Kimberly took her time walking to the juice bar. It was a beautiful day. The sky was clear and blue. Birds were singing in the trees. The sun was shining and warm upon her face but she felt so cold inside. Mrs. Kwan wanted to adopt her? That felt wrong. Kimberly wasn't ready to give up her hopes that her mother was still alive somewhere in France but if Mrs. Kwan wanted Kimberly to call her mom... she couldn't see the harm in it. It wouldn't feel right but... she had a roof over her head, food to eat and a safe place to sleep. She had no right to complaint. Was Mrs. Kwan wanting Kimberly to call her mom asking too much of her? Kimberly wasn't sure.
If Mrs. Kwan kicked her out, Kimberly would only have three choices. Go to the orphanage, try and salvage her home and live there all alone, or return to the command center. While she missed her friends dearly she wasn't ready for option three right now. She wasn't ready to face Tommy... not yet.
As Kimberly walked along, she looked down at the yellow sandals on her feet. It had been Mrs. Kwan who insisted Kimberly wear anything she wanted from Trini's closet. Trini had loved these shoes. She could still remember Trini smiling brightly the first time she wore them. That thought made Kim sad once more. Maybe she should have worn other shoes. Trini always let her borrow most of her things but these shoes had been special... Kimberly sighed sadly... was she stealing from her best friend? Dead or not, was it right to use Trini's things?
Did Mrs. Kwan just want a replacement daughter?
She was a nice woman but Kimberly could never tell her the truth. She wasn't going to age. She would be a sixteen year old for eternity. Well not eternity but a really, really long time. She knew Billy was working hard on a cure but... she was lonely. Kimberly Hart, who always had friends around her, felt utterly abandoned. It tore at her heart.
Billy... god she missed him. He dutifully checked in on her ever week and she had called him that one time when she had a bit of food poisoning but... Billy had been in her life as a constant source of friendship since she was a child. Growing up next door she couldn't remember a time without him being around. She put her hand gently over the blue 'watch' she wore. "Miss you." She whispered quietly to the air around her.
She felt the fire bird inside call softly. Urging her to do something but... Kimberly had reached the juice bar and gone inside without even realizing it. Only Ernie calling her name snapped her out of the melancholy mental confusion she had been in. "Kim! Good morning."
She let a smile slide naturally onto her face. "Ernie. Sorry I'm a little late."
He waved her off with a chuckle. "It's no problem Kim."
"What's all this?" Kimberly asked, pointing to the two long white tables covered with all sorts of things. Clothing, toys, small appliances, camping supplies, shoes, dishes, glasses, tools, hardware, books and all sorts of things.
"Something new we are trying out today. I know you were going to work the notice board but I got a request to have you work at the barter table we are setting up." Ernie replied.
Kimberly raised an eyebrow at that. "Who requested me?"
"We did!" two voice's shouted loudly, as two human forms she knew, suddenly stood up from where they had been hiding behind the bar.
"Bulk! Skull!" She practically shouted as they came over to her. She last time she had spoken to Billy he had said he had been close to breaking the spell on the ex bully duo but seeing them here in flesh and blood rather than wood and paint, made her heart fill with joy.
"Kimberly!" Bulk pulled her into a hug that swept her off her feet in a twirl. "It's good to see you." he put her down, only for Skull to hug her tightly as well. Kimberly laughed with happiness. If someone had told her seven months ago that not only would she be happy to see the bullies but be hugging them with relief, she wouldn't have believed them.
Ernie couldn't help but chime in. "You'd think you three were best friends or something." he teased playfully. Knowing full well that old grudges were forgotten in this new world. Seeing anyone who survived was a reason to celebrate. Bulk and Skull had been oddly quiet when they had come in early this morning. Ernie hadn't recalled seeing them on the moon but when he asked where they had been Bulk had simply replied. "Moon." with Skull nodding in agreement. There stoic response had spoken volumes.
