Lord Drakkon

I hated the fact that Kimberly made me use my force against her. I didn't like to do that. Well, to her at least. Since her arrival here, I've done my best to limit the amount of force and ordering I do when it comes to her. And for the most part, I haven't had to use any. In the beginning, she was a bit more defiant and challenging but once she gave birth to Abby, she became much easier to deal with. I knew, however, that she would not be a willing party in helping me seek out the Zeo Crystal. Unfortunately, I had no other chips to count on in this hand. I needed her to come with me and I needed to ensure that would happen.

I raised my eyes to look in the mirror that was across from me. The condensation that was left on it from the hot shower I had just climbed out of clung to it, the air in the room feeling heavy. My mind drifted to the times when the Ranger Slayer - my Kimberly - would join me in here for some much deserved time together. I felt something in my chest tighten at the thought of her and I together under the steady stream of the water. I couldn't almost hear her cries as I pounded into her with so much vigor, it was as if I would never see her again.

Damn, how much I hated that it was true.

Typically, I'm able to forget about her and what occurred between the two of us during our time together here. Since my powers began to fade away, those memories grow stronger. I knew it was the weak side of me coming through. The human side of me.

The Tommy Oliver side of me.

No matter how hard I try to push that annoying presence from myself and my past, he still manages to come through. And as always, that part of him that continued to seek out Kimberly still lived inside of me no matter what I did. Even having another Kimberly here did little to suppress the sadness that came with the thoughts of the Ranger Slayer. I missed her. I needed her. And I hated the fact that this weakness was one thing that liked to wash over me at the worst opportunistic times. I should be prepping for our journey shortly, gearing up to face whatever forces or creatures awaited us on this other plane we would be venturing out to. Instead, I was standing here looking at the very tired and very forlorn version of myself that was seeking out a person who hated my very existence now.

I knew she was still alive. There had been reported sights of her on their Earth, though she did her best to remain out of sight. She had been present at the last attack on my towers, one of the men seeing her before she disappeared. I had given strict orders for them to leave her alone and not chase after her when she was spotted. They more than likely assumed it was for their protection, knowing that she could take out more of them in just a matter of seconds than most enemies. They didn't need to know that it was out of pure ridiculousness on my part that sought out to protect her. I tried to reason myself, saying that if they killed her for treason, she deserved it. That she had turned her back on me, her true love. She deserved to be tortured and to feel the pain I felt. But, in the back of my mind, I couldn't rationalize myself to believe it. I had been the one to leave her behind there. With the spell broken, I knew she didn't want to be here with me any more. Especially after I had made one last ditch effort to control her by killing those civilians in the attack on Angel Grove. I had no other choice but to leave her there to fend for herself, hoping that she would see that I was trying to do what was best for her in the long run. Zordon was holding her and her potential back by being on the Ranger team. I had trained her into becoming the person she was. I was the reason she was so powerful. She should be grateful for what I had done for her.

Yet, she joined the Rangers again.

At first, I had assumed she had been taken captive by them in hopes of getting some answers about our world and me. But when I heard reports of her helping with the attacks against us, I knew that it wasn't the case. The spell was broken and she was back to being the Kimberly from before our time together. She would never look at me the same again.

I wiped my hand on the mirror, disgusted with the person looking back at me. Walking from my bathroom and into my bedroom, I dropped the dark green robe from my shoulders and quickly dressed into black slacks, a green tank top and a brown bomber jacket. I pulled my hair back into a ponytail, seeing that there was some grey that was starting to streak through the dark brown. I tried to convince myself that it was due to the strain on my body with my powers but I knew that some was due to age as well. It had been my 35th birthday a few weeks ago, an event that passed by quietly. Yet again another piece of me that belonged to Tommy Oliver.

"Sire," A voice said following a light knocking on my door. I recognized it as Finster. Looking over my shoulder, I motioned him to enter. He did, closing the door behind him. "Are you ready for your mission?"

"I think so. Have you seen Kimberly this morning? Is she prepared?" I asked. He nodded, his white fur standing out against the blacks and the greens of my room.

"Oh, yes. Her and Abigail are saying their good-byes to each other. I allowed them a moment of privacy." I sighed, shaking my head.

"I didn't want to force her, Finster. I tried to reason with her and to give her the choice willingly. She refused."

"I know, sire. I'm sure she is aware of this too. It makes no difference. I know you will be successful and both of you will return safely from your adventure."

"Your optimism knows no bounds, you know that?" I said, smiling at my old friend.

"I try my best, Lord Drakkon."

"Please make sure you watch over Abby. I promised her mother you would. For some reason, Kimberly does not want her to be around Goldar and Zedd. Do you know of any reason why this might be?"

