Windmill into the Fall

[DigiExpert]

This was my very first PR fic that I started back in April. Since then I've had a lot of reviews on it and people seem to really enjoy it so now I'm trying to post it for others to enjoy too. You may have seen it before on ff.net, where it is up to 34 chapters.

Title: Windmill into the Fall
Rating: T
Ship: Tommy/Kim on and off; you'll see)
Time: During Zeo
Summary: Rita's bored and desires to do something fun. Together with Finster, the two create a devious plot to bring down Tommy. Kimberly becomes the toy of a cruel, sick joke. It'll take everything to get Kimberly back, unless she dies in the process.

Chapter 1 Days of Boredom

It was just another ordinary day for Rita Repulsa. An ordinary BORING day. After she’d moved in with her father, she soon grew to hate it. Zedd’s constant complaining and bickering didn’t help much, nor did the stupidity of her minions. How she wished they were more competent. Her father was another pain in the neck. He drove her crazy with his incessant chatter from her failure to conquer the galaxy to her failure of a husband. Rita had a headache from it all. Unfortunately, there was no other option at the moment; the old moon palace was still kept by the Machine Empire. Ugh. I have a headache she thought as her brother ran past, chasing some of Finster’s newest tengas. “You nitwits! Can’t you ever be quiet!” she screamed at them.

The tengas stopped suddenly and Rito turned around. “Uh… sorry sis. Last time I checked, this was a free hallway,” he responded.

“No, it’s my hallway. Scram!”

“Sheesh,” mumbled Rito before taking off.

“Ugh, I have such a headache…” whined Rita. She turned toward the open balcony. The telescope Zedd had given her was set up, but hadn’t been used yet. Rita hadn’t felt the need to use it; those Rangers were too busy dealing with the Machine Empire, and nothing great had come to mind to compete with them. She bent over, and the telescope began flipping through scenes of Earth.

Rita only cared about what the Rangers were up to. She saw the Zeo Rangers engaged in battle with yet another one of King Mondo’s creations. Scoffing, she began trying to focus the telescope on past Rangers instead. At least they no longer had powers to fight back with, though Rita realized that any involvement with past Rangers would bring the present Rangers crashing into her hideaway. The telescope began focusing, and Rita’s eyes widened.

Back on Earth, Kimberly Hart was training endlessly for the Pan Globals. It involved more training than she could have ever imagined. However, this was her goal, her dream, her destiny. Ever since she was little and had watched her first Olympic gymnastic event on television, she longed to bring home her own gold medal, to take her skills to the highest attainable level. The only way she could do that was to make it through the Pan Globals and train even harder. The Olympics involved so much more than Pan Globals. She had to find a coach to train her, and then there was the Invitationals followed by Divisions before she even got to go to the trials for the Olympics. It was a long, hard road ahead, but it would all be worth it.

It was 10 PM Florida time, and Kimberly was beat. Her body was covered in sweat, and her leotard clung to her sticky skin. She craved a long hot shower and then a peaceful night’s rest. Before she could do any of that, she had to call and talk to Tommy. She hoped he was in, and not out saving the world from King Mondo. Kimberly sighed as she still wished she too could be out fighting evil, but she had to give it up to train. Her friends were very supportive of her decision, and she was glad they backed her up. Kimberly knew that her Power Coin would have had to be passed on eventually. If nothing else, Kat would make a good replacement Ranger. But not as good a Pink Ranger as me mused Kimberly. Then she laughed at herself for thinking such a thing. Kat was every bit as good as her, otherwise she wouldn’t have passed on the Power Coin to her.

She slung her duffle bag over her shoulder and left the gymnastic compound. Thankfully her apartment was only a block away; this had saved Kimberly from having to purchase a car after moving to Florida. Instead, she and a few teammates had chipped in to rent an apartment near the gymnastic compound. It made life a bit easier for Kimberly, even if it did mean she had to share her “home” with two other girls. It wasn’t too bad, but it wasn’t the best either. Some nights Kimberly had a feeling that one of them was listening in on her conversations with Tommy. Not that she said anything bad, it was just that she didn’t like her privacy invaded. She even had a feeling that her roommates thought her a tad crazy for keeping up a long distance relationship, but that didn’t matter to Kimberly. She loved Tommy more than anything else.

As Kimberly walked into the apartment, she discovered a note laying on the counter. Lacie and Sarah had apparently gone out for the evening with some friends at the local dance club, Silky’s, and wouldn’t be back until late. The note did encourage her to join them whenever she returned. Kimberly crumpled up the note and tossed it in the trash, grabbing the cordless phone off the receiver and heading toward her bedroom. She dialed the number for the phone card, glancing at it every so often; it wasn’t all that necessary since she’d memorized the number and pin long ago. After following a computer’s automated instructions, finally dialing that familiar ten digit number. It rang twice before being picked up.

“Hello?” came a masculine voice from the other end.

“Tommy! I’m so glad you’re home.”

“Heh, hey Kim. You sound cheerful.”

“Who wouldn’t when they can end their day talking to their white knight?”

“Technically, I’m your red knight now you know,” teased Tommy.

“Details, details,” murmured Kimberly.

“How’d training go? Have you mastered your new routine on beam yet?” asked Tommy, curious to hear about her day.

Kimberly’s groan was quite audible. “No, not yet. There are a few spots during the routine that I just can’t seem to get down and my dismount is terrible still. At the rate I’m going, I’ll still be doing it come Pan Globals.”

“You know that’s not true. You have a lot of talent; you’ll master it soon. What else is going on?”

“Nothing really. My roommates are out at Silky’s and invited me to join them, but I don’t think I’m going.”

“Oh? Why not?”

Kimberly shrugged to herself as she answered Tommy. “Honestly I don’t see how they even have the energy after today’s workout. I’m exhausted myself. I’m heading to bed soon. I really need some sleep.”

“Are you not sleeping well?”

“Some nights, no. I have these nightmares. There’s some shadow that’s always chasing me, always following me. It stalks me until it ruins my gymnastic career or kills me. It wakes me up every time and then I can’t fall back asleep for at least an hour.”

“What do you think it means?” asked Tommy, concerned.

