Hi all. Next chapter, more team bonding. I’m going to start expanding on Jason and Kimberly’s lives since we saw them last as we move forward. This time, we explore Kim some, along with Kira. P.S. if you don’t like some of the dialogue, blame the DT writer, as I took a lot from the show directly to frame this chapter. That being said, I hope you enjoy, and now, to the story. . .

Legends and Heroes

By Jeannine Trevizo

-x-

Chapter 3: Boulevard of Broken Dreams

Kira finished her song and stepped down from the stage at the cybercafé. For the team at the table, it was obvious that she wasn’t pleased.

“That was awesome. Is that something new?” asked Conner, smiling at the yellow ranger as she set her guitar beside her and sat down at the table with the team.

“Yeah. I’m working on the hook, but I think there’s something there.”

“I’m telling you that if this superhero gig doesn’t work out, you definitely have a musical career to fall back on, remarked Ethan.

“It’s kinda hard to have a musical career when you can’t even get anyone to listen to you play,” groused Kira as Trent Fernandez, a young Hispanic classmate of theirs whom worked at the café brought over their drinks, sketchpad under his arm.

“I was listening, and I think you rock,” he said with a grin, and Kira smiled back at him.

“He’s right Kira. You have a lot of talent. Just keep at it… you never know where it will take you,” said Kim, reaching forward to get her drink.

“Nobody appreciates good music anymore. All you hear on the radio is that pop garbage,” complained Tommy, not noticing how Jason and Kim both looked away.

“Yeah, like what’s her name? Kylee Styles?” remarked Hayley, as she heard part of the conversation and then turned away with Trent to serve some other customers.

“Hey, Kylee Styles has some good music Dr. O,” said Conner, and without anyone noticing, Kim chewed her lip at Conner’s praise.

“Translation. He thinks she’s fine,” argued Ethan.

“No I don’t.” Everyone looked at Conner, disbelieving, especially Tommy, Jason and Ethan. “Okay, I do. Bu that has nothing to do with it.”

“You know she used to be a really good songwriter,” interjected Kira quickly, bringing Kim’s gaze towards her. “She used to be really sweet too. But now she’s all about her image.”

“You know Kylee Styles?” said Kim, less a question and more a surprised statement.

“Yeah. We used to be friends. We used to be in a band together, and then she got discovered and now she’s this huge pop diva,” said Kira with a misty look of remembrance in her eyes, before she looked to Kim. “How do you know who she is?”

“I… uh…,” mumbled Kim with an embarrassed look, glancing to Jason who simply shrugged.

“What’s with the evasiveness and the face?” Tommy asked, recognizing the look after years of seeing it and watching her look up to expose the surprise at his accurate assessment of her emotions.

He was getting better at reading her, Tommy thought to himself. Maybe being a ranger wasn’t the only thing that was like riding a bike. His thoughts were interrupted by Kim’s voice replying to his question.

“It’s just, well, I never thought that I’d be doing this.”

“Doing what?” Kira questioned.

“Writing throw-away pop songs for twenty something year old divas,” answered Kim, just before she covered her face with her hands.

“You…” stammered Conner, his brain starting to fill in what Kim had yet to say.

“Wrote her last hit single.”

“Oh my god!” yelled Conner, with similar echoes from Kira and Ethan, while Tommy stood in shocked silence.

“You’re a songwriter?” Tommy asked quietly, realizing how much of each other’s lives they’d missed.

“Yes.”

“How did that happen?”

“It was kind of an accident,” Kim began to explain. “It was while I was living in Florida, training for the Pan Global gymnastic competition. That’s another long story. Anyway, a bunch of the girls thought it would be funny if they submitted one of my original songs from my notebook to a local talent showcase. When they called, asking for a demo tape, I was pissed but surprised. Since I’d been invited, the team pressured me into following up and going.”

