AN: I want to thank everyone for the comments, you keep this story going. I am basing this short (relatively speaking) story on a picture someone drew on deviant art. Here is the link art/Lord-Zedd-282992783 This may be edging a little close to the teen limit so I recommend this story for over the age of 16. If it gets darker in later chapters, should I choose to continue it, I'll change the rating to mature.
Also for those who think Tommy could not have been beaten, in the search for the Zeo crystal when Zedd fights Tommy he is more than a match for the ranger. The fight only ends in a stalemate when Tommy gets in a lucky shot and breaks Zedd's staff.
**************************Billy and Kimberly's cell***********************
There was no sound, not a single change in the world around them but something was wrong. They could feel Lord Zedd coming. It was a strange shift in the air almost like the charged feeling before a violent thunder storm. Kimberly sat on the stone slab and Billy stood by the cell door waiting...
He gave her a quick glance towards Kimberly but she did not meet his gaze. Billy let out a breath, she was listening to him. Only moments ago he had ordered her to be still and silent and no matter what not to look at Zedd or bring any attention to herself.
"Ah there's my special little worker. Are you ready for the day?" Zedd said a smile in his voice. Trailing behind him were a few dozen putties. The putties were carrying ropes, wires, sheets of metal and all manner of tools and metal working items.
Swallowing his fear, Billy nodded with a slight bow. "Yes my lord."
"Excellent! Today will be easy. I am sure you recall how large my precious zord is? Today you will be running diagnosis on what needs to be done to get her operational." Zedd laughed and waved his staff. The bars of the cells vanished.
Billy took a step towards the lord of evil. Kimberly stood silently, eyes still downcast ready to follow.
"Oh there just one more thing." Zedd waved his staff again and Kimberly tilted forward into Billy's arms.
"Kim!" He shouted holding her prone and unconscious form to his chest. "K...Kimberly?"
Zedd laughed at his weakness. "She is fine you fool. Only sleeping. Her...delicate hands are not needed yet on Serpentera. Leave her here for now. Ha ha ha."
Billy turned towards his new lord and Zedd saw a stubbornness sparkle in his blue eyes. Billy opened his mouth to speak but Zedd waved his hand as if pushing away Billy's concern before his voiced it.
"I have already given orders that no one is to touch her in your absence." Zedd assured.
Billy cradled her head gently. Leaving her on the stone slab all day would surly bruise her but he dared not risk asking anything else. Lifting Kimberly carefully he gently placed her on the stone slab and covered her with the thin emergency blanket. "I'll be back, I promise." he whispered to her as he moved a stray hair away from her face.
"Let's Go! I don't have all day!" Zedd growled, with a stomp of his foot.
"Yes my lord. " Billy said following him away from the cell. He did not risk looking back at his friend. Maybe if he had he would have seen the two shadows hiding among the rocks.
"I don't like this." Squatt whispered when he was sure Zedd, Billy and the putties were gone. "You heard Zedd, no one's suppose to touch her."
Baboo shook his head. "But Rita ordered we bring her to the toy room." Baboo stood and moved slowly towards the open cage.
"I still don't like it." Squatt whined close on his friend's heels. "Why couldn't Rita get the putties to do this?"
"Because there Zedd's putties. They wouldn't listen. Just help me lift her." Baboo said grabbing Kimberly's legs. "Gently you idiot!" Baboo chastised as Squatt almost dropped her head and shoulders to the floor.
"Sorry sheesh." Squatt said as the two slowly made there way towards Rita's private chambers and her horrible play room.
*******************************Tommy****************************************
Slowly his mind was dragged from the dreamless nothing cause by the sleeping drug. Where was he now? Tommy blinked trying to adjust his eyes to the light around him. Brightly colorful toys and dolls were all around him. All different shapes and sizes from very small to human size to even larger. But there faces were not happy like toys on earth. No, these faces showed pain or sorrow or fear. He knew this room! This was a very bad room to be in. He was in Rita's private lower chambers. To be specific in her toy room. He remembered Rita had once told him that every colorful stuffed animal, every doll, everything here had once been a living soul that she had decided she wanted as a play thing.
