Author's notes: I hope everyone have a Happy and Safe New Years. I did. I want to warn you that since my holiday break is over and a new semester is about to begin updates are gonna be some what slower since I won't have down time at work to write/edit and when I am at home the hubby wants to play the old republic with me. I was able to write this chapter up because I have been stuck on the couch at home with an inflamed nerve in my leg. The doctor has on couch rest to let the inflammation to reduce some before even attempting to sit at a desk. I am home one more day so tomorrow may or may not get a chapter. It depends if I can type the chapter up and edit it before I go to bed tomorrow.
Anyways... I don't plan on going through all the episodes or have them in order because how often when you are trying to remember things they are in perfect order. I know my memory is a jumbled mess that I am able to somehow sort through.
I tossed in the bit with Trini and Jason because when watching those two now after I've grown up those two were a little too flirty with each other at times. I mean holding hands while scuba diving, the pats, and what not.
On with the show.
Thank you all for such wonderful reviews.
Chapter Nine: Over the Hill and Through the Woods
"So what's up in these mountains?" Kimberly asked really wishing that she had shoes she honestly didn't care what they looked like at this point. All though she was hoping that they would go with her outfit. But that would be an added plus but at this point it didn't matter because she was sure this field trip, spirit quest, or whatever you want to call it was playing havoc on her pedicure. They had already been to the high school where not only were they able to see their first official meeting Kim also got to witness a rather hilarious feud between her teenage self and a white clad Tommy for the election of student body president. The lake were she watched Billy tell her about his fear of fishes during a picnic and the park where they first meet Rocky, Adam, and Aisha after rescuing a teacher's little boy from a run away stroller.
"The old Command Center." Tommy replied.
"For the love of... argh!" Kimberly cursed under her breath as she stepped on yet another sharp rock. "Remind me why we are going there?"
Seeing his companion rubbing her foot for what had to be at least the fifteenth time he took action. "Climb on." Tommy knelled so she could climb onto his back.
As sorely tempted as she was she couldn't possibly let him carry her up the hill when she was fully capable to walked and she told him him that after thanking him for such a generous offer. However he wouldn't take no for an answer after some back and forth bickering Kimberly soon found herself perched on her brother's science teacher's back. As she was hugging his neck while he continued the trek up the hill acting like she weighted nothing. She was realizing that it was the sweet gestures like this that both his current self and the things she watched his younger self do that was making her fall in love with him. Men like him were the hard to find breed that she heard so much about and witnessed only once in her life before with her mom and the man that she called dad.
"I figured that it would probably be the best place to go over history in a shorter amount of time provided that we are able to go through the archives of the viewing globe." Tommy struggled to say calmly. He on the other hand was trying to think of ways not to think about the fact her pert breasts were tightly pressed up against his back or the smoothness of the bare thighs he was holding on to. He was very, very thankful that Kimberly could not see the tent that was forming in his pants. This was not the time to realize she wasn't wearing a bra he mentally chastised himself. Thank the morphing grid that he was able to stay calm when pressured. Think of Ms. Applebee in a bikini, the smell of Zack's dirty socks, Rita doing the jig, anything but Kim's breasts!' he mentally chastised himself.
"Makes sense." Kimberly acknowledged. "How much further is it?"
"Not far, the Command Center is at the top of this hill." his heart raced as she rested her head on his shoulder.
"So this is where Kim lives?" Zack whistled as he looked around checking out the photos and knick-knacks scattered around the family room. Judging by the amount of fresh flowers that were scattered about the place; it defiantly had Kimberly's stamp on it. "Hey Billy, Jase would you look at this, our little Kimberly is all grown up and a cop to boot."
"It would appear so." Billy stated as he adjusted his glasses so he could get a better look at the picture.
"Kim's the captain of the bomb squad." Conner said a matter of factly. It was quite obvious that this new red ranger was very proud of his big sister and her vast accomplishments.
The three elder rangers looked at the teen in shock. It was hard to believe that their little pink clad valley girl, Kimberly grew up and have such a gritty job. They all thought that she would be a gymnastics coach or a kindergarten teacher. It wasn't that they believed that she wouldn't capable of it, it's just she didn't seem like someone who would take a job that she would knowingly be covered in dirt and muck on a regular basis. The Kimberly they knew bitched when she broke a nail while fighting putties and helmet hair. But then again nobody thought that Mr. Forgetful himself would get a doctorate in paleontology.
