**************** Command Chamber*******************
Billy fumbled with a laser cutter, checking it over for a third time before turning to the others. "Okay, this should work. I've reconfigured it so it shouldn't cut skin so..." Billy smiled at the three rangers still covered in purple goo. "Who wants to go first?"
Rocky nodded and mumble loudly. On the off chance Billy was wrong, he would rather be harmed then see Aisha or Justin hurt. Billy fired up the cutter, a small beam of blue light glowed at the base. "I'll start with your feet. If anything hurts, make a noise."
Rocky nodded again. He trusted Billy.
Tommy watched Billy work from the other side of the room. This had been too close for comfort. Even now they hadn't been able to free there friends yet, actually having to teleport them back to the command chamber with clumps of dirt and grass clinging to the goo around there legs. Had Tommy and the rest of the team been even a few moments slower in arriving. Half the rangers would be dead. Tommy shook his head, trying to push that thought away.
It was humbling how fast life for a human could be over and done. A breath, a heart beat, a sword slash and then... nothing. No matter how much they fought or tried to change the future, death would come for them all one day.
Except maybe Kimberly. The thought of her staying exactly as she was right now for several lifetimes filled Tommy with a sort of eternal hope but he couldn't imagine how she must be really feeling. Knowing everyone else would grow old and die all around her.
Well all but one. Tommy let his eyes drift over to Billy who was still working on freeing the others. He had to admit, the ears had taken some time to get use to but now that he had. Even the 2 inch long horn growing from his friend's forehead was no longer distressing to look at. It was like clear ice in the deep blue of winter and sometimes seemed to shimmer when the light hit it just right. He had heard both Aisha and Kat talk about how pretty it was... must be a girl thing.
"Okay how's that Rocky?" Billy asked, breaking off the last bits of slime from the red rangers mouth.
Rocky took a moment to work his jaw. "Sore, but so much better. Thanks."
Billy gave a nod before going to Aisha. Quickly freeing her and the Justin.
Justin rubbed his face. "Ugh that was so gross! Thanks Billy!"
Billy gave Justin a smile. "Anytime."
"So what are we going to do Tommy?" Adam suddenly asked. "Ninjor's been taken by whoever that was."
A voice spoke softly from behind the group. "Her name is Divatox."
"Alpha?" Aisha said, noticing how sad the little robot seemed.
"Zordon would like to talk to all of you. It's bad news rangers."
Tommy looked at the others. "Okay. Come on everyone."
Zordon was silent in his tube as the rangers approached. Kimberly was already there. Her sad face spoke volumes of how serious this was. Tommy went to her side without even thinking about it. She was thankful for him being there, as she leaned slightly into him, pulling comfort from his powerful strength.
Zordon looked at each ranger before speaking. "Where is Katherine?"
"Here I am!" The girl in pink called hurrying in from the back of the room.
"Rangers, my rangers. These are indeed dark times. Ninjor's capture is a heavy blow. While I wish to form a rescue attempt, right now that is not our main goal."
"You mean were just going to leave Ninjor with this Divatox?" Aisha asked, anger and a feeling of betrayal in her voice. How could they abandon Ninjor?
"I know this is hard power rangers but we must find the last key part. The one Ninjor has hidden. Unless we can retrieve it, keeping it from the hands of evil. All good in the universe will be swallowed in a mire of ooze. Even with the great ninjetti powers, should Ivan Ooze be freed, it may not be enough to stop him." Zordon stopped himself from saying anymore. A fight with Ivan the rangers could win, but only if each ranger fought to the death. Perhpas one or two would be spared but Zordon could not take watching another team die. No, the wound was still fresh and deep from the death of his other children. Jason, Zack and Trini.
"Well the key part. It has to be here or on Phadoes, right Zordon?" Tommy asked.
"While that is possible Tommy, there are 71 planets between here and earth. All of them are wild, uncharted and savage. And each will need to be searched."
Zordon chose to ignore the quiet groan that went up from the teens. The earth was just starting to sort of getting back to a new normal. A trip to space was something none of them wanted right now.
"Can't the riddle help us?" Kimberly asked.
"Where the sky meets the sea." Katherine replied. "Are we sure it means anything at all?"