"We've missed you." Skull said quietly into Kimberly's ear before letting her out of the hug.
A flash of silver with a little black caught Kimberly's attention as she looked down to Skull's wrist. A communicator rested there. She looked to Bulk and he also had one, though it was more black and less silver. "You'll have to tell me about those sometime." She replied in a whisper, tapping her own watch.
Bulk nodded and opened his mouth to speak when Ernie called over. "Come on you three. You can catch up while working. I have a whole line waiting."
The barter table was actually pretty fun. It was Kimberly, Bulk and Skull's job to make sure items of similar value were exchanged. Making sure not all the good stuff was traded away for broken down junk. Kimberly couldn't get over how serious Bulk was taking this job. He was careful in his evaluation of items and being extremely fair.
She shook her head. It was funny how dire times could change people for the better.
"Lunch time you three!" Ernie called halfway through the day.
"Oh Boy! I'm hungry." Skull said, standing up from the table, rubbing his hands together. He enjoyed actually feeling hungry again.
"Food sounds good." Kimberly added stretching her arms.
Bulk looked at Kim. "You're gonna eat with us, right?"
She nodded. "Of course. It will be a nice change from me being the only one to eat." She teased a bit, remember how as toys they didn't eat but always were close by when she ate in the moon castle. "Let's sit there." She pointed to the table in the far corner. It would give them some privacy to talk.
They sat in silence, only speaking to thank Ernie for the food. Once the juice bar owner was well away from the table, Kimberly spoke. "Okay I have to ask... communicators?"
Bulk smirked. "It was Zordon's idea. He wants us to help keep an eye on things."
"We're like honorary rangers now." Skull added, taking a big bite of his grilled chicken sandwich. "Oh this is so good!"
Kimberly smiled and was completely sincere when she spoke. "I guess that makes us the three amigos in that sense. Honorary rangers."
"You could go back Kim. Everyone misses you." Skull said quietly. "Tommy's a wreck."
Bulk put his drink down a little too hard on the table, splashing some water. "He should be! What was he thinking? Kissing Katherine like that! Oh geez... sorry Kim."
Kimberly's smile had left her face at the mention of her rivals name. She played with a few french fries before asking very quietly. "Are they dating now?"
"No." Bulk assured her. "If anything he's been avoiding her. I think Tommy is waiting to hear from you before doing anything."
"The team isn't doing well. Everyone's pretending everything is okay but its not. Kimberly, I know its not my place but... don't you think its time to talk to Tommy?" Skull asked.
Kim rubbed her arms suddenly feeling cold again. "Yeah, I probably should talk to him soon. I don't want to but I'm not being fair to him by not talking about what happened. I've been kept awake at night thinking about it. Maybe it was just an in the moment thing. Like when I kissed Billy that one time in middle school. Kat's parents were found dead. She was really upset and..." Kimberly trailed off.
"Well I... look Kim." Bulk said, getting her attention. "I know we can't replace your old friends... but Skull and me. We're here for you. No matter what." Bulk promised softly. Surprising Kimberly with his maturity and kindness.
"I promised to be friends forever in the castle and I still mean it." Skull added.
That brought a small smile to Kimberly's face once more. "I remember. Okay so no matter what happens..." She lifted her glass. "Friends." she offered the toast. The three clinked glasses and agreed.
"Friends."
*********************** Command Center***********************
"Come on Billy. Tell me where she is. Please?"
Billy shook his head and tapped the collar around his neck. "I can't Tommy, so stop asking me."
Tommy huffed and crossed his arms, leaning against the Hydraulic Healing Chamber. He was quiet for exactly one minute before. "Maybe you could write it down..."
"No Tommy." Billy replied sternly.
"Fine."
Billy watched Tommy storm off. As much as he had promised that he wouldn't get involved in this situation. Kimberly did need to talk to Tommy eventually. Billy had to admit it, Tommy was taking this possible break hard. Even if he understood that Kimberly needed some time. If Kimberly actually broke up with him. Well he didn't want to think about what Tommy's reaction would be.
