Okay I got some seriously amazing ideas. This story will continue!
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The hot desert air whistled through the lonesome canyon. The sun beating down on the teenagers. Large black shadows danced over the rangers as tengus came in for the attack. A dozen of them at once seemed to be the normal amount when ever they attack.
One of them swiped at Tommy, knocking him down. "Hellooo rangers! Miss us?" It cawed and crooned. The rest cawed in mocking cheer, the sound almost deafening. It landed on Tommy and sunk its claws into his ninjetti clothes. "Let's play a game of rip apart ranger! Caw Caw!" It shouted as two more came to attack Tommy.
Tommy struggled on the ground, trying to get free, as the tengu began to bite at him, tearing at his ninja robes.
"Tommy! Get your head in the game!" Rocky shouted at there leader while punching one of the huge birds, removing it from the white ranger.
Tommy shook his head and got back to his feet. He went to punch one of the bird brained beasts when they all suddenly vanished. "Man! Come on." Tommy growled. He had been looking forward to giving those feather dusters a pounding. Ever since Kimberly left over a month ago, things on the team had not been the same. Tommy was constantly fluxing emotions from either depressed sorrow or raging anger.
It had the team walking on egg shells. Thankfully Rocky had been there to pick up the slack as second in command but more often then not the red ranger found himself calling the shots during these battles.
"Tommy? Are you alright?" Katherine asked coming over.
The white ranger held up a hand, stopping her from helping him. "I'm fine Kat." he said getting up and dusting himself off.
Rocky bit his lip and glanced from Adam to Aisha. Begging them with his eyes not to say anything. He would handle this. He would have to bring up Tommy's distraction soon. It was putting them all at risk. He, Aisha and Adam had already had several late night talks about it. They were suppose to be a team but Rocky couldn't help his feeling like they were falling apart. Kimberly leaving had been a blow they had yet to recover from.
The team was still Rocky, Aisha and Adam vs Tommy and Katherine... Justin was his own person and none of the teens would ever make the kid feel unwanted. Even if they kept a lot from him. Billy had been a big help when it came to Justin. Always able to distract the young genius with some science thing or another.
Billy... Rocky had come to like Billy a lot. It had been easy especially seeing how well Adam enjoyed being around with the former blue ranger. Rocky sighed, but Billy had been depressed to. More quiet and reserved. Unlike the rest of the rangers who now had bed rooms in the command chamber. Billy had chosen to have a small cot placed in the medical lab and a small toilet behind a screen installed. Without needing to leave to sleep or use the bathroom Billy could throw himself into a cure for Kimberly but he was much more focused than Tommy.
Rocky knew why. Although Billy had not said it, the team had assumed Kimberly had no communicator. This proved to be false one night when Rocky couldn't sleep and he over heard Billy in the medical lab talking quietly to Kimberly via his watch. The ex blue ranger had gathered a bag of medical supplies and teleported a few moments later. Billy was in the lab the next morning and seemed normal, so Rocky assumed that if Kim had needed medical attention, it had not been serious. He was tempted to tell Billy he knew about Kim having a communicator but that slave collar on Billy's neck stopped him from mentioning it. If somehow his over hearing that conversation broke whatever command Kimberly had given him, and she wasn't here to stop it, Billy would die from the magic in the collar.
The group teleported back to the command chamber where Zordon greeted them warmly and asked about the battle.
"Tommy got his butt kicked!" Justin said with a slight giggle. Being with the teens had certainly given Justin a solid foundation to be himself. No one was mean here, nobody made him... do things for food. No one hit him or yelled at him. Everyone looked after him, sparred with him, Billy even devised a basic school curriculum for him and Justin loved his new family.
Though he missed Kimberly. No one had said why she left. Just that she needed some time to herself. How had Adam put it? Girl things? He hoped she would come back soon. Billy and Alpha had made her an awesome bedroom.
Zordon raised an eyebrow at what Justin said. "Is this true Tommy?"
Tommy rubbed the back of his neck, sheepishly. "Kind of..."
Ninjor moved from where he had been leaning against the computer console. "Again falcon? Perhaps you need more training in my pocket dimension."
Tommy balled his hands into fists, holding them tight. "I'm fine. It won't happen again."
"Tommy there is nothing wrong with needing assistance from the others but given your current emotional state, it may be better to have someone else take over leadership temporarily."
