Note: This story was dynamically reformatted for online reading convenience.
 
 o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

   o _ _ _ _ o

   o (_' | | |_) |_ |_) o

   o ._) |_| | |_ | \ _ _ _ o

   o \|_| |_ |_) | | o

   o | | |_ | \ |_| o

   o Kristen's collection o

   o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o



   This is the Super Hero Archive.  These stories were sent to me by

   friends.  I did not write these stories.

   Many have no author name attached.  If you are the author of the

   enclosed work please let me know and I'll remedy the situation.

   This story, and all the stories in this archive are meant to be

   free.  They where sent freely and should remain public domain.

   DESTRUCTION OF THE PINK RANGER

   by Cheryl Roberts

   CHAPTER I

   "Where's Kimberly?" Billy queried as Tommy arrived at the Youth Center.
Tonight was the annual Halloween dance, and the party was well underway. 
Billy, Tommy, Rocky and Adam were dressed as the Musketeers from Dumas'
novel; Aisha was the queen, and Kimberly was supposed to be Constance to
Tommy's d'Artagnan.

   "She wasn't ready when I stopped by to pick her up.  She asked me to go
on ahead so I wouldn't be too late," Tommy said.

   "That isn't like Kim," Billy noted.

   "I know," Tommy agreed.

   "She hadn't even started dressing when I left," Aisha added.  Kim had
been staying with Aisha's family since her mother left for Paris last
month. "Kim's been acting really weird lately.  She's been saying and doing
things that are way out of character for her."

   Tommy and Billy exchanged worried glances.  It had been six months ago
that Tommy and Kimberly had been abducted by Lord Zedd and put through an
emotional wringer.  Zedd's magic had turned Kim into his Power Slut, and
she had used her newly released inhibitions to sexually torment Tommy.  In
the course of their captivity, the spell had worn off, and Kim was forced
to continue her role of her own free will.  The grueling six days had ended
with Kimberly nearly dying.  However, she had survived, and the two had
worked hard over the summer to heal, both physically and emotionally.  It
had been a rough summer.  There were times when the strain between them was
so bad they could hardly look at each other, and other times they moved
with the intimacy of two who knew each other body and soul.  Things had
finally settled down by the end of the long, hot, and unusually quiet
summer.

   It was with the start of the new school year that their lives had become
more complicated again.  First, Zedd and Rita had renewed their attacks,
destroying their zords, the Command Center, and their powers.  Fortunately,
the quest for the Temple of Power had been successful.  Their new Ninja
powers were far superior to their powers drawn from the power coins.  Then
came the news that Kimberly's mother was getting remarried and moving the
family to Paris.  With a generous gesture from the Campbells, Kimberly was
going to be able to remain in Angel Grove to finish out her senior year. 
With the addition of Rita's brother Rito to the ranks, and new, more
powerful minions in the tengas, September had proven to be a busy month.

   Billy had to place the start of Kimberly's present troubles on a battle
they had fought about mid-September.  They had been facing Goldar and
Sagitteros, a winged centaur who fired enchanted arrows.  His multicolored
arsenal produced a multitude of side effects: a blue arrow induced sadness;
yellow produced fear, red made the victim angry, and green inspired
jealousy.  Their forces had been depleted by half when Kim took up a
position with her old power bow . . . .

   ***

   Kim intercepted as many of Sagitteros' arrows as she could, and then she
lay down cover fire as Tommy and Rocky kept Goldar busy.  Her arrows had
never been more accurate, but she did not have an unlimited supply.

   "I'm out of arrows!" Kimberly shouted, abandoning her perch.

   "We need to fall back and regroup," Tommy directed as he dodged Goldar's
blow.

   "Maybe Zordon has found a way to cure the others," Rocky said hopefully.


   "Kim, you and Rocky make a break for it while I keep these clowns busy,"
Tommy said.

   "Surrender now, White Ranger!" Goldar rumbled.

   "Never!"

   "That's it, White Ranger; devote all your attention to Goldar.  I've
saved a very special arrow just for you," Sagitteros gloated as he notched
a fiery white missile in his bow.  Sagitteros fired as Goldar flung Tommy
back.  Tommy hit the ground, and Saba flew out of his grasp.  He gave a
yelp of pain.

   "Tommy!" Kim cried, leaping into the fray once again.  She interposed
herself between Tommy and Goldar.  "Are you okay?"

   "I think I twisted my ankle," Tommy moaned.

   "We've got to get you out of here . . . ." The white arrow hit its mark,
knifing through Kim's chest.  She screamed as its energy crackled around
her body, causing her to de-morph.

   "Uh oh, Sagitteros, you fool!  You shot the wrong Ranger!" Goldar
bellowed.  He and the other monster teleported before Kimberly fell.

   "Kim!" Tommy gasped, catching her.  He activated his communicator. 
"Zordon, get us out of here now!"

   Tommy and Kim were teleported directly to the infirmary in the Command
Center.  Alpha and Billy quickly ran a diagnostic scan on Kim.  Tommy could
hardly sit still long enough for Aisha to wrap his ankle.

   "How is she?  What's wrong with her?" he asked impatiently.

   "Fire . . . ." Kim moaned as she writhed on the examination table.  "On
fire . . .  !"

   "Sensors register no anomalous readings," Billy reported.

   "It must be some kind of spell," Rocky spoke up.  "Sagitteros said he
was saving a special arrow just for Tommy."

   "Since the spell was keyed to Tommy there is no telling what effect, if
any, it will have on Kimberly," Zordon explained.

   "You mean she might not be affected?" Tommy asked hopefully.

   "Since Billy and Alpha cannot detect any trace of enchantment on
Kimberly, I would say that my hypothesis is highly probable," Zordon
concluded.

   "Why is she complaining about being on fire?" Adam wondered.

   "You'd complain about being on fire if you'd gotten hit with an arrow of
pure energy," Aisha retorted.

   "You're looking a little pale; are you all right?" Billy asked of Tommy.


   "Yeah, I just have this awful feeling of deja vu," Tommy murmured.  "It
was like seeing her take that lance in Zedd's citadel all over again."

   "Thank goodness it didn't have the same results."

   "Where am I?  What happened?" Kim mumbled as she came to.

   "You saved my hide once again, Beautiful," Tommy said as he sat down
next to the exam table.  He helped Kim sit up.  "I thought I was supposed
to be the knight in shining armor."

   "These are the '90s.  Equal opportunity," Kim teased as she gratefully
accepted his hug.

   "How do you feel?"

   "Scorched but otherwise fine."

   Zordon monitored Kimberly's condition for several days afterwards; she
never manifested any symptoms of being under a spell, so Kimberly and the
others didn't think any more about it.

   The first incident took place a week later.  The six friends were at the
Youth Center.  Tommy, Adam, and Rocky were working out in the weight room,
and Kimberly, Billy and Aisha were working on their homework in the juice
bar.

   "Kim, what's the matter?  You look sick," Aisha noticed.  Indeed,
Kimberly was looking a little pale, and her eyes were sort of glazed.

   "Hm?  Oh, I don't know.  I'm sort of tired, I guess," Kim replied as if
it was an effort to string the words together.

   "You're perspiring; do you have a fever?" Billy queried.  Kim pressed
her hand to her forehead and found it damp.

   "I guess I do," she murmured.

   "Here," Billy offered, pressing his hand to her forehead.  "Kimberly,
you're burning up!"

   "Maybe Tommy should take you home," Aisha suggested.

   "Yeah, good idea," Kim agreed.  When she stood up, Kim experienced a
moment of lightheadedness.  She shook her head to clear it.  She felt a
little disoriented and seemed to stagger as she crossed the room.  She
paused at the doorway of the weight room and peered in, looking for Tommy.

   The mere thought of Tommy made her knees feel weak.  She spotted him
working with the leg weights.  She propped herself against the door frame
as she watched him.  The obvious power in his muscular legs as they lifted
the weights held her spellbound.  Once he was finished with that series of
reps, he sat up and went to work on his upper body.  Sweat stained his tank
top and glistened on the exposed portions of his chest as he worked out. 
Kim bit her lower lip and felt her fingers trailing down her neck and along
the scooped neckline of her shirt.  She jerked her hand away suddenly as if
she just realized what she was doing.  However, her eyes never strayed from
Tommy's body.  Watching him was firing her hormones as it never had before.
She drank in his every move until she was intoxicated by the sight of him.

   Tommy was busy talking and laughing with Adam and Rocky; he hadn't seen
her yet.  Kim had an overpowering urge to feel his rock hard muscles
rippling under her fingers.  She wanted to inhale the musky odor of his
perspiration and taste the salt on his skin.  She stepped forward, unaware
that there was a slightly exaggerated swagger to her hips.  If she could
have seen her expression, it would have been one of fiery hunger.  The
young men in the weight room were immediately and powerfully affected by
it. They could see the tigress on the prowl.

   "Hey, Kim, what's up?" Tommy asked brightly.  However, she didn't
answer, but the intensity of her gaze made him feel as if she was
undressing him with her eyes.  "Kimberly?"

   Tommy was aware that everyone's eyes were on Kim as she reached out and
ran her hand along his sweat-soaked tank top.  She propped one leg up on
the weight bench; taking a handful of his shirt, she pulled him to her,
attacking his mouth savagely.  When she let him up for air, she held his
eyes--his full of amazement, hers lustful and glassy.  Without a word to
him, she sauntered off, leaving every male in the weight room with a solid
reminder of her passing.

   "What was that all about?" Adam asked with a gulp.

   "I don't know," Tommy finally stammered, "but I'd better go find out."

   "One thing you can say for Kim's visit; there won't be a shortage of hot
water in the showers today," Rocky jibed.

   Tommy walked out to the juice bar, careful to keep his towel
strategically placed.  Billy and Aisha were still studying.  Kim's bag was
at the table, but there was no sign of her.

   "Have you guys seen Kim?" Tommy asked.

   "She went looking for you," Billy replied.  "She was feeling unwell and
wanted you to take her home."

   "Hey, Aisha," Jenny called as she came rushing into the juice bar. 
"You'd better come quick.  Kim's in the locker room all doubled over like
she's in pain." The three abandoned the table and hurried over to the
girls' locker room.

   "Wait here, guys," Aisha said, restraining Tommy.

   "Right," he agreed, remembering himself at the last minute.

   Aisha found Kimberly curled up on a bench.  Her arms hugged her stomach,
and she was groaning.

   "What's wrong?" Aisha asked as she tried to help Kim sit up, but every
time Kim moved, her pain only seemed to increase.  "I thought you went
looking for Tommy."

   "I did, but . . .  I don't know what came over me.  When I went to ask
Tommy to take me home, I just went up to him and kissed him.  Then my
stomach started burning.  It hurts," Kim explained, grimacing.

   "Can you walk a little?  Tommy and Billy are right outside; they can
help you to Tommy's car," Aisha said.

   Outside the locker room, Tommy and Billy had been joined by Rocky and
Adam.

   "While I could not ascertain the exact degree, Kim was definitely
running a high grade fever.  It is possible that it was high enough to
produce a sort of delirium," Billy said in response to Tommy's report of
Kimberly's actions.  Just then Aisha emerged from the locker room.

   "One of you is going to have to go in and carry her out.  Her abdominal
pains are so severe she can't straighten up to walk," Aisha reported.

   "Killer cramps, huh?" Rocky snickered.  Aisha glared at him, and Adam
elbowed him in the ribs.

   "See if the locker room is clear; I'll get her," Tommy said.

   "Right.  While I'm doing that, why don't you go do something useful like
pulling Tommy's 4 x 4 up to the door." Aisha recommended, glowering at
Rocky.

   "Okay," Rocky agreed, chastised.  Tommy tossed him the keys.

   "All clear, Tommy," Aisha signalled, popping her head back inside the
shower room.

   Kim was sweating and shivering by the time Tommy retrieved her.  He
reached for her, and she gave a yelp of pain before he ever touched her.

   "Hang in there, Kim; I'll get you home," he assured her.

   "I'm sorry, Tommy; I don't know what's wrong with . . . ." Another gasp
obliterated the rest of her sentence, and her shuddering intensified.

   "Don't worry about it now," he told her as he carried her out.  She
curled herself into a tighter ball and pressed herself closer to him.  By
the time he got her back to the Campbells' house, the worst of the pains
and spasms had passed.

   By Monday, the strange fever was completely gone; however, Monday
morning in the hall brought Kim a different feeling of discomfort: acute
embarrassment.  She was all too aware of the eyes that followed her, the
knowing smiles, the wolf whistles and cat calls.  She was red faced and
nearly in tears when Tommy stopped by her locker.

   "Tommy, what did I do Friday afternoon?" she asked tremulously.  "Why
are the guys acting like I'm some sort of tramp?  I mean, all I did was
kiss you!"

   "You really don't know?" Tommy asked.  He stared deep into her brown
eyes.  "Man, Kim, the way you sashayed into the weight room . . .  you
looked like you wanted to eat me alive, and the way you French kissed
me--so long and hard--I could scarcely breathe afterwards."

   "I barely remember the kiss . . .  it's all kind of fuzzy, like a vague
dream," Kim mumbled.

   "Hey, you were out of your mind with fever at the time," Tommy said
reassuringly.  "Don't worry about it; if the guys don't back off, they'll
have me to deal with." He cast a dire look past Kim's shoulder to a knot of
guys with knowing smiles.  They turned and walked off.

   **

   Friday afternoon, Tommy was late getting to the Youth Center.  He didn't
want Kim to be upset that he had missed her practice.  She was working on a
new floor routine for the district gymnastic competition and wanted his
opinion.  However, when he arrived, he found a sizable crowd of
spectators--predominately male--gathered around the mats.  Puzzled, Tommy
looked about for the others.  Ernie caught his eye and waved him over. 
Tommy wormed his way across the room.

   "What's going on?" Tommy asked.

   "I ought to be asking you the same question," Ernie said.  "What's with
Kim?  If she's trying to drive every guy in the Center crazy, she's doing a
good job of it."

   "Huh?" Tommy looked over to the mats.  He could just see over the heads
of the people in the crowd.  Kim was performing a floor routine, and oh,
what a performance!  It was just barely a gymnastics routine; it was more
like the way she danced in Tommy's fantasies.  The music was sexy and her
moves were sensual and suggestive.  Kim's eyes were closed, and her
expression was a combination of filthy and cute.  He watched, enraptured,
as she landed in the splits then slowly rolled onto her back.  Her smile
was one of utter bliss as her back arched and her hands slowly skimmed over
her body.  Her hips gave a provocative thrust, but she moved onto the next
gymnastic move before anything became too risqué.  The whole routine was
like that: a little spice between acrobatic maneuvers.  Kim was playing to
the admiration and delight of the crowd.  Tommy found his body responding
to the titillation; Kim was definitely hot.

   "Do you want some ice water to hose her down?" Ernie offered,
interrupting Tommy's viewing pleasure.

   "She's hit a zone," Tommy said by way of explanation.  "She's so wrapped
up in the music, she probably doesn't even know what she's doing.  I'll go
kill the music."

   Tommy pushed his way to the far wall where Kim's tape player was plugged
in.  He let "Cream" play out then switched off the radio.  Shouts of "spoil
sport" and "no fair" rumbled up from the crowd.  Tommy maintained a steely
gaze even as Kim held her pose, her eyes still closed as she was lost in
the euphoria of the music.  Then the applause started.  Her eyes snapped
open, and she looked bewildered.  She quickly scampered off the mat and
over to where Tommy stood by her radio.

   "What was that all about?" she wondered.

   "You tell me.  That was one heck of a show.  It's a good thing you
stopped short of humping the floor, otherwise you'd have caused a riot--or
an orgy."

   "What?"

   "You really don't know what you were doing, do you?"

   "What are you talking about?  I was doing my floor routine."

   "Since when was "Cream" part of your repertoire?"

   "It isn't."

   Tommy put the tape back in and rewound it a bit.  When he turned the
music back on, every guy in the vicinity quickly turned to see if there was
going to be any more of the show.  A couple of people cheered.  Kim dove
for the off button.

   "Ohmigosh, Tommy, what was I doing?"

   "Giving every guy in this place a hard-on," he said matter-of-actly. 
Kim's face turned scarlet.

   "Tommy . . . ." she began helplessly.  She was still breathing hard, and
Tommy observed that her nipples strained against the Lycra of her bra top.
Whether Kim realized it or not, something about the performance had excited
her.  Tommy tossed her her warm-up jacket.

   "I could just die," Kim murmured, slipping on her jacket.  She ducked
her head as they headed over to a table near the juice bar.

   "You've got to watch out for that zone, especially in public," Tommy
reminded her teasingly.  "There's no telling what you'll wind up . . . ."

   "Stop it, Tommy, please," she begged.  "I've already made a big enough
fool of myself without you making it worse."

   "Sorry, Kim, he said contritely.

   **

   The following Wednesday it was Tommy's turn to be dazed and disoriented.
He wore his loosest pants and longest, baggiest shirt.  He looked like a
rumpled piece of laundry left in the dryer too long.  It was obvious that
he had scarcely slept the previous night.  His friends were stunned when
they saw him.

   "Tommy, what's the matter?  You look awful, and you've been distracted
all day," Kim said as she joined him for lunch.

   "You have to ask?" he gasped incredulously.

   "You sound as if whatever's bothering you is my fault," she observed,
hurt.

   "Come on, Kim; you can't tell me you don't remember the dream you had
last night," he whispered with urgency.

   "My dream?" Kim was clearly puzzled.  "How do you know what I was
dreaming about?"

   "Kim, you were projecting." Tommy was referring to their ability to
touch each other's mind via the link that formed during their ordeal on the
moon.  Touching each other's mind was not something they could do all the
time; it required a highly charged emotional state.  Most of the time it
was nothing more than a light rapport; they were subtly aware of the
other's presence, sort of like the gentle glow of a night light.

   "Are you sure?" Kim queried, biting her lip uncertainly.  She seemed
afraid to hear his answer.

   "Geezus, Kim!  You mean you don't remember . . .  ?" Tommy's trouble was
not having shared the images but being unable to get them out of his head.
Admittedly, he had been dreaming of Kim's erotic gymnastic routine, so he
had been in a receptive state when Kim's dream intruded on his.  There had
been nothing subtle about the dream either.  Kim had approached him as she
had in the weight room, grabbing him and kissing him with a passion that
literally set fire to their surroundings.  Like a ravenous animal, she
attacked him, ripping off his shirt and savagely licking his chest and
biting his nipples.

   There were moments when Tommy could glimpse Kim trying to exert some
restraint.  She would pull back suddenly, as if uncertain, but her will
caved in.  She stripped off his shorts and underwear, pushed him back on
the bed, and proceeded to give him a frenetic blow job.  None of those
playful, teasing licks--Kim used long, deep strokes, taking him as far down
her throat as she could.  She continued going down on him until he was
fucking her mouth.  Tommy was consumed with the fire her tongue stoked in
his cock; he was helpless to do anything but enjoy her mouth, especially
when her fingers sought out his balls and ass.

   Kim drove him to the brink, then stopped, leaving him moaning in
exquisite agony.  She stared at him with lust in her eyes and proceeded to
strip, slowly, sensuously.  She played with herself, fondling her breasts,
toying with her pussy to tease him.  Tommy wanted to come right then, but
she wouldn't let him.

   Slowly, like a tigress stalking her prey, Kim crawled up over him and
straddled his hips, imprisoning his cock between the hot, wet lips of her
pussy.  With a growl, she raised herself and slowly, oh so slowly, lowered
herself on his cock.  Almost immediately an orgasm ripped through her, but
instead of satiating her, it provoked her lust.  As the flames around them
burned higher and hotter, Kim rode Tommy long and hard until he sent a
blast of come shooting deep inside her.  Tommy shouted as he came, waking
himself up.

   Every time he closed his eyes, he saw her crawling towards him, sex
smoldering in her eyes.  It was enough to make him lose his load a second
time, and it was with the utmost effort that he was able to hold back now.
He could feel the heat in his groin as well as in his cheeks.

   Tommy hadn't realized that he had closed his eyes, but when he opened
them, he found Kim looking at him with a mixture of concern and
expectation. In his excitement he could perceive her emotions a little more
clearly.  Astonishingly, she really seemed to have no memory of having any
sort of dream.  Tommy groaned in need and in frustration.

   ***

   "It appears, Goldar, that you might not have screwed up as much as I
thought you had," Lord Zedd muttered as he observed the proceedings in
Angel Grove from his lunar citadel.

   "What's that?  Goldar actually did something right?" Zedd's wife, Rita,
queried in her shrill, grating voice.

   "Not quite.  Remember when we sent Sagitteros down to infect Tommy with
that spell I found in the Venus Grimoire?"

   "What was that stupid spell supposed to do any way?" Rita harumphed.

   "It was supposed to arouse Tommy's sexual desires to a level where he
would either have to have sex or die."

   "Why would you want to do that; isn't sex supposed to be fun for humans?
Why would you want him to have fun?"

   "Fool, do you not remember the code of the Temple of Power?  'I am
Ninja, pure of body?' Destroy the White Ranger's purity of body and you
destroy his Ninja powers."

   "Yeah, so what?  The sappy Pink Ranger took the arrow for him," Rita
pointed out.

   "I thought the spell was wasted, but it appears that it's working on
Kimberly, at a much slower rate," Zedd explained.

   "Really?" Rita gasped in delight.

   "Ah yes, this may prove more satisfying and effective than the original
plan.  The Pink Ranger's desire will continue to grow until her need will
be so great that she will be forced to seek sexual gratification . . . ."

   ". . .  and Tommy is too besotted with her to let her die.  He'll give
her the fucking she needs, and we destroy two Rangers at once!  How
deliciously wicked!" Rita cackled malevolently.

   "Yes, my putrid peanut," Zedd confirmed.  "The hard part will be waiting
for the spell to take Kimberly to the point of no return.  As her need
grows, her powers will weaken.  The others must not suspect.  We must
withhold our attacks so the weakening of her powers will not be detected
until it is too late.  And then . . . .  " The dark citadel shook with
Zedd's laughter.

   ***

   Tommy held Kim's hand as they walked up the sidewalk to Aisha's house.
Things had been unusually quiet, so the two were able to spend some time
together.  Tommy was growing concerned.  With her mother gone to Paris and
preparing for the district meet, Kim was under a lot of stress.  Even so,
that couldn't account for all the odd incidents over the last two weeks. 
Tommy had intercepted no further dreams from Kim since the one, but her
behavior continued to be both erratic and erotic at times.  There wasn't
anything to make a big deal out of, but whenever Tommy asked her about the
incidents, she seemed to have no memory of any of them.  He wanted to talk
to her about what was going on, but he didn't know how to bring it up.

   "Hang on a sec," Kim directed as she dashed up the front steps.  She
opened the door and popped her head in.  "Mrs.  Campbell, I'm home.  Tommy
and I will be in the backyard.  I won't stay out too much longer." With an
impish grin, Kim led Tommy around the house and to the back porch.  She
took a seat on the steps and patted the step next to her.  When Tommy sat
down, Kim leaned in closer to him.  She was shivering slightly, so Tommy
put his arm around her shoulder.  Her shivering only seemed to increase.

   "Are you all right?" he asked as he stroked her silky hair.  "You're not
too cold, are you?"

   "No, I'm plenty warm," she murmured thickly.  She lifted her eyes to the
heavens.  "You know, the last couple of years have been so unreal, like a
weird dream.  I keep expecting to wake up, and there'll be no Power
Rangers, no Zedd and Rita, and we wouldn't have met yet.  Then we would,
and we'd be able to have a normal relationship."

   "Is that what you want?  A normal relationship?"

   "Don't you?  Sometimes I think it'd be nice to go on dates instead of
going into battle or worrying about putties or tengas showing up or having
our communicators going off all the time."

   "Sure, it'd be nice, but if it weren't for all we've been through as
Rangers, our relationship wouldn't be as strong as it is.  Depending on
each other in battle, facing life and death situations together have forged
stronger bonds than if we had just been dating," Tommy said thoughtfully.
"I might have learned how intelligent, loving, and beautiful you were, but
I wouldn't have realized how much spirit, compassion, courage, and strength
of will you had.  I'd rather have what we have, scars and all, than have
anything less."

   Tommy kissed the top of Kim's head.  She looked up at him with a smile
and reached up to run her fingers through his hair.  Tommy's heart leaped
for joy.  When Kim went for his hair, it meant she was in the mood for more
than simple affection.  By mutual consent, the two had decided not to
pursue the level of intimacy that they had engaged in during their
imprisonment, and Tommy had decided that Kim should be the one to dictate
the pace of their physical relationship.  He respected her overtures and
withdrawals.  Hers were the deeper scars; he could be patient for as long
as she needed, but ever since her dream two weeks ago, it had been
difficult to be restrained, especially with the frequency of her intense
gaze on his body and her tantalizing, fleeting caresses.

   Tommy also knew that their embraces would not become more than deep
kisses and casual groping.  On the rare occasions when they had indulged,
Kim seemed to reach a threshold and would draw back.  It was often
frustrating, but Tommy knew the rewards in the end would be worth his
patience now.  So he closed his eyes and reveled in the sensation of her
fingers gliding through his hair.  Soon enough he would feel her fingertips
on his face and her lips on his in an exquisitely tender kiss, which would
be his signal to explore her softly curved neck with his mouth.

   Their petting followed the course he had predicted, but as Tommy nuzzled
Kim's neck, he saw that she was trembling violently.

   "What's wrong?  Are you all right?"

   "Don't stop," she gasped, tossing her head back and closing her eyes. 
With one hand, she caressed the side of her face and traced a line down her
throat, between her breasts, and down to her stomach.  She was purring
softly as she opened her eyes, holding Tommy's gaze as she reached for his
shirt buttons.  He saw a momentary flicker of fire in her eyes, which at
once concerned and consumed him.  However, he acceded to her request and
continued kissing his way down her throat.  He nibbled at her collar bone
while his hands gently brushed across her breasts.  Her nipples were
already rock hard against his palms.  He gave a gentle squeeze, and she
gasped--this time in pain.  Through their link, Tommy felt the sharp, hot
knives which ripped through Kim's body.  Just as suddenly, he felt Kim
marshall her will and drive the pain back.

   "You're still having those abdominal spasms, aren't you," he said.  Kim
could only nod as she bit back her tears.  "Are they getting more severe?"

   "Sometimes they're really bad, but most of the time I don't even
notice."

   "Have you been to the doctor?"

   "A couple of times.  She can't find anything wrong with me.  She thinks
it might be stress related."

   "Zordon should do a bio-scan on you," Tommy suggested.

   "Can it wait until after the Halloween dance?  I've been looking forward
to going, and we put so much work into the costumes.  I'm afraid Zordon
will make me stay in bed or something."

   "I don't know that we should wait any longer."

   "It's only two more days.  How much worse can I get?"

   ----

   CHAPTER II

   "Hey, Oliver," a guy dressed as a mummy said as he approached the
quintet.  "You'd better take care of that woman of yours before someone
else does her for you."

   Puzzled and rather offended, Tommy turned to ask him what he meant and
saw for himself.  Kimberly had arrived and was busy on the dance floor. 
She hadn't worn her Constance costume; instead, she was barely dressed as a
pirate: belled black boots,
fishnet stockings, a little black skirt that barely covered her ass and

rode low on her hips, a red sash/belt, bolero vest, and a long sleeve
blouse tied at the breastbone and ripped away to reveal as much cleavage as
possible.  She also sported blood red lipstick, enormous hoop earrings, and
a jaunty, plumed hat.  She looked sexy enough to eat and had several
interested dance partners as she did a deliciously wicked bump and grind
through the press of bodies.

   "Kim?" Adam squeaked out with a blush.

   "What's gotten into her?" Aisha wondered.

   "I don't know, but we'd better get her out of here," Tommy decided as he
plunged into the crowd on the dance floor.

   It was well known in Angel Grove High School that Tommy was a reserved
young man who preferred to avoid confrontation.  It was also well known
that he held several black belts in the martial arts.  Moreover, everyone
knew he and Kim were an item.  So when the dancers saw Tommy coming, they
parted to let him through.  Perhaps it was something in his determined
expression.  Whatever it was, Tommy had no trouble reaching Kim.

   "Excuse me for a moment," Tommy calmly requested of the young man Kim
was presently trying to seduce.  It wasn't the guy's fault Kim was coming
on to him, and Tommy couldn't fault him for being interested.  The guy
turned and was rather startled to see Tommy.

   "Sure, sorry, man," he said as he bowed out quickly.

   "Not your fault," Tommy replied.  Then he tapped Kim on the shoulder.

   "Tommy!" Kim squealed with delight as she flung her arms around him. 
She acted as if she hadn't seen him in months.  Her momentum sent the both
of them stumbling into other dancers; however, Tommy could not apologize
because Kim was kissing him ferociously.  Tommy finally pushed her away.

   "What has gotten into you?" he demanded.

   "Ask rather what I'd like to have gotten into me," she giggled with a
wicked grin.

   "You're not drunk, are you?" he whispered gravely.

   "How'd you guess?" Kim bubbled.  "I'm drunk, smashed, totally high on
the thought of peeling off that silly costume and having my way with your
yummy body."

   "That's enough, Kim," he snapped as he pulled Kim from the dance floor.

   "Aw, but I wanted to dance with the bold and gallant d'Artagnan of the
Musketeers," she pouted.  "I know d'Artagnan would love to see his pirate
queen dance for him." She ground her hips into his semi-erect cock.  Tommy
lost his balance and grabbed at Kim to keep from falling over; however, she
fell with him.  As she landed on top of him, she kissed him again.  As he
tried to extricate himself from Kim's arms, he discovered that she had no
underwear on under her skirt.

   "Stop this," he scolded her as her hands continued to explore.  He
shoved her away.  She sat on the floor smiling at him with a loopey grin.
He picked her up and set her back on her feet.  "This isn't the time or the
place for this!"

   "Oh, pooh.  If you won't play with me, maybe Billy will," she declared
with a pout.  She turned to saunter off and received a pitcher of ice water
in the face.

   "Sorry, Tommy, it was the only thing I could think of," Billy said
apologetically.  Around them, the dancers were roaring with laughter.

   "Billy, what'd you do that for?" Kim sputtered.  "You've ruined my . . .
costume?" Kim looked down at her provocative garb; when she glanced up at
Tommy, there was a look of pure terror in her eyes.  Her knees suddenly
gave out, and she dropped to the floor before anyone could catch her.  She
knelt there, shivering with cold and emotion, her stomach behaving like a
tightly knotted mass of hot wires.

   "Kim?" Tommy queried, his brow furrowed with concern.  He knelt beside
her.  He removed his cape and put it over her shoulders, and he tried to
ignore the fact that her blouse had become transparent.

   "Tommy, what's happening to me?  What am I doing dressed like a slut?  I
don't even remember how I got here," she said behind clenched teeth.

   "Miss Hart, what is the meaning of this unseemly display?" Mr.  Caplan
demanded.  Kim glanced up at the principal with a wild gleam in her eyes, a
mixture of fear and tears.  It was enough to ruffle Mr.  Caplan's stern
expression.

   "Tommy, I'm scared; it hurts so much," she whimpered.

   "It's all right, Kim; we'll get you home.  You'll be all right," Tommy
comforted her.

   "What is going on here?" Mr.  Caplan demanded a second time.

   "Kimberly hasn't been feeling well," Tommy began helplessly.

   "You know," Rocky interjected, "I thought that punch tasted kind of
funny . . . ."

   "Kim did have quite a few cups," Aisha murmured.

   "If a quantity of alcohol was introduced into the beverage, combined
with Kimberly's medication . . . ." Billy concluded delicately.

   "I'd better go check that punch," Mr.  Caplan decided.  "I'll leave you
to get Miss Hart home."

   "Great save, guys," Tommy said appreciatively.

   "The punch really did taste funny," Rocky insisted.

   ***

   "Curse those rotten Rangers!" Zedd fumed as he observed the proceedings.
"If Zordon performs a bio-scan on Kimberly, he'll uncover the spell."

   "Isn't she too far gone for that to matter?" Rita wondered.

   "Not yet.  We need to push her past the point of no return."

   "How will we do that, master?" Goldar simpered.

   "We will send the tengas to Angel Grove Park to keep the Rangers busy.
Then you, Goldar, will take this projection globe and use it on the Pink
Ranger.  It will fill her mind with images from her and Tommy's stay here a
few months ago."

   "You never told me about having the Power Brats here," Rita said
accusingly.

   "Later," Zedd snapped.  He had managed to make it six months without
Rita finding out about the exact nature of that visit, and he still wasn't
ready to share the incredibly erotic tale with his loathsome wife just yet.
"Those images will so inflame Kimberly's desires that there will be nothing
for Zordon to do!"

   "I can't wait to see what you're talking about," Rita said.

   ***

   "Ay-yi-yi, Zordon, tengas in the park!" Alpha yelped as the alarm went
off and the viewing globe lit up.

   "Summon the Rangers," Zordon directed.

   "They're probably not even up yet; they were at the Halloween dance last
night," Alpha sputtered as he sent out the signal.  Shortly thereafter, six
sleepy-eyed, pajama clad teenagers appeared in the Command Center.

   "Zedd's timing stinks," Rocky yawned as they observed the viewing globe.


   "I've never seen so many," Adam observed.  "What's he up to?"

   "Who knows, but we can't allow the tengas to tear apart the park," Billy
added.

   "Let's go kick some tail feathers!" Aisha said eagerly.

   "Kim, are you going to be able to manage?" Tommy queried softly, trying
not to pay too much attention to the silky, lace trimmed chemise she was
wearing.  The brief lingerie barely came up high enough to cover her
breasts or low enough to cover her ass.  The thin straps kept slipping off
Kim's shoulders.

   "I'm feeling better right now," Kim whispered back, but Tommy wasn't so
sure.  Her eyes still looked a little glassy.

   "We'd better go in full power since there are so many of them," Tommy
decided.  "It's morphin' time!"

   ***

   The park was devoid of all save a few early morning joggers, and the
cries of the tengas insured that even the most curious onlooker would stay
away.

   "What a way to start the day," Adam yawned as the Rangers materialized
in the park.

   "Split up everybody, and pick your targets," Tommy directed.  Soon the
park was filled with a cacophony of squawks, groans, ki-yai's and snappy
patter.  As the fight wore on, it became apparent that the tengas were up
to something.  It seemed to the Rangers that the tengas were not trying to
do them any serious damage as usual.

   "It's almost as if they're playing with us," Billy observed as he
dispatched his opponent of the moment.

   "You couldn't prove it by me," Kim panted.  She was clearly winded and
barely able to keep her footing.  Even the lightest of glancing blows had
her reeling.

   "Kim, teleport out of here," Aisha said.  "You're in no shape to be
fighting."

   "I'll manage," Kim insisted.

   "Pink Ranger, teleport back to the Command Center immediately," Zordon
ordered.  "I'm detecting fluctuations in your powers in the morphing grid."


   "You'll be going nowhere, Pink Ranger!" Goldar proclaimed as he appeared
right behind her.  Kim shrieked and jumped back.

   "Leave her alone, Goldar!" Tommy shouted from where he was dealing with
a trio of tengas.

   "Your threats do not concern me, White Ranger, and you shall not
interfere!" Goldar thrust the staff he carried into the ground and
surrounded himself and Kimberly in a ring of flame.  Kim tried to leap over
the blaze, but she was stopped by an invisible force field.

   "All right, Goldar, what do you want with me?" Kim demanded.

   "I've come to deliver a present from Lord Zedd." Goldar placed a silver
orb atop the staff; it emitted a beam of light which penetrated Kimberly's
helmet and bore into her brain.

   "What are you doing to me!  Get out of my head!" Kim screamed.  She
tried to escape from the beam, but it followed her wherever she moved.

   "Enjoy, Pink Ranger," Goldar gloated as he vanished.

   "My mind . . .  it burns . . .  make it stop!" Kim dropped to her knees.
Images of flames and a swirling black cloud filled her head.  When the
darkness parted, a picture formed--a picture of her in leather and Tommy,
naked, strapped to a table.  "NO!"

   "Hang on, Kim!" Tommy shouted.  Through their link, he picked up on
fleeting images; all were reflected in flames.  He caught familiar
glimpses, and he shuddered as he realized where he had seen those scenes
before.  "Billy, we've got to find a way to get that force field down!"

   "Tommy, I have analyzed the force field," Zordon reported.  "Have the
other Rangers use their power blasters at maximum to blast the field, but
be careful not to hit Kimberly or the globe.  As long as the globe is
projecting into Kimberly's mind, you dare not destroy it lest you destroy
her mind as well."

   "We're on it, Zordon," Tommy confirmed.  "All right, guys, you heard
Zordon." As the others drew their weapons, another group of tengas swarmed
over Tommy.  As he traded blows with his opponent, Tommy tried to focus on
Kim's struggle.  The impressions he received were of Kim trying to hold
back a raging inferno, and she was swiftly losing ground.

   Hang on, Kim; we're coming.  Just hold on a little longer, he
encouraged, directing his thoughts to her through their link.  However, as
the tengas pressed their attack and the others were unable to start firing
on the force field, Kim's strength faded; Tommy saw the flames consume her.


   ***

   "At last!  The Pink Ranger has succumbed!" Lord Zedd crowed as he
observed the battle.  "Let Zordon have his scans.  There is nothing he can
do.  Either the Pink Ranger dies, or she and the White Ranger lose their
powers!"

   ***

   In the field behind the other Rangers, Kim screamed in agony and defeat.
She collapsed, sobbing, her body twitching spasmodically.  As she lay
there, the orb went dead, and the force field dropped.  Kim lay still for
several minutes, then, marshalling her will, she pushed herself up.  She
glanced over to where her friends were embroiled in battle with the tengas.
The fire raging within her burned hotter as her gaze settled on Tommy's
lithe, muscular body.  Kim unsteadily climbed to her feet and started
towards the fight.

   "Hey you tenga turkeys!  Get out of here!" Kim shouted as her fingers
fumbled with her helmet buckles.  "Zedd's had his fun; you've done your
job." She tugged at her helmet with all her might, popping the clasps.  She
flung her head gear as hard as she could at the offending monsters.

   "Kim?" Tommy gasped as her helmet flew past.  The fighting stopped, just
like that.  Tengas and Rangers all turned to stare at Kimberly.