Tommy looked at her with a wave of melancholy. He’d remembered her singing, her songwriting… especially when it had been about or for him. But hearing that she’d ended up writing songs for a living surprised him though. He’d always expected that she’d follow her dreams and become a gymnast professionally, maybe opening a gym or becoming a private coach. Instead she’d sacrificed her ranger status, her friends an him to end up writing pop songs. Maybe she really had been telling him the truth that she was ashamed of what she’d done to the point that she had wanted to hide from him…

“And?” questioned Kira, excited.

“After my performance, this guy comes up and starts asking me questions. Come to find out, he was a talent scout for a record label and he offered me a recording contract.”

“Wow.”

“I told him I wasn’t interested.”

“Why not?” Ethan questioned, obviously shocked, like his team mates that she would turn down such a once in a lifetime offer.

“I was following my dream of gymnastics. If I bailed on it to go be a music star with a life span of a year, I would have tossed everything away,” Kim said, looking pointedly at Tommy as she said it. “I’d already lost so much; the last thing I wanted was to lose anything more.”

“So, what happened then?” asked Conner, his chin in the palms of his hands as he propped his elbows on the table.

“He asked if I would be interested in writing. I figured that since it was something I could do along with my Pan Global pursuits, I wouldn’t mind trying it. I submitted a few tunes, and got one recorded. As time went on, I racked up a few billboard hits, and found myself being sought after a lot, making more money and able to decide my own fate. So when my gymnastics career died out, I decided to follow the song writing path permanently.”

“Wow, that’s way cool. Have you met Kylee then?” queried Kira.

“Not really. I deal mostly with the producers and everything.”

“Does that mean you’ve written for like Brittney Spears and Christina Agulera?” Conner asked, excitedly.

“Once or twice, but they usually get a higher caliber of writer than me.”

“You were a good songwriter in the past. I can’t imagine that you haven’t gotten better over the years,” remarked Tommy, earning him a small grin from Kim that made his breath catch for a moment.

“Thanks. I just got off a conference call with my agent this morning, part of the reason for the early night last night and informed them where they could find me for the moment.”

“This is so cool,” said Kira, beaming at the prospect of a team mate with not only the same interests but with real life knowledge about her own dreams. “You’re like a famous songwriter, and you’re here.”

“Well, I wouldn’t put it that way, but have to admit that my career is beneficial in one way,” remarked Kim off-handedly.

“How’s that?” asked Ethan.

“I can live where ever I want to and write. So that means I can get an apartment here for the time being.”

“Why don’t you stay with Dr. O? You guys are old friends, right?” Conner questioned with a grin.

Kim nearly choked on her drink and Tommy went deathly still. The two of them turned slightly to look at one another and silent communication passed between them, like it had in the past.

“Can’t. He already offered his spare room to Jason.”

“Right,” said Jase quickly, looking between his friends with a smirk.

“Oh.”

“Well, here’s your chance for both of you to see her. According to her fan site, she’s in town to promote her new CD,” said Ethan, his fingers flying across his keyboard as he brought up Kylee’s webpage up on his laptop.

“Oh we are so there!” cried Conner, looking to Kira and Kim. “And since you guys know her so well, you can hook me up.”

“Whatever,” said Kira with a flash of attitude.

Tommy had been watching Kim’s interaction with the others until his friend’s gaze caught his eye; Jason’s attention had moved away to rest on the door. He slowly turned to follow Jase’s line of vision and saw a well dressed man, old enough to be the father of most of the kids in the place walk in, and felt his veins run cold. Jason looked from the black suited main to his best friend and eased up from his seat as Tommy moved ever so slowly towards the man.

“Earth to Dr. O. Are you in there?” asked Ethan as Tommy moved away from the table.

At the door, the man greeted the young Hispanic teen that had been serving them just minutes earlier. Tommy walked up to them and stared at the tall, blond man.

“Anton Mercer,” he said in shock. “I can’t believe it.”

The man Tommy was calling Anton met his gaze coolly and reached out to take his hand.

“Tommy. Tommy Oliver. How have you been?”

“You know my dad,” spoke the young man.

“Your dad? I had no idea. Your last name is…”

“It’s Fernamdez. It’s a long, complicated story Tommy. Moe importantly, how are you?” interrupted Anton.

