speak only with her. "Who are you?"

"I represent Asmordian, lord of the Dark Empire. You seek to free the one within the Heart of Darkness, do you not?"

Now she was both impressed and afraid. The Emperor had now taken a personal interest in her mission, meaning that she could not afford to screw it up. "I do. What aid would you offer?"

There was a crackle of black light, and a group of hidious demonic creatures appeared. Both Vypra and her Ranger took a step back at the arrival of these beings, for they far too resembled the dreaded demons known as Death Eaters; vicious entities who even the greatest lords of the Empire save the Emperor himself feared. The stories about how Death Eaters had been assigned to the punishments of dark lords were infamous, and these creatures bore unmistakable resemblences.

"They are not yet Death Eaters," the voice continued, having sensed the fear in Vypra's mind. "These are Darklings, they who will soon become those feared demons. This group is near their transformation, thus to aid your recovery of the Qua'chala shall be a fair trial for them."

With a smile, Vypra nodded, then gave the group of Darklings a commanding look. "You shall serve well," she hissed. Raising her hand, the demoness looked at the Darklings, then laughed. "You shall serve well indeed!"

"I don't get it," Wes remarked as he looked at the holoscreen. He and the other Rangers were examining the report of what had been the target of the theft the night before, but what they were able to get information on wasn't much of help. "It's just some hunk of rock with a bad rep to it."

There was a sigh from Syon as he tapped away on the keypad. He missed having Circuit to help him. More so, he missed the little eagle overall. "It's more than just a bad tale, Wes. The Devil's Heart has a bloody history attached to it, both in story and in facts. Every person to ever own it has had a horrible end, usually after a massive string of events that destroyed their lives. Not only that..." He tapped at the keypad and brought up another screen on the stone. "It also seems to have been a trigger for some of the worst conflicts in your history, whether directly related or not. In fact, it was in the city where the Mutant Massacure will start in five hundred years...you can't call that just sheer chance."

That got a few reactions, mostly from Eric. "So why try to steal it?" he asked, avoiding the tender subject of preventable events yet to come. "It's obvious not the best bait for a thief."

"Jen mentioned that the woman who was breaking into the museum obviously wasn't human."

"Nor was she another Gauro," Wes added. "And she evidentally had her own Ranger working with her, which is what worries me. You think we might be dealing with another demon?"

With a small nod, Syon returned to his work on the holoscreen computer. "I've been thinking about that. Our history records that there was some kind of demon attack in Mariner Bay around this period of time. How it went in our past was that the demons rose their fortress into the city, only for their queen to be defeated by-"

"The Lightspeed Rangers," Lucas finished. He glanced to Domon. "But our history says those events were supposed to have happened almost two years ago. According to what we know of this new timeline, it didn't start until..."

"Months after we arrived here," Domon continued, knowing what Lucas was realizing. "That means the timeline had changed long before we arrived, and a lot of things that have changed have nothing to do with our mission." He paused before tapping the keypad. "That also means that we should count in the possibility that events have changed enough to prove we should give this world a better future than our own. I have the feeling that while the methods are questionable, Ransik's driving motives are a just cause. He's trying to prevent the horrors that will lead to our future's bigotry against mutants."

Yuuri could only nod. Before, she would have violently objected to such an idea, but the more and more this mission had been going on, the more she questioned if their being in the past to capture Ransik was the right mission. But that worry had to wait. "What legends are there about the Devil's Heart?" she asked.

With his fingers flying on the keypad, Syon brought up the image of the Heart again, then a list of text. "Says here that it, according to myth, is the prison of a great demon lord, the right hand of Evil." He paused, suddenly having a terrorfying realization. "Yuuri, this could involve the Dark Empire. If the Great War starts now..."

She held up her hand, gesturing for Syon to stop. "One thing at a time," she stated. "We head off this attempt to bring back one of the generals, we can worry later about the invasion happening early." With a glance to Wes and Eric, she knew she didn't have to explain. They both had been able to piece it together for themselves just what the Great War was. "We hold patrol at the museum tonight. If that demon and her Ranger return, we'll be there to stop them."

That night, the six Rangers held watch over the museum. They had been there for several hours, with no sign of anything thus far. Domon was about to suggest that they pack up and leave when he noticed Eric suddenly twitching. "Something wrong?"

"I think the V-Fire's installed some kind of Spidey Sense," he remarked, half in joke, but the point was made. "There," he clarified, pointing toward the main doors of the museum. "Something's coming in over there."

Indeed, as Eric had predicted, a crackle of black lightning surged out to form into Vypra and the Titanium Ranger. However, unlike the last time, a group of black cloaked creatures accompanied them as they headed for the main doors. It seemed to the Time Rangers that their quarry had picked up help.

Vypra paused and glanced back to notice the bright colored armors of the Time Rangers. She grinned and nodded to her Ranger. "Get the Qua'chala," she stated before glancing to her Darklings. "We'll handle them."

Titanium Ranger only nodded and continued on into the building, leaving Vypra to draw her sword while the six Rangers raced to stop her. She flicked out her hand to send a bolt of lightning crackling at the Rangers, bring them crashing ot the ground. It was then that she noticed something odd about this group of heroes. They were not the Rangers she had been expecting, and more to the point, there were six of them instead of only five. "What?!" she snapped in shock. "More Rangers?!"

"She's definitely from Mariner," Eric cracked while getting to his feet. He drew the V-Defender, converted it to blade mode, then took stance for a fight. "Let's find out if she lives long enough to get back there!"

Again, the demoness grinned, and raised her sword to make her command to the Darklings. "Destroy them!" she cried, sending the cluster of demons to attack the Time Rangers furiously.

Inside the museum, the Titanium Ranger walked through the halls, looking about while his helmet scanned the rooms he was traveling through. It was then, as he saw the case that held the Devil's Heart, that he stopped and swung out his arm just in time to catch the kick from none other than the TimeThunder. "You again?!" he hissed while throwing away her leg and drawing out the Titanium Cutter from subspace. "I would have thought you learned your lesson last time!"

There was a laugh from Jen as she let her powers surge out and form the Thunder Stinger. "I never was a good student," she cracked back, taking up a ready posture. "But you've got to do better than give me a bruise or two to get past me, pal!"

