Disclaimer: I do not own the Power Rangers, they belong to their respective copyright owners and are used here without permission. No money is being made from this fic. In addition some of the history in this universe is adapted and mangled from the Star Wars universe and belongs to the respective copyright owners. Author's Note: Just wanted to point out that these stories do not take place in a strictly linear fashion. Some event happen before those in previous stories, some after and some at the same time.
Rediscovery of the Power
The Morphin Masters had created technology that allowed them to cross vast distances from one side of the cosmos to the other. It was the use of such technology that had allowed them to share their discoveries with their followers and family no matter where they settled. It had allowed them to build temples on worlds in the far corners of the universe. It had allowed the universe to grow closer and peace to spread.
But the Morphin Masters had departed, choosing to ascend into the Morphin Grid and a new existence - for part of their ascension had been the transmutation from beings of flesh, bones, blood and atoms, to entities composed of energy slowed to the point where it could interact with the physical world. When they had departed, they had deactivated their technology to protect the universe from those that might abuse their secrets. And in the time since their departure, the technology had eroded to the point where it was not longer capable of being reactivated. When that had happened the communication between races was lost, knowledge was lost; the guidance and wisdom of the Morphin Masters was lost.
Races that had once been close allies found themselves cut off from each other, with too much distance to cover by star ship. Populations grew isolated once more as worlds and galaxies concentrated upon their own needs. Some even rejected the teachings of the Morphin Masters as the universe was plunged into a period of ignorance.
As more time passed, the Morphin Masters faded into legend. Many races died out having reached the natural end of their life cycles. Some worlds were unrecognisable when compared to how they had appeared before the Morphin Masters' departure. Only the Masterforges that remained hidden throughout the cosmos told of the beings that had once frequented those planets. And it was to those worlds that the descendants of the Morphin Masters, the families left behind when they ascended, travelled on their quest to secure the safety of the Power Eggs.
When the visited a world the travellers would remain there for decades, sometimes centuries while their fleet of ageing vessels refuelled. The crew settled upon those worlds they visited for a time, often becoming part of the native tribes. When the ships departed they would often leave some of their number behind, while taking on a new generation to continue the voyage.
The visitors brought with them a history of the Morphin Masters. They told tales of their deeds, reminding the cosmos of their greatness. Some of those tales were recorded, but most were retold by word of mouth. Often the details became distorted during the retelling. The Morphin Masters were regarded as legendary beings that pursued the dreams of unlocking the secrets of the higher planes. Later still they were revered as the gods of the Morphin Grid, each representing a part of the Power and capable of bestowing their power on those deemed worthy. And those that knew the truth and had either descended from the families the Morphin Masters had left behind or from their students, were mostly ignored when they tried to correct the falsehoods that had slipped into the Morphin Masters' story.
As galactic society evolved it became a known fact that the Morphin Masters were a pantheon of gods that resided within and empowered the Morphin Grid. It had also become a known fact that of those powerful entities, some had taken a sacred vow never to share their powers with lesser beings. As time passed the hierarchy of the Morphin Masters emerged with different masters depicted by both their coloured ranking and the aspect of the Power they represented, be it the mind, body or soul. And of course just as their were those that refused to lend their power, so there were those unnamed members of the pantheon that held all lesser beings in contempt and sought to destroy them with the twisted powers found within the Dark Side of the Morphin Grid.
Such beliefs were quickly proven to be false, but that did not stop their followers from continuing to hold them as gospel truth. That nobody had ever successfully made contact with one of the Morphin Masters and actually borrowed power from them was explained as the Morphin Masters only granting their power to those they considered worthy. If they didn't lend their powers it was because there were none they considered worthy. Eventually interest in the Morphin Grid diminished as the universe moved on and those that believed in the teachings of their elders found themselves mocked for following a path that could only lead to failure.
Time passed and the Morphin Masters were forgotten. Even on worlds that had been visited by their descendants, much of the story was forgotten. Worlds that had been passed during the first few millennia of the "Great Eggscapade" had long since moved on as a new era of discovery loomed. The Power had quietly churned inside of its dimensional boundaries, content to let the cosmos proceed without it. However the time came when the Power became more volatile and once again started to reach out into the physical world. Acts of spontaneous magic started to be reported across the universe as more and more of its populace subconsciously reached out to the strange energy.
