Disclaimers
All characters appearing in IDW comics and Hasbro are 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.
And to SpecialK92 who has enthusiastically embraced this idea. Thanks to SpecialK92, I've expanded my concept for the original premise extensively enriching what I have planned for this story.
Power Rangers Upended Fate – Chapter Four: Rangers In Reverse Part Two
By
Celgress
Command Center in Angel Grove, afternoon
"Zordon, Alpha, you can't send Kat out there alone in her present condition, she'll be killed!" Billy said frantically. He was deeply worried about the safety of his girlfriend.
"I'm sorry Billy. But we must protect the people of Angel Grove by whatever means we have at our disposal." Zordon said. "I wish there was another way."
"Send me with her. I'll try to morph." Billy suggested out of sheer desperation.
"Billy, your young body would never stand the strain," Alpha said.
"I don't care! I have to help Kat!" Billy said.
"We all do. We're Power Rangers. We stick together." Tommy said.
"Yeah, we should try to morph regardless of the danger," Aisha said. Rocky and Adam readily agreed.
"Guys I can't let you put yourselves in danger for me. I'll never forgive myself if something happens." Kat the Purple Ranger said.
Kimberly chewed her bottom lip nervously. Kim was acutely aware that Kat was in no shape to take on both Goldar and Scorpina alone and that morphing could cause the rest of them to instantly die. Kat was already exhausted a battle might kill her. But what could they do? There had to be a solution?
'You heard how this situation was eventually resolved the first time around. What did they do? Something about a crystal, that's it!' Kimberly mused. 'Think Kimberly, think," Kimberly urged herself. 'You were sent here for a reason. Don't let your friends down again, you can't, you won't.'
"Eureka, I think I've got it!" Kimberly exclaimed jubilantly.
"What do you mean Kim?" Tommy said hopefully. "What's your idea?"
"Zordon, Alpha, could the Zeo Crystal reverse this mess?" Kimberly asked already certain the answer would be yes.
"Yes, we could use the Zeo Crystal to upgrade the Morphing Grid and power the Command Center for countless centuries to come," Alpha said.
"But I chopped the Zeo Crystal with my sword shattering it. How will we ever find the scattered pieces much less in time to help Kat save Angel Grove?" Tommy said.
"Alpha and I have been able to trace the five fragments. They are scattered through not only space but time as well. Retrieving them will not be easy, my Rangers." Zordon warned.
"I think I speak for everyone when I say to aid my fellow ranger and save the city, no quest is too difficult," Adam said with determination. The others readily voiced their approval.
"Are you guys sure?" Kat asked.
"Yeah, we're heroes we need to act like it," Rocky said.
"Rangers I have never been more proud of you than at this moment," Zordon said.
"One thing to consider, will there be enough time to find the fragments and help Kat?" Kim wondered worriedly.
"Hopefully, there will be Rangers," Alpha said.
'I hope we can do this? Here goes, everything.' Kimberly thought while crossing her fingers behind her back so the others would not see. She was nervously beyond measure 'You can do this Kim, they can do this. Believe in yourself, have belief in them, everything will be fine.'
Forest of Illusions, sometime later
Kid Tommy and Kid Kimberly made their way through the dark, foggy, gnarled forest. They could not tell if it was day or night. The place seemed shrouded in eerie perpetual twilight. Strange noises periodically echoed around them and unwholesome insect-like eyes stared at them balefully from the foggy gloom.
They had been trekking through the narrow pathways for what seemed like forever when they emerged into a clearing where several pathways intersected. A fragment of Zeo Crystal rested in the middle of the space on a large grey stone.
"We found it. That was easy." Tommy said stepping forward to grab the fragment.
"Too easy, something is wrong," Kimberly said. "Tommy watch out! Don't touch it!"
But her words were too late. The instant Tommy touched the fragment he vanished after being engulfed in crackling energy that painfully paralyzed him. Tommy cried out in distress before he vanished.
"Tommy, no!" Kimberly cried. Tommy was gone. Her greatest fear was realized. She was alone.
Kimberly tried to contact the Command Center without success. She then panicked. Kimberly ran amok through the terrible forest which seemed to be closing in on her from every angle. She ran off the path branches hitting her face and tearing at her clothing. Eventually, she ran headlong into the entrance of a pitch-black cavern where she was confronted by an odd sight, herself!
"Who are you?" Kimberly asked the other Kid Kimberly.
"You know exactly who I am, Kimberly Hart. I'm you, the real you." The Other Kimberly said. "You only care about yourself. Tommy gets captured rather than help him you run. You save yourself, pathetic."