"That's not needed Zordon. I can still be a leader." Tommy replied, trying hard to keep the anger out of his voice and failing.
"Then show me that Tommy. Your team lacks cohesiveness."
"Yes Zordon." Tommy tried not to growl as he left the center chamber. Zordon watched him go, feeling a terrible feeling of deja vu...
When Rita, his team mate, had betrayed them all.
If this continued, the only one who might be able to save this team.
Was Kimberly Hart.
******************* Kwan's residence*********************
Hot showers... was there anything on earth more wonderful than a hot shower? If there was, Kimberly couldn't think of a thing as she let the warm liquid run down her back. She had been amazed at what people could do. A week after she had come to live with Trini's mom the electricity had been turned back on and two days after that came the hot water.
And hot showers.
People were trying to get life back to normal. She had heard via the gossip mill of the Juice Bar that the white ranger had been asked to become president. He had refused of course but she found that interesting.
People were willing to trust the rangers again. The world was going to be alright.
Kimberly turned off the tap and grabbed a towel. She didn't want to use too much hot water since each house seemed to get a daily allotment of the wonderful stuff.
"Kimberly! Breakfast is ready!"
"I'll be right down Mrs. Kwan!" Kimberly shouted back through the door. She ran a comb through her wet hair, double checked her clothes out of habit, and hurried down the stairs.
Mrs Kwan had been taking good care of Kimberly, at least in her opinion, the best she could care for her given the rough times. "You look wonderful today." She praised the girl who slipped into her seat at the table. Kimberly was dressed in her pink tee shirt but wearing one of Trini's pleated yellow skirts and her yellow sandals. She looked like a flower in bloom. The only thing that didn't match was that blue watch she wore. Kimberly's face no longer looked half starved, her eyes were once more bright and she smiled more often.
If only Mrs. Kwan knew how she cried at night in Trini's bed from heart ache. Clutching Mr. Ticklesneeze as if the doll could protect her from all the dark in the world.
"Here you go, scrambled eggs and toast."
Kimberly smiled. "Thank you Mrs. Kwan."
"Thank you Kimberly for getting the eggs."
"It's no problem." Kimberly replied. She worked five days a week helping out in the park turned farm. Specifically in the chicken coop area. A job she never thought she would do. She hadn't liked it at first, having to clean coops and rake soiled straw. Gathering eggs was fun. Her job was to wash and count each one. Keeping notes of which chickens were laying and which were not. Those that stopped laying got taken away to be butchered. Chickens were silly little animals. She enjoyed watching them. Plus it was easy work and she was given a dozen eggs on Friday each week as payment.
Protein that both she and Mrs. Kwan needed to survive. Meat was very rare. She hadn't had any in a few weeks. Now that she was living with Mrs. Kwan she didn't feel right going to Ernie to ask for anything.
But she really missed bacon...
Mrs. Kwan's voice drew Kimberly from her thoughts. "I assume you are working at the juice bar today from your outfit?"
Kimberly nodded. "Yeah, I'm helping with the missing persons notice board today."
"Good." Mrs. Kwan nodded. Kimberly was such a hard working girl. Already working full time during the week and volunteering on her Saturdays to still help the community. She was so much like Trini. Mrs. Kwan's heart ached for a moment for her dead daughter but she pushed it away. Kimberly was here now, she was still needed as a mother. "Do I need to pack you a lunch?"
Kimberly shook her head no. "Ernie said he'll provide lunch for anyone who volunteers to help out."
They ate in silence for a bit before Kimberly spoke. "Mrs. Kwan? What are these papers?" A bunch of official looking forms had been placed near Kimberly's plate. "They look important."
Trini's mother put down her fork. "Kimberly, you know I have always thought of you as a second daughter. I love having you here with me. You've brought so much light and joy back into this house. I know we still haven't heard anything from your mother... or father..." Mrs. Kwan doubted Kimberly would ever hear anything from her dead beat father who left and never looked back. "So I went ahead and got some papers drawn up for your protection."
Kimberly leafed through the documents. Alot of it she couldn't understand but one thing at the top was very clear. "These are adoption papers. To adopt me?" Kimberly was shocked. "Mrs. Kwan... I don't know what to say."
"Just think about it sweet heart. No pressure. And you can start calling me 'Mom' if you like."
Kimberly wasn't sure what she felt as so many emotions rushed through her, but she nodded quietly. "Okay...mom."