Tommy tired to move a bit but his limbs still felt so unnaturally heavy. When he had been under Rita's evil spell. When he had been the evil green ranger this was one of the first rooms she had brought him too. She had played with him here, humiliating and degrading him for fun. When he had been under the spell it was different he wanted to please her at any cost to himself but now a shiver went up his spine. He would have to take it again. He would have to act defeated.
Tommy pushed himself up and for the first time noticed the clothes he was wearing. A clown outfit with all the colors and ruffles it could possibly hold, just what he needed.
"There's my sweet pet, awake are you?" A cold female voice reached his ears. Tommy turned as best as he could towards the sound. Queen Rita's throne was so different from her husband. Her throne was plush and soft. The world she surrounded herself with was a sharp contrast to the metallic throne room of Zedd.
Tommy immediately dropped his gaze the the floor. If she got a good look into his eyes Tommy was sure Rita would be able to see the spark of defiance. After all he had been trying to fight her and free himself from her evil hold once before. She knew him.
"My dear pet, do you remember being here before?" She asked, her fingers drumming on the edge of her velvet lined throne.
Tommy only nodded. He didn't trust his voice to answer. Dark, haunting music began to fill the air.
"Then entertain me. I want to play!" Rita demanded as she twirled her fingers in the air and the life less toys around him began to move and dance. Tommy had no choice, he had to play too.
****************************Serpentera************************************
Billy couldn't believe his eyes. He had seen Serpentera before when he had been in the Mega Zord. Even then it had dwarfed them, but this. This was a whole new ball game. He followed obediently behind as Zedd showed him every inch of his Zord. Well as much as he could anyway. Showing him the whole zord would take days.
"This is the main bridge." Zedd turned in a circle holding his arms up. Billy's was aware his mouth was hanging open in wonder. "Wow!...just wow." he mumbled his voice containing the enthusiasm of a child on Christmas morning.. Zedd laughed and Billy felt stranger tingling all over his skin. It didn't hurt, more like an odd tickle. "I have given you full access to Serpentera's systems."
Billy placed his hand on a data pad and Serpentera buzzed to life around him, lights and panels turning on. Billy grinned like the Cheshire cat. He couldn't help himself.
"Billy, I want you to begin running diagnosis on her systems. I want a full report when I get back. But don't worry you have putties to keep you company and Goldar will be coming soon too." Zedd turned to leave, the half a dozen putties that had accompanied them to the bridge remained behind.
"As...you wish my lord." Billy said as monotone as he could.
Trying to ignore there burbling, Billy set to work. Maybe if he did a good job he could ask Lord Zedd for more food or some softer bedding. His mind drifted to Kimberly for a moment but he had to push her to the back for now. He had work to do.
*******************************The toy room*************************************
Tommy kept up his false smile as he flipped and jumped and danced across the floor with the other toys. It was like one huge out of control party and Rita was getting some kind of twisted pleasure out of it all. Tommy was beginning to pant. How long had he been dancing in this place? At least a few hours. His body was starting to feel tired but he couldn't show any weakness. He had to play if he tried to stop, there was no telling what spell she would cast on him.
Suddenly the music stop and the toys around him fell still. The room went dark save for a single beam of light on himself. Tommy turned slowly as another beam of light appear opposite him. He could see the other doll now. In her pink tutu with sparkly glittery shoes. Her lips painted red with swirls of red on her cheeks. His heart skipped a beat. This beautiful human size ballerina doll that awaited his touch was the spitting image of Kimberly.
"Dance with her." Rita commanded from somewhere in the dark.
Tommy swallowed silently and reached for the gloved hands of the doll. He wondered what she was made of. Wood perhaps? He could feel nothing through her gloves. At his slight touch, she slipped around him dancing with such grace. Moving in a way he knew to be ballet but he did not know the steps to match her magically induced movements. He was clumsy and foolish in his accompaniment of her. He could hear Rita laughing at him. Tommy bit his lip and glanced at the doll again. She was so perfect so...he felt his heart go cold. The doll, its eyes were closed! None of the other toys had closed eyes. Oh god, please tell him he wasn't dancing with a corpse? He...he would lose his mind if that was the case.
The ballerina doll twirled again, stopping in front of him she lifted her back leg high, and instantly Tommy held her waist. She would fall if he didn't. She...she was warm! His eyes went wide and Tommy gasped involuntarily. Then...then that would mean...