Billy sighed and returned to his work. Every day he learned a little more and got just a tiny bit closer to curing this unnatural sin of immortality Zedd had cursed them with. It was slow going and so far he had hit a wall several times. Only his own cleverness had kept him finding a work around but if this kept up.
He would need help.
And there was only one monster in the universe that might be able to shed and light on this problem.
Finster.
***************************** Trashy Dive bar******************************
Goldar took another sip of his plasma whiskey before sighing in pleasure. This was the good stuff. Not that cheap swill he used to have. He kicked his feet up on the table and let his eyes glance around this drab little hive of scum. The place was a mix of smells, roasted meat on open flames, vomit, cheap perfume of a night walker. This place smelled like adventure, danger and opportunity.
Goldar loved it.
And speaking of opportunity, here came his opportunity now.
Wrapped in golden armor, with swaying hips that could crush a skull and breasts that monsters would die for a glimpse of. Scorpina slid into the booth Goldar was in. "I take it your bounty went well?" She asked, eyeing the expensive drink.
"Very well. Here have some." Goldar slid the heavy bottle her way.
Scorpina caught it with ease and grabbed a shot glass. "Must have been very good."
"I'm sure you didn't come all this way to just drink with me." Goldar asked. "You said you had an opportunity?"
Scorpina pulled out a folded sheet of paper. " Always so business like. Always liked that about you Goldar. See if this might interest you."
Goldar read it over and then smirked. "The golden key is just a myth. Aren't you to old for fairy tales?"
"I thought that too but this bounty is from King Mondo. That gear for brains wouldn't offer this much for a myth. There must be something to it."
Goldar glanced over the flyer again. The golden key that would free Ivan ooze from his clockwork prison was real? Ivan Ooze was real? "He's offering how much?"
"1 million galactic coin for just one of the 3 pieces or 50 million for all three." Scorpina replied. "Enough for a monster to live like a king for the rest of there life. And get this... rumor is that Ninjor has one of the parts to the key but no one knows where he is."
Goldar smiled. He knew exactly where the blue ninja was.
Earth...
**************************** Juice Bar*******************************
"So where are you guys staying?" Kim asked finishing her fries.
"With our folks." Bulk answered. "My mom and Skull's dad made it."
"Zordon told us we were welcome to stay at the command center but..." Skull shook his head. "It didn't feel right."
Bulk nodded in agreement. "We can do more good here. Watch for trouble and help Ernie out. He's been nice enough to offer us daily work here." Bulk took a sip of water and declined to say anything else. But he and Skull had other reasons for returning. Very pink reasons. He looked at Kimberly. Skull had been right in his opinion that Kimberly needed them. She looked terrible. Her skin was paler than normal but had a strange sort of sheen to it. She had dark circles under her eyes like bad bruising, proof she hadn't been sleeping. Her brown eyes that were once so bright, so happy, held a pain Bulk understood all too well.
She was missing companionship and comradery. She lacked friends and it was destroying her.
Bulk blinked these thoughts away. "So where are you staying Kim?"
Kimberly looked down slightly. "Um..."
"Don't worry, we won't tell Tommy." Skull added.
Kimberly glanced around the juice bar before lowering her head closer to the table. Bulk and Skull leaned in as she spoke. "Trini's mom has been nice enough to let me stay there."
Bulk and Skull simply nodded.
"Hey your three. Lunch is over." Ernie called from behind the bar. It wasn't meant to be rude but there was work to be done.
Skull glanced over, another long line was waiting for the barter table to open up once more. "Here, I'll get the plates. You and Kim can reopen the table." Skull said already clearing up the mess.
Kim smiled. "Thanks Skull." She was so grateful for Bulk and Skull right now. They lessened the pain in her heart.
After all, in a way they were family now.