14 - The Beauty and the Dino
Kimberly was resting in a comfortable bed that Mercer´s maid had set up for her in the guests´room. She saw herself in her dreams, she was at the beach in
Angel Grove and all her body was glowing pink. She had to sit down because she started feeling weak. Then she discovered her power coin had disappeared
and felt the adrenaline in the whole body. Her friends comforted her, but they were very worried about it specially Tommy. The six teleported to the
command center where Zordon explained them that Kimberly´s power coin had been taken by evil forces and that was the reason why she was losing her
powers.
Then she saw through the viewing globe that Kat being attacked by tenga warriors so she called out her ninja crane spirit and fought them, but she was so
weak that couldn´t defeat them and collapsed.
The next thing she knew was that the white ranger took her in his arms and went through a portal that led to Angel Grove park. She woke up and stood up,
she heard Tommy´s calling out her name but couldn´t see him. She turned round and saw the green ranger walking over to her. Kimberly thought that
something was wrong, then she heard her name again but the voice came from the left, when she cocked her head she saw the red zeo ranger getting closer,
then she looked back and the white ranger was coming and from the right the black dino ranger approached. She was very confused.
"Tommy, Tommy!" She muttered asleep, then she opened her eyes and saw Dr Mercer sat by her side staring at her. She winced as she tried to sit up, her
head was aching and felt the need to lift her arm to rub it, but she found out that her wrists were tightly tied to the bed.
"What´s going on?" Kim asked him
"Everything is fine Kim you need to rest" Dr Mercer said
"No it´s not, what is it about? Are you doing this just because I refused to be your date for the ball? Don´t you think we are grown up for that Dr
Mercer?" Kim asked
"No, it´s has nothing to do with the ball. Let me explain you, I suffer of a very special condition and you are my antidote" Mercer explained
"What?" Kim asked frowning "Is it really necessary?" Kim asked showing him the strings on her wrists.
"You´re very important to me and you have already tried to escape" Mercer answered
Now it was clear for Kim that the man was insane, the least she wanted was to contradict him.
"I´m sorry for that but if you soften the strings I promise I wont try to escape again, I really want to help you" Kim talked to him quietly
"Please Anton" Kim made use of her, according to Tommy, powerful sweet smile and Dr Mercer acceded.
"Why am I so important to you?" Kim asked as he softened the strings.
"Because when I am with you I am a better version of myself" He confessed staring into her brown eyes. She lowered her eyes to the sheets
"But you love him, don´t you?" Mercer asked and winced "Who?" Kim asked blushing
"Dr Thomas Oliver" He said Kim got speechless
"What do you know about him?" she asked and Dr Mercer´s expression turned hard
"Dr, you have to go to your studio" Gretel stepped in
"I can´t" He answered without turning to her
"It is important Sir" She insisted
He huffed and went out followed by the maid
Finally she was alone, she raised her arm and spoke to her communicator, although Tommy would go mad when he knew, she had no choice, Mercer
had taken her morpher.
"Tommy, do you read me?" She whispered
"Kira, . . . Ethan, . . . Conner, Trent, someone please?" She called in desperation
Dr Mercer stepped into his studio and found Elsa
"What is it so important?" Mercer asked
"My plan worked it out the rangers exposed their powers and now they are about to lose them" Elsa explained
"Perfect!" Anton sighed
"This is the perfect time to send a monster to Reefside Master" Elsa suggested
"I will decide about that" Mercer told her
In another dimension
The wall of the fortress was wide opened letting the dino rangers in, the four teenagers looked at each other in wonder and then walked into. they saw their
mentor standing there.
