Here's the new chapter. Oh, and I already kinda, sorta hinted at what Kim's hiding in one of the earlier chapters. Closer to the beginning than now. It deals with her health.
Enjoy!
Kim stayed with Adam and Kira for an extra week and a half, traveling with them from New York to Philadelphia, Baltimore, Virginia Beach, Charleston, Atlanta, and finally back down to Florida. Kira's tour schedule allowed for them to spend a couple of weeks at home before heading out to cover the rest of the southern states. Since Trent was already in town, traveling with Kira and Adam, Ethan and Conner were off from school, so they decided to visit. Trini got them tickets to Disney World, which they used to their full advantage. Tommy was finished with school for the year and Jason and Rocky's students were finished with the current round of competitions and tournaments. Trini was still working pretty hard to get the park open on time and Billy, Hayley, and Zack found time to visit for a couple of weeks.
After a few days of shopping and lazing around the pool at Kim's house, everyone decided that they should finally head out to the beach. Trini, Aisha, Rocky, and Zack spent their morning, fixing up sandwiches and making sure there was enough bottled water and different drinks for everyone. Hayley and Kim made sure there was enough sunblock and towels to go around while Jason and Tommy pumped air into a couple of volleyballs. Billy was looking through their volleyball set that they were planning on bringing with them and gathered all of the beach chairs together so it would be easier for them to find and bring to their cars. Amy and Adam were going to meet up with everyone once they got to the beach, later that day.
"Kim!" Aisha called from the kitchen.
"Yeah?" Kim answered from upstairs.
"Make sure you have your sunglasses!"
"It's on my head 'Sha."
"Just wanted to make sure."
"And I love you for it!"
Hayley looked at Kim, questioningly.
Kim shrugged. "You know how Aisha is."
Hayley nodded and smiled. She looked around at the pictures hanging in the hallway upstairs. There were a few from when Kim was a teenager, but the majority of the pictures came from when she and the others moved to Florida. She didn't see any pictures from Kim's time as a gymnast, but saw a lot of her onstage or in the studio. There were even a few that included some recent pictures of her, Billy, and Zack, from the times they had visited in the past year. She smiled when she saw a recent one of Kim and Tommy together on her birthday in February.
"I think that's everything," Kim said, looking through one of the hall closets. "What else do you think we need? We've got sunblock and towels."
"I think that's it," Hayley said. "If we need anything, it's not like you or any of the others live far from the beach anyway."
"Yeah, you're right," Kim said with a laugh.
The two of them headed downstairs with two big beach bags full of towels and sunblock.
"You guys ready?" Kim asked, walking into the kitchen with Hayley close behind. They set down the bags that they were holding against the cabinets on the floor.
"Here are some chips, too," Trini said, handing three bags of potato chips to Zack, who put them in a bag.
"Yeah, we're pretty much done," Rocky said, while eating a sandwich.
Kim grinned and gestured to the sandwich. "I thought we were waiting till we got there."
"Just warming up."
Kim and Hayley looked at each other and laughed while Aisha rolled her eyes.
"I'll go put all the food and stuff in your car, now, Kim," Zack said. She nodded, pointing to her keys on the counter.
"Can you bring these, too?" Kim asked, grabbing the beach bags of towels and sunblock. Zack nodded and put everything on his shoulders by the straps. "And stop by the garage and see if the others are finished in there."
Rocky brushed his hands off and continued to chew. "I'll help."
"Thanks. I thought you were just gonna sit there and keep on eating."
"I was about to. Then I saw how helpless you looked."
Zack rolled his eyes and handed some of the bags over to Rocky.
"We'll meet you guys outside," Aisha said.
Zack and Rocky nodded as they left through the garage door.
"I think that's everything," Aisha said, wiping the counter down. Trini nodded, shutting the refrigerator door. "Adam's meeting us at the beach?"
Kim nodded. "With Amy."
The four of them headed out through the garage, finding Jason and Tommy throwing the volleyballs at each other. They stopped once the girls came into the room.
"Nice," Kim said, smiling.
Aisha, Trini, and Hayley all nodded, smirking.
Jason shrugged. "Are we leaving now?"
"Yeah," Trini said. "So you guys might want to start packing up."
"Who's car are we taking?"
"We could pack the jeep up with the net," Tommy said.
"And the rest of the stuff are in Kim's," Aisha said, looking at Zack and Rocky closing the trunk to her car. "And since they're finished, we'll meet up with you guys over there."
"I'll go with the girls," Zack offered. "Can't wait to hit the beach!"
"Can you drive, too?" Kim asked.
"Shotgun!" Trini yelled.
"It's my car!"
"Should've called it."
"I call shotgun with Tommy!" Rocky yelled.
Billy watched this exchange, amusingly. "The chairs and the net's ready to go, too. Will it all fit in your jeep, Tommy?"
"Yeah, I think so."
"Then we'll see you guys later," Aisha said, climbing into Kim's car with everyone else.
"And turn left here," Trini was saying. "That's the parking lot."
"All right, cool," Zack said, turning into the parking lot.
Kim looked around. "I don't see Adam's car. They're probably not here, yet." She followed Aisha out of the backseat of her car and waited for Zack to open the trunk.
Adam's black car pulled into the space to the right of them.
Amy jumped out of the passenger's side and gave Kim a hug. "Hey guys!" She moved to say hi to Zack, Aisha, Trini, and Hayley.
"Perfect timing," Kim said to Adam. They hugged each other. "You can help Zack carry everything." She laughed.
He lifted up the trunk of her car while everyone was still talking amongst themselves. They looked up to see the five people they came with walking down toward the beach already.
"Looks like it's just me and you," he said. He pulled out the beach bags and handed it to Kim. Adam picked up two of the coolers and set it on the floor. Kim pulled out the bags of chips and waited for Adam to grab the other bag of sandwiches. He put it on, pulling the straps over his shoulders and closed the trunk. "You okay? You look tired." The two of them followed their friends, down the way to the beach.