"With pleasure!" he returned, spinning in a blur and kicking Jen to send her flying back and smashing into the display case. Strangely, the Devil's Heart went untouched by her landing, and the Titanium Ranger took the chance to walk over and pick the stone up. He hesitated the moment he touched it, as if the pure evil energy he could feel from the stone was more than he could stomach. With a grunt, the Titanium Ranger ran off, leaving Jen to pick herself up from the floor with yet another bruise on her chest to remind her of that man's sheer physical strength.

She tapped her helmet to activate her com line. "Okibi!" she said while stumbling slightly. "That Ranger got the drop on me, he's got the Heart!"

"We're not exactly doing that great out here either!"

Jen swore as she ran after the Titanium Ranger, now forced to move about to dodge the shots he was firing back at her. "Damnit! That guy knows what the hell he's doing!"

Even as the race inside the museum continued, the battle outside of it raged on. Vypra smiled as her own Darkling forces gained the upper hand, but then, as Eric struck one hard with his FireBlaze mode V-Defender, she gasped in shock to see the demon he hit explode into death. "What?!" she roared, then flicked out her hand to send a blast that exploded to send the five Time Rangers flying through the air. Another pulse flared out, this one aimed specifically for Eric, and sent the TimeFire tumbling back before his armor crackled and sputtered out of form.

The Titanium Ranger burst from the main doors of the museum, running to Vypra's side and holding out the Devil's Heart to her. "As promised, Lady Vypra."

There was a laugh from the demoness, and then she spun to send one last bolt at the now approaching TimeThunder. The pulse of energy exploded against Jen, sending her flying back through the windows of the museum and shutting down her armor. "It seems these Rangers are ill equipped to fight our kind," she mused. She turned back to her Ranger and nodded, then caused a swarm of lightning to teleport her and her forces away.

Eric was the first to move and help the other Rangers get back to their feet. "What the hell were those things?" he hissed. "And why is that Ranger helping them?!"

"She's not a Gauro," Wes stated, having drawn on the memories of Draganta now within him. "I would have been able to feel it."

At that moment, a set of bright lights turned to focus on the group of seven. Red and yellow lights flashed from the signals at the roof of the jet black humvee that pulled up, and as the door opened, someone got out, their boots crunching on the gravel under the soles. "You all okay?!" came the calm female voice. Its owner stepped toward them, but was shadowed out by the high-beam lights on behind her. "Looks like you guys need my help after all."

Yuuri narrowed her eyes at this new arrival. "Might I ask who you are?"

The woman stepped forward and out of the bright headlights to reveal her pale blonde hair and the red and black flight jacket on her upper body. Underneath seemed to be some kind of uniform, and there was an odd device strapped to her left wrist. "I'm Major Kendrix Morgan," she stated. "Lightspeed Pink. And as for the people you just met...well, we've got a lot to talk about, kids."

There was a silence at the clock tower. The person claiming to be Lightspeed Pink hadn't said much since they had arrived, and she seem to be taking her time in finding a way to explain everything. However, she finally sat down and seemed to be ready to say what she had to tell them. "The stone you know as the Devil's Heart is known to the demon world and the Empire as the Qua'chala, the Heart of Darkness. As legends say, it is the prison to a powerful demon lord, possibly the most powerful next to the Emperor himself."

Jen shifted from her seat. Normally, she wouldn't have joined the Time Rangers at their base of operations, but something told her that she needed to hear what this woman had to say. Besides, she did owe them her help. "I'm probably going to sound stupid," she spoke up from her corner, "but just what is the 'Empire', and who's this Emperor?"

Kendrix waited a moment before resuming. "The Emperor is an ancient being who has been around for thousands, if not millions, of years." She paused and took a deep breath. "He was the cause of the Great War that ravaged the universe thirty thousand years ago, and the only reason he did not succeed in his drives was because of five heroes that are now known as the original Rangers."

Again, a pause. Kendrix took another breath, then looked up at the entire group. "The Dark Empire is his realm; a union of pure evil that makes the old United Alliance of Evil look like a small gang of schoolyard bullies. Ever since the original Rangers defeated them thousands of years ago, the generals of the Empire have been setting out on their own, spreading throughout the universe. Dark Specter was only one of them."

She stopped and bit her lip. She glanced to Eric for a moment, then sighed. "When Matthew Corbett, the Silver Ranger, unleashed the Purge Wave that is even now still sweeping through our universe, it sent a message to the other generals, and even more important, it sent a message to the Emperor."

"And that message was?"

Again, Kendrix bit her lip. She took a deep breath, then finally answered Eric's question. "That the challenge has been made," she replied. "That the heroes are ready for the final War between the Empire and all those that would oppose it. In essence, it told the Emperor that the three events which would mark the final Great War have at last begun. Matthew Corbett and the end of the Millenium War were the first; a Child of Silver who would begin the purge of darkness from light. The second event happened about three years ago in Dante, South Dakota; the Warring Riders."

"Riders?" Domon quipped, interupting Kendrix for a moment. "You mean that Rider who's been making the news was one of the events?"

She nodded. "I know the exact circumstances of the Warring Riders because I was told exactly what happened by Zordon when I died a year ago." Again, she glanced to Eric. "I'm pretty sure that you know by now who really created your powers and your Zord, and I'm sure you've met Matt by now."

"What's the third event?"

Kendrix glanced to Jen, then again bit her lip. This part was the hardest of all to reveal. "About a year and a half ago," she stated. "When Terra Venture launched, myself and five others were drawn to the planet Miradon. It was there that we discovered five powerful swords that had ben placed there to await the time when the Chosen One would be ready to face his destiny."

"You're talking about the Delta Sabers!" Yuuri exclaimed. When Kendrix looked at her in shock, she realized she had let out that she and the other futurites knew things that they shouldn't know if they had been from this era. "Well, that is..."

"How do you know about the Sabers?" Kendrix asked calmly. "To my knowledge, the events of Terra Venture's battles to find Miradon were classified, as was all data pertaining to the Delta Rangers."

