Power Rangers: The Alternate

Chapter 20: The Muirantian Factor

Disclaimer: The Power Rangers belong to Disney. All things Carri belong to KJ, with many thanks.

The story takes place in an alternate universe.

Tommy was in agony. Not the physical kind of agony, that kind of pain he could handle, this was a pure emotional sort of torture that he’d simply never experienced before. He couldn’t think and he couldn’t move, yet adrenaline coursed through his body and made every nerve live wired and ready to explode. It made him jumpy, moody, exhausted, and completely hyper all at once.

“So you want to tell me what’s going on between you and this alternate Kimberly?” Jason asked, breaking into his melancholy thoughts and genuinely startling him enough to make him jump.

“What do you mean?” He asked, turning around from the consol where he’d been trying to find any sign of where Kim had been taken inside the palace. There was an odd blip, a pinhole in the force field not too far outside of where Rita’s private sanctuary had been, but he couldn’t quite see through it yet.

“Come on bro…” Jason answered in an easy tone, sitting down beside him. “Billy says the two of you have developed a more than platonic relationship. I take that to mean you made more headway with her than the last Kimberly?”

Tommy flinched visibly, knowing Jason was one of the very few to know he’d had a crush on the resident Kimberly. Any feelings he might have harbored for that girl though, were quickly dashed and he’d been very firmly put back in his place.

The resident Kimberly hadn’t been interested; at all. She’d let it be known that he was cute and might be fun to play with, but she was really far too busy with gymnastics…and the attentions of a world class male gymnast. He’d been disappointed, but that disappointment hadn’t lasted too long; not once he’d gotten to know how high maintenance she could be.

“She’s so different it isn’t even funny.” He murmured, turning from the consol to face his friend.

“How so?” Jason wondered. The very concept of putting an alternate from another dimension on the team was completely baffling to him. On the one hand, he was honestly grieving the death of his friend and furious both at the deception of her replacement and the knowledge Tommy hadn’t wasted anytime moving in on the new girl, but on the other, he was also genuinely fascinated by it.

“Her mom died when she was ten.” Tommy explained. “She grew up shuffled from home to home; there isn’t anything spoiled or pampered or…I dunno. The Rangers were her family. Her whole focus was the team; not gymnastics or cheerleading or shopping or partying. We have everything in common. I mean, everything from martial arts to the Rangers to family stuff; we even like the same kind of books and food.”

Jason raised an eyebrow in surprise, but absorbed the new information without comment. A Kimberly totally focused on the Rangers; one that liked books? It didn’t seem possible.

He had grown up with Kimberly since the age of about three; been there all through elementary, Junior High, and when they’d first been chosen by Zordon. She and Zack had refused their powers at first, but he’d pressured her into taking them anyway. At the time, he’d wanted to be a super hero and save the world. None of them really knew what they were in for until much later.

He felt fairly guilty about that now. If he hadn’t forced her into joining the team, she could have focused only on gymnastics like she wanted to; not died at the hands of a demon during one of Zedd’s attacks. He couldn’t imagine how painful that death must have been for her; couldn’t even contemplate it at the moment.

“She’s really amazing.” Tommy continued and Jason’s eyebrow simply raised again.

“How so?” He asked simply.

“Well, for one thing…” Tommy began, but stopped as Billy approached.

“Guys?” Billy interjected hesitantly. “I believe we have a more pressing predicament than the current discussion over the logistics of liberating the girls from Zedd’s imprisonment.”

“What’s going on?’ Tommy asked, standing up and moving past Jason to face him.

“Kim’s mom’s on TV.” Adam volunteered, coming up from behind Billy. “What happened at the museum is all over the news and she’s telling everyone we’re missing.”

“With each turn of the wheel she becomes weaker, but she’s not dead yet .” Zedd observed as he watched Kimberly rotate on the sphere Rita had strapped her to. It looked like something you’d see at a circus rather than any kind of malevolent apparatus. He expected a knife thrower to appear at any moment and attempt to amuse him by tossing daggers at the girl as she spun.

“She grows weaker, but the coin itself grows stronger. Steal her life energy too quickly and the coin will overload and destroy itself.” Rita argued. “Remember Zeddie, I’m the only sorceress to successfully achieve poisoning a power coin.” She added, just in case he was doubting her ability.

“I have complete faith in you my little spider biscuit.” He responded playfully, slapping her affectionately on the rear and sending several layers of petticoats flying with the impact.

It had been a good day. They had one Ranger in custody and any moment he expected a few more to pay them a visit. “I am simply impatient to produce such a delicious victory over Zordon; to possess my very own evil Ranger.”

“Yes…” She snarled from between clenched teeth. “The victory will be all our…yours to savor.”

“Proceed then.” Zedd declared imperially, then turned and strode out of the room, leaving her to her work.

Rita scowled after him, but kept her expression carefully controlled. She’d managed to save the situation nicely, capturing both a Ranger and her coin; even if it wasn’t Tommy. She wasn’t all that surprised the boy hadn’t taken Zedd’s bait and jumped in to rescue his little girlfriend. Tommy was intelligent and that idiot Goldar had just stood there waiting for him instead of pretending to attack the girl and subdue her; it was obvious the whole debacle was a trap. With any luck, her former green would make the second attempt Zedd was hoping for.

She’d lowered the security in her lab and set the computers to give the false impression of a small hole in the force field just a little ways away from the girl. She’d carefully hidden scores of Tengas and monsters in the passageways adjoining the only spot Tommy could possibly hope to transport into to, while keeping the illusion that no one was watching it; now it was all a matter of timing and luck. She had to keep the girl alive long enough to lure Tommy, but drain her energy fast enough to secure her power over the coin.

Something was amiss though. The girl’s cells seemed to replenish their energy by themselves, but not with human energy. She had run tertiary scans to try and solve the riddle, but was limited by what she could and couldn’t do while the Wheel of Doom was in motion.

She frowned deeply as she watched several pulses drain from the girl and infuse the coin. With each pulsation, the human energy extracted was a little less pure; yet what was contaminating it was a mystery. The only way to know for certain was to stop the process and do a complete analysis, but that was something she was simply unwilling to risk; she needed this victory to secure her place with Zedd.

He had been correct, she realized uneasily, although he didn’t understand why. The girl was growing weaker, but she hadn’t died. Humans were not that sturdy; even human Rangers. Rita should have had to turn down the dial by now to keep her alive, yet the machine still churned at its original setting. By her calculations, the girl should have perished by now, but she hadn’t.

“Did he just call you spider biscuit?” Carri asked sardonically from within her cage, genuinely repulsed. She’d watched Zedd smack the old witch on the backside, seen her scowl at him and then quickly check her expression. If she wasn’t mistaken, Rita wasn’t exactly the happy little wife she claimed she was.

Rita turned and glowered at the girl, but said nothing. With any luck, she’d be rid of both her prisoners in less than an hour.

Tommy wasn’t exactly sure what he was going to say to Kim’s mom, but he honestly did feel that he owed her something more than “Please don’t do anymore interviews, you’re going to freak out our parents.”

The stage and press area were now littered with paper flyers and trash and most of the chairs had been turned over. Police cars and fire trucks surrounded the area, but he knew there had been no fire and all the emergency workers had found when they arrived was the remnants of Kat’s toxic pink smoke; which had apparently sent several people to the hospital for simply inhaling it. After the blip on the news, the rest of Rangers had quickly called their parents to say that they were safe and would be home soon after being treated, but Kim and Carri couldn’t make that kind of a call and both their mothers, Kim’s especially, would raise hell if they didn’t show up soon.

The area was taped off with yellow barrier tape, but he simply stepped over a low spot and kept walking. A police officer began to protest, then stopped, eyes widening, as he realized the white Power Ranger was walking towards him. Tommy ignored the man, he was used to that kind of reaction. He passed by him without acknowledgement and instead focused on Kim’s mom and a few others he recognized as being associated with the auction. He had doubts about what he was doing, but he also knew that it could be hours before they’d have Kim back. Maybe it was also that he felt guilty over the last time the resident Kimberly had disappeared and he’d done nothing to inform her mother, but at least this time, perhaps he could to let her know he knew she was alive.

