Part 2

The Gold Ranger regained his feet and circled his friend warily. He was tiring, and growing frustrated with the lack of progress. "Tommy, you've got to break out of this, man before you do something you'll regret. Think of Kat; all she tried to do was help!"

"Once I finish you, Gold Ranger, there will be nothing to stand against me and the other Rangers. You're finished. Zi-yah!"

Jason ducked the blow but was caught on a backwards strike and sent sprawling next to Tanya.

"You're wrong, Tommy."

Time seemed to freeze for a moment as the soft voice carried across the arena. Like a breeze, it seemed to still even the most raucous of voices, snagging their attention and spinning heads as one, as if on a string.

The Red Ranger turned with the rest - and stared.

A petite, athletic figure walked slowly but confidently into the center of the circle. She was no Ranger for she wore no Ranger suit. Dressed in a pink leotard with blue and white stripes, a sweater tied around her waist and slippers on her feet, she looked to be nothing more than a small slip of an earth girl. The chestnut hair pulled back in a girlish pony tail made her seem younger than her years.

The Red Ranger laughed. "You can't challenge me, woman!"

The Gold and Yellow Rangers were staring at the center of the arena in shock. Finally, the Gold Ranger spoke. "Kim? What are you doing here?"

Kimberly didn't answer as she continued forward, her eyes never leaving the fighting stance of the Red Ranger. "Challenge you, Tommy?" She repeated his name deliberately. "I'm not here to challenge you. I'm here to help you."

"Ignore her sire, what could an earthling possibly do to help you?"

"Careful, Kim," Jason's voice behind her was supportive. "He's pretty far gone."

"He has been before," came her calm reply, belying none of the nervousness bouncing around in her stomach. "He's come back from worse, Jason; I have to try."

"I know."

Kimberly continued forward. The Red Ranger held his ground. "You have nothing I need, pathetic earthling. I am the King of all I survey and I will rid the galaxy of the Power Ranger's evil if it is the last thing I do!"

"Oh, I'm willing to bet it would be the last thing," She couldn't keep the wry comment from slipping between her lips. "Look down, your highness, you're dressed in one of their uniforms. To rid the galaxy of their evil, you'd have to kill yourself."

"Don't listen to her, sire; it is merely a coincidence."

"Maybe." Kimberly shrugged, stopping just out of arm's reach. "Or maybe they don't want you listening to be because I'm telling the truth."

"I am not a Power Ranger!"

She cocked her head to the side. "Then you won't mind if I take your morpher?"

That caught him off guard. "What?"

Kimberly waved to his belt. "The little buckle at your waist - your morpher."

"Don't do it sire, it's a trap!"

"Deceiver!" The Red Ranger lashed out but Kimberly was ready. Dropping gracefully, she rolled backwards and regained her feet. He kept coming and she threw herself into a tumbling routine of backwards handsprings.

"Kim!"

She landed in a fighting stance after four, balanced on the balls of her feet. "I'm alright; look after Katherine." She addressed the Red Ranger once more. "You never could keep a promise, Tommy Oliver; I'm surprised you've lasted as long as you have."

"Promise - I've never made you any kind of promise."

Kim ducked as he lashed out at her, avoiding the sweep of his leg with a graceful hop and cart wheeling to the side to gain ground. "You promised I'd always have you, Tommy - that you'd always be there for me. And look at you now. Delusions of grandeur have swept you away and you're abusing your Ranger powers for personal gain. I'm surprised Zordon hasn't revoked your powers already."

"Kimberly, careful!"

She barely managed to duck under another of the Red Ranger's snap kicks and threw herself backwards as Jason's warning rang in her ears. She needn't have bothered as the Red Ranger stopped at full extension, his helmet cocked at an angle as his foot came slowly down. "Kimberly?"

Her heart skipped a beat. Had it worked? "Yes, Tommy. I'm Kimberly."

His voice grew darker, filled with anger. "I feel anger and pain connected to that name. Betrayal. Loss, jealousy and... hurt. "

Kimberly winced. Ouch. She deserved that. "You're right." She straightened, standing normally once again but not making any kind of move towards him. "I hurt you. I did it deliberately, maliciously and with intent. I set out to hurt you, to wound you so you wouldn't come after me and I succeeded." She took one step towards him, making a motion to where the Rangers were. "But the Power Rangers have never done anything like that to you, Tommy. Never. They were there for you when I turned my back on you. They've supported, encouraged and helped you through everything since then. I deserve you anger; I deserve whatever punishment you want to give me - but they don't."

"Kimberly, what are you doing?"

She ignored Jason's apprehensive question, her gaze never leaving the visor behind which she knew to be Tommy's brown eyes. "They don't deserve what you're doing to them, Tommy. They never have. Let them go. Let Kat go before your actions make her pay a price that will haunt you for the rest of your life."