"Dr O." Kira sighed and ran towards him "You have demorphed!" she sighed
"Your powers doesn´t work in here, that´s why he´s demorphed, but he´ll remain morphed as soon as he goes back to Reefside" Dimitria explained
The four dino rangers turned round, she was standing in an upper platform together with other power rangers´ mentors
"Rangers you are welcomed to Isolation" Dimitria said
"You may wonder where power rangers´s mentors go when they retire?" Princess Shayla said
"Actually that question never crossed my mind" Ethan whispered to Conner´s ear
"We come to this dimension called Isolation to spend the rest of our lives" Princess Shayla explained
"You also may be wondering why you are here?" Sensei Watanabe added
"That question crossed my mind" Ethan whispered to Conner
"You have broken two important power rangers´rules" Sensei Watanabe stated
"Yes we know and we´re really sorry about that" Kira said
"Yes we really are" Conner added
"I´m afraid being sorry is not enough" Sensei Watanabe said
"Wait a minute, I didn´t brake any rule" Ethan stated
"You showed off about being abducted, Am I wrong?" Dimitria asked
"It´s not my fault that the science club believe whatever they saw on the web" Ethan protested
"You didn´t deny it, you took advantage of it to show off instead" Dimitria answered
Ethan lowered her eyes because he knew she was right
"And what about me?" Trent asked
"Your reasons are different but not less important white dino ranger" Dimitria answered him
"Any other question before we continue?" Dimitria asked
They nodded no in unison.
"I supposed you know what are the consequences of your acts, your mentor must have informed you" Dimitria said
They all stared at her clueless and then cocked their head to Dr. O.
"Are you sure that I didn´t tell you?" Dr O. asked. The nodded yes. Kira rolled her eyes.
"Okay, I regret to inform you that you´ll lose the protection of your powers" Captain William Mithcell told them
They stared at him in shock
At Mercer´s
He returned to Kim´s room
"I´ve been thinking Dr Mercer, maybe we can go to the Christmas Ball together tonight" Kim wisely suggested
"Oh no Ms Hart forget about the school ball we´re having our own Christmas ball at home" Dr Mercer said excited and she looked back disappointed.
At Tommy´s house
Billy and Aisha went out to welcome their friends who had just arrived.
Aisha jumped into Rocky´s arms and kissed him, "I missed you so much" She sighed
"Me too" He answered, then he took little Kevin into his arms
Billy hugged Trini "Hey bro, watch out with my wife" Jason teased him
"No problem" Billy answered and high fived him.
Adam and Tanya got off from Rocky´s car and walked over to the house. A taxi pulled up behind it, Zack and Angela went off, he had a black fur coat on,
sunglasses and shinny jewelry everywhere.
"Hello buddies it´s been a long since the last time I see you" Zack sighed
"Yeah a really long time" Trini sighed
"Don´t look at me like that underneath this Hollywood pop star, I´m still the same!" Zack sighed when he saw the look his friends were giving to him. Everyone
laughed.
At Isolation
"But we are sorry about it, we really are and we promise it wont happen again" Kira begged
"I´m sorry darling but the rules are the rules" Princess Shayla said
"However there is a way of keeping your powers" Dimitria said
"How?" Trent asked
"It´s not and easy matter I must say" Dimitria explained
"We want to try" Conner said
"You have to prove yourselves why you were chosen to be rangers" Dimitria explained
"How?" Kira asked
"You´ll have to go on a personal quest" Dimitria said
They exchanged looks
At Tommy´s
"So where are the lovebirds? I want to know everything" Jason asked
"I don´t know I haven´t seen Tommy for a while" Billy said
"But he can´t leave home, he must be around" Aisha sighed
"Wait a minute, you haven´t demorphed him yet?" Trini asked
"I´m not, it was a more difficult issue than we thought" Billy answered
"Billy has been busy with another issues" Aisha commented
"What kind of issues?" Trini asked
"It´s nothing, Aisha´s got a huge imagination" Billy said
"Yeah sure" Aisha answered "Anyway we´re in a big trouble ´cause Tommy´s parents and Kim´s parents are coming for Christmas" Aisha informed them
"What are we going to do?" Tanya asked
"We`ll come out with something" Billy said standing up.
"Where are you going?" Jason asked
"Tonight is the Christmas Ball at Reefside High and I promised Haley I´ll help her to carry the stuff from the Cyberspace to the school" Billy explained
"You know what I mean?" Aisha sighed and everybody laughed
The four teenagers were teleported to a big labyrinth, but each of them was sent to a different entrance. Before they entered a papyrus showed up into their
hands. It said:
"Only the ones that are smart and brave enough will find the way to the center of the labyrinth, but if you don´t get it before midnight you´ll never be bonded
with the great power"
As soon as they stepped into it a wall of bushes grew faster behind them sealing off the entrance, so there was no way back.