Kim nodded. "I'm fine. I think I am just tired."
"I've got your eyedrops and medicine if you need it."
"I should be fine. I have my sunglasses and an umbrella."
Adam nodded. "Where are the others?"
"They should be on their way. They're bringing the chairs and everything else."
"Sorry, Kim," Aisha said when Adam and Kim reached them. "We forgot."
Kim waved it off. "It's fine." She set down the bags she was holding and started pulling a towel out for her to sit on. Adam unzipped one of the coolers and pulled out a sandwich. Aisha and Trini grabbed a towel and spread it out next to Kim while Amy and Zack also reached into the sandwich bag.
"Good thing you guys brought the food," Adam said with his mouth full. "If you had left it with Rocky, it would've been gone by now!"
A couple of hours later, after everyone's been fed, they truly began to enjoy their day at the beach. Billy, Tommy, and Trini set up the volleyball net while Amy, Hayley, Kim, Rocky, and Zack jumped in the water. Jason, Aisha, and Adam decided to go for a jog.
"You guys ready?" Trini called to those in the water once she and the others finished setting up the net. She was holding one of the balls in her hands, bumping it up and down to herself.
"Yeah, we'll be there!" Zack called. He splashed Hayley and ran out of the water, followed by Amy and Rocky.
"We have enough for..." Billy counted silently to himself, looking out at his friends. "two teams. There's 11 of us, so we could play six on five."
"No," Hayley called from the water. "I'm out."
"Kim's not playing, either," Trini said quickly. "Right, Kim?"
"Yeah," she answered. "Not playing."
"Well, that leaves us six, since the others are still out jogging," Zack said.
"All right, cool," Tommy said. "So we'll play three on three." He and the others walked onto the court, dividing themselves up randomly.
Trini, Zack, and Rocky were on one side while Tommy, Amy, and Billy took care of the opposite side. Kim and Hayley stayed in the water, watching their friends play before them.
"Not a volleyball kind of person?" Kim asked Hayley, who shook her head.
"Not really. And it's been a long time since I've been in the water."
Kim nodded. "Nice hit, Tommy!" she yelled after watching a particularly good spike. "I know what you mean," she said to Hayley before taking off swimming. Hayley watched for a couple more minutes before swimming off, also.
"You guys want in?" Tommy asked as Aisha, Adam, and Jason approached, finishing their jog.
"In a second," Aisha called out. She grabbed three bottles of water from one of the coolers and handed it to Jason and Adam. The three of them took long sips of their water and threw it off to the side, on their towels. "I'm over here," Aisha said, walking onto the court where Trini, Zack, and Rocky were. Adam took her lead and walked on the opposite end of the court, standing between Tommy and Billy in the back.
"We've got room for one more, Jase," Billy called.
Jason waved his hand and shook his head. "I think I'll go out in the water," he said, before taking off into the ocean.
Billy nodded and resumed the game with the others.
Jason, Hayley, and Kim continued swimming and hanging around in the ocean while they watched their friends play. A couple of hours passed and Kim and Hayley decided to dry off a bit and watched the volleyball game from the sand. They cheered as they passed a bag of chips between them and laughed whenever somebody did something funny on the court.
"You know, when we were in high school, there was one volleyball game that we played at the park and Billy and I ended up like bullies," Kim said.
"What?" Hayley laughed. "I never heard this story."
Kim nodded. "We were playing volleyball and he and I took a sip of something and ended up like bullies."
"What happened?"
"It turned out that Baboo, one of Rita's...monster worker people put a potion in our drinks. And then, you know, monster attacks the city while Billy and I were still under the potion and Alpha went out to get some plant thing and save us with its juice. It was some nasty toad monster."
"Wow, some story."
Kim laughed. "I don't really remember the details. A lot of high school was overshadowed by monster attacks."
Hayley laughed also. "I could only imagine. So what other fun stuff happened during high school?"
Kim furrowed her brow as she watched her friends, thinking. "Oh!" She looked at Hayley with excitement. "I had to land my Uncle Steve's plane once."
Hayley just looked at her in surprise. "What? How? Why?"
"Squat, one of Rita's other...monster worker people things...put a sleeping potion in my uncle's drink when we were about to fly off. He's a pilot. My uncle, not Squat," she added with a smirk. "Anyway, he put a sleeping potion in my uncle's drink and Bulk and Skull were with us up in the sky when I noticed that he had fallen asleep."
"How'd you land the plane?"
"I called Alpha on my communicator." She looked at her friends again. "But don't tell them, they think that I actually landed the plane, but I just steadied the plane until he woke up. Then he landed."
Hayley and Kim both laughed.
"Watch out for the ball!" Tommy called as the ball was flying towards them. Kim and Hayley did not hear the warning and the ball hit Kim on her face, causing her to fall backwards and hit her head on the metal sidebar of the chair.
Immediately, Hayley stopped laughing and cupped Kim's face into her hands. "Are you okay?" Kim didn't say anything with her eyes closed and her head facing down. She put a hand on her head as Hayley scrambled through one of the coolers to get some ice.
Adam, Aisha, Trini, Rocky, Amy, Tommy, Zack, and Billy ran to Kim. Adam resumed Hayley's place and cupped Kim's face into his hands. Aisha and Trini stood on either side of Adam, blocking the sun from her face. Trini took the ice from Hayley and held it Kim's face as Adam whispered to her. He quickly glanced at Rocky, who nodded and yelled for Jason who was still in the water. He also looked at Amy and gestured toward his backpack. She quickly found what he wanted and handed him the eyedrops and ibuprofen with a bottle of water.
Jason ran up as Adam held Kim's head back and administered eyedrops to her eyes. He held a tissue to her eye as Jason took two ibuprofen pills and gave it to Adam, who put it in Kim's mouth and put the water bottle to her lips.
"Is she all right?" Zack asked, concerned.
Adam looked at her closely.
"I'm fine," Kim said, softly.
