Hopeful Hearts
By SparklyTree3876

Rating: PG-13/R

Genre: Romance/Adventure

Pairings: Tommy/Kim, Billy/Kat, Rocky/Aisha, Adam/Tanya, Jason/Trini, and Zack/Angela

Author's Notes: Hi, readers. I would like to present a new Mighty Morphin Power Rangers fic. It is AU set four weeks after "Master Vile and the Metallic Armor" and shows Kim returning to Angel Grove for Christmas Break and finding herself drawn back into the fight against evil when Master Vile decides to make her his queen. The idea for this fic came to mind when I started thinking about Master Vile going after Kim in hopes of turning her to his side. As a result, it was born. Master Vile is a very underused villain. He was much more powerful than Lord Zedd was, yet his character was never fully explored. I consider it a big mistake to have him leave after only eight episodes. He should've been in a lot more. I want to warn everyone ahead of time that this fic will have sexual content. Some of it will be intense. If you are uncomfortable with that, then I suggest you not read the chapters that contain it. Otherwise, you may read at your own risk. I hope you enjoy this fic. Constructive criticism is welcome.

XXXXX

Chapter 1: Christmas Break Starts

Clouds covered the half the late morning sky above Angel Grove High School in late December. Trees dipped and swayed in the wind. Some branches looked about ready to break off. A northern mockingbird sat on the roof. It ran its beak through its chest feathers. It bobbed its head before chirping a beautiful melody. It blinked three times.

Four weeks had passed since Master Vile's arrival. The Power Rangers were having a difficult time fighting him and his powerful monsters. The most recent attack was ten days ago. Vile sent Goldar and Scorpina on a rampage in the town square. Rocky was knocked unconscious when he hit his head on a tree. This forced the other Rangers to fight without him. Goldar and Scorpina grew to giant size and attacked the abandoned warehouse district. The team defeated them with the Ninja Megafalconzord and the Shogun Megazord. Ninjor assisted them in the fight. Rocky recovered from his injury within a week.

The mockingbird spread its wings and flew downward. It landed on a first-floor windowsill. It looked inside, seeing Ms. Applebee read White Fang while sitting at her desk. She finished a page and turned to the next one. She whispered inaudible words. A timer was near her, ticking softly. Her world history students worked on their exams.

A student sitting in the first desk in the second row looked both ways. He turned to another one seated on his right. He looked both ways three times. He peered at her exam. She shot him a glare and wrapped her arm around it to shield it from him. She wrote down her answers as he huffed and returned to working on his.

Kat finished her exam and laid her pencil down. She was seated in the third desk in the second row. She glanced toward Aisha, who sat at the second desk in the first row. She observed her erasing her answer and writing down another one. She slipped a lock behind her ear before clearing her throat. She pressed her lips together.

Kat turned her attention toward the timer. She sighed heavily as she wished it would just hurry up. She wanted to get started on Christmas Break so badly. She was excited about her first Christmas in America. She'd been living in Angel Grove since October. The citizens had been so helpful in getting her to fit in. She owed the most to Tommy, Kim, Billy, Rocky, Adam, and Aisha. She thought they were the best friends anyone could ever have.

Her thoughts drifted to Kim. She wondered how her friend's day was going in Miami. She thought Kim was a very lucky girl to be training with Coach Schmidt. She saw him as one of the best gymnastics coaches in the world. She hoped the 1996 Atlanta Olympics would be in Kim's future. She would love to see her win gold medals for the United States.

Kat snapped back into reality when the timer started ringing loudly. She ran her fingers through her hair three times. She moved her head from side to side. This stretched her neck. Ms. Applebee put her book down and closed it. She grabbed the timer to turn it off. She put it down before standing up. She clasped her hands together.

"All right, everyone. Time's up," Ms. Applebee said. "Put your pencils down, and hand your exams to the front."

