Life, after nine years of peace and quiet, is about to become eventful again for the citizens of Angle Grove. In the meantime, the Rangers are wondering if you can really go back again...

All things Power Rangers belong to Saban and Disney. All things Carri belong to KJ, with many thanks. Demonking belongs solely to Daniel White and Teeg and Rexo belong to KS. The premise of the Coin Series has been borrowed from a story written by Terry, Chris, Daniel, Brice, Katey and myself.

All events in The Coin Series take place in an alternate dimension

Power Rangers: The Coin Series
Deja Vu

Tommy was experiencing a bad case of de je vu. In his right hand, was his red Zeo crystal, in the left, his old morpher.

“It will just take me a moment to recalibrate.” Billy said absently.

They were in Billy’s lab at NASADA. It was an impressive set up, consisting of several huge interlocking rooms. Various experiments, in various stages of completion, were crammed into every square inch. A small sleeping space had been carved out of the fray and even that was littered with pieces of electronics. It wasn’t so different from his childhood lab in his parent’s garage, it was just much larger.

“That should just about do it. Try it again.”

Tommy stood up. They had been at this for several hours and he was beginning to wonder if resurrecting the Zeo crystal had been a bad idea.

“Zeo Ranger 5, Red.” He called. Nothing. He turned and gave Billy a frustrated look. Billy let out a long sigh.

“All right, back to square one.”

Tommy closed his eyes and sat back down in his chair. He hadn’t actually tried to use his Zeo morpher in a while, not since becoming the black Dinothunder Ranger. He hadn’t needed it. His powers from the black Dino gem had been enough. They were part of him. Even if he didn’t have the power to sustain a morph, he still had power.

Unfortunately, as Kim had speculated, the gem had also altered his DNA. Now his Zeo morpher didn’t want to work for him. Why it should matter, he didn’t know. As far as he knew, the Zeo crystals didn’t recognize DNA, it was the energy signatures inside you. The Zeo crystals had been recalibrated before they had been put in storage, but Tommy had left his active so he could use it if needed. In the meantime, he had connected with the black Dino gem. Even though the gems had lost most of their power, he still had his invisibility powers and that seemed to conflict with the Zeo energy. But, he wasn’t the only one with problems.

Kim could morph, she just couldn’t sustain it. Apparently, the pink Zeo crystal was as fickle as the red and wouldn’t interact with the Nova crystal signatures in Kim. Her uniform, when she morphed, was the uniform of Zeo 1, but it was dark fuscia, with far more gold banding. By now, she should have rendezvoused with the Nova team to transfer possession of the Nova crystal. Once her other powers were transferred, hopefully, the Zeo would work for her a little better.

Carri had also had a little trouble with the yellow powers, but the problem had been limited to the morpher itself and Billy had easily recalibrated it to her Ninjetti energy. Rocky didn’t have a problem at all with the Zeo crystal itself, but when he completed the morphing sequence his uniform was markedly different, causing Billy and Tommy a lot of concern. It was a much darker navy blue than it should have been, without any white banding around the collar. He was quick to comment that he was more than pleased with it, but Tommy was growing more and more concerned about the changes.

Jason seemed to be the only one who didn’t have any problem with either morpher or crystal. He’d completed the metamorphosis easily. His black uniform had the increase in gold banding that they all had, but unlike the other Zeos, the gold across the front of his uniform continued all the way up to his helmet and his gloves and boots were black instead of white.

“Hold on a second.” Billy said, his face so close to the computer view screen it appeared to glow. “I think….no…all right….now.” He handed the morpher back to Tommy and took the red crystal from him. He placed the crystal in a clear box and shut it. A few taps on his computer and the box glowed red. “That should do it.” He said

“Maybe it would just be easier to call TJ. Connor would even be a good Zeo 5.”

“There is no way in hell,” Jason said from the oversized chair on the other side of the room, “That I’m gonna work with a kid.”

“I thought you were asleep.”

“Dosing.”

“Connor is a good red. He could easily do this.” Tommy said. “Maybe it’s not such a good idea to go back again.” He was tired, but not so tired he couldn’t analyze his own motives. Was he pushing this group forward because it was necessary, or was he pushing himself into a position to be the red Ranger again? He honestly couldn’t answer. The quiet life was nice, but it got boring after a while.

“He’ll just experience the same difficulties the rest of you are facing.” Billy commented. “If you can have a little more patience, this is a recognition issue. It’s a difficult, but not impossible anomaly to solve.”

Jason gave a loud harrumph, but didn’t comment. He had another morpher; he was not going to give it up easily. Kimberly had asked him not to use the Tyrannosaurus coin again, if possible. After his last run-in with Teeg over a year ago, he’d grudgingly agreed. Rita didn’t bother him so much. He’d been there and done that. It was what he could do in-between attacks that had him excited. Ninjetti powers were good, Muirantian powers were better, being a morphing Ranger…that opened up the whole universe.

“Honestly Jase, this is overkill. This is Rita and Zedd we’re talking about. Maybe we should just call a full halt to this and recruit some younger blood.”

“You calling me old?” Jason countered, “I figure Kim and me got at least another nine or ten thousand good years on us.”

“That’s not what I meant. Most of this team are master Rangers, on our third plus morphers. Even Carri has previous Ranger experience, however short it was.” Tommy said. “The Zeo crystals have picked up on the fact that none of us are amateurs. Just look at the superficial changes in the uniforms, it could just be the tip of the iceberg. I don’t like the idea of monkeying with the Zeo crystal. It’s far more powerful than we’ve ever previously utilized. We’re talking Rita, is it really necessary for five masters to fight her?”

“Probably not.” Jason answered, “But once this is done, I’ve got some good uses in mind for this thing.” He said, holding up the green crystal.

“If the two of you are done,” Billy interrupted, handing the red Zeo crystal to Tommy. “Try again.”

Tommy stood up reluctantly. “Zeo Ranger 5, red.” He said unconvincingly, and it worked. Within seconds he was fully morphed. His uniform was definitely that of Zeo Five, but it was now a deep burgundy color, like someone had mixed a little of his black uniform into it. Like Jason, he had more gold banding and a gold collar under his helmet. His boots and gloves were also black.

“I think we’re in back business.” Jason said.

Kimberly sat on the bridge of the Enzway, facing her former teammates. There were five other Nova Rangers besides herself and a dozen support crew.

“I’m sorry to leave you so early in our quest.” She said, “My home world is not an advanced society, it’s not even a rated federal world. It’s not sophisticated enough to deal with this. My family, my friends, they’re all in danger.”

She paused, surveying their young faces. They were stunned that she’d just leave them. This was her quest; she couldn’t blame them if they felt abandoned.

“Teeg knew what she was doing. I need you all to carry on without me for a while. I’ll return as soon as I can.”

“And what if we need the pink Ranger?” Garan asked. Garan was the Nova green Ranger. He was an older, more experienced Ranger and the only Ranger besides Elemi who was Academy trained. It had been hard for him to accept a female Ranger in the beginning. Now that he was comfortable with her, her didn’t want her to go. She was as much in command as Elemi. The team needed her.

“I’ve discussed it with Elemi, and we both feel it’s best that I choose a successor for the pink Nova powers.”

This caused an uproar and everyone began talking at once. She leaned back against the console and let them have their say. Her eyes met Elemi’s. He wasn’t happy with her decision, but he had agreed. The previous night, she had assured him she’d return anytime she was needed and he had put his arms around her, kissed her soundly, and assured her she was needed on a daily basis. Despite her resolve to end their relationship, she had let herself be kissed. Perhaps it was foolish of her, but leaving him to carry on alone had been harder than she’d expected.

