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Thanks to everyone who was patient with me while I got things together in my personal life. Now, its smooth sailing until the end of the series. Then again, �smooth� may not be the proper term. Rest assured, the series will be updated regularly again. Also, keep your eyes glued on rangerfiction.net to see extended �episodes� of this series.

Earlier...

Ethan quickly tossed his bag over his shoulder. �I�ll give you a call when I get there, okay?�

She nodded slightly. �Okay, be careful.�

�Careful? What�s the worst that could happen?� he asked.

�Um, the forces of evil could kidnap you again and try to force you to kill your friends,� she brought up.

He shrugged his shoulders. �Okay, I�ll be careful,� he promised her, walking out the room.

Hayley waited until Ethan was gone completely before she walked over to the opposite side of the room, setting up her video camera. Once it was in place, she turned it on, and then sat down in front of it. �If you�re watching this video, it means that my attempt to reopen the vortex and save the other rangers has failed. It�s been months, and we�re still no closer to perfecting the temporal enhancers, so I decided to open a vortex and search for my sister and missing rangers myself. By the time any one views this, I�ll already be gone, and there�s a good chance that I won�t make it back. To my rangers, I know you wouldn�t have done any less for a member of your team, so understand that I had to try to find my sister. You�ll find that I�ve left upgrades to your morphers, allowing you to access a new armor mode and make new weapons available to you. These are a failsafe just in case opening the vortex lets something else through to our dimension. The upgrades are fairly easy to install, so you shouldn�t have a problem with them. Please remember that I love you both, and with any luck, I�ll be back not only with the other rangers, but my sister. Good luck, and may the power protect you.�

Hayley stood up, walking back over to the camera and turning it off. She knew that if she attempted to contact either Patrick or Jen about it, they would either try to talk her out of it or risk their lives to go with her. She couldn�t allow that. �Too many other rangers have sacrificed for this. Not again, not if I can help it,� she told herself.

She reached in the box on the counter next to the computer, taking out a morpher and putting it on her wrist. It was altogether different from the morphers she�d designed for the rangers, based loosely on the Zeonizer Tommy showed her when they first met. The morpher was a last resort, a precaution just in case she ran into anything once she entered the vortex. There was no way to be sure what she would find when she got there; all she did know was that she�d done her best to lock on to any energy signatures that were close to the output of a standard morpher. With any luck, it would lead her straight to the rangers... to her sister.

Hayley activated the temporal enhancer, then stood back... waiting to see what would happen.

�Scanning...� the device announced. �Estimated time of completion: 9 hours, 4 minutes and 52 seconds.�

�Tommy was right, I should have switched to Comcast High Speed Internet,� she sighed.

Hayley looked at her watch, realizing that the scan would take all night. She decided that the best thing to do would be to simply get a good night�s rest, then enter the vortex in the morning.

�I�m coming Jody, I�ll save you,� she sighed.

Elsewhere...

Dr. Kat Manx stood in front of a computer monitor in the command center, going over readings. She was so involved in her work that she didn�t hear the doors slide open, and Commander Cruger walk into the room.

�Dr. Manx, your call sounded urgent, what is it?� he asked her, standing behind her in an attempt to get a look at what she was working on.

�There is an energy signature coming from Reefside, it matches the configuration of the temporal enhancer we left there for Hayley Stanton. I believe shes trying to activate it and reopen a portal,� she told her.

�Does it pose a danger?�

�The device itself is small, so only a portal small enough for one person will open, so at least we know nothing big stands a chance of getting through. The problem is that there are no targeting sensors installed. The portal could open anywhere,� she said.

�In our first dealings with Ms. Stanton, she proved to be very intelligent. Perhaps she has found a way to modify the enhancer,� he brought up.

�Maybe, but there is no accounting for everything in a situation like this. I don�t know who she plans to sending in or what she plans to do, but we need someone there to keep an eye on things. If something goes wrong, we need to be able to intercept and stop it,� she said.

�I agree, but only to an extent. Ms. Stanton and her rangers have proven to be a formidable unit, and its unlikely she would attempt anything without considering the consequences,� he walked over to another panel, pushing a button. �We do have an operative in Reefside. We can make arrangements for them to observe the rangers and report their findings to us.�

�But what if...�

�I understand and even appreciate your concern doctor, but SPD isn�t even fully operational at the moment. We�re in no position to mount a full-scale assault if something does get through. You�ll just have to trust that Ms. Stanton knows what�s she�s doing and that her faith in her rangers isn�t misplaced,� he told her.

Dr. Manx sighed. �Okay Doggie, have it your way.�

�I will contact our operative and inform them of the situation. Now if you�ll excuse me,� he said, nodding at her slightly, then walked out the room.

�Scan complete,� the device announced.

It was enough to wake Hayley from her sleep. She leaped up, rushing over to the device, looking at the readouts.

