AUTHOR'S NOTE: Welcome to Warped! This is a Power Rangers fanfic featuring a brand new team of Rangers as well as some familiar faces from Ninja Storm, Dino Thunder, and the Retro Rangers. This fic is not part of the Chosen Universe. It is an independent story and you do not need to read any of my other stories to understand this one.

Reviews and favorites are always appreciated! I hope you enjoy the story.

CHAPTER ONE
TWO YEARS AGO...
TORI
There was blood in the air. That meant they were close. She tried to brace herself for what she knew was coming, but it didn't work.

She knew in her mind who the bloody remains belonged to, but it was too hard for her to accept.

"We're too late," her husband, Blake, whispered in horror.

"Don't say that... We can't be," Dustin protested.

"It's him, Dus," Tori said, although she still didn't want to believe it.

"But... But how could this have happened?" Dustin demanded.

"Shane walked into a trap," Hunter replied sadly. "He shouldn't have come alone."

"It wouldn't have mattered," Cam said sharply. Everyone turned toward him. He pulled out a bloody sword.

"You did this?" Tori demanded in disbelief. "Cam, how could you?"

"I'm sorry. Cam isn't home right now. Perhaps if you leave a message, I'll pass it along before I destroy him."

"My God..." Blake whispered. "Cam's possessed."

"Thank you for stating the obvious, Blake," Cam replied with a sadistic smirk. "I look forward to destroying everyone Cam loves... Including his wife and kids!"

"Don't you dare threaten those kids!" Hunter snapped.

"You'll have to go through us to get to them," Dustin added.

"With pleasure," Cam replied. With that, he attacked, slashing Dustin's chest open.

"Dustin!" Tori screamed. She sent a water attack at Cam, knocking him backward with the wave until he hit the wall behind him. Tori knelt beside Dustin and desperately tried to stop the bleeding with her hands.

Hunter and Blake were busy dueling against Cam, but Hunter took a second to toss Tori his jacket. "Use this to put pressure on the wound!" He shouted before barely dodging an attack.

Tori held the jacket to Dustin's injury. "Tor... I think I'm dying," he mumbled.

"Not on my watch. You are forbidden to die! Do you understand me, Dustin?" Tori demanded.

"Okay," he replied weakly, managing a casual grin like this was any other day. "If you say so, Tor."

"Good." She struggled not to cry. Shane was dead. Dustin was dying. Cam was possessed. How had all of this happened? Still, Tori couldn't break down. Not yet. She had to stay strong until this fight was over.

"Cam, I know you're still in there," Blake said. "Fight this!"

"Cam is weak," he replied. "He cannot defeat me."

"Cam, you're one of the strongest people I know," Blake insisted. "And you're definitely the smartest. Don't let this thing destroy you."

"How the hell did this even happen?" Hunter asked.

"That's easy," Cam replied. "Cam was poking around looking into things that were none of his business. He found me. Four centuries ago, I was defeated and trapped in the Earth itself. I was starting to break free, influencing things a bit, and that got Cam's attention. He realized a little too late that he freed me from my resting place in the ground, and I was able to possess him right after he called Shane for help. Poor Shane never saw me coming."

"Who are you?" Tori asked.

"You'll never know."

Cam sent his sword through the air toward her. Before Tori could even react, Blake dove in front of the sword. It pierced his chest.

For a second, Tori couldn't process what she'd just seen. What snapped her out of it was Hunter screaming, "Blake! No!"

Tori looked at Dustin, not sure what to do. "Go," he said. "I'll keep the pressure on myself."

She nodded and ran to her husband's side. Blake's eyes were closing when she pulled him into her arms. "Blake... Don't do this... You can't leave me. You can't," she sobbed.

"I love you, Tori," he replied weakly. "I'm sorry."

"Don't... Blake, don't..." She held him tighter. "I love you... Please don't go..."

