The Doctor finally broke off the hug. “But…but how?!” she asked. “The Time Lords wiped your memories of our adventures!”
“We can’t exactly explain it,” replied Zoe. “One moment, we fell asleep, then the next, we woke up in some strange room in the TARDIS with all our memories restored.”
“And this room had different control panels and all sorts of screens and roundels and-!” continued Jamie.
“The Remembered TARDIS!” gasped the Doctor.
“The what?” asked Jamie.
“It’s how I remember the TARDIS, Jamie,” replied the Doctor. “It was created when UNIT made a Time Window. And it’s powered by memories of past and future adventures. During an adventure where I had to deal with a destroyer, it must have latched onto everyone’s memories, from my past lives to all the companions I traveled with. The added side effect must have been to restore your memories.”
“Well, all the clutter certainly matched the TARDIS,” remarked Jamie.
“You really could have spent some time dusting it when we were travelling with you,” agreed Zoe.
“OI!” protested the Doctor.
“Not much has changed,” remarked Tysar. “There’s still some odds and ends everywhere inside.”
“See here-!” snapped the Doctor. Her sonic screwdriver then beeped. She checked it and blinked. “…Well, that’s a bit odd,” she said.
“What’s wrong?” asked Sty.
“It turns out there was a chronal surge here earlier,” explained the Doctor. “Not sure where it came from and who it plucked. …How about this, let’s introduce ourselves.”
Soon, everyone knew everyone else’s names. The Sailor Senshi were Usagi Tsukino as Sailor Moon, Ami Mizuno as Sailor Mercury, Rei Hino as Sailor Mars, Makoto Kino as Sailor Jupiter, and Minako Aino as Sailor Venus. The other teenagers were Jason Lee Scott the original Red Power Ranger, Zack Taylor the original Black Ranger, Kimberly Hart the original Pink Ranger, Billy Cranston the original Blue Ranger, and Trini Kwan the original Yellow Ranger. It was decided that the Rangers would stay with King Dedede, Sty, Jamie, and Bandee while Kirby, the Doctor, Tysar, the Sailor Senshi, Meta Knight, and Zoe would investigate the remaining chronal surge victim. Given the passenger limitations on Kirby’s Warp Star, The Doctor’s team opted for the TARDIS. Naturally, the Sailor Senshi, having never been in a TARDIS before, didn’t initially think they would all fit inside and were astounded by Time Lord Dimensional Engineering! “Impossible!” gasped Sailor Mercury. “The sheer amount of power alone-!”
“Aye,” confirmed Jamie as he and Zoe looked around the TARDIS. “That’s what was going on in our heads when we each first stepped into this bonnie blue place.” He patted the console as if greeting an old friend. The TARDIS beeped appreciatively.
“Even though you’ve redecorated, Doctor,” said Zoe, “it still feels like I’ve come home!” A smile crossed her face.
“Now, Ms. Mizuno,” said the Doctor, “I’d love to give a lecture on how the TARDIS is bigger on the inside, but we’re pressed for time.”
“Good luck, Doctor,” said Jamie as he headed to the doors. “And do try to give the new ones a smooth takeoff, aye?” He then left the TARDIS as the Doctor bridled at that remarked.
“A smooth takeoff?!” she protested as she set the coordinates. “A smooth takeoff?! Infernal cheek!” She pulled the takeoff lever and the TARDIS made its usual noise. Zoe looked around with a smile on her face as memories came flooding to the forefront of her mind.
“This thing’s moving?!” asked Sailor Venus.
“Only a short distance, relatively speaking,” replied the Doctor. “I figured we should at least stay in the current time zone.” The TARDIS then made its usual arrival noise. “And there we are!” She switched on the scanner and got a view of being inside a building. “Right then!” she declared. “Let’s go see!”
The group stepped out to see a Waddle Dee standing next to a door. “Hello there!” called the Doctor. “We’re here to help!” The Waddle-Dee was gobsmacked at the whole thing.
“How did you get here?!” he demanded. “This is the Learning Hall! Only authorized students may enter here!”
“Learning Hall?” repeated Zoe. She then looked at the Doctor with a nasty theory. “Doctor, you don’t think-?”
“I’m hoping not, Zoe,” replied the Doctor, correctly guessing Zoe’s theory. Just then, a Waddle-Dee stepped out.
“High Mind Waddle-Dee!” yelped the guard Waddle-Dee.
“High Mind?” asked Zoe. “That doesn’t make sense.”
“Yes, if it IS them,” recalled the Doctor, “then their High Minds should have had their mental energy drained.”
“Doctor, Zoe, do you know who’s behind this?” asked Sailor Jupiter.
“Yes, but something just doesn’t make sense,” replied the Doctor.
“Would they have made this kind of machine?” asked Sailor Mercury as she pointed out a machine with a headset, buttons, and a screen. The Doctor and Zoe’s eyes went wide.
