A/N: Hello, everyone! Hope we are all still safe and healthy. Here are two chapters of Altered/Reality. Enjoy!

Ranger Slayer

Sitting on the railing of the balcony, I trained my eyes on the portal to the Grid. It shone brightly and now and then, it would crackle with energy. It burned my retinas, causing me to look away but I would look back once the pain was gone. I was not going to allow myself to let Drakkon down again. Not especially after the lashing he had given me on my arrival. I had seen him upset like this before, moments before he ripped the throats out of servants or generals under his command that did not listen to his directions. I had done exactly that and knew that I was extremely lucky to be alive.

I had them. I had those pathetic teenagers in my grasps. After hitting Tommy with the arrow, he hit the ground like a sack of potatoes. Kimberly would be an easy target and I knew I could just take their power coins and head back to here. But when I went to take her out, there was something inside of me. It was something that hurt but yet felt comforting at the same time. Kim acted like I wasn't even there as she threw herself on top of the dying boy. She sobbed out his name, holding him in her arms. That's when the blinding pain came in my head that made me buckle. I had no choice but to leave, risking the chance of being an easy target when the other Rangers arrived to save their friends.

After running, the pain went away. I tried to go back but every time I thought about it, the ache would return. I knew I had to return soon or Drakkon would think something happened to me. I watched the team appear and rush off with their injured friends. That's when I came back through the portal. I knew the moment I appeared that he was upset with me and that I was going to be punished. I had expected him to hurt me and was surprised when he hadn't done so. Instead, he had gone on my mission instead to show me how it's properly done. If anything happens to him, it'll be entirely my fault. That was something that hung heavy in my mind.

"Any word?" Finster asked, walking through the curtains. I shook my head, not moving from my position.

"No." I replied. He clucked his tongue, lazily walking towards me.

"I'm sure all is well. Drakkon knows enough to call for help when needed. He may be strong willed but he is no fool. Especially not one willing to risk his own life to win when he has resources waiting for him at his disposal." Finster leaned against the railing next to me. "Care to talk about what happened in there?"

"I attacked the version of Tommy Oliver that lives there." I stated. "He was with the pink ranger."

"I see. You saw yourselves on the other side of the veil. Odd, isn't it? Like looking into a mirror of the past." He glanced up at the sky, the moon high above us now. "What else occurred?"

"I thought I killed him but apparently I failed at that." I mumbled. "He's just as stubborn to kill as the one in our world."

"Ah, yes. Tommy Oliver was one force to be reckoned with himself even before he transformed into Lord Drakkon." I shifted, pulling my arms around me.

"Finster, I don't recall much before the war with the Coinless. Why is this?" I asked.

"It has something to do with the Morphing Grid, I suspect." He responded, gazing into the empty abyss above us. "I'm unsure as to why it would affect your memory as it does but I assure you it's for the best. It was awful times before Drakkon took rule. Just keep in mind where you stand in his forces. You'll understand your importance."

"I understand just fine." I scoffed. "I'm one of the best fighters he has on his team. I see no other reason as to why he wouldn't trust me with that responsibility." Finster turned, a smile on his lips as he looked at me.

"Of course, my dear. You are very important to his cause. I fear he would have no chance without you in his corner." He sighed, standing up. "I do wish he had taken you with him. It would provide him with an ally at least in this other world."

"He knows what he's doing." I said, standing as well.

"Lord Drakkon is a ruthless fighter and an aggressive tactical leader. He does, however, tend to allow his emotions to cloud his judgement when it comes to certain battles." Finster stepped towards the portal. "I'd hate for him to be in harm's way because of this."

"When I saw them, I felt this pain in my head." I said softly, not looking at the creature. "It was like someone was poking my brain with something sharp and white hot. After I attacked Tommy, it grew even worse. It's why I needed to leave before collecting the source. I was an easy target if not."

"How peculiar." He muttered, stroking the short beard on the end of his chin. "Anything else?"

"No. Why did this happen?" I asked. He shrugged his shoulders.

"Could be a number of things. I do suspect that it could be the use of your powers in a plane that is not ours. It could be effecting your powers and how you tap into the Morphing Grid. Almost as if you are crossing wires that shouldn't be touched. It's the same as to why Drakkon is unable to morph into his full form yet. Which, I do believe I need to return to. Please let me know if he makes contact while I'm gone."

"I will." I said, turning back to the portal. Finster shuffled off towards the curtain, moving it to the side. "I'm going in after him if he doesn't return in an hour." I said. He stopped, glancing at me over his shoulder.

"I've already prepared your weapons."

"Thank you." He bowed his head, leaving.

An hour passed and I found myself still sitting near the portal. I stood on the north side of it, eyeing it. Behind me, I heard an owl rustling in the tree tops. I caused me to look over my shoulder, its white feathers seeming to illuminate from the moonlight. I turned back to the portal and heard the familiar voices coming from it again. It sounded like a mix of different people, their tones mixing together. I stepped closer, trying to concentrate.

