Disclaimer: This is chronologically the first fanfic in my "Love Is" series, and quite fittingly it describes the first time Kimberly saw Tommy. The Song "When I Saw You" is from... Mariah Carey! I know you're surprised to hear that :)
"Welcome, Ladies and Gentlemen, to the Angel Grove Martial Arts Expo!" the announcer declared, his voice drowning out the various sounds of grunting and swinging that accompanied the warming up exercises of dozens of teenagers. This annual martial arts event, this year taking place in Ernie's Gym and Juice Bar, always attracted a rather large crowd of excited onlookers, anxious to see some of the finest martial artists in southern California. Angel Grove, and the rest of the county, has always been into martial arts. Each region has their favorite sport, and the collection of fighting styles that go under the umbrella of martial arts is studied by a good percentage of the student populace. However one young woman who was in attendance never cared much for martial arts. She never denied its importance, since her martial arts training is what kept her alive as the Pink Ranger. However, she never thought of it as an art form, like gymnastics, for example. It served its purpose, but there wasn't any excitement to be had in watching a competition. In fact, she is only in attendance to lend moral support to a good friend of hers, Jason Lee, who is the defending champion. Not that he needs it. He hasn't lost a match in three years.
"Alright, Jase, remember," said Zack Taylor, massauging Jason's shoulder to warm up the muscle, "Think positive, and concentrate on your moves."
"Yeah, and focus your mind as well as your body," Trini Kwan added, glancing up at her friend. Kimberly sighed, taking a sip of the water bottle she was carrying. She was sure that, just like every other time, Jason would defeat his opponent easily. Probably without even breaking a sweat. And he'd win another trophy to add to his collection at home. Nothing special is going to happen this day.
"Thanks guys," Jason said, his dark brown eyes focused on something across the gym, "but it looks like I'm going to need all the help I can get."
All five friends followed Jason's gaze, and saw a young, lean man, with dark curly hair just reaching the base of his neck. He was deeply involved in some warm-up kata, his limber legs whipping through the air as if gravity had no hold on him.
All the rangers were deeply impressed by this stranger's grace and agility, but with Kimberly, the impression was something different. She duly noted his incredible speed and grace-- he looked more like a gymnast than a fighter. But she also was hypnotized by his face. It was clearly a handsome face, and it was so concentrated in the task at hand. He didn't look like a fighter. He gave martial arts an entirely different interpretation, as far as Kim was concerned. She found she couldn't take her eyes off him.
Soft heavenly eyes gazed into me
Transcending space and time
And I was rendered still
There were no words for me to find at all
As I stood there beside myself
I could see you and no one else...
"Man," Zack commented, "that dude is pumped!"
Billy Mitchell nodded in agreement.
"Who is he?" Zack inquired, turning to the cluster of friends.
"I don't know," Trini said, her hands on her hips, "Probably some new kid at school."
Kimberly didn't hear a word her friends said. Her entire attention was focused on this amazing athlete, his muscles pumping in a practiced pattern, unaware of the scrutiny he was under. He then stopped for a moment, and stretched his body in preparation for the match. His glance surveyed the whole room, and Kimberly, who watched from a distance, could amazingly see his eyes. His dark hazel eyes, powerful and paradoxically gentle. Also, a grin seemed to creep on his face as he looked in her direction. Kim felt her heart skip as she gazed at him. It was if his eyes-- those incredibly, brilliant eyes-- were looking directly at her. She was mesmerized.
"He's really cute," Kim commented absently. She then realized she said it out loud, and a gentle blush rose on her cheeks when she saw her friends bewildered expressions.
"Coming up next, a karate competition featuring Angel Grove's finest, and a new challenger!" the announcer bellowed. Trini, Zack, and Billy returned their attention to Jason, offering more advice and support. But Kimberly's gaze once again fell upon this new challenger. Her curiousity was piqued.
When I saw you
When I saw you
I could not breathe, I fell so deep
When I saw you
When I saw you
I'd never be, I'd never be the same...
On the center mat was the final competition of the afternoon. Two incredibly skilled martial artists, one in red and one dressed in green, continued to dodge and attack. Everyone in attendance focused their attention to this incredible display of skill. It was the first time in three years that the reigning champion had ever fought against someone who appeared just as good as himself. Or perhaps better.
The challenger's attack of choice was the tornado kick, and he was indeed good at it. He had a vertical jump that would make Michael Jordon nervous, with his kicking leg easily reaching eight feet at its apex. The challenger used this powerful attack in a series, driving Jason backwards. Jason managed to find a hole in the challenger's mind-boggling offense, and delivered a punch, sending him to the ground. But the challenger rose to his feet, a spark in his hazel eyes.
Kimberly was studying the challenger as if he were under a microscope. She was probably the only one to notice the spark in his hazel eyes. It depicted admiration,and enjoyment.
He's probably as excited about meeting someone of his caliber as Jason is, she thought, watching the two continue with their competition. Then the handsome one in green managed to get Jason on his back twice in a row. Kimberly couldn't help but feel impressed, although she noticed her friends cringe at Jason's likely defeat. Kim found she didn't really care who won this battle. She wanted it to last as long as possible, so she would have an excuse for watching the young man so closely.