Kim was not good at breaking up, especially when the other person involved refused to give up on her. Where Elemi was concerned she had no willpower. He had simply to put his arms around her and she’d acquiesce; hating herself in the morning for being so weak. Staying with him was a nonsequitur; it simply wasn’t an option. His definition of marriage was unacceptable. She was expected to remain exclusively his while fidelity on his part was not an option. Elemi already had long-term contracts with two wives. No matter how much he loved her, and she loved him, Kim refused to be number three.

If given her druthers, Kim would have probably preferred to keep the Nova powers. Despite the excitement of the others, she wasn’t all that thrilled to possess the pink Zeo crystal; it made her nervous. Although the Zeo’s wouldn’t utilize it for more than basic morphing, it had far more potential than her other crystal and she wasn’t sure yet just how it was going to interact with her Muirantian powers.

If she was totally honest with herself, it also had a lot to do with the fact that they were Katherine Hillard’s old powers. Kat was going to spit nails when she turned up as Zeo Pink. If she was going to be mean, she’d say fair was fair. Kat had taken her powers…and her boyfriend, even usurped her place in school.

It was an old, childish hurt, one that the adult dismissed as silly and rarely thought of anymore. Recognizing it for what it was diffused it a bit, but it was still there, bubbling just below the surface. Becoming Zeo Pink might be fair play, but the master in her warned that she should be very careful about letting her thoughts drift along those lines.

But the Zeo Powers did have one advantage. She needed to put space between herself and Elemi. Every time she thought she was over him, they fell back together. It was a vicious cycle that wasn’t good for either of them. Even though they both agreed her absence wasn’t the best for the team, they both knew it was for the better that they put some distance between them personally for a while. At least the new Rita and Zedd had given her a legitimate excuse to go home for a while.

Elemi wasn’t pleased at all. He thought the other Rangers on her world could handle things without her. Earth boasted more Rangers than many entire systems. But he understood that she felt responsible. He also understood that she seriously intended to sever the ties between them this time. It saddened him. He genuinely loved Kimberly. However, she refused to commit to another marriage contract with him. To be in a long term physical relationship without one was not possible for him. She didn’t understand his need to remain bound to his children’s mothers or his casual affairs with other females and he didn’t understand why it mattered. It was a cultural crossroads.

Privately, he also thought there was more to the matter with Teeg than she was confiding, but he was content in her judgment. He would continue on with the mission. It was as much his mission as hers anyway. He stood up from his chair on the bridge and the others quieted instantly.

“Are you ready to name your successor?” He asked quietly.

They had debated the new pink Ranger long into the previous night. He was not happy with her choice. The girl was a flippant little thing, only added to the crew because she had nowhere else to go when her brother signed on as a technician. She was barely out of adolescence, a nuisance at best.

Elemi had never served with a female Ranger before. He’d heard of them, but it was still a new concept. Kim, a master Ranger by any definition, had given them all a false impression of what a pink Ranger was like. She was a commander, as capable as he himself was. He wanted another master in pink, not a child to train from ground zero. Kim had insisted that she was no better at that age, yet Zordon had still chosen her. It was of little comfort to him.

Kimberly rose and in a flash of red light, produced the pink Nova crystal. How the crew would handle her choice, she didn’t know. She’d had them convinced that pink was just simply another shade of red, now she was handing her crystal to an untrained girl. She saw great potential in her, but potential was an unclaimed asset. It had yet to be realized. It was a lot to live up to and she hoped the girl would do well by them. The others remained silent, watching her intently. No one had expected a morpher to become available; it was just unheard of.

Kimberly walked forward slowly, stopping when she came to the small, brown haired girl she had singled out.

“Kee.” She said simply, offering the crystal.

“Me?” The girl squeaked. “But I’m not…I’m not… I mean, I’m not even an official part of the crew.”

“I don’t recall that being a requirement.” Kimberly said. “Kee, you have been presented with the pink Nova crystal and morpher, will you accept?”

Kee hesitated, simply staring at Kim. “Will you accept?” Kim asked again.

“Aye…ma’am.” Kee whispered and Kim laid the crystal in the girl’s hands.

“Now that you are a Ranger you must agree to three simple rules or risk the loss of the Power’s protection.” Kim said seriously, remembering in her mind’s eye the day she had looked up just as solemnly at Zordon. “First, you must never use your powers for your own gain. Second, you must never escalate a fight unless you are forced to. Third, you may never reveal your identity outside the Rangers or this crew.”

Kee nodded gravely and Kim put the Nova morpher in the girl’s other hand. “Don’t let me down.”

The girl fingered the crystal and morpher reverently. She looked up with huge eyes and nodded, unable to speak.

“Do you know, I was just about your age when Zordon presented me with the pink pterodactyl morpher.” Kim said. “And do you know what I said to him, standing there in the power chamber before his power tube, with him looking down on me?” Kim asked.

Kee shook her head again, eyes impossibly wide. Zordon was the master of masters, and she realized for the first time that now she, Kee, was part of his direct line through Kimberly. It must have been an awesome thing to be hand chosen by him.

“What?” she asked breathlessly.

Kim grinned mischievously, “I said no thanks, not interested.”

Trini smoothed down her blouse and skirt as she approached what she hoped was the main research and development building at the NASADA complex. She was a little disoriented. The NASADA complex itself was huge, consisting of many square miles. Very few buildings were actually marked and it was easy to get lost. Billy wanted to her to come in the late morning, after her appointment with her divorce lawyer, but he hadn’t been specific.

He hadn’t answered his phone earlier, but she knew he had his hands full. The others were having a rough start and he was probably just busy trying to get things straightened out. So far, Rita and Zedd had held off any attacks, but all of them were under pressure to get ready as soon as possible. She opened the door to the building and walked in.

She was a bit startled by the inside. What had been a plain, nondescript concrete block exterior, held an open, modern, interior. As she approached the black granite reception desk, she was struck by the elegance of it all.

“Name?” The uniformed woman behind the desk asked.

“Trini Gust…” She stopped midway, realizing that wasn’t her name anymore. The woman behind the desk looked up and raised an irritated eyebrow at her.

“Excuse me?” she asked.

“Trini Kwan.” Trini said plainly.

The woman tapped a few keys into the computer.

“Sit.” She said simply.

“Excuse me?”

“Sit.” The woman said, taking her pen and indicating a small row of chairs. Trini turned and sat down.

“Marie, we need to talk.” Rocky began. Good God, couldn’t he think of anything better than that? “That is, I wanted to talk with you.”

“All right,” Marie said. She had spent the early morning getting her classroom ready for the group of third graders who would soon be starting back to school. She’d been so glad Rocky had stopped by to see her. She’d been worried about him ever since the reunion.

Everything was so uncertain in Angel Grove since Rita and Lord Zedd came back. Everyone was running around in a frenzy. It was unsettling and she felt Rocky should be doing a better job of making her feel secure. He had all but disappeared after the reunion, running around, never returning anyone’s phone calls. Marie understood he had a large family to look after, but he hadn’t even been in touch with them much. His two apartment mates didn’t know where he was either. She and his mother both agreed, now was the time to pull together, not disappear on each other. She knew his mother stopped by his apartment yesterday and told him so herself.

When he suddenly showed up at the school and asked if she could leave early to walk with him through the park, she’d readily agreed. It was a beautiful day. It was hot, as August generally was, but the breeze was blowing and the sun was behind some low clouds. It was just perfect for what she knew he had in mind. She sighed heavily. He hadn’t said a word to her in nearly fifteen minutes, nervously rubbing his palms against his pants and visibly trying to think just how he should start the conversation. Finally, he asked her to sit down on a nearby bench.

“I’m sorry I haven’t been around the last day or two.” He began and she nodded.

“You’ve been busy.”

