How's it going guys? I'm doing pretty well as you can tell. The story's getting pretty interesting and I keep trying to wrap it up but everytime I sit down to write I get more and more ideas! So, I have no idea how long this story is going to last. Well, actually I do see a light at the end of the tunnel. In other news, your last reviews were really fun to read. I love cliff hangers, especially when you guys predict the outcome. Oh and to Eric James Oliver, I too would love to see this story acted out. What a dream come true. Oh well, I guess our imaginations are just as good, right? Well, enjoy, review, and PLEASE come back!
"Kimberly, put down your weapon. We're not going to hurt you just please don't hurt anyone else!" screamed a familiar voice.
The sound of the voice shocked Kimberly, she couldn't believe and mostly couldn't understand how it was possible that her five former friends were there together and more surprisingly they were morphed. Black, yellow, blue, red, and even pink, they were all present. The sight of the colorful, diamond motiffed costumes immediately stirred up tons of memories. Some were bad, but most of them were good, very good. She stared at the five figures for what seemed like forever, Tommy did too, he had completely forgotten about the fact that he was almost dog chow less than a minute ago.
"Jason?" Kimberly called in confusion.
"Yeah Kim, it's me," responded the Red Ranger tenderly as jumped down from the tree and met her at eye level. Once the others saw that she was calm and mostly confused they also joined their leader.
Kimberly didn't want to have to fight them. She knew that they would just end up like the four she had battled before them. But, she couldn't trust them, it seemed as if she couldn't trust anyone, not even herself. She had regretted pulling the trigger on Tommy, but now that he was okay and the others were there she wondered if they were angry with her. Had she done something unforgivable by so brutally turning on one of their own? They could see the various bodies of what looked to be harmless teenagers scattered throughout the clearing. She didn't know how to react to their presence or how they were going to react to her and what she had done.
"Hello, Kimberly," said the Black Ranger extending a gentle hand to the woman. It was Zack behind the mask, but she wouldn't return his gesture. It could be a trick.
"Kimberly, it's all going to be okay now," interrupted the Blue Ranger in an attempt to make the Pink Ranger feel comfortable again. The last thing they wanted was to make her feel like they were ganging up on her, because they weren't. They just wanted their friend back. But she couldn't quite understand that yet.
Tommy starred at the sight in amazement. So many years had gone by, yet they still had his back. They truly were the best friends a guy could ask for. With their help for surely they could win this battle without losing Kimberly.
"Come on girl," began the Yellow Ranger breaking the silence, "we love you and you know that. Please just come back to us."
The sweet sound of Aisha Campbell's voice brought tears to Kimberly's eyes. After all the pain and destruction she'd caused they still loved her. She was ready to break, ready to surrender. She wanted her friends back and she wanted to feel good again. All of the hate was just too hard and it wasn't worth it. Zedd's magic was strong, but her friends' magic must have been even stronger. So, she dropped the weapon, which had caused so much suffering.
"But look what I've done," she sobbed gesturing to the site around her. "Look at them," she pointed towards the kids. "How can you love me after I've caused so much destruction?"
Tommy could feel her coming around and he wanted to just grab her and hug her and let her know that he understood, they all did. It was Zedd and Rita's doing, not hers. But he was afraid he might frighten her since he had just finished battling with her and threatening her. So, he remained behind her, out of site and hopefully out of mind.
"How could we ever not love you?" replied Jason to the hopeless woman they had once known to be so great.
Kimberly began to feel warm inside. Jason's words had always been so reassuring, she never questioned anything he'd ever said before and she really didn't see herself starting to now.
"You guys mean it?" she asked muffled by her tears.
"Of course we do Kimberly," answered Billy sympathetically.
"No," returned Kimberly, "You don't care what happens to me, you just care about what happens to Tommy. That's how it always was, Tommy first everyone else second!"
The evil within her began to kick in; it was beginning to take over her. The others' love had been strong, but the evil was simply unstoppable. She couldn't control it. She wanted to surrender to her loved ones, she already had emotionally, but the evil physically would not allow her to.
"Fight it Kim!" cut in Zack as he took a step forward towards her, "Please fight it for us."
"Yeah Kim," continued Aisha, "Remember everything we've been through? Remember all the good we've done and all of the evil we've stopped? This isn't you Kimberly and you know it."
