I've been very sick for a few months so I am sorry this is so late. Its take quite a bit out of me to write so Please review if you want it to continue. Doctors are currently like "Meh, we don't know."
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.
********************* Throne room**********************
"Come along." Goldar prompted as Kimberly slipped slowly down the throne's steps and gave a quick bow before falling in line obediently behind Goldar and out into the hallway. The throne room door shut with a powerful thud and not knowing the reason why, Kimberly began to cry silently again. The tears were so bitter and she felt so numb inside and out. She followed behind Goldar without really seeing him. Her eyes continued to gaze at her silver tipped fingers. She wondered if this shining glow would come off. Even if it did, she would always know she was marked, she was Zedd's for all time.
"This way." Goldar called. It was only then that Kimberly realized she was being lead towards the bath house chamber. Not her bedroom as she had thought. Hadn't that been Zedd's instruction to Goldar? To take her back to her room? Kimberly quietly nodded and followed. She wouldn't question it.
Goldar looked at Kimberly. This was not the pink ranger that had captured his attention so deeply. As two puttied opened the golden ornate door, hot steam flooded into the hall. Kimberly expected to be greeted with silence. Instead she was greeted with the chatter of laughter, gossip and talking.
The women from the harem were bathing!
At Goldar's entrance the ladies went quiet and each of them bowed. None of them even attempted to cover themselves. "Good evening master Goldar." They greeted in almost perfect unity. Goldar puffed up, getting an air of authority and power. Kimberly had forgotten how impressive he could be when he wanted. "This is Kimberly. She is special to Lord Zedd...very special. You will treat her as such! Or you will be punished!" Goldar licked his lips at that and turned to address Kimberly more softly. "Get cleaned up. When you are done just tell the putties." With that he was gone. The ornately carved door, covered in gold and gems, shutting behind him. Kimberly looked back, and every woman in the room was staring right at her. "Um...hi." Kim mumbled, grabbing a towel and some soap. Trying to act more confident than she was Kimberly made her way past everyone to the last shower by the deep soaking tub.
As Kimberly turned on the water and slipped out of her night clothes. She did her very best to ignore the mumblings that reached her ears.
"She's special? Ha..."
"Flavor of the week."
"Nasty hair and no figure at all."
"See her fingers? She's been polishing."
"Oooh, no wonder she is special."
Kimberly felt tears start to drip from her eyes again. She just wanted to scream and rage at these girls. This wasn't fair, it just wasn't! These people had no idea what she had risked for them and now they made fun of her? Kimberly turned off the water and reached for her towel only to find it wasn't where she had put it.
"Looking for this?" A tall and beautiful blonde girl with an accent almost purred at her.
Kimberly gave her a quick look from head to toe. This girl was definitely an athlete of some kind but Kim wasn't trained enough to guess what kind of athlete.
"Give me my towel." Kimberly demanded, feeling slightly embarrassed by all the eyes upon her naked, soaking form. Her only comfort was in the fact her magically made long brown hair, delicately covered her breasts.
The women, who had been bathing or whispering together, began to form a small circle sealing Kimberly from the doors and possible escape. It was just her and this blonde. Everyone else was watching the action. This was entertainment now.
The blonde smirked. "No. I don't think so. You see...Kimberly we have our own pecking order in here." Leaning down, she got close into Kimberly's face. Her breath smelled sickly sweet. Wine maybe? Was this girl drunk? Kimberly wondered as this girl continued speaking. "And I'm top slave in here. You want your towel? Beg me for it."
Kimberly saw her own reflection in the blonde girl's eyes and something deep, almost primal with pink power, sparked inside her. Without a single sound escaping Kimberly reared back and attacked the girl forcefully but controlled, just as Jason and Tommy had taught her. Well Tommy always wanted her to make those silly sounds but she found them unnecessary to harness her internal strength. The blonde girl didn't even have time to yell as Kimberly's spin kick took her to the floor. The blonde sliding across the wet tiles on her bottom and landing a few feet away, dazed. She would be bruised but unharmed for the most part. Kimberly slipped into a defensive stance, as if daring anyone else to make a move. There were mumblings among the women but no one made any motion to come at her. Satisfied Kim snorted, dropped her stance and picked up the fallen towel and her clothes. She was done bathing; she would change in her room. Billy was probably worried anyway.
