A/N: Internet's kinda on and off but it can't stop me from updating!
sabina21: Thankyou!
hewhoreaps: Yep, I'm doing that now; copying and pasting from a word document. Thanks!
ChillPillBerry: Thanks! Have you thought about 'Fighting Spirit' any further? PM me!
brankel1: Thanks.
Apollo Holmes: And she'll be back in a future episode for sure!
Kim kept her eyes on her opponent as she lowered her fists in her defensive stance. As she studied his stance, a small smirk tugged at her mouth. "I thought you were a veteran ranger, Tommy," she spoke as they circled. "Yet you've still got the fighting stance from when we first became rangers." Tommy quirked an eyebrow as he wondered what the problem was.
"And your point is?" he asked slowly, watching her every move.
"I can see straight through it," Kim teased, suddenly launched forward, swinging a kick at Tommy. The green ranger quickly broke his stance to dodge it, before ducking down to deliver a sweep kick. Kim jumped over it, and jumped backwards as he straightened up, throwing a punch at her.
"Your moves haven't changed much either," Tommy grinned as the two started circling again. Kim chuckled and Tommy threw another punch at her. She sidestepped, moving in close and catching him on the side with a kick. Since they were going easy, Tommy barely felt the kick that normally would have forced him to the side.
"One point to me," Kim smirked, bouncing backwards. Tommy faked a scowl and launched a couple of punches at her and the final one caught her on the shoulder, making her stumble back from the surprise.
"And one to me," Tommy grinned. Almost straight after, he caught her again with a kick to the stomach. "Two," he counted. Kim narrowed her brown eyes in concentration, ducking under his next punch to catch him with her own. However, he caught her wrist and flicked her on the forehead. "And that makes three," Kim's eyes widened before she tackled him to the ground.
"You're such a loser," she laughed as he laughed from underneath her.
"I still won," Tommy grinned from the ground. Kim rolled her eyes and got to her feet, offering her hand to her fallen boyfriend. As he got to his feet, he pulled her close. "You feeling any better?" he asked, concern showing on his face. This was the third time he and Kim were at the park as opposed to Hayley's cybercafé or the lab because Kim was angry at Conner and worried about Kira.
"Yeah. I just needed some time away from everything, you know?" Kim sighed as she gripped at his shirt. "I don't know what to do. Will it be okay to intervene?" she shrugged in his grip. "I guess it's good that other guys are showing an interest in Kira but…" she still loved Trent. So much had changed in the past few months. Kim was no longer a ranger. Trent barely appeared anymore. And Conner was pestering Kira about moving on.
"Hey, it'll all work out. Just like last time," Tommy rested a hand on her head, and Kim quirked an eyebrow, looking up at him. She knew what that meant. He was talking about the two of them getting together. He grinned at her, and Kim couldn't help but smile back softly. She reached up and kissed him, enjoying their peaceful moment together until his morpher started to beep. Kim sighed, pulling away as Tommy looked at his wrist in frustration. She gave him a soft smile as he dropped his arms to his side.
"Never a moment's peace…" Tommy grumbled as he turned on the com-link. "What's up?"
"The computers picked up a strange reading. I think it's another dino gem," Kim's eyes widened at Hayley's news.
"You're serious?" she asked nervously. She hoped it wasn't going to be another white ranger fiasco. He was still a problem.
"Where?" Tommy questioned.
"Near Angel Grove," Kim tensed as Hayley spoke.
"Okay, you want me to check it out?" Tommy offered.
"There's another problem. Mesogog's set another monster loose into the city," Hayley informed gravely. "It seems like it's going to take more than the trio to defeat it the first time round."
"I guess I'll go. I might as well make myself useful," Kim stated, finally feeling like she had a purpose.
"Okay, but be careful," Hayley permitted before ending the conversation. Tommy nodded in agreement, with a worried smile on his face before he and Kim went in different directions.
Kim suppressed a huff as she sat on a rock on the outskirts of the light academy. She'd been looking everywhere for a gem but it was pretty hard to do when you weren't given an exact location. It was too far from Reefside for Hayley to accurately lock onto it. It was driving Kim crazy.
"Where do I look now?" she wondered aloud, looking around the small clearing. The ex yellow/pink ranger let out a heavy sigh and leaned back on the rock to look up. However, as she did, she got an odd feeling that someone was watching her.
As she leapt off the rock to get a good look at her surroundings, Kim heard movement nearby. Tyrannodrones emerged from the trees, looking straight at Kim as she froze, not knowing what to do for a while. It had been quite a long time since she had to have a serious physical fight with someone. After a moment, she pulled herself together and launched at them.
