This story is dark and different. A new evil has descended on Earth in the form of the Shaitan Master and his Shadow demons. He is an entity that feeds off the energy of planets and the souls of its inhabitants. Several Power Ranger teams assemble in an effort to purge Earth from the evil threatening their very existence.
Earth has fallen. Casualties were many. Sacrifices were made. She was the sole survivor of the last stand against the end of the world.
NOAH is the Megaship where some of Earth's inhabitants were evacuated to.
SUMMARY: She was the sole survivor of the last stand against the end of the world. A broken Kimberly must cope with unfathomable loss, turning her into a hardened shell of the woman she used to be. Years later, a familiar threat comes back to claim another planet - A Mirror Dimension of Earth. In her quest to stop the extinction of another world, she will come face to face with her painful past: a team of heroes identical to her fallen family. And where she will be forced to deal with her emotions in the presence of a stranger who shares the name and face of the man she loved. AU
This story was born from the song Even In Death by Evanescence 2016 version. I highly recommend listening to it while reading this chapter, especially the last half! It brings it together.
Standard Disclaimer: I own nothing except the villains.
"Even In Death"
Give me a reason to believe that you're gone
I see your shadow so I know they're all wrong
Moonlight on the soft brown earth, it leads me to where you lay
They took you away from me but now I'm taking you home
I will stay forever here with you
My love
The softly spoken words you gave me
Even in death our love goes on
Some say I'm crazy for my love, oh my love
But no bonds can hold me from your side, oh my love
They don't know you can't leave me
They don't hear you singing to me
I will stay forever here with you
My love
The softly spoken words you gave me
Even in death our love goes on
And I can't love you anymore than I do
I will stay forever here with you
My love
The softly spoken words you gave me
Even in death our love goes on
And I can't love you anymore than I do
(XX)
Brown eyes shot open. The world around her reverberated in painful echoes inside her head. The ringing in her ears deafening, causing her to become disoriented.
What happened? Where was everyone else?
Pushing herself up to her knees, Kim cradled her shattered helmet, teeth clenched tightly as the assault on her senses only seemed to intensify. Scanning her surroundings, she quickly realized the room had filled with thick smoke, causing her lungs to protest as flames licked precariously at her back.
"Shit, shit, shit!"
The sprinkler system had been set off by the blast and cascades of water rained down on the expansive banquet room. She reached up to unlatch what was left of her helmet and tossed it to the side, pulling herself farther away from the dying fire. The last thing she remembered was running like hell with Adam. Ten of those Shadow demons had been close on their heels.
Tears suddenly stung her eyes as the images she'd seen just minutes before losing consciousness played like a reel in her thoughts. Katherine and Andros had been brutally killed in front of her. Before them, it had been a massacre. Several hundred of those things descended upon the Ranger teams. Their numbers decimated in mere minutes.
One of the Space Rangers had detonated an explosive device as a last-ditch effort to save his team from being torn limb from limb and consumed. Kim's arms wrapped around herself as she openly wept.
Her thoughts shifted to those of the man she loved.
"Tommy, where are you?" she cried, attempting to reach him with her communicator, but the signal was nothing but static.
Labored moans suddenly drew her attention toward a black-clad figure lying prone just a few feet in front of her. The Pink Ranger crawled forward, straining her vision through the smoke as her hand made contact. A strangled gasp escaped her raw throat at the sight of one of her beloved teammates.
"A-Adam… Oh, God!"
She flipped him over and carefully removed his helmet. The black Ranger was gurgling blood, his body convulsing as shock overtook his broken and battered form.
"No, Adam, stay with me! Please, stay with me!" she supplicated, gently framing his bloodied face, her gloves becoming soaked with the red liquid.
"Oh, my god! This can't be happening!"
Adam's eyes slowly rolled to the back of his head, and he stilled. Breath and life leaving his body. Kim clutched at his lifeless form as sobs rippled through her.
"Oh, Adam..." she cried, laying over his chest.
How had this happened? They'd failed. So many dead. Gone in just minutes. It was all over and it had all been for nothing. She felt completely numb, darkness consuming her slowly.
