Power Rangers Zeo - Venusian Encounters by Heather Ray (the ebook reader TXT) 📕

Kim stared blankly through the open window at the heavy raindrops that fell from the pitch black sky. It didn't rain often in Angel Grove, but when it did rain, it really poured.

She couldn't help but release a small sob as she thought of the Countdown. In some ways it felt like only yesterday. That can be attributed to how time passes for an immortal, or pseudo-immortal, which was Kim's case. It marked the end of an era of war, and heralded an era of peace.

At the time, Kim had thought that the end of the intergalactic wars was a blessing, since now she had more time to spend with Tommy and her remaining friends. She and the group attended Billy and Cestria's wedding in January of 1999, after Aquitar was completely restored from the Countdown. She and the other former Rangers spent two weeks there, during the Winter Break for those attending college. It was horrible that Trini and Zack were unable to attend, yet that tragedy helped all the teens realize how precious friendship and life were, since their time on the planet was so fleeting.

That tragedy brought Kim to an unpleasant epiphany: she would witness the deaths of all her friends. Some day, within the next few decades, they would all succumb to human nature. Surely they wouldn't all die such horrible deaths, but she knew she'd have to say goodbye to each of them.

That point was made even clearer when she returned to Venus Island in February, and was crowned Vespera, fully ordained Queen.

She separated herself from humanity for several months after her coronation. Part of it was because of her people's obvious desire for her to abandon her former life. The rest of it was her own fear, of not really

being part of that close circle of friends. She didn't experience life in the same way as they did. She felt it best to distance herself from it.

Still, one man refused to let her separate. No... he wanted her as close as possible.

May 2001

"Kim!" he called, racing after her as she hurried down the dark sidewalk, "Please! Stop!" He growled slightly when he realized just how difficult it was to catch up to her while he was still confined in the inhibiting graduation gown.

She stopped. She so badly wanted to run away... to hide her tears from him. But she knew he wouldn't let her. And on some level, she wouldn't mind. She was always happiest when she and Tommy were together, when she did what he asked of her. She loved making him happy.

If only she could make him happy this time... but it wasn't in her power to do so.

Vaguely, she regretted coming to Rhode Island, to see him graduate with the highest honors at the prestigious Brown University. She knew it would be difficult to see. He was maturing and growing. He was getting ready to begin his life in earnest. She, however, was forever stagnant. She wouldn't change. She wouldn't grow.

She'll always be the same... her face frozen in time like a painting.

Tommy finally caught up with her, and gazed into her teary eyes fondly. "That wasn't really the answer I was hoping for," he said quietly. Although he tried to hide it, Kim noted the pain in his dark eyes.

"Tommy," she whispered, unable to prevent the tears from streaking down her face, "please, take it back."

Tommy shook his head, clasping her hands in his. "I can't, Beautiful," he responded in a firm voice, "That's how I feel. Kim, I love you, and I know nothing is going to change that. Not time, not circumstance... not anything. I know we'll be separated by an ocean, and I know that we can't be together. Still, nothing would make me happier than you saying 'yes'."

Kim swallowed, her whole body trembling. "You've... got to be reasonable

!" she begged, "I can't marry you! I'm dead to the world, and I know my people wouldn't accept a human as their king. I..." Her voice lowered. "I don't want to hold you down."

Tommy smiled. "I won't be."

Kim shivered violently, pulling her hands from his grasp. "Yes you will! I won't be here for you! You... you'll grow old alone. Who knows where my duties as Venusian queen may take me? Tommy, I can't live for myself... or for you. I want to... but I can't

!"

She was sobbing outright, and shaking uncontrollably. The dam that she erected, to bottle in the hopelessness regarding her love for Tommy, was fully razed by Tommy's proposal. Weakly, she sank to her knees on the pavement.

Tommy lowered himself in front of her, and gently lifted her chin.

"Kim, trust me, I know what I've got to sacrifice to love you. I've been thinking about it for years... ever since you took the Venusian crown. I know I can't have you in my life like I want you to be. Still, I know that I'm willing to do whatever it takes to love you. If that means growing old alone, or living alone, or only seeing you once in a blue moon, then I accept it. I love you, Kimberly Anne Hart, and I'll take you however I can get you."

