Chapter 9: Something Familiar

Kimberly sighed as she helped Alyssa patch up Cole's side. "Tell me if it hurts," she instructed. She then pulled the bandage tight around him and Cole gasped in pain. "Oh! Sorry," she apologized. Alyssa held onto Cole's hand as Kimberly finished up the bandage. "There you go. I don't want you moving around too much, not with those bruise ribs," she instructed.

"Right," Cole agreed.

Kimberly pushed some hair back behind her ear and looked around to find Hannah. "Hannah? Princess Shayla, have you seen Hannah?" She asked.

"No, not since you and the Rangers returned," Princess Shayla replied.

"Mama, Hannah gone," Kylie answered.

"Oh God!" Kimberly gasped.

She then went to leave. "KIMBERLY, WAIT!" Cole shouted.

Kimberly appeared in the park and looked around. She saw Hannah walking towards the library. "HANNAH CASSANDRA HART!" Kimberly shouted. Hannah stopped and looked at her mother. "What do you think you're doing? I told you to stay on the Animarium while Zen-Aku is around," she scolded.

"I have a science report due on the solar system," Hannah answered.

"I don't care if you have a report due on what life means, you are not to leave that Animarium without me or one of the Rangers there."

Kimberly was about to take Hannah back to the Animarium when Zen-Aku appeared. "Oh my gosh!" Kimberly gasped. She had Hannah stand behind her and got into a fighting stance. "What do you want?" She demanded.

"To destroy you," he replied.

Kimberly ripped her communicator off and shoved it into Hannah's hands. "Get back to the Animarium and stay there. Tell the Rangers that I'll find a way to get them here if I need them," she instructed. She watched as Hannah went back to the Animarium. She looked back at Zen-Aku. "Bring it on," she sneered. Zen-Aku pulled out his dagger and started fighting her. Kimberly cried out in pain when the dagger got her side. She held her side and looked down to see the blood.

"You're way in over your head," he laughed.

Kimberly gasped when he grabbed her throat and lifted her up off the ground. She held onto his hand and gasped for air. "You are a weak woman," he laughed. Kimberly struck him in the face with her foot and Zen-Aku dropped her. She held her throat and started coughing. The demon kicked her side and she flipped onto her back and cried out in pain. Zen-Aku raised his dagger above his head. "This is the end," he snapped.

"HOLD ON, KIM!" Alyssa shouted.

She grabbed her baton and blocked Zen-Aku's attack on her friend. "Are you okay?" She asked. Kimberly held her side feeling the blood fall down her side.

"Yeah," she replied.

While Alyssa and Zen-Aku were fighting, Kimberly felt a different feeling coming from Zen-Aku. She felt confusion. She looked up to see that he had Alyssa right where he wanted her. She was pinned to the ground, de-morphed, and hurt. "DON'T!" She shouted. Zen-Aku looked up at her and she saw the confusion in his eyes.

"I'll be back," he snapped.

Zen-Aku retreated and Alyssa took Kimberly back up to the Animarium.

Princess Shayla patched Kimberly's side up. "Mom, I'm really sorry," Hannah apologized. Kimberly grabbed onto Hannah's hand.

"Hannah, sweet heart, if anything happened to you, I wouldn't know what to do. Hunter would surely die, Hannah," Kimberly answered.

Hannah held onto Kimberly's hand and Kylie got onto the bed. "You okay mommy?" She asked.

"I'm okay, sweet heart," Kimberly replied.

Princess Shayla had the kids and the Rangers leave and Kimberly sighed as she looked at Princess Shayla. "Princess, there's something about this that I can't put my finger on. When I looked into his eyes, there was something different. They weren't showing hate, and I couldn't feel hate. I was feeling confusion. All I could feel was confusion," she informed. Princess Shayla looked at Kimberly confused. "I must be going crazy," she added. She stood up and walked around slowly.

"Kimberly…are you saying…that Zen-Aku might not be an evil org?" Princess Shayla asked.

"He's an org that's for sure…but there's something human about him," Kimberly replied.

She looked at Princess Shayla. "The last time I felt confusion, was in my brother, Ryan. That was when he was evil. Ryan was full of confusion because he was lied to all his life about what happened during the car crash. That's what I feel in Zen-Aku. Princess, he has human qualities in him," she explained. Princess Shayla looked at her and then she sat down. "Is it possible that someone could be transformed into an org?" Kimberly asked.

"I'm not sure. I haven't heard of it before, but it is possible," Princess Shayla replied.

Kimberly sat down. "If he does have human qualities, the Rangers can't destroy him," Princess Shayla added.

"I know, but they're going to be out of fighting for a long, long time. With his attack on them, they might find it hard to believe that he has any human qualities in him," Kimberly pointed out.

"They'll listen to you, you're the one that can feel if a person has emotions. Orgs don't possess emotions."

Kimberly nodded and let out a sigh. "If he is a human that's been turned into an org. I don't think I can handle another good person turned evil. I've been through that one too many times," she informed. Princess Shayla looked at he confused. "My brother was evil, but so was Kylie's father. He was one of the most evil men on the planet. He almost killed me, Princess. He was so close to destroying me," she explained. Tears welled up in her eyes. "And I don't think I can go through with it again. I can't look at an evil person without thinking about him," she confessed. Princess Shayla stood up and embraced the young woman. Kimberly hugged her back and tears fell down her face.

The Rangers were listening to the whole thing and they were in shock. They looked at each other in disbelief. "Kylie's father was evil?" Alyssa asked.

"How is that possible? She spoke about how much they loved each other," Taylor answered.

Cole looked through the bushes at Kimberly and Princess Shayla. "She mentioned him being turned evil. We won't let Zen-Aku near her," he informed.

"Right," they agreed.

Author's Note: Thank you for your patience, but once again it'll be awhile before the next update. Thank you for your patience everyone.