"Such a lovely young man you are, Tommy," Katherine said as she walked into the ring and over to where Tommy was trembling and forcing himself to stay in fighting stance. "It's a shame that Goldar has to beat you up to make you learn your lesson. After you are done for, your uncle will be next!"
Tommy heaved and immediately threw up, but remained standing, "Do you wish to take him on, Princess Katherine?" Rito asked as he appeared near Goldar. "You have earned that honor."
"I would love to," Katherine replied in an amused voice as she immediately slapped Tommy hard.
Tommy winced and swallowed hard. Dr. Oliver caressed the Power Coin and Morpher that was hidden in the pocket of his pants; he could feel power suddenly surge through him as if the spirit within the coin knew what he was hoping to be able to do. He had to get up and take his nephew's place in the fight.
"I'm taking my nephew's place in this fight," Dr. Oliver said in a brave voice as he stepped forward.
Goldar cackled, "You are a helpless mortal and have no chance of winning!" he roared. "However…"
Suddenly, Jason, Kimberly, Billy, Adam, Malcolm, and Laura teleported into the arena in their Ninja Power Ranger suits, "We'll take it from here," Jason said as he assumed a battle stance.
"I have to do this alone," Tommy said in a faint voice even though he would rather collapse.
Swallowing hard, Dr. Oliver gently put his arms around Tommy's waist and pulled his shaking nephew close, "No, you don't," he whispered in a gentle voice. "You've fought enough for now, Tommy."
"Zordon, we found Doctor Oliver and Tommy," Malcolm said in a grave voice into his Communicator.
There was static and then silence, "We can't reach the Command Center in here," Malcolm said in a nervous voice as he looked at Jason for direction. "We need to teleport out of here in small groups."
"You and Tommy go first," Laura said as she turned to Dr. Oliver; she was scared about being possibly trapped in a strange place with the other Rangers, but would rather stay than let Tommy die. "Kim…"
Suddenly recognizing the Pink Ninja Ranger, Rito cackled, "Well done, Princess Katherine," he said in an amused voice as he walked over to where Kimberly stood. "You brought me the Pink Ninja Ranger!"
"Why do you want me?" Kimberly asked, suddenly fearful. "I have nothing that would be useful…"
Rito cackled, "You have yourself," he replied as he swiftly removed Kimberly's face covering and hood.
"Leave Kimberly alone!" Tommy yelled in a hoarse voice as he tried to pull free from his uncle's hold.
Not wanting Tommy to suffer any more than he already had, Laura quickly hurried over to them and activated her teleportation device. Rito let out a roar of fury when she vanished with both of them.
"That annoying little Yellow Ranger will pay for that later!" Rito hissed in an angry voice. "In the meantime, Goldar, send these Power Punks back where they came from! They are useless!"
Goldar cackled and looked to Katherine, "You do the honors," he said, pleased by Katherine's evil.
"Of course, Goldar," Katherine replied smoothly as she turned to face the remaining five.
Before Katherine could use her magic staff, however, Rito vanished with Kimberly, "What just happened?" Billy asked in a horrified voice as Kimberly's Ninja Coin and Morpher were left behind.
Suddenly, the four Rangers were teleported out of the arena, "Farewell for now," a deep voice said.
Loud chattering greeted Jason, Billy, Adam, and Malcolm as they appeared on the football field at Angel Grove High School in their civilian clothes. They were surrounded by their fellow students and teachers.
"Attention students, school is now dismissed for the day due to internal damage," Mr. Caplan's voice could suddenly be heard coming over a loudspeaker. "If the damage is repaired by tomorrow, school will resume as usual…"
As the students began to walk off the field, Jason suddenly noticed Mark standing at a far corner of the field being supported by the young man named David he had met earlier, "…Kat was supposed to meet me in the library to help me with my homework," Mark was saying in a worried voice. "I still can't find my cane and I need it to get around..."
"I found your cane in the hallway," Billy said, suddenly finding that he had the cane in his hand.
