A/N: As those of you who read my stories know, I resently uploaded a story that wasn't really much of a story at all. I've taken it down in order to give it room to breathe. On the flip side, it gave me more time to play with this story idea. I hope you enjoy it, and as always, please share your thoughts on it.

Love!

Tommy Oliver was not new to competitions. Nor was he facing off against his opponent for the first time. He and Jason had been sparring for years, so it was no different then any other day.

In theory, anyway.

"Remember you guys, keep focused." Trini patted Jason on the stomach and smiled good naturedly. "Mind over mater. And remember, this is just a competition. No killing each other."

Tommy chuckled and continued to talk and joke for awhile as he and Jason prepped a little more. It was when they were notified that they were next to go to the mat that Tommy noticed a new face in the crowd. Trini noticed her, too, and went to meet her. Tommy just couldn't stop staring, a goofy grin lighting his face when she raised her eyes to him and sent a smile of her own.

"Yo, Tommy!" Zack waved his hand in front of the teen's face. "Back to Earth, space cadet."

Tommy blinked and looked at the guys with a blank look. "Huh?"

Jason quirked a brow and looked over to the two girls. "Oh! I see what's going on here." Jason turned back to them and slammed his open palm onto Tommy's back, sending him a step forward. "Tommy here is going all gooey over the new girl."

Tommy scowled as his cheeks flared. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"It would appear by the glazed over look in your eyes and flushed appearance that something has gotten you very keyed up. And due to competitions being a constant in your life, I highly doubt that this particularly minor one is the cause of your excitement."

Tommy blinked at the blue clad genius. "Do you speak words, Billy?"

"He said you think Kimberly is cute." Trini returned to the group and offered them both a good luck as they were called onto the mat.

"So her name is Kimberly?" Jason stared at him for a moment with his signature quirked brow. "What?"

"Focus!" Tommy looked confused for a moment when he realized the fight was underway. He had bowed and the fight had started with out him even realizing it.

Trini watched with the guys for awhile before returning to Kimberly at the Juice Bar.

"I'm glad you found the place okay. Sorry I had to take off earlier. Two of my friends are the finalists in the competition." Kimberly swallowed the her sip of smoothie and shook her head.

"No, it's fine. I totally understand. I find it all so fascinating." She tried to get a good view of what was happening on the mat, but the crowd was to big. "I just wish I could get a better view. I tried getting through but it was too thick."

Trini made a face and observed the people surrounding the fight. "Yeah, I think I'm stuck here with you now. Tommy and Jason are two of the best fighters at Angel Grove High. They've been sparring with each other since we were little and they go all out every time. You can figure why them fighting would be so popular." Trini made a face. "Typical male testosterone."

Kimberly giggled and took a healthy drink of smoothie. "So, you said there's a gymnastic club at the school?"

Trini nodded. "Yes. You should be able to get in fairly easy. There's also a beam and mats here that you can use to practice. I'm afraid the beam doesn't get used that much as it is." Kimberly looked over at the balance beam that some of those on the outskirts of the crowd were leaning on it. "You said that martial arts fascinated you earlier, right? Have you taken a class before?"

Kimberly brought her view from the neglected beam and smiled at her companion. "I was a cheerleader back in Seattle and my coach was big on us being able to take care of ourselves. I've been taking self defense and karate classes since middle school."

Trini nodded and tried to see around the crowd again before sighing in defeat. "There is just no way we're going to see the fight." Kimberly agreed and drank her strawberry/mango smoothie from her perch on the stool. "Oh! And you're too late for cheer tryouts this year, but if your good, which I'm sure you are, you should be able to do it next year."

Kimberly nodded and finished off her smoothie with a contended sigh. "Say, Trini, what time is it?"

Trini checked her watch and Kimberly gave a noise of displeasure. "I have to go. My mom wanted to spend sometime bonding. Apparently dinner out is a good idea. Not that I'm complaining. I love a good, free dinner."

Trini laughed and the two said good-bye. Kimberly left and Trini was left to face crowd, somehow forcing her way through the masses.

"You almost missed the whole fight, Tri. Where you been?" Zack helped her the rest of the way to the front of the crowd with he and Billy.

"Sorry. I was welcoming the new girl. Her parents just got a divorce and her mom decided it would be a good idea to uproot her daughters life and move back to her home town." Trini explained before she saw Jason hit the mat. "Focus, Jase! Tommy, don't get over confident."

The fight continued only a short while longer. No winner was declared. They had managed another draw.

Zack let out a sound of annoyance. "Jeez! Can't one of them man up and just beat the other." Trini rolled her eyes and slapped him on the arm. "Seriously. One of these times I just want to see them lose it and take the other down. Hard."

