Pawns
Chapter Seventeen: Checkmate
He continued to shake, muscles suffering painful spasms as they were brutally severed from the nourishing fluids that gave him vitality. Slowly, he recovered enough presence of mind to recognize what had happened.
His eyes flared at the sight before him. Kimberly hovered above him, bathing in the glory of the Flame's legendary power. Her hair waved in the currents created by the licking fire, swaying feverishly about her shoulders. Her skin was luminescence itself, the steady glow of the fire within lending her a golden tone. Her eyes burned like twin suns, blazing so bright they had surpassed their ruby color and flickered with traces of white.
He saw the page lying on his chest, slowly burning with the flames Kimberly let fall. He didn't need to read it to recognize what it was.
Nicely played, Boy, Zedd admitted, You managed to produce the one piece of evidence that could force her to see the truth. It seems I have underestimated you... yet again
Yet, he didn't allow himself the luxury of anger. There would be other opportunities to ruin the Red Ranger, and make him pay for this latest victory. He would deal with the upstart in time.
Now, there was an even more urgent confrontation that required his attention.
He looked up again, gazing at the lethal beauty that he had created, and smiled. She had far exceeded his highest expectations, and become a force of Vengeance and Destruction that could topple kingdoms.
"Before you choose this course of action, I suggest you reconsider," he warned. All whispers of surprise or agitation were absent from his commanding voice. "As strong as you might be, you are no match for me."
Kimberly glared at the Emperor as he rose from his berth and assumed a straight-backed, disinterested pose. Her eyes narrowed, bleeding fire. "When you told me that the spell of Maligore no longer controlled me, I realized something. When Maligore died, the Flame of Destruction was still inside me. He no longer exists, so he can't force his will upon me." She smiled savagely. "Now, my will controls the Flame. So long as I allow it to char my soul, I have the power to face you."
Zedd responded with a derisive chuckle. "Do you think I did not prepare for every contingency? I told you I have studied the powers of Maligore, and I've determined that, though you are a vessel to contain the Flame, you are still only human."
He watched her carefully, and noticed her confident smirk wane ever so slightly. "Your body isn't strong enough to exercise the Flame properly. In fact, if your body hadn't been reinforced by your long service as a Power Ranger, you surely would've been consumed already."
He took a step toward her, noting that she refused to show any sign of intimidation whatsoever. "Are you certain you want to bet your life on this?"
The Flame of Destruction went rigid. Slowly the fierce smirk slid off her face, smoothing her features into a calm, stone-like mask. She straightened her back proudly, letting her hands hang at her sides.
Then, the burning aura around her body intensified, momentarily blinding. A tendril of fire leapt from the nimbus, fastening itself at the opening of the room and blocking the entrance.
Zedd watched, mildly surprised that she would bar the room from any interruption.
She stared at her fiancée, the ferocity in her eyes intense enough to give even the Emperor of Evil pause. "Absolutely."
oooOOOooo
If finding Scorpina lying near death in a pool of mud and blood wasn't enough to shock the Turbo Rangers into critical urgency, learning that Kimberly was responsible surely was.
They managed to shake themselves out of their stupor quickly, as grim determination barricaded all fear and hesitation in the backs of their minds. In situations such as this, when the fate of their friends, and perhaps even Earth itself, could be sealed by even a few seconds of delay, there simply wasn't time for such distractions.
The Power Rangers dashed closer to the palace, following their interim leader beneath the large balcony that seemed to be the point of origin of Scorpina's unfortunate fall.
"Kat," the Red Ranger spoke, "You said this balcony leads to Zedd's throne room?"
"I'm sure of it. It's the largest balcony in the palace."
"Then let's go."
The Rangers all bent in a deep crouch, and leapt, one by one, onto the high parapet. Once the team was assembled, they warily walked into the chamber that symbolized Lord Zedd's terrifying reign. Yet the imposing throne or austere decor did little to hold their attention. Instead, the five teenagers all stared at the bizarre yellow-gold light, hovering a few feet from the throne like a suspended lightning bolt.
"What the heck is that?" Justin wondered, slowly circling the phenomenon. "Whoa... it's only two-dimensional!"
"It's a doorway," Katherine spoke, "It leads to one of Zedd's Dark Dimensions."
Jason stiffened at her words. He remembered quite clearly Rita's Dark Dimension, where the Evil Green Ranger banished him. He had come very close to death that day, facing first the monster Goldar, and then the Green Ranger himself. If Billy hadn't cracked a teleportation signal through the dimensional walls in the nick of time, he would've been skewered by the Sword of Darkness.
He shook himself. "If Zedd's Dark Dimension is anything like Rita's, the only reason the door would be open is if someone other than the prisoner was inside." He stared assessingly at the fissure. "I'm going in."
"I'll go with you," Adam volunteered.
"Not right away," Jason decided. "We really can't be sure what's on the other end. If I need to make a quick exit, it's a lot easier to do it without someone right behind me."
Jason took a step away from his teammates, lifting his hand into the air. "Turbo Lightning Sword!" The razor sharp weapon obeyed his command, taking shape in his steady grip. "If I don't come back out after two minutes, Adam, you follow. And if neither of us come out after two more minutes, Tanya comes next, and so on. Understood?"
"Yes," came the unanimous, thought slightly hesitant, reply.
Jason smiled grimly beneath his crimson helmet. "Don't worry, guys; I've been in Dark Dimensions before. I'll be fine."
With those parting words, he held the Turbo Sword before his chest, and cautiously stepped into another realm of existence.
Looks like all Dark Dimensions are foggy, he mused, watching his feet disappear into the crawling vapors. However, unlike Rita's perfectly circular chamber, this dimension seemed more like an amorphous cavern, stretching into tunnels that made it impossible to see the entire realm from any given location.
Fortunately, he didn't have to look far to find the prisoner. "Tommy!"
The young man frenetically struggled against heavy chains, his frustrated grunts echoing in the near-silence of the cavern. He looked up at the sound of the familiar voice. "Jason!"
The Red Ranger hurried to the wall, staring wide-eyed at Tommy's red-rimmed eyes and fevered cheeks. "What happened?" he demanded.
"It was Zedd," he hissed through gritted teeth. "That son of a bitch sent me the letter!"
Jason's jaw hit the bottom of his helmet in pure, unadulterated shock.
Tommy nodded, affirming his best friend's silent astonishment. "He even admitted it! All this time… it was Zedd!"
He then continued his struggles. "Jase, you gotta get me out of here! We have to get out of here before Goldar wakes up, and go find Kim!"
Jason had the presence of mind to raise the Lightning Sword to the iron links, smashing the chains in a flurry of sparks. He then held his arm out to Tommy, and helped his best friend to the ground. "What happened to Goldar? And Kim?"
Tommy smirked without humor. "Kim happened to Goldar," he reported. "She knocked him cold with one hit." The distraught young man held out his arms as Jason pried the manacles that bound his wrists. "I showed Kim the letter," he murmured, his wry face suddenly crestfallen. "She freaked out, and stormed out of here. God, Bro… I'm scared of what she might do!"
"For one thing, she blew Scorpina through six feet of wall," Jason reported, his own face darkening with worry. "If she's still so bent on revenge as she was on Muiranthias, then-"
"She'll go after Zedd," Tommy growled. Snarling in frustration, he pounded his fist into the unyielding wall. "She could get killed!"
Jason clamped a steady hand on his edgy friend's shoulder. "Tommy, listen to me!" he ordered. "She's strong enough to hold her own against Zedd for a while; at least until we can back her up. She wiped the floor with Goldar and Scorpina."
Tommy shook his head furiously. "That's the problem! If she uses too much of the Flame's power, it'll eat her up from the inside. The Flame itself is killing her!"