Kim whimpered slightly, turning her glistening eyes to the smooth pavement. "I... I still can't marry you," she affirmed.

"Kim, I didn't ask you to marry me."

Kim lifted her eyes, and frowned slightly. "Yes you did!"

He shook his head. "No, and you ran away before I could make myself clear. I said would

you marry me... not will

you marry me. It's conditional. If it were possible, would you marry me?"

Kim chuckled slightly, despite the weight of the moment. "That's a silly question," she breathed.

"I'm asking you to love me as if we were married," he clarified, drawing the shivering Venusian queen closer, "I know we can't have the ceremony, and we can't live happily ever after, but think of me as your husband, and I'll think of you as my wife. We'll be married in our hearts, with or without the contract."

Then, Tommy rose to his feet, and lifted Kim with him. He gathered the loose folds of his graduation gown, and removed his cap and pressed it to his heart. He then sank to one knee, gazing up at Kimberly as if he were gazing in reverence to a distant star, and pulled a gold band from his pocket. The small diamond within a heart-shaped design twinkled in the moonlight, as he offered it up to his goddess.

"I'll try again," he said, humor in his voice, "Kimberly Anne Hart, Queen Vespera of Venus Island, would

you marry me?"

Kim choked back another sob, her trembling fingers reaching down. Tommy slid the ring onto her finger, and she fell to her knees in front of him, still quaking from the raging emotions in her heart.

"Yes," she whispered, clasping her arms around his neck in a tight hug, "I would."

She remained in his arms, her tear-stained cheek pillowed in his firm chest, for a long time. She heard the sounds of the graduation party in the distance, but she didn't care. She knew he didn't either.

When they were together, nothing else mattered. That was why they couldn't

be together on a lasting basis.

They cherished the moment, while it lasted.

"Mom?" whispered a gentle voice, as sweet as birdsong. Kimberly turned her eyes from Tommy's blissful face, and rested them upon the visitor. She smiled with affection as the slender woman, just a few inches taller than herself, leaned over to embrace her mother in a warm hug. Dark, curly tendrils of chocolate hair rolled over her shoulders as she leaned over like currents tumbling down a waterfall, and crystalline droplets of moisture fell from hazel eyes onto the queen's tender neck.

Kimberly's hands reached away from Tommy to return the tearful hug, meanwhile trying desperately to calm the raging feelings within her.

She needed to be calm and collected before the Princess of Venus Island.

The woman released her mother, and smiled weakly at Daniel. The aged doctor couldn't help but feel younger just by gazing at the exotic beauty before him.

After all, she was only two years his junior.

"I'm glad you're back, Hope," he said, although the greeting was tinged with despondency considering the situation.

"Likewise, Daniel," she said, straightening to her full height. She moved around the bed, and sat down beside her father. Her lips trembled slightly, and Hope gently kissed her father's forehead.

"Is he any better?" she inquired.

Daniel exhaled, a sure sign that he didn't want to answer her. Hope nodded in understanding.

"There's been no change since you left," Daniel said, "Actually, he's really lucky you were with him when he had his stroke. He'd be dead by now."

Hope sniffled slightly. "Well, I try to spend as much time with him as I can... while I have the chance."

Hope wiped at her eyes again, and gazed at Kim. "Where were you?" Hope asked, "I 'called' you eight hours ago."

"I was on Phaedos with Dulcea. I was still performing the Restoration."

Hope nodded in understanding. Both women were only partially Venusian, and relied heavily on the Great Power to remain young. Whereas full-blooded Venusians didn't require these immersions in the blinding white fire of pure energy, Kimberly, Hope, and their fellow partial-Venusian Renee Ryan were required to visit Phaedos every twenty-five years to restore their power.

As Ninjetti, they were granted the privilege of communing with the Great Power. As Venusians, they could extract far more from the Great Power than an acquaintance with their animal guardians.

"So, where did you go, Hope?" Daniel asked, "You were gone for over two hours."

"I went to see James and Gregory Trueheart, and their families. I thought Dad's nephews would want to know what happened. He was like a second father to them."

"Are they