**************** Command Chamber*******************
Kimberly sat up in bed in a panic, a scream on her lips, eye wide with fright as her heart beat rapidly in fear. She tried desperately to catch her breath and calm down. The tangled blankets in her hands would indicate she had been sleeping and therefore he fear was unfounded...but...
No, that was no dream... she had been falling...and falling...falling...
"Beautiful! What's wrong?" Tommy's worried face suddenly appeared right in front of her eyes.
Kimberly let out a gasp of surprise and fell back onto the pillows. Pillows that were so plush it was like falling back onto a pile of cotton candy. "T-Tommy?" Her voice sounded weak and unsure, even in her own ears. It had been a long time since she sounded so weak... or felt so weak...
"Yeah Kim, It's really me. I'm here. You're in the command chamber. You're safe." Tommy soothed with gentle tones and hushes. "It's okay." He carefully moved a strand of hair out of her face with the slightest touch. God how he had missed her. Just being close to Kimberly seemed to fill him with a light, a power, an energy he didn't fully understand. She was so beautiful. "Kim I was hoping we could talk?"
"Like, right now?" She asked.
Tommy nodded. "I need to know where we stand. Kimberly, I love you. I've loved you since the moment I first saw you, even when I was the evil green ranger I loved you. I... you would have been the only one I wouldn't have hurt. Not even Rita could have made me hurt you. I would die to protect you. Do you understand Kim?"
Tommy's eyes were so sad as he spoke the truth, she could see that but... "Tommy, I like you a lot but I'm not sure I love you yet, not like how you are professing to me. I mean, I'm not saying no but things just moved too fast between us. I'm not sure where my feelings are and I'm not sure where your feelings really are either."
"Kim! I love you! Please believe me!" Tommy proclaimed taking her hands into his. " And no force in the universe can change that love."
Kimberly gave him a soft, sort of half smile. "Can you honestly tell me right now you aren't interested in Katherine at all? How does the falcon feel about the crane?"
Tommy felt his heart flutter... shit... "I admit there is something there but if you can forgive me, I promise you Kim it won't happen again."
Kimberly sighed, why was this so hard? "How about we make a deal?"
Tommy blinked, curious. "What kind of deal?"
"I want you to be with who your really want Tommy, so why don't we take a step back from going steady? I mean, if you want, you can date me and Katherine."
"You'd be okay with that?" Tommy felt his jaw drop open in surprise.
Kimberly nodded. "Only if you agree that I'll be allowed to date other people too, if I want. Otherwise it won't be fair."
Tommy tried to hide his feelings of jealousy as he asked. "Is there someone else you want to date?"
"No, but you have to agree. If you're open to dating other people. I can do the same."
Tommy relented, agreeing with a nod. "Yeah, okay Kim. Just until I figure out my feelings."
Kimberly shook her head, choosing to ignore the fact that by the time Tommy made up his mind, she might not want him anymore or might not be able to be with him anymore. Immortality and all that. "I need to get up. I had a terrible dream and I need to talk to Zordon." She moved to get out of bed.
Tommy frowned and put his hands on her shoulders keeping her from moving much. It was easy, given how weak she was at this moment and how strong he was. He had always been strong, compared to her, Kimberly had always been weaker.
"Tommy! Stop it! Let me go."
"Not until Billy checks you out first. I don't want you to faint and hit your head or something."
"But my dream, we have to warn the others." Kimberly pulled out of Tommy's grasp, crossing her arms and sit on the bed as the door opened.
"Warn the others of what?" It was Adam who had spoken from the doorway.
"Adam! Billy!" Kimberly called out as her two friends entered the room. Relief was in her voice. "Billy tell Tommy I'm okay to get up."
Billy was already kneeling beside her bedside and opening his bag. "I will when I'm sure you are alright to get up." He pulled out a flashlight and tongue depressor. "Now say ah."
"Ahhhh."
Billy nodded, "Good, now follow my finger with just your eyes, don't turn your head."
Kimberly did so. She sat patently as Billy continued to poke and prod her. Taking her temperature and blood pressure. "Hmm... that's still a bit too low."
Kimberly couldn't resist the urge to roll her eyes a bit. "I feel fine and there's no time for this."
"Kim, you being okay is more important right now, more important than anything else." Tommy said from where he was standing. He had backed away somewhat to let Billy work but the falcon ranger wasn't happy with the distrusting looks the frog kept giving him.
Adam spoke up when Billy seemed just about done. "Warn the others of what?" he prompted Kim.
Kimberly sighed, now that she had been away for a little while it did seem like nothing more than a vivid dream. Like when Trini had come talking to her about the power coins. "It might be nothing... only a dream but I'm suppose to warn Ninjor that his key is all that is stopping Ivan Ooze from being reborn."
"Ooze? Sounds like one of those gross fad candies." Adam said. "It was probably just a dream."