He looked up, watery eyes staring into the opaque lens of his own helmet. "Jason, if we don't get to her in time, she'll wind up killing herself."
Jason's jaw set, his confusion focusing into one clear objective. "Let's move, then. When we find Zedd, we'll find Kim."
Tommy nodded, running to the gold fissure as fast as adrenaline could push him. Jason was behind him, watching as his best friend passed through.
Once the pulse that indicated passage faded, the Red Ranger took a step forward.
At that instant, the fissure suddenly blinked out of existence.
Jason's raised foot stomped the misty floor. Obsidian eyes glared daggers into the form standing right in front of him, directly behind the spot the doorway used to hover. "I don't have time for you, Goldar!"
The Titan smirked viciously, waving his heavy long sword in one hand. "You want to join you friends, Human? Then you have to get through me."
oooOOOooo
Tommy nearly lost his footing as the rocky ground of the Dark Dimension gave way to the smooth stone of Lord Zedd's throne room.
He recovered his balance as his restless gaze swept the heroes that congregated around him. The questions came all at once.
"Tommy!"
"You okay, Dude?"
"Tommy, what happened?"
"What did they do to you?"
Tommy raised his hands, disregarding the flurry of worrisome words. "Guys, there's no time..."
A startled gasp from Katherine silenced him. "The doorway closed!"
Eyes widening with new horror, Tommy whirled around. As the Pink Ranger indicated, the glowing gold energy portal had disappeared.
"What does that mean?" Tanya wondered.
Tommy swallowed to moisten his dry throat. "Goldar must've woken up." He turned around again, scanning the entire throne room. "The only way to open up a Dark Dimension is with a magical key. Zedd can probably do it with his powers, but Goldar uses his sword to open and shut the door. That might mean Scorpina does too."
Justin jerked his thumb toward the wide hole that gaped through six feet of solid rock. "Well, Scorpina's out there," he reported.
Tommy exhaled sharply, rubbing the back of his head. "Then we have no choice: let's go."
The Rangers watched blankly as Tommy hurried to the large wrought iron doors leading out of the throne room.
"You mean… leave Jason behind?" Tanya murmured.
"Goldar has never been able to get the better of Jason, even without the Power," Tommy stated. "And I know for sure Goldar is the only other person in the Dark Dimension. Jason doesn't need our help."
He tilted his head to the ceiling, a storm of sickening fear making his skin cold. "But Kimberly does"
oooOOOooo
Despite the incredible energies swimming through both their strained bodies, their confrontation began with the power of their fists.
Kimberly unleashed her volcanic fury, her hands glowing with flames with each punch, and legs smoldering with each kick. Her high heels proved to be a menacing weapon, driving into skinless flesh or clanging against sterling exoskeleton in a frenzy. Her natural, well-honed agility, coupled with the supernatural grace the Flame afforded her, made her incredibly adept at hand to hand combat, even with three-inch spikes.
Her blurring speeds and wall-cracking blows were matched by Zedd. Still, the monarch found it more difficult to meet her level of physical strength than he had anticipated.
Damn her luck, rousing me in the middle of my regeneration stage! He seethed, keeping his forearms raised to bat away her furious legs, Under any other circumstance, she'd already be begging my forgiveness!
He blocked a punch, and dodged the follow-up roundhouse. Taking advantage of her nanosecond of imbalance, he plowed his knee into her kidney. When she doubled over, his fist caught her chin, throwing her into the last table that hadn't been shattered already.
Needless to say, the collision reduced the table, and all its arcane contents, into wasted puddles and shards of heavy stone.
The Emperor grimaced. This will cost me a fortune in rare potions. If I had the energy, I would have transported us to a less… flammable arena…
His private chambers were a catastrophe, the floor covered with slick liquids that carried blazing flames across the entire room. The smoke would have been asphyxiating, had the Emperor required oxygen to breathe. The heat would've been torturous, had the Emperor not been born and raised on a planet that often exceeded two hundred degrees Fahrenheit.
He glared coldly at the limp form covered in the remains of his last piece of furniture. "Concede, Kimberly," he barked, "I would rather not have to kill you."
Instead of discernible words, her response was a low, steady groan. The groan grew in magnitude, as the rubble began to shake. Her scream of outrage tore from her throat, as a blast of fiery energy threw the rock from her body, blasting chunks of stone into powder.
Lord Zedd watched as the Flame rose to her feet, a steady glare aimed right for him. "You won't get the chance to."
He snarled. The blow he had landed to her chin would have instantly snapped the neck of any human, and many other more sturdy species. The smoke would have choked any human, and the heat would have flailed the skin right from their bones.
Yet the Flame fortified her with more power than any other human had ever possessed. She could withstand all the strikes he could deliver. She was in her element, surrounded by blistering heat and nearly blinding columns of smoke.
Still, there must be a limit! He reasoned, tensing for renewed battle. Any moment, she will reach too deep into the well of power… and then it will end.
She leapt at him anew, eyes flaring as she screamed her fury. The walls shook with the power of the blows exchanged, still Lord Zedd managed to evade most of them.
Most of them.
One particularly devastating close-fisted punch, smoldering with nearly blinding flame, smashed into his face.
Zedd grunted, falling onto his back at the force of the strike. Then, he felt the heat linger, as an odd liquid wet his jaw-line.
She melted my mask! He realized in astonishment. His fingers traced the misshapen metal, as the melted ore began to congeal on odd patterns.
She smirked with fierce satisfaction as he rose to his feet again. In her Pink Ranger days, this would've been an opportunity for a snide remark. Only, she'd never been so outraged… so scared… in all her life. The pandemonium in her mind simply had no room for humor, even of the dark variety.
"This is no longer amusing," he hissed, the corner of his mouth visible beneath the disfigured mask, "If you do not stand down now, you will die today."
She kept her chin raised mutinously. "One of us is dying today," she resolved, "There's no way in Hell I'll let you walk away from this after everything you put me… us… through!!"
"Fine." The Ruler of Phlegethon, Emperor of Evil, galactically feared Lord Zedd raised his hands. Lightning crawled along his fingers, slithering to the sterling tips.
Kimberly howled as her body was suddenly shocked by more voltage than the whole city of Angel Grove used in an entire day.
oooOOOooo
The fierce Titan warrior was having the time of his life.
True, he had to struggle to maintain consciousness, still reeling from the fist Kimberly launched into his face. True, his tongue still burned from his fight with Tommy on Earth. True, his entire body was sore from the back-to-back battles.
But battle was what any Titan warrior lived for, and nothing was sweeter than facing a worthy, deeply-hated nemesis.
Yes, his hatred Tommy Oliver burned like the sun. The boy had insulted him by becoming Rita's prize warrior. The powerless human had infuriated him by stealing his sword to escape the Dark Dimension in which the Green Candle flickered. The obnoxious White Ranger humiliated him time and again, tossing bristling insults while cleaving holes into the warrior's pride.
However, Tommy had been beaten. Lord Zedd himself had designed the perfect revenge. Did it truly matter that his Master's motivations were unclear? So what if vengeance was secondary to quenching his thirst for the girl? The end result was the same: the leader of the Power Rangers would suffer a heartache that would only be healed by the release of his own demise.
But Jason was another story.
The original Red Power Ranger wasn't part of Zedd's ultimate plan. Therefore, his fate hadn't been decided; and Goldar was more than eager to interminably end the hero's career.
Jason had also humiliated him, by leading a group of young, inexperienced, inadequate new Power Rangers to victory time and again. Only a few months into his Ranger career, he had survived one-on-one combat with the bloodthirsty Titan in Rita's Dark Dimension, without his friends or his powers to come to his aid. They fought again in the Dark Dimension, the fate of the Green Ranger hanging in the balance. Goldar took a small measure of pride in the fact Jason had failed to extinguish the Green Candle. Only, it was a small victory, for Jason wasn't actually defeated in that confrontation. He elected to leave, choosing his friend's life over his powers. And once again, Jason walked away from a battle with the mighty Goldar of Titan, unscathed despite fighting without the Power to protect him.