"I find that they are both evenly matched on all levels. I don't believe it is a matter of compassion but more rather limitation that are naturally there." Billy cleaned his glasses before adjusting them on the bridge of his nose. "The fact that they are constantly looking to each other as sparing partners in which to better themselves doesn't help. Right, Trini?"

She smiled and nodded, ignoring Zack's comments about changelings.

Tommy and Jason accepted the trophy and finally made their way over to their friends.

"Billy's a changeling baby." Tommy looked lost and Jason nodded.

"What's that?" Billy adjusted his glasses, again. It was nervous tick he had had since he was a kid.

"A changeling is a faerie child who has been placed in a family, replacing an actual human child that has been taken away to live in the faerie world. The Celtic trickster Puck was known to do this on several occasions."

"In simpler terms: Billy's not human." Tommy, finally understanding, nodded and added in his opinion on the matter. Billy just adjusted his glasses and blushed.

"So, Trini, who's your new friend?" Jason wiped his face down with a towel and took a sit at a nearby table. Zack left to get food and drinks from Ernie, the owner of the Juice Bar and Youth Center.

"Her name is Kimberly Hart. She's in our grade and lives with her mother. They just moved here from Seattle, Washington. Her parents just got done with a nasty divorce and since her mother grew up here, she thought it would be a good place to start over. She started school on Friday and is in a few of my classes." Trini accepted her smoothie from Zack and took a drink before continuing. "She's a gymnast, a cheerleader and musically and theatrically inclined. That means she plays guitar, sings and likes acting, for those who don't think deep thoughts."

Billy smirked and the other three just made faces and disapproving noises. "You are so mean sometimes, you know that." Tommy took a bite of his sandwich and was silent for a time as the others talked about other things. His mind kept going back to her and that smile. It was the only thing on his mind until the familiar six tone peep had him and the others leaving in a rush, leaving random bills on the table to pay for their food and drinks.

A few moments later five brightly coloured warriors in spandex like armor and helmets appeared in the park to deal with a goo like monster and clay like minions with spastics movements.

On the other side of town, though, Kimberly sat in a swanky Italian restaurant. Her mother was across from her and they were enjoying a peaceful dinner before commotion interrupted them. They were shocked to find the whole of the restaurant was on fire with talk of a battle and something called the "Power Rangers."

"Kim, dear, you're a little better integrated than I am. What are they talking about?"

Kim shrugged and ripped apart a bread stick. "You're guess is as good as mine. I've been hearing it around town, but I haven't gotten a chance to really ask anyone. I'll ask Trini on Monday when school starts, I guess."

"Sounds like a plan." The two tried to enjoy their dinner from that point but found themselves getting annoyed at the constant change in attitude regarding the fight and the mysterious Power Rangers.

"Definitely asking on Monday." Kimberly huffed as she walked out to her mother's car, having finally finished the God awful meal.

"Please do."

"Jason, Oh Fearless Leader, you suck." Zack worked his arm, trying to make the pain somehow go away. "You guys charge him, Tommy and I will take him in the confusion." Zack was sure to make his voice as obnoxious as possible as he mimicked Jason. "Dumb idea."

"It worked, didn't it?" Jason leaned against the control console, arms crossed across his chest being as still as possible as Trini applied bandages and disinfectant to the side of his face. "Besides, you're the one who keeps agreeing to it. Ow!"

Trini hit his arm and scowled at him. "Quick squirming, jerk."

Jason glared as he kept his head forward and his jaw locked.

"Not like it normally does. Normally we can rely on the two who are supposed to take him by surprise. What happened out there man?"

He couldn't take it anymore. Billy was sending him glares as he licked his own wounds and he was being laid with blame he didn't deserve.

"I was where I needed to be. It was the space cadet who wasn't doing his part."

Tommy looked to Jason from his place on the floor. "Hey! That wasn't intentional. I was being swarmed by putties." He scowled and went back to staring into the void that was the Command Center. "I feel bad enough as it is."

Trini sighed and abandoned Jason's wounds, much to his protest, and went to console Tommy. "Tommy, it wasn't your fault, we know that. Jason was your partner, he should have been watching your back."

"I should have given you guys a heads up. I should have said something, done something, and you guys wouldn't have just charged in and gotten hurt." He covered his face with his hands and let guilt swarm over him. This day just wasn't one of his best.

Trini sighed and looked to the others. Jason finally started to calm down and began looking guilty for his own actions. It was a well known fact that Tommy suffered greatly from what had been so apply named the Tommy Oliver Guilt complex. They tried very hard to keep him from falling victim to it, but it was a very large task for only four people. It didn't help things that he had a Swiss cheese memory and was almost always late to everything except a competition.

"Tommy, man, Trini's right. I should have been there for you. I completely let you down." Jason sat down by his friend and Trini sent him a smile as she went to help Billy. "Don't beat yourself up over something everyone should have been watching for."

