A new chapter of I'd Come For You has arrived! I can't believe it's been so long since I updated. Please forgive my lack of an update. This story has not left my mind, but I did have writer's block on how to convey the information I wanted to convey and if it might be seen as stupid. My cousin, Kurosaki girl 0890 convinced me to just start writing down what was in my head and go from there. She reminded me that so many of you were interested in this story and were disappointed that an update had been so long in coming.
I put a great deal of effort and research into this chapter, so I hope all will enjoy it. Please R&R your thoughts!
Chapter 4-Phaedos
Sleep had just barely come to Tommy when his phone rang. Turning on the lamp on the bedside table, he put his glasses on and grabbed the device, pushing the screen so he could answer.
"Hello?"
"Tommy, sorry to call in the middle of the night, it's Adam."
"What's up?" Tommy yawned and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.
"I'm in London touring with my band and I just heard something on the news that you're going to want to hear."
Tommy didn't even have to ask what because Adam continued, "It's on the news here. Kat's been attacked."
Tommy wasn't sure whether to gasp or laugh at the way Adam spoke, but he chose the latter, "Really?"
"Yeah, they say that she was found this morning and is in the hospital now. No one knows what happened. The police here seem at a loss."
"Strange that they haven't called me yet. I mean I'm her ex-husband, wouldn't that automatically make me a suspect or something?"
Adam sighed, "I'm not sure what to make of it, but, you should probably get to London as soon as you can."
Tommy nodded, "I'll do that. Better take a plane though, not really sure how I'd explain teleporting to police."
"I'll see what I can find out here. I'll even pick you up from the airport if you let me know when you're getting in." Adam said as he ran his hand through his dark hair.
Tommy was getting up out of his bed at this point and opening his closet, "Will do man. Thanks for calling. I really appreciate it."
"No sweat, you'd do it for me in a heartbeat."
"I'll call when I've got tickets booked." Now Tommy was grabbing clothes out of his closet and tossing them onto the bed.
"See you soon." Adam finished up the conversation and then hung up. Tommy stopped for a moment as a lump formed in his throat. He stood numbly in front of his closet. 'Damn...I can't believe this is happening. Why Kat? I mean she's not even an active Ranger and wants nothing to do with me. There are plenty of other active teams that are still in action, though they are dwindling fast. Why attack Kat now? What's the motive?'
Suddenly Tommy felt old, very old. The entire world seemed to be on his shoulders and he moved mechanically and sat on the edge of his bed. Putting his head in his hands, he swallowed, feeling deeply saddened by what happened to his ex-wife. Sure, they had been divorced for years now, but she was still his first wife. He reached under his bed for a box and put it in his lap. Opening the box, he pulled out an album and began to look at it. This album held special significance since it was one of only two copies of his wedding album.
At the time it had seemed silly, but two wedding albums had been made for his and Katherine's wedding. When the divorce happened, naturally each party got to keep one. Tommy hardly ever looked at his, but at this moment it seemed especially fitting. Those were happy days, when he had been young, naive, and eager for what the world would bring. Tommy stared at his and Katherine's happy smiles in the various photos.
He spent a few minutes looking this over before he slowly put it away. He had to focus on what was at hand. Slowly he got to work finishing the packing of a small bag and booking the first flight to London. Now there was one more Ranger to add to the increasing body count in the Spirit Warrior's reign of terror and he had a feeling that it wasn't going to stop anytime soon.
Pages flipped softly and easily as they were viewed in the darkness. Normally one wouldn't
view such things in the darkness, but the brown eyes of the person looking at them was used to the darkness. The sense of sight had been sharpened along with the other senses, so looking at the photos in the darkness was nothing.
As more and more photos were being viewed, a strange emotion crept up and eventually the pages stopped turning altogether. This emotion was something that seemed so foreign now, but in the back of the mind, she knew she had felt it before. 'Emotions are something I haven't felt in so long...it's hard to remember what they feel like now.'
Looking away from the album in her lap, she looked out the window, gazing at the city below. 'I did well today. I even did something that I had been dreaming of doing for some time now.'