He went too still in her arms. Tori knew what that meant, but she refused to believe it. "No," she whispered. "No..."

"Tori, go back to Dustin!" Hunter shouted. "He needs help. I'll put an end to this bastard!"

She'd never seen him so furious before, but watching your brother die probably had that effect on people. She didn't want to let go of Blake, but he was dead. Dustin still had a chance.

Be strong, she told herself. You can break later. Dustin and Hunter need you.

She forced herself to release Blake, gently setting his body down. She took a moment to kiss his forehead before returning to Dustin. He was struggling to keep the pressure on his wound, so she took over, focusing purely on keeping her friend from bleeding out.

Hunter let out a cry of pain as Cam stabbed him in his side with a dagger, but he kept fighting. "He can't keep this up," Tori realized. He was losing blood too quickly and wouldn't be able to fight for long.

"Cam! You have to fight this, man! I believe in you!" Dustin shouted. He looked at Tori. "I'm Earth and you're Water. Between the two of us, we can ground him and help him fight."

"You're too hurt, Dus," Tori protested.

"It doesn't matter. I'm strong enough for this."

Tori nodded. She focused on her training as a Ninja. Dustin closed his eyes and did the same. Together, they turned toward Cam and shouted, "Fight this, Cam! We're with you!"

Cam started to twitch. Suddenly, a look of horror appeared on his face. "I'm so sorry..." He whispered.

Hunter stepped back. "Cam?" He asked.

"It's me," Cam confirmed, "but not for long. His hold is too strong."

"Who is he, Cam?" Hunter demanded. "Who did this?"

"Arthan," Cam replied. "His name is Arthan. I made a mistake... He needs to be sealed back into the ground." He started twitching more. "I'm sorry! Tori, Hunter... Please forgive me. Dustin, tell Cara and the kids I love them, and do whatever you have to do."

Cam visibly lost his hold. He raised the dagger into the air and raced toward Hunter. Just in time, Hunter reacted, slamming Cam against a pillar. The ceiling came down on top of him. His head was gushing blood, and he was unconscious.

"I'm sorry, Man," Dustin said softly. Tori realized why as the ground beneath Cam's feet opened up and he fell into the hole.

"What are you doing?!" Tori demanded in horror.

"The evil has to be trapped back in the ground," Dustin replied weakly.

"Not while it's still inside of Cam!"

"Tor... It's the only way," Hunter said sadly. "He's dying anyway."

She could feel it, just like she'd felt it with Shane, and especially Blake. Tori shook her head. She began to sob. Dustin wrapped his arms around her, crying right along with her.

I'm the only one who's not injured but I couldn't save anyone, Tori thought, her heart breaking.

Hunter moved closer to them. "We have to get out of here. The building's going to collapse any second now," he said.

"We can't leave them!" Tori cried out.

"I'll carry my brother," Hunter replied stoically. Tori knew he was losing strength as he continued to bleed, but she also knew he'd never leave Blake behind.

"Is anyone alive in there?" A voice called. "We're here to help. Just hang on!"

"Dustin, can you hear me? Tori? Anyone?" Another shouted.

"Kira! We're here!" Dustin replied.

Kira Ford-Brooks rushed into the building with Tommy Oliver. Adam Park was right behind them.

"My God..." Tommy mumbled at the sight of all the carnage.

"Tori... I'm so sorry," Adam said stoically as he spotted Blake.

Tori nodded, too numb to speak.

"Dus, what happened?" His wife demanded.

"I killed Cam!" Dustin blurted out. He started crying all over again. Tommy took over applying pressure to his wound as Kira tried to comfort him.

"What do you mean you killed Cam?" Kira asked.

"It wasn't Cam anymore," Hunter replied numbly as Adam tried to tend to his wound. "He was possessed. He killed Shane and Blake, and he was trying to kill the rest of us. I knocked him out... The head injury was severe. He'd have died anyway."

"How did this happen?" Tommy asked.