“Yeah.” That was an understatement. The last two days had been a whirlwind. He’d found a good full time instructor for his school, quit his other part time job, given up his tiny apartment with its two nosey roommates, moved in temporarily with Jason, and gotten his morpher back, all in the last forty-eight hours. When he’d returned to his apartment the night before on Tommy’s orders to get at least four to five good hours of sleep, he’d been bombarded with at least a dozen messages from Marie and another half dozen from his mother demanding to know where he was and where he’d been.

Then his mom had shown up very early the following morning and had all but demanded he make things right with Marie. Why she was so suddenly adamant, he didn’t know. He suspected a family powwow between his mother, his sisters, and Marie. She hadn’t actually said it, but she’d dropped more than a few hints that she knew they had a physical relationship. Only Marie or one of his sisters could have clued her in on that. In his mom’s book, that meant he had to do right by her. Isabelle DeSantos was a good Catholic woman; she had brought her son up as a good Catholic boy. With all the uncertainly in Angle Grove, now was the time to make things proper. He’d had two years to think about it. Now he had to be a man, take responsibility, and act. Unfortunately, to Rocky, taking responsibility meant something entirely different.

“I’ve been doing a lot of thinking since the reunion. A lot of soul searching on where I want my life to go in the next couple of years and I uh…”

“Yes,” she said, her eyes bright and the glimmer of excitement showing in her face. Oh God, Rocky thought to himself, she thinks I’m going to propose.

“I’m in a weird place in my life right now.” He blurted out.

“What?” She asked, excitement dropping out of her face.

“What I mean is, I know we’ve been together a long time and I know that people are kind of…people are kind of expecting that maybe we should…”

“Yes...”

“I don’t want to get married.” He said in a rush.

“What?” she asked, a little louder than he expected. He looked around to see if anyone had noticed.

“It wouldn’t be fair to you. Ever since my dad took off, I’ve done the responsible thing. I got a job, multiple jobs actually, I worked my way through college and I opened my school, and  I’ve put my siblings through college. I don’t want to do it again with another family.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Most guys my age are worrying what stereo they’re going to put in their car, I’m worried about how I’m going to be able to put my three youngest siblings through a good college at the same time. I’ve got three sisters who are going to want weddings…I’m done taking care of a family. I don’t want any more responsibility.” Rocky couldn’t decide if she was stunned or about to strangle him.

“It’s just that,” he raced on, “Marie you’re a wonderful woman. You’re a great girl, you’re sweet, you’re a fabulous cook, you’re beautiful. But you want a husband that’s going to buy you your own house and give you your own children. I’ve been raising children for the last eleven years; I don’t want anymore. I don’t want another family. I don’t want to get beaten down like my dad and wake up one day and just take off, never to be heard from again.”

That wasn’t exactly true. Rocky knew he wasn’t much like his dad. His dad had been crushed by the overwhelming responsibility of six kids and his inability to hold down a job. One day he’d just cracked. He’d taken off to New Mexico and never looked back. With Zordon’s help, Rocky had managed to find him fairly easily. Even though his mom swore she didn’t have a clue where her husband could have gone, she hadn’t been surprised by Rocky’s findings and had been more than a little upset that Rocky had even tried.

Both agreed that they were better off without him and he never said anything after that, not even when they received the occasional letter. Rocky had been devastated. He’d firmly resolved to make life better for his mother and siblings and that’s exactly what he’d done. Giving up his life as the blue Ranger was a small sacrifice and, until lately, he’d never considered returning.

But enough was enough. He wanted control over his life again. He wanted to do something for himself. He would never renege his responsibilities; he just wanted a chance to choose what those responsibilities were. Marie was not a responsibility he wanted.

“Rocky that’s insane. That’s nonsense. We never talked about this.” Marie protested.

“I know, I know, but that’s just it, the last couple of days… I’m just now realizing I don’t want any of that stuff. I’ve been brought up to want it, so I thought I wanted it, but now I know I definitely don’t. As soon as the youngest is through school, the last thing I want is to start over with another set of kids.”

“You think maybe you could have told me this two years ago?” she shouted. He held his hands up defensively.

“I didn’t know.” He said. “Look, you’re everything I’ve ever wanted in a girl, you’re wonderful. Honestly, I couldn’t figure out why I just couldn’t just get it over with and ask you...”

“Get it over with?”

“Ok, poor choice of words. The thing is, I need time alone to figure out what I really want in life…”

“Oh my God… you’re breaking up with me!”

“Well, yes…” Rocky never got to finish. Marie stood up and began pelting him with her purse. For a tiny little compact, it did a lot of damage. The first couple of blows took out his index finger, somewhere around the middle of the attack, she cracked his nose.

“You slimy, pathetic, miserable, son of a bitch!” she howled. “I wait two years for you to break up with me?”

“Ow! Marie, hold on! Ow! I’m just trying to be honest...”

“Two years! Two freakin years of my life!” She yelled, striking him with the purse to emphasize every other word. “ I had sex with you damnit!” Her fists clenched by her side and she was stomping her feet. “ Do you have any idea how many hours I spent on my knees in Penance after Confession!” She smacked him again with the purse.

“OW! What the hell do you have in that thing? A brick?”

“Cell phone!” She screeched. He stood up and Marie pelted him, by chance or by design, across the crotch. He doubled over against the bench.

A few passerby’s had stopped to watch and a one or two of the women cheered. Nice, Rocky thought, great community spirit. Let’s all have a good laugh at the blue Ranger getting beat up by a girl. Marie landed one last blow against the back of his head while he was doubled over and stormed off.

“Ok,” Rocky muttered. “That went well.”

Trini wasn’t sure what was going on, but she assumed it was all part of her security clearance, so she settled back in her chair and allowed the woman in front of her to grill her with more questions. She was a spindly woman. To say she was middle aged was being kind. She had sharp features, sharp glasses, and a sharp edge to her voice. She wore a pressed white lab coat with her ID badge around her neck. There was a large number seven in the center and Trini noticed that the bar code was far more prominent than either her name or photo.

“What languages do you speak?” she asked curtly, not looking at Trini, but writing on the clipboard in front of her.

“Vietnamese, French, English, Swiss French, and a bit of Swedish, but really not enough to converse fluently.”

The woman tossed her pen rudely on the clipboard. Looking above her glasses with exasperation, she said,” I could care less what Earth languages you speak. You’re applying for a high security position in an intergalactic building. What other languages do you speak?”

Trini had a sinking feeling. The woman made her feel uncomfortable to say the least. Billy had led her to believe the position was already hers.

“I’m sorry, Billy didn’t mention any of this when he...”

“Billy?” the woman cut her off.

“Billy Cranston, he said I was to report to work this…”

“Dr. William Cranston doesn’t do employee interviews, I do.” The woman said firmly. “Name dropping won’t work with me young lady. And I hardly consider the use of such a childish nickname appropriate when referring to one of our senior scientists. Do you?”

“Alright.” Trini said simply. But it wasn’t all right. She didn’t understand this at all. She wasn’t about to divulge her status as a retired Ranger to this woman, which was what she was obviously trying to get her to do. This was all very strange.

“Do you speak any other languages or not?”

“I just don’t see…”

“I don’t see how you think you can waltz in here and assume a position you are not in the least bit qualified for.” The woman hissed, slapping the papers on her clipboard for emphasis. “You have no post graduate education, you have no adult work background, no science background. What, if anything, makes you think you’re entitled to even be in this office speaking to me about a position?”

“I…”

“Excuse me Dr. Franzstien.” A voice called from the doorway. Trini turned and saw a young woman dressed in gray uniform. She was obviously not a woman from Earth. She had the body of a woman, and the facial features of a woman, but her face was also, well it was a little catlike. In fact, two very catlike ears peeked out from her tousled brown hair. She glanced over at Trini, eyes twinkling above her freckled face, and Trini lowered her eyes, a bit embarrassed that she’d been staring.

