A/N: Here's the first chapter! Hope you enjoy it!

Also, I don't have my opening theme on Youtube right now because my laptop crashed so I'm waiting on getting it fixed. Luckily, I had the foresight to start writing on a Google Docs, so I'm currently borrowing a computer from someone else, so bear with me.

I also suggest checking out the Wiki. I've added the Arsenal page to Skyward Force and it'll help immensely in the Chapters to come when it comes to visualizing the weaponry. So go check it out right now.

Lastly, I'm gonna bring story soundtracks back, but I'll only use them sparingly and during climatic moments. Links are under the Skyward Force Section of my Fanfiction Profile Page. You'll know when the music is supposed to start when you see their corresponding number, ex: (1) *Insert Sentence*, and it will end when you see the corresponding number a second time. Ex: *Insert Sentence.* (1)

Soundtracks in this chapter: (1)

"The ending is nearer than you think, and it is already written. All that we have left to choose is the correct moment to begin." - Alan Moore

In a mysterious dimension devoid of human life, a middle aged man sat in calm stillness. In a meditative position, he wore black clothes with a white cloak over it. He had silver hair and bright red eyes.

"Hurry up, Oracle," The man whispered in irritation. Despite the softness of his voice, he spoke with intensity.

Across from him was a beautiful woman who also sat in a meditative position. Her dark skin was clear, her green eyes sparkled with light, and she wore all white clothes with a black cloak on top.

Oracle replied, "Patience is a virtue."

"Make your move."

The backdrop of their dimension appeared to be black and white space with different colored lights drifting lazily about. There were also a multitude of green grid lines, similar to a coordinate plane, stretching outward in all possible directions. Along these lines were little spheres of differing colors.

"I'm still thinking, Roack." Oracle calmly stated. The two, despite this backdrop, were playing a game that appeared to be a mixture of Chess, Go, and Shogi.

Roack laughed, "What's there to think about? You've lost. Look around at all these pieces! I've conquered them."

There was movement on the grid around them. The endless spheres that existed in infinite directions were all surrounded by small wisps of purple and black smoke.

"I still have one move left. Consider it a 'divine move,' if you will," Oracle kindly said, moving her hand across the board with grace.

"My forces will take it."

The two looked around at the grid and studied the space.

"It appears as if balance will tip toward the Darkness," Roack thoughtfully pointed out. "Perhaps all is lost."

"You don't understand, Roack… Things had been set in motion long ago. This last group… they will become the most powerful in ways unimaginable." Oracle smiled looking down at a small, gray speck. This speck was a representation of a runaway spaceship headed toward the only planet that wasn't taken over by evil: Earth.

~Meanwhile~

A small, silver spaceship blasted its way past Neptune. It was being chased by Armada Ships that were all dyed a dark shade of blue. Leading these ships was the Mothership, which was a large black shuttle with dragon heads on both front hulls.

Inside the main bridge sat a Teenage, Human-looking boy with tan skin and a youthful face. He had short brown hair that had silver streaks in it and his eyes were a deep shade of violet.

"Prince Wayland," greeted an advisor. "We are closing in."

"Good, Kortan. Thank you."

Kortan was a tall being who wore blue ropes and a mask that concealed his face. "Sir, is it wise to be dressed like that?"

Wayland was dressed in Earth garments, mainly a blue and black striped t-shirt, jeans, black boots and a blue beanie hat.

"I like Earth's clothing; it's different!" Wayland flashed a toothy grin, much to Kortan's annoyance.

"The target is closing in on Earth as we speak. He's getting away." Came a new, feminine voice. It belonged to the scientist known as "Sonna." She was a beautiful young woman with long, brown hair and clear, peach skin. She wore a black lab coat and carried a tablet that she used to command the ship's functions.

"Sonna, as a Human do you have any qualms about attacking your old world?" Asked Kortan.

Looking down for a moment, Sonna shook her head. "My family has been erased. There's nothing left for me there."

"Good answer," spoke a tall man in the corner. He was covered head to toe with bronze armor. A black cape sprouted from his shoulderblades and his very presence would make one cringe in fear.

"Lay off, Baron," Wayland lectured. "Where's Karprex?"

"Here, sir." Came another voice that belonged to a Teenager. The being known as Karprex walked into the bridge with a casual stride. He wore skin tight black garments with white stripes running down the chest and sides. His face was concealed by a wide, black visor. "Wayland… I've noticed… this planet… I feel a connection to it."

"I know," Wayland nodded. "As your friend, we'll find your answers."

"Thank you, sir."

"Sonna? How much longer do we have?"