Adam, Jason, Aisha, Trini, Rocky, and Amy formed an even closer circle around Kim, leaving Hayley, Zack, Billy, and Tommy standing a couple of steps back. Tommy tried to get a bit closer to Kim, but Rocky just moved in front of him, standing closer to Jason.
"How many fingers am I holding up?" Adam asked as he waved two fingers in front of her.
Kim blinked a few times and shook her head. She blinked a couple more times before answering. "Two..." she said slowly.
"Take her to the hospital," Jason whispered to Adam, who nodded. Amy handed him the car keys and Adam and Jason helped Kim up.
"I'm fine, guys," she said again, softer than before.
Jason shook his head and gave Kim a kiss on the cheek. "Adam's taking you to the hospital," he whispered. "Just to check things out. Better safe than sorry, right?"
"But I'm fine," she said again.
"Just for precautionary purposes," Jason protested. Adam put an arm around her and pulled her close.
"Don't tell him," Kim whispered to Jason.
Jason nodded. "We won't. But you have to."
Kim barely heard Jason's last words as Adam hurried her up the beach to the parking lot. Jason turned and looked at his friends. He raised an eyebrow at Rocky. Aisha, Trini, and Amy exchanged looks. They all looked at Jason, who shook his head slightly.
"Well," said Trini, facing Hayley, Billy, Zack, and Tommy. "That was eventful, right? How about we get back to the game? I believe it was my serve." She picked up the ball and headed down toward the court again, followed by Aisha and Amy.
"Wait, what happened?" Tommy asked. He grabbed Jason's arm as he passed by. "Jason, what happened? Where's Adam going with Kim? Why...?" Jason looked at him and shrugged and continued to the court.
"Same teams?" Rocky said.
"What's up with Kim?" Zack asked. He and Billy looked closely in Rocky's eyes.
Rocky shrugged. "Tired, I guess. Adam went to take her home."
Billy and Zack quickly glanced at each other, not satisfied with this answer.
"Okay," Zack said. He turned to Aisha. "So what's up with Kim?"
Aisha merely shrugged and resumed bumping the ball back and forth between her, Trini, and Amy.
Hayley settled into the beach chair once more, thinking hard. Tommy took the seat that was once occupied by Kim and put his head in his hands.
"You in, Tommy? Hayley?" Amy called from the court. The two of them shook their heads.
"So...we're serving," Trini said, motioning towards her, Amy, and Aisha. "And you guys have an unfair disadvantage, so...somebody needs to come here." She pointed to Jason, who promptly crossed under the net and stood close to her.
"She could see, though, right?" Trini whispered. Amy and Aisha faced the front of the net, though they were closely listening.
Jason nodded. "Just want her to get checked out, though. You know how she is if there's something bothering her."
Trini nodded and made her way out of the court. She faced Rocky, Zack, and Billy and grinned as she served.
"What do you think happened?" Tommy asked Hayley quietly, his head still in his hands.
"I don't know," she answered truthfully. "Maybe the ball knocked her out a bit? It did hit her squarely on the face, right over her eye."
"Why wouldn't they let me see her?"
"I don't know," she answered again. She put her hand on his shoulder. "It kind of looked like they had practice with this before." Even though he couldn't see, she motioned to the group on the court. "They all kind of put up an impenetrable wall between Kim and the world."
"Yeah," he said slowly. He looked up and watched Jason, Trini, Amy and Aisha's side. "But against me? Against us? I thought we were all friends here. Why would they tried to hide her from us?"
Hayley shrugged. "I don't know. I guess old habits die hard. They're so used to protecting each other and stuff, I guess...they just forgot who they were protecting against."
"It's just...I don't want it to be...all of them and then there's us."
"Yeah, I understand that. But, you've got to remember that they're all so used to each other and even though you guys have known each other for a long time, there was a time in both of your lives when you guys didn't know each other. They still know things about each other that others never will and this may be one of those things."
"You sound like Jason." He looked at her. "You know, I've been wanting to ask Kim to marry me ever since Christmas?"
"Why haven't you?"
"Jason. Saying pretty much the same things you are. He keeps telling me to get to know Kim, but...I feel like I know her already, you know? Sometimes, I feel like I know everything there is to know about her."
Hayley pursed her lips and cocked her head to the group on the court. "Maybe there are still a few things to get to know about her."
"Are you sure you're okay?" Adam asked Kim as he helped her out of the car.
"I'm sure I'm fine," she answered, looking directly at Adam's eyes. "If you had let me take that nap, I'd be even better."
Adam shook his head as he took her hand. The two of them headed toward the automatic double doors to the emergency room.
"It's not even that big of an emergency. If anything, I'll make an appointment for tomorrow and whenever."
Adam shook his head as he approached the emergency desk. Kim took a seat in front of a TV while Adam spoke with the attendant. He took a seat next to Kim and looked around.
"Looks kind of slow today," he said. "Is this really an emergency room?"
Kim exhaled in amusement and looked at him. "You know it's really bad when you know how emergency rooms are supposed to look."
Adam nodded in the direction of a doctor who walked out of the double doors into one of the offices. "No. It's really bad when you know the emergency room doctors."
Kim laughed for a couple of seconds and stopped abruptly, putting her head on Adam's shoulder.
He looked at her and shook his shoulder a bit. "Hey, stay awake. I need the company."
"Just a bit dizzy."
Adam looked at her and rubbed her shoulder. "It's probably a mild concussion or something.
"Wow, you could become a doctor."
"I try," Adam said as he tried to wake Kim up. He told her to watch TV since it was showing one of her favorite movies, Remember the Titans. He started talking alongside the characters, knowing that it irritates Kim, who promptly swatted his thigh.
"Shut up," she said.
Adam laughed. The two of them sat there, watching the rest of the movie, making the usual comments that they always do.
An hour and a half later, the doctor released Kim, saying that she just had a mild concussion. Adam questioned him about her eye problems, but the doctor said that there wasn't anything out of the ordinary other than her usual issues. He advised them to come back if anything else arises.
"Just take it easy for a bit," the doctor said. "You should be back to normal by tomorrow or the day after."
