Trusting
Starlight
Series presented by:
Pink-Green-White-4ever
Challenge:
Quest
Last
Revised:
August 1, 2008
Summary:
Kim's anniversary present to Tommy is an adventure he never thought
he'd ever get to go on again…
Disclaimer:
I don't own 'em, wish I did.
Ship:
Tommy/Kimberly
AN: This particular challenge is the flip to Youth where Tommy and Kim celebrate their first anniversary. It's not set from anyone's particular POV.
--
Kim couldn't help but smirk. She and Tommy were sitting in the backyard at his house, relaxing, and the White Ranger was still trying to weasel more clues out of her about his anniversary present. "Is it white?" She shook her head and laughed when he pouted. "Come on Kim!"
"You mean to tell me the almighty White Ranger, leader of the Power Rangers, can't figure it out?" She'd been teasing him all evening, since they left their picnic, about what she'd gotten him for their anniversary. Considering she didn't have a job and next to no money at the moment, she'd had to be very creative. Added to that, she'd been planning this particular present for him since just after he got the White Ranger powers.
He glared and she snickered again. "Come on Kim! This isn't fair!" he whined softly.
"Look, close your eyes and I'll give you your first real clue." She watched him sigh but close his eyes as instructed. Kim grinned. She'd already pulled the others in on this, including Zordon. Tommy was seriously in for a major surprise. Reaching into her bag, she pulled out the stuffed animal there – the green dragon Tommy had won for her at the school fair. "Keep your eyes closed." She stuck the toy in his hands before hitting her teleport button on her communicator. The sound startled the White Ranger into opening his eyes. He looked down, confused, and saw a sheet of paper tucked into the jeweled collar of her toy. Taking it out, he read carefully.
Tommy
So starts your anniversary quest. The clues to follow will get you one step closer to your goal, leading you to those in the know. These clues were written before certain members of the team left, so substitute the new for the old. Use your communicator to travel to each clue. And don't worry, Zordon's already in on this.
Love Kim
Gung Ho! There's no "I" in team!
Tommy stared at the note. A quest? Clues? People in the know? Carefully he read the note again and then it clicked. Gung Ho…only one person had ever said that to him…TRINI! Which meant if he substituted old for the new…Aisha. Praying Kim wasn't messing with him, Tommy teleported to Aisha's house.
--
She was sitting on her porch when he arrived. There was a box in her lap, a pretty wooden one carved with a familiar symbol on the front and painted in green. "Took you long enough," Aisha teased with a grin, holding the box out to him. "Your prize for figuring out the first clue."
Carefully, Tommy took the box and opened it. Inside was a replica, he knew, of the Dragon Dagger he'd once carried. "Sha?" he softly asked his eyes on the one beloved weapon.
"Are you ready?" He nodded. "Communication is key; without it, we'd be lost."
His brow furrowed in more confusion. Communication? His eyes looked into Aisha's dark ones before lowering to the dagger. It was then that the moonlight glinted off the silver band wrapped around his left wrist. Communication…the rangers communicated via the communicators, which were built by Billy. It was suddenly clear where his next stop was. "Thanks Sha."
"Happy anniversary."
He streaked away in a shower of white sparks.
--
Billy stood at his computer, his eyes on the screen and fingers flying over the keys when Tommy popped in. Grinning, the Blue Ranger silently handed his team leader the box on the table, the same box his communicator had once been in.
Opening it, Tommy's eyes widened and his heart gave a tiny shudder. Nestled inside was his Green Ranger communicator. "Salutations," Billy grinned.
"Hi Billy," Tommy grinned back. "Thanks."
"You're most welcome. I take it you've already been to see Aisha?" Tommy nodded. "Are you ready for your next clue?"
The White Ranger took a deep break and looked at his friend, who was now staring at him. "Yes."
"With green colored armor, you once stood with powerful axe and shield."
Puzzled, the White Ranger mulled over the clue for a few moments. The green armor part he got – his old Ranger color. Axe and shield though, he didn't understand that part. Looking up, Tommy found Billy simply smiling at him. Powerful Axe and… Zack! Or in this case, Adam. He'd once given Zack use of his chest plate shield….powerful axe and shield. "Thanks Billy!"
"Any time."
Teleporting out, Tommy wondered how many more clues till he got his gift.
--
His face lit up with a smile as the door to Adam's swung open before he could knock. The Black Ranger handed over a large, green colored bag. Inside, Tommy found a homemade version of the gold shield he'd worn over his suit. Shaking his head, he carefully tucked Kim's dragon and the boxes with his dagger and communicator inside. "Thanks Adam."
The Black Ranger just grinned at him before clearing his throat. "Its amazing how one tiny, circular object can so powerfully bond two people together."
Tommy didn't have to think twice about that one. He'd already caught on that all the clues to this quest were centered on one theme – the Green Ranger. That meant the object in question was his Green Dragon power coin, now in Jason's possession again, or rather, Rocky's now that Jason was no longer on the team. With a nod to Adam, he teleported out.
--
Rocky was lounging on his bed when Tommy popped in. "You're lucky I'm alone."