Tommy looked at Jason, then everyone else in the room. Their faces were nothing but supportive and Tommy tried very hard to smile.

"They are right, Tommy. What happened today could not be avoided." Zordon came into view. "Rita is up to something, I'm afraid."

Jason and Tommy rose to stand before the slightly transparent head of their leader. "What's going on?"

The Eltarian shook his head and looked visibly upset. "I don't know, but I think it may be time to tell you something I had hoped would remain secret for sometime."

"But, Zordon, there is no sure sign that that's her plan." Alpha 5, the robotic companion of Zordon and all around Handy Robot of the Command Center and Rangers began his usual spaz out he saved for those special times when things looked particularly grim.

"I'm afraid I have no choice." He focused on the Rangers. "I can't risk leaving you unprepared for what may be coming."

The Rangers looked at each other then to Zordon, signaling him to continue.

"1000 years ago, when I first came here and faced off against Rita Repulsa and her minions, I managed to do so with the help of five special humans, much like yourselves. As time passes, though, and the fighting became harder, I sought out a sixth."

"Six? But I thought these were the same Power Coins that you had when you first arrived here. If that's true, why are there only five now?"

"Jason, be patient. I am nearing that part of the tale."

Jason ducked his head and said his apologies. "I looked to my Rangers for help. They suggested a candidate and I began watching him. I found he was very suited for the task but also that one of my rangers had a vested interested in him knowing and being part of the team. They were intended and her activities as a Ranger and what it cost of her personal life had put a strain on the relationship.

"So, seeing nothing wrong with the candidate and wanting my Rangers to have as normal lives as possible, I agreed and began preparing for his becoming one of my Rangers. Rita got to him first, though, I'm afraid. She put a spell on my Blue Ranger and he stole the Green Dragon Power Coin and placed it in her control. To say my Rangers were devastated would be putting it mildly. My Yellow Ranger was heart broken and the others pained at having lost their friend."

The Rangers listened in silence as they watched Zordon's face become more distressed. "One of them took action, though. She made a deal with Rita."

"What kind of deal?" Everyone looked to Zack as he interrupted the silence that had fallen in the room as Zordon looked into a distant past.

"Not wanting her friend to suffer, and being the more experienced fighter than the Green Ranger of the time, she offered up her life for his." Zordon paused, again, and sighed. "The Pink Pterodactyl Ranger was a fierce warrior and had so much heart. When Rita agreed, everything that was her died away and she went on a mission of destruction, leaving debris of all manner in her wake. I'm sorry to say, my Rangers never got see their old friend as she was. She was destroyed when Rita fell from power and her coin remained with the witch. She still has it to this day."

"So, you think she'll call on an evil Pink Ranger?" Zordon nodded and Tommy continued. "Why now? Why not just call on the Ranger from the start? What's changed?"

"Rita likes playing with her victims. Nothing has really changed except that she's probably had all the fun she can with attacking you. Now she'll mess with your personal lives. She'll try and hurt you where it hurts the most. She'll attack your heart." Zordon looked at all his Rangers. "She'll most likely choose someone your close to."

The Rangers lowered their heads. "What do we Zordon? Is there anyway to know who she will choose?"

"No, Trini. There are several Ranger candidates around the world and all of them open for her to choose from. It would not be hard for her to relocate them here and have you all forge a bond with them before making them her minion of evil."

Zordon looked at all of them thoughtfully. "There is nothing to be done about it as of right now. Go home and rest, Rangers. I'm afraid your going to need it for what may be coming."

"Zordon you old fool." Rita looked away from her telescope and smiled maliciously. "If only you knew what I had in store for your brightly coloured brats. Finster!"

The unfortunate alien with the ghost white complexion made his way into the room, bowing as he entered. "Yes, my empress?"

Rita looked into her telescope before acknowledging his presence. "I've found a candidate for my Pterodactyl Power Ranger."

Goldar, who happened to be passing the room, entered with a sneer on his lion like face. "How can you be sure, my Empress?"

His patronizing tone was not lost on Rita and she rounded on the gold clad monkey. "Because! Tommy is taken with her and the yellow brat Trini has already become very close to her. If the test works she will be my evil Pink Ranger. Finster!"

"I will prepare for her arrival, my Empress." Rita laughed and went back to her telescope.

"And prepare the putties while you're at it. Monday I will give her the first test." Rita paused and moved away from her telescope to sit on her thrown. "After I've given her time to further nurture her connection with the Rangers, of course."

Back on Earth, Kimberly was sitting in her living room watching television, with no inkling of what lay ahead for her come Monday. Her biggest worry of the moment was what she was going to wear and if she would finally meet the friends Trini had talk so much about.