“I’m occupied Dr. Manx. I’ll be happy to assist you after I have completed this interview.”

“Ah, I see,” Dr. Manx said, “I was just hoping to steal Dr. Cranston’s assistant from you and get her started up in his lab.”

“Dr. Cranston doesn’t have an assistant.” Dr. Franzstien said waspishly. “The last I heard he refused to even consider the idea. All laboratory applicants go through me, not Dr. Cranston.”

“Alright.” Manx said slowly. “I’ll just leave you to your, uh, interview then.”

Dr. Franzstien huffed, but didn’t respond.

As she closed the door to the office Dr. Manx called back, “Hang on, try not to answer too many questions. I’ll be back with help.”

It took Trini a moment to realize that she had spoken to her in Eltaran.

“Thank you.” She responded in the same language. Manx smiled and closed the door.

“What did she just say to you?” Dr. Franzstien demanded.

“She told me the equivalent of hang in there.” Trini said honestly, “I told her thank you.”

“And just what language was that?”

“It was uh…”

“Well?”

When Trini didn’t answer, she took the forms off her clipboard, the forms Trini had spent a good two hours filling out, and fed them through a shredder. “I’m terribly sorry,” She said with more than a little asperity. “This is obviously a huge waste of my time. You are not qualified in any way, shape, or form to even be allowed through the front gate, let alone into an interview room. If Dr. Cranston thinks he can simply bring you in here as a…”

“That is enough!” a harsh voice barked from the doorway. Trini jumped and was astounded to see the voice was Billy’s. Not the Billy she knew, but the cold, menacing shape of a man out for blood. Trini’s hands gripped the sides of her chair as he marched in and shoved away the empty second chair beside her.

“How dare you interfere with my lab again.” Billy growled, slamming his hand down on Dr. Franzstien’s desk.

“How dare you override my authority and attempt to bring in some unknown...person…off the street!” Franzstien shrieked back. “She’s not qualified to have gate access let alone a lab card. If you think for one millisecond I’m going to let you bring in some pretty little no-brain to satisfy your…”

“You have overstepped your bounds for the last time, I’m taking this all the way to the…”

“All laboratory staff go through me!” She hissed. “You have absolutely no authority...”

“You have no authority were my lab is concerned.” Billy countered back.

“I have authority to staff all NASADA labs.” She spit.

“Your authority,” Jason said coldly and far too calmly from the doorway, “Is limited to levels seven and below. Anything related to level eight,” he paused for emphasis, “Is our concern.” He moved forward into the small interview room as he spoke, Tommy close behind him. Trini didn’t know what was going on. All three of her friends were looked absolutely furious. Tommy looked downright deadly. These were not the friends she knew, these were men to be very, very afraid of, yet Dr. Franzstien seemed non-pulsed.

“Are you asking me to believe that this…person, belongs to level eight?”

“She’s one of us.” Tommy affirmed coldly.

“And absolutely none of your concern.” Jason finished.

Somewhere during the conversation, Dr. Manx had slipped back into the room and behind Trini’s chair. She gently put one hand on each of Trini’s arms and pulled her up and out of her chair. She led her out of the room, sighing dramatically as she pulled the door shut. From behind it, Trini could here voices yelling again. Dr. Manx grinned.

“I am so sorry.” She said smiling. “William asked me to be on the lookout for you, and I got busy with a project and...”

“William?” Trini asked.

Dr. Manx nodded, “Dr. Cranston.” She said. “We were hoping to get you past Dr. Frankenstein in there before she even knew you were here. Her spies are everywhere though. “Come on,” she urged Trini forward and to a side elevator.

“This is a lab card,” She said, holding up a plastic identification tag. It looked exactly like the identification tag Dr. Franzstien had, except there was a large numeral eight in the center. “You need to use them to access just about every door or elevator on the NASADA complex. To access the higher levels, the computer will also ask you to verify anything from fingerprints to DNA analysis.” Dr. Manx swiped her card through the lock on the elevator and ushered her inside.

The computer immediately asked her to confirm Trini’s presence and Manx spent a few seconds answering various security codes.

“It’s because you’re not registered yet.” Dr. Manx explained. The computer’s going to do a DNA scan on both of us now. The next time you come through, it will be a lot faster.”

“This is all very confusing.” Trini said.

Dr. Manx gave her a sympathetic look. “I’m sure Frankenstein didn’t make it any easier. It’s not you. She despises anything to do with level eight. She was top dog until we moved in a few years ago.”

“What does the eight mean?” Trini asked as the elevator began descending.

Dr. Manx grinned at her. “Power Rangers.”

Carri was exhausted. She knew she had to get out of bed and go back to Billy’s lab, but she just couldn’t do it. She had an appointment with a real estate agent at seven that evening. Would anyone really notice if she just stayed in bed until then? She rolled over and pulled the covers close. She was nice and warm…and comfortable…and so very tired…

She had been awake all Saturday, all Saturday night, all Sunday, and most of Monday morning. Adrenaline had fueled most of it; that and having a new sense of energy through her morpher. She grinned at the sight of her new communicator on her wrist. Zeo powers were sweet. She was going to love being Zeo Two. The past few days of trying to get everything ready for Rita and Zedd’s next attack had been a whirlwind. It wasn’t just the morphers and zords they had to prepare, they all had to get their personal lives organized as well. Jason didn’t think they’d be at it for more than a few weeks, a month at best, but Rocky said the last time Rita had come to town, she’d stayed years.

Rocky had moved into Jason’s apartment that morning, so she had packed up all of her stuff and Kim’s suitcase out of the second bedroom and moved it into a nearby residence hotel the night before. It was a good, temporary solution until she could find a condo of her own. There were several for sale in Jason’s complex, the market was definitely not as hot as it had been even just a year ago. With Rita and Zedd back, prices were expected to plummet. At least, that was what the realtor had told her.

She told Jason she’d rather buy than rent. She had the money and real estate was a generally good investment. If buyers were eager to sell fast, it was a good time to purchase. She could always rent it later if things turned around and she decided to go elsewhere. Who knew what life was going to bring?

She had finally crawled into her hotel bed around ten-thirty that morning; on Tommy’s orders that she was no good to him as a zombie. She hadn’t protested. It was now just past four in the afternoon. Her alarm clock had long since given up on her. She’d hit the snooze button so many times it wasn’t even trying to wake her up anymore.

He cell phone rang and she groaned, rolling over and fumbling around with her hand on the side table to find it. She brought it close to her eyes and squinted at the caller ID. “Damn,” she said, recognizing her father’s production office. Her written resignation from Boutique Style, her television show, had hit the fan promptly at six AM eastern time. She had spent hours on the phone with her father, who was also the co-producer. She had a three year extension contract waiting for her in New York. He was furious that she refused to get her butt on the next plane and sign it.

She set her phone to vibrate and tossed it on the table. It rebounded off the synthetic wood and dropped to the floor below. A few seconds later it buzzed and vibrated around on the carpet. Carri threw the covers off with a growl and scooped it up. She waited until the call went to message, then opened the phone and shut it off. The only people she wanted to talk to could page her through her communicator.

She tossed the phone back on the table and stretched. As long as she was up, she might as well get showered and dressed.

“As you can see, it’s a bit crowded in here.” Dr. Manx said as she finished her tour of Billy’s laboratory.

“It’s a disaster.” Trini commented. Billy had always been so organized; this was beyond chaos. Dr, Manx grinned at her.

“William won’t let anyone in here except me and I refuse to clean anything. There’s a little robot scurrying around somewhere, he keeps the dust from ruining the electronics, but that’s about it.”

Trini smiled, she liked Dr. Manx, but hearing her call Billy “William” was going to take some getting used to. Billy emerged from the other room then, scowling and muttering under his breath. Tommy was next, looking way too tired, and Jason followed, grinning like a bulldog that’d just eaten a toy poodle. Jason dropped into the oversized chair and pulled the footrest up.