   "Leave my friends alone," she sobbed.  "Just get the hell out of here."
Whether it was due to Kim's words or a signal from Zedd, the oily feathered
creatures flew off en mass.  Kim hung her head and bit her lip as the
others raced towards her.

   I won't cry in front of them, she told herself.  Tommy rushed forward
and crushed her in his arms.  Her body was stiff and unyielding as agony
tore through her.  Her skin burned beneath her uniform where he touched
her. Impossibly, she felt herself raising her hands and unfastening Tommy's
helmet.

   I just want to see his eyes.  Her touch was gentle as she stroked his
hair and face.  She stood on tiptoe and placed a soft kiss on his lips, the
small gesture of affection causing her to tremble violently.  In the face
of Tommy's concern, she managed a brave smile.  Then, she let go, in mind
and body, consigning herself to the flames that burned within.

   ----

   CHAPTER III

   Five anxious friends prowled the halls outside the infirmary awaiting
word on Kimberly.  Even the closed door could not muffle her agonized
screams.

   "How are you holding up?" Billy asked of Tommy, who was too filled with
nervous energy to stay still for long.

   "Angry.  Scared," he answered tersely.  "I know this has to do with
Sagitteros' arrow.  Those shooting pains she's been having . . .  she's
been fighting this for over a month, and whatever Zedd did to her this
morning pushed her over the edge."

   "Can you reach her through your linkage?"

   "I've tried.  All I find are flames."

   "What's taking so long?" Aisha fumed, her impatience getting the better
of her.

   "They're doing the best they can," Adam tried to assure her.

   "Why Kimberly?  Why are they after her now?" Rocky wondered.

   "If this is truly the result of Sagitteros' arrow, then whatever is
happening to Kimberly was meant for Tommy," Billy hypothesized.  "If it is
something separate, it may be an off shoot of Zedd's vendetta against
Tommy. Zedd may be striking at Tommy through the one he cares for most."

   "I wish Zedd would finish me off and get it over with," Tommy said.  "I
can't stand to see Kim suffering in my place."

   "She would still be suffering even if it was you in the infirmary,"
Billy pointed out.  "She would probably be suffering just as much as you,
if not more."

   "Hey you guys, listen," Aisha said brightly.

   "The screaming's stopped," Adam noted.

   "I hope that's a good sign," Rocky murmured.

   "Rangers . . . ."

   "Zordon, how is she?"

   "Will she be okay?"

   "Kimberly is sleeping right now; we were successful in locating a
sedative powerful enough to calm her for the moment.  Alpha is concluding
the bio-scans even as we speak."

   "Can we see her?" Tommy asked.

   "Yes."

   The five filed into the infirmary and were relieved to see Kim resting
peacefully.

   "Tommy, I must speak with you for a moment.  Alone," Zordon commanded.
Tommy was reluctant to leave Kim's bedside.

   "Don't worry, Tommy; we'll stay with her," Aisha said.  "If she starts
to come around, we'll call you."

   "Thanks, guys." With mounting trepidation and an anxious look at Kim,
Tommy left the infirmary.

   "What's up, Zordon?" he asked as he entered the Command Center's heart.

   "Not here.  Enter the chamber of light."

   "Where you gave me my White Ranger powers?"

   "It will insure that our discussion will be private." Tommy was growing
increasingly anxious, yet he did as Zordon directed.

   "Do you know what's wrong with Kim?" Tommy couldn't repress the tremor
in his voice.

   "Yes.  The bio-scans revealed that the burning sensation Kimberly has
been experiencing is caused by a change in the synaptic nerve paths.  If
the process is not reversed, she will die, burned alive from the inside
out."

   "Did Sagitteros' arrow cause this?"

   "I believe so.  I have not been able to trace the spell which created
this effect.  Lord Zedd must not have been the architect of the original
spell."

   "Is there any way to cure her?"

   "The condition is specifically geared to the pleasure centers in her
body.  The only way to counteract the deterioration is to hyperstimulate
the pleasure centers so they overwhelm the pain."

   "I'm with you so far."

   "However, the pleasure centers must be stimulated so as to produce
certain hormones at a specific level.  There is a complication regarding
the spell.  Since it was tailored to your physiology and with the delayed
progression . . . ."

   "Zordon, just tell me how we can cure Kim!" Tommy snapped.

   "Kimberly requires physical gratification of her sexual need in order to
survive, and since the spell was meant for you, you will have to be the one
to provide the cure.  Mechanical or chemical substitutes will not suffice."


   Tommy, staggered by the announcement, found himself looking for a place
to sit down.  "You mean, I have to make love to Kim if I want to save her,"
he reiterated numbly.

   "Yes.  The strength of your emotional attachment to her saved her from
Zedd's machinations once.  This time, she requires the strength of your
physical love.  It will not be as simple as engaging in intercourse one
time; her condition is critical.  It will require many repetitions to
reverse the deterioration."

   "I understand," Tommy said.  Then he swore, vehemently, to Zordon's
surprise.

   "Tommy?"

   "It's not fair, Zordon!" Tommy exploded.  "Kim has barely recovered from
Zedd's last scheme to destroy us.  He nearly succeeded with all the things
he forced us to face--the things we did, the emotions . . .  we both agreed
that we weren't ready for sex.  It was something we wanted for the future,
but now Zedd's taken that away from us, too.  We do it, or Kim dies."

   "I am sorry, Tommy, but there is more disturbing news."

   "How much worse can this get?"

   "Kimberly's cure may also rob you of your Ninja powers."

   "Our powers?  How?"

   "'I am Ninja, pure of body . . . .' By engaging in sexual intercourse,
you will be losing your purity of body.  Carnal knowledge has a disruptive
effect on the flow of the powers; that was one of the reason teenagers were
more suited to receive the power coins than adults."

   "That's a risk we'll have to take.  What will being a Ranger be worth if
I let Kim die?" Tommy asked rhetorically.  "Does Kim know about any of
this?"

   "No, I have not yet spoken to her."

   "If you don't mind, I'd rather be the one to tell her."

   "That would probably be best.  Along with the sedative, I have given
Kimberly a contraceptive as you will not be able to use a condom.  Her body
will require your seminal fluid to aid in the cure.  Even so, I cannot
guarantee that it will be 100% effective.  If Kimberly does conceive a
child, it will end her days as a Power Ranger.  I will not allow her to put
the child's life at risk."

   "She may not be able to be a Ranger after this regardless of whether or
not she becomes pregnant," Tommy said bitterly.  "Zedd's really done it to
us this time."

   Tommy's emotions were in turmoil as he made his way back to the
infirmary.  There was no question that he would provide the help Kimberly
needed.  It was that he had wanted their first time to be special,
something they wanted for themselves--not a matter of life and death forced
on them by Zedd and Rita.

   He paused in the doorway, observing his friends.  They were as concerned
about Kim as he was.  What was he going to say to them?  They would want to
know.  They had a right to know.  Zordon would tell them.  Tommy sighed. 
He and Kim wouldn't even have the luxury of privacy.  That was the hard
part; it was almost as if their souls had been laid bare for everyone to
see.  The others knew what had happened to them in Zedd's citadel, maybe
not all the details but enough.  They would know about this too.  Tommy was
comfortable with displaying his emotions around his friends, but his sex
life was a different matter.

   Kimberly moaned softly and began tossing and turning.

   "The sedative is wearing off, and her fever is still climbing, reaching
dangerous levels," Billy noted, his concern undisguised as he monitored the
scanners.  "Alpha, can her body sustain a second dosage of the sedative so
soon?"

   Poor Billy, Tommy mused.  He probably feels almost as awful as I do--
being helpless to do anything but watch Kim suffer.  All that scientific
knowledge, and it won't help her at all.  Thinking of Billy's pain helped
put his own in perspective.  Billy loved Kim in his own way just as much as
he did; how would he feel if he had to stand by and watch as his oldest
friend lay dying and he couldn't ease her suffering?  Really, all of them
held Kim in a special place in their hearts: comrade-in-arms, sister,
friend, lover.  Some of the tension eased from Tommy's knotted muscles, but
his expression was still grave as he approached the group.

   "Tommy, what is it?  Was Zordon able to find a way to save her?" Billy
asked.  Tommy's anguished expression unnerved him.

   "There's a way to save her, but . . . ." Tommy couldn't continue for a
moment.  He really should be the one to tell them, not Zordon; however, the
words wouldn't come.  He owed it to Kimberly to tell her first.  The others
were waiting for him to continue, anxiety written on their faces.

   "Guys, can you give me some time alone with Kim?  I've got to talk to
her about this." His unease and embarrassment were obvious.  He hated being
so evasive.  His eyes pleaded with an intensity he dared not voice.

   "Sure, Tommy," Rocky said.

   "Hang in there, Tommy," Adam said as he took his leave.

   "Kim will pull through; she has to," Aisha whispered fiercely.

   "Just remember, we're here for you," Billy reminded him, holding back
until the others were gone.  "You don't have to face this alone.  We'll
help any way you need us to."

   "Thanks, Billy, but I definitely have to do this myself"

   "If you want to talk . . . ."

   "Yeah, it's not like we can go see a therapist," Tommy joked weakly,
recalling Billy's words from their talk six months ago.  "Go on, Zordon
will tell you what's going on." Before he left, Billy did something rather
unexpected but not unappreciated: he gave his friend a hug.

   Now that he and Kim were alone, Tommy felt the knot in his stomach get
bigger.  He was really nervous!  After all they had been through, the
thought of finally consummating their relationship shouldn't have been so
frightening, but then, most of their more intimate moments had either been
out of their control or all in their minds.

   Tommy hated to disturb Kim; she was resting quietly again.  He reached
for her hand.  It was slick with perspiration and burned with her unnatural
fever.  He put his hand over her heart; it was racing like a frightened
rabbit's.  Tommy realized that her hospital gown was soaking wet.  He
unfastened it and pulled it off her, thinking to get her a fresh one.  He
drew the sheet up to cover her when he paused.

   This was the first time he had ever seen Kimberly naked.  He had seen
her unclothed in their fantasies--what he imagined her to look like and
what she perceived as her self-image.  The reality was so much more
exciting; he didn't know what to look at first.  He hadn't anticipated that
she would look so soft and feminine and at the same time look so strong. 
She was tiny and fragile, and yet she wasn't.  The line of her body was
just perfect; it was all he could to do to keep from reaching out and
running his hand down her body.  From the delicate curve of her neck to her
graceful collar bones . . . .  Her breasts were fuller than he had
expected; their softness was so inviting he ached to touch them.  He had
known they were soft; he touched them before--briefly, but it was so much
more . . .  the words failed him.  He wanted to fit those soft mounds to
his hands, knowing they would fill his grasp charmingly.  Her rosy nipples
were hard and firm; his mouth watered thinking about tasting one of them.
From the swell of her bosom, his eyes followed her body down her smooth
abdomen to her belly button which always seemed to tease him as it peeked
out over her shorts.  His gaze traveled lower, tracing the gentle curve of
her hips.  A lump formed in his throat as he gazed at the mass of light
brown curls which spilled over . . .  her legs, slightly parted . . .  her
thighs . . .  the definition of her muscles . . . .

   "Oh, wow!" Tommy sighed, shaking himself free of the spell of the
moment. He pulled the sheet up over Kim and self-consciously adjusted the
bulge in his pajama bottoms.  He felt a fire equal to that which raged in
Kimberly's body coursing through his veins.  Was this how Kim felt the
first time she had seen him naked--this sense of breathlessness, this nigh
uncontrollable desire to reach out and touch . . .  taste . . .  caress . .
.  explore . . .  ?  "Man, are you beautiful."

   "Thank you," Kim responded softly.  The cold kiss of the air in the
infirmary had roused her.  She opened her eyes to find Tommy staring at her
in wonderment.  She liked the way his eyes had shone as he looked at her;
she hadn't wanted the moment to end.  She sat up, clutching the sheet to
her bosom.  Tommy blushed and looked away, unable to meet her eyes.

   "Tommy," she began softly as she reached for his hand.  "Did you really
like what you saw?" Tommy nodded, not trusting his voice.  "I'm glad; I've
always wanted you to see me for real and not just in our dreams."

   "Kim, Zordon has figured out what's wrong with you," Tommy began with
difficulty.  His throat was so dry he could scarcely speak.  "He's found a
cure . . . ."

   ". . .  but it requires us to have sex.  I know, Tommy."

   "You do?" Tommy was ashamed of the relief he felt for not having to
explain what needed to be done.

   "I think part of me has known ever since the arrow first pierced me,"
she explained.  "I didn't want to believe it; I refused to believe that
Zedd was going to force me again . . .  I refused to let him!  But, I was
fighting a losing battle.  I tried to find the solution on my own, but
masturbating only made things worse.  I tried fantasizing--that dream you
intercepted--it was so wild, so out of control that finally I had to block
it all out.  I couldn't deal with it any more.  I knew it was only a matter
of time.  I was just barely hanging on by my fingernails when Zedd mind
blasted me this morning."

   "Why didn't you say something?" Tommy gasped.

   "I was too angry and embarrassed," Kim admitted reluctantly.  "I didn't
want to give in to Zedd, not without a fight.  I thought I was strong
enough to resist; I was wrong.  Now, I'm going to die."

   "I'm not going to let that happen," Tommy said fiercely.  He threw his
arms around Kim's quivering body.  She started to cry.

   "Whenever I'd think about us finally making love, I envisioned it as
being sweet and tender, romantic," she confessed.  "It won't be like that;
it'll be more like my dream."

   "I'll be as gentle as I can," Tommy promised.

   "It's not you I'm worried about.  Losing control like that scares the
hell out of me!  It'll be like being under Zedd's spell all over again,
being forced to do things I don't want to do.  What about our powers? 
We'll lose them if we.."

   "Zordon warned me about that," Tommy assured her.  "It's a risk we'll
have to take."

   "Tommy, no!  I know what being a Ranger means to you.  I remember how
devastated you were when Rita first stole your powers.  I couldn't ask you
to give them up for my sake."

   "It's a sacrifice I'm willing to make.  You mean more to me than
anything else.  I nearly lost you once to Zedd's spells; I won't lose you
again."

   ***

   "Turn the viewing globe off, Zordon," Billy said at last, feeling uneasy
about having witnessed what was supposed to have been a private moment for
Kimberly and Tommy.  Zordon had given them the scientific explanation for
Kim's problem, but when it came time to explain the remedy, he had tuned to
Tommy and Kim at the point where Tommy first began to tell Kim what was
wrong.

   "Why did you have us watch that?" Adam wondered.  "I feel like a peeping
Tom."

   "Their words and actions illustrated the gravity of the situation far
better than my analysis could.  Also, Tommy felt it was his duty to tell
you, once he had discussed the matter with Kimberly," Zordon said.

   "You mean all he has to do is have sex with her to make her better?"
Rocky questioned.  "Most guys would jump at a chance like that.  Why are
they acting like it's the end of the world?"

   "You dunce," Aisha said sharply, elbowing him.

   "Quit hitting me!"

   "Quit acting like a dope."

   "You heard Kimberly; this is just like what happened back in Zedd's
citadel.  Zedd has taken away their free will," Billy explained.  He swore
softly.  "They've barely gotten over the last time, and now this . . .  !"

   "Could they really lose their powers?" Adam inquired.

   "Teenagers were selected to receive the power because of their purity of
body.  Carnal knowledge has an adverse effect on the flow of power. 
However, I have never had Rangers as powerful as you six.  Having attained
Ninja powers, your powers come from within as much as from your power
coins," Zordon replied.

   "Perhaps there will only be a slight decrease in their powers," Adam
said hopefully.

   "Why don't we return to our homes and give them some privacy," Billy
suggested.  "It's the least we can do."

   ----

   CHAPTER IV

   Tommy sat on the exam table holding Kim and stroking her hair.  Her body
was hot to the touch, yet she shivered as if cold.  He was waiting.  She
had yet to accept what he offered her.  He didn't want to press her, but he
had the sense that she didn't have a lot of time.

   "Kim?" he prompted.  She looked up at him bleakly.

   "I don't want to do this, but I don't want to die either," she finally
admitted.  Tommy kissed the top of her head.

   "It'll be all right," he said reassuringly.  He hopped down from the
exam couch, and under Kim's bewildered gaze, began pulling the pillows and
cushions off the other beds.

   "What are you doing?"

   "The beds are too narrow for both of us," he pointed out as he tossed
the bedding on the floor.  "I'm just trying to make the best of this." He
arranged them as best he could into a comfortable circle.  Then, he looked
back at Kim and smiled sheepishly.  "It's not exactly what either of us
envisioned in our fantasies, but it'll do.  Hey, Kim, don't . . . ." He
hurried back to the bed as new tears formed in Kim's eyes.

   "I'm sorry; it's just that I'm really scared," Kim murmured, wiping her
eyes.  "It's taking everything I have not to rip your clothes off and jump
you right now.  I'm afraid of letting go."

   "You're not going to be able to hold back forever; you have to let go
sooner or later."

   "I know."

   "If it helps any, I'm kind of scared too."

   "You are?"

   "Just like I was the first time I asked you out.  I mean, playing around
in a fantasy is one thing, but this is for real.  I just want to make it
good for you in spite of everything."

   "Oh God, Tommy, I don't even know where to start."

   "Why don't we try to get you to relax a little," Tommy suggested.  He
lifted Kimberly off the bed then knelt down on the assorted cushions and
held his hand out to her in invitation.  Tentatively, she accepted it and
stepped onto the bedding with him.  She started to remove the top sheet
that she had wrapped around herself, but Tommy bid her to stop.  "There'll
be plenty of time for that later.  Right now, I want you to close your eyes
and listen to the sound of my voice.  Let your mind drift." Tommy began by
massaging her temples while he softly chanted a meditation mantra.  It was
one he had learned from his sensei; he had always found it helpful in
finding inner tranquility.

   Kim did as Tommy requested, closing her eyes and listening to his voice.
She loved his voice, so rich and gentle.  It made her think of his
eyes--warm and brown, kind, soothing.  She let herself be wrapped in the
soft, velvety tones and was transported beyond her aching, fevered body. 
She found herself surrounded by amber light which warmed her, and she felt
something caress her skin.  It was cool and satiny smooth; it both aroused
and relaxed.  Kim felt her muscles tighten in anticipation.

   "Easy, Kim.  Just relax." Tommy's voice floated to her as if from a
distance.

   "What is that?  Is it satin?"

   "Sure.  Let it soothe the tension in your body."

   The cloth fluttered across her skin like the whisper of a breeze.  Its
silken kiss felt so good.  Kim tried to picture the material; it was warm
and brown, like Tommy's eyes.  Kim smiled indulgently and let herself melt
into the cushions, losing herself in a fantasy of warm light and chocolate
caresses.  For fantasy it was.

   In the cold, harsh glare of the infirmary lights, Tommy knelt beside Kim
continuing his chanting as he expanded his massage.  The silken cloth was
only his fingers lightly brushing her hot flesh.  He smiled as he perceived
her fantasy.  It was better for the moment if she did not associate the
sensations she was experiencing with what he was doing.  Perhaps in that
way, she would remain calmer and in control longer, maybe even enjoy some
of what was to come.  He smoothed his hands over her shoulders and down her
sheet covered chest; he thought it best if he didn't start on her bare
flesh right away.  He wanted to take his time with her, and he knew if he
saw her naked again, he wouldn't be able to hold back.  His hand slid down
her hips, and he folded the sheet back to gently rub her legs.  Even with
the safety of the sheet, he was becoming quite aroused, and so was she as
was evident by the wet spot on the sheet where it had become wedged between
her legs.

   While Kim reveled in her vision of satin, Tommy stripped off his pajamas
and underwear, which he immediately regretted.  It was freezing in the
infirmary.  He glanced up at the control consoles and frowned.  He should
have thought to ask Billy what was what before he had left.  Sighing
exasperatedly, Tommy unfastened his communicator and then smiled as the
solution hit him.

   "Alpha," he whispered into the transceiver, "do me a favor.  Dim the
lights and turn up the heat in the infirmary.  Thanks." He signed off
before Alpha could acknowledge, but shortly thereafter the lights faded
almost to black.

   "Mm!" Kim purred, drawing Tommy's attention back to her.

   "How did that feel, Princess?"

   "Wonderful."

   "Would you like to feel some more wonderfulness?"

   "Uh huh!"

   Tommy sat back to think, at a loss as to what to do next.  What were
some of the things he had fantasized about doing to her?  What were some of
the things she had wanted him to do to her?  He had to be careful.  In her
present mood, Kim was teetering on the brink; it wouldn't take much for her
to lose control.  What was something Kim really liked?  Thinking to
continue the massage, Tommy gently urged her to roll over.

   As Kim did so, her sheet came loose.  Tommy started to replace it but
stopped, gazing on her gorgeous behind.  Her back arched just right,
swelling into the curve of her ass, which rounded nicely into the tops of
her thighs.  Her cheeks were a creamy color, and Tommy wanted to reach out
and touch them.  He wondered if they felt as soft as they looked.  Tommy
sat back, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.  Kim wasn't the only one
having a difficult time trying to stay in control.  It was all he could do
to keep from running his tongue down her spine and the crack of her ass.

   Not yet, he schooled himself.  Give Kim a little more time to try and
enjoy what she can.  Tommy knew if he touched her, there would be no
stopping him, but he had an idea.

   She really got off on my hair!

   Tommy shook his hair down, then he bent his head over her back until his
hair brushed her skin.  He carefully drew it across her shoulders and down
her spine.  He squeezed his eyes shut as he dusted the strands across her
ass.

   "Oh!  what's that?" Kim gasped as Tommy continued teasing her with his
hair.  He brushed his way down her legs then back up again.  "It's so
incredibly soft!"

   "What do you want it to be?"

   "I don't care; just do it some more." As Tommy started another pass, Kim
rolled over.  Suddenly, millimeters were all that separated him from her
heaving breasts.  It took all his self-control for him to hold back and let
his hair do the work.  Kim moaned deeply and stretched out.  It was a
devastatingly sinuous move.  It was more than Tommy could bear.

   "I want you to imagine that you're laying naked on the sand at the
beach. You're near the water's edge, and the warm water is gently washing
over you.  There's a breeze blowing across your body . . . ." he prompted
as he blew gently across her skin.  She shivered in delight.  Beginning
with her toes, Tommy licked his way up her left leg, then repeated the
procedure with her right.  He paused as he ventured up her inner thighs; he
inhaled deeply of the scent of her sex.  He couldn't wait to taste her, but
that would come shortly.  Kim gave a whimper as the "waves" ceased lapping
at her body, so Tommy resumed the tongue bath.  His tongue left a trail of
wetness up her stomach and between her breasts.

   Her breasts were Tommy's undoing.  He had taken a quick taste and found
that it wasn't enough.  He leisurely licked the soft mound and teased her
nipple with his tongue.  He delighted in the feel of her hardness as it
swelled against his tongue.  A tremor shook her body as he closed his mouth
over her other breast to repeat the procedure.

   "The flames, Tommy . . . ." Kim whimpered suddenly.  Tommy became aware
of the heat and tension in her body.

   "There are no flames, Kim; just waves," he said, trying to reinforce the
fantasy.  "Only waves that make you feel good."

   "The waves are on fire," Kim murmured.

   Tommy heard the edge in her voice and wanted to kick himself for rushing
things.  If he could somehow blunt the edge of her desire . . . .  Tommy
slid his hands over her still glistening breasts, down her taut, heaving
abdomen to her hips which were grinding out her need, slowly at first then
with greater urgency.  Tommy positioned himself between her legs.  He could
feel them tremble as he parted her thighs.  He lightly ran his finger along
the swollen, fleshy lips.  His fingers remembered her pussy, but this was a
new sight for his eyes.  He examined her slit with a mixture of puzzlement,
excitement, and hunger.  His finger sought out the knob of her clitoris and
slowly encircled it.

   "Tommy!" Kim yelped, throwing herself up off the cushions, her hips
thrusting forward in desperation.  Tommy inserted a finger into her vagina.
He gasped as her muscles contracted.  So hot!  So tight!  He couldn't wait
to bury his cock inside her.  Kim began working herself against his digit,
whimpering and moaning in frustration.  Tommy finally had to pull his
finger free; it was covered with Kim's juices.  Curious, Tommy slipped it
into his mouth.  The results were inconclusive; he'd have to try a taste
directly from the source.  He lowered his mouth to her pussy and gave an
experimental lick.

   "Yes!" Kim all but growled as his tongue swirled around her clit and
danced along the length of her slit.  All pretense at fantasy was gone. 
The only thing that mattered was the pleasure bubbling within her like
molten lava just waiting to erupt.  Kim had never experienced anything that
felt so good.  Tommy's tongue between her legs was so soft and warm.  It
touched her in all the right places it seemed.  She couldn't get enough of
it.  She pressed Tommy's face deeper.  She bucked her hips, grinding
herself against his chin.  She was so close!  Why couldn't he lick faster,
harder?  It was almost too much for her to take.

   The fire was burning hotter, coming closer.  It threatened to consume
her.  In the midst of the inferno was another fire that seemed to
obliterate everything it touched.  It didn't hurt.  It felt good--too good.
Kim reached out to embrace it; it was beating back the black fire which
licked at her body.  It felt so good, and it kept growing and growing . . .
.

   Tommy concentrated on eating Kim out, his tongue trying not to lose one
drop of her succulent juices.  Even so, he was aware of the changes in her
body, its greater need.  She was writhing so frenetically, he had to grab
her ass and hold on for dear life as she rode his face.  He could see the
fire in her mind, see the pleasure as it drove back the pain.  He licked
harder and faster, and Kim responded.  The fiery field in her mind exploded
in a shower of white hot flames, and her body thrashed about as her orgasm
hit.  She screamed.  She cried.  She laughed as her body was awash with
ecstasy.  Her legs clamped tightly about his head as the waves of pleasure
crashed through her.

   "Ohgodohgodohgod," she gasped between sobs as the intensity of the
moment began to ebb.  She released her grip on Tommy.  He came up for air,
wiping her come from his chin, which sent a shiver running through her. 
Tommy smiled broadly.  For a moment, Kim was disoriented, almost
lightheaded; when she regained her equilibrium she realized that Tommy was
naked and sporting a raging hard-on.

   "Man, that was fantastic," he murmured appreciatively.

   "It felt pretty good . . .  ugh!" Kim doubled over.

   The black flames were back, hotter than before.  Tommy could almost see
them dancing in her eyes.  He hadn't blunted the edge of her desire; he had
provoked it.  Slow and easy wasn't going to work, at least not at first.

   "It hurts even more, Tommy," Kim moaned.

   "I know; I thought we could take it easy, but we can't.  You're too far
gone.  Kim, you're going to have to let go and do whatever you have to
until we can beat this back."

   "It felt so good when you touched me," Kim said thickly.

   "It felt good to touch you finally," he confessed.

   "And when I came, the flames went away for a little while."

   "We have to keep at it until those flames are extinguished."

   "You really want me to let go?"

   "You have to.  It'll be all right.  Don't be scared.  You take what you
need; I'll give you whatever I can."

   Kim sat crouched across from him; Tommy stared at her intently.  She
bowed her head, and Tommy could see her body relax.  He hadn't realized how
desperately she had been fighting back the tide of the fire raging within
her.  A tremor rippled through her.  When she looked back up at him, he
barely recognized her.  Her eyes were alight with a fiery, passionate
hunger.  The tortured expression was gone, replaced by predatory lust.  It
was enough to send chills down his spine.

   "I want you now," Kim growled as she crawled over to him.  She pounced
on him, flattening him on the cushions.  She drew her hands down his body,
her fingernails leaving faint red trails.  Her eyes were completely glazed
over with her need.  She sought out those areas of his body that she knew
would bring him pleasure once stimulated.  She roughly licked his nipples.
She chewed on his earlobes.  She forced her tongue deep into his mouth. 
However, she quickly dispensed with these other diversions and settled her
gaze on his throbbing cock.

   It was Tommy's turn to whimper as her hands roughly handled his shaft.
The whimper became a moan as Kim licked her lips as she fondled his cock.
She was seemingly mesmerized by the way it pulsed in her hand.  With
surprising ferocity, she sucked him deep into her throat.  Her tongue and
teeth attacked his cock, driving him wild.  It was a savage blow job, and
Tommy was helpless to do anything but enjoy it.  It had been six long
months since he had felt the wonders of her mouth.  Her mouth and tongue
were better than he remembered them.  His body was alight with his own
fiery lust.  He wanted her as desperately as he had when she danced for
him.

   Kim tore her mouth away from his cock.  The urge to suck him dry was
almost overpowering.  She had a better use for his cock.  Still, she
lavishly caressed her face with his tool, licking and kissing it.  His sigh
of regret matched her own as she slid her body along his.  She stared at
him, holding his gaze with hers.  She was past regret for what was to come;
the only feeling she had room for was her hunger for Tommy's body.  She
straddled his hips, rubbing his cock against her burning cunt.  How she
wanted him!  The fire roared within her deafeningly.  She put her hands
over her ears and squeezed her eyelids shut as if to somehow block it out.
She couldn't take it any more!

   Kim grabbed Tommy's face and devoured his mouth.  Meanwhile, her fingers
lost themselves in his beautiful, long hair.

   "I need your cock in me now," she groaned, coming up from the kiss.  As
she looked in his eyes, she saw her fear reflected back at her.  "God, I
want to fuck you!"

   "Do it," Tommy gasped, his body also poised on the brink of the fire. 
Kim reached for his cock, holding it steady, the head resting at the
entrance to her vagina.  She all but impaled herself, coming down hard,
shrieking with joy and agony.

   As his cock disappeared into Kim's body, Tommy's mind was filled with
the image of a white hot knife ripping through his body.  The pain was
sharp but quickly replaced by the scorching heat of desire.  These were
Kim's feelings and images as his cock tore through her maidenhead.  As for
his own feelings, he had never experienced anything so tight, so soft, or
so hot and wet.  Her body closed around him like a glove.  It was awesome,
and he damn near shot his load right then and there.  As Kim began riding
his cock, it reminded Tommy of her mouth only a thousand times more
intense.

   He gasped and opened his eyes.  Kim's eyes were tightly shut, and her
expression was an exquisite mixture of agony and ecstasy.  He was held
spellbound as he watched her work herself up and down his cock.  He could
feel her pleasure and pain at the back of his mind, and a little knife of
guilt stabbed at him.  The only sensation he was aware of was how
incredible her pussy felt wrapped around his cock.  Her every movement sent
sweet fire racing through his body.  There was no pain, only pleasure. 
Watching his rod slip in and out of her hot hole, watching as her body
undulated as she rode him--the way her abdomen rippled, the way her breasts
bounced--watching her head bob up and down and the way her hair whipped
about wildly all had Tommy moaning in unrestrained delight.  It was almost
too much for him.  He wouldn't be able to hold out for very long.  Already
he could feel the tightening in his balls.  He could almost feel the come
rising in his cock.  He needed to get Kim off again, and quickly.

   "That's it, Kim," he said between gasps.  She was riding him hard, but
she wasn't even close.  There had to be something he could do to spur her
on, then he recalled how much it had excited him when she had talked dirty
to him back when she had been the Power Slut.  He wondered if that might
work, but he had never talked to any one like that in his life.

   "Ride me hard," he urged as he thrust his hips to meet her bottom.  "You
want to come, don't you Kim?"

   "Uh huh," she moaned.

   "Then fuck me," Tommy commanded.  The words came so easily, and there
was something deliciously liberating in talking to her like this.  He had
to keep pushing her, get her over the edge before he lost it too.  "Harder,
Kim; fuck me harder.  You know you want to.  I can feel your tight little
pussy squeezing me.  Squeeze every last drop of come out of my cock, Kim."
She was starting to work him harder, literally bouncing on his pole.  Tommy
held her ass cheeks and helped as much as he could.

   "You're so close.  I bet you could come if I played with your tits, but
I can't reach them.  Play with your tits for me, Kim.  Fondle them. 
Squeeze them.  Pinch those hard little nipples.  That's it.  Roll them
between your fingers." To Tommy's absolute astonishment, she did as he
asked.  He hadn't thought she would.  It was mind blowing to see her play
with herself.  He swallowed hard as Kim tugged at her nipples; her
expression was awesome: ravenously hungry and positively euphoric.  Kim was
really getting into what she was doing.  She was moaning loudly, gasping
for breath.  Her vagina's grip on his cock was almost painful.  Another few
strokes, and he'd lose it.

   "Fuck me harder, Kim.  Slam that pussy of yours into my hips.  Grind me
but good!  Man, that feels awesome.  You want to come, don't you?"

   "Yes!"

   "You want to fuck me, don't you?"

   "Yes!"

   "You want me to fuck you."

   "Oh, yes!"

   "Say it, Kim.  Beg me to fuck you; beg me to make you come."

   "Please, Tommy!  I'm so close.  Fuck me, Tommy; fuck me hard!" Kim all
but growled.  She was delirious with her need to come, but her body was
losing steam.

   "Good girl, Kim.  A little more.  Your clit's begging to be played with,
isn't it?"

   "Uh huh."

   "Play with your clit for me.  I want to see you play with yourself while
I fuck you."

   Kim's hand slid between her legs and found her pleasure button.  She
began working it hard, and Tommy lost it.  His body spasmed as he filled
Kim's vagina with his semen.  His body rocked underneath Kim's gyrating
form.  Her building moans were almost lost in his shouts.  It was the most
intense orgasm Tommy had ever had.  His whole body quivered as the last of
his come pumped forth.  He all but collapsed on the cushions.  His hair was
plastered to his face with sweat; he brushed it out of his eyes.  Kim was
still playing with herself.  His softening cock was forced out of her pussy
by the pressure exerted by those velvety walls.  Kim stopped bouncing
suddenly.  She knelt up.  Her muscles tensed, and her back arched.  She
opened her mouth as if to say something, but all that came out was a
soundless scream.  Her hand furiously worked her clit as her body shook
with her orgasm.  She humped her hand, and her head thrashed from side to
side as the last of the wave of ecstasy dissipated.

   Breathing heavily, Kim knelt above Tommy, looking down at him.  She
appeared as exhausted as he felt.  Her body was drenched in sweat; her hair
stuck to her body as Tommy's had stuck to his.  Her limbs still trembled,
but her eyes were no longer as wild.  She looked lost.

   "Tommy?" she murmured weakly

   "It's over for now, Kim," he said heavily.  At his words, her body went
limp, and she collapsed on top of him.

   ----

   CHAPTER V

   The Campbells were sitting down to lunch.  Kimberly was still absent,
and Aisha just picked at her food.

   "Where's Kim?" Mrs.  Campbell wondered.  "We haven't seen her all
morning."

   "She's with Tommy," Aisha replied noncommittally.

   "She was gone before breakfast," her father commented.  "I thought she
wasn't feeling well."

   "She felt better, and Tommy invited her to join him for a run in the
park.  They haven't really had a chance to spend any quality time together
in a while." Aisha felt sick inside having to be evasive with her parents.
She had always been honest with them, but there was no way she could tell
them the truth.

   "I don't know, dear.  Kim and Tommy have been spending an awful lot of
time together lately."

   "Kim is leaving at the end of the school year; they're not going to have
many chances to see each other after that."

   "I know I'm not her mother, but I am concerned.  For a high school
crush, they're awfully serious."

   "It's more than a high school crush, Mom.  They really love each other.
They're talking about having a future together."

   "Aisha, rarely do high school sweethearts get married.  Once they go
their separate ways to college . . .  they are planning on going to
college, aren't they?  It would be such a waste if they weren't.  They're
both bright young people," Mr.  Campbell said.

   "I know Kim is planning on going to school, but whether here or in Paris
I don't know.  I don't think she knows.  Tommy's grand ambition is to have
his own do-jo and be a martial arts instructor.  He'd be great at that.  He
has the skill and really enjoys working with kids."

   "I'm afraid they're getting too serious too quickly," Mrs.  Campbell
continued.

   "There's a lot of stuff between them, Mom.  Their relationship is
solid." Aisha turned her attention to stirring her food around her plate.
"Girls with high school crushes don't generally give their lives for their
boyfriends." The last was muttered under her breath and was not meant for
her parents' ears, but they heard it nonetheless.

   "What do you mean by that?" Mr.  Campbell asked sharply.

   Aisha took a deep breath before answering.  "There was more to that
business at the end of the school year than Kim and Tommy let on.  I think
they only told us guys and their parents.  Tommy was hurt, bad.  You've
seen that winged goon Goldar on the news, haven't you?"

   "Yes.m"

   "Well, he was beating the stuffings out of Tommy, and since Tommy was
manacled, he didn't stand a chance.  Kim tried to distract Goldar.  He had
an energy lance; according to Tommy the lance sucked the energy out of your
body.  Goldar threw the lance at Tommy, trying to spear him, but Kim shoved
Tommy out of the way.  The lance went right through her chest."

   "Oh my God," her mom gasped.

   "Kim should have died.  It was a miracle that the Rangers were able to
save her."

   Aisha withdrew into herself, and her parents respected her silence.  It
made Aisha sick to think that her best friend was close to death for a
second time, and there was nothing she could do but wait.  Tommy had to
cure her this time; he just had to!

   ***

   "Any word yet, Billy?"

   "Negative, Aisha."

   "This is getting frustrating!" Aisha fumed.  It was later the same
afternoon, and Aisha was unable to curb her impatience.  After her
conversation with her parents, she needed to talk to someone and called
Billy.

   "I know, but Kim was so far gone, reversing the spell may take quite
some time."

   "It just isn't fair!  Zedd's done enough to them; why did he have to do
this too?"

   "Because he delights in hurting us.  All we can do is hope that Tommy
and Kimberly are successful in surmounting this latest obstacle, proving to
Zedd that we will never be beaten."

   "Billy, my parents are starting to ask some difficult questions about
Tommy and Kim.  I wish I didn't have to beat around the bush so much.  I
told them a little more about what happened six months ago--the sanitized
version.  I wish we could tell them the truth about us so things wouldn't
be so hard now."

   "So do I, Aisha, but you know why we cannot."

   "I know.  I wouldn't want to lose my powers for anything, but Kim and
Tommy might.  What'll we do if that happens?"

   "We go on.  Just like when Zack, Jason and Trini left.  Even without
their powers, they'll still be there for us, and they'll still help out,
just like you, Rocky and Adam did at first."