There was far less shame in losing to the White Ranger, armed with magical armor and the Great Power, than losing to a single, powerless human boy in his own alien domain.
His duty called him to simply seal the Red Ranger in the Dark Dimension, and see to the escaped prisoner and the other Turbo Rangers that were predictably waiting for their leader to return. Yet his warrior's heart yearned for satisfaction. He had to wait years for the opportunity to exact proper retribution against Jason. The boy had left the Rangers before Goldar demand a final showdown, and there was no sport in simply murdering the boy without the Power. In order to prove himself, Goldar had to confront the boy in all his glory.
Now, the gods of Vengeance have smiled upon the Titan. There was no escape for the Red Ranger. They would fight, no holds barred, until one of them was dead. The only way for Jason to rejoin his friends was to defeat him, and force the sword from his cold, unfeeling fingers.
A mighty swing managed to smash the Red Ranger's sword to the high right, leaving his vulnerable abdomen open. With a feral grin, one heavy, armored foot plowed into his solar plexus, earning a grunt of pain and throwing the human into the nearest wall.
"Your fighting skills have atrophied, Jason," Goldar gloated, watching the Red Ranger regain his bearings. "It's been a while since you've last been in a lethal situation."
Jason steadied himself on his feet, stretching his shoulders to ease the soreness of colliding with unyielding rock at forty miles an hour. "Not as long as you'd think, Goldar."
Unlike Tommy, who enjoyed ruffling Goldar's feathers with taunts like "Dogbreath" or "Monkey Brains," Jason had a grudging respect for the warrior. He enjoyed the purity of a battle between two monumental powers, unblemished by childish insults or mockery. True, Zack's influence helped the serious young man develop the ability to find the humor in a bad situation, but he never let levity spoil the grim beauty of a good fight.
Yes, Jason was anxious to save his friends. Yes, Jason was worried to the core for Kimberly, and the horrifying reality that he may never see her again. Still, despite all the urgency that demanded he expedite his victory, a significant part of him yearned to indulge in the simple art of a meaningful duel between two worthy opponents.
It had been so long since he flexed the Power. On Muiranthias, the Flame gave him a dark, corrupting power… not the brilliant, lofty pulse of life he'd experienced as a Power Ranger. And while he did enjoy his brief career as the Gold Ranger, on some fundamental level it just felt wrong. The Gold Ranger Powers were designed for a Triforian, making them taxing to wield. And even if those powers were flawless, there was something slightly off about fighting with a staff, or wearing anything but his signature color.
Now, he immersed himself in the utter satisfaction of being the Red Ranger again. Of fighting in crimson armor, arcing a peerless sword with the grace of instinct. The only thing better than experiencing the thrill of his former glory was exercising it against a foe he esteemed, and despised.
Jason had taken merely a moment to shake off the dazing effect of Goldar's last blow, and readied himself. The Turbo armor wasn't vastly more durable than the Morphin' uniform, but the greatest benefit to these new powers was the speed the Rangers were capable of reaching.
He knew he could end this quickly… he should end this quickly. So, he commanded the Turbo Sword to dissolve, settling into a tiger stance. At least I got this last fight, he reasoned, a grim smile pulling his hidden lip, This is probably my last battle as the Red Ranger…
And then, his form disappeared into a blur of crimson.
Goldar was reduced to groans of pain and growls of outrage as he was suddenly pummeled by a force that moved so fast, he was hard-pressed to retaliate. The blows rained on his armor, the dull pain reaching his skin, causing him to ache and keeping him off balance.
He swung his sword in a haze of anger, making his movements uncharacteristically sloppy. He tried to follow the pattern of the blows, but by the time he swung in the direction of a new pain, Jason was already doling the next blow.
Overwhelmed, Goldar lifted his face and shrieked lividly. Jason came to a halt right beside the gargantuan warrior, his fist poised.
"You really should consider adding a full-coverage helmet to the ensemble," he advised, before plowing his closed-fist into the blue snout.
The Titan stumbled, hands automatically flying to his face to stop the gout of blood from his nose.
Jason smirked as he picked up the abandoned gold long sword. "Goodbye, Goldar."
Before the Titan could even open his eyes against the pain, the Red Ranger cleaved a hole into the dimensional walls, reopening the fissure. With a grim salute devoid of any mockery, he stepped through the portal, and sealed it behind him.
He heard Goldar's passionate roar fade as he passed into Lord Zedd's throne room. Once both feet were secure on the smooth stone floor, he turned back to the fissure.
"This ought to hold you," he thought aloud, dragging the long sword along the fissure. The opening zipped closed, darkening the throne room ominously.
Jason pivoted full-circle. Where is everyone?
He moved toward the open wrought iron doors, the golden long sword still secure in his grasp, when a sudden, echoing shriek froze him in place.
His eyes widened beneath his helmet. "Oh God…"
The Red Ranger immediately burst into a run, navigating the eerie, torch-lit hallways as best he could.
oooOOOooo
The acoustics in the foreboding tunnels of Lord Zedd's palace were perfect for carrying the sounds of anguish. It almost seemed as if the walls themselves reveled in screams, echoing them through the walls so profoundly it almost seemed like the poor victim was merely inches away, when in reality miles of winding hallways could lay between them.
When such a tortured shriek drummed into Tommy's ears, an empathic agony far worse than any pain his own body endured weakened his knees. "Kim!" he screamed, as loudly and urgently as he could, "We're coming!!"
Katherine, who led the group, stopped dead in her tracks as the tunnel through which they ran forked into two paths. "Uh oh…"
Justin stared to the left, peering into the seemingly endless path. "This place is huge!"
"With all the echoing, we can't even figure out where the… the voice is coming from," Tanya noted, hands on her hips. "Kat, do you have any idea which way to go?"
The Pink Ranger shrugged helplessly. "I… I'm not sure." She pointed down the left hallway. "I know Finster's laboratory is that way, as are stairwells leading to the catacombs, as well as one tower. I'm pretty sure Goldar's rooms are that way too." Then she turned right. "Uh… I remember Rita's library was that way. I never spent much time there." She sighed heavily. "Frankly, they could be in either direction."
The Green Ranger lifted his wrist to his mouthpiece. "Zordon? Do you read?"
The team congregated around Adam, waiting restlessly for a response. After several unbearable moments, Adam deactivated his communicator.
"No good," he reported, "There's too much interference."
Tommy screwed his eyes shut, desperately trying to tune out the anguished screams that floated around them. "It's just like the power plant," he realized, "There's too much energy floating around. No signals can get through."
"I guess we'll just have to do this the old fashioned way," Tanya grumbled.
"I got an idea!" Justin contributed, turning to the Pink Ranger. "Kat, do you have any idea where Zedd spent most of his time?"
She grimaced thoughtfully beneath her rose helmet. "His study is directly behind the throne room, and he definitely wasn't in there, or we would've heard them when we arrived." She chewed her lip. "I'm sure Zedd has private quarters, though I never saw him sleep while I was here." She shook her head. "I was more Rita's servant than Zedd's; I rarely even saw him personally."
Adam folded his arms. "Guys, even if Kat did have a perfect memory of the palace, there's no way we can be sure that floor plan is still valid. Remember, after Zedd and Rita left, the Machines swarmed the place. If they did enough damage, Zedd might have redone the entire place. Especially if Rita's no longer with him."
Tommy growled low. "You're right, Adam. When Zedd first came to the moon, he reshaped Rita's palace in a matter of seconds. There's no telling which hallways lead to where, and which rooms even exist anymore."