Tommy remained at the Mentor´s temple.
"I feel responsible for them" Tommy sighed
"I know you do" Dimitria said and walked over to him
"I was so in my own problems the last days" Tommy regretted
"Then you know what you have to do" Dimitria said looking into his brown eyes
"Talk to Kim" He answered nodding
"But now I´m staying here in case the rangers need me" Tommy stated
"You´re the best mentor they could ever get, I´m very proud of you Tommy" Dimitria told him.
As Kimberly showed good behavior the last few hours Mercer untied her and they had some snacks at the living room. She was being sympathetic to gain his
trust and get her morpher back.
"So what are your plans for now on, I mean besides the piano lessons" Mercer asked her. She looked at him surprised, he acted as if nothing had happened
like if she could go away and do her life.
"I´m thinking about running my own gym and train girls, I used to be a coach back in Toronto" She answered as she took a sip of her tea.
"I think it is a good idea, every girl will want to train with a gold medalist" Mercer commented
"I see you know some things about me" Kim said
"Well I use Internet Ms Hart" Mercer explained
Kira walked along the path of the labyrinth, but something was weird, because it was always straight, there were no corners to turn round, it wasn´t exactly
her idea of a labyrinth. However it was very different where Ethan was, every path divided into many others. But Ethan knew how to sort out a labyrinth, his
strategy consisted on placing a hand on one of the walls and move forward without pulling it apart, this way he would avoid walking the same path twice.
Meanwhile Conner found it very easy he only had one path to follow, it was twisted, but there was only one way. As for Trent he had been walking in circles for
about twenty minutes. "It has no sense!" Trent Huffed
The bushes wrapped up Ethan´s right arm so he couldn´t move. He pulled out but it hurt him.
"Am I a genius or this is very easy?" Conner asked himself as he walked. He stepped by Ethan in his way, who was struggling with the bushes.
"Conner! please help me" Ethan sighed
Conner pulled his friend towards himself.
"Ouch! wait! wait!" Ethan yelled
"Let me tried this" Conner said and started braking the branches but the more he broke the faster the new ones grew. The bushes had already wrapped up
until Ethan´s shoulder.
"Stopped it, Stopped it! It´s only making it worst!" Ethan sighed
Kimberly went upstairs to get ready for the special dinner that Mercer had set up for her. The maid handed her in a big box she said it was a dressed that Dr
Mercer had asked to be made just for her. As soon as the maid left Kimberly tried to call her friends again. None of them responded, not even Tommy. She
needed to get back her morpher. Kim took out her head from the room and made sure there was no one wandering around. She tip toed out and searched
in every room of the first floor. But one of the doors was locked.
"That is Dr Mercer´s studio" The maid informed her
Kimberly turned round
"No one is allowed to enter" the maid said
"Oh, uh, I was . . . looking for him to thank him for the dress" Kim told her
"I´ll tell him, but you´d better get ready for tonight" The maid suggested her.
At the labyrinth Trent continued wandering around and he kept going back to same place he started.
"Anyone can read me?" Trent spoke through his communicator
"Damn it! I don´t even know why I am here?" Trent protested
"I think you know" sensei Watanabe showed up in front of him "Your friends can´t help you if you don´t trust them" he explained
"What do you mean? I trust my friends" Trent asked frowning
"Then why haven´t you tell them your secret?" Sensei Watanabe asked him
"It´s not a secret, I can tell them at anytime" Trent said
"Then tell them" Sensei Watanabe told him
"I think the can´t hear me right now" Trent said
"Try again" Sensei suggested
"Conner, Ethan do you read me?" Trent asked
"Yeah Trent what´s up?" Conner answered
"I have something to tell you" Trent said
"Well, we are in a little bit of trouble with Ethan here so cut straight to the point" Conner said
"Okay, um, Dr Mercer is my step father" He confessed, Conner and Ethan looked at each other, they weren´t sure how that information could help them.
"Are you okay man?" Conner asked
"Yes I´m fine, I just felt guilty for not telling you before" Trent answered
"Don´t worry buddy, where are you?" Conner asked him
Suddenly the wall of bushes in front of Trent disappeared as well as Sensei Watanabe. Trent saw Conner and Ethan.