"You're new around here, right?" One of the voices said. The pain I had felt in the other world slammed into me, causing my knees to buckle. I grasped my head in my hands, trying to make it stop. In my mind, I suddenly had visions of hallways and people walking. Screwing my eyes shut, I tried to grasp to the vision but it seemed to vanish as quickly as it came. Much like water down a drain. It shifted from that to a body of water, sun shining off of its surface. I heard voices talking and felt that one was my own. I fought to hear what they were saying but nothing came in clearly. It was like listening to a conversation through a door with nothing but a glass to your ear.

As quickly as it came, it went. It left me dry heaving on my hands and knees, sweat pouring off of me in an alarming rate. I was shaking like a leaf, my stomach doing flips. I closed my eyes again, willing it to stop. It ebbed away after a couple of minutes, allowing me to prop myself up on my knees and back on my ankles. Wiping the sweat from my brow, I glared at the portal. What the fuck was happening to me? Was it a sort of poisoning that was occurring to those who didn't belong in that world? The voices sounded so familiar though and I swore one was mine.

My mind drifted to the time before the war with the Coinless. The memories from then were fuzzy, just blurs. I gave this to the fact it had been years and several battles had left me with shots to the head. I could remember being teenaged Kimberly who was concerned with stupid things like gymnastics and school work. It was before Lord Drakkon had begun his mission. When had attacked us the first time, the team proved to be a strong one but we were easily weakened. It was then I realized who my royalty should belong to. He came, allowing me to join his forces. He killed our world's version of Tommy Oliver, taking over the Power Rangers. They ran into hiding, forcing me to find and kill most of them.

"Finster." I called out. He appeared in a matter of moments, my weapons in hand. I morphed quickly, securing my helmet clasps with my fingers that were still trembling. Finster held out my bow to me and I placed it on my back in its holder.

"I've been unable to reach Lord Drakkon. I am unsure if my devices are working correctly here. There is a chance he has been calling for help unsuccessfully." Finster stated, an air of worry and doubt in his voice. Reaching out, I put a hand on his shoulder.

"I'll go find him. I'm sure he will not be pleased as it was a direct order but I will do my best. If we do not return before Lord Zedd and Goldar return, inform Lord Zedd of what has happened. Ensure he doesn't assume our deaths though. You know how quick he is to want power when Lord Drakkon is gone."

"Yes." Finster said, nodding. I drew my hand away and looked back at the portal. Taking a deep breath, I stepped through. That sound of crackling energy was deafening and I moved as quickly as I could. It was like moving through deep water now, my weight heavy with each step.

Soon, I found myself standing on the grass of the park again. The sun was shining brightly and I could hear voices. I also noticed I was no longer morphed, my uniform gone. Instead, I was in my normal clothing. It felt odd to feel sun on my skin, something I hadn't felt in sometime. Looking around, I searched for any sign of anything out of the ordinary. People were in the park, playing in the jungle gym. Some kids were on the basketball courts and families were having picnics on the grassy areas.

Quickly, I made my way towards the path and headed in the direction of town. I needed to find Drakkon as soon as possible. There were no signs of battle or distress in the area. If Drakkon had been here, there would be no hiding destruction. I picked up my pace when I neared the Youth Center, eyeing a couple of teenagers playing hacky sack in the parking lot. On the back end of a car, I saw a baseball cap sitting there. Passing by, I scooped it up and pulled it on my head. Though there were years between us and I'm sure some battle scars, I couldn't risk someone recognizing me as Kimberly. I pulled it down the best I could and hopped onto the sidewalk. The door of the Youth Center was open and I skirted inside.

The building was bustling with kids. Some were working out on the equipment. Others were hanging out at the tables on the upper side of the room. There seemed to be a group of kids crowded around the bar, their attention on the small TV on the counter. I moved closer, trying to stay in the group to avoid standing out.

"This is the fourth murder in the last four days here in Angel Grove." A man said on the screen. He was standing in front of the park, a microphone in hand. "Police are warning citizens to avoid traveling alone at night. Since the return of the Green Ranger, it seems that no one is safe from his attacks."

"That's insane." A voice said near the TV. I recognized Ernie, the owner, leaning against the counter. "I thought he was on our side."

"So did I." Another voice said. This one was deeper and I knew it was Jason Scott before he even turned around. I hid my face behind a pole as he glanced over at Zack and Billy who were standing next to him. On the screen, I saw security footage of the Green Ranger attacking someone in the park. It cut off as he swung his dagger at the person. Confusion set in. Why was Tommy Oliver attacking a civilian? He seemed to be in deep with the team when I was here last. Then I recalled what Drakkon had said over the dimensions. He was unable to morph with both power coins. This must be him, using the only coin that would work.

"I don't know about this, guys." Zach said as the three boys turned away from the bar. I tucked myself as tightly again the pole as I could as they walked by. They stopped at the top of the steps, making sure no one was listening to them. "I know it looks like Tommy-."

"Oh, because he's the green ranger?" Jason asked, an edge of sarcasm in his voice. "Look, I don't want to believe it either but we don't have much choice in the matter. Unless Rita has another evil Ranger hanging around out there, it's the only possible explanation that we have right now."

