The End... for now
Zordon and Alpha were watching, as the Lantern Rangers were forced into giving Goldar their power rings. “Alpha, teleport them here,” Zordon said.
“Right, Zordon,” Alpha said, “Oh, ay yi yi.” He typed the commands into the computer, and the Rangers appeared in the Command Center just a few seconds later, looking down.
“We let Goldar trick us, Zordon,” Jason said.
“I know, Jason,” Zordon said, “I was watching.”
“I’m sorry, Zordon,” Trini said, “You gave us the choice, and we blew it.”
“Yeah,” Zack said, “I mean, we actually thought that Goldar was going to give us our parents back. How stupid could we be?”
“Exactly,” Billy said. Kim was quiet through all of this.
“I would have done the same in your place,” Zordon said, “You have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of.” He then noticed the usually talkative Kimberly being extra quiet. “Kimberly, is there anything wrong?”
“Huh? Oh, no,” Kim said. The looks the others gave her told her that they didn’t believe that for a second. “All right, I was think about Tommy, and how he lost his powers. I’ve always wondered how bad it would be to lose my powers, and now I know.” Trini put a hand on her shoulder.
“This isn’t the same as Tommy’s loss of power,” Zordon said, “He would have died if he had kept using the powers for very long, and still lost a good portion of his life energy helping you.”
“Yeah, but it is the same,” Kim said. All of a sudden, she stepped away and hit her teleportation button. She left in her usual flash of pink light.
“I’ll go after her,” Trini said.
“No, I think she needs to be alone for a while,” Jason said. Trini conceded his point.
“Rangers, we will get your rings back,” Zordon said, “Don’t worry about that. Go on home, while Alpha and I figure out some way to get them back.” Nodding, Trini, Billy, Jason, and Zack teleported out.
Instead of teleporting home, Kim teleported to the lake. She sat down on the shoreline, and started crying.
Tommy had gotten home from visiting his grandparents when Jason came running up. “Hey, Jase,” he said, “What’s up?”
“Have you seen Kim?” Jason asked.
“No, not since she teleported away earlier, to help you guys beat whatever monster it was,” Tommy replied, “Why?”
Jason sighed, and then proceeded to tell Tommy all about what had happened during the fight.
“Oh, man,” Tommy said, “Now what are you guys going to do?”
“I don’t know, bro,” Jason said, shrugging. “Zordon said that he’ll figure something out, and get back to us. Kim had already left by then, and I wanted to tell her what he said. Where do you think she might be.”
“Well, off hand, I’d say the park,” Tommy said, “Look, I was about to go walking there. You look like you could use some rest, so why don’t I go and find her and relay the message, while you head on home?”
“Is that okay with you?” Jason asked. Tommy nodded. “Thanks, bro. I guess I’ll see you later.”
“See you later,” Tommy said. Jason left. Tommy went into the house. “Hey, mom, I’m going to go walking in the park.”
“All right,” his mom replied, “Don’t be out late.”
“I won’t,” Tommy said, as he closed the door. He was halfway down the driveway when his mom opened to door.
“Tommy?”
“Yeah?”
“Would you mind taking Josh with you? It’s your day to watch him, anyway,” she said.
“Sure mom,” Tommy said. He sprinted back up the driveway, where his mom had the baby carrier waiting. He strapped it on like he would a backpack, and his mom put Josh in the back. “Well, see you later, mom.” She nodded and he started back down the driveway.
When he got to the park, it didn’t take him very long to find Kim. She looked to be asleep, with her head down on her knees. “Sh,” Tommy said to Josh, as he crept up behind Kim, intending to scare her for a prank. When he got close enough to see her face, he didn’t have the heart to go through with it. “She looks too peaceful lying there, I just couldn’t.” Instead, he sat down beside her.
A few minutes later, Kim’s eyes fluttered open. “Good morning, Sleeping Beauty,” Tommy teased. At the sight of him, Kim turned her head away, tears springing to her eyes again. “Kim, what’s wrong?”
“It must have been so hard for you,” she whispered, not turning back to face him. Frustrated, Tommy moved her to where she was in his lap, and gently pulled her face around to look at him.
“What was so hard on me?” he asked.
“The power loss,” Kim said, “How could you stand it? The hurting.”
“Because you were there with me the whole way,” Tommy said, “You seemed to never want to move from my side. It made it all worthwhile.” Kim smiled at that. “Look, I know what happened. Jason told me. We’ll get your rings back, Kimmie. I promise you that.”
“We?”
“Yes we,” Tommy said, “All of us, the old team. You don’t think I’d let the five of you go alone without power, do you?”
“No,” Kim said, “But I don’t want you to get hurt. I mean, you already have a shortened expected lifespan. I don’t want anything else bad to happen to you.”
“Kim, it’s my choice,” Tommy said, “I wouldn’t let you go on what may be a kamikaze mission without me, even if the others are going. There’s just no way.”
“Tommy, that’s sweet,” Kim said, “We’ll see.” Then, she noticed Josh in the baby carrier. She gently plucked him out of it. “Hey, there.” Josh cooed at her. She smiled and gave a heart felt sigh. “Tommy, do you want to have kids someday?”
The question took Tommy by surprise. “Yeah, I guess I do,” he said, “By you?”
“Of course,” Kim said, “I would be honored to, one day, have your children, to be your wife.”
