A/N 1: So this is a little plot bunny that just won't go away. Even though the alerts 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: White Thunder and Fighting Spirit reimagined slightly. Kim fights to help Tommy. Tommy hears things that shatter his world.

A/N 3: Usual disclaimer. Power Rangers isn't mine. Eldin and Fienna are products of Boom Studios. Zophram too.

Chapter 9 – Falcon's Fight for Survival III The Crane Returns

March 12, 2004

Miami, FL

To the extent that she could, Kimberly was trying to keep herself loose and ready. It wasn't easy in her own personal hell.

Things had gotten interesting though. There had been a lot of shouting, screaming and finger pointing. She couldn't see it, but she could hear it. Apparently Kat had been brought here and something had happened to her.

To Kim, anything bad that happened to Katarina was good, but she simply didn't know what it was yet.

She was then startled as two beams of light shone in the room. One was yellow, one white and two figures appeared.

The first one, she expected. The second one shocked her to her core – this was the first time she had seen this individual outside his time warp. For him to appear now, this was big.

"Trini, Zordon," she breathed. She had never seen Zordon's face outside his warp, but those who had been touched by him could feel his power so even from the grave she knew it was him.

"Hello, Kimberly," Zordon said gently.

"You must be here because it's time, correct?" Kimberly said, shaking herself back to reality and cutting to the chase.

"It is indeed time, Kimberly," Zordon said. "Tommy is in coma and you are the last thing standing between his death."

"What about Katarina?" Kim asked. "They're screaming and shouting about her."

"You can thank Ninjor…and Aisha's replacement Tanya…for that," Zordon said with a small smile. "They injected her with something that knocked her out and will keep her out during this. She won't interfere."

Kimberly took a deep breath. Her greatest test was here and now.

"Before we go on, Kimberly," Zordon said, "please know that your legacy is secure. No matter what happens, you left a legacy in the universe that is unmatched."

"Confidence is key, Kimberly," Trini said, "and will be essential to your mission. I know you have been battered and bruised but this will never work unless you can step into this situation and do it with the belief that you, and he, will win."

Kim took a deep breath and steeled herself one more time.

To her, it reminded her of the Terror Toad situation. The only way evil would not win was if she stepped in. Then, she had been a young girl, just a few weeks on the job, fighting the most demonic creatures in the universe.

Back in the day, there was no way she believed she could beat that ugly frog, but she did it anyways. And she still didn't know how she did it.

Now she was a young woman who had seen more darkness and evil than anyone could wrap their heads around and knew her ability, but the stakes were so much higher. She was in a better state emotionally thanks to Guitardo's planning, but it was hard not to have butterflies.

"OK. Let's do it," Kimberly said.

"For this to work, you must dig deep into your soul and find a residual source of power from the past," Zordon said.

"Ninja, correct? The powers Ninjor gave us?" Kimberly said.

"Yes, but if you dig deep, and I mean really deep into your soul, you will see that the potential is there for this power to be much more some day. For now, you will be able to use that to help Tommy," Zordon said. "You will have to get inside his mind and be ready to help him. And hold on to this well of power tight."

"And Kim?" Trini said.

"Yeah?"

"I don't think I have to tell you this, but do not intervene until and unless it is absolutely necessary. Do not let him know you are in his mind immediately."

Kim nodded mutely. That was understood.

Kim was never more fortunate to have met Lady Fienna that one time – who had shown her how to do exactly what Zordon was asking of her now. Since then, she'd practiced it, honed it, and could easily do it.

She began meditating – it had become a daily ritual for her so she knew this frontwards and backwards. She began mentally focusing on her untapped power well, as well as her love for Tommy.

Mentally, she felt herself falling through space and time.

When she stopped falling, she took stock of where she was.

She was definitely inside Tommy's mind. She could also see the battle going on for his life.

Right now, he was fighting Zeo Ranger V and had splashed into a puddle.

Even though she heard the taunts, and that had to hurt, she refrained from intervening. Zeo V wasn't even close to Tommy's strongest power.

Sure enough, seconds later, Tommy reversed an attack by Zeo V by wrapping an arm around his leg, then throwing him into the puddle.

Then Kim heard the ominous words directed at Tommy. After taking stock of the situation, Tommy probably didn't even feel her presence. As long as she stayed silent until it was time to intervene, she'd probably be OK.

"I see you've got a lot of fight left in you, but is it enough?" Zeo V asked before disappearing.

Kim gulped because Zeo V knew he was talking to Tommy, but might as well have been talking to her too.