Mark smiled, but didn't move, "Thank you for finding Mark's cane," David said as Billy handed the undamaged cane over to David, who eased it into Mark's hand. "Now if only we could find Kat…"
"I hope Kat didn't get hurt in the earthquake and end up in the hospital like that other kid," Mark replied in a worried voice. "I heard some heating pipes blew near Doctor Oliver's office during it…"
Suddenly realizing that Mark was referring to Tommy, Jason stepped forward, "Mark, that kid you said passed out from burst heating pipes during the quake; what was that kid's name?" he asked quietly.
"Tommy Oliver, I think," Mark replied, his sight making him unable to see David's look of astonishment.
Jason frowned, "I saw Tommy get hurt, but I didn't know it was that serious," he replied solemnly.
"Tommy's in the hospital?" Rocky said as he and Zack suddenly emerged from the departing crowd.
Jason nodded, "Our friend, Laura Hammond, went with Doctor Oliver in the ambulance to help," he replied, not wanting to talk about the real experience in front of all the people. "We should really go by the hospital and see how Tommy's doing. It's been a few hours since he was taken to the hospital."
"Guys, where's Kimberly?" Adam suddenly asked in a worried voice. "Did she go home already?"
Rocky and Zack exchanged a look, "David, can you help me try and find Kat?" Mark suddenly cut in, feeling a bit self-conscious in front of all of these people who were friends. "I have to do homework."
As David helped Mark walk away, Jason looked at Billy, Adam, Zack, Rocky, and Malcolm, "We should go visit Tommy first and then go to the Command Center to see if Zordon can find Kimberly," he said.
"She's so pretty," Katherine sneered as she watched Rito lay the unconscious Kimberly on a table within one of the many basement dungeons in the Moon Palace. "I don't understand why you wanted HER."
Rito chuckled, "I wanted one with a pure heart and a soul that I could taint with evil," he replied in an amused voice. "Did you really think I was going to keep you around after my sister and her ugly pile of metal of a husband left for bigger galaxies? You need to go back to your mortal life, Katherine."
"Mother and Father want me to help destroy the Rangers," Katherine replied in a shocked voice.
Goldar suddenly appeared in the dungeon, "If you go and finish Tommy off, I will let you destroy the Pink Ranger when you return," he said in a firm voice. "If you fail to do so, there will be consequences."
"I will not fail," Katherine promised, determined to finish what she had not been able to before.
As Katherine vanished, Goldar turned to Rito, "When the White Ninja Ranger is finished off, you will capture Prince Zedison and torture him into taking Tommy's place," Rito said menacingly.
"Prince Zedison is blind and has no memory of us," Goldar replied. "What about Zack or Rocky?"
Rito thought for a moment and then sighed, "Let us see if Katherine succeeds first," he replied.
Letting out a weary sigh, Dr. Oliver took his reading glasses off and stowed them in the pocket of the vest he had worn that day with his khakis, sneakers, and tan dress shirt. The book, a book on counseling troubled youth, had been placed on the bedside table. He was exhausted from the day beyond belief.
Almost immediately, however, Dr. Oliver's eyes traveled to Tommy, who lay unconscious in a hospital bed with a gown and blankets covering his body. IV's were all over his nephew's arms and hands and they, as well as an oxygen mask on his face, served as treatment for heat exhaustion and dehydration.
After being teleported from that desert-like arena, Dr. Oliver had made up some story about a heater exploding near his office and his nephew fainting from being overheated and dehydrated. Laura Hammond, who had helped them back to the school, had convinced everyone nearby of the story's validity and had come with them to the hospital to support them. Now, it was a waiting game.
A yawn suddenly escaped his lips and Dr. Oliver scooted himself over to Tommy's bedside, determined not to sleep or even have anything to eat until his nephew woke up, "Doctor Oliver?" the gentle voice of Laura suddenly filtered into the room. "The doctor says you have to eat and then rest, or he's going to admit you to the hospital just like he did Tommy. I went and got you some stew from the cafeteria."
