Disclaimers

All characters appearing in IDW comics and Hasbro are the property of their respective owners. No infringements of these copyrights are intended and are not authorized by the copyright holder.

All original characters and concepts are the property of Celgress.

Special thanks to my creative consultant Gaara King of the Sands who helped me flesh out this premise.

Power Rangers Upended Fate – Prologue: Christmas Wish

By

Celgress

Paris France Christmas Eve, afternoon

Everyone applauded her. They always applauded her. Decked out in her elaborate swan costume, Kimberly Hart smiled and took a bow but secretly she could not have cared less about their adoration. She felt empty inside, cold.

The life of a professional ballerina was not what Kimberly had dreamed of when she pursued gymnastics as a teen. In spite of all her hard work, her sacrifices had not been enough, she failed. One injury-inducing slip off a balance bar while at a key event was all it took to shatter her dreams. If only her sadistic coach had not routinely pushed her beyond all human endurance who knows what might have been. Becoming his pupil was the single greatest mistake of her life. She should have stayed in Angel Grove with her friends who loved her, with Tommy her dear Tommy. Being a Power Ranger was her destiny, not this. If only she could start over.

Streets of Paris, night

Kimberly and her fellow dancers crowed into their tour bus anxious to get out of the cold Parisian night. They were off to their next venue which was located in Krakow Poland, a trip of several days by bus. Kimberly would spend the holidays on the road, she usually did. She had not been back to the States in over twenty years, how quickly time flew by.

Big snowflakes began to fall as the tour bus pulled away. Kimberly leaned against a window next to her seat. She spied a single star through a hole in the clouds. She wished for a happier life on it before she closed her eyes. She felt weary older than her forty-odd years. She slowly drifted off. She dreamt of happier times.

The Alps, several hours later

Kimberly was shocked to awareness by a violent jolt and multiple screams. The bus upended and tumble off a steep mountain road. In the blizzard, their driver had momentarily lost control while executing a hairpin turn. Kimberly knew there was no hope. Before everything went black she thought of her old friends one last time. She wished she would have stayed with them.

Angel Grove Youth Center twenty years before, afternoon

"I need an answer, young lady?" Gunthar Schmidt said.

"Excuse me," Kimberly said blinking in confusion.

Gunthar Schmidt shook his head and muttered something nasty in German before answering her. "If you're not going to take my training seriously, why should I waste my valuable time on you?" He finally snorted arrogantly.

Kimberly glanced around. She spotted her friends not far away. They looked as confused as she felt and so young. 'For you guys, for me, for us I know what I must do.' Kimberly thought. Somehow she had been given a precious gift one beyond measure, a second chance. She was not about to throw it away.

"You shouldn't, I don't want to be your pupil, not anymore. I quit," Kimberly said shocking every present. Kimberly ignored the fuming Schmidt she walked over to where her shocked friends stood.

"Kim, what are you doing?" Aisha asked.

"Making the right call," Kimberly said with a huge smile.

"But being a gymnast has always been your dream." Billy protested.

"I think it was just that, a dream. I'm happier being me than a gymnast. I won't give up who I am to please anyone." Kimberly said she glared at Schmidt who was still ranting. No one else had ever snubbed him before. He did the subbing.

"Kim, are you sure you want this?" Tommy asked.

Tommy put his hands on her shoulders. She could see the concern mixed with love in his beautiful brown eyes. Who she had missed his getting lost in those expressive eyes. She hugged him not caring if her other friends were present. Writing Tommy that lie of a "Dear John" letter so he would stop "distracting" her with his letters was the second worst thing she ever did (leaving Angel Grove behind being the worst). Damn Schmidt with his life-ruining demands.

"I've never been surer of anything," Kimberly said. She reluctantly released Tommy. His body felt so good pressed against her, so warm so inviting She wiped a tear from her eyes.

"Are you okay?" Tommy asked.

"I'm better than okay, I'm happy. Dinner is on me guys, my treat." Kimberly said once again smiling.

"You'll never amount to anything, you, you, poser!" Gunthar Schmidt declared breezing by and out the door.

"Jerk," Rocky called after him.

"Don't let him bother you, he's just bitter you didn't go with him," Adam said.

"I've already forgotten about him," Kimberly laughed.

"What will you do now, about a career I mean after school?" Kat asked.

"I'm not sure, but I'm I'll think of something. I've got my whole life ahead of me," Kimberly said. "C'mon guys, those burgers and shakes won't eat themselves."

The Moon

Rita pouted after looking through her high-powered telescope. "Zeddy the little pink one didn't go with her dofus of a coach. I wanted her gone!" The evil queen said stamping her feet like a spoiled child.

"Don't worry my sweet we'll destroy her and the other rangers soon enough." Lord Zedd declared.

"And Kat, we can't forget her, Zeddy! I swear I hate my former kitty cat spy even more than that other traitor, Tommy!" Rita said seething with anger.

Zedd snapped his fearsome clawed fingers. "Speaking of Tommy, I have a brilliant idea."

"What?" Rita asked her equally evil husband.

"We punish your former pet and destroy the rangers at the same time," Zedd said.

"How?" Rita said.

"Tommy is protected from our corruption by his power coin but Kat is afforded no such protection. We trick her into becoming our new Green Ranger. This time we take no chances. Unlike when Tommy was your Green Ranger we shall directly control Kat rather than influence her to become evil." Zedd responded explaining his plan.

"It won't work Zeddy the Green Power Coin is gone forever," Rita lamented.

"Then we make a new Power Coin say for a purple ranger. I've always liked that color." Zedd said. He turned his attention to the Monster Maker named Finister. "Can it be done, worm?"

"Perhaps, but it will exceedingly difficult, my lord," Finster said. "I'll need many rare ingredients."

"I don't care what you need to make it happen, I want that girl to be my Queen's Purple Ranger puppet! Do you understand!" Zedd ordered.

"Oh, Zeddy you're too good to me." Rita swooned.

"Anything for you my dark plum," Zedd said while Rita lovingly stroked his chest plate.

"Yes, I do, my lord," Finster said with a deep bow. "I'll need Goldar and Rito at my disposal. Some of the ingredients are guarded by fearsome creatures on faraway worlds. Creatures I cannot defeat without assistance."

"F-Fearsome," Rito stammered while Goldar groaned at his companion's overt show of cowardice.

"Very well Finster, I hereby place Goldar & Rito under your command until you no longer require their services," Zedd said.

"Splendid, simply splendid," Finster said rubbing his hands together in glee.

"The end of those pesky Power Rangers is now only a matter of time!" Zedd shouted as his Queen and followers laughed maniacally.

To Be Continued

Author's Note -

I was inspired by "It's A Wonderful Life" to start this story for which I have had an idea for some time now. Should I continue this AU?