"Our target has escaped our grasp and will be there in 12 hours. I estimate that we will arrive in 13."

"Good. Full speed ahead! This planet is mine!"

~Arcadia Hills, California~

On the outskirts of the city of Arcadia Hills was an oriental-style mansion. Creepy rumors aside, there was something mystical about it; an old Ninja master resided there. Within a pitch black room in one of its many corridors stood a teenaged boy.

He had caramel brown skin, short dark hair, and deep brown eyes that were closed in concentration. The boy wore a blue tank top and black sweatpants. He was currently barefoot and was feeling the environment around him. From the shadows flew ninja stars that soared right for him.

On instinct, the boy back flipped into the air and landed gracefully. He jumped forward and twisted to avoid more ninja stars.

He then put his hands together and mustered a sphere of bright blue translucent energy and expanded it into a flat, circular shield to protect himself. He felt the projectiles bounce off the shield and, when he had the opening, jumped into the air, compressed the shield back into a sphere and let it fly. The sphere soared into the darkness and destroyed something mechanical. The destroyed object hit the ground with a large "clang" and sparks flared up in the shadows.

The boy landed just as the lights in the room turned on. The thing he had destroyed was a flying saucer-like device that would float around and fire projectiles. Now, it was a piece of broken junk.

"Very good, Parker." An old, asian man wearing a stereotypical robe jumped down from above and addressed the boy. "Very good, indeed."

"Thanks, Grandpa."

"You have grown, and I'm proud of you. But…" The old man trailed off as if he were in deep thought. His his had narrowed in contemplation.

"Grandfather?" Parker asked in confusion.

"I fear it is time for you to put your skills to good use."

"What do you mean?"

Parker's Grandfather reached into his robe and pulled out a black box. When he opened it, he revealed a necklace with a strange, blue pendant. The pendant was a gem that flashed its own color every few seconds.

"Generations ago, a family prophecy foretold the coming of a descendant who would combine our own family's Ninjutsu with the Mystical Forces. He would use his newfound power, with this gem, and help change the world for the better." The old man gingerly placed the necklace over his Grandson's head and let it rest easy around his neck.

"It is my belief that you are that descendant."

As soon as his Grandfather let go of the necklace, Parker felt an intense flush of heat race through his body. The gem around his neck began to glow brightly and its light entered his body, making the boy glow for a few seconds.

"It's bonded to you."

"Bonded? I don't understand."

"You will with time… Now, there are others like you. Those who wield gems... You must find them."

"How?"

"Destiny intervenes only when it needs to; surely it will guide you to them. The rest will be up to you."

"Thank you, Grandfather."

"No, Parker. Thank you. Now go back home. Your Mother must be worried."

As Parker made his way back to his apartment, he stared into the sunset and whispered, "Life is strange."

~Meanwhile~

On one of Arcadia Hills' best beaches sat a rather tall boy. He wore a white sleeveless shirt and red swimming trunks. In his hands was a rather lengthy novel. The boy had lightly tanned skin and chestnut brown hair that was reasonably short.

Around his right wrist was a leather wristband with a red gem engraved in the top. He laughed at the antics of another boy in the water. "Careful, Sage!"

Trying to catch a wave was the boy's shirtless cousin, Sage, who wore yellow swimming trunks. He skin was a bit lighter and his hair was dirty blonde. He wore a goofy grin as he tried to balance himself on a wave. Around his neck was a pair of dog tags. Between the tags was a yellow gem.

"Tony, my man! Who do you think you're talking to?" Sage called out in joy.

~Meanwhile~

At the city Mall, a beautiful girl with peach skin and dark hair bounded from store to store. She wore a pink crop top, brown capris and black sandals. "Erica, hurry up!" Around this girl's neck was a golden chain that held a pink gem.

"Ren, slow down!" Called the girl named Erica. Erica was African-American and had beautiful, dark olive shaded skin. Her black hair was a bit frizzy and her brown eyes had a calming sort of light in them. She wore a white shirt under a blue jean jacket on top of blue jeans and sandals. Around her left wrist was a silver bracelet with a white gem in the middle.

~Interdimensional Space~

Oracle revealed these five Teenagers to her counterpart who looked on in surprise and awe.

"These children… will change the world. No, the Universe."

PerrytheBrave proudly presents...

Power Rangers: Skyward Force

~Next Day~

"Are we there yet?" Sage complained like a child.

Tony, in irritation, threatened his cousin. "Sage, I'm literally about to hit you right now."

"We've been on this bus for like… for like…"

"45 minutes." Ren informed looking over her seat to the boys behind her. "It's a 2 and a half hour drive."