It had not been in the plans for Katherine Hillard to be targeted at this early stage, but when a call sent from Tommy, warning every Power Ranger to be on guard had been intercepted that had changed things. What made this particular call to Katherine so different was that Tommy had actually spent more time on it. He'd included a personal plea for her to put aside the anger she might feel over the divorce and for her to take care of herself. He had urged Katherine to call him so they could talk more and offered to get her better protection if she came to California.
Something about that call had triggered a foreign emotion inside and before much thought had went into it, Katherine was being followed or should we say stalked, like an animal by its prey. Patience had been required, but eventually the right time had been found.
Katherine had come home alone to her apartment, later than usual, but she had been practicing hard for a performance that was coming up. After dinner and two glasses of wine, Katherine made her way to her bedroom. It was well past midnight by this time and so the bedroom was shrouded in darkness. Katherine had gotten herself ready for bed and was just sitting on her bed when she heard a noise.
Coiling like a cat, Katherine looked around carefully. Suddenly, she had heard a small sound, resembling a giggle.
"Still have feline reflexes right P.C.?"
Katherine was confused. That wasn't her name, why would someone call her that? "Who are you and what are you doing in my room?"
"Don't you remember? That was the name you were given when you were just a cat." the female voice answered, "I'm here to pay a visit."
Katherine hadn't thought about her days as a feline spy for Rita Repulsa in years, but now the memories flooded back. Indeed, the original name she had been given as a cat was P.C., short for Park Cat where she had been found. There were very few who knew about that name and even fewer of those people were female.
"It's dark, if you're here to pay a visit, why don't you show yourself and turn on the light?" Katherine asked, her prim and polished accent coming through.
"I don't need to show myself to you. You know who I am and you know why I'm here too." a creaking sound could be heard as weight shifted and the outline of a petite person began to move, "Surely you listened to your ex-husband's call? Or were you too angry at him to even listen?"
Katherine gulped, "Spirit Warrior huh? Why are you doing this? What makes you think that this is okay?"
Suddenly feeling bold, Katherine stood up, taller than the other woman who was in her bedroom, "You know better. This isn't right. Why would you betray your oaths?"
A whoosh of air whistled through the air and struck Katherine, sending her tumbling onto her bed. In that split second after she hit her bed, Katherine felt a nimble body get on top of her, causing the bed to sag.
"You have no right to talk you bitch. I gave you everything and this is how you speak to me? Without me, you would be Rita's little toy still. It was me who had enough compassion then to want to help you. But I can see now that was my mistake."
Katherine began to choke as two hands squeezed on her throat. She gasped for air and squeaked out, "Why?"
"Why? You have no idea what I've been through and you...you presume to judge. I made a mistake all those years ago by saving you. I look back and how naive I was! Think about it, I wanted to believe all along that you were good and you were my friend. But you were trying to usurp me all along. I thought it was just the evil influence, but it wasn't."
Katherine tried reaching up to fight back, but suddenly her strength began to fade and her hand fell back on the bed. 'No! This can't be happening! I can't die like this!'
"You wanted to take my place all along. I didn't realize it until I saw everything so clearly. You wanted what I had. Even after we supposedly freed you and you turned all nicey nice...you waited patiently for the right moment and when you had the chance...you took it."
Katherine's eyes bulged, "You...left..."
"Yes I did, that was true. But you don't know everything and you never will you selfish bitch. I loved Tommy enough to let him go. What other lie would he accept besides someone else? But you...you..."
Quivering in anger, the grip tightened, but strangely Katherine felt something in her chest. She gasped and gagged, trying to force out a scream for help, but nothing was coming. She felt the strange sensation of something moving inside her chest that shouldn't be there.
"You took advantage. Sure, I don't blame you for comforting him, who wouldn't? But then you snuck around his defenses instead of just letting him be."
Katherine felt like her heart was being tugged out of her chest and strange guttural sounds were leaving her throat, her vision began to swim, but she managed to get out, "Don't matter...he still...loved you."
The tugging stopped for a moment and then the reply to Katherine's words came, "Don't be stupid. He's in love with a fantasy."