“When, exactly?” Tommy asked, “After we graduate? After college? During college?”
Kim shrugged. “After graduation, I guess,” she said, “It’s just next year, after all.” Tommy leaned over to kiss her, when her communicator when off. They both let out frustrated sighs. Kim brought her communicator to her lips. “We read you, Zordon. What’s up?”
“We?”
“Tommy’s here with me,” Kim explained, “So, what’s up?”
“Rita has gone on the offensive,” Zordon said, “Teleport to the Command Center immediately, and we’ll make battle plans.”
“Be right there, Zordon,” Kim said, breaking the connection.
“Let’s go,” Tommy said, hopping up. He offered her his hand to help get her up on her feet. Kim took it. When he gently hauled her up, Tommy took his hand out of hers and put it on her shoulder. She then teleported them to the Command Center.
The other Rangers got a surprise when Tommy teleported in with Kim. “Tommy,” Jason said, “What are you doing here, bro?”
“You don’t think I’d sit on the sidelines too long, did you?” Tommy asked, “I want to help, in any way I can.”
“Rita has sent down putties to terrorize the citizens,” Zordon said, “You will have to break up into three teams, so I’m glad Tommy could join us. Kim, you and Tommy will be one team, Billy and Trini another team, and Jason and Zack will make up the final team.”
“We’re gone,” Jason said. They hit the teleportation button on their communicators, and disappeared.
Tommy and Kim found themselves in their usual dark corner in the Youth Center. Putties were running rampant. Ernie, surprisingly, had a baseball bat, and was swinging it at the Putties, though they easily side stepped the portly man.
“Hang on, Ernie,” Kim called out, as they jumped onto the battle field.
“Yeah, the cavalry’s here,” Tommy said, kicking a putty. Within a few minutes, the three took out the putty patrol. Tommy and Kim looked at Ernie hefting the battle curiously.
Ernie grinned sheepishly, and threw the bat into a back room. “With all of the monsters in this town, I have to protect myself,” he said, “Why aren’t you morphed, Kim?”
Kim looked at his incredulously. “You know?” she squeaked.
“Of course I do,” Ernie said, “I’m not stupid, you know. You wear pink all of the time, and bug out when the Rangers come to save the town, and then reappear when the monsters are defeated.” He looked at Tommy. “You used to be the Green Lantern Ranger, right?”
Tommy nodded. “Well, we’ve got to go,” he said, “Can you make up something, and cover for us?”
“No problem,” Ernie said, “I’ll just say the Lantern Rangers showed up, which is the truth. And don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone.” Kim grinned.
“Having someone knowing who we are could be a definite advantage,” she admitted. With a wave, Kim and Tommy teleported out.
Billy and Trini didn’t have any help, but they didn’t need it. They quickly dispatched their enemies. Same with Jason and Zack. All six teams met at the Command Center.
‘I can’t believe it,” Zack said, “Ernie really knows about us?”
“Yeah, he probably figured it out from the beginning,” Tommy said, “This may work to you guys avantage, having someone outside of the team that knows. He can help me cover for you, when you need to leave the Youth Center in a hurry. He’s already said that he won’t tell anyone, so we don’t have to worry about that.”
“While I’m not too happy that someone has figured you out, Rangers,” Zordon said, “Tommy does have a point about having someone outside of the team that knows your identites. Can you be certain that he will never tell anyone.”
“We can definitely trust him on that,” Billy said. The others nodded.
“Well, I’ve good news and bad news,” Zordon said, “The good news is that Rita doesn’t seem to want to attack for a while. The bad news is that we haven’t been able to locate your rings yet. When she does attack, I’m afraid that you’ll be on your own. I can’t ask of you to risk your lives fighting without powers. If you want to leave the team, say so now.
‘We knew the risks when we first joined,” Jason said, “I say we do it, guys.” He put his hand in the middle of the semi-circle. “How about it guys?”
Tommy was the first to put his hand on top of Jason’s. “I’m with you all the way, guys,” he said, “I’ve been itching to be back in battle.”
Kim was next. “I’m not one to let you down,” she said.
“You’d never let us down, Kim,” Trini said, adding her hand to the pile.
“That’s right,” Billy said, putting his hand on Trini’s. Zack put his on top of Billy’s.
“Rangers, you are all brave and true,” Zordon said, “I will call you when you are needed. For now, you can go have your well deserved respite.” Agreeing, the Rangers teleported out.
Later that night, Kim couldn’t sleep. She crept into the living room, where her mom was reading a magazine. “Mom,” she said, sitting down on the couch beside her mother. “Tommy and I were talking earlier.”
“You were?” Ms. Hart asked, “What about?”
“Well, about having a baby after we graduate,” Kim said. Her mom dropped the magazine and gaped at her.
“A baby? I’m going to be a grandmother?”
“Well, not for a while, but yeah,” Kim said, “How do you feel about that?”
“Oh, baby, come here,” her mom said, enveloping Kim in a hug. “I think that’s wonderful. And from what you’ve told me, you couldn’t ask for a better father, or husband.” Kim giggled.
“I wanted your opinion about it,” Kim said, “I guess I’ll head on back to bed. Thanks, mom.”
“You’re welcome, sweetie,” Ms. Hart said. With one last hug, Kim went to her room and fell asleep, her heart a lot lighter.