Pawns

Chapter Three: The Seed

Sunday, February 16, 1997

The past two days had been a nightmare for Tommy. His first love dumped him without warning. Then, his best friends tried to distract him by dragging him on vacation, but he just had to meet an attractive, spirited young woman, who reminded him far too much of Kimberly for comfort. Still, he had been interested in at least becoming friends with Heather Thompson, but the Machine Empire continued to get in the way, forcing Tommy and his friends to cut the ski vacation short. He had to leave Heather without a decent explanation, and he could tell she was annoyed. Katherine decided to set up a romantic dinner for the two of them that evening at the Juice Bar, and things had been going quite nicely. At least, until the Machine Empire struck again, forcing Tommy to leave yet again.

When he came back, Heather was gone.

Wow… two rejections in four days.  That's gotta be some kind of record, he reflected numbly, wiping the smudges off a glass of sparkling apple cider. Slow, romantic music played in the background, making him feel even more alone. For the second time in half a week, Tommy was left behind by a woman he cared about.  How can a person deal with that?

"I'm sorry things didn't work out, Tommy," Katherine murmured from her seat across from him at the elegant dinner table, "I wanted everything to be perfect."

"Just forget it Kat," Tommy sighed, "What you did was incredible! I'm just really lucky to have a friend like you."

"I just thought it would help take your mind off things if you had someone in your life."

Tommy remained silent.  Was that really true?  Was that even fair to the "someone" in question?

"It's just going to take some time is all."

Kat nodded, as a new song played softly on the radio. She closed her eyes, a dreamy grin crossing her face. "Oh, I love this song," she commented.

Tommy looked up at Katherine's blissful expression.  For a moment, it was almost as if he were seeing her for the first time.

She had always been pretty, but this evening, her hair gently curled and pulled back from her face, and a simple but elegant rose pink dress that emphasized her long legs and feminine curves, she was simply stunning.

Kat was also a true friend.  She really cared for him; she proved it by all the effort she put into helping him heal.

"Hey," he said, the first genuine smile crossing his face in days, "what would you say if I asked you to dance?"

Kat opened her eyes, and looked at Tommy in surprise. She saw him smile, and she couldn't help but smile back. "I'd say... promise not to step on my feet, and you've got a deal."

"You got it," he said, standing up and taking her hand. He led her away from the table, and they slowly swayed to the music, foreheads touching.

* * *

The past two days had been a nightmare for Kimberly. After trying to convince herself for hours that the whole "Kat-thing" was only a misunderstanding, Kimberly finally managed to fall asleep. But even as she slept, she wasn't at peace. In her dreams, she pictured Tommy hand in hand with Kat, standing on the large stone by the lake in Angel Grove Park. He leaned over to kiss her… on the very same spot where they had shared their first kiss.

She woke up just before their lips touched.  Shivering, she screamed to herself that she was simply overreacting… Kat and Tommy were only friends.  It's not like she didn't go on picnics with Billy from time to time, or hang out with Jason and his family.  It hadn't meant anything, and Tommy never seemed uncomfortable with her attachment to all the other male Rangers.  She certainly had no right to freak out if Tommy spent a little time with a fellow Ranger.

But then she recalled something else… a scene not from her imagination, but from her memory.

…staring at Tommy through the Viewing Globe as he sailed through some magical void in a black convertible, a gorgeous blonde huddled tightly at his side…

Kim's mouth went dry.  "Zordon?  Who's that girl…?"

She'd never brought that up.  At the time, she was too worried about Tommy's safety to question how he wound up in the driver's seat of some blonde bombshell's Mustang.  And by the time he was out of danger, she was too relieved to care.

But what was that about?

And why did Kat steal her Power Coin when she was under Rita's spell?  Was it her plan from the beginning to be rid of… the competition?

"Dammit!" she hissed, clutching her head, "I trust him!  I do!"

"…your boyfriend is a hot, popular guy, whose girlfriend is three thousand miles away! You may talk to him Thursday and Sunday nights, but who do you think he's with the rest of the week?"

Kat.  He's with Kat.

Fresh tears filled her eyes.  The seed of doubt had been planted, and she would be hard-pressed to dig it out before it really began to sprout.

And there was nothing she could do to stave off the gnawing suspicions, blended with nauseating guilt over the simple fact that she didn't trust the man she loved.

She lived through Saturday and Sunday in a daze, trying her best not to appear utterly lost and helpless to her teammates.  But her landings were off-balance, her flips were out of rhythm, and her limbs moved out of sync.

In short, everyone with eyes could see she was in agony.

By the time Sunday evening rolled around, she waited in her apartment anxiously, practically counting the seconds until ten o'clock, their scheduled call time. During the torturous hours in which she contemplated how to handle everything, she decided she didn't want to call too early, and thereby appear too anxious to talk to Tommy. She was going to play it cool, and casually ask Tommy what he'd been up to over the weekend.