“All I want to know is if she’s been taken to a hospital and, if so, which one.” She was arguing in a frustrated voice. The police officer she was talking to simply nodded and kept writing, which obviously irritated her.

“While I sympathize with you Mrs. Hart…” A man began in the same agitated tone.

“It’s Ms. Williams.” Kim’s mother shot back, temper rising. “I haven’t been Mrs. Hart in over a year.”

“Ms. Williams,” The man corrected tensely. “I simply must insist we put the priority on locating Zachary first. We must know where he’s been taken so we can provide adequate security.”

He was a small man that Tommy identified as Zack’s personal secretary. He rolled his eyes behind his visor and tried to draw patience where he really didn’t have any left. The man was repugnant. He kowtowed and fawned over Zack and Carri, but was basically obnoxious and nasty to everyone else. A round looking, middle-aged man, he tended to sweat profusely and now was no exception. As Tommy approached, he mopped his brow with a white handkerchief several times, but it didn’t appear to do any good.

“You mean keep this incident off TV and out of the tabloids until you can figure out how to turn it to your advantage.” Kim’s mom fired back. “Well it’s too late for that Mr. Darren, it’s already all over the news that no one knows where those kids are. My daughter and all her friends were in the exact spot that, whatever it was, went off. They were right in the worst of the smoke that sent people as far as fifty feet away from it to the hospital. You want to talk about bad publicity? If it comes out that that over blown teenage airhead gets any preferential treatment over those kids, I’ll…” She stopped as she realize Tommy was coming to a halt in front of her and stared, not really believing what she saw.

She swallowed hard. The last time she had been face to face with the white Ranger was in the hospital’s family briefing room after the doctors had told her that her daughter was alive, but seriously hurt. He had explained that there had been a monster attack and the Rangers had done what they could, but her daughter might never remember her life before the accident. That had been an understatement; not just Kim’s life, but all their lives, had been turned upside down and inside out.

“Ms. Williams, may I speak with you privately for a moment?” Tommy asked politely and Kim’s mother nodded, swallowing hard again against the bile rising in her throat.

“Wait...” Mr. Darren interrupted, reaching a hand out and grabbing her arm. “He knows who you are?”

Kim’s mom turned and gave the man a disgusted look, then disengaged the sweaty hand and turned to follow Tommy to a quieter spot. Excited by a potential “in” with the Power Rangers, he continued to call out several offers of getting them on one talk show or the next…. maybe even a sitcom…and Molly would of course be paid a finder’s fee… but she ignored him and never looked back.

“Are you here to tell me that my daughter’s dead?” Molly asked, fear making her voice stern and edgy.

“The last time I saw her she was alive.” Tommy admitted, which was true at least. He winced at her comment though, knowing all too well that the resident Kimberly was, in fact, deceased. “But she was directly exposed to the smoke.” He added. As he watched her shoulders relax, whatever words he thought he’d say melted from his mind and instead he found himself completely unprepared to say anything.

“That gas was meant for the Rangers, wasn’t it?” She asked pointedly, looking directly into his visor.

“Yes.” Tommy admitted. At least that was accurate.

“And my daughter and her friends got caught up in it instead, didn’t they?”

Tommy closed his eyes and wondered again why he’d made the effort to seek her out. He didn’t want her talking to the press again, he reminded himself. He needed to stop her from worrying the other parents.

“You need to quietly tell the authorities that they’ve been located and are receiving treatment.” He said gently, but firmly. “We can’t keep them and care for them if people are asking questions. The media needs to stop reporting them missing.”

“Are they ok?” She asked earnestly, eyes and face worried.

“Some are more sick than others.” He admitted, thinking of Zack vomiting on the Command Center floor. “It all depends.”

“But you’ll bring Kimberly home safe?” Her mother asked hopefully and Tommy could definitely hear the fear and worry behind the words.

His heart sank. He wanted nothing more than to rescue Kim and bring her home, but he simply couldn’t bring himself to reassure her mother in case their efforts turned out to be in vain. They had lost viewing globe capacity inside the Lunar Palace nearly an hour before and, although Billy had located the girls through the pinhole he’d spotted, he had no idea what they’d find once they actually got in there. He had completed what he set out to do, he told himself, he didn’t need to say more than that.

“I won’t let anything bad happen to her,” He said with more certainty than he felt. “I promise.”

When Tommy returned, Jason wasn’t the only visitor in the Command Center; Thomas had also arrived. As he transported in, he walked slowly over to where the other Rangers were standing, keeping the interdimensional traveler in his sight as he did so. Kim all but worshiped the man, but he left Tommy with an uneasy feeling. The last time he’d visited, the resident Kimberly had died and he’d brought them the Alternate to replace her; he sincerely hoped this visit didn’t mean the Alternate would also die.

“It’s called the Muirantian factor.” Thomas was saying. “I was unsure if it’s effects would take root in the girl simply by Kemora’s possession alone.”

“What does that mean?” Tommy asked, feeling he’d missed the majority of a major briefing and frankly irked that he hadn’t been called back.

Thomas turned and regarded the boy stoically in the same unemotional front he showed everyone. In truth, he had a mixed reaction to Zordon’s emergency call. On the one hand, he was delighted the girl didn’t have to suffer the trauma of Maligore’s pit to develop her potential. The news that Kemora could produce her own demon spawn was fascinating and made him wonder if the same would hold true for K; if she survived the verdict of the Guardian Moderators.

Of more pressing concern to him though, was that she was in Zedd’s hands. Zedd was extremely intelligent. If he were to recognize what was happening, he could potentially transform her to evil much the way Maligore did with his Kimberlys. It was critical that he get her safely back to her Tommy. The boy needed to love her, give her hope for the future. That was about the only thing he could think of that would keep her from becoming another Kemora.

“The cells of the Alternate’s body have been poisoned with Kemora’s demonic power.” He replied frankly. “The change happens within the mitochondria. The demonic power cells systematically infect the human cells, specifically mitochondria, killing it, and replacing it with an alternate source of power directly linked to an energy source on an interdimensional island known as Muirantias. It’s called the Muirantian factor because that’s the way Muirantian fire demons reproduce themselves.”

“How do we stop it?” Tommy asked, horrified and genuinely shaking with fear for his girlfriend. He’d fought Kemora, had to kill the resident Kimberly to keep the demon from destroying the Rangers. He would do anything to save Kim from that fate.

“We don’t.” Thomas replied bluntly. “Once the process has begun, it will continue until the girl becomes a full blood demon spawn.”

“Then the girl is doomed.” Zordon added sadly from his power tube. “Perhaps it is best then if Zedd is allowed to destroy her.”

“No!” Tommy all but screamed, drawing all eyes to him. “Zordon there has to be a way. We can’t just let her die. She’s no more evil than I am.”

“Ai yi yi, Tommy it’s not that simple.” Alpha offered in a cajoling tone. “Kemora didn’t begin life as an evil demon either, the transformation made her evil.”

“That’s not quite correct.” Thomas interjected, drawing the attention of the room back to him. “Kemora was bitter and angry when she entered Maligore’s fire. It was relatively easy for the demon to transform her into his offspring. She wanted it, longed for the bloodlust; still longs for it.”

What Thomas didn’t add was that it was the failure of Kemora’s Tommy that she’d become what she was. The boy had never loved her and left her easily for his Katherine. Kemora had been jilted while away from home pursuing her childhood dream. The boy’s betrayal had been devastating and, spurred by the hate infused into her, she had relished taking her revenge on him. K, on the other hand, had proved that didn’t have to be the girl’s fate.