“I’m not sure, Tommy. Things like that are just scarier at night. It’s nothing to worry about. What have you been up to?”

“Saving the world as usual. We’re getting through. The Machine Empire can’t keep us away for long.”

“Any tough battles lately?”

“Not particularly. We’ve always been able to handle what’s been thrown at us.”

“How’s the rest of the gang?”

“Not doing too badly. We’ve been able to come together pretty well. They all miss you. Tanya wants to go on a shopping spree the next time you visit. She wants you to help her find all the latest fashions of America.”

“Hmm… that means you’re coming to carry the bags, right?” asked Kimberly, giggling.

“Nuh uh, no way Kim. I am not going to be bag boy this time. The last time I carried your bags I became fifty pounds heavier and two feet taller. I learned my lesson.”

“But Tommy it’ll be fun!”

“You and Tanya go and have your girl shopping spree without me. I’ll carry the bags next time, okay?”

“Right Tommy. With you there won’t be a next time,” laughed Kimberly.

“So what’s your point? It’s just a small detail.” Tommy smiled to himself as Kimberly laughed harder. She had such a sweet laugh.

The couple talked for another hour before Kimberly realized what time it was. “Oh my gosh. Tommy it’s almost 11:30 here. I so need to shower and get to bed.”

“Time flies when you’re in love,” mentioned Tommy.

“That it does. I’ll talk to you tomorrow night after I get home. I love you Tommy.”

“I love you too Kim. Bye.”

“Bye.”

Kimberly turned the phone off and took it back to the kitchen. She knew she shouldn’t have been on the phone so long, but she couldn’t help it when she talked to Tommy. Time seemed shorter than it really was. Kimberly knew she was going to pay for it in the morning though. She had to be at the gymnastic compound by 6. Kimberly frowned as she headed for the bathroom, but shook it off. There was no way that she’d give up talking to Tommy just for an extra hour of sleep.

Rita grinned evilly as she removed her eye from the Repulsa Scope. “So the former pink Ranger is madly in love still with the Red Zeo Ranger. Tommy-boy still has her after all. Pinky still loves that gym stuff too…” Rita trailed off.

Zedd walked down the hallway. “What are you up to my evil one?”

“Ahh Zeddy. You won’t believe how bored I am. So bored that I had to watch a sickening conversation between a Ranger couple.”

“You’re bored? I’m the one who has to constantly deal with your father. I swear I’d blow him to bits if he weren’t related to you.”

“My father just likes being superior.”

“Superior? I swear one of these days I’m gonna kill him… he too will fear the rise of Lord Zedd.”

“Zedd, I want to do something. I can’t live like this!” interrupted Rita, changing the subject.

“I’m not interested in your games. You’re on your own for this one.”

“But Zedd… think of it. We can toy with the Rangers like we used to. You used to get such an evil joy from it.”

“Bah, those silly Rangers are in the past now. Let King Mondo deal with them. I will not deal with them until I have the most diabolical plan to destroy them once and for all!”

“What’s that without a bit of fun along the way? What are you, getting old? Is that it? Can’t handle a bit of fun?” asked Rita, not interested in Zedd’s way of doing things as usual.

“Fun? FUN? Fun is not an option! Death and destruction is! I will make the Rangers suffer a terrible death, not have “fun” with them and have them think I’m just kidding. They will come to tremble at the mention of “Lord Zedd”, right before I kill them!’

“Zedd?”

“Yes dear?”

“Scram you moron! I don’t want to hear your evil plot for the fifty-thousandth time!” yelled Rita. She couldn’t take anymore of his egomaniacal attitude.

Zedd turned hastily and began walking back down the hallway. “Women…” he murmured. “Why did I ever marry one?”

Rita turned back to her Repulsa Scope as Zedd retreated down the hallway. She again resumed watching Kimberly, who was now getting ready for bed. Rita had to admit that out of all the Rangers, she wasn’t the most interesting. Who wanted to deal with a preppy valley girl? One who wore…pink of all colors. Then again… she did have connections to Tommy…. Rita still wasn’t over his whole evil-turned-good ordeal. Hmm... Pinky could be useful to me… and then I could get revenge on Tommy. Hmm... all I need is the perfect plot… perhaps this won’t be so boring after all. Rita laughed evilly as she began to plot out her perfect diabolical plan. However, she’d need some of her best minions to help her make plans.

“Finster! Goldar! In here pronto!” Her two minions could be heard clear down the hallway. Each came from opposite directions.

“Yes, my queen? What is it?” called Finster’s soft voice.

“What do you command?” came Goldar’s raspy voice, entering from Rita’s left.

“I’ve got an idea and I need both of you morons to help me put it into action.”

“What did you have in mind?” asked Finster.

“I’ve been viewing the old Rangers… one of them is going to go down.

“Which one my queen? The old red Ranger?” asked Goldar. Out of all the Rangers, Goldar liked him the least and wouldn’t mind taking part in his demise.

“No, not him. One with more… personal connections to another Ranger.”

“Ah, you mean that Pink one?” questioned Finster.

“Exactly! She and Tommy are dating still. I can use her to get back at him. It’ll be perfect!”

“But what are we to do?” asked Goldar.

“That is why you two are here. You’re going to help me come up with a way to take her out of commission, and get back at Tommy!” cackled Rita.

Remember: Suggestions and constructive criticism appreciated.

Next time on Windmill into the Fall: What does Rita plan for Kimberly and how is this going to help her get back at Tommy? What roles will Goldar and Finster play? Find out in chapter 2!

[Angelfox]

cool

[DigiExpert]

Chapter 2 The Precise Concoction

Kimberly awoke to the annoying beeping of her alarm clock. Blurry-eyed, she glanced over at the red digits: 5:00 AM. She had 45 minutes to prepare for gymnastics. She sat up in bed and yawned, pulling her hair away from her face. 5 AM had to be the worst time to be up in the morning. Kimberly’s body went through the motions of preparing for the day. She was not the most morning person around. Finally dressed, she headed out to the kitchen area, only to find Lacie and Sarah already sitting there eating grapefruit for breakfast. As usual, Lacie was the only morning person, bouncing and ready to go.