"Kim?"
Her head whipped around, searching for the familiar voice through the smoke. Jason reached her first, hauling her to her feet and engulfing her in a strong hug.
"Jase, oh, God, I'm so glad to see you." She glanced over her shoulder and winced. "Adam, he's gone. W-where is everyone else? Where's Tommy? Did you see him?" her voice broke, a mixture of coughs and choked cries. "Please, tell me he's okay."
His silence ripped another sob from her lips. While she knew the possible devastating truth behind his unspoken words, she refused to believe it. She couldn't accept it. She wouldn't.
"No!" she screamed, pushing back out of his arms. "They can't… He can't! We have to find them, Jase. We have to!"
"Kim… no one else is coming. We have to go. We have to make it to NOAH before we get attacked and this place blows."
Kim shook her head vehemently. "We can't just leave them behind. We don't know, for sure. I can't leave them, Jase!" Her screams had reached hysterical. "Aisha, Zack, Rocky… I can't leave Tommy! I won't!"
The brunette had turned to leave, determined to find her friends and the man she loved more than her very life. She'd be damned if she didn't try.
Jason gripped her tightly by the forearm, preventing her passage.
"Kim, they're gone. I saw it."
She couldn't see his face behind the cover of his visor, but the gravity and finality of his words pummeled her like a freight train.
"No…" she murmured, shaking her head. "You saw… Tommy?"
He said nothing.
"Jase, tell me! Did you see him?"
Jason swallowed the lump in his throat at the memory of his brother, surrounded by Shadow creatures. The White Ranger's last plea echoed in his thoughts.
Find her! Save Kim!
"He was surrounded, Kim. There were at least three dozen of those things. They overtook him. You know… You know what they do. I wanted to help, but he wouldn't let me. He ordered me to find you, to save you, Kim."
Her mouth gaped open incredulously. Anger and devastation pierced her heart. Her fists pounded against the Red Ranger's chest. "You left him? You left him! You son of a bitch!"
Jason let her punch him. He knew she needed it. A part of him almost felt as though he deserved it. The team he had once led, his unique family that he'd held so dear, all of them were gone. He'd failed them.
Gingerly, he took the raging Pink Ranger's wrists and she crumbled into his arms. The fierce and resolute warrior from that morning was now the frail, broken woman trembling at his chest.
Jason had one final opportunity at redemption. While his world, his family, and his friends were all gone, he wouldn't fail her. Not her. He'd given his word. His indomitable and fiery little sister would survive this. He'd make damn sure of it.
"Kim, we have to make it to NOAH. It's our only hope." He softly lifted her chin. "Look at me. He loved you. Tommy loved you so much that his thoughts, his last words – He begged me to save you. Please, let me bring my brother peace," he implored.
Water streamed down Kimberly's grief-stricken face, mixing with her tears as she shook her head mournfully. "I can't, Jase. I can't leave and spend the rest of my life wondering. I love him too much. I would rather die trying."
As she made her way toward the exit, she heard a sudden strange, squelching noise. When she turned back around, her eyes flew wide at the horrific sight before her.
A single, black claw was protruding from the Red Ranger's neck while he desperately clutched at the intruding appendage. The creature lifted his body into the air as it looked at Kim with a sinister grin.
"J-Jason… No!"
Jason couldn't speak. The sharpened digit had most likely severed his vocal cords. Instead, her brother, in everything but blood, made grotesque gurgling noises that would forever be ingrained and burned into her memory.
A second claw suddenly tore through the former leader's abdomen. His body jerked violently and then went limp.
Kimberly couldn't breathe, the air caught painfully in her throat. Mouth ajar, she crumbled to her knees, unable to move or scream as the creature crept closer.
(xx)
His warm hands cradled her neck, lips brushing softly against hers. No other place in the world could ever compare to his embrace. He was love. His arms, safety. His body, hers. They'd wasted so much time and for that, she would be forever regretful. But she swore, that if they… when they made it out of this, not another second would ever be lost or taken for granted. She would be his wife. Bear his children. She wanted it all with him. The other half of her soul had finally been returned to her. And for the first time in five years, she felt whole. And so alive, even in the face of death.
