DISCLAIMER: I own nothing
*Once again, any other 'wonders' will be gratefully received via private msg
*This is a 'wonder' from the mind of Hewhoreaps, what would Tommys reaction be to Lord Zedd trying to make Kim his wife in the episode 'Beauty And The Beast'. I hope you enjoy this final part
Beauty And Her Beast (Part 2)
"Hail Queen Kim! Hail Queen Kim!"
The voices are getting closer, but the large hand that is wrapped tightly around my wrist yanks me forward before the meaning of the words have time to sink in
"Goldar, let me go!"
My voice comes out as a strangled scream, as the hand of fear wraps its self tightly around my throat
"There's no point in fighting me Kimmie, the Green Ranger is gone and it looks as though your friends have decided not to show up, that means it's just you and me"
He smells like a wet, stinky dog as he pulls me close to him and then laughs in my face
"Don't worry you pathetic pink parasite, it'll only hurt for a minute and then all you will remember is us and all you will loathe is your multi-coloured friends"
His diabolical laugh rings out through the cave and echoes back at me off the walls
"You can't do this Goldar, Tommy might not be around but my friends will come for me!"
As he takes a step back away without ever letting go of my wrist I see a confidence in his red eyes that I have never witnessed before, like for some reason he knows that this is going to work, whatever this is…
"You can't do this…" My voice is completely vacant of the confidence and sarcasm that has always laced it during my verbal altercations with Goldar, this time I sound as scared as I feel and what's worse… he knows it.
Pointing his staff at me, I feel his grip loosen as he snarls
"It's already done"
And then the nightmare begins.
It feels as though liquid fire is coursing through my veins, everything is blurry, the cave around me is spinning and all I can hear is Goldars laugh
I crumple to my knees and attempt to call out but no sound comes. Kneeling on all fours in the dark cave that is my prison I see my life flashing before my eyes, just frozen… soundless images gliding past my eyes and then disappearing from my mind
My mum…
My dad…
I want to cry as I feel them slip from my thoughts but I feel frozen, no part of me will work, only my terrified mind ticks on
I see Trini and the guys, I see Zordon and I feel the power that he gave us waging a war inside me with the darkness that Goldar has infected me with…
And then I see Tommy, just as I saw him that very first day at the youth centre, tall and proud… my mind attempts to grab hold of his image but he's slipping away, I want to scream and cry for what the darkness is taking from me but it's too late.
As I kneel on all fours in this darkened cave I look up at my three servants and wonder what I ever wanted to scream, cry and show weakness over in the first place
THE COMMAND CENTRE
Staring into the viewing globe I wonder why I am continuously made to suffer
I was never a bad kid, sure I was a little hyperactive sometimes but I always went to school, I always did my homework and I was always respectful to my parents… so how come life has taken me down this darkened path?
I don't know why Rita chose me and I don't know why I was so easily controlled and manipulated, all I know is when she filled me with evil and sent me to do her evil work she was condemning me to a life time of guilt and regret
If I hadn't have been such a good kid, maybe I wouldn't have cared so much. Maybe I could have done good and truly seen it as me making amends, but I can't. The damage has been done and everything that happens now is just a continuance of the punishment I seem to believe I deserve… but Kimberly doesn't deserve this
5 minutes ago Billy finally located the dimension that Zedd was holding Kim in, 2 minutes ago the team teleported in, and ever since then I've been stood here, watching the viewing globe, tortured by fears of what is happening and silently beating myself for not being able to do anything to help
She's my girlfriend, my responsibility but as some form of sick punishment I am being made to watch from the sidelines whilst my team fight for my girlfriends life. If I could get my hands on Lord Zedd right now, powers or no powers he would be sleeping six feet under tonight
"Zordon, why can't we see Kim yet?"
I keep my back to him, never able to tear my eyes away from the images of my friends… The Power Rangers, taking on wave after wave of putties. Zedd must really want to keep them out and dread seeps through my body as I consider the reason he would want so desperately to do that
'They're too late'
The words resonate through my entire body and before anyone ever confirms it, I know it's true as I feel my connection to Kim slowly disappearing
"Zordon, I can't feel Kimberly…"
His silence tells me all I need to know and I drop down onto the steps that lead to the viewing globe and bury my head in my hands
"You must have faith Tommy"
How do I tell Zordon that my faith in things turning out okay died a long time ago?
Suddenly I'm on my feet again as Alpha calls out Jasons name. He's made it past the putties and is now disappearing into the cave and I'm on the verge of telling Zordon to teleport me in, I know I can help him, we can get to Kim in time… the image that fills the viewing globe next tells me that time has definitely run out
"…Kimberly"
I can't believe what I'm seeing.
