Two Days Before
Kimberly awoke, forgetting where she was for a moment as she shot up in bed.
"Easy, Kim," as two gentle hands caught her.
"Aisha?" Kimberly said surprised.
"You bet, Trini's here too." Kimberly looked at the foot of the bed and there Trini stood.
"I'm glad we're not letting that slammed phone be the last word between us, Kim." Trini said.
Kimberly attempted a smile but then looked at the attire of both of her friends.
"Guys, what is going on and why are you both wearing those uniforms." Kimberly asked.
"That's why we're all here." Aisha replied.
They got Kimberly up and the three women moved from the medical bay through the massive halls of the Mega Star Ship.
"I know what you must be thinking, Kim. We've been on board this ship for two days, and I still can't get over how big it is."
"Aisha, you don't know what I'm thinking about right now." Kimberly said.
"Don't be abrasive, Kim. You'll understand the seriousness of the situation soon enough." Trini advised. Kimberly allowed her silent annoyance to be her answer as the three of them entered the ship's meeting room.
They were all there: Tommy, Jason, Billy, Katherine, Adam, Zack, Rocky and a number of others that she did not recognize. It was a packed room, about twenty people in all. Kimberly saw that there were people on monitors who Tommy was talking to as she found a seat in the full room. Kimberly also saw a robot that looked like Alpha.
Tommy turned from the monitors and he and Jason took center stage, and addressed the gathered group.
"We all know how it is we have come together here today," Jason began, "but now it is time we all learned the why." Jason turned to Tommy.
"Hello, everyone, it's been a long time. We thought a long time ago that our battles were done. That we all succeed and fulfilled Zordon's dream and defeated the forces of Rita, Zedd and their masters. But we have learned recently that we were wrong. The evil we thought was dead...part of it survived and has grown. And now it threatens Earth. Not to mention all of us, and every single Rangers team that came later."
"What are we facing here?" Zack asked.
"Andros." Tommy signaled.
"Six years ago, Zordon sacrificed himself in order to destroy the evil of Dark Specter and your old enemies. But two months ago, my sister, Karone, and I learned a horrifying secret. Before their elimination, Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd...had an off spring - a child."
"Oh gross." Kimberly said under her breath as she remembered when Lord Zedd tried to make her his bride. She shoved that bad memory back down in her mind.
"Karone and I discovered this during an expedition of a liberated planet that was once under the thrall of Dark Specter. We thought the minions of Rita, Zedd and Divatox were all dead, but some survived. My sister and I barely survived our encounter with Rita and Zedd's daughter."
"They had a daughter!" Trini said.
Andros continued, "Yes, a daughter they named: Kirai. And since the defeat of her parents and overlord, she has been kept in secret ever since. Kirai has been under the guardianship of Rita's most deadly soldier: Scorpina."
"She survived!" Zack said incredulously, the rest of the original Power Rangers team looked shaken, as they remembered Scorpina's ferocity in battle. (Jason in particular remembered her sting most vividly.)
"As well as being under the tutelage of the evil spirit: Lokar."
"But we destroyed him!" Billy insisted
"He survived." Andros affirmed.
Tommy spoke, "We've also learned of her capabilities and that for the last four years she has harnessed her powers and has become more powerful then Rita and Zedd combined. And she has amassed a massive army, as well as seized control of what remains of the collective armies of her parents as well as the Machine Empire."
"That's why all of you have been summoned," Jason continued, "the threat is real and requires our combined might, the combined powers of all Ranger teams, past and present.
"You and Tommy contacted us all? You guys could have just called." Kimberly chose her words carefully as she thought of Trini. "Why the dreams?"
"That wasn't us." Jason revealed.
"It was I!" A woman said, upon entering the meeting hall, she was tall, with dirty blonde hair, and wearing a green cloak.
"Dulcea!" Adam said in amazement.
"Yes, it was I who summoned you all. It was I who intervened to help Andros and Karone. When I learned of Kirai and her plans, I reached out to all of you- crudely I might say- but I was trying to make you all aware of the threat. I am joyful that my call was heard and you have all gathered."