"We need to get to the Command Center and speak to Tommy." Billy said. "It's the only method of ruling any possibility out of question." Jason nodded.

"Right. C'mon." The three headed out the door and I knew they had teleported right out of the room. So, Drakkon was pretending to be the Green Ranger to cause issues between him and the Ranger team. Why? Was he hoping they would turn on him and kill him? I had to break it to him but Power Rangers don't kill people. Not even their enemies. It's was a stupid rule that Zordon believed in. Sure, there were monsters they would destroy but actually killing anyone that wasn't made out of clay or putty was a huge no-no for the team. Drakkon knew this, though. I had discussed this with him a number of times when I joined his ranks. That's why it was so easy for him to kill Jason. Jason wouldn't kill an enemy, leaving him and easy target.

I left the Youth Center, heading back out onto the street. I would need to lay low for a few hours. Drakkon was most likely attacking people at night. It would be an easy cover then and he could move without much suspicion. He didn't know Angel Grove like I did, however. He was probably somewhere plotting his next move where people wouldn't be. I needed to find him before someone else did. I turned towards the east side of town, knowing where the warehouses were located. He would either be here or somewhere along the marina in the abandoned boat docks. It would take hours to search but I knew I had to.

"Excuse me." A voice said behind me. I stopped, feeling my heart freeze in place. Looking over my shoulder, I saw a younger girl standing there. She was about eleven with long black hair and fair skin. The red and green plaid dress she was wearing popped in the bright sun. Her almond shaped eyes were brown and she smiled brightly up at me.

"Yeah?" I asked.

"Can you help me?" She asked. "I'm supposed to meet my older sister at the park but I don't know where to go."

"Go to the park. It's over there." I pointed behind her towards the crosswalk that went to the entrance of the park.

"I'm not allowed the cross the street by myself." She said softly, frowning. I sighed, glancing around. I was losing daylight. It was nearing 4 o'clock now and I was risking Drakkon being on the move.

"C'mon, kid." I said, nodding towards the road. I started that way and she walking next to me, a bright smile on her face. "Where's your parents?"

"Working. Where are you going?" She asked. I eyed her, seeing that she was skipping as we walked.

"Didn't they ever teach you not to talk to strangers?"

"You're not a stranger! You've been at my house hundreds of times, Kimberly." She said. I was surprised at this and I turned my face away from her. We neared the park now and she continued to skip next to me, humming.

"I'm not Kimberly." I said.

"You're not? You look a lot like her! Are you her sister or something?"

"Or something." I muttered. We walked under the archway of the park entrance. That pain in my skull was starting to slowly return and my stomach felt ill. I swallowed hard, trying to control it. Thankfully, it was not to the point of blinding yet.

"There's my sister!" Serena called out, getting my attention. She was waving her arm as she looked out towards the hills of the park. "Trini!"

"What?" I whispered. My head shot up to look where she was. Sure enough, coming over one of the grassy embankments was Trini Kwan. The fifteen year old smiled and waved towards us, jogging as she neared. The pain returned sharply, causing me to gasp and grabbed my head.

"Are you alright?" Serena asked, putting a hand on my shoulder. I nodded, stepping away.

"I gotta go." I said before turning and running away. I didn't stop until I was a few blocks away and I ducked into an alley way. I collapsed against the side of a green dumpster, fighting to catch my breath. My head was killing me and I felt like I was knocking on death's door. Sweat poured off of me and I could feel the contents of my stomach trying to decide if I needed to throw up or not. Closing my eyes, I leaned my head back.

"There you are." My voice said, a smile curling onto my lips as I gazed down at the group under the tree I stood in. Jumping, I flipped and landing on my feet in front of them. Terrified eyes gazed back at me, except for the person in front. Trini looked at me with a determined look, the tattered remains of her uniform on the outside of her armor. "You're a hard lady to find, Trini."

"Kimberly, you don't have to do this. These people are innocent." She said, holding her hands up in front of her. "Let them go."

"Oh, but why would I do that? Drakkon is always looking for new servants for the castle and recruits for his army. Some of these pathetic fools will do well there. Even as bait."

"Whatever he said to you isn't true." She said, taking a step towards me. "The Kim I know would never seek out to kill her friends. She would fight with us and try to save Tommy and the world."

"Tommy Oliver is dead." I said. "So is the Kimberly you knew. Now, you can stand down and come quietly. Or you can make my day a little bit more interesting." She reached down and pulled out her Power Daggers. I sighed, rolling my eyes as I pulled my bow from my back.

"Get everyone to safety." Trini said to the person on her left. They nodded, turning to the group. The all took off, running deeper into the forest.

"Well, you just gave them a few more hours to live." I said, shrugging. "How noble of you."

"Think about what you're doing. What you've done! He killed Jason, Kimberly! You killed Zack. When will this end?" I pulled the string of my bow back and a glowing pink arrow of energy appeared.

"When you're all dead." I said, letting go.

I gasped, opening my eyes. My body was shaking and I did my best to make it stop. That was when I felt the tears stream down my face and the pain in my chest.