Is it really my Kimberly? Her beautiful face tells me it is but her eyes… her clothes…
A hand unconsciously covers my mouth as Jason rushes towards her, he reaches out a hand, offering her the chance to escape but she simply slaps it away
"The prophecy…"
Alphas voice mirrors the terror in my heart
ZEDDS MYSTICAL DIMENSION
Stepping out from behind the gold monkey I stare at one of my most hated enemies
"Ranger!"
I spit the word at him and then hold out my staff as I prepare for battle. My husband and I have been at war with the protectors of the power for centuries. This red one… is my newest fascination
Will he surrender quickly, or will he put up the fight that I hope he will?
In the past 'Reds' have always fought the hardest, their demise has always been the sweetest, I hope I can make this one beg for his life like so many before him have…
"Kimberly…"
He speaks a word that I don't recognise and then holds out a hand in my direction. Using my staff I slap it away before I command the gold monkey to kill him!
The battle is short, the monkey is unimpressive, 'Red quickly overpowers him and sends him crashing to the floor, and I'm just about to take matters into my own hands when 'Yellow' 'Black' and 'Blue' come rushing in, each of them yelling that strange 'Kim-ber-ly' word
The monkey is still on the floor as my other servants slowly begin backing away along the walls, I instruct them to fight to the death to protect me but they simply look at each other and then run
"GET BACK HERE!" I scream but they continue to disobey me, I will demand my husband make them into roaches for me later and then I will crush them myself!
"Okay Rangers, 4 against 1 and I will still beat you"
"Kimberly…" Yellow moves towards me slowly and I'm confused by the lack of aggression and violence.
We are sworn enemies, I have killed Rangers before them, they should be trembling in their multi-coloured boots and yet they aren't, instead they simply move closer to me, each of them repeating variations of the word I don't understand
"Kimberly!"
"Kim!"
They're forcing me backwards, surrounding me like a pack of wolves. I turn from one of them to the next but they keep coming. I hold out my staff and ask who wants to die first
'Red' attempts to take my weapon but I'm too quick. The force of the staff coming down onto his shoulder forces him to his knees and I laugh as loudly as I can. The other rangers rush to his side as 'Yellow' turns her attention back to me
"Kimberly, don't do this, you're one of us, don't let Zedd win"
I laugh again
"You're about to learn the lesson that has been taught to generations of Rangers before you 'Yellow'… my husband always wins"
"It's me, it's Trini!"
More words I don't recognise, perhaps these are Ranger words, a language designed to confuse me but she is again moving towards me
"I'm your best friend"
"You're delusional Ranger, you and I are enemies"
"Kim, it's a spell, please don't let them turn you against your friends"
She is just feet from me but is making no attempt to attack, I don't know what game this new team of Rangers are playing but it's one they will never win.
I raise my staff and then bring it thundering down but this 'Yellow' is quick and she rolls out of the way, fortunately I am quicker and I am soon by her, my boot connecting heavily with her shoulder. As she is thrown backwards 'Red' is on his feet again and grabbing hold of my weapon
We pull it back and forth between ourselves but he proves too strong and as soon as the staff is taken from me 'Black' and 'Blue' are at my sides, each of them taking hold of an arm
I scream for my husband… but he doesn't come
"ZEDD GETDOWN HERE RIGHT NOW!"
'Red' grabs my shoulders as the other two tighten their grip on me. His deep voice is attempting to connect with me in some way but all I feel is the hatred that has coursed through me for centuries. These Rangers, these goody-goodies, they have always been a thorn in my side, now this is my chance to destroy them all and for my husband and I to control the Earth as we always believed we would
"Kimberly, please try to fight this" Says 'Red'
"My husband will crush you all!"
"Kim, he isn't your husband… they put a spell on you"
"You have to remember Kimberly… please"
'Yellow stands behind 'Red' and touches his shoulder
"Jason, don't hurt her"
She is concerned about me… but I am her enemy…
Attempting to break free I scream for my husband again, my voice ripping through the confusion of this entire situation
"Enemies! I demand you let me go!" I hiss
"No Kim… friends" says 'Black' in a more gentle tone than I have ever heard from a Ranger
My mind is fuzzy with confusion, everything I know is being brought into question and my husband is nowhere to protect me. In a frenzy I pull and push to break free, screaming for my husband the whole time
THE COMMAND CENTRE
"Zordon, you have to teleport me in!"
