The Forgotten 7

Kimberly woke with a pounding headache. Shaking her head she rose slowly. The sound of someone moving around her apartment made her wary. Getting up slowly she moved into her living room/studio area. What she didn't expect to see was Tori sitting at her mapping desk looking at the picture of her and Tommy.

"I hope you're not breaking and entering because even if I wanted to fight you I don't think I could manage a fight right now."

She turned and smiled and carefully placed the picture back on the stand it had been on.

"No, Zen-Aku and Merrick said they had something to do and didn't want to leave you alone."

"Of course, they did."

Tori rose and moved to her side. She helped her sit down in the chair at the mapping desk.

"Do the guys know you're here?"

"Sensei and Cam do. Merrick brought your truck back."

"How long have I been down?"

"A couple days. Rayce called into your department."

"Great."

"Your phone has been going off non-stop. I turned the volume down so you could rest."

"Awesome. Not going to hear the end of it from everyone."

"A guy stopped by to check on you but wasn't sure who he was."

"No one knows where I live except for you guys my core four Rangers and you've met them."

"He wore a lot of red, but it wasn't Wes, Eric or Andros. He seemed kind of jumpy actually."

Kimberly rose with her help and went to her case and directed Tori to the right key on her ring to unlock her case.

"Book with the label PRFR. Go through it and see if any of them are the one you saw. It makes me nervous that someone was here that I wasn't expecting."

Tori nodded and opened the book. Kimberly went to lay down on the couch and waited for Tori to see if she recognized anyone.

"Him."

Tori moved towards her and showed her the picture. "I'm pretty sure it was him."

Kimberly winced as she sat up a little and took the book from her hands. Freezing she stared into the eyes of her former team leader. Looking away she wondered if he remembered something but that wasn't possible. She hadn't died yet as far as she knew.

"Who is he?"

"Jason, he shouldn't know who I am except for the basics."

"I don't understand."

"Book MMPR I."

She got up and got that book out. Taped to the first page was a group picture. Five of them were smiling and Kimberly was leaning against a woman dressed in yellow and the man in red had his arm slung over her shoulder.

"The others wouldn't tell him where I live even if he asked them."

"Then how did he find you?"

"I don't know."

"Is he a threat?"

"No, he just shouldn't know who I am or care who I am."

"He's cute," Tori tried to soothe the tension she could see in the older Ranger.

Kimberly laughed softly at Tori's assessment of Jason.

"Can I?" Tori asked as she gestured to the other books.

"Go ahead. I'm going to close my eyes for a minute."

Laying out on the couch she threw her arm over her eyes. She closed her eyes as Tori went through her books. A gasp had Kimberly shooting up. Tori was holding her hand over her mouth and tears in her eyes.

"What did you find?"

"This book has one page in it."

Kimberly closed her eyes knowing which book she had. It was her pain in a picture. Being the better man she allowed herself to say her goodbye. One that he wouldn't know it for what it was.

"It actually has two in it."

She held out her hand to her. Tori handed her the book and Kimberly flipped to the right page. It took up two pages. It was her holding her bow and the shot hitting the monster in the back and Tommy was leaning over Kat.

"Rayce convinced me to be the bigger person after I got the Dragon Dagger so I went to see him. Kat was struggling against a monster, and he was trying to help her. I guess he wasn't training her like he had been me. It was the last thing I did for him. I didn't see him again until the Reds had a mission on the moon. I was the bigger man that day but I didn't want to be."

The two of them sat there going through her books. Kimberly leaned back and smiled softly. Tori asked questions from time to time about the people depicted. Her heart ached a bit remembering doing things like this with Trini and Aisha. Tori looked at her.

"You're remembering something sad."

"I used to do things like this with Trini and Aisha."

"You miss them a lot?"

"Trini left the team and a couple years after that we lost her in a car crash. Aisha was the only one that didn't turn on me when the Curse hit. She actually gave me a chance to explain myself."

"You had proof though and they wouldn't let you explain?"'

"I was too angry to show them."

"Will you tell me about it?"

"One day. So something else is on your mind Tori. You can tell me stuff also."

The Blue Wind Ranger sighed softly and closed the book labeled PRLSR. She told her about the love spell that Cam and Blake had been under and what they'd done. Kimberly smiled softly.

