Yay here's chapter 35 finally. It would have written/up sooner, but I was having problems plus was a very busy person. Bad combination. I've also seen that I'm nearing 200 reviews. I really hope to make that milestone before the fic ends, so please leave feedback. It's a great inspiration to write. I've never been able to finish a long fic before (just look at my profile) and I'm trying my hardest to make sure this one gets finished. Enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 35 Conversations and Stakeouts

Jason and Tommy walked through the park for awhile in silence after that. Jason knew that he'd have to push Tommy to talk about anything since he wouldn't do it willingly. A silent Tommy with pent-up anger would do no good in battle. "Tommy, what did Kimberly say to you?"

"Nothing, it's nothing," replied Tommy hastily.

"Yes, there's something."

"Look, I got my answers, all right?"

"What were the answers, Tommy?" asked Jason in the same level voice.

"It wasn't a guy. It was her disability," he murmured, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"Yeah?"

"And all because of Rita. She lied to me when she gave me answers, but it was Rita, I know it was! The way that Rita talked, it could have been no one else! Jason, her dreams of Pan Globals and Olympic gold were lost because of that witch. All because of me. I'm the one that Rita wants, not Kimberly. Kimberly was just being used to get to me."

Jason was silent. He was letting the information sink in, and he couldn't think of anything to say in response. The boys continued on in silence. Rita had changed drastically and decided to directly attack rather than skirt around the issues with another monster creation. It was true that she was using Maroon to get to the Rangers, but Maroon was smarter than any old monster that Finster could create. Maroon was cloned and carried the same smarts and memories as Kimberly, except for the evil twist on her personality.

Tommy tried to stay silent, hoping that Jason wouldn't ask anymore questions. He hated being questioned because he knew that Jason simply wanted to get his feelings on the subject. Tommy would rather think things out first; he was still a little confused about the whole situation. What was he going to do once Maroon was defeated? He knew that he definitely needed to have a talk with Kimberly. They had to talk more about the letter and the status of their relationship. Now that he knew the real reason, the reason that Kimberly had given him simply didn't suffice. But was he willing to date her even though she was confined to a wheelchair? Without a moment's pause, he answered his own question. There was simply no doubt.

Jason glanced over at his best friend and noticed him to be deep in thought. He sighed to himself. He knew that questioning Tommy any further could make him angrier, but he didn't want Tommy's anger to get in the way of the final battle. It was a lose-lose situation, and Jason didn't like that. As a leader at heart, he knew he had to either accept the challenge, or try to compromise. Right now, accepting wasn't working.

Master Vile's

Maroon growled to herself as she finished her "punishment". She was going to have to stop letting her anger get the best of her. It always fell back on her in some cruel way. She cursed Kimberly and didn't care whether the girl heard or not. She needed to put the plan into action very soon before she continued to have to torture herself. She knew she'd already made the plan clear to Kimberly. Now all she needed to do was set the plan in motion.

All of a sudden, the door to the room burst open, and in stormed Rita. "Why aren't you on Earth yet! Do you think I don't know your whereabouts?" she ranted.

"My queen, I had to prepare the toy for the battle. I had to make the consequences clear—"

"They're clear enough. She knows what happens if she disobeys."

"Yes, my queen," bowed Maroon.

"Now, get to Earth before I get really angry! I know for a fact that the Rangers are already in waiting for you. It seems that Zordon sent them on a little stake-out mission."

"Where are the Rangers now?" asked Maroon.

"In various places in Angel Grove. If you want to target Tommy in particular, then he and Jason are in Angel Grove Park. If you want an empty area, there are places in the industrial zone that have been overlooked."

"I'll go straight for the source," stated Maroon. "I'd rather not avoid it, and Zordon's sensors would soon detect my presence."

"Good observation," noted Rita. "Do as you want, but remember: you fail, you'll die, either by the Rangers' hands or my own."

Maroon nodded. "I understand, my queen," she answered coldly, bowing.

"And remember, don't get too cocky like you did when you fought Jason in battle. Look where that one got you."

"I know my mistakes and won't make them again," responded Maroon, getting slightly angered by that remark. She knew for a fact that Rita had lost plenty of battles due to cockiness, and yet here she was lecturing Maroon on not doing it. What a hypocrite she thought. How dare she lecture me like a little child! It's as though she, as a parent, never made the mistakes I did. I'll acknowledge my mistakes, but she won't live up to her own. If I bring it up, she'll have my head.

"Get to Earth then. I will watch the battle through my Repulsa Scope. Confuse the Rangers into killing either Kimberly or Tommy, or both. Kimberly should be easier than Tommy."

Kimberly had been watching the exchange of conversation between the two. The two rambled on as though Kimberly weren't even there, as if she were just another piece of furniture in the room. It made her blood boil, but she said nothing. It was best to keep quiet. Facing the wrath of Maroon was one thing, but facing the wrath of Maroon and Rita Repulsa were an entirely different story.

She realized she'd spoken too soon when Rita's eyes trailed to her curled up body. "Hello Kimberly," she said coldly.

Kimberly didn't answer, but this time Rita didn't kick her, or try to torture her anymore. The time for that was past now. Everything was riding on this last thread, and Rita knew that well. "Don't screw up, Pinky," she warned. "You'll be seeing me a lot more often if you do."

Whatever Rita meant by that statement, Kimberly couldn't guess, but then she realized what Rita had meant. She'd get to her in her dreams, just like she had before. Dreams where Kimberly couldn't control what she said or did, or what happened to her. If Rita interfered in her dreams, then she could cause even more mayhem. It was Rita, after all, who caused her to get so depressed that she wrote Tommy that letter. It was Rita's fault, that she ever denied herself of her old friends.