Staring up at him I can see the concern that is coating his face. Kimberly is like a daughter to him, they share a bond that the rest of don't and I know exactly how he feels, being stuck on the outside, unable to do anything to help
"Tommy, perhaps we should wait and see if the Rangers can turn this situation around on their own. Seeing Kimberly in this state I am reluctant to let you go in there completely unprotected"
"I can't just stand back and watch this! Billy said if the spell worked that we would need to fight her new memories with her old memories and only the voice of someone she loves will do that. It's the reason you brought me back here isn't it, so just let me go down there and help them!"
Just then Kimberlys scream rips through the command centre, I turn to the viewing globe and see all 4 Rangers attempting to hold her down as she thrashes around on the floor
"They're going to hurt her Zordon!" I yell "Teleport me down there right now- before this goes too far. If she can see me… if she can hear my voice, I can break the spell Zordon, I'm sure of it!"
"And if you can't? Tommy, Kimberly can not be allowed to leave the mystical dimension in her current state"
My eyes drop to the floor as the true meaning of his words rings clear
"Either way she is going to need me. I won't fail her Zordon, she's too important"
It takes a second or two for Zordon to make his decision, but in the end we both know there is no decision to be made
"Alpha, teleport Tommy in"
"Right away Zordon"
Reaching over I place a hand on Alphas shoulder
"Alpha, I'm bringing Kimberly home"
"Be careful Tommy…"
I feel the familiar vibrations of teleportation and as the light rips through me I hear Zordons voice, deeper and more emotion filled than I have ever heard it
"May the power protect you all"
ZEDDS MYSTICAL DIMENSION
"ZEDD, GET DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW!"
I struggle against my attackers but they're too strong. I know they could have killed me by now, but they've made no attempts to and I just can't understand why- I would have killed them in a heart beat
"What do you want with me?!"
"We want to help you" Says 'Red' "Kimberly, I know you have all of these memories and it must be hard to believe this, but they aren't real. It's a spell designed by Lord Zedd to try and turn you against us. His wife… his real wife was banished, he is trying to use you as a replacement… we can help you but you have to let us"
Lies, it's all lies, I know who I am. I am The Queen, sworn enemy of the Power Rangers and my husband is the all powerful Lord Zedd
"Your mind games will not work on me Ranger, once my husband knows that you have me he will come for me and there will be no peace on earth until he has me back and every one of you is dead"
I resume thrashing about in my bid to escape and I'm just about to scream out in frustration when a new voice appears from behind my captors
"Guys!"
I feel their grips loosen slightly as they recognise the gatecrasher and are apparently glad to see him
"Guys I'm here, don't hurt her"
My brow crinkles in confusion as I observe the human running towards us
He's tall, and wearing only a pair of cream shorts and a white wife beater, I feel something immediately but I'm unsure what. Who is this intruder, he definitely doesn't look like a Power Ranger
"Tommy, she's completely out of it" says 'Black'
"Yeah, she doesn't remember anything" Blue informs him as he releases his grip to talk to the human and I see my chance to escape. As I quickly twist myself free from their weakened grips I almost stumble over the still unconscious form of the monkey and I give him a sharp kick to the ribs before running through the darkness of the cave that is my dimensional home
"Kimberly, no!"
The word is spoken again, only this time by the human and for some reason it sounds familiar, unable to stop myself I turn my head and glance behind me. The human is running towards me whilst the Rangers stand at the entrance of the cave watching on with what can only be described as 'concern'
… For me?
…Why?
I don't know whether it was confusion or that pesky human but something distracted me long enough to cause me to lose my footing and in a second I'm sprawled on the floor. Pain shoots through my knees as I turn around to face my oncoming attacker
"Kimberly!"
The human moves closer but I hold out my hand as a warning
"Don't come any closer or I will squash you like a bug!"
He stops moving
"…Kim"
"KEEP BACK!"
" I'm not going to hurt you, I just want to help you"
I throw my head back and my laughter echoes the length of the cave. My confidence is bolstered by the sight of the gold monkey beginning to come around
"You're going to help me? … I think you'll find that it is you that is in need of help human"
"Kim…" He begins to crouch down and I shuffle backwards slightly
"What is this 'Kim' word you use?"
"It's you. You're Kimberly. I know this is all really confusing but it's because of a spell…"
"Mind games…"
He looks at me with his deep brown eyes and that feeling I had the moment I saw him is back. Something flickers in both my chest and my head and I find myself unable to look away
"Don't you recognise me?"