"I´m right here" Trent answered
"You should continue your way to the great power I´ll be fine" Ethan said
"What are those things?" He sighed pointing out to Ethan, some kind of red huge ants walked along the bushes towards
Ethan. Conner dropped them away but the bugs continued coming. "You should continue Trent I´ll take care of this" Conner said
"Okay, I´ll be back as soon as I get it" Trent said but when he turned round he found himself facing a huge living bush that attacked him. He delivered a kick
taking it down, but many others showed up.
"I think Kira is our only hope!" Trent sighed
Meanwhile Kira continued walking along the straight path. "What´s wrong with this labyrinth? Isn´t there any crossroad?" she asked
"It´s full of crossroads" A voice said
"Who said that?" Kira asked looking all around
"Me" the voice said "Here"
Kira saw a little worm onto a leaf "Are you talking to me?" She asked frowning
"Yes, I´m saying that there are a lot of crossroads" The little worm stated
"Okay this is crazy" Kira sighed "I´m speaking to a worm that says that there are a lot of crossroads where I only see a straight path"
"Believe me, there is one just at your back" The worm said
"I can´t see anything, just a wall" Kira said turning round
"Walk through it, trust me" the worm said, Kira cocked her head to it and then back to the wall.
Finally she decided to try. she walked over to the wall and stretched her arm, it disappeared inside the wall. She widened her eyes and then walked
through the wall. Kira took her head out of the wall "Oh thank you!" She told the worm and disappeared again.
"I don`t get humans, all of them want to find crossroads instead of walking all the way straight to the center of the labyrinth" the worm sighed
Kimberly went downstairs dressed in a gorgeous long pink tight dress. Her hair was tied up with a twisted bun on the top. Gretel had set everything up for a
romantic dinner with candles and music and Dr Mercer was looking very cute in his black tuxedo. He took her hand as she got to the end of the stairs.
"You look absolutely amazing" He said
He led her to the table and pulled out a chair for her.
On the other side of the wall Kira found a real labyrinth with many passages in all directions. It was almost midnight she wasn´t sure if she could make it
on time. She turned round a corner and found her friends fighting the creatures. "Kira!" they sighed in unison. She joined them to help.
"You must go to get the power!" Trent yelled at her "I´m not going to leave you guys here!" She yelled back
When they finished dinner Mercer asked Kim to dance. She felt uncomfortable because he held her really close while dancing. Until he leaned forward to kiss
her and she could not bear it anymore. She pulled away from him. "Darling what´s wrong?" He asked
"Everything is wrong!" She yelled at him
He bent forward and took his head into his hands. he started moaning. Then darted to the kitchen.
Kimberly went upstairs towards Dr Mercer studio and used her hair spin to unlocked the door. She tip toed into the room and searched in Mercer´s
desk for her morpher.
Kira took Ethan by his waist and pulled out. "Guys help me here" She called
Conner grabbed Kira and Trent grabbed Conner, the three of them pulled out in unison. Ethan took his arm off of the bushes and they fell down to the floor. All
the creatures disappeared as well as the walls of the labyrinth. Soon they found themselves back at the mentor´s temple.
"Congratulations rangers!" Dimitria said "You´ve reached the great power"
"What?" they sighed "But we didn´t get to the center of the labyrinth" Conner said
"You have resigned the power for helping your team, you have proved you deserved the power" Dimitria said
The dino gems appeared in their hands.
"Go home rangers and may the power protect you" Dimitria said. The four rangers were teleported back to Reefside
"Now is your turn" Dimitria said turning to Dr O.
Kimberly was looking into the drawers when she heard a noise so she hid underneath the desk. She saw how an invisi-portal opened and
Elsa walked out from it, but then she became Randal. kimberly could not believe her eyes, Randal and Elsa were the same?, and what was she doing at
Mercer´s?
Randal rushed out the studio calling for Anton. Kimberly went out from under the desk and went through the invisi-portal that led her to a dark and wet place.
Suddenly Tommy showed up there too, in his black dino ranger uniform. She turned round startled.
"Tommy?" She sighed
"Beautiful, uh you look uh . . . beautiful" He said staring at her tight pink dress.
To be continued