   "I'm scared for them, Billy."

   "I know, Aisha, so am I."

   "Do you think we should try and get in touch with the Command Center and
see if Zordon knows anything yet?"

   "He'll contact us when he knows something."

   "I hate waiting; I almost wish we had some tengas to trash."

   From there their conversation switched to less sensitive topics.  Out in
the hall, Mrs.  Campbell frowned.  She hadn't meant to overhear her
daughter's conversation; she had merely come by at an opportune moment. 
She was puzzled and a little frightened.  Apparently, her daughter and her
friends had a secret that they dared tell no one.  But what sort of powers
could she lose?  What were some of those strange things she had mentioned?
Command Center, Zordon, tenga, Goldar, Zedd, energy transferences . . . 
and then, an idea gripped her.  It was ludicrous, but it was the only thing
that explained all the bizarre events--the strange absences, the knowing,
silent exchanges between the six friends, the lack of anxiety about the
move to Angel Grove.  Mrs.  Campbell had to give this serious
consideration.

   If she was right, and her daughter was a Power Ranger, how did she feel
about it?  She had seen the Rangers and the monsters they faced on
television.  She had always felt pride in the accomplishments of those
young people and what they stood for, but it was different knowing it was
her daughter facing those dangers and knowing that she could be hurt or
worse.  Of course, she could be jumping to conclusions, but her heart was
telling her that she was on the right track.  Which led her to the
question, what had happened to Tommy and Kimberly that could cause them to
lose their powers, and did she really want to know?

   ***

   "Billy, what are you doing here?" Zordon queried as Billy materialized
in the Command Center.  Billy was carrying a picnic hamper and an overnight
bag.

   "I brought something for Kim and Tommy to eat and some clothing as they
only have their pajamas from this morning," he explained.

   "An excellent idea.  That was very thoughtful of you."

   "Do you know how things are going?" Billy asked hesitantly.  "We're all
pretty worried."

   "I wish to respect their privacy as much as possible; however, I have
run periodic scans.  While Kimberly is out of immediate danger, the spell
is by no means broken."

   "That's something at the very least," Billy noted with relief.  "The
guys will be happy to hear this."

   "I'll teleport these bags to the infirmary," Alpha said.

   "It would be better if Billy took them to the infirmary."

   "Me?" Billy queried with a nervous squeak.

   "I sense that Tommy and Kimberly are presently asleep.  The drone of the
teleportation beam would only disturb them.  You are able to move much more
quickly and quietly than Alpha," Zordon pointed out.

   "If you're sure I won't be interrupting anything . . . ." Billy agreed,
swallowing hard.  He headed down the corridor, his stomach muscles tying
themselves in knots.  He hesitated outside the door.  This is absurd! 
Zordon just told you that they're asleep.  They won't even know you're
there.  All you have to do is drop off the bags and get out.  Thus
fortified, Billy palmed the control panel.

   The darkness and heat caught him off guard as the door slid open.  He
stepped inside, casting a furtive glance towards the examination bed.  He
was surprised to find it empty.  Then he spotted the white island in the
middle of the floor.  Tommy and Kimberly lay amid the tangle of sheets,
their bodies unusually dark against the white linens.  The two lay snuggled
in each other's arms, their coverlet revealing more than it concealed. 
There was something aesthetically pleasing in the way their bodies were
entwined.  Kimberly's head rested on Tommy's chest, poised over his heart;
her left arm was draped over his midsection, and her left leg was bent and
rested atop Tommy's legs.  Tommy had his arms wrapped about her
protectively.  Billy suddenly realized that he had never observed anything
so beautiful and so powerfully moving before.

   Or arousing, he admitted to himself with a blush as he realized that his
eyes were lingering on the line of Kim's body--the arch of her back, the
way her buttock curved, rounding into her thigh . . . .  By the tightening
in his groin, Billy knew he had stayed too long.  He gave himself a mental
shake.

   You're here to deliver food and clothing, not gawk.

   Billy wanted to leave the containers some place where Tommy and Kimberly
would easily find them.  He decided that the examination table was the most
likely spot.  He circled the makeshift bed, moving as silently as his
spirit animal.  However, as he reached the bed, he heard movement behind
him.  He spun around.  Kimberly was stirring, and she was facing his
direction!  In a panic, he ducked behind the exam table.  He heard Kimberly
utter a very sexy, "Mm!" Billy tried to activate the teleportation
mechanism on his communicator, but the button was jammed.  He couldn't
teleport, and with Kimberly awake, how was he going to get out of the
infirmary undetected?

   "Ooh, Tommy, you are sooo gorgeous!" Kim murmured, her smile of
satisfaction evident to Billy in her tone.  He was breathing heavily as he
pressed himself up against the metal bed frame.

   Don't you look.  Don't you dare look!  Billy, however, could not help
but sneak a peek.  He tried to convince himself that it was only to gauge
how much of the infirmary was in Kimberly's line of sight.  Kim's back was
to the door, but if Billy tried to move, she would undoubtedly see him.

   Kimberly sat up and stretched out, providing Billy with a clear view of
her full, softly rounded breasts.  The sight made his mouth go dry.  Her
eyelids were at half mast, and her smile filthy cute as she lifted her hair
off the nape of her neck.  Kim then stretched herself out over Tommy's body
and began planting a trail of kisses from his lips to his chest and
stomach, but she didn't stop there.  Billy's breath caught in his throat as
she continued lower.  She licked her lips and emitted a hungry growl as she
contemplated Tommy's cock.  She looked up briefly; for a moment Billy
thought she might have seen him.  Her smile sent shivers down his spine. 
It was one of pure lust.  Kim savagely swallowed Tommy's shaft.

   Billy pulled back, his eyes tightly closed.  However, the sounds of her
sucking and slurping and her obvious enjoyment were too much for him.  When
he peered around again, Kim's eyes were shut but she wore the most blissful
expression Billy had ever seen.  He watched mesmerized as she, with
rapturous delight, bathed Tommy's cock with her tongue, her lips slowly
sliding over the hard flesh.  Billy could hardly refrain from reaching for
his own fully engorged anatomy.  Tommy suddenly groaned, which severed the
spell Kim's blow job held him under.

   "What a way to wake a fella up," Tommy teased.  Billy wanted to swear,
doubly frustrated by his arousal and by the fact that Tommy was awake and
facing the doorway.

   "I'm glad you liked it," Kim giggled drunkenly.  There was a lengthy
pause, but Billy didn't dare try to look now.

   "How are you doing, Princess?" Tommy murmured.

   "It still hurts, Tommy," Kim whimpered.  Billy could hear her tears in
her words, and it made his heart ache.  "More, please?" Billy had never
heard supplication sound more scintillating or more desperate.  He needed
to get out of the infirmary now.  A quick glance revealed that Tommy had
taken Kimberly in his arms.  Billy seized the moment to crawl towards the
bank of medical computers.  There was still a lot of room to cross, and he
still couldn't get to the door undetected, but at least he wasn't in
Kimberly's line of sight.

   "How do you want to do it this time?" Tommy queried.

   "I want you to make love to me," Kim responded softly.  "Like you did in
my fantasy.  I want to savor the way your hands feel on my body, the warmth
of your mouth on my breasts, and the softness of your tongue on my pussy."

   Billy had to bite his hand to keep from moaning out loud.

   "I'd like nothing better; it's all I've ever wanted to do," Tommy said,
"but do you think you can handle it?  We tried it slow earlier, and it
didn't work."

   "That was--what?  Two of your orgasms ago?  I've lost track of the times
I've come," Kim remarked (Billy's hormones were in a state of hysterics at
the thought).  "I feel like I have a little more control now.  I think I
can make it at least once.  Please, Tommy, touch me.  Make the hurting
stop."

   Tommy and Kim knelt facing each other.  Billy had an excellent view. 
Tommy reached out to touch her up-turned face; his hand drifted down to
play with her hair.  He kissed her; it was a long, slow lingering dance of
the tongues.  Then, Tommy gently eased Kimberly down onto the mattress.

   "Relax and enjoy, Beautiful," Tommy murmured, smiling at her warmly. 
Kim's eyes were aglow with love and trust.  Tommy began by dusting Kim's
entire body with his hair.  She practically melted under the whisper soft
caress.  Her sigh conveyed utter contentment.  Billy was fascinated by the
whole procedure.

   Next, Tommy skimmed his hands up Kim's legs.  He scarcely seemed to
touch her, and yet shivers shuddered through her body.  He patiently
explored the length of her body with the softest of strokes.  He seemed to
know just where to touch her to bring her the most pleasure.  Kim's sighs
became more full bodied as she vocalized the enjoyment she felt at Tommy's
touch.  Billy felt his pulse racing as he observed the quiver in Kimberly's
abdomen as Tommy's hands glided over it and the way her back arched as
Tommy's hands fluttered over her breasts.

   When Tommy started back down Kim's body, it was with his mouth.  His
tongue grazed Kim's throat, tickled the hollow, and outlined her collar
bones.  He kissed his way down her breastbone to the valley between the
swell of her bosom.  Kim reached around and guided Tommy's head to her
right breast, moaning exquisitely as Tommy's lips closed around her nipple.
As his lips and tongue pleasured her right breast, his hand sought to do
the same to her left.  He lingered a long time over the softness of her
breasts, much to Kimberly's delight.  She was moaning more deeply, and her
body was beginning to move underneath Tommy's.  That seemed to be Tommy's
cue to continue exploring other areas of her body.

   Billy held his breath in anticipation as Tommy's lips worked their way
ever closer to Kim's parted legs.  Her body seemed to offer itself to his
mouth.  Her moans were growing deeper, her pleasure and need more evident.
Tommy seemed to be oblivious to the way her body strained against his as
his tongue leisurely slipped down to Kim's brown curls.

   "Oh, please Tommy!" Kim pleaded with a throaty moan.  As Tommy's tongue
darted out for a taste of her sweet nectar, Kim gave a squeal of delight
that shattered Billy's last pretense of trying to escape.  Billy's eyes
were wide as Tommy buried his face between Kim's legs.  Her gasps and sighs
coupled with the gyrations of her body held Billy enraptured.

   The sight of her writhing body glistening with perspiration, the rise
and fall of her breasts, the thrust of her hips against Tommy's face, the
sounds . . .  the smell of sex . . .  was intoxicating, exciting Billy
beyond anything he had ever experienced.  Their movements were so vivid and
real--real people, real emotions.  No video could ever capture what he was
witnessing here; not that he had any practical experience with such
matters. As he told Trini what seemed like aeons ago, his idea of a good
time was reading a science magazine.

   "I'm coming, Tommy!" Kim gasped, drawing Billy's attention back to their
love making.  Kim's body was taut even as she ground herself more
determinedly against Tommy.  For his part, Tommy seemed to ignore her
mounting ferocity, keeping his movements controlled and deliberately slow.
Tommy didn't answer her.  He kept on licking, however he grabbed hold of
her buttocks more firmly.  Kim placed the palm of her hand on the back of
his head and pressed him even closer.

   "Yes!" she shrieked, her climax finally cresting.  Billy was breathless
as she rode Tommy's face, her body arching off the cushions and snapping
back down with the power of her orgasm.  His hand stroked his throbbing
cock through his jeans.  Kim fell back suddenly, gasping for air.  Tommy
emerged from between her legs, his face coated with her thick white fluid.
As her body continued to tremble in the throes of ecstasy, he raised
himself up and slowly introduced his cock into her pussy.  Kim emitted
another of those enticing squeals as Tommy pumped his hips forward.  Kim
wrapped her arms around Tommy's neck and kissed him.  Her fingers played
with his hair, and her lips sought out his ears, nibbling at his lobes then
venturing further south to kiss his neck.

   Tommy maintained a steady rhythm with his strokes, pulling almost all
the way out very slowly, then snapping forward rapidly.  Kim gasped with
every stroke.  She seemed to enjoy the leisurely pace, but her body still
trembled.  Her hips began thrusting forward with greater urgency, and her
moans were becoming muted whimpers.

   "Tommy, I'm losing it . . . ." she gasped, a note of fear creeping into
her voice.

   "Just a little bit longer; you can do it," Tommy encouraged.

   Billy held his breath.  Kim's words disintegrated into inarticulate
growls.  Tommy increased the rate of his thrusts.  Kim's hands tried to
find a purchase on Tommy's sweat-slick back; she finally dug her fingers
into the cheeks of his ass.  Their bodies rocked together at a frantic
pace; if they didn't achieve their climax soon, Billy was afraid they would
collapse.  Just as he was about to give up, Kim cut loose with a joyous
shout, which Tommy swiftly smothered with a kiss.  She continued to ride
his cock throughout her orgasm.  Tommy's face betrayed an enticing mixture
of agony and ecstasy.  Billy sat back with the realization that he had come
too.

   "Tommy, you didn't come," Kim whimpered with breathless disappointment.

   How could he not have, Billy wondered.

   "We've done it so many times, that it takes me longer," Tommy panted. 
"How did you like that?"

   "That was terrific, but I'd have liked it better if you'd have come,"
Kim pouted.  Her statement was punctuated by a sharp intake of breath and a
stab of pain.  Her suffering snapped Billy to his senses.  When he peered
around the corner again, Kim was doubled over.

   "Tommy . . . ." Kim's voice oscillaed between a deep and dangerous growl
and a frightened whimper.

   "See, it's a good thing I didn't come yet," Tommy teased gently, but he
quickly became serious.  "Don't hold back."

   "Damn it, Tommy!" Kim swore.  "I hate this, but I need your cock so
badly!  I need your come inside me.  Make the flames go away!"

   Tommy took a deep breath; Billy could perceive signs of strain and
exhaustion in his carriage.  The glow of lustful hunger in Kimberly's eyes
reminded Billy that there was a life or death motivation behind their
actions.  He had witnessed the beauty of their emotions, but those emotions
had to take second place to the needs of the body.  They were making love
not so much as an expression of their affection for one another but because
they had no choice.

   Kim pounced on Tommy, knocking him to the mat.  She prepared to straddle
his still hard cock when she paused, a wicked gleam dancing in her eyes. 
She quickly pulled Tommy up then knelt with her ass in the air and her face
pressed to the mat.  She wiggled her behind in invitation.

   "Come and take me, Tommy.  I know you like it this way.  You like
watching my ass as you fuck me, don't you?  You like to stroke it and play
with it as you pound your cock into my hot, wet pussy.  I bet you wish you
could fuck it, don't you." She smiled back at him predatorially, licking
her lips.

   Tommy quickly positioned himself behind her.  With a single, sharp
thrust he buried his cock deep within her, his hips slapping against her
cheeks loudly.

   "Ooh, yes!" Kim growled as she rammed her hips back to meet his strokes.
"I love it when you shove that cock of yours in so deep!  Come on, fuck me
nice and hard!" She bent forward even further, so that her face was pressed
into the pillows.  Her hands clenched the cushion tightly.  Her smile sent
shivers down Billy's spine, and once again he had the uncomfortable feeling
that Kimberly knew he was there.  Teleportation effect be damned!  He had
to get out of there.  Billy fiddled with the control on his communicator.
Finally he was able to activate the mechanism, and Billy teleported home,
wanting a cold shower and clean underwear.

   ----

   CHAPTER VI

   "Curse that infernal do-gooder Zordon!" Zedd fumed.

   "What's eating you now?" Rita asked boredly.

   "He's surrounded the Command Center with a signal scrambler; I can't
pierce it to see what those Power Brats are doing."

   "Kim and Tommy?  Why do you want to see what they're doing?"

   "You can't appreciate the exquisite torment they must be going through
as they try to save Kimberly's precious life," Zedd murmured, practically
salivating.  He did not want Rita to know of the pleasure he derived from
watching the pair's amorous activities.  The thought of them fornicating
had his blood simmering, causing his visor to fog up.

   "Instead of whining about not having a good view, why don't we take
advantage of the fact that they're shy two Rangers to crush those miserable
pests," Rita suggested.

   "An excellent idea, and I believe I have the perfect instrument for
their destruction!" Zedd produced one of the toys left over from Kim and
Tommy's previous stay.  Rita snatched the slender, golden object and
inspected it suspiciously.

   "Is that what I think it is?" she queried.  "Where did you get that?"

   "Kimberly used it on Tommy during their stay here."

   "You still haven't told me what that was all about."

   "Later." Zedd aimed his staff at the device, using his magic to bring it
to life.  "We shall send Vy-Brator to Earth to shake things up a bit!"

   ***

   "They've been at it for over twenty-four hours," Rocky burst out.  He,
Adam and Billy were to meet Aisha in the park, ostensibly to do homework,
but none of them could concentrate on their school work.  Aisha still
hadn't arrived yet.  "You'd think Kim would be cured by now."

   "The spell had a month to build up force," Adam reminded him. 
"Something with that much momentum behind it will not be easy to break."

   "The fact that her fever had come down a few degrees and that she had
marginal control by yesterday evening is a good sign," Billy reminded them.
He was still dealing with his guilt for having watched Kimberly and Tommy.
He had relived the scene over and over in his dreams last night, leaving
him in an extraordinarily high state of hormonal agitation.

   "Man, can you imagine what it must be like to have sex for twenty-four
hours straight?" Rocky continued.

   "You can't even imagine what it would be like for twenty-four minutes,"
Adam jibed.

   "My guess would be exhausting," Billy remarked.  "Any strenuous physical
activity engaged in over a prolonged period of time would seriously deplete
the body's stores of energy." Rocky and Adam exchanged puzzled glances,
finding Billy unusually vebose.  He only got wordy when excited or
unusually distracted.

   "Hey guys," Aisha called out as she wandered over.

   "What's wrong, Aisha?" Adam queried, noting her troubled expression. 
"Have you heard anything more on Tommy and Kim?"

   "No, but we may have a bigger problem.  I think my mom has found out
about us being Power Rangers."

   "What?"

   "How . . .  ?"

   "Yesterday morning, she was wondering where Kim was at lunch time and
was all concerned about Kim and Tommy spending too much time together. 
Last night, she didn't say two words about Kim's absence at dinner.  When I
tried to bring it up, she said, 'You can't expect young people with so much
responsibility to keep regular hours.  Kim will be home when she is able.'
And she hasn't said a word about the fact Kim was gone all night."

   "That's too weird," Adam commented.

   "Tell me about it.  When Mom thought I'd gone up to bed, she went to the
family room and started digging through old newspapers and magazines. 
Every one she looked through had the Power Rangers on the cover or in the
headlines."

   "Uh oh," Rocky muttered.

   "I suggest we consult Zordon about this," Billy said.  The four
teleported; however, when they arrived in the Command Center, the alarm was
going off, and everything was shaking.

   "What's going on?  An earthquake?" Rocky queried as he was knocked to
the floor by the vibrations.  The others also had to pick themselves up.

   "Lord Zedd has sent another monster," Alpha ay-yi-yied.

   "Behold the viewing globe," Zordon directed.  "This is Lord Zedd's
latest creation: Vy-Brator."

   The Rangers looked but couldn't believe their eyes.

   "No, he couldn't have . . . ."

   "He didn't . . . .  "

   "That looks like a . . . .  "

   "A giant vibrator!" Rocky burst out laughing.

   "That is really sick," Aisha muttered.

   "This is no laughing matter," Alpha scolded Rocky.

   "Alpha is correct.  Vy-Brator has the power to create earthquakes.  If
he is not stopped, he could very well level all of Angel Grove." Even as
Zordon spoke, Vy-Brator struck.  A stamp of his foot created minor
trembling.  He found a construction site, and inserted his head into one of
the large drainage pipes; the resulting tremor leveled the site.  The
Rangers were as grim as their mentor, except for Rocky who was trying his
best to contain his mirth.

   "What's so funny?" Adam wondered.

   "Think about it.  Zedd first turns Kim into Power Slut and sics her on
Tommy.  Then he tries to destroy their powers by forcing them to have sex.
Now he sends a giant sex toy to destroy Angel Grove.  He must not be
getting any!  If Rita would put out, maybe Zedd would leave us alone!"

   "That's gross!" Aisha snorted.

   "Come on, guys; it's morphin' time," Billy interjected.  The four
quickly transformed and teleported to the west side of the city.  Vy-Brator
was working his way towards the school district.

   "Ah, Power Rangers!  It gives me such pleasure to see that there are
only four of you.  I shall enjoy shaking your precious city down around
you!" Vy-Brator gloated.

   "We'll see about that, you overgrown dildo," Rocky shouted.

   "This has to be the most embarrassing monster we've ever had to fight,"
Adam complained.

   "What will my mother think of her daughter kicking a vibrator's butt?"
Aisha moaned as the four charged at the monster.  Vy-Brator leveled them
with a touch of his golden tip to the ground.

   "Thank goodness Angel Grove does not lie on a major fault line," Billy
observed.  "Perhaps the zords' stabilizers will enable us to keep our
footing."

   "But will Tommy and Kimberly's zords function?" Adam asked.

   "Zordon can route their controls through the other zords," Billy said,
"and if that doesn't work, we'll just have to use the zords independently."


   "We need Ninja Zord Power!"

   ***

   "They think I'm frustrated!" Zedd fumed.  Fortunately, Rita was not in
the throne room.  "I'll show them frustrated." He powered up his staff and
sent a bolt of magic to Earth to make his monster grow.  However, the bolt
bounced off uselessly.

   "What now?" Zedd rumbled with growing annoyance.  "Of course, Vy-Brator
is emitting a frequency that deflects my magic.  I'll just have to do this
the old-fashioned way.  Goldar!"

   "Yes, master?"

   "Take Rita's staff to Earth and make Vy-Brator grow.  Be sure to touch
him with the staff to ensure the magic doesn't bounce off.  Then help him
defeat those Power Pipsqueaks.  Without the White and Pink Rangers, they
should fall easily."

   "As you wish, master."

   "Curse those Rangers!  I don't want my wife to put out.  The thought of
seeing what's under that gown of hers gives me the willies," Zedd muttered
with a shiver.

   ***

   "Guys, we are getting our asses royally . . . ."

   "Don't say it, Rocky!"

   ". . .  kicked by a 335 foot vibrator."

   "We could sure use Kim and Tommy's help," Adam said.  "We're having
enough trouble operating the Ninja Zord without having to control the other
two zords by remote control."

   "What about calling Ninjor?" Aisha asked.

   "Zordon has tried, but Vy-Brator is emitting a powerful jamming signal.
We can't punch through it," Billy replied.

   "Now what?"

   "Let me go back to the Command Center and see if maybe Tommy and
Kimberly are finished.  The sooner we know if they have their powers, the
sooner we can formulate a plan of attack."

   "Don't be gone too long, Billy; we were barely hanging on with four of
us," Aisha reminded him.  Billy flashed her a thumbs up then teleported to
the Command Center.

   He materialized just outside the infirmary; the door was still open.  He
had forgotten to close it when he visited yesterday.  As he paused in the
doorway, he removed his helmet.  By the sounds of it, Kim and Tommy were
still going at it.  He felt the heat in his cheeks.  He waited a few
moments to see if they were close to finishing.  It wasn't a long wait.  He
heard their moans as they climaxed and heard their bodies hit the floor. 
Both were breathing very hard.  When Billy peered around the corner, they
looked exhausted and were barely moving.  His heart went out to the two of
them.

   "Tommy?" Kim mumbled in a tiny voice.

   "No more, Kim, please," Tommy begged.  Billy never heard Tommy's voice
sound so desperate before.  "I don't think I have anything left right now."


   "I'm sorry," Kim said with a sniffle.

   "Don't cry.  I didn't mean to snap."

   "I can't help it!  I'm tired and sore; I feel filthy inside and out . .
. ."

   "How's your fever?"

   "Fuck my fever!" Kim screamed.  She buried her face in her hands and
sobbed uncontrollably.  Tommy gathered her into his arms.  "I'm sorry,
Tommy.  I didn't mean that."

   "I know.  We're both pretty wasted right now."

   "Just hold me for a little while, okay?"

   Billy pulled back from the doorway.  Finished or not, Tommy was in no
shape to fight.  Billy was tempted to leave without saying anything, but
they had to know: did Tommy and Kimberly still have their powers?  He was
drawn back to the door as Kimberly's tears began to subside.

   "Tommy?"

   "Yes."

   "There aren't any flames.  I can't feel any burning."

   "Thank God!" Tommy's exclamation was almost a sob.

   "Thanks, Tommy." Kim could barely keep her eyes open.

   "Sh, don't mention it.  You get some rest," he instructed; however,
Kimberly was already out.  Tommy was tempted to leave her on the floor, but
if Zordon was going to need to do a bio-scan to determine if the spell was
really broken, she would need to be up on the exam bed.  Tommy tried to
gather her up, but he didn't have the energy.

   "Allow me," Billy said, announcing his presence.  He had been unable to
stand by any longer.  Unable to catch his breath, Tommy merely nodded. 
Billy wrapped Kim up in a sheet and lifted her limp body.  He laid her down
on the examination table then snatched another cover off the floor and
draped it over her.

   "What's up?" Tommy queried.  He was trying to get to his feet, but his
legs didn't seem to want to support him.

   "Lord Zedd has sent a monster which can create earthquakes," Billy
explained as he helped Tommy up.  He couldn't bring himself to tell Tommy
they were fighting a giant vibrator.  "And Goldar is running amuck near the
elementary school.  We could sure use the White Ranger's help--if he's
able.

   "I have no idea if my powers are gone or not," Tommy said.  "Man, Billy,
I don't think I could do it another time.  She's literally pumped me dry."

   "Do you think she's cured?"

   "I hope so.  If not . . .  I may have to take you up on your offer to
help.  She fucked me so hard . . . ." Tommy suddenly looked up and noticed
Billy's scarlet cheeks.  "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to embarrass you."

   "It's all right.  I sort of overheard . . .  I arrived as you two were
finishing," Billy stammered.  He almost slipped and told Tommy about having
seen them.

   "Not a pretty sight, was it?" Tommy groaned.  "Come on, let's let Kim
rest and see if my powers still work."

   "Do you think you can fight?"

   "Right now, nothing would make me feel better than kicking Zedd's butt.
Since he's not here, I'll settle for Goldar's."

   "Maybe you should get dressed first," Billy suggested tactfully.  "You
never know when you might de-morph."

   "Good idea."

   Billy retreated to the doorway as Tommy took the satchel into the
lavatory.  He was relieved for Tommy; it sounded as if he was going to make
it, but would Kimberly?

   "Tommy?"

   Billy glanced over at the exam bed and noticed Kimberly was sitting up.
Her eyes were open, but she did not appear to be awake.  She swung her legs
over the side of the bed and hopped down.  She swayed back and forth
unsteadily.

   "Tommy, where are you?  I need you, Tommy," she murmured as she started
across the infirmary towards Billy.  She bobbed and weaved drunkenly as she
walked.  The sheet had come untucked and was slipping from her body,
providing Billy with an unobstructed view of her lithe, petite frame.  His
throat went dry as she held her arms out towards him in supplication.

   "Uh, Tommy!" Billy yelped, his voice cracking.

   "Tommy, more," Kimberly begged.  She threaded her arms around Billy's
neck and kissed him hard, forcing her tongue into his mouth.  Billy
staggered backwards, losing his balance.  He found himself grabbing
Kimberly to steady himself, but that did nothing except make him grateful
(and a tiny bit regretful) to be wearing gloves as he had his hands full of
her exquisite ass.  Kim was busy devouring his neck as they crashed into
the wall.  Over Kim's shoulder Billy caught a glimpse of Tommy who had
emerged from the lavatory.  Billy wanted to die.

   "Mm, you have a great ass," Kim purred, giggling wickedly as her hands
wandered all over his body.  He tried to push her away.  Suddenly, she
grabbed his buttocks and pulled his groin into her hips.  As she ground her
hips against his cock, Billy shut his eyes tightly.  He couldn't believe
this was happening--and in front of Tommy no less!  "I want your cock in
me!"

   "Kimberly, stop this, please!  I'm not . . . ." Billy protested, but Kim
silenced his weak attempt with another ravenous kiss.

   "That's enough, Kim," Tommy said softly.  Billy opened his eyes to find
Tommy standing right behind Kimberly so that she was nearly sandwiched
between the two of them.

   "But I want more," Kim pouted.  Her arms fell away from Billy heavily,
and she swayed slightly.

   "Later.  Right now, be a good girl and go back to sleep."

   "Yes, Tommy," Kim responded dreamily and she collapsed against Billy. 
Tommy collected her and carried her over to the bed.  In the meantime,
Billy's knees gave out.  He sat down hard on the cold floor.  The fire in
his cheeks burned as hot as the erection under his uniform.

   "I think she was sleepwalking," Tommy said as he motioned for Billy to
follow him out of the room.

   "Tommy, I . . . ." Billy tried to apologize, but the words wouldn't come
out.

   "Don't worry about it.  You didn't do anything, and she was having a
dream--at least as far as I could tell from our link.  Kim won't know what
she did when she wakes up."

   "I think I'll stay in my zord until the battle redistributes my hormone
levels," Billy said.  Tommy laughed and patted him on the back.

   "Why don't we see if I have my powers?" Tommy and Billy exchanged
worried glances, then Tommy held up his morpher.

   "White Ranger Power!"

   ----

   CHAPTER VII

   Kim awoke, feeling a sharp pain in her chest.  For a moment, she didn't
know where she was.  Then, the disorientation passed, and reality crashed
in on her.  Hot tears scalded her cheeks as she let her anger bubble to the
surface.

   Zedd had finally done it.  He had won.  She was alive, but there was no
way she could still have her powers after what happened in the last
twenty-four hours.  And what about Tommy?  What had she done to him?  She
recalled his sob of relief when she finally collapsed.  She remembered the
exhaustion in his eyes, though he tried hard to hide it.  Her cure had
extracted a terrible toll from him.

   "Damn Zedd!" she swore.  She grabbed the first thing she could lay her
hands on and flung it across the room.  She scattered her sheets every
which-a-way, kicked the pillows and cushions, and upended the overnight
bag. All the while she screamed and cried and swore.  Her fury boiled in
her veins until another blow struck her, this time across her back.  It was
so strong it forced her to her knees.  There was no one in the infirmary
but herself, so who had hit her?  No, not her, she realized, Tommy!  She
tried to calm herself long enough to reach him through their link.  The
perspective was rather strange; she couldn't see Tommy at all.  There was
another monster--tall and shiny.  It was battling the crippled Ninja
Megafalconzord.  Goldar was there too.  Pain ripped through her as Goldar's
blow caught her--rather, Tommy's head.  Tommy was fighting Goldar!

   Kim's anger exploded.  She snatched up her chemise, grabbed her
communicator, and teleported.  She kept low as she arrived at the battle
scene.  The Ninja Megafalconzord reeled as the ground quaked.  It was
difficult to keep her own footing.  Where was Tommy?  She had to find him
fast; the pain was worse the closer she was to him.  She spied Tommy and
Goldar at the foot of the hill.  A bubble of happiness rose out of the dark
fire of her anger as soon as she saw Tommy.  He was dressed as the White
Ranger; he hadn't lost his powers after all!  But what was wrong with him?
Why was he so weak?

   What do you think is wrong with him?  He just spent the last day fucking
your brains out to keep you alive!  Of course he's going to be weak.

   Kim knew what she had to do.  She searched about for something to use as
a weapon, and found a discarded staff.  It looked suspiciously like the one
Rita always carried.  At the moment, Kim didn't care whose staff it was. 
She picked it up and started down the hill as fast as her wobbly legs could
carry her.

   "Prepare to die, White Ranger!" Goldar laughed, his sword held high. 
Tommy rolled clear, and as he did so 105 pounds of infuriated female
slammed into Goldar's back, flattening him.  Kim somersaulted over him and
came up with the staff ready.  Goldar started to rise, but she brought the
ornate end of the rod down on his head hard, knocking him silly.

   "Kimberly?" Tommy queried, taken aback by her presence and the black
expression twisting her features.

   "Get back to the others," she ordered him coldly.  "I'll deal with
Goldar."

   "He'll pulverize you.  What are you doing out here?  Why aren't you
morphed?"

   "Why the hell do you think I'm not morphed!"

   "Kim, I'm really . . . ."

   "Don't say anything," she snapped.  "I love you, Tommy, but if you don't
get your ass into the zord, I'm going to kick it from here to Zedd's dark
dimension!" Just then Tommy's communicator went off.

   "Tommy, come in.  If you're done with Goldar, we could really use your
help up here," Billy radioed.

   "Go on," Kim urged him, her tone softening.  "You were there when I
needed you most, and right now, the others need the White Ranger.  Don't
let them down."

   "Kim, please, go back to the Command Center," Tommy pleaded.

   "Go!" Kim reached over and activated his teleporter.  Tommy was still
protesting even as he vanished in a flash of brilliant white light.

   "Come on, you monkey-faced maggot," Kim glowered at Goldar as he slowly
regained his feet.  "You want me, come and get me!"

   "With pleasure, former Pink Ranger." Goldar raised his sword and
charged. Kimberly deflected the blow with the staff.  Then, she kicked out,
catching him in the backs of the knees.

   "No fair," Goldar complained as she hit him before he recovered from her
last blow.

   "Fair?  You want fair?" she raged, catching him in the midsection again.
"Is it fair what Zedd did to me?  He's taken my innocence, my powers--he's
stripped me of every last shred of dignity and self-respect!  He's taken
everything good in my life and left me with nothing but anger and hatred!"

   Meanwhile, Tommy landed in an unceremonious heap in the cockpit of the
megazord.

   "Tommy?  What's going on?" Billy queried.

   "Kim's down there facing Goldar without her powers."

   "Oh no!" Aisha gasped.

   "I've never seen her so angry.  I think she's really lost it this time."


   "Can you blame her?" Adam remarked.

   "Let's polish off this oversized sex toy and get back to Kim as soon as
we can," Rocky said.

   On the ground, Kimberly landed a solid kick to Goldar's groin; his knees
buckled, and he went down.

   "Damn you, Goldar!" Kim ranted, punctuating her invective with another
debilitating blow to the groin.  "Damn Zedd!  Damn Rita!  Damn Zordon!  And
damn me for having anything to do with the lot of you!" Goldar was down,
unmoving, but Kimberly did not ease up.

   "Rangers, you must stop Kimberly," Zordon radioed the others.  "Goldar
is down; if she succeeds in killing him, Kimberly will be lost to us
forever."

   "We're on it, Zordon," Aisha replied.

   "See if we can spot her from up here," Adam said.  Billy was able to
bring her up on the monitor.  The male Rangers all grimaced as Kim
delivered another telling blow.

   "Remind me never to make her mad at me," Rocky joked weakly.  "I almost
feel sorry for Goldar."

   Tommy was unusually silent.

   "Kimberly, stop it!" Billy radioed.  When she didn't acknowledge, he
turned to Aisha.  "Use a low level repulsor beam to separate her from
Goldar then use the tractor beam to pull her into the megazord's hand."

   "Right," Aisha acknowledged.  The twin beams functioned as requested,
and Kimberly was dragged kicking and screaming into the zord's grip.

   "Put me down; damn it, let me go!" Kim shrieked, continuing her tantrum.
She kicked futilely at the zord's thumb.  As soon as she was clear of
Goldar, a pair of tengas arrived and carted him off the battlefield.  That
infuriated Kimberly further.  "He got away.  Now he'll be able to come back
and hurt us some more!"

   While the Rangers' attention was on their comrade, Vy-Brator headbutted
the megazord.  The vibrations knocked megazord to his knees, and Kim fell,
screaming, out of its hand.  Fortunately she was able to land in one piece,
and she quickly regained her footing.  Another tremor sent her tumbling
over to where Goldar had been downed.  Kim landed on the discarded staff.

   "I bet this is Rita's staff," Kim mused.  "In that case, this ought to
work." Kim stomped over to where Vy-Brator was pounding on the megazord. 
She stabbed the end of the staff viciously into Vy-Brator's toe.  "Shrink,
you son-of-a-bitch!" Lightning crackled and enveloped the monster.  It
shrank, achieving human proportions.  However, Kim hit it with the staff
again, causing it to reduce down to its original form: a vibrator.  Kim
tossed the staff aside and bent to retrieve the object.  When she realized
what it was and where she had seen it before, she screamed and flung it
away from her with all her might.

   "I can't take this any more!" she shouted, pounding the ground in her
rage.

   "Kimberly!" Tommy called out as he and the others emerged from the zords
and hurried towards her.

   "Go away," she sobbed.  "All of you.  Just go away and leave me alone!"
Just then her communicator beeped.  "Damn it, Zordon!  that goes for you
too!" Kim hit her teleportation control and vanished before her friends
could reach her.

   "Let's get back to the Command Center fast," Tommy said, a knot forming
in his stomach.

   The quintet reappeared at their base of operations just as Kimberly
concluded her heated tirade against Zordon.

   " . . .  and I'm sorry I ever heard of you and the Power Rangers!  You
can take your damned morpher and shove it up your ass--if you have one!"
Kim flung her morpher at Zordon's energy column then teleported out of the
Command Center.  Moments after she vanished, her communicator reappeared.

   "Kim, no!" Tommy protested weakly.  He pulled off his helmet, sank onto
the steps and buried his face in his arms.

   "What's going on, Zordon?  What's wrong with Kim?" Aisha wanted to know.


   "Why is she so pissed?" Rocky asked.

   "Tommy?" Billy crouched beside Tommy; his friend's haggard expression
shook him.

   "Both Kimberly and Tommy have been through a great deal of stress these
last few weeks.  I expected some sort of emotional release, but I had not
anticipated Kimberly's anger or her violence.  Of course, her reaction may
not be solely emotional.  There is still a considerable amount of residue
from Zedd's spell in her system," Zordon explained.

   "You mean she isn't fully cured?" Tommy asked bleakly.

   "I believe so, but I cannot be certain without a full bio-scan.  Any
time Zedd casts a spell on any of you, it leaves a residue behind which
normally dissipates within a matter of minutes after the effects of the
spell have worn off depending on the length of time you were under the
spell's influence.  Kimberly's anger is her own, but the accompanying
violence is a by-product of the spell.  However, once her anger has burned
itself out, she should return to normal."

   "I can feel her anger through our link," Tommy murmured to Billy. 
"She's angry, ashamed, cheated . . .  she thinks she's failed me, the team
. . . ."

   "Get out of my head!"

