A/N: Hi everyone! Here are two kinda short chapters for you. I am trying to separate things because it will be building quite quickly now and I am hoping to not squish it all in one chapter.
To clarify, Kim is in 1994. I know I put 1998 previously but that was incorrect. Thank you to those who have caught this and let me know! Some times, those details get by me. You guys are the best! Thanks for keeping me on my game.
As always, R&R! Thank you!
Kimberly
Minutes passed as I knelt behind the lock, stabbing at it with the nail in my hand. I tried to listen to see if I heard any commotion going on up the hall but there was nothing to be heard. I didn't like how long it was taking Tommy to find Kimberly. It made me nervous that something may have happened to her. She must still be alive or else I wouldn't be here, but I didn't know what they could be doing to her. Or him, now. Shoving the nail into the key hole, I shook the handle as hard as I could. There was a loud click and roughly, the handle turned. It was just enough for me to pull the door open all of the way. I ran out of the cell, grabbing the green orb once I was free of it. Checking to see if the hallway was clear, I started my way up it.
There was a noise coming from the left side of the hallway. It sounded like a buzzing noise. Almost like one you would hear going from a refrigerator or large appliance in a quiet apartment. I kept moving forward and the throne room came into view. I saw Rita's telescope still set up in the same spot as it had been when they had dragged me here. There was no one to be seen though, no sign of Kimberly or Tommy. I kept along the walls of the throne room, shrinking behind curtains when I could. There were two doorways on the left side of the large room and one on the right, minus the large one that led to the balcony that over looked the Earth.
A blood curdling scream suddenly echoed off the walls around me, travelling from the door on the most left side of the room. I recognized it as my own, twenty years ago. Reaching into the waist band of my pants, I pulled out the large stake of wood I had from the stool and gripped it tightly in my hand. Moving forward, I walked through the doorway and found myself in another hall. I set the glowing orb on the floor, not wanting to give myself away. The orbs were lit along this hall, the stone walls glowing as I walked. There was another scream, closer this time and I felt it pass right through my body with a shudder. It was like I could feel it happening to me.
"Keep screaming. I like it." Goldar's gruff voice carried down the hallway. There was a weird noise after it, followed by a whimper. I gripped the stake tightly in my palm, stopping outside of the doorway at the end of the hall. It was a larger room, smaller than the throne room. The walls were stone and a dark grey color, this room missing the red curtains that the throne room had. On one wall, there was a metal shelf with potions in beakers. In the middle of the room, there was a stone slab that Goldar was standing over. Kimberly was laying on top of it, her wrists and ankles clamped into cast iron cuffs built into the table. Goldar pressed a piece of metal against the skin on her thigh, it is glowing white hot. I heard it sear before she screamed. On my leg, I felt my skin tighten in the same place. Pulling up my pant leg, I saw a scar appear that I hadn't had before. There were several there now, each in the same spot on Kimberly. As he pulled the metal away, it glowed pink for a second. Looking around the room, I saw no sign of Tommy. How hadn't he made it here yet? Her screaming could probably be heard on Earth if you listened closely enough. Where was he? Kimberly screamed again, and another scar formed. I couldn't just stand here and let this keep happening.
Taking a deep breath, I forced down all the fear I had in me and ran forward. My bare feet allowed me to be quiet, letting me rush towards Goldar without being heard. Jumping, I landed on his back right between his black feathered wings. Pulling my hand back, I plunged it forward. The wooden stake sank into the meaty flesh of his neck, blood pouring from the wound. He let out a loud yell of pain, trying to reach me with his free hand. He couldn't reach me though. He stepped backwards, swinging his arms aimlessly as he tried his best to get me. The hot metal piece touched my arm, it burning the skin it contacted. I bit back a scream of pain, pulling the stake back out of his neck and plunging it in again. This dropped him to his knees, the metal poker falling to the floor.
"You bitch." He panted, still trying to get me. I retrieved the stake again, bringing it down as hard as I could into the middle of his back. I heard a stomach rolling crunch and he let out a gurgling groan before falling forward. I rolled off of him, trying to catch my breath. He didn't move, his red eyes staring into space from where he laid. Bending over, I grabbed his sword from his belt line. It was heavier than it looked, the gold weapon standing about three quarters of my height. I dragged it with me over to the stone table where Kimberly was going in and out of consciousness.