Katherine's reply was cut short when finally her power was pulled from her body. It shined brightly for a moment before being absorbed. Climbing off, the petite woman stood and looked at her handiwork. The strange feeling she had been feeling before that caused her to feel so...irrational was gone now. Eyes hardening, she turned and walked out of the bedroom. What stopped her before she left was a large book on the coffee table. On a whim, she had taken it and now was flipping through it as the sounds of London echoed below.
'It was foolish and rash on my end. I definitely don't usually let emotion get involved. Every other Ranger I've taken...save one other have been cold and calculating. It's only her and the one on KO-35 that have gotten to me. I should be so happy to feel human emotions again, it reminds me that I still have time before I am consumed.'
Katherine's words of repudiation echoed in her mind. 'You know better. Why? Why did you break your oaths? Katherine...if only you knew. It's the only way now.'
Slowly she shut the book and put it down. The cold calculation had settled within her. "I must do what I need to do. I don't care what collateral damage I leave behind. What needs to be done is what needs to be done."
Standing up, she left the sorry book on the window ledge and left the room, going to find Paul, Valentina, James, and Chin so she could plan her next moves. There was still so much to do and so little time to do it.
The grueling plane ride left Tommy exhausted when he arrived in London. Luckily Adam had arranged to pick him up and both of them went straight from the airport to the hospital where Kat had been taken. Scotland Yard had arranged for an interview after Tommy saw Kat in the hospital.
Adam looked at his phone and then at Tommy, "Billy, Trini, and Jason are going to meet us at the hospital. You think it was the Spirit Warrior again?"
"Likely, though I didn't think she'd strike against Katherine this soon. Her attacks seemed random at first, but...they aren't."
"What makes you think that?" Adam asked curiously.
"She started first with the newest teams and splitting her forces, she worked backwards. But there are still other teams alive and well...so why attack Katherine now?" Tommy mused.
"You think...there was something special about this one?" Adam questioned.
"Maybe, can't say for sure, but I have a hunch it was. If my hunch is right, then it would make perfect sense."
Adam watched Tommy for a few minutes, "You think...it's Kimberly?"
Tommy's face fell and he was in anguish. "I hope like hell that I'm wrong. I hope that Kimberly has just fallen off the face of the Earth or is drinking a strawberry daiquiri somewhere on a beach and isn't the Spirit Warrior."
"What I don't get is why. If it's Kimberly and this attack was personal...why would she do it at all? The Kim both of us know wouldn't do anything like this. She's a kind and gentle person. The only time she ever acted up was when she was under Maligore's influence." Adam stopped, "Is it possible she's under some sort of spell?"
Tommy shrugged, "Let's not get ahead of ourselves Adam. It might not be Kim at all. We might be barking up the wrong tree."
'I sure as hell hope so. If Kim is doing this...it'll break my heart. I don't want her to be the one who is causing all this damage.'
"Tommy..." Adam spoke in a quiet, but serious tone, "if it is Kimberly, I'll help you fight for her. It's obvious you still love her, after all these years, you can't even fathom that it might be her doing this. You've done nothing, but defend her. That shows loyalty and it's inspiring. I wish I had someone I loved so much that I would do anything to defend them."
Tommy smiled a sad smile, "Thanks Adam. I've had plenty of years to think and you're right...I still love her very much."
The car stopped in front of the hospital and both men got out of the car. Taking the path up to the sliding doors, they were met by Billy, Trini, and Jason who were waiting for them. Tommy looked at the three who were joining them, "If it's what we think it is and Katherine's essence has been stolen, then we need to move fast. Billy and I found a lead on Phaedos that we can check out."
"What's the lead?" Jason asked curiously.
"I'll explain later, let's go check on Kat." Tommy lead the others into the hospital where he identified himself and was allowed into Katherine's hospital room. When he entered, he took a deep breath in to steady himself, sure enough, Katherine was laying on the bed motionless. Her body was connected to various machines that monitored her body.