“Ready for the day there sleeping beauty?” asked Lacie.

“I’m ready for more sleep. How late were you two out?” asked Kimberly.

“Not too late. Only until about 1.”

“Then how come you’re so bouncy this morning?”

Lacie shrugged. “A little coffee does wonders.”

Kimberly grabbed a bowl and poured some cheerios into it, adding sliced bananas as an afterthought. “I don’t see how you can drink that stuff,” shuddered Kimberly.

“You learn to like it. If you and Sarah had a little, I’m sure you two would be more like me.”

“Bite me, Lacie,” mumbled Sarah. “If I wanted to be perky, I’d do it without coffee.”

“I’m just saying that’d it help. Possibly give you a new attitude change.”

“I like my attitude just fine thank you very much,” retorted Sarah.

Kimberly ignored the exchange between the two. It had become a daily morning ritual between the two roommates and the dialogue didn’t change too much each morning. The only difference was how grumpy or not grumpy Sarah was. Lacie always seemed to be bouncy. Kim was neutral to it all; she didn’t let Lacie’s mood nor attempts to have her try coffee bother her. Kimberly glanced up at the clock. 6:40 stared back at her. “Come on guys. We’re going to be late if we don’t get a move on!”

Lacie and Sarah snapped out of their arguments before going into serious gymnast mode. The trio grabbed duffle bags and were quickly out the door, locking it behind them. Forgotten were the dirty dishes on the table, the half-eaten grapefruit, and the hot coffee. Instead, three minds were focused on the upcoming day at the gym. Pan Globals were the most important thing and required most of the gymnasts lives spent at the gym. “As Sarah had put it the first day, “Welcome to Hell. To the right equipment, to the left bunk-beds.” Even though Sarah was sarcastic much of the time, she really was fun to be around. Her remarks could make people laugh at the strangest of time. Of course, their coach didn’t appreciate it too much when she did that during training, but Sarah never did care too much. Kimberly never did see how Sarah could be so sarcastic, but she didn’t question it too much either.

The trio walked down the street as the sun began was rising on the city. Very few people were out and the streets were very quiet. It was a surprising scene to catch in Florida, but the teenagers had all gotten used to it after a few days. The peace and quiet allowed them to focus their minds and relax before training. Birds chirped in the trees above and Kimberly smiled. She loved when the birds sang each morning. It made her feel glad to be alive.

Rita awoke in one of her moods. Her husband still snored on next to her. “Grrr…. Zedd stop snoring! How can I even sleep with you carrying on like that!” She whacked him upside the head.

“Mmm…. Stop that pooky… my evil teddy, mine….” He rolled over, drifting back into a deep sleep. Rita raised an eyebrow at him, but shook her head. She did not have any time to deal with Zedd’s sleep talking.

Rita padded down the hallway back to her balcony. Goldar and Finster were to be meeting her there that morning to further discuss their plans for Kimberly. As she arrived, she saw that neither Finster nor Goldar were waiting on her. Do I have to do everything myself? I need better minions. She tapped her foot impatiently and waiting for the two to show up.

Ten minutes later, steam was coming from her ears. Or, it would be if she were a steam engine. Finster and Goldar still hadn’t shown up. I thought I told those two to be here… they should have been here by now. Rita couldn’t stand it anymore. “Finster! Goldar! Get in here right now!” Rita’s high-pitched scream echoed throughout the fortress, waking more than just Finster and Goldar. A few minutes later, the two rushed in, almost colliding.

“Where have you two been!” yelled Rita. “You were supposed to be here fifteen minutes ago!”

“Sorry my queen,” mumbled the two.

“Now, let’s get down to business. Finster, did you do what I asked you?”

“Yes. The new Tenga warriors are almost complete. A few difficulties, but I do believe that I have fixed any new problems that will arise.”

Rita looked skeptical. “What exactly will these new Tenga warriors be able to do?”

“Well, I have increased their intellectual capability, thus increasing the chance of overpowering the Rangers in battle or, in this case, Kimberly.

“Is that it?”

“Well, no. I have always created a new weapon for the Tengas to carry into battle. I call it the Tenga Talcon. It is special glove that all new Tengas will wear, very light weight as to not interfere with flight. With just the press of a button, long talons will extend from the gloves and can be used as a weapon, poison gas, or sleeping gas, “ explained Finster as he pulled a pair of the black gloves from a bag around his waist and handed them to Rita.

“Now that’s more like it. I like it when new Tengas warriors actually sound like worthy warriors,” replied Rita as she looked closely at the gloves, eyeing the sharp talons hidden inside.

“Well it did take awhile before I came up with the perfect prototype. It only needs to be fully tested before I make anymore,” continued Finster.

“Hmm… why not try it out on Rito? He’s enough of an idiot to fall for that kind of thing,” suggested Rita.

“Excellent idea,” said Goldar. “Shall I take some Tenga warriors and attack Rito? Taking him by surprise is the only way.”

“Yes, that’s perfect,” answered Rita as she handed him the gloves. “Take a few new Tengas with you, but have only one really attack Rito. I must know if this will work. It is crucial to the success of our plan.”

“What shall I do my queen?” asked Finster.

“I want you to continue making new Tengas. If these Tengas are as good as they sound, we’ll have no problems in the future. We’ll use the new Tengas later. Right now, you and I need to discuss what we’re going to do about Kimberly.”

“What exactly did you have in mind?”

“I want something that will take her out of commission.”

“She’s already lost her Ranger powers and passed them on. How much more out of commission do you want.”

“Enough so that she can never recover any Ranger powers! Enough so that it will allow me to use her against Tommy!”

“Well… I suppose I could create some kind of formula that would have a dangerous effect on the girl. What kind of formula do you desire?”

“Hmm… I don’t want to kill her off. That’s too easy and not fun at all. No… I want something that will take away the second most precious thing in her life.”

“Gymnastics?”

“Precisely. Besides Tommy-boy, Pinky’s been training non-stop. She’s going for her dream, and I refuse to allow her to succeed.”

“Well, I suppose I could whip up a sleeping potion…”

“Sleeping potion? How’s that going to help me?” asked Rita, confused.

