******************** Beach**********************
Kimberly never thought she would miss the putties. Being roughly handled by clay servants was slightly better then the cold, wet touch of the Piranhatrons. She had been blindfolded, bound and half carried half dragged along. She was only vaguely aware that Ninjor was still close by. She could hear his rough breathing from being wounded so badly.
Suddenly the blind fold was removed and Kimberly had to blink several times before her eyes adjusted to the bright sunlight.
Ninjor leaned close and whispered, his voice labored. "Kimberly, do you... know where... we are?"
She looked at the sloping sand hill before her, the waves breaking right on her heels. On either side, tall cliffs of stone, much to dangerous to climb, greeted her sight. "Dead man's bluff." It was an area most people avoided except some of the bravest or foolish teens in the school. It was prone to sudden rogue waves and rip tides. Even where she currently stood touching the sand, with Ninjor, surrounded by piranhatrons, it was not safe.
"Quiet! Or I'll cut out your tongue." Elgar growled, turning slightly to the bedraggled and bound duo. "Think the rangers will show up Auntie D?"
Divatox stood in the very front with a smile of glee on her face as she paced back and forth. "They will or we'll leave Ninjor in pieces for them and take the human back to the ship. I could use a ship slave."
Billy watched from his spot high on top the cliff, zooming in and out with his binoculars. Ninjor was barely able to stand and Kimberly had seen better days. She hadn't looked that bedraggled since the moon. "This better work." Billy mumbled to himself, his hooves clicking with anger on the stone under him, before putting his communicator to his lips. "I'm in position Tommy."
"Roger that Billy. As soon as we draw there attention, use the remote teleporter to get Kim and Ninjor out of there."
"Affirmative." Billy replied before checking the readings once more. Divatox wasn't dumb and unless the piranhatrons physically let go of Kimberly and Ninjor, he wouldn't be able to teleport them. At least not without also sending the minions to the command chamber along with them. And that was too big a risk to take.
Though for Kim, he would take that risk. He felt the silver loop around his neck burn painfully for a moment. As much as it pained Billy, he knew his humanity was slipping away. Every moment, every day, like constant drops of water draining from a pool or the white sand slipping slowly through an hour glass. He felt like he was forgetting himself. He was forgetting...
Billy hadn't look in a mirror for weeks. He had been too afraid to do so. Even as he stood out in the sun and wind, he felt unnaturally cold and uncomfortable.
His eyes drifted back to Kimberly. His lady, His mistress, his reason for living now as an abomination. She had commanded him never to call her anything but her name, at least not out loud, but in his mind, she was the master of his world.
Billy shook his head, forcing his mind to refocus on the task at hand. He was going to get one shot at this. Tommy was approaching Divatox now holding the key shard. This was it...
A distant rumble of thunder was the only warning Billy got before red lightning crashes all around the beach in unnatural patterns. A moment later he felt his core shiver as Lord Zedd, Rita Repulsa, Goldar and a horde of putties now stood on the sand behind the rangers, trapping them between a proverbial rock and a hard place.
Billy squinted and grabbed his binoculars. There was a human among the putties and... "No... it can't be. Tommy?" But Billy's eyes did not lie. Indeed a very human looking Tommy, in green clothing, stood at Rita Repulsa's side. Clearly ready to throw down.
The former blue ranger swallowed hard... this wasn't good.
********************** On the beach****************************
"About time. It's not nice to keep a lady waiting so... hand over the key you little power punk." Divatox sneered.
Tommy frowned. "Give us back our friends first."
Divatox laughed. "Do you think I'm a fool like Rita and Zedd? Key first, unless you want them back piece by piece. Cut into pretty little ribbons." As if to make a point one of the minions holding Kim applied pressure to her arm, making the poor girl gasp in pain for a moment.
Adam balled his hands into fists listening to this horrible woman talk. He wanted to run over there and punch that space pirate right in the face. But he didn't dare break formation. They needed to show a unified front, under Tommy's command as the power ranger leader.
Adam watched as Tommy approached closer, holding out the key shard, his eyes only glanced once at Kimberly. Divatox was too much of a threat. He couldn't let his guard down.
She smirked and reached out. "Thank you..." Just before her fingers could touch the metal, red lightning flashed all around, striking the sand, the surf and even a few piranhatrons. "What's this! An ambush! How dare you! Give me that key!"
Tommy had backed up instantly on pure instinct. Somewhere deep inside, he knew this power. The taste it left in the air. Coating his tongue like vomit that burned the back of his throat. His mind was reminded a moment later when Zedd, Rita, Goldar, putties and himself stood behind them.
For a moment no one spoke. The rangers looked between the old threat and the new one. Justin took a few steps closer to Adam. He couldn't stop the quiet quaking in his knees as he looked at Zedd but the child tried to be brave. Rocky was the one who spoke, just loud enough for the others to hear. "Stay together, watch each others backs."
"Well well what a pretty sight. Hello Rangers." Zedd said nonchalantly.
"Divatox." Rita greeted with a sneer.
"Oh great. The losers of the universe. I thought you were gone for good... or at least a few thousand years." Divatox replied.
Zedd growled, "Our demise was greatly exaggerated and mind the insults pirate."
"Listen you two has-beens. I don't care what you say. Dark Specter gave me earth after your failure. For me to do what I wanted with it."