It's always possible the Rangers had to go on a mission to another planet, and Tommy made up the excuse of going skiing for his family, she stubbornly considered, feebly clinging to some shred of faith that Tommy would never miss her birthday intentionally, It's happened before, when the Power Rangers went to Edenoi. It can happen again.

As soon as the clock flashed ten, shaking fingers punched in the phone number. She held her breath as it rang.

* * *

In the Oliver house, Lillian was busy washing the dishes after dinner. Tonight there had only been three at the table, for her adopted son Tommy had spent the evening with a young lady. Lillian had been so relieved Tommy was dating again, she hugged him tightly right before he left, and wished him the best of luck.

She recalled that past Wednesday with a shudder. Tommy had come home at about four o'clock in the afternoon, which was unusually early for any active teenager.  But that wasn't all, for when he came home that day, he looked like death warmed over. His eyes were bloodshot, his tan skin was pale, and his hair was a mess. Lillian had asked him what was the matter, but Tommy couldn't bring himself to speak. He only looked at his mother, bottomless brown eyes bleeding with despair. He then handed her a crumpled sheet of paper, and slowly ascended the stairs to his bedroom.

Lillian read the letter, and was so shocked she could barely breathe. How could Kimberly do this to him?  Kimberly seemed to be such a sweet, considerate, charming girl. And judging by the smile that lit up Tommy's face whenever she called, or the care he took in selecting a present for her, it seemed to all the world that to Tommy, she was the sun, the moon, and the stars.

Truth be told, Lillian was never quite comfortable with just how attached Tommy had come to be to her.  At times his affection seemed to border on idolatry, and considering just how sensitive Tommy was, Lillian had dreaded the day her fanciful son would be given a harsh dose of reality.  Just how long did high school romances last, anyway?

After getting to know Kimberly, Lillian let her fears rest.  Despite the stereotype of the beautiful, flirtatious cheerleader with thoughts that ran about as deep as a pitri dish, Kimberly seemed sincere in her affection for Tommy.   In fact, it almost seemed that Kimberly loved Tommy as much as Tommy loved her; if "love" is the proper word to describe the doting, playful emotional state they displayed.  Lillian was somewhat relieved by the belief her son's heart was safe with the spirited young woman.

Oh, how wrong she was!  For not only did Kimberly have the nerve to go so far as to fall in love with another man without breathing a word to Tommy about it earlier, she callously wrote him a letter!  No, Kim wasn't woman enough to actually talk to the young man whose heart she ripped out with a blunt knife… she didn't even bother with a decent explanation!  The fickle girl just scribbled a half-hearted letter, and to add insult to injury, mailed it to the Youth Center so all their mutual friends could witness his humiliation!

Lillian had tried to go talk to Tommy, but he had locked himself in his bedroom. He didn't come out that night, nor the next morning for school. She was unspeakably grateful when Kat and Billy came by Thursday afternoon, asking her permission to take him on a little vacation to clear his mind. When he had come back Sunday afternoon, he was in better spirits than when he left Friday morning, but she could tell he was still absolutely crushed.

The wounds the selfish, arrogant little brat left in her son's heart would take years to heal.

Lillian heard the telephone ring, turned off the faucet, and picked up the receiver. "Hello?"

^Hi, Lil!^ chimed a familiar voice, ^How's it going?^

Lillian bit down on her tongue, eyes widening in shock. But rather than yell and scream, which was her first instinct, Tommy's mother composed herself before she answered. "Sorry, Kimberly," she said coldly, "but Tommy is out."

^Oh,^ said Kim, obviously nervous, ^Um, do you know when he'll be back?^

"No I don't. He went to dinner this evening."

^Uh… if you don't mind me asking, who did he go with?^

"I don't think it's any of your business, but Katherine invited him. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a mess to clean up."

With no further ado, Lillian rudely hung up the phone.  As soon as she turned the faucet back on, she heard footsteps in the hallway.

"Hey, Mom," said Tommy, locking the front door behind him. He had his suit jacket flung over his shoulder, and a wan smile on his face.

"Hi Baby," she said, embracing him tightly.  She wasn't usually quite this affectionate with an eighteen year-old son, but at a time like this, he needed all the love she could offer. "So, how did it go?"

"Not as expected," he admitted, "but not bad. Who was that on the phone?"

"No one dear."

* * *

Kimberly was in hysterics when Renee arrived that evening. She couldn't even bring herself to sit up. She lied on her stomach, dry sobs heaving her body as her tears had long since run dry.

Renee didn't need to ask what happened.

"I'm so sorry," she choked, her own eyes watering with compassionate tears as she sat down beside her friend. Kim sat up, and hugged Renee desperately.

Kim was barely coherent, but Renee picked up a few choice words. 

Dinner.  Kat.  And this time, it was Tommy's mother who relayed the message.  So there was no way to attribute the news to a child's error.

"He doesn't love me," Kim murmured feebly, once she recovered the ability to speak in full sentences, "Even his mother hates me now!  I should've known… how could I have possibly expected him to love me with Kat around?  She's so tall, so blue-eyed, so blonde… I'm just… me…"

"It'll be okay," soothed Renee.