"Thank you," Adam said. Kim smiled as Adam led her back in the parking lot. Adam pulled out his Blackberry and immediately started texting Jason, updating him on everything and knowing that he would inform the others. He looked at Kim when they approached his car and held the door open for her before settling in the driver's side. "You want to head back to the beach or go straight home? I'm sure they're still there."
Kim shook her head. "Let's grab something to eat and go back to the house. I am a little tired."
They stopped by McDonald's and pulled into the drive-thru. Adam ordered for the both of them and as they were pulling away, Kim tore his attention from the road and motioned for him to look up.
"What?" he asked.
"It looks like a shooting star!" she said excitedly.
He turned his gaze upward and stared in confusion. "I thought those usually happen at night."
"Well, maybe there's supposed to be a meteor shower tonight."
"I don't think so," he said. "Aren't they usually on the news?"
"Forget about it," Kim said, reaching into her bag for some fries. "Do you want to stop and rent some movies or something? Do you think everyone's gonna be at the beach till later?"
Adam shrugged. He handed Kim his Blackberry when he heard the familiar tone, signaling a text message. She opened it and read it out loud.
"From Jason," she said. She held it up as she read. " 'Glad she's fine. We'll be home later. Planning on making a bonfire. Join us later if you want.' "
"A bonfire, huh? Do you want to go?"
"Not really," Kim answered. "I think I had a bit too much of the beach for today."
"So I guess that leaves just us for a bit, doesn't it?" Adam said.
Kim laughed as she ate more fries.
"You should call Tommy," Adam said.
Kim sighed. "What do I tell him?"
"Tell him you're fine. He's gonna want to hear it from you instead of Jason."
"Yeah..."
"Just tell him you're fine. Nothing more. At the moment."
Kim sighed again as she pulled her own phone out. She dialed his number and waited for him to pick up. "Hey Handsome," she said as soon as he picked up. "Sorry about earlier...I was just..." She was silent as Tommy spoke. "Thank you. I knew there was a reason why I loved you so much." She grinned as Tommy said something else. "Yeah, Jason just texted Adam about it. I think I'm just gonna head home, though. I'm still pretty tired." She looked at Adam as Tommy spoke again. "I'm not sure...you going?" she asked Adam, who shook his head. "No, I don't think so. I think he's pretty worn out, too." Adam nodded in response to her words. "Yeah, just give me a call later or something. Are you guys planning on stopping by the house?" Kim nodded to something Tommy said. "I might be asleep, but you guys could if you want." She was silent again as Tommy spoke. "Okay, I guess I'll just see you guys tomorrow then. I love you." She smiled as she heard his response and closed her phone promptly.
"I always forget--"
"Yeah, I could tell," Adam interrupted.
Kim rolled her eyes as she turned the radio on and started changing it to different stations. She wasn't paying attention and grabbed the side of her door as Adam swerved and suddenly braked.
Adam looked at Kim. "You okay? I'm sorry."
Kim nodded. "What happened? Are you okay?"
"Did you see that thing?" Kim shook her head and her eyes widened in concern. "It...or he...something...ran across the street. Down that way." He pointed out the window closest to Kim. He leaned over to look out the window.
"I don't see anything, Adam."
"I swear something was there."
"It was probably just a squirrel or something."
Adam shook his head. "No...it was something more than that."
"Well...let's just get home, okay."
Adam exhaled and looked away. "Okay. But..."
"Just forget about it."
Adam pulled into the road again and headed off into the direction of Kim's house in silence.
Ten minutes later, Adam pulled into Kim's driveway and the car into park. Kim gathered the McDonald's bags and looked at Adam.
"Look, Adam, whatever ran out onto the street is probably safe now. If it was a person or an animal or whatever, just forget about it, okay?"
"But...no...something's up."
"What do you mean?" Kim, feeling that they weren't going into the house anytime soon, decided to open and start to eat her burger in the car. She pulled Adam's out and unwrapped it before handing it over to him.
"That shooting star...those don't usually happen in broad daylight, right? I know I'm not an expert on it, but I always hear about it going on at night."
"So what? Things happen."
"I just have this feeling..." He thought for a bit. "Do you think there are active powers right now?"
"Besides yours?"
Adam nodded slowly. "I don't know...do you think I'm reading too much into it?"
Kim nodded slowly. "Possibly..."
Adam exhaled. "Let's just...get inside, okay."
Kim nodded again. The two of them got out of the car and headed toward the front door. Adam fumbled with his keys, trying to find the right key and hold two cups of soda in his hands. They walked into the house and immediately covered their eyes because a blinding light emerged as Kim and Adam entered. Adam dropped his keys and the two sodas he held and Kim dropped the McDonald's bags and quickly buried her face into Adam's shoulder. Adam put his arms around her as he looked at the light.
"What are you?" he asked. "What do you want?"
"Adam Park? Former black ranger. Former green ranger."
"Yes." Adam began to let his guard down at the sound of the soft, ethereal, feminine voice, but he didn't release his grip on Kim.
"You currently hold powers of the morphing grid."
"Yes," Adam said again.
"I am Mayari." The light became dimmer, allowing Kim and Adam to face the figure before them. An outline of a face appeared in the light. Kim noted how sad the face looked. "And I need your help."
Adam looked at Kim. "I told you so," he said. Kim was too shocked to reply. Adam looked at Mayari. "Of course, I'll help."
"We must go," Mayari said. "There is much--"
"Wait," Kim interrupted. "I want to come too." She looked at Adam. "You promised!"
"Kim..." he started. "You might get hurt...I don't want you to..."
"You might get hurt too, Adam! I used to be a Power Ranger; I want to help, too!"
"Kimberly Hart, first pink ranger," Mayari said. Kim and Adam looked at the figure in front of them. Kim started to feel a bit uncomfortable, feeling like this thing was reading her inside and out. "You are strong. You are loyal."
"I want to help, too," she said, a bit softer this time.
"And I will welcome anyone who does."
