Hearts and Armor

Chapter 16: Pink Revealed

Part 16

Kimberly's performance the following day was next to flawless as she totally committed herself to spending the final days before the competition to rehearsing her routines and making last minute adjustments. She was taking no chances with fatigue and even her coach cut her practice time in half. As she wasn't practicing new moves, simply running through her routines and keeping herself in shape, it left her with more time to concentrate on making the final arrangements and checking her things to ensure nothing went missing for her move back to Angel Grove.

She forewent informing her mother since it would have tipped off her coach, but did explain that she was considering taking a season off to consider her options and her future to prevent a payment from being made to her coach. It was a small tip that was unavoidable as her coach pressed her for a commitment to the Olympic team if and when the scouts found her performance favorable. Promising nothing more than to think about it, she focused instead on finishing that semester of school work and checking in on Katherine.

Katherine, back at home after being released, was full of excitable comments, including an update on Tommy's meeting with the other Rangers over the battle footage as well as some tips on how to handle Tanya. Kimberly had also asked that Kat speak with the Yellow Ranger as it would go a long way to making peace within the group. Kat had promised to do what she could on that front, though she'd been suspiciously silent on the Gold Ranger front when Kimberly had asked. Kat would say nothing more than she was still spending a good deal of her time with Jason. In what capacity, Kimberly didn't know, but she suspected there had been a development of some kind between the two.

With so much to occupy her, it kept Kimberly from being nervous about the upcoming competition despite her coach's un-subtle promptings for answers and commitments. Fortunately she'd been in a lot of competitions in Angel Grove and while nervous, she knew how to handle it and found large competitions were no different. Medals aside, it was your skills against other skilled individuals and who happened to perform the best. She found thinking about it only made things worse and so, instead, focused on Tommy's shift in attitude and his determination to get the Rangers back together on even footing.

From Tommy himself she heard nothing despite his promise to be in touch.

The days passed swiftly, and Kimberly maintained her routine of late night practice, so much that her coach had stopped almost all morning practices for her schedule to avoid strains and overworking her before the competition. Fortunately he found little in her performances to criticize, though his pointers were always valid and constructive. It didn't stop her from resenting him as a human being, but it did reinforce the grudging respect she gave him as a gymnastics coach.

Kimberly was signing for the final load of her items from storage to be shipped to Angel Grove when her communicator went off one afternoon five days after the battle with Archerina. She smiled at the contractor she'd made the arrangements with and then excused herself with the barest of courtesies. Thankful she hadn't been in the gym once again, and wasn't obligated to make excuses, she ducked into one of the side storage rooms and closed the door.

"This is Kim."

Alpha's voice came through the other end. "Aie yi yi yi yi! Kimberly, the Rangers need your help!"

"What am I up against?"

"Tommy and Tanya are under a spell which is interfering with Tommy's link to his Zord. The machine empire is trying to make the Zords explode by making them dance, Aie yi yi yi yi!"

"I'm on my way; it's Morphin time!" Kimberly thrust her hands out to the sides, mindful of Zordon's warning about using the Crane powers, and called on the Zeo powers. "Zeo Ranger one; Pink!"