"That's not true! I was going for help!" Kimberly said.
"Liar, you're selfish, you always have been. Admit you're no good. Be honest with yourself, if no one else." The Other Kimberly said.
"I'm not! I came back so I could help my friends! I want them to have better lives!" Kimberly protested with tears in her eyes.
"More like so you could have a better life." The Other Kimberly said with a vicious smirk. She roughly pushed Kimberly to the ground. "Accept you're no good. Admit you don't deserve a second chance."
"I'm, I'm," Kimberly stammered tears streaming down her face.
"Kim, fight back, for me, for our friends, for us." The voice of Tommy urged from somewhere unseen.
"Tommy?" Kimberly said a ray of hope penetrating the darkness that surrounded her. "Where are you?"
"Kim, I'm here. Fight Kim, you have to fight!" Tommy prompted her.
"Ignore him, he can't help you and you can't help him." The Other Kimberly said with a sneer. "This is your fate, Kimberly, to be alone and hopeless."
"Don't listen Kim. Focus on my voice. I'm here for you. I'll always be here for you like you're always here for me." Tommy's voice said.
"Wait, why did you call me Kimberly? I thought we are the same person? Who are you really?" Kimberly said getting to her feet. She wiped the tears from her eyes. Her eyes then narrowed.
"I'm you. The true you." The Other Kimberly insisted.
"No, you aren't," Kimberly said shaking her head. "Who are you? What are you?"
"Kimberly, focus on my voice." Tommy's voice said.
Kimberly moved past the Other Kimberly to where she thought she heard Tommy's voice coming from. The Other Kimberly tried to pull her back but Kimberly struggled mightily until she kicked the other girl off her. Kimberly continued forward while a blindly light surrounded her accompanied by a roaring in her ears. The Other Kimberly transformed into a shadow creature and shrieked in frustration before fading away.
Kimberly blinked, she found herself laying on the damp ground back in the clearing. Clasped in her right hand was the fragment of Zeo Crystal they had discovered. Tommy knelt over her a relieved expression on his face.
"W-What happened?" Kimberly asked.
"When you touched the fragment you collapsed. I couldn't wake you no matter how hard I tried. I heard you talking in your sleep, saying odd things. So, I talked to you, it was the only thing I could think to do to help." Tommy said.
Kimberly sat up. She hugged Tommy tightly. "Tommy it was horrible. I thought I lost you forever and let down our friends." She sobbed.
"Hey, now, you'll never lose me," Tommy said. Although they were temporarily de-aged to the status of children they felt the urge to kiss which they did.
After sharing their tender moment Tommy said. "We need to get back, soon."
"Yeah, we do," Kimberly said. "I hope the others retrieved their fragments too."
"So do I," Tommy said helping Kimberly to her feet. "This nightmare won't truly end until Master Vile's spell is broken."
The Command Center, a few minutes later
Upon their arrival, Kimberly and Tommy discovered the others were also successful in their quests. The five fragments of the Zeo Crystal were at last reunited. Alpha placed the reconstituted Zeo Crystal into a slot on the command console and began calibrating the Morphing Grid.
"Everyone this is Tanya Sloan she helped me retrieved my fragment. She asked to come along with me after Zordon and Alpha agreed to help her village where the animals were suffering from a strange sickness." Aisha said introducing a pretty girl in traditional African dress. Aisha left out that she briefly considered staying in Africa but she did not want to give up her relationship with Rocky nor being a Power Ranger. "Zordon thinks Tanya will make a good candidate for one of the three new Rangers the upgraded Morphing Grid can support once things have returned to normal."
"Hi, Tanya, I'm Kimberly Hart. This is my boyfriend Tommy Oliver. We're happy to meet you." Kimberly said. Tommy and Kim were the last to return so Tanya had already been introduced to the others.
"Welcome to Angela Grove, Tanya," Tommy said.
"Thank you both for your hospitality. I'm honored to be chosen as a candidate Power Ranger." Tanya said.
"If everything works out, I'm sure you'll make a great Power Ranger, Tanya," Kimberly said confidently. 'You already did once before.' She added silently. Kimberly could not help but smile when she noticed the way Adam and Tanya were stealing glances at each other. Maybe everything would yet work out for the best with a nudge from her here and there?
"I hope so, Kimberly," Tanya said sheepishly.
"Rangers brace yourselves. Prepare for time restoration," Alpha warned.