"Now, for the next phase," Tommy began, "the final restoration of our powers and then we can begin our efforts to counter this threat.
"But our weapons, our Zords, they are all gone." Aisha said.
"They have all been rebuilt and re-strengthened." Jason informed with delight. "From the Dinosaur to the Thunder, Ninja, Zeo and Turbo: all of the Zords have been refurbished and will all be used in the coming war."
War. Kimberly thought to herself. That was a word that they did not always use when they were teenagers.
"How will you restore our powers when…with Zordon gone? The Command Center is no more" Katherine asked.
Tommy responded, "That's where Dulcea comes in."
"Zordon was my friend and teacher; we were allies for a very long time. He showed me how the power is created, as well as how to shape it and manipulate it."
Billy added, "The morphing grid is almost fully functional. We were able to test it about a day ago. Some of you may have felt-how do I put it? …You may have felt an extra surge of power recently. If you did, that means it works."
"But some of us, we were successors to some of the original Rangers, how will you do this? Will new powers be created for us?" Rocky asked.
"The powers of the original five were connected to a dinosaur avatar, but later the powers were changed. Such as yours Rocky, you will receive that power while the original five will have the power of the dinosaur avatars fully restored." Dulcea informed.
"That's how Aisha and I can both be the Yellow Ranger." Trini said.
"However, Rocky, you were also a Zeo Ranger. Those powers will be fully restored to you as well. The power of the Triceratops shall be fully restored to the Blue Ranger. But rangers like you will be able to use both."
Zack smiled, "Morphin!"
"Very soon." Jason said with a smile, causing a relief among the original Power Rangers team.
"Now, dear Rangers, it is finally time to restore your powers." Dulcea announced.
"Okay, this is officially too much for me." Kimberly announced as she got up and left the room. The dreams, the threat, everything welled up, it too much to handle. She stalked the halls, not knowing where to go. She found a window and looked out, staring at the Earth below. Kimberly became very emotional and felt her tears well up in her eyes. There was no other way to express how she felt.
"Kim?" It was Jason.
"I'm surprised it was you who came after me." Kimberly replied not looking at him, "I thought Tommy would try. Or even Billy again." Kimberly wiped a tear from her eye.
"I told them all I would talk to you." Jason replied. Kimberly breathed, and turned.
"What are you going to try and talk to me about?" Kimberly asked.
"I was watching you, Kim, you didn't seem very enthusiastic."
"I wouldn't use the term 'enthusiastic,' Jason. You were talking about war in there," Kim said pointing back to the meeting room, "In case you have forgotten, our battles were done. We - I guess you could say - 'retired' and moved on. Zordon drafted others to fight his enemies."
"You're right, I'm not enthusiastic about-"
"WHY ARE YOU WEARING THAT UNIFORM!" Kimberly suddenly yelled.
"Kim?"
"Do you not get how insane this is!? After all this time?"
"Kim, it's serious."
"War, Jason! You used the term war! Not battle, not fight. War."
"That's what it is, Kim."
"In case you forgotten, we left that fight a long time ago. They didn't need us anymore, and they let us go."
"That was the operative term, Kim. Our lives were changing back then, and Zordon let us go. We chose to leave and he let us leave the fight."
"He had no problem drafting us into it in the first place. Our high school years, Jason! Zordon had no problem sending us off to fight his war and battles. It was not an easy decision then, but I fought it. I was proud to be a Ranger, then. Then…"
"I know, the thing with Zedd, what happened with Katherine. But things are different now, Kim."
"Just send me back down, Jason! I don't want to be a part of this. I have a life! I have people!"
'You're in danger, Kim. We all are and by extension so are the people we love. Nothing has changed. All the times we were targeted by Rita, or when she hypnotized our parents and held them in her limbo. The people we love will be targets again, only this time they won't be held in a prison."
"What?" Kimberly said with tears coming down her face.