Yuuri was now the one to bit her lip with a guilty expression. She looked to her team, and knew that it was time to tell the truth of where they came from to this woman, and to Jen. "We're travelers from a future era," she said. She could see the look of realization on Jen's face, but continued. "Domon, Lucas, Syon and myself are from the year three thousand, and are part of a task force that polices the time stream to prevent alterations to history."

"You already know then how the War will end."

Yuuri sucked in a breath. There within lay the problem. They knew how the War would end in their history, but so many things in this timeline were different from their own, and as such, they could no longer rely on their history to be a guide. "In our timeline, yes," she answered. "But not in this one. So many things have already changed. For one, the Lightspeed Task Force was instated over two years ago in our history, and you never became the Pink Lightspeed Ranger." She paused. "Yet, in this timeline, you are Lightspeed Pink, and the events of the demon invasion didn't start until after we arrived."

There was a silence as Yuuri finished her explination. Kendrix took a moment to stand up, then looked about at the team. "Then we have a duty right now to give this world a future that it deserves," she stated with command. She glanced to Jen, and smiled slightly when the woman gave her tight nod. "Miss Edwards, I'd like you to hold as a back up. I'm hoping you won't be needed, but I have a feeling that with this, we'll need all the help we can get."

"For a friend of Matt's," Jen quipped while smiling, "I think I can play reinforcements. You got TimeThunder."

Kendrix nodded her thanks, then looked to the Time Rangers. "Miss...Asami, right?" she said, Yuuri nodding to confirm that Kendrix had said her name correctly. "You'll come with me to track down the Devil's Heart. The rest of you get ready for the battle I know that's waiting for us."

She glanced to Eric, then gave a look of consideration. "Actually..." There again now was that smile. "Mister Okibi, I think you know how to get a hold of someone we both know will want to be involved in this fight, since he will be having to be at the head of the front for our side when the War begins."

Eric nodded, knowing well who Kendrix was refering to. "I'll give him a call while you two find that rock."

With a sigh of relief, Kendrix Morgan then turned and headed for the staircase. "We've got a lot of work to do, people, and we need to hurry. Destiny waits for no one!"

As the sun began to rise over the the green planet, a sleek starship flew through space, locked in a slingshot orbit. Gold glinted as the sunlight hit the hull, while the black areas of the ship shined to reveal itself. Within, the lights were slowly brightening to mimic Earth's time cycle instead of that of the planet it orbited.

The lone living occupent of the ship was just waking up when he heard the comlink on his bedstand beep. He blinked for a moment, then grabbed the device at hit the activation switch. "Hello?"

As he listened to the response, he smiled, because he knew why he was being called. "You're right, Kendrix," he whispered. "I have to be there. But not the way you'll expect." And he turned away to send his own message out to the people he knew had to help the Rangers in Silver Hills. He knew now what he had to do, and that to do it, he was finally going to stop running from who he was destine to be.

The sun shined down on the city, but in a building long abandoned and condemed, Vypra and her Darklings were preparing for the ceramony that would free the demon imprisoned within the Devil's Heart. The Titanium Ranger stood off to one side, only watching, but every now and then, he gave an almost spasmic twitch that was enough to make Vypra worried about her ability to control him.

But that was hardly the thing she had to worry about now. Preperations were complete, and she had to begin before the sun moved out of alignment. With a smile, she placed the Heart on a pedastal, then stepped back to allowed the light of the sun to shine through a hole she had made in the ceiling. "Let the release begin," she hissed, drawing her sword and cutting her arm to allow a flow of blood into her palm. She held the cut arm over the Heart, letting her blood to fall upon the stone and cause a glowing reaction within it.

Outside, at the entrance to the building, the jet black Lightspeed humvee pulled up with Kendrix and Yuuri seated inside. The blonde woman gazed up to see the now very focused beam of sunlight that was burning down on the building, then glanced to Yuuri and nodded. "This is it," she muttered before unbuckling from her seat and getting out. Yuuri quickly followed and hesitated a moment while Kendrix headed inside.

"Guys," she said, tapping the com of her Chrono Changer. "We've found where Vypra is. Keep a trace on my Changer signal and get down here, we're probably going to need back up."

"Understood, Lieutenant. We're on our way."

Back inside, the Devil's Heart was beginning to blaze violently while Vypra and the Darklings chanted. The Titanium Ranger still only stood there watching, but, for a moment, his armor fluxed, almost crackling out of phase before stablizing. It was then that he groaned and held his head, as if in pain.

Vypra paused as she looked over to see her soldier starting to kneel down, and the distraction was enough for the hard heeled boot to slam into her back and send her crashing to the ground. Her wings twitched in pain while she rose to her feet, and as she turned, her eyes went wide to stare in rage at who now held the Heart. "You!"

"It hasn't been long enough," Kendrix quipped with a grin. She glanced to the slowly recovering Titanium Ranger, and her smile vanished instantly. "Nice to see you too, Carter."

He grunted. "The pleasure is all yours, Major," the man snapped while opening his visor to reveal the red tainted blue eyes behind it. He slowly drew out the Titanium Cutter, raising it in blaster mode, but for some reason, he halted. "Hand the Heart back over, now."

There was a silent moment as Kendrix shook her head. "I can't do that, Carter. Neither can she let that happen."

For a moment, he looked at her in confusion. But then he stumbled forward as he was kicked in the back. He turned to see Yuuri running over to Kendrix's side, then growled at the idea that he had been taken by surprise like that. "Don't make me kill you, Kendrix!" he yelled, then aimed and fired.

The two Pink Rangers ran out of the chamber just as the blast from the Cutter exploded against the wall. As they raced out of the building, Kendrix make a dash to the humvee and jumped into the driver's side while Yuuri scrambled to the passanger seat. She glanced over to the Time Ranger, noted that her belt was on, then started up the vehicle and tore away. There was a look of victory on her face as they noted that they weren't being followed, and she glanced to the Devil's Heart in her lap. "I think we lost them."

The road exploded in front of them, causing Kendrix to turned away sharply and avoid the resulting fireball. Yuuri took the chance to look back and saw Vypra drop down from above, her wings spread wide to keep her aloft. "Think again!" she hissed. She tapped her Changer, causing her V-Cannon to burst out into her hand. A pink blast flared from the barrel and almost hit Vypra before the demoness swerved away to dodge. She returned fire, forcing Yuuri to send her weapon back into its pocket storage while the humvee rocked from the explosion.

