Mighty Morphin Power Rangers by Heather Ray (books to read in a lifetime .TXT) 📕

Her heart weighing heavily in her chest, Kimberly forced her shaking hand steady in order to push the key into the keyhole. Pushing against the wooden portal with measured force (for she still hadn't quite accustomed herself to the enhancements that came with the pearl in her possession)

, she opened the door and stepped into the room.

Why does it look so different?

she thought, slowly scanning around the apartment that was her home for the months of her Pan-Global training, I was only gone for half a day... why doesn't this room feel like home anymore?

A weary sigh escaped her lips as she made her way across the room, and into the bedroom. After making sure her roommate wasn't around, Kimberly pulled out her luggage from the back of the closet, and began packing her things.

"I probably won't need much of this stuff," she lamented, opening her bottom drawer and transferring her clothing to the suitcase, "But I can't live my entire life in the pajamas I was wearing last night."

Absently, Kim's hand moved from the suitcase to her jeans. She still marveled at the feel of her synthetic clothing. It really felt like a pair of bootleg jeans and a tank top to her hand, and it certainly looked like normal clothes in her mirror. Yet, the magical clothing didn't give her the feeling of comfort that typical clothing did. It almost made her feel... naked. It was a feeling she didn't much like, so she was more than happy to be able to collect her real attire.

After she finished transferring all the clothes from her drawers, she reached for the top drawer. She faltered slightly when her eyes fell on the leather bound photo album that occupied most of the volume within the drawer. A wistful smile on her face, Kimberly sat down on her bed with the album on her lap.

Slowly, she turned the pages, her fawn eyes passing over each photograph carefully. That album documented her entire life through images. The beginning was almost exclusively of her family members, even from when her parents were happily married. Then, she found pictures of herself and her many groups of friends during her grade school years, straight through to the present day.

She felt warmth in her heart when she let the pictures bring to mind the memories of her former life. Finger-painting in art class, and getting the royal blue all over Billy's first pair of glasses. Making a sand castle with Trini on the beach. Demonstrating to Jason how to stand on one's head. Watching in awe with the others as Zack danced his heart out. Birthday parties, class trips, intramural sports, shopping trips, and arcade games: those were the activities that occupied Kim and her closest friends through grade school and middle school, and even into high school. Even with the inception of the Power Rangers, those days of youthful innocence didn't fade completely.

Then, as she leafed through the album, she found a new type of photograph. Those were the pictures including Tommy. There weren't very many of them, considering the fact most were taken by Aisha and given to Kim later on, but the ones in the album were moments to remember. A kiss under the mistletoe at a Christmas party. A photo of them together at the Policeman's Ball, only weeks before her move to Florida. Together on the beach, just splashing around like children.

Those days were intangible now. Kimberly let that information sink in, and pulled her eyes away from the reflections on the past.

Her attention was drawn away from her own despair when she heard a key turn in the lock. She closed the album quickly, and lay it gently at the bottom of another suitcase. She did her best to smile when she saw her roommate enter the room.

"Kim?" Renee said in surprise, her dark eyes widening. She tossed her gym back onto her bed, and rushed over to give her good friend a tight hug.

"Hey, 'Ne," Kim said half-heartedly, although she certainly didn't mean to.

"What happened to you?" Renee demanded, pulling away and staring into Kim's eyes. Although she couldn't place her finger on it, Renee detected something different in Kim's eyes. They weren't as bright somehow.

"Uh... what do you mean?" Kim asked. She suddenly felt self-conscious, as if Renee could sense the changes in her.

"Well, you vanished before I even woke up," Renee muttered, a hint of disapproval in her voice, "No note... no nothing. And then I go to practice, and no one's heard from you. Where have you been, Girl?"

Kim took a breath. "There's been... something of an emergency, Renee. My mother's going through some tough times, and I really need to be there for her."

Renee's face took one an expression of puzzlement and worry. "What happened? Is she okay?"