“There is a precedent.” Thomas said slowly. “I know at least one case where the Kimberly survived the transformation and, with help and guidance, overcame the innate nature of what she was transformed into.”

“You speak of the Guardian Kaycea.” Zordon murmured, frowning as if thinking hard. “The one who hunts Kemora as you do.”

Thomas turned toward the great wizard, surprised and yet not surprised. He must have done extensive research into the realm of the guardians to know of K, or Kaycea as the interdimensional community knew her. Technically, she wouldn’t exist in the continuum, for nearly another half a decade, but she was also an established time traveler, so perhaps it was not so unusual a discovery after all.

“Yes.” He said simply. “And if this girl, Kemora’s own spawn, were successfully trained to serve on the side of good…”

“Then you would have two warriors in your fight against Kemora.” Zordon answered for him. “This concerns me greatly Thomas.” He added. “It tells me that you knew of the girl’s fate and yet placed her here with us anyway in hopes of obtaining another Kaycea.”

“I honestly did not know if the girl would develop or not.” Thomas answered, facing the old master squarely. In truth he’d hoped, but he hadn’t known. “There has been no one else whom I’ve come across who has ever survived Kemora’s possession; although I’m still searching.”

“How do we help her?” Tommy interjected, his face worried and hopeful Thomas would have an answer.

Thomas turned and regarded the boy unemotionally. There had been many Tommys who had tried to turn their Kimberlys and failed. The problem lay in the general historical trend of the Tommys preferring their Katherines. This boy, however, showed every sign of developing the opposite inclination. They would soon know for sure. If the boy rescued Katherine from Zedd and found himself attracted to her, it would be better to destroy his little Alternate before she became too powerful. If, however, like himself, the boy fell enough in love with his Kimberly so as not to allow his head to be turned, then perhaps the girl had hope.

“You have to love her.” He said simply, meeting the boys eyes. “You have to be strong when she isn’t, protect her, support her. If she survives the transformation, then she’ll need guidance, encouragement…but most of all love. Then and only then will she have a chance of surviving.”

“I can do that.” Tommy said fervently. “Zordon I can do that, I already love her.” He declared, turning to his mentor with an almost pleading look on his face. “She has the Rangers, we’re her family. She considers the Rangers more her family than the rest of us do our parents. We’re enough, I know we are.”

“Tommy, the consequences for the universe if we should fail...” Zordon began gently.

“Then we won’t fail.” Tommy interrupted passionately and Thomas resisted the urge to smile. “The Rangers never gave up on me, despite the fact that I nearly destroyed them and this entire Command Center. We won’t give up on her.”

Thomas regarded the boy impassively, barely able to keep the pleased look off his face. He was a strong version. That fact had been demonstrated in his ability to thwart Kemora at such a young age. He was intelligent and driven and felt his emotions passionately. It would work, he was sure of it. The boy had already attached himself to the girl, now Thomas would add the emotional bond of rescuing her from Zedd and they would be bound together for life.

This one, he decided, he would leave with her Tommy. Perhaps by anchoring her to a spouse, he would avoid the independent streak that had developed in K. With any luck, the two would reproduce early as he and his wife had; further grounding her. He stopped his line of thought abruptly, unwilling to think of his family and firmly shutting out the memories of their death at Kemora’s hands. He would leave this one with her Tommy, decided.

“Love is a powerful ally.” He commented, regarding Tommy sternly, then turned to face Zordon’s power tube to gauge the master’s reaction. Most Zordons were similar, but some were more daring or restrained than others. What he was asking was risky, but the forces of good were going to have to take some risks if the forces of evil continued to cheat against the restoration of the Great Balance.

“It is the most powerful force for good in the universe.” The old master replied, unconvinced and concerned by Thomas’s plan. “It has been known to conquer the impossible.”

What he didn’t add was that love was fickle in humans and the passion of youth faded over time. He had to trust that Thomas knew more than he revealed; which was generally the case. He knew the man worked with his old master, Primus. It was Primus who had warned him to cease his inquiries into Kaycea and her doppelganger Kemora. He had only to hope there was a larger plan in motion that would reveal itself in time.

“Find her.” Thomas said harshly, turning back to Tommy and meeting his eyes sternly. “We can do nothing for her if she remains in Zedd’s hands.”

Jason turned and caught Tommy’s eye as Billy opened the first of the portals. Tommy held his friend’s gaze seriously for a moment, then nodded.

A small breach had opened in Zedd’s force field, but all of them knew it was no accident it had opened within a few corridors of Rita’s private laboratory; where both girls had, by coincidence, been located. Tommy’s memory reaffirmed that Rita’s private domain was in the securest, most highly patrolled and guarded section of the palace. There was almost no chance it was an accident or mechanical failure and every chance that Zedd’s forces would be waiting for them.

Fortunately they had Billy, who knew that type of force field backward and forwards. Working on a theory of equal and opposite reactions, he’d discovered a small opening paralleling the one Zedd was tempting them with. It wasn’t as near to the girls as the main breech, or as large, but they could still break through and reach them.

The plan was simple. Zedd was expecting Tommy to come after Kim. He’d go first, accompanied by Rocky and Adam, and distract Goldar. No one was expecting Jason. He’d transport separately as close to the location they’d found the girls in as Billy could get him. Aisha and Billy would remain behind in case Zedd launched another attack on Angel Grove.

“Ready?” Tommy asked the others.

“Ready!” Rocky and Adam responded in unison.

“It’s morphin time!” Tommy shouted.

“Kat, you can stop this.” Carri said beseechingly as Kim lost consciousness; head lolling back and forth.

Her hands gripped the cold, slimy metal of her cage in frustration, but her cousin seemed not to hear. Kim was hooked up to some sort of spinning wheel and at the end of every rotation a pink spark materialized from her abdomen and flew into the machine across from her. Rita had gone. It was taking longer than expected to drain Kimberly’s life energy and she wanted to make sure Goldar and his goons were prepared to hold Tommy off until it was too late to save either the girl or the pink coin.

“Kat come on.” Carri begged in frustration. “She’s gonna die. You’re going to kill her; it’ll be all your fault.”

Her cousin turned to her then and, away from Rita’s presence, at least seemed curious in what she had to say. Carri was honestly at a loss as to what to do. She could handle a lot of things being thrown at her, but spells and witchcraft and draining someone’s life energy was like something off a bad TV show; not the stuff of real life.

“Kat think…try…” She cajoled, fingers turning white with pressure against the bars, “Come on Kat, this isn’t you. You’re the good girl, the perfect one everybody loves.”

Kat stared at her vacantly, brow knotted, as if trying to remember something. There were memories just beyond the pink and purple smoke that blurred her vision and caused so much confusion. If Carri had been more knowledgeable of spells, she would have known that it was incredibly hard to turn someone’s nature against their will and fairly easy to talk them out of it.

Tommy had been the perfect evil green because he was a smart, tenaciously aggressive, dedicated, and, at the time Rita had captured him, basically a completely angry teenager. He’d also had a power coin to cement the curse. His saving grace had been that he was also the consummate hero. Underneath all the teenage angst, he had a heart of gold; he genuinely and deeply cared.

Kat wasn’t Tommy. Only her jealously and disappointment fed the spell, but that was transient at best. She was an indisputably sweet and kind soul. Doing good deeds and helping others had always come naturally to her and filled her heart. She thought the best of people, even when they disappointed her, which was why she couldn’t hold on to her own unhappiness over Tommy. It wasn’t real enough to her. Her heart knew that life would go on despite her disillusionment and her general good nature was honestly contented that he and Kim were happy; even if that meant she lost.

“Kat come on…” Carri growled in frustration despite herself. She was never very good with cajoling. Her brother could weasel anything out of anybody, but she just simply never had the patience for it. Catching herself, she drew on every acting class she’d ever taken and added in a much more entreating tone, “Kat, she’s gonna die. You don’t want that. I know you don’t.”