"Apparently, Cam found something that shouldn't have been found."

"I killed him..." Dustin whispered as it seemed to fully sink in.

"Dustin, it's not your fault," Kira said soothingly.

"It feels like my fault," Dustin mumbled through his tears.

"Let's get Dustin and Hunter medical attention," Tommy said practically. "Tori, are you hurt?"

Just my heart, she thought. She shook her head.

"I've got Shane. Adam, can you carry Blake?"

"Of course," Adam replied.

With that, Adam and Tommy carried the fallen Rangers out of the building. "What about Cam?" Dustin asked.

"He's buried, Dustin," Hunter replied. "It will take too long to recover his body. The building will collapse on top of us."

Dustin started crying harder. "But his wife, and the kids..."

"We'll come back for him after the building falls," Tommy promised. "I'll dig him up myself and make sure he has a proper burial. There's nothing else we can do for Cam right now, Dustin. Let us get you and Hunter the help you need."

Dustin nodded, burying his face in Kira's shoulder as she helped him walk out of the building.

Tori began to walk out alone, but as she stumbled, Hunter steadied her. "I've got you, Tor," he promised.

They left the building in a somber silence. They were barely a safe distance away when it collapsed, and with it, so did Tori's entire world.

PRESENT DAY...

COREY
It was a beautiful day in Blue Bay Harbor. Corey Watanabe was torn between going to school like he was supposed to and sitting on the beach and sketching all day. With a sigh, he decided he needed to be responsible, if only to set a good example for his younger sister, Chloe.

"Come on, Chlo," he called. "Time to go to school."

Chloe barely looked up from her laptop. "Do we have to?" She asked.

"Afraid so, Freshman," he replied sympathetically.

Chloe closed her laptop and slipped it into her bag. She never went anywhere without it, almost like it was her security blanket, but Corey understood why. It had been a gift from their father, who had died in a freak accident two years earlier, when Corey was fourteen and Chloe was only twelve.

Don't go there, he scolded himself. Corey was generally pretty happy, but he missed his father every day, and some days were harder than others. Sometimes, Chloe was so much like their dad it was uncanny.

The Watanabe siblings hurried out of the house together and headed to school. Once they arrived, they were immediately greeted by several other students. Corey acknowledged them cheerfully before spotting his best friend.

"What's up, Cor?" Johnny Douglas asked, giving him a fist bump and the typical "dude hug." He turned toward Chloe and added, "Good morning, Miss Chloe." He kissed her hand grandly, making her blush slightly.

"Hi, Johnny," Chloe replied shyly. Johnny was the only boy other than Corey who could get Chloe to look up from her laptop. It was pretty obvious she'd developed a crush on him, and Johnny indulged her, but Corey knew he'd never make a move on a fourteen-year-old.

The sound of a guitar told Corey who was coming next. It was immediately followed by a bike flying through the air, doing a pretty impressive flip, and landing perfectly in front of them.

"Girl, you're gonna break your neck one of these days," Johnny said with a laugh as Aria Ford-Brooks took off her helmet and let her long blonde hair spill out over her grey hoodie.

"At least I'll die fearless," Aria replied with a casual shrug. "And pretty."

Her twin brother, Ryder, came into view still strumming his guitar. He finished his song before looking at his friends and saying, "Morning."

Dressed head-to-toe in all black, Vinny Alvarez walked past them with an angry glare. That was pretty much always Vinny's face, but Corey still tried to be friendly to him. He offered him a cheerful, "Hey, Vinny. Are you ready for the history test later?"

Vinny glared directly at him and flipped him off before storming into the school.

"I guess that's a no," Johnny said with a laugh.

"I don't know why you bother with him, Corey," Aria added. "The guy's completely miserable and that seems to be his version of a happy existence."

"Everyone needs friends," Corey insisted. "One day, he'll realize I'm not the enemy."

"Yeah. Good luck with that."