"Kim, this daughter of Rita and Zedd means business. She's already killed an entire team of rangers from another world. She's playing for keeps and the stakes are high. We all need to band together on this."
"She's killed a team? How many? If she can do that then why have you put that uniform back on? If she's ready to take it that far-"
Jason interrupted her, "Kim, I'm wearing it because I have to protect the ones I love, that includes my family and all of you guys."
"No! No Jason we don't! It's not our fight."
"Kim, it's that serious, it's that dangerous."
More tears filled her eyes, "I have a life, Jason!" Jason moved forward and embraced her and held her tight.
"I know you don't want to do this, Kim. I know all the factors, the stuff, everything that happened before you left. But this is worse than anything Rita or Zedd could come up with. You have to be a Ranger again, not because of Zordon or what he saw in us all those years ago. It's about the promise we made to one another. Remember how we all didn't want to fight when Zordon first called us? Remember that first day?" Kimberly shook her head in remembrance against Jason's shoulder.
"We all tried to shake it off, and ignore it. We all chose that we didn't want to do it. And we were attacked anyway, we were targeted by Rita just because we were in Zordon's presence. That's when the fight came to us, Kim. That's why we were chosen, not just because we were good at heart, but because we wanted to fight for each other and protect one another."
Kimberly wiped her eyes, "And not many people will do that," she sniffed as she remembered how she and the others were always so involved in the youth program, trying to help kids and give them good examples. To protect them and give them hope for the future."
"That's why Zordon chose us, because we would stand up. We stood up for the world then, Kim. Now we have to stand up for each other first this time."
Kimberly sniffed and continued to hold Jason and looked to her left. She thought of them all, her friends from high school and the looming threat. When she had saw Katherine and Tommy it had brought back those bad memories, of what she had faced on her own before she left the team. Kimberly looked at her current life and all that she had gained. She had wanted to return to that so badly.
But Jason was right; all of it could be destroyed in an instant. All of it, she had allowed a personal selfishness to cloud her mind. This was a time for heroes, and Jason had reminded her of what kind of hero she was and had always been.
"I'm sorry, Jason."
"It's okay, I'm afraid too, Kim."
"I'm just a mixed, I -"
"We all have lives that we are putting on hold, Kim. But when I heard about all of this, when Andros and Dulcea told me and Tommy, my first thoughts were of you and the rest. Of my little baby boy, that's why I have to put on the red once again. That's why I'm here and why I'm asking you to come back."
"You always were so selfless." Kimberly said with a smile, "You and Tommy. You two were the best."
"No, you were, Kim. Whenever I was afraid, you showed me how to be brave again." Kimberly put her head on his shoulder and he kissed the top of her head.
"Okay, let's go." Kimberly affirmed. Jason smiled and put his arm around her shoulders and walked her back to the meeting room. They entered to the eyes of all present. Kimberly blinked her eyes, took a breath and looked at all the gathered Rangers.
"Okay," she said, "Let's do this." The others broke out in applause and went to her side, happy to have her back.
Tommy turned to Dulcea and said, "We're ready." Dulcea smiled and she and Andros led the original nine rangers out of the meeting hall to another section of the massive ship. They entered a massive hanger next. Andros had been talking to them the whole way, telling them how the systems and power had been recreated to give them their powers back.
"How are you going to do that?" Kimberly asked.
"We had a little help from a friend of yours." Andros replied.
Who Kimberly was about to ask when the hanger door opened and they saw how everything was about to be done. Computers, the way the Commander Center had been set up had been rebuilt- make shift and rebuilt in the hanger.
"Greetings Rangers!" came a jovial voice.
"Alpha!" they all said in unison. Their Alpha, Alpha Five who was Zordon's trusted android. He was different now, a little less gold and some of his paint had worn off, but he was still theirs.
"Yes, it I, Rangers. At your service again. We have no time to waste." Alpha walked amongst the remaining members with a tray filled with blank gold coins. Alpha explained, "With help from Dulcea, these coins shall be infused with the power and thus your ability to morph will be restored to you."
