Chapter 153 The Return of the Phoenix
The time now is 2:30 a.m. The stars are shining as brightly as they can throughout the night sky. Everyone is sleeping peacefully in the city of Terra Falls.. Everyone except for Kimberly. As she lays on her bed inside of her bedroom images of flames keep flashing in her mind periodically which is causing her to toss and turn again and again. Very sudden a bird like screech is heard in her mind along with another flash of a brilliant looking flames that come together to form into one that quickly bursts into darkness. With this over and frightening, Kimberly wakes up in a heap of sweat that stretches from her forehead to the top of her white night gown. She looks at the clock after catching her breath and says.
Kimberly-Flames. Flames. Why did I just have a nightmare about flames. Hmmm.
She brushes her hair back a bit with her hand then lays her head back down on her pillow. After she is able to get her mind off of her nightmarish flames. She falls back asleep.. The time now is 3:15. The same thing begins again in Kimberly's mind. But this time it starts out with a vision of snow falling from the sky. That vision is abruptly disrupted by more flames and the screech of a bird. Kimberly wakes up again. She slaps her forehead and says desperately.
Kimberly-What's going on with me!
I must add something in the way of a suitable flashback. Earlier in the day Kimberly visited Camp Turnaround because she wanted to do some volunteer work after she had finished with her school work. One of the jobs she had to finish was preparing firewood for a camp fire. She was also the one who had to start the fire. As she began her task of starting the fire she kept on seeing birds in the night sky. Hawks flew by, then eagles, she couldn't understand why they were flying the way they were so she just ignored it and started the fire. As soon as the first blaze appeared, Kimberly heard a strange screeching sound as if the hawks and eagles were trying to tell her something. And when she had left to go home, that is when visions of flames filled her mind.
The next day at school.. Kimberly decided to walk instead of catching a ride with Ryan and the others. She walks in the front entrance wearing blue jeans, a white t shirt with flowers designs and black sneakers. Her hair is up in a ponytail too.
Anyway she makes it to her locker so she can do the usual.. Get the books needed for morning classes. When she picks up the last book at the very bottom of her locker, she stands back up and looks in her mirror that's set inside. She gasps when she sees her reflection fill with flames.
Kimberly-No!
She asks herself.
Kimberly-Is someone trying to tell me something.. Ugh!
She closes her locker and goes to her first period class before the first bell rings.
Meanwhile, Grand Master Sinistar is sitting on her hideous looking throne in her underground base. Princess Andromeda and Makozi stand before her throne awaiting for her to speak. She finally decides to say.
Grand Master Sinistar-It is time to create a new and more powerful General.. Hmm, but from what.
The day goes on by while she thinks, school lets out for everyone so now let's get back to Kimberly who's now in an after school computer class she signed up for.. And so she sits typing up an assignment that's due at the end of this period. Earlier in the day when school let out, she had explained to her friends about the computer class she had signed up for with less than enthusiasm. She wasn't being rude or anything. She was just upset about wondering why had she been dreaming out flames last night.
After about fifteen minutes, Kimberly decides she needs a break, so she gets up from the seat to stretch a little bit, then she gets permission to go down the hall way to the bathroom. While she's gone, her screen saver on her computer surfaces and it's a picture of flaming stars with a twist, and by that I mean there are pictures of eagles and hawks flying around the flaming stars.
Grand Master Sinistar is spying. And she's using her transparent window that's floating in mid air. She scans through the city of Terra Falls, till an image of Kimberly's computer shows up. She says when she notices the flaming star screen saver with the hawks and the eagles.
Grand Master Sinistar-Hmm. I think I just got my idea! Yes..
She points her finger at the image, then zap! A bolt of dark lightning is sent right at Kimberly's computer.. No one in the classroom notices the dark lightning bolt entering the walls of the screen saver. Once inside, it makes the computer slightly sizzle.
