DISCLAIMER: The Power Rangers and all related characters belong to Saban Entertainment. Some of the characters, The Dream Victor, the Chimera dimension and associated beings there are of my own imagination and you can use any of them if you like.

Authors Notes: This is the first chapter in what's to become quite a long adventure over time. All dates, etc, are for the purpose of my story only. This story will be long, but I hope you'll enjoy the ride! Any comments are welcome and I will attempt to update this story as often as possible. PLEASE REVIEW IF POSSIBLE- Feedback is always appreciated!

Understanding the lead up to this story: I've taken 'that' infamous letter and molded it into the storyline, however as you will see, I have taken the rangers on a completely original adventure which is completely separate from the actual episodes which followed the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers series, simply due to the fact that I never saw any of the episodes past the first 3 seasons (and therefore, wouldn't be able to write accurately enough about them). So, for the purpose of this story, the rangers have stayed the same, as was when Kimberly left: Rocky red ranger, Adam Black Ranger, Aisha Yellow Ranger, Billy Blue Ranger, Kat Pink Ranger and Tommy White Ranger. Please assume that the rangers continued to fight Rita and Zedd as normal during the months following Kimberly's departure, as I have no knowledge of the events that happened after she left, so cannot possibly write about them.

THE DREAM VICTOR

By Chanelle Summer

Chapter One – The Words

February 1st 1997

Florida, USA

"See, told you I could do it with my eye's closed," Kimberly Ann Hart joked as the petite gymnast gazed down cheekily at her fellow team mates, only to get a disapproving gaze from Coach Gunther Schmidt. The look from her coach said it all- No time for goofing around. She straightened her body, inching towards the edge. She back flipped, and then bent backwards. Handspring, then another half, holding her body perfectly vertical while clutching the tanned leather. She released the beam without any hesitation in her body, and flawlessly leaped and bounded to the north side of the beam, releasing the edge with a momentum of power that almost made her collapse her landing in a mess. But as always, success!

Coach Schmidt nodded his head in approval and Kim beamed with so much pride that she did all but take a bow.

"Spot on, Kimberly! Just watch that wolf jump."

Kim scrunched her face up, but, she could see Gunther's eyes twinkle, and knew she had done the best beam routine of her life. Months of rigorous training had transformed her petite and lean frame into a compound muscle machine, with enough power and grace to make even the international papers comment on her threat in the Up-Coming Pan Global Games. Everyone knew she was a favorite to sweep up the gold in both the floor and beam routines. The escalating hype for the competition fuelled her dedication to push herself past every limit.

After all, she thought to herself, I didn't give my life up to walk away with nothing.

She made her way over to the bleachers, watching her team mate Mandy Evans perform a near flawless beam routine.

"You guys are looking great." A voice came from her left.

Kim looked up as Andy Willis sat down beside her. She smiled, pointing over the Pommel horse at the far end of the gym. "You weren't too shabby yourself."

"Yeah, well considering the fact that I'm practicing pretty much every waking moment, I shouldn't be shabby at all."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Kim nodded in agreement.

"Andy!" Coach Roster's voice boomed across the huge room.

"Speak to you later." Andy stood up, making his way over to his coach.

Kim smiled as Mandy approached her and gave her a high five, "Good stuff, Mandy!"

"Thanks…" Mandy took a seat next to her, and then looked at Kim, her eyes twinkling "So…you and Andy Willis seem to be hitting it off, huh?"

Kim rolled her eyes, "Mandy! We said like three things to each other…plus…you know I have a boyfriend."

"Sure you do," Mandy teased.

Kim was about to respond when a familiar whistle echoed through the gymnasium. The bounds and leaps that surrounded them ended as the gym full of teenagers drained into their awaiting change rooms. It was as if they all breathed a sigh of relief as sweat and tension were replaced by anticipation and smiles, looking forward to their only day off in a week.

