A/N 1: So this is a little plot bunny that just won't go away. Even though the views for stories is screwed the heck up. Note: I am not a Kat hater. But this one just won't go away so I gotta do it.

A/N 2: Forever Red plus a character death. I get that in the real world, Thuy Trang dies in 01. Here, however, Trini's death is in 2002 so it can fit with my story.

A/N 3: Usual disclaimer. Power Rangers isn't mine. Eldin and Fienna are products of Boom Studios. As is Zophram who comes into play in this chapter.

Chapter 6 – Welcome To Your Nightmare

July 1, 2002

Tommy and Kat's apartment, Newton, MA

"This is going to surprise you, but I don't want to have kids, Kat."

The words rang like bells in Kat's ears. She was completely stunned and for a moment, visibly shaken. But she didn't have time to respond before Tommy continued on.

"And the reason I don't want to have kids is that being a Power Ranger is a cutthroat business, Kat. There is no way I would let any child of mine near it, much less be involved in it."

If it were possible, Kat was even more shocked by that answer. Clearly, she hadn't been expecting that answer from Tommy.

The two had been married exactly one month ago in Angel Grove, and then had set off on their honeymoon. It was a European honeymoon that would have made most honeymoons blush.

The UK. Ireland. Paris. Madrid. Barcelona. Rome. To Tommy, it was clear Kat's family had a lot of money and was willing to shell it out.

But throughout all the honeymoon, Tommy had remembered a cryptic message Tanya had told him on the day of his wedding, one month ago. Which was especially interesting since Kat and Tanya, as far as he knew, were still on good terms.

'Be disciplined and keep yourself safe, Tommy. The universe is a dangerous place, and my feeling is there are many unexpected perils that will visit us.'

And it was thus that during the honeymoon, while he and Kat were staying in Paris of all places, Tommy had used one of three talismans Santa had given him the Christmas after Zordon died. He wondered if Kat had these same talismans – or if any of the other Rangers did for that matter.

He then remembered the night he made his wish.

'I wish for the discernment and discipline to do what is right not for me, not for Kat, but for the entire universe. There is no way that I wish for the universe to befall the same fate that my evil half had in mind.'

And it was thus, here and now, in that same vein, he had made that very decision.

"Tommy, the United Alliance of Evil is gone for good," Kat said. "Yes, there are other evils, but Zedd, Rita, the Machines, they are all gone."

Tommy simply shook his head and Kat was floored. Her protests were not budging him.

"I'm sorry, but evil never rests, Kat. Who is to say those same evildoers can't come back and run it back again?" Tommy said. He, of course, had no clue that he was sitting across from one of those evildoers.

"That decision is final, by the way," Tommy said as he went to go make a phone call to his boss, Anton Mercer. Who was filthy rich, by the way.

As soon as he left the room, Kat's eyes flashed dangerously. She felt hurt, and betrayed. And shocked. She was certain Tommy would fall into the first trap she'd set for him.

Just for this, she'd fix him. And the rest of the Reds too.

She then picked up her communication device that she used to call her evil friends. She pressed a button she knew by heart.

"Hello," the familiar voice of Prince Gasket said. About a year ago, Kat had met Prince Gasket again, in the wake of him and Archerina inexplicably splitting. Archerina being Aradon's daughter was too much for the prince to bear and he had told her as much, even though he loved her. So they split.

As such, Kat and Gasket had reformed a working alliance – there was no way she'd work with Archerina.

"Hi, it's Kat," she said.

"Hello Katherine, it's been a while. What can I do for you? How is the infiltration?"

"We've hit a snag. I want to have kids with Tommy, but he won't let me. I need something to use to get back at the Reds. To stick a finger in their eye. Plus, Tommy's got this roommate named Hayley who I have a bad feeling about."

"I think I have just the thing…"

July 20, 2002, early afternoon

Miami, FL

"So what did you call me for this time, you sick freak?" Kimberly spat as she glared at Lokar defiantly.

This was a living nightmare, there was no doubt about it. But Kimberly was never going to give these guys the satisfaction of walking all over her.

"Oh Kimmie, I am your father in law, so I'm hurt. But you constantly forget that. Welcome to your nightmare," Lokar said. "As to why I pulled you away from your typical prison, I thought you might like to watch the death of your red friends."

Kim feigned a horrified look, but inside kept her cool. She knew that because of the presence of the Orb of Despair, she had to somehow believe the guys would fight their way through this. Negative thoughts were not an option.

"That's right," Kat said saucily as she walked in. "Because dear Tommy doesn't want to have kids even though we are married, I am going to fix his bloody ass and the rest of them too. I just so happen to have some connections in the Machine Empire who give me what I need."