Dr. Oliver turned his stool around and was surprised to see Laura standing there in the boots, bell bottom jeans, and yellow sweatshirt she had worn that day with a large bowl of stew in one hand and a large glass of juice in the other. Her backpack was on her back and she looked concerned.
"I hope you didn't use money from your fund for that," Dr. Oliver commented as Laura came into the room and set the items on the portable table. "Your job at Ernie's is only casual because of school and I want you saving all you can for your future. You also have to be saving money to help your sister."
Laura sighed, "It's all right," she replied in a gentle voice. "Tommy was the first person to reach out to me as a friend and I'm going to help him now. I can't worry about myself and my money right now."
"Well, Tommy's pretty weak right now," Dr. Oliver replied in a solemn voice. "Being in that space with that much heat while being strapped down pretty much cut off his oxygen for a period of time and the doctor isn't sure if there's going to be any brain damage. They're talking about a heart monitor too…"
Not wanting to cry in front of a student, Dr. Oliver sighed, reached into his pocket, and pulled out half of an arrowhead, "Tommy was wearing this around his neck when I first adopted him and I took it away so he wouldn't try and hurt himself with it," he explained as he gently put the item into Tommy's hand.
"You should eat that stew before it gets cold," Laura replied softly. "You need your strength too."
Knowing that Laura was right, Dr. Oliver got up from the stool and picked up the bowl of stew from the portable table. He moved over to the window and sat in a chair and Laura moved closer to the bed.
"Hang in there, Tommy," Laura whispered, gently patting his hand. "May the Power protect you."
The sight of David leading Mark across the courtyard greeted Billy, Jason, Malcolm, Zack, Rocky, and Adam as they came out of the school after getting their backpacks from their lockers. Jason sighed; maybe Mark really had no more power, but then why would Rita and Zedd have abandoned him?
"…I don't understand where Katherine went," Mark said as the six boys approached them. "She was supposed to come to the library and help me with my homework, but she never came for me."
David shrugged, "Mark, is everything all right?" Jason asked in a concerned voice. "You seem upset."
"I need help putting some of my homework on paper and Kat's not around," Mark replied in a worried voice as David turned him to face the others. "I can do the English and history work on my tape recorder, but my math teacher wants my math homework on paper and told me to get help for it."
Malcolm frowned, "Isn't your math book in Braille?" he asked in a worried voice.
"It is, but the teacher insists on everyone writing out their work and said that I can read the problem, write the answer out in Braille, and have someone translate it," Mark replied. "Even though Kat and I have been living with David since November, Kat's the only one who knows how to translate for me."
Malcolm suddenly smiled, "My mother was blind, so she and my father taught me to read and translate Braille into the written word when I was very young," he replied. "I can help you with that part after we get back from visiting Tommy at the hospital. Unfortunately, I'm not the best at math problems."
"I'm good at the math," Billy cut in, eager to help. "Mark, Malcolm and I can help you with your work."
Mark smiled, "That would be great," he replied. "David wanted to go to the hospital first, though…"
"Let's all go together," Rocky offered in a gentle voice. "My truck's big enough for all of us."
David smiled, but shook his head, "I'll take Mark in my truck," he replied, suddenly seeing that Mark looked uneasy about traveling with strangers. "I'll follow you there…I didn't catch your name."
"Rocky DeSantos," Rocky replied, smiling. "My friends are Adam Park, Jason Lee Scott, Malcolm Lee Scott, Billy Cranston, and Zack Taylor. Our friend, Laura Hammond, went to the hospital with Tommy."
Nodding, David whispered something to Mark and then silently led Mark off towards the parking lot.
"Let's get going," Jason said in a commanding tone. "I'm sure Tommy will enjoy our visit."
Making sure that her appearance was perfect, Katherine stepped off of the elevator and walked down the hallway towards Tommy's hospital room. She was surprised to see the door to it wide open.