"Beautiful, I'm… scared," he whispered over her lips, forehead pressed against hers.
Kim knew it had taken a lot for him to make such an admission. Tommy was always in leader mode. Always the fierce soldier everyone expected him to be. But she knew him better than anyone. Under the hard, implacable exterior of the White Ranger, Tommy was still a flawed man. He felt deeply. The burden of responsibility and expectations weighed heavily on his soul, evident in his weary brown eyes.
Today, the fate of the world was literally resting on his shoulders.
"We are going to win, baby. We have to," she said, bringing a hand up to caress his face, where a single tear had slipped from the corner of his eye.
He took her smaller hand into his, peppering it with soft kisses as he closed his eyes and inhaled her scent.
"I don't want to lose you, Kim. I couldn't survive it. I refuse to ever live without you again."
"Hey, we are going to make it out of this. You promised me forever, remember?"
He smiled, nodding before kissing her passionately. She melted into his kiss, tongue gliding sensuously against his, deepening the union of their lips. Her body hummed for him. She could feel the scorching remnants of his touch. The fiery trails left by his lips over every inch of her body still burned hot beneath the surface. They'd made love with such carnal passion. There wasn't a single part of her he didn't know, hadn't touched or tasted. He needed to burn all of her to memory.
"I love you," he whispered, arms wounding tightly around her waist.
She looked up at him, her heart and lips smiling. "I love you, too."
"Are you two done in here?" A familiar voice teased, his large frame leaning against the doorframe.
The couple turned, grinning in his direction.
"The others ready?" Tommy asked his tone now serious.
Jason's expression matched his as he nodded.
The Rangers filed into the war room as Tommy discussed their planned strategy. The future of the world and the lives of billions depended on their success. All would be lost, including the planet itself should they fail.
Several teams sat before him. The greatest warriors of earth, and beyond, past and present, had all come together for a single cause: their very salvation.
Kim squeezed Tommy's hand. As he spoke, her eyes panned over every soul in that room, her heart clenching at the knowledge that some or all would not be coming home tonight. Tears gathered in her eyes, quickly spilling over.
Seconds ago, everyone's rapt attention had been focused solely on Tommy, now, however, those eyes were all set on the brunette at his side.
"… so, Team Delta will…" The White Ranger's voice trailed off as his line of sight followed theirs.
Kim's eyes were closed tightly, her figure now shaking as quiet sobs shook her small frame. Tommy reached for his beloved, wrapping her in the protective circle of his arms.
"It's okay, beautiful. I'm right here," he whispered into her hair, his voice thick with emotion. "I'll always be right here."
Aisha, Trini, and Katherine slowly walked towards the pair, tears streaking down their own faces, and joined them in a tight hug. Jason, Rocky, Adam, and Zack followed. The room fell silent as they watched the original members come together in an emotional and heartfelt embrace.
(XX)
Her head was bowed, wet hair falling like a curtain and framing her face. She watched as streaks of pink dispersed from her bloodied gloves, mixing into the puddles of water surrounding her quivering figure. The darkness that had dawned that fateful day gripped her heart, threatening to suffocate the very breath from her lungs. The blood of her family, her fellow rangers, his blood, littered the grounds of that compound. All of them gone. All suffering such undeservingly cruel deaths. They'd been Earth's greatest warriors… and she would avenge them. Avenge him.
The creature's foul breath fanned over her face. He was just inches away, salivating for a taste of her. A sadistic grin pulled at her lips. She would make them work for their meal.
I'm coming home, Tommy.
In the next heartbeat, Kim drew her laser saber, impaling the creature from underneath its elongated jaw. She flipped up and over its blackened, hunched form, running the heat of the weapon across the demon's back until it fell to the floor and into a double heap of mangled mass. She stood over its corpse in a ready stance. Rage burned so hot behind her whiskey-colored eyes, that she felt as though she could literally spit fire.