At the old weather station.. Jeremy is still working on the Rangers new weapon prototype. He doesn't expect a visit from Kaitlynn and Amy.. Both of whom are wearing similar blue jeans and t shirts, only with Kaitlynn's being red and Amy's being green. Both girls have on sneakers.
Kaitlynn asks Jeremy after taking notice of the prototype.
Kaitlynn-You working on a new weapon?
Jeremy responds without looking back.
Jeremy-Yeah.
Kaitlynn-Cool. What will it do?
Jeremy-Right now I'm trying to configure the Ranger's powers.
Kaitlynn-Oh I see.
Jeremy-It's not easy. In fact it's really difficult.
Kaitlynn-Need some help?
Jeremy-Yeah I'd appreciate it.
Kaitlynn-Okay.
Kaitlynn takes a seat from a nearby chair to set it along side of Jeremy. He smiles to himself because he's blushing, and the reason for that is he knows how good Kaitlynn is on the computer.. Well that's not the real reason why he's blushing.. Okay I'll say it. Jeremy does like Kaitlynn a bit. Anyway Amy takes a seat and sets it alongside of Kaitlynn so she can watch what will happen next.
Right before Kaitlynn starts to say anything.. Jeremy changes the subject on what they're supposed to be discussing.
Jeremy-I heard about you not meeting Mike.
Kaitlynn sighs.
Kaitlynn-Yeah.. And?
Jeremy-I just feel bad for you.
Kaitlynn-You don't have to feel bad for me.
Jeremy-Why not?
Kaitlynn-Because there's no reason to be. I understand why he didn't come through. He was nervous.
Jeremy-He still should of at least tried.
Kaitlynn-I'm not complaining.
Jeremy-You're not the least bit mad?
Before Kaitlynn can answer.. Amy says.
Amy-Is she not mad? Oh wait let me rephrase that.
Kaitlynn gives Amy a stern look, but she continues anyway.
Amy-I mean she was mad.. Angry, upset. All combined.
Kaitlynn sighs again.
Kaitlynn-But I'm over it.
Jeremy-Hmm.
Kaitlynn-Let's not talk about that anymore.
They hear a familiar voice coming from behind them.
Joey-Yeah let's talk about something more pleasant..
They all turn to see Joey looking a mess. Jeremy asks.
Jeremy-What happened to you?
Joey-Ugh! Got too close to a bird's nest. I tried to take a picture of it.
Kaitlynn chuckles at the sight of Joey because his face has obviously been pecked, and its also obvious that he feel out of the tree he was in because his blue t shirt is muddy and his blue jeans have branches sticking out of the pocket areas.
Amy says.
Amy-Mother birds are very protective of their young.. Even if they haven't hatched yet.
Joey exclaims.
Joey-You're telling me! Man, ugh! I got to get cleaned up.
Jeremy snickers, and Amy's chuckle is followed by another one from Kaitlynn.
Joey leaves so he can use the bathroom to get cleaned up.
Seconds later, Nakia, Ryan, Zelda and Chet come walking into the weather station.. They go to the main computer room.. By the way they are all wearing jeans, t shirts, and shoes with respects to the Ranger colors.
Nakia-Hey Jeremy, Kaitlynn, Amy.
They turn to greet them.
Kaitlynn-Hey.
Amy-Hello.
Jeremy-What's up?
Jeremy notices Kimberly is not with them, he asks.
Jeremy-Where's Kimberly?
Zelda fills that one.
Zelda-She's at a computer class she signed up for.
Jeremy-Oh.
Ryan asks.
Ryan-You finished with the prototype for our new weapons Jeremy?
Jeremy-No not yet. Kaitlynn is going to help me configure your Ranger powers correctly so they'll be no mistake when I program your new weapons.
Ryan-Alright, good.
Chet says now in regards to no fighting.
Chet-You know its been kind of quiet today.
Nakia shushes him.
Nakia-Yeah, and every time we mention it, something happens to change that.
Chet-I guess so.
Jeremy and Kaitlynn get to work on the configuration.