“Well, if she is training as hard as you say, she’ll be working late into the night. If you slip the potion into something she drinks, it will affect her body and performance. Any multitude of things could happen to her after it takes effect. It will only work, however, if you give it to her while she is still working. If she takes it after her work-out, then she’ll just think she’s overworked herself.”

“So you’re saying to give it to her so that it’ll cause her to have an accident...?”

“Precisely!” grinned Finster.

“Hmm… this could work well in our favor. Once she’s out of commission…. We can take her for our own later own…. But she should suffer first. It’ll make things all the more sweeter by the time I get ahold of her and Tommy.”

“Why aren’t we going to take her right away?”

“Because you nitwit, if we let her think she was the cause of her accident, she won’t even begin to suspect that it was us. We don’t need any Rangers on our case. They will ruin everything!”

“Ahh yes. It makes perfect sense,” nodded Finster.

“Finster, I want that potion by this afternoon! No excuses!”

Finster bowed. “Yes my queen! I’m on it right away!” He walked quickly down the hallway to his laboratory and locked himself inside. Rita smiled to herself. Things were falling into place.

In his laboratory/bedroom, Finster quickly began grabbing multiple bottles off his makeshift shelves. He hummed to himself as he double-checked the contents, making sure he had all the right ingredients. “Now where did I put that Umbrim formula….” He searched the shelves until he found a small black bottle labeled Umbrim. “Ahh I remember it being there now…” He grabbed all the bottles and placed them on a table against the right wall, next to a small black mixing pot. After doing so, he began looking among his books to find the precise recipe. A sleeping potion had to be concocted precisely, otherwise it would never work.

The ingredients wore measured and then poured into the mixing pot. Finster stirred and stirred; a sleeping potion had to be well mixed to be effective. Colored smoke poured from the bowl, the signal that the potion was complete. Finster poured the yellowish mixture into three different jars and sealed them tightly with a cork. He didn’t trust anyone else and was afraid one of the other minions would end up breaking one of the bottles. Finster had had too many potions and monster molds broken over the past few years to take any chances. He placed two of the bottles on the back of the top shelf and slipped the third in his pouch to take to Rita.

Kimberly wiped the sweat from her face with a towel. Practice that day so far had been brutal. Kimberly sat on the bench and slipped on a pair of jogging pants. As she did so, she watched the other girls practice. She was waiting for Lacie and Sarah to finish so that they could all grab some lunch on their break. Sarah was working on her floor routine while Lacie was working on the uneven bars. Kimberly had spent the entire morning on beam, trying to make sure her backflips were executed perfectly and that she could follow them directly with a few dance moves. She was glad that the noon hour had finally come. A break was in order. Kimberly looked up as Sarah ran over to her.

“How was your morning?” asked Sarah. She had become much more serene since waking up. Gymnastics always calmed her down.

“It was good. I’m doing better on beam with my new routine, but it’s definitely exhausting.”

“I know the feeling. I wish I could do something else besides my floor routine though. Hopefully I can convince coach to let me switch to vault this afternoon. I just haven’t been able to nail my front flip on vault the way I should.”

“I’m sure coach will let you. Oh hey, Lacie’s coming over. Let’s get a bite to eat. I’m starving.”

Lacie joined the two girls on the bench. “What’s for lunch today? Back to the apartment or out for lunch?”

Sarah spoke up. “Let’s go to that new deli down the street. I’ve heard they have great wraps that are healthy and sooooo good.”

Kimberly giggled. “I’m good with going there. What about you, Lacie?”

“Sounds fine to me. You buying Sarah?”

Sarah scoffed. “Me? Are you crazy? You buy for me, remember?”

Lacie rolled her eyes. “Right….We’d better get a move on if we’re to make it back before the afternoon workout.

The three girls grabbed jackets and began walking toward the door. Kimberly motioned to their coach that they were heading out for lunch. He gave her an “okay” signal back. The street had become much busier since early that morning; cars and people were everywhere; the girls almost had to walk in a straight line because of all the people on the streets. Kimberly listened for the birds, but their chirps could barely be heard over the commotion on the streets. Her stomach growled and the dinging of the deli bell over head brought her back to the present.

“Finster! Finster! Get in here right now! You’d better have that potion or else!” yelled Rita.

A harried Finster rushed to the balcony. “I’m here my queen. And, I have brought the potion with me. It should do just the trick.” He rummaged around in his bag, searching for the small jar. He handed it over to Rita, who inspected it’s contents through the glass. “Excellent…now we just need to find the perfect time to slip it into something she’s eating…” Rita moved to her Repulsa Scope to check on Kimberly. She watched as Kimberly ate lunch with two other girls and overhead Kimberly mention something about staying late. “Hmm… this could work to our advantage…” she mused.

Next time on Windmill into the Fall: Kimberly decides to train late at the gym, but Sarah and Lacie try to coax her out of it. Meanwhile, Rita sends a disguised Tenga warrior to Earth to place the potion in Kimberly's bottle of water. What will it do to Kimberly? Find out next chapter!

[DigiExpert]

Chapter 3 The Brewing Storm Rages

As Finster and Rita were discussing the potion, Goldar returned with one of the Tenga warriors. “Rita, I have tested the Tenga Talcon with the Tenga warriors help.”

“And? How did it go?”

Rita got her answer as Rito stormed into the balcony area. “Go? GO? I’ve got deep cuts in my bones! Places I’d never thought I’d get cut! You’d better have a good reason for doing this to me sis!” roared Rito.

Rita cackled loudly. How she had longed to try something like that on her brother. “You should be proud Rito! You were the guinea pig that will lead to the destruction of Tommy!”

“What in the world are you talking about?” asked Rito.

“What I’m saying you moron is that you had the new Tenga Talcon tested on you. Obviously it worked,” said Rita, raising an eyebrow as she glanced over her brother’s body. He hadn’t been exaggerating. More jagged slashes appeared all over than she’d seen in her entire life. The small skulls that Rito carried with him were also missing bits and pieces. “Think of them as battle scars. Besides, wouldn’t you rather see those slashes all over Tommy? Or his precious girlfriend?

“Well, I do know that human flesh doesn’t take this kind of beating,” responded Rito, scratching his head. “Humans do bleed easily.”

