Days passed, and they traveled through the tunnels to avoid the ranger slayer/dragon slayer. Who was this person anyway? Did she hurt anymore innocent dragons or creatures? To get information on them, it was very likely. But, surely Ms. Shoutfire and the other dragons were on the watch to protect dragon eggs, new hatched dragons, and dragon children.
"How much longer?" Kimberly questioned. The dried mud was still on her body and was flaking off causing her skin to itch like crazy. Pink spots were noticeable on her body and gold specks on her horns were getting to be much more noticeable. "This mud is really getting irritating."
"I have no idea," Tommy answered. "We've been traveling for hours. But, we can't stop now. The ranger slayer could have found us."
"You meant the dragon slayer."
"She slays dragons and rangers it doesn't make much different what we call her. Does it?"
"When you put it that way, I guess it doesn't make much difference."
The ranger slayer walked around the forest swinging her sword at tall weeds and branches to prevent anyone from hiding in the forest. At the point of her sword was blood. She had already slaughtered some other dragons and was walking along the path ready to fight anyone who stood in her way. Everyone last dragon, animal, or woodland creature would be slaughtered who tried to shield Kimberly and Tommy from her. And she didn't care if she had to strike out a whole dragon village, she was going to find them. Eventually, they'd have to make an appearance in the forest. They were eventually going to need to need water and food.
She was with Lord Drakkon when he struck down two of the rangers. The ranger slayer smiled as she remembered transforming into Scorpina and showing her identity to the rangers. Right after she transformed into her true former, Lord Drakkon lied to the rangers and said he was Tommy Oliver. He had turned to the dark side. They never revealed what happened to Kimberly. So, the rangers thought that she was struck down with the two other rangers.
Meanwhile, Kimberly and Tommy were walking down the tunnel path and came to a pool of water. They were under ground and no one else could see them. "We been walking for hours," Kimberly hinted stopping by the water. "The dried mud has been on our bodies for days. It's flaking and irritating. Tommy, we need a bath. I'm sure we'll find mud later in this tunnel and we can roll in the mud again. What do you say?"
Tommy stared into the water and stuck his toe in. The water was nice and warm. He had to admit that he was uncomfortable with dried mud flaking off his skin. Kimberly was right, no one else was down there. It was perfectly safe for them to take a bath.
"I don't see why not," Tommy answered as Kimberly jumped into the water. He jumped in after her and found it relaxing.
"I can't believe we were humans," Kimberly stated as she looked down at her pink skin. "I have always thought we were dragons. And I've always liked living as a dragon too."
"That's all we've ever known," Tommy remarked staring down at his green skin. "If we were humans that meant we must walked on two legs, wore clothes, ate human food, and other things that humans do. But, how do humans live? I honestly don't remember. Do you think we liked our human life style?"
"We must have," Kimberly said. "But, here in the dragon world when the dragons are all grown up the marry the one they are in love with. I like the idea of someday being married to you. I have often heard that humans marry too."
"Beautiful, I don't care if we're humans or dragons," Tommy began when he felt Kimberly nuzzle him. "I just want to be married to you when we're older. All of the other dragons haven't shown me the love that you have given me."
"I bet we were in love when we were humans," Kimberly purred staring down at the ring on her toe. She had it for as long as she could remember. "I think that I must have gotten my ring and the heart necklace from you-"
"-it does make sense," Tommy interrupted looking down at the yin yang necklace. "I bet you gave me this necklace, when I was human."
"It is possible," Kimberly answered. She looked down below them and saw a small entrance at the bottom of the pool. Even though she had horrible experience when Hazen trapped her at the bottom of the lake, she had to know where that passage leads to. Kimberly dived down under the water and started to swim to the bottom.
"Kim wait up!"
She stopped when she reached the bottom of the pool and Tommy caught up with her. "Where do you think that leads to?" he asked as they both looked through the tunnel.
"I don't know," she answered. "Maybe it leads to safety. If that's the case, we can start our own lives and not worry about being on the run all the time."
They swam through the tunnel and saw light coming up from above. Both swam up towards the surface was a castle like dungeon. "This is the time crystal," Tommy explained as they swam over to it. "In one of our classes, we studied it. It is supposed to protect anyone in danger by freezing them inside the crystal. Whoever is inside the crystal, they will go into a deep sleep once the crystal freezes around everyone inside; and the energy from the crystal can take out enemies-"
"-At last I found you!" shouted the dragon slayer shouted as she sits of dynamite.
There was nowhere else for them to run. "Kimberly get close to me," Tommy ordered as they ran to the crystal. He knew they were going to be stuck in there for a while. But, he remembered that only someone who wasn't evil could get them out. Once they were in the crystal nothing could break through to get them.
"Aren't we going to get stuck inside?" Kimberly fretted as she got close to Tommy. "We could be in there for days, months, or even years. I don't want us to be frozen in there forever."
It appeared like they were on their hind legs. She stands next to him and he held out his front legs and wrapped them around her body. "I'll still be holding when we are released," he assured her as they crystal started to freeze around their bodies.
Kimberly quickly wrapped her front legs around his waist resting her head on his shoulder. "I love you, Tommy," she stated as they squeezed each other as tight as they could.
"I love you too, Kimberly," Tommy yawned as they both feel asleep and crystal froze around them completely. A bright wave of light came from the crystal destroying Scorpina in one blow. The dynamite when off and the walls began to come crashing down.
Author's note:
In the next chapter, Kimberly and Tommy will be released and learn a few years have passed by.