Ms. Applebee approached the first student in the first row as everyone passed his or her exams forward. She took the stack. She went to each student in the other four rows to take their stacks. She returned to her desk and laid them beside her book. She turned around, smiling at the class.

"I hope everyone has a great Christmas Break," Ms. Applebee said sweetly. "Class is dismissed."

The students gathered their stuff and stood up. They filed out of the classroom. Kat made a right turn while inhaling deeply and exhaling slowly. Aisha came up beside her, pushing one of her braids behind her neck.

"How do you think you did on that exam?" Aisha asked very curiously.

"I'm not sure," Kat answered and swallowed hard. "It's nerve-wracking having to wait."

"I know the feeling," Aisha said sympathetically. "Look on the bright side. We don't have to worry about school for two weeks."

"Thank God," Kat said with a small chuckle. "Homework can be such a hassle. You never know how much you're going to get or how difficult it will be. It's no different here than in Australia."

"At least you don't have to worry about hot weather all that much in Angel Grove," Aisha commented and smiled.

Kat chuckled to herself. "That's true. I miss Australia, but I do love being in America. There are so many good people here."

Aisha patted her friend's shoulder. "You'll find good people in every country in the world. Some might have unusual cultures, but they're cool."

Kat and Aisha came to the stairs. They headed to their lockers, which were across from them. Theirs happened to the be top third and fourth. They opened them to place their stuff inside. They closed them with loud slams. They turned around, leaning their backs against them. They looked at each other.

"If there's one thing I'm thankful for, it's my parents were able to find a great school for me to attend," Kat said.

"I agree," Aisha replied. "The teachers are wonderful and care a lot about their students. So is the principal, even if he is a little strict at times."

"Mr. Kaplan's best quality is putting bullies in their place. Some principals here and abroad don't do that at all," Kat whispered, feeling a little uneasy.

"I've heard some principals consider sports more important than protecting students from harm," Aisha said, shaking her head in disbelief.

"It is so ridiculous," Kat muttered in annoyance. "Everyone deserves to feel safe, regardless of who they are. One is not more important than the other."

"Unfortunately, some people will never get that," Aisha said.

"Like who?" a female voice asked snobbishly.

Kat and Aisha cringed at recognition of the voice. They looked toward Veronica, who stood next to the trashcan. They rolled their eyes, groaning to themselves. Veronica approached them, turning her nose up at them.

"Hey there, Kat, Aisha. Long time no see," Veronica said, her voice laced with much sarcasm.

"What do you want, Veronica?" Aisha demanded.

"Can't I say hi to some friends of mine?" Veronica sneered.

Aisha crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at the snob. "We wouldn't be your friends if our lives depended on it."

"Are we being a little snippy today, Aisha?" Veronica retorted. "It doesn't matter. You and your little friends are losers since you're not rich like I am."

"You may be rich, but it doesn't make you better than everyone else, Veronica," Kat said a little angrily. "Money will never buy you happiness or friends. You're such a snob that it's no wonder you're always sitting by yourself at lunch."

"Those are strong words coming from an Australian," Veronica leered as she narrowed her eyes at Kat. "I heard they didn't have sharp tongues."

Kat breathed deeply to keep calm. "We have very sharp tongues. In fact, I believe we have among the sharpest in the world."

"Still, it doesn't make you less of a loser. Kim is the biggest loser of all. She could've been the best of all the Angel Grove Girls Club members, but she quit just because Aisha wasn't in it," Veronica hissed, gesturing toward Aisha, who gave her an angry look. "They only got back in after they ousted me. She'll never amount to anything just like you all won't."

"Kim is training for the Pan Global Games in Miami with Coach Schmidt. He is one of the finest gymnastics coaches in the world. That's a huge honor for her. If anyone will amount to anything, she will. You'll end up alone with no one but yourself to blame one of these days. That's what always happens to snobs," Kat said, her voice filled with firmness.

Veronica clenched her teeth. "We'll see about that, Kat."