Although they lacked the understanding that had come before, there was an instinctive understanding that to manipulate the power they needed to concentrate on the desired outcome and want it to happen. Desire and concentration were in some case enough although without clarity of thought the results could be a little mixed.
At first the reaction to such display was fear, but as the number of those capable of manipulating such energy grew, so did the acceptance of its use. The lack of understanding beyond an instinctive need to accomplish a deed led to the use of religious rituals and attempts to create special conduits to try and formulise the process. Given time such activities turned the channelling of energy into an art form based as much on pseudo-science as it was on magical ability.
The inability to explain how some results were achieved led to a backlash from races that had fully embraced science and were unwilling or unable to accept the relatively chaotic nature of the Power. Some planets sought to completely erase its existence from their records and heavily policed the teachings and knowledge of their citizens to ensure that science was the dominant belief. In the background the Time Lords worked to make certain that such regimes remained strong.
The crack down caused the citizens of some planets to leave their homes to find new worlds and freedom to believe as they wished. The ships that departed spread through the universe, taking generations to reach new worlds. Their supplies exhausted on arrival the colonists were forced to abandon their technology and live simpler lives. Over time some even forgot that technology had once existed as their society reverted to an earlier more open state.
One such society existed on Daon where the natives had been forced to develop special skills to combat the harsh conditions. Over time they had learned to manipulate energy and use it to shield themselves from the environment. A peaceful and well structured society had formed, divided between the ruling scientists, the government, the military forces and the civilians they protected. Their culture interacted with neighbouring worlds, creating alliances in a galactic civilisation.
Meanwhile the world of Tython became the centre of those that sought to understand and wield the strange energy. Ancient texts had been uncovered that referred to it as the Power, although the things described in the text documents did not match those that had been witnessed. The texts suggested that all living beings could manipulate the Power, but it had become clear that not everybody possessed the ability to wield the Power freely, and those that could do so found that they could not all use it in the same way.
These discrepancies led to the firm belief that the Power had somehow changed since its first discovery, and in turn, new theories and methods of using the power arose. Some teachers only took in students capable of learning selected techniques. So-called experts became aware of two potent forms of the Power from which all others seemed to emerge. One they noted as being a source of positive energy that could been directed through the careful application of will and the other as negative energy that required emotion to enhance its effects. The most common use of those energies to enhance the body of the individual was considered less important than the ability to enhance the power of the mind and even project energy. On Tython the strengths and weakness of both types of energy were categorised with the hope that a balance could be achieved.
For generations, Tython endured peacefully as its population embraced both the positive and negative energies, learning the advantages of when to use both. They successfully forged it into a society at peace with itself. It was unfortunate that while they were capable of accepting both forms of energy with the knowledge that it was not where it came from but how they used it that mattered, those who visited them insisted on categorising their activities, labelling them as either good or evil. By this time the barriers to the upper dimensions had weakened sufficiently that the outside forces of Heaven and Hell were able to exert an influence over the Realm of Mortals, whispering in the minds of those open to such suggestions. Such mental nudges polarised those that had previously been considered neutral. And mixed in with those voices, there was one that inspired and twisted those that heard it. For after discovering the weaknesses of his prison, the Dark One was able to exert an influence of his own.
As always those who did not understand how things worked did not comprehend the damage their intervention caused. The Power, which to the people of Tython had been a single unified force albeit split into two defined forms, was suddenly sub-divided into categories of light and dark. The structured belief upon which the safe learning had relied was undermined as important knowledge was hidden away and some was deemed forbidden. If taught freely as it had been in the past, such knowledge would have been moderated by the lighter teachings. However, as forbidden knowledge it was sought by those without the skills and preparation to avoid the temptation to misuse it.
The Tythan race, recognised for their unity despite the varying moral stances, was suddenly divided into factions. The planet was thrown into civil war and over the next few decades the Tythan race was almost completely wiped out leaving behind only the knowledge of Ge'Ki and Rin'Ki. Whether it had been a demon that had suggested the formal division to cause unrest, a well-meaning angel seeking to protect those frail mortals from harm, or a combination of both forces, the result was that Ge'Ki techniques though fierce were considered to be morally correct while those of the Rin'Ki philosophy were frowned upon, with constant reminders that its use stained the soul.