“Trent, can you help out with table number three? There’s been a bit of a mochaccino incident,” said Hayley, moving to Trent’s side quickly.

“Yeah. I’ll be right there,” replied Trent, and then he laid a hand on his father’s arm quickly before turning away. “See ya.”

“I don’t understand. I thought you were dead,” Tommy stated in a hushed voice. “I mean, the island was destroyed.”

“Well, I was lucky Tommy. From the looks of it, we both were.”

“Why didn’t you call? Send a message?”

“Yeah, well, you know what it’s like starting over. Trying to get your bearings.”

“Yeah, I do,” Tommy admitted. Then he leaned in close to nearly whisper in Anton’s ear, unaware of the team watching his every move. “Anton, the experiments we were working on, some crazy things have been happening. We need to figure some things out.”

“Yeah,” Anton said in a blasé manner, “I suppose you’re right. Look, I’ll clear some time next week, if that’s alright. It’s good seeing you again Tommy. Truly it is.”

With that, he grasped Tommy’s shoulders and then released them, turning and walking out the door. Tommy stood there, his face stunned as he slowly circled back to the table and saw Jason on his feet, Kim barely in her seat and the others looking at him from their spots with confusion.

“You okay bro?” asked Jason as he moved to meet Tommy halfway back to the table.

“Yeah, just surprised.”

“Okay, now that the drama is over, are we going to see Kylee or what?” asked Conner, his eyes lighting on Kira.

Kira nodded and she got up and headed for the door, Conner having already bolted from his seat. Kim sat for a moment longer, her eyes drifting back to Tommy and Jason before she stood and headed join the others. But she hadn’t gotten five steps from the table before she was stopped.

“Kim,” Tommy said, reaching out to catch Kim’s arm, and both shuddered slightly at the touch.

“Yes?” she asked breathlessly, her eyes darting from his chocolate gaze, to the door and back again.

“Thanks for the quick answer. I was planning on offering the second bedroom to Jase… but… if things were different…you know you’d be welcome to stay there.”

“Thank you. That means a lot to me.”

“We’re friends Kim. You do that for your friends.”

Kim’s mouth formed a small ‘o’ as Tommy turned back to Jason and they moved to sit at the table again. Her eyes watched him for a moment, as a million thoughts ran through her head. Perhaps, she though with a spark of hope, they could get back what they had once after all.

“Kim!” yelled Conner from the doorway.

“Coming!” she yelled, and hurried out the door to join Conner and Kira, leaving behind her best friend and the man she was realizing had never truly left her heart.

-x-

The crowd crushed in on the signing table where Kylee and her manager were now sitting down, their words drowned out by the fans jockeying for a signature. Conner pushed Kira and Kim forward, the crowd somehow allowing them to make their way to the table.

“Go ahead, ask her,” Conner urged Kira as they arrived in front of Kylee.

For her part, the pop diva barely looked at her, pen in hand as she asked, “Who do you want it made out to?”

“Just write, “To my old friend, Kira Ford”,” said Kira with a frown.

Suddenly Kylee looked up and her eyes truly focused on the girl before her.

“Kira? Wow! I haven’t seen you for ages!” she gushed, and gave a faux hug and kiss to the yellow ranger. “I didn’t know you were a fan.”

“Actually, it’s my friend that’s the fan.”

“It’s Conner, with an E-R.”

“And our other friend, Kimberly Hart…”

“Ms Hart,” spoke the agent, glancing between the short brunette and the tall performer. “Kylee, you remember that Ms. Hart wrote your last single.”

“Oh, it’s so nice to meet you. I loved how your song just suited me so well. It was so much better than the stuff I used to back when Kira and I used to perform together. All that silly teen-angst stuff. You know, at some point you have to grow up.”

“Coming through! I have a press pass. Move it,” yelled a blonde in the crowd, and at the word press, Kylee looked up and out into the crowd, preening as she awaited the media, her former friend and songwriter forgotten. “Cassidy Cornell, “Reefside Reporter”. Anyway, I’m here to do a story on how you went from struggling nobody to pop superstar.”