Then suddenly, abruptly, the screaming ceased. Tommy's breath caught in his throat, terror lancing through him.
"We'll split up," he gritted through clenched teeth, moving to the left tunnel, "Justin and Kat, you're with me. Adam, you and Tanya go right."
Before anyone could protest, Tommy bounded down the left hallway. Katherine watched him disappear into the darkness, her eyes stricken with grief as she listened for any more screaming… any evidence that Kimberly still breathed.
"Good luck," she murmured, before hurrying down the hallway after her leader. Justin was right at her heels, and the Green and Yellow Rangers departed in the opposite direction.
oooOOOooo
She had stopped screaming simply because she couldn't waste what precious breath she still had.
Kimberly lay on the cracked, blazing floor of Lord Zedd's private quarters, her eyes squeezed shut and mouth hanging open in a silent cry. Her throat was raw from wailing, and her muscles had fallen into such spasms they were now numb and trembled of their own accord.
The Emperor restrained the current, giving her a fleeting respite. She could feel his penetrating, crimson gaze on her, watching her heart beat frantically, watching her desperately try to swallow the precious air her lungs screamed for.
Yet, he had already given his ultimatum, and she refused. She didn't want his mercy, and she made it crystal clear to the vile monarch. And she knew that, no matter what he felt for her, he surely wasn't so sentimental to keep a half-sane, tyrannicidal, too-powerful upstart alive.
She tried valiantly to catch her breath, and even tried to gather her legs under her. Her head inched upward, elbows pressing the floor at either side as she pushed her listless body off the ground.
"Not yet," he decided, his voice clinically detached. "It should only take your friends a few minutes to find us." He folded his arms over his broad, immobile chest. "The last sight your dear, devoted Rangers will see is your agonizing death. And then, they will die themselves."
His tone had wandered from observational to triumphant. Kimberly's whole body tensed, the anger suffusing her soul yet again. Faintly, her skin began to glow anew, as she urged the Flame to burn despite the protest of her weary bones.
The Emperor of Evil laughed at her exertion. "Tenacious, aren't we?"
She didn't even get a chance to open her eyes before the consuming lightning bit into her flesh again. She wrenched her head back to scream, but stubbornly gnashed her teeth together.
"Regardless of your efforts, you will die shortly. You can either suffer agony these last few moments, or make peace with whatever gods you worship."
By some miracle, amidst the anguish dulling her mind and the outrage that screamed between her ears, Kimberly managed to find the ability to think. He doesn't want to kill me yet. He's… keeping his power low enough to only hurt me. If can muster… a little more power, I can break free…
She tensed, stubbornly begging the Flame for just a little more… enough to turn the tables, and throw Zedd off balance just long enough for her to recover.
Please… just… a little more…
She searched the length and breadth of her soul for the true might of the Flame, the power of Maligore that terrorized nearly every alien she'd met during her brief foray into the galaxy. The power she knew was inside her somewhere.
I need it all… please… I need the strength… NOW!!!
The fire leapt over her skin, wrapping her in a blaze so dazzling it burned pure white.
For the first time in his entire existence, Lord Zedd was utterly floored. His jaw hinged open, his cold, calculating mind in a whirl as suddenly, a protective cocoon enveloped his erstwhile bride, forcing his furious electricity to web harmlessly outside it.
Kimberly still laid on her back, until the power of the Flame intensified beneath her, pushing her to her feet. She hovered about an inch in the air, her hair swaying in a gold-brown storm around her face, the white flaming nimbus swirling around her, crackling where it came in contact with Zedd's slowly dwindling power.
Then, her eyes finally opened… solid white.
"Burn," she hissed, her voice rising over the cacophony created by the power filling the air. "Burn, you bastard… you monster… BURN!!!"
She lifted her arms, channeling the fire along her hands. The unnatural blaze leapt from her trembling fingertips, flying in a continuous, searing stream of unadulterated power.
Lord Zedd was barely able to erect a shield of his own, refocusing his power to intercept her barrage of fire with an answering column of lightning. The point where the two powers met was itself a maelstrom, steadily growing as both incrementally pushed their power further, trying to gain the upper hand. The palace walls shook violently, causing dust to snow down from the ceiling. The walls slowly cracked, the floor dipped downward. The entire room strained as the intense power swelled within.
oooOOOooo
A fierce joy brightened Tommy's face as the walls began quaking. He continued his breakneck run unimpeded, feeling the chips of stone tap against his head and neck, and squinting against the chalky dust shaken from the walls and ceiling.
So long as the palace shook, Lord Zedd fought. And so long as Lord Zedd fought, Kimberly was alive.
How much longer could she hold out? An icy fear had gripped him when the screaming had ceased… only a few minutes ago, though it felt like an eternity of anxious waiting.
How big is this place? he groused, slowing down to turn a corner, It's like a maze… if I wind up in the same place I started, I'm gonna bash some heads in!
Tommy Oliver was not by nature a violent man… but his frustration kept his fuse very short.
The Pink and Blue Rangers had raced ahead, using their preternatural Turbo speed to explore side tunnels and keep him abreast of their search. His heart weighed him when he considered how much he'd slowed his friends' progress, but there was no way he would sit this rescue out.
"Tommy! Justin!" an urgent cry sounded, "I found something!"
Tommy picked up his already hazardously fast pace, following Katherine's voice until he found himself at the open entrance of one of the chambers lining that particular hallway. Katherine stood near the wall, the bright pink of her uniform contrasting sharply to the dull gray of the furniture and draperies, and the ashy brown cloak hanging from the old man sitting beside her….
Old man?
"Who's that guy?" Justin wondered, standing a few feet away from Kat. "One of Zedd's monsters?"
The man smiled gently, lowering his head in a polite bow. "Hello. Power Rangers, I assume?"
"He looks human enough," Tommy spoke, moving into the room to join his friends. "Kat?"
"I've never see him before," she reported, "He must be a new addition to Zedd's team."
The three teens watched suspiciously as the man extended his hand. "Is this not how Earthbound humans greet each other?"
Tommy stared at the offered hand, and then the shining green eyes of its owner. "Who are you?"
The man drew back his hand, folding it with the other at his lap. His smile didn't waver. "My name is Egeon. And yours?"
The palace shuddered violently, forcing Tommy, Kat, and Justin to crowd against the wall for balance. Yet the old man was unphased.
"Dude, what's your problem??" Justin demanded, exasperated. "Why're you so happy?"
"I can be nothing but happy," he explained serenely. "My Lord Zedd has taken away my pain."
The Rangers' faces collapsed into expressions of abject horror.
The room shook again, this time dislodging several bricks from the ceiling. Justin blurred into motion quick enough to catch the one that nearly crushed the Kerovan's cranium. If anything, he seemed slightly amused that he had just come a hair's width to death.
Katherine stared piteously at the man who could only feel happiness, and gently took hold of his arm. "Sir, you have to get out of here. It's not safe."
He cast his cheerful gaze toward her. "And where will I go, young lady? This is my home now."
The words sounded like they would have been mournful… over the loss of his true home. Yet he had no ability to inflect anything even similar to regret. It was oddly chilling to hear.
"Look, Mister, the palace is falling apart," Justin informed him. He then turned to Tommy. "Think Zordon can fix him?"
Tommy found himself oddly captivated by the glazed, overly bright green eyes. "I don't know, Justin… but we'll give it a try."
He then stepped closer to Egeon, kneeling to eye level. "But first, we could use some of your help."
The floor shook again, but Egeon was unaffected. "What can I do for you, son?"
"Do you know where Lord Zedd is?"