---

Kimberly practically dashed up the stairs as she made her way up to the third story where she shared a dorm with Chrissy Begett, one of team USA's best hopes on the Volleyball circuit. While the small, but comfy room they shared paled in comparison to a home that they have always been use to, Kim felt at peace there. She appreciated relaxing with Chrissy after practice, grateful to have someone to chat to who didn't spend their life perfecting handsprings.

Kim slowed down as she approached her room, wary of a faint whispering and murmurs coming from the dorms direction. Kim turned the handle slowly before stepping back quickly, a head of mahogany curls and wide-open eyes staring back at her. Kimberly sighed and rolled her eyes, noticing a half dressed Joshua Franks, one of Chrissy's on and off again boyfriends sitting on her roommate's bed with a sheepish grin on his face. Chrissy closed the door so that only a small crack existed between herself and Kim.

"Do you mind if you just give us a minute, Kim?" Chrissy whispered, her pleading eyes begging Kim to not say a word.

Kim nodded and paced the hallway, doing her best not to comment when Joshua flounced out the room without a word, seemingly unconcerned at his disheveled appearance.

"Chris, I thought you said that you weren't going to see Joshua anymore?" Kim commented exasperatedly, as she flopped down on her bed, kicking her shoes off and pulling her sweatshirt off on her way down simultaneously. She sat up on her elbows, eyeing her friend with concern.

"He said he wanted to talk…so we did…only somewhere along the line, we ended up making out, instead of making up."

"Oh, Chris..."

"I know, Kim, I just couldn't help myself," she continued, slumping down on her bed across from Kim, "I took one look into his big brown eyes and it's like everything else just flew out the window."

Kim looked at her friend and smiled. She knew that Chris and Joshua were just one of those couples that were always meant to be in one and others lives.

"So you guys are back on again?"

Chrissy grinned, her tell tale smile saying it all.

"On another topic though," Chrissy reached over to an envelope sitting on her bedside table. "Seems like you and Tommy are still going strong…"

Kim's eyes widened and she leapt on Chrissy, the two girls wrestling for the envelope. Kim stuck her tongue out at her friend when she managed to pry the letter from her hands, resisting the temptation to point out that a volleyballer is no physical competition for a professional gymnast.

"Wow, those chicken arms of yours are stronger then they look…"

Kim smirked, and then in an instant, all her attention was engrossed on yet another letter from her long-term boyfriend, Tommy Oliver. All the cliché's of true romance had shown true. Distance had proven to make their hearts grow fonder, and it was Tommy's letters and weekly long distance telephone calls that kept Kim on track. So many nights she spent tossing and turning, wary that she may have made a mistake leaving the white ranger and her friends 3000 miles away in an effort to pursue a child hood dream. Yet, with each passing week,

Tommy chased her doubts away with his unflagging love for her, and promises that they would always have a future together.

Dear Kim,

As promised in my last letter, here are the photos that Billy and Rocky took on our trip in January and also some from Christmas. I think you'll like the one of us. I think you'll also find the one of Rocky and Adam a hoot. So, how have things been in sunny Florida? Everything's been pretty chaotic here, with school wrapping up in the coming months and the guys have started their applications for college. Zack called yesterday to confirm that he and Trini have already applied for AGU. It'll be awesome to see them again. I guess it would be good to have you join us here, Kim, but I know that you're only going to get better and better. The world's going to see you and only want to see more of you. I know you'll be a huge star. Has coach mentioned anything yet about what he wants you to do after the Games? I'm hoping that we'll get to spend that week together in April. I so badly can't wait to hold you in my arms again. After your visit in January, it's just been driving me crazy not seeing you. Anyway, I know how busy you are, so make sure you keep working hard and of course, we're looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Love, Tommy

"So?"

Kim blinked and looked at Chrissy.

"So what?"

"What does he say?" Chrissy winked.

Kim smiled, hopelessly giving her usual schoolgirl in love look. "Just that he misses me, and he hopes to see me soon…"

"And that he hopes you're going to Angel Grove University! Haven't you told him yet?"

Kim paused, "How do you know what he wrote?

"I couldn't help having a quick peek," Chrissy shrugged.