Rocky spoke, "It has to Kat, otherwise why would Ninjor say it?"
"Still its kind of a funny riddle, isn't it? I mean that could be anyplace that has an ocean, right?" Justin offered.
Adam paced for a moment. "Where the sea meets the sky... I know I've heard that before."
Kimberly closed her eyes. It sounded so familiar to her too. The words flowed from her without her realizing it. "Where the sea meets the sky...Where dusk meets dawn...Where time has no meaning...Where the wishes have gone... Where dreams become real and hearts can be free... there you will find... what was hidden by me."
"Kim?" Tommy blinked.
She opened her eyes. "It's a poem. There's more to it but... ugh... I knew it a long time ago but now I've forgotten."
"Try Kimberly." Kat said, her blue eyes shining bright. This could be the clue she needed. "Try again."
Kim focused in concentration. "Where time has no meaning...Where the wishes have gone... I'm sorry. I just can't remember. It was so long ago."
"It is alright Kimberly. I am sure it will come back to you." Zordon assured the girl. His former pink ranger still had so much pink energy inside her. She was so much more then she dare to imagine and for now that was a good thing.
"Are we sure that's the right poem?" Justin asked, curious.
"Well Ninjor did seem well versed in literature. Remember the whole speak friend and enter?" Aisha asked, looking at Rocky, Tommy and Kat. They nodded.
Kimberly turned her gentle brown eyes toward Adam. "I don't suppose you remember the rest?"
He shook his head. "Nope. You already knew more than I did."
Billy paced a few steps before speaking, "Kim, do you remember the island Rita sent us to? The Island of Illusions?" Billy asked.
Kimberly winkled her nose. "How could I forget? That was an awful place to be but that was in another dimension not another planet. Why do you ask?"
Billy looked now at Zordon. "Ninjor was an interdimention being, like you, right Zordon?"
"It is not quite the same Billy, but close enough. Ninjor could slip into other dimensions if he so chose to." Zordon replied already guessing where his original blue ranger was going with this.
Billy rubbing his chin in thought. "There is only one place I am aware of, dimension or planet, where time has no meaning, and that was the island of illusions."
"Didn't Rita destroy the island?" Kim asked.
Billy gave her that teasing half smile of his. "Or was that just an illusion?"
"Wait what's this island?" Adam asked.
"A place Rita sent the original team to. We were trapped without powers and almost destroyed by our own lack of self confidence." Billy answered.
Kimberly groaned. "Going back there. It a terrible idea. If the island is still there, then the illusions might be to. We saw some awful things that really shook us. Almost making us fade from existence."
Tommy put a hand on Kim's shoulder. "Let's find out if the island is even still there before considering making the trip."
"There is one other thing." Billy said looking serious. "Alpha do you have the detector relay?"
"Right here Billy." Alpha replied, handing the former blue ranger something that looked like a cross between a screwdriver and a magic wand.
Billy turned to the others. "I need to see everyone's power coin. While I can't say 100% for sure the computer was sabotaged, hence the lack of attack alarms, this is something we should check."
Rocky was already pulling out his power coin and looking it over. "What do you mean Billy?"
It was Zordon who answered. "Only those with a power coin can enter the Command Chamber."
Adam frowned. "But that doesn't make sense, Billy, you don't have a coin."
"Hey yeah, neither do Bulk or Skull." Justin added.
"Well no, but the energy of the morphing grid remembers me. There is still some inside me. Not enough to morph or anything. As for Bulk and Skull, they were exposed to just the smallest amounts of grid energy. Just so they could be recognized by the system." Even as he spoke, Billy was waving the device over each of the coins being held out. "Hmm... everyone's coins check out." Billy let out a breath of relief, no fake coins, no false rangers among them.
He was thankful for small miracles.
Katherine smiled and smiled. Of course her coin was real, she had taken it from the pink ranger along with her communicator. While she couldn't 'morph' she certainly could change the look of her clothing to match the other ninjetti rangers. Now all she had to do was keep playing nice. Still smiling, 'Katherine' looked over to where Tommy and Kimberly were talking with Billy.
Oh yes, she had to play nice for now. Her eyes narrowed slightly at Kimberly and Tommy. But once she had what she needed...
Scorpina would snuff there love out... once and for all.