   "Ow!" Tommy grabbed his head, his ears ringing.  To Billy's inquisitive
gaze he said, "She tried to close off her end of our link.  I want to help
her, but how can I when she won't let me?"

   "Let her anger burn itself out, and don't take it personally," Billy
advised.

   "Billy's right," Aisha added.  "Kim will need you when she's calmed
down. Just be there for her when she's ready."

   "And we're here for you," Billy reminded him.  He felt it in the hand he
had on Tommy's shoulder--a tremor, the cracking of his armor.  "Come on,
you need some rest.  Then we'll have to figure out what to tell your
parents about where you've been for the last twenty-four hours."

   "Speaking of parents," Aisha began, addressing Zordon.  "I think my mom
knows I'm a Power Ranger.  What am I going to do?"

   ***

   Billy helped Tommy down to the infirmary.  They were both startled to
see it in such a shambles.

   "Kimberly must have commenced her tirade as soon as she woke up," Billy
observed.

   "Oh man," Tommy groaned as he flopped onto the first available
examination table.  "I don't know how much longer we can keep taking hits
like this.  I'm really scared for Kim.  We don't even know if she's cured.
What if she has a relapse?  How will she handle that?"

   "I admit to having serious concerns about your state of mental health as
well.  You've both endured more in the last six months than most people do
in a lifetime."

   "Tell me about it.  Kim and I haven't really known each other all that
long--a little over two years; I can't believe we've gotten so close so
quickly or that we'd both care so much."

   "You two have been through some extraordinary experiences together that
have strengthened your attachment to one another," Billy said.  "You've
learned quickly how precious love is."

   "It's all happening so fast.  I mean, I just turned 18; Kim will turn 18
in four months.  Where do we go from here?"

   "Only you and Kimberly can answer that."

   "I hate seeing her hurt so much; I wish she'd let me help."

   "Hold on to those thoughts, Tommy.  Keep them where Kimberly can pick up
on them.  If she knows you're waiting, she'll be back," Billy advised. 
"Maybe you ought to catch a nap before you head home.  I have the feeling
the next few days are going to be very difficult."

   ***

   Use your best judgment.  Aisha repeated Zordon's words as she returned
home.  It wasn't very helpful advice.  Part of her really wanted to tell
her mother everything.  With all that was happening to Kim and Tommy, she
could use her mother's support, but if she did take her mother into her
confidence, it wasn't just revealing her own secrets but those of her
friends as well.

   "Aisha, is that you?" Mrs.  Campbell called out from the family room.

   "Yes, Mom, sorry I'm late."

   "You're father was running late, too.  Dinner is on the stove; help
yourself."

   Until her mother mentioned food, Aisha hadn't realized how hungry she
was.  She fixed herself a plate and took it with her into the family room.
Her mother was on the couch watching the news.  Aisha sat on the floor near
her mother's feet.  The top story of the day was the giant earthquake
monster who was repelled by the Power Rangers.  There was footage of the
four of them tangling with Goldar and Vy-Brator and the White Ranger's late
arrival.

   "Where was the Pink Ranger?" Mrs.  Campbell wondered.  "The Rangers
looked like they had their hands full without being short staffed."

   "She was there," Aisha murmured without even thinking.  "Even without
her powers, she couldn't let the team down." A tear slipped down her cheek.
"And then she ran off.  No one knows where she's gone.  We don't know if
Zedd's spell is broken.  We don't know if she's all right.  We don't know
if her powers are gone for good . . .  what good is it to have the power to
save the world when you can't help your best friend when she needs you the
most?" Aisha looked up at her mother.  Nothing else needed to be said.

   ***

   When Kimberly haphazardly teleported, she materialized above Indian Lake
on the north side of the city, which was much larger and a lot less popular
than the lake in the park.  She dropped into the cold, murky water before
she could correct her teleportation error.  Fortunately, she had not been
too far up in the air nor too far from shore.  She made sure to send her
communicator back to the Command Center so the others couldn't track her.
Then she had to get herself to shore.  Swimming inland helped to burn off
some of her anger.  She was exhausted by the time she pulled herself onto
the deserted beach near the formation known as Stranger's Rock.  It was an
enormous, free standing, wedge-shaped stone.  The lake-side of the stone
arched high and towards the water; once upon a time, it might have
connected with the cliff across the lake.  The city-side of the formation
formed a crescent.  It had once been popular for kids to climb to the top,
but not any longer.

   Shivering fiercely, she sat in a huddled lump beneath the overhang
alternately swearing and crying, feeling utterly miserable.  She sobbed
until she had no tears left, then she lay on the sand and stared into the
grey sky which was thick with rain clouds.  The dark anger which had held
her so smotheringly was slowly dissipating, leaving her weary in body and
spirit.

   Not one of your brighter moments, she scolded herself.  She shivered as
the wind picked up.  Why didn't you think to grab something a little more
substantial to wear before tearing out of the infirmary?  You'll be lucky
if you don't catch your death of cold.  She stood up and tried wringing the
water out of her lingerie and her hair.  She walked up and down the stretch
of sand, rubbing her arms to warm herself up.

   I feel awful.  How could I have said all those horrible things to Zordon
and my friends.  It'd serve me right if they never wanted to see me again.

   Deep down, she knew why.  It was because she hurt, and she wanted to
lash out and hurt just as much as she had been.  It wasn't her friends'
fault that she got nailed by Zedd's spell, and she had no one to blame but
herself for allowing her condition to become life threatening.  If I hadn't
been so stubborn and overconfident . . .  if only I had confided in Tommy
sooner . . .  oh, poor Tommy!  More than anything else, I'm sorry for what
I've put you through.

   A loud crash of thunder caused her to jump.  A jagged bolt of lightning
danced in the air over the lake.  A large raindrop splashed against her
arm.

   "Great," she muttered sourly.  She had to find shelter quickly.  She
raced back the way she had wandered as the heavens opened up and the deluge
hit.  She made it back to Stranger's Rock before the rain became so bad she
couldn't see.  She tried finding shelter under the overhang, but the wind
forced the rain into the protected area.  The wind was so heavy and so wild
that even standing in the lee of the rock was no help.

   "Wonderful," she muttered.  Stranger's Rock sat on top of a slight rise;
there were no trees close by, no other cover of any kind.  As she stood in
the cold rain, Kim recalled an old legend about a cave that was supposed to
have existed at the base of the formation.  No one in recent memory had
ever seen it, so if it really did exist, someone had sealed it up a long
time ago.  The base of the formation was overgrown with grasses and weeds,
still it was worth a shot.  On her hands and knees, Kimberly poked and
prodded around the base of the wedge-shaped stone.  She was about to give
up, when she found a small opening in the crook of the crescent.  Kim
pulled the stones out and dug into the sand at the base until there was a
space large enough for her to squirm through.  She crawled inside; it was
pitch black, but Kim didn't care.  She collapsed on the cool, dry ground
and fell asleep.

   The toll of the last several day had finally caught up with Kim.  Her
nap had lasted several hours.  It might have lasted several more had it not
been for a noise inside the silent cave.  Kim's eyes snapped open, and she
was wide awake when she realized that there was something in the cave with
her--and it was laying on top of her!  It took all of her willpower to keep
from moving and stay calm.

   Oh God, why did I send my communicator back?  I'm cold, wet, hungry,
frightened, and there is something sleeping on me!  Tommy!  Tommy, answer
me.  Please!  I want to go home!

   ***

   In his own bed, Tommy was sleeping fitfully.  He couldn't rest.  Zordon
had been unable to locate Kim once she had teleported away.  Billy and
Alpha had scanned on every frequency they could.  Tommy knew she couldn't
be too far away because he could still perceive the storm of Kim's
emotions. Zordon had theorized that Kim must have teleported into a null
zone--a location naturally impervious to Zordon's sensors.

   Tommy clung to the turbulence in their link like a drowning man would
cling to a life preserver.  As long as he could touch Kim's mind, however
slightly, he was fairly certain that she was all right.  As the hours
passed, he detected an easing of her emotional turmoil, for which he was
grateful.  As her mind quieted, so did his, and he was able to get some
rest.

   Tommy!  Tommy, answer me.  Please!  I want to go home!

   Kim's plaintive cry woke Tommy.  He glanced at the clock; it was almost
1:00 a.m.

   "Kim, is that you?"

   "Tommy?  Thank God!  I'm so sorry for everything."

   "Don't worry about that now.  Where are you; are you okay?"

   "I'm in the cave under Stranger's Rock.  I'm cold, hungry, and there's
something sleeping on me!" Tommy couldn't help but smile at the last.

   "Just stay calm and stay put.  I'll contact Zordon and tell him where
you are.  If he can't get the teleportation signal through, I'll have him
teleport me to where you are."

   "All right, I . . .  hey, where'd that light come from?  It reminds me
of the time ho . . .  oh Lord, the thing on my stomach . . .  a snake! 
Tommy . . .  ooh!"

   Kim's mental yelp was abruptly cut off.

   "Kimberly?" Tommy reached out to her with his mind and touched only
emptiness.  "Kim!" Frantically he groped about in the darkness for his
communicator.  "Billy come in!"

   "Tommy?  What's going on?  It's after one o'clock," Billy responded
sleepily.

   "Kim's gone.  She reached me through our link; we were talking, she
screamed, and then she was gone.  I can't feel her mind at all!"

   "Meet me at the Command Center.  We'll find her Tommy.  Somehow, we'll
find her."

   ----

   CHAPTER VIII

   Kim fell screaming through the time hole and landed face first in the
sand.  The offending reptile was nowhere to be seen.  Groggily, she picked
herself up and brushed herself off.  It was early morning, the sun just
peeking over the horizon.  Already it was unusually warm for early
November. Stranger's Rock was behind her, but the city of Angel Grove was
not in front of her.  Below her vantage point and in the distance lay a
collection of weather worn, ramshackle buildings.

   "Oh no, not again," Kim groaned, recognizing Angel Grove circa 1880. 
"How will Tommy find me now?"

   She had to remain calm and think.  If Tommy and the others started
looking for her, they'd begin at the cave.  Billy should be able to find
the traces of the time hole's energy--chronoton particles, he called them.
The best thing for her to do was to stay by the cave and wait.

   She walked back up the hillside and into the arms of the crescent. 
Large bushes grew up against the curve of the formation.  Kim pushed her
way through the brush and found the opening to the cave.  The cave was
larger than she had imagined, and when she entered it, she discovered
someone was living in it.  There was a fire burning low near the entrance.
She found a straw pallet covered with blankets.  On top of a tattered
footlocker she found a lantern, cooking utensils, a tin cup and plate, and
a box of food.  The whole place smelled of horse.  Fortunately, the cave's
occupant was not home.  Kim knelt by the fire, grateful for the warmth. 
She found kindling and tossed a few extra pieces on the fire.  She then
rummaged through the box of supplies and discovered what appeared to be
jerky strips.  She bit gratefully into one; she'd repay her unknown host
for his or her hospitality somehow.

   Kim's adrenalin rush began wearing off, and she started dozing by the
fire when she heard the whinny of a horse; it was fairly close by the
sounds of it.  She cautiously crept out of the cave, thinking it best not
to be caught inside.  It could be a bandit's hide-out or something like
that.  She stayed behind the scraggly bushes and peered out.  A rider was
approaching, but he was slumped low in the saddle.  The horse neighed
loudly, rearing and stamping about nervously.  The rider was unable to hang
on; he was thrown and hit the dirt.  He didn't move.  Then, Kim heard an
angry rattle.

   Without hesitation, Kim grabbed the poker by the fire and dashed out to
help.  The rider was obviously hurt and in danger of either being bitten by
the snake or trampled by his horse.  Stones and barbed plants bit into
Kimberly's bare feet as she skidded down the incline.  She spied the snake
close to where the rider lay.  Kim launched herself forward, brandishing
the iron poker.  The snake never stood a chance.  With the reptile
dispatched, Kim's next task was to try and calm the frightened horse down
so he wouldn't step on his rider.  She edged closer carefully.

   "Easy, boy.  Good horse.  Come on; I'm not going to hurt you," she
crooned soothingly.  "The nasty ol' snake is dead.  There's a good boy. 
Yeah, good horse." She kept talking and inching her way closer until she
was able to reach the reins and pet the horse.  "Good boy.  Now, let's see
about your rider."

   The man lay on his side, his face obscured by his hat and his long brown
hair.  There was something disturbingly familiar about his clothing, but
Kim brushed the thought aside as she noticed the bright red stain on his
right sleeve.  Then she saw the blood-soaked trousers.

   "Oh my gosh, he's been shot!" she gasped.  Carefully she rolled him onto
his back.  There was blood on the rock where he had hit his head.  She
pulled his hat off to check his wound.

   "Tommy!" she screamed, panicking.  The name echoed across the open span
between the rock and the town.

   "Gran, is that you callin'?" the fallen rider groaned.  Hearing the
heavy drawl brought Kim to her senses.  This wasn't her Tommy, but his
ancestor, the White Stranger.

   Regardless of his identity, he needed help and fast.  His face was far
too pale, and he was losing a lot of blood from his leg wound.  Kim undid
his bandanna and wiped the blood from his face.  Thankfully, the cut on his
forehead was small, but he had a fairly good-sized goose egg.

   "Tommy, can you hear me?" she called, lightly slapping his face.  This
wasn't Tommy, she had to remind herself.  She wished Tommy had been a
genealogy buff, then she might know something about this particular
ancestor of his.  However, a smile brightened Kim's face as the White
Stranger's eyes flickered opened.  He had Tommy's devastatingly beautiful
brown eyes.

   "An angel," the White Stranger murmured.  "Am I dead?" He suddenly began
struggling with Kim.  "You can't take me yet!  I won't go!"

   "Lay still; you're hurt," Kim grunted as she wrestled with him.  "Damn
it, Tommy Oliver; I wouldn't let you die in my time.  I'm not about to let
you die in this one."

   "You're not?  Who . . .  the Pink Ranger?" He passed out.

   It took some doing, but Kim managed to drag her patient back to the cave
on one of the blankets.  She laid him close to the fire, then hurried out
to get some fresh water.  She had some first-aid training--enough to know
that she was way out of her depth with a bullet wound.  Still, she knew to
keep the patient warm and clean the wound.  She had used the White
Stranger's bandanna to make a tourniquet to help stop the bleeding.  The
White Stranger was like a dead weight as she tried to remove his coat and
shirt.  She felt a sharp warmth building within her, This isn't Tommy, she
had to tell herself; this wasn't the man she had been intimate with, but
Lord, he sure looked like him!

   The wound on his arm was superficial, but the leg was another matter. 
The gaping hole in his thigh made her queasy.  When she poured the water on
it, the White Stranger's body spasmed, and he gasped as he came around.

   "I must be dreaming.  Is that really you, Miss Kim?"

   "Sure is, partner."

   "But how . . .  ?"

   "I guess time holes like dumping me here.  What year is it?"

   "1882." The White Stranger tried to sit up, but the pain prevented him.
That's when he realized that his clothing, save for his underwear, were
missing.  "Why don't I have any clothes on?" Incredibly, he was blushing.

   "I had to get to your wounds to clean them.  Lay still."

   "Why aren't you wearing any clothes?" Kim glanced down at her still-wet
chemise.

   "It's a long story," she murmured, a little embarrassed.

   "Check my footlocker," the White Stranger directed.  Kim crawled over
and cleared the top off.

   "Is this your hide-out?  The horse came right in and made himself at
home."

   "White Lightning knows . . . ." A flare of pain interrupted him.  Kim
opened the chest and found several changes of clothes.

   "Help yourself."

   Kim gratefully slipped on one of his spare shirts, which more than
adequately covered her, so she stepped out of her damp lingerie and set it
by the fire to dry.  Next she rummaged through the chest to see if she
could scavenge something for bandages.  Behind her, the White Stranger
sighed with relief.  She found his reaction amusing.

   "I still feel a mite uncomfortable being stripped to my drawers in the
presence of a lady," he mumbled.

   "Don't worry about it; I've seen you in less than this," Kim answered
tiredly, not really thinking.

   "Excuse me?" the Stranger gulped.  It was Kim's turn to blush as she
turned back to her patient.

   "Sorry.  It's just that you look exactly like Tommy.  I keep forgetting
you're not him."

   "Who's this Tommy fella?"

   "My . . . ." What to tell him?  Boyfriend?  Lover?

   "Your beau?" the Stranger replied.  Kim nodded.  "Is that why you've
been calling me Tommy--because I look like him?"

   "Yes.  I think Tommy's a descendant of yours."

   "He's kin?  This is getting stranger by the minute."

   "Tell me about it.  By the way, what do you want me to call you?  I
can't keep calling you Tommy, and White Stranger isn't going to cut it.  I
understand all about having a secret identity."

   "Actually, my name is Thomas," he admitted sheepishly.

   "All right, Thomas.  I know a little first aid, but I'm not familiar
with bullet wounds.  You're going to have to help me out; what do I need to
do?"

   "You did just fine with my head and arm, Miss Kim . . . .  "

   "Just call me Kim."

   "Okay.  The bullet is still in my leg.  You'll have to dig it out."

   "Ugh!  No way," Kim refused emphatically.  "If I go digging around in
your leg wound, I could damage your nerves, your muscles, or something like
that, possibly crippling you.  You need a doctor to treat your leg.  Is
there anyone you can trust who makes cave calls?"

   "Doc Hart knows who I am and all, and he's had to patch me up on a few
occasions."

   "Hart?  Not Zachariah Hart."

   "Do you know him?"

   "I've heard of him," Kim said evasively.  "Where's the best place to
find him?"

   "His surgery.  White Lightning knows the way, just ask him to take you
to Doc's.  But you can't go dressed like that," Thomas protested.

   "Maybe not, but I can go dressed like you." Kim sorted through the
footlocker and located a second pair of white trousers, another jacket and
a bandanna.  She commandeered Thomas' boots, suspenders, gun belt and hat.
Everything was too large and hung loosely on her petite frame.

   "What in tarnation . . . ."

   "I won't fool anyone up close, but from a distance . . . ." she let the
suggestion hang in the air.  She covered Thomas with the blanket from the
straw pallet.  "Get some rest.  I'll be back with the doctor as quickly as
I can,"

   "You are something, Miss Kim," Thomas murmured appreciatively.

   ----

   CHAPTER IX

   Kim had never ridden a horse before; fortunately White Lightning was a
patient and intelligent animal.  He seemed to know there was a stranger in
his saddle, but he didn't give her any trouble.  Perhaps he sensed that she
was trying to help his master.  As Thomas had directed, she told White
Lightning to take her to Doc Hart's, and he started right off.  Kim
imagined that Thomas had trained the horse to find the doctor in case of
emergencies.  The horse took off at steady clip, and the route he followed
was extremely circuitous--no doubt one of Thomas' precautions against being
followed to his hide out.

   Kim found herself wondering what had prompted Tommy's ancestor to become
the White Stranger.  Tommy didn't know anything about him; he knew
surprisingly little about his family history.  She had asked Rocky if he
had come across any mention of the White Stranger in the history books; one
of Rocky's hobbies was the history of the old West, Angel Grove circa 1880
in particular.  He had plied her with dozens of questions after her first
adventure back in time.  He found nothing more than a brief footnote
regarding the White Stranger and nothing at all about Angel Grove being
attacked by putties, a winged monkey, and a walking cactus.  Kim would have
thought there would have been something--at the very least tall tales or
something from an early newspaper.

   Considering the problems of history made Kim consider a more personal
problem: what was she going to say to her four-great
grandfather?  And what if she ran into her double--she assumed she had

one since everyone else on the team had.  She had to think back to her own
family history.  Grandpa Zack only had one child--a son; his wife had died
young.  Joshua Hart had married Karen Johnson, and they had three or four
children.  Josh was supposed to have been in the army in the 1880s, but Kim
couldn't remember the dates or where he had been serving.

   Kim was nervous, but Tommy--rather Thomas was counting on her.  In a
way, Tommy was counting on her, too; after all, Thomas was his ancestor
somehow or another.  By the time White Lightning began slowing up, Kim
still hadn't figured out what she was going to say.  All too soon she found
herself at the back door to the doctor's surgery.  As Thomas instructed
her, she let herself in.  Inside the door was a series of colored bell
pulls; she gave the green one two quick tugs, then she slipped down the
hall to the doctor's private office.  Her hands were shaking as she waited
with her back to the door for her ancestor's arrival.

   "Thomas?  Thank goodness you're all right," Zachariah Hart burst out
excitedly.  "The word all over Angel Grove is that the Black Seven gang
took you down last night.  What's up?  It's not like you to come here in
broad daylight.  Is something wrong with Melissa or little Tad?"

   Kim still hadn't found her voice, so she settled for turning around. 
Her heart pounded heavily in her chest.  The sandy blond hair, sideburns
and bushy moustache were unfamiliar, but she'd have known those eyes
anywhere.  They were the same blue eyes her father and grandfather had. 
Just as she stared at him, Kim felt his piercing gaze on her.  She kept her
face mostly covered by the bandanna, and she pulled the hat low.  She had
used soot from the fire to darken her hair, eyebrows, and to give herself a
five o'clock shadow.  Even so, it was obvious she wasn't who she was
pretending to be.

   "Who are you?" Zachariah demanded warily.

   "The Black Seven gang did nail Thomas, Doc," she said, trying to drop
her voice an octave; she wasn't entirely successful.  "A bullet grazed his
right arm, and he took a shot in the right thigh.  The bullet is still in
his leg, deep.  He needs your help."

   "You still haven't told me who you are.  How do I know this isn't some
kind of trick?"

   "How else would I know his real name?  Why did White Lightning bring me
here?" she queried in return without answering his first question.  Before
Zachariah could answer, there came a knock at his office door.  A moment
later in rushed Kimberly's twin.  Kim tried not to stare, but it was
impossible.  The young woman standing before her had her features and
slender build, but her coloring was darker.  A wealth of chocolate brown
curls cascaded down her shoulders and back.  She was dressed and carried
herself like a lady.  Kim felt plain in comparison.

   "What is it, Karen?" Zachariah queried.

   So this was Karen Johnson Hart, Kim mused.

   "Papa, I just heard from William and Alicia that the sheriff found a
trail of blood out by the hanging tree where the bandits said they shot the
White Stranger!  It doesn't look good for him," Karen related excitedly. 
Then she spied the white garbed figure behind her father-in-law's desk and
let out a squeak of surprise.  "Oh!  It's you!  You're all right!"

   "Just fine, ma'am."

   "Karen, if you will excuse us . . . ." Zachariah hinted delicately.  He
guided her back to the door; he whispered further instructions to her. 
"Please don't let it get around that you saw the White Stranger here.  If
the Black Seven gang got wind of it, we could have big trouble."

   "Can I at least let William and the others know that he's all right? 
They're all really worried."

   "Just be discreet," Zach cautioned.

   "I will, Papa."

   Zachariah quickly sent Karen on her way.  "Nice bit of reasoning there,"
Zach said to Kimberly once they were alone.  "The Black Seven won't get too
uppity if they think the White Stranger is still up and around."

   "I'd better keep a high profile--from a distance," Kim agreed.  She
hadn't really considered taking Thomas' place, but it was a brilliant idea.


   "Where is Thomas?  Did he make it back to his hideout?"

   "Yes."

   "I have some patients this morning, but as soon as I'm finished, I'll
come out to the cave."

   "Is there anything I can do for him now?  Do you have something for the
pain?"

   "Give him this." Zach prepared a powder and rolled it up in a bit of
paper.  "Mix it with a little water.  It'll be bitter, but make sure he
drinks it all.  It'll numb the pain and knock him out.  Also, keep pressure
on the wound.  Were you able to get the bleeding to stop?"

   "For the most part, but he's lost an awful lot of blood.  I'd better get
back to Thomas.  Thanks for everything."

   "You just be careful.  With the Black Seven gunning for Thomas, you're
going to be a target in that white suit.  And be real careful around the
lake.  That's Indian territory."

   ***

   Thomas was finally resting quietly, so Kim gathered up his stained
clothing and took them down to the lake to wash them out.  She padded down
in her bare feet, tripping over her pant legs as they came unrolled.  At
the water's edge she stripped off her clothes; she couldn't afford to get
them soaked.  The hot sun felt good on her back.  Her pulse was still
racing from her ride back from town; her bottom would be sore for a week.

   As she scrubbed the bloody clothing, Kim had the oddest feeling that
somebody was watching her.  She glanced up, shading her eyes from the
glare. She could have sworn she had seen someone on the bluff across the
lake, but when she squinted to take a long, hard look, the only thing she
saw was a bird of prey take wing.

   A falcon?  she wondered hopefully.  She stood up and watched it as it
gracefully circled above the water.  Tommy, is this your way of letting me
know you're watching over me?

   The falcon swooped and dove towards the water, skimming its surface.  It
arced skyward with a fish clutched in its talons.  Kim continued watching
until the bird vanished from sight.

   ***

   "Thomas, you are a mess," Doc Hart murmured as he unwound Kim's
bandages. Kim stayed in the background holding the lantern; she was careful
to keep in the shadows as much as possible.  She didn't want her
"grandfather" to get a good look at her.

   "I'd have been a goner if Miss Kim hadn't shown up," Thomas gasped.

   "Miss Kim?  Sweet Lord, I thought you were a lad, not a woman," Zach
sputtered.  "So this is the mysterious Pink Ranger."

   "Not any more," Kim sighed ruefully.  "Zedd finally succeeded in
stripping me of my powers.  At least Tommy still has his." A fierce pride
lit her eyes as she uttered the last part.

   Thomas found her expression most curious; he wondered what she meant by
her words.  However, Doc Hart's probings drew his thoughts back to his
predicament.

   "All right, I've located the bullet.  It should be a clean pull,
provided you don't move around, Thomas.  Miss Kim, I'm going to need your
help."

   "What can I do?"

   "Put this leather bit in his mouth and keep him still."

   "Got it." She placed the strip between Thomas' teeth.  "No
anesthetic--God, Thomas, hang in there." She gave him a quick peck on the
forehead.  Then, shocking the men, she straddled Thomas' hips, bracing her
feet against his legs, pinning his arms to his sides with her knees, and
holding his shoulders down with her hands.

   "Ready, Doc."

   "Hm.  Er, yes.  Steady now, Thomas."

   Thomas screamed behind the bit, and Kim felt his body go taut.  She
shifted her weight, putting more pressure on his hips.  Kim's position was
providing Thomas with a great deal of pleasure--as evidenced by his
swelling erection--in spite of his pain.  Kim noticed a blush burning
Thomas' pallid cheeks.  Every time Thomas' body spasmed, his cock rubbed up
against her pussy.  If Doc Hart didn't hurry, Thomas was going to cream his
drawers.

   Thomas wasn't the only one enjoying Kim's position.  The feel of Thomas'
cock pressed against her sent fire shooting uncontrollably through Kim's
body.  Involuntarily, her hips ground against his.  Kim's eyelids fluttered
shut, and it was all she could do to keep from moaning out loud as the
blaze in her veins caused her nipples to harden.

   "Got it!" the doctor declared triumphantly, startling Kim.  She had
begun to lose herself in her proximity to Thomas.  "Hold him steady just a
little while longer while I clean and stitch the wound." Kim caught a whiff
of alcohol moments before Thomas screamed against the bit.

   "Don't think about the pain," she murmured, stroking his hair.  It was
astonishing how quickly she became aroused by merely handling his soft
locks.  She didn't know why she loved Tommy's hair so.  She ran her fingers
through his hair, sighing deeply, and wanted desperately to bury her face
in it.  Next she ran her finger down his cheek, tracing his cupid bow lips.
Kim leaned closer to whisper softly in his ear.  "Think about how good it
would feel to have your cock buried deep inside me right now, Tommy.  Mm, I
can hardly wait!"

   Thomas regarded her with eyes wide with shock, but Kim couldn't see him.
Her eyes were closed and her mind a century away.  The hungry look on her
face made him whimper helplessly.  His body gave another jerk as the doctor
began sewing his wound shut; his body shuddered underneath hers.  He
started to cry out again, spitting out the bit, but suddenly Kim's mouth
descended on his in a fierce kiss.  Her lips ravaged his, and he couldn't
stop her as her tongue slid into his mouth.  Kim kissed him until she had
to come up for air.  Thomas no longer felt the pain in his leg because his
body was screaming for release.

   "There we go," Doc Hart grunted as he snipped off the threads.  When Kim
didn't budge, he cleared his throat.  "You can ease off Thomas now, Miss
Kim."

   "What?" Kim shook herself as if waking from a dream.  When she realized
what she had been doing, she blushed bright crimson.  She quickly scrambled
off Thomas, a glimmer of fear in her eyes.  What had she been doing?  How
could she have lost it so completely?  It was that damned black fire . . .
. No, not that!  Please, not again!  I thought I was cured!

   "If we can keep the wound from getting infected, you should be all
right," the doctor was saying to Thomas.  Kim forced her mind off her
potential difficulties and tried to pay attention.  "I am concerned about
the amount of blood you lost.  You're going to be weak for quite a while."

   "What about a transfusion," Kim suggested tentatively.

   "A what?" Zach queried.

   "You know, a blood transfusion," Kim insisted.  Upon seeing his
perplexed expression, Kim thought back to the chapter on blood they had
just finished in biology class.  "Oh, I forgot.  I don't think you guys
don't know about those yet.  Can you give him an iron supplement to
increase the production of red blood cells?"

   "Like I was to treat him for anemia?  That might work," Doc agreed. 
"How do you know about that sort of thing?"

   "We just studied it in biology class," Kim answered with a yawn.  The
morning's activities were starting to catch up with her, and she really
hadn't had a good night's rest.

   "You look pretty worn out yourself; why don't you lay down and get some
rest," Doc recommended.

   "Tommy needs me," Kim protested around a second yawn.

   "Thomas is out of danger for now.  I want to keep an eye on him for a
little while longer.  I'll wake you before I leave."

   "Okay.  Thanks, Grandpa Zach," Kim murmured.  She curled herself up into
a tight ball next to the fire and was sound asleep almost immediately. 
Shaken by her words and actions, Zachariah reached over and removed her
hat.

   "Sweet Lord in Heaven!  It's Karen!" he gasped.

   "No, merely her many times removed granddaughter," Thomas spoke up,
finally comprehending Kim's reaction when he first mention Doc's name.  He
spoke with admiration and affection, and Zachariah found himself beginning
to understand Thomas' behavior over the past two years a little better.  He
found himself wishing that he had told Thomas about Joshua.

   "You know, I really didn't believe you when you first told me about the
Pink Ranger; I thought you'd smoked your Injun friend's peace pipe one too
many times.  I'm still not sure I believe it all."

   "She's laying right there, Doc: your own flesh and blood."

   "No granddaughter of mine would behave in such an outrageous fashion. 
Parading around in pink tights, wearing men's clothing, behaving like a
two-bit whore . . .  I can't believe you didn't try and stop her!"

   "What could I do?" Thomas protested, his guilt giving his words a sharp
edge.  "You told her to keep me still, and she did just that.  Besides Doc,
you didn't see her face when she climbed off me.  She didn't know what she
was doing, and she was scared to death.  It was like she had no control.  I
know it wasn't me she was seeing while she was kissing me.  It was Tommy."

   "Who is this Tommy fella?  Can't be much of a gentleman if her lets her
carry on like such."

   "He's her beau, and a bit more I reckon.  Apparently, he's a descendant
of mine."

   "Can't say as I think much of your kinfolk then."

   "Doc, please, don't be too harsh with her.  She hasn't said much--she's
been too busy saving my hide, but I think something's really wrong.  I'm
sure it has to do with what she said about losing her powers." The two men
were silent for a moment.

   "I expect you'll be wanting me to make excuses to Melissa again," Zach
said with a sigh.

   "If you wouldn't mind.  You can tell her I'm off on another spirit quest
or something."

   "I never could understand your fascination with all that Injun mumbo
jumbo.  You know, Thomas, you're going to have to tell her about being the
White Stranger someday.  She and little Tad need you."

   "Not like they used to.  They have Walt now; he's real sweet on Missy.
Besides, I swore I'd bring in the villain who killed my brother." A shiver
ran through Thomas' body.  "Every time I close my eyes, I see him being
gunned down again, and there wasn't a thing I could do to save him."

   "You'd serve Tad's soul better by taking care of his widow and son."
Thomas made a face, and Zachariah sighed resignedly.  "All right, you
stubborn mule.  I'll figure out something to tell Melissa.  You're going to
be down for a week at least."

   "Thanks, Doc."

   "By the way, do you know what Miss Kim here intends on doing?  She's
planning to masquerade as you for a spell."

   "What for?"

   "I guess to keep the Black Seven from getting out of line."

   "She can't!  Those scum will tear her apart."

   "I've faced worse varmints than outlaws," Kim murmured as she stirred
from her nap.  "I beat Goldar without any powers; I can handle those
goons."

   "Miss Kim, these men are vicious killers.  They're wanted all over for
murder, robbery, and just about every other crime you can think of," Thomas
insisted.

   "I know; Rocky told me all about Black Jack Wilson and his Black Seven
gang," Kim said.  "They were wanted all over the western United States."

   "Black Jack Wilson?  I don't think I've ever heard the name of the
gang's leader," Zachariah murmured.

   "He was a notorious gambler from back East.  His two favorite activities
were playing twenty-one and killing people, lawmen in particular.  He
always left a calling card: the ace of spades . . . ."

   ". . .  with a bullet hole in the center," Thomas finished, his blood
running cold.  "I found a card just like that by Tad's body.  So, I've been
after the Black Seven gang all this time."

   "It's time you got some rest, Thomas," Zachariah interjected, noting the
other's haggard features and waning strength.  "You've had enough
excitement for one day.  Here, drink this." It was another dose of the
sleeping medicine Kim had given Thomas earlier.  In a matter of minutes,
Thomas was sound asleep.  Zachariah regarded Kim as she knelt next to
Thomas, brushing the hair out of his eyes.  It was an eerie sensation to
look at her and see his daughter-in-law.  As he saw the exhaustion and
concern in Kim's eyes, Zachariah felt himself softening somewhat towards
his enigmatic descendant.  He finally stood up and motioned for Kim to
follow him outside.

   "I really wish you hadn't told Thomas Black Jack's name," he murmured as
he lit a cigarette.

   "I really wish you wouldn't smoke; you'll live longer if you give it
up," Kim countered.  "Why shouldn't I have said anything?  I thought Thomas
already knew about Black Jack if he was tangling with the Black Seven
gang."

   "No, he didn't know.  Do you know much about the White Stranger?"

   "No.  Tommy doesn't know much about his family history, and there are
little to no records left of the White Stranger in my time," Kim answered.

   "Thomas became the White Stranger after his brother was gunned down,"
Zachariah began.  He felt that if Kim was to pretend to be Thomas, she
should at least know the part she was going to play.  "Tad was sheriff at
the time.  Thomas had just come to Angel Grove to see his brother's new
son. He hit town about the time the Black Seven did.  Thomas ran afoul of
them first thing.  The men were having a little fun with an Indian girl,
and Thomas took exception to it.  He saved the girl, but got himself
thrashed in the process.  Tad took it personally and went hunting for Jack.
Jack found him first.  Thomas had followed Tad and arrived in time to watch
his brother take the bullet.  He swore he'd avenge his brother.  The gang
hightailed it out of town after that; a few months later, the White
Stranger first appeared.

   "Thomas is a good man and a skilled fighter.  He's got strong beliefs
about what is right, but this thing with Black Jack . . .  it's wrong. 
Thomas should just let it go.  He's no killer.  If he keeps after Jack,
he'll like as not wind up with a bullet through his heart.  He seems to
think an awful lot of you; I wish you'd talk some sense into him."

   "If his mind's made up, it wouldn't do any good.  However, I'll do what
I can to help out."

   "You mean take on the Black Seven gang?"

   "If that's what it takes."

   "Are you a killer?"

   "I'm a Power Ranger--or was." After a long silence, Kim said bluntly,
"You don't think much of me, do you Grandpa Zach." She didn't look at him
as she spoke.  Her directness shook her ancestor, but he didn't shy away
from her words.

   "I can't say that I do, least ways, not right now.  I've been wrong
about my first impressions before, and I'm man enough to admit it."

   "That's okay; lately, I haven't thought much of myself either.  My only
consolation is that I did what I did to save Tommy, and I'd take that
damned arrow again in a heartbeat even knowing the consequences.  Tommy
means the world to me, Grandpa Zach; there isn't much I wouldn't do to keep
him safe.  That's why I've got to help Thomas.  If anything happens to him,
Tommy might not ever be born."

   Zachariah studied her, seeing the fierce determination in her eyes.  On
occasion, he'd catch a flicker of that steel in Karen's face--when it came
to Joshua.

   "There is something else you might tell Thomas about: Joshua," Zach
requested.  "I know he's sweet on Karen, mainly because of you."

   "Why haven't you told him?"

   "We haven't told anybody yet.  Josh and Karen stayed back East when I
first came out here; then, Josh went into the army.  Karen couldn't stay by
herself, so I brought her out here, calling her my daughter for propriety's
sake.  It's been two years since Josh left, and months have gone by since
we've heard from him.  I'm beginning to wonder if he's all right."

   "Josh and Karen don't have any children yet, do they?"

   "No."

   "Then don't worry so much.  Josh will be back.  I wouldn't be standing
here talking to you if he never came home."

   ***

   "Billy, over here!  I think I've found the cave!" Tommy called out.  It
was early Monday morning.  Before heading to school, Tommy had wanted to
head out to Stranger's Rock to see if he could find any clues to Kim's
whereabouts.  Billy had gone with him, having retrieved a scanning device
from the Command Center.  Billy scrambled around to the bow of the crescent
and found Tommy kneeling in the wet grass at the apogee of the arc.  He
could see where the rocks and plants had been disturbed.

   "Kim must have barely fit through that opening," Billy mused, observing
the small size of the entrance.  Together, he and Tommy cleared a space
large enough for them to enter.  Once inside the cave, Tommy lit the
emergency lamp they had brought along in addition to the flashlights.  The
cave was much larger than either had expected.

   "It looks like this place was purposely closed up," Billy noted,
inspecting the wall through which they had forced entry.

   "There's an awful lot of stuff in here," Tommy said as he stooped down
to examine the remains of a blanket.  There was also a battered footlocker
and other artifacts.  Tommy picked up a tin cup.  "It looks like someone
once lived here."