“Exactly. If the Tenga Talcon did that much damage to you, think of the damage to Tommy and Pinky… Slashes… blood everywhere… perhaps death too… It’s all part of the plan big brother.”

“Well, when you put it that way, I suppose I can’t be too mad at ya,” muttered Rito.

“You wouldn’t be anyway you dolt. Now off with you! Finster and I are almost ready to put the first phase of the plan into action.”

Goldar stepped out from the shadows where he’d been the entire conversation. He couldn’t help but grin wickedly at Rito’s “battle scars”. Secretly he’d told the Tenga with the Tenga Talcon to show no mercy when attacking… then again wasn’t that what he was supposed to do? The Tenga did better than he had hoped though. Secretly, he wished that the weapon had done more to Rito, but miracles didn’t just happen overnight. “What would you like for me to do?” he growled.

“You? Oh I didn’t realize you were still here. Go… entertain yourself or something. I don’t have any use for you right now.” Goldar stomped off. How short-lived his fun had been. Rita never needed him much anymore unless it was to use him. He growled again, retreating into his room.

“Now to see what Pinky’s up to… I want to put this plan into motion tonight!” Rita turned toward her Repulsa Scope and focused it on Kimberly.

It was late evening and the girls had all been practicing non-stop. Sarah looked up at the clock and noticed the hand getting ever closer to 8. She was glad. Her body was sticky, sweaty, and exhausted of gymnastics for the day. She would be glad to go home and change. Perhaps she could even get Lacie to go out again. Sarah waited patiently for the coach’s whistle to blow as she went through the motions of her uneven bars routine. Swing to the upper bar, up into the air. Turn body and switch hands. Swing over. Jump to the lower bar.

TWEET! TWEET! The tinny whistle rang throughout the compound. Girls rushed over to where the coach was standing. “Excellent work today girls. Some of you need to work harder on your routines. It’s not up to par yet. As you know, tomorrow is Sunday, your day off. I do want you to be doing some kind of exercise so keep that in mind. Other than that, see you at 6 AM sharp on Monday. Dismissed!”

The group of girls headed toward the locker room. Kimberly stayed behind to talk with the coach. “Hey coach?” she asked as the rest of the girls left.

“Yes, Kimberly?” asked the coach as he looked down at his clipboard.

“Is it all right if I stay late again tonight?”

“Are you certain you’re overexerting yourself?” he asked as looked over at her.

“No sir. I know I can handle it.”

“You think you can handle it, but can your body handle it? You’ve been working since 6 AM this morning. Don’t you think you should rest tonight?”

“I have all day tomorrow to rest,” answered Kimberly. She was hoping he’d still say yes.

The man sighed. He wasn’t used to dealing with such an enthusiastic gymnast. “All right, Kimberly. You can stay late tonight. I’ll be in my office until 11 finishing some paperwork. You can find me there if you need anything.”

Kimberly smiled. “Thank you sir,” she said as headed for the locker room. She didn’t see him sigh and shake his head at her.

As Kimberly entered the locker room, she spotted Sarah waving to her. “Kimberly! Over here!”

“Hey guys. What’s up?” asked Kimberly.

“Why’d you stay after to talk to coach?” asked Sarah, raising an eyebrow as she grabbed her gym back from her locker.

“I wanted to stay later again.” Kimberly twisted the combination lock.

“Don’t you think you’ve worked hard enough this week already?” asked Lacie. “You’ve been here for 14 hours already. Give it a rest. You have Monday to work on everything again.” Lacie stuffed her leotard in her bag and pulled out her watch.

“I just don’t want to get into a lull. I need to practice,” answered Kimberly as she grabbed a sweaty water bottle from her locker; the coolness in the palm of her hand gave her a slight shiver.

“We all need to practice Kim, but we also need a break too. You should come with Lacie and me tonight. We’re going clubbing again. Come dancing with us instead,” suggested Sarah as she slipped on a pair of tan Capri’s. “We’re going home to shower and then head out. It’s a lot of fun, and you haven’t gone with us since you’ve been in Florida. I know Angel Grove doesn’t have dance clubs like this. You’re missing out on a lot simply because you’re either practicing or talking to that boy of yours.”

“Tommy and I always talk, Sarah. A long distance relationship is hard enough as it is,” replied Kimberly, sighing.

“Hey I didn’t mean to get you down. I only meant you should come and have some fun for once. Some real fun.”

“I know what you meant, Sarah. I’d just rather stay at the gym longer okay?”

“Sarah, don’t push her. She’s made up her mind and you can’t change it. You’re the same way,” interrupted Lacie as she stepped in.

“I’ll see you guys tomorrow morning.” Kimberly smiled at the two girls.

“You just make sure you don’t overwork yourself, Kimberly,” reminded Lacie.

“You sound just like coach.”

“Well, he’s right and you’d do well to listen to him tonight. Have fun training though,” called Lacie and she and Sarah headed toward the door, duffle bags slung over their shoulders.

Kimberly turned back toward her locker and glanced in the mirror hanging there. Her face was covering in sweat, her bangs plastered to the side of her face. She checked to make sure she still had one more extra water bottle in her locker before finishing off the one in her hand. The cool water felt good against her parched throat. She slammed the locker door shut and headed back out to the gym area to do some light stretching.

Rita turned away from her Repulsa Scope. “She’s playing right into my hands! It’s as though she can read my mind!” Rita cackled evilly with glee. “Finster, do we still have a putty mold left?”

“Why yes we do… but why do you want putties? We have Tengas to do the work now.”

“Yes I know that you fool, but my putties can shape shift. All those Tengas can do is flap their wings around in circles. I want this done correctly the first time around. Go and make me one putty to carry out my plan!”

Finster scurried off to complete her demand. Luckily, he’d rebuilt his monster maker machine, but had never had the chance to actually use it. He sighed; his work never seemed to be done lately. Back into the recesses of his room he went.

Zedd was walking down the hallway when he heard his wife’s incessant cackling. She seemed to be doing it a lot lately. He came upon her staring into her Repulsa Scope. “What are you doing?” he asked.