Tommy gave him a roll of the eyes. "Funny Rocko."
The Red Ranger grinned and tossed him a pouch in forest green. Opening it, Tommy took out the gold coin within. "That's not a replica, it's the real thing," Rocky explained. "Jase gave it to me for safe keeping before he left."
It felt warm to the touch, which made it hard for Tommy to feel that warmth, knowing he could no longer call upon it. "Thanks."
"Have you figured out what's going on?"
The White Ranger shrugged. "Sort of. Every clue, every prize has had to do with the Green Ranger."
Rocky nodded. "She came up with a damn good idea, and discussed it with Zordon, and the others. The team agreed it's something you needed after the way things went down. While Ish, Adam and I weren't here for it, the others were, and they told us about it."
"I hate being reminded of what was," Tommy murmured. "But you're right, it was a good idea. I wouldn't have expected it out of her."
"Yes, I know you hate being reminded of it, and so does Kim, but the only way to get past it is by putting it to rest." Tommy nodded. "Your clue is this – home is where the pink hart is."
Tommy knew she wasn't at his house; they'd just left there not long ago. He knew she wouldn't have gone to her house; it would have made her mother suspicious since they were supposed to be on their date. "Home?"
"Only one other place Kim's ever considered home, right?" Tommy grinned at Rocky's comment.
"Let's hope I don't scare Alpha. Later Rocko!" Rocky just laughed when his leader disappeared.
--
The Command Center was essentially locked down when Tommy arrived. The lights were almost completely out, save for the one right over the computers. Alpha stood at one console, holding a big, pink, cardboard heart. Silently, the little android handed it to him.
Happy Anniversary!
Thank you for a whole year of excitement and love, my green-turned-white knight.
All my love,
Kimberly.
"Are you ready for your final clue?" Alpha finally asked. Tommy grinned and nodded. "A mighty giant sleeps, under a blanket of sea, a well deserved rest he now seeks, for deeds performed selflessly."
The White Ranger's eyes filled with emotion. Only his Kim would think to write words such as those about the gentle giant once under his command. "Do you know where she is?" Alpha's voice spoke up.
"The harbor, near where the Dragon Zord rests."
"Not near," Zordon's voice interrupted as he showed up in his warp tube, drawing Tommy's attention. "In."
"In?" Tommy's voice was a strangled gasp.
"Alpha, teleport the White Ranger now."
--
She sat in the cockpit of what she considered one of the gentlest creatures she'd ever known, which was strange considering it was a machine. She'd never been inside it, and part of her felt like she was intruding on sacred ground. This had always been Tommy's domain. "Kimberly?" Alpha's voice sounded through her communicator.
"Go ahead."
"We just teleported Tommy to the engine room."
"Thank you, Alpha." Turning the pilot's seat, she headed out of the cockpit and down to the engine room.
--
Tommy stood for a moment, letting his eyes adjust to the dim lighting of the Dragon Zord's engine room. Auxiliary power still worked, but the great zord would never be fully functional again, not unless, by some miracle, Zordon was able to restore the green powers. That thought alone saddened Tommy more than knowing he'd never be green again. The might dragon deserved better than that.
"Welcome home, Handsome," a soft voice called out to him. Turning toward where the door was, he saw his beautiful girlfriend, illuminated by pink light, standing before him.
"Kim?"
"You needed one last time with him. To say goodbye," she told him. "It's the only thing I could think of that would mean something, to us both."
"I didn't get enough time with him," Tommy choked out, a pained expression on his face. "Zedd and Rita took him from me too soon."
Kimberly's own pain at his words was there for him to see right on her face and in her eyes. "Keep going," she encouraged.
"I don't know if you and the others felt it with the Dino Zords, but I always felt like I was connected to him, always felt like he was part of who I'd become," he explained. "Not just as the Green Ranger, but as a symbol for who I was becoming as Tommy."
Kim nodded. "When we lost the Dino Zords, after it was all said and done, I remember sitting in my room where I cried a river of tears over losing them. I felt like I'd lost part of myself when I lost my zord."
Tommy's eyes stared deeply into hers. He should have known she'd understand. Why else would she have given him this most special present? His girlfriend understood him in ways he was only beginning to see bordered on intense. "Becoming the White Ranger was a fresh start for me, Kim. But losing the Green Ranger, and everything that went with it, I'm still not over it."
"And you probably never will be," she whispered, walking over to take his hand. "It's always going to be inside of you – how you got those powers and how you lost them – but becoming the White Ranger, it's going to make a difference in your life too. You just have to open yourself to the possibility."
He reached up with one hand and caressed her face. "Thank you for bringing me here to say goodbye to him."
She smiled. "The others were in complete agreement with me, including Zordon. Different roles, different powers, different zords – it's going to happen, we know it will, but each power, each suit, each zord, each role we play, it's always going to be a part of who we are."
"I can live with that."
"I know you can," she whispered, leaning against his chest. "I'm proud of you, and as much as I'm going to miss you being in green, I gotta admit something…"
"Hmm?"
"You look HOT in white!" she giggled, feeling his chest rumble with his own laughter.