He nodded. "My Lord has been regenerating, to recover his power." He brushed the dust that had fallen to his shoulders, disinterested rather than terrified. "Though I think he has woken up." He turned back to Tommy, his gaze utterly guileless as if he had no difficulty directing his Lord's enemies to his innermost sanctum. "He regenerates in his private chamber. It is the triangular room at the top of the West tower."
Tommy turned to Kat.
"We're now about midway up the East tower," she informed him, "but at least Tanya and Adam went the right way."
Another shock wave, the most powerful so far, knocked the Rangers to the floor. Tommy struggled to his feet, watching as Katherine lifted Egeon into her arms.
"Justin, carry Tommy," she ordered, "We'll go a lot faster this way."
Tommy nodded, wrapping his arm around the Blue Ranger's neck. "We've got a lot of backtracking to do."
Justin smiled at his leader. "Don't worry; I'm sure Tanya and Adam are almost there."
oooOOOooo
"Tanya! You okay?"
"Yeah, fine," the Yellow Ranger grumbled, the Power lending her the enhanced strength needed to throw man-size blocks of wall from her person. As they raced through the vibrating tunnel, the entire hallway had begun collapsing into itself.
The further they ran, the more violent the tremors had become. They knew without a shadow of a doubt that they were getting close to the epicenter of all this power. Very close.
Adam glanced back down the path they had come, most of the floor covered in rubble from the ceiling, and some patches even caved into the floor below. "I hope the others get here soon."
"In the meantime, we have to run interference," she pointed out, hurrying forward. Adam raced at her heels, both blurring into supersonic speed as they streaked through hallway after hallway.
Finally, the darkness was brightened by an almost celestial whiteness, so brilliant it was almost blinding. Adam and Tanya instinctively deactivated their helmet headlights, and cautiously walked toward the light.
Once they were a few yards from the door, they were able to discern the wall of energy directly inside the entrance.
Tanya glared at the obstruction, raising her hands over her head. "Does Zedd really think a little flicker could stop us? Turbo Star Chargers!!"
The twin weapons took shape in the Yellow Ranger's hands. With a fierce growl, she slashed both blades against the wall of fire.
She yelped as the fire channeled itself through the physical connection, tossing her into the opposite wall.
Adam hurried to her side, watching worriedly as she shook off the blow.
"I'm fine," she sighed, pushing out of the impression her back made into the solid stone. Adam held her shoulder steady as she brushed the dust and smoke from her armor. "It didn't hurt; I just wasn't expecting it."
The Green Ranger approached the doorway again. He leaned as close as he could to the energy barrier, watching flashes of searing white climb upward.
"This… is fire," he realized. Cautiously, he held his palm to the door, inching to contact. Just as his fingers grazed the surface, flames licked at him, forcing him to wrench his hand back. "Definitely fire."
Tanya watched her boyfriend's analysis, her fists tightly clenching the Star Chargers. "Maybe if we both hit it at once, we can break through?"
It's not that simple. This isn't Zedd's door… I'm sure of it.
Scowling fiercely, Adam propped his hands to either side of his mouth, like a megaphone. "KIM!" he bellowed, "LET US IN!!"
The Yellow Ranger gaped at the conclusion her teammate had reached. "You think Kimberly locked herself in there?"
"Zedd's energy almost always manifests as lightning," the veteran Ranger explained, "Kim's the one who's been using fire lately."
"But that doesn't make sense!" Tanya insisted, "Why would she want to lock herself in a room with Lord Zedd?"
Adams lips fell into a grim line. "I think she's trying to keep us out."
oooOOOooo
Jason came to a grinding halt at a fork in the road.
"Wonderful," he groaned, clutching his forehead with his free hand. "Now what do I do?"
He was in the middle of the most scientifically accurate decision-making method he could come up with under such stressful circumstances. However, somewhere between Miney and Mo, a rush of air turned his attention to his left. Whirling around, he clenched Goldar's colossal sword with both hands, waiting for his latest opponent to round the corner.
He deflated with relief when he saw the Pink and Blue Rangers slow from Turbo dash, coming to a full stop just a few feet from him.
"Jason," Kat sighed, "you're okay!"
The Red Ranger watched as both Kat and Justin let their passengers stand on their own. His eyes lingering curiously on the old stranger, he nodded.
"What happened to Goldar?" Tommy asked. His gaze was on the gold sword his best friend clenched.
A satisfied smirk pulled Jason's hidden lip. "He's making himself comfortable in the Dark Dimension." He nodded to the sword. "Without this, he can't create a passage out of there."
"Then that's one less thing to worry about," Justin determined, pumping his fist.
"All we have to do now is find Kim and Zedd," Tommy stated. He folded his arms over his chest, his entire body visibly tense. "Jase, this is Egeon, and he can help us find them. Tanya and Adam have already gone ahead in the right direction. We have to regroup, and fast."
Jason nodded his agreement. However, the near-constant quaking of the palace grew more insistent, causing objects to crash somewhere in the distance. "Tommy, I think you and Egeon should get out of here."
Both Kat and Justin stared at Jason, shocked that he could actually expect Tommy Oliver to retreat.
The young man's eyes narrowed, almost dangerously. "Jason, this is my fight-"
"Be reasonable, Bro! This entire palace is falling apart. If Zedd loses too much power, the atmosphere around the palace could just vanish. It's not safe for unpowered humans. You need to take this guy and get off the moon before it's too late."
"They can't, though," Justin contributed, "Our communicators are offline. We can't even ask Zordon to teleport us home."
The temporary Red Turbo Ranger held the golden sword to Tommy. "You know as well as I do that Goldar uses his sword to teleport to Earth. You even used it before."
Tommy watched his friend approach, holding the sword's hilt for him to take. Stubbornly, his head began to shake.
"Jason, I can't retreat," he maintained, his voice low and determined. "Lord Zedd turned this into a personal war. He manipulated me, used the woman I love, and did everything in his power to make us kill each other!" Slowly, one side of his upper lip lifted in a trembling sneer. "I'm finishing the 'game' he started," he announced, "This whole palace will crumble to the ground, and he's not getting out of here alive."
Jason stared at his best friend, his skin rapidly growing cold. The ferocity that gleamed in those dark brown eyes was petrifying, recalling to mind an afternoon long ago… when he stared into the hate-filled glare of the Evil Green Ranger.
His lips pressed in a tight line, Jason laid the heavy gold sword against the wall, and spread his arms apart. The haze of red energy swirled around him, revealing a resigned countenance.
"You're right, Tommy. Zedd did make this personal. You need to go upstairs, and find Kimberly before it's too late."
He removed the wrist-mounted device, and held it in his palm. "Just… don't do anything too crazy, okay?"
Tommy's severe frown failed, as surprise battled against genuine gratitude. A small, barely discernible smile warmed his face as he accepted the Turbo morpher, and hastily strapped it on.
"You're one in a million, Bro."
Jason smiled as best he could. "Yeah, yeah… just be sure to remember that when you do your Christmas shopping."
He then threw a thumbs-up to Justin and Katherine, and picked up Goldar's sword again. "How does the teleport function work?"
"When I used it, I visualized where I wanted to go," Tommy explained. "The sword just took me there."
"Could it really be that simple?" Katherine mused.
"Sure it can," Justin decided. "It's gotta be easy enough for all these alien bozos to handle."
Jason smiled openly at the boy's sardonic comment, and then turned to Egeon. "Ready to go?"
"Wait," Tommy interrupted. He turned to Egeon, his eyes pleading. "What's the quickest way to get to Zedd's chamber?"
The Kerovan intellectual thought for a moment. "The grand stairwell is about a hundred meters down this hallway. The hall winds, so be careful. There are a few side halls, but don't turn off the main path until you see three torches lining both sides of a door post. That's the door you need to take."