Holding her head high Kimberly walked towards the gathered women blocking her path. They parted like the red sea in front of her. Kimberly realized now she was the top female slave of the harem.
That degrading and lowly thought shouldn't make her smile...but it did. Something inside her had changed. Kimberly felt better than she had in days.
As the putties closed the door behind her she turned to them. "Tell Zedd I want my guitar as my present and I want it now." They burbled in confusion at her. They didn't seem to understand why she was unafraid of them, unlike the others humans. Kim narrowed her eyes. "What are you waiting for? I said now!" She shouted fiercely like a screeching bird and tripping over themselves two of the putties hurried down the hallway towards the throne room. Without acknowledging the other two putties still on door duty she made her way back to her bedroom and to Billy.
***********************Crystal mines*****************************
The pathway up and away from the majority of putties and human workers was very narrow and dangerous. It was only two feet wide at best. Had she a fear of heights, Aisha would never have been able to make the climb but she had always been sure footed and well balanced. As she approached a wider ledge she could hear the sound of pick axes and chisels working hard. She rounded the bend and two male human forms came into view.
"Hey guys." Aisha called, as she got closer to where Adam and Rocky were cracking sharp crystals off the rock wall. It was best to never sneak up on the guys. Both boys had removed their shirts in the heat. There chests covered with the grime of stone dust but cooler. It was luxury she didn't get to do.
"Hey Aisha." Adam called to her, wiping his brow. He was glad to see her. Honestly, he never wanted to be far apart from Rocky or Aisha now. They had come to matter so much to him in such a short amount of time. He might have lost the rest of his family on earth. His mother and his little sister, but here he had gained a brother and a sister. Adam loved them as such.
"Hey, how was the food line?" Rocky called over the sound of his pick axe hitting the stone wall, exposing another vein of rainbow colored crystals. Aisha looked over and noticed they already had one full bucket.
"Not bad. Brought some with me. Do you guys want a break for a bit and eat? I can start digging now if you like." She offered pulling out the food she had wrapped carefully in a cloth. Adam had let out a small cry of joy and dropped his pick axe quickly at her suggestion of a rest and food.
Rocky continued to work at the gray wall. There were still two more buckets to be filled with crystals before the whistle blow. If they didn't have enough they would be whipped. The needle covered whips inflicted more pain than actual body damage, but he wouldn't be able to stand hearing Adam or Aisha cry out in pain. Rocky shook his head banishing the distracting, frightening thought and continued to swing his pick axe. Rainbow crystals breaking away from the stone wall with a gentle twinkling sound as they rolled to the dirt floor. "You both eat. I'll work a little longer."
Adam was focused and fumbling with the large can of chicken breast so Aisha moved over to Rocky and dropped her voice slightly. "Come on fearless leader. You need food as much as we do. We all need to stay strong." He seemed unconvinced and Aisha smirked slightly, she did have an ace up her sleeve. Changing the pitch of her voice ever so slightly, she spoke again. "If not for yourself than for us, we need you. Please Rocky?" That did it. Rocky dropped his head and Aisha knew she had convinced him. She could always appeal to his deep rooted sense of responsibility and need to protect.
There was a crinkle of metal and a quick laugh of triumph followed by a slurping sound. Aisha turned on her heels. "You better not be drinking all the broth Adam." She warned, but her voice was playful. Adam handed her the can. "I only took a few sips." Aisha tilted the can back, sipping. Calling it broth had been generous. It was just water the chicken breast was packed in but it had a little bits of chicken floating in it. Aisha held out the can and Rocky took it, finishing off the liquid before crackling the lid the rest of the way off with a chisel. Exposing the sweet and tender white meat inside. The three friends sat together on the ground around there merger picnic, Rocky again making sure everyone got a fair share.
Aisha pushed her few apricots back to Adam and Rocky. "I already had some earlier. Sorry…I couldn't wait." The boys simply nodded and continued to eat. When the food was done Adam laid back with a smile. "That was so good. It's nice to be full again."
They weren't really full, not like before but over the past few weeks their bodies had become trained to the smaller amount of food available. There stomach capacity shrinking.
"Come on lazy bones we have work to do." Aisha chastised from her spot next to him. Adam cracked his eyes open slightly. "Lazy bones, huh?" With a speed Aisha couldn't follow Adam whipped his hands up and caught her, tickling her in the ribs.