   "I believe I found the location where Kim was laying; the residual heat
patterns match those from Zordon's file of Kimberly's bio-scans," Billy
remarked, consulting the scanner Alpha and Zordon had programmed for him.
"What can you recall of your conversation with Kim before she vanished?"

   "Right before she disappeared, she mentioned seeing a light and said
something about it reminding her of time--something; I didn't understand
that part--then she saw the snake and . . . ."

   "The light reminded her of time . . .  hm, let me try scanning for . . .
ah ha!"

   "What did you find?"

   "Chronoton particles."

   "Chronoton . . .  you mean she got sucked into another time hole?  Oh
man, she could be anywhere or any when!"

   "And without her communicator, it will exceedingly difficult to track
Kimberly's biosignature through the time continuum."

   "Let's get back to the Command Center and see if Zordon has any
suggestions," Tommy said eagerly.

   "That will have to wait until lunch hour.  If we don't teleport, we're
going to be late for class," Billy reminded him.  Tommy sighed with
frustration but did not argue.

   ----

   CHAPTER X

   Dawn was breaking as Kim returned to Stranger's Rock.  She was tired,
sore, singed, and still coughing on smoke.  Fortunately the fire had been
detected early, and they were able to get everyone out of the building. 
She had a feeling it was arson, and she suspected Black Jack was behind it.
Her first day as the White Stranger had been eventful.  She hadn't really
minded; just seeing the relief on the faces of the townsfolk when she rode
by made it all worth it.  She did think it odd that for someone who was
such a hero to Angel Grove, no tales survived.

   Kim slipped out of the saddle and walked White Lightning into the cave.
Upon entering, she found Thomas waiting up for her.  He had made breakfast.


   "Bless you, Tommy--I mean Thomas; you're a sweetheart," she declared
with a yawn.

   " 'Twas no trouble, Miss Kim; it's the least I can do," he said as he
handed her a tin cup full of coffee and a plate of something lumpy and
white.  Kim didn't care if it was oatmeal, mush or mashed potatoes.  She
was famished.

   "Busy night?" Thomas queried.  His concern grew as he smelled the smoke
which had permeated her clothes.

   "The miserable bastards set the dry goods store on fire.  We were lucky
we caught the fire before it spread," she mumbled around a mouthful of
food. "We got the Masons out all right, and the rescue helped establish
that the White Stranger is alive and well." Kim finished her meal then
stripped off her sooty clothes before Thomas could avert his eyes.  To his
relief, she wore her chemise underneath.

   "I owe you a lot, Miss Kim--first you saved my life and now this,"
Thomas said, struggling with the words as Kim sat down next to him and
snuggled in close.  She leaned up against him and fell asleep almost
instantly.  He noted that she smelled of sweat, smoke, and horse, and
somehow he found that much more appealing than Miss Karen's scents or
Missy's home cooking.  Thomas put a check on his thoughts.  Miss Kim was
already spoken for, but he couldn't put the memory of her kiss out of his
mind.  He'd never experienced anything like it before.  The way she had
talked, the way she had sat on him . . .  the way she looked in his clothes
. . .  recalling her outrageous pink costume . . .  and seeing her in her
present little slip of a garment brought heat to his cheeks and to his
loins.

   Stop this.  Somewhere--some when, there's a young man who is probably
worried half to death about where Miss Kim has gone.  He's probably looking
for her right now.  You should be thinking about a way to help her get home
and not how her breasts nearly spill out of her bodice.

   Kim shifted position slightly, and Thomas' arm dropped around her
shoulder.  He was about to pull it away when Kim grabbed his hand.  She
drew it over until his fingers brushed her bosom.  Thomas swallowed hard,
and Kim giggled in her sleep.

   "Oh Tommy!" she gasped.

   Thomas found himself envying his kinsman in the future.  He didn't want
to wake Kim, so he carefully reached around to adjust his rampant anatomy.

   ***

   Kimberly woke to the sound of bells frantically pealing in the distance.
"What is it?" she asked as she shook off her drowsiness and her dreams of
black flames.

   "Those are the school bells," Thomas reported as he tried to get up. 
"It means trouble."

   "Stay put; I'm on it," she directed him.  She quickly dressed and led
White Lightning from the cave.  She swung herself into the saddle and set
the steed thundering down the hillside toward town.  As she reached the
main thoroughfare, she noticed that the citizens were rushing to the
western end of town.

   "What's up?" she queried, reining White Lightning in.

   "One of the students has gone missing at the school!"

   Kim urged White Lightning towards the sound of the bell.  When she
arrived at the schoolhouse, there was quite a gathering of people, and she
belatedly realized that she had put her charade in serious jeopardy.  In
the gathering she spotted William, Billy's ancestor.  She dismounted and
sought him out.

   "What's going on?" she queried.  William hadn't heard her approach and
jumped when he heard a low voice behind him.

   "The White Stranger!  Am I ever glad to see . . .  wait a minute. 
You're not the . . . ."

   "Sh!" Kim hissed, clapping her hand over his mouth.  "It's me, Kim."
William's eyes went wide as she tilted the brim of her hat up so he could
see her face.  "The real White Stranger is recuperating from a gunshot
wound, but keep it under your hat.  What's happened here?"

   "My cousin Johnny wandered off from the school yard, the young uns say,
then he started hollering and carrying on.  They saw a man in black
carrying him off.  They think the varmint carried him out to Stone Canyon
Gorge and tossed him over the side," William explained.  "Can you use your
Pink Ranger powers to get him out?"

   "There is no more Pink Ranger, William, merely plain ol' Kimberly, but
let's go have a look.  Can you get me to the edge of the gorge without
anyone else getting a good look at me?"

   "Follow me.  There's a trail down the way a piece." William and Kim
hurried away from the school and found the trail.  It led them to the gorge
about a hundred yards from where the townsfolk were gathering.

   "I see him," Kim murmured, spotting a huddled shape curled up on a
narrow ledge.  "Poor little guy, it looks like his foot's caught or
something.  See how he's tugging at it?" Kim peered over the edge of the
canyon rim to see what lay below her.  "The ledge runs all along the cliff.
Find a rope and lower me down."

   "Are you sure?  That ledge can't be more than four inches wide," William
noted.  Kim smiled at that.

   "I can walk that with my eyes closed," she said confidently.

   "I'll fetch the rope from the school bell," William offered, and hurried
off.

   While Kim waited for him to return, she wondered why no one else had
ventured down with a rope to rescue the boy.  Simply lowering a line
wouldn't do with his foot caught.  There had to be something else that she
wasn't aware of.

   "Here you go, Miss Kim," William panted.  He dropped the line over the
edge and braced it around his body.  Kim kicked off Thomas' boots; she'd
have better luck in her bare feet than in the oversized clod hoppers.

   "I'll go down here, but have the rope waiting over where Johnny's stuck.
I'll pry him loose then tie the rope around him and send him back up," Kim
instructed.

   "How will you get back up?" William wondered.

   "I'll figure something out once the crowd has thinned out."

   Kim started her slow climb down the canyon wall.  William kept the rope
secure.  The ledge was a good fifteen feet below her, and Kim wondered how
Johnny survived the fall, if indeed he had fallen.  It was possible that he
was deposited via another route.  She was half way down the rope when she
heard a gun shot.  Seconds later a bullet sheared through the rope.  Kim
quickly tucked herself into a somersault position so she could better
control her fall.  Even so, she hit the ledge hard and nearly fell.  She
maintained a hold of the edge and quickly scrambled back up.  Another shot
rang out; there was her answer: a sniper.

   Kim lay flat on the ledge and tried to spot the gunman.  The bullet
which had snapped the rope had come from Johnny's direction.  Kim took that
to mean the villain was probably concealed somewhere nearby.  She stayed on
her belly and crawled closer to the child.  She covered nearly half the
distance, waiting all the while for a third shot to ring out, and she was
not disappointed.  This time she caught a glimpse of sunlight off metal. 
There was a clump of bushes up the trail from Johnny; she'd have put her
money on the gunman being hidden there.  Her hand slipped back to the gun
in Thomas' holster.  The cold, metal butt sent a shiver running through
her. No, that wasn't the answer.  She had never fired a gun; she didn't
even know if the gun was loaded.  Kim had to figure out another way to stop
the gunman; if a gun fight ensued, Johnny might be hit by a stray bullet.
Kim wished she had her power bow.

   Kim continued forward.  Another shot rang out.  This one was high,
ricocheting off the cliff face.  The bullet knocked several rocks loose,
sending them cascading down on her head.

   "Ow!" she yelped, covering her head with her arms.  They were good sized
stones--approximately baseball sized.  They gave her an idea.  She
carefully got to her knees and hefted one of the rocks.  Her throw wouldn't
have won any baseball games, but at least the rock reached the bushes.  She
scrambled a few feet closer and launched a second missile.  She kept up the
barrage until she heard what she'd been waiting for: a groan.  She had
finally hit her unseen target.  Even more gratifying, she was rewarded by
the sound of a gun careening off the side of the canyon.  She watched
carefully and caught a glimpse of a fleeing black clad form.

   With a sigh of relief she hurried along the ledge to where Johnny was
trapped.

   "The White Stranger!" the boy sniffled.  Kim guessed him to be around
six or seven years old.  He wiped his eyes furtively, and Kim pretended not
to see.

   "Hang on, Johnny; I'll have you out in a jiffy," she murmured, careful
to keep her face shadowed.

   "You won't tell the others I was crying, will you?"

   "That'll be our secret.  You sure are wedged in here real tight," Kim
grunted as she reached down into the crack in the ledge.  Suddenly she felt
a sharp pain on the back of wrist.  "Ow!  Something bit me." She freed
Johnny's leg and glanced at the marks on the back of her hand.  They looked
rather like spider bites.  After the initial sting, the discomfort wasn't
bad, so she paid it no further attention.  She glanced upwards and spotted
William leaning over the edge of the canyon.  Next to him was Doc Hart. 
"Send the rope down, William!

   "Now, when they start pulling you up, you can help by sort of walking up
the side of the cliff," Kim directed as she fastened the rope around
Johnny's waist.  "You let Doc Hart have a look at that ankle of yours, all
right?"

   "What about you?  How are you going to get back up?" Johnny wondered. 
"And how come your voice sounds so high?  You sound like a girl."

   "I inhaled too much smoke at Mason's store last night," Kim fibbed. 
"You tell William that I've gone to see if I can find the guy who was
shooting at me."

   "Sure.  Thanks."

   "Up you go, Johnny."

   Kim waited until William and Zachariah had hold of Johnny before she
wandered further up the ledge.  She approached the bushes carefully, but no
one was there.  The bushes concealed a narrow gap in the cliff.  Kim
followed the hidden trail.  It meandered quite a ways; when she emerged
from the miniature canyon, she found herself on a hillside overlooking the
school.  There were several large trees on the hill, and Kim dragged
herself over to one of them to sit and rest.

   Kim felt drained, overheated, and a little lightheaded.  She looked at
the back of her hand again; it was slightly swollen and tender to the
touch. She didn't feel real good.  Of greater concern to her was the
burning in her veins.  She recognized the sensation; she could no longer
deny that Tommy hadn't fully cured her.  She was back to the first stages
of fever induced by Zedd's spell.  What was she going to do?  Tommy wasn't
simply miles away; he was separated from her by 110 years or more.

   Kim had to get back to the cave.  She roused herself to check the
schoolyard.  She watched as William and Doc helped Johnny over to a wagon;
no doubt they intended to take him to Doc's surgery.  With their departure,
the rest of the crowd gathered in the yard dispersed.  Kim waited until
everyone was gone before venturing down the hill.  White Lightning was
patiently waiting by Thomas' boots.  It was all Kim could do to get herself
up in the saddle; she had never felt so weak and nauseous under the spell
before.  She nudged White Lightning.

   "Come on, boy, take me home."

   ***

   "Miss Kim, is something wrong?" Thomas queried as Kim returned.  She all
but fell out of White Lightning's saddle and staggered drunkenly across the
floor.  "What happened?"

   "The Black Seven gang snatched William's cousin and dropped him down
Stone Canyon Gorge.  I think he was the bait so they could take potshots at
the White Stranger," Kim related as she sat down exhaustedly.  Her face was
flushed, and she was sweating profusely.  She cradled her hand in her lap
as she settled down next to the fire.  "I got him out all right; thank
goodness I'm a gymnast or I'd have never have made it across that ledge
even without the sniper."

   "What's wrong with your hand?" Thomas asked.

   "Huh?  Oh, it's nothing much; I think something bit me."

   "Those are teeth marks," Thomas said as he dragged himself over to
examine her hand; he gently probed the punctures.  Her hand was red and
puffy.  Thomas placed his hand on her brow.  Kim was burning up with fever.


   "I felt something when I reached into the crevice . . . ."

   "You had better lay down," Thomas recommended.  There was no telling
what the critter had been or what sort of poison it may have injected into
her system.

   "Sounds good to me, I'm beat," she agreed.  She stripped off everything
but her chemise and curled up on a blanket by the fire.  "Mm, that feels
good.  Why am I so cold?"

   "Just rest, Miss Kim," Thomas said.  She had drifted off almost as soon
as her head hit the blanket.  Thomas was concerned.  She really needed to
see Doc Hart and get some medicine, but there was no way either of them
could ride.  He thought a moment longer then recalled he had something on
hand that might be of use.  He dragged himself over to his footlocker and
rooted through the items until he found a small leather pouch.

   It had been a gift to him from Soaring Falcon, the medicine man to the
local Indian tribe.  Thomas had met Soaring Falcon the afternoon when he
had first encountered the Black Seven gang; they had been molesting a young
Indian woman.  He helped her escape from them.  Shining Crane was Soaring
Falcon's granddaughter.  Thomas and the shaman hit it off; Soaring Falcon
named him One Who Seeks and offered to help him find what his soul was
searching for.  He also began teaching him the ways of his people's
mysticism.  Thomas wasn't sure he believed in everything Soaring Falcon had
to say, but some of his words brought him comfort, and the shaman's herb
lore had proven useful on many occassions.

   Thomas sorted through the herbs in the pouch until he spotted the sprig
he was looking for.  According to Soaring Falcon, the dried flower was good
for treating poisoned bites.  Thomas set about to making a pot of tea. 
Once the water was almost boiling, he crushed the sprig into the water and
stirred it until it dissolved.  He held Kim's head in his lap and poured
the brew into her mouth.  Her fever sleep was so deep that she didn't even
budge as he forced the contents of the cup down her throat.  Now for the
worst part: waiting.

   ***

   "Tommy," Kim moaned in her sleep.

   It had been several hours since Thomas had administered the herbs.  Kim
seemed to be doing no better.  Presently, she was tossing and turning. 
Thomas tried to keep her brow wiped, but she was perspiring too much.  She
had worked off the covers he had thrown over her, and at the moment she was
tugging fitfully at her undergarment.

   "Settle down, Miss Kim," Thomas urged her.  It wouldn't do to have her
undress herself in her sleep.

   "Tommy, please, the flames are back.  I'm not all better!" she whimpered
piteously.

   "It'll be all right," Thomas said soothingly.

   "Make it stop hurting, Tommy," Kim pleaded frantically.

   "You've had medicine.  What else should I do?"

   "Make it stop like you did before!  I need you, Tommy."

   "All right, Kim, I'll help you," Thomas agreed.  What would it hurt to
assumed the role of her beau as long as he got her to settle down?  "Just
tell me what to do."

   "Take me, Tommy; take me now!" Kim sat up suddenly; her eyes were opened
but glazed with fever.  She was not awake.  Her hands caught her chemise
and all but ripped it from her body.  Thomas swallowed hard as he tried not
to look at her, but it was impossible to tear his eyes away.  Kim's
expression wavered between agony and appetite as she advanced towards him,
crawling slowly, like an animal stalking its prey.

   "I need you inside me now, Tommy," she said beseechingly.  "Make me feel
so good it won't hurt any more!" Thomas had no clue what to do, and he
wasn't prepared for Kim's strength or the ferocity of her desire.  She
pounced on him, pinning him to the cave floor.  Her mouth savaged his as
her hands tugged at his shirt.  Once his chest was bared, she kissed her
way down his chest and stomach.  Upon reaching his belt buckle, she gave a
cry of frustration and whipped the belt off.  In no time, she had his
trousers and drawers pulled down around his ankles.  With one fluid move,
Kim straddled his hips and impaled herself on his cock.  Thomas groaned in
disbelief and pleasure, and the ride was only beginning.

   Kim moved herself hard and fast on his organ.  She had her hands braced
on his chest as she rode him.  Her head whipped up and down, and her hair
flew hither and thither in her frenzy.  Thomas had given up trying to
disengage her; he settled for trying to hold on to her, his hands digging
into the soft flesh of her buttocks.  His eyes went wide as Kim sat up
straighter and began playing with her breasts.  The pain was ebbing slowly
from her face to be replaced with a sort of glow.  Thomas had never seen
anything so exciting in his life.

   "Please, Tommy," Kim whimpered.  "I need to come, Tommy.  Make me come!"
Her frenetic actions were beginning to slow, but her hips were pounding
against him harder than before.  Her back arched sharply, thrusting her
breasts forward.  In spite of himself, Thomas released his grip on her
haunches and reached for one of her bouncing mounds.  He found her breasts
surprisingly soft and her nipples surprisingly hard.

   "Yes, oh yes!" Kim's moans were becoming throaty growls as she worked
him harder.  He felt the warmth of her fluids bathing his cock, and felt
the velvety walls of her sex contracting, hugging his rod tighter than
anything he had ever felt.  It was both excruciating and exhilarating.

   "Fuck me, Tommy!  Oh God, fuck me!  Make the fire stop!" she screamed.
Thomas nearly screamed himself as the walls of her vagina clamped about him
with vice-like strength.  Pleasure exploded through every nerve ending in
his body.  Kim's body began to shake, and she literally pounded against his
hips.  Kim screamed long and loud as her climax hit.  She continued to
writhe about like a wild woman as ecstasy rippled through her.  At last she
began to settle down.  With an exhausted sigh, she kissed him then
collapsed on his chest.  As she fell forward, Thomas' cock slipped out.  He
lay there gasping with relief for several moments before he realized that
he,too, had come.

   Suddenly, Kim began stirring, and Thomas felt his heart go cold in his
chest.  What if she woke up now?  What would she think?  Thomas didn't know
what to do; he hadn't the strength to lift Kim off his body.

   "I'm sorry, Tommy," she murmured sleepily.  "I didn't mean to lose it
like that.  It's just that the flames were back . . .  I was so scared . .
. .  Please tell me you didn't lose your powers this time." Thomas was
startled to see that she was crying, but she was no more in her right mind
than when she had ridden him.

   "Don't cry, Kim; everything will be all right," he assured her, and Kim
snuggled down next to him, drifting back to sleep.

   Thomas' mind was in a whirl.  Never had he experienced anything like
what had just happened.  He had never been with a woman before, but he
always thought that a lady would be as genteel in bed as she was in public.
He never dreamed that a woman, much less Kim, would be so raw and wild. 
Yet, when he looked down at her as she pressed against him, there was no
trace of the wantonness.  There was no trace of the tormented shadows that
had darkened Kim's face.  She was at peace.  Thomas groaned softly.  It was
too much for him to handle at the moment.  He had dozens of
questions--about her actions and about his reactions, but they would keep
for now.  He allowed himself to pull Kim closer and drift off to sleep.

   ----

   CHAPTER XI

   Thomas woke the next morning to White Lightning's whinnying.  At first
he wasn't quite sure where he was.  His head was humming from the dreams he
had had.  He felt like the morning after smelling too much of Soaring
Falcon's pipe tobacco.  Slowly, the evening's activities came back to him.
Thomas gazed down at Kim; her head was nestled comfortably against his
chest, and her soft body was pressed close to him.  He felt as if he could
lay there forever with her.  Then he recalled that Doc Hart was due out to
change his bandages.  It wouldn't do for Doc to see them together like
this.

   Thomas grudgingly slipped out of Kim's embrace.  She didn't even budge
as he tried to dress her in her undergarment.  Being unsuccessful with
that, he put her shirt back on her.  As Thomas buttoned her up, he couldn't
help but take one last caress.  His descendant was sure a lucky fellow--a
thought which stirred his guilt.  What was he doing?  What was he thinking?
He had just made love to another man's woman!

   It wasn't his fault.  Kim was the one who had jumped him, but he could
have tried a little harder to fend her off.  Kim really wasn't at fault
either; she had been a victim of a fever dream.  She probably wouldn't know
what had happened when she woke up.  Thomas didn't want anything; he didn't
want to embarrass her, but he wanted to ask her about some of the things
she'd been saying.  It sounded an awful lot like there was more going on
than simply the desire to fool around with her beau.

   He checked Kim's forehead; her fever had broken.  Soaring Falcon's
medicine must have worked after all.  He pulled the covers up over her and
let her sleep a little longer as he got himself dressed and put breakfast
on.

   ***

   Kim woke up to the smell of coffee and food.  She felt positively
ravenous.  As she sat up, she was puzzled; the last thing she clearly
remembered was retrieving White Lightning from the schoolyard.  She had no
memory of returning to the cave; White Lightning was one smart horse.  She
stood, stretched, and noticed that her shirt was buttoned wrong.  Thomas
must have undressed her and put her to bed, but why was she wearing only
her shirt?  She had worn her chemise under her clothes yesterday, but now
she was naked under her shirt.  She looked around for Thomas, but he wasn't
in the cave.  Concerned, Kim went outside.  Shading her eyes against the
glare, she spotted Thomas struggling to make his way back up the hillside.

   "What do you think you're doing?" Kim admonished as she hurried forward
to assist him.

   "How are you feeling this morning?" Thomas questioned in return.  His
expression was anxious, and Kim thought the color in his cheeks was a
little high.  She noticed that he had her chemise, which was soaking wet,
draped over his arm.

   "I'm fine, but a little confused.  What happened last night?" she
queried as she helped him back to the cave.  Thomas looked decidedly
uncomfortable.

   "Well, when you got back from rescuing the boy, you were burning up with
fever," Thomas began.

   "That bite I received . . .  was it poisoned or something?"

   "I think so.  You were out of your mind.  I gave you some herbs to try
and bring the fever down, but you kept on babbling and stuff . . . ."
Thomas was torn.  How could he tell her that she had been intimate with
him?

   "I remember having this dream . . .  wow, and what a dream!  It was
pretty intense," Kim said.  It had been a dream of her and Tommy making
love in Thomas' cave back in their time period.  Kim noticed Thomas'
discomfort and embarrassment.  "Thomas, what sort of things had I been
saying in my sleep?"

   "You kept calling out to Tommy, saying really personal things; I think
you thought you and he were . . . ." Thomas stammered, grateful for having
an out.  If Kim thought she had been talking in her sleep, he wouldn't have
to tell her what she had done.  It was Kim's turn to blush.

   "I'm really sorry, Thomas.  I didn't mean to embarrass you.  You should
have tried to wake me up or something."

   "I did, but it didn't help.  Don't worry about it, Kim; it was the fever
talking." Thomas observed her gaze at her undergarment.  "You had soaked it
clean through, and . . . ."

   ". . .  and you were only trying to help.  Thanks for taking care of me,
Thomas."

   Thomas said nothing as he handed Kim a dish of oatmeal.

   "I wonder if Tommy knows how to cook," Kim murmured around a spoonful of
the lumpy paste.  She glanced over at Thomas who was looking rather
pensive. "What is it?"

   "Could ask you something kind of personal," Thomas began.

   "I don't see why not."

   "It's about some of the things you were saying last night.  I got the
impression that you and Tommy were being intimate but that there was more
going on.  You kept asking him to make it stop hurting, and then you asked
him if he had lost his powers.  How did you lose your powers?  Was it
because you were intimate with your Tommy?"

   "There was more to it than that," Kim answered with a sigh.  She told
Thomas the story from the time she took Sagitteros' arrow to the minute she
wound up at Stranger's Rock circa 1882.  Thomas took several minutes to
digest the information.

   "I'm real sorry, Kim" he said at last.

   "So am I, Thomas, but there's nothing to do about it now."

   "You don't even know if you're cured?"

   "Not for certain, but I think I am.  For a bit there while I was waiting
in the schoolyard, I thought I might be having a relapse, but it turns out
it was just the poison from that bite.  I don't know what I'd do if I was
to relapse now.  Zordon said that since the spell had been tailored to
Tommy, he was the one who had to have sex with me in order to provide me
with the proper hormones or whatever to counter the spell.  I suppose it
could have been worse; at least I had to sleep with Tommy.  The spell could
have been tailored to someone else--like Bulk or Skull.  Gross!  I won't
really know if I'm cured until Zordon can run a scan on me."

   "Kim, I know I'm not your Tommy and all, but if you do need that sort of
help while you're here . . .  I mean, I'd sure hate to see you suffer a
relapse.  I don't know if I could do any good or not, but since I seem to
be a lot like Tommy . . . ." Thomas fumbled.  He couldn't meet Kim's eyes.

   "Thomas, that's sweet of you," she said, kissing his cheek.  "Let's hope
I don't have to take you up on your offer.  I'd really hate for you to have
see that side of me, and how would I explain it to Tommy?"

   "If Tommy is any thing like me, he would want you to do whatever you had
to in order to stay alive and come back to him safely," Thomas said with
conviction.

   "From all I can tell, Thomas, you and he are a lot alike, and not just
in appearance.  I'm really lucky to have found you."

   "Think nothing of it." In the awkward silence that followed, the two
finished their morning meal.

   "I suppose now that you're on the mend, I should start trying to figure
out a way to let Tommy and Billy know where I'm at," Kim said at last. 
"Since I no longer have my powers and my communicator, they're going to
have a really hard time of tracking me through the timestream."

   "There was something else I was wondering about," Thomas interjected. 
"I thought you said being intimate robbed you of your powers; if so, how is
it that you lost your powers and Tommy did not?"

   "I don't know.  Maybe because I was the one needing the sex and he was
just giving of himself to save me.  The only thing that matters is that
Tommy has his powers; he's still a Ranger."

   "What about you?  I always had the feeling that you were proud of being
a Ranger, too.  Won't you miss it?"

   "Being a Ranger meant a lot to me, and yes, I'll miss it.  It'll be hard
having to stay behind while the others go off to battle Zedd's monsters and
not being able to share the danger with Tommy.  But I'll be able to help
out in other ways.  Once a Ranger, always a Ranger," Kim replied.  She gave
a small laugh.  "We said that when Tommy lost his Green Ranger Powers and
when Jason, Zack and Trini left; I never appreciated how true it could be.
I mean, look at what I've accomplished here.  I helped rescue people from a
burning store, took out a sniper and rescued Johnny from Stone Canyon
Gorge--all without my powers.  Tommy said once that it wasn't only our
powers that made us Power Rangers but who we were inside and the knowledge
of what was right and true.  I still have that, and I have my gymnastic
skills.  I'm far from helpless."

   "That's the spirit, Kim.  This Zedd character may have taken your powers
away, but as long as you still believe in yourself, he will never beat
you."

   "You're right.  If I let Zedd keep me down, he really will have won,"
Kim concluded.  She got to her feet, a look of determination flashing in
her eyes.

   "What are you going to do?" Thomas wondered.

   "Take a bath."

   "Excuse me?" The sudden shift of topic had Thomas completely lost.

   "I am all sticky, sweaty--I feel completely gross, and I haven't washed
my hair since Friday," Kim admitted with a grimace.  "I intend to go take a
soak in the lake, relax, and think.  I always did my best thinking in the
shower."

   "The lake is awfully cold," Thomas pointed out, "but there's a grotto
not too far down from here.  It has a tiny waterfall, and the water is
warm. I think it comes from a hot spring."

   "That's just what the doctor ordered!"

   ***

   Kim stripped off her shirt and waded out into the cool water.  She swam
out a ways and let herself float on the surface of the lake, revelling in
the feel of the sun on her face and the feel of the water gently caressing
her.  After several minutes of lazing about, she went in search of Thomas'
grotto.  She found it just beyond a rocky outcropping.  The stones formed
an archway, and at the back of the small inlet was the cascade of water. 
Sometime during the century to follow, the formation must have collapsed
because there was no inlet by the lake in her day.  The water splashed down
from a height of about six feet; there was a shelf of rock at the base
which had been worn smooth.

   "Oh, does that feel good!" Kim sighed as she pulled herself out of the
shallow water and stood under the torrent.  The temperature was perfect,
and the pulse of the cascade reminded her of the shower massager back home.
She let the water pound on her back, easing the knots in her muscles.  As
she stood under the stream of water, Kim felt as if a weight had been
lifted from her shoulders.  Her talk with Thomas had done her a world of
good.  The despair was gone.  Powers or not, she was still a Ranger; she
could still contribute to the team.  It would take some getting used to,
but she'd show Zedd that he hadn't beaten her.  She couldn't wait to see
Tommy again to let him know that she was going to be all right.

   That wasn't the only reason she couldn't wait to see Tommy.  Images from
her dream came back to her; during parts of it, she had been suffering a
relapse and was desperately in need of Tommy.  However, there were other
parts where the two of them were simply making love--slow and gentle. 
Thinking of those moments sent a chill down Kimberly's spine.  Remembering
the feel of his hands on her body, the way he played with her hair, his
kisses, his mouth on her breasts . . .  his tongue between her legs . . .
she wanted to make love to Tommy again.  She wanted to feel all those
things again now that she was cured.  She had no doubt about that now;
there were no more dark flames eating at her soul.  She could think of
Tommy making love to her without experiencing the hot knives.  She could
picture how he looked, his strong, tanned body, his long, sexy hair . . . .


   Her hands skimmed down her wet body the way she imagined Tommy's hands
would touch her.  Her hands glided up over her breasts, cupping them,
softly squeezing them.  She thought of the shine in Tommy's eyes as he
played with them.  She gently rolled her nipples against her palms.  She
felt the warmth building within her as she played with herself.  It felt so
good not to have to be afraid of those sensations.  In the back of her
mind, she still felt a little uncertain at the strength of her emotions. 
After all, she was only seventeen; she and Tommy had shared a really
powerful experience.  Were they ready for a sexual relationship?  They
couldn't undo what was done, but should they continue?

   That was a question she couldn't answer on her own.  It could wait until
she was back.  For now, all she wanted to do was fantasize.  She had spent
the last six months coming to terms with her sexuality; it hadn't been
easy, but she had finally been able to accept her desires as a part of
herself and not something to be ashamed of.  Knowing that Tommy shared
those desires had certainly helped.  Right now, she wanted Tommy so badly
that her body ached to feel his touch.

   As Kimberly stood under the spray of the waterfall, a slow smile spread
across her face.  She wanted Tommy, and she could have him--in a way.  It
was the way she had had him countless times over the last six months.  Kim
eased herself onto the rocks and positioned herself so that the water
splashed directly against her throbbing pussy.  How many times had she sat
in the bathtub, the water pounding against her sex while imagining Tommy
between her legs?  Before, she had no idea how good Tommy's mouth on her
pussy would feel; she did now, and it added a dimension to her fantasy. 
The water lapped at her clit, reminding her of Tommy's tongue.  She closed
her eyes and could see Tommy's face buried between her legs.

   "Mm, yes, Tommy," she murmured, falling deeper into her daydream.  Her
back arched as she thrust her hips at the water, trying to find a way to
grind against it.  It felt so good; the water was taking her to the brink
slowly, steadily, just like Tommy's mouth.

   "Make me come," she moaned as her hips continued to snap back and forth.
Her right hand played with her breasts, and her left slipped down between
her legs.  She rubbed her clit harder.  She could feel the orgasm coming.
She slid a finger into her vagina and began working herself into a frenzy.
She tossed her head from side to side; her torso twisted this way and that
as she writhed under the power of the water, her hands, and her fantasy. 
She pumped her hips furiously in the spray, begging, sobbing for release.
Her body was as taut as a bow string.  Her whimpers echoed off the rocks.
The cheeks of her ass slapped the slippery stones.

   "Now, Tommy!  Now!" she urged her phantom lover, and suddenly her body
exploded with her orgasm.  The power of her climax rocked her body for
several minutes, and when the moment passed, she collapsed, weak as a
kitten.  She lay under the spray nearly senseless.  She basked in the
warmth that flooded her veins.  The steady pounding of the cascade
threatened to send her hurtling to the pinnacle of pleasure a second time.

   I want you so badly, Tommy Oliver, that it frightens me, but I'm never
going to run away from my feelings again.  I'll find a way to let you know
where I am and how I'm doing, and when I get home, we'll get everything all
worked out.  Together.

   Kim rolled out from underneath the water to recover.  When she had
collected herself, she dove back into the water and swam out of the inlet.
She swam to shore even though it was a ways down from Stranger's Rock and
boldly walked along the shoreline.  There was no one about, and there was
something incredibly delicious in walking naked on the beach in broad
daylight.  The warmth of the sun soaked through her, reaching into her
bones.  The kiss of the breeze on her body was like Tommy's caresses.  The
whole experience was so sensuous that Kim had a hard time keeping her hands
away from her breasts and pussy.

   Kim opened her arms and spun around for sheer delight.  She glanced up
at the entrance to the cave and thought she saw Thomas; strangely, she was
not bothered by the thought.  Nothing could spoil her present euphoric
mood. She scampered up the sandy stretch to where she had left her shirt.
As she was getting dressed, she heard the call of a bird.  She squinted up
at the sky as a majestic bird of prey swooped down towards the bluff across
the lake.

   A falcon, Kim mused.  The bird landed and seemed to stare down at her
from its lofty perch.  As she gazed up at the falcon, Kim detected the
sleek, silent form of a wolf as it approached the falcon.  The wolf did not
strike at the falcon, nor did the falcon take flight in fear.  The pair
regarded her in silence.  As Kim continued to stare in dry-mouthed wonder,
a third animal lumbered up: a bear.

   Kim ran down the slope of the beach and splashed into the water, her
heart beating wildly.  She had to get a closer look.  A frog . . .  there
had to be a frog up there too.  The appearance of those specific animals
had to mean something; they were the spirit animals of her friends.  As she
swam towards the bluff, she noticed a trail that she had never seen before.
It was not so much a path but an arrangement of foot holds and hand holds.

   Though not a strong swimmer, Kim crossed the narrow stretch between the
two shores quickly.  Her heart was all but soaring with excitement as she
began climbing the steep face of the cliff.  Her mind was not on where her
hands and feet needed to be; she was focused solely on those animals.  Her
heart was filled with thoughts of her friends, and she only had eyes for
the dark brown gaze of the falcon.

   At last she clambered over the edge of the cliff.  Had she looked down
at herself, she would have noticed that her knees were skinned and bloody,
as were her feet and hands.  Her shirt was torn, and her face was smudged
with dirt, blood, and sweat, but Kim's attention was riveted to where the
animals watched and waited.  Her hand flew to her mouth, and tears stung
her eyes.  With the three animals she had seen from below, there sat a
frog, and although it was but a trick of the heat, Kim could have sworn she
had glimpsed the hulking form of the ape.  The only figure missing was the
crane.  That didn't matter as she stepped forward; however, the animals
suddenly vanished.  Kim raced forward as if to intercept them, but there
was nothing there.  Kim returned to the edge of the bluff, searching the
sky for any sign of the falcon, certain that it had been real.

   "Thanks you guys," Kim whispered to her friends more than a century
away. This was a sign that they were still with her, that they were still
there for her in spite of everything.  As she blinked away her tears, she
spotted the falcon again.  He was heading straight for her.  Unconsciously,
she lifted her arm to offer it a perch.  The bird flew past her.  She
turned and saw the falcon land on the arm of a wizened Indian.  His
coppery, sun weathered skin was lined with wrinkles.  His silver grey hair
hung in long braids; he regarded her with piercing black eyes.

   "Powerful friends you have," he said in a low, clear voice.

   "My friends are watching out for me," she replied as she walked towards
him.

   "You are not One Who Seeks, though you wear his clothing," the Indian
noted.

   "I'm his friend." Kim assumed that he was Soaring Falcon whom Thomas had
mentioned.

   "So I have seen.  You honor his name and his cause." Soaring Falcon
peered more closely at her.  "You are not a warrior but a maiden."

   "Where I come from, a maiden can be a warrior."

   "It must be so.  Many warriors from my people have tried to climb this
bluff to find their spirit guides.  Thomas Who Seeks has tried and failed
many times.  Yet you have the nobility of spirit and the courageous heart
to succeed where so many others have failed."

   "I wasn't looking for my spirit guide; I saw the spirit animals of my
friends.  My spirit animal wasn't with them," Kim sad with a touch of
sadness.  "That's okay, though.  It means more to me to know that they're
still out there for me."

   "Just as you are here for them.  Your spirit will soar with them again."


   "Thanks, Soaring Falcon."

   The shaman regarded her with a curious expression.  "My spirit guide,
the winged lord of the skies, told me that this day I would meet a warrior
like none I had ever seen.  To this warrior I should give this." Soaring
Falcon held out a bow carved of white wood which was ornately painted.  He
also presented her with a quiver of arrows.  "These arrows' fletchings are
special to my people.  They come from my granddaughter's namesake: a bird
of great beauty, grace and agility . . . ."

   "The crane," Kim murmured in awe.  Tears glistened on her cheek as she
accepted the bow from him.  Then she flung her arms around the medicine
man. "Thank you!" Her display of affection took the shaman by surprise.

   "For those who have touched the spirits, this bluff is a place of great
magic," he informed her.  "If your heart is free of darkness and your
spirit strong, you may touch the soul of the one you seek."

   "I can reach Tommy?" she asked, biting her lip nervously.

   "If you truly believe, then all things are possible."

   "Just to be able to tell him I'm all right and that I'm trying to get
back to him . . .  Soaring Falcon, that's wonderful!  What do I have to
do?"

   "Stand at the summit and look to your heart.  It will know."

   Kim scampered back to the edge of the bluff, when she turned to ask
Soaring Falcon another question, she saw that he was gone.  Kim quickly
dismissed the medicine man from her thoughts.  Her heart and mind had room
for only one person: Tommy.  To tell him she was all right.  To tell him
she was sorry for running off.  To tell him she loved him and was trying to
find her way back to him.  She did not doubt she could touch him; after all
their minds were linked already, a bond forged of life and death, love and
pain--all those things that had given her nobility of spirit and a
courageous heart.  It would take more than a few decades to keep her and
Tommy apart.  Kim stood at the edge of the precipice with her arms
outstretched.  A faint breeze ruffled her hair and her shirttails.  In her
mind, she cried out with all her might, "Tommy!"