"A lie. The earth has always been in my... er... in our domain." Rita quickly corrected. Angering Zedd now wasn't a wise move. After all the only thing keeping the couple united was the desire for revenge. There would be no harem now, no taking slaves. She would see the blood of the rangers spilled this day but first. "Tommy, bring me the key shard."
The boy in green put as fist to his heart. "As you wish my empress."
"Who ever you are. You need to stop." Tommy in white said to the mirror image in front of him.
"I live for my empress. You are the copy or have you forgotten? Made on the moon. Not even real. Ha!" Green Tommy laughed.
The white ranger took a half step back. No, that couldn't be true. He shook his head, "No, that's not true. You're the fake." Tommy's eyes hardened for a fight.
"You think so? Let's find out. DragonZord!"
Tommy blinked, staring at the him he used to be before shouting. "Ninjetti the Falcon!"
"Putties attack!" Zedd commanded the moment his ranger had called for powers. There putty ranger would only be strong for a few minutes. Plenty of time to destroy Divatox, the rangers, and take back the earth.
"Well don't just stand there. ATTACK!" Divatox screamed at her minions.
Kimberly felt the weight on Ninjor practically dropped on her. With bound hands she couldn't hold him up. Falling to her knees next to the wounded ninja master leaning against her body. Ninjor tried to mumble an apology.
Divatox, Zedd and Rita seemed to be standing father back from the fighting. Putties and Piranhatrons exchanging blows in between bouts with the rangers. Elgar and Goldar had a loud banter going. Clearly there was some history there.
Elgar smiled showing his pointed teeth."I'm gonna cut those gold wings off and fry them up with some hot sauce."
Goldar simply laughed. "Come try it. I dare you, you poor excuse of a monster."
But Kimberly felt her eyes drawn to Tommy fighting Tommy. Its was terrifyingly beautiful. Blow for blow matched. Attack after attacked perfectly dodged or countered. It was like fighting with a shadow. Kimberly bit her lip. She couldn't do anything. Not without abandoning Ninjor to try and escape. Zedd always lies, there was no way the green Tommy before her was her Tommy.
… but if he was, that would explain everything, right? Why Tommy hadn't been honest or... faithful. Not her Tommy. Her Tommy loved her... right?
She was so lost in thought she didn't see Zedd approach until his shadow loomed over her body blocking out the sun. "Hello pet. As much as I love seeing you on your knees before me. There will be no cage for my firebird this time." he raised his staff and Kimberly realized in that moment Zedd's goal was simply to kill her.
"Tommy!" She screamed, closing her eyes.
There was a whoosh of air and Zedd grunted with discomfort. Kimberly opened her eyes only it wasn't Tommy who was in front of her. The golden brown tail blew in the breeze as the blue horn glowed like ice in the moonlight. Hooves of black dug into the sand merely inches from her. Chiseled leg muscles led up to the muscular body of a 7 foot tall greek like god. She had only been gone a few days, a week at most but... "Billy?"
This unicorn man didn't reply, eyes still shining with power and anger. "Get away from Kimberly. You will not touch her."
Zedd pulled himself up out of the sand and turned to his attacker glowing red with hate. "Who dares to... well well well... Billy... my don't you look nice." Zedd's voice went from a growl to almost something akin to a purr.
Billy said nothing, choosing to put up his fists in a defensive stand in front of Kimberly and Ninjor.
Zedd laughed before looking at the battle around him. Just in time to see the copy Tommy get his clay arm broken off. The red ranger appeared to be bleeding from a lag wound. The yellow ranger was favoring her right shoulder. The little blue ranger was injured and the black and pink rangers weakening from defending him. A child ranger, the powers of good could be so stupid sometimes. The odds for the rangers were looking poor which in the past meant the tide was about to turn in the humans favor.
Zedd estimated he didn't have long and as he turned his attention back to Billy, the hybrid snorted with anger. "Tell me Billy, if you're still in there. I wonder how you are still in control. Can't you feel it? The darkness pulling at you? Calling you? Serpentera calls... Dark Specter calls...I call..." Zedd watched as a familiar glow suddenly shown from under Billy's long hair, around his neck. "So that's how, clever boy. I underestimated your devotion." Zedd's face drifted momentarily to Kimberly.
"Zedd!" Rita called suddenly as what was left of her green ranger was smashed apart by the white ranger. The sudden power drain almost forced the empress of evil to the ground but she stood, using her staff for support.
"Time to come home Billy." Zedd waved his staff and Billy felt the collar around his neck, the only thing keeping him sane, unbind and fall to the sand.
"No!" Billy shouted already gripping at his head as pain coursed through his body. He began to scream.
"Billy!" Kimberly called his name and watched as the last of his human features began to turn monstrous. His jaw dislocated, as his chin and nose seemed to grow into the face of a horse. His eyes lost the look of humanity as they turned solid blue and just as cold. The muscles in his neck bulged and veins of blue danced brightly swelling. The clothing he was wearing began to shred as he sprouted a bristling mane down the length of his back. Blackish blue fur began to grow over his skin like a terrifying living carpet.
"Come to me. My nightmare..." Zedd beckoned with his hand.
"Yes master." Billy moved towards Zedd with no hesitation.
"Billy! Billy no!" Kimberly cried reaching for her friend as he disappeared in a flash of red light.
Kimberly head spun as she felt herself falling into the warm sand.
And knew no more until she woke up in medical...