"Awww maaan!" Sage whined. It was the last week of Junior year and the Junior class was on its annual camping trip to Arcadia Academy's Mountain Campus Cabin. Arcadia Academy was a boarding school. Being one of the better ones on the West Coast, as the majority of the best boarding schools were in New England, Arcadia was rather special. It was laidback as to not have a strict dress code but it was still prestigious in its own right. Now, the teens sat in a coach bus on the way to the mountain campus for a trip that would last a few days.

Erica looked over her shoulder to see Parker, sitting across from them, leaning against the window. Out of everyone on the bus, he was the only one who didn't have someone sitting next to him.

"Hey, Park." She greeted, making the boy turn his head. He flashed her a small smile and gave her a slight wave. Afterward, he just turned his head and continued to stare out the window.

"Guess he doesn't wanna talk today," Ren observed quietly. "That's new."

"He looks so sad." Erica whispered to herself.

Sage shrugged his shoulders and buried himself in his phone to play a few games while Tony just stared at Parker for a few seconds before looking away in sorrow.

~Later On~

The students arrived at the mountain campus with lots of daylight left. The area itself was expansive and had beautiful scenery. They would all be staying in one cabin, which was more like a mini mansion. It was large in all aspects and sat on a small hill. There were three floors; the first floor had a dining room, kitchen, living room and meeting room, the basement was where the boys would sleep and the third floor would be where the girls would sleep.

After the breakout session where their English teacher, Mr. Racine, went over guidelines and assigned groups, Tony, Ren, Sage, and Erica sat around a fire pit in the living room with a few of their classmates. As fate would have it, Tony, Ren, Sage, Erica, and Parker were placed in the same group, which meant they would be staying together for the entire trip.

The four were chatting up their other friends when Mr. Racine walked into the room.

"Erica, Ren, do you know where Parker is?"

Ren shook her head. "No, haven't seen him since Breakout. Why?"

"He's in your group, and this trip's supposed to bring you all closer together," Mr. Racine informed in a cliche way. "Can you find him?"

Erica nodded. "Of course! Count on it." When Mr. Racine left to take care of other things, Ren and Erica got up and stood in front of Tony and Sage. "Come on, we're gonna find Parker."

"Why do we have to go?" Sage asked, stressing the 'we.'

"Mr. Racine wants all of us." Erica explained, "We're not doing anything else until he's back here with us."

"Fine," Tony sighed getting up. "Let's go."

~Parker~

Parker stood a little ways away from the cabin after wandering off. He sat on a large boulder deep in thought.

"What does this all mean?" He asked himself as he clutched his blue gem, which lay safely around his neck. The boy looked into the starry sky and stared in awe. Being so high up in the mountains gave him clear view of the stars. He could even see an arm of the Milky Way.

"What did my Grandfather mean about changing the world?" He thought to himself.

"Parker!" Came Sage's voice.

He turned to see his classmates climb onto the rock to sit with him. "Oh, hey guys."

"What're you doing out here?" Ren asked softly.

"Just thinking."

Tony said, "Well, Mr. Racine got a bit worried."

"Sorry bout that, Winchester. I just-"

A flash came from the sky and alerted the Rangers to something new; a streak descended from above and grew bigger and bigger by the second.

"What's happening?" Erica asked. What appeared to be a ship crash landed in an area not too far from the Teens. Without a word, Parker and Ren ran toward it. Tony shook his head and followed.

"Hey, Tony!" Sage called after as he gave chase.

Staying in place for a few seconds, Erica sighed and followed her classmates.

The five teens ended up hiding behind a rock formation, staring at what looked to be a space ship. Looking closely, the ship appeared to be a large sphere with crescent wings.

"This can't be real." Ren whispered.

"Something's happening." Tony pointed out. The ship's back door began to open and a ramp slid to the ground. A male, humanoid figure limped out of the ship and fell to his hands and knees.

Gulping to himself, Parker stepped out from behind the rocks and slowly approached the mysterious man. "I won't hurt you…" He whispered, as he ignored the protests of his classmates.

"I know." A calm, masculine voice responded in their heads. "You can all come out."

"Is that you talking to us?" Erica asked, while she and the others revealed themselves.

"Yes… it is easier for me to communicate this way… Urgh…" The alien gripped his side and revealed that he was bleeding heavily.

"He's hurt." Erica stated, bending to his level. "Tony, give me your hoodie."

Tony unzipped his sweater, but the man stopped him.

"This wound is fatal… I will die here."

"What's going on?" Parker asked. "What happened?"

"I do not have much time… The Earth is in grave danger… The Erebians..."

"No way…" Sage whispered. "Again? But the Rangers beat them last year."