A guttural scream ripped from her throat and into the heavens as her eyes found Jason's lifeless body. One last tear ran down her cheek. She swiped at the moisture roughly. There would be time to break and fall apart later… or not. None of it mattered anymore. She accepted her fate. Knowing she was destined to die here, she swore to take as many of those sons of bitches with her as she could.
Kimberly charged out of the room, bloodlust fueling her fury.
The Shadow demons lined the corridor, bristling with morbid excitement upon seeing the Pink Ranger. Their hackles raised; teeth bared.
"Come on," she goaded through gritted teeth, drawing the second saber in her other hand, twirling each as she approached the first creature.
It lunged and she struck with a lithe and deadly blow, severing its head. Another demon leaped and one saber penetrated its abdomen while the second sliced across its throat, black blood spewing from the gash. Three more broke off from the group, rushing her madly as their enraged growls resonated throughout the darkened hallway.
One after the other, she cut them down: swinging, slashing, leaping, and dodging. She was hellfire, a woman possessed until their grotesque bodies lay flayed across the ground.
Kim's breaths came fast and hard as she buried her saber into the throat of the last Shadow demon. She began to stab it repeatedly, madly, driven by the senseless deaths of all those she loved.
A sudden growl at her back saw her whipping around. But it was a second too late. In an instant, she was knocked in the chest and sent careening across the cold stone, losing the grip on her weapons.
The biggest demon she had seen yet sauntered towards her, foaming at the mouth as it eyed her hungrily. Its long, dripping tongue swiped across sharpened teeth.
"Insolent pest," it sneered, crawling over her.
Kim spat in its face and the creature immediately swiped its clawed hand across hers, splitting her lip and nearly dislocating her jaw. Unimaginable pain rippled through her
"Fuck you!" she spat again defiantly. "Is that all you got?"
The Shadow licked Kim's blood from its face and laughed darkly. "Maybe you should ask your friends that question. See what they think—Oh, right."
The Pink Ranger's jaw clenched as she fought back the tears now stinging her eyes once more. "You bastard! You sick son of a—Ahh! "
A black claw pierced her shoulder, pinning her to the ground. "I'd love to play some more, Pink, but time is of the essence. Master is growing impatient." Its other claw slashed across Kim's abdomen slowly.
She clamped down on her lips, refusing to scream, to give it the satisfaction of her suffering.
"Just kill me! Do it!" she screeched through clenched teeth.
The creature's sinister laugh echoed in her ears as he tore another gash into her trembling skin.
"You have a fire in you, Pink. I like that. Makes things a bit more exciting. Although, that little Yellow one—Oh, she screamed the loudest for me!"
Kim growled and thrashed, punching the creature repeatedly, before howling in pain as it pressed its claw deeper into her shoulder until the sharpened edge began to protrude through the other end. She was panting, pain coursing through her, pulling a stream of tears from her eyes.
"I love you, Tommy…" she whimpered.
Closing her eyelids, thoughts of Tommy numbed the agony that was slowly pulling her into darkness. A smile stretched across her bloodied lip. She'd be with him soon. With all of them. It was her only consolation.
Kimberly suddenly heard a swoosh and then a hard thud to her right. Her eyes snapped open, and they were met with the severed head of the shadow demon.
"Kim!"
A loud gasp tore from her throat. That voice. His voice. A part of her was afraid to look. Afraid that his presence was just a figment of her imagination. Jason had said he was dead. Was she dead?
"Beautiful… look at me," Tommy's voice cracked.
Her head turned slowly, breath fleeing her lungs upon seeing his face.
"Tommy!"
The brunette threw herself into his arms. He stumbled backward, holding her to him tightly as she sobbed into his neck. His uniform was tattered and charred, his skin bloodied and bruised. His helmet was gone as well. But he'd come back to her. He was alive!
"Oh, God, Kim," he cried. "I thought you were – I heard your screams. You're okay, Kim… God, you're okay!"