The tyrannodrones were surprised by the seemingly defenceless and out of practice ex ranger, who jumped into the air and sent several of the foot soldiers flying. She landed lightly in the middle of them of the fray and grinned. A few minutes later, the tyrannodrones were fleeing, a proud Kim watching them.
"It must be here somewhere since they came all the way over here…" she speculated, resting a hand on her hip before looking around. A lone tyrannodrone sneaked up behind the rock she had been sitting on, about to overturn it when Kim's fist connected with its head, sending it flying.
Kim frowned as she looked at the rock. After a moment of debating with herself, she gently lifted the rock. Surprisingly, she was able to lift it out of the way without having to use much force. Underneath the rock, there was a tiny box with a dino thunder emblem on it. Curious, she opened the box to find a small dark pink gem. Before she knew what she was doing, she picked it up and it started to glow in her hand. Her eyes widened.
"If you want something done, then do it yourself," came a very unwelcome voice. Kim looked up to see Elsa walking towards her. The villainess stopped as she saw Kim holding the gem and let out a low growl.
"Hand that over," she demanded as she stormed towards Kim.
"Yeah…that's not happening," Kim spat back, narrowing her eyes as she got into a defensive stance. Elsa scowled and started attacking, throwing Kim to the ground.
Fear seized Kim as she lay on the ground, remembering what happened the last time she was in this situation. Elsa was standing above her, a horrifyingly familiar menacing look on her face.
She shuddered, recalling the power stealing flower that was used on her, ultimately breaking the bond between her and her pterazord. Her precious pterazord.
Get up Kim, she told herself. Don't let her win again.
A surge of adrenaline rushed through Kim as she got to her feet.
"Give me the gem!" Elsa roared.
Kim smirked and split into three identical people. Elsa suddenly froze on the spot, letting out a snarl as she looked at the three Kims.
"I'm liking this," the main Kim chimed, smiling at the other two.
"What have you done?" Elsa demanded.
Kim was about to launch herself at her adversary when something electrified her, making her merge with the multiples again. An image of a dinosaur passed through her mind as she blinked rapidly.
Unfortunately, this created a window of opportunity for Elsa who seized it.
Kim cried out.
Tommy went to Hayley's cybercafe, scoping the area and spotting his teammates who hadn't even noticed his arrival. With a small sigh, he wandered over to Conner who was staring intently at a singing Kira. Ethan was at the same table, playing on his laptop.
"Tommy? What are you doing here?" the blue ranger asked, having noticed his presence.
"Have you seen Kim? It's pretty important," the green ranger asked, concerned for his girlfriend.
"Wasn't she out looking for the source of some strange energy? At Angel Grove?" Ethan questioned.
"Yeah but that was ages ago," Tommy replied, scratching his head in confusion. After fighting off the newest monster, he had gone to the city hall to sort out some rent papers. He ended up getting delayed for about half an hour and the appointment itself took another half hour. Getting back to Kim's took quite a while too and then he discovered she wasn't there. So here he was. And she wasn't here either. Angel Grove wasn't that far away.
What if she was in trouble? He quickly ran out of the cybercafe, getting into his car and driving off to Angel Grove.
Arriving in the clearing Kim had been in not that long ago, Tommy frowned as he noticed the tell-tale signs of a fight. He crouched and hissed a curse as he recognised the tracks of tyrannodrones before spotting the box Kim had opened.
"Oh no…" he breathed, his eyes widening as he ran over to it. He finally pulled out his phone and called Kim, praying that she would answer. "Kim?" he asked hopefully.
"Sorry, she can't come to the phone right now," Elsa sneered from the other end. Tommy scowled, heading back to Reefside in urgency.
"Hayley we have a problem!" Tommy announced as he entered the dino lab, causing the red haired genius to turn around. "I found where the gem was. But it's gone," he walked over to Hayley who looked just as worried as he was.
"I heard shouting," Michael's voice boomed as he walked down the stairs. "What's going on?"
"Kim found the gem," Tommy answered quickly. "And I think Zeltrax found her." He ran a hand through his hair in frustration.
"Or Elsa," Michael suggested, thinking it was more probable after his last encounter with Zeltrax.
"I'm going to Mesogog's lair to get Kim back," Tommy declared. Hayley's eyes widened and she grabbed Tommy's wrist as he passed her.
"You can't go alone. I'll let the others know," Hayley told him but Tommy shook his head.
"No…don't," Tommy pulled his wrist free. "Conner and Kira are just out of it right now."
"And you aren't? Kim's your girlfriend, you're letting your emotions cloud your judgement," Tommy looked away, clenching his fists. "I will call Ethan. He will go with you. It's too dangerous on your own, even if you are a veteran," she told him as he opened his mouth to protest once more. "How do you think Kim would feel if you got hurt trying to help her?"