Billy brushed past and hooked an electrode to skin near Katherine's collarbone that was exposed. He typed a few things on his laptop that he had brought and turned to the others, "It's as we feared. The only thing that is keeping Katherine alive at all is her power, which is actually weaker than the other Rangers that we've seen. That's why she isn't glowing like the others and is having to be on a ventilator."
"How could her power be weaker?" Trini asked.
Billy shrugged, "I don't know. She's been a Pink Ranger on several teams so it should be stronger. I don't know what to say."
Tommy looked at the floor. 'Katherine initially inherited her power from Kim. I wonder if that played into it somehow. If Kim is the Spirit Warrior, then she just got a major boost from getting her original power back and then some.'
Jason's hand tightened into a fist, "Damn, what are we going to do? There seems to be no way to stop this warrior and her team. Every team that's gone against them as fallen."
"The key will be finding out who she is. If we can somehow find that out, maybe we can somehow stop this by reminding the Spirit Warrior that people are being hurt here." Adam piped in.
"Not just people, but defenders of Earth and other planets. What if another evil force comes to take over? There will be no one to defend good." Trini said softly.
"Hopefully no one takes advantage of that fact." Tommy replied glumly before turning to Billy, "We need to get to Phaedos as soon as we can. I have a feeling that's where we'll get answers."
"A few of us should stay here and continue monitoring the situation. Maybe we can help save a team or two." Jason remarked.
"We can decide that while Tommy is talking to Scotland Yard." Billy took the electrode off of Katherine skin and closed his laptop, "We'll need whatever information Phaedos has to offer us."
"Tell about this lead you found." Trini reminded Billy that neither she, Jason, or Adam knew what happened on KO-35. Billy was more than happy to explain what they had found and its significance. Tommy just stood near the door, barely listening.
'I'm afraid of what we'll find on Phaedos. It seems that might be where the Spirit Warrior got her start and where we'll find out her true identity. I want to know what would cause a Power Ranger like us to do something that would destroy the forces of good. She's somehow connected to Zordon too. She pretty much told me that when we met. Why would Zordon allow such a Power Ranger to exist? Or was it that he had no idea that she would become what she is today? Who's to say...if only Zordon were still here.'
Trini walked up to Tommy and touched his bicep, "Tommy, Scotland Yard is here to talk to you." Her eyes reflected pity as she brought him out of his own thoughts.
Tommy stood up straighter, "Yeah, okay, I'll go talk to them."
He walked out of the room, leaving the others behind with Katherine. Trini sighed, "This is tearing him apart. He's always been a bit scattered, but not like this. He's usually not this quiet either."
Billy nodded, "He's taken these attacks against other Rangers personally. It's not his fault and I think he knows that, but it hurts him nonetheless."
Adam shifted his weight from one foot to the other, "Tommy and I talked in the car on the way here. I have a theory myself that Kimberly is behind all this. When I told Tommy what I thought, he looked...in agony. It's like part of him agreed with me, but the other part...defended her. He hoped she was just on a beach drinking drinks with umbrellas in them instead of behind this."
Jason nodded, "That would make sense. I know Tommy and I knew Kim. You were all there too...what they had...was special. It would be hard to not care for someone when you went through as much as they did together."
Trini cocked her head to the side, "How do you feel about all this Jason? You were Kimberly's fiance."
"I don't know what to think. Until I find solid proof that she's behind this, I can't make a judgment. I guess I'm like Tommy, I hope it isn't her."
"If it is, do you think we can stop her?" Adam asked grimly.
"We'll have to. We can't let the Spirit Warrior continue this reign of terror." Jason replied with resolution in his voice, "We've fought allies before and we can do it again."
"In our time Jason, we only fought one other Power Ranger like us and it nearly killed us." Trini reminded him, "It's just like when Tommy was the evil Green Ranger."
"Then perhaps we can save the Spirit Warrior like we did with Tommy. Look at all the good Tommy has done. It was worth saving him and honestly any Ranger that has lost their way is worth saving." Billy stated.
Around the group, there were nods of approval. It was true, any Power Ranger that was lost was worth saving. Power Rangers by their nature ultimately served good. This Spirit Warrior was no different. They just had to find a way to help this Ranger come back into the light.