She jumped, then turned. “Ahh Zedd. My plan is working perfectly! Have you seen my brother lately? He was the guinea pig for the plan.”

“He was beat up no worse than usual,” muttered Zedd.

“Face it, Zedd. My plan is off to a good start and you’re jealous.”

“I’m not jealous. I told you I didn’t want to take part in your plan, and I meant it. I still don’t want to be a part of it!”

“Yeah? Well when I have that Ranger couple right where I want them, don’t you come whining to me. I don’t want to hear anything about how you thought of it too and were willing to help, but didn’t feel like it.”

“Oh shut it. I’m going to take a nap. Don’t you dare disturb me with your cackling.” His eyes flashed a brilliant red as he noticed Rita mimicking his every word. “Why you…” he stomped off, cursing under his breath.

“My queen, here is the putty you asked for,” called Finster. A gray Putty followed him, making small noises.

“Perfect. Now give me the formula,” replied Rita.

Finster handed the bottle over and Rita showed it to her Putty. “Listen to me you pile of clay. You will take this potion to the locker room at Kimberly’s gymnastic compound. You’ll pour it in her water bottle in her locker. Then you’ll return here. Understand?” The putty nodded dumbly and took the bottle. “You’ll transform into a teenager gymnast while on this mission. Do it now!”

A purple light surrounded the putty and before the group knew it, a black haired girl standing five foot, two inches in a red leotard stood before them. Rita looked the putty human over before giving her approval. “Excellent… Now get down there and do your duty!”

The putty saluted and disappeared in another purple light. Rita turned to her Repulsa Scope to make sure he carried out his mission. She laughed to herself as she thought of the terror she would cause.

When the putty appeared again, it was inside one of the girls’ showers. It peeked from behind the pink curtain to make sure the coast was clear before sliding into the open. It peeked inside each locker until it found Kimberly’s belongings and saw the water bottle as well. All the other lockers had been empty. The putty pulled the bottle from the shelf and twisted off the cap. It then pulled out the potion bottle and opened it, pouring the contents into the water bottle. The water sizzled and turned an olive green before returning to a clear liquid. The putty replaced the cap and returned the bottle to the locker, slamming the door. Just as quickly as he appeared, he disappeared in a purple light.

Rita began a small dance as she saw the plan go into action. “Hahahaha that putty did it! Phase one is now in action! Now Kimberly just has to drink it!”

Finster was gazing into the Repulsa Scope. “Rita! Come quick!”

Rita raised an eyebrow. “What is it?” she asked as she hurried to his side.

“The girl has entered the locker room.”

“Move it, Finster!” she yelled as she pushed him away.

Kimberly walked into the locker room. She was thirsty and needed her other water bottle. I’ll just practice a half hour more and call it a night she thought to herself as she opened her locker. There was her water bottle, just as she’d left it. She reached for it, untwisted the cap, and tilted it toward her mouth. The cool liquid rushing down her throat was refreshing. She walked out of the locker room, and sat the bottle by the balance beam. I’ll just end the night with my favorite routine.

She posed behind the balance beam, preparing to take off. She smiled toward the nonexistent judges, then concentrated on her routine. Her head felt funny, but she shook it off. She took off toward the beam, doing a front flip and landing with her right foot pointing forward. She then began moving her arms as she walked forward, doing a pirouette. Her head began feeling funny again, and her eyesight became blurry. Again she shook her head to clear it away. Back flip, back flip. Her body was feeling heavier. It seemed as though she wasn’t fully herself. Again, Kimberly shook it off.

Kimberly continued her routine, but as time went on, she began to feel heavier and heavier. Her eyes were beginning to become heavy. All right, so I’m tired. I just have to dismount and then I’ll stop. She prepared herself for dismount. She was going to practice her double back flip dismount. Just as she lifted herself from the beam, she realized she’d miscalculated. Her body was too heavy for the short lift she gave herself, and she’d thrown herself too far out. She’d never land on the safety mat.

As a gymnast, Kimberly knew she’d made a terrible mistake. She prepared herself for the fall mentally. Her body barely completed a full flip before Kimberly landed with a sickening thud on the hard floor. She screamed in pain as her body contorted painfully before blacking out completely.

Tommy was sitting in his room, doing homework by a flashlight. Terrible thunderstorms had been raging over Angel Grove all day, the worst hitting in the evening. One particularly strong bolt of lightning had hit the Oliver house, not only knocking out power, but the phone line as well. As Tommy finished the last trigonometry problem, he got a terrible feeling in the pit of his stomach. He glanced up at his clock; the digits read 10:00 PM. He knew Kimberly should have been back home by now, but he also knew she usually stayed late to practice. He had a terrible feeling something had gone terribly wrong, but he couldn’t call her.

The hours passed by; still no call from Kimberly. It didn’t help that the phone line was still out. Tommy was worried. She’d never missed their nightly talks. He’d never missed their nightly talks. Even if she was safe, he couldn’t find out. He was stuck without any kind of communication. Tommy spent the night in agony as the storm outside raged on. It’s power increased with the crying of the falcon mixing with the striking pain of the crane.

Next time, on Windmill into the Fall: What really happened to Kimberly? Will Tommy be able to contact Kimberly? And just what does Rita have up her sleeve now? Find out in chapter 4! (And please leave a review )

[Angelfox]

owweee, i got sympathy bruises

[DigiExpert]

thanks for the review, Angelfox. The fic is currently up to 38 chapters and...well... you think Kim falling off the balance beam was bad... Anyway, time for this chapter.

Chapter 4 Enter the Nightmare

The crowd cheered loudly as Kimberly Hart mounted the balance beam for her final event in the Pan Globals. Her entire routine was performed flawlessly, dismount and all. Then came the announcing of her score: 9.8. She’d won the gold medal for beam. As Kimberly took the 1st place position, cameras flashed widely. She’d been one of the most memorable up and coming gymnasts in the 1996 Pan Global Games. Coach Schmidt was clapping wildly for her. Beside him stood Coach Blair, a famous Olympic gymnastic coach. Kimberly smiled widely; all of her dreams were coming true. Or so she thought. The background became fuzzy and began fading away.