A third blast slammed into the humvee's rear, causing the back axels to collapse and bring the back of the vehicle skidding against the ground. Kendrix gritted her teeth and held on tightly while the humvee came to a grinding halt, then pulled off her seatbelt and grabbed the Devil's Heart while gesturing to Yuuri to get out. "Let's move!"

The woman nodded and unstrapped herself, but as they ran, they found themselves cornered by the Titanium Ranger. The pair turned only for Vypra to land and hold up her sword, now smiling at her luck. "Two Rangers all neatly packaged for me to kill," she hissed. "Not only that, but the Devil's Heart as well. This has most certainly been my day."

There was a look of rage in Kendrix's eyes. She began to growl, fighting to keep her teeth from flashing to the open, and Yuuri stared in horror as she recognized that feral sound. It was the exact same sound Matt had made when, as the TimeFire, he had lost control and become a wild beast. It was now that she understood the price of the power that the Delta Rangers had wielded; ever present rage and beastial fury that lay beneath the barely controlling humanity. "No," came the barely controlled snarl. "You're not winning this one, Vypra!"

She raise her hand, readying to smash the Devil's Heart. Vypra's eyes widened in shock, but then she smiled when Kendrix halted and looked up. The demoness glanced back to see that the Darklings had arrived with the other four Time Rangers in hand, then turned to the Pink Rangers, knowing that neither of them now would dare destroy the gem. "I think not, Ranger of Heart. As much of a wild beast as you almost are right now, even you cannot pay the price of innocents so long as you can help it."

Yuuri glanced to Kendrix, then shook her head as the woman sighed and tossed the Devil's Heart to Vypra with almost no fight. "Major, no!"

"She knows me too well," Kendrix replied, but that animal fire of rage was still in her eyes. "I can't let innocents be harmed so long as I can do something about it."

Again, Yuuri looked to Vypra, then noticed something; the Darklings only had four of the six that should have gathered to meet them back at the ceremony site. Where were Eric and Jen?

The demoness turned to her Darklings and nodded while Titanium Ranger walked over to her side. The demons shoved their prisoners toward the two Pink Rangers, both catching two each of the four. Vypra then grinned and held up the Heart so that, in the sun's light, it began to float. "And now," she hissed venomously. "You all die."

The Devil's Heart, as the Darklings began to chant again, cracked while a faint image within began to appear. Energy crackled over the stone while it continued to crack open. At last, a great laugh was heard as it exploded open, and blood red light burst out to take the shape of a tall humanoid man, clad in robes of red. His skin was pale blue, while his eyes were large points of ruby red light. His head was covered in a hood while a red veil hung over his lower face.

A long flowing cloak of crimson material billowed behind him, and he allowed his glowing eyes to flare before turning toward Vypra, the Titanium Ranger, and the Darklings. "I see that Asmordian sends his greetings to me," he hissed, then gestured for Vypra to bow before him. "You have done well, servant of the Empire."

The demoness did as indicated, but not from loyalty. She felt an incredible force beckoning her to obey, and she could not refuse. This truly was a demon lord, powerful and mighty, and possibly second to none save the Emperor. He had so casually used the true name of the Ruler of the Empire, so he had to be a being of great stature and position. "My lord," she whispered, then was allowed to rise. "Might I know who it is that I serve here?"

He glanced to the group of six Rangers, grinning as he flung back his cloaks. "I am the liege of all Darkness," he replied, taking a step toward the humans. "I am Agahnim, he who stood at the battlefields of Hylia, and the one who will rip this miserable planet to shreds." There was a pause as he stopped in mid-stride. Something he felt was odd about these six, marking them as different from normal humans. "You are...Rangers I believe the successors were called. Yes, you are some form of Rangers, and one of you carries the soul of a Gaean in him."

He laughed, and Agahnim swept out his hand toward the group. "Well, let me assure you, Rangers, that six of you will be no problem at all for me to slaughter." He took a step, then suddenly enlarged his eyes and brought up his cloaks just in time to deflect a series of blasts that clashed against the magic barrier forged from the sweeping motion. Agahnim let the cloaks fall back down, then narrowed his eyes when he saw the large, jet black SUV headed straight for them. "What manner of device is that?!"

The SUV pulled to a halted, and as the doors swung open, there were more than just the two that the Rangers had been expecting. Six forms got out of the vehicle, all well armed and ready to fight. Two of them were exactly who had been expected, but the other four gained the surprise and joy of Kendrix; it was the Lightspeed Rangers.

"Are we too late to join the party?" Eric cracked, breaking a smile while he aimed the V-Defender at Agahnim. "Oh, by the way, like having a taste of my little friend here?"

The demon lord snarled angrily while clenching a fist. "You would dare attack me?!" he roared, raising his opened hand toward Eric. "I'll teach you to respect my authority, mortal, before I kill you! Twelve heroes cannot stop the last leader of the old Empire that even Asmordian was only a lieutenant to!"

"Then how about thirteen of us?"

Agahnim's face went hard while his eyes widened. He turned his eyes toward the SUV, and a seventh figure climbed out, clad in black pants and a black flight jacket, while underneath was a red undershirt. As his boots hit the ground, his golden hair glittered in the sun, metallic white streaks shining as if they were hairs made of silver. There was a device strapped to his right wrist, one that Kendrix knew all too well from her days as a Delta Ranger. It was silver with sections of blue, green, yellow and pink, while a red gemstone and plate with the symbol of Light were situated in the middle. He crackled his knuckles, then pulled off his black sunglasses to reveal his emerald eyes.

The young man grinned while throwing his glasses back into the SUV. "Surprised to see me?" he quipped while brushing back his bangs from over his eyes. "I'm not so certain we've met before, but I'm pretty sure I've heard of you. After all, I've become quite the history student since six years ago."

There was a sharp breath from Vypra, but Agahnim only laughed in reply. With a grin, he swept back his cloaks and bowed most regally, as if introducing himself to royalty. "I am Agahnim ul Ra's Gua'l, the one known as the Qua'chala, the Heart of Darkness, and the last true remains of the old Empire under its founder."