"How did Kim choose to get into that line of work, rookie?" Jason asked his fellow red tyrannosaurus.
"After Kimberly graduated from the super secret ninja school in Japan..." Conner started.
"Wait, wait, wait! Hold the phone. I know my ears are playing tricks on me. Did you just say super secret ninja school?" Zack interrupted.
"Cha. Kimberly went to a super secret ninja school in Japan during high school, duh." Conner said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "But we're not supposed to tell anyone since it's a secret. My twin brother Eric is going to one up North but you didn't hear it from me. I don't want Kimberly to melt my tires again. I just got them replaced."
"Again?" The three originals chorused.
"Yeah, the ninja school taught her how to control fire and she's way scarier the Mezogog when she's angry." the elder three nodded in agreement. All of them have been at the receiving force of Kim's anger at one time or another. Or in Zack's case on a weekly if not daily basis. "But that's besides the point, after ninja school she wanted to do something to help people but she didn't know what so after a year or so in college and the drama of Terry the jerk wad she decided to go to the police academy. And after we lost our dad on 9/11 she transferred from swat to bomb disposal. The rest is how you say history." Conner explained leaving the older three with more questions then they could formulate at the moment.
Billy knew time was the essence and chose to interrupt the other's thoughts. It was not the time to be reminiscing. They would do that after Kimberly and Tommy were free from their transparent prison. "It would be most advantageous if we acquire what we traveled to the McKnight domicile for and return to Tommy's lavatory as soon we can." seeing the slight confusion on his friends face and the complete confusion on the red dino's face he amended his statement to single syllable words so the others could understand easily. "We need to get what we came for and get back." he sighed. Times like this he really missed Trini and her ability to translate what he was saying. However watching the proverbial light bulb flickering on over his friend's heads when they fingered out what he was saying never got old.
"You're right as always Billy, Conner where's your sister's room?" Jason turned to his red companion.
"This way." he motioned and let his predecessors to his sister's inner sanctum.
Kim's room was everything that you would think she is at first glance, elegant and girly. The walls were painted in a delicate cherry blossom pink with Victorian white accents. The furniture were a classic polished dark cherry wood that looked extremely well cared for. The damask covering the queen sized bed was the same shade of white as the wall accents with weaving branches adorned with elegant cherry blossoms embroidered on it. Sitting on a dresser next to an antic looking alarm clock was a framed photo of a teenaged pink kimono clad Kimberly with two similarly dressed Japanese teenage girls standing under a tree with cherry blossom petals raining from it. The photo caught Zack's causing him to ask Conner about the photo.
"Oh that's Kim with Natsumi and Michiko at the cherry blossom festival in Tokyo the year before Kim came back to the states. They were a part Kim's exchange family in Japan." Conner explained. "I met them once when Kim took Eric and me to Natumi's wedding. I swear Kim was gonna kill Eric before the trip was over. He was flirting with one of Kim's host sister's younger cousins. Even I know that was a stupid thing to do. That's why I'm the smart twin."
"Zack I want to hear Kim stories just as much as you but we need to focus getting her and Dr. Rainbow out of the rock they are stuck in." Jason sighed.
"Right sorry Jase, my bad. Conner does Kimberly still keep a scrap book?" Zack asked.
"Yeah why?"
"You think you can grab it? I'm sure the others would want to see it." the hip-hopkitto master asked.
"I guess." the teen scratched the back of his head. Not too sure what to say about it.
"This place is amazing." Kimberly looked around at the various work stations.
"That it is." Tommy turned his attention to the new white ranger, smiling at the wonderment that was lighting up within her eyes. "The viewing globe is over here." he indicated to what Kimberly could describe as a giant ball on a large pedestal. It kinda reminded her of a gum ball machine.
Into what they could guess was the second or third hour of footage the two were startled by a light blue glow emitting behind them. Prepared for the worst both rangers readied themselves for battle as they stood up and turned around.
"Zordon!" Tommy dropped his stance.
"TOMMY? KIMBERLY?" the floating head was just as puzzled as the two aged rangers standing before him.
"That's Zordon?" Kimberly asked.
The original green ranger nodded before asking Zordon how was it that he could see them when others could not?
