Kimberly sat down one last time on the stripped bed and looked around the bare room. It had been... no, it hadn't been home. It had been a place to stay for the last year or so. And now she was leaving. Another chapter in her life closed.

Her gaze turned to the one thing she hadn't packed yet--her guitar. She didn't know why she had brought it in the first place. It wasn't like she had time to play here. But somehow, it had come along, and now she really needed it. She had gotten herself through some of the worst times in her life by writing songs about them, to express how she--and others--felt. A fleeting smile crossed her face as she remembered the song she had written for Tommy, back when he was losing his powers. It had cheered him up, as she intended, and then he had gotten his powers back and been stronger than ever. She knew the two events weren't linked, but somehow, she hoped that singing about her problems would help solve them. Somehow.

She tuned the guitar slowly, searching her mind for ways to express the pain she was going through. Finally, words appeared, and she started to pick out a simple tune, one that she would have no problem singing along with.

Have you seen yourself today
Could you recognize your face
Can you tell me what to say
Mine's lost without a trace

Who am I? I was the Pink Ranger, but I gave that up to chase a dream. I was the girl Tommy Oliver loved, until I threw it away. I was a gymnast, one with big potential and bigger dreams. But that's gone too. What's left? Who is Kimberly Hart, once all the roles, all the masks have been stripped away?

Mama can you help me please
My hero just stabbed me
With a knife that I delayed
Oh, mama, who's my friend

How could he do that to me? I had given up everything for him, for his stupid dream. I really believed that with a little training, I could be the next gold medallist. I broke off the relationship with Tommy because he told me I couldn't afford the time it would take. I sweated blood for him, day after day. And then he tells me that he was wrong, that I'm not good enough. All my effort, everything I put into it just made him take a little longer to decide that he needed the place for a new girl, one that he made the same promises to. So now I'm booted out of the school, out of the dorm, out of this life. And nobody even said goodbye.

Tell me, tell me where do you go
When all the diamonds have run dry
Tell me, tell me how do you feel
After bittersweet goodbyes

I always hated those diamonds on the front of the uniforms. They were even worse than what the helmet did to my hair. Just so tacky... Then Zedd tried to drain my powers, and all I could think was that I'd never wear that ugly costume again. Funny, what the mind does at times like that. Even after I had them back, I never trusted them. I wonder if that's how Tommy felt, after he got his Green Ranger powers back. If it hadn't been for that doubt, I don't think I could have abandoned my friends to chase a dream across the country, no matter how much I wanted to go.

I had almost found my faith
I was almost me
But my pride couldn't swallow what it ate
Boy I hope you're happy

It was so strange not being a Power Ranger anymore. I'd lost the certainty that I was one of the good guys, that everything would always turn out right, because I was there to make sure it did. Without that, everything seemed so meaningless. Then, I finally managed to believe that I was making a life out of gymnastics. It wasn't the same life--how could it be--but it was a good life. That's what I told myself anyway. But being a Ranger was never like that. I had time for a life outside of my duties. I was working with my friends, not with people who wanted nothing more than to see me fail miserably so they would look better. And Zordon... Zordon was like a father to me. Like a father should be. He never humiliated me publicly for gaining a pound. He really cared about me, not about whether or not I could do the triple-flip dismount perfectly every time. And he would never kick me off because I wasn't 'good enough'. When Tommy lost his powers, Zordon did everything to bring him back. He would never have told me to pack my bags in front of the whole team. I could hear them snickering. And I know I heard Jessie tell Todd to pay up--I hadn't made it through the month.

Tell me, tell me where do you go
When all the diamonds have run dry
Tell me, tell me how do you feel
After bittersweet goodbyes

So where do I go from here? All my dreams of fame and fortune are ashes; they'll never come back. I can't go back to Angel Grove, not after the letter. I don't know what would be worse: everybody skirting around asking about my 'boyfriend', trying to get details without hurting Tommy's feelings, or what they'd think if I told them the truth--that I dumped him because I didn't have time for a relationship. There's always Paris, but... I never really wanted to live in France. I can't even speak French, not enough to live with. So I have nowhere to go. It hurts so much to lose what I thought my life was building up to, with nothing to replace it with. But somehow, I'm glad to be going. Now I can try again, and maybe get it right this time.

The last chords died away, and Kimberly stood up. She packed the guitar neatly away in its case, and picked up the duffel bag that held her clothes. There was nothing left in here, nothing of her. The new girl would come, and it would become her space. The door closed softly behind her as she walked out to a new life.

And maybe get it right this time.

The End