Veronica turned on her heel and walked away as Tommy, Billy, Rocky, and Adam came around the corner. She bumped into Adam without excusing herself. They boys stared after her before looking toward the girls. They stopped next to them.

"What's with Veronica?" Adam asked.

"Believe me, Adam. You don't want to know," Aisha mumbled.

"Trust Aisha. She knows what she's saying," Kat added.

"All right, we won't ask another question," Billy said while holding up his hands.

"That is unless you want to throw a cream pie in Veronica's face," Rocky joked and snickered under his breath.

"I'd love to see her angry reaction at that," Tommy said with a laugh.

The others joined in on the laughter as they walked through down the right hallway. Students passed them on both sides.

"I'm so glad Christmas Break is here," Adam said with much relief. "I never thought it'd come."

"Time does seem to slow down as Christmas gets closer," Billy said as he slipped his hands in his pockets.

Rocky looked at Adam and smirked. "I know what we can do this year. We can dress Adam up like a Christmas tree with lights and ornaments."

Adam blew a raspberry. "You've got another thing coming if you think you're doing that."

Rocky stuck his tongue out at Adam, who mimicked him with his. They shook their fists at each other while letting out playful growls. They pulled their tongues back into their mouths.

"My dad left me some money to order a couple of pizzas for lunch. Who's up for that?" Billy asked.

"I am!" Kat and Aisha said excitedly.

"Count me in," Adam chimed with a big smile on his face. "I haven't had pizza in a long time."

"Me neither," Tommy added.

"You know me. I'm always up for pizza," Rocky chuckled, moving his eyebrows up and down.

The teens began talking about the Angel Grove Aquarium. They picked up their pace somewhat.

00000

Tommy, Rocky, Adam, Aisha, and Kat were watching a recorded episode of Press Your Luck in the living room at the Cranston residence nearly an hour later. The boys were on the couch while the girls were in the armchairs. The room was large. Its walls were light green with splotches of dark green all over it. It contained a glass coffee table and two pine end tables. The TV sat across from the couch in an entertainment center. The VCR sat above it.

Tommy, Rocky, Adam, Aisha, and Kat cringed as a contestant landed on a Whammy and groaned in frustration. The Michael Jackson Whammy danced across the screen. He emitted a series of squeals. He finished, and stars appeared in his eyes. The Whammy card popped up with a boing. Tommy, Rocky, Adam, Aisha, and Kat laughed as they shook their heads.

"I can't get enough of those Whammies," Rocky said.

"You're telling me," Adam agreed. "They're the best part of the game."

"The Cyndi Lauper Whammy was so funny. She sang 'I want money! I want money! I want money! Cash!' while she danced across the screen," Kat yelled and moved from side to side.

"That's my favorite Whammy," Aisha smiled.

"My favorite is the Tarzan Whammy. He swung on a vine and yells 'Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah!' before he collided with an angry elephant," Tommy said and imitated an elephant's trumpeting.

"I wouldn't want to be that guy," Adam said.

"Who would?" Rocky said and stood up to head toward the kitchen. "I'm getting some more pizza."

"Me too," Aisha said, rising to her feet. "Yes siree."

Rocky and Aisha went into the kitchen, where four pizza boxes lay on the table. All the boxes were marked with the Pizza Hut logo. They looked around the kitchen. The kitchen happened to be medium-sized. Its walls were light yellow, as were its cabinets. Its floor was white and made of tiles. It had a bar with three stools. The oak table had four matching chairs.

Rocky and Aisha looked at the stack of plates that lay next to the first box. He grabbed two and gave the first one to her. They opened the first and second ones. They got one slice of pepperoni and cheese pizza each. He bit into his cheese pizza. He chewed quickly and swallowed with a loud gulp. She raised an eyebrow.

"As usual, you can't resist taking a bite out of your pizza before we go into the living room," Aisha teased.

"I can't help it when this pizza is so good," Rocky responded as he put the slice down. "It is a well-known fact that Pizza Hut makes the best pizza."