"I'm afraid not, sire. I believe speaking to her directly during your time together may be more useful than I right now." I scratched my forehead.

"I don't believe she will be doing much talking to me during this mission." Reaching over, I grabbed the bag that I had requested to be packed for our trip. There was food, water, and equipment that could be needed in hopes of locating the crystals. I was unaware of where they were exactly and I was hopeful that a few of Finster's creations would be able to help us track them down once we arrive.

"She certainly is a different type of person than the Ranger Slayer, isn't she?" Finster asked, tucking his hands into the pockets of his blue apron. "However, I think it speaks volumes that she hasn't attempted to return to her realm."

"I'm afraid you are correct. I think she has chosen her side clearly." I put the backpack on and walked over to the locked cabinet in the corner of the room. With a wave of my hand, I heard the chambers click inside and the door opened. On the top shelf, I spotted Kimberly's morpher and power coin. It has been inside of here since her arrival. Her coin had been used for a short time during the construction of the towers but once they were complete, it was returned here. I've used it from time to time to connect to the morphing grid when I need it. It was also how I was able to see when the Ranger Slayer morphed in the other world. The coins seemed to react differently here once it senses any kind of sign of my Kimberly. Plucking the coin from the morpher, I closed the cabinet and locked it back up again.

"Please promise me that you will be safe in your travels, Lord Drakkon. We continue to need you here to guide us." Finster said as I walked back over to him.

"I promise. You can't get rid of me that easily." Smiling at him, I gave him a quick hug. Finster was the only being in the entire universe I knew I could trust with my life. As he pulled away, he smiled brightly up at me.

"I'll let them know you are ready."

"Thank you."

Moments later, I walked into the throne room and saw that there were a number of people in here. Lord Zedd and Goldar were near the throne, Goldar eyeing Kimberly and Abby who were on the other side of the room with Finster. Kimberly had chosen to tell Abby that she would be leaving due to the amount of time we may be gone. She didn't wish for her to question where she was when it came to going to sleep tonight if we hadn't returned, Finster had told me. I knew it pained her to be away from her. It had been the first time since she was born. I could tell on her face that she wanted nothing more than to just stay right here with her, Abby chattering away about something Finster had shown her. Perhaps if I was able to bring her back to Abby quickly, she would be more accepting of being here in general.

"Hello, Abby." I said, walking into the room. She turned at the sound of her name, a smile crossing her face when she saw me. She was the spitting image of her mother; large doe brown hair, slender button nose and a smile that lit up an entire room. Some of her features also resembled that of her father, her dark brown hair and her round face reminding me of myself as a child.

"Lord Drakkon!" She called, walking towards me. I bent down so I was at her level. "Mommy says I can't come with you."

"She's right. It's not really a place where princesses like you should go." I replied. She frowned.

"That's not fair."

"I know. That's what happens in life sometimes, though. You need to stay here and make sure Finster does all his work for me like he's supposed to, alright? He's going to need some help." She looked over at Finster who nodded.

"Indeed I will." He said.

"Okay. Will you bring me something though?"

"I will try."

"Thank you!" Turning, she ran over to her mother. Kimberly leaned over and picked her up, wrapping her arms around her tightly.

"Make sure you listen to Finster, okay? Mommy will be back as soon as possible. If you need anything, you can just ask him or anyone down in the kitchen." Kimberly said.

"I will also be present to assist with the girl." Zedd said. Kimberly put a protective hand on Abby's back and glared over at Zedd.

"Lord Zedd, I have an assignment for you and Goldar during my absence." I said, turning to face the two of them. Zedd looked taken back.

"But, Lord Drakkon, you will need someone here in your absence." He said.

"I think the castle will manage for one day while I'm not here." I said, giving him a look to silently tell him to stop questioning me. "I need you to head to the Other World and ensure that all forces are prepared and equipped for the next phase of our plan. I would send Goldar alone but he seems to misplace things when given tasks like this. Both of you will go and meet with the generals to instruct them of what will be happening. I will call you back once we return."

"Yes, Lord Drakkon." Goldar said, bowing his head. Zedd nodded reluctantly. I knew he didn't want to go to the other Earth. He didn't care for it much and felt that it was too strenuous on his body to travel there through the Grid. But, I needed him to make sure this was done correctly and it kept them both away from Abby while we were gone. I motioned for them to walk through the doorway that led to the balcony. They did, the rest of us following behind them.

Out here, I saw that the portal to the Morphing Grid had appeared. Now that we were able to control it better, portals were placed in areas in other regions of our world. Amaranthe was only going to be accessible through the Grid, however, and would require a stronger connect for us to pass through. This meant we needed an untap portal like the one we had first found five years ago. I knew the Power Coins would protect us for travel, unlike the others who had been through before.