“Well, that was productive.” He said.

Tommy rubbed his eyes and sat down in an empty chair, he was going to have to rest soon, even for just ten minutes. He’d hung around on the chance that Kim would come back today. Now he wondered how quickly he could slip away.

“Billy I’m so sorry.” Trini began.

“Why?” he asked grumpily, he was as tired as the others and having another run-in with Dr. Franzstien was more than he’d wanted to deal with today. “You did absolutely nothing wrong. Matilda overstepped herself again. She knows it and I know it… Countering Kat’s order to refer you directly to us and then intercepting you herself. She’s gone too far. I’m going to demand she be transferred out of here.”

“Kat?” Trini asked.

“Katherine.” Dr. Manx said, indicating herself.

“You go by Kat?”

Dr. Manx grinned at her. “I like it.” She said, tugging one ear. “People don’t have a problem remembering it.”

“Your never gonna get Frankenstein transferred outta here Billy.” Jason said. “We’ve tried…I dunno, a hundred times?”

“I agree,” Tommy added, “She knows way too much. They’ll keep her where she can be relatively managed.”

“Better the enemy I can see…” Dr. Manx said simply.

“Then I’ll leave damnit.” He snapped, throwing a piece of electronics on the counter. It smashed into several pieces. The whole reason he’d left Aquitar was to regain control over his life. If he didn’t have any more control over things here, why the hell was he staying?

“Easy man.” Tommy said “She’s not worth getting worked up over. Trini’s down here with us now and she’s left stewing in the dark.”

Trini had had enough. The stress of the last few days had finally caught up with her. First coming home to find her husband was throwing her out, not knowing what her rights were or where she was going, lost in a foreign country, flying home to her mother, the reunion, Rita and Zedd’s return, meeting with the divorce lawyer, it was all too much. She sat down on a metal stool and for the first time in her life burst into tears in front of a crowd of people.

Billy was by her side in a second “I’m sorry.” He said gently, putting an arm around her and rubbing her back. “I didn’t take into consideration how grueling your experience with Dr. Franzstien must have been.”

Trini could only shake she head as the sobs rocked her. “I’m sorry.” She gulped, hiding her face behind her hands. This was unacceptable; she had to get control over herself.

Jason and Tommy both moved closer in silent support and Kat appeared with a box of tissues. Unfortunately that only made the sobs harder. Billy pried her hands loose from her face and wrapped his arms around her. She clung to him. It wasn’t what he’d expected. Trini was always very reserved and very strong. He couldn’t remember her crying since they were children.

He had known her since she was eight years old, since her family had moved to Angle Grove. She had been the shy child in the neighborhood. The one the kids ignored because she looked and talked differently. Billy had been a geek. They avoided him because he was as socially unacceptable as she was. They’d been lonely little kindred spirits. He had been as grateful for her friendship as she was for his and the friendship had remained solid until high school. Even after she’d become relatively popular, she gently steered him into her circle of friends. Translating for him, making him acceptable. He’d never forget it. He was going to protect her now, just as she had protected him in school years before.

“I’m going to strangle that witch.” Jason growled.

Trini shook her head against Billy’s shoulder. “No,” she said. Taking a shaking breath and forcing herself back under control. “It’s not that. That wasn’t so bad. Confusing, irritating, but not horrible.”

“Then what?” Billy asked “Your meeting this morning?” He had procured an international divorce lawyer for her. He was paying the man a bloody fortune to be an attack dog for her. If something wasn’t right, he wanted to know.

“He was wonderful Billy, thank you. Honestly, thank you for everything. It’s just all catching up with me. Geirge’s attorney had already been in touch Mr. Shills by the time I arrived. He doesn’t think it will take very long, Geirge wants it over as fast as possible.” She stopped, tears overflowing again.

“I’m sorry Trini.” Billy said, hugging her again. He really was. He didn’t want her hurting. Especially over a stupid fool who didn’t deserve her. Trini’s sobs resumed. It was as if the dam had broken and she just couldn’t hold it back anymore.

Jason edged closer and put a hand on her back in support.

“Want me to beat him up?” He asked. Trini laughed in-between sobs. She had known Jason almost as long as she had known Billy, since Jr. High anyway.

“Yes.” She said, clinging to Billy’s shoulder. “I want you to really hurt him, I want him to suffer.” She laughed. She was pretty sure Jason wasn’t serious. It certainly couldn’t hurt to entertain the idea. Hysterical laughter was better than hysterical crying. It felt good.

“Consider it done then.”

“No!” Trini said sitting up. “No. I’m not serious. She can have him, really. I don’t ever want to see him again.” She took a deep shaking breath and let it out. They’d all know soon anyway. The Ranger community was a small one.

“She’s six months pregnant.” She said flatly. “He’s known for months he was going to leave me, and he just kept letting me talk about infertility programs and adoption as if nothing was wrong.”

“I’m sorry.” Tommy offered. He’d never met Trini’s husband. He was in South America on a dig when she’d married. If he ever did see him, he was afraid he’d punch first and ask for id later. Trini had been such a sweet girl; she didn’t deserve this.

“The man’s an asshole.” Jason said, and all in the room agreed with him. “Honestly Trini, I only worked with him on the Youth Peace Council for a few months, but he seriously didn’t deserve you.”

“What’s going on? Kim asked, walking into the lab. All three guys and Kat were huddled around Trini. “Are you ok sweetie?”

Trini nodded and gave a weak smile, “The boys and Dr. Manx are taking good care of me... I had my first meeting with my divorce lawyer this morning.” She explained.

“How about I take you to an early dinner,” Kim offered, “There’s nothing in the world that can’t be cured with a good glass of wine and a little chocolate…at least that’s what my mother keeps insisting.”

“I only just got here.” Trini said. “It’s supposed to be my first day.”

“I insist.” Billy added. “Give me a minute to get your lab card and then Kim can whisk you away.” He stood up, taking her hands in his and pulling her up out of her chair. He waved away her protests.

“I need to sleep some. I have nothing for you to do in the next few hours. Go with Kim and then get a good night’s rest. We’ll start again tomorrow.”

“I’m going to head back to the hotel.” Tommy added. If Kim was going to busy herself with Trini, he might as well go rest. He’d corner her later. “We done here?”

Billy nodded.

“You still at the Grand?” Kim asked.

“No I’m over at the Resident’s place with you and Carri.”

“I’m in a hotel?” Kim asked, looking at Jason. “You kicked me out already?”

“See what happens when you disappear for 12 hours?”

“Everything go ok?” Tommy asked her.

She shrugged. “Elemi wasn’t exactly thrilled, but it worked out.”

“I’ll bet he wasn’t.” Jason laughed. Kim shot him an annoyed look.

“I found a replacement, transferred the power, and now the Zeo crystal seems to like me a little better.”

“Then we’re in business,” Jason said. “All right folks, I’m outta here. If you need me,” He tapped his communicator, “just page.”

“Wait a minute.” Kim said, following him out of the lab, “Did anyone at least leave me a key?”

“But when can we attack the city?” Rita whined.

Teeg closed her eyes and willed herself patience. This Rita was far more difficult than the last two versions combined. It was the material she’d had to work with.

“When I tell you to.” Teeg hissed. “Not a second before. You two are here to keep Kimberly occupied for as long as your incompetent little brains can manage it. I want her frustrated, not crushed.” She paused, drawing herself up to her most imposing height. “I will say this one more time, it is not my wish that you conquer the city. Use excessive force and risk my displeasure.”

“Yes, your highness.” Zedd bowed to her. “We live only to serve you faithfully.”

“But I wanna destroy the city!” Rita whined.