In response, Kat blinked several times as if waking up from a bad dream. “Where am I?” She asked softly, looking around the room in confusion.

Realizing she might have actually broken through the bitch armor, as she’d silently labeled it, Carri demanded in a much more excited voice, “Open the cell!”

“What?” He cousin asked, as if that was the stupidest question she’d ever heard.

“Come on Kat, we have to save Kim and get out of here before Rita comes back!” She encouraged, silently praying she could get her cousin moving before the spell took hold again.

“Kimberly?” Her cousin asked, frowning deeply in bewilderment. She moved slowly forward toward the cell bars though and began examining them as if wondering where they came from.

“Kat listen.” Carri said as patiently as she could. “We’re in something called Bandora’s Palace, it’s a really big place, full of really big and really nasty monsters. Kim is on that wheel and about to die if we don’t get her down.”

At those words, Kat turned her head and spied Kimberly, murmuring something unintelligible in surprise.

“Kat look at me.” Carri demanded firmly and when the other girl complied, she said in the most composed voice she could muster, “Go over to the control panel opposite the wheel. Rita triggered the cage with one of the buttons on the right. The one to release it should be over there somewhere too.”

Kat turned her head to the control panel, then back to Carri, seeming to become more and more aware of her situation with every passing second. She shook her head slowly several times as if trying to organize her thoughts. “Oh my God, what have done?” She asked despondently, gulping several huge breaths as the direness of the situation also took root.

“Not now Kat.” Carri answered. “You can feel guilty later, right now we have to save Kimberly and get the hell out of here.”

“I think I remember a bit.” Kat answered, nodding and meeting her eyes; becoming more and more animated and aware as the seconds past. “ A lever…”

She turned and rushed to the console and Carri breathed a huge sigh of relief. Releasing her from the cage though, wasn’t nearly a simple and she had hoped it would be. After several false starts and fears over setting off alarms, Kim slid unconscious from the wheel to the fog covered ground below, but Carri was still firmly trapped.

“Hold on…” Kat said, more than a little flustered, “I haven’t tried these over here.”

She hit a whole new set of buttons and the cage, at last, flew upward into the ceiling and out of sight. Carri half squealed, half grunted her relief, and raced forward to help Kim off the floor.

Jason had a little more trouble than he’d anticipated getting the two floors down to where Billy had located the girls. He didn’t run into any trouble, but the others were apparently giving Goldar a good fight and the palace was in a uproar; moving stealthily through the halls was all but impossible. After a good bit of back tracking and zigzagging, he reached Rita’s private laboratory, just as Carri and Kat were attempting to lift an unconscious Kimberly from the ground.

“Who the hell are you?” Carri barked, disentangling herself from the unconscious girl. Standing up and grabbing a loose metal pipe, she confronted the stranger head on. “What do you want?”

Jason paused and held his hands up slowly, “I’m uh…here to rescue you guys.” He said in a slightly bemused voice.

“Yeah, well, nice of you to finally show up hero, but the rescue’s already accomplished.” She spat back. The guy looked human, but at that particular moment, after a more than wacked out, creepy day, she wasn’t taking any chances.

“Oh…well then, if that’s the case…since you guys already know the way out and all… I’ll just go help the Rangers fight off Goldar and about six thousand monsters and oversized talking crows.” He offered, turning his back to them and striding towards the door.

“Wait…” Carri offered in a less hostile tone, and he turned back around slowly to her with a placating Cheshire grin.

“You’re here with the Rangers?” Carri asked, even though she was already pretty sure she knew the answer. Jason grinned at her a little more, crossing his arms in front of him, and she rolled her eyes. “Fine.” Carri spat. “I mean,” She added in a much nicer voice that made Jason fight off a chuckle. “We would very much appreciate some help getting out of here. I’m Carri, that’s Kat, and this is Kim.” She said, grunting a little as she tried to lift the unconscious girl from the ground again.

“Well..since you asked so nicely….” Jason drolled, locking an amused set of eyes with Carri’s and striding forward. He wasn’t exactly sure who the brunette was, but then again, it occurred to him that he didn’t really know any of the team or support crew anymore. The others had simply labeled her an innocent, but they’d also said to watch out for the blond, who was under one of Rita’s evil spells, and the poor kitten matching her description didn’t look anything near evil.

“How long has Kimberly been out cold like this?” He asked, picking the unconscious girl up as if she weighed nothing. Her resemblance to the resident Kimberly was frightening and he couldn’t help but stare at the pale face for any detectable differences.

“Ten, maybe fifteen minutes.” Carri responded and he nodded in understanding.

“Come on, let’s get her back to the Command Center.” He advised. “I don’t know how long we have before someone figures out no one’s guarding you guys anymore.”

“That would actually be giving these idiots credit for thinking.” Carri spat back and Jason chuckled as he regarded her a little more closely.

He liked her. He was pretty sure she wasn’t on the current team, but that didn’t mean anything. The Rangers had friends and allies all over the galaxy. He doubted she was a local from Angel Grove like the others had classified her. A normal girl would have been hysterical in Rita’s lab. A brave girl would be seriously shaken and cowed by her experience; like the blond. This girl just looked pissed it had taken her so long to break loose and get out; that was generally indicative of someone on the inside or from off planet who knew just how outdated the Lunar Palace actually was. He wasn’t sure who she was or what relationship she had with the Rangers, but he was definitely going to find out when they got back.

“Let’s get moving.” He said simply, meeting her eyes and then turning and heading toward the open door. He could hear noises and shuffling outside the laboratory, but couldn’t tell if it was on their level or the next level up on one of the balconies or open walkways. Wherever it was coming from, it was obvious the mêlée was drawing closer.

“Hold on.” Carri murmured, backtracking back to the consol.

“What’re you doing?” Jason asked, turning around. Time was critical at this point. It had taken him way too long to get down to the girls and if it took the same amount of time to get back they would all be in serious trouble; if they could get back. At this point, he was seriously considering leading them into the conflict and hoping Billy would see them and just transport them all out at once.

“Hold on…” She insisted impatiently, frowning and punching several buttons. When that didn’t produce the desired results, she pounded and finally kicked the archaic looking device several times. Eventually a panel opened up and she grabbed something, shoving it in her pocket.

“Okay, let’s go.” She replied, trotting back over to them.

“You’re sure…” Jason asked sardonically. “I mean, you don’t need to waste more time beating the crap outta that thing? Maybe steal Rita’s spell book, set off a few alarms, make getting out of here any harder than it already is?”

“Oh for goodness sake,” Kat sighed, frustrated and scared and simply wanting to go home. They were wasting time. “Let’s just go.” She moaned, then turned and strode past Jason, through an archway and out into the hall.

Jason watched her go with a confused frown, wondering where she thought she was going, then looked back to Carri. She had stopped dead in her tracks and was shooting her cousin a venomous look that would have seriously intimidated even the bravest Ranger. He wondered then if the Rangers had gotten it wrong and it was the brunette that had suffered Rita’s hex.

“Problems?” Jason asked as she moved roughly past him to follow Kat.

“Her….” She answered with a disgruntled snort. “…imploring goodness after she’s been evil incarnate the past few weeks.”

When Jason just stood there and gave her a blank look, she gave him a huge eye roll, threw up her hands dramatically, then turned her back on him with a disgusted cluck of her tongue.

“This rescue’s definitely one for the books.” He muttered humorously, shifting Kimberly’s weight in his arms and ducking out into the hall after the two girls.

Fortunately, getting out of the palace was easier than anyone anticipated. The three found themselves transporting mid-stride, before they even reached the conflict, and the others were also pulled from the fight just as quickly; leaving Goldar and the rest of the Lunar Palace scratching their heads.

“Let me have her.” Tommy said, bounding up and all but grabbing Kimberly from a surprised Jason.