"STOP!" Rita screamed and the room filled with dark smoke. The warm being in his hands was ripped away and when he next opened his eyes he was back in the cage he had first occupied. He was alone this time, not a putty to be seen. Tommy stared at his hands, he could still feel the warmth there. "Kimberly?" he whispered to the empty space around him. Was she alive?
**********************************Serpentera********************************
Billy rubbed at his eyes again looking at the charts and number that flew over the main screen. His crack glasses were starting to be an issues in regards to eye strain. The putties had long ago become tired of watching him and had gone outside of the zord to do whatever it was putties do when not being ordered around. They had brought him a snack a few hours ago but had left him just as alone as before. Billy didn't need to be watched. At this rate, Zedd would have trouble tearing him away from such fascinating work.
"Hello young genius." A gentle and sage like voice spoke softly from behind Billy.
Billy spun around nearly falling from his chair. The white rabbit gremlin like creature chuckled gently at him. "I will not hurt you, my name is Finster."
"You're...you're there scientist and the monster maker?" Billy asked. He was pretty sure Tommy said that was the name of the monster creator.
"Yes I am and might I say you rangers did do a number on quite a few of my creatures. Very well played." Finster smiled.
Billy shook his head, was this minion of evil actually being somewhat fair. Like this is all a game? Like he and his friends were just play things.
"Now I must say I am happy to meet a fellow great mind. Some of those weapons to made to fight off my monster were ingenues and from one so young."
Billy snorted. "Save your praise." Then he frowned, that had come out harsher then we meant it to.
Finster took no mind. "I'll get down to business then. Lord Zedd sent me. He wishes me to fix your eye sight."
"My eyes?" Billy asked fingering his cracked glasses.
"Yes, lord Zedd wants you working as efficiently as possible. Now this will only hurt for a second." Finster assured pulling out a long needle from a bag that Billy had not noticed he was holding till now.
Billy stood backing away. "N...No!" He was unable to keep the fear out of his voice.
"Now my young scientist, don't be like that. It will be worse for you if I need to request Goldar or the putties to help me by holding you down. They will not be gentle with you." Finster said but he made no approach.
Billy sighed and came back to the white rabbit minion. "Where does that goes?" he indicated the needle.
"Right between the eyes. Now hold still." Finster chastised as Billy felt a sting of the needle point pressing between his eye brows. Everything went fuzzy and for a moment he was dizzy. Then is pasted. Removing his glasses Billy couldn't believe it. The world was sharper and clear then ever before even with his glasses.
"I...thank you." He said to Finster, who was putting the needle away.
"No need for thanks, but I suggest you finish up. Goldar will be coming to take you back to you're cell soon. You're shift is done for the day." Finster said standing up with his bag in hand.
Billy licked his lips. "Not lord Zedd?" Billy asked.
Finster shook his head. "My lord has pressing business to attend on earth." Billy frowned. He doubted Goldar would be willing to give him and Kimberly more food and softer bedding.
Billy watched the strange creature go back out the way he came. Gently Billy touched his eyes. He could see, he could really see.
"Fascinating." he whispered to himself.
***************************Kimberly's dream********************************
It was dark but she wasn't frightened. Kimberly walked towards a point of light she could see far away. Soon a path of blue crystal shards lined the darkness. Unable to stop herself she giggled and hurried down the path. She felt so strangely happy and at peace. Soon she found herself in a crystal forest. The path became lined with crystal yellow flowers. Black crystal vines wound delicately around blue and green tree trunks. White diamond like leaves hung above her. Clusters of pink and red crystal flowers burst forth here and there. Everything glowed with a soft and dreamy light. If felt so safe and good here. Kimberly stopped as the sound of someone sobbing reached her ears. That sound seems so out of place in this crystal forest. Turning off her blue path and onto a pink one she followed the sound.
There...she could make out a man. His back was to her and he was crying. Mumbling words that sounded like a prayer mixed with a song. Kimberly went closer stopping just a few feet away from the stranger.
"Why are you crying?" her voice came out more child like and innocent then one would think possible for a teenager.
The man in white robes spun suddenly to face her. "Kimberly?" he questioned, surprise on his face.
"Zordon?" She asked before she felt herself falling and everything went black.
Duh duh DUH! Please review. I can continue this but only if its wanted.