“Shut up you over grown rag doll!” Zedd warned. At least he was intelligent enough to realize Teeg was not a mistress to aggravate. “We will attack when we are told to and not a moment before.”

Teeg nodded her approval regally . She raised her staff and was gone in a burst of light.

“Zedd,” Rita turned to him, “Why won’t you stand up to her?”

“Because I have an ounce of sense in my head.” He snapped. “We’ll do as we’re told until Teeg retreats to her sector of the galaxy. Then, and only then, will we be free to destroy the city… and every Ranger in it.”

“Oh Zedd!” Rita exclaimed hugging his arm and kissing his shoulder loudly several times. “I just love a man who knows his own mind!”

“Get off of me witch!” Zedd yelled, trying in vain to shake her from his arm. This was going to be a very, very long campaign.

“So,” Kim said as she picked up her fork and began to eat her entrée. “Tell me about your morning with Mr. Shills.”

Trini shrugged, toying with her food. “It was draining. The good news is that I’m entitled to compensation. We’ve been married for just over five years. The bad news is that the house belongs to his mother, not him. She inherited it through her aunt and it’ll go to him when she dies. But I really didn’t think the court would give it to me anyways, not with me being a foreign national.”

Kimberly nodded her head. International divorce was a tricky thing. She worried about her mother being in France. He marriage to her stepfather seemed to be a solid one, but still. Kim’s parent’s divorce had been messy. The court had become a battleground, with both kids square in the middle. Her father hadn’t really wanted custody of her. He’d wanted control of the trust fund her grandfather had left her. It was a heartbreak she’d never really recovered from. She understood how disappointed you could be when someone you loved turned on you.

“Anyway,” Trini continued, “Once we file the final papers, it should only take about two weeks.”

“Two weeks? Is that it?”

Trini nodded, “As long as neither of us contest it. Geirge wants it done as quickly as possible. My attorney says that puts me in a good position… Apparently Geirge is furious I hired an attorney.”

“What, you were just supposed to roll over and play nice?”

Trini smiled sadly. “I don’t know what he expected me to do. It’s like I was married to a stranger for five and a half years. I don’t know who he is and he obviously didn’t care who I was…She’s six months pregnant.”

Kim stopped mid bite and looked up. Trini nodded.

“Nice.” Kim said.

“He knew. Kim he knew she was pregnant for more than four months and yet he came home and crawled in bed with me every night. He knew he was going to leave me and he said absolutely nothing.” Trini paused, she wanted so much to open up to someone, but it was so humiliating. “We had sex the night before he kicked me out.” She confessed quietly.

Kim put her fork down and reached out to hold her friend’s hand. “He’s a bastard.” Kim said. “It’s not your fault Trini, it’s him. What decent man does something like that?”

“I thought I was so in love with him, but he’s been out of my life for only two weeks and I don’t even miss him. I actually feel relieved to sleep alone at night.” Trini shook her head. “It’s like my whole life has been one big lie. Looking back, there were so many signs that I just ignored. I was so focused on trying to have a baby the last few years. I was consumed with it. I thought we both were.”

Kim thought privately that Trini’s ex was a little too consumed with the fertility thing, given the circumstances. She’d thought men like that didn’t exist anymore. Maybe she was as blind as Trini. Elemi had never been a faithful lover, but the difference was that he never pretended to be. He was a product of his culture and Kimberly had always known what that meant. It didn’t make him a bad person; he was just someone she couldn’t live with. “Don’t beat yourself up,” She said, “You’re a woman, and a very loving one. We women ignore a lot in the name of love.”

“I had just had an appointment with a fertility specialist the day before. He told us my sonogram and test results indicated I would probably never naturally conceive. I think that’s why Geirge acted when he did. He wanted her baby to be born with his name since he might not get one with me.”

“At least you’re done with him.” Kim said firmly, “You can get on with your life now.”

Trini nodded, but didn’t say anything for a while. Her friends had made it so easy for her. She would have been completely lost if she hadn’t gone to the reunion. She would have shut herself in her parent’s house and never emerged.

They had all been there for her, even more than her own family. Billy had done the most. He’d gone out of his way to reassure her. He’d given her a job, insurance, paid for her lawyer, loaned her the money for a small car. Everything had seemed to fall into place this morning, but now she was scared again.

“I’m not sure how done with him I am.” Trini said quietly.

“What do you mean?”

“Dr. Manx gave me a physical this afternoon as part of my security clearance.”

Kim nodded, “That’s standard. The medical technology on base is far more advanced than anything they have on the outside. It’s a good thing.”

“The test results came back just before we left for dinner.”

Kim’s stomach sank like she’d swallowed a heavy weight. “And?” She asked.

“I’m pregnant.” Trini said, stunned. Then she burst into tears.

Carri let herself into Jason’s apartment just after nine in the evening. It had been a fairly productive day. There were five units available in Jason’s complex and all five owners were eager to sell before Rita destroyed something and sent prices plummeting. In the end, she’d written a contract on the end unit, down the sidewalk from Jason’s. It was a two story, and way bigger than she needed, but it had the best view and it was the closest to Jase.

As she walked in, the two guys were watching some inane program on television. She made a detour into the kitchen and grabbed a soda in the refrigerator.

“You find one?” Jason called, referring to the condos she had toured.

“I made a ridiculously low offer, we’ll have to see what they counter with.”

“Carri, in California you up bid. You don’t lowball.”

“The real estate agent says sellers are panicking with Rita and Zedd back. They’re afraid home prices are going to plummet like the last time…Oh my God,” Carri said, stepping into the family room and getting a good look at Rocky’s face. “Did I miss an attack?”

Jason snorted. “Not unless you count friendly fire.”

“I’m not sure how friendly it was.” Rocky muttered.

“What’s going on? Are you ok?”

“I’m fine, Rocky said. I just had a little run in with a very tiny leather purse.”

“What?” Carri asked. Rocky’s nose was bandaged in some sort of splint. It looked kind of like the plastic one the doctors give you after surgery, but on close inspection, it had tiny little fiber optic lights twinkling all over it. His right index finger was also bandaged with a similar contraption.

Jason sorted again. “His girlfriend didn’t take it so well when he broke up with her this afternoon.”

“What?” Carri asked again, turning to look at Rocky. “I thought… well, I mean Kat said…I thought you two were really serious.”

Rocky shrugged uncomfortably.

“She was serious about beating the shit out of him.” Jason laughed.

“Oh come on, Jason. She’s a girl, she was upset, I’m not gonna fight her.”

“No, you just stood by and let her take you down. What belt are you again?”

“Hey, Carri interrupted. “Be nice.” She told Jason. “He’s your roommate.”

“Whatever.” Jason said. This was going to be interesting. He knew Carri was interested in Rocky and he also suspected the interest was more than mutual. Depending on how long this new team was together, things should prove fairly amusing for a while.

“What’s that on your nose?” Carri asked.

“Bone knitter.” Rocky answered. “Billy hooked me up a few hours ago, by morning I should be fine. I won’t even have a bruise.”

“She broke your nose?”

“Yeah.” Jason laughed. “Who needs Rita? You better hope that old hag isn’t recruiting new henchmen.”

Carri was stunned, and surprisingly more than a little panicked. She and Jason had just decided the night before to end their “relationship” and move on. Now Rocky, the guy that had made her realize she needed to get out in the world and find a real relationship, was single? It was either too good to be true, or Jason had set her up.

“Did you know about this?” she asked.

“What?” Jason asked innocently, “Bone knitters? I use ‘em all the time.”

“No you idiot, about Rocky breaking up with Marie?”

“Hello,” Rocky said, “Person you’re talking about sitting right here.”

Carri nodded at him and then turned a questioning eye back on Jason. The rat had the audacity to grin at her.

“Yeah,” Jason said sarcastically, “Guys sit around all day and talk about their relationships.”