Aisha squealed with laughter for a moment before Adam loosened his grip allowing her to wiggling free. "No…*giggles* fair…" She panted as Adam got to his feet. Rocky chuckled quietly from over by the crystals. He liked seeing his new family so comfortable with each other.
"No it wasn't." Adam agreed smiling at Aisha. "But it was fun." Aisha stuck her tongue out at Adam as the three got back to work separating crystals from stone.
**************************Zordon's dimension*********************************
The twelve thousand years old, great sage had been dozing deeply when an alarm began to blare on the computer console. Startled, Zordon almost fell out of the chair he had been sleeping in. Frantically he began to push buttons as the computer read outs became wild. At first he had been afraid but then he smiled. The pink power coin was pulsing with renewed life energy. Somehow Kimberly must have reconnected to her power coin without his aid or the aid of the morphing grid. It was short lived as the computers fell quickly silent but it had been enough. The power coin and the connected life form to it, had been pinpointed. Their location? The moon, Zordon hadn't expected any less. One form was higher up than the other. Kimberly's coin must be deep in the dark caverns and she must be in the castle. Zordon sighed deeply and rubbed his eyes. His pale hands were more wrinkled than he remembered. Even if Kimberly was his only ranger, his only child, left alive, he wasn't willing leave her in Zedd's clutches. Forever a slave until Zedd finally tired of her. She wouldn't die of natural causes anymore. Zedd would have seen to her…immortality, when she first arrived. He would never give up a grudge so easily as to think old age would end his torment of a prisoner.
Zordon has known other rangers before his current rangers, but he had never given up on any of them. Even those who went out to fight and did not return.
There has been no reply from Alpha 5. The little robot was probably long gone. Melted down or torn apart for scrap.
There was only one last hope Zordon had. Grabbing a silver bag he began to fill it with many different objects and tools. Strangely, no matter size or shape of the object, everything fit neatly into the bag with ease. Zordon sighed deeply. He was aware of the physical toll it would put on his aging body to make such a trip. He would need to leave the safety of his home for now, this dimension and travel across the galaxies to plead his case before someone who may be able to help.
Ninjor, on the planet Phaedos. The original creator of the power coins. Zordon might not be able to save earth or the people of that planet but he would see about saving Kimberly. She could live here with him in his beautiful, shining crystal filled dimension. Then it wouldn't matter if she aged or not. She was his "daughter" after all. As Zordon set the coordinates for the dimensional shift across the skies he couldn't help but feel sad for those who had fallen.
*****************************The Harem************************************
Lord Zedd had almost a skip in his step as he entered his harem. He was in a better mood than he had been in earlier. A much more satisfied, pleasurable mood. "Where are my musicians?" He shouted, though it lacked its normal anger. Several humans came scrambling from the side chambers and began to pick up instruments. As Lord Zedd took a seat he waved at the musicians. "Play something, light and happy." He commanded and they obeyed as beautiful music filled the air. "Ah…how wonderful." Zedd sighed. Other than the musicians, Zedd had not called for anyone else to come out yet. Many of the harems occupants watched from just behind curtains and corners. Heaven help the slave who while distracted did not hear the slightest whim spoken by Zedd.
"Dancers, come dressed in silks to dance and amuse me." Zedd called after some time. There was a flutter of fabric and movement in the back. Many of the girls wore nothing but bras and shorts when they were in the private female only part of the harem. It made for fast dress changes to whatever whim occupied Lord Zedd at the moment.
"Kat! He called for dancers. You have to go." A girl with red hair, struggling into her own blue silk garments, called back to the tall blonde sitting in the corner, who was currently nursing a sore bottom.
Katherine wiped at her red from crying eyes. God how she hated herself right now but if she didn't appear before him, Lord Zedd might notice her absence and then things would be really bad for her. Leaning over from her seat, she poured a shot of the strongest liquor the harem had and slammed it down before standing. Slipping into the dark green silks, laid aside for her, she came to stand at the end of the line of dancers making their way out to perform. As the dancers began to twirl, Kat plastered a fake smile on her face, letting the alcohol numb her mind and ease the pain of her heart and soul.
Please review. Reviews help move my creative sprint. Also the making them immortal thing? That's a call back to chapter one when Zedd raged at Billy he didn't care if it takes him 500 years. He will get Serpentera operational.