"They will return shortly with their full invasion force."

"Who are you?" Ren asked.

"My name is Kaldur of Planet Eltar… I escaped from Eltar's fall to come here…" The light from Kaldur's ship illuminated his features. He had tanned skin and neon blue eyes. His brown hair was short and messy from combat. He wore a black and blue uniform that was slightly torn in a few places.

"Kaldur…" Parker whispered, trying to put pieces together. "My Grandfather gave me this necklace… Do you know what it means?"

Upon seeing the gem around Parker's neck, Kaldur's eyes lit up in recognition. "A Keystone."

"Keystone?" Parker repeated.

"A Keystone is a special kind of Energem. It is a powerful stone that can channel endless kinds of energy.."

At that moment, Parker's gem began to glow as well as the gems of his classmates.

"I see, you have all been brought together for a reason. Thank goodness, there's still hope. You, the one with the Red gem… please go into my ship and fetch me a blue cube. It rests on my monitor station."

Nodding, Tony slowly disappeared into the ship and reemerged with a small cube that glowed a faint blue. Kaldur held the cube up and said, "This cube, on your planet, is called the 'Morphing Device.' It is a rare object crafted by the Ancient Ones, the Morphing Masters, eons ago… I want you all to touch one side of this cube."

"What will happen?" Sage asked.

"When you all touch a side, the cube will establish a connection to the Morphing Grid in each of you. You will become Power Rangers."

"No way!" Tony said.

"You're kidding." Sage pressed.

"This is no joke… observe." Kaldur waved his left hand and projected images into the minds of the Teens. Inside their heads, the five witnessed countless planets being destroyed and conquered by the Erebian Empire. "They've enslaved thousands of worlds, destroyed hundreds of Power Rangers and Kamen Riders alike… They've recently taken Geo Nova and Eltar… now they want Earth… Without the Morphing Grid, the Erebians will use their darkness to finally conquer the Universe. Their armies of Maligs and Hollows will enslave your species while the Erebian Royalty watches from above."

Images of black, grotesque creatures filled their minds. No doubt those were images Hollows. "They are a powerful foe, but you have a greater power." An image of the five energems flashed forth. "You wield five of the last remaining Energems. When the Erebian Empire attacked Earth for the first time, Ancient Ninja Warriors used your Energems to repel the attackers. Their essences rest in the gems and you will be able to utilize it through the use of Heart Energy, power that comes from the deepest depths of your Heart. You will become, Power Rangers: Skyward Force!"

Images of their Ninja-like Ranger forms flashed in their heads.

"Please… the Universe's fate rests with you…"

Weakening more and more, Kaldur desperately raised the cube up.

Nodding, Parker pressed his right hand on the right face, making the cube glow blue. Ren followed suit and touched the left side, making the cube turn pink. Tony sighed and pressed the top face, causing the cube to turn red. Sage, seeing his cousin do it, shrugged and touched the front, making the cube turn yellow. Finally, Erica touched the back of the cube and made it glow white.

Kaldur let his hand fall away, letting the cube float with his telekinesis. The cube, after a moment, then glowed gold.

The Teens stayed like this for a few moments and felt warmth flow through them as their Keystones began to glow bright. The Keystones of Tony, Ren, Sage, and Erica then flooded their hosts with bright lights, officially bonding to them.

"It is done… Your links have been established… It's all up to you now." Suddenly, the sky lit up once more. "They have found me! You must go!"

"We can help you!" Parker pleaded.

"No! Your lives are more important than mine now! Go!"

"Let's go!" Ren pulled the boy up and followed their friends.

"Parker! You must have faith in your own heart to stand against the Darkness! Take this and guard it with your life!" Kaldur tossed the boy a flashdrive-like device to which he caught and asked, "How do you know my name?"

"Parker!" Ren repeated pulling him away. The five Teens hid once more behind the rocks and witnessed a group of Maligs, led by three Generals, attack Kaldur.

"They are Karprex, Baron, and Twister, Generals to Prince Wayland. They are the field leaders of the current attack force." As he fought in his dying moments, Kaldur projected images and important pieces of information into the minds of the new Rangers regarding Wayland and his subordinates. Eventually, he was overwhelmed and fell to the ground.

"I commend you for making it this far, Kaldur." Baron nodded. Next to him was a being who was just as bulky; his armor was red and black.

"But, this is the end," Twister added with a twinge of satisfaction in his voice.

Speaking out loud, Kaldur defied, "The Erebian Empire was defeated by this planet before… This time won't be different."