“Yeah sure…no problem.” He answered, staring after his friend. He watched as Tommy crossed the Command Center, cooing and talking to the unconscious girl as he went. It was weird and not what he would have expected from him at all. Jason frowned deeply at the scene as the Rangers hovered around the table and Tommy fretted and fussed over her like a kid obsessed with a new Christmas toy he thought might be broken.

“Jason.” Zordon called gently from his power tube and he turned away from the crowd hovering around Kimberly to face him. “Katherine and Carri should also be examined for any residual effects of Zedd’s incarceration and then escorted safely to the local hospital where the other victims were taken.”

“Yeah…sure.” He answered, slightly amused that the current team seemed to have completely forgotten they had guests in the Command Center and it was up to the old, retired leader, who wasn’t even a Ranger anymore, to finish things properly. He understood what Zordon was asking, the two needed to be scanned medically, then someone needed to tell them to keep quiet.

“Come on girls.” He called, turning to face them. “I think there should be another medical table in the next room over; at least it was there three months ago.”

He took them out the side door of the central command room and into a smaller annex, watching their reactions as Zack Haruko’s snoring form came into view on the medical table he’d mention earlier.

“Is he ok?” Kat asked in a worried voice. As more and more pieces to the puzzle of the last few weeks began to fall into place, she was rapidly becoming more and more depressed. What she had done was unfathomable to her. She wasn’t simply embarrassed, she was mortified and, worse, she felt very, very guilty.

“He’s fine, just sleeping it off.” Jason said casually. “We’ll send him to a local hospital after Alpha makes sure the gas doesn’t have any lasting effects. He uhm…” He paused and looked between the girls uncomfortably. “He uh, had some toxicity issues that complicated his reaction.”

Carri snorted and rolled her eyes. She wasn’t in the least surprised. She doubted Zack did anything hard core anymore, but he’d been to the private, so-called, rehabilitation resorts more than once for mixing pain killers and antidepressants.

At Jason’s curious look she added, “I know he was taking pain killers for his back. You probably also found sleeping pills in his system and since he was on stage live, some anti-anxiety stuff too.”

“Along with some cold medicine, yeah, that’s about right. You know him well?” He asked, stepping over to run a portable scanner across her frame.

“He’s my brother’s friend. They’re all into that stuff. Nothing illegal that I know of, but if you know how to mix and match you can pretty much get the same effect.” She answered.

“Carri that’s horrible.” Kat piped up. “If you knew Josh was abusing something, you should have told your mom and dad.”

“Are you kidding?” Carri scoffed. “Where do you think he learned it from?” She asked pointedly.

She loved both her parents, but she was also brutally honest with herself about them. Her mom was quickly becoming an alcoholic addicted to sleeping medicine and her dad, well, her dad simply enjoyed the perks of being a big time producer; he stayed sober, but he also enjoyed himself from time to time. At Kat’s horrified look, she grunted in irritation and resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Her cousin could be so blind sometimes. Why the hell did she think she had decided to make herself over?

“So you would or wouldn’t consider him someone to trust with Ranger secrets?” Jason asked her pointedly, meeting her eyes with a hard, no-nonsense look that was all business. It seemed to change his personality from sociable to severe and she noted the change accordingly. Measuring him up silently, she decided he was apparently a fairly good natured guy who shared her sardonic sense of humor, but he was also nobody to mess with.

“Only if you want in-depth details of the Rangers and this whole complex of yours strew all over every rag and fanzine known to the planet.” She answered honestly. “I mean, it’ll probably read something like it was him who came to the Ranger’s rescue, the whole save the day crap, but other than that…he’s pretty much a self absorbed blabbermouth.”

“So we need to transport him out before he wakes up.” Jason grunted matter-of-factly.

“Yeah, I’d advise it.” Carri responded in the same tone, nodding.

“And how about you two?” He asked pointedly, finishing his scan of Carri and regarding her frankly.

“I’m used to keeping secrets.” Carri responded, and he grinned slightly, eyes softening and shoulders relaxing a little. “Here,” She said, holding out her hand and depositing Kim’s power coin into his palm. “I think that belongs to Kimberly.”

Jason looked down at the gold power coin and then back up at Carri. If he’d had any doubts about her before, they were gone. Whoever she was, she was a friend to the Rangers.

“How about her?” He asked, nodding his head in the blond’s direction.

“What am I supposed to say?” Kat answered, giving him an aggrieved look. “I did horrible, unspeakable things to my friends and family over the past few weeks. I nearly got Kimberly killed. How could I ever face any of the Rangers ever again, let alone make public what I’ve seen and heard?”

“What you did,” Jason responded firmly, “You did under the influence of Rita’s spell. Very few are capable of resisting something that powerful. You were under her control and everyone here knows that.”

As he spoke, he stepped forward and began his scan of her. When the diagnostics had been completed, he looked up and held her eyes firmly. “You’re not the only one Rita has captured and enslaved under one of her spells.” He said gently. “Trust me, I know people who have killed and tortured others while under her influence who have gone on to live positive, productive lives. I’m not saying it’s easy, but you have the support of the Rangers if you need it.”

“I’ll keep your secrets.” Kat said quietly, crossing her arms protectively in front of her. “And I’m very grateful that you rescued me from Rita, if there’s ever anything I can do to…”

“Hang on.” Carri spat indignantly. “Excuse me, who rescued you? Who got you to realize right from wrong and snap you out of bitch mode?”

“I’m only saying it was the Rangers who transported… is that the right word?” Kat asked, looking up at Jason for confirmation. When he nodded, she continued. “It was the Rangers who transported us out and got us safely back to earth. What was your plan Carri? We had nowhere to go. Waiting for us outside the palace was the surface of the moon. ” She argued.

“Oh for the love of…” Carri all but howled, throwing her hands up in the air and shaking her head. “I give up. Try and do one good deed…but no, once again I go to incredible lengths and my family could honestly care less.”

“Carri..” Kat protested admonishingly. “I didn’t say that at all, I was simply saying that…”

“Trust me,” Jason responded, ignoring the blond and catching Carri’s eyes with a sadistically wicked grin. “I know exactly how it feels to do all the work and have someone else get the kudos for it.”

A few hours later, the Rangers stopped short in the doorway of Kim’s hospital room as they spied Carri and Katherine Hillard already there and chatting easily with one another. Unsure what to do, they filed in quietly, nodding their heads in greeting and murmuring a few polite phrases.

“I uhm…” Katherine began, then shifted nervously from where she’d been leaning against the windowsill, looking back and forth between Kimberly and her friends. “I was just telling Kimberly how sorry I was.” She rushed. “And I should really say that to all of you too. I could see everything that was happening, but no matter how hard I tried to stop myself …”

“It’s ok.” Tommy reassured, stealing a glance at Kim who nodded at him in encouragement. “Rita’s spells can be powerful. We all know it wasn’t you.” He added. If anyone knew how powerful Rita was, it was him. If Kim wasn’t harboring any ill will against the girl, then he wouldn’t either.

“I really appreciate that Tommy.” Kat responded, smiling at him shyly and causing him to glance uncomfortably at Kim.

They all knew that it was Kat’s jealously that fed the spell and it made him slightly uncomfortable to face her in front of his girlfriend; especially when that girlfriend was looking so pale and small on a hospital bed. A knock at the door interrupted them though and saved him from having to comment further.

“I’m sorry kids.” A nurse interjected. “There are too many visitors in this room. At least half of you need to step out and wait in the waiting room.”

“That’s ok. We’re done, they aren’t going to keep us overnight so we’re free to go. We just came by to say hi on our way home.” Carri said, standing up from her seat at the foot of the bed. She grabbed her cousin’s arm and began backing out of the small private room, but turning to Kim she added, “Don’t forget, as soon as you’re out of here, we have a shopping date at the mall.”

“Definitely.” Kim answered tiredly, grinning softly.