Then, to the Red Ranger's surprise, the man laid a hand on his shoulder. "Do your best, Tommy. Mistress Kimberly has been anxious and angry constantly since I met her. I do wish her happiness… and for some reason, I feel you can help her find it."
Tommy stood speechless for a long moment, eyebrows raised at the insight the spellbound man was capable of. Then, he nodded fervently.
"I will save her. I swear I will."
Egeon seemed satisfied by the boy's zealous response. "Good. She reminds me of my daughter… and I want her to have what Karone could not."
Jason stared, positively baffled by the heartrending words that streamed from a mouth wearing such a serene smile. But he decided not to ask. "Good luck guys."
Kat, Tommy, and Justin nodded gratefully, watching as Jason put his free hand on Egeon's arm, and crashed the tip of Goldar's mammoth sword into the ground. Cloud-like energy flared from the focal point, cloaking the two in magic before carrying them to safety.
Tommy took a deep, steadying breath, and jammed his key into the red Turbo morpher. As the crimson light enveloped him, he offered a silent prayer that he would be able to keep his bold promise.
oooOOOooo
Jason knew enough of the protective shields guarding the old Command Center to know forces of evil could not enter the Rangers' sanctum. He wasn't quite sure how they worked, what happened when a villain tried to do so, or even if the same shields protected the Turbo Chamber… but he wasn't about to learn by trial and error.
Instead, he commanded Goldar's sword to send him to the one place he could think of that would be empty of onlookers, yet unprotected by magic or technology.
He chose his old homeroom at Angel Grove High.
The dark gold energy coalesced into two forms right between the teacher's desk and the rows of student chairs.
"Phew," Jason sighed, chewing his lip. "Glad we didn't materialize in a wall or something."
"That rarely happens with teleport spells, son," Egeon wisely informed him. "It is only a significant risk when teleporting without confirmed coordinates with a mechanical device."
Jason nodded, but chose not to allow the brief exchange to turn into a conversation. He found he couldn't keep his eyes on the man beside him. That vapid gaze and eternal smile was unnerving… to say the least.
"Now that we're back on Earth, this should work," Jason told his passenger, activating his wrist communicator. "Jason to Command Center. Anyone there?"
"Jason!" Alpha sang, his enthusiasm obvious in his voice. "Does this mean we won?"
"Not yet; the others are still in Zedd's palace. There was too much interference for the teleporter or communicators to work, so I had to use Goldar's sword to get back to Earth."
"WERE YOU ABLE TO FIND TOMMY?"
"Yeah, and I gave him his morpher back. We all thought it was too dangerous for unpowered humans to be running around up there, so I came back… and I brought a guest with me. He must've been Zedd's prisoner or something."
"ALPHA, CONDUCT A SCAN TO DETERMINE IF THIS INDIVIDUAL POSES ANY THREAT."
Jason continued listening, waiting for the prognosis.
"Hmm… I'm picking up heavy doses of dark magic in him. Only, it's influential."
"What's that mean?" Jason wondered.
"It means the spell doesn't empower him in any way. Instead, it just affects his mind."
Jason took another look at the Kerovan. "I'm pretty sure he's not hostile, Zordon."
"HE REGISTERS AS A NORMAL HUMAN BEING, SO WE WILL TAKE THE CHANCE. PREPARE TO TELEPORT."
Moments later, a wash of pure white light carried both Jason and Egeon into the hidden Turbo Chamber. As soon as they materialized completely, Alpha V hurried to Egeon with a handheld scanner.
"I've never seen a spell like this before," Alpha admitted, "It has the taste of Lord Zedd to it, but that's all I can tell right now."
"Then maybe you should run some more scans," Jason suggested. He then strode to the Viewing Globe, folding his arms as he made himself comfortable on the nearest console. "There's nothing else to do until all that interference on the moon fades."
Zordon nodded solemnly. "UNFORTUNATELY, THE INTERFERENCE WILL ONLY FADE WHEN THE VAST POWERS FLOODING THE PALACE CEASE."
The first leader of the Power Rangers grimaced. "Fat lot of good we can do then."
oooOOOooo
The Emperor of Evil, Sovereign of Phlegethon and a thousand systems beside, grit his teeth in determination. It was his willpower alone that made him able to stand against such a battering power, given his own weakened state. Even he had to accept the truth: he had sparing little power left. The wheels in his brilliant mind began spinning, puzzling together a new scheme to survive the conflict with the strength he'd need to destroy the Turbo Rangers. He had begun re-channeling his power, preparing to attempt a surprise strike…
…until the tables turned yet again.
Kimberly released a sudden howl of pain, more profound and bloodcurdling than ever before. Lord Zedd watched smugly as her powers rapidly dwindled, the white aura winking out like a candle caught in a draft.
She collapsed to the ground, her legs folding beneath her, head leaning forward. She fell further still, her elbows against the floor as she cradled her swaying head.
Her screams had slowly tapered into whimpers, soft and pathetic like a frightened puppy… or a girl who finally realized she was in way over her head.
Lord Zedd let his power coalesce along his arms, and released a long, indulgent laugh. "I believe, my dear, you have just tasted the bitter result of pushing passed your limit!"
oooOOOooo
Tanya and Adam stood outside the impenetrable white-hot doorway, feverishly chipping away at the surprisingly sturdy stone wall that separated the dark Lord's mysterious private chamber from the rest of the palace.
However, without warning, the wall of fire simply blinked out of existence.
Adam looked up, jaw hanging open, at the astonishing sight. Lord Zedd stood hovering over Kimberly, laughing heartily as she hugged her knees to her chest on the ground. She swayed weakly, soft whimpers just barely audible between Zedd's gloating laughter.
Apparently, Zedd didn't notice the fire had been extinguished. Which just proves he didn't put it up to begin with, Adam reasoned, fist tightening on his Turbo Blade. He nodded briefly to Tanya, and immediately burst into top speed, hoping to take advantage of the Emperor's distraction.
Yellow and Green moved as one, dashing right up to the Emperor of Evil. Without even breaking stride, both plowed their weapons into his chest and back simultaneously, digging through surprisingly tender flesh and exoskeleton.
Lord Zedd roared furiously, tossing a heavy-handed blow toward Adam. He managed to make contact, knocking the Green Ranger off his feet. Only, it didn't protect him from Tanya's follow up assault.
Her lips tight, she raised the Star Chargers directly at her target. The searing yellow power crashed into Zedd's abdomen, sending him reeling into one corner of the triangular room.
"Adam?" she called urgently. She refused to take her eyes of Lord Zedd, and kept her Star Chargers ready to fire.
"I'm okay," he groaned, shaking off the dizziness. "He only nicked me."
The Green Ranger then hurried to Kimberly, who was still trapped in such a whirl of suffering, she was oblivious to her surroundings. He gently lifted her head from the ground, brushing sweaty golden brown tendrils from her face. "Kim? Can you hear me?"
The sobbing subsided just a little, encouraging Adam to try harder. "Kim! It's me, Adam! We're here to rescue you!"
The next thing Adam heard was a startled shriek. He whirled his head, watching in horror as the Star Chargers clattered to the ground not far from him.
Tanya was outside the room once again, lying in a crumbled heap in the far wall of the hallway. Only this time… she didn't move.
"TANYA!" he screamed, agonized. His entire body trembling, he moved to sweep Kimberly off the floor and make his escape.
However, he failed to notice Lord Zedd creep behind him.
The Emperor thrust his silver-tipped hand out, and snatched the sub-commander by the neck. Adam gagged as suddenly, thunderbolts shot into his system, lighting his insides on fire.
"I am actually insulted you thought two puny Rangers could even hope to steal my prize from me," Zedd growled. He tossed the limp Green Ranger into the hallway too, like so much refuse. "Your deaths will come in due time, children. But Kimberly is first on my list, and then your obnoxious leader. Wait your turn."