The demon lord rose from his bow, and he didn't even have to look back to know that Vypra was staring at him in shocked confusion. "Asmordian is merely a, stand-by ruler, until the true Emperor returns, and he knows it. However, since I do have my obligations to act in the best interests of the Empire, that means you thirteen must die." He chuckled, cracking his hands merely by flexing the fingers. "It's been so long since I spilled blood...I'm really going to enjoy this."

There was a general air of seriousness in the thirteen Rangers as they gathered as a single group. Matt glanced back at them, not sure if he should lead them here. After all, these were not his teams, they were their own, and he didn't have a right to impose his own leadership on them.

But when both Kendrix and Yuuri nodded, he looked forward with acceptence in his eyes. This was his destiny; to lead the war against the Empire, and if he was ever going to start accepting it, he had to now. "Rangers!" he cried, thrusting out his right arm to flash his morpher in the light. His eyes flashed with red and golden light, revealing that he was ready now to accept his fate. "Let's...Jet!"

They all knew the cry, taking their respective postures before giving their own calls to transform. "Time Ranger!" Yuuri roared, taking the second posture of their transformation stance.

"Lightspeed!" came the command from Kendrix, she as well taking up form.

"Chrono Morph!"

"Speed of Light!"

In synch, Eric and Jen both assumed their own stances, bringing the V-Fire and V-Thunder to their lips while energy crackled over the devices. "TimeFire!"

"TimeThunder!"

As one, those with touch activated morphers and changers hit the activation switches to unleash a storm of energy that tore about even as the violent transformations of the TimeFire and the TimeThunder began. The Lightspeed team was engulfed by the power of their Bracers, Chad, Joel and Kelsey surrounded by the light of their respective color. Kendrix and Ryan were swarmed by elemental fury, fire wrapping around Mitchell to blaze into form as his armor while his helmet shifted out from behind his head and slammed the rebreather and visor into place. Kendrix was surrounded by violent pink light, the wild roar of a cat echoing as her Delta armor appeared briefly, then transformed into the armor of Lightspeed Pink. With a yell, the five summoned their weapons, each taking ready posture for battle. "Rescue Task Force, Lightspeed!"

The Time Rangers, inversely, were flung through the fabric of time as their own armors formed. Each at the moment of activation had leapt up into the air, allowing the temporal energies to flow up from their feet. The streams halted where the neck met the head, then swept down to form their helmets. As they were returned to the normal stream of time, each one took their own posture, Yuuri in the forefront of the team. "Continium Task Force, Time Ranger!"

With supernatural fire and thunder-lightning cascading over them, both Eric and Jen swung their arms down in perfect timing. The golden red flames swept over Eric's body, leaving his armor in the wake, and as it burned across his chest, the symbol of the TimeFire lit up with brilliant light. His helmet slammed into place in sections, and just as the mouthplate shut over his face, the visor burst into being as flames, allowing him to sweep his left leg forward and draw the V-Defender with his right hand. The weapon smoothly switched to blade mode, and he brought it back while letting his left arm hold position forward. "TimeFire, Ranger of the Continuim!"

The claps of thunder continued to echo as lightning surged over Jen's body. With each clap, her black uniform was replaced section by section with the armor of the TimeThunder. Her helmet blazed into form with the surges of electricity, and just as the faceplate slipped shut over her mouth, the forehead crystal flashed. Her eyes and upper face lit up with light, then darkened to form her visor, and she reached her right hand forward to allow the surge of power that became the Thunder Stinger. Left hand gripped into a fist, she brought it forward and opened to hold her fingers out while raising the Stinger to run forward. "TimeThunder, Ranger of Justice!"

Light blazed down from the sun and surged about Matt's body the moment he touched the crystal of his morpher. He swung his hands out, allowing the light to form into his gloves, then spread his legs slightly moments before his boots crackled into being. Bolts of power raced over his body to form into his armor, silver plates on his chest with a black line running across. Then, golden light burst out from the line of his back to spread into the shape of his shield, soaking in to reveal the golden chest fixture and the symbol of Light upon his chest. His helmet slid into being as light, forming and slamming shut both mouth plate and visor while the roar of a lion echoed through the air. He swept back his arms, left leg angling back while his right slid forward. His right hand came forward curled into a claw, and his left pulled back to rest near his waist. "Delta Red!" he cried. "Ranger of Light!"

Agahnim suddenly felt a surge of fear as he saw Matt's transformed body. He knew that symbol, and he knew the energy he had felt from the body. This was the Chosen One, the Child of Silver, and the hero who would lead the battle against the Empire. "At last we meet," he hissed, very glad that he'd been freed now. His hand reached into his robes, only to draw out a large and wicked looking scimitar that was serrated along the inner edge of the blade. "I faced your predacessor, Ranger of Light," the demon continued, his robes and cloaks flowing in the wind. "Let us see if you can be his equal!"

The Saber of Light was drawn from its place at his belt, and Matt forced the blade out to full form while readying himself. "With pleasure."

With a cry, the thirteen Rangers ran at the demon forces. Agahnim roared while leading his own charge, the Darklings and Titanium Ranger following him into battle while Vypra could only stare in horror. She couldn't believe that the Ranger of Light had indeed taken up his blade again, let alone come here to fight at the side of her enemies. But if she didn't join this conflict, then she would surely be punished.

In an instant, the Rangers had paired off with their respective color counterpart. The Time Rangers quickly summoned out their Chrono Vectors, knowing that this would be a battle of close combat. Both Eric and Jen paired up, heading right for their own counterpart in this field, and sadly, the one that they knew should not have been fighting them.

V-Defender and Thunder Stinger impacted against the blade of the axe mode Titanium Cutter, and the man behind the armor of the Titanium Ranger, Carter Greir, was summoning every ounce of skill and control he had to fight off both these opponents. He twisted about and kicked at Jen, but to his surprise, she caught his foot, having expected the move this time. With a grunt, Eric slammed his free hand against Carter's head, causing the man a brief wave of disoriantation. Jen took the chance to finally repay him and bring her large boot crashing into his chest, forcing the Titanium Ranger to stumble back while holding his head.