"Hey, Tiger," Ryder called as she joined them. Although Corey had met her when she was still using her legal name of Amanda Bhatt, she went almost exclusively by Tiger now. When she was ten, Tori and Blake Bradley had taken her in as a foster kid. Blake had nicknamed her Tiger because of the unusual color of her eyes. By the time she was twelve, that's what nearly everyone called her, even her teachers. Considering Blake had died in the same freak accident that killed his father, Corey had gotten even closer to her in the last two years than they'd already been.

"Hey guys," Tiger greeted them with a smile.

As the warning bell rang, they all began to walk inside. Lula Ziktor came running toward them, out of breath, and declared, "I'm not late!"

"That's a first," Aria joked.

"Why don't you just go to school closer to home?" Corey asked with a laugh.

"Yeah, Mom says Reefside High's a great school," Ryder added.

"Because all of my friends go to this stupid school," Lula replied. "Come on, let's get to class."

Considering they were about to be late, no one protested.

VINNY
He sat in his chair at the back of the class and pulled out a notebook. He wasn't planning on taking notes for the class, but he could work on his current project and no one would notice.

For Vinny, writing was his escape from reality. His parents were never around, taking "emotional negligence" to new levels. When Vinny was four, his brother Sammy had been born, and taking care of the kid became Vinny's job. He didn't mind, because Sammy was great, and they were really close. He wasn't sure why his parents had children when they clearly wanted to spend all their time going out and partying with their friends, but he had Sammy, and that was good enough. He made sure Sammy never knew what it was like to be neglected.

Life wasn't easy, but Vinny managed to keep himself functional for the sake of his brother. He didn't bother hanging out with the idiot kids who were his own age, but he took care of Sammy and himself, and they got by pretty well. Then, two years ago, everything changed.

Sammy was standing beside him, laughing and eager to explore the woods. Vinny had taken him there a bunch of times before without any issues, and they always had fun on their little adventures. This time, something was different.

The strange glowing light drew their attention almost immediately. The brothers approached it together and began to dig.

After a minute, something felt wrong. "Sammy, stop," Vinny said suddenly.

"But we're so close!" Sammy protested.

"I mean it, Sammy. Something's not-"

Vinny's protests were cut off by an explosion. Both of them were flung through the air. Vinny managed to shift his body and grab ahold of a thick tree branch. He dangled for a second, catching his breath and trying to calm down enough to think straight, before he dropped to the ground, landing on his feet.

"Sammy!" He shouted. There was no response. "Sammy, answer me! Where are you?"

He found him several feet away. Sammy's neck hung at an odd angle. His eyes were open, but blank, and Vinny realized immediately that he was dead.

He carried his brother out of the woods, limping slightly because he was injured by the initial blast, and collapsed once he made it out. People spotted him and ran to his side, but Vinny was in too much shock to say more than, "My brother... Help my brother..."

There was nothing anyone could do for Sammy, and Vinny knew that, but he couldn't think straight. Besides, if Sammy was dead, what was the point of him living anymore? He'd failed his baby brother. He was worthless.

As the bell rang and class began, Vinny snapped back to the present. He shook off the flashback and threw himself into writing, needing to escape into someone else's screwed up world for a while.

TIGER
For the entire day, Tiger had been ignoring a strange feeling. She couldn't ignore it anymore as classes ended for the day. She headed toward the school's basement, which was under construction and off-limits to students and faculty alike.

Tiger, be careful, a voice whispered in her mind. She knew who it was. It wasn't the first time she'd heard Blake's spirit guiding her. Even after death, he still cared about her as if she was his real daughter.

What's going on? She replied. She'd learned he could hear her even if she didn't speak aloud. Tiger might have thought she was hallucinating or making things up in her grief, but when Blake showed up, what he told her always came to pass, so she was pretty sure she wasn't insane.

When you see the stars, reach for them, Blake replied.