"Billy's dad was nice to give him money for these pizzas," Aisha said and exhaled quietly.

He rubbed his chin. "Yeah. We got a great deal on them. Twenty-four bucks for four pizzas!"

She emitted a small chuckle. "Deals don't get better than that. Nope, nope, nope." She looked over his shoulder. "Hey, is that a sparrow sitting on the windowsill?"

Rocky looked over his shoulder at the window, but he didn't see anything. He turned back to Aisha, feeling his jaw drop when he found her taking one of his pepperonis. She popped it in her mouth, chewing and swallowing quickly. He shot her a mock glare while shaking his finger at her.

"You are such a sneak, Aisha," Rocky scolded playfully.

"I am proud to be a sneak," Aisha squealed.

Rocky put his plate down. "Then sneak out of this!"

Rocky tickled Aisha's neck. She shrieked with laughter and pulled away from him. She laid her plate on the table. She punched him in the shoulder lightly, only to get a smack to the back of her head from him in retaliation. She pinched his cheek, and he tweaked her nose. They winked at each other before closing the boxes. They grabbed their plates returned to their seats in the living room. They sat down with loud grunts. Their friends looked at them weirdly.

"You two were really loud in there," Tommy said.

"We needed to have a little fun while getting pizza. I hope nothing is wrong with that," Aisha said and raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, not at all," Tommy replied.

"It should've turned into a food fight. That would've been a pretty sight to see," Adam teased.

"Yeah. Then again, Billy's dad would fuss at us for making a mess," Rocky responded with a quiet gulp.

"Good point," Adam said.

Rocky laid his plate in his lap and picked up his cheese pizza. He began nibbling on it. Just then, Billy came into the living room with a piece of paper in his hand.

"Hey, Billy," Kat greeted.

"What do you got there?" Adam wondered.

Billy smiled. "It's an email from Kim. I just got it from her. It says she's coming home for Christmas Break."

Aisha waved her hand toward herself. "Let me see that."

Billy approached Aisha and gave her the paper. Tommy, Rocky, Adam, and Kat leaned toward her as she read it slowly. Their eyes went wide with surprise, and big smiles formed on their faces.

"I can't believe it! She's really coming home for Christmas! She'll be here for the full two weeks!" Aisha squealed with glee.

"It also says she has a big surprise for us," Adam added.

"What do you think it could be?" Kat wondered.

"It won't be milk and cookies," Rocky commented and let out a small snicker. "That's for sure."

Aisha elbowed Rocky in the arm. Rocky grabbed it and pretended to be in pain. Tommy stood up and went over to her. He took the paper from her and looked at it closely. He went back to his seat and sat down, his face radiating with happiness.

"I'm really excited about Kim coming home for Christmas, guys. It will be great having her around again," Tommy said.

"It's been eight weeks since she left, but it feels like only yesterday. It'll be nice to hear her laughter," Aisha whispered.

"It sure will," Kat added. "She could walk into a room and light it up with her beautiful smile."

Billy cleared his throat. "I can't argue with that, Kat."

"The best thing about her is she's able to make you feel better, no matter how down you are," Rocky pointed out.

"I've lost count of how many times she's done that for me," Adam commented.

Rocky suppressed a yawn. "I think we all have, Adam."

"It's important we never take anyone for granted. You just never know what might happen to them," Aisha said.

"Life can come at you so fast that you may not even have time to blink," Kat whispered, breathing deeply. "Everything you've worked for can be gone."

"So true," Adam agreed and leaned forward. "This world is a dangerous place. We have to make the best of it."

"We have to look out for ourselves and each other. It's not easy, but it's worth it," Billy said.

Kat stroked her chin. "Yep."

Tommy, Rocky, Adam, Aisha, and Kat watched Billy head into the kitchen. They turned to each other. Tommy proceeded to talk about his unmorphed fight with Goldar in the Otherworld Dimension.