Chapter 13
"Tommy, do you remember when we were here last time?" Kim asked as she and Tommy walked through the jungle. She was hot and sweating as she picked her way through the growth of the under bush.
"Like it was yesterday, I remember that we were still nervous around each other. You remember Zack's fear?" Tommy asked as he held back a branch for Kim to pass.
"Snakes! Zack was so funny here. He was always brushing off his fears but this island made him face those fears." Kim said.
She turned to her left and seen the beach. She was taken aback at how many of her memories were tied to a body of water. Most of her memories with Tommy were at the lake in Angel Grove Park. She wrote Tommy's letter by the ocean. She was captured the last time in the ocean. She realized that she still loved Tommy in the same spot that she first kissed him by the lake. She knew that the water would always be a part of her.
"Yes he was trying to be cool about everything. I wish that they could all come here with us again and see if our fears are the same or if they had changed as we have." Tommy said as he looked to where Kim was looking.
He saw the water and gave a sad smile. He wished that they could just get past all the nervous and be together once again. He wanted so much to hold her in his arms again. He hoped that they would be together again soon. He needed her in his life much more than he needed to breath it seemed like. He realized that his life had not been as exciting as it had been in the last couple of hours.
"Tommy, do you think that we can do this by ourselves?" Kim asked bringing his attention back to her and the island. She was wringing her hands and shifting back and forth on her feet.
"Yes, I know that we can do this. We have to do this for Connor and the rest of the Dinos." Tommy said. He took a step closer to her and took her hand. He squeezed it and was going to drop it but she tightened her hold on his hand. He grinned at her and they started walking again but this time hand-in-hand as the couple they would soon be again.
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Tommy's fear came first. They had come to a clearing and he looked to Kim but she wasn't there. He looked all around but he still could not find her. He called her name but she did not answer. Kim realized that Tommy was in an illusion. She tried to grab his hand but he was moving again trying to find her.
"Kim, where are you? Kim? Kimberly?" Tommy called. He knew that she should not be far away.
"Tommy, I'm right here." Kim called to his back. She tried again but he just kept going. She yelled to Quagmire. He appeared at her side in the tree.
"What can I do for you, Pink Ranger?" Quagmire asked.
"Please help me with Tommy. He cannot see me." Kim pleaded.
"You cannot help the White Ranger. This illusion he must fight himself. It is not like the past fear. He needs to work through it by himself. You can only watch and it may help you with your fear." Quagmire said as he played his flute and disappeared. Kim stood back and watched the love of her life fight this illusion by himself.
"Kim!" Tommy shouted. He turned around and finally saw her but it wasn't her. She was wearing different clothes and she just looked different. He walked up to her and took her hand.
"Tommy, this is the hardest thing I had ever had to say. I do not want to try again. What we had is in the past. I still love you but we are better off apart." Kim said as she dropped his hand.
She turned around and walked back to the forest. He wanted to run after her but he didn't. He knew that she would not hurt him that much again but she done it once before. She had ripped his heart out. He thought back to the fight that they had had earlier. He realized that the reason she was fighting him was to get back his old self. She wanted the man that she knew was buried under layers of doubt. He smiled and realized that Kim would not have told him that she didn't want to be with him again like that. She would have put him before herself. She was a Pink and that was what a Pink did.
"I don't believe you Kimberly. You want me just as much as I want you. You would not have fought like a tiger for the old me if you just wanted to be friends. You are not the Kim that I know." Tommy shouted at her back.
He watched her as she turned and disappeared and the real Kim came into view. He noticed that she had tears in her eyes and she was smiling. He grabbed her hand, pulled her into his body, and wrapped his arms around her small body. He rested his head onto of hers. Her scent floated up from her hair. He smiled because it was the same smell that was totally Kim. It smelled like a warm summer day, all light and airy.
"Tommy, are you okay now?" Kim asked him. She was happy that he had once again overcome his fear.
"Yes. I am fine. Thank you for staying with me." He said as he released her. He still had her hand and they turned and started walking again. They had finally reached the beach area. They watched the water come in and flow back out again. They knew that Kim's illusion would come and they wanted to be prepared. It came sooner than they thought it would.
Kim doubted herself again. She wanted to be with Tommy because she loved him. She knew that they could do it. The problem was she was afraid of leaving him again. She loved him the first time she left him in fact she never stopped loving him. She didn't know if she could be with someone as good as Tommy. She couldn't take it if she left him again. She knew that the last time she really didn't meet a guy that even measured up to Tommy but she wanted him to be free since he was in California and she was in Florida. She wrote that horrible letter and tried to get on with her life. She couldn't do that again to Tommy and her friends. She started crying and turned to face Tommy to tell him her decision but he wasn't there. She looked for him but he was nowhere to be seen.
"Tommy? Where are you?" She yelled.
"Kim, I'm right here." Tommy said but he instantly knew that she was seeing an illusion. He was worried about her but she had conquered this once. He shouted for Quagmire for help.
"White Ranger, what is it you seek?" Quagmire asked as he played his flute.
"Kimberly needs help. She cannot see me and she is in an illusion." Tommy told Quagmire.
"I am sorry but the Pink Ranger must do this by herself. It is her fear that she must face. You can only watch her." With that being said Quagmire disappeared. Tommy stood back and watched the love of his life go through this fear alone.
"Tommy!" I guess he left me this time before I could break his heart again. I knew that I should have stayed away from him. I love him too much for this. I knew that it would happen this way again.
She turned back to the water after she had turned to look for Tommy. She looked out over the water. She thought back to hers and Tommy's first kiss. He had just his lost powers and she went to comfort him. He was practicing by himself. She smiled and walked up to him. She had been nervous to go to him but she wanted to make sure that he was alright. He had spotted her and jumped down from his rock. He walked up to her and smiled.
They had started talking and she had told him that she missed him. He leaned in and kissed her. She loved that kiss because it was sweet and totally, the best first kiss. He had also asked her to the dance after that. They had begun dating and shared many memories as Power Rangers. They were the first Power Ranger couple.
She had asked Jason later if Tommy and Kat had dated. He said they went out one date but it went nowhere. He was still in love with Kim. She knew that he would not leave her. He had stood by her through everything and they had had a lot going on. They had saved each other countless times as Rangers.
She finally lifted her head up and saw Tommy standing in front of her. He had a smile on his face and she lifted her hand to his face. She smiled and watched his head lower to hers. She closed her eyes and felt his lips on hers. It was like their first kiss once more. It was short but the best thing in her life. She opened her eyes as he stepped back. They grabbed each other's hands and started back to find the way out. It should be too long now because they had both went through their fears. They realized that they were string together than they ever were apart.
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"Do you think that they are ready?" A small robot asked a shadow in a squeaky voice.
"Yes. They are ready. They are becoming the Greatest Rangers that they always were. I am proud of these two not only because I chose them but because they chose to take the mantle each time that it was placed before them." The shadow said.
He was so proud of the two rangers that walked that jungle once more. Their journey would lead them to their powers. They Falcon and the Crane would once again flight together as they had many years ago only this time nothing would come between them. He would see to that.
"I will prepare their journey." The robot said. He was happy that Kimberly and Tommy would be together once again.
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I hoped that everyone enjoyed this chapter. Please let me know.