That was an odd thing to say, but she'd read once that sometimes, spirits had to be vague because they were only allowed to interfere so much before it tipped the balance unfairly.

"Aum gam ganapataye namaha," Tiger began to chant. The general mantra was one from her early childhood, taught to her by her mother. It called on Ganesha, the Remover of Obstacles, and it had always comforted Tiger.

She felt the presence of the Hindu God in her heart and knew he'd heard her call for help and protection. Moments later, someone joined her.

"Tiger... What are you doing down here?" Corey asked.

"It's hard to explain," Tiger replied.

"Are you okay?"

She was saved from having to answer as Johnny said, "Hey, no one told me this was the hot new hangout!"

"We probably shouldn't be down here, but screw it," Lula added.

"Who's up for an adventure?" Corey asked. "Let's see what they're hiding down here."

"We're in," Aria and Ryder said in unison.

"Guys, I'm not sure this is a good i-" Tiger began, but her protests were cut off as Aria and Johnny ran deeper into the basement.

"I guess we'd better follow," Corey said with a laugh.

Together, they headed further into the basement. What they found was a crack in the floor. "Looks like they did a pretty lousy job of fixing up the basement so far," Lula quipped.

"Um... Guys?" Ryder called.

"What's this?" Corey asked as he spotted a strange object near the crack.

"Guys..." Ryder tried again.

Tiger and Johnny moved closer to examine the strange dagger in Corey's hands while Aria and Lula were distracted by the unusual markings on the wall.

"Guys!" Ryder shouted. He never raised his voice, so that caused everyone to turn and look at him. He pointed to a nearby corner and said, "We've got company."

The creatures standing in the corner were partially hidden by the shadows, but as they emerged, Tiger realized they looked identical except for the fact that they came in three different colors.

As they attacked, Tiger tried to figure out what was going on. They're foot soldiers, Blake said. The biggest threat isn't here right now.

"Dude, what the fuck is going on?" Aria demanded as she fought off three of the black ones at once.

"They seem annoyed that we invaded their space," Ryder replied as he kicked two white ones away from him.

"Nah, bro, they're not annoyed... They're pissed," Johnny decided as he delivered a spinning roundhouse kick to the chest of a red one.

"I see you've met the Warpers," a woman said with a laugh. She was strikingly beautiful, but in a very dark, terrifying way. Her dark hair fell in waves just past her shoulders, and she wore a dark dress, but it was her eyes that stood out to Tiger. They were the same shade as her own.

"I am Layla!" The woman continued. "Now, Children, you will learn what fear is!"

"Fat chance!" Aria replied. "I don't do fear!"

Is Layla the big threat Blake mentioned? Tiger wondered.

She's the lieutenant. He isn't ready to rise yet, Blake replied.

He who? Tiger asked.

I'm afraid you'll find that out soon.

Tiger knew they were in trouble, even if she didn't understand what was happening.

As Corey tried to kick a white Warper in the head, it pulled a piece of concrete in front of him. Tiger watched in confusion as the concrete shifted until it was the exact shape needed to perfectly block the kick.

"Ah! That hurt," Corey mumbled, but it didn't deter him from continuing to fight. He pulled out a move that was straight out of a Kung Fu movie and the Warper collapsed into dust.

"Whoa! How'd you do that?" Johnny asked.

"You know my dad had me take Martial Arts," Corey replied, but Tiger could tell there was more to the story than that. This was a kind of training that exceeded what Corey might have learned at a Dojo.

A black Warper put its hands in front of its chest and Lula slowed down mid-kick. It was as if everything was going in slow motion. As Johnny tried to kick the same Warper, his leg fell into the same strange state.

Tiger moved closer to Layla, the biggest threat they currently faced. Aria was already facing off against her, and Layla looked mildly amused, as though she was indulging an infant. "Go on, Child. See if you can hurt me," she taunted her.