She did know it, but the evil that Lord Zedd infused within her refused to leave. By now Tommy couldn't stand the anticipation, he had to help, she'd come so far already; he couldn't let her down again. He walked over to other Rangers and stood next to the Pink Ranger who had remained silent the whole time. Kimberly hadn't even really noticed her.
"Aisha's right," declared Tommy, "you're so much stronger than this Kim."
She dropped to her knees on the ground in agony. The battle within her was draining and seeing Tommy again only made it more intense. Tommy knelt down next to her and took her helmet in his hands and raised her face so he could see into her eyes. But all he could see was the evil hybrid stare of her helmet. So he slowly reached for the clasps on the sides of it, and she let him undo them. He lifted the armor off her head and unmasked the crying and confused face of Kimberly Hart. She starred back at him with the intensity he had starred at her with.
"I'm sorry," she whispered softly. It almost felt as if Tommy was draining the evil right out of her with the simple touch of his fingertips on her face.
"It's okay Kimberly, it's all going to be okay," how many times did she have to hear it?
"But it's not," she argued again, "I've hurt you so badly, how can you even look at me?" she felt so ashamed.
The other five Rangers closed in on the couple and as they did Kimberly shrunk away from Tommy but he wouldn't let go of her beautiful face. Jason responded to her hesitation by taking off his helmet and then she wasn't so afraid of the Red Ranger anymore. He knelt down next to Tommy who had released her face and had now taken both of her small-gloved hands in his bare hands.
"Come on Kim," said Jason "you can end this now. Just please hand over your power coin. Billy can break its control over you. Right Billy?" he asked.
"That's right Jason," Billy assured as he too removed his helmet and knelt down next to Kimberly.
"I can't do it," Kimberly moaned, "it won't let me."
"Maybe it won't let you, Kim," said Tommy starring in her hazel eyes once again, "But you have to let yourself."
"I'm trying!" she snapped looking down at her belt. The coin seemed so dull and ugly. It was black, sad, nothing like the girl she once was.
"You've got to try harder Kim, please," said Aisha who had also removed her helmet and settled on the other side of Kimberly. The Pink Ranger was the only one standing at this point.
Kimberly noticed how youthful her friend Aisha had remained. It was almost as if she hadn't aged a day since she last saw her that one Christmas. Kimberly on the other hand felt like she had aged years. She was so weak and tired. Did she have it in her to overcome the evil?
"I honestly don't think I can do it guys," admitted Kimberly, "I'm sorry but I'm just not strong enough."
Her eyes began to glow bright pink and suddenly were overcome by black, which then turned to pink again. They could all see the battle in which she was consumed in as they spoke. Tommy hated seeing Kimberly this way. He wasn't going to let her give up, he couldn't. It wasn't just the fate of the world that was weighing on this, it was Kimberly. Everything that his students fought for couldn't have all been for nothing. He owed it to them and he owed to Kimberly to save her.
"Yes you can Kim," he finally said, "You can do it. You can fight the evil. We all believe in you," he paused and once again raised her face to his, "I believe in you."
That was all Kimberly needed to hear, the approval and the faith of Tommy. She had hurt him so long ago and she had always felt so guilty. But, now she understood that no matter what she did to him he would never let her fall. Her eyes once again returned to their natural hazel brown and she reached for her morpher then hit the release button allowing the dark coin to fall into her hand.
"Go ahead Kim," urged Jason, "give the coin to Tommy and everything can be like it was."
She reached out to Tommy and just as she was about to lay the coin in his hand the Pink Ranger broke her silence.
"Yes, Kimberly you did it," said Katherine cheerfully as she too removed her helmet sure that the evil spell had been broken. Until now she wasn't sure if her presence would infuriate Kimberly even more. After the events that occurred on the island of Muranthias all those years ago Katherine became very aware that Kimberly definitely harbored some hidden hostilities towards her. Jason had warned her not to provoke anything and that was the last thing Katherine had intended to do. She was just so relieved that they didn't have to resort to a battle and no one else was hurt. Seeing those poor kids around her Katherine couldn't help but be fearful of the Evil Pink Ranger. She knew what being under Lord Zedd and Rita's control was like, and she also knew that things could have ended much worse.
But, when Kimberly heard that sweet innocent Australian accent and saw that blond, almost white hair and those light blue eyes, she let her guard down and allowed the evil back in.