"That's where you're wrong. We've grown exponentially in strength. It's over." Karprex raised his sword and the end came quickly for Kaldur. The Teens were a bit shaken; Ren was gripping Erica's hand while Tony was patting his cousin's back; the boy in yellow was deeply hyperventilating.

The Erebians must've heard something come from the five because he perked his head and yelled, "Someone's there!" Baron pointed his sword toward the group. "Get them!"

"Run." Tony commanded under his breath. The five scattered through the trees trying to get away from the Aliens. They couldn't shake the image of Kaldur being slain by Baron out of their minds. No one knew how it happened, but the ground exploded, separating Erica and Sage from the others. Together, the two sprinted in one direction while the other three ran in another.

Eventually, Parker, Tony, and Ren found themselves surrounded by a group of Maligs.

"Humans… Humans… Humans…" Their demonic voices echoed all around.

"What do we do?" Tony asked balling his hands into fists.

Parker whispered, "Winchester, calm down."

"How? All that info on the Erebians, and Kaldur didn't tell us how to become Rangers!"

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but Tony's right." Ren shook her head.

Parker thought back to Kaldur's words and said, "No… he told me to believe in your Heart to stand against the Darkness." The boy walked forward and channeled his Heart Energy, which was always a part of his Ninjutsu training.

A Malig swung forward, but something clicked inside Parker's head. In a flash of blue, a ninja sword materialized in his right hand and he blocked the Malig's attack.

Shocked at what he had done, Parker noticed his Keystone was glowing. This caused Tony and Ren's Gems to glow, and in a few seconds, they too wielded Ninja swords. The sword blade base had three circular buttons running down it. The top button was red, the middle was blue, and the bottom was yellow. The black hilt had a notch on the side, near the sword base, that looked as if something could be placed there.

Simultaneously, the three Teens' left hands glowed and ended up grasping shuriken that shared their Energem color. The face of the shuriken depicted the top half of their respective Ranger form. On the back of the stars were spinning mechanisms.

Kaldur's voice rang out to them, "Skyward Force, Ascend."

Exchanging looks, the three placed the stars into the notches and pressed the red button on their swords.

~Flash~

Time seemed to have stopped at that moment, but the trio was unaffected. Looking around them, they witnessed images of many different Red, Pink, and Blue Rangers from Earth and beyond morphing and fighting evil. Their voices, clashing together in an understandable chaos, flurried around in their minds.

These visions filled them with indescribable courage that rooted deep within their hearts.

~Flash~

"Skyward Force-" The three held their swords in front of their chests with the stars facing outward. They ran their thumbs along the stars, causing them to spin rapidly.

(1)"Ascend!" They then thrust their blades into the air as energy spilled from their weapons. A swirl of blue, red, and pink lights surrounded the three and transformed them into Power Rangers.

"No… way…" Tony whispered in disbelief.

Ren held her sword in her hand and immediately knew how to use it. "I feel awesome!"

"Let's take them down!" Parker pointed forward. With that, the three sprinted forward and slashed through quite a few Maligs with ease. Ren kicked one in the head while Tony jumped off her back and threw energy stars from his left hand. The stars struck the Maligs and exploded on impact.

Parker flipped through the crowd and ended by jumping high in the air. He loaded his sword with energy and sank the blade into the ground, causing a ripple of blue waves to destroy them.

A crunching sound caught their attention and the three were soon faced with a Mecha Suit.

"We can take him." Parker nodded at the other two. The three sprinted forward and slashed the Mecha a few times. It swung at them and smashed them into a tree, but something strange occurred; the three bodies were replaced by regular logs. The Rangers dropped from above and slashed down, destroying the Mecha.

"Let's skedaddle." Tony pulled his friends away from the finished enemy. (1)

~Later On~

The three demorphed before returning to the cabin. Their stars and swords turned into pure energy and retreated into the Energems. They were relieved to find that Sage and Erica made it back safely and were sleeping soundly. The next morning, Tony and Ren found Parker sitting on the back porch of the cabin looking out toward the forests, mountains, and the sunrise.

"You're up early." Ren mused.

Parker shook his head, "I never went to sleep." He pulled the flashdrive Kaldur gave him out of his pocket and showed it off. "Life is strange," he simply stated.

"That it is." Ren warmly smiled raising her own Energem to eye level.

Tony awkwardly stood next to Parker and only gave him a silent nod before looking out at the horizon. Of course, the war had just begun. It was time for them to prepare.

Next time: Tony and Ren try to convince Sage and Erica to join the battle! Meanwhile, Parker struggles to fight against a Hollow on his own! Will his team mates be able to convince their friends to join? Or will they be too late to save Parker?

Epic 2: A Battle Worth Fighting

Please review! Later Days!