Tommy rubbed the back of his neck as he went to the cafeteria to join the other Rangers. He had just spent hours, hours he really didn't have, talking to Scotland Yard. They had asked him the same questions over and over again. Where were you last night? Can anyone verify your story? What was your relationship like with Katherine? Do you know anyone that would want to hurt her?
'That was brutal. It's not like I could tell them that I am pretty sure a Power Ranger attacked Katherine and might have had a very good reason to hurt her. If I'm right...it all comes down to jealousy. The Spirit Warrior...who is normally so cold when she takes out Power Rangers, lost her cool with Katherine and Andros.'
He sat down at the table where the other had gathered and rubbed his temples, "That was damn brutal. Why are cops so demanding?"
"Did they think you did it?" Jason asked.
"I'm sure. They asked me the same questions over and over again. Luckily I was with Billy a lot last night and we were at Hailey's too so lots of people would have seen us. They kept asking who would want to harm Kat. What could I tell them? Oh yeah, it's a girl who goes by the name Spirit Warrior and runs around in a costume? They wouldn't have believed it."
Billy sighed, "At least they will look into your alibi and found out that it checks out. They'll leave you alone after that. We can focus on finding out about the real culprit now."
"We've decided who's going with you to Phaedos. Adam and I are going to stay here and I keep tabs on the other Ranger teams. You, Billy, and Trini are going." Jason said.
"You sure?" Tommy looked up, "I would think you'd want to know the most about this, especially if it's connected to Kimberly."
"I do believe me, but Adam and I need to stay here. We're the best fighters besides you bro. You are the one who started this crusade, so it's only right that you take Billy and Trini to Phaedos. Just make sure you return safely." Jason held out his hand for Tommy, "Don't let me down bro, I mean it."
"I won't." Tommy's eyes hardened with resolution. He turned to Billy and Trini, "Let's get going. I have a feeling this is going to be a long teleportation journey."
Everyone at the table stood up and left the hospital. It took some exploring, but eventually they found an abandoned warehouse in the middle of bustling London where they could perform the necessary teleportation.
Billy made the necessary preparations and then nodded to show he was ready. He turned to Adam and Jason, "You know where the new Command Center is. You can use it to monitor the Spirit Warrior's activity. Just be careful, don't engage her directly. We can't afford to lose the original team when we are so close to figuring out the mystery."
Adam and Jason smiled at each other and then at Billy, "No problem. All of you need to come back alive."
Tommy moved his elbow so his communicator would be in front of him, "We'll probably be out of communication range, but we'll come home as soon as we can."
Adam waved, "Be safe all of you."
Tommy pushed the button on his communicator first and felt the familiar feeling of his body disappearing as he teleported away from the empty warehouse and up into space.
The three Power Rangers zoomed in beams of light from the Earth and past the moon. They rocketed through space and past other planets. In the blink of an eye, they had landed. Looking around, they noticed the rocky shoreline and barren wasteland that they had come to.
Tommy looked over at Billy, "Is this Phaedos?"
"Yes it is." Billy nodded the affirmative, "I just hope we can find someone who can help us."
Trini looked around, "I don't see anyone, but we better start walking."
The trio began to traverse the rocky terrain of Phaedos. Tommy stopped for a moment on a large rock and looked out at the sea in contemplation. Jason was in the lead and hadn't noticed Tommy stop, but Trini who had been behind Tommy did. She stopped and touched his elbow, "Are you okay?"
Tommy sighed, "Yeah, I was just thinking about Zordon and everything we went through together. I wish he was here today. He would know what to do."
Trini smiled sympathetically, "He did what he did for our good Tommy. We all know and felt that the day that he left us...the day he sacrificed himself for good. He trusts us. You remember, he always trusted in our abilities and he'd want us to not second guess ourselves now. We'll stop this Spirit Warrior. Come on, let's keep going."
Tommy started to nod when Trini's eyes widened and she gasped, "What is this?"
Shockingly, there were warriors surrounding them. Men that were in boots and loincloths, women in what could only be described as glorified bikinis and knee length boots. Looking around in shock, Tommy put his hands up, "We don't want to fight."