"I've never seen you before in my life"
"It's me…" he's now crouched down before me and I don't know why but I have no desire to kill him
"It's me… Tommy"
Something rips through my memory but it's gone before I can make sense of it
"Kimberly, I can help you…"
I feel a familiarity in his voice that isn't possible, but I see the monkey slowly rising to his feet behind the Rangers that seem too concerned with myself and the human to notice. He will attack them shortly and allow me the opportunity to escape and when I get back to my husband he is never going to hear the end of how he left me with 3 imbeciles to face the most messed up group of Rangers that we've ever encountered. Using mind games as warfare is just plain weird!
Unfortunately the human follows my line of vision and before the monkey has the chance to attack he calls out a warning to the Rangers.
As a battle rages at the entrance to the cave I take the opportunity to spring to my feet and attempt another escape but the human is fast and within seconds his hand is wrapped tightly around my wrist as he pulls me around to face him
"Kimberly…" The word echoes through my mind, summoning something that seems buried beneath the weight of time
"I AM THE QUEEN!"
"Your name is Kimberly Hart! you're the Pink Power Ranger! Those guys out there are your team!"
"Lord Zedd is my team" I attempt to break free of his grip but he tightens it
"We are your friends Kimberly, you have to remember, if you don't…"
"For centuries I have waged a war against all that is good and righteous"
"No, they're false memories. Kim you fight for what is good, please try and look past what they're forcing you to see… see me. Come on Kim please. We need you… I need you"
The flickering is back in my head, it's like images being played at super speed and I can't focus on any of them or make sense of anything
"Kim, close your eyes"
"You're trying to trick me, I don't know who you are but you want me dead"
The sadness that fills his eyes touches me
"I would never do anything to hurt you… you know that"
An images catches in my mind, for just a split second but I see him… and me
"Please…close your eyes Kim"
I don't know why but it feels like I don't have the choice to disobey him and my eyelids slowly slip down to obscure my vision.
I feel his grip loosen and slip from my wrist to my hand, his fingers tangle themselves with mine and I allow them to. In the background I can hear the battle drawing to an end but I stand perfectly still as 'Tommy' smoothes his thumb over the back of my hand
"Your name is Kimberly Hart, you're the Pink Ranger… just relax okay, try and remember."
A light flicks on in my brain but darkness replaces it almost immediately
"You fight under the guidance of your leader Zordon"
"Zordon…"
It escapes my lips as though he means something to me but then a hate that I am familiar with fills me
"He is my enemy!"
"He's like a father to you…"
"And you, what are you to me?"
I fight the urge to open my eyes, I want to see his eyes as he tells me but I see a shadow appearing on the horizon of my memory.
His words replay over and over in my mind.
I am the Pink Ranger…
I am Kimberly…
My memories are the result of a spell…
It can't be the truth!
But if it's not then how do I explain the strange flickering that been growing stronger ever since he turned up here?
I repeat his words as though trying to summon forth the shadow that is lurking just on the edges of my memory
I am Kimberly Hart…
I am the Pink Ranger …
The shadow moves closer but suddenly I'm aware of somebody else moving closer, I keep my eyes tightly closed as I feel the strange human that has tied my reality in knots raise his hand to touch my face. In my mind I hear my husbands voice tearing through my consciousness. Demanding I bring the Rangers to their knees but I find my self unable to move.
I am Kimberly Hart…
I am the Pink Ranger…
A heat burns through me as I feel his lips brush my own, my breath catches in my chest as the shadows in my mind explode into multi colours and come hurtling towards me.
Pulling away I gasp for breath as I fall free of his grip and find myself pressed against the wall
"GUYS!"
I spin around and see Tommy staring at me, his eyes, massive pools of concern, we're both ripped from our trance by Jason and the others entering the cave
"Zedd just sent down a monster he made out of Kims mirror, we have to move now"
Everyone's eyes are on me but Trini speaks first
"Kimberly…?"
My eyes drop down as I observe for the first time what I am dressed in. A scream rips from my lungs and the others all jump into position…ready to defend themselves against me. Tommy steps forward and fixes me with a look of concern
"Kim?"
Tears sting my eyes as I look up at him
"Look what he dressed me in Tommy!"
My friends dissolve into fits of laughter, but not for long
"We have a fight out there waiting for us" Jason holds his hand out and offers me my communicator and morpher "Are you with us Kim?"
I wink up at him and reply "Always" and as we begin to run from the cave I look back at Tommy
"Will you wait for me at the Command Centre?"
His smile tells me that he will and then he disappears in a beam of bright light, the fact that it isn't green hurting me as I know it hurts him
"Isn't there something you're forgetting?"
I look at Zach in confusion and then it suddenly hits me. Grinning I hold out my morpher and yell
"IT'S MORPHING TIME!"