Smiling uncomfortably and waving goodbye to the others, she locked eyes with Rocky briefly, then pulled her cousin out of the room after her and began to walk down the hall toward the exit. In return, Rocky groaned loudly and slouched against the wall.

“So why haven’t you asked her to the dance yet?” Kim asked him, eyes smiling even though it was obvious she was exhausted. The hospital bed had her propped up into a seated position, but she seemed to melt against it, as if it was the only thing keeping her upright. Dark blue half moons lined her eyes and her face was pale and gaunt. Not since Kemora’s possession had she felt so weak and, despite Alpha’s treatments in the Command Center, they all knew it would be days or even weeks before her energy returned and she felt back to normal.

“Because…” He stammered, frowning deeply and crossing his arms protectively in front of him. “It’s weird, you know? She knows. How strange would that be? I mean, if she said yes it would only be because she knows…and I know that, you know?” He asked, frowning deeply and kicking his toes against the hospital floor. He honestly didn’t know what to do.

On the one hand, he honestly still liked her, but on the other, he didn’t want her liking him just because he was a Ranger. It was a weird position to be in and he suddenly realized he could sympathize with her frustrations over people liking her just because of her dad. There was also the fact that Jason obviously liked her too. He’d peppered the Rangers with questions and had talked about practically nothing else since he dropped them both by the hospital.

“Because she told me long before she ever found out that she was hoping you’d ask her.” Kim said quietly, giving him a tired grin.

“She did?” He asked animatedly, in stark contrast to his downcast demeanor a few seconds before. His head snapped up, eyes asking silently if she was serious.

“It was supposed to be a secret.” Kim added mischievously. “She liked you even before she knew; she told me so.”

“Oh wow…” Rocky added, adrenaline rushing. He stood up and shuffled a bit from side to side, wiping his palms on his jeans. “You’re serious?”

Kim didn’t answer, just nodded wearily. She was amused by his reaction, but the truth was that she just simply didn’t have the energy to play it up. Carri had already asked her if she could nudge him a long a little and she’d promised she would. “So what are you waiting for?” She asked him after he just stood there trying to figure out what to do next.

“Go get her Romeo.” Aisha prodded, jerking her head toward the hall where Carri and her cousin had left.

“Seriously?” Rocky asked, and as one the assembly of Rangers groaned.

“Now.” Aisha answered definitively. “Before she reaches the parking lot and you have to chase her car.” She added drolly. Rocky didn’t waste time, he bounded out of the room, ignoring the burst of laughter that followed him. “I think we should go too.” Aisha added, grabbing Billy and Adam by their shirt sleeves and pulling them toward the door. “The nurse said there were too many of us in here bugging you.”

“But you just got here.” Kim protested. “You’re not bothering me. I’ve been bored out of my mind all afternoon.”

“We’ll let Tommy keep you company.” Her friend answered with a wink and a mischievous grin before grabbing the other boys and pushing them through the door. “You should rest. Who knows how long Zedd’s gonna stay quiet.” She added quietly over her shoulder as she exited too. “ We’ll have a real visit as soon as you rest up a bit.”

Kim regretfully watched them go, then closed her eyes. In a way, it was a relief. The small crowd had been a little more than she was up to, but it was nice to know her friends cared enough to visit.

“Can’t say I’m disappointed to see them go.” Tommy said impishly, moving to her bedside. Sitting down on the side the bed, he leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips. “Feeling any better Beautiful?” He asked softly.

“Now that you’re here.” She answered with a genuine smile, wrapping her arms around his neck.

She allowed him to pull her upwards off the pillow as he sat back up, then tilted her head and allowed him to kiss her for real. It was slow and deep and conveyed what neither said; that they were relieved the worst was over for now and they still had each other. Slowly, as the kiss continued to intensify, his hands slid around her and he moaned with the pure ecstasy of touching the bare skin of her back where the thin hospital gown opened.

Unfortunately, a sharp knock on the open door brought them both up short and back to the cold reality that, to everyone else but the other Rangers, they were merely two teenagers in love and both restricted to the antediluvian rules the outside world imposed adolescents.

“Sorry to interrupt.” Her mother said tightly, obviously not entirely unhappy to force things to a halt. Ignoring Tommy, she met her daughter’s eyes squarely. “I saw you’re friends leaving, I thought I’d come and sit with you before your father arrives with Michael….although God knows if he’s actually going to manage to show up before visiting hours are over with tonight.”

“I…uhm…that is, we…could you give us a few minutes?” Kim asked sheepishly, hands dropping from around Tommy’s neck.

“Kimberly…” Her mother responded in a warning tone.

“Mom, seriously, just a minute or two.” Kim replied, meeting her mother’s eyes with a pleading look. She moved back slightly from her boyfriend, but still kept his hand firmly in hers.

“Two minutes.” Her mother answered firmly, eyes moving in Tommy’s direction with a parental look that clearly stated he should behave. Then, looking back at Kim, she added, “I’m going to go to the machine and get another cup of coffee. When I come back, it’s time to say good night.”

With that, she turned abruptly and left the room; leaving the door wide open. Tommy inhaled sharply, then exhaled just as sharply. “Oops.” He muttered, although his look was anything bit contrite. His eyes met Kim’s and they shared the mutually amused look of having been caught red handed.

“It’s ok.” Kim answered, reaching up to kiss him again before leaning back against the reclining bed. “Mom and I had a long talk about you this afternoon. We agreed, no secrets. She knows how I feel about you and the decisions we’re making about our relationship.”

“Are you kidding?” Tommy asked uncertainly, gut sinking and panic rising. That wasn’t exactly a topic he was comfortable sharing with an adult at all. He knew all too well what the parental vote would be and if her mom knew about the developing physical side to their relationship, she’d never understand.

“No secrets; well, except for the obvious Ranger ones.” She added with a tired smile, squeezing his hand tightly. Giving him a more serious look, she added, “If it has to be a secret Tommy, then it’s not right. If we have to hide, if we’re ashamed, then we’re doing something we shouldn’t. I don’t want it to ever have be that way between us.”

“Kim…the parents aren’t gonna understand.” He countered. Kim hadn’t grown up with parental control and restrictions like he had. He understood that both his parents were fairly open minded, but he’d still been restricted enough to know the areas that you just plain stayed away from offering information on. It was too risky in his book that they’d put an end to them seeing each other. He’d just gotten her back, he could easily lose her again if the powers that be ruled against them. The thought terrified him. “What if your mom says we can’t see each other again?” He argued, voicing his fears.

“I told her that wasn’t going to stop me from seeing you.” She answered quietly, confirming his suspicions that her mother had already pulled the forbidden card. “Then I asked what she thought was better, me sneaking around and hiding things or being honest and having her to turn to and ask advice or confide in.”

“And what did she say?” He asked morbidly. In his experience, the concept of sex was something moms weren’t exactly comfortable with and got completely weird about. It could easily get your whole life taken away faster than you could blink. In his own mom’s defense, even he admitted he’d started a bit too early with things. It had begun mostly out of rebellion against his parents’ divorce and his dad’s new girlfriend who was less than six years older than he was, but it was also a part of his life and had been for a while. Eventually, he and his mom had developed a mutual understanding; she didn’t ask and he didn’t tell. He knew she knew and she knew that he knew she knew; it was what they were both comfortable with. The idea of openly discussing it was…weird.

“She said sneaking around was how she ended up with me.” Kim giggled softly, eyes twinkling. “I don’t think she’s happy about it.” She added frankly, “But I think she wants to keep things in the open and at least try the honest approach before locking me into my room by myself for the next ten years.”

Tommy didn’t answer, just took a deep breath and wondered how on earth he was ever going to be able to look at or talk to her mother when he saw her next. He supposed, like anything else, it just took time. Maybe that’s what growing up was; facing the things head on that you thought you had to hide from and dealing with them with your head up and shoulders squared. Realizing he wasn’t exactly sure or happy with the idea, she sat up again and leaned into him, hand gently cupping the side of his face.