Ryan holds a meeting in one of the office rooms.. He says that they'll only have a temporary discussion about Jeannie because Kimberly is not there at the moment. They all sit around a round table in this sequence. Ryan, Nakia, Zelda, Chet and finally Joey. He was told about the meeting a few seconds ago. By the way he's all cleaned up now.
Ryan says.
Ryan-Okay we have got to have some ideas of dealing with Jeannie.
Zelda-She's been in her bottle all quiet for a while now.
Nakia-Thank goodness for that.
Chet-Yeah.
Joey-I think we should set her free.
Nakia says to Joey.
Nakia-Yeah we mentioned it to her but she went on saying stuff like she can't be set free.
Joey-Not even if we wish it?
Nakia-That's what she was saying.
Zelda-Or maybe we could think of a way for her to be more helpful.
Ryan-Helpful how?
Zelda-I don't know. Um. Maybe she can do something really constructive..
Nakia interrupts Zelda with an addition.
Nakia-You mean something destructive. And you know that's what it would turn out to be.
Zelda-Hmm.
Chet-Or maybe we can just take her bottle somewhere and let someone else find it.
Ryan-That does sound like a good idea Chet. Although I don't think any of us would want to inflict Jeannie's mistakes on anyone else.
Nakia-Let's just give her the option to decide.
Zelda-You know she never would.
Chet-Yeah, she feels obligated only to obeying.
Nakia-Hmmm.
Kimberly comes back from her bathroom break. She sits down in the chair only to find her computer's screen saver flashing with red and orange energy. She doesn't know what to do, she doesn't want to alarm the teacher and the other students, but little to no choice does she have, because the red and orange energy leaps out of the computer with swiftness.. Luckily Kimberly dodged the energy otherwise she would have been stung. The teacher and the students become scared and frantic because of what they see, which is the red and orange energy turning into flames.
Kimberly says in frantic way to everyone.
Kimberly-Come on, let's get out of here!
The teacher is quite perplexed but doesn't waste any time getting the students and himself out of the classroom. Kimberly follows but she returns a few minutes later.
She confronts the fiery blaze which takes on the shape of a muscular man with eerie orange eyes.
Kimberly-What are you doing here?! Go away!
The fiery blaze turns away from Kimberly.. She thinks he's going to listen. But, he doesn't. He turns back to her and hurls a huge fireball in her direction. Kimberly wants to duck but something inside of her is making her stand still. She becomes even more confused before.
Suddenly, her confusion slowly melts away literally as her body becomes completely inflamed. Kimberly gasps.
Kimberly-What's happening!
She realizes what's going on now as her body floats upward close to the ceiling. Now, a spirit she had once known before fills her soul.. Her voice becomes heavy and the flames surrounding her turn into the likes of a giant bird with her body in the center part.
Kimberly as the Phoenix-Evil spirit! I banish you from these walls!
Kimberly raises her hand and fires out a powerful swirl of fire energy at the unknown fire creature. When it turns him, the darkness of his energy burns out. And he vanishes. Grand Master Sinistar is watching.
Grand Master Sinistar-What?! No, Impossible! The Phoenix has returned! And she has diminished my General!
Back to Kimberly.. The spirit of the Phoenix leaves her.. She falls to the floor but gently. Breathing heavily now, she finally understands why she dreamt the way she did last night about the flames. Now her mind wonders if the spirit of the Phoenix will ever return. She doesn't waste anytime, not even a second when she bursts out of the unburned classroom.. And you're asking with all those flames, how come the classroom was burned? Well because I wanted it that way.
Anyway Kimberly starts to run out of the school she stops when she realizes she can teleport to where she wants to go, which is the weather station.
When she gets there she tells her friends about everything that happened to her during her computer class. They all become totally shocked.. Could this be the beginning of the starlight animals returning to their rightful owners, or was this just a spark of luck to prevent Sinistar's new general from destroying anyone and anything? No one knows the right answer to these questions. Perhaps soon, those questions will appear again, but with clear answers.