Adam smiled at Kim and squeezed her shoulder. They stood next to each other and Kim grabbed Adam's arm. In a swift movement, Mayari waved her arm and Kim and Adam disappeared.
"So...what exactly happened with Kim?" Hayley asked Aisha quietly as they sat next to each other. Some of their friends were still playing volleyball, while a couple others were in the water. They were planning on staying for the rest of the night. The guys wanted to start up a bonfire, which they planned on starting up as soon as the sun went down. They didn't have that long to wait, since the sun was already on its way down.
Aisha pursed her lips as she considered Hayley's question. "I'm sorry, Hayley. It's really not up for me to tell you."
Hayley smiled a bit. "I figured you'd say that." She exhaled as she watched Tommy and Billy play against Jason and Zack. "Is she gonna be okay, though? We care about her, too."
Aisha smiled. "I know you guys do. And she is. It's just...all a bit complicated."
Hayley nodded. "I understand." She put her hand on Aisha's arm. "You don't have to say anything else." She and Aisha looked at each other and smiled.
"Whoa," Kim said, taking in her surroundings. "Where are we?"
"We are safe," Mayari said. "And that is the only thing that is important."
Kim raised her eyebrows at Adam who squeezed her hand in response. The two of them watched as the light figure of Mayari materialized before them. They could tell that she was a tall, beautiful woman, with long, jet black hair that almost reached the ground. It was so shiny that they could almost see their reflections in it. She had gorgeous, olive-colored skin, that looked as if she were always tan. She looked at Adam and Kim. They noticed right away that she only had one eye, the left one, with her right eye looking as if she had been through a lost battle. They also noticed the clear look of sadness in her face.
"Mayari?" Adam started slowly. "What's happened? Why do you need our help?"
Mayari pursed her lips and stared for a bit. "It's supposed to be safe. The moon. A place for rest. A time for the human's body to unwind from a long day's work."
Adam and Kim looked at each other quickly and waited for her to continue.
"But over sixteen years ago, Rita Repulsa was released from her prison and took over the moon. It was not safe. Later, Lord Zedd took her place. They then joined forces and received the bonds of matrimony." She looked at Kim and Adam and gestured for them to sit on the couch that appeared behind them. "But, the two of you know this already."
Kim and Adam took a seat, still silent. They waited for Mayari to continue.
"I am Mayari. Goddess of the moon. My brother is Apolaki, god of the sun, and my sister, Tala, is the goddess of the stars. Together, the three of us watch over the universe that our father created. I believe you know Zordon of Eltar."
Kim and Adam nodded.
"We entrusted unto him to be the protector of the universe. He was an able and a fierce warrior. A great leader. For tens of thousands of years, he protected the universe. Particularly against his long-time adversary, Rita Repulsa. When he was imprisoned in his time warp, he still found a way to protect Earth and the universe. He created Power Rangers from coins that he acquired years ago. And you became the protectors of the Earth."
"So how did we get from then to here?" asked Kim.
"The United Alliance of Evil tried to take over the universe. Zordon implored Andros, the red space ranger to destroy is energy tube, therefore destroying all forces of evil at the time. But the evil was never fully destroyed. It keeps coming back, in different forms. But Zordon was no more. How were we to protect the universe?"
"But the Power continued. The planet of Mirinoi was home to the Quasar Sabers. An ancient demon burial ground returned to being. Evil traveled through space and time to destroy the future. Evil resided in the form of different monsters. Animal spirits became a part of the Power. Air and wind were used to protect the Earth. Some were found in the form of ancient gems."
Adam and Kim exchanged a smile at the sound of the Dino Thunder team's power.
"Aliens soon become Earth's enemy. Evil magical forces were released. The power of the Corona Aurora was at stake. And now...I fear that evil spirits have been released on Earth."
"How do we fight them? The evil spirits?" Adam asked.
"They are not of your concern."
"So...you asked us to help, but you don't want us to after these evil spirit things?" Kim said.
"They are not of your concern because they are not your problem. They are not the reason why I have asked you for your help. They are taken care of by a current group of warriors who are doing an admirable job."
Kim and Adam looked at each other, shocked.
"You are here because of another evil that has been released. Rita Repulsa, wife of Lord Zedd, sister of Rito Revolto, and daughter of Master Vile, has one more connection to the evil that has been released."
"I thought she turned good," Kim said. "Tommy said that she's good now. Her and Zedd."
Mayari nodded as she faced them. "They are in the light. However, her mother is the first evil monarch of the MG-51 planet, Mastervile. She is far more evil and treacherous than her daughter, her son-in-law, her son, and her husband. And she's out for revenge. She is disgusted that her family has turned to the light and wants revenge on all of those in the universe for turning them to the side of good. She has long since begun her attack on the universe."
"How do we find her?" Adam said.
Mayari shook her head slowly. "At the moment, there are only two of you. And unfortunately, she has been biding her time until she believes that she is supremely powerful."
"Is she?" Kim asked.
Mayari nodded slowly. Kim and Adam exchanged a worried look. "And she has included some of the most foulest, loathesome creatures in her bidding."
"Like what?"
"The aswang. They feast on human flesh, preferring the taste of the unborn children of pregnant women."
Kim grabbed Adam's hand as she listened to the answer.
"You cannot tell who they are at first glance. They blend in well with humans. The tiyanak is equally as terrible. They imitate the cries of infants and disguise themselves as babies or children. Once a person picks them up to comfort them, they attack. The ekek look exactly like humans, except they have wings. They thrive in the evening, also feasting on human flesh and blood."
Kim looked at Adam, who shared an equally disgusted look on his face.
"How far has Rita's mother gotten?" Adam asked.
Mayari looked grim. "Mastervile, the Cimmerean Planet, Dekata 5, Gamma Vile, Kirassa, Onyx, and Vraden have long been under her command. They wasted no time in succumbing to her power. Phaedos, Horath, Eltar, Sirius, and Yotoba have been overrun and overtaken. Aquitar is currently under attack, holding their own only because of the Aquitian rangers. The space rangers are currently on KO-35, defending her against the strike. I'm afraid Triforia and Gwinnet may soon follow. And there is no doubt in my mind that she is building up her army and her strength for when she attacks Earth. She blames Earth for turning her family."