Adam and Tanya were in no position to object.
oooOOOooo
"Kim? Can you hear me?"
Yes, she could hear. The urgent voice pierced the wall of agony that wrapped her mind and senses.
She could hear, but she could not answer.
Adam… please go away… Zedd will kill you… no more death… not for me…
"Kim! It's me, Adam! We're here to rescue you!"
I know that!! That's why I forced you out! Must keep you… safe…
Safe from Zedd… safe from me…
She also heard the agonized screams, Zedd's biting words, and the sickening sound of flesh crashing against unyielding concrete.
She cried within.
No.. no.. NO!! You won't take any more! You won't hurt anyone else! EVER!!!
Somehow, she found the courage. Somehow, she found the determination. Somehow, she found the clarity of mind that only comes when one knows exactly what must be done, and cares enough to see it through to the end.
Like gasoline, she threw her pain onto the Flame, letting it fuel the dark force of Destruction back to life. Her body had sealed it off, because she dove too deep into that seemingly bottomless pool of power.
Yet she had to go deeper, to save her friends, to stop the monster… and a little thing like mortality wouldn't stop her.
oooOOOooo
By the time Tommy, Katherine, and Justin had reached the uppermost level of the West tower, there was very little left of the floors. In fact, nearly an entire story of stairs had already crumbled to powder, and much of the highest hallway lacked a floor.
Tommy leapt over an enormous aperture without even blinking, looking down, or looking back. There just wasn't enough time for planning, or thought... only action. Somehow, he could feel the burning exigency, tingling his skin like a terrifying premonition.
Justin peered down a rather large opening, eyes wide with disbelief as he looked upon six levels of the palace all at once. "Whoa," he murmured.
Katherine paused beside the startled young boy, laying a hand on his shoulder. "Justin… are you ready for this?"
He was just a boy, far too young to have to face such a cataclysmic battle. Not for the first time, Katherine silently mourned innocence lost far too early in life.
The child turned. Katherine couldn't see the fierce glint in his eye, or the thin line of his lips. "Are any of us ready for this?"
The Pink Ranger gave pause to his surprisingly insightful answer. Then, she shook her head. "No; and I doubt we ever will be."
Justin smiled wanly, his hand rising to pat hers. "Thanks, Kat… for looking out for me. But I can handle this. I know I can."
He didn't mention the fact that they really had no choice. Everyone knew, without the slightest doubt, that the final battle would begin in moments. In fact, it had begun hours ago… only now, they were taking part.
"Let's go," they spoke in unison. Then, with no more time for words, they followed the sounds of conflict, and flashes of ominous light.
oooOOOooo
The Emperor was still cackling, thoroughly enjoying the sight of two Power Rangers lying in a boneless heap just outside his chamber, when suddenly the bright, white hot fire leapt in front of him, once again barring the door with its treacherous heat.
He tsked smugly, turning around to face his would-be bride. "No, you are not simply tenacious," he decided, watching her once again regain her footing, "You are masochistic."
She chose not to answer. Instead, she held her palms together, fingers facing the ceiling as if in prayer.
Everything… must give this everything…
The fierce aura of white energy surrounding her intensified around her hands, completely masking much of her arm from view. She rubbed her palms together, eyes narrow as all her hatred… and all her love… poured itself into her hands.
My last chance… can't hold this kind of power…
oooOOOooo
The shaking grew so nauseatingly violent even the added grace and speed of the Power couldn't keep him balanced on his feet.
The Red Ranger stumbled, managing to catch hold of an outcropping on the wall beside him. The floor beneath him began to cave in, forcing his Turbo instincts to leap to safer footing. The blaze of white light grew closer still, almost as if it screamed for him to hurry.
Yet, not far from that brilliant light lay two other, muted colors: yellow and green.
His heart suddenly choking him, Tommy dashed towards his downed comrades. It felt like the weight of the world lifted from his shoulders when he realized they were moving.
"Adam," he gasped, "Tanya, what happened?"
The Green Ranger stretched his aching shoulders. "Zedd happened, that's what," he groused, "Kimberly really messed him up, but he still got the better of us."
Tommy lifted his gaze, noticing the rapid approach of the Pink and Blue Rangers. He turned in the other direction, staring wide-eyed at the pristine white energy blocking his path.
"Zedd's still in there," he realized. If he weren't already kneeling, he would have been brought to his knees by the horror that immediately struck him. "With Kim."
He then jumped from the ground, letting anger fuel the muscles fear and anguish left immobile, and pounded a fist against the wall. The flash of energy made him shout, in surprise more than pain.
"The door… it's Kim's doing," Tanya informed him. She leaned her back against the wall, letting the leverage help her rise to her feet. "She's forcing us out."
Tommy didn't turn around. His body went rigid, peering at the white flames as if he could will them to extinguish. In his mind's eye, he could picture what was happening… what the dark Lord, Emperor of Evil would do her, in his insane quest to destroy the Rangers' spirit and strength.
"Kim!" he hollered. His voice was so raw with emotion, it hardly sounded like him. "Please let us help you!!"
oooOOOooo
His scream was so anguished it would've brought tears to her eyes. Yet she had no tears to spare. She had nothing to spare at all; no sad regret, no desperate plea for understanding, no demand that they retreat.
It felt like her insides had begun to melt. The fire in the pit of her stomach, sharper and more repugnant than anything she could imagine. Punishment, for pushing too far, for needing far more strength than any mere human had the right to bear.
Her knees grew limp, but she stubbornly refused to stumble. Her eyes stung, but she refused to close them. Her chest tensed, but she refused to scream. Her hands burned, yet she refused to relent.
She felt his power seething around her. He must have realized that this was even more than her limit, more than he could ever have guessed her possessing.
The true, unfiltered, unhindered Flame of Destruction burned, just for an instant.
And it was designed to Destroy.
The Flame took the shape of a sphere, burning with such intensity looking directly upon it would have permanently blinded any human. It spread to about a foot in diameter only its staggering aura kept its true dimensions impossible to view.
She felt darkness slowly encroach. Not yet… not yet…
She fought for lucidity. She fought to maintain that perfect clarity, as exhaustion, misery, and pain tried to distract her.
She fought against it all, and she succeeded.
The woman that carried the Flame had no words to share. Nothing to mock, infuriate, or even terrify her mortal enemy. Instead, she let the Flame speak for itself.
The globe of power beyond power streaked through the room, filling the entire palace with a light so bright, the flash could be seen from Earth with the naked eye.
When the light faded, one entire wall of the inner sanctum had been obliterated… and Lord Zedd was nowhere to be seen.
Kimberly Anne Hart had no power left to stand, so she fell heavily to her knees. She had no power to maintain her shield of fire, so she let it collapse. Her ears rang from the explosion, drowning out cries of warning, an approaching figure, or his cruel, triumphant cackle.
oooOOOooo
The blast hurt.
It hurt beyond description. It burned his skin, it penetrated into his body. It scalded so much, his former, skinless form was beautiful in comparison to the mauled, mangled, charred skin that wrapped his inner skeleton.
Yet, he was alive. Barely able to move, doubtlessly beyond any sort of healing… but alive.
Alive enough to wrench at least a partial victory from the hands of defeat.
With the grim resolve only a coldhearted, unrelenting despot could ever truly exhibit, the Emperor of Evil lifted his torn, ragged body off the dry, cold surface of the moon.
He lifted himself into the air, hovering carefully and peering without the help of his shattered ruby visor. He saw his would-be assassin slowly recovering her senses after her miraculous attack. He saw the door of fire evaporate. He saw the Red Ranger lurch into the chamber, shocked at the sudden entry.