Kim breathed deeply. Whatever the reason for Tommy not having kids with Kat, this was a very good development. It didn't take a rocket scientist to understand why.

The thought of Tommy and Kat bearing an evil child, whether he knew the stakes or not (he probably didn't at this point) was enough to send chills up her spine.

"I'm quite sure you'll remember this from the past, my dear," Kaden said as he called up a visual.

That caused Kim to gasp audibly. It appeared to be a soon to be rebuilt Serpentera and Kim knew how bad that machine was more than anyone.

There was no Ranger alive, not even the great Thomas Oliver, who could stop Serpentera if it was rebuilt.

"The best part is all your red friends are on their way to the Moon to stop it. And they will all meet their doom," Kat said, smirking at Kimberly. "Happy viewing."

Two hours later

However, when the battle was over, it wasn't Lokar's team who was smiling. It was Kimberly who was all smiles…the Earth was safe again.

"You should know by now the good guys always win, Kitty," Kim said. Better yet, it wasn't Jason or Tommy who had destroyed that accursed beast. It was the newest red.

'The legacy is in good hands. The Power chooses wisely.' Kim thought.

"No matter what you do to me, you can never shake my faith, Lokar," Kim hissed.

"is that so?" Lokar said. "Kaden?"

Before Kim could think another thought, Kaden had smashed her in the face with a lead pipe. She was out like a light. Then, he dragged her back to her usual hell and tied her to the bed post. But he had bad intentions this time. When she awoke next, he was going to make an example out of this situation as to who was the boss.

On Earth, if anyone could see what happened, Kaden would have been reported to police for domestic abuse. But because security was so tight at Lokar's Miami compound, it was simply another day.

As soon as the room was empty though, with no one but Kimberly in it, a white light suddenly materialized. When the light died down, Rita, her mother Fienna, and Fienna's son in law (and Rita's husband) Zophram emerged. Tanya would have been with them, but was knee deep in training with Tiffany, Udonna and Eldin.

She didn't have much time to act, but Rita and Zophram audibly gasped at the state their former rival Kimberly was in.

Signs of domestic abuse were evident. Even for her, it was a miracle that Kim had, thus far, survived.

"Repulsive," Fienna spat as she too saw the state Kim was in. "I don't know how she survives. The perpetrators must be made to pay for this."

"Because she has the guts of ten men," Rita said. "And she's a winner, among other things. We do not have much time."

Kim had not asked for help, but she was about to get it.

"Young warrior," Fienna said as she, her daughter's, and Zophram's hands glowed with power. "Hold on to this. As long as you do, this monster cannot hurt you. You shall not die, Kimberly."

Their job done, they teleported out, leaving the room empty again.

Meanwhile, Kat had stalked out of the room a while ago. The Machines had failed. Miserably. Fortunately, or unfortunately for one specific Ranger, she had a backup plan.

She was going to wait for just a bit to use it though.

As much as she hated going down there and seeing those arrogant meathead Reds celebrate their win, she had a feeling if she spied on them far away enough, she was going to hear some pretty interesting commentary.

Angel Grove, near NASADA

From her perch behind a set of garbage cans, Kat listened to the Red Rangers do what Red Rangers do. Currently, they were talking about greatest Rangers.

"Wow. So that was Tommy?" she heard the young guy who had killed her and Lokar's plans (even though he didn't know it yet) – who apparently was Cole – say. "He really is the greatest Ranger."

Kat hated to admit it, but Cole was right. It brought back the harsh reality that to actually derail Zordon's legacy, she was going to have to go through the greatest ever.

The man who just so happened to be her husband.

They talked for a bit longer and then, Kat heard it. The quote that would put her over the edge.

"Are you kidding me?" Jason told TJ. "I was the one doing all the work while he was at the Juice Bar kissing on Kimberly."

That did it. She was going to fix Jason, and fix him good.

Immediately, she ducked into a nearby warehouse and satisfied she couldn't be heard, she hit her communication device.

"Activate Operation Yellow. The Machines failed and Jason is talking trash. We need to send a message to these power punks that any of them could fall at our feet. The best part is they will never know who was really behind it."

July 24, 2002

Miami, FL and Angel Grove, CA

A lot could change in 96 hours.

And in the Ranger world, a lot could change in six hours.

Which is how long it had taken for the euphoria of beating Serpentera (again) to give way to tragedy.

Less than six hours after the Rangers had made it back to Earth after beating Serpentera, even as some of them were still on the road back home, Trini's life had suddenly been snuffed out.

Just like that.

In a car "accident."

To the outside world, that's what it looked like.

But those who knew (most notably the prisoner for a former Pink Ranger across the country) understood that it wasn't an accident.