"Travel safe." I said to Goldar and Lord Zedd. Zedd gave me another look before stepping into the portal, Goldar following behind him. It crackled and fizzed loudly as they disappeared into the bright light. Once they were gone, it still glowed brightly but the size went back to its shape. I turned to Kimberly, the pink of her dress she wore looked blinding from the shine of the grid. "It's our turn." I held out the power coin in my hand to her. She glanced at it, a mix of emotions on her face as she held onto Abby. "You'll need it to pass into the Morphing Grid and to survive on Amaranthe. Those who pass through without one or strong powers do not survive."

"It's pretty!" Abby said, leaning in to see the coin better. I gave her a small smile.

"This helps your Mommy be really powerful." I said. Kimberly took the coin in her hand and kissed Abby on the cheek.

"You be good. I mean it." She said, shifting to look at Abby who nodded.

"I will."

"I love you."

"I love you too, Mommy." Abby replied. Kimberly kissed her forehead before setting her on the ground away from the portal. Finster walked over and grabbed Abby's hand.

"Come along, Abby. We have work to do."

"Bye, Mommy!" Abby called out before walking back into the throne room with Finster, leaving Kimberly and I alone with the glowing portal. Now and then, sparks would fly from it. I could hear the voices that came from it as usual as well, their words unrecognizable but still heard.

"Thank you." Kimberly said, putting the power coin into the side pocket of her dress. She had a backpack on her back as well. "For sending Lord Zedd and Goldar away."

"A promise is a promise." I said. "Finster will take good care of Abby. He's created a pocket dimension that will make time slow. It will only feel like minutes to her when we return."

"What exactly is this mission?" She asked, eyeing me.

"We are going to Amaranthe." I replied.

"And what exactly is this place?" Reaching behind me, I grabbed one of the tablets we use to monitor the portals. Turning on the screen, I saw a reading of the one in front of us. It's levels were off the charts. I was beginning to wonder if we were even going to be safe passing through with our power coins.

"A plane in another dimension." I responded, grabbing her arm with my free hand. She glared at me as I pulled her forward with me.

"Terrific." She muttered.

"When we pass through the grid, it's going to be very loud and confusing. Do not interact with any of the voices you'll hear. They are not real. I've already set the coordinates of where we will be going. It's also going to be extremely bright. You'll want to keep your eyes closed since we aren't morphed."

"Should we be?" She asked, staring down the portal as it crackled. It was a possibility that being morphed was better but I didn't want to give her the opportunity to access her powers. Granted I could easily out do her in a fight, it would give her the ability to teleport away from the castle. I wasn't just going to let that happen.

"Let's go." Gripping her arm tightly, I stepped into the portal. It opened wider, allowing us both to be swallowed by it's bright light. Kimberly lifted her arms to shield her eyes and I squinted mine, allowing me to see something. That familiar deafening noise of the static filled my ears and the streaks of colorful lights whizzed by us as my world disappeared. I kept my grip on Kimberly's arm as I moved forward, heading to the other area of the Morphing Grid where it was considered an exit.

"Drakkon…" a voice whispered in my ear, it's warm tone wrapping around me. "What have you done?" I did my best to ignore it, my usual tactic when I need to travel through the grid. "He's still in you...Tommy's heart still beats in your chest...Tommy is the chosen one…" Next to me, I felt Kimberly cover her ears. I guessed the voices were speaking to her as well though I could not hear what they were saying to her. I pulled her closer to me and moved swiftly towards the darkening area that was seeming to grow with each step.

Just as suddenly as we had entered the Grid, we walked out of it. I stopped a bit as we emerged from the brightness and into the hot, muggy, and sticky feeling of a rainforest. Around us, tall trees rose up into the sky. Their trunks were made of dark purple and orange material, the leaves that hung from their branches a deep red. Kimberly ripped her arm from my grip as we stepped away from the portal. Looking over my shoulder, I watched as it slowly disappeared. I would be able to call it back once we located the crystals.

"What the fuck is that?" I heard Kimberly ask behind me. Shifting, I glanced at her and saw she was gazing out into the distance. Looking, I saw there was a very large animal stalking its way through the forest about a mile or so away from us. Where we stood, we could see into a valley of the forest. The sky was a pink color and the four suns hung low in the sky among the teal colored clouds. The animal resembled that of a sloth; long arms with curved talons on the end of them. Long green colored fur clung to its body as it moved slowly through the treetops. It didn't seem to notice us as it moved on by, the ground moving under our feet as it passed.