Kim still had a lot of fight left in her too, but was all her fight going to be enough?

She knew this, if her legacy, and Tommy, died today, it wouldn't be without a fight.

"You will not win, Kitty…" she thought to herself.

It seemed like an eternity, but it wasn't that long before Tommy was in battle again. This time against the White Ranger.

Kim cringed mentally, but kept herself still and waited to be called on. This was a gut punch to her because white was her favorite version of Tommy still to this day. It was the peak of their legendary relationship.

There were several times where Kim was literally seconds away from intervening, but she remained disciplined. The battle was long and tough. But she knew who was next after Tommy finished against White. She knew Tommy would win – he was a little better now than he was as White, she could tell.

And it wasn't just the haircut that was different about him. Gone was the face of a boyish kid trying to make up for his past sins. In its place was a legendary leader who knew what needed to be done at all times.

But Green loomed if he won this.

And he was the toughest of all.

Sure enough, White had his fun for a little bit, but as soon as Tommy responded to the retort of White knowing all his old moves by saying, "That may be true but I've learned a few new ones," Kim knew the game was over.

But White left him with this ominous warning, "Now we'll see if you can face your toughest challenge."

Kim mentally prepared herself again. She was going to have to intervene. She wondered how she'd been disciplined enough not to do it yet – some of the attacks she'd been witness too were brutal.

"Dig deep, Tommy, please…just one more time," she muttered to herself.

Kim was right. It wasn't very long before Tommy was fighting Green, and Green was as tough as Kim remembered him to be. The confrontation at the Youth Center right before Jason freed Tommy from Rita's evil grip came to mind.

To this day, Kim had wondered why Tommy didn't strangle her right there. In a way, that gave her just that little more confidence that maybe, just maybe, she could pull off a miracle.

Kim cringed when she saw Green kick a pillar, creating an explosion which sent Tommy flying away.

"Now or never," Kim thought. This was the moment of truth. "He's going to lose if I don't intervene immediately."

The embattled and beleaguered Crane dug deep into the well of her powers and could feel it building, pulsing more by the second. She then used the words Ninjor had taught her, all those years ago.

"Older than time itself, man has always known the calling. Light of the light, strength of the soul, ignite this eternal power inside me. I am Ninja! I am pure of heart, mind, body and soul. Join with me now as I become one with the Power of Ninja!"

"I am the Crane, Agile and Graceful…"

Outside Tommy's mind, same time

That last shot had hurt.

It was a painful reminder of how powerful the Green Ranger was. At that point, Tommy knew he was probably moments away from the end of his life.

And then, for the first time in years, he felt a familiar energy blaring in his mind. It was Ninja, it was Pink, and it was (he didn't know how it was possible) more powerful than maybe it had ever been.

He would have questioned how this was possible, but at that point, he couldn't have cared less. He just knew that if he didn't take what was offered to him, he'd probably die. He'd ask questions later. A lot of them.

He grabbed onto the energy right as Green said, "You know better than anybody how powerful I am. Why don't you just give up the fight?"

Not only did Tommy get back up, his eyes flashed dangerously. They were a mix of green and pink (and how that was possible he didn't know), and he said "That's the one thing I'll never do."

And then Green knew. He knew that the Crane had come to assist Tommy and knew he deserved to live.

"Then I guess this is over," Green said as he sheathed his dagger. "You passed the test."

Inside Tommy's mind

"Well done, Kimberly," she heard Zordon intone in her head. "Ninjor's spirit and the spirit of the ninja power still lives within you. You may call off the fight."

"Your Falcon will come for you some day," Trini intoned. "But for now, you must rest. The enemy will lick their wounds and will be more dangerous than ever after this because they will be desperate. Be prepared. May the Power protect you Kim."

She let go of her powers, and as soon as she did, she found herself falling back through space and time. Back to her own personal hell.

When she landed back in her hell in Miami, she was exhausted. She hadn't done that in years and it took a lot out of her.

But it was worth it.

Outside Tommy's mind

"Test?" Tommy asked as he was helped up by Green, "What are you talking about?"

"You haven't been fighting us," Zeo V said. "You have been fighting for your life."

"And you've proven your will to live is stronger than any Ranger power. And against a conspiracy that is the reason you were here fighting for your life," White added. Tommy raised his eyebrow; why was it that White was saying this?

"It's a conspiracy that wishes not only to destroy you, but the entire line of Rangers. It failed today, but it will be back."