"Boys," she teased softly. "Maybe one day he'll tell you what he wanted to say that day. You know Andros was a bit slow himself when it came to Ashley."

Her wrist started beeping.

"Looks like you have to go," Kimberly murmured.

"Are you going to be alright?"

Kimberly gave her a curt nod in answer. "Go for Tori," she answered.

"You're needed Tori."

Kimberly picked up the books and placed them back in order in the case and locked them up. Tori was indecisive. She pulled out her morpher and shifted into her Ninjetti Form.

"Let's go Tori."

Tori smiled and they teleported to where the battle was going on. The two women flowed into the battle like water. The guys looked on in awe as they worked in a weird sort of harmony. The Kelzaks didn't stand a chance as they moved together. A monster came up behind her and back handed Kimberly into the side of a building. She grunted as the other Rangers surrounded her. They exploded the monster. Kimberly rose and shook off the affects of the hit on her.

"Go guys."

They all looked at her and she was sure the same question was in their mind. "I'll be okay for a bit."

Kimberly sank down against the wall and watched the Megazords work. A smile crossed her features as she watched them go. They flowed well together. Darkness was starting to darken the edge of her vision.

"Fuck," she cursed softly as her medical knowledge started to kick in.

She couldn't focus enough to get to her wrist. Green and red rushed forward making her sigh in relief as she blacked out.

They got her back to Ninja Ops and laid her out in a spare room. Cam checked her over.

"How is she?" Tori asked worriedly.

Cam sighed as he pushed his glasses up on his face.

"She'll be alright. She's probably still exhausted from her adventure."

"Good," she sighed softly. "Zen-Aku would probably kick me into next week if something happened to her."

"We'll let her sleep."

The ninjas returned to the main room.

Later power rocked the Ninja Ops as a scream ripped through the entire place. They all rushed to the room. There was someone clad in red kneeling beside her trying to soothe her. They all froze not sure what was going on or how this red clad stranger got here.

"Easy Kimberly easy."

The other guys were getting ready to rush forward to get the person they didn't know away from Kimberly but Tori stopped them. Shane was the first to step forward, but she reached out and placed her hand on his arm and she reached out to stop Blake too.

"Don't," she breathed then did she turn to the Red Ranger. "You're Jason. The first Red Ranger."

"I am."

"I thought because of the Curse…"

"I had a motorcycle accident a couple months ago. I cracked my head and I remembered some things, but not everything. I know enough that my best friend has been wronged."

Jason turned and started soothing her again. Kimberly seemed to calm down a bit at his words. She actually leaned into his touch.

"How did you do that?"

"I was her friend at one point in our lives."

"But you don't remember it."

"Explaining what's happened isn't easy. But I remember enough to know how to calm her."

"Back then maybe," Tori said.

Jason looked at her.

"Tell her Zen-Aku or Merrick was here instead of me."

"Why? You're her friend aren't you?"

"She panicked when you told her I stopped by."

"Why?" Shane asked.

"Because only with her death should their memories come back," Tori told her fellow Rangers.

"Does she think you'll hinder her in some way?"

"I don't know, but its best that she not know I was here."

"Then why come forward at all?" Hunter asked.

Jason looked back at Kimberly and reached forward and touched her cheek gently. "Because I wasn't there when she needed me. I should've been."

"What good is that going to do if you don't want her to know you were here?"

"Because I'd flip out on him," Kimberly grumbled.

"Kimberly."

"You know Power Rangers feel different than normal people and different Power Rangers feel different from each other."

Her eyes opened slowly as blood started sliding down the side of her face. She reached forward and touched her forehead. Jason thanked whoever handed him a towel. He wiped down her face of the blood.

"I hear the scream of the T-Rex and feel the heat of the lava he comes from."

"I'm sorry Kimberly."

"For what?"

"For not being there when you needed me more than once."

"You didn't remember so I can't exactly fault you for that."

"I heard your scream reverberate and I couldn't stop the teleport here. Not that I would've," he told her.

She moved to sit up but Jason kept her laying down.

"Stay down. The dream wiped you out."

Kimberly couldn't fight the tears that slid down her cheeks. She ran her fingers through her hair.