He landed at the edge of the remaining floor, only a meter or two from where Kimberly remained, motionless and utterly ignorant of his presence.
He saw the Red Ranger, his bitter rival, look up. He saw the boy tense.
He smirked.
With speed that rivaled the Turbo Rangers at their best, he wrenched Kimberly off the ground by her hair.
She gasped wordlessly, eyes wide with shock sinking into terror.
He laid his free hand against her back, directly behind the center of her chest.
"Checkmate."
oooOOOooo
The light that erupted was so intense, it leaked through the walls. The blast echoed so loudly and forcibly, it felt as if the shockwave would travel around the entire moon. The Turbo Rangers collapsed, each one clinging to whatever they could, each one staring at the white wall, jaws hanging in a sickening mixture confusion and dread.
Then, the shaking subsided, and the wall collapsed.
It took a few moments for the Rangers to recover their equilibrium. Tommy, who lay closest to the door, immediately staggered into the inner sanctum with feverish perseverance.
"Kim!" he shouted hoarsely. She sat on her knees, head hanging yet still clearly conscious. Whatever had happened, it had eradicated over half of the chamber, leaving a gaping hole through which one could see the contrasting serenity of the undisturbed lunar plains and valleys of the moon.
She sat near the jagged edge, taking stomach-deep breaths. Blood stained all her visible flesh, including her stomach where the silk of her gown had been scorched. Her hair hung from her head, the ends still smoking with the heat. Her face was flushed bright pink, nearly the shade of Katherine's armor.
But, she was alive!
Tommy once again tried to rise to his feet, but the utter relief flowing through him gave him pause.
Only then, he noticed the looming shadow hanging just within the yawning opening.
The air in his lungs froze painfully. "No! KIM!!"
The other Rangers were still behind him, regrouping and assessing any injuries. At some point, his Turbo Blade had fallen from its sheath at his belt, and he didn't have the time or focus to summon the Lightning Sword. He forced himself upon shaking legs, watching as the Emperor of Evil snatched her free-flowing hair, witnessing the fear widen her eyes…
He began moving, half-crawling as his body refused to move fast enough, forcing himself to close the gap between him and his love…
He heard the dark Lord's mocking voice. "Checkmate."
He reached for her arms, desperate to wrench Zedd's vile fingers from her, when a vague pain suddenly stabbed his chest.
Blinking in confusion, he stared at the crimson armor. A small, sooty black spot stared at of him, faint smoke swirling to the ceiling.
He heard the shrieks of disbelief from his friends. He heard the vicious, decadent, rolling laughter of the most evil being to ever see daylight. He heard the faint, pained murmur that escaped Kimberly's cracked lips.
"Tommy... "
He saw the blood pouring from between her breasts; a rich, thick, almost cherry color. It saturated the remains of her gown, contrasting sharply to her pale skin. He saw her arms go limp, overly bright eyes shuttering closed, lips slightly parted.
His senses slowed to a painful crawl. He saw Zedd retract his fingers, letting her tumble like a lifeless doll. He had the presence of mind to reach out, cradling her head and shoulders in his trembling arms. With her face pressed against his stomach, he could see the gout of blood flowing down her back, the point of origin directly opposite the hole in her chest.
The Emperor sent a beam of energy right through her.
Tommy had no breath in his lungs. He had no strength to push air through his vocal chords. He couldn't speak… he couldn't inhale. He couldn't think.
He could only hold her to him, squeezing her rapidly chilling flesh to his armor, silently begging... no... demanding that she wouldn't leave him.
No!!! The tears came unbidden, soaking his cheeks. Oh God... please, no...
oooOOOooo
Final victory is mine...
It was no accident that the dark Lord used a tight, pulverizing beam of energy, aimed directly at the girl's heart. It was no accident that she collapsed into the desperate, reaching arms of the Red Ranger, who was only milliseconds too late to prevent the blast from penetrating.
He could have summoned the power to disintegrate the upstart bitch. Only that would have expended far too much of his already dwindling power reserves. Also, there was a poetic perfection in letting the body remain... letting the Red Ranger cling to the lifeless vessel that used to hold the indomitable spirit of his love.
Now, the Emperor of Evil was brewing. He reached deep into the well of arcane power within, measuring and searching, forcing his battered, vastly weakened body to muster the power he needed to finish the job.
Let the boy mourn, he decided, smirking fiercely with his bleeding, naked lips. Let him weep, and let the guilt fester. The longer he remains in his mindless daze, the better chance I have to destroy them all!
His fists shook, energy pulsing around them in angry, sparking clouds. The air cracked around him, ionized by the power that had slowly begun to build.
Then, the Red Ranger looked up. Oh, what the dark Lord would've given to see the boy's haunted, anguished expression!
The leader of the Power Rangers did not speak. He kept his visor inclined to the Emperor, gently lying Kimberly on the cold, cracked floor. It almost looked like he was afraid of rousing her from a deep, well-deserved sleep.
The other Rangers seemed to sense his mute command. They congregated around their teammate, forming a tight semicircle of wordless commiseration and support for their friend and leader.
All eyes fell upon Lord Zedd, who gritted his teeth in effort. Just a little longer, children, and you can join her!
Slowly, the Red Ranger planted his feet beneath him, and rose to his full, imposing height. "Turbo RAM Cannon," he murmured.
Four heads nodded once.
"Turbo Windfire!" the Pink Ranger growled. The trusty double-barrel archer's bow materialized in her waiting palm.
"Turbo Star Chargers!" the Yellow Ranger commanded. The discarded weapons, strewn against the wall of the dilapidated chamber, glowed with life all their own. They flew to their mistress like boomerangs, allowing Tanya to catch them easily.
"Turbo Hand Blasters!" the Blue Ranger spat. The large laser guns formed in his hands, silver barrels gleaming in the building light.
"Turbo Thunder Cannon!" the Green Ranger roared. The large, arm length weapon took shape between his hands, ready to fire.
"Turbo Lightning Sword," the Red Ranger breathed. His words were hardly audible, but the silver sword obeyed, appearing within Tommy's tightly clenched, shaking fist.
"You're through, Zedd," Tommy hissed. His voice was never so menacing, even while under the spell of evil. "You've played your last trick... and I won't let you ever hurt another person again!"
He raised his sword. "Bring them together!!"
The weapons glowed their unique signatures, reshaping and snapping together with the perfect synchrony the Power afforded them. Soon, the magnificent Turbo Cannon was manifest, lying in the anxious arms of the teenaged heroes whose lives depended on it.
Lord Zedd snarled fiercely, pushing his energies toward his hated enemies. "We'll see who else dies today, Boy!"
The Turbo Cannon fired, its blinding light streaming unwavering toward the most insidious, depraved devil the Power Rangers of Earth had ever encountered. The focused totality of the Turbo Power pierced the very atoms that formed the air with a hissing noise.
Lord Zedd screamed loudly as electric discharge flowed from his fingertips, colliding with the column of righteous power dead on.
The contest was, for once, decidedly short. The Turbo Rangers burned with a need for retribution... for righting centuries of wrongdoing as best they could. The Emperor was a weakened shell of the warrior he truly was, thrashed by the weakness of his ancient flesh, and the inexplicable strength of one human girl.
The power of the Light was overwhelming. The column from the Turbo Cannon crept closer, searing the flesh off his bones with its blistering heat. Zedd howled in horrible agony, the heat of a star roasting and obliterating everything that he was.
When the burning radiation finally faded, Lord Zedd... twenty-eighth of the House of Zhept, Emperor of Evil, dark Lord of the Milky Way, Sovereign of Phlegethon and a thousand systems beside... was no more.
The entire galaxy felt the shudder of vast, almost incalculable occult power dispersing, as one of the most formidable sorcerers in a hundred centuries was no more.
To Be Concluded…