   ***

   Tommy woke with a start; for a moment he didn't recall where he was.  He
was surrounded by darkness, dampness, and cold.  He was in a cave.  Then he
remembered; he was in the cave at Stranger's Rock waiting for . . .  what?
A sign?  A flicker of the time hole?  Anything that would bring him closer
to finding Kimberly.  They had been searching for her since she disappeared
in the wee hours of Monday morning.  It was Wednesday, and there was still
no sign of her.

   He'd been less than useless at school, and even with Billy's monitoring
devices, Tommy felt the need to stake out the cave.  Zordon and Alpha were
scanning the time stream for her bio-signature; everyone was doing all that
could be done.  Still, he was determined to camp out in the cave for as
long as it took to find Kimberly.  He had the feeling that something was
going to break soon.

   Tommy lit the kerosene lamp he had brought and glanced at his watch.  He
had been up all night and pretty much had slept the day away.  There was no
sense in going back to sleep.  The others would be by as soon as school was
out, so he had some time to kill.  He decided to finish checking out the
contents of the footlocker.  He had begun sorting through the paraphernalia
last night while he had been bored and trying to stay awake.  He had found
some clothes, utensils, and some old photographs.  He wondered how long the
stuff had been sitting in the cave.  At the very bottom of the locker was a
book of some sort.  Upon opening it, Tommy discovered that it was a
journal. The handwriting was a little difficult to decipher, but Tommy
managed to make it out.

   I was never big on book learning, even though I went to school 'til the
eighth grade.  I did most of my learning by wandering around and asking
those with the knowledge to teach me.  I got by all right.  I never thought
about keeping a record of my life; I never saw much use for it, but
recently I had an experience that taught me if I don't preserve what I
know, future generations will lose their sense of family.

   I was born in 1862 in the midwest, near Indian territory.  I never knew
my father; he was away fighting in the war.  He never came home.  My mamma
died when I was a few months old; it was scarlet fever.  I have a fair idea
of what my folks looked like.  Gran always said that Tad was the spitting
image of my father, and I looked like my ma.  I had her Indian blood, gran
said.  They were the only family I ever knew, my older brother Tad and my
gran . . . .

   Tommy quickly became absorbed in the diary.  He was so engrossed that he
didn't hear the hum of incoming teleportees.  He had been correct in
thinking that something was going to break soon.  However, what broke was
his friends' patience.  Billy had found a way to punch the teleportation
signal through the cave's natural shielding, and he, Aisha, Adam, and
Rocky, materialized in a ring around Tommy.

   "Hey guys, what's up?" Tommy asked, setting aside the diary.

   "Grab him," Billy directed.  The four pounced on him, each grabbing a
limb.

   "What's going on!  Put me down!" Tommy shouted as he struggled to break
free.

   "All right, Alpha, teleport us out," Billy radioed.  In the blink of an
eye, the quintet was taken from the cave and deposited on the shore line.
Before Tommy could wriggle free, Billy said, "Dump him." The four heaved,
tossing Tommy into the lake.  Tommy quickly resurfaced, choking on the
water.

   "Again, Alpha, farther out," Billy requested.  The teleportation ray
caught Tommy a second time, dumping him further out in the water.  To the
others, Billy said, "You'd better get going.  Tommy is likely to be quite
angry when he finally gets back to shore."

   "All right, Billy," Rocky agreed.

   "Are you sure you can handle him?" Adam wondered.

   "I've got first watch," Aisha said, heading up the slope.

   Billy sat down and waited for Tommy to swim ashore, and he tried to
remain unflappable in the face of Tommy's indignation.

   "What has gotten into you guys!" Tommy sputtered as he thundered up to
where Billy sat.  He was a towering figure of dripping wet fury, and Billy
had to bite the side of his cheek to keep from laughing.

   "Look at yourself," Billy instructed him.  "You've barely slept in the
last three days; you haven't eaten hardly at all, and you haven't changed
clothes since Monday.  Running yourself into the ground isn't going to
bring Kim back or do us any good if we have to go rescue her.  We're all
concerned about Kimberly, but worrying ourselves sick isn't going to help."
Tommy realized the truth of Billy's words and sank down in an exhausted
heap.

   "You're right; I'm sorry, man."

   "We understand how you must feel.  Things have been pretty rough for you
lately." The two sat quietly for a moment, staring out across the choppy,
grey waters.

   "Billy, I think I . . . ." Tommy began awkwardly.

   "Needing someone to talk to?"

   "Yeah."

   "I thought you might.  That's why I volunteered to be the one who
greeted you after your dunking."

   "By the way, why'd you guys toss me into the lake?"

   "To insure that you'd leave the cave long enough to get some dry
clothes. Do you want to change before we start?"

   "I suppose I should, but considering the dream I had last night, maybe
I'm better off cold and wet," Tommy murmured.

   "A dream about Kim?" Billy prompted.

   "A doozie!  In it, she wasn't cured yet.  She had a relapse.  She came
to me in the cave and jumped me but good.  Afterwards, she was really
afraid that she might have caused me to lose my powers again."

   "Could your dream have been an attempt by Kim to reach you through your
link?"

   "I don't know, but it really scared me, Billy; we don't know if Kim was
cured or not.  What if she has a relapse and I'm not there for her?"

   "Judging from the length of time it took her to reach the critical stage
from the initial infection, as it were, she should be in no immediate
danger."

   "But what if the second time around, things happen a lot faster?  I just
wish we knew where she is and how she is.  I sort of wish she was back in
Angel Grove in 1880; at least we know she has access to our ancestors
there."

   "That was the first era we tried.  Kim did not return to Angel Grove in
1880, and even if she had, how would having access to our ancestors help
her if she was suffering a relapse?"

   "Maybe my ancestor--what'd Kim call him--the White Stranger could have
helped her out.  If he looked exactly like me. . . ."

   "I follow you.  If he is your physical duplicate, perhaps he is your
genetic duplicate as well and would have compatible seminal fluid to
assuage Kimberly's condition," Billy concluded.

   "I know it sounds weird, but if she does suffer a relapse, I'd rather
she try and get help wherever she can, even if it means she has to have sex
with my great-great-great grandfather, than risk her life by trying to wait
until she gets home."

   "It's not weird; it's very understanding of you."

   "I just want Kim home safe and sound."

   "We'll find her, Tommy; it's just taking a little longer because she
doesn't have her communicator."

   "I know."

   "Is the thought of her having a relapse the only thing preying on your
mind?" Billy queried, knowing full well it wasn't.

   "No, there was more to my dream than that," Tommy admitted.  "In parts
of it, I was reliving some of the saner moments from Saturday and Sunday.
Man, Billy, that was incredible.  When she was in control, making love to
her was . . .  wow!  The rest of my dream was spent fantasizing about what
I want to do to her when she gets home."

   "There's nothing wrong with that."

   "Don't you get it?  Kim's lost somewhere in time without her powers. 
She could be hurt or anything, and all I can think about is getting her
into bed again!" Tommy said bitterly.

   "Tommy, being preoccupied with sex goes hand in hand with being a
teenager.  It doesn't mean you aren't concerned about Kimberly's
well-being; your actions these past three days clearly demonstrate that you
are deeply concerned.  You and Kimberly shared a very intense experience,
and you haven't had the opportunity to work things out between yourselves,
much like what happened six months ago."

   "You saw how angry Kim was when she stormed off.  She may not want to
have anything to do with me.  I mean, we had sex to save her life; for a
while, things were pretty painful for her, but for me . . . ."

   "You couldn't help but enjoy what you were doing, and you feel guilty
about it," Billy said.  "From what I observed, during the saner moments,
Kimberly seemed to derive just as much enjoyment out of what you two were
doing." Billy winced inwardly at his faux pas.  He still hadn't told Tommy
he had watched him and Kimberly making love.  Tommy didn't say anything but
cocked an eyebrow at him, and Billy hastened to explain further.  "Well,
when she was pursuing me as part of her somnambulant state, she seemed to
take a great deal of pleasure in her activities."

   "Yeah, she did go after you hot and heavy," Tommy remarked with a grin.
At the time, he had been rather amused by the scene and more than a little
aroused.  "That was pretty powerful."

   "Indeed, she merely established a purchase on my bottom and kissed me,
and I was so aroused that my vision was momentarily skewed," Billy
confessed.  He took a deep breath to steady himself, a pause that did not
go unnoticed by Tommy.

   Tommy sympathized with Billy; he would have been more surprised if Billy
hadn't been aroused by Kim's coming on to him.  It was his own reaction to
the scene that Tommy had to consider.  If Billy's embarrassment and
distress hadn't been so painfully obvious, Tommy wouldn't have stopped Kim.
He had enjoyed watching Kim as she attacked Billy.  It had been as exciting
as anything he and Kim had done together.  Tommy wasn't sure he was
comfortable with that or not, but he knew he'd love to see it again.

   "I wonder what Kim would have done if I hadn't stopped her," Tommy mused
aloud, more to himself than to Billy.

   "I have found myself pondering that same question," Billy murmured as he
tried to rein in his rampaging hormones.

   "We'll probably never know."

   It was Billy's turn to experience amazement at Tommy's comment.  Billy
wasn't quite sure what emotion he would have ascribed to Tommy, but he
definitely had not expected the tone of regret.  Tommy sounded almost as
disappointed as Billy felt.

   "You know," Tommy continued, shying away from the more difficult topic,
"I wish Kim hadn't taken that arrow for me.  Look what her sacrifice has
cost her: her virginity, her powers, and who knows what else.  All she's
had for the last month is pain and suffering that should have been mine. 
It would have been better if Sagitteros' arrow had hit the right target."

   "No it wouldn't; your troubles would only be greater."

   "What do you mean?"

   "Say that the arrow had struck its intended target.  You would have
fought the effects as long and as hard as Kimberly did, and you wouldn't
have said anything to anyone else either.  Unlike Kimberly, I suspect you
may not have been restricted to a single individual for relief; however,
upon hearing what was required to save you, Kimberly wouldn't have let you
seek assistance elsewhere.  She would have given of herself as unstintingly
and as gladly as you had.  After a month build up, your intercourse with
Kimberly would have been just as frenzied and out of control as it already
was but with more disturbing consequences.  Consider Kimberly as the
aggressor.  Her primal lust fueled her strength, but was she capable of
seriously hurting you even at her most uncontrollable stage?"

   "You saw the way she took Goldar down."

   "She had more than aggravated lust behind her at that point.  She had
rage and a host of darker emotions fueling her adrenalin rush.  Did she at
any time hurt you while you were having sex?  Did you ever feel as if she
would hurt you?"

   "No.  She got a little rough but nothing I couldn't handle."

   "What of your feelings about the way she went at you?  Did you feel used
or violated?"

   "No, Kim needed me.  What she took, I gave freely."

   "She would have offered you that same generosity, but the first time you
hurt her . . . ."

   "I couldn't hurt her!" Tommy protested.

   "Yes, you could, by virtue of simple biology.  You're bigger and
stronger than she is.  If you had been as wild as she was, your superior
size and strength would have been no match for her." Billy could see that
Tommy was not convinced.  He took a deep breath and steeled himself for
what he had to say next.  "When I dropped off the food and clothing . . . I
saw you guys make love.  I saw Kimberly lose control after she had come and
you hadn't.  Her eyes reminded me of a wild animal's, and the way she was
growling and baiting you . . .  she might have been able to push you down
on the mats and take what she wanted, but she did not have the physical
capability of pounding you into submission if you had refused her or
demonstrated the slightest hesitation.

   "Had your positions been reversed, you would have been just as wild and
out of control as Kimberly was.  Even when you are in full command of your
faculties, I would rather not have to face you when you're angry.  Gripped
in a mindless, lustful frenzy, you'd have been just as animalistic as
Kimberly had been, and if Kimberly had shown the least sign of fear or
hesitation, you'd have taken what you needed, and once you hurt her, the
process would have kept repeating itself--Kim hesitating and you taking
what you needed--until you had burned the spell out.

   "You'd have been cured, but you would then have had to deal with the
fact that you had brutalized Kimberly, and she would have had the scars of
virtually being raped by you.  Intellectually, she might know you had not
intended to hurt her, that you were not in control and that you were sorry,
but I don't know if she would ever be able to relax in your presence
again."

   "I can't believe I could do something like that to Kim."

   "Not intentionally.  Didn't you say you couldn't believe some of the
acts Kimberly performed while under Zedd's influence?  She did things to
you that you never dreamed she knew about--things she had told me that she
had never imagined ever doing.  You don't know what you would have been
capable of, but you have the size and strength advantage.  That makes you
capable.  Personally, I would rather cope with the present scenario than
one where I was responsible for brutalizing my girlfriend.  Her pain now is
inconsequential to what it would have been if that had happened.  And what
of your own trauma, knowing what you had done to her?"

   "I hate it when you're right," Tommy muttered.  "That's a pretty
frightening scenario."

   "Consider the source."

   "So, what do I do, Billy?  I'd really like to make love to Kim again and
see what it's like without the spell."

   "Talk it over with Kimberly, and whatever happens happens."

   "What about our powers?  Ninjor and Zordon seem to think I didn't lose
mine because of the purity of my motives.  I wasn't seeking sexual
gratification for selfish reasons.  But what about Kimberly's?  She had no
choice.  Why did she lose her powers and I didn't?  And if we pursue a
sexual relationship, could I lose my powers as well?"

   "That's a choice you'll have to make, if and when the time comes.  In my
opinion, so long as the two of you are coming together out of love, your
motives will always be pure.  Sometimes I think that your relationship with
Kimberly is the backbone of this team.  Perhaps that's why Zedd and Rita
are trying so hard to destroy it."

   Another extended silence ensued as Tommy considered Billy's words. 
Tommy aimlessly tossed stones into the grey, choppy water.  The breeze had
picked up, and he shivered slightly.  Billy waited patiently, sensing there
was more to come.

   "So, you--uh--really saw us having sex?" Tommy ventured.

   "Yes," Billy answered, his face flushed.  He kept his gaze on the bluff
across the water.  "I hadn't meant to . . .  Zordon had me take the picnic
hamper and overnight bag to the infirmary myself; he didn't want to disturb
your rest with the teleportation beam.  While I was in there, Kim woke up.
I didn't want her to see me, and I couldn't get to the door.  My teleporter
was jammed, then you woke up and she asked you to make love to her.  I
tried not to watch, but I just couldn't help it."

   "So, what'd you think?"

   "That it was the most incredible thing I had ever witnessed," Billy
replied frankly.  Tommy sank into a thoughtful silence that made Billy
anxious.  "Does it bother you to know I was there?  I wasn't sure I should
tell you, but I couldn't withhold such information for long."

   "It's funny, but it doesn't bother me," Tommy admitted.  "I'm not sure
how I would have reacted had I known it at the time, but I'm okay with it
now." Actually, Tommy found the notion very exciting, and he found this
excitement somewhat perplexing.  "I'm not sure how Kim will take it,
though."

   "Please don't tell her."

   "I won't bring it up if she doesn't," Tommy promised.  "Thanks for
everything, Billy, including the dunking."

   "I wish you could have seen your face when you got back to shore," Billy
said with a chuckle.

   "Tommy!"

   The word was like a whisper carried on the breeze.  Tommy and Billy
exchanged startled glances.

   "You heard it too?" Tommy queried.

   "Affirmative.  It sounded like Kimberly's voice."

   "Where's it coming from?"

   "The bluff . . .  look," Billy directed, pointing across the water.  A
mini whirlwind danced atop the cliff.  "I've never seen a phenomenon quite
like this." The two teleported and reappeared down slope from the
atmospheric disturbance.  Billy had expected turbulent winds, but only a
slight breeze ruffled his hair.  He and Tommy edged closer, and it appeared
as if a figure was taking shape within the unusual funnel cloud.

   "Tommy!" the voice called again.  It seemed to be originating from
within the swirling maelstrom.  The image became sharper; it was Kimberly.
Her back was to the two Rangers, and her arms were outstretched.

   "Kimberly!" Tommy exclaimed.  At his gasp, Kim turned.

   "Tommy, it's you!  It worked!" she squealed with delight, bouncing with
joy and clapping her hands.

   "Kimberly, where are you?" Billy asked.

   "Oh, Tommy, I'm so sorry for everything," Kim gushed.  Already her image
was fading.  "Don't worry; I'm all right, and I'll help you guys find me.
I'll be home soon; I'm sure of it."

   "Kim, wait!" Tommy pleaded, reaching out to her.  She reached back, but
before their fingers could touch, the whirlwind dissipated, and Kimberly
was gone.

   "Damn," Tommy swore, pounding his fist on the ground.  "Why didn't she
tell us where she was?"

   "Her communication seemed hurried, as if she wasn't certain that her
message would get through."

   "Could you pick up any clues from her surroundings?"

   "Nothing extraordinary.  She was standing on the bluff; that tells us
she is in or near Angel Grove in whatever time period.  She was dressed in
an ordinary white shirt which was too large for her, which would seem to
indicate that she found assistance of some sort.  The only other thing I
noted was that she was in good spirits and did not seem to be angry any
longer."

   "I know.  For a moment, I touched her through our link.  There was no
darkness in her, no pain or flames.  She's cured, Billy; I could feel it,"
Tommy declared happily.

   "And she promised to help us find her," Billy added, patting Tommy's
shoulder.  "Now, aren't you glad we dragged you out and dumped you in the
lake?"

   ----

   CHAPTER XII

   The morning following her experience on the bluff, Kimberly rode out
from the cave with a heavy heart.

   ***

   After contacting Tommy, she had returned to the cave to tell Thomas. 
She had found him and Soaring Falcon discussing her vision.

   "How far away is this Tommy?" Soaring Falcon had asked.  "The magic was
the most powerful I have ever witnessed."

   "Tommy isn't miles away; he's years--over a hundred years in the
future," Thomas had answered.

   "I have never encountered so strong a bond between two people; the magic
she created was such that she could have crossed over to Tommy."

   I could have crossed over, Kim mused.  She hadn't known it at the time,
but even if she had, she probably wouldn't have gone yet.  She wasn't
ready; that was why she hadn't told Tommy where she was.  Thomas still
needed her.  He had told Soaring Falcon that Doc Hart had recommended he
stay "in bed" as it were for another week.  Soaring Falcon had left some
herbs with Thomas.  "If you believe, the herbs will help."

   ***

   When she and Thomas discussed the matter over breakfast, he had been
surprised when she told him that she would have stayed even had she known.

   "Don't you see?  I can't leave you to be killed by the Black Seven gang.
Besides, seeing you hurt is like seeing Tommy hurt.  This is as much for
you as for Tommy."

   And hurting Thomas was just as painful as hurting Tommy.  She couldn't
say precisely how they had gotten on to the topic, but Thomas had mentioned
Karen.  Kim had seen the warmth in his eyes and remembered what her
grandfather had said.  Damn Doc for not being man enough to do it himself,
but she had to be the one to break Thomas' heart.

   "Thomas, Karen is married.  She isn't Grandpa Zach's daughter; she's his
daughter-in-law.  She's married to Joshua Hart." She poured out the story
of Karen and Joshua before she lost her nerve.  It ripped her heart out to
see the anguish in Thomas' expressive eyes.  Watching him struggle to hide
his disappointment and hurt brought tears to her eyes.

   "I'm sorry, Thomas, but it has to be this way.  Your family and mine are
never joined by marriage--at least, not yet.  If they were, Tommy and I
couldn't . . . ." Thomas had closed himself off at that point.  He had
struggled to his feet and limped out of the cave.  When Kim had emerged
astride White Lightning, she spotted Thomas down at the water's edge.

   The emotional strain left Kim in a foul mood as she rode into Angel
Grove.  She felt like hitting something or someone and found herself hoping
that Black Jack would try something.  She was rewarded as three desperados
came racing out of the bank, their guns blazing.  Frightened citizens
cleared the street.  The thieves had mounted their horses and were well on
the way to making a clean getaway as Kim spurred White Lightning forward.

   She gave White Lightning free rein as she nocked an arrow into her bow.
She had examined the contents of the quiver last night and had been
surprised and delighted to discover that each arrow had been designed for a
specific function.  The arrow she selected had a barbed head and a long,
thin cord attached.  She aimed and fired, not at the bandits but at the
bulging sack of money.  Once the arrow was securely anchored, Kim reined in
White Lightning and pulled on the cord with all her might.  She succeeded
in unhorsing the man clutching the sack.  His companions raced forward,
heedless of his plight.  Kim rode over to where the thief struggled to get
up; she had White Lightning rest a hoof on the man's chest.

   "Move and I have the horse start counting your ribs," she warned him. 
She hopped down and disarmed him.  While she was busy, she observed the
arrival of Sheriff Jefferson's posse.  Kim collected her arrow and swung
herself up into the saddle again.

   "He's all yours, Sheriff.  I'll see if I can catch up to the other two."
Kim rode off, following their trail of dust, but the duo had too much of a
head start.  They lost her down one of the ravines.  Kim halted White
Lightning and sat there for a moment, swearing.  Her mood was not getting
any better.

   In the end, Kim decided to visit her grandfather.  She left White
Lightning in the back of Doc's surgery and made her way to his office.  She
had a considerable wait.  The housekeeper was muttering in the hall that
Doc was out on a house call.  Kim made herself comfortable in Doc's chair,
propping her feet up on his desk.  When Doc finally arrived, he was
surprised to see her.

   "Nice piece of work bringing down that bandit," Zachariah said by way of
greeting.  Kim simply scowled at him.

   "I told him, Doc; Thomas knows all about Josh," she reported, her tone
bitter.  "Next time, do your own dirty work.  I won't hurt him again." Kim
felt tears stinging her eyes, and she wiped at them angrily.

   "I really am sorry, Kim," Doc said contritely.

   "It was like hurting my Tommy."

   "It was for Thomas' own good."

   "That doesn't make me feel any better," Kim sighed.  Having said her
piece, she couldn't hold onto the anger.  "Do you really think it'll take
another week to get Thomas back on his feet?  I can't keep this up much
longer.  I've got to get back to my own time; my friends are really worried
about me."

   "No one expects you to continue pretending to be Thomas."

   "I can't leave him high and dry with Black Jack on the loose.  Jack
isn't One-Eyed Bulk or Doc Skullovich."

   "I'll come out and take another look in the morning," Zach assured her.
Kim nodded and started to take her leave.  "Wait a moment.  I have
something for you." He pulled a pair of brown boots out from the bottom
drawer of his desk; they appeared to be Kimberly's size.  "These are
Karen's old riding boots.  I've noticed how awkward walking in Thomas'
boots is for you, and Johnny told me how the smoke made the White Stranger
talk like a girl and that he had really small feet.  William thought it
best to tell Johnny the truth so he wouldn't spread his observations
around. I wasn't sure about telling the boy, but William seemed to think he
could keep a secret."

   "I trust William's judgment about his cousin," Kim murmured.  She
slipped the footwear on gratefully.  "Thanks, Grandpa Zach."

   ***

   With trepidation, Kim returned to Stranger's Rock, calling it an early
day.  She doubted Jack would cause much mischief for the rest of the day
after the failed robbery attempt, but she did not doubt he would use the
time to come up with some other scheme.  As she left Doc's surgery, Kim had
the uncomfortable feeling that someone was watching her.  She took the
precaution of taking a very roundabout way back to Indian Lake.  She never
saw anyone, and she chalked it up to nerves.  She wasn't sure she was ready
to face Thomas again.

   As she rode up the hillside to the crescent, Kim noted that Thomas was
no longer by the lake.  He seemed to be able to get around fairly well. 
She doubted he would need the week Doc prescribed.  When she entered the
hideout, she found Thomas sitting by the fire lost in thought.

   "Another one bites the dust," she said with a brave smile.

   "Excuse me?" Thomas murmured.

   "Another of the Black Seven gang has been apprehended.  With the two you
left for Sheriff Jefferson Sunday night, that leaves Black Jack and three
others."

   "You're doing a fine job, Kim; you should be proud of yourself."

   "Thanks." Kim couldn't read his mood very well; her own emotions were
getting in the way.  Thinking about Tommy so much and seeing him yesterday
had made her a little homesick.

   "Want some coffee?"

   "I'm not very hungry or anything right now." Kim sat down across the
fire from Thomas and wrapped her arms around her knees.  She ducked her
head.  She was tired and could feel the tears gathering in her eyes.  She
wanted to cry, but she didn't want to do it in front of Thomas.  She wished
Tommy could have been there to hold her for a while.

   "I'm sorry, Kim," Thomas said.  He had moved over next to her.  "I
shouldn't have taken my disappointment out on you; you were just looking
out for your Tommy.  Doc's the one I should be angry with for not telling
me the truth sooner.  I thought you were a very special lady when I first
met you, and I had hoped I might find someone just like you.  When Miss
Karen arrived . . .  well, that doesn't matter now.  Your Tommy is a really
lucky fella to have a gal like you."

   "Thomas, would you hold me for a little bit," Kim requested with a
sniffle.  Thomas draped an arm awkwardly around her shoulder, and she
leaned into him, letting herself cry.

   "Don't worry, Kim; we'll find a way to get you back to Tommy," Thomas
said as he stroked her hair.

   "You know, you're pretty special, too, Thomas.  I'm really glad I got
the chance to know you," Kim said as she started recovering herself. 
"Don't you worry about finding someone special.  You will.  How else would
Tommy have been born?"

   "You have a point there," Thomas admitted.

   "I only wish I knew more of his family history so I could tell you
more."

   "Maybe it's for the best that you can't.  You've already told me more
about the future than I probably ought to know.  It'd be best if I find out
some things for myself.  I'm glad I got to know you, too; I doubt I'll ever
forget you."

   "Me either.  I'll always have a special place in my heart for you."

   ***

   The following morning, Doc Hart came out to check Thomas' progress and
was amazed to find Thomas up and around.  When he inspected the wound, he
found it healing ahead of schedule.

   "This is the most incredible thing I've ever seen," Zachariah murmured.
"I've never seen anyone recover from a gun shot wound so quickly."

   "All it took were a few herbs and some positive thinking," Thomas said
flippantly.

   "You mean that awful smelling stuff Soaring Falcon left you?" Kim
queried, wrinkling her nose.

   "You let that old kook give you something?  That was foolish and
dangerous, Thomas."

   "Doc, he's my friend.  I trust him."

   "Besides, the herbs helped, didn't they," Kim pointed out.

   "That they did."

   "Now that I'm almost as good as new, we can try and figure out a way to
get you back to Tommy," Thomas declared.

   "I think I know just how to do it," Kim said thoughtfully.  "Grandpa
Zach, can you help me get a safety deposit box?"

   ***

   "Everything is all set, Kim.  Your letter is safely tucked away with
your instructions," Zachariah said as he met Kimberly in his surgery later
that morning.  "Mr.  Denton was pleased to donate the box as the reward for
foiling the bank robbery."

   "Great!  Now it's all up to Billy and Tommy," Kim replied.

   "Are you sure this will work?"

   "I saw it in a movie once." She smiled at Doc's puzzled expression. 
"Once Billy knows where to look for me, he'll be able to get me back.  He
has access to the necessary technology."

   "Doctor Hart!  Something terrible has happened!"

   Kim was about to duck out of sight when William came bursting into Doc's
office.

   "What's wrong, William?" Zachariah queried.

   "The Black Seven gang have kidnapped Miss Karen and Miss Alicia,"
William reported.  Zachariah sank weakly into his chair.

   "Why?  Why Karen?" he muttered in disbelief.

   "Did they leave a ransom note or anything?" Kim queried.

   "Miss Kim, am I ever glad to see you," William sighed.  "Yes, there was
a message for you.  It said that if you wished to see the two women ever
again, you would meet the "boss" at three o'clock in the center of town. 
One hostage will be released if you show; you're to duel for the other."

   "Damn," Kim muttered.  "I thought someone was watching me the other day
when I left here.  Jack must have figured out that the White Stranger was
on friendly terms with the doctor and kidnapped Karen as bait."

   "What are we going to do?" William wondered.

   "I'm going to meet Jack at three o'clock," Kim said.

   "You can't," Zachariah protested.  "Jack'll slaughter you."

   "I have to.  Thomas isn't ready to face the Black Seven gang, and we
both know that he couldn't kill Black Jack even if he wanted to.  You said
it yourself, he's not a killer."

   "Are you?"

   "I'm a survivor, Grandpa Zach; I'll think of something.  I can't let
Thomas or Karen be killed because more than just their lives will be
destroyed.  The whole time stream would be disrupted."

   ***

   There was an air of excitement at the First Bank of Angel Grove.  For
113 years, the bank had kept a safety deposit box in the vault.  The
instructions handed down from bank president to bank president informed
subsequent generations that the box was not to be opened until November 7,
1995.  That day was finally here.  Photographers and reporters were
assembled in the lobby as bank officials brought out the mysterious box.  A
hush fell over the assemblage as Mr.  Thompson, the current bank president,
turned the key.

   Inside the safety deposit box were three things: a gun, a sheaf of
papers, and an addressed envelope.  Judith Wayne, a representative from the
Angel Grove Historical Society, came forward to examine the artifacts.  Her
eyes lit up as she scanned the contents of the papers.

   "These were written by Dr.  Zachariah Hart in January of 1883," Judith
began.  "The handwriting will have to be authenticated, of course, but
being familiar with the doctor's many birth and death certificates, I would
say that it appears to be his handwriting." Then, she began reading:

   "'To the citizens of Angel Grove in 1995: This is the gun which brought
down Black Jack Wilson.  The gun once belonged to Sheriff Thaddeus White,
who was killed by Black Jack in 1879, and it was used by the man who was
sworn to avenge Tad, the White Stranger, and the woman who helped him to
bring Black Jack down: Miss Kim.'"

   The room was abuzz with the names.  White Stranger?  Miss Kim? 
According to local history, Black Jack Wilson was brought to justice by
Sheriff Jefferson.  For the most part nobody had ever heard of the White
Stranger, although a few admitted that there were old family tales of a
vigilante who operated in the Angel Grove of the Old West, but nothing had
ever been recorded or proven.  Certainly, even those who had heard the
scarce tales of the White Stranger had never heard of a Miss Kim.

   "The doctor writes the tale in full," Judith continued, shushing the
hubbub.  She skimmed through the brittle pages.  "From a cursory glance,
the particulars listed here match what is known of the incident of the
capture of Black Jack Wilson, except for the mention of the White Stranger
and Miss Kim.  The Historical Society will do everything it can to
authenticate this document and verify the facts before the story is made
public.  There is a post script to the tale, which I shall read:

   "' I know history won't have much to say about the White Stranger and
Miss Kim.  I know Sheriff Jefferson will be accorded all the credit for
Black Jack's capture, which was the way the White Stranger and Miss Kim
wanted it.  They only did what had to be done.  I took it upon myself to
record this tale because I thought it a shame that future generations would
never know of Angel Grove's first protector and because I owed it to the
man I called friend to insure that his deeds were not forgotten.  And even
if you think this is all a bunch of malarkey, please don't fail to deliver
the enclosed envelope no matter how bizarre the request may seem.  It is
more important than I can say.'

   "I assume the doctor was referring to this," Judith said as she held up
the envelope, yellow and brittle with age.  The handwriting on the outside
was the doctor's: Urgent!  Deliver to Tommy Oliver, Angel Grove High
School, before 3:00 p.m., November 7, 1995.

   ***

   . . .  then came the day I got a glimpse of the future.  I had only been
masquerading as the White Stranger for a few months when the most important
event of my life, next to Tad's death, happened.  It occurred on the
afternoon that I foiled One-Eyed Bulk and Doc Skullovitch's attempt to rob
the stagecoach carrying the payroll.  I had a little unwitting ehelp from
Doc; he brought the wrong guns--they shot out flags instead of bullets. 
Immediately after they fled, I caught sight of a young woman hiding behind
a large boulder.  Her name was Miss Kim, and she was the most beautiful
woman I had ever seen.  She was dressed as was hardly proper in the most
outrageous outfit I had ever seen, but she carried herself as if her
unseemly state didn't bother her.  She looked up at me and seemed to know
me, then she fainted.

   Tommy sat in his seat in last period, totally engrossed in the diary. 
It was the only thing that was keeping his mind off Kimberly.  It had been
two days since she had contacted him, and they had heard nothing further.
Zordon was still scanning the timestream for her, but had not been
successful yet.

   "What's that you're reading?" Billy queried of Tommy.  Billy had never
seen him take such an interest in any form of literature, and he had
observed Tommy pouring over the volume on many occasions over the past two
days.

   "It's a diary.  I found it in the cave under Stranger's Rock," Tommy
explained.  "It's written by the White Stranger."

   "Really?  That's incredible!"

   "Yeah, this is really fascinating stuff.  Right now, I'm at the part
where Kim first went back in time and met him.  It sounds as if my
great-great-great grandfather really liked her." Tommy handed Billy the
century old journal.

   I entrusted Miss Kim (I didn't know her name then) to the stagecoach
drivers and didn't think much more about her until I ran into her later in
Angel Grove.  She and a group of citizens were surrounded by the most
bizarre creatures I had ever laid eyes on, and Miss Kim was fighting them.
I have never seen a more courageous woman in all my days.  And then, two
larger monsters appeared--a winged monkey and a walking cactus.  I know it
sounds like I was smoking something; I almost couldn't believe it myself,
but it's true.

   "Better put that up," Billy said, noting that Miss Applebee had finally
arrived for class.  She was accompanied by Mr.  Caplan and another
gentleman in a suit.

   "Mr.  Oliver," Mr.  Caplan began.  Tommy didn't respond; he was busy
reading about Kim's visit to 1880.  Billy had to nudge him to get his
attention.

   "What?"

   "Something's up.  Mr.  Caplan is asking for you."

   "Yes, Mr.  Caplan?"

   "Could you come here for a moment, Tommy?"

   "Sure." Exchanging puzzled glances with Billy, Tommy headed to the front
of the classroom.

   "This is Mr.  Thompson from the First Bank of Angel Grove," Mr.  Caplan
introduced.

   "You are Tommy Oliver?" Mr.  Thompson queried.

   "Yes, sir."

   "Since 1882, our bank has kept a safety deposit box with the
instructions that it not be opened until today.  Along with several
articles which were turned over to the Historical Society, there was a
letter which was to be delivered to you."

   "To me?" Tommy glanced back at Billy, in bewilderment.

   "Mr.  Caplan assures me that you are the only Tommy Oliver presently
enrolled in Angel Grove High School; therefore, this letter belongs to
you." The bank official handed him the century old envelope.  Tommy stared
at the instructions on the front of the stationary blankly.  Then, the date
Mr.  Thompson mentioned sank in.  Tommy's eyes lit up and a smile touched
his face as he fumbled to break the wax seal.

   "This is it, Billy!" he gasped excitedly.  "Angel Grove, November 1882!"
It was all he could do to rein in his excitement.  Billy left his seat and
came over to read the letter over Tommy's shoulder.

   "Could this really be from her?" he whispered anxiously.

   "We're about to find out."

   Dear Tommy,

   When you get this, I'll be ready to come home.  I'm sorry I couldn't
tell you where and when I was when I contacted you before, but I wasn't
ready then.  Thomas wasn't recovered from his gun shot wound yet; Doc Hart
only just cleared him.  I am in Angel Grove, the same day, in the year
1882. I've been trying to help your ancestor out by keeping the Black Seven
gang from gettin out of line.

   The time hole opens in the cave under Stranger's Rock, but it dumps you
outside.  Don't try anything from the bluff.  According to Soaring Falcon,
it's a place of great magic; that's how I was able to reach you.  I'm sorry
I blew my stack and ran off like I did.  I guess I didn't want you to see
how angry I was--not at you but at life in general.  I didn't stop to think
how my actions would hurt you, and I wouldn't hurt you for anything in the
world.  I've done a lot of soul searching on this time jaunt, and I've
learned a lot of things about myself.  Mostly I've discovered that with or
without my powers, I'm still a Ranger, and no one can take that away from
me.  Please find a way to bring me home soon.  I can't wait to see you. 
Love always,

   Kim

   November 7, 1882

   "What is it Tommy?" Miss Applebee queried.  "Can you tell the class what
is in the letter?" Tommy seemed not to hear her.

   "We have to get back to the cave," he said excitedly.

   "What cave?" Miss Applebee wondered.  Billy had to nudge Tommy to get
him to remember himself.

   "I'll be able to tell you more about it Monday, Miss Applebee; first I
have to pay a visit to Stranger's Rock." The bell rang, and Tommy and Billy
raced out of the classroom.

   ----

   CHAPTER XIII

   I knew Miss Kim had gone through a really tough time before she wound up
back in 1882; I just didn't appreciate how tough until the night after she
rescued Johnny Mitchel.  She had told me she had lost her powers, but she
didn't tell me how.  When she got back from the schoolyard, Miss Kim was
burning up with fever.  She had bite marks on her hand, so I gave her some
of the medicine Soaring Falcon had left with me, thinking it might bring
her fever down and help block the poison.  What I didn't realize was that
she was suffering from another sort of fever as well.

   That night, Miss Kim was talking in her sleep, calling out to her Tommy.
She was talking about how much it hurt and about black flames, and she
wanted Tommy to make it better.  I didn't know what she needed done, and I
figured it couldn't hurt to pretend to be Tommy if it would get Miss Kim to
settle down.  I never imagined that what she needed to get better was my
seed.  It's still a mite uncomfortable to admit, but that night I made love
with Miss Kim.  I tried to stop her, but Lord, she was strong and so
desperate.  The next morning she didn't know what she had done; all she
remembered was having a dream.  I thought it better not to tell her,
especially after learning how she had lost her powers and how Tommy had to
save her life.  I felt so guilty about what had happened, but I was glad I
helped her.

   "She did have a relapse," Tommy murmured as he skimmed through the
diary. He was trying to see if he could find anything of use to Billy in
locating Kimberly, but after that last passage he had to set the diary
down.

   "She did?" Billy queried, looking up from where he was re-calibrating
the teleportation mechanism.  Alpha was working on pulling Kimberly up in
the viewing globe.  He noted that Tommy's face was a little pale.  "What
happened?"