"I AM JUST AS PUZZLED AS YOU ARE TOMMY. JUST MOMENTS AGO YOU BROKE INTO THE POWER CHAMBER AND WERE DESTROYING IT." their former mentor seem gawk at the two. Causing Tommy to be slightly disturbed, he had never seen Zordon be anything but calm and collected.
"Destroyed the power chamber..." Tommy mused "That means that when I was under Rita's spell and sent you to another dimension; I sent you to an alternate history Kimberly's mind eleven years in the future?" he counted on his fingers.
"It would seem that way." Kimberly deadpanned before turning her attention to the massive blue hovering head. "Um, hi I'm Kimberly but you already knew that. It seems that Dr. Oliver and myself were sent on a spirit quest by my original ranger self so I can get my original memories back. As strange as it sounds."
"What Kim means Zordon is that we're from the future and right now we were sent on a quest inside Kim's subconscious by Kim's original self so she can get her memories back and be able to defeat the evil coding on her Dino gem." Tommy clarified.
"RANGERS, I THINK IT WOULD BE BEST TO START AT THE BEGINNING."
Tommy went on to briefly explain how master vile destroyed the power coins and turned the rangers into children causing the rangers to go onto a quest that Kimberly never returned from choosing to send another in her place while she protect her then unknown siblings. He thought it would be best not to touch on Zordon's death. He then went on to his finding the Dino gems and creating a new team of rangers. Explaining that Kim's brother is his team's red ranger and somehow Kimberly got one of the gems that had been configured to evil. At this point Kimberly interjected that the bracelet was in a gift box that was put in her purse making it look like Tommy gave it to her throwing the new black ranger's train of thought off track as he tried to figure out how Mezzogog knew about Kim. The new white ranger took over for her companion and went on to explain that she was visited by a teenage version telling her about her history and explained that she needed to reconnect with her spirit animal by reclaiming her original memories. She also informed the mentor that both Tommy and her were trapped inside a block of amber while the evil white ranger and the evil green ranger have teamed up so they can take over their current consciousness when they are freed.
"IT SEEMS QUITE OBVIOUS TO ME RANGERS, THAT YOU NEED TO FIND THE PINK NINJETTI."
"What do you mean Zordon?" Kimberly asked.
"Why would we need to find Kim's ninjetti self? She is the one who sent us on this quest?" Tommy wanted better clarification.
"Yes she was..." Kim uttered deep in thought. "It is almost like..."
"She knew it would just lead right back to her." Both rangers realized.
"It all makes sense." Tommy uttered.
"YOUR HYPOTHESIS SEEMS CORRECT RANGERS." Zordon boomed.
"But why would she send us on a quest when all she and I needed to do is release the spirit animal she talked about?" Kimberly asked.
"I don't think she can release the crane. I think she is the crane." Tommy deduced.
"I BELIEVE SO ASWELL, TOMMY."
"So how do we find her then?" Kimberly asked the two mentors.
"YOU WILL NEED TO RETURN TO THE PHAETOS AND SEEK OUT THE CRANE NINJETTI THERE." Zordon spoke with complete confidence.
"How will we get there?" The now black ranger asked.
"I WILL TELEPORT YOU THERE. GOOD LUCK AND MAY THE POWER PROTECT YO-"
"Zordon wait before we go" Kimberly interrupted "Would it be possible to scrounge up some shoes for us?" Kimberly asked, she was still not sure why the ninjetti could think to dress her and Tommy in wonderfully romantic clothing that was fit to walk along the the lake shore but not think to include shoes to go on this quest of hers.
"Hey guys we're back and the Zack-man brought back something special for all the good little ranger girls and boys." The original black ranger bounced down the stairs holding a large book over his head.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah Zack do you mind moving so Billy can get to work?" Jason lightly shoved his friend out of the doorway. Before Zack could say whatever snappy comeback he had on the tip of his tongue a melodic chime on the main computer went off. "What's going on Haley?"
"I'm not sure, the satellite is picking up a strange reading in the forest." Haley frowned.
"Rocky, Adam can you guys take the dinos out to see what it is?" Jason asked.
"No problem." Rocky answered for the both of them before motioning for the dinos to follow them. "Hey Adam?"
"Yeah Roc?"
"You got your Zenosizer, right?"
Adam just rolled his eyes and pushed his childhood friend out the secret entrance.
"Do you think that it's wise to send Rocky out with them?" Kat asked.
"What harm could he do?" Zack asked.
"What harm, indeed." Billy mumbled as he joined Haley at the computer console.