He pulled her back slightly, his hands cradling her face as his thumbs gently stroked her cheeks. Crushing his mouth to hers, he kissed her hard, desperately. He needed to drink her in, needed to reassure himself that she was indeed alive.
Their foreheads pressed together, her fingers smoothing through his long, wet hair. "Jason told me you were gone… I thought you were dead, baby. I couldn't bear it. I couldn't leave you."
"Kim, you should have saved yourself. You should have. There's nothing left here."
"You're everything, Tommy. I'd rather die here than leave without you."
Their tear-filled gazes locked. Her fingers clutched his uniform. "Tommy, the others. They're gone. All of them."
Snarls caught their attention in the distance.
"Come on. We have to go." Tommy hauled Kim to her feet. "Get your weapons. We have to get NOAH! How are your wounds?"
"Already healing."
The end of the corridor filled with Shadow demons. They'd have to go through them in order to reach the 7th-floor launching deck.
The two Rangers gave each other one last look.
"We got this," he said determinedly with a nod. She returned the gesture.
Tommy and Kim had always been one hell of a team in battle. This moment was not an exception.
With renewed strength, the Pink Ranger leaped over a creature, plunging her saber into its back, while the other hand swung in a circle, decapitating two others before moving on to the next.
Tommy kicked a demon against the wall, slicing up its abdomen in the next heartbeat. Black liquid spilled over his boots.
"Kim, clear the doorway!" he yelled, tearing through three more Shadows as he moved forward.
"On it!"
With a running start, she charged over the bodies of two fallen creatures, using them as leverage to push herself up, her boots making contact with the wall and using her Ranger augmented powers to sprint across its surface. Two by two, heads rolled, hitting the stone ground with a sickeningly sweet thud.
"That's my girl," he praised to himself. Kim had always been a formidable Ranger, but these last few months had seen her turn into a ruthless warrior.
"Tommy! Head in the game! 3 o'clock!"
Without looking, his saber plunged into the approaching demon's neck. As its lifeless corpse slid to the ground, Tommy saw at least fifty more creatures heading their way.
"Fuck! Don't they ever stop!"
"Tommy! Get your ass over here! There's too many!"
The White Ranger turned around, even more Shadows filling the corridor at his back. He leaped, running horizontally along the wall as Kim had done.
"Nice of you to join me," she teased between pants, slicing the last of the creatures from near the stairwell.
He smirked and stole a short kiss. "On three."
She nodded. The pair delivered a powerful kick to the door, tearing it from its hinges. They bolted through the opening, taking the stairs at lightning speed.
"Kim, I don't know what's waiting for us on the other side of that door. Be ready, just in case."
Simultaneous kicks saw another door in shambles. Crossing its threshold, they were equal parts surprised and relieved the platform was empty.
"Time to go home, beautiful."
Using their Ranger speed, they raced across the long, narrow platform. As they reached the pod, a strong rumble shook the ground beneath them, sending the couple tumbling into each other. He held her waist, steadying her as he regained his own footing.
"T-Tommy…" her voice was barely audible, eyes wide as she stared past him.
Several hundred Shadow demons lined the once empty dock. It had been a trap. He turned to his beloved, tugging her into his arms and pressing his forehead to hers.
"I love you, Kim. I've always loved you." He tilted her chin, tears rolling down his face as he kissed her soundly. "I'll always love you, beautiful. Please, don't ever forget."
"Tommy?" Her misty eyes looked questioningly into his.
(XX)
Her hand pressed against the cool glass as she gazed out into the ethereal view of the cosmos, Earth's spherical form visible in the distance. The magnificent sight before her, however, was tainted by the grim reality, the fate that awaited them all. Everything was at stake. Their lives, the future of billions. The full weight of it all was almost too much to bear.
Many nights she had lain awake, selfishly pondering if she was doing the right thing. Did she really have to fight? Everything she loved, the dearest pieces of her heart, were all on board this amazing ship.
The brunette glanced over her shoulder; eyeing Tommy's still figure. His gentle snoring caused a smile to spread over her lips. She'd never tire of watching over him as he slept.