“Actually, I did ask his advice when we were packing up my stuff last night.” Rocky admitted. “Why?”

Carri gave a short, exasperated breath and starred accusingly at Jason.

“No reason.” She said, a blush climbing into her cheeks. Jason grinned. The doorbell rang and Carri turned to answer it.

“No, that’s ok.” Jason said, hopping up and grabbing his jacket, but Carri had already opened the door.

“Who are you?” The surprised blond on the other side of the door asked.

“Rachel this is Carri, Car this is Rachel.” Jason said in a rush, grabbing the keys to his Harley and two helmets off the table. He stopped to kiss Carri loudly on the cheek as he scooted past her out the door.

“You’re leaving? Why’d you insist I come over here then?”

Jason grinned at her. “Don’t wait up.” He said.

“Is that your sister?” The blond asked as he stepped out the door.

“Something like that.”

“What the hell just happened?” Rocky asked, walking into the front hallway. It looked to him like Jason had just skipped out the door for a date with another woman and Carri was just left standing there with her mouth open. Carri turned toward him and crossed her arms in front of her.

“We’ve just been set up.” She answered.

Kim returned the hotel just after ten in the evening. Jason had given her the key card that Carri had left with him and she sat down on a nearby bench to dig it out of her purse. She and Trini had talked for hours. She was scared, but absolutely determined to keep her baby. Trini had been trying for years to get pregnant. She wanted a baby more than anything in the world. She viewed this development as a miracle; just a poorly timed one.

There was a reason there were so few female Power Rangers in the human galaxies. Zordon’s original coins had the side effect of practically sterilizing females. It was a security measure. An ancient form of birth control, which insured a female warrior wouldn’t put an unborn child in harm’s way. The side effects generally wore off after a few years without a morpher, but years were a relative commodity and humans on Earth aged much faster than they did on other planets.

Both Kim and Trini, who had possessed original coins, would always have problems conceiving. They didn’t have thirty or forty years to recalibrate. Well, Kim mused, she might. Trini had left so early in the campaign against Rita, she hadn’t had the opportunity or the access to the medical knowledge Kim had. She hadn’t understood why she only ovulated one or two times a year, Kim did. For both of them, getting pregnant without assistance was next to impossible, not that it hadn’t been known to happen.

The sound of the waves lapping against the lake beach drifted her way and she dropped the key back in her purse and removed her shoes. She needed to clear her mind. It wasn’t talk of babies that disturbed her. It was that Trini so desperately wanted it. Kimberly was twenty-eight years old, the exact same age as Trini, shouldn’t she want the same thing? She really didn’t know.

Twenty-eight was hardly ancient by any standards, especially since Dulcea and Lerigot both estimated her Muirantian life cycle somewhere between eight and ten thousand Earth years. It was more of a realization that her peers were growing up. Kim didn’t feel grown up. She wasn’t a child, but was she mature enough to have her own child? When did you know you were done growing? Childhood through young adulthood seemed to blend together, there was no clear line between where one had ended and the other began. Was that how all life’s transitions would be? Would she always simply look back after the fact and realize that she had passed through another phase of life and never realized it?

Most of her friends were now married and having babies or even done having kids. She was starting hear a lot of jokes about being and old maid. It was completely and totally ridiculous, but on the other hand…

Marriage to Elemi had been completely out of the question. It never occurred to her to stay married to him. But did she want to be married? At one time that was all she ever dreamed about. The fact that many of her married friends were now divorced or divorcing was testament in itself that happy ever after wasn’t always a reality. But the thought still enchanted her. It was the fairytale aspect, the last little cling to childhood.

As a teen, she had dreamt of growing up and marrying Tommy; she’d even had their children named. Now, as an adult, that seemed incredibly silly. The real life man was very different than the boy yet, try as she might, she just couldn’t imagine herself married with children with anyone else she’d met. Perhaps it might be nice…one day...if she could meet someone who loved her enough to overlook what she was…and who she could love back. Again, her thoughts drifted back to Elemi and she shoved them aside. Her heart ached painfully, but it wasn’t for her ex-husband. It was for the innocence of a love lost a long time ago that could never again be recovered. That all consuming kind of love that had eluded her in her adulthood.

She stepped out into the water and let the waves wash over her ankles. Here she was, in Angle Grove again. She was back as a Ranger with Tommy, Billy, Jason and Rocky. She didn’t feel any older. Yet for all the similarities, it wasn’t the same. They were different people than they had been ten years ago. The town was the same, the villain was the same, even the powers were pretty much the same, but the Rangers behind the uniforms weren’t. It was like she’d been thrust into an alternate universe.

Trini’s biggest problem ten years ago had been that she was too shy to date. Now she was getting a divorce and contemplating raising a child on her own. Kim’s biggest problem back then had been her parent’s divorce and hiding the fact she was having sex from her mother. Now her responsibilities were so awesome they were mind-boggling. Yet here she was, playing pink Ranger again against Rita. It was a contradiction; the same, yet different. It was de ja vu. The feeling that she’d been here before, yet the differences begged to the contrary.

Up the beach a ways, she caught sight of a figure sitting on the sandy beach, silhouetted against the moonlight. She grinned, knowing it was Tommy without really being able to see him. She picked up her pace and veered in his direction. He’d seen her, and wasn’t surprised when she dropped down beside him.

“And I thought I was the only insomniac.” She said playfully.

He shrugged. He didn’t sleep much anymore. A few hours here and there during the down times, never more than five or ten minute catnaps during the rush hours. His body simply didn’t need it anymore. He’d returned to the hotel, fallen asleep almost immediately, only to wake up three hours later completely refreshed.

“Sleep wastes a lot of planning time.” He said, tossing a pile of stones out into the waves one by one. They skipped out over the water in little hops.

Kimberly nodded. She understood. As a teenager, her body demanded twelve to fourteen hours at a stretch. Now, it seemed she was lucky to sleep five hours straight without waking up. Part of it was her powers, her metabolism was different and her body more efficient. Part of it was just growing up. Maybe she was more of an adult than she thought.

“You think the team is ready?” She asked.

Tommy shrugged. “This is Rita and Zedd.” He replied. “Been there, done that. The question is, how much better equipped are they? Are they more powerful than before? Less powerful than before? Do we break the rules and go on the offensive and get this thing over and done with or do we fight the good the fight?”

“Never escalate a fight unless forced to.” Kim said, repeating the oath they had both taken.

Tommy nodded and threw another rock forcefully across the water. “I want to get on with this.” He muttered, a slight edge creeping into his voice. Waiting was the hardest.

“Teeg will see them well armored.” Kim said, recognizing the frustration in his voice.

“You want to decide to confide in me?” He asked.

“What I can.”

“That’s a comfort.” He said sarcastically, throwing another rock from his pile.

Kimberly watched it skip across the water. It wasn’t that simple. It wasn’t a matter of just letting him in. There were so many secrets. Secrets about secrets. Secrets that weren’t even hers to share.

“Tommy, there’s so much I’m involved with, it’s...” She stopped, searching for a way to explain. “I wouldn’t even know where to begin. I don’t know what I can explain, leave out, or might even forget to mention.”

“I don’t need to know everything,” He said, “I just need to know what I’m up against here. I need you to trust me. I don’t need you lying to me.”

“I never lied to you.”

“You didn’t tell the truth. You did a stupid play on words…at the moment, what the hell was that all about?”

“You want me to open up to a room full of people, who definitely don’t need to be involved in this, that I’m back as a morphing Ranger? You want me to put them in danger for no reason?”

“They’re already in danger.” He countered. “We’ve had to reorganize. Why? Because apparently someone doesn’t want you messing around with something. What? I dunno because you won’t tell me.”

“They weren’t in danger at that moment in time.” She said defensively.