And she knew because Lokar, Kaden, Kat and the disgusting slimeball known as Ivan Ooze had bragged about it for four days.

For the villains, they had mixed feelings. They were beyond furious that they couldn't touch Kimberly again.

That was evident the first time Kaden had tried to physically abuse her again. Kim had woken up eventually after Rita, Fienna and Zophram had left and had embraced the energy she found she surprisingly had. Thus, the first time Kaden moved to touch her, he was met with a wall of energy. It surprised him.

Lokar had tried it, Kat had tried it, even Ooze. Same results.

But the good news for them was, they could try to hurt her another way. And they were trying their damnedest.

They could hurt her mentally.

They were forcing her to watch the funeral of her best friend from 3000 some-odd miles away back home.

"Beautiful, don't you think, Kimmie?" Kat said, twisting the figurative knife into a tear stricken Kimberly. "I infiltrated your ranks and now I am responsible for the death of a Ranger. And you know that I am because it is all I have talked about. That patsy was too easy to pay off, looking for a way to make himself famous by murdering a former member of the peace conference."

"Your red friends should be dead as well, but that can easily happen another day too," Kat added, winking at her.

"Welcome to your nightmare, Kimmie," Lokar added.

"You can try, but you'll fail again, Kitty. And you know it," Kimberly said.

"Oh, but I will win eventually Kim. Look at the collection of talent in this room. Me, my father, my talented brother and the greatest villain of them all, Ivan Ooze. Oh and not to mention the cute Robogoat and 50 past monsters who are dying to tear you apart some day."

"And by the way, Kimmie, I am not done attempting to get Tommy to get to…that…level," Kat said. "Because if he doesn't, I will kill him too. Painfully, might I add."

"Except that's never going to happen," a new voice said. The voice was female and sent shivers up Kat's spine…it couldn't be!

"You are dead," Lokar blurted out as an ethereal vision of Trini suddenly lit the room up.

"Physically, yes. Spiritually, I am just fine, thank you, and I will help ensure you and your ilk do not triumph, nor do they break Kim."

"We'll see about that, dead Ranger," Kaden snarled as he grabbed a blaster he always kept in his belt and fired it at the former Ranger. But to his shock, the blast passed through her and hit the wall instead.

"Damn. Now I'll have to fix a hole in the wall," Kaden groused.

"My turn," Trini said as she fired beams of light that knocked all the villains unconscious, slumped all around the room.

"Trini…" Kim breathed.

"Just like you said. Good always wins, Kim. That will be the case this time too," Trini said as she floated over to her beleaguered, beaten friend.

"I'm trying to hold on to hope, Tri, but it's just so hard. Every day is hell…what a joke I've become…" Kim said. "Now you are dead because of my decisions…my best friend…"

"It was my time to be called home, Kimberly," Trini said. "My body may be gone, but my spirit will always live on and will watch over you."

"And as for you," Trini said, frowning a bit, "please don't say that. You are not a joke. Yes you have made mistakes. Terrible mistakes. But a lesser woman would have folded to these people long ago. The Kimberly I know will rise again some day. It will simply take time."

"Think of it this way, Kim. If you weren't a threat to them, they wouldn't be doing these heinous things to you. They are scared of you and they should be. That new energy you have been given was due to the purified Rita, her mother Fienna, and Zophram who was Zedd back in the bad days."

"Fienna," Kim said tiredly. "That must be the individual these clowns have been bellyaching about since Saturday."

"It is. She is a legendary sorceress – Ninjor but infinitum times more powerful," Trini said. "You must hold on to this energy by all means necessary."

"But Tommy…if Kat forces him to give birth with her child…" Kim stammered.

"Admittedly a problem. But those wishing coins you have are not mere trinkets. One of my wishes was that Tommy does not have children with Kat. It would indeed be disastrous. He has a good reason for not doing it, although he does not understand the true danger yet," Trini said. "But he will some day."

"I can see Jason on the screen," Kim said – the projection was still active and showing Trini's funeral herself. "He looks ready to explode. I do not want to be around him when he finds out who really is behind your death."

"That will be a Jason moment for sure," Trini said. "Kim, my time is about out here. I must go. Do not give up hope for if you do, the Orb will grow stronger and the Rangers will be overwhelmed."

"And Kim, may the Power protect you," Trini said as her ethereal form faded out.

As soon as her form faded out, the villains were revived again. Kim held her breath for the next round of verbal abuse.

But to her surprise, it never came. They simply left the room, leaving her alone.

From thereon, an eerie silence fell over the compound.

It was a relief that Lokar and his goons could not hurt her again.

But then that posed the next question.

How in God's name could she hold on mentally until help came and how many weeks, months years would that be?

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