A white blanket was draped low over his hips. And she bit down on her lip at the sight of his well-defined muscles, remembering how her tongue had run up the length of that chiseled chest as they made sweet love under the cover of the stars just a couple of hours ago.
"See something you like?" he asked in a mirthful tone, though his voice was thick with sleep.
Tommy had one arm tucked beneath his head giving him the perfect angle to ogle the delicious curves of Kim's bare silhouette. He quickly got to his feet, reaching her in two strides. Kim trembled slightly in response to the heat of him at her back. Moving strands of her long caramel locks from her shoulder, he kissed the soft skin there, while his other hand wound around her waist.
Kim leaned her head back against him, closing her eyes as she reached up and raked her fingers through his hair.
"What are you thinking about, beautiful?" he asked between kisses, mouth ascending the column of her throat.
"Everything," she replied in a whisper. "I'm just worried what this might cost us. I'm afraid, Tommy."
The White Ranger stopped moving his lips, hovering over her skin as he digested her words. He turned her slowly so that they were now facing each other.
"You're having second thoughts about fighting."
Kim lowered her head, twinges of guilt gnawing at her insides.
"I wish that I didn't have to fight. That you and I, and all those we love didn't have to, either. But that's just it. I could never bring myself not to. I feel guilty about wanting to be selfish, but I could never live with myself otherwise. I'm just terrified. The odds of us winning seem so bleak."
"Kim, I can't guarantee tomorrow's outcome, but if you go into battle expecting to be defeated, you've already lost."
She circled her arms around his neck.
"My brave White Knight," she murmured, pushing to her toes and pressing an affectionate kiss to his lips. "I don't want to lose you, Tommy." Tears suddenly welled in her eyes. "I can't."
He cupped her face, lips against her forehead.
"We're going to fight like hell, Kim. We're going to make it back to each other. You're in here," he said, hand over his heart. "You're a part of me. I feel you here, no matter where you are… I'll always find my way back to you."
"I love you, Tommy."
He kissed her softly.
"I have something for you. I was going to wait 'til tomorrow but right now just feels right."
Kim watched his cute little bare tush as he walked toward the nightstand to retrieve a small, flat box.
"What is it?"
"Open it, beautiful."
Inside the brown little box was a white gold chain attached to a beautiful Jade pendant in the form of a butterfly.
"Oh, Tommy, it's gorgeous!"
She promptly turned, pushing her hair up so that he could clasp the necklace into place.
"I love it! Thank you."
"Sam had it handmade specifically for you. He said it belonged to you. You know he has a way of knowing things."
"Gotcha," she said with a wink.
"I think it's perfect," he added, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "He told me the Butterfly symbolizes hope, bravery, transformation, and rebirth. And it just seems so fitting with what we're about to face. And because after this is all over with, you and I, Kim, we'll get to live our lives together."
His hand tenderly ran down her arm, eyes locked on her with an intensity behind them she hadn't seen before. She felt him grasp her left hand and lift it to his lips. Tommy softly kissed her knuckles before slipping a 3-carat solitaire diamond ring on her finger.
"Marry me, Kim."
"Oh, my god," she gasped, tears of joy sliding down her cheeks. "YES! Of course! Yes!"
A wide grin stretched across his face. He pulled her flush against his chest, slanting his mouth over hers, kissing her with all the love, passion, and bliss his heart was feeling at that very moment. Tommy's hands reached down and around the curve of her backside, hoisting her up, as her legs wrapped tightly about his waist.
"My wife…" he whispered sweetly over her lips.
"Always yours," Kim added, hands cradling his face.
"I want it all with you, beautiful. A big Ranger wedding, a dog, a house, the damn picket fence, all of it! And babies, lots of them."
She threw her head back and laughed outright.
"We're going to have to come to a compromise on that last one!"
"I just want forever with you, Kim."
She looked into his eyes, both serious now. "You promise?"
"I promise. You're it for me, beautiful. You're my whole heart. Forever."
They shared a heated kiss as he made his way to the bed, Kimberly wrapped tightly around him. Tommy set her down gently and crawled up her body.