�This is perfect,� she sighed, verifying her readings one final time. She�d gone over the readings a million times with Ethan, and even with Cam. All the simulations she�d run on the enhancer went perfectly, but she knew this one would be different. This time, it was the real thing, and there was no way to be sure what would be on the other side. Still, it was something she had to do.

Before she could activate the enhancer, an alert on her computer began to go off. She hurried over to her computer, getting a look at the readings. Her first instinct was to investigate it further, but she didn�t have time. She was close to finding her sister, and she wasn�t about to let anything distract her from that. With that in mind, she pressed a button, opening communications channels.

�This is Tempest Ranger, go ahead,� a voice responded.

�Sorry to bother you so early Patrick, but I�m picking up a muffled energy signature. I was hoping you�d go check it out,� Hayley said.

�Sure Hayley, where is it?�

�In the rock quarry where you and the others...� she paused. �Where the final battle happened. I know this is your first day of school, but...� she was cut short.

�I�ll go check it out and let you know what I find.�

�Thanks Patrick, and be careful.�

She closed communications, then walked back over to the device. It was humming slightly, indicating that it was completely powered up. She checked the timing device on it again, ensuring that the software she installed was working correctly. She�d timed the device to charge up again, and then reopen in twenty-four hours, ensuring that regardless to if her mission was a successful one, she would have a way home.

�Okay, lets go,� she sighed.

Hayley activated the enhancer, and within seconds, a vortex began to open. She took a moment to admire the silver, white and blue swirls as they spun, slowly getting bigger and bigger. She�d never taken the time to fully appreciate the beauty until now.

�May the power protect me,� she sighed, stepping back, then jumping through the vortex.

She soon as she did, it closed, and the temporal enhancer began to smoke. �Warning: timing mechanism malfunction, unable to re-establish link,� the device announced.

�Damn it Patrick, what is this about?� Jen groaned as Patrick, who had her by the arm, dragged her into Hayley�s office.

�You�ll see,� he replied, knowing that once she saw the video, she�d understand everything.

The two of them made it into the lab, and he forced her to sit down in front of the computer, then grabbed the mouse and moved it towards the blinking icon on the computer monitor.

�I don�t have time to check my email Patrick, I have to get to work. I sent Paolo in the stock room to get more supplies and there�s no one out watching the place. I have to hold everything together until Hayley gets back,� she told him.

�Just watch,� he said.

Just then, the screen blinked on, and an image of Hayley appeared.

�If you�re watching this video, it means that my attempt to reopen the vortex and save the other rangers has failed. It�s been months, and we�re still no closer to perfecting the temporal enhancers, so I decided to open a vortex and search for my sister and missing rangers myself. By the time any one views this, I�ll already be gone, and there�s a good chance that I won�t make it back. To my rangers, I know you wouldn�t have done any less for a member of your team, so understand that I had to try to find my sister. You�ll find that I�ve left upgrades to your morphers, allowing you to access a new armor mode and make new weapons available to you. These are a failsafe just in case opening the vortex lets something else through to our dimension. The upgrades are fairly easy to install, so you shouldn�t have a problem with them. Please remember that I love you both, and with any luck, I�ll be back not only with the other rangers, but my sister. Good luck, and may the power protect you,�

�Damn it Hayley,� Jen sighed.

�That�s what I said.�

�So what do you want us to do about it? She made it pretty obvious that she doesn�t want us to come after her,� she brought up.

�That�s crazy talk and you know it. Hayley needs us. Its our duty as power rangers to...�

�If you haven�t noticed, we�re not power rangers anymore. Sure, we have morphers and we�re stuck with all theses abilities, but there is no big bad to fight, no world that needs saving. We had a duty, we did it, and its done. The best thing for us to do is to wait here until Hayley gets back. Its what she wanted.�

�How do you know that?�

�If she wanted us to come, she would have invited us, and she certainly wouldn�t have left us extra morphers,� she walked over to him, wrapping her arms around his waist. �I�m worried about Hayley too, but we can�t go running off to save her. She�s a big girl, she knew what she was doing.�

�I guess you�re right.�

�Get use to it, I�m always right,� she reached in the box, pulling out her data card, sliding it into the bottom of her morpher. �Now, if you�ll excuse me, I have a caf� to run,� she said, kissing him on the cheek, then walked out the room.

Patrick let out a reluctant sigh, and then walked out the room as well, closing the door behind him.

As soon as he did, the door to the extra storage room on the opposite side of the room opened slowly as Paolo stepped out with a box in his hand. �Those guys are the power rangers?� he sighed.

�So, how was your first day?� Ms. Enrile asked as the two of them walked down the hallway together.

�It was... boring, actually. You hear about this town on the news or read about it in the paper, and every other day there�s some kinda monster attack or apocalypse threatening to destroy the world, but as soon as I get here it the whole place just gets boring. Where are the power rangers? Where are the villains looking to enslave mankind? If I wanted dull, I could have stayed home and watched Lost,� she said.

�Enjoy the quiet now while you can Estel. Something tells me it won�t be quiet very much longer,� she sighed.