"Conspiracy? What are you talking about? And while we are at it, why was the Crane power blaring inside my head and seemingly more powerful than before? Surely that was Kat that was helping me?"

As soon as he saw Green shake his head, followed by White, he knew he was about to have a bomb dropped on him. He knew nothing.

"Sit down and listen closely. There isn't much time because your team is in trouble and if you spend too much time here you will be trapped. More will be explained later, but Lokar is the reason you are here…Lokar and his children actually."

"Lokar? As in the bastard who sent me to the Island of Illusion?" Tommy said.

"Yes, Tommy," White said. "But it's more than that."

Tommy sat and listened. When the brief outline of the story was finished, Tommy knew he would live, but his heart was shattered.

Everything he thought he knew was totally false. In fact, it was almost as if he knew nothing at all.

A lot would have to happen, and fast, when he got back to the real world.

"This is yours," the three Rangers said as they each gave him three fragments of the Dino Gem.

"Good luck, Black Ranger," they said.

An hour later

Miami, FL

"Kat, Kat, wake up," she heard a voice as she was being shook awake.

"Ooze," she said. "Did I win or not?"

"Unfortunately, no," Ooze said reluctantly. "Oliver is still alive thanks to your predecessor. He and his four rats then destroyed Mesogog's monster."

Kat buried her head in her hands and tears pricked her eyes. Her plan to eliminate Oliver had failed.

"Ninja power, I'm guessing?" Kat said.

"Yes. I am almost certain Ninjor and those Ranger scumbags have been training Kimberly on how to save Oliver, just as she has done many times before."

"I should have been in that room with him," Kat said. "I would have ensured he was finished once and for all. How is it bloody possible that victory slipped through my hands?"

"That nitwit Ninjor and your so-called best friend Tanya injected you with some sort of magical potion that was designed to knock you out during that battle so you wouldn't be in the room," Ooze said.

Kat's mouth dropped open in shock. Ninjor she expected. The guy was a hotheaded moron who somehow always found a way into the biggest spots. But Tanya – that was another matter altogether.

She was actually thinking about one day corrupting Tanya to be on her side – they were best friends after all. If this was true, that was out the window. Tanya would have to be destroyed full stop and Adam with her.

That is, if her father didn't end her. Her father and her brother were getting tired of her act, it was well known.

"It does no good to mope, you know. It's over, and he's alive. There's nothing that can be done for now," Ooze said. "You need to rest, Kat."

"But he's alive! He was supposed to be dead, because of me! What can we bloody well do?" Kat screamed in frustration.

"Ooze is right, Kat. And you should be proud," Goldar said as he walked in. "I know that your father is."

"Is he really?" Kat asked, through tears of defeat. "Because by his actions lately he's pretty upset at me. Kaden too."

"Until recently, yes, because he didn't understand what you were up to. But he knows, as I do, that you took Tommy to limits not even I took him to. He was literally on the brink of death."

"Believe me, it's good that you're upset. Your father can feel your pain right now and he is proud and I know because I came from talking to him," Ooze said. "We will get rid of Oliver some day. There's more than one way to do this."

"Some day, but not today. You are right, I need to rest. I would advise you both to leave me now. We will let my blasted husband have his win for today. You are right, there is more than one way to destroy Oliver and I have oodles of patience," Kat said.

"Actually, now that I think about it," Kat said, "I should go back to Reefside tonight. I need to keep Tommy close to me so I can end him when the time is right. And if I am gone too long he may become suspicious."

The time was not yet right, but when it was, she was going to check on her backup project. If need be, she would do it herself.

7:15 p.m.

Reefside, CA

Tommy's life restored and Terrorsaurus destroyed, and teenagers gone, Tommy and Hayley were now in the lab, alone.

"Hayley, you and I are going to talk," Tommy said, his voice turning deadly sharp. To be frank, that tone of voice scared Hayley a bit but she kept her mood level, or tried.

"I learned things in there that I didn't want to learn, or things that are purported to be true, and you're going to give me an answer because I think you know things that I don't," Tommy said, tears beginning to prick his eyes.

"This is about what side Kat is on, isn't it," Hayley said. "They told you."

"Yes, and I want an answer…now," Tommy said, his voice deadly serious. "I also saw a Kimberly Hart who seems more powerful than ever but I can tell she's hurting…someone has done bad things to her and I know because they told me. I want answers, Hayley."

Hayley sighed. This was not going to be easy to say.

"You are fortunate it's just us in here, right?" Hayley said. "And even then I think this place is not secure enough sometimes."