"Tell us," Jason said softly but in the tone as a leader that she needed to do this.

The Wind and Thunder Rangers were standing in the doorway also wanting to hear what went down.

"If they're going to listen in might as well do it someplace less cramped."

"Come," Sensei gestured.

Jason helped her up slowly and led her to the low table in the main area of Ops. Helping her sit on one of the cushions the others gathered around. Tori sat close to Blake. He looked at her for a moment. Kimberly watched them for a moment and tipped her head down. Those two were made for each other she was sure of it.

Kimberly was waiting for Tommy in the park. They were continuing her training. She stood there for a moment and closed her eyes. Something felt off, but she wasn't sure what it could be. Something had made her feel uneasy all day and she was sure the team could see it clearly. A hand on her shoulder had her jumping.

"Are you alright?" he asked her softly.

"I don't know something feels off Tommy. I can't explain it."

"We can do this later," he offered with that smile that made her heart melt.

"It's not that."

Before she could say more a monster appeared laughing like a hyena but looked like a wolf. The body was humanoid and the head was a black wolf. It looked the Egyptian god of the dead. Tommy pushed her closer to him but a little bit behind.

"Isn't that sweet," he growled softly. "Do you always need him to protect you little Crane?"

Kimberly narrowed her eyes. She got into a fighting stance beside Tommy. They would do this together like they always did. It took some doing but they managed to destroy the monster but a black smoke exploded around them making them cough. Her back was on fire from the claw marks the creature managed to land on her. Kimberly tensed as the smoke made her team drop one by one.

"Tommy!" she called between coughing fits.

'I've got you now little Crane.'

"What have you done to me?"

'You'll see in time.'

She sank to her knees trying to fight the on coming darkness. 'You will know true suffering before your end comes.'

She came awake suddenly. Looking she saw Tommy and the others laying down where they'd fallen from the black smoke that the monster had given off.

"Tommy?" she called out frantically.

The monster's laugh was echoing in her head. Reaching up she pushed back her hood and pulled down her face mask. The power faded from around them. He rose slowly and stood up. The others followed him. She ran up to hug him but he stopped her. Confusion washed through her. There was something wrong but she couldn't place it.

"I'm sorry do I know you?" he said in confusion.

Everything right then and there went screeching to a halt. His words had her stepping backwards.

"It's me Kimberly," she tried.

"I'm sorry I don't…"

Adam and Rocky came running up beside them and stared at her. Aisha and someone dressed in pink ran up behind them. The woman in pink moved to stand beside Tommy. Something horrible happened just then as realization washed over her. There wasn't any recognition in their eyes either. The monster's laugh echoed through her mind again. She backed up from them. Some part of her hoped and prayed that this was just a dream or she'd been sent to another dimension. Then something washed through him making him tense and wary.

"That sword where did you get it?"

She looked at the sword in her hand and then up at Tommy with narrowed eyes. Something in his eyes reminded her of his Evil Green days. That made her wary right off the bat and she took a couple more steps backwards even though her back twinged at each move. Then anger washed through her at the distrust in his eyes.

"What are you implying?"

She knew exactly what he was implying. The look in his eyes said it all.

"That belongs to my girlfriend."

Her hand squeezed around the hilt of the sword as if daring him to do what he was thinking on doing. The blonde haired woman was standing behind Tommy and at that moment Kimberly felt betrayal wash through her like a raging storm. The power within her was pulsing wildly. The Crane's wild scream echoed through her mind.

"This was given to me by my boyfriend. It has my name engraved on the blade."

He moved towards her, but she leapt backwards. "I don't think so Tommy. This blade belongs to me and it will stay with me until my death."

"Hold on," Aisha tried to soothe ruffled feathers. "She could be right and it could be just a misunderstanding. Maybe it just looks like the one you gave Kat."

She saw the bear working under the surface. Inwardly she thanked the bear for always looking out for her. He took a couple steps towards her and that made her ready to fight.

"Let me see it," Tommy demanded.

"I don't think so," she snapped.