�Good, I�m dying for some action.�

�I�ll see you tomorrow, I have to run by the hospital to visit a friend,� she said.

�Alright Ms. E, see ya.�

�Please, just call me Alyssa,� she sighed, walking away.

As soon as she walked away, there was a beeping sound. Estel glanced around, making sure there was no one around, then walked behind one of the buildings. Once she knew the coast was clear, she pulled a small device out her back pocket.

�This is Estel, go ahead.�

�We have detected an energy source coming from Hayley�s Cyber Space and another one near an abandoned factory. We need you to investigate,� a voice said.

�I�m good and all, but I can�t check both of them. Not by myself at least.�

�The readings at Cyber Space are our main priority. Our readings indicate that both the rangers are there as well. Go there, find out what you can and report back to me as soon as possible.�

�You got it Doggie,� she slid the device back in her pocket. �Finally, some action.�

It accessed the data logs from historical time periods, coming to the conclusion that he had arrived somewhere in the year 2005. From the looks of the buildings, the color of the sky, and the smell in the air, it was long before the meta-chemical explosion that destroyed countless millions of lives.

�This will serve us nicely,� it said, surveying the area.

Originally, it had been successful in assimilating most of the world, bringing it one step closer to the wishes of the creator. There were obstacles in its way, but ultimately, the world was at peace. Now, it had traveled back in time before a point the wishes of the creator were known, and without the power rangers to try to stop it, carrying out the creator�s wishes would be even easier.

Still, Zaylen was there as well, and would do anything in his power to stop it from carrying out its goal. Of all the rangers in the future, Zaylen had been the biggest thorn in its side, constantly interfering with plans to bring the world to peace. It didn�t take long for it to realize... now that it was in the past, to eliminate Zaylen completely; it would only have to eliminate his parents before he was even born. If the parents were destroyed, Zaylen would cease to exist. Logic dictated that destroying them would prevent resistance, but to do so would create a paradox. It originally traveled back in time to prevent Zaylen from interfering with history, so to destroy his parents and preventing Zaylen from existing would mean that it never traveled back either. Thus, a paradox.

With that in mind, it decided that the most reasonable course of action would be to find Zayley here and now, eliminate him and use the technology available to it to bring the world closer to what the creator wanted for them.

�This world will know peace, even if we have to destroy Zaylen every living thing on the planet to do it,� it said.

Alyssa stood in the doorway of the hospital room, simply watching as the mysterious stranger did push-ups on the floor. She couldn�t help but admire him; after all he�d been through, despite all he was still going through, he was surprising optimistic and upbeat. According to the doctor�s reports, he shouldn�t have been able to stand, much less walk, but here he was working out on the floor of his hospital room. It was an amazing sight to see.

There were scars across his back, and even more on his legs and arms. Still, he didn�t let that stop him. She could only imagine what he�d gone through in his life, what happened to him to get all of their scars, but he still managed to find time to risk his own life to save hers.

Finally, he glanced up, noticing her in the doorway.

�Hello,� he said calmly, standing up and wiping the sweat away from his eyes.

�I see you�re feeling better,� she mentioned.

�Yes, thank you. The physician says he can�t find any signs of anything being wrong with me,� he told her.

She paused. �What? Nothing?�

�Nothing, even the gunshot wound is healing faster than anticipated. He told me he wanted to run one more test, but then I was free to go.�

�That�s good,� she paused for a moment. �Do you have somewhere to go?� she inquired.

That was a good question. Without his memory, there wasn�t much he was very sure of. All he did know was that there was a great sense of urgency in him; almost as if there was something he was suppose to be doing, or somewhere he was suppose to be. The idea of his memories; everything his life was being trapped in his subconscious bothered him, but he was determined to make the best of the situation.

�Not really,� he admitted.

�Well, I have a couch that folds out into a bed if you�re interested. I know its not much, but I...� she was cut short.

�You don�t even know me, why would you...�

�You saved my life. I owe you.�

�I hardly saved your life. From what I saw, you held your own out there. You would have been just fine without me.�

�Maybe, maybe not. What I do know is that you didn�t know me, and you took a risk to help me. Now, I�m returning the favor,� Alyssa told him.

�Thank you for your kindness. When I get my memory back, I�ll be sure to find a way to thank you for all you�ve done for me.�

She smiled. �Speaking of, there may be something I can do to help you with that.�

Hayley glanced around the room with a puzzled look on her face, unsure of what just happened. She appeared to be still in her office in the caf�. Her equipment was still in place, and everything was just how she left it.

�What went wrong?� she asked, turning to the equipment to take a look at it.

Before she could, there was an explosion, and half of the wall collapsed to the ground. There was smoke and dust everywhere, making it hard for her to see anything. She tried to look around, to figure out what was going on, but almost from out of nowhere, a giant hand reached out, grabbing her and picking her up. Almost all at once, she knew exactly who it was... and it sent a horrifying chill down her spine.

�Thoron,� she sighed.

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