“Aren’t you kind. Well, you know it all started,” Kylee began, and then pulled up abruptly. “Oh hold on. Kira, Kim, I’m so sorry. Duty calls. Maybe we can catch up later.”

With that, Kira and Kim slid back into the crush of people, Conner watching Kylee with new eyes. Finally the three of them moved away from the spectacle.

“See what I mean,” Kim said seriously, her gaze locked with Kira’s. “A singing career isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.”

Kira nodded in understanding, and they moved off to wait and see if Kylee really meant what she’d said about catching up later.

-x-

“Alright, we’ve got you cornered,” called out Conner in his armor, as he, Jason, Ethan and Dr. O converged on the fuzzy bunny like monster that had aged people all across the city, including Kylee Styles.

“Is that what you think?” it replied as it launched an energy barrage, knocking Ethan and Conner flat, and staggering Tommy and Jason. “It’s over rangers.”

Just then, a loud sonic roar echoed through the court, sending the monster flying and the rest of the team to their knees. Kira and Kim raced onto the court, falling into battle stance.

“Kira, Kim!” called out Tommy as they all got up from their knees.

“Sorry about that. I shuld have given you the heads up on the Ptera scream.”

“You two okay?” asked Jason.

“As good as can be expected,” remarked Kira. “We left Kylee at the café. Hayley was looking after her until we can figure a way to reverse the aging ray.”

“I’m glad it was her and not me. I would probably be dead if that beam had hit me,” remarked Kim with a sarcastic tone.

“True,” said Kira, looking at her new ranger team mate with a smirk, “I mean Kylee aged way old, and Kim’s twice her age, so…”

“Hey!”

“No need to get so defensive. You’re hot for an older chick,” Conner stated appreciatively.

His comment earned him a glare from Tommy, which the younger man couldn’t see because of the helmet.

“How about less talking and more monster ass whooping?” asked Ethan.

“Sounds like a plan,” Kim said readily, taking hold of her gauntlet to transform it to her morpher. “I think we could use some more color here.”

“Dino Thunder, power up! Hah!”

“Purple ranger, power up!”

With a bright light, Kira and Kim were quickly encased in their armor, completing the team. Hurriedly they moved to surround the monster, hoping to surprise it. Ethan, Kira, Kim and Conner pulled their Thundermax sabers in unison and attacked, but were repulsed quickly by the monster, which sent them flying.

Jason hurried to stand before Conner and Ethan on one side of the court, using his dagger to conjure a series of light arrow which he sent across the court at the beast, staggering it. On the other side of the court, Tommy had skidded to a stop before Kim and Kira, his staff in hand.

“You okay?” he asked, looking briefly towards Kira, but his eyes resting mostly on Kim.

“Sure, just got the wind knocked outta me. This being an old ranger isn’t easy,” she said as she shoved her way up off the ground and cracked her knuckles. “Let’s see him try that again.”

As if on cue, the monster began to fire off his energy blasts at Kim and Tommy. Kim raised her hands before her and pushed forward with her mind, and in mid-air they slowed and then stopped, halted by the field of solidified air before her that had been made as thick as tar with her powers.

“Impressive,” said Tommy with a trace of awe in his voice.

“Thanks. Kira?”

“I got it.”

With that, Kira picked up a tennis racket and two tennis balls left lying on the court. With a quick throw and a hard swat, she sent them flying as Kim dropped her powers. The energy blasts fizzled away and the tennis balls found their mark – embedding in the nostrils of the monster.

“My nose!” it cried as it frantically danced around, trying to stop the blockage from short circuiting his power without success.

It flew backwards, crashing through a fence and onto the pavement.

“Put them together guys!” called Kira, bringing everyone running to her position.