"Hello Tommy," Katherine said in an evil voice as she entered the hospital room and was shocked to see Dr. Oliver and Laura both there. "What are you two doing here? I thought Tommy would be alone!"
Dr. Oliver quickly set the bowl of stew on the portable table and moved back to Tommy's bedside while Laura quickly assumed fighting stance, "Do you really think you're a match for me, Laura?" Katherine asked, unaware that David and Mark were making their way towards the room. "Try and take me on."
"Kat?" Mark's voice filtered into the room. "David, I think Kat's in here."
Katherine froze and she hurried out into the hallway, "Mark, I was just visiting a friend," she said in an apologetic voice. "I'll be just another minute, okay? Go back to the library and wait for me there."
"Kat, what's wrong?" David asked, suddenly noticing a glazed expression in her eyes. "Are you okay?"
Katherine suddenly scowled, "Do I know you?" she asked, suddenly feeling Rito's influence on her.
"Sis, what's wrong?" Mark asked as he suddenly felt woozy and fainted, snapping his cane in half.
David frowned and checked Mark, "Kat, are you sick?" he asked in a worried voice. "Let me help."
"The Power Rangers will soon taste defeat," Katherine hissed evilly. "One Ranger at a time."
Inside the hospital room, Laura could overhear what David and Katherine were saying and she quickly raised her Communicator to her wrist, "Zordon, I'm at the hospital with Tommy, Doctor Oliver, and two innocent citizens," she whispered in an anxious voice. "Katherine is trying to get her hands on Tommy."
"Keep Katherine from entering the room and hurting Tommy or his uncle," Zordon replied. "I will contact the other Rangers and have them come to the hospital. May the power protect you Laura."
Laura looked to Doctor Oliver and quickly whipped out her Ninja Morpher, "Yellow Eagle Ninia Power," she whispered in a clear voice, not wanting David or Katherine to overhear her. "Hurry up guys."
Beep-beep-boop-boop-beep-beep.
As Rocky pulled into the hospital parking lot, Jason raised his Communicator, "Go ahead, Zordon," he said in a concerned voice, gazing at Adam, Billy, Malcolm, Zack, Rocky, and Adam as he did so.
"Rangers, Katherine is currently attacking Tommy's hospital room and Laura is fighting her alone," Zordon's voice filtered out of the Communicator. "You need to morph and get to the hospital."
Rocky looked at Adam, Billy, Jason, and Malcolm, "You guys had better morph and get upstairs," he said, suddenly worried about Tommy and Laura. "You're all clear to morph out here. Nobody's around."
"It's Morphin Time, guys!" Jason yelled, holding out his morpher. "Red Lion Ninja Power!"
Malcolm quickly whipped out his morpher, "Orange Tiger Ninja Power!" he yelled.
"Blue Wolf Ninja Power!" Billy chanted in a determined voice as he whipped out his morpher.
Adam quickly whipped out his morpher and held it out, "Black Frog Ninja Power!" he yelled.
"Katherine is on a foolish quest," Rito chanted in an amused voice as he watched Baboo feed the unconscious Kimberly a potion that would drain her of all desire to be good. "Her time is ending."
Goldar gave Rito a look, "If you are going to use Kimberly, why did you allow me to send Katherine to fight the Power Rangers one by one?" he asked in a confused voice. "It makes no sense."
"Katherine is merely a distraction," Rito replied in a menacing voice. "While she keeps the Rangers busy, I will execute my real plan. My sister gave me magic to go back in time and make the world forget that Kimberly Hart, the first Pink Ranger, ever existed! I will kidnap the young Kimberly and brainwash her."
Goldar looked amused, "That will make the Power Rangers incomplete!" he hooted, deeply amused.
"Exactly," Rito replied in a determined voice. "The Rangers cannot act without a Pink Power Ranger!"
Deeply pleased with himself, Rito held out a small yo-yo, "When it is charged, I will go," he hissed. "The world will soon not remember Kimberly Hart."
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