Aisha moved forward slowly with her hands raised towards the other Ranger. Kimberly relaxed but only a little. Aisha was her friend but as things stood she didn't know who to trust anymore. In a span of moments she'd lost everything. Tommy was treating her like an outsider and a thief. That broke something inside of her. This wasn't her Falcon anymore though she could still feel the bond they shared thrumming through her like their combined heartbeats.

"Can I see?" Aisha offered softly.

Kimberly didn't want to trust the others. She'd trusted them once but now they didn't know who she was or what they'd gone through as a team. Rocky and Adam moved around behind her. Kimberly kept her eyes on them warily. She didn't think they had it in them to do something stupid like corner an armed Ranger. If they pushed she would defend. She was clearly wearing the Ninja Armor of the Crane.

"That's it force my hand and that will make this all better. Stay back Rocky and Adam."

They tensed not understanding how she knew their names. Billy was standing in the back ground no helping or hindering the entire thing. She was sure that he was trying to logically piece things together but wasn't being able to process what he was seeing.

"Back off guys," Aisha told them.

Adam and Rocky looked towards Tommy. He was fuming but nodded. Aisha approached her slowly.

"You wear colors like us."

"I was one of you at one point, but the Curse made me the Forgotten."

"The Forgotten…"

"You don't know me anymore. Even though I bare the power coin of the Crane."

"But I don't remember you."

"A Curse from a monster and I have become the Forgotten. I have been judged unfairly."

Kimberly could see the hurt in Aisha's eyes at her words. She moved closer to Kimberly. Aisha reached for the blade and Kimberly unsheathed it causing the others to tense. Kimberly snorted at their reactions. She handed Aisha the blade hilt first. Aisha took it and looked over the markings. On one side is the mark of the Crane but something was wrapped around it and the other had her name on it. She carefully handed it back to Kimberly and she sheathed it.

"It has her name on it Tommy. Though the mark of the Crane…"

"I added to the original design."

Though she never told Tommy about it. Under the surface she could feel the bond between them pulsing like their heartbeats. The Falcon and Crane were always meant to be bonded. Now, she wasn't sure.

"I am the Forgotten nothing matters to me anymore. You used to be something great Falcon," she hissed at him. "But I see the new Crane has clipped your wings."

Going to her wrist she hit her communicator and vanished.

She ran up to the door of her house panting and trying to hide the tears. She wanted her mother. Something stopped her though. The house looked entirely different and there was a for sale sign in the yard.

"Can I help you?" someone asked.

She turned to see a woman she didn't recognize.

"What happened to the family that lived here?"

"There hasn't been a family living here for years. The Hart's lost their daughter in a car accident so long ago they couldn't bare to live here anymore and moved away. They died a couple months after their daughter did in a fire."

Kimberly felt pain wash through her like a tidal wave. She'd lost everything important to her in a span of a day. Tears slid down her cheeks as she turned and ran. A storm rolled in and it drowned out her sobs and screams as she hit her knees. The Monster laughed as she did. Her hands clenched at her sides.

'How long will you last little Crane. You are nothing and no one. You are the Forgotten.'

"You underestimate me," she growled lowly.

Her head came up and white flashed in her eyes.

Kimberly looked around the park in Angel Grove a couple days later. Soon she'd be leaving to find her place somewhere else. Her wounds were still fresh and bled freely. Take a deep breath she drew the sword she'd been given and started going through exercises he taught her. Once she got somewhere she'd look into finding someone to continue to teach her how to use the sword.

"Where did you learn that?" she heard from behind her.

It startled her enough that she almost fell backwards into the lake. A hand shot out and caught her arm.

"Are you alright?"

She froze hearing that voice. On instinct she leapt backwards away from him despite the screaming pain in her back. "Hey easy."

Sheathing the sword, she faced her once Team Leader. Jason gave her that lopsided smile. There was no recognition in his eyes either. It made her twist that he could still look at her like that.

"Yeah I'm okay."

"I didn't believe him."

She tilted her head to the side in confusion on what he was talking about.

"Believe who?"

"Tommy."

She tensed ready for a fight. The others turned so easily against her it would break her if Jason did the same. Turning she went for her bag. He didn't give her a chance to get to it before he was between her and her things. "He told me there was someone that bore the Armor of the Crane besides Kat. I didn't believe him."

"Get out of my way Jason."