Tythan students had always been taught to understand the importance of both teachings while following a strict code of behaviour that favoured the Ge'Ki school of thought. When the teachings were taken off-world, they lacked the skills to impart the knowledge. Students were abusing the powers they were using and even those who were strictly committed to Ge'Ki, ended up committing terrible acts.
A wise man named Suna saw the folly of trying to teach only one aspect of the all-encompassing force that the power represented. He unified the teachings as a pathway to understanding, forming an organisation he called Je'Daii. He was the first in generations to refer to the power as a single force. Through his teachings the paladins, as he called his disciples, were introduced to the teachings of both Ge'Ki and Rin'Ki, but were taught to follow the moral codes of Ge'Ki. After years spent training disciples, Suna opened an academy, which grew large under the aging master and his students.
When Suna died, the strict moral code of his students started to slip. No longer did they stand up for the rights of the weak, instead dedicating their efforts to supporting the order provided by government. While they still fought the darkness, they did not challenge injustice so long as they were insulated from its effects. Shortly before Suna's death, a young student by the name of Maku had renounced the light and thrown himself into the dark teachings. Unchallenged he created his own philosophy of studying both teachings but embracing the moral codes of the darkness.
It started with simple rebellion by younger students. A student possessed the ability to charge a bladed weapon with energy through the use of a small crystal. The students refused to stick to the nine natural gems used to produce such weapons. Later it took on more sinister actions such as denouncing the government and killing for vengeance. The rebels encouraged discord and conflict wherever possible. Seeing the problem that the rebels represented and fearing the possibility that more would arise if left unchecked, the studying of the darker practices was forbidden. All references to the ceremonies and rituals employed by Rin'Ki followers were erased.
Desperate to hide the path to the darkness, the leaders of Ge'Ki decided to adapt the history of the Tython. Ge'Ki and Rin'Ki teachings were rewritten, taking everything the elders considered positive and removing anything with the potential for abuse. The leaders renamed Suna's disciples, calling them Jedi or more formally: the Order of Bendu; they claimed the ranks of knights, wielders and servants of the power. To talk of any other interpretation was frowned upon as scholars removed any knowledge they believed could lead to the darkness. Unfortunately by doing so they created an imbalance that they would later come to regret. The hiding of knowledge only encouraged some to seek it out.
The first rebels had been students of Rin'Ki teachings; they referred to themselves as the Datenshi. Their existence had proven the Rin'Ki could lead to darkness. Those that emerged after the Datenshi had been corrupted by the imbalance between the opposing forces. They were more likely to adopt the Rin'Ki application of the Power as they integrated it into their discipline. This generation called themselves the Xylon Lords. Unlike the Datenshi who channelled the Power without external means, the Xylon Lords used crystals encased in gold medallions to bolster their natural abilities. Lord Scarz was the first Xylon to carry such an article. The Xylon Lords thrived in the decades that followed and eventually their actions triggered a new war between good and evil; in the aftermath both sides lamented the countless deaths caused by the conflict. The followers of the Xylon teachings were naturally rebellious and divisions appeared in their ranks. As more subsets appeared the line between good and evil grew more and more muddled as the dangers of accidentally stepping over the line between good and evil grew.
While the darkness was responsible for the appearance of many great warriors, the light could claim its own successes too with noble combatants emerging to confront the dark. Increasingly powerful students emerged, capable of surpassing their teacher, but held back by the increasing restrictions heaped upon them. Their teachers sought to prevent them from slipping to the darkness, but in reality just prevented them from reaching their full potential - for it was later shown that the restriction did little to stop those inclined to stray from the light, doing so. Fear that one of their students might one day become an even greater threat than the previous Xylon Lords blinded the leaders of the light to the affect their actions were having on their students. Instead of acting as shining beacons of the light, they were rapidly stepping into the shadows, causing their students to become secretive as they delved into knowledge they were not prepared to receive.
End of part
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