The Red Ranger gripped his helmet with both hands. "Death is a part of life."

Kimberly took another step. "Naturally, yes, but not at the hands of a friend. She was there for you when I wasn't; you owe her."

His head snapped up, and she almost saw his eyes flash. "I owe her nothing!"

"You owe her everything!" Kimberly's comeback seemed to stun him for a moment. "Katherine's done nothing but be there for you and this is how you repay her? By attacking her at her weakest when all she wanted to do was help you once more?"

"What have I done?"

Kimberly reached out, her fingers shaking as she moved them slowly past his shoulders and over the curve of his helmet. They found the snaps holding his helmet on and the click made him jump. The helmet came free as he pulled away. Her heart swelled in her chest as his hair tumbled about his shoulders, framing the face that continued to preoccupy her. She couldn't speak as his eyes, haunted and filled with pain, caught and held her gaze.

Tommy looked at her. "Do you offer a bargain, Kimberly?"

"I offer a solution." Reaching behind her back, she pulled out the Ninja power coins, praying they'd work as Zordon had said. She extended the Falcon coin towards him. "If you're who I say you are, this coin will only work in your hands. If you're they're king - making you king of the ugly Muppet people if you ask me - it won't work."

"Don't do it sire!"

"Shut up, fool!" Tommy rounded on their audience, having almost completely forgotten their presence. "I am King; I will do as I please."

Kimberly wanted to shout with relief and expend her nervous energy as Tommy snatched the Falcon coin from her grasp. She palmed the crane coin, knowing she'd be the only thing to stop him if the transformation worked but he didn't regain his memories. "Shall we?"

He turned it over in his hand, watching her suspiciously. "A bargain has terms, earthling."

Taking a deep breath she straightened her shoulders. "Me, in their place. You owe me a world of hurt-"

"Kimberly, don't!"

"-and I won't blame you for taking your anger out on me."

"Kim, no!"

Kimberly ignored Jason and Tanya's objections. "Let them go. They don't deserve it when all they want to do is help."

"But they're evil!"

"And evil begets evil - which makes you one of them."

"Liar! I am nothing like them."

"Then prove it. The Ninja coin won't work with anyone but the person it's attuned with - you."

He cast her a dark look. "If this is a trick, you'll pay dearly."

"Nothing you could do would be worse that losing you, Tommy. Say 'White Ninja Power ' to activate the coin."

"White Ninja Power!"

White light exploded from Tommy's body, as if purging the red and the influences over the power itself as the transformation from Zeo Ranger to Ninja Ranger was initiated.

Kimberly spread her arms wide, praying hers would work. "Pink Ninja Power!"

A flash of pink and a moment later she stood watching as Tommy's transformation seemed to stall, white energy engulfing his body completely and surrounding it in a protective cocoon.

"Kim!"

She didn't dare look back at the other. "Go, Jason! Get Kat out of here - find help."

"What about you?"

She finally turned to look at him. "I made a bargain. If this doesn't work, I'm staying."

"I can't let you."

"And I can't let you put Kat in any more jeopardy. Go, trust me, I'll be fine!"

The Gold Ranger seemed torn between the two as a flash came from where Tommy seemed stuck in stasis. A flash of red power exploded from the center, sending the creatures in the stands scrambling for cover. Jason crawled over to the other Rangers. "Tanya, get Adam and Rocky." Tanya complied, pressing the teleportation buttons on their communicators through the sleeves of their uniforms. Jason collected Kat in his arms before turning to look back at Kimberly.

Kimberly pulled the head covering and mask off and offered him a smile and a nod - she knew what she was doing. Reluctantly, Jason teleported away and she turned back to Tommy. Another flash of red light and then an ear splitting boom, like a fighter jet breaking the sound barrier sent the remaining monsters for cover. The stands emptied as the light flared for a moment and then began to fade.

The white cloaked figure standing in the center made her eyes tear. She'd missed seeing him in white - it looked good on him. "Tommy?"

His feet touched the ground and he shook his head, looking around as if dazed. "Yes, Kim?"

"Do you really recognize me?"

He pulled the head and face coverings off with a tug of one hand. "Recognize you? I'd know you blind."

It had worked! Kimberly shrieked and threw her arms around his neck without thinking. "It worked! I can't believe it, I-" He tensed the moment she touched him, and she froze, her hands falling away as she backed up. "Uh, sorry." She looked away.

He seemed ready to say something but before he could, the familiar sensation of teleportation ripped through her. She felt herself stretching and shooting across the heavens before suddenly reappearing in the command center.

Jason awaited her in his street clothes - there was no sign of the other Rangers as Tommy materialized beside her. Jason enveloped Kim in a tight hug. "I could kill you, Kimberly."

She laughed, hugging him back self-consciously before pulling away. "It worked didn't it?"

"Excellent work, Kimberly. It is good to see you wearing the Pink Ranger colors once more." Zordon's praise was heartfelt.