Kimberly’s eyes opened slowly; the pain came back to her. Her eyes quickly darted around in a panic as she realized that this wasn’t her room, and it certainly wasn’t her apartment. Her body ached all over. It was then she noticed she couldn’t feel her lower half. She panicked, but she couldn’t move from her bed. She realized that she was in a hospital. Kimberly didn’t know why, but something terrible had happened.

The door to her room opened and Kimberly turned her head to see who was walking in. A blonde haired man in a long white coat walked in carrying a clipboard. “Ahh, Miss Hart you’re awake. You’ve been through a terrible ordeal.” He noticed the terrified look on the young woman’s face. “Miss Hart, I’m Dr. Matthews. I’ve been watching you over the past few days.”

Kimberly interrupted, “What’s wrong with me? Where’s my mom? Why am I here?”

“Calm down. You’re mom is on her way. She’s at the airport right now and will be here very soon. Kimberly, I need to talk to you very seriously. The other day you were injured in a gymnastic accident. Luckily your coach was still in the area and heard your pained cries. He had you brought here. We thoroughly examined your body. You’ve done irreversible damage to your spinal area, paralyzing your lower body. You will never be able to compete in gymnastics again and will be using a wheelchair for the rest of your life. We are going to see to it that you are able to adjust to it in the easiest way possible,” explained Dr. Matthews. It was very hard to explain everything to a sobbing teenager who’d just lost her a chance at her dreams and it stabbed at his heart. A knock on the door left any other thoughts forgotten. “Come in,” called Dr. Matthews.

In rushed a frazzled mother. Dr. Matthews knew the look. “Kimberly! Oh Kimberly! I came as soon as the hospital got a hold of me.” The mother rushed to her daughter’s side, hugging and kissing her. It was then that Kimberly’s mother noticed the restraints on Kimberly and grew fearful. “Kimberly…. What happened to you?”

“Mrs. Hart, as one of our secretaries told you on the phone, Kimberly was in a terrible gymnastic accident. Her coach believes it was due to exhaustion from the long workout that day. Your daughter is paralyzed from the waist down and will no longer be able to compete in gymnastics. I’m very sorry, but the damage is irreversible. I’ll leave you two alone for now,” explained Dr. Matthews as he shut the door behind him.

Kimberly was a wreck. Her dreams, shattered, gone. No Pan Globals, no Olympics, no more gymnastics. She sobbed and sobbed. “Mom look at me; look at what I’ve done to myself. This is terrible, the worst possible thing to ever happen to me! I’ve ruined myself completely!”

Her mother sat on the edge of the bed, and pulled her daughter’s head to her breast. She ran her fingers through Kimberly’s hair. “Shhh…. Kimberly… this doesn’t change who you are. You’re still the same sweet girl that everyone loves. No one is going to hate you for what happened, especially not your friends. They love you no matter what. Just like I love you. And I always will.”

“My friends don’t know about this. Oh god… Tommy. Tommy doesn’t know yet. What will he think when he sees me like this?” wailed Kimberly. She sobbed harder. It was one thing to deal with her friends, but Tommy… If Kimberly had been thinking rationally, she wouldn’t have had to worry about what Tommy would think. However, Kimberly was thinking irrationally and her views on life were very different than what they should have been.

“I’ll call Tommy for you and the rest of your friends. They shou…..”

Kimberly interrupted. “No mom. I don’t want them to know. Not yet. Maybe not ever.”

“Kimberly, you can’t think like that. Your friends would want to know if anything bad happened to you. They really care about you.”

“Mom, no. I don’t want them to know. Please, listen to me. Don’t tell them. I’m begging you.”

Kimberly’s mother sighed. She didn’t know what to do with her daughter. This wasn’t the Kimberly she’d raised. She knew it was from the recent shock, but she couldn’t help but wonder why Kimberly would be so adamant in keeping this a secret. Surely she didn’t mean it. Surely, she’d come to her senses after she had adjusted some. Her mother really hoped that this was only temporary. She just couldn’t believe Kimberly would want to keep everything from her friends, even her boyfriend. “All right Kimberly. I won’t tell any of your friends if that’s what you want me to do.”

“Promise me this mom. I’m serious,” whispered Kimberly.

Her mother looked at her daughter’s face, the tears still rolling down. “Kimberly, I promise. I promise that I won’t tell any of your friends or Tommy.”

A look of relief spread over Kimberly’s face. “Thanks mom.”

“Kimberly, you must know I’m not happy about this, but I’m willing to do it for you on the condition that you will eventually tell them.”

“I will mom.”

“I’m going to go call your father and get settled in the city, all right? I’ll be gone no longer than three hours.” Her mother kissed the top of her head. “You rest some, all right?” Kimberly nodded and her mother softly closed the door behind her. Outside the door, her mother sighed deeply. This was going to take a lot of effort and patience.

Kimberly turned her head to the window, only to find that it was closed. As she glanced around the room, she saw that the other bed was empty, leaving her with no roommate. A fresh wave of tears hit her as she looked down her body. This wasn’t how things were supposed to be. It just wasn’t. Fate had dealt her a cruel hand.

Rita clapped with glee. She’d been watching Kimberly over the past few days. “Finster! This is better than we could have ever planned! Not only is she unable to do gymnastics, but she’s also heading for a depression! And you know humans do the stupidest things while depressed!”

“Well, yes that is true my queen, but what does her depression mean for us?” asked Finster.

“It means that we can manipulate her thoughts you dolt.”

“What do you plan to do?”

“I plan to enter her dreams and have a chat with Pinky… one she’ll remember when she wakes. One that will have a direct connection to Tommy-boy.”

“Ahh, I see. And you’d like me to give you the device to do that?”

“No, I’d like you to throw it off the balcony! Of course I want you to give it to me!”

Finster winced at her high pitched scream. “Sorry. I’ll go fetch it right away.”

“Yes, you do that. I want to hit her while everything is fresh.” Rita rubbed her hands together, just thinking of everything she could say to Kimberly to lower her self-esteem even more.

