Neo-Ninjetti

Neo-Ninjetti

Chapter 20: The Game

Kim glared at Katherine and any tears that she might have shed vanished. "What do you want Katherine?" she asked no patience in her voice. "Why are you here?"

"I'm here because my mistress wants you to see something," she stated with a smirk. "And our beloved Green Ranger was supposed to bring you straight to the palace but it seems that he had other ideas."

Kim's attention went from Katherine to Tommy in a heartbeat and her eyes widened as she once again saw a miniscule flash of brown. It was as though her Tommy, the real Tommy was fighting the spell that had been placed upon him. But unfortunately, Katherine saw the look that she was giving her former boyfriend.

"Oh don't bother thinking what you're thinking," she began with an evil sneer. "Our dear Green Ranger can't be swaying from his evil calling because he doesn't remember anything different."

That caught Kim by surprise. "What?" she asked. "What do you mean?" Kim turned back to Tommy. "You don't remember us?" she asked a feeling of panic rising in her chest, she had been counting on the fact that he would know what had happened to him after Rita's Evil Spell had been broken all those years ago. "You don't remember using the Green Ranger powers for good? You don't remember being torn up inside when you have to give them up not once but twice? You don't-"

"No," Katherine interjected. "No he doesn't remember any of that for our Mistress didn't want him to…" and with that Katherine draped her arms all over Tommy causing a wave of jealousy to roll through Kim. "…but I think that we've done enough talking. Lets go see what Mistress Chaos and her charming granddaughter have been working on…"

--

"What do you think is taking them so long" asked Kira as she paced around Kim's living room. "I mean they've been gone for hours…"

"Relax," Trent stated as he took Kira's hand and forced her to sit beside him. "I'm sure they're just looking."

"Or they could be horribly out numbered by whatever evil minions this Mistress Chaos has up her sleeves," suggested Conner causing Ethan, Kira and Trent to glare at him. "What?" he asked. "Why are you staring at me?

"Come on Conner," Ethan began, "They're out looking for one of their own who went off on her own looking for Doctor O who's like one of our own. Don't you want to be out there searching for him too?"

Connor sighed and slumped down into the arm-chair. "Of course I do- but we have no powers, unlike them. What help could we be?"

"You would be more of a hindrance," Haley assured as she came into the room. "I know that sitting put isn't what you guys do best but-"

Suddenly there was a rumble and the rangers were instantly on their feet. But of course, they couldn't do anything. "This really sucks," muttered Kira as she sat down beside Trent, leaning into his arm for support. "I feel like we should be doing something,"

"I know," he agreed as he rubbed her shoulder. "We all feel like we should be doing something-"

"-once a ranger, always a ranger," muttered Ethan.

Trent nodded. "Exactly," he agreed. "But none of us are stupid enough to go and fight an evil with no weapons at our disposal."

Haley sighed. "If only we could send you guys to Phaedos, I'm sure that the other rangers could use some backup."

Kira glanced at Haley questionly. "Why don't we?" she asked. "I mean, if the rangers need backup and if we could get the power..."

Haley shook her head. "All of the resources in the Command Centre are going into finding Tommy, there isn't enough spare power to send you guys half-way across the universe..." she sighed and shook her head. "...all we can do is hope that what ever trouble the rangers are in they can get out of it."

--

And Haley was right; the rangers were in big trouble and needed help. Lady Threya had sent down a monster that seemed to be called Stonethrower and so far it was living up to its name. The rangers sans Tommy and Kim were fighting in their ranger form by the lake but Stonethrower was using them for target practice.

"This is ridiculous," Trini exclaimed as she dodged what felt like as her hundredth boulder. "How are we supposed to fight something that we can't get near?"

"There's not visible weakness to this monster," Billy agreed as he too dodged a boulder. "I am at a loss to explain what our next course of action should be."

"Well we have to think of something," Zack stated as he struggled to get up.

"This thing is killing us," Adam agreed as he helped the first Black ranger to his feet. "We need help."

"Even if we had Tommy and Kim," Jason began as he joined the gathering rangers. "I don't think we would be able to beat this guy."

Rocky nodded. "We need to regroup,"

"But what about Angel Grove?" asked Aisha as they saw that Stonethrower had lost interest with the rangers and had turned his attention to Angel Grove. "We can't just let that thing hurt or even kill people?"

"We won't be of any good to Angel Grove if we end up dead," Rocky stated. "It sucks, but it's true. We need to get back to the Command Centre."

--

"You see that pathetic Pink Ranger," Lady Threya taunted as Kim beheld her friends teleporting away from the site of the battle. "Even your friends have given up trying to fight us. Why don't you?"

"Yeah Kimberly," mocked Katherine, her accent piercing through Kim. "They've given up."

Kim shook her head. "There is a difference between running away and regrouping." She whirled on the evil trio before her consisting of Lady Threya who looked like her mother, Katherine who was now wearing a deep pink dress tinged with black and Tommy morphed as the Green Ranger. "I'm sure that they're already working on a plan to defeat you."

"Strong words from a weakling," stated a voice from the shadows. "How intriguing….are you that sure of yourself Pink Ranger or are you just stupid."

Kim saw the fear on the faces of Lady Threya and Katherine and she turned around to come face to face with Mistress Chaos. Kim felt herself drowning in the evil glowing red eyes that the evil being before her had. And worse still Kim could feel every fear and doubt rising to the surface as though she had no control.

But then, she saw the evil gleam in the eyes of Mistress Chaos and she knew that that was her power. Mistress Chaos could break down the walls that people had built and could access their deepest fears and doubts.

'But I'm stronger than that,' Kim thought stubbornly to herself as she forced her body to take a bold step towards Mistress Chaos. 'Much stronger than that.'

"You surprise me Pink Ranger," Mistress Chaos stated as she walked around Kim. "I wouldn't have thought that you'd be so bold."

Kim laughed and tried to sound casual. "Well you know, bad guys have never had an effect on me."

"Is that so?" asked Mistress Chaos. "Well then how about a little game,"

"What kind of game?" asked Kim warily as the screams from the citizens of Angel Grove wafted through the looking glass.

"I'm not an unreasonable person," Mistress Chaos continued. "If you defeat Katherine then I will retract my grand-daughters monster,"

Kim's eyes widened. "And if I lose?"

"If you lose then not only will I send down my entire army to destroy your puny little world but I own your soul."

"What-what does that mean?" Kim asked, not liking the sound of that.

"That means that you will become my servant Pink Ranger," Mistress Chaos explained. "You will fall in the ranks of Kay and your dear Green Ranger."

'I could save him from the inside,' she thought frantically. 'If I lose maybe I could save him-'

"Do you accept?" asked Mistress Chaos, wondering if the ranger before her would be so bold as to accept the challenge.

'I could get to him so long as I remember who I am,' Kim thought to herself. 'I could save the both of them,'

"This offer is not on the table for much longer," Mistress Chaos stated as the sounds of crumbling buildings were heard. "What do you say?"

Kim stared Mistress Chaos down and wrangled her fear under control. "Ninjetti Crane Power!" she called out and as soon as her transformation was complete she stood in a ready stance. "I accept."

Mistress Chaos nodded. "Kay," she began turning to her lackey. "Destroy her."

"With pleasure Mistress..."