"Stay out of my dreams, you evil witch," replied Kimberly.

"There's nothing that a sap like you can do to stop me," retorted Rita before heading out the door. "Get to work, Maroon!" The door slammed behind her.

In a fit of anger, Maroon grabbed the nearest item and hurled it at the door. The loud crashing and banging brought a smile to her lips. She had somehow found a giant glass vase in the room. She walked over to the broken shards of glass and crunched them beneath her shoes. "Take a good look, Kimberly. Soon, you'll be exactly like these shards."

That's what you think thought Kimberly. She was tired of Maroon's incessant talking. She liked to ramble on and on more than anything else. She kept this to herself, though. She was glad that Maroon couldn't read minds too. Otherwise, she was certain she'd be dead by now.

Maroon gathered the two wheelchairs and then grabbed Kimberly. "Remember, do as you were told or die," she spat into Kimberly's face. The two disappeared in a beam of light.

Angel Grove

Kat and Tanya had decided to take a route through the downtown Angel Grove area that would eventually lead to the outskirts of the city if they continued on long enough. They had spotted nothing and heard nothing, except the occasional beeps of their communicators and Tommy's voice. The day around them was beautiful and citizens were enjoying themselves immensely. As Katherine gazed around at the scenes before her, she couldn't help but wish that sometime soon Kimberly would be able to enjoy things like these too. The wait for Maroon was long and torturous.

"What was it like up there?" asked Tanya gently. She was tired of the silence and needed to talk.

"Terrible. You don't want to know what happened," grumbled Katherine.

"Did Maroon get to you again?"

"It wasn't Maroon this time. It was Rito, that bumbling skeleton brother of Rita's. He had a female desire potion," began Katherine.

"And he used it on you?"

"Yes. I won't go into details, but he caused me to crack. I don't know why, but I simply couldn't handle any more tricks. I took him hostage and used him to find Kimberly. I never knew I had it in me."

"You did what any person in that situation would have done," soothed Tanya.

"It's not what would have done… I was just pushed over the edge… I still can't believe I did it. I feel terrible now, even though he was the enemy and all."

"Kat, you shouldn't feel sorry about it. There was nothing you could have done to prevent it, no matter how much your human nature wanted to. These things happen and all we can really do is pray that next time we are able to react better."

Katherine sighed. "You're right, Tanya. I just don't want to believe it."

"Don't let it eat you up inside," said Tanya as she turned down another street.

"I'm trying not to, but it's hard."

"If you let it get to you, you'll never get over it."

The girls both froze in place as two beams of light appeared before them, materializing as two girls in wheelchairs, both looking like the exact same Kimberly. Katherine and Tanya took on fighting stances. "All right, I don't know what's going on, but this is going to be your final battle, Maroon," called Katherine confidently.

She was hoping that this statement would bring out Maroon's true self and pull her out of the Kimberly clone resemblance, but to no avail. The clones glared back at her, each with a saddened look. Katherine truly couldn't tell them apart and realized that this was what Maroon had wanted.

"We're going to…"

"… defeat you." The second Kimberly picked up where the first had left off. Tanya, as a singer, strained to listen to a difference in the voice, some tiny hint that would tell her which was truly Kimberly. There was no difference, none at all. "You've threatened Kimberly, haven't you?"

"Yes."

"Kimberly must act the part or she dies."

"Kimberly would rather not die, so she acts as she is told."

"Kimberly will not die."

The clones took turns speaking, neither of them giving any help to the group of girls. Katherine was becoming frustrated by what she saw before her. From what she could gather from the clones, if Kimberly didn't cooperate, then she'd be killed. Kimberly wanted to be rescued, but in order for that to happen, she had to follow along with whatever Maroon commanded to spare her life. Kimberly was trapped. There was really no way she could communicate to the Rangers that it was truly her without being caught by Maroon.

Tanya turned to face Katherine. "We're going to need the rest of the Rangers' help."

Katherine nodded. "Exactly what I was thinking." She pressed a button on her communicator. "Tommy, Jason, Adam, Rocky, come in! Maroon's appeared in downtown Angel Grove and we could really use your help!"

"We're on our way," called Jason in response.

"Us too," added Rocky.

One after the other, two pairs of teleportation beams appeared. The other four Rangers had arrived. Jason stepped forward. "All right. I don't know which one of you is Maroon, but you're going down and we're taking Kimberly back, you'll see. Rita is going down, just like she always does. Let's do it guys!"

"Zeo Ranger I, Pink!"

"Zeo Ranger II, Yellow!"

"Zeo Ranger III, Blue!"

"Zeo Ranger IV, Green!"

"Zeo Ranger V, Red!"

"I need gold Ranger power!"

The morphed Rangers now stood before Maroon and Kimberly. Each Ranger was glad to be hiding behind a mask, for the fear they felt at facing two Kimberlys, but only one being real, was scary. Each was afraid to hurt or kill the real Kimberly. If they lost her, then the mission would fail. The mission couldn't fail. A Ranger never failed. Would that hold true this time though?

Well, there you have it. The final showdown is about to begin. Maroon vs. the Rangers. Who really is going to win? Will Kimberly survive?

Next time on Windmill into the Fall: The Rangers struggle to discover who the real Kimberly is. Maroon uses this to her advantage, knowing Kimberly has to copy everything she does. Rita watches the battle from above. Who will triumph in this ultimate battle?