"I love you," he groaned, tongue lashing at the pulse point on her neck.
"I love you, too."
(XX)
Using his augmented speed, Tommy pushed the door release to the pod and quickly shoved Kim inside, immediately locking her in using his override code.
"Tommy! What are you doing?" She pulled at the handle frantically. "Get in! What are you doing?"
He pushed the outdoor intercom panel, inhaling a heavy breath before speaking. Tears were brimming in his chocolate brown eyes.
"Kim, they'll swarm us before we ever leave the ground. We'll both die… I can't let that happen."
Realization dawned on her in that very instant. He wasn't coming. He was going to sacrifice himself, to give her just enough time to launch.
"No! Don't do this! No, Tommy, NO! Please!"
"I love you so much, baby. God, I love you…" His words were strangled, sobs tearing up his throat. "I wish we had more time."
"Tommy! Open up this goddamn door, you hear me! Tommy, please, please don't do this! Don't do this to me! Let me help you, please!" Her fists pounded against the glass; every ounce of Ranger strength she could muster powered each blow. But it wouldn't give. She knew it wouldn't. "Tommy! You bastard! You promised me forever! You promised me, Tommy!"
Kim was in near hysterics. Tommy's heart shattered with every tear, with every single one of her desperate cries, but he needed her to live. It was the only way.
"Kimberly Anne Hart, you were the best and most beautiful part of my life. And you made me so happy, baby. So damn happy."
"Tommy, no! Stop it! Please, don't leave me. Please!" she whined between frantic sobs. Fresh crimson bled through the fabric of her gloves. Yet her efforts didn't cease. "NOOO! Tommy, please!"
Placing a hand on the glass, her figure blurred from behind his relentless tears.
"Oh, God, I'm so sorry. But you're going to make it out of here," he hiccupped. "And you're going to live, beautiful. I need you to live a long, happy life. I promise I'll always be with you."
She felt the thrusters firing up, readying to catapult her into space as the love of her life stayed behind to suffer the cruelest of deaths.
"No! Bullshit! Don't do this to me! You can't leave me. Open up this fucking door! Tommy!"
They were out of time. The creatures were sprinting toward them now.
"I love you, Kim. I'll always love you."
"Tommy, don't you do this! Don't do this, please! You promised me!"
He pressed his forehead against the glass briefly, then locked eyes with her and whispered, "Remember the butterfly."
Kimberly watched him turn, charging the narrow platform, sabers drawn. His entire body lit up, engulfed in white light, a power she'd never seen him use before.
"No! Tommy, wait! NO! Please! Come back to me!"
His laser cut into the first group of Shadow demons, then the second. He moved like a lightning bolt, ripping into several dozen more bodies with inhumane speed and agility. For a fraction of a second, she felt hope that he'd make it, somehow. But that hope was dashed as fast as it had been born.
A black claw punctured through the side of his back, followed by a second… then a third. Blood stained his once white uniform, pooling at his feet. But Tommy remained standing. He wouldn't let her down. His death would not be in vain.
Sharp teeth clamped down on his shoulder. Tommy's guttural howl pierced through the air and straight to her soul.
Kimberly's fists resumed their assault on the glass that held her captive, the one forcing her to witness the vicious demise of the other half of her heart. His name fled her lips over and over again.
Two demons suddenly leaped past him towards the pod, he sliced at their backs with desperation, but five more quickly followed, lunging around him, reaching the vessel and pounding on its surface. She watched in utter horror as Tommy then dropped his weapons, using his sheer body weight to hold the line, his blood spilling, staining even more of the platform as the creatures tore into him mercilessly.
"No, Tommy! Please God, NO!"
Kim watched him fall to his knees and look back at her for the briefest of moments before disappearing under the mass of snarling demons. She turned away from the glass, closing her eyes tightly, both hands over her face, grasping at her hair and falling to her knees, screaming at the top of her lungs.
He was gone. Tommy had made the ultimate sacrifice. For her. Kim's voice was raw, her body trembling as she physically felt her heart fragmenting into irreparable, jagged shards in her chest.