Tommy nodded.

"It's true, Tom," Hayley said, Tommy's face falling as she did so. "Kat is a conspirator, not a friend."

"Who else knows?"

"Only a few, but one of them is my new boyfriend and is someone you know quite well. Come in."

As if on cue, the doors from the forest opened and Tommy's eyes, through fresh tears, widened.

"For someone who just got his life back, Tommy, you seem pretty depressed," Billy said.

The two old friends shared a hug – this was the first time they had seen each other since Billy had left for Aquitar.

"To be honest, I should have taken death right there, Bill," Tommy said. "It's better than knowing the person you took a sacred vow of marriage to is a total fraud, and the person who wrote the letter is the hero of the whole saga."

"It's not just you Kat screwed, Tommy, it's all of us she screwed," Billy said. "I'm scared of her because she's really smart. Not quite me smart, but very intelligent and it's why Lokar came back to get her – and yes, she is his daughter."

"Thank Tanya some day for you living too, and that ninja guy that mentored you, Ninjor I think," Hayley said.

Tommy's eyes widened. So Ninjor was in the game too. This was deadly serious.

"They are the ones who kept Kat from getting to the hospital. Only I was in there with you. If Kat had been in there too you would not be alive," Hayley said.

"If I'd have stayed on Earth, she'd have tried to kill me, Tommy. There's a time and a season for everything," Billy said. "Look at what she and her brother and father are doing to Kimberly – and Goldar now too. I don't know if your three clones told you, but yes, Goldar is back too."

"Don't remind me," Tommy said.

"He's really bad, right? The gold monkey?" Hayley said. "Billy only offhandedly referenced him."

"My archnemesis bad. He was Zeltrax before Zeltrax," Tommy said. "I've always beaten him but he's very formidable."

"They're doing bad things to her, right?" Tommy said, knowing he wouldn't like the answer.

"Verbal and former physical abuse. I don't know how she goes to her law practice every day," Billy said. "The law and to a lesser extent music again is literally her escape hatch."

"Scorpina? Is she involved too?"

"No and thank goodness. It would be all kinds of bad if she was. Dead at the Countdown."

Tommy breathed a sigh of relief. That was at least one good thing.

"How many of the former gang knows about this?"

"Only you, just now, Kim, me, Adam and Tanya. Oh, and Justin as well. Aisha sort of suspects but can be swayed either way. I co own the new hotel with Adam in Angel Grove which is actually just a front for what it really is. Justin helps us too."

"And that would be?"

"A command base that is underneath it which is basically your lab, but is a little more advanced. Zordon would be proud of this place, but I must say, our place has far better security than yours does, Tom."

"There is another 'gang' that also knows the conspiracy quite well. A small group of Rita and Zedd's former creations that mostly refused to ally with Dark Specter at the Countdown, or Kat right after, out of respect for all of us."

"Tom," Hayley said, "it's my understanding that it's one of the leaders of this group…I think his first name starts with guitar…is the reason Kim was even able to save you today, Tom. It's bad enough that he had to reintroduce Kim to playing guitar."

"It's Guitardo's respect for Kim that was the reason he was saved at the countdown. That part about him reintroducing Kim to the guitar is true also, Tommy," Billy said.

They all looked at Tommy and saw tears raining down his face. His world was, quite obviously, shattered.

The reality sunk in for Billy and Hayley, too. Tommy had taken a sacred vow of marriage to Kat, and not only was she unfaithful (and who knows if she was seeing anyone behind his back) she almost had him killed.

To be honest, as bad as that day was, the Letter was paradise compared to this.

"This small group of past monsters. What's their role in this?"

"They chose not to ally with Dark Specter, for the most part, and then with Kat. They set up their own village in KO-35 simply to try to live their lives, monitor what was going on and do some good. Kat and Lokar's forces battled them on KO-35, and he wiped…I'd say about 85 to 90 percent of them out," Billy said.

"One last thing, Tom, it's not just your near death. Kat is responsible for Trini's death also and Forever Red itself. She called Gasket to arrange for General Venjix to revive Serpentera," Billy said.

Hayley's head dropped. This was even news to her. Billy and Hayley had been dating for a short time and not even she had known that.

"How much longer were you going to wait to tell me?" Hayley rolled her eyes.

"I was going to get around to it, but the less people that know about that for now, the better," Billy said. "The driver that killed Trini was paid for by Kat. Handsomely."