“You know I’m right.”

“Maybe.” He murmured, pressing his head into her palm. “You have a totally different way of dealing with your mom than I have with mine. I don’t want to lose you Kim.”

“I think that’s the least of our worries.” She answered softly, leaning into him and eyes worried.

“What do you mean?” He asked, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close as she shivered against him.

“I can’t say.” She whispered, snuggling close against him. He was warm and safe and she wanted nothing more than to close her eyes and press against him and have him hold her forever. “I don’t know how much time we have.” She said. Her voice was so soft he could barely hear it, but the fear in it was evident. “Maybe that’s what makes me braver about talking to my mom. I don’t want to waste the time we have left.”

“Kim…” He answered, pushing her back enough to meet her eyes earnestly. “Tell me.”

Kim paused and met his eyes silently for a few moments. She was terrified to answer and yet terrified to keep it to herself. She was very much aware that both Thomas and Zordon were concerned about her. She’d overheard them talking about her when she’d been on the medical bed in the Command Center; knew they feared for her. After a few soundless moments, she leaned close to his ear and whimpered frantically, “I can feel them.”

“Who?” He asked in an equally quite tone. Her tone frightened him and he fought hard to sit still and be calm.

“The other Kimberlys.” She whispered, horrified. Leaning her face back and meeting his eyes she added with despair. “I know where they are; all of them. I even know where Kemora is although I’m too afraid to look at her for too long in case she can see me too. What if…”

“It won’t happened.” He responded unwaveringly, knowing as she did that Zordon feared she would become Kemora’s demon spawn.

“Tommy…”

“No.” He answered firmly, arms wrapping tightly and protectively around her. “It won’t happen, I won’t let it.”

“But…Kemora started out a Kimberly too.” She replied, tears falling from her eyes. “What if…”

“No.” He answered again. “Kemora chose to become evil. Thomas even said Kemora was bitter and angry before she ever fell prey to Maligore. We love each other Kim, that’s not going to change.”

“But…”

“No.” He said decisively, pulling away and hands holding her shoulders firmly. “I love you too much.” He declared, shaking her slightly for emphasis, and putting as much conviction in his words as he possibly could. “I promise I won’t let it happen to you, do you understand? We’ll deal with this together, the two of us, and I’ll help you. I swear I won’t let anything harm you ever again.”

Kim watched the earnestness of his face with a longing she couldn’t conceal. She hoped he was right, prayed with ever fiber in her that what was happening to her was something they really could control; but the deeper part of her still wasn’t sure. She knew how powerful Kemora was, knew Kemora’s cells were taking over her body.

“I love you.” She said simply, reaching up and wrapping her arms around his neck; squeezing with all her might in hope that the world would melt away and the two of them would be left to love each other in peace.

“I love you too Beautiful.” He murmured back, holding her just as tightly and imploring the Great Power to help him keep his promise. Zordon had said that love was the most powerful force of good in the universe, that it could conquer the impossible; he prayed his mentor was right.

Molly wasn’t exactly pleased to allow her daughter time alone with the boyfriend, but she also knew there were very few options she could choose from. Kimberly had already said she was in love with the boy and would sneak off to see him if she tried to separate them; then turned around and impressed her with the argument she wanted to keep the lines of communication open and not hide from her. He reasoning’s though, were still the reasoning’s of an almost sixteen year old in puppy love for the first time and every instinct inside her screamed that the child should be grounded for life inside a chastity belt.

She couldn’t keep her locked up forever, but the bigger part of her wanted to shake her daughter and try in some small way to make her understand that teenage love simply didn’t last happily ever after the way she thought it would. As she sipped the bitter coffee produced by the machine, she thought sullenly of her own choices and disappointments in life; being pregnant at nineteen at the forefront. She wanted to spare her daughter all that. Life could be incredibly harsh and unforgiving; she was simply too young to be exposed to that… or maybe she wasn’t; she didn’t know anymore and it was frankly too late now to try and go back.

A few short years ago Kimberly been happy with dolls and stuffed animals. Protecting her from the world had been easy then; do it because I said so, that’s why. The teenage years had come barreling in far too fast and Molly was simply unprepared to make the transition from a parent-child to a parent-teen relationship. It wasn’t just the idea of sex, she considered herself to be quite opened minded about the whole thing; it was the idea her child was interested in it.

As she watched the boyfriend exit her daughter’s room and walk down the hall towards her, she couldn’t help but admire her daughter’s taste. When had little boys gone from boy-cute to guy-cute; she wondered to herself. How it was possible that time had slipped by and they had all gone from interchangeable little cherubs into developing adults, she wasn’t sure. She didn’t regret it, she was just simply amazed that it had all happened without her realizing it.

“Ms. Williams.” Tommy said, nodding politely at Kim’s mother and trying to pass her casually despite the thudding terror in his heart. With any luck, he hoped she’d simply nod back and he could keep walking past her.

She smiled thinly at the teen, positive she felt every bit as awkward as he did. What did you say to a boy whom your daughter admitted having sex with at least once? You wanted to castrate him and send him home crying to his mother, but that wouldn’t work. Taking a deep breath, she lowered her coffee and said in the calmest voice she could muster, “I don’t want Kimberly hurt.”

“Me neither.” He said seriously, stopping a few feet from her.

“The two of you are very young and Kimberly is in a very vulnerable place in her life.” She added, impressed with herself that she could remain calm and parental when all she wanted to do was smack him hysterically.

“I understand.” Tommy answered, squaring his shoulders and facing her. He wasn’t comfortable at all, but his tenure as a Ranger made him realize that, if he didn’t stand up to her, he’d only confirm her opinion of him that he was young and didn’t know what he was doing. That was a power over him he wasn’t about to let her have. She could be Kim’s mother, but she wasn’t going to be his. “Believe me, I understand better than anyone.” He continued honestly. “I won’t let anything bad happen to her, I promise.”

“I hope so.” Molly replied quietly, then turned her back on him and began to walk to her daughter’s room.

She was about half way there when something dawned on her. Stopping and turning, she regarded his retreating form critically; white shirt, white pants, white bandanna. Her eyes narrowed, analyzing the confident set to his shoulders, the way he strode rather than walked, and the power, even at such a young age, that he commanded. She replayed his words over in her mind as she watched him, comparing the tone. “I won’t let anything bad happen to her, I promise.”

A cold chill oozed down her spine as she began to put the pieces of the last few months together. The monster attack, how the Rangers just happened to be there. Her daughter’s new friends who seemed to appear from nowhere and seemed completely out of place for her. How she could remember Tommy but not her gymnastics coach. Why the invaders would target Kimberly at an art auction just after the Rangers appeared, how the Rangers could be interested in an art auction at all. Her mind then pieced other, small things that had nibbled at the back of her subconscious for a long time. Even before the monster attack where she’d lost her memory, Kimberly was always disappearing at odd times; almost always just before the monster alarms sounded.

As the boyfriend turned down an adjacent hallway and out of sight, Molly turned as well and walked slowly toward her daughter’s room. She paused outside and checked herself, wondering if she was really willing to put the spinning pieces of information floating in her mind into one concise thought. It certainly explained things, but in other ways seemed too implausible to believe. Walking inside, she smiled tightly at her daughter, then took a seat in the chair beside her bed.

“How’s the coffee?” Kim asked, assuming her mother’s tense behavior had to do with the uneasiness surrounding Tommy’s visit.

“Hideous.” Molly answered with a more genuine smile, placing the cup and it’s cooling contents on the side table. “Tommy’s a nice boy.” She declared, surprising her daughter.

“I think so.” Kim answered with a hesitant grin.

“Careful.” Another voice drifted through her mind, letting her know the ghost had again appeared. “She knows about the Rangers.”

Kim couldn’t quite stifle the sound that emerged from her lips, so she tried to cover it with a few coughs. Turning towards the window opposite her mother, she could easily see the form of the other Kimberly, watching her mother intently.