He let out and exasperated sigh. She was right, but he wasn’t going to let the argument die. “You have got to trust me.” He said again.

“What do you want to know?” she asked.

“For a start, why are the Nova’s after the coins?”

She shifted on the sand, bringing her knees up and wrapping her arms around them.

“The coins were made from a magic key that Zordon used to lock away a very bad inter-dimensional being named Demonking. Bad is an understatement. Think Zordon’s doppelganger. Zordon melted the key down and created six coins. If his forces find the coins, they can re-mold the key and let him loose.”

“Nice, Tommy said. “So the Nova’s are out to stop this Teeg and her cronies from collecting the coins?”

Kim nodded. “Basically,” She said.

“Why does Teeg want to keep you here on Earth away from the Nova’s?”

“That’s a bit more complicated.” She answered truthfully. “Can I just promise to tell you later after I think about how I want to answer?”

“Kim...” Tommy groaned.

“No, I’m serious. That answer involves the confidences of everyone from Zordon, to Dulcea, to Lerigot. It basically has to do with my Muirantian powers. How I was able to tell Zordon survived the shattering of his energy tube.”

“You honestly believe that?” Tommy asked. He, more than anyone else, wanted to believe those rumors, but they were nothing more than legend. He’d spent years investigating them and come up with nothing. They were no more than a final chapter in Zordon’s legacy. “It just wasn’t possible Kim. It’s wishful thinking, a fairy tale ending for the story tellers and an ominous warning to the other side that good can’t be defeated.”

“To those who possess the Great Power, all things are possible.” She said firmly.

“Can we just agree to disagree on that one?” Tommy asked.

She nodded. “What else do you want to know?”

“I want to know why you’re so evasive about being a red Ninjetti Ranger, and, from what Jason says, a red morphing Ranger at one time.”

Kim smiled, that one was much easier to answer. “There aren’t many female Rangers.” She said, choosing her words carefully. “Most Ranger teams believe female Rangers are legends. Those that accept them as fact believe that female Rangers are the softer sex.”

“That’s not the case on Earth.” Tommy said.

“No, Earth has had some strong pinks, but the rest of the galaxy doesn’t believe it. Pinks have a horrible reputation of being silly, prissy, and selfish.” Sort of like she was when she first started, Kim thought wryly. “Not everywhere, but on most worlds the running joke is that there is only one reason to have a pink Ranger… to keep the red Ranger happy.”

Tommy grinned, he’d heard of that. At her frown, he erased his smile. “I’ve heard the saying, and worse,” he admitted, “but that doesn’t explain why you won’t claim red status.”

“Because if I claim red status,” she said, “It would erase all the work I’ve done as a pink. My accomplishments wouldn’t be a credit to the pink uniform; everyone will assume I was always a red. It will be as if my tenure in pink never existed. Everything I accomplish will be attributed to the red uniform.”

“I suppose I understand your reasoning.” He said. “It seems like you’re mincing words though.”

“No,” she shook her head firmly. “The Nova’s had never worked with a female Ranger before. Most of them are Rangers from other teams and still they had never worked with a female. There are female commanders, female leaders, but no female Rangers. Even the yellows are male.” She stopped for a second, thinking.

“The Nova’s now believe that pink is just a female shade of red. Pink isn’t a color to snicker at, it’s a command color. I had equal rank with Elemi; we led together. My successor isn’t in a position to command, she’s way too young, but you can bet Elemi’s going to train her to. That’s an opportunity she would never have had before me.”

Kimberly paused, looking directly at him in the dim light. This was important to her and she wanted to make sure he understood. “When those Rangers grow up and leave the Novas, most will retire. But some will stay and train new Rangers. When those teams emerge, pink will be trained to lead.”

“So you consider yourself the Susan B. Anthony of the Ranger world huh?”

“That’s not funny.”

“I’m sorry. I understand what you’re trying to do. I agree, the girls don’t get much of a chance to take the lead, and most are very capable Rangers. I just don’t know if it’ll make the difference you think it will.”

“Dimetria and Dulcea agree with me.” She said defensively.

“I can see that they would.” He said. He hoped she was right, but silently he thought she was more likely to be written into the Ranger histories as a phenomenon instead of the norm. There was a reason there hadn’t been a pink Ranger on his last team.

They were silent for a long time after that. Both lost in their own thoughts. The water continued to roll in waves to the sandy beach and the moon above had begun to slowly wane.

“Do you know where we’re sitting?” Tommy asked quietly, still skipping rocks out into the water. Kim looked around. The public beach where they had gathered as kids in the summer was a little way up the beach to her right. To her left was row after row of condos and hotels.

“The public beach is down there,” she said, pointing. “But all this up here,” she turned and pointed the other way, “This is all new.”

Tommy nodded. “Right about here were the woods we’d sneak off to.”

Kim snorted, she couldn’t help herself. The snort turned into a giggle. “I remember.” She said, grinning. He grinned back. They had spent many moonlit hours sneaking around those woods. Woods that were now long gone.

“Rather fitting it’s a hotel now.” She said dryly and he chuckled, sharing her memories.

“You ever sneak out here with anybody else?” She asked. She hadn’t meant specifically with Katherine, but she was his only other high school girlfriend.

“No.” he said honestly. “This place always reminded me of you. It never felt right.” It was true, but what he didn’t add was that Katherine had been appalled by the idea and flatly refused to sneak out with him anywhere.

She nodded. Her outdoor adventures had ended with him as well.

“Up there,” she said, indicating the public beach, “looks just the same. But if you turn around, it’s all grown up and different.”

“Kind of like us.” He said, and threw another rock out into the water.

Inside the fully restored Lunar Palace, Zedd leaned contentedly back on his throne.

“Tomorrow?” Rita asked hopefully.

“Sunrise.” Zedd affirmed.

“Which monster do we choose first? It should be a good one to mark the occasion.” “Prepare to send the Alligrater.”

“Oh goodie!” Rita squealed. She danced and skipped around the throne room. “Sleep well Rangers! Tonight just might be your last chance for a while!” She cackled gleefully and Zedd placed both hands across his ears.

“Will you stop that racket! He yelled.

Teeg watched Rita and Zedd from her viewing globe with a vague hint of disgust. Those two would need management. She had no intention of doing it herself, she simply needed to think of the right creature. She needed someone bright enough not to interfere, but dumb enough to follow orders without question. She cursed, shutting off the globe.

All she needed was to keep Kimberly occupied for a few months. Just long enough to trace down the remaining coins and keys. The two coins below intrigued her, but something held her from taking action, it was simply too easy. She would wait. Once she had all the locations mapped, she would begin the process of collection.

Rangers, on the whole, didn’t bother Teeg. The power knew she’d killed enough of them in her tenure. However Kimberly and the Novas were annoying, like a little fleabite that wouldn’t go away. She was tired of them.

Teeg wasn’t lazy by any means, but she resented having to race through a job. Kimberly made her feel as though she had to hurry and Teeg would allow no one to rush her.

She allowed herself the luxury of a frown. Kimberly would not be an easy force to destroy. Even though she was a child, like it or not, she was also a developing sorceress; one with Dulcea’s fingerprints all over her. Dulcea must be as ancient by now as she herself was. No, to destroy Kimberly would show poor strategy on her part. It would serve nothing except to rile the other guardians. She would save that battle for when her own forces were stronger.

No, she would keep the little brat contained here. With any luck, the little Novas would be lost without her, or at least weakened.

She turned her mind back to the pair of villains she had so recently appointed. Rita was an idiot, even by the lowest possible standards. Zedd would need to be watched. He was intelligent, angry, and blood thirsty. The minute she retreated, he would ignore her orders and beg forgiveness later.

She slowly brought her gaze back to the ship’s main screen and the Earth pictured below. Who to bring here? For such a small project, it was becoming quite complicated.

The End

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