   "She was out of her mind with the fever and jumped the White Stranger,
but he writes that she had no memory of it in the morning," Tommy related.
"He did write that she never experienced any symptoms after that one time.
Oh man, Billy, I knew she wasn't cured.  I just knew it!"

   "At least she got the help she needed to survive."

   "I know, and I'm glad, but it's really weird reading about it in a 75
year old diary."

   Just then the other three arrived in the Command Center, and Tommy and
Billy shelved the discussion.

   "Anything yet, Billy?" Aisha asked eagerly.

   "I almost have the teleporter re-aligned.  Alpha, try the viewing
globe," Billy directed.

   The viewing globe filled with static, then the picture flickered into
focus.  The streets of downtown Angel Grove were deserted, but people
peeped out from behind doors and curtained windows.  People lined the roof
tops, and all eyes were focused on the south end of main street where two
figures faced off.

   "That must be the White Stranger," Adam realized, glimpsing the white
garbed figure.  "Who's the other guy?"

   "Black Jack Wilson," Rocky supplied.  "His Black Seven gang terrorized
all the small towns in these parts in the early 1880s."

   "Tommy, didn't Kim tell us that the White Stranger was your duplicate?"
Aisha wondered.

   "Yes."

   "Then that isn't the White Stranger.  He's too short, and the hair isn't
the right color."

   "That's Kim!" Tommy gasped.  "She had said in her letter that she wasn't
ready to leave before today, and the diary said that Kim was helping out
while the White Stranger was laid up with a gun shot wound.  She was
filling in for him!"

   "It looks like they're getting ready to have a gun fight," Adam
observed.

   "Kim in a gun fight?" Rocky murmured in disbelief.

   "She'll be slaughtered.  Zordon, we've got to get her out of there!"
Tommy said.

   "My portal isn't properly calibrated yet," Billy objected.

   "We cannot remove her just yet, Tommy.  Innocent lives are at stake. 
Behold, Black Jack Wilson has a pair of hostages." The globe showed where
Jack's cohorts were holding Miss Alicia and Miss Karen prisoner.

   "That's Kim's double," Rocky gulped.

   "And mine," Aisha added.

   "What can Kim do?  She's not a killer," Tommy protested.

   "Kimberly will do what she must," Zordon said.  "The life of her
great-great-great grandmother depends on her fighting Black Jack Wilson; if
her ancestor dies, Kimberly will never have been born."

   "Billy, can you get me down there?  I've got to help her somehow," Tommy
insisted.

   "Even if we could activate the time hole, it would dump you by
Stranger's Rock.  You wouldn't be able to get to her in time," Billy
explained.  "Be patient, Tommy, and trust Kimberly.  She's an intelligent,
resourceful fighter.  Besides, what does the diary say about the gun
fight?"

   "I forgot about that," Tommy muttered; he tightly clutched the book in
his fist.  Even so, he could not tear his eyes off the viewing globe to
read the journal.

   ***

   "All right, Jack, I'm here as you requested.  Let the hostages go," Kim
demanded as she stood her ground, trying not to let her nervousness show.
She still hadn't come up with a way to stop Jack.  He was going to be
shooting to kill; Kim couldn't say the same for herself, but merely
wounding him wasn't going to solve the problem either.  She knew Doc Hart
was watching from the surgery window; Kim wished William wouldn't have
rushed off.  She could have used his moral support.

   "What's going on here?  You trying to put one over on ol' Jack--and how
do you know my name?" the outlaw sneered.

   "I have my sources."

   "You ain't the White Stranger."

   "I'm the White Stranger who has foiled all your plans for the past four
days.  Let the women go, Jack," Kim demanded.

   "I said I'd release one.  You have to fight for the other."

   "Get on with it then."

   "Let the nigger go," Jack spat.

   "Why I never . . . ." Miss Alicia sputtered indignantly.

   "Alicia, get out of here now," Kim ordered as Alicia was thrust towards
her.  She pushed Alicia out of the way.  Kim had had the feeling that Jack
would hang on to Karen as his trump card.  "It's your show, Jack."

   "When the clock strikes the hour, draw--if you're man enough.  I think
you're too yellow to use a gun."

   "I don't need to prove myself to the likes of you," Kim declared, a
feeling of pride making her stand taller.  "Worse men than you have tried
to kill me, and guess what.  I'm still here."

   The clock struck three.  Jack and Kim both went for their guns.  Jack
reached his gun first, but Kim dropped to her knees as she drew hers. 
Jack's shot missed.  Instead of firing, Kim threw her gun at Jack, knocking
his weapon out of his hand.  As her gun hit the ground, it went off.  The
bullet grazed Jack's right leg.

   "Come quietly, Jack," Kim said as she advanced on him.  "I'd hate to
have to hit a wounded man." Jack merely smiled at her, and too late
Kimberly realized she had been suckered.  Fortunately her reflexes were
well honed; she was able to dodge so that the blow to her head was a
glancing one.

   "Finish him, boys," Jack said as he was helped up by two of his men.  He
kicked out at Kim, and she rolled.  Kim heard the click of their revolvers
and held her breath.  As they were about to fire, they heard the pounding
of hooves and saw a cloud of dust bearing down on them.

   "Injuns!  Let's go.  This isn't finished, Stranger; we'll meet again,"
Jack muttered, deciding that escape was the preferred option.  "Grab the
girl!" The fourth bandit grabbed Karen and threw her onto Jack's horse.  He
was helped into the saddle.  The four thundered off on their horses as
Kimberly struggled to her knees.

   "That did not go well," she groaned.  "Come on, Lightning, we've got a
rescue to finish." However, someone held her back.

   "No, you're hurt, and you've done enough already." Kim squinted long and
hard at the face behind the voice.  It took her a minute to realize it was
Thomas.  He had stained his face red and braided his hair so that he
resembled a Native American.  William was still in the saddle.  So that's
where he had disappeared to.  Doc must have sent him after Thomas.

   "This is my fight to finish," Thomas continued.

   "That's my great-great-great grandmother he has slung over his saddle,"
Kim insisted.  "I'm going whether you like it or not.  If you handle White
Lightning, I think I can get Jack." She fixed him with her most determined
expression and retrieved her bow and quiver from White Lightning's saddle.

   "Don't let her go, Thomas," Doc Hart objected as he emerged from his
office.

   "You want to argue with her, then be my guest.  I know what that look
means.  Come on, partner, let's go save Miss Karen."

   Thomas was able to climb into the saddle unaided and reached a hand down
to help Kim up.  The two galloped off, leaving Zachariah and William
coughing in the dust cloud.  As they stood there recovering, the afternoon
stagecoach rolled into town.

   "Get a horse, Doc; we have to go after them," William said.

   "Sounds like you had a bit of excitement here," Abraham remarked as he
hopped down from the seat.  Rocco handed down the trunk from the storage
area atop the coach.

   "You could say that," William said curtly.  "Black Jack made off with
Miss Karen, and the White Stranger is chasing him." Abraham and Rocco
hadn't been around to know that Miss Kim was back.  "Doc Hart and I are
going after them."

   "Why would he have taken Karen Hart?" a new voice queried.  The man who
emerged from the stagecoach wore the uniform of an army officer, and he was
the spitting image of the doctor.

   "Joshua!" Zachariah gasped as he rode up on his horse.

   "The reunion can wait, father; we've got to help Karen," Josh said as he
swung up behind his father.  William was already in the saddle, and as they
rode out of town, they were joined by Sheriff Jefferson and his deputy.

   ***

   "He's heading for Stone Canyon gorge," Thomas informed Kim as they
charged after the outlaws.  They were still a goodly distance behind the
quartet.

   "That means he'll have to follow the river and all the twists and
turns," Kim realized.  "If we take the high road, we can get around Jack at
Snake Turn." Thomas nodded and urged White Lightning to the route which led
past the school.  As they rode on, Kim kept her eyes trained on the cloud
of dust as it rolled along the canyon floor.  They made the turn before
Jack and his men; however they lost some time in cutting down the trail to
the canyon's base.  When they emerged from the side ravine, they were
directly behind the desperados.

   "Hold White Lightning steady," Kim said as she nocked an arrow into her
bow.  Her first shot went a little ahead and to the right of Jack's horse,
startling the rider next to him.

   "Injuns!" the bandit gasped as he veered away from the slender missile.
In doing so, his horse stumbled over a fallen rock, and the rider was
thrown.

   "One down, three to go," Thomas said.  Kim stood in the saddle and let
loose another arrow.  This one had the barbed hook on the end and the cord.
She aimed so that the arrow caught in the man's clothes.  When it was
anchored, she gave a sound jerk and pulled the man out of the saddle.

   "That's two!" she cheered.  After the second man went down, the third
bandit pulled his gun and started firing.  Kim had to duck back down in the
saddle to avoid being shot.  She wasn't going to be abe to raise up for a
shot.

   "Wait a bit," Thomas recommended.  "He's nearly gone through six shots.
You'll have a quick shot when he trades guns." Kim waited, and when the
bandit discarded his weapon and went for the other, Kim fired.  The arrow
was covered with a bulbous sack.  It struck as the bandit turned to resume
firing.  When it hit, the sack burst, covering the outlaw in powdered
paint. While he was blinded, Thomas caught up with him and with his good
leg kicked him out of the saddle.

   "That only leaves Jack," Kim said grimly.

   "There's not much we can do; he's using Karen as a shield," Thomas
pointed out.

   "Then Karen's going to have to help us save her," Kim said, as she
reached for yet another arrow.  This one had a blunt end, but it was solid.
"Can we get within shouting distance of Jack?"

   "We'll give it our best shot." Thomas spurred White Lightning forward.
Jack was still outstripping them.  "Whatever we do, we'd better do it soon;
Lightning is beginning to tire."

   "I think we're close enough.  Karen, get down!" Kim shouted in French.
Jack's prisoner turned her head to see who was behind her.  Kim was
standing in the saddle, her bow held ready.  Karen nodded in response to
Kim's command.  "Now!" Karen not only ducked, she threw herself off the
back of Jack's horse.  Kim fired as soon as Karen moved.  Her blunt-tipped
arrow caught Jack in the back of the head.

   "Keep after Jack, I'll see to Karen," Kim directed.  Before Thomas could
protest, Kim leaped off White Lightning's back.  She flipped and twisted
and landed on her feet as Thomas sped off.  Kim raced over to where Karen
had landed.  She wasn't moving.

   "Come on, Karen; you have to be all right," Kim said as she gently
rolled Karen over.  Her face was pale and lined with pain.  Kim noted that
Karen's hands were tied, and she quickly undid the cruel knots.  "Wake up,
Karen.  You have to tell me where you're hurt." Karen's eyelids fluttered
open.  Kim did her best to keep her face under the shadow of her hat.

   "The White Stranger?" Karen murmured.  "You saved me?"

   "Actually, you helped save yourself.  I'm just glad you understood
French," Kim said.  "You're hurt.  Where?"

   "My arm." Kim touched it gingerly; Karen winced at the slight contact.
She had landed on her right arm.

   "I bet it's broken.  Let me see if I can make a splint to keep it
immobile until Doc can have a look at it."

   While Kimberly was tending to Karen, Thomas chased after Jack.  The blow
from the arrow had knocked the outlaw for a loop.  Since he was no longer
in control of his mount, the exhausted horse began to slow.  Thomas was
able to overtake him easily.

   "That's enough, Jack.  I'm taking you in," Thomas said as he dismounted.
Jack stirred in his saddle and kicked out at Thomas.  Thomas blocked the
move, grabbed Jack's leg, and flipped him out of the saddle.

   "You're taking me nowhere, Injun," Jack growled, struggling to his feet.
He needed a few minutes so his head could clear.

   "I'm going to see to it that you pay for your crimes at long last,"
Thomas continued.

   "What crimes?" Jack laughed.  "You can't prove I've done anything; you
can't place me at the scene of any so-called crime, and there were never
any witnesses."

   "Half the town of Angel Grove saw you kidnap Karen Hart," Thomas pointed
out.  "But that's not what I'm talking about.  You see, there was a
witness, Jack.  Someone was at the scene when you murdered Tad White three
years ago.  And that someone is going to see to it that you answer for that
crime."

   "Who the hell are you, Injun," Jack spat.  His thoughts were a little
clearer, and he went for his second gun.  Thomas snap kicked it out of his
grasp.

   "I'm Thomas White, and this is for my brother Tad," Thomas said as his
fist connected with Jack's jaw with all the power of three years worth of
pent-up emotions.

   "If you were man enough, you'd avenge your brother by putting a bullet
through me," Jack sneered, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth.

   "Tad wouldn't have wanted that; he believed in the law, and I've bent it
enough by turning vigilante," Thomas said.  He took the rope from White
Lightning's saddle and tied Jack securely, then he tossed the outlaw across
his horse's saddle.  Leading Jack's horse, Thomas doubled back to Kim and
Karen.

   "There," Kim said at last.  Karen's right arm was bandaged with strips
taken from her petticoats (Kim's garments proved too thick for her to tear)
and strips of sagebrush Kim had scavenged.  Unthinking, she removed her hat
to wipe her brow.  She realized her error when she heard Karen's gasp.

   "You're me!" Karen squeaked out, then her eyes rolled back and she
fainted.  Kim couldn't blame her; after all, she had fainted the first time
she had seen Thomas.  She heard the sound of approaching horses and looked
up.  She smiled broadly when she spied Thomas leading Jack's horse.

   "You did it!" Kim cheered as she ran forward to meet him.  Thomas slid
out of the saddle and gave her a jubilant hug.

   "We did it," he responded.  He realized self-consciously that he was
still holding onto Kim and released her.  "How is Miss Karen?"

   "I think she broke her arm," Kim answered.

   "Poor thing must have fainted from the pain," Thomas murmured
sympathetically, observing Karen's prone form.

   "Not exactly.  She caught a glimpse of my face," Kim answered.

   "Well, if it isn't the coward who calls himself the White Stranger,"
Jack grumbled.  "Too yellow to fire a gun!"

   "Oh,put a sock in it, Jack," Kim said boredly.  "I didn't need a gun. 
My arrows did just fine." She removed her hat and favored him with a
mocking smile.

   "A woman!" Jack roared.

   "Yep.  You got your butt kicked by a little slip of a girl and a lame
rider.  Doesn't say much for you, does it, Jack?"

   "And you're not going to tell anyone about her, are you Jack," Thomas
interjected.  "After all, who would believe you?"

   "Speaking of who would believe . . .  we've got riders coming hard and
fast," Kim said, spotting an approaching cloud of dust.  "It's probably
Sheriff Jefferson.  Maybe you'd better change clothes." Kim handed Thomas
his hat and coat and slipped out of his trousers.  She kept the oversized
shirt and Karen's boots.

   "What about you?" Thomas wondered as he collected his wardrobe.  He
sought out a rock to change behind.

   "Toss me your pants and let me rub a little of this red clay on my face.
I'll braid my hair, and this little Indian will high tail it back to the
bluff.  I need to return the bow and quiver to Soaring Falcon.  I'll meet
you back at the hideout."

   "What about Miss Karen?  What if she comes to and says something?"
Thomas wondered.  Kim glanced over at her great-great-great grandmother.  A
grin tugged at her lips as she caught Karen closing her eyes and playing
opossum.

   "Tell her it was a trick of the heat or something," Kim suggested. 
"Let's get Jack off his horse so I can ride it back."

   ***

   "She did it!  Kim stopped Black Jack without her powers or killing him!"
Aisha cheered back in the Command Center.  Tommy's shoulders sagged with
his relief.

   "I think I have something on the time hole; I just need to make a few
adjustments . . . ." Billy reported.

   "Great!"

   "Maybe it's not so great," Billy cautioned.  "I can open the time hole
but only for a short period of time.  Kim would have to be standing at the
precise co-ordinates in order to be swept into it.  If we missed, it'd take
at least two hours for the machine to recharge and be recalibrated.  If I
open the portal a second time, the duration of the opening would be even
shorter than the first.  A third attempt would be impossible."

   "Too bad Kimberly doesn't have her communicator; you could open the
portal and we could punch a teleportation signal through," Alpha sighed.

   "What if I were to go through the time hole to Kimberly," Tommy
suggested.  "I could take her her communicator and make sure we're both at
the co-ordinates in time.  Then you guys could teleport us together."

   "I don't know, Tommy.  It's pretty risky.  What if I can't get you guys
back?" Billy asked.

   "I'd rather be stuck in 1882 with Kimberly than go on in the present
without her." Tommy looked to Zordon expectantly.

   "Let him go, Billy," Zordon said.  "Granted, there is great risk, but
Tommy's presence will enhance your chances for successfully retrieving
Kimberly."

   "All right, but be careful," Billy cautioned.  "It's nearly 5:30 now. 
Teleport to the cave.  Make sure you are at that precise location by 7:25."


   "I will.  I'll see you guys in two hours."

   ----

   CHAPTER XIV

   Thomas squinted up at the bluff.  Kim was still up there with Soaring
Falcon.  When he returned to the cave, he found her shirt by the water's
edge, but she was nowhere to be seen.  Then he had heard the voices wafting
down from the top of the cliff.  Apparently the two had much to discuss.

   Thomas had received quite a surprise when Doc and William had arrived in
the canyon with Doc's son Joshua.  They were followed by Sheriff
Jefferson's posse, who had rounded up the other three desperados.  Black
Jack didn't say a word as Thomas turned him over to the sheriff.  Thomas
also requested the sheriff not to mention his part in Jack's capture. 
Knowing that he was going to testify against Jack, Thomas didn't want to
risk a lawyer finding a loop hole in the law for Jack to slip through.

   Now that Tad was finally avenged, Thomas was at a loss.  For almost
three years he had been the White Stranger.  He wasn't sure he wanted to go
back to living a normal life.  One thing he did want to do was talk to
Soaring Falcon again.  He no longer felt a great weight pressing down on
himself.  His heart felt lighter somehow.  Maybe now that his heart was
free of the need for revenge he could scale the cliff face and find what it
was his soul was searching for.

   Without the need for a hideout any longer, Thomas had made a fire
outside the cave in the crescent.  He limped over to where he had a pot of
chili simmering over the flames.  He all but collapsed next to the blaze;
he had overdone it this afternoon with all the riding and such.  As he
tasted his concoction, he noticed a rainbow-like halo of light glimmering
in the sky just down the slope from where he sat.  Even more astonishing, a
body came falling through the ring and landed in a groaning heap, then the
light vanished.  Thomas knew that the phenomenon had to be the time hole
Kim had described to him.  He pulled himself to his feet and went over to
see who had landed on his doorstep this time.  It was a young man dressed
in cut off denim pants and a white undershirt.  His long hair was gathered
back in a ponytail that seemed familiar somehow.

   "Let me give you a hand, partner," Thomas said, offering his hand to his
guest.

   "Thanks."

   The stranger rolled over, and Thomas suddenly found himself staring at
his own face.  He experienced a sensation not unlike having all the wind
knocked out of oneself.

   "You must be Tommy," Thomas forced out, regaining his equilibrium faster
than his counterpart.

   "Uh, yeah."

   "Kim has told me a lot about you."

   "Man, this is too weird," Tommy muttered.  "I mean, I saw you in the
viewing globe.  I knew what to expect, but this is just too much."

   "It does take some getting used to," Thomas agreed.  "Now I know how Kim
felt when she first saw Miss Karen.  By the way, I'm Thomas."

   "I know; I read part of the journal you left in the footlocker," Tommy
answered.  Thomas had no idea what Tommy was talking about.

   "Have you come to take Kim home?"

   "Yeah.  Billy will open the time hole again in two hours," Tommy
explained.  "I don't mean to be rude, but where's Kim?"

   "On top of the bluff."

   The two looked to the cliff.  Kim stood at the edge of the precipice, a
silhouette against the vibrant crimson and purple sunset.  She stood there
with her arms outstretched, basking in the fading light.

   "She looks so happy," Tommy murmured.  Thomas studied his descendant;
his face was lit with a joy Thomas had rarely ever experienced.  "I can
feel her through our link.  She's so full of life and hope and joy . . . 
it's almost as if these last six months had never happened.  I wasn't sure
I'd ever see her this happy again." As they watched, Kim backed away from
the edge only to approach it at a run.  With a spirited "yee-ha!" Kim flung
herself into the air and dove into the grey-black waters below.

   "Looks like fun," Thomas said, noting his other self's shining eyes and
expression of longing.  "Knowing Kim, she won't stay out on the lake too
long.  She'll probably head for the grotto just beyond the bend over
yonder. It's fairly secluded.  Dinner won't be ready for a while yet; why
don't you go join her." Nothing more needed to be said; the two kinsmen
understood each other perfectly.

   "Thanks for taking care of her."

   "It's no more than she did for me.  She's a special gal, Tommy.  Take
good care of her."

   "I'll do my best."

   Tommy scrambled down the sandy incline, stripping off his shirt as he
went.  He deposited his shoes and the rest of his clothes next to Kim's. 
With powerful strokes he propelled himself out to where Kim had dove in,
but as Thomas had predicted, Kim was no longer there.  Tommy looked around
to find the grotto Thomas had mentioned.  As he was searching in the fading
light, he heard a familiar "Mm!" It send the blood racing right to his
groin.

   Tommy swam in the direction of the moan, and found the alcove.  He spied
Kim laying on the rocks with her hips canted upwards directly beneath a
cascade of water.  The expression on her face was one of utter bliss. 
Tommy was intrigued as she uttered a soft moan.  Her hips rocked back and
forth under the water.  It suddenly occurred to Tommy that Kim was using
the water to masturbate!  Tommy had to bite back a moan.  He had watched
Kimberly play with herself while they made love, but he had never really
seen her masturbate.  The thought had his hormones percolating.

   Kim's hips thrust at the water more sharply as she tugged at her
nipples. Her body writhed as she emitted a needy whimper.  Tommy could
sense her frustration.  The water wasn't taking her to the heights she
wanted to reach fast enough.  Kim's right hand slipped between her legs. 
Tommy stifled another groan of his own.  He propelled himself closer to
where Kim lay twisting and humping on the rock.  Her movements grew more
frenzied.  Her moans crescendoed.  Tommy felt no fire within her as he felt
a tickling at the back of his mind.  Kim was fantasizing; in her mind,
Tommy's face was buried between her legs.

   "Tommy!" she gasped.  "Oh please make me come!" Tommy nearly came as she
begged for release.  He almost lost his restraint; oh, how he wanted to
turn her dream into reality!  Her hand continued to stroke her clit fast
and furiously.  He observed the tremors in her taut muscles.  Her back
arched.  Her head tilted back.  Her breath came out in heavy gasps.  Tommy
held his breath as she teetered just on the verge of orgasm.  If she didn't
come soon, he was going to have to intervene.  He couldn't take it any
longer.

   "Now, oh now!" Kim shrieked as her body was flooded with waves of
orgasmic pleasure.  She moaned and whimpered throughout her climax.  She
did nothing to stifle her exclamations, and they reverberated about the
grotto.  They were probably audible all the way back to Stranger's Rock. 
She continued fingering her clit and massaging her breasts until her body
no longer quaked with climactic tremors.  Kim lazily drew her hand up her
body and sucked her come covered fingers into her mouth.

   "Mm," she purred indulgently, her face lit with a satisfied glow.  "That
felt so good!"

   "Mind if I try?" Tommy asked, unable to stand by any longer.  Watching
her lick her juices off her hand had been too much.

   "What?  Who . . .  Thomas?" Kim yelped, sitting upright.  Confusion,
embarrassment, and anger rippled through her.  Tommy merely smiled at her.
Something in his expression gave her pause, for she peered at him more
closely.  "No, not Thomas.  Tommy?"

   "Hello, Beautiful."

   "Tommy!" With a cry of joy, Kim flung her arms around him.  Her mouth
frantically sought his.  Her hands wander all over his body, even as his
traversed her curves.  Their passions were quickly reaching the boiling
point.  Finally, they had to break for air.

   "Kimberly Ann Hart, if you ever run away like that again, I'll . . . ."
Tommy suddenly realized that he was shaking her by her shoulders.  When he
couldn't come up with a dire enough threat, he settled for smothering her
with a hug.  "I thought you were gone for good."

   "Even after I contacted you?" she teased.  Tommy simply glared at her.
"I'm sorry, Tommy."

   "It doesn't matter any more.  I've come to take you back."

   "How'd you get here?"

   Tommy explained about receiving her letter and how Billy was able to
access the time portal.

   "I'll be home in under two hours?  That's great!"

   "If the procedure works," Tommy cautioned her.  "We could be stuck here
in 1882."

   "That wouldn't be so bad now that you're here," Kim said.  "Actually,
getting dumped here was probably the best thing that could have happened to
me."

   "How do you figure?"

   "Being here, I didn't have time to wallow in anger and self pity. 
Thomas needed my help, and helping him made me learn things about
myself--that I'm stronger than I thought, that my friends will always be
watching out for me regardless of what happens, that I love you too much to
let Zedd's schemes destroy what we have, and that as long as I believe in
myself, I'll always be a Power Ranger.  I can't change what happened to me,
but I can build on it and look to the future."

   "That's powerful stuff," Tommy admitted.  "I wish I could say I had as
profound thoughts as you.  Mostly, I had two things on my mind: worrying
about you and wanting you."

   "Wanting me?" Kim reiterated with a gulp.  Tommy felt like kicking
himself.  He hadn't wanted to be so blunt; he had wanted to wait and test
Kimberly's mood, but the words were said.  He wanted to look away from her,
but his eyes kept coming back to her lithe body.  The water they were
standing in only came up to her waist.  Water droplets beaded on her fair
skin, making Tommy's mouth water as he watched a drop slowly meander down
from the hair draped over her shoulder.  It coursed over the swell of her
breast and continued down to her navel.  Tommy took a deep breath and
forced himself to look Kim in the eyes.

   "When I wasn't busy being frantic over not knowing where you were,
whether or not you were cured, and whether you were okay, I was wishing you
were back because . . . ." The words suddenly jammed up in his throat.  It
was a moment before he could continue.  "I want to make love to you, Kim. I
want to make you feel good without Zedd's spell hanging over us, and I want
you to do the same to me.  I want us to make love because it's what we want
for ourselves and not something forced on us by others."

   Tommy looked away at last, feeling slightly weak kneed after his
confession.  He hadn't realized it, but he had been holding Kim's hand as
he spoke.  For a long while, Kimberly said nothing.  Tommy found her
silence maddening.  Her expression seemed distant, perhaps thoughtful. 
However, she reached up with her free hand, and with a shy smile, stroked
his wet hair.  Tommy pulled her to him in a fierce, joyous hug.

   "I want to make love to you, too," she whispered as Tommy's mouth began
nibbling at her throat.  "I've wanted to so badly!"

   Driven by his pent-up emotions, Tommy lifted Kim out of the water and
guided her legs around his waist.  He eased his aching cock into her pussy.
Kim moaned with delight then gasped with surprise as he thrust his hips
forward with the urgency of his desires.  She matched those thrusts with a
driving need of her own.  She leaned back over his arms which supported her
back, pressing her breasts towards him.  He accepted her invitation, and
closed his lips around her hard, sweet nipple, licking and sucking to their
mutual delight.  However, Tommy was barely able to savor her soft mounds as
she began riding him hard.  Their bodies pounded together, churning the
water around them, and their moans echoed throughout the alcove.  Tommy
came first.  Kim glued her lips to his, cutting off his exclamation.  While
her tongue danced with his, she reached her climax.

   "I'm sorry," Tommy panted, collapsing against the rocky shelf.  "I just
couldn't hold back any longer."

   "Me either," Kim said just as breathlessly.  She wriggled out of Tommy's
embrace and lay down next to him on the rocks.  Unexpectedly, she began
laughing.

   "What's so funny?" Tommy wondered.

   "Nothing.  Everything.  I'm just so happy.  It felt so wonderful not to
hold back.  It didn't hurt or anything.  Can we do it again?"

   "Sure, but give me a minute or two to recover."

   "Let's walk back to the beach." Kim reached over the side of the rocks
and grabbed her chemise.  She made no move to dress.

   "You don't want to go skinny-dipping?" Tommy teased.

   "I don't want to be too pooped to fool around.  Besides, there's
something kind of sexy about walking around the lake with no clothes on."

   "I always kind of wanted to make love to you outside and afterwards just
lie naked under the stars," Tommy admitted, somewhat sheepishly.

   "That's so sweet."

   Hand in hand they walked along the water's edge, mostly in companionable
silence.  Neither wanted to spoil the moment.  However, there were other
matters preying on Tommy's mind; there were questions that needed to be
answered.

   "Kim, do you know for certain that you lost your powers?" Tommy
ventured. "You may not have; I didn't lose mine.  Ninjor said it was
because my motives were not based on appetite."

   "I don't know; I just assumed that they were gone after what happened. I
never tried morphing, but I can't see how I could have kept them.  The
desire to have sex with you was there already; Zedd's spell just blew it
out of proportion."

   "I brought your morpher . . . ."

   "I'd rather wait until we get home.  If my powers are really and truly
gone . . . .  I don't want to spoil our evening."

   As they reached the beach and their abandoned clothing, Kim paused and
looked up at Stranger's Rock.  She could see Thomas' shadow splayed against
the formation in the firelight.

   "You know, he is you, and he isn't," she murmured.  "He's . . .  I don't
know, more innocent.  I could make him blush without even trying.  The
first day or so I had some trouble with calling him Tommy, but after that I
began to see Thomas as his own person."

   "Tuesday night I had this really wild dream," Tommy began carefully. 
"It was a dream, and yet it wasn't.  It was like something we shared
through our link.  You were suffering a relapse from the spell and had come
to me for help, only I was me and I wasn't me.  We were going at it in the
cave under Stranger's Rock."

   "Tuesday night?" Kim queried nervously.  "I had the same dream, but that
was the night I was strung out from a poisoned bite.  I couldn't have
reached you through our link; I couldn't touch you at all once I fell
through the time hole."

   "Kim, could you have had a relapse?"

   "That afternoon I thought I felt the black flames, but it was only the
fever induced by that bite."

   "Did you feel the flames at any other time?"

   "No, I don't think . . .  wait a minute.  I did!  When Doc first came to
patch Thomas' bullet wound.  I was still a little disoriented from falling
through the time hole.  I was sitting on Thomas, trying to hold him still
so Doc could remove the bullet.  I remember stroking his hair, trying to
keep him calm.  He had a major erection; I could feel it rub against me
every time his body spasmed.  It felt so good and at the same time . . . ."
The words died on Kim's lips.  She stopped in her tracks, her eyes wide. 
She reminded Tommy of a frightened rabbit poised to flee.  "Oh my gosh,
Tommy, I did have a relapse, but after I had that dream, all the symptoms
were gone.  That means when I was dreaming of making love to you, I . . .
."

   ". . .  you sought help from Thomas," Tommy finished for her.

   "Oh no!" she gasped, burying her face in her hands.  "How could I have
done that to him . . .  to you?  That explains why he was so uneasy and
embarrassed the following morning and why he asked all those questions.  He
never said a word . . .  Tommy, I could just die!"

   "It's all right, Kim.  You needed the help; you did what you had to to
survive," Tommy said consolingly.

   "You're not angry?" Kim asked, surprised.

   "Actually, I had hoped that you were somewhere near one of my ancestors.
I had hoped that if you did have a relapse and needed help, one of them
would have been able to help you out.  I didn't want you to die because I
couldn't be there for you."

   "What about Thomas?  What must he think of me?"

   "He was a little embarrassed and guilty at first, but once he knew the
reason for your actions, he was glad he was able to save your life as you
saved his.  He didn't tell you because he didn't want you to feel badly."

   "How do you know that?  Did he tell you?"

   "While I was in the cave in our time, I found a footlocker.  In it was
Thomas' diary.  I read about it in there."

   "Really?  Does his diary say if he found what he was looking for?  Did
he find someone special?" Kim asked eagerly.  Tommy saw that the question
really mattered to her.

   "I only read up to the part where he mentioned you jumping him.  I did
peek at the last page, though; the diary covers up to his final days, so if
he did find himself a girl, it'll be in there."

   "Oh, I hope he found someone really special," Kim said earnestly.  "He's
been through so much, he really deserves to find some happiness."

   "I kind of got the impression that he does." Tommy gave Kim a reassuring
hug, his hands smoothing down the length of her body.  She responded with a
purr of contentment.  As he stood there holding her, a mischievous grin
tugged at Tommy's lips.  "So, how was it making love to my
great-great-great grandfather?"

   "Tommy!" Kim squealed in protest.  "It'd serve you right if I said he
was better in bed than you were." Tommy simply laughed.  Kim scowled at him
but couldn't keep from smiling.

   "I guess I'll just have to refresh my memory." With that, she slid her
fingers over his abdomen and up around his neck.

   Tommy lifted her off the ground to kiss her.  His kiss was gentle, his
tongue probing hers with a soft, lingering caress.  As his mouth engaged
hers, Tommy lowered Kim to the cooling sand.  He let his mouth roam,
teasing and tasting all of her body.  His oral attentions had Kim wriggling
most deliciously.  As he swirled his tongue over her nipples, she pressed
his head deeper into her bosom.  Her fingers romped through his hair as he
nuzzled her soft mounds.  She whimpered pleadingly when he drew back, but
her complaint became a sigh of contentment as he dusted her body with his
hair.  When he had tantalized her from head to toe, Tommy lay down beside
her, then lifted her on top of himself, placing her so that she was
straddling his cock.

   "Would you mind . . . ." he began awkwardly.  The only other time he had
made this request was in the heat of Kim's spell induced frenzy.  He wasn't
sure how she'd respond under ordinary circumstances.

   "What?" she prompted, curious about his hesitancy.

   "I really like watching you touch yourself," he confessed.  Kim regarded
him through half closed eyes.  When she smiled, it was both loving and
lustful.  Then, she sat up straight.  She started by running her hands up
around her neck and head.  She lifted her hair and slowly let it fall from
her fingers.  Caressing her face, she sucked a finger into her mouth.  She
drew the moistened digit out and traced a glistening trail down her neck to
her chest and between her breasts.  She felt Tommy's growing excitement as
his cock twitched between her legs; she could see it in the flush in his
face, and hear it in the sound of his quickening breath.

   His obvious enjoyment spurred Kimberly on.  She cupped her breasts and
squeezed them gently, kneading the soft flesh.  She outlined her areolas
and pinched her nipples.  She pulled at them and rolled her palms over
them, making them harder.  She wet her finger and coated her tits.  She was
getting into playing with herself.  She felt the heat building between her
legs.  Her hips were starting to grind against Tommy's imprisoned cock. 
She felt so sexy playing with her body while Tommy watched.  Her hands
wandered lower until her fingers brushed her light brown curls.  She
paused, stopped by a momentary twinge of self-consciousness.

   "Please?" Tommy requested.  He reached for one of her hands and placed
it on her pussy.  He parted her lips so that her fingers could find the hot
wetness between her legs.

   A shudder racked Kim's body as her fingers slid up and down the length
of her slit.  As they reached beneath her, her fingers grazed Tommy's cock
so that he, too, shuddered.  Her hips rocked against her own hand.  When at
last she touched her clit, her head dropped back, and a moan rumbled up
from deep within her chest.  Her hips thrust with greater urgency as she
stimulated the hardened knob.  Tommy's hips began moving with her.  The
tremors that shook her body grew in intensity.  She was on the verge of
coming.

   "Not yet," Tommy said suddenly, pulling her hand away.

   "Tommy, please!" she pleaded.

   "As much as I want to watch you make yourself come, I'd rather eat you
instead." So saying, he grabbed her hips and pulled her forward until she
was sitting directly over his mouth.

   "Oh!" she squeaked as he thrust his tongue into her slit.  He lapped at
the juices already trickling from her gash.  His tongue tormented her
throbbing clit with teasing licks.  There was nothing tentative in the way
Kim played with her body as she rode Tommy's face.  She ground her hips
hard against his chin, forcing his tongue deeper into her.  Tommy had his
hands full of her ass cheeks; it was the only way he could leave enough
room so he could breathe.  He felt it in the tightening of her muscles; she
was close again, but he wasn't ready to let her come.  With a strong, fluid
move, Tommy forced Kim off his face and onto the ground.  Then, he was on
top of her, easing his cock into her eager pussy.

   "I want this to last a good, long while," he said as he slowly pumped
his rod into her.

   "No fair!" she gasped, but Tommy's mouth silenced further protests.  His
hands wandered her writhing body; with alternating gentle and rough
strokes, he played with her breasts.  His hands combed through her hair.

   "Tommy, please!" she pleaded.  He continued with his slow, easy strokes
while she wriggled under him.  He bent his head to her breasts, licking and
nibbling gently.  It was too much for Kim to take.  "Well, if you won't
make me come, I will!" As Kim reached a hand between their bodies, Tommy
sat back, spreading her legs wide.  He continued pumping and stroking her
inner thighs as her fingers massaged her clit.  Kim started going wild. 
She moaned and whimpered with abandon.  She tossed her head from side to
side.  Her back arched sharply.  Tommy's eyes snapped wide open as the
walls of her pussy clamped tightly around his cock.  The grip grew stronger
and stronger as her moans grew more and more intense.  Tommy had to stop
his thrusts as her orgasm hit.  He couldn't have moved his cock if he
wanted to, Kim clutched him so tightly.  She wrapped her legs around his
waist as all the tension in her body exploded into ecstatic gyrations.

   After such an intense release, Tommy expected Kim to be exhausted, but
her orgasm only served to fuel her fires.  The moment she recovered, she
smiled up at Tommy hungrily.  Directing Tommy's hands to support her, she
sat up, keeping his cock securely in place.  When she could reach his
mouth, she attacked it savagely.

   "Oh wow," Tommy whimpered helplessly when Kim finally let him up for
air.

   "It's your turn to be teased," she warned him.  Her filthy cute
predatory grin turned Tommy into a quivering mass of hormones.  The next
thing he knew, he was flat on his back.  "Let's see how you like being
brought to the brink without being allowed to come."

   She started with his hair, burying her face in his locks.  She found his
ear lobe and bathed it thoroughly with her tongue, and then she licked her
way around the outer rim of his ear.  From there she kissed his eyes, his
cheeks, his mouth again, and then licked her way down his neck, pausing to
swirl her tongue in the hollow of his throat.  She continued her tongue
bath down his chest, outlining his pectorals, then descending upon his
nipples.  Tommy sighed deeply as her tongue flickered across the sensitive
flesh.  From there she made her way down the ripples of his abdominal
muscles, but she stopped before she reached his groin.  Kim raised herself
up over him, favored him with an evil grin, then shook her hair down.