Kim sighed. "I... I'd really rather not talk about it yet," she said truthfully, "Um... but I do know I have to go home."

Renee stepped back, the reality sinking in finally. "You mean, you're quitting?!"

"I have to. It's an emergency, and family always comes before sports."

"Yeah, but..." Renee stammered, still completely shocked, "Did you tell the Coach yet?"

Kim nodded weakly. "He didn't like it, but it's my decision to make. I'm leaving immediately."

Renee glanced away from Kim, and noticed the bags that littered her bed. Also, her chest of drawers was empty. "So I see." She then looked at Kim, a sad smile on her face. "Need help?"

Kim smiled gratefully. "No, I'm just about done, actually."

Kim pursed her lips, and then suddenly embraced Renee once again. "Listen, 'Ne, you've been such a great friend! I'm going to miss you so much..."

"Come on," Renee said, her voice shaky with emotion, "it's not like I'll never see you again. You'll come back, when all this is straightened out, right?"

Kim bit her lower lip, and pulled out of her friend's embrace. "I... I don't know," she admitted, digging into her pocket, "but in the meantime, I want to give you this. Just for old times sake."

Kim drew her hand from her pocket, revealing the rose-pink gemstone strung on a fine silver chain. Renee accepted the gift with a warm smile, and immediately placed it around her neck.

"Wow," she said, staring at the gemstone, "this is so cute! Thanks."

"You're welcome," Kim said, turning back to her things. After a quick check around the room, she closed her various pieces of luggage, and lifted them into her hands.

"Are you sure you don't need some help?" Renee asked, "A ride to the airport, maybe?"

"No thanks, I'm covered," Kim said, moving towards the door with her bags, "Take care."

"You'll call me!" Renee called after her, "Right?"

Kim did her best to smile. "You got it!"

With that, Kim walked through the door and rounded the corner. After making sure she was alone, a simple thought caused her body to vanish in a subtle ripple of space-time, which contrasted so greatly to the teleportation sequence of a Power Ranger. Almost simultaneously, she appeared within her chamber in the Hecate complex.

So far, so good,

she reflected, dropping the three suitcases on the cold floor, I told the Coach and Renee I was with my mother and I called and told my mother I was going through some tough training, so she shouldn't call me. And I left Forget-Me stones with everyone, so after a few days, they'll just stop thinking about me. I just hope they get exposed enough to its energy. I put Mom's in her purse, the Coach's in his office, and everyone else's in their bedroom. Almost finished...

Her thoughts all but evaporated when her eyes fell upon the notebook, on which she scribed the greatest lie she had ever woven.

"I actually built up the nerve to send it to him," she said, a hint of pride in her voice, "So now, my life as Kimberly Hart is truly over."

As an afterthought, ripples of energy passed over her body, disrupting the illusion of her clothing and returning her to the pajamas she was wearing. She then opened one of her suitcases, and dug through to find some comfortable attire. As she searched, she encountered her photo album once again.

Swallowing hard, Kim ignored the album, and removed all the clothing from the suitcase and hurriedly placing it in the closet within her new room. Without giving the album a second thought, she thrust the suitcase beneath her bed, not to be disturbed again.

"Man, I can't believe I'm so late!" Tommy muttered to himself, watching the cliffs whiz past his red Jeep as he flew along the narrow road just slightly above the speed limit, "I hope Billy will understand..."

As he continued along the road, hurrying to meet with his close friend, a flash of white caught his eye. Slowing down slightly, he craned his neck towards the passenger seat, and stared at the top of the cliff curiously. There, with a full moon bestowing its silver light above her head, stood a form, white as fresh snow.

Tommy blinked in surprise, turning back to the road. A short while later, he looked back at the strange apparition. However, he saw nothing... not even the shining moon in the sky.

"Whoa," he whispered, his nose wrinkled into a frown, "that was weird..."

Artemis watched the red jeep pass below, moving along the road at a speed she gauged as being forty miles per hour. As it moved along the cliff, she