"Incredible." Zack said as he picked up a coin. Dulcea moved to the front of the computers to a platform that had been built, in the area where Zordon would have spoken from.
"Stand before me, Rangers." Dulcea said. They all did. "For the ones who have returned, a final influx of power shall be given to you to make your powers remain permanently. With the rest of you, it shall be easier. Be ready to receive the power and become Power Rangers once again."
Dulcea raised her arms and held up her staff. The lights dimmed and Alpha worked quickly on his computers. "Morphing grid fully activated." He announced. The hum of power filled the air and a vortex of power appeared around Dulcea's staff. Like an electrical storm, bolts of different colored energy shot out at the outstretched hands of the rangers. The lightening entered the coins and they grew bright.
"It's Morphin Time!" Jason called out.
The air filled with power and the calling of the animal spirits. Alpha turned to see the rangers restored. They all turned and looked at one another as the smoke cleared and found that they were all in uniform once again…except for Kimberly. Kimberly looked at Jason (Red), Tommy (White), Trini (Yellow), Billy (Blue), Zack (Black).
"Why?" Then she saw her Pink Ranger uniform. The Ranger removed her helmet and it was Katherine!
"What the hell!" Kimberly yelled.
Hours Later
Kimberly sat alone in the meeting room where she had learned of the threat of Rita and Zedd's daughter. (Where she thought she would be pressed into service once again.) And now that she had accepted her role and after attempting to restore her powers, it had failed. Out of all the rangers, she was the only one not to get her powers back. Instead, the powers of the Pink Ranger had all gone to Katherine. In addition to her Zeo powers, she had the Pink Ranger and Pterodactyl.
Great, just great. Kimberly thought to herself. She held her blank power coin in her hand and kept turning it around and around in her fingers, as if that would bring the power back. Alpha and Dulcea tried three more times to restore the Pink Ranger power to Kimberly, but it was all for naught. Billy, Alpha and Dulcea were all working on a solution and the cause of why Kimberly's powers had not returned. Guess I get my wish after all. Kim thought.
Kimberly turned and looked at Jason, Trini and Tommy. They all had come to sit and talk with her. But the events of the past few hours and days made her unresponsive and she wasn't listening to them. The doors opened and Billy, Alpha and Dulcea came in.
"We figured it out." Billy said.
"How to restore her powers?" Tommy asked.
'No, how they did not take effect." Billy replied.
"How?" Kimberly asked.
"Your powers were not surrendered willingly originally. Do you remember?" Billy asked. Kim closed her eyes and shook her head yes.
"In order to save Kim from Lord Zedd all those years ago, Zordon had to cut Kimberly off from the morphing grid completely. Effectively stripping her of all her powers, permanently."
"Can you put me back in?" Kimberly asked.
"That is not possible, I am afraid." Alpha replied. He explained that the technology and power that were generated at the Command Center, all of it was interfaced with Zordon's mind. That it was all alive through him. His mind, his intelligence was the epicenter, the nucleus- that it all worked through him. Zordon had removed Kimberly and transferred the Power to Katherine. Without Zordon, it could not be done.
"So Zordon giveth and Zordon taketh away?" Kimberly said
"It appears so." Alpha said sadly.
Kimberly sat down sadly, she felt horrible. Originally she hoped this responsibility would pass over her. That she would be able to return to her life and walk away. But now that she wanted to return, it seemed she would now be catching a shuttle back to Earth anyway.
"There may still be a way we can restore you your powers, Kim, but for the time being, Katherine has them." Billy said. Kimberly put her hands on her head, ashamed of how she acted before.
"Or, there is another light she can carry." Dulcea said. Kimberly looked up as did the others. "Before, you were six and Tommy was that sixth Ranger."
"That's right!" Tommy said.
"Are you suggesting?" Kimberly began saying.
"There's another power you could inherit, Kimberly Hart. The power of the Green Ranger."