"NO!" Kim shrieked with newfound strength, "How could he do this to me? Why couldn't he be honest with me? It would've hurt… but not like this! Why did I have to find out like this?!"

Kimberly once again buried her face in her pillow, shaking so violently Renee actually feared she'd crack a rib. 

* * *

A cold, reserved smirk of triumph pulled the hidden lips behind Lord Zedd's stainless steel mask.  He stepped closer to the smokescreen he had generated, a chill of anticipation in his metal spine at the sight of his future bride shrieking in betrayed anger.

"Soon, your pain will end, my Queen," he whispered, his voice oddly gentle.

Once he felt he'd witnessed her despair enough, he snapped his fingers, changing the view.  Now, he watched the Red Ranger, a broken shell of the man he was half a week ago, sitting on the corner of his bed as he reread the letter from his beloved. Or at least, the letter he thought was from his beloved.

Never has a plan come together so perfectly.  They are but pawns in my hands…only seeing exactly what I deem them to see.

After hours of deliberation, in which he discarded plots including clones, evil spells, and holograms, he stumbled upon pure brilliance: a forgery.  A cold letter, written in Kimberly's flowing script, delivered through the local postal system.  No concerns about Zordon tracing his evil magicks, or a clone acting out of character.  The perfect wedge to slip through their long-distance relationship, chipping a single nick off the perfect Red Ranger's self esteem and letting him collapse into a train wreck.

But what was all the more satisfying was how easily Kimberly began to suspect.  Zedd had still been considering how to bring her to despise her lover, when her own deep-seated fears came to light at the very thought of her blonde successor spending any undue time with the Red Ranger.

 It surprises me how quick Kimberly was to believe the worst.  It's amazing, but Rita's little Kitty-Kat has actually proven herself a worthwhile project.  Astonishing how she performed her best work without the spell…

His smirk became a chilling cackle as he once again switched the screen, and peered into the privacy of Kimberly's room.  She cuddled against her pillow, staring out into space with a haunted gaze that had lost all its fire.

Temporarily, at least.

"Weak and broken, only to rise again," he assured her softly.  "You will rise shortly, Empress… a phoenix of fire and vengeance.  In Serpentera, it should only take me a few days to reach Earth…"

"And why, exactly, are you going to Earth?" came the demanding screech that grated on Zedd's nerves like nails on a chalkboard.  Zedd unwittingly shivered, scowling at his wife who stood in the archway of their chambers.

"I'll be damned before I tell you anything!" he growled, "You'll probably just jinx me!"

Rita blinked, her face falling into utter shock at the venomous tone her husband had taken.  He hadn't been that malicious to her since… uh oh…

She swallowed her nerves, doing her best to hide her panic behind a mask of outrage.  "Excuse me?!" she howled, "Just what is that supposed to mean?!"

Rita's façade crumbled as her husband approached her, hot ruby aura blazing off his body.  "I have no idea why I married you," he told her, his voice the deadliest of calm, "but I've come back to my senses. I cannot tolerate your hideous voice, your chronic headaches, half-baked schemes, or that prehistoric dictator you call a father, an instant longer! I'm taking Serpentera, and leaving. Pray to whatever god you recognize that our paths never cross again."

He then leaned closer to her, forcing her to arch backwards.  "If you do happen to stumble passed me, do not delude yourself… I will kill you on sight.  Better that than risk succumbing to whatever insanity made me your lapdog for the past year."

With that Zedd left the room.  When his terrifying presence finally faded, Rita was able to breathe again.

* * *

In a matter of minutes, Lord Zedd boarded his flagship Serpentera without any of the pomp or circumstance associated with the departure of an allied Emperor.  The colossal reptilian Zord easily dwarfed any Ultra-Megazord the Power Rangers had managed to put together, making it the truest masterpiece of ancient design.

If only it was more fuel-efficient.

After finding his way to the bridge, he then activated the engines, and plotted a course towards Earth.

"Now that that old bag of a wife has been jettisoned, my next task is to eliminate all who lay claim to my empire. Serpentera will eliminate those blasted Machines once and for all!"

Through the corner of his eye, Zedd noticed a flashing red light. He rose to his feet, and warily checked the console.

His visor glowed a blinding scarlet, completely engulfing the "Low Fuel" gauge.

"There isn't enough power for me to reach Earth and attack the Machines!" he shouted, trembling with rage.

He was so close…!

But, all was not lost just yet.

"If I fly at a slower speed, I should be able to conserve power. But, it will take months for me to reach Earth if I do not tax the engines to their limit…"

He tapped his chin in consideration.  "I suppose it doesn't matter. What are a few months to a being who has lived for ten thousand years?"

His confident smirk returned as Lord Zedd reprogrammed navigation.  A new estimated time flashed for his acknowledgement.

"Ninety-eight days," he whispered, leaning back into his chair, "Plenty of time for me to determine just how to annihilate that mechanical abomination of an empire!"