   It was Tommy's turn to experience the exquisite softness of her hair as
it brushed across his hot body.  He gave a sudden jerk as she draped her
hair across his engorged cock.  The feathery light caress felt
indescribably delicious, and he whimpered in helpless ecstasy as her locks
tickled his balls.

   "Do it some more," he groaned when she continued to work her way down
his legs.

   "You hush," Kim chided him.  She had something else in mind, but she did
use her hair to dust her way back up to his crotch.  She licked her lips as
she contemplated his cock.  It was achingly hard and a shade of reddish
purple.  It was sticky with her come.  If Tommy really got off on watching
her play with herself, he was going to love this.  "Aw, your poor cock is
all sticky.  It looks like I made a real mess when I came all over you.  I
don't want to play with a dirty cock, so I guess I'll just have to clean it
up."

   "What are you going to . . .  oh man . . .  !"

   Kim swallowed his cock with a swift bob of the head.  Her tongue danced
round and round, licking up every trace of her come from his organ.  It was
almost enough to make Tommy shoot his load down her throat.

   "Mm, much better," she murmured, carefully licking her lips.  Tommy felt
another hormonal rush shoot through his body.  Kim commenced giving him a
blow job that was torturously slow but exacting in detail.  Her tongue left
no part of his cock untouched.  She even licked her way down past the root
until she reached the curve of his ass.  She hollowed out her mouth and
sucked his cock in, being careful to keep her teeth and tongue off his rod.
As her head worked him up and down, she hummed a little tune to keep her
rhythm.  Her fingers reached down to play with his ass, and she managed to
slide a digit down the length of his crack.  Just when Tommy thought it
couldn't get any better, Kim changed positions.  She knelt between his legs
and swallowed his cock head on.  On the downward stroke, she shook her head
so that her hair danced across his skin.

   "I can't take much more of this," Tommy growled.

   "Good," Kim giggled and immediately ceased the blow job.

   "Kimberly!"

   "Why do you want to fuck my mouth, when you can fuck my pussy instead?"
she queried.  She reversed herself and presented her bottom to him.

   "You are wild when you're horny," Tommy said as he sat up.  He ran his
hands over her smooth, rounded cheeks in a lingering caress.  While he was
busy admiring her ass, Kim reached between her legs and guided his cock
into position.  With a sharp, backwards thrust, she sat back on his shaft.

   "I can't help it," she replied around a moan.

   "Don't be sorry; I like it." Tommy eased Kimberly up until she leaned
back against his chest.  She reached up to anchor her arms around his neck
while he reached around to play with her tits.  His fingers danced down her
body until they petted the curls covering her mound.  Tommy slipped a
finger between the swollen lips and gently stroked her clit.  As he played
with her body, Tommy relaxed his mind, opening himself to their link.  Kim
acknowledged his presence by releasing her guard.  They were completely
open to each other, touching each other's thoughts and emotions and feeling
each other's pleasure.

   Together, they both said recognizing that their bodies were close. 
Tommy shifted position one last time, so that he could better hold Kim. 
With mind and body locked together, they rocked together harder and faster.
When their orgasms hit, it was like their senses were flooded with white
fire.  Their cries of joy echoed in their minds as their mouths smothered
them with a kiss.  They held each other tight as their bodies trembled with
the power of their mutual explosion.

   Slowly, sanity seeped in.  Both experienced a moment of disorientation
upon finding themselves back in their own heads.  They lay on the beach,
gasping for breath, their bodies coated with sweat and sand.

   "Wow," Kim sighed.  She felt as if she could fall asleep even though all
167 pounds of Tommy lay heavy atop her.

   "Double wow," Tommy groaned.  He rolled off her.  The two lay side by
side staring up at the November sky.  Tommy pulled Kim into his arms and
lay cuddling with her for several minutes.

   "So," Tommy ventured at last.  "Do you still think Thomas was better in
bed than me?"

   "I don't know," Kim teased.  "Why don't we get him down here so I can
fuck him and compare notes." Tommy gaped at her in utter disbelief.

   "You should see your face!" Kim tittered.  Although Kim was joking,
Tommy wasn't sure if she was really serious or not.  Still, he played
along.

   "You couldn't handle the two of us."

   "It'd be fun to try." They both burst out laughing, which quickly
dissolved into a kiss.  Their embrace was interrupted by the clanging of a
bell.  Kim sat up, instantly alert.

   "Trouble," she said, quickly getting to her feet.

   "Actually, I think it's the dinner bell," Tommy remarked.  "Thomas said
he was cooking a pot of chili."

   "Yum!  I'm starved." Kim reached for the clothing Thomas had left her.
As she unfolded the shirt, she sighed heavily.  "You know, this will
probably be our last time for a while."

   Tommy slipped his shorts on, but paused at her statement.  "What do you
mean?"

   "We can't risk you losing your powers.  We'll just have to restrain
ourselves until Zordon retires you from the team."

   "But . . . ."

   "You know I'm right, Tommy.  What if Zordon somehow finds a way to
regenerate my powers?  I don't want to risk losing them a second time."

   "I know.  If this was the last time we get to have sex for a while, at
least we have something pretty special to remember."

   "Yeah, it was that." Kim sighed again and brushed at the sand on her
arms.  "Gross, there's sand everywhere; I hate that."

   "Maybe you need another bath." Quick as a wink, Tommy scooped Kim up and
tossed her out into the water.  She landed with a scream and a splash. 
Tommy was doubled over with laughter as Kim surfaced.  He took a step
backwards as she advanced towards him menacingly.  He grabbed her clothes
and threw them at her, hoping to slow her down.  She caught them in stride.
Tommy had no choice but to flee up the hill with Kim in hot pursuit.

   The two reached the clearing in the crescent, breathing hard and
laughing.  Much to Thomas' amazement, Tommy was only half dressed, his
shirt sort of tucked into his waistband and flapping out behind him.  Kim
wasn't wearing a stitch.  Tommy dashed around Thomas, trying to keep him
between Kimberly and himself.

   "You're dead meat when I get my hands on you," Kim glowered, trying to
circle around him.

   "You can kill me later.  Right now, don't you think you should go get
dressed," Tommy recommended, unable to keep the laughter out of his voice.
Kim scowled at Tommy and glanced over at Thomas.  His face sported a
scarlet blush.  Kim felt the heat race into her cheeks, too; however, she
pulled herself up with every ounce of dignity she could muster and
approached Thomas.

   "I know what you did for me, Thomas, when I had my relapse.  I wanted to
thank you." Before Thomas could demure, Kim pulled him to her by the
lapels, flung her arms around him, and kissed him passionately.  Thomas
nearly toppled over, and his flailing arms wrapped themselves around Kim's
naked body.  Tommy stood back, watching in amazement and amusement.  Kim
kissed Thomas long and hard, and when she finally let him up for air, she
fixed Tommy with an imperious glare that dared him to say anything.  Then
she marched back into the cave.

   "Damn," Tommy murmured, letting out a long, slow breath.  He noticed
that Thomas looked a little unsteady.  Recalling that he was recovering
from a bullet wound, Tommy moved over to help him.

   "You okay?" Tommy queried.

   "I think so," Thomas said, sucking in a deep breath.  "What was that all
about?"

   "I've no idea, and I don't think it'd be wise to ask," Tommy said.  He
sat down next to Thomas and accepted a bowl of chili.  "By the way, your
timing was perfect with the dinner bell."

   "Actually, your voices carried quite a ways," Thomas confessed
uncomfortably.  Tommy merely smiled.

   "Whoa, this stuff is good but hot!" Tommy yelped, washing down the chili
with some water.  It was Thomas' turn to smile.

   "It's my own recipe.  While I was traveling, I learned all sorts of
different ways to make chili, so I just combined the parts I liked from
each recipe.  One fella told me his recipe had been handed down for
generations in his family."

   "This one is definitely worth passing down," Tommy said.

   "The family must not have done a very good job of sharing it, since you
don't know about it," Thomas remarked.  The two sat quietly for a moment.
"Kim said you didn't know much about your family history.  I was sort of
wondering why."

   "I'm adopted," Tommy explained.  "My mom is a nurse; she told me that my
natural parents died in a car wreck when I was a baby.  She was working at
the hospital the night it happened.  The authorities tried to track down
some family but couldn't find anyone, so I was put up for adoption.  I
never said much about it because it's no big deal.  I never felt like I was
missing out or anything like that."

   "I lost my folks when I was a baby, too; only, I had my brother and gran
to look after me," Thomas added.

   "This keeps getting weirder and weirder," Tommy concluded.

   "Hey, did you guys save me any chili?" Kim queried brightly as she
emerged from the cave.  She still wore Thomas' whites, but she had the
pants rolled low on her hips and fastened with a rope.  The shirt was tied
under her breast bone and was barely buttoned.  Both men were staring at
her in undisguised appreciation.  "I hope you don't mind that I'm still
wearing these.  I meant to put my chemise back on, but it's still wet, and
when it's wet it's practically see-through."

   "No problem, Kim," Thomas choked out.  "You're welcome to keep the
clothes if you like.  I won't be needing them now that there's no longer a
need for the White Stranger."

   "There will always be a need for people who stand up for what's right
and protect the innocent," Tommy said.

   "I guess that's why your time needs the Power Rangers."

   "Hey you two, we've got company," Kim hissed.  In the darkness came the
sound of approaching hooves.  Kim and Tommy got to their feet, poised in
defensive stances.  Thomas also stood, impressed with his companions'
responses and the way they moved together.  His night vision was much
keener than either Tommy or Kimberly's, and he was able to make out the
riders' faces.

   "At ease, you two.  It's only Doc and William," Thomas reported.  As
they drew nearer, a third rider was visible.  Thomas limped forward to
greet them.  "What brings you all out here at this hour?"

   "I didn't get a chance to thank Miss Kim earlier," Doc said.  He looked
at Kim; his eyes went wide.  He had gotten used to seeing her in Thomas'
clothing, but not as she was presently wearing them.  Unbelievably, he felt
himself blushing.  Then he caught sight of Tommy, and his mouth dropped
open.

   "Tommy, I'd like you to meet my great-great-great-great grandfather
Zachariah Hart.  That's William, Billy's great-great-great grandfather, and
behind them is . . .  Joshua?" Karen Hart's husband had the same features
as his father and the descendants that Kimberly knew.

   "Father told me a little of what was going on, but I didn't believe it
when he told me that you and Karen . . . ." Joshua was too stunned to
continue.

   Tommy had shaken hands with Zachariah, but he felt somewhat at a loss
when he greeted William.

   "I couldn't believe it when I saw Miss Kim and Miss Karen together, and
now seeing you and the White Stranger . . . ." William stammered.

   "Same here.  I look at you and see Billy, and I keep wanting to ask how
you got back here when you're supposed to be at the Command Center
operating the time portal," Tommy said.

   "What was it you wanted, Grandpa Zach?" Kim wondered.

   "I just wanted to tell you that you did a real fine job today and that
I'm real proud of you.  I was wrong about what I said to you a few days
ago."

   "Thanks, Grandpa Zach, that really means a lot to me."

   "How's Karen, Doc?" Thomas queried.

   "Her arm was broken.  She's at home resting.  She had quite an
afternoon," Zachariah reported.  "She mentioned that the White Stranger
looked exactly like her, so I told her it was a trick of the sun."

   "I only hope that this whole adventure hasn't proved too unsettling for
her," Joshua spoke up.  "I was really worried about her coming out to such
raw territory, even though I knew she was going to be staying with my
father.  She was bred to be a lady, not a homesteader."

   "Don't sell Karen short," Tommy said.  "If she's anything like Kim, she
has more spirit and strength of will than the three of you put together."

   "I am inclined to agree," Thomas added.  "Kim and I couldn't have
brought Jack down without her co-operation."

   "You don't know Karen as I do," Joshua objected.  His words faltered as
Tommy suddenly walked past him.  Tommy extended his hand to someone lurking
beyond the horses.

   "Hi there; you must be Karen," he said.  The others turned as Karen
emerged from her hiding place.  She accepted Tommy's hand hesitantly.  Her
eyes were wide as she looked him over.

   "Karen, what are you doing here?" Zachariah queried.

   "How did you get here?" Joshua asked.

   "I followed you," Karen said.  Her eyes continued to drift from Tommy to
Thomas; her expression was one of astonishment.

   "Whatever for?" Josh queried.

   "I wanted to prove that I wasn't seeing things.  I know what I saw this
afternoon." She fixed her husband and father-in-law with a defiant glare,
much like the one Kim had given Tommy after she had kissed Thomas.  Tommy
favored her with a warm grin but held his laughter in check.  With a swish
of her skirts, Karen walked around the men and came to stand in front of
Kim.  The two regarded each other without saying a word.  Neither seemed to
know what to say to the other.  Then, they both sighed wistfully.

   "How's the arm?" Kim queried.

   "It will mend.  Zachariah said that you did a good job with the splint,"
Karen answered cautiously.  "You were something else this afternoon."

   "I just did what had to be done," Kim said modestly.  "You were pretty
awesome yourself.  I don't imagine too many women around here would have
been able to keep their cool the way you did.  You didn't faint; you didn't
carry on, and the way you followed my orders without hesitation . . .  not
many people could have done that." Kim's words were more for the benefit of
the menfolk than for Karen.

   "How did you know that I could speak French?"

   "I didn't.  French is the only other language I know, and I figured Jack
wouldn't know it," Kim confessed with a shrug.

   "I think that if I'm even a little bit the woman you are, I shall count
myself lucky," Karen remarked, to Kim's surprise.

   "You want to be like me?"

   "I think you already are," Thomas commented.  The conversation was
suddenly interrupted by a musical chiming.  Both Kim and Tommy brightened
at hearing it while the others were completely mystified.

   "I read you," Tommy answered the call.  As he spoke into his
communicator, William drew closer to get a better look.

   "It's Billy," came the reply.  William was astounded to hear his own
voice emanating from the watch-like device.  "Have you located Kimberly?  I
had to turn off the viewing globe in order to conserve power so that I
could punch this audio signal through without activating the time portal."
There was a catch in his voice that Tommy found intriguing.  He wondered if
Billy had turned the viewing globe off when he and Kim started feeling
frisky.  Tommy glanced over at Kim; apparently the same thought had
occurred to her because she was blushing faintly.

   "I'm here, Billy," she responded.

   "It's good to hear your voice," Billy said with relief.  "I'm going to
activate the time portal in five minutes.  Make sure you're at the
designated co-ordinates.  We're only going to get one shot at this."

   "Right.  We're on our way.  Tommy out."

   "Where do you need to go?" Thomas queried.

   "Inside the cave," Tommy said.  Tommy and Kim led the way, and their
ancestors and friends followed.

   "Bye, Thomas, I'm going to miss you," Kim said, giving him a firm hug.

   "It was good knowing you, Kim," Thomas answered, returning the hug. 
"When you get back to your time, check for my foot locker.  I'll try and
find some way to let you know how things turn out here.  There was one last
thing I wanted to know; Soaring Falcon told me you had seen several spirits
when you climbed the bluff.  Did you see your spirit guide?  What was it?"

   "I am the Crane, agile and graceful," Kim replied, copying the words she
had said to Ninjor when she first claimed her Ninja powers.  She managed a
brave smile and caught Tommy's hand as she returned to his side.  The first
rainbow-like flicker of the time portal appeared.  Kim fastened her
communicator around her wrist.

   "Activating teleportation sequence now," Tommy directed, and the two
disappeared into the halo of light.

   ----

   CHAPTER XV

   Tommy and Kimberly reappeared within the crescent of Stranger's Rock,
landing in a heap on the sandy grass.  Kim quickly scrambled to her feet.
Her eyes were drawn to the south.

   "Look, city lights!  We're home!" she shouted gleefully.

   "Kim!  Tommy!" Aisha shouted as she and the others teleported onto the
scene.  Kim was quickly lost in the mob of a group hug.

   "Thanks, Billy," Kim said, lingering longer in her embrace of him than
for the others.

   "Let's get you to the Command Center," Billy said as he composed
himself. "Zordon has to run some bio-scans to ascertain your condition."

   "Can't it wait until tomorrow?" Kim pouted, but Billy's expression was
stern.  "All right.  Let's get this over with."

   The six teleported to the Command Center, but only five materialized.

   "Billy, where's Kim?" Tommy asked anxiously.

   "Her signal is trapped in the morphing grid.  The Command Center's
security field is blocking her out," Billy said.

   "Can you get her through?"

   "It's too risky.  I'll have to set her down outside."

   "Zordon, it's not fair!" Tommy protested.

   "I am sorry, Tommy; there's nothing I can do.  Kim has lost the
protection of the Power."

   "Hey guys, where are you?" Kim radioed.

   "We're in the Command Center," Billy answered, his voice choked.  "Your
signal didn't get through.  I'm sorry."

   "Don't worry about it; I sort of expected it," she said.  Billy
activated the viewing globe.  Kim didn't appear to be upset; she looked
rather thoughtful.  "Billy, can you teleport me back to Stranger's Rock?"

   "Will do."

   "I'll meet you there," Tommy said.  His shoulders slumped in defeat as
the globe went dark.

   "I'm really sorry, Tommy," Billy reiterated.

   "We all are," Aisha added.

   "What will we do now, Zordon?" Adam wondered.

   "We must find a suitable candidate to assume the role of the Pink
Ranger," Zordon said.

   "No!" Tommy objected.  "There has to be something we can do to get Kim's
powers back.  We can't let Zedd get away with this."

   "Zedd has merely won one battle; he has not won the war," Zordon
answered.

   "Kim deserves better than that," Tommy snapped as he teleported out.

   ***

   When he reappeared at Stranger's Rock, he didn't see Kimberly anywhere
around.

   "Kim?" he called out.

   "In the cave," she called back.  Tommy crawled inside and found that she
had lit a small fire.  She looked about the cave.  Moments ago, it had been
a place she had lived in for nearly a week.  That home no longer existed. A
hundred and thirteen years had passed.  The sights, the smells, the
textures were all different.

   "White Lightning was stabled over there," Kim said sadly, pointing to
the far side of the cave.  "It's so empty in here."

   "Thomas' footlocker is still here," Tommy said, hoping to cheer her up.
He pulled the chest out and opened it.  together they looked through the
relics that had once belonged to Thomas.

   "Here's his chili pot," Kim noted.  As she looked inside, she spied a
piece of paper.  "Hey, look; he left us his recipe."

   "What's this?  I don't remember seeing it when I went through this stuff
earlier," Tommy murmured, pulling out a garment.  It was Kim's silk
chemise; the rose color had faded, but otherwise it was in good condition.
"How'd this get here?"

   "I left it for Thomas, sort of a keepsake," Kim replied.  "You said
earlier that you found a diary?"

   "Yeah, I left it back home."

   "I'd like to see it; I want to know what happens to Thomas."

   "Sure, we can stop by my house and get it on your way back to the
Campbells."

   Tommy and Kim abandoned the cave and headed down the hillside.  Kim
seemed to be lost in thought.

   "I guess I got my answer about my powers," she said at last.

   "Kim, there has to be something we can do."

   "We can start looking for a new Pink Ranger . . . ."

   "No way!" Tommy interrupted.

   ". . .  or we can find a way to get my powers back."

   "Do you have an idea?" Tommy asked hopefully.

   "No, but let me think on it a bit.  Our powers were as much a part of
ourselves as they were the power coins.  Being a Ranger means too much to
me to give it up without a fight."

   ***

   With the trial done, I thought it time to try the bluff again.  My heart
no longer felt so heavy, and my soul wasn't burdened with thoughts of
revenge.  I figured if Miss Kim could scale the bluff and see her spirits
after all she had been through, I could do it too.  I went out to the lake
as she had and swam across.  While I was in the water, I could have sworn I
saw a path up the cliff face.  After a while, I stopped thinking about it,
about everything.  It was like I was a sleep walker.  I don't even know how
I managed it, but the next thing I knew, I was at the top.  I was elated. I
had never managed that before.  As I stood there catching my breath, I saw
a falcon flying over head.  I thought of Soaring Falcon.  He always said
the bluff was a place of great power and that someday I would find what I
was looking for if I could meet the challenge of the cliff.  I sat down,
thinking about what it was that I had been looking for, and while I was
sitting there, someone else came up over the edge.

   It was a Indian maiden; she looked very familiar to me.  She stood there
and stared at me for a moment.

   "Greetings, Thomas White," she said.  That took me by surprise because
Soaring Falcon's people knew me as One Who Seeks.  I asked if we had met,
and she said, "It has been three years.  I was the girl you saved from
Black Jack Wilson." Then it all came back to me.  This was Soaring Falcon's
granddaughter.  She had been fifteen when I last saw her.  She was
definitely not the skinny girl I remembered.  When I asked her what she was
doing on the cliff, she said, "I, too, have been seeking my heart's desire.
The elders did not believe a maiden could meet the challenge of the cliff,
but I knew one had.  Grandfather often spoke of she whose spirit I shared."
I knew she was referring to Miss Kim.  When I asked her name, I knew I had
found my answer.  Her name was Shining Crane.

   Kim wiped at her eyes as she read that passage.  She had been unable to
sleep, so she had slipped down to the Campbells' family room to read
Thomas' diary.

   It caused quite a stir when I married Shining Crane, not that Soaring
Falcon had any problems with it.  Even True of Heart, her father, didn't
seem to mind, but the rest of the tribe and the people in Angel Grove . . .
!  We didn't care.  We were happy.  We had a little place on the outskirts
of the city that wasn't too far from the tribal lands.  When our daughter
was born a year later, she was given the tribal name of Wild Rose.  I had
Doc Hart make her out a regular birth certificate and asked him to put her
name as Kimberly Rose.  Rose was the only child Shining Crane and I had. 
Rose's birth was so difficult that we didn't want to risk Shining Crane's
life by having a second, so I can see why the family name got lost.

   Kim skipped over several pages, but she stopped when she ran across a
section where the penmanship was unusually shaky.

   Shining Crane died the year Rose turned thirteen.  I was devastated.  I
loved my wife dearly, and to lose her to pneumonia . . .  she caught cold
while trying to save one of her sister's children from a flash flood.  I
spent a lot of time up on the bluff after her death.  Sometimes, I still go
up there.  It's as if I can almost feel her presence.  True of Heart said
that when two people love each other, no barrier can keep them apart.  I
truly believe that.  After all, a hundred years couldn't keep Kim and Tommy
apart.

   A place of great power and magic, Kim mused, thinking about the bluff.
Kim closed the diary.  She had an idea.

   ***

   "Did living out in the desert for a week completely fry Kim's brain or
what?" Rocky groaned as he met the others at Stranger's Rock.  He shivered
in the pre-dawn chill.

   "Kim didn't ask you guys here; I did," Tommy said.  "She contacted me
and said that she had a way to get her powers back.  I thought you might
like to be here."

   "Of course we would," Billy agreed.  "Where is Kimberly?"

   "Up there." Tommy pointed to the top of Stranger's Rock.  Kim was
sitting as if meditating.  She was still dressed in the clothes she had
borrowed from Thomas.

   "How long has she been out here?" Adam wondered.

   "Are you picking up anything from her?" Billy asked.

   "Nothing much.  She seems to be really calm and at peace with herself,"
Tommy said.

   "That's a good sign, I suppose."

   Kim stood up at last and stretched.  Her eyes were focused on the bluff
across the narrow stretch of lake.  She undid the knot in her shirt and
slipped off her borrowed trousers.

   "Kim?" Tommy called out, hoping she wasn't going to strip completely. 
She shook her head as if clearing it, then she smiled down at her friends.
She flipped down from her perch.

   "What are you all doing here?" she wondered.

   "I called them," Tommy said.  "I thought you might like to have us all
here for moral support."

   "That's really sweet of you all, thanks."

   "What do you have in mind?" Billy queried.

   "The way I figure it, my powers aren't going to come back on their own,"
Kim explained.  "Not only did Zedd destroy my purity of body, he really did
a number on my emotions and my confidence in myself.  Remember how we
couldn't use our powers after Goldar used the Crystal of Nightmares on us?
The only way I'm going to get my powers back is if I prove myself worthy to
reclaim them."

   "How are you going to do that?" Adam queried.  "We had to go to the
Desert of Despair and find Ninjor's temple to get our powers back."

   "This bluff is a place of great power, too, if you have a noble heart
and courageous spirit and if you truly believe.  Soaring Falcon told me
that this was a place of great magic and that those who climbed the bluff
would find what he or she was searching for.  I was able to climb the cliff
once I had resolved my inner conflict over what had happened to me and once
I realized that my powers weren't the only things that made me a Ranger. 
After I made peace with myself, I was able to find Tommy.  I'm confident
that if I scale the bluff this time, I'll be able to find my powers again."
With that, Kim waded out into the cold, gray waters.

   "Wait a sec," Tommy called out.  She came back to the shore as he
stepped forward.  He kissed her softly.  "For luck.  I believe too."

   "If anyone has a courageous heart, it's you," Billy said, also coming
forward and offering her a peck on the cheek.

   "I know you can do it," Aisha declared, giving Kim a hug.

   "Go for it," Rocky added with a hug of his own.

   "You'll find the power," Adam said, also giving her a hug.

   As Kim swam out, she fought down the swelling tide of nervousness.  She
had no room for doubt in her heart.  She felt the glow of Tommy's thoughts;
his love and encouragement were like a beacon shining in the back of her
mind.  She could almost feel the others' thoughts as well.  She would not
fail her friends.  She would not fail herself.

   Older than time, man has always known the calling.

   Ninjor's words leaped into her mind, as she reached the base of the
cliff.  She looked up and saw the path of hand and foot holds that she had
followed Wednesday afternoon to find her friend's spirit animals waiting
for her.  She closed her eyes.  Her heart knew the way.  As she climbed,
she continued reciting the litany.

   Light of the light, strength of the soul

   Ignite this eternal power inside me.

   I am Ninja!

   I am pure of heart, body, mind, and spirit.

   Join with me now as I become one with the power of Ninja.

   Kim was almost near the top.  The transformation had not yet occurred.
Undaunted, she went on with a chant of her own.

   I am a Power Ranger, sworn to serve and protect.  I have been one with
the Pterodactyl and the Firebird. . . .

   ***

   Down on the beach, Tommy raised his eyes to the top of the bluff. 
Neither he nor any of the others could see how Kim had managed to climb the
almost sheer facing.  In his mind he heard the words Kim was proclaiming as
she pulled herself over the edge.  As she turned to face the rising sun,
Tommy softly repeated her words for the others to hear.

   "I have stood with the Ape, mighty and strong.  I have fought beside the
Bear, cunning and fierce.  I have stalked with the Wolf, silent and sure,
and I have learned from the Frog, courageous of spirit."

   Kim slowly raised her hands to the sky.  The breeze blew her soaking wet
shirt loosely about her.  Kim had her eyes closed and raised her voice for
all to hear.

   "I have soared with the Falcon, just and able!  I am the Crane, agile
and graceful; we are one!"

   Dawn broke, shedding its rosy glow on Kimberly's tiny frame.  A sudden
blast of wind ripped out of nowhere, battering her body and tearing her
shirt away.  Kim withstood the winds and stood naked in the splendor of the
sunrise.  There was a lump in Tommy's throat as Kim seemed to be enveloped
in a nimbus of pink light.  He had never seen her look more beautiful or
more confident as she stood with her arms outstretched to embrace the new
day.

   "Ninja Ranger Power!"

   In a brilliant flash of light, Kimberly transformed into the colorfully
garbed Pink Ninja Ranger.

   "She did it!  All right!" Tommy cheered, exchanging high fives with the
others.

   Kimberly slowly lowered her arms and opened her eyes.  She heard the
shouts and whoops from below.  Tears of joy welled in her eyes as she
looked down at her costume, but she was not ready to celebrate yet.  She
pulled out her power morpher.  It glistened in the early daylight as if it
were brand new.

   "It's morphin' time!  Pink Ranger Power!"

   A crackle of energy and a flash of light surrounded Kim.  Moments later,
Kimberly transformed into the Pink Ranger.  She felt stronger and more
capable than ever before.  On the beach below, her friends were giddy with
delight.  In her mind, she felt the happiness that bubbled up within Tommy.


   "So, what do you think, Soaring Falcon?" Kim whispered as she spied a
bird of prey in the distance.  She didn't need to see it up close to know
that it was a falcon.  Perhaps it was her imagination, but she heard a
voice like the sighing of the wind say, "Well done, She Who Sees Many
Spirits."

   Kim waved at her friends then powered down, stripping away her uniform.
Once again she felt the power surging within her, waiting to be called
forth.  She felt like celebrating.  She backed away from the cliff's edge
then charged forward at full speed.  With a triumphant "yee-ha!" she
launched herself off the bluff and dove into the lake.

   "Way to go, Kim!" Tommy shouted as he started towards the water's edge,
stripping off his clothes as he went.

   "Uh, Tommy . . . ." Billy began uncertainly.

   "Last one in is Zedd's brother-in-law!" Tommy declared as he dove into
the waves.

   "All right, skinny-dipping," Rocky cheered.  "Count me in." He stripped
and jumped into the lake.  "Cripes, that's cold!" Billy, Aisha, and Adam
looked at each other helplessly.

   "They could have at least warned us to bring swimming suits," Adam
murmured.

   "I've always wondered what it would be like to go skinny-dipping," Aisha
remarked as she, too, doffed her clothes and splashed out into the water.
As she swam off, Billy turned to Adam.

   "I don't know about you, but I have no desire to be placed in the same
category as Rito Revolto," he said.

   "Me either," Adam agreed, and the two began to strip.

   Tommy finally reached Kim in the middle of the water and tossed her into
the air.

   "You were awesome!" he cheered as he caught her.  He pulled her close
and kissed her hard.

   "Mm," Kim purred as she went back for seconds with gusto.

   "Hey, I thought you said no more sex," Tommy teased her as her hands
began exploring.

   "This isn't sex, just heavy petting," she retorted.

   "Behave yourself, here come the others."

   "Really?  Billy and Adam too?" She peered over his shoulder.  "They
don't have any clothes on!"

   "Neither do we."

   "How'd you convince everyone to come skinny-dipping?"

   "Would you want to be Zedd's brother-in-law?"

   "Rito?  Ugh, no way!" Kim splashed Tommy, and he picked her up again and
tossed her over his shoulder.  She careened headlong into the water,
splashing down just as Rocky reached the pair.  She resurfaced and was
almost forced under again as she was swamped with jubilant hugs from her
friends.

   ***

   "Hey, Bulkie, tell me again, how did we end up with dawn patrol?" Skull
asked with a yawn.  Both he and Bulk were in uniform patrolling the stretch
of beach around Indian Lake.

   "How should I know?  It was probably your fault."

   "You know, sometimes I think Officer Stone doesn't like us," Skull
rambled on.

   "Brilliant deduction, Sherlock.  Geez, I hate this stretch.  No one ever
comes way out here to swim."

   "Check it out, Bulk; there's someone out in the water."

   "Get real.  This is November.  Who'd be dumb enough to go swimming in an
unsecured area at this time of the morning?"

   "Actually, it looks like Tommy and the geek squad."

   "Yeah, and . . .  it looks like they don't have any clothes on!" The two
junior police officers hurried down to the water front.  "Look, here's
their clothes."

   "Isn't skinny-dipping against the law or something?"

   "We can nail these guys for indecent exposure," Bulk said with obvious
glee.  "All right, you in the water, come on out!"

   ***

   "Uh oh, guys, looks like we're busted," Rocky noted.

   "How humiliating, caught by Bulk and Skull," Aisha groaned.

   "Great, they have our clothes," Adam said.  "What do we do?"

   "I think I know how to handle this," Kim said with a mischievous twinkle
in her eye.

   "What do you have in mind?" Tommy asked suspiciously.

   "They only found five sets of clothes on the beach since my pants are up
on Stranger's Rock and my shirt is on the bluff.  They'll only be expecting
five swimmers.  Head in to shore, but don't come out of the water until I
give the signal." With that, Kim slipped under the water.

   ***

   "I can't believe this," Skull cackled.  "Wait'll they hear about this in
school.  The goody two-shoes gang caught naked in public.  It's just too
bad Kimberly isn't with them."

   "Come on, hurry it up you guys.  We don't have all morning," Bulk
ordered.

   "Bulkmeier, Skullovitch, at-ten-tion!" Kim barked in her best drill
sergeant voice.  She had swum around to the bend where the grotto used to
be and had crept up to a boulder behind Bulk and Skull.  She could say one
thing for their police training; it taught them obedience.  "About face!"
The would-be police officers turned, standing rigid.  Skull offered a
salute.  Kim stepped out from behind the rock and motioned for the others
to come forward.

   "What is this?  Officers stealing clothing from the beach?  Drop those
garments, boys."

   "Yessir, officer sir," Skull gasped.

   "We were only . . .  hey, you're not a police officer," Bulk gasped,
sneaking a peek.  "Kimberly?"

   "Eyes up, front and center or I'll report you for being peeping Toms,"
she threatened.

   "We're the junior police officers here," Bulk argued, "and public nudity
is in violation of code . . . ."

   "Is this a public beach?" Kim demanded.

   "Not really," Skull replied.  Behind him, Aisha scampered out of the
water and collected her clothing.

   "Are there any signs saying no skinny-dipping?" Kim continued.  Rocky
and Adam followed Aisha's lead.

   "Well, no."

   "Does my state of undress rouse your sense of moral outrage?" Billy and
Tommy waded to shore.

   "Moral outrage isn't exactly what you're arousing," Bulk answered.

   "What's wrong with you two?" Tommy snapped.  "Where's your sense of
decency?  For shame, making the lady stand around naked and freezing while
you're flapping your jaws." Tommy handed Kim his shirt.

   "Thanks," she said as she gratefully slid the flannel shirt on.  Bulk
and Skull started to move.  "I didn't say at ease, gentlemen." They snapped
back to attention.  "Tell you what I'm going to do.  If you don't charge us
with indecent exposure, we won't charge you with being peeping Toms."

   "But . . . ." Bulk protested.

   "Now really, Bulk, which story is Officer Stone more likely to believe:
the six of us swimming naked or the two of you poking your noses where they
don't belong?"

   "The second one," Skull said.  He and Bulk traded glances.

   "Do we have a deal?" Kim queried sweetly.

   "Oh all right," Bulk said grudgingly.

   "Thanks, you two; you're the greatest." Kim stepped closer to them and
grabbed their ties.  Their eyes just about popped out as she pulled them
down to her level, giving them a fantastic glimpse of her cleavage.  "Since
you're such good sports, I think you deserve a little reward." She gave
them each a peck on the cheek.  "At ease, gentlemen." She released their
neckwear, and Bulk and Skull melted into helpless puddles of hormones. 
Then, with a sexy giggle, she hurried off to catch up with Tommy.

   "Did you really have to do that?" he grimaced.

   "It was a small price to pay to keep our butts out of jail.  Besides, it
was worth it to see the look on their faces." With a chuckle, Kim skipped
on ahead.  Tommy sighed and shook his head.  It was good to have Kimberly
back at last.

   ***

   "No!  No!  No!  Curse those mighty morphing miscreants!" Zedd ranted as
he observed the proceedings from his throne room.  "Once again they have
ruined a perfectly perditious plan!" Everything had been proceeding as
intended.  Kimberly had reached the point of no return; Tommy had oh so
gallantly given her the fucking she required.  Zedd's frustration level
rose another notch when he thought of the missed opportunities due to
Zordon's infernal scrambling mechanism.  Ah, to have watched their amorous
activities would have been so satisfying!  Unfortunately, Tommy hadn't lost
his powers, but Kimberly had; she just wasn't supposed to get them back. 
Where had she disappeared to?  Why couldn't he locate her?  It didn't
matter that Zordon hadn't been able to find her either.

   "This is all that incompetent Goldar's fault.  If he had made sure Tommy
had been pierced by the arrow in the first place, none of this would have
happened!" Zedd continued fuming.  Yet, Zedd wasn't going to punish him. 
He couldn't have come up with a better punishment than what Kimberly had
done to Goldar, who still hadn't recovered from her thrashing.  The
misbegotten mutant was still talking like a soprano from a boys' choir,
which Zedd found extremely annoying.  To make matters even worse, he had
misplaced the orb which held the recording of Kim and Tommy's erotic visit
to his dungeon.  He had to find it before Rita did.

   "I'll get you next time, Power Pests," he vowed.  "Finster!  Have you
found that orb yet?  Finster, answer me!"

   "Oh Zeddy!" Rita called out.

   If she was trying to be cute, Zedd was not in the mood for it.  "What do
you want?"

   "I want to have a little fun," she answered.  She stood in the doorway
to the throne room, smiling evilly.  She had removed her horned headdress
so that her white hair hung down her back.  She wasn't wearing her usual
gown either.  This one didn't have the cones-that-could-poke-an-eye-out on
the bodice.  She lounged against the doorway in a black robe that was held
closed in front by a thin silver belt.  Zedd had a very bad feeling about
the situation.

   "What sort of fun?" Zedd asked suspiciously.  Rita didn't answer.  She
merely stood there tossing a familiar silver ball into the air and catching
it.

   "Where did you get that?" Zedd demanded.

   "I caught Rito playing with it."

   "I'm going to get that meddlesome sibling of yours."

   "For a change, Rito didn't screw up.  Come on, Zeddy," Rita said,
beckoning seductively.  "This little ball has given me some ideas." There
was a predatory look in her eye that made Zedd swallow hard.

   "Now, Rita . . . ."

   "How long have we been married?  It's about time I got to see what's
under that metal jock of yours." As she took a step toward him, Zedd
abandoned his throne.

   "Not how, I have a headache," he protested, backing away.

   "You'd better at least be as well hung as Tommy.  No wonder you wanted
to watch him drill his hunk of meat into little Kimberly's pussy."

   "I think I need to check on Serpentera . . . ."

   "Don't you run away from me, Zeddy; I want what you got, and I want it
now!"

   Lord Zedd, master of evil and would-be ruler of the universe, fled from
his throne room as fast as his silver-shod feet could carry him.

   THE END