"It's why I jumped off the fence and joined this side," a new voice said. It was sort of a hissing voice. With that voice, a glowing portal opened and about ten of Zedd and Rita's past monsters walked out. It was clear Pachinko Head, Nimrod (another old rival of Tommy's) and Guitardo were leading them.

The voice, Tommy noticed, seemed to come from a green and yellow colored monster he'd never seen before.

"Nice to see you join us, Mantis," Billy remarked.

He nodded at Billy and said, "You must be Tommy, so you were not on the team when I attacked Trini. It is an honor to meet you. As I just said, her death is the reason I have jumped the fence to this side. Her death was unjust and must be rectified."

"Not right away it can't be," Tommy said, holding up his hand. "Kat will expect me to be mad and jump headlong into an attack. We're going to have to outsmart her."

"So then what do you propose?" Pachinko Head said.

"It's simple. Do nothing for the moment. If I seem like I'm mad at Kat, which I am, I'm going to run into all sorts of interference and so will you."

"I also have a gut feeling she's going to try and put an evil team of Rangers together because she knows we all will figure this out. So she will be ready for us."

"What I propose is a good cop, bad cop routine. I theorize that if I play the dumb, aloof good cop Tommy Oliver, she'll buy it hook line and sinker. I can even somewhat be more critical of Trent for what he did which will make it more believable," Tommy said.

"The bad cop in my plan would be Hayley, which works because she's smarter than me anyways," Tommy finished. "We confuse Kat as to who knows what. And that will give me cover to re-connect with Kim again and help her mentally. I will have to practice with my Falcon powers but it can be done."

"Brilliant," Nimrod said, in applause. "That is why you took me to the limit all those years ago, by yourself."

"Perfect," Hayley said. "I've been wanting to give Kat a piece of my mind anyways."

"I would suggest we break this up soon, guys, because Kat may be in the house. You never know," Tommy said. "One last thing."

"Yeah?" Billy said.

"Don't let any of the old gang know what I'm up to. Well, maybe Jason. He deserves to know what really happened to Trini," Tommy said. "The last thing I need is any more of you in danger."

"It's a good idea, and come to think of it, he does need a new girlfriend. Fortunately, I think we have one in mind for a matchmaking game," Billy said. "You'll meet who we have in mind shortly."

"We should get going, guys," Pachinko Head said, "if Tommy's plan is to work."

"Tommy, we were rivals once upon a time, but you proved your worth again today. Good luck," Guitardo said.

"It's nice to meet you again, Guitardo. Thank you for helping Kim's mental state," Tommy said.

"It's horrible, Tommy. What they're doing to her is despicable. I can't stand seeing what those monsters did to her," Guitardo said. "As your mentor said, may the power protect you."

Billy headed for the exit to get back on the road while the past monsters walked back through the glowing portal and it closed behind them.

They were not a moment too soon because about two minutes after they'd left, the door to the lab opened and down the stairs came Kat.

"Tommy!" she exclaimed as she threw her arms around him. "You survived!"

"It was tough, Kat, but yes I did," Tommy said. He gave her a small smile as they embraced tightly. The scene made Hayley want to puke, literally.

"Tell you what, after what happened to me over the last few weeks, I just want to go to sleep and have you with me," Tommy said.

"I'd be quite happy with that," Kat said.

"Wait a second," Hayley said. "Tom, I wish to have a few words with her, just real quick."

"OK, then," Tommy said. "I'll go on, and you can do what you will. I should get ready for bed."

Kat nodded and waved Tommy upstairs.

Tommy headed to his room and thought about calling Tanya. Mantis talking about kung fu at a later date gave Tommy an idea. Tanya taught dance and jazz dance classes in Angel Grove and there was no reason he couldn't learn new things.

"No," he muttered, after thinking for a few minutes, "that can wait until the morning."

About ten minutes later, Tommy saw Kat come in and she looked stricken.

"Kat what's wrong, baby?" Tommy said. Inside he wanted to puke calling her that – she'd almost killed him. But he had to play the game.

"It's…Hayley," Kat said, "and she accused me of trying to kill you."

"That's a bunch of poppycock, Kat. Hayley's really smart. But you're my wife and a former Ranger. There's absolutely no reason to believe that," Tommy said. This was going to be so much harder to pull off than he ever thought possible.

"Things just happen and Trent made some bad mistakes," Tommy said. "Right now, I want you in bed with me."

"After what just happened, yes," Kat said, and eventually they both drifted off to sleep.

'She's fallen for it already,' Tommy thought, 'but how long can I keep up the ruse?'

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