"I agree." Jason stepped back. "Speaking of Pink Rangers, Kat's been admitted to the hospital. She's got a broken collar bone, cracked vertebrae and a concussion - but she's awake and updated on the situation. She'd like to see you before you go."

Kimberly caught Tommy's wince from the corner of her eye. His guilt was plain on his face as she responded to Jason. "I'll make a point of stopping by to see her. How're Rocky and Adam?"

Jason's smile was faint. "Resting comfortably. Tanya's keeping an eye on them at the clinic, but they'll be up by tomorrow. Katherine's going to be down and out for a minimum of six weeks, maybe longer depending on how badly damaged those vertebrae are."

"I'm sorry I didn't get there before she was hurt."

"Nothing you could have done, Kim." Jason squeezed her shoulder. "I promised Kat I'd get back once you two were back safe. See you at the hospital?"

Kimberly nodded.

"Alright then. Good luck." He looked pointedly at Tommy before teleporting away.

She turned to Tommy, who couldn't meet her gaze, dread pooling in the pit of her stomach. She'd been avoiding him since sending her letter, mostly because she was afraid of what she would see in his eyes. His confession, while under the influence of a mind altering device, had wounded her in ways she hadn't thought possible. But then, Tommy was her one regret - the one she couldn't shake and would have given up everything for a second chance at.

It was the reason she'd set him free - but he didn't know that.

"Are you alright?"

He nodded. "Kim..." his voice cracked, breaking in the middle of her name. "Yeah... yeah I'm fine."

The whispered words bit deep into her resolve to stay strong against his allure. Tommy's life was here in Angel Grove - hers was in Florida. "I'm glad." The awkward pause between them was uncomfortable and laced with tension. She swallowed hard, forcing herself to speak. "I have to get back - I have an early morning tomorrow and it's pretty late there."

He didn't say anything, simply continued to stare at his boots. Kimberly powered down the Crane coin, resuming her practice outfit, and held the coin out in the center of the palm. "Zordon?"

"Yes Kimberly."

"Could you guys teleport me to Kat before sending me home please?"

"Tommy will go with you to take you home."

Tommy's head snapped up. "I don't think-"

"Are you sure-"

They spoke at the same time, sharing a look for the first time since returning from the alternate universe. Zordon broke into the charged moment. "Kimberly and Katherine must have their discussion and then you two must talk."

"I don't think that's a good idea, Zordon," Kimberly told him flatly. "Take the coin and send me home."

"Unfortunately, Kimberly, this is greater than you. Until you and Tommy have your discussion, be it before or after you speak with Katherine, I cannot allow Tommy to be returned to duty as a Power Ranger."

"What?"

"I am sorry Tommy, but this last battle has shown that the unresolved issues between the two of you are dangerous to the rest of the Power Ranger team. Until you come to some kind of understanding, I can no longer permit you to be a Power Ranger."

"But Zordon-" Tommy was cut off as the white Falcon's energies drained from his system and his street clothes reappeared. He turned agonized eyes to his mentor. "Zordon!"

"I am sorry to do this, Tommy. You will have access to the morphing grid once you have had your discussion. Your communicator will still be able to teleport you, however, the locations will be limited."

"You can't force us to talk, Zordon."

"There was once a time, Kimberly, when the two of you shared everything with one another."

"You know things have changed." Tommy's tone was bitter. "You can't force us to talk."

"Then it is regrettable that I will have to locate a new Red Ranger."

"This is blackmail!"

"This is a last resort, Tommy." Zordon's correction was almost sad. "Your pattern of behavior has become more reckless and unpredictable over the last several months. This is not the first time your weaknesses have placed the Rangers in danger but this is the first time they alone have been unable to reach you."

"Zordon, it's not fair to punish Tommy for my actions. It was my letter. My choice;depriving him of the most important aspect of his life seems unnecessarily cruel. Hasn't he hurt enough?"

"Regrettably, Kimberly, it is his hurt and the inability to move beyond it that has forced my hand today. If you wish to help him, I am simply asking that you talk."

Kimberly didn't dare look at Tommy - this was the kind of opportunity she'd been hoping for. "You're asking for a lot more than that and you know it, Zordon."

"The decision is yours. Until Tommy is once again capable of clear and logical thought, I will be restricting his connection to the morphing grid. If that has not happened quickly, I will have no choice but to revoke his powers and search for another Red Ranger."

"Let's do this." Tommy stepped forward and slid his hand under Kimberly's elbow. "The sooner we're done, the sooner you can get back to practice and I can get back to my life."

She winced at the harsh tone in his voice. "Alright - but I want to see Kat first."

He voiced no objection as he hit the teleportation button on his communicator. Kimberly couldn't help but feel the weight of the crane coin, which Zordon had pointedly ignored, burning a hole in her hand.