"Hey. Wake up." I sat, lightly slapping her face. Her eyes opened slowly, the lids looking heavy. I twisted off the cuffs on her hands and feet and she tried to sit up. It didn't work though, her too weak to hold herself up. Wrapping an arm around her back, I hoisted her off the table, so she was standing. She was able to put her arm on my shoulder and I grabbed the sword with my free hand, allowing her to use it as a crutch. "Come on. We have to find Tommy and get the fuck out of here."
"Rita has him." She said in a soft voice. Her head lolled to one side, but she was able to walk forward as we headed into the hallway. She gestured towards another doorway across from it. Slowly, we made our way towards it.
"Tommy, you know you want it." Rita's voice said in a soft tone. Peeking into the room, I saw her standing in a smaller room. It looked like a bed chamber, a four-poster bed in there with red satin sheets and lace curtains from the upper part. Next to the bed, Tommy stood there in is Ranger spandex. His helmet was off, and he was staring intently at a large glowing orb in front of him. It pulsated with a deep green color and I realized that his eye was doing the same thing. "You've missed me. I can see it inside of you."
"Fuck." I whispered. Carefully, I set Kimberly on the ground in the hallway, leaning against the wall. I didn't know what I was going to do. I didn't think my stake would work against Rita. She would just use magic to deflect it anyways. She might even have Tommy under the spell already. If I could get him out now, Zordon and the rest of the rangers might be able to reverse the spell. Gripping the handle of the sword in both of my hands, I lifted it off the ground the best I could. I knew I was only going to get one shot at this. If I missed, we were all going to be dead.
"I can keep you safe from what that pink whore is going to do to you." Rita said, moving closer to Tommy. My eyes narrowed as I glared at her. "Let me protect you from that. She doesn't care about you like I do."
"Fuck you, Rita." I said, drawing her attention towards me. Picking up the sword as high as I could, I sprinted into the room and swung the sword. It missed Rita, it not swinging wide enough to hit her with the blade. It did collide with the orb and the glass cracked.
"No!" She cried, rushing forward to grab it. I took the opportunity to grab Tommy by the scruff of his neck and drag him and the sword from the room. Behind us, I heard Rita sobbing over the giant marble as I made it out into the hallway. Kimberly had managed to pull herself to her feet. Her eyes widened when she saw Tommy and she reached out to help me pull him towards her.
"Grab the sword!" I cried, praying Rita wasn't on our tail. Kimberly reached over and grabbed the handle with me. I pointed the blade towards the ground and she helped me lift it as high as we could. Rita howled out in anger behind us as I brought the blade down. It connected with the stone walk way, gold sparks spraying everywhere. There was a tug at my navel and we were pulled into thin air, the moon palace disappearing around us.
There was a loud pop noise and we landed on grass. It pricked into the skin under me as I tried to figure out just where I was. Sitting up, I saw a pond and blue sky. Next to me, Kimberly laid in the grass, clutching Tommy's arm in her left hand and her abdomen in the other. Rolling over, I crawled towards them. Tommy was still staring into space, his eyes not pulsing green anymore. "What do we do?" She panted, looking up at me.
"This." I grabbed his other wrist, finding his communicator under his glove. Gripping the sword in my hand again, I pressed his teleporting button. In a flash of green, we vanished into the sky. I closed my eyes, the motion making my stomach queasy. It was amazing with the amount of teleporting I did as a kid. It was a true testament of the fact I was getting old. It rang even truer as we slammed into the floor, pain shooting through my knees. I winced, letting go of younger Tommy's communicator. Kimberly was now unconscious on top of him, both of them looking to be in rough shape.
"Umm…who are you?" A voice asked behind me, causing me to jump. Spinning on my ass, I saw that I was certainly not alone. And I was definitely not in 2019. Standing in front of me was the teenaged versions of Trini, Zach, Jason, and Billy. All of them looked extremely confused and guarded, unsure of who the hell I was. Glancing around, I saw we were in the Command Center, something I was hoping for. Next to the kids stood Alpha, the small robot I had seen since the last time I was in this room. My head felt dizzy as I took everything in. So much had happened in the last hour or so and it was beginning to catch up with me. I moved to stand, using Goldar's sword but I stumbled backwards.
"Whoa. Stay there." Kid Jason said to me, stepping forward. I out my forehead in my free palm, closing my eyes. Suddenly, the world tipped, and I saw nothing but black.