He shook off the effects of Eric's punch, then roared as he ran toward the TimeFire, only for another strike to slam into his stomach. There was a crackle from the impact point, and Carter doubled over, yelling out in pain. His armor fluxed in and out of phase, like he couldn't maintain his transformation very well. Eric took the chance to give a sharp kick that sent the Titanium Ranger flying back several meters and crashing to the ground, where he teleported away in a crackling of lightning.

At that same time, both Lucas and Chad were in fierce combat with one of the Darklings. Chad violently swung the Hydro Stormers about, trails of pale blue watery energy following behind with each swing. Lucas opted for splitting his Chrono Vector into twin blades, and had both offense and defensive attacks when the demon began lashing out at him. "Remind me never to get these guys on a bad day!" he remarked, then quickly jumped back to land about a dozen feet from his enemy when the Darkling swung out with some kind of blazing green energy blade from its hand.

"What makes you think this is a good day?" Chad replied, then summoned a tempest of magiks about him. "Shinku Arashi Hanso!" The words caused a blaze of crimson tinge watery light to surround the Stormers. In an instant, Chad swung forth with the nunchukus to batter the Darkling. Each impact caused a flash of light, and just before it ended, Chad stepped back, returned the weapons to their storage pocket, then cupped his hands together. "Bakuryuu Mizuno ha!"

Unlike his usual magic attack, this one brought forth a roiling dragon of water that surged foward to slam through the Darkling. Screams of demonic anger and pain echoed out from the creature, and then, it burst apart into black flames, leaving no trace that it ever had been there.

Again, Lucas stared in amazement at the powers of Lightspeed Blue. "Remind me never to get you on a bad day."

Domon and Kesley had their own hands full, and unlike the Blue Rangers, they had to contend with two of the Darklings. "Only two of you?!" the male of the two Yellow Rangers quipped while starting a grapple match with one of the demons. "Please, this is so unfair! Why don't you bring three more of your friends along to deal with me?!"

"Don't underestimate a demon!" Kesley quickly remarked. Her Tonfa Strikers burst with light, swinging about and hitting her opponent, but the blows seemed to do very little. She growled, then stepped back and shunted the weapons back to their pocket. "Good thing this already got its test run. Geo BattleForce!"

Domon turned and stared in shock as yellow energy erupted around Kelsey. Her body swarmed with bolts of light, forming into powerful boost armor. Her torso was encased in a large bulky section, while her arms became covered by huge gauntlets that seemed to look like they were built for high power hammering. Her legs gained bulky supports, likely to help handle the weight of the rest of the armor she now wore. "Holy shit, how come we never get cool stuff like that?"

She slapped her hands together, then curled the mechanical enlargement into fists and swung forward. There was a flash when the fist impacted on the Darkling, and as it was flung back from the sheer force of Kelsey's punch, yellow energy crackled over its body before it exploded into black fire. She turned and ran over to help Domon with his own enemy, halting to slam her fists to the ground. The area rumbled, causing the demon to stumble back. Domon took the chance and gave a hard kick that sent the Darkling flying right into Kesley's waiting hands. The enlarged fists opened wide and caught the demon, then squeezed hard until the pressure caused an explosion of fire just like the others.

With a grin under his helmet, Domon stepped over and patted Kesley on her armor's shoulder. "So, do I get toys like this when I join with Lightspeed?"

"Keep dreaming, buddy boy."

There was an explosion, causing the two Yellow Rangers to turn about and see that Syon and Joel were having trouble with their own foes. The Green Rangers were being attacked not by one or two Darklings, but by four of the demons. Domon glanced to Kelsey, who nodded, and they both ran to help their friends, taking on an extra Darkling each to pull the pressure from the Green Rangers.

Syon only nodded his thanks before blocking a sword strike from his Darkling, then jumped back and split his Chrono Vector in two. With a cry, he flew forward on a leap, bringing both blades down upon the demon's sword. Surprisingly, the Darkling's own weapon was able to resist the blow, leaving Syon far too open to the slash that followed.

"Kid!" Joel cried, then kicked his own Darkling away and shunted his Aero Blades back into storage. "Aero BattleForce!" came the command, calling upon the green colored power armor enhancemnts similar in function to Kesley's. A pair of rotating buzzsaw blades mounted on his arms while sleek downwards pointed V-shaped wings attached to his back via the chest armor that locked into place. His legs as well were encased by supports, helping him hold up the extra weight of his armor.

The Darkling attacking him ran forward only to be sliced right through with one of the buzzsaws. The demon gasped in shock before exploding into fire, leaving Joel to run over and slap away Syon's enemy with the wide side of his other blade. It gave TimeGreen the chance to return his own weapons to subspace, then hold out his hand to allow the Dragoon's Lance to burst out into the form of green light. "They're not the only ones who can get more armor!" he cried, then raised the Lance to the sky. "Dragoon Defender!"

There was a crackling of lightning in the sky moments before it surged down and slammed into the ground right where Syon stood. Dragons of light flew about Syon's body, forming into the Dragoon's armor before one last dragon curled about his torso and came over his head to form the helmet of the Dragoons. As the transformation completed, Syon twirled the Lance back, shifted his weight a bit, then stabbed forward into the Darkling just as it ran at him. The blade impaled right through, allowing TimeGreen to lift up and slam the demon head first into the ground. He paused, then shifted posture again before leaping up and swinging hard to throw the Darkling off the end of his Lance.

"All yours, Joel!"

Lightspeed Green nodded and lightly tapped his stationary blades together. "My pleasure!" came his response, starting up the blades and running toward the Darkling just as it hit the ground. Green light surged over his body from the chest unit, and just before he began his attack, the blades were engulfed by the energy and suddenly began spinning at an incredible speed. Joel himself became a blur, slashing through the Darkling repeatedly before turning and posing while the demon fell and exploded, black fire screaming out into nothingness.

Kelsey only grinned while destroying her remaining target, she and Domon again teaming up on the last Darkling to cause a seventh eruption of flames from the Darklings. She glanced to Domon, opening her visor to give him a wink. "We make a good team, buddy."