Tommy sighed. She was right. This wasn't something that one ranger could do alone.
"You're right. Okay. Call Ethan and I'll wait for him," Tommy conceded.
"Take this," Hayley said, handing Tommy a box with a dark pink morpher inside. "I hope I got the right colour."
Kim struggled in the ropes keeping her tied to the chair, while Mesogog studied the pink dino gem which was now in his grasp.
"What do we do with the girl now?" Elsa asked as she leaned against the wall, glancing at Kim as she glared back at her.
"She is bonded to the gem so we should just destroy her," Zeltrax exclaimed, drawing his sword as Kim froze, her eyes wide in fear.
"No!" Mesogog barked at his general, who looked to the villain in surprise. "She was a ranger before. Use her to draw the others over here. If they do not come to her rescue, then we can make other arrangements," he elaborated. "Don't disappoint me." He waved them off with a hand/claw.
"Yes my lord," Elsa responded, bowing and hurrying off with Zeltrax.
"Let me go," Kim commanded, struggling in her bonds. "You won't get my friends!"
Tommy peeked over the other side of the table Kim was tied to, making her jump and turn her head to stare at her boyfriend. Tommy motioned for her to be quiet and began to undo the rope around her.
"Like I said, use her to draw her friends out," Tommy looked up as Mesogog turned to look at him. Tommy chuckled lightly, straightening up. "But who are you? I've never seen you before." Mesogog smirked, stepping away from his desk.
"Why don't you take a guess, Mesogog?" Tommy taunted, walking around the chair Kim was tied to as he kept his eyes on the villain. "Too late." Tommy launched himself at Mesogog and the two began fighting.
As Mesogog's attention was on the green ranger, Ethan peeked over the chair making Kim jolt again. He quickly finished untying her and as soon as she was free, Tommy hurled Mesogog in the air using his air cut attack. Mesogog hit the wall and dropped the gem. Kim wasted no time in retrieving it.
"Now it's time to leave," Kim announced, pulling the guys with her when Elsa blocked their way.
"Not so fast," Elsa crooned, making Kim roll her eyes.
"Well, let's morph," Ethan insisted, bringing his morpher up. Tommy nodded and handed Kim the small box Hayley had given him earlier.
"Only use it if you want to," he said to Kim who had a pretty good idea of what was in it.
"Ready?" Ethan prompted, glancing at the green ranger.
"Ready," Tommy confirmed.
"Dino Thunder, power up! Ha!"
Tommy and Ethan charged at the two villains.
"You're fools!" Mesogog yelled as he stepped in, knocking Tommy back. "Your gems will be mine!" Ethan blocked his attack but Elsa floored him with a kick.
"Over my dead body!" Tommy shouted as he got to his feet and summoned his quetzalsword, blocking Mesogog's punch with it.
"No problem!" Elsa exclaimed, grabbing Tommy by the throat and throwing him against the wall. She was tougher than she looked.
"That's enough!" Kim, who had been standing on the sidelines, stepped in front of her boyfriend and dropped the box she was holding. "Dino Thunder, power up! Hah!" Both Mesogog and Elsa gaped as Kim morphed into a pink and white ranger suit, similar to her previous one. "Aardon Bow!" Kim called on her weapon, a pink bow, and a sheath of arrows. She shot at Mesogog's chest, before kicking Elsa back.
"I think we should go," Tommy suggested, grabbed both Kim and Ethan and exiting the lab. They reached the end of a corridor where they found an invisiportal, disappearing in a flash of green and white. Mesogog roared angrily while Elsa nervously looked at him.
The three walked into Michael's lab. Hayley looked up and smiled as the three demorphed.
"Good to see you're all okay," she told them. The trio realised Kira and Conner were standing nearby, the latter looking unhappy.
"I thought I was team leader," Conner mumbled. "So why did you go without me?"
"Kim was in trouble and I'm sorry but you weren't focused," Ethan replied.
Tommy turned to his girlfriend, who was staring at the morpher on her wrist. "Sorry you got kidnapped again." Oh yes, he'd heard about the first time she got captured by tyrannodrones. He looked down at her but she just beamed at him.
"What do you mean you're sorry?" she asked in a cheerful voice. "Thanks to the gem, now we're partners in every sense!"
Kim hugged Tommy tightly, making the green ranger grin in adoration. Conner and Ethan watched them in disgust as Kira smiled weakly, no doubt thinking about Trent.
Tommy saw the boys' expressions and he couldn't help but smile, happy to have his girlfriend back on the team.
A/N: Yay she's a ranger once more!