Only once in a lifetime love rushes in
Changing you with the tide
And dawn's ribbon of light
Bursts through the dark
Wakening you inside
And I thought it was all untrue
Until there, all at once, I knew
His dark curls bounced madly as he flipped and dodged and ducked. Sweat moistened his tan skin, making him seem to shine in the relatively dim light of the Youth Center. His face was simply perfect-- lean cheeks, noble jaw and chin, delicate nose, and brilliant eyes. His eyes were easily the feature that drew Kim's attention more than any other. They pulled her in like a moth to a flame, like a ship to a whirlpool, or iron to a magnet.
Kim's eyes didn't waver from him through most of the fight. The overwhelming onslaught of emotions startled her, leaving her almost motionless. She bit her lower lip and winced slightly as she saw him hit the mat significantly hard. But he recovered quickly, and leapt to his feet with boundless energy.
"Come on, Jason!" Zack yelled, his voice cutting through Kim's reverie, "Time's running out!"
Kim glanced up, and sure enough, only four seconds remained in this fighter's ballet. Jason was down by one point, for once placing the weight of losing on Jason's shoulders. The referee stepped back, and allowed the two fighters to continue.
The challenger moved in quickly with his powerful high kick, which Jason expertly dodged. He managed to catch the challenger off guard, an delivered a kick to the stomach, which knocked him to the ground and left him vulnerable to another strike to his abdomen. He rose to his feet quickly, hoping to score one more point to gain victory. But the final seconds winded down, leaving the match at a draw.
The voice of the referee was all but drowned in the uproarious applause of the audience. Everyone had thoroughly enjoyed the competition, including Kimberly. Although, she enjoyed the fight for entirely different reasons, as she realized when she went through the motions of applause mechanically, her eyes still fixed on the mysterious fighter who managed to tie Jason.
When I saw you
When I saw you
I could not breathe, I fell so deep
When I saw you
When I saw you
I'd never be, I'd never be the same...
"Good match, Man," Jason said truthfully, clasping his opponent's hand in a warm shake, "You really had me going."
"Yeah," he responded, his determined expression replaced by a warm smile, "Same here."
"I'll see you around," Jason said, waving as the two seasoned warriors stepped off the mat in opposite directions. Jason walked back to his crowd of friends, his smile giving way to a disappointed frown.
"That was great!" Trini congratulated, as Billy tossed a towel on his friend's shoulder.
"You were awesome, Jason," Zack added, high-fiving him.
Kimberly pulled her attention away from across the room, and smiled at her long time friend, handing him the drink bottle she was carrying. Jason accepted it, and took a long sip.
"Thanks," Jason said, shaking his head, "but I didn't win."
"Come on, Jason," Trini said, throwing her arm around Jason's shoulder, "In karate, its the dignity and spirit with which you compete that's most important."
"I know," Jason replied with a slight sigh, "I'm going to catch a quick shower, and I'll meet you guys at the Juice Bar?"
Trini, Zack, and Billy all agreed, and went up the steps to the counter as Jason walked to the locker room. Kimberly nodded her head, and returned her gaze across the room. She watched as the stranger dried the sweat off his face with a towel, and humbly accepted the congratulations given him by other competitors. She grinned to herself, a warm feeling overcoming her entire body, as she saw him smile with satisfaction. Even from that distance, Kim could tell that he enjoyed the fight, even though he didn't come out the winner. He was the kind who liked the challenge of the fight more than the victory itself. And as she gazed at him, once again he turned in her direction, his eye locking with hers for a moment. She suddenly felt embarassed, and covered herself by mouthing "Congratulations". He smiled again, and waved his thanks to her. She then turned away, her cheeks turning slightly pink. But she couldn't rejoin her friends by the Juice Bar. Instead, she stole another quick glance, and saw that he was once again inundated by curious spectators, asking about his training and where he was from. The grin crept onto her face yet again.
With no beginning
And without an end
You're the one for me
Its evident
And your eyes told me so
Your eyes let me know...
Trini rose from her seat at the Juice Bar, and looked back. Somewhere along the short walk from the gym to the bar, the group lost the Pink Ranger. Trini returned to the lower level, and chuckled slightly as she saw her best friend. Kim's back was turned, and her attention was obviously focused on something across the room. From her vantage point, Trini followed Kim's gaze, and her own deep brown eyes studied the young man. She shook her head with amusement, and strolled beside Kimberly, who was still in another world.
"Kim, are you coming?" Trini called, coming to a stop beside Kim. She grinned again when Kimberly didn't answer.
"He's gorgeous, isn't he?" Trini commented in a low tone, gripping Kim's shoulder. Kim blinked, the rosy blush on her cheeks returning.
Kim smiled with embarassment, returning her gaze to him. "Yeah, you can say that again."
"Well, maybe you'll catch him at school tomorrow," Trini said, gently guiding Kim to the Juice Bar.
Kim nodded. "Yeah."
As the two girls went to join their friends, Trini couldn't help but notice Kim's dreamy expression. True, Kimberly had always kept her eyes open for a cute guy, but this was much different from any previous occasion. This wasn't some little crush that'll blow over. The young man had monopolized Kim's undivided attention through the fight, and perhaps more. Trini noted the astounding difference in Kim, and was convinced that this simple martial arts competition had drastically altered Kim's outlook. Kimberly Hart would never be the same again.
When I saw you
When I saw you
I could not breathe, I fell so deep
When I saw you
When I saw you
I'd never be, I'd never be the same...
The End