"Phaedos is overrun? What happened to Dulcea?"
"She is but one warrior. A brave and valiant woman. She was not able to hold off the armies of Rita's mother and succumbed to peace."
"She died?" Kim said, with tears in her eyes.
Mayari didn't say anything, she looked down in silence.
"We'll help, Mayari," Kim said. "Please tell us how we can." She looked at Adam, worried. "I don't have any powers, though..."
Mayari smiled at her. "Don't fret, young one. You have the Power of the Ninjetti. The spirit of the Crane is still with you. You just need a little pushing."
She looked at Adam. "As is the frog with you. But you have your powers of the grid."
"When can we help Andros and the others?" Adam asked.
Mayari shook her head. "I do not wish for you to go to battle yet. You are not strong enough. You need to have your own reinforcements." She looked at Kim and Adam again and gestured around the room. "I have tried to make this place as comfortable for you to call home. I fear that you may not return to your home until this threat has been dealt with."
Kim and Adam looked at each other and nodded. "We understand," Adam said.
"I must leave for a while. I will return with help. I look to you, Adam Park, to once more lead this group of warriors as you did against Rita's son, Thrax."
Adam nodded in her direction as she disappeared in a bright flash of light.
"Whoa," Kim said, standing up to look around. "Can you believe that?"
Adam shook his head. "I thought Zordon's energy tube took care of all the evil in the universe. I wonder why Rita and Zedd and all of them changed, but she didn't."
"Well, she said that evil was never fully destroyed. Maybe that's how Rita's mother survived."
Adam nodded as he stood up as well and started walking around. "I can't get over her using all of those...things."
Kim made a gagging sound. "I know. How those...what did she call them? Aswangs? They eat unborn children! I just can't believe that it's moved on from taking over the world to taking over the universe and eating babies who have not been born yet. That's horrible!"
"Shows how truly evil she is."
"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." Kim looked at Adam. "And I guess she's pissed that Rita, Zedd, Rito, and Master Vile are all good now."
"Pissed being the key word."
The two of them were silent for a bit.
"Do you think we should've called the others?" Kim asked. "It sounds like we're gonna be here for a while."
"Maybe she left to ask them for help. Who can help better than the original rangers and the Ninjetti?"
Kim nodded. "I hope so."
"I'm just worried about Amy." Kim nodded and rubbed his arm. "I didn't want her to be a part of this life, you know?"
"Yeah, but she wants to be. She wants to be in every part of your life. And being a ranger is a part of you. It's something that you can't change."
Adam nodded and gave Kim a hug. "Thanks."
They jumped as the bright light returned as quickly as it had gone. This time, more bodies arrived with her.
Everyone was silent for a bit as Mayari materialized in front of them. She looked at Adam and gestured toward the people who have just arrived.
"Your warriors," she said. She scrunched her face up as she looked toward the ceiling and back down to everyone she had brought. "My brother is calling to me. I must go to him."
Kim and Adam nodded. "We'll fill them in," Kim said. She gazed upon the people who stood before her. Some, she recognized, others, she did not.
"Thank you," Mayari said before disappearing in another bright light.
"Well," Kim said. "I think introductions are in order. I'm K--"
"Kimberly Hart," one of them answered. "I've heard so much about you."
Kim looked at this person who spoke. She nodded. "Yeah..."
"I'm Alyssa Enrile," the girl said as she stepped forward to shake Kim's hand. "I was the white tiger ranger."
"White tiger?" Kim said as another person pushed their way forward to give her a hug. "Kira? I'm glad you're here."
Kira laughed as she hugged Kim. She looked at Adam. "Guess we're back, huh?"
Adam nodded as he looked at the rest of the group.
"Yes, we are," another voice said. "I do hope this place has buttery toast, though." Adam grinned as he hugged the red ranger from the future.
"How are you, Bridge?"
"I'm doing good, Adam. How are you?"
"I guess I could be better."
"Don't worry about any of that," another voice said. "I'm Lucas Kendall. Blue ranger from the future."
You're from the future, too?" Bridge asked. He hugged the stranger, who looked at him like he was crazy. "I know who you are. Lucas Kendall, blue time force ranger. I learned about you."
"Uh...okay," he said.
"No offense, you guys," Kim said. "But why do we have rangers from the future when we have former rangers here? In this time?"
Lucas looked at Kim. "We have as much, if not more, reason to fight. This is our future that we want saved. Our future that we want preserved. It's already changing. I felt it. I saw it."
Bridge nodded in agreement. "Now...what exactly is going on?"
Adam gestured for all of them to sit as he relayed unto them, what Mayari told him and Kim just hours earlier.
"That is sick and disgusting," Kira said as she heard about the creatures Rita's mother controlled.
Kim nodded in agreement. "It is. And we've got to be even smarter about how we're going to deal with them."
"I've never heard of anything like that," Lucas said in disbelief.
"Me neither," added Bridge.
"There's gotta be something that we could do," Alyssa said.
"At the moment, I don't think there's anything," Adam said. "Mayari told us to stay here until she thinks we're ready for battle."
"And between the six of us," started Kira. "Only four of us have active powers and that's not enough to fight Rita's mother and whatever else she's got."
"Kim and I have the Ninjetti powers," interrupted Adam.
"Well, that leaves one," Kira said, gesturing towards Alyssa.
"Can't we just find Princess Shayla and ask her for my Growl Phone back?" she asked.
"I'm afraid not," Mayari said as she reappeared before them in a bright light. "Shayla's planet has been captured. She is either a prisoner or she is dead."
Alyssa let out a cry and Kim put her arm around her to console her.
"I have these," Mayari said. She opened her hands to show a handful of coins.