"This is a different dimension, remember. There will be plenty of things here that we've never seen before. You never know what might be trying to kill us out here." I said, turning my attention to the tablet. I opened up the program Finster had helped create and it brought up a picture of the planet. About fifty miles from us on the other side of the planet it seemed, something flashed. The crystals. That must be their energy reading it's detecting.

"Trust me. I'm more worried about the one who brought me here." She muttered, gripping the straps of her backpack. I glared over at her, wishing I could teach her some kind of lesson on manners and respect. I didn't though. Instead, I started walking forward.

"You can stay here and wait for that thing to find you if you'd wish." I called over my shoulder. I heard her footsteps fall in line behind me a few moments later.

After walking for about three hours, we stopped to take a break. With the added suns, the temperature of the planet was a steady hot one which caused both of us to sweat profusely. I shed the jacket I had been carrying and shoved it into my backpack. For the life of me, I wished I could teleport. I couldn't though, thanks to my powers being so unstable as of late. I couldn't teleport Kimberly as well and I would need her there with me to retrieve the crystals. We rested in the shadows of the tall trees, drinking water that we had brought. Kimberly didn't say much as we travelled, even when I attempted to make small talk with her. I opted to just be silent at that point, trying to make it to our destination. I was hoping to make it there before dark, allowing us to return quickly.

It was becoming more apparent though as we travelled that we wouldn't not be able to do so. The forest was thick, the air was heavy, and the strain on my already weakened body was taking its toll. I could tell Kimberly was getting tired too, her trailing behind me more and more. The suns were beginning to see in their different directions, telling me that we would be in darkness soon. We came up to a clearing that had large boulders in a cluster surrounding it. I stopped, allowing Kimberly to sit on one of the rocks. I walked around the perimeters, using some of my powers to create a forcefield around us. It wouldn't last forever but at least long enough to let us get some sleep while it was dark. When I returned, I shed my backpack and set it on the ground.

"We'll camp here for the night." I stated. She slipped her bag off as well as I moved to start a fire in the clearing. I made a pit with some wood, starting a fire quickly. Around us, I could hear the calls of animals that were hiding in the trees. As the suns set fully, darkness creeped in. The fire lit up the area inside of my shield, casting a glow on Kimberly's face. She pulled her shoes off before sitting on the ground in front of the rock. She didn't move closer to the fire and chose to lean against the rock behind her.

"How much further is this secret quest of yours?" She asked, rubbing her feet.

"Just a few more hours." I replied, sitting across from her. "If we start early, we should be there in the afternoon." Reaching into my bag, I pulled out some food. I held out a container towards her but she shook her head. "You need to eat to have strength."

"Why don't you tell me the real reason we are out here?" She asked, crossing her arms. "Clearly, whatever you've come here for is very important. Otherwise, you wouldn't be dragging me around the rainforest for it. So, what is it?"

"It's something that will benefit all of us. I assure you." She scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"It is not benefiting me. Whatever it is, you will be using it against my world and the people I love. You keep acting like I should be this forever grateful person to you because I'm still alive. Well, I'm not! You've kept me as a prisoner for the last five years and have kept not only me but my daughter from all those people too! We don't belong in your world. We don't belong to you. Why don't you understand that? I'm not your Kimberly."

"You're right. And I'm not your version of Tommy. I think it would be wise to remember that." I said, feeling anger building in my chest.

"I know you're not." She said, narrowing her eyes at me. "I'm reminded of the fact you killed him every goddamn day I wake up and see the hell hold I'm living in. You should have left me to die that day. You had no right to kill him and to save me to just be the replacement for your slave." She turned her head away from me. "No matter how hard you try, I'm never going to trust you. You can pretend to be nice or pretend to act like Tommy but it won't work." I shook my head, standing up. I knew that with my weakened powers that the Tommy part of me was starting to come through but it didn't think it had been too noticeable.

"You aren't exactly the best person to live with either. I've given you anything you could ever wish for. I saved you from the brink of death-."

"That you caused!" She yelled, jumping to her feet. "You stabbed me with your blade, remember?"

"I still brought you back to life and have provided you and our daughter a good life."

"SHE ISN'T YOUR DAUGHTER!" She screamed, balling her fists. "She is MY daughter. She is Tommy's daughter! You are NOTHING to her. Get that sick fantasy out of your head." I felt my eyes glow green but Kimberly did not back down. I pictured smacking her across the face. I pictured stringing her up and carving a reminder into her skin like I had done to the Ranger Slayer. I thought about showing her exactly what had happened to the Power Rangers of my world, especially Jason. Instead, I bent down and picked up my bag.

"I'll take watch tonight. Get some sleep." I said before walking away from her.