Not too far away, Wes and Ryan were busy with just another pair of Darklings. The Time Ranger of the two ducked a sword swing, returning with a sharp kick to the chest. Ryan opted for a more offensive attack that allowed him to force his oppenent back just before the Darkling held him in a sword lock and punched him in the head. The blow caused Ryan to stumble back a bit, trying to shake away the disorintation. It almost gave the Darkling a chance to strike him down if not for the other Darkling being flung right into it.

Wes ran to Ryan's side, but instead of his Chrono Vectors, he held Draganta's sword in his hands, ready to use the blade as it was meant to be. "You alright?" he asked.

Ryan nodded, but something about the ancient dragonic blade that Wes wielded seemed to tug at something in his memory, something he couldn't quite figure out. He shook his head, as if trying to remove the last traces of his dizzyness. "You know how to use something that big, right?"

There was only a look to Ryan that indicated Wes was smirking under his helmet. TimeRed raised his weapon to the sky while bolts of fire red energy crackled along the blade. "BattleFury!" he cried. "Release from within the fire the burns eternal!"

The mad swarm of power erupted forth from both Wes and the sword, tearing about at the landscape while shattering and reassembling his armor. His shoulder guards enlarged and turned to gold, chest plate swelling and taking the same color. His gloves became like plates, as well becoming golden and shining in the light. His helmet transformed into its BattleFury form, eyes forming while the golden head formed and shaped around the visor to give it the look of bearing silver teeth.

As the wings spread out from the backpiece, the roar of a great dragon echoed in the air while Wes took stance, sword held forwards while his left hand was positioned back. The twin Darklings let out a high-pitched screech, then ran toward the Red Rangers, only for Wes to ignite his sword with flames and slash forth to dismember one of them. Ryan took the chance to charge his Saber and make his own strike, fire bursting from the blade of his weapon to immolate the remaining Darkling and cause it to erupt into black fire just like all the others had.

Battling Vypra were Kendrix and Yuuri. Both were fighting with all their might, but Kendrix was on the thin line of having control over the rage form she barely kept in check. Matt had the blessing of being able to use his Saber, because as they had discovered, it was the Delta Sabers that had awakened and controlled the primal fury that she and Matt bore within. The reason she was more inclined to lose control was because she had carried a greater connection to her own Saber after her ressurection; her lifeforce was bound to the Saber of Heart.

"Still trying not to lose that hold over your own power?" Vypra taunted. She kick Yuuri away so that she could take Kendrix on alone, but the Chrono Vectors merely flashed back at the demoness. "Let loose your rage, Ranger of Heart! Show me the true power of the Sabers!"

Her helmet shifted, signalling that she was starting to lose control. She jumped back, breathing hard while Yuuri took the chance to draw off the stress from her ally. TimePink knew well what Vypra was trying to trigger, and she was more than willing to take on the job of handling this demon alone while Kendrix regained control over her own deepest rages.

Vypra smirked while she fought one on one with Yuuri. "You know what she fights within her," she hissed. With a swing of her left wing, Yuuri went flying back, but lithely landed on her feet and resumed posture for battle. "You know what is within her, raging to be unleashed!"

She nodded. "I've seen it first hand myself," Yuuri replied. As she tightened her grip on her Chrono Vector, her visor flashed and vanished, revealing the angry eyes underneath. "I've seen what it almost did to a savior, I won't let you do that to her!"

Vypra hesitated, then glanced over to where she saw Matt fighting Agahnim. "Him?" she whispered. "But he..." That's when it dawned upon Vypra that Kendrix wasn't the only one who had been touched by the animal rage. All of the Delta Rangers carried in them that primal instinct, that beastial fury. The reason only Kendrix, and now Matt, had been touched by it so obviously was because they had been putting themselves in situations where it could not help but wake up.

The moment gave Yuuri her chance. Letting out a yell, she swung out and cut deep into Vypra's arm. The demoness screamed and lashed back with a bolt which flung Yuuri back, then examined her arm to see black blood pouring out. Vypra looked up and realized that even those not meant to fight demons could hurt her, and knew that the reason was because she still wore a mortal shell. "I'll pay you back for that later!" she snapped, then vanished in a burst of fire.

There was a lashing cascade of lightning as Matt and Agahnim brought their blades slamming together. The demon of the two growled, but there was still a smile on his face. He had been waiting a long time for a fight like this, to be able to battle one of the kind of power equal to that of his oldest enemy. "I wonder," the demon remarked as he locked blades with Matt again. "You say you knew of me through your study of history, but I can't help but question if you also have lost memories of me."

There was no response when Matt pushed out of the lock and brought his Saber about to point at Agahnim. "If you're suggesting that I'm a reincarnation of one of the original Rangers," he hissed. "I assure you, I doubt that I am. I'm not of any of their bloodlines, after all. I'm just a mutant human from Terra."

There was question in Agahnim's eyes. "Then why you? Why are you the Chosen One of Ieyadon, boy? You're terran, and since the end of the Imbued, terrans have never shown to be favored by the Gods!"

The statement made Matt think. Agahnim was right, humans had only recently come into factor in the affairs of the universe. Though, he didn't know who Agahnim refered to when speaking of the 'Imbued', but something still was striking a chord. Why was he the one who had been Chosen?

"You're questioning everything now," the demon said. He slowly relaxed, like he wasn't seeking to fight. "As well you should, Child of Silver. I know the prophecies, I know the legends, but I can't figure out how you fit into them. You're from Terra. If you had been born when this world was Gaea, I could understand then, but since this world became what it is now, there's no way to explain how anyone here could have been Chosen."

He shook his head, still not understanding. The frightening thing was that this demon was right; until twelve years ago, when Zordon had chosen the original team of five teenagers from Angel Grove, the humans of Earth had never been a factor in the universe. The ancient heroes known now as the original Rangers had all been from far off worlds, including one that no longer was known by name, only as the First World. In fact, this demon, by all means, had been from that era. He had seen Earth in all its forms, the universe in all its peace and turmoil.

And Matt was not a reincarnation of anyone. He was just a boy from Angel Grove, so why was it he was the one who had been Chosen to be a savior? Why had the powers that be given him the duty of protecting existence? He had been given so much power, so much responsibility, and yet he still, after six and a half years, hadn't been able to discover why it was him.