Kim blinked her eyes, ignoring her friends usual meddling. "I'm going to tell him in my next letter. I wanted it to be a surprise, plus I also wanted to wait until I received my acceptance letter back… But, I just can't keep it from him any longer. I mean, my friend's are gonna flip out when they find out I'm coming back to Angel Grove, and so soon!" She let out a screech of happiness.

At that instant, the phone rang and Chrissy leapt up to answer the phone. She unconsciously made an obvious giggle and Kim knew that once again her friend was being swept off her feet.

Chris hung up and raced her over to Kim, kneeling before her. "I got a great idea. How about you and I take a quick trip downtown and followed by some dancing."

Kim looked down, pausing "Sorry Chris, I have some things I wanna get done."

"Like what? Come on Kim!"

"Like stuff, you know, the stuff I never get done because I've been training the last 7 days for 12 hours a day."

Chris pouted, "Fine then."

"Besides," Kim continued, pleading her case whilst Chris threw her head of curls into a high ponytail "I wouldn't want to be a third wheel-."

"You mean you want to sit down and write Romeo another letter."

"That too," Kim shrugged.

Chris turned around quickly and grinned, and Kim nodded her head in approvement of her friend's hasty wardrobe choice.

"I'll see you tomorrow Kim, have fun doing all that so called stuff!" and with that, Chris raced out of the room.

Kim signed out loud, with no response but the silence of her room. She rested her head on her pillow, psyching herself up for what she knew she had to do. She couldn't avoid it any longer.

"Please, make this just a bad dream," she whispered quietly to herself.

---

Millions of Light years away, the Emperor of Phlegethon and the twenty-eighth of the House of Zhept stood rigid, gazing out to the immense emptiness that had devoured him in recent times. Whilst others who had stood up to him feared him, he had only just realized he had been damned to a fate of non-fulfillment. Staring out at the vast mass of water and land before him, planet Earth seemed so distant, as if it was falling further away from his grip with every failure.

That darn witch, Lord Zedd thought of his wife, Rita Repulsa clenching his right fist doomed me to never reach the success I command.

He mind wondered back through their chaotic and barren operation to clasp control of planet Earth. How with each supposedly well-executed plan, they had stumbled and fell into a wreck. Even with the times when the scent of success had come to them most strongly, they could never hold on, or more honestly, the wretched Power Rangers had been able to let go. Goodness always reigned.

Lord Zedd shuddered and turned around when Finster approached. "I have for you the Book of Victors as requested, my Lord."

A powerful grip pulled the book from the alien scientist, and in an instant Zedd flipped knowingly through the archaic book.

The words reached out of the page, the twisted and evil hymn causing Zedd to smirk behind his mouth plate in anticipation.

"And what, exactly are you planning to do with that?" came the demanding screech that grated on Zedd's nerves like a knife on a plate. Zedd unwittingly shivered, scowling at his wife who stood in the archway of their chambers.

"What does it look like?" Zedd growled at Rita "I have a plan that will finally assure me victory over Earth, and I can promise you those plans do not include you."

Rita's eyes slightly widened, lips scrunched and twisted into her familiar scowl. "And what is that supposed to mean?" She shrieked at Zedd moving toward him.

"It means that if you don't watch your step old witch, you will not see light time again."

Rita stepped back, swallowing hard. Her eyes blazed with rage and hurt as she remembered her husbands past banishment of her. She spun around and stormed out of the room in a huff.

Finally, I am back on track and rid of that whining roadblock Zedd thought, this time, there will be no pathetic monsters, clones and especially no evil spells for the rangers. His mind wondered back to the knife in his back- the failure of the evil green ranger and later Rita's feline Katherine.

No, this time we'll play with my rules, he decided, his eyes drawn once again to the conjuration that would raise one of the most powerful ancient dictators to the service of Zedd.

Zedd spoke the words.

To Be Continued…

Teaser for Chapter 2…

"Oh my gosh!" Kim mouthed, no sound creeping from her open lips. She quickly exhaled, staring at her shocked reflection in the mirror in front of her and it was as if with that one breath, her entire life flashed before her.