The warriors didn't seem to hear and began to charge. They converged on the three Rangers and a fight ensued. Each of the Rangers was outnumbered at least three to one. Tommy fought with all his strength, but every single time he tried to land a hit, it went through the warriors as though they were phantoms, even though they looked very much real and alive, and even though each hit they landed felt like a real one.
Something caught Tommy's attention in the middle of the fight. He saw a cloaked figure approach a cliff. A strange sound echoed through the air and the cloaked figure jumped down off the cliff, landing perfectly.
The cloak was tossed away to reveal a woman with curly hair and fierce eyes in a green bikini and boots. She approached with purpose, staff in hand. Breaking it into two parts, she whirled it around in the air, bringing Tommy, Jason, and Trini to their knees.
The warriors that had been attacking disappeared leaving the three Rangers holding their ears. After a few seconds the noise ceased and the woman reattached her staff and closed the distance to the three Rangers, "Go back to wherever it is you came from. You aren't welcome here."
"We can't go back." Trini said to the woman.
"We were told this is where the Nathadians lived. Is it true?" Billy added.
"Yes, the ground is littered with the bones of those who were Nathadians." The woman replied in agitation, "There is nothing left of those people. They are dead and you will join them if you don't leave."
"We're not Nathadians. We're different and we can't fail." Tommy walked forward.
In a flash, the woman had used her staff to knock Tommy's legs out from under him and pinned him to the ground, "Leave Phaedos before it is too late."
"Look, we really don't want any trouble. We are Power Rangers who were summoned to help our planet Earth by Zordon..." Trini started.
"Zordon!" the woman cut her off, "Did you say Zordon?"
Trini looked in confusion at the woman, "You know Zordon? Who are you?"
The woman gave Tommy a hard look and then took her staff off his chest so he could stand. Tommy immediately got up, grateful not to be on the rocks anymore.
"I am Dulcea, Master Warrior of the planet Phaedos. From what I was told, Zordon is dead. Why are you here?" Duclea asked.
Jason looked Dulcea straight in the eye, "Zordon is dead. We're here because we have a Spirit Warrior attacking forces of good on Earth who is somehow connected to the Nathadians."
"The Spirit Warrior is free?" Duclea's reply showed some hints of dismay.
"You know of her?" Tommy's face brightened slightly. 'Now we might be getting somewhere.'
"The Spirit Warrior...she is...she is a monster now. You are here looking for answers about her then. If we don't hurry, your planet and many others are doomed. Follow me." she pushed through them, walking with a purpose once again.
Tommy looked at his companions and then started after Dulcea. Jason and Trini followed along behind as Dulcea lead them over tidepools and through canyons without stopping. It was hard to keep up with her, but it was important.
Tommy's mind was whirling. 'This Dulcea knows about the Spirit Warrior. When she spoke of her...there was hesitation and it seemed like she was hurt when talking about her. Then she said she was a monster now. That must mean she wasn't one always. I wonder what we're going to find.'
As they were climbing a series of cliffs that were like stairs, Billy shouted, "Duclea, where are you taking us?!"
"You shall know soon enough." Came Dulcea's seemingly knowing answer.
She lead them over rocks and through a desert towards a large set of cliffs. Just as the sun was setting, Dulcea lead them into a set of ruins. There were columns, some standing and some toppled over and a veranda where part of the stone railing was broken away. A large rock column that jutted out of the earth could be seen in the distance against the setting sun with a jungle underneath.
"Wow," Trini whispered in awe.
"What is this place?" Tommy asked.
"These are the ancient ruins of the Ninjetti Temple." She stopped at the broken veranda and looked out at the great rock in the distance, "There beyond the jungle is the Monolith. Inside it held the power of the universe. It is heavily guarded against intruders and no one had ever survived in an attempt to reach it...at least...until the Spirit Warrior did."
Dulcea turned around, "But before I start that story, I must tell you of the Order of Meridian and the Nathadians first. They will play their own part in the story of the Spirit Warrior."