“I’m afraid they would,” remarked the Doctor. “That test machine all but confirms it, doesn’t it, Zoe?”
“The Krotons,” confirmed Zoe. “But how is one of their victims still alive?”
“Maybe something went wrong with their Dynatrope.”
“Three this time?!” The Guard Waddle-Dee said to his compatriot. “We’d have to kidnap them from Mt. Dedede itself!”
“There’s no other way!” replied the High Mind Waddle-Dee. “Our master was most insistent.”
“…Singular,” observed the Doctor. “Maybe it’s just ONE Kroton.”
“It’s still dangerous,” remarked Zoe. “And we may not be able to obtain enough sulfuric acid.”
“Perhaps we don’t need it yet,” mused the Doctor. She then waved her arm to attract the Waddle-Dees’ attention. “Excuse me! Is your master functioning on a Waddle-Dee only High Mind policy?”
“Well, no,” replied the High Mind Waddle-Dee.
“Splendid,” declared the Doctor as she turned to sit at the test machine…only to see Zoe already there! “ZOE!” she protested.
“Don’t argue, Doctor!” retorted Zoe. “I’m too old for that these days!” She pressed the start button and a series of mathematical symbols rotating in two rings appeared on the screen. Zoe then pressed a sequence of buttons and some of the symbols vanished while the others arranged themselves into a formula. Zoe smiled, then pressed the start button again and performed a different formula. This went on for a while until the test was over. She took off the headset and sighed. “…Maybe this is related to the Krotons’ brainwashing,” she said, “but it’s nice to know I’ve still got it!”
“…No, I think we can chalk that up to appropriately-applied pride to your skills, Zoe,” remarked the Doctor.
“That seems really simple,” said Sailor Mercury. “I want to try it.” Zoe’s smile vanished.
“Sailor Mercury, you can’t-!” she protested.
“The Kroton asked for three this time,” reminded the Doctor. “And as she’s the smartest of the Inner Sailor Senshi, Mercury IS needed. Sailor Mercury, good luck. Simply put on the headset and press the start button.” That’s when a gong sounded.
“…Dinnertime,” shuddered Zoe. The Guard Waddle-Dee then headed to a hole in the wall near the door. The hole opened and he was given a tablet.
“What’s going on?” asked Sailor Moon.
“It’s our master,” replied the Guard Waddle-Dee. “There’s a message for me.”
“What does it say?” asked Tysar. The Guard Waddle-Dee then read the message aloud.
“Class 2-2-4-7. Selected: Female. Zo-Dee.”
“Zo-Dee?!” spluttered Zoe. “Haven’t they updated those learning machines to detect whether or not someone is a native of the species they conquered?!”
“Evidently not,” remarked the Doctor.
“DONE!” called Sailor Mercury. A definite smile was on her face. “It’s like they were pleased with how I did!”
“Sailor Mercury, do be careful!” warned Zoe. “That’s how the Krotons brainwash someone.”
“I always knew school was nothing more than brainwashing!” laughed Sailor Moon. “When I become queen, I’m abolishing schools forever!”
“She doesn’t,” the Doctor muttered to Zoe and the rest of the team. She then sat down at the learning machine, then put on the headset and pressed the start button. She then arranged the symbols…but the symbols bounced back into their circles before the formula could be completed. “Oh, good heavens!” she groaned. “There I go, working in square roots again!” As the Doctor worked on the next question, the message gong rang. The Guard Waddle-Dee retrieved the tablet and read it aloud.
“Class 2-2-4-8. Selected: Female. Ami-Dee.”
“They really don’t know that I’m not a Waddle-Dee?” Sailor Mercury asked Zoe.
“That machine’s quite primitive compared to the TARDIS,” replied Zoe.
“GOT IT!” called the Doctor. “It really is funny, how the Krotons are pleased with you when you answer right.”
“Does that mean they’re not as bad as you say?” asked Sailor Venus. That snapped the Doctor out of it!
“No, no, of course, they’re as bad as I say!” she insisted. The gong rang one more time. “And I’m betting I’m the third course,” muttered the Doctor. The Guard Waddle-Dee read the last tablet aloud.
“Class 2-2-4-9. Selected: Female. Doctor-Dee.”
“‘Doctor-Dee’! IDIOTS!” snapped the Doctor. The door then slid upwards. “…Well, are you two ready?” she asked Zoe and Sailor Mercury.
“Do we really-?” asked Tysar.
“I’m afraid Krotons demand complete obedience,” replied Zoe. “If not, they’ll destroy the Waddle-Dees.”
“Zoe’s right,” said the Doctor. “We’ll play along for now.” The three chosen women steeled themselves, then entered the room. The door slid down behind them.
“…It feels wrong,” muttered Tysar.
“Poyo,” said Kirby comfortingly as he put a hand on hers.