Finster rushed back with the device and set it on a table near the balcony. “Here it is. Just attach this to your forehead…” he held out a long wire with a circular attachment. “This will read your brainwaves and transmit them into Kimberly’s mind. I’ll just set this to the frequency of Kimberly’s brainwaves. Just watch this screen here and it’ll show you everything Kimberly sees in her dream. As soon as she falls asleep, I’ll activate the machine.” Finster turned the dials and adjusted the viewing screen on the small box.

Kimberly hugged a pillow against her chest, as tears flowed down her face. Her mind was cloudy and she couldn’t think straight. She just wanted to go back in time and change everything. She would tell herself not to stay late, no matter what. She would do… something. Kimberly cried until she exhausted her body, crying herself to sleep.

“Finster! Activate the machine now! She’s out like a light!”

“Activating Dream Intrusion,” called Finster as he pushed a button.

~Kimberly’s Dream~

Kimberly glanced down at herself. She was wearing her ninjetti outfit. “What is this? Where am I?”

“Kimberly!” Kimberly turned to see where the voice was coming from and saw none other than Tommy in his white ninjetti outfit. “Come on! Rita’s sent down more Tenga warriors!”

“Tommy…. I can’t….” called Kimberly. Her lower body fizzled and changed. Soon, a wheelchair appeared below her legs, her body sitting in it. “Tommy, I can’t help you… look at me….”

Instead of understanding, as Kimberly had expected, this Tommy only sneered. “How useless you are. The city’s in trouble and you can only sit there and stare.”

Tears formed in Kimberly’s eyes. “But Tommy…. I couldn’t help this…”

“Yeah, right. The real Ninja Rangers and I are going to actually go do something. You know, like save the city.” Tommy disappeared in a white light.

Kimberly placed her head in her hands. “No… this can’t be happening….” She cried.

A loud cackle came from behind her. “What’s the matter Pinky? Lover boy abandon you?”

“R…Rita Repulsa…” muttered Kimberly as she recognized the voice.

“Of course it’s me,” answered Rita as she walked around the wheelchair. She tilted her head, acting as though she was examining Kimberly. She lifted Kimberly’s chin so that Kimberly had no choice but to look at her enemy.

“What do you want with me?”

“You? What would I want with you? In case you haven’t noticed, you’re chair bound. Not much good without your legs. Didn’t you see how lover boy reacted? He wanted nothing to do with you. Who would?”

“Tommy’s not like that! He’s not evil anymore and he wouldn’t agree with you, no matter what I looked like!” argued Kimberly. Tears had begun flowing down her face again.

“Oh wouldn’t I, beautiful?” whispered another voice in Kimberly’s ear.

“Tommy, no. You don’t really think that about me,” replied Kimberly.

“I don’t want to date a cripple. You’re useless now.”

Kimberly just looked at him, tears falling down her face. She couldn’t think that this was her Tommy. It just couldn’t be. Then again…. Kimberly didn’t know what to think. Tommy was just as active as she was…with her unable to do anything she used to, why would Tommy want her?

“Someone’s thinking a little hard,” commented Rita.

“I don’t need your comments!” Kimberly yelled.

Tommy petted her head. “You could make a good pet,” he mused. “You’re worthless for anything else. No more sparring, no more gymnastics, and no more chances at ever being a Ranger again!”

“See? Tommy doesn’t want you. Just like I wouldn’t want you either. No one wants to deal with you anymore. Not after what you did to yourself. You brought all of this on yourself. Staying late to practice, even though you knew your body was tired. Yet, you pushed yourself beyond your limit. Tsk, tsk. Did you want to be this way? Hmm? You must have if you’re sitting here like this.”

Kimberly shook her head. “Stop it! Stop it! Get away from me!” All she could hear was Rita’s evil cackling in her head.

~End Dream~

Kimberly’s eyes flew open as the nightmare disappeared. She was panting, and covered in a cold sweat. She couldn’t believe what she’d just seen. Rita and Tommy…. And neither of them wanted her. As much as she admitted to say it, she felt that deep down, Rita had been right. She had done this to herself, made herself this way. Who would want her like this? The dream came back to her, and she played it over and over in her mind, until she was convinced of one thing. She felt it was the only correct thing she could do.

Rita shook her head as she removed the device from her forehead. She noticed her minions around her. They had been watching the entire dream through the small viewing screen. “Finster that device is genius!” she cackled.

“Thank you my queen. It was meant for just such an occasion,” replied Finster. “How did you get Tommy to appear with you? The machine can’t do that.”

“Huh? I thought that was the machine. I didn’t try to conjure him,” answered a confused Rita.

“No, no. The machine can only place you into someone else’s dream. You cannot conjure any other forms to appear with you,” explained Finster.

“So then that means…” Rita’s eyes lit up. “She conjured him on her own!”

“To be more precise, her conscience did. Inside, deep down, she thinks Tommy really would feel that.”

“Who cares? That dream Tommy of hers just helped my plan along even more! I could have sworn the machine read my thoughts and created him.”

“No, no. All her. I’ve never been able to create a machine with that kind of technology. The conscience is a very hard concept to reconstruct.”

“Enough of your techno talk. My plan is moving along even better than ever. The best part is, Kimberly still thinks it’s all her fault, she still doesn’t suspect anything.”

“That may be true, but we still cannot be too sure of ourselves,” came Goldar’s voice from the shadows.

“Are you eavesdropping?” asked Rita angrily.

“No, my queen. I am only warning you. Every time before that we’ve thought we’ve won, we still ended up losing.”

“I know that you buffoon.”

“I am only saying it because you seem too happy about this turn of events.”

Rita growled. “Goldar, if you don’t get out of my face right now, I’m going to tear you into a million pieces in the most torturous way possible. Don’t tempt me.”

Goldar gulped and disappeared down the hallway. With Finster’s technology at her disposal, he knew she’d get a hold of some of his most deadly, untested weapons. He knew there were some that were even worse than the Tenga Talcon. Not that he’d ever snooped or anything; Rito had done that for him. All he did know was that he didn’t want to be in the way of the weaponry.

As Kimberly tried to cry herself to sleep that evening, she couldn’t help but think about what she’d just done; it was too late now though. The nurse had done what she’d told her to. She just couldn’t believe…. No it had been the right thing to do. She knew what to do—she’d call Trini tomorrow. Trini would know what to do. She always did.