Jason noticed some stone stairs that were nearby and sat on them. Trini and Tommy followed suit. Dulcea walked back towards them and suddenly a fire roared to life in the firepit. She came and sat on the bottom step and propped her staff against a rock.
"First, the Nathadians. They are an ancient race of people who came from another time and another dimension. They brought the Great Power that was in the Monolith to Phaedos. There were once many Nathadians that called Phaedos home. Now there are very few. I thought...until today that I was the only one left. But now that I know the Spirit Warrior is free, that is not true. There are other Nathadians that roam the universe now."
Billy's brow furrowed, "What do you mean? What happened to all the Nathadians?"
"Many died in the Great War to reclaim the universe for good. Many more died when Dark Specter invaded Phaedos in his attempt for control. The rest...died..." Dulcea looked down, her face contorted in pain and sorrow, "at the Spirit Warrior's hand before I sealed her. I had been asleep for centuries afterwards and had no idea she had been released. So in truth, there are four other Nathadians that live now. They are her Knights and serve her, so they have turned their backs on Phaedos and the Nathadians."
Tommy nodded, "Paul and Valentina must have been two of them. They served the Spirit Warrior."
Dulcea nodded, "Yes, there is Paul, Valentina, Chin, and James."
"The Spirit Warrior is not a Nathadian?" Jason questioned.
"No, though after she came here, she became one of us. In terms of blood though, no...she wasn't a Nathadian at all."
"What is the Order of Meridian?" Trini asked.
Dulcea smiled at the mention of this order, "The Order of Meridian was an ancient alliance of forces of good. Myself and Zordon were a part of this group. In ancient times, when we fought evil to reclaim the universe, we fought as allies in many battles. Eventually when our enemies were defeated, it was disbanded and I returned here to Phaedos. I hadn't heard from Zordon in centuries, until the day the Spirit Warrior arrived. On that morning, I had a vision. Zordon came to me in a dream and told me that he had sent a warrior to me who needed my help. I was asked to help mend her broken spirit and make her into a warrior again. He said she had already done much good for her people and would do even more in the future."
"That was the Spirit Warrior, wasn't it?" Tommy whispered.
"She wasn't then, but yes, she eventually became the Spirit Warrior." Dulcea answered, "When she came to me, she was injured and her spirit was lost. I took her in and through the Ninjetti power, I was able to heal her injuries and make her strong again. She expressed a desire to stay and learn how to be a warrior again. I took her under my wing and she stayed for many years and trained under me."
The three Power Rangers looked confused. Billy spoke up, "You sound as if this happened a long time ago. Does time flow differently here than it does on Earth?"
"I don't know much about your planet other than what the Spirit Warrior told me of it, but she said she noticed time flowed differently here. She sensed that what would take only days on her planet, would pass in years or even decades here." Dulcea looked out at the darkened landscape, "I grew to love the Spirit Warrior as one of my own. I would have made her my heir when I tired of this position as Master Warrior."
"What is a Master Warrior?" Jason asked.
"The Master Warrior is the only one entrusted with the knowledge of the Monolith and its power. She is also the leader of the Nathadian race. I wished to someday pass this mantle to the Spirit Warrior."
"But you never got the chance." Tommy stated.
"No, the Spirit Warrior as you know her now, was poisoned by a curse. She did something forbidden and angered the Gods over it. Now she will be consumed by this curse. That is why I call her a monster. She is no longer human as she once was."
Trini gulped, "She was once human then. Please Dulcea, will you tell us the Spirit Warrior's name? She hasn't revealed her identity and we need to know who she is so we can stop her."
Tommy gulped too, knowing this would be the moment of truth for them.
"Her name? Ah yes, she did have a name before she became the Spirit Warrior. It was so long ago..." Dulcea paused and then spoke again, "Yes, her name...was Kimberly...Kimberly Hart is what she called herself when she and I first met. She is the Spirit Warrior and I promise I will tell you her story."
Dulcea's words echoed in the night as the Power Ranger's worst fears were confirmed. Their friend and comrade, the very first Pink Ranger, was now their mortal enemy.