"So why continue to follow what everyone expects of you?"

He snapped his head up. Something in him now screamed he shouldn't question who he was, because he had finally accepted that he was meant to be a hero. He didn't need to know why, only that it was so. And what this demon what trying to do was make him question everything, to decieve him into giving up his destiny. "Because it is who I am," he hissed. Matt raised his Saber again, this time not wavering. "I am the Chosen One, Agahnim. I don't know why it's me, but I don't need to!"

The demon sighed, then raised his sword just as Matt ran forward and swung. The two blades clashed again, releasing a storm of energy that tore up the ground around them. Agahnim could feel the second power inside of Matt that was raging to be unleashed, but unlike the rage within Kendrix, this power was something that the Delta Ranger obviously could control. "What is it that-"

Matt kicked the demon away, then raised his Saber high. "Light of Ieyadon!" he cried, unleashing the awesome power that had not been tapped since the battle on Terra Venture. Golden light burst forth from his body, wrapping about to form the enhancements to his armor that was the power of the Light. His golden wings spread from the back of his shield, gauntlets flashing before the forearm mounted blades extended out. He sheathed his Saber, letting energy crackle along his arm blades while he took stance. "You called me Ieyadon's Chosen!" the boy snapped to his demon foe. "He chose me for more than just the Saber of Light, Agahnim! He chose me and my friends to bear his Light!"

Even as Agahnim raised his hand to unleash a storm of energy to attack his enemy, he stopped to see all twelve of both the Lightspeed and Time Rangers gathering to Matt's side. He growled to see that he was vastly outnumbered, but then he grinned. "You really do think that you thirteen humans can stop me!"

"Not all of us are human," Syon remarked. He twirled his Lance expertly, letting it gleem in the sun's light. "But yes, we all can defeat you!"

Again, there was that laugh. Agahnim looked to the thirteen Rangers, his eyes filled with confidence in his own power. "Then prove it!"

With a deep breath, Matt reached up and unlocked his helmet to pulled it off his head. The helmet hit the ground, but he merely glared at Agahnim, saying nothing. It was then, as the symbol on his shield began to glow, that he smiled. "With pleasure!"

Just as the entirty of the Ieyadon Armor began to flare with light, those of the twelve Rangers who had ranged weapons raised them and fired. Agahnim held up his hand in time to create a barrier that clashed against the combine firepower, but then, as light continued to build up around Matt, his eyes went wide with realilzation of just what the boy could do. "You are his heir!"

In that moment, Matt swung out his arms to unleash the massive golden stream from his shield and wings that tore through the air and slammed into Agahnim's barrier. The blast cascaded about the field for a moment, then gave out a scream before tearing through and crashing into the demon. The combined force of Matt's beam with the firepower of his allies slammed into their target to explode violently, rocking the area with a quake that nearly shook the Rangers off their feet.

Nothing moved from the column of smoke. Matt breathed a sigh of relief as he knelt down and picked up his helmet, but then halted when, at last, something did move. In fact, it was more than just movement; something was walking toward them, as if uninjured. And when the red robes stepped out of the smoke, the thirteen Rangers knew that they had failed; Agahnim was still alive and well.

He laughed while throwing back his cloaks. "It takes more than that to kill me!" he roared, raising his hand up. "After all, even the Knights themselves could not kill me! Why else do you think I was imprisoned?!"

He created a charge of energy, but then halted just when he was about to fire. His eyes blazed, but he still did not unleash his attack. Something was ordering him to retreat, and he knew well who it was. He relaxed his hand, the build-up of power disappating. "Another time," he stated hastily. In a blaze of light, he turned and vanished. No trace of him save the smoldering crater remained, and though they had gained a victory of sorts, the Rangers knew that they still had not won this fight.

Matt rose to his feet then, only to stumble forward. Kendrix quickly ran over and caught him. As she helped him stand, she saw how pale he was now. He had been fueling that blast with his own power, because he hadn't had the rest of the Delta Rangers to help him. He shifted his eyes to her, but softly smiled. "Yeah, I did a pretty stupid thing there," he whispered. "Shouldn't have tried to fire off that blast on my own...but I wasn't thinking."

She smiled and glanced to Ryan for indication that she needed help. "Just breath easy," she muttered to the boy. "You're going to be fine."

Back at the clock tower, the thirteen heroes gathered. Yuuri was busy tending to Matt's exhaustion while berating him over having tried to use the kind of firepower he had without help. Kendrix only smiled, knowing that Matt had been destroying a lot of illusions about him that the four Rangers from the future had held about him. It was probably a good thing, because if she was right, the future painted him as a perfect hero, not as the hot-headed teenager he really was.

"It's a good thing you guys showed up," Syon remarked while standing over in a corner with Joel and Kelsey. "But how'd you know we need you guys? Kendrix showed up on her own."

Joel glanced over to Eric, who had started a conversation with Kendrix. "Actually, you can thank your friend over there. He and Jen showed up in Mariner sometime early this morning, saying that Matthew Corbett sent them. When we got the transmission from the kid about two minutes later, Captain Mitchell sent us off in the SUV, and we managed to get back right after you guys had already left."

Lucas and Chad were off in their own corner with Domon, all three talking about how well they had taken out the Darklings. It was Wes, however, who stood alone by the loft window, looking out over the city. Ryan took the chance to join him there, and noted the expression of worry in the man's eyes. "You know it too," he quipped, getting Wes' attention. "That we didn't really win anything today."

"Agahnim retreated on orders," Wes replied. He bit his lip, then turned to face Ryan. "That's the only reason he left like that. He could have easily killed us all, Matt included, but he just left."

As Ryan nodded, he glanced back to the bed-ridden Matt. Yuuri had stopped chewing the boy out by now, but Ryan knew that there were somethings he wanted to say. They would have to wait though. "Now you know what we have to deal with," was the remark he made then. "As much as we'd like to say otherwise, we don't exactly have too many real victories out in Mariner, you guys are lucky in that respect. Far too often do we stop the demons only to have a city in ruins as a result." He blinked, then looked out the window again. "And the worst part is, they're only the scouting party. The real invasion has yet to come."

To Be Continued...