THE ROOF OF THE COMMAND CENTRE
Looking at Kimberly a million things are going through my mind.
I want to hold her, tell her how scared I was and how glad I am that she is okay but like always I'm too afraid of rejection to make the first move. I also want to apologise to her for not keeping in touch more but as I walk up behind her she looks so small and fragile all I can do is blush in shame. She needed me today and I was so busy licking my own wounds that I wasn't there
Sensing my presence she turns around and gives me one of the smiles that melt my heart. She lowers her eyebrows in concern as she asks me how I am and it's typical Kim, always thinking about everyone but herself
"Shouldn't I be asking you that? You had a hell of a day"
"A hell of a day? Tommy I've had a hell of a week"
I nod knowingly. My disappearance has hurt her, I see it in her eyes and I can't believe that I've done the one thing that I swore I would never do and that's hurt Kimberly
"Sorry I didn't call or write more often" She just shrugs it off, like she's accepted it of me and that hurts
"When Jason came for me today I was so scared, the thought of never seeing you again…"
"How do you think I've felt every day since you left?"
Shame tears at my insides, I have no excuse or explanations that will make any sense so I simply nod
"I don't know what I would have done if anything had happened to you. I don't think I realised just how much you meant to me until I was faced with losing you"
I know my honesty will shock her, beause up until this point I've always been guarded with my emotions, I guess I've been scared of putting it all out there in case I got hurt but in doing that I fear that I have caused Kim to doubt my feelings and that's one thing that she should never have to do. "I'm sorry… for everything"
"I'm sorry that you had to see me dressed like that" A smile caresses her lips and my heart glows 'pink'
"It doesn't matter how you dress, I'm always going to feel the same about you Kim, I'm sorry if you didn't know that before"
"You never really said that before…"
I sigh at how much of a jerk I've been
"I've been so wrapped up in myself lately that I guess there's a lot of things I haven't said"
Wrapping her arms around herself Kim looks up into the early evening sky
"Thank you for coming for me Tommy, I dread to think what would have happened if you hadn't"
"I just wish I'd been here in the first place"
"Can you believe I actually thought I was married to Lord Zedd"
She lets out an exaggerated shiver
"Totally gross!"
"Kim.." I place my hand on her shoulder and she turns and looks up at me, her eyes wide with expectation, I know what I'm going to say will hurt her, I just hope I find the right words to explain it in a way that she will understand. "I'm not coming back to Angel Grove right now"
Her eyes fill with tears and she pulls away and stands with her back to me but I plough on with my attempt at showing her my heart
"I'm not the man that can deal with everything yet, but I want to be and I'm going to be. I just want you to… look at me Kim, please, I want you to understand this"
I see her wipe her eyes with the back of her hand and I wonder how much more pain I can cause her before she turns her back on me forever
"Me not being around… it's an attempt to refocus myself after everything that's happened, but believe me, it has got nothing to do with us, or how I feel about you"
"So why are you pushing me away then?"
I raise my hand and use my thumb to wipe away her tears
"I don't mean to but… I don't want you to see me this weak, I want to be the guy that is there for you and protects you, I don't want to be the guy that falls apart in front of you"
"But I don't care about any of that, I just want you to be the guy that's with me Tommy, it's all I've ever wanted"
A smile that I have no control over spreads across my lips. Does she know how long I've waited to hear her say those words?
"This isn't forever, and as far as I'm concerned, nothing has changed between us, I still feel the same as I did before I left. If anything I fee more after today. Oh, and hey…"
I reach a hand to my back pocket and pull something free " I found this, I thought you might want it" The squeal she lets out as I hand her the blue mirror I won for her at a fair reassures me that Kimberly and I are going to make it through this
"Tommy, thank you so much, I thought I had lost this forever. It's really special to me, you know? It reminds me of some of the good times we had together before… everything"
I smile down at her as she slips her hand into mine
"I'll be back for school and I'd really like it if you uh…"
I want to ask her to wait for me but shyness is causing the words to catch in my throat
"If I didn't marry Lord Zedd in the meantime?"
We both laugh so hard we forget about everything that's happened and I pull her into my arms as naturally as I breath.
As I loop my arms around her waist she rests her hands on my arms and looks up at me with her beautiful caramel eyes
"Tommy can I ask you something?"
"You can ask me anything" I'm grinning like an idiot, I can feel it but I couldn't care less
"Were you uh… jealous today, of Zedd?"
My face falls flat and I see a look of concern in her eyes, but then my I lower my lips to her ear and whisper
"I'm jealous of any man that gets to marry you and isn't me"
The kiss she repays my compliment with will be relived every night that I'm away from her