Merely seconds before hundreds of creatures descended upon her, she was thrust skyward, leaving behind everything that was precious to her.
Kim was broken beyond repair. Having to watch Tommy so brutally torn apart was a trauma she knew she would never recover from. She sagged against a panel, letting herself fall over as she cried uncontrollably against the cold floor, sobs racking her body in painful, unrelenting waves.
It was too much. Too much pain. It hurt to breathe. To exist without him. Without any of them.
Mournful shrieks of utter desolation clawed up her throat over and over until blood poured from the corners of her mouth and nothing else came out.
Everything good that ever was or ever would be, was gone forever.
(XX)
Tear-filled eyes watched from behind the glass as Earth, their home, illuminated crimson for several agonizing minutes before imploding in on itself and becoming nothing but a barren, black rock floating into space.
The blond man bowed his head, a single tear diving off the tip of his nose.
"Any escape pods engaged, sir?"
The man inhaled a deep, tremulous breath before shaking his head. His team, his family – All of them had sacrificed their lives in order to give the world a chance. Even if they had not been successful, their sacrifice and bravery would never be forgotten.
He'd fought to join them, but they'd insisted they couldn't risk his life. Arguing that his knowledge, his skills, were far too invaluable and better served to man the grand ship, NOAH, and the remaining people of Earth.
"Mr. Cranston, are you seeing this?"
Billy lifted his sorrowful gaze, catching a glimpse of what looked to be space debris briefly illuminated by the sun.
"Over there, sir!"
About two miles away, floating in the expanse of space, was a familiar vessel. Billy's heart began to pound in his chest.
Survivors!
"Are you picking up any life energies?"
"Negative, sir. But the whole vessel seems to have sustained damage. It's not coming up in our system."
"Quickly, get a crew out there. We don't know if the oxygen reserves are still functional or how much longer they have."
Billy's hands clutched at the controls, eyes closing momentarily. Emotions suddenly overwhelmed him. He could think of a few of his teammates who had defied death more times than he cared to count. If anyone was going to survive, his first thoughts immediately drifted to Jason and Tommy. He also knew Tommy would never leave Kim behind.
One escape pod. One. Capacity of four people. The thought was a dark and sobering one.
"Sir, will you meet them at the landing dock?"
"Affirmative."
The hatch slid open with a hiss. Billy's blood ran cold when he was met with a singular figure. Her uniform had sustained significant wear, as had her body, evident in the dried stains of blood covering a large portion of the tattered, once pink spandex. She was curled up into a fetal position, sideways on the floor of the vessel. Red-rimmed eyes, staring off, seemingly unseeing, into nothingness. The subtle rise and fall of her chest was the only indication she was indeed alive.
"Dear God! I believe it's Miss Hart, sir," a dark-haired man surmised, as he stepped forward to assist the injured Ranger.
Billy put a hand on his shoulder, softly nudging him back. The man nodded in understanding, moving aside and allowing the Blue Ranger passage onto the vessel.
He didn't utter a single word. Billy simply knelt, scooping up his frail friend and lifted her into his arms, clutching her tightly to his chest. As if her body knew she was now safe, in a warm, familiar embrace, it finally succumbed to the trauma, tragedy, and the insurmountable loss it had endured that godforsaken day. She went limp, slipping into a deep state of unconsciousness. Billy bit back a sob as he took in the sight of his dear friend. The unimaginable hell she'd gone through was simply unfathomable.
"Is she okay, sir?"
"No."
The Blue Ranger shook his head ominously and merely said what he knew to be true. Kimberly might have been alive, asleep in his arms, but a part, if not all of her, had died with the rest of them down there. He knew she would have never boarded the pod alone, even if she'd had the opportunity to do so. Kim would have put up a valiant fight until the very end. And judging by the disarray inside the small vessel, it was clear she'd boarded against her will and had put up a frenzied effort to escape its confines. He didn't even have to venture a guess by whom.
A/N - Don't hate me! It had to be done. I will begin adding chapters to this once my other story is done. Please let me know your thoughts!