Aria flipped her body through the air, executing a beautiful spinning heel kick, but Layla waved her hand in front of her and sent Aria flying backward without touching her. Aria hit the wall hard.

"Aria!" Ryder cried, running to his twin's side.

"Who do you work for?" Tiger asked bravely.

Layla laughed before hesitating as she looked into Tiger's eyes. "How curious," she said. "Don't worry your pretty little head about that, young one. You'll all die before you can find out."

Layla raised her hands into the air. Lightning began striking throughout the basement. "How is this possible?" Lula demanded as her kick finally landed, although the Warper had moved out of the path of her leg already. She kicked the wall and cried out in pain.

"I'm thinking witchcraft," Johnny replied as he barely managed to stop his own leg from kicking the wall.

"If you wish to simplify it," Layla replied dismissively.

"Tiger!" Corey shouted in warning.

Tiger spun around just in time to see a red Warper coming her way. It raised its hands in front of it and the entire basement seemed to shift. There was sand everywhere. People were battling, but not the people who should have been there. Tiger didn't know any of them. The sand moved aside and something burst from the ground. The entity had a sadistic look in his eyes.

"He rises!" Some of the people shouted with joy. Others screamed in fear. Then, the slaughter began.

Just as quickly as it had appeared, the sand vanished. So did the strangers. Tiger was back in the basement.

"I think I just hallucinated..." She mumbled.

"Then there's something in the air, because I just saw the same damn thing," Aria said as Ryder helped her back to her feet.

A hole suddenly began forming beneath Tiger's feet. She screamed as she started to fall in, but someone grabbed her and pulled her back out. As she tried to steady herself, she looked up and was stunned to see Vinny standing beside her. "Are you hurt?" He asked.

"I..." She tried to reply.

"Tiger. Are. You. Hurt?" He asked again.

"No," she managed. "No, I'm okay... Thanks."

He shrugged in response. "When did you show up?" Aria demanded.

"I've been here since before the fight started," he replied. "I thought it might be a good place to be alone, but apparently, I was wrong about that."

"Guys!" Lula shouted. "The white ones warp matter, the black ones warp time, and the red ones warp reality!"

"I think she's right," Corey replied.

"Lula usually is," Ryder pointed out.

Suddenly, Tiger noticed something glowing on the ground in front of her. She reached toward it and realized it was a pink star on a silver chain. Stars, she thought. Just like Blake said. She noticed everyone had a glowing star near their feet.

"Pick up the stars!" She shouted.

Considering their situation, no one questioned her. She noticed that each star glowed in a different color. As Corey put his necklace on, a bright red light burst out of the star and wrapped around him. Lula followed his lead, and her light was blue. Tiger did the same and saw nothing but pink for a moment. The energy made her entire body tingle, and suddenly, she understood.

You all just became Power Rangers, Tiger, Blake said. Congratulations.

What?! Tiger replied in disbelief. What do you mean we're Power Rangers? That's impossible!

Ryder and Aria put their stars on next. They were embraced by yellow and gold lights respectively. Johnny was quickly wrapped in green. Vinny hesitated before finally putting on his necklace. He was wrapped in black.

Layla suddenly seemed mildly concerned. "Your energy has changed," she stated. "How curious. Tell me, what is this magic?"

"It's not magic," Corey replied. "It's Morphin' Time!"

At those words, the teenagers were suddenly transformed. The suits that appeared on their bodies matched the colors of their stars. After a moment, the fight resumed.

Suddenly, they were holding their own much better against the Warpers and Layla. Tiger wasn't sure how, but she knew exactly what to do to defend herself and her friends. Everyone seemed to understand their role and what needed to be done to win the fight.

"Enough of this!" Layla declared. "Warpers, retreat!" She turned toward the teenagers before adding, "We shall meet again, Power Rangers! Soon!"

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! There's plenty more to come. I'll try to update as often as I can, but my main focus is still on finishing Chosen Destiny.