“She knows.” The ghost repeated. “She figured out in the hallway that Tommy was the white Ranger, but she’s not exactly ready to admit to herself yet that you could be a Ranger too; she’s heading in that direction though.”

“Your friends seem nice too.” Her mother continued amiably, picking up the coffee again and taking a sip. She paused a moment, then replaced it back on the table. “They all seem to be into sports and physical fitness.”

Kim nodded instead of answering, turning back around to gauge if her mother was really going to ask her about the Rangers or keep her suspicions to herself.

“They were a huge help with setting up for the auction tomorrow... so rare to find teens who’d want to be involved with the community like that. It was nice to see.”

“They enjoyed it.” Kim said simply, still watching her mother closely.

“It was nice of the Power Rangers to take an interest in the auction too. That canvass has generated a lot of interest. We could be looking at a bidding war; I haven’t dealt with one of those in a long time. Should be fun.” She murmured absently. “I’m still baffled how they knew about it if you didn’t call them.”

“No she isn’t.” The ghost warned. “She’s put it all together, better be careful.”

“Kimberly,” Her mother began cautiously, pausing as if trying to gauge her words. “When the Rangers rescued you the first time…I guess what I’m trying to ask is… you know who they are, don’t you?”

Kim shrugged and didn’t answer; simply regarded her mother with tired eyes and an exhausted expression. Her mother calmly regarded her in return and a silence descended between them; neither breaking eye contact, but neither speaking.

“Going back to our earlier conversation about being open and not keeping secrets…” Her mother began after a few seconds.

“Some secrets aren’t mine to share.” Kim replied softly, cutting her off.

“Kimberly, you’ve been seriously hurt now, twice, in less than three months. If you’ve found yourself involved in something that…”

“I’m fine mom. Both were just freak accidents.” She responded plainly and in a soft voice, but her eyes had turned hard and her mother was left with the distinct impression that no more answers were forthcoming.

It was a look that was very different than Molly had ever seen on her daughter and she paused to wondered at it. She realized then that she really didn’t know the young woman reclining on the hospital bed next to her; somewhere, somehow, she had changed. Perhaps that was the wrong word for it, perhaps she had simply begun to grow up without her realizing it.

She was terrified by the conclusions she was drawing. She realized in that moment that there would be no more gymnastics, there would be no more baby dolls and frilly dresses; the girl before her was charging out head first into a world she couldn’t protect her from. Molly could adjust to boys, she could adjust to new friends and no more gym after school, but aliens and monsters…she just couldn’t go there. How and why she would ever even want to become involved in that sort of thing baffled her.

“I’m here for you Kimberly.” She said after a few moments. “I hope you know that.”

Kim smiled and her eyes softened as she realized her mother wasn’t going to press the issue; at least for now. Perhaps Tommy was right. In some ways, maybe a don’t ask-don’t tell policy was better. “I know mom.” She answered quietly.

As the flashing lights stopped, the music slowed, and half the gym lights began to flicker on one by one, signaling the end of the freshmen and sophomore’s Valentine’s Sweetheart Dance, Kim sighed and pulled Tommy reluctantly on the dance floor for one last slow dance. It was only ten, but this was the last dance they’d have as junior classmen. Next year would be Junior Prom and a year from then the Senior Prom, but for now, virtually none of them could drive for themselves, many had parents waiting outside in the bus lane, and almost all of them had curfews.

Tommy, despite his agility in martial arts and proficiency in a fight, wasn’t exactly the best dancer. He stumbled awkwardly through the slow dances, tripping as much over his own feet and hers, and just couldn’t seem to find a beat to match Kim’s during the faster tunes, but she didn’t care. As his arms wrapped around her waist, her fingers touched the little pink heart at her throat before reaching up and intertwining them firmly behind his neck; she couldn’t think of a more perfect moment in her entire life.

“I can’t believe it’s time to go already.” He muttered gloomily, stepping back from her slightly and raising his hands a little higher up her back as one of the chaperones gave him another evil eye. They’d already been told three or four times to separate for dancing too closely and the last time they’d been warned their parents would be called if they did it again. Looking in the opposite direction, he spied Rocky and Carri doing the same as the chaperone in question found a new set of victims.

“Tomorrow’s Sunday.” She said dreamily, ignoring the increasing amounts of light in the gymnasium and resting her temple against his chest.

“Lake?” He asked hopefully, eyes brightening, but she only grinned and didn’t answer. The lake was the one spot they’d found where they could be completely alone and no one would bother them…and they could take the bus there until Tommy’s got his driver’s license. He grinned wickedly at the idea and pulled her closer; figuring it was the last dance and both their mother’s were probably already outside waiting for them anyway. Thoughts of cuddling with her under a blanket in the woods alongside the lakeshore, more than made up for any mandatory goodnights they were facing at the end of the song.

True to her word, Kim didn’t keep any secrets from her mother about the developing physical side to their relationship, but she didn’t offer any details either; which suited him fine. It made him a little uncomfortable sometimes, but he followed her lead and did the same with his own mom. They both knew neither of their parents were exactly happy, but all were adjusting. Tommy didn’t care, he considered the two of them legally married; which they were everywhere in every galaxy except their own home planet.

He just didn’t get how they could be Rangers, out risking their lives on a daily basis saving the universe and still be too young to decide who they were going to be with. It was frustrating, but as neither of them were in any kind of position to move out on their own, he supposed it was for the better; they were only sixteen, they had time.

“Mrs. Applebee says I might be able to go back to school next month.” Kim said absently, swaying to the music and ignoring the fact the Tommy hit one or the other of her feet on every other beat.

“That would be great.” He answered distantly, lowering his head down to hers and simply enjoying the opportunity to hold her. Any chance to see her during the week that didn’t involve a monster attack would be a very welcome addition.

“Just for science lab and a few electives, a half day at most a couple times a week, but it’s a start.” She added. “Maybe we can even have lunch together.”

“Tomorrow at the lake sounds better.” He suggested, a slow, wicked grin spreading across his face. She leaned back just far enough to slap his chest playfully and, unrepentant, he leaned in and kissed her; delighted when she eagerly returned it.

“Don’t let go.” She whispered as the kiss ended, closing her eyes.

As the music slowed to its final few chords, she kept her eyes tightly sealed and a tried to memorize every second. Every sense in her reached out to record all the feelings; every smell, every sound, every instant of those last few moments. His arms were warm and strong, the music soft, the background noises increasing in their thunder as the freshmen and sophomores packed up and filtered out the gymnasium exit.

Never, in her wildest dreams did she ever imagine she’d be where she was at that moment. A few short months before she had had nothing but devastation facing her; no life, just existence. Now she had her place in the Rangers, a family who treasured her, and she had the one and only boy in the universe she had ever dared hope to love.

“Don’t let go.” She whispered again, holding onto him tightly. “Don’t let it end.”

“Never.” Tommy murmured, pulling her close against him and leaning his head down to snuggle it between her ear and shoulder. “I won’t ever let you go Kim.”

“Promise?” She asked wistfully, caught up in the magic of the last few moments of music and dance.

“Swear.” He answered decisively, kissing her shoulder softly.

At that moment, the song came to an end and hundreds of red and white and pink balloons dropped from a net above them. The second half of the gym’s fluorescent lights began to flicker on and the dance was at its end. Both of them raised their heads as the little spheres cascaded softly around them, reflecting the colored lights of the dance globe still spinning above them before gently covering the floor.

Kim’s eyes met his and he smiled, expression full of love and trust and longing. She thought then of the little bird she’d painted above the light switch in her room. The little lost bird, thrown roughly from its nest far too soon by the harsh winds of life; all lost and alone and afraid of the wide world it suddenly found surrounding it. She wasn’t lost anymore, she wasn’t afraid of the wind; she’d learn to spread her wings and, in turn, to soar.