He looked at her in confusion.

"You fight just like him."

"I fight just like you too," she growled as she got down in a stance that Jason had taught her.

"You were the first Crane."

Kimberly snorted.

"Was. I'm the Forgotten now. Replaced and treated like an outsider. Now get out of my way."

Aisha, Rocky and Adam came running up to stand beside Jason. Kimberly got into a fighting stance ready to take on these former friends if she had to get away. There was no place for her here.

"Easy," Jason tried to soothe the ruffled Crane that he didn't know.

Goldar decided to make a pest of himself along with a bunch of Puddies. The others morphed to start fighting them. Kimberly watched on.

"A little help!" Adam called.

"Why?" she asked nonchalantly.

"You're one of us aren't you?"

"I'm the Forgotten. I belong to no team. You made sure of that."

She grabbed her bag and turned to walk away. Goldar shot forward and stood in front of her. Tucking her bag towards her back she pulled out her Morpher and morphed. Drawing her sword she readied herself against Goldar.

"Oh the pink… Wait you're not…"

She smirked and didn't give him a chance to recover from his confusion. Kimberly battled it out with Goldar like she'd fought him before. A flash of white distracted her enough that Goldar got a hit in. She turned her head blood was dripping from her nose. Something dark flashed in her eyes. Sheathing her sword she pulled out her Powerbow and drew back.

"Uh oh…"

Goldar panicked and left. Kimberly jerked around and put an arrow through the chest of the puddy standing over top Jason. Whipping around she fired a couple more shots till there weren't any enemies left. Powering down she grabbed a towel out of her bag and wiped the blood away, Turning she started walking away. Yellow flashed in the corner of her eye had her going on the defensive.

"Easy," Aisha soothed. "You dropped this."

Kimberly looked at what was in her hand. Her heart started pounding. It was something the Curse hadn't touched. It was a team photo. Aisha, Adam, Rocky, Billy were leaning against each other and in the middle she'd turned to kiss Tommy on the cheek. She took it carefully and put it in the book in her bag.

"I believe you."

"I know."

She started walking away and her heart made her stop.

"Be careful Aisha."

"You too Kimberly."

Kimberly hit her communicator and vanished. After some inquires, she found where her family was buried and placed wild flowers in the vases at their markers.

"You know that Harts'?"

She looked over her shoulder at the man standing there.

"I did."

He gave her a tentative smile. He was decked out in navy blue with Fire Fighting emblems on his shirt.

"Did you?" she asked him softly.

"Not well."

She smiled at him before turning to walk away from the headstones.

Kimberly wouldn't look at any of them. Before she could even say anything else she was engulfed in a bear hug from a couple different directions. She rested her forehead against Jason's shoulder. Over Tori's head she could see Blake trying to comfort her in his own stunted way.

"Boys," she breathed softly.

Lothor decided then to make a pest of himself right then.

"Go on Guys I'll be alright."

"I'll stay with her," Jason offered.

The Wind and Thunder Ninjas went to do battle. Sensei and Cyber Cam were there watching the Rangers.

"I didn't know," Jason said softly.

"You weren't supposed to that's the nature of the Curse."

"You suffered alone for so long."

"I did my best Jason. The Call came when the Ninjetti powers faded into the Zeo powers. I ignored the Call three times to make sure I never crossed paths with him. Except once. Rayce convinced me to be the bigger person and I saved him once more after I obtained the Dragon Dagger."

"Bet that steamed him up when he realized you have that."

"He doesn't know that I have it."

"Can you…"

"I don't know. I don't know how it'll affect me if I summon him. Right now I don't get involved enough to risk it."

"So I heard you threw down on the Crimson Thunder Ninja."

She groaned softly.

"It wasn't my finest moment."

"And Zen-Aku…"

"He's looking for his own redemption."

"You always could tame the wildest hearts."

Kimberly wouldn't look at Jason knowing that he was talking about Tommy.

"How much do you remember?"

"Not a lot. He was worried about you Kimberly."

"Don't," she started. "I let my anger go but I don't need the hope and it won't be fair in the end."

"Won't be fair?"

"Leave it alone Jason."

He shook his head at her.

"Kimberly."

Hitting her communicator, she vanished.