Downtown Angel Grove
The enlarged Purple Ranger was having an exceedingly hard time dealing with Goldar and Scorpina alone. Already exhausted she was on the verge of defeat following a particularly violent slash across her chest from Goldar's sword which caused her to shrink down. The monsters shrunk down to finish her off. Purple Ranger was at the end of her rope when finally something good happened. The Earth seemed to pause for an instant then everything sped up for about a minute. The Purple Ranger felt energized. She used her war hammer's long handle to fend off another strike from Goldar and push him and Scorpina with the hammer portion of her weapon. The other newly restored Rangers appeared around her in a wash of multicolored light. Blue Ranger rushed to Purple Ranger's side.
"Are you alright?" Blue Ranger asked.
"I'm okay." Purple Ranger said.
"Oh no, the power brats are back at full force." Scorpina lamented. "They aren't destroying my body again. I'm out of here."
"You coward, we can still win!" Goldar growled.
"Stay if you want, Goldar. But I'm leaving." Scorpina said.
"Fine, but you'll explain this to Lord Zedd and Queen Rita, not me," Goldar said after glancing at his artificial hand.
The pair of monsters vanished but were soon replaced by Master Vile who rapidly grew to enormous size. "Those accursed cowards! I'll deal with you Power Rangers once and for all, to the death!" Master Vile said.
"If you insist." White Ranger said as the Power Rangers summoned their Zords.
The Zords including Purple Ranger's Raptor Zod formed the improved Dino Mega Zord. The Dino Mega Zord wasted no time unsheathing its mighty sword. Master Vile and the Dino Mega Zord clashed.
Their fight was intense if brief. Sword and staff rebound again and again until with a monumental upward swing of the sword Master Vile's staff was cleaved in two. The monstrous monarch stumped backward propelled by shock as much as by the impact.
"It can't be! I've never been defeated in battle!" Master Vile whined.
"There's a first time for everything." Tommy's voice taunted from the Dino Mega Zord.
The Dino Mega Zord ran Master Vile through with its sword. When the blade was withdrawn, Master Vile stared in disbelief at the gaping, sparkling wound in his torso. Master Vile pointed a shaky hand at the Dino Mega Zord.
"Power Rangers, my family will stop at nothing to avenge me. You have won the battle but lost the war. Vengeance shall be mine from beyond the grave." Master Vile warned with his last words. Master Vile's body fell exploding spectacularly when it hit the ground.
The Moon
Rita Repulsa was inconsolable. "Daddy is gone! I hate those nasty ranger punks Zeddy! I hate them! I hate them! I hate them!" Rita wailed upon her throne.
"Don't cry my pet. I'll make sure those Rangers pay yet." Lord Zedd said making a fist with the hand that was not holding his scepter.
"Hey, that rhymes," Rito said. Unlike his sister, Rito was seemingly unaffected by the demise of his father.
"Silence fool!" Zedd said pointing at Rito. He began pacing around the throne room like a caged beast. "Our first order of business should be punishing Goldar and Scorpina for abandoning their posts. Where are those traitors anyway?"
"Beats me," Rito said. Zedd shot him a withering glare that Rito failed to notice.
"They have yet to return from Earth, my liege," Finster said.
"No doubt they are fleeing from my wrath. Find them at once!" Lord Zedd growled. "Punishing them in grisly fashion will make my pet feel better."
"Zeddy, you always put me first," Rita said.
"I'd do anything for you." Lord Zedd said lovingly. "Find them, idiots!" He barked at the lesser monsters and Putties who hurriedly ran off to implement his orders.
Outside Angel Grove
Goldar and Scorpina were making their way nowhere in particular when they were confronted by Ivan Ooze! "Hello there," Ivan said cheerfully.
"Ivan Ooze, but how!?" Goldar stuttered fearfully. "Is this a side-effect of Master Vile's time spell?" He could not help but wonder.
"Who is this guy Goldar?" Scorpina asked. Having been "dead" when Ivan went on his rampage she had not met the ancient tyrant.
"Not exactly," Ivan Ooze said ignoring Scorpina's question. "I see you've deserted your posts. Most leaders have no use for the spinless, luckily I have ways around such deficiencies in my followers."
Without warning, Ivan Ooze spat purple slime into the faces of Goldar and Scorpina. This slime entered their bodies through their eyes, noses, and mouths. Their eyes flashed bright purple before returning to normal.
"Come with me, my new minions. There is much to do." Ivan Ooze said walking off with Goldar and Scorpina in tow.
"Yes, master," Goldar and Scorpina said flatly.
To Be Continued