Kimberly could only nod at that. "But it felt so real. The jungle and the temple ruins and Dulcea said..."
"Wait Dulcea? You saw Dulcea?" Tommy interrupted. Maybe Kimberly was onto something. "What did she look like?"
"She was really pretty. In a fur bikini with a fighting staff and she had curly hair."
"Tommy what is it?" Billy asked, seeing the serious look on Tommy's face.
"That sounds like the Dulcea I met on Phadoes. She's the one who helped my find my ninjetti spirit, which got me to Ninjor's temple. If she sent Kim a warning. We need to talk to Zordon."
Kimberly swung her legs over the side of the bed pushing the blankets off. "That's what I was trying to tell you." Her eyes gazed at Tommy and he could see the hurt in them. Why did he keep messing up with Kim? Hurting the only one he loved.
"Here, I'll carry you." Tommy offered, moving to go to Kim.
"I can walk."
"Yeah but..."
"I've got her." Adam replied. Helping Kimberly to stand and putting her arm over her shoulder, supporting her as she walked out of the room, just in case.
Tommy opened his mouth but Billy's hand on his shoulder stopped him from calling out after Adam. "Tommy you've got to stop."
Tommy gave Billy a questioning look. "Stop what?"
Billy let out a long exhale. "Your treating Kim like she's... how can I put this... like she's made of spun glass. She's not going to break Tommy. Were all here for her. We won't let her fall apart but you have to keep the team together, not focus so much on Kimberly." Billy kept silent on saying any more than that but he was starting to get disturbed by Tommy's intense focus on Kimberly. It reminded him too much of his own feelings when the darkness flowed inside. He could still feel the touch of evil as the ability to command Serpentera had never left him.
Only the slave collar around his neck kept Billy from acting. It gave him the strength to push the darkness far down inside and hold it at bay. He would be lost if anything happened to the Fire-bird.
And not just because she was his best friend. "Come on. Let's catch up to them." Billy offered.
Tommy said nothing, his face unreadable, as they hurried to join the others with Zordon. Who was currently hearing the end of Kimberly's dream. Tommy was surprised to see Bulk and Skull there as well. The former bullies seemed to be making themselves at home here in the command chambers. That shouldn't bother Tommy as the duo was now on there side, but it did bother him.
"This is indeed most serious news. Ivan Ooze was an intergalactic tyrant, stronger than Rita and Zedd combined. He ruled the world with a reign of unparalleled terror until he was imprisoned in a Hyperlock Chamber by the Order of Meridian. Were he to be freed, I fear the world would be in grave danger once more." Zordon explained.
"Who were the Order of Meridian?' Adam asked.
Zordon's face seemed sad as he replied. "You could consider them prototype power rangers." There was so much Zordon had yet to tell this new team. Like how he had lost his own team to the hands of Rita's betrayal. Old, painful wounds that never fully healed.
"We have to warn Ninjor. Get the key someplace safe." Katherine spoke up startling everyone there except maybe Zordon.
Billy frowned slightly, that girl needed to wear a bell. It was unnerving how the new pink ranger could just slink around the halls like a cat. Billy chalked it up to ninjetti powers.
"Kat's right." Kimberly agreed, already seeming paler than just a few minutes ago. "Where is Ninjor?"
"Ai-yi-yi searching now. Behold the viewing globe." The humans turned to the scene in the park, shocked by the battle raging.
"What are they?" Skull asked shaking, looking at the fish men fighting with the tengu. Not only were the monsters fighting each other but Ninjor was holding his arm, sparks coming from his wound. The other rangers were struggling but clearly trapped and unable to morph.
"There's no time!" Bulk said, suddenly looking at Tommy. "Hurry go, help the others."
Adam practically shoved Kimberly into Billy's waiting arms with a quiet apology as he morphed and along with Tommy and Katherine vanished in a streak of light.
Kimberly was feeling dizzy but from the way Billy was frowning something was off. "What's wrong?"
"Why didn't the alarm go off?" Billy questioned. "Why did none of the alarms go off?"
The four teens looked at each other and then to Zordon who was frowning. "Billy, we must find out why the computer alarm system isn't working."
Billy nodded. "Right! Here um..." He offered Kimberly to Bulk. "She's close to fainting again. Could you maybe, take her back to her room?"
"Billy... 'm fine..." Kimberly tried to assure her friends but her slurred words indicated otherwise.
Bulk gently took Kimberly from Billy. "I've got her. Don't worry."
Billy nodded, "Her room is the last one the left." He said already opening the nearest console. His mind once more focused on the task in front of him.
"Come on Kim." Bulk said gently, lifting the worn out Kimberly into his arms.
"We can play cards." Skull offered pulling a deck from his back pocket.
She gave them both a weak but real smile. "Cards sounds good."