Kim noticed that they looked exactly like her former power coin. She reached into Mayari's hands and plucked her old pteradactyl coin from the bunch. Immediately, she felt a warmth that spread from her fingers throughout her body. She looked at it closer and noticed that the pteradactyl was not alone. Instead it was accompanied by a Crane. Kim smiled as she felt herself grow stronger.
"Go on, Adam," prodded Mayari. Adam looked at her in confusion for a split second before reaching into her hands and pulling out a black frog coin. He, too, felt the warmth that spread throughout his own body. He looked at his coin, lined in black and green, with a mastodon and a frog.
"Lucas."
Lucas looked at the coins in Mayari's hands with disdain. "I already have my powers," he said, holding up his morpher.
"Yes," Mayari said. "But these will make you far more powerful. It has the power of the sun, the stars, and the moon. My siblings and I have created it in the same likeness as the former Power Coins that were used to protect Earth so long ago."
Lucas looked like he thought a bit before claiming a solid blue coin. Immediately, he too felt a warmth emitting throughout his body. "Wow," he said in amazement.
Bridge stepped forward and claimed a solid red coin with the SPD insignia on it.
Kira looked into Mayari's hands and took a yellow coin with a pteradactyl in the center of it.
Alyssa also stepped forward and peered into Mayari's hands. "There are two white tigers in here. Which one is mine?"
Mayari didn't say a word in answer. She merely looked at Alyssa and nodded to her hands.
Alyssa closed her eyes and hoped she picked her own. She, too, felt a sudden warmth coursing throughout her body. She grinned and examined the Power Coin in her hand. It was white, but pink outlined the tiger. She thought it looked a bit like her ranger suit. "Wow. I feel powerful already."
Kim nodded in agreement. She felt stronger than she has in years, like she did when she first became a Power Ranger, back in high school. She didn't feel any lingering pains from her accident so long ago, she felt like a new person.
Mayari looked upon the six standing before them. "Your powers have been restored to you, more powerful and greater than they have ever been. I trust you to protect the Earth and the universe against the evil that has been set forth against it. Bridge Carson, the red ranger. Kira Ford, the yellow ranger. Alyssa Enrile, the white ranger. Lucas Kendall, the blue ranger. Kimberly Hart, pink ranger. And Adam Park, black ranger."
As Mayari said each of their names and their colors, the six rangers immediately morphed into their respective ranger suits.
"I never thought I'd see this again," Kim said, looking down at her pink suit.
"I know what you mean," Alyssa said, also examining herself.
"This feels good," Lucas said to Bridge, who nodded.
"More powerful."
Kira grinned in response.
"Let's get started," Adam said to Mayari. "How do we find her?"
"I am going to send you to the planet of Gwinnet. Her armies have already begun their attack and the citizens of Gwinnet have no way of protecting themselves." She was silent as a red smoke filtered through, hovering over them, close to the ceiling of the room. "I fear Aquitar has fallen. There is no telling of what has happened to the rangers." She looked back at the six morphed rangers in front of her. "Go rangers. Be safe. And may the Power protect you all."
Mayari waved her hands in front of them and immediately they disappeared in six different colored lights.
"Well that was fun," Billy said as he doused the fire before him. "It's too bad Kimberly and Adam weren't here to enjoy it."
Jason nodded. "Yeah, but Kim was tired, though. She's probably asleep already."
"Yeah, she's not answering," Tommy said, gesturing toward the phone he held up to his ear.
"You guys could stay with us, instead," Jason nodded, pointing to himself and Tommy. "I know our place isn't exactly Kim's, but it's better than waking her up. You too, Hayles."
"Of course," Zack said. "You know how we are when we enter houses. Everybody's gotta get up."
Jason laughed. "We've got some stuff so that you could spend the night. And we could head to Kim's tomorrow morning."
"Do you want to stay with me, instead?" Trini asked Hayley. "You know how these guys are gonna be after a long day..."
Hayley smiled. "Sure. And thanks!"
"Don't worry about it." Trini tapped Jason's arm. "Hayley's staying with me instead."
Jason nodded.
"Are you gonna stop by Kim's tonight?" Aisha asked Tommy.
He shook his head. "I don't think so. It sounds like she's asleep already."
"Okay. We'll take Kim's car and swing by Trini's to drop her and Hayley off."
Tommy nodded as Zack threw the keys at Rocky.
"So, what's on the agenda for tomorrow?" Zack asked.
Everyone shrugged.
"I think we're all a little tired from the day," Trini said.
"Let's just go and hang out at Kim's," Jason said. "I wanna see how she is."
Tommy nodded. "Yeah."
"So we'll see you guys tomorrow," Rocky said, waving at everyone as he started walking to the parking lot. Aisha followed close behind with Trini and Hayley, each of them holding a cooler or the beach bags.
"Yeah," Jason said. He, Tommy, Zack, and Billy grabbed the chairs and the volleyball net and headed toward the parking lot.
"We've got to retreat," Zhane, the silver space ranger yelled.
"Yeah," agreed TJ, blue ranger. "I don't know how much longer we can hold them off."
"NO!" Andros, the red ranger and leader, yelled. "I won't let them take my home."
"Andros..." Ashley, yellow space ranger, said. "There is no way we can take them."
"They're too strong," Cassie said weakly. The pink ranger was being held up by Carlos, the black space ranger.
Andros shook his head, looking around vigorously.
"Please help us out of here," TJ said to nobody in particular.
Immediately, the six rangers disappeared in flashes of light and reappeared before Mayari.
"Why did you let us go?" Andros asked angrily. "My home's being destroyed."
Ashley put a comforting arm around him.
"If you had stayed a second longer, I fear you would've been destroyed." She looked at the other rangers. "I have recruited former warriors of the Earth. Two of them, from the future."
TJ looked confused. "Where are they?"
"They are currently battling the armies that have been gathered on Gwinnet. Aquitar has been overrun. I do not know if the rangers survived."
Cassie looked at Ashley, worried. "What about Triforia?"
"Trey cannot fight them alone," Mayari said sadly.
"Well, we've got to go," Carlos said. "We've got to find some way to help."
"Your powers feel weak. And they grow weaker every moment you are in battle."
Ashley nodded slowly. "How do we fix that?"
Mayari once more held out her hands to the space rangers, revealing the Power Coins that she had given hours ago.
"What's that?" TJ asked. "Power Coins? I thought they were destroyed."
Mayari shook her head. "These are not the same. Each of you, take one. They will help you to be more powerful. My siblings and I have just finished creating them. I gave the six warriors their own before they went to Gwinnet."
The six space rangers reached into Mayari's hands and took out their respective colors. Immediately, they all felt the familiar and sudden warmth spread from their fingertips to their toes.
"Wow," Ashley said. "It does feel stronger." Cassie nodded and grinned.
"How are the other rangers doing on Gwinnet?" Andros asked.
"They are fighting admirably," Mayari answered. "I think the presence of new powers has reinforced their own power."
"Can we go help them?" asked Zhane.
Mayari nodded. "We need all the help we can get."
The six of them stood and morphed into their space ranger suits. Mayari nodded at the rangers standing before her. She waved her hands and again, the six rangers disappeared in a flash of light.
When the six space rangers appeared on Gwinnet, they looked around and saw the endings of a battle.
Andros saw the black ranger and immediately ran to him.
Adam turned and saw the red space ranger. "Andros! It's good to see you."
"You too." Andros gestured around him. "It looks like you've got it taken care of over here."
Adam nodded slightly. "I don't think she thought that Gwinnet was going to put up a fight since they don't have rangers. So there wasn't as much as I'm sure there were on KO-35."
Andros gave a grim smile through his helmet. "We were overrun. We couldn't take them anymore."
"KO-35 fell?"
"I'm afraid so." Andros bent his head. "There was not much to do after we were teleported away. They already took over every facet of KO-35."
"I'm sorry."
"Thank you."
The two of them looked around and watched as the rangers continued to fight.
"Do you think the twelve of us could take her?"
Andros shook his head. "We've been fighting her for the past three years."
"How come we weren't called before?"
Andros shrugged. "Mayari, Apolaki, and Tala never knew of her plans to take over the universe until recently. Nor did they know that she would be taking over in the name of revenge. She wants to take back what was taken from her when her family turned to the side of good."
"Where is Rita and Zedd in all of this? Their human forms?"
"I don't know. I don't know if they're safe or their whereabouts or anything. We can only hope that they are safe."
A shadow appeared before the twelve rangers as the aswangs, tiyanak, and the ekek disappeared in a glance.
"Power Rangers," a dark, booming voice was heard around them. They couldn't see where it was coming from. "You may have won this battle, but I will force my armies down your throats until you are all dead. And they will feast upon your bodies after they kill you. Your families, your friends are not safe. I know you, Power Rangers. I have a long history of you pests. And mark my words, I will come back, with twenty times the force. You will be sorry."
Adam and Andros glanced each other as the shadow disappeared. The other ten rangers gathered around them.
"Mayari," Adam said.
Before he finished the twelve of them disappeared from the planet of Gwinnet as its citizens cried out in victory. Several of them started to sing while others grieved for those who have passed.
The twelve rangers appeared before Mayari, unmorphed.
"Very well, rangers," she said. "And now she knows of our intent. She knows of you. There is no doubt in my mind that she will return, stronger and more powerful than before. I believe she has called a retreat."
"How do you know?" Adam asked. He put his arm around Kim, who was standing next to him.
"She has called her armies from Triforia, Bookala, and Mercuria. She has not taken over those planets, yet."
"What about the places she has taken over?" Adam glanced quickly at Andros.
"I fear they are too far gone."
Ashley put another comforting arm around Andros. TJ patted Zhane's back.
"So what do we do now?"
"There is nothing we can do, but wait."
"We can't go and take over the planets that she...?"
Mayari shook her head. "I admire your bravery, Adam Park, but there is nothing we could do at the moment. We can only wait until we have figured out her next move. My sister, goddess of the stars, and my brother, god of the sun, will inform me once they have knowledge of it."
"I don't like just waiting here," Lucas said out loud.
Mayari looked at him. "Yes, but we must. The twelve of you did not escape harm from battle. Please use this time to recover so that you may be stronger the next time you face her deadly armies. Remember, they are there to kill you. Not to capture you." With that, she disappeared in a beam of light.
Kim sat down, with Adam next to her. "I can't believe that," she said.
"It makes high school seem like a breeze, doesn't it?" Adam said, smiling.
Kim nodded.
"Well," Bridge started. "I know I don't know everybody here." He started introducing himself to the space rangers, who in turn, introduced themselves to the other rangers.
"The twelve of us are not strong enough," Andros said. "We still need reinforcements."
"And we need to find out what happened to Trey," agreed Adam.
"What about Ninjor?" Kim asked. "Is he still alive?"
Andros winced, giving Kim all the answer she needed. Adam took her hand in consolation.
"You know, when you were fighting," Kim started. "You never actually thought that your friends could die."
The other rangers nodded in agreement. "And now...it was easier when Zordon was there, telling us what to do."
"Dr. O always did make us feel safer," Kira said. She looked around sadly. "I wonder how many more she's going to kill before she's stopped."
There's the chapter. A bit long, but I hope you enjoyed it. Please review! Let me know what you thought. How about that Adam leading the team? And I won't be bringing every single ranger back, just so you know. I think that'll make it take over the story and I really don't want the focus of the story to be solely on the battles and that stuff. I just wanted to give closure to some characters that I feel didn't get it in the series.
Oh, and as an overall disclaimer for this chapter and the next couple that will follow: Mayari, Apolaki, and Tala are goddesses and a god in Filipino mythology. They are in my story as they are in mythology. The same thing with the aswang, the tiyanak, and the ekek. They all come from Filipino mythology, I guess. I remember growing up hearing the scariest stories about those things. So, I don't own them, I don't know who does. I'm just merely borrowing for the sake of the story.
Thanks for reading!