Sword, staffs, shield, grips and Kim’s Stega Whip met to create a massive blaster rig. Everyone took up their bracing positions as Conner got ready to fire. In one shot, they destroyed the monster, turning it into a fiery blob. The three teens cheered, and Tommy, Jason and Kim just stood and waited, having been on the receiving end of so many evil villains resurrecting their monsters as giant sized foes that they knew they had just moments to wait.

They weren’t disappointed.

“Time to call in the heavy artillery,” said Tommy, his hand moving to his morpher to call in his Brachiosaurus, bringing in the rest of the team’s zords, with Jason following his lead.

Kim looked up and watched Kira’s yellow Pteranodon fly overhead, and shook her head slightly at memories of a pink pterodactyl so many years ago. She forced herself to refocus her attention to the purple Stegozord as it strutted its way from Tommy’s Brachio carrier zord.

In an instant, the red, blue and yellow ranger’s zords combined, creating the Thundersaurus Megazord. As the three younger team members jumped to the cockpit of their Megazord, Tommy, Kim and Jason moved to their individual zords control rooms, planning on flanking and herding in the monster for the coup de grâce that they knew the Megazord would bring.

Energy bolts and projectiles flew between the giant monster and the Megazord. As one volley knocked the Megazord down, Jason’s Dragozord flew in and sidetracked the monster as Kim and Tommy moved in unison to knock its feet out from under him, sending the creature crashing into the building behind it.

“Damn, more property damage,” complained Tommy.

“You’ll pay for it with monster taxes,” quipped Kim as she wheeled her Stegozord around in preparation not to get stepped on by the recovered Megazord.

Revving up the tail drill of the Tyrannozord arm, Conner, Kira and Ethan moved in for the kill, striking the monster and turning him into so much monster dust as he exploded in a fiery ball. Around the city, with the destruction of the monster, people were being changed back to their youthful selves.

Banishing their zords, the team gave one another congratulatory handshakes and hugs. They’d succeeded… as a team.

-x-

The following day, Kira was back at the café, ready to try again to get the attention of the crowd. As she arrived, she noted Kim and Dr. O at the table, but not Jason. She figured since Kim had a job, maybe that was where he was now. As well, Conner was there, and the red ranger took note when she arrived, pointing her out to the others.

Instead of going straight to the stage, she swung past the bar, seeing Hayley walking away with the picture she’d seen Trent with the day before.

“That’s what you were drawing?” Kira asked as she saw the framed picture of herself as a super hero move past in Hayley’s hands.

“Yeah. I wouldn’t have let Hayley put it up, but she’s insistent that way,” he replied modestly.

“No. It’s great. But why did you draw me as a superhero?”

“’Cause you’re brave for getting on stage, playing stuff from your heart; not conforming to some image,” he said with a grin, and then shrugged slightly, “and besides, superheroes are all I know how to draw.”

“Well thanks. That was really sweet,” she answered, giving him a final grin as she turned and headed to the stage, his eyes following her.

She passed the team and had Kim catch her hand and give her a wink. This time, she was going to get their attention.

“Good luck,” called out Conner as Kira climbed onto the stage.

“I wrote this next song with a friend a long time ago,” Kira announced as she moved to the microphone. “I hope you like it.”

She nodded to the band to start as she took hold of her guitar. In front of the stage, Kim, Dr. O, and Conner all waited expectantly, surrounded by the other patrons of the café who were no longer sitting, but standing around the front of the stage near the back of the café.

Kira launched into the song about heartbreak. And then at the chorus, from the side door walked Kylee Styles, taking up the space beside Kira and singing along. They grinned at one another and continued their now duet as the crowd gasped and exclaimed in shock at the pop diva’s appearance. Kim gave a knowing glance to the star who nodded at her hit songwriter as Conner and Tommy looked at one another in awe.

They continued through the song, and when they finished, Kira and Kylee hugged as the crowd applauded.

-End-

Another chapter down. Hopefully you liked the back story and how it all wove into this episode. Please remember that we’re doing a series here, so that means we have places to go with what happened in this part. And as usual, if you liked, let me